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Kentucky State Representative Steve Bratcher, R-Elizabethtown, might have summed up Friday’s ExCEL Award Ceremony the best.

During his remarks, Bratcher said there are events who won’t be remembered years from now, but Elizabethtown Independent Schools will remember T.K. Stone Middle School math teacher Chris Appelman won the 2025-26 ExCEL Award.

That sentiment set the tone for a powerful and emotional celebration at the Elizabethtown Performing Arts Center, where Appelman, an outstanding educator known for his passion, drive, and commitment to students, was recognized in front of family, friends, special guests, and the entire student body.

In classrooms across Elizabethtown Independent Schools, new ideas are taking shape, creativity is being unleashed, and students are experiencing learning in new and meaningful ways—all thanks to the continued investment of the Elizabethtown Educational Fund.

For the second time this school year, the EEF has awarded Go Big E Grants, placing resources directly into the hands of teachers and into the heart of classrooms. These grants are designed to go beyond traditional funding, empowering educators to bring innovative, hands-on experiences to life for their students.

This latest round of funding reached 28 classrooms across the district, totaling more than $24,000 and impacting students from preschool through middle school. It builds on a previous round of grants awarded in December, reinforcing a commitment to sustained support throughout the year.

There are moments in a community’s story when the past and the future stand side by side. At T.K. Stone Middle School, that moment is happening now.

Originally opened in 1954 and named after former Superintendent Talton K. Stone, who led the district from 1953-71, the school has long been a cornerstone of Elizabethtown Independent Schools. Generations of students have walked its halls. Now, more than 70 years later, those same halls are being transformed to serve the next generation of Panthers.

The $22.6 million renovation project marks the third major update to the school’s classroom spaces, following previous renovations in 1993 and 2003. But this project is not simply an update. It is a reimagining of what a middle school can be.

For Chris Appelman, the journey to becoming Elizabethtown Independent Schools’ ExCEL Award winner began in a classroom. Not as a teacher, though. It began as a student.

A 2010 graduate of Elizabethtown High School, Appelman once walked the same hallways as the students he now teaches. He learned from educators who shaped his confidence, challenged his thinking, and inspired his future. Today, he stands at the front of a classroom at T.K. Stone Middle School, carrying that same impact forward.

Now, that journey has come full circle.

Elizabethtown High School senior Rush Clagett is accustomed to standing before an audience. As a longtime member of the school band, he has performed in front of crowds for years. But stepping onto the stage to recite poetry — without an instrument in hand — was an entirely new experience.

“The stress of performing was the same,” Clagett said. “I want to do well in front of everyone. That’s pretty much the same.”

That familiar drive to perform at his best carried him all the way to the state stage, where Clagett earned a second-place finish at the Kentucky Poetry Out Loud competition held at the Farish Theater at the Lexington Public Library. His achievement marks the second consecutive year an Elizabethtown student has placed runner-up in the statewide contest, following Jocelyn Trejo-Zetina’s second-place finish last year, a testament to the growing strength of the arts at Elizabethtown High School.

Elizabethtown Independent Schools is celebrating an extraordinary moment for its youngest learners. 

Panther Academy, Helmwood Heights Elementary, and Morningside Elementary have each been selected to receive Kentucky’s prestigious Read to Achieve (RTA) Grant, a competitive state award that recognizes schools doing transformative work in early literacy. 

The Elizabethtown Educational Foundation (EEF) is once again investing directly in classrooms across Elizabethtown Independent Schools, awarding a new round of teacher grants aimed at enhancing student learning through innovation, creativity, and hands-on experiences.

Known as Go Big E Grants, the awards support classroom and school-based projects that go beyond standard curriculum resources and give teachers the flexibility to bring new ideas to life. This year’s grants totaled thousands of dollars and reached educators across multiple schools and grade levels.

The Elizabethtown Independent Schools Theatre Guild is bringing the beloved holiday classic The Best Christmas Pageant Ever to the EPAC stage on Dec. 12–13 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $10, and children six and under are free, making this festive performance something the whole community can enjoy.

Directed by theatre teacher Pacey Hammond, the production blends humor, heart, and holiday spirit—and promises to leave audiences smiling long after the final curtain.

Hammond says the decision to produce The Best Christmas Pageant Ever was intentional and community-centered.

“We wanted a show that was both heartfelt and funny, something that would bring the whole school community together. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever strikes the perfect balance,” Hammond said. “It’s accessible for young performers and full of memorable characters. It also provides opportunities for a large, diverse cast to shine."

Elizabethtown Independent Schools is proud to join schools across the nation in recognizing Special Education Day 2025—an annual observance commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), signed into law in 1975. The legislation guaranteed students with disabilities the right to a free and appropriate public education, forever changing the landscape of American public schooling.

Before IDEA, countless students with disabilities received little to no formal education. Schools were not required to adapt instruction, make accommodations, or create inclusive learning environments. Many families had to send their children to special institutions—often at great financial and emotional cost. IDEA changed that. It ensured that students ages 3–21 with qualifying needs in 13 eligibility categories could receive individualized support, instruction, and pathways to graduation.

The impact continues to echo across classrooms today.

Elizabethtown High School senior Bella Patrick remembers being a young student in another district when older students visited her classroom to help with writing.

Now, years later, Patrick has the chance to pay that support forward by working with fifth graders at Morningside Elementary.

Patrick was one of several EHS students who volunteered during the school’s on-demand writing conferences on Monday. Parents, community members, Superintendent Paul M. Mullins, and EIS Director of Human Resources Derisa Hindle also served as writing mentors.

“It’s been a lot of fun working with them,” Patrick said. “I’m where I am now because people helped me.”