Henry County

Henry County School System Newsletter

October 2024

Update from the Director

Speech teams

HC Middle and High School Speech and Debate teams traveled to Portland High School. The High School team placed 8th out of 24 schools and the Middle School Team placed 2nd overall for their age level.

LW Awards day

Lakewood hosts AWARDS day.

Concessions

Our faculty and staff step up to support our students as basketball season begins.

8th grade night at HENRY

8th grade night at Henry Elementary

Dear HCSS Community,

As we embrace the cooler days of October and watch the vibrant colors of the season emerge, we reflect on an outstanding month of learning, growth, and achievement across our schools. This time of year brings with it exciting events, athletic competitions, and academic milestones that showcase the incredible dedication of our students and staff.

Our Middle School Basketball season has begun, promising a thrilling time ahead for our young athletes. The band continues to impress at competitions, demonstrating the talent and commitment of our musicians. Elementary students have delighted in visits to the pumpkin patch and book parades, adding a festive spirit to our fall celebrations.

On the sports front, both our girls' soccer and volleyball teams concluded their seasons with strong finishes, demonstrating resilience and teamwork. The Grove football team wrapped up the season on a high note, exemplifying determination and school pride.

This month also marks a critical time for academics, with mid-term exams and our Mastery View Assessments. These assessments offer valuable insights into student progress, helping us ensure that each learner is on track to reach their full potential.

Throughout October, we’ve witnessed the power of a school community that genuinely cares about its students, focusing on experiences that cultivate their unique gifts and talents. Let’s continue this momentum, driven by our shared commitment to nurturing every child’s growth. From our dedicated teachers and staff to our supportive administrators and families, together, we create an environment where our students can thrive.

We are HC Strong, and we’re grateful for each member of this remarkable community. Let’s continue to build on the successes of this month, united in our mission to empower our students and celebrate all they achieve.

With appreciation and pride,

Leah Watkins, Director of Schools

Patriot Playschool/PreK

How do preschoolers learn about Community Helpers? Invite them to school, of course! The Paris Fire Department was so much fun to have at our Patriot Play School and Pre-K classrooms! The students learned about fire prevention and safety, and they learned how a fireman stays safe when helping others.

photo collage of pk students with firemen
text with 5 hands surrounding it

Trick or Treating at Central Office

Doctor farmer pumpkin
Giving candy
5 pumpkins

Patriot Pre-K and Patriot Playschool Employee Daycare spent some time trick or treating with the HCBOE central office and FRC.

Cat and mice
Cop and robbers
Happy fall

Elementary Education

Every day in PreK is an exciting blend of learning and play! Collaborative work, academics, and social-emotional learning fill each day with valuable experiences for our little learners.

Alphabet Soup
Fine Motor Skills
Assistant Power
PreK Centers

Middle Education

The Good Egg
Lakewood Elementary 3rd graders are cracking us up at the book parade! 🥚📚 From The Good Egg to other beloved characters, our students are showing off their favorite reads in style. Literacy has never looked so fun!
Math class
Focused and engaged! 🎯 4th graders at Dorothy & Noble Harrelson School dive deep into their math lesson, learning new strategies and problem-solving with determination. 📓✏️ Building skills, one step at a time!
8 math
Henry Elementary 8th graders have set sail on a math adventure, solving problems and hunting for treasure—of knowledge, that is! 💻⚓ With pirate spirit and sharp minds, they're ready to conquer any math challenge! 📊☠️

9-12 Education

Hands on Chemistry lab activities enhance student learning.

Chem lab
Band at pep rally

Band students are exited for the homecoming pep rally.

Senior banner

Red Swarm recognizes seniors involved in football.

Senior Night at Patriot Stadium

Our HCHS seniors from football, cheer, Madrigals, and band were recognized at the home game against Ridgeway.

CTE and Work-Based Learning

It has been a fantastic month to be involved in CTE and Work-Based Learning!

Oct RISE Student
FFA Marketing Plan
OSHA
FFA Ag Sales
FCCLA Pink Out

Fine Arts

Bethel Competition

The Henry County Marching Patriot Band was named GRAND CHAMPION is a recent competition at Bethel University.

The band took honors in the large band division winning Outstanding Colorguard, Outstanding Percussion, Outstanding Drum Majors as well as 1st place honors. In the overall competition the Marching Patriots were named Overall Best in Percussion, Colorguard, Music, Visual Performance and named Overall Grand Champions!

Grand Champions
Henry Beginning Band Concert

Henry School parents filled the room for the 5th grade beginning band concert in October. Students proudly displayed their growth and achievements. From prepared pieces to solos and ensembles, it was clear how much they've learned and how far they've come!

HCMP Road Show

The 2024 Marching Patriots showcased their talent in their final performances at Lakewood, Harrelson, Henry, and Inman Middle School. The students at each school enjoyed the band and color guard. The HCMP demonstrated their dedication and exemplified the importance of music education in our schools.

High School Art

It's always exciting to see student art work displayed in the hallways at Henry County High School and our elementary schools. The embroidery work is an example of art happenings in Henry County Schools. Stay tuned for more exciting displays!

Special Education

partnership
Ms. Julia Hulbert's students at Lakewood Elementary working together to complete a task.
Ms. Breanna Hill's Class
Ms. Breanna Hill's Class at Harrelson School carved a pumpkin as they begin a fun science project.
breanna class
After carving the pumpkin, Ms. Breanna's students are taking daily data as they observe the stages of decomposion.
hchs truck
Ms. Carey Bell's Class interact with Paris Firefighters as they discuss how they stay safe when working in our community.
class pic

Athletics

Spooky baseball players

HCHS baseball players get together for their annual Halloween event

Bankrobbing ball players
Mario ball player
Middle School Soccer

Middle Grades

Henry County Middle School Girls' Soccer are District 1 Champions!

Hamlin All District soccer

Emma Hamlin, HCMS Lady Soccer player, was named to the All-Conference Team

Planes for Plus

Planes for PLUS- a fundraiser to support the work happening in our classrooms

High School

Grove

Grove Patriots finish their football season with a perfect 8-0 finish. Congratulations on winning the conference this season!

fdtyuy

Family Resource Center delivered books to Harrelson Kids Corner!

Red Ribbon Week at Harrelson School! 

During October 23-31st, Hawks are soaring high as we celebrate Red Ribbon Week, promoting a drug-free lifestyle! A series of fun activities and important discussions about making healthy choices. From red day, sunglassess day (as our future is too bright for drugs), to jersey’s (team drug-free) and crazy socks, the message is loud and clear! We choose a fun healthy lifestyle and clear mind!  

Hawks are  committed to being healthy, strong, and drug-free! Together, we can make a difference.


REd

Dorothy Noble Harrelson

October has been a great time at Harrelson!

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asdf

First grade Hawks exceed expectations academically and civically as they go above and beyond with good social choices AND choosing to read, read, read! A few of Ms. Julie’s first graders received a Hawk Highlight for being responsible. They also earned a coupon to Nonni’s N.Y. Pizzeria for reading daily!

Harrelson Best Buddies created costumes for their Mentors! Fun activity for all and some creative characters!

Perfect attendance

Students who did not miss a minute of school in September were recognized with a certificate and a photo with their teacher. Pictured are second grade students in Ms. Lana's class who had no early check outs, no late check ins, and no absences in September!

Henry

October was full of fun! Band performances, Fall Carnival, Fall Break, the start of basketball season, car wash fundraisers, K-2 field trip to the pumpkin patch, 7th and 8th grade university visits, and so much more!

Mrs. Mendi's kindergarten class used watercolors to paint a Halloween picture. They learned how to correctly use a paint brush and how to mix colors. They loved wearing the artist smocks and being free to express themselves in an artistic way!

Students painting
PreK with a firetruck

Henry Pre-K has special visitors on Thursday. Our local Henry Volunteer fire fighters brought two of their truck to teach us about fire safety. They showed us some of their special life saving equipment, and taught us that we don't need to be scared of them when they are dressed in their fire gear. Each student got to sit in the trucks, and spray the fire hose! Lots of learning and fun was going on! Our high school student from Work Based Learning, Ms. Serenity, even got to join us for the fun!

5th Grade Band Demonstration Performance

Ms. Kayla Price hosted our first ever 5th Grade Band Demonstration Performance Concert with a huge turnout of parents and guests! Our Henry School Cafeteria was filled as our 5th Grade musicians played different notes, exercises, and songs they have learned in band class. Many students performed solos or duets!

Ms. Katie Coffield's first grade class display their books for the parade.

Lakewood

This month, we hosted our annual Book Character Parade, and it was a huge success! PreK through 3rd-grade students and teachers enthusiastically dressed up as their favorite book characters, bringing stories to life with creative and colorful costumes. Over 300 parents and 4th-8th grade students joined the fun as spectators, lining up to watch the parade and cheer on the younger students as they proudly showcased their literary inspirations. It was a delightful event that celebrated a love for reading and sparked the imagination of all who attended!

character

This month, we proudly recognized our Character Champions for their outstanding kindness and positive impact on our school community. These students were celebrated for consistently demonstrating kindness and compassion toward their peers and teachers.

The Grandparents' Breakfast was a huge success! A special shout-out to Ms. Tiffany Latta, Ms. Kathy McDougal, and the amazing cafeteria staff for preparing such a delicious breakfast for over 900 students and grandparents. Their hard work made the event truly memorable for everyone!

caf

Our Kindergarteners have been thriving and learning for 50 amazing days! To celebrate this exciting milestone, they engaged in activities that reinforced their counting skills by reaching all the way to 50. They also enjoyed creating and eating delicious snacks, adding a tasty twist to their learning. The day was full of joy and celebration as they marked 50 days of growth, exploration, and fun-filled learning!

k
PE

E.W. Grove

Before Fall Break 175 students were rewarded with a popcorn break! These students showed growth or scored at meets/exceeds projections on the MVPA benchmark assessments for English, Algebra and/or Biology!!

popcorn

Coach Lassiter finished up volley sports with tournament challenges: Nitro Ball Champions: 1st Period:  Maddie Page, Cooper Carver3rd Period:  Chandler Stout, Brody Wofford Table Tennis Champion:1st Period:  Jackson Kamperman 3rd Period:  Zoey Bennett Pickleball Champion: 1st Period:  Layne McKinley 3rd Period:  Chandler Stout Badminton Champions: 1st Period:  Sevens Clendenin, Layne McKinley 3rd Period:  Chandler Stout, Brody Wofford Volleyball Champions: 1st Period:  Layne McKinley, Sevens Clendenin, Catherine Palmer, Cooper Carver, Madilyn Townsend 3rd Period:  Tripp Houston, Kolby Thompson, Connor Moore, Presley Evans, Mayleigh McDougal, Trever Weatherford

PE
pink

FCCLA is honoring Breast Cancer Awareness Month by hosting several themed days throughout October, encouraging everyone to wear pink and participate in activities that promote awareness.

Pink 2

On Thursday night, Grove celebrated a big win in the 9th-grade Football Championship against Munford, finishing strong at 35-18. To show our support, the school lined the halls cheering the players as they walked to the bus.

game
cheer

HCHS

Homecoming Royalty

Homecoming

Mrs. Dicus-Green's Diagnostic Therapeutic students complete a Venipuncture Lab, showcasing their ability to follow proper procedures to draw blood.

Venipuncture Lab

Congratulations to the Henry County Marching Patriots for their clean sweep of awards at their last competition of the season!

Band

Military Appreciation Night was held at the home football game against Beech. On that night, a military color guard was presented followed by four HCHS Seniors completing the Military Oath of Enlistment.

Red Swarm Military Night

SAFETY in HCSS

HCSS participates in a county-wide/multi-agency safety exercise involving a simulation of a school bus emergency.

Bus simulation
Earthquake

Grove students participate in the annual earthquake drill.

ESL

October ESL

First graders build letter/sound fluency with partnered blending practice.

October ESL Pic

Newcomer students practice basic English vocabulary every day.

School Nutrition

The School Nutrition department has introduced some new ways to increase breakfast participation.

A FUEL Up Grant from the National Dairy Alliance awarded Henry County High School Cafeteria two mobile meal carts valued at $5,000 each. These carts are utilized during second chance breakfast in the hallways. This gives students an opportunity to grab breakfast after their first block class.

Mobile Meal Cart
Fruit
Fruit & Yogurt Parfait

Vision and Mission

Mission vision
Excellence