View All News

“There is no “I” in team.”  

I’m sure we are all familiar with that phrase.  Coaches from every sport have at some point referenced it. GCHS Forensics coach,  Aaron West, has the coaching award to prove it.  We are proud to announce that Mr. Aaron West is the recipient of the Donus D. Roberts Coaching Excellence Award.  

“I received this award from the National Speech and Debate Association through the success of the students I have coached.  As a coach, I receive one point for every merit point earned by my students.  These merit points are earned through competition, service, and leadership activities.  Each point represents dedicated coaching and hours of practice, revision, and growth for students.  The Donus D. Roberts Coaching Excellence Award is granted to a coach when they reach 10,000 cumulative points.  Reaching this milestone has been a goal I have been working towards and looking forward to for quite a while,” stated West.

The GCHS Forensics Team competes in various speech and debate competitions across the region.  In its 30th season, GC first formed a team in the fall of 1994. The team grew rapidly over the next ten years, with the height of success in 2002 and 2003, in which GC won back to back state championships.  While every sport has peaks and valleys, forensics really took a dive in participation when COVID hit.  Now, West says that the sport is growing and pushing towards success once again.

“Over the last few years, we have seen excellent growth in our program. We have been placing consistently well at tournaments this season, the best since I’ve been coaching. This is also the largest group I’ve coached.”

A member of the team in high school, West says his passion has grown even stronger now that he serves as the coach of the team.  Not only does he truly love the transformation you see in students when they take the stage, he also loves the relationships born from his team, but also teams across the region.

“I love everything about forensics.  Working with students to push them out of their comfort zones to be the best speaker/performer they can be.  I love the thrill of the competition and seeing the hard work pay off.  I love the camaraderie between the schools and teams, and the bonds that are formed.”

In the end, forensics has also proven to be beneficial to students as they leave high school and enter their next phase of life. West even believes that forensics is one of the most important programs that a school can offer their students.

“The skills they learn in this activity can be translated to any profession.  Other activities are great to be a part of as well and there are a lot of positive traits that can be developed through participation in them, but the skills developed in forensics, the ability to speak, to communicate, to express yourself, will have much more practical impact on a student’s future than anything else.”

While West says some of his initial goals have been completed, he still has a list that he intends to work towards.  Creating a junior division team for elementary and middle school students, placing higher in the region, and working towards a diamond award which means 15,000 points are to name a few. However, all of these goals are dependent not just on West.  As history shows, the team plays the biggest role in the program's success. 

“To me it represents the accomplishment of all the talented students we have at Graves County, and acts as reinforcement that the team is heading in the right direction.”

The GCHS Forensics Team will take 19 members to the state competition in March.

Congratulations, Aaron!

#GDTBAE #PursuingExcellenceTogether

 

There is a song that was out on the radio not too long ago.  One line from the lyrics resonated with me the day I first heard the tune.  While it could apply to so many areas of life, it truly speaks volumes when it comes to our school district.  

The song says, “The house don’t fall if the bones are good.” I know, I know…the grammar is incorrect…BUT, there is real truth embedded in this once hit that flooded the airwaves.

A foundation…a surface to build on that bears the load.  Every structure and organization must have one. The Graves County School District repeatedly experiences success.  Make no mistake about it…so much of that success comes from amazing educators and determined students that fill the classrooms.  However, our district could not succeed without the strong foundation that our board members have created.  The decisions aren’t always easy, but unequivocally, every decision made is student focused with their best interest serving as their guide. The foundation built has sustained the district and made so many things that seemed impossible possible.

In the world of education, we celebrate January as School Board Recognition Month. Our district is blessed with the best who commit each year to bettering the educational environment and experience for our students and educators.  We could never adequately thank them for their acts of service, but we do want to take this opportunity to express our gratitude. 

Thank you for continually maintaining and improving the foundation of GC! Thank you for supporting our educators, listening to their voice, and taking action to provide what they need to be successful team members.  Thank you for serving as a catalyst for providing innovative teaching and learning methods within our classrooms.  Thank you for believing in each student and believing that the potential to be a lifelong learner lies within each of them.  Your dedication does not go unnoticed.

Please join us tonight at halftime of the girls game as we recognize our board members.

 

Did you know that you could be a professional gamer? According to Statista.com, by 2025, there are expected to be over 318 million eSports enthusiasts worldwide. Additionally, some 322.7 million people are forecast to be occasional viewers of eSports by 2025. And, it’s very possible that one of those enthusiasts stems from right here in GC.

Esports is competitive video game matches from a variety of titles. The fairly new sport offers different levels of competition beginning at the middle school level all the way to what is considered professional. As the popularity of the sport grew, and the goal to provide interests and extracurricular activities for all students fell at the top of the priority list, GC formed and began an Esports team in 2018. It didn’t take long for the program to enjoy success.

Clinching a state runner up title in 2019, Coach Josh Lutz, has his sights on revisiting the competition in the near future.

“In the fall we set goals that required our team to learn more about the system through getting our student athletes the most experience possible with competition. Now this spring, the goal has shifted to become more competitive and qualify for a spot in the postseason for both our Super Smash teams and our Mario Kart team.”

With 8 students on the team, their regular season consists of 8 weeks with games every week on Wednesday and Thursday. While the fall started off a little rocky, the team seems to have hit a winning streak.

“We ended the year with one of our Super Smash teams going on a 3 game winning streak and our Mario Kart team finishing the regular season with a complete sweep of their match taking positions 1st through 4th in every race.”

While gaming may seem like an easy task, the skills required prove to be more of a challenge than you might think.

“If they are playing an individual game, they have to learn to deal with the adversity of a match not going well. They can’t blame anyone else. Similar to other sports where it is just you playing, there is a level of mental toughness that comes with this which forces students to keep a cool head and not move too much into the highs and lows of a match. With a team of four, obviously you have strategies to try and follow to produce the outcome we want and they have to communicate. As students get better with communication and teamwork…that was really when we started to see the success of our team.”

Clearly, technology plays a vital role in our everyday lives. Phones, tablets, computers…their capabilities improve and extend to different facets of life it seems more and more with each day. Esports encourages students to really dive into the possibilities, the strengths and weaknesses of technology, and the impact and functionality it can have on society. However, Lutz insists that in the world of high school, while all those benefits are still relevant, it also serves a greater purpose…an outlet for student engagement.

“I love Esports because it provides another avenue for student engagement in schools. Increasingly, we see more and more students who come to school, do their work, and go home without ever being engaged. This offers another opportunity that strikes an interest in a child that otherwise may not ever feel like they find their niche during their high school years.”

Tune into GCHS Esports on YouTube to watch the team matches.

#GDTBAE #PursuingExcellenceTogether

“I know it’s cliche, but hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”

Wise words that clearly Braden Waller has taken to heart.  On Monday, January 20, 2025, Waller experienced the results of believing in that statement.  Becoming the 19th person in the history of Graves County High School, Waller not only joined the 1000th point club, he also gained his 500th rebound as an Eagle.   

While many athletes fall in love with a sport at a very young age, Waller insists that even though he dribbled a ball early in life, his passion really started to grow later on. 

“I’ve been playing basketball my whole life, but I never really fell in love with the sport until about 8th grade.  That’s when I decided to start focusing on basketball and started to spend more time on improving my game,” explained Waller.

To outsiders, basketball may appear to be just a game, but for those who spend the time in the paint, it’s a battle that prepares you for so much more than the next opponent.  

“Basketball has taught me so many things that go beyond the court.  It has taught me the value of hard work, how to be a leader, and how far leadership skills can really take you.”

Any accomplished athlete would testify that the road to their success was paved by many.  Waller is very adamant that his success stems from far beyond his abilities. In fact, the support he has had along the way lies at the core of his accomplishments.

“My mom serves as my inspiration. She is one of the hardest working people I know and she shows me how far hard work can carry you in life.”

In addition, there have been numerous coaches that strived to bring to the surface the greatness they knew Waller was capable of.  Sometimes that may have been about under the net…but oftentimes it was about just becoming a man of character.

“I have a lot of coaches who have influenced me throughout my career.  Coach Holland has changed how I look at basketball.  He has helped me understand the game more, but also how to become a good teammate and leader for my team.  Coach Coop, my trainer for two years, has helped me develop my body and become stronger…and we became close friends.  Lastly, Coach Kimbler has been coaching me for all four years of my high school career. While he is my coach, his influence stretches past the sport.  He is a role model to everyone around him and he sets a great example for us every day.”

Waller, a senior, looks back on his career with fond memories.  Personal goals he set for himself as a freshman are officially crossed off his list, but he isn’t quite finished yet.  As each game approaches, Waller and his teammates have one common goal. 

“I want our team to win the district and the region.”

Waller is hopeful that his basketball career is far from being over.  After graduation, he plans to continue playing basketball at the collegiate level while studying chemical engineering.  Until then, he leaves you with this….

“To the fans, I have loved every game that I have gotten to play in front of you. The support, the cheering, there is no feeling like it.  To the team, I love all of you guys, and playing with you and getting to see you all grow has been a pleasure. To my family, thank you. Thank you for all of the time you have spent driving me to each game and making sure that I had everything I needed to be successful in life and the the sport.  Thank you for believing me.”

#GDTBAE #PursuingExcellenceTogether

 

Did you know that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr is the only non-president to have a day declared as a national holiday in his honor? Statues, parks, churches, streets and other public facilities recognize King as a catalyst for civil rights. His famous, “I Have a Dream” speech is copied in every history book that falls on the ears of students around the world, and is credited with historically changing the footprint of our nation. 

 Last week, 5th grade students at Central Elementary in Ms. Kaylin Reed’s class celebrated the life and legacy of the civil rights icon and all that he stood for many years ago.  Students not only listened to his “I Have A Dream Speech,” but they also were enlightened on how his dreams inspired so many Americans…even today.  Reed then challenged her students to create their very own “I Have A Dream” speeches in hopes of igniting a passion and determination within each child to live out their dreams.     

“It’s important that students understand the monumental moments that shaped our country.  Our country has a very rich history with many individuals that truly changed the trajectory of our country.  Bringing that to life in the classroom so that they have an authentic understanding is so important…especially with icons like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  It’s also important to me as their teacher to instill in them that same mindset that they can change the world one dream at a time. Of course, they are excited that it is a day out of school, but as their history teacher it’s so very important to me that it is more than that to them,” explained Reed. 

Challenges and trials are inevitable.  I think every single person can say that at some point in life you experience something that you don’t feel is fair.  How we react and recover from those experiences is what truly defines a person.  Hopefully, Dr. King will be a permanent reminder to every student that it takes one dream and one person to change the world. 

“So even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” - Martin Luther King, Jr. 

#GDTBAE #PursuingExcellenceTogether