Meeting of the Haywood

County Board of Education on

Monday, November 4, 2024 at 11:30 a.m.

This meeting will be to discuss

resolution to approve the end date on

submission of property proposals.

The post Public Notice – Meeting of the HaywoodCounty Board appeared first on Haywood County Schools.

The post HCS Update appeared first on Haywood County Schools.

There are multiple levels of safety within a school – feeling safe emotionally, feeling safe to make a mistake in class and then learn from that mistake, and, most importantly, feeling physically safe in a learning environment.  

Often, the awareness of “feeling safe” isn’t something that is at the forefront of most people’s minds; it’s the awareness of potential danger that can cause stress and be a hindrance to learning. The best barometer of students feeling safe in their school is when the students aren’t thinking about the issue of safety at all; they are simply allowed to be kids and learn to the best of their abilities.  

In Haywood County Schools, a School Resource Officer (SRO) is placed on every campus to ensure the physical safety of all students.  SRO’s are trained police officers who have graduated from The Tennessee Law Enforcement Academy and have previous experience as a law enforcement officer.  

The job of an SRO requires a specialized skill set that sets them apart from police officers who are on patrol within a community.  SRO’s must have the ability to build relationships with students, engage with teachers, and, above all, help protect everyone in the school building.

At Haywood Elementary School, staff and students can rest assured knowing that SRO Charlie Miller is on campus and making sure the school is safe and secure at all times.

Charlie is a twenty year law enforcement veteran.  He began his career as a Sheriff’s Deputy in the Haywood County Sheriff’s Department.  After twelve years there, he transferred to the Brownsville Police Department where he’s spent the last five years as an SRO in the Haywood County School System.

“I’ve been at HES for five years,” he said. “I was a deputy sheriff from 2002-2014. I’ve been with BPD from 2014 until now.”

Transitioning from an officer on patrol to an officer stationed in a school environment has been a welcome change for Charlie.  The police work is completely different, and Charlie knows that the work done in schools is very important in regards to building community relationships. He also really enjoys the hugs and high-fives he gets on a daily basis from the kids he sees in the halls and the cafeteria.

“Being an SRO is quite different from being on the streets.  On the streets, you deal with the same people all the time and get some negative talk. It seems like people don’t like us until they need us,” he reflected. “But at HES, I get hugs everyday; I love it.  It just brightens my day and makes me feel good when I come to work.”

In communities like Brownsville, it’s commonplace for staff in the elementary school to see former students at Wal-Mart or the Burger Basket or another local establishment long after those students have left. Charlie says that’s something he really enjoys about his job as well as how much it can help community relationships.

“When I work with kids at this age, I can see them when they’re older and they remember me.  I hope to make a difference with them early and let them know that policemen and policewomen are here to help them,” Charlie said. “That’ll let me know that I’m doing my job.”

The job of an SRO is multi-faceted – providing protection, relationship building, hall patrol, etc.  But when the job is boiled down to its most essential ingredient, the job of an SRO is to make sure everyone on campus – students and staff – are safe at all times.

There are safety measures in place at HES that Charlie makes sure are always in order.  He patrols the building multiple times a day looking for doors that are unlocked or ajar. He greets parents and students in the carpool line before and after school. He’s present in the cafeteria during lunch shifts.  He monitors the playground during recess.

“What I normally do is check my school at least five times a day.  I walk around the school and check the doors then I come in and check the doors from the inside,” he said. “I tell students all the time that unless there’s a teacher they know at the door or me at the door, do not open the door.  I think it’s great to have officers on every campus.  Teachers and students know the school is safe.  I think we probably need two on every campus, honestly.”

One aspect of school safety that is important and necessary is the intruder drill that takes place on every campus.  Intruder drills are required on every campus at least once a year.  A few weeks ago, HES held their intruder drill, and Charlie helped other members of law enforcement carry it out.  He also made sure everyone knew their responsibilities.

“We had an intruder drill a few weeks ago that went really well.  It helps our teachers a lot to practice those procedures in case something happens,” he explained. “Most of the time, intruders are looking for easy targets and easy access.  If a door’s locked to a classroom, they’ll just move on to the next one.  That’s why keeping those doors locked inside is so important.”

An unwanted intruder in a school building is a worst-case scenario but it’s a scenario that must be practiced in order to be prepared for it. The drill is a way to make sure everyone in the school knows what to do and when to do it.

The long term goal for Officer Miller is to continue to build relationships with the students in his building and keep that connection even after those students leave.  He wants to use those relationships to connect himself and the department to the community – to show them that he’s here to help them even after their students leave HES.

“Even though I work in the school, I still interact with the community because I’m working with their children.  I’ve had parents come up and say hello to me in the carpool line and thank me for what I’m doing.  It shows the community that we’re not out here just writing tickets or taking people to jail.  We care about the community, too, and we care about the kids.” 

The post Keeping HES Safe appeared first on Haywood County Schools.

There are many qualities that are necessary to be a successful person – a strong work ethic, integrity, discipline, and persistence to name a few.  At the top of that list, however, could be the ability to adapt and adjust to any situation.  Without skills of adaptation, the slightest change in routine or schedule could limit a person’s potential for success.  Adjusting to change is not an easy task, and one that can overwhelm a lot of people.

Haywood Tomcat wide receiver Jamari Person knows all about adjustments and had to adjust to a significant change at a very important period in his life.

When Jamari was in the eighth grade, he and his mom moved to Brownsville to be closer to family.  For most students, the middle school years are tough enough without having to move to a new school and a new town, but Jamari was tasked with having to adapt to a new city, a new school, and new classmates as a teenager.  And, like he does on the football field every Friday night, he wove his way through some initial obstacles to find himself set up for success.

As a young boy in Nashville, Jamari did what a lot of young, energetic kids do: play backyard football.  For Jamari, though, he had someone a little older and a little bigger who taught him lessons in the School of Hard Knocks.

“I started playing football in the backyard as a kid.  My older brother taught me everything – playing ball with me, roughing me up,” Jamari recalled, laughing.  “I always had a ball in my hand since I was a baby. I always knew I’d be into sports, and had a lot of energy growing up.”

Like most young athletes, Jamari’s games in the backyard evolved to a more organized structure in youth leagues.  And, like most athletes of Jamari’s caliber, the coaches started positioning him in places where the ball would be in his hands…but not until after a short stint on the defensive side of the ball.

“When I was younger, I played every position.  I started off as a defensive end, but one day after practice I was running around and making guys miss and my coaches started putting me on offense – running back, quarterback, receiver,” he recalled.

At some point, however, Jamari’s playing days in the youth leagues ended, and when he and his mom moved to Brownsville, Jamari focused on basketball.  

For several years, Jamari didn’t set foot on a football field, but those backyard games still seemed to be calling his name.  And, like those early years in Nashville with his brother playing ball with him and teaching him those lessons of athletics, Jamari was once again playing pickup football with high-caliber athletes but this time in Brownsville. 

“I always had a love for football; it never left.  I used to go out and play pickup football games in the neighborhood in Brownsville.  I was going up against guys like Jaylen Lewis who are playing Division I football right now.  The guys I was playing with kept encouraging me to come play football, so I finally did,” he said.

The Haywood Tomcat football program isn’t your run-of-the-mill program.  The Tomcats aren’t a team who would ever be satisfied with a 6-4 season or simply earning a spot in the play-offs.  Coach Chris Smith and his staff have built a program in Haywood County that rarely loses and always makes a deep run in the postseason.  Even for an athlete of Jamari’s capability, being dropped into a successful football program like Haywood County would be a huge adjustment…but, of course, Jamari had experience in adapting and adjusting to challenging situations.

Jamari saw how Tomcat players were finding success on the field and in the classroom and parlaying that success into collegiate careers in Division I football at schools like Arkansas, Tennessee, and Florida State.  Jamari knew it would take work, but he also trusted the coaching staff and his own ability to find success.

“I saw how Coach Chris Smith and Coach (Logan) Rebstock were sending players to college, and I always wanted to go to college.  I know that if I’m going to go to college, it’ll have to be for free, so I came back to the sport last year, which was my junior year,” Jamari recalled.  “It definitely took some time to get used to playing football again.  For the first few weeks and months, they all kept calling me ‘the basketball guy’.  I had to get used to the physicality, but I was prepared for it.  I knew what I was walking into.”

After getting the cobwebs knocked out and dusting himself off after some big hits, Jamari was ready to fully commit to whatever was ahead for him on the field. He knew the learning curve would be steep, but he also knew that his ability and the advice of his coaches would take care of any peripheral concerns he might have about coming back to a game that he had always loved.

“I bought in on the first day.  I trusted my coaches completely because I saw what they did with Darrion Williamson and Jaylen Lewis. This program has produced some big-time players who have gone on to play college ball, so I listened to everything the coaches told me to do and I’ve tried my best to do it,” he said.  “I knew I could make plays, so that’s what I tried to do – just went to practice everyday and didn’t say much and let my play on the field speak for itself.”

After a successful junior year where Jamari helped the Tomcats to an undefeated regular season, he currently finds himself halfway through his senior season where the Tomcats are once again undefeated.  He looks back at his growth over the last year and realizes that he has learned so much more about the game and how crucial the mental aspect of playing football is if success is to be attained on the field.

“I feel like I’m a quick learner, but I also know I’m still in the early stages of learning the game.  I feel like I’ve grown a lot since this time last year, but I know I’ve got a long way to go,” he said. “I’ve learned how to read a defense pre-snap; I’ve learned how to get off a defender if they’re pressing me on the line of scrimmage.  I’ve learned a lot more about the mental aspect of the game this year.”

Along with his growth as a wide receiver, Jamari is also getting more attention from big colleges.  Along with that attention from colleges, though, he’s also garnering a lot more attention from opposing defenses.

“Last year, Jaylen Lewis got a lot of attention from defenses, so I saw a lot of one-on-one coverage.  This year, though, I’m seeing a lot of off-man or off-doubling.  If they’re (the defense) down pressing, I know they’ll double over the top,” he said.

Once again, Jamari is having to adjust, but this time it’s not adjusting to a new town or adjusting to the physicality of football.  Now, it’s about adjusting to how defenses play coverage against him.  Like everything else for Jamari, he’s found a way to adapt to this challenge – by studying some of the great players who play the same position he does.

“I loved watching the receivers from Ohio State – Garret Wilson, Chris Olave, Marvin Harrison, Jr.  Those guys are so smooth,” he said.  “My favorite receiver, though, has always been Odell Beckham Jr.  Ever since he was at LSU, I’ve loved watching him play.”

One player, however, stands out to Jamari when it comes to diving deep into the fundamentals of the position.

“The guy I study the most is Davante Adams.  I feel he’s a lot like me – good size, good hands. He’s not the fastest in the league, but he knows how to get open and make plays.  I really study him a lot,” Jamari said.  “Route running is so important.  I’m trying to show colleges that I’m a great route runner even though I’m a bigger receiver.”

While football can often be unfairly viewed as a sport that is built more on physical brutality and less on gracefulness, the best players in the game are great at both.  Jamari is learning that getting open on the field requires much more than speed and strength; it also requires grace and deception.

“Foot work is so important when it comes to route running and getting open. Defensive backs are getting better and better.  They’re getting more physical and disrupting timing a lot more, so a receiver has to use their feet to deceive that DB and I’ve got to make them think I’m running one direction when I’m really about to do the opposite,” he said. “You can’t just be able to run past a guy now.”

The position of wide receiver is also wholly dependent on another position on the field: quarterback.  A receiver can be the fastest on the field, have the quickest feet, and the most explosive burst off the line of scrimmage, but if he doesn’t have a quarterback who can throw him the ball, all of that skill and ability is for nothing.  Luckily for Jamari, he has a quarterback in Cordero Walker who can get him the ball.  Jamari also recognizes the importance of the relationship off the field.

“Cordero and I worked together a lot during the off-season because we knew this year was going to be a big year.  We’ve been building that chemistry and we worked on making some checks at the line of scrimmage,” he said.

For a quarterback and receiver operating at the highest level, there are often many unspoken communications throughout a game – a hand motion this way, a head nod that way.  There could be eye contact between the two players that instantly communicates a message that no one else sees.  Cordero and Jamari had a play against Melrose this season that showed how important that communication is and how much they’ve learned from their coaches about reading defenses.

“Last game against Melrose, we made a check at the line because of something we saw in the defense.  They had been stuffing the run, and we saw the positioning of the defensive back and called a pass play at the line of scrimmage and scored a touchdown on it.  It felt great to do that because that’s the mental part of the practice paying off in a game,” Jamari recalled, smiling.  “Coach Smith was smiling and shaking his head, but I could tell that he was proud of us, too.”

As the Tomcats continue to roll through another dominant regular season, and Jamari continues to rack up yards and touchdowns, a lot of big colleges are taking notice of the 6’2, 185 pound receiver.  He has size, speed, and skill and is only halfway through his second season of high school football.  His ceiling is seemingly infinite.  

With all of that success and attention, though, Jamari understands what his priorities are.

“The way I keep myself grounded is just reminding myself to be a kid.  The attention is great and the spotlight is great, but I’m well-raised.  I try to keep the main thing the main thing.  I know what goals I have and I know what’s important to me, so I’m just trying to be a kid and have fun playing ball.  I also know that school work comes before anything else.  I wouldn’t be able to be out there running routes or playing ball if my grades weren’t where they needed to be,” he said.

One thing Jamari failed to mention – and it’s something he may not yet realize about himself – is that he’s once again adapting and adjusting as he weaves his way through obstacles to find success on the other side. He has the talent to be great on the field and the mindset to find fulfillment off it. He knows what his priorities are and has the experience to navigate through whatever lies ahead.

“I think about school and football all the time.  If I’m not thinking about one or the other, I’m probably asleep.”

The post Adapt and Adjust – Jamari Person appeared first on Haywood County Schools.

There are multiple levels of safety within a school – feeling safe emotionally, feeling safe to make a mistake in class and then learn from that mistake, and, most importantly, feeling physically safe in a learning environment.  

Often, the awareness of “feeling safe” isn’t something that is at the forefront of most people’s minds; it’s the awareness of potential danger that can cause stress and be a hindrance to learning. The best barometer of students feeling safe in their school is when the students aren’t thinking about the issue of safety at all; they are simply allowed to be kids and learn to the best of their abilities.  

In Haywood County Schools, a School Resource Officer (SRO) is placed on every campus to ensure the physical safety of all students.  SRO’s are trained police officers who have graduated from The Tennessee Law Enforcement Academy and have previous experience as a law enforcement officer.  

The job of an SRO requires a specialized skill set that sets them apart from police officers who are on patrol within a community.  SRO’s must have the ability to build relationships with students, engage with teachers, and, above all, help protect everyone in the school building.

At East Side Elementary School, Ed Robinson’s police work looks and feels quite a bit different than it did a year ago.  Ed joined the SRO team in Haywood County Schools during the 2022-2023 school year after five previous years in law enforcement.  Last school year, Ed split his time between four different schools in HCS, but has found a home this year as the SRO at East Side.  Not only has Ed’s schedule become more consistent, his level of stress has also become more balanced.

“My stress level is way down working in an elementary school as opposed to working the streets,” he explained. “There’s a big difference in the job of an SRO and an officer who’s working the streets. Being in the schools, it’s a lot of community policing – fist bumps, high fives, and hugs. We can do some of that on street patrol, but there are also a lot of calls where that can’t take place.”

The fist bumps, high fives, and hugs that Ed receives on a daily basis come from third and fourth grade students. These students walk in lines to and from the cafeteria; they play outside during recess; they are just scratching the surface of their learning journey. School safety is probably the last thing on their minds, but it’s first and foremost for Ed.

“As my job over safety and security at ESE, I walk around the school multiple times a day to make sure doors are locked and secured.  I watch kids on the playground and whenever they’re outside,” he said. “I even take it a step further – I know it’s my job to keep kids safe, but it’s also my job to keep the adults safe in the building, too.  I take that responsibility seriously.”

Ed’s experience in law enforcement began in Hamilton County where he was part of the Park Police. Originally from West Tennessee, he wanted to move back closer to home and found himself working for the Haywood County Sheriff’s Department.

“I’ve spent five years as an officer  – I started in Hamilton County with Park Police and then moved back to West Tennessee to be closer to home.  I got a job with the Haywood County Sheriff’s Department and then transferred to the Brownsville Police Department,” he explained. 

It was with the BPD that the opportunity arose to be an SRO, and it was something Ed couldn’t pass up.

“I love being an SRO because the schedule aligns with my kids’ schedule.  And, I love being around the kids in a school and the staff, too,” he said.

The most important aspect of Ed’s job – beyond the schedule, beyond the high-fives and hugs – is keeping everyone safe at East Side Elementary. As a parent himself, Ed knows the value of dropping his kids off at school and knowing there is someone there whose sole responsibility is to make sure those kids remain safe throughout the school day.

“The parents and the kids seem to really like the fact that a trained officer is on campus at East Side,” he said.  “I feel like having an SRO on campus is here to stay; I feel like there will be more support built into student safety across the state moving forward, too. Governor Lee wants State Troopers in and around schools to add that extra layer of security.  That’s something Governor Lee has done really well – funding security for schools and keeping students safe.”

Ed also knows that part of keeping schools safe is building relationships with the students and staff in the building; that philosophy also marries well with the HCS mission to know every child by name, strength, and need.

For some students, Ed is the first person they see in the carpool line when they arrive at school and the last person they see as they leave. The relationship between students and adults in the school is vital for social/emotional growth as well as academic growth. It’s also important that kids know they are safe and protected at school. Ed and the rest of the SRO’s in HCS make sure that happens.

“Kids at this age are still young, so that relationship can be built fairly easily,” he said.

The post School Safety at ESE appeared first on Haywood County Schools.

Often, the awareness of “feeling safe” isn’t something that is at the forefront of most people’s minds; it’s the awareness of potential danger that can cause stress and be a hindrance to learning. The best barometer of students feeling safe in their school is when the students aren’t thinking about the issue of safety at all; they are simply allowed to be kids and learn to the best of their abilities.  

In Haywood County Schools, a School Resource Officer (SRO) is placed on every campus to ensure the physical safety of all students.  SRO’s are trained police officers who have graduated from The Tennessee Law Enforcement Academy and have previous experience as a law enforcement officer.  

The job of an SRO requires a specialized skill set that sets them apart from police officers who are on patrol within a community.  SRO’s must have the ability to build relationships with students, engage with teachers, and, above all, help protect everyone in the school building.

At Anderson Early Childhood Center and the Student Options Academy, Gage Mansfield takes his job as SRO seriously.  Gage is a law enforcement veteran of ten years spending time in Kansas City and other areas in Missouri before joining the Brownsville Police Department last year.  Before becoming an officer, Gage also spent time in executive protection where he provided personal security to  high profile clientele.  

“I’ve been in law enforcement for ten years.  I worked in Kansas City and then smaller departments in Missouri after that,” Gage explained.  “Before getting into law enforcement, I was involved in executive protection which is a service that provides high profile people with personal protection during trips or events or things of that nature.”

As a child, Gage would listen to his grandfather tell him stories about what being a police officer was like.  From the first time he heard his grandfather speak about being in law enforcement, Gage knew he wanted to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps.  Gage also spent a lot of time around young children because his parents ran a preschool, so his placement at Anderson seemed to be destined.

“My grandad was a police officer back in the 1950’s and he would talk to me about it all the time. For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be in law enforcement,” Gage recalled. “My parents used to run a daycare and a preschool.  I’ve always been around kids, so being at Anderson feels like home to me.”

Being in a school setting as a police officer has been quite different than being on patrol in the community.  Gage enjoys the Monday through Friday schedule and the 8 hour shifts as opposed to the 12 hour shifts he had on patrol.  More than anything else, though, he loves being around the kids at Anderson and seeing the positive ways he can interact with them on a daily basis.

“I get bombarded by the kids all the time.  They run up and hug me and see my radio.  There are some kids at Anderson who I’ll give a badge to if they’ve had a good week and they walk around the school with me on Friday’s when I check the halls and the doors.  They love doing that,” he said.  “It’s very important to build relationships with kids this age.  I want them to respect adults and law enforcement, but I really don’t want them to be afraid of law enforcement.  I want to show them that we’re here to help keep them safe.”

A big part of keeping the students and staff safe at Anderson is building trust with them and also constantly monitoring the physical environment at the school.  As a trained officer, Gage is naturally aware of safety issues that most civilians would never think about – a door propped open, a door mistakenly left unlocked, a window that’s maybe not shut all the way. As the SRO at Anderson, Gage knows it’s his responsibility to make sure things are corrected as soon as possible and that conversations occur about the importance of safety.

“First thing I do when I get to Anderson is walk the perimeter – I do that before I even walk into the building.  I check every door to make sure it’s shut and locked.  If one happens to be ajar or unlocked, I shut it and lock it and then talk to the person responsible about it.  I want to make sure everything is secure,” he explained.  “I’ll walk the perimeter of the playground, too. I walk about five miles a day around Anderson.”

While it’s important to have conversations and reiterate safety procedures in a school building, practice makes perfect. Students practice fire drills, tornado drills, and even earthquake drills.  They also practice intruder drills.  Students and staff are prepared to act should a worst-case school safety situation occur – an intruder entering the building.  

Each school in HCS practices a school intruder drill once a year as required by state law.  However, schools can practice intruder drills as many times as they would like under the building leader’s discretion.  The SRO’s at each school play an integral role in these intruder drills, and Gage was more than pleased with the way the drill played out at Anderson.

“We did an intruder drill here a few weeks ago.  It went very well.  The principal announced the drill and teachers locked and closed all doors.  We went around and checked each door and window and made sure everything was in place in regards to safety,” he said. “Our students and teachers passed the drill with flying colors.”

As Gage continues to adapt to being in a school setting, he is very clear on what his main priority is at Anderson and the Student Options Academy – student and staff safety.

“When you’re on patrol, you’re enforcing the law and holding everyone accountable including the officers you’re working with.  In a school, my main priority is keeping kids safe and the staff safe.  That’s the job,” he said.  “In the end, the bottom line is that our students and staff are safe.  It’s all about safety.”

The post Keeping AECC Safe appeared first on Haywood County Schools.

HCS Communications Update – September 19-23

The post HCS Update appeared first on Haywood County Schools.

To encourage students to apply for college this week, activities were scheduled each day that allowed students to learn more about college and the process of applying to a post-secondary institution.  Listed below are the days of the week and the events that occurred on those days:

Monday – Peer panel with Haywood High School alumni who are currently enrolled in colleges in Tennessee.

Tuesday – Students created pennants with the name of the college or university in which they plan to apply.

Wednesday – A Jackson State enrollment counselor came to the Student Options Academy to help students fill out applications.

Thursday – Students were given pieces of candy in exchange for filling out a college application.

Friday – Seniors who wore a college t-shirt were entered into a drawing to win a gift card.

The Ayers Foundation and GEAR UP want every senior at Haywood High School to apply to at least one college or university by the end of September. 

The post College Application Week appeared first on Haywood County Schools.

Every student and teacher deserves the safest environment in which to learn and teach; parents deserve to feel at ease when they drop their student at school or put them on the bus.  In Haywood County Schools, we are taking every necessary precaution to make sure our buildings are safe and secure.

Even though the topic of school safety is most often discussed after a tragedy has occurred, the most important work of school safety begins with providing opportunities for students to learn about their feelings while practicing conflict resolution techniques as well as providing them as much support as possible when it comes to social-emotional learning.

In early grades in HCS, students take part in The Leader in Me Program which is woven into the fabric of each school.  In TLIM, students take ownership of certain aspects of their school as well as learn healthy habits of successful people. Students who participate in TLIM are also able to positively affect the culture of their school.  This allows students to build confidence in themselves as they progress through the school system.  

Each school in HCS also has a school social worker along with a school counselor.  At Haywood High School, the Project AWARE grant also provides two additional school social workers in order to help supplement the work of the school social worker and counselors.  From early elementary school through graduation, students in HCS are socially and emotionally supported while in school

Even with various social supports in place for students, building security and the physical safety for students remain paramount in HCS.  Each individual campus in the district has video cameras at every main access point and every main entrance is locked and only accessible by being unlocked by the school’s office.  Listed below are the safety measures in place for each school in HCS:

Building Security:

• School Resource Officer on every campus
• Doors are locked – every outside door should  be locked at all times.
• Doors are never propped open
• Cameras at doors at every entry way
• Every classroom door should be locked inside the building even if the doors aren’t shut while instruction is taking place
• Building can only be accessed by office personnel unlocking the door 
• Students are signed out through the Raptor Visitor Management and must have photo ID to check out students

One of the most integral parts to building safety in HCS is the placement of an SRO on each campus.  SRO’s are members of the Brownsville Police Department and have graduated from the Tennessee Law Enforcement Academy.  They are trained to handle crisis situations within a school, but they are also trained in the important relationship building aspects required of adults who work in a school setting.

SRO’s provide physical protection for staff and students in each school, but they also can be another trusted adult in the life of students.  SRO’s also help with the annual intruder drills that take place on each campus.  

Much like tornado drills, fire drills, and earthquake drills, intruder drills help schools prepare for a worst-case scenario.  During an intruder drill, students and staff practice their lockdown procedures which include making sure every door is locked, that students are not visible in the classroom, and door windows are covered.  Intruder drills are required to be practiced once a year, but principals have the discretion to practice them as much as needed.

While we hope that no school in HCS ever has to use what they’ve learned during intruder drills or an SRO in HCS has to implement their training to stop an intruder, we know that making sure those safeguards are in place across the district is a priority.  We value our students, teachers, and families and want to provide them the safest learning environment possible.  

The post School Safety in HCS appeared first on Haywood County Schools.

HCS Director of Coordinated School Health Elise Powell came up with the idea of “Bows on Buses” in order to draw awareness to various health matters, both mental and physical, over the course of the year.  Each school bus in the HCS fleet will be sporting a different color bow each month in coordination with the monthly topic of awareness.

“With transportation going all over the county, it spreads the message of awareness all over Haywood County.  We hope that will bring awareness to a greater number of people,” Elise said.

September is suicide awareness month and, while the topic is somewhat heavy, the theme of this particular campaign is to make sure students in HCS – and everyone in Haywood County – knows that they matter and are valued.

Project AWARE Director Twyla King hopes the positive message of the theme reminds students and citizens that help is available and no one is alone in their struggle.

“We want to spread a message of hope that the students matter,” Twyla said.  “We have our school counselors to provide support; we also have our Project AWARE team that provides resources in the schools that can help with any crisis situations.  We have a partnership with Professional Health Services.  If there are students who need more intensive services, we can refer them to PHS.  On the back of the Student ID’s, there are a list of resources that students can contact including the 988 suicide/crisis hotline.”

While the topic of emotional distress can be difficult for some teenagers (and adults) to broach, Twyla and Elise hope that students can find someone they can trust and confide in if things start to feel too heavy.

“If a student is feeling emotionally distraught, please find someone to talk to at home or at school – an adult or friend they trust.  If there is no one they feel comfortable talking to, the 988 hotline is something new that students can text or call,” Twyla said.

When you see an HCS bus this month with a purple bow on the front, be sure and give it a friendly wave…and also take a second to remind yourself that “You Matter.”

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731.772.9613 ext 2330

gabe.hart@hcsk12.net

 RELEASE DATE:

September 16, 2022

SUPERINTENDENT JOEY HASSELL RESIGNS

 BROWNSVILLE, TENNESSEE, September 16, 2022 —  Haywood County Schools Superintendent Joey Hassell has resigned his position as superintendent effective immediately.  At a special called board meeting, the Haywood County Schools School Board accepted Hassell’s letter of resignation.

Under Hassell’s leadership, the district improved their academic standing with the state of Tennessee each year of his tenure. Through multiple Career/Technical Pathways, the district increased the number of students enrolled in dual-credit classes from 35 In 2016 to over 400 currently. The district also partnered with West Tennessee Healthcare to create work study programs for students.  Haywood High School also started an Early College High program in partnership with Jackson State Community College which allows students to earn post-secondary credit towards their Associate’s Degree while still in high school.

“Haywood County Schools is full of amazing leaders, teachers, support staff, and students. My hope is that the work in HCS will continue to ensure access, opportunity, and success for all students,” Hassell said in a statement.

The HCS School Board named Art Garrett as Interim Superintendent.  A search for a new superintendent will be handled by the Tennessee School Board Association.

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There are countless stories of backyard football games where kids emulate their favorite players.  They’ll reenact Joe Montana’s game winning Super Bowl drive against the Bengals.  Maybe, they’ll pretend to be Tom Brady winning one of his seven rings on Super Sunday.  Or, they could be Brett Favre – taking a chance on a tight window of coverage and trying to zip a pass through double coverage.  In any scenario, though, that kid playing backyard football almost always wants to be the quarterback.

The position of quarterback is the most glamorous position on the football field – the player on offense who touches the ball on every play of every possession, the leader of the team, the player who gets a lot of the credit when things go well. 

There’s another side to the quarterback position that isn’t as glamorous, though.  The side where the quarterback is responsible for making sure the line is set correctly and the receivers are spaced properly.  There’s the responsibility of reading the defense and making adjustments based on the read.  Then, of course, the responsibility of knowing the play that was called in the huddle and where everyone else on offense is supposed to be based on that play.  And, all of that happens before the ball is snapped.  

After the snap, the quarterback has approximately 2-3 seconds to make the best decision on where to throw the ball on a pass play…and that’s if everyone else on offense is doing the job they were assigned.  If the play breaks down, it’s up to the quarterback to improvise.  You have to be smart, quick, athletic, have a strong, accurate arm to play the position.  It’s no wonder that not many people can do it well.

Haywood Tomcat quarterback Cordero Walker is one of those people who can.

As a sophomore, Cordero was the quarterback for the Tomcats and helped lead the team to an undefeated regular season and play-off run that ended one game shy of the state championship.  He knows, however, that the success he experienced his sophomore year can be attributed to his teammates and his coaches.

“Last year was surreal.  If it wasn’t for my teammates, I wouldn’t have had that success I had,” he said. “The standard was set very high.  The guys around me definitely made me better, but it was intimidating at first.  I was 14 years old and playing with guys that were close to being adults.”

For Cordero, his experience with football started when he was young and, like many other kids, in the backyard.  As he grew older, he began to play organized football and watch college games and observe how certain quarterbacks on winning teams carried themselves and commanded an offense.

“I started playing organized football when I was 6.  I started off as a tight end and the next year I started playing quarterback,” he said.  “When I got a little older, I started watching college football and really liked watching AJ McCarron and Jameis Winston. I always wanted to be that guy in control on the football field.”

Last season, as “that guy in control on the football field,” Cordero helped lead the Tomcats to a 13-1 record and a state semi-final matchup against the eventual state champions.  Even with the success he experienced in his first full year as a starting quarterback, Cordero knew there was a lot of learning that was also taking place at the same time. 

“Last year, the mental aspect of the game was the most challenging.  I had to make a lot of reads at the line of scrimmage.  A quarterback’s pre-snap routine can make the post-snap action a lot easier if the quarterback knows what they’re seeing in a defense before the snap.  Last year, I didn’t have that knowledge,” he explained.  “This year, I feel so much more comfortable; I feel like I really learned the game last year.  I also feel like I earned my teammates’ respect and trust.  They know I’m going to give my all, and I know they’ll give their all in practice and in the games.”

The intangible aspects of the position of quarterback are incredibly important to the success of a team. From learning the plays, the pre-snap reads, and the line adjustments to building trust with teammates, the job of a quarterback stretches beyond simply throwing the ball. Throwing the ball, however, is an integral part of playing the position.  All the leadership skills in the world don’t matter if a quarterback can’t throw the football with velocity, accuracy, and touch.  Cordero has also improved those physical aspects of his game since last year.

“In the Lexington game last week, I had a 40 or 50 yard run.  Last year, I feel like I would’ve been tackled at the ten yard line, so I think my speed has improved.  I’m also stronger this year, and I’m breaking some tackles that I wouldn’t have broken last year,” he said.  “I’m also really excited about my arm strength this year.  I feel like I’ve added 10-15 yards to my deep ball.”

Early in the season, the Tomcats find themselves with a 3-0 record going into a big matchup with an undefeated Milan team.  With the fast start this year combined with the success of last season, Cordero finds himself with a career record of 16-1 as the starting quarterback for a very talented football team.  Those numbers will draw the attention of college scouts and, with Cordero only being a junior in high school, scouts will have plenty of time to watch him develop more. He understands this reality, but is also remaining focused on what is immediately ahead of him.

“Any smart man always plans ahead.  Those plans may not exactly work out the way you want them to work out, but I have plans.  I want to play football at the college level and there have been a few schools I’ve been in touch with,” he said.  “ Right now, though, I’m really focused on this season and winning a state championship.”

A football season at any level – high school, college, professional – is a journey of ups and downs and ebbs and flows.  It’s cliche for coaches and players to talk about looking at each game on a week to week basis, but that cliche is also a necessary reality.  There will be games where things click – lineman will block downhill during the run game, receivers will run sharp routes, quarterbacks will be on time with their throws.  There will be other games when none of those things occur.  It’s important for a quarterback (and a coach) to ride both waves.

“We never want to get too high or get too low; that’s what Coach Smith always preaches.  Certain games are big, but it’s also just another step along the way to what we want to accomplish,” Cordero reflected.

The Milan game is big this week for the Tomcats, but there will be bigger games down the road this season if the Tomcats achieve the goals they set for themselves. Even beyond the wins and losses, Cordero knows that playing high school football for Haywood High School is something special.

“I grew up going to Haywood football games.  In Haywood, there’s not a lot to do on Fridays, so the whole community shows up to watch us play.  It’s special.  On Fridays, there’s no question about where you’re going to be – LZ Hurley Stadium watching the Tomcats play.”

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