Career and College Academy

Monday, March 16, will be an optional teacher workday for all schools except Columbus Career & College Academy (CCCA). There will be no school for students.

Due to expected inclement weather tomorrow, CCCA will operate on a remote instruction schedule.

There will be no afternoon or evening activities at any school tomorrow due to the weather.

As part of our March Madness Challenge, this week, students turned learning time into MOVEMENT time—combining rigorous thinking with relay races, partner games, math manipulatives and lots of smiles as they showed what they know. Thank you to our teachers for designing engaging, standards-based activities that get bodies AND brains moving, and to our students for giving their best effort on every play. Columbus County Schools is all in on making learning active, joyful, and challenging—on and off the court! Check out the video: https://youtu.be/3WZen5ASBW0

Week 3 tip-off is HERE, Columbus County! 🏀 This week in our Rigor Rebound: March Madness Challenge, our Elite 8 will go head to head as we zero in on the 8 Qualities of Authentic Engagement in our classrooms. Check out our Elite 8 Match-ups here: https://youtu.be/nWMpLOUPtms

Columbus County Health Department will be visiting Columbus County Schools to offer Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis (Tdap) and Meningococcal vaccines to rising 7th and 12th graders. This is an excellent opportunity for students to receive their state-required vaccines. If you are interested in your child receiving these vaccines while at school, please contact your child’s school or a school nurse to obtain the required forms. Completed consent forms must be returned to your child’s school by March 31, 2026.

See dates and locations here -https://aptg.co/__v-xD

Vaccine Information Sheets will be provided. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your child’s school or speak with a school nurse.

Wondering how schools move through the challenge... from Rankings → Sweet 12 → Elite 8 → Final 4 → Champion? 🏀

Here’s the game plan:
Week 1: Rankings based on lesson plans, student learning tasks and classroom walkthrough data.
Week 2: Sweet “12” – schools compete in pools with a focus on RIGOR.
Week 3: Elite 8 – competition focus shifts to ENGAGEMENT.
Week 4: Final 4 – schools must show BOTH rigor and engagement across classrooms.
Week 5: Championship game and celebrations before Spring Break.

Every task submitted and every walkthrough completed is a “possession” that can earn points.
Play hard, learn hard, have fun!

What are we really “rebounding” toward?
Rigor = tasks that push students to analyze, justify, create, and problem‑solve – not just recall.
Engagement = students talking, collaborating, making choices, and caring about the work.

During Rigor Rebound we’re asking:
1. Does the learning task cross the Rigor Divide?
2. Do we see multiple qualities of engagement in each lesson?

Every redesign, every walkthrough, every conversation is about giving students a more powerful learning experience — and having fun while we do it.

Comment below: Which do you want to grow more this month – rigor or engagement?

Columbus County Schools will be in remote instruction on Monday, February 2, 2026, due to the approaching winter storm. Students should check Google Classroom for assignments and contact their teachers if they have any questions. We will continue to monitor conditions and make a decision regarding Tuesday as conditions develop.

Please monitor social media, school websites, Remind, and—most importantly—download the Columbus County Schools mobile app to receive the latest information and updates.

CCS Brunswick Electric Bright Ideas Winners were recognized at the November Board Meeting.

This year’s Bright Ideas Grants recognized innovative educators across Columbus County Schools for their creative instructional proposals. At Acme Delco Elementary, Jaclyn McCoy received a $500 grant for Student Organizational Binders. At Chadbourn Elementary, Herman D. Bland was awarded $1,400 for Project ReCharge. Helen Craven Axelberg of Columbus Career and College Academy earned $1,500 to support the Culinary Food Trike project. At East Columbus High School, Anthony Martin received $1,200 for Lights, Camera, Learning: Expanding Student Access to Video Production Tools, Jeffrey Rudnik earned $1,900 for Recycling Ceramic Clay for Columbus County Schools’ Arts Programs, and Alicia Pickett was awarded $1,650 for Sustainable Learning with Hydroponics.

At Hallsboro-Artesia Elementary, Amber Howard received $1,500 for Bright Boards, Bright Futures. At Nakina Middle School, Alyssa Nelson earned $500 for Hear to Learn. Mallory Furlow of Old Dock Elementary was awarded $700 for Pathways to Progress. At South Columbus High School, Miranda Romans received $1,500 for Ready, Set, Action: Virtual Creativity, and Breanna Seckman earned $1,000 for Project P.R.I.N.T.

Tabor City Elementary had two winning projects led by Angela Tyler, who received $850 for Rockin’ It with Robotics and $1,500 for Nature in Motion: Engaging Young Scientists in Earth Systems with Weather Knowledge. At Tabor City Middle School, Sheila Sykes earned $1,900 for Bright Minds, Bright Futures, while Marilyn D. Elliott received $900 for Paper Power: Lights, Lines, Action! West Columbus High School celebrated Whitney Cavenaugh, who received $1,000 for In Focus: Empowering the Yearbook Team, and Jennifer Sams, who was awarded $1,000 for Textile Arts for Entrepreneurs: Cultivating Creative and Lifelong Skills. At West Columbus School, Julia O. Smart earned $500 for Lego Logic, Brittany Bass received $1,000 for Listen and Learn: Enhancing Phonics Through Audio Engagement, and the school’s BETA students were awarded $1,000 for Build Community Through Dugouts.

At Williams Township Elementary, Ashley Porter received $300 for Art for Expression & Regulation, Miranda Conner Ellington earned $1,500 for Pride in the Beat: Aggie Drums Come Alive, and Lisa K. Cox received $1,500 for Full STEAM Ahead: Turning Standards into STEAM Projects. In total, Columbus County Schools earned $28,300 in Bright Ideas Grant funding this year.

We are implementing a new attendance notification system this evening. Parents will receive calls/emails/texts when a child is absent in one or more classes. Thank you!