Damascus Middle School

When Coach Rabbit Sullivan coached Emery Reid and Jason Matlock at Holston High School in 2000, he had no idea how his influence would be felt beyond that basketball season. 24 years later, Coach Sullivan, who is now the custodian at Damascus Middle School and served as the boys basketball coach during the 22-23 season, handed the reins of the DMS boys basketball program to Coach Emery Reid with Principal Jason Matlock in full support! #tbt

Good afternoon, I couldn't be prouder of our Maintenance Team and the School Custodians across Washington County. They have done a phenomenal job of clearing school parking lots and sidewalks. Despite the terribly cold working conditions they have worked tirelessly, and flawlessly, to get our schools ready to provide a safe environment for students and staff to return to school. Additionally, VDOT workers have gone above and beyond the call of duty to get many main roads and secondary roads clear and safe. We are very grateful to those workers as well. Almost every road I traveled in Washington County today was clear. Unfortunately, there are still some roads that are not safe for buses to drive considering the constant starting and stopping they are required to do. Many of the turn around areas for buses are still covered with snow and ice. As a result, Washington County Public Schools will be closed on Thursday January 18, 2024. Be safe, have fun, and pray that we will miss the predicted snowfall on Friday. Thank you, Keith Perrigan, Ed.D. Superintendent

Washington County Public Schools serves many children in foster care and have an interest in supporting children as they enter the foster care system. The Isaiah 117 House’s welcoming space allows children to receive the comfort and care they need, while the Department of Social Services staff perform the necessary paperwork and identify a good foster placement. Isaiah 117 House is changing the way foster care begins. If you are interested in learning more about the progress of Washington County’s Isaiah 117 House, please reach out to Savannah Harrison at [email protected] For more information, see this article https://www.wcs.k12.va.us/article/1414089

Washington County VA Schools will be closed on Wednesday, January 17th.

Tune in for this very important announcement from School Superintendent, Dr. Keith Perrigan: https://youtu.be/j10RWCvrmr4?feature=shared

Be sure to check out the FREE tutoring resource provided by the VDOE for all students. This can be accessed through the students' SSO portal. Here is just one of the options offered. https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:2827544a-e724-3bb0-9609-0abc17dd85da

Washington County VA Schools will be closed on Tuesday, January 16th

Good evening, Over the last few years, Washington County Public Schools has made the decision to have school on the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday to ensure our teachers could use the day as a teachable moment. Dr. King's advocacy, tenacity, and action had a huge impact on American History. His leadership led to countless Americans having more liberty, opportunity, and personal freedom. Teaching our students about his legacy is of the utmost importance. Unfortunately due to the Winter Storm Warning in effect for Washington County Virginia, we are going to cancel school on this very important holiday. Based on a forecast prepared specifically for Washington County Schools by AccuWeather for 01/15/2024, we anticipate snow flurries in the early morning and heavy snowfall by lunchtime. Even though it looks like we could get students to school safely in the morning, it appears that getting them home would be much more difficult. Due to the potential for significant snowfall, we will not provide childcare on Monday. I apologize for the inconvenience this causes for working families. If we have to close school for additional days this week, we will do our best to offer childcare for working families. Have a restful evening and feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. 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

Dear Families, Due to increasing wind speeds in parts of our county, we will dismiss school 1 hour early on Friday, January 12. 2024.

Dear Washington County Families, We wanted to inform you that we there has been a bus incident in the Patrick Henry area of the division. All students on board have been evaluated by medical personnel and no injuries were sustained. Parents of all students involved have been contacted. The safety and security of our students and staff is always our first priority.

Good afternoon, Washington County Public Schools will be closed on Wednesday January 10, 2024. Our WCPS specific Accuweather Forecast gives us reason to believe that we would need to operate on a 2-hour delayed schedule tomorrow. Since a 2-hour early dismissal is already scheduled, adding a 2-hour delay would become a logistical nightmare for students, parents, and staff. I apologize for interrupting your daily routine with this closure, but hopefully the early notification will provide ample time for parents to make arrangements. We will provide free childcare for working parents who are unable to make arrangements for their children. This service is being provided as a result of goals our School Board adopted last summer. All Elementary and Middle Schools will be open tomorrow to serve students whose parents have to go to work and can’t make other arrangements. Be on the lookout for messaging from your school about specific details, hours of operation, etc. Again, I apologize for this inconvenience. Please let me know if you have questions, suggestions, or concerns. 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“

Dear Washington County Schools Families, Please see this important announcement regarding weather updates from the Watauga Elementary News Crew and WES-TV! https://www.canva.com/design/DAF2tJu3wvM/v0_4WoDFpbt3wbCWHIVu6w/watch

Congratulations to Roby O., the winner of the Stock Market Game in Mr. Joe Preston's History class! His smart investments in sports brands and tech giants earned him a silver dollar!

WCPS is pleased announce the availability of Varsity Tutors for use for all students and parents. Varsity Tutors is provided free through the Virginia Department of Education and offers access to several resources that can be helpful for them. These resources include: 24/7 on-demand chat tutoring for a wide range of courses; live group classes; on-demand essay review; self-study and practice problems; college and career readiness resources including SAT and ACT prep and practice; enrichment classes; adaptive assessments; and personalized learning plans. Varsity Tutors is available for students to access through the students' SSO portal. The video linked below provides a general overview of the offerings provided through Varsity Tutors for your information. https://vimeo.com/892780076/73d5e9e771?ts=1000&share=copy

Opportunity for all ages.

Check out this opportunity for Little League sign-ups in the Damascus Area.

Support the DMS Basketball Teams!

Donations of new or gently used coats will be given to People, Inc. to be distributed to those in need. Please put donations in the box in the main hall.

Support the DMS Basketball Teams!

A special thanks to everyone who supported the Damascus Middle School Blood Drive! It was a great success, with 28 donations in 5 hours! Mrs. Childress's homeroom won the pizza party for the most donors.