Nakina

Columbus County Schools will operate on a two-hour delay for students and staff on Friday, February 21, due to a cold weather advisory issued by the National Weather Service.

Columbus County Schools will conduct remote instruction on Thursday, February 20, for students and staff due to inclement weather. All after-school activities are canceled. Students should check Google Classroom in the morning for assignments and communicate via Remind with any questions.

Due to a Winter Weather Advisory, Columbus County Schools will release early at 12:00 PM on Wednesday, February 19th. Staff may leave once all buses have departed and all duties are complete.

All after-school activities for Wednesday, February 19th, have been cancelled.

Nakina Middle School 8th Grade Students dissect owl pellets during Mr. Reaves' science class.

Good Evening Mustangs, This is Shelly Cullipher, Principal of Nakina Middle School with events and reminders for this week. Monday, February 17th: -Dress for Success Day (Impress by looking your best!) -Homecoming Practice at 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, February 18th: -Blackout Day (Dress in all black for the Homecoming Game) -Pep Rally at 2:00 p.m. in the gym. -Our Mustangs will host the Williams Township Aggies beginning with our girls at 4:00 p.m. and admission is $6.00. Our Homecoming Court will be presented between the girls and boys game. Wednesday, February 19th: -Spring Pictures beginning at 8:15 a.m. -Our Mustangs will host the Tarheel Panthers beginning at 4:00 p.m. Our 8th grade cheerleaders, basketball players, and assistants will be recognized for 8th grade night between the girls and boys game. Those students received a form that should have been completed and returned last week with the names of up to two family members as escorts. Thursday, February 20th: Students will receive progress reports. This is a great opportunity for you to review and discuss your child’s progress. Please contact the teacher if you have any questions. Friday, February 21st: . Saturday, February 22nd: Due to the Reverse Raffle, the Columbus County Parks and Recreation Basketball for Nakina will be held at Tabor City School from 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. in the gym. The Mustang Club’s Reverse Raffle & Steak Supper will be held at 6:00 p.m. Reminders: -Remember to purchase your yearbook before April 15th for $40.00! Return all forms with cash or check (made payable to Nakina Middle School) to Mrs. Sellers. As we continue to reflect on the middle of the year data from iReady diagnostics and NC Check Ins, please remember that attendance is very important. We have 61 instructional days (actual days in school) remaining before we begin the End of Grade Assessments on May 23rd. Thank you for helping us meet our average daily attendance goal of 95% last week! Congratulations to our 5th, 6th, and 7th grade for achieving the 95% goal! Our Mustangs aspire to be the BEST and therefore it is important to be present in order to be career and college ready. We appreciate your support and hope you have a wonderful week! Shelly F. Cullipher Principal

Friday, February 14th, is a teacher workday and there will be no school for students EXCEPT CCCA. CCCA WILL BE ON REGULAR SCHEDULE.

Good Evening Mustangs, This is Shelly Cullipher, Principal of Nakina Middle School with events and reminders for this week. As we review and reflect on the middle of the year diagnostic assessments and Check Ins we would like to remind everyone that we are a team. We have 66 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%! Congratulations to our 5th, 6th, and 7th grade for achieving the 95% goal this week!!!! Our Mustangs aspire to be the BEST and therefore it is important to be present in order to be career and college ready. Monday, February 10th: N/A Tuesday, February 11th: Our Mustangs will travel to Tarheel and play basketball against the Panthers at 4:00 p.m. Mustang Homecoming activities begin! Wear your favorite shade of the following colors to show your school and grade level spirit: 5th Grade: Red 6th Grade: White 7th Grade: Pink 8th Grade: Blue (Students will vote for Homecoming Prince/Princess & King/Queen) Wednesday, February 12th: Favorite Team Day (Wear your favorite high school, college or professional team attire.) Thursday, February 13th: Miss Match Day (Have fun and look silly with mismatched clothes.) Our Mustangs will host the Clarkton Blue Devils at 4:00 p.m. Please remember that balloons and flowers can not be taken on the bus if you send a Valentine’s gift to the school. Friday, February 14th: Optional Teacher Workday (No School for Students) . Saturday, February 8th: The Dixie Youth Baseball Registration has been extended one week and 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 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 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 tickets 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. Remember to purchase your yearbook before April 15th for $40.00! Return all forms with cash or check (made payable to Nakina Middle School) to Mrs. Sellers. Thank you for being part of our family and we hope you have a wonderful week! Shelly F. Cullipher Principal

Ms. Bryant’s 7th graders collaborated in a Refugee simulation activity in today’s Social Studies class. The students are preparing to read the novel “Refugee” as a supplement to their curriculum.

Columbus County Schools Statement on Recent Changes to Federal Immigration Enforcement Columbus County Schools remains dedicated to fostering a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment for all students and staff. We are aware of the concerns raised by recent changes in federal immigration enforcement policies within our community. Please be assured that we are actively addressing these concerns to ensure the well-being of our families. Our legal counsel has provided guidance, and our administrators have been trained on the appropriate steps to take in the event that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) visits one of our schools. We will adhere to these protocols to ensure full compliance with the legal requirements outlined in the guidance we’ve received. As of now, there have been no reports of any involvement from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) within our schools. Columbus County Schools is fully committed to upholding federal laws while remaining dedicated to the students we serve, prioritizing a caring, safe, and inclusive school environment. As we continue to assess the implications of these changes in immigration enforcement, Columbus County Schools will maintain open communication with our parents, faculty, and staff. We greatly value the trust and support our community has in us, and we will remain committed to providing a safe, effective, and inclusive educational experience for every student. Declaración de las escuelas del condado de Columbus sobre cambios recientes en la aplicación federal de inmigración Las escuelas del condado de Columbus siguen comprometidas con fomentar un entorno seguro, inclusivo y de apoyo para todos los estudiantes y el personal. Somos conscientes de las inquietudes que han suscitado los cambios recientes en las políticas federales de aplicación de la ley de inmigración en nuestra comunidad. Tenga la seguridad de que estamos abordando activamente estas inquietudes para garantizar el bienestar de nuestras familias. Nuestro asesor legal nos ha brindado orientación y nuestros administradores han recibido capacitación sobre los pasos adecuados a seguir en caso de que el Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE) visite una de nuestras escuelas. Seguiremos estos protocolos para garantizar el pleno cumplimiento de los requisitos legales descritos en la orientación que hemos recibido. Hasta el momento, no ha habido informes de ninguna intervención del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE) en nuestras escuelas. Las escuelas del condado de Columbus están totalmente comprometidas con el cumplimiento de las leyes federales y, al mismo tiempo, siguen dedicadas a los estudiantes a los que servimos, priorizando un entorno escolar solidario, seguro e inclusivo. A medida que continuamos evaluando las implicaciones de estos cambios en la aplicación de las leyes de inmigración, las escuelas del condado de Columbus mantendrán una comunicación abierta con nuestros padres, profesores y personal. Valoramos enormemente la confianza y el apoyo que nuestra comunidad tiene en nosotros, y seguiremos comprometidos a brindar una experiencia educativa segura, eficaz e inclusiva para todos los estudiantes.

Good Evening Mustangs, This is Shelly Cullipher, Principal of Nakina Middle School with events and reminders for this week. We would first like to congratulate our boys and girls basketball players and their coaches for their victories over Tabor City and Williams Township last week! Secondly, we want to congratulate the students that were selected by their peers to be part of the Mustang Homecoming Court on February 18th. It is an honor to be chosen by your peers to represent your grade level in this annual event. We also want to wish members of our Jr. Beta Club good luck as they participate in the NC Jr. Beta Club Convention in Greensboro and compete against other Jr. Beta members from across the state in various activities. We are proud of the hard work and preparation they and their advisors have invested in this opportunity! As we review and reflect on the middle of the year diagnostic assessments and Check Ins we would like to remind everyone that we are a collective team that owns our data like an athletic team owns its score. The students should know and understand their progress and we as educators know what game changes will need to be made for continued growth and success. Monday, February 3rd: The Mustang Club will meet in the cafeteria at 6:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome to join and support the Mustangs! Thursday, February 6th: Our basketball teams will host the Tabor City Colts beginning at 4:00 p.m. Friday, February 7th: PBIS Celebration and TOM’s Coffee Truck at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, February 8th: 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 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 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 tickets 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 71 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%! Congratulations to 5th and 6th grade for reaching the 95% goal this week!!!!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

“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

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!

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.