Monroe County Schools

All after-school activities throughout Monroe County Schools are canceled for today, Wednesday, October 14, as a precautionary measure due to recent reports of skin infections in our community and surrounding areas. These are common bacterial skin infections, and today’s cancellation is preventive, not confirmation of an outbreak. School personnel will be thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting facilities and shared equipment during the scheduled practice times. We ask parents and guardians to check their children this evening for unusual sores, redness, swelling, blisters, or draining skin lesions. If any concerning areas are found, please have your child evaluated by a healthcare provider. Per guidance from the Monroe County Health Department, affected areas must remain covered until fully healed. Students with actively draining lesions may not participate in athletics. Students prescribed oral antibiotics for a skin infection must complete at least 72 hours of treatment before returning to sports, with additional clearance requirements potentially applying. For questions, contact School Nurse Jessica Thomas at 304-772-3094, extension 322, or the Monroe County Health Department at 304-772-3064. Thank you for your cooperation.

🚨 IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT – MONROE COUNTY SCHOOLS COUNTYWIDE CANCELLATION OF AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES & SKIN INFECTION PREVENTION GUIDANCE Wednesday, October 14, 2026 Out of an abundance of caution, ALL after-school activities throughout Monroe County Schools are CANCELLED for today, Wednesday, October 14, 2026. This precautionary decision follows recent reports of bacterial skin infections, including staph, MRSA, and impetigo, in surrounding school communities and athletic programs. Today’s cancellation will allow school personnel to thoroughly clean and disinfect athletic facilities, locker rooms, shared equipment, supplies, and frequently touched surfaces. These are not new illnesses. Bacterial skin infections are commonly encountered in community settings, particularly among athletes due to close physical contact, skin abrasions, and shared equipment. We are continuing to gather and verify information regarding potential cases involving our schools. This cancellation is a proactive prevention measure and does not, by itself, indicate a confirmed outbreak within Monroe County Schools. 🩺 PARENTS & GUARDIANS: PLEASE CHECK YOUR CHILDREN THIS EVENING We encourage all families to take a few minutes this evening to examine their children for unusual or concerning skin conditions, especially those participating in athletics. Signs to watch for include: * Redness, swelling, warmth, or tenderness * Painful bumps, boils, or sores * Pus, drainage, or oozing * Blisters or honey-colored crusting * Areas that appear to be worsening or spreading If you notice any concerning areas, please have your child evaluated by a healthcare provider. Keep affected areas clean and covered, and do not squeeze, pick, or attempt to drain sores. 🩹 SCHOOL ATTENDANCE & ATHLETIC PARTICIPATION The following precautions are based on guidance provided by the Monroe County Health Department, along with applicable athletic return-to-play requirements. ✅ Dried or Healing Areas Students may generally attend school and participate in athletics when appropriate, provided dried or healing scabs, lesions, blisters, or other affected areas are securely covered with an appropriate bandage until completely healed. Additional restrictions may apply depending on the infection and sport. 🚫 Weeping or Draining Areas Students with actively weeping, oozing, or draining lesions must not participate in athletics until the areas are dry, no longer draining, and applicable return-to-play requirements have been met. 💊 Oral Antibiotics Per guidance provided by the Monroe County Health Department, students prescribed oral antibiotics for a skin infection must complete a minimum of 72 hours of treatment before returning to athletic participation. Additional requirements may include no new lesions for at least 48 hours, no active drainage, and appropriate medical clearance when indicated. Completing 72 hours of treatment does not automatically clear a student to return to play. 🩹 Proper Wound Coverage Long sleeves or other clothing may be worn for additional protection; however, clothing does NOT replace the need for an appropriate absorbent bandage covering affected areas. 📌 IMPORTANT REMINDER School attendance and athletic participation have different considerations. Students with certain skin infections may still attend school when appropriate precautions are maintained, even when temporarily restricted from athletic activities. We encourage families to seek medical evaluation early and follow all treatment and wound-care instructions. Our goal is not to create alarm, but to increase awareness, encourage early identification, and take appropriate preventive measures to protect our students, staff, and community. 📞 QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS? Monroe County Schools – School Health Services School Nurse Jessica Thomas 304-772-3094, ext. 322 Monroe County Health Department 304-772-3064 We appreciate the understanding and cooperation of our families, staff, students, and community as we work together to maintain a healthy school environment.

Reminder: There will be an interest meeting today at 6:00 in the Peterstown School cafeteria for any student in 4th-8th grade who are interested in archery.

Reminder: There will be no school for students on Monday, October 5, 2026 due to a Professional Learning Day.

National School Lunch Week is October 12-16! Here is a look at what will be on the menu for the week.

Peterstown Middle will have its first LSIC meeting on September 29 at 4:00 in the STEM lab at Peterstown School.

Thanks to a grant from the American Dairy Association Midwest, Monroe County Schools is excited to bring healthy smoothies to our menus. Today's lunch featured homemade pepperoni rolls, local corn on the cob, purple cow smoothies, and more. Thanks to our amazing cooks for a beautiful, healthy meal for our students. 

Buses 202, 203, and 210 will be delayed for their evening run this afternoon due to traffic stopped because of a car accident on Rt 3 and another car accident on Rich Creek Valley.

Reminder: There will be no school for students on Monday, September 7, in honor of Labor Day.

We would like to congratulate the 2025-2026 Monroe County Employee of the Year Award Winners: County Teacher of the Year(Also Mountain View Teacher of the Year): Rebecca Wikle County Service of the Year(Also Secretary of the Year): Tammy Vass Peterstown Middle Teacher of the Year: Karsyn Dusold James Monroe Teacher of the Year: Iwona Broyles Peterstown Elementary Teacher of the Year: Jennifer Long James Monroe Technical Center Teacher of the Year: David Richmond Bus Driver of the Year: Dean Boggs Cook of the Year: Connie Dunbar Aide of the Year: Kim Thompson Custodian of the Year: Kathy Sizemore Principal of the Year: Frank Houck

The Monroe County School bus drivers had bus evacuation training earlier this week. Using a fog machine, the school bus was filled with "smoke" and they had to safely get the students (dolls) quickly off the bus. The drill gave the drivers a real sense of how difficult a bus evacuation can be.

Welcome Back!

Reminder: The Back to School Agency Fair is Today! This event will take place whether rain or shine.

There will be a Back to School Agency / Health Fair Tuesday, August 11, 2026 from 4:00pm - 6:30pm on the campus of JMHS. There will be information for families about available resources. Other services offered will be free vision screeings, immunizataion checks, voter registration, free haircuts, free food and free backpacks stuffed with school supplies. There will be drawings for 6 tablets and a big screen TV as the grand prize. There will be a blood drive from 12:00 - 6:00 and mammogram screenings (appointments required - call Monroe County Health Center at 304-772-3064 ext 152) All Monroe County families are encouraged to attend.

Peterstown Middle Football Flex Practices for this week: Monday 8-10 T-Th 7-8:30 Friday Equipment Handout TBD

James Monroe Fall Sports pictures and media day schedule.

🏈🏐⚽⛳🎽📣🎺 Attention JMHS Fall Athletes & Families! 🍂 Fall sports officially begin Monday, August 3! Before participating in practice, all student-athletes must have: ✅ A current sports physical on file ✅ A minimum 2.0 GPA This applies to: 🏈 Football 🎽 Cross Country 🏐 Volleyball ⚽ Soccer ⛳ Golf 🎺 Band 📣 Cheer If you have any questions about requirements, practice schedules, or paperwork, please reach out to your coach. Let's have a safe, successful, and exciting fall season! Go Mavericks! 💜🖤

Monroe County Schools recently listed items for public auction at the link below

https://m.publicsurplus.com/sms/monroeboe,wv/list/current?orgid=247077

The listing includes a variety of power tools, saws, plumbing fixtures, lighting fixtures, post jacks, roof jacks, scaffolding, bathroom shower, reception desk/station, door locks, door stops and an Open Air Cooler.

James Monroe High School was well represented today as many of our fall sports student-athletes attended the inaugural Regional Sports Media Day at Tamarack in Beckley.

Student-athletes from across the region gathered to discuss the upcoming 2026 fall sports season, and we were proud to have our Mavericks represented.

Best of luck to all of our Maverick teams this fall! We can’t wait to cheer you on. Go Mavericks! 💙🏈⚽🏐🎽

At the July 21, 2026 board meeting we honored our current retirees. We appreciate everything that they have done for the students and staff of Monroe County Schools and for their service. we wish them well and look forward to hearing about their next chapter in life.