Six Malden Elementary School students took their skills and creativity to the West Virginia State Beta Convention—and brought home four awards! 💙
🥈 Second place: Science and Jewelry
🥉 Third place: Woodworking and On-Site Cake Decorating
Four of the six students qualified in the top five in academics and competed in on-site testing, where one earned the Science award.
The group also competed in Living Literature, Recyclable Art, Color Photography, Drawing and On-Site Drawing—more opportunities for KCS students to challenge themselves, explore their interests and build new skills.
With about five years of convention participation, Malden continues a proud Beta tradition as a Beta School of Distinction and a Beta School of Merit.
Congratulations to all six students!
🥈 Second place: Science and Jewelry
🥉 Third place: Woodworking and On-Site Cake Decorating
Four of the six students qualified in the top five in academics and competed in on-site testing, where one earned the Science award.
The group also competed in Living Literature, Recyclable Art, Color Photography, Drawing and On-Site Drawing—more opportunities for KCS students to challenge themselves, explore their interests and build new skills.
With about five years of convention participation, Malden continues a proud Beta tradition as a Beta School of Distinction and a Beta School of Merit.
Congratulations to all six students!
🇺🇸 Andrews Heights Elementary brought its school community together to thank veterans at its Veterans Day assembly.
Students from every grade level sang patriotic songs and recited the Pledge of Allegiance. St. Albans High School JROTC cadets presented the flags and performed a drill demonstration as the school recognized its veteran guests.
Thank you to the students, staff and cadets who helped make this tribute possible, and to the veterans in our KCS community for your service. 💙
Students from every grade level sang patriotic songs and recited the Pledge of Allegiance. St. Albans High School JROTC cadets presented the flags and performed a drill demonstration as the school recognized its veteran guests.
Thank you to the students, staff and cadets who helped make this tribute possible, and to the veterans in our KCS community for your service. 💙
Hot chocolate in the cups. Original stories on the menu. ☕📖
Point Harmony Elementary’s third graders gave their writing the coffeehouse treatment last Friday! Teachers dressed as baristas and transformed classrooms into Starbucks-themed cafés, complete with decorated tables and fancy platters of sweets.
Students from all three third grade classes enjoyed treats and hot chocolate while taking turns reading their completed narratives aloud to classmates.
Cheers to Point Harmony’s young authors and the teachers who made their stories the main event! 💙
Point Harmony Elementary’s third graders gave their writing the coffeehouse treatment last Friday! Teachers dressed as baristas and transformed classrooms into Starbucks-themed cafés, complete with decorated tables and fancy platters of sweets.
Students from all three third grade classes enjoyed treats and hot chocolate while taking turns reading their completed narratives aloud to classmates.
Cheers to Point Harmony’s young authors and the teachers who made their stories the main event! 💙
📖 Reading had Central Elementary’s fourth graders on their feet Tuesday morning!
💪 During an Empower Hour with Dr. Staci Bain, students put motions to sounds and reading rules, practiced together and talked with classmates. Hands, feet and voices all helped students participate, practice and remember...with plenty of encouragement along the way.
This school year, Dr. Bain is training teacher leaders in every KCS elementary school. Those leaders share her research-aligned methods with fellow teachers, bringing this active approach to reading lessons across their schools. 🏫
Behind all that energy is a clear goal: helping students build the skills and confidence to become strong, proficient readers. Central’s fourth graders brought their energy to that work today! 💚
💪 During an Empower Hour with Dr. Staci Bain, students put motions to sounds and reading rules, practiced together and talked with classmates. Hands, feet and voices all helped students participate, practice and remember...with plenty of encouragement along the way.
This school year, Dr. Bain is training teacher leaders in every KCS elementary school. Those leaders share her research-aligned methods with fellow teachers, bringing this active approach to reading lessons across their schools. 🏫
Behind all that energy is a clear goal: helping students build the skills and confidence to become strong, proficient readers. Central’s fourth graders brought their energy to that work today! 💚
A well-earned moment in the spotlight for our third- through fifth-grade teachers...and their hardworking students! 💙
The Kanawha County Schools Board of Education recognized these teachers for having their building’s highest number of students scoring proficient at the end of the 2025–2026 school year.
These teachers helped students build the skills to succeed with engaging lessons. Their students put in the effort and showed what they knew. That’s something to celebrate together.
Each teacher received a certificate and a keychain made by Riverside High School students, a special touch from another group of KCS learners!
The Kanawha County Schools Board of Education recognized these teachers for having their building’s highest number of students scoring proficient at the end of the 2025–2026 school year.
These teachers helped students build the skills to succeed with engaging lessons. Their students put in the effort and showed what they knew. That’s something to celebrate together.
Each teacher received a certificate and a keychain made by Riverside High School students, a special touch from another group of KCS learners!
Our elementary artists have a gallery. Let’s give them an audience. 🎨
You’re invited to explore PRISM, a digital art gallery featuring the creativity and hard work of students at Sissonville Elementary, Mary C. Snow West Side Elementary, and Piedmont Elementary.
Their art teacher, Ms. Alyson, created PRISM to give students a place to celebrate their artistic achievements, and families and the community a chance to enjoy what they’re creating.
Take a little art break with us. Visit the gallery through the link in the comments, look around, and then come back and sign our Facebook “guestbook” with a note of encouragement for the young artists.
New artwork is being added regularly, so there’s a reason to return.
Three schools full of creativity. A whole community invited to enjoy it. 💙
You’re invited to explore PRISM, a digital art gallery featuring the creativity and hard work of students at Sissonville Elementary, Mary C. Snow West Side Elementary, and Piedmont Elementary.
Their art teacher, Ms. Alyson, created PRISM to give students a place to celebrate their artistic achievements, and families and the community a chance to enjoy what they’re creating.
Take a little art break with us. Visit the gallery through the link in the comments, look around, and then come back and sign our Facebook “guestbook” with a note of encouragement for the young artists.
New artwork is being added regularly, so there’s a reason to return.
Three schools full of creativity. A whole community invited to enjoy it. 💙
In the Nitro High School learning system, the auditorium becomes a courtroom, and students have a case to make. These are their stories.
DUN DUN. ⚖️
Ms. Sidebottom brought a little Law & Order to the auditorium, transforming it into a courtroom where students role-played a court case, presented arguments, and supported their claims with evidence.
Clear reasoning. Evidence to back it up. And plenty of laughter entered into the record.
The verdict? A creative lesson worth making a case for. 💙
DUN DUN. ⚖️
Ms. Sidebottom brought a little Law & Order to the auditorium, transforming it into a courtroom where students role-played a court case, presented arguments, and supported their claims with evidence.
Clear reasoning. Evidence to back it up. And plenty of laughter entered into the record.
The verdict? A creative lesson worth making a case for. 💙
The doctors are in at Malden Elementary School! 🩺
Miss Nelson’s third graders put on gowns, masks, and gloves to become “distributive property doctors.” Using play dough, they performed a little math “surgery,” splitting arrays of rows and columns into smaller arrays.
It’s a hands-on way to explore the distributive property: breaking a multiplication problem into smaller parts, then adding the results together.
Making sense of multiplication, one “operation” at a time. Nice work, math doctors! 💙
Miss Nelson’s third graders put on gowns, masks, and gloves to become “distributive property doctors.” Using play dough, they performed a little math “surgery,” splitting arrays of rows and columns into smaller arrays.
It’s a hands-on way to explore the distributive property: breaking a multiplication problem into smaller parts, then adding the results together.
Making sense of multiplication, one “operation” at a time. Nice work, math doctors! 💙
A proud moment for these teachers...and their students. 💙
Last night, Dr. Potter and the Kanawha County Schools Board of Education recognized K-2 teachers with their building’s highest number of students scoring proficient on iReady or DIBELS at the end of the 2025-2026 school year.
✌️ Some earned that recognition for both assessments!
These teachers brought learning to life through creative, interactive lessons. Their students put in the work and showed what they knew. Both deserve a round of applause. 👏
Each teacher received a certificate and a keychain made by Riverside High School students, a little extra student creativity to help celebrate!
🤔 Money. Careers. Community.
Big topics for Ruffner’s Roadrunners! 💙
Ruffner Elementary students connected classroom learning with everyday life through interactive lessons with Junior Achievement volunteers.
Ask questions. Try things out. Put learning to work. Those opportunities start early in KCS and build through 12th grade, helping students discover their interests and develop skills they’ll carry beyond graduation.
👏 Thank you to the volunteers for sharing your time and experience with the Roadrunners. You’ve given them more to explore!
#lovewvpublicschools
Big topics for Ruffner’s Roadrunners! 💙
Ruffner Elementary students connected classroom learning with everyday life through interactive lessons with Junior Achievement volunteers.
Ask questions. Try things out. Put learning to work. Those opportunities start early in KCS and build through 12th grade, helping students discover their interests and develop skills they’ll carry beyond graduation.
👏 Thank you to the volunteers for sharing your time and experience with the Roadrunners. You’ve given them more to explore!
#lovewvpublicschools
It’s not you. It’s the monarchy. 🇺🇸
George Washington High School AP U.S. History students put a revolutionary spin on “speed dating,” getting to know the heroes and villains of the American Revolution. A good match or a major red flag? There’s a lot to unpack when a breakup with Britain is on the table.
Students also connected with a historian from the National Constitution Center to talk Common Sense.
First impressions, big ideas and revolutionary connections...history definitely didn’t get left on read this week. 💙
George Washington High School AP U.S. History students put a revolutionary spin on “speed dating,” getting to know the heroes and villains of the American Revolution. A good match or a major red flag? There’s a lot to unpack when a breakup with Britain is on the table.
Students also connected with a historian from the National Constitution Center to talk Common Sense.
First impressions, big ideas and revolutionary connections...history definitely didn’t get left on read this week. 💙
Sound it out. Sketch it out. Talk it through. Solve it together. 💡
Learning at Ruthlawn Elementary gives students plenty of ways to join in:
🔤 Start with a handful of letters. Kindergarteners are building words with letter tiles, putting sounds and blends to work.
🖌️ Add some imagination. Students are holding up their Guided Art drawings, with colorful spiders and webs ready for their close-ups.
🫸 🫷Put two heads together. Fourth graders are working through a math escape room game, where talking through a problem is part of the challenge.
🔎 Bring evidence to the table. Fifth graders are teaming up to consider the evidence, share their thinking and solve problems together.
There’s concentration in these pictures. Creativity, too. And plenty of fun in figuring things out with the person beside you. 💚
Learning at Ruthlawn Elementary gives students plenty of ways to join in:
🔤 Start with a handful of letters. Kindergarteners are building words with letter tiles, putting sounds and blends to work.
🖌️ Add some imagination. Students are holding up their Guided Art drawings, with colorful spiders and webs ready for their close-ups.
🫸 🫷Put two heads together. Fourth graders are working through a math escape room game, where talking through a problem is part of the challenge.
🔎 Bring evidence to the table. Fifth graders are teaming up to consider the evidence, share their thinking and solve problems together.
There’s concentration in these pictures. Creativity, too. And plenty of fun in figuring things out with the person beside you. 💚
👏 September was busy in our schools. Getting the newsletters out took a few days of October, too.
All eight September feeder-area newsletters are ready to explore! You’ll find classroom discoveries, student and staff celebrations, community connections, and updates on school improvements across KCS.
Starting with the October edition, newsletters will be published on the last school day of each month. That means October’s editions will be out Friday, October 30, 2026.
➡️ Find your feeder area’s newsletter, and take a look at the others, on the KCS website.
🔗 Use the link in the comments to go to the feeder-area newsletter section on our website!
All eight September feeder-area newsletters are ready to explore! You’ll find classroom discoveries, student and staff celebrations, community connections, and updates on school improvements across KCS.
Starting with the October edition, newsletters will be published on the last school day of each month. That means October’s editions will be out Friday, October 30, 2026.
➡️ Find your feeder area’s newsletter, and take a look at the others, on the KCS website.
🔗 Use the link in the comments to go to the feeder-area newsletter section on our website!
College plans. Career possibilities. Real conversations.
Interested high school students will visit the KCS College and Career Fair during the school day today.
✅ For the first time, parents, guardians and community members are also invited tonight from 6:00–8:00 p.m. at West Virginia State University’s downstairs gym.
Come meet representatives from universities and businesses, ask questions and explore what may be next. Your student does not need to be present to attend.
Interested high school students will visit the KCS College and Career Fair during the school day today.
✅ For the first time, parents, guardians and community members are also invited tonight from 6:00–8:00 p.m. at West Virginia State University’s downstairs gym.
Come meet representatives from universities and businesses, ask questions and explore what may be next. Your student does not need to be present to attend.
The start of new friendships at DuPont Middle School! 🍂
DuPont kicked off its Friendship Program with Beta members and their classmates sharing a fall read-aloud during library time, then working together on artwork that will go in the hallway display case once it’s finished.
There’s more time together ahead! Beta members are planning weekly lessons for Friday library days. Student leaders, Hallie and Olivia, will also meet with the school’s special education teachers to plan more activities for everyone to enjoy together.
We love seeing DuPont students take the lead in making time to connect with one another. 💙
DuPont kicked off its Friendship Program with Beta members and their classmates sharing a fall read-aloud during library time, then working together on artwork that will go in the hallway display case once it’s finished.
There’s more time together ahead! Beta members are planning weekly lessons for Friday library days. Student leaders, Hallie and Olivia, will also meet with the school’s special education teachers to plan more activities for everyone to enjoy together.
We love seeing DuPont students take the lead in making time to connect with one another. 💙
Their students made strides. Last week, these teachers had their moment in the spotlight. 💙
At last week’s Board meeting, these middle and high school teachers were honored as Teachers of the Fourth Nine Weeks for last school year.
With test results recently returned, we’re celebrating the teachers whose students showed the most growth within their schools in math or English language arts (ELA). Middle school recognition was based on the General Summative Assessment (GSA), while high school recognition was based on the SAT.
👏 Congratulations to these teachers and their students! There’s a lot of hard work behind that progress, and it deserves to be celebrated.
At last week’s Board meeting, these middle and high school teachers were honored as Teachers of the Fourth Nine Weeks for last school year.
With test results recently returned, we’re celebrating the teachers whose students showed the most growth within their schools in math or English language arts (ELA). Middle school recognition was based on the General Summative Assessment (GSA), while high school recognition was based on the SAT.
👏 Congratulations to these teachers and their students! There’s a lot of hard work behind that progress, and it deserves to be celebrated.
Yesterday, students and staff across Kanawha County Schools wore gold to raise awareness of childhood cancer and show support for children and families affected by it. 💛
We’re sharing a few photos from two of our schools, with thanks to everyone who wore gold for a meaningful reason.
We’re sharing a few photos from two of our schools, with thanks to everyone who wore gold for a meaningful reason.
The express lane to becoming a Mountaineer now runs through Kanawha County! 💙💛
WVU President Michael Benson recently stopped by Capital High School to meet with students as WVU launches WVU Express. Through this new pilot program, qualifying KCS seniors can be admitted to WVU without a traditional application or application fee.
We’re proud that KCS students are among the first in West Virginia to have this opportunity. Interested seniors should talk with their school counselor to learn more.
Country Roads just got a little shorter!
WVU President Michael Benson recently stopped by Capital High School to meet with students as WVU launches WVU Express. Through this new pilot program, qualifying KCS seniors can be admitted to WVU without a traditional application or application fee.
We’re proud that KCS students are among the first in West Virginia to have this opportunity. Interested seniors should talk with their school counselor to learn more.
Country Roads just got a little shorter!
Real growth doesn’t always fit into a neat “before-and-after” photo. 📸✨
It happens in the hundreds of small moments that happen throughout the school day. It looks like...
🔹 A Ruffner Elementary third grader diving into a project with classmates - trying, building, and talking things through.
🔹 During speech therapy at Ruffner, it’s students using an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device to join the conversation and share an idea.
These photos don’t show a finished product. They show something much better: the hard work and breakthroughs happening in KCS classrooms right now. ❤️
It happens in the hundreds of small moments that happen throughout the school day. It looks like...
🔹 A Ruffner Elementary third grader diving into a project with classmates - trying, building, and talking things through.
🔹 During speech therapy at Ruffner, it’s students using an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device to join the conversation and share an idea.
These photos don’t show a finished product. They show something much better: the hard work and breakthroughs happening in KCS classrooms right now. ❤️
📚 Progress can look like two circles of fifth graders helping one another turn new words into sentences.
At Cedar Grove Elementary, Mrs. Daniels used an inner-and-outer-circle learning strategy to make vocabulary practice active and collaborative.
📖 Students read the word on one side of an index card, their partner read the definition on the other side, when needed, and then students used the word in a sentence.
Creative teaching helps students learn from both their teacher and one another...and teacher leaders like Mrs. Daniels are among the people behind progress across KCS. 💙
At Cedar Grove Elementary, Mrs. Daniels used an inner-and-outer-circle learning strategy to make vocabulary practice active and collaborative.
📖 Students read the word on one side of an index card, their partner read the definition on the other side, when needed, and then students used the word in a sentence.
Creative teaching helps students learn from both their teacher and one another...and teacher leaders like Mrs. Daniels are among the people behind progress across KCS. 💙