CGS Weekly Message

Happy Sunday!

Last week was a great week back at CGS despite the weather challenges! Thank you to all of our families for your patience and understanding as we continue to navigate our winter weather events this winter season. We will share any news of inclement weather closings or delays with you via mass email, phone call/text message, Facebook post, website pop up, and display it on the local news stations (Fox 8 and News 2). If you are not receiving notifications, please contact our info email for assistance.

Report Cards were delayed last week. Please expect those to be coming home with your student on Tuesday, 1/14/25. Reminder- please look and complete the intent form that will be attached for each of your students' report cards and return those to the front office ASAP.

Lottery Reminders:

Our CGS 2025-2026 Lottery opened on January 7th, 2025. If you have other students that aren't enrolled at CGS and you'd like them to have an opportunity in the lottery, please APPLY! There are limited seats available for next school year. The lottery runs in March. Once the lottery is run, any and all students not selected for the lottery will be added to our waiting list. (**Waiting lists DO NOT ROLL OVER- if you were on a waiting this for this school year, you will need to re-apply to be added to next year's lottery and to the 25-26 enrollment waiting list)

SAVE THE DATES:

• 1/14/2025: BOD Meeting for January- onsite at the HS campus or available via YouTube
  
• 1/20/2025: CGS CLOSED- MLK Jr. Holiday
• 1/25/2025: Winter Formal Dance- High School Students
  
• 1/27/2025: National School Choice Week Spirit Day: Wear a Hat
• 1/28/2025: National School Choice Week Spirit Day: K-5- wear Gold, Middle School wear Red, and High School students wear White.
• 1/28/2025: CGS Family Game and Karaoke Night at the K-8 Campus from 6:00 P.M. until 7:30 P.M. More details coming soon!
• 1/29/2025: National School Choice Week Spirit Day: Superhero Day- wear superhero gear
  
• 1/30/2025: National School Choice Week Spirit Day: Wear CGS Gear or school colors
• 1/30/2025: National School Choice Week PEP Rally to announce winners for hall decorating contests and essay writing contests
  
• 1/30/2025: CGS Marching Band performs in Raleigh for National School Choice Week activities
  
• 1/31/2025: CGS CLOSED- Mental Health and Wellness Day

Looking Ahead:

• 2/17/2025: CGS CLOSED- Presidents' Day Holiday
• 2/18/2025-2/21/2025: CGS CLOSED- Academic Break
  

Reminder- Check out our CGS Directory for questions regarding anything CGS! You can also reach out to us at info@cgsnc.org for questions.

Don't forget to check out our website at www.cgsnc.org and our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/cgsgrizzlies for updates!

CGS Families,

On January 10, 2025, DPI informed CGS that Powerschool experienced a data breach and certain data was accessed. There were no actions that CGS could have taken to prevent this as the breach was global in nature.

DPI shared the following with us:

On the afternoon of Tuesday, January 7, PowerSchool alerted North Carolina public schools and NCDPI to a cybersecurity incident impacting student and teacher data across their global client base. This incident was not isolated to North Carolina. PowerSchool is a student information system (SIS) that has been in use in North Carolina since 2013.

On December 28, 2024, PowerSchool became aware of a cybersecurity incident that began on December 19, 2024, involving unauthorized access to student and teacher data. The data breach occurred when the credentials of a PowerSchool contract employee were compromised. PowerSchool has shared that the threat has been contained and that the compromised data was not shared and has been destroyed.

We will keep you posted as more information comes available.

CGS Parents, if you are in need of assistance with creating or accessing your child's Power School account, please use this form. The Parent Portal through Power School is a great way to get live updates as to how your student is progressing in their classroom studies.

Here is an FAQ that may be helpful as well.

If you have any questions, please contact our registrar Ms. Walther at marissawalther@cgsnc.org.

School Day:

K-8: School starts at 7:45 A.M. and ends at 2:45 P.M.

(students may arrive as early as 7:15 A.M.)

9-12: School starts at 8:00 A.M. and ends at 3:00 P.M.

(students may arrive as early as 7:30 A.M.)

Need some new CGS apparel? Check out our School Spirit Store by clicking on the link below!

https://acceleratedgfx.com/collections/Clover-Garden

Welcome Back and Happy New Year! I hope you are refreshed and ready to rejoin us as we strive to thrive in 2025! As you prepare your Grizzly for the return and are getting re acclimated to school and early mornings, I encourage you to review routines, procedures and expectations for CGS in addition to those you have established as a family.

Please continue to have your Grizzlies here on campus daily, in class and ready to learn by 7:45, which is when the academic day begins. Every minute counts! Additionally, students should be picked up by 3:15. Your cooperation is appreciated!

When dropping off and picking up your student(s) please keep the following in mind:

• Pull in and up to the farthest cone, leaving no gaps during both morning and afternoon car rider lines. This allows us to be efficient, timely and maintain safety as the instructional day begins at 7:45am. Your student may be shifted to a different cone to ensure at least 12 cars are being loaded at a time.

• All students should be dropped off and picked up utilizing one of our car rider lines. No students should be dropped off in the front parking lot unless special permission has been granted by administration.

• There is absolutely No Passing in any car rider line at any time. This again is to ensure that all of our students remain safe.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation. Let’s make it an Amazing New Year! #GrizzlyPride

All the best,

Mrs. Spencer

K-8 Campus

Greetings, Grizzly Families!

We are looking forward to fewer weather interruptions this week and hope that everyone was able to stay warm during the frigid temperatures and snow.

Here are a few updates and reminders:

**Mrs. Gladden and Dr. Morris will meet with grade levels this week to review behavior and academic expectations.

**Continue to monitor your student's grades in PowerSchool and encourage them to do their personal best to complete each course successfully. Every course counts and is part of your student's high school transcript that will be used for college and career choices.

**Attendance is crucial for success. Please have your scholar on time and present for all classes.

**Ensure your student is adhering to the dress code daily. Sweatpants and sweatpants material are not allowed. Leggings can be worn under a dress/tunic that meets the length requirement. If a student is out of the dress code, they will be asked to change, call for a change of clothing, and will remain in the front office area until they meet dress code requirements.

ASVAB

10th, 11th, and 12th grade students--

We want to offer the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) aptitude test as a tool to support students in planning postsecondary opportunities. Although the ASVAB is most often associated with the military, it is an assessment for students in grades 10th-12th to discover strengths and skills that will be helpful in choosing future career options. If you would like your scholar to participate in the assessment, please complete the Google form by 1/17/2025. Scores will not be reported to the Armed Forces; however, the test administration is done by members of the Armed Forces on our campus, and students interested in the military can connect with a recruiter. We need at least 20 students to offer the assessment during the spring semester.

DRIVER EDUCATION CLASSES:

If your student needs driver education, please sign up for ONE class...

Option 1
Alamance Community College Session 2 (in person)

Monday, Feb 17th to Friday, Feb 28th

Sign Up Link- https://forms.gle/eUShxWMu8PTX6kBb7

Option 2
Feb/March Weekend Virtual Class (virtual)

Class Dates:

Saturday, February 15th 8:30am-11:30am

Sunday, February 16th 8:30am-11:30am

Saturday, February 22nd 8:30am-11:30am

Sunday, February 23rd 8:30am-11:30am

Saturday, March 1st 8:30am-11:30am

Sunday, March 2nd 8:30am-11:30am

Saturday March 8th 8:30am-11:30am

Sunday, March 9th 8:30am-11:30am

Saturday March 15th 8:30am-11:30am

Sunday, March 16th 8:30am-11:30am

Sign Up Link: https://forms.gle/pkJVFSMWtdoJHS1C6

DRIVER EDUCATION CERTIFICATES:

If you are in need of a driver education certificate, please email Mrs. Simpson, Dr. Morris, and Mrs. Gladden to have one drafted. This document requires a parent/guardian to come to the school for completion and is good for 30 days.

Thank you for all that you do!

Dr. Morris

Dr. Morris will be meeting with students at the beginning of the second semester to share information on Career and College Promise (CCP) at ACC.

Shout out to our Grizzlies from our K-8 Campus who had PERFECT attendance for Quarter 2. These students will be recognized for their dedication and effort to being at school each and every day next week! Thank you to our AMAZING parents for putting education FIRST and making sure your student is at school each and every day. We thank YOU! Congrats to our Grizzlies on a job well done!

Those names in "bold" have had perfect attendance all year so far!

Please reach out to our Dean of Students, Mr. Kane with any questions at michaelkane@cgsnc.org.

High School Grizzlies!!!

Student Council will be hosting a high school Winter semi-formal dance on January 25 from 7-10. The dance will be held at the Clover Garden gymnasium on the K-8 campus. Only Clover Garden students will be allowed to attend. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased in the commons before school or during lunch. Tickets must be prepurchased and paid for by January 24th. Please see Mrs. Dollyhigh if you have any questions.

https://forms.gle/zvLo3RrLp7TQYzBk8

Please see the attached flyer below!

We are so excited to celebrate National School Choice Week coming up soon! In honor of the week, we are having a Spirit Week and a few activities during the week to celebrate being a school of choice! Please visit https://schoolchoiceweek.com/ for more details on the importance of this week and how schools all across the country are celebrating!

See Flyer Below for spirit days sponsored by our student council organizations at both campuses.

Please reach out to Mrs. Bradford (laruabradford@cgsnc.org or Mrs. Dollyhigh (taradollyhigh@cgsnc.org) for questions!

​Who: All students and families enrolled at CGS

What: Family Game and Karaoke Night for all families grades K-12. Families will be invited to the school and three locations will be designated for Board Games (little gym), Bingo (after school area), and Karaoke (cafeteria). There will be refreshments provided. Prizes will be given for the Bingo games.

When: Tuesday, January 28th, 2025 from 6 PM- 7:30 PM.

Where: At our K-8 Campus

Why: It's important for us to build community within our school! We want to use National School Choice Week as an opportunity to come together and build relationships within our school community and remind our CGS community how valuable it is to have School Choice options for our students and their education! We celebrate being a charter school of CHOICE this week! We hope that you will come out to the school and enjoy a night of fun hosted by our Middle School and High School Student Council organizations!

See Flyer Below for more details!

If you have any questions, please reach out to our student council advisors- Middle School- Mrs. Bradford at laurabradford@cgsnc.org or High School Advisor- Mrs. Dollyhigh at taradollyhigh@cgsnc.org.

FernLeaf Community Charter School, which teaches over 430 K-4 students, was severely affected by catastrophic flooding from Hurricane Helene. To help them recover and ensure students can keep learning, donations are being collected through fundraisers and an Amazon Wish List.

Jr. Civitans, partnering with Mr. Graham's mentorship program, have adopted the school. They are collecting essential supplies to aid the school's recovery, and you can help through donation links and a general Amazon Wish List. Every contribution makes a difference in helping FernLeaf rebuild and support its students and community.

Donate to the FernLeaf Community

Amazon Wish Lists

General Amazon list

Spring Sport Coach Openings:

We are in the need coaches for the following spring sports:

MS Softball

MS Tennis

If interested, please email Coach Paschal, taylorpaschal@cgsnc.org

HIGH SCHOOL SPRING INTENT FORM:

If you have a student 9-12 grade who is interested in any of the following sports: Varsity Baseball, Varsity Softball, Varsity Women's Soccer, Varsity Men's Golf, and Varsity Men's Tennis

Please fill out this intent form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdfQFo1xhvda7N5dP62s0euwuZBI-KYOXSMfXXZs3D9WDtoHQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

MIDDLE SCHOOL SPRING INTENT FORM:

If you have a student 6-8 grade who is interested in any of the following sports: Baseball, Softball, Girls Soccer, CoEd Golf, or CoEd Tennis, Please fill out this intent form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScxOj3oJ143m2aulIIhZ_NuaLftG3nx7LcRK8s5phUuoXXGOg/viewform?usp=sf_link

ALL INTENT FORMS ARE DUE NO LATER THAN JANUARY 24th for MS & HS Spring Sports.

Upcoming Important Dates:

Thursday, January 30th- MS & HS Spring Sports Meet the Coaches

February 3, 5, 7th- MS Basketball Conference Tournament

Thursday, February 13th- HS Senior Night

February 17, 19, 21- HS Basketball Conference Tournament

Home Game Information:

Tickets must be purchased on gofan (https://gofan.co/app/school/NC50181) or with a card at the gate. Concessions will be available.

Monthly Newsletter:

https://view.gogipper.com/page/2166233

Stay In The Know: Athletics has a Remind account to send out important updates. Use the link below to join: https://www.remind.com/join/cgsa2024

Athletics Website: For all things athletics, please visit our website at https://sites.google.com/cgsnc.org/grizzly-athletics

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our athletic director, Coach Paschal at taylorpaschal@cgsnc.org.

Volleyball Training:
January 25, February 22, March 29, April 26
At Clover Garden School Gymnasium

Current 5th- 7th graders Skills Training 8:00 A.M.-10:00 A.M.
Price- $25 per session if you pay for all four in advance $75. Open to anyone.

Register HERE: https://forms.gle/PsHgJQ69gGLLEqwM8

High School Positional Training- Current 8th-11th graders
Hitters/Setters- 10:30-12:00
Defense/serving 12:30-2:00

Price- $25 a session or $40 for both.

Pay for all four in advance $75/Pay for all 8 in advance $120. Open to anyone.

Register HERE: https://forms.gle/PsHgJQ69gGLLEqwM8

Email Mrs. Dollyhigh with any questions at taradollyhigh@cgsnc.org

Our CGS Marching Grizzlies will be performing at the North Carolina Association For Public Charter Schools' Celebration for National School Choice Week on January 30th, 2025! We are looking forward to this showcase and an opportunity for our Band to show off their amazing skills in celebration of school choice week!!

If you have any questions, please reach out to Mr. Harper, Band Director at justinharper@cgsnc.org.

Volunteer Needs:

We are in need of parents for various committees around our school! Your input, dedication, and passion for our school is very valuable and we'd like to have you join our committees if you're interested. If you are interested in sitting in on a committee at CGS (many of which meet virtually), please reach out to Mrs. Vereyken and we can share available committees currently searching for members.

Thank you!

If you are interested in volunteering at CGS, please reach out to our Volunteer Coordinator at volunteercgs@cgsnc.org.

Please contact our District Testing Coordinator, Ms. Ginter at tonyaginter@cgsnc.org for any questions or concerns.

Parents,

Attached please find a copy of this month’s menu. Please review it carefully as you place your order at myschoolaccount.com. Remember we adhere to a seven day ordering window. This means that all pre-orders must be placed seven days prior to the serving date.

Please see the links below if you are in need of any assistance.

How to create a myschoolaccount- https://youtu.be/0QZDU5Xm7zU

How to login and manage students- https://youtu.be/9vS7n4tnZ8s

How to deposit funds- https://youtu.be/13k29YnYuZw

How to preorder lunches-
https://intercom.help/myschoolaccount_help_center/en/articles/2330998-place-a-pre-order

Please see above for adding funds to your student account. Please make sure your account is no more than $50 in the negative. If your student’s account is more than $50 in the negative he/she will not be allowed to purchase a la carte items and charge them to their account.

Reach out if you have any questions or if you need your students lunch number.

Thanks,

Dana Walker
Cafeteria Coordinator
danawalker@cgsnc.org

Parents,

Click below to access the Mental Health Survey for this school year if you are interested and/or in need of these services for your student.

2024-2025 Mental Health Survey Link

If you know of someone that would be a fantastic fit for our CGS family, please send them to our website to apply at http://cgsnc.org/home/careers/.

Open/Vacant Positions:

*EC Coordinator

*MS Elective Teacher (looking for Technology/Computer Science specialty area)

*MS Social Studies Teacher

(Mr. Fremont is no longer employed at CGS. We will reach out to our families regarding our plans for instruction while we work to fill the vacancy. Thank you for your patience!)

Please help us welcome Mr. Wagner to our middle school science classroom. He will be teaching science 1st period to our Middle School students who were formerly in Mrs. R. Wilson's classroom. This change was made based on scheduling of courses for the second semester. Mr. Wagner was currently teaching at our high school campus and will continue to do so but will now be at CGS all day starting his morning teaching at our K-8 campus. Thank you Mr. Wagner!

As always, thanks for all that you do,

Mrs. Vereyken

Executive Director

Clover Garden School

*If you need this weekly newsletter translated into a different language, please let our Title 1 Coordinator, Mrs. Simmons know at brandisimmons@cgsnc.org.

*If you have any thoughts, feedback or suggestions for our Title 1 team on ways to improve our practices, please contact Mrs. Simmons at brandisimmons@cgsnc.org.

Email: info@cgsnc.org
Website: cgsnc.org
Locations:

2454 Altamahaw Union Ridge Road, Burlington, NC, USA

5806 Pagetown Road, Burlington, NC 27217
Phone: 3365869440
Facebook: facebook.com/cgsgrizzlies