Kanawha County Schools -

🎒✨ It’s almost time to head back to school, KCS families! ✨🎒

We always enjoy welcoming you into your schools before the first day. Open Houses are the perfect time to meet teachers, see classrooms, and get your kids excited for a great year ahead. 💙

We’ve put together a list of all KCS Open House dates to help you plan your visit. If your school’s date isn’t listed yet, don’t worry—we’ll keep updating as information comes in.

👉 Check out the full list here: https://bit.ly/KCSOpenHouseDates

We can’t wait to see you soon and kick off an amazing school year together! 🏫❤️

#KCSBackToSchool #WeAreKCS #OpenHouse2025

✨ An inspiring day for KCS! ✨

Today, our principals, assistant principals, and central office teams are meeting for the 2025 Superintendent’s Conference! 🙌📚 This event is one of our favorite traditions because it gives us the chance to connect 🤝, recharge 🔋, and focus on what matters most – our students 💙👩‍🎓👨‍🎓.

Dr. Paula Potter shared her excitement for the year ahead and reminded us:
“Everything we do comes back to one thing – giving every child their very best chance to succeed.” 🌟💬

There have already been plenty of laughs 😂, lots of learning 📝, and ideas being shared .💡 We love celebrating the incredible leaders who make our schools shine every day ✨. This school year is going to be amazing! 🎒🎉

📸 Check out some moments from this morning ⬇️, and stay tuned for our highlight video! 🎥👀

Can you believe it? The first day of school is just 15 days (+ a few hours) away — Friday, August 15th! 🎒📅

We’re getting so excited to welcome our students, families, and staff back for a brand new school year here in Kanawha County! 💛

Over the next two weeks, we’ll be sharing some helpful tips, reminders, and a few fun things to help everyone get ready. So stay tuned — we can’t wait to kick off another great year together! 😊✨

This week, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department is taking part in active threat training to ensure they are prepared for even the most difficult situations. While we hope such events never happen, their dedication to being ready shows how much they care about our students, staff, families, and communities.

We are grateful for the incredible partnership we share with the KCSD and all of our local law enforcement agencies. Their professionalism make our schools a place where learning can thrive. 💙

Parents of kids 5 & under! 🧒👧

If you have a student starting PK this year, lead levels are a requirement for enrollment.

The WIC Office in North Charleston on Wednesday, July 30 from 10 AM – 3 PM for FREE lead testing!
🔵 Instant results
🔵 Free for children on Medicaid, CHIP, or uninsured

Keep your little ones safe and healthy 👉 see the flyer for details!

🎉 A huge THANK YOU to Huntington Bank for supporting KCS educators! 🙌💙 They provided funding for 96 teachers and administrators to attend the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta from July 14–16! 🚌📚✈️

The Ron Clark Academy, which serves students in grades 4–8, is known nationwide for its innovative teaching strategies and electric energy in the classroom ⚡️. Our team participated in hands-on workshops, observed live teaching, and learned powerful practices to boost student learning and social success 💡🎓.

Educators from 7️⃣ middle schools and 2️⃣ elementary schools represented KCS with passion and purpose! 💪

We can’t wait to bring these new ideas into our classrooms this school year—and our students are the ones who will benefit the most. 🧠💬✨

Thank you, Huntington Bank, for investing in our teachers. 👏🍎📖

📸 Check out some highlights below! ⬇️

📷 New State-of-the-Art Camera System Coming to All KCS Schools 🔒🏫

Kanawha County Schools is proud to begin the installation of a new, state-of-the-art camera system in every school across the district. This advanced technology will help enhance the safety and security of our students, staff, and school communities. 👩‍🏫👨‍🎓

This week, representatives from Verkada — the company providing the camera system — led a comprehensive training session at Metro 911. 🚓🚨 School Resource Officers from Nitro PD, South Charleston PD, Charleston PD, and the Kanawha County Sheriff's Department, along with Metro 911 personnel, participated in the training to ensure seamless collaboration and response capabilities.

We’re grateful for the continued partnership with our local law enforcement agencies and emergency services as we work together to keep our schools safe. 🙌❤️

😎 Don't look now but high school administrators are meeting 🏫 for the first time in the 2025-2026 school year!

🗓️ 36 days and counting until a brand new school year full of opportunity begins!

*July 7th Curriculum Board Meeting* The Kanawha County Schools Board of Education will host its monthly curriculum meeting at 4 p.m. today (7/7). The meeting is open to the public and will be livestreamed. To watch the stream, use the link below 👇 🔗: https://kcs.kana.k12.wv.us/o/kcs/page/kcs-live-stream The agenda is available on the KCS website 👇 🔗: https://5il.co/3kw1h

🎉 We have a NEW website… and we built it just for YOU! 🎉
Kanawha County Schools is proud to launch a brand-new website that’s user-friendly, modern, and made to meet the needs of our community — from parents and students to staff and future families! 💻📱

✅ Easily find breakfast & lunch menus
✅ Find important announcements, like school closures
✅ Quickly locate important documents
✅ Submit absence excuses right from the website or the NEW KCS app
✅ Explore all the incredible programs KCS has to offer
✅ Stay up-to-date with district and school calendars
✅ Catch the latest announcements and celebrate student successes 🎓🌟

Our new website and app are designed to work together — so no matter where you are, everything you need is just a click or tap away!

Take a look around ➡️ https://kcs.kana.k12.wv.us/
We can't wait for you to explore! 💙❤️💚

🍓 If you have registered for a meal distribution box at Mary Ingles or East Bank, they are being distributed until noon today — rain or shine!

☀️ FREE Summer Meals for Kids! 🥪🍎 Kanawha County Schools is proud to once again partner with the WVDE and the USDA to provide free breakfast and lunch to children across the county this summer! 📍 There are 11 locations offering meals this year 📆 Each site has specific dates and times for meal service. 👉 Click the link below to find the full list of sites, dates, and meal times: 🔗 https://bit.ly/3FXlBHz

🥳 We are loving our new📱app! Access documents, news, updates, urgent alerts and notifications, right from your pocket. ⬇️ Start your KCS App experience today! 🔗 Download for Android — https://aptg.co/Kfmv49 🔗 Download for iPhone — https://aptg.co/VJy0hm 🔵 If you have previously signed up for text messages from KCS, you will also be receiving this alert via text. The links in the text will take you to the App Store or Google Play Store.

👏🎉 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! 🙌🦜📖