Valley Institute Elementary

Dear Families, We are excited about our partnership with Ballad Health that provides our students and staff with the opportunity to have an Urgent Care visit without ever leaving school grounds. Through telehealth equipment provided by Ballad, students and staff can live stream with an Urgent Care physician or nurse practitioner to receive an evaluation, take a test, receive a diagnosis, and order a prescription. In the coming weeks all schools will have this service available to them. We are already up and running at Greendale, Meadowview, Damascus, E.B. Stanley, Glade Spring, Holston, Wallace, Valley Institute, Patrick Henry, Abingdon Elementary and Watauga. As a matter of fact we had our first employee take advantage of the service last week. SRO Mike Reid had a visit at Damascus Middle School. Here is what he said about the experience. "I used the telehealth system last week. The process was simple and very user friendly. I didn't have to take time out of my day to run to urgent care or otherwise. After the visit, meds were called in to my pharmacy. Would definitely use this service in the future." I know this will be a great service to our students, families and staff. When combined with the in-person clinic at John Battle, access to affordable healthcare has never been more available to our stakeholders. If you have any questions, please contact me or Head Nurse Paula Nichols pnichols@wcs.k12.va.us Thank you, Keith Perrigan, Ed.D. Superintendent Washington County Public Schools 812 Thompson Dr. Abingdon, VA 24210 276-739-3000 @WashCoSuper

Congratulations to Valley Institute Elementary's librarian, Mrs. Harman, as Clinch Region 7 Librarian of the Year! Way to Go!

Next week, March 4-8, is National School Breakfast Week. Be sure to show your appreciation for all those to make it possible for the students of WCPS to have a delicious and nutritious breakfast daily! #WashingtonWay

Be sure to tune in on March 12th for this very informative information about how to help build your child's confidence.

Good evening, Earlier this week we received additional information concerning instructional hours and remote learning. This led to a conversation with VDOE staff which provided a new perspective on our plan to offer virtual instruction on March 5. As a result of this conversation, I am announcing that WCPS will be closed on March 5 and that our last day of school will remain the same (May 29). We hope to offer childcare for working parents of elementary students on March 5. If possible, we will provide additional information in the near future. Thank you, 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“

So thrilled to have Dr. Jerry Jones share his talent and story of being educated in SWVA during Segregation with PHHS students. Check out some of the other Black History Month activities held in @washcovaschools here - go.boarddocs.com/vsba/wcps/Boar…

Be sure to check out the information below about Little League Sign ups in the Bristol Area.

WCPS Students going into grades 5,6,and 7: Be sure to check out this fun opportunity available to you this summer. Registration has begun and spaces are limited, so please check it out and if you are interested, register soon.

Dear Families This is just a reminder that schools will dismiss 2 hours early tomorrow, February 22, for Parent/Teacher Conferences. Please make arrangements for your child's transportation. Thank you, Washington County Schools

Be sure to check out these exciting opportunities for our students sponsored by the Washington County Public Library next month!

Today, talented fourth graders from around the division came together at the Martha Washington Inn to read their George Washington Essays. Top essay authors were chosen and we had a special appearance by George and Martha Washington. #WashingtonWay

Good afternoon, A few folks have reached out to us about increased cases of flu and other illnesses in our schools. After reviewing the attendance data at every school in our division, we noticed that a few of our schools have had a slight increase in the number of students who are absent and/or checked out of school early. Thankfully, the increases are not to the extent that we would consider closing school or making other schedule changes. However, in order to make our learning environments as safe and healthy as possible, we have approved overtime for all custodians and have directed them to make sure all areas of our schools are properly cleaned and disinfected, especially those areas with higher than normal absences. We will also be disinfecting school buses as necessary. We appreciate the communication from our families about the increase in illnesses and we hope that everyone who has been affected feels better soon. If we see attendance rate increase at an alarming rate, we will communicate with the local Health Department about how to best address the situation. In the meantime, we hope you and your family stay healthy and avoid the Flu, COVID, and the other illnesses that seem to peak this time of year. Thank you, Keith Perrigan, Ed.D. Superintendent Washington County Public Schools 812 Thompson Dr. Abingdon, VA 24210 276-739-3000 @WashCoSuper

Washington County Little League Bristol Area:

Families, we hope that you'll take advantage of this very timely and informative session being offered free of charge for all our families. Join via ZOOM tonight for the next session in our Mental Health Series The ABCs of Substance Use and Vaping!

Due to downed trees and power lines in some parts of the County, bus service will be delayed for some students as we reroute buses. We appreciate your patience and understanding.

Lacrosse Opportunity for Washington County Students:

It's safety first for the WCPS Transportation Support Team! This team is up early and staying late daily to ensure safe travels for all Washington County Students for school days and for afterschool activities! #WashingtonWay @WashCoSuper

Be sure to check out Varsity Tutoring's Practice Tests and Personalized Learning Plans that are free to all WCPS Students through their SSO Portal. This week's highlight is on Practice Tests. Be sure to take time to log in and see how this could enhance your students' learning.

Tonight, Washington County Schools is proud to recognize some of our excellent teachers who were chosen as Teacher Of The Year by their colleagues for the 2023-2024 school year. #WashingtonWay #WCPSBest @WashCoSuper

Wallace Middle School is host to several WCPS Teachers and Administrators for Safety Care Training today. Just another way our staff is putting the needs of our students first! #WCPSBest #WashingtonWay @WashCoSuper