What a fantastic time at the West Virginia Dolly Parton Imagination Library Day, hosted by our local WIC office! We loved seeing the excitement in the eyes of our young learners. 📚✨
Alysha Crawford, our ICARE Facilitator, and Emily Smith, Principal of Mercer County Early Learning Center, gave out copies of the wonderful Corduroy book and valuable resources to all the families in attendance.
We are so grateful for these opportunities to inspire a love of reading in our community!
#MercerCountySchools #DollyParton #ImaginationLibrary #Literacy #EarlyLearning #CommunityEvent #WIC
Virtual School Sign ups for the 2025-2026 School Year are from August 18-August 22, 2025.
🏆 At our county administrators' meeting, Facilities Director Tom Adkins presented the Golden Wrench Award to Principal Josh Riffe and PikeView Middle School for having the cleanest school in the county!
Mr. Riffe then proudly passed the award to the real MVPs—his custodians, who keep PVMS in tip-top shape. Great job! 👏🧼 #MCSShines #GoldenWrench #Teamwork
Mr. Riffe then proudly passed the award to the real MVPs—his custodians, who keep PVMS in tip-top shape. Great job! 👏🧼 #MCSShines #GoldenWrench #Teamwork
The Mercer County Schools Robotics League is offering a FREE summer camp, August 15-16th at Mercer Elementary from 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. This camp is open to any Mercer County Schools student in grades 3-8. Participants will get hands-on instruction in designing, building and coding robots. This is a great opportunity for students who have participated in robotics before as well as those who may be new to robotics. Complete the registration form to sign up. There is limited space, so register today!
Use this link for the form: https://forms.microsoft.com/r/6MszuLnPwc
Use this link for the form: https://forms.microsoft.com/r/6MszuLnPwc
Be sure to get your required school vaccinations!
Summer Learning Spotlight: Andy Vaughn, a Princeton Middle student, and his cousins visited Three Rivers Avian Center in Hinton where they saw a bald eagle and an owl up close—and even compared their wingspans! 🦅🦉 #MCSsummerlearning #MercerProud
🌟 Summer Learning Spotlight: Joshua Bailey (PVHS 10th), Brielle Coburn (PSHS 10th), & Kensley Coburn (Glenwood 8th) explored the Kennedy Space Center in FL this summer—an out-of-this-world experience that inspired curiosity and learning! 🚀🪐 #SummerLearning #STEMExploration
🌟 Summer Learning Spotlight: Miles Fisher, an upcoming PVHS freshman, earned 1st place and Best in Show for his 4-H woodworking project at the Mercer County Fair! His year-long dedication and craftsmanship truly stood out. 🪚🏆 #SummerLearning #MercerCountySchools
🌟 Summer Learning Spotlight: PSHS sophomore Madison Fink-Miller entered 10 canned goods in the Mercer County Fair—earning 1st place in 7 categories and 2nd in 3! Her hard work and skill in food preservation truly paid off. 🥫🏅 #MercerCountySchools #SummerLearning
🌟 Summer Learning Spotlight: A Visit to Pearl Harbor
Athens Elementary students Katie (5th grade), Luke (3rd grade), and Jack Wilie (Kindergarten), along with their former PE teacher Pat Haye, experienced a powerful and unforgettable trip to Pearl Harbor this summer.
Luke spent the school year reading and learning about this historic site—and standing there in person at exactly 8:00 a.m., the time the first bomb fell 83 years ago, brought history to life in the most moving way. As the National Anthem played across the memorial, Katie, Luke, and Jack stood with quiet honor and deep respect.
They saw oil still rising from the USS Arizona, learned about the role of the USS West Virginia, and explored the USS Missouri. These young learners asked thoughtful questions, reflected on the lives lost, and showed incredible curiosity and reverence throughout the visit.
We are so proud of their hearts, their minds, and their dedication to learning through real-world experiences. This is history they’ll never forget. ❤️
Athens Elementary students Katie (5th grade), Luke (3rd grade), and Jack Wilie (Kindergarten), along with their former PE teacher Pat Haye, experienced a powerful and unforgettable trip to Pearl Harbor this summer.
Luke spent the school year reading and learning about this historic site—and standing there in person at exactly 8:00 a.m., the time the first bomb fell 83 years ago, brought history to life in the most moving way. As the National Anthem played across the memorial, Katie, Luke, and Jack stood with quiet honor and deep respect.
They saw oil still rising from the USS Arizona, learned about the role of the USS West Virginia, and explored the USS Missouri. These young learners asked thoughtful questions, reflected on the lives lost, and showed incredible curiosity and reverence throughout the visit.
We are so proud of their hearts, their minds, and their dedication to learning through real-world experiences. This is history they’ll never forget. ❤️
What a fantastic day for inclusion, connection, and community at today's game with the Bluefield Railbirds ABO! ⚾
Our Mercer County Schools team had an absolute blast on the field with these talented athletes!
A huge shoutout to the incredible players from the Bluefield Railbirds ABO – their skills and spirit were truly inspiring!
Representing MCS today were some familiar faces: Athens Principal Shelley Weiss, Melrose Principal Edie Bennett, PVHS Assistant Principal Jason Underwood, Board member Jim Bailey, ICARE Facilitator Alysha Crawford, Mercer Elementary teacher Teresa Dinger, and our amazing students Liam Crawford, Jacob Crawford, and Emma Weiss.
Check out these photos capturing the fun and camaraderie! What a wonderful event. ❤️
#MercerCountySchools #BluefieldRailbirdsABO #CommunityBaseball #InclusionMatters #MCSFamily
📣 It's GAME DAY! 📣 Come fill the stands at Hunnicutt Field TODAY, Saturday, August 2nd at 11 AM for an inclusive baseball game! Mercer County Schools is thrilled to participate and show our support for our special community. The Bluefield Rail Birds ABO offers an authentic baseball experience for teens and adults with disabilities. Admission is FREE! Let's have a great time together! ⚾
🎉 Big shoutout to Brianne McKinney from Bluefield High School for representing Mercer County Schools at the SAIL Conference with the WVDE! 🙌
She shared powerful strategies for Engaging Students in Literature, applying the Science of Reading at the secondary level to spark meaningful, evidence-based literacy across content areas. 📚✨
#MercerProud #SAILConference #WVDE #ScienceOfReading #EngagingReaders #MercerMomentum #LivingLiterature
She shared powerful strategies for Engaging Students in Literature, applying the Science of Reading at the secondary level to spark meaningful, evidence-based literacy across content areas. 📚✨
#MercerProud #SAILConference #WVDE #ScienceOfReading #EngagingReaders #MercerMomentum #LivingLiterature
Laura Presley, Leigh Ann Owens, Amanda Reed, and Halie Henkes presented on Mercer County's successful initial year of "The Network: Energizing Educators" teacher mentorship program at the WVDE SAIL conference. They ended the presentation with a hexagonal networking activity where session attendees reflected on their own practices and collaboration efforts in their district.
🤖 Innovation in Action! 📊
Dr. Ernie Adkins, Assistant Superintendent, and Dr. Amber Bowling, Professional Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent, represented Mercer County Schools at the SESC Principals’ Academy with a forward-thinking presentation on Artificial Intelligence in Education.
Their session explored how AI can support instructional leadership, streamline administrative tasks, and enhance the learning experience for students and staff alike. The presentation sparked great conversation and left attendees inspired about the future of education in West Virginia.
Thank you, Dr. Adkins and Dr. Bowling, for leading the way and showcasing how Mercer County is embracing innovation for the benefit of all! 🚀📚
#MCPSLeadingTheWay #ArtificialIntelligence #SESCLeadership #MercerProud #FutureReadySchools
🌟 A Big Thank You to Dr. Ashley Vaughn! 🌟
When a speaker was unexpectedly unable to attend the SESC Principals' Academy, Dr. Ashley Vaughn—Hope Scholarship contact for Mercer County Schools—rose to the occasion and delivered a powerful presentation on short notice.
She led an important and timely discussion on how the Hope Scholarship is impacting public school enrollment—and more importantly, what we can do as a county to bring students back to our public schools.
Her leadership, knowledge, and passion for public education were on full display. Thank you, Dr. Vaughn, for stepping up and speaking out for our schools and students!👏📚💙
#MercerProud #HopeScholarship #PublicEducationMatters #SESCLeadership #MCPSExcellence
Policy D-09, Education Service Provider (ESP) Under the Hope Scholarship Program, is out for comment until August 18, 2025. Please send all comments to Dr. Kristal Filipek at kfilipek@k12.wv.us and to Dr. Amber Bowling at amber.n.bowling@k12.wv.us.
https://5il.co/3mt7v
https://5il.co/3mt7v
📚✏️ Big plans and big energy from our Mercer County Literacy Leaders (MCL²)!
This powerhouse group met today to finalize engaging PD sessions for our teachers and ECCATs, brainstorm Title I training themes, and dive into Science of Reading and LETRS!
We’re mapping out a year of meaningful learning—and having a blast doing it!
In the room: Dr. Ernie Adkins, Shannon Noble, Rhonda Rogers, Pamela Clark, Amber Riffe, Kelli Stanley, Amy Rickman, and LaCosta Hodges. #MCL2 #MercerReads #PDwithPurpose #TeamMercer 💡📖
This powerhouse group met today to finalize engaging PD sessions for our teachers and ECCATs, brainstorm Title I training themes, and dive into Science of Reading and LETRS!
We’re mapping out a year of meaningful learning—and having a blast doing it!
In the room: Dr. Ernie Adkins, Shannon Noble, Rhonda Rogers, Pamela Clark, Amber Riffe, Kelli Stanley, Amy Rickman, and LaCosta Hodges. #MCL2 #MercerReads #PDwithPurpose #TeamMercer 💡📖
This week, our Assistant Superintendent Rosemary Mitchell along with our secondary instructional supervisor, Principals, and instructional leaders are attending the SAIL Into a New School Year Conference (July 29–30, 2025) at the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center.
They’re participating in WVDE’s exclusive Instructional Rounds sessions, designed to build educator networks focused on continuous improvement through classroom observations and evidence‑based practice. Building on strategies like WVTSS, formative assessment, and Mastery‑based learning, our team is engaging with statewide colleagues to bring best practices back to Mercer County.
We can’t wait to see the positive impact of their learning journey in our schools!
They’re participating in WVDE’s exclusive Instructional Rounds sessions, designed to build educator networks focused on continuous improvement through classroom observations and evidence‑based practice. Building on strategies like WVTSS, formative assessment, and Mastery‑based learning, our team is engaging with statewide colleagues to bring best practices back to Mercer County.
We can’t wait to see the positive impact of their learning journey in our schools!
The office of special education hosted a Strive special education edition training for principles and counselors. Participants left with an understanding of special education pre-referral process, evaluation of students with disabilities, specially designed instruction, discipline and collaboration and communication with parents.
We would like to thank Rebecca Boggs from WVDE for attending our session.
