A Note from the Principal
Hello CIS Families,
I hope this message finds everyone safe and well. I want to extend my gratitude for your flexibility amidst the unpredictable weather conditions and the decisions that were made to ensure the safety of everyone in our CIS community.
Due to the ongoing impact of Hurricane Helene, Carolina International School will have an asynchronous remote learning day on Monday, September 30, 2024. Students will not report to school in person but will complete their assignments independently from home. Students should use this day to review previously covered materials, complete any outstanding assignments, or work on ongoing projects.
Additionally, the scheduled college tour that was set to take place on Monday will be rescheduled. We are working to secure a new date and will provide further details as soon as possible.
Please be advised that the normal school schedule will resume on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, with all classes and programs running as usual, including after-school activities.
Thank you for your understanding during this time. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact the school office.
Looking at the week ahead:
- NC Check-ins for Math 1, Math 3, Biology, and English 2 will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday, October 1 and 2.
- 3rd Grade Curriculum Night will be Wednesday, October 2 at 5:00 PM.
Due to the unpredictable weather, some events have been rescheduled.
- The Fall Festival will now be Saturday, October 19 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
- Picture Day for staff and students including senior portraits will be Monday, November 4.
- If your student is involved in sports or clubs that had to be rescheduled, stay tuned for updates.
Here are a few reminders:
- Office hours are 7:30 AM- 4:00 PM.
- Arrival begins at 7:45 AM. Students should be in class by 8:15 AM and picked up no later than 4:00 PM
- Scholars should be dressed in the appropriate, required uniform each day. Please see the link for the dress code below. The dress code matrix is also included in a section of this newsletter.
- We have not begun Dress Down Fridays. Parents and students will be notified before we start.
Student grades can be viewed via Infinite Campus, our new information system that replaces
PowerSchool. If you have not received your parent portal access key to access Infinite Campus, please send an email requesting this information to: parentportal@ciscomets.com. Be sure to include your student's name in your request.
This newsletter contains other important information; please review it carefully.
As always, thank you for entrusting your students to us and for choosing CIS as the place for your scholars to learn and grow!
Notes from the Nurse
If you have questions or need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me via email at mercedezmitchell@ciscomets.com . I am here to partner with you to help in keep our students healthy and safe.
Athletic Department Notes
https://www.ciscomets.com/athletics/athletics-calender
A middle school basketball interest meeting for boys and girls will be Monday, October 7 during school.
Basketball tryouts for Varsity Girls Basketball (3:30-5:00 PM) and JV Boys Basketball (5:00- 6:30 PM) will take place on Wednesday, October 23. Middle school boys' winter sports tryouts will be on Friday, October 25 (4:00 - 5:00 PM) and middle school girls' winter sports tryouts will be on Saturday, October 26 (9:00-10:00 AM) .
All students must have a current physical on file with the school to participate in tryouts. Please understand, there are no exceptions as this is state mandated.
We look forward to seeing students at tryouts!
Yours-In-Sports,
Coach Williams
Director of CIS Athletic Department
Technology Tidbits
Yearly, a $35 technology fee is assessed for school issued devices. The fees for the 2024-2025 school year were billed this past week.
Below see the article below for tips to help monitor student laptop usage at home:
Insurance Form
Insurance is available for $29.99 for the school year to help in cases of lost chargers and computer damages. Please note that CIS is not the insurance provider and CIS staff does not handle any insurance claims. Access the link below for insurance information: https://securranty.com/ciscomets
Please reach out to me with questions or concerns- bryandavis@ciscomets.com.
Science Olympiad
Mr. Furlough will be coaching the middle and high school Science Olympiad teams. Science Olympiad is a STEM team competition.
New members are still welcome!
More information can be found at https://sites.google.com/view/cisscience/science-olympiad
Excused Absences and Tardies
Here at CIS every day counts and attendance matters. Our Attendance Team will be closely monitoring and tracking attendance.
This year, all excused absence documentation must be submitted through our online form. No physical notes (from doctors, dentists, parents, etc.) will be accepted. For the attendance team to accurately track and update attendance records, parents must upload any necessary documents directly to the form.
Here is the link to the excused absence form: https://forms.gle/gQ6PKDSkcyMCnDod7.
Thank you!
Lunch Orders
🥪 Lunch Ordering- The next lunch order will be October 1 for the period of 10/7-10/18.
Order lunches online...Visit https://mamaslunch.ahotlunch.com to place your orders. CAMPUS CODE: K12Comets. The menu cycle is 2 weeks at time, please pay close attention to menu closing dates.
Questions? Contact mamaspizza.laura@gmail.com.
Ordering Instructions:
- Parents, please log in at https://mamaslunch.ahotlunch.com and sign-up for an account.
- You will not receive additional emails from Mama’s if you sign-up for an account.
- Although the online ordering system is intuitive, below is a list of each step, in case you have any questions.
- Campus code: K12Comets Click “parents click here to sign up” (located at the bottom of the login screen)
- Complete “parent sign-up” page. You will receive an email asking you to activate your account.
- Click on the activation link in the email. It will take you to the log in screen. Enter your email address and password.
- Go to “children” on left side of screen. Click “add child” (blue button) Enter your child’s first & last name and campus code
- Click “verify campus”. Go to “grade” drop down menu and select the corresponding grade for this school year.
- Go to the “classroom” drop down menu and select the teacher for this school year.
- Click “create” (blue button). Parents will see the child’s name was added. Go to “orders” on the left side of screen. Click “new order”. (This can be found under the word “orders”.)
- Click “order” (blue button) on next screen. Select your item(s).
- Click “checkout” (blue button) when your order is complete. You will see “Are you sure you want to checkout?” Click “yes” (blue button).
- Click “pay invoice” (green button). Select “pay all” (green button). You will see a multi-order payment screen. Click “yes” (blue button).
- Click “proceed” (green button) at the bottom of the page. Enter your credit card/payment information and press “pay” (green button). Only Mastercard and VISA are accepted.
Arrival and Dismissal
See the information below regarding arrival and dismissal processes. Please remember to use your turn signal when you are ready to pull out or exit the line and wait for a staff member to direct you out.
Arrival (7:45-8:15; School begins at 8:15)
During morning arrival, vehicles containing a student in grades K-5 unload on the side, even if middle and high school students are in same vehicle.
All middle and high school students who are not in a vehicle that contains K-5 students unload in front of the school.
All of our self-contained EC students, regardless of grade level, unload in the front of the school.
Dismissal (3:10)
- If you do not have your student’s pickup number, please give the student’s last name to the staff member who is keying in numbers.
- All afterschool programs, carpools, and families with three or more students riding together, regardless of grade level, will load in front of the school.
- K-5 students and any singular student, regardless of grade level, who has a sibling who is in K-5 will load on the side. Parents of students who load on the side will enter the back loop and proceed in the inside lane, closest to the building, and follow it to the side of the building.
- All middle school and high school scholars who load two or less will load at the back of the building. Parents of these students will enter the back loop and proceed in the outside lane to the back of the school.
Use your turn signal when you are ready to pull out and wait for a staff member to direct you out.
Ride Sharing and Transportation Changes
At Carolina International, the safety and well-being of our students are our top priorities. We need your cooperation to ensure a smooth and secure dismissal process for all students.
Note on Ride-Sharing Services:
We have observed that some parents and guardians are utilizing ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft for student pickups. While these services may be convenient, it is essential to inform the school in advance about who will be picking up your child.
To enhance our security measures:
1. Notification: Inform the school office if a ride-sharing service will be picking up your child.
2. Driver Information: Provide the name of the driver and, if possible, vehicle details for verification purposes.
3. Advance Notice: Whenever feasible, give us advance notice of these arrangements to help us prepare.
Please send an email to both Ms. Cory at AmyCorey@ciscomets.com and Ms. Donaldson at lakishadonaldson@ciscomets.com if you student will be using a ride sharing service such as Lyft or Uber.
Important Notice Regarding Transportation Changes:
If there are any changes to your child's transportation plans, such as switching from bus to car rider, from car rider to bus, or if someone different is picking them up, it is crucial that you inform the school no later than 11 AM on the day of the change. This allows us to notify the student and their teacher in a timely manner and ensure that your child is in the correct location for dismissal.
Please send an email to both Ms. Cory at AmyCorey@ciscomets.com and Ms. Donaldson at lakishadonaldson@ciscomets.com, or call the school directly to report any changes.
By adhering to these procedures, you contribute to maintaining a safe environment for all students. Your cooperation and understanding are greatly appreciated.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the school office.
Important Dates
https://www.ciscomets.com/athletics/athletics-calender
September 30: Remote Learning Day
October 1 & 2: NC Check-Ins (Biology, English 2, Math 1, Math 3)
October 2: 3rd Grade Curriculum Night 5:00 PM
October 8: Chick-fil-A Spirit Night
October 11: Hispanic Heritage Parade 1:00 PM
October 15: CIS K-8 Skate Night 6:30-8:30 PM (Frye's Skating Rink)
October 16: End of 1st Quarter
October 17 &18: Remote Days for students- Parent Teacher Conferences
October 19: Fall Festival CIS campus 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
October 21: Pink Out Volleyball Game
October 25: Survivors' Walk
October 31: Character Dance (K-5)
November 1: Teacher Workday- No School for Students
November 1: Enrollment Applications Open
November 4 School Pictures (K-11) and Senior Portrait Day
November 5: Pre ACT for 10th graders (Remote Learning Day for 9th, 11th, &12th graders)
November 8: Veterans' Day Concert
November 9: Diwali Festival 10:00-6:00 (community-sponsored event)
November 11: Veterans' Day Holiday- No School
November 18: Makeup Picture Day
November 25-29: Fall Break- No School for staff and students
December 11: Winter Band Concert 6:30 PM
December 18 - January 1: Winter Break
January 2 & 3- Teacher Workdays- No School for Students