Mercer County Schools

🌟 Our Pre-K students across Mercer County are diving into their brand-new Frog Street Pre-K curriculum! 🐸📚 From exploring shapes and patterns, to practicing measurement and hands-on discovery, our little learners are already engaged in meaningful activities that spark curiosity and joy in learning. 💡✨ We are so proud to see their smiles, teamwork, and creativity shining through as they begin this important journey. Here’s to a great year of growth, learning, and fun with Frog Street! 💚🍎 #MercerCountySchools #PreK #FrogStreet #EarlyLearning #DynamicDistrict #LoveMyWVSchool

🎓✨ GEAR UP SWV hosted a Career, College, and Scholarship Fair at MCTEC Monday evening! Nearly 200 students and parents explored college opportunities, gathered scholarship information, and even tested out careers through virtual reality glasses. What an exciting night of planning for the future!

Attention Seniors and their families! Don't forget about Scholarship Night tonight! It's being held at the MCTEC Seminar Center from 5:30-7:00 p.m. Attend to get some good info and tips on scholarships, talk to colleges, and more!

Science got colorful on Friday! 🧪 Students in Ms. Ramsey's class at PSHS used red cabbage juice to test the pH of everyday items like vinegar, soda, and baking soda. The liquids changed colors right before their eyes, showing whether each substance was an acid or a base. Hands-on science = the best kind of learning!

Superintendent Ed Toman was proud to cheer on the Princeton Tigers tonight as they took on Oak Hill! Nothing beats Friday night lights and supporting our student-athletes. Go Tigers!

Our Child Nutrition Director, Krista Kessinger, spoke with some students at PSHS today about school lunches. Their input is invaluable!

Mercer County Schools nurses and social workers were proud to represent our district at the 4th Annual Responding to Child Abuse Symposium at Pipestem State Park. 🌿 This event focused on strengthening partnerships, sharing strategies, and ensuring the safety and well-being of children. We are grateful for their dedication to supporting students and families every day.#LoveMyWVSchool

Statement from Superintendent Edward Toman

🌟 Did you know happiness is contagious? Our Central Office team is diving into the Orange Frog program—a fun, research-based way to spread positivity and energy throughout Mercer County Schools. 🐸🍊 A little happiness goes a long way!

🐾 You never know who might stop by to visit Superintendent Toman and Assistant Superintendent Dr. Ernie Adkins! Today, Oakvale School’s therapy dog, Oakley, dropped in to talk about student achievement—and to negotiate how many treats he should get each day. 🐶✨

The University of Charleston is offering a Nursing Boot Camp for High School students interested in pursuing a nursing career. This program provides hands-on experience in the university's simulation labs, allowing students to participate in real-world nursing scenarios and meet with nursing faculty and current students.

Program Details:
Date: October 4th at the UC Beckley campus.
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Eligibility: Open to rising 8th-12th graders.

Contact: Kennita Thomas (kennitalthomas@ucwv.edu) to register.

Today, GEAR UP Coordinator Gail Webb, Secondary Supervisor Angela Groseclose, and Career Connections Facilitator Jennifer Collis attended a GEAR UP SWV training at New River Community & Technical College. The team explored new virtual reality goggles that allow students to “step into” careers—like inserting an IV as a nurse or riding up in a bucket truck to repair a transformer! These tools will be used in classrooms alongside career interest inventories so students can discover their passions, virtually experience careers, and even begin mapping out a career pathway in a database. Exciting opportunities ahead for our students to see their futures come to life!

Technology Integration Specialists Dr. Heather Farley and Kaila Hardin are leading the way in showing educators how AI tools can transform the classroom. With over 90 teachers in attendance, today’s session highlights how AI is advantageous for teachers—saving time on everyday tasks, sparking creativity, and giving them more time to focus on what matters most: students.

Parents and Families: Instructions on how to receive notifications when your child's teacher sends you a message on Rooms:

Rooms allows you to customize notification you receive via Email and SMS. To find these settings on the app click your name in the top right corner of the screen. The following options are available to turn on in varying combinations: ***You do not have to add a phone number if you're already signed into the app.***

Choose One:
Instant Delivery: Get notified instantly when you receive an unread message.

Hourly Digest: Receive a text message hourly with a collection of all unread messages.

Daily Digest: Get a text with a collection of all unread messages, delivered at your scheduled time.


Enabled in combination:
Hourly digest email for messages: Receive hourly emails about any unread messages in you have, weekdays from 8 AM to 7 PM, based on your time zone.

SMS notifications for announcements: Get text notifications for unread announcements in your rooms.

Daily digest email for announcements: Receive a daily summary of all class announcements in Rooms, delivered between 6 PM and 8 PM.

At this week’s meeting, Mercer County Board of Education members completed Local School Improvement Council (LSIC) training provided by the WV Department of Education. What are LSICs? Each school in West Virginia has an LSIC made up of parents, teachers, staff, and community members. LSICs work together to set goals, identify needs, and recommend improvements that support student learning and school success.

At last night’s Board of Education meeting, Coordinator of Pupil Services Amanda Aliff shared details about the new ReachOut Program available to every Mercer County Schools student (K–12). 🌟 What is ReachOut? ReachOut (“Let’s Talk”) connects students with licensed counselors who listen, support, and—when needed—coordinate with school administrators to ensure help comes quickly. 👩‍🎓 Who can use it? All MCS students, grades K–12. 💻 How to access: • Click the “Let’s Talk” icon on any school computer • Scan the QR code on ReachOut posters around school • Ask a trusted school adult for help submitting a ReachOut 🔑 What to expect: A counselor responds promptly, helps the student problem-solve, and respects privacy. If there’s a safety concern, appropriate adults will be involved to keep everyone safe. ReachOut is here day or night—because no student should face worries about schoolwork, friendships, family, or safety alone.

Bus 679 is running 15 minutes behind this morning, Tuesday, September 9th. This affects Timberwood, Bluefield Middle and Bluefield High.

PSHS’s Mrs. Jeseca Sowder shared key takeaways from the WVDE Social Studies Standards Rollout. These standards emphasize that social studies should be inquiry-based—students actively exploring, questioning, and applying information, not just memorizing it.#lovemywvschool

📚 Instructional Moment Monday 📚
Homework tip: Work 20 minutes, then take a 5-minute break. ⏱️ It keeps focus sharp!

#MiddleSchoolSuccess #StudySmart #LoveMyWVSchool

📚💙 A huge THANK YOU to Books-A-Million at Mercer Mall and our amazing community!
Together, you donated over 300 books to Mercer County Schools. These books will spark imagination, inspire learning, and brighten the lives of our students.

Your generosity makes a lasting difference—one page at a time. ✨

#MercerCountySchools #ThankYou #CommunityStrong