The North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT) proudly announces Summer Espinosa, a kindergarten teacher at W.R. Odell Primary School in Cabarrus County Schools, as the NCCAT 2025 Burroughs Wellcome Fund NC Beginning Teacher of the Year.

The award was presented at a special ceremony held at the Elliott University Center Auditorium on the campus of UNC Greensboro on Thursday. Prior to the recognition event finalists attended a week of professional development at the Truist Leadership Institute. 

Ms. Espinosa’s kindergarten classroom is filled with energy, learning, and community.

A colleague shared about her: “Kindergarten has a huge impact on a child’s entire educational experience—and she is a bright light to North Carolina students.”

“We are incredibly proud of Ms. Espinosa for being named the NCCAT 2025 Burroughs Wellcome Fund NC Beginning Teacher of the Year,” said Cabarrus County Schools Superintendent Dr. John Kopicki. “This recognition is a testament to her passion, dedication, and unwavering commitment to her students. Her ability to create a dynamic and nurturing learning environment embodies the excellence we strive for in Cabarrus County Schools. We are grateful for educators like Ms. Espinosa, who inspire young minds and make a lasting impact on shaping their futures."

Read more here.  

Dear Cabarrus County Schools Families,

Electronic Transportation Request Forms for the 2025-26 school year will be distributed through ParentSquare on March 31st for current K-11 grade families, making it easier and more convenient for our families to submit the annual transportation request form. This process will replace the paper forms that have been used by Cabarrus County Schools in the past to request bus transportation for the coming school year.

The deadline for completing this electronic form in ParentSquare will be April 13th. Failure to complete this form by the deadline date may result in transportation assignments not being available on the first day of school in August.

In order to complete the electronic form, parents must have a registered ParentSquare account. If you have not registered your ParentSquare account yet, please take a moment to create an account so you are ready when the forms go live. You may find registration instructions here: https://cabarrus.k12.nc.us/parentsquare

More details will be shared soon, so stay tuned for updates.

The CCS Elementary All-County Chorus program is Saturday, March 29, at 1 P.M. in the auditorium at Roberta Road Middle School. There is no cost to attend.

1.NO SCHOOL ON FRIDAY, APRIL 18: There will be no school for students or staff of all Cabarrus County Schools and Early Colleges on Friday, April 18th in observance of the Good Friday Holiday. In addition, students of traditional schools will also be out of school on Monday, April 21st for a staff development day.

2.RISING KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM CHOICE REGISTRATION: Applications for 2025-26 CCS Program Choice for incoming kindergarteners will be open from March 1-31. For more information, please visit our district kindergarten Program Choice webpage at https://www.cabarrus.k12.nc.us/1526_3.

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3.SPRING PANORAMA SURVEY WINDOW: The Spring '25 Panorama Survey window will open Mar. 24th - Apr. 8th. For more information on the Panorama survey, please visit https://cabarrus.k12.nc.us/13089_3

4.INFINITE CAMPUS IS COMING!: We want to inform you of an important change coming for the next school year. Beginning with the 2025-26 school year, all public schools in the state of North Carolina will have transitioned from PowerSchool to Infinite Campus as our new Student Information System (SIS). Infinite Campus will serve as the primary platform for managing student data, including grades, attendance, and schedules for Cabarrus County Schools middle and high school students. As we move closer to the transition, we will share additional information, including how to access the new Infinite Campus Parent Portal and resources to help you navigate the system. Our goal is to ensure a smooth shift with minimal disruption, and we appreciate your support during this process. Thank you for your partnership in supporting our students!

5.SENIOR SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY: The Jonathan Foundation is a 100% volunteer, 501(c)(3) service organization dedicated to give hope to children in need. We offer financial support to various children's charities, local non-profits, and college scholarships to Cabarrus County High School students. The primary goal of the The Jonathan Foundation is to give hope to children in need. Since 2011, The Jonathan Foundation has gifted over $110,000 in scholarships, community grants, and outreach. They have also invested over $102,000 to ensure the Foundation's future growth and outreach The 2025 scholarship application can be accessed here: https://jonathanthackerorg.weebly.com/scholarships.html 

6.POWERSCHOOL DATA BREACH UPDATE: We want to keep you informed about a reminder from PowerSchool regarding the recent nationwide data breach affecting student and staff information. Families and staff have until May 30 to enroll in complimentary identity protection and credit monitoring services. PowerSchool is partnering with Experian to provide these services to all current and former students and educators whose data was accessed, regardless of whether their Social Security Number was involved. For details on how to activate the Experian identity protection service, visit PowerSchool’s website. We will continue to share any updates from Power

Cabarrus County Schools Youth Arts Month Festival will be held at Gibson Mill Market on Friday, April 11th from 5-8 P.M. This is an amazing evening showcasing visual and performing arts education.

We can't wait to see you there!

Mark your calendars! The CCS Job Fair will be held on Saturday, April 12 from 10:00 am-12:00 pm at Winkler Middle School. Doors will open at 10:00 A.M. for prospective employees. All 44 schools and CCS departments will be on site to provide information, recruit, and hire on that day!  

Cabarrus County Schools will be hosting a Student & Family Wellness Forum to support Mental Health Awareness Month on Wednesday, April 23rd from 5-7 P.M. at West Cabarrus High School.

We are excited to have Chris Herren as this year’s keynote speaker! There will be a provider fair including multiple community mental health & wellness partners for students and their families to learn about resources that are available. Plus, there will be child watch during the event, food trucks, a raffle, and giveaways!

Graduation for the Class of 2025 will soon be upon us! Please visit our graduation webpage at www.cabarrus.k12.nc.us/cabcograds25 for the latest graduation information. This page will be updated often as your big day approaches.

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Safety Town is a cherished Concord tradition that provides rising kindergarteners with age-appropriate safety rule experiences in a fun and unique format. Police officers, firefighters, and volunteers from the Red Cross teach bus, gun, and fire safety, just to name a few. During this free half-day camp, League volunteers supervise the students as they rotate through each class.

Rising kindergarteners can register here: https://www.jclofconcord.com/events

🌟 Calling All Future Kindergarteners! 🌟

Cabarrus County Schools is excited to welcome the Class of 2038! 🎉 Kindergarten enrollment for the 2025-26 school year opens February 1, 2025.

📌 Visit www.cabarrus.k12.nc.us/kindergarten for enrollment details, school assignment locator, and a list of upcoming in-person enrollment events scheduled at our schools.

Please share this information with your rising Kindergarten family and friends. We can't wait to meet our newest students! 💙🍎

We’re thrilled to announce the launch of Engage CCS, our inaugural digital quarterly! Inside Volume 1, Issue 1, you'll find inspiring stories of kindness, leadership, and community impact from across Cabarrus County Schools. 

🔗 Check out the full magazine here: https://www.cabarrus.k12.nc.us/engageccs

We hope you enjoy reading about the amazing people and stories that make CCS a special place to learn and grow! 💙 #EngageCCS 

We’re excited to reconnect with you! As a valued member of our school community, we want to ensure you stay engaged with Cabarrus County Schools. To help us strengthen our connection, we kindly ask you to take a few moments to share your contact information by completing the short survey available by clicking the button below. Your participation will help us celebrate your achievements, share important updates, and create meaningful engagement opportunities for our alumni network. Thank you for being an integral part of our CCS legacy!