Damascus Middle School

📢SCHEDULE CHANGE: Although air temperatures are above freezing, road temperatures are not. As a result, we are experiencing black ice all over the county. Washington County Public Schools will implement a Remote Learning Day for Wednesday, February 4, 2026. No childcare will be provided. Teachers and schools will communicate additional information and instructions related to remote learning for the day. Because of the Remote Learning Day, the WCPS Nutrition Department will offer breakfast and lunch meals for students at four locations. Meals will be available from 10:00 a.m to 1:00 p.m. at Abingdon High School, John S. Battle High School, Patrick Henry High School, and Holston High School. Any child 18 years of age or younger is eligible to receive meals and may choose one of the four listed locations for meal pick-up. Students do not need to be present for families to pick up meals.

📢SCHEDULE CHANGE: Washington County Public Schools will operate on a 2-hour delay schedule tomorrow, Wednesday, February 4, 2026. Buses will run on clear roads only in the morning and afternoon. At this time, there are a few roads and bus turn-around spots that remain snow-covered. Roads of concern are listed below by your high school attendance zone.

Childcare for elementary students will be provided at elementary schools (for elementary aged students only) for working families who need it. Please watch for additional information from your child’s elementary school.

We are also monitoring the potential for snow this evening. Should a change need to be made to tomorrow’s schedule, a decision will be made by 7:30 a.m.

Families always have the final say when determining if travel is safe for their student. Schools will work with families to make up missed learning for absences related to travel concerns in the affected areas.

Holston High School Attendance Zone
*Kelly Chapel Road
*Friendship Road
*Bishop Road
*Mill Creek Road
*Barr Town Road
*Confederate Road
*Rush Creek Road
*Greertown Road
*Rivermont Road
*McGee Road
*Rock Springs Road
*South Fork River Road
*Widener Valley Road (Between Confederate Road and Bishop Road)
*Bluff Hollow (Past Alex Drive)
*Sweet Hollow Road

📢REMINDER: Washington County Public Schools will implement a Remote Learning Day for Tuesday, February 3, 2026. No childcare will be provided. Teachers and schools will communicate additional information and instructions related to remote learning for the day. Because of the Remote Learning Day, the WCPS Nutrition Department will offer breakfast and lunch meals for students at four locations. Meals will be available from 10:00 a.m to 1:00 p.m. at Abingdon High School, John S. Battle High School, Patrick Henry High School, and Holston High School. Any child 18 years of age or younger is eligible to receive meals and may choose one of the four listed locations for meal pick-up. Students do not need to be present for families to pick up meals.

It's National School Counseling Week! Thank you, Mrs. Moser, for all you do to support student success at Damascus Middle School!

📢SCHEDULE CHANGE: In order to help families, teachers, and staff better prepare, WCPS is announcing that we will be closed on Monday February 2 and we will have a Remote Learning Day on Tuesday February 3, 2026. Students can enjoy an “official” snow day on Monday and our staff will have time to get schools ready for meal sites which are required when we have a Remote Learning Day. Hopefully, rising temperatures on Tuesday will give us a chance to return to school on Wednesday. No childcare will be provided. Let’s all hope that groundhogs see no shadows tomorrow! We will have our Board meeting as scheduled on Monday night.

DMS is competing in the Read with Malcolm READBowl, and we’re also having a friendly competition among the grades! 7th grade is currently in the lead, with 6th grade right behind them — it’s a close game! Today is the perfect day to curl up with a good book, get ahead in PowerUp, and finish up any classwork. Every minute counts! We can’t wait to see which grade takes the win!

DMS is participating in our annual St. Jude Math-A-Thon February 2-11. The mission of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is to advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. No child is denied treatment based on race, religion, or a family's ability to pay. DMS is honored to support this wonderful cause and proud to have raised thousands of dollars to aid their efforts.

You can register at the following link:
https://fundraising.stjude.org/site/TR/Math/Math?pg=entry&fr_id=164233

📢SCHEDULE CHANGE: Due to the Winter Weather Watch being upgraded to a Winter Storm Warning for Washington County, Washington County Public Schools will implement a Remote Learning Day for Friday, January 30, 2026. No childcare will be provided. Teachers and schools will communicate additional information and instructions related to remote learning for the day. Because of the Remote Learning Day, the WCPS Nutrition Department will offer breakfast and lunch meals for students at four locations. Meals will be available from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Abingdon High School, John S. Battle High School, Patrick Henry High School, and Holston High School. Any student 18 years of age or younger is eligible to receive meals and may choose one of the four listed locations for meal pick-up. Students do not need to be present for families to pick up meals.

Gearing Up Confidence🚴⚙️: DMS students are learning bicycle basics as they gear up to ride the new bicycles provided by a grant from the Outride Foundation. Communities in Schools Coordinator Brandon Dale and PE teacher Michael Ratliff work with students each week to develop their confidence as riders. When warmer weather comes, students will move their rides outside!

Leadership Training in Action 🏛️: DMS is proud of two of our students, Turner E. and Tristan S., who participated in 4-H Day on the Hill! These 4-H members had a wonderful opportunity to visit Richmond to meet with legislators, learn about the governmental process, and share their own 4-H experiences. A special thank you goes to Mrs. Crystal Peek who is instrumental in training our future leaders across Washington County through the 4-H program!

Reminder: Washington County Public Schools will operate on a 2-hour delay tomorrow, Thursday, January 29, 2026. Buses will run on clear roads only. In addition, bus drivers have discretion and may adjust routes as needed based on local conditions to ensure student safety.

Roads of concern are listed below by your high school attendance zone.

Childcare for elementary students will be provided at elementary schools (for elementary aged students only) for working families who need it. Please watch for additional information from your child’s elementary school.

Families always have the final say when determining if travel is safe for their student. Schools will work with families to make up missed learning for absences related to travel concerns in the affected areas.

Holston High School Attendance Zone
*Barr Town Road
*Confederate Road
*Rush Creek Road
*Greertown Road
*Rouse Road
*South Fork River Road

📢SCHEDULE CHANGE: Washington County Public Schools will operate on a 2-hour delay tomorrow, Thursday, January 29, 2026. Buses will run on clear roads only. In addition, bus drivers have discretion and may adjust routes as needed based on local conditions to ensure student safety.

We will provide a list of impacted roads this evening.

Childcare for elementary students will be provided at elementary schools (for elementary aged students only) for working families who need it. Please watch for additional information from your child’s elementary school.

Families always have the final say when determining if travel is safe for their student. Schools will work with families to make up missed learning for absences related to travel concerns in the affected areas.

📢SCHEDULE CHANGE: WCPS will need to remain closed tomorrow, Wednesday, January 28, 2026. VDOT and AEP have done a terrific job helping our community recover from the significant ice event over the weekend. We are also thankful for our custodians and maintenance staff for their hard work to get our buildings and grounds safe and ready for our students to return. However, there are still several obstacles preventing us from returning to school on Wednesday. Childcare for elementary students will be provided at elementary schools (for elementary aged students only) for working families who need it. Please watch for additional information from your child’s elementary school. We are hopeful that we can return to school on Thursday by running buses on clear roads only. If that is not possible, Thursday would be a Remote Learning Day. Until then, stay warm, be safe, and send a huge thank you to the workers and employees who have worked so hard in these treacherous conditions.

📢SCHEDULE CHANGE: Roads, parking lots, and sidewalks remain ice covered all over Washington County. Many families are still without power, as are a couple of schools. Frigid temperatures are predicted overnight. In order to allow families to better plan for tomorrow, WCPS is announcing now that we will be closed on Tuesday, January 27, 2026. Childcare will not be available. Hopefully, a little sunshine tomorrow will help us get back to school later this week.

📢SCHEDULE CHANGE: Roads, parking lots, and sidewalks are ice covered all over Washington County. Many families are without power and more winter weather is expected this evening and overnight. In order to allow families to better plan for tomorrow, WCPS is announcing that we will be closed on Monday, January 26, 2026. Childcare will not be available.

ReadBowl Trivia 📕🏈💡: These students tackled our ReadBowl trivia like pros! From Malcolm Mitchell’s passion for reading to his own reading journey, they knew their stuff. Way to read and lead! Be on the lookout for more trivia questions posted in the building.

Art MakerSpace 🖌️🎨: On Thursday, January 22, Art teacher Mrs. Mitten-Stanford hosted an Art MakerSpace, a time when students could stay for an hour after school and create. Marleigh A., Sophie B., Allana C., Lily D., Alyssa W., and Ellie W. enjoyed working with clay during this time!

WCCTEC Tour: 8th-grade students learned about the many exciting opportunities available to them next year during their tour of the Washington County Career & Technical Education Center.

Pajamas, Pages, & Pigskins: 🧥📚🏈Celebrate half-time of the DMS ReadBowl on Friday! Wear your PJs, grab your book, and play some games during lunch!

A big congratulations to Bailee W. and Tristan S. for their ReadBowl trivia knowledge! The trivia questions asked what college Malcolm Mitchell attended before playing for the New England Patriots and which Super Bowl he won with the team. The correct answers are that Malcolm Mitchell attended the University of Georgia and went on to win Super Bowl LI (51) as a member of the New England Patriots. Congratulations and keep reading!