Connections Newsletter - August 2026

Every day your child is in school matters - strong attendance builds strong futures.

Our 2026-27 attendance theme is EVERY DAY COUNTS, and we're excited to begin the year with our families and students.

Regular school attendance gives children the opportunity to learn, build relationships, participate in activities and stay connected to their school community.

Even missing a few days can add up over time. That's why we're encouraging families to make school attendance a priority from the very first day. 

Our goal is simple: Help every student to be in school, on time and ready to learn every day.

Thank you for partnering with us to make EVERY DAY COUNT!

Kentucky High Attendance Day is September 9th!

Families interested in requesting Thanksgiving and/or Christmas assistance through Hopkins County Schools Family Resource and Youth Services Centers are required to attend a workshop.

Families must complete one workshop for each holiday assistance program requested.

For example:

Before completing the Google Form, please contact the Family Resource or Youth Services Center Coordinator at each school your student(s) attend.

Several workshop dates and times are available between August and November.

The deadline to complete the Google Form is Friday, October 30, 2026, at 3:00 PM.

Community members recently took part in a roundtable discussion with Hopkins County Schools leadership that covered chronic absenteeism, school attendance, and efforts to better support students and families.

The session, “Addressing Attendance Barriers,” helped participants understand chronic absenteeism and the barriers impacting student attendance.

Major takeaways include the following:

Thanks to everyone who participated! We appreciate the community’s shared commitment to working together to reduce chronic absenteeism in Hopkins County. 

Trauma-informed care is an approach schools use to make sure students feel safe, supported, connected and ready to learn. 

It does not mean that we assume every child has experienced trauma. Instead, it means our schools recognize that children sometimes face difficult experiences that can affect how they feel, behave and learn.

Our goal is simple: Every child should have a trusted adult, feel like they belong and know where to turn when they need help. In Hopkins County Schools, every student within our district will be assigned to at least one trusted adult by Fall Break!

Together, schools, families and our community can help children feel safe, supported and ready to succeed.

The 2025-2026 Hopkins County Schools Employees of the Year were honored this morning during the annual Team Hopkins Day event at Madisonville North Hopkins High School. Congratulations to these outstanding individuals!

Hopkins County Schools staff came together August 5 for the annual Team Hopkins Day. The event, held at Madisonville North Hopkins, featured plenty of smiles and friendly greetings! 

Staff visited informational tables set up by community organizations, and brought in donations for HCS Family Resource Youth Services Centers. During remarks in the gym, Superintendent Dr. Damon Fleming urged staff members to strive to “be a difference maker” for our students. 

Thanks go out to the vendors, the JROTC from Hopkins County Central for Presenting the Colors, and the MNHHS Maroon Band for playing the National Anthem.

Team Hopkins Teacher Together offered learning opportunities prior to the start of school for teachers throughout the district! The annual professional development event included sessions targeted for specific content areas, grade level and position, and teaching strategies. It was a  great day of learning together!

Kacey Evans, guidance counselor at Grapevine Elementary School, was honored with the Great Futures Award at the July 13 Board of Education meeting. She demonstrates excellence in Innovation & Creativity, Leadership & Collaboration, Service & Dedication, and having an “Opportunity Creator, Not a Barrier Builder” Mindset. 

Mrs. Evans pours her heart into Grapevine students every single day, but one of the most powerful examples of her impact has been her leadership involving the Amazing Shake. She took on this initiative a few years ago, giving elementary students the opportunity to grow in confidence, leadership, and character. It also helped unite the elementary schools around a positive initiative.

She builds genuine relationships with students and staff, supports students through challenges, and celebrates their growth every step of the way. Her passion for helping students succeed is evident in everything she does.

Allison Starks, a math teacher at Hopkins County Central High School, was honored with the Great Futures Award during the July 13 Board of Education meeting. She demonstrates excellence in Student-Centered Impact, Leadership & Collaboration, and Service & Dedication.

Mrs. Starks has played a huge role in two initiatives at HCCHS. She started the school’s sports media days that are now held each season, inviting the media to interview students for a local radio show and an online outlet. 

She also started the Kindness Club, which sponsors student activities to share kindness with each other and with staff members. A recent activity for Teacher Appreciation Week involved working with a student to create a video highlighting these activities. You can feel the impact this effort has had on staff because the kindness notes are all over teacher walls and doors and have been showcased on social media.

We want to send out a huge “thank you” to our community partners! Clark Associates Inc. and Groves Electrical Services recently donated school supplies for students, and the Global Leadership Summit sponsored by First United Bank contributed hygiene bags. The Family Resource Youth Services Centers will distribute these items to HCS students!

Local law enforcement sponsored a “Cram the Cruiser” event to collect donations to help students start the year off right! HCS Family Resource Youth Services Center coordinators will help distribute the items. Thanks to Madisonville Police Department, Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office, everyone who organized and volunteered for this event, and those who contributed!

The Civic Hands, Community Hearts Annual Banquet will be held on Thursday, Sept. 10, from 6-7:30 p.m. The fundraising banquet will include a live painter, guest speaker, and great food.

RSVP at 270-821-3650 or at the Google form at this link.

The event will support the Hopkins County 4-H Civic Club, which is a unique partnership between Hopkins County Schools and UK Extension. Donations will be collected and a live painting will be auctioned.

Rylan Bowman, a 5th grader at Jesse Stuart Elementary, is making a return to the final round of the Kentucky “I Voted” Sticker Contest! 

Her design is among eight selected as finalists in the contest sponsored by the Kentucky Secretary of State’s Office. Those attending the Kentucky State Fair can cast their vote for Rylan’s design at the Kentucky Secretary of State’s booth. The winning design will be placed on stickers that will be sent to interested county clerks for the November General Election.

This is the third consecutive year that a Jesse Stuart student has made it to the finals of the contest – and that’s every year the contest has been held! If you’re going to the State Fair, please vote for Rylan’s design! Voting continues until August 30.

Two Madisonville North Hopkins teachers have been honored by the Kentucky Association of Agricultural Educators. 

Annagrace Sholar, who is also an FFA advisor, has been named the 2026 Teachers Turn the Key Award recipient. This award recognizes early-career agriculture teachers who demonstrate exceptional promise in the classroom, their FFA chapter, and the community. Sara Thakur has been named the 2026 Kentucky Outstanding Early Career Agriculture Teacher. This honor is awarded annually to an agriculture teacher in the state who has demonstrated exceptional skill, innovation, and dedication early in their career.

Sholar, known for her applied, project-based teaching style, engages students through real-world experiences such as managing hydroponic systems, designing greenhouse production projects, and constructing a student-built mini golf course in sports turf. These projects emphasize accountability, problem-solving, and practical skill development.

Her students also gain valuable experiential learning through projects like managing a cut flower garden, developing floral products for sale, and participating in horticulture therapy initiatives that serve local community members. These experiences help students build confidence, responsibility, and a connection between classroom learning and real-world application.

Sholar has led students to success at both the state and national levels, with the chapter earning a National FFA 3-Star rating and multiple premier chapter awards in Kentucky. She also emphasizes leadership development through student involvement in FFA activities, contests, and service opportunities.

Thakur emphasizes hands-on, experiential learning in her classroom, providing students with opportunities to apply their knowledge through labs, projects, and real-world experiences. From animal science dissections and veterinary labs to agribusiness simulations and genetics projects, Thakur’s instruction engages students and helps them build practical skills for future success.

Under her leadership, students have achieved success across a wide range of Career and Leadership Development Events, including multiple state-placing teams and individual awards. Thakur is deeply committed to expanding opportunities for her students beyond the classroom. She has helped students secure Supervised Agricultural Experience grants, develop agribusinesses, and gain valuable work-based learning experiences through internships and community partnerships. Thakur will now be considered for national recognition through the National Association of Agricultural Educators.

The HCS students who participated in the 2026 Kentucky Governor’s Scholars Program were honored at the Board of Education meeting on August 17! Students recognized were Ezra Scott Bridgman, Bentley Crick Duncan, Duncan Thomas Eveland, Rhett Joseph Fulkerson, Claire A’Dale Gunkel, Hadley Campbell Hodges, Ella Renee Logsdon, Kylee Alexandria Martin, Molly Kathryn Spencer, and Macy Marie Wright, all of Madisonville North Hopkins, and Riley Katherine Gallimore, Maria Rose Kerby, Emma Kay Maxberry, and Josie Ryan Walker, all of Hopkins County Central. 

The Governor’s Scholars Program is a summer residential program for outstanding high school students in Kentucky who are rising seniors. The mission of GSP is to enhance Kentucky’s next generation of civic and economic leaders.

Innovative students who were chosen to participate in the 2026 Kentucky Governor’s School for Entrepreneurs were recognized at the Board of Education meeting on August 17. Students honored were Westyn Sterett Miles, Brayden Will Robertson, and Nash Anderson Tapp, all of Madisonville North Hopkins High School. 

The mission of GSE is to identify, inspire, and empower Kentucky’s future innovators.

Lily Izabella Blades and Anne Pham of Madisonville North Hopkins were honored on August 17 at the Board of Education meeting. These talented students were selected to participate in the Governor’s School for the Arts this past summer. 

GSA offers a faculty of professional artists and educators who guide more than 500 young artists through three weeks of intense arts instruction during this residential program.

Ashlyn Taylor Holland of Madisonville North Hopkins HS was honored at the Board of Education meeting on Monday. She was selected for the Commonwealth Honors Academy at Murray State University this past summer. 

CHA is a three-week academic enrichment experience held every June at Murray State University. Students collaborate with other honor students and faculty in a campus living-learning environment.

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