The West Virginia Broadband Council is kindly asking our residents to challenge the FCC Broadband map before Friday, January 13, 2023. This map is not accurate in depicting internet services in Pocahontas County. If you can take a minute to review the map and file a challenge it will be very helpful to determine the true picture of internet services here in Pocahontas County. The website address is included in this message and information will be going home with students this week regarding the issue. https://broadband.wv.gov/news/west-virginians-encouraged-to-challenge-the-fcc-broadband-map-before-january-13/
We hope everyone had a wonderful break with friends and family. We cannot wait to see our students back to school on Wednesday, January 4. See you soon!
As we enter into the Christmas season, let us all take the time to relax, partake of great food and spend quality time with our loved ones. For so many people, the holidays are a difficult time for a variety of reasons. Let us not take this time for granted, but instead be thankful for our lives and our families. Most of all, remember the true meaning of Christmas and the birth of Jesus. May the Lord bless you and your loved ones.
Terrence Beam, Superintendent of Schools
CONGRATULATIONS to Pocahontas County spelling bee winners! Our first and second place winners will represent Pocahontas County at the regional bee on March 3rd.
1st Jarrell Clifton - Marlinton Elementary School
2nd Nadiya Kerr - Green Bank Elementary/Middle School
3rd Bailey Goodwin - Marlinton Elementary School
A special thanks to Melissa Jordan for coordinating this year's county spelling bee.
There have been many calls regarding the number of students absent at some of our schools. As of right now, we are remaining about the same with our numbers. The State Department says as long as there is enough staff to supervise/care for our students, we are to remain open. We are closely monitoring the situation. These are the approximate numbers of student absences: MES 56, MMS 54, GBEMS 17, PCHS 42, and HES 8.
All Pocahontas County Schools will be dismissed 3 hours early on Friday, December 2, 2022. Families, students, and staff are all invited to attend visitation for Kaiden Lee Harold Stull. Family will receive friends on Friday, December 2, 2022, at the New Hope Church of Brethren from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Funeral Services will be held 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 3, 2022 at New Hope Church of Brethren at Frost with Rev. Julian Rittenhouse officiating. Pocahontas County Schools extend the deepest sympathy, love, and support to the Stull family and we ask that our school community and families extend their love and support also.
It's the holiday season! I would like to wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving! I know many of you travel during this time, while others spend time at home with family and friends (or hunting for those 4-legged critters). Whatever your choice is for this time of year, please enjoy yourselves and please be safe and be kind to each other. The holidays are hard for many people who have lost loved ones, so please be thankful for this opportunity for friendship, fellowship, and blessings.
Besh Wishes!
Terrence Beam, Superintendent of Schools
Due to impending weather, activity buses will be leaving Pocahontas County High School at 5:00 PM. Practices will end at 5:00 PM!
All schools in Pocahontas County will be closed on Friday, November 11, 2022 in order to honor those who have served or are serving our country.
Reminder: All Pocahontas County Schools and the central office will be closed on Tuesday, November 8 for Election Day.
All five schools in Pocahontas County will be honoring our Veterans either on November 9th or 10th. (Schedule included in this post)
We salute the courage, bravery, and honor of our veterans.
The Pocahontas County Board of Education adopted a Resolution on Amendments 2 and 4 on Monday, October 17, 2022. A copy of the resolution can be found on this website in Documents/Board of Education Meeting Agendas or use this link: https://5il.co/1jh6d
Governor Justice will be at Marlinton City Hall tomorrow, Tuesday October 18, 2022 @ 10 am to discuss Amendment 2.
Tomorrow is Service Personnel Appreciation Day! At this time, I would like to take the opportunity to thank all of our service personnel for the work they do each and every day to make our schools better! The first people most students see each day are the bus drivers, custodians, or cooks. That first contact can make or break a student's day. In Pocahontas County, we are very fortunate that all of our service employees do their best to make our kids feel welcome, safe, and cared for. We thank our bus drivers, cooks, custodians, aides, secretaries, maintenance men, and bus mechanics for making our school system successful. Thank you so much for what you do!
Scholarship Information
Thank you for your hard work. We hope you enjoy Monday, September 5 as we celebrate Labor Day.
Due to the fact that the West Virginia Student Information System, which is designed by the state, is not fully functional, there will be errors in student schedules. Presently, LiveGrades is not accessible to teachers, students, and parents as every school system that uses LiveGrades is waiting for WVEIS to upload the necessary information. We are also awaiting the student uploads to be able to give the iReady benchmarks and the West Virginia Summative Assessment Interim Modules and Comprehensive Interim Assessments. Since WVEIS is an intra network program that is maintained at the West Virginia Department of Education, it is outside of Pocahontas County’s control to fix the functionality of the program. As we patiently await the changes and the improvements in functionality, we will keep parents informed of their children’s progress through emails and phone calls. We anticipate that the system will be fully functional within the second month of school.”
Congratulations to Jenny Friel, West Virginia School Nurse of the Year for 2022-2023.
There is a correction on the pick up time at Linwood Library. Pickup will be at 6:40 AM not 7:00 AM. Again, pickup at Linwood Library at 6:40 AM!
The Snowshoe bus stop has been moved to the Linwood Library parking lot. Mr. Forrest Mullenax, the driver, asks the parents to park on the right side so the students do not walk behind the bus. He will come and turn the bus and then open the door facing where the parents park so the kids will be on the door side of the bus. Pick up is @ 7:00 AM give or take 10 minutes on each side and drop off between 4:00 and 4:15The Snowshoe bus stop has been moved to the Linwood Library parking lot. Mr. Forrest Mullenax, the driver, asks the parents to park on the right side so the students do not walk behind the bus. He will come and turn the bus and then open the door facing where the parents park so the kids will be on the door side of the bus. Pick up is @ 7:00 AM give or take 10 minutes on each side and drop off between 4:00 and 4:15.. Please share this information with your family friends and neighbors!