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ACS Newsletter August 17, 2025
- J. Marquice Miller
- Aug 17
- 9 min read
Updated: Aug 23
Greetings, Coyote Families.
We’ve had another great week. Thank you for your grace as we grow to full capacity. Just a few updates:
We are in our fundraising season, as we gear up for sports, Boosterthon, Bookfair, and all things ACS. Let's make sure our students and staff have what they need to keep ACS the best!
We have added the Middle School Only car line in the morning. Thank you, Middle school parents, for moving quickly through the line. Please do not arrive prior to 7:30. Staff need time and space to park. The line moves quickly, so there is no need to arrive super early. You may be asked to leave and return if seen. Several cars last week were waiting and parked in spots that we need for staff. Thank you for helping us with that. Make sure you have your Middle School Carline tags hanging to help the staff direct traffic in front of the school. Also, help us reinforce to students:
Have bags and belongings ready to hop right out in the mornings.
Don't wait for friends. Head straight into the cottages and get started with your day.
While I know it seems abrupt, we must make sure we are not lining up for carline prior to 30 minutes into dismissal. The school, as well as individuals, are subject to citations & fines when there is parking on main roads, especially busy roads like Jimmy Kerr. Thank you for supporting our efforts to work with the city of Hall River and the Graham Police Department.
We are still tweaking schedules. For Grades 4-8 your child may get a different schedule this week. While the order of their classes may change, they will still have the same teachers. Any changes made to Kindergarten- 2nd grade, parents will be notified of the change. Thank you for your patience as we balance classes and ensure students and staff have what they need to be successful.
3rd grade students will be taking the Beginning of Grade (BOG) assessment on Tuesday, August 19. Testing will begin promptly at 8:30 AM. Students cannot be checked out until the testing session is complete.
To help your child feel confident and prepared, here are a few simple ways you can support them:
Get plenty of rest: A good night's sleep the evening before will help your child stay focused and alert.
Eat a healthy breakfast: Fueling up with a nutritious meal sets the tone for a successful morning.
Arrive on time: Getting to school on time allows your child to settle in calmly and start the day without stress.
Thank you for partnering with us to help your child do their best on test day!
NEW ATTENDANCE PROCESS
New Attendance Process in NCSIS
We wanted to highlight that our new NCSIS system handles attendance quite differently from PowerSchool:
Teachers can only mark students as absent or tardy—no specific reason is entered at that time.
All absences/tardies are initially processed as unexcused until reviewed by office staff.
Our team then updates codes based on review of KidAccount check-in/out logs and entries in the ACS Student Absence Form.
What parents need to do:
Always report absences using the ACS Student Absence Form, available on our website under Parents > Documents and Forms.
For your convenience, you can also optionally upload doctor/dentist notes through the form. Notes, help us determine that the absence or tardy is excused.
If an attendance error isn’t corrected within one week of the absence, contact Leslie Jewell, our Student Information Director.
For further information about ACS Attendance Policies, please first refer to the ACS Parent/Student Handbook found at www.alamancecommunityschool.net > Parents > Documents & Forms > Documents/Policies > 2025-26 Parent Student Handbook.Thank you for your grace and patience as we adjust to this new system and new workflows.
PTO
NEW This Year: PTO Memberships
We’re launching PTO memberships for the first time! Memberships are just $15 per family for the year. These help fund events, teacher support, classroom improvements, and more.
Calendar + Member-Only Events
Attached you’ll find our PTO Monthly Event Calendar. Please take a moment to look it over—some events are exclusive to PTO members, and we’d love to have you participate!
Monthly Treat: Coffee Giveaway!
Each month, we’ll randomly select one PTO member from our teachers/staff to receive a coffee delivery from Rambling River—just our way of saying thanks for all you do.
Click here to sign up for PTO Membershiphttps://forms.gle/qJMUZDvywaVYXS3S7
ACS PTO Merch Store is LIVE!
We’re so excited to partner with you this year to make ACS the best it can be. If you have any questions or ideas, we’re always happy to hear from you at AlamanceCommunitySchoolPTO@gmail.com.
Let’s make this year amazing—together!
Warm regards,
Alamance Community School PTO
Ashley McPherson, President
Ashlee Alston, Vice President
Shiniqua Agnello, Secretary
Be Kind. Be Considerate. Be an ACS Coyote.
DRESS CODE
Reminders about dress code, attendance, and lunch :)
CARLINE UPDATES & CHANGES
We have done well for Morning and Afternoon Carline. Our goal is to continue to get the time progressively lower so that everyone gets home at a good time. Here are a few reminders:
Make sure students ONLY get in on the passenger side. Students will not be allowed to cross over into the parking lot or enter cars on the driver's side. This safety rule is a non-negotiable.
If a student hasn’t arrived at a zone, you MUST move forward to the overflow zone. This will ensure the cars behind you can go to their correct zones and all students get in the correct cars. Overflow should only take a few extra minutes if the need arises; however, not moving to overflow to wait on a student will add more than 10-15 minutes to the carline behind you.
Please see the attached documents for the carline procedures and policies. Thank you for adhering to these guidelines and listening to our staff during the carline process.
Carline Map and Updates
MY HOT LUNCHBOX
We continue to partner with My Hot Lunchbox for optional hot lunches.
Vendor Lineup:
Monday - La Fiesta
Tuesday - Subway
Wednesday - Zaxby's
Thursday - CiCi's Pizza
Friday - Americana Cafe
Order Now Deadline: 12:00 noon the day before delivery.
Reminder: Pack reusable water bottles daily. No sodas or colorful sugary drinks allowed.
Make the process easier. Download the app! See the instructions below!
FREE & REDUCED LUNCH APPLICATIONS
You must complete a new application each school year.
Pick up applications during Open House or at the front office. Forms are available at the front office and will be shared at Open House. It may take up to 2 weeks to process, so please send lunch from home or order from My Hot Lunchbox until confirmed.
ACS SPORTS UPDATE
We are excited to begin the 25-26 ACS Athletic Year! This year we have so many exciting new things happening in the life of our second year Athletic Program. We are excited to announce that we are new members of the Piedmont Middle School Athletic Conference (PMAC).
We will join The Burlington School, Grace Christian Academy and Burlington Christian Academy in middle school athletic conference play. This opportunity will give our present and future coyotes a chance to compete in athletic tournaments in potential championship events. While building a foundation in fair play and local comradery amongst schools through athletic competition.
FALL SPORTS TRYOUTS 25:
ACS Fall Sports Tryouts will begin this week! We are excited for our 6th –8th students as they go into their tryouts. This week's tryout schedule is as follows:
BOYS SOCCER:
Head Boys Soccer- Coach Micheal Deloatch
Assistant Boys Soccer - Coach Chelsea Raymond
Days: Mon. 8/18 , Tues. 8/19 , Thursday. 8/21 Time: 4:15 pm- 5:45 pm
Address: 1010 Townbranch Rd, Graham, NC 27253 ( Bill Cook Park Field)
*Parents (Guardians) are responsible for transporting soccer athletes to and from tryouts.
CO-ED CROSS COUNTRY:
Head Cross Country- Coach Lela Pascua
Days: Mon. 8/18 , Tues. 8/19 , Thurs. 8/21 Time: 4:00pm- 5:00 pm
Address: 195 Kronbergs Ct, Haw River, NC 27258 (ACS Campus/ES Gym)
*Parents (Guardians) are responsible for picking up cross country athletes after tryouts. Athletes trying out for cross-country would remain after school for tryouts.
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL:
Head Volleyball- Coach Caryn Bunn
Assistant Volleyball- Coach Delaney Jourdan
Days: Tues. 8/19 (Skills Session) , Thurs. 8/21, Fri. 8/22 Time: 4:00pm- 5:00 pm
Address: 195 Kronbergs Ct, Haw River, NC 27258 (ACS Campus/MS GYM)
*Parents (Guardians) are responsible for picking up volleyball athletes after tryouts. Athletes trying out for volleyball would remain after school for tryouts.
* Please be on time for your student-athletes pickup. Coaches have obligations immediately following tryout dates/times. Thank you for your help!
SPORTS PHYSICALS:
Middle School students in grades 6th-8th interested in trying out for Fall sports would need to submit a new physical examination form and concussion form for 25-26. Sports Physical and Concussion Form are required to try out for sports teams at Alamance Community School. This form can be found and printed on the link below:
Emerge Ortho $10 Sports Physicals:
Emerge Ortho is currently running a promotion for sports physical examinations. The deal is for a $10 sports physical exam. You must make an appointment for the physical and have an exam at one of the locations listed below. Please make sure you don’t miss this great deal that will conclude on September 1, 2025.
All completed athletics paperwork must be submitted to Coach Long, by August 18, 2025. Please get this information so that your athlete can attend tryouts. Please reach out if you have any questions concerning athletics at Alamance Community School.
AD Contact Information:
Darius J. Long, M.S.M.
MS-PE/Athletic Director
Alamance Community School
336.270.5052 (ext. 505 )
2025-2026 SCHOOL CALENDAR
*The Board approved the 2025-2026 calendar in November. It can be found on our website and is included here as well.
“COYOTE PACK” FACEBOOK GROUP
Current & NEW families, join our Official ACS "Coyote Pack" Facebook Group. In addition to our newsletters and teacher communications, we use this page to communicate important information during the school year. The ACS Coyote Pack FB group is a positive way to connect staff and parents/caregivers to foster good communication so we can continue to build the caring and inclusive community that so many of us want for our students, staff, and families. The ACS Coyote Pack FB group is where you can ask questions, and our staff & involved families can answer questions and provide correct information. Families NEW to ACS are welcome to join as soon as they complete their registration in SchoolMint. Request to join today:
While everyone is invited to join, please be mindful of what is posted. The goal is increased information and positivity.
GENESIS BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL UPDATES
Genesis Before & After School Updates:
Late Pick Up from School
Students not picked up by :45 after will be transferred to the Genesis After School Program. Please pick up your child at the overflow door. Parents/guardians will be charged an after care fee to be determined by how often this occurs and how late the student is picked up, due at the time of pick up via cash, cashapp, or venmo.
VOLUNTEERING
We have loved having so many volunteers in the classroom! Thank you for supporting our students and staff!
Volunteerism at our school is a way for you, parents and guardians, to learn more about ACS, engage positively with your child’s teachers, and witness firsthand the hard work and dedication that all our staff - teachers, assistants, support staff, and administrators demonstrate each day.
It is also a way to support your student and other students by assisting with workstations or a small group, helping with clerical tasks or lunch, and/or something as simple as reading a book to the class. You do not have to be an educator to volunteer, and everyone is welcome! Please click on the ACS Volunteer Form Link below to find ways that you can volunteer to help support our school! https://forms.gle/6iPiTAYNhm14BezV6
GIRLS ON THE RUN
Announcing Girls on the Run at Alamance Community School!
Registration closes tomorrow (8/18) for this coming season. Please join our Girls On The Run Team this year!
We will meet on Mondays and Thursdays from 3:45-5:00 pm.
Coaches Hart, McVey, and Defrancesco are excited!
The attached flyer provides comprehensive details about the program, including dates, registration, fees, and contact information.
Girls in 3rd-5th grade are eligible to participate.
Early Bird Registration is currently open. We recommend registering early!
Please reach out if you have any questions!
IMPORTANT DATES
8/18/2025 | All Fall Sports Paperwork due to Coach Long Co-Ed Cross Country Tryouts Begin (4-5) Boys Soccer Tryouts Begin (4-5) Last Day to Register for Girls on the Run (GOTR) *See Section above* |
8/19/2025 | Girls' Volleyball Tryouts Begin (4-5) Co-Ed Cross Country Tryouts (4-5) Boys Soccer Tryouts (4-5) |
8/20/2025 | Early Release for students. Dismissal begins at 1:15 (*Please Do Not Line up Prior to 12:45) |
8/21/2025 | Girls' Volleyball Tryouts (4-5) Co-Ed Cross Country Tryouts (4-5) Boys Soccer Tryouts (4-5) |
8/22/2025 | Girls' Volleyball Tryouts (4-5) |
9/1/2025 | Labor Day (No School for Staff or Students) |
9/2/2025 | Teacher Work Day (No School for Students) |
PREVIOUS NEWSLETTERS
If you have missed any of the previous newsletters, here are the links.
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