Wood County Schools

At approximately 1350 hours the Parkersburg Police Department was contacted by a Deputy with the Washington County Sheriff's Department regarding threats being made on social media by a student at VanDevender Middle School which pertained to committing a shooting at Vandevender. That information was relayed to the School Resource Officer at Vandevender Middle School while additional officers responded to assist. The School Resource Officer was able to quickly determine that the 14 year old juvenile who had perpetuated the threats, is a student at the school, and was not in attendance. Various steps were taken to ensure the safety of the children and administrators while Officers of the Parkersburg Police Department worked to locate the suspect juvenile. A short time later, the suspect juvenile was located and detained by law enforcement without incident. Once detained, the suspect juvenile was transported to the Parkersburg Police Department to be interviewed. After being interviewed, the suspect juvenile was taken to Wood County Circuit Court and a detention hearing was held. At the culmination of the detention hearing, the suspect juvenile was ordered to be placed in the Lorri Yeager Juvenile Detention Center on the charge of Making Terroristic Threats. There are no other suspects, persons of interest, or further threats involved in this incident. In addition, no evidence was located during the investigation that would have enabled the juvenile suspect to carry out the threats made. The Parkersburg Police would like to thank the Washington County Sheriff’s Department for their assistance in this matter. The communication and teamwork facilitated a quick response by law enforcement and apprehension of the suspect juvenile. The Parkersburg Police Department was also in communication with the Wood County Board of Education from the onset of the threat being reported through the placement of the suspect juvenile in the Lorri Yeager Juvenile Detention Center.

The Wood County Sheriff’s Office was notified at approximately 4 pm today of a potential threat to Parkersburg South High School which was circulating on social media. School officials reported the incident after being made aware of the posts to the Parkersburg Police Department. The student making the post was not at the school at the time. Through set protocol, the Parkersburg Police contacted the Sheriff's Office as the student lives outside the city limits. Detectives with the sheriff’s office took into custody a 16-year-old male student of Parkersburg South who is being detained pending charges filed by the Prosecutors Office.   Officials had no reason to believe that an immediate physical threat was posed to students or faculty. The Sheriff's Office worked alongside the Parkersburg Police, Wood County School Administration, and the Wood County Prosecutors Office throughout the investigation to ensure the safety of students and staff.

We have been made aware of false information circulating on social media stating that Williamstown Elementary and Williamstown Middle/High School are on lockdown. This information is **not true**. There is no lockdown at either school, and all operations are proceeding as normal.

Wood County Schools is aware of an online threat targeting various school systems across West Virginia. We take every threat seriously and are actively monitoring the situation. The safety of our students and staff is our top priority, and we are working closely with local law enforcement to ensure that all necessary precautions are taken. We will continue to keep our community informed as we gather more information. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

FREE COACHING FOR SCHOOL FAMILIES AND STAFF: ParentGuidance.org is an online service that provides a trusted and safe community for parents to learn how to support their children and get answers to mental health questions. Parent Guidance is backed by licensed therapists to provide specialized courses and professional support to parents. It is also FREE and confidential for school families and staff, provided through a generous grant by the Cook Center for Human Connection. This link will take you to the website for more information and to sign up: https://parentguidance.org/&utm_source=school&utm_medium=badge&utm_term=school&utm_content=ad-1&utm_campaign=school

Wood County Schools will be closed on Monday, September 2 in observance of Labor Day. Schools and offices will reopen at normal times on Tuesday, September 3.

GOLDEN TICKET ALERT: The final Golden Ticket Summer Reading Challenge Book Fair will take place Thursday, August 29th from 3:00-6:00pm at the WCS Lincoln Warehouse. Hundreds of books are waiting to go home with readers; bring your golden tickets/reading logs and we will see you there! Wood County Schools, Lincoln Warehouse Beside Vandevender Middle School 918 31st St, Parkersburg, WV 26104 For more information visit https://woodcountyschoolswv.com/thegoldenticket

Greetings! Teachers and staff are excited to welcome students back and are eager to kick off an amazing new school year! Classes begin tomorrow, Wed., Aug. 21. To find your school's arrival and dismissal times, visit https://www.woodcountyschoolswv.com/page/arrival-dismissal.

Good evening! We want to remind you about our back-to-school open house tomorrow, Monday, August 19th. Our elementary open house will be from 4 to 6 p.m. and our middle, high, WCTC and Caperton will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Students' first day back to school will be Wednesday, August 21st. We're excited to see you and kick off a fantastic year!

Say “hello” to two-way messaging in the Wood County Schools app! The same district app now offers class streams, class announcements, and parent-teacher chat. Look for your personalized invitation to begin using this feature in our app after 8/21. Download for Android https://aptg.co/tLf49D Download for iPhone https://aptg.co/tXzp7c

Thank you to law enforcement for your service, collaboration and keeping our schools safe!

An IMPORTANT REMINDER for parents of students entering 7th and 12th grades: All 7th and 12th graders are required to have completed the MCV4 and Tdap vaccines by the first day of school. If you have completed the vaccines over the summer break, please be sure that your school nurse has received a vaccine record. Preschool/ Kindergarten parents: If you had a preschooler who is now progressing to kindergarten, there may be additional vaccines required for them. Please check with your pediatrician and update the record with your school nurse.

An IMPORTANT REMINDER for parents of students entering 7th and 12th grades: All 7th and 12th graders are required to have completed the MCV4 and Tdap vaccines by the first day of school. If you have completed the vaccines over the summer break, please be sure that your school nurse has received a vaccine record.

In celebration of Independence Day, all Wood County Schools' offices will be closed. Offices will reopen on Friday, July 5th.

Just a reminder: The Mid-Ohio Valley Workforce Development Board will offer two summer programs for students. The CTE Exploration Camp for incoming 8th-11th grade students will provide an opportunity to explore skilled trades of carpentry, welding, electrical as well as automotive, aviation, health care, and culinary. Camp will take place from July 10-12, 8:30am-3:00pm. The program includes virtual reality simulations, hands on projects, and guest speakers. Participants will earn certificates in workplace safety and customer service. Transportation assistance is available. Space is limited space. Additional opportunities will be available to earn work and skills credentials. To register or learn more, visit https://woodcountyschoolswv.com/summer2024.

Just a reminder: The Apprenticeship Readiness Program provides incoming and graduating seniors the opportunity to participate in an Apprenticeship Readiness program from June 24 through 28th from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 pm. This experience will include hands on projects, mentoring, and career information in Construction, Carpentry, Electrical, Welding, and more. The week-long event will include tours of local union training facilities and mentoring from master craftsmen as well as the use of Virtual Reality for students to simulate on-the-job experiences in addition to the hands-on projects. Transportation assistance is available. Space is limited. Additional opportunities will be available to earn work and skills credentials. To register or learn more, visit https://woodcountyschoolswv.com/summer2024.

All schools and offices will be closed on Thursday, June 20th in celebration of West Virginia Day! Offices will reopen on Friday, June 21. Learn more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Virginia_Day

The school year may be over, but it's never to early to mark your calendar! The 2024-2025 school year will host Open House on Monday, August 19. Elementary schools will be from 4 to 6 pm and middle and high schools (including WCTC/Caperton Center) from 5 to 7 pm. View event dates and details anytime on the WCS app or by visiting https://woodcountyschoolswv.com/calendar.

The Mid-Ohio Valley Workforce Development Board will offer two summer programs for students. The CTE Exploration Camp for incoming 8th-11th grade students will provide an opportunity to explore skilled trades of carpentry, welding, electrical as well as automotive, aviation, health care, and culinary. Camp will take place from July 10-12, 8:30am-3:00pm. The program includes virtual reality simulations, hands on projects, and guest speakers. Participants will earn certificates in workplace safety and customer service. The Apprenticeship Readiness Program provides incoming and graduating seniors the opportunity to participate in an Apprenticeship Readiness program from June 24 through 28th from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 pm. This experience will include hands on projects, mentoring, and career information in Construction, Carpentry, Electrical, Welding, and more. The week-long event will include tours of local union training facilities and mentoring from master craftsmen as well as the use of Virtual Reality for students to simulate on-the-job experiences in addition to the hands-on projects. Transportation assistance is available. Space is limited space. Additional opportunities will be available to earn work and skills credentials. To register or learn more, visit https://woodcountyschoolswv.com/summer2024.

Join us for the USDA free summer meals program, a wonderful initiative aimed at ensuring that children have access to nutritious meals even when school is out. This program provides free meals for children and teens in low-income areas during the summer months, helping to bridge the nutrition gap that often occurs when school meals are not available. By participating in this program, you can help support the health and well-being of children in your community, ensuring they have the fuel they need to thrive and enjoy their summer activities to the fullest. Learn more at https://www.woodcountyschoolswv.com/page/summer-nutrition-program