Congratulations to the Wayne County High School Golf Team for winning the school's first ever 10th Region golf championship yesterday at Eagle's Nest Country Club. The team shot a round 311, five strokes in front of Runner - Up Jackson County.

KY FAME Instructor Chris Hall and students Toby Crabtree (WCHS2014) and MaLaya Koger (WCHS2016) came and presented information about KYFAME to Wayne County Area Technology Center students Welding and Machine Tool Classes recently.

Wayne County High School congratulates Chelsea Adams and Gabe Dick for winning Homecoming Queen and King. The school also congratulates everyone that made the Homecoming court and the football team for winning 0-53.

The Wayne County High School FCA students invite everyone to their "See You at the Pole" event on September 28 at 7:45 a.m. This is an optional event, and the FCA students encourage those that would be interested in it to attend.

Wayne County High Schoolers and Middle Schoolers were treated to a pep rally in the high school gym in honor of the week's homecoming events. Members of the football team spoke, the homecoming court was recognized, and Spirit Week winners were announced. The homecoming game will be held tonight, September 23, at 7:30.

All of the Homecoming candidates and the football team, cheerleaders, WCHS band, and more participated in the event. Go Cards!

Board Chairperson Donna Blevins congratulated each student for their accomplishment in being selected. The students shared some of the things they learned during the summer academic-related experiences.

Special thanks to Master Gardener Vannie Hatfield for contributing to the Imagination Library after learning about the program at a recent KY Proud dinner featuring veggies from the school graden.

WCHS supported the football team with Spirit Week themed days in celebration of Homecoming. Good Luck Cardinals as they take on Clay County! 

Madafo's Reach Out program shared a cultural message out of the tradition of the Griot (a French word meaning African keeper of the principles and values of the people).

Audrey Fowler Price, KHEAA Outreach Counselor, discussed the college application process, paying for college, how to apply for financial aid, and changes in financial aid with parents on the evening of September 19th. She also shared a helpful presentation with seniors during the school day after they attended the college fair answering their questions.The October 1st opening date for the 2017/2018 FAFSA is fast approaching! Dig out those FSA ID's and get your 2015 tax info handy so that you are ready to complete your FAFSA online come opening day. Also, students may still sign up online for the October 22nd ACT locally administered test, however, a late fee will be added. The next deadline for signing up for the ACT (without a late fee) is November 4th, in order to take the ACT at school on December 10th.  

Over a dozen colleges and universities were represented at the KHEAA Outreach event to help students narrow down their college choice. Wayne County Guidance Counselors sponsored the trip. Colleges met with students to tell them about admissions process, programs/ degrees offered, and more.

Family Reading Night welcomes families from 3:15 to 7:00 pm each Monday night in the school media center. In addition, robotics meet till 5:00 pm on Mondays. Waynetonian Choir meets on Tuesday from 3:15-4:30. Academic Team practice is on Monday and Thursday till 4:30 pm.

The Band received 1st place in Class 3A-2, 1st place color guard Class 3A-2. The band also placede 2nd in Class 3A and 3rd place in over all of 16 bands. They will compete at Pulaski Co. High School on Saturday, September 24.

Malcon & Peggy's Fitness Center is offering this special deal for all Wayne County School Employees!

Wayne County senior Corbin Kirksey fired an even par round of 71 last Saturday, September 17^th  on his way to winning the 2016 Eagle’s Nest Invitational.

The cards defeated Mercer County 47-23. Their next game is Homecoming set for Friday night (September 23) with Clay County at 7:30 p.m. Go cards!

Voting will take place on Tuesday for the King and Queen from the court. They will be honored at the football game on Friday, September 23 when the Cardinals take on Clay County at home.

Operation Unite is hosting a toilet paper drive in the school system. Donations will be received at WCHS and will be used to benefit numerous treatment centers in the area. The deadline to donate is September 30.

Wayne County School athletes will be benefitting from a new multi-purpose sports facility to practice in during inclement weather conditions in the near future, located near the baseball field adjacent to the school garden.

Congressman Hal Rogers would like to extend an invitation to Wayne County High School students to attend an upcoming U.S. Service Academy Information Fair.

The Wayne County District Gifted and Talented will host a scrapmetal recycling drive to raise money for the activities the groups will participate in this school year. The fundraiser will be held on October 15 at the Wayne County Maintenance Garage.

The Wayne County High School Guidance office has released ACT dates, FAFSA information, and more for high school students.

Wayne County Schools are once again participating in High Attendance Day to promote the importance of being at school in order to learn. The state contest sponsored by the Kentucky Directors of Pupil Personnel has been in existence for the last eight years. Wayne County has been very well represented on High Attendance Day at region in all three levels – elementary, middle and high school.

This was the second year in a row that Senior Natalie Humble was selected to sing the National Anthem with the honorary choir filled with students from across Kentucky.

The Cardinals beat Bell County 41-15 on September 9. They will play Mercer County this Friday night, September 16 at Jewell Field. Go Cards!

The band received first place at Class AAA, first place auxillary Class AAA, and first place percussion class AAA. The 2016 show is entitled "Emerge". The band is under the direction of Andy Critz and assisted by Logan Butler.

Lake Cumberland District Health Department is providing health screenings for employees of the Wayne County School District. The next screening will be held at Bell Elementary on September 22.

Wayne County High School will have Parent Teacher Conferences on Tuesday, September 13th from 4:00 – 7:00 pm. Wayne County Area Technology Center will also have Parent Teacher Conferences next Tuesday, September 13th from 3:30 – 6:00 pm.

Cards finished with a team score of 310, two strokes back from Lexington Christian Academy's 308. Scores for Wayne County were as follows: Corbin Kirksey - 73, Reese Sexton - 76, Isaac Dick- 78, Kameron Gehring- 83, and Gehrig Sexton- 86.

 The girls soccer team has been working hard this season. They have been practicing and competing against other teams. Good luck against Southwestern on September 8! Go Cards!

Somerset, Ky. (September 6, 2016) – Constitution Day, also known as Citizenship Day, will be celebrated

at Somerset Community College (SCC) with two guest speakers this year:  Kentucky Secretary of State

Alison Lundergan Grimes on September 14, 2016 and Kentucky Supreme Court Chief Justice John D.

Minton, Jr. on September 19, 2016.  Both events will be held on the SCC Somerset Campus at 808

Monticello Street in Somerset and both are free and open to the public.

The Wayne County Middle School will conduct their first Midterm Parent Teacher Conference on Thursday, September 8^th from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Over 100 people attended the event after the school garden tour was held. Walker Early Learning Center Principal Angella Ballinger shared the Imagination Library program with the audience. An after dinner auction raised $847, plus an additional $836 in donations. Folks like teacher Micah Hicks provided artistic audtion items to support the cause.

The garden peas grown at Walker provided $31, bringing the overall total to $1,717. It cost $26 a year to sponser a local child so they can have books mailed to their home. The 'Reading Matters' campaign stresses the importance of putting books in the hands of children before they even start school and then continuing the habit throughout their public education.

It’s harvest time in Monticello! Three middle school teachers, who combined have logged 89 years of service to local students, are hosting the event.

Brandon is the first WCHS student to apply and be accepted into this program since it was established two years ago. This program provided the student with once in a life time opportunities for a highschool student.

Wayne County Lady Cards Soccer Team were headed to Monroe County Thursday, September 1st; however, due to illnesses, the game has been canceled. The next game will take place at Southwestern on September 8th, away, followed by a game with Pulaski County at home on September 10.

High School clubs were kicked off on Wednesday, August 31 throughout the day.

Visitors took advantage of the opportunity to tour the garden. A wagon pulled by a tractor took guests to each station manned by FFA members who offered explanations on harvesting the vegetables in their areas. A dinner was served afterwards at the Extension Office featuring the fresh produce. An auction raised about $1,300 for the Imagination Library thanks to those attending.

The Wayne County Cross Country team competed in the Catbird Classic at North Laurel on August 27th.

Behind the scenes at the bus garage, buses are worked on daily to maintain the safety of their passengers. Each bus undergoes a monthly inspection.

There will be three more bus evacuation drills this school year to inspire student safety.

Family Consumer Science classes introduced to nutrition and wellness unit through practical experience silking corn in the school production kitchen. FFA/ Agriculture students take a lot of pride in harvesting the produce from the garden which feeds the entire student body in the school cafeterias.

The Wayne County Golf team placed third over the weekend (August 27th) at the Barren County Invitational. The Cards posted a team score of 318, finishing two shots back of runner- up Franklin-Simpson and four shots behind tournament champs Glasgow.

The Varsity Teams' Record is 3-7 on the season; the young team went up against the best in Lexington and finished the tournament 1-5 gaining valuable experience.The program includes Freshmen, JV, and Varsity Team competitors at the meets.. On Tuesday, Aug. 30th, the Lady Cards face Clinton away.On Sept. 6th, the team faces Southwestern in their first district game of the season. GO CARDS!

Wayne County High School's KHEAA Outreach Counselor, Audrey Price, will be in the WCHS Media Center...

Sign up in August to benefit your student's school.

The first home game was a scrimmage with Pulaski County, followed by a close overtime game with Bryan Station Defenders in the Roy Kidd Bowl at Madison Central. Wayne County Cardinals made front page of Sunday's Herald-Leader sports page.

Congratulations to the Wayne County Boys Soccer team for defeating Clinton County on August 23rd with a score of 6-0! Stay tuned for their next home game against Whitley County on Thursday, September 1st.

Staff enjoyed a back to school reception held in their honor before attending the opening day meeting. The Wayne County High School JROTC Color Guard presented the flags and Superintendent Wayne Roberts addressed the crowd kicking the school year off. 

Eleven classified and certified staff members were recognized on opening day for the staff, recently. Extraordinary individuals who work in the Wayne County School System were recognized in fornt of their peers through a nomination process by colleagues, students, and or parents. One cerified and one classified member from each school and one classified person from the district staff were recognized with a $100 award from the Monticello Banking Company. Two MVP nominees - Randy Foster and Lindsey Aguilar - were recognized amongst the group with an additional $150 recognition, courtesy of Monticello Banking Company.

The Kentucky Arts Council has opened registration for the 2016-17 season of Poetry Out Loud, a poetry recitation contest sponsored by the arts council, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation.

 Wayne County Schools Farm to School program received national recognition in June from the United States Department of Agriculture. Nutrition Services Director Karen Gibson accepted the USDA Best Practice Award 2016 on behalf of Wayne County Schools from the director of USDA Southeast Regional Office Nutritional Director and the Kentucky Dept. of Ed School and Community Nutrition Director.

The girls suffered several injuries in the competition but will be back in the game tonight, August 23rd when they travel to Estill County. Good luck Lady Cardinals!

WCHS FFA students prepared the plot in the garden and the agriculture students assisted the children plant the vegetables.

 The Wayne County golf team fired a round of 318 to finish as runner up in the August 20-21st  Tate's Creek Invitational. Congratulations!

All 21st Century, Gear-Up, and GT students and families are invited to monthly parent nights at Wayne County Middle School 5:30-7:00 p.m. The first meeting will be held on August 29.

WCHS students have begun to register for college classes which is part of the Cardinal University that offers more scheduling flexibility and opportunities. About 60 students attended a lecture provided by EKU Outreach Agents who explained the online program during the school day on August 16th. EKU is one of several colleges that offer courses to local students.

High School students have been privileged with the opportunity to dine in the redesigned and revamped Cardinal Café. The lunchroom has been updated to include bar window dining, booth seating, and circular tables in the center of the room: each feature improving student’s ability to conveniently dine and socialize at the same time.

Wayne County Schools’ first state mandated bus evacuation drills will begin Wednesday (August 17) morning at Monticello Elementary. All students in third, fourth and fifth grades will be participating beginning at 9:00 a.m. during the school day.

Over 250 Freshman benefited from a custom designed introduction to the rules and expectations of High School, complete with ice-breaker games in the auditorium. Freshman attend classes in the upstairs hallway of the High School and become a close knit group, thanks to the Freshman Academy. 

Wayne County Schools got off to a great opening day for students in kindergarten through 12th grade on Wednesday, August 10th.

Class 101 will be providing ACT prep courses at their Somerset location. The class is available to any student who wishes to improve their ACT score. The classes are offered each Monday afternoon, 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm.

Wayne County High School Principal Justin Alley conducted an informative meeting for guardians of students who are interested in participating in the Cardinal University program that will be offered to High School Students starting this year.

Members of the Wayne County High School Golf Team competed in a golf tournament hosted at Woodson Bend Golf Resort and Campbellsville Country Club. The team claimed the championship title at Woodson Bend.

The school garden partnership with the local Extension Office has grown to four acres and is providing fresh produce to benefit the meals of each school. All employees participated in the Wayne County School Nutrition Bootcamp Training Workshop receiving 10 hours of professional continuing education in fulfillment of the annual requirements. Employees maintain professional standards, requirements in school nutrition.

Staff members across the district prepared for the upcoming school year by hosting professional development sessions towards creating a safe and welcoming enviornment for students. The district presentations focused on "Keys to Student and Teacher Success" in order to promote quality instruction at Wayne County Schools.

Wayne County Schools are preparing to kick off the 2016-17 school year for close to 3200 students in kindergarten through high school on the first full day of classes August 10^th.

Kentucky Employees Mutual Insurance Company consultants shared information on CPR and emergency situations.

Returning for 2016, BluegrassPreps.com is excited to again roll out weekly football Power Rankings for each of the regions around the state. With each week's Power Rankings, we will be looking to rank the top ten teams in each region - regardless of class - against the other teams in their region. Throughout the season, we will be accounting for the results of all the games throughout the region, including the strength of each opponent played, points scored, points allowed, along with several other statistics on each side of the ball.

Wayne County Elementary and Middle School students had the privilege of attending the seventh local summer camp sponsored by the school district’s 21^st Century program. They had an awesome time in the many thought provoking and interesting classes, hands-on activities, physical fitness training, and field trips that were tied to the book they read.

The Wayne County High School Volleyball and Golf teams united to support each other at this successful event.It was the Volleyball Boosters second annual fundraiser to help the WCHS Girls Volleyball Team. The proceeds will help them buy various supplies for the season.

Wayne County High School Senior Chloe Massengale was recognized for her outstanding artistic ability in an art contest sponsored by the local and state Women’s Club. Chloe submitted an art piece to a student art contest and her artwork received first prize in the state.

Competing in their last meet of the school year, the WCHS JROTC Raider Team earned two third place finishes at the 10^th annual George Rogers Clark Raider Invitational at Ft. Boonesborough State Park on Saturday, April 16th. 

The Wayne County High School orientation open house date is set for Monday, August 8^th. New students and incoming freshmen will benefit the most from this event scheduled from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Student mentors will be on hand to accompany students who need directions to various locations inside the building, as they learn where their classes will be held.

Wayne County High School's Virtual Learning program was recognized for its success in a statewide publication. The article examined several schools using similar programs and the results they are achieving.

The Wayne County High School JROTC Cardinal Battalion was proud to announce the following cadets have earned the Distinguished Silver Musket Award, presented to each cadet who successfully completed all phases of Cadet Training while at Annual Junior Cadet Leadership Camp held at Blue Grass Army Depot.

Wayne County Schools 21^st Century Coordinator Katherine Kidd shared highlights of the seventh local summer camp she directed which has continually proven to boost student learning.

The Wayne County Board of Education approved the “Cardinal University” initiative in a move to continue to customize each students’ high school education at their monthly meeting, July 14^th.

Wayne County High School was well represented at the 87^th Kentucky Future Farmers of America (FFA) State Convention held during the week of June 7-9 in Lexington, Ky.

The WCHS Marching Band prepared for the upcoming competition season by beginning to learn the music and formations of this years marching show.

Wayne County Schools Art Video department were pleased to win video green screen equipment through a Kentucky Educational Television promotional drawing this past semester.

South Kentucky RECC recently took ten area students to Washington, D.C. for the 45th annual Washington Rural Electric Youth Tour on June 10-17.

Wayne County basketball standout Trey Blevins will be among players  from around the state participating in the Kentucky-Indiana High School All-Star Classic this month.

Teachers participated in hands on workshops to move toward the digital world.

The Wayne County School District Clerical Staff recently had a training session at the local Area Technology Center. A variety of trainings and professional development are offered during the summer to teachers and staff members.

A celebration was held for the Wayne County School District employees retiring after the 2015-2016 school year, prior to June's monthly board of education meeting. Each of the retirees were presented with a plaque for their years of service totaling 475 years to the students of Wayne County Schools and Monticello Independent.

The high school basketball team reflected on the 2015-16 season at their annual banquet. The gathering celebrated individual and team accomplishments for Cardinal team members. Go Cards!

With school out for the summer many students were thinking of the lazy days ahead, sleeping late and just chilling out. “Not us,” almost in unison responded the 12 cadets from WCHS JROTC making preparations to attend annual Junior Cadet Leadership Camp (JCLC) at Blue Grass Army Depot in Richmond, KY, held May 26-1 June. This year camp dates began the next day after most schools closed for the summer.

Cooks learned helpful tips in the school kitchens on how to prepare tasty, nutritious dishes.

The UGN Team explains their Pulaski County based business and check out students' job skills toward future employment.

Students were very interested in learning about the history of their community as they got a first hand look at a previous way of life.

Graduates Jonathan Criswell and Davis McCracken helped manage the content of the Wayne County High School website during their last year of school. Thank you for your service!

The Making Smiles Happen Surveillance Initiative will screen the oral health of 6,000 students in Kentucky over an 18 month period.

Gracie Sexton, Raegan Roberts, Davis McCracken, Rachel Bertram, and Jonathan Criswell gave speeches and participated in the commencement program. 

Over 200 students graduate during Commencement ceremonies on May 27

The Bass Bandits were the champions of the Dude Wipes High School Open fishing tournament. Students Tray and Bailey Hardwick won with a total weight of 13 pounds and 14 ounces and also won the big fish category with a 5 pound 8 ounce largemouth bass.

Seniors participated in their final baseball game on May 24. The five seniors celebrated a successful season as the game ended with Southwestern beating the Cardinals by 4 runs.

The Cardinal Softball team competed in the final round of district tournament against rivals the Southwestern Warrior Softball Team. The Cardinals defeated the Warriors and will now host the regional tournament.

The Governor’s Scholars Program is a summer residential program for outstanding high school students in Kentucky who are rising seniors. The Program originated in 1983 as a result of Kentucky leaders’ concern that the state’s “best and brightest” were leaving the Commonwealth to pursue educational and career opportunities elsewhere without fully understanding the potential of their talents at home. Students who are selected attend the Program without charge. In the spirit of partnership, the Office of the Governor, the Kentucky State Legislature, and private enterprise come together to provide the financial support for the Program.

Check out the schedule and sites for the summer lunches. Look for the Lunchbox Express bus coming to these neighborhoods. Free meals for children 18 and younger.

 Competing in their last annual meet of the school year, the WCHS JROTC Raider Team earned two third place finishes at the annual George Rogers Clark Invitational at Ft. Boonesborough State Park on Saturday, April 16th.

Kentucky Blood Center sends representatives to facilitate the second blood drive of the school year. The Beta Club sponsored the event.

Wayne County High School Freshman Colton Morrow, the son of Wanetta and Wayne Morrow, is amongst 22 high school students from Southern and Eastern Kentucky to build their business and entrepreneurial skills at the 2016 Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute (ELI). Congrats to Colton Morrow for being selected.

Seniors received numerous scholarships and awards from colleges and supportive businesses and civic clubs. Local businesses have generously supported Wayne County students through field trips, providing speakers and programs, and a variety of other contributions. In addition, the Area Technology Center students earned eight NTHS members, six Gold and Silver Workkeys recipients, 41 nationally recognized industry certifications, 47 career pathway completers, and 25 KY Occupation Skill Standards Assessment certificates.   

Congratulations to the class of 2016! Commencement exercises will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, May 27. Project Graduation will be held for the seniors and their guests immediately afterwards. They will be transported on school buses to Get Air Trampoline Park in Nicholasville.

Wayne County students Bradley Dunagan and Tray Hardwick placed second with their 10 pound 11 ounce catch amongst 32 top qualifiers from across the state. The duo received a $1,000 scholarship.

As the school year has drawn to a close, high school students have participated in state mandated standardized testing. Among the many groups of students testing, advanced placement students were also hard at work taking their own tests designed to meet the content of their grueling courses.

Congratulations to Amanda Pennycuff for furthering her education and earning her high school diploma.

WCHS Baseball will be beginning the postseason Monday at Cardinal Field in the 48th District Tournament against McCreary, it will also be Senior night for the Seniors. With a win they will advance on to play Southwestern for the Distcrict Championship on Tuesday. WCHS Softball will also begin postseason play this week playing at Southwestern on Monday against McCreary. Like the baseball team a win will put them in the District Championship against Southwestern on Tuesday.

It is time to nominate outstanding individuals who are employed by Wayne County Schools for the Go Cards Awards ceremony which will be held on the opening day for the staff in August.

The team is preparing for district tournament.

Wayne County High School students were featured in the 2016 Hall of Fame booklet.

On May 15th the WCHS Girls Basketball Team held their annual banquet to relive the memories of the 2015-2016 season and acknowledge the seniors.

Wayne County High School rolled out the red carpet for at least half of the senior class who have made plans to further their educations after graduation. Over 100 seniors committed to college, vocational training and/or enlisting in the armed services at Wayne County Schools during a special signing day event on May 17th.

FFA members enjoyed celebrating the end of the FFA year with their family members at the annual FFA banquet. Various students were recognized for their accomplishments and promotions throughout the school year.

Local students created public service announcements in their English 2 class to discourage the practice of texting while driving. The commercials have been entered in a statewide contest and two created by WCHS students have been selected in the top three. Click on links included in the story to watch and vote for the videos. Voting deadline is Friday, May 20.

Thanks to the National Guard for all that they have done for our school system this year.

The Wayne County Boys Tennis team finished up their season with a postseason record of 13-2. The team's season ended with a 2-3 loss to Casey County in the Sem-finals of the team region. The team also had 4 members advance to the quarterfinals in the individual Regional Tournament held at Berea College.

The National Guard provided numerous high school seniors with College/Career Ready t-shirts. To acquire the shirt, seniors had to either meet benchmark on ACT and/or pass the COMPASS test in English, Math, and Reading.Or students were declared Career Ready if they met two components: college ready, or passed WorkKeys or ASVAB and earned an industry certificate or passed the KOSSA (Kentucky Occupational Skills Standards Assessment) test.

The Apire Center's "A Night in Paris" event is for girls in grades 3, 4, and 5. The event will be held on May 13 at 6:00 p.m.

National School Nurse Day, May 11th, is a time to celebrate the specialty practice of school nursing. The National Association of School Nurses (NASN) applauds the contributions school nurses make every day to improve the safety, health, and academic success of all students.

The Wayne County Band performed their concluding spring concert for the school year on May 5. The middle and high school bands performed pieces rehearsed throughout their concert season. Specialized groups of student musicians also performed.

Wayne County School students in a variety of grade levels will be participating in the 2016 Kentucky Performance Rating for Educational Progress (K-PREP) assessment beginning this coming Monday, May 9th .

On April 19, 2016, 19 Wayne County FFA members attended the WKU Agriscience Day. This is a day where FFA members compete against other members in our region in individual and team contest. Wayne County has three teams and five individuals that participated in this event.

MONTICELLO, KY — Colton Morrow, a freshman at Wayne County High School of Monticello, KY is a Delegate to the Congress of Future Medical Leaders in Lowell, MA on June 25-27, 2016.

Kentucky Education Commissioner Stephen Pruitt called on all Kentuckians to join him in recognizing and celebrating teachers who have impacted their lives as part of national Teacher Appreciation Week, May 2-6. 

Special thanks to all the Wayne County School District Teachers for your caring service to the student body. A variety of acknowledgements are being made thanking teachers this week. For example, the WCMS Cafeteria hosted a wonderful complimentary breakfast for teachers on Tuesday, May 3. They are also participating in National School Lunch Hero Day on Friday.    

Their strawberry cream cheese tarts will be on the dessert menu at each school, except at Wayne County Middle School.

Six Wayne County anglers will be participating at the state tournament on Kentucky Lake on May 13-14. Four local teams placed at the Region 3 Tournament with a total of 86 boats recently participating at Conley Bottom Boat Dock. There are 18 anglers on Wayne County's Bass Bandits program, making nine teams.

  In an effort to make sure Wayne County students’ promise a safe drug free event, the Kentucky Agency for Substance Abuse Policies is offering to pay $10 off each prom ticket for the first seventy five students. They are making this effort to inform not only parents/guardians but the community at large of Kentucky’s Zero Tolerance Law and Wayne County’s Social Hosting Ordinance.

Some 30 local students participated in the Latino Outreach program. They learned about college admission, toured the campus seeing dorms and classroom buildings, discussed their Boys' Soccer Program, visited a college art gallery, and dined in the Mountaineer Cafe for lunch.

The WCHS Bowling Team celebrated a season of learning and improvement on Monday, April 18. Students received trophies and plaques in recognition of their accomplishments for the 2015-2016 season.

April 13-16, students from Wayne County Area Technology Center traveled to Louisville to compete in the Skills USA State Competition. Both the skills gap and skilled worker shortages are being adressed through the industry driven Skills USA competitions. The club's work contributes to America's future.

Seniors are eligible to make their nomination for Senior Class Flower, Song, & Inspirational Quote at the following link:

http://goo.gl/forms/OY8d4usCLC

Numerous cadets received medals and awards for their service to Wayne County's JROTC program. Local veterans and Wayne County graduates assisted school officials with the presentations.

The girls’ tennis team improved their record to 6-1 on the season with a sweeping win at home over Rockcastle County on April 11th. The boys brought their record to 7-0 with another sweeping win over Boyle County in the quarterfinals of the regional tournament. The boys will face Garrard County (Away) on Tuesday, April 19^th. The girls’ next match will be against Somerset (Away) on Monday, April 25^th.

38 Seniors have been inducted into the Academic Hall of Fame that requires students to have a 3.75 GPA through seven semesters.

WCHA FFA students and volunteers helped man stations ranging from livestock to tractors to washing clothes. The preschool does a great job bringing this event to life each year.

One of Wayne County High School’s top scholars, Senior Raeann Corder is receiving a scholarship to Georgetown College and will be playing volleyball for the Georgetown Tigers Women’s Volleyball program next fall.

Somerset, KY. (April 12, 2016) - The cast is set and rehearsals are underway for Somerset Community College (SCC) Theatre’s production of Sketches! The play will be presented in SCC’s Stoner Little Theatre on April 15 and 16 at 8 p.m. Tickets are only $4 when purchased in advance from SCC’s box office. They are $6 each at the door. The box office is open from noon to 3:00 p.m. daily.

Congratulations to Wayne County High School Junior Cheyenne Upchurch and Freshman Alexandra Piercy - winners of the Egg-cellent Book Challenge contest at the Wayne County High School library.

Mary McLean's biology class learned about genetics with a fun project.

Sixty-two high school students from 45 Kentucky counties within its service area have been selected to attend this summer’s session of Rogers Scholars, including Wayne County High School Sophomore Hunter Davis.

 Summer break is almost here and it’s time to begin planning Wayne County Schools’ summer feeding program designed for youth.  The school nutrition services department extend this opportunity to become a partner with your school and community events or activities. 

Last week, the WCHS Bat cards traveled the long ride to Panama City where they competed in the Panama City Beach Bash at Arnold High School. While there they battled and defeated some very good teams with the likes of LaRue County, Bullitt Central, and Taylor County only falling to the host team, Arnold, giving them a very successful record of 3-1 on the week. The team wants to say thank you to all of those who made the trip possible.

We appreciate your interest in Monticello Banking Company's Historic Wayne Theater.
In furthering our efforts to help support our community, we are utilizing the Historic Wayne Theater for community events and fundraisers for local schools, civic groups and other organizations. All proceeds go to the group holding the fundraiser with the bank furnishing popcorn and beverages free of charge. We thank you for helping support our community and hope to see you soon!

On Thursday, March 31, Avery Fierros, Drew Phillips, and Kelci Pyles traveled to Adair County High School to attend the Regional FFA Paperwork Day.  While there, these students submitted their chapter officer books related to their office position.  Avery and Kelci served as regional voting delegates for selection of 2016-2017 Regional Officers for the Lake Cumberland Region.

Seth McKinsey, a member of the Wayne County High School Band, used the welding skills he has learned at the Area Technology Center to fabricate the band logo. Seth receives welding instruction from Teacher Greg Weaver.

Student Musicians, vocalists, visual artists and dance enthusiasts shaped their talents at the recent event held in the WCHS Auditorium.

Boys will play Boyle County at home on April 14th to continue the Region Tournament. The girls (who have a record of 4-1) will travel to Berea on April 21st for the first round of regional play.

Wayne County Baseball has begun the season and looks to create some waves in the 12th Region this year. The Bat Cards currently have a record of 4-2 with wins over top schools such as South Laurel, Somerset, and Pulaski. The Cards look to keep the winning attitude going into their game on Thursday against North Laurel at Cardinal Field and then throughout Spring Break as they travel to Panama to participate in the Panama City Beach Bash.

Student Musicians, vocalists, visual artists and dance enthusiasts shaped their talents at the recent event held in the WCHS Auditorium.

The Winter activities of the WCHS Marching Band competed in competition over the weekend. The WCHS Winter Guard placed fifth in their class. The Percussion Ensemble finished third in their division. Leslie Daniels, Ben Duncan, Sarah Hill, and Te'koa Price made their final performances as seniors in the Wayne County Band Program.

Two Wayne County High School Academic Team students competed at the highest level of state competition recently, at the Galt House in Louisville.

The Wayne County School Academic Team Governor’s Cup finalists were recognized during the March monthly board of education meeting at the conclusion of all three team’s seasons.

On Thursday, March 17, 2016, 16 Wayne County FFA members participated in the Lake Cumberland Regional FFA Day.  Students participated in various speaking contests (Fair - Good - Excellent - Superior).  Congratulations & here are the results:

Las Flamencas Dance Company of Louisville performed at both Monticello Elementary and Wayne County High School on March 10th. They performed eight different rhythmic dances and started with the most popular Sevillanas dance. They explained different styles of Spanish dance during the cultural event that was part of the schools' program review activities.

The Wayne County tennis season gets off to strong start with the boys and girls sweeping McCreary Central with team scores of 9-0 and 7-0, respectively. The team looks ahead to three more matches to be played this week.

The Wayne County Winter Perfromance Ensembles competed in Tri-State Marching Arts Competition over the weekend. The Wayne County Winter Guard received fifth place in class Scholastic A. The Indoor Percussion received first place in class Scholastic B category.

The Lady Bat Cards came up with an impressive win over Williamsburg this past Friday. The Cards seemed to come out hitting the ball well earning 6 runs to hold off the Jackets 6-4. Lady Cards will play again Tuesday the 22nd at Corbin. Go Cards!

The community is encouraged to attend a new cultural event on the Wayne County School campus. The Wayne County Schools Arts Showcase will be held Thursday, March 24^th at 6:00 p.m. at the Wayne County High School. The event will showcase the many talented local students who excel in the arts and humanities field.

The poster will promote organ donor awareness and has room to accomodate photos of local people who have become organ donors. The Circuit Court Clerk's office campaigns for this public service and denotes organ donor contributors as they print vehicle licenses. Organ donation is a true gift of life.  With over 124,000 on the national organ waiting list and nearly 1000 Kentuckians on the organ transplant waiting list, their Gift of Life will be brighter than a pot of gold at the end of a beautiful rainbow. All individuals, regardless of age or health conditions, have the ability to give HOPE to those waiting by simply saying "Yes? You can add your name to the confidential Registry!" (A state ID/driver's license # is needed) You may join at your local Circuit Court Clerk driver's license office, www.donatelife.org, www.trustforlike.org, or by calling 1-866-945-5433.

WCHS Senior Te'koa Price, WC Schools Substitute Teacher Montana Daniels, Otter Creek Teacher Angela Sloan, local Extension Service Arts Agent Seth Hart, and former WC graduates Emily Decker and Nicholas Kidd were all a part of the cast for the production. Remaining performances are:

Friday, March 18^th 7:00 pm CST

Saturday, March 19^th 7:00 pm CST

Sunday, March 20^th 2:00 pm CST

Children 3-12 $8.00 plus tax

Adult 12-Older $12.00 plus tax

Good Neighbors Theatre is located on Hwy 111 in Byrdstown, TN. You may purchase tickets at the door when you arrive. For further information, please phone 931-864-4569 or message Angela Sloan at absloan2000@gmail.com931-864-4569

Awards were given to individuals, seniors, and the All-District team. The cardinals finished the season with an impressive record of 11-3.

In the spirit of spring, the WCHS Media Center is sponsoring a new book challenge for the theme of the season. Students have the opportunity to explore new literature and compete for prizes.

The National Guard recently sponsored an assembly for high schoolers to watch professional BMX bike riders from North Carolina perform stunts in the gymnasium during their third period class. They shared motivational messages through their highly skilled stunts.

Wayne County High School students that are considering taking college classes next year need to apply for the Mary Jo Young scholarship, according to the guidance counselor’s office.

The WCHS Counselor's office was assisted by JR Thompson from Somerset Community College in helping college bound seniors complete their financial aid.

Congratulations to Wayne CountySchools for being  among 111 public school districts statewide that delivered on a pledge made five years ago to improve the college- and career-readiness of its high school graduates by 2015.

Devin Morrow, a 2014 Wayne County High School graduate/wrestling athlete, was recently presented the Academic All Mid-South Conference Award. 

Several members of the Mat Cards team traveled to Cecilia, KY on Saturday, March 5^th to compete in the Kentucky Wrestling Officials Association Spring Classic. Several local wrestlers brought home medals.

On March 5, students from Wayne County ATC traveled to Pulaski County ATC to participate in the Southern Regional SkillsUSA contest. Students competed in both leadership and technical contests winning an impressive 16 medals.

Thanks for your competitive spirit and exciting games during the season. Congratulations on the season's achievements, including Trey Blevins and Corey Stearns who are respectively 2nd and 3rd in All-time Scoring at Wayne County. Appreciated our seniors -Trey Blevins, Corey Stearns, Nick Gillespie, and Daniel Coldiron - who will be missed next year. 

Cadets enjoyed wearing formal attire and dining and dancing at Dale Hollow State Park. CW4(R) William Inman was the guest speaker and did a wonderful job speaking from the heart. Battalion Comamander Casey Cash and his date Presley De-Hay were joined by speaker William Inman and his wife Donna in the receiving line. Cadets presented the colors and recited the Cadet Creed prior to the toasts. It was a memorable event for the cadets and their guests.

Tickets are now available for the concert which includes performances by local students who participate in 4-H activities. Proceeds will benefit the work and mission of the local HELP Pregnancy Center. Tickets are $5 each and the concert will be held April 23. Contact Natalie Humble, who is coordinating the event for her Rogers Scholar project, or the Wayne County Extension Service for more information.

“Wake Up to School Breakfast” encourages Wayne County students to choose breakfast at school. Help celebrate National School Breakfast Week at Wayne County Schools by getting a nutritous meal in the cafeterias or grab n' go to start the school day.

Somerset, Ky. (March 1, 2016) –Somerset Community College (SCC) will host the fourth annual SCC Open House on Saturday, March 5, 2016 from 1 to 4 p.m. on both the SCC Somerset and SCC Laurel Campuses.

Wayne County’s 250-member junior class took an important step towards their futures by taking the ACT assessment, along with students across the state on March 1.

Thursday Night will be the opening round for our boys in the 12th Region Tournament. The boys will be facing the Rebels from Boyle County who knocked our boys off a year ago in the semi-finals. The game starts at 6:00 at the Pulaski County High School. The theme for the pep section will be camo night. Come out and support our boys in their road to the tourney.

The WCHS Archery team will compete in state tournament on March 21. Elliot Cross qualified as an individual archer from Wayne County and will compete on March 26 in Midway, Kentucky. The team collectively shot a qualifying score of 3,272, ranking the team high enough to continue to state. Elliot Cross shot an individual score of 284 at NASP region, qualifying himself for individual state tournament.

Check out spring calendar regarding 4-H deadlines for camp, shooting sports, talent shows, speech/demonstration contest, and spring carnival.

The boys basketball team advanced to the first round of the regional tournament. The boys defeated the Southwestern Warriors in an exciting district tournament to become district champions. Go Cards!

The WCHS Lady Cards Basketball Team finished runner-up in the district after playing McCreary Central and Southwestern, which qualified them for regional play. They fought a competitive game with Pulaski but were defeated 70-64 on Monday night (Feb. 29) at Lincoln County, ending the 2015-16 season.

The FFA sponsored a final event for National FFA Week. The event raised money for the club and teachers who volunteered competed to raise the most money. The teacher who ended the week with the highest amount of money in their jar from students, was required to kiss a pig.

Members of the WCHS FFA celebrated National FFA Week with several different days sponsored by the club. Days such as Tidy Truck Day and Official FFA Attire Day were among many other concepts used to promote the organization.Green Hand Celebration is an important event signigfying knowledge members have gained to recite the club's standards.

The new name now for the WCHS cafeteria is "The Cardinal Cafe". The cafe is in the midst of a renovation project which will be completed in the fall.

Wayne County High School will host a third financial aid workshop to help students apply for financial aid.  The workshop will be held in the WCHS Media Center from 9AM – 12PM on Tuesday, March 8^th.

Come see for yourself why Senture is the People's Choice 2015 Best Place to Work.

Monticello Elementary students, Wayne County High School Juniors and U.S History/Kentucky Studies classes had a rare experience recently meeting a former famous president. Or at least, he looked like one of the most famous U.S. presidents.

The next Parent Teacher Conference is at Monticello Elementary on Monday, February 29 from 4:00 to 7:00.

FFA students enjoy standing out at school while wearing camo to support National FFA week.

Performances by Wayne County Residents Te’Koa Price, Montana Daniels, Seth Hart, Emily Decker, and Nicholas Kidd

For dance enthusiasts, don't miss an up upcoming ballet performance to be presented at the Center for Rural Development on Thursday, March 3 at 7:00 p.m. They will be hosting the Internationally Acclaimed Christian Ballet Company portraying an incredible true story of Corrie Ten Boom as she fought back from the atrocities and found forgiveness in the midst of the Holocaust.

Wayne County students in the top ten percent of the 2016 high school graduating class are eligible for an automatic scholarship at Somerset Community College that reduces tuition costs by half.

The local FFA Chapter is a busy organization that offers multiple activities for students to participate in ranging from parliamentary procedure to livestock judging to public service. WCHS Agriculture Teacher Justin Horton is the Sponsor.

Congratulations to the Wayne County High School Varsity Team for placing third in Hip Hop and 6th in Pom at the state competition held February 20 at the Convention Center in Frankfort. The competition continued on February 21 and the Middle School Dance Team placed 10th in Hip Hop and 13th in Pom.

After successful careers for our seniors in both locker rooms its time to say goodbye but also time to go out with a bang. Goodluck to our Girls and Boys Basketball teams during district play this week. Girls face off with Southwestern Thursday night for the District Championship. Boys will face the winner between Southwestern and McCreary on Friday. Also congratulations to our Seniors on the Dance and Cheerleading squads. All seniors will be missed dearly.

The Wayne County Wrestling team traveled to All Tech Arena in Georgetown this past weekend on February 19 and 20th, to compete in the KHSAA state tournament.  The Mat Cards advanced nine wrestlers from the KHSAA Region 7 tournament the week before to the state tournament at Georgetown.

WCHS Students - Use the following link to name the cafeteria.  The winning name will be used in the upcoming remodeling of WCHS's cafeteria!  Deadline to vote is February 24th!

Vote Here--------->     http://goo.gl/forms/riiIsz2Fwy

The girls play in the first round against McCreary Central on February 22nd at McCreary Central. The boys will play in district finals on February 26th at McCreary Central.

Due to the excessive number of school days recently missed at Wayne County Schools due to the snow, the calendar will be amended.

The Boy's Basketball players, varsity dance team and varsity cheerleaders escorted their parents onto the floor to honor their support. Wayne County parents are very important to a student's success at school and very much appreciated!  

The Wayne County community has a tradition of generously supporting the Wayne County School system. In fact, this valuable community engagement resource may hold the future key to unlocking each student’s future potential in the work force.

Somerset, Ky. (February 11, 2016) - On February 28, 2016, Somerset Community College (SCC) will partner with area churches for Super Sunday, an annual student recruitment initiative specifically targeting African-American and Latino students. This year marks the sixth anniversary for the event, which enables SCC advocates to connect with prospective college students and their families.

Somerset, Ky. (February 11, 2016) – Somerset Community College Theatre will hold open auditions for its spring production of Sketches! on Monday and Tuesday, February 22 and 23. Sign-in will begin at 7 p.m. and auditions begin promptly at 7:30 p.m. The event will take place in SCC’s Stoner Little Theatre, located at 808 Monticello Street in Somerset.

A reception was held to celebrate the contributions Neal made to Wayne County's Cheerleading program from 1989-2008 on Feburary 5th at the Turner Cafeteria. Cheerleaders from a variety of years attended the fun celebration.

The Wayne County Wrestling team competed in the sixteen team  KHSAA  Region 7 Tournament on  Friday February 12 and Saturday 13 at Boyle County High School. Team members competed in 14 individual weight classes and celebrate the continuance of the season for 9 members of the team who advanced to state duals.

The WCHS Cheerleading Squad supported the varsity basketball team in a recent victory against Knox Central. The Cheerleading Squad supports football and basketball teams throughout the school year, along with other extra-curricular programs like the Band, Dance Teams, and JROTC.

Seniors Bethany Peyton and Temisha Pyles were recognized for their exceptional performance on the WCHS Girls Varsity Basketball Team. The girls were acknowledged during the game against Clinton County.

The 2015-16 Cardinal basketball team celebrated "Monticello Night" at the Wayne County Gym in a game against the McCreary Central Raiders. Between the former Monticello High School and Wayne County High School, the basketball teams celebrate 2,645 wins and still counting.

On January 30, the Wayne County Archery Team competed in competition at Centre College in Danville. Among the members of the team, Dakota Morrow placed third overall in the indivdual scoring category for the High School division.

     The Wayne County Wrestling team traveled to Louisville on Saturday February 6, to compete in the Jeffersontown Charger Duals. The tournament featured twelve teams from throughout the state.

Senior night was exciting with elementary, middle and high school wrestlers competing on dual mats for the competition with Whitley County. The Cards beat Whitley 56-24 at the varsity level.The younger wrestlers enjoyed the opportunity to look up to the older wrestlers at the meet and compete at their level. The Mat Cards will compete at Region on Feb. 12th and 13th in Danville. State competition will be held at the Lexington Alltech Arena on Feb. 19th and 20th.

The attached flyers provide helpful tips to become a better role model for our students.

Parents, families and caregivers can help their children arrive at kindergarten ready to grow, ready to learn and ready to succeed by doing simple, every-day tasks and activities. The KYGOEC's Monthly Message series provides information and ideas on how to help children develop in their earliest years.

Somerset, Ky. – Steven Eubank and Robert Campbell are two local emergency medical services (EMS) employees who have always had a heart for helping others. But in dedicating their lives to assisting other people, both Eubank and Campbell nearly forgot to pursue their own aspirations of getting a college degree until the Paramedic Program at Somerset Community College offered them that chance.

Explore scholarship options through Pupil Transportation.

Kits are now available at the Youth Services Resource Centers at WCMS and WCHS.

Wayne County defeated Whitley County 53-30 recently. Whitley County will travel to Wayne County on Thursday, February 4 when the local seniors will be honored at 7:00 p.m.

The Wayne County High School Band Program’s Percussion Ensemble and Winter Color Guard made a great showing for their first competition of the season which was held at the TriState Marching Arts Competition at Pulaski High School on Saturday, January 30.

The High School Dance Team placed 1st in pom and first in hip hop. The Wayne County Middle School Dance Team placed first in pom and first in hip hop, and were also named grand champions. Congratulations Cards!

The Wayne County Bowling Teams competed in regional tournnament over the weekend of January 30 and 31. The boys team finished 16th out of 18 teams. The girls team ended the season as the 13th placing team out of the 17 girls team who competed as well.

The Wayne County Wrestling Team traveled to Lindsey Wilson College on Saturday January 30 for the Kentucky Small School State Dual Tournament. Small School division is all wrestling teams in the state with an enrollment of 1000 students or less. This marked the 25th year of the dual tournament. Wayne County has qualified 23 of the 25 years  the tournament has been held.

 The state of K-12 public education in Kentucky is strong according to Commissioner of Education Stephen Pruitt, though he did say there is room for improvement. Pruitt released The State of K-12 Public Education in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, a report that highlights statewide educational successes and challenges. With the report as a starting point, Pruitt called on Kentuckians to work together to improve education for all children.

As a new year begins, employees are encouraged to take the best possible care of their health. The Employee Wellness Newsletter provides insightful advice and tips towards achieving the healthiest year yet.

The WCMS Dance Team will compete from 9-11:30 am on Sunday, January 31st at Somerset High School. The WCHS Varsity Dance Team will compete between 12 noon and 5:30 p.m. Both squads will compete in the Pom and Hip Hop division, as well as solo and duets.

The student musicians have worked hard to bring their music together to be presented at Tristate Competition to be held at Pulaski County High School. The Winter Guard will also be competing with a specifically choreographed flag/dance routine that they have perfected.

Several students and parents dropped by the High School Media Center to get assitance in completeing financial aid forms based on their tax information. Normally students begin filling FAFSA forms in January, but starting in 2016 the FAFSA filing opeining will be in October. On April 12, Audrey Fowler Price, the KHEAA Representative, will return to the Wayne County campus to assist seniors. She and Lindsey Wilson College representative Kendra Popplewell spent most of the day offering families guidance in completing FAFSA forms online, bridging the gap between high school and college/vocational training.

WCHS is in the middle of a total cafeteria makeover.  One of the things we need is a name for the cafeteria.  Submit your best, most creative names at the following link.  We will be voting within a few weeks on what the new cafeteria will be called!

http://goo.gl/forms/bwhWtB1Jo1

Currently, Wayne County High School Archery Team is ranked number 26 in the state.  Wayne County’s Team has had two individual winners from the last tournament at Pulaski County High School on January 16^th. 

Education Commissioner Stephen Pruitt will present the 2016 State of K-12 Public Education in Kentucky during a news conference on Thursday, January 21 at 10 a.m. ET in the State Board Room on the first floor of the Capital Plaza Tower, 500 Mero St., Frankfort.

On January 21st, the Historic Wayne Theater will be showing the movie War Room at 6:00 pm. All donations will go the Wayne County Middle School Dance Team.

During the state School Board Recognition Month, not only are board members being recognized by the Kentucky School Board Association, but Wayne County’s very own 21^st Century Program showed their appreciation by sharing some of the cooking class favorite recipes and samples of freshly made cupcakes.

  Wayne County High School’s new Pathways to Readiness initiative moved another step forward as the Board of Education approved a work ethic seal program designed to improve student graduation and proficiency rates, strengthen ties between the school system and business community, and provide a way for students to demonstrate their personal commitment to college, career and citizenship readiness.

The Wayne County Wrestling team traveled to Heritage High School in Maryville , Tennessee on Saturday January 16 for the Rumble in the Mountains Tournament. The tournament featured twelve teams ,with Wayne County being the only out of state team.

High school students choosing to take dual credit college classes from Somerset Community College registered for their second semester.High school students take advantage of the reduced costs for college classes offered during the school day.The locally offered classes help students progress more quickly through undergraduate college courses which saves time and money in the long run. It is not uncommon for recent graduates to go into college as sophomores because of this benefit.

Lindsey Wilson students Morgan Sexton and Taylor Southwood gave a powerpoint presentation about the college experience to Wayne County High School students in Colleen Hart's dual credit US History classes. They also explained the experience of being a college student, provided advice, and answered questions that the students had.

Students in Tim Wither's art class recently created a banner to be hung at the KSBA annual convention at the Galt House in Louisville. The theme for the banner was from Chalkboards to Whiteboards.

JROTC Battalion Staff functioning well in their official duties. As the first semester of the 2015-2016 school year goes by, and the students of Wayne County High School come back from Christmas break, the JROTC Battalion staff have become acclimated to their new jobs.

Throughout this month of January, administrators, faculty, staff, students and community members of the Wayne County school district are publicly thanking the system’s elected board of education members during Kentucky’s observation of School Board Recognition Month.

Acclaimed author and community activist Wes Moore will be on the campus of Somerset Community College (SCC) on January 15, 2016 as the featured speaker for the 2016 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Unity Breakfast. The event, which begins at 8:30 a.m., will be held in the SCC Citizens National Bank Community Room in the Harold Rogers Student Commons on the Somerset Campus at 808 Monticello Street in Somerset.

     The Wayne County Wrestling Team won their fifth consecutive Sectional Four Dual Championship Saturday at Perry County Central High School in Hazard. Wayne County had wins over Danville, Boyle County, Letcher County Central, Perry County Central, and McCreary Central to finish with five wins on the day.

Somerset Community College is the first institution of higher education to offer a state-wide certificate in additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The certificate, which requires 16 credit hours to obtain, will be available to students in January 2016.

Kentucky Virtual Library and Destiny are among the valuable research tools at students' fingertips.

KET’s “College Financial Aid Call-In 2016,” a one-hour, live special edition of Education Matters offers help in navigating the all-important college financial aid application process. The program, hosted by Bill Goodman, airs Monday, Jan. 11 at 9/8 pm on KET and will also stream live online at KET.org/live.

High school seniors planning to attend college or technical school this fall should fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also called the FAFSA, as soon as possible. The counselors have two upcoming workshops planned this month to help.

A ten member choir under the direction of Cindy Rose, shared melodies with vocalists from the 21st century program, leading up to the holidays.They provided the audience with a wonderful performance at the historic Wayne Theater.

Red Zone intervention time that helps students focus on college, career readiness skills will be built into the Wayne County High School schedule beginning the week of January 11^th on Monday through Thursday. 

Wayne County won both the high school and middle school divisions on Saturday, January 2nd. The Mat Cards will be back in action on Saturday, January 9th when they travel to Perry County Central High School for the Sectional 4 duals.

Cards won the classic with a 74-60 win over Calvary Christian on December 23, 2015. Wayne County appreciated a second winning championship after claiming victory in December 2013 with a win over Knoxville Carter. The Cards won over Lebanon (TN) 82-75, and Oxford (MS) 55-47 as they advanced to the championship. Senior Guard Trey Blevins scored a game high of 25 points with seven rebounds and six assists in the championship game.

The Wayne County Wrestling Team host their annual Border Wars Wrestling Dual Tournament on Monday December 28 at the Rodney Woods Gymnasium. The tournament featured six team from across the state of Kentucky. Teams attending were Letcher County Central, Lexington Tates Creek, Meade County, McCreary Central, Whitley County and Wayne County.

The Wayne County Wrestling Team traveled to Meade County on Tuesday December 22 and Wednesday 23 for the ten team dual tournament at Meade County. The Mat Cards finished 9-1 in the tournament to finish runner up to Meade County who was 10 - 0.Wayne County had wins over Louisville Desales, Fort Knox, Corydon Indiana, Louisville Iroquis, Bishop Fenwick Ohio, Central Hardin, Louisville Central, Christian County, and Apollo.

Members of the six member Brass Ensemble, which are part of the Wayne County High School Marching Band performed a couple of pieces that they were happy to share with the board of education. The band wished to thank the board members for their work to meet the needs of students and in particular the school district’s band program. They expressed their thankfulness through their music.

Mary McLean and Josh Bartley's tenth grade biology classes made models of cells out of everything from: styrofoam, papermache, boxes, and blankets for a recent project. Each group of students had to make either a plant or an animal cell. The top 16 models have been displayed in the High School Media Center.

An editorial column written by Middle School Teacher Leah Wheat was featured in Kentucky Teacher, a statewide online publication for Kentucky educators earlier this month.

Somerset, Ky. (December 11, 2015) – The Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR) initiative that was created in 2014 by Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear and U.S. Representative Hal Rogers has generated much buzz in the area regarding the creation of new jobs and growth in industry. Along with the move to improve high-speed Internet service in Kentucky, the initiative has also pushed the creation of new and different jobs, as well as education to prepare the workforce for those positions.

The District's Coordinated School Health meeting was held on December 15 to ensure that our district and the schools have a fully functioning Coordinated School Health Committee and current plan in place.

A packed house of band student families and friends enjoyed the concert that began with the sixth grade band, followed by the seventh and eighth grade combined band, then the brass ensemble, and concluded with the eighth grade and high school combined band.The student musicians did a wonderful job playing a variety of holiday songs.  

A total of 529 food items were collected and donated to Monticello's HOPE Center. Josh Parmley's first period class won the competiton between classes by collecting a total of 134 items and will receive a doughnut party courtesy of the Wayne County FBLA. Angela Morrow's class came in 2nd place with 118 items.

Students that had no unexcused absences and no more than three infractons since the beginning of the school year got to go to Somerset to see The Good Dinosaur and got to eat out on Friday, December 11.

Do you have Pre-diabetes? A history of gestgestational diabetes? Are you at risk for pre-diabetes or diabetes? Join the program!

The tournament featured fourteen teams from Tennessee and Wayne County from Kentucky. Wayne County defeated Anderson County and Grace Christian Academy in pool action to advance to the finals in pool play against {1} Red Bank in Class 2A.The Mat Cardinals lost 39-37 in a dual that saw five lead changes.

The dance team, coached Dani Pyles, has performed multiple routines for events such as the Christmas Parade, Veterans Programs, and basketball games. The team recieved first place in military routine at the EHS Dance Expo held in November. Congratulations, girls!

Competing in their first JROTC Drill meet this year, the Wayne County High School JROTC Academic, Color Guard and Drill teams earned third place overall at the annual Alvin C. York Drill Meet held on December 5th.

Dalton Garner was named Player of the Year in the 4A Football competition and Coach Shawn Thompson was named Coach of the Year.

WCHS Band offered a holiday movie and popcorn as a fundraising project on Friday evening, December 11th in Pickrell Auditorium.

The girls' basketball season is off to a good start with two victories, bringing their record to 2-2. Go Lady Cards!

Custodians set up Christmas decorations at Monticello Elementary to celebrate the holidays. All the schools have been decorating for the holiday and making their schools very inviting for students.

The Cardinals after week one battling some tough teams are now 2-2. Goodluck to the Cardinals next week in the Smokey Mountain Classic in Gatlinburg TN. Go Cards!

The Business Technology Program at Wayne County Area Technology Center (ATC) recently hosted a Job Interview Seminar for high school seniors enrolled in Career & Technology Education (CTE) courses at Wayne County ATC and Wayne County High School.  Seventy WCHS seniors were in attendance at the seminar held in the Wayne Theater in downtown Monticello.

The Wayne County Wrestling team hosted the Cardinal Duals on Saturday December 5 at  the Rodney Woods gymnasium. The tournament featured eight team from across state teams included Scott County, Anderson County, Madison Central, Danville, Boyle County, McCreary Central, Whitley County, and Wayne County.

The 2015-16 bowling season is drawing to a close as teams prepare to compete in regional tournament play on January 30 and 31. The team celebrates a moderatley successful season resulting in several wins for both the boys and girls teams.

Wayne County Schools are pleased to receive a total of $9,500 worth of grants through the Dollar General Literacy Foundation Youth Literacy Grant. Wayne County Schools District Grant Writer Brian Ford recently congratulated schools in the district that received contributions to help improve literacy, after going through a detailed and competitive application process.

Somerset, Ky. (December 1, 2015) –Students in the Visual Communication Program at Somerset Community College (SCC) now have a new direct path to a bachelor’s degree from Lindsey Wilson College.

Congratulations to the seniors who have broken the school record for most wins in program history with 40 during their four year career. The season concluded with Wayne County being named the Class 4A Semi-State Runner-Up.

The WCHS Winter Guard will be putting on a color guard camp that is open to grades 6-12th. All are welcome and encouraged to attend if interested in color guard. Auditions will be held on Dec 11th from   4-5:30 in the WCHS Auditorium.

Students served over 800 meals to local residents. They used 49 turkeys, 50 pounds of onions, 2 cases of celery, 600 pints of milk, 14 large pans of dressing, and 12 large pans of chocolate divided into 953 brownies to create the giant feast for less fortunate community members.

ATC students visited with elementary students as they implemented an FBLA Unite to Serve Project.

The Monticello Elementary Waynetonian Choir is returning again this season to perform a selection of holiday music and carols at the Spirit of Giving Tree Lighting and Holiday Celebration on Monday, Nov. 30, at The Center for Rural Development in Somerset.

The cheerleaders, marching band, and student pep club supported the football team at the pep rally. WCHS Social Studies Teacher Jason Kennett lead the cheers for the team. Come out and support the Cardinals at Jewell Field at 7:30 pm Friday, November 27th when they face Johnson Central.

All kinds of Thanksgiving activities have been underway at the schools. The FCA/JROTC will actually be preparing Thanksgiving meals in the high school kitchen for those needing a warm delicious meal on the holiday, as well as distributing the dinners. Students across the district already enjoyed a Thanksgiving feast last week. The district food service department worked for weeks planning for the turkey day and were only 28 lbs. short from serving 1000 lbs. of turkey for the Thanksgiving holiday meal, while also serving 285 lbs. spiral ham. Student Average Daily Participation was at a high of 90% (last month ADP 84%). The nutrition department was happy to see several extra adults and parents join the students for the feast. In addition the elementary schools celebrated the season with arts and crafts and instruction tied to cooking opportunities.

Congratulations to our WCHS Cardinal Football team for advancing to the Final 4 for Region 3 Class 4A. In a hard fought battle played out on November 20th where the Cards defeated Knox Central in easy fashion, 42-14, winning the Region Championship. Come out and pack Jewell Field on November 27th as they take on Johnson Central to advance to the State Championship. Roll Cards!

Your input is important at WCHS!!  Take the survey!!

Teachers at WCMS inspired students with Lights on After School door decorating contests, while Wayne County High School promotes colleges through door decorations.

Somerset Community College (SCC) is offering a class, broken up into two, four-hour sessions, on using GIS for business in order to help business professionals utilize free, GIS based software to engage clients, make better business decisions and stand out in their industry.

Somerset, Ky. (November 12, 2015) – The annual Wanda Bolzé Memorial Scholarship book sale at Somerset Community College will be held Tuesday, November 24, 2015 on the SCC Somerset North Campus, located at 808 Monticello Street in Somerset. The sale will be set up in the Citizens National Bank Community Room of the Harold Rogers Student Commons from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The JROTC sponsored a wonderful Veteran's Day program highlighting each branch of the military in a flag service. Wayne County educator Trevis Upchurch was the keynote speaker and did a wonderful job sharing information from his experience on active duty with the high school students and veterans in attendance.

The Wayne County Cardinals and Ladybirds Bowling Teams began to compete in regular season matches on November 7th. Teams competed against Lynn Camp and Corbin to prepare for the upcoming regional tournament in January.

This past Friday, November 13th, the Cards moved one step closer to their goal of winning a region championship after the 27-24 victory over a tough Rockcastle team. The Cards set their sights on the Region Championship this Friday, November 20th, as they take on Knox Central for the title. This marks the second regional championship game the Cards have competed in over the last three years. For the first time ever, Wayne County will host the regional championship game at 7:30 pm at Jewell Field.

    Wayne County High School Cross Country Boys and Girls Team runners recently finished their fall season on a high note at the Kentucky High School Athletic Association state cross country meet held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington.

Wayne County High School Cross Country Boys and Girls Team runners recently finished their fall season on a high note at the Kentucky High School Athletic Association state cross country meet held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington.

Wayne County High School will host an informational session for those unable to attend the previous sessions on the Early College Opportunity to parents of 8th grade through 11th grade students during Parent Teacher Conference night on Tuesday, Nov. 17 at 6:00 PM in the Pickrell Auditorium. The counselor's office and SCC advisors offered seniors an opportunity to complete their top online college applications early this week through on-going  workshops.  

To commemorate 75 years of Wayne County Basketball, the 2016 Boys Basketball Team is selling t-shirts that may be ordered at each school building to December 3rd. Season passes for boys and girls basketball will be available at all schools starting Tuesday, Nov. 17. Passes are $10 for students and $30 for adults. They are for all boys and girls regular season home games.

Wayne County JROTC, Marching Band, Waynetonian Choir, and Carol Ford represented our school district well at the 2015 Veterans Parade.

Jared Criswell's BETA Club served breakfast to veterans at the Wayne County High School food laboratory.

Children are invited to the Monticello National Guard Armory to purchase homemade gifts, win door prizes, take pictures with Santa, and more!

The WCHS Family Resource Center recently provided an anti-drug program to the high school with activities and presentations to show them how hazardous drugs are to their bodies, minds, and futures.

Wayne County Schools is actively involved in the Veterans Day Parade/Ceremony, which will be held in downtown Monticello on Wednesday, Nov 11. In case of inclement weather, the event will be moved to the WCHS gym. The line-up begins at 10:00 to 10:30 at the new Family Dollar Store on North Main Street.

Wayne County Schools will play an integral part of the salute to veterans this Wednesday, both in downtown Monticello and on the local school campus.  In fact, Wayne County students have been so proactive in providing all kinds of programs on the subject, they have participated in a couple of very memorable events already.

Learn how Justus S. Stearns shaped McCreary County and the local Region and listen to Mr. Nagle talk about his new biography and the history of Justus S. Stearns. Visitors will have the opportunity to purchase signed copies of Michael Nagle's new book.

Students at WCHS were encouraged to paint pumpkins for a literary based decoration contest. Pumpkins were judged for accuracy to the book or character they represented, the most creative, and the pumpkin that was voted for most by students. Rachel Bertram was the winner for the best literary pumpkin character with Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hyde. Emily Keith's Alfalfa from the Little Rascals won the student choice award. Alexis Malone's Griever from the Maze Runner won the most creative character. The Facebook winner of the pumpkin contest was Papa Smurf, created by Kaitlyn Gardner and Cassie Stockton.
 

The Wayne County High School JROTC and FCA are once again teaming up to feed the shut-ins and less fortunate of Wayne County on Thanksgiving Day.

A variety of training classes were held on the latest software programs while teachers analyzed test results. The Converge program is being implemented in classrooms. Teachers are creating online courses for the future with their curriculum.

The Band put on an awesome show at half time before traveling to the State Semi-Finals held at Greenwood High School in Bowling Green, where they finished the season in 12th place in the state class 4A.

On October 31, Wayne County’s Cross Country program were host to 33 teams competing in the 2015 KHSAA 'Super Regionals' Cross Country Meet at Cave Lake Event Park. The events included the Girls' and Boys' Region 6 Class 1A, Region 5 2A, and Region 7 3A competitions. Wayne County School runners competed in the Region 5 2A division. 

“On The Move!” is Operation UNITE’s newest drug education and prevention initiative. The five-component program is provided FREE to schools – through a partnership with Appalachia High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) and the Kentucky Army National Guard – targeting students in 7th and 10th grades. Program instruction meets standards of the Kentucky Core Content areas of Practical Living and Health.

Wayne County High School seniors attended the first ever Close The Deal event at the Aspire Center on October 28 to help guide them towards future goals. Admission counselors, financial aid advisors, and community leaders participated in round table talks to help them confirm future goals and how to achieve them. Wayne County was one of a handful of districts in the state to launch this new project that is an outgrowth of the statewide Operation Preparation annual event, which the local district has been a part of for several years.

There were 275 Wayne County Freshmen, Lake Cumberland Boys Camp, and Otter Creek students who benefitted from the event. Coordinator Jody Paver said there were 150 volunteers who helped make the day a success on October 30.

Wayne County Girls Volleyball finished up the 2015 season as 12^th Region Runner-Up.  Last week the Lady Cards traveled to rivalry Southwestern High School to compete in the 12^th Region Tournament.  The Cards came in as 48^th District Runner-Up having fell short to the Southwestern Warriors 1-3 in the District Championship game over at McCreary Central High School the week prior by scores of 23-25, 25-17, 25-15, and 28-26. 

Students at each building received a record number of flu shots to prevent future illness. The Healthy Kids Clinic visited each school to provide a convenient way to provide the vaccine and fight the flu.

Somerset, Ky.– Dr. Michael Phillips, an internationally known William Blake scholar, will be at Somerset Community College Monday, November 2, 2015 to informally demonstrate Blake’s printing method during the day and give a lecture that evening.

October is National Farm to School Month. Wayne County Schools are fortunate to have a three acre school garden to help provide fresh vegetables at student place settings.

21st Century's Lights on After School Through the Looking Glass: Imagining the Impossible included a great magician act, performance by the WCMS choir, refreshments from the Mad Hatter's Tea Party and special learning events. Special thanks to the 21st Century Coordinator Katherine Kidd.

Close the Deal is a new upcoming event set for Wednesday, October 28^th to highlight Wayne County High School seniors. Wayne County is one of four school districts in the state selected to host one of these events.

The golf team was honored for an exceptional season at the October Board of Eduation Meeting. Reese Sexton was the Middle School State Champion.

A dramatic new program to produce highly skilled graduates that will be college, career and citizenship ready is changing the face of the WCHS as it transitions from a traditional model to an Early College and Career Center.

Wayne Co Marching Cardinals participated in the Class 4A West Regional on Saturday, 10/24.

Students at WC ATC who attend carpentry classes were given the opportunity recently to show their skills they have learned for masonry. The students worked together to create small cement structures that had to be built according to a grading rubric.Three groups competed to create the most substantial structure for masonry week.

The Healthy Kids Clinic will be conducting a flu clinic for students beginning Monday, October 26th through Friday, October 30th. 

Wayne County Middle School would like to invite the community to their Lights on After School Celebration Thursday, October 22^nd from 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. This year’s local theme is “Looking through the 21^st Century Looking Glass Imagining the Impossible.”

Many resources are available for students to enhance their educational experience at Wayne County High School. In the areas of writing and communication all teachers are working to implement literacy components in every subject area to equip students with the skills they need to be college, career, and citizenship ready citizens.

Student organizations and community members are encouraged to participate in the 45th Annual Chamber of Commerce Christmas Parade. The parade will be held December 4th at 6 o'clock. Parade float entries are now being accepted. For more information contact the Chamber of Commerce and "Let Your Light Shine" this year in the parade.

On Saturday, October 3, Wayne County High School hosted an open high school fishing tournament out of Conley Bottom Marina.

October 18-24, 2015, is designated Safe Schools Week. Wayne County High School will be celebrating the event by having an assembly on Friday, October 23 during sixth period to recognize students who have participated in extra-curricular and athletic teams during the fall.  

Congratulations to the Wayne County Marching Band on their first place Class 4A competition finish at Barren County High School on Saturday, October 17th.

Wayne County School students are benefiting from a full time school resource officer as a result of a joint effort between the sheriff’s department, county government and the local school district. Parents and students may contact Deputy Adam Dodson on his facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/wcschoolresourceofficer?ref=hl.

Jim Horten wrote a story on 10/14/2015 entitled Woods' Triple Threat is in His DNA. The article was the third of a sixth part series featuring newcomers to the Chattanooga Mocs men's basketball program's 2015-16 active roster. Former Cardinal basketball player Peyton Woods graduated from Wayne County High School in May 2015.

Players and parents worked at the auction on September 13 raising about $3,000 to enhance the athletic program.

Seniors were honored at the home volleyball varsity game on Monday, October 12.

The library media center is getting into the fall spirit by hosting a decorated pumpkin contest. It’s easy and fun! Simply decorate a pumpkin to represent a favorite book character or favorite book.

WCHS Media Center featuring anti-bullying campaign this week. According to Media Specialist Carol Ford, "Already many of our students have been captivated by it and expressed how creative and touching it is. Many of these students are able to relate to these words. Just from those who've passed by it today I've heard, 'Oh, that's me,' or 'Yes, I've been called that too!'"

Wayne County High School parents are encouraged to attend an organizational meeting for Project Graduation on Thursday, October 22.  The purpose for this meeting is to re-establish the parent organization, so the students

The girls and boys' soccer seasons concluded their season last week in regional play at Southwestern. The girls faced Southwestern in the District Championship on Monday, October 19. They suffered a hard fought 0-3 loss to the top seeded host. The boys also faced off against Southwestern in the 48th District Championship, suffering a narrow defeat by a score of 2-3.

           Wayne County High School is excited to begin offering expanded early college opportunities beginning with the 2016-2017 school year. Parents and students are invited to attend an informational meeting regarding these opportunities.

“Inch by inch, row by row, I’m gonna make this garden grow

All it takes is a rake and a hoe and piece of fertile ground

Inch by inch, row by row, God will bless these seeds I sow

God will warm them from below ‘til the rain comes tumbling down.”

Congratulations to our seniors on their fall soccer seasons. Thanks for all of your hard work and skills on the soccer field. Go Cards!

The Wayne County Golf Cards reached a long held team goal last week in Bowling Green, Ky.  The Cards were competing in their first State Championship since the 2000 season and had a team goal of playing on the final day. Wayne County shot a 314 in Tuesday’s first round of the state golf championship and made the team cut by 2 strokes. 

Cards win a tremendous game over Knox Central on Friday October 9th to secure district title with a score of 35-24.The team and cheerleaders wore pink in honor of breast cancer awareness month. Cards play again this coming Friday at Russell County on October 16th. Go Cards!

Flu vaccines will be available at your school on October 13, 2015. Please have a copy of your insurance card or your ID number available that day. A sign up sheet will be posted outside each school nurse’s office.   

Congratulations to the Wayne County Cardinal Football Team on another victory. Go Cards!

  Healthy Kids Clinic is pleased to announce that we will be holding the Wayne County Schools flu clinic during the week of October 19-23. Forms are going home in elementary students’ backpacks on Monday, October 12^th.

The Wayne County Varsity Volleyball squad defeated Whitley County 3-0 on Sept. 29th to improve to a record of 16-14 on the season. The girls are coached under the direction of Sandra Baker.

Students can take advantage of all kinds of special activities at the Wayne County Public Library during fall break.

Wayne County Schools are pleased to announce that Rodney Woods, the leading coach of 12^th Region Basketball Championships, will be returning to campus after 29 years of local service to the Cardinals followed by a brief retirement.

Wayne County School District’s Unbridled Learning Assessments and Accountability results have been released for the 2014-15 school year and the news is good, locally. Wayne County High School performed exceptionally well earning the highest level of performance, known as Distinguished, which is the second time in the past three years.

            Wayne County High School is excited to begin offering expanded early college opportunities beginning with the 2016-2017 school year. Parents and students are invited to attend an informational meeting regarding these opportunities on Thursday, October 15 in the Pickrell Auditorium at Wayne County High School. Please join us on the 15th to hear details about how your child can benfit and participate in this exciting initiative.

Students celebrated spirit week in a heroic way on Thursday, Sept 2nd to support the Cardinal Football Team. Each day students enjoyed dressing to a theme to promote school spirit. Go Cards!

Thank you to everyone for helping our High Attendance Day become a huge success! Monticello Elementary was the school district winner with an attendance rate of 98.34. Students were excited about inflatables at Monticello Elementary and Bell Elementary during recess. Bell Elementary teachers with perfect attendance classes got a pie in the face along with multiple pies to the principal.

Wayne County Schools is fortunate to benefit from a home course that is one of the premier running areas in this part of the state, known as Cave Lake, just off KY 90. On Saturday, September 26^th, it was the scene of the largest meet to date with Wayne County Schools hosting the impressive event.

Seniors have a busy schedule as they prepare for options after graduation.

Retired Wayne County educator Carolyn Davis shared photos from the sky as her husband Ralph piloted the plane. Thanks for sharing the view!

The Wayne County golf team posted an outstanding team score of 302 during Monday’s (September 28) 10^th Region golf tournament, advancing to the state tournament as a team for the first time since the 2000 season. 

Kenzie Crabtree, Cassandra Crabtree, and Shelby Martin gave presentations on equine education, while sharing their competition experience at the Southern Regionals in Perry, GA. The Saddle Chicks welcomed them and hope to serve as mentors to the younger riders who attend Wayne County Schools.