Black History Month 2026 – A Century of Black History Commemorations
Each February, schools celebrate Black History Month by recognizing the contributions of African Americans and the cultural heritage, triumphs, and adversities that are an indelible part of our nation’s history. 2026 marks the 100th anniversary of the first celebration launched in 1926 by Dr. Carter G. Woodson. This year’s theme is intended to explore the historical impact and evolution of celebrating Black history, encouraging reflection in its role in shaping identity, fostering pride, and advancing equality, while also highlighting the ongoing struggle for inclusive historical recognition.
February is Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month
The month of February is nationally recognized as Career and Technical Education Month. CTE, which boasts a 94% graduation rate, prepares students for high-wage, high-demand jobs in areas such as health science, technology, and manufacturing through hands-on, career-focused learning.
Career and Technical Education Director Kerry Putnam shared a February 4th NCDPI Press Release that reported 2024-2025 was a recording breaking year for North Carolina CTE students as they earned 382,964 industry-recognized credentials. North Carolina ranks second nationwide for the percentage of K-12 students participating in CTE, with 36.1% of all students enrolled in a CTE course. The most exciting information included in the press release was that Transylvania County Schools, at 89%, is the top-performing district by attainment rate in the state! A February 11th, 2026, Press Release is posted on our site, and the full Credential Attainment Report is available for review at: https://www.dpi.nc.gov/districts-schools/classroom-resources/career-and-technical-education/credentials-and-reporting.
We send a huge thank you out to our entire CTE staff, listed below, for their hard work and commitment to our students.
1st Major Lance Oufnac
Alex Williams
Brad Toms
Chris Owen
Colby Guice
Dan Harris
Daniel Owen
Jessica Whitmire
Justin Ausburn
Laura Smith
Lindsay Barton
LtCol Charles Megown
Meg Buchanan
Nathan Tripp
Penny Creasman
Reid Chapman
Richard Ronneburger
Sarah Clayton
Shade Cooper
Tammy Hall
Tanya Melton
Tessa Brown
Vincent Warren
2026 All District Honor Band
Congratulations go out to several Brevard and Rosman student-musicians for being selected to the 2026 All District Honor Band, as follows:
Rosman Middle School
- Roy Miller – Trumpet. 3rd Chair
Brevard Middle School – Symphonic Band
- Leah Pollack – Flute. 7th Chair
- Annie Cartee – Clarinet. 14th Chair
- Jeremiah Emerson – Tuba. 6th Chair
Brevard Middle School – Concert Band
- Yuuki Burns – Trombone. 1st Chair
- Lily Taylor – Timpani. 1st Chair
Brevard High School
- Henry Mortensen – Bassoon. 1st Chair High School Honor Band (All State Eligible)
- Jenna Berry – Oboe. 3rd Chair Senior High School Honor Band
- Camden Jenkins – Clarinet. 8th Chair Senior High School Honor Band
- Ella Crider – Clarinet. 15th Chair Senior High School Honor Band
- Naila Small – Bass Clarinet. 3rd Chair Senior High School Honor Band
- Tori Brown – Horn. 4th Chair Senior High School Honor Band
- Tyler Studt – Percussion. 2nd Chair Senior High School Honor Band (All State Eligible)
All of these student-musicians participated in the February 6th and 7th Western Carolina University 2026 All-District Honor Band Clinic. Additionally, Mr. Mortensen and Mr. Studt are eligible to audition for the North Carolina All State Honor Band in March. Please join us in contratulating these talented students for their impressive accomplishments!
Love the Bus
Annually, the month of February is designated as Love the Bus Month, which is a time to focus on the importance and value of the school transportation industry. The campaign theme for 2026 is, “Love, Delivered,” which emphasizes the vital role of transportation in student well-being and education. The daily safe delivery of students to school is an essential aspect of educational access and, in most instances, the bus driver is the first and last school employee to support students each day.
TCS is very proud of our transportation department staff, who we formally recognize, as follows:
- Director Keith Wilmot
- Administrative Assistant Penny Creasman
Bus Garage Staff:
- Kim Bumgarner
- Doug Fisher
- Adam Holcombe
- Nate McCall
- Jamie Smith
Bus Drivers:
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BES
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Mark Jones Paul Raines Dick Ream Katy Young
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BMS
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Karen Britt Ann Garren Jermois Morris
Dominique Owen Debra Schardt Cynthia Waters Katrina Wilson
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BHS
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Anna Brown Wayne Kinsey Tony Lance Barbara McCoy
Caleb Pearson Shane Praytor Faith Stamey
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PFES
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Melanie Baynard Mary Connelly Melissa Hansell
Stanley Owens
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RES
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Lori Eder Chris Galloway Theresa Galloway
Sandy Zeiglar
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RMS & RHS
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Lester Aiken Rosa Lance Tim Masterson Jonathan Orr
Aaron Patton
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TCHSST
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Teresa Morton Renae McCall
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Kindergarten Rally – March 26, 2026
The annual Kindergarten Rally will be held on Thursday, March 26th, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Transylvania Parks & Recreation (1078 Ecusta Road, Brevard). Starting school is an exciting experience for young children, and we want to ensure it is a positive one. All children who will be five (5) years old on or before August 31, 2026 are eligible to start kindergarten this Fall.
STEAM Expo
The Thirty-Seventh Annual A. Mickey Church Transylvania County Schools STEAM Expo 2026 will be held on Monday, April 27th from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Transylvania County Parks & Recreation Activity Center located at 1078 Ecusta Road in Brevard. Please join us for an evening of discovery as students, PreK through 12th grade, are given the opportunity to share their Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics learning experiences.
For more good news from Transylvania County Schools, please visit us at:
Home Page: www.tcsnc.org ǀ Facebook: facebook.com/transylvania.schools
Twitter: twitter.com/transylvaniasch ǀ Flickr: flickr.com/tcsnc
Instagram: Instagram.com/transylvaniaschools ǀ YouTube: youtube.com/user/tcsnc
Smartphone App: Transylvania County Schools on Play Store and iTunes
SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/transylvaniacountyschools ǀ WSQL Radio: bit.ly/TCSYesRadio!
