There’s never a dull moment in the Fayette County Public Schools, from the activities that keep our students busy after school and on weekends to the great strides I see teachers making in our classrooms, or the outside influences that make news for our schools. Every day brings new challenges and new blessings. No matter what I think my agenda for the day includes, I can always count on the unpredictable to keep me on my toes and keep me learning new things.

You have probably heard a lot lately about Methcillin-Resistant Staph Aureus (MRSA), which is a type of “staph” infection that is resistant to some antibiotics. We have had a few isolated cases of MRSA in some of our schools. In each case, we have worked closely with officials from the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department to take every precaution, instituting an intensive cleaning regime advised by the Health Department and taking steps to educate our families about this type of staph infection.

MRSA is not a new occurrence – it has been in our community for years. What is new is all the media attention it has received in recent weeks. Many people are understandably concerned about MRSA because it seems to be getting so much attention, but the experts from the Health Department have assured us that our schools are safe and there are some simple ways to prevent the spread of MRSA, which are usually spread through skin to skin contact or direct contact with the infected wound drainage.

We held a joint press conference with the Health Department recently to try to educate our community about MRSA. Dr. Dan Rodrigue, an infectious disease doctor from Central Baptist Hospital, said that MRSA is “not a superbug.” It can be treated and the rare instances of serious complications that have been getting media attention were cases where the patient did not seek treatment until it was too late.

The best way to protect against MRSA infections is frequent hand washing with soap and water or a 60 percent alcohol-based hand sanitizer if water is not available. Common signs of a skin infection include redness, warmth, swelling and tenderness. Often a MRSA infection will look like a spider bite, boil, abscess or turf burn. Health department officials are urging anyone with those symptoms to immediately contact their family doctor. They have also set up a hotline for people to call with questions at 288-7529.

On a more pleasant note, three weekends ago, I had the honor of watching our high school bands continue their dominance on the marching field. What a delight to see the talented musicians from Paul Laurence Dunbar and Lafayette High Schools take first and second place in the Kentucky Music Educators Association State Band Championships. Fayette County has had the top marching band in Kentucky for 18 years running! That’s a dynasty! Sitting in the stands at Papa John’s stadium in Louisville I was filled with pride for our kids, our staff and our families who work so hard all year long to keep our band programs strong. It was truly a great night for Fayette County.

Two weekends ago, 46 cadets from the JROTC program at Henry Clay High School competed in the 2007 Warrior Challenge in Fedscreek, Kentucky. The unit won first place overall after a tie-breaker with Perry County Central High School, bringing home 12 trophies and an individual win in the “Knock Out” drill competition. Our JROTC programs are awesome opportunities for our students to grow as leaders – it’s great to see them shine across the state.

Our students, staff and families in this school district stand out everywhere they go, for their talent, commitment and success. I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of this great community of learners.