In an effort to ensure all families have the opportunity to submit an application to participate in a Choice Program for the 2021-2022 academic year, we are extending the deadline for application submissions to January 31, 2021.  With this additional time, we encourage families to visit the Choice Program webpage on the CCS site to explore the educational offerings at the elementary, middle, and high school level for the upcoming school year.

Parents, if your child needs extra academic support, do not forget we have tutoring services for Kindergarten through 12th-grade students. Brainfuse for K- 12 grades, Cumberland@HomeLive for Grades 6 - 8, and Peer 2 Peer tutoring for Grades 9 - 12 are available. For more information visit  CCS' Tutoring Services.

North Carolina First in FAFSA is a myFutureNC Collaborative that focuses on increasing the number of high school seniors who complete the FAFSA application. Increasing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA completion rate is a fundamental step in our state’s efforts to meet our state’s 2 million by 2030 postsecondary educational attainment goal. Students who complete the FAFSA are more likely to enroll in higher education, persist in their college coursework, and obtain a degree. To also learn more, contact your child's school counselor.

All Cumberland County Schools and offices will be closed tomorrow (January 18) in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday.

Finally, don't forget The 3Ws: Wear a mask, Wait 6 feet from others, and Wash your hands.

Cumberland County Schools' Choice application period ends on January 22 and the district is sponsoring several Choice Program Virtual Open Houses during the Week of January 11. Click on the previous link for dates, times, and access credentials. These virtual gatherings will better acquaint families with a variety of Choice programs and academies throughout the district. 

FRIENDLY REMINDER: Parents are asked to please complete the annual Impact Aid Federal Card Survey, which is now digital. To fill out the survey through PowerSchool, log into the parent portal, scroll down the menu, and click on FORMS.

Finally, don't forget The 3Ws: Wear a mask, Wait 6 feet from others, and Wash your hands.

Cumberland County Schools is kicking off the new year with a newly designed website. Still at the same address, www.ccs.k12.nc.us, the redesigned “look and feel” features larger graphics, easier access to popular pages, and a mobile-friendly design. The new design flows down to school subsites. We encourage families to visit the site to ensure their child is prepared for class on January 6. Students will have to access Home Base login to get access to Canvas. 
 
All schools are operating under Plan C. Wednesday, January 6 is the first day of the second semester for all students with the exception of those following the Year-Round calendar. In essence, January 6 is a virtual learning day with direct instruction from the teacher. 
 
To reduce the spread of COVID-19 following Winter Break, daily ready-to-eat meal sites will not operate during the post-holiday quarantine period. To ensure children have access to nutritious meals, CCS' Child Nutrition Services will offer five-day meal bundles during the first few weeks of this month. Meal bundles will be distributed on Wednesday of each week and must be pre-ordered weekly using the online pre-order form. All bundles are reserved for this week. Visit the CCS website after 6 p.m. on Wednesday to order for next week. Additionally, meal bus routes will operate on Wednesdays only during the post-holiday quarantine period.
 
The deadline to submit the required immunizations and health assessment for students attending a North Carolina public school for the first time has passed. Any student that has failed to submit the required documentation will be excluded from virtual learning. Alternate assignments will be provided by school staff. Appointments to meet this requirement may be scheduled at the Cumberland County Department of Public Health by calling 910-433-3633. Families may also schedule an appointment with their primary care provider. Each school has established drop-off procedures for this documentation. Families may also scan and email the documentation to the school's Data Manager. For questions, reach out to your child's school.

To stop the spread of COVID-19, all CCS staff and students are asked to stay home if they are sick. Common signs and symptoms include temperature above 100.4 F, shortness of breath, chills, new cough, and new loss of taste or smell. If you are experiencing flu/cold-like symptoms or allergy/sinus symptoms, please stay home and consult your health care provider. 

Finally, don't forget The 3Ws: Wear a mask, Wait 6 feet from others, and Wash your hands.

We are pleased to announce that the United States Department of Education’s Office of Impact Aid has approved CCS to participate in a pilot project of an online collection of Federal Impact Aid Survey data. Parents will be able to complete the annual federal Impact Aid survey through the PowerSchool Parent Portal beginning Monday, December 14, 2020. Once logged into the PowerSchool Parent Portal the survey can be found by clicking on Forms in the menu. Since 1950, Congress has provided financial assistance to local school districts through the Impact Aid Program. The federal Impact Aid Program survey is designed to assist school districts who have lost revenue due to federal properties exemption from local property taxes. Financial assistance for federally impacted school districts is determined by calculating the number of students who reside on military bases, low-rent housing properties, and other Federal properties, have parents in the uniformed services, or have parents employed on eligible Federal properties. See the FAQs to learn more about the importance of this opportunity to assist CCS in securing this critical federal funding. Additional questions can be directed to Alana Hix, the executive director of CCS' Federal Programs, alanahix@ccs.k12.nc.us.

CCS' Child Nutrition Services has the following changes to meal and bundle meal site distribution: Thursday, December 17 - Two days of meals will be distributed; Friday, December 18 - The meal sites will be closed. In observance of Winter Break, all meal sites will be closed from Monday, December 21 - Tuesday, January 5, and bundle meal distribution has ended for 2020. For further info, visit the CCS Website.  

The Driver Education Program will offer online classes for the 2021 Spring Session beginning in January. Class sizes are limited and students who are 17 years old or older will have first priority. The first session of classes will take place Monday, January 11 - Thursday, February 4. Classes will be taught virtually using the CANVAS platform at each traditional high school from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Monday – Thursday. Registration for the first session of classes begins and will be held online Monday, December 14 – Wednesday, December 16. Visit the Driver Education website at ccs.k12.nc.us for more information regarding payment and registration.

Prime Time registration for essential personnel, including first responders and teachers will take place on Monday, December 14 at select locations. Registration will open to the general public on Wednesday, December 16 and space is very limited. For more information, visit CCS Prime Time website.

For the second time in two weeks, Cumberland County Schools has another Sandhills Regional winner! The district's 2021 Principal of the Year Suzanne Owen at Cliffdale Elementary was recently announced as the 2021 Wells Fargo Sandhills Regional Principal of the Year. She will compete against seven other regional finalists in March for the state title. 

For the second consecutive year, Alicia Chisolm will serve as the chair of the Cumberland County Board of Education, and Greg West will serve as the vice-chair. The Board approved leadership roles for 2021 during its regular monthly meeting on December 8.     

In observance of Winter Break, district and school offices will close after school on Friday, December 18, and remain closed through Friday, January 1.  

Finally, don't forget The 3Ws: Wear a mask, Wait 6 feet from others, and Wash your hands.

It’s that time of year for high school students and their parents to begin planning and applying to colleges and universities and Cumberland County Schools is here to help them through this process. The next virtual session Cumberland Family Academy (CFA) is sponsoring is titled “Planning & Applying for College.” It takes place on Thursday, December 10 at 6 p.m. Join this session to learn more about graduation requirements, determining post-secondary pathways, the college admissions process (2-year and 4-year), financial aid, and much more. Visit the CCS website to register.    

For the second year in a row, Cumberland County Schools’ Teacher of the Year has risen to the ranks of Regional Teacher of the Year! On December 4, the district’s 2021 Teacher of the Year Nicole Rivers, an English teacher at Gray’s Creek High School, was announced the 2021 Sandhills Regional Teacher of the Year. She will go on to compete against 8 other regional winners for the state title, which will be announced in April.  Link to the Surprise Announcement.

Finally, don’t forget The 3Ws: Wear a mask, Wait 6 feet from others, and Wash your hands.

Does your child need extra help with understanding his/her schoolwork? If the answer is “yes” then, Cumberland County Schools may have the help that your child needs. The district is offering FREE tutoring opportunities to students through three different programs: Brainfuse Tutors (Grades K-12) and Peer 2 Peer Tutoring (Grades 9-12), which are available now. CUMBERLAND@HOMELIVE, which is available to students in Grades 6-8, starts December 1. To learn more, visit CCS Tutoring Opportunities and Support for K-12 Students.     

The next virtual session Cumberland Family Academy (CFA) is sponsoring is titled “Academic Success: One Click Away.” It takes place on Thursday, December 3 at 6 p.m. This session will highlight Brainfuse, a LIVE tutoring service for students in grades K-12 which provides 24-7 access for support with daily classroom instruction. Visit the CCS website to register.    

Finally, Cumberland County Schools remind you about the 3Ws: Wear a mask, Wait 6 feet from others, and Wash your hands.