We hope you've had a great week!

As a reminder, there will be no school for students at traditional schools on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 4th for a staff development day. Many of our schools are used as voting precincts. If you live inside a city or town limits, make your high school Civics teacher proud and go vote in next week's municipal elections.

👻 Have fun and be safe Trick-or-Treating to all our Jaguars, Cobras, Tigers, Vikings, Chargers, Spiders, Wolverines, Bulls, Eagles, Bulldogs, Trojans, Gryphons, Miners, Wolves, Patriots, Mavericks, Knights, Titans, Raptors, Cardinals, Bengals, Falcons, Beacons, Cougars, Comets, Yellow Jackets, Cowboys, Cowgirls, Redhawks, Panthers, Bobcats, Roadrunners, Dragons, Wildcats, Leopards, Rockets, Hornets, and Phoenix! Happy Halloween from Cabarrus County Schools!

🎃 Friday 5 Trick-or-Treating Safety Tips

Here's this week's edition of The Friday Five 🖐️.

📖 The Fall 2025 Edition of Engage CCS: The Magazine is here 👉 www.cabarrus.k12.nc.us/EngageCCS

This issue celebrates the people and programs that make Cabarrus County Schools a place where everyone can belong, grow, and lead.

🌎 Belonging: Discover how our Newcomer Academy helps multilingual students and families find confidence and connection.

🥧 A Taste of CCS: Just in time for Thanksgiving — try the Sweet Potato Pie recipe that's teaching farm-to-fork at Mount Pleasant High School! It's our state vegetable!

🎭 Shaping Futures: Follow NW Cabarrus grad Kaleb Jenkins from local school stages to the bright lights of Broadway.

💼 Growing Leaders: Meet Paige Gentry and Rhonda Drought, the HR duo who keep CCS running strong from day one to retirement.

❤️ Engaging Hearts: Step into Erika Holub’s classroom at Central Cabarrus, where laughter, life skills, and “Holub Bucks” build confidence and kindness.

📣 Connections: Hear from Jerry Hathcock, the “Voice of the Spiders,” who’s connected generations of fans for 37 years.

🩺 Innovation: Learn how students at Cabarrus Health Sciences Institute are preparing for the future of health care.

As we head into the busy holiday season, here are some key upcoming dates for Cabarrus County Schools families to keep in mind!

🍂 November 2025

❄️ December 2025

✨ Stay connected on ParentSquare and your school’s website for reminders and updates.

Cabarrus County Schools is committed to ensuring that every child and family has access to nutritious food and community support. With recent updates to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), some families may experience changes or delays in benefits beginning November 1, 2025. Our district and community partners are working together to help families stay connected to available resources during this time:

School social workers are a great point of contact for families who need help navigating food and community resources—or for anyone who wants to help others. They are actively gathering updated information about local food pantries, meal sites, and assistance programs. You can find your school social worker’s contact information here.

Our Community Resource Page is regularly updated with information about food programs, meal sites, and other supports available throughout Cabarrus County. Families are encouraged to check back often, as access hours and availability may change.

Families who have not applied for Free or Reduced-Price Meals and do not attend a CEP school can submit a Free and Reduced-Price Lunch Application to determine eligibility for school meals. Please visit our Child Nutrition Website to apply directly or contact your school social worker for a paper application.

If your organization provides food or assistance and is not listed—or your information has changed—please complete this form so Cabarrus County families can access the most up-to-date resource information.

If you’d like to support local families, consider contacting a nearby food pantry or community agency to learn what donations or volunteer support are most needed. You may also reach out to your school social worker to explore ways to contribute.

 

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) encourages residents who rely on SNAP benefits to:

Whether you are seeking support or offering it, our schools and community partners can help you stay connected and informed.

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME ENDS SUNDAY: Daylight Saving Time ends this Sunday, November 2nd. Don’t forget to set your clocks back one hour before going to bed Saturday night! 🕐 It’s also a great time to check your smoke detector batteries.

CCS, THE PEARL TO PARTNER ON HEALTHCARE INNOVATION ACADEMY at JMRHS: CCS, in partnership with Atrium Health and Charlotte’s new innovation district, The Pearl CLT, is proud to announce a first-of-its-kind healthcare innovation academy — a pioneering microschool designed to prepare students for emerging careers in healthcare and technology.

Join us for an Open House at Jay M. Robinson High School on Wednesday, Nov. 19th from 5:30–7 PM to learn more about this exciting new Program Choice opportunity.

ACADEMIC CALENDAR ADJUSTMENT: Cabarrus County Schools has adjusted the 2025-26 academic calendar for traditional schools to conclude one day earlier in an effort to avoid resource conflicts during CCS graduation ceremonies on the NASCAR race weekend in Concord. The last day of school for traditional school students has been moved one day earlier to Wednesday, May 20, 2026. The original last day of school was Thursday, May 21, 2026. Adjusting the calendar will allow traditional high school graduations to occur on Wednesday, May 20, Thursday, May 21, and Friday, May 22nd, and avoid the originally scheduled Saturday graduation date. There is no change to the Early College calendar. For a complete listing of 2025-26 CCS academic calendars, please visit the CCS district calendar webpage.

CWES ATTENDANCE BOUNDARY PROJECT: Cabarrus County Schools is reviewing and updating elementary attendance boundaries in preparation for the new Coltrane-Webb STEM Elementary opening in Fall 2026. As part of this project, CCS will hold its second public community meeting on Nov. 12th at 6pm at R. Brown McAllister Elementary School for those who would like to attend. Learn more, see a focused area map of the realignment, and ask questions about the project at www.engagewithccs.com

ATTENTION SENIOR PARENTS: The 2025–26 FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is now open! Completing the FAFSA is the first step toward qualifying

Complete 2025-26 CCS Calendars:

NC DECA’s District 7 Regional Event is seeking judges to help evaluate and inspire our emerging leaders.

 

Location: Cabarrus Arena & Events Center

Date: Wednesday, November 12 | 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM

 

No prior experience needed — training will be provided. This is a wonderful way to give back, network with other professionals, and support the next generation of business leaders.

 

Sign up today here -> https://forms.gle/sFBcBQfbMUPQE9pi9

SAVE THE DATE! Cabarrus County Active Living & Park's Touch-a-Truck returns is Nov. 1st.

Date: November 1

Time: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (low sensory period from 9-10:30)

Location: Cabarrus Arena & Events Center

Expect candy, games, giveaways, a Ninja Nation obstacle course and of course — plenty of trucks and other vehicles!

Admission is free, parking is $8.

The holiday season is full of joy — and for some, extra stress. At Cabarrus County Schools, we want to make sure your family has access to the community resources you need. Our Community Partnerships & Resources page offers:

✅ What you can do right now

If you have questions or need help navigating these resources, please reach out to your child’s school or the District Students & Family Support office.

The nomination process for the 2025-2026 School Counselor of the Year is open. This year, we are continuing to open up nominations to our administrators, school staff, students, and families! We know the impact that our school counselors make on the school community as a whole and want to give multiple stakeholders an opportunity to nominate them for this honor. 

 

Nominations will will remain open until November 2nd. Nominations can be made using the link below. All stakeholders will use the same link in order to make a nomination as the form will ask them to select their role and will then give them the appropriate questions. 

 

In order to be nominated, the school counselor must be employed as a full-time counselor, must have at least 3 years (2022-present) of professional experience as a school counselor, and must have at least one full year as a school counselor in CCS. 

 

We encourage you to take a moment to nominate a School Counselor for this honor.

 

Thank you! 

 

 

The Friends of the Midland Library is hosting its annual Veteran's Day Book Sale from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 8, to benefit the Midland library. The book sale will again be held at the Black-Phillips American Legion Post 433, 12975 Cabarrus Station Road in Midland. In addition to finding great books before the holidays, you can check out some of the amazing items the American Legion has. The Friends of the Midland Library will also be collecting new toys for local children for Toys for Tots.

Holiday traditions return to Downtown Concord in November! The City of Concord’s 28th Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony will take place on Friday, November 21, and the 97th Concord Christmas Parade, is on Saturday, November 22.

 

Both events are free and filled with family-friendly fun and entertainment for all ages, plus fireworks on Friday night. Many of our CCS students will be participating in both events, so come out and support them and enjoy these time-honored traditions.

 

Learn more about Concord’s holiday festivities by visiting concordnc.gov/Christmas

It's not late if you're interested in Registering to Participate in the Concord Parade.

Cabarrus County Schools will host several events this year for parents with themes geared towards being Career & College Ready:

Program Choice is the opportunity for families to choose an instructional style or theme that is a best fit for their student. Program Choice in Cabarrus County Schools allows parents to apply for a program of interest while still maintaining enrollment in our local public school system. School assignment is determined by the students' address.

Program Choice serves three purposes in Cabarrus County:

Each program is centered on a theme or adheres to a specific program of study. The application process is open to any student who lives within the Cabarrus County School District and meets the criteria for entrance.

Applications for the 26-27 school year will be open from Wednesday, October 15, 2025 to Sunday, December 14, 2025. Parent notification of placement will occur in the online family dashboard the week of February 2, 2026. Parents will have until Monday, February 16, 2026 to make a decision and accept a seat in their online dashboard. Any seats not accepted within this window will be forfeited to waitlisted students. 

 

Demand for CCS Program Choice currently exceeds seat availability. A randomized lottery is used to select students for placement. Notifications of placement are sent in February to the families of all applicants. Students who are not admitted at the end of the application period shall be placed on a waiting list in the order determined by the randomized lottery. Students shall be admitted from the waiting list as space becomes available, up to the first student school day in the order he/she appears on the waiting list.

For more information, please email programchoice@cabarrus.k12.nc.us.