September is National School Attendance Awareness Month. And this year, more than ever, school attendance is tantamount. Throughout the month, Cabarrus County Schools will raise awareness of the importance of school attendance through our Present, Engaged and Supported! campaign. The campaign emphasizes that strong, trusting relations between students, families, teachers and other critical school staff will have a significant impact on the ability of students to focus and learn in this new environment. Establishing and maintaining regular communication with families and welcoming them as partners will help ensure that students are supported at home and in school.

Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that it would extend the waiver allowing free meals to all children ages 1-18 until December 31, 2020. Children do not have to be enrolled in Cabarrus County Schools to participate. Our School Nutrition Program will continue to serve meals at the current sites and bus stop locations for free.

Our district announced a phased return to high school skill development workouts for both athletics and fine arts, which is set to begin on Sept. 14^th. The phased approach is the result of ongoing collaboration among CCS administration, high school athletic directors and high school principals. The re-entry timelines mirror the order of the seasons recently announced in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s (NCHSAA) revised sports calendar for the 2020-21 school year.  Planning for a revised Middle School Sports Calendar is under way and will be announced soon. Learn more about our plans here.

As we prepare for a possible return to in-person learning, we want to hear from you. All CCS parents are invited to complete the Plan B Intentions Transition Survey. This survey, located on your school’s website, will help us as we plan for a potential return to school under Plan B. The Cabarrus County Board of Education continues to review county health data to determine if and when it is safe to open schools for learning in Plan B. The survey closes on Friday, Sept. 4^th at 11:59 p.m.

Thank you for the hard work and effort you’ve put in over the past three weeks for our strong start. I hope you take some time to relax and enjoy the long holiday weekend. Stay safe.

Sincerely,