It’s National School Principal’s Day and, we may be a bit biased, but we believe we have two of the best—Mr. Saylor and Mr. Middleton!
We’re so fortunate to have leaders who always put students first. Whether it’s making tough calls, staying flexible, or showing up for our school and community time and time again, their commitment speaks volumes.
Thank you both for everything you do—you make a big difference every single day!
May 2025 Wildcat News
Let's "Color Our World" with Books This Summer! 📚🖍️
The Evarts Public Library's Summer Reading Program, "Color Our World," runs from June 12th to July 17th. Get ready for a vibrant summer of reading and fun!
#EvartsPublicLibrary #SummerReadingProgram #ColorOurWorld
Harlan County 4-H Fun Day is happening on Wednesday, June 4th at 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at Harlan Huff Park! Come join the fun!
#HarlanCounty4H #4H
Kona will here May 6th.
Harlan County Middle School Band Concert is Thursday at 6 p.m. at Harlan County High School. We hope to see you there to support this young musicians who have worked hard this year.
Alice in Wonderland Performance K-2nd, Tuesday, April 29th 12:00 PM
Natasha Ely has been selected as the teacher for the Harlan County Child Development Center opening this August.
Ely, a current kindergarten teacher at James A. Cawood Elementary School, has been with the district seven years.
“I’m thrilled to continue this journey and start a new chapter as the teacher at the first Harlan County Child Development Center,” said Ely after learning of her selection earlier this week.
“After spending valuable time as a kindergarten teacher, I can’t wait to grow alongside these kiddos in a nurturing and innovative learning environment,” she said. “I’m excited to help lay the foundation and instill the love of learning in our future Black Bears!”
Leah Coots, the district’s preschool coordinator, said “I'm so excited to have Mrs. Ely join our team as the teacher of our Child Development Center. With her valuable experience teaching kindergarten, she brings a strong understanding of early childhood development and a genuine passion for fostering a love of learning right from the start. Mrs. Ely is a dynamic and engaging teacher, and we're confident she will provide Harlan County students with a strong and nurturing beginning to their educational journey.”
Superintendent Brent Roark said “the whole district is excited to see this endeavor coming to fruition. Mrs. Ely is an excellent choice to teach our inaugural class of these early learners. We know she is an exceptional teacher. She has a great rapport with the young students and families. “
“She has the artistic abilities that will allow the kids to do performances and programs to showcase their learning,” he said.
Roark said the center’s programs will be strongly rooted in not only basic social skills, but also in curriculum, instruction, focus on numeracy and early literacy.
The learning center will follow the state pre-school program.
The center is continuing to take applications for the first class of four-year old students.
Applications are now being accepted for students to attend the Child Development Center. The program will open this August. Positions are limited so apply early.
Applications are available at the Harlan county Public Schools central administrative offices, 251 Ball Park Road, Harlan.
Questions may be addressed to Leah Coots at 573-4330 or Kim Saylor at 573-1950.
📣 KSA Testing Announcement for Grades 3–8 📣
As we near the end of the school year, it's time to prepare for the Kentucky Summative Assessment (KSA). Please take note of the following testing dates:
📝 Testing Schedule
📚 Grades 3–5: May 9 and May 12–15
📚 Grades 6–8: May 16 and May 19–22
🕒 Make-Up Dates: May 23 and May 27–29
Please note: No EHO (Educational Enhancement Opportunity) requests will be approved during the testing window. If your child has an appointment, we kindly ask that you reschedule or make arrangements so that your child can test beforehand or be available for a make-up session.
We understand this is a busy time of year, and we appreciate your support in prioritizing attendance during these last 14 days of school. These assessments help us measure student learning and growth, and every student’s participation truly matters.
✅ Good Faith Effort Checklist – Let’s Do Our Best!
Parents/Guardians, please encourage your child to:
Get a good night’s sleep before each test
Eat a healthy breakfast
Arrive to school on time
Bring a positive attitude and try their best
Be respectful and follow test instructions
Use their time wisely and check their work
🎉 Incentives & Celebrations 🎉
We’re planning some fun activities to celebrate the end of the year! Participation in these incentives will be based on perfect attendance during the testing window, so let’s aim for being present and ready each day!
Thank you for your continued partnership and for helping us make these final days count! 💙📚
Hi everyone,
Each year, Save the Children has a Family Engagement survey. The survey will remain open until June 15. We really need to increase our response rate from last year. We want to hear from everyone!
Family Engagement Survey 2024-2025- English https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7HZFCY3
Family Engagement Survey 2024-2024- Spanish
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8TNLBVQ
Thank you and please let Mr. Colinger or Mrs. Boggs know if you have any questions or issues with the survey.
🎉 Congratulations to Ashton Banks !🎉 Ashton is this week’s lucky winner of the Walmart gift card for having perfect attendance! 👏 A big shoutout to the 184 students who also achieved perfect attendance this week—you’re all amazing, and we’re so proud of your dedication! To all of our students: keep up the great work! 💪 Remember, everyone with perfect attendance next week will have a chance to win a gift card, so don’t miss out! Let's make next week another great one! 🏫✨
🎉 Congratulations to Easton Miracle !🎉
Easton is this week’s lucky winner of the $25 Walmart gift card for having perfect attendance! 👏
A big shoutout to the 148 students who also achieved perfect attendance this week—you’re all amazing, and we’re so proud of your dedication!
To all of our students: keep up the great work! 💪
Remember, everyone with perfect attendance next week will have a chance to win a gift card, so don’t miss out!
Enjoy Spring Break and we'll make next week another great one! 🏫✨
After school tutoring is canceled today due to Open House! We need some time to get ready... We hope to see you all at 4:00! Thank you for understanding!
Lost & Found Table during OPEN HOUSE
Thursday, April 3
April 2025 Newsletter
We're thrilled to announce the new app for Harlan County! It's everything Harlan County, in your pocket.
Mark your calendars! 🗓️ Evarts Elementary School's Report Card Night & Open House is coming up on April 3 from 4:00-6:00 PM! Come meet your child's teachers, see their amazing work, and enjoy a special student art gallery showcasing our talented young artists in the library! 🎨 We can't wait to see you there! #EvartsElementary #ReportCardNight #OpenHouse #StudentArt
This past Monday, our 8th graders had the opportunity to meet with Cassidy Smith, the Southeastern Kentucky Outreach Counselor for KHEAA!
During the KHEAA “Map to Your Future” presentation, students learned valuable information about higher education and future planning. Cassidy shared insights on dual credit, scholarships/KEES money, financial aid, and the importance of extracurricular activities and community service.
The students also participated in the JumpStart Reality Check activity, where they made lifestyle choices and explored potential careers and salaries. It was a fun and eye-opening experience that sparked excitement for their futures!
We’re so proud of our students for thinking ahead and making plans for success!
We are excited to announce the opening of our Harlan County Child Development Center. Our center is housed at James A. Cawood Elementary School. and will provide an exciting educational opportunity for four-year old students. The center opens August 2025. We will share the application process by April 1.
