MEAL DELIVERY PROGRAM CANCELLED

Due to the high level of community spread of the COVID-19 virus and in an effort to protect the health and safety of our school families and staff, Hoke County Schools has made the difficult decision to cancel the remainder of our meal delivery program effective immediately. Unfortunately, meals will not be delivered tomorrow and for the remainder of our scheduled January dates.

SE CANCELA EL PROGRAMA DE ENTREGAS DE COMIDA

Debido al alto nivel de propagación del virus COVID-19 en la comunidad, y en un esfuerzo por proteger la salud y seguridad de nuestras familias y el personal escolar, las Escuelas del Condado de Hoke han tomado la difícil decisión de cancelar el programa de entregas de comida inmediatamente. Desafortunadamente, no se entregarán más comidas mañana ni por el resto del mes de enero.

VIDEO: CASEY BOSLEY IS NAMED WRAL'S TEACHER OF THE WEEK

DR. DEBRA DOWLESS NAMED HOKE COUNTY SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT

The Hoke County Board of Education has named Dr. Debra Dowless the next Superintendent of Hoke County Schools. Dr. Dowless has over 24 years of experience in public education, all of which have been in Hoke County. Her experience gives her a deep understanding of the Hoke County School System’s history and organizational culture.

Dr. Dowless previously served as Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Curriculum and Instruction for Hoke County Schools under the leadership of Superintendent Dr. Freddie Williamson. In this role, Dr. Dowless was responsible for developing, improving, and assessing the effectiveness of curriculum and instruction. Prior to serving in her current role, she served as the Principal of Rockfish Hoke Elementary for eight years, the Assistant Principal of Hawk Eye Elementary for two years, and an elementary teacher in Hoke County for eight years. She has been honored as the Hoke County Math Teacher of the Year, Rockfish Hoke Elementary Teacher of the Year and Hoke County Principal of the Year.

Dr. Dowless stated she is committed to equity and improving students’ academic achievement, a theme that has been shaped by her educational journey.

“We believe in the moral imperative that all students should have access to a high quality education that includes enriching academic programs, rigorous instruction, and 21st century technology. We also believe this can be realized through commitment to innovation, problem solving, alignment of resources and efforts, and above all, decision making in the best interest of students.”

Dr. Dowless has an extensive educational background having earned a Doctorate in School Leadership and a Master in School Administration from Fayetteville State University, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania. Dr. Dowless has also broadened her knowledge through her involvement in professional organizations, including the Educational Policy Fellowship Program, The Innovation Project, and the Sandhills Regional Education Consortium.

Upon her selection, Dr. Dowless stated her appreciation for the opportunity to serve, “I am honored and humbled to have been selected to continue our story, our work, and our service to our community as the next Superintendent of the Hoke County School System.”

FALL 2020 TESTING INFORMATION

With all of us working together to give our students the best possible school year, we would like to share some important information with you. As you may recall, the end-of-grade (EOG) and end-of-course (EOC) tests were canceled due to COVID-19 related school closures last spring. This was possible because education leaders at the U.S. Department of Education granted a waiver from these tests for the 2019–20 school year.

Recently, the U.S. Department of Education’s Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, shared there will not be a waiver from testing for this school year. Students who are receiving instruction are expected to participate in all North Carolina state assessments (EOCs, EOGs, ACT, and WorkKeys). As a reminder, North Carolina does not allow students to opt out of required testing unless there are extenuating circumstances. As mandated by the North Carolina Department of Instruction, students are required to take all state assessments in a face-to-face (in person) setting in the school building. Our students who are receiving instruction remotely will go to their schools to take these tests. We understand that you may be concerned about the safety of your students when returning to the school building to take a test. To ensure this is a safe environment for our students, we will ensure the following health and safety requirements are in place:

• Promote social distancing

• Student and staff temperatures will be checked upon arriving to campus and before entering the school buildings

• Students and staff are required to wear masks at all times

• Testing locations/classrooms will be limited to fifty percent (50%) capacity (no more than 15 students in a testing room)

• School buildings will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before students return to school the next day

Transportation will be provided to all students. Breakfast and lunch will be provided to all students as well.

MORE INFORMATION and FAQ

HOKE COUNTY ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS MOVE TO PLAN A IN JANUARY

After reviewing results from parent surveys, the Hoke County Board of Education has approved a plan for all elementary schools to return to in-person classes four days per week beginning in January. All schools will maintain an online learning option available for parents who prefer to keep their child at home. Elementary schools will release a new survey to parents of elementary students on November 19 which will give families the chance to choose which option they prefer.

When Hoke County elementary schools implement Plan A next semester, students will be back to face-to-face classes Monday through Thursday. Fridays will continue to be online-only for all Hoke County students. Fridays will be used for online instruction, as well as deep cleaning of the buildings, teacher development and lesson planning.

Parents of elementary school children will have two options: Plan A: child(ren) attend school for four days of in-person classes, with remote learning on Friday; or Plan C: child(ren) stay home and attend class via Hoke County Schools Online remote learning only.

This change is only for elementary schools. Middle and high school students will continue to have a choice between Plan B or Plan C for the start of the spring semester. Plan A is not an option for middle or high school students in Hoke County.

All current health safety measures, such as temperature screenings and face coverings, will remain in place for all schools in the spring semester.

State Superintendent Mark Johnson Announces $10 Million in School Construction Grant to Hoke County

North Carolina Superintendent Mark Johnson has announced that $55 million in grant funds from the Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund will be awarded this year to school districts in Edenton-Chowan, Hoke, Robeson, and Wayne counties. The grant awards will allow for construction of new school buildings in these economically distressed areas.

“This is the fourth year these funds have been made available to benefit our students and educators who have had to deal with outdated facilities,” Johnson said. “These grants will help address our state’s need to replace old, outdated schools with better learning environments. “

Hoke County: $10 million to build the SandHoke School of Engineering. This will be a state-of-the-art facility that will include 27 classrooms/labs that will support applied studies in the field of engineering and be located on the Hoke County campus of Sandhills Community College ($28.19 million total project cost). It will also relieve overcrowding at other facilities.

“On behalf of Hoke County Schools, we thank State Superintendent Johnson for selecting our Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund 2020 Grant Application to be funded. In partnership with Sandhills Community College and Hoke County Board of Commissioners, we plan to build SandHoke School of Engineering which will offer the students of Hoke County tremendous opportunities. The SandHoke School of Engineering will provide additional college pathways for students pursuing an Associate in Applied Science degree, and will also address the issue of equity by focusing efforts on encouraging our female students to pursue careers in Engineering and Computer Science. Additionally, this school will allow Hoke County Schools to address the growth of our student population while saving capital funds for future school construction projects.”

Freddie Williamson, Superintendent

Hoke County Schools

HOKE COUNTY MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS LAUNCH AN ACADEMIC HELPLINE

HCS Academic Helpline

On October 5th, Hoke County middle and high school students will gain access to help on their course work through the HCS Academic Helpline. Middle school students can receive assistance Monday through Thursday from 5:00 pm-7:00 pm, while help for high school students will be available from 6:00 pm-8:00 pm. The HCS Academic Helpline sessions will provide any Hoke County middle or high school student with access to homework assistance, as well as additional clarity on a course concept to improve their comprehension and college and career readiness skills from certified teachers in English, Math, Science, and Social Studies. Additionally, Exceptional Children and English Learner instructors will be available to provide specialized services to students who have a disability or are English language learners.

The HCS Academic Helpline will provide support to students through Zoom sessions that students can access using their school Gmail account. The Zoom meeting IDs will be accessible to all students via the district and school websites. Students will be able to log in to the Zoom session of their choice. There is no limit to students' use of Zoom each week. Students are encouraged to seek academic support through the helpline. Families may reach out to their school principal, assistant principal or school counselor with any questions or concerns.