Parent Profile

Yale Camerata Welcomes One of Henderson's Own

By Kaycee Garner // Photo by Darrin Phegley

Henderson, Kentucky is a city filled with potential that can be seen everywhere you go. Whether you are taking a peek at one of our beautiful murals or experiencing delicious home-cooking from one of our top-notch local restaurants, you can be sure to find something that everyone enjoys. This applies to Henderson County High School as well, where the School of Fine Arts lies and students and teachers alike showcase their incredible talents in music, art, and theatre. One

of these talented teachers is Heather Eaves, who recently became the Fine Arts Coordinator for Henderson County High for the upcoming school year and serves as the HCHS Choir Director.

MUSIC IS A CALLING

Heather received her Bachelor of Music Education through Kentucky Wesleyan, which was then followed by a Masters in Music Education at Westminster Choir College. She has been at Henderson County High School since 2017 and offers many opportunities for her students, including School of Fine Arts masterclasses once a month with a distinguished choral artist, additional voice lessons with professionals, and honor choir once a week. The choral department held a small concert on April 29th, which functioned as a senior night for the choir students in their final year as well.

AN OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME

Heather is not only an impressive teacher, but also a very accomplished vocalist who was invited to sing with the Yale Camerata sponsored by the Yale Institute of Sacred Music. The Yale Camerata is usually open only to Yale, with rehearsals and concerts typically held on campus. Because of COVID-19, everything was made virtual, and everyone was able to audition. Heather auditioned virtually for the Yale Camerata at the beginning of the spring semester of 2021, and found out she was one of the 175 people across the country to make it in. She was asked to send in a video of her singing an aria, along with everyone who auditioned. Heather was unaware of how many auditioned, but she believes it was a large number of people since it was open for all. Heather’s inclusion into this group is a massive accomplishment and one Henderson can be proud of, as Heather is a great person to represent the fine arts for our city.

The Yale Camerata sings about a variety of topics, but one common theme is social justice. Their songs explore topics ranging from mental health, racial disparities, women’s rights, and much more. One unique aspect about the Yale Camerata is they are often joined in their rehearsals by the composers of the pieces they are practicing. They have been visited by composers such as Craig Hella Johnson, a Grammy winner for Best Choral Performance, and Joel Thompson, a winner of the American Prize for Choral Composition. Heather said it was an honor to work with individuals such as them. The group met weekly via Zoom for rehearsals and put on a virtual concert at the beginning of May. She recorded a new piece each week. They were conducted by Andre Thomas, who has won many awards for both conducting and composing. Heather was grateful for the experience and hopes she can be a part of something similar in the future.

PUSHING THROUGH THE CHALLENGES

Heather made comparisons between the virtual aspects of the Yale Camerata and her students she was teaching online. “With the Yale Camerata, the participants have their own spaces to sing and they aren’t really shy about it, but with my students, many of them don’t have a dedicated place where they can go to sing loudly, so it was a bit of a challenge this school year.” Heather did not let these challenges stop her, however, as she spent the many hours that it took to take each individual student recording of their part in a composition and combined them all together to make a video of the song for her students. Heather looks forward to being able to teach her students again in person for the upcoming school year. HF

KAYCEE GARNER has lived in Henderson her entire life and plans to keep it that way. She loves animals and movies, and enjoys drawing with charcoal and working on local political campaigns in her spare time.

A CALL TO ADVOCATE TOGETHER Helping Local Children in Their Time of Need

By Amanda Waggener // Photo by Darrin Phegley

When Brent and Bridget Houston moved to Henderson from Ballard County in 2017, the couple knew they wanted to get involved in an impactful way in their new community. The newcomers, who have 6 children, 3 grandchildren and another grandchild due in January, found CASA to be the perfect fit for their passions and desire to help.

THE IMPORTANCE OF VOLUNTEERS

CASA, which stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate, has a mission which states that they “provide specially trained and supervised community volunteers to advocate for abused and neglected children in the courts, in schools, and in the community to help find safe, permanent, and loving homes.” According to Amy Hawk, CASA’s Volunteer Coordinator, Henderson has an abundance of cases and not enough volunteers to manage them, expressing that “we are in great need in Henderson for CASA volunteers.” She reports that Henderson has witnessed a strong uptick in child abuse cases since the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine began in this area in 2020. “We are finding children who are very severely abused. They have been quarantined with their abusers. Now they are coming into our care. We only have 7 volunteers. We’d like 100.” Amy further highlights the dire need for volunteers by adding, “in 2019, Henderson had 352 children that came before the family court for abuse and neglect. That’s a significant number of children. We are serving a very narrow part of that population due to lack of volunteers.”

FINDING A CALLING

“None of the kids go to court,” Bridget explains, “I go for them. I write a report to give the court updating them on how the child is doing. So, the judge gets a real life view of the child that isn’t just coming from a social worker. I make recommendations on the court report. I will recommend if I think the child needs to see a therapist or have an educational assessment. Whatever I feel is in the best interest of the child is what I add to the report. I’m the voice for the child. I advocate for whatever they need.”

Mrs. Houston becomes excited when we begin describing how she develops connections with the children explaining that it’s a relatively small time commitment,

but very meaningful. The couple tries to spend about an hour per week with the child or sibling group. They play games with them and get them comfortable with sharing their thoughts with one another. Once she has the child warmed up to her and at ease, she begins asking them how they feel about their foster care placement. She asks them if they have any concerns or any worries they’d like to talk about. They also talk about school. “I’m age appropriately honest about what’s going on in court. I want them to understand as best they can. They feel so out of control. A lot of times, even as adults, if we understand what’s going on it can sometimes make us less anxious. Understanding makes it a little better.” The volunteer acknowledges that it’s tough sometimes. The conversations can get heavy. The children have endured much trauma leading them to have complicated feelings. “It’s terrible to take these kids out of the home with all the turmoil. They have no voice,” her voice swells with passion as she continues, “They don’t have a mom or a dad asking them if they are okay or asking

HOW TO BECOME A VOLUNTEER

There are no educational requirements or certifications needed to become a CASA volunteer. The only requirement is that “you just have to have a heart for a child,” says the volunteer coordinator. She further gave details on how the volunteer will be trained, “You have to be 21 or older. You will attend the 30-hour training. Some of the training is on zoom and some is in person. It’s about a 5-week process. Then the court will appoint you to a case. We will support you with making recommendations to the court.”

CASA understands that part of helping the child is helping their family. “Our intent is for the child to return to their home. We help get the family connected to parenting classes, mental health assistance; whatever is needed so that the family can be reunited,” stated Hawk.

Brent has a full-time job. Bridget has multiple sclerosis. However, neither find the time commitment burdensome. “Sometimes we do our visits together. It’s very easy to fit it in because you develop a relationship with those kids. You want to see them,” gushed the community servant. “Being a child advocate and CASA volunteer gives you the opportunity to pour encouragement and resources into children and their families for life changing effects. It changes the course of that child’s life. It’s very rewarding.”

In addition to court advocates, CASA also offers other options to volunteer that include sorting toys at Christmastime, serving at their annual events, taking brochures to display at places of employment, monetary donations and offering skill sets such as marketing and graphic design. Further information can be found by visiting www.MidwestCASA.org. HF

AMANDA WAGGENER is a blogger for the Huffington Post, author of No Grit No Pearl blog site and is a native of Henderson. She and her husband are the parents of two teenagers who they are raising with as much zeal as they can muster.

#LEADLIKEJEFFE #LEADLIKEJEFFE

Written by Lyndi Mauk // Photo by Darrin Phegley

“The impact it has had on students and teachers and still trying to teach content during the pandemic, it has been hard, but again, you just have to try. If you don’t try, you don’t know. You fail, you learn things from it. The teachers have helped each other, and that has been really positive for our staff and schools within our district,” expressed Jefferson Elementary Principal, Gwen Courtney.

TEACHING IS A WAY OF LIFE

Principal Courtney moved to Henderson County in 2006 with her husband, Jason Courtney, who also works for Henderson County Schools with the Transportation Department. Outside of being a teacher, she enjoys spending time with friends and shopping. She laughed saying, “I also really enjoy singing and dancing, even though I can’t do either.” She started teaching for Henderson County Schools in 2007 where she taught 5th grade for 6 years at East Heights Elementary, then came to Jefferson Elementary as the Instructional Coach from 2013-2019. The Instructional Coach is very similar to Assistant Principal at other schools, so she worked alongside the previous Principal, Chrissy Sandefur, in her role as Instructional Coach. In December 2019, Courtney became the Interim Principal for Jefferson Elementary, and she was officially named Principal on April 23, 2020. Mrs. Courtney has been teaching for 22 years, and she is beyond grateful for every student, teacher and opportunity that’s led her to where she is today.

NEW ROLE. NEW SET OF CHALLENGES. NEW OPPORTUNITIES

Principal Courtney always sees the glass half full. She said she always chooses light, faith and hope, so it came to no surprise when she shared how she turned the challenges into positives during her first school year as principal, despite the pandemic.

Her biggest concern as principal was about staying connected to Jefferson’s families and kids and making them feel part of Jefferson Elementary in the virtual learning world. But, Principal Courtney rallied behind her teachers and staff to jump over every hurdle they crossed. “I feel like we have done that to the best of our abilities, but it’s still been hard. My staff are very positive. They also see the glass half full. They do everything and more. I don’t even have to ask them. They will go to houses and assess kids in their front yard if they have to. Always willing to do whatever it takes and more,” the proud principal stated. They would reach out to students and do a lot of home visits. They even made their own home visit doorknob signs, where students could check if they needed assistance with homework or if they were in need of food. “I have learned these streets of Henderson County,” Courtney said, and she is grateful for that.

Before COVID, students were used to gathering in the gym every morning to say the pledge and mission statement. But, they had to get creative when the 2020-2021 school year began, and this is where the “Jeffe News” premiered. “This year I feel like kids know me better than they would have because of the Jeffe News,” she said. “Every morning teachers do segments. I am there, and I do the morning motivation with a song and make up funny stuff. I will use 80s music and dance. I don’t think they would have known me like that before. They look at me, and I am talking to them on the TV, so it’s very one-on-one for them.” She laughed saying it was like she was a celebrity with her students this year, and it has also allowed students to meet other teachers, too. “Jeffe News” was such a hit last school year, they are going to continue with it this upcoming school year, too.

Typically, Jefferson Elementary would host a family night, which had to be cancelled last year. Christmas is usually a big time for the students as well, where they would go down to the Santa Mall, and churches would come in to help wrap the gifts they picked out. With drive-thrus being so popular during the pandemic, they put on a new event called, “Jeffe’s DriveThru Jingle.” There were Christmas lights and inflatable Christmas trees. Students were able to have their photo taken, and teachers and staff wore different costumes, such as the Grinch and Pooh Bear. They gave out books and a toy to each student, along with a meal. “We had the most families and kids we have ever had at any family event,” the joyful principal said. They had almost 200 families attend this event, and this was another positive new addition Jefferson Elementary has decided to continue with.

PREPARING FOR THE NEW SCHOOL BUILDING

Coming in as the new principal, Mrs. Courtney not only had to overcome the challenges of leading her teachers and staff during the pandemic, but she also stepped into a role to help with decisions for the new Jefferson Elementary School building. The construction manager for the project is Codell Construction and the architect is Hafer Design. “I have been working with a team of people on the furniture recently,” she said. The school is being built for 400 students. There will be two levels. It is going to have a very 21st century, modern look with lots of colors inside the building.

The library is going to be the heart of the school building, as it will sit right in the center. Their current school doesn’t have much of a gymnasium, so they are very excited about the gym where students can all sit together. The gym will also have a stage. A tornado shelter will be in place to protect every student and teacher.

There isn’t a set open date just yet. They are anticipating construction to be complete by December 2021, but it will definitely be 2022 if it isn’t finished by the end of this year. They are working very diligently to get the new school completed. “I have my own hardhat with Jeffe on it,” said the excited principal, who has been involved every step of the way. Currently, they are trying to write grants and raise money for the playground equipment. The new school will be located behind South Middle School. “We are so excited for the community, our kids and families and what that new building is going to represent for us. The experiences it is going to provide for us and the opportunities,” stated Mrs. Courtney.

A NEW FACE IN TOWN

When Mrs. Courtney stepped into her new role, a paw print represented the Jefferson Jaguars. It was important to Mrs. Courtney to grow their mascot and school slogan. They have a new mascot in town. His name is Jeffe, and their slogan is #LeadLikeJeffe. “Lead” is their acronym, which stands for listen, effort, accountability and determination. These are the core values for staff, and they encourage students to be good leaders, too. It has been important to Principal Courtney to help brand Jefferson Elementary and get the community to invest in them. The school now provides magnets, bracelets, stick on removable tattoos and more of Jeffe for staff and students to show their school spirit.

LOOKING AHEAD

“I am always growing. You don’t know what you don’t know until you are in it. I have learned that you have to go with the flow. You never know what curveball is going

to come at you. You just have to be positive,” she said. Principal Courtney has tried her best to be supportive of the teachers and encourage them. She recalls telling them, “Don’t be afraid to take risks because we are in the unknown. It is okay to fail. We will try things, and if that doesn’t work, we will go to a plan B.” Mrs. Courtney grew so much this last year on what it takes to be a good leader for the kids, parents, teachers and herself. “The biggest thing is I can’t let anything get me down. This too shall pass.”

Despite this last year, Principal Courtney could not have been more proud of her teachers and staff. “I am so proud of them. I am like a mama bear,” as she smiled thinking about how blessed she is. “I always think, as a teacher, what would I need? I try to be supportive, but always do what is best for the kids.”

Jefferson Elementary has a lot to look forward to during this upcoming year. Mrs. Courtney chuckled saying, “Right now, I’m excited we don’t have to wear masks!” But, she truly is excited to see all the smiling faces of her teachers, staff and students. Last year, Jefferson had some new hires, and Mrs. Courtney never really saw their faces. She recalls having a hard time knowing who kids or adults were, and she is so looking forward to seeing everyone this year! “Jeffe’s Jam” is an event where kids come and meet their teacher for the first time. They didn’t get to host it last year, so she is extremely excited about this event and the kids meeting their new mascot, Jeffe. Despite the pandemic, Gwen Courtney stepped into a new role as principal not realizing how she would be challenged as a leader. But, she took one day at a time, remained optimistic and hopeful, worked with her teachers and staff to come up with creative ways to stay connected and found some fun new additions for her Jaguar family for the upcoming years. Principal Courtney said, “I am most excited about normalcy again but with a splash of glitter!” HF

LYNDI MAUK, editor of Henderson Family Magazine, was born and raised in the Bluegrass State. She is grateful to be going through life alongside her husband and best friend, Brandon, and being a mother to their two kids.