CFIE STUDENTS RETURN OCTOBER 24th! Remember to be here by 7:55 a.m. - doors open at 7:40!

• OCS Superintendent Rick Stout announced a timeline for the reopening of our schools. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, schools will reopen for students in three phases from October 24th through November 5th. A complete restart of all 38 sites at one time will not be possible and the timeline could fluctuate given unforeseen circumstances.

  Schools will open which have been identified by the district’s industrial hygienist as having “acceptable indoor environmental health and safety conditions.” Those which sustained the least amount of damage will open in Phase 1. 24 sites and approximately 16,800 students will be impacted. Moderately damaged schools are scheduled to reopen in Phase 2, which includes an additional 6 schools and brings back approximately 4,800 students. Phase 3 will include the most severely damaged sites, as well as the Thompson Early Childhood Center, and all the district’s Pre-K programs. With the remaining six schools enrollment of the district will return to pre-Florence numbers of just over 27,000.

  Staff at each school are scheduled to return at least two days prior to students, with staff at Phase 1 schools returning October 22nd, and students returning October 24th. Staff at Phase 2 sites will return October 30th, with students returning November 1st, and Phase 3 staff returning November 1st, with students starting back November 5th.

  CFIE is a Phase 1 School with staff returning 10/22 and students returning 10/24. 

• Pam Smith, OCS Director of School Nutrition, announced that ALL students will have free meals when school resumes (breakfast and lunch) through October 31st. If your family was displaced or your status has changed that you think your child may qualify for free or reduced lunch, please complete the application online on the OCS website or contact the OCS Nutrition Office for further assistance. After October 31, the lunch ststus reverts back to what it was before the hurricane unless an application is completed noting changes.
• For anyone with high school seniors in your family - the local Board of Ed has selected to waive the requirement for the GRAD Project for this school year only (18-19) due to the challenges posed by the recent hurricane. 
• Hurricane  Resources can be found at https://coastalcarolina.libguides.com/hurricanerelief 

• GRANTS FOR HOUSING ASSISTANCE - The grant program pays for one month's rent or mortgage payment up to $1500, for those affected by the hurricane.  Impacted residents can apply for the Housing Foundation's housing assistance grants through an online application available to download at ncrealtorshf.org. 
• If your area is swarming with mosquitos, please contact Onslow County Environmental Mosquito to come spray your area - 910-455-0181.  From their post, they have been receiving many calls and are trying to answer each one - please be patient and keep trying to reach them if you get a busy signal. 
• From Jacksonville NC Govt - PLEASE DO NOT BLOCK DEBRIS REMOVAL CREWS - Debris Removal Trucks take up some space and need additional room to maneuver while removing debris in neighborhoods and throughout the City.  Please avoid parking in the street if at all possible until your street is cleared. (They are coming around for a second round of cleanup before heading to other affected areas).
• Caring Community Clinic of Jacksonville has moved next door to Suite L at 200 Doctors Drive as their area in Suite M had sustained damage from the hurricane.  
• All Masses at St. Mildred Church in Swansboro will be held at Jones Funeral Home on Old Hammocks Beach Rd on Sundays at 9:00 & 10:30 am until the damage from the hurricane is repaired.
• WORKERS WANTED: Eastern Carolina Workforce Development (Onslow) - 910-347-2121 

Continued COMMUNITY SUPPORT opportunities in Onslow County:

• Zing Zumm Children's Museum of Jacksonville - taking donations of new blankets, stuffed animals, books (esp chapter books ages 7-10) and toothbrushes/toothpaste
• Hurricane Relief Book Drive for Onslow County Schools - TEACHERS- when you return to school, if you need books for your classroom library or school library, please contact Melissa Whaley at melissa.whaley@onslow.k12.nc.us.  COMMUNITY- We now have all five book drop locations in Onslow County up and running! They are as follows:
  
  Valencia Office Park Lobby
  200 Valencia Drive 
  Jacksonville, NC 28546
  
  Onslow County Museum Lobby
  301 N Wilmington Street
  Richlands, NC 28574
  
  Food Lion of Sneads Ferry
  965 Old Folkstone Road
  Sneads Ferry, NC 28460
  
  OCPL Main Branch
  58 Doris Avenue E
  Jacksonville, NC 28540
  
  OCPL Swansboro Branch
  1460 W Corbett Avenue 
  Swansboro, NC 28584
  
  Please keep in mind, they are only collecting books that are appropriate for school libraries and classrooms for ages 5-18. Do not mail any books to any of these locations except for the Valencia Park location. Any books that are mailed should be addressed to:
  
  Onslow Literacy Council
  OCS Book Drive
  200 Valencia Drive Suite 184
  Jacksonville, NC 28546
• BOOK DRIVE FOR THE PARK - Middle School level novels are needed for Northwoods Park Middle to help replace classroom library books and books damaged in th media center. Books may be dropped off or mailed to 701 Barn St, Jacksonville, NC 28540 until NWPM reopens.
• ASPIRE WINTER Closet is next week - free clothes give away!October 27th from 4:00-6:30 pm at Jacksonville Commons Recreation Cener, 100 Recreation Lane, Jacksonville

BACKPACK BUDDIES & CFIE FOOD DRIVE!

Backpack Buddies is a school-based program that provides children from food-insecure homes with healthy weekend meals during the school year.  Carolina International Elementary School students began this program 7 years ago and it has been fully self-sustaining since that time.  At any given time, we have 20-30 families that we serve on a weekly basis.   In order to continue the success of this program, our Student Council raises money through school dances, as well as organizes 2 food drives per year. 

Right now, our cupboards are bare from the hurricane.  We have been unable to have dances or food drives since we have been out of school for 6 weeks.  In addition, more families are being added to the program each day, especially families that are displaced from their homes.

Next week (10/29 - 11/2) is our food drive!  The top 5 students who bring in the most food will earn lunch with the counselor from Chick Fil A!!!  The class that brings in the most food will earn an ice cream/snack celebration!!  Please help us to restock our pantry and continue to help our families! 

Items can be sent in any day next week!

Items needed:

Small Cereal Boxes

Pop tarts

Individual meals (Dinty Moore stew etc..)

Oatmeal

Granola Bars

Juice boxes and milk boxes

Peanut Butter and Jelly

Individual fruit cups

Pasta and Spaghetti Sauce    

Macaroni and Cheese

Spaghetti-O’s

Thank you in advance for your support! Jennifer Askins, School Counselor

Breakfast/Lunch Information

If you think you may qualify for free and reduced lunch, please consider applying online at www.lunchapplication.com. This online application is faster to process than the paper version.  Remember as your application processes, parents are responsible for meals that are charged on their child's account.  

Full pay Cost of Meals for the 18-19 School Year:

Breakfast - $1.25

Lunch - $2.25

If you do not wish to send in money with your child and would like to put money directly on your child's account, go to www.k12paymentcenter.com. You will need to sign up and will need your child's student number. 

MENUs - you can access the lunch menus here. There are several choices for the different schools in Onslow, please select the Grades K-8 menus.

Click to download a printable version of the Carolina Forest 2018-2019 Supply List.