Washington County Public Schools

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. "

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!

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!

Washington County Public Schools will be CLOSED Friday, September 27, 2024. The decision to close is based on forecast models calling for heavy rain to continue into Friday, which could lead to flash flooding. Hurricane Helene is also expected to bring strong winds, possibly gusting over 65 mph at times. Governor Glenn Youngkin declared a State of Emergency for Virginia due to the anticipated impacts of Hurricane Helene and we have been informed that swift water rescue and other emergency teams have been dispatched to the area as a precaution. Because of this closure, child care will be offered for working parents from 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Friday, at each elementary school. Breakfast and lunch will be provided for all students by Washington County Public Schools. Each elementary school will send out additional information about child care. The Boys and Girls Club will also provide child care for students already enrolled in the program, at Woodland Hills Christian Church beginning at 9:00 a.m. Washington County Public Schools will provide breakfast and lunch for those students as well. *Please have a backup plan for child care in the event conditions deteriorate overnight to the point it is unsafe to travel -- A final decision on child care availability will be made after reevaluating conditions in the morning. Please take the following steps to prepare for the impacts of Hurricane Helene to help ensure the safety of your family: Be Self-Sufficient for 72 Hours: Make sure you have enough food, water, medication, flashlights and other essential supplies to last for at least three days. Stay Informed: Keep an eye on trusted weather reports and updates on the storm's path and any potential impacts to our area Expect Road and Utility Disruptions: Roads could be blocked, and various utilities such as power, water and communication services may be impacted. Plan accordingly. Exercise Caution: Avoid travel during heavy rain and wind, especially in areas prone to flooding or landslides. Do not attempt to drive through flooded roads.

Due to flood warnings, downed trees, and the potential of another 5 inches of rain today Washington County Public Schools will be CLOSED on Thursday, September 26, 2024.

Student Input: The School Nutrition Department hosted its first ever School Menu Student Advisory Meeting on Wednesday. High school students representing the four school communities participated in a great discussion, where they shared input and ideas when it comes to school meals and menu planning!

Thank you to WCYB for highlighting a trip several Damascus Middle School students took to Laurel Creek Park. Click the link to read and watch the story: https://wcyb.com/news/local/middle-schoolers-engage-in-hands-on-environmental-learning-aiming-to-preserve-local-park

Reminder: You have a few days left to vote! 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.

Real World Learning: Gifted and Talented Education Program students from Damascus Middle School visited Laurel Creek Park. The students heard from the town manager and town staff about a creek bank erosion and will now spend the rest of the year exploring ways to solve the issue. This project will give students a real-world application to something they are working on in the classroom. WCYB came out to the park to interview students about the importance of this project and talked with them about what they are hoping to learn. Tune in to WCYB News at 5:30 this evening to see the report.

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/fWFM6

Fresh Flavors: Culinary Arts students at the Washington County Career & Technical Education Center whipped up a delicious Tomato Basil Bisque. Their creations brought fresh flavors to the table!

Book Fair Fun: Valley Institute Elementary students recently had a chance to visit the Book Fair! We love seeing our students bonding over books and dreaming about the adventures on the pages. Happy reading!

Communities across the Commonwealth were recently invited to join in a fireside chat with First Lady Suzanne Youngkin and award-winning social psychologist, author and researcher Dr. Jonathan Haidt. The conversation focused on the findings of Haidt's book The Anxious Generation and how it informs our communities and schools in limiting social media and cell phone use to help restore childhood and play. If you missed the chat, click here to view a recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1w287BCT4Mw

Special Honors: Congratulations to the John S. Battle 2024 Yearbook Staff for winning Honorable Mention in Balfour's Yearbook Yearbook! This award only goes to the top 10% of Balfour's schools! View the 2024 Yearbook: https://issuu.com/balfour/docs/2024_yearbook_yearbook_issuu

Surgeons in Training: Ms. Maples and Ms. Hicks led Wallace Middle School 7th grade "surgeons in training" in performing the correct mathematical order of operations on their patients. Good news -- all patients are expected to make a full recovery!

We wanted to share a fun fact with you that will greatly benefit your students! All students in Washington County Public Schools eat for FREE! But did you also know that even if a student packs their lunch, they may pick up three additional items from the cafeteria for FREE to add to their meal? For it to be a qualifying free meal, students must choose an item from three food groups, with one item being a fruit OR vegetable. This is a program available to ALL students in ALL schools!

Immersive Learning: Check out this great article from Cardinal News highlighting some of our students taking part in Southwest Virginia's first lab school: https://shorturl.at/C09Z5

Career Cafe: Damascus Middle School hosted its first Career Cafe, sponsored by school counselor Jamie Moser. Students had a chance to learn about veterinarian & veterinary technician careers! Dr. Emily Winebarger Hoss & Chlowe Taylor shared the joys & challenges of their jobs.