Challenger Early College High School The Firebird Screams

Student Announcements
January 2, 2012 Happy New Year Firebird Family!! Best wishes for a healthy and prosperous year!! Congratulations to all students and teachers that were involved in a fall EOC!! 100% of EOC students were proficient! Congratulations to our Firebird Teacher of the Year: Chris Kale! Please congratulate Mr. Kale for his outstanding teaching and commitment to the early college. Firebirds RISE: Look for opportunities this year to volunteer with your school family and in the community. This area of the Screamer highlights Firebirds that volunteer their time to help and serve others. Calendar dates to note: 1. January 3: Firebird Office is open from 8:30 a.m. 5 p.m. for schedule changes/questions and textbooks. Please note that all early college students get high school and college textbooks from the Nest in the Early College Book Room. The CVCC bookstore textbooks are for traditional CVCC students. Prior semester textbooks must be turned in before checking out new textbooks. To check out textbooks, students need their schedule and student ID. 2. January 4: All CHS classes begin including NC VPS classes, music electives, Global Impact and Connections. Textbook checkout in the Nest from 8:30 a.m. 5 p.m. Freshman class meeting with Ms. Benfield at 4:10 in the Auditorium. 3. January 5: All CVCC classes begin. Sophomore class meeting with Ms. Benfield at 4:10 in the Auditorium. 4. January 6: Junior class meeting with Ms. Benfield during Family Time (2:10 p.m.) in the Auditorium.
Monday, January 02, 2012

Nest update: Study Hall is suspended until January 9. Freshman and Sophomores remember that you are required to be in the Nest at all times if not in class or signed-out. All Firebirds are welcome in the Nest at all times. NCVPS students: Please see Mr. McPhail on January 3 or 4 to confirm taking your online class and also to select the high school block for your coursework. This is exactly the same procedure as last semester. VPS students are assigned a high school teacher and a high school block in which to take their course. This research-based approach supports students with teacher resources while in the online course. Note: The only adjustment will be that all students will remain in their selected block unless they attain written permission from the teacher and principal for an exemption, i.e. students will complete VPS course work inside their selected block (at school) unless they receive an exemption. Family this week: Freshman and Sophomore Families meet this week. Juniors have a class meeting in the Auditorium. Seniors will have a Senior Social with their Families later in the semester. Attendance is mandatory.
Top Five Ways to Start a Semester: 1 Align your calendar and syllabus transfer all due dates to your calendar/planner 2 Read ahead read your first couple of textbook chapters before the first class 3 Get organized organize your backpack and course supplies 4 Set goals set your goals for each class and create checkpoints to make sure youre on track 5 Create a Study Group form a Study Group for studying, completing assignments, and working on projects

Grade level meetings with Ms. Benfield are mandatory and as follows: Freshman from 4:10 4:50 on January 4, Sophomores from 4:10 4:50 on January 5, Juniors during Family on January 6, and Seniors during Connections on January 9. These meetings are mandatory. Report cards are mailed to the students home. Students should receive report cards at their home address by January 15. To check your home address in our files, please see Ms. Plover. Clubs resume during the week of January 9. If you are a club leader, i.e. president, and wish to change your clubs meeting schedule, please let Ms. Benfield know so that the change can be publicized in the Screamer and on the CHS website.

Monday, January 02, 2012

Information about schedules: Schedules provided on December 16 can be used if schedule changes werent requested or required. If schedule change was requested or required: o Schedule change requested from student or PAA: please see Ms. Plover on January 3 or 4 to get an updated schedule o Schedule change due to COMPASS test or course failure: please see Ms. Plover on January 3 or 4 to get an updated schedule. (If you took the COMPASS test or potentially failed a course, please see Ms. Plover for a new schedule.) Use of absences in CVCC or CHS classes is strictly prohibited except for actual sickness, unavoidable conflicts, etc. Bottom line: all students must be in class as scheduled. Note: Abuse of absences in CVCC or CHS classes is unbecoming behavior for early college students. If a student must miss class, the student must notify their instructor and attempt to complete missed work. The Early College Guidebook (given at Open House) relays all policies and procedures for absences. If your club or team has any announcements for the Screamer, please email the information to Ms. Benfield at heather_benfield@catawbaschools.net Juniors: Please return any unsold raffle tickets to Ms. Plover immediately. Failure to return the tickets will result in a fee of $30.00 to cover the cost of the tickets. Each student is personally responsible for either the unsold tickets or the fee. Reminder to all students and parents: please remember that the school day is from 9 a.m. 5 p.m. which means that students can be scheduled for conferences and tutoring within that timeframe. Work, personal appointments, and leaving campus after the individual school day ends comes secondary to class, scheduled conferences, class meetings, etc.
Monday, January 02, 2012

FROM YOUR PSO: Volunteers needed: Every Monday, CHS needs volunteers from 9:30 a.m. 10:30 a.m. to monitor the Firebird Office and Nest. If any parent is interested in volunteering to be the PSO Vice President, please let Kelly Conklin know at snowbird32@charter.net We are participating in the Valley Hills Mall My School's Cool (MSC) program!! We could be awarded up to $5,000!! Shop on Wednesday and we get TRIPLE points for ALL retail purchases! Do you eat at the Mall?? EAT on TUESDAY OR THURSDAY and we will get TRIPLE points for every food court purchased! That $1 for a coke just turned in to $3 for our school. Please Drop every receipt and/ or Points Pass from every purchase at the Valley Hills Mall in our orange drop box in the Nest OR in our CHS locker at the mall which is beside Bath and Body Works (upper level by Sears) . Need to keep your receipt? Then just pick up a points pass from the mall office down the hallway between The Gap and Buckle M- F from 8:30 - 5pm (down the hallway between JC Penny and Dillards lower level) OR ask Mr. Rutherford for a Points Pass (he will stamp your receipt). If you or someone you knows participates in any of the Health First or other programs at the mall please request a points pass for attending and drop that also! We get lots of point for those events!! Looking ahead: 1. Update for Seniors: Now is a great time to go ahead and request a PIN for both you and a parent to use when applying for financial aid online. You will need this PIN to complete the FAFSA. To get your PIN, go to http://www.pin.ed.gov/PINWebApp/pinindex.jsp Once you receive your PIN, make sure you put it in a place that you can access it again in the future. You will need this PIN again, so its a very important that you keep up with it. Remember, you can submit the FAFSA beginning on January 1, 2012, so begin gathering materials and financial information now. For those graduating in May and not attending College until next Fall, you must wait until after January 1st. For those students who will need assistance in completing the FAFSA, FAFSA Day will be held on February 18th. 2. January 9: Student Activities and Support Hour resumes. (Clubs, support labs, and tutoring resume.)

Monday, January 02, 2012