Ms. Bernice and Mrs. Jamie's classes performed their long awaited production of the Little Red Hen. The kids were extremely excited to have their parents come and see their performance. Thanks to all who were able to attend.

End of Year Program Schedule: May 23 9:00 Saunders/Pennington May 24 9:00 White 11:00 Tibbs May 25 9:00 Thornhill 11:00 Anderson May 26 9:00 Vance

Classroom pictures will be taken on May 6th. Cost of pictures is $10.00 which needs to be paid in advance. Please check your child's folder for more information and an order form.

Construction updates: Phase 2 is complete and Phase 3 is on schedule. Classroom window work should be done by May 6th. Hopefully we will have no more classroom disruptions after Phase 3 is complete. Thanks for everyone's cooperation during this difficult time.

Ms. Tibbs and Mrs. Emily's room experimenting on Peeps. The young scientists placed their Peeps in water, vinegar and soda to determine what effect the liquids would have on the marshmallow treats. Students made predictions and then worked to see if their predictions came true. Early scientific method!!

Pre-K registration is going on now. Spots are still available for the 2022-2023 school year. Please call the school for more information, (304) 425-4251.

Interest survey for THRIVE Summer Program: MCELC will be offering a 2 week summer program to assist in learning loss as a result of the pandemic. This program will run for approximately 5 1/2 hours a day. Meals and transportation (regional bus stops) will be provided. You can sign up for both weeks if you so desire. Please note that if school does not end on June 3rd, these dates are subject to change. https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=S7AZ4AwzekaLrgn7FzdNai6jwYm5lm1JujbOlFu7hkdURVBYWFg2RzVBRE4zMzcxVU1WWlNYUDAyMC4u

Kindergarten Registration - if your child is attending Kindergarten next year they must register at their home school. K registration dates are available on our events page. Registration is by appointment only so make sure you contact your school.

Our cafeteria has transformed into a classroom thanks to the hard work of our dedicated faculty and staff. Ms. Tibbs and Mrs. Thornhill's (Moorman) classes have moved their entire classrooms into the cafeteria. Thanks to Mary Kate Tibbs, Melissa Moorman, Emily Sisk and Angela Farley for all of their hard work. Our students seem very excited about this adventure.

In honor of Read Across America Week students in Bernice White and Jamie Mitchem's classroom made a Foot Book. Kids had an absolute blast doing this except for the fire drill that occurred while they had their shoes off. OOOPS! However, the kids got their shoes back on in record time.

In like a lion or a lamb? Students in Karen Thornhill's classroom predict what the weather will be for March by creating masks and tracking their data.

Beginning March 7th, our long awaited window replacement project will actually begin. The first group of classrooms to be done will be Mrs. Vance, Ms. Tibbs, and Mrs. Thornhill's classes. These classrooms will be temporarily assigned to other locations in the building. Your child will continue to have the same teacher and aide. Work on this part of the project should be completed in approximately 3 weeks. (fingers crossed) Please bear with us as we navigate this disruption.

In honor of Black History Month, students in Karen Thornhill's class have been learning about the contributions of black inventors. They learned about West Virginia native Catherine Johnson and her contributions to NASA and the space program. The kids really enjoyed making their rocket posters. Great job guys!

Mercer County BOE Votes to Make Mask Wearing Optional At the February 22nd meeting, the Mercer County Board of Education voted to move its mask guidance from mandatory to optional. This means that mask usage in buildings and on school buses will be optional for both students and staff. This decision is being made as Mercer County and Mercer County Schools positive case numbers are going down after the increase during the winter holidays. Masks may also be required at individual school sites if Covid-19 transmission rates warrant a mask requirement. Mercer County Schools will still have masks available to anyone wanting one. We will also continue communicating with the Mercer County Health Department about special cases and any concerning trends in classrooms or schools. The superintendent may institute practices if determined necessary in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The ultimate goal is to protect our students and prioritize learning. Given the quick spread of the Omicron variant and its rapid clinical course, it has made contact tracing in schools impractical when combined with the newly reduced timelines for quarantine and isolation set by the CDC. With that being said, Mercer County Schools will not perform contact tracing on behalf of the Mercer County Health Department. All Mercer County schools are now reporting positive cases to a new WV DHHR tracking survey, which appears on Fridays at https://wvde.us/covid19/school-covid-dashboard/

Mercer County Students who have been quarantined, exposed, or experiencing symptoms from Covid-19 can visit QLabs at 160 Undercliff Terrace in Princeton to receive a free antigen rapid and/or PCR test to return to school. There is NO FEE or insurance needed for Mercer County Students. No appointment is necessary. Walk-ins welcome Monday-Friday 8:30-4:30.