Welcome Back Faculty and Staff of HCMS!

Dear HCMS Faculty and Staff,

Today, we welcomed many students and families who are new to the Hancock County area. Our total student enrollment is growing by leaps and bounds.  I guess the secret is out now, that secret being that you are the best middle school faculty around hands down. Any student who attends this school is blessed to have a dedicated staff working on their behalf 24-7. You are awesome! I can't thank you enough for all that you do.

It is with great pleasure that I welcome you back as faculty and staff to a new school year of learning, growing, achieving and striving to reach new horizons. Wednesday, August 8th the halls of Hancock County Middle School were filled with excited faces, the smell of new clothes, a few nervous 6th grade parents, Axe cologne and a very grateful principal for the day going off without a hitch. There were just a few minor glitches of which you were most understanding. I appreciate your enthusiasm for the new year and your flexibility.

I am excited because there are so many possibilities for success and opportunities that await both you and our students this year. HCMS students attend a school with a tradition of excellence and academic achievement. We strive to produce life long learners, celebrate success at all levels of learning and promote effective citizenship. We promote the well-being of the whole child emotionally, socially, behaviorally and academically. This is all because of you! You make the difference in the lives of our students each day from bell to bell, in the hall ways, gym, cafeteria and outside as students are headed to the buses.

We are off to a great start because we all pull together to do what is in the best interest of our students. We name and claim our students. Each student is important. Our number one goal is student success. Success looks different for each student. Being able to start a new school year as principal has been a wonderful experience.

I appreciate the opportunity to serve you, the students, parents and community. I consider it a great honor and privilege to be able to serve as your principal, thanks for your trust and support. I look forward to a wonderful year. Together, we will aim high and dare to be great!

Sincerely,

Dr. Hatchett

Closing Day leads to Name and Claim

Greetings and Salutations Everyone,

It is with a great sense of pride that I submit to you my reflections as a part of closing day. I hope it will be the first of many closing day reflections at HCMS- it will be many as far as I am concerned, because I am proud to be associated with such a great school – a school with traditions and with traditional values, where we are not afraid to enforce the code of conduct, discuss the dress code, talk about respect for oneself and others, about commitment to the school, expectations, beliefs and above all about excellence in achievement. Our number one goal is student success. Our students are the reason that we are here.

We are a school which is above all a community, where individuals are nurtured and understood as individuals with all the circumstances of an individual situation, where relationships across the year are strong and where we foster the sense of a common identity. We are HCMS! We are Cougars! Not even a love for Cardinals or Wildcats  for that matter can interfere with our love and respect for our students and for one another. United we stand, divided we fall. We stand tall and proud.

Today is the culmination of a year of hard work; the actualization of goals attained and the acknowledgement of successes achieved. It has been a journey that started with tentative steps perhaps, but one that has taken us to remarkable heights. We have encountered some trials and tribulations along the way...soldiered on and come out the stronger for them. We have experienced exceptional moments, trying moments, magical moments and created memories that will be fondly remembered such as Mrs. Newton’s retirement party.

Mrs. Newton has been a part of our school for many years. Her contributions to teaching and learning are greatly appreciated. She will be missed. Jovonna Morris will also be leaving us this year. We know that she isn't retiring, she is trying to graduate from college. Jovonna is anxious to begin her educational career path. She has her eye on the prize. We wish both Jovonna and Mrs. Newton the best of luck in the future and in all of their endeavors. Speaking of graduations, Mrs. Foster graduates this Saturday from KWC. This is a major milestone in her education. Congratulations Mrs. Foster! We will be with you in spirit if not in person. We are very proud of you. We are glad that you are at HCMS. We hope that you will continue to think of HCMS as your home.

Henry Ford wisely said, "Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress and working together is success." Despite the numerous, unexpected changes this year in personnel we managed to work together with a common purpose in mind - to encourage and develop lifelong learning. Steadfast, resolute and determined we all kept together. Day-by-day we focused on our goal, keeping together and working together to promote student achievement across grade levels. We have faced some incredible and memorable moments. This year has been exceptional due to the constant change that has occurred. We are nothing if not flexible. The bottom line is doing what is best for kids. Whatever it takes!

 As we close out this school year, we begin planning for the next year. The theme for next year is “Name and Claim”. We will name our content area and claim it, get to know our students and claim them as our own. In other words, we will take responsibility for our own actions, get to know our students, foster relationships, set goals, continuously monitor and chart our student’s progress on MAP, Explore and KPREP. The data will speak for itself. In both PLC’s and team planning we will look closely at our data, so that we can learn what is working and where students need to improve. We will celebrate successes, encourage growth and make adjustments as needed.

Every decision that is made at HCMS shall always revolve around doing what is in the best interest of our students. Therefore, we will continue to aim high and dare to be great! You are the best! Thank you for your time and commitment to students, to the profession and to HCMS.

 Have a great summer! You deserve it:)

 Dr. Hatchett

KY Leadership Institute For School Principals

Hello Everyone,

I hope that all is well for you and your families. I am very blessed. I am writing to let you know that I recently received confirmation that I have been accepted into the 2012-2013 KY Leadership Institute for School Principals. Principals across the state competed for the opportunity to receive executive-level leadership training from the internationally acclaimed Center for Creative Leadership(CCL). I am part of two 28 member cohorts selected by the Kentucky Chamber Foundation Advisory Board. The KY Chamber has partnered with CCL to provide leadership training at the highest level to Kentucky principals involved in the cohorts of which I have been selected.

CCL is a top-ranked, global provider of leadership education and research. In the 2011 special report by the Financial Times, CCL was the only institution in the world to rank among the world’s Top 10 providers of executive education for the 10th consecutive year. I am truly appreciative of this incredible gift of time, money and talent. Businesses large and small have stepped up to support this program that has been called a “game changer” for Kentucky education.

It is indeed an honor and a priviledge to be afforded the opportunity to participate in the Leadership Institute for School Principals. I have much to be thankful for, including the valuable networking and educational opportunities which are high on my list for sustaining student achievement. I would like to thank Hancock County Schools, the Domtar Corporation, my family and friends who have supported and encouraged me. It is my goal to pursue knowledge and to facilitate continuous improvement, while striving to be the best that I can be, in order to help students and teachers to grow and to achieve at high levels. Have a great week! Remember to "Aim High and Dare to Be Great!"

Sincerely,

Dr. Hatchett

WELCOME

Dear Incoming Sixth Grade Families:

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome your child and your family to Hancock County Middle School. We are very excited to partner with you as your child makes this important transition into early adolescence and to middle school. Hancock County Middle School provides a setting for rigorous academic learning in a safe and caring environment. Students work with teams of teachers who have high expectations and their best interest at heart. Your child‘s classrooms are clustered together so that when most classroom changes are made, it is simply to step across the hall with the exception of allied arts classes.

As your student transitions to the middle school we believe that those first few weeks of school are critical for learning how to help him or her. Be sure to check your student’s planner for information on homework and upcoming projects and test. Parent portal is also available to you. This is a great way to stay on top of grades. Contact our guidance counselor, Mrs. McCaslin for the key to parent portal once school begins. You will be glad that you did.

Mark your calendars now. The first day of school is Wednesday August 8, 2012. We will kick off our new school year with the annual ― Back to School Bash on July 28, 2012. Save this date.I hope to see you at dances, ball games, PTO meetings, parent-teacher conferences and other school sponsored events. Please consider running for site-based council or volunteering to serve in other capacities. If you would like to be considered for the council, please contact me by next Wednesday March 28, 2012. We will have our elections next month after the PTO meeting. Remember, students are most successful when their parents are actively involved in their education and work in partnership with their teachers.

At HCMS, our number one goal is student success, academically, behaviorally, emotionally and socially. We challenge our students daily to “AIM HIGH AND DARE TO BE GREAT! We look forward to teaming with you to provide your child the best possible opportunity to succeed. My door is always open to you and your child. Please feel free to email me at anytime at diane.hatchett@hancock.kyschools.us. The middle school phone number is 270 927-6255.

Sincerely,

Dr. Diane Hatchett
HCMS Principal