School News- 8/13/2025
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What is Direct Instruction? All CCS-America schools utilize Direct Instruction, a research-based instructional approach that emphasizes the use of intensive, small group instruction, using carefully designed lessons. Through Direct Instruction, complex cognitive skills are broken down into small units. This creates exciting teacher-student interaction. Teachers introduce and model new information, and students show understanding through choral and individual responses. They then receive immediate teacher feedback. As a result, students are fully engaged and become productive, confident learners. This summer, the National Institute for Direct Instruction (NIFDI) announced their Silver Star schools, recognizing schools and networks that have demonstrated a long-term commitment to utilizing Direct Instruction programs with fidelity. The Roger Bacon Academy/CCS-America was one of three schools and networks nationwide to receive this honor. The NIFDI stated, “These campuses have utilized DI programs as their core academic instruction and have shown remarkable results.”We are proud of our commitment to Direct Instruction and honored by this national recognition of our success. Learn More About Direct Instruction *************
Back to School Community Events Our campuses kicked off the school year with their second annual Back to School Community Events! This event was a community favorite last year and was highly anticipated by families and staff alike. CCS-Leland and CCS-Wilmington held their events after school on Friday, August 8th. Although CCS-Whiteville had to unfortunately cancel due to weather, the other campuses welcomed charter families and local community members for an evening filled with games, food, bounce houses, and a whole lot of fun. This event was also an opportunity for community members to learn more about our classical curriculum, academic successes, and what makes CCS-America schools so unique. Thank you to all who attended and made it a night to remember! Be sure to remind any friends, family, or neighbors who attended that enrollment is still open for the 2025-2026 school year! Visit www.EnrollRBA.com for more information and to join our amazing school community. Don’t miss CCS-Southport’s Community Carnival, which will take place this Friday, August 15th. We can’t wait to see you there! *************
2025 Wilmington Safety Awards At CCS-America, safety of our students and staff is a top priority. The Roger Bacon Academy is committed to ensuring that our teachers, students, and staff work in in a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment. This dedication to safety was recognized at the 2025 Wilmington Safety Awards, an event hosted by the North Carolina Department of Labor and the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce. The ceremony celebrated organizations across southeastern North Carolina that are fostering strong safety cultures. Thanks to the hard work of our staff and faculty, all four CCS-A campuses, along with the Roger Bacon Academy, received with Gold Awards in recognition of their commitment to safety. “It’s a privilege to recognize businesses that don’t just talk about safety- they lead by example, day in and day out,” said Luke Farley, NC Labor Commissioner. “When you earn this recognition, you’re showing your team that you care- and you’re helping set the standard for others to follow.” Check out pictures from the ceremony: Wilmington Safety Awards Photos ************ |
Starting the School Year StrongWe’ve had a great first two weeks back to school! Students across all grade levels have returned with energy, enthusiasm, and a determination to learn. They are already working hard and learning new things. Middle school elective courses are underway, fourth graders have begun learning Latin, and kindergarteners are adjusting and getting used to their new routines.We are proud of how smoothly this transition back to school has gone and are excited to continue and add to last year’s great academic accomplishments. Thank you to our outstanding staff, students, and families for making the start of the new school year such a success.Check out what our students have been up to so far:
Alumni Spotlight: Savannah-Grace JonesMeet Savannah-Grace Jones, proud alumna and valedictorian of the CCS-Whiteville Class of 2017. The daughter of State Representative Brenden Jones and longtime CCS-Whiteville substitute Angela Jones, Savannah-Grace graduated first in her class from South Columbus High School in 2021. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing with honors from Campbell University, where she was also granted early acceptance into their medical school.While at Campbell, Savannah-Grace emerged as a strong campus leader and advocate. She held various roles within the Campbell Student Nurses’ Association, the BSN Student Council, the Student Government Association, and the Campbell Healer Collaborative, among others. She notably founded the Campbell University chapter of Young Women for America. In recognition of her outstanding leadership, she was honored at graduation with the prestigious Dr. Nancy Duffy Leadership Award.Savannah-Grace will soon begin her nursing career in the ICU at McLeod Seacoast Medical Center while continuing to pursue her academic and professional goals. She attributes her passion for learning and leadership to her faith, her family, and the strong academic foundation she received at CCS-Whiteville.”My teachers taught me that hard work pays off,” said Savannah-Grace. “They showed me that integrity matters, and that the pursuit of excellence is worth every ounce of effort.”We are proud to have Savannah-Grace Jones as a part of the RBA Alumni family!At last month’s RBA/CCS-America staff orientation, Savannah-Grace was invited to give a speech to all staff members, including her former headmaster, teachers, and coaches.Click the link below to watch her full speech about how her RBA education and teachers shaped and inspired her journey:
CCS-America Incentive AwardsCCS-America teachers and grade level teams across all campuses work very hard to make sure their students are successful. They give them care, attention, and all the tools students need so they can reach their highest potential. Each year, CCS-America recognizes the grade level teams that have reached various milestones, including 95% attendance, high growth in English, high growth in Math, and high growth in History.For each merit award earned, the grade team receives a financial award and streamer to attach to their rally flag. Congratulations to the 2024-2025 Incentive Award Winners and to all of our incredible teams of teachers!Click the links below to see the awarded teams from each campus:
Students, Start Your Pencils!Last week, all four CCS-America campuses held their annual FASTAR® (Fluent Academic Skills Tournament in Arithmetic and Reading) races. This year was extra special, as we celebrated the 2oth anniversary of FASTAR®!Our elementary students lined up in their racing lanes, cheered on by their classmates and family members. Middle school “pit crew” members helped time the racers and made sure everything ran smoothly.As soon as they heard “Go!” the students took off, first reading a passage out loud and then racing through sheets of math facts. They sped to the finish line, with some races decided by just seconds.All of our campus winners will face off at the Race of Champions, which is scheduled for next Wednesday, April 30th. The school with the most speed and accuracy will take home the trophy as 2025’s FASTAR® Champion!Congratulations to all of our racers, pit crew members, and winners! Thank you to all classmates, family members, and friends for cheering the racers on!See pictures from each campus’s race below:
Staff Alumni Spotlight: Jordan SinglerAt CCS-America, we love to see our former students come back to teach for us. Jordan Singler attended CCS-Leland, then known as Charter Day School, for grades K-8 from 2003-2012.Ms. Singler began working at CCS-Whiteville in 2020 as a fifth grade teacher. She moved her way up to her current position as lead 8th grade teacher, where she teaches both English Language Arts (ELA) and History. While teaching, she was able to complete her master’s degree and expressed her interest in administration.With the start of the 2025-2026 school year, she will take the position of CCS-Whiteville Operations Coordinator, making her the Roger Bacon Academy’s first admin alumna! We are very excited for her to bring her unique skills and perspective to this role.When asked what advice she has for current CCS-America students, Ms. Singler said, “My advice to my current students is to reach for the stars. I can see the passion they have and try every day to instill in them they can be any and everything they want to be. While I was at CCS-America, my teachers did the same for me and they gave me the tools to do it. I have since accomplished many things thanks to encouragement of former teachers that I also have the privilege of working with today.”Learn more about Ms. Singler and her journey from CCS-America student to teacher:
Curriculum Spotlight: PoetryPoetry is an important aspect of CCS-America’s ELA curriculum. As a part of the Quarter Four Poetry Unit, fourth through eighth grade students read, studied, and memorized classical poems.They practiced memorizing and reciting these poems, and, at the end of the unit, performed them for the camera.Each grade level focused on a different poem:-Fourth Grade: Dust of Snow by Robert Frost-Fifth Grade: Dreams by Langston Hughes-Sixth Grade: The Eagle by Alfred Lord Tennyson-Seventh Grade: Where My Books Go by William Butler Yeats-Eighth Grade: Loss and Gain by Henry Wadsworth LongfellowClick on the link below to watch students reciting the poems:
Enroll for the 2025-2026 School Year!We are currently taking applications for the 2025-2026 school year for all grade levels!Remember, this year we are offering a new incentive for current CCS-A parents and staff members. When a new student applies for enrollment at a CCS-A school between 12/1/24 – 6/30/2025 and enters a current parent or staff member’s name and email in the “Referred By” section of the application, that parent/staff member will be emailed $25 of