Alamance Community School is a new tuition-free public charter school opening in August 2020 in North Carolina. It will serve students in kindergarten through eighth grade using a curriculum focused on reading, writing, math, science and social studies workshops as well as project-based learning. The school will have small class sizes, technology resources, and specials classes like art, music, PE and engineering. Its application process includes an online application period ending in January and a lottery in February to determine enrollment for the first year.

1. Alamance Community School

2. About Alamance Community School
and
NC Public Charter Schools

3. ACS Board &
Managing Director
Board of Directors
● Natalie Turner, Board Chair
● Cindy Jones, Vice Chair
● Alex Christiansen, Secretary
● Justin Smith, Treasurer
● Brenda Derrick
Managing Director
● Leslie Paynter

4. What is a NC Public Charter School?
● A charter school is a TUITION-FREE, PUBLIC SCHOOL of CHOICE
that is authorized by the State Board of Education and operated by an
independent non-profit boards of directors.
● It has open enrollment and CANNOT discriminate in
admissions, associate with any religion or religious group,
or charge tuition.
● It must admit any child residing in NC who is qualified
to attend NC schools regardless of the school district
where the child resides.

5. What is a NC Public Charter School?
● A charter school is REQUIRED to participate in the state’s
accountability program, administer end-of-grade and end-of course
tests, and provide data needed for NC School Report Cards.
● State and local tax dollars are the primary funding sources for the
charter school - “the money follows the child”. Funding for the school
comes from federal, state, and local taxes.
● Charter schools DO NOT receive funds for
CAPITAL expenses (building a school building,
renovations, etc.)

6. Our Partners
● Charter Success Partners has over 14 years experience providing financial,
facility financing, and student information services to charter schools.
● SchoolDev East/Schoolhouse Development have been working with charter
schools since 2004. They are overseeing the construction financing, zoning,
permitting, building design and construction of the school.
● BC Construction Group (BCCG) is a national design-builder that works on small and
large projects, including the building of charter schools, ranging from $1,000,000
to $40,000,000 all across the country.

7. Our Location
● 11+ acres on Jimmie Kerr Road
● Groundbreaking early February

8. ACS FAQs
● Opening in August 2020 serving Kindergarten - Third Grade
● Adding a grade level each year until reaching Eighth Grade in 2025
● Receiving applications for students from 5 different counties
● 5 classes per grade level; 20 students per class; 100 students per grade level
● 21st Century Learning Environment with iPads,
Chromebooks, and Interactive Whiteboards

9. ACS FAQs
● ALL ACS General Education and Exceptional Children teachers are required
to be licensed and highly qualified.
● After School Care Options - We will have a survey after the lottery to
determine the needs of our families, but there will be after care options.
● Children can bring their lunch or purchase a lunch from
contracted vendors. Children will eat lunch in their classroom.
● Free & Reduced Lunches for families who complete
necessary paperwork and qualify.

10. Bus Transportation
● We will have 1-2 buses to serve students living in various geographic
areas of our school.
● Priority will be given to families where transportation is a hardship.
● We will select specific drop zones where parents will be able to meet the
ACS bus to transfer their children to the care of our bus drivers for
transport to the school.

11. ACS Curriculum &
Schedule

12. Responsive Classroom and Morning Meeting
Morning meetings at Alamance Community School will include the following:
● Greeting
● Sharing
● Activity/Team Building
● News and Announcements
● Hopes and Dreams
● Goal Setting

13. Reading Workshop
NC Standard Course of Study in Reading
Teachers College at Columbia University
Reader's Workshop helps students develop strong reading skills through
the use of:
● Mini-lessons
● Guided reading
● Read aloud
● Conferencing
● Independent reading
● Literature response
● Purposeful share
● Literacy Workstations

14. Writing Workshop
NC Standard Course of Study in Writing
Teachers College at Columbia University
Students:
● live, work and learn as writers.
● learn writing craft techniques.
● observe their lives and the world around them while collecting, drafting,
revising, editing, and publishing.
● apply the skills and strategies they've learned to their own writing
projects.
Teacher feedback is given through one-to-one conferences, small group
instruction, and includes instructional compliments and teaching.

15. Math Workshop
NC Standard Course of Study in Math
● We will pull from multiple resources to meet these
standards:
● Math in Practice
● Math Talks
● Math Tasks
● NC DPI Math Wiki
● Math mini-lesson
● Students rotate through math workstations,
including a small guided math group on the
students’ levels.

16. Project Based Learning Work
● We will complete 3 projects per year/1 per trimester
● We will follow the NC Essential Standards in Science and Social
Studies to determine each grade level project.

17. K - 3 Projects
● Kindergarten: Me, My Community, &
Community Helpers; Animals;
Weather & Seeds
● First Grade: Business & Economics in our Community; Animal
Habitats; Holidays & Traditions
● Second Grade: Sound & Cultures; Business &
Economics: The General Store; Weather &
Life Cycles
● Third Grade: Plants & Soil;
Landforms; Our Community: Graham & Mebane

18. Kindergarten Project Examples
All About Me & Community Helpers

19. Kindergarten Project Examples
Seeds and Weather
Animals

20. First Grade Project Examples Animal Habitats
Holidays & Traditions
Business in
Our Community

21. Second Grade Project Examples
Weather and Life Cycles Sound and Culture
Business: The
General Store

22. Third Grade Project Examples
Landforms Seeds and Soil Our Community

23. Specials
● Art
● Music
● PE
● Lego/Engineer
ing
● Science

24. Our Empathy Initiative
● 10 - 15 minutes of purposeful service is built into each day
● All grade levels and classes will work on a project encompassing
community building and empathy
● Possible Empathy Projects: “Only One You” Rock Garden, Buddy Bench,
Peace Path, Empathy & kindness quotes on canvases & walls, singing at
local nursing home, making cards for veterans, etc.

25. ACS School Hours
Monday: 8:15 - 1:15 2 hour Monday Early Release
Monday Morning Carline Drop-off/Arrival: 7:45 – 8:15
Monday Afternoon Carline Pick-up/Dismissal: 1:15 – 1:45
Tuesday - Friday: 8:15 - 3:15
Tuesday – Friday Morning Carline Drop-off/Arrival: 7:45 – 8:15
Tuesday – Friday Afternoon Carline Pick-up/Dismissal: 3:15 – 3:45
The Alamance Community School calendar shall comply with applicable laws concerning educational
instruction time. ACS shall follow the minimum of 1,025 hours of instruction guideline set forth by
2012 Senate Bill 187.

26. Applications & Lottery Timeline
● November 25, 2019 – Online admission application opened in SchoolMint
● January 31, 2020 – Admission application closes at 11:59 pm for lottery
● February 13, 2020 – Admission lottery held at 5:00 pm at Graham Cinema
● February 28 - Due date to accept offered lottery seats AND complete
registration packet. Incomplete registration packets and non-responded
offers forfeited after 1:00 pm.
● March 2, 2020 – Make 2nd round of offers, if needed
● March 16, 2020- Due date to accept 2nd round offered seats AND complete
registration packet. Incomplete registration packets and non-responded
offers forfeited after 1:00 pm.

27. Conclusion
● We have a few minutes for questions.
● Additional resources to assist with questions:
ACS Flyer
ACS Website: www.alamancecommunityschool.net
Alamance Community School Facebook Page
Thank you for coming!!