CGS Weekly Message
10/23/2023 - 10/27/2023
Good afternoon,
Happy Sunday!
- Red Ribbon Spirit Week- 10/23-10/27
- Spooky Grams- sponsored by the CGS PTT- 10/23-10/27
- Fall Festival, hosted by our Science Department- Friday, 10/27 from 5 P.M. until 8 P.M.
2024-2025 Academic Calendar
K-8 Updates
Parents of PM Car riders,
We do need your help as we continue to make improvements in our dismissal procedures and processes. We have found that our students are talking, using devices and therefore not hearing their names being called. This holds up the line and causes the line to back up. While we understand it is the end of the day, school expectations and rules still apply. Therefore, we solicit your help and support in asking you to review the following with your Grizzly:
- Students should come into the cafeteria or Little Gym, sit quietly and listen for their name. During this time, students should refrain from working on assignments, projects and using electronic devices. Students may talk at a low (whisper) level while waiting.
Thank you in advance for your assistance!
Thanks,
Mrs. Spencer
K-8 Principal
High School Updates
The high school is following the schedule below on Tuesday and Wednesday. There are many complications involved in administering the tests and putting a schedule together that works for the majority. Students need only report to the periods they have an on campus CGS class. For example, If students do not have an in person class during 1st period, then they need not report to campus.
Tuesday 10.24
8:00 - 11:00 is PSAT 8/9 exam
11:00 - 11:43 is 3rd period
11:46 - 12:16 is 4th period
*continue regular schedule
Wednesday 10.25
8:00 - 11:00 is PSAT 9 and NMSQT 11 exams
11:00 - 11:30 is 1st period
11:33 - 12:16 is 2nd period
*continue regular schedule
Thursday 10.26
NMSQT 11 exam and make ups
Schedule TBD
Thank you,
Mr. Feldman
HS Principal
Nurse's Corner Updates
** Thought for the Week from the Nurse**
Having a water bottle at school is of paramount importance for several reasons:
1. Staying hydrated is crucial for maintaining optimal cognitive function and concentration, especially in a classroom environment.
2. When students have easy access to water they are more likely to drink throughout the day, which can help prevent dehydration and its associated symptoms, such as fatigue and reduced focus.
3. Having a personal water bottle encourages good hygiene practices, as students are less likely to share or use communal water sources, reducing the risk of spreading illnesses.
4. It promotes eco-friendliness by reducing the need for single-use plastic bottles, contributing to a more sustainable school environment.
In a nutshell, a water bottle at school not only supports academic performance but also foster's health, sustainability, and responsible behavior among students.
Thanks,
Nurse Corbett
Cafeteria/Lunch Updates
Click on the links below to access November's Menu and Lunch Information. If you have any questions/concerns, please contact Ms. Robyn at robyncox@cgsnc.org.
Letter:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_6JHzI99t-0Y0mf8i0pd--TWk20Ew_s8J7MyVTpDFFw/edit
Menu:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1q8IQpEa5yfb3_dHK3wriaVg1YCGxhpHe/view?usp=share_link
Thanks,
Ms. Robyn
Cafeteria Coordinator
Weekly Shout Outs and Grizzly GOOD News!
Honor Roll- 1st 9 Weeks
We are extremely proud and excited for our Grizzlies that achieved the Honor Roll during the first quarter. Many photos, pictures, and honor roll lists are coming soon!
Last week on the K-8 Campus, our All A Honor roll recipients were recognized with "Dessert with the Principal" and honored for their hard work. Our High School students were also recognized on the high school campus with a certificate and something sweet! Great job to ALL of our 1st-12th grade students who made honor roll this first nine weeks!! #offtoaGREATstart!
A/B Honor Roll certificates will be sent home this week. Congratulations again parents and Scholars, and keep up the good work!
Student Engagement
Student Spotlight- Senior- Mr. Hunter Otey
Fall Festival is THIS FRIDAY from 5:00 P.M. until 8:00 P.M.!! Hope to see you there!
The Countdown is on.... The Fall Festival is this Friday!!
We have many awesome raffle items, food from Danny's Cafe and CiCi's Pizza, coffee, hot chocolate, and funnel cakes. Remember, we cannot take any form of digital payments. **Cash or check only.**
Volunteers
Volunteers are still needed. Please consider signing up to work a short time at the Fall Festival. Click here to see the opportunities.
Wristband Presale Update
We are extending the wristband presale through Wednesday, 10/25. Don't forget to buy your discounted wristbands and Cow Patty Bingo tickets!!
Pre-ordered wristbands can be picked up at the ticket tent at the Fall Festival.
Pumpkin Contest Voting Ends Wednesday at 9:15am
The competition is on!! It has been so fun watching the kids vote in the mornings. Check out some of the pumpkins. Second grade was in the lead on Friday.
Fall Festival Flyer
Pumpkin Decorating Contest
Pumpkins were decorated by a grade level representative. Send in spare change with your student to vote on their favorite. Winners will be announced at the Fall Festival. The winning grade level wins a pizza party!!
K8: Pumpkins will be on display in the Commons Area. Students can vote daily before 9:15am.
Integrity: Pumpkins will be on display in the Worship Center. Voting is open daily before school.
Cow Patty Bingo:
Buy your Bingo tickets now! Use the envelope provided with the wristband presale. The cow will be released into the gridded arena at the Fall Festival. Ticket numbers will be randomly assigned 1-100, along with the grid on the arena floor. The number where the patty falls wins $150! :)
Pumpkin Decorating Fun!
Community Event- Supplies Donation to CGS
Feedback Form FAQ Document for CGS Families 2023-2024
FAQ Feedback Form Submissions for 10-22-2023
What is the best way to contact your child’s teacher? I assumed email but I cannot ever seem to get a reply. And it’s not just one teacher that doesn’t reply. It seems to be 90% of them at CGS.
- Yes, email is great! However, there are times where emails get buried in the inbox. If you've given your child's teacher 72 hours for non-emergency emails and haven't heard anything back, it's a good idea to give them a call and leave a message on their voicemail or with our front office manager, Mrs. Lassiter. We appreciate your patience!
Is there a chance that the yearbooks could be separated by grade level (ie elementary, middle, high)? Would it change the price?
- This year our yearbook will be altogether to help continue to keep our campuses connected. Separating them would be more expensive for our families with multiple students in various grade levels, as they'd have to buy potentially three different yearbooks. However, we will keep that idea in mind for next year when we are working on planning for the year.
Is there a plan in place for middle school math? I heard both math teachers are leaving/have left.
- Yes, we are currently looking for permanent replacements. Truth and transparency, Math positions are very hard to fill. We went an entire year last year without filling the position. We hope that history doesn't repeat itself and we are actively trying to recruit two new replacements. Our current 7th/8th grade classes currently have a retired math teacher in the classroom which will be beneficial to our students. We just ask for patience as she and the students get acclimated to new routines. She will be temporary until a replacement is found.
I understand that the 2024-2025 academic calendar was on the BOD agenda this month. When will it be available?
- See today's message!
We have loved the Trunk or Treat event in past years. We understand that it will not be held this year, but we wanted to submit an early request for its return in 2024!
- Thank you for the feedback! There will be a smaller version of trunk or treating opportunities at the Fall Festival so hopefully you all will be in attendance!!
**Parents, just a note- if you have a specific issue/complaint/concern with a member of our CGS staff, you will need to email me directly. I will not post concerns specific to an individual staff member in this forum.
Click on the link here to ask your question! Also, if you have any GOOD NEWS to share, please use this link as well! Sometimes your emails get lost and we appreciate any/all feedback! : )
October = Red Ribbon Week hosted by the CGS D.R.E.A.M. Team!
Red Ribbon Week October 23rd - October 27th. Please click on the link HERE for more information about Red Ribbon Week and why it's celebrated nationally. Thank you for helping to encourage our children to be DRUG free!! See flyer below for this week's "Themed Days". We hope you can participate!
D.R.E.A.M. Team
(Daring to Role Model Excellence as Athletic Mentors)
Volunteering Opportunities
Great news Grizzlies Families! We now have a new way to volunteer with our school. We are incredibly grateful for all families who offer their time and energy to help provide support to our school community.
To participate in volunteer opportunities check out the Volunteer Calendar and you will see a view of volunteer needs. If you see an opportunity that interests you please email volunteercgs@cgsnc.org and let us know where you want to sign up. Our parent volunteer liaison will add your name to the volunteer list and confirm via email. We will also use this process to log your volunteer hours by your child/childrens names.
If you have already participated in volunteer opportunities this year, this is a great time to send over your volunteer hours to volunteercgs@cgsnc.org and we will get them added to the log.
Friendly Reminder: CGS asks all parents to commit 4 hours of volunteering time per family for a total of 40 hours each school year to support our school community. We couldn't do this without you!
Feel free to reach out to Volunteercgs@cgsnc.org with any questions!
PTT News and Updates
We will continue celebrating our staff birthdays each month. Please click the links below to donate their favorite candy!
- October - Celebrated October 17th
- November - Celebrated November 8th
- December - Celebrated December 13th
We would love for our staff at the K-8 campus to have a moment to themselves on Wednesdays. Please consider signing up for duty free lunch. Each time slot is approximately one hour.
We have three refrigerators between both campuses that are dedicated to our staff only. At the beginning of the year each staff member filled out a favorite request form and they all let us know what their favorite soft drink of choice is. Help us stock each refrigerator each month to give our staff their favorite pick me up each day.
If you, the company you own, or work for would like to sponsor one of the half days staff luncheons please let us know asap. Of course you can bring your company's swag or merch to display or give away.
Our next PTT Virtual Meeting is December 7th via Microsoft Teams. Save the link below and we hope to see you there!
Microsoft Teams meeting
Join on your computer, mobile app or room device
Click here to join the meetingMeeting ID: 264 685 257 731
Passcode: EfMQzC
Download Teams | Join on the web
Thank you for all you do for our staff and children at CGS. Please like us on Facebook for weekly updates. As always, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns please email us.
Thank you,
Melissa Blanchard
Parents Teachers Together
Clover Garden School
2454 Altamahaw-Union Ridge Rd.
Burlington, NC 27217
Staffing Update: New Administrative Assistant- Mrs. April Kelly
My name is April Kelly. I'm an HR professional with over 7 years of experience. I am super excited to join the Clover Garden Team. I have lived in Alamance County all my life. In my free time I enjoy watching sports and spending time with my family. I have a passion for children and people. I cannot wait to meet you all in the hallways and am very excited for what this endeavor will bring!
Testing Updates
Please click here the attached PSAT letter.
Please click here for the PreAct letter.
If you have any questions, please reach out to our Assistant Principal/Testing Coordinator, Mrs. Morris at karenmorris@cgsnc.org.
Athletic Department News
Basketball tryouts for HS will begin Monday, October 23 from 5:30-7:00 for JV/Varsity Boys and 7:00-8:30 for Varsity Girls. All paperwork must be completed in DragonFly and the Team Rules and Regulations signed sheet to turn in on the first day of tryouts.
For anyone looking to catch a CGS Game, here is the link to our master athletics schedule.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1cvflf6Ieprven0XAibTW3AcBzSJ2IswTtn6d4OaYIF0/view
Parents/Students- PLEASE READ:
While we encourage and LOVE student engagement and participation at our after school athletic events, students are NOT allowed to stay after school and "hang out" until the games begin. ALL STUDENTS must leave school at dismissal and return when the gate opens prior to the start of the game and enter through the back gym entrance. We do not have supervision for our students after school and want to ensure the safety of all of our students while they are on our campus.Taylor D. Paschal
Athletic Director
Psychology Teacher
Clover Garden School
2454 Altamahaw Union Ridge Rd, Burlington, NC 27217
(336) 586-9440 ext.214
Mental Health Survey 23-24
Expansion Updates
See below progress in the last week. We had 36 construction workers onsite on Thursday 10/19/23. We are still on track for the completion date (11/21/23) as discussed in our 10/8/23 Sunday’s message. As a reminder, Pagetown Road’s speed limit is now posted at 45 mph.
- Finalizing ceiling grids and tiles
- Continue mudding and sanding touch-up spots and painting throughout the building
- Continue electrical items – wiring up elevator, receptacles, exit signs, fire alarms, wiring up lights for second floor, running fire alarm wire, fire alarm panels, electrical boxes, ceiling lights, light fixtures in soffits, testing the lights, testing fire alarm
- Continue cleaning (inside/outside), laying down protection over new flooring, and washing windows
- Began installing wood base (trim) on second floor
- Landscaping plants/trees were delivered onsite on 10/19/23
- Continue with floors throughout the building
- Began installing stairwell treads
- Continue with installing interior wood doors and hardware
- Continue working on elevator (Testing the elevator will be performed today 10/22/23)
- Installed hand rails at the stadium seating common areas
- Continue with seeding and mulching several areas
- Continue with preliminary punchlist items (this is to minimize the final punchlist and correct items now instead of waiting at the end)
- NCDOT installed 45 mph signs and school zone signs (35 mph) on Wednesday 10/18/23
Classroom Flooring
Delivery of Landscaping Materials
Doors and Hardware
Flooring with Temporary Protection
Front Entry
Posted 45 MPH sign
Upcoming Events:
Fall Festival!
Friday, Oct 27, 2023, 05:00 PM
Clover Garden School, Altamahaw Union Ridge Road, Burlington, NC, USA
Have a fantastic week!
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