Traditional Schools:
- Friday, March 13 - was a Required Workday (RW); it will now be a Regular School Day.
- March 19th - Parent Teacher Conferences (4:00 - 6:30 PM)
- March 20th - No School for Students - Parent Teacher Conferences (8:00 AM-12:00 PM)
- No School Holiday - April 3, 2026
- Spring Break - April 6-10, 2026
Early College:
- Spring Break - March 9-13, 2026
- No School Holiday - April 3, 2026
- May 22 will no longer be an early release day for GECHS - Regular School Day
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The 2025-2026 Parent Survey is Open
Research shows students reach higher levels of achievement when parents are actively involved in their children’s education. As a parent, family member, or guardian of a student with a disability, you know firsthand what is working and what is not. Therefore, each year, the Office of Exceptional Children (OEC) gathers feedback from families through the survey to improve services.
If you have more than one child with a disability receiving services, you may complete the survey for each child. The survey is open to parents with children from preschool through high school.
Completing the survey is voluntary. You will not be asked to provide your name or other personally identifiable information. The information is confidential and will not be shared with anyone. The information from all families will be compiled to create a report about your school system, the state, the efforts to involve families in their children’s education, and the impact of that involvement on educational results for students with disabilities. The report is shared with the Local Education Agencies (LEAs) so they can make improvements. We hope you will participate.
Tool Time Tuesdays: Practical Help for Families
The Exceptional Children’s Assistance Center (ECAC) hosts weekly training sessions for parents and students, with topics including parent and student rights in special education, communication tips, what to do if you disagree with your school team, supporting learning at home, supporting behavior at home and at school, planning for life after high school, and resources available to support children with disabilities. Presentations are 30 minutes, from noon to 12:30 p.m. Longer webinars are available in the evenings from 7 to 8:30 p.m. You can find information about training sessions at ECAC’s Event Calendar. Summer Camps are Accepting Applications
It’s time to make a plan for summer! Many camps in North Carolina are already accepting registrations.
Bravo Nantahala Adventure Camp is an outdoor camp in Bryson City for children who are blind or have significant visual impairments. Activities include hiking, rafting and climbing. There are 12 spaces for rising 9-12 graders for July 12 through July 16. Instructors include teachers for the Visually Impaired and Orientation and Mobility Specialists. No campers will be turned away because of a lack of funds. Day camps are also available in Asheville and Charlotte.
Camp G.R.A.C.E. (YMCA) in Apex is a day camp designed for children ages 5 to 18 with Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD), Autism Spectrum Disorder, and other special needs. Two sessions are offered over several weeks: Social Skills sessions are designed for children that
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NAGC Scholarship Opportunities -
The Cooke Young Scholars Program application is open! This five-year, pre-college scholarship for high-achieving 7th graders with financial need provides funding for academic and extracurricular activities, personalized educational advising, and the opportunity to join a community of motivated peers.
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Currently be in 7th grade and/or entering 8th grade in the fall of 2026.
- Have earned all or mostly As in core academic subjects since beginning of 6th grade.
- Currently attend middle school in the U.S. and plan to attend high school in the U.S.
- Demonstrate unmet financial need with a family adjusted gross income of $95,000 or less.
The application is open until April 29, 2026. Click here to learn more. Please contact Beckie Bishop if your child applies.
Other Summer Opportunities -
Promoted by Buck's Rock Camp
Buck’s Rock is a creative haven where teenage artists choose their own visual and performing arts paths. Guided by working artists, campers explore 30+ disciplines, build confidence, and take ownership of their creativity. Join our Virtual Open House on Saturday, March 14th to learn more. Register HERE
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If your family is experiencing housing transitions due to economic hardship, natural disaster, fire, eviction, divorce, death, etc., you may qualify for the McKinney-Vento program (MKV). Read this section to find out more about the McKinney-Vento program which is a federal program that supports students and families who qualify during housing transitions..
Did You Know? Identified McKinney-Vento students are placed at the top of each school’s Pre-k waiting lists throughout the school year and given additional time to turn in additional documents due to transition challenges, if needed.
Pre-K Registration for children who are at least 4 years old by August 31, 2026, closes Friday, March 6, 2026. Please see the webpage link here to access the Pre-K application and apply online, print out the application, go to any elementary school to get help from the office or staff, or pick up an application packet at any elementary school and return it there.
Remote Area Medical (RAM) will offer free dental, vision, and medical care March 28th – March 29th (Saturday and Sunday). Location – Vance Charter School 2090 Ross Mill Rd Henderson, NC 27537. The parking lot opens 11:59pm (midnight on Friday, March 27th and will stay open all night for people to line up. Clinic doors will open Saturday morning at 6 am. Arrive early – dental and vision lines fill up fast.
The NC MedAssist Mobile Free Pharmacy will take place on Friday March 13, 2026, from 9a – 2p at the VGCC Civic Center located in Henderson at 200 Community College Rd. it is designed for families with low incomes and will provide pain relievers, cold, cough, and allergy medications, digestive aids, vitamins, and children’s medication.
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SAVE the Dates:
March 19, 2026, at 6:30 pm for Parent & Family Academy Session 4 “College and Career Readiness… CTE, CTP and CCP”. See more detailed information in the Parent & Family Engagement section at the end of the newsletter.
In February homeless liaisons from Granville, Vance, Warren, Franklin and Person County (5-County Homeless Liaisons) and Daniel Jordan, former GCPS and VCS employee who now works for the North Carolina Homeless Education Program/NCDPI, were invited to present as a panel during a MKV professional development training for Vance County Schools staff members.
We are grateful for all donations to our McKinney-Vento program that will be given to our identified students and families.
If you and your family are unhoused due to hardship or if you suspect that a GCPS child or youth is unhoused, please contact your child’s school, the school social worker, or the MKV Liaison. The link to the GCPS McKinney-Vento webpage is here and includes a definition of families in transition/homelessness, MKV law, parent and student rights, previous digital issues of “Looking Forward.”
School Social Workers MKV Points of Contact:
- Katie Perkinson: 919-691-5264: Tar River ES, MT Energy ES, GCMS, Granville Academy, Granville Early College HS, and Credle ES
- Sara Michaelson: 919-892-5266:, Butner-Stem ES, Wilton ES, GCMS, JF Webb HS, Phoenix Academy
- Christy Currin: 252-430-9416: West Oxford ES, Stovall-Shaw ES, NGMS, SGHS
MKV Liaison:
· Teresa Hicks: 252-425-9368
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Pre-K Registration for children who are at least 4 years old by August 31, 2026, closes Friday, March 6, 2026. Please see the webpage link here to access the Pre-K application and apply online, print out the application, go to any elementary school to get help from the office or staff, or pick up an application packet at any elementary school and return it there.
SAVE the Dates:
March 19, 2026, at 6:30 pm for Parent & Family Academy Session 4 “College and Career Readiness… CTE, CTP and CCP”:
Parent & Family Virtual Academy Session 4 will take place on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at 6:30 pm, will feature Angela Salisbury, Senior Director of College and Career Readiness as the guest speaker. Information will be provided about the Career and Technical Education (CTE) program and College Transfer Program (CTP) which is part of North Carolina’s Career & College Promise (CCP), allowing high school students to take college-level courses, tuition-free.
Did you know? CCP courses transfer to UNC system schools.
April’s Parent & Family Academy Session 5 (date/time to be determined) will be a “face-to-face” event at a GCPS elementary school that features Latasha Hargrove, Early Childhood Coordinator as the guest speaker. Information will be provided about preparing students for Kindergarten. There will be refreshments and an engaging student activity.
Did you know? The Parents as Teachers (PAT) program is part of GCPS Early Childhood programming and provides home visits, resources, and parent education to families with children ages birth – 5 years old.
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BSES: February 28th 5p – 6:30p
SSES: March 5th 5p - 7p
Wilton E.S.: March 12th 6p – 7p
NGMS: March 12th. 6p – 7:30p
Credle E.S.: March 17th 5:30p - 6:30p
Mt Energy E.S.: March 26th 5:30p - 7:00p
WOXES: March 26th 4:00p - 6:30p
GCMS: March 31st (time to be announced)
Tar River E.S.: April 28. 5:00p - 6:30p
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