Washington County Early College High School

Good Afternoon WCHS and WCECHS Community, We are reaching out today to share an important update concerning student safety across Washington County Schools. Recent incidents have prompted us to reinforce our commitment to maintaining safe, respectful, and supportive learning environments. Please review the message linked below outlining the steps our district is taking to address gang-related activity and ensure the well-being of all students and staff. Your awareness and support are vital as we work together to protect our school communities. .. Linked message: https://shorturl.at/13zVt .. Thank you.

District Arts Night!!

Due to limited bus availability, Washington County High School (WCHS) and Washington County Early College High School (WCECHS) will dismiss at 12:00 noon on Wednesday, March 19th. Washington County Elementary School (WCES) will follow with a 12:15 p.m. dismissal. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. We appreciate your support!

Congratulations to our Boys Varsity Basketball team on advancing to the Regional Finals! They will compete in Winston-Salem on Tuesday, March 11th, at 6 p.m. To allow students, staff, and families time to travel and support the team, Washington County High School (WCHS) and Washington County Early College High School (WCECHS) will dismiss at 12:00 noon on Tuesday, March 11th. Staff leaving early on Tuesday will need to use annual leave for any missed time. Washington County Elementary School (WCES) will follow its regular schedule. Additionally, please note that Wednesday, March 12th, is an optional teacher workday, and there will be no school for students. Thank you for your cooperation and support. Let’s cheer on our team to victory—Go Panthers!

In response to the pending weather forecast, all Washington County Schools will follow an early release schedule tomorrow, Wednesday, March 5, 2025. Washington County High School and Washington County Early College High School will dismiss at 12:00 noon, while Washington County Elementary School will dismiss at 12:15 p.m. Thank you for your cooperation and support.

Out of an abundance of caution for our students and staff, all Washington County Schools will operate on a one-hour delay tomorrow, Monday, February 24, 2025. Please drive carefully and stay safe. Thank you for your cooperation.

Due to the icy conditions on the roads throughout the County, all Washington County Schools will be closed for staff and students on Friday, February 21st - Code Red. Please continue to remain safe throughout the weekend. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. - Dr. David O. White, Superintendent

Due to the pending forecast for severe winter weather, all Washington County Schools will be closed for staff and students on Wednesday, February 19th and Thursday, February 20th - Code Red. We will continue to monitor the weather and provide updates regarding the school schedule for Friday, February 21st. Please stay safe as we navigate these winter conditions. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!

💫 Happy National Bus Driver Appreciation week! 💫 Take the time to say "Thank you" to your child's bus driver.🚍

Juniors and Seniors, save the date!!!

Due to the icy conditions on backroads throughout the county, all Washington County Schools will be closed tomorrow, Friday, January 24, 2025 for students and there will be no after school activities. Staff will have an optional work day so please refer to the School Closing/Inclement Weather Guidelines on our website - Condition Blue. - Thank you for your continued support.

Due to the accumulation of snow and prolonged freezing temperatures, all Washington County Schools will be closed tomorrow, Thursday, January 23, 2025 for staff and students. Staff, please refer to School Closing Guidelines on our website, Condition Red. We will continue to monitor the weather and provide you with an update regarding the school schedule for Friday. - Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!

Due to the anticipated inclement weather, all after-school activities for this evening are canceled, and all Washington County Schools will be closed tomorrow for staff and students, Wednesday, January 22, 2025. - WCES Students: Homework packets will be provided and are expected to be completed upon their return to ensure students are counted present. - WCHS and WCECHS Students: Coursework will be accessible online via Google Classroom or NCVPS, depending on your designated platform. - We will continue to monitor the weather and provide daily updates regarding the school schedule for the remainder of the week. Please stay safe as we navigate these winter conditions. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!

Washington County Schools was made aware of a recent cybersecurity incident involving PowerSchool by the North Carolina Department of Instruction (NCDPI). The incident impacted student and staff data globally. We are still in the early stages of this development and in the information gathering process. However, our Technology Innovations Department has been working with PowerSchool and the NCDPI. From their analysis, it appears that no student's password, grades, or social security number was accessed by the hacker. However, other student information, including medical, discipline, and custody related alerts, demographic data, student UID, and contact information, was compromised. It also appears that staff members with PowerSchool access had their phone numbers, email addresses, addresses, and UIDs compromised. Additionally, the hacker accessed approximately 515 active staff members' social security numbers. We were informed by PowerSchool that it has confirmed that the breach involved unauthorized access due to compromised credentials of one of its contract employees. “PowerSchool has shared that the threat has been contained and that the compromised data was not shared and has been destroyed.” Importantly, per PowerSchool, there are no additional copies of the compromised data in existence. PowerSchool is also working with law enforcement to monitor the dark web for any data exposure. Upon notification of this incident,Washington County Schools has been in communication with NCDPI and Powerschool and will continue to actively work alongside both entities to ensure that all notifications required of PowerSchool are conducted. It is important to stress that there is nothing that WCS could have done to avoid this situation as we did not have administrative access to the maintenance tunnel where the breach occurred. Our commitment to protect student and educator data is a top priority. For additional details and FAQs, please visit PowerSchool's public website - https://www.powerschool.com/security/sis-incident/

January is School Board Appreciation Month. Thank you for the important work you do in making our school district a great place for all students and educators. We appreciate you!

WCS Substitute Refresher Training Training session is scheduled for Janurary 16, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Roper building. Current substitutes should check their email for a calendar invitation. New substitutes must complete the online Substitute 101 Class and present their certificate in order to attend the refresher/orientation session. Please note, completion of this training is required to remain eligible to substitute for the 2024-2025 school year at WCS.

Spotlight of Excellence: Samantha Bearden Samantha Bearden was recently recognized as Washington County's Exceptional Children's (EC) Educator of Excellence at the 73rd North Carolina Conference on Exceptional Children (NC CEC) in Greensboro. Mrs. Beardden, an EC teacher for the 4th-8th Grade Adaptive Classroom at Washington County Elementary School, has made significant contributions since joining the district in January 2023. Starting as a 6th-8th grade Resource Teacher, Mrs. Bearden quickly became an integral part of Washington County Middle School. She has played a key role in transitioning 8th-grade students to high school, helping families understand the different educational pathways available. This year, she transitioned into an Adaptive Classroom teacher, supporting students with extended content standards, and continues to assist fellow educators in navigating ECATS. Msr Bearden's dedication to her students and her ongoing pursuit of professional growth make her a tremendous asset to our district. We are proud to have her on our team and thank her for her unwavering commitment to expanding learning opportunities for all students. Congratulations, Mrs. Samantha Bearden!

Embracing the Journey Within Pages! WCS is deeply grateful to Domtar for their continued support of the Washington County Schools Media Program. Earlier this year, Domtar awarded us a grant, and recognizing there was still a significant need, they have generously provided an additional $25,000 reward. This additional funding will enable us to purchase even more new books for our Media Program, further enriching the learning experiences of our students. Domtar's unwavering commitment to literacy in Washington County Schools plays a vital role in fostering a love of reading among our children. With this remarkable donation, we are able to expand access to high-quality reading materials, allowing more students to experience the joy of reading and to explore their imaginations. WCS sincerely thank Domtar for their invaluable contribution to our school and for being a steadfast partner in promoting literacy and education. Their support continues to have a profound impact on our students and our community. Together, we are shaping the future, one book at a time!

🎉 Open House at our New School! 🎉 We’re thrilled to invite the community to an open house at our new school! The event will feature guided tours of the new campus, offering a chance for everyone to explore our exciting new space. Don’t miss this opportunity to see our new home — we can’t wait to share it with you! Join us!

HIGH SCHOOL CLOSING EARLY Due to significant heating issues at the High School, we have decided to release students at 10:30 a.m. We are sorry for this inconvenience, but the safety of our students and staff are our priority. Students should complete all assignments in Google classroom. We will update you on the building status later on today.