In advance of this week, our Fayette County Board of Education adopted a resolution in recognition of Teacher Appreciation Week. Read it here.

We have about four weeks of school left – a month, 18 days, 108 hours of instruction! It is so important that we continue to use that time in the most beneficial ways for our kids.

Each year after testing ends, there is big sigh of relief and a tendency to think that the year is done. That is human nature, and we have to fight those urges and take advantage of the remaining time.

Some schools start preparing kids for the next grade level, some get ready for final exams, and some continue working on the year’s material. As the end of the school year draws closer, we ask that you help us stay focused on our main mission: teaching and learning.

It is so important to remember that our teachers are teaching to high-level core content, and the KCCT is just a snapshot of what our students have learned. The word coming from our kids is “The test was easy!” If that’s the case, it means they have learned the core content for their grade level. And when a student in Kentucky is proficient, he or she will be able to compete successfully in our global marketplace.

Our Board of Education recognizes students and staff who have placed first or second in the state or nation, and every month our boardroom is packed with folks coming to be honored. From individual honors to team championships in academics or athletics, it is joy to celebrate their accomplishments.

Among those we praised in April:
* An LTMS eighth-grader who placed first in math in the Governor’s Cup and the LTMS MathCounts team for winning its eighth state title in nine years;
* A string quartet from Lafayette High School who won top honors in the annual Macauley Chamber Music Competition;
* The chess teams from Winburn Middle School and Tates Creek High School, who each placed second in the state tournament;
* And the SCAPA speech team, which captured its 11th straight state championship.

As we honor such achievements, it makes me realize that we are competing very well at the state and national levels, and it reminds me of how fortunate we are. The accomplishments of our kids are a testament to what can be achieved together through years of hard work and dedication by students, their families and their teachers. Keep up the great work!