Staff Connection
February 3rd 2023
Updates from Mrs. Mills
Happy Friday!
Whew! What a week! We have some fun events on the horizon for later this month (the week of Valentine's Day in particular).
- Tuesday, February 14th staff and students may wear appropriate red or pink clothing to celebrate Valentine's Day.
- Wednesday, February 15th is the 100th day of school! K-4 classes may have the option to wear 100 items on their clothing or dress as a 100 year old person. Middle school classes will be celebrating in their own ways, but will be in uniform.
- Our (first) Mid-Winter break will be from February 16-20th with a workday on February 21st. On the 21st, we will be setting aside time for grade levels to do some vertical planning for next year. Please be on the lookout for an email from Lisa with more information.
A couple whole staff reminders:
- Please see announcements from Ms. Murnan below.
- Email Melanie Allen (marketing@carolinacharter.org) with updates to the School-wide Photo Release spreadsheet. This is for students who do not have a signed photo release form.
- If you have not yet done so, please ensure your emergency sub binder (including updated work, copies, etc.) has been assembled and that a member of your team AND your AD know where to find it in your room. Then, please go into the Google Classroom and sign off that this is complete. Electives teachers, please make sure Ms. Leising knows where to find your emergency sub plans.
- Please wear your Kids Heart Challenge shirt on Monday, February 6th!
- BT/Mentors
- There will not be a BT meeting on Wednesday, 3/1. Instead BTs will be required to attend specific sessions during our Seminar Day on March 6th to fulfill meeting requirements.
- PROGRESS REPORTS GO OUT ON FEBRUARY 10TH!
Maria
See a peer doing something fantastic? Want to let them know you saw how great they are? Click the link and leave them a Cardinal Shout Out!
ELL ACCESS Testing
Monday-Thursday (catch up/make up day)
9am-11:30am is the testing window-as the grade levels finish, she will pull her next groups within the 4 domains (reading, listening, speaking, writing)
- She will test in chunks by grade level
- 1st & 2nd pulled together
- 3rd & 4th pulled together
- 5th, 6th, 8th pulled together
- 7th alone
Ms. Murnan thanks you all for your flexibility and understanding as she pulls students!
Lunch Bunches
Lunch Bunches will continue next week. As a reminder, this is for students in grades 3-5 from 11:30-11:50. Students will be selected based on the most recent MAP data that was collected. Ms. Hart and Ms. Jacobs will ensure students know where to go on Tuesday, but please do your best to help get the chosen students to their assigned rooms in a timely manner as they will only have 20 minutes to work with their 8th grade tutor.
There have been a few parents wondering about this program. If you have any parents that reach out with questions, please let them know what it is and why we are doing it. If parents would rather their child not participate in lunch bunches, please reach out to Ms. Hart or Ms. Jacobs and they will be removed from the tutoring groups.
Enrollment
If you have a child in a local daycare/after school program, please swing by the office and grab some enrollment flyers to bring and leave there! Every little bit helps in terms of spreading the CCA word!
Kids Heart Challenge
Click here to read Nurse Daley's information on the Kids Heart Challenge! Assembly information included!
Able to Connect to SchoolNet?
If you can see SchoolNet on your NCed Cloud, but can't choose your role to log in, please email Mrs. Leising directly. She can get you connected.
McIntyre Youth Leadership Challenge
The McIntyre Youth Leadership Challenge strives to inspire and encourage high and middle school youth to demonstrate the qualities of good citizenship by developing the skills required to seek solutions to the various problems within their local communities through research, public speaking and community action.
The challenge will be included in the North Carolina Bar Association’s 2023 observance of Law Day. The annual Law Day festivities, which are administered by the Young Lawyers Division, are funded through the North Carolina Bar Foundation Endowment, which includes the Douglas Carmichael McIntyre II Justice Fund. Monetary donations are made in honor of the competition's winners to non-profit organizations that are engaged in addressing the community issue or concern raised in the student's speech.
Students must register by Tues., Feb. 28, 2023 to be eligible for the challenge. More information will be sent to the student upon registration.
North Carolina's Portrait of a Graduate
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction is inviting teachers and instructional leaders to join the agency in creating rubrics for the NC Portrait of a Graduate. This is the second of three phases to support educators, administrators, and students as they build these durable skills that prepare them for an ever-changing world.
During phase one, more than 1,200 stakeholders participated in design teams to curate and select the seven competencies that will best prepare NC graduates for the post-secondary plan of their choice. The competencies include Adaptability, Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking, Empathy, Learner’s Mindset, and Personal Responsibility.
Starting in February the Rubric Writing Team will develop grade span rubrics for each of the seven competencies, providing additional support for educators who are integrating them into their classroom learning environments.
We are recruiting educators, principals/assistant principals, chief academic officers, school counselors and others with specific knowledge to support this work, to apply to be a part of the Rubric Writing Team. The time requirement will be approximately 1 hour of asynchronous work and 1 hour of synchronous work per week, plus bi-weekly virtual meetings facilitated by Battelle for Kids, our partner in this work. Members of the Rubric Writing Team will receive hours toward CEUs.
The Rubric Writing Team Kickoff will be held on March 7, 2023, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the DPI Education Building in Raleigh, NC. Please make every effort to attend in person. Although not mandatory, we will be outlining significant priorities, introducing partners, and plotting next steps. We cannot do this important work without you!
To apply, please complete the form linked below by February 10, 2023:
Donors Choose
The hit ABC series Abbott Elementary gives viewers a peek into the lives of elementary school teachers, shedding light on the daily ups and downs that come along with this rewarding, yet challenging career path. At DonorsChoose, we know that teachers at schools all across the country — including Carolina Charter Academy — do it all. You are social workers. You are therapists. You are second parents. Why? It sure ain’t the money.
Extra money never hurts, though. That’s why, to celebrate the return of Abbott Elementary, The DonorsChoose Community will be matching donations, up to $500,000 and while funds last, to projects with a special promo code. Post a project now to be included on January 10, when our team drops a promo code for doubled donations.
This is your chance to get what your kiddos need, like a carpet that doesn't send all your kids with asthma to the nurse whenever you shake it out. (Did you see that episode?!) Here’s to you — a teacher on a noble quest to help your students however you can.
The DonorsChoose Team
P.S. Want to be the first to know the code? Text NEWYEAR to 31869 to subscribe to messages from DonorsChoose and get the inside scoop!
GovX
If teachers are registered with GovX, they can sign up for a free cruise. Three days, two nights. They can get themselves plus one other person (doesn't have to be a government employee) for free in a room together. Cruise must be booked between now and December 2023. The only thing they'd have to pay is port fees and taxes, which come up to about $88.
**This also works for any government employee, first responders, teachers, nurses, etc. So if you have a spouse in this field, you can get yourselves and two others free!
NCAPCS Teacher Presenter Opportunity - 1.0 CEU
Spread Your Knowledge and Inspire Others - Be a Teacher Presenter!
We invite creative and innovative teachers like you to participate as breakout-session presenters for our 2023 conference! The NCAPCS Annual Conference will offer a teacher learning track just for teachers, led by teachers. Selected presenters will be given a 50-minute breakout session in which they share their knowledge and expertise with other teachers attending the conference. All it takes to begin is to submit your proposed topic with a 100-word summary to us online!
Be a Teacher Presenter - Apply Now
NCAPCS 2023 Annual Conference
July 9-11, 2023
Harrah's Cherokee Resort
Cherokee, NC
(If you are chosen as a presenter you conference registration fee will be waived)
North Carolina Association for Public Charter Schools
P.O. Box 4877, Asheboro, NC 27204
(336) 669-9996
PD for Tested Grades
See the document here with various PD's offered by DPI to help support you using Schoolnet to create assessments that are closely related in format to the EOG's.
Field Usage
Just for clarification, students may use the field at recess. If trash is left on the field on a consistent basis by any given grade level or homeroom, that privilege will be removed. Please be kind to this new area we have to play and host some sporting events.
Attendance Procedures
In our efforts to track unexcused absences, we are asking that you write the date of receipt on all
excuse notes and send them immediately to the front office. Please do not store them in your room.
We will be informing parents that all notes for an excused absence must be sent in within 3 days of a child's return to school. Thank you.
Yearbook Request
Hey teachers! Got candids of your students living their best Cardinal life? Please send them to nurse@carolinacharter.org so that we can include them in the yearbook. Thank you so much for being awesome!
Faculty Meeting Dates
2022-23 Dates for Faculty Meetings(all are in attendance)
2/23, 3/23, 4/20, 5/18
Important Upcoming Dates
- February 16-20 - Mid Winter Break
- February 21 - Teacher Workday
- March 1 - BT Meeting 4-5:00
- April--Individual BT Meetings
- May 10 - BT Meeting 4-5:00
Athletics
Monday, Feb. 6th
Girls Basketball Practice 4-5:30
Boys Basketball Practice 5:30-7
Tuesday, Feb. 7th
1st Round Playoffs
Girls and Boys travel to RISE SE
Times TBD
Updates from Mrs. Curatolo
PTO
As a reminder: Please contact Ms. Redwine first to see if she is available to sub. If she is unavailable, please work through the sub list.
- Ms. Redwine: mredwine@carolinacharter.org or 252-560-3996
- Sub List: Sub Contact List Link
Unsure of your PTO balance? Please email or come to my office for PTO balance questions.
_________________________
UPCOMING PAY DATES
- February 28, 2023 payday
- March 31, 2023 payday
- April 28, 2023 payday
PAYSTUBS
- Sign up to view your paystub: https://employeelinq.linq.com/ (New employees will need to wait one month after their first paycheck before being able to view pay stubs). Unit ID: 93Q
___________________________
BENEFITS
Open enrollment closed? You can still make changes to your retirement at any point in the year. Please see me for questions regarding your retirement plan and what we offer.
John Hancock 401K Retirement
- Register today at myplan.johnhancock.com or download John Hancock’s retirement app
- Your Contract number: 140889
- Your Enrollment Access Number: 023240
Important websites for your reference
- BCBS Medical/Dental/Vision: Log in here
- Flex Spending: participant log in here
- Life Insurance: Information/Log in here
- 401K Plan: Log in here
PD Opportunities
Remember: Photos to be used in social media and marketing, all emailed to marketing@carolincharter.org
January Calendar
CCA Calendar
Here is the yearly calendar.
PTO Teacher Grant
NC Schools Go Outside (GO) Grant
Our website has been updated to include our new applications and latest guidelines for grants. Be sure to read our new guidelines before submitting an application. Additionally on our website we have provided you with examples of past grants we have funded.
Carolina Charter Academy
Email: info@carolinacharter.org
Website: https://carolinacharter.org/
Location: 8529 North Carolina 55, Angier, NC, USA
Phone: (984) 300-3015
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarolinaCharterAcademy
Twitter: @CCA_Cardinals