CGS Weekly Message
7/24-7/28
Good afternoon,
The time has ARRIVED! We will see all of you tomorrow as we start our 2023-2024 School Year! Our teachers have been working very hard getting ready for your return. We know this year will be challenging and will be moving and shaking as our new building completes construction, BUT nothing is impossible if we are all working TOGETHER!! #GrizzlyPRIDE
PLEASE BE PATIENT. There will be "kinks" that we will have to work out during the first week of school. This happens every year. We've spent days, hours, and many minutes planning out logistics for operating smoothly, but there will be things we haven't thought of. Please be flexible and understanding this first week as we work together to find solutions for operating as smoothly as possible especially during arrival/dismissal times. There are a lot of moving pieces.
Thank you to all of our amazing faculty and staff who have spent ALOT of time at CGS this summer when they should've been on vacation planning and working with admin to make sure we are as prepared as possible for our amazing students to return! #CGShastheBESTfacultyandstaff!! #BETTERthanBEST
Who: 1st-12th Grade Students
What: Open House/1st Day of School for all 1st-12th Grade Students
When: Monday, July 24, 2023
(Click here for the schedule and lot of important information of when you should visit campus with your student(s) and where to check in. https://drive.google.com/file/d/17PL0ZWksRPgykfasfh72tZF6xm6-jGdf/view?usp=sharing)
Please do not drop your students off, you will need to stay with them and follow their schedule and sign them into each class. This is a floating time to allow families the opportunity to visit both campuses during their allotted times. Transportation/Before and After School will not run on this day.
Where:
1st- 8th Grade Students- CGS K-8 Campus
2454 Altamahaw Union Ridge Road, Burlington, NC 27217
9th-12th Grade Students- Integrity Satellite High School Campus
2420 Corporation Parkway #H, Burlington, NC 27215
All 1st-8th Grade students/families will need to report to the GYM on the K-8 Campus to receive student homeroom assignments, receive information as to "where" this classroom is located, as well as pick up student schedules for students in middle school.
Returning Families with students in grades 1-5, may report directly to your child’s class as long as you know whose class they’re in. New families will need to check in at the gym.
All Parents, please stop by the gym to learn more about PTT (Parents Teachers Together)!
High School students/families will report to the Integrity satellite campus. Please DO NOT PARK in the Hotel Liquidations parking spaces in front of their building. Any of the parking spots in the middle or in front of the building will be ok. Please be mindful that the Preschool will be operating while we are there so please do not park directly in front of Integrity's Preschool Bay. You will see tables set up on the side walk with staff members to give you your student's schedule/direct them as to where to go.
There are a few elective teachers that will ONLY be at the K-8 Campus on Monday, this would be our traveling teachers (Coach Dodson, Ms. Lloyd, Mrs. Ballard, and Mrs. Ingle) Please feel free to go and meet them at our K-8 campus! They will have important information left at our High School Campus for those unable to visit both campuses.
Our first normal scheduled school day will begin on Tuesday, July 25, 2023 during regularly scheduled hours. Buses will begin running on Tuesday for students in 1st-12th grade. The buses will run for Kindergarten on Friday!
Reminder- Senior Class of 2023
Feedback Form FAQ Document for CGS Families 2023-2024
FAQ Feedback Form Submissions for 7-23-23
My Freshman has money in her myschoolaccount lunch account. Will that money roll over into the new system or can the money be applied towards her brother’s account in middle school?
- Great question! Those two systems are different so the option to roll it into a younger sibling's account would probably be best. Please email Ms. Robyn at robyncox@cgsnc.org for questions/to make that request.
How do we access PowerSchool to check class schedule? My child is a first time freshman.
- You will have access after the first day of school! They will receive their schedule on the first day.
The Kerr's Chapel and Cherry Grove Road bus route has a pretty big gap of time between school dismissal and the time that the bus will arrive at the stops. It seemed that all of the other routes had relatively the same arrival times as in previous years, between 3:15 and 3:30. However, the arrival time for the Cherry Grove Road stop is now 4pm. I'm a little confused and concerned about where the children will be after the end of the school day until they get on the bus because there's an hour and 15 minute timeframe between dismissal and the arrival at the bus stop, but it only takes about 20 minutes to get from the school to that stop.
- This route bus has to leave CGS at 2:50 and meet the HS bus at New Hope at 3:20. Then it will start the route. That is the reason for the delay. However, we are hoping that once we actually run the routes we can adjust the times. This will also only be until the new school opens.
- Yes, this will be accessible by Tuesday morning (7/25).
I thought all 6th graders were required to take Digital Literacy?
- I'm going to refer you to our registrar and Mrs. Reagan for assistance with this question. ninamiller@cgsnc.org and emilyreagan@cgsnc.org.
My high schooler has heard rumors about CGS teachers being able to choose which teacher their child has and even teachers basically hand picking their own child’s schedule. Is that allowed?
- You'll have to email me directly with a specific scenario you're referencing. Our CGS teachers and staff do get a preference allowed for teacher selection and course pathways and offerings but so do our CGS families. We can't always honor the requests/preferences but we do take them into consideration.
I understand there are a lot of moving parts with schedules but in the future is it possible to receive our students teachers (and supply list) sooner? As of now school is less than a week away and we still haven’t heard anything. Thank You
- Thank you for the suggestion!
Where do we locate the Google form to request a schedule change for 6th grade?
Can MS & HS students be allowed to walk home from bus stops? I understand why younger children shouldn't but MS & HS are old enough to walk home without a parent.
- This is not currently CGS policy. We can take it under advisement but due to only having community stops and not home stops, walking home unsupervised is not the safest option for our students.
How do we know who their homeroom teacher is?
- Their first period teacher is also their homeroom teacher.
Do 6th graders have lockers?
- This was being confirmed last week. If your student has a locker, it will be assigned to them on their paper schedule available for pick up on campus tomorrow.
Click on the link here to ask your question!
Summer Work Shout out!
LAST CALL for Grizzly Gear! Deadline extended to Friday, 7/28!
New and Current Grizzly Families,
Get your Grizzly Gear now so you're ready for the new school year in STYLE! These links are open for ordering until Friday, July 28th! Show your Grizzly PRIDE! Order NOW!
Elementary Bear:
Middle/High School Bear:
Please reach out to Mrs. Cox if you have any questions or concerns with your order at jennifercox@cgsnc.org.
Parking Passes
Parking Passes for the 23-24 School Year will be available for Seniors and Juniors ONLY due to limited spacing at the Integrity Satelite Campus. More parking will be available once we move to our permanent location at our New High School campus.
Parking Passes will be sold on the 1st Day/Open House at Integrity. Look for Mrs. Cox and a table set up for distribution of these passes. Please make sure your parent is accompanying you (student must be present) and bring your driver's license.
Schedule for Both Campuses (Starts on Tuesday, 7/25/23)
Bell Schedules for our Middle and High School Students are below. We are still adjusting lunch times for our K-5 students. That information will be shared with you from your child's teacher on the 1st Day/Open House.
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. and report to the school's gymnasium unless otherwise directed)
9-12: School starts at 8:00 A.M. and ends at 2:55 P.M.
(students may arrive as early as 7:30 A.M. and report to the Worship center at Integrity unless otherwise directed)
Car Rider Lines (K-8 campus/9-12 campus)
Arrival and Dismissal Car Rider Lines are available at both campuses. Please see the maps below for directions on how/where to drop off for your students in Grades K-12.
K-8 Campus:
Morning and Afternoon Car Rider lines will run on the K-8 campus daily. There are 2 lines. One is specifically for our K-2 students and one line is for our 3rd-8th grade students. The K-2 line runs to the right after entering Burch Bridge Road and runs up beside the softball field. The 3rd-8th grade car rider line runs to the left after entering from Burch Bridge Road and drops off at the front of the school at the front door. Please do not use the front circle for pick up or drop off. This is reserved for visitors or to move traffic in the afternoon for students not outside on time. Please see the attached map for where to drop your student off. All siblings of students in grades K-2 will need to report to the K-2 Car Rider line in the afternoons located in the Little Gym. Any siblings of high school students coming back to CGS from the shuttle will report to the library. 3rd-8th grade students awaiting pick up will go to the cafe. Please put a white sheet of paper in your windshield with your student's first/last name, grade level, and homeroom teacher. This will help our car rider line staff members quickly identify who you are picking up and get them to their assigned cone in a timely fashion.
9-12 Campus:
Morning and Afternoon Car Rider lines will run at Integrity Church in the area located in the back parking lot behind the church. There will be staff directing you where to go upon arrival. There is also a diagram below for you to view/practice ahead of time. Our car rider line will not utilize the front parking lot at all. There is traffic from the other school, Integrity Church office, a preschool, and our student drivers. There isn't room for any additional traffic flow. Please be courteous and do not block the road as you're waiting to get into the parking lot/driveway. We do not want to be a burden or frustration for the neighboring businesses in the area. Student drivers will have the area assigned to them which is in the parking spots closest to the field. We will operate a "cone" system for pick up behind the church when it's time to dismiss. Please follow the same procedures as our K-8 campus by having a white sheet of paper in your windshield to help us identify who needs to be picked up.
If you need to sign your student out early or sign them in because you're late to school during this school year, you will need to park in the front parking lot and walk them in and sign them in at the Ikidz Bay front office. Do not go to the "Integrity Office" as that is not ours. You will need to look at the signs located CGS Front Office which will be located at the Ikidz Bay.
High School Drivers:
High School drivers will park in the parking spaces closest to the field. High School drivers will enter and exit the entrance located next to the Hotel Liquidations store.
Students in K-8 (where to report in the AM/PM starting on Tuesday, July 25th)
Please review your child's schedule with them on Monday night to help them remember who their first period or homeroom teacher is.
Arrival Procedures for Tuesday, July 25th
Students in Grades K-2 will report to class after drop off in the AM.
Students in Grades 3-8 will report to the gym (if not having breakfast)
Reminders:
AM Car rider Drop off: Please be sure students are ready with their belongings to exit from the car before reaching the cones to help expedite this process.
Dismissal Procedures for Tuesday, July 25th
Students in Grades K-2 (and any OLDER siblings will report to the Little Gym for pick up in the afternoon.
Students in Grades 3-8 will report to the cafe.
Students that are waiting for the Shuttle Bus will report to the Library. Siblings coming from Integrity will join their siblings in the library upon returning to campus and will await pick up. If Shuttle Riders are also drivers and parked on our campus, those high school students will pick up their sibling(s) from the library (letting the teacher know) and then will walk with their sibling out the back door at the gym entrance and walk to where their car is parked with their sibling(s).
Students going to after school will report to the classroom inside the Little Gym.
Students waiting for Apple's Chapel pick up will report to the cafe.
Bus Riders will report to their buses.
Parents of Car Riders at both our K-8 and HS Campus, do not forget to fill out your White Sheet of Paper to put in your windshield.
Only 3 things are needed:
1. Student's first and last name
2. Student's Grade Level
3. Student's homeroom teacher
Write all of your students' names on the paper if picking up multiple students!
Dismissal Procedures for Shuttle Bus (parents picking up shuttle bus riders will use the 3-8 car rider line)
Parents waiting for students riding the shuttle bus, please do not report to campus prior to 3:30 P.M. this first week! You do not need to pick up your little ones first, just wait and get all of your students at one time please. However, in the instance that this does occur and you arrive early, you will need to park & wait in our "Shuttle Pick Up Lane" located to the FAR left of the back parking lot when pulling onto campus from the Burch Bridge Road entrance. It's the lane closest to last year's graduates’ banner. It will be marked with yellow cones. Upon the Shuttle bus arrival, you will be directed to the front circle for student pick-up.
Mrs. Spencer
K-8 Principal
K-2 Car Rider Line
3rd-8th Grade Car Rider Line
High School Car Rider Line
Bus Information- REMINDERS
* Shuttle bus students need to be at CGS by 7:15 A.M. or 7:20 A.M. They will return by 3:30 P.M.
* HS students that purchased a parking pass and will be parking at CGS need to park in the overflow parking lot on the FAR right side of the entrance when coming onto campus from the Burch Bridge Road entrance. Parking spots located right beside the playground/outdoor classroom. This is where they will park and walk up the hill to wait in the little gym until time to load the shuttle bus located out front. DO NOT BE LATE or the bus will leave without you.
Buses:
*Please be patient with bus arrival times, they may need to be adjusted.
*Please wait until the drivers turn off the red flashing lights before leaving the parking lots.
* All bus routes are FULL with waiting lists. Please email cgsbuses@cgsnc.org with any questions.
Lunch Information- K-8 Campus
Parents,
Please click on the links below regarding updates from our Cafeteria Coordinator, Ms. Robyn.
Reminder that your student will need to bring their lunch at the K-8 Campus for the first week of school.
"Lunch orders for August are now available in myschoolaccount.com for current CGS students. Students that are new to CGS will receive their lunch numbers at Open House on Monday. You will need your lunch number to create your lunch account in myschoolaccount.com."
Thank you,
Robyn Cox
CGS Cafeteria Coordinator
CGS B & A Coordinator
Lunch Information- HS Campus
Parents,
We are awaiting our new cafeteria program to be finalized at the HS Satelite Campus. We are using a different program with lots of NEW options for our HS students. Please click on the link below to see an FAQ about the lunch program we are using.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bsQuPkfu2-SPv6uv-TOd7aK-HCjYUqUG/view?usp=sharing
More details will be coming soon!
Please remember that your High School Student needs to bring their lunch daily until further notice. Once our system is up and running, you will be notified!
Thanks!
Before and After School Care
Clover Garden School offers Before and After School Care (Grizzly Den) for our students in Grades K-8. Before school care begins at 6:30 A.M.. After School Care begins at 2:45 P.M. and ends at 6:00 P.M.
Please click here for more information and to register your student for enrollment. http://cgsnc.org/home/about/before-and-after-school-care/
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to our Before and After School Coordinator, Ms. Robyn at robyncox@cgsnc.org.
PowerSchool Access
Parents/Current CGS Students, you should have access to PowerSchool at this time. New families/students, your access will not open until this week. Directions for setting up your accounts will be sent out soon. Your student(s) will receive their schedules tomorrow.
Use this link for schedule change requests:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdtxxHGXpo_OZrmhhh1Y8N0dOJLSEg7gSzyng_byB7qzN36kA/viewform
Beginning of Year Packets
Computers/Laptops
Parents of Middle and High School Students,
All students will receive their school issued device (laptop/Chromebook) during the first week of school.
Please make sure you fill out this required form. If you'd like to pay for your student's insurance on the 1st day, please put your child's money in an envelope marked with their first and last name and grade level and give to a member of administration or Ms. Paylor at the High School Campus. Thank you!
Form to complete for all students in Grades 6th-12th:
https://forms.gle/UxBterfM61eGB45RA
If you have any tech related requests, please use this link!
Staffing Updates:
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/.
Meet Mrs. Karen Morris- CGS High School Assistant Principal
Hi, my name is Karen Morris. As a native of Alamance County, I value the sense of community established at Clover Garden and am honored to be chosen to serve on the administrative team as the High School Assistant Principal. I have been in education for 20+ years since graduating from East Carolina University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Family and Community Services, a Master of Education degree in Special Education-Behavior Disorders, and a Master of School Administration degree. I am currently a doctoral student at Liberty University in the Educational Leadership-Higher Education Administration program.
I am a wife to a wonderful husband and a mom to a spunky 19-year-old daughter, and a gentle giant 16-year-old son. Our French Bulldog, Remi, joined the family in January and loves to ride wherever we may go. We enjoy spending time riding the trails of Tennessee and West Virginia in our Jeep or side-by-side UTVs.
God and family are the foundation of my life. 1 Corinthians 10:31, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God,” drives my dedication and perseverance in serving others. With strong faith and integrity, I look forward to supporting the Clover Garden School community's students, staff, and families.
Staffing Change/Move- Ms. Bryant- High School English
Ms. Bryant, one of our current CGS teachers has moved to a different teaching assignment this school year. If you have a high school student taking English, they will now have Ms. Bryant. Ms. Bryant has a teaching license in High School English and is excited to teach English again!
Thank you Ms. Bryant for stepping up and stepping in to fill the vacancy we had due to the exit of a previous CGS English teacher, Ms. Modlin. Ms. Modlin has chosen to take another job opportunity and we wish her the best!
Students scheduled to have Ms. Bryant's elective classes previously will have a substitute until the elective position is filled.
Athletics Updates:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NaZrfFXbyCLQvFtgnTDQ2C1lMYOZED1I/view?usp=sharing
Please reach out to Coach Paschal, our Athletic Director for any questions at taylorpaschal@cgsnc.org.
Thanks!
Background Checks
Parents, we will NOT be providing the background check service we have done in the past this school year. You will now be responsible for ensuring we have a copy of an updated background check for you on file in our front office.
Background checks are good for two years per our current policy. We will send out more information regarding the background check requirements (local vs. state) soon.
You will need to have a clean background check on file prior to attending school sponsored field trips or volunteering with working with groups of students within the school building.
Volunteers NEEDED! Lunch Servers
Parents, we are working on a new system for volunteering at CGS and recording your hours and will share soon.
Currently, we are in need of some help serving lunch in our cafeteria during the school day. If this is something you're willing to help us with, please reach out to Ms. Robyn at robyncox@cgsnc.org.
Expansion Updates
- Continue installing insulation and sheetrock throughout the building.
- Continue to caulk exterior materials
- Continue running wire for electrical and pulling wire to the MDP panels. We anticipate Duke Energy installing all ground mounted transformers (including the main transformer) this week.
- Continue on parking lot and driveways (stone). No asphalt this week
- Continue with well pump house (well pump, meter, air volume control valve, plumbing and wiring)
- Continue with fire pump house
- Installed some more windows
- Installed some metal window shades at front
- Continue cleaning the brick on the main building
- Began concrete footings for light poles around the perimeter of the school
Front Vestibule looking east
MDP Electrical Room
Sheetrock status on first floor
We can't wait to SEE YOU TOMORROW!!! Get some rest!! We've got a BUSY week ahead!
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.
Clover Garden School
Email: info@cgsnc.org
Website: cgsnc.org
Location: 2454 Altamahaw Union Ridge Road, Burlington, NC, USA
Phone: 3365869440
Facebook: facebook.com/cgsgrizzlies