Shakespearean Shenanigans

CCS-America celebrated its annual Shakespeare Week with a variety of activities. Celebrations included a performance by a court jester from No Sleeves Magic, an informational presentation from Cape Fear Raptor Center on falconry, ballet lessons, archery demonstrations, and more! Students in K-5 read grade-level-adapted Shakespearean plays and made crafts corresponding with their play. Students in grades 6-8 read several famous Shakespearean plays in their entirety: Julius Caesar (6th), Macbeth (7th), and The Tempest (8th). Some middle school classes prepared a Shakespeare Showcase featuring different aspects of life during the 1600s and gave presentations to elementary classrooms. All students and staff learned and celebrated the life of the greatest writer in the history of the English language, William Shakespeare! Learn more about the life of William Shakespeare below.

The Life of William Shakespeare

Alumni Spotlight

Meet Abigail Bowen from Classical Charter Schools of Whiteville’s graduating class of 2015. Ms. Bowen has returned to CCS-Whiteville as an employee! Learn more about Ms. Bowen here!

We the People of the United States of America

The true power in our nation’s government resides in the first three words of the Constitution, “We the People”. Students of CCS-America observed Constitution Day on September 16, commemorating the signing of the U.S. Constitution on September 17, 1787. Students celebrated by participating in a parade and learning about the importance of the Constitution through different activities: Escape Rooms, videos, books, crafts, and more. Each student received an American flag (made in the USA) to wave while marching in the parade to patriotic music. All campuses were visited by the Father of the Constitution, James Madison! James Madison gave a speech and then joined the students on the parade route. At CCS-America we hope ALL American citizens know and value the US Constitution. Click on the links below to read the Constitution and learn more about the Father of the Constitution, James Madison.

The Constitution of the United States of America

James Madison 

Archery: On Target for Life

Did you know that CCS-America offers our students the opportunity to shoot target archery in school? Since 2010, our schools have competed in the National Archery in Schools Program (NASP), which has put bows in the hands of over 18 million students nationwide! Target archery improves students’ educational performance by enhancing their focus and concentration, leading to noticeable improvements in attention and behavior. Many NASP schools also find that their archery programs build confidence and self-esteem, and help students become more connected with their school. In the 12 years we have participated, we have captured eight state championships, two second place finishes, and countless CCS-America students have been recognized as top shooter in their grade, and even top in the state! Stay tuned for more CCS-America archery information throughout the year!

NASP

Students of the Month

Character education is an important part of the CCS-America 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. August’s character trait was Responsibility. Students who are responsible take ownership of their thoughts, words, and actions. Responsibility is seen in the Pledge as “I Pledge to keep myself healthy in body, mind, and spirit.” Students apply these words to their everyday lives by taking care of themselves, doing their best, and fulfilling their duties. Congratulations to all of these students who demonstrated exemplary responsibility. Check them out on the links below!

CCS-Leland

CCS-Southport

CCS-Whiteville

CCS-Wilmington

RBA’s Three Laws: A True Trifecta

The Roger Bacon Academy’s Three Laws guide our schools and students to excellence, a true trifecta! Law 1: Reward good behavior – you’ll get more of it. Students are rewarded for good penmanship, correct answers, being in proper uniform, showing respect and courtesy, and other attributes. This law lays the foundation for the other laws. Giving students specific praise and rewarding them encourages other students to be virtuous as well. Displaying virtue may be rewarded tangibly with tickets, treasure box items, or stickers, and verbally with praise, approval, gratitude, or privileges. Law 1 of rewarding good behavior teaches students to display virtue in all situations leading to a more successful and rewarding life. Law 2: Teach to mastery – every child will learn. We strive to meet each student’s achievement level and teach them from that point forward. This is possible through our curated curricula. If students are advanced, they are able to begin above grade-level classes starting in kindergarten. Likewise, if they needs extra support, they are taught at the level that meets their needs. In a regular public-school setting, all students are taught on the same level. Such a model does not offer growth or acceleration but provides stagnation. Our family of schools fosters mastery by challenging students and encouraging their success.   Law 3: Watch the children – If they are not learning or behaving properly, the first two laws are not being followed. If students are rewarded for good behavior and are provided with the appropriate learning material to challenge them, they will behave and learn in the classroom. If students are misbehaving, they could be lacking reinforcement and/or the learning material could be too easy or too difficult, resulting in inappropriate behavior and the lack of academic success. Our teachers are taught to defer to the first two laws when this occurs. These time-tested, field-proven laws set the tone for our schools’ learning environment and mission and pave the way for our students’ success as seen in our successful alumni. Find out more about our three laws with their references by clicking the link below:

Our Three Laws- What, How, and Why

Alumni Spotlight

Meet Christy Woodburn from the first RBA graduating class of 2007! Mrs. Woodburn owns and operates Greatest Potential Chiropractic in Leland, NC. Learn more about Mrs. Woodburn and how she still uses the Pledge in her daily life here!

Who is Roger Bacon?

The Academy is dedicated to the principles espoused by Roger Bacon (1214-1292). Professor Bacon was a devoted thinker and is credited with originating the “scientific method” and thus being the first modern scientist. Roger Bacon desired to become a teacher. He attended Oxford University; and after obtaining his degree, he became a teacher at University of Paris. Bacon studied and taught Aristotle’s writings and believed Aristotle was a great thinker. But after attempting experiments based on Aristotle’s writings, Bacon discovered that many of the findings were incorrect. Bacon was disappointed, having wasted so much effort on the incorrect teachings. Because of this, Bacon devised a systematic way of judging whether a statement was true or false, thereby leading to trustworthy knowledge. Roger Bacon was a man whose source of greatness- his determination to always seek truth- is seeded within every one of us. We all have the ability to achieve the same greatness as Bacon, and with our own self-determination we will seek truth in the universe.

Roger Bacon

Virtue and Vice

A Classical Charter Schools of America education provides students not only with superior knowledge in reading, writing, and arithmetic, but also teaches them right from wrong and the difference between virtue and vice. Virtue, demonstrating high moral standards, is taught through such traditional values as courtesy (opening the door), our dress code, our Character Education program, and valuing respect, discipline, and personal responsibility. Our first Law: reward good behavior, you’ll get more of it, embodies the importance placed on doing what is right. A vice is an immoral behavior. Students explicitly learn about virtue and vice through our classical history program, by reading classical literature, and by analyzing virtues and vices through the RBA Rhetoric Program. Education without teaching goodness is a disservice to parents and students alike.   Click below to hear more about the role of virtue and vice in classical education.

Classical Education Video

CCS-America Keeps Standards High

Standards in grading were found to have a big impact on student achievement, according to a 2020 study of NC test data spanning 11 years by the Fordham Institute. Questions answered by the study include: Do students learn more or less from teachers who have higher grading standards? Are effects of grading standards long-lasting? Which racial subgroups are hurt by higher grading standards? Which income subgroups benefit most from high standards? The Fordham study of over 340,000 NC data points confirms the findings of a 2004 Florida study showing that: High grading standards result in higher student performance The effects are long lasting. All racial subgroups benefit significantly All income subgroups benefit significantly For its 22 years, Classical Charter Schools of America has observed the benefits of its rigorous grading standards. 

Link to Fordham Institute Study

The Southport Middle School is Open!

6th and 7th grade students at CCS-Southport have moved into their new buildings. As the natural progression from the elementary program, students have the room to challenge themselves with exploratory labs, projects, service learning activities, and more! “We’re so happy to be in our new space! People step through the doors and recognize right away that it is new and shiny. We get a lot of ‘w0w!’ when people see how great it’s turned out,” says Middle School Office Assistant, Ms. Owen. We can’t wait to see the Southport campus continue to grow with the highly anticipated Auditorium expected to be completed in January 2023 and 8th grade coming in the 2023-2024 school year!

Welcome!

I want to welcome Classical Charter Schools of America’s 2,700 students and their parents to our 23rd year of bringing our unique traditional, classical curriculum to Southeastern North Carolina. For you parents who are new to the CCS-America family, our four schools educate students from six NC school districts. We often get asked how our schools would rank if they were considered an independent school district. Good question. Keeping in mind that our curriculum is not designed to focus on topics that may be covered on the End-Of-Grade tests, the answer is: CCS-America schools excel. Here is how we would have ranked among NC’s 116 districts in 2020-2021 and how we compared to local districts.

Rank    District Served

21          CCS-America

27          New Hanover County

38          Brunswick County

43          Whiteville City

49         State Average

86          Columbus County

104        Bladen County

112        Robeson County

These rankings confirm both our teaching methods and the dedication of our staff as they strive to serve each student’s needs at his or her particular achievement level. We teach to mastery and every child learns. We strive to make learning fun and rewarding, and this year promises to see students rise ever higher among their peers in the state.

Welcome to our family. We look forward to an exciting and productive school year.

Baker A. Mitchell, Founder

State Board Chair Phil Kirk awards Charter to Baker Mitchell

Background

The Roger Bacon Academy was founded in 1999 by Baker Mitchell. After applying for a charter from the State of North Carolina, he started the first school with only 53 students in kindergarten through second grade. Today, RBA’s four Classical Charter Schools of America campuses serve some 2,700 students in grades kindergarten through eighth.

Direct Instruction, the highest quality teachers, and high expectations keep CCS-America students thriving. We use modern technology and verified educational research to maximize teacher effectiveness and improve learning. We couldn’t do it without you, parents! Thank you for entrusting your student’s education with us.

RBA History 

What to Look Forward to This Year!

The 2022-2023 School Year promises to be full of learning, activities, and fun! Here is a sneak peek on what’s to come:

Shakespeare Week          September 12-15

Constitution Day             September 16

Trunk or Treat                 October 28

100^th Day of School        January 13

Handwriting Day            January 23

Read Across America     March 2

FASTAR                            Date TBD

History Bowl                    May 5

Students are encouraged to get involved! CCS-America schools offer extracurriculars like Cheerleading, Archery, BETA Club, and more! Middle school students also participate in electives. Check out the Elective Descriptions here and stay tuned for more events to come!

Important Links and Information

Stay informed and connected with the links below:

The Roger Bacon Academy Website

Classical Charter Schools of America Website

School Calendar 

Stay in Touch

Follow us on Social Media and never miss the exciting things our students are doing!

Facebook:

@therogerbaconacademy

@CCSofLeland

@CCS0fSouthport

@CCS0fWhiteville

@CCSofWilmington

Instagram:

@ccsamerica

Dear Parents and Friends of Classical Charter Schools of America,

As you may know, the Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals (in Richmond) ruled against Charter Day School (CCS-Leland) on June 14, in a 10-6 decision saying in a remarkable 51-plus-page majority opinion that our dress code, in effect, is unlawful. Ten judges supported this decision, while six judges dissented as explained in their 46 pages.

While the majority’s ruling itself is disturbing–and in our opinion wrongheaded and incorrect–what’s more disturbing is its possible consequence as explained in the dissent: the undermining of charter schools, not only here in Southeastern North Carolina, but elsewhere in the state and, indeed, across the country.

That’s because the Court’s majority based its determination on a finding that Charter Day School [and presumably, by extension, all charter schools] is a so-called “state actor.” If this is true, the state can soon be telling us how to teach, what to teach, what textbooks and workbooks we must use, who we can hire to teach, when our schooldays must begin and end, and on and on and on. In other words, schools like ours will eventually become exactly like the mainstream public schools you chose NOT to send your children to. Charter schools, in effect, will disappear.

This is not the end of our fight to remain independent and different (and, we hope you will agree, BETTER). On Thursday, June 23, the Classical Charter Schools of America board of trustees voted unanimously to appeal this erroneous decision to the Supreme Court of the United States.

In the meantime, thank you for your continued encouragement and support. 

We will keep you appraised of events as they unfold.

Best Regards,

Baker Mitchell, Founder

Court Ruling on Dress Code: Ten Majority p. 5-56, Six Dissenting p. 57-83, Three Dissenting p. 84-103

Link to Court Ruling

What Some “Contributors” are Contributing

Response to Forbes Article

Fair Coverage

Arleen Richards from NTD News

New York Post

Washington Examiner

RBA Attorney, Aaron Streett’s Statement

We respectfully disagree with the majority’s opinion. As the six dissenting judges powerfully explain, the majority opinion contradicts Supreme Court precedent on state action, splits with every other circuit to consider the issue, and limits the ability of parents to choose the best education for their children. CDS will continue to provide an excellent education to its students, even as it evaluates the next steps in challenging this mistaken and harmful ruling.