School Days at the Washington County Fair will be here before we know it! The 19th annual School Days at the Fair will take place Friday, September 13th. Come enjoy an afternoon of fun!
Mathematical Measurements: John S. Battle students in Ms. Austin's Algebra 2 class worked with a partner to gather height and forearm length from each other, made a table as a class of the data, used a graphing calculator to plot the class data, determined if there was a correlation, and found an equation of the line of the best between the two variables. The equation gave the students the ability to use it to predict the height or forearm length of a student when given the other variable.
The Virginia Department of Health is asking you to share your thoughts on adolescent health. It's part of VDH's Virginia Community Conversations, with several virtual options. Registration is required, as space is limited. Scan the QR code to register.
The School Nutrition Department at Abingdon High School has started the Breakfast After the Bell Program. Some students say they are not hungry first thing in the morning. Now, students have a second chance to grab breakfast between 1st and 2nd period, and take it to class!
For Your Information: Please be advised Glade Spring Middle School will be used to land a medical helicopter for an emergency in the area. There is no emergency at Glade Spring Middle School. We are working together to facilitate a landing zone, please don't be alarmed.
Vote Now: Communities in Schools of Appalachian Highlands is a Regional Finalist for the 2025 Chick-fil-A True Inspiration Awards grant! Be sure to cast your vote to help CIS-AH become a regional winner & further their impact throughout our community. See the flyer on how to vote
Mathematical Scavenger Hunt: Sixth grade students at Damascus Middle School are learning how to add & subtract mixed numbers. Their teacher, Ms. Childress, had the students practice what they learned by putting their skills to the test with a scavenger hunt around the building.
Happy Labor Day from WCPS! We hope all of our students, staff and families have been enjoying this long weekend! We will see you back on Tuesday.
Fall 2024 Gifted Referrals will be accepted through September 16. Please contact Ms. Susan O'Dell at sodell@wcs.k12.va.us with any questions.
https://forms.gle/rPq8yLjctpVm2ysH9
We love seeing our high school students helping out our elementary students! This group of students from Abingdon High School laced up their running shoes to help Abingdon Elementary with their Fun Run Fundraiser.
Trivia Time: Holston High School hosted a Faculty/Staff vs. Student Trivia Competition, which was a big hit! While all participants had a blast, it was the Faculty/Staff that came out with the win!
Skittles and a scavenger hunt make for a fun science class! Ms. Caywood’s 6th grade science students at Damascus Middle School are learning about atoms. During the lesson, they modeled atoms with the Skittles and participated in a scavenger hunt.
John S. Battle students are highlighting the importance of teamwork! Ms. Austin's Algebra 2 Honors students worked together to expand their knowledge of absolute value equations. The students worked in groups of three: A leader, presenter, and timekeeper. As a group, they evaluated 20 questions that had been solved incorrectly, worked together to find the mistakes in each, reworked them to solve them correctly, and presented their results to the class. These students spent the class talking about math with each other and expressing their thoughts and ideas. Mathematical thinkers in the making!
Hands-On Learning: It's been an exciting few days for our first year Criminal Justice students at Washington County Career & Technical Education Center. They have been busy learning the practice of taking finger prints.
Dunk Your Superintendent! If you don’t like the idea of a new cell phone policy or think school starts too early in August, now is your chance to take out your start of school frustrations, and dunk Dr. Perrigan! He’ll be in the dunk tank at Dairy Queen in Abingdon (Exit 19 location) on Saturday, with the fun beginning at 4:00 p.m. Proceeds raised from the event go towards St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. WCPS students and staff have loved participating in fundraisers for St. Jude and are thrilled to be able to give back.
Back to School Bash: Greendale Elementary is inviting you to come out and have some fun on Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.! Several staff members will be in the dunking booth -- and Dr. Perrigan will also be in the booth from 1:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Be sure to attend!
Outdoor Learning: Ms. Harrison's Livestock Production class at John S. Battle High School is currently learning external livestock terminology. The students took their knowledge outside and used chalk to practice labeling different livestock species!
We love seeing our students having fun in their various activities and studies! Look at these smiles from Glade Spring Middle School!
An Important Message for Abingdon Elementary School Families: Abingdon Elementary School will be OPEN Tuesday, August 20, 2024.
Good afternoon, AES Staff and Families,
As we shared with you last week, 3rd party air quality testing was performed on samples from Abingdon Elementary School on Friday, August 16 due to a disturbance of asbestos by an outside contractor during a demolition/construction project in the gymnasium. The gymnasium has been sealed off and without HVAC during the construction period. No students or staff have been in the construction area during the project.
In addition to taking air samples outside the gym, we also tested dust residue found on surfaces in the adjoining hallway and the cafeteria to ensure we were covering all bases.
Over the weekend, we had a certified asbestos removal company clean and run negative air machines in the building to ensure our students and staff can return to a safe learning and work environment. Third party air quality has been performed again after the cleaning, and we have now received the official greenlight to allow students and staff to return to school.
In following the safest possible protocol, the remaining impacted areas of Abingdon Elementary School are sealed off, with continuous air monitoring taking place on the outside of those sealed areas to confirm air is not contaminated during the remainder of the project. In following OSHA protocol, signage will be placed alerting students and staff to avoid these areas. The signage is meant to alert you to the impacted area to prevent accidental entry, but please know that areas not marked with signage are safe for occupancy.
Because the cafeteria and gym areas remain sealed off and closed, food will be transported in for students. Breakfast and lunch will be provided, with students eating in their classrooms while the project and air testing continue in the gym and cafeteria area.
Over the next 3 weeks, we will be working diligently and carefully to get the gym and cafeteria areas tested, unsealed, and reopened.
As mentioned before, WCPS will be taking additional steps to prevent an incident like this one from happening again. This includes a thorough review of our construction and maintenance protocols with outside contractors, increased oversight during projects involving potentially hazardous materials, and a professional review of our existing Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) Management Plans.
As always, your child’s safety is our top priority, and we appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we continue to work to resolve this issue. We will provide more information as it becomes available. If you have specific questions, you may email me directly at kperrigan@wcs.k12.va.us
Thank you,
Keith Perrigan, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Washington County Public Schools
812 Thompson Dr.
Abingdon, VA 24210
276-739-3000
@WashCoSuper
Are you looking for a fun event for Saturday, August 31? Check out Emory & Henry University Community Day starting at 11:00 a.m.!
