Washington County Public Schools

Giving Back: A special thank you to our Holston High School students for volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House. It's great to see our students giving back and lending a helping hand!

Hands-On Learning in Action: Nurse Aide students at the Washington County Career & Technical Education Center are mastering essential mouth care skills this week. These students are preparing to provide compassionate & effective care.

#TheWashingtonWay: We are so thankful for our amazing support staff that we have here at WCPS! At the meeting this evening, School Board Members recognized our Support Staff Award Winners for the fall semester. *Master Technician Award -- Jason Salyers (Technology Department) *Wheels on the Bus Award -- Ronica Blevins (Transportation Department) *Above and Beyond (Custodian) Award -- Becky Lane-Smith (Watauga Elementary School) *Helping Hand Award -- Lynn Redman (High Point Elementary School) *Silver Spoon Award -- Kristen Deel (E.B. Stanley Middle School) *Customer Service Award -- Abby Stamper (WCPS Annex) Congratulations to our award winners and thank you for your hard work!

Holiday Fun: It's becoming a Winter Wonderland in the Patrick Henry High School library! Ms. Smith's 2nd block spread some Christmas cheer by painting snowmen onto the library windows!

Planting Bright Futures: Fifth grade students from High Point Elementary School recently visited Virginia Highlands Community College to learn about the different programs and educational opportunities available. This was a great way for our young students to see the possibilities for their futures thanks to the Washington County Promise Program. The Washington County Promise Program is a commitment by the Wellspring Foundation of Southwest Virginia and Virginia Highlands Community College for students to attend VHCC with free tuition and jumpstart their future without the financial burden. This opportunity is specifically available for those who will graduate from high school in 2025 through 2037. To learn more about the Promise Program, click here: https://promiseprogram.org/

Good afternoon, WCPS Families & Staff -- We are providing a further update following the initial water testing for lead in all Washington County Public Schools’ buildings. That information was shared on November 7. On October 26, 2024, new regulations approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) required water that is used in schools be tested for lead by 2028. To be ahead of that timeline, the Washington County Service Authority tested five fixtures at every school (at least two fixtures in the kitchens and two or more water fountains in various locations throughout the school building). There are three possible results from testing: • Non-detect: Practice good water habits • Less than 10 parts per billion (ppb): Consider risk mitigation such as flushing before use • Greater than 10 parts per billion (ppb): Stop using the water source and take remediation steps The first test results we received in November found that four of our schools had at least one fixture that tested less than 10 ppb (Meadowview Elementary – two fixtures, Watauga Elementary – one fixture, Glade Spring Middle School – one fixture, and Holston High School – two fixtures). One school had two fixtures that tested above 10 ppb (Greendale Elementary). After we received those results, we took additional precautions at those schools immediately. Only fixtures that tested non-detect are available for cooking purposes at these schools – this is above and beyond the protocols recommended by the EPA. We also immediately discontinued the use of consumable water fixtures at those five schools (e.g. drinking fountains) the moment we received the initial testing results. Since that time, we have been providing bottled water for students and staff. We also took additional steps and installed a new water cooler at all schools in our division. These water coolers are equipped with five different filters that are designed to remove lead and other impurities. As an additional safeguard, we began the process of testing all fixtures at Meadowview Elementary School and Watauga Elementary School. That testing is now complete with test results showing 134 fixtures tested non-detect at Meadowview Elementary, 15 fixtures tested less than 10 ppb, and 3 fixtures tested more than 10 ppb. A further breakdown shows out of that significant number of fixtures in Meadowview, 6 of the 18 positives were drinking fountains, with two being above 10 parts per billion. Those impacted drinking fountains include Room 7 outside drinking fountain, Room 16 outside drinking fountain, Room 2 water fountain, and Room 2 drinking fountain on the left side. At Watauga Elementary School, 121 fixtures tested non-detect, 10 fixtures tested less than 10 ppb, and two fixtures tested more than 10 ppb. A further breakdown of those results shows two drinking fountains – Mrs. Kiser’s drinking fountain and Mrs. Meade’s drinking fountain saw elevated readings. Our next steps are to determine and troubleshoot whether the elevated testing numbers are due to the fixture itself, or it is a result of the plumbing in the walls. Those fixtures will remain off until further notice. It is possible that sinks that are no longer used or needed will be removed from future service. We have been given clearance to use all points of contact that have returned “non-detect” results. Testing has now been completed at all five schools that saw elevated readings (Greendale Elementary, Meadowview Elementary, Watauga Elementary, Glade Spring Middle School, and Holston High School). Now that testing is finished at those schools, we will conduct more testing at the remaining 11 schools in our division. At the same time, we will continue to work with the Washington County Service Authority and the Office of Drinking water to ensure we are taking all needed steps to keep our students and staff safe. We will also continue to stay in contact with the local Health Department. The new testing results for Meadowview Elementary, Watauga Elementary, Greendale Elementary, Glade Spring Middle School, and Holston High School, as well as additional information, which includes an FAQ, and a helpful flyer, can be found at this link on our website: https://washingtoncountypsva.sites.thrillshare.com/documents/washington-county-service-authority-information/722977 If you have any questions or concerns, we will continue to work with the agencies referenced above to share the latest information and provide the safest possible environment for our students and staff. Thank you, Keith Perrigan, Ed.D. Superintendent Washington County Public Schools 812 Thompson Dr. Abingdon, VA 24210 276-739-3000 @WashCoSuper “Committed to the Success of Every Student“

From the WCPS Transportation Department: Due to an accident on Interstate 81 and traffic detouring onto Lee Highway, several WCPS buses in the Bristol area are delayed in traffic. This may impact Friday afternoon drop-off times.

Future Opportunities: Professor Brian Hale, an Engineering instructor at Virginia Highlands Community College, visited Engineering, Robotics, & Drafting students at the Washington County Career & Technical Education Center to share invaluable insights into community college opportunities. He discussed the programs he teaches, the benefits of starting at VHCC, & how students can build a solid foundation for a successful transfer to a four-year university! As a reminder, The Washington County Promise Program is a commitment by the Wellspring Foundation of Southwest Virginia & Virginia Highlands Community College for students to attend VHCC with free tuition and jumpstart their future without the financial burden. To learn more about the Promise Program, click here: https://promiseprogram.org/

Washington County Public Schools is excited to announce that our elementary students are leading the way in reading achievement. Our VALLSS scores ranked at the top in CIP Consortium. The Virginia Language and Literacy Screening System (VALLSS) is the state-provided screening tool supporting Virginia’s Early Intervention Reading Initiative (EIRI). The goal of the EIRI is to reduce the number of children struggling with reading through early diagnosis and targeted intervention. By screening students in grades K-3, school divisions are able to determine each student’s level of risk – low, moderate, or high – for developing reading difficulties and receive state funding for providing reading intervention. VALLSS measures decoding (blending sounds together to read words), encoding (spelling words), and the comprehension and use of language. We sincerely value the dedication and hard work of our teachers whose commitment has been essential in helping students reach these milestones. To build on these efforts, Washington County Public Schools has adopted High-Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM) approved by the Virginia Department of Education and provided additional professional development opportunities to strengthen and expand staff expertise in literacy.

Due to predictions of windchills in the morning in the single digits, WCPS will operate on a 2 hour delayed schedule on Friday, December 6, 2024. Childcare will be available for working parents at elementary schools.

Presentation of Colors: The first Cadet Leadership Color Guard Class at John S. Battle High School Presented the Colors for the first time Wednesday evening. We are proud of our students for their dedication!

Free Coaching for Parents: Watch this video https://shorturl.at/GlGY7 to learn how to sign up for FREE coaching through Parent Guidance. The parent coaches focus on in-the-moment strategies for parents to use at home.

Creative Learning: Students in Mrs. Bolyard's EmpowerEd Center at Glade Spring Middle School have been busy studying heat transfer. Students were able to make homemade ice cream while learning more about the heat transfer method!

Oreo Moon Phases: Mrs. Caywood's Science 6 students at Damascus Middle School have been learning about the different phases of the moon. They even used Oreos to model the various phases!

The WCPS Transportation Department would like to inform families that Bus 5 is running roughly 30 - 40 minutes late this morning, Wednesday, December 4. The route will be completed as normal.

Author Visit: On Monday, Glade Spring Middle School hosted author Rob Buyea. GSMS students and faculty read Mr. Buyea's novel, "Because of Mr. Terupt." Mr. Buyea held a presentation for the entire school and also worked with two individual groups for a writing workshop. Thank you, Mr. Buyea, for coming to visit Glade Spring Middle School! GSMS would also like to extend a special thank you to Glade Pharmacy and Meadowview Veterinary Urgent Care for their donations.

Good afternoon, WCPS Families & Staff -- We are providing an additional update following the initial water testing for lead in all Washington County Public Schools’ buildings. That information was released on November 7. If you recall, on October 26, 2024, new regulations approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) required water that is used in schools be tested for lead by 2028. To be ahead of that timeline, the Washington County Service Authority tested five fixtures at every school (at least two fixtures in the kitchens and two or more water fountains in various locations throughout the school). There are three possible results from testing: *Non-detect: Practice good water habits *Less than 10 parts per billion (ppb): Consider risk mitigation such as flushing before use *Greater than 10 parts per billion (ppb): Stop using the water source and take remediation steps The initial results released in November found that four of our schools had at least one fixture that tested less than 10 ppb (Meadowview Elementary – two fixtures, Watauga Elementary – one fixture, Glade Spring Middle School – one fixture, and Holston High School – two fixtures). One school had two fixtures that tested above 10 ppb (Greendale Elementary). As a result, we took additional precautions at those five schools immediately. Only fixtures that tested non-detect are available for cooking purposes at these schools. This is above and beyond the protocols recommended by the EPA. We immediately discontinued the use of consumable water fixtures at the five schools (e.g. drinking fountains) the moment we received the initial testing results. As a result, we have been providing bottled water for students and staff. We also took additional steps and installed a new water cooler at all schools in our division. Those water coolers are equipped with five different filters that are designed to remove lead and other impurities. As a further safeguard, we began the process of testing every fixture at Glade Spring Middle School and Holston High School. That testing is now complete with test results showing 36 fixtures tested non-detect at Glade Spring Middle School, 10 fixtures tested less than 10 ppb, and 13 fixtures tested above 10 ppb. A further breakdown shows that two drinking fountains – Room 302 drinking fountain and the drinking fountain at the main entrance in the gymnasium saw elevated readings. At Holston High School, 59 fixtures tested non-detect, 14 fixtures tested less than 10 ppb, and 16 fixtures tested above 10 ppb. A further breakdown shows one drinking fountain – the girls locker room drinking fountain, saw an elevated test result. Other next steps are to determine and troubleshoot whether the elevated testing numbers are due to the fixture itself, or if it is a result of the plumbing in the walls. Those fixtures will remain off until further notice. It is possible that sinks that are no longer used or needed will be removed from future service. We have been given clearance to use all points of contact that have returned “non-detect” results. We continue to await test results at Watauga Elementary School and Meadowview Elementary School, which also saw elevated results. Additional testing has now been completed at Greendale Elementary School, Glade Spring Middle School, and Holston High School. Once testing is finished at Watauga and Meadowview, we will conduct more tests at the remaining 11 schools in our division. We will continue to work with the Washington County Service Authority and the Office of Drinking Water to ensure we are taking all needed steps to keep our students and staff safe. At the same time, we are also staying in contact with the local Health Department. The new testing results for Glade Spring Middle School, Holston High School, and Greendale Elementary School, as well as additional information, which includes an FAQ, and a helpful flyer, can be found at this link on our website: https://www.wcs.k12.va.us/documents/washington-county-service-authority-information/722977 If you have any questions or concerns, we will continue to work with the agencies referenced above to share the latest information and provide the safest possible environment for our students and staff. Thank you, Keith Perrigan, Ed.D. Superintendent Washington County Public Schools 812 Thompson Dr. Abingdon, VA 24210 276-739-3000 @WashCoSuper

Stay Connected: As we are now entering the winter months and know weather can be unpredictable, it's important to stay connected with Washington County Public Schools. Did you know you can receive push notifications directly on your phone? *Download the Washington County VA Schools Mobile App for your smartphone *The app is available for FREE download in the Apple Store and the Google Play Store *The app will provide instant access to district and school announcements and calendars *Select the menu button -- Scroll down to settings; toggle the school(s) you would like to receive push notifications for To learn more about the mobile app and how to receive news and notifications, watch this helpful video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOcFhm3VBbg

In what has been a tricky morning, we have decided to call a Remote Learning Day for Tuesday December 3, 2024. Main roads are clear, as are some back roads and side streets. However, “road checkers”, encountered multiple slick secondary roads. At our December School Board Meeting, we will present a Snow Route plan that would potentially allow us to have in person learning on days like today. Be safe, stay warm, and we’ll see everyone online

Due to current snowfall in some parts of Washington County, temperatures in the teens overnight, and predicted snowfall in the morning hours, WCPS will operate on a 2 hour delayed schedule on Tuesday, December 3, 2024. Childcare will be provided for working parents at elementary schools. Should conditions worsen to warrant a Remote Learning Day, childcare will not be available. A decision to change from a 2 hour delayed schedule to Remote Learning will be made by 7:30 a.m.