Registration Open: The Youth & Family Summit is a three-day event held each June and sponsored by the Virginia Department of Education and the Partnership for People with Disabilities. Youth with disabilities from across the Commonwealth meet to network and discuss important issues together. This year's theme and focus is Relatedness. For more information, click here: https://imdetermined.org/event/2025-youth-and-family-summit/
Teachers of the Year: It is an honor for Washington County Schools to announce and congratulate the following teachers selected by their respective schools as their 2024-2025 Teacher of the Year.
These persons were chosen by their colleagues because they exemplify the best of being a teacher for Washington County Public Schools and the service they provide to the community, school and most importantly, students.
Elementary Schools
*Abingdon -- Gwen Campbell
*Greendale -- Abby Rasnake
*High Point -- Heather Hensley
*Meadowview -- Kimberly Cox
*Rhea Valley -- Beth Delp
*Valley Institute -- Joy Hull
*Watauga -- Sherry Thomason
Middle Schools
*Damascus -- Sallie Moss
*Glade Spring -- Sherry Cannon
*E.B. Stanley -- Maggie Branton
*Wallace -- Kaitlyn Maples
Secondary Schools
*Abingdon High -- Chase Nunley
*John S. Battle High -- Emily Tallman
*Patrick Henry High -- Alyssa Fields
*Holston High -- Buffy Milhorne
*WC CTE Center -- William (Billy) Buchanan
These teachers will be recognized as their building’s Teacher of the Year at the Washington County School Board meeting on January 21, 2025.
As well, we are excited to announce and congratulate the grade level Teacher of the Year for 2024-2025. Each of the building’s Teacher of the Year could be chosen as all are models of what it means to be a teacher.
*2025-2025 Elementary School Teacher of the Year -- Abby Rasnake
*2024-2025 Middle School Teacher of the Year -- Kaitlyn Maples
*2024-2025 High School Teacher of the Year -- Chase Nunley
The 2024-2025 Washington County Teacher of the Year will be announced during the Washington County School Board Meeting on January 21, 2025, and will be our Division’s candidate for the Region VII Teacher of the Year.
Congratulations to all as we celebrate these exemplary teachers of Washington County Schools.
Virginia Tech Distinguished Music Educator Award: A big congratulations to Mrs. Baxter, chorus teacher at Abingdon High School, for receiving the 2024 Virginia Tech Distinguished Music Educator Award. This award recognizes "outstanding contributions to music education in the Commonwealth of Virginia."
A note from Mrs. Baxter:
Today I was humbled and thrilled to receive the 2024 Virginia Tech Distinguished Music Educator Award.
Thank you to the Virginia Tech School of Performing Arts, Dr. Dwight Bigler for nominating me, Dr. Emmett O’Leary for driving down from Blacksburg to present the award, the Chorus Boosters for setting up this ceremony, the students who spoke and all who attended.
Thank you to AHS and Central Office Administration, past and present, for all your support.
Finally, thank you to my students. You mean the absolute world to me. I believe in you and that’s why I do this job. Thank you for being in my class!
Sharing Proceeds: Watauga Elementary PTRC welcomed their friends from Rhea Valley Elementary School to join them during their fall festival this year. They would now like to donate a portion of the proceeds from that event to RVES!
WCPS will operate on a 2 hour delay on Thursday, December 12, 2024 due to black ice in some locations. Opening later will allow better visibility for drivers. Childcare will be provided at elementary schools for working parents if needed.
Holiday Magic: Sixth grade students at Damascus Middle School received a special package from the North Pole last week! Since then, Jolly the Elf has become part of the daily routine -- moving to a new location each night and staying very busy. She has decorated, helped "teach" moon phases, hidden candy canes, and at times, found herself "stuck" in some awkward situations!
Holiday Family Night: Watauga Elementary School held a Title 1 Family Night earlier this month. Families participated in several holiday STEM & literacy activities. Students were also excited to have their picture taken with Santa!
Based on our conversations with our meteorologist at AccuWeather, we anticipate weather conditions to deteriorate during our normal dismissal time. As a result, Washington County Public Schools will dismiss 2-Hours early today, Wednesday, December 11, 2024. All extracurricular activities for Wednesday are postponed.
An Important Update from the WCPS Transportation Department: Due to weather conditions, buses will NOT run in the Konnarock, Taylor's Valley, and Green Cove areas of Washington County on Wednesday, December 11, 2024.
Bus service to the Konnarock, Taylor’s Valley, and Green Cove areas of Washington County will run on a two hour delay for Wednesday, December 11, 2024. Should weather conditions deteriorate further, it is possible these areas could become closed. We will keep you updated on further schedule changes.
Happening Tonight: Our partners at Parent Guidance are offering a great Ask a Therapist Live event this evening, Wednesday, December 11. 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/OpfEZ
Monitoring Winter Weather: The WCPS Transportation Department and administrators are closely monitoring weather conditions and forecasts. Currently, we believe that schedules will remain normal for Wednesday, December 11, 2024 (except for the Konnarock, Taylor's Valley, and Green Cove areas of Washington County), as current road temperatures are warmer than air temperatures. However, bus drivers are on standby in the event conditions change.
Christmas Luncheon: On Tuesday, Wallace Middle School Beta & Gifted students had the opportunity to enjoy a Christmas luncheon at the historic Martha Washington Inn in Abingdon. Students received a lesson in proper dining etiquette prior to their meal & were treated to a tour of the facility.
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.
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!
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/
#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!
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.
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.
