Kanawha County Schools Newsletter
February 2023
In the News
Parents applaud Kanawha County, West Virginia, bus driver that saved students
Therapy dog Louie welcomed at South Charleston's Bridgeview Elementary School
Spreading HOPE: St. Albans High School student creates club for students with disabilities
A Closer Look: Program in Kanawha County, West Virginia aims to improve teacher well-being
New Herbert Hoover High School in the final stages of being completed
KCS is Hiring!
We're hiring! KCS is hiring for a variety of positions, including but not limited to: teachers, substitute teachers, aides, Third Base assistants, nurses, service personnel and more.
Consider joining the KCS Team. If you have questions, you can call our office at 304-348-7753, ext. 110.
Upcoming Events
KCS 2023-2024 Preschool Enrollment
Kanawha County Schools will begin enrolling students for 2023-2024 Preschool on March 1st, 2023. Preschool is a part of Kanawha County Schools and there is no cost to parents. Students who are four-years-old on or before June 30, 2023, are placed in school-based sites as well as sites in collaboration with the county. Kanawha County preschools feature state-approved curriculum, small class sizes (not exceeding 20 students), and transportation to and from school-based sites.
In every classroom, there are three ways your child may be enrolled:
- Special Needs โ these children are identified by the Kanawha County Schools Special Education Department and may be three, four or five years old with an IEP.
- Head Start โ priority is given to children who are income eligible according to Head Start guidelines.
- Pre-K โ the child must be four years old on or before June 30, 2023. Children are placed into school-based classrooms or collaborative classrooms according to the needs of the family and time of application.
The following documents are needed for a complete preschool enrollment application:
- state certified birth certificate obtained from Vital Statistics, not County or Hospital
- current immunization record
- current physical exam/well child check โ must have been completed within one year of the date of application
- current dental exam โ must have been completed within one year of the date of application
- documentation if the child is in the custody of someone other than the parent or homeless
- income verification โ paystub, W2, TANF or SSI letter, etc.
- and, a completed online application (THIS WILL BE AVAILABLE ON MARCH 1)
How to enroll :
Access the online application at kcs.preschoolsteps.org beginning on March 1, 2023 fill out the entire form. Once the application is complete, submit required documentation in one of the following ways:
- Hand deliver or mail documents to the KCS preschool office at 1004 Lower Midway Drive, Dunbar, WV 25064.
- Scan or take pictures of the documents and email them prekenrollment@mail.kana.k12.wv.us.
- Fax documents to (304) 348-1352.
If you would like to schedule an appointment for enrollment assistance or have questions, please call the KCS Preschool Office at (304) 766-0397.
Connecting Kids to Coverage WV
We are excited to announce our partnership with THINK Kids and Connecting Kids to Coverage WV! This organization leads a statewide outreach and enrollment initiative to provide assistance and information to parents seeking health coverage for their children. Head over to their Facebook page or website connectingkidstocoveragewv.org for more information.
Beginning in March, THINK Kids will be hosting "Grand Night for Grandparents: Connecting Kids to Coverage WV" workshops at several KCS schools. These events will support the grandparents in our community raising grandkids. Organizers will share resources, answer questions, and help families enroll or renew their Medicaid or CHIP coverage. Be sure to check out their event page for dates and locations!
Powerful Partners
We are excited to announce a new webpage for all of our Powerful Partners tip sheets! Each tip sheet has some simple grade-level activities that can be done at home with no technology. They are meant to simply supplement what students are learning in school and provide additional opportunities for families to work with students as we continue to support learning.
Spelling Bee Winners
Congratulations to the winners of the 2023 Kanawha County Schools Spelling Bee and great job to all participants!
- Champion - Manvitha Sanjaya - John Adams Middle
- Runner-Up - Izaiah Bess - DuPont Middle
- Elementary Winner - Emma Wallace - Sacred Heart Grade School
- Elementary Runner-Up - Lucia Lipton - Piedmont Elementary
Math Field Day Winners
In February, KCS held elementary and secondary Math Field Day! Congratulations to all the participants. The winners will move on to the upcoming regional event!
4th grade winners and alternate
5th grade winners and alternate
6th grade winners and alternate
7th grade winners and alternate
8th grade winners and alternate
9th grade winners and alternate
High school winners and alternates
High school winners and alternates
Highest scoring middle school team
John Adams Middle School
Highest scoring high school team
George Washington High School
Andrew Jackson Middle School 8th grader, Olivia Miller, won 1st place in the middle school division and "Best in Show" for all grade levels for the submission of her painting "Blackwater Falls" into the Governor's Almost Heaven Art Exhibition.
As part of Black History Month, Mary C. Snow West Side Elementary held a special presentation titled "Black Joy and Unity: Together We RISE!" Students performed songs and poetry, celebrated achievements, and heard from local community leaders.
Congratulations to the George Washington High School Band. They were recently named the 2022-2023 State Honor Band! The band will perform at the WV Music Educators Association Conference on Friday, March 3 at 9:00 p.m. at the Civic Center Little Theater. Way to go!
Students in the Carver Beauty Academy were hard at work during the In-House SkillsUSA competition. The winner will represent Carver at the state competition.
West Side Middle School hosted several Black History Month events, including a Freedom March and a Black History Assembly.
State Superintendent David Roach visited Piedmont Elementary to read a book and answer questions from the second grade class.
United States Senator Shelly Moore Capito visited the students at the Toyota 4T Academy.
South Charleston Area Spotlights
Throughout the month of February, we featured spotlight stories from South Charleston area schools.
- Bridgeview Elementary
- Dunbar Intermediate
- Dunbar Middle
- Dunbar Primary
- Montrose Elementary
- Richmond Elementary
- South Charleston High
- South Charleston Middle
Click here to see the February spotlight stories.
Each month we will be featuring schools from a different area, so be sure to follow along on our social media channels for more good news and spotlight stories!
In March, we will be featuring schools from the St. Albans area.
Richmond Elementary Kindness Club
Meet Louie - Bridgeview Elementary's new therapy dog!
Dunbar Primary
As part of their SEL curriculum, students read โThe Dotโ by Peter H. Reynolds. Students discussed the main character's thoughts and actions at the beginning versus the end of the story and created a Venn diagram with their findings. Then, each student created their own unique dot on a paper plate to design a beautiful mural in the hallway.
Dunbar Intermediate
Fifth grade students worked in teams on a Project Lead the Way activity using VEX IQ Robotics parts to invent a toy while following certain criteria and constraints. Students worked together and brought their designs to life. After successfully sharing them with the class, they came to conclusions about how they would change their process if they had another chance.
Dunbar Middle
Montrose Elementary
The Montrose Elementary Student Council had the idea to lead a school-wide "Change Wars" fundraiser to create a post-secondary scholarship fund. This initiative raised a total of $643.09. The scholarship will be awarded to a current South Charleston High School senior that also attended Montrose Elementary. The Student Council will review scholarship applications in the coming months. They look forward to selecting a candidate that has a 3.5 GPA and is "Safe, Trustworthy, Accountable, and Respectful", just like all Mustangs strive to be each day at Montrose Elementary.
South Charleston Middle
Students at South Charleston Middle School were treated to a special performance from the West Virginia Dance Company (WVDC)! The WVDC works to integrate the arts across multiple subjects and support STEAM education. The performance featured music, costuming, and dance from different continents. After the performance, a few students were selected to participate in a special movement workshop taught by WVDC dancers.
South Charleston High
The South Charleston High School robotics teams are hard at work preparing for the upcoming state tournament! Students continue to improve their robots in hopes of advancing to the world tournament later this year.