North Charleston Student Registration Centers for 2013-14 academic year

A registration center is a “one-stop shop” for parents in Charleston County School District’s (CCSD’s) Constituent District 4 (which includes North Charleston and Ladson). Each center acts as a service hub during the summer for parents and guardians. Instead of traveling to multiple locations and calling multiple people, you will be able to speak directly with highly-trained staff.

Registration Center Locations, Dates, and Hours

Who needs to visit one of our centers?
     The families of students who are new to CCSD and reside in North Charleston or Ladson
     The families of current CCSD students who have moved or are moving to North Charleston or Ladson

What services are provided at the centers?
     Assistance with the registration process for students age pre-K through 12th grade, who plan to attend any school (excluding countywide magnet schools) located in North Charleston or Ladson
     Information about bus transportation
     Options for English Language Learners
     Information about resources for special needs students
     Information about the federal lunch program
     Information about important medical requirements (immunizations, etc.)

What important things do I need to know before visiting a center?
Parents/guardians in North Charleston and Ladson need to register their child at the closest service center and not at your child’s home school or a partial magnet school. It is strongly recommended that you call and make an appointment. Walk-ins are welcome, but your wait time may be longer.

To reduce your enrollment center visit time, go to www.ccsdschools.com, click on “Student Registration” under Quick Links, and use InfoSnap to begin your registration process.

If you are registering your child, please bring the following items with you to the registration center:
     Child’s Legal Birth Certificate or Certificate of Live Birth
     Child’s SC Certificate of Immunization
     Proof of Parent’s Residency (i.e. signed current lease or most recent tax bill)
     Plus, one of the following recent documents: utility bill, water bill, car registration, pay stub, or piece of local/state/federal agency mail

You will be asked to submit a notarized affidavit. The form is available and can be notarized at the registration center.

Charleston Marathon donates $80,000 to Youth Endowment of the Arts

The Charleston Marathon Board of Directors donated $80,000 to Youth Endowment of the Arts (YEA) at its annual ‘Thank You’ reception for sponsors and volunteers on Wednesday April 17, 2013 at 7:00pm. 

In 2012, YEA received $60,000 in proceeds from the race and $40,000 in 2011. This funding has helped support numerous fine arts projects throughout Charleston County Schools. 

The 3rd annual Charleston Marathon was held on January 19, 2013 and hosted nearly 5,000 participants in its full marathon, half marathon, 5K, youth marathon program and bike tour. 

CCSD programs are an integral part of the race with school groups and clubs obtaining points on their grant applications by volunteering and performing along the race route. Runners were handed water by student volunteers, entertained by student singers, dancers, drum lines and greeted by creative student sculptures at packet pick-up. The race organizers will also present 2013 Spirit Awards to three schools, as well as an award for the 2013 sculpture contest at Wednesday’s event. 

Plans for the 4th annual Charleston Marathon, presented by Harris Teeter, are underway and registration for the 2014 event will open by the end of April at www.CharlestonMarathon.com. Grant applications for interested school programs are available now at www.YEAendowment.org, the deadline to apply is May 29, 2013. 

Youth Endowment for the Arts’ mission is to provide equitable, quality cultural arts experiences to Charleston area children. Through grants and curriculum building, YEA strives to use the fine arts to help open additional avenues to learning. YEA was founded in 2000 by North Charleston Mayor R. Keith Summey and his wife, Judge Deborah Summey. Both will be present at Wednesday’s event.

Input Sought for Arts in Education Initiative, North Charleston to host Engaging Creative Minds Public Forum

The Charleston County School District, the Cities of Charleston and North Charleston, and the College of Charleston have convened a community planning process, titled Engaging Creative Minds, to determine how the cities, schools and arts & cultural resources can collectively serve area youth more equitably and with higher impact in the classroom.

The community will have an opportunity to learn more about this initiative and offer input at a public forum at North Charleston City Hall on Thursday, January 12, from 6:45-8:00pm.

Dallas-based non-profit, Big Thought, has been asked to facilitate this six-month process, in coordination with a community task force made up of local stakeholders. Big Thought made its first site visit to Charleston on November 9 and 10 in order to begin a planning timeline that will ultimately result in a set of recommended outcomes, program design, and a governance structure for the initiative.

In an effort to garner community input and support for this project, there will be two public forums held, the first of which will take place in North Charleston. Educators, artists, arts organizations, and the general public are invited to participate in these forums. For more information, contact the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at 843-740-5854 or visit www.bigthought.org.

What: Engaging Creative Minds Public Forum
Who: Charleston County School District, the Cities of Charleston and North Charleston, the College of Charleston, and Dallas-based non-profit, Big Thought
Where: Montague Conference Room, 2nd Floor, North Charleston City Hall, 2500 City Hall Lane North Charleston, SC 29406
When: Thursday, January 12, 2012, 6:45-8:00pm

North Charleston High School students tour Boeing facility

On Friday, November 11, 2011 North Charleston High School Logistics Students earned the privilege of being the FIRST school group to tour the new Boeing facility.

Boeing has partnered with the Charleston County School District to create a new major in Logistics. North Charleston High School has one of only two Logistics programs in the state of South Carolina. After an introduction to the company and a welcome from Boeing Senior Managers, students were taken on a tour of the campus. They were able to view the production line and see first-hand the logistics involved in building an entire airplane.

The highlight of the tour took them through the 787 Final Assembly building, which is the size of 12 football fields. Inside, the first 787 is to be entirely assembled in the North Charleston facility was being finished. The tour ended at the new visitor’s center where the students were given Boeing 787 t-shirts for participating in the Logistics program at NCHS.

Logistics is a class that will prepare students for a successful career in Materials Handling.  Other local businesses such as Piggly Wiggly, CGI, Pearlstine, and Trident Technical Institute have partnered with this program to ensure its success.  All of these businesses hire high school graduates in this area and are committed to hiring NCHS students that successfully complete the Logistics Major.

The Logistics Class is designed to provide students with the fundamentals of Warehousing and Distribution.  It is an introductory course in Material Handling within a warehouse environment. Students will learn the concepts of warehousing and material logistics, as well as, how materials are handled, moved, stored, controlled and protected within a warehouse.

Charleston County School District makes ratings leap

According to district report cards released by the South Carolina Department of Education today, CCSD’s growth rating jumped from “Below Average” to “Excellent,” and its Absolute rating increased from “Average” to “Good.”  The district’s graduation rate rose from 67% last year to 72% this year.

CCSD SCHOOLS 2010	CCSD SCHOOLS 2011
26  Excellent	30  Excellent (+4)
5    Good	6    Good (+1)
27  Average	25  Average (-2)
14  Below Average	12  Below  Average (-2)
12   At Risk	12 At Risk

“Our district’s ‘Excellent’ growth rating and ‘Good’ absolute rating show that when we focus on literacy and teacher effectiveness—two hallmarks of Charleston Achieving Excellence—it really pays off for students,” said Dr. McGinley.  “This continued progress is a testament to our teachers’ hard work, our principals’ leadership, and our parents and community members’ commitment to public schools and the students they serve.”  

CCSD’s jump in its growth rating was attributed specifically to the substantial improvement of historically underachieving groups of students.  CCSD schools showed progress across multiple categories, including Gifted and Talented education, Advanced Placement, and the graduation rate.  This year, the state’s graduation calculation was changed to better reflect the true four-year graduation rate. “We’re very encouraged by these results, and at the same time, we’re not content so long as there are achievement gaps and our absolute rating is ‘good’,” said Dr. McGinley.  “The next phase of our strategic plan—Vision 2016—is all about accelerating our progress, setting bold goals, focusing our resources on proven strategies, and building an accountability system driven by what’s best for students and the entire community.”

North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary School accepting applications

Application for Enrollment

North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary (NCCAE) offers high-quality teaching that exceeds the state standards and the district’s core curriculum, while integrating the arts and creative disciplines across all subject areas. The curriculum includes visual arts, music, and drama instruction that applies and reinforces traditional elementary subjects. Hands-on activities allow students to thrive as facilitators and leaders in a child-centered educational environment. Through a variety of partnerships with local businesses, non-profits, and governmental agencies, NCCAE offers students countless opportunities-including field trips and lessons taught by arts professionals-designed to connect what they learn in the classroom to the real world.

As a partial magnet school, NCCAE has an attendance zone. Seats are also available for applicants who live outside of this zone, but reside in District 4 (including the city of North Charleston) and Charleston County. During the 2012-2013 academic year, the school will have Kindergarten, first grade, and second grade classes. It will eventually expand to the fifth grade.

Applying for the 2012-2013 School Year

• Completed applications (Parts A & B) should be submitted to NCCAE by Friday, December 2, 2011. All mailed applications should be postmarked by this date.
• Please keep this page for your records.
• Application materials may be hand delivered, faxed to (843) 577-1680, or mailed to 1600 Saranac St., North Charleston, SC 29405.
• CCSD will provide transportation for students who live in District 4. Please call (843) 720-2967 or visit www.CCSDSchools.com for more information.
• If contact or student information changes after the application is submitted, parents are responsible for calling (843) 720-2967 and making those changes.

The School is located at 1600 Saranac St, North Charleston, SC 29405.

Charleston County sponsoring creative recycling art contest

Flickr user kfisto

Entry deadline is Friday, Nov. 4- prizes awarded to winners in all categories

Charleston County’s Environmental Management Department is seeking participants for the 2011 Creative Recycling Art Contest. The art contest is being held to celebrate America Recycles Day 2011 in Charleston County.

America Recycles Day is recognized annually on November 15 to celebrate the successes of recycling while providing an educational platform to raise awareness about the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling – every day throughout the year. America Recycles Day is a national initiative of nonprofit Keep America Beautiful, Inc. (KAB).

“Reusing materials and using them as supplies to make artwork helps to close the recycling loop – reduce, reuse, recycle and buy recycled. The purpose of this contest is to encourage people to think creatively about our recyclables,” said Bronwyn Santos, Recycling Educator for Charleston County Environmental Management.

This year marks the 14th anniversary of the County’s Creative Recycling Art Contest. An awards reception will be held at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 15, at the Charleston County Main Library (68 Calhoun Street, Charleston).

There are two categories to enter:

• Students, grades 7-12
• Adults (18 years and older)

Students in grades 7-12 and adults may enter artwork that is created with a minimum of 70 percent recycled materials. First place winners in each category will receive a $300 gift card.

The deadline to submit artwork is 5 p.m. on Friday, November 4.

Detailed Criteria for Grades 7-12 and Adults (18 years and older) Categories:

• At least 70 percent of the materials used in the creation of your entry must be material diverted from disposal and reused. Art supplies such as glue, paint, markers, nails and staples are allowed.
• Art entries can be in any medium and take any visual form, including but not limited to sculpture, weaving, fashion, mosaics, ceramics, painting, etc.
• The size of art entries must not exceed 24 inches in height x 24 inches in width x 24 inches in diameter.
• Only one entry per person.
• All art entries must be labeled so that each entry can be easily identified. Labels must be securely attached with name, address, phone number, school name, grade, art teacher, name of entry and medium description.

Prizes:

• First place student, grades 7-12: $300 gift card.
• First place in the adult (18 years and older) category: $300 gift card.
• Runner-up and Honorable Mention awards will be named in each category.

This art contest supports Charleston County’s recycling partnership with the Charleston County School District. Recently announced, this partnership will foster environmental sustainability within the school system and across the community. In addition to collecting recyclable materials, Charleston County will be conducting waste assessments and providing a comprehensive education and outreach program for teachers and students through a school recycling representative. These actions in conjunction with CCSD Sustainable Schools Initiative will ultimately lead to a reduction in the amount of garbage generated and support County Council’s goal of a 40% recycling rate.

For more information on the Charleston County Creative Recycling Art Contest or to submit your contest entry, contact Bronwyn Santos, Charleston County Recycling,13 Romney Street, Charleston, SC 29403 or call (843) 720-7112

For more information on America Recycles Day, visit www.americarecyclesday.org.

For more information on Charleston County Government, visit recycle.charlestoncounty.org.