December 2019
Staff eNews
Donated Dolls Find Homes with Local Students
Dolls donated through “Dolls from Karen” will soon find new homes with 40 Grapevine Elementary School students.

Ambrose Wilson IV gave the dolls in memory of his late wife, Madisonville native Karen Faulk Wilson, who passed away earlier this year. Karen attended Grapevine as a child. The Wilson and Faulk families, which include her brother, Hopkins County Board of Education member Steve Faulk, also helped with the project.

Contributions at the funeral made it possible to give out about 150 dolls throughout Kentucky this Christmas. Donations for next year may be sent to Dolls from Karen; P.O. Box 3999; Midway, KY 40347.

Improving School Climate

Ask teenagers how they feel about school, and the No. 1 adjective they choose is “bored,” a 2013 Gallup poll found. Ask them why they skip school, and boredom again comes up as the top answer, another survey by the nonprofit Get Schooled showed. Close behind is, “I just don’t like the classes or subjects.” Research and experience tell us that students become increasingly disengaged as they advance in school, in part because they don’t see why the material they’re learning matters in their lives. This can compound absenteeism, leading to weaker academic performance and higher dropout rates. To learn about ways to combat this, please see the attached document.

CENSUS 2020
Property Donation Accepted for Hanson School Project
Hopkins County Board of Education has accepted a donation of property that adjoins the current Hanson Elementary School site. The approximately 12.481 acres was appraised at $998,480.

The board is very appreciative of this generous donation by Tooth Acres LLC, a limited liability company owned by Dr. Terry and Jamie Brown of Hanson. The Browns have supported the district for many years. Dr. Brown’s mother, Nora Katheryn Crumbaker Brown, his grandmother Georgia Orton Brown, and his aunt Ruth Brown had a combined teaching experience of about 100 years in Hopkins County Schools.

Dr. and Mrs. Brown’s daughters, are both products of the Hopkins County school system. Dr. Karah Brown is an oral surgery resident at the University of Kentucky, and Katelyn Brown is a tax attorney in Louisville.

The acceptance of the property is contingent on the approval of the Kentucky Department of Education. The timetable for the project has not yet been determined.
Creativity Shines in National Motto Art Contest
Winners in the district’s National Motto Art Contest were honored at Monday’s Board of Education meeting. The grand prize winner is Macey Browning of Browning Springs Middle School. She received a $1,000 prize donated by Madisonville First Assembly of God. The overall winning entry will be displayed at the Central Office and at her school, and will be included in the 2020-2021 Hopkins County Schools wall calendar.

Each winning school entry will be displayed at their school.
The school winners are as follows:
Earlington Elementary: Jaxson Haw
Grapevine Elementary: Rosa Deras
Hanson Elementary: Eric Clark
Hopkins County Central High School: Vetezion Scisney
James Madison Middle School: Sophia Wilson
Jesse Stuart Elementary: Christian Hancock
Madisonville North Hopkins High School: Rebekah Calhoun (Overall High School Winner)
Pride Elementary: Nash Tapp (Overall Elementary Winner)
South Hopkins Middle School: Delilah Carner
Southside Elementary: Ryleigh Sailing
West Broadway Elementary: Veda Cook
West Hopkins School: Kaleigh Faulk

Such amazing artistic talent!
District Leaders Earn Doctorates
Hopkins County Schools Superintendent Deanna Ashby and Director of Assessment Andy Belcher were surprised with new nameplates bearing their new titles at the Dec. 16 Board of Education meeting.

During the past year, Ashby and Belcher conducted research for their dissertations. Ashby focused on the relationships that exist between school administrators and school resource officers, while Belcher’s research involved school counselors and SROs.

Both defended their dissertations at Oakland City University this semester, and earned doctorates in Educational Leadership.

“We lead the way in school safety across the state as well as the country,” said Hopkins County Board of Education Chairman Dr. J.W. Durst. “We are excited that Dr. Ashby and Dr. Belcher have both led by example in developing innovative ways of looking at methods to keep our students safe. We are extremely proud of their accomplishments and look forward to continuing Hopkins County’s leading role in school safety.”
The information at the link below was shared previously, but is being provided again as a reminder:

Friendly Reminder on SKILLS Days
  • School employees (certified/classified) are expected to document a full work day (6.5 hours) on their SKILLS timesheet log (certified/classified classroom personnel).
  • Everyone reports to their assigned school/location for work unless they feel as though it is unsafe for them to travel. If safety is a concern, they are expected to contact their immediate supervisor (prior to the work day beginning) to notify them for approval.
  • Staff, of course, may take a sick day (if they’re sick) or a personal day if needed. This does not apply to food service or transportation staff, who will receive instructions from their supervisor.
  • Central office employees report to the office for regular hours 8 a.m.-4 p.m. unless the office is closed or they may contact their immediate supervisor if safety is a concern. 
  • Office hours for teachers are from 12 p.m.-2 p.m., so meetings with teachers should occur outside of this timeframe.
#LionChaser / #GiantSlayer Awards
Brandon Poole, an English teacher at Madisonville North Hopkins, was presented with the #LionChaser / #GiantSlayer Award at the Dec. 16 Board of Education meeting. He was a major help to the family of the late Taelor Morse after the student’s tragic death. Mr. Poole helped the family with a slide show and music for the funeral, took the family food several nights, and helped promote their effort to raise money to cover the funeral costs. Taelor’s mother, Jennifer Katich, said, “We would not have made it without Mr. Poole.” He is a real #LionChaser!
Five members of the South Hopkins Middle School football team and coach Chris Manning were honored with the #LionChaser / #GiantSlayer Award at the Dec. 16 Board of Education meeting. The team won the Region Championship and ended the season as State Runners-Up. Players who were honored are Austin Fritz, quarterback and offensive leader; Harlee Egbert, linebacker and defensive leader; James Posey, offensive/defensive lineman and lineman leader; Calil McNary, fullback/linebacker, team captain, and team motivator; and Logan Rodgers, running back/safety, team captain, and team spokesman. Congratulations to all!
HCCHS Senior Receives
QuestBridge Scholarship to Yale
Hopkins County Central High School senior Abigail Dixon has been selected to receive a full four-year scholarship to Yale University through the QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship.

This prestigious national program connects high-achieving high school seniors with full four-year scholarships to the nation’s top colleges. Dixon will receive a generous financial aid package provided by Yale that covers the full cost of attendance, including tuition, room and board, books and supplies, and travel expenses.

Dixon plans to major in either political science or English. She is a member of the Hopkins County Central High School band, academic team, Future Problem Solvers team, Math and Science Club, Key Club, and National Honor Society. She represented Central at the HOBY leadership conference her sophomore year and attended the Governor’s Scholars Program this past summer.

Out of 14,926 applicants, QuestBridge selected 5,842 Finalists. A total of 1,127 outstanding students were selected as this year’s Match Scholarship recipients.
Parent Teacher Conferences

The 2nd round of Parent Teacher Conferences will be in January.
  • Tuesday, Jan. 21 – Elementary Schools, 3:30-5:45 p.m.
  • Wednesday, Jan. 22 – High Schools, 3:30-5:45 p.m.
  • Thursday, Jan. 23 – Middle Schools, 3:30-5:45 p.m.
WHS Cheer Wins Region

West Hopkins Cheerleaders won the KAPOS Region 2 championship in the small division. The team will compete in the State Championship on Dec. 21 in Lexington. Team members are, back row from left, Bethany Rakestraw, Aly McCord, Mattie Sheriday, Hayli Gipson, Riley McGee, and Alissa Griest; front row from left, Layla Holmes, Lilly Terry, Brooklynn Charpentier, Kayleigh Johnson, Kalli Hancock, and Payton Harvey. The cheer coach is Angela Steele and assistant is Christi Allen.
Thanks to our
Community Supporters!
Thanks to the many organizations that donate to help our students! The photos above include photos given by Kentucky State Police Post 2 and a coat donation from Knights of Columbus in Madisonville. The items will be given to the Family Resource Youth Services Centers and distributed to students in need.
Merry Christmas from the Central Office!