Happy New Year Minutemen! We have officially made it through 2020. As we get into the new year, I hope we will see more normalcy and better things to come! 

As of now, here are a few things that are happening at LCHS as we start into the new year. 

• Students went virtual for the last weeks of 2020 and the first weeks of 2021 due to an uptick in cases in the county and  school system. As of now, in-person learning in West Virginia will be allowed to start back on January 19, 2021 with a new state-wide plan. Elementary and Middle School students will no longer follow the color code county school map.
• High School students will attend in person learning only if the county is not red. All students in Lewis County will still go four days a week and leave school at 1:30pm. The LCBOE voted 3-2 for this decision. It was also determined that all students work virtually if the County Alert Map is red.
• Winter and spring sports have, unfortunately, been pushed back, but luckily, our winter and spring sport athletes will still get to have their seasons. As of now, the winter sports, boys’ and girls’ basketball, wrestling, and cheerleading will begin practicing February 14 and will begin competing March 3. Spring sports, tennis, track and field, baseball and softball will be pushed back until April 1. 
• Employees who are 50 and older at LCHS had the choice to be vaccinated for Covid19 January 9 at RLBMS. Staff members who were 40 and older and those with at-risk health issues were immunized January 15. It is great that some of our staff had this option. Hopefully in the coming weeks, the vaccine will become available for more of the LCHS staff and for more people in the community.  Our 65 and older population is currently receiving the vaccine through the health department.
• Food boxes are still being given out to those in need each week.
• We welcome Ms. Sara Sellers as the new science teacher.  We wish you the very best during this school year.
• Our gym has recently received an improved look with new bleachers! A big thanks to the crew who installed them!

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We’ve experienced so many changes in this school year. The delays and shutdowns with school, sports, and other events this year haven’t been easy.

However, we should be thankful for the time in school we have had and for the opportunities we had to have sports and events in this active pandemic.

Our LCHS staff and employees have really dedicated and given up a lot to give us students a choice whether to work and learn in-person or virtually. We should especially thank our nurses, Allison McWhorter and Casey Rittenhouse for all they’ve done to help keep our schools healthy and safe.

So let’s give a big shout-out to our staff, teachers, cooks, custodians, and nurses for all of their hard work to make this school year successful and safe. And, let’s give a shout-out to you, students for taking all of the changes in stride and doing your best.