Schools

The West Virginia Children's Health Insurance Program (WVCHIP) will soon expand health coverage for children by increasing the upper income limit for participation from 220% to 250% of the federal poverty level.

This greater news for working West Virginia families who are in need of health care coverage for their children, said Governor Joe Manchin. By expanding this program, more than 400 uninsured children may be eligible within the first complete year of the expansion, increasing to 717 over five years.

Warm Springs Middle School announces its Students of the Month for October.

Dustin Wilson, a sixth grader and son of Gary and Angela Wilson, is an excellent student who is always willing to help out another student. He participates regularly in classroom discussions and his teachers hope he keeps up the great work.

Seventh grade students in the AVID class at Warm Springs Middle School are routinely asked to do something most adults don't do – track how they spend their time and decide if their activities will move them along toward a specific goal.

In the case of those students, their common goal is to get into college and be successful there. That's what brings them to the elective class known as AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination).

World Water Monitoring Day (WWMD) is an international education and outreach program that builds public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources around the world by engaging citizens to conduct basic monitoring of their local water bodies.

Students from Leigh Jenkins' high school biology classes sampled water on Friday, October 17 from the Warm Springs Run, which flows past Widmyer Elementary School and Berkeley Springs High School. With materials supplied by the Eastern Panhandle Conservation District, students measured a core set of water quality parameters including temperature, acidity (pH), clarity (turbidity) and dissolved oxygen (DO). Results will be shared with participating communities around the globe through the WWMD website.

Last month, parents of Morgan County students received report cards grading their child's school against the federal No Child Left Behind standards for public education.

County school testing director Terry Riley presented the report cards to the Morgan County school board at their October 7 meeting and explained how the cards reflect on schools.

With the approach of the winter season, Morgan County Superintendent of Schools David Banks announces the following information concerning the delaying, closing or early dismissal of school because of inclement weather.

The transportation director, John Gue, and assistant superintendent, Joan Willard, are responsible for assessing and monitoring road and weather conditions. The assessment includes inspecting road conditions, reviewing temperatures and related factors, and communicating with the Department of Highways, Office of Emergency Services, transportation staff, emergency operations staff, and various weather services. In consideration of current conditions, storm warnings, and/or any hazardous forecasts, the transportation director, in consultation with the assistant superintendent, will advise the superintendent if school delay or closing is necessary.

Berkeley Springs resident Katie Zakrzewski competed in the Pre Teen America Academic Scholarship and Recognition Program August 30 - September 1, in Morgantown.

Seventy girls from West Virginia competed in both Senior and Junior Divisions.

Anthony Bellis-simo was elected as president of his Freshman class at Shepherd University on Thursday, September 26. He graduated from Berkeley Springs High School last May. He has been appointed as an Appalachian Leadership and Education Foundation Fellow for the state of West Virginia for all four years at Shepherd.

For his freshman year he was also awarded the Sam Walton Community Scholarship for the region, a national Nelnet Scholarship and a local Elks Club scholarship.

Trips on Morgan County school buses are a little healthier these days – due to a dose of soy and corn.

As of the start of the school year, Morgan County has become one of 25 West Virginia counties to put biodiesel fuel into their buses' gas tanks instead of regular diesel.

The Berkeley Springs High School Volleyball Team traveled to Martinsburg on Thursday, September 12, for a match against the Bulldogs. With a young, inexperienced team, learning a new system under first year head coach Kevin Barney, Berkeley Springs was no match for their Class AAA opponent, losing in three straight games, by respective scores of 25-15, 25-16 and 25-10.