Washington County Public Schools

John S. Battle students are highlighting the importance of teamwork! Ms. Austin's Algebra 2 Honors students worked together to expand their knowledge of absolute value equations. The students worked in groups of three: A leader, presenter, and timekeeper. As a group, they evaluated 20 questions that had been solved incorrectly, worked together to find the mistakes in each, reworked them to solve them correctly, and presented their results to the class. These students spent the class talking about math with each other and expressing their thoughts and ideas. Mathematical thinkers in the making!

Hands-On Learning: It's been an exciting few days for our first year Criminal Justice students at Washington County Career & Technical Education Center. They have been busy learning the practice of taking finger prints.

Dunk Your Superintendent! If you don’t like the idea of a new cell phone policy or think school starts too early in August, now is your chance to take out your start of school frustrations, and dunk Dr. Perrigan! He’ll be in the dunk tank at Dairy Queen in Abingdon (Exit 19 location) on Saturday, with the fun beginning at 4:00 p.m. Proceeds raised from the event go towards St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. WCPS students and staff have loved participating in fundraisers for St. Jude and are thrilled to be able to give back.

Back to School Bash: Greendale Elementary is inviting you to come out and have some fun on Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.! Several staff members will be in the dunking booth -- and Dr. Perrigan will also be in the booth from 1:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Be sure to attend!

Outdoor Learning: Ms. Harrison's Livestock Production class at John S. Battle High School is currently learning external livestock terminology. The students took their knowledge outside and used chalk to practice labeling different livestock species!

An Important Message for Abingdon Elementary School Families: Abingdon Elementary School will be OPEN Tuesday, August 20, 2024. Good afternoon, AES Staff and Families, As we shared with you last week, 3rd party air quality testing was performed on samples from Abingdon Elementary School on Friday, August 16 due to a disturbance of asbestos by an outside contractor during a demolition/construction project in the gymnasium. The gymnasium has been sealed off and without HVAC during the construction period. No students or staff have been in the construction area during the project. In addition to taking air samples outside the gym, we also tested dust residue found on surfaces in the adjoining hallway and the cafeteria to ensure we were covering all bases. Over the weekend, we had a certified asbestos removal company clean and run negative air machines in the building to ensure our students and staff can return to a safe learning and work environment. Third party air quality has been performed again after the cleaning, and we have now received the official greenlight to allow students and staff to return to school. In following the safest possible protocol, the remaining impacted areas of Abingdon Elementary School are sealed off, with continuous air monitoring taking place on the outside of those sealed areas to confirm air is not contaminated during the remainder of the project. In following OSHA protocol, signage will be placed alerting students and staff to avoid these areas. The signage is meant to alert you to the impacted area to prevent accidental entry, but please know that areas not marked with signage are safe for occupancy. Because the cafeteria and gym areas remain sealed off and closed, food will be transported in for students. Breakfast and lunch will be provided, with students eating in their classrooms while the project and air testing continue in the gym and cafeteria area. Over the next 3 weeks, we will be working diligently and carefully to get the gym and cafeteria areas tested, unsealed, and reopened. As mentioned before, WCPS will be taking additional steps to prevent an incident like this one from happening again. This includes a thorough review of our construction and maintenance protocols with outside contractors, increased oversight during projects involving potentially hazardous materials, and a professional review of our existing Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) Management Plans. As always, your child’s safety is our top priority, and we appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we continue to work to resolve this issue. We will provide more information as it becomes available. If you have specific questions, you may email me directly at [email protected] Thank you, Keith Perrigan, Ed.D. Superintendent Washington County Public Schools 812 Thompson Dr. Abingdon, VA 24210 276-739-3000 @WashCoSuper

We love seeing our students having fun in their various activities and studies! Look at these smiles from Glade Spring Middle School!

Are you looking for a fun event for Saturday, August 31? Check out Emory & Henry University Community Day starting at 11:00 a.m.!

A reminder for Abingdon Elementary Families: Abingdon Elementary School will be closed Monday, August 19, 2024. Because of this unexpected closure, we will once again offer free childcare services, provided by the Boys and Girls Club and Abingdon Elementary staff, at Woodland Hills Christian Church from 7:45 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Monday. Parents and guardians can drop off their children at the church, or bus transportation will be available for those who need it. Breakfast, lunch, and snacks will also be provided. All other schools will operate on a normal schedule on Monday, August 19. To learn more about this closure, click here: https://www.wcs.k12.va.us/article/1718362

An Important Message for Abingdon Elementary School Families: Abingdon Elementary School will be closed Monday, August 19, 2024 Good afternoon AES Staff and Families, As we shared earlier in the week, 3rd party air quality testing was performed on samples from Abingdon Elementary School on Friday August 16 due to a disturbance of asbestos by an outside contractor during a demolition/construction project in the gymnasium. The good news is that air samples outside the construction area passed the test. As expected, the air samples from inside the gymnasium were elevated but not above the average limit. Additionally, the gymnasium has been sealed off and without HVAC during the construction period. No students or staff have been in the construction area during the project. In addition to taking air samples outside the gym, we also tested dust residue found on surfaces in the adjoining hallway and the cafeteria to ensure we were covering all bases. Unfortunately those tests detected trace amounts of asbestos. For surface testing there is no limit; the tests show presence or absence. This weekend, in order to ensure our students and staff can return to a safe learning and work environment, specialized crews are working to remediate and thoroughly clean those surface areas. We anticipate this work will be completed by Sunday. In following the safest possible protocol, Abingdon Elementary School will be closed on Monday, August 19. This additional day will allow us to conduct a comprehensive reassessment of air quality to confirm that the building is completely safe for students and staff. I apologize for the challenges and inconvenience this situation has created for our working families . Because of this unexpected closure, we will once again offer free childcare services, provided by the Boys and Girls Club and Abingdon Elementary staff, at Woodland Hills Christian Church from 7:45 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Monday. Parents and guardians can drop off their children at the church, or bus transportation will be available for those who need it. Breakfast, lunch, and snacks will also be provided. All other schools will operate on a normal schedule on Monday, August 19. As we move forward, we will be taking additional precautions to prevent an incident like this one from happening again. This includes a thorough review of our construction and maintenance protocols with outside contractors, increased oversight during projects involving potentially hazardous materials, and a professional review of our existing Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) Management Plans. In addition to working with professional cleaners, we have also reached out to the Virginia Department of Education, the local Health Department, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for guidance and assistance. Your child’s safety is our top priority, and we appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we work to resolve this issue. We will provide more information as it becomes available. In the meantime, if you have specific questions you may email me directly at [email protected] Thank you, Keith Perrigan, Ed.D. Superintendent Washington County Public Schools 812 Thompson Dr. Abingdon, VA 24210 276-739-3000 @WashCoSuper

An Important Message for Abingdon Elementary Families: Abingdon Elementary School will be closed on Friday, August 16, 2024. During a recent construction project, there was an inadvertent disturbance of asbestos. Out of an abundance of caution, we will be conducting air quality testing on Friday morning. Because of this closure, childcare will be available for working families. The care will be provided by Boys and Girls Club and Abingdon Elementary staff at Woodland Hills Christian Church from 7:45 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. Bus transportation will be provided for those who need it, or parents can opt to drop off their children. Breakfast will also be available for students at Woodland Hills Christian Church. All other schools will operate on a normal schedule on Friday, August 16.

We are incredibly grateful for our hardworking staff across the WCPS division. Our cafeteria staff at Patrick Henry High School has been enjoying welcoming students back and making sure they are well-fed and ready to learn!

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://www.wcs.k12.va.us/o/wcps/page/the-washington-way

The following is a message from the WCPS Transportation Department on an upcoming bus route change for Abingdon High School and E.B. Stanley Middle School students only: Please be advised of the following afternoon route change for High School and Middle School students that live in Rockwall Subdivision (Stoneybrook Drive and Rockwall Drive) and Willow Run (Willow Run Drive, Weeping Willow Drive, Lauren Drive, and Marcus Way) starting on Wednesday, August 14, 2024. Due to overcrowding on the school bus, students that live on the above-mentioned roads will ride Bus 65 in the afternoon only, there will be no change to the morning route. Approximate time of drop off will be 4:05 p.m. This will be for the high school and middle school students only. Once again, the route change will begin on the afternoon of Wednesday, August 14, 2024, high school, and middle school students in Rockwall Subdivision and Willow Run. If you have any questions, you're asked to call the WCPS Transportation Department at 276-739-3054.

We've had a great few days of welcoming back our students for the 2024-2025 school year! Click the link to watch a video to see some of the fun. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CpJ2C3Ifek

First Day of School: We've had a great day welcoming back our students for the 2024-2025 school year! Here are some highlights of the fun that took place. Be sure to check back as we share more photos over the next few days!

Welcome back, WCPS students! We can't wait to see what this school year brings! #BackToSchoolVA #WCPSBest #TheWashingtonWay

As our students head back to school, please remember to use caution! Observe the speed limit in all school zones, watch for school buses and pedestrians and plan additional time to reach your destination. We appreciate your help to keep our students, teachers, staff and parents safe as we begin a new school year.

Are you looking for an after-school program for your child? Check out this opportunity. The HCS After-School Program is a partnership between Washington County Schools and Highlands Community Services.

WCPS is excited to start the 2024-2025 school year with all of our students tomorrow, Wednesday, August 7! #BackToSchoolVA #WCPSBest #TheWashingtonWay