Varsity Lady Cards lost to Bowling Green and will be playing at Berea on Saturday, January 22 (AWAY) and then at home on January 24 with Whitley County. Go Cards!

Wayne County High School students like Aaron Hesse, Wesley Cares and Kali Powell know how to benefit from the Center for Developments summer academic programs. In fact, some of the programs carry over into the school year. Senior Aaron Hesse and Junior Wesley Cares are still involved in their Rogers Scholar programs. They are currently doing service projects to help their community.

Congratulations to Mitchell Gregory and Aubra Branscum for both winning $1,000 in the employee attendance incentive contest! There were 67 certified staff employees eligible to win $1,000 in the employee attendance incentive drawing, that reflected perfect attendance for the first semester. There were 48 classified staff employees eligible to win $1,000 in the employee attendance incentive drawing. The $1,000 drawing will be held again at the end of the school year to see who wins $1,000 for both the certified and classified staff during the second semester, so more employees have a chance at winning. In addition, one employee with perfect attendance for both semesters in a combined random drawing will receive $2,000. Good Luck!  

The Center for Rural Development and Lake Cumberland Performing Arts invite the public and area schools to bring their students to experience a live School Time Theatre performance of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have a Dream" on Feb. 2 at 10:00 a.m. and then an evening performance at 6:30 p.m. at The Center for Rural Development in Somerset. The Virginia Repertory Theatre, a professional touring company, will bring the performance to the stage in a compelling story of the life and times of one of our country's greatest leaders. Reservations are accepted online at https://centertech.com/arts-culture/school-time-theatre-3/.  

Eighth graders learned valuable hands-on lessons at the middle school's annual Reality Town exercise this past semester. Thanks to local businesses who provided employees to work at a variety of booths to give students' a glimpse into the adult world where budgeting is a monthly experience for most folks and taxes have to be paid. The WCMS Family Resource Center and 21st Century program coordinated and supported this worthwhile special event.  

Bell Elementary students gained all kinds of health information from high school students during a recent partnership with Health Teacher Megan Gehring's students. They created a health fair for first and second graders in PE Teacher Bradley Askins' class. WCHS Health Class students with the highest grades and best behavior in class were recruited to participate in the successful event, which will likely become an annual opportunity to make students more aware of their health at an earlier age. High school students are required to take one semester of health education, which is rotated with one semester of physical education.

As Kentucky observes School Board Recognition Month in January, the Wayne County School District is joining in the celebration.

Kentucky student-athletes who are involved in agriculture are invited to apply for one of six scholarships and recognition as a 2022 Kentucky Ag Athlete of the Year, a partnership of the Kentucky High School Athletic Association and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture.

The Center for Rural Development and Lake Cumberland Performing Arts invite the public and area schools to bring their students to experience a live School Time Theatre performance of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have a Dream" on Feb. 2 at 10:00 a.m. and then an evening performance at 6:30 p.m. at The Center for Rural Development in Somerset. The Virginia Repertory Theatre, a professional touring company, will bring the performance to the stage in a compelling story of the life and times of one of our country's greatest leaders. Reservations are accepted online at https://centertech.com/arts-culture/school-time-theatre-3/.  

  Midway University Boys Golf program has gotten one of their top recruits with Wayne County High School Senior Gage Gregory. Gregory, the son of Amy and Stewart Gregory, recently signed to play at the college level for the Midway Eagles.

Polar Express train conductor Derrick Harris (aka Principal) called the First and Second graders "All Aboard" after punching their tickets to board the pretend train. Media Specialist Ashley Thompson read the Polar Express book to Bell Elementary students dressed in their pajamas for a special day at school.

The Wayne County Casting Cards team participated in a tournament on Saturday, December 4th at Conley Bottom. Kason Stockton was the overall winner with Hannah Kempton and Jenna Morrow finishing 2nd. Elijah Adkins and Austin Criswell placed 3rd. Lots of other Casting Card team members caught fish during the tournament.

After the tornadoes hit Western Kentucky, many citizens lost their lives or belongings. Like other organizations the local Wayne County High School FFA chapter wanted to do their part in helping those affected. They put together donations from a list sent in by Taylor County Extension Office on the agriculture related items needed to start the repair of farms lost or damaged in the storms.

Several local businesses like the CO-OP donated items, and other supporters like Mary Ruth Upchurch donated money that will be a major help in repairing our neighbors and strengthening their process of rebuilding. Donations were available for drop off on Wednesday through Friday last week at Agriculture Teacher Justin Horton’s gate at the Area Technology Center. All items were sent to Taylor County on December 20^th.

After the tornadoes hit Western Kentucky, many citizens lost their lives or belongings. Like other organizations the local Wayne County High School FFA chapter wanted to do their part in helping those affected. They put together donations from a list sent in by Taylor County Extension Office on the agriculture related items needed to start the repair of farms lost or damaged in the storms.

Several local businesses like the CO-OP donated items, and other supporters like Mary Ruth Upchurch donated money that will be a major help in repairing our neighbors and strengthening their process of rebuilding. Donations were available for drop off on Wednesday through Friday last week at Agriculture Teacher Justin Horton’s gate at the Area Technology Center. All items were sent to Taylor County on December 20^th.

Covid has limited the opportunity to travel, but the staff at Monticello Elementary provided a Christmas wonderland to transport their students around the world to explore the the many ways the holiday is celebrated. Students were told to try and spot some of their family traditions in the displays or perhaps discover a new tradition to add to their family's celebration.

The Wayne County School District joined school systems across the state to help donate to Western Kentucky tornado relief efforts. Each of the local schools and district service offices collected specifically needed items that had been requested. It is likely another collection will be held in January with an updated list of needs.

By 11:00 a.m. on Friday, December 17th, a lockdown at the Wayne County High School and nearby Area Technology Center has been lifted, after law enforcement investigated a threatening message left inside the high school on a bathroom wall that was determined to be a prank. In addition, a threatening text was sent by a high school student that was determined to be non-credible.

Wayne County Middle School students enjoyed the staff's work decorating the hallways and building gingerbread houses. Some of the hallway decorations even included an actual STEM project when students made marshmallow snowmen. 

It was a great day for several students at Bell Elementary that received early Christmas gifts due to the generosity of Waste Connections which services part of Wayne County. The eastern Kentucky business donated bicycles to students in neighboring counties, as well. The Bell Elementary students were thrilled to get the unexpected gifts, that they got to take their first ride on in the Bell Elementary gymnasium. 

Two new positions have been filled at Wayne County Schools for the latest round of Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP). It is a result of the Partners for Education at Berea College which has been awarded a GEAR UP grant that will serve students from Casey, Clinton, Cumberland, Letcher, Lincoln, McCreary and Wayne counties. The United States Department of Education grant will provide over 10,000 students in 14 districts with an array of services aligned to accomplish three overarching goals: lift educational aspirations, build academic skills and connect academics to college and career.

The hallways at Walker Elementary have been fully decorated for the holidays. Parents were able to visit after school on December 14th so they could see the love and attention that the staff showered on their children. Lots of canned goods were collected in the food drive teaching the students the importance of giving.

Whether it is the Polar Express Train gearing up it's engine at Bell Elementary or a Monticello Elementary Christmas Traditions Around the World Drive-In Adventure or an after school tour of the beautifully decorated hallways at Walker Early Learning Center or the massive food drive at Wayne County Middle School or a festive spirit week at WCHS - that barely is the tip of the iceberg of magical and fun events educators have planned for their students just before the holidays. Here are a few of the events underway....  

Lady Cardinals picked up a win over Casey County on Saturday, December 11 with a score of 50-45. Unfortunately, they lost to Southwestern at home on Monday, December 13th 49-67. Next, on the schedule they play McCreary Central at home on Thursday, December 16th.

The Lady Cards defeated McCreary Central at home on December 16th in a hard fought battle 51-46. Previously they won over Casey County 50-45 on December 11. They played Southwestern on December 13, but unfortunately lost 49-67. The Lady Cards play away on Friday, December 17th at Danville. Go Lady Cards!

The Boys Basketball Team defeated Southwestern 63-44 on Friday, December 10th. They play Pulaski County away on Dec. 14, followed by Metcalfe County on Friday, Dec. 17th at home. Their season record is 3-1 on Dec. 14.  The Pep Band, Cheerleaders and Dance Team were also there to support the Cardinals at their recent home game!

Wayne County Family Resource Youth Service Centers gladly work hard at making the backpack program successful. FRYSC staff collaborate with the Hope Center and the local Wayne County Health Coalition to make this assistance available for our families. Donations for this program come from all directions in Wayne County -  churches, private donors, and organizations.

Wayne County Family Resource Youth Service Centers gladly work hard at making the backpack program successful. FRYSC staff collaborate with the Hope Center and the local Wayne County Health Coalition to make this assistance available for our families. Donations for this program come from all directions in Wayne County -  churches, private donors, and organizations.

The KABC would like to congratulate Rodney Woods (Wayne County) and Joey Thacker (Franklin County), who have been named Kentucky's inaugural recipients of the 2021 NHSBCA John Wooden Legacy Award.

Wayne County Family Resource Youth Service Centers gladly work hard at making the backpack program successful. FRYSC staff collaborate with the Hope Center and the local Wayne County Health Coalition to make this assistance available for our families. Donations for this program come from all directions in Wayne County -  churches, private donors, and organizations.

How cool is it to learn Science concepts, while playing the role of a scientist or engineer?

      Kids as young as kindergarten age are taking on these new roles at school in order to investigate a real-world problem. The problems they are examining relevant to 21^st century situations lead them to investigate different scientific phenomena.

Wayne County Family Resource Centers are the heart of each school. They provide everything from clothing to assemblies to resources to all kinds of extra help to students in need. They are all about removing obstacles to learning for local students.

The FFA Polar Express Float received second place in the annual parade organized by the Chamber of Commerce. The WC JROTC helped lead the parade with retired WCHS Teacher Calvin Kennett who was the Grand Marshall.

The Monticello Elementary Choir helped bring in the holiday season at the downtown Tree Lighting Ceremony. 

 Wayne County Schools were amongst schools in Kentucky to take advantage of the Imagination Library in the early stages. Now the local results of that program are in and revealing gains in literacy, while also helping bring about state contributions. Walker Early Learning Center's success was shared at a state conference recently, to help inspire other school districts to help advance literacy through the Imagination Library.  

Students in Mrs. Shannon Foster's Early Life Span class recently looked at how thematic units can be used within many different classroom settings. Students began by reading "Where the Wild Things Are." They then designed their own wild thing and wrote a short story about their experiences with it.

The Cardinals defeated Burgin 49-41 at their first home game of the season. The Wayne County High School JROTC presented the Garrison Flag, while the Pep Band provided music and the Dance Team shared a pom routine at halftime. The next home game is on Dec. 7th with Lincoln County at the Jack Upchurch Classic. Go Cards!  

Wayne County School groups to look for at the parade will be the WC JROTC, WC Band, Baseball Team, WCMS/WCHS Dance Teams, and the Casting Cardinals. Retired WCHS Teacher Calvin Kennett will be the Grand Marshal.  

Thanks to JROTC, FCA, and volunteers who helped cook the 38 lbs. of turkey, 13 large pans of dressing and all the side dishes to go with it. Plus, they delivered to homes for those in need or picked up at the cafeteria. This year, Shannon Foster's Foods and Nutrition class learned how to make homemade biscuits in a preliminary lab. They then made over 10 dozen biscuits to donate to the FCA Thanksgiving meal.  It took a village and lots of organization to pull this monumental event off. All involved did an awesome job! Wayne County Proud!

The Wayne County High School Chapter of Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) is off to a great start. On November 19, the 2021-22 chapter officer installation took place. Shaylie Dobbs was elected chapter president. Tori Walters and Delaney Lester will both serve in Vice President positions. On November 20, a group of FCCLA members/officers volunteered at Christmas Village. Members helped children shop for their family and friends in the Santa Shop. Advisor Shannon Foster said that she is very proud of this group and expects great things from them! 

   Over the holidays and during Farm to Fork promotions, the Wayne County School cafeterias serve students special menus incorporating lots of fresh and locally grown products. So, Leslie Rice’s fourth grade students were very receptive to learning more about one of their students’ new family business'. Fourth grader Bo Lester’s mom, Leslie Lester, gave an informative presentation to her daughter’s classmates on where the meat being served on the school menu was actually coming from that day.

The Wayne County High School Dance Team traveled to George Rogers Clark High School in Winchester to compete on November 20th in the KHSAA Dance Regionals. They finished as the top placing small school in the entire Region Three. They were thrilled to get a fourth place finish in the jazz category, as they were up against eight other teams which included some of the biggest schools in the state. In the pom category, they placed seventh out of 12. Both local teams qualified for the state finals scheduled for December 12 at George Rogers Clark High School. They are coached by Pam Campbell, who also operates Force Dance Academy in Monticello.

Kim Winchester's class put together and worked on the WCMS food drive this year. They collected 2955 items (mostly cans). All of the items are piled up in the atrium right now.  They are requesting that any churches or other organizations that can use the items contact the school at 348-6691 and then send a representative to the Middle School to pick it up. 

Masonry week is always an eventful week in Carpentry. Carpentry students at the Wayne County ATC learned to mix mortar with the proper ratio of cement, sand, and water. Students also learned block laying patterns and engaged in a block laying competition at the end of the week. Students learned to work together in groups to explore strengths and weaknesses.

FFA/agriculture students most recently have been finishing up the cold weather harvest and cleaning up the garden. But, at its peak this fall, the Farm Dinner Night was held where students did a good job informing visitors about this year's crop of vegetables. The garden was in perfect condition thanks to the Wayne County Extension Office and all the students' efforts to maintain it. Much of the harvest fed students' school lunches this fall.

     Wayne County High School Senior Gehrig Sexton, the son of Kendra Roark and Brent Sexton, has signed with the Eastern Kentucky University Colonels where he will continue his golf career after graduation. He and his friends and family got together for the special event to celebrate his golf scholarship to Eastern Kentucky University, recently.

Wayne County Board of Education approved the 2020-21 financial audit report that was presented by White and Associates, PSC, while also approving several payments for various renovation projects.

Congratulations Mallory Campbell on being selected for 12th Region Player of the Year and for receiving the All-State Honorable Mention!

 Local Wayne County Middle School student, Maddison Turner, participated in the White Cane Safety Day that the Kentucky School for the Blind Outreach hosted. Give Maddison a shout out for her 3.1 miles she logged in 67:33.74. She and her teacher, Pam Brown, participated in the 5K or 3.1 mile walk/run by completing 62 laps in the middle school gym, recently. Maddison was one of 165 students across the state who participated in the virtual 5K run

McDonald's restaurants across Kentucky are supporting teachers by presenting a series of MAC Grants this fall. Each $500 MAC Grant is designed to help local teachers return to the classroom in a safe, engaging way. Recently, local McDonald’s Owner/Operators Randy and Bethany Baird presented a $500 check virtually to Marsha Bertram, a teacher at Wayne County Area Technology Center (ATC) in Monticello.

First and second graders lined the hallways of their school on Veterans Day and celebrated two of their favorite role models who were asked to stroll down the hallways so they could be cheered by students. They recognized Veterans Joseph Shepherd, a cook in the cafeteria and Justin Cole, a second grade teacher. Thank you Mr. Shepherd and Mr. Cole for your service!

Walker Early Learning Center Teacher Amy Gregory's Dad, Larry Matthews, shared momentos from his service in the U.S. Army. He brought his purple heart medal and photos from his service in Vietnam so the children could understand more about Veteran's Day.

The Wayne County JROTC conducted a Veteran's Day program for their classmates and local Veterans who attended the program held in the Rodney Woods Gymnasium. The JROTC cadets did a good job honoring Veterans.

 Wayne County School students played a big role in  "Honoring All Who Served" on Veteran's Day. The parade event was sponsored by the Wayne County Disabled American Veterans Chapter 105 with DAV Commander Jeff Morgan serving as master of ceremonies.The Wayne County Band's performance of Armed Forces Medley followed by "God Bless the USA" sung by the Waynetonian Choir was impressive. Special thanks to the WC JROTC Battalion who always rise to the occasion and make everyone proud. 

Students and adults unlocked the magic within them at the Lights on After School recent special event, which was part of the 21^st Century Program. Wayne County's 21st Century After School Program has provided excellent services to students for many years, enriching their education in a creative manner.

Call Healthy Kids at 844-435-0900 to find out more information about Covid-19 vaccines or contact the school nurse at the student's school building. The clinic is open to the public and no appointment is required.

The Wayne County Chapter of Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America recently participated in the statewide FCCLA initiative related to The Rae of Sunshine Foundation. Students in Shannon Foster's FCCLA Club participated in the SMILE week activities.

Students at Walker, Bell and Monticello Elementary Schools enjoyed trick or treating at school recently. They were encouraged to dress up in a career costume they might become. Thanks to all those that gave out treats for the happy occasion.

Save the Date for The Wayne County Schools Thanksgiving Dinner on November 25. Donations need to be left at the High School by Monday, November 22, for those that wish to contribute to this worthwhile cause. This event is sponsored by the Wayne County High School, JROTC, and FCA.

WCHS Tech Design is designing 3D printed lamp shades and selling them complete with lamps and bulbs for $20. Marsha Bertram's 3D Printing class makes all kinds of useful items. In fact, they have made masks to wear during the pandemic customized with the Wayne County logo.

Rogers Scholars -- The Center for Rural Development's flagship youth program -- is open to rising high school juniors in Southern and Eastern Kentucky who are seeking to build their skills in leadership, career exploration, entrepreneurship, technology, and community service. The program provides valuable leadership skills and exclusive college scholarship opportunities for young people throughout the region. Students apply during their sophomore year.

Due to a decreased incidence rate of COVID, masks remain optional at Wayne County Schools for the week of 11/1 - 11/5. The incidence rate is 36.5, according to the Lake Cumberland District Health Department.  

Wayne County High School students like William Beckley continue to build on their dreams by focusing on their local pathway of courses which include advanced placement, dual credit college, Project Lead the Way, coupled with acceptance to academic geared opportunities like the Governor Scholar’s Program.

Trooper Scotty Pennington from State Police Post 11 talked with Wayne County Middle School students about destructive decisions. He talked about the importance of remaining drug free and making wise decisions because those decisions can impact the plans they have for their future. Students were able to tour the educational Mobile Substance Use Unit to learn about different types of drugs and the impact they may have on them. This event was a partnership between the Kentucky State Police and WCMS Youth Service Center.

Congratulations to Wayne County’s Mallory Campbell who has been named the 2021 12th Region Volleyball Player of the Year! The Lady Cardinals defeated Rockcastle County 3-0 on Tuesday, October 26 to advance to the region semi-finals where they were defeated by West Jessamine Wednesday evening at Rockcastle County High School. Thanks to the WCHS Volleyball Team for a hard fought and entertaining season.

Wayne County Schools are serving a special “farm to fork” menu on Wednesday, October 27^th at each of the five schools in the district. Meet the vendors that helped bring it about.

Walker Early Learning Center rolled out the red carpet to their families with a camping theme to celebrate reading, recently. Each child received activity sheets, sight word booklets and "The Gruffalo" book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, as well as a S'more kit that the cafeteria put together. They enjoyed their teachers' displays at the pretend camp out as they participated in the walk-through which concluded with a book trail showcasing each page of the book. 

Wayne County Juniors learned how to apply for the Governor's Scholar Program, recently. They viewed a video and received helpful information and details from WCHS Counselor Elizabeth Miller who encouraged them to apply. Final applications should be turned in to the counselors’ office by 3:00 PM on Friday, December 10, 2021.

A competitive second round Comprehensive Literacy grant awarded to the Wayne County School District was announced during the Board of Education’s monthly meeting on Thursday, October 21.  

The ATC Jobs For America's Graduates Class taught by Brenda Hoover is launching a clothing drive at all Wayne County Schools beginning Monday, October 25th - Thanksgiving. This worthwhile project is Wesley Cares' Service Project for Rogers Scholar.

Wayne County 21^st Century Program will celebrate Lights on After School on Tuesday, October 26^th. This year’s theme is Unlock the Magic within you. There will be special programming, with music from the Monticello Elementary Choir, games, and activities. Healthy Kids Coalition will be present to give flu shots, help with school physicals and give COVID vaccines. To end the evening, 21^st Century participants will be treated to a magic show by Dinky Gowen: Master of Illusion. All 21^st Century participants and their families in grades three through eight are welcome to attend this event from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the middle school.

Great Weekend for Fishing as the Casting Cards Competed

They had five teams fish the Bradley Roy Tournament on the October 9th weekend. Alex and Kason took 6th and Kendall and Dylan got 8th. Congratulations to all of Wayne County's fishing teams.

Three Wayne County Cross Country runners set themselves apart by placing first in their age divisions at the local Cross Country course just off KY 90. Congratulations to WCMS eighth grader Emily Shearer, WCMS eighth grader Caleb Sargent, and Monticello Elementary fourth grader Zane Upchurch for leading the packs in their races during the annual Cave Lake Fall Classic on October 16.

    The annual Agriculture Conservation Field Day offered local students an opportunity to serve and be a part of an informative special community event.  Wayne County Junior Conservation Club members introduced the audience to several of the agriculture professionals who are very familiar with the soil, water, and farmland that makes Wayne County so beautiful. FFA/Agriculture students helped prepare and serve the dinner held under a tent, after the presentations and hayride tour.

Drive-through COVID-19 testing and vaccines on October 20th and 27th 3:30 PM - 6:00 PM EST. Wayne County Park Michigan Avenue.

Ask any third grader at Monticello Elementary about the plight of the Monarch butterfly and they should be able to tell you how they are declining and what they have been trying to do about it in their classrooms. The project is a result of the Wayne County Conservation District’s efforts and recently formed Junior Conservation Club.

      There are a variety of office and school furniture pieces available for sale at Wayne County Schools. The Wayne County Board of Education declared several items surplus during a previous meeting.  Some items sold, but some had no bids. The attached document gives items that received no bids and are open for bidding.

Wayne County Girls Soccer season concluded on October 12 at the Regional Tournament, The Lady Cardinals were defeated by Somerset 5-1.

Wayne County High School students recently attended a College Fair at The Center for Rural Development. In addition the counselor's office hosted Parent Night for students and parents to learn more about different colleges and trade schools to help determine seniors future educational plans. Planning starts early, as counselors share expectations for high school when students are still in middle school.

Bell Elementary students in first and second grade experienced a great day at school recently on High Attendance Day. Every student got to experience the inflatables on the playground. Many of the students had participated in cookie dough sales to help raise money for special projects at the school, in addition to all the well thought out instructional activities.  

Wayne County Senior Gage Gregory was the sole golfer from Wayne County that qualified and played on to the second day of the Boys State Tournament, held in Bowling Green, Kentucky, recently. He did not place on the second day, however, he won the the Leachman Buick GMC Cadillac/KHSAA State Golf Scholarship for the Boys. He is believed to be the first recipient ever to obtain this prestigious scholarship while playing on the Wayne County Golf Team.  The scholarship was based on academics, golf, sportsmanship and Integrity. Gage had to be nominated for the award and it only applied to seniors.  It is only given to one senior girl and one senior boy who qualifies to play in the state tournament. Congratulations Gage! 

Congratulations to Wayne County Middle School for winning the prize in the non-profit organization category & the Viewer's Choice category. 

It’s time to step up for our youth! Supporters of The Center for Rural Development’s youth leadership programs can help raise money for the programs one “step” at a time by joining in on The Center’s first ever Step-A-Thon fundraiser on October 16th.

Both the boys and the girls golf teams will be represented at the state championship in Bowling Green during fall break. The boys golf team competed in the regional tournament on September 28 at Eagles Nest Country Club in Somerset.  They won the runner up trophy.  Gage Gregory tied for first runner up and Gehrig Sexton placed 6th.  These two golfers have represented Wayne County Schools well and will be missed in the upcoming seasons. 

      The Kentucky Department of Education released the Kentucky Summative Assessment (KSA) results from last spring, which include Wayne County’s data. The impact of learning disruptions is evident in the results, both locally and statewide. The local district is aggressively working to make up for lost time and learning due to the pandemic.

Wayne County Middle School Cross Country team competed in the North Laurel Invitational, Saturday, September 25th. Emily Shearer was the overall girls champion finishing with a time of 14:04. The boys finished 2nd overall and were led by Taren Jones who finished 6th with a time of 12:33 and Collin Ramsey who finished 7th with a time of 12:37. 

The Wayne County High School Football stadium was officially named the Shawn Thompson stadium after the former football coach. Thompson and his family were recognized just prior to the game. The Wayne County Middle School football team was also recognized at a break later in the game.

Close to 5,000 pumpkins were harvested recently from the school garden thanks to WC Extension Service and FFA/Agriculture students. Blanco and orange Field Trip pumpkins were harvested so preschool - 5th graders could have their very own small pumpkin to take home. Students can participate in the pumpkin decorating contest if they would like. Pumpkins are to be decorated as book characters. Check out more information inside...

Wayne County High School held their own Meet You at the Pole on September 22nd before school started. Many of the FCA students participated in the annual event.

In order to lessen any confusion about the Wayne County School District’s policy regarding masks being worn inside the school buildings due to the Covid pandemic, a weekly average incidence rate will appear at the top of the front page of the school website and be posted on the school district Facebook page, indicating whether masks are required. The figure will be updated each Friday, so everyone will have a convenient resource regarding whether or not masks are required, in the upcoming school week.

The Wayne County Cross Country program has one of the finest courses in the state and runners appreciate the scenic Cave Lake Event Park that is spectator friendly. This school year, there are lots of elementary and several middle school runners participating from Wayne County in the outdoor sport. On Saturday, September 18^th, the Wayne County Cross Country Invitational was held in the Mill Springs community with close to 20 schools participating.

Girls Soccer Team played Taylor County at an away game on September 21st. They've played 11 games in their season, to date.

A pep rally was held at the conclusion of the parade. The high school students had fun preparing for homecoming activities. Spirit Week and the selection of the homecoming court were in support of the Cardinal Football Team. 

On September 17th, the Homecoming Court was announced at half time, along with the King Owen Morrow and Queen Mallory Campbell. The Cards added a win on the season. They will play Warren East at home on this Friday, September 24th at 8:00 p.m. when the stadium is dedicated to former Football Coach Shawn Thompson at 7:30 p.m. All former players and teammates of Coach Thompson are encouraged to attend and participate in the ceremony. Tickets are free to those returning football players.

Wayne County was among school districts across the state that voted to continue mask requirements in schools as the coronavirus infections continue to mount. According to the Kentucky School Board Association map, 165 of the state's 171 public school systems decided to extend universal masking in schools.

The Wayne County Board of Education honored Wayne County High School Senior Gage Gregory during the special recognition segment of their monthly meeting on September 16th, for the integrity he exhibited this summer when he received the prestigious Cullan Brown award. He received the award honoring the former University of Kentucky golfer who lost his life to osteosarcoma when he was 20 years old. Gage celebrated the event with Brown's family and will return next year to present the awards.

The Wayne County Board of Education has voted to continue requiring masks for students, staff, and visitors so long as the local COVID incidence rate remains at 50 or above. With the current incidence rate at 125, masks will continue to be required for now.

     Wayne County Schools have been following the Kentucky Department of Education state mandates to lessen the spread of COVID, like other districts across the Commonwealth. However, the Kentucky General Assembly passed a new bill addressing schools and COVID that takes effect towards the end of this school week.

Wayne County Cross Country season got underway with the Wayne County Middle School Team placing first overall at the 24^th Annual Southern Harrier Classic on September 11^th.

Wayne County High School Girls Soccer played short handed by 9 or 10 players verses eleven at the Monroe County game on Monday, September 13. Monroe County hosted the competition. The Monroe County Girls scores a total of three points winning the game!

    The Wayne County High School Marching Band received a third place overall award on Saturday, September 11^th at their first competition of the school year held at Somerset High School. Congratulations to the Wayne County Color Guard who received Best in Class and the Best Overall Award. They are coached by former WCHS Color Guard Member Shelby Gregory. 

The Wayne County Boys Golf Team participated in the South Laurel Invitational on September 11th in London, Kentucky, bringing home the runner-up title. Gage Gregory was named the overall individual Champion. There were a total of fifteen teams and some individuals which made a combined total of 92 golfers. 

The Lil Dribblers Camp was a hit for the younger girls on campus. They got to learn basic skills from the Lady Cardinal Coaches and players, just before school started. 

Wayne County High School Homecoming will be celebrated on September 17^th when the Football Cardinals play McCreary County at home on Jewell Field. Leading up to the event, the annual Homecoming Parade will be held on Thursday, September 16^th at 5:30 p.m. as the school football team, king and queen candidates, cheerleaders, dance team and marching band travel down Main Street.

The annual Wayne County Invitational, sponsored by the Monticello Banking Company, was held at the Monticello Country Club on Sunday, August 29.  A total of 72 high school golfers competed. The event featured thirteen teams and other individual golfers. Wayne County placed fourth in the tournament with a team score of 306.

Since 1961, the Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra has been one of the premier musical organizations in the Bluegrass State, exposing generations of Central Kentuckians to some of the greatest concert music ever composed. Wayne County Band has been fortunate to have input into their program through a special philharmonic musician.

Band gives first glimpse of their complex program during halftime at the Cardinal Football game on Friday, September 3, Good luck at the first band competition on Saturday, September 11th at Somerset High School, followed by North Laurel High School competition on September 18. 

Another successful grape harvesting session was held recently with Wayne County FFA students. The Wayne County Extension Service appreciates the opportunity extended by the Garrett family to continue the tradition of growing and maintaining quality grapes to benefit young people in the community.. The grapes were for sale at The Wayne County Farmers Market on Saturday, September 4th. The profits go into the FFA Alumni Account, to be utilized to support FFA members' scholarships (enough grapes were sold to fund one $500 Glyncon Garrett scholarship for a 2022 graduating VoAg student) and activities. 

Wayne County defeated Adair County in a thriller Friday night.  The Cardinals got off to a good start and with the help of penalties against the Indians had the lead at halftime 13-6 as QB Wesley Cares scored both touchdowns.

The Wayne County Junior Conservation Board will host an Agriculture Conservation Field Day on September 10^th from 4:00 – 7:00 PM at Red Barn Farms, Monticello (3 Miles out highway East 92 on the right). This event will be free to the public.

Wayne County Schools continue to work hard enforcing safety protocol, restrictions and guidelines to protect the students and staff from COVID-19. In spite of their best efforts, there has been a recent surge in reported cases, creating an increase in quarantines necessary to help lessen the spread.

Wayne County Schools continue to work hard enforcing safety protocol, restrictions and guidelines to protect the students and staff from COVID-19. In spite of their best efforts, there has been a recent surge in reported cases, creating an increase in quarantines necessary to help lessen the spread.

Enroll your kids up to age 19 in no-cost health care coverage through the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Signing up is simple. Coverage is complete. And it’s the right thing to do. Go to kynect.ky.gov/kchip or call (877) 524-4718.

Wayne County Schools needs your help with something small to make a BIG impact. Please keep your child home from school if they are displaying any COVID-like symptoms, including: fever, chills, new cough (this includes cough that remains after a fever), shortness of breath, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, and loss of taste or smell. If your child has any of these symptoms, we urge you to have them COVID tested before returning to school. This precaution can help prevent spread of the virus. Please study the graphics provided and follow all suggested guidelines. The actions you take as one person can affect many. Please help us keep all our children healthy and in school.

     Wayne County School staff members started the school year off strong with the acknowledgement of co-workers who were nominated for their exceptional work through the Go Cards Awards.

The district has been busy planning and consulting with stakeholders the last few months on the best way to utilize these ARP funds to maximize benefits for students now and in the future.

Wayne County High School Golfer Gage Gregory won the prestigious Cullan Brown Award this summer. The Bluegrass Golf Tour event honors the late Lyon County and University of Kentucky golfer Cullan Brown. 

The Wayne County Boys Golf Team has started their season with some impressive scores. The team consists of three seniors: Aaron Hesse, Gage Gregory and Gehrig Sexton; one sophomore Cade Foster, one freshman Hunter Bell along with Head Coach Stewart Gregory and Assistant Coach Allen Burchett. 

      They were oohing and aahing at the ‘gem’ located on the Wayne County School campus. The ‘gem’ is not a precious stone nor an athletic gym. It is the newest school building facility on campus, located at 38 Academic Avenue just behind the Wayne County High School. The Wayne County Area Technology Center got to open their doors to the public for the first time on August 16, well over a year after the building was finished. 

Friday's season opener was a good night for new head Coach Tyler Guffey and the Wayne County Cardinals as they defeated Clinton County 42-6. Unfortunately, the upcoming game with Pulaski County on August 27 has been canceled. due to COVID. 

Beginning August 23, Family Medical Center started offering COVID-19 drive-through vaccinations, as well as testing on Mondays and Wednesdays at Wayne County Memorial Park. Wayne County Schools appreciate the Healthy Kids Clinic helping keep our students safe through this community outreach!

The Wayne County Board of Education approved a motion to hire DECO Architects to design the new elementary school that will eventually replace Walker Early Learning Center. The new facility is is being sparked by federal COVID Relief funding, and will be located somewhere on the main campus

When you are starting at a new school, it means a lot to have an upperclassman show you the ropes and ease the transition. That is exactly what the 16 volunteer mentors provided at the annual orientation just before classes began. Thank you for your kindness Mentors!  

Wayne County Kindergarten students filled the classrooms at Walker Early Learning Center on opening day, August 19th. The nearby Cardinal Kids Campus, the school district year-around daycare center, was also open for business. The preschoolers will join the kindergarten students on August 30 for half day sessions Mondays through Thursdays. Classrooms are named by color groups in the preschool hallway, accommodating morning and afternoon groups. Phase-In will be held on August 25 and 26 as the youngest learners transition onto campus.

Wayne County Schools are looking forward to a successful school year, even though the pandemic continues with the new variant. District leadership have been monitoring the latest developments with the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to adjust their plans accordingly. The mask emergency regulation set by KDE will be observed for all students and staff. 

Wayne County Middle School students and their families attended orientation sessions before the start of school. They visited their classrooms and visited booths with extra information.

Wayne County Middle School students and their families attended orientation sessions before the start of school. They visited their classrooms and visited booths with extra information.

Third graders were excited to see their new school after attending Bell Elementary for first and second grades. A considerable amount of renovation work is ending at the school so teachers and students can enjoy the updates. The Junior Conservation Club is working on some of the court yard renovations building butterfly boxes. Besides visiting their classrooms, families learned about after school opportunities like 4-H, 21st Century, Girl Scouts, and Youth League Football.

        The Wayne County School Transportation Department is ready to roll with bus driver update training, summer maintenance checks, new and used buses recently purchased, and a newly designed route schedule planned for the opening of school. It all plays out seamlessly, even though it is a complex process behind the scenes to orchestrate. There are 45 regular route buses that travel approximately 2,385 miles per day. In addition there are three special need buses.

The Lady Card Casting Cardinals made their first visit to Nationals this summer making school history. Hannah Kempton and Jenna Morrow participated in the 2021 Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School National's recently.

Wayne County's Gehrig Sexton with a score of one under par won the Rockets Invitational tournament on Tuesday August 3rd at the General Burnside Island Golf Course.

The Wayne County Cardinals look to take on the Clinton County Bulldogs on Friday, August the 20th for their home opener.

Hallways have been jammed with pallets of boxes filled with new manuals and kits that will update and enrich student learning, courtesy of the American Recovery Act. The district is investing an extra $200 worth of instructional resources per student through this phase of the federal funds.

The Wayne County Girls Golf Team participated in the Taylor County Cardinal Classic and finished 5th overall as a team, recently. On Saturday, August 7th they will participate in the Barren County Invitational at Barren River State Park. Go Cards!

     Wayne County Schools regretfully announce the CANCELATION of the Districtwide School Carnival planned for Monday, August 16. Due to the increased COVID in the community it is necessary to cancel the planned back to school carnival.  The plan was to have a fun activity to kick off a new and hopefully normal school year.  However, the concern now is that the desired fun could contribute to a possible outbreak. Thank you to all who had planned and made preparations.  Everyone’s efforts have been appreciated. Students will report back to class on August 19 for the first day of school which will be in session for 8:15 to 3:15 p.m.  The staff will attend opening day on August 18th. Each school will be conducting their own orientation schedules this month.

Wayne County Schools are excited to welcome students back to their school building orientations. There will be an exchange of information, while students get to meet their instructors for the coming school year. A schedule of each school's orientation meetings appear inside...

It's been a long row to hoe, but the light at the end of the tunnel is beginning to shine through for Wayne 

County School's lady golfers.  The 2021 season will be an entire new spectrum with a 'team' presence in 

place out on the green.  Twenty years ago - in the year 2000 - the girls golf team was noted as having their 

best regular season ever.  Since then, it's been individual play for lady golfers at Wayne County due to 

them being a team member short.

Most Wayne County High School JROTC Cadets are what we always call ‘Hard Charging’. They take the JROTC program seriously, apply themselves in all they do academically, emotionally, physically, and contribute many hours of time to JROTC, team practice,  community and school  events, and just about anytime they are called upon to fulfill any requirement.

The Wayne County Area Technology Center will be rolling out the red carpet to the public to celebrate their 50^th anniversary serving Wayne County’s Technical Education needs with a special Grand Opening event. The new center will have an open house on August 16^th from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at their new location at 38 Academic Avenue, directly behind the Wayne County High School.

“On rappel” was heard many times as 18 hardy WCHS JROTC Cadets had the opportunity to conduct rappel training at the Richmond, KY, Fire Training Center on July 22.  Cadets departed Wayne County at 0700 hours, dressed in their Cadet ACU uniforms with the thought of high adventure and an event they rarely have the opportunity to perform. Rappel training is normally conducted during Junior Cadet Leadership Camp but the JROTC Cadet Corps has not had a JCLC for the past two years due to Covid 19.

The Kentucky Department of Education and Valvoline Inc. have selected 24 outstanding Kentucky educators as recipients of the 2022 Valvoline™ Teacher Achievement Awards (TAA) including Wayne County School Teacher Jamie Reagan. She and the other 23 recipients have qualified to compete for the 2022 Kentucky Teacher of the Year Award, which will be announced in September.

Wayne County Schools are eager to begin another school year and look forward to seeing students on August 19^th.  COVID continues to be a concern for our community and our schools.  The district will continue to follow the advice of local, area, and state health department officials in making decisions with regard to student and staff safety. 

Wayne County Schools are eager to begin another school year and look forward to seeing students on August 19^th.  COVID continues to be a concern for our community and our schools.  The district will continue to follow the advice of local, area, and state health department officials in making decisions with regard to student and staff safety. 

First and second grade girls at Bell Elementary are encouraged to register for this opportunity to pick up tips through drills and technique development in a fun way. There will be a series of three after school sessions. Call 606-348-8150 for more information.

 The Wayne County Board of Education met Thursday, July 15^th, continuing to make plans for the construction of a new elementary building, with the help of federal COVID relief money.

Four 'Casting Cards' participated in the Annual Student Angler Federation World Finals and National Championship on Lake Hartwell in Anderson, South Carolina June 30th through July 2nd of last week. Wayne County Captain Jason Stockton said, "Three hundred ninety eight teams from all over the United States (including one team from Zimbabwe) participated in the competitions."

Monticello's Summer Camp was held in conjunction with the 21st Century Summer Camp that has proven to help students maintain their knowledge base from school year to school year, rather than experiencing the 'summer slide'. Many students across the district participated in a unique summer school at their building to try and boost their grades forward, after having to deal without in-person learning for part of the past school year. The summer camp activities, as well as 21st Century Camp activities were in addition to catching up in their basic subject classes at Monticello Elementary for grades three, four and five.  

  As school year, 21/22 nears and everyone gets excited for what will hopefully be a normal school year, the Wayne County High School JROTC Raider Team will begin summer practice beginning on Monday, July 12.

Fourth and fifth grade students conducted Science experiments from home and then sent in photos of their work to teachers. Thank you to the parents who worked with them to bring their experiments to a conclusion. Once in-person learning resumed the students were rewarded for their efforts in the virtual Science Fair. 

Wayne County Middle School students in sixth, seventh and eighth grade worked on Science Fair projects. Each year the students participate in the event. Then the judges narrow down to the classroom winners and their projects were displayed in the school library. Micah Burchett won the Best Overall Award and Palmer Smith won Best Overall Presentation. 

The next Wayne County School Job Fair is scheduled for July 7 from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the District Services Office (formerly known as the ATC or Vocational School). Come and join our team!  Anyone seeking employment in a professional environment is encouraged to attend. Openings for full-time cooks, bus drivers, teachers, and special needs assistants; as well as substitute positions in a variety of areas.  Please bring names and contact information (address and phone numbers) for three references.   

The Wayne County High School Volleyball program held a three-day summer camp for girls in Kindergarten through Fifth Grade in the Rodney Woods Gymnasium, June 21-23. The high school girls assisted Volleyball Coach Sandra Baker teaching 20 young girls basic skills used in volleyball. The day campers were split into two groups so they got plenty of attention from the older players they looked up to. The campers became real volleyball fans and will hopefully continue to be interested in the sport.   

INDIANAPOLIS – The best laid plans of mice, men and All-Star coaches often go awry. That sums up the final nine seconds of Indiana’s agonizing loss to Kentucky in the series finale. Wayne County Cardinal Macey Blevins was a major contributor to the Kentucky Team beating rival Indiana in a dramatic game, recently. The fans in Indiana got to see a Wayne County player's talents! 

Wayne County Extension Service and FFA students volunteer to work in the school garden during the summer months to make sure there are plenty of vegetables to harvest in the fall for the students. The four-acre garden is split into two sections with pumpkins and corn to be planted in the front section and slicing tomatoes, grape tomatoes, cabbage, brocolli, brussell sprouts, cucumbers, cantaloupe, watermelons, and bell/banana peppers to be planted in the back section. Most recently the agriculture enthusiasts put wide strips of plastic down to keep weeds away and drip lines to irrigate the crops. In fact, they have had several plastic laying parties at the Wayne County FFA school garden, recently. With all the recent rain, they are behind like most gardeners. Extension Service Agent Glen Roberts and Specialist Terry Bertram really appreciate the students who come out and give of their time. They especially wished to thank Gage Tucker, Myles Gregory, Jenna Morrow. Matthew Bogucki and Jorden Watson for their support. Back in March they plowed the gardens.

Thanks to a committee of parents, Project Graduation was held on Jewell Field immediately following the Main Street Parade at the end of the school year. A huge variety of prizes were given out. The committee surprised the students with the featured musical guest, Elvie Shane, a popular country music singer from Kentucky. Students enjoyed the special entertainment and also participated in all kinds of activities before the concert and fireworks. 

The local government supported the 2021 Senior Parade down Main Street after the final day of school. Seniors had fun being recognized in their hometown.

Wayne County Schools are proud to have three teachers selected to be included in the Excellence in Teaching Virtual Ceremony hosted by Campbellsville College. Walker Early Learning Center Teacher Becky Lewis, Wayne County Middle School Teacher Braxton Shearer, and Wayne County High School Teacher Liz McClain were recognized for their outstanding contributions to education. Check out the video link inside.

Wayne County's 21st Century Program started summer camp and activities for students who will be in grades three through eight when school starts in the fall on June 7th. Every summer, students have enriched their minds with creative activities including a wealth of topics to choose from like: competitive cook offs, literary events, drama productions. exciting field trips, and physical training. Besides 21st Century, Summer School is taking a front row seat to help students at every school level catch up.

Several university and college admission counselors presented scholarships to members of the senior class during the Awards Night. Special thanks to local businesses and organizations who presented local scholarships to students. Wayne County High School awards and valuable ATC Industry Certifications were also presented to the class of 2021, in a year that it was particularly hard to meet these goals.   

There was a large group that qualified totalling 56 seniors. Students meeting the following conditions after the first seven
semesters were inducted into the Academic Hall of Fame: A cumulative grade point average of 3.75; met the ACT College Benchmarks (or their equivalent for state accountability) OR have passed 2 Dual Credit classes with a B or better grade; have maintained at least 94% attendance rate (excluding excused absences). These seniors were recognized during Senior Night Awards when Media Specialist Carol Ford presented a video for the audience to watch in their honor. 

Wayne County Volleyball Camp 2021 will be held June 21-23 in the WCHS Gym. K-second graders will meet from 9:00 -10:00 and 3rd-5th graders will meet from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. Please fill out the application form by June 14. 

The Berea based Gear Up program provided Chromebooks to each graduating senior in their region as they completed expenditures for this round of their federal grant monies. This was a one-time event that benefitted the class of 2021. They will be able to transition into their post secondary education, specialized training or employment with the help of a new chromebook. 

Seniors took a sentimental journey through all the schools on the final day of classes. The underclassmen all enjoyed seeing the seniors in their cap n' gowns and getting the chance to congratulate them on completing their public education. Several seniors got to hug their Moms and extended family as they walked through the hallways of the schools that brought back fond memories.  

The boy's tennis team finished with a final record of 11-3. Congratulations to Wayne County Tennis players Aaron Hesse and Ashton Morrow whom advanced to the regional quarterfinals in doubles, while Nathin Hicks advanced to the regional quarterfinals in singles.

Congratulations to Coach Josh Bartley and the WCHS Baseball Team becoming the 48th District Champions on Sunday, May 30. The Bat Cards defeated Southwestern 4-1. All-Tournament Team members from Wayne County included: Kason Pitman, Malachi Brown, Andrew Brammer, and Renan Dobbs.

There were 2,811 guests who were able to enjoy seeing their senior graduate in a customized ceremony, allowing many more family and friends to be a part of the final graduation ceremony in the gymnasium. COVID guidelines allowed for each senior to have four tickets to invite friends and family (based on capacity seating) so instead of a traditional commencement, the school focused on each senior being able to share their moment crossing the stage with all those they wished to invite. There were many highlights, hugs, and joyful moments to celebrate each senior at the family affair. An edited video of the entire three day senior event is being produced and will be featured on the school district website coming up this summer. 

There were 222 seniors that graduated in the Class of 2021. The seniors participated in the annual walk through at the school buildings, while participating in Pomp and Circumstances together as a class on the last day of school to be together. The campus streets were lined with yard signs of each senior. They took a drone photo spelling out WC on the practice field. They stopped by the District Services building to receive their free ChromeBooks courtesy of the Gear-Up program, a one-time gift due to a regional Gear-Up grant. Participated in a parade down Main Street celebrating graduation, followed by a celebration on Jewell Field for Project Graduation, complete with prizes and fireworks.

SFC Cody Worley announced the seniors who are taking the Oath of Enlistment to voluntarily serve in the Kentucky Army National Guard. All five of the seniors have been enrolled in the WC JROTC program during high school. This school year they were led by WC Battalion Commander Daniel Ward. Several of the seniors also participated on the JROTC Raider Team which was beneficial towards the next step in their training.

Each grade experienced their own field days on the land across the street from the newly renovated front facade of the school building. The third grade tug of war winners were students in Hannah Parmley's classroom. It was a day students look forward to each school year. Special thanks to the teachers and especially School Social Worker Noah Rice for coordinating the event. 

The Kentucky Department of Education has launched its Summer Boost: Reading and Mathematics Program, along with a series of Summer Support webpages, in partnership with The Children’s Reading Foundation, Scholastic and the Summer Food Service Program. The webpages also will feature a virtual read-aloud series that will allow children to listen to stories read by guests.

Wayne County Schools will once again recognize outstanding individuals, both certified and classified on opening day 2021. You are encouraged to nominate extraordinary individuals who work in the Wayne County School System and deserve to be recognized. Please give precise examples of what makes that person a praiseworthy candidate. Suggested criteria are listed below. One certified and one classified staff member from each school and one classified person from the district staff will be recognized with a $100.00 dollar recognition. Each winner will then be eligible to be recognized as the district’s “MVP” and receive an additional $150.00 dollar recognition.

The Wayne County Sheriff’s Department would like to invite the public to the Wayne County High School Pickrell Auditorium for MILO laws enforcement training on June 7-11. This is a special opportunity to give those interested an outlook on law enforcement decision making.

Senior Night at The Hat was special for three young men that have made Wayne County proud! The seniors being honored were: Tristan Gregory, Jacob Jackson, and Titus Jones. They were recognized at a recent home game when the Cards defeated neighboring Clinton County 11-1 in six innings. On May 18 the Cards were defeated by Somerset at an away game 5-15. On May 20th, the Cards will play Whitley County at home beginning at 6:30 p.m. Come out and support them!  

The Kentucky Broadband Initiative is a network of public and private partners working to expand internet access and build a stronger digital infrastructure in rural communities across Kentucky. We are asking everyone to please go to this website and complete an internet speed test.  This data will help locate areas in the county that have slow internet speeds or none at all.  The Kentucky Broadband Initiative can provide funds to our community to build better internet access for students and families

Wayne County's 21st Century Program will be providing summer camp from June 7-July 2. Parents, if your child wants to participate and needs transportation, you will have until this Friday, May 14th to get their application turned in. Student applications turned in after the 14th will not be eligible for transportation. Be sure and register for Summer Camp because slots are limited. Applications must be recovered by Friday, May 21st in order to be processed.  

The Wayne County Boys Tennis Team is excited to have a 9-2 winning record so far this season. Congratulations to Coach Allen Burchett and the Boys Team! You are maintaining the past five seasons winning record of 44-9. Go Cards!   

Erica Guffey's seventh graders put the narrator of "The Tell-Tale Heart" on trial to prove if he was legally sane or insane after reading Edgar Allen Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart and studying the M'Nauten rule for legal insanity. During this unique classroom exercise, the students became the lawyers in a classroom court case to provide evidence from the text to present their case, as if the narrator of "The Tell-Tale Heart was legally sane or legally insane. Students followed mock proceedings including the presentation of opening arguments and counter arguments. "Court" was then adjourned for the day and students were provided the opportunity to further support their claims and develop their closing arguments. The students were completely engaged in the project.

Wayne County Schools have received 117 parent requests to participate in the Supplemental School Year Program (SSYP) created by Kentucky Senate Bill 128. This legislation was passed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and allows any K-12 students to use the 2021-2022 school year as a supplemental year to retake or supplement courses the student has already taken.

Cobb employees presented assemblies to Bell Elementary students giving an overview of the local hatchery operations. The students were delighted with the program and could not wait to get a close up view of the baby chicks they brought to school. The Cobb employees never committed on which came first....the chicken or the egg.  

Wayne County Schools were well represented at the annual Child Plus Fair on Saturday, May 1. Families learned about school opportunities, enrollment, and a variety of services available to youngsters in the community. Wayne County Schools Family Resource Center Directors Leslie Randall and Kendra Patton co-chaired the event which was held outdoors this year at Memorial Park. There were 73 families who brought incoming preschoolers and 12 incoming kindergarten students. During the previous Lil Cardinal Academy Drive-Through event, 38 students enrolled.  

Bell Elementary students were tickled to receive goodie bags filled with a book, seeds, math games/manipulatives, reading games/manipulatives, and a pizza kit from the food service program at the Drive-Thru literacy event. The local 4-H program also gave out goodies for the young children. It was a popular night on April 22 when families visited from their vehicles. 

The Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) classes, located at the new Wayne County Area Technical Center, appreciated information from guest speaker SFC Cody Worley with the Kentucky National Guard, recently.  SFC Worley talked about career possibilities within the Kentucky National Guard which include multiple areas that students did not realize existed. For example, besides the traditional military side that is generally thought of, they offer jobs in health care, carpentry, welding, and office clerical jobs. Plus, SFC Worley explained that the Guard can help pay for a college education.    

 The Wayne County Bat Cards certainly have a player to look up to who has a proven track record both on the baseball field and in the classroom. As a result of hard work and love for the game, Wayne County Senior Jacob Jackson recently signed to play baseball at the next level with the Midway University Eagles.

The Wayne County High School Chapter of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) has looked much different this year. However, the changes that COVID has brought about has not stopped two Wayne County High School students. Shaylie Dobbs (president) and Shelby Bell (vice president) have led FCCLA virtually. They recently completed a worthwhile service learning project related to Child Abuse Prevention month.

Wayne County's Junior Conservation Board provided Bell Elementary second graders with an interesting outdoor assembly to celebrate Earth Day. Six high school students that participate in the after school program opened to students 13-21-years-old distributed the ornamental Nuttall Oak trees to encourage the young people to plant trees. The students taught their younger peers how trees help the planet.  Those students who provided the educational give-away were: Riley Jones, Madelyn Frogge, Kathren Crabtree, Jenna Morrow, Brylee Chriswell, and Katie Jones (Not pictured were Arysona Hicks, Eli Stephens and Tanner Stephens who are also on the Junior Conservation Board). The Junior Board is a new organization and enrollment is open to young people who want to help conserve soil and water in the county. Their advisor, Diane Cushman, administrator secretary to the Wayne County Conservation District explained that the Junior Conservation Board is a new organization and enrollment is open to young people who want to help conserve soil and water in the county. The members already have a list of activities they are planning to initiate.

Wayne County High School Senior Gage Tucker has been selected to receive a $500 Johnnie Mathias Kentucky Association of Agriculture Educators (KAAE) Scholarship. He recently received word that the KAAE Scholarship Committee was impressed with his application and is excited to provide him with this financial support.

     Wayne County Area Technology Center SkillsUSA students recently competed in the SkillsUSA State Conference/Championship competition held April 9-15 with several local students taking top awards. Mark Burke, Joshua Parmley, Mark Smith, Alan Bell, and Chris Denney - ATC teachers who serve as SkillsUSA advisors, would like to congratulate Automotive Technology student Jaden Gibson, who advanced to national competition, as well as Industrial Maintenance Technology student Dawson Piercy and Machine Tool Technology student Nicholas Allen for medaling. These students worked hard preparing for the event.

Spread the word that the annual Child Plus Fair will be held outdoors at Memorial Park on May 1. Parents of school age children will receive information on enrolling their child in Preschool, Head Start or Kindergarten. Community partners will be passing out FREE items to those that attend. Parents can drive by each booth to receive information. Come out and enjoy the colorful Candyland theme. 

Principal Angela Ballinger was invited to participate in a national focus group forum for Sesame Street in Communities. Their website designers were seeking opinions to help make updates to their website at https://sesamestreetincommunities.org/ based on a survey she and others had responded to last October. She was pleased to participate in a recent zoom meeting with others across the country to provide them with valuable feedback on the updates they had made to the website that offers a wide variety of programs, activities and professional development available to parents and educators.  

Bell Elementary students enjoy their specials rotation classes that they attend once a week which include: Science Lab, Computer Lab, Guidance, Library, and Physical Education. Marla Rice's Science Lab covers Life Science, Earth and Space Science, Properties of Matter, and Physical Science for both first and second graders. Recently, the second grade students enjoyed  investigating Properties of Matter. They worked on designing a glue with ingredients that would create sticky, and quick drying properties.

Congratulations to Wayne County FFA students who competed in the Lake Cumberland Regional Competition and have advanced to state competition on May 25th. Those FFA members who competed at region include: Harley Hodge – Fruit/Vegetable Impromptu Speaking – Superior 1^st, Kason Stockton – Goat/Sheep Impromptu Speaking – Superior 2^nd, Jenna R. Morrow – Floral Impromptu Speaking – Superior 2^nd  , Gage Tucker for Extemporaneous Public Speaking – Superior 1^st  and Kathren Crabtree for Prepared Public Speaking – Superior 2^nd

  As students came back to school in March, beginning with a four day in-person week that evolved into a five day in-person week, there was lots of excitement to welcome them back to school. The middle school launched a month-long project to rejoice in the return of in-person learning, even though some students remained virtual learners during the pandemic.

It's time to begin registering for preschool for the 2021-22 school year! The kick off began with the Little Cardinal Academy Drive-Thru on Friday, April 16. Thank you to the great turn out of families who started the process of signing up for preschool for the 2021-22 school year. If your family did not get to attend the recent drive-thru, you can still visit the school at your convenience to start the enrollment process or just check out the opportunities. The next exciting enrollment event is the Child Plus Fair coming Saturday, May 1st from 10:00 to 2:00 p.m. at Memorial Park.

Also, if you have a child or know of a family with a child that is planning on enrolling in Kindergarten @ WELC for the 2021-22 school year please complete this form https://forms.gle/PgiwUTjfJo36pR9t9. Any child that will be age 5 by August 1, 2021 will be eligible to enroll in Kindergarten. Feel free to contact the school Mon-Fri 7:30 a.m.- 4:00 p.m., if you have any questions.

The parents of Wayne County students will have the opportunity to voice their opinion on the Supplemental School Year Program during a survey period that is currently going on in the district. Superintendent Wayne Roberts talked about the program during a school board meeting held April 15th. Check out the left-hand column of this website to gain access to this important parent survey.  

About a hundred first and second graders participated in Kids Kamp, a spring break learning adventure held at Bell Elementary. The children were provided transportation and served breakfast and lunch inside their classrooms at the fun event. The schedule was filled with kid-friendly sessions including everything from Superhero Science where they built a boat out of clay and placed miniature superhero figures inside to see if it would float to looking for their site words on a safari hunt and writing them in shaving cream. Students were introduced to making 3D pictures on the computer while learning to use the mouse (since they normally tap on the screens of the white boards or ipads). They used legos, cubes and building pieces to make miniature birdhouses and structures in the engineer/architect math class. Frisbee golf, water balloons and basketball were part of the PE sessions. They proudly wore their tie dyed t-shirts on the final fourth day. 

It's an exciting time for youngsters who will be four-years-old by August 1, 2021. These children are eligible to attend preschool at Walker Early Learning Center. Pre-K students benefit from academic growth and social development by attending Wayne County's excellent program. Check out the data from the Urban Child Institute to see why your child should enroll in such a quality and best practice driven Pre-K education. Thanks to the parents who have already registered their children for preschool through the drive-through event held May 16th at school!

It has been difficult enough to master virtual, hybrid, limited in-person study schedules this past school year, so to have put together an extra-curricular academic team who saw considerable success is pretty amazing. Even though the odds were against it, a determined coach and five amazing fourth and fifth graders rallied to make impressive strides through the chain of mind boggling tests offered by the Kentucky Association for Academic Competition. Academic Team competition is a tough challenge for any student under normal conditions, so just to participate in the 2021 season is a tribute to these students

Joshua Parmley’s carpentry students ‘nailed it’ on a recently completed one-page essay assignment on how to close the skills gap for potential employees applying to local businesses. The carpentry classes, as well as all the other practical vocational programs at the new Area Technology Center are bustling with activity again, since more of the students’ have returned to in-person learning and can participate in the hands-on learning labs that adjoin their classrooms. ATC students are benefiting from a wide range of state-of-the-art instruction which includes everything from high tech automotive to the latest trends in agriculture classes.

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month.  This month and throughout the year, Wayne County Schools, and the Department of Community Based Services along with Mayor Tracie Sexton and County Judge Executive Mike Anderson, encourage all individuals and organizations to play a role in making Monticello and Wayne County a better place for children and families.  By ensuring that parents have the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to care for their children, we can help promote children's social and emotional well-being and prevent child maltreatment within families and communities.

Congratulations to Wayne County Basketball Coach Rodney Woods who was recently presented with the impressive Ralph Beard Lifetime Achievement Award.

After winning three games in a row at the start of the 2021 schedule, the Bat Cards lost by only one run, with a score of 9-10 to Garrard County on Saturday, April 3. It was a beautiful day to play ball and the Wayne County 2020 Seniors returned to the field for a bittersweet moment to throw out the first pitch. It was a nice opportunity to highlight those players after participating in baseball for years and then not being able to play a single game last year, due to Covid-19.     

Vaccines are available to the public for anyone over 18-years-old at the school clinic each Friday. In addition, temperature screening expectations have been changed to state that only symptomatic students or staff need to be screened for fever. So, Wayne County Schools are now following that updated guideline, as outlined by public health officials. However, masks are still being required inside the schools and buildings on campus.  

The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) released a new guidance document on April 5 that details how the Supplemental School Year Program impacts public education in the Commonwealth.

    If you have followed girls basketball in this town over the past couple of decades, you already know who they are. Tim Pyles and Gary Abbott were among the best coaches in this region during their careers. And the two men were recognized for their accomplishments during the 2021 induction ceremony for the  12^th Region Girls Basketball Hall of Fame.

The kids at Walker Early Learning Center had fun at the recent March Madness Literacy Drive-Through event. The Walker Early Learning Center staff, Cardinal Basketball players, Cheerleaders and Dance Team members joined in on the fun. The preschoolers and kindergarten students were treated to a literacy bag full of learning activities and customized basketball.  

The Wayne County Mat Cards ended their season at the KHSAA state competition at George Rogers Clark High School in Winchester, Ky. on March 27th. Two of the local wrestlers placed at the championship event. Colin Tucker placed sixth in the 106 pound weight division. He is a two time state medal winner and will be returning next year. Devin Sanders placed eighth in the 220 weight class. He is a first time state medal winner and will be graduating this season. Wayne County Wrestling Team placed 23rd at the State Tournament.  

Wayne County Schools are making up lost ground that may have occurred during virtual learning this school year. The district is trying to close the achievement gap in all kinds of ways to compensate for any lost learning opportunities that happened during virtual or hybrid schedules. Teachers, support staff and bus drivers are working extra hours to accommodate the students.

State lawmakers and Louisville's WAVE TV have been quoting a success story from Wayne County Schools regarding data collected at Walker Early Learning Center, this month.The local children who have been enrolled in the Imagination Library have performed at least five percent better on average than children who were not enrolled in the program.   

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Take some time this month to learn how protective factors and adverse childhood experiences impact families and communities. #wcschools Wear blue this Thursday, 4/1, to promote awareness for Child Abuse Prevention Month.

The Wayne County High School Archery Team completed a very difficult season with the girls placing 3rd in the KHSAA Region 9 Tournament at Boyle County High School on Saturday, March 27. All the Archery Coaches want to congratulate the archers for their performances and dedication to their sport.

 The Kentucky Department of Education’s (KDE’s) Commissioner’s Student Advisory Council (SAC) heard about recent education-related legislation in Kentucky during their meeting on March 23. One piece of legislation discussed among the council members was Senate Bill (SB) 128, which offers any Kentucky K-12 public or private school student the option to use the 2021-2022 school year as an opportunity to retake or supplement classes they already have completed.

Bell Elementary second graders enjoyed a very informative lesson from Bee Farmers Mike Brotzge and Boyd Foster of the Freedom community, recently. The beekeepers showed the students their protective gear, tools, beehives and honey that has been produced by the bees. The second graders had been studying insects in their Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) lessons taught by their homeroom teachers. Both first and second graders benefit from CKLA curriculum, however, the subjects are customized to each grade level, so they are not learning the same material.  

Local wrestlers Colin Tucker and Devin Sanders will advance to the state finals on Saturday, March 27th at George Rogers Clark High School. The Mat Cards placed third at the Semi State 4 at Martin County on Saturday, March 20.  

Congratulations to the Lady Cardinals on defeating Pulaski County in the first game in the 12th Region on Sunday, March 21 at Pulaski County with a score of 58-54. The Lady Cards fought back after being down in double digits the first half of the game. The Lady Cards will play Mercer County next on Thursday night, March 25 at 7:00 p.m. The final championship is set for March 28 at 3:00 p.m. Prior to the Regional Tournament, they were named District Champion Runners-Up on March 18th after Southwestern defeated them in a hard fought game 67-52. Three of the Lady Cards made the 48th District Team which included: Mallory Campbell, Kenzi Upchurch, and Macey Blevins. Special congratulations to Macey Blevins and Coach Mark McKinley on being named 12th Region Player of the Year and 12th Region Coach of the Year!!!  

Students in Wayne County High School Instructor Shannon Foster's Family and Consumer Science classes have continued to learn and gain life skills, in spite of the pandemic and limitations it has caused.

Check out the highlights from the last season home game with the Lady Cardinals. The Lady Cards defeated Somerset 69-47 at a doubleheader game March 11th. There was lots to celebrate that night!

Wayne County ATC will offering after school hours for students to work on improving grades for their ATC course(s) for this school year. Teachers will be available after school on selected weekdays and two Saturday's for students to come in and work on missing assignments and to practice and complete industry certification tests.

Wayne County High School Seniors were welcomed back to classes recently with goodie bags filled with all kinds of Cardinal themed gifts. Family Resource Center Director Audra Branscum packed the bags and handed them out to seniors. The staff have worried about the seniors since they have missed the majority of their in-person classes and events, due to the pandemic. They were especially sympathetic towards the students in their classes, since they know so many look forward to enjoying their senior year.

The senior members of the Lady Cardinal Basketball Team and Cheerleaders were recognized at the March 8th game. The Cards defeated Somerset 47-33 at that game. 

Wayne County placed third in the Region 7 Wrestling Championship in Richmond, recently out of seventeen teams competing. Congratulation to nine of the local wrestlers on the Mat Cards Team that placed in the two-day event. Check out some of the previous matches leading up to the Region 7 inside...

Wayne County Schools has full time openings for cooks, special needs assistants, and bus drivers. We also have openings for substitutes in all those classifications as well as substitute teachers. Find out how you can become part of our team by attending our job fair on Friday, March 19 from 11:00 – 2:00. The job fair will be held at the new central office (formerly the Wayne County Area Technology Center), located at 150 Cardinal Way in Monticello.

Head Coach Forrest Shelton and Assistant Coach Dallas Hoskins of the Wayne County Archery programs were especially proud of their archery teams following the NASP State Tournament on March 12 at the Kentucky Expo Center in Louisville, Kentucky.

Monticello Elementary third, fourth, and fifth graders enjoyed the reading campaign both in-person and from home virtually. Media Specialist Tracy Slage designed a lesson about Dr. Seuss' life, his books and fun trivia. She also made a recording for the virtual students by reading some of the older Dr. Seuss books like: McElligot's Pool, The Sneeches, Yertle the Turtle, and Horton Hatches the Egg. Besides reading, Monticello students have been involved in several special event campaigns like: a virtual Science Fair, Superior Student Certificate for earning All A's, and Random Acts of Kindness Week. Extra-curricular activities like the Academic Team's recent successful competition has also been a highlight. Students can take advantage of all kinds of  exciting learning events at Monticello Elementary. 

The first and second graders read a remarkable 500 books over the two days that school was in session during the Read Across America week. Wednesday was Crazy Sock Day based on the book "Fox in Socks" book. Green Day was special because the cooks created 'green' eggs and ham that the children enjoyed for breakfast inside their classrooms. In addition to special events, the Accelerated Reading Program is underway where children take computerized quizzes over each book they read. If they pass the comprehension quiz, they collect points towards future rewards. Teachers are working towards two special events - Kids Kamp over spring break and a Family Reading Night in April that will be based on Earth Day at Bell Elementary so stay tuned for information about that upcoming event!

Crazy Sock Day and Hat Day were fun dress up days for the youngest learners at Walker Early Learning Center as in-person learning came back.  That week kicked off "A Tournament of Books" at Walker where students vote on their favorite books that they read in their classrooms. The top  books will gradually fill the brackets in the main hallway during the youngest learners' take on March Madness. The preschool and kindergarten children are excited about this campaign leading up to March Madness Family Literacy Night Drive-Thru event on March 30th where the favorite book will be revealed. (Preschoolers and kindergarten students are not required to wear masks at school, even though the staff does wear mask at school.) 

Juniors had the high school to themselves on March 9th, while their peers in the other grades stayed home to study virtually. They were taking the mandated ACT which is a very important test, especially if the student is interested in going to college. The high school teachers facilitated the test in their classrooms. They took a short mid-morning break before heading back to the classroom to cover some more subjects.

Wayne County Schools are cautiously following the Kentucky Department of Education guidance for spring activities. Many school events are being planned for the students, while still observing the COVID-19 guidelines. Drive-Thru literacy, camps, prom, spring sports are in process now that there are more in-person opportunities for students. Mask mandates and all kinds of safety observances are  implemented daily on the local campus.

The staff at Walker Early Learning Center are hoping their families will celebrate March madness with them at a Drive-Thru Family Literacy Night for their preschool and kindergarten students on March 30 from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. It should be a fun night behind the center to pull through and receive a book, mini basketball, learning activities and popcorn. Don't miss out! 

WCHS Pep Band spread out and performed at the home football game where the Boys Cardinal Basketball Team defeated Russell County on March 5th. Band Director Andy Critz performed the national anthem to help start the ballgame. Senior Night was held celebrating Brody Weaver's accomplishments to the basketball team, as well as Senior Dance Team Members Alexis Howard and Kaylee Skeese. The Cards defeated Russell County 61-57. Wayne County will be hosting the 48th District Tournament. On March 15th the Cards play Southwestern at 7:00 p.m. in the tournament.  

Wayne County Wrestling held Senior Night on March 4 at the Rodney Woods Gymnasium celebrating four of their wrestlers. Wayne County then defeated Knox Central High School 48.0 to 18.0, followed by another round with Wayne County defeating Barbourville 60 to 0.

Want to have some fun during spring break? The staff at Bell Elementary want to invite their students in grades one and two to participate in the four-day Kids Kamp specially designed to meet their needs. There will be all kinds of enrichment classes offered that kids will enjoy. Just turn in the flyer inside to the school by March 22nd to make your reservation. 

 To encourage more families to take advantage of the healthy choices available with school breakfast, Wayne County School District is celebrating National School Breakfast Week (NSBW) during March 8-12, 2021. This year has made the normal celebrations a little more difficult due to the pandemic.  However, the cafeterias continue to serve healthy breakfast for students of Wayne County Schools districtwide, whether it is in-person or through curbside service so virtual students are not left out. The good news is the local system is a Community Eligibility Provisions School which provides free meals to all students.

All high school grades will be studying virtually to allow the entire Junior Class to participate in ACT testing at the high school on March 9th. Attendance by the Junior Class is very important. The state-required test for all grade 11 students is the only test that assesses students' academic readiness and is a requirement for entrance to most colleges.

The Wayne County Wrestling team placed third after traveling to Ashland High School on Saturday, February 27, for the Tomcat Invitational. The tournament featured Simon Kenton, Covington Catholic, and Covington Holmes from Northern Kentucky, Ashland Paul Blazer, Madison Central, Danville, McCreary Central, and Wayne County.

Wayne County's NASP team, which includes elementary, middle and high school archers, traveled to Campbellsville High School for their last regular season tournament. on February 27th. The Elementary Team won first place, while Wayne County Middle School was second, and Wayne County High School finished in third place at the Campbellsville tournament.

The Wayne County Board of Education approved the 2021-2022 Annual School Calendar during their February monthly meeting, following the recommendation of the calendar committee. The first day of school for students will be August 18th. The usual fall, winter, and spring breaks are built into the calendar. The last day for students is set for May 23. Of course, the schedule can change throughout the year dependant on the circumstances.  

Kentucky Launches Free Statewide Wi-Fi Speed Test to Better Connect People to School, Business and Government Services. Go to http://ewdc.ky.gov/Initiatives/Pages/KBI.aspx to participate. The deadline to participate has been extended to March 1st, so take advantage of this opportunity NOW!

The Wayne County 21st Century Program and Wayne County Youth Services are hosting a Table Talk Drive-Through where families can pick up a free lasagna meal kit to enjoy at home. The purpose is for students to spend quality time together with their families around the dinner table.

      The Wayne County School Board met February 23, approving the school calendar for the 2021-22 school year. Opening day for the next school year will be August 18, and the first day for students will be August 19. A plan was presented on how the district plans to keep students on track and catch up any lost learning that has occurred during the pandemic. Following the meeting a tour was held of the renovations that have almost been completed at Monticello Elementary. The old 1950 hallway was the focus of the interior of the project. 

  Without daily in-person learning, staff and students have had to re-learn how they teach and learn. Overall, students and staff members have done a tremendous job acclimating to the COVID-19 guidelines. But, it has not been an easy road.

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.

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.

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

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 

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!   

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 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.   

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.  

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. 

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.

 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.

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.  

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.

   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.