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A newsletter from Nelson County School
Superintendent Anthony Orr

Superintendent Anthony Orr sits with students in the gym at Foster Heights Elementary School on the first day of school.
—Photo by Yvette Martin

Getting over first day jitters

The boy with the look of extreme concentration on his face wasn’t the only one with first day jitters. But I decided that I would get over mine more quickly if I sat down and chatted with him. The excited (and perhaps nervous) chatter of an additional 400, or more, elementary students in the gym that morning made it tough to hear him when he whispered his name, but the little girl sitting next to him chimed in quickly to let me know they would be starting their first day of kindergarten that morning. I told them it was my first day at school, too. I did not completely calm Storm’s first day nerves, but Danielle and I gave it our best. I have checked on Storm this week and his teacher tells me he’s gotten off to a good start.

Storm was one of 324 kindergarteners and over 4600 students in Nelson County Schools on August 4th. My first day nerves were nothing compared to his, but then he didn’t know the people I have met who have worked to make sure that first day went smoothly. Over the last several weeks, I have watched bus drivers being trained, windows being cleaned, classrooms being set up, schedules being set, and parents bringing in school supplies. Just as Danielle and I worked together to help Storm, our caring school staff members, supportive community and loving families are all focused on providing “Quality Education Now, Learning for Life.” When we work together, good things for our students will happen.

That’s part of what I want to accomplish with these Super Notes. We want to keep people from all over Nelson County up to date with the work that is going on in our schools. Whether you have a child in one of the schools, work in the system, or simply have a vested interest (and who among us does not?), I would like to update you on a regular basis. We’ll let you know about some of the good things that have happened and are coming up. We’ll also provide insight into the specific work we’re doing to increase student achievement in Nelson County Schools.

Just as there was plenty of action in that gym last week, there will be progress in the Nelson County Schools. Thanks for taking a look at the Super Notes as a way to stay informed about the good things happening here. This new avenue of communication should run two ways. Please see this as an invitation to give me feedback on your family’s experience with our schools. You can reach me by email at anthony.orr@nelson.kyschools.us. I look forward to working with you to build the supportive learning environment our children deserve.

Math initiative adds up: There are 48 Nelson County middle school students taking high school math courses this year. This includes 2 students studying geometry and 46 taking Algebra II. Among these high achievers are two sixth-graders, Jacob Hogan and Aaron Cook, who successfully completed Algebra I last year as fifth-graders at CCE. Jacob and Aaron were the youngest Nelson County students to complete a high school math course last year. As a district, we hope this sort of accomplishment becomes all the more common as we work to increase the rigor for our students at all grade levels.

The Nelson County Board of Education regularly takes note of the many recent accomplishments of our staff and students. Here are just a few of the highlights heard during the June and July board meetings.

Shooting for success: Four Nelson County students, including a recent graduate, earned a spot on the national 4-H Archery team and competed in July at the International YHEC archery competition in Pennsylvania. Competing were Matthew Lawson, a 2009 NCHS graduate; NCHS students Keaton Miller and Ryan Osborne; and Tanner Culver, a Boston School student.

Outstanding educators: Special Ed teachers Jeremy Hill, NCHS, and Dean Santini, Horizons Academy, were recognized as outstanding educators at the CKSEC Outstanding Educator Recognition Luncheon in May. Both teachers were recognized for their efforts to help their students stretch their capabilities and increase their academic and social achievements.

Running forward: The 2010 Cardinal Track & Field team came out of the toughest region of any class in the state in history-making fashion. Among their accomplishments: The team had 51 Region finalists; 42 Region medalists, including a Region champion; eight State qualifiers; broke two school records and team members noted 23 personal records. Special congratulations go to state qualifiers Nicole Boone, Daniella Godenzi, Miranda Mattingly, Evelyn Tackett, Addison Wheatley, Region Runner-up Antonio Railey (High Jump), and Region Runner-up (discus) and Region Champion (Shot Put) Amber Thurman.

Readers excel: Students at Cox's Creek Elementary School earned national recognition last year by reading an average of 133,000 words and taking an average of 27 quizzes each in the Accelerated Reader program. Brandon Darby earned a record 437 AR points through the year.

School is “exemplary”: In addition to these student accomplishments, CCE earned designation by the Western Kentucky University School of Education as an exemplary “Differentiation Site.” Principal Jan Lanham was recognized as a co-author of the publication, "Practical Differentiation Strategies" for the Kentucky Association for Gifted Education. CCE teachers Jennifer Hutchins and Stephanie Clayton presented at the 2010 Behavior Institute on Using Classroom Video Modeling for positive behavior intervention.

Preschool center is spelled “c-u-s-t-o-m-e-r-s-e-r-v-i-c-e”

The board of education is considering plans to create a preschool center using our old central office building in Bardstown. The idea is to capitalize on a great, centralized location while addressing the urgent need to provide the best possible alternatives for preschool children in Nelson County. On the surface, this project is about building and using our resources wisely. But at its core, this project is about taking another step forward toward providing the best customer service possible for our students and their parents. Either way though, this is good news for Nelson and particularly good news for our youngest children and their families. For recent news and additional information about this project, please go here.

Trail project is display of cooperation

A ribbon cutting for the Boston School Nature Trail took place last Thursday. From the outset last year this project has provided an excellent example of what a school and community partnership is all about. The trail will be a beneficial addition for students and the community as a whole. Numerous companies and individuals have contributed in a variety of ways to help with the project, while students have already started enjoying the fruits of these labors. One offshoot is a new environmental club at the school, headed by science teacher Jim Unger. In a recent story regarding the ribbon cutting, Principal Tammy Newcome pointed out this is “not a project that stops. We’ve still got a lot to do.” Ideas are already in play to keep building on the firm foundation already established. This is good news for Boston and good news for the Nelson County Schools community as a whole. For additional information and recent news releases on this project please follow this link.

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