Washington County Public Schools

From the WCPS Transportation Department: Buses in the John S. Battle High School area may be running late this afternoon (Monday, December 2) due to an accident on Island Road. Several WCPS buses are sitting in traffic due to the incident.

Promise Program: The past couple of weeks, we enjoyed sharing big opportunities with our youngest students! Along with our friends from the Wellspring Foundation of Southwest Virginia and Virginia Highlands Community College, we visited all of our elementary schools to share the exciting news about the Washington County Promise Program. We're already planting seeds for bright futures by introducing this life-changing opportunity to our students and families early on. During the visits, we talked about how the Washington County Promise Program can offer free tuition for eligible students, making higher education more accessible than ever before. The excitement at each stop was contagious, and we can't wait to see these young minds grow and eventually take advantage of this amazing opportunity. This is just the beginning of a bright path for our students, and we're thrilled to share this journey with them and their families. Visit https://promiseprogram.org/ to see if your student qualifies. #WashingtonCountyPublicSchools #VHCCPromise #FreeTuition #EducationStartsHere #FutureReady #StudentSuccess

Helpful Resources: Parents, we know the holiday season can bring added stress. Parent Coaching is a FREE resource where you can meet with a coach to get personalized support for any challenges you or your child may be facing. Whether it's behavior issues or holiday stress, a coach can help guide you through it. Click here to register for support from a coach: https://parentguidance.org/school-coaching/

Happy Thanksgiving from Washington County Public Schools! We are so incredibly thankful for our amazing students, staff and families. We hope you all have a wonderful day with family and friends. Share what you are thankful for in the comments!

Reminder: Schools will be closed from Wednesday, November 27 - Friday, November 29 for Thanksgiving Break. We hope all of our students, families, and staff have a wonderful Thanksgiving Break! Classes resume on Monday, December 2.

Real-World Experiences: Members of the John S. Battle High School Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) embarked on an enriching field trip to Nicewonder Properties, combining professional learning with practical life skills. The visit offered students a firsthand look at the operations of a successful business and the chance to refine their dining etiquette during a formal lunch. Students had the opportunity to interact with professionals from various departments, who highlighted the importance of teamwork, problem-solving, and adaptability in today's business landscape. The experience allowed students to connect classroom knowledge with real-world applications, deepening their understanding of business operations and career possibilities.

Health Clinic: The School Based Health Clinic at John S. Battle High School will be open Wednesday, November 27 and Friday, November 29 from 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. to see patients by appointment only. Please call the clinic at 276-642-5335 to schedule an appointment.

Hands-On Learning in Action: Students in the Introduction to Health & Medical Sciences class at the Washington County Career & Technical Education Center practiced making closed beds this morning. This exercise is helping build foundational skills for a future in healthcare!

Spelling Bee: Elementary students have been busy practicing their words & competing in their school spelling bees! Thank you to Teresa Carter from WCYB for serving as pronouncer at Greendale Elementary & Casey Goetz from WCYB for serving as pronouncer at Watauga Elementary. We are so proud of our students!

Appreciation Lunch: On Wednesday, the Washington County Career & Technical Education Center hosted an appreciation lunch & Veterans Day Program. Lunch for veterans and their families was prepared & served by students from the culinary arts program. After lunch, SkillsUSA officers held an assembly honoring the veterans. The colors were presented by members of the Highlands Honor Guard, & Marine Corps Veteran, David Matlock, was the guest speaker. Mr. Matlock spoke about the sacrifices veterans have made & challenged students to honor veterans by being good citizens & working to make their families, communities, & country better. Veterans also received free car washes & had the opportunity to receive free haircuts from cosmetology students.

Due to winter weather, Washington County Public Schools will implement a Remote Learning Day for Friday, November 22, 2024. NO childcare will be provided. Classroom teachers will communicate with students to facilitate classes. Stay safe and warm!

Good afternoon, WCPS Families & Staff – We are providing an update following initial water testing for lead in all Washington County Public Schools’ buildings. That information was released earlier this month. 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 2 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 If you recall, the initial testing 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. The moment we received the initial testing results, we immediately discontinued the use of consumable water fixtures at the five schools (e.g. drinking fountains) – with that protocol remaining in place until the issue is remedied. As a result, we have been providing bottled water for students and staff. We are also installing a new water cooler at all schools in our division. This water cooler is equipped with five different filters that are designed to remove lead and other impurities. As an additional safeguard, we also began the process of testing every fixture in Greendale Elementary. That testing is now complete, with test results showing 52 fixtures tested non-detect, 8 fixtures tested less than 10 ppb, and 17 fixtures tested above 10 ppb. The most recent test results show that most of the drinking fountains came back as non-detect (with the exception of the fountain in the teachers' lounge, and the fountains located in Ms. Matney's, Ms. Mitchell's, and Ms. Saltz's classrooms) many of the elevated readings came from fixtures not needed for day-to-day school operations. One fixture tested extremely high, and we believe that could be because the classroom sink has not been used for an extended period of time. We will replace that fixture and test again before considering future use. (The samples for lead testing are taken after the fixture has been unused for a minimum of eight hours to get a worst-case result. Flushing the fixture for an extended period reduces the likelihood of lead presence.) We are replacing the sink in the kitchen that initially tested above 10 ppb and will retest again before returning that sink to service. 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 turned 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. More testing has taken place at the four schools that also saw elevated results. Once those test results are complete, we will conduct additional 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. We are also staying in contact with the local Health Department. The new Greendale testing results and 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: With the potential for winter weather this evening through tomorrow morning, we wanted to alert you of the two options for Friday, November 22, if Washington County Public Schools is NOT on a regular schedule. *Remote Learning Day -- NO childcare will be provided *Two-Hour Delay -- Childcare will be provided at elementary schools from 8:00 a.m. until the start of the school day. As a reminder: A Remote Learning Day will be announced if instruction is going to be provided during an unscheduled closure of a school or schools. Classroom teachers will communicate with students about the processes they will use to facilitate their classes. A Remote Learning Day is NOT a traditional snow day. School Closed will be announced if instruction is NOT going to be provided during an unscheduled closure of a school or schools. 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. We have various ways for you to stay in the loop. Websites: *The district and individual school websites will be the hub of communication for all WCPS. *All information that affects the school or district will be communicated through district and/or school web pages. The district website is https://www.wcs.k12.va.us/ *School web pages are “school initials + .wcs.k12.va.us” (example: Abingdon High School = ahs.wcs.k12.va.us) *The websites can be translated to multiple languages by clicking the drop-down menu in the top right-hand corner. Receive Text Messages, Phone Calls & Emails: *The contact information for students and/or parents comes from the Contact 1-5 Data in PowerSchool for each student. *Check with your student’s school to make sure your contact information is up to date. Receive Push Notifications: *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. *Scroll down to settings; toggle the school(s) you would like to receive push notifications for and view. Social Media: *The district maintains and operates Facebook, Twitter (X), and Instagram accounts as well as a district YouTube account. *Families are encouraged to follow the district accounts @washcovaschools for updates, news, and information. *Individual schools maintain a Facebook and Twitter account. 

Special Congratulations: The Patrick Henry One-Act Team recently placed 4th in the Super Regionals Competition with an Outstanding Acting Award for Lotte Gendel, Honorable Mentions to Laci Counts, Sophie Moore, Zen Moser, and an Outstanding Technical Award for the Patrick Henry One-Act Technical Team. The team will celebrate their season with a final performance on Saturday, November 23 at 7:00 p.m. in the Kennedy-Reedy Theatre at the McGlothlin Center for the Arts at Emory & Henry University.

Calculating Measurements: Ms. Austin's Trigonometry class at John S. Battle High School made a clinometer, and used it along with trig ratios, to calculate the heights of objects that are difficult to physically measure. Some of those objects included a light pole, field goal post, and tree, just to name a few!

Unique Creations: Sixth-grade math students at Damascus Middle School tried their hand at game design this week. From brainstorming game concepts to creating game boards and establishing game rules, the students constructed and presented the unique designs to their classmates. Many engaging learning resources for integer operations were created!

Happening Tonight: Our partners at Parent Guidance are offering a great Ask a Therapist Live event this evening, Wednesday, November 20. This event takes place once a month and offers a unique opportunity for parents to engage directly with a licensed family therapist. Parents can ask questions anonymously and receive personalized answers in real-time. Click here to register: https://shorturl.at/InrLd

Nomination Deadline Approaching: Nominate a special support staff person for the #WashingtonWayAward! Do you know someone whose work and commitment makes WCPS a better place to be? #WashingtonWayAward Categories: *Above and Beyond Custodian Award -- Vote for a custodian that makes a difference! *Silver Spoon Award -- Vote for the best food service worker out there! *Helping Hand Award -- Vote for a nurse or an aide that has helped you! *Master Technician Award -- Vote for the one who has helped you fix things! *Wheels on the Bus Award -- Vote for the driver or mechanic who helps get you home! *Customer Service Award -- Vote for the person who is always there to help! Scan the QR Code by Friday, November 22 to nominate a support staff person. To learn more about the #WashingtonWayAwards, watch this video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM7Y0BdMbF4

Promise Program: Our friends with the Promise Program have been visiting middle schools, sharing the amazing news about the Washington County Promise Program! Our students are beginning to think about their futures, and we're excited to show them how this commitment can help make their college dreams a reality -- with free tuition. These visits were all about getting our middle schoolers thinking ahead and understanding that opportunities are within reach. By preparing now, they can set themselves up for a successful future with the help of this incredible program. We loved seeing the excitement and curiosity from our middle schoolers as they learned how the Washington County Promise Program can help them succeed. Visit https://promiseprogram.org/ to see if your student is eligible to take advantage of this amazing commitment by Wellspring Foundation of Southwest Virginia and Virginia Highlands Community College. #WashingtonCountySchools #VHCCPromise #MiddleSchoolFuture #BuildingBrightFutures #FreeTuition #StudentOpportunities

Optimist Club Outstanding Youth: The Optimist Club of Bristol recently recognized local middle school students from Wallace Middle, Virginia Middle, and Tennessee Middle. Students were nominated by their home schools based on academic achievement and overall character. This year's award winners from Wallace Middle School were J. Crowder and L. Senter. These students were recognized at a luncheon hosted by the Optimist Club of Bristol.