Many people measure their lives in milestones. A milestone is a significant point in development; an important event; a turning point. Personal milestones include births, marriages, and even deaths. Most adults remember their sixteenth birthday as a major milestone. Your first job is an incredible milestone. Some milestones may seem insignificant to others but are turning points for you personally.

Spring is always a time for milestones in the lives of our students. Smiling Kindergarten students march toward first grade, and eager eighth grade students commence to their high school years with some trepidation and lots of excitement. With joyful tears, our Haywood High School seniors complete their high school experience and reach for bright futures.

Regardless of your age or grade level, graduation is a beginning, a new start. Almost 200 Haywood High School seniors graduated on Monday, May 24 at L.Z. Hurley Memorial Field in a beautiful ceremony. Graduates with their proud parents and other family members were able to celebrate their accomplishments and look toward a successful future. To top off a wonderful evening, the awards and scholarships totaled over two million dollars. Our gracious Heavenly Father provided perfect weather for this auspicious event.

This school year in Haywood County has been a year filled with milestones. In HCS, we have welcomed new employees and bid farewell to distinguished colleagues. Many HCS employees have been assigned new responsibilities. On the other hand, Haywood County Schools has faced instructional milestones during the 2009-2010 school year. While tackling rigorous standards of instruction, we have successfully implemented benchmark testing in order to focus instruction on areas of need. We have also instituted an instructional impact team on each campus to gauge both areas of success and areas of need. During the 2009-2010 school year, instructional facilitators have tirelessly assisted schools with instructional improvement. With each milestone, we have been able to improve the educational experiences of our students.

As your Superintendent of Schools, I look forward to a future filled with milestones for Haywood County Schools. Each new school year is a new beginning. My staff and I will spend the summer evaluating the 2009-2010 school year and planning for the 2010-2011 school year. Our goal is no secret. We want to partner with the home and community to ensure a positive, safe learning environment and to provide all students with the knowledge and skills that will enable them to be lifelong learners.

Marlon D. King
Superintendent,
Haywood County Schools