Damascus Middle School

📢SCHEDULE CHANGE: Due to the Winter Weather Watch being upgraded to a Winter Storm Warning for Washington County, Washington County Public Schools will implement a Remote Learning Day for Friday, January 30, 2026. No childcare will be provided. Teachers and schools will communicate additional information and instructions related to remote learning for the day. Because of the Remote Learning Day, the WCPS Nutrition Department will offer breakfast and lunch meals for students at four locations. Meals will be available from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Abingdon High School, John S. Battle High School, Patrick Henry High School, and Holston High School. Any student 18 years of age or younger is eligible to receive meals and may choose one of the four listed locations for meal pick-up. Students do not need to be present for families to pick up meals.

Gearing Up Confidence🚴⚙️: DMS students are learning bicycle basics as they gear up to ride the new bicycles provided by a grant from the Outride Foundation. Communities in Schools Coordinator Brandon Dale and PE teacher Michael Ratliff work with students each week to develop their confidence as riders. When warmer weather comes, students will move their rides outside!

Leadership Training in Action 🏛️: DMS is proud of two of our students, Turner E. and Tristan S., who participated in 4-H Day on the Hill! These 4-H members had a wonderful opportunity to visit Richmond to meet with legislators, learn about the governmental process, and share their own 4-H experiences. A special thank you goes to Mrs. Crystal Peek who is instrumental in training our future leaders across Washington County through the 4-H program!

Reminder: Washington County Public Schools will operate on a 2-hour delay tomorrow, Thursday, January 29, 2026. Buses will run on clear roads only. In addition, bus drivers have discretion and may adjust routes as needed based on local conditions to ensure student safety.

Roads of concern are listed below by your high school attendance zone.

Childcare for elementary students will be provided at elementary schools (for elementary aged students only) for working families who need it. Please watch for additional information from your child’s elementary school.

Families always have the final say when determining if travel is safe for their student. Schools will work with families to make up missed learning for absences related to travel concerns in the affected areas.

Holston High School Attendance Zone
*Barr Town Road
*Confederate Road
*Rush Creek Road
*Greertown Road
*Rouse Road
*South Fork River Road

📢SCHEDULE CHANGE: Washington County Public Schools will operate on a 2-hour delay tomorrow, Thursday, January 29, 2026. Buses will run on clear roads only. In addition, bus drivers have discretion and may adjust routes as needed based on local conditions to ensure student safety.

We will provide a list of impacted roads this evening.

Childcare for elementary students will be provided at elementary schools (for elementary aged students only) for working families who need it. Please watch for additional information from your child’s elementary school.

Families always have the final say when determining if travel is safe for their student. Schools will work with families to make up missed learning for absences related to travel concerns in the affected areas.

📢SCHEDULE CHANGE: WCPS will need to remain closed tomorrow, Wednesday, January 28, 2026. VDOT and AEP have done a terrific job helping our community recover from the significant ice event over the weekend. We are also thankful for our custodians and maintenance staff for their hard work to get our buildings and grounds safe and ready for our students to return. However, there are still several obstacles preventing us from returning to school on Wednesday. Childcare for elementary students will be provided at elementary schools (for elementary aged students only) for working families who need it. Please watch for additional information from your child’s elementary school. We are hopeful that we can return to school on Thursday by running buses on clear roads only. If that is not possible, Thursday would be a Remote Learning Day. Until then, stay warm, be safe, and send a huge thank you to the workers and employees who have worked so hard in these treacherous conditions.

📢SCHEDULE CHANGE: Roads, parking lots, and sidewalks remain ice covered all over Washington County. Many families are still without power, as are a couple of schools. Frigid temperatures are predicted overnight. In order to allow families to better plan for tomorrow, WCPS is announcing now that we will be closed on Tuesday, January 27, 2026. Childcare will not be available. Hopefully, a little sunshine tomorrow will help us get back to school later this week.

📢SCHEDULE CHANGE: Roads, parking lots, and sidewalks are ice covered all over Washington County. Many families are without power and more winter weather is expected this evening and overnight. In order to allow families to better plan for tomorrow, WCPS is announcing that we will be closed on Monday, January 26, 2026. Childcare will not be available.

ReadBowl Trivia 📕🏈💡: These students tackled our ReadBowl trivia like pros! From Malcolm Mitchell’s passion for reading to his own reading journey, they knew their stuff. Way to read and lead! Be on the lookout for more trivia questions posted in the building.

Art MakerSpace 🖌️🎨: On Thursday, January 22, Art teacher Mrs. Mitten-Stanford hosted an Art MakerSpace, a time when students could stay for an hour after school and create. Marleigh A., Sophie B., Allana C., Lily D., Alyssa W., and Ellie W. enjoyed working with clay during this time!

WCCTEC Tour: 8th-grade students learned about the many exciting opportunities available to them next year during their tour of the Washington County Career & Technical Education Center.

Pajamas, Pages, & Pigskins: 🧥📚🏈Celebrate half-time of the DMS ReadBowl on Friday! Wear your PJs, grab your book, and play some games during lunch!

A big congratulations to Bailee W. and Tristan S. for their ReadBowl trivia knowledge! The trivia questions asked what college Malcolm Mitchell attended before playing for the New England Patriots and which Super Bowl he won with the team. The correct answers are that Malcolm Mitchell attended the University of Georgia and went on to win Super Bowl LI (51) as a member of the New England Patriots. Congratulations and keep reading!

📢SCHEDULE CHANGE: Due to predicted sub zero temperatures in the early morning, Washington County Public Schools will operate on a 2-hour delayed schedule tomorrow, Tuesday, January 20, 2026. Childcare for elementary students will be provided at elementary schools (for elementary aged students only) for working families who need it. Please watch for additional information from your child’s elementary school. As temperatures drop, we recognize that for some students, school is the warmest place they have access to. We have made significant efforts to ensure children who need hats, gloves, and jackets receive them. If you know of a child who may need assistance, please contact your school principal so we can provide support.

Reading is all around us, even outside the classroom and on the football field. Yesterday’s ReadBowl trivia question asked which NFL team Malcolm Mitchell played for when he won the Super Bowl, and students around the school had the chance to read, think, and enter their answer for a drawing. Congratulations to Lily D. for the correct answer—the New England Patriots! 📚🏈

📢SCHEDULE CHANGE: With the probability of snow, cold temperatures, and icy conditions increasing in the eastern third of Washington County, WCPS will operate on a 2-hour delayed schedule tomorrow, January 15, 2026. Childcare for elementary students will be provided at elementary schools (for elementary aged students only) for working families who need it. Please watch for additional information from your child’s elementary school.

Damascus Middle School welcomed another presenter to our exciting Career Cafe series on January 8. Alan Necessary, owner of Appalachian Baits, came to speak with students about his experience as a business owner/entrepreneur. Mr. Necessary educated students on the steps needed to develop and maintain a small business and spoke with them about the skills and characteristics needed to be successful in business overall. He also spoke with students about his career journey, which began in the military, and the transferability of skills from one career to another. He educated students about the importance of the subjects and skills learned in middle school and the usefulness of their education in the business field.

Art MakerSpace 🎨🖌️: Join Mrs. Mitten in the art room for an hour of creating art for the Art Exhibition in March. This session is limited to 15 participants. Please see Mrs. Mitten for a permission slip before Tuesday, January 20!

It's time for the DMS ReadBowl Kickoff! 📚🏈Wear your favorite team shirt or colors tomorrow to celebrate!

Winter 2025 "My Jersey, Your Impact" for JV Basketball: Eighth-grade student athletes honored the teachers who have made an impact on their lives at the JV basketball game on Friday, January 2. Congratulations to Mr. Dale chosen by Canyon D., Ms. Kelly chosen by Roby O., Coach Ritchie chosen by Brady H., and Mrs. Taylor chosen by Asher T.