It’s that time of year again!! Time to register for the Cal Ripken Baseball League!!! There will be four registration dates at the Aspire Center from March 8th to March 15th. 

Gov. Andy Beshear announced an executive order during his Feb. 23 media briefing that recommends all public school districts offer or expand in-person instructional opportunities beginning March 1, or seven days after district personnel receive their second COVID-19 vaccination.  

Students, educators and staff will be required to wear face coverings while on school grounds and inside school district transportation at all times, subject to the exceptions listed in the face coverings order, Executive Order 2021-070, and any renewal orders.

Donna Blevins was recognized during the January Board of Education Meeting for her 16 years of service to Wayne County Schools. She received a plaque from Superintendent Wayne Roberts for her years of working for the children of the county. She took a leadership role, serving as the chairperson for many of those years. #tellingourstoryky

Lady Cardinals are 10-2 on their season following a 66-47 loss to Southwestern on Monday, February 22nd in the final regular season district game at home. Over the weekend, the Lady Cards traveled to South Laurel for a tough game that ended with a score of 66-50. Their next game is Wednesday, February 24 with McCreary County for an away district game. Go Lady Cards! 

  Wayne County Schools and local law enforcement continue to develop a strong bond through the school resource officer program. This winter, the Area Technology Center (ATC) has been able to provide a valuable service to the Sheriff’s Department by creating a custom designed piece of equipment for their cruisers.

Wayne County Schools are proud to promote a “Cover your Beak” campaign to help our students, staff, and community stay safe. Wearing a mask will help our students get back to in-person learning in their classrooms. So join us in this worthwhile campaign.#tellingourstoryky 

Gov. Andy Beshear announced an executive order during his Feb. 23 media briefing that recommends all public school districts offer or expand in-person instructional opportunities beginning March 1, or seven days after district personnel receive their second COVID-19 vaccination.  

Students, educators and staff will be required to wear face coverings while on school grounds and inside school district transportation at all times, subject to the exceptions listed in the face coverings order, Executive Order 2021-070, and any renewal orders.

The Mat Cards defeated Barbourville, McCreary Central, and Knox Central. Wayne County fell short 35 -30 to Boyle County in the Small School Sectional finals they hosted on February 12th. The dual changed leads back and forth several times. Wayne County had won eight consecutive Sectional Dual Championships. The Mat Cards record now stands at 21-3 on the season.

The January/February 2021 Healthy Choices for Healthy Families English and Spanish Newsletter provides information on how to handle food cravings to making family meal times a priority, just to name a few of the articles. The Cooperative Extension Service supports this information and works within the schools to supplement nutrition, economics, and physical activity education. Check out the healthful tips!

  Wayne County Schools are proud to promote a “Cover your Beak” campaign to help our students, staff, and community stay safe. Wearing a mask will help our students get back to in-person learning in their classrooms, so please join us in this worthwhile promotional campaign.#tellingourstoryky

During these long winter days living during a pandemic, it’s a perfect time to catch up on your reading. And, what is even better, is to join the Wayne County High School Virtual Teen Book Club, which is a partnership between the Wayne County High School Library and the Wayne County Public Library.

Students in grades 3-12 don't want to miss out on the Wayne County 4-H 2021 Written Communications Contest. Applicants must be 9-years-old by Jan. 1, 2021. The deadline for submission is February 23rd at 4:30 p.m. Categories include Junior and Senior Classes for each category. 

      Wayne County Schools have bumped the four-day a week in person instruction schedule up a week, to begin Monday, March 1st. In the meantime, virtual learning will be on Monday and Tuesday (Feb. 22 and Feb. 23) for all students. On Wednesday (Feb. 24) the red group students will be returning to campus and on Thursday (Feb. 25) the white group students will be attending in-person classes. Next Friday (Feb. 26) will be virtual learning for all students.

        The new four-day weeks will begin Monday, March 1^st. All in-person students, will attend classes on Mondays through Thursdays with Fridays continuing to be a virtual day of learning for all students. Students who have chosen the virtual option may continue with full virtual instruction. The kick off had been planned for February 22, however, the date had to be pushed forward a week.

The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) released three new COVID-19 guidance documents on Feb. 8, one on decisions regarding student promotion or retention, one on operating schools after staff vaccination and another on the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund Two (ESSER II).

Wayne County Wrestling team hosted their Annual Border Wars Tournament on 2/6/21 at the Rodney Woods Gymnasium. The Mat Cards finished 4 and 1 on the day with wins over Danville, Knox Central, Whitley County, and Madison Central.  The only loss was to the #2 ranked Ryle High School from Boone County. 

The transportation department held their second bus evacuation safety drill for the red and white groups over a two-day period. Four drills are required each year and this week's drills were during the day so they reached all the students. Students who do not ride a regular bus route still need to be familiar with bus rules and safety tips because they normally participate in field trips. By breaking it down into red and white groups, there were fewer students on each bus and drivers were able to get their full attention to teach them to be good stewards of the buses and be able to help the drivers in an emergency. #tellingourstoryKY 

Wayne County Middle School offers Credit Recovery class for parents on Friday, February 5th in morning or afternoon. Parents can learn more about this valuable option. Call the middle school to sign up for the class at 348-6691.

In order to help schools across Kentucky get back to consistent in-person learning, school staffs in the Lake Cumberland District have been receiving vaccines, as front line workers. Wayne County School employees received the first of two Covid-19 vaccines to prevent Coronavirus Disease 2019 caused by SARS-CoV-2 on Monday, February 1. The clinic provided a total of 290 shots to individuals and will follow-up with the next dose in 28 days. The Healthy Kids Clinic staff administered the vaccines to the Wayne County School employees following a specific schedule. Employees waited in chairs socially distanced after receiving the shot to make sure they did not experience any kind of an allergic reaction. They were given a vaccination card to show health workers when they return for their second dose of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccination. The Healthy Kids program provides health and medical services to the school students and staff on a daily basis.  

The Mat Cards finished first in  pool  A with wins over Martin County, Montgomery County and Letcher County Central. The Mat Cards will be back in action on Saturday February 9 at home. The team will host their annual Border Wars Tournament. Teams this year include: Wayne County, Ryle, Madison Central, Meade County, Knox Central, Danville, Whitley County , McCreary Central. Start time is 11:00 am at the Rodney Woods Gymnasium. Wayne County is currently 12-1 on the season.

The Kentucky Department of Education’s (KDE) School Counselor Advisory Council (SCAC) met virtually Jan. 28 and members were asked to continue planning for state assessments, though department staff still are monitoring the situation with the U.S. Department of Education.“The jury is still out on if we’re going to be required to administer a test or not,” said Education Commissioner Jason E. Glass.

With Wayne County School students back to in-person instruction with the Hybrid schedule and continuing to have students on virtual, the Wayne County Child Nutrition Department wanted to follow up in regard to their important mission to feed the children. Before, when students were going in-person, they were only being fed five days a week. Since they are now providing seven days of meals a week, they had to make some changes for those that are coming in-person.  The reason is they knew how difficult it would be for student to carry four days of meals home with them on the school bus. #tellingourstoryKY

The Wayne County Wrestling team traveled to Barbourville on Saturday January 26 to compete in the Barbourville Duals. Wayne County improved to 8-0 on the season. 

The team will travel to Martin County High School in Inez on Saturday January 30, to compete in the Martin County Duals.

Start time is 11 am.

Wayne County School students have a new permanent access point located in the Wal-mart parking lot thanks to their community partners from South Creek Pharmacy. #tellingourstoryKY

     Wayne County Board Member Larry Muse will serve as the chairperson for the Wayne County Board of Education as a result of action taken at the start of Thursday, January 21^st school board meeting. Muse and Board Member Melissa Upchurch were both nominated for the position, with Muse being selected by a 3-2 written vote by board members. Upchurch was then selected to serve as vice-chairperson for the board.

WCHS Cardinal Boys Basketball Team defeated Somerset Christian 75-50 on January 19th. Their next match up is an away game with Southwestern on Friday, January 22, followed by the Kenny Davis Classic, a double header home game for the girls and boys on Saturday, January 23. The Lady Cards play John Hardin at noon, followed by the boys game at 1:30 p.m. with Knox Central. Go Cards!   

     As Kentucky observes School Board Recognition Month in January, the Wayne County School District is joining in the celebration. Current board members Vice-Chairperson Melissa Upchurch, Larry Muse, Whitney Smith, Jarrod Criswell and incoming member Benton Sloan are among the more than 850 school board members in the state’s 171 local school districts being recognized this month for their service. Special thanks to recently retiring Board Chairperson Donna Blevins for her 16 years of service.  #LoveKySchoolBoards  #TellingOurStoryKy

    Wayne County Schools will be resuming in-person learning a bit earlier than expected, due to the rapid decrease of COVID numbers in Wayne County.  Students will be returning to school on Monday, January 25 and Tuesday, January 26 following the red/white every-other-day rotating schedule. Students who have previously chosen to study virtually, will continue to learn from home.

All three of the Wayne County School Teams participated in the Pulaski County Archery NASP competition on January 16th. Congrats to Monticello Elementary Archery Team for bringing home a first place team award, along with first place female elementary individual winner Lilly Owens.

    The Wayne County Mat Cards traveled to Barbourville on Saturday, January 16th to compete in the Knox Central Dual Tournament. The Wayne County Wrestling Team was scheduled for three dual meets. Wayne County defeated Knox Central and Perry County Central, but did not get the chance to wrestle Tates Creek because they could not travel with the weather conditions.

The Cardinal Basketball Team competed at home on January 14. They were defeated by McCreary Central 36-47 at home. They will face Somerset Christian on Tuesday, January 19 at 7:30 p.m. at home.

The Lady Cardinals defeated Rockcastle County 57-30 on January 12th, after defeating Metcalfe County 71-37 in their opener held at the WCMS gymnasium. Unfortunately, due to a Covid exposure, their game with McCreary Central on January 14 and the MLK Jr. Classic on January 16th has been canceled. The Cardinal Boys Team were defeated by Rockcastle County 53-62 after being very competitive in the first three quarters. They will play a make-up game on January 14 with McCreary Central at home, then on January 15th they will be traveling to Adair County to play. 

Kentucky will receive $928 million in the second round of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) federal funding, superintendents heard during the Superintendents’ Webcast on Jan. 12.

Wayne County Middle School Counselors Cindy Rose and Vicki Davis want local eighth graders to know it is time to start the application process to apply for the Center for Rural Development's Rogers Explorers. This program is for students with a strong interest in developing skills in leadership, technology, math, science, and community service. Students can gradually work on their applications through February 28th. 

Four Kentucky teachers addressed the Kentucky Senate Education Committee on Jan. 7 regarding the impact of remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sen. Max Wise, R-Campbellsville, the committee chair, said each teacher had been asked to speak about one success they’ve seen during the fall 2020 semester, one innovation they’re using in the classroom, and the primary struggle they expect to face in spring 2021.

Wayne County Schools didn’t have to look far to replace the most successful football coach in school history, as he was already on the sidelines and in the hallway.  Tyler Guffey, a 2014 graduate of Wayne County High School and an assistant coach the past six seasons was officially named the head football coach on January 12^th.

Wayne County Wrestling Team made a good showing 20-21 at home on Saturday, January 9th for the Luke Troxell Memorial Duals meet. The program is fortunate to have strong, experienced leadership through Wrestling Coach Danny Upchurch. He added to his list of awards last year by being inducted into the Kentucky Wrestling Hall of Fame. Check out the future dates the wrestling team will be competing inside. 

Each of the ten Lake Cumberland District Health Departments received limited doses of the vaccine.  These doses were given to individuals identified by the Kentucky Department for Public Health Tier 1a. They have requested additional vaccine to continue vaccinating Tier 1a.  After all identified Tier 1a individuals have been vaccinated, they will begin vaccination for Tier 1b.  Tier 1b is identified as first responders, K-12 school employees and persons over 70 years of age.

Lady Cardinal Number 20, Macey Blevins signed with Western Kentucky University, during this unusual basketball season that has been delayed due to the pandemic. While the gymnasium will be much quieter, with no general admission, each player from both teams will be allowed four vouchers to be used towards admission tickets for both the girls and boys basketball games this season. Temperature checks will be conducted at the door for the limited number of fans admitted. Home games will be broadcast through rotating coverage from local radio stations and video coverage will be streamed live on the school district website and on the cable stations through Community Telecom Services. The Girls had planned to kick off the local season on Thursday, January 7th, however, that game is now been CANCELLED due to COVID. Another game with Metcalfe County has recently been added to the schedule on Saturday, January 9th against Metcalfe County and be held at the Wayne County Middle School Gymnasium. JV will play at 2:00 with the varsity game scheduled for 3:30.      

Some 100 Wayne County students turned out to see the lighting spectacular created to brighten their holiday season along the drive behind the middle school on December 17th. About 75 carloads of students drove-through the beautiful and thoughtful event hosted by the 21st Century Program. Goodie bags were handed out to each 21st Century student filled with books, pencils, erasers, toys, and packets of hot chocolate and candy canes. Plus, the bags included Christmas craft kits to make with their family that contained markers, crayons and all the needed supplies. It was a fun night to touch base with a very valuable after-school enrichment program that has been creatively operating virtually during the pandemic. 

The Wayne County School Technology Department is providing WiFi service at several locations in the community, with the help of Community Telecom Services. It’s all about enabling students without home connections to easily find a neighborhood WiFi “hot spot” to connect their Chromebook to so they can complete daily assignments

    “Riding through a Winter Reading Wonderland” was quite a hit amongst the third, fourth and fifth graders who got to caravan through specially built sets filled with lights, while seeing some of their teachers dressed in winter character costumes to help illustrate their favorite books. Check out the magical scenes inside...

Join the staff at Monticello Elementary for a ride through a reading wonderland on Tuesday, December 15. Third, fourth and fifth graders will be greeted by Santa and Mrs. Clause. Students will receive a book, along with other goodies.

  Wayne County students will not return to in-person classroom instruction until at least January 11, according to a discussion held during the school board meeting held December 17. Superintendent Wayne Roberts recommended that students return to school virtually following the Christmas holiday on January 4, after he reviewed COVID-19 case numbers for the counties included in the Lake Cumberland area which has remained in the red zone.

 Join The PocketLab and Jason Lindsey, aka "Mr. Science," with Hooked on Science, this Saturday, December 19th, at 12PM PT/3PM ET, for Holiday STEM Virtual Family Night! More than 150 have already registered for the FREE event. You'll discover the science secret behind how Santa gets down the chimney, watch as Jason use a human circuit to power a gigantic Christmas light, create a holiday fireball, and more.

  Wayne County Middle School continues to reach out to parents by providing a series of Parent Skill Building Sessions to help them navigate their child’s virtual learning at home.  Most recently, a second session was held at the Wayne County Middle School where WCMS Teacher Braxton Shearer teamed up with 21^st Century School Coordinator Katherine Kidd. Check out the custom designed cheat sheets below to help navigate.

The Governor announced new public health guidance for Kentucky schools. He said there would be no change in the way the incidence rate will be calculated for each county; instead, the recommendations and requirements for each color-coded zone from the Kentucky Department for Public Health are changing.

21st Century students in grades 3-8 are invited to attend "A December Delight Festival of Lights" drive-thru on Thursday, Dec. 17 from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. Families may enter from the back of Walker Early Learning Center. Don't miss this fun event!

  Multiple members from the local Wayne County FFA Chapter attended the National FFA Convention and Expo through an online platform where they interacted with FFA members from across the country, experienced the FFA Blue Room (a platform that showcases groundbreaking technologies in agriculture), and viewed live convention sessions to hear the retiring addresses of the National Officer Team as well as celebrate the many accomplishments members have achieved throughout the past year.

  Instead of looking for Santa’s sleigh, children can be watching for a big yellow school bus along their bus route tomorrow, on Thursday, December 10^th sometime after 3:00 p.m. The Wayne County School bus drivers will be delivering delicious hot turkey dinners near the bus stops, so all aged children need to be watching for them. If they are unable to be home after school hours, a pick-up distribution site will be conveniently located at the Wayne County Middle School from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.

Wayne County High School athletics announced the following timeline for the naming of a new head football coach.  The position will be officially posted the week of December 7th, with applications accepted until Christmas.  After applications are reviewed the hope is to schedule interviews and have a new head coach in by the first to second week of January. Wayne County is seeking to replace their longest tenured football coach in history as Shawn Thompson stepped down earlier last month.

Walker Early Learning staff welcomed families to the fun drive-through event held in the circular drive behind the middle school. The children received a bag of little acorn poems and characters, rhyming clip cards, alphabet match cards, beginning sound games, letter sound find and cover, and little acorn sequencing activity. It was a great night. 

Check out how Lake Cumberland Community Action Partnerships provide assistance to local families ranging from water and sewer bill relief to medical coverage. Learn more information through the Lake Cumberland Community Action Virtual Resource Fair coming up December 7th.   

Bell Elementary students provided Thanksgiving joy through their art work displayed on their school's ClassDojo communication tool over the holiday. The school mailed their students' grade card, plus a Thanksgiving activity for them to do over the break. Prinicipal Derrick Harris was delighted with the participation and unique responses that homeroom teachers collected digitally from students. Their theme for the project was "Save a Turkey" and created quite an art gallery of turkeys that are bringing joy during the pandemic.   
 

Wayne County students and all school staff will get a little extra holiday break next week, taking a week away from classwork for Thanksgiving.(Also, check out the Wayne County Schools Recap and Governor's restrictions inside)

      Some people see a need and try their best to find a solution; rather than complain and worry about themselves. Ladies like Marcia Carlton and Donna Rose fit this description.  The Wayne County School District has benefitted from their willingness to help others during the on-going pandemic. When there was a reported lack of personal protective equipment, both these ladies got to work making masks to help protect local residents from the spread of COVID-19.

Now the youngest learners will get to go to the Drive-In...not the movie kind, but a fun family literacy night drive-through event at Walker Early Learning Center this Thursday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. The teachers are missing seeing their students in-person and this will be a way for them to connect, from a distance. Families will be able to circle around the back parking lot of the school without getting out of their car.

Schools do not just deal with academics. They are a community that provides a wealth of services to children and their families. Even though all of the students are currently home studying remotely, the district did not want their students to miss an annual school event that everyone looks forward to in the fall.

   Wayne County Middle School is reaching out to parents by providing a series of Parent Skill Building Sessions to help them navigate their child’s virtual learning at home. They did not get any parent responses from the parent session to be held at Monticello Elementary on Thursday, November 19^th at 4:00 p.m. so that event is cancelled. However, the second session for the middle school will have participants on Friday (November 20) at 10 a.m. in the media center. Google Classroom will be one of the topics to better familiarize parents with their childrens' work.

The Nutrition Service Department is providing food to youngsters with some creative ideas for recipes to make at home. They are excited to announce the addition of weekend meals, with a flyer on how to prepare popular options like pizza, for instance. The weekly Friday pick-up service offers curbside distribution behind the middle school from 10 to 4:30 p.m. In addition, food items are being sent home with students who have fallen behind that drop in for tutoring sessions during virtual days. The staff are constantly trying to make sure the children of Wayne County are not going hungry during the pandemic.   

The community is invited to take advantage of a Drive-Thru COVID-19 Testing pop-up site today, November 18th from 9:00 to 3:00 p.m. at the old Central Office Building at 1025 South Main Street. The Healthy Kids Clinic, which partners with the local school district, is providing the convenient service for the school staff, as well as the community. 

The interview selection process to determine the next Wayne County High School principal has concluded. Steven Thompson has been appointed to the position, effective November 11th. 

       Wayne County Schools congratulates WC Area Technology Center Teacher Marsha Bertram on being named the Monticello Wayne County Chamber of Commerce Educator of the Year. She recently attended a luncheon ceremony held during the local Chamber of Commerce meeting. She was amongst several local individuals who were recognized by the Chamber of Commerce for their contributions.

Wayne County Middle School will be offering several sessions both in-person and through zoom to provide parents with basic skills related to their child's virtual studies. Parents will learn how to use the parent portal, infinite campus, and google classroom to better understand how to meet their child's academic needs during these unusual times. Don't miss the first session on Friday, November 13th.  

Wayne County High School Senior Ethan Huffaker has been named a Commended Student in the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program. A Letter of Commendation from Wayne County High School and National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), which conducts the program, was presented by Wayne County High School Principal Justin Alley to this scholastically talented senior.
 

Many Wayne County students have benefitted from the various youth programs at the Center for Rural Development. Applications are due in the upcoming months for Rogers Scholars, Rogers Explorers, and ELI. 

Wayne County soundly defeated North Laurel County 43 to 8 on October 30th, during their final regular season home game. The Cards played hard in spite of missing the crowd, since no public ticket sales were allowed due to Covid cases. Next up, Cards travel to Barren County Friday (Nov. 6) to play at 8:00 p.m.   

Congratulations to eighth grader Kaydynce Byrd for qualifing for state which was held in Paris, Kentucky on Friday, October 30th. She ran in the Class 2A State Girls Championship with a time of 26:15.76, placing her 178th at the Bourbon Cross Country Course. 

Drive-Thru Covid-19 testing to be offered to the public on Friday, October 30th 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the old central office building.

Wayne County Schools are happy to announce a new Wi-Fi access point for Wayne County students called the Cardinal Hot Spot, courtesy of the school district's technology department. A traveling Wayne County School Bus #209 has been equipped with a Wi-Fi connection, which can be used by students who lack internet accessibility during virtual learning.

Wayne County Schools' neighborhood food distribution sites recently ended. These sites and pickup services are made possible through the federally funded Summer Feeding Program, which the USDA has recently extended through the rest of the school year. Wayne County's Nutrition Department have done an awesome and inspiring job cooking and delivering meals since the pandemic started through a variety of customized programs. They continue to make sure children are fed breakfast and lunch through Friday curbside pickups at Wayne County Middle School. Meal pick up services are located behind the middle school from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. once a week, accommodating students 18-years-old or younger. Check out the fresh fruits and vegetables coming from the school garden.  

Congratulations to Jared Criswell on being one of the  2021 Kentucky Teacher Awards recipients, previously announced. The 24 honored teachers are being recognized during a virtual ceremony to be held at 10:30 a.m. ET, Thursday, October 22. Along with the 24 Valvoline Teacher Achievement Award winners, the Kentucky Department of Education and Valvoline Inc. will be announcing the 2021 Elementary, Middle School and High School Teachers of the Year, and the 2021 Kentucky Teacher of the Year at a virtual ceremony.

To watch Thursday’s ceremony or to share it with your students, staff, teachers and community, please go to the KDE Media Portal at: https://mediaportal.education.ky.gov/watch-live/ and click on the ceremony. You may share this link at any time, but it will not be live until 10:30 a.m. ET, Thursday, October 22.

Flu shots have been scheduled throughout the Wayne County Schools campus October 19-22 for students and staff. Health officials strongly recommend that students and staff receive the shot during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially as the flu season gets underway. In addition, the Healthy Kids Clinic will be offering a Drive-Through shot clinic on October 21st and 22nd from 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. which will be open to students and the public. Vehicles can conveniently pull in the circle driveway at the old central office building located at 1025 South Main Street.  

Proceeds from the fun contest go to the Imagination Library. All families who sign up with the imagination library get a free book in the mail every month for children ranging from birth to 5 years old. The WCMS won two categories with their impressive display. Congrats on receiving most votes from the public in the "Viewed Choice" category, as well as top choice voted by committee for group/non-profit category.

Wayne County Schools will be returning to virtual learning for the entire student body beginning Wednesday, October 21, since the county has fallen into the “red-range” of community-spread, according to the Kentucky Department of Public Health.

  Board members were updated regarding in-person classes, with students attending on alternate days. Superintendent Wayne Roberts said that so far it was working out well and he had received a lot of positive feedback. Roberts told board members that they have seen a spike in COVID-19 cases recently, with three staff members testing positive this week. District officials will continue to monitor the numbers and if they move into the designated "red zone" there may have to be some changes made regarding in-person classes.  

 Wayne County Schools have all kinds of help for students’ medical and behavioral health, conveniently located on campus. It is an especially good place to turn to while living through a pandemic. Students also have resources at their fingertips like the Safety Tip Online Prevention button that appears on the school website, courtesy of the Kentucky Safe Schools website. In addition, flu shots are available to students and staff this week. 

Congratulations to Wayne County Football for the big win Friday night with a score of 52-36 over
Lincoln County. Braedon Sloan led the way with 291 yards rushing and five
touchdowns. Brody Weaver at quarterback was 6 of 10 for 89 yards and one touchdown. Thank you
to the contributions the senior band and senior football players have made to their programs, as they
were both honored at the game. The upcoming football game set for October 16th against Knox
Central has been postponed until later in the season.

Since September 28, as mandated by the state, Wayne County Schools have been reporting any COVID related activity every weekday to the state public health department when school is in session for both in-person classes or virtual. During fall break (last week) the school district was closed and no reports were filed.

Bright new WCHS Girls Golf Team competed this 2020 season under the direction of Coach Grant Clark and Kendra Catron-Walsh. The young ladies finished the season at the 10th Region Golf Tournament on September 29. It was not the finish to the season they were hoping for, however, the team has a lot of promise if they work hard during the off season. Looking forward to a bright future next season. 

Wayne County Juniors Gehrig Sexton and Gage Gregory competed in the regional and state competitions this year in golf. Gehring Sexton finished 44th in the state and Gage Gregory just missed the second day cut by two strokes. This is the third straight year these young men have played golf at the state level. Both of these golfers are looking forward to play their senior year and are ready to compete for that regional championship.  

The Wayne County Bus Drivers/Monitors have been very busy during these recent times of non-transported classes. They have worked extra hard and gone above and beyond what they have been asked to do, while waiting for the return of in-person classes.

It is hard enough for teachers to keep young students’ minds focused on curriculum for lengthy stretches of time in a controlled classroom setting, so you can imagine how difficult it is to keep their attention via a computer screen during remote learning from home when there are many more distractions. With that in mind, teachers at Walker Early Learning Center have become somewhat theatrical in the performances they are delivering each day, in order to make the most of their online instruction to the youngest learners.

Wayne County Schools recognized nutrition services and transportation employees who were quick to respond to the needs of students when the pandemic started last spring. They cooked meals, packed food, organized the distribution of food bags, loaded supplies, stocked school buses with food, greeted families outside their homes, drove routes, directed traffic in pick-up lines, and did the bookeeping for massive amounts of meals. They risked catching COVID-19 to make sure 200,000 meals were distributed to local children in an unselfish and determined manner. Monticello Bank partnered with the school district and provided monetary awards to these Wayne County School heroes!     

Parents are required by law to work with school officials to fight the spread of COVID-19. In accordance with KRS 158.160 and 902 KAR 2:220E, parents/guardians must notify their child’s school within 24 hours following a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. Check out the COVID-19 FAQ's for Parents information inside.... 

 The Cardinal Volleyball Team is coming off of a two game winning streak having beaten McCreary Central at home on Sept. 24 by a score of 3-1 and a win at North Laurel on the road by a score of 3-1.  The series of games puts the Volleyball Cards at 4 - 5 on the season.

The first of a host of FAFSA Workshops was recently held at WCHS Library. Parents and guardians stopped by the media center to assist their teenager's completion of their Financial Aid Application requirement. 

First and second graders in the white group could not wait to come to school for in-person learning on September 29th. The red and white groups are on a rotating schedule with Fridays set aside for virtual learning. 

Staff excited to welcome students back to the classroom. Both in-person and virtual learning are underway. New rotating Red/White schedule off to an impressive start!

Wayne County School system employees have been provided with two different COVID-19 testing opportunities on campus, prior to students returning to in-person instruction. All employees that have participated tested negative for the virus. The most recent station was set up just a few days prior to the start of in-person classes. Some 36 employees were negative, receiving their results just before students arrived. Flu shots will be offered beginning October 20th on campus.  

With the cancellation of a marching band competition season decided by the Kentucky Music Education Association during the summer, local band students are being educated in an entirely new way, which is proving to have some advantages. 

Every-other-day alternating schedule will begin Monday, September 28 for in-person learning. Parents or guardians must notify their child's school within 24 hours following a child's positive COVID-19 diagnosis. See letter inside...  

Wayne County Schools are anxious to welcome their students back to campus who have chosen an A/B Alternating Day schedule during the pandemic. The staff will also continue to provide online virtual education to those who have chosen to study full time remotely. Check out the expectations for returning to school... 

Free meal plans are being customized to meet the needs of both A/B Alternating Schedules, as well as for full time virtual students. Plus, parents or guardians can sign up to receive pick-up meals on Fridays for children who do not attend school and are under the age of 18. Meal distribution sites concluded on September 22. 

The WCHS FFA Chapter recognized how isolated nursing home residents are due to the pandemic, so they worked to create care packages filled with numerous gifts for each resident and the nursing staff to lift their spirits and let them know they are still being thought of in the midst of COVID-19. Included in the care packages were items such as: puzzle books, socks, coloring pencils, and self-care items. 

With in-person classes beginning next week, Wayne County High School and WC ATC will have a Self-Guided Open House – Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday this week from 9:00 am - 3:00 pm daily. Check out the photos inside...

The 10-0 victory brought the team's win-loss record to 3-3 on the season. The team's next home game is Sept. 24 with Knox Central. Go Cards!

Wayne County Healthy Kids Clinic will be providing Drive-Thru COVID-19 Testing for school employees on Thursday, September 24th. Tests available in the Wayne County High School Gym Parking Lot from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. No appointments are needed and the tests are an option for the staff, not required.

Congratulations to the Football Cardinals on beating the Harlan Black Bears 42-0 on Friday, September 18. That evens up the win-loss record to 1-1, after only one point short in the first game of the season with Southwestern at home on September 11. 

 Although it was a heartbreaking season for the Bat Cards this past spring/summer with no official games played due to the pandemic, small groups of players continue to work out year around and prepare for the next season. 

 Even though the Wayne County Agriculture Extension Service have faced considerable obstacles in regard to the school garden this summer, they have harvested everything from corn to tomatoes to banana peppers. They have planted potatoes, cucumbers, cantaloupes, watermelons, zucchini and several types of squash. 

 Wayne County students will return to the classroom for in person instruction on September 28, on an alternating day schedule providing smaller class sizes. The school board met Thursday, September 17 and discussed how they would bring students back into the classroom as safely as possible, after several weeks of virtual instruction.

The Boys Soccer team celebrated senior night on September 10th, against Garrard County. That game was followed up with a loss to Southwestern on September 14 and a win against Casey County the next night. The boys travel to North Laurel on September 17th. Their next home game is with Monroe County on Tuesday, September 22. Go Cards!

Teachers are busy communicating with their students through a variety of online techniques. Class DOJO is an important tool for parents at Walker, as well as Google Classroom and Zoom meetings.The youngest students are learning numbers and words online. 

Chromebooks and necessary paperwork were distributed to high school students at the start of school. 

Tax rates will not change at Wayne County Schools for 2020 - 2021, but broadband wireless is a step closer for everyone.

The first Tuesday (September 8th) of the Food Service Meal Distribution held this week launched another round of the Summer Free Meal Program for local children. The number of meals needed to accomodate the families picking up meals had increased, considerably. The normal pick up for meals had been around 1200 maximum districtwide, however, they served 2000 meals on Tuesday.

Wayne County Schools athletic fan guidance and expectations for the fall 2020 sports seasons have been released. These guidelines will be followed beginning with the first home football game of the season when the Cards host Southwestern. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

USDA and the Kentucky Department of Education has approved utilization of the Summer Feeding Service Program for Wayne County Schools Child Nutrition Department 2020-21, starting on September 8th. Due to this change, the school district will be able to make meal distribution a bit easier for local families with children. The following are the changes you will see starting September 8th.

Senior portraits will be taken at the high school September 8^th and 14^th. Seniors can have both their casual and formal pictures taken when they come. Check out the high school webpage to schedule your session or submit photos, as soon as possible.

All kinds of stations were set up in the middle school providing back to school information to families, as well as meeting with teachers.

Teachers welcomed back second graders and met their new first grade students.

The staff at Monticello Elementary representing grades three, four and five were excited to visit with families just before the start of school.

Wayne County Schools along with all schools across the state who are observing NTI (Non-traditional instruction) days, are not recording daily attendance as usual. Instead, teachers are recording participation in their Infinite Campus software programs, with students working individually at different paces from home.

The youngest learners were very excited to see their classrooms and meet their teachers. They will have all kinds of resources where they learn the basics through virtual means. Teachers were happy to show parents all their tools during orientation and will continue to build relationships with their families.

The Wayne County Board of Education members were impressed with a sample of the virtual learning that is being kicked off for the new school year which began August 24. Students are responding to the virtual lessons that the teachers have worked hard on to present online.

Wayne County School Virtual Student Curbside Meal Pick Up opportunities will be available each Tuesday, beginning August 25th to start the school year. Five days worth of free breakfast and lunch will be distributed each week on Tuesday. All Wayne County School students are encouraged to participate in this program. Because of regulations that are in place for now, parents must pick up the student’s meal at the school they are enrolled.    

District employees from all five schools participated in the Medical Administration Skill Competency training for unlicensed administrative personnel, recently. This group of employees give student medication following the district procedures and policies when school nurses are absent or perhaps accompanying students on field trips. The annual training covers the use of epi pens, policies and procedures related to medical skills and how to administer what a doctor has prescribed for a student during the school day.   

  With Wayne County Schools delivering instruction virtually beginning August 24^th, each of the five schools on campus has revised their orientation schedules and protocols coming up. CDC guidelines will be observed with each school making individualized plans.

 Lieutenant Governor shares home internet assistance options designed to make communication services affordable for low-income families. These two new programs are designed to offer robust internet access to underserved rural areas ensuring affordability.

While keeping all the buses maintained and the drivers meeting all the CDL guidelines plus a Class B endorsement, this school year will be even more challenging because of extra precautions being taken due to Covid-19. The drivers will play an especially important part of a successful re-opening of school.

Wayne County High School Junior Gehrig Sexton won the championship at the Model Invitational Golf Tournament on August 3rd, with an impressive score of six under par. Wayne County High School Junior Gage Gregory tied for sixth while the team finished sixth out of nineteen teams. Wayne County Golf members include Aaron Hesse and Cade Foster.

There is a lot going on at Walker Early Learning Center on the Wayne County Schools campus. On Wednesday (August 5), preschool teachers conducted the final DIAL 4 Screenings to help customize learning for each child’s introductory year to school. Parents of kindergarten students can expect to receive a phone call from the school as teachers begin calling their students’ homes to schedule appointments for kindergarten orientation set for August 17 and 18, from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. each day.

 Chief Academic Officer Brian Dishman led the annual new teacher support training where new teachers are familiarized with the district and curriculum specialists get acquainted with them so they can be of assistance to them at each of the school buildings. The intent of the local four-day teacher seminar, along with future trainings, is to make sure they have the resources and support they need to have a successful school year. They are being introduced to Wayne County’s curriculum instruction resources, classroom management, and local technology involving everything from: Infinite Campus to Smart Boards to Google Classroom. The curriculum coaches across the district assist teachers at each school and serve as consultants along with one other teacher mentor assigned  to each of the new teachers throughout the school year. They also benefit from digital learning coaches at the school levels that help enhance teachers' technology skills. In fact, each building has two teachers that have also taken on the duty as a digital learning specialist.   

Staying healthy is an important part of education. If your child doesn’t have health insurance, you may qualify for KCHIP, Kentucky Children’s Health Insurance Program. It provides comprehensive coverage at no cost. There are many students across the district who qualify but are not signed up. To find out more, go to kidshealth.ky.gov or call toll free 1-877-524-4718 – because every child needs health insurance. This is a government program, run by the state.

A FAFSA completion campaign is underway for recent high school graduates. COVID 19 has created a tremendous amount of anxiety within families in this region in many ways, not the least of which is the fact that fewer young people are making the decision to go off to college/post-secondary work. The Partners for Education at Berea College are asking students to move the needle forward on FAFSA completion in this area.

Congrats to Gage Gregory who won Championship at the Somerset Invitational Golf Tournament shooting one under par. The golf team is currently in the midst of their competitions.

Incoming preschoolers who have not yet registered need to stop by Walker Early Learning Center or register online to meet the final screening deadline scheduled for August 5th. Parents can go to the school district website and check out the upper left-hand column for information or call the school at 606-348-4251. Make sure your child becomes kindergarten ready, by enrolling them in Wayne County's highly rated preschool.   

Wayne County Schools honored their employees who retired during the past school year, at their June board meeting. The retirees attending received a plaque and were given a party to go bag to celebrate the occasion with their families (in order to observe Covid prevention guidelines).Thank you to the 19 retirees that logged a total of 492 years of service!

Wayne County Schools’ Summer Feeding Program has been a tremendously valuable service to the children of Wayne County during the on-going pandemic. They have prepared close to 200,000 meals.The school program has been in full force since March 16, supported by a professional school staff, which has included a particularly dedicated ‘family’ of food service employees that have definitely gone the extra-mile.

2020-2021 Escuelas del Condado Wayne Covid-19 Plan de Reentrada. Opcions eleccion de los padres per los estudiantes.

    Wayne County Schools are anxious to nail down student preferences on back to school options. Schools are seeking parents’ decisions regarding which back to school option is best for their child regarding scheduling for the upcoming school year.

The preschool staff conducted DIAL-4 Screening to help meet students' needs on an individual basis. The test results help teachers know where each child is at on their basic skills, so they know how to craft instruction and meet their social needs to help them progress in the classroom. The appointments were scattered out over a three-day period.

Coming from a family of Kentucky educators, Jason Glass had a passion for learning, community and democracy. Now, with an extensive and diverse array of educational and professional experiences, he has been able to turn those passions toward the work of being Kentucky’s next commissioner of education.

     The Wayne County Board of Education approved Wayne County Schools’ re-entry opening plan during a meeting on Thursday (July 9) evening, while continued public health restrictions make a “normal” opening of school impossible.

The 17th annual Back to School Bash at the ASPIRE Center is cancelled due to COVID-19.

School nurses recommend ten tips to stress to young learners Parents can help educate their children on COVID-19 prevention techniques before they head back to school. 

Wayne County School families eligible for free/reduced-price meals up to $313.50 per child. The application deadline has been extended until July 10th.

Interim Commissioner Kevin C. Brown provided an update to Kentucky families about the COVID-19 crisis and schools across the state on June 26, 2020.

Starting May 26, the Summer Feeding Program Schedule and changes are being made that families need to be aware of for the remainder of the summer.   

The Kentucky Department for Public Health, in collaboration with the Kentucky Department of Education, on June 24 issued highly anticipated guidance for schools and districts on how to safely reopen for the upcoming school year amid the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic

Thank you to the 1,214 local parent survey responses that represent over 2,000 students enrolled in the Wayne County School District. District administrators appreciate your input into starting the 2020-21 school year during this unusual time. Also appreciated was the survey results from the school district staff. These findings along with the Governor's/Kentucky Department of Education recommendations will be factored into future decisions being made about the reopening plans.

Wayne County students have another opportunity available to them as they further their educations, nearby. Somerset Community College’s Clinton Center will have a new program option this fall—Practical Nursing. The Kentucky Board of Nursing recently approved the expansion of the program to the center and classes are scheduled to begin Monday, August 17. Twenty-five students will be admitted to the one-year program each fall.

The school child care facility re-opened Monday, June 15, to begin providing services from 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekdays. They are at limited capacity, but space is still available. Call 348-1591 for enrollment information. 

Wayne County Schools are seeking input from parents regarding the start of school this fall. Please fill out the parent survey link at https://forms.gle/faNkyAZTwyFKmsA56 by Monday, June 22.

The Kentucky Department of Education's (KDE) Commissioner's Parents Advisory Council (PAC) heard how schools are preparing for reopening this fall during its June 10 meeting.

Facing a pandemic with seniors missing out on their final semester perks like the prom, awards, public graduation, walk throughs to the schools, and senior breakfast -  classes were converted to Non-Traditional Instruction Days. In the midst of all the change, a couple of Wayne County High School educators were inspired to write a song and perform it virtually.

The fifth graders and their families drove along Cave Street with the staff cheering them on. The fifth graders will now advance to sixth grade at the Wayne County Middle School. The Middle School houses sixth, seventh and eighth graders.

The fifth graders and their families drove along Cave Street with the staff cheering them on. The fifth graders will now advance to sixth grade at the Wayne County Middle School. The Middle School houses sixth, seventh and eighth graders.

Since Wayne County Schools are a Community Eligibility Provisions (CEP) school district, students receive free Breakfast and Lunch during the school year. This enables them to qualify for this helpful new program offered to offset food costs during the pandemic.  

Campbellsville University’s 34^th annual Excellence in Teaching Award Program Ceremony was canceled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, 217 teachers received the Excellence in Teaching Award from 76 districts and/or private schools in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Wayne County Schools is represented by Wayne Roberts, superintendent; along with the following instructors that were selected for this award:  Leslye Rice, Monticello Elementary School; Lisa Bell, Wayne County Middle School; and George Snyder, Wayne County High School.

Congratulations to the seniors who received various awards and scholarships!

Wayne County High School seniors wore their cap n' gowns as they drove their vehicles in a parade from the high school parking lot, onto Albany Road and down Main Street, proceeding to the stoplight in front of McDonalds. Many of the seniors decorated their cars for the special occasion held Friday, May 22nd. Special thanks to the City/County Government and Wayne County Emergency Management Services for supporting the event!

The graduates were first greeted with a long row of yard signs with their photos and names on them in front of the high school on Worsham Lane. In addition, the Central Office had a nice display at the start of the parade route. The county courthouse had a huge display to honor the seniors downtown, while many folks along the route had signs up to cheer them on. Thanks to the businesses that were very supportive.  

It was an unusual graduation that took three days to complete in stages. The pandemic prevented everyone from being together, however, the event became an intimate  event for each family who had a front row seat to see their child's graduation. The school staff went to great lengths to make it as authentic and special for each graduate, while maintaining safety guidelines. A video is being produced so everyone will be able to see the event in its entirety. 

 The class of 2020 proudly graduated with 231 seniors. There were many things to be celebrated regarding each of these students. Their academic success was honored through a variety of measures.

Wayne County High School Commencement was held in a unique way this year. Since the entire class could not meet together, seniors were welcomed to the gym for a private ceremony where their families had a front row seat to see them cross the stage and pick up their diploma. A schedule was set up so social distancing could be practiced with everyone wearing masks (except while on stage), stretched out over a three-day period.  A video will be coming out in the future for everyone to view and enjoy. Check out the 2020 Commencement program inside.   

Students and parents used a drop-off line to bring back library books, chromeBooks, and JROTC gear along the front sidewalk of the high school. Seniors were excited to pick up their cap n' gowns. Students were also able to pick up their yearbooks, normally a popular day at school when students sign each others' pages.  

National School Nurse Day, May 6, is a time to celebrate the specialty practice of school nursing. In 1972, the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) created National School Nurse Day to recognize school nurses and acknowledge their role in the educational setting. District School Health Coordinator Patty Burton would like to recognize the school nursing staff, as well as the contributions made by the Healthy Kids Clinic.

The Wayne County Cardinal Band program is looking for fifth graders to join the fun and fellowship that makes this opportunity so special! Get a great start in music and learn to play an instrument of your choice. Check out all the information and links inside inviting new members...

While the Little Cardinal Academy and Countdown to Kindergarten programs were abruptly halted in midstream during March due to the pandemic shutdown, Walker Early Learning Center preschool and kindergarten enrollment is now underway online.

Check out the links to begin the enrollment process for preschool and kindergarten online. There are forms, information, and links to preview inside or on the school district home page on the left-hand column under Walker Early Learning Registration.  

The children at Monticello Elementary had quite a memorable day when six different exotic animals joined them at school, prior to the pandemic.

Wayne County Schools' Healthy Kids Clinic are currently offering physicals and up-to-date immunizations for incoming sixth graders. Fifth grade students' guardians may schedule an appointment so their student will be ready to move on to sixth grade in the fall.

Wayne County High School FCCLA members Riley Hicks, Jasmine Boykin, and Andrea Napier competed in individual programs and earned state and national recognition for the Power of One at their Region 14 Meeting held at Lindsey Wilson College.

Wayne County Schools Non-Traditional Instruction (NTI) will continue through May 11, which will conclude the school year for local students. The district implemented NTI days due to the pandemic in mid-March. WCHS Seniors will learn more details about graduation when they pick up their cap and gown on May 4^th

   Instead of complaining about missing memories from his senior year in high school, Wayne County High School Senior Coy Reynolds has been very productive this last semester.  His non-traditional pathway has evolved into a full time construction job where he is learning to build everything from a house to a barn to a steel building. In between long hours at a site in Pulaski County, he has managed to sandwich in a way to give back to the community through a skill he learned at the high school earlier this school year.

Fall preschool enrollment information and forms for four and three-year-olds on home page of school district website on left-hand column. Check it out! 

The Wayne County School Nutrition Service Department has done an outstanding job feeding the youth of Wayne County during these trying times for the community.  Not only have they been there to make sure children are not going hungry during the pandemic, they are providing high quality meals on their menus.

 Although students have not yet gotten to walk down the shiny new halls and benefit from the state-of-art classrooms/labs at the new Wayne County Area Technology Center (ATC), there is already work being produced. In fact, the school is already providing a valuable service to local medical personnel during the pandemic.

Wayne County Extension specialists taught students to plant snap pea seeds in the outdoor classroom bed at Walker Early Learning Center. These were planted prior to the Pandemic and should be getting close to harvesting.

   Admittedly, it was not quite the same for the preschool and kindergarten students to see their classroom butterflies released from their teachers’ yards on ClassDojo this semester. However, the teachers made it as special as possible for the annual event that the children look forward to each year. Usually the children gather in the outdoor classroom for the releases at school.

First and second graders are exposed to all kinds of wonderful reading opportunities at Bell Elementary. On March 2nd they had met their goal and read 600 books total. In addition,they celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday with an appearance by Cat in the Hat as one way to promote reading. During the NTI Days, students have been able to do their Accelerated Reading activities from home and increase their point averages by taking the online comprehension quiz matched to each AR book.

Some of the teachers have been at school isolated in their classrooms working on NTI assignments, while many others are working from their homes online. They have learned some new ways to communicate online and are contacting their students on a regular basis to keep in touch with them. They are providing valuable instruction during these difficult times. 

Due to the increased participation from the local community with the Wayne County School meal pick up option, the school has to adjust how they are doing their pick-ups. The number of meals grew dramatically last week with 941 meals picked up at school on Monday, April 13 and 4,890 meals delivered that week. All of the home deliveries transported by school buses are now on Mondays. Due to this, over half of the food service staff is out on delivery routes. Therefore, they will no longer be able to provide pick up meals on Monday.

   Even though school is out, you may hear a big yellow Wayne County School bus honking outside your home no matter what corner of the county you reside. Nutrition service workers and bus drivers have become unsung heroes to almost a thousand children benefiting from a hot school lunch and shelf-safe breakfast for the next morning. Young people are being fed either along newly established routes or through a pick-up service at Wayne County Middle School.

Wayne County Schools Healthy Kids Clinic will continue to be open for business, while also providing Telehealth online service. Besides being available in person on weekdays, this new extra service is now available through the local clinic to be even more accommodating to patients.

The new Wayne County School Mental Health and Counseling Hotline number is 340-3696.  This number will be available from 8:00-4:00 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, and the caller can leave their name, number, and message with the expectation that someone will get back to them shortly.

Check out valuable information like this article inside from the CDC and others by clicking the Coronavirus link on the upper left-hand column on the front page of the school website. This CDC article shares information on talking with children about Coronavirus Disease  Messages for parents, school staff, and others working with children.

Check out valuable information regarding meals pick up program at the middle school cafeteria, as well as delivery service which begins Thursday, March 19. There is no charge for the meals program and youth 18 and under are encouraged to participate.

In order to have the very latest contact information on students during these days of remote communication during NTI days, parents need to make sure they have supplied their child's school with updated information. In the few cases where this information is not up to date, parents can go to the link inside.

Although, Wayne County School classes have been dismissed, several services that the district normally offers will continue to meet student needs.

Student winners from the Wayne County Area Technology Center are as follows:

Automotive Service Technology 1 – Michael Cooper 2nd Place

Automotive Service Technology 2 –

Dylan Powell 1st Place, Jaden Gibson 2nd Place

Automotive Transportation Tool Identification – Breonna Kennedy 1st Place, Ethan Prince 2nd Place

Carpentry Cabinetry – Zeth Denney 2nd Place

Carpentry Tool Identification – Nicili Goad 1st Place

Carpentry – Wesley Reynolds – 3rd Place

Job Demonstration A – T.J. Bradford Higgins 1st Place

Job Demonstration O – Cole Crabtree 1st Place

Machine Tool – Ethan Perkins – 3rd Place

Biology l students in Mary Mclean’s class enjoyed working in the lab recently dissecting fetal pigs as they compared the organs to parts of the human body in order to better understand some scientific concepts.

The Kentucky Manufactured Housing Institute (KMHI) is currently accepting applications for five (5) $1,000 scholarships will be awarded to individuals who are currently attending or that will be attending a technical center, trade school, or enrolling in an apprenticeship program centered around the construction industry.

Students applied their classroom learning to a more independent and advanced level. Students chose scientific content they were interested in to do further investigations.

Sixth, seventh and eighth graders’ Science Fair winning team and runners-up exhibits were recently displayed in the atrium at the Wayne County Middle School. Students whose projects made it to the final competition were rewarded with a trip to the Louisville Science Museum.

Thanks to Jamie Jones from Monticello Banking Company and former Wayne Co FBLA Chapter President for talking to FBLA this morning about her duties and responsibilities at Monticello Bank and her career path moving up from within the organization starting as a Co-Op student her senior year in high school to currently Trainer in the Human Resources Dept.

The Wayne County Schools GEAR UP program recently brought Somerset Community College (SCC) representatives to campus to assist students interested in college opportunities close to home. There are more and more classes and perks for local graduates to take advantage of nearby.

Wayne County Schools ATC was well represented by the local Future Business Leaders of America on February 28th at Western Kentucky University. The competition was impressive with a total of 21 FBLA Chapters competing at Region 2.

They ended on Monday March 2 with their degree recipient party, held for members that received their Green Hand degrees or Chapter degrees! 

It is already time to prepare for kindergarten registration on the Wayne County School campus. Families who are enrolling children in kindergarten for the 2020-2021 school year are encouraged to participate in Countdown to Kindergarten. Families are assigned to one workshop scheduled for either March 5, 12, 19, and 26 from 5:30-7:00 p.m. Current preschool families have been assigned to a workshop during the first three dates. On March 26^th, Head Start Program students and families, and any students and families enrolling in kindergarten who have not yet attended a workshop will be encouraged to attend.

The Wayne County School preschool program based at Walker Early Learning Center is welcoming young children eligible to attend school next fall to three morning classes in March.

                Congratulations to John David Rains for medaling at 12th Region Academic Team Governor’s Cup competition in Berea, Kentucky, on Saturday, February 15^th. That impressive finish enables him to compete at state amongst the very brightest students in early March.  

Bell Elementary Teacher Melinda Burnett's class performed a musical program that illustrated the solar system for fellow second graders and their parents. They did a great job with the help of Music Teacher Susan Helms and PE Teacher Lois Bradley.

FFA students hosted a local Speech Contest gaining valuable practice time in before their regional speech competition coming up March 12 at Lindsey Wilson College. The local FFA event was a great way to kick off  National FFA week.  

Wayne County High School students have produced some unique items this year in Marsha Bertram's Tech Design/Help Desk entrepreneurial class. However, their latest project designing cloverleaf pins comes from the heart. Their mission is to sell 500 pins to help in the fight against cancer.

Dental hygienist Kathy Ellis, representing Dr. Philip Hardin's dentist office, shared a book and info on how to properly brush your teeth and develop good dental health habits.

Cadet Corporal Emily Carter, Cadets Private Second Class Hailey Foster and Rachael Nevels and Second Lieutenant Liliana Zanahua earned a third place finish out of eighteen teams competing in the Color Guard Category at the North Bullitt High School Eagle Drill Meet on January 25.

The Monticello Elementary Academic Team were named the KAAC 2020 Elementary District 55 Governor’s Cup competition runners-up on February 11^th. Those students who advanced will compete at Region in Clinton County on February 24 and February 29.

WCHS Junior Riley Keith designed this years banner for the school board conference held in Louisville. She did a tremendous job creating an image for the theme: Kentucky School Boards; education on focus - Vision 20/20

Kentucky's 2018-2019 School Report Card is now final, except for finance data, which is scheduled for release in May

The 19-member squad competed in the UCA National High School Cheerleading Championships finishing 11^th in their division on Saturday, February 8^th.  They were amongst 15 teams in the Large Co-ed Non-Tumbling Division at the ESPN World Wide of Sports facility at Walt Disney World Resort.

Good luck to the high school team members advancing to Region on Saturday, February 15th in Berea. Congratulations to the Wayne County High School Academic Team for placing second overall during District Competition on Saturday, January 25th at Somerset Christian School.

Many of the Elementary students customized their clothing to celebrate the 100th day of school. Learning activities included 100 days into their equations.

The Monticello Federated Women’s Club recognized recent Wayne County High School 2019 graduate Crystal Lair with a cookbook and a gift for her assistance in producing their book. She typed the entire recipe collections for “A Collection of Favorite Recipes 55^th Anniversary of Mill Springs Gift Shop” edition while working in the Wayne County High School computer help desk services lab in Marsha Bertram’s classroom. Chairman of the Gift Shop Committee Mary Boland, Vice-President Charlotte Johnson, and Cookbook Committee Member Melodie Smith thanked Lair for providing such a great service to them. 

On Tuesday January 28 the Wayne Co. DECA Chapter competed in Regional Competition at EKU.

Teachers and their students celebrated with the 105 kindergarten students who knew all 26 of their ABC sightwords last semester.

The first annual Kenny Davis Classic was held at Wayne County High School on February 1, 2020. The Monticello Bank sponsored the doubleheader event and Bank Representative Perry Elam presented awards to the players on the teams at the conclusion.

Wayne County Middle School students are not only learning to use advanced technology to function in today’s classrooms, but they are putting it to use to learn about great works of art in a creative way.

Wayne County High School 2019 graduate Alex Piercy is the second Wayne County High School student to receive the prestigious Hagan Scholarship. 

Eighth-grade middle school students in Southern and Eastern Kentucky have until Feb. 7 to apply for The Center for Rural Development’s 2020 Rogers Explorers program.

The Wayne County High School Wrestling Team honored their seniors at the recent home meet where they defeated Knox Central on January 29.

The Wayne County Wrestling Team won the Daviess County Duals Saturday, February 1st in Owensboro. Kentucky.

Wayne County Schools is proud to announce that Walker Early Learning Center Principal Angela Ballinger recently attended the Kentucky Association of School Administrators (KASA) 2020 cohort of the Kentucky Women in Education Leadership (KWEL) program. Ballinger was one of 33 exceptional women educators that were chosen through a competitive application process based on specific leadership criteria.

Kindergarten student Lilly Bell's art won the anti-bullying poster contest at Walker Early Learning Center recently.

Wayne County High School Archer Ragan Shelton signs with University of the Cumberlands

Wayne County Wrestling team travelled to Columbia on January 25 .They competed at Lindsey Wilson College in the KYWCA Small School State Duals. The Mat Cards defeated Ashland Paul Blazer and No. 4 Louisville DeSales in pool action to advance to the semi finals. The Cardinal Team fell to No.1 Union County. The Mat Cards wrestled No.3 Walton Verona for third place losing 39-37 to take fourth overall in the state duals, The Mat Cards finished the day 28-13 overall on the season.

Teacher Kristen Phillips' second grade classroom presented the "Five Fantastic Food Groups" under the direction of Music Teacher Susan  Helms, while PE Teacher Lois Bradley wrote the program. Bradley teaches proper nutrition habits in her health class instruction.

UK Program Assistant for Agriculture Terry Bertram presented goodie bags to each classroom representative who did a good job on their coloring page, which related to their fall broccoli planting lesson in the school garden. Congratulations to the classroom representatives, and especially to Emrah Atkinson, Katie McCoy, and Amberly Vaughn whose work was judged to have the best artistic talent in regards to the agriculture lesson.

Mat Cards now qualify them to compete at the State Duals at Lindsey Wilson College on January 25th

Six students received plaques and gifts thanking them for their art which was used in the school district's email card. All of the drawings were exhibited in the Board of Education Conference Room in December.

Wayne County Board Members Donna Blevins, Melissa Upchurch, Larry Muse, Whitney Smith, and
Jarrod Criswell are among the more than 850 school board members in the state’s 173 local school
districts being recognized this month for their service.

The exhibit includes more than 40 oil and acrylic paintings from wildlife artist James “Jay” Perkins and landscape artist David Coffey. Both are self-taught artists and the best of friends. David Coffey recently participated in the arts festival at Wayne County Middle School

Youth Summer programs have greatly benefitted Wayne County School students over the years and Rogers Scholars six day program deadline for sophomores is January 24. Rogers Scholars—The Center for Rural Development’s flagship youth program—is an intensive, one-week summer camp that provides valuable leadership experience and exclusive college scholarship opportunities to help rising high school juniors in Southern and Eastern Kentucky seize their full potential as the region’s next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs. The Center for Rural Development is now offering a new program for Rogers Scholars Alumni who wish to attend the program in a mentoring role. Alumni can apply during their junior and senior years for the Alumni Mentoring Program. Application deadlines for 8th graders Rogers Explorers is Feb. 7 and 9th, 10, and 11th graders Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute deadline is March 6.   

Students and families enjoyed attending the Christmas Extravaganza where they painted ornaments, made reindeer food, sipped hot chocolate, and participated in Christmas games and directed drawing activities. Santa was the guest of honor in the media center.

The 8th Grade and High School Combined Band provided a festive holiday concert on the evening of December 17 at the Pickrell Auditorium. Band Director Andy Critz and Associate Director Tyler Cook were proud of their students' efforts wishing the crowd a Merry Christmas just before the holiday. 

Most recently, Monticello Elementary Archery team placed 1st, WCMS placed 2nd, and the WCHS team placed first at the Northern Pulaski Middle School on January 4th, and at Boyle County on December 21st Monticello Elementary placed 1st, and the WCHS team placed 2nd.

Wayne County Senior Clarinet musician Halen Pharis has distinguished himself in the concert band field as an All State student.

Students who attend the 21st Century Drama Club preformed A Christmas Carol, adapted for a large cast of young performers by Kathryn Schultz Miller available through ArtReach Children's Theatre Plays. The third, fourth and fifth graders met after school for drama practice throughout the semester to perform Charles Dickens' holiday classic tale. The play took the audience on a journey to the past, present and future during a daytime school performance and evening public performance on December 16th. The audience applauded the casts' efforts in bringing the musical version of Ebenezer Scrooge's life and ultimate redemption in this traditional story to the Monticello Elementary stage. Dickens characters - Ebenezer Scrooge, Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim, Marley's Ghost, Mr. Fezziwig, Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, Future - and a host of others brought the spirit of Christmas to the hearts of everyone involved young and old.   

Kindergartens and their families were excited to meet their teachers and see their classrooms on August 5th during orientation. 

Be a part of the 6 sessions for families with children that are 0-school age. The workshops provide parents with tools and resources to turn everyday activities into early learning moments. Learning starts long before school.

This years show is entitled "The Hand You're Dealt". It's about how life is different for everyone, almost as if you are playing a different hand in a game of cards, Life is literally relatable to a game of cards as the chances of having a good hand are equal to having a bad hand, but it is not in what you're dealt but how you play it. The Band performed for their families after summer band camp in Pickrell Auditorium. The band students and their parents also enjoyed watching the DCI World Championship Finals on August 10th at the Wayne Theater.

Cardinals will scrimmage Metcalfe County on Friday, August 16 at 6:30 p.m. at Jewell Field. Come out and support another great fall season of football. Go Cards!

Approximately 3,000 students will be welcomed back to the Wayne County Schools
campus on the first day of classes on Wednesday, August 14.
Orientation activities are underway at each of the five school buildings. Kindergarteners
through seniors and their families are learning everything from codes of conduct to bus routes
to meal plans as general expectations are shared for the 2019-2020 school year.

The book themes provided the weekly schedules which were headlined: Tonight on the Titanic, Pirates Past Noon, Dingoes at Dinner Time, Civil War on Sunday, and Stallions by Starlight.

Both Elementary and Middle School students came to Open House along with their parents. Families enjoyed refreshments and learned what the campers had created and studied.

Middle school students participated n a variety of creative activities beginning with Survivor week, followed by Escape week, and Cupcake Wars with a field trip to Wild Thyme Cooking School. The final two weeks included art appreciation activities and virtual reality/drama camp. 

This season the boys team is already competing against some tough teams. In addition to the boys team, a middle school girls team has been formed at Wayne County. 

Camp was held for elementary archers, as well as for middle and high school students.

Wayne County High School 2019 graduate Jessie Allison will go down in school history for being Wayne County Schools’ first student to receive a college associate’s degree, at the same time she obtained her recent high school diploma.

Two Wayne County High School students were fortunate to represent South Kentucky RECC in
Washington, D.C. this summer.

Wayne County High School Class of 2019 members Rachael and Renee Allen recently
attended the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) National Leadership Conference (NLC)
in San Antonio, Texas. Rachael and Renee both participated in the NLC as competitors
representing Kentucky FBLA.

The Wayne County Board of Education were pleased to learn the results of year-end data
regarding the dramatic gains in student reading levels. Congratulations to the staff and students for moving forward on reading!

Wayne County High School Future Farmers of America (FFA) students are not afraid to get out in the heat and work in the Wayne County School garden. In fact, they understand the obligation they have to help produce the vegetables that are served on local tables.

Wayne County High School 2019 graduate Sierra Hagerman has the honor of being one
of the first Wayne County students to receive the prestigious Horatio Alger National Scholarship.
She will be using the $25,000 scholarship from the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished
Americans, Inc., a non-profit educational organization, to attend Murray State University this fall.

On July 15-19th the Wayne County High School FFA chapter attended the annual Kentucky FFA Leadership Training Center Camp at Hardinsburg, Kentucky. There were a total of 15 members that attended officer and committee classes, athletic games, and many team-bonding activities. They were amongst 24 schools attending with 269 student campers.

Representing Wayne County JROTC at Junior Cadet Leadership Camp 2019, Cadet Corporal Brett
Herbig earned the Alpha Company Leadership Award. This marks the second year in a row that a Wayne
County Cadet has earned this very prestigious award and is a testament to the exceptional academic and
personal character Wayne County Cadets exemplify.

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 10 cadets from
WCHS JROTC making preparations to attend annual Junior Cadet Leadership Camp (JCLC) at
Blue Grass Army Depot in Richmond, KY, held May 25-29TH.

JROTC Battalion Commander, Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Ethan Morrow was recently selected to
attend the very prestigious United States Naval Academy Summer Seminar. This activity is for
perspective students who have a desire to attend the Naval Academy and it gives high school juniors a
weeklong preview of what they can expect if they are selected to attend the Naval Academy.

Have you purchased your ticket for a chance to win a Houseboat Vacation on Lake Cumberland and support The Center for Rural Development's youth programs?

Eighth grade girls from the junior varsity softball team, as well as seniors from the varsity softball team were honored at the end of the softball season. Girls were recognized by their coaches with gifts after being escorted by their parents or family members. 

Wayne County High School Freshman Kallie Powell was among thirty students from Southern and Eastern Kentucky that graduated from the third class of The Center for Rural Development’s 2019 Rogers Explorers program held June 16-18 on the campus of Lindsey Wilson College.

Wayne County High School Freshman Wes Cares was amongst thirty students from Southern and Eastern Kentucky graduated from the fourth class of The Center for Rural Development’s 2019 Rogers Explorers program held June 19-21 on the campus of the University of the Cumberlands.

Two members of the Wayne County Track Team recently competed at the state track and field
championships held at the University of Kentucky Outdoor Track Facility.