Education Notes for the week of March 21
Awards/honors
▪ Four middle school students in Fayette County Public Schools will compete in the National Geographic Bee’s statewide contest April 1 in Bowling Green. Henry Blyth of Beaumont, Evan Winkler of Morton, Alex Auer of SCAPA at Bluegrass, and Malhaar Nair of Winburn are among the top 100 students in Kentucky based on qualifying tests given at their schools.
For a complete list of area students who qualified, go to Sites.google.com/site/kentuckystatebee/qualifiers.
Each state’s winner will be invited to National Geographic’s headquarters for the national finals May 22-25 in Washington.
Students in grades 4-8 are eligible for the annual contest.
▪ The annual FAME Awards at Fayette County Public Schools were announced recently. The awards give graduating seniors a chance to thank an exceptional teacher, counselor, coach or other role model who has made a significant impact on their lives. For more than 20 years, Fayette County Public Schools has encouraged students to share how the relationship with a particular educator has affected them. Their essays are judged by a panel at “It’s About Kids” Support Services, with one winner chosen from each high school.
Class of 2016 seniors and their FAME nominees:
Bryan Station High School – student Brittnany Graham, honoring FAME Award winner Darrin Master
Henry Clay High School – Joanita Maison, honoring Debra McDaniel
Lafayette High School – Andrew Herrmann, honoring Susan McQueary
Paul Laurence Dunbar High School – Keriann Ferguson, honoring Devon Roxberry
Tates Creek High School – Chandler Short, honoring Rebecca Simpson
▪ Several Fayette County Public Schools students have been chosen for honor choirs performing at the 2016 American Choral Directors Association’s Southern Division conference. Lafayette High School’s ensemble La Belle Voix will also performed during a concert session.
The vocalists include Paul Laurence Dunbar High School’s Erin Connors, Audra Jones and Emily Prater (women’s choir), Stephen Perry (men’s choir), and Olivia Tussey (junior high choir). SCAPA at Bluegrass students Mary Grace Williams and Ally Curry were tapped for the treble choir, while the junior high group includes SCAPA’s Abby Cunningham, Kendall McCormick, Luke Dailey and Jeffery Thomas Snow.
▪ Five Technology Student Association clubs from Fayette County Public Schools participated in the association’s 2016 regional competition Feb. 26 at Eastern Kentucky University, including students from Southern Middle School, Lexington Traditional Magnet School, and Lafayette, Paul Laurence Dunbar and Tates Creek high schools.
Following are highlights from the regional contests.
Lexington Traditional Magnet School:
Children’s Stories: Chase Smith and Lequan Wilson, first place
Structural Engineering: Caleb Hunley and Chase Smith, first place; Canaan Hunley and Terin Chrisco, third place
Junior Solar Sprint: Emily Kostelnik, Jayla Pence, Caleb Pence and Cooper Samuelson, runners-up
Video Game Design: Caleb Cole, Irving Flores and Logan Carmichael, runners-up
Southern Middle School:
Biotechnology: Grace Brooks, Susie Rickert, Kainat Syed and Nolan VanKleeck, first place; Easton Aubuchon, Trinite Fothergill, Katelin Shelton and Allyson Van Haaren, runners-up; MacKenzie Reeder and Tori Scott, third
Career Prep: Tiana Fisher, first; Camille Coleman, runner-up; Allyson Van Haaren, third
Challenging Technology: Camille Coleman and Ayden Sharp, runners-up; Katelin Shelton and Allyson Van Haaren, third
Community Service Video: Paige Daniel, Sabrina Johnson, Machlie Lamartiniere and Caitlin Young, first; MacKenzie Reeder and Tori Scott, runners-up
Digital Photography: Katelin Shelton, third
Dragster: Mason Smith, third
Flight: Mason Smith, runner-up; Bryce Towle, third
Inventions and Innovations: Paige Daniel, Sabrina Johnson, Machlie Lamartiniere and Caitlin Young, runners-up
Leadership Strategies: Sam Head, Seth Langston and Fiaz Shah, first; Alex Bond, Kensey Jochim and Troy Nolan, runners-up
Medical Technology: Tiana Fisher, Iris Hipolito, Archi Patel and Fiaz Shah, first; Shaylin Lewis and Sophia Shelton, runners-up; Alex Bond and Madi Knapp, third
Prepared Speech: Bryce Towle, runner-up; MacKenzie Reeder, third
Problem Solving: Jackson Hurley and Nabeel Shah, runners-up; Michael Alaniz and Mason Smith, third
Promotional Marketing: Mason Smith, first
Structural Engineering: Kensey Jochim and Troy Nolan, runners-up
Technical Design: Seth Langston and Susie Rickert, first; Tyler Nichols and Joseph Ntakarutimana, runners-up; Kensey Jochim and Troy Nolan, third
Technology Bowl: Easton Aubuchon, Joseph Stewart and Bryce Towle, first; Reed Nichols, Tyler Nichols and Nolan VanKleeck, third
Website Design: Sam Head, Seth Langston, Tyler Nichols, Fiaz Shah and Nolan VanKleeck, first; Jackson Hurley, Nabeel Shah and Joseph Stewart, runners-up
Lafayette High School:
Extemporaneous Presentation: McKayla Weaver, first
On-Demand Video: Aaron Bussell, Sean Go, Atlanta Harrison, Jimmy Rose, Shyen Shah and Ben Stone, first
Technical Sketching and Application: James Yang, runner-up
Technology Problem Solving: William Yi and Atlanta Harrison, runner-up
3D Engineering CADD: Jimmy Rose, third
Technology Bowl: McKayla Weaver, Ben Stone and Kaley Nolan, third
Tates Creek High School:
Prepared Presentation: Eva Grossi, first
Fashion Design: Katie Nichols, Quinn McWhorter, Michael Head and Sidney Harris, first
Flight Endurance: Mohammad Shalash, first; and Connor Wallin, runner-up
Career Prep: Lauren Miller, first; and Connor Wallin, runner-up
On-Demand Video: Rachel Donahue, Mikayla Day and Eva Grossi, runners-up
Music Production: Harrison Hart, runner-up
Desktop Publishing: Katie Nichols, third
Digital Video Production: Rachel Donahue, Mikayla Day and Eva Grossi, third
Technical Sketching and Application: Garrett Kays, third
Paul Laurence Dunbar High School:
Structural Engineering: Duncan McClellan and Cameron Lydon, first
Video Production: Kyra Seevers and Katie Yoder, first
Website: Alex Mesones, Duke Harris and Cameron Lydon, first
Promotional Graphics: Kenneth Turner, first; and Kyra Seevers, runner-up
Desktop Publishing: Jacob Styer, first; and Alex Mesones, runner-up
T-shirt Design: Katie Yoder, first; Maggie Cook-Allen, runner-up; and Lucy Yang, third
Prepared Presentation: Lucy Yang, third
Photographic Technology: Sammie Mangan, third
Music Production: Michael Merryman, Nathan Merryman and Chris Grych, third
For complete results, go to Eku-aet.org/tsa/2016-EKU-Final%20Results.pdf.
▪ Eight regional winners will move to the next level in the 11th annual Alltech Young Scientist program, the university contest that rewards scientific genius and experimental application in agriscience. The Undergraduate North America winner was Alonna Danielle Wright, who attends UK and submitted a paper titled “Biological control of agricultural pests.”
A panel of leading scientists selected four undergraduate and four graduate winners for the 2016 competition. Students were challenged to submit research studies that demonstrated a keen awareness of science and its applications for improving the future of the world.
Earlier this year it was announced that 2016’s program would enter new territory by offering fully funded Ph.D. and post-doctorate positions to the global undergraduate and graduate winners in addition to international recognition, trophies and cash awards.
Finalists from all four regions are invited to an all-expense-paid Alltech Young Scientist Discovery Week in Lexington, where they will compete in the worldwide competition for global titles and fully funded Ph.D. and post-doctorate positions. The winning graduate student will receive $10,000, and the winning undergraduate student will receive $5,000. The finalists will present their papers May 22-25 to a panel of international judges and a live audience during ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference.
Call for entries for the 2017 competition will start in September.
▪ Competing against 25 teams from the Southeast, Henry Clay High School’s group earned first place in combined sweepstakes and runner-up honors in both speech and debate sweepstakes at the 2016 Smoky Mountain Invitational.
Amir Abou-Jaoude was runner-up for Best Overall Competitor and was tournament champion in Impromptu Speaking. Amir also placed second in Persuasion, fourth in Poetry, and fourth in Declamation. Teammate Faith LoPiccolo won in Prose, and she teamed with Cooper Boss for first place in Duet Acting. Faith also placed fifth in After-Dinner Speaking. Other top finishers were Cooper Boss in third place and Alex Welch in sixth for Declamation, and Cooper with Emma Bellomy for third place in Duo Interpretation.
In the lone debate event, the teams of Emmet Allen and Shelby Amato, and Evan Hays and Anya Slepyan made the semifinals.
▪ DECA members from Lafayette High School competed at Kentucky’s 2016 State Career Development Conference. Michayla Gatsos placed third in Principles of Hospitality and Tourism, and Isabella Quire was third in Retail Merchandising. Several others made the finalist round: Grace Cook in Food Marketing, Tess Cook in Fashion Merchandising Promotional Plan, Sibley Miller in Marketing Management, and Lydia Sarver in Community Service Project. The Lafayette club is led by adviser Todd Reynolds.
▪ A group of Lafayette High School students earned first-place honors in the 21st annual Macauley Chamber Music Competition, hosted March 5 by the University of Louisville’s School of Music. The Tick Tock Trio, coached by Lafayette orchestra director Phil Kent, includes Madison Jones on violin, Herman Bratcher on horn, and Carson Crovo on piano. They also performed a Brahms piece live in-studio March 9 on Classical 90.5, the WUOL station.
A Verdi string quartet from UK took top honors in the competition’s college division.
▪ SkillsUSA members from five technical centers participated in the 2016 Region 9 contests on March 4 at host sites Eastside Technical Center, Southside Technical Center and Bluegrass Community & Technical College. High school students placing first, second and third could qualify for state competition, depending on the contest. Students also must have met an acceptable standard to advance, reaching at least 60 percent of the contest’s total points in order to compete at the Kentucky SkillsUSA state conference in mid-April. An asterick (*) indicates the person or team qualified for state.
Southside Tech results:
30-Second Elevator Story: Benjamin Wilson, first*
Basic Healthcare Core Skills: Mallory Horton, first*; Jake Wever, second*
Cabinetmaking: Blake Dunn, first*; Amanda Atwood, second*
Cabinetmaking Design: Isaiah Johnson, first*; Draven Thompson, second*
Carpentry: Elliott Stephens, first*; Braxton Webb, second*
Carpentry 1: Marisol Vasquez, first*; Portia Eubanks, third
Commercial Baking: Breanna Thomas, first*; Nanya Bryant, second*; Naomi Connor, third*
Creed: Mark Traylor, first*; Makayla Myers, second*
Culinary Arts: Arizona Miranda, first*; Archie Burikhanov, second*
Customer Service: Jose Martinez, second*; Jake Wever, third*
Electrical Construction Wiring: Jimmy Morrison, first*
Electronics Technology: Huston Martin, first*
First Aid and CPR: Makayla Myers, first*; Tara Keel, second*
Industrial Motor Control: Danil Slesarenko, first*
Medical Math: Mallory Horton, first*
Medical Terminology: Tara Keel, first*; Jelayla Landslaw, second*
Mobile Robotics: Arif Moula and McKenxzy Boateng, second*
Nurse Assisting: Joanita Mason, first*
Related Technical Math: Dylan Elkins, second*
Residential Systems Installation: Axel Rincon, first*
Spelling: Savannah Greene, third*
Talent and Variety – Single: Donte Smothers, second*
Welding: Aubrey Hedges, first*; Cody Coley, second*; Andrew Nelson, third
Welding 1: Nicholas Kinney, first*
Welding Fabrication: Dylan Elkins, Avery Collins and Ryan Edwards, third.
Eastside Tech results:
Action Skills: Zakwan Valentine, first place*; Khalil Thomas, second*
Airbrush: Abe Mendoza, first*
Audio and Radio Broadcasting: Matt Murray and Khalil Thomas, first*
Automotive Refinishing: Scot Smith, first*; Alec Phillips, second*
Automotive Service Technology: Corey Resinger, first*; Kyle Cloyd, second; Luis Batres, third
Automotive Service Technology 1: Sergio Quezada, first*; Andoni Munoz, second; Austin Byers, third
Broadcast News Production: Josh Woolridge, Zak Smiley, Dylan Wain and Brandon Bradley, first*
Collision Repair: Joseph Johnson, first*; Payton Todd, second*
Community Service: Kira Glasgow, Mary Malicote and Kassondra Runyon, first*
Computer Programming: Jonathan Juett, first*
Diesel Equipment Technology: Triston Keith, first*; Austin Bottoms, second*; Tyler Alexander, third
Digital Cinema: Alexa Stilley and Madison Wells, first*; Flemoh Dulleh and Daniel Elliot, second*
Employment Application Process: Jimmy Robinson, first*
Extemporaneous Speaking: Jonathan Juett, second*
Firefighting: Satevia Gilliam, first*; Michael Ryan Pleasant, second*
Interactive Application and Video Game Development: Rylan Toland, Brandon Huff and Paxton Barnett, first*
Job Skills Demo A: Austin Byers, third
Opening and Closing Ceremony: Logan Cooper, Austin Bottoms, Rylan Toland, Paxton Barnett, Brandon Huff, Aaron Reynolds and Alec Phillips, first*
Patriotic Salute to America: Tywana Webb, first*
Photo Art Display: Andoni Munoz, first*; Sergio Quezada, second*
Pin Design: Alexa Stilley, second*
Poster: Satevia Gilliam, first*; Michael Ryan Pleasant, second*
Power Equipment: Jack Walker Deering, first*; Trent Brock, second*; Cory Smith, third
Quiz Bowl: Trenton Gilbert, Kevin Marshall, Timothy Miller, Wesley Smith and Benjamin Waller, first*
Related Technical Math: Wilkensley Thervil, third
Spelling: Faith Jolley, first*; Mustapha Muhammed, second*
Talent and Variety – Single: Aairicka Hayden, first*
Technical Computer Applications: Faith Jolley, first*; Mary Malicote, third
▪ Students tackled “Exploration, Encounter, Exchange in History” for this year’s Kentucky History Day Region 6 competition. The top finishers, including dozens from Winburn and Leestown middle schools, advance to the April 29-30 state conference at the University of Kentucky.
Fayette County Public Schools state qualifiers from Region 6:
Junior paper:
Meena Ambati of Winburn Middle School: “Sir Harold Ridley: A Visionary Explorer’s Odyssey from Heretic to Hero”
Sydney Sun of Winburn: “And Yet It Moves – Galileo Galilei, revolutionizing history through his encounters, exploration and exchange with the understanding of space”
Nicole Wong of Winburn: “De-inventing a Legacy: The Exchange that Prevented a Thermonuclear One”
Junior individual exhibit:
Eleanor Badgett of Winburn: “The Rosetta Stone: A ‘Key Stone’ in the Exploration of Ancient Egyptian Culture”
Khushi Borikar of Winburn: “The Origins of the Space Age: How Sputnik Influenced the Development of NASA”
Junior group exhibit:
John Adkins, Evan Yang and Ryan Sperry of Winburn: “Commodore Matthew C. Perry and the Blackships: The Gateway to the East”
Praneeth Bhatt and Brian She of Winburn: “An Electrifying Rivalry: The Exploration of Electricity by Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison”
William Ding, Alan Luo and Aneesh Kadambi of Winburn: “The Titan of Asia: Lee Kuan Yew’s Encounters in Transforming Singapore”
Junior individual performance:
Garrett Peavler of Winburn: “The Encounter between the Pleasant Hill Shakers and the Confederate Troops”
Junior individual documentary:
Katherine Henson of Winburn: “Photograph 51: Rosalind Franklin’s Exploration of DNA’s Structure”
Dylan Li of Winburn: “The NFL Players Association: Encountering the NFL to Change the Way We View Sports Law”
Sitara True of Winburn: “Freud’s Mind-Blowing Encounters: The Exploration of the Unconscious”
Junior individual website:
Promise Kayembe of Leestown Middle School: “The Royal Beginning to Slavery: From Africa to England”
Eliza Snow of Leestown: “Franklin Delano Roosevelt: The Polio Fighter”
Isabella Squire of Leestown: “Lee Kuan Yew: The Man behind Singapore”
Sneha Amrit of Winburn: “Now I am Become Death, the Destroyer of Worlds: Exploration and Encounter in the Manhattan Project”
Maggie Ferguson of Winburn: “Frozen North: The Exploration of the North Pole”
Reka Gal of Winburn: “Edward Teller: The Scientist Who Went to War”
Lily Gardner of Winburn: “An Unrepentant Risk Taker: Paul Durand-Ruel Encountering Parisian Culture”
Ayush Kumar of Winburn: “Flying Wires, Lots of Buyers”
Daniel Mendoza Vasquez of Winburn: “Cuban Embargo: Unwanted and Outdated”
Junior group website:
Sarah Ming, Lynn Ye and Judy Lee of Winburn: “It’s Not All about Goods: Exchanging on the Silk Road from 300-1300 A.D.”
Claire Qian and Rocco Wrentmore of Winburn: “Qian Xuesen: Exchange of a Scientist of Two Worlds”
Dallas Rager and Caroline Blitch of Winburn: “A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains: Isabella Bird’s Exploration of the Rockies”
▪ Dozens of students represented Fayette County Public Schools at the annual Future Business Leaders of America Region 4 conference, hosted by Northern Kentucky University. The following earned competitive honors on March 9:
Bryan Station High School:
1st in Accounting II: Preston Brooks
1st in Computer Problem-Solving: Drake Witt
2nd in Client Services: Dion Copeland
Paul Laurence Dunbar High School:
1st in Entrepreneurship: Linda Zhang and Jasmine Liu
1st in Global Business: Thomas Huang and Yoon Cho
1st in Marketing: Amy Wang, Emily Liu and David Ma
1st in Networking Concepts: Kelly Chen
1st in Public Service Announcement: Rohan Palla
1st in Website Design: Erin Markel
2nd in Business Communications: Julia Radhakrishnan
2nd in Computer Problem-Solving: Eric Cao
2nd in Health-Care Administration: Krista Manche
2nd in Introduction to Business Communications: Divya Sunderam
2nd in Management Decision-Making: Theo Livas, Ben Xie and Adil Yusuf
2nd in Sales Presentation: Arya Shoa
3rd in Agribusiness: Vaaragie Subramaniam
3rd in Economics: Amit Lohe
3rd in Hospitality Management: Rehan Ghanta, Nick Imam and Sai Naidu
3rd in Introduction to Information Technology: Luke Porter
3rd in Sports and Entertainment Management: Megan Guan and Brandon Burford
Tates Creek High School:
1st in Health-Care Administration: Mohammad O. Shalash
1st in Management Decision-Making: Nolan Adams and Karam Isa
2nd in Bank and Financial Systems: Aamer Shalash and Mohammad M. Shalash
2nd in Global Business: Muna Shakhashiro and Shanze Arshad
2nd in Sports and Entertainment Management: Mohammad Ahmad and Robby Drakeford
The state conference is set for April 18-20 at the Galt House in Louisville, and the national conference is June 29 through July 2 in Atlanta.
▪ Meadowthorpe Elementary was the overall winner in Region 22 of the 2016 Governor’s Cup, which concluded March 12. Rosa Parks Elementary was runner-up and Ashland Elementary finished third.
Fayette County Public School team standings:
Overall: 1. Meadowthorpe; 2. Rosa Parks; 3. Ashland; 5. Maxwell; 6. Liberty; 7. Dixie; 8. Wellington; 9. Clays Mill; 10. Cassidy
Future problem-solving: 1. Meadowthorpe; T2. Rosa Parks and Maxwell; 4. Wellington
Quick recall: 1. Ashland; 2. Meadowthorpe; 4. Rosa Parks
Individual results
Math: 1. Max Ederington, Ashland; 2. Derek Hollifield, Dixie; 3. Jason Chen, Rosa Parks; 4. Krishna Bhatraju, Meadowthorpe; 5. Sireesha Gutti, Ashland.
Science: 1. Phoenix DuBravac, Ashland; 2. Camden Richardson, Rosa Parks; T3. Derek Hollifield, Dixie, and Ralph Bright, Meadowthorpe; 5. Milen Mikov, Wellington.
Social studies: 1. Lance Hixson, Rosa Parks; 2. Logan Dievert, Wellington; 3. Riley Heasley, Clays Mill; 4. Charlie Naish, Rosa Parks; 5. Tre Wilson, Dixie.
Language arts: 1. Bailey Zhu, Rosa Parks; T3. Lily Miles, Clays Mill, and Evan Covert, Liberty; 5. Evan Paden, Maxwell.
Arts and humanities: 1. Halli Boyer, Meadowthorpe; 2. Mae Mobley, Meadowthorpe; 3. Dorottya Gal, Meadowthorpe; T5. Nathan Zhu, Rosa Parks.
Composition: 1. Evan Covert, Liberty; 2. Evan Paden, Maxwell; 3. Olivia Sparks, Cassidy; 4. Ana Despa, Meadowthorpe.
Miscellaneous
▪ Sayre School’s 30th F. Kevin Simon History Symposium for secondary history and social studies teachers was held Feb. 27 on the Sayre campus. This year’s symposium, “The “Big 80’s”: American Politics and Popular Culture in the Age of Reagan,” drew record attendance, featuring speakers Andrew Hartman, Illinois State University; Jennifer Brier, University of Illinois-Chicago; and Cheryl Keyes, University of California, Los Angeles.
The symposium was named in memory of its founder and director, F. Kevin Simon. According to Head of School Stephen Manella, “Imagine a professional development experience that intertwines scholarly expertise, collegiality and intellectual stimulation all at no cost to the participants. That is Sayre’s F. Kevin Simon Symposium, and for nearly three decades secondary level history teachers from Kentucky, Tennessee and Indiana have benefited from this unique program.”
For more information or questions about the program, go to Sayreschool.org/symposium.
▪ The Fayette County Public Schools Elementary Art Show, which dates back nearly 30 years, is moving to a new venue this spring: the Lexington Public Library on Main Street. In the second-floor atrium, teachers will display children’s artwork from kindergarten through fifth grade. The show concludes Thursday.
Personnel
▪ Campbellsville University has announced several personnel changes:
H. Keith Spears has been named vice president for communication and assistant to the president. He is in his seventh year with the university.
G. Ted Taylor has been named associate vice president for development and church relations.
John Chowning, a vice president and former Board of Trustees member and chair, has retired.
Marcus Stanfield, a 10-year employee, has been appointed interim director for the Center for International Education.
Andrea Giordano, associate director for ESL, former athlete and five-year faculty member, assumes the interim executive directorship of English as a Second Language, Teaching English as a Second Language and Master’s in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. Both the Center of Distance Education and Graduate Recruitment move under the administration of Center For International Education dean Shane Garrison, a seven-year faculty member, who was named online dean this academic year.
Monica Bamwine, a 15-year staff member, will continue to direct graduate recruitment.
Jeannie Clark, an eight-year employee, is the general manager for the Office of Broadcast Services, which operates the university’s two FCC Class A stations, WLCU-FM and WLCU-TV.
Joan McKinney, a 35-year staff member in communications, has been named coordinating director for the Office of University Communications.
▪ Rusty Kennedy has joined the staff of Midway University as athletic director. He comes to Midway with 18 years of experience as a coach, instructor and administrator at the NAIA, NCAA and NJCAA levels. Most recently, Kennedy was women’s basketball head coach at NCAA Division II member Western New Mexico University in Silver City, N.M.
This story was originally published March 21, 2016 at 4:51 PM with the headline "Education Notes for the week of March 21."