Pirates Post

Parents and students we are entering exam week this week. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday will be review days for all students. Final exams will be given this Thursday 12/14 through 12/20 which is Wednesday of next week. The exam schedule will be 1st Period exam on 12/14, 2nd period exam on 12/15, 3rd period exam on 12/18, 4th period exam on 12/19 and any make-up exams on 12/20. Exams will begin each day at 8:05. It is critical that your child arrive on time for school each day that they have an exam. Students that have earned exemption from an exam do not need to attend school on the day of the exam for which they are exempt. Exams are 20% of your child's final grade so the review days and studying at home to prepare will be very important for overall success. Please make sure your child gets a full night of sleep and eats breakfast before taking any of their final exams.

Any student wishing to leave once their exam is done on Thursday or Friday must submit a hand written note from their parent prior to the start of the exam. We will be unable to take emails or phone calls to dismiss students on exam days due to the volume of requests we typically receive. Parents make sure your child brings their dismissal note with them to school and they give it to the front office prior to their exam. Please make sure you have signed and dated it.

Students in danger of failing due to attendance will have the opportunity to make up as many as 8 class periods after school is dismissed on Monday 12/18 and Tuesday 12/19. If you need to make up time you should see one of the counselors and let them know that you plan to stay. As a reminder, a student with over 10 unexcused absences will not earn credit for their courses.

Thanks to all who donated to the Toys for Tots campaign. It was another huge success. We will be announcing the winning school this week. The Interact Club is also collecting socks and snacks to benefit the Open Door food pantry through the end of this week.

This week at PCHS:

Monday - All basketball teams will host Northeastern starting at 4:30

Tuesday - All basketball teams will travel to Camden starting at 4:30

Wednesday - Swim will compete at the Albemarle YMCA

Thursday - 1st Period Exams will be given for all classes, PCHS Band will hold their Winter concert at 6:00, Athletic Boosters will meet in the media center at 5:00

Friday - 2nd Period Exams will be given for all classes, all basketball teams will host Ocracoke beginning at 4:00 PM

Upcoming dates of interest:

12/14-12/20 - Final Exams for all classes

12/18, 12/19 and 12/20 - Early release days for PCHS. Students will be dismissed at 12:30.

1/4 - First day of Second Semester, New classes begin for all students

4/27 - Prom at Albemarle Plantation

5/31 - Graduation 7:00

Mrs. CBaker - Damiana Sutton (Math 2)

Mr. Bridgers - Sarah Richardson (Foundations of Math 1)

Mrs. Riddick - Aaliyah Blanchard (Math 2)

Mrs. Sawyer - Alexis Sagraves (Math 2)

Mr. Spruill - DaVonte Overton (Math 2)

We hope your students will be a part of the fun and join the more than 12,000 North Carolina students from over 750 schools that have participated in the NC Aviation Contest since 2013.

The January 17 deadline for this year’s contest is just around the corner, so please share this email with the students and teachers at your school. Some students may want to work on their artwork during the upcoming holiday break.

Don’t forget: Cash prizes will be awarded to the Top 3 winners in each age category and their schools and EVERY student who participates in the contest will receive a certificate of participation.

Learn more about this year’s theme ("Air Sports for a Peaceful World”) at https://nasao.org/page/international-aviation-art-contest. Note: Our state deadline differs from the date shown on this webpage.

Contest tips, rules, and the required Certificate of Authenticity may be found at https://www.ncdot.gov/divisions/aviation/aviation-art-contest/Pages/contest-rules.aspx

As a reminder, the artwork will be returned if:

· The student does not place (1st, 2nd, 3rd) at the National or International level, and

· Appropriate return packaging/mailer and postage are provided by the student or school at the time the artwork is submitted.

Dear Parents and Students,

As we head into the holiday session, I wanted to share a few additional resources to help keep your students on track:

Check Out These Scholarship Opportunity:

The 23-24 SECU Scholarship "People Helping People" will open on December 18th! Below are the eligibility requirements. The scholarship is valued at $10,000 over four years. Someone from the school will receive the scholarship! So APPLY, APPLY, APPLY!!!! It is free money, so take advantage of this opportunity. Due: March 1, 2024

All eligible high school seniors must meet the following requirements:

• Must be a senior at a North Carolina public high school

• Must be an SECU member or is eligible for membership through a parent/guardian.

• Must be a United States citizen, a resident of North Carolina, and eligible for in-state tuition.

• Must be accepted to attend one of the 16 UNC system universities as a full-time undergraduate.

• Must have demonstrated scholastic achievement with a 2.5 or higher unweighted GPA on a 4.0 scale.

• Must have demonstrated leadership, excellence of character, integrity and community involvement.

• Must file a FAFSA application.

The Next NC Scholarship

The Next NC Scholarship is a financial aid program that helps most North Carolinians from households making $80,000 or less pursue a higher education, by fully covering tuition and fees at any community college in the state or more than half of, if not all, tuition and fees to attend any public university in North Carolina. Applying is simple. Students will just need to submit the FAFSA form when it opens in December, and if they're eligible, they will receive the Next NC Scholarship. There are no additional forms to fill out! Check out the Next NC Scholarship website: NextNCScholarship.org.

Funding Opportunities - Scholarships

Looking for funding options? Check out our Scholarship Spreadsheet, which compiles national, state, local, and scholarship databases for a wide range of funding opportunities. It's a valuable resource to help your students explore various scholarship options and streamline the search process.

African American Male Initiative at North Carolina Central University:

On behalf of the African American Male Initiative at North Carolina Central University, we are pleased to cordially invite your students, staff members, and guests to our annual Boys & Men of Color Conference that will be held on February 3rd, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. on the campus of North Carolina Central University.The African American Male Initiative is a program that targets academic, leadership, identity, financial, and spiritual development and opportunities to experience a sense of manhood/masculinity and brotherhood. The conference theme this year is Understanding The Greatness That You Come From. The topics will focus on identity, purpose, overcoming barriers, and achieving your destined success.Please use this link to register students for the conference: https://forms.gle/NiQHTqvAEjubzPhU9

State Superintendent's Student Advisory Council Now Accepting Applications

High school juniors are invited to apply to serve as a Student Advisor on Superintendent Catherine Truitt's Student Advisory Council. If you are interested in state education issues, advocating on behalf of your fellow peers, and serving as an advisor to decision-makers in K-12 education, this opportunity is for you!

Advisory members meet monthly and serve a two-year term that concludes at the end of senior year of high school. Throughout the appointment, advisors hear from experts at the Department of Public Instruction, State Board of Education, the General Assembly, and the Governor's Office, among others, to learn about issues facing our state and what can be done to support students, teachers and our local school districts and charter schools.

At the conclusion of each year, advisors will present a proposal to address an evolving state education issue to the Superintendent among other state leaders.

The deadline to apply is December 15. Learn more and apply here.