Tabatha Mattingly is our Spotlight Teacher for South Hancock Elementary. Tabatha teaches fifth grade at South and loves her students! Tabatha has been teaching for ten years and has taught all elementary grade levels K-5. Tabatha was inspired to become a teacher by one of her former teachers, Mrs. Nicely. She said Mrs. Nicely showed her love, grace, patience and kindness and that is her goal with all of her students now! Mrs. Mattingly was trained in Orton Gillingham and Morphology through IMSE (Institute for Multi-Sensory Education) and uses her training daily in her fifth grade classroom! Mrs. Mattingly is married to Dustin and has three children; Briley who is a senior in high school & a college freshman, Charley who is 9 and in 3rd grade at South Hancock, and a son, Lawson, who is a first grader at South. Mrs. Mattingly also has two dogs; Annie, who is a German Shepherd, and Oakley, a dachshund. Mrs. Mattingly's favorite hobbies are reading and cross-stitching. She loves the Spring time of year the most, with all the signs of new life! One of her favorite quotes is, Ephesians 4:32 "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as Christ forgave you." She said it reminds her of the grace she receives daily, and that she should extend the same to others any chance she gets. Thank you, Mrs. Mattingly for all you do!

North Hancock's Spotlight Teacher is Alex Kratzer. Alex is a Kindergarten teacher at North and is in her first year of teaching! Miss Kratzer is a Hancock County native and is soon to be Mrs. DeWitt! She will be getting married in November to Tanner DeWitt, also of Hancock County. Alex is a graduate of Western Kentucky University and was thrilled to be back home in Hancock County to teach at her very own elementary school. Alex has been trained through the Institute for Multi-Sensory Education (IMSE) in Orton-Gillingham methodologies and is implementing it in her Kindergarten classroom, where she is teaching these littles to READ!! Alex says that Mrs. Michele Smith (also of North Hancock) was who inspired her to become a teacher. She says she wants to be the light for her students, especially on their dark days, make learning fun and exciting, and make a real difference in their lives! Miss Kratzer loves running and spending time with her family. She said fall is her favorite time of year as she gets to see the leaves change colors, reminding her of God's beauty! She said her favorite quote is, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5

We want to welcome Miss Kratzer (soon to be Mrs. DeWitt) back home as she serves her students, parents, and community!

Hancock County Middle School's Heather Bowlds is one of our "Spotlight" teachers this month!

Heather is originally from Rockport, Indiana and has been teaching for 19 years. In her tenure, Mrs. Bowlds has taught Math, Reading, and Language Arts. Heather has been trained in Orton Gillingham methodologies from the Institute for Multi-Sensory Education (IMSE). She then had the opportunity to be trained in IMSE's Morphology. Heather currently is teaching Reading (with OG), Language Arts, and Morphology to her students at the Hancock County Middle School. Heather was interviewed by KET last fall and spoke about how much she has loved her trainings and how much she knows it will help her students succeed! Mrs. Bowlds was inspired to become a teacher by her grandfather and her favorite teacher, Mr. Hess. She said she wants to be a positive influence and make a difference in her student's lives. Mrs. Bowlds favorite quote is, “A good education can change anyone. A good teacher can change everything!” -anonymous

Her favorite hobbies include; reading, traveling, shopping, and spending time with family and friends. Heather is married to Dwight and has two daughters; Kylie who is 16 (and is a part of the HC Marching Hornets), and Avery who is 11. She has 3 fur babies; Angel, Princess, and Oliver. We are blessed to have Heather in such a crucial position at HCMS!

All over the district teachers continue to have conversations about how they can help students and move them forward. HC teachers from Kindergarten to high school are using Orton-Gillingham methodologies and IMSE Morphology. Of course, these programs wouldn't be what they are if not for the teachers who, day in and day out, show up for and take pride in giving our HC students the very best instruction possible. Not only are they offering top-notch instruction but they continue to build strong relationships with their students. Hancock County Public Schools continue to stand in the gap often with its instruction, relationships, family resource centers, extra-curricular activities, and teachers and administration that continually seek ways to keep students from "falling through the cracks." All students in the elementary schools (grade K-3) will receive a copy of the "Read at Home Family Guide" (see below) to further help bridge the gap between home and school.