Breathitt School officials Indicted for failure to report alleged crimes against students.

In a shocking development in a case that involved an adult, Charles Andrew Mitchell, 27, of Breathitt County, accused of several sex related crimes against minor children under the age of 16 years old, 4Breathitt School System members have been indicted.  According to the indictments, Superintendent Arch Turner, along with David Napier, teacher Michael Blowing and S.M.S. Principal Reggie Hamilton were all indicted on Class “B” Misdemeanors. According to the indictments all four failed to report the alleged sex crimes of Mr. Mitchell to proper authorities. The Indictments reads as follows for Hamilton, Turner & Napier:

The Grand Jury Charges: that on or about 9th day of May, 2011 in Breathitt County, Kentucky, the aboved named defendants, Reggie Hamilton, David Napier and Arch Turner: Committed the offense of failure to report dependenct, neglect, or abuse when they, being a supervisor who received a report of suspected dependency, neglect, or abuse from an employee, failed to promtly make a report to the proper authorities for investigation, against the peace and dignity of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

The Indictment against Bowling reads:

Ther Grand Jury Charges: That on or about 9th day of May 2011, in Breathitt County, the above named defendant, Michael Bowling: Committed the offense of failure to report Dependency, Neglect or Abuse when he, knowing or having reasonable cause to believe that a child was dependent, neglected, or abused, failed to immediately cause an Oral or Written report to be made to Law Enforcement or to the Cabinet against the peace and dignity of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

According to the Indictment on Charles Andrew Mitchell, Mitchell allegedly committed 15 seperate counts of sex related crimes against minor children under the age of 16 years of age. It was these alleged crimes that were apparently reported to Principal Hamilton, Assistant Superintendent Napier, Michael Bowling and Superintendent Turner, and according to their indictments, were not reported to proper authorities.

We will have complete details of all the indictments later today, as soon as more records and information can be obtained.

Clara Gabbard

Clara Gabbard, a preschool teacher at LBJ Elementary, recently received word that she had been chosen as a finalist for the Kentucky Outstanding Civic Education Leadership Award. The judges agreed that it was amazing and impressive to read about what Mrs. Gabbard is doing for her students and the Commonwealth of Kentucky through her work and leadership centered on civic education.  Her leadership and dedication is much appreciated by the Secretary of State Office, Kentucky Department of Education, Administrative Office of the Courts, Kentucky High School Athletic Association and the McConnell Center at the University of Louisville.

The ceremony announcing the overall state winner will be held at the noon game on Friday, March 18^th at Rupp Arena.   Each regional finalist will receive one free ticket to enter the game.  There are 16 regional finalists in the entire state.  LBJ Elementary would like to wish Mrs. Clara Gabbard the best of luck.

Adrianna and Makenzie pose with Principal Ron Combs and STLP coordinators Alonzo Fugate and Doug Halsey. (Photo by: Kelsie Dalton, STLP student)

LBJ Elementary School is so proud to announce that Adrianna Coomer and Makenzie Neace will be moving on to the state STLP championship in May as state-selected cyber reporters.  The STLP or Student Technology Leadership Program allows students to learn and demonstrate skills using technology.  One of those skills is writing news articles using computers and taking digital photographs.  These two students will be able to use their skills to write articles and post them on the state STLP website.  The championship event will be held on May 13^th.  Congratulations to Adrianna and Makenzie!

Some kids and parents alike cry on the first day of school. (Click image to enlarge)

Mrs. Gabbard welcomes students to LBJ. (Click image to enlarge)

J. Pelfrey enjoys a hot breakfast! (Click image to enlarge)

        The first day of school is an exciting one.  It can also be a little scary for the younger ones.  However, by the end of the first day, everyone is usually settled in and ready to learn! 

            Parents need to pay extra attention to any paperwork that is coming home at the moment.  These important forms need to be completed and returned as soon as possible. 

            LBJ is proud of all the students.  We are all ready to have the best school year ever!

Todd Brewer, Abby Hays and Andrew Rose show off greenscreen technology (Click image to enlarge)

Tasha Pelfrey and Abby Hays, champion cyber reporters

LBJ Elementary is proud to have a very active and strong STLP or Student Technology Leadership Program.  On May 11^th and 12^th, the LBJ STLP traveled to Rupp Arena in Lexington for the annual state championship.  During the day, STLP students competed in areas of digital photography, digital art, video gaming, cyber reporting, and school webpage service.  The STLP also had a showcase table where they demonstrated the use of green screen technology.

Zach Hall, 3rd in the state in digital photography

During the awards ceremony, the STLP was thrilled to learn that they had won the following achievements:

• Zach Hall, 6^th grade, placed 3^rd in the state in the area of digital photography.   His winning photograph is called “Winter Colt.”
• Abby Hays and Tasha Pelfrey received championship medals and were honored onstage for their work as cyber reporters.  They wrote articles about the event and posted them online for other schools to read.
• LBJ’s STLP won a blue championship ribbon for their showcase table over green screen technology called “Where Do You Want to Be?”

Alonzo Fugate, LBJ’s STLP coordinator, stated, “I am so proud of these students.  They have worked hard all year and have proven that they are strong leaders in the classroom and in the area of technology.  It has been an honor to work with them and to see just how far they can grow.”

Zach Hall and Kayla Moore (Click image to enlarge)

LBJ Elementary is proud to have a very active STLP or Student Leadership Technology Program.  One of the activities for the students in the program is digital photography and photo manipulation.  Recently, Zach Hall and Kayla Moore, 6^th grade students at LBJ, received news that their entries into the state STLP digital photography competition had placed in the top 6 for the entire state!

 Zach’s photo is called Winter Colt and is a refreshing picture of his pony that he took earlier this year.  Kayla’s picture is a digitally manipulated photo of her dog.  She used a program called Virtual Painter to give the photo the look of embroidery.  Both photos will now continue on to the state STLP competition which will be held in Lexington at Rupp Arena on May 11^th/12^th.  If they place in the top 2, their photos will travel around to all the state STLP events next year and will hang in the Lexington Exploratorium. 

 LBJ STLP coordinator, Alonzo Fugate, stated, “I am very proud of both Zach and Kayla.  They have excellent photography skills and I wish them the best of luck.  No matter what though, they are already winners to me and the entire school.”

7th Grade Achievers (Click image to enlarge)

On April 9^th, students at LBJ Elementary were honored for their hard work and achievements on last year’s CATS exams.  Students in 4^th – 7^th grades were given medals for testing either distinguished or proficient in areas such as reading and math.  Students were pleased to be recognized for their hard work.

6th Grade Achievers (Click image to enlarge)

They loved the medals that they received.  Thanks to all who helped bring this program together.  A special thanks to LBJ’s guidance counselor, Shirley Spencer, who was in charge of getting everything together.

Left to right - Front row: John Wyatt Hall, Logan Back, Adrianna Coomer, Rachel Miller, Jacob Collins, Katie Bowling 2nd row: Coach Alonzo Fugate, Zach Eiserman, Abi Thomas, Rebecca Watts, Ashlee Gross, Kelsie Dalton, Zach Rice (Click image to enlarge)

                The LBJ Elementary Academic Team is pleased with their performance at the recent Governor’s Cup competitions.  Bringing home the regional championship trophy, they proved that they have what it takes to compete with the best minds in the region…and win.

            March 20th arrived as a beautiful sunny Saturday here in Eastern Kentucky.  For most of us, it was a day of fun in the sunshine, spent with family and friends.  For a select group of students in our region, however, it was a day of academic competition.  Schools from 4 competing area districts converged upon Buckhorn Elementary for the 2010 Elementary Regional Governor’s Cup.  Students competed in several areas of testing and quick recall.  Written composition skills were tested.  They also competed in solving problems that society may face in the future.

            It was a long day that started at 7:45 am and lasted until 5:00 pm.  The day was full of ups and downs as various teams finished testing and then entered into the arena of quick recall…where whether you win or lose comes down to a matter of seconds.

            At the end of the long but exciting day, LBJ Elementary was awarded the ultimate honor.  They were thrilled to learn that they had earned enough points to win the championship!

            The crowd clapped and cheered wildly as well-deserving students were awarded medals and ribbons.  The following LBJ students were excited to win in their areas:

• Logan Back – 1st place in social studies
• Jacob Collins – 5th place in science
• Zach Eiserman – 3rd place in arts and humanities
• Ashlee Gross – 1st place in written composition
• Abi Thomas – 3rd place in written composition and 3rd place in language arts
• Adrianna Coomer – 5th place in written composition and 2nd place in language arts
• Zach Rice – 3rd place in language arts (tied with Abi Thomas)
• Future Problem  Solving Team – (Katie Bowling, Rachel Miller, Zach Rice, and Rebecca Watts) – 1st place

The overall points were broken down as follows with school Governor’s Cup trophies going to the top four schools:

• LBJ Elementary – 33.5 points – Regional Champions!
• Dennis Wooton Elementary – 17.5 points – Regional Runner-up
• Roy G. Eversole – 17.5 points – 3rd place
• Highland Turner Elementary – 17 points – 4th place

            Coach Alonzo Fugate stated, “I am so proud of these hard-working students.  They have put so much time and effort into their studies this year.  They study hard and put in the extra time to go over the materials.  It is such a pleasure to coach them.  They deserve this recognition for all of their hard work.”

            Coach Fugate continued, “Of course, without the support of their parents, the school, and the school system, none of this would have been possible.  I want to thank all of the parents for their support and extra time spent at home studying questions.  I want to thank LBJ’s principal, Mr. Ron Combs, for his support of the academic team.  Finally, I want to thank Superintendent Arch Turner and the school board for their support of the team.”

            This win at the Regional Governor’s Cup ended the season for the elementary academic team.  Now, they can take a well-earned rest…and then start preparing for next year!  Congratulations to the academic team at LBJ Elementary on their accomplishment!

LBJ Academic Team Caption: Front (L to R): Rebecca Watts, Logan Back, Katie Bowling, Zach Rice Back row (L to R): Ashlee Gross, Kelsie Dalton, Abi Thomas, Adrianna Coomer, John Wyatt Hall, Rachel Miller, Zach Eiserman, Jacob Collins Click image to enlarge)

Saturday, February 27th, started out cold and dreary.  However, the snow couldn’t chill the spirits of several young minds from around the county.  They knew that the 2010 District Governor’s Cup was going to be held at LBJ Elementary that day.  This was their chance to show off their academic prowess….and show the world just how powerful the mind can be!

            Although starting with a delay due to the weather, soon students, parents, and other involved community members converged upon LBJ Elementary for the academic competition.  Contest manager, Henrietta Sheffel (YSC Coordinator from Breathitt High School) used her expertise in academics to start the match on time.  Soon students from LBJ Elementary, Highland-Turner Elementary, Rousseau, and Jackson City School were taking tests in the areas of math, science, social studies, language arts, and arts and humanities.  Students had competed in composition and future problem solving earlier in the week.

            After a morning of testing, students competed in quick recall, which is a game-show like competition where students try to beat other students by “buzzing in” first and answering questions.  It was an exciting day that saw many ups and downs for everyone involved. 

            At the end of a long day, the LBJ Elementary academic team, coached by Alonzo Fugate, was pleased with the following results:

• Composition – Abi Thomas, 3rd place; Adrianna Coomer, 4th place; Ashlee Gross, 5th place
• Math – John Wyatt Hall, 5th place
• Science – Jacob Collins and John Wyatt Hall, tied for 3rd place
• Social Studies – Logan Back, 1st place; Katie Bowling, 4th place
• Language Arts – Adrianna Coomer, 1st place; Zach Rice, 2nd place; Abi Thomas, 5th place
• Arts and Humanities – Zach Eiserman, 1st place; Kelsie Dalton, 2nd place
• Quick Recall team – 3rd place
• Future Problem Solving Team (Katie Bowling, Rachel Miller, Zach Rice, and Rebecca Watts) – 1st place!

Caption: (L to R): Rachel Miller, Katie Bowling, Rebecca Watts, and Zach Rice. (Click image to enlarge)

The final scores for the day were broken down as follows:

• LBJ Elementary – 48.5 points
• Highland-Turner Elementary – 36 points
• Jackson City School – 35.5 points
• Rousseau Elementary – 3 points

LBJ Elementary was excited and pleased to win the District Championship.  Students, parents, and others were cheering and clapping as each student received their medals and ribbons.  A championship trophy was won for the school trophy case and is being displayed with pride in the front office of LBJ Elementary.

            Coach Alonzo Fugate stated, “I am so pleased and so proud.  These students have worked so hard all year long, and they deserve this win.  It takes a lot of hard work to be on the academic team.  It was good to see that hard work pay off.  It was because of their dedication and the dedication of their parents and teachers that these students can proudly call themselves academic champions.”

            Coach Fugate continued, “Although I am the coach, there are so many more people involved in making a winning team.  First and foremost are the parents.  In particular, I had lots of great support from Amy Baker and Janice Hall with practices this year.  Next, I want to thank all the teachers for their work in helping to prepare these students in class.  I also want to thank LBJ’s principal Ron Combs for all of his support this year.  He has been wonderful.  Finally, I want to thank Superintendent Arch Turner and the Breathitt County School Board for all of their support and encouragement.  Without them, we wouldn’t have such great schools and great students.”

            The team will now prepare for the Regional Governor’s Cup which will be held at Buckhorn Elementary on Tuesday, March 16th for composition and Future Problem Solving and Saturday, March 20th for all other categories.  But as Coach Fugate added, “No matter what, these kids are already champions in my book.”

Samuel R. Montano (Click image to enlarge)

Art is Cool! (Click image to enalrge)

On Wednesday, February 24^th, LBJ students were given a special treat.  They were able to watch a live demonstration of a unique type of artwork being created.  They were thrilled to be visited by artist Samuel R. Montaño.  He is the brother of LBJ Spanish teacher, Maria Montaño. 

Samuel R. Montaño, plastic artist from Bolivia-South America, has been painting with spray-paint since 1993. He is one of the South American pioneers and great contributor of the development of this peculiar technique. 

He has performed numerous live demonstrations in his country of origin as well as Argentina, Chile, and Peru and in the United States in Rhode Island, Washington, DC, Virginia and New Mexico.

With this unique technique, in a few minutes, spray-paint in hand Samuel R. Montaño produces creative art of high quality.