Pursuing Excellence

HCHS Celebrates 50 Years With New Leadership

Written by Megan Mortis Director of Public Information for  Henderson County Schools

Photos by WILD WILD LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY: MANDY SUE GLASER

This year marks a significant milestone for Henderson County High School as the community celebrates 50 years since Henderson County’s city and county high schools merged into one. For five decades, HCHS has brought students, families, educators and the community together under one school, creating a legacy filled with tradition, achievement and memories.

As we celebrate the past, we’re also looking ahead. With new leadership at the helm, Henderson County High School is entering its next chapter with fresh ideas, new goals and a vision for continued success.

This year also marks a new chapter for Christian Klaas, who is serving his first year as HCHS principal. While this is his first year in the school’s top leadership role, Mr. Klaas is no stranger to HCHS. This is his sixth year at the school and his 17th year in education.

I asked Mr. Klaas about his vision for HCHS, his goals for students and staff, and what he hopes to accomplish as he helps lead the school into its next 50 years.

What attracted you to this school and this community?

I was attracted to this community because it has that small-town feel, and I absolutely love that all roads lead to Henderson County High School. This community has tremendous pride and shows unwavering support for the Colonels. It is really amazing to see firsthand the impact it has on our students, teams and different organizations.

What were your first impressions when you arrived?

I was extremely impressed by Henderson County Schools. One of the very first things I participated in was the district leadership retreat. It provides some dedicated time to work with your school administrative teams as well as time to learn from our district leaders.

Dr. Lawson always speaks about our core values and our history. It was impactful. At this particular leadership retreat, there was also a presenter on professional learning communities, and the whole experience really influenced the way I viewed my position as an assistant principal. I could see the vision for the school district, and I could not wait to get my time at HCHS started.

What do you hope students, parents and staff will come to know about you?

I am just a regular guy, and I appreciate all their support along the way. I know that I will make mistakes, but I will always be willing to listen and have conversations. I really do try to view things from all different perspectives, and I am always thinking about how we can improve our processes, systems and procedures to better serve our school community.

What did you want to be when you were in high school?

Believe it or not, I wanted to be a high school history teacher and a coach! That dream came true.

What does “Pursue Excellence” mean to you when it comes to academics, activities, relationships and school culture?

Pursuing excellence simply means we are trying to get better and be the best we can every single day. It means not settling for yesterday’s results. It means helping teachers learn and get better so that students can learn and grow. It means going out on a limb to talk to someone new and learn something about a person you didn’t know before.

When it comes to pursuing excellence and school culture, I am going to quote Conner Mattingly: “It is not one event, not one pep rally; it is what we do every single day.”

At HCHS, you do not have to look hard to see someone pursuing excellence. It is happening in the classrooms, the band room and at practices. It is happening daily.

What role should parents and the broader community play in helping our students and school “Pursue Excellence”?

I think parents and the broader community should make every effort to be present and support our students through everything they do. They should have conversations that reiterate that who you become is more important than what you accomplish.

Those conversations should remind our students that how they carry themselves, the values they live by and how they treat others are what truly define them. If our parents and broader community can support us in these types of conversations, our students won’t miss the big picture.

How do you plan to build strong relationships with teachers and staff?

I believe that it is important to be a good listener, be approachable and be a good communicator. We want to hold our staff and students to high standards, but we want to make sure we show support and recognize growth and progress along the way. It is also my job to ensure their safety and give them opportunities to grow professionally.

How do you want students to be involved in shaping the direction and future of the school?

One thing I love about HCHS is that when students get an idea, they are not afraid to share it. Our school is for our students, and they should most definitely be involved in shaping the future.

I would like to get some kind of student advisory committee together that meets regularly so I can share ideas with students and they can share ideas with our leadership team. I do believe that students are already involved in shaping our future. We have organizations like student ambassadors, city ambassadors, class officers and various club officers who lead in our school and community on a daily basis.

What do you think makes this school community special?

I have worked in other school districts, and what sets Henderson apart is that on Fridays we wear maroon! What I mean is that Henderson County High School is a place that unifies this town.

I have a daughter who is in elementary school who knows the words to the HCHS fight song, not because I taught her, but because students from the high school go to elementary schools and teach them about what it means to be a Colonel.

We also have the luxury of an amazing career and technical education department and top-notch community partners that provide our students with extraordinary opportunities on a daily basis. To put it simply, this community is invested in the success of our school and our culture.

What’s one misconception people sometimes have about being a high school principal?

I would say one misconception is that the job is all about student discipline and managing problems. But in reality, the job is really about building relationships, developing people, creating a positive school culture and keeping people focused on the things we need to do to ensure student success.

This year marks 50 years since our city and county high schools came together to form one high school. As you begin your first year as principal during this important milestone, how do you hope to honor our history while helping lead our school into its next 50 years of pursuing excellence?

By continuing to learn about history and finding ways to celebrate it. The courage it took 50 years ago to make the decision to merge the city and county schools was unprecedented. They are the people who laid the foundation for us today.

We made our school theme this year #LiveYourLegacy. The way we honor that history is by not forgetting how we got here, but also doing everything we can to leave it better than we found it. We do that by not settling for anything that isn’t our very best every day.

What is one thing you want every student who walks through these doors to feel?

Pride in themselves and pride in our school. We are not perfect, but we strive to be. We strive to be a place where every student can find an opportunity, a club, a team or a friend and be a part of something bigger.

If you could give the graduating class one piece of advice, what would it be?

Keep chopping wood! The work you do today is going to prepare you for tomorrow and the future. Stay focused on your purpose, take care of your people, do the daily work and trust that consistent effort will eventually create meaningful results.

When students look back on their high school years, what do you hope they say about this school?

I hope they remember their teachers who made an impact on their lives. I hope they remember the opportunities they had as students at HCHS. I hope they remember that we cared about each one of them, and I hope they will say they are excited to send their own children to Henderson County High School.

Go Colonels! Charge on!