September Hall Calendar

Below is a copy of our hall calendar for September (click on the picture to enlarge it).  We are keeping the girls busy this month, but there are a lot of exciting opportunities.  We have several programs with other halls, some serious programs like our "Understanding 9/11" program, and some programs are just for fun like "Talk Like a Pirate Day".  One of my favorites is that since no one on hall has a birthday in September, we are doing an "Un-Birthday Party", Alice in Wonderland style.  (If you don't know what I am talking about, see the video below.)  We hope there is something fun for everyone!  Please let me know if you have questions about anything on the calendar.

College Eve and Family Day!

3B Families,
I am excited to announce that September 13th is college eve and September 14th is family day!  We hope that you all will be able to join us on campus that weekend and get a little better idea of your student's class schedule and routine here at NCSSM.
Below are the tentative schedules for those days, and please keep an eye out for more information from me about a dessert reception for the 3B families on Saturday afternoon.

COLLEGE EVE--Friday, September 13, 2013

• 3:30pm to 4:30pm Seniors & their parents only in the gym with College Reps 
• 4:30pm to 6:30pm All are invited in the gym with College Reps (Seniors & their parents may remain in gym.) 
• Attendance at the event is required for ALL students, and parents are encouraged to attend. 
• There will be concurrent session with individual colleges who have a large draw, about helping students through the application process from afar, and about the college financial aid process.  The final schedule and location for these events will be provided to families as the event gets closer.

This is the tentative agenda for Family Day, so please make sure to keep an eye out for updated schedules, but this can give you some idea of the schedule for the day.  Again, families are encouraged to come, but not required.

FAMILY DAY - September 14, 2013

TENTATIVE AGENDA

8:00 – 9:00 a.m. Registration Bryan Center    

Pick up a copy of your student’s class schedule and learn more about the Parent Council, the Annual Fund and volunteer opportunities. Coffee, pastries and other breakfast items will be available for purchase from a local food truck vendor as well as from our cafeteria.

8:30 – 9:00 a.m. Musical Prelude ETC Auditorium

Enjoy performances by students enrolled in NCSSM’s outstanding Fine Arts Department.

9:00 – 9:30 a.m. Welcome from the Chancellor ETC Auditorium
J. Todd Roberts, Ed.D.

9:40 – 11:15 a.m. Morning Classes

For specific locations and times, see the copy of your student’s class schedule. Campus Classrooms

Student Life Division – SL 101 & Physical Activity ETC Lecture Hall

Note that your student may not have classes in all blocks. In the morning, please use any free blocks to visit with Physical Activity Instructors and Student Life Instructors.

Session 1 – 9:40 – 10:00 a.m.

Session 2 – 10:05 – 10:25 a.m.

Session 3 – 10:30 – 10:50 a.m.

Session 4 – 10:55 – 11:15 a.m.

11:15 – 12:00 p.m. College Counseling ETC Auditorium

Overview of the College Admission Strategy

11:00 a.m. – 1:00p.m.   LUNCH                             

Liv's Food Truck and Captain Poncho's Tacos will be available on campus for lunch purchases

1:00 – 3:30 p.m. Afternoon and Evening Classes Campus Classrooms

For specific locations and times, see the copy of your student’s class schedule.

Counselor Availability Campus Classrooms

Note that your student may not have classes in all blocks. In the afternoon, please use any free blocks to meet and visit with your student’s counselor.

Session 1 – 1:00 – 1:20 p.m.

Session 2 – 1:25 – 1:45 p.m.

Session 3 – 1:50 – 2:10 p.m.

Session 4 – 2:15 – 2:35 p.m.

Session 5 – 2:40 – 3:00 p.m.

Session 6 – 3:05 – 3:25 p.m.

Burger – ETC Woolworth Room | Hackney – Library Mezzanine | Hudson – Watts REX Lab |

Rodman – PEC Classroom | Webster – ETC Lecture Hall | Younes – Hunt Classroom

3:00p.m. Afternoon Social Bryan Lawn

Join Chancellor Roberts and members of the NCSSM community for a casual reception.

ALL DAY Personal appointments to discuss concerns

Teachers, counselors, academic advisors and student life instructors may be contacted in advance to arrange a personal appointment during Family Day or some other mutually convenient time. Note that counselors will also have “drop-in availability as indicated.

College Planning Information

Seniors and Senior Families,
Below are some FAQs about college planning from our counseling department that I thought you might find helpful.  This also includes information about when SAT and ACT tests are being offered and other important dates for the college application process.  Seniors were also sent a tremendously helpful document called the "Senior College Planning Calendar" which gives them deadlines, tips, and helpful advice broken up by month.  Please make sure to take advantages of all the resources available as you embark on the college application process, and let me know if you have any questions.  I will be glad to help if I can or point you in the direction of someone who can help you.

What is our class size?  318

What is our GPA scale?  5.0

When will transcripts have our First Trimester senior grades?   Nov. 7, 2013

Whom do you see for fee waivers for college app's, SAT or ACT?

Mrs. Oxendine

What grades are on our transcripts if we apply early action or early decision? 9th-11th grades only

The common application only gives us 10 spaces for our classes. What do we do? 

Prioritize your classes and combine as many as you can on one line. Counseling Services will send your entire senior schedule with your transcript.

Do we list 400 level classes as AP?

Only list classes that are titled AP as AP classes. All other academic courses are Honors. 

Do we calculate our own unweighted GPA?

No. Most colleges will accept N/A. However, if you absolutely need an unweighted GPA, email your counselor and ask her to calculate it for you.

Which GPA do I put on my application? Use NCSSM's cumulative weighted GPA.

Where can I find financial aid information?

It is listed on the left side of the Naviance home page as fin. aid checklist.  

How far in advance do I request my transcripts?

You must request your transcripts at least two weeks in advance. You may request anytime before that.

How are transcripts processed?

Transcripts are processed in the order of the deadline dates you specify, not by when they are entered. However, since Mrs. Oxendine has so many to process, it is important to make your requests early. 

How can I have access to PCCs to ask them questions?

PCCs will be at your hall meetings frequently to share info and to answer questions. Also, you will often find them in Counseling Services.

Reminders: Please go to Naviance and take a look at the financial aid checklist as well as the scholarship list for information.   

Counselors will facilitate senior, group sessions on the college application process on the afternoon of Wednesday, September 18th, 2:30, 3:30, 4:30, 5:30

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SAVE THE DATES:

Sept.  13th    NCSSM College Eve from 3:30 to 6:30

Sept.  18th    Senior, small group sessions

Sept.   21st    ACT @ NCSSM  (Sept. 6th is the late registration deadline.)

Oct.      5th    SAT  @ NCSSM

Oct.    16th     College Application Time  8 a.m.  to  1:00 p.m.

Oct.    26th     ACT   (This is not given on campus because you are in exams.)

Nov.    2nd     SAT  (You are off-campus for Trimester Break.)

Dec.    7th      SAT  @ NCSSM

Dec.   14th      ACT  @ NCSSM

Jan.   23rd      Financial Aid workshop @ NCSSM from 2:00 to 4:00  

Jan.   25th      SAT (You are off-campus for Extended.)

Feb.     8th     ACT  (This is not given on campus because you are in exams.)

Mar.     8th     SAT  (This is not given on campus due to NCSSM's Discovery Day hosting.)

Mar.    19th     Career Expo @ NCSSM from 3:30 to 5:30

Apr.     12th    ACT (You are off-campus for Spring Break.)

May       3rd    SAT @ NCSSM

June      7th    SAT  (You are off-campus for the summer.)

June     14th    ACT (You are off-campus for the summer.)

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Study Break Sign Ups

Hey All,

Many of you have asked for a copy of the study break sign up sheet to be posted here so that you can sign up or remember what date you signed up for.  Below is the sign-up sheet starting for September.  If you want to claim a date that is not taken, please just send me an email and I will edit it here.  And thanks to those who already volunteered or sent money to the hall fun for us to use any time we need it.  I really appreciate all the support.

Sept 3rd-Shanna Gao
Sept 10th-Vishwa Patel
Sept 17th-Kerry Tilley
Sept 24th-Jules Keeler
Oct 1st-YuJin Xu
Oct 8th-Annie Walker
Oct 15th-Jenna Reynolds
Oct 22nd-Linsey Morrison
1st Tri Exam Dinner: Oct 28th-Debbie Blew
1st Tri Exam Dinner: Oct 29th-Marlene Daugherty
Nov 5th-Kerry Tilley
Nov 12th-Rebecca Sabo
Nov 19th-
Dec 3rd-
Dec 10th-
Dec 17th-
Jan 7th-
Jan 14th-Lori Drake
Jan 21st-Reginald Douglas
Jan 28th-Debbie Blew
Feb 4th-
2nd Tri Exam Dinner: Feb 11th-
2nd Tri Exam Dinner: Feb 12th-
Feb 25th-Amy Bright
Mar 4th-
Mar 11th-
Mar 18th-
Mar 25th-Debbie Blew
Apr 1st-
Apr 8th-
Apr 22nd-
Apr 29th-Kaneka Chhak
May 6th-
May 13th-
May 20th-
3rd Tri Exam Dinner: May 26th-
3rd Tri Exam Dinner: May 27th-

First Extended

Hi everyone!  The first extended is coming up this weekend.  Residence halls will close at 5pm on Friday, August 30th and reopen Monday, September 2nd at noon.  Students are not allowed back on campus before this time on Monday.  The procedure for signing students out on extended is a little different than normal as well, so please see the information below that explains how sign out procedures are different for extended then regular sign out.
1. For extended weekends, every student must sign out on the extended sign out sheet posted on the hall door.  This sheet looks like an altered version of the sign out card.  No matter where they are going, who they are going with, or when they will be back, the must sign out on this sheet.
2. If a student is leaving with her parents or if her destination for the weekend is "Home" and she will be back on campus for check the night extended ends, then she does not need extra paperwork, she only need to sign out on the extended sheet.
3. If a students will be going somewhere other than her own home, she needs an overnight permission form which includes written permission from parents. The student will also need to sign out at the Bryan SLI office before leaving campus and check back in when she returns to campus.
4. If a student will not be returning to campus until after check on the day extended ends (after 10:30pm Monday, September 2nd, in this case), then she needs to sign out at the Bryan SLI office before leaving campus and check back in when she returns to campus.
I think that is it.  It is that simple.  Please email me if you have questions about signing out for extended.

Week One!

We made it through the first full week of the school year!  So much has happened in one week it is hard to even remember it all.  Let me hit some of the highlights and share a few pictures.

The First Day of Class and Convocation
Convocation always takes place the evening of the first day of classes and officially marks the beginning of the academic year.  The students dress up, the faculty wear their academic regalia, the orchestra plays, there are speeches, and afterwards we all get cookies and punch at the reception.  It is a unique NCSSM tradition that has happened, I think, for as long as the school has been open.  If you want to see the ceremony for yourself, you can watch the whole thing at http://new.livestream.com/ncssmlivestream/convocation2015.  Here are a couple pictures as well.

Hanging with the Chancellor!

Serious...

then silly...

then serious again!

First Hall Loop and Dinner
On Friday, we went on our first hall dinner and loop.  We went to Walmart so that the girls could get snacks, school supplies, t-shirts for the t-shirt signing dance, and anything else they forgot or realized they needed.  Fun was had by all and lots of shopping took place.

We all made it back safe and sound!

T-Shirt Signing Dance
Each year on the first full Saturday, we have the t-shirt signing dance where students wear or carry white t-shirts and get them signed by classmates.  The dance is meant to help students get to know new people, learn names, and have some fun on their first full weekend here.  I think the 3B girls had a great time!  Here are some pictures of our pre-signing party where we decorated our shirts and a few from before we left hall (featuring some guests from 4th Bryan!).

Telephone Outage

3rd Bryan and Families,

My apartment telephone is currently malfunctioning, and I am unable to receive or make phone calls on it.  For the next few days, if you need to contact me, consider sending me an email.  I can still receive voice mail by checking it from a different phone, so if you do need to call, please expect to leave a voice mail and have me return your call at a later time.  As always, if a matter is timely and you cannot get in touch with me, please call the Bryan SLI office at (919) 416-2825.

I am sorry for the inconvenience, and I will keep you all updates about when the phone is going to be repaired.

UPDATE: My phone is back up and working correctly again!  Thanks for your patience.