STATUS OF THE SWAMP, JANUARY 2023
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas break and that you were able to spend time with loved ones and relax. As we begin the new year, I want to remind you that Greenwood High School is committed to providing a high-quality education for all of our students and if you ever need our assistance we are here to help.
Teachers started the semester on January 3rd with Professional Learning Community activities. We truly appreciate this time to learn and increase our capacity as educators. This session specifically dealt with improving teacher and student clarity on what proficient writing looks like.
We have an exciting semester ahead of us, with a variety of academic and extracurricular activities planned. I encourage all students to get involved and make the most of your time in school. Research shows the more students are involved in their school, the better overall experience they will have. Currently, Greenwood offers 22 Varsity sports, over 32 co-curricular clubs, and various opportunities in band, choir, and orchestra.
You will start to notice the campus is slowly changing due to construction activities. At this time, you should not have any issues with morning drop off and afternoon pickup. We have been asked by the nursing home next door to not use their driveway. This has caused issues in the past with emergency vehicles and they have requested help ensuring this does not impact their patient care.
I look forward to having students back on campus and working with you to make the rest of the school year a success. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me. Please make sure you read the Gator Happenings newsletter each week to keep abreast of all things GHS.
Adam Hatcher
GHS, Principal
STATUS OF THE SWAMP, NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER 2022 | As we come to the end of the first semester, the staff and I want to thank the Greenwood students and parents for being part of a supportive community. We truly appreciate you being part of the team and look forward to a great second semester. We did want to highlight a few items and keep you abreast of changes in 2023.
In October, KDE released the Kentucky Summative Assessment (KSA) scores for the entire state. Out of approximately 443 public high schools in the state of Kentucky – Greenwood High School was ranked 22nd. We are very proud of our students/teachers and we will continue to identify areas of improvement to ensure students receive the best possible educational experience.
Starting in January the district will partner with Cumberland Health and each feeder will have access to a nurse practitioner when students/staff become sick. Greenwood students were given forms on 11/28/22 – if you would like for your student/s to be able to see Cumberland Health’s nurse practitioner when they are not feeling well, please complete the forms and return those to the office.
Construction will start immediately with phase two of Greenwood’s renovation project. Most of the major work will commence during the summer months, but you will start seeing staging areas created and prep work for the athletic complex near the football stadium. During the spring and summer months frequent communication will occur to keep you abreast – this will be a massive project and it will impact the traffic around campus.
The WCPS Board of Education approved 10 Non-Traditional Instruction Days (NTI) to be used for health and safety in the 2022-23 school year. In the case of inclement weather, an NTI day may be used and all students are expected to participate in virtual learning. Should an NTI day be used in the case of inclement weather, families will be notified through Infinite Campus (email and text), the media, and social media. The student expectations for NTI days can be found here: https://bit.ly/ghsntiexpectations. Please take time to familiarize yourself with the plan of action for possible NTI days. For ease of access, this link can be found on the Greenwood website under “Students and Parents'' as well as on the WCPS Google Chrome bookmarks under “GHS Student Links.” A Google form link has been posted to the “Class of” Google classrooms, to assess Internet accessibility. We need a response from all Greenwood students.
We want to remind all parents the best way to keep up with “all things” Greenwood is to read Gator Happenings each week. This newsletter is a wealth of information, we not only communicate news via the newsletter, but we also highlight groups and individual students.
We hope you have a wonderful holiday season! As a Gator family, we want to thank you for taking an active role in our school and look forward to finishing the first semester. If you ever need anything, please let us know. Take care!
STATUS OF THE SWAMP, OCTOBER 2022
Kentucky students took the Kentucky Summative Assessment (KSA) in the Spring of 2022. The tests were developed by Kentucky teachers and align with the Kentucky Academic Standards (KAS) in each content area. Individual scores will be sent home with students on Friday, October 21.
KSA is the annual summative assessment given in grades 3 through 8, 10 and 11 to Kentucky public school students. KSA provides content area assessments, including reading and mathematics (grades 3 through 8 and 10), science (grades 4, 7, 11), on-demand writing and editing and mechanics (grades 5, 8, 11), and social studies (grades 5, 8, 11).
These assessments are Kentucky’s measure of student proficiency and progress on the state content standards. These standards establish goals for what all students should know and be able to do in each grade. The KSA was given online with only a small percentage of students testing on paper. This assessment goes beyond multiple-choice questions. It includes questions where students can demonstrate critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and extended response questions where students construct a response or answer with a technology-enhanced response.
After reviewing scores, Greenwood High School was the top performing high school in the GRREC region and top (20) in the state. While we have reasons to celebrate this achievement, we also want to continue working on growth areas and pushing forward. The overall cumulative score was a 74.4 or (Green) – KDE created a color coded system this year to determine school accountability. If you want to look at specific scores, please go to the school report card. Well done, Gators!
Greenwood School Report Card Data
STATUS OF THE SWAMP, SEPTEMBER 2022
Good morning, Gators! As we finish the first quarter of the academic calendar year (10/14/22), I wanted to update you on a few exciting announcements. Greenwood High School will undergo renovations soon. The first phase will be updating the football, track/field, soccer, baseball, lacrosse, and softball facilities. I do not have specific timelines, but much of this work will start next semester. The second phase of construction will include building a new media center, upgrades to the main school building, and updates to the flow of school traffic. As we transition through construction, we will do our best to keep all students, parents, and community members abreast of changes on campus. Construction will cause inconveniences at times, but the final product will be worth the short term challenges.
We are also excited to announce that Greenwood High School will now be offering Computer Science classes next semester. These CS classes will be taught during 1st, 2nd, and 3rd blocks. After fall break we will start communicating this to students on morning and afternoon announcements. The guidance counselors will create a process for students to request a schedule change. We know many students have their schedules set and will not want to change, but we could not pass up the opportunity to offer these classes.
Greenwood High School is now considered a Title 1 school. This will allow Greenwood to participate in the federal Title I program and receive additional funding. The main basis for qualification is the number of free/reduced lunch students in the school. As of today, Greenwood has 1400 students and 45% of the student body qualifies for free/reduced lunch. While Title 1 is a new status for Greenwood – all students for the 2022-23 school year will receive free lunch/breakfast.
Greatschools.org recognized Greenwood as 1 of 43 high schools in the state of Kentucky to receive the College Success Award. Kentucky has approximately 540 high schools and 171 school districts. This recognition took into account the percentage of students enrolled in college, number of students that needed remediation classes, and the number of students that successfully completed their first year of college/return for a second year.
As we transition through the year we will host events that showcase our student body. The next main event will be the GHS Bonfire and Community Trunk or Treat on October 27th (5pm-8pm). Many school clubs/teams have been working behind the scenes to ensure we have a great turnout and fun for our feeder school community. Please be on the lookout for flyers promoting the event.
I hope everyone has a great fall break! If you ever need anything and we can be of assistance – please let us know. Take care!
Adam Hatcher, Principal
Greenwood High School
WELCOME 2022
As principal, I want to welcome each of you to Greenwood High School. This will be my 20th year in education and I have enjoyed every minute working to ensure students have multiple opportunities to find success in any healthy venue they choose. I earned a B.A., M.A., and Rank 1 from Western Kentucky University (Go Tops). I have coached and officiated multiple sports throughout my tenure as an educator. I love to travel and experience different cultures through food. I am a firm believer to invest in people over things and a positive attitude can help you navigate through most situations that arise. It is a goal of mine that Greenwood High School continues to produce productive citizens that make this world a better place. The rich tradition in academics and extra-curricular activities distinguish Greenwood as a premiere destination in education. If you ever have questions, comments, or concerns feel free to contact me via email or face-to-face.
Always remember, Together We Are Better! Later, Gators!
Mr. Adam Hatcher