Six high school seniors receive Ripple Effect Scholarships
▪ Kentucky American Water has awarded Ripple Effect Scholarships to six Kentucky high school seniors for their academic achievement and demonstrated commitment to the environment, marking the 15th year the company has offered the scholarship program. The 2017 recipients are Cole Blanford of Frankfort Christian Academy, Wyatt Cole of Owen County High School, Jade Garnett of Owen County High School, Emily Liu of Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, Emily Smith of George Rogers Clark High School and Claire Stapleton of Frankfort High School. Each student receives a $500 award from the company for use at an institution of higher education.
▪ University of Kentucky senior Benjamin Riley, of Louisville, has been awarded the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. Riley is among 240 students nationwide awarded the Goldwater Scholarship this year. This year’s Goldwater Scholars were selected on the basis of academic merit from a field of 1,286 mathematics, science and engineering students who were nominated by the faculties of 470 colleges and universities nationwide.
Additionally, two other UK students, Aaron Mueller, of Louisville, and Connor VanMeter, of Lexington, were among 307 students to receive honorable mention recognition from the esteemed scholarship program.
▪ The Wildcat ISC team placed in the top 8 nationally (out of more than 130 teams), and has earned the opportunity to vie for the national title in the National Student Advertising Competition. The national finals will be held during the AAF’s annual ADMERICA conference June 7-8 in New Orleans. UK NSAC advisers are Adriane Grumbein and Alyssa Eckman. Team members include: Carli Ackerstein, Laura Brower, Madison Elder, Megan Galage, Alé Gibson, Bailey Klutts, Sarah Kosid, Lauren Kowalsk, Danielle Mallory, Alexi Mojsejenko, Garrett Ringler, Susan Schuldt and Joanna Sowa.
▪ The following students were named winners in this year’s 19th Annual Nathaniel Patch Piano Competition, which is sponsored by the Bluegrass Area Music Teachers Association.
Yuhan Ma of Wilmore Elementary (Elementary A division); Harry Zunshine of Providence Montessori (Elementary A); Maxim Mokhor of Clays Mill Road Christian Academy (Elementary B); Michael Meier, home school in Lexington (high school); and Emma Ortiz, home school in Nicholasville (high school).
Seven young musicians from FCPS also received honorable mention: Anna Sicoe of Stonewall (Elementary A division); Sophia Sicoe of Stonewall (Elementary B); Jenny Lee of Beaumont Middle; Alexander Auer of SCAPA at Bluegrass; William Auer of SCAPA at Bluegrass; Andy Du of Paul Laurence Dunbar High School; and Ntinyari Miriti of Lafayette High School.
This event is named for a professor at the University of Kentucky from 1949 through 1982. About 55 students from across the Commonwealth and Ohio competed April 29 at the Singletary Center for the Arts.
▪ The 2017 recipients of the Fayette County Education Association Award for Teaching Excellence are Liz Buckler of Squires Elementary, Ashley Randolph of Morton Middle, and Susan McLaughlin-Jones of Lafayette High School.
Buckler, a fifth-grade teacher at Squires, has worked in Fayette County Public Schools since 2006. Randolph, a seventh-grade teacher, has also been with FCPS since 2006 and has chaired the Social Studies department at Morton since 2012. McLaughlin-Jones, an Integrated Science and Physics teacher, works with ninth, 11th and 12th graders at Lafayette. She has been in FCPS since 1996, and this year served as a new teacher induction leader.
▪ Elaborating on the theme “What is Your Story?” three dozen students in Fayette County Public Schools received state-level accolades in the 2016-17 Reflections contest, and four of them earned national honors as well. National PTA will recognize its honorees on June 24 in Las Vegas, and the winners’ exhibit at the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C., will open in January.
National awards
Uriel Trujillo of Bryan Station High School, Award of Excellence in Visual Arts
Jayden Barnette of Sandersville Elementary, Award of Merit in Film Production (intermediate division*)
Evelyn Hruby of Stonewall Elementary, Award of Merit in Dance Choreography (intermediate)
Alexander Stumbur of Ashland Elementary, Award of Merit in Visual Arts (intermediate)
Other overall state winners:
Annie Arnold, Sandersville Elementary, Photography (intermediate)
Khushi Arora, Beaumont Middle School, Dance Choreography
Faeza Ashraf, Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, Literature
Joanna Cholewo, Tates Creek Middle, Visual Arts
Noah Katz, Tates Creek Middle, Music Composition
Julianne “Jamie” de la Llana, Jessie Clark Middle, Film Production; also, state’s Creative Interpretation Award
Sabrina Murphy, Rosa Parks Elementary, Dance Choreography (primary)
Alexander Stern, Dunbar High School, Music Composition
Note: “Overall winner” is the state’s top score in the Award of Excellence category. Award of Merit is below Award of Excellence. Each category can have multiple honorees.
* (primary = grades K-2; intermediate = grades 3-5)
Additional state-level honors for FCPS Music Composition
Excellence: Gus Moore, Wellington Elementary (primary)
Excellence: Jonathan Callahan, Veterans Park Elementary (intermediate)
Excellence: Parker Smith, Paul Laurence Dunbar High School
Merit: Violette Welker, Maxwell Elementary
Dance Choreography
Excellence: Katie Beth Skaggs, Stonewall Elementary (primary)
Excellence: Eleanor Liu, Dunbar High School
Excellence: Elora Mukhopadhyay, Lafayette High School
Merit: Elise Harper Trimble, Rosa Parks Elementary (intermediate)
Film Production
Excellence: Gus Moore, Wellington Elementary (primary)
Excellence: Huston Mountjoy, Wellington Elementary (intermediate)
Excellence: Jessica Mukhopadhyay, Picadome Elementary (intermediate)
Excellence: Elora Mukhopadhyay, Lafayette High
Merit: Mia Albornoz, Lafayette High
Literature
Excellence: Madeline “Rosie” Katz, Maxwell Elementary (primary)
Excellence: Meher Saini, Tates Creek Elementary (intermediate)
Merit: Janna Elshahawi, Morton Middle School
Photography
Excellence: Logan Reynolds, Glendover Elementary (primary)
Excellence: Tara Bose, Beaumont Middle School
Excellence: Elke Coenders, Bryan Station Middle
Merit: Kiran Koul, Rosa Parks Elementary (intermediate)
Merit: Jade Graninger, Bryan Station High School
Visual Art
Excellence: Dillon Jenkins, Rosa Parks Elementary (primary);
Excellence: Max Fredric Majors, Maxwell Elementary (intermediate)
Excellence: Andrew Peng, Bryan Station Middle
Merit: Megan Slusarewicz, Dunbar High School
▪ The 16th District PTA met recently to commend outstanding school chapters and volunteers, award scholarships, and install a new executive board for the next two-year term.
$1,000 scholarship recipients: Taelaesha Hale of Bryan Station, Katherine Dicello of Henry Clay, Corey Hise of Lafayette, Iain Cavins of Paul Laurence Dunbar, Mkunji Etoka of Tates Creek, and Caitlyn Dixon of Bryan Station (exceptional child category)
Outstanding Program Award: Veterans Park Elementary for “Virtual Take Your Family to School Week”
Reflections contest: state and national awards (see item above)
New chapter recognition: Coventry Oak Elementary
Membership honors
Judy Whitmer Award: Glendover Elementary
Harold L. Steele Award: Jessie Clark Middle School
Ronald Walton Award: Henry Clay High School
Highest percentage of PTA/PTSA membership, based on student enrollment: Veterans Park Elementary, Edythe J. Hayes Middle School and Lafayette High School
Chapters that increased their membership rolls: Beaumont Middle, Clays Mill Elementary, Edythe J. Hayes Middle, Glendover Elementary, Garrett Morgan Elementary, Henry Clay High, Jessie Clark Middle, Lafayette High, Leestown Middle, Millcreek Elementary, Morton Middle, Paul Laurence Dunbar High, Sandersville Elementary, Southern Elementary, STEAM Academy, Stonewall Elementary, Veterans Park Elementary and Winburn Middle School
Leadership awards
John & Maggie Price Award, for courage and devotion through volunteerism: Janiene Smith of Leestown Middle School’s PTSA
National Lifetime Achievement Award: David Kidd (outgoing 16th District president) and Jesi Bowman (PTA 5K organizer)
16th District PTA Gold Standard Award: Kathy Smiley (former president)
The 16th District’s 2017-19 executive board members: Chris Medley, president; Penny Christian, first vice president; Rolanda Woolfolk, second vice president, membership; Jenna Jennings, treasurer; Brandon Sharp, corresponding secretary; Mary Takhtjian, recording secretary.
▪ Trish Dawson, a cafeteria worker in several FCPS schools, has been named the Southeast Regional Employee of the Year by the non-profit School Nutrition Association.
Dawson recently floated between kitchens to assist other schools in the district and has since implemented several processes to improve schools’ efficiency. She began the school year at Cardinal Valley Elementary, helping to serve more than 1,000 meals a day and 700 portions of fresh fruits and vegetables up to three times per week.
Miscellaneous
▪ The Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives has scheduled a public hearing at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the KDLA activity room, 300 Coffee Tree Road, Frankfort, to hear comments about proposed amendments to Kentucky Administrative Regulations 725 KAR 2:060 and 725 KAR 2:070 that would change certification requirements for Kentucky public library staff. You can find links to the proposed changes to the regulations at Lrc.ky.gov/kar/contents/2017/05register.htm.
This story was originally published May 23, 2017 at 6:18 AM with the headline "Six high school seniors receive Ripple Effect Scholarships."