Stu's News: October 21, 2009

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not handy around the house. Just the thought of those big box home improvement warehouses normally makes me reach for the Tums. But my recent experiences at Lowe’s are changing my attitude. Just the sight of a Lowe’s employee in a red vest instantly puts me at ease.

Not only do they tell you where to find what you’re looking for in the store, they take you to the aisle where it’s sold, talk through your particular need, tell you what supplies and equipment to buy and then tell you what to do with the stuff after you’ve bought it. They will even troubleshoot your project with you and suggest ways to make it better or avoid pitfalls.

The level of customer service they provide makes you feel as if you’re the only person in the whole store and the entire Lowe’s franchise was set up just for you.

We need to be doing that in each of our schools. We need every person who walks into one of our school buildings or one of our administrative offices to feel that they are the most important person in the world at that moment in time. We need to treat our kids, students and fellow employees as if they are guests at the finest hotel. Every interaction we have must communicate value and respect to those around us.

As a district, we made some initial improvements in customer service five years ago. Our commitments to return phone calls and e-mails within 24 hours and to follow every phone call or concern we receive to completion have been good first steps.

Back in August, a committee of staff, parents and community members began working on a comprehensive customer service plan for our district. They will be gathering information about our current practices and community experiences and developing a program to include training, accountability and recognition components. If you have any suggestions, please send them to me and I will share them with the committee.

Every single employee in the Fayette County Public Schools has a role to play in providing customer service to the public and to one another. Each of us is the face of the Fayette County Public Schools, and the experiences people have with us individually will determine their attitudes about our school district collectively. Ultimately, it will be the kids who benefit!

Honors choirs to perform Nov. 7 at UK

All-state choirs featuring dozens of young singers from grades 5 through 9 will present a concert at 3 p.m. Nov. 7 at the Singletary Center for the Arts. Read more

Eastside Tech to host
Car Care Clinic

Students at Eastside Technical Center will again work alongside professional automotive technicians and offer their services to the public during the 20th annual Bluegrass Car Care Clinic. Read more

Southside, Eastside students win honors at SkillsUSA training

Dozens of students from Southside and Eastside technical centers attended the SkillsUSA Kentucky Leadership Training Institute, held Oct. 12-14 in Louisville. Read more

Yates is home to Elementary Science Teacher of the Year

Josh Radner, in his fifth year at Yates, has been selected as Kentucky’s 2009 Elementary Science Teacher of the Year. Read more

Counselor at Liberty Elementary receives statewide acclaim

Janet Doss, guidance specialist at Liberty Elementary School, has been selected as the Kentucky Counseling Association’s Elementary Counselor of the Year. Read more

Students excited about new
Youth Arts Council

Lexington’s Youth Arts Council is a brand-new outlet for students to network in the community and influence arts programming across Fayette County. Read more

Church that mentors students earns statewide recognition

First Baptist Church Bracktown, which operates a mentoring program for students across Fayette County Public Schools, was recently honored with the annual Dr. Samuel Robinson Award from the Kentucky Board of Education. Read more

All the classes at Cardinal Valley decorated giant cardboard ribbons during the school’s “Passionately Pink for the Cure” week. Ellie Rink’s second-graders won for the “most creative” display. They glued on a terrific assortment of pink items to make a collage, including erasers, flattened strawberry milk cartons and sticks of chalk. Read More

Five-year-old Naomi Betancourt paused for a second before hitting P.E. teacher Jeff Baxter square in the face with a whipped cream pie. It was all part of the fun and fund-raising at Cardinal Valley Elementary during “Passionately Pink for the Cure” week. Read More

Gregory Adams, a teacher at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, was one of 13 scholars worldwide invited overseas to an educational workshop in Shakespeare’s birthplace last summer. Read more

Ben Setlak, a fifth-grader at Cassidy Elementary, is Lexington’s newest junior fire chief. Ben tried on a firefighter’s jacket during his tour of Blue Grass Airport. The special protective gear is designed to withstand extreme heat, such as a jet-fuel fire. Read more

Equity Council seeks new members

The school district’s Equity Council – which monitors issues of fairness, access and barriers that might keep any child from learning or any teacher from teaching – is accepting applications for new members. The deadline is Oct. 30. For more information, contact Barbara Connor at (859) 381-4318. More Details

FCPS
"Munchkins"
Henry Clay
Jonathan Jiun-da Chen
Lafayette
National Forensic League
chapter
Paul Laurence Dunbar
Band

The Beaumont Gummy Bears presented an Ambassador Club Award to Pieratt’s, a television and appliance store, for donating a full-size refrigerator so that students with special needs would have a handy, safe place to store their medications and food required for their special dietary needs. It’s the first time the award, which recognizes those who “look with their heart,” has gone to a community organization. Pictured are students Kari Lakes, Madison Saladin, Pieratt’s marketing director Michael Cox, store owner Bruce Pieratt, Olivia Vasquez, Julian Clark and Tyler Ashley.

Patience vs. restlessness: - accepting a difficult situation without giving a deadline to remove it.

This month, I will:

Wait my turn.
Make the most of my spare time.
Not interrupt.
Accept what I cannot change.
Not complain if I do not get my way.

(Source: “Achieving True Success: How to Build Character as a Family”)

Submit them
for a Fred

Faculty and Staff - Jessie Clark

Bob Thomas - Transportation

Dale Coyle - Veterans Park

Laura Miller - Veterans Park

Rebecca Puckett - Veterans Park

Anyone who spends time with students knows they’re bound to crack you up with something unexpected. Do you have a funny anecdote about one of our school kids? Submit your story for consideration in Stu's News.

A kindergarten student in Robin Foster’s K-1 class at Garden Springs Elementary had a recent declaration about Singapore math, which several schools are piloting this fall: “This math is getting stuck in my head!”

We’re always on the lookout for unusual school programs and interesting people to spotlight. Send your suggestions to Tammy Lane. Please include your full name, school and a daytime phone number.

Recent feature articles:

When children climb aboard FCPS school buses, their families can rest assured the drivers are well-prepared, vigilant guardians of students’ safety. Read More

A member of the Harlem Wizards’ show team stopped by Edythe J. Hayes Middle School to whip up excitement for a benefit basketball game. Read More

Budding filmmakers at Julius Marks Elementary created movie teasers about their most recent reading assignment, “Number the Stars.” Read More

Read more Web features

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES:Check out our latest job openings. Visit www.fcps.net/employment

ONLINE CALENDAR:View our listing of district and community events

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Where everybody knows your name

Sam in glasses Lately Dad’s been talking about this customer service stuff, so I had to ask him what that meant. Well, you know Dad, he had this big explanation, but it started off with questions he was asking me:

Dad: Do you like going to the vet?
Sam: No, not really. But once I get there, I do like it.
Dad: Why is that?
Sam: Well, when I get out of my crate, everyone says, “Hey, that’s Sam. Hi, Sam! It makes me feel good that they know my name and that they are glad to see me, and my tail starts wagging. They make me feel important. Like I am the only dog in the place.
Dad: Anything else?
Sam: Yes, they know what my favorite treat is and they always have it ready for me when I get back there on the table. And they have my favorite blanket back there, too. I don’t like getting shots, but they really care about me and what happens to me. They will listen so they know the spots that hurt the most. And you know what? They won’t give me a shot in those places.

Well, this conversation went on and on and continued with my trips to the groomer, the kennel and to PetSmart. Dad kept asking me why I either liked or did not the place. Every time I ended up telling him a story that pretty much said that they cared about me and made me feel like I was the most important dog in the world. It seemed liked they stopped everything just for me when I got there.

I know that we had to change groomers about seven years ago because that lady just grabbed me by the throat and started buzzing my hair off – she was mean and did not even say hello, let alone give me my favorite treat! We never went back there and made the choice to go to a groomer who really cared about me and who always treats me in a special way, kinda like I am important. She even gives me double treats because I am her favorite dog in the whole world!

Bow wow…