District News

  • School board swears in new members, recognizes students

    During the December meeting of the Watauga County Board of education, new board members were sworn in. WHS Student Abigail Leon was recognized for designing Watauga County School's holiday card.

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  • November Board of Education Recognitions

    During the November meeting, the Watauga County Board of Education recognized Watauga High School GEAR UP students, WEF grant recipients, WHS spanish teacher Carmen Scoggins, the district-wide spelling bee winner Sam Nystrom and presented member Jason Cornett with the Servant's Heart award.

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  • WHS teacher Carmen Scoggins named App State Outstanding Alumni

    The College of Arts and Sciences at Appalachian State University has named Carmen Leigh Scoggins ’94 ’98 as the Outstanding Alumni Award winner for 2017–18. Scoggins teaches Spanish at Watauga High School and is an adjunct Spanish and foreign language methodology instructor in the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures at Appalachian.

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  • Watauga County Schools prepares for winter

    With another high country winter well on its way, Watauga County Schools would like to remind families how we make and communicate decisions about the operation of school during inclement weather.

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  • Hardin Park's Sam Nystrom wins WCS district spelling bee

    Hardin Park sixth-grader Sam Nystrom correctly spelled “Jaguar” and “Confetti” to secure victory in the Watauga County Schools district-wide spelling bee held Oct. 19. Parkway’s Hannah Lutz and Katie Coombes of Blowing Rock tied for the runner-up spot in the contest.

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  • October Board of Education recognitions

    The Watauga County Board of Education honored the 2018 TEA Fellows, Principals at each of the district's schools, WHS Governor's School attendees and received an award from the NCSBA.

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  • WCS prepares for impacts from Hurricane Florence

    WCS continues to monitor weather forecasts and conditions as Hurricane Florence begins to make landfall over the coming days. Current reports suggest Northwest North Carolina could receive significant winds and rainfall over the weekend and into early next week.

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  • WCS adds additional SROs, counselors, school nurses

    Last week, Watauga County Schools received two school safety related grants from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction that are set to fund additional school nurses and school resource officers for the district.

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  • WCS holds convocation ceremony

    As Watauga County Schools prepares to welcome back students on Monday, Aug. 20, teachers and staff came together to celebrate the system’s annual convocation ceremony.

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  • Congratulations to the Watauga High School Class of 2018

    Watauga High School graduates walked the stage and received their diplomas last Saturday. Click for photos from the ceremony.

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  • May Board of Education Recognitions

    The Watauga County Board of Education honored the academic and extra-curricular achievements of more than 100 staff, students and teachers during its May meeting.

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  • Terri Hodges named WCS Teacher of the Year

    Blowing Rock School’s Terri Hodges was named Watauga County Schools district-wide Teacher of the Year in surprise ceremony held Friday morning at the school. Hodges was presented the award by Superintendent Dr. Scott Elliott along with Blowing Rock and WCS central office staff.

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  • WHS JROTC takes top prize at regional competition

    Watauga High School's Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training (JROTC) unit won first place overall in the small unit division on Saturday, April 7 at the annual Appalachian Regional JROTC Championship hosted by Science Hill High School in Johnson City, Tenn.

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  • WHS FFA places well in state competition

    Watauga High School’s Future Farmers of America chapter recently found success at the statewide Farm Business Management and Agricultural Sales competition, placing highly in a variety of contests March 7 in Mt. Olive.

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  • Dr. Pat Morgan presented with Servant's Heart Award

    For the past four decades, Dr. Pat Morgan has been a staple in Watauga County Schools, sharing his love for reading with students at Cove Creek, Bethel and Mabel schools. Over the last 41 years of reading in classrooms, Dr. Morgan has left an impression generations of students.

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  • WHS to perform 'Cinderella Enchanted'

    For the last 29 years, Watauga High School’s drama department has pushed expectations of the scale and quality that high school theater can achieve with its massive annual musical productions held each Spring. This year, for the department’s 30th anniversary, students from art programs all over the school are coming together to put on Rodgers’ and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella Enchanted,” a show which co-director Sarah Miller said is a showcase of an immense variety of talent — from actors, dancers, musicians and crew alike.

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  • 'Watauga County Leads Movement Toward Compassionate Schools in NC'

    Adverse experiences in childhood can lead to many negative health outcomes later in life, but for many kids the problems can start much earlier. In the current issue of the North Carolina Medical Journal, Denise Presnell, a school social worker, writes about efforts in Watauga County to address childhood trauma.

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  • Watauga County Schools sets Graduation Date

    Graduation for the Watauga High School Class of 2018 has been set for 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 9 at the Holmes Convocation Center on the campus of Appalachian State University in Boone. Students should arrive for graduation no later than 8:30 a.m. June 9.

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  • Green Valley, Parkway teams win district Battle of the Books

    Earlier this month, Watauga County School’s best readers met to prove their mettle at the district-wide Battle of the Books competition. Green Valley’s Gold team took home the win in the elementary contest, with Parkway’s Blue team winning the middle school event.

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  • Kindergarten Orientation on its Way

    The first day of kindergarten is a hugely important day in a child’s life. It’s the first step on a lifelong journey of learning and exploration. In Watauga County Schools, kindergarten is a time for learning, but just as importantly, it’s a time for growing, creating, making friends and importantly: Having fun.

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  • Phil Norman named Principal of the Year

    Green Valley Principal Phil Norman has been named Watauga County Schools 2018-19 Principal of the Year. Norman was presented with the award March 5 in a surprise ceremony at the school.

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  • Cove Creek wins NC Green Power Grant

    Cove Creek School was selected earlier this month to receive a NC Green Power Grant to install an educational solar power generation system on the school’s campus. Cove Creek is now raising funds to secure the matching grant, which can provide up to $10,000 for the installation of the system.

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  • WCS Names 2018-19 Teachers of the Year

    Watauga County Schools has named its 2018-19 teachers of the year — one from each school in the district. Chosen by their peers, the group was selected from a group of more than 300 teachers district-wide at all grade levels.

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  • Watauga County Schools addresses school safety procedures

    In the wake of the tragic shooting that took place last week in Parkland, Fla., issues of school safety and security have risen to a prominent position in the national conversation. Watauga County Schools issued a statement to inform parents, students and community members what steps the system takes to deal with threats to school security.

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  • School Board Honors Longtime Parkway School Bus Driver Ann Hamby

    Ann Hamby — Mrs. Ann to her riders — has driven a bus at Parkway School for 45 years, and while transportation has undergone significant changes since the early 1970s, Mrs. Ann said one constant spanned her four-decade career: her dedication to the safety of her students on the way to and from school.

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  • WHS Pioneer Playmakers to present Our Town

    The Pioneer Playmakers will present Our Town by Thornton Wilder on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, February 23-25th. Friday and Saturday will be 7pm shows with a 2:30 Sunday matinee. Saturday and Sunday will be $5 general admission. Friday’s show to offer a “pay what you can” night!

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  • Watauga High School Health Alert

    Please see a health alert for Watauga High School from AppHealthCare and Watauga County Schools. This message contains more information from the Appalachian Regional Health Department.

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  • WCS looks to spring break as possibility for make up options

    With another winter storm in the forecast, and more inclement weather on the way, Watauga County Schools is looking ahead and planning for how makeup days will be utilized going forward into the final weeks of winter.

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  • Blowing Rock students eligible to compete in state science fair

    After a strong showing at the regional science fair, several Blowing Rock students now have the chance to take their projects on to the state competition in March.

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  • WHS MCJROTC takes top spot at regional drill meet

    Watauga High School’s Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps recently took home several honors at the annual Daniel Boone High School MCJROTC Invitation Drill Meet in Gray, Tenn.

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  • App State student group donates to WCS

    Appalachian State University student group Global Medical Training, an organization that encourages members to seek occupations to aid those in need, donated $800 to Watauga County Schools after a fundraising effort to aid service agencies.

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  • WHS to host Winterfest

    The transition from middle to high school can sometimes be difficult, both for students and their parents. But the Watauga County Schools Student Services department, in conjunction with the GEARUP program, is stepping in to help.

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  • December Board of Education Recognitions

    Two retiring Watauga County Schools employees were recognized at the December meeting of the Watauga County Board of Education. Superintendent Dr. Scott Elliott presented a certificate of appreciation and the monthly Servant's Heart award.

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  • Mabel Mock Trial Team wins regional competition

    Last week, students from Mabel School took home a victory in the regional Middle School Mock Trial competition, a contest that divides students into prosecution and defense teams, and sets them to play the parts of each in front of a real judge and jury of attorneys in a courtroom.

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  • A thank you from Watauga County Schools

    From all of us here at Watauga County Schools, we are thankful for you -- for our students, teachers, parents and community members. Thank you for all you do to make WCS great! Have a happy, safe and fulfilling Thanksgiving!

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  • Watauga County Schools nets third-highest SAT scores in NC

    According to data recently released by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, Watauga County Schools achieved the third-highest SAT average composite scores in the state of North Carolina.

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  • Playmakers to represent Watauga Schools at state play festival

    The Pioneer Playmakers, Watauga High School’s honors acting troupe, found continued success at the North Carolina Theater Conference’s High School Play Festival last month earning a “Superior” rating for their show “Things Fall (Meanwhile).”

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  • Parkway Celebrates 'North Carolina Crunch'

    Parkway School joined schools across the state Oct. 13 in celebrating National Farm to School Month by crunching into a locally grown apple in celebration of the “North Carolina Crunch” during lunches.

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  • Watauga County Schools reminds families of snow day procedures

    With winter approaching, Watauga County Schools would like to remind parents and families how the school system makes and communicates decisions about school closings and other changes resulting from inclement weather.

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  • Green Valley's Kazia Orkiszewski wins district-wide spelling bee

    Green Valley eighth-grader Kazia Orkiszewski correctly spelled Statuesque and Circumvent to land the top spot in the Watauga County Schools district-wide spelling bee held Oct. 13. Hardin Park fifth-grader Sam Nystrom and Blowing Rock eighth-grader Cristian Hamilton tied for the runner-up spot in the contest.

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  • October Board of Education recognitions

    The Watauga County Board of Education recognized Julie Anderson with the Servant's Heart award, as well as WCS principals.

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  • Hardin Park Family Reading Project begins 'Prisoner B-3087'

    More than 140 students, parents and community members gathered last week at Hardin Park to mark the kickoff of the school’s Family Reading Project — a month long event that provides families of middle school students with a book and challenges them to read it together and to experience the work as a family.

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  • Middle school science classes head to the field

    The look of the classroom is constantly evolving; It is increasingly collaborative and interactive; it is always changing and adapting to technology and learning in new ways, and sometimes — like for Watauga County Schools Middle-Schoolers on Watershed Field Day — it’s knee deep in the Watauga River.

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  • WCS sees record graduation rate, strong test scores, enrollment gains

    School performance data released by the N.C. State Board of Education shows that Watauga County Schools has improved its four year graduation rate for the second year running, reaching a record high of 91.2 percent. The school system exceeded a 90 percent graduation rate for the first time last year.

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  • Hardin Park holds Patriot's Day

    Students at Hardin Park began their day Monday, Sept. 11 with the school’s annual Patriot’s Day event — a memorial to victims of the 2001 terror attacks and a day the school uses to recognize the work of local police and emergency responders.

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