Washington County Public Schools

Homemade Ice Cream: Ms. Harrison's Introduction to Animal Systems class at John S. Battle High School finished out their Dairy Cattle Unit by making homemade ice cream! In this unit, they learned about dairy cattle breeds, dairy cattle facilities, & products that come from dairy cattle.

Reminder: At the October 7 School Board meeting, members voted to move the end of the first quarter grading period to Friday, October 11. As a result, the 2-hour early dismissal that was originally scheduled for Wednesday, October 9, has been moved to Friday October 11, to allow time for teachers to complete grades. Schools will be closed Monday, October 14 through Wednesday, October 16 for Fall Break. Report Cards will be sent home with students on Tuesday, October 22.

Washington County Public Schools will operate on a regular schedule on Tuesday, October 8, 2024. We do have the following transportation information and route changes for students and families to be aware of. These changes will be in place until further notice: *Taylor's Valley Bus 37 -- Students who live in Taylor's Valley can meet Bus 37 at the VFW Post on Route 91 at 7:15 a.m. Pick up in the afternoon will be at approximately 3:30 p.m. *Konnarock/Green Cove Bus 69 -- Students who live above Green Cove Road on Route 58, or on Green Cove Road, can meet Bus 69 at the intersection of Green Cove and Route 58. Students who live on Rhymer Road or the closed section of Route 58 can meet Bus 69 at Saint Matthew Lutheran Church. Your driver will reach out to you with additional messaging about times. *Bus 38 -- Students who live on Rush Creek Road can meet Bus 38 at the intersection of Rush Creek and Confederate Road at 7:00 a.m. with drop off at approximately 3:45 p.m.

Donation Collection: Members of the Glade Spring Middle School Volleyball team are pictured with donations that were collected at their volleyball game against Northwood on October 4. These donations will be packaged and sent to Damascus Middle to assist in continuing recovery.

Warm Welcome: To help kick off Homecoming festivities this past Friday, Patrick Henry football players helped open car doors during morning drop-off at Meadowview Elementary. The team also enjoyed breakfast with students!

Middle School Volleyball Finals at Abingdon High School: E.B. Stanley Middle will play Wallace Middle at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 9. Admission is $5. All proceeds from the game will be donated to the WCPS Damascus Student Relief Fund.

Homecoming Spirit & Giving Back: John S. Battle is gearing up for an exciting Homecoming game on Friday, October 11th! As part of the celebration, you have the chance to support local families in need by donating non-perishable food items for the Mendota Food Pantry. Donations will be collected beside the ticket booth at the stadium gates before the game. Suggested Donations: *Canned Milk *Canned Meat *Canned Vegetables *Canned Fruit *Cornbread Mix *Tuna Helper *Pasta *Rice *Monetary donations are also welcome! Please make checks payable to Mendota Community Association with "Food Pantry" in the memo line.

Good afternoon WCPS Families & Staff -- The full Washington County Public Schools division will operate on a two-hour delayed schedule on Monday, October 7, 2024. Delaying the start of school will allow additional time for students and staff to arrive safely in daylight hours, due to some area roads still having debris. Childcare will be provided beginning at 8:00 a.m. for working families at each elementary school. We do have the following transportation information and route changes for students and families to be aware of: *Taylor's Valley Bus 37 -- Students who live in Taylor's Valley can meet Bus 37 at the VFW Post on Route 91 at 9:15 a.m. Pick up in the afternoon will be at approximately 3:30 p.m. *Konnarock/Green Cove Bus 69 -- Students who live above Green Cove Road on Route 58, or on Green Cove Road, can meet Bus 69 at the intersection of Green Cove and Route 58. Students who live on Rhymer Road or the closed section of Route 58 can meet Bus 69 at Saint Matthew Lutheran Church. Your driver will reach out to you with additional messaging about pick up and drop off times. *Bus 38 -- Students who live on Rush Creek Road can meet Bus 38 at the intersection of Rush Creek and Confederate Road at 9:00 a.m. with drop off at approximately 3:45 p.m. Again, a big thank you for your continued support and patience -- your efforts to help our school community and families has not gone unnoticed. 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“

Field Trip: Rhea Valley Elementary students were treated to field trip and a showing of "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown," thanks to the Emory & Henry Theatre Department! Following the performance, students enjoyed a meal in the cafeteria.

Volunteer Efforts: Sending a shoutout of thanks to members of the Holston High School Football team for signing up to volunteer with the United Way of Southwest Virginia at the Disaster Relief Center in Damascus.

Neighbors Helping Neighbors: A huge thank you to students and teachers from Bristol Virginia Public Schools for bringing donations to Damascus and helping out. We appreciate your efforts!

Good afternoon WCPS Families & Staff – Rhea Valley Elementary School, Damascus Middle School and Holston High School will be closed Friday, October 4, 2024. Childcare will be provided at Rhea Valley Elementary from 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. As we did this morning, all other Washington County Public Schools will operate on a two-hour delayed schedule on Friday, October 4, 2024. For Holston High School students wanting to attend their classes at the Washington County Career and Technical Education Center, transportation will be provided TO and FROM Holston High School. Breakfast and lunch will be provided for those students at WCCTEC by the WCPS Nutrition Department. However, WCPS transportation will not be available to students who reside in the Rhea Valley Elementary, Damascus Middle, and Holston High attendance zones and attend other schools or programs in the division. If your family is in need supplies, Damascus Middle School has some items, and will be open. Please call the school for additional details at (276)739-4100. We are again planning to provide meals for our Damascus area students on Friday at Holston High School. We will send additional information in a separate message. As we look towards next week, it is our goal to have students and staff return to Rhea Valley Elementary, Damascus Middle, and Holston High on Monday. As a result, we are asking you to please plan for the possibility of a division wide two-hour delay on Monday, October 7, 2024. The WCPS Transportation Department is also working hard to plan and identify alternate bus routes for our Damascus area students. However, bus transportation for the Konnarock, Green Cove and Taylor Valley areas remains doubtful early next week. We will keep you updated as those plans are developed. We also ask you to be on the lookout for additional messaging to assist families and students displaced by the floods. We thank you for your continued support and patience as we work as a school community to navigate these unprecedented challenges and help our neighbors in need. Thank you, Keith Perrigan, Ed.D. Superintendent Washington County Public Schools 812 Thompson Dr. Abingdon, VA 24210 276-739-3000 @WashCoSuper

Due to Rhea Valley Elementary, Damascus Middle, and Holston High schools being closed on Friday, October 4, 2024, free breakfast and lunch meals will be available for pick-up between 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. at Holston High School. Students do not have to be present for families to pick up the meals. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Helping Hand: We wanted to send another big thank you to our community members for their incredible outpouring of donations. Patrick Henry High School and Valley Institute Elementary received supplies that will be shared with our families and friends in need.

Reminder: Due to Rhea Valley Elementary, Damascus Middle, and Holston High schools being closed today, Thursday, October 3, 2024, free breakfast and lunch meals are available for pick-up until 1:00 p.m. at Holston High School. Students do not have to be present for families to pick up the meals. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Good afternoon WCPS Families & Staff -- Rhea Valley Elementary School, Damascus Middle School and Holston High School will remain closed for the remainder of the week. Rhea Valley families in need of childcare may come to Holston High School where care will be provided from 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. All other Washington County Public Schools will operate on a two-hour delayed schedule on Thursday, October 3, 2024. Delaying the start of school will allow additional time for students and staff to arrive safely in daylight hours, due to some area roads still having debris. We recognize a small percentage of families in our community are still without power. However, we believe it is important for our schools to be open to provide students with meals and help them return to a routine. For those families still without power, your child’s principal will work with your family. Our transportation staff have driven our bus routes but if you believe roads in your area are unsafe, please contact your child's principal as well. For Holston High School students wishing to attend their classes at the Washington County Career and Technical Education Center, transportation will be provided TO and FROM Holston High School. Breakfast and lunch will be provided for those students at WCCTEC by the WCPS Nutrition Department. However, WCPS transportation will not be available to students who reside in the Rhea Valley Elementary, Damascus Middle and Holston High attendance zones and attend other schools or programs in the division. For our families in need of supplies, Damascus Middle School has some supplies and will be open. Please call the school for more information at (276) 739-4100. We are also planning to provide meals for our Damascus area students on Thursday at Holston High School. We will send more information in a separate communication. As a reminder, if you know of a family in need, please contact your child’s principal and we will work to help meet those needs. Thank you for your continued support and patience. Thank you, Keith Perrigan, Ed.D. Superintendent Washington County Public Schools 812 Thompson Dr. Abingdon, VA 24210 276-739-3000 @WashCoSuper

Community Support: Meadowview Elementary hosted a community meal Tuesday evening to support students, families, the surrounding community and service workers. MES would like to say thank you to the following businesses and organizations for making the free community meal a success: Empire Ford, First Bank & Trust, Woodland Hills Church, Community in Schools, Highlands Fellowship, Mountainview Baptist Church, Glade Spring Baptist, Sam's Club, MES Parent Resource Group and MES faculty and staff.

Due to Rhea Valley Elementary, Damascus Middle, and Holston High schools being closed on Thursday, October 3, 2024, free breakfast and lunch meals will be available for pick-up between 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. at Holston High School. Students do not have to be present for families to pick up the meals. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Coming Together: The Greendale Elementary community came together on Tuesday to share a meal of homemade soups, sandwiches & desserts. This provided an opportunity for families to have a hot meal, especially those that have been without power for several days.

National Custodian Appreciation Day: October 2, 2024, has been designated National Custodian Appreciation Day and we are sending a big thank you to our WCPS Custodial crew members! Your hard work does not go unnoticed -- you are appreciated!