JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL AT CIS

As most of you know, this year we defined our Junior High School as including grades 7 through 9. There is a tremendous amount of research that discusses the benefits of “excluding” 9^th grade students as freshmen in a high school and, instead, including them as leaders with lower grade levels.  Therefore, at CIS, grade levels K-6 are considered as “elementary” grades and 7 – 9 as “junior high” grades.

All junior high students have seven periods a day, with a 12-minute homeroom, 30-minute lunch and 13-minute stretch break. All junior high students have a locker and have most of their classes in the Junior High Building on our campus. All junior high students have lunch at the same time from 12:09 – 12:39 daily.

Our junior high teachers have formed an incredible team, comprised of:

Ms. Belachew                7-8 Language Arts

Ms. Sidhu                     7-8 Science

Mr. Lipp                        7-8 Social Studies

Mr. Taylor                     8^th and 9^th grade Math

Ms. Krauss                   7^th and 9^th grade Math

Ms. Duckett                  7-9 Spanish

Ms. Ju                          7-9 Chinese

Ms. Smithers                 Music

Ms. Harris                     Art

Ms. Bonisteel                PE

Ms. Robinson                7-9 EC and 504

Mr. Bunch                     7-8 Technology

The team meets weekly to discuss JHS expectations, curriculum, field trips, students’ needs and so on. 

Students will “graduate” and participate in a rite of passage at the end of their 9^th grade year.  At graduation, we hope to have each student acquire an International Passport.  Students will apply for an international passport during one of their courses.  We will then offer an international travel opportunity for all rising 10^th grade students in June of 2007.

Our 9^th grade students are participating in high school courses.  Our high school is organized as a college/university preparatory diploma program.  That means all students must take 4 years of math beginning with Algebra 1.  All high schools students at CIS are planning to attend a four-year college after high school.  If you want more information about our high school program, please visit our website:  www.carolinainternationalschool.org under Parent Information. 

PLEASE NOTE: EARLY DISMISSAL 10/4

All classes will dismiss at noon on October 4^th for our staff’s first Professional Development Workshop this year. After-school care will not be offered on this and other early dismissal days: November 29, February 7, and May 2.

PARENT CONFERENCES

This year’s first Parent-Teacher conferences for grades K-6 are the week of October 2-6^th. Look for information from your child’s teacher to schedule appointments.

NO “HEELIES”!

They are creative, fun, and faster than walking. But the wheels attached to children’s running shoes are also a hazard in a school environment. We will require all students with shoes like this to remove the wheels while they are in school. Thanks, parents and guardians, for your cooperation with this policy.

CITIPASS: SUPPORT 9^TH GRADE, SAVE $$

Our ninth graders are selling Citipass books as a fundraiser for their trip to Ireland. The books are bigger and better than ever and include Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, and York Co. They are only $25 and benefit our ninth graders and give you lots of money saving coupons to restaurants, home improvement stores, entertainment, and more. If you or someone you know wants to purchase one, please contact Troy Bunch or Cathy Hayes. buncht@ciscomets.org 704-455-3847

CROSS COUNTRY UPDATE

The CIS Cross Country team ran at Ashbrook High School yesterday and showed improvement since last week’s race. Ross Marchese finished first for our team followed by Quinn Montgomerie, William Windham, Drew Bardsody, Nathan Fields, Jordan Hicks, Matthew Straatmann, and Kayla Castello. Great job, team! Our next meet is on Tues, Sept. 26^th hosted by Countryside Montessori at Frank Liske Park at 4:15.

SOCCER UPDATE

Our coed Comet soccer team’s next game is Thursday, September 21^st at 4:15 at St. Michael’s. They also play on Monday, September 25^th at Garr Christian at 4:15.

VOLLEYBALL UPDATE

The girls volleyball team’s next game is Tuesday, Sept. 26 at 5:30pm at Carmel Christian.

CIS STUDENTS AT PEACEJAM!

Three Carolina International School students had a once-in-a-lifetime experience last weekend as participants in the 10^th Anniversary Celebration of the PeaceJam Foundation at Denver University, Colorado.

Samira Abdelrahman, Amritha Amarnath, and David Illing joined 3,000 youth from 32 countries to welcome and work with the largest contingent of Nobel Peace Prize winners to ever assemble in the United States.

The 10 Nobel Peace Prize Laureates include the Dalai Lama (awarded in 1989), Archbishop Desmond Tutu (1984), Costa Rican President Oscar Arias (1987), East Timor’s Prime Minister Jose Ramos-Horta (1996), and Shirin Ebadi (2003), recognized for her efforts for democracy, peace, and women’s rights in the Middle East.

PeaceJam is an international education program built around leading Nobel Peace Prize winners who work personally with youth to pass on the spirit of service, skills, and wisdom they embody. The goal of PeaceJam is to create a new generation of peacemakers who transform their local communities, themselves, and the world.

The Carolina International School (CIS) students attended workshops, service projects, and presentations by the Laureates. They also had the opportunity to describe to Prime Minister Ramos-Horta some of the community service projects CIS achieved last year:

            • The “Change for Change” campaign that raised over $3,200 for Hurricane Katrina victims

            • $1,000 to install a rainwater catchment system in a Sister School in Rweteera, Uganda

            • $1,000 to construct a restroom facility for another Sister School in Accra, Ghana

The CIS students were inspired and energized not only by the lives of these great individuals, but also by their enthusiasm for youth. Archbishop Tutu said, ‘I am in awe of you. I mean that as seriously as I could ever be. You are remarkable young people.’”

Other Nobel Laureates included Mairead Corrigan Maguire and Betty Williams (1977 for their work in Northern Ireland), Rigoberta Menchu Tum (1992 for advocacy for indigenous people), Jody Williams (1997 for clearing and banning landmines), Adolfo Perez Esquivel (1980 for human rights leadership in Latin America).

Regional PeaceJams are conducted around the country with a single Nobel Laureate in attendance. The closest affiliate to the Carolinas is in Memphis, TN. Their PeaceJam is scheduled for February 24-25, 2007.

Carolina International School delegation with the Prime Minister of East Timor and 1996 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Jose Ramos-Horta: Amritha Amarnath, Dr. Richard Beall, Mr. Ramos-Horta, Samira Abdelrahman (not pictured, David Illing).

PE UNIFORMS UPDATE

Please have all orders in by October 10th to insure receipt of your items before January 1st.  If you have exchanges, please contact Charlotte Halperin by e-mail at chalperin@carolina.rr.com or by phone at 704-503-0753.  Please do not just drop clothes off in the office without contacting me. Your items could get lost.  Also, we have samples in the office for the PE uniforms and the Polo Shirts for sizing. Please use these samples so you don't have to worry about exchanges.  Thank you for your patience and support.

ATHLETICS SERVICE TEAM

The next athletic service team meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, September 20^th at 6:30pm. Agenda items:

• Identify basketball coaches and parent volunteers – these people need to be in place by October 6th
• Fundraising for all teams
• Equipment needed for all teams
• Sports Event Programs – for spectators
• Coaches Manuals 

SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR—10/21

Get ready to enjoy the Scholastic Book Fair, open on campus from October 21^st-November 1^st. Volunteers are needed. Please contact Charlotte Halperin at 704-503-0753 or chalperin@carolina.rr.com.

INTERNATIONAL MUSIC EVENT

Come listen to African drumming, Celtic music and other international songs at Cabaret Night on Friday, Sept. 29 at the McGlohon Theater at Spirit Square.

To reserve tickets, call 704-332-7746, ext. 118. For more information about the Boys and Girls Choirs, visit www.StPetersChoirs.org.

SOCCER TEAM BENEFIT CAR WASH

The Comets coed soccer team is sponsoring a car wash on Saturday, September 30^th, from 9am-1pm at Bojangles on Rocky River Road (by the Harris Teeter Plaza). Please show your support for the team and take advantage of their enthusiastic labor!

SAVE THE DATE: BIG SWEEP 2006!

As you fill in dates on your 2006 calendar, Big Sweep wants you to note a new date for the annual statewide Big Sweep cleanup. For the most counties, the 2006 North Carolina Big Sweep will be Saturday, Oct. 7^th and CIS will sponsor 3 locations for CIS Big Sweep participants.  Our school community can choose between:  CIS campus, Midland area and Harrisburg city area.  

North Carolina Big Sweep is an award-winning 501(c)(3) nonprofit for litter-free watersheds. It was initiated in 1987 as a coastal cleanup called Beach Sweep. The event expanded inland and was renamed Big Sweep in 1989 and became the nation's first statewide waterway cleanup. In its 19-year history, almost 220,000 volunteers have retrieved over 7 1/2 million pounds of debris from North Carolina's watersheds.

More information will be sent home next week, but please help us participate in this wonderful event.  Mark your calendars for Saturday, October 7, 2006 from 9:30 – 11:30 AM.