08/12/2026
This morning’s Bearcat Brew was exactly what we hoped it would be: comfortable, honest, thoughtful, and full of people who genuinely love Hawkins Middle School.
We lounged in the HMS SEL Lab under neon lights and calming scents, stretched out across bean bags, futons, and even a few church pew benches. We poured cups of hot, creamy, robust Café Bustelo and Folgers. Yes, flavored-coffee people, we heard you. 😂 We’ll think about y’all next month.
But the coffee was really just the excuse to get us in the room.
We talked.
We talked about what it looks like for a school to truly sit at the heart of its community. We talked about community engagement, parent-student relationships, parent-teacher relationships, student-teacher relationships, the public perception of educators, cell phones in schools, student accountability, and the responsibility we all share in helping young people grow.
We talked about what’s happening inside HMS right now, including our new 8th period designed to intentionally target learning needs while also making room for enrichment, clubs, and HOUSE.
One of the highlights of the morning was hearing community members talk about how much our students love HOUSE and how much they want to see that pride spill beyond the walls of the school. There was conversation about having our Houses represented in this year’s parade, ways local businesses can pour into our students, and how individuals throughout our community can contribute in meaningful ways to the growth of our children and the flourishing of our school.
That matters to us.
Schools cannot do this work in isolation. Neither can families. Neither can communities.
However, when school staff, parents, and community members form a real triad around children, something powerful happens. We stop working beside one another and start working with one another. We build trust. We challenge ideas. We solve problems. We create opportunities. Most importantly, our students begin to see an entire community saying, in one voice, you matter to us.
Thank you to every person who gave us part of your morning today. Thank you for your questions, your ideas, your candor, your laughter, and the obvious love you have for Hawkins Middle School and the children we serve. You didn’t just come drink coffee with us. You helped us begin building a team.
We’re just getting started.
We’ll gather again next month for another Bearcat Brew and another round of critical conversations about our school, our students, and our community. If you care about what happens at HMS, there is a seat for you in the room.
Come talk with us.
Come dream with us.
Come help us build the kind of school a community is proud to call its own.
This is Hawkins, and Hawkins belongs to all of us.❤️💙🐾
