Wythe County Schools kicked off the new school year for teachers with EduPrep 2024 at Wytheville Community College.
It’s back to school for Wythe County educators! On Tuesday, August 6, 2024, more than 400 educators from Wythe County Public Schools (WCPS) attended the EduPrep Professional Development Day held at Wytheville Community College (WCC). EduPrep is WCPS’s annual professional development program that includes a variety of workshops, seminars, and collaborative sessions tailored to support teacher growth and success within the classroom.
“This August marks the sixth EduPrep event in conjunction with WCPS, as well as the fifth on-campus event,” noted Josh Floyd, Coordinator of Dual Enrollment with WCC. “We are once again excited to play such a pivotal role in helping WCPS educators begin yet another successful academic year. EduPrep continues to excel thanks to a wonderful partnership between WCC and WCPS.”
Just a few of the many sessions for teachers included:
“Through a Different Lens,” presented by Ami Scott, Speedwell Elementary School Principal. Teachers explored the perspective of others by seeing it “through a different lens” to better understand how students and staff can have meaningful conversations of how different experiences shape the view of the world.
“Trauma Resilience-What Is It?” presented by Jackie Brown, WCPS Social Worker, Compliance Officer, and Title IX Coordinator. Teachers learned strategies to help students build resilience in the classroom.
“Mastering the New Grades K-1 Math Standards,” presented by Allison Dunkley, WCPS Elementary Math Specialist and Susan Jones, WCPS Math Interventionist. Teachers learned about the new 2023 Mathematics Standards of Learning.
“Unlocking Big Words: Strategies for Decoding Multisyllabic Words,” presented by Jenny Bird, WCPS Middle School Reading Interventionist. Participants reviewed the principles of syllabication and morphology to build struggling readers’ fluency and comprehension.
Sgt. Daniel Cassell of the Wythe County Sheriff’s Office provided teachers with sessions that outlined common drug use in the area, including signs and symptoms that students may present when involved in drug use. Several roundtable and panel discussions were held throughout the day to give educators a chance to collaborate and share best practices with their colleagues. Area businesses and organizations were also invited to participate in an afternoon vendor fair with educators for continued local outreach.
“EduPrep is always a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with our educational and community partners, such as WCC and the Wythe County Sheriff’s Department, to provide our teachers an environment in which to grow and implement new ideas for the upcoming school year,” said Dr. Wesley Poole, WCPS Superintendent.
School starts for Wythe County Public Schools on August 14.
Wytheville Community College’s fall semester begins on August 21. There is still time for students to register for fall classes at WCC. Visit wcc.vccs.edu to find out more or call (276) 223-4700.
Interested in teaching? WCC has a teacher education program. Call Susan Evans, Dean of Transfer and Educational Programs, at (276) 223-4740 for more information.
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