Your Future Starts Here with the Washington County Promise Program: Funded by Wellspring Foundation of Southwest Virginia, the Promise Program is an amazing opportunity for students who live in Washington County, VA to attend Virginia Highlands Community College for free. This generous scholarship is available for the Class of 2025 through 2037 and is designed to make college and workforce training more accessible and affordable, covering tuition, fees, and books.
To learn more about the Washington County Promise Program, click here: https://promiseprogram.org/
WCPS will operate on a 2-Hour Delay on Tuesday, January 7, 2025. We have had multiple folks checking roads across the county this afternoon -- kudos to VDOT for getting roads in such good shape! As a result, our current plan is to operate on the two hour delayed schedule. We will reevaluate roads in the morning as temperatures are predicted to fall, with the potential for roads to ice over. Childcare will be provided at all elementary schools for working families who need it. Childcare will also be available in the event that we need to close in the morning (a decision will be made by 7:00 a.m.) There will be no virtual option tomorrow. Please be on the lookout for additional childcare information from your student's elementary school. Be safe and stay warm!
Due to inclement weather, all WCPS buildings and offices are closed today, Monday, January 6, 2025. Stay safe and warm!
Stay Connected: As we are now in the winter months and know weather can be unpredictable, it's important to stay connected with Washington County Public Schools.
Did you know you can receive push notifications directly on your phone?
*Download the Washington County VA Schools Mobile App for your smartphone
*The app is available for FREE download in the Apple Store and the Google Play Store
*The app will provide instant access to district and school announcements and calendars
*Select the menu button -- Scroll down to settings; toggle the school(s) you would like to receive push notifications for
To learn more about the mobile app and how to receive news and notifications, watch this helpful video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOcFhm3VBbg
Parent Coaching: As we enter the New Year, please remember the valuable resources available through our partners at Parent Guidance, designed to help you thrive in your parenting journey. Click here to register for support from a coach: https://cookcenter.info/coaching
Happy New Year from Washington County Public Schools! We are excited to start 2025 with a renewed energy for learning and teaching -- and wish you a New Year filled with new hopes, new joys, and new beginnings!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Washington County Public Schools! We hope your day is filled with laughter, joy, and creating wonderful memories with family and friends!
Merry Christmas Eve! Remember to leave out milk and cookies for Santa -- and don't forget about some carrots for the reindeer! We hope all of our students, families, staff and friends have a wonderful evening.
Health Clinic: The School Based Health Clinic at John S. Battle High School will be open the following days over Christmas Break from 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. to see patients by appointment only.
*12/26/2024
*12/27/2024
*12/30/2024
*12/31/2024
Please call the clinic at 276-642-5335 to schedule an appointment.
Holiday Performance: Greendale Elementary 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students recently traveled to the Paramount in Bristol to watch Bristol Ballet's production of The Nutcracker. For many students, it was their first time seeing a ballet, and for others, it was their first time seeing The Nutcracker. Prior to this field trip, Mrs. Gates spent time teaching students in music classes about Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky and specifically, the music for The Nutcracker.
Vote Now: We are proud to announce we had two Abingdon High School Track athletes nominated for Virginia Male Athlete of the Week and Virginia Female Athlete of the Week! Cast your vote now to help these athletes win statewide recognition for their awesome performance!
*Virginia Male Athlete of the Week -- Tyler Stanley (Abingdon) VA #1 23-4 in the LJ -- Click here to vote: https://va.milesplit.com/articles/354163/vote-boys-performer-of-the-week-week-2-of-indoor-track
*Virginia Female Athlete of the Week -- Josie Jackson (Abingdon) VA #1 3:00.29 in the 1K -- Click here to vote: https://va.milesplit.com/articles/354162/vote-girls-performer-of-the-week-week-2-of-indoor-track
Musical Lunch: Students in Ms. Mitten's Chorus and Guitar classes at Holston High School performed a selection of holiday songs for Damascus Middle School students during lunch. Thanks to these students for sharing their talents!
Special Thanks: Rhea Valley Elementary School would like to thank some very special guests that brought enough toys for each child to take home on Wednesday. The toys were supplied by Will Archer, Michael Daywalt, and the congregation of Potomac Valley Church. RVES would also like to thank Del. Israel O'Quinn, County Administrator Jason Berry, School Board Member Debbie Anderson, and all of the other amazing volunteers that made this event a success!
Mystery Solved: Mrs. Davenport's senior English class at John S. Battle High School channeled their inner Sherlock Holmes and worked together to solve a mystery. After reading the first part of "A Study in Scarlet", the students used their powers of deduction to find the suspect!
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony: Safety and security continue to be a major focus for Washington County Public Schools. A ribbon cut Wednesday morning, celebrated the newly renovated front entrance of Patrick Henry High School. This new entrance features a security vestibule, adding an extra layer of protection for students and staff. Other improvements include canopies at the entrances to help students stay out of the weather when getting on and off buses, as well as energy efficient windows on the front of the building.
“We had a safe school before, but we have a much safer school now,” said Dr. Tim Duncan, principal, of Patrick Henry High School. “It is very safe and secure."
This improvement project has been a priority for the school division for the past few years and was made possible with help from school division leaders, local lawmakers, and the Washington County Board of Supervisors.
Patrick Henry students and staff say they are grateful for the enhanced security, and new look of the high school.
“It is really impressive to see all of the improvements we’ve made in the last few years,” said Isabella Stuart, a senior at PHHS. “My parents went to Patrick Henry, and I have a lot of family that have went through the school, so to see these changes and see the improvements has just been impeccable.”
“As a 1990 graduate of Patrick Henry myself, as far as the aesthetics and how the school looks from the front and from the road, very little has changed in a long time,” added Dr. Duncan. “For people in Glade Spring, Emory, and Meadowview communities, this is a big change, and so it brings a level of excitement and sense of pride for our community.”
The ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday featured members of the Rebel Regiment playing the National Anthem, while members of the Rebel Voices sang a few Christmas tunes for those in attendance.
The ceremony also included remarks from Dr. Tim Duncan, Dr. Keith Perrigan, superintendent of Washington County Public Schools, school board members Dr. Lee Brannon and Mr. Sanders Henderson, and Delegate Israel O’Quinn.
Stay Connected: Be sure to check out the latest edition of The Washington Way! It's our division newsletter to help you stay updated with what is going on across the WCPS system. Visit this link to read the news: https://shorturl.at/YDM6i
Check Writing 101: Students in Ms. Rotton's Civics & Economics classes at Glade Spring Middle School have been learning how to write checks -- just in time to finish up holiday shopping!
Holiday Spirit: The Patrick Henry High School Cafeteria Elves are hard at work making tasty breakfast and lunch meals for students and staff -- while also helping everyone get into the festive spirit!
Photo Fun: Check out this festive area set up in the cafeteria at Abingdon High School by our AHS School Nutrition Department personnel. This space allows students and staff to have some fun and take holiday photos!
Good afternoon, WCPS Families and Staff --
Now that testing has been completed at the five schools that returned a positive result following initial water testing for lead in all Washington County Public Schools’ buildings, we wanted to provide you with an update of our next steps.
As context, the first testing information was shared with you on November 7 which included the following information. On October 26, 2024, new regulations approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) required water that is used in schools be tested for lead by 2028. Those regulations require water to be tested only at daycares and elementary schools, however, WCPS took the testing further, and had samples also taken from our middle schools and high schools. To be ahead of the 2028 timeline, we partnered with the Washington County Service Authority and tested five fixtures at every school (at least two fixtures in the kitchens and two or more water fountains in various locations throughout the school building).
There are three possible results from testing:
*Non-detect: Practice good water habits
*Less than 10 parts per billion (ppb): Consider risk mitigation such as flushing before use
*Greater than 10 parts per billion (ppb): Stop using the water source and take remediation steps
The initial test results that we received in November found that four of our schools had at least one fixture that tested less than 10 ppb (Meadowview Elementary – two fixtures, Watauga Elementary – one fixture, Glade Spring Middle School – one fixture, and Holston High School – two fixtures). One school had two fixtures that tested above 10 ppb (Greendale Elementary). After we received those results, we took additional precautions at those schools immediately. Only fixtures that tested non-detect are available for cooking purposes at these schools – this is above and beyond the protocols recommended by the EPA. We also immediately discontinued the use of consumable water fixtures at those five schools (e.g. drinking fountains) the moment we received the initial testing results. Since that time, we have been providing bottled water for students and staff. We also took additional steps and installed a new water cooler at all schools in our division. These water coolers are equipped with five different filters that are designed to remove lead and other impurities.
With testing at the five schools now complete, we have several remediation options moving forward:
*Permanently discontinue the use of fixtures that had elevated testing levels
*Add a filter system to the fixture
*Replace the fixture and supply lines to the fixture
Our maintenance team has already identified those inventory needs and are in the process of ordering the necessary parts to begin making those changes. Following mitigation efforts, we will retest those fixtures before putting them back in service. We have been given clearance to use all points of contact that have returned “non-detect” results.
We also plan to conduct more testing at the remaining 11 schools in our division. Testing will be conducted on all drinking fountains as well as all water sources in the kitchens.
As a further safeguard, we also plan to develop a schedule where schools are randomly tested every three years even though that is not currently required.
As we move through this testing and remediation process, we will continue to work with the Washington County Service Authority and the Office of Drinking Water to ensure we are taking all needed steps to keep our students and staff safe. We will also continue to stay in contact with the local Health Department. Complete testing results for Glade Spring Middle School, Greendale Elementary, Holston High School, Meadowview Elementary, and Watauga Elementary, as well as additional information, which includes an FAQ, and a helpful flyer, can be found at this link on our website: https://washingtoncountypsva.sites.thrillshare.com/documents/washington-county-service-authority-information/722977
If you have any questions or concerns, we will continue to partner with the agencies referenced above to share the latest information and provide the safest possible environment for our students and staff.
Thank you,
Keith Perrigan, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Washington County Public Schools
812 Thompson Dr.
Abingdon, VA 24210
276-739-3000
@WashCoSuper
