Health Insurance Open Enrollment
Mandatory health insurance open enrollment will be Oct. 8-26.
Benefits Selection Guides for 2019 have been distributed to each location. By signing for your Selection Guide, you are acknowledging that you are aware you MUST ENROLL and select a health insurance plan or waive your coverage during Open Enrollment. If you fail to enroll, you will be placed in the new default high deductible health insurance plan and you will lose any funds that you have accumulated if you currently have an HRA account.
Important Details:
- You will receive a letter from KEHP with your username that is needed to access the KHRIS Employee Self Service (ESS) Portal. PLEASE KEEP THIS LETTER - IT IS VERY IMPORTANT.
- Health Insurance Open Enrollment is MANDATORY for all eligible employees (including new hires) for 2019. If you do not elect or waive your coverage during open enrollment, you will be placed into the new default high deductible plan with the same coverage level as 2018. If you have an HRA in 2018 and you do not enroll or waive, you will lose the HRA funds.
- ALL HEALTH PLANS FOR 2019 INCLUDE THE LIVINGWELL PROMISE. All planholders MUST take the Go365 Health Assessment or complete a biometric screening before July 1, 2019 or pay an additional $40 per month in premiums for 2020.
- This year we will have an OPTIONAL dental and vision coverage being offered by Anthem. THIS IS NOT THE COVERAGE THAT YOU CURRENTLY HAVE. Your current dental insurance is with Delta Dental of Kentucky and your vision insurance is with VSP. We will continue these plans just as they are (same premiums & same benefits), they ARE NOT being replaced. When you complete your online health insurance enrollment for 2019, there will be a tab for the optional dental and vision plans that Anthem is offering. If you do not want the additional dental and vision just continue through that tab without making a selection.
A Benefits Fair will be held from 3:30-6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 11, at Hopkins County Career and Technology Center. KEHP vendors will be set up, and you can enroll for benefits at this event.
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Super Saturdays Instructors Needed
Have an Interesting Hobby or Expertise You Can Share?! The GT Program needs you to come  up with a challenging, yet fun, course to teach at Madisonville Community College for two Saturdays, Jan. 12 and 19, 2019. The subject or grade level you currently teach does not have an impact on the course you design. If you have an interesting outside hobby, expertise, or talent, they want to know about it! You will even GET PAID! On Super Saturdays, our gifted students get to spend about 6 hours learning something at a fast pace with their gifted peers in grades 2-8. But it doesn't work well without super teachers! Apply to teach this high-level, fast-paced group. For more information, read through the application link below or contact Lindsay Arnett or Kathy Carver.
Super Saturdays Instructor Application
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More SROs in Our Schools This Year
School safety is the top priority for Hopkins County Schools. This year, we will be significantly increasing the number of school resource officers. We appreciate the financial commitment from Madisonville City Council, Hopkins Fiscal Court and the Board of Education that is making this possible. Robert Carter, the district's director of engagement, equity and school support, has done a great job serving as liaison during this process.
"It is a tremendous accomplishment for our district to welcome the new school resource officers to #TeamHopkins," said Superintendent Deanna Ashby. "They are an important part of our family, and work diligently to watch out for our students, serve, and protect, and build lasting relationships. They have a great impact on our community!"
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District Tops State Average in Reading, Math
Hopkins County Schools' students topped the state average in proficiency in the key areas of reading and math at every level, under state assessment results released by the Kentucky Department of Education on Sept. 26.
Graduation rates are additional cause for celebration.
Kentucky is transitioning to a new accountability model.
Indicators that will be used in the system include Proficiency (reading and math); Separate Academic Indicator (science, social studies and writing); Growth; Transition Readiness; Graduation Rate; Achievement Gap Closure; and Opportunity and Access. Beginning next fall, each school is expected to be assigned an Overall Rating of one to five stars, based on performance in each of these areas. There is not an overall school score or rating this year.
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#LionChaser / #GiantSlayer
Three staff members received the #LionChaser / #GiantSlayer Award at Monday's Board ofEducation meeting.
Earlington Elementary School Family Resource Center Coordinator Janet Nichols and South Hopkins Middle School Youth Service Center Coordinator Linda Lam were honored for going "above and beyond" to coordinate resources for four of our schoolfamilies after the Quail Run fire. This includes not only meeting basic needs such as clothing and food, but also providing assistance with transportation, community resources, and new housing. In addition, they meet the needs of many students quietly on
 a daily basis at EES and SHMS. By providing basic needs, these ladies make sure all students are safe, well fed, clean, and ready to learn.
Hanson Elementary School teacher Dawn Moore was honored for performing the Heimlich maneuver on a student who was choking, saving his life. The food was dislodged, and he could breathe again.
How are YOU being a Giant Slayer?
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Board Recognizes Governor's Scholars
Hopkins County Board of Education honored our high school seniors on Tuesday who were selected for the 2018 Kentucky Governor's Scholars Program. Students honored include Eryn Barnes, Emma Harrison, Olivia Latham, and Abby Mitchell of Hopkins County Central and Hannah Funkhouser, Taylor Logan, Eli Polley, and Martha Popescu of Madisonville North Hopkins. Congratulations to all of these outstanding students!
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Senior Early College
Seven seniors from Madisonville North Hopkins and Hopkins County Central are taking part in Senior Early College, a joint program with Madisonville Community College being offered this year for the first time. These students are transported to the MCC campus four mornings each week to take dual credit classes taught by college instructors. They take a full schedule and may earn as many as 15 credit hours each semester, or 30 hours total. In the afternoons, they are in classes at their schools.
This is a pilot year for the program, which the Board of Education approved during the summer. Students also have dual credit opportunities at the Career and Technology Center and the two high schools. The Senior Early College program is expected to grow next year.
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Mini Golf Fundraiser for FRYSCs
Representatives of the city of Madisonville brought a $4,000 check and boxes filled with school supplies to Hopkins County Schools' Family Resource Youth Service Centers on Monday. The money was raised during the Back-to-School Mini Golf Scramble, which was co-sponsored by Old National Bank, at the new Madisonville Mini Golf.
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Community Partner - Lions Club
Hopkins County Schools' community partner for the month of October is the Madisonville Lions  Club.
The club's Fall Pancacke Day will be Friday, Oct. 19, from 6 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Lions Club, 505 Hospital Drive, Madisonville. Tickets are $5, and may be purchased from any club member. In addition to eating at the site, carry-out and a drive-thru are available.
Schools have been asked to collected used eyeglasses that are in good condition throughout October. We will arrange for pickup on Nov. 1.
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Finance Notes
Board Approves Working Budget
On Sept. 17, the Board of Education approved our Working Budget for the 2018-2019 school year.
The total budget is $77.8 million dollars. Here is a breakdown of the budget by fund. Salaries make up 64% of our budget, benefits 11%, and operating expenditures are 25%. Future budget concerns include pensions, reduction in grant funding, and attendance.
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Schools Hold Annual Heroes Walks
We honored First Responders, active military, and military veterans during Heroes Walks at many of our schools. The events were planned in conjunction with the Patrick Rudd Project/Travis Manion Foundation 9/11 Heroes Run.
Our schools raised $6,216.71 for the Patrick Rudd Project through the annual flag fundraiser.  That's a record high total! The top three fundraising schools were honored during the opening ceremony for the 9/11 Heroes Run on Saturday. James Madison Middle School ($2,246) was in 1st place, followed by Hopkins County Central High School ($1,800) in 2nd place, and Madisonville North Hopkins High School ($400) in 3rd place.
We are so pleased to be able to participate in this annual event. We thank all of our First Responders, active military, and veterans for their service!
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Character Does Matter
In partnership with the Travis Manion Foundation, Character Does Matter mentors gave presentations to 5th- and 8th-graders in six of our schools. The speakers, Cormac Chandler and Olly Goddard, are both military veterans who serve together on the Murfreesboro (TN) Police Department. The focus was positive character strengths and the theme, "If Not Me, Then Who ..." This year, the foundation is partnering with the district to offer character-building presentations and service project activities throughout the year.
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Books Donated for 2nd-Graders
Second-graders at Hanson Elementary enthusiastically met a children's author, a scientist/professor, a banana and a bunch of grapes in the school gym.
Dr. Marvin Russell, a retired Western Kentucky University physics professor, has donated copies of the flip book, "Alexander and the Great Food Fight" and "Alexander and the Great Vegetable Feud," for all 2nd-graders in Hopkins County Schools. The stories, written by Linda Hawkins, focus on food and nutrition. The other schools will hand out copies to their students next week.
The formal presentation was made at Hanson school because Dr. Russell lives nearby at the Western Kentucky Veterans Center. He helped with the science included in one of Hawkins' books, with his character going by the name "Dr. Energy."
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New IC Apps Available for Parents, Students
Infinite Campus has released two new mobile apps. In the new release, there are separate apps for parents and students. The Campus Student app and Campus Parent app are now available for download on the App Store for Apple and Google Play. Anyone using the old Infinite Campus app is asked to download a new one. The old app will no longer be supported. For additional information, go to https://bit.ly/2MRfmn2
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First Responder Career Day
West Hopkins School held a First Responder Career Day as part of its special activities today for Kentucky High Attendance Day. Kids enjoyed the junior firefighter course, and tours of ambulances, fire trucks and police cruisers. The Air-Evac Medical Helicopter also stopped by. In addition, Jason Lindsey of "Hooked on Science" presented special science classes, a school-wide assembly, and a family night.
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Back the Blue
Madisonville North Hopkins FFA showed their appreciation for local law enforcement at the Back the Blue Cookout. Madisonville Police, Hopkins County Sheriff's Office and Kentucky State Police officers - along with school staff members - were invited to stop by the ag shop for lunch.
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Dance Workshop with Ballet Hispanico
During practice for the musical "Newsies," students participated in a workshop with Eduardo Vilaro, artistic director and CEO of Ballet Hispanico. Ballet Hispanico will perform at Glema Mahr Center for the Arts in November, and representatives will also speak in Tracy Bean's class at Hopkins County Central. The cast of "Newsies," an HCCHS production, also includes students from Madisonville North Hopkins.
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Mathematics in Motion
Active learning was taking place in the math classrooms at Browning Springs Middle School during a visit on Sept. 19. Jeremy Gobin used whole brain learning methods as he led his 6th-grade students in a chant with movements to drill the process of changing a fraction to a decimal. In 7th grade, Michael Griffin's students were moving through stations to do different math problems. While 8th-graders in Blake Nelson's class received individualized instruction on Chromebooks.
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Multi-Sensory Learning
Kindergarten teacher Mandy Ralston used a multi-sensory approach to actively engage her students at Hanson Elementary on Thursday. After reading the story, "Different Kinds of Dogs," they acted out the meaning of vocabulary concepts and synonyms/antonyms within the story. They also had a phonics lesson on the letter W, with the help of students whose last names begin with that letter. Students were "wobbling like a walrus" and "wiggling like worms."
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Event Calendar
Oct. 8-12
- No School / Fall Break
Oct. 12 - Central Office Closed
Oct. 15
- Board of Education Meeting, Central Office, 5:30 p.m.
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STAY CONNECTED
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