DMS is pleased to announce we raised $3,040 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital! Thank you to everyone who supported our Math-A-Thon!
DMS SCA hosted an appreciation luncheon for Washington County School Board members and Central Services Staff on Monday, March 10. The students enjoyed chatting over lunch and learning more about their guests' roles and all they are doing for Washington County Schools.
🎶 Congratulations to the Damascus Middle School Combined 7th & 8th Grade Band! 🎶
Today, they earned a Superior rating at Concert Assessment, showcasing their hard work, dedication, and musical growth! We are so proud of their achievement and can’t wait to see what the future holds for these talented young musicians. 🎺🥁🎼
🏀 Dr. Heaton’s Science Class Shoots for STEM Success 🔬:
Dr. Heaton’s 8th-grade Physical Science students took on the March Madness Basketball STEM Challenge, designing and building catapult-style shooters to launch a ping pong ball through a hoop. As they tested their designs, they applied Newton’s Three Laws of Motion, exploring how force, acceleration, and reaction forces impact movement. Through teamwork, problem-solving, and a little trial and error, students saw physics in action—proving that science and basketball make a winning combination!
Save the Date
Get ready for an unforgettable experience at Theatre Arts Camp at Emory & Henry University!
This camp for rising 3rd through rising 12th grade students will be a chance to explore the world of theatre, unleash your creativity, and have a blast! Mark your calendars for June 9-14 and stay tuned for more details coming soon!
Damascus Middle School was delighted to have another amazing Career Cafe presenter on March 7. Commander Matt Williamson from the US Navy was with us to share information about his career as a helicopter pilot and Commander of Flight Operations. He informed students about careers in the military as a whole and gave students a sense of day-to-day life on an aircraft carrier as well. He also shared details about the places all over the world that he has seen because of his career in the military. Students came away with information to help them in their own career journeys for sure!
Our Math-Thon ends tomorrow! Students may NOT bring in cash or checks without paperwork. They must have a signed permission slip & sponsor form filled out. It’s strongly suggested students register & receive donations online. Students who have online donations do not need to bring any paperwork in & their donations go straight to St. Jude. The paperwork is linked for cash or check donations.
https://www.stjude.org/content/dam/en_US/shared/www/fundraising-programs/youth/math-a-thon/2024-assets/24-NG-MCC-24402-MAT-SponsorForm-FY25.pdf
Damascus Middle School competed in the Kid Wind Regional Challenge at Virginia Tech where they came home as Champions!
These students entered the solar energy portion of the competition where they created an Otter Habitat. They created and designed a Solar Island powered completely by solar energy.
This team has now qualified for the State Tournament at James Madison University in April.
DMS would like to thank the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center for sponsoring our team and bringing this opportunity to our region.
Mrs. Blackburn's English 7 student authors read their books to kindergarten students at Rhea Valley Elementary School in celebration of Read Across America! This annual activity meets a variety of learning goals for the older students, including the opportunity to develop both their written and spoken voices with a specific audience in mind. They also get the chance to see how their words bring joy to others!
This is a reminder of the opportunity for students to be recognized as Junior Washington County Community Scholars this year! One requirement is the completion of 8 hours of community service, which many of our students did as our community cleaned up after Hurricane Helene. The other requirements are listed on the flyer. Volunteer forms are available from Ms. Moser and should be returned on/before the deadline, which will be announced soon!
Our Math-A-Thon wraps up this Friday! We are so close to our school goal! Here’s a little information about how your support helps:
•Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food - so they can focus on helping their child live.
•Treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20% to more than 80% since it opened in 1962. And we won't stop until no child dies from cancer.
•St. Jude shares the breakthroughs it makes, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands of children.
Mrs. Caywood's 7th-grade science students modeled the parts of a cell using sweets!
Approved 2025-2026 School Calendar: This calendar was approved on 2/18/2025, by the School Board based on recommendations from the Calendar Committee and additional feedback from Dr. Perrigan.
*Please Note: Inclement weather annually causes the last day of school to be rescheduled later than it appears on the calendar. It is recommended you delay making plans for the start of vacations until after June 5.
A special thanks to the Calendar Committee for their work putting this calendar together.
To view the calendar on the WCPS website, click here: https://core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/3765/WCPS/5334217/2025-2026_School_Calendar_REVISED_2.26.25.pdf
Our St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Math-A-Thon is underway from now until March 7. Please help your student take part in this cause by sharing their donation page on Facebook. Our school-wide goal is to raise $2,000 or more.
Since we missed several days of Kindness Week, we will continue our celebration with dress-up days on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday next week!
DMS will kick off our annual St. Jude Math-A-Thon on Monday, February 24. It will run for two weeks. Donations are due by Friday, March 7. Students received instructions and permission slips today. Please help support this worthy cause. Every dollar counts!
https://fundraising.stjude.org/site/TR/Math/Math?pg=entry&fr_id=159510
@stjude #stjudemathathon
Important Information for Damascus Area Students: No Bus Service to Konnarock, Green Cove, and Taylors Valley today, Friday, February 21, 2025.
Schedule Update: It has been a busy day for our road checkers, assessing road conditions across the county. VDOT has done a great job of clearing roads of snow and ice. As a result, WCPS will operate on a 2-Hour Delayed Schedule tomorrow, Friday, February 21, 2025.
We are aware that some roads, particularly in the Valley Institute area, remain snow and ice covered. Because of this, buses will be running on clear routes only. We encourage parents of teen drivers to check road conditions before they head out in the morning. If slick roads prevent your child from attending school, please contact your child's principal.
The 2-Hour Delay will also give real feel temperatures time to rise by about 10 degrees between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.
Childcare will be provided at elementary schools for working parents. Please be on the lookout for additional information from your child's school.
Our road checkers will be out again early tomorrow morning evaluating conditions. Should a shift to a Remote Learning Day be necessary, a decision will be made by 7:00 a.m. Please note, if we transition to a Remote Learning Day, childcare will not be provided.
Stay safe, and we will keep you updated!
Important Update: Due to continued deteriorating road conditions, we have made the decision to cancel the Remote Learning Day Meal Pick Up at Abingdon High School today.
We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding. Stay safe and warm!
Schedule Update: Due to deteriorating weather conditions, WCPS will implement a Remote Learning Day for today, Thursday, February 20, 2025. No childcare will be provided.
Due to the Remote Learning Day, breakfast and lunch meals will be available for Washington County students at one central location. Meals can be picked up between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. at Abingdon High School. Follow the signage to the back cafeteria door for pick up.
