HCS Connections Newsletter - February 2025

Hopkins County Schools is seeking nominations for the 2024-2025 Teacher of the Year and Employee of the Year awards.

Teacher of the Year nominees must have a minimum of three years teaching experience. The Teachers of the Year will be selected in the categories of Elementary (P-5), Middle (6-8) and Secondary (9-12).

Categories for Employee of the Year nominations are: Administrator of the Year, eligible nominees would include principals, assistant principals, central office administrators, and guidance counselors; Classified Support Services, eligible nominees would include instructional assistants who work in a classroom setting to enhance student achievement and Family Resource employees who provide student needs throughout the district; Facilities Management, eligible employees would include all custodians and district maintenance staff; Food Service, eligible nominees would include all cafeteria employees, cafeteria managers and district food service employees; Transportation, eligible nominees would include bus drivers, bus monitors, vehicle maintenance staff and district employees; Secretary of the Year, eligible employees would include all school secretaries; and Central Office Employee of the Year, eligible employees would include all central office staff.

Nominations will be accepted through the close of business, 4 p.m. Friday, May 23, 2025. Online nomination forms are available at the following links:

A printable form is also available. It may be emailed to jennifer.harris@hopkins.kyschools.us or mailed to Employee of the Year, Hopkins County Schools, 320 S. Seminary, Madisonville, KY 42431, Attention: Jennifer Harris. Telephone nominations will not be accepted.

Employee of the Year Nomination Form (pdf)

The Board of Education has selected Garmong Construction to provide general contracting services for the new Central Office project. The district currently operates out of the former Madisonville High School, built in 1922. The new facility will result in savings in repair and maintenance costs, provide energy savings, and allow for the latest technology upgrades.

Garmong is based in Indiana and has an office in Evansville. Garmong submitted the low base bid. The tentative timeline calls for completion in spring 2026. Sherman Carter Barnhart is the architectural firm for the project.

Preschool Enrollment is starting for the 2025-2026 school year. Additional information and links to the forms are available at www.hopkins.kyschools.us/PreschoolRegistration.

We honored our FRYSC coordinators during a luncheon on Feb. 13 as part of Family Resource Youth Services Center Appreciation Week! FRYSCs play a vital role to help students succeed in school by developing partnerships and working to remove non-academic barriers to learning.

Melissa Goins, director of the state Division of Family Resource and Youth Services Centers, was a special guest speaker. The work of FRYSC coordinators, like many roles in the education field, is “a calling,” she said. “While we are here to appreciate the work of our coordinators and of our centers, the centers don’t exist without community, without other people,” she said. “You need other people. People want to work with you. That’s the good news!”

HCS Community Schools Director Wendy Gamblin shared the impact that the programs have had on students and families at each of our schools. Another special guest was Katie Morris, full service community schools manager for the state of Kentucky.

Hopkins County Schools’ FRYSC coordinators are Zachary Evans, Browning Springs Middle School; Tonja Simms, Grapevine Elementary; Tonya Cotton, Hanson Elementary; Dana Byrum, Hopkins County Central High; Shanda Hughes, James Madison Middle; Charles Yarbrough, Jesse Stuart Elementary; Randall Campbell, Madisonville North Hopkins High; Lauren Oldham, Pride Elementary; Amanda McLevain, Southside Elementary; Kristin Mackey, South Hopkins Middle; Cindy Fletcher, West Broadway Elementary; and Bobbie Schaffer, West Hopkins School. A huge “thank you” goes out to each one of them! We appreciate their dedication!!

February 15 was National School Resource Officer Appreciation Day. We want to recognize the work our SROs do daily to help keep our schools safe! These photos show the celebration earlier this week at West Hopkins School, where students and staff dressed in honor of SRO Frank Cates. We are fortunate to have SROs in each of our schools thanks to partnerships Hopkins County Schools has with Madisonville Police Department and Hopkins County Sheriff’s Department!

Our high schools hosted a Pathway Expo recently for 8th-grade students! This event was designed for 8th-grade students to explore the diverse career pathways, clubs, and sports opportunities available at the high school level. This hands-on experience allowed students to engage with teachers, coaches, and student representatives to learn about academic programs, extracurricular activities, and future career options. The expo helps students make informed decisions about their high school journey, setting them on a path to success.

Eighth graders got a glimpse into several career pathways during Operation Tech Center! The annual program gives students a look into the career pathways offered at CTC. This helps  students think about possible careers before registering for classes for their freshman year of high school.

Members of the Be-You-tiful Leaders group from Hopkins County Central met February 5 for their “winter breakout” to discuss possible projects and how to leave a lasting impact. They also created encouraging and inspiring messages to give to others as part of the “Heart Drop” project. To learn more, watch this piece from 44 News.

Glow paint combined with blacklights provided artistic inspiration for students at West Broadway Elementary! Students in the Primary Talent Pool and Gifted and Talented program learned about spacing and movement in art, said WBES GT coordinator Morgan Russell. She guided them in creating a sketch of a sea turtle, then students designed and painted their own turtles and underwater scenes.

Hopkins County Central HS High Voltage Dance Team won the UDA National Championship in Pom! They also placed 2nd in the nation in Hip Hop! They were competing in Varsity Intermediate Division II. Congratulations to the team members and coaches on their outstanding performance!!

320 S. Seminary St.

Madisonville, KY 42431