Washington County Public Schools

🦋 Holston High Students Honor Holocaust Victims Through Art & Literature Students in Mrs. Mitten's English classes and Mr. Harlow's Art classes at Holston High School recently took part in The Butterfly Project -- a powerful memorial activity honoring the 1.5 million children who lost their lives during the Holocaust. As students glazed ceramic butterflies, Mrs. Mitten read "The Butterfly" by Pavel Friedmann, a poem written during the Holocaust that inspired reflection on the butterfly's symbolism of hope and resilience. This project gave students a creative and meaningful way to connect with history and remember those lost.

Happy National School Nurse Day! Today, we're giving a BIG shoutout to the superheroes in scrubs who keep our schools healthy -- our amazing WCPS nurses! From bandaging scraped knees to managing complex health needs, they are always there with compassion and care. Check out the video below to see just how incredible our nurses are in action: https://youtu.be/1LtB6eG4Bug To every school nurse in WCPS: Thank You! You are the heartbeat of our schools, and we appreciate you more than words (or thermometers) can measure!

🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️ Greendale Elementary School's Run Club recently crushed it at a local race hosted by Abingdon High School's Coach Brent Swiney! After 12 weeks of afterschool training, featuring everything from hill sprints to high-fives, our student runners were more than ready to hit the course. ✨ 45 runners rocked the 5K ✨ 9 took on the one-mile race ✨ All brought the energy, determination, and school spirit! Students, parents, and staff laced up together to show what dedication, teamwork, and a love for movement can do. We're proud of the GES community and can't wait to see the Run Club grow in the years ahead.

Happy National Teacher Appreciation Week! And today -- May 6 -- is the main event: National Teacher Appreciation Day! To our incredible WCPS teachers: You inspire. You encourage. You challenge. This week, we're celebrating YOU -- the real MVPs of our schools! Whether you're rocking a science lab, leading a history discussion, or helping our young students learn their ABCs with a smile, you make a difference every single day. Let's show some appreciation! Tag a teacher. Share a memory. Send a note. Let's lift up the educators who lift up all of us!

🎨🌟 We’re thrilled to share that Jack Lovins, a 10th grade student from John S. Battle High School, has been recognized by the School Board as the winner of the 2025-2026 School Calendar/Handbook Cover Art Contest! Jack’s artwork will be featured on the cover of our school calendar and handbook, showcasing his creativity and talent for all to see! Congratulations, Jack!

👏 Shoutout to our Student School Board Reps! Tonight marks the final meeting for our Student School Board Representatives, and we couldn’t be prouder! From representing student voices to bringing fresh ideas and real talk to the table, our student reps have shown incredible leadership, passion, and heart all year long. Thank you for being true advocates for your peers! *Skyler Doyle (John S. Battle High School) *Greg Poisson (Washington County Career & Technical Education Center) *Gavin Songer-Reilly (Abingdon High School) *Isabella Stuart (Patrick Henry High School) *Emma Barr (Holston High School)

🌟 #TheWashington Way: 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 spring semester. *Above and Beyond Award ~ Ron Hodgson (Valley Institute Elementary School) *Customer Service Award ~ Mary Price (Meadowview Elementary School) *Helping Hands Award ~ Amanda Laisure (Valley Institute Elementary School) *Master Technician Award ~ Shane Ingle (Maintenance) *Silver Spoon Award ~ Tami Hurley (Abingdon High School) *Wheels on the Bus Award ~ Terri McCroskey (Wallace Middle School) *Overall Washington Way Award Winner ~ Terri McCroskey Congratulations to our amazing staff!

💡 Recognizing Innovation in Action School Board members recognized Andrew Greer of Holston High School for his outstanding achievement in Workforce Readiness Innovation. Andrew is leading the way when it comes to preparing for life beyond the classroom – demonstrating creativity, initiative, and real-world skills that set him apart.

🔧🏅 Skills That Shine: WCCTEC Students Take Home State Medals The School Board recognized our incredibly talented students from the Washington County Career & Technical Education Center for their amazing accomplishments at the State SkillsUSA Competition! Five medal winners brought home top honors – including two gold medalists who are headed to Nationals in Atlanta! *Crime Scene Investigation – 2nd Place Team - Kinsey Bradley - Savana Johnson - Ainsley Richmond *Technical Drafting - Adia Ahn ~ 3rd Place *Collision Repair Technology - Layla Wilson ~ 1st Place - Brandon Lipford ~ 2nd place *Collision Damage Appraisal - Kallie O’Neill ~ 1st Place *2025-2026 State Officer - Eduardo Alarcon

💼🏆 John S. Battle FBLA Shines at State School Board members recognized the outstanding John S. Battle High School Virginia State FBLA Winners. These talented students brought their A-game, showcasing leadership, professionalism, and business skills on a statewide stage. *First Place – Financial Statement Analysis - Brianna Davenport - Adyson Halloway - Emma Munsey *First Place – Frank Manning Peele $1,000 Scholarship - Katie Barrett Congratulations to our FBLA winners – we are so proud of your achievements and can’t wait to see what you do next!

🎓🌟 Honoring Academic Excellence School Board members recognized Clint Wilson, a senior at John S. Battle High School, for earning the prestigious Jefferson Scholarship from the University of Virginia. The Jefferson Scholarship is one of the highest honors a high school senior can receive, awarded for exceptional leadership, scholarship, and citizenship. We are so proud of Clint and all he has accomplished!

❤️ School Board members honored Elliot Williams, a freshman at John S. Battle High School, for an incredible achievement – being named the 2025 American Heart Association Tri-Cities Teen of Impact Winner and ranking 6th in the nation out of 177 teen changemakers! Elliot raised a staggering $71,090 to support the fight against heart disease and stroke, helping to improve health and well-being right here in our community and across the country. Through the Teen of Impact initiative, Elliot joined a powerful Gen Z movement focused on reversing the statistic that heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death in the United States.

🎨🌟 Celebrating Our Talented Student Artists At our School Board meeting, we were proud to recognize our incredible participants in the 2025 VSBA Southwest Region Spring Forum Art Contest. *Mary Jane Pennington (Rhea Valley Elementary School – Grade 5) ~ 3rd Place Winner in the Elementary School Entry *Alyvia Dean (Wallace Middle School – Grade 8) ~ Middle School Entry *Summer Brooks (Patrick Henry High School – Grade 11) ~ High School Entry Since 1989, the VSBA Regional Art Contest has showcased the amazing talents of Virginia’s public-school students. A huge thank you to all our student artists for sharing your gifts with the community!

WCPS Alumni Spotlight: Lauren Lewis ~ John S. Battle High School ~ Class of 2021. We are thrilled to highlight Ms. Lauren Lewis, a proud John S. Battle High School graduate! Are you a graduate of Washington County Public Schools? If so, we'd love to hear from you! We're excited to learn about your accomplishments and share your story and advice with our current students, families, and community. Please click here, to fill out a submission form: https://forms.gle/7qzqxJCpCjryVsfW8 OR Do you know a graduate from Washington County Public Schools who has made a positive impact in their community? Nominate them to be featured in our Alumni Spotlight Series! Click here, to nominate a WCPS graduate: https://forms.gle/LFV1PwdpHnLfYRhn8

In a super move to celebrate School Lunch Hero Day, administrators at Patrick Henry High School, alongside our School Nutrition Department leadership, gave the PHHS nutrition team a well-deserved break, and stepped behind the serving line themselves! With aprons and hairnets on, they rolled up their sleeves to serve lunch and show some love to the real heroes who fuel our students every day. Thank you to our incredible WCPS nutrition team for everything you do -- today and every day!

School Board Meeting Time Change Please note that the Washington County School Board will hold its regular meeting on Monday, May 5 at 4:00 p.m., instead of the usual 6:00 p.m. start time. The time change is for this meeting only. To view the agenda, click here: https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/wcps/Board.nsf/Public

🚔🔍 Hands-On Learning in Action Some of our awesome Criminal Justice II students from the Washington County Career & Technical Education Center had the chance to visit the Radford University Criminal Justice program for an immersive experience! During their visit, students got a taste of everything -- from putting their skills to the test in a mock trial, to processing latent prints in a forensics lab, and even evaluating emergency management tactics in real-world scenarios. It was an action-packed day full of learning and exploring all of the exciting careers within the field of criminal justice. Thank you to Radford University for hosting our students and showing them what the future holds!

🍎🍴 Happy School Lunch Hero Day! Today, we're celebrating the real superheroes behind the scenes -- our amazing school nutrition staff! These amazing individuals not only serve up tasty meals, but they also create an atmosphere of kindness, care, and community at every lunch table. From the first bell to the final bell, they're making sure every student is fueled and ready for success! Let's take a moment to thank our lunch heroes for their hard work, positive attitudes, and the smiles they serve alongside every tray! Give a shoutout to your favorite lunch hero in the comments below!

Occupational and Physical Therapy RFP The Washington County Virginia Public School System solicits bids from all responsible vendors of Physical and Occupational Therapy Services. Sealed bids for this project shall be received until 1:00 p.m. on May 29, 2025, and opened at that time in the conference room at the Washington County School Board Office, Annex Building, 220 Stanley Street, Abingdon, VA. The Washington County School System reserves the right to reject any and all bids. For more information, click here: https://shorturl.at/fr20g

May is Mental Health Awareness Month At Washington County Public Schools, we believe that mental health is just as important as physical health. This month, and every month, we're committed to creating a supportive, safe, and caring environment for our students, staff, and families. Let's work together to end the stigma, start the conversations, and support one another with compassion and understanding. To learn more, click here: https://www.nami.org/get-involved/awareness-events/mental-health-awareness-month/