Delayed Opening, Dec. 8 / Fechas para apertura demorada de las escuelas, 8 de diciembre

Delayed Opening Scheduled for December 8
The district has approved a plan for schools to operate on a Delayed Opening schedule eight Thursdays during the 2016-17 school year.  Schools will open two hours late, allowing teachers to use the time for collaborative planning or professional development.

On these days, buses will run two hours later than the normal schedule and schools will open to students two hours later than usual. Schools will dismiss at their normally scheduled time.

• Elementary Schools begin at 9:50 a.m.
• Middle Schools begin at 10:20 a.m.
• High Schools begin at 10:45 a.m.

Fechas para apertura demorada de las escuelas, 8 de diciembre
Las escuelas públicas de Chapel Hill-Carrboro han aprobado las fechas para apertura demorada de las escuelas, correspondientes a ocho (8) jueves durante el año escolar 2016-2017.  Las escuelas abrirán 2 horas más tarde, para darle a los maestros tiempo para preparar y planificar las clases, así como tiempo para educación continuada.

Esos días los buses recogerán a los niños 2 horas más tarde de lo acostumbrado y las escuelas abrirán sus puertas a los estudiantes 2 horas más tarde de lo acostumbrado. Las clases terminarán a la hora regular.

• Escuelas de Primaria empezarán a las 9:50 de la mañana
• Escuelas de Secundaria Media empezarán a las 10:20 de la mañana
• Escuelas de Secundarias Superior empezarán a las 10:45 de la mañana

Back-to-Back State Golf Championships for Gina Kim

Chapel Hill High's Gina Kim cruised to her second straight 3A Women’s Golf individual championship at the North Carolina High School Athletic Association State Championships at Longleaf Golf and Country Club in Southern Pines. Her 3-under par, 141 score was nine shots better than her nearest competitor.

After a 3-under par round one, Kim cruised to an even-par 72 on her way to the victory.

Congratulations Gina!

East Chapel Hill High - Fiscal Challenge Champs

On Monday, November 14, five East Chapel Hill High juniors - Dora Pekec, Natalie Troy, Makenna Meyer, Mac Stringer, and Noah Clapacs - traveled to our State Capitol to compete in the first ever high school version of Fiscal Challenge.

Fiscal Challenge is an economics competition put together by University of North Carolina faculty that seeks to have students at the college, and now high school, levels learn about our federal budget. This year, they were asked to discuss the high public debt-to-GDP ratio, and how it should be stabilized through fiscal policy adjustments (think cuts to spending, raising new revenues, and growing GDP).

In less than two months, these students wrote a 20-page paper, prepared a 12-minute memorized presentation, and answered 17 minutes of questions from a panel of judges who included a UNC economics professor, the NC Budget Office Director, and a member of the Hamilton Project, a Washington, D.C. think tank.

At the end of the day, their hard work was rewarded as they were named the inaugural competition's winners! Congratulations to our Fiscal Challenge team and their teacher, Brian Link.

Thanksgiving Holiday, Nov. 23-25 / Festivos de Acción de Gracias, 23-25 de noviembre

Thanksgiving Holiday
The CHCCS Thanksgiving Holiday for 2016-17 is Wednesday through Friday, November 23-25. Schools and district offices will be closed all three days. Schools will resume as usual and district offices will be open on Monday, November 28.

Festivos de Acción de Gracias
Los días festivos de Acción de Gracias de CHCCS para el 2016-2017 son del miércoles al viernes, 23-25 de noviembre.  Las escuelas y las oficinas del distrito estarán cerradas estos tres días. Las escuelas y oficinas volverán a abrir sus puertas el lunes, 28 de noviembre.

Signing Day

Chapel Hill High and East Chapel Hill High recently held signing day celebrations for students making official announcements regarding their plans to attend college and participate in athletics. Carrboro High will hold a similar event in the Spring.

Congratulations to the following students:

Shea Golden (Volleyball) - Middlebury College

Julia Grant (Field Hockey) - Virginia Commonwealth University

Lundy Fine (Lacrosse) - Elon University

Uma Knaven (Swimming) - University of Denver

Jaylyn Forrest (Swimming) - East Carolina University

*Sean Voelkel will sign scholarship for Lacrosse with St. Joseph's University next Wednesday

Zoe Dinkins (Volleyball) - Newberry College 

TJ Johnson (Basketball) - Howard University 

Carter Collins (Basketball) - Davidson College 

Grayson Walter (Volleyball) - University of Chicago 

Bond Passes! Message from Board Chair

James Barrett

I want to personally thank all who contributed to the passing of the school bond. This bond is about much more than securing funds for needed projects. It is also a vote of confidence for our values, and for our staff, affirming their amazing work. 

Moreso, it is a vote of encouragement for our students. This vote sends a loud and clear message that our community is here for them, invested in their success, and, ultimately, dependent upon the realization of their unlimited potential.

Now, it is time to roll up the sleeves and begin the hard part of our work. We will be meeting regularly with our architects and the town to secure a variety of permits, with hopes of beginning construction on the Pre-Kindergarten center in August/September. Chapel Hill High will take a little longer to prepare, but we expect to begin that reconstruction in 2018.

While these projects get underway, we must simultaneously collaborate with our County Commissioners in an effort to prepare for the funding of the next phase of our facilities plan. Schools included in Phase II include Seawell Elementary, Estes Hills Elementary, Ephesus Elementary and Phillips Middle. 

There is much to be done. Passing this bond was a great start. We will work diligently, and as good stewards. 

On behalf of our entire Board of Education, thank you for your continued support.
 

James Barrett

Chair, Board of Education

CHCCS and RENA Team Up for Matthew Victims

Eastern North Carolina families affected by flooding as a result of Hurricane Matthew received much-needed clothing thanks to the collaborative efforts of the Rogers-Eubanks Neighborhood Association (RENA) and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools.

CHCCS teamed up with RENA to collect the clothing. CHCCS parents, students, staff and other members of the community dropped off donated clothing at the Rogers Road Community Center from Oct. 24 until Oct. 29. Each day, enough clothing was donated to fill a trailer.

This was truly an example of our community coming together to support a great cause. Working together, our community was able to make a difference for those devastated by the flooding caused by Hurricane Matthew.

Veterans Day Holiday, Friday, Nov. 11 / Día de los Veteranos, viernes, 11 de noviembre

Schools and Offices Closed
All schools and district offices will be closed Friday, November 11 in observance of the Veterans Day holiday.

Escuelas y oficinas cerradas
Las escuelas y oficinas del distrito estarán cerradas el viernes, 11 de noviembre, en honor al Día de los Veteranos.

Election Day - A Rewarding Day for Three Phoenix Students

Anthony Aguilar

Election Day is finally upon us, and CHCCS has designated this day as a Teacher Workday. For many students, that means a day to sleep in, catch up on homework, and hopefully spend time with friends. But for three Phoenix Academy High School students, it meant getting up extra early to be at the polls.

Brittany Hunter, Anthony Aguilar and Therese Graff arrived at Lincoln Center by 6 a.m. this morning, and will be there until 8 p.m. tonight. These three students offered to be part of the electoral process, participated in training, and are now happily assisting voters. It's a long day, but they are thankful for the chance to contribute to this foundational component of democracy.

"This has been a very interesting experience," said Therese Graff. "I'm grateful for the opportunity to be part of this process."

Brittany is stationed as the smiling face that greets all the voters and gets them to the sign-in station. Anthony is manning a laptop and assisting with check-in. Therese collects ballots and gets them scanned. She also makes sure each voter is thanked and gets a sticker on the way out.

Therese Graff

Brittany Hunter

Championship Saturday for CHCCS High Schools

Saturday will go down as a great day in CHCCS athletics history. Three of our teams won state championships, and two more finished as runners up.

Congratulations to the Carrboro High Volleyball team on claiming its first ever state title. After finishing in the final four the previous two seasons, the Jaguars completed their perfect 30-0 season with a victory over Maiden High at N.C. State's Reynolds Coliseum to be crowned 2-A state champs. Junior Destiny Cox was named MVP.

The North Carolina 3-A Cross Country trophies will both be coming to Chapel Hill High as the Tigers' Boys and Girls teams went to Kernersville and claimed state championships. The Boys defeated Weddington and Marvin Ridge to win a championship they last won in 2010. The Girls overcame multiple difficulties, including knee pain and even the loss of a shoe for one runner, to win their second consecutive title.

Chapel Hill High's Volleyball and Field Hockey teams each finished as 3-A state runners up.

Please join us in congratulating all of our student-athletes, coaches, parents and boosters!