Stokes County Schools

We are honored to share that Stokes County Schools has been named a 2025 ISTE Distinguished District Award recipient!

This prestigious recognition celebrates our district’s innovation and commitment to leveraging technology to improve student outcomes and engagement.

With over 5,500 students across 17 schools, we remain dedicated to providing a 21st-century education in a safe, supportive environment where all students can — and will — learn.

#ISTEAwards #EdTech #FutureReady #StokesStrong #InnovateToEducate

🎉 2025–2026 SCS Principal of the Year 🎉

We are thrilled to announce that Mr. David Durham, Principal of Stokes Early College High School, has been named the 2025–2026 Stokes County Schools Principal of the Year!

With 30 years of service in North Carolina public education, Mr. Durham has served as an educator, counselor, and administrator across Pitt, Davidson, Surry, and Stokes counties. He joined the Stokes County Schools family in 2010, bringing not only a passion for student success but also the discipline and leadership he gained through active duty military service.

Mr. Durham is a respected leader in our school community, and we are proud to recognize his dedication, compassion, and excellence in education.

👏 Congratulations, Mr. Durham! Thank you for your continued service and leadership. We look forward to your continued impact in the year ahead! 💙📚

#SCSProud #PrincipalOfTheYear #StokesStrong #EducationLeadership #StokesEarlyCollege

Success Alert!
Our Summer Reading Camp was a tremendous success! Thanks to targeted reading instruction, engaging daily activities, and the integration of math, science, and technology, our students thrived! Huge shoutout to our amazing Stokes County Schools’ teachers for their dedication and expertise, and to our hardworking students for their incredible effort and enthusiasm!

#SummerReadingCamp #StudentSuccess #StokesCountySchools

📢 Mark Your Calendars! 🏫🎉

Join us for the Back-to-School Health Fair on Saturday, July 26th, 2025 from 10 AM – 2 PM at the Stokes County Health Department!

✔️ Free health screenings
✔️ Immunizations
✔️ Sports physicals
✔️ Fun activities for kids and more!

Let’s get our students healthy, happy, and ready for a great school year! 🎒🩺✨
#BackToSchool #StokesCounty #HealthyStart

🎉 It Starts TOMORROW! 🎉 📚 Come by Pine Hall Elementary to grab FREE books, games, household items, and decor — open to the entire community! 📅 Thursday, June 26 | 10 AM – 5 PM 📍 Pine Hall Elementary School 1400 Secondary Road, Pine Hall, NC Happening through Saturday — but the best stuff goes fast! 🛍️

🚨 REMINDER! 🚨 📚 FREE Materials at Pine Hall Elementary! 🎉 Don’t miss your chance to grab books, games, household items, and decor — all FREE to the community! 📅 Thursday, June 26 | 10 AM – 5 PM 📅 Friday, June 27 | 12 PM – 7 PM 📅 Saturday, June 28 | 8 AM – 1 PM 📍 Pine Hall Elementary School 1400 Secondary Road, Pine Hall, NC Tell a friend, bring a bag, and come early! 🛍️

SECU Scholarship 2025 recipients: The State Employees Credit Union scholarship was established to help North Carolina public high school students attend college. Each scholarship is $10,000, payable at $1250 per semester for up to 8 consecutive semesters for a senior to attend one of the 16 UNC campuses. Students must be current high school seniors at an NC public high school, SECU members, North Carolina residents (eligible for in-state tuition), have a 2.5 or higher unweighted GPA on a 4.0 scale, be accepted to one of the 16 UNC universities as a full-time undergraduate, and file a FAFSA. The following students were selected and accepted the SECU Scholarship 2025: Elia Jaffee South Stokes High School Samantha Rohrer Stokes County Early College High School

Bill Johnson Scholarship 2025 recipient recognized at the Stokes County School Board of Education meeting: The Bill Johnson Scholarship Fund, which benefits Stokes County students, honors the leadership and vision of William (Bill) Howard Johnson Jr.  Bill, was a product of the Stokes County school system.  On scholarship, Bill graduated from North Carolina State University before serving in Vietnam as a Marine Corps engineer.  Bill returned home from Da Nang, Vietnam, in 1970.  He enrolled in graduate school at NC State.  Shortly after his acceptance, Bill was in an automobile accident, which required a full year of therapy before he was able to return to graduate school.  Bill received his master’s degree in public administration.  He became the Stokes County Manager in 1973.  He switched to the position of health director and remained in this role from 1976 to 1997. His legacy continues through the Bill Johnson Scholarship Fund.   Students must apply and include their GPA, ACT, and SAT scores. They must also list any extracurricular activities or volunteer work, write an essay about their activities or volunteer work and what it meant to them, list any employment and write an essay about the lessons learned through said employment, and include two educator references.  One of our students was selected to receive a $5,000 scholarship: Matthew Dodson Stokes County Early College High School

NC Governor’s School Recipients recognized at the Stokes County School Board of Education meeting: The Governor’s School of North Carolina is the oldest statewide summer residential program for gifted and talented high school students in the nation. It began in 1963 to provide the state's gifted students with an experience that would broaden their education horizons. Each summer, selected students are invited to Governor’s School for a 4-week residential program. They stay in the campus residence hall and are assigned roommates. Students must be North Carolina residents, attend a North Carolina public or non-public school, and be enrolled in 11th grade at the time of nomination. Students must apply in one of five academic areas, complete two essays, list recent school/community activities and awards, have two recommendation letters, and audition if applying in Choral Music, Dance, Instrumental Music, Theater, or Visual Art. The following students were selected to attend Governor’s School this year and have accepted: Sawyer Scott South Stokes High Lucas McKinney Stokes Early College High School Corrine Seamon Stokes Early College High School

📢 Calling all families, educators, and community partners! Join us for the Federal Programs Stakeholder Meeting on Thursday, June 19 from 8:30–9:30 AM — held virtually for your convenience! 💻☕ Your voice matters as we discuss how federal funds support student success in our schools. Let's collaborate, share ideas, and shape the future together! 🙌 🔗 Click to join: https://meet.google.com/rde-iwtx-jgx 📞 Dial-in: +1 267-553-6340 PIN: 372 056 973# #StakeholderVoice #CommunityMatters #EducationTogether #FederalPrograms #VirtualMeeting #StokesCountySchools

📚✨ Our incredible 6th–8th grade ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies teachers from all middle schools are collaborating to pace their curriculum with purpose and precision for the 2025-2026 school year! They're focusing on: ✔️ Vertical alignment to build skills and knowledge across grade levels ✔️ Standards-aligned, rigorous instruction that challenges and supports all learners ✔️ Frequent formative and common assessments to inform teaching and accelerate growth and proficiency. Their dedication ensures every Stokes County School middle school student is on a path to success! 👏 #MiddleSchoolMatters #RigorousInstruction #CurriculumAlignment #StandardsInAction #StudentSuccess

Big thanks to Siemens Energy and representatives Dan Shults and George Cotton for visiting CGMS this week! They met with our incredible middle school technology teachers from CGMS, SEMS, and PGMS to provide hands-on support with our brand-new CNC router systems—funded through the middle school grant. This partnership is helping us bring cutting-edge technology and real-world skills into our classrooms. Our students are gaining valuable experience that will prepare them for the future! 🚀👩‍🏭👨‍🏭 #STEMEducation #CareerReady #CNCinTheClassroom #SiemensEnergy #MiddleSchoolInnovation #HandsOnLearning

💪☀️ Stokes Strong: Summer Team Challenge Camp! 🏆🤝 Calling all current 6th–8th graders in Stokes County! Don’t miss this exciting 2-day team-building camp designed to build leadership, communication, and collaboration skills — all while having FUN! 🎯🔥 📍 Location: South Stokes High School 📅 Dates: June 10 & 11 🕘 Time: 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM Come ready to connect, compete, and grow stronger together. Let’s show what it means to be Stokes Strong! 💥 #StokesCountySchools #StokesStrong #MiddleSchoolMatters #SummerCamp #TeamChallenge #LeadershipInAction Sign up here: https://forms.gle/k7BkjNFJkbaD5VLy5 Please contact Sonja Lankford if you have questions: sonja.lankford@stokes.k12.nc.us

🎶✨ A Showcase in Song! 🎤🎼 Under the direction of Mr. Matthew Wells, our talented West Stokes High School student choir delivered an inspiring performance at the Stokes County Schools Board of Education meeting! They performed: 🎵 Joshua Fit the Battle 🎵 I'm Still Standing 🎵 Homeward Bound A heartfelt thank you to Mrs. Cathy Moore, our amazing accompanist, for her support and musicianship. 🎹👏 We are so proud of these students for sharing their voices and shining so brightly! 💛 Choir Members Cox, Megan Craven, Abigail Dietlein, Maximos Donaldson, Windy Grinnell, Carlee Hargrave, Dana Luna, Ciara McFarland, Aleigha Meter, Lia Neumeyer, Aliyah Newsom, Trinity Osborne, Cory Paige, Gracie Pena, Lourdes Rood, Kaylee Rood, Lilyan Schell, Elizabeth Schell, Wesley Smith, David Soto, Aubry #StokedToLearn2425 #ChoralExcellence #StudentTalent #MusicEducation

👩‍⚕️📚 Honoring Our Health Science Heroes! 🏅 At this month’s Board of Education meeting, Stokes County Schools proudly recognized four dedicated school nurses who also teach Health Science courses to our students. 💉🩺 Their passion for education and healthcare is shaping the future of our community! North Stokes High School - Traci Moorefield South Stokes High School - Janet Duggins West Stokes High School - Kellie Doby & Elizabeth Kiger 🎖️ In a special moment, Dr. Kathleen Fowler presented each nurse with a certificate and commemorative pin from the Daughters of the American Revolution, honoring their service, leadership, and impact. Thank you for all you do—in the classroom and beyond! 💙 #StokesCountySchools #HealthScience #NurseEducators

👟 Empowered Girls. Stronger Futures. 💫 The Stokes County Schools Board of Education proudly recognized our incredible Girls on the Run participants at this month’s meeting! 🏃‍♀️🌟 These young leaders completed the program with determination, teamwork, and confidence—building not just physical strength, but strong character and friendships along the way. 💖 We’re so proud of their commitment to setting goals and crossing the finish line—together! 🎉 #StokesCountySchools #GirlsOnTheRun #EmpowerGirls #ConfidenceInEveryStep #StudentSuccess

🎉🖍️ Celebrating Creativity & Character! 📝✨ At this month’s Stokes County Schools Board of Education meeting, proudly recognized the winners of the 2026 D.A.R.E. Calendar Picture Contest and the 2024–2025 D.A.R.E. Essay Contest! These students used their voices and creativity to highlight the importance of making safe, responsible choices. 👏 We are so proud of their hard work and commitment to the D.A.R.E. message! 💛👮‍♂️ #StokesCountySchools #DARE #StudentSuccess #CreativeLeaders #DareToBeGreat

🎉📊 Celebrating Math Excellence! 📊🎉 At last night’s Stokes County Schools Board of Education meeting, we proudly recognized our K-8 Math Fair winners from across the district! 🏅 These talented students not only showcased their problem-solving skills at the district level, but many also advanced to compete—and place—at the regional and state competitions! We’re so proud of their hard work, critical thinking, and love for math. Congratulations to all of our math stars! 🌟📐 #MathFair #StudentSuccess #ProudDistrict #FutureProblemSolvers

🎓✨ It’s Educational Bosses Appreciation Week! ✨🎓 This week, we celebrate the visionary leaders who guide our schools and districts with purpose, passion, and professionalism. From principals to superintendents and directors — your leadership inspires growth, empowers teams, and drives student success every day. Thank you for being the backbone of our educational community! #ThankYouLeaders #EducationMatters #LeadingWithHeart #InspiringExcellence

Subject: Update on PowerSchool Data Breach and Ongoing Protection Measures Dear Stokes County Families, We want to make you aware of a recent update related to the PowerSchool data breach that was originally reported in January of this year. Recently, several schools and North Carolina Department of Pubic Instruction (NCDPI) employees across the state received messages from threat actors claiming to have access to student and teacher data from that breach. We have been informed that several Canadian school districts have received similar messages as well. Based on the current status of NCDPI’s investigation, they believe that the threat actors have access to the same data tables that were originally compromised. These data tables include student and staff names, contact information, social security numbers (limited student social security numbers), birthdays, medical notes, passwords (limited) and parent/guardian information. NCDPI has already notified appropriate law enforcement agencies, who are actively investigating this incident. We want to assure you that your Stokes County Schools and NCDPI have done everything possible to protect this information. PowerSchool, the vendor responsible for the incident, has taken full responsibility for the breach and is providing support services for those impacted. What You Need to Know: Please do not open any suspicious links or emails related to this incident. - Do not engage with anyone claiming to have this data. - PowerSchool is offering two years of free identity protection and credit monitoring to all affected students and educators through July 1, 2025. NCDPI is advocating for this window to be extended further to ensure everyone has time to enroll. Affected individuals can enroll in identity protection and credit monitoring at no cost to themselves here --> https://www.powerschool.com/security/sis-incident/notice-of-united-states-data-breach/ Services include: - Two years of complimentary identity protection for all students and educators affected - Two years of complimentary credit monitoring for all adult students and educators affected These services are available regardless of whether an individual's Social Security number was compromised. Additional protection: Impacted users can freeze their identity for free through the North Carolina Department of Justice. LINK: https://ncdoj.gov/protecting-consumers/protecting-your-identity/free-security-freeze/ As we continue to work through this incident, we are committed to supporting students, families and staff with transparency and care. Sincerely, Phillip Bradley Rice, Ed.D. Superintendent Stokes County Schools