The 9th Annual History Bowl

On Friday, April 25th, Classical Charter Schools of Leland hosted the 9th annual CCS-America History Bowl. Teams from CCS-Leland, CCS-Southport, and CCS-Whiteville competed, with students representing fifth through eighth grade.

Students spent the year preparing for the History Bowl, studying up to 400 questions. Any of these questions could be asked during the competition. To get comfortable with the format of the competition, they also participate in two Mock History Bowls during the year.

To earn points, team members must answer their questions quickly and accurately. If needed, teams can use a limited number of “lifelines” to ask another team member for help. In addition to showcasing their academic abilities, the event emphasizes teamwork, professionalism, and sportsmanship.

Congratulations to the following grades and campuses for bringing home the trophies! The competition was close, and all students should take pride in their hard work and performances.

🏆 5th grade: CCS-Southport

🏆 6th grade: CCS-Leland

🏆 7th grade: CCS-Leland

🏆 8th grade: CCS-Leland

Pictures

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Piano Donated to CCS-Wilmington

Last Tuesday, a beautiful piano arrived in the CCS-Wilmington auditorium. The moving company “Two Men and a Truck” delivered and set up the instrument on the stage.

The Yamaha piano was generously donated to the school by Howard Talley, a longtime friend of Classical Charter Schools of America and current Board of Trustees member. Mr. Talley is also the Wilmington Chess Club coach. The piano once belonged to his mother, Betsey.

“I am excited for the piano to have this new home. I’m hopeful it will get lots of use and bring lots of music and joy to the students,” shared Mr. Talley.

We are very thankful to Mr. Talley for this meaningful donation! The piano will bring a new level of excitement to the campus, especially in music class.

Click on the link below to see some pictures of the piano in the CCS-Wilmington auditorium:

Piano Pictures

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CCS-Whiteville Presents: Peter Pan!

Last Thursday, CCS-Whiteville middle schoolers presented their spring musical, Peter Pan! They performed to an audience full of parents and the CCS-Whiteville first grade classes.

The talented show choir and drama students dazzled the audience, taking them on a magical journey through Neverland. Peter Pan, Wendy, and their friends encountered pirates, fairies, mermaids, and more!

The musical also highlighted character traits that are taught in CCS-America’s character education curriculum, including dependability, courage, and responsibility. The value of family was also a central theme.

Congratulations to CCS-Whiteville for putting on such a wonderful show! Special thanks to director Tessa Cheek and show choir director Magnolia Hunt for all of their hard work.

Students, take a bow!

Peter Pan Pictures

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Showcasing CCS-America Electives

At Classical Charter Schools of America, middle school students have the opportunity to choose an elective to take once a week, allowing them to explore their interests and develop new skills.

Over the past month, all three CCS-America middle school campuses have held Elective and Performing Arts Showcases.

At each showcase, students demonstrated to parents and members of the community what they have been working on in their elective classes all year. While each campus’s showcase had a unique lineup, some highlights included demonstrations of cheerleading, archery, show choir, musical instruments, and student artwork.

See pictures from each campus’s showcase below:

CCS-Leland Pictures

CCS-Southport Pictures

CCS-Whiteville Pictures

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Enroll for the 2025-2026 School Year!

We are currently taking applications for the 2025-2026 school year for all grade levels!

Remember, this year we are offering a new incentive for current CCS-A parents and staff members. When a new student applies for enrollment at a CCS-A school between 12/1/24 – 6/30/2025 and enters a current parent or staff member’s name and email in the “Referred By” section of the application, that parent/staff member will be emailed $25 of Shop RBA store credit for each referral!

BE SURE TO PROVIDE ALL NEEDED INFORMATION: The application must have the first and last name and email of the person providing the referral in order to receive the store credit.

ENROLL HERE

Students, Start Your Pencils!

Last week, all four CCS-America campuses held their annual FASTAR® (Fluent Academic Skills Tournament in Arithmetic and Reading) races. This year was extra special, as we celebrated the 2oth anniversary of FASTAR®!

Our elementary students lined up in their racing lanes, cheered on by their classmates and family members. Middle school “pit crew” members helped time the racers and made sure everything ran smoothly.

As soon as they heard “Go!” the students took off, first reading a passage out loud and then racing through sheets of math facts. They sped to the finish line, with some races decided by just seconds.

All of our campus winners will face off at the Race of Champions, which is scheduled for next Wednesday, April 30th. The school with the most speed and accuracy will take home the trophy as 2025’s FASTAR® Champion!

Congratulations to all of our racers, pit crew members, and winners! Thank you to all classmates, family members, and friends for cheering the racers on!

See pictures from each campus’s race below:

CCS-Leland Pictures

CCS-Southport Pictures

CCS-Whiteville Pictures

CCS-Wilmington Pictures

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Staff Alumni Spotlight: Jordan Singler

At CCS-America, we love to see our former students come back to teach for us. Jordan Singler attended CCS-Leland, then known as Charter Day School, for grades K-8 from 2003-2012.

Ms. Singler began working at CCS-Whiteville in 2020 as a fifth grade teacher. She moved her way up to her current position as lead 8th grade teacher, where she teaches both English Language Arts (ELA) and History. While teaching, she was able to complete her master’s degree and expressed her interest in administration.

With the start of the 2025-2026 school year, she will take the position of CCS-Whiteville Operations Coordinator, making her the Roger Bacon Academy’s first admin alumna! We are very excited for her to bring her unique skills and perspective to this role.

When asked what advice she has for current CCS-America students, Ms. Singler said, “My advice to my current students is to reach for the stars. I can see the passion they have and try every day to instill in them they can be any and everything they want to be. While I was at CCS-America, my teachers did the same for me and they gave me the tools to do it. I have since accomplished many things thanks to encouragement of former teachers that I also have the privilege of working with today.”

Learn more about Ms. Singler and her journey from CCS-America student to teacher:

Staff Alumni Q & A with Jordan Singler

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Curriculum Spotlight: Poetry

Poetry is an important aspect of CCS-America’s ELA curriculum. As a part of the Quarter Four Poetry Unit, fourth through eighth grade students read, studied, and memorized classical poems.

They practiced memorizing and reciting these poems, and, at the end of the unit, performed them for the camera.

Each grade level focused on a different poem:

-Fourth Grade: Dust of Snow by Robert Frost

-Fifth Grade: Dreams by Langston Hughes

-Sixth Grade: The Eagle by Alfred Lord Tennyson

-Seventh Grade: Where My Books Go by William Butler Yeats

-Eighth Grade: Loss and Gain by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Click on the link below to watch students reciting the poems:

Quarter Four Poems

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Enroll for the 2025-2026 School Year!

We are currently taking applications for the 2025-2026 school year for all grade levels!

Remember, this year we are offering a new incentive for current CCS-A parents and staff members. When a new student applies for enrollment at a CCS-A school between 12/1/24 – 6/30/2025 and enters a current parent or staff member’s name and email in the “Referred By” section of the application, that parent/staff member will be emailed $25 of Shop RBA store credit for each referral!

BE SURE TO PROVIDE ALL NEEDED INFORMATION: The application must have the first and last name and email of the person providing the referral in order to receive the store credit.

ENROLL HERE

Welcome to Quarter 4!

Welcome back! Here are some events to look forward to during our final quarter of the school year:

For a look at the entire 2024-2025 calendar, click on the link below.

School Calendar

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CCS-Southport Welcomes Amanda Sauls as New Headmaster

CCS-America is excited to announce the appointment of Amanda Sauls as the new Headmaster of Classical Charter Schools of Southport.

In her former role as Assistant Headmaster, Mrs. Sauls effectively led the CCS-Southport middle school and demonstrated unwavering dedication to the school’s students. She has shown this devotion time and time again in every role in which she has served at CCS-America, including Teacher, Lead Teacher, and Operations Coordinator.

With both a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Education, Mrs. Sauls is deeply committed to her students and focuses her attention on ensuring they succeed. She will bring this same passion and commitment to her new position as Headmaster.

“It is an honor to support the CCS-Southport community in this new role,” Mrs. Sauls stated. “I am excited for the opportunity to work with and serve the staff, parents, and students. Together, we will continue the long tradition of excellence that is synonymous with Classical Charter Schools of America and our system’s nationally ranked classical curriculum and instructional methods.”

Steve Smith, Lead Headmaster at CCS-America, will serve as Southport’s interim Assistant Headmaster for the remainder of the school year. He emphasizes that both he and Mrs. Sauls have an open door policy and look forward to hearing from the community on how they can continue to improve the Southport campus.

We are excited for Mrs. Sauls to bring her experience, vision, and unique blend of talents to the already excellent CCS-Southport team and ensure that the campus continues to flourish. Please join us in congratulating and welcoming Headmaster Amanda Sauls.

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CCS-America Softball and Baseball Season is Here!

Softball and baseball have officially arrived at Classical Charter Schools of America! Our middle school teams from CCS-Leland, CCS-Southport, and CCS-Whiteville are hitting the field, showcasing their skills, hard work, and sportsmanship.

The first games took place last week and were exciting and packed full of energy. A big shoutout to the CCS-Leland softball and baseball teams for their fantastic victories in our season openers! We can’t wait to see where the rest of the season will take us.

Throughout the season, each team will play six games at our home field, Navassa Township District Park. Softball games begin at 4:00 PM, followed by the baseball games. If needed, a playoff game will be held on Thursday, May 27th.

Join us for our next game on Thursday, April 10th, where CCS-Southport will face off against CCS-Leland. Come out and cheer on these incredible athletes!

Go CCS-A Softball and Baseball!!

Click the link below to see pictures from the first baseball and softball games of the year:

CCS-Leland vs. CCS-Whiteville

Take a look at the entire CCS-A 2024-25 Middle School Sports Calendar:

2024-25 Sports Calendar

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Enroll for the 2025-2026 School Year!

We are currently taking applications for the 2025-2026 school year for all grade levels!

Remember, this year we are offering a new incentive for current CCS-A parents and staff members. When a new student applies for enrollment at a CCS-A school between 12/1/24 – 6/30/2025 and enters a current parent or staff member’s name and email in the “Referred By” section of the application, that parent/staff member will be emailed $25 of Shop RBA store credit for each referral!

BE SURE TO PROVIDE ALL NEEDED INFORMATION: The application must have the first and last name and email of the person providing the referral in order to receive the store credit.

ENROLL HERE

Kindergarten Letterland Parades

An important aspect of the Classical Charter Schools of America kindergarten curriculum is the students’ mastery of each letter of the alphabet. It is important for students to know the shape and sound of each letter, both uppercase and lowercase, to ensure they have a good foundation to build on as they continue their education.

One way we do this is by teaching students the “Letterland Song,” which gives each letter a character that helps students remember what each letter looks and sounds like. Through the Letterland Song and characters, CCS-A kindergarteners master all 44 sounds in the English language and their major recurring spelling patterns!

Before break, our kindergarteners celebrated this achievement with the annual Letterland Parade. Dressed as their favorite Letterland characters, students paraded around their respective campuses. Older students and parents alike cheered them on, celebrating the big accomplishment of this mastery.

Learning both the letter and sound alphabet through Letterland goes hand in hand with our Reading Mastery program. These curriculum aspects complement each other and allow CCS-A kindergarteners to thrive and learn to read at a faster rate.

Congratulations, kindergarteners!

Check out pictures from each campus’s Letterland Parade below:

Leland

Southport

Whiteville

Wilmington

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CCS-America Eighth Graders Take on the Capital

Eighth grade students from CCS-Leland and CCS-Southport spent the last couple of days before break exploring the great capital of our nation, Washington, D.C.

The trip was packed with exciting activities and visits that deepened the students’ understanding of American history and government. They toured many historical landmarks and monuments, including the White House, Arlington National Cemetery, the U.S. Capitol, the Washington Monument, the Holocaust Museum, and more.

They made sure to explore the various Smithsonian Institution museums, including the Museum of Natural History.

This trip combined education, exploration, and fun, offering our eighth graders an unforgettable experience and memories that will last a lifetime. They walked through history, learning about our government, culture, and the importance of being active, informed citizens.

Check out some pictures from the trip:

Washington, D.C. Trip Photos

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NC Charter School Fast Facts

All charter school parents know that there’s a lot of information- and some misinformation- out there about charter schools in North Carolina.

Because of this misinformation, people often don’t understand fundamental information about charter schools. For example, people might not know that charter schools are public and tuition-free.

Other times, confusion can arise around the size and scope of charter schools in the state. How many students attend public charter schools? How many charter schools operate statewide?

We want our parents to be as informed as possible about the North Carolina charter movement. To help make this information as clear as possible for our parents, we are sharing a “Charter Schools 101” one-pager with you all, created by the NC Coalition for Charter Schools. This was shared with charter leaders at last month’s Charter Advocacy Summit.

See the information here:

To stay up to date on all NC charter school information, be sure to remain subscribed to our CCS-America newsletter and consider subscribing to the NC Charter Coalition’s monthly charter parent newsletter, CharterBeat.

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Enroll for the 2025-2026 School Year!

We are currently taking applications for the 2025-2026 school year for all grade levels!

Remember, this year we are offering a new incentive for current CCS-A parents and staff members. When a new student applies for enrollment at a CCS-A school between 12/1/24 – 6/30/2025 and enters a current parent or staff member’s name and email in the “Referred By” section of the application, that parent/staff member will be emailed $25 of Shop RBA store credit for each referral!

BE SURE TO PROVIDE ALL NEEDED INFORMATION: The application must have the first and last name and email of the person providing the referral in order to receive the store credit.

ENROLL HERE

Top National Rankings for CCS-Leland and CCS-Whiteville

CCS-Leland and CCS-Whiteville have tied for #1 and #3, respectively, among more than 250 schools nationwide in the Classic Learning Test’s (CLT8) 2025 CLT8 School Rankings.

Of the 20 highest-scoring schools, they are the only public, only charter, and only tuition-free schools. All the other top-ranking schools are private schools charging from $6,200 to $36,000 in yearly tuition.The three-hour CLT8 is designed to measure eighth-grade students’ readiness for high school. Much of the content on the exam is drawn from classical literature, grammar, classical mathematics, and historical texts, all of which are central in CCS-America’s classical curriculum.

“We couldn’t be prouder of our students and staff for their hard work, which has led to this confirmation of our curriculum’s effectiveness,” CCS-America founder Baker Mitchell, Jr. said. He noted that a majority of the students who took and excelled on the CLT8 were students who had attended the schools since the beginning of their education, allowing them to enjoy a substantial academic edge from CCS-America’s innovative and carefully sequenced classical curriculum.

Jessica Lopez, Dean of Classical Humanities, added, “Last year, we were excited to see CCS-Leland rank in the top 20 nationally in the 2022-23 CLT8. That was our first time participating in the exam. This year, we are thrilled to see both Leland and Whiteville students achieve such outstanding results. It is clear that the dedication to our unique classical curriculum and innovative methodologies by CCS-America’s deans, academic coaches, teachers, and especially our students has paid off tremendously.”

“Out of the hundreds of schools that take the CLT8 every year, CCS-Leland and CCS-Whiteville’s recognition in Classic Learning Test’s 2025 School Rankings is a remarkable achievement,” said CLT officials.

Congratulations to Leland and Whiteville for such an outstanding accomplishment! Learn more about the CLT8 using the link below.

What is the CLT8 and how did we do?

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CCS-Leland Presents: Peter Pan!

Middle school students at Classical Charter Schools of Leland presented their spring musical, Peter Pan, with performances on February 28th and March 1st.

The talented Leland Show Choir wowed the crowd with their musical numbers and took everyone on a magical journey through Neverland. The musical highlighted the values of family, dependability, courage, and responsibility. These values also are emphasized in the Character Education curriculum at CCS-America. The musical was complete with fighting pirates, mischievous fairies, flying, and of course, a sprinkle of pixie dust.

Congratulations to these students for putting on such a spectacular show, and a special thank you to Mr. Taylor, Ms. Steffel, and Ms. Hahn for all of their hard work in bringing this show to life.

Check out pictures from the performances below:

Peter Pan Pictures

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CCS-America Spelling Bee

On February 26th, our annual CCS-America Spelling Bee was held in the Leland auditorium. Grade level winners from all four campuses joined together for a final spelling showdown.

Hosted by Ali Cause-Nance, Dean of Math and Sciences, the event was full of excitement and friendly competition as students showed off their spelling abilities. The hard work and dedication of all the students was clear, and after a series of challenging rounds, a winner was crowned for each grade level.

Check out the list of winners:
1st grade- Elijah Navin from CCS-Leland

2nd grade- Addis Woolen from CCS-Southport

3rd grade- Emily Nguyen from CCS-Leland

4th grade- Madison Fackler from CCS-Leland

5th grade- Emma Evans from CCS-Southport

6th grade- Audrie Andrews from CCS-Whiteville

7th grade- Tessa Caulder from CCS-Leland

8th grade- Jacob Kibler from CCS-Southport

Congratulations to these winners and to all of the spellers who represented their schools! Great job!

CCS-America Spelling Bee Pictures

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Students of the Month: Dependability

CCS-America students are recognized monthly for displaying a specific character trait from our School Pledge that they not only say, but practice in their daily lives.

February’s character trait was Dependability. Dependable students do what they say they will and keep to their word, even if it is difficult to do so. Dependability is seen in the School Pledge as “I Pledge to be truthful in all my works.” Students apply these words to their everyday lives by being responsible decision-makers others can rely on.

Congratulations to all of these students who demonstrated exemplary dependability. Check them out on the links below!

CCS-Leland

CCS-Southport

CCS-Whiteville

CCS-Wilmington

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Enroll for the 2025-2026 School Year!

We are currently taking applications for the 2025-2026 school year for all grade levels!

Remember, this year we are offering a new incentive for current CCS-A parents and staff members. When a new student applies for enrollment at a CCS-A school between 12/1/24 – 6/30/2025 and enters a current parent or staff member’s name and email in the “Referred By” section of the application, that parent/staff member will be emailed $25 of Shop RBA store credit for each referral!

BE SURE TO PROVIDE ALL NEEDED INFORMATION: The application must have the first and last name and email of the person providing the referral in order to receive the store credit.

ENROLL HERE

Handwriting Day 2025

Handwriting and penmanship are important aspects of CCS-America’s classical curriculum. National Handwriting Day is celebrated on January 23, the birthday of John Hancock, who is best known for his prominent signature on the Declaration of Independence.

Each year, on National Handwriting Day, our annual Handwriting Competition is held. Students are given a phrase to copy and a prompt to answer in their absolute neatest handwriting. Grades 4 and up must write in cursive. Each student is then judged on spacing, size, slant, content, and the use of proper capitalization by our curriculum coaches and RBA founder Mr. Mitchell.

First-place winners and honorable mentions receive cash prizes, and classrooms demonstrating excellent overall handwriting are awarded door medallions.

Although the wintery weather caused a slight delay in the competition, our students worked hard and showed off their outstanding penmanship.

Check out the winners from each campus at the links below. Great job to all CCS-America students for their hard work!

CCS-Leland

CCS-Southport

CCS-Whiteville

CCS-Wilmington

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Extracurricular Highlight: Archery

Archery is one of the many unique extracurriculars offered by Classical Charter Schools of America. Each middle school campus has a built in range and provides state-of-the-art equipment to each student that participates in archery. Through our archery program, students learn proper archery techniques, as well as gain the mental concentration, physical fitness, discipline, and self-confidence that archery requires.

This month, CCS-America’s three middle school teams from Leland, Southport, and Whiteville participated in the National Archery Schools Program’s (NASP) North Carolina State Tournament in Winston-Salem. Our teams have been involved in NASP for fifteen years and have earned nine State Championships, two second place trophies, and many individual awards.

CCS-Leland’s Ethan Stanley shined, placing second among all middle school male competitors statewide and third among all male competitors statewide. This is a huge accomplishment, and we are so proud of Ethan!

Congratulations to Ethan and to all CCS-A students who competed in the tournament!

Check out pictures from the tournament:

2025 NASP Pictures

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NC Office of Charter Schools Visits CCS-Wilmington

Last Friday morning, North Carolina Office of Charter Schools representative Megan Carter traveled from Raleigh to tour the CCS-Wilmington campus, located in the historic Peabody building in the heart of Downtown Wilmington.

CCS-A is always proud to showcase its facilities and highlight the accomplishments of its students and faculty. We are grateful to the Office of Charter Schools and to Ms. Carter for coming to witness the educational impact we are making on the Wilmington community.

The NC Office of Charter Schools works hard to support our state’s charter schools, and we are happy to work with them in advancing this mission. “The Office of Charter Schools does a lot for our state, and we were happy to show them the amazing impact their support has,” said Leslie Smith, Headmaster of CCS-Wilmington. “Our historical building and Direct Instruction style were definitely something they took note of.”

To schedule your own tour of our Wilmington campus and learn more about us, visit the link below:

Schedule a Tour of CCS-Wilmington Here!

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Enroll for the 2025-2026 School Year!

We are currently taking applications for the 2025-2026 school year for all grade levels!

Remember, this year we are offering a new incentive for current CCS-A parents and staff members. When a new student applies for enrollment at a CCS-A school between 12/1/24 – 6/30/2025 and enters a current parent or staff member’s name and email in the “Referred By” section of the application, that parent/staff member will be emailed $25 of Shop RBA store credit for each referral!

BE SURE TO PROVIDE ALL NEEDED INFORMATION: The application must have the first and last name and email of the person providing the referral in order to receive the store credit.

ENROLL HERE