The Summit
Teachers, principals and
support staff rolled out the
red carpet—literally—for
returning students in Au-
gust. Schools across the
county made sure their stu-
dents felt welcome and en-
ergized for the new year.
Sheffey Elementary had
a red-carpet entrance , com-
plete with “paparazzi” and
upbeat music. Two enthusi-
astic teachers, equipped with
cameras, tried to make sure
they snapped a photo of
each and every student that
walked through the front
doors that morning.
At Jackson Memorial
Elementary, teachers and
staff weren’t afraid to be a
little silly at an opening as-
sembly to put the students
in good spirits.
Thanks to a lot of hard
work and preparation from
everyone, this was one of
the smoothest school year
starts ever!
Welcome back students!
We’re so excited for an ex-
cellent year.
A red-carpet welcome
Amidst the business of
preparing to begin a new
school year, WCPS had the
rare opportunity to open
our campus to an important
political figure. Vice Presi-
dent Joe Biden stopped in
Wytheville during a cam-
paign tour through South-
west Virginia.
The August 14 event,
held at Spiller Elementary,
began with Spiller students
reciting the pledge of alle-
giance on stage. Frances
Watson, a veteran teacher of
WCPS and well-known sup-
porter of the local Democ-
ratic Party, was invited to
give Mr. Biden’s introduc-
tion.
Regardless of political
affiliations, we are proud to
have the opportunity to
engage in democracy and
practice good citizenship at
all levels of government.
Vice President Joe Biden visits Wytheville
Wythe County Public Schools
Autumn 2012
Volume 2, Issue 1
From the Superintendent 2
Kindergarten Camp 3
Calling All Communities 4
Teacher of the Year 4
Pre-Engineering Class 5
Briefly 6-7
Education in Action 8
Inside this issue:
Relevant Reads
“93 Percent of
Virginia Schools
Meet SOL Stan-
dards,” VDOE
“Virginia Stu-
dents Continue
to Outperform
Peers Nation-
wide on SAT,”
VDOE
Upcoming School Board
meetings:
Oct. 10 9:00 a.m. SBO
Nov. 7 7:00 p.m. SBO
Dec. 12 9:00 a.m. SBO
Nov. 6 is Election
Day. Don’t forget to
VOTE!
1570 W. Reservoir Street
Wytheville, VA 24382
Phone: 276-228-5411
Fax: 276-228-9192
http://wythe.k12.va.us/
Notes from the Superintendent
Educating students for success in the 21st
century.
Wythe County Public Schools Central Office Staff
Dr. Lee Brannon Division Superintendent
Dr. Melinda Robinett Exec. Director of Educational Services
Jeff Noe Exec. Director of Instruction
Richard Thomas Director of Personnel
Marcy Olinger Director of Elem. & Middle Education
Beth Cochran Coordinator of Federal Programs and Testing
Dr. Wesley Poole Director of Facilities and Operations
Keith Cochran Technology Supervisor
2012 School Board Members
William Kidd, Chairman East Wytheville
Chalmer Frye, Vice-Chairman Speedwell
Walter White Fort Chiswell
Stephen Sage Blacklick
Patricia Hines Lead Mines
Deborah Crigger At-Large
David Martin West Wytheville
The Summit Volume 2, I ssue 1 Page 2
The mission of WCPS, in partnership with our entire community, is to ensure that each student is empowered with
the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the challenges of the future.
Welcome back to the
start of another school year
in Wythe County! Students
and staff are settling into
their routines as the first six
weeks is now behind us.
Over the past few years
WCPS has made great
strides. This is the third year
in a row WCPS has achieved
full accreditation by the
state. We’ve enhanced our
teacher strategies to incor-
porate more technology as a
learning tool by equipping
our students and schools
with more than 1,000 differ-
ent technology upgrades,
replacements or purchases.
Alongside developing a
new Capital Improvement
Plan that will bring our fa-
cilities up to date, we have
completed several smaller
renovation or improvement
projects at our schools—a
resurfaced gym floor at
Spiller, more outdoor light-
ing for safety, cafeteria up-
grades, and much more.
Because of the School
Board’s commitment to en-
suring our teachers and em-
ployees are fairly compen-
sated, we’ve been able to
retain and attract some of
the best education talent in
Southwest Virginia and pro-
vide our retiring employees a
sustainable health care bene-
fit option. Even with de-
creases in state funding,
mandated VRS employee
contributions and a strug-
gling economy, WCPS has
become a fiscal leader and
model for surrounding
counties to follow because
of the Board’s proper and
thorough planning.
It takes all of these things
together to keep us pressing
forward to a better educa-
tion for our students.
From what we see in our
vision of 21st Century edu-
cation, the future of WCPS
is looking bright.
K-Camp: Big success for little people Wythe County elementary
schools hosted Kindergarten Camp
this summer. Incoming Kindergar-
ten students got a jump start on the
2012 school year by spending three
days in school with their soon-to-be
teachers. 182 students spent half a
day in class learning kindergarten
routines, getting to know the new
faces of their classmates, teachers
and school staff along with becom-
ing familiar with the school, cafete-
ria, and playground.
Families were invited to lunch at
the end of the week where they
learned more about school expecta-
tions and ways to best help their
child succeed in school. Parents
loved the camp because it gave
them a chance to gradually intro-
duce their child to school and it of-
fered another opportunity to con-
nect with the teachers. Teachers
loved that K camp students ad-
justed more quickly to school rou-
tines when school did start and that
they were able to get down to the
business of teaching and learning
more quickly. Parents and teachers
alike agreed that knowing more
names and faces on the first day of
school make the transition much
smoother!
2012-2013 School Calendar
Oct. 11 12:30 p.m. Student Dismissal; Parent Visita-
tion (1:00 – 3:00, 4:30 – 7:00)
Nov. 6 Schools Closed for Students – Teachers -
Professional Development Day
Nov. 9 End of Second 6 Weeks; 12:30 Student Dis
missal
Nov. 21 12:30 p.m. Student Dismissal; ½ Teacher
Workday
Nov. 23 12:30 Student Dismissal: Beginning of
Thanksgiving Holiday
Nov. 22 & 23 Schools Closed - Thanksgiving Holiday
Dec. 13 – 18 Exams
Dec. 16 12:30 Student Dismissal; Last Day before
Winter Holidays
Dec. 19 & 20* Make up days for up to 2 days missed
prior to Dec. 16, Last Day in Attendance,
Student Dismissal 12:30 p.m.
Dec. 19 – Jan. 2 Schools Closed – Winter Holidays
Jan. 2 ** Teacher Workday; Make up day if more
than 2 days have been missed before
The Summit Volume 2, I ssue 1 Page 3
For WCPS fall sports calendar information, visit
http://wythe.k12.va.us/ to find links to the Mountain
Empire and Hogoheegee District schedules.
Smart Beginnings Wythe Bland helped to facilitate the experience and is actively seeking partners for K Camp 2013. K
camp was made possible by Wythe-Bland Foundation, Virginia Early Childhood Foundation, Wytheville Noon Rotary, Wytheville Wal-Mart, Wythe County
Public Schools Foundation for Excellence, Smart Beginnings Wythe Bland, and
Virginia Kids NOW!.
Teacher of the Year: Kristen Williams
special teacher wears lots of
hats, though. She counsels
students and families, leads the
bullying prevention program at
school, sponsors student coun-
cil and coaches girls’ basketball
at FCHS—just to name a few!
She is also continuing her
education at Radford Univer-
sity working towards her de-
gree in administration.
Mrs. Kim Frye, principal at
MMES, is especially grateful
and proud of Mrs. Williams,
who was chosen by the faculty
to receive this honor for their
school.
“She’s like my right hand,”
Mrs. Frye said. “She’s tremen-
dous with the children.”
Anyone who walks into a
classroom where Mrs. Williams
is teaching will immedi-
ately notice this too. Her
patience, humility and
gentle nature makes for a
rapt audience of other-
wise-wiggling first grad-
ers.
For all these reasons—
and more—Mrs. Williams
rose above an extremely
excellent pool of appli-
cants across the county
for this distinction. She
garnered the Wytheville-
Wythe-Bland Chamber of
Commerce Teacher of the
Year too. We’re certainly
proud to call her ours!
A “cooperative spirit” and
a “caring disposition” are just
two of the many things that
describe Wythe County 2011-
2012 Teacher of the Year Kris-
ten Williams.
Mrs. Williams is in her fifth
year as the guidance counselor
at MMES. Before that, she
worked for several years at
FCMS as an 8th grade English
and science teacher.
The most rewarding aspect
of her job, she said, “is seeing
improvement [in students]
throughout the year.”
The majority of the time,
Mrs. Williams is preparing and
presenting character education
lessons for the students. This
Voters do not have to be
U.S. Cellular customers to par-
ticipate. Anyone interested
needs to visit their local US
Cellular store, pick up a voting
c o d e , a n d g o t o
www.uscellular.com to place
their vote.
At its two-week tally of
votes, Spiller Elementary was
#86 on the list of Top 100
schools across the US Cellular
service region.
The campaign runs from
Cell phone company U.S.
Cellular is hosting its 4th an-
nual “Calling All Communi-
ties” campaign. Since the pro-
gram began, the company has
donated $3million to 38
schools. This year they’re div-
vying up another $1million
among 18 schools.
The winning school will
receive $150,000 and the next
17 will receive $50,000 each to
spend however they want—
technology, playground equip-
ment, science equipment...
September 14—October 21.
There’s still time to vote for
the school of your choice!
Let’s put WCPS on the
map!
Page 4 The Summit Volume 2, I ssue 1
To cast a vote for your school:
1. Visit your local U.S. Cellular store to pick up a voting code.
2. Enter your information online at www.uscellular.com to place one vote for the school of your choice.
Calling All Communities!
In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, Wythe County Public Schools is prohibited from discrimi-
nating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and activities.
Want to receive important
information about school
closings, parent-teacher
conferences or
announcements from your
child’s school right on your
phone?
Sign-up for the Honeywell
Instant Alert system.
Go to the WCPS homepage
and click on the link to the
Honeywell site under the
Parent Resources section.
The link will provide you
with instructions on how to
create your account.
Simple Machines, Bright Minds
Page 5 The Summit Volume 2, I ssue 1
The 6th Annual Foundation for Excellence Summer Enrichment program was a smashing success with 400 students, 20 high school volunteers and 50 teachers
enjoying a week of fun learning, nutrition, wellness and summer reading encour-agement. Students grades Kindergarten through 8th grade participated in classes
which included:
Fishing
Beautiful Braids and Neon Nails
Cake Appeal
Digging for Dinosaurs
Origami
Boys Club
and many, many more!
This great summer learning opportunity was made possible through a generous grant from the Wythe-Bland Foundation and commu-nity support from Gatorade, Jones, Adams & Delp, P.C., Dr. Michael Spraker, and other community donors.
Visit the
Foundation for Excellence
website to learn more about our pro-grams and opportunities!
works. For the first time, the WCTC is
offering Pre-Engineering.
The new program, made possible
largely by a $125,000 grant for equip-
ment by the Foundation for Excellence
and the Wythe-Bland Foundation, gives
students practical experience for engi-
neering theory.
Recently, they’ve been working on a
unit about simple machines—studying
things as simple as a soda can tab to
moving robots.
“ I want the students to understand
what it takes to make theory reality,”
said class instructor John Willis.
Part of the class he spends with stu-
dents brushing up on their geometry
and trigonometry, the other part of
class he shows them how to use tech-
nology and machines to fabricate and
explain the theories they learn about.
He also takes time to teach them
about real-world vocational opportuni-
ties for engineers and everyday object
an engineer helped to create.
“We always talk about how an engi-
neer had to design that [machine],” said
GWHS sophomore Travis Hedgepeth.
Josh Quesenberry, a junior at FCHS,
said the class has really opened his mind
to new career possibilities. He plans to
apply to Virginia Tech next fall.
His favorite project so far, like
Travis, has been building the Lego ro-
bot. “Seeing it all come together in one
product was a good feeling,” he said.
And getting to use all the cool new
technology has definitely been a plus,
students said. Their classroom is
quipped with iPads and two different
high-tech computer engineering soft-
ware programs.
“I want them to be comfortable
working on many platforms when they
get to college or into their careers,”
Willis said. He even makes them write
about their experiments—both success-
ful ones and “failures”—in their engi-
neering journal. By chronicling all their
ideas and tests, they can reflect back to
see what worked and what didn’t and
try to figure out why, Willis said. “I
want them to learn how to work
through a problem.”
All of the technology, math, and
science integration found in this class-
room is surely going to take our stu-
dents into the 21st century.
A new program at the WCTC is shaping the
minds of students who are thinking about pur-
suing careers that will change the way the world
Wythe County
students care about
their community.
They always find time
to give back!
A big shout-out to the stu-
dents at GWHS and FCHS.
Together, the schools raised
more than 15,000 items for the
Agape Food Pantry in Wythe-
ville. That’s about a month’s
worth of food for the twice-a-
month distributions.
As part of a friendly rivalry
before their football teams
faced each other on August 31,
the two schools collected can
goods all week long to pro-
mote school spirit and give
back to their community.
They had to wait until the foot-
ball game to hear the final tally,
as the number of items each
school had was kept top-secret
throughout the week. In the
end, FCHS brought in about
4,000 items and GWHS about
11,000.
The students, staff and admin-
istrators are all in agreement
that this is a tradition they
want to keep going for a long
time!
Picture Days, school breaks
and many other important
events will be happening at our
schools.
Additionally, the county
handbook is printed in this
calendar . The Program of
Studies, which used to be
printed in book form, can now
Mark it on your calendar:
this year was the first time
WCPS has printed a district-
wide comprehensive calendar
to help families keep up with
their busy school schedules.
The full-color calendars feature
photos and events from each
school in the division. You
can see when PTO meetings,
be found online at the WCPS
homepage. .
A big “thank you” to
Teresa Wassum, Textbook
Coordinator, who spent
months designing and creating
this wonderful publication. A
limited number of extras are
available at the School Board
Office.
Healthy Competition
Calendars
offering students who partici-
pated in the 2012 program an
opportunity to continue their
art concentration while provid-
ing additional students the
basic drawing curriculum.
The generous support of
community donors and the
PLAY Fund made this excel-
lent opportunity available to
our students.
Art Intensive
interpretations of scenes
throughout the downtown
area, producing several pieces
to take home at the end of
the week. 150 parents and
community members at-
tended Friday evening’s won-
derful exhibition, “Drawing
Explosion”, where students
displayed their work from the
week.
We look forward to an
expanded program in 2013,
Mid-June brought 45 Wythe
County students to the down-
town Wytheville area for a
week of drawing instruction
with Savannah College of
Art and Design graduate
Meagan Averill. Students
enjoyed using different
mediums to express them-
selves as they learned dif-
ferent drawing techniques.
They enjoyed creating
artwork representing their
Page 6 The Summit Volume 2, I ssue 1
Congratulations Wythe County Public School teachers and students ... ...on achieving state accreditation for the third year in a row!
A special thank you
to Bristol Motor
Speedway, Triple B
Stone, 3M, and
NASCAR Driver
Greg Biffle!
What we’re already doing:
We serve fresh fruits and
veggies
Only 1% or fat free milk,
water, and 100% fruit
juices are available
Sandwiches are served
on whole wheat or whole
grain bread
Salads are offered every
Tuesday and Thursday
Introduced lower
sodium entrees
Cafeteria Changes
NASCAR Driver
Marimbas, Music and Math
Students who purchase
school lunches will be getting a
few more fruits and veggies on
their trays this year. Federal
regulations stemming from the
Healthy Kids Hunger Free Act
passed by Congress in 2010
have changed the requirements
for what is served in our
school cafeterias. Calorie allot-
ments have been fixed, less
grains and more leafy greens
are just a few examples of the
changes.
The traditional food pyra-
mid has been supplemented by
the MyPlate graphic, which
indicates what a healthy bal-
anced meal should look like.
Students are encouraged to
try new foods with taste tests
and free samples. (Weekly
menus are available on the
WCPS homepage.)
In addition to menu modifi-
cations, WCPS has imple-
mented Café-Prepay, which
allows parents/guardians to
have the convenience of put-
ting money into their child’s
lunch account through a credit
card on the internet. To set up
a Café-Prepay account, go to
cafeprepay.com and follow the
prompted directions.
The marimba was made
using the style and design
created by Jon Madin in his
book, Making Your Own Ma-
rimbas. Mr. Holl built the
frame and cut the bars and
resonator tubes to the exact
measurement needed for the
correct tones to be played.
The older students helped
chisel out the middle of the
bars to get the right vibration
and tone. The younger stu-
dents helped sand the bars to
make them nice and smooth.
Every student at RRES
had a part in building this
magnificent instrument that
will be used for many years to
come. The making of the
instrument required measure-
ments from math, sound and
vibration from science and
music, as well as performance
and learning in music.
Students at Rural Retreat
Elementary School worked
together to make a new bass
marimba to add to their collec-
tion of Orff instruments. Ms.
Heather Mills, elementary mu-
sic teacher at RRES, received a
grant from the Foundation for
Excellence to have Brent Holl
build a bass marimba. Mr.
Holl has built marimbas with
students since 1998.
Representatives from BMS
were also present and pledged
to give WCPS a $5,000 dona-
tion from them and their spon-
sors at Sharpie.
3M, Biffle’s main sponsor,
donated apple Post-It note
dispensers for all teachers in
Wythe County.
NASCAR driver Greg Bif-
fle paid a visit to Spiller Ele-
mentary in August in an effort
to drum up support for the
race at Bristol Motor Speedway
and to announce his intentions
to donate 5% of September’s
profits from the rock excavat-
ing company Triple B he and
his brother own in Speedwell.
Page 7 The Summit Volume 2, I ssue 1
Congratulations Wythe County Public School teachers and students ... ...on achieving state accreditation for the third year in a row!
The Summit is a publication of Wythe County Public Schools . It is published four times a year—autumn, winter, spring, and
summer . All materials, including photographs and content, are copyrighted by WCPS unless otherwise noted.
Education in action
The Summit Volume 2. I ssue 1 Page 8