Washington County Public Schools will operate on a 2-Hour Delayed Schedule on Thursday, February 20, 2025. Childcare will be provided for working families at elementary schools. Please be on the lookout for additional information from your child's school.
Due to predicted winter weather this evening into the early morning hours, we will recheck road conditions tomorrow morning. If a shift to Remote Learning is necessary, a decision will be made by 7:00 a.m. If we move to Remote Learning, please note that we will not be able to provide childcare.
Stay safe, and we will keep you updated!
Dr. Heaton’s science students put a fun twist on genetics with Punnett Square Speed Dating! Students paired up to predict the possible genetic outcomes of imaginary offspring, exploring dominant and recessive traits in a fast-paced and engaging way.
Dr. Heaton’s science students put their creativity to the test with a Periodic Table Word Play activity, crafting clever and punny Valentine’s Day cards using chemical elements! From "You’re Na-thing without me" (Sodium) to "I Cu in my heart" (Copper), these students proved that chemistry isn’t just about reactions—it’s about connections!
Schedule Change: Based on multiple forecasts (including the highly reliable FirstWARN Tri-Cities) and a Winter Weather Advisory for Washington County, WCPS will be closed on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, due to the timing of anticipated snowfall and the likelihood of poor road conditions. This will be a traditional snow day, and we encourage our students to enjoy some outdoor fun in the snow!
Please note, if weather conditions do not improve and roads remain unsafe later this week, Thursday and Friday may transition to Remote Learning Days.
WCPS has 10 Remote Learning Days available to use throughout the course of the school year. We’ve already used six of those days, and we would like to keep some in reserve for potential use later. As we get closer to scheduled state testing and assessments, having some days in reserve would provide a safety net. Adding additional school days to the end of the school year will be discussed at the School Board meeting in March.
Stay safe, enjoy the snow, and we will keep you updated on any further schedule changes.
Schedule Change: Due to the number of roads still closed across Washington County and the number of employees who are unable to leave their homes, WCPS will provide virtual instruction tomorrow, Monday, February 17, 2025.
Today is National School Resource Officer (SRO) Appreciation Day! Thank you, Officer Connelly, for all you do for DMS!
National Random Acts of Kindness Week is February 14-20. We will remind ourselves of the importance of kindness in our world with dress-up days!
Schedule Update: Our road checkers have been busy this afternoon checking the conditions of roads across the county. They have determined there are still several roads that remain slick due to the snow and sleet we have received today. However, we are hopeful as temperatures are predicted to warm overnight, conditions will improve. However, warmer temperatures and rains could also cause flooding issues. Either way, a 2-Hour Delayed Schedule on Wednesday, February 12, 2025 will allow us time to determine the safest course of action. Childcare will be provided at elementary schools for working families. Please be on the lookout for additional information from your child’s principal.
In the event conditions deteriorate and we need to make a shift to a Remote Learning Day, a decision will be made by 7:00 a.m. on Wednesday morning, if not earlier.
The DMS Cavalier Boys Basketball Team improved throughout the season and finished strong! Coached by Mr. Emery Reid, Mr. Tony Fuller, and Mr. Brandon Little, these boys put in the work. The future looks bright for Cavalier basketball; these young men are great teammates and strong competitors.
The DMS Cavalier Girls Basketball Team, coached by Ms. Shannon Kelly and Mr. Ryan Meador, finished a very successful season with a 13-4 record! Kinzley D. had over 100 points, and Claire J. had over 100 rebounds in the season. Congratulations to the team on your hard work!🎉
Schedule Change: Due to water, limbs, and other debris on several roads, WCPS will operate on a 2 hour delayed schedule, today, Friday, February 7, 2025. Childcare will be provided at elementary schools for working parents.
🌞 Exciting Summer Science Opportunities for Middle Schoolers! 🌞
Study Science. Do Science. Summer Camp for Students: The Virginia Tech College of Science is now accepting applications for five residential summer science camps for students in grades 7-12. Dive into microbiology, neuroscience, physics, nanoscience, data science, and more! Make new friends and unlock new passions this summer! Costs are associated with each camp and need-based scholarships are available. Applications are due April 10: https://www.science.vt.edu/get-involved/camps.html Email Victoria Corbin at explorescicamp@vt.edu with any questions.
Virginia Junior Academy of Science Research Symposium -- May 31, 2025: Students in grades 7-12 who wish to enter the VJAS Research Symposium are asked to submit their research paper by February 21. The 2025 Symposium will be a hybrid event where students may present in-person at Ferrum College or attend synchronously via Zoom. Membership in the VJAS is free. Click here for more information: https://vjas.org/index.html VJAS is also seeking judges both virtually and in person -- https://vjas.org/judges.html
Damascus Middle School was excited to welcome local physicians from Ballad Health
to our Career Café on Wednesday, February 5. Dr. Karen Elmore and residents Dr.
Passo and Dr. David joined us to talk about their exciting careers. They shared details
of the process for entering the field and answered students’ questions on the daily life of
a doctor and the details of their jobs. They also offered students the opportunity to test
out some of the tools of the trade to learn more about this exciting career path.
This week is National School Counselor Week! Thank you, Mrs. Moser, for encouraging DMS students to dream big!
DMS was pleased to welcome another fabulous presenter for our Career Cafe series on January 23. A best-selling author came to speak with students about writing as a career. He shared details about the creative and publishing process with students and really piqued their creative interests. He discussed the importance of good writing skills in a variety of career fields as well. Students also learned about career journeys as a whole and how to utilize skills learned in vocations along the way, even if career paths change during life.
The DMS Cavalier Girls Basketball team hosts the middle school championship game against Chilhowie tonight! Let's pack the house! Go Cavs! 🏀🏆
The DMS Cavalier Girls Basketball Team plays at home tonight in the semifinals! Go Cavs!
The DMS Cavalier Boys Basketball team travels to Chilhowie High School to play Chilhowie Middle School in the semifinals tonight! Go Cavs!
The DMS Cavalier Basketball teams play at home against Northwood tonight! Go Cavs!
Students in Mrs. Caywood's Science 7 class lifted and observed their fingerprints to collect and analyze data while practicing scientific inquiry.
