CGS Weekly Message

Happy Sunday!

We hope that everyone had a fantastic Winter Break holiday and were able to rest, relax, and enjoy some quality time with family and friends!

Thank you to all of our families that assisted or helped with our Winter Holiday Parties and activities! December was quite busy for our Grizzlies! We are ready to hit the ground running and getting everyone back into a routine as we gear up for Quarter 3.

As a reminder- CGS is CLOSED tomorrow, 1/6/2025 for a teacher workday. We look forward to students returning on Tuesday, 1/7/2025.

Our CGS 2025-2026 Lottery OPENS on January 7th, 2025. If you have other students that aren't enrolled at CGS and you'd like them to have an opportunity in the lottery, please APPLY! There are limited seats available for next school year. The lottery runs in March. Once the lottery is run, any and all students not selected for the lottery will be added to our waiting list. (**Waiting lists DO NOT ROLL OVER- if you were on a waiting this for this school year, you will need to re-apply to be added to next year's lottery and to the 25-26 enrollment waiting list)

Current CGS families, you will see an "intent form" coming home soon with your student(s). The purpose of this form is to validate any current information we have on file for your student in PowerSchool and to note whether or not your students plan to return next school year. This process helps us see where enrollment vacancies will be next school year. On this form is where you will need to mark "sibling" if you have any new students applying to CGS that would fall into our "sibling" priority category for our 25-26 lottery.

SAVE THE DATES:

• 1/6/2025: CGS CLOSED- Teacher Workday
• 1/7/2025: Students return from Winter Break
• 1/20/2025: CGS CLOSED- MLK Jr. Holiday
  
• 1/31/2025: CGS CLOSED- Mental Health and Wellness Day

Looking Ahead:

• 2/17/2025: CGS CLOSED- Presidents' Day Holiday
• 2/18/2025-2/21/2025: CGS CLOSED- Academic Break
  

Reminder- Check out our CGS Directory for questions regarding anything CGS! You can also reach out to us at info@cgsnc.org for questions.

Don't forget to check out our website at www.cgsnc.org and our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/cgsgrizzlies for updates!

CGS Parents, if you are in need of assistance with creating or accessing your child's Power School account, please use this form. The Parent Portal through Power School is a great way to get live updates as to how your student is progressing in their classroom studies.

Here is an FAQ that may be helpful as well.

If you have any questions, please contact our registrar Ms. Walther at marissawalther@cgsnc.org.

School Day:

K-8: School starts at 7:45 A.M. and ends at 2:45 P.M.

(students may arrive as early as 7:15 A.M.)

9-12: School starts at 8:00 A.M. and ends at 3:00 P.M.

(students may arrive as early as 7:30 A.M.)

Need some new CGS apparel? Check out our School Spirit Store by clicking on the link below!

https://acceleratedgfx.com/collections/Clover-Garden

Welcome Back and Happy New Year! I hope you are refreshed and ready to rejoin us as we strive to thrive in 2025! As you prepare your Grizzly for the return and are getting re acclimated to school and early mornings, I encourage you to review routines, procedures and expectations for CGS in addition to those you have established as a family.

Please continue to have your Grizzlies here on campus daily, in class and ready to learn by 7:45, which is when the academic day begins. Every minute counts! Additionally, students should be picked up by 3:15. Your cooperation is appreciated!

When dropping off and picking up your student(s) please keep the following in mind:

• Pull in and up to the farthest cone, leaving no gaps during both morning and afternoon car rider lines. This allows us to be efficient, timely and maintain safety as the instructional day begins at 7:45am. Your student may be shifted to a different cone to ensure at least 12 cars are being loaded at a time.

• All students should be dropped off and picked up utilizing one of our car rider lines. No students should be dropped off in the front parking lot unless special permission has been granted by administration.

• There is absolutely No Passing in any car rider line at any time. This again is to ensure that all of our students remain safe.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation. Let’s make it an Amazing New Year! #GrizzlyPride

All the best,

Mrs. Spencer

K-8 Campus

Happy New Year, Grizzly Families!

I hope you had a wonderful break and enjoyed time with those you love. Mrs. Gladden and I are excited for the second semester to begin and looking forward to a continuous partnership with you and your scholar.

A few reminders as we return from break:

**Continue to monitor your student's grades in PowerSchool and encourage them to do their personal best to complete each course successfully. Every course counts and is part of your student's high school transcript that will be used for college and career choices.

**Attendance is crucial for success. Please refer to the Student/Parent Handbook for specifics on attendance requirements.

**Students will receive a printed copy of their schedules on Tuesday, January 7th. Schedule changes will be limited and based on a student's need for courses to meet graduation requirements.

**Ensure your student is adhering to the dress code daily. Sweatpants and sweatpants material are not allowed. Leggings can be worn under a dress/tunic that meets the length requirement. If a student is out of the dress code, they will be asked to change, call for a change of clothing, and will remain in the front office area until they meet dress code requirements.

ASVAB

10th, 11th, and 12th grade students--

We want to offer the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) aptitude test as a tool to support students in planning postsecondary opportunities. Although the ASVAB is most often associated with the military, it is an assessment for students in grades 10th-12th to discover strengths and skills that will be helpful in choosing future career options. If you would like your scholar to participate in the assessment, please complete the Google form by 1/17/2025. Scores will not be reported to the Armed Forces; however, the test administration is done by members of the Armed Forces on our campus, and students interested in the military can connect with a recruiter. We need at least 20 students to offer the assessment during the spring semester.

DRIVER EDUCATION CLASSES:

If your student needs driver education, please sign up for ONE class...

Option 1
Alamance Community College Session 2 (in person)

Monday, Feb 17th to Friday, Feb 28th

Sign Up Link- https://forms.gle/eUShxWMu8PTX6kBb7

Option 2
Feb/March Weekend Virtual Class (virtual)

Class Dates:

Saturday, February 15th 8:30am-11:30am

Sunday, February 16th 8:30am-11:30am

Saturday, February 22nd 8:30am-11:30am

Sunday, February 23rd 8:30am-11:30am

Saturday, March 1st 8:30am-11:30am

Sunday, March 2nd 8:30am-11:30am

Saturday March 8th 8:30am-11:30am

Sunday, March 9th 8:30am-11:30am

Saturday March 15th 8:30am-11:30am

Sunday, March 16th 8:30am-11:30am

Sign Up Link: https://forms.gle/pkJVFSMWtdoJHS1C6

DRIVER EDUCATION CERTIFICATES:

If you are in need of a driver education certificate, please email Mrs. Simpson, Dr. Morris, and Mrs. Gladden to have one drafted. This document requires a parent/guardian to come to the school for completion and is good for 30 days.

All the best,

Dr. Morris

Dr. Morris will be meeting with students at the beginning of the second semester to share information on Career and College Promise (CCP) at ACC.

Thank you to all of our families that helped donate wrapping paper, tape, and who volunteered their time to help us wrap over 500 BOOKS!! These books were delivered to our K-5 Students by our CGS Admin Elves (Mrs. Spencer and Mrs. Whitfield)! It was a fun activity and all of our students appreciated getting a brand new book to read over the holidays!! Thank you teachers for letting the elves interrupt your school day for this very special delivery!!

Shout out to the Grinch who came to visit our K-8 campus prior to the Holiday Break! It was a fun day and he threw out lots of candy canes for our students to enjoy! Thanks Mr. Grinch!

Shout out to Mrs. Jones for organizing a fantastic staff holiday party on the last day of school prior to the Winter Holiday break! We greatly appreciate her taking this task on and organizing the fun event! Thank you to ALL of our CGS Families who donated food, helped clean up or set up, and came to help serve lunch or set up games for our K-12 faculty and staff on this day! We are so BLESSED to have such supportive and thoughtful CGS Families! Thank you!!

Shout out to Clover Garden School AME Church for their donations to one of our CGS families in need. We are greatly appreciative of our community partners and for their thoughtfulness during the holiday season!

Shout out to Mr. Chad Laws with the Alamance County Sheriff's Office for teaching D.A.R.E. to our 5th graders at Clover Garden School. We are greatly appreciative to him and to our 5th grade teachers for allowing this program to take place in our school system! Thank you to all of our families that came to support our students in this event! We are grateful for the Alamance County Sheriff's Office for sharing this resource with our school. Thank you Mr. Laws!

Thank you to ALL of our volunteers who helped organize, donate, and run the event! Our students were so excited to buy things from the Santa Store. It was a very sweet opportunity for our students to show tokens of appreciation to their loved ones over the holiday season! Hopefully, you were happy with your gift chosen by your Grizzly who bought their gifts using their hearts!! Without our volunteers, we wouldn't have been able to run the store. Thank you to Mrs. Redd and to all of our volunteers for your help!! Here are some photos from the event!

FernLeaf Community Charter School, which teaches over 430 K-4 students, was severely affected by catastrophic flooding from Hurricane Helene. To help them recover and ensure students can keep learning, donations are being collected through fundraisers and an Amazon Wish List.

Jr. Civitans, partnering with Mr. Graham's mentorship program, have adopted the school. They are collecting essential supplies to aid the school's recovery, and you can help through donation links and a general Amazon Wish List. Every contribution makes a difference in helping FernLeaf rebuild and support its students and community.

Donate to the FernLeaf Community

Amazon Wish Lists

General Amazon list

Spring Sport Coach Openings:

We are in the need coaches for the following spring sports:

MS Softball

MS Tennis

If interested, please email Coach Paschal, taylorpaschal@cgsnc.org

HIGH SCHOOL SPRING INTENT FORM:

If you have a student 9-12 grade who is interested in any of the following sports: Varsity Baseball, Varsity Softball, Varsity Women's Soccer, Varsity Men's Golf, and Varsity Men's Tennis

Please fill out this intent form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdfQFo1xhvda7N5dP62s0euwuZBI-KYOXSMfXXZs3D9WDtoHQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

MIDDLE SCHOOL SPRING INTENT FORM:

If you have a student 6-8 grade who is interested in any of the following sports: Baseball, Softball, Girls Soccer, CoEd Golf, or CoEd Tennis, Please fill out this intent form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScxOj3oJ143m2aulIIhZ_NuaLftG3nx7LcRK8s5phUuoXXGOg/viewform?usp=sf_link

ALL INTENT FORMS ARE DUE NO LATER THAN JANUARY 24th for MS & HS Spring Sports.

Upcoming Important Dates:

Thursday, January 30th- MS & HS Spring Sports Meet the Coaches

February 3, 5, 7th- MS Basketball Conference Tournament

Thursday, February 13th- HS Senior Night

February 17, 19, 21- HS Basketball Conference Tournament

Home Game Information:

Tickets must be purchased on gofan (https://gofan.co/app/school/NC50181) or with a card at the gate. Concessions will be available.

Monthly Newsletter:

https://view.gogipper.com/page/2166233

Stay In The Know: Athletics has a Remind account to send out important updates. Use the link below to join: https://www.remind.com/join/cgsa2024

Athletics Website: For all things athletics, please visit our website at https://sites.google.com/cgsnc.org/grizzly-athletics

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our athletic director, Coach Paschal at taylorpaschal@cgsnc.org.

Volleyball Training:
January 25, February 22, March 29, April 26
At Clover Garden School Gymnasium

Current 5th- 7th graders Skills Training 8:00 A.M.-10:00 A.M.
Price- $25 per session if you pay for all four in advance $75. Open to anyone.

Register HERE: https://forms.gle/PsHgJQ69gGLLEqwM8

High School Positional Training- Current 8th-11th graders
Hitters/Setters- 10:30-12:00
Defense/serving 12:30-2:00

Price- $25 a session or $40 for both.

Pay for all four in advance $75/Pay for all 8 in advance $120. Open to anyone.

Register HERE: https://forms.gle/PsHgJQ69gGLLEqwM8

Email Mrs. Dollyhigh with any questions at taradollyhigh@cgsnc.org

Our CGS Marching Grizzlies will be performing at the North Carolina Association For Public Charter Schools' Celebration for National School Choice Week on January 30th, 2025! We are looking forward to this showcase and an opportunity for our Band to show off their amazing skills in celebration of school choice week!!

If you have any questions, please reach out to Mr. Harper, Band Director at justinharper@cgsnc.org.

If you are interested in volunteering at CGS, please reach out to our Volunteer Coordinator at volunteercgs@cgsnc.org.

Thank you!

Please contact our District Testing Coordinator, Ms. Ginter at tonyaginter@cgsnc.org for any questions or concerns.

An updated Testing Calendar for January testing will be shared soon!

Parents,

Attached please find a copy of this month’s menu. Please review it carefully as you place your order at myschoolaccount.com. Remember we adhere to a seven day ordering window. This means that all pre-orders must be placed seven days prior to the serving date.

Please see the links below if you are in need of any assistance.

How to create a myschoolaccount- https://youtu.be/0QZDU5Xm7zU

How to login and manage students- https://youtu.be/9vS7n4tnZ8s

How to deposit funds- https://youtu.be/13k29YnYuZw

How to preorder lunches-
https://intercom.help/myschoolaccount_help_center/en/articles/2330998-place-a-pre-order

Please see above for adding funds to your student account. Please make sure your account is no more than $50 in the negative. If your student’s account is more than $50 in the negative he/she will not be allowed to purchase a la carte items and charge them to their account.

Reach out if you have any questions or if you need your students lunch number.

Thanks,

Dana Walker
Cafeteria Coordinator
danawalker@cgsnc.org

Parents,

Click below to access the Mental Health Survey for this school year if you are interested and/or in need of these services for your student.

2024-2025 Mental Health Survey Link

If you know of someone that would be a fantastic fit for our CGS family, please send them to our website to apply at http://cgsnc.org/home/careers/.

Open/Vacant Positions:

*EC Coordinator

*MS Elective (looking for Technology/Computer Science specialty area)

As always, thanks for all that you do,

Mrs. Vereyken

Executive Director

Clover Garden School

*If you need this weekly newsletter translated into a different language, please let our Title 1 Coordinator, Mrs. Simmons know at brandisimmons@cgsnc.org.

*If you have any thoughts, feedback or suggestions for our Title 1 team on ways to improve our practices, please contact Mrs. Simmons at brandisimmons@cgsnc.org.

Email: info@cgsnc.org
Website: cgsnc.org
Locations:

2454 Altamahaw Union Ridge Road, Burlington, NC, USA

5806 Pagetown Road, Burlington, NC 27217
Phone: 3365869440
Facebook: facebook.com/cgsgrizzlies