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WCS Students Return to School Aug. 19

The Watauga County Schools’ first day of classes for 2014-15 will be Tuesday, Aug. 19, which will be a full-length school day. School buses will run their usual routes, breakfast and lunch will be served, and the afterschool program will be open to students registered for the program.

Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students begin school on a staggered schedule over several days.  Parents of these students are being notified of the date their child will start school.

Class rosters for students in the K-8 schools will be posted at each school no later than August 11th. Supply lists for students are already posted at most schools and are available on school websites. All school websites can be accessed from the Watauga County Schools homepage at www.watauga.k12.nc.us. Student enrollment and parent consent forms will be provided at school and are also available on the parent links page of the Watauga County Schools website.

Before classes begin, freshmen and new students at Watauga High School, along with their parents, should attend orientation at the high school on Thursday, August 14th. Parents and students can choose between a morning orientation at 9-11 a.m. and an afternoon session from 12-2:00 p.m.

There are also required orientations for eighth graders and their parents at each K-8 school. These orientation dates and times have been provided to families by their school.

Student fees for 2014-15 are $7 in kindergarten through fifth grade, $8 for sixth and seventh grade, and $25 for eighth grade. School fees are not charged for pre-kindergarten students. General fees for high school students are $50, with additional fees depending on the student’s classes.

Regular lunch prices will be $2.30 for prekindergarten through eighth grade and $2.50 for grades 9-12. Reduced price lunches are 40 cents for eligible students in all grades. Breakfast is available for a regular price of $1.50 for all grades. All students eligible for free or reduced price meals will receive free breakfast. Cafeteria prices and menus are available on the parent links page of the WCS website.

Applications for free and reduced price meals will be provided to all parents on the first day of school and are available in schools throughout the year. Applications are also available on the parent links page of the WCS website and on request from Watauga County Schools Child Nutrition at 828 264-7190.

Students must be registered for afterschool before they can attend. Parents can speed up the process by filling out and submitting the registration form online before coming to school. The form is available by going to www.watauga.k12.nc.us, clicking on the first heading under parent links, and then choosing the link for afterschool program registration. State licensing standards require that parents meet with afterschool personnel to officially complete registration. The available dates and times for parents to complete afterschool registration are posted on the afterschool page of the WCS website. The WCS afterschool program serves children in kindergarten through fifth grade.

An afterschool program for students in grades 6-8 is offered by Western Youth Network (WYN) at Western Watauga Community Center and at Boone United Methodist Church. Information and registration forms for WYN’s afterschool program are available online at www.westernyouthnetwork.org and will also be available in schools on opening day. Contact Heather Canipe at WYN (828 264-5174) for more information about the WYN afterschool program.

The complete school calendar for 2014-15 is available under the calendar heading on the WCS website or on request from a school office.