Henry County

Henry County School System Newsletter

November 2024

Update from the Director

Dear HCSS Community,

As we reflect on the month of November, I want to take a moment to highlight the incredible work happening in our schools and the phenomenal school community we continue to build together.

November is a time of transition and celebration. Our fall athletics programs are in winding down, and we are so proud of the effort, teamwork, and sportsmanship our student-athletes display on the field, court, pool, and track. From thrilling games to personal milestones, these moments highlight the dedication of not only our students but also the coaches and staff who guide and inspire them. Thank you for the countless hours you spend mentoring and encouraging our students to succeed.

Academically, we are approaching the critical final stretch of the semester. This is a pivotal time for our students as they prepare for exams, complete projects, and strive to meet their goals. Your unwavering support and guidance are crucial as they navigate this busy period. Each day, you make a difference by fostering curiosity, resilience, and a love for learning.

Our students and staff are truly amazing, and I am constantly reminded of how fortunate we are to have such a dedicated, talented, and compassionate community. The opportunities we provide—whether through academics, athletics, arts, or extracurricular activities—are second to none, and it’s because of all of you. Together, we are creating an environment where every student can explore their passions and achieve their full potential.

As we continue through this season, let’s take time to celebrate our successes, support one another, and inspire our students to finish strong. Your commitment to excellence ensures that our schools remain a place where dreams take flight and possibilities are endless.

Thank you for all that you do.

Sincerely,

Leah Watkins, Director of Schools

Book Tasting
FRC
Pumpkins
PD
PLC
NHS
Elem Strings
Talents

PreK Education

Our incredible PreK Team spent time learning about problem-solving skills for young learners. A special thank you to Dr. Becky Cox for working with our educators during our November Professional Development Day! Their insights and strategies will greatly enrich the PreK classroom experiences.

PreK Team
Educational Assistants

Our PreK teachers couldn't make learning magic happen for young children without our dedicated educational assistants. We recognize their hard work and commitment to supporting our young learners every day.

Lakewood PreK
Gay Gore

Elementary Education

Mrs. Paschall
Ms. Peale
2nd Grade Knowledge

We want to celebrate the incredible progress our K-2nd grade students are making in their reading skills. Learning to read is no small feat, and we are proud of our students who are consistently demonstrating their growth.

Our dedicated teachers have been working tirelessly with high-quality instructional materials to ensure that each child receives the support they need.

Harrelson 2nd Grade

Family Literacy Nights and Book Tastings are just two examples of November events designed to foster a love for reading and provide engaging activities for families.

Remember, school doesn’t end at the final bell! Encourage your child to read at home and discuss the books they enjoy.

Moby Max

Middle Education

5th

Fifth graders dive into Shutting Out the Sky, uncovering how life in tenements gives meaning to the title!

3rd
Big or small, these third grades are squaring up their reasoning skills!

ESL

Silent partners is a great strategy to practice speaking English in a low-stress environment.

silent partner

MobyMax is a fun way to build foundational skills in reading, math, and language.

Emotions

First-grade newcomers practice emotion words as their weekly vocabulary.

9-12 Education

Students participate in the mini pep rally for football playoffs.

Pep Rally
Chemistry Lab

Mr. Anderson's Chemistry I students work with copper sulfate pentahydrate in lab.

Biology Lab

Biology II students learn through lab activities.

DECA Sports Marketing
FCCLA Fall Leadership
FFA Emerge & Cultivate

CTE and Work-Based Learning

November was busy for CTE and WBL students!

November RISE Award recipient; Katie in her role as FCCLA State Officer; the dream team at the International Livestock Expo; guest speakers in Intro to Business & Marketing; Grove's Career Day event; DECA at the Bridgestone for a Sports Marketing tour; DECA Regional contestants; FFA at the Cultivate and Emerge Leadership Camp; FCCLA at Fall Leadership

November RISE Award
K Millard
Livestock Nationals
Intro Business Speakers
Grove Career Fair
DECA Regionals

Fine Arts Spotlight

Mr. Humphresy

This month, we want to shine a spotlight on Kenneth Humphreys, our dedicated choral director, who tirelessly develops the vocal skills of our Henry County middle school students. The students are enthusiastically preparing for their Winter Concert, which will take place at First Baptist Church on December 17th at 6:30 PM. We are incredibly proud of their efforts and can’t wait to see their performances!

Senior All West
Junior High All West

On November 16th, we witnessed an inspiring showcase of talent as 38 Henry County students participated in the All West Honor Choir. Among them, 31 students from grades 10-12, 6 from 9th grade, and 1 exceptional 7th grader represented our community with pride.

To our Families and Community Supporters

As we enter this busy and exciting season, we want to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude for your continued support and partnership. Your involvement plays a vital role in the success of our students and our school community.

We are grateful for your ongoing support in making our schools a wonderful place for our children to learn and grow. Thank you for being an essential part of our school community!

Radium Girls

Outstanding performance of Radium Girls by the Henry County High School Thespians!

If you missed the HCHS production of Radium Girls-Broadway could not have done it any better! Can't wait for their next production!

We look forward to celebrating our students’ achievements in the coming weeks. Wishing you all a joyful season filled with happiness, cheer, and the sounds of music!

Please mark your calendars and support our talented musicians and vocalists during their winter concerts:

Harrelson Band/Strings

Date: December 10, 2024

Location: Harrelson Gym

Time: 6:00 PM

Lakewood Band/Strings

Date: December 12, 2024

Location: Lakewood Gym

Time: 6:00 PM

HCHS Band

Date: December 13, 2024

Location: HCHS Gym

Time: 6:30 PM

Henry Band/Strings

Date: December 16, 2024

Location: First Baptist Church

Time: 6:00 PM

HCHS/Middle School Choir

Date: December 17, 2024

Location: First Baptist Church

Time: 6:30 PM

We encourage everyone to attend these performances to show support for the hard work and dedication of our students!

Special Olympic Bowling 2024

lkwd
harrelson
henry
hchs
hchs student
henry school
lakewood

Kinderdarten through 12th grade students enjoyed a fun day of McDonalds and bowling.

Special Olympics Oath:

Let me Win!

But if I cannot win,

Let me be brave in the attempt!

School Nutrition

November for the School Nutrition team was filled with Thanksgiving preparations. Our team fed over 3,000 during the week of November 11th. This included 68 pans of homemade cornbread dressing, 78 turkey breasts, 582 pounds of sweet potatoes & green beans, 154 pounds of cranberry sauce and 3,420 yeast rolls.

Thanksgiving
Lakewood
Henry

The Henry crew is one of 5 teams that served Thanksgiving meals this month.

Harrelson

Mrs. Linda DeCaro at Harrelson made sure everyone had hot freshly buttered rolls.

Student eating

All students were able to invite their families and friends to join them for their Thanksgiving lunch!

BETA

BETA CLUB

Congratulations to the Harrelson Beta Club as they placed well at the State Beta Convention in Nashville. We are so proud of all the Hawks in all the events they competed in during the convention.

Harrelson Beta placed in the following competitions which qualifies these kids to go to nationals in Orlando Florida:

Darby Collins placed 4th in cake decorating.

Landon Merrell placed 2nd in 7th grade US History.

Alora Raus placed 2nd in Sculpture.

Carson Wyatt placed 3rd in Digitally Enhanced Photography.

Bowling

Special Olympics bowling was an excellent event for Harrelson students, not only because of how well they bowled, but also because they were joined by their Hawk Peer Buddies! Harrelson's team enjoyed every minute of the day!

Dorothy Noble Harrelson

DNH

Harrelson First Grade enjoyed a Thanksgiving feast as the three classes each brought food and came together to make a banquet in the hallway. Students learned all week about Thanksgiving, American traditions, being thankful, and then they celebrated in style!

Pilgrim

Second grade hosted one of many grade-level reading nights at Harrelson. Parents were invited to come in, participate in reading, understand the grade level reading objectives, have fun with their students, make crafts, understand what the reading program is all about, and understand how important they are in that process. The second grade event was a great success!

Kids
Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving Dinner at Henry School was a success with more than 500 students and guests gathering around the table to celebrate Thanksgiving!

Henry

Henry

Family Literacy Night was a success with over 50 guests who came to participate in family reading activities! Families played book bingo, children adopted "reading buddies," all enjoyed hot cocoa at "Starbooks," students read books and took AR tests and much, much more! Families received a punchcard as they entered and visited 8 stations throughout the school to collect punches for a prize.

Family literacy night
Pumpkin drop

STEAM had the best time with our first annual pumpkin drop! BPU and Future Visions Farms donated their time, bucket truck and pumpkins so our students could see their designs in action! K-2 learned about the life cycle of a pumpkin and then watched the mature pumpkins splat to the ground. Grades 3-8 designed and built contraptions to protect their pumpkins when dropped from 70 feet. 8th grade boys and both 4 grade classes walked away victorious! We are looking forward to next year already!

Balloon Parade

K-2 celebrated a cross-curricular literacy connection with Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade by Melissa Sweet with a balloon parade throughout Henry School! Each grade level used different materials to create familiar characters including Bluey and Clifford for the parade!

cham

This month, we celebrated our Teamwork Character Champions. Their collaborative spirit and dedication to supporting one another throughout the school building were recognized and honored. This recognition highlights the importance of working together and fostering a positive, cooperative environment within our school.

Lakewood

eagle
bus

Our PreK through 5th grade students were thrilled to have the opportunity to watch the play “Frederick” this month. The experience was not only enjoyable but also enriching, as it brought the beloved story to life and provided a wonderful cultural experience for our young learners.

Exciting iReady competitions are taking place throughout the building, encouraging students to excel in their learning. As part of these competitions, two students were recently rewarded with personal pizzas for passing the most iReady lessons within a specific time period. This recognition not only celebrates their hard work and dedication but also motivates others to strive for similar achievements.

irea

We had a fantastic Thanksgiving celebration throughout the building, featuring three days of meals with families, classroom feasts, and various activities centered around gratitude. The entire school community came together to share in the joy and spirit of the holiday, creating lasting memories and fostering a sense of togetherness.

thank
Gpac

E.W. Grove

Congratulations to the Top Sellers of the World’s Finest Chocolate Candy bars!

Grove

During our Thanksgiving meal on Thursday, students took some time to write about what they are thankful for this holiday season.

Thank
attend

We celebrated Donuts for Days. We have 84 students who had perfect attendance for the first nine weeks of school.

Students who have received all As on their report card were invited to an Apple Nacho bar at lunch! Students enjoyed Apples for As!

apples

HCHS

HCHS had a record number of students selected to and participate in the All Northwest Honor Choir in November. Congratulations!
HCHS
All NW Honor Choir

The HCHS Thespians recently completed their fall production of Radium Girls.

Theater

The HCHS Thespians recently completed their fall production of Radium Girls.

ACT 36

The recent induction of the National Honor Society welcomed many new members.

NHS