Hamilton County Schools

Online registration for kindergarten in Hamilton County Schools for the 2020-2021 school year is open now, and runs through Friday. Due to schools being closed at this time, the district has postponed the day planned during the registration period to provide on-site registration at schools. Parents can access online kindergarten registration on the district’s website at www.hcde.org. Look under the “Parents & Students” tab on the home page for “Registration Information.” On the Registration Information page, there are several links to kindergarten registration. Video tutorials are available on the registration site to assist parents with the online process.

Playgrounds at Hamilton County schools are closed at this time due to the Safer at Home Executive Order Governor Lee issued on Monday, March 30, 2020. Signs and caution tape will be visible in the areas that are closed at local schools. Groups gathering at locations such as school playgrounds is discouraged as we work to slow the spread of coronavirus COVID-19.

Today, “I am Hamilton” spotlights Justin Thomason, a senior at Sequoyah High. Thomason has been hailed a hero for jumping into action to provide life-saving assistance to a friend involved in a car accident. He was driving behind a friend near the school when the friend’s car left the road and struck a tree. Justin ran to help and saw his friend was bleeding and needed help. Justin took off his belt and wrapped it around his friend’s arm to form a tourniquet to stop the loss of blood. Emergency personnel who responded to the scene believe the quick actions of the senior may well have saved his friend’s life.

Online registration for kindergarten in Hamilton County Schools for the 2020-2021 school year begins Monday, March 30, and runs through Friday, April 3, 2020. Even though schools are closed, the online registration will continue. The district has postponed the day planned during the registration period to provide on-site registration opportunities at schools. Parents can access online [http://kindergarten%20online%20registration]kindergarten registration on the district’s website at www.hcde.org. Look under the “Parents & Students” tab on the home page for “Registration Information.” Video tutorials will be available on the registration site to assist parents with the online process.

To assist children and families with food while schools are closed, meals will be prepared at select school cafeterias in Hamilton County Schools for food pickup, and school buses will deliver food to areas where families can’t get to a school location. At schools and bus stop locations, Meals are provided free to all children age 18 and under.

Representatives of Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, visited Chattanooga High School Center for Creative Arts today, March 11, to surprise Eliza Moore, a senior at the school with a full-ride scholarship. Moore and her family had no idea what was in store for them today as they gathered at the school. Mercer representatives presented the senior with a Stamps Scholar Award that includes full tuition, room and board, an iPad, and a $16,000 enrichment stipend to be disseminated over four years. Moore can use these funds to study abroad, for undergraduate research, internship opportunities, conference fees, and travel.

Today, March 4, Usher’s Nancy Lackey Community Education Fund and national music education nonprofit, Little Kids Rock, announced a partnership to launch Little Kids Rock’s highly inclusive, culturally relevant, and innovative music education programs in 20 new Hamilton County Schools. More than 3,500 students will benefit from the unique curriculum and instrument donation, including guitars, drums, keyboards, drum sets, and more. The group announced the awarding of the music programs at Brainerd High School.

Hamilton County Schools continues to shine as a beacon of innovative education across the country. This week, more than 40 leaders from 10 school districts in central Indiana visited to get a first-hand experience in the digital fabrication and STEM ecosystems in Hamilton County Schools. The HCS Office of Innovation and School Choice, in partnership with the Public Education Foundation (PEF), coordinated and hosted the visit, which showcased a variety of innovative practices in the VW eLabs at Dalewood Middle School, Soddy Daisy Middle School, Hixson Middle School, and STEM School Chattanooga on Tuesday, March 3.

Hamilton County Schools is working closely with the Chattanooga – Hamilton County Health Department as the concern nationwide regarding the Coronavirus increases. The local Health Department is in close contact with its partners, the Tennessee Department of Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to monitor the situation and get the latest health recommendations, and they share that information with our school district. There are no known cases of Coronavirus in our area. Even so, Hamilton County Schools will continue to be vigilant in our efforts to prevent the spread of all viruses in our community and schools.

Today, the “I am Hamilton” video feature spotlights Ali Windrow, a school psychologist at Hixson Elementary and Middle Valley Elementary. Windrow is in just her fifth year of working as a school psychologist, but she has made a significant impact on the schools and children she has served during that time.

Redistricting plans continue to evolve as Hamilton County Schools reviews community responses to plans for changes in attendance areas. The changes are required due to the addition of the new East Hamilton Middle School this fall. Hamilton County Schools has revised the attendance area maps for the East Hamilton and Ooltewah attendance areas after considering the information received during discussions with parents during community meetings and the results of the initial redistricting proposal survey.

Today, “I am Hamilton” spotlights Airicka Richardson and Jack Graham, both sophomores at Central High School. The two worked to bring back an alumnus who was one of the first African American students to integrate Central High. The two invited Reuben Justice to visit the school and talk with three history classes as part of a Black History Month presentation on Wednesday, February 26.