Welcome to the February edition of The HCS Spark!

After a wonderful response to our inaugural issue, we are thrilled to be back in your inbox. As we settle into the rhythm of the second semester, we are finding that despite the winter weather and schedule adjustments, the energy across our district has never been higher.

February is often the heart of the school year—a time for peak learning and to show off student progress. In this issue, we are excited to share how that hard work is paying off. You will read about our district achieving Gold Status in the Tennessee Healthier Schools Challenge, see incredible data regarding our fight against chronic absenteeism, and witness the heartwarming way our community supports all employees.

Whether we are planning for future budgets, refining our schedules, or celebrating daily victories in the classroom, our focus remains on our mission: Igniting a Lifelong Passion for Learning.

Thank you for your flexibility, your partnership, and your dedication to the students of Hawkins County. Let’s keep the momentum going!

We are thrilled to announce that Hawkins Elementary School has been recognized as a Model Professional Learning Community (PLC) at Work® by Solution Tree!

What does this mean for our students? This is one of the highest honors a school can receive for its commitment to student learning. It means Hawkins Elementary isn't just "teaching"—they are ensuring that every student is actually learning.

To earn this recognition, schools must demonstrate a sustained commitment to three big ideas:

A Focus on Learning: Teachers work together to clarify exactly what each student needs to learn and how to measure it.

A Collaborative Culture: Instead of working in isolation, our teachers work in teams to share strategies and ensure no student slips through the cracks.

Results-Oriented: The school uses real data to constantly improve instruction and intervention.

Essentially, this award confirms that Hawkins Elementary has built a system where educators are working together every single day to help every single child succeed.

Congratulations to the staff, students, and families of Hawkins Elementary for this prestigious achievement! You are modeling excellence for our entire district.

The January Board meeting was cancelled. The next board meeting will be February 5, 2026 at 6:00pm. 

Fueling Student Success: Thank You, Food Service Team! On January 8, Hawkins County Schools recognized our incredible Food Service staff for their hard work and dedication. We know that healthy meals are essential for academic success, and our team goes above and beyond to provide nutritious options in a welcoming environment. To all the staff members who arrive early, stay late, and pour their hearts into feeding our district—thank you for being such a vital part of the HCS family!

Principal Appreciation Day Calling all loyal subjects! 🏰 On Wednesday, February 5, we celebrate Principal Appreciation Day! Join us in honoring the brave "Knights" of our schools—our Principals, Assistant Principals, Associate Principals, and Deans of Students—who protect, lead, and champion our students every day. Be sure to send a note of thanks to your school's leaders for their chivalry and dedication to our kingdom! 🛡️⚔️

Director’s Update: Momentum, Planning, and Community Spirit

Navigating Winter Weather I want to start by acknowledging the schedule changes we have experienced over the past several weeks. I apologize for the disruptions; please know we strive to make informed decisions as early as possible to allow families and staff to adjust. We know that the "instructional crunch" of the school year is upon us, and we value every minute with our students.

To stay prepared, our teachers have created two days' worth of materials to facilitate virtual learning if needed, allowing for student-teacher interaction and meal service where safe. Thank you for your patience and diligence as we navigate the winter months.

Tackling Chronic Absenteeism Together I have been incredibly impressed with our schools' dedication to tackling the difficult issue of chronic absenteeism. "Chronic Absenteeism" is defined as a student missing 10% or more of the school year for any reason—including excused absences and doctor's notes. While we know sickness happens, missing that much time impacts learning.

Across the system, we are seeing absenteeism rates decrease dramatically! This is happening through dedicated parent outreach, relationship-building, and student competitions. I have encouraged our school leaders to "outlast" these challenges. We must have the endurance to see these efforts through to ensure we are serving students consistently.

School Spotlight: A special shout-out to Mooresburg Elementary School, which is currently sitting at an 8% overall Chronic Absenteeism rate. Two years ago, they faced a rate of over 28%. This is a testament to the hard work of the MES team and their families!

Celebrating Excellence: Gold Status! We are thrilled to announce that Hawkins County Schools received Gold Status Recognition in the Tennessee Healthier Schools Challenge! Recognized at the TSBA annual convention, HCS was one of only 36 districts honored for promoting student wellness and connecting health to academic success. Along with this honor, the district received $6,000 to continue our health and wellness efforts.

Planning for 2026-27: Schedules and Budgets Even as we focus on this semester, we are already planning for the next school year. We are currently holding "Scheduling Bootcamps" to plan for the upcoming year, specifically focusing on the proposed Early Release/Collaboration Wednesday plan. The goal is to build weekly collaboration time into the school day to reduce before/after-school meetings and better support instructional adjustments. You can access the District Early Release Plan FAQ here. The District Calendar Committee will meet jointly with the Early Release Committee on February 23.

Budget Development: We have kicked off the 2026-27 budget process. We are gathering priorities from the Board with a focus on facility improvements and are surveying surrounding districts to ensure our employee salaries remain competitive. We will hold our next budget workshop on March 10.

Preparing Students for the Future I was recently asked to join a new cohort working with ETSU, the State Department of Education, and regional industry partners. Our goal is to evaluate the specific training and development needs of our local industries. We are working to apply these outcomes directly to our HCS Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs to ensure our students graduate with Credentials of Value that lead to successful careers.

Let’s keep the momentum going!

Matt Hixson
Director of Schools