Washington County Public Schools

WCPS Alumni Spotlight: Linda Austin ~ Abingdon High School ~ Class of 1980.
We are thrilled to highlight Ms. Linda Austin, a proud Abingdon High School graduate!
Are you a graduate of Washington County Public Schools? If so, we'd love to hear from you! We're excited to learn about your accomplishments and share your story and advice with our current students, families, and community.
Please click here, to fill out a submission form: https://forms.gle/7qzqxJCpCjryVsfW8 OR Do you know a graduate from Washington County Public Schools who has made a positive impact in their community?
Nominate them to be featured in our Alumni Spotlight Series! Click here, to nominate a WCPS graduate: https://forms.gle/LFV1PwdpHnLfYRhn8

🚀🥚 At Glade Spring Middle School, Ms. Stevens’s 6th grade Exploring Technology students put their engineering skills to the test!
They designed 3D-printed containers and padded them with recycled materials to see if they could protect an egg during a rooftop drop experiment.
Let’s just say the eggs didn’t quite make it this round… but the students had a cracking good time learning about design, problem-solving, and testing ideas!

✨ Our Pre-K students at Abingdon Elementary are learning all about the letter T — with a tasty twist! They enjoyed a taste test of tater tots, tomatoes, tangerines, and tortilla chips.
Huge shoutout to our amazing School Nutrition team at AES for helping bring learning to life (and making it delicious, too)!

Nothing says late summer like corn on the cob!
Yesterday, WCPS students and staff enjoyed Whitesides sweet corn at lunch -- a local favorite that brought plenty of smiles to the cafeteria.
We're grateful for the chance to share fresh, local flavors with our school community!

📣Reminder
WCPS will dismiss 2 hours early tomorrow, Thursday, September 18 for Parent/Teacher Conferences.
We look forward to seeing our families and teachers connect!

🏆✨ Sneak Peek Alert

The 1st place trophies for the WCPS Boo Dash 5K & Monster Mile are being handcrafted by our talented Welding students at the Washington County Career & Technical Education Center! They’re still getting their finishing touches (paint coming soon), but we couldn’t wait to share the process!

And that’s not all – our 2nd and 3rd place finishers will go home with some awesome medals, also created by our students!

Register now for a chance to win one of these one-of-a-kind student-made awards!
👉https://www.athlinks.com/event/397082

📅 When: Saturday, October 18
📍 Where: Virginia Creeper Trail, Abingdon (Wye Park)
⏰ Race Start: 4:00 p.m. (packet pickup & registration begin at 2:00 p.m.)

✨ Registration Details:
✅ WCPS Students & Staff: FREE if you pre-register by Oct. 3
✅ Parents & Community Members: $20 if you pre-register by Oct. 3
(Late registration: $10 students | $15 staff | $30 community)

👕 Don’t miss your chance to snag an event t-shirt in your size — pre-register by October 3!

🎭 Costumes encouraged (family-friendly, please: no masks, nothing scary or gory) — with awards for:
🏆 Best Team Costume
🏆 Funniest Costume
🏆 Best Homemade Costume

Washington County Public Schools, in partnership with Southwest Virginia Community Health Systems (SVCHS), is proud to provide convenient healthcare services to all WCPS students and staff.

Our school-based clinics operate much like urgent care, offering assessment, evaluation, and treatment for a variety of acute illnesses and injuries. Services include:

*Prescriptions and school notes
*Testing for COVID, Flu, Strep, RSV, Mono, glucose, and more
*Sports and school entrance physicals

📍 Clinic Hours & Locations
*High Point Elementary School (HPES): 8:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
*John S. Battle High School (JSB): 12:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
*Appointments available between 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. if needed.

📞 Please call (276) 642-5335 before arriving, though walk-ins are welcome.

🚪 Entry Instructions
*At HPES: Use the playground doors beside the track (follow the signs).
*At JSB: Enter through the main doors; office staff will buzz you in.

💳 Insurance & Payment
We accept all insurances. For patients without insurance, fees are based on income using a sliding scale.

💬Stay Connected 💬
Be sure to check out the latest edition of The Washington Way! It's our division newsletter to help you stay updated with what is going on across the WCPS system.
Visit this link to read the news: https://5il.co/3pua2

💡✨ Innovation in Action
WCPS staff recently partnered with TEACH for a hands-on professional development session: "The Near Future of Generative AI in the High School ELA Classroom."

Instead of the usual sit-and-get, Cary Wright led teachers through an interactive journey that blended Virginia's standards, AI's potential, and the everyday realities of teaching.

From exploring ethics and equity, to tackling challenges ahead, to testing real AI tools for lesson planning and grading -- our staff left with fresh ideas, practical strategies, and plenty of inspiration!

🍎✨Learning is in full bloom at Meadowview Elementary School! Mrs. Taylor's Pre-K class has been busy exploring their very own classroom Apple Orchard. From colors and numbers to letters and sensory play, our youngest learners are harvesting curiosity and fun every day!

WCPS Alumni Spotlight: Sarah Jones ~ John S. Battle High School ~ Class of 2006.
We are thrilled to highlight Ms. Sarah Jones, a proud John S. Battle High School graduate!
Are you a graduate of Washington County Public Schools? If so, we'd love to hear from you! We're excited to learn about your accomplishments and share your story and advice with our current students, families, and community.
Please click here, to fill out a submission form: https://forms.gle/7qzqxJCpCjryVsfW8 OR Do you know a graduate from Washington County Public Schools who has made a positive impact in their community?
Nominate them to be featured in our Alumni Spotlight Series! Click here, to nominate a WCPS graduate: https://forms.gle/LFV1PwdpHnLfYRhn8

🔬🍬 Scientifically Investigating Marshmallows

Mrs. Adams' first graders at Abingdon Elementary School put their senses to work as young scientists this week! Using the scientific method (and some very yummy marshmallows), students observed, tested, and even added descriptive adjectives to their conclusions.

Hands-on learning never tasted so sweet!

⏰✨ Reminder for Friday, September 12
All WCPS students will dismiss 3 hours early tomorrow for School Days at the Fair.

We're excited to celebrate the 20th Annual School Days at the Fair with our students and staff:
📅 Friday, September 12, 2025
🕛 12:00 – 3:00 p.m. at the Washington County Fairgrounds
🎟️ Free admission for WCPS students & staff (with ID badge) | Parents just $5

✨At Glade Spring Middle School, teamwork and pride are on full display thanks to Lauren K. and Kylee H. Every day, these dedicated students make sure our country and state flags are raised high and flying proudly over GSMS.

Thank you, Lauren and Kylee, for starting each day with respect, responsibility, and school spirit.

🎓✨ Attention WCPS High School Students & Families!

Happening TONIGHT – don’t miss VHCC College Night at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. 🙌

You’ll have the chance to meet representatives from 50+ colleges and universities including VHCC, King, ETSU, Emory & Henry, Virginia Tech, Radford, UVA-Wise, Milligan, and many more!

This is your one-stop event to:
✅ Explore programs and majors
✅ Learn how to pay for college
✅ Discover scholarship opportunities
✅ Ask questions directly to college reps

📍 Where: Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center
📅 When: Tonight, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.

👉 Register here: https://app.strivescan.com/registration

Don’t miss this opportunity to start planning your future after high school! 🌟

☕✨Be a Bean Recognition

Did you know that replacing lockers in a single high school can be costly? Instead of buying them, WCPS is building them -- thanks to the incredible talent at the Washington County Career & Technical Education Center!

Our WCCTEC Carpentry students, led by Mr. Greer, have been hard at work crafting brand-new lockers for Holston High School and Patrick Henry High School. From football to basketball, these custom projects are a perfect showcase of skill, teamwork, and school spirit.

With sanding and finishing support from Mr. Burress and his Collision Repair students, plus installation by our WCPS Maintenance staff, these lockers are truly a homegrown success story.

This is what it means to Be a Bean -- saving resources, building opportunities, and showing the power of collaboration between students, staff, and schools!

🎭✨ This evening, students who participated in this summer’s WCPS Theatre Arts Camp shared their experiences with the School Board members! For the past four years, WCPS has partnered with the talented team at the Emory & Henry Theatre and Dance Department to make this camp possible. From singing and dancing to acting, set design, and stage production, students not only explored the arts but also built confidence, discovered new talents, and formed friendships that will last a lifetime. A huge thank-you to our friends at E&H for continuing to help our WCPS students shine — both on and off the stage!

WCPS Alumni Spotlight: Courtney Tipton-Dillard ~ John S. Battle High School ~ Class of 2019.
We are thrilled to highlight Ms. Courtney Tipton-Dillard, a proud John S. Battle High School graduate!
Are you a graduate of Washington County Public Schools? If so, we'd love to hear from you! We're excited to learn about your accomplishments and share your story and advice with our current students, families, and community.
Please click here, to fill out a submission form: https://forms.gle/7qzqxJCpCjryVsfW8 OR Do you know a graduate from Washington County Public Schools who has made a positive impact in their community?
Nominate them to be featured in our Alumni Spotlight Series! Click here, to nominate a WCPS graduate: https://forms.gle/LFV1PwdpHnLfYRhn8

✨ A special night at Holston High School! This evening, our Cavaliers had the honor of welcoming and recognizing several distinguished guests whose support makes a tremendous difference for our students and schools. We are grateful to Delegate Israel O’Quinn, Senator Todd Pillion, School Board Chair Debbie Anderson, Board of Supervisors Vice Chair Mike Rush, County Administrator Jason Berry, Commonwealth’s Attorney Josh Cumbow, Sheriff Blake Andis, Commissioner of the Revenue April Crabtree, and Damascus Mayor Katie Lamb for their continued advocacy and partnership. Because of their support, Holston has seen exciting improvements — including a renovated field house, new band instruments, a safety vestibule and enhanced front entrance — with plans underway to replace auditorium seating. Each of these projects helps create a safer, stronger, and more engaging school environment for our Cavaliers. We were also thrilled to welcome two very special guests to tonight’s game — former Virginia Governor George Allen and former Washington Redskins linebacker Ken Harvey. Mr. Harvey joined us to help highlight an important cause: the Coaches versus Overdoses initiative, in partnership with the Virginia Attorney General and the Commonwealth Football Coaches Association. This effort raises awareness about the dangers of fentanyl and counterfeit drugs and reminds us that working together can save lives. Ken Harvey also joined our Cavaliers at midfield to assist with the coin toss — a powerful moment to kick off the game and this life-saving message: Just One Pill Can Kill. Thank you to these leaders and advocates for their commitment to Washington County students, families, and communities.