As families head into a busy shopping weekend, now is a great time to pick up a few items that make learning at home fun, engaging, and meaningful. Here are five easy, budget-friendly holiday gift ideas that support creativity, curiosity, and skill-building:

Whether it’s early readers, graphic novels, or nonfiction books for curious minds, A new book can spark a love of reading—or deepen one that’s already there.

Puzzles strengthen spatial reasoning, focus, and perseverance.

Robotics kits, building sets, coding toys, and science experiments help kids explore engineering and technology in a fun, low-pressure way.

Sketchbooks, colored pencils, paints, and craft kits give students an outlet to imagine, design, and express themselves.

5. Board games that boost critical thinking From strategy games to family trivia, board games build communication, memory, and reasoning skills.

As you enjoy the holiday weekend, these small additions can make a big difference in keeping curiosity alive long after the sales end.

Students at Patriots STEM Elementary rolled up their sleeves this fall for their annual sweet potato harvest and sale, an effort led by teacher Maria Murray, now in her third year at the school. With support from gardening partners Doug Vernon, Amy Bowman, and fellow teacher Kate Highsmith, students prep and plant sweet potato slips each spring, then watch them grow for more than 110 days. This year’s harvest: 1,052 sweet potatoes weighing more than 630 pounds!

“In almost every class, several students ask 'Are we are going to the garden?' Most students love going out and getting in the dirt and being able to care for, harvest, taste and provide food for our school," said Murray.

From STEM lessons to pollinator gardens where students even observe monarch butterflies in their life cycle, Patriots STEM is growing more than produce. They’re cultivating curiosity, environmental stewardship, and real-world learning that connects students to the world around them.

The NCDPI K–12 Math team invites all stakeholders to take part in an important step in shaping North Carolina’s math education future. The first draft of the revised K–12 Math Standards is now available, and your feedback is essential. As required by State Board policy, we are gathering input from educators, administrators, parents, students, higher education, business and industry partners, and community members to ensure the standards reflect the needs of our state.

This survey is your opportunity to review the proposed standards and share insights that will guide the next phase of revisions. Your voice will help determine what refinements—such as clarifications, additions, or adjustments—are needed before the final standards are developed. Thank you for taking a few minutes to participate and contribute to a process rooted in research, collaboration, and a commitment to high-quality mathematics education for all students. 

Please use the link below to learn more about this process and to provide your feedback:

All-Stakeholder K-12 Math Standards Survey 

FINE ARTS: It's holiday performance season for our performing arts students. Please click here to access our district performing arts calendar and don't miss out on our talented student performances: District Performing Arts Schedule

BOARD OF EDUCATION UPDATE: Did you know there are multiple ways to keep up with Board of Education happenings? You can read the latest meeting updates, view meeting agendas, see the meeting calendar, or watch the YouTube livestream and recordings of meetings all from the district website.

PROGRAM CHOICE FOR 2026-27: Program Choice applications are open through Dec. 14, 2025 for next school year. For more information, please visit www.cabarrus.k12.nc.us/programchoice.

🎨❄️ Calling all CCS student artists! ❄️🎨

The 2025 Cabarrus County Schools Holiday eCard Contest is officially open — sponsored by Uwharrie Bank and Edward Jones!

❄️ This year’s theme is “Snowflakes and School Spirit.” From colorful card designs to creative coloring pages, we can’t wait to see how YOU capture the magic of the season.

✨ New this year: We’ve eliminated the digital art category and added a brand-new coloring contest for our youngest artists in Pre-K through 2nd grade!

🏆 Six winners will have their artwork featured in the Superintendent’s official holiday greeting and receive a special prize pack from our sponsors!

🗓️ Deadline: Monday, December 15, 2025, at Noon

✨ Be original. Be festive. Be YOU — and let your school spirit shine this holiday season!

👉 Full contest details and entry form available at: www.cabarrus.k12.nc.us/holidayecard