TEACHER RETENTION & HIRING

We have 43 staff members this year, and are pleased that all except five plan to continue with us next year. Of those leaving, one has received a full scholarship for her Ph.D., one is taking the year to travel to Europe, another is joining a family member on the west coast, and another received an unsolicited offer she couldn’t refuse in San Diego.

We are sorry to lose any of these great contributors to CIS, but our nationwide recruiting search has attracted some outstanding new members for 2006-7. We expect to introduce them to the CIS community early this summer.

2005-6 TEACHER OF THE YEAR

This month we announced the recipient of the 2005-6 CIS Teacher of the Year award, 4^th grade teacher Juliette Jones. Ms. Jones has touched the lives of students and colleagues both here and in Uganda, where  she conducted conservation education and professional development the last two years. She also coordinated our Earth Day celebrations and served as a teacher mentor. We congratulate and thank Ms. Jones for all of her contributions as a founding teacher, and for her positive presence as a friend to all. We wish her well on her world travels!

NEXT PTSO MEETING ON JUNE 1^ST

The agenda for the next PTSO meeting on June 1 at 6:30 includes a vote on the bylaws, including a decision about proxy voting. Anyone wishing to vote MUST attend the meeting.  

REGISTRATION FOR GRADE 9

Registration forms for next year’s 9^th Graders are due in the office this week. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Duncan:  704-455-3847 x 5 or duncand@ciscomets.org

GRADE 9 PARENTS MEETING

Ninth grade students and parents are invited to another informational meeting about the CIS high school requirements, on Thursday, May 25^th  at 6:30pm.

LAST CHANCE FOR GOLFERS!

And diners! Golf and dinner reservations  for our 2^nd Annual Charity Golf Tournament, June 4^th, at Skybrook Golf Club must be turned in to the office as soon as possible. Forms are still available in the office or by emailing  Tournament Chairperson Laura Worgan at: Lworgan@mindspring.com. Join us for the awards dinner, catered by Carrabbas’s, with raffles for some terrific prizes.

NEW PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT

Thanks to our Parents Organization and a group of hard working fathers, the Grades 3-4 playground finally has new equipment installed. We tip our hat to Duane Albers, Greg Bacharach, Malcolm Bryant, Bob Honer, Greg Eichman, and Dave Albinus for their volunteer efforts last Sunday!

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS

vNO HOT LUNCHES WILL BE ORDERED IN JUNE.

vDrama Club’s final rehearsal for 4^th-6^th grades is this Friday. The Drama Club Showcase is Wednesday, May 31^st from 4:15-5:30.

LOST & FOUND: GOING……GONE

Office Manager Cathy Hayes has run out of space for Lost & Found items. She will offer the items for free—first come, first served—to our school community on May 30^th. If you are missing any clothing, book bags, water bottles, lunch boxes, etc., please check through the accumulated mounds.

P.E. UNIFORM ORDER INFO

From parent Charlotte Halperin:

“Thank you to everyone who submitted orders for PE uniforms over the past 10 days. I made the order and should receive them before the end of the school year. I will accept orders over the summer, with due dates on June 26^th and August 1^st. If orders are turned in before these dates, you will get the uniforms before school starts. The order form is now available on our website under “Parent Information.” Payment is by check only, to CIS Athletics.”

http://www.carolinainternationalschool.org/parents/index.html

Reminder: CIS students will be required to wear the new PE uniform shorts or sweatpants next year. We will accept either this year’s blue t-shirt or the new Comets t-shirt.

STUDENT COUNCIL TO RALEIGH

On May 10^th our Student Council represented CIS at the annual Charter School Day at the NC General Assembly. The students met with our state senators, toured the GA, and participated in a NC SELF (Students for Equitable Lottery Funding) press conference.

CIS Student Council members meet with State Representative Linda Johnson.

CIS students toured the NCSU Solar House, learning about sustainable design buildings and effective use of alternative energy use.

GREAT SUMMER GIFT:

CIS baseball hats are on sale in the office for $10. See Cathy.

A letter from our Principal, Deanna Duncan

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

Tomorrow, your child will be taking end-of-grade tests in reading and mathematics.   This year’ end-of-grade math tests in grades 3 through 8 are new tests that are being given for the first time.  Any time the state changes a test, it causes a delay in the reporting of test results because new achievement levels and other necessary analyses can’t be completed until all the test data are in.  Achievement levels indicate whether a student is performing:

·         beyond grade-level requirements

·         at grade-level requirements

·         at grade-level requirements inconsistently or below grade-level requirements

For this year, because these math tests are new, the performance of the state’s elementary and middle schools under the ABCs of Public Education will not be reported until October 2006.  This also means that we will not receive your student’s math scores until fall 2006.

You will receive results from your child’s reading assessment in late spring/early summer, as usual.

Although end-of-grade tests results are helpful in making promotion decisions, they are only one indicator.  This year, your child’s teacher(s) and I will be looking at your child’s classroom performance in math to help make promotion decisions.  Your child’s performance in class should come as no surprise, as academic progress is reported at the end of each six week’s of instruction.  Academic progress for all students is determined by their understanding of the concepts outlined in the NC Standard Course of Study.  The Standard Course of Study in math is available on the Web at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/curriculum/mathematics/scos/ or by contacting your child’s teacher.

If you have any questions regarding your child’s academic performance, please ask your child’s teacher.

Our school’s preliminary Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) results based on reading performance will be announced in July, as usual. Complete results based on reading and math will be announced in October. 

We will share additional information as it becomes available.  Thank you for your support. 

Sincerely,

Deanna Duncan, Principal