Number 10

Fidelity Scholars Program Applications Open

The Fidelity Scholars Program (FSP) is back for year two! The Fidelity Scholars Program combines a generous annual needs-based scholarship with robust wrap-around services that support students’ persistence to degree or certificate attainment.
FSP provides a last dollar scholarship opportunity to high school seniors and GED recipients, ages 16-24, who will be enrolling at a 4-year college/university for the first time in Fall 2024.

If a student meets the eligibility criteria listed below, they can apply:

• 2.5 – 3.5 unweighted GPA or GED
• Demonstrate financial need
• Enroll at a 4-year, not-for-profit college or university in your home state
• Come from underrepresented populations and historically underserved communities

Learn more about the program and apply here.

Number 9

Quarterly PIO Call December 13

The next quarterly PIO call will be Wednesday, December 13 from 8:30-9:30 a.m. The meeting link was shared with PIOs and Communications Leaders this week. 

Please reach out to communications@dpi.nc.gov if you did not receive the link. 

Number 8

NCDPI Seeking Best Practices for NC Teacher Working Conditions (TWC) Survey Data

NCDPI is looking for NC's best practices for using NC TWC data by school or district leadership as part of school improvement planning; district strategic planning; or data-driven conversations.

Please send any great examples of presentations, data walls/walks, reflection protocols, school improvement plans/district strategic plans, board materials, principal eval protocols, etc. to jeni.corn@dpi.nc.gov.

Number 7

North Carolina High School Students Flock to State's First Varsity Esports and STEM League

"There's a new interscholastic varsity sport in North Carolina and it doesn't require students to compete in the same room.

More than 3,000 high school students are enrolled in the state’s first varsity esports and STEM league.

In the program, students compete in video game competitions like Fortnite or Call of Duty, as well as STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) areas like artificial intelligence.

The initiative is a partnership between the state, Charlotte-based Stiegler EdTech and UNC-Greensboro."

Learn more and read the full story here.

Number 6

Register for NCDPI Hour of Code Student Showcase

In recognition of Hour of Code Week, the Office of Career and Technology Education, Computer Science Division is excited to announce that they will host an Hour of Code Student Expo! Student computer science teams from across the state of North Carolina are welcome to showcase the skills they are learning within the realm of coding and computer science.

The expo will be December 5. Learn more and register here by November 24.

Number 5

English Language Arts (ELA) Standard Course of Study Data Review Committee (DRC) Seeking Applicants

NCDPI's LEA team is seeking educators, educational leaders, and stakeholders who desire to become part of the ELA Standards revision process. The DRC will meet periodically throughout the revision process to review and discuss data, as well as draft recommendations for revision. Applications will be available until November 30, 2023. Applicants will be notified of their selection on the week of December 11-15.

The ELA DRC will consist of a range of external stakeholders including university professors, content professionals, and experts from partner organizations. Review the Scope of Work here.

Apply here by November 30. 

Number 4

Feminine Hygiene Products Grant Program Applications for 2023-24 SY Now Open

The application for the Feminine Hygiene Products Grant Program for the 2023-2024 school year is now available. The Feminine Hygiene Products Grant Program provides grants of up to $5,000 per PSU to purchase feminine hygiene products. To receive this funding, your PSU will need to complete the following application in its entirety. Grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. PSUs that did not receive a grant in the previous fiscal year will be given preference. Please review the allotment policy (page 70) for more information.

Click here to access the Feminine Hygiene Products Grant Program Application.

If you have questions about the application or grant award process, please reach out to Lillian Pinto, Reproductive Health Consultant at lillian.pinto@dpi.nc.gov.

Number 3

District Highlight: New Hanover County Schools - Happy 90th Birthday to our Wrightsboro Elementary Crossing Guard

"'Who Comes to work on their 90th birthday?'
Mrs. Vada Keller does!

Originally, a friend of Mrs. Vada was the crossing guard at Wrightsboro Elementary School. When the opportunity to take over came, Mrs. Vada heeded the call to help. Her own children were attending the school then. 5 children and 33 great-grandchildren later, Mrs. Vada is going strong.

While many of the students that Mrs. Vada crossed when she first began are adults now, she is still at her post, crossing the next group of kids so they can make it to Wrightsboro Elementary safely."

Check out the video here. Happy Birthday, Mrs. Vada, and thank you for keeping students safe!

Number 2

Summer Programming Parent/Caregiver Survey

The Office of Learning Recovery and Acceleration (OLR) is interested in hearing about students’ summer programming experience from the perspective of parents and caregivers. The feedback collected will help us provide districts and charters with information for continuous improvement of summer programs. This survey is anonymous and will remain open until December 17, 2023. Please distribute it to parents in your district or charter school so that they can share their experiences with summer programming.

• Survey Link [English]
• Survey Link [Spanish]
• Guidance Document

Number 1

Dr. Marvin Connelly Jr. honored as North Carolina Superintendent of the Year

"Dr. Marvin Connelly, Jr., has been named the 2024 A. Craig Phillips North Carolina Superintendent of the Year. The award was presented at a ceremony on Tuesday night at the Koury Convention Center in Greensboro.

Connelly was selected from a group of eight esteemed regional nominees. He was recognized for his transformative leadership, particularly in spearheading the "Cumberland Commitment: Strategic Plan," which has brought remarkable progress and innovation to Cumberland County Schools (CCS), the fifth-largest school district in North Carolina."

Congratulations on such a well-deserved accomplishment, Dr. Connelly! Read the full story and see photos here.