State Accountability Shows Positive Results
District tops state average for Proficient, Distinguished students
Hopkins County Schools topped the state average in percentage of students scoring Proficient or Distinguished in nearly every area and grade level, under state assessment results released Sept. 28 by the Kentucky Department of Education.
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The image above links to the online School Report Cards. |
"While there are no overall labels this year, we remain consistent with what we've scored in the past," said April Devine, district director of assessment.
For the past three years, Hopkins County has been named a Distinguished District. However, schools and districts did not receive overall or component scores or classifications from the state this year. That's because the 2016-2017 school year is a transition period away from the Unbridled Learning Accountability model to a new system. The new model is expected to be in effect for the 2018-2019 school year.
This year's release includes data on achievement, gap, growth (elementary and middle), college and career readiness, and graduation rate. Individual students will continue to receive a performance level classification - novice to distinguished - along with their scores.
Hopkins County students topped the state assessment average in percentage of students scoring proficient or distinguished - the top two levels - in elementary reading, math, language mechanics, writing, and social studies; middle school reading, math, language mechanics and writing; and high school English II, Algebra II, Biology, and U.S. History. The two areas that were below the state average were middle school social studies and high school writing.
Some of our schools did not meet targets for novice reduction, and have already started working on this.
"Closing the achievement gap is a large component of the new accountability system," Devine said. "Hopkins County Schools has devised a plan to attack the gap. School leadership teams are focusing on diagnosing the needs of all students and using progress monitoring tools to ensure students are meeting their goals, teachers are using best instructional practices, and district and school leadership teams are collaborating to create a proficiency plan to meet the needs of our students."
Educators are working together throughout #TeamHopkins to share instructional strategies and best practices, said Superintendent Deanna Ashby.
"We are continuously monitoring student progress to make sure we meet their needs throughout the year, and not just on state assessments" Ashby said. "We feel confident these efforts are making a difference throughout the district, and leading to improvements in student achievement and outcomes."
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Brumfield named to Board of Education
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David Shawn Brumfield |
David Shawn Brumfield has been appointed to the Division 4 seat on the Hopkins County Boardof Education.
"I'm just proud to be able to represent the district and our county," Brumfield said.
The appointment was made by Kentucky Commissioner of Education Stephen L. Pruitt.
Brumfield, 41, of Nebo, earned his bachelor's degree in agriculture economics and accounting from the University of Kentucky. For the past 20 years, he has been self-employed through Brumfield Farms. He is a graduate of West Hopkins High School.
He is vice president of Hopkins County Farm Bureau Federation, former member of the Pride Elementary Site-Based Council and a member of First Baptist Church of Madisonville. He and his wife, Shannon, have two children.
Brumfield will fill the unexpired term of Mike Morgan, who resigned in July. He will be sworn in at the Oct. 16 board meeting.
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Health Insurance Open Enrollment starts Oct. 9
Health Insurance Open Enrollment will be held from Oct. 9-20.
Printed copies of the benefit selection guide have been distributed to staff. It is also available online. All employees should have
received a letter from KEHP with their username and password. You will need this information to access the KHRIS Employee Self Service Portal.
Health Insurance Open Enrollment is MANDATORY for 2018. If you do not elect or waive your coverage during open enrollment, you will be placed into the default standard PPO plan with the same coverage level as 2017. If you have an HRA in 2017 and you do not enroll or waive, you will lose the HRA funds and default to the Standard PPO single coverage level.
This year we will have a VOLUNTARY life insurance open enrollment with Nationwide. Enroll only if a change is desired or you wish to elect optional coverage. Premiums with Nationwide have decreased by 8% and new plan options are available.
No changes were made to benefits, however premiums have increased 3% on all plans except for the Standard CDHP, which will increase from $13.10 to $26.20 monthly.
A Benefits Fair will be 3:30-6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12, at Jesse Stuart Elementary School. Attendees may ask questions and receive assistance with the enrollment process. Janice Moore, HR benefits specialist, will offer assistance in the Central Office computer lab from 9 a.m.-noon on Wednesday, Oct. 11; 3-6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17; and 3-6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19.
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#ChasetheLion
"A Lion Chaser is a difference maker. Lion Chasers are committed to set goals, have grit, and learn from previous failures. This past year, I had the privilege of watching a group of students become Lion Chasers. There were days when they didn't believe in the possibility of being a 'Lion Chaser' and days of not wanting to be a "Lion Chaser" but they kept going. They didn't quit, they stayed committed, and finished at the top of their game.
At SHMS, you will also find many lion chasers among our faculty and staff. We are committed to our students and proud to be a part of their lives as they chase their dreams."
- Libby Groves
South Hopkins Middle School 7th grade reading teacher
"Our garden club students are learning that there is a challenge ahead of them in growing food, learning about soil, determining planting times, and chasing the lion before them.
There is something invigorating about chasing down our dreams. Like hunting for the mysteriously beautiful and powerful lion, coming into the reality of our dreams requires passion, persistence, and courage. Following hard and fast after our seemingly ever-elusive 'lion' evokes vibrations of excitement, anxiety, exhaustion, and sometimes full-blown panic. We may dread what people will think of our wild adventure, anticipate failure, and become discouraged. But for those who continue chasing, the rewards will be great. The forests, deserts, peaks, and valleys that we traverse to find our lion not only create a breath-taking background, but also strengthen us, train us, and prepare us for new endeavors. We can look back and say, 'I conquered that land.' We may not find the lion, for we have become the lion."
- Jaimee Duncan
Grapevine Elementary Garden Club coordinator and substitute teacher
How are YOU being a Lion Chaser?
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Bring your 'A' Game
"Bring Your 'A' Game" is a new program that will help better prepare Hopkins County students for the workforce.
Participants will include up to 60 students - 30 from each high school - who will be trained in personal effectiveness skills and participate in a paid internship with a service industry organization.
The program is a partnership among Hopkins County Schools, Madisonville Community College Workforce Development, and Hopkins County Economic Development Corp. The training sessions, which will result in students receiving certification in Personal Effectiveness Skills, started in September.
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Ky Safe Schools Week is Oct. 15-21
The Kentucky Center for School Safety has set this year's KY Safe Schools Week for Oct. 15-21. The theme is "Get Involved and Get it Solved" STOP the Bullying!
Information is posted at
https://kycss.org/ssw.php. Resources include a link to the online pledge; lessons for the school district and community; and campaign activities and materials.
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Property tax rates set
The Board of Education set a general fund tax levy of 68.6 cents per $100 assessed valuation on real property and personal property. The rate levied in fiscal year 2017 was 65.6 cents on real property and 66 cents on personal property. This tax rate is not subject to recall.
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EES named National PTA School of Excellence
Earlington Elementary PTA was recently recognized as a National PTA School of Excellence for the 2017-2019 school years. The National PTA's School of Excellence program supports and celebrates partnerships between PTAs and schools that work to improve the educational experience and school environment for every child. EES PTA was the only PTA in Kentucky to achieve this recognition this year.
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Employee Engagement Survey
As a reminder, please complete the Employee Engagement Survey by Oct. 9. The link was sent in your email, and the survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. The data from this survey will be reviewed by all stakeholders and used to create action plans at school, department, and district levels. These action plans will focus on an area for improvement that will continue to move Hopkins City Schools to higher levels of excellence.
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Stellar Students
Game Changers: G3 Club
Grapevine Garden Growers was honored by the Board of E
ducation on Sept. 18. The G3 Club
started in fall 2016 with a dozen kids and a 4X4 garden box. It has since grown to 50 members, five dedicated volunteer teachers/staff and about 400 square feet of garden space. G3 students get hands-on learning experiences in starting seeds, saving seeds, using UV lights to grow starter plants, transplanting, weeding, composting, harvesting and using the harvest in various recipes. Each week, the harvest goes home with students or is used as a snack. Last year, G3 accomplished a goal of sending a plant home with every K-5 student. G3 looks forward to growing healthy food and healthy kids for a healthy future.
HOSA works for hurricane relief
The HOSA groups from Hopkins County Career & Technology Center, Hopkins County Central  and Madisonville North Hopkins joined with Tumbleweed Restaurants to raise funds for hurricane relief on Sept. 19. The national HOSA office is located in Texas, and many schools have been affected by the recent disasters. Local students hosted the day to wait tables and earn a portion of sales to go to relief efforts. They waited tables, bussed tables, and cleaned the restaurant until 9 p.m. Sales topped $1,500, meaning the club would receive 15% of sales. In tips and sales, students received $393.65 that will be sent to Texas on behalf of Tumbleweed. This money will go directly to high schools in Texas to help with their HOSA chapters and further their medical education.
Beta Club cat food drive
Grapevine Elementary School's Junior Beta Club sponsored a cat food drive to benefit
theHopkins County Human
e
Society. The students donated 330 pounds of cat food to the local agency. Susan Brown's and Trish Wyatt's classrooms were awarded a pizza party for collecting the most food. This is the first community service project for the newly founded clu
b
under the direction of Bill Ward, Trish Wyatt and Vicki Mings.
National Merit Semifinalist
Addison Lander, a senior at Hopkins County Central High School, is among approximately16,000 Semifinalists in the 63rd National Merit Scholarship Program. These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for about 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $32 million, according to a news release from the National Merit Scholarship Corp. After graduation, Lander plans to attend Vanderbilt University and study biology. About 90 percent of Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and about half the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title.
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Becoming Entrepreneurs
Hopkins County 7th-graders got REAL Sept. 5-8 at Madisonville Community College. REAL, short for Rural Entrepreneurship through Action Learning, gives kids a look at what is involved in starting a business. From coming up with the concept, the name, funding, advertising and more. Students work in groups during this annual project, which is offered through a partnership between Hopkins County Schools Career Education Program and MCC.
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District teacher featured in KDE publication
South Hopkins Middle School teacher Garris Stroud has written a guest column for Kentucky Teacher, a publication of the Kentucky Department of Education.
Get More Hands-on by Flipping your Classroom
I had just finished my first year of teaching 8th-grade science and it was a treadmill of progress. Ienjoyed working with the new science standards, but I knew that this was a completely different game from the science education I received in my formative years.
While I strived to implement these instructional changes with fidelity, I realized there was still something missing. In order to transform science education in Kentucky, we as teachers must transform our own outlook about what it means to deliver high-quality science instruction.
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Hurricane
Relief Efforts
Several hurricane relief efforts have been taking place in Hopkins County Schools.
West Hopkins School adopted the flooded classroom of a former teacher who is now teaching in Texas. The school's cheer team collected items such as bottled water and paper towels.
West Broadway Elementary and the Career and Technology Center came together on a joint project to collect needed items. James Madison Middle School also collected cases of water and packages of diapers.
Southside Elementary and South Hopkins Middle both collected cases of water. Southside brought in 326 cases, and SHMS collected 191 cases. The Salvation Army delivered these to Texas where they went to victims of Hurricane Harvey.
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Remembering 9/11
Hopkins County Schools raised a total of $4,836.65 for the Patrick Rudd
Project during theHeroes Run campaign. James Madison Middle School, which raised $1,807, received 1st place. Hopkins County Central High School placed 2nd, with $1,221, and Earlington Elementary School placed 3rd with $310.80.
Heroes Walks were held throughout #TeamHopkins in remembrance of the 9/11 anniversary.
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App Week
Our high schools helped seniors reach their future goals during College Education Week.Madisonville North Hopkins hosted a College Application Day on Sept. 26. Volunteers from several colleges came to assist students with their applications. Hopkins County Central also held special sessions that week for students to complete applications. Representatives of the military were also available to talk to interested students.
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Event Calendar
Oct. 9-13 - Fall Break / No School
Friday, Oct. 13 - Central Office Closed
Monday, Oct. 16
- Board of Education Meeting, 5:30 p.m., Central Office
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High School Sports Schedules
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STAY CONNECTED
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