Washington County Public Schools

Fresh Flavors: Culinary Arts students at the Washington County Career & Technical Education Center whipped up a delicious Tomato Basil Bisque. Their creations brought fresh flavors to the table!

Book Fair Fun: Valley Institute Elementary students recently had a chance to visit the Book Fair! We love seeing our students bonding over books and dreaming about the adventures on the pages. Happy reading!

Communities across the Commonwealth were recently invited to join in a fireside chat with First Lady Suzanne Youngkin and award-winning social psychologist, author and researcher Dr. Jonathan Haidt. The conversation focused on the findings of Haidt's book The Anxious Generation and how it informs our communities and schools in limiting social media and cell phone use to help restore childhood and play. If you missed the chat, click here to view a recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1w287BCT4Mw

Special Honors: Congratulations to the John S. Battle 2024 Yearbook Staff for winning Honorable Mention in Balfour's Yearbook Yearbook! This award only goes to the top 10% of Balfour's schools! View the 2024 Yearbook: https://issuu.com/balfour/docs/2024_yearbook_yearbook_issuu

Surgeons in Training: Ms. Maples and Ms. Hicks led Wallace Middle School 7th grade "surgeons in training" in performing the correct mathematical order of operations on their patients. Good news -- all patients are expected to make a full recovery!

Career Cafe: Damascus Middle School hosted its first Career Cafe, sponsored by school counselor Jamie Moser. Students had a chance to learn about veterinarian & veterinary technician careers! Dr. Emily Winebarger Hoss & Chlowe Taylor shared the joys & challenges of their jobs.

We wanted to share a fun fact with you that will greatly benefit your students! All students in Washington County Public Schools eat for FREE! But did you also know that even if a student packs their lunch, they may pick up three additional items from the cafeteria for FREE to add to their meal? For it to be a qualifying free meal, students must choose an item from three food groups, with one item being a fruit OR vegetable. This is a program available to ALL students in ALL schools!

Immersive Learning: Check out this great article from Cardinal News highlighting some of our students taking part in Southwest Virginia's first lab school: https://shorturl.at/C09Z5

Taco Night: Greendale Elementary School hosted a taco night on Tuesday! Families, faculty and staff enjoyed a free taco dinner sponsored by the Greendale Elementary School PTO and Communities in Schools. We love seeing our school community enjoying a tasty meal!

Planning for the Future: Members of the Teachers for Tomorrow programs at Abingdon High School, John S. Battle, Patrick Henry and the CTE center visited Emory & Henry University. The students met with the education department, sat in on classes, and took a tour of the campus.

School Spirit: Glade Spring Middle School recently hosted Damascus Middle School for a friendly volleyball game during the school day to boost school spirit and assure that all students had a chance to see their friends play!

School Day at the Washington County Fair: We loved seeing our students enjoy the afternoon at the fair -- whether it was riding rides, petting animals or hanging out with friends, a great time was had by everyone!

Fun Friday: Mrs. Cindy Jackson, Principal and Mrs. Amy Norman, Assistant Principal at High Point Elementary School had a tricycle race that ended with a pie to the face!

Flu Vaccine Clinic: WCPS is scheduled to have flu vaccine clinics in schools October 8th, 10th and 11th. Be on the lookout for student registration forms being sent home.

Reminder: School will dismiss three hours early today for an afternoon of fun at the Washington County Fair!

We wanted to make you aware that overnight, the Abingdon Police Department received information about a nonspecific potential threat that appears to be a couple days old. No school was specifically named, however, a student from Abingdon High School received a screenshot of the information. Overnight interviews determined a few students from E.B. Stanley Middle School also received a version of the screenshot. After consulting with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, it was determined that the screen shot has been circulating in other states and did not originate in our area. Out of an abundance of caution, the Abingdon Police Department will continue to investigate, and have additional officers at Abingdon High School and E.B. Stanley Middle School this morning. We are grateful for our partnerships with local law enforcement and will continue to take all threats, specific and non-specific, seriously. 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“

Barter Theatre Trip: Ms. Christine Mitten organized a fun outing for Holston & Patrick Henry Creative & Performing Arts Club students to attend a show on Saturday. Lots of belly laughs were had watching The Play that Goes Wrong. The students say they recommend the performance!

Special Breakfast: Greendale Elementary School hosted more than 140 grandparents for breakfast on Thursday. A special thanks to the Greendale PTO & cafeteria staff for supplying the delicious breakfast. Thank you, Greendale grandparents, for celebrating with your grandchildren!

Unit Rates Jenga: Sixth grade students at Damascus Middle School have been playing Unit Rates Jenga, a classic game of Jenga, with questions focused on unit rates and ratios. The group with the tallest Jenga tower and most questions answered correctly were the big winners!

Fireside Chat: The First Lady of Virginia Suzanne Youngkin is inviting you to join in a fireside chat with award-winning social psychologist, author, and researcher Dr. Jonathan Haidt, author of the bestselling book The Anxious Generation. The event will be live streamed at Abingdon High School on Thursday, September 19 and run from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. The school community is invited to take part in this event where community conversations will be facilitated to provide an opportunity for parents, families, community leaders, and educators to come together to help shape the policies that govern schools and communities. Dr. Jonathan Haidt's bestselling book The Anxious Generation explores the impact of social media and other cultural changes on today's youth. He argues that this "phone-based childhood" contributes to increased anxiety and mental health issues among younger generations. Dr. Haidt suggests that the constant pressure to present a curated image online, along with a culture of comparison with rapid information dissemination, has created an environment where young people are more prone to stress and depression. His research highlights the need for societal and structural changes to address these challenges and support healthier development for the younger generation.