Quarter 2 is Here!

Welcome back for Quarter 2! We are excited for another great quarter of learning, growth, and success at CCS-America.

Mark your calendars for these important upcoming events:

Be sure to stay up to date with CCS-America’s 2026-2027 school calendars:

Academic Calendar

Sports Calendar

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CCS-America Art Students Win Brunswick County Contest

Students from CCS-Leland and CCS-Southport were among the top prize-winners in Brunswick County’s annual Intercultural Arts Festival, an event that showcases aspects of the different cultures that make up the Brunswick County and Southeastern NC communities.

Students across Brunswick County are eligible to compete in the art festival’s Poster Contest, creating posters aligned with a specific theme. This year’s theme was “Imagery of a specific culture.”

CCS-America’s classical curriculum includes a strong emphasis on art and its importance. All students attend a weekly art class as part of the resource program. Middle school students can choose to take an additional ‘Advanced Art’ class as one of their electives.

Students from CCS-Leland and CCS-Southport participate in this contest every year. This year, students from both campuses earned top honors across multiple age divisions, including Margo Malpass from CCS-Leland placing first in the Elementary Poster Contest!

Check out the winners from CCS-America schools below:

Elementary Poster Contest:

1st place- Margo Malpass– CCS-Leland

2nd place- Cooper Malpass– CCS-Leland

3rd place- Mark Benton– CCS-Leland

Middle School Poster Contest:

2nd place- Bella Brazeal– CCS-Southport

3rd place- Leah Gauldin– CCS-Leland

Congratulations to these students for their creativity and hard work. We are very proud of the way you represented CCS-America and our art program!

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Happy National Principals Month!

October is National Principals Month! We are proud to celebrate our outstanding, hard-working CCS-America Headmasters. They do so much to support their students and help ensure their success, both inside and outside of the classroom.

The next time you see your Headmaster or Assistant Headmaster, be sure to thank them and let them know how much you appreciate all they do.

Mrs. Laurie Benton, CCS-Leland Headmaster

Mrs. Erin Irving, CCS-Leland Assistant Headmaster

Mrs. Leslie Smith, CCS-Wilmington Headmaster

Mrs. Amanda Sauls, CCS-Southport Headmaster

Mrs. Kimberly Patrick, CCS-Whiteville Headmaster

Mrs. Leslie Strickland, CCS-Whiteville Assistant Headmaster

We also want to give a special shout-out to Mrs. Irving, who has done an amazing job during her first few months as CCS-Leland’s Assistant Headmaster. We look forward to seeing the positive impact she will continue to make in this position.

Headmasters, thank you for everything you do. You are a huge part of what makes CCS-America so great!

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“All the world’s a stage…” CCS-America Celebrates William Shakespeare

Quarter 1 wrapped up with CCS-America’s twelfth annual Shakespeare Week celebrations! Throughout the week, campuses hosted a variety of engaging activities and lessons centered on William Shakespeare and the Elizabethan era.

Each campus had its own unique lineup of experiences, giving students opportunities to connect with history, literature, and science. These activities included magic shows, archery demonstrations, science experiments, and even presentations from wildlife experts on birds of prey.

Students focused on Shakespeare in the classroom as well. They read Shakespeare plays, made crafts inspired by the stories they were reading, practiced writing cursive with quill pens, and more! Middle school students also visited elementary classrooms to give presentations and teach students about all things Shakespeare.

The week ended with a dress-up day where students wore costumes and dressed up as their favorite Shakespearean characters, including kings, queens, knights, fairies, and wizards.

Shakespeare Week provided students a fun and memorable way to learn more about one of history’s most influential writers and the Father of the English language, while exploring the culture and traditions of his time (1564-1616).

Be sure to visit your school’s Facebook page to see more photos from this exciting week of discovery!

Shakespeare Week Photos

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Alumni Spotlight: Jay Benton

Meet Jay Benton, proud CCS-Leland alum who recently achieved the highest honor in Scouting by earning his Eagle Scout medal and badge. Congratulations, Jay!

Jay attended CCS-Leland from kindergarten through 8th grade, graduating in 2025 and winning the prestigious RBA Award that same year. He has been involved with the Scouting America program for the past ten years and is currently a sophomore at Brunswick Early College.

To earn the rank of Eagle Scout, candidates must earn at least 21 merit badges, demonstrate the Scout Oath and Law, hold a leadership position, and plan, develop, and lead a major community service project. This journey requires years of dedication and perseverance, values that Jay believes he learned through his CCS-America education.

“CCS-Leland taught me the importance of responsibility, hard work, leadership, and perseverance. The school also gave me opportunities to develop leadership skills, work with others, solve problems, and take responsibility for my actions. These are all qualities that I needed throughout my journey in Scouting,” Jay shared.

For his Eagle Scout community service project, Jay chose to give back to the school community that helped shape him by building picnic tables for CCS-Leland.

“I wanted my project to benefit the students and give something back to the community that has given so much to me,” he explained.

Reflecting on his achievement, Jay said earning the Eagle Scout rank is a source of great pride, recognizing his years of hard work and commitment. He hopes to carry the leadership skills and values he gained from both CCS-Leland and Scouting throughout the rest of his life.

We are proud to celebrate Jay’s accomplishment and are grateful for the lasting gift he has left for future CCS-Leland students. Congratulations, Jay, on earning the rank of Eagle Scout!

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September Students of the Month: Truthfulness

Virtue is an important part of CCS-America’s classical curriculum. Through our Foundations of Virtue curriculum, students learn the meaning of the School Pledge, the virtues it highlights, and how to implement those virtues in their daily lives.

Each month, we recognize students who consistently display the specific virtue they have spent the month studying. These students stand out for demonstrating that virtue both in the classroom and beyond.

The virtue for September was Truthfulness. Truthful students are honest in both their words and actions. Truthfulness is reflected in the School Pledge as “I Pledge to be truthful in all my works.” Students apply these words by telling the truth, following the rules, and presenting facts honestly.

Congratulations to all our students who exemplified truthfulness this month!September Students of the Month:

CCS-Leland

CCS-Southport

CCS-Whiteville

CCS-Wilmington

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Coming Soon: Updated CCS-America Website

We are currently updating our website with a fresh new look and enhanced features to better serve our families, students, and community. Based on valuable parent feedback, we have made several improvements to create a more user-friendly experience and more clearly portray our schools’ unique curriculum and instructional system responsible for our students’ successes. Be on the lookout for our newly redesigned website, coming soon!

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We the People… of CCS-America

On September 17, 1787, the United States Constitution was signed by delegates at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.

239 years later, each CCS-America campus held its annual Constitution Day celebration to honor and celebrate this historic event. Students marched and cheered in campus-wide parades and participated in activities to learn more about the principles and freedoms that make our country unique. Each classroom created a poster to display in the parade, adding creativity and school spirit to the celebration.

Many special guests joined the parades, including ROTC members and marching bands from local high schools, fire trucks, police cars, CCS-America Employees of the Year, and even James Madison, the Father of the Constitution! He gave a short speech about the history of this important document and marched in the parade.

Students spent the day celebrating, learning, and reflecting on the powerful opening of our Constitution: “We the People.”

Constitution Day Photos

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25 Years Later: Remembering 9/11

In honor of the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001, students and staff came together to remember and reflect on the lives impacted by this tragic day.Campuses began the morning gathered together for the Pledge of Allegiance, our School Pledge, a patriotic song, and a moment of silence to honor the victims, first responders, and families affected by the attacks.

Throughout the day, students participated in lessons and watched videos that helped them better understand the significance of 9/11 and its lasting impact on our country. As we recognized this milestone anniversary, students demonstrated respect and gratitude while honoring the courage and sacrifice that took place on one of America’s most difficult days.

September 11 Assembly Pictures:

CCS-Leland

CCS-Southport

CCS-Whiteville

CCS-Wilmington

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Staff Spotlight: Katie Boyce Runs in the 9/11 Promise Race

We are proud to recognize our school social worker, Katie Boyce, for participating in a relay race from the Pentagon to Ground Zero to support the 9/11 Promise organization. The race honors those affected by the events of 9/11 and raises scholarship money for the children of fallen and injured first responders. This year, over $160,000 was raised and fundraising efforts are ongoing.

The journey covered 240 miles and brought together runners and supporters from seven states, including Ms. Boyce. They stopped at 25 firehouses along the route. At each stop, they held a special ceremony featuring a historic flag that was raised at Ground Zero shortly after the attacks and placed a piece of steel from the World Trade Center towers at the base of the flagpole.

Katie shared that one of the most impactful parts of the experience was hearing from guest speakers, including first responders, military veterans, and a recipient of a 9/11 Promise Scholarship.

“We came together across seven states for one reason,” Katie reflected, “to remember those we lost, honor those who served and continue to serve, and keep the promise to their families.”

We are grateful to have team members like Katie who embody service, compassion, and a commitment to honoring the sacrifices of others.

Learn more about the 9/11 Promise

Watch Katie run on the news!

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A GRAND Morning with Grandparents!

National Grandparents Day is celebrated every year on the first Sunday after Labor Day. This year, it fell on September 13th. To honor this special day and celebrate the important role grandparents play in the lives of our students, CCS-Whiteville hosted a “Grand Morning with Grandparents,” where all grandparents had the special opportunity to spend time with their grandchildren, enjoy breakfast together, visit classrooms, and participate in CCS-America’s daily pledges.

Thank you to all the grandparents and family members who came out for this fun and memorable morning! We had a great time sharing the many exciting things happening at CCS-Whiteville and creating memories together.

GRANDparents Day Photos

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CCS-Leland Students Win 1st and 2nd Place Honors in Statewide History Contests

Two CCS-Leland students earned high honors in the annual youth history contests sponsored by the North Carolina chapters of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR).

The SAR is an organization dedicated to preserving America history, promoting patriotism, and educating future generations about Revolutionary history. Each year, they hold contests at the regional, state, and national levels that challenges students to research a Revolutionary War topic and creatively showcase their knowledge.

This year, Stella Lynch earned first place in the state poster contest for her project on the Battle of Moore’s Creek. Cheyenne Cummings received second place in the state brochure contest for her project on the Bill of Rights. Both students were rewarded with monetary prizes for their exemplary work.

After advancing from the regional competition, both students impressed judges with their historical knowledge, creativity, and attention to detail.

“We are incredibly proud of Stella and Cheyenne for their hard work and outstanding accomplishments,” said Jessica Lopez, Dean of Classical Humanities at CCS-America. “These contests provide students with an opportunity to engage deeply with our nation’s history, and it is exciting to see their hard work recognized at the state level. They have represented CCS-Leland exceptionally well and have continued CCS-America’s growing tradition of excellence in the SAR contests.”

Congratulations, Stella and Cheyenne! Your CCS-America family is proud of you and your dedication to American History!

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Soccer Season Kicks Off!

It’s finally here! The CCS-America middle school soccer season has begun and this year is already looking to be a great one.

Following tryouts, 6th-8th grade students were selected for their teams in early August and have spent the time since then working hard, practicing, and preparing for upcoming games. The competition began last week, with players not only demonstrating their soccer skills, but also their good sportsmanship, an important part of CCS-America’s Foundations of Virtue curriculum and a trait coaches make sure to emphasize.

Congratulations to CCS-Leland for winning the two opening games! We are very proud of all our teams and are excited for another year of competitive games, fun competition, and school spirit.

Be sure to cheer for your team at the next soccer game, Thursday, September 10th at the Southport campus when CCS-Whiteville takes on CCS-Southport. Check the Middle School Sports calendar for more information.

Soccer Game Pictures

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Back to School Community Events

Our campuses celebrated the start of an amazing new school year with their annual Back to School Community Events! These events are a school and community favorite and are always highly anticipated by families, staff, and prospective students.

CCS-Whiteville and CCS-Wilmington held their events after school on August 14th. CCS-Leland hosted theirs on August 27th, while CCS-Southport held the final event on August 28th. While each event was unique and had its own special elements, each campus welcomed families and local community members for an evening filled with food, vendors, games, bounce houses, and a whole lot of fun.

The community also had an opportunity to learn more about CCS-America and what makes our classical curriculum so successful. Each event also had a ‘curriculum fair’ where families were able to take a deeper look at all aspects of CCS-America.

Thank you to everyone who came out and made the events ones to remember!

Check out pictures of the fun at each campus:

CCS-Leland

CCS-Southport

CCS-Whiteville

CCS-Wilmington

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The CCS-America Advantage

Attending a CCS-America school and learning with our unique classical curriculum sets students up for success and gives them multiple advantages as they continue with their education.

One of these advantages is that CCS-America eighth grade graduates enter high school with up to five of their required twenty-two high school credits already completed. That puts them nearly a year ahead of other incoming students. Students can use these credits to explore additional elective courses, take a lighter course load each semester, or even position themselves to graduate early.

CCS-America offers the following courses for high school credit: English 1, Math 1, Earth and Environmental Science, Latin 1, and Latin 2.

The coursework is challenging, rewarding, and prepares students for success in both high school and beyond. By completing these courses in middle school, students gain important academic experience while also getting a head start on their high school journey.

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Dress for Success Days

Research shows that dressing professionally can boost confidence, improve performance, and strengthen communication skills. Learning to present oneself in a polished and professional manner is a valuable life skill that can have a positive impact in both academic and professional settings, including interviews, internships, business meetings, and other future opportunities.

To help students build this important skill and develop this habit early, CCS-America schools hold monthly Dress for Success Days throughout the year. While participation is optional, these days give students an opportunity to practice presenting themselves with confidence and professionalism.

Students will have several opportunities to participate in Dress for Success Days throughout the school year, and we encourage all students to join in.

2026 Dress for Success Days:

August 27 (Tomorrow!)

October 1

October 29

November 24

December 17

Parents can find Dress for Success attire and accessories by visiting ShopRBA’s Dress for Success Collection.

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New Referral Program: Help Us Spread the Word!

Do you know a family searching for a school where students are challenged, supported, and inspired to succeed? CCS-America is launching a new referral incentive program to encourage families and staff to share the benefits of a CCS-America education with others.

Beginning this week, current families and staff who refer a new student will receive a $50 Amazon gift card for each student who enrolls and is in a seat by September 21, 2026. In addition, newly enrolled students will receive a $100 ShopRBA gift card to help with uniform purchases. To quality, the applicant must put the first and last name of the parent or staff member in the “Referred by” section of the enrollment application.

Sometimes, the most persuasive invitation is simply one parent saying to another “You should come take a look at our school.” This program is designed to help more families discover the CCS-America difference, including a structured learning environment, strong character development, a classical curriculum, high academic expectations, and the joy that comes when hard work is noticed, praised, and rewarded.

Attendance will be verified before incentives are awarded, and gift cards will be distributed through each school’s office following fall break.

Thank you for helping us give more children the opportunity to succeed with a CCS-America education. Have prospective families visit www.EnrollRBA.com to apply today.

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Starting the Year Strong

We are two weeks into the new school year, and things are off to a fantastic start! Classrooms at all four campuses are already buzzing as students get back into their routines and prepare for new opportunities to grow.

In Kindergarten, our youngest learners are learning about, and becoming familiar with, school life. In middle school, students are diving into their coursework and preparing themselves for the future. Teachers and staff have worked hard to cultivate welcoming learning environments, setting the stage for a successful year.

Thank you to our dedicated staff, outstanding students, and supportive families for making this transition back to school so seamless. We are excited to see what the school year has in store!

First Week Photos

We are still accepting applications in select grade levels across all four campuses! If you know a family looking for the best quality education, encourage them to visit www.EnrollRBA.com. If the applicant puts your name in the referral section of the application, you will receive a $25 ShopRBA gift card. Help us grow the CCS-America family.

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Introducing Foundations of Virtue

The Character Education program has always been an important part of CCS-America’s curriculum. This year, we are excited to launch Foundations of Virtue, a new curriculum that expands and enhances our previous program.

The purpose of this enhancement is to help students better understand the virtues recited daily in our School Pledge. The new lessons reinforce the idea that the pledge is more than words— it is a promise kept through daily actions.

To help make these virtues meaningful and memorable, students will study historical figures and literary characters, such as George Washington and Florence Nightingale, who demonstrated virtues such as truthfulness, prudence, justice, courage, temperance, and faithfulness through their actions.

Because Foundations of Virtue is synchronized with both our history and literature curriculum timelines, students will learn how people they are studying exemplified these character traits. Students will learn by example that strong character is built by consistently choosing what is true, wise, and good, preparing them to put into practice the virtues they pledge to uphold each day.

Our Student of the Month ceremonies will also reflect this change. The virtues recognized each month will now align with the Foundations of Virtue curriculum.

Our goal is to help students understand the words of the pledge, remember worthy examples, and practice virtue in their daily lives.

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Investing in Excellence

Before students returned to campus, teachers and staff were hard at work preparing to make this a great school year. Over two weeks in July, all educators participated in an extensive professional development program that went beyond just our Staff Orientation Day. The training focused on a variety of important topics, including curriculum, classroom instruction, school safety, technology, and student support.

These sessions were tailored to specific grade levels and subject areas. Teachers collaborated with colleagues, explored effective strategies, and planned for strong student outcomes. They also participated in workshops covering classroom management, student engagement, and the principles of classical education.

At CCS-America, we believe that great schools are built by great educators who are committed to continuous growth. We are grateful for their hard work and dedication as we begin another exceptional year of learning and academic excellence.

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