Schools

For the past six months students from Berkeley Springs High School in collaboration with Morgan County Partnership have been working to create an online magazine called The WV Zine.

This site is dedicated to providing the residents of Morgan County with information regarding school and community activities. Many of the activities are directed toward teens, and young adults but it also acts as a clearinghouse for parents.

Paw Paw High School

Paw Paw High School students who earned straight A's for the first nine weeks are:

During a pre-scheduled evacuation of Widmyer Elementary on November 25, 2008, students and teachers from Berkeley Springs High School successfully entertained over 400 kindergarten through second graders while they waited at the high school.

The collaborative effort between Berkeley Springs High School, Widmyer Elementary and the Morgan County Partnership made for a fun and entertaining afternoon.

The West Virginia Children's Health Insurance Program (WVCHIP) will soon expand health coverage for children by increasing the upper income limit for participation from 220% to 250% of the federal poverty level.

This greater news for working West Virginia families who are in need of health care coverage for their children, said Governor Joe Manchin. By expanding this program, more than 400 uninsured children may be eligible within the first complete year of the expansion, increasing to 717 over five years.

Warm Springs Middle School announces its Students of the Month for October.

Dustin Wilson, a sixth grader and son of Gary and Angela Wilson, is an excellent student who is always willing to help out another student. He participates regularly in classroom discussions and his teachers hope he keeps up the great work.

Seventh grade students in the AVID class at Warm Springs Middle School are routinely asked to do something most adults don't do – track how they spend their time and decide if their activities will move them along toward a specific goal.

In the case of those students, their common goal is to get into college and be successful there. That's what brings them to the elective class known as AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination).

World Water Monitoring Day (WWMD) is an international education and outreach program that builds public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources around the world by engaging citizens to conduct basic monitoring of their local water bodies.

Students from Leigh Jenkins' high school biology classes sampled water on Friday, October 17 from the Warm Springs Run, which flows past Widmyer Elementary School and Berkeley Springs High School. With materials supplied by the Eastern Panhandle Conservation District, students measured a core set of water quality parameters including temperature, acidity (pH), clarity (turbidity) and dissolved oxygen (DO). Results will be shared with participating communities around the globe through the WWMD website.

Last month, parents of Morgan County students received report cards grading their child's school against the federal No Child Left Behind standards for public education.

County school testing director Terry Riley presented the report cards to the Morgan County school board at their October 7 meeting and explained how the cards reflect on schools.

With the approach of the winter season, Morgan County Superintendent of Schools David Banks announces the following information concerning the delaying, closing or early dismissal of school because of inclement weather.

The transportation director, John Gue, and assistant superintendent, Joan Willard, are responsible for assessing and monitoring road and weather conditions. The assessment includes inspecting road conditions, reviewing temperatures and related factors, and communicating with the Department of Highways, Office of Emergency Services, transportation staff, emergency operations staff, and various weather services. In consideration of current conditions, storm warnings, and/or any hazardous forecasts, the transportation director, in consultation with the assistant superintendent, will advise the superintendent if school delay or closing is necessary.

Berkeley Springs resident Katie Zakrzewski competed in the Pre Teen America Academic Scholarship and Recognition Program August 30 - September 1, in Morgantown.

Seventy girls from West Virginia competed in both Senior and Junior Divisions.