July 26, 2017
Dear Charlotte Engineering Early College Parents and Students:
Begin with the End in Mind! As we begin our 4th year, I challenge all of us to begin the new school year with graduation in mind. It thrills me to think that I will be handing out high school diplomas and up to 60+ hours of transferrable college credit to a very deserving group of students in the next 2 years. We had a remarkable first three years of operation. Thank you for entrusting your son/daughter to us. We do not take this responsibility lightly. Our main goal is to prepare our students for college and an engineering/STEM related career. We may experience some bumps in the road, but, we are committed to continuous improvement. I apologize for the length of this letter. We have a great deal of information to share with you to ensure a smooth and successful opening of the 2017-18 school year.
Address/Contact Information: 9000 Robert D. Snyder Road, Charlotte, NC 28262. 980-343-9898.
Will Leach, Principal ()
Kristianna Luce, Assistant Principal ()
Dan Miller, Academic Facilitator ()
Claire Bell, Counselor ().
Front Office: Karlyn Mann () returns as our Sr. Administrative Secretary. Linda Mazzucca will be the secretary at the new teacher early college program. She will spend part of her day at CEEC in the front office.
New Staff: New Staff at CEEC for the 2017-18 school year. Several staff members have moved into a new grade level and to the new teacher early college. Please welcome Kristianna Luce (Assistant Principal), Tonya Jenkins (9th grade English), Tom Ellsworth (9th grade Science), Traci Amick (10th grade Math), Amanda Brigden (10th grade SS), and Amanda Marlowe (10th/11th grade Engineering).
Calendar: The 2017-18 CEEC School Calendar is included in this mailing. Please take a close look at our school calendar. It is different from the CMS calendar. There will be days when we are in school and CMS is closed, and vice versa. Our first day of school for 9th, 10th and 11th grade students is Monday, August 7. Fall break is October 9 and 10.
School Hours: 7:15 AM-2:15 PM
Communication: One goal in 2017-18 is to communicate with you using a variety of methods. Our website is certainly a work in progress. The site can be accessed at www.cms.k12.nc.us. Go to Schools, then High Schools. We are also building a Facebook page and Twitter account. More information will be shared during the opening week of school. We will continue to send email updates and will use the Connect Ed system when necessary. Please make sure that we have your updated email address.
Academics: Our focus at CEEC is to provide all students with a well-rounded education that includes rigorous and relevant coursework, student-centered instruction, work-based learning experiences and the development of the “soft” skills needed to survive in the real world. Our goal is not to overwhelm our students, but, the pace of the curriculum will be very fast! Our teachers will provide support throughout the school day. All students must take ownership of their own learning. They will have the opportunity to take college courses. We must make sure that they are ready! Beginning in the 9th grade, every grade and every credit counts towards the future.
Homework: Students can anticipate 1-2 hours of homework each night. Reading will be a critical component of the homework assignments. Homework will be used as an extension of the classroom and as practice of learning. Homework will count in the final grade. If students do not complete their homework assignments, they will be required to complete it during their lunch period.
School Supply List: School supply lists will be shared by CEEC Staff during the first week of school.
Grading: The CEEC grading plan provides opportunities for mastery. You can anticipate formal tests and projects counting 70% and informal assignments/homework counting 30%. Students will be required to demonstrate 80% mastery in all subject areas. CMS and CEEC will again use a 10 point grading scale during the 2017-18 school year. More information will be shared during the first two weeks of school.
Access to UNC Charlotte Coursework: To access UNC Charlotte coursework, students must achieve a 2.5 weighted GPA by the end of the 10th grade.
Bus Information: CEEC will utilize neighborhood stop transportation to all students in Mecklenburg County. Below, you will find your bus information for the 2017-18school year. Neighborhood stops will require an earlier pickup time in the morning and a later arrival time in the afternoon. Students are encouraged to arrive at their assigned stop/location at least 15 minutes prior to the departure time listed. You should ride your own bus, even if you feel another stop is closer to your home. You will only be allowed to ride the bus that you are assigned by CMS Transportation. You should be aware that we may have minor glitches at the beginning of the school year. With our earlier start time, please arrive at the stop on time. We are on the first schedule in the morning and afternoon. If you have questions about your assigned location, please contact Mr. Leach or Ms. Luce. Your neighborhood/shuttle stop location and times are included in the mailing. Please review and let us know if you have questions or need clarification. Ms. Luce and I as well as representative from CMS Transportation will be available during the August 3rd Back-to-School Night to answer questions.
**Based on traffic concerns expressed by UNC Charlotte, we will use a new format for afternoon dismissal. All early college students riding the bus in the afternoon will take a shuttle bus to Martin Middle School. Once they arrive at Martin, students will board their assigned bus and be taken to their stop. More information will be shared with students during the opening week. All buses will drop students at CEEC in the morning.
Car Pool Information: It is very important for all of us to remember that we are guests on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. If you plan to drop-off/pick-up your student from campus each day, please follow the procedures listed below. Students are not allowed to report to campus until 6:45 AM each school day. ALL students must be picked-up from campus by 2:30 PM each day, NO EXCEPTIONS. 9th and 10th grade students are not allowed to be on the UNC Charlotte Campus unsupervised at any time during the school day (unless they are enrolled in a college class). Students are not allowed to stay after school unless invited by a school staff member and transportation has been arranged. Please use extreme caution and patience when using the car pool lane. Please follow the direction of the officer/staff member on duty. No parking is allowed in the bus lane at any time during the school day. Construction on the light rail line on N. Tryon will continue during the 2017-18 school year and traffic patterns may change without notice.
· Student Drop Off begins between 6:45 AM and 7:15 AM: Parents will enter campus utilizing Highway 29 @ Institute Circle. Parents turn right on Robert D. Snyder Road and enter the drop off line. The drop off line will utilize the right side of the roadway and bicycle lane on Robert D. Snyder Road. Traffic will be staged on Robert D. Snyder Road until the officer located at Robert D. Snyder Road J.W. Clay Boulevard directs the vehicle(s) to turn left into the bus lane area. Due to potential safety concerns, students will not be permitted to exit vehicles and walk across Robert D. Snyder Road. Parents will be directed by the officer/staff member to enter the bus lane and drop the student in front of the CEEC building. Parents will exit the bus lane by making a right turn onto Robert D. Snyder Road and continuing to the round‐about and making a left onto Institute Circle to return to Highway 29.
· Student Pick‐up begins at 2:15 PM: Please DO NOT WAIT/PARK ON ROBERT SNYDER ROAD BEFORE 2:15 PM. Parents will enter campus utilizing Highway 29 @ Institute Circle. Parents will turn right on Robert D. Snyder Road and enter the pickup line. The pick‐up line will utilize the right side of the roadway and bicycle lane on Robert D. Snyder Road. Traffic will be staged on Robert D. Snyder Road until the officer located at Robert D. Snyder Road J.W. Clay Boulevard directs the vehicle(s) to turn left into the bus lane area. Due to the potential safety concerns, students will not be permitted to walk across Robert D. Snyder Road to enter vehicles. Parents will be directed by the officer/staff member to enter the bus lane and pick-up the student in front of the CEEC building. Parents will exit the bus lane by making a right turn onto Robert D. Snyder Road and continuing to the round‐about and making a left onto Institute Circle to return to Highway 29.
Parking: Parking is a very limited commodity at UNC Charlotte. CMS is paying for our staff to park while on campus. When coming to our campus, ALL parents and visitors MUST park in the CRI Parking Deck located next to our building. Failure to park in the CRI Parking Deck will result in parking tickets, fines and potential towing. CEEC is not responsible for tickets and fines. Upon entering the CRI Parking Deck, retrieve a ticket from the machine. Park on Level 4 and exit via the front of the deck. Our building will be on the left. Our front office staff will provide directions for exiting the CRI Parking Deck. Parents and visitors should NEVER park or idle in the bus lane in front of our building. The lane is used by a university shuttle. Always park in the CRI Parking Deck when visiting campus.
Student Parking: Once CEEC students receive their driver’s license, they may purchase a UNC Charlotte Parking Permit from the university. More information will be shared during the 11th grade orientation. Passes typically cost $450.00 per academic year (August to August). Students should NOT park in areas off of campus and walk to campus. Please see Mr. Miller for more details.
Schedules: All students have been assigned a schedule for the 2017-18 school year. A copy of your child’s schedule is included. If you do not have a schedule, please let us know at the open house. Due to the fact that we have very limited course offerings, schedule changes are discouraged. Schedules may change during the 1st month of classes. 11th and 12th grade students are not allowed to drop/add classes at UNC Charlotte. Please see Mr. Miller or Mrs. Bell for more information.
11th Grade Orientation: ALL 11th grade students taking UNC Charlotte classes are required to attend a 2 week orientation during the weeks of August 7-11 and August 14-18. On the first day of school, someone in front of the school will tell you where to report on the UNC Charlotte campus. We have many very important events planned to get our students ready for the college experience. Please wear comfortable shoes. We will be traveling around campus during the orientation. It will be hot! 11th grade students will want to bring a lunch from home during the first two weeks of school. All 11th grade students will attend the UNC Charlotte Convocation on Monday, August 21. UNC Charlotte classes will begin on Tuesday, August 22. If you have question, please contact Ms. Scott ().
12th Grade-Aug. 7-17, 2017: 12th Grade students should NOT report to campus from August 7-17. All high school coursework will be assigned online in Canvas by Mr. Czar and Mr. King. STUDENTS SHOULD LOGIN EACH DAY TO COMPLETE THE ASSIGNED WORK AND READING ASSIGNEMENTS. More information will be provided by Mr. Czar and Mr. King very soon. All 12th grade students should report to campus on Friday, August 18 for a 1-day orientation. 12th grade students are not required to attend the UNC Charlotte Convocation on Monday, August 21. UNC Charlotte classes will begin on Tuesday, August 22. Mr. Miller will send information related to textbook pickup. All 12th grade students should check their Remind.com address daily beginning August 1. If you have questions, please contact Mr. Miller, Mr. Czar or Mr. King.
5th Block/Seminar-New for 2017-18: During the first semester of the program of study at CEEC, 9th grade students will participate in a daily seminar. This seminar is designed to build study habits, personal skills, writing skills, critical thinking skills, prepare for college coursework, etc. During the spring semester, 9th grade students will take Online Health/PE during the 5th block.
During the 10th grade year, students will have the opportunity to take an elective class or NCVPS foreign language class.
Food Service: CMS Child Nutrition will serve breakfast and lunch each day in our building. Breakfast will be a “Grab and Go” format. Students will take their breakfast and eat in their 1st period classroom. Breakfast will be served from 6:45-7:15 each day. Breakfast is free to all CEEC students. A packaged lunch will available to all CEEC students. Students will have the opportunity to choose which classroom or outside area to spend the 30 minute lunch period. Lunch is $2.50. Students will be dismissed to get their lunch from Room 8 by grade level. If you choose to bring your lunch to school, we will have very limited refrigeration and microwaves available at the beginning of school. 11/12th grade students will be able to pick up the lunch at CEEC from 11:00-11:30 each day. It is recommended that students in the 11/12th grade bring their lunch each day or eat lunch on campus. Class schedules will vary each semester. UNC Charlotte has many dining opportunities on campus. They have developed several dining plan options for our students. Information will be shared during the first 2 weeks of school.
