Westwood Hills

Westwood Hills Recovery and Return Community Update

September 11, 2026

Good afternoon, Westwood Hills Families and the Waynesboro Community:

Before sharing today's update, we would be remiss if we did not recognize the significance of this date.  Today marks the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001.  We remember and honor the nearly 3,000 lives lost, the heroes who ran toward danger to help others, the first responders and ordinary citizens who demonstrated extraordinary courage, and the countless individuals whose lives were forever changed.

Our hearts are especially with the families who lost loved ones and who continue to carry that loss 25 years later.  On a day when our own community is experiencing grief, recovery, and extraordinary acts of service and compassion, we are reminded of the strength that can emerge when people care for one another during the most difficult moments.  We honor the heroes of September 11, 2001, and all those who continue to serve their communities with courage, compassion, and selflessness.

Earlier this week, we shared that we were not yet ready to announce a reopening date for Westwood Hills Elementary School.  We promised that we would continue working carefully and thoughtfully to determine the best path forward for our students, families, teachers, and staff.

Today, we are ready to share that plan.

We know there is no single date, timeline, or response that will feel right for every person affected by the tragedy at Westwood Hills.  Recovery is deeply personal.  Some members of our Westwood family are ready to return, while others need more time.  Both responses are understandable, and both deserve our compassion and support.

School division leadership has listened closely and seriously to feedback from Westwood Hills parents, staff, and community members about what they need and want from the reopening process.   We also relied upon our strong partnerships with the Valley Community Services Board, Virginia's Victims Crisis Assistance and Response Program, the Southern Regional Education Board Crisis Recovery Network Program, the Virginia Department of Education, the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, the Waynesboro Police Department, and the Waynesboro School Board to review, critique, and refine our approach.  Additionally, Dr. Harris and Mrs. Henry relied heavily on resources from Dr. Laura Copley, LPC and Austin Francis, LPC of Aurora Counseling & Well-Being.  The work on “Trauma-Informed Reentry and Recovery Days” has been particularly helpful.

Our Plan for Returning to Westwood Hills

Our return will be deliberate and gradual, with time intentionally built into the schedule to support both students and the adults who care for them.  Please read on for both information on our timeline, as well as the additional support options we are providing to the entire Westwood Hills community over the coming weeks, months, and years.  Our goal in all of this is to create a safe, welcoming environment for all, so that - with time - joy and learning may return to our halls.

Monday, September 14, 2026:  Staff Support, Training, and Preparation

Westwood Hills teachers and staff will continue receiving support from licensed mental health professionals and will receive additional training in trauma-informed care.  We want our employees to be prepared to respond sensitively to the needs of our students while also recognizing that our staff members are processing trauma themselves.

A mindfulness activity will be available, and teachers will continue preparing their classrooms and learning spaces to welcome children back to Westwood.

Tuesday, September 15, 2026:  Westwood Hills Family Open House

Families who feel ready will have an opportunity to return to Westwood Hills, visit classrooms, speak with teachers, and spend time inside the school before students return for a regular school day.  School division leadership and members of the Waynesboro School Board will be present to support families and answer questions that remain after reviewing this message and the information available on our Westwood Hills Recovery and Return Information and Resource website.

The Family Open House will be held from 3pm to 6pm on Tuesday.  Please use this Sign-Up Genius Link to select the time you would like to visit the school.

Wednesday, September 16, 2026:  Westwood Hills Remains Closed

Following the Open House, we will give our employees time to process the conversations, stories, emotions, and feedback shared by families.  Licensed mental health professionals will facilitate crisis recovery groups and provide additional support to Westwood Hills employees as they prepare for students' return.

Thursday, September 17, 2026:  Westwood Hills Reopens

We are excited to welcome back the students and families who are ready to return.  At the same time, we understand that some families may not be ready.

Recovery does not happen according to a school calendar nor at the same pace for everyone. Student absences related to ongoing anxiety, trauma responses, and recovery will be marked excused. If your child is unable to return to Westwood Hills, our team will work with your family to determine the most appropriate next step.

As we prepare for September 17, we are incredibly grateful for the care and support our community continues to show our students and staff.

We kindly ask that community members refrain from gathering around the school with signs, balloons, or other displays of support that day.  We know these gestures come from a place of genuine love and encouragement.  However, at the same time, some of our students and staff are still processing trauma, and unfamiliar people on or near campus, additional activity, and visual distractions may feel overwhelming during what could already be a difficult day.

One of the most meaningful ways you can support us on September 17 is by helping us maintain a calm, familiar, and predictable environment for our students and staff.  We are deeply thankful for your understanding, compassion, and continued support.

Virtual Instruction Through Edmentum EdOptions Academy

Our goal is not simply to reopen a building on September 17.  Our goal is to help Westwood Hills once again feel safe, warm, welcoming, and ready for children while recognizing that the path back will look different for our families.

We recognize that some families may believe their child needs additional time before returning to Westwood Hills in person.  One option that is available is virtual instruction through Edmentum's EdOptions Academy.

We intend to provide a virtual option to families when a student's ongoing anxiety, trauma response, or individual circumstances make an immediate return to the school building difficult.  Exploring a virtual option should not be viewed as a judgment about whether a child or family is recovering at the “right” pace.  Every child is different, and our team will work with families to identify an approach that supports both the student's well-being and continued learning.

To express interest in Edmentum EdOptions Academy, families should complete this form.  This is available to all Waynesboro Public School students in grades K-12.  The Boys & Girls Club of Waynesboro, Staunton & Augusta County, in partnership with the Waynesboro Family YMCA, Waynesboro Public Schools, and other community partners, is exploring a temporary, supervised virtual learning support option for WPS families.  If interested, please complete this form.

Continuing Mental Health and Recovery Support

Licensed mental health professionals from the Valley Community Services Board, Virginia's Victims Crisis Assistance and Response Program, and the Southern Regional Education Board Crisis Recovery Network Program will be at Westwood Hills next week to support our students and staff.

We want families to understand how support from professionals outside Waynesboro Public Schools (WPS) will be handled.  If we believe a student could benefit from working directly with a licensed mental health professional who is not an employee of WPS, we will: 

• Communicate with the student's family

• Explain the available support 

• Seek permission before that professional engages the student in a counseling or recovery discussion.

Supporting our children also requires supporting the adults who care for them.  We will continue providing opportunities for our teachers and staff to process their experiences, receive professional assistance, and take the time they need as we move through this recovery together.

Planning for the Longer Road to Recovery

WPS fully appreciates that reopening is only one step in a much longer recovery process.

WPS is applying for funding through the U.S. Department of Education's School Emergency Response to Violence, or Project SERV, grant program. Project SERV supports schools and school divisions that have experienced violent or traumatic events, including school shootings and other tragedies, and can provide resources as school communities recover and establish what will become their “new normal.”

If awarded, these resources would help WPS address evolving needs associated with the recovery of Westwood Hills students, staff, and families.  We know the needs our community has today may look different several weeks, months, and years from now.  Our responsibility is to prepare for both the immediate needs and those that may emerge over time.  We will keep you informed about long-term plans as they develop.

September 17 is an important milestone.  It is not the finish line.

Safety and Security at Westwood Hills

The Waynesboro Police Department has assigned Sgt. Evan Bourne to Westwood Hills Elementary School.  Sgt. Bourne, along with other Waynesboro Police Department officers, will maintain a visible and supportive presence at the school as students and staff return.

WPS also continues to make security enhancements at Westwood Hills and other school division locations.  We have not yet received the final report from the independent VACORP security assessment specialist, and we do not want to imply that this work is finished.  Once that assessment is complete, we will carefully review the findings and continue taking appropriate steps based upon the recommendations received.

We have also engaged the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services to inform and support our response, recovery, and return plans.  In addition, we received guidance and support from Michele Gay.  Michele lost her youngest daughter at Sandy Hook Elementary School and has since worked with schools across the country following tragedies.  Her experience and knowledge of school safety, recovery, and the long-term needs of students, families, and educators provided another valuable perspective during this process.

A Special Gift for Westwood Students This Weekend

We are incredibly grateful to Valley Amusements and our local heroes at Dooms Fire Department for providing Westwood Hills students with a special opportunity at the carnival this weekend.  The carnival is an annual fundraiser event the Dooms Fire Department hosts from 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM through September 12th in the Constitution Park Parking Lot at Main Street & Arch Avenue in Waynesboro.

Westwood Hills students may ride all carnival rides for free for one night — either tonight, Friday, September 11, or Saturday, September 12.  Families should visit the ticket booth and ask for a Bulldog armband.  They will be asked to verify that their child attends Westwood Hills by showing a Westwood Hills message in the Waynesboro app on a family member's phone.

The offer is available for one night per Westwood Hills student.  We hope this generous gift provides our children an opportunity simply to be children, to laugh, spend time with friends and family, and experience some joy together.  Thank you to Valley Amusements and Dooms Fire Department for loving our Bulldogs.  While we are thankful, the carnival is not endorsed nor sponsored by WPS.

Upcoming Family Resource Opportunity 

School division administration, the Waynesboro School Board, and our community partners will host another curbside resource pickup for Westwood Hills families, with resources similar to those provided during Thursday evening's event.  Additional details will be shared through the Waynesboro app, our communication networks, and the Westwood Hills Recovery and Return website once they are finalized.

Because work schedules, transportation, childcare, and other barriers may prevent some families from attending the Open House or resource events, let us know if your family cannot attend by texting 540-569-9926.  A WPS team member will reach out.

Westwood Strong:  Recovering and Rebuilding Together

So many people have asked us one simple question:  How can I help?

Today, we are grateful to have another answer.

WPS has partnered with the Kiwanis Club of Waynesboro Foundation to establish a coordinated nonprofit GoFundMe crisis-support opportunity for Westwood Hills.

During the cleanup and remediation process following the September 2 shooting, much was discarded, including many of the things teachers and staff used over the years to give classrooms, hallways, shared spaces, and staff areas warmth, color, personality, and a sense of belonging.

The process to replace these items began this morning so deliveries can happen early next week.

WPS has worked directly with Westwood teachers and staff to identify and prioritize needs and provide oversight so resources are distributed thoughtfully and equitably.  The Kiwanis Club of Waynesboro Foundation will serve as our nonprofit community partner, helping individuals, businesses, civic organizations, community groups, and supporters far beyond Waynesboro participate in this effort.

This gives our community, our country, and even people around the world, who have asked how they can stand with Westwood Hills, a coordinated and meaningful way to do so.  All funds donated through the GoFundMe Nonprofit Crisis Support website will directly support recovery efforts at Westwood Hills. GoFundMe applies a 2.2% + .30 transaction fee to each donation to support its platform, but the reach and support the platform can provide to our community are significant.

To help streamline the recovery effort, we encourage community members to make donations through GoFundMe.  However, if it is easier for you or your organization to write a check, that’s fine, too.  Please contact sam.kiwanis@gmail.com for directions on sending a check. We are incredibly grateful for the generosity and support our community continues to show Westwood Hills and for the Kiwanis Club of Waynesboro Foundation’s support.

Donate through the Kiwanis Club of Waynesboro Foundation's Nonprofit GoFundMe Crisis Support Account: https://gofund.me/0cadfb5fb

Funds raised through the Kiwanis Club of Waynesboro Foundation's  GoFundMe Nonprofit Crisis Support website will help teachers and staff restore Westwood Hills spaces.  Needs may include furniture, bulletin board and display materials, visual elements, signage, storage and organizational solutions, learning-space enhancements, and other teacher- and staff-identified items that help make the school welcoming and functional.

WPS This effort is about much more than replacing what was lost.  It is about helping children and educators return to a school that feels like their school:  warm, welcoming, familiar, and built for learning.

Our Donation Coordinators

The generosity directed toward Westwood Hills and WPS has been extraordinary, and coordinating that generosity has become an enormous undertaking.

We are especially grateful to Abby Arey, Principal of Wenonah Elementary School, and Renae Deffenbaugh, Retired Principal of Westwood Hills Elementary School, who are serving as our donation coordinators.  Abby and Renae are organizing logistics, identifying needs, connecting with community members and organizations, and doing their very best to thank the countless people who have stepped forward to help our students and staff.

Those wishing to coordinate support with Abby and Renae may contact:

Abby Arey

Principal, Wenonah Elementary School

aarey@waynesboro.k12.va.us

Renae Deffenbaugh

Retired Principal, Westwood Hills Elementary School

rdeffenbaugh@waynesboro.k12.va.us

We are deeply grateful to both of them for taking on this important work for Westwood Hills and our entire school division.

Thank You Does Not Feel Like Enough

The words thank you and grateful feel inadequate right now.  The Westwood Hills staff, the Waynesboro School Board, and school division leadership have been overwhelmed by the love and support extended to our students, employees, and families.

A text message, handwritten note, card, flowers, food, supplies, a donation, or a quiet act of kindness that nobody else sees- every one of those gestures matters.

There have been so many acts of generosity that we know it will be difficult to publicly recognize every person, organization, business, church, civic group, first responder, neighboring school division, and community partner who has helped us.  Abby Arey and Renae Deffenbaugh are working hard to acknowledge those contributions, but there will inevitably be people whose kindness may unintentionally go unnamed.  Please know that any oversight is simply that, an oversight.  It is not a reflection of our profound appreciation and admiration for this community.  Some acts of kindness have been highly visible.  Others have happened quietly and anonymously.  We see the impact of both.

We Are in This for the Long Haul

We understand that this recovery is a marathon, not a sprint.  Reopening Westwood Hills on September 17 will be an important milestone, but it will not mark the end of recovery.  In many ways, it will mark the beginning of the next phase.

We will continue surrounding our Westwood Hills students, teachers, staff, and families with support for as long as it is needed.  We will listen, learn, adjust when necessary, and continue walking alongside one another.

Staying Informed

We updated the Waynesboro Public Schools Westwood Hills Recovery and Return Information and Resource website today. We will continue updating it – throughout the weekend and as additional information becomes available.

If you have lingering questions that have not been answered in this message, please use the question or support link available on the website.

Many of you have also emailed members of our staff and school division leadership.  Our inboxes are extraordinarily full, and we sincerely apologize when there is a delay in receiving an individual response.  Whenever possible, we are sharing general updates through our established communication networks, the Waynesboro app, and the Recovery and Return website so families receive consistent information and our team can devote as much time as possible to supporting Westwood Hills.

When a question involves student-specific or family-specific information that would not be appropriate for mass communication, we absolutely want to work directly with you.  Our commitment is to be responsive, transparent, and open as we navigate these uncharted waters together.

To our Westwood Hills families:  we are ready to welcome you when you are ready.

To our Westwood Hills teachers and staff:  we will continue taking care of you while you take care of our children.

And to the Waynesboro community and the countless people beyond our community who have wrapped their arms around Westwood Hills:

Thank you for standing with our Bulldogs.

We are Westwood.

We are Waynesboro.

And we will move forward together.

Sincerely,

Waynesboro Public Schools