Kanawha County Schools -

🇺🇸 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! 💛🍯

🎉 Nitro High School Signing Day with Marshall University! 💚🐾✍️🎓 Wednesday morning was a proud moment for Nitro High School as students signed their letters of intent to continue their academic journeys at Marshall University! 🏫➡️🏛️ Marshall University brought Signing Day to the Nitro campus, with President Brad Smith speaking to students before the official signing. 📣✨ Afterward, he celebrated each future Son and Daughter of Marshall by taking photos 🤳📸 and congratulating them personally. 👏🎉 President Smith also gave special recognition to NHS students currently enrolled in the Herd Academy—a powerful program that gives high school students the opportunity to earn college credit without having to leave the Nitro campus. 🎓📚💪 We are incredibly proud of these students for their hard work and commitment to their futures. 🌟 🥧 To give President Smith a true taste of Nitro, NHS students and staff gifted him with a peanut butter pie from Diehl's Restaurant. 🪵 Students also hand crafted a shadow box for President Smith. Congratulations to all the Nitro Wildcats who are joining the Herd! 🐾💚 Your next chapter is just beginning, and we can’t wait to see all you’ll accomplish at Marshall! 🚀📖

🎉 WHAT A NIGHT! 🎉 Last night, six of our middle schools and two elementary schools experienced an unforgettable evening of inspiration, energy, and excitement — all thanks to renowned educator Ron Clark and a brand-new partnership with Huntington Bank! 🍽️📚 After a wonderful dinner and an electrifying presentation, the night ended with an incredible surprise: 67 Kanawha County teachers and administrators were gifted an all-expenses-paid scholarship to attend the Ron Clark Academy this summer! ✈️🎓 The room erupted with shouts, screams, and even a few happy tears. 💥😭❤️ The joy and gratitude were overwhelming, and the energy was contagious. THANK YOU to Huntington Bank for investing in our educators — and thank you to Ron Clark for reminding us why passionate teaching changes lives. 📸 Check out some of our favorite moments from the night below!

💪 This morning, 12 Kanawha County Schools students signed on to join the Toyota 4T Academy at the Toyota Manufacturing Plant in Buffalo, WV! These rising juniors are getting a jumpstart on their careers — learning real-world skills in a high-demand industry and even earning a paycheck while they’re still in school. After graduation, many will have the opportunity to start a full-time job with Toyota. Check out these photos from today’s signing event — a big step toward a bright future! 👏🔧🚗

🎭🇺🇸 Capital High Shines on the National Stage! 🇬🇧🎭 Capital High School's Isaiah Canterbury recently represented West Virginia at the ESU National Shakespeare Competition in New York City, competing against 40 top students from across the country. Isaiah won FIRST PLACE — and we could not be more proud! 🥇🎉 As the national champion, Isaiah will attend a prestigious Shakespeare intensive this summer at Oxford University in England — a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to deepen his craft and represent CHS and WV on an international stage. Help us congratulate Isaiah on this incredible accomplishment! 👏👏👏

*May 5th Curriculum Board Meeting* The Kanawha County Schools Board of Education will host its monthly regular session meeting at 5 p.m. today (5/5). The meeting is open to the public. This meeting will be livestreamed, and can be viewed at the link here 👇 https://kcs.kana.k12.wv.us/district/board_of_education/k_c_s_livestream The agenda is available on the KCS website 👇 https://kcs.kana.k12.wv.us/common/pages/GetFile.ashx?key=GpfuDAtk

📣 You're Invited! Join the KCS Office of Exceptional Students as we review data from last year’s focus areas and state indicators, and discuss our goals for the upcoming school year. This event is open to all KCS parents, staff, and community members—your input and involvement matter as we work together to support every student’s success! 📍 Event details (including location, date, time, and satellite locations) can be found in the graphic below. Let’s come together to celebrate our progress and plan for an even better year ahead. We hope to see you there!

🎉 We’re excited to celebrate three incredible members of the Kanawha County Schools family! 🎉 These individuals bring their best to their schools every single day—and now, we get to say thank you in a big way. 💙 🏆 Principal of the Year: Karen Messinger Karen leads Pinch Elementary with heart, energy, and a deep love for her students and staff. Her passion for education is easy to see—and felt by everyone lucky enough to walk through the doors at Pinch. 🏆 Service Person of the Year: Norman Dotson Norman keeps Richmond Elementary shining—literally and figuratively. His hard work and positive attitude make a big difference every day, and the school wouldn’t be the same without him. 🏆 Teacher of the Year: Meleah Fisher Meleah brings the music to life at Herbert Hoover High School. As band director, she’s helping her students find their rhythm—and inspiring them to grow in and out of the classroom. Take a look at these moments of celebration as Karen, Norman, and Meleah received their well-deserved awards. We’re so proud of them—and grateful for everything they do to make KCS a better place for our students. 💛

🌟 First Annual Grit-O-Rama Assembly at Elk Center Elementary! 🌟 Elk Center students are learning about Grit — and the message certainly seems to have landed with students! During the Grit-O-Rama event at the school, students showed off what they have learned through heartfelt skits, inspiring words from great leaders, and a school-wide chant that could’ve shaken the roof with determination! 💪🎤 🎶 A special shoutout to the Harmony Hounds Chorus for adding so much heart and soul with their powerful performances—reminding us all to keep going, even when it gets tough. We were also incredibly honored to welcome two hometown heroes who truly embody grit: 🏅 Sophia Zheng, valedictorian of Herbert Hoover High School, encouraged our students to stay focused and never give up—no matter what life throws their way. 🤼 Conner Facemire, WV State Wrestling Champion, shared how grit, discipline, and hard work helped him succeed both on and off the mat. Their stories encouraged their younger counter parts, and we know those messages will stick. To top it all off, our students made personal pledges and added them to our Grit Pledge Wall—a colorful display of determination and unity in our main hallway. 💙📝

💡🧠 The 2025 West Virginia Academic Showdown was full of exciting matches and tense moments. Nitro High School competed well all day, and came up one match short of reaching the championship round. We could not be more proud of how well the Wildcats preformed yesterday! 👏 Congratulations to the entire team: 🔴 Jacob Bishop ⚫️ Addison Dangerfield 🔴 Evan Legg ⚫️ Isaac Tinnel 🔴 Drew Vogelaar ⚫️🔴 Coaches: Ashley Clark & Bill Clough We can't wait for next year!

The April edition of the KCS Monthly Newsletter is now available 👇 🔗 https://bit.ly/KCSApril25 Content includes: 🐍 Animals visiting an elementary school 📅 Important May events and reminders 🌟 April highlights from around the county ... and more!

💙 April is Autism Awareness Month, and we’re taking a moment to shout out some of the amazing people making a difference in Kanawha County Schools — our Autism Itinerants! KCS has four Autism Itinerants that travel from school to school, supporting students with autism, working with teachers and families, and helping create learning environments where every student can shine. ✨ Whether it’s coming up with personalized strategies, helping with communication tools, or just being a steady source of support, they’re making an impact every single day. 📸: Featured in this post is Shellie Clark. We hope you have enjoyed learning more about our Autism Itinerants this month!

🎉 Shoutout to students at Ben Franklin Career Center! 👩‍⚕️👨‍⚕️ Medical students just wrapped up their externships with WVU Medicine and CAMC and got their certificates of completion this week! 🎓 — Many of them are now starting jobs at the hospitals where they trained! 🙌 🔧 Over in the 4T program, students finished their hands-on training at the Toyota Manufacturing Plant in Buffalo and also got their certificates! 🎉 Some are heading straight into jobs at Toyota, and one student is even continuing their education through a program and is being sponsored by Toyota! 👏📚 We’re so proud of all of you! Your hard work is taking you to amazing places — and this is just the beginning. 💪💙

🏆 The morning rounds are complete at the 2025 West Virginia Academic Showdown and 🐾 Nitro High School is moving on! 🔴 The Wildcats won their first round contest against Sherman High School ⚫️ In the second round, the Wildcats won a nail biter against Grafton High School Their next matchup is at 12:30 against Berkeley Springs! Way to go, Wildcats!