Kanawha County Schools -

👏🎉 We're thrilled to announce the new app for Kanawha County Schools! It's everything KCS, in your pocket. 🔗 How to download 👇 🟢 Download for Android — https://aptg.co/Kfmv49 🔵 Download for iPhone — https://aptg.co/VJy0hm

👏 It's the last day of school but our amazing students are still earning recognition for their talent! Overbrook Elementary student, Hayden Rolfe, was named one of 15 regional winners of the 2025 "When I Grow Up" essay contest! Hayden's winning essay earned the school $500. 🫸🫷Hayden, along with the 14 other regional winners, will be randomly selected to receive a total of $5,000 toward a SMART529 account during an awards ceremony at the state Culture Center in Charleston. West Virginia State Treasurer, Larry Pack, stopped by the school today to present Hayden with the $500 check and congratulate him on his successful essay! Iva Flanagan, a 4th Grade student at Holz Elementary is also one of the 15 regional winners and is in the running for the $5,000 SMART529 account! Congratulations Hayden and Iva!

The May edition of the KCS Monthly Newsletter is now available 👇 🔗 https://bit.ly/4kkeAzx Content includes: 🍔 Summer meal box information 🎓 A farewell message to our 2025 graduates 🌟 May highlights from around the county ... and more!

✅ Renovations complete! Shoutout to the talented students from Herbert Hoover for their incredible work renovating the Kanawha County Schools Board Auditorium! As part of their woodworking class, these students—under the guidance of their teacher, Mr. Meyers—designed, built, and installed several major upgrades to the space, including: 🪵 A brand-new desk for board members 🪑 New tables for KCS staff to use during meetings 🚪 Beautiful new doors to the board room 🪚 Custom trim around one of the doorways 🔖 A custom sign that hangs above the desk These renovations are not only functional—they're also a tremendous display of craftsmanship, pride, and teamwork. Take a look at the photos below to see their hard work in action. We’re so proud of these students and grateful for the pride they’ve put into improving a space used by the entire school system. Thank you, HHHS Woodworking Class! 💙🛠️

🎉 Congratulations to Robyn Keener, Secretary at Sissonville Elementary, for being named the 2025 recipient of the WVEA/WVU Spirit of the Land Grant Award! 🎉 This special honor celebrates individuals who go above and beyond in service to their schools and communities—just like Robyn. As a key part of the Sissonville family, Robyn’s dedication and compassion to students truly reflect the mission of a land-grant institution: serving others and making a lasting impact. 💛 Along with the award, Robyn also received $500 from the WVEA and $100 from the KCEA in recognition of her incredible contributions. We’re so proud of her and thankful for everything she does to support students each and every day! Way to go, Robyn! 👏👏👏

🎨✨ Students at Richmond Elementary were so excited to get their hands on the new Hummingbird Bit Kits thanks to the WV STEAM Grant! 💻🤖 These kits gave them a hands-on way to dive into coding and programming in the most creative way possible. As part of the project, each student picked a piece of artwork by an artist they admire—something that truly spoke to them. 🖼💬 Then, they got to work transforming it with their own creative twist—changing colors, proportions, and even creating brand new works inspired by the originals. 🎨💡 But the real magic happened when they brought their artwork to life! ✨ Using the Hummingbird kits, students programmed different parts of their creations to MOVE—turning still art into Moving Masterpieces! 🌀🖌 These projects were a perfect blend of art, engineering, and innovation. 🚀❤️

🦁🐼🦓 Alum Creek Elementary Was a ZOO Today—Literally! 🐘🐍🐧 2nd and 3rd graders roared with excitement as they brought the ACES Zoo to life in an amazing collaborative project! 🧠📚🐾 Students presented their animal research, showing off their knowledge of wild creatures and their habitats—everything from the arctic tundra to the tropical rainforest! ❄️🌴 What really warmed our hearts? 💛 The way students worked together—cheering each other on, asking thoughtful questions, and sharing in each other’s success. 🤝✨ This wild adventure wasn’t just about animals—it was about teamwork, confidence, and creativity. 💫🎉 Way to go, ACES Zoo Crew! 🙌🦜📖

😊 It was a night for the arts at West Side Middle School! 🎻 The WSMS band, strings, and chorus performances were fantastic — students did a great job. Afterward, families joined in for some fun with trivia, birdhouse building, tree painting with Mr. E (a.k.a. Bob Ross 🌳🎨), and checking out student art and a West Virginia history display around the school. It was great seeing the building filled with families — and we’re pretty sure no one left hungry thanks to Chick-fil-A! 🍗

🌊🐟 From the Classroom to the Creek — Malden Students Making Waves! 🐟🌊 Morris Creek Watershed in Montgomery is now home to 25 more brown trout! 🎉📸 Students from Malden Elementary gathered to release the trout they’ve been raising all year as part of the Trout in the Classroom program. For the past 10 years, Malden teacher Tonya Crist has led this, hands-on program that turns students into young scientists, conservationists, and changemakers. They raise trout from eggs, test water quality, explore food webs, and learn the importance of protecting our environment — all while having a blast doing it! 🧪🌿 Thanks to hard work form countless people in the community — and the ongoing partnership with the Morris Creek Watershed Association — Malden students get to be part of something real and impactful. 🙌💧 Today’s event was a true celebration of learning, legacy, and environmental renewal. Former Malden students, now in Riverside High School’s Grow Your Own program and Marshall University’s Biology & Environmental Science program, returned to present their award-winning STEM projects — from boosting firefly and bat populations 🦇✨ to supporting native pollinators 🌼🐝. Two even won the National STEM Challenge Championship and presented their research in Washington, D.C.! 🔬 After the release, students went on a hayride, did STEM activities (thanks to the WVSU 4H program for providing the STEM kits), and made some animal tracks! 👏 We're so proud of these students, past and present, for showing what’s possible when education meets purpose. 📷💪

🦋 Mrs. Owens’ class at Kanawha City Elementary had a wonderful time releasing the painted lady butterflies they’ve been raising and learning about in science class! 🐛➡️🦋 The students got to watch the whole life cycle—from tiny caterpillars to beautiful butterflies—and earlier this month, they released them! 🌸🌿 Such a fun and hands-on way to learn about nature and science! 🧠🌞 Great job, scientists! 👏💛

🎉 Congratulations to two KCS students who have been awarded the 2025 Albert Yanni Scholarship from the West Virginia Department of Education! 🎓👏 🔹 Knowlen Baskin 🔹Natalie Nesselrotte Natalie and Knowlen are among 30 students across the state to receive this 💲2,000 scholarship, which supports education or training connected to their career goals. The award is open to West Virginia seniors in Career Technical Education (CTE) programs who maintain strong academics 📚 and attendance 📅. We’re proud of their hard work and wish them the best in their next steps! 🙌

⏳⏩ The days are long but the years are fast — or so it seems during graduation season 🎓 Amanda Mays always knew she wanted to be an elementary principal — in 2011, she did just that when she took the head job at Belle Elementary School. 👩‍🏫 Mrs. Mays' first year as principal was also the first year the students pictured below started school — as preschoolers at Belle Elementary. In just a few hours, those same students are graduating from Riverside High School! 🧑‍🎓 👏 Before accepting their diplomas, those students stoped by the KCS Board Office, where Mrs. Mays is now the Asst. Superintendent of Elementary Schools, for a few pictures and lots of laughs with their former principal. The bonds made and memories shared in education will last a lifetime!

🎥🎓 Livestream Info for 2025 KCS Graduation Ceremonies 👩‍🎓🔗 In 2012 ⏪, phones still flipped, TikTok didn't exist, and the 💡Class of 2025 began their educational journey as preschoolers with tiny backpacks, crayon names🖍️, and big dreams. They grew up with changing technology, shifting trends, and a world that seemed to spin faster every year. ⏩ Fast forward 13 years, those preschoolers have turned into young adults and are about to earn their high school diploma! There will be tears 🥹, smiles 😃, and high fives 🫸🫷. Reaching this point is a team effort, and we want to make sure everyone who has played apart in this journey can join in on the celebration! 🥳 🔴 All eight KCS High School Graduation Ceremonies will be available to watch live using link below. 👇 🔗: videoproductions.com/watch 📅: 2025 KCS High School Graduation Schedule 🟣 Riverside High School, May 21st — 1:00 PM 🟠 South Charleston High School, May 21st — 7:00 PM ⚪️ George Washington High School, May 22nd — 1:00 PM ⚫️ Nitro High School, May 22nd — 7:00 PM 🔵 Capital High School, May 23rd — 1:00 PM 🔴 Herbert Hoover High School, May 23rd — 7:00 PM 🔴 St. Albans High School, May 27th — 1:00 PM 🔴 Sissonville High School, May 27th — 7:00 PM 🎥: Livestreaming provided by — Video Productions

🇺🇸 Shoutout to Mr. Healy’s AP U.S. History class at Capital High School for putting in the work this month as they geared up for their big AP test! From the Founding Fathers to the Civil Rights Movement, these students have been hitting the books and making history of their own. Good luck—you’ve got this, Cougars! 📚💪

🎓 Graduation Week is Almost Here! 🚴‍♂️ ⚠️ Heads up! The City of Charleston has shared some helpful info about the best routes to use when heading to the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center between Monday, May 19 – Monday, May 26. During that time, the city will be hosting the USA Cycling Pro Road Races, which means some roads will be closed around Charleston. At the same time, six of our Kanawha County high schools will be celebrating graduation at the Coliseum! To help make sure everyone gets to their ceremonies on time (and without too much stress), we encourage families and guests to use the routes provided on the flyer. 🎉 Let’s make graduation week a smooth ride for everyone — and a time to celebrate all our amazing grads! 📍Check out the flyer for all the details, and feel free to share with anyone who might be heading downtown.

🏀 The gym floor at 🐝 Hayes Middle School has been refinished, giving students a clean, safe space for PE classes, sports, and other activities. This project was paid for using funds from the Kanawha County Schools excess levy. Thank you to the voters of Kanawha County for continuing to support the excess levy. Your support helps KCS provide valuable academic and extracurricular opportunities for students across the county. 📷🪑 Not pictured are the new bleachers for the HMS gym. We'll share more pictures after the install is complete!

☀️📚 Third Grade Readers in the Sunshine! 🍫🌳 3rd graders at Alum Creek Elementary soaked up the beautiful weather with an outdoor reading session! They're diving into The Chocolate Touch and sharing some sweet small-group discussions. Great books + great conversations + great sunshine = the perfect morning! 😎📖💬

🎨🖼️✨ Talent is on full display at the Kanawha County Schools Art Show! 🎨🖌️👩‍🎨 Last week, the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center hosted the 2025 KCS Art Show, and WOW — our students never cease to amaze us! 🤩 From bold brushstrokes to detailed drawings, colorful collages to creative clay work, students from grades K–12 have filled the space with imagination and heart. 💛💡🎭 📸 See some of the incredible pieces created by our young artists below! A HUGE thank you to our dedicated art teachers 🎓❤️ and to every student who poured their creativity into these works. Your hard work and talent make us #KanawhaCountyProud every single day! 🎨👏 👉🏆 For a list of awards from the 2025 KCS Art Show, check out the KCS website 🔗: https://kcs.kana.k12.wv.us/news/latest_news/2025_k_c_s_art_show_award_winners

🏆💥 Big Moves, Big Wins, and Big Smiles! 😄👟 Fitness Teams from elementary and middle schools across the state brought serious hustle to the 2025 WVDE Fit + Active Schools Face-Off 🌄🎽 Since January, these young athletes have been training hard—building strength, teamwork, and some seriously impressive stamina. 💪🔥 🏆 And a school from Kanawha County brought home the gold! 🎉 OVERBROOK ELEMENTARY took home 1st place in the Elementary Division! 🥇🐾 Way to represent, KCS! 🙌💙 This high-energy event wasn’t just about competition—it was also packed with fun, hands-on educational opportunities! 🧠➡️💡 In the Great Hall students learned the importance of living tobacco- and vape-free from RAZE 🚭, while Medical Assisting students from Ben Franklin Career Center checked vitals and shared health tips like real pros-in-the-making! 🩺💉📋 From flawless form to lightning-fast transitions ⏱️, teams were scored on everything from intensity and rhythm to stamina and communication. 🗣️🤝 Kanawha County kids showed up strong, supported each other, and inspired us all to keep moving and live healthy, active lives! 🥗🏃‍♂️❤️ Congratulations, Overbrook!

🐝 Sweet Learning at Belle Elementary! 🍯 Students at Belle Elementary had a buzz-worthy day learning all about bee pollination thanks to a special visit from a local beekeeper! 🐝🌼 Students got an up-close look at how bees work hard to make honey, explored real honeycombs, and even got to taste the delicious, fresh honey made right here in our community. It was a hands-on experience that was both educational and tasty! We're so thankful for opportunities like this that bring learning to life! 💛🍯