At a recent Board meeting, the Exceptional Children’s Department made several recognitions, celebrating the achievements and contributions of students, staff, and programs that support exceptional learners. The Board joined in recognizing their dedication and positive impact across Columbus County Schools. Sheila McKenzie, Carnelia Johnson, Tabitha Godwin- Tabor City School Scarlet Strickland, Chasity Ward, Ashley Wise-Williams Township School -recognized as Tier 1 classrooms for implementation of the Robokind curriculum program -Thanks to these teams our district is ranked number 4 out of 329 national and international partners in implementation with fidelity of the Robokind curriculum. Latarsia Pearsey-South Columbus High School-was recently recognized by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Division of Employment and Independence for People with Disabilities for her continued partnership in supporting students and providing opportunities for success. Jazz Hemingway-South Columbus High School has been awarded the prestigious Simple Gifts Fund Award, which will fully cover her participation in the Global Teachers-Netherlands 2025 Professional Development Program. This program allows Ms. Hemingway to join other teachers from NC to study the Dutch education system in the Netherlands. She will represent Columbus County during her trip this summer.

During a recent Board meeting, the Teachers of the Year and Principals of the Year were honored for their outstanding leadership, dedication, and impact on student success. The Board recognized these exceptional educators for their commitment to excellence and their vital role in shaping the future of Columbus County Schools. TOY Nominees Susan Carr Adrienne Carroll Connie Faulk Karen Haley Heather Tilly Tonya Nobles Michele Bolton Darryl Spivey Khadijah Tart Lisa Hamilton Kim Watson Janet Hewett POY Nominees Kelly Beck Shelly Cullipher Leslie Faulk

At a recent Board meeting, students selected to attend the North Carolina Governor’s School were honored for their exceptional academic and artistic achievement. These students were chosen through a highly competitive process and will participate in an intensive summer program focused on advanced studies in their chosen disciplines. Jovi Castrejon    CCCA Neil Rabutan       ECJSHS Ivy Hernandez      SCHS Abbigail Clemmons  WCHS Lillie Greene      WCHS Marc Johnson      WCHS

At a recent board meeting, AR Ammons Poetry Winners were honored: Division I First Place Isabella Holmes Old Dock Elementary School Division I Honorable Mention Ainsley Ward Old Dock Elementary School Division I Honorable Mention Kera Starnes Old Dock Elementary School Division I Honorable Mention Coleman Smart West Columbus School Division I Honorable Mention Lane Tompkins Tabor City School Division I Honorable Mention Adelina Beck Old Dock Elementary Division I Honorable Mention Lisbeth Lemus Old Dock Elementary Division I Honorable Mention Mia Strickland Old Dock Elementary Division I Honorable Mention Kinleigh Butler Old Dock Elementary Division I Honorable Mention Ellorie Ward Old Dock Elementary Division I Second Place Camille Canady Old Dock Elementary School Division I Third Place Colton McKeithan Old Dock Elementary School Division II First Place Anna Marie Bell Hallsboro / Artesia Elementary Division II Honorable Mention Julie Ward Nakina Middle School Division II Honorable Mention Henlee Ward Tabor City School Division II Honorable Mention Brystal Ward Old Dock Elementary Division II Honorable Mention Liam Dyson West Columbus School Division III Honorable Mention Morgan Smith Nakina Middle School Division III Honorable Mention Deacon Whaley Nakina Middle School Division III Honorable Mention Annabelle Wright Nakina Middle School Division III Honorable Mention Elizabeth Valdez Nakina Middle School Division III Honorable Mention Laney McPherson Nakina Middle School Division III Honorable Mention Khadijah Currie East Columbus JR/SR High Division III Third Place Isabella Rivero Nakina Middle School Division IV First Place Landyn Norris South Columbus High Division IV Honorable Mention LilyAnne Long Columbus Career and College Academy Division IV Honorable Mention Tanijia Gerald Columbus Career and College Academy Division IV Honorable Mention Mckenna Ware-Rudnik East Columbus JR/SR High Division IV Honorable Mention Hailey Long South Columbus High Division IV Honorable Mention Melody Gilbert Columbus Career and College Academy Division IV Honorable Mention Cynthia Ward West Columbus High Division IV Honorable Mention Stephen Tatman, Jr. South Columbus High Division IV Honorable Mention Landon Hoopes Columbus Career and College Academy Division IV Honorable Mention Mika Williams South Columbus High Division IV Honorable Mention Morgan Cartrette South Columbus High Division IV Honorable Mention Mckenna Ware-Rudnik East Columbus JR/SR High Division IV Honorable Mention Jennifer Perez South Columbus High Division IV Second Place Aisha Skye Reyes South Columbus High Division IV Third Place Landyn Norris South Columbus High

At a recent Board meeting, the Celebrate the Arts Gold Key winners were recognized for having the best artwork in the show. These students demonstrated remarkable creativity and artistic excellence, rising to the top among hundreds of entries. The Board commended them for their talent, hard work, and outstanding representation of the arts in Columbus County Schools. ECJSHS Mckenna Ware-Rudnik ECJSHS Brittany Mitchell ECJSHS Milana Graham ECJSHS Sophia Robertson SCHS Greidys Avelino SCHS Madison McMillian SCHS India Sammons SCHS Samuel Cunningham SCHS Alan Rodriguez SCHS Drake Cribb SCHS Lily Greene SCHS Lena Taylor WCHS Samantha Strickland WCHS Zayda Eddie WCHS Brianna Thomas WCHS Lia Specht WCHS Karmen McDuffie WCHS Ricky Johnson WCHS Lindsey Hayes WCHS Ivan Osorio-Abonza ADES Dulce Gonzalez Gonzalez ADES Dulce Gonzalez Gonzalez ADES Vanessa Jauregui-Del Angel ADES Morgan Pridgen ECJSHS Sophia Alvarado Rivera ECJSHS Yamileth Gonzalez-Baza ECJSHS Luziana Cruz Perez HAES Cara Britt HAES Anthony Gurganious HAES Dondria Sadler HAES Mya Jacobs HAES Cole Lynch NMS Javier Diaz NMS Sara Rivenbark NMS Ellie Wright NMS Sandy Nunez NMS Bridgette Perdomo TCS Devora Redondo TCS Andrea Powell TCS Kimberly Manning TCS Loren Hinson TCS Mileigh Stevenson WCS Arabella Tchorz WCS Ella Fletcher WCS Kaylee Bethea-Davis WCS Kenzie Martin WCS Chantal Judd WTS Kalie Blanton WTS Julia Bailey WTS Joanna Cox WTS Aria Bowen WTS Johnny Dominguez WTS Johnny Domingues WTS Legend McCray

Schools will release students at approximately 1 PM on Friday, June 6th. Have a great summer!

Can't make it to graduation? Watch the ceremony live! All graduations will be streamed live on CCS Youtube, CCS and school Facebook pages, CCS Twitch, and the CCS mobile app.

Congratulations to Hailey Long, 2024 South Columbus High School Poet Laureate, for being named as an emerging poet by the North Carolina Poetry Society's Gilbert-Chapell Mentor Program. Hailey recently read a collections of poems on the campus of East Carolina University, and will have 5 poems published in the upcoming anthology. Congratulations!

Today, a system error temporarily disrupted the NCTest platform statewide, affecting all students in North Carolina who were scheduled to test this morning. The outage lasted approximately 40 minutes. Prompt corrective action restored the system, allowing students to resume testing shortly thereafter. All tests were completed successfully. We sincerely thank our teachers and students for their patience, focus, and resilience during the disruption. At this time, we anticipate no further issues.

Reminder: All schools will be closed on Monday, May 26th, in honor of Memorial Day.

Congratulations to our newest class of high school poet laureates!

Happening Today! 10am-1pm.

A message from the Columbus County Health Department: School is almost out and our summer schedule is filling up quickly!!! Our dental team is excited to assist you with scheduling your child's summer break dental exams and cleanings. Please contact our office at (910) 640- 6615, ext. 7041 to schedule your child's appointment. We wish all students a happy and healthy summer break. Hope to see your smile soon!

CCS Education Job Fair - Saturday, May 17, 2025 Time: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM Location: CCS Central Services, 2586 James B. White Hwy N, Whiteville Join us for the CCS Education Job Fair, a dedicated hiring event focused on filling a variety of roles within Columbus County Schools. Call 910-642-5168 for info.

CCS Education Job Fair Date: Saturday, May 17, 2025 Time: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM Location: CCS Central Services, 2586 James B. White Hwy N, Whiteville, NC (beside Northwood Church) Join us for the CCS Education Job Fair, a dedicated hiring event focused on filling a variety of roles within Columbus County Schools. This is your chance to meet face-to-face with school and district leaders who are actively seeking passionate educators and support staff for the 2025–2026 school year.

CCS Job Fair - May 17th - 10:00AM-1:00 PM.

Sub update training schedules.

Gold Key winners from Celebrate the Arts were honored at a reception in recognition of their exhibition at SCC. The exhibit will be displayed in the A Building through the middle of May. Special thanks to SCC for hosting the exhibit.

You're Invited! AIG Showcase East Columbus Jr./Sr. High School Tuesday, April 15th | 6:00–7:00 PM Join us for an exciting evening celebrating our AIG students! All families and community members are welcome—we look forward to seeing you there!

Columbus County Schools Indian Education Parent Committee/Public Meeting Date & Time: Tuesday, April 15, 2025 6:30-8:00 PM This year's public hearing will take place at East Columbus Jr-Sr School Media center. Purpose To share the following with the community of stakeholders invested in the success of Columbus County Schools Native American students:       1. Indian Education Updates       2. Indian Education Project for 2025-2026 3. Summer STEM Camp Opportunities (Guest Ashley Lomboy) 4. Other Items of Concern