SBDM Parent Representatives Ballot

My name is Jen Allen and my son Weston is a 6th grader at Bally this year. My younger son Nolan is currently a 4th grader at Longbranch and will be at Bally in just a few more years as well.

I have been an RN for 18 years and currently have a nursing position that allows me to work from home. I love being an RN, love working with others, and have always been driven to be a helper in all aspects of my life.

In my spare time, I enjoy reading, gardening, traveling, my pets, and just spending time with my family, friends and neighbors. I am a terrible cook but am married to my wonderful husband, home chef and outdoor grill master Dan for 15yrs this fall. We moved down to NKY from the Chicago suburbs in 2015 for my husband’s job at Trihealth and have truly enjoyed living in this area ever since!

Over the last 7 years as a parent at LBES, I served as a member of the PTO board, as a member of their SBDM committee for several years, as a parent volunteer with the current PTO board, and as a weekly (or almost weekly) library volunteer at the school. Last year I even tried being a substitute teacher!

I would love the opportunity to be a parent representative for the Ballyshannon SBDM committee. I am well-versed in SBDM duties and responsibilities and feel like I would be a great representative for the school’s (and the overall area’s) parent populations as well. Spending the majority of my life living in a culturally and monetarily diverse area, being a part of a culturally diverse family, working with other families who have many needs, and being a parent to two boys who have some special needs of their own allows me to aware of how important it is to be open-minded, practical, reasonable, and informed when addressing Bally’s school policies, budget needs, and planning for the future year(s) to come.

Thank you for taking the time to read this bio, and I hope you’ll consider voting for me to be a parent representative for the BMS SBDM committee!

Hello, my name is Jill Baird and I would love to be considered for the role of parent representative on Ballyshannon Middle School’s SBDM. As a parent of two children in the Boone County School District, I am extremely invested in the quality and rigor of their education. My oldest child is in their seventh-grade year at Ballyshannon and my youngest will be an incoming sixth grader for the 2025-2026 school year. Becoming a member of the SBDM would provide a unique opportunity to advocate for students and parents. Professionally, I have worked over 20 years as a school psychologist in various school environments/districts. This experience has given me a unique firsthand perspective and insight. My overall goal for every student is for them to learn to become valued members of society in a safe and caring environment. This involves looking at the whole child--academically, emotionally, and socially. Some of the approaches I have found to be most important when working with students and adults are to be as consistent as possible, keep a positive attitude, listen to and communicate clearly with one another, and problem solve as a team. I strive to do all of these things as a parent and school psychologist. Additionally, I would strive to do so as a parent representative on Ballyshannon SBDM if elected.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Jill Baird, Ed.S.

School Psychologist

As a former Boone County School District teacher and mother of 3 children attending Boone County Schools, I am deeply invested in Bally student success, community and family support. I currently work as an administrator and school counselor in a neighboring school district and have a thorough understanding of the responsibilities held by the SBDM council. I hope to work in collaboration with the council to support the Ballyshannon staff in providing positive social, emotional, and academic experiences for all of our students.

Thank you for your consideration as a Ballyshannon SBDM council member.

Jackie Kennedy

My name is Kristina Smith. I am running for a fourth term on the Site Based Decision Making Council of Ballyshannon Middle School. I value the educational excellence of Ballyshannon and wish to see it continue, striving to be better year after year. I have been teaching at New Haven Elementary for 23 years, where all of my children attended elementary school. I now have a current sixth grader at Ballyshannon, a rising fifth grader headed that way, and a rising sophomore at Cooper High School.

I attended Northern Kentucky University for my Bachelor of Arts, as well as for my Masters with an emphasis in reading. This led me to my current position, as the sole interventionist at New Haven, working with kindergarten through fifth grades. I continue to learn and grow in my knowledge of how we learn to read, and how to better serve my students. It is my hope that with early, targeted intervention, students exiting RtI, will have a strong foundation which can be built upon for years to come.

I have first-hand experience with, and understand the importance of strong schools to establish a base of learning that will help students excel as they progress in their education, and in life. Within my own school, I have served in several leadership roles with the intention of helping to build our school into the strong school it is today. I’ve served as SBDM secretary, team leader, curriculum committee chairperson, teacher house leader, and ESS Coordinator. I have served on several interview committees, the district math task force, district RtI 2.0 task force as a pilot school, and have been an integral part of launching RtI 2.0 in our school. I am now seeking the opportunity to be more instrumental and purposeful in the decision making that impacts Ballyshannon as well. I would appreciate the opportunity to serve you on the Ballyshannon Site Based Decision Making Council