Nicholas County Schools

We are at an exciting time with the construction of the new PK-8 school at Glade Creek. At the February 19, 2024, Nicholas County Board of Education meeting, the topic of naming the new PK-8 school at Glade Creek was discussed. It was decided that we would have a sign built at the elementary school entrance labeled "Summersville Elementary School" and a sign built at the middle school entrance labeled "Summersville Middle School." We are now at the point where we need to choose a name for the entire building. Four possible names have been selected to consider. We want to encourage citizens and students to select the option that they prefer. This will be on our website and Facebook page for one week and will close at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 27. Our intention is to name the new building at the March 4, 2024, board meeting so that the cornerstone for the May ceremony at the Glade Creek site can be completed. Please complete the survey below to let us know your choice. The choices are: Summersville Elementary-Middle School Summersville Academic Center at Glade Creek Summersville Academic Complex Summersville Learning Center https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=S7AZ4AwzekaLrgn7FzdNajRxEKgo86dEuhclRcMmcCBUMURPR0dCVTVNNkg3U1Y5TUc1NDIzRkxBSi4u

I announced last week that I would provide a response to the survey results. First of all, I appreciate the time that was taken by those that commented on the calendar draft. No calendar can meet the needs of all students, parents, or employees but we try to create a calendar that will be approved by the state board of education and still meet the needs of our students. The biggest complaint that I received was about starting school too early and reducing summer vacations. Nobody enjoys summer vacations more than I do but remember that parents' vacations vary. Not everyone's vacation comes at the same time of the year and so finding a preferential starting and ending date that meets everyone's needs isn't possible. The students will have approximately 13 weeks off for summer vacation. Students do not report to school until August 19. Many people were unhappy with school starting on a Monday, but if we started on a Thursday or Friday there would be complaints about not giving them that last few days off before starting school. This year, we are designing our calendar to end the first semester by Christmas. The only way that we can do that is starting where we do. Another concern was the State Fair. Students will start after the state fair, but employees will be working the last week of the fair. Another question was about Professional Learning Days. Those days count as days in schools for students, so they do not affect when school ends. These days were approved by the legislature several years ago to give teachers more time for training and staff development. Most of those days also contain Faculty Senate meetings which are required by state code. We are required to have them in August, October, December, February, April, and June. Finally, many wanted school to start after Labor Day and end at Memorial Day. The only way that would be possible would be reducing or eliminating things like Thanksgiving break, Christmas vacation, and Spring Break. You would have to choose which of those breaks would have to be reduced. Designing a calendar is not simple. There are many rules that must be followed in order to get the calendar approved by the state. Again, I appreciate the input. Terrence Beam, Superintendent of Schools

The regional science fair originally scheduled for tomorrow will be rescheduled to Saturday, February 24th at East Greenbrier Middle School.

Nicholas County Schools will be closed today, February 13, 2024. This is NTIS day 2. Please make sure day 2 in your snow packet is completed. Staff does not report.

Nicholas County Schools will be operating on a 3 hour delay today, February 13, 2024. Breakfast is not served on 3 hour delay. Staff is to report on a 2 hour delay.

Nicholas County Schools policy 2280 Preschool program was put out for comments on February 6, 2024 for 20 days. To review this policy and leave comments, please visit: https://boe.nich.k12.wv.us/page/policy-out-for-comment Comments will not be accepted after 4pm on March 4, 2024

This is a reminder that tomorrow is a state mandated faculty senate, 3 hour early dismissal.

This week is National School Counseling Week. I want to take this opportunity to recognize and thank our school counselors for their undying efforts to help our kids cope with everyday life and its trials and tribulations. School counseling is a vital part of the student's educational experience, and we cannot ignore the important service that these professionals provide on a daily basis. Thank you for all that you do! Terrence Beam, Superintendent

Good morning, I have been looking over the comments concerning the 2024-2025 school calendar. Early next week I will share with you my responses to those comments. I understand most of the concerns, but there are some comments that I can address that will clarify certain things. For example, teachers do not work until the day before Christmas Eve. Their last day is December 20. Another is that school for students would only start 3 days earlier than this year, not weeks earlier and not during the State Fair. There are several of these type things that I will try to address. Thank you for your input. I will continue to consider your input.

Just a reminder that this Friday, February 9 is a 3 hour early out for Faculty Senate meetings.

Here is the draft copy of the 2024-2025 school calendar. If you have any comments you would like for us to hear, please fill out this form. https://forms.office.com/r/p5EfkzHxD0 This comment form closes at 4pm on February 9, 2024.

Today, you will be receiving a DRAFT of the 2024-2025 school calendar. It is different from past calendars in that the first semester will end at Christmas rather than mid-January. To do this, it is necessary to start school a few days earlier than accustomed, but students and employees will get out of school in May barring some unusual weather that requires several days being made up at the end of school. Students and staff still get off approximately 2 1/2 months between school years. Also, you will see a list that will more specifically described how the calendar will be. We have scheduled our graduation days on May 22, 2025, but that could possibly be changed. We are trying to avoid conflicting with both Memorial Day weekend and the State Track and Field Meet which affects many students. We can only plan graduation with five school days of the last day of school, so dates are tight. Anytime something is changed, it causes concern. I truly believe this calendar works well for our students.

Nicholas County Schools will be operating on a 3 hour delay today, January 29. Staff is to report on a 2 hour delay. No breakfast is served on 3 hour delays.

Nicholas County Schools will be operating on a 3 hour delay tomorrow, January 22, 2024. Staff is to report on a 2 hour delay. Breakfast is not served on 3 hour delays.

Due to Governor Justice calling state of emergency, Nicholas County Schools will be closed Friday, January 19, 2024. This is our first N T I D day. Students must complete thier snow packet. Employees are not to report.

Nicholas County Schools will be operating on a 3 hour delay tomorrow, January 18, 2024. Staff is to report on a 2 hour delay. Students are not served breakfast at school on 3 hour delays. Elementary school principals need to report to the board office at 9 am for a meeting with Dr. Lee.

I want to take this opportunity to update everyone on where we are on snow days and how we will proceed going forward. Today is our fifth day that school has been canceled due to weather conditions. In our schedule, we are allowed to miss five days without having to make them up or provide instruction to students. However, after that fifth day we enter a new phase called Non-Traditional Instructional Days. These are five days that teachers are required to provide instruction to their students in a variety of ways including snow packets, research papers, essays, or assignments on their iPad/Computers. Typically, on those days all employees would be required to report to work on an abbreviated schedule and all employees would work the same number of hours. In the event that we use those five NTIDs, further cancellations would result in making those days up at the end of the school year. So, the next day we miss school as an entire county, we will designate that day as our first NTID and on the state map it will appear green. After we have reach five of those, we must extend the school year for each additional day missed. Delays or early dismissals do not count against us in making up days. One reason we use delays are to hope for conditions to improve and allow us to have instruction. Every day that we call off school or have a delay, we consider the fact that parents struggle with childcare, yet we want to protect our students as much as possible and still have school in session as much as we can. I also realize how those decisions inconvenience working parents. We live in an area where roads are just fine in some places and treacherous in others. So, decisions are never simple. We are in constant communication with the National Weather Service, other school systems, citizens in our communities, and other weather services as we make our final decision. Finally, in a nutshell, we have 10 total days per year to use for snow days before we have to make up days at the end of the year. I hope that this helps you better understand a very complicated process that all school systems have to follow. I know that many times our decision is not popular or understood, but I hope this helps you to better comprehend our decision-making process. Terrence Beam, Superintendent

Due to icy roads and frigid temperatures, Nicholas County Schools will be closed tomorrow, Wednesday, January 17,2023.

The L S I C meeting scheduled for tomorrow January 16, 2024 at Nicholas County High School has been canceled.

Due to inclement weather, Nicholas County Schools will be closed Tuesday, January 16, 2024.