NOTE: The following UPDATE was sent home with most of the students last Tuesday; other classes are sending theirs today or tomorrow (Nov. 29 and 30). The half-days do not lengthen our school year. Attending school for three hours qualifies as a full school day. Also, there is no truth to a rumor that we have classes the week of December 20th. All of us will be enjoying our Winter Holiday then!

IMPORTANT NEWS: DECEMBER SCHEDULE CHANGE

Like all public schools, Carolina International School is required to administer a battery of standardized tests mandated by the NC Dept. of Public Instruction. The tests are intended to measure students’ progress with the Standard Course of Study and a school’s success in its academic mission. This is only one way to measure success, but it is an important one.

Education at CIS is holistic. We do not “teach to the test,” but we still want to prepare our students to do their best when the tests are administered. Because the first tests of the year are on March 1st (the 4th and 7th grade writing test), we need to schedule practice tests soon.

CIS will conduct practice tests the week of December 13, with half-day school on Thursday and Friday, December 16 and 17.  The tests begin on Monday with the writing exam. Students are given writing prompts and produce essays that at least two evaluators must read and score. Teachers will grade the writing exam Thursday and Friday afternoons. On Tuesday and Wednesday, reading and math tests will be administered. These provide diagnostic information to help guide curriculum and instruction.

CIS will provide after-school care both days, but by law we can only offer 2.5 hours in the afternoon, from noon to 2:30pm. The after-school program will be $10, as usual. We hope this change of schedule does not inconvenience your family. It will provide an early start for the holidays!

Academic Extravaganza and Winter Bazaar

December 11th will be one of the biggest days of the CIS year. From 9am to noon, we will celebrate our second Academic Extravaganza at Harrisburg Elementary School, with student presentations, performances, and displays. After a catered pizza and salad lunch, the afternoon features the Winter Bazaar, with performances by the enrichment program groups: choir, drama, ballet, piano, guitar, Little Ninjas, and Tae Kwon Do. We’ll also have a silent auction, and Ms. Sweet’s 4th graders special gift sales to benefit our sister school in Uganda.

Early Shopping at Ms. Sweet’s 4th Grade Gift Shop

On December 10th, CIS students will have an early bird’s chance to shop for gifts among the many crafts that Ms. Sweet’s 4th graders have prepared for the Winter Bazaar. All classes will visit the Media Center on the 10th with the opportunity to “shop and buy” prior to Saturday.  

Special Thanks

Last weekend parent Ken McMillen did a terrific job on the latticework around the learning cottages. Dan Whipple installed additional K-2 playground equipment. And Deb Hilton prepared beautiful welcome cards for our 10 Russian guests on Friday. And who brought the harvest cake to the teachers?

Dr. Richard Beall, Director
Carolina International School
8810 Hickory Ridge Road
Harrisburg, NC 28075
Telephone: (704) 455-3847
Email: info@CarolinaInternationalSchool.org
www.CarolinaInternationalSchool.org