Nakina

This is a reminder that Columbus County Schools will be operating on a regular schedule for Monday, January 27th. However, we urge all parents, students, and staff to use caution while driving to school. Bus drivers will be taking extra care for safety, so pick-up times may vary. Please use the "Here Comes the Bus" app to track your bus in real-time. If there are any issues with road conditions that could impact safe travel, please contact your school's principal for further guidance. Safety is our top priority. Thank you, and stay safe!

“We do not remember days; we remember moments.” -Cesare Pavese Good Evening Mustangs, This is Shelly Cullipher, Principal of Nakina Middle School. I hope that each of you enjoyed the beautiful snow and made memories to cherish for years to come. Some of us can remember the snow days of years gone by and the memories they imprinted in our hearts. I would like to share a few events and reminders as we prepare to return to school tomorrow. We urge all families and staff to use caution while driving to school and work tomorrow. Bus drivers will take extra safety precautions so pick up times may vary. Safety is our number one priority so please contact the school if there are any road conditions that could impact safe travel. Monday, January 27th: Our Mustangs will travel to Tabor City School to play basketball beginning at 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, January 28th: All students will take the NC ELA Check In B. Our Mustangs will travel to Clarkton to play basketball beginning at 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, January 29th: All students will take the NC Math Check In B and receive Report Cards. Thursday, January 30th: We will have an “Active Shooter Drill” at school as part of our school safety plan to make sure all staff and students are prepared in the event of a crisis situation. Staff will review lockdown procedures again with students prior to Thursday. Please call the office if you have any questions about the routine drill. Our basketball teams will host the Williams Township Aggies beginning at 4:00 p.m. This will also be the Homecoming game for the Aggies. On Saturday, February 1st: The Columbus County Parks and Recreation will host the Youth Winter Basketball from 9:00 a.m.-12 p.m. in the gym. The Dixie Youth Baseball Registration will be held from 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. in the gym for ages 5-12. Online registrations can be made at https://app.teampass.com/SouthColumbusDYB/ until February 8. Registrations can be completed in person on February 1 and February 8 at the Tabor City Complex and Nakina Middle School from 9AM-Noon. Fees are $55 per person with a $10 discount for each additional sibling and payable in cash only. Reminders: The A.R. Ammons Student Poetry Contest is open to all Columbus County Students. The contest honors Columbus County Native Poet, A.R. Ammons and the deadline is February 3rd. Students should see their Language Arts Teacher for more information. The Mustang Club is currently selling tickets for the Reverse Raffle & Steak Supper to be held on Saturday, February 22nd at 6:00 p.m. in the gym. The ticket cost is $75 and includes 2 steak dinners. There will be a $100 prize for 1st, 50th, 100th, 150th, and 200th tickets. The Grand Prize is $2,500. Proceeds from the event will be used for various projects and programs to support students at Nakina Middle School. Only 225 will be sold so please don’t wait and miss this wonderful opportunity to support the Mustangs! The tickets and money are due by February 13th. Please see a member of the Mustang Club or call the office for more details. Attendance: We have 78 instructional days (actual days in school) remaining before we begin the End of Grade Assessments on May 23rd. Our overall average daily attendance goal each week is 95%! We need to make every minute count and focus on learning in order to achieve our goals but we understand that sickness can sometimes occur. Our Mustangs aspire to be the BEST at everything we do and therefore it is important to be present in order to be career and college ready. Thank you for being part of our Mustang family and we hope you have a wonderful week! Shelly F. Cullipher Principal

The board recognized all art winners from the North Carolina Yam Festival at the December board meeting: Morgan Pridgen ADES Aylin Vega Carbajal ADES Grettel De La Cruz ADES Marlyn Sanchez ADES Jacey Sandlin ADES Dulce Gonzalez Gonzalez ADES Grace Watts CCCA Daisy Cribb CCCA Wesley Stewart CCCA Mckenna Ware-Rudnik ECJSHS Brittany Mitchell ECJSHS Illiany Hernandez ECJSHS Sophia Alverado Rivera ECJSHS Brittney Mitchell ECJSHS Brentley Wilson ECJSHS Angelly Nedelka De La Cruz Jimenez ECJSHS Milana Graham ECJSHS Luziana Cruz Perez ECJSHS Mya Jacobs HAES Aniyah Spaulding HAES McKenzie Gerald NMS India Sammons SCHS Alena Taylor SCHS Felix Castrejon-Baltazar SCHS Greenley Hardee SCHS Molly meares SCHS India Sammons SCHS Alena Taylor SCHS Greidys Avelino SCHS Devora Redondo TCS Andrea Powell TCS Mia Denton TCS Emmanuel Hernandez TCS Autumn Todd WCHS Samantha Strickland WCHS Nehemiah Williams WCHS Johnny Dominguez WTS Keylin Long WTS Julia Bailey WTS Mckenna Ward WTS Teachers Bre Giddings Jeff Rudnik Jennifer Sams Connie Faulk Princess Grantham Allison Ellis Amy Baker Kathy Trost Brittany Ward Myra Manness Whitney Hern Ashley Holmes

During the December board meeting, the following schools were recognized for meeting growth during the 23-24 school year: Chadbourn Elementary School Hallsboro-Artesia Elementary School Nakina Middle School Old Dock Elementary School Williams Township School

There will be no Winter Youth Basketball on Saturday, January 25th due to the weather. The Columbus County Parks and Recreation schedule will resume on Saturday, February 1st.

On January 24th, Columbus County Schools will be conducting remote instruction. Students should log in to Google Classroom for details about the day’s lessons. If students or parents have questions about assignments, please contact teachers via email or Remind. Please note that all extracurricular activities, including after-school programs and sports, are postponed for the day. If you experience any technical issues, please email ccsupport@columbus.k12.nc.us or call 910-499-0080 for assistance. Thank you, and we hope everyone has a productive day of remote learning!

Columbus County Schools will be conducting Remote Instruction on Thursday, January 23rd. Since tomorrow marks the first day of the new semester for traditional high schools, teachers have added students to their 2nd semester Google Classrooms. Students, please log in to your Google Classroom and click the "join" button to connect with your new classes in the morning. If you have schedule issues, please contact your counselor via email. All other students should log in to Google Classroom for further instructions. If students or staff need technical support, email ccssupport@columbus.k12.nc.us or call 910-499-0080.

Please click the following link to view the Mustang Round for January 19, 2025: https://tinyurl.com/2jsurhfr

Schools will be closed on Monday, January 20th in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. There will be no school for students on Tuesday and Wednesday due to teacher workdays, except for CCCA, which will remain on its regular schedule. We are also closely monitoring the weather for any potential issues that may affect this week’s schedule.

Good Evening Mustangs, This is Shelly Cullipher, Principal of Nakina Middle School with our weekly announcements and reminders. Monday, January 20th : In observance of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday, there will be no school for students or staff. Tuesday, January 21st Is a Mandatory Workday and there will be no school for students. Wednesday, January 22nd Is a Mandatory Workday and there will be no school for students. Thursday, January 23rd Our basketball teams will hostTarheel Middle School beginning at 4:00 p.m. On Saturday, January 25th the Columbus County Parks and Recreation will host the Youth Winter Basketball from 9:00 a.m.-12 p.m. in the gym. The Dixie Youth Baseball Registration will be held from 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. in the gym for ages 5-12. The cost is $50 payable in cash only. Online registrations can be made at https://app.teampass.com/SouthColumbusDYB/ from January 18-February 8. In Person registrations are January 18, January 25, February 1, and February 8 at the Tabor City Complex and Nakina Middle School from 9AM-Noon. Fees are $55 per person with a $10 discount for each additional sibling. Reminders: Driver’s Education A driver’s education class will begin at South Columbus High School on Monday, January 27th and run through Wednesday, February 12th. Classes will be held Monday through Thursday. Classes will be from 3:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. each day. Students must be 14 and ½ year of age to enroll in this class. The first 30 students who sign up will be enrolled so space is limited. This includes the high school students as well. Please see Mrs. Hooks to get an application. The A.R. Ammons Student Poetry Contest is open to all Columbus County Students. The contest honors Columbus County Native Poet, A.R. Ammons and the deadline is February 3rd. Students should see their Language Arts Teacher for more information. The Mustang Club is currently selling tickets for the Reverse Raffle & Steak Supper to be held on Saturday, February 22nd at 6:00 p.m. in the gym. The ticket cost is $75 and includes 2 steak dinners. There will be a $100 prize for 1st, 50th, 100th, 150th, and 200th tickets. The Grand Prize is $2,500. Proceeds from the event will be used for various projects and programs to support students at Nakina Middle School. The deadline to purchase tickets is February 13th. Please see a member of the Mustang Club or call the office for more details. Attendance: We have 80 instructional days (actual days in school) remaining before we begin the End of Grade Assessments on May 23rd. Our overall average daily attendance goal each week is 95%. Last week we had 94.2% and that was an increase from the previous week of 91.7% Our 7th grade students had the highest attendance average last week at 96.9%! Great job! We need to make every minute count and focus on learning in order to achieve our goals but we understand that sickness can sometimes occur. We want our Mustangs to be the BEST at everything they do and therefore it is important they be present in order to be career and college ready. We are continuing to monitor the weather and will keep you updated on any schedule changes that may arise next week. We appreciate your continued support and hope that everyone stays safe and warm. Shelly F. Cullipher Principal

Good Evening Mustangs, This is Shelly Cullipher, Principal of Nakina Middle School with our weekly announcements and reminders. On Monday, January 13th There will be no basketball practice for the ladies. The Mustang Club will meet in the cafeteria at 6:30 p.m. On Tuesday, January 14th 8th grade students will take the NC Life Science Check In. On Wednesday, January 15th all students will complete the iReady Middle of the Year Reading Diagnostic. On Thursday, January 16th all students will complete the iReady Middle of the Year Math Diagnostic. The mens and ladies basketball team will play Columbus Charter School at home at 4:00 p.m. Friday, January 17th is the end of the 2nd grading period. On Saturday, January 18th the Columbus County Parks and Recreation will hold the Youth Winter Basketball Registration for boys and girls ages 6-12 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. in the gym. The cost is $15 per child and is payable in cash or check only. We appreciate your continued support and hope that everyone stays warm and well during this time.

The Parks and Recreation Basketball Sign Up scheduled for tomorrow has been canceled due to the weather.

Due to potential weather-related issues on the western end of Columbus County, all schools will dismiss early at 2 PM today. This decision ensures that buses have adequate time to complete their routes safely before conditions potentially deteriorate. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we prioritize the well-being of our students and staff.

Columbus County Schools will operate on a two-hour delay on Thursday, January 9th for students, faculty, and staff due to a cold weather advisory and wind chills expected to be in the low teens.

Words of encouragement with a fun gift to start the new year off on a positive note! Thank You Mrs. Cullipher for the surprise!

Good Evening, This is Shelly Cullipher, Principal of Nakina Middle School and we hope that each of you had a blessed holiday break. As we step into the new year, we are reminded of new opportunities to achieve our goals for growth and success. We are excited to embark on this journey with our students and families because we know the best is yet to come for our Mustangs! On Monday,January 6th the TOM’s truck will be on campus by the front near the gym from 7:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. We invite parents and community members to stop by on the way to work and purchase your favorite morning beverage! The Mustang Club will meet in the cafeteria at 6:30 p.m. Anyone is invited as the Mustang Club supports every student and program at Nakina and many hands make light work. On Thursday, January 9th there will be a meeting for all Beta Club members and parents to discuss a possible trip to Charleston followed by details and an itinerary for the Beta Club Convention trip. We are excited about the various activities and products some Beta Club members are completing for the competitions at the NC Beta Club Convention and look forward to their success! On Saturday, January 11th and 18th the Columbus County Parks and Recreation will hold the Youth Winter Basketball Registration for boys and girls ages 6-12 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. in the gym. The cost is $15 per child and is payable in cash or check only. On Tuesday, January 14th 8th grade students will take the NC Life Science Check In. On Wednesday, January 15th all students will complete the iReady Middle of the Year Reading Diagnostic. On Thursday, January 16th all students will complete the iReady Middle of the Year Math Diagnostic. Friday, January 17th is the end of the 2nd grading period. We appreciate your continued support to make sure that students are present and on time at school each day. Please send a note for an excused absence, tardy, or early check out as soon as your child returns to school. Attendance plays a vital role in student engagement, success, and preparation for the workforce. Our daily and weekly goal is 95% attendance and we need your help to achieve this goal! Students will complete several NC Check Ins and Middle of the Year iReady Diagnostics over the next two weeks. Teachers will review the Middle of the Year Goals again with students during individual data conferences and they should have already received a data conference sheet. Please contact your child’s teacher if you have any questions or have not received this information. Finally, we would like to welcome Mr. Landon Rising to our Mustang family! He is a 2020 graduate of South Columbus High School and recently completed his degree in Health & K-12 Physical Education at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. We look forward to his leadership in the classroom and athletics! Make it a wonderful week Mustangs! Shelly F. Cullipher Principal Click on the following link to view our upcoming events & calendar: https://tinyurl.com/yc79m5u9

Good Evening, This is Shelly Cullipher, Principal of Nakina Middle School and we hope that each of you had a blessed holiday break. As we step into the new year, we are reminded of new opportunities to achieve our goals for growth and success. We are excited to embark on this journey with our students and families because we know the best is yet to come for our Mustangs! On Monday, January 6th the TOM’s truck will be on campus by the front near the gym from 7:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. We invite parents and community members to stop by on the way to work and purchase your favorite morning beverage! The Mustang Club will meet in the cafeteria at 6:30 p.m. Anyone is invited as the Mustang Club supports every student and program at Nakina and many hands make light work. On Thursday, January 9th there will be a meeting for all Beta Club members and parents to discuss a possible trip to Charleston followed by details and an itinerary for the Beta Club Convention trip. We are excited about the various activities and products some Beta Club members are completing for the competitions at the NC Beta Club Convention and look forward to their success! On Saturday, January 11th and 18th the Columbus County Parks and Recreation will hold the Youth Winter Basketball Registration for boys and girls ages 6-12 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. in the gym. The cost is $15 per child and is payable in cash or check only. On Tuesday, January 14th 8th grade students will take the NC Life Science Check In. On Wednesday, January 15th all students will complete the iReady Middle of the Year Reading Diagnostic. On Thursday, January 16th all students will complete the iReady Middle of the Year Math Diagnostic. Friday, January 17th is the end of the 2nd grading period. We appreciate your continued support to make sure that students are present and on time at school each day. Please send a note for an excused absence, tardy, or early check out as soon as your child returns to school. Attendance plays a vital role in student engagement, success, and preparation for the workforce. Our daily and weekly goal is 95% attendance and we need your help to achieve this goal! Students will complete several NC Check Ins and Middle of the Year iReady Diagnostics over the next two weeks. Teachers will review the Middle of the Year Goals again with students during individual data conferences and they should have already received a data conference sheet. Please contact your child’s teacher if you have any questions or have not received this information. Finally, we would like to welcome Mr. Landon Rising to our Mustang family! He is a 2020 graduate of South Columbus High School and recently completed his degree in Health & K-12 Physical Education at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. We look forward to his leadership in the classroom and athletics! Make it a wonderful week Mustangs! Shelly F. Cullipher Principal

Congratulations to all Nakina Middle School 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students who achieved Principal's List and Honor Roll during the 1st grading period! We are so proud of you!

Congratulations to these Nakina Middle School students with "Perfect Attendance!'

Nakina Middle School students in both Jr. & Elementary BETA clubs collected items and created cards for gifting to Nursing Home residents!