East Columbus

The Health Department is going to partner with our nurses to facilitate vaccine clinics for rising 7th & 12th graders. CCHD will deliver consents to the schools this Thursday, April 3rd to be handed out ASAP. Consents are due back by April 17th. Clinics will be on May 9th for ECJ/SHS. You can contact Nurse Lynn if you have additional questions.

Congratulations to our soccer, softball, and baseball team for their victory over the Pack last night! Way to Go GATORS!!!!

Save the Date: April 15th Honors and Awards Ceremony at 8:30am in the auditorium AIG Showcase in the Gymnasium at 6pm

Here's What's Happening in the Swamp 3-31 middle school baseball and softball at West Columbus start time 4:00 3-31 high school golf at Diamond start time 1:30 4-1 varsity soccer Whiteville at East Columbus start time 5:00 4-1 varsity softball Whiteville at East Columbus start time 5:00 4-1 varsity baseball Whiteville at East Columbus start time 6:00 4-2 middle school baseball and softball at Central start time 4:00 4-2 jv softball at West Brunswick start time 5:00 4-3 high school track at Pender 4-4 varsity soccer and softball at Whiteville start time 6:00 4-4 varsity baseball at Whiteville start time 6:00

FOCUS Broadband Awards Scholarships to Columbus County High School Seniors Shallotte, NC – FOCUS Broadband is proud to continue its tradition of supporting local high school seniors in their academic endeavors by awarding scholarships to three deserving Columbus County students: Miguel Dominguez, Lizzy Cruz, and Haley Parker. Each student will receive a $2,000 scholarship to assist with their college education. · Miguel Dominguez, son of Maria Dominguez of Clarkton, is a senior at East Columbus High School and plans to major in criminal justice and criminology at East Carolina University in the fall. · Lizzy Cruz, daughter of Celene Borja of Nakina, is a senior at South Columbus High School. Lizzy will be studying sonography at Cape Fear Community College in the fall. · Haley Parker, a senior at East Columbus High School and the daughter of Harry and Donna Parker of Lake Waccamaw, plans to major in chemistry at UNC Chapel Hill in the fall. The scholarships are available to students living in households served by FOCUS Broadband and recipients are selected based on their academic performance, community engagement, and interview skills. Other FOCUS Broadband scholarship recipients this year include Kinslee Martin from Robeson County; Jamaurie Perry from Chowan County; Jessica Juarez-Santiago and Sereniti Branch from Pender County; and Ella Bellamy, Emmy Russ, and Aley Williams of Brunswick County. FOCUS Broadband’s Board of Directors awarded an additional $1,000 Rylee Brinson Scholarship to South Columbus High School’s (SCHS) Lizzy Cruz. This scholarship was created to honor the memory of Rylee Brinson, a former SCHS student, and his dedication to academic excellence. “We are honored to invest in the future of these bright students,” said Keith Holden, CEO of FOCUS Broadband. “Each recipient has shown exceptional dedication to both their education and their community. We are excited to see all they will achieve in the years to come.” Since its inception in 2002, the FOCUS Broadband Scholarship Program has awarded over $173,000 to 106 students. The application period for the 2026 scholarship program will open in October 2025. For more information about the program and application requirements, visit www.focusbroadband.com/scholarships. About FOCUS Broadband FOCUS Broadband is a member-owned cooperative providing a multitude of communications services, including telephone, business services, wireless, broadband internet, television, and home security, in southeastern North Carolina. FOCUS Broadband is the largest communications cooperative in North Carolina and one of the largest in the country. For more information on products and services from FOCUS Broadband, visit www.FOCUSBroadband.com.

This is an annual survey of parents of children receiving special education. It is an opportunity to report how well your school system includes you in the IEP process and the education of your child. Esta es una encuesta anual dirigida a padres de niños que reciben educación especial. Es una oportunidad para informar sobre la integración de su sistema escolar en el proceso del IEP y en la educación de su hijo. https://ncdpi.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7OIv31T4l7Qyh6K

Hey rising 6th & 7th graders! 🏀 Imagine this: You're on the court, learning from REAL college coaches, making new friends, and leveling up your basketball skills. BEMC is giving TWO lucky students a chance to make that dream a reality! We're offering full scholarships to the Wolfpack Women's Basketball Camp and the Carolina Basketball School. Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity! Apply by March 31. 👉https://www.bemc.org/sports-camp-scholarships/

AIG Showcase!!

Columbus Career and College Academy Open House Attention all 8th graders! We invite you to join us for the Columbus Career and College Academy Open House on April 8th, 2025, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM.

We're excited to involve the community in selecting a mascot and colors for the new PK-8 school being built on the eastern end of Columbus County! Please visit the website to explore the options and cast your vote for your favorites before April 7th. https://www.columbus.k12.nc.us/o/ccsd/page/east-end-school-survey

Join us for a celebration of creativity at the Celebrate the Arts! The event will take place on Saturday, March 22nd, from 4:30 PM to 9:30 PM at South Columbus High School. This exciting festival will showcase the best student artists from across the county. Don’t miss out on an evening filled with incredible talent! Admission is free. We look forward to seeing you there!

Upcoming Swamp Sporting Events: 3-24 golf at White Lake 12:00 3-24 middle school baseball and softball at Elizabethtown Middle start time 4:00 3-25 varsity baseball at South Columbus start time 7:00 3-25 varsity soccer at South Columbus start time 5:00 3-25 jv and varsity softball at South Columbus start time 4:00 3-27 track at Pender 3:00 3-27 middle school baseball and softball at Williams Township start time 4:00 3-28 varsity baseball at home against South Columbus start time 7:00 3-28 varsity soccer at home against South Columbus start time 5:00 3-28 jv and varsity softball at home against South Columbus start time 4:00

Gator Sporting Events for the Week of March 17th 3/17 golf at White Lake 3/18 golf at Riegelwood 3/18 varsity softball at home against East Bladen 6:00 3/18 varsity baseball at home against East Bladen 7:00 3/18 varsity soccer at home against East Bladen 5:00 3/20 jv and varsity softball at home against North Brunswick 4:00 3/21 varsity softball and baseball at East Bladen 6:00 3/21 varsity soccer at East Bladen 6:00

Celebrate the Arts, North Carolina's Largest Student Arts Festival, will take place on Saturday, March 22nd from 4:30 PM-9:30 PM at South Columbus High School. The event is a partnership between Columbus County Schools and Whiteville City Schools, and features performances and artwork from over 1000 students. Admission is free.

Congratulations to Anthony McGee of Columbus Career and College Academy and McKenna Ware-Rudnik of East Columbus Jr./Sr. High School for representing Columbus County well today at the state Poetry Out Loud Competition. Their teachers are Tara Williamson and Kevin Toman.

Here's what's happening in the Swamp: March 10th from 11:30-7:00pm (Parent Teacher Conferences) March 11th at 7pm Swampkeepers Meeting in the media center March 11th ACT testing for all juniors March 14th Marshall Tapping Ceremony at 8:30am in the media center Reminders: Pajamas and bedroom slippers are not allowed at school. Failure to comply will result in consequences. All students are required to park in the front of the school. For the safety of all students, over the counter medicines should not be in the possession of any student while on campus. We encourage all students to arrive to school on time. This will help us maintain and improve our 90.01% attendance rate.

3-11 varsity baseball, softball and soccer at Pender start time at 6:00 3-12 JV softball at home against West Brunswick start time 5:00 3-12 golf at Land-O-Lakes start time 12:00 3-13 middle school baseball and softball at Hallsboro against Green Sea start time 4:00 3-14 varsity soccer against Pender at 5:00 3-14 varsity softball against Pender at 6:00 3-14 varsity baseball against Pender at 7:00

The Wall That Heals will be escorted downtown Whiteville on Tuesday April 22, 2025 between 1230pm and 1pm. It will be escorted by Rolling Thunder SC-3 and many other motorcycle groups. The Wall That Heals is a 3/4 replica of the Vietnam Memorial from Washington DC. It also has a mobile Education Center that will be on display at the Veterans Memorial Park of America April 24-27, 2025. This will be on display 24 hours till Sunday April 27th at 2pm. We will be having a WELCOME CEREMONY on Thursday April 24th at 6pm. And AGENT ORANGE AWARENESS CEREMONY on Friday April 25th at sunset. As The Wall That Heals is escorted through town, we would like people to be on the sidewalks welcoming it with flags, banners, etc. We are checking with the schools about the bands playing as it comes through town. The schools are out on Easter Break. So we need all the help we can get to spread the word. We need to spread the word about the In Memory Program. Deadline is March 25th for applications to be sent in. This is a program that will Honor Vietnam Veterans that came home but have passed due to their service in Vietnam. All applications sent in by March 25th will be Honored at our event and in Washington DC in June. We need 200+ volunteers, so please share this as well.

Congratulations to all the winners of the A.R. Ammons Poetry Contest!! Thank you especially to the teachers for working with our talented students! https://tinyurl.com/ammons25

Monday, March 10th, is Parent-Teacher Conference Day for all schools except CCCA. There will be no school for students on this day to allow time for these important meetings. Conferences will be held from 11:30 AM to 7:00 PM, and you can choose a time that works best for you. Meetings can be held either in person, by phone or online, depending on your preference. Please note: CCCA will follow its regular schedule on this day.