Greenup County School District -

We lovingly remember Mr. Ron Cartee, who was a wonderful alumnus and advocate for Greenup County Schools. In fact, Mr. Cartee was a GC Hall of Fame member. Luckily, we found an assortment of photos we took during his induction ceremony. We absolutely love his genuine and happy smile in this candid photo, where he was in the company of family, old friends, and fellow Greenup Countians. Mr. Cartee was a graduate of McKell High School before it was unified into Greenup County Schools. He was known as an ambitious and hard working student who became a student leader in the school band and FFA, amongst other things. Cartee even caught the favor of Jesse Stuart, who wrote glowing recommendations for Cartee. Cartee was Stuart’s student and also did work on his farm. Mr. Cartee went on to Morehead State to study business, where he met his wife, Diane. His studies would prove to be the perfect focus for young Ronald Cartee. With the support of his wife, he became a successful businessman who was known for kindness and generosity. Cartee never forgot the children of Greenup County and the power of education. If you look back at our posts throughout the years, you can find many that show him visiting and talking to our students. Cartee donated thousands of books to Greenup County Schools, many being Jesse Stuart books. He and Diane also set up scholarships to benefit Greenup County students pursuing higher education. He truly believed in education and literacy, and was an advocate of such for our students. We extend our condolences to the Cartee family. Once again, we applaud Mr. Cartee for being a wonderful example of what Greenup County children can accomplish – and we will fondly remember all he did for our students. #BelieveInGC

This week's schedule features our boys basketball team playing a team from Australia!! GC played against Eltham at the Carolina Invitational over holiday break!! #BelieveInGC

Please help us welcome and congratulate Matt Tussey for becoming the newest member of our School Board! Many of you may already know Matt – he’s a lifelong Greenup resident and has been a figure at our local golf course since his days in high school! For those of you who do not, allow us to officially introduce our new board member. Matt Tussey is a “Greenup guy” through and through. “It’s where my parents went, where I went, and where I wanted my own kids to go,” Matt said. In fact, he graduated from GC with his wife, Emily, in 2001. Now their children, Michael (8) and Maverick (6), are Musketeers as well! If you don’t know Matt as a GC graduate or parent, you may know him from his long history at River Bend Golf Club. He is the Superintendent and Pro at the course after working his way up from washing golf carts in 1999. When we asked Matt what made him interested in becoming a board member he explained that the idea came from seeing the value of board members when his father served on our board years ago. Matt summed up his reason for wanting to serve, which makes it so evident that he will be a wonderful addition. “I love GC and I believe in public schools. I want to do all I can to make GC the best it can be for our students, and that includes my own kids,” Matt said. Congratulations and welcome to the Greenup County School Board! We are grateful to have you in this position! #BelieveInGC

Musketeers, tomorrow, Jan. 7, 2025, will be an NTI Day. We are grateful to have electricity in our area so this can occur. All schools have made arrangements to be flexible with students during this time. Stay safe and warm, and enjoy today! #BelieveInGC

Due to the severe winter storm, GCSD will be closed tomorrow January 6, 2025. Please stay safe and stay home if possible. We will evaluate plans for Tuesday early tomorrow afternoon. Pray for our first responders and emergency teams assisting in this weather.

Please help us thank Mrs. Barb Gullett for her many years serving the children of GC! You can see her in the top photo serving students lunch for the last time of her career, which began in 1998. Her recent position has been the driving force behind our district’s food service, which ensures that our students are never left hungry. Barb’s retirement fell during our holiday break and the timing seems to be perfect for her – she gets to stay settled into her life at home. As you can see from the bottom picture, Mrs. Gullett recently became a grandmother (our office gifted books to each other, which will be donated to classrooms). She’s hardly been able to contain the joy her twin grandchildren give her, and she is looking forward to being at home so she can spend time with them. Barb has always shown great joy, though. She takes great pride in what our school kitchens accomplish – making sure our students are well fed and never having to worry about being hungry while trying to learn. She truly is passionate about this, and we appreciate service to the students of Greenup County. Thank you, Barb, and congratulations!! We hope you enjoy your retirement and time with your growing family! #BelieveInGC

We are so excited to share this news with you!! Introducing the Jesse Stuart Institute – coming next school year!! The Jesse Stuart Institute (JSI) is our very own Early College Program that will provide the opportunity for Musketeers to earn their high school diploma and a full associate's degree at the same time. Many students and families will really appreciate this next detail... Students in JSI will still be considered Greenup County students, which means you can still participate in all the extra curricular activities and daily events at school! Through collaboration with our partners such as KCTCS, students can begin college in grade 11 and graduate with both a high school and an associate's degree relating to their future career. The Jesse Stuart Institute will be open to incoming Juniors, so we encourage our Sophomores and their families to discuss this opportunity! We will share more information after break. We appreciate the many people who have worked so hard to bring this to life! We can’t wait to provide our Musketeers with this wonderful opportunity! #BelieveInGC

We lovingly remember Audrey Crum, a wonderful woman who served for 48 years as an employee and member of the Musketeer family. Our hearts are with Audrey’s family and her daughter, Vicki Lovins, who is one of our colleagues. There is an abundance of kind words from anyone who you ask about Mrs. Crum. She was a custodian who spent nearly a half century pouring her heart into serving others. She was known for working long hours to make sure that facilities were clean for students. While doing so, she was known for checking in and encouraging others who were working late — she truly defined “going above and beyond”. Mrs. Crum was also known for the wonderful smile she always wore. She was full of positivity and humor. Anyone who was fortunate enough to know Mrs. Crum will tell you that she was compassionate and cared deeply about others. Mrs. Crum is a shining example of a core belief at GC — that people of all disciplines have the opportunity to make a difference for children. We feel deeply grateful that Mrs. Crum was a part of our family. We cherish her dedication and contributions to the Greenup County School District, where she will be greatly missed.

Please help us thank Linda Wellman for 53 years of service to the Greenup County School District! Ms. Wellman taught for 27 years, returning to serve on our school board for another 26 years. Ms. Wellman is a Greenup gal through and through. She graduated from Wurtland High School before the county schools consolidated, going on to serving her entire teaching career in Greenup County. Over those 27 years, she taught at Oldtown Elementary, Argillite Elementary, and Wurtland Middle. Serving on our board proved to provide Ms. Wellman with an opportunity to make a big difference. Notably, she was an early advocate and champion for our preschool program. She is thrilled that, today, our preschools give students an incredible jumpstart in their education. Ms. Wellman has expressed great satisfaction in the choices and opportunities that our students have to prepare them for their futures. After such a long tenure as an educator and board member, it is safe to say that Ms. Wellman has played a huge role in the good things happening for our Musketeers. Thank you for 53 years of service to our students and community, Ms. Wellman!

This week's schedule highlights students on our wrestling team! Congratulations to the team for their success at the Ashland Invitational! Here are the students who placed! Alexis Gipson 2nd place Casey Owens 4th place Jaxson Parrish 4th place David Craig 4th place Jaxon Law 6th place Wade Perkins 6th place #BelieveInGC

Good evening Musketeers, tomorrow Dec. 5, 2024 we will have a 2 hr. delay due to the predicted freezing rain and frigid temps... The early morning. daylight will provide a safer route to school for buses, student drivers, parents, and our children at the bus stops. #BelieveInGC

Congratulations to Melissa Jaco for earning the ACE Award from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association! This award celebrates those who go above and beyond in their continuing education and training! In fact, this is the 3rd time she has received this honor. Mrs. Jaco is one of our Speech and Language Pathologists (SLPs) dedicated to helping our students overcome difficulties with speech and language. She has been serving GC students for almost 20 years, and it doesn’t take long to realize how powerful the work of an SLP is! Melissa explained that they work with a wide variety of students. Some have severe speech and language delays, but some have simple speech impairments. All of these challenges prevent students from communicating, comprehending, and learning to their full potential, and our SLPs help students overcome them! Congratulations on your recognition, Melissa! We appreciate your dedication to continually learning how best to help our students! #BelieveInGC

Catch some great basketball and wrestling this week, with several home games for both!! Johnny says, "be there"!! #BelieveInGC

These 3 Musketeers have seen first-hand what it looks like to need help in a bad way. Recently, they learned about being a helping hand to those folks in need. A group trip to help flood victims gave them the kind of perspective that some people never get. Their message for all of us is this – “don’t take what you have for granted.” Olivia, Remington, and Carly recently joined their families in a joint effort to assist the flood victims on the east coast. What’s even more special is that it all started with the big-hearted idea of Carly’s older brother, a young man who is a 2019 graduate of GC! That young man is Christopher Pope, who you see closest on the top right manning the grill. Christopher recently acquired “Quality Meats” from his dad. Christopher’s idea was to go down and grill burgers for the families who needed a nice, warm meal. It didn’t take long before these 3 students’ families joined together to add to the trip. They packed 4 pickup trucks and a trailer “filled to the brim” with meat, canned food, diapers, bathing supplies, water, and more. Many community members sent items with them as well. They arrived at a small town outside of Asheville to a sight they described as “devastating”. Here were some of their recollections: “There were semi trucks in creeks. Houses and buildings were completely washed away. All the debris of what was left… they just had to burn it.” These wonderful students were eager to help, along with all their families. They set up a grill, played music on a bluetooth speaker, and “brought some light to the area”. These students told us that there were plenty of heavy hearts amongst the people they were there to serve, but that everyone, “was so thankful and grateful.” In return, Olivia, Remington, and Carly brought home some deep understandings to hold close to their hearts. “I feel like we shouldn’t complain so much… there are people who have it a lot worse,” Remington said. “It’s made me more grateful,” Carly added. Olivia reflected, “It’s taught me not to take what we have for granted… Thank God we can just go get groceries.” We’re so proud of these 3 students, as well as their families (who are all friends) who are raising them to serve others. If you happen to know these families, the students told us they are making another trip the week of Thanksgiving. Their actions “brought some light” to the small town they went to serve… and their story has brought a lot of light to us here in Greenup County. Great job, Musketeers! #BelieveInGC

There were plenty of teary eyes today for Veterans Day as we witnessed a truly amazing full-circle moment. This soldier, Warrant Officer Nekoda “Kody” Banks, returned to his old stomping grounds to help out an old teacher who holds a special place in his heart. That teacher is Brandi Litteral, who is now the principal at Wurtland Middle School. She described Kody to us as “her why” – a shining example of why she does what she does. Today Kody delivered a Veterans Day speech at Wurtland Middle School intertwined with encouragement to students who are facing challenges, as he can relate all too well. Kody graduated in 2013 after a childhood of hardship — he was in and out of foster care from elementary school through high school. We won’t go into the details he described of his childhood, but one of his “lighter” recollections was of nights when a bottle of water beside him would be frozen solid by morning. Brandi Litteral recalls buying him a nice coat one winter and that, although he would fall asleep sometimes, Kody was a “great kid” who was determined and had a lot of potential. When we asked him how he remained so determined despite his many serious hardships, Kody said, “I knew I wanted to be better… I didn’t want to fall into what society expected me to be.” Determined might be an understatement, as Ms. Litteral recalls Kody walking and riding bicycles over 4 miles when he had after-school activities. Although she had forgotten, Kody reminded her that she bought him one of those bicycles. “My teachers at GC were so good to me, but nobody had a bigger influence on me than Ms. Litteral,” Kody said. He added, “I really don’t think I’d be where I am today if it wasn’t for her.” Ms. Litteral spent a lot of energy on Kody in hopes of helping him find a way forward. She self admittedly “pestered him for years” about joining the military. She said she knew it would be a “way out” for Kody, who was a smart and determined young man. Those conversations must have stuck, as he is now a career soldier — a full time instructor for the Army National Guard who teaches critical skills to military units across the country. In describing his military career, Kody conveyed so much passion for his task of training units to “save lives”. We did a double take when he described that endeavor as “his Why”. We interrupted — “Did you notice what you just said?” We pointed out the irony that he would use the same phrase, “my why”, that Ms. Litteral used when describing him to us. We realized that we had just witnessed a moment that had come full circle. This old student and teacher whose “why's” are both about working to “save lives” in their own ways. Kody’s other “why’s” include his wife and daughter. He has built a life to be proud of, which Ms. Litteral made sure to let him know. He went from days when he slept in a cold shed, to having a beautiful family, owning a home, and making a difference in the world. Today he conveyed his childhood hardships to a gymnasium full of middle school students, and we sincerely mean it when we say that the students leaned in and listened. This Musketeer is continuing to sow the same seeds that were planted for him. Thank you for returning to GC today, Warrant Officer Banks. We are thankful for your service, for your willingness to give back to the next generation of students… and we are extremely proud of the man you’ve become. Happy Veterans Day, Mister Banks, and all of those who have served. #BelieveInGC

Musketeer family... let's here it for the boys as they head to Mason Co. tonight for the first round of playoffs!! They need our encouragement now more than ever!! #BelieveInGC

This is amazing!! These young ladies made the USA Junior All Girl Cheer Team!!! They went up against the best cheerleaders across the country, and after making every cut at their Nashville tryout, they just got the news this week! These girls are incredibly hardworking, and any time you talk to them they are so polite and conduct themselves in a way that would make anyone proud. We certainly are!! Congratulations Libby Carter, Ella Fraley, Gracie Howard, and Khloe Ginn!! #BelieveInGC

There are some Super spooky BOOks ready to be checked out, so don’t be afraid to encourage your student to read this month!! Do you remember your favorite "scary" books from childhood?! Kids love talking about how scary a book can be! Most of us still remember our favorites that we read as children! Take a look at some of the books our librarians picked out as their favorites! They have great suggestions ready for your students that are appropriate for every grade level! #BelieveInGC

Inside an office adorned with an assortment of rock and roll memorabilia and quirky trinkets, there’s a man whose upbeat voice can be heard from early morning and into the evening each day. It’s Brad Quillen’s office, who leads GC’s virtual learning. Many people throughout our district office regularly comment some variation of, “I just love hearing Mr. Quillen teach.” We wish you could all hear it for yourself – you can’t help but be inspired by it. With nothing more than an extra large computer monitor and a cup of coffee, Mr. Quillen brings a real sense of community to a group of students otherwise only connected through the internet. We asked Mr. Quillen how he keeps up his energy and optimism each and every day… we can’t recall a day when he wasn’t “on his game” teaching our virtual students. His initial answer was simple. “I have to be… people depend on it,” he said. Mr. Quillen isn’t fond of talking about himself or receiving compliments. We asked him to explain, though, and this was his answer: “I want to be positive because there’s enough negativity in the world… we just need more light. Believe it or not… I might be the nicest interaction that a student has in their day.” We’re proud and grateful to know that in a scenario that could easily be impersonal (learning virtually by computer), we have a teacher who intentionally tries to bring positivity to every student he interacts with. His office neighbor, Penny Tharp, offered some insight. “You can hear him talking to the students all day… and it doesn’t matter what kind of student they are… he talks to them all with the same encouragement and positivity,” she said. Penny continued, “That’s why I love to listen to him teach.” We’ll end with Mr. Quillen’s response as to why his position is so rewarding to him. “There are a few of my students who have life situations that wouldn’t allow them to get an education otherwise… and I know that they are,” he said. Sometimes you see a person pouring their whole heart into their work and you just think they should be celebrated. This is an example of that. Thank you, Mr. Quillen, for being a shining example of how we strive to provide every Musketeer with our very best effort. You are certainly the perfect example of that. #BelieveInGC

These middle school students are having a blast in their drama class! We won't spoil the spooky secrets in case you plan on going to see their production, but we had to show off how the arts draw out so much learning! Students are engaged as they read their scripts, building confidence as they prepare to be in front of a crowd, and learning team work as they make all the "moving parts" of a production come to life! And now for the bonus! Mr. Pack asked us to come help them film a commercial for their production, so we gave the whole class a crash course on camera and editing skills. That's right... these students are now making their own commercials!! We're seeing student involvement increase across the district, and we love seeing our students take a role in telling our story!! Good luck on your upcoming production, Musketeers!! #BelieveInGC