A few weeks ago, Rachel Blankenship took to Twitter to brag on her mom, Vickie, a little bit. “My mom is a principal in West Virginia who goes the extra mile for her school. She just finished writing a letter to each of her students and is mailing them today. Nearly 300 letters!” she
CHARLESTON, W.Va – The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved West Virginia’s application for Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) cards to support child nutrition needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the direction of Governor Jim Justice, the joint request was recently submitted by the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) and the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (WVDHHR). P-EBT was introduced in H.R. 6201,
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) is pleased to announce two school nutrition employees have earned national recognition as part of the School Nutrition Association’s (SNA) annual School Lunch Hero Award. The program honors frontline heroes throughout the country who ensure students have access to healthy meals during
May 1, 2020 CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Today, 222 eighth-graders from across the state earned recognition as Knights of the Golden Horseshoe. This recognition honors students with the highest achievement in knowledge of West Virginia history and culture. Though students were unable to be knighted in person with Governor Jim Justice and State Superintendent of
Earth Day has arrived and many of us are taking time to step out into nature for some fresh air. With flowers blooming, birds chirping and bees buzzing, some educators are using the spring season as a unique learning opportunity for their students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Shelly Eldridge, a pre-k teacher at Marlowe Elementary School in Berkeley County, surprised her students by sending them seed
CHARLESTON W.Va. - Governor Jim Justice announced today that school buildings and facilities will remain closed while remote learning continues through the end of the school year. The announcement provides a framework for counties to plan for the end of the school year, and the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) encourages
Remember Home Economics class? Turns out those skills are proving useful these days. With students stuck at home, some are getting back to the basics during the quarantine. Melissa Wilfong, principal of Mary Ingles Elementary School in Kanawha County, has challenged her students to use this time at home to cook meals with their families. They then shared photos with her of the delicious and creative meals they helped prepare. And Eli Wetzel,
Two new resources available on our COVID-19 site are the Educator Hub and the Good News submission feature. The Hub allows educators to share best practices, learn from their peers and enjoy the communal support from one another. The online form gives educators and principals an opportunity to submit questions about
The West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) announced this week that, in collaboration with local school systems, more than a million meals are being provided weekly to children in the state. Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, the West Virginia Division of Tourism, National Guard and Department of Agriculture have worked in partnership with
Over the past several weeks, schools and families have shared the various ways teachers are staying in touch with their students. Some have turned to technology with video conferencing and YouTube lessons, while others have relied on telephone, texts and emails to communicate with their classrooms. But Lori Clark, a kindergarten teacher at Spring Mills Elementary School in Berkeley County, thought of a unique way to let her