Happy Holidays!  It’s difficult to believe, but with the arrival of the KCS Winter Break, the first half of the 2017-18 school year has drawn to a close.  So much has happened during these past few months… It has been a busy and exciting semester!

This week, the Saturday Six pauses to look back on all that has taken place since the start of the school year.  From celebrating the Kingsport Centennial, to breaking ground on the new Regional Science and Technology Center, to announcing the new KCS Superintendent (Welcome, Dr. Jeff Moorhouse!!), 2017 was a great year in the history of KCS.  Let’s review some of the major items from the first half of the year.

1. The school year started on a high note, as KCS kicked things off by honoring the third class of the KCS Hall of Fame.  This keystone award recognizes former employees that have most impacted the Kingsport educational community during their careers with KCS.  In 2017, five KCS retirees with over 140 years of combined educational experience were honored with this prestigious designation.  Congratulations to Mrs. Celia Bachelder, Ms. Mabel Doggett, Mr. Rick Everroad, Mr. Waldo Smith, and Mr. Howard Young.
2. KCS celebrated the 100th birthday of Kingsport all throughout 2017, but a signature event took place on August 26 with KCS involvement, as the Centennial Park was dedicated to the Kingsport community.  A key feature of the park is a display of tilework highlighting the history of transportation in Kingsport, created by KCS students.  Some of those students even joined the celebration by cutting the ribbon to officially open the park.  As a bonus, KCS collaborated with Sullivan County Schools and Saint Dominick School to create a free downloadable Centennial Celebration coloring book. It’s still available by clicking here!
3. A wide variety of communications continued this year to better inform the Kingsport community of all the great things taking place throughout KCS.  Have you been watching the WeAreKCS Video Blog?  It’s a great way to learn more about the work of students and educators.  Look for even more program highlights in the coming year!  This fall, we’ve highlighted:
   • How students are building foundational technology knowledge through coding experiences.
   • The partnership between KCS and the Kingsport Police Department, including the School Resource Officers in our schools.
   • The award-winning KCS athletic trainers.
   • Ways students are learning more about career opportunities, including the KCS 4th grade career expo.
4. The Saturday Six blog highlighted groups of individuals key to the success of KCS, including our dedicated school librarians and bus drivers.  Along with so many other individuals, these women and men bring their very best each and every day to support the physical and educational well-being of over 7,500 Kingsport children.  Their work is central to what makes Kingsport City Schools so great!
5. It’s never too soon to start planning ahead.  This fall, the 2018-19 KCS Calendar was unveiled.  The first day for students will be Monday, August 6, 2018, kicking off an instructional year that includes 178 student days, with 89 days each in the fall and spring semesters.  The first student day of the Spring Semester will be Tuesday, January 8, 2019, and will conclude on Thursday, May 23, 2019.  Dobyns-Bennett graduation will take place on the morning of Saturday, May 5, 2019.
6. December has been a whirlwind of activities across the district, with MANY concerts and holiday celebrations taking place.  Did you know that the voice of Kingsport City Schools, 90.3 FM WCSK Radio, was there to record and rebroadcast many of these events?  Let WCSK be the soundtrack of your holiday season by listening to 90.3 on your FM radio dial.  Better yet, click here to access the on-demand listening option.  Ten (!) holiday concerts are available for online listening at any time!

Great things are in store for the students, staff, and families of KCS in 2018.  We’ll see you in the new year!

Next week in the Saturday Six:  Just like the rest of KCS, the Saturday Six will be taking a couple of weeks off to celebrate the holidays.  Look for the next edition on Saturday, January 13, 2018.