We hope you've had a great week. With the forecast temperatures expected to drop into the teens on Monday morning, please keep these cold weather tips from the National Weather Service in mind. Since we're talking weather, this week's Wednesday Weigh-In is about the subject of inclement weather notifications. If you haven't had a chance to chime in, we'd love to have your feedback. Link is below.
Here's this week's edition of The Friday Five 🖐️. We hope you have a great weekend!
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We’re almost at the first semester finish line—thank you for helping us land the plane! Next Friday, Dec. 19, is the last day of the quarter and an early dismissal day for traditional calendar schools. Please keep the following checklist items in mind:
☑️ Grades & Missing Work
Take a few minutes to check grades and any missing assignments in Infinite Campus or Canvas. A little nudge now can make a big difference.
☑️ Exam Ready
High School exams begin Monday, Dec. 15. Please review your school's exam schedules, help your student plan study time, and don’t forget the basics—sleep, breakfast, and encouragement go a long way. As a reminder, high schools will dismiss early on all exam days. Please check your school's ParentSquare or website for exam schedule information.
☑️ Attendance Still Counts
The final days of the semester matter! Please avoid early checkouts or absences unless absolutely necessary.
☑️ All the Things, Returned
Please make sure any overdue library books are returned to the media center prior to the break. High school students - if you have borrowed books/items from a first semester class, please make sure those are returned.
☑️ Looking Ahead
Chat with your student about next-semester classes, transportation, and after-school plans—and be sure your ParentSquare notifications are turned on so you don’t miss important updates. Seniors - check the graduation schedule now at www.cabarrus.k12.nc.us/cabcograds26 and begin preparing for your big day!
Thanks for being such amazing partners as we wrap up another great semester in Cabarrus County Schools!
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With this past week's two-hour delay, we thought it would be a good time to remind everyone about CCS scheduling options when Mother Nature dictates a change to the school schedule. Remember, if you don't hear anything official from us through ParentSquare or social media, school is operating on a normal schedule.
What four scheduling adjustments might happen when an inclement weather event is occurring or approaching?
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TWO-HOUR DELAY: All districtwide schedules will adjust by two hours to ensure a safe and consistent start to the day. School buses will run two hours later than normal, parent drop-off will begin two hours later than normal, breakfast will still be available at all schools, Kids:Plus will begin two hours later, and buildings will typically open for staff at 7:00 a.m. unless otherwise directed by the district. For a one-stop shop for two-hour delay school times, click our Two-Hour Delay Information Page.
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SCHOOL CLOSED: All Cabarrus County Schools are closed to students. Kids:Plus is also closed and before-and-after school activities are cancelled. Staff will be notified by the district for reporting instructions on days when schools are closed. Make-up days depend on extra hours built into the school calendar. Once those extra hours are used up, make-up days or remote learning will be needed. Saturdays may also be used to make up for missed school.
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REMOTE LEARNING DAY: On a remote learning day, a banner will appear on your school's website with remote learning instructions for the day. As a reminder, Board Policy permits up to five days for a student to complete remote learning assignments in the event of power outages, internet outages, etc. Kids:Plus is also closed and before-and-after school activities are cancelled. Staff will be notified by the district for reporting instructions on days when remote learning occurs.
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EARLY DISMISSAL: Should weather conditions appear after school has started for the day, the district may dismiss early. Typically, we will follow the normal early dismissal schedule. However, conditions may warrant otherwise, and any changes would be announced by the district.
Remember, the information posted on CCS sites is the official word from the district. We encourage parents to have backup plans for childcare in case of school closings or delays.
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i-Ready is an online program for elementary and middle school students that supports growth in reading and math. It helps identify what students are doing well and the areas where they can improve. With fun lessons, games, and practice problems tailored to each student’s level, i-Ready makes learning engaging and effective. Teachers also use it to track progress and provide extra support when needed.
During the holiday break, i-Ready is a great way for students to keep practicing skills at home. It reinforces what they are learning in class and provides additional practice in a fun, personalized way. Students can access i-Ready for any device at anytime through Clever . Links to Clever may also be found on your school's website. Parent instructions for Clever can be found in an attachment included with this post.
Interested parents should reach out to their child’s teacher for help with student logins and passwords prior to Dec. 19th when school lets out for winter break.
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HOLIDAY eCARD DEADLINE IS MONDAY, DEC. 15: This year’s theme is “Snowflakes and School Spirit.” From colorful card designs to creative coloring pages, we can’t wait to see how YOU capture the magic of the season.
- New this year: We’ve eliminated the digital art category and added a brand-new coloring contest for our youngest artists in Pre-K through 2nd grade!
- Six winners will have their artwork featured in the Superintendent’s official holiday greeting and receive a special prize pack from our sponsors!
- Deadline: Monday, December 15, 2025, at Noon
- Be original. Be festive. Be YOU — and let your school spirit shine this holiday season!
- Full contest details and entry form available at: www.cabarrus.k12.nc.us/holidayecard
PROGRAM CHOICE APPLICATION DEADLINE IS SUNDAY, DEC. 14: Applications for Program Choice for the 2026-27 school year will be open from Wednesday, October 15, 2025 to Sunday, December 14, 2025. To begin the application process:
- Log in to your ScribOnline account using your email address at https://ccsprogramchoice.scriborder.com/
- If you do not have an existing account, please see these directions on how to create an account and associate a student.
NC COLLEGE CONNECT DEADLINE IS JAN. 2, 2026: January 2 at 11:59 pm is the deadline for students to claim their spots through NC College Connect, which provides direct admission to college for students who qualify. Eligible seniors should have received a letter earlier this school year about qualification or seniors can check their status in their CFNC.org account.
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December 2025
- Fri 12/19 • Early College - End of Semester
- Fri 12/19 • End of Quarter - Traditional Calendar Schools Early Dismissal (Capped)
- Mon 12/22 • No school for students - Uncapped Workday
- Tue 12/23 • Early College - Uncapped Workday
- Tue 12/23 • No school - Winter Break
- Wed 12/24 • No school - Winter Break
- Thu 12/25 • No school - Winter Break
- Fri 12/26 • No school - Winter Break
- Mon 12/29 • No school - Winter Break
- Tue 12/30 • No school - Winter Break
- Wed 12/31 • No school - Winter Break
January 2026
- Thu 1/1 • No school - Winter Break
- Fri 1/2 • No school - Uncapped Workday
- Mon 1/5 • Early College - No School - Capped workday
- Mon 1/05, 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm • Board of Education Work Session
- Tue 1/6 • Early College - No School - Capped workday
- Mon 1/12, 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm • Board of Education Business Session
- Wed 1/14, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm • CCS District Spelling Bee held at Mount Pleasant Middle School
- Mon 1/19 • No school - Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday
- Fri 1/23 • Early Dismissal for CMS, ROSA, RRES, WES, WMIES Only
- Sat 1/24, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm • Board of Education Annual Planning Session
- Thu 1/29, 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm • Board of Education Finance Committee Meeting
Complete 2025-26 CCS Calendars:
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Kick off winter break with a fun and festive wind-down for 8th-12th graders! Enjoy a stress-free afternoon filled with creative tech challenges, hands-on holiday projects, friendly competitions, and tasty food stations with activities like escape room, robot mazes, and much more!
Date: Saturday, December 20, 2025
Time: 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Location: CCS SparkLab at Cabarrus Virtual Academy, 4511 Weddington Rd. Concord NC (next to Winkler Middle School)
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Program Choice is the opportunity for families to choose an instructional style or theme that is a best fit for their student. Program Choice in Cabarrus County Schools allows parents to apply for a program of interest while still maintaining enrollment in our local public school system. School assignment is determined by the students' address.
Program Choice serves three purposes in Cabarrus County:
- To improve academic achievement by providing challenging curriculum
- To provide parents with program options to select the most appropriate delivery method for their child(ren)
- To promote and maintain diversity in our schools
Each program is centered on a theme or adheres to a specific program of study. The application process is open to any student who lives within the Cabarrus County School District and meets the criteria for entrance.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Applications for the 2026-27 school year will be open from Wednesday, October 15, 2025 to Sunday, December 14, 2025. Parent notification of placement will occur in the online family dashboard the week of February 2, 2026. Parents will have until Monday, February 16, 2026 to make a decision and accept a seat in their online dashboard. Any seats not accepted within this window will be forfeited to waitlisted students. Timeline for Application Process:
PLACEMENT PROCESS
Demand for CCS Program Choice currently exceeds seat availability. A randomized lottery is used to select students for placement. Notifications of placement are sent in February to the families of all applicants. Students who are not admitted at the end of the application period shall be placed on a waiting list in the order determined by the randomized lottery. Students shall be admitted from the waiting list as space becomes available, up to the first student school day in the order he/she appears on the waiting list.
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🎨❄️ Calling all CCS student artists! ❄️🎨
The 2025 Cabarrus County Schools Holiday eCard Contest is officially open — sponsored by Uwharrie Bank and Edward Jones!
❄️ This year’s theme is “Snowflakes and School Spirit.” From colorful card designs to creative coloring pages, we can’t wait to see how YOU capture the magic of the season.
✨ New this year: We’ve eliminated the digital art category and added a brand-new coloring contest for our youngest artists in Pre-K through 2nd grade!
🏆 Six winners will have their artwork featured in the Superintendent’s official holiday greeting and receive a special prize pack from our sponsors!
🗓️ Deadline: Monday, December 15, 2025, at Noon
✨ Be original. Be festive. Be YOU — and let your school spirit shine this holiday season!
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Cabarrus County Schools VEX Robotics is currently seeking volunteers for their 2025-26 event schedule. If interested, please click here to sign-up: CCS VEX Robotics Volunteer Sign-Up
EVENT SCHEDULE
- Winecoff's Winter Conference Clash Dec 05, 2025 - Dec 06, 2025
- Winecoff VEX the HALLS! Dec 07, 2025
- Maverick Level Up: MS IQ Dec 12, 2025 - Dec 13, 2025
- Wolverine Robotics Rumble Dec 13, 2025 - Dec 14, 2025
- 2nd Annual Cobra Skills Challenge Jan 16, 2026 - Jan 17, 2026
- Trojan Throwdown Jan 30, 2026 - Jan 31, 2026
- 2nd Annual Robot ROAR-Off Feb 06, 2026 - Feb 07, 2026
- The Winkler Howler Feb 13, 2026 - Feb 14, 2026
- West Cabarrus Robo Challenge Feb 07, 2026 - Feb 08, 2026
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Cabarrus County Schools will host several events this year for parents with themes geared towards being Career & College Ready:
- Jan. 7 at 6pm is a parent session for junior and senior parents whose student is taking classes through Rowan Cabarrus Community College’s Career and College Promise program.
- Jan. 22nd from 5-7pm, at Concord High School - FAFSA completion event for Senior students and parents
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