#TeamHopkins
Community Connections
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Details on Return to School in January |
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When school resumes January 4 after winter break, students will learn online on the #HCSatHome plan through January 15.
On Monday, January 18, we will celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day and there will be no school that day.
We are excited to share that kids are coming back to our buildings! Our plan is to start with Group A hybrid students on Tuesday, January 19; Wednesday will be a day for deep cleaning; then Group B will be back with us on Thursday and Friday of that week.
We will, of course, continue to follow all safety measures. This includes desks facing the same way, students spaced 6 feet apart, cleaning and disinfection measures, and mask wearing. Masks will be required for all students in kindergarten and up.
We will keep you informed as we move forward. Please click on the photo for a video message from Dr. Ashby.
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The meal program will resume
the week of Jan. 4. For current information, please go
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Our school cafeteria staff follow new procedures to make sure students get fed. In addition to preparing meals that are delivered to community stops, they put together frozen and refrigerated meal kits for the week.
“This is a different process for us, because we’re used to cooking for the kids coming through on the line,” said Lisa Martin, West Broadway Elementary School cafeteria manager. Staff finished up preparing the hot lunch for daily delivery, as boxes of food items were lined up on a cafeteria table. The items had previously been sealed in plastic. Each person took a large plastic bag and went around the table, forming an assembly line to make the meal kits that will be picked up by families.
“When they’re on remote, this is what we do,” Martin said. “It takes every second of our day to keep ahead.” Her staff is “awesome,” she said.
West Broadway prepares 125 breakfasts and 125 lunches each weekday for community stops. Last Wednesday, which is the big day for meal pickup, they gave out 1,050 bags.
“I can tell just in the last couple of weeks that it means very much to people,” Martin said. “I just know that they need it. … We’re happy to do it. We’ll be glad to have kids in session here full time, have them back with the camaraderie in the cafeteria. But this is what we do in the time of the pandemic. We’ve learned a lot from it. We’ve learned a lot about each other. It’s been very educational all the way around, mentally, physically, and in our hearts. We know we’re still feeding our students, and we get to see some of them when they come to pick up their meals. It’s nice. It really reminds you of why we’re here.”
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Groundbreaking Held for New Hanson Elementary |
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Groundbreaking for the new Hanson Elementary School was celebrated earlier in December. A&K Construction is the approved contractor. Groundwork is expected to start early in 2021 with completion expected in summer 2022. |
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Kindergarten students mix fun with flavor in their favorite recipes, which are highlighted in West Hopkins’ “Kindergarten Craziness Cookbook.”
Their favorites vary from “chicken sketti,” with detailed, step-by-step instructions, to a sugar cookie recipe that involves looking for a light blue package of refrigerated dough at the grocery, to a “baby bologna” snack, SPAM and potato burrito and more.
“They are learning language skills, math skills with measuring, and then they follow a procedure,” said kindergarten teacher Billy Ward. “It is really a lot of different skills rolled up in one project.” Fellow kindergarten teacher Mary McBride also participated with her students.
Each student received a printout of the cookbook to give to their parent/guardian for Christmas.
“It’s a remembrance book for parents to look back on,” Ward said. “They have a piece of memorabilia from kindergarten and the kids that they started out with. That’s why I encouraged pictures. It’s also a way for parents to get involved with their students in the kitchen and a writing project. … I have had so many positive responses from parents.”
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Drive Training Center, Fieldhouse Project Under Way |
Construction of the new Bus Driver Training Center and Browning Springs Middle School Fieldhouse is ongoing. Hopkins County Board of Education held a groundbreaking on Sept. 14 at the School Street site. The facility will house a driving training center and office, new home and visitor locker rooms, concession stand, restroom facilities for events, storage space, and coaching office space. |
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Wolford, Durst Honored for Service
We want to thank Hopkins County Board of Education members Susanne Wolford and Dr. J.W. Durst who were honored at the December board meeting for their years of service. They are stepping down from the board when their terms end this month.
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#LionChaser / #GiantSlayer Awards |
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Madisonville North Hopkins High School FFA was presented with the #LionChaser / #GiantSlayer Award at the Board of Education meeting on Dec. 14. FFA was honored for their outstanding work with community service projects. MNHHS FFA was named a Premier Chapter in the area of Building Communities, ranking in the Top 10 of more than 8,700 chapters in the nation. Teachers Brian Welch and Benton White and students Olivia Burris, Mikayla Baize and Craig Holloman accepted the award. |
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Jackson Watts - State Cross Country Champion |
Jackson Watts, a senior at Madisonville North Hopkins High School, is the KHSAA 3A State Cross Country Champion! He posted a time of 15:41.83 in the state meet. He was presented with the #LionChaser / #GiantSlayer Award at the Board of Education meeting on Nov. 16. He has signed to run cross country at the University of Kentucky. |
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South Hopkins Middle School teacher Chris Manning was presented with the #LionChaser / #GiantSlayer Award at the Hopkins County Board of Education meeting Oct. 12. During the Sept. 22 lunch period at SHMS, a student started choking on pizza. Mr. Manning responded to the situation and performed the Heimlich Maneuver on the student. The student is grateful for the help he received. Mr. Manning did a wonderful job!
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Farm City Educator of the Year |
Pride Elementary School teacher Kelly Gates has been honored as the 2020 Farm City Educator of the Year. The award was announced by Hopkins County Regional Chamber of Commerce and Hopkins County Cooperative Extension and sponsored by Tyson Foods.
She has been teaching at Pride Elementary in Madisonville, Kentucky, for more than 20 years and has created an outdoor learning environment for students. The program, called Courtyard for Curiosity, helps students maintain, cultivate, and beautify the school’s courtyard area.
“Mrs. Gates is an advocate for all children. Her classroom is home to many furry friends that the students love and adore,” said Kristy Saint, principal at Pride Elementary. “She creates a sense of responsibility in her students through the care of these animals. Students all over the building want to visit her classroom.”
Farm City Breakfast was not held in-person this year. "Agriculture is a significant economic driver in Hopkins County. Even though we're not meeting in-person, we are still grateful for the opportunity to recognize these individuals and farm families for their valuable contributions to our community," said Libby Spencer, President of the Hopkins County Regional Chamber of Commerce.
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Congratulations to Jesse Stuart Elementary School teacher Megan Durbin for being the first teacher in our district to complete more than 100 courses in MobileMind for Google! She has completed 117 courses and passed the Level 1 and Level 2 certification. MobileMind is a professional learning hub for educators. |
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Faulk Family Toy Donation |
Hopkins County Board of Education member Steve Faulk and his family donated baby dolls and other toys to the Hopkins County Schools Family Resource Centers. The donation was in memory of his sister, Karen Wilson. This is the 2nd annual year for the Karen’s Christmas Baby Dolls project. These toys will be distributed through the FRYSCs at the elementary schools. Other recipients include Woodford County Schools, Kentucky Children’s Hospital, The Nest, Rockcastle Regional Hospital, Midway Children’s Christmas Drive, and Ronald McDonald House. Thanks to Mr. Faulk and everyone involved in making this generous donation for our kids!
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Hopkins County Happy Feet held its drive-thru Christmas Project on Dec. 10 to provide shoes and $100 gift cards to 120 of our middle and high school students. This is a collaborative project with our Family Resource Youth Service Centers. Happy Feet is still taking donations to support this cause. Please go to their Facebook page for more information. Thanks to everyone who contributed to this effort to help our students! |
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Devine Appointed to KASA Committee |
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Pupil Personnel Director Dr. April Devine has been appointed to a two-year term on the Kentucky Association of School Administrators’ Next Generation Leading and Learning Committee. The purpose of this committee is to build knowledge and dispositions of school administrators who desire to lead districts through innovation by developing deeper learning networks, designing professional learning opportunities, creating cultures of innovation, and committing to change leadership. The committee is chaired by Travis Hamby, superintendent of the Allen County Schools. |
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Campbell Selected for NFSN Committee |
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Madisonville North Hopkins High School Youth Service Center coordinator Randall Campbell has been selected to serve on the National Family Support Network’s Standards Review and Revision Committee. The state FRYSC director nominated Campbell to serve on the 12-member committee.
“This is quite an honor and accomplishment,” said Director of Pupil Personnel Dr. April Devine, who oversees Hopkins County Schools’ FRYSCs.
Kentucky’s FRYSCs are part of the National Family Support Network. Campbell is a standards trainer for Kentucky.
“We will take the current standards of the National Family Support Network and revise them,” he said. “We are scheduled to spend around 50 hours in virtual meetings working through each standard in detail. We will also create a new training for all center coordinators. The National Family Support Network is made up of networks like FRYSC in 30 different states and Canada.”
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First-year teachers in Hopkins County Schools participated in a workshop to gather instructional materials and develop teaching strategies for their new classrooms. Teachers shared stories from their experiences and networked to develop plans for the remainder of their first year. This is through the Kentucky New Teacher Support Program, which supports 24 first-year teachers in Hopkins County as they grow professionally and develop strategies to improve student learning. Participating teachers receive teaching materials, time for peer observation and reflection, and the opportunity to apply techniques from the workshop. |
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GSP, GSA Participants Honored |
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High school seniors who participated in the 2020 Kentucky Governor’s Scholars Program and the Governor’s School for the Arts have been honored by the Board of Education.
Hopkins County Central students recognized on Oct. 19 include GSP participants Jonna Clayton, Cameron Hartline, Hailey Stokes, and Keri Reynolds. Madisonville North Hopkins students honored Nov. 2 are Andrew Belcher, Michael Brantley, Olivia Burris, Shayla Embry, Abby Harris, Joshua Plain, and Anthony Popescu of GSP and Rebekah Calhoun and Mallory Hunt of GSA. Congratulations to all of these outstanding students!
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Hopkins County Schools | [www.hopkins.kyschools.us]
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