Washington County Public Schools

Fire Department Field Trip: Pre-K students at Watauga Elementary School enjoyed a fun trip to the Abingdon Fire Department. Students learned about fire safety, saw the equipment that firefighters use, and even got to sit in the fire truck!

Hands-On Learning: The Empower Health 360 group from the Washington County Career & Technical Education Center had an amazing hands-on experience at Bristol Regional Medical Center. From operating the Da Vinci surgical robot with a rep's guidance to spending time in Radiology, 4W Med-Surgery, & more -- our students had the chance to get an inspiring look behind the scenes of healthcare. Thank you to Ballad Health & Bristol Regional Medical Center for giving our students the opportunity to explore these career paths & even open the doors for future job shadowing. It was a 10/10 day for everyone involved!

Washington Way Award Nominations: 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

Cavs in Motion Fun: Members of the group, Cavs in Motion at Damascus Middle School, finished the season with the Speedway in Lights 5K! They arrived in style on the Cavalier bus with Holston High School SRO Mike Reid at the wheel. Every Cav in Motion finished the race with the support of family members & Damascus Middle School staff who served as running buddies. Cavs in Motion is a running program at Damascus Middle School that combines physical fitness & personal growth.

Lace Up Your Running Shoes: The Washington County Career & Technical Education Center Veterans Day 5K Run & Walk is this weekend on Saturday, November 16 at 9:00 a.m. WCCTEC is working to make this a fun event! Click here to register: https://register.chronotrack.com/r/82374

Veterans Day: Students across the school division have been recognizing all the men and women who have served our country. Several schools hosted wonderful programs as a way to say thank you to our veterans for their courage and dedication.

Working Together: SCA members at Damascus Middle School visited Haynes Corn Maze. Students engaged in team building, communication, and friendly competition to solve the riddles and complete the maze!

5 Star Student: Thank you to WCYB for showcasing one of our E.B. Stanley Middle School students in their 5 Star Student Segment. We love seeing our students excelling in the classrooms and their communities! For more, click here: https://shorturl.at/h2OTW

Exemplar Award Recognition: During a meeting on Thursday, school board members recognized Mr. Long, principal of Holston High School and Mr. Colston, principal of Greendale Elementary School. The board thanked both administrators for their hard work in preparing students for their futures. On October 24, the Virginia Board of Education recognized 141 schools for their high achievement and continued improvement as part of its Exemplar School Recognition Program. The recognized schools include 92 schools across the Commonwealth earning the Board of Education Highest Achievement Award. Washington County Public Schools is honored that Greendale Elementary School and Holston High School received the 2024-2025 Board of Education Highest Achievement Award. The Highest Achievement Award is based on performance during the 2023-2024 school year. "Being recognized in the Exemplar School Recognition Program is a direct reflection of a school's commitment to high performance and increasing excellence," said Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction Lisa Coons.

Good evening, 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. In an effort to be ahead of this requirement, the Washington County Service Authority has already conducted testing for lead in all Washington County Public Schools' buildings. They tested 5 fixtures at every school, at least 2 fixtures in the kitchens and 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 During a meeting this afternoon with the Washington County Service Authority and Office of Drinking Water, I learned that four of our schools had at least one fixture that tested less than 10 ppb (Meadowview Elementary - 2 fixtures, Watauga Elementary - 1 fixture, Glade Spring Middle School -1 fixture, and Holston High School -2 fixtures.) One school had two fixtures that tested above 10 ppb (Greendale Elementary) As a result, we will begin taking additional precautions at those five schools immediately. Only fixtures that tested Non-detect will be available for cooking purposes at those schools. This is above and beyond the protocols recommended by the EPA. As an additional safeguard, we will begin the process of testing every fixture in these buildings beginning with Greendale Elementary School tomorrow morning. After the testing is complete at the 5 schools mentioned earlier, we will begin the process of testing every fixture at the remaining schools as an additional precaution. As stated before, we will discontinue consumable water fixtures at these 5 schools (e.g. drinking fountains) until the issue is remedied. As a result, we will provide bottled water for students and staff, but please feel free to send water from home with your child. Additional information provided by the Washington County Service Authority and Office of Drinking Water which includes a FAQ, and an informational flyer can be found at this link on our website: https://www.wcs.k12.va.us/documents/washington-county-service-authority-information/722977 We will continue to work with the Washington County Service Authority, Office of Drinking Water and Virginia Department of Health to ensure we are maintaining the safest possible environment for our students and staff while communicating the latest information with our stakeholders. If you have concerns related to this issue, we will work with the agencies referenced above to provide answers to your questions. Thank you, Keith Perrigan, Ed.D. Superintendent Washington County Public Schools 812 Thompson Dr. Abingdon, VA 24210 276-739-3000 @WashCoSuper

WCCTEC ManufacturED 360 Students Visit Carter Cat: The ManufacturED 360 students at the Washington County Career & Technical Education Center had an incredible experience at Carter Cat, where they explored exciting career paths in manufacturing! They learned about Carter Cat's apprenticeship program, discovered the wide range of job opportunities, and took an in-depth tour of the facility, checking out the impressive equipment used in the industry.

Thank You to Our Heroes: Rhea Valley Elementary School hosted a special Veterans Day Program on Wednesday. We appreciate all of the Veterans and Highlands Veterans Honor Guard members for coming to RVES. We can't thank you enough for your service and dedication.

Flag Football Fun: Greendale Elementary hosted its annual 5th grade vs. Faculty Flag Football Game on Monday! After a hard-fought game, the students won in overtime, with an overall score of 42-36.

Creative Action Shots: Ms. C's yearbook staff at John S. Battle High School drenched some willing volunteers with water balloons! The project helped photographers learn how various camera settings can capture action shots. Mrs. Southworth also joined in on the fun!

Mock Election: Watauga Elementary School held a Mock Election on Monday, and it was a huge success! Students presented their Voter Registration Cards and cast their ballots online, as well as dropping their paper ballots in the ballot box. The issues that were voted on include various school improvement suggestions presented by the WES 2024 Student Council.

Special Congratulations: Patrick Henry High School's One-Act team was runner up on Saturday, November 2, in the VHSL Regional Competition, and will now advance to the Super Regional Competition in Narrows, Virginia on Saturday, November 16. Sophie M. and Laci C. were recognized as Outstanding Actors. Lotte G. and Zen M. were given Honorable Mentions. The team earned a Technical Award in costuming. Congratulations to these students on an outstanding performance and good luck at Super Regionals!

Utilizing Technology: On Monday, High Point Elementary students enjoyed learning how to use Google Meet for Remote Learning Practice Day. Students took time in each class to learn the ins and outs of navigating assignments and the learning platform, Schoology.

Reminder: Washington County Public Schools will be closed tomorrow, Tuesday, November 5, for Election Day. We will see our students and staff back in class on Wednesday.

A special congratulations to Clint Wilson, a senior at John S. Battle High School, for being appointed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin to serve on the Student Advisory Board. Selected students work closely with the Virginia Department of Education and will play a vital role in ensuring that student voices are heard in the creation of policies affecting education in the Commonwealth. To learn more about the Student Advisory Board, click here: https://www.education.virginia.gov/student-advisory-board/

Virtual Events: Check out the offerings for the November Mental Health Series through Parent Guidance. The focus for November is School Avoidance. Each session is open to everyone. To learn more, click here: https://parentguidance.org/mhsindex/