School News – 5/10/2023

School News – 5/10/2023

by | May 10, 2023 | Front Page

 

Race of Champions

The 9th Annual FASTAR Race of Champions was held on Wednesday, April 26th, and the competitors from each CCS-America school brought incredible skill, speed, and accuracy.

After the quick four races, each with four “laps” of reading and math, CCS-Southport was victorious by less than 9 seconds, making this the closest race we have ever had! Congratulations to all of the champion racers, and especially to CCS-Southport team members for their first victory!

If your student is interested in this thrilling academic race, be sure to sign them up for FASTAR in the 2023-2024 school year!

Pictures

 

The History Bowl

The Roger Bacon Academy presented the 7th Annual History Bowl last Friday, May 5th. After two mock Bowls and countless hours spent studying, students in grades 5-8 came as teams from each CCS-America school to compete in this final History Bowl Competition.

Throughout the year, students learn up to 400 questions that could be asked. These questions correspond with RBA’s chronological history curriculum. The abundance of historical knowledge, sportsmanship, and professional attire from students was truly impressive!

Congratulations to CCS-Whiteville for bringing home the trophy in grades 5, 6, and 8. CCS-Southport brought home the trophy in grade 7. The competition was close, and all CCS-America students should be proud of their hard work and performances.

Pictures

 

Celebrating the Arts at CCS-America

CCS-Leland and CCS-Whiteville students shared their work from this past year at the Annual Art Shows. Families and Staff watched Cheer, Dance, and Chorus performances, walked through Art exhibits, and more!

CCS-Whiteville started this annual event last year, and Mrs. Patrick states, “I am so thankful for the opportunity to have this event at our school for a second year. The Arts Showcase gives students the opportunity to be recognized for their artistic talents and creativity. This year, we had hundreds of parents and students watch the performances, view artwork, and visit our Glowing Art Room. I am so grateful to Ms. Singler, our art teacher, and all the elective teachers who dedicate so much time to these programs.”

Thank you to all who came to see the incredible work done by CCS-America students! Check out the amazing artwork and performances at the links below!

CCS-Leland Pictures

CCS-Whiteville Pictures

 

Students of the Month 

Virtue is an important part of CCS-America’s classical curriculum. Each month, students are recognized for displaying a specific character trait that they are not only learning and practicing, but also recite daily in our Pledge.

April’s character trait was Respect. Students who show respect treat others with honor and dignity. Respect is seen in the School Pledge as “I pledge to be obedient and loyal to those in authority.” CCS-America students apply these words to their everyday lives by treating adults with courtesy, using good manners, and treating their peers the way they want to be treated.

Congratulations to all of these students who demonstrated exemplary respect. Check them out on the links below!

CCS-Leland

CCS-Southport

CCS-Whiteville

CCS-Wilmington

School News 4/26/2023

School News 4/26/2023

by | Apr 27, 2023 | Front Page

We ❤️ Our Teachers

CCS-America teachers are at the heart of it all! We are honoring and celebrating all that they do May 8th-12th for Teacher Appreciation Week!

Check your school’s calendar and Facebook next week to see how you and your student(s) can show support for our teachers!

Four FASTAR Races Down, One More to Go!

CCS-Southport and CCS-Leland have finished their FASTAR Race Days, and all racers did a great job! While seeing CCS-America students having a blast on Race Day is one of our favorite things, nothing beats the improvement in their academic performances. CCS-Leland parent, Julie Piner, says, “My daughter has become more confident in reading and working through words. She sounds each word out so that she can get through the passage without asking for help!”

Today, at Crosswinds Church in Leland, the kindergarten through fifth grade students from each CCS-America campus who placed in the top five of their races will compete as a team for the final Race of Champions trophy! Last year, CCS-Leland took the trophy home, winning by just nine seconds. After the speedy FASTAR races at each campus, the competition will be close again this year!

CCS-Southport Photos

CCS-Leland Photos

RBA Cheer Continues to Dominate

RBA Cheer made another appearance at the U.S. Finals this past weekend in Myrtle Beach. Athletes and coaches outdid themselves yet again with stellar performances! Congratulations to all of the athletes, coaches, and parents who worked so hard this Cheer season!

  • Reign Bows: National Champions
  • Reign Storm: 2nd Place
  • Black Ice: 2nd Place with a score of 95.3
  • Purple Reign: National Champions
  • R3ign: National Champions
  • Silver Flame: National Champions and Grand Champions of all Level 1 teams! Score 95.5 which is the highest score in RBA history!

We are so proud of their accomplishments and are looking forward to next year!

Photos

Science Olympiad at the State Tournament

This past weekend, CCS-Leland and CCS-Whiteville Science Olympiad teams traveled to Raleigh to compete in the State Tournament. Hosted by NC State, each team competed in the events they qualified for at the regional competition last month. In several events, the CCS-America Science Olympiad teams placed in the top 10!

CCS-Leland

🏅 Bridge: 10th

🏅 Solar System: 7th

🏅 Storm the Castle: 5th

 

CCS-Whiteville

🏅 Solar System: 10th

Congratulations, competitors and coaches!

CCS-Leland Photos

CCS-Whiteville Photos

School News – 4/12/23

School News – 4/12/23

by | Apr 12, 2023 | Front Page

 

You Can Help NC’s Charter Schools

Legislation that could give a significant boost to North Carolina charter schools has been introduced in the General Assembly. House Bill 219, the Charter School Omnibus, would make various changes to the laws affecting charter schools. Among the most significant: It would ensure that students at public charter schools and public district schools receive equal funding.

Currently, N.C. charter school students receive 37% less local funding than district school students. If you agree that it’s time to end this disparity, we encourage you to reach out to your House or Senate member to share your views. Find your Legislators here.

More information: The Carolina Journal Article

 

The Road to the FASTAR Race of Champions 

CCS-Wilmington and CCS-Whiteville FASTAR finalists are ready for the Race of Champions! After two exciting Race Days filled with close competition, the trophy winners will be moving on to compete as a team against the other RBA schools.

CCS-Southport will race tomorrow, Thursday, April 13th and CCS-Leland follows a week after on Thursday, April 20th. All schools will meet at The Race of Champions on April 26th where the school with the most speed and accuracy will take home the trophy!

Congratulations to CCS-Wilmington and CCS-Whiteville FASTAR racers, pit crew members, and champions! Thank you parents for practicing with your student and cheering the racers on!

CCS-Wilmington Photos

CCS-Whiteville Photos

Safety First, Always

Since The Roger Bacon Academy’s founding in 1999, the safety of our students and staff has been the top priority. Safety is a shared responsibility. The buildings and grounds must meet regulatory standards, and the staff and students must observe safe practices in their conduct and set examples for all to follow.

Last month, all four CCS-America campuses and The RBA corporate office received the NCDOL OSHA Award for having a safe place for employees to work. To receive this award, an organization must maintain an incidence rate at least 50% below the average for its industry group.

Thank you to all of our staff for continuing to work hard and keep our sites safe for all!

Pictures

School News – 3/29/2023

School News – 3/29/2023

by | Mar 29, 2023 | Front Page

UPDATE: We are happy to share the opening of our new uniform website: ShopRBA.school! Uniforms will be available for pre-order on April 1st. This website ensures all CCS-America families will receive high-quality uniform items at a discounted price!

We are also excited to announce that for the 2023-2024 school year, our schools will provide a complimentary uniform starter package for our new Kindergarteners. More details will be forthcoming on package contents and how to place your child’s order.

For more information, please see this letter sent to staff and families last week.

Welcome to Quarter 4!

We hope that you all had a wonderful Spring Break! This year has flown by and we are looking forward to finishing the 2022-2023 school year strong! Here are the highlights to look forward to:

Science Olympiad

The CCS-Leland and CCS-Whiteville Science Olympiad students competed in the Regional Science Olympiad competition held at UNCW on March 11. After impressive performances by all students, both teams will be moving on to compete in the State Tournament, to be held April 21 & 22 at NC State University!

At the Regional and State level, Science Olympiad students compete in over 20 events in five categories: Life, Personal & Social Science, Earth & Space Science, Physical Science & Chemistry, Technology & Engineering Design, and Inquiry & Nature of Science. Students spend the year preparing for these events in the Science Olympiad elective offered to middle school students. If your student is interested in competing next year, elective registration will open this spring!

Congratulations to the Science Olympiad students and coaches! We will be cheering you all on at the State Tournament!

Results

Students of the Month

Virtue is an important part of CCS-America’s classical curriculum. Each month, students are recognized for displaying a specific character trait that they are not only learning and practicing, but also recite daily in our Pledge.

March’s character trait was Gratefulness. Students who are grateful show appreciation for what they have and do. Gratefulness is seen in the School Pledge as “I Pledge to be virtuous in all my deeds.” Students apply these words to their everyday lives by appreciating the people in their lives, saying “please” and “thank you”, and enjoying what they have.

Congratulations to all students who demonstrated exemplary gratefulness. Check them out at the links below!

CCS-Leland

CCS-Southport

CCS-Whiteville

CCS-Wilmington

Classical Charter Schools Decries New ACLU Attack; Defends Boys Grooming Standards

by | Mar 22, 2023 | Front Page

Classical Charter Schools Decries New ACLU Attack; Defends Boys Grooming Standards

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 21, 2023

CONTACT: info@rogerbacon.net

LELAND, NC—Classical Charter Schools of America (CCS-A) today defended its longstanding grooming standards, which apply to students at all four of its Southeastern North Carolina charter schools regardless of their race, religion, income, cultural background, or national origins—and attacked attempts by the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of North Carolina “to drive a wedge” between school families and administrators “with trumped-up charges” of discrimination and civil-rights violations.

“The ACLU seems more interested in creating controversy than resolving it,” said Baker A. Mitchell, President and CEO of The Roger Bacon Academy, which manages the four CCS-A charter schools.

“Our schools have procedures for dealing with matters such as these. A review is underway and will be considered by the Board on April 27. Instead of respecting the process, the ACLU has jumped in with threats and accusations that drive people apart, rather than bring them together.”

The controversy involves two CCS-A students—one at Classical Charter Schools of Leland, the other at Classical Charter Schools of Whiteville—whose parents have objected to the schools’ enforcement of existing grooming standards because, they say, their sons maintain long hair in accordance with their “Native American culture and religious beliefs.”

The grooming policy, in existence for many years, is published in the Parent Student Handbook (p. 35), which is given to parents of all students enrolling in a CCS-A school. The policy states:

Boys: Grooming Standards

  • Hair must be neatly trimmed and off the collar, above the eyebrows, not below the top of the ears or eyebrows, and not an excessive height.
  • Distracting, extreme, radical, or faddish haircuts, hair styles, and colors are not allowed.
  • No mustaches or beards. Boys must be clean shaven.

During the COVID years, this and a number of other policies were relaxed by the schools to accommodate the many stresses on parents, students, and teachers. “With normalization returning, administration has begun efforts to return to our prior levels of expectations in all areas,” Mitchell said. “If an exemption from a policy is sought by a parent, they must submit their request to the Board in writing stating the reason for the request.”

The Parent Student Handbook (p. 25) includes a grievance policy whereby a parent may request that the Board grant relief from certain requirements.

Grievances

The policy states all grievances will be handled in the following manner:

1. Grievances will be directed first to the faculty member and/or party with whom the grievance originated.

2. If discussion with the faculty member does not resolve the issue, the grievance will be brought to a member of school administration for resolution.

3. If the grievance is not resolved at this level, a written complaint may be sent to the Board of Trustees including specific issues to be considered as well as the remedy that is desired. Before consideration, it will be verified that the complaint has been referred through the proper administrative channels for resolution. The Board may consider the matter in appropriate cases, in accordance with applicable law and policy. However, the Board is not required to hear all complaints.

“If an exemption request to the hair standard has been submitted for a student, the student may return [from Spring Break] on March 29 and continue with his hair style until the Board has ruled at its next meeting. The Board will look at each exemption request individually and closely, with appropriate consideration for religious beliefs,” Mitchell stressed.

Classical Charter Schools of America (previously known as Charter Day School, Inc.) was founded in 1999 as a single school with 72 students in Leland, NC. CCS-A now has four schools—in Leland, Southport, Whiteville and Wilmington, NC—serving more than 2,500 students. All four schools are classified as Title I schools, serving large numbers of low-income students.