Seventeen students from Damascus Middle School answered the call to community service and met the academic and citizenship requirements to qualify as Junior Washington County Community Scholars this year! In addition to being honored at the awards ceremonies, students were honored at a luncheon on May 19. Damascus mayor Katie Lamb spoke with students about the value of community service and highlighted the impact of volunteers on the recovery of Damascus in the wake of Hurricane Helene. The meal was generously donated by owner Luke Neisius of the Tipsy Bear in Damascus, and desserts were catered by local pastry chef Joe the Baker. Thanks to all the students and community members who contributed to our celebration. You truly make our community amazing!
On Monday, April 27, students at DMS were excited to welcome the final guests for the 2025-2026 Career Cafe series. Laura Smith, drafting instructor at the Washington County Career and Technical Education Center and three of her current students were gracious enough to come and speak to students about this exciting and versatile field. Students were able to see examples of students' amazing work and learned about many career paths using drafting. It was an amazing and informative way to end the Career Cafe series for the year, highlighting the opportunities available to students in our division and our region.
Today is National School Nurse Appreciation Day, and we are so thankful for Michelle Stiltner for all she does to take care of us! 🩺❣️
Join us as we bike from school on May 19 and to school on May 20! There is no better way to start and end your day! 🚲
🍎🥗 Happy School Lunch Hero Day
Today we celebrate the incredible school nutrition professionals who keep our students fueled and ready to learn each day. From early mornings to lunchtime smiles, they work hard behind the scenes to prepare meals, ensure food safety, and create welcoming cafeteria environments for all.
Thank you for your dedication, care, and the important role you play in supporting student success. You truly are heroes in our schools -- we appreciate you!
Today we celebrate the incredible school nutrition professionals who keep our students fueled and ready to learn each day. From early mornings to lunchtime smiles, they work hard behind the scenes to prepare meals, ensure food safety, and create welcoming cafeteria environments for all.
Thank you for your dedication, care, and the important role you play in supporting student success. You truly are heroes in our schools -- we appreciate you!
"Behind every great school is great leadership." Happy Principal Appreciation Day to Dr. Jason Matlock, Principal, and Ms. Andrea Garrett, Dean of Students! Thank you for leading us so well.
Today is School Lunch Hero Day, and we celebrate all that our amazing cafeteria ladies do every day to serve up nourishing food and a positive vibe in the DMS Cafe! Thank you, Ms. Joyce Tester, Ms. Kimberly Hand, and Ms. Lisa Widener!
Free clothing will be available on Saturday, May 2 at Rhea Valley Elementary School from 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM.
Tomorrow is the last blood drive for this school year. It's not too late to sign up and show up to save a life! 🩸
Pop-In PD🍿: DMS teachers popped in for some quick PD during the Student Flex Day on Tuesday, April 21! Math Coach Lori Carrigan shared tips for using Hands-On Equations; Reading Specialist Trudy Cobler shared tips on annotating text; ITRT Valerie Cox shared tips for using MagicSchool; and Behavior Specialists Kayla Larimer and Maria Williams shared tips on ways to help students. Thank you to Dr. Tammy Williams for implementing a new way to provide professional development that works for teachers' busy schedules!
Today is Administrative Professionals Day! Thank you, Ms. Dana Lethcoe and Ms. Erika Trent, for the many things you do at Damascus Middle School!
On Monday, April 13, students at Damascus Middle School were treated to an interesting and delicious Career Cafe. Local pastry Chef Joe Bridges came to speak with students about careers in the culinary industry. He shared both his knowledge and his skills with students and was even kind enough to provide examples of some of his yummy creations that students were able to sample!
Mark your calendar for our final blood drive for the year on April 30! 📆
It's National School Librarian Day! Thank you, Mrs. Necessary, for all you do! 📚
On Wednesday, April 1, students at DMS had the opportunity to hear about careers in the Information Technology field during the ongoing Career Cafe series. Rob Campbell shared information about the field as a whole and his vast and varied experience within it. Students had the chance to ask questions and gain perspectives about a day in the life of someone in this broad and rapidly evolving field and came away with new perspectives about their own futures.
Robotics Award 🤖🏆: Members of the Caval-Air Force Robotics team were awarded the Rookie Award for their field at the National Robot Drone League Championship held on March 26-27 at ETSU! This event was the culmination of months of hard work and is quite the accomplishment, as they competed against middle and high school teams from Connecticut, Georgia, Germany, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Virginia. Congratulations to the following members of the team: Canyon D., Lily D., Turner E., Albert H., Gabby L., Ryan M., Harper M., Matthew T., and Carter W., and to their coaches, Ms. Anne-Marie Stevens and Ms. Jamie Moser!
Small group work in action at Damascus Middle School📝🏀: After reading and annotating a text about the history of basketball, students took their learning to the next level with a hands-on STEM challenge: designing and building their own basketball goals! What a great way to wrap up our Read Madness celebration—combining literacy, creativity, and teamwork.
Appalachian Middle School Voice Day 🎶: Ms. Megan Mitten, chorus teacher and choir director at DMS and HHS, organized and hosted a wonderful day of choral music for middle school students across our region. Students worked with a variety of talented choral directors and presented a beautiful concert! The link to the concert follows: https://www.youtube.com/live/Cpi-b0-P_PU?si=-zPZ__6emU-i30UD
This weekend 8 WCPS Robotics teams are competing in the National RDL Championship at ETSU! These teams are forming alliances with other teams and sharpening their skills to represent our school division on the National stage!
We loved welcoming members of the Emory & Henry University basketball teams to Damascus Middle School on Tuesday! Our 8th-grade students had the opportunity to connect with the players during lunch as they floated around, talking and building relationships. The teams then shared information about working hard, having confidence, staying motivated, and surrounding themselves with people who push them to be their best. What a great way to inspire our students—thank you for making a difference!
