Alamance Community School is a new tuition-free public charter school opening in August 2020 in Alamance County, North Carolina. It will serve students in kindergarten through third grade initially, adding a grade each year. The school will use research-based best practices like reading and writing workshops. It will implement project-based learning and emphasize character education with daily acts of empathy and service. The school leaders provided details on the curriculum, daily schedule, facilities plan, transportation options, and application process.

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 and DRAFT of Phase One Building Concept
for Kindergarten – 4th Grade
● 11+ acres on Jimmie Kerr Road
● Groundbreaking in February or March ● DRAFT of Phase One Building for
Kindergarten – 4th Grade

8. DRAFT BUILDING PLANS
DRAFT FIRST FLOOR DRAFT SECOND FLOOR

9. ACS Info
● 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

10. ACS Info
● ALL ACS General Education and Exceptional Children teachers are required
to be licensed and highly qualified.
● 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

11. Before & After School Care
● Vetting several vendors
● Using a survey to collect information about accepted students’
Before and After School Care needs
● Information will be made available as
soon as possible.

12. Carline & Bus Transportation
● 1-2 buses serving students living in various geographic areas
● Priority given to families where transportation is a hardship
● Specific drop zones where parents will meet the ACS bus to transfer
their children to the care of our bus drivers
● Drop zones determined in the spring
● Majority of families will transport
children to and from school via their carline

13. ACS Curriculum &
Schedule

14. 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

15. Reading Workshop
NC Standard Course of Study in Reading
Teachers College at Columbia University
Readers’ Workshop develops strong reading skills through the use of:
● Mini-lessons
● Guided reading
● Read aloud
● Conferencing
● Independent reading
● Literature response
● Purposeful share
● Literacy Workstations

16. 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.

17. Math Workshop
NC Standard Course of Study in Math
● We will pull from multiple resources to meet these
standards:
● Math in Practice by Sue O’Connell
● 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.

18. 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.

19. K - 3 Possible Standards-Based 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

20. Kindergarten Project Examples
All About Me & Community Helpers

21. Kindergarten Project Examples
Seeds and Weather
Animals

22. First Grade Project Examples Animal HabitatsHolidays & Traditions
Business in
Our Community

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

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

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

26. Our Empathy Initiative
● 10 - 15 minutes of purposeful service is built into each day
● Projects 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.
Buddy Bench Empathy/Kindness Canvas Peace Path

27. 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.*

28. Application, Lottery,Admission,& Registration Timeline
● 11/25/19: Online admission applications opened in SchoolMint
● 1/31/20: Open enrollment/Admission application period closed at 11:59 pm for lottery.
● 2/13/20: Admission lottery held at 4:30 pm at the Graham Cinema. Communication sent to families
regarding their child’s admission or waitlist status.
● 2/28/20: Families MUST accept or decline an offer of admission by this date. If you have not
accepted the offer, you may forfeit your child’s spot.
● 3/1/20: A full registration packet will be available through the SchoolMint system
● 3/27/20: Registration packets are due.
● YOU CAN STILL COMPLETE AN APPLICATION:
● Applications are dated and time stamped. Once a grade level reaches 100, a waitlist begins for
that grade level.
● Waitlist: application is added to end of the waitlist in the order received
● Open spots: application is added in order received.

29. Additional resources:
*www.alamancecommunityschool.net
*https://www.facebook.com/ACSCHARTER
Thank you!!