Good afternoon! We hope you've had a great week and enjoy your weekend!

There will be no school next Friday, Sept. 25, for students at traditional schools.  This will be a capped teacher workday.  Early Colleges will operate on a normal schedule.

What's the difference between a capped and uncapped workday?  For students, there is no difference.  Students are out of school on both capped and uncapped days.  The capped and uncapped designations are for staff information purposes only.

Finally, the Cabarrus County Preview of Champions marching band event will happen on Saturday, Sept 19 at 5pm at Mount Pleasant High School. More information can be found here.

Here's this week’s Friday Five.🖐️

Cabarrus County Schools is excited to launch Future Makers, a new districtwide recognition program celebrating the people who make a difference every day across CCS.

Inspired by Destination 27 and this year's district theme, “Your Future. Our Focus.”, Future Makers will shine a spotlight on employees whose service, dedication and commitment help shape the futures of our students. From classrooms and school offices to buses, cafeterias, technology, maintenance and beyond, great work happens everywhere in CCS.

And we want to hear from you. Parents, students, employees and community members are invited to nominate a CCS employee who deserves to be recognized as a Future Maker.

Know someone making a difference? 

Nominate a Future Maker today: https://forms.gle/GYPHSXpGiBCPZsXZ6

September is National School Attendance Awareness Month.  

Throughout the month, Cabarrus County Schools will raise awareness of the importance of school attendance through weekly messaging. The slogan for this year’s campaign is Your Presence Matters! It lifts up our focus on building trusting relationships with students, families and communities. It highlights the importance of listening to students and families to learn and leverage their strengths, as well as understand their challenges getting to school. 

Your Presence Matters! is a call to action for everyone to work together and remove barriers and support students in attending school, especially when challenges make it harder to show up. 

Learn more here: https://awareness.attendanceworks.org/resources/count-us-toolkit/ 

Join us for the 2026 CCS Futures Fair on Tuesday, October 13, at the Cabarrus Arena & Events Center!

🎓 Program Choice Fair: 5–7 p.m.

🏫 College, Career & Military Fair: 6–8 p.m.

Families can explore CCS Program Choice opportunities and connect with colleges, universities, career representatives and military recruiters, all in one evening.

Program Choice applications for the 2027-28 school year open October 1 and close November 30, 2026. For more information, email programchoice@cabarrus.k12.nc.us.

New this year for Program Choice Applicants: Students may apply for up to three programs through a single application in the Scribbles platform. Applicants will select their programs and rank them in order of preference instead of submitting separate applications for each program. Families are encouraged to explore the available options and discuss their preferred choices before applying.

🎓 Enroll – Meet with more than 100 college admissions representatives and learn about educational opportunities, programs, admissions requirements, and campus life. Please register for a barcode before the event at www.StriveFair.com.

✅HOW TO PAY FOR COLLEGE FOR JUNIORS AND SENIORS ON SEPTEMBER 29: Current juniors, seniors and their families are invited to join CFNC for “How to PAY for College” on Tuesday, September 29, at 6:30 p.m. at Concord High School. Paying for college can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to navigate it alone. This informative session will help families better understand the financial aid process, including completing the FAFSA, grants, scholarships and student loans, scholarship searches, important financial aid timelines and deadlines, common mistakes to avoid, and resources available through CFNC. Presentations will be offered simultaneously in both English and Spanish. Whether your student is considering a community college, university or technical program, this session will provide practical information to help your family plan and prepare for the cost of higher education.

✅NEW FOR 26-27: CCS SCHOLARSHIP HUB WEBPAGE: CCS students and families now have a one-stop resource to make the scholarship search a little easier. The CCS Scholarship Hub features a searchable database of current scholarship opportunities, a planning tool to help students track applications and deadlines, scholarship search tips and safety reminders, financial aid resources, and an easy way for seniors to report scholarship offers. New opportunities are added throughout the year, so students are encouraged to check back often and make scholarship searching part of their college planning routine.

🔗 Explore the CCS Scholarship Information page

✅2027 US SENATE YOUTH PROGRAM FOR JUNIORS AND SENIORS: Applications are open for the highly competitive 2027 U.S. Senate Youth Program! Eligible high school juniors and seniors must currently serve in an elected or appointed leadership position representing their peers or another constituency and demonstrate a strong record of public and community service. North Carolina will select two student delegates to attend Washington Week, March 6–13, 2027, in Washington, D.C. Each delegate will also receive a $12,500 undergraduate college scholarship. Students interested in government, public affairs, history and civic leadership are encouraged to review the eligibility requirements and application information on the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s U.S. Senate Youth Program webpage.

Program Choice Open Houses are a great opportunity for families to learn more about the unique programs available across Cabarrus County Schools. Meet staff, explore schools, ask questions and discover which option may be the right fit for your student. Check out the upcoming Program Choice Open House dates below and start planning your visit!

 

 

The district also has a dedicated Program Choice Open House Calendar page with this schedule.

Cabarrus County Public Library is connecting Cabarrus County High School students to College and Career Readiness resources through NCLive.org.  

Students can access these resources with a Cabarrus County Public Library Card number or a bypass password.  Please speak with your school library media coordinator to obtain a bypass password and consent form.  

High School Students - NCLive.org High School Student Directions

Cabarrus County Schools will host two additional community forums this fall to provide information and answer questions about the 2026 school bond referendum.

All forums will be held from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Community members are invited to attend any of the three forums to learn more about the proposed school bond, the projects included, and the bond process.

We hope you’ll join us and learn more before Election Day on Nov. 3.

Even though we're only three days into the start of school, many of you have already been impacted by our amazing teachers. Please visit our link and nominate a Teacher of the Month for October. Our next winner will be recognized at the Board of Education's Oct. 12th meeting.

This year's winners: