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.
There will be a special call SBDM meeting after school on Monday April 21st, 2025 @ 3:00 in the JACES library.
🎓Kindergarten and 8th Grade Graduation
‼️THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB IS CLOSED TODAY‼️
Jaces Kindergarten and first grade classes went to HCHS to see Shrek the Musical! 💚
🤠We’d like to say howdy to our newest kindergarten crew. We are thrilled with the turnout from Monday’s registration and excited to have them as part of the Trojan family.🤠
The Harlan County School Food Service staff from across the district are gaining CPR certification this afternoon in a training at Harlan County High School. Christy Whitaker, district health coordinator, is conducting the training.
🌟Please complete this survey if your child is in the Save for Children program. Thank you so much!
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7HZFCY3
🥳🎁From the teachers, staff, and students of James A. Cawood Elementary, we would like to wish Principal Mr. Carter a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! 🎂🎉
🚲JACES 4th - 8th grade Gifted and Talented students recently had the opportunity to watch Cirque Mechanics: Pedal Punk at the EKU Center for the Arts in Richmond, KY. In Pedal Punk, students were able to experience the excitement, artistry and thrill that occurs when a wacky bike shop mechanic interacts with cyclists and bikes. Cirque Mechanics is inspired by the modern circus and finds its roots in the mechanical and its heart in the stories of American industrial ingenuity. The show is imbedded in realism and displays a raw quality rarely found in modern circus. Cirque Mechanics signature style is wrapped in acrobatics, mechanical marvels and a bit of clowning around.
🌟A huge thank you to Harlan Mission Outreach, Pastor Sean Daniels, and Kelly Daniels for treating our 8th graders to some delicious refreshments, cookies, and pizza after a fun-filled carnival work day! Your thoughtfulness really made their day special, and they truly appreciate all of you!🍕
🌟The Carnival was an absolute blast before spring break! The kids had an amazing time filled with laughter and fun! 💐
March Madness recap: The LEGO build/ TSA afterschool program.
The after school program starts in the lunchroom
with an afterschool snack, and then moves into the library until 4:30. This program provides students with the opportunity to enhance their reading skillls, problem-solving abilities, fosters teamwork, boosts confidence and encourages a love of learning.
Transportation is available to some locations if needed, and permission slips need to be turned into Mrs. Bailey if your child wants to attend.
JACES March Madness recap: LEGO Brick Group partnered with JACES for STEM education and family engagement March 7 &17th.
JACES had an incredible opportunity to partner with the LEGO Brick Group for a hands-on STEM experience! This educational event provided guided LEGO build classes that were designed to align with primary and middle school math concepts. These learning sessions encouraged problem solving, creativity and teamwork!
In addition to the classroom sessions, LEGO Brick group hosted a 2-hr Open Build session for family engagement. Offering families an opportunity to participate in creative and educational activities together.
Paraprofessional Appreciation Day is a day for our AMAZING James A. Cawood Elementary support staff to get recognition and appreciation for their integral roles in the education of students. Thank you for your efforts and consistently going above and beyond!!
Today was a great day to be with “Cool Pete the Cat”at the Barter Theatre! PRI partnered with teachers to take our Kindergarten students to see the play Pete the Cat! They have read quite a bit about him this year. To see the play in action brought the character to life for most of them. A lot of fun was had by all & happy memories made. ❤️🖤🩵
4th-8th grade students going on the JACES Gifted and Talented trip tomorrow, Tuesday, April 1st will need to meet in the JACES cafeteria at 7:05. The bus will be leaving at 7:15. A to go breakfast will be provided. Please do not be late.
We will have a Special-Call SBDM meeting tomorrow on Monday, March 31st, 2025 at 3 pm in the school library.
Our JACES Archery CHAMPIONS! 🏹🏆
Congratulations to the JACES Trojan Archery Team for winning the county championship last night with a Top 10 score of 2490 points. 🏆🏹 Angel Gross received the 3rd place female honor in the Championship. Several shot their personal best last night. We are super proud of these kids as they have worked extremely hard all season to get this win! ❤️🖤🩵
