Kick off winter break with a fun and festive wind-down for 8th-12th graders! Enjoy a stress-free afternoon filled with creative tech challenges, hands-on holiday projects, friendly competitions, and tasty food stations with activities like escape room, robot mazes, and much more!

Date: Saturday, December 20, 2025 

Time: 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM 

Location: CCS SparkLab at Cabarrus Virtual Academy, 4511 Weddington Rd. Concord NC (next to Winkler Middle School)

We're excited to announce an improvement to how you receive notifications for posts from our schools and district. Soon, if you use the ParentSquare app and have both app and text notifications turned on, you'll receive post notifications through the app, with text notifications sent only as a backup when needed. This smart delivery system will simplify and streamline how you receive your school communications. 

Currently, you might receive duplicate notifications for posts via both the app and text message. 

With this update: 

This change streamlines how you receive post notifications. By reducing the number of notifications sent to your device for each post, it will be easier for you to keep track of school updates in one place. 

No action is required from your side! If you already use the app and have both app and text notifications turned on, you'll automatically benefit from this smart notification delivery. 

If you haven’t downloaded the ParentSquare app or turned on app notifications, now is a great time to do so. This gives you the best way to access and customize classroom communications on your mobile device. 

To learn more about this change, see ParentSquare's Help Article.

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 2026-27 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.

K-12 MATH STANDARDS SURVEY: 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 this link 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.

🎨❄️ 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