Today is a day Bluewell and Brushfork teachers have been eagerly awaiting — the chance to tour their future home, Timberwood Elementary School! 🏫🐺
From the moment they stepped inside, it was clear: Timberwood is more than just a building. It’s beautiful, bright, and inviting — the perfect place for students to learn, grow, and thrive.
Facilities & Maintenance Director, Tom Adkins, and Timberwood Elementary Principal, Dr. Sarah Grose, led the tour, sharing their excitement and vision for this incredible new space.
The next day these dedicated educators are counting down to?
Moving in and welcoming their very first Timberwood Wolves! 💙✨
#TimberwoodElementary #FutureIsBright #TimberwoodWolves #NewBeginnings
We were excited to welcome David Lee from the Cook Center for Human Connection today as he led a powerful training for our Communities In Schools (CIS) coordinators, school counselors, and school social workers on the ParentGuidance.org program!
This resource-rich platform is part of a West Virginia state initiative to support student mental health by empowering parents with free, confidential, and convenient access to mental health education and support. David provided practical tools and insights to help our staff better connect families with the support they need.
To learn more, just click the Parent Guidance button on our district website!
Thank you, David, and the Cook Center, for partnering with us to put students and families first!
#ParentGuidance #WVStateInitiative #StudentSupport #MentalHealthMatters #MercerCountySchools
SAT Bootcamp!
📍 Administrator Spotlight!
At yesterday’s administrators' meeting, Superintendent Ed Toman shared insights from the recent AASA Conference in New Orleans—highlighting the exciting world of Artificial Intelligence in education. 💡🤖
Our own Data & Information Specialist, Amy Harrison, introduced principals to powerful AI tools like NotebookLM, Gamma, and Sesame. The room was buzzing as they explored how these platforms can streamline daily tasks for both school leaders and teachers! ✨
Following the presentation, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Ernie Adkins led a training session on Policy 5310: Performance Evaluation of School Personnel—but with a twist. The policy highlights were delivered podcast-style using NotebookLM, showing how AI can even support professional development. 🎧📘
At Mercer County Schools, we're committed to equipping our educators with cutting-edge tools that make every day more efficient, effective, and innovative. 🙌 #AIinEducation #MercerInnovates #FutureReadySchools
We are so proud of Malak Shanan and Kadiah Shanan for earning the West Virginia Seal of Biliteracy in Arabic and English!
This incredible accomplishment recognizes their dedication, perseverance, and impressive proficiency in two languages. Being biliterate in Arabic and English not only honors their cultural heritage but also opens up a world of academic, professional, and personal opportunities.
Congratulations, Malak and Shannan you are inspiring examples of what it means to be lifelong learners and global citizens!
#SealOfBiliteracy #BilingualPride #ArabicAndEnglish #StudentSuccess #MercerProud
"Reflective thinking turns experience into insight." - John C. Maxwell
The Network met last evening for their final session of the school year. Sessions centered on reflection, special education topics, and planning for the next school year. Our own Mercer County Teacher of the Year, Kim Yahya, modeled a math lesson and then new teachers worked on finalizing their portfolios with their mentors. Thanks for a great pilot year for energizing and encouraging our new Mercer County Teachers! We look forward to expanding our Networking next year!
Congratulations!
MCS Steering Committee had the privilege of being hosted today by WVU Princeton Community Hospital COO, Al Boland. We are grateful for the continued collaboration and support from our local business leaders as we work together to create opportunities and a brighter future for our students.
Important message about Spring Break:
The following buses will not run today, Monday, April 14th:
Bus 022, affects Oakvale, Melrose, Straley, Princeton Middle, PikeView Middle, PikeView High
Bus 603 (formerly 605), which affects Lashmeet Matoaka, PikeView Middle and PikeView High.
Bus 644 (formerly 623), affects Princeton Primary, Mercer, Princeton Primary, Princeton Middle and Princeton High
The following buses will not run today, Friday, April 11th:
Bus 640 (formerly 625), affects Athens, Melrose, PikeView Middle and PikeView High
673 (formerly 633 ), affects
Princeton Primary, Mercer, Straley, Princeton Middle, Princeton High
Bus 605, affects Lashmeet Matoaka, PikeView Middle and PikeView High
📣 Yesterday, Mercer County Schools' 8th graders had an amazing opportunity to attend the Career Fair at Bluefield State University, thanks to GEAR UP SWV! 🎓✨
Our students engaged with business leaders, explored exciting career pathways, and asked insightful questions that showed just how bright their futures are. 💡👩💼👨🔧
A big thank you to everyone who helped make this experience possible! #GEARUPSWV #CareerReady #MercerProud #BluefieldState #FutureLeaders
Mercer County Schools is at the Bluefield State University Job Fair today!
Our Human Resources Director, Dr. Kristal Filipek, will be there until 2:00 PM.
Stop by to learn about exciting career opportunities with Mercer County Schools—we’d love to meet you!
Bus 648 will not run today, Wednesday, April 9th. This affects Athens, PikeView Middle and PikeView High.
K–2 teachers are all smiles as they explore hands-on strategies for teaching foundational math skills with Emily Smith! From number sense to early geometry, it’s all about making math fun and meaningful for our youngest learners. #EarlyMathMatters #HandsOnLearning #TeacherTraining #MercerCountySchools
More Mercer County highlights from the 2025 Grow Your Own & Milken Educators Symposium! 🌟
Milken Award recipients Dr. Ernie Adkins and Kelli Stanley brought their expertise to the main stage, serving on an expert panel where they answered powerful questions about the future of education. 🎤
Dr. Adkins also led a breakout session on Trauma-Invested Classrooms, sharing valuable insight on supporting students with compassion and understanding. Meanwhile, Mrs. Stanley inspired attendees with her session on Building Relationships and Empathy in the Elementary Classroom—a true reflection of her heart for students. 💬💛
And a proud moment for our Grow Your Own seniors: Teylah Carson, Dexter Simon, and Adrienne Jarrell received their official Grow Your Own stoles, which they'll proudly wear at graduation this May! 🎓🎉
Mercer County continues to lead the way in growing and supporting the next generation of educators.
#GrowYourOwnWV #MercerProud #MilkenEducators #FutureTeachers #TraumaInformedTeaching #RelationshipMatters #EducationLeadership
📐 Grades 3–5 teachers are diving into hands-on math today with Kim Yahya from Athens School and Katie Carter from Lashmeet Matoaka! They're exploring fun, interactive ways to teach angles that will keep students engaged and excited to learn. 🔍✨
🌟 Mercer County is shining at the 2025 Grow Your Own & Milken Educators Symposium! 🌟
We’re proud to have Milken Award recipients—Assistant Superintendent Dr. Ernie Adkins and Princeton Primary Principal Kelli Stanley—representing us at this prestigious event, alongside Mercer County Technical Education Center’s dedicated Grow Your Own instructor, Les Farmer.
What made this year’s symposium even more special? Three of our very own Grow Your Own graduates—Teylah Carson, Dexter Simon, and Adrienne Jarrell—took the stage to share how the program in Mercer County gave them a strong foundation and early momentum in their journey to becoming educators.
Introduced by Dr. Adkins, these future teacher leaders are continuing their education with purpose: Teylah and Dexter at Fairmont State University, and Adrienne at Bluefield State University.
We are so proud of the impact our Grow Your Own program—and the passionate educators behind it—is having on shaping the future of education!
#GrowYourOwnWV #MercerProud #FutureEducators #MilkenEducators #TeacherLeaders #MCTEC #InvestInEducation
Important Dates for the 2025-2026 School Year
The following buses will not run today, Tuesday, April 8th.
Bus 654, which affects Mountain Valley, Glenwood, and Princeton High
Bus 684, which affects Bluefield Primary, Bluefield Intermediate, Bluefield Middle, and Bluefield High