January HCS Connections Newsletter

Hopkins County students are required to attend school in their assigned attendance school zone. Parents may visit the district website to determine the school zone to which their address belongs.

Students wanting to attend outside of their assigned school zone may only do so if they are approved through a Special Permission Transfer request during the specified window.

The district will accept Special Permission Transfer requests for schools operating at less than 90% student capacity. Families do not have to submit a new application for special permission students if their student has previously received special permission to attend the same school. A new application will be needed if the student will be transitioning to a new school. Please note that information on attendance, grades and behavior must be attached to the application. Parents may access this information through the Parent Portal. 

Applications may be submitted for the following schools: Browning Springs Middle School, Grapevine Elementary School, Hanson Elementary School, Hopkins County Central High School, James Madison Middle School, Jesse Stuart Elementary School, Pride Elementary School, South Hopkins Middle School, and West Hopkins School. 

Applications for schools with availability will only be accepted Feb. 3 through April 1, 2025. The form will be available after 8 a.m. on Feb. 3 on the district website. Applications may also be picked up at the Board of Education’s Central Office starting on that date. Completed applications must be mailed or hand delivered to the Central Office; applications will not be accepted at the school level or through email.

Requests will be processed in the order received by the Central Office Department of Pupil Personnel, 320 S. Seminary St., Madisonville. Applications will be reviewed by the DPP Office and the requested school on an individual basis. Approval or denial letters will be mailed by May 1. For more information, contact HCS DPP at 270-825-6000.

Two Hopkins County Schools’ employees will have their artwork on display at Glema Mahr Center for the Arts.

The Anne P. Baker Gallery presents “Risk: The Art of David Gilkey, Jade Niehaus, and Julie Oakley,” an eclectic exhibit on display through February 21, 2025. 

Gilkey is a guidance counselor and Oakley is an art teacher, both at Hopkins County Central High School.

“Risk can be both a powerful catalyst and a paralyzing restraint,” reads the artists’ statement. “This collection explores the inherent risks of artist and viewer, but also the delicate boundary between control and surrender, asking how far we can push ourselves, our mediums, and our interpretations of the art before the line of comfort and uncertainty blurs.

“Each piece in ‘Risk’ is an invitation,” the statement continues. “Some are literal invitations to transition from part of the audience to part of the process. Some are invitations to view the artist’s vulnerability through raw and unpolished processes. Others are invitations to bold experimentation for experimentation’s sake regardless of reception. This body of work challenges both the creator and the viewer to lean into discomfort, to question, and to find meaning.”

The Anne P. Baker Gallery is located inside the Glema Mahr Center for the Arts on the campus of Madisonville Community College. The gallery is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with extended hours on Glema Center event days. Gallery admission is free. For more information regarding this exhibit visit GlemaCenter.org or contact Toby Roberts at 270-821-2787 or Toby.Roberts@kctcs.edu.

Rhianwen Lowbridge, a teacher at West Broadway Elementary School, received the Remember Your Why Award at the Jan. 27 Board of Education meeting. She is an exceptional educator who invests in the well-being of her students. “Her love, acceptance, and dedication to her students are qualities that are rare and invaluable in an educator,” said a parent of one of her students. “She has a unique ability to see the true potential in each of her students and nurture it, helping them grow and thrive in ways that are both remarkable and heartwarming.” The parent shared this as the family prepared to relocate and the student struggled to come to terms with leaving his beloved teacher. “This speaks volumes about the impact Ms. Lowbridge has had on his life and the bond they have formed,” the parent said. Her outstanding contributions to her students and the community make her an asset to West Broadway and Hopkins County Schools.

In explaining her “Why,” Lowbridge said, “The value of education and a love of learning were both instilled in me at a young age, and I strive to cultivate a classroom environment that encourages my students to be lifelong learners. My ‘why’ as an educator is to ensure that each and every one of my students know that I see and recognize their diverse talents and gifts, that I value each of them for their unique contributions to our school’s community, and that I am dedicated to their success and will always be there to support them both now and in the future.”

Becoming a Lifelong Learner was the focus of the January 17 district-wide Future Ready Friday activities! Students worked together on a variety of projects, including researching well-known individuals who overcame obstacles on their way to success. Future Ready Fridays empower students to embrace the characteristics of being a Future Ready Graduate.

Eighth-graders at James Madison Middle School examined the life, leadership abilities, and contributions of a variety of historical figures from the American Revolution for a special project earlier this month.

The American Revolutionary War Museum included visits from other students as well as guests from the community who helped assess student work.

“The purpose of this activity was to give the students the opportunity to learn about the history and impact that various people had on the Revolutionary War,” said 8th grade social studies teacher Amanda Bearden. “Often students just learn about George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and other ‘founding fathers,’ but I wanted the kids to see that people from all different backgrounds played a role in the Revolution.”

James Madison Middle School’s 8th grade girls basketball team was honored by the Board of Education during the January 13 meeting. The team won the WKAC championship! 

The South Hopkins Middle School dance team was recognized January 13 during the Board of Education meeting. The Dance Cats captured the WKAC championship! 

320 S. Seminary St.

Madisonville, KY 42431