❄️ Weather Update - KCS Closed ❄️

Kanawha County Schools will be closed and observing a snow day tomorrow, Tuesday, January 27th. This is a true snow day and students do not need to log in to Schoology.

🔵 Tomorrow is our last true snow day for this school year. All future snow days will be remote learning days.

🔵 Non-261 and school based employees do not report unless contacted by your supervisor for an essential duty.

🔵 261-employees report on a two-hour delay. Please contact your immediate supervisor if travel is not possible.
3 months ago, Kanawha County Schools
KCS closed Tuesday, January 27th, due to weather. True snow day.

Kanawha County Schools will be closed and observing a snow day tomorrow, Monday, January 26th. This is a true snow day and students do not need to log in to Schoology. 

All school-based and non-261-day employees should stay at home unless contacted by a supervisor for an essential duty.

All 261-day employees may arrive anytime within two hours of their normal start time, or contact their immediate supervisor if travel is not possible.

If your job is essential for snow removal, please check with your supervisor.

3 months ago, Kanawha County Schools
KCS closed tomorrow, January 26th, due to weather. This is a true snow day.
👏 State Champion ✍️🇺🇸

Congratulations to Gianna Desper, a student at Dunbar Middle School, who earned the state championship in the VFW’s Patriot’s Pen Essay Contest.

The contest gives middle school students a chance to share their thoughts on a patriotic theme through writing, and Gianna’s essay really stood out. This year's theme was, "How Are You Showing Patriotism and Support for Our Country?"

Gianna's powerful essay is a great example of the thoughtful writing and strong skills our students are building every day.

Nice work, Gianna! And well done on reading your essay in front of your entire school! 💙📚
3 months ago, Kanawha County Schools
Gianna smiling at the camera, while holding her oversized check for 500 dollars that she got for winning the state title.
Gianna smiling at the camera, while holding her oversized check for 500 dollars that she got for winning the state title.
Gianna reading her winning essay to the entire school in the gym.
Gianna smiling at the camera, while holding her oversized check for 500 dollars that she got for winning the state title.
🎨✨ Level Up, West Side Middle! ✨🎮

Take a walk through West Side Middle School and you’ll see creativity around every corner! Art students, along with their teacher, have transformed the hallways into a gallery full of imagination and school pride. One of our favorite touches? A small Mario, a classic level-up mushroom, and then a larger Mario showing just how creativity grows with confidence and practice 🍄⭐

This is more than artwork on the walls, it’s students taking pride in their school, and turning everyday spaces into something fun.👏🎨
3 months ago, Kanawha County Schools
One large Mario character and a small Mario character, and a level up mushroom from the Nintendo Video Game Series Mario, have been painted on stretch of ceiling tiles at West Side Middle School by art students.
Four pieces of student art hanging on a wall at West Side Middle School.
A showcase in the West Side Middle School hallway has been painted by art students and features different instruments like a drum set, with the school's logo on it, a trumpet, a saxophone, a flute, and another large horn instrument.
Sully and Mike Wazowski, from the movie Monsters Inc., have been painted on the ceiling at West Side Middle School by art students. Underneath the painting of Sully and Mike, the West Side Middle school logo has been painted on the wall and is surrounded by different sports paintings.
A ceiling tile in the hallway at West Side Middle School has been painted with picture Mrs. Smurf by art students.
Four pieces of student art hanging on a wall at West Side Middle School.
Two pieces of student art hanging in the hallway at West Side Middle School.
Two pieces of student art hanging in the hallway at West Side Middle School.
🐝 Spelling Bee Update
Due to predicted weather, the spelling bee scheduled for Saturday, January 24 has been postponed.

The new date is Saturday, February 7, 2026. Time and location remain the same.

Thanks for understanding — we’ll see our spellers soon!
3 months ago, Kanawha County Schools
The KCS Spelling Bee, scheduled for January 24th, has been postponed due to weather. The spelling bee will now be held on February 7th at South Charleston High School. Registration begins at 9:15 a.m. and the Bee beings at 10:00 a.m.
🚀 STEM in action at STARBASE! 🚀

Kanawha City Elementary students recently took learning to new heights at the West Virginia STARBASE Academy! Through hands-on science, technology, engineering, and math activities, students explored, experimented, and had a blast learning in a dynamic, high-tech environment.

Even better—they were inspired by positive military and civilian role models from the West Virginia National Guard, showing them that big dreams and bright futures start with curiosity. ⭐️🔬✈️
3 months ago, Kanawha County Schools
A student is holding an item that can't be seen over a flame.
Two students at starbase sitting at a table with instructions for the experiment on the table. One student is holding up a dispenser while talking to the other student. The other student is smiling.
Three students look on while while another is writing in a lab book. One student, that is sitting on the far side of the table and in full view of the camera has a shocked or surprised look on her face.
Four students sitting at a table getting ready to do an experiment. Two students have iPads. In the center of the table there is a red serving tray that has molecule figures on top of it.
A student sitting at a table holding a plastic baggie that is a quarter of the way filled with a yellow substance. The student is wearing lab gloves and googles and has an excited look on his face.
Four students sitting at a table, holding up a thin, long, and clear tube that has liquid in it. There are four lab notebooks on the table along with their lab gloves and goggles.
Two students, slightly out of focus, sitting at a table with black lab gloves on writing in their lab notebook. Just in front of them is a clear cylinder filled halfway with different liquids. A pair of lab glasses and three small, empty, plastic containers are sitting in front of the cylinder.
A room full of students working on an experiment at starbase. There are four students closest to the camera, and they are all using droppers to put liquid onto another substance.
A student is using a dropper to put liquid onto another substance that is sitting on the bottom of the plastic bowl. Black lab gloves and lab instructions are to the left of the student.
Three students are watching an employee at Starbase drop something into a clear glass cylinder. All three students are looking intently at the cylinder.
✨📊 Cheering Each Other On! 📊✨

Students in Mr. Herrald’s class at Mary C. Snow West Side Elementary put their creativity (and kindness!) to work by making encouraging posters for their fellow 3rd–5th graders ahead of a math test. 💙

From positive words to big smiles, these students reminded their peers to believe in themselves, try their best, and tackle math with confidence. That’s teamwork—and school spirit—at its finest! 👏➕➗

We love seeing students lift each other up!
3 months ago, Kanawha County Schools
Students at Mary C. Snow West Side Elementary School standing at the entrance of the school holding encouraging signs for students to do well on their upcoming math test.
📅 Reminder: No school on Monday, January 19th, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
3 months ago, Kanawha County Schools
No school for students, Monday, January 19th, for MLK Jr. Day.
👏 Student Voice in Action at the Board of Education Meeting 👏

At Thursday night's KCS Board of Education meeting, our newly formed KCS Student Leadership Team was officially introduced to the Board. This group includes student leaders from across the district, with two students representing each middle school and each high school.

High school co-presidents Blake Leavitt (Riverside HS) and Miley Mullins (Nitro HS) shared the team’s goals, followed by introductions from each student leader representing their school.

We’re proud of these students for stepping into this role to help shape the future of KCS. 👏🎓

**Due to athletics and other prior obligations, some members of the Student Leadership Team could not attend last night's meeting and are not pictured here.
3 months ago, Kanawha County Schools
A group picture of the KCS Student Leadership Team taken in the KCS Board Auditorium.
The KCS Student Leadership Team co-presidents speaking at the podium during a KCS Board meeting while kcs staff and audience members look on behind them.
Student Leadership team members lined up at the podium to introduce themselves at the board meeting. Behind them, kcs staff and student's family members are smiling.
The KCS Student Leadership team co-presidents speaking at the podium during a board meeting while KCS superintendent Dr. Potter and board members Jim Crawford Sr. and Kate White listen.
Big goals don’t start someday — they start with seeing what’s possible. 💙✨

At Elk Center, teacher Alison Douglas and school counselor Amber Lipscomb created a hallway display with college and university flags that’s sparking great conversations with students about college, careers, and future plans. Seeing these reminders every day helps goals feel real and within reach.

Thanks to Alison and Amber for showing our Elkhounds what’s possible and cheering them on along the way. 🐾🎓
3 months ago, Kanawha County Schools
A blue and white wall with flags of universities on it arranged to look like wings. Above the flags stylized letters spell out "Let Your Dreams Take Flight." A young student is standing in front of the wall smiling with his arms stretched out wide.
A blue and white wall with flags of universities on it arranged to look like wings. Above the flags stylized letters spell out "Let Your Dreams Take Flight." A young student is standing in front of the wall smiling with his arms stretched out wide.
A blue and white wall with flags of universities on it arranged to look like wings. Above the flags stylized letters spell out "Let Your Dreams Take Flight." A young student is standing in front of the wall smiling with his arms stretched out wide.
KCS will operate under a two-hour delay today, Thursday, Jan. 15th due weather. All students will begin their day two hours later than normal. Buses will pick up students two hours later than the normal pick-up time. All morning secondary career and technical classes will be canceled. Schools will dismiss at normal time in the afternoon.

All employees are to report to work at their normal time if they can do so safely. Please notify your immediate supervisor.

3 months ago, Kanawha County Schools
KCS is on a two hour delay today, Thursday, January 15th.
Before Christmas break, Capital High School JROTC Cadets spent time giving back by helping the Healing House distribute food in our community. ❤️

The Healing House team was welcoming and kind, and the CHS Cadets were awesome...as always! We’re proud of their heart for service and the way they represent Capital every chance they get.

Cougar Nation! 🐾💙
3 months ago, Kanawha County Schools
A group picture of the Capital High School JROTC cadets that helped with the food giveaway event put on by the Healing House.
Three Capital High School JROTC students posing for a picture behind a table stacked with a variety of canned food.
Two members of the Capital High School JROTC smiling for a picture while sitting at the registration table for a food giveaway for families during the holidays.
Two Capital High School JROTC students standing next to a table of food during a holiday food giveaway event.
🤖🌍 A first for Kanawha County Schools!
We’re excited to celebrate the first-ever International Robotics Honor Society Induction Ceremony for KCS on Tuesday, January 13 at 6:00 p.m. at the WV Culture Center.

This special evening will honor our outstanding robotics and drone students who have demonstrated excellence both in competition and in the classroom. We’re proud of their hard work and innovation. We are looking forward to recognizing them! 🚀👏
3 months ago, Kanawha County Schools
Kanawha County Schools International Robotics Honor Society Induction Ceremony is on Tuesday, January 13, 2026 at 6:00 pm at the West Virginia Culture Center.
✨ KCS Alumni Spotlight! ✨

From St. Albans High School to nearly 30 countries around the world, KCS alum Ciara Pinckney is living her dream as Princess Jasmine with Disney On Ice! 🌍⛸️

This weekend, she brings that magic home as Disney On Ice: Road Trip Adventures takes the ice in Charleston. We love seeing our alumni doing amazing things — on stages, ice rinks, and everywhere in between. 💙

📖 Read her story below ⬇️
https://bit.ly/KCSAlums
3 months ago, Kanawha County Schools
Ciara Pinckney, a KCS Alumni, skating as Jasmine for Disney on Ice.
House pride leveled up today at Horace Mann Middle! 🏠🔥

Students are officially part of one of four houses — Protos, Amistad, Isibindi, or Altruismo — and the, friendly, competition is ON! 💥

Houses earn points for kindness 🤝 leadership 💪 school spirit 🎉 good attendance 📚 and showing up ready to learn every day.

All four houses. One school. Let’s go, HMMS! 🙌
3 months ago, Kanawha County Schools
a student walking into the gym reacting with shock and excitement about the event that is about to happen.
A student is yelling in celebration after finding out what house he was selected in to. Behind him, the school's principal has her hands in the air celebrating.
A student and a teacher, who is blowing an air horn, wearing a flag, and holding pom poms, are running down the gym floor after the student found out he was selected in to the green house.
A student is sliding down a giant inflatable slide that is set up in the school gym.
Horace Mann Middle School's vice principal standing in front of the bleachers, where the students are sitting, encouraging them to get excited. Teachers in the background are waving flags for the event.
a young student is walking around the end of the slide to look and see what house she is in.
A student is preparing to spin the wheel which will determine which house she belongs to. The school's principal is standing behind the student anxiously waiting for the wheel to be spun.
a student anxiously walks towards the house wheel to spin it with the school principal cheering her on.
A student sliding down the top of the giant inflatable slide.
A student watching the wheel after spinning it with school staff cheering in the background.
Math class at Dunbar Primary was anything but quiet—and that’s a good thing! 😊🧮

2nd graders were up, moving, and learning from each other during a Back-to-Back, Face-to-Face activity focused on adding 10 and 100. Students talked through their thinking, listened to their classmates’ ideas, and worked together to solve problems.

It wasn’t just about getting the right answer—it was about having real conversations, building confidence, and learning how to explain your thinking. Active, hands-on learning like this brings math to life and helps students grow in so many ways. 💬🤝✨
4 months ago, Kanawha County Schools
Four students, broken up into pairs of twos and standing with their backs against their partner, writing on a small white board during an interactive math lesson.
two students are standing back-to-back, one student is facing his desk and the other student is facing a row of lockers, and they are writing down their answers for a math problem during an interactive math lesson.
✨ Where Big Dreams Begin ✨

Big smiles and big first steps start here! 💛
Kanawha County Schools Preschool (PK) registration for the 2026–2027 school year opens February 1, 2026.

🧒 Who can apply?
🔹 Children who are students who are 4-years-old on or before June 30, 2026

📝 More Info:
👉 https://bit.ly/KCSPreSchool

📄 Documents needed to sign up:
🔹 Student's state birth certificate (from Vital Statistics)
🔹 Student's current immunization & dental records
🔹 Most recent well-child visit
🔹 Income verification (for Head Start applicants)

KCS Preschool offers a free, high-quality, local learning experience for our youngest learners.
👀 More preschool info, stories, and reminders are coming all month long—stay tuned!

💫 Where Big Dreams Begin.
4 months ago, Kanawha County Schools
2026-2027 KCS Preschool Sign ups begin on February 1, 2026.
Monday is coming! 😊

We’re excited to welcome students back on January 5th. Before Monday, don't forget to:

🔋Charge those iPads
🎒Pack backpacks
⏰ Turn on the alarm clocks

See you soon, KCS families! 💙
4 months ago, Kanawha County Schools
KCS goes back to school from winter break on Monday, January 5th, 2026.

At last night's meeting, Dr. Potter and the KCS Board of Education recognized the HHHS Volleyball Team for their state title this year. 🏆 They also recognized HHHS state champion cross country runner Maysen Fletcher! 🏆

And they’re winning in the classroom, too! 📚 The volleyball team and cross country team both have GPAs above 4.0 ⭐

Way to represent KCS—on and off the field! 👏💙

4 months ago, Kanawha County Schools
Maysen Fletcher smiling with her certificate.
Maysen Fletcher and KCS Superintendent Dr. Paula Potter posing together for a picture.
HHHS volleyball player walking up to get her certificate at the kcs board of education meeting and her teammates are clapping in the background.
HHHS volleyball player walking up to get her certificate at the kcs board of education meeting.
HHHS volleyball player walking up to get her certificate at the kcs board of education meeting.
HHHS volleyball player walking up to get her certificate at the kcs board of education meeting.
HHHS volleyball player speaking at the board meeting as board members look on from behind her.
🎄❄️Snow days, two-hour delays, and schedule changes may be stealing the spotlight this month… but our students are stealing the show. 💚

With celebrations getting combined, creativity is running wild...Cindy Lou Who hair, Christmas socks, and all the holiday cheer in one perfectly festive look. When plans change, our students and families always find a way to make it fun. 💚❤️
4 months ago, Kanawha County Schools
student with cindy lou who hair.
student with cindy lou who hair.
student with cindy lou who hair.