Washington County Public Schools

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.

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!

Good afternoon WCPS Families & Staff -- Because a significant percentage of our families are still without utilities, staffing concerns at multiple schools, and the fact that some roads are still inaccessible for buses, Washington County Public Schools will be CLOSED on Wednesday, October 2, 2024. However, we are working in coordination with the National Guard to clear some of those roadways, and AEP anticipates that power will be restored to additional areas by Wednesday. Because of this closure, childcare will be offered for working parents from 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. at High Point Elementary, Meadowview Elementary, Valley Institute Elementary, and Watauga Elementary. Students at Abingdon Elementary and Greendale Elementary can take advantage of childcare at Woodland Hills Christian Church, provided by the Boys and Girls Club. If these students aren't already registered with the Boys and Girls Club, you can call (276) 696-9923. Rhea Valley students in need of childcare may come to Meadowview Elementary. Breakfast and lunch will be provided by WCPS School Nutrition Department at all locations. Each elementary school will send out additional information about childcare specifics for their students. If all goes as planned with cleanup and restoration efforts, Washington County Public Schools anticipates operating on a two-hour delay on Thursday, October 3, except for schools in the Damascus area, which will remain closed. For those who have power and other utilities, we apologize for this inconvenience and hope to return to normalcy in the coming days. 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

Donation Deliveries: A big thank you to our John S. Battle High School students & staff that spent Tuesday morning loading up two UPS trucks full of supplies for Damascus and a flatbed truck for our neighbors in Mendota. An added thanks to the Bristol UPS team for supplying the trucks & drivers to deliver the supplies!

Hot Dog Dinner for EBSMS Families: On Tuesday, October 1st, E.B. Stanley Middle School will provide a hot dog dinner for students and their families. Recognizing that many are still without power, EBSMS will provide the hot dog dinner from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday in the cafeteria. Thank you to EBSMS Parent Council, Food City and Food Country for your support of this dinner.

Spaghetti Dinner: Monday evening, Glade Spring Middle School served over 250 meals to members of our community who have been without power and to those who have come to our community to help restore power. Thank you to Farm Credit for helping provide the meals.

Community Meal: Meadowview Elementary School is hosting a free community meal on Tuesday, October 1, beginning at 5:00 p.m. Please join MES for a free hot meal for community members and service workers. Families will be able to access WiFi and areas to charge devices.

October is National Bullying Prevention month. Bullying & cyberbullying are serious issues affecting kids across the United States. If you're unsure of how to support your child, please consider Parent Coaching. Click here to register: https://cookcenter.info/coaching

Hot Meal: For those in need of a hot meal, John S. Battle Football will be serving free hamburgers with chips and drinks on Tuesday, October 1, at the Damascus Volunteer Rescue Squad beginning at 12:00 p.m. Thank you JSB Football!

Good afternoon, WCPS Families & Staff -- Due to the ongoing cleanup efforts across Washington County, several of our families still without power and utilities, the continuing assessment and coordination of food service needs, and roads that are still inaccessible by bus, Washington County Public Schools will be closed on Tuesday, October 1, 2024. Because of this closure, childcare will be offered for working parents from 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. at High Point Elementary, Meadowview Elementary, Valley Institute Elementary, and Watauga Elementary. Students at Abingdon Elementary and Greendale Elementary can take advantage of childcare at Woodland Hills Christian Church, provided by the Boys and Girls Club. If these students aren't already registered with the Boys and Girls Club, you can call (276) 696-9923. Rhea Valley students in need of childcare may come to Meadowview Elementary. Breakfast and lunch will be provided by WCPS School Nutrition Department at all locations. Each elementary school will send out additional information about childcare specifics for their students. We are also aware that conditions across the county may still be tricky on Wednesday, and delayed schedules and alternate bus routes may be needed in order to get schools open. We appreciate your continued patience as we work to navigate these unprecedented challenges. We will keep you updated should additional schedule changes be necessary. To our Damascus area families -- we know that it is going to be more difficult to get schools open in your area as cleanup efforts are ongoing and schools are still without utilities in that area. We will do everything we can to help provide some normalcy for you as soon as it is safe to do so. We are also incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support from our community at our donation supply drop-off locations. I couldn't be prouder of our students who led efforts to help our friends and neighbors! If you still have items you would like to donate, you may do so prior to the John S. Battle/Patrick Henry football game at JSB this evening. Because of the amazing support that our schools and the United Way has received, we will not take any additional donations after tonight. When this inventory is used, we will consider additional opportunities to collect donations. Please continue to pray for our students, families and friends impacted by this devastation. If you know a family in need, please contact your child's principal and we will work to help meet those needs. Thanks again for your support, patience, grace, and prayers. Thank you, Keith Perrigan, Ed.D. Superintendent Washington County Public Schools 812 Thompson Dr. Abingdon, VA 24210 276-739-3000 @WashCoSuper

For those that may have medical needs, the Health Clinic at John S. Battle High School is open for students and families of Damascus students.

Needed Donations: New immediate needs have been identified, according to the Damascus Fire Department: *EMPTY Gas Cans *Portable Showers or Supplies to Make a Shower *EMPTY 5 Gallon Buckets *Personal Wipes *Flashlights *Batteries Abingdon High School, John S. Battle High School, & Patrick Henry will be serving as central hubs to bring donations and supplies. All three high schools will be accepting supplies until 3:00 p.m. Items will also be collected at the John S. Battle/Patrick Henry Football Game at JSB on Monday evening. Those items can be dropped off behind the gymnasium.

Please Share: Our school communities are coming together to help our families & friends in need. Schools have opened their doors to provide services & amenities to all local students, parents, & families. (We will add to this list as resources become available) • John S. Battle High School: The library is open with phone chargers available, comfortable places to sit – if needed, hot showers can be provided. • Patrick Henry High School: The school has Wi-Fi & electricity. PHS also has two washers & dryers, laundry detergent, hot showers, & hot beef ravioli available for lunch. Families are welcome to come use any of these resources until 3:00 p.m. • Greendale Elementary School: Open until 3:00 p.m. for families to charge devices, use WiFi & wash clothes. • Valley Institute Elementary School: Open until 3:00 p.m. for families to come sit in the air conditioning in the cafeteria and charge electronic devices if needed. • E.B. Stanley Middle School: Open until 3:00 p.m. for those needing to charge electronics. • Glade Spring Middle School: GSMS will be providing a boxed spaghetti dinner for anyone in the community who needs a hot meal. Food will be ready by 4:00 p.m. A reminder that Abingdon High School, John S. Battle High School, & Patrick Henry will be serving as central hubs to bring donations and supplies. All three high schools will be accepting supplies until 3:00 p.m. Items will also be collected at the John S. Battle/Patrick Henry Football Game at JSB on Monday evening. Those items can be dropped off behind the gymnasium. Needed Items Have Been Identified as Follows (If other needs are identified at a later time, we will continue to take collections in the coming weeks) • Water • Cleaning Supplies • Nonperishable Food Items • Pet Food Additional Resources: • The Coomes Center in Abingdon has showers available & Food City in Damascus has set up a shelter for those in need. • Washington Co. has a Shelter at Highlands Fellowship Church at 134 Commerce Ct. Bristol, VA. • Anyone is welcome to visit the Damascus Rescue Squad location for supplies from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. any day this week. Address: 32094 Government Road, Damascus VA, 24236

Community Meal: Glade Spring Middle School will be providing a boxed spaghetti dinner for anyone in the community in need of a hot meal on Monday, September 30. Food will be ready by 4:00 p.m.

The Abingdon, Virginia Police Department has shared the following information on how you can lend your help to the Damascus area.

The following information on how you can help our families & friends in need has been provided by the Washington County Virginia Sheriff's Office.

Good afternoon, WCPS Families & Staff -- Due to the current heartbreaking devastation in Damascus, several of our schools still without power, internet or phone service, and many families without any utilities, including water, Washington County Public Schools will be closed on Monday, September 30, 2024. We have moved frozen food from several schools without electricity to a refrigerated trailer, generously provided by Food City. A huge shoutout to our Maintenance and Cafeteria teams and to our School Board Members who spent their Saturday morning moving frozen food. However, many schools have lost all their refrigerated food items, and we will need to place orders for replacements on Monday. We will not be able to provide childcare at most schools for those same reasons and staffing concerns. If that changes, your child's school will send you more information. Thank you for your patience as we work through this situation together, as a community. Please pray for our students and friends in Damascus, with many, having lost everything. We are in the process of identifying needs and will provide information soon about how we can help our friends and neighbors. Be safe, 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“

Our families and friends in the Damascus area have been devasted by flooding due to the impacts of Hurricane Helene. Please consider lending a helping hand, if you can. School Board Member Debbie Anderson has shared the following update as of 6:00 p.m. Saturday: "I just talked with Damascus Police Chief Kermit Turner. He had a few important updates to share with the public. ▪️Right now, the main thing we need is cleaning supplies. You can drop them off at the gazebo in the town park. ▪️All of the stranded folks have been found and rescued from Taylor’s Valley. This is a huge relief and a blessing. ▪️At this time, no casualties have been reported, which is huge. While the damage is horrible, this is great news. Our rescue teams and first responders have been incredible, helping our community in so many ways in the past 36 hours. ▪️An overnight shelter has been established at Highlands Fellowship in Bristol. They are also accepting clothing, food water, and other supplies for those who are being housed there. Stay positive, Damascus. I love you all. ❤️" ----------------------- Original Post -- The following is a message from school board member Debbie Anderson: "The WCPS Maintenance Department and other volunteers are working today to save as much food as possible from our schools. Food City generously provided refrigerated trucks to keep the food cold until power is restored. If you need shelter or other resources, Damascus Food City has set up a shelter. And if you’re in another part of the county and feel moved to donate clothing, pet food, or other items, they’re accepting donations. Feel free to reach out to me if you need help. My number is 276-698-5807. Damascus is the amazing community I’ve called home my entire life, and I’m here to do whatever I can to help out. "

Teamwork: It was all hands-on deck working to get Falcon Stadium ready for a 1:00 p.m. kickoff tomorrow against Tennessee High. Thank you to our Abingdon High School students and families for helping clean up after the storm!

Supporting Our Schools: A special thanks to all of our Abingdon Elementary families that took part in a fundraising dinner at Barberitos this week. We hope you had a great meal with your family and had some time to visit with AES friends. Thank you to Barberitos for hosting!