Get ready for audience participation, including five live bingo games, at Berkeley Springs High School auditorium during three live performances of “Holy Mother of Bingo!”

A murder mystery set in a present-day small-town parish, the play is “all about community and coming together. It is uplifting,” said senior Braden Brinegar, who has the lead role as Father Ron.

The play is directed by the school’s drama teacher Amy Taylor, under whose leadership the theater program has matured over the last several years.

More students are auditioning now, according to senior Natalie Koontz, who portrays Sister Helen.

If they wish, audience members hold bingo cards during the performance, and get to play five rounds, competing for prizes, while helping – or hindering – the investigation.

Performances will be held at Berkeley Springs High School’s Connie Perry Auditorium on Friday, October 16 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, October 17 at 2 p.m. and Saturday, October 17 at 6:30 p.m.

Tickets are available for purchase at the door.

Children in second grade and under are admitted free. Those in grades three through 12 see the play for half price.

Doors open 30 minutes in advance. Concessions will be on sale in the lobby.

The post “Holy Mother of Bingo!” mystery theater at Berkeley Springs High School appeared first on Morgan Messenger.

Warm Springs Intermediate School was closed to students and faculty for four days as a major electrical problem shut down power to the building completely.

Students at the county’s grade 3-5 school have been out of the classroom last Wednesday through Friday, and then again on Monday, September 28. School officials reopened the school on Tuesday.

“The power outage occurred early Wednesday morning. We had a roof leak that caused the main switchgear to malfunction which then caused the outage,” said Morgan County Schools Superintendent David Banks in an email to The Morgan Messenger.

MEC Inc. Electrical Construction of Hagerstown, Md. is the contractor working on the power issue.

“Contractors are at the school with Potomac Edison to ensure we can safely reopen the school,” said Banks on Monday.

In a message to parents on Sunday, September 27, Morgan County Schools said Warm Springs Intermediate School would be “closed for in-person learning” on Monday “due to the continued power outage.”

Students were transitioning to Non-Traditional instruction on Monday, the message said. That means they would be having a school day from home, including assignments from their teachers.

Superintendent Banks told The Morgan Messenger on Monday that staff from the school coordinated a Chromebook and assignment pickup for parents on Monday. Students are issued Chromebook laptops from the county.

“Staff have been supporting other schools and assigning classwork through our communication platform DOJO,” said Banks.

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Morgan County Schools is conducting a training for volunteers interested in joining the PASS Program (Providing Academic and Social-Emotional Support), an initiative designed to provide mentorship to local students in Morgan County’s six schools.

“By dedicating just 30 minutes a week during normal school hours through the program, community mentors help local students foster confidence and develop skills necessary for success in the classroom and beyond,” said PASS Coordinator Candi Hurst.

The PASS Program has paired adult mentors with students in need of extra social, emotional and academic support for decades in the school system.

Those interested in volunteering and making a difference in a child’s life can contact Hurst at candi.hurst@k12.wv.us to find out more and sign up for the training.

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West Virginia’s State Superintendent of Schools Michele L. Blatt has selected a group of state students to be part of a new Super STARS (Students Taking Action for Readiness and Success) Council. She announced the 15 student members during the August meeting of the West Virginia Board of Education.

“The new statewide student advisory group is designed to elevate student voice among education leaders and strengthen engagement in public education across West…

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Slow down for school traffic

If you are driving, remember these simple rules:

–Yellow flashing lights indicate the bus is preparing to stop to load or unload children. You should slow down and prepare to stop your vehicle.

–Red flashing lights and extended stop arms indicate the bus has stopped and children are getting on or off. You must stop your car and wait until the red lights stop flashing, the extended stop-arm is withdrawn, and the bus begins moving, before you can start driving again.

–Even when lights aren’t flashing, watch for children, particularly in the morning or mid-afternoon, around school arrival and dismissal times. Be alert as you back out of a driveway, or drive through a neighborhood, school zone or bus stop.

Safety around the bus

Many students rely on school buses to get them to and from school safely. Parents and family members should also talk to students who ride buses about how to protect themselves as they get on, ride on and exit the buses throughout the year.

Parents – talk bus safety with your children:

–Your child should arrive at the bus stop at least 5 minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive. Teach them to play it SAFE:

–Stay at least ten feet — five giant steps — away from the curb.

–Always wait until the bus comes to a complete stop and the bus driver signals for you to board.

–Face forward after finding a seat on the bus.

–Exit the bus after it stops and look left-right-left for cars before crossing a street.

If your child must cross the street in front of the bus, teach him or her to walk on the side of the road until they are 10 feet ahead of the bus; your child and the bus driver should always be able to see each other.

Walking safety

For students who walk to school, the following safety rules should be reviewed with families:

• Walk on the sidewalk, if one is available; when on a street with no sidewalk, walk facing traffic
• Before you cross the street, stop and look left, right and left again to see if cars are coming
• Make eye contact with drivers before crossing, and always cross streets at crosswalks or intersections
• Stay alert and avoid distracted walking like looking at devices or being distracted by conversation
• Cross the street at the corner, obey traffic signals and stay in the crosswalk.
• Never run out into the street or cross between parked cars.
• Never talk to strangers or accept rides from someone they don’t know.

Make students informed

Other safety tips for the first week of school include equipping students with the knowledge of what to do in an emergency and how to reach parents or guardians.

If your student is younger or going to school for the first time, teach them:

–Their phone number, address, how to get in touch with their parents at work, how to get in touch with another trusted adult and how to dial 911.

— The name of their school and their main teacher.

Sources: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, National Safety Council, The American Red Cross.

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“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” said Brad Close, who is on the Blue Ridge Community and Technical College Board of Governors, in his remarks at the July 21 grand opening of the college’s new welding laboratory at Pines Opportunity Center in Berkeley Springs.

As president of the Morgan County Commission 10 years ago, Close was instrumental in the transfer of the old hospital property into the economic development site it…

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Morgan County Schools’ six-week summer school program for first through third graders – called Energy Express – wraps up this week.

Around 40 children participated in this summer’s Energy Express program, held at Warm Springs Intermediate School, according to director Meghan Powell, a teacher at Warm Springs Middle School. The summer program is run in conjunction with WVU Extension services.

The program is unique because it focuses on the critical third grade…

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During the first meeting of the new Morgan County Board of Education on Monday, July 6, members spent the first portion of the session in the unusual position of selecting a new school board president from between two nominees.

Former school board member Aaron Close had been the board president for most of his 12 years in office. His decision not to seek another term on the board left a leadership opening…

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Pam Hessler is the school board’s newest member, elected during the May 13 primary and nonpartisan election. She takes a seat left vacant by Aaron Close, who chose not to run for re-election to the…

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