Required Moment of Silence for Kentucky Schools

 Team,

I wanted to take a moment to make you aware of a new state law that will affect our daily schedule beginning this school year. In compliance with recent legislation, all Kentucky public schools are now required to observe a one-minute moment of silence at the start of each school day.

This moment is intended to provide students and staff with an opportunity for quiet reflection, prayer, or personal contemplation. It is not to be used for instruction, announcements, or any other activities. The moment of silence must be maintained in a way that is neutral and respectful of all beliefs. Participation is silent and voluntary.

At BES, our moment of silence will take place daily at the end of the "Morning Roar" newscast. Cathy will work with our news crew to include a short message explaining to students that this is a time for quiet reflection before starting the day. After the announcements and pledge, the news team will prompt the start of the one-minute silence.

Please help model and encourage respectful observance of this time, while also ensuring that no student feels pressured to participate in a specific way.

If you have any questions about implementation or how to handle specific situations in your classroom, don’t hesitate to reach out. I appreciate your help in implementing (yet another) state-mandated requirement.

Lance

More New Faces...

Good morning,

I wanted to take a moment and introduce some new members of our Exceptional Child Education (ECE) team for the coming school year! They are:

Zoe Gilbert - Zoe will be co-teaching in grades 2nd and 3rd.

Michelle Bryan - Michelle will be working with students in our grades 2nd and 3rd Highly Structured Classroom.

Chance Bowen - Chance will be co-teaching in the 4th grade.

Shelby Greenwell - A familiar name and face to some of you, Shelby will be replacing Caitlyn Harris as one of our two MSD teachers. 

Below, you will find a short message from each of them. 

ZOE

Hello! My name is Zoe Gilbert, and I am excited to join the special education team at Bardstown Elementary School (BES) as an Exceptional Child Educator.

I hold a bachelor’s degree in elementary and exceptional education. My first student teaching placement was at a STEM academy, and my second placement was at an alternative school that served students with moderate exceptionalities. These two distinct experiences uniquely prepared me to meet a wide range of academic and behavioral needs. I taught first grade in my hometown of Campbellsville, Kentucky, for two years after graduation. While I loved my previous position, I am moving to your area, and I am eager to embrace the challenge of a larger school.

On the weekends, I enjoy being outdoors, exploring new cities, knitting, visiting coffee shops, and writing poetry. A fun fact about me is that I have three brothers and three sisters. My family just keeps growing, and I never miss a chance to spend time with my twelve nieces and nephews! My dog, Fern, is my best friend and hiking companion.

I can’t wait to meet everyone and work together at BES! I am sure that I will have plenty of questions, and I look forward to collaborating with such an amazing group of educators. Thank you for the warm welcome!

Sincerely,

Zoe Gilbert

zoegilbert001@gmail.com

MICHELLE

Hello Everyone,

My name is Michelle Bryan, and I am so excited to be a part of the BES team! I will be working with Carson in the 2^nd and 3rd-grade HSC.

I started working for Bardstown City Schools in 2010. I worked several different positions: substituting in the BHS cafeteria, an after-school childcare assistant, a staff childcare provider, and then a special education assistant.  I left the district to finish my master's and to gain much-needed experience. I was previously a teacher for the Nelson County Early Learning Center and a kindergarten teacher for Boston School. Currently, I am finishing my certification in LBD. 

Most of my time is spent with at least one of my children. Faith graduated from BHS in 2023, my son Corey graduated this past school year, and my youngest, Kylie, will be going into the seventh grade at BMS. 

I am happy to be back at Bardstown! Please feel free to reach out and say hi. Know I will gladly take any advice.

Excited to work with everyone!

Michelle Bryan

MaryMBryan@outlook.com

michelle.bryan@bardstown.kyschools.us

CHANCE

Hi Everyone, 

My name is Chance Bowen, and I’m excited to be a part of the fourth grade team at Bardstown Elementary. 

I recently earned my Bachelor’s Degree in General Studies from EKU and am currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in LBD at the University of the Cumberlands through the Option Six program. While I have experience as a co-teacher for half a school year, I have spent the past three years working as an Instructional Assistant in the MSD classroom at NCHS.

This past April, I was fortunate enough to marry my best friend, Carly. She is a nurse at Baptist Health Hardin Hospital. I enjoy spending my free time hanging out with friends and family, golfing, and working out. My wife and I have recently become dog parents with our golden doodle puppy, Alfie. 

I am new to teaching, so I’m willing to learn and continue to grow. I’m excited to start this school year and get to know everyone. Please feel free to reach out!

Chance Bowen

chance.bowen@bardstown.kyschools.us

SHELBY

Hello! My name is Shelby Greenwell. I am a familiar face to many, and I am so excited to be back with my Bardstown Tiger family. I have 3 kiddos of my own who also attend Bardstown City Schools. Adalynn will be in 2nd grade, Brinleigh will be in the 4-year-old preschool program, and Opal will be in the 3-year-old preschool program. 

This will be my 8th year in education. I spent 3 years teaching 5th grade, 3 years in Special Education, and 1 year teaching Kindergarten. This year, I am glad to be back teaching Special Education again. 

I am looking forward to working with all of you! Let’s have a great year. 

#onceatigeralwaysatiger

Shelby

As you start seeing these folks before the year starts, and in the halls once it does, please take the time to say hi and introduce yourself. I am sure they would love putting some faces with names that they will see and hear. 

- Lance 

"New Look" Coming to Infinite Campus - August 2025

 All,

I wanted to share some information from Chris Pickett, our DPP, about Infinite Campus switching to a new look in a couple of weeks. For teachers, it is my understanding that a lot of the tools you are all used to using are currently using the "new look." I hope this proves to not be too much of a change from what you are used to. 

The message sent from Chris to all certified and classified staff is below.

As you have questions, feel free to reach out to Chris for support. 

- Lance 

All,

The past few years, Infinite Campus has been previewing a new user interface (UI) called the New Look with the intention to move everything over to this UI. Teachers using Campus Instruction or anyone who has elected to do so have already been using the New Look and will not see a difference in their daily activities. However, the New Look will become mandatory for all users soon.

Infinite Campus will be changing to the New Look in August 2025.

I encourage everyone to switch over to the New Look as soon as possible to familiarize yourself with the changes before the permanent switch over happens. This will give you some time to move back and forth between Classic and New Look until you feel more comfortable with the new interface.

How to try the New Look before it’s permanent.

Sign into Infinite Campus, then click the User Icon  in the upper right corner and next to Try New Look toggle to ON.

Be sure to try out some of the new features like setting Favorites for the sections of Infinite Campus you use most, or using the Tool Search functionality to find the right features for what you need to accomplish.

For more detailed information about the New Look please visit: https://kb.infinitecampus.com/help/try-the-new-look-of-campus

Getting to Know You - BES Staff Survey

All,

As I look toward the year as principal at Bardstown Elementary, one of my top priorities is doing my best to get to know each of you. 

Whether you're a teacher, instructional assistant, office staff member, cafeteria worker, custodian, or support staff, I value the role you play in making BES such a special place for kids and families. I'd love to learn more about you and how I can best support you this year.

I’ve compiled a short survey (linked below) to help me get to know you better. It asks about your communication preferences, ideas about school culture, and other miscellaneous things that would help me get to know you better. It should only take 5–7 minutes to complete. 

📋 Getting to Know You - BES Staff Survey

Participation is completely optional—but greatly appreciated! Your input will help shape how I lead, connect, and celebrate the amazing people in this building. There is no expectation that you complete this anytime soon. I will send a reminder once we get going for the school year. 

Looking forward to a great year together!

Yours in partnership,

- Lance