Early Dismissal For Teachers’ Curriculum Development
Last week you received information in regard to a change in our calendar. The Board of Directors approved a proposal submitted by the Academic Council for five early dismissal days throughout the year so teachers could work together on curriculum development. Our teachers are excited by this opportunity and want to thank all our families for cooperating and working with us. Your children will see the effects of these professional development workshops as we strive to enhance the excellent instruction in our classrooms.
The first early dismissal day will be Thursday, October 12, 2005. If you have not returned the form to the office regarding afternoon supervision for your student(s) on dismissal days, please return the form by Friday, September 23, 2005. We are compiling the data so we can meet the needs of all our families.
Parent-Teacher Conference Day
Our first professional development day is quickly approaching. It is Friday, October 7, 2005. On this day, students will not be on our campus, but our teachers and staff will be available for parent-teacher conferences. Therefore, you should be hearing from your student’s teacher(s) prior to that day in order to set up conferences.
Teachers will be meeting with all of their students’ parents in order to discuss: 1) curriculum, 2) your student’s performance academically and behaviorally, and 3) to answer any questions and/or concerns you may have. If you are unable to attend a parent-teacher conference on this day, your student’s teacher will provide other opportunities for conferences. Phone conference and afternoon conferences are possibilities to accommodate our working parents.
6th Grade Environmental Program
Last Wednesday Ms. Chambers and Mr. Redmond took our sixth grade students to a county-wide environmental awareness program at the Cabarrus Arena. Students had the opportunity to rotate through five stations: Soils, Aquatic, Current Events, Wildlife, and Forestry. Sixth grade students from all over Cabarrus County participated in this learning experience. Our sixth grade students took field journals and learned a tremendous amount from their experience. They received compliments for being the only students who were taking notes! We are very proud of our sixth grade students and teachers for representing CIS so well.
“Globalization and Ghana”
China’s per capita income has tripled in the last decade. India is becoming a leader in technology. What is happening in the world? Dr. Beall will share his reflections of “Globalization and Ghana” at the Harrisburg Town Hall on Wednesday at 6:30pm, featuring stories and slides of his summer trip to Ghana.
Special International Visitors
Last year we welcomed a delegation from the largest nation on earth, China, with its 1.3 billion citizens. This week we will host a distinguished guest from one of the smallest countries in the world, Vatican City, an independent city state established in 1929, now with 991 residents. Monsignor Lucio Sembrano is a scholar and diplomat who speaks 7 languages and serves as the Vatican’s Foreign Ministry Official for the African Union, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Djibouti, Kenya, Sudan, Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands (Oceania), and Papua-New Guinea. His visit will offer a rare window into the world of Vatican City, especially for our middle school students who examine world religions as part of the NC Standard Course of Study. About 1 billion people worldwide practice the Catholic faith.
Joining Monsignor on Thursday will be another world traveler, the most accomplished athlete yet to visit CIS. UNC-C basketball star Curtis Withers was a member of the USA Basketball's 2005 Under-21 World Championship Team in Argentina and is a pre-season All-American choice.
Middle Eastern Delegation Next Week
Next Monday morning, Sept. 26th, will see the largest international delegation yet to visit CIS—21 student leaders from 13 countries: Bahrain, Egypt, Gaza, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, the West Bank and Yemen. They are studying for their undergraduate and graduate degrees in a variety of disciplines, including English, political science, physical education, mathematics, nursing, psychology, technology, biology, and law.
The students arrived in the United States on September 19 for a three-week visit under the auspices of the U.S. State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program. Their visit to Charlotte is coordinated by International House. Following our 9am assembly the students will visit individual classrooms to tell about their cultures and answer questions.
UNC-C International Festival This Saturday
CIS students and parents are encouraged to attend UNC-C’s annual International Festival this Saturday from 10am-6pm at the Barnhardt Student Activity Center. It is free, open to the public, and features booths from more than 50 nations. (http://ifest.uncc.edu/)
Power Outage Procedure
Yesterday a power line was accidentally severed and we were without electricity at 1pm. It was a hot and humid day, but our students and teachers endured the discomfort and finished the school day.
When power is out at CIS, our voiceover internet protocol (VOIP) telecommunications system is disabled. At those times we will rely on our fax line—704-455-4672—for outside communication, along with individual cell phones.
We are working to quickly establish phone trees for each homeroom so in the event of another outage, we can contact parents immediately to inform you of early dismissal.
Fall Is In The Air And In The Sky
The Moon brightens the evening sky this week. Full Moon occurs on the 17th at 10:01 pm Eastern Daylight Time. This particular Full Moon is closest to the autumnal equinox and has been termed the “Harvest Moon” since Medieval times.
The autumnal equinox—denoting the end of summer and beginning of fall—follows hard on the heels of the Harvest Moon, occurring on the 22nd at 6:23 pm. On this day, there are exactly 12 hours of daylight hours and 12 hours of night hours where we live. After the equinox, the number of daylight hours will continue to decrease until the winter solstice, the first day of winter.
Remember there will be a partial lunar eclipse on October 17, 2005 and on October 21 and 22 you will be able to see the Orionids Meteor Shower.
Student Council Elections
The CIS students have spoken! This week they conducted the 2005-6 Student Council elections, with tight races for President and Vice-President.
The new officers are:
| President | Jonathan Cresong | |
| Vice-President | Amritha Amarnath | |
| Secretary | Alexandria Krull | |
| Treasurer | Emily Moore |
Class Representatives include:
| Grade 5 Blue | Destyne Cresong | |
| Grade 5 Gold | Jessica Harris | |
| Grade 6 Blue | Brittany Grindstaff, Ryan Worgan | |
| Grade 6 Gold | Miles Harris | |
| Grade 7 Blue | Kayla Rhodes, Jonathan Shuffler | |
| Grade 7 Gold | Bailey Hayman | |
| Grade 8 Blue | Andra Dolniak | |
| Grade 8 Gold | (to be determined) |
Student Council will meet every Wednesday at 8:30am in Dr. Beall’s office.
Director Travelling To Germany
Last spring the architectural firm that designed our campus master plan, Perkins & Will, introduced us to representatives of VS-Furniture, a German manufacturer that specialize in ergonomically-design school desks and chairs. VS offered to outfit one of the classrooms in our new middle school building as a demonstration site—free of charge—a donation worth several thousand dollars.
This summer VS-Furniture invited Dr. Beall to attend their annual American Days in Germany, from Sept. 24-29. The trip includes visits to schools, factories, and historic sites in southern Germany.
Dr. Beall has also worked with the Charlotte Sister Cities office to contact schools in Krefeld, Germany, the Sister City for our 4th Grade. He will travel by train from Frankfurt to Krefeld on Friday to meet two school principals to begin school partnerships.
Prepared by
Deanna Duncan, Assistant Director
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