Daviess County Public Schools staff newsletter Feb. 1-5, 2016
ZÜtÑxä|ÇxELA Framework
In This IssueELA Framework
Great Expectations
and Focus Awards
OTL Update
Courier Reminder
Sit Down With Saylor
Lockdowns & Lattes
100th Day of School
Healthy Lifestyle Tip
LivingWell Promise
Value of Sick Days
AESOP Information
CCR Update
Send news to
Teachers at Meadow Lands Elementary School were
engaged in creating a hands-on framework during a
Jan. 19 faculty meeting, which led to discussions
and planning for the school’s English Language Arts
framework.
The framework guides the way in which each
school leads every student to success with the
ELA Standards in every classroom and at every
grade level in the school. The framework may
involve details such as the amount of time devoted
to each part of the instructional process, or the
common resources that schools will use in their
instruction, common vocabulary, and focus on the
best practices of instruction.
MLES Principal Kevin Lowe said his school’s
educators were enthusiastic to begin the long
process of first realizing the need of the framework.
“Students become confused when too many different
resources, vocabulary and instructional practices are
used throughout their educational career so we need
to be focused and research based,” he said. “Our
teachers were excited to ensure that their instruction
would be aligned also across grade levels to prevent
teaching the same material in multiple grades.”
MLES instructional coach Kristy Brackin developed
a variety of activities with high levels of engagement
that kept the staff moving and learning throughout
their time together. More Photos on Next Page
ELA Framework
Nominations are now being accepted for our fourth
annual Great Expectations Awards! The nomination
deadline for school-level Teacher of the Year honors is
March 1. Deadline to submit nominations for
Customer Service and Office Support Awards is May 1.
Each school will select a Teacher of the Year by April 1.
That individual will continue as a finalist for the
district’s Great Expectations Teaching Excellence Award
winners at the elementary, middle and high school
levels, to be announced at Opening Day in August.
To nominate an outstanding educator for Teacher of the
Year, visit www.dcps.org or any of our school websites;
or click HERE to go directly to nomination information.
The Teacher of the Year nomination consists of four
brief essays on the following topics (limit 200 words):
1) What are the unique teaching qualities that make this
teacher worthy of being named Teacher of the Year?
2) How does this teacher cause learning to happen for
his/her students?
3) How does this teacher model and support
Great Expectations for all students?
4) What else would you like the selection committee to
know about your nominee?
To nominate an outstanding member of our support
services team, click HERE for nomination form.
The DCPS Customer Service and Office Professional
nomination consists of responses to three questions:
1) What are the unique qualities that make this
individual worthy of being recognized for outstanding
Customer Service or as an outstanding Office
Professional at your DCPS school or site?
2) How does this individual model and support
“Great Expectations”?
3) What else would you like the selection committee to
know about your nominee?
We invite everyone to take time to nominate
deserving colleagues for these awards!
Great Expectations
Award nominations
now being accepted
Focus Award Nominations
due Feb. 19The Foundation for
Daviess County Public
Schools is pleased to
announce acceptance of
nominations for the
organization’s Focus
Awards 2016.
During spring 2016, the
Foundation Board of
Directors will select one
$1,000 Focus Award grant
recipient in each of the following areas:
Health Literacy
Technology Great Expectations
Focus Awards reward teachers and staff who excel in
providing innovative, creative programming to students.
Click HERE to view video of Jennifer Richardson and
Quinton Owens discussing Focus Awards they have
received and how they have benefitted their classrooms.
Everyone is invited to submit nominations via the
Foundation web site (www.foundationfordcps.org —
Focus Awards) or by emailing information to the
Foundation’s executive director Vicki Quisenberry at
Nomination information must include:
n Name of your nominee
n Focus area in which you are nominating this person: health, literacy, technology or Great Expectations
n School where your nominee teaches or works
n Nominator name and your contact information
n Short narrative concerning why the person deserves toreceive the $1,000 award
DCPS teachers and staff may apply for a Focus
Award without a nomination.
Nominations/applications must be received on or before
Friday, Feb. 19, to be considered for Focus Award grants.
Focus Awards are funded by donations from individuals
and businesses who wish to build a stronger community
through enhancing education. Investments may be made
through Payroll Deduction or through the Foundation’s
secure on-line giving site:
https://foundationfordcps.weshareonline.org
Those with questions about the Foundation for DCPS and
Foundation programs may contact Vicki Quisenberry at
(270) 231-5583 or [email protected]
A Reminder About Interoffice
(Courier) MailIn order to avoid delays in interoffice mail, be sure to put
the intended recipient’s NAME and LOCATION on all
items delivered by our courier. Any mail that is not
properly addressed is routed to the Central Office, where
delivery is delayed while someone opens the packet and
tries to figure out who is supposed to receive that item.
The courier has already left CO before that is done, so the
item is not picked up until the next time the courier
comes to the office.
School psychologists, special services personnel and
In-House Crisis staff members are located at the DCPS
Learning Center, not at Central Office or at Heritage Park
High School (formerly Beacon Central). Please mark
their mail with “Learning Center” as the location.
The courier goes to the Owensboro Public Schools office
on Wednesday only, so it may be faster to mail items to
that location.
Items sent to the Credit Union should include your name
and account number.
The courier goes to the Post Office, Central Office,
Learning Center, Apollo High School and Daviess
County High School every weekday. He goes to all other
locations Monday, Wednesday and Friday only.
Your cooperation is appreciated!
Sit Down
With Saylor!
DCPS Supt. Owens Saylor is continuing his series of
“Sit Down With Saylor” conversations. The next session
is scheduled from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9, at the
Daviess County Public Library, 2020 Frederica St.
Supt. Saylor will be stationed in the magazine area on the
first floor of the library and welcomes parents, members
of our community, district staff members and students to
stop by to ask questions and share suggestions or concerns
in an informal setting. The next session is scheduled for
March 8.
Office of Teaching
and Learning UpdateThis monthly feature provides
information and updates about
progress and activities in our
DCPS Department of Teaching and
Learning, shared by Julie Clark,
assistant superintendent for
teaching and learning.
February 2016Core Advocate English/Language
Arts Training
n Burns Middle School feeder pattern – 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 1,
Logsdon Center
Core Advocate Math Training
n College View Middle School feeder pattern – 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 2, Logsdon Center
n Daviess County Middle School feeder pattern – 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 8, Logsdon Center
n Burns Middle School feeder pattern – 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 9, Logsdon Center
Julie Clark
Weekly health and fitness tips brought to you by the
DCPS Food Services Department. We care about you!
DCPS schools have been participating in their regular
January lockdowns — an important activity that we all
take seriously.
However, Daviess County High School found a way to
add fun to this event on Jan. 29 with a “Lockdown &
Lattes” celebration. Staff members were invited to start
the day with a cup of coffee, crullers and conversation
before locking their doors and covering their windows.
Catherine Burden, Beverly Payne, Tammy Hoffman,
Debbie Sparks, Debbie Fortney, Karen Feldhaus,
Terri Norris, Candy Miller, Traci Langford, Jason Powers
and Suzanne Anderson were among those who brought
coffee, K-cups and doughnuts as the DCHS staffulty
enjoyed an opportunity to “caffeinate and conversate”
with one another.
We are told they didn’t even have to consult their yellow
cards to learn how to have a good time.
Lockdown
and Lattes
100th Day of School
Bev Payne and Cindy Stilwell are pictured posing with
some fun props for the 100th day of school at DCHS –
Wednesday, Jan. 3. Bev used proceeds from her Teacher
of the Year award to buy props and prizes for students at
DCHS, setting up a “selfie photo booth” for the Panthers
to enjoy. Fabulous prizes were awarded by random draw
to 47 of the Panthers who participated in the fun event,
but everyone enjoyed the activity sponsored by Mrs.
Payne and friends.
Why does KEHP offer LivingWell
Promise plans?
The LivingWell plans are part of
KEHP's overall wellness program.
These plans offer:
n Access to excellent plan benefits;
n Avenues to learn about your healthstatus and history;
n Opportunities to learn about andunderstand your health risks; and
n Specific, personalized goals to getand stay healthy.
What is the LivingWell Promise?
If you chose one of the LivingWell
plans, you agreed to:
n Complete your online HumanaVitality Health Assessment between
Jan. 1 and May 1, 2016
OR
n Complete a Vitality Check (biometric screening). Learn more
and find locations HERE.
What is the Health Assessment?
The HumanaVitality Health
Assessment includes a series of
questions about you and your health
habits. It takes approximately 15
minutes to complete. After
completion, you will know your
Vitality Age and will be provided
specific steps you can take to improve
your health.
What is a Vitality Check (biometric
screening)?
A Vitality Check is a biometric
screening that consists of lab work to
measure your cholesterol and blood
glucose, blood pressure, and height,
weight and waist circumference to
learn your Body Mass Index (BMI).
For more accurate results, fast for at
least nine hours prior to the test.
A Vitality Check will give you more
accurate and recent results to use
when populating your Health
Assessment. And in turn, you will
have a more accurate Vitality Age.
You will earn 400 Vitality Points for
taking each test (cholesterol,
blood glucose, blood pressure).
You’ll earn more HumanaVitality
points for completing a Vitality
Check than you will by taking just a
Health Assessment. If you choose,
you may take both and earn more
points!
The Vitality Check increases your
awareness of your health status.
The results do not affect your health
insurance coverage or premiums.
Who must complete the LivingWell
Promise?
Only the plan holder is required to
complete the LivingWell Promise.
Non-employee spouses and
dependents covered under the plan
will not be required to complete the
Health Assessment. If you have the
cross-reference payment option, you
and your spouse both must complete
the Health Assessment.
What happens if I fail to complete
the LivingWell Promise between
Jan. 1 and May 1, 2016?
If you choose a LivingWell plan and
fail to fulfill the LivingWell Promise,
you will not be eligible to participate
in the LivingWell Promise or choose
a LivingWell plan option for the next
plan year. You will only be
eligible for the standard plan options
in the 2017 plan year.
New employees who elect a
LivingWell plan after open
enrollment must complete the Health
Assessment within 90 days of the
effective date of their coverage.
What happens with the information
collected through the Health
Assessment?
KEHP takes your personal health
information seriously and has
measures in place to protect this
information. All personal health
information from the Health
Assessment and any information
disclosed during the assessment will
be kept confidential. HumanaVitality
only provides aggregate data
(combined data based on all the
Health Assessments completed by
members) to KEHP. No personal
health information is shared with your
employer.
Issues or concerns completing the
Health Assessment?
If you have concerns or issues related
to completing the HumanaVitality
Health Assessment for your
LivingWell Promise, contact
customer service at 1-855-478-1623
or DCPS Benefits Coordinator
Debbie Foreman at 852-7000, or
Keep Your LivingWell Promise
This important information is shared with “new hires”
every year, but the information is relevant to all of us.
Take a moment to “do the math” and think about what
those unused sick and personal days are really worth!
NOTE — When you are sick, take the sick day!
At the beginning of every school year, DCPS
employees receive 10 sick days and two personal days.
Unused personal days convert to sick days at the end of
the year.
Reasons to Save Your Days
n You build a “safety net” in case you or a family member have a serious accident or illness that
requires an extended absence from work. Think about
what could happen over the years. For example,
one maternity leave will use three years of sick days.
n The DCPS district will pay you 30 percent of the value of your accumulated days when you retire.
n The value of those days will be factored into your final year’s salary, which will increase your
retirement benefits for life.
Let’s Take a Look ...
n Let’s say you are a teacher who starts out with zero years of experience with a Rank III (bachelor’s
degree) with no extra duties earns $37,654 a year,
which is about $202 a day.
n Let’s say you retire in 2041 with 27 years of experience with a Rank I, with no extra duties.
At the current salary schedule, you would be making
$62,988 a year, approximately $338 a day (based on
current pay schedule and in current dollars).
n Your payout will be based on your daily rate atretirement in 2041 dollars and on the 2041 pay scale.
n You could potentially accumulate 324 days over those 27 years. Those days would be valued at
$109,512. You get 30 percent of that, which is
$32,852 ... and that’s if the pay scale is still where
it is right now!
n Now let’s say you used 25 percent of your days (three a year) and retire with 243 days remaining.
After 27 years (at our current pay scale), those days
will be worth $338 each. The district will pay you
$101.40 for each one of those accumulated days.
$101.40 x 243 means a $24,640 payout at retirement.
So the difference in payout between saving all your
days and using three each year is $8,212. This is
actually an underestimate because the pay scale will be
higher 27 years from now. (It has tripled over the past
27 years.)
Remember — When you are sick, you need to stay
home and we want you to stay home! But on those days
when you “just don’t feel like going to work ...”
take a moment to compare that to how you will feel
when you receive a nice, healthy payout upon
retirement!
Do the Math!What are those sick days really worth?
It’s time to review how to use Aesop — our system of
recording and managing absences and finding substitutes.
Aesop service are available to you 24 hours a day, seven
days a week and can be accessed via Internet and phone.
How do I interact with Aesop?
1. You can interact with Aesop on the Internet at
http://www.frontlinek12.com/aesop Here, you will be
able to enter absences, check your absence schedule,
update personal information, and exercise other features
such as uploading your lesson plans for substitutes to view
online. Additional user information is available online.
2. You can also call Aesop toll free at 1-800-942-3767.
Simply follow the voice menu to enter and manage your
absences and access other features. We recommend that
you call in to check the computer recording of your name
and title. To do this, press Option 4 and follow the
prompts.
Important Notes:
Your ID and PIN numbers for
accessing Aesop are as follows:
n ID Number (your phone number)
n PIN Number (the default is yourfour-digit employee number
preceded by the number 3, but you
can change your PIN number)
When entering an absence,
please wait until you receive a
confirmation number before you
terminate the phone call or close
your internet browser window. Your transaction is not
complete until you receive a confirmation number.
Additional Information
1. All employees are required to use Aesop for recording
absences (even if no sub is needed).
2. If you want a certain sub, you need to call the sub and
check their availability, then enter the sub’s name in the
Administrator Notes so your administrator will know who
to assign for you. When subs are acquired in this manner,
mark “sub not required” in Aesop so the absence won’t be
listed as a vacancy needing to be filled.
3. Timesheets and Certified Absence Reports still need to
be completed as always. A column has been added to
verify an absence has been entered into Aesop.
4. All employees are still required to personally call/notify
their supervisor regarding absences.
We are confident that you will find the Aesop experience
beneficial and enjoyable. If you have any questions,
concerns, or comments, please contact me by phone or
email as listed below. Thank you!
Penny Courtney
DCPS Sub Support Contact
(270) 302-2056
What you need to know about
managing absences and subs
Penny Courtney
January was a busy month for
Community Campus! We have been
in every middle school we serve –
which includes all middle schools
in the Daviess County, Owensboro,
Hancock County, Owensboro
Catholic districts and Heritage
Christian School – recruiting for
our next class of students!
If you know an eighth grader who
has an interest in engineering or
health sciences, please ask them or
their parents to contact me via
email: [email protected]
Applications for those interested in applying to
Community Campus programs may be found at
www.apollopltw.weebly.com (Engineering) and
www.lifescienceacademy.net (Life Science Academy).
If a student is interested in taking Community Campus
next year as a high school freshmen, he or she should take
the ACT for placement scores. Registering for the ACT is
easy, and can be completed on the web by visiting
www.actstudent.org A 17 ACT composite (19 Math) is
needed for the Engineering Academy and a 20 composite
is needed for the Life Science Academy.
If I can be of any assistance with Community Campus
questions or if you would like an informational brochure
about Community Campus options, feel free to email me
directly.
During the month of
February, we will
celebrate a very special
holiday. No, not
Valentine’s Day!
It’s National School
Counselor
Appreciation. I have the wonderful opportunity and
pleasure of working with all of our school counselors
throughout the year; some of them on a weekly basis.
I am fortunate to have an enjoyable professional
relationship with each of them, and I KNOW how
valuable they are to your schools, students, staff and
families. Please join me in saying “Thank you” to our
school counselors for all they do!
The opportunities for students in Daviess County
Public Schools continue to grow! Next school year, we
will be offering two new options for our high school
students. The first option is The Great Expectations
Institute: An Early College Academy. Students at both
Apollo and Daviess County High will have the
opportunity to take dual-credit courses (through
Owensboro Community and Technical College and
Western Kentucky University on-line program) with the
goal of earning an associate’s degree upon high school
graduation. This program is ideal for motivated
students in eighth, ninth and 10th grades who may be
on an accelerated track already.
We are excited to begin advertising this opportunity to
our students and families and will be providing more
information during scheduling assemblies and parent
meeting nights. If you would like more information,
please email me for an informational brochure about
The Great Expectations Institute.
Our second new program for next year is the “Grow Our
Own Program: A Teacher Education Academy.”
With this option, students at Apollo and DCHS will be
able to take Introduction to Education classes on our
high school campuses next fall, with the end goal being
that these students will take additional education courses
at Kentucky Wesleyan College or Brescia University
during the spring semester. Courses for this program will
cost $50 each and will be transferable in-state to other
education programs. This program will be open to high
school juniors and seniors who are interested in careers in
education. We are thrilled about the partnership we are
building with our higher education community partners
and look forward to providing even more opportunities for
our students in the future.
Feel free to print the flyer on the next page or share it
electronically with parents and students who may be
interested in any of these Community Campus programs!
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Amanda Jerome
Do you have questions about these programs? Would you like more information? Please contact your student’s Guidance Counselor at AHS or DCHS, or email Amanda Jerome, DCPS College & Career Readiness Coordinator, at [email protected] . **Please note: ACT requirements and tuition prices are subject to change. These figures and scores are accurate as of January 2016. Register for the ACT by visiting www.actstudent.org .
Great Expectations Institute: An Early College Academy-
Through a partnership with DCPS and OCTC, our
students will have the opportunity to earn an
associate’s in arts or science degree from
Owensboro Community and Technical College
upon high school graduation.
• Students from DCPS are eligible to apply for The Great Expectations Institute by submitting--
An application (available in high school guidance offices) Transcript with official ACT scores (www.actstudent.org) to register. (ACT English 20, ACT Math 22, ACT Reading 20)
Completed letter of recommendation form. Attendance, behavior, and academic success will be taken into consideration.
Applications due to high school Guidance offices by April 1.