ADMINISTRATION OFFICE

Hopkins Parents and Community

As we approach this new year, the Hopkins School District is facing some of the same emotions that many of our students have when they face kindergarten, middle school or high school for the first time. We feel excitement about the new things we are facing, we feel nervous about how much we have to do and we feel fear for the unknown.

Looking back at our past school year we can feel good about what we were able to accomplish. Our construction and renovation project has wrapped up and we are proud of what the community has given us for facilities and resources to do the difficult job of educating all the students in Hopkins. We are proud of the success our students have demonstrated through academic achievement. Based on rankings provided from the Michigan Department of Education, Hopkins Public Schools has the highest rated building in the county, the highest ranked high school, and the second highest ranked middle school. All of our buildings are ranked in the top one third of the school buildings in Allegan County. We are also proud of the well rounded programs we offer our students in Hopkins, from direct college course in the high school, to clubs, athletics, art and music.

We start the year with nervous energy as we face several changes. The middle school has changed its schedule to allow us to better share staff between the high school and middle school. This means that students and staff will be working differently, but will continue to find ways for middle school students to explore options and build relationships. We are also bringing new technology to all students in the middle school and high school. Each student will be loaned a netbook computer to use for instructional purposes. The goal being to help our students learn skills that they will need as they leave high school and move into the world of work. The new technology will push our staff and students to think and learn in new ways. Our elementary buildings are also facing changes. They continue to work on new instructional strategies that will help improve all students’ literacy skills. They will continue to work to integrate more technology into their instruction and help our students achieve more academically in all areas.

We also have some fears to face. Due to the poor state of our State’s economy we are experiencing serious pressures on our operating budgets. The fears of how to continue to maintain the great programs and education we have in Hopkins are real. We fear the effects of reductions in staff and increases in class sizes. We fear the reduction in programs and the increase in cost to our athletes and extra-curricular participants as we struggle to keep the programs intact. We fear the loss of families as they leave our district to find work in other parts of our state or in other parts of the country. We fear that our graduates will continue to have to leave the state to find good jobs.

But like new students at the beginning of a new school year, we know that we will find our way and we will find success. We know that we will find new friends and people to work together. We will learn new things and new ways to do things. We will be challenged and have to work hard, but we know that we will be stronger and smarter for facing the challenges and our fears. We continue to learn that change is inevitable, and that we have the resiliency to meet the changes and continue to be successful.

We wish you all a great start to the new school year and encourage you to continue to be involved in your child’s education and Hopkins Public Schools.

“Learning Locally, Competing Globally!”