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WPS Adopts Proclamation to Reduce Chronic Absenteeism
  • The Winchester Public School Board adopted a proclamation at its September 12 Board meeting announcing September as Attendance Awareness Month in Winchester. Winchester Public Schools has joined a nationwide effort to celebrate Attendance Awareness Month in September and has pledged to raise awareness about the value of regular school attendance and focus on reducing chronic absenteeism in the new school year.
  • The Winchester Public School Board recognizes that good attendance is essential to academic success. But far too many students are at risk academically because they are chronically absent. Chronic absence is described as missing 10 percent of the school year—or about 18 days – for any reason, excused or unexcused. Research shows that this is the point at which absenteeism begins to affect student performance.
  • Read the full press release.
  • Read the Proclamation of September as Attendance Awareness Month.
September is Attendance Awareness Month!
  • Too often, parents, students and sometimes teachers don’t realize how quickly absences, excused as well as unexcused, can add up to academic trouble. Research shows that missing as little as 2-3 days every month is considered chronic absence, and can translate into third graders unable to master reading, sixth graders failing courses and ultimately, teens dropping out of high school.
  • Everybody plays a role in ensuring children attend school regularly. Parents and families are essential partners in promoting good attendance because they have the bottom-line responsibility for making sure their children get to school every day. School personnel can build a culture of attendance and maintain it throughout the school year, intervening with students who are missing too much school. School Board members can make a big impact on increasing student achievement by addressing chronic absence in schools. Quality mentoring can also have a significant impact on improving school attendance and student success.
  • To learn more about how you can help instill good attendance habits, visit these links:
    – Elementary School:  | ENGLISH | ESPAÑOL |
    – Middle/High School:  | ENGLISH | ESPAÑOL |
JKES ‘Buries’ Time Capsule, To Be Opened In 25 Years
  • The Winchester Star (9/22/16) – A time capsule, set to be opened in 25 years, was "buried" in the foyer of the new John Kerr Elementary School on Tuesday afternoon. "I think it’s exciting because I’ve never done a…
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Flu Shots for WPS Employees Available Soon
  • Flu season is here, so it’s time to be prepared! There are several ways to get a free flu shot this year. If you are enrolled in the WPS health insurance program, you and your covered dependents have the following options:
    • Visit an in-network participating pharmacy. Our partner pharmacy, Rotz Pharmacy, is included on the list and will have flu shots beginning 9/26 – no appointment required. For other in-network providers, remember to call ahead to verify participation and vaccine availability. You will need to present your insurance ID card and a form of identification during your visit. See the Flu Shot Program Q & A document for more information.
    • Visit an in-network doctor. You may be charged a copayment for the visit which will not be reimbursed.
  • If you are employed by WPS and not enrolled in the WPS health insurance program, you may receive a free flu shot beginning next week at:
    • Rotz Pharmacy
      1338 Amherst Street
      (across from James Wood Middle School)
      Clinic Hours: M-F 10am-5pm
  • Flu clinic begins Monday, September 26. You must present your Winchester Public Schools ID badge to receive this benefit.
  • We wish you a healthy flu season!
Nominations Sought for Community Builders Award
  • Nominations are being sought for the Community Builders Award. The award was developed to honor teachers who are “difference makers.” These individuals are passionate educators who have demonstrated true “difference making” in the lives of students, their parents/guardians, and within the community.
  • Nominations may be made by any Frederick County or Winchester City staff member, students and/or parents/guardians, as well as community members. Those who nominate are responsible for submitting the nomination through a formal letter of recommendation. The letter of recommendation should speak specifically as to why this particular teacher should be awarded this prestigious honor.
  • The deadline for submitting nominations is Friday, October 14, 2016. Click HERE for more information on criteria, judging, and submission requirements.
New John Kerr School Dedicated
  • The Winchester Star (9/15/16) – City officials and School Board members, staff and students gathered at the new John Kerr Elementary School on Wednesday afternoon for the school’s official dedication ceremony.
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High School Students Invited To Participate In App Challenge
  • The Winchester Star (9/13/16) – High school students in the 10th Congressional District are invited to participate in The Congressional App Challenge. The contest runs through Nov. 2, and is a chance for high…
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School Board Agrees To Request Allocation Of Funds
  • The Winchester Star (9/13/16) – The city School Board at its Monday night work session agreed to request the reallocation of $150,000 from John Kerr Elementary School’s construction fund to be used for pre-design…
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One Community/One Book - "Factory Man"
    Beth Macy's Factory Man
  • As you plan your fall events, please consider reading this year's One Book/One Community selection and attending events related to the book. The 2016 selection for Winchester and Frederick and Clarke counties is Beth Macy’s “Factory Man.”
  • This is the 14th year that the community has read the same book at the same time. Two events will be held in conjunction with the program.
  • The first event is a visit by the author on October 6. She will make a free presentation to the public at 7:00 p.m. in Stimpson Auditorium in the Harry F. Byrd Jr. School of Business on the Shenandoah University campus. A book signing will be held after her talk.
  • Second, the main subject of her book, John Bassett III, will speak to the community at 7:00 p.m. September 27 at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. A reception will be held in the lobby with a documentary showing and talk to follow. Tickets are $6 and available on the Alamo web site. His book, “Making It in America,” will be for sale.
  • Thank you for considering this fantastic opportunity to join these community literacy events.
2016-17 Policy for Providing Free or Reduced Price Meals
  • Winchester Public Schools has released updated information regarding its policy for providing free or reduced price meals for children served under the National School Lunch, and/or School Breakfast Programs. Each school and/or central school nutrition office has a copy of the policy, which may be reviewed by any interested party.
  • Household size and income will be used to determine eligibility for free or reduced price meal benefits. Children from households whose income is at or below the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines may be eligible for either free or reduced price meals.
  • Click HERE for more information on our Free or Reduced Price Meals policy.
High School and Middle School Programs of Study Approved
  • At its June 13 meeting, the Winchester School Board approved the secondary programs of study. Information about grade calculations, graduation requirements, diploma types, and course offerings can be found in the 2016-2017 High School Program of Studies. This list of offerings contains course titles, course numbers, grade(s) in which students may select a particular course, prerequisites to enroll, and a brief description of each course.
  • The 2016-2017 Middle School Program of Studies is the companion document that describes the instructional model and course offerings at Daniel Morgan Middle School. Students and parents can review the academic plans, schedules, and course offerings including electives. Revisions to the programs of study will be made each year reflecting changes to policies and student interest. The school board will approve these changes each year.
Winchester Schools Class Credit Weighting System Adjusted
  • The Winchester School Board approved changes to the Grading and Evaluation Policy, Policy IZA, at its June 13, 2016 meeting. Several changes were made to the method in which grade point average (GPA) is calculated. The changes in the manner in which GPA is calculated will begin with students entering high school for the first time in the Fall of the 2016-17 school year. Students who entered high school prior to the 2016-17 school year are not affected by the change in GPA calculation. Their GPA will be calculated using the previous method. The revised Policy IZA explains both of these GPA calculations in detail.
  • Additional information about grade calculations, diploma types, and course offerings can be found in the High School Program of Studies. Grade calculation information can be found on pages 3 and 4. The Middle School Program of Studies is the companion document that describes the instructional model and course offerings at Daniel Morgan Middle School.
Recognition of GAFE Certified Instructors
  • In the Fall of 2014, the Technology Department led the migration as a district to the Google Apps for Education (GAFE) platform. As we briskly developed a roll-out plan to get Chromebooks into the hands of all teachers and administrators, we were also building our professional development plans to train staff on the Google Apps platform and the Chromebook. During this time, eight members of the Technology Dept (Director of Technology, TRTs, Network Engineers), each began a self-study schedule to become Google Certified Instructors.
  • In the Spring of 2015 WPS joined a handful of other school districts in the region and participated in a cohort at LFCC where, over the course of several months, six teachers, led by Tech Resource Teacher Jenny Ramsey received their certifications. WPS participated in another cohort in the Fall of 2015. This time we increased our participation slightly and wrapped up the session with nine certified instructors. This session was led by Tech Resource Teacher, Bob Jones.
  • This spring, WPS decided to take another approach. With the wealth of knowledge and skill we were building in-house, we decided to host our own cohort, lead the training and host the certification testing all in-house. We are excited to report that just a few weeks ago we had over 25 staff members receive their Google Apps Certified instructor certifications. Moreover, we also had a staff member from JKES go the extra mile and pass her Level 2 Certification.
  • As a division, we recognize the importance of the 1:1 initiative and the collaborative platform we have with Google Apps and Chromebooks. We realize the impact it makes on teaching and learning, not only for our students but our staff as well, and the recognitions below are a prime example of how our teachers are stepping up to the plate to better themselves in an effort to make a more positive impact in the classroom. This is merely one reflection of how they are empowering themselves to transform student learning. Hats off to these teachers for earning their Google Certified Instructors Certification!
  • Gregory Abel
    Elizabeth Alger
    Tara Baker
    Connie Banton
    Melanie Beaudin
    Ann Brancato
    Emily Budnyk-Putt
    Rhonda Campbell
    Kelly Carey
    Shawnell Carmichael
    Teresa Cave
    Julie Constantino
    Mindi Countryman
    Joy Cusick
    Brian Dorsey
    Mary Duvall
    Amy Entwisle
    Janet Fabin
    Janine Galant
    Samantha Gates - Level 2
    Jim Gowdy    		 Joyce Householder
    Karan Johnstone
    Amy Kretchman
    Rachel Levi
    Ellen Martin
    Marie McGurie
    Jodi Milburn
    Jessica Mossholder
    Haley Nelson
    Stephanie Noel
    Shari Putnam
    Holly Rucker
    Cristy Ryman
    Julianne Scott-Williams
    Sara Shoemaker
    Jeremy States
    Joe Svoboda
    Brian Tavenner
    Jenn Vaughan
    Alicia Wheeling
Announcing Synergyse - Embedded Google Apps Training!
  • We are excited to announce that in the coming weeks, we will be deploying a new Google Apps Training module - Synergyse! Synergyse is the #1 directly embedded training solution for Google Apps. There is no need to leave your workflow to get the specific training you need to continue your work. Interactive lessons are delivered with audio, text and visual cues to teach features as you use them in real time. With Synergyse seamlessly integrated into the Google Apps platform, you learn what you need at your own pace and own schedule, easily and efficiently. The introduction of this embedded Google Apps module will be an invaluable addition to our training arsenal to assist in enhancing Google Apps knowledge for both students and staff.
  • Once you've signed into the Google Chrome browser with your WPS account, look for the Synergyse logo appearing in the upper-right corner within Google Apps. Note that this embedded training tool is a Google Chrome extension we will be deploying, which means you will not need to install it. You will be able to use it from your Chromebook - as well as from other devices such as your computer in your office or at home - as long as you are using Chrome and are signed in with your WPS account.
  • Seamlessly embedded Google Training for all of your favorite Google Apps. Be on the lookout!

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