Nearly 700 faculty and staff attend Hancock County School District Convocation

HANCOCK COUNTY, Miss. (WLOX) - As the new school year starts next week in Hancock County, the school district came together Monday morning for fellowship, fun and recognition.

Nearly seven hundred faculty and staff piled into the Hancock County Performing Arts Center. High energy and enthusiasm could be heard as dozens of standout educators were awarded, including Rebecca Carver of Hancock North Central Elementary who was shocked when her name was called among others for the “Excellence in Teaching” category.

“I did not know this was going to happen,” said Carver. “I work along with other teachers that work with me very hard every single year. My principal sent me the results that I had a ninety-two proficient advance, and I was like oh my god, can someone go back and recheck those scores because this is unimaginable.”

The district also highlighted first-year teachers like Kayleigh Warton of South Hancock Elementary.

“It’s so uplifting just feeling all the support from all the staff and all the district and all the different schools together,” Warton said. “It just makes me really excited to be here.”

The twenty-two-year-old is a former student of Carver’s.

“I’ve just learned so much from her,” Warton continued. “Just growing up having great teachers like her has made me really realize that this is what I want to do and make the difference like they did.”

Paula Mcraney, a veteran educator of almost twenty-five-years with the district says it feels more like a family. She currently works as a teacher at Hancock High School.

“This is the best one.” says Mcraney. “I came up through the Hancock School District. I had a lot of great teachers that influenced my life. I’m glad to be a part of this district due to the same thing. We have the best students and the best kids in Mississippi in this school district.”

The convocation also included training sessions to help make sure students are safe, including poverty simulation and active shooter awareness.

“As a district, they’re working really hard to ensure the safety and security of the school with the physical plant and with our Centegix emergency response badges,” she says. “It is something that I keep in mind now that I didn’t have to before but once the bell rings and the door closes it’s not something I worry about in my classroom.”

The response badges will instantly alert administration of potential danger and give access to the teacher’s current position. Mcraney says the safety gadget also has a feature to lock down the school depending on the severity of the circumstance.

In addition to keeping everyone safe, Hancock County School District says it hopes to foster a more inclusive and compassionate learning environment this year.

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