Hello, OCS Family. You can see the latest district news and updates below. 

SUPERINTENDENT MESSAGE 

On behalf of the Onslow County School system, I would like to share how truly humbled we are by the support and understanding of our community in the face of this current crisis. There is no substitute for having our students and teachers in their classrooms, performing in our auditoriums or competing on our athletic fields. However, until COVID-19 is defeated, our staff have stepped up to provide excellence in this new educational environment. 

The dedication shown following Hurricane Florence to move forward and do whatever is needed to get the job done is being demonstrated now  by our staff across the district. I am proud of the instructional staff, bus drivers, custodians, student nutrition staff and other OCS team members who have made our school buildings and vehicles safer, fed children who depend on school meals, implemented our remote learning  and kept the school system up and running. I am also grateful for the leadership of our teachers, principals and other school-based staff who have worked to meet the social and emotional needs of our students during this challenging time. 

We are proud to serve our entire OCS family. While we do not know what the rest of the school year holds, I know we will come through this stronger as a school system and as a community. 

Thank you, 
Barry Collins, Superintendent 

BOARD CHAIR MESSAGE 

Your Board of Education is proud of and thankful for the unified efforts of all the OCS team in this most difficult time. The COVID-19 crisis has made the job more difficult, but our staff have worked diligently to address the needs of our community. We are grateful for all that has been done during the school closure. Because of this commitment and dedication, we will weather this storm and be better for it on the other side. 

We appreciate the support of our parents, the community and all those who have been positively impacted by the great things being done every day by our outstanding OCS staff. We are also grateful for the understanding that although our schools are operating differently, everyone connected with your school system continues to have the same commitment to excellence in education. 

Thank you, 
Pam Thomas, Chair – Onslow County Board of Education 

SPRING BREAK REMINDERS 

We would like to remind our families that spring break for schools on the traditional calendar will begin on Friday, April 10. Virtual instruction will resume on Monday, April 20. Year-round schools will observe a break April 10-13, with online instruction resuming Tuesday, April 14.   

To ensure we can continue to feed our most vulnerable students through the scheduled school closure, OCS will pause serving meals at Student Nutrition Hubs during spring break from Friday, April 10 through Friday, April 17. Student technology repair will also be paused during this time.  

Meals at our Student Nutrition Hubs, as well as technology repair, will resume on Monday, April 20. 

You can find information regarding community food resources here: Food Resources. 

COVID-19 UPDATES AND RESOURCES  

As the district continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, we would like to remind our families that they can find the latest COVID-19 updates and information regarding services available during the school closures here on the OCS website: OCS COVID-19 Information.  

PRESCHOOL APPLICATIONS 

Applications for preschool will be available online beginning April 14. See below for more information:  

FOLLOW OCS ON SOCIAL MEDIA 

Keep up with even more OCS happenings on the following platforms:   
Facebook - @OCSNC   
Twitter - @OnslowSchools   
Instagram - onslowcountyschools 

Hello, OCS Family. Thank you for another week of flexibility and successful remote learning. See all the latest district news and announcements below.  

SPRING BREAK REMINDER 

We would like to remind our families that spring break for schools on the traditional calendar will begin on Friday, April 10. Virtual instruction will resume on Monday, April 20. Year-round schools will observe a break April 10-13, with online instruction resuming Tuesday, April 14. No device repair sites or student nutrition hubs will be open on the Friday, April 10 holiday. 

Further information about the spring break schedules for repair sites and nutrition hubs will be announced next week.  

COVID-19 UPDATES AND RESOURCES 

As the district continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, we would like to remind our families that they can find the latest COVID-19 updates and information regarding services available during the school closures here on the OCS website: OCS COVID-19 Information.  

MONTH OF THE MILITARY CHILD 

April is Month of the Military Child! We may not be together on campus this month, but we can still celebrate and (virtually) paint the town purple! Check out the themed days for the April 6-10 virtual spirit week below and use #PIPOnslow to participate and help us paint it purple! 

STUDENTS COMPETE IN VIRTUAL CONTEST 

In the fall of 2019, a group of students from Onslow Early College High School and Jacksonville High School joined the NC STEM Research Academy East, which has student members from OCS and four other area districts. The goal of this program was to increase authentic student science research or engineering design work. The year was supposed to conclude with every student participating at the North Carolina Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, which was to be held at UNCC in March.  

After the recent school closures, the committee decided to hold the competition virtually.    

Colin Davis, a junior from Onslow Early College High School, submitted his research project entitled “Explanation of the Relationship between the Oxygen Uptake Efficiency Plateau and the Ratio between Heart Rate and Respiratory Frequency.” Elizabeth Shannon, a senior at Jacksonville High School, submitted her project called “The Developmental Effects of Perchloroethylene on Artemia Salina.” 

When the results were reported, we learned that Elizabeth Shannon was awarded an honorable mention for her research.  

Congratulations to Elizabeth and Colin for their hard work, dedication, and willingness to continue their academic pursuits in the face of great change! 

WIGGINS TO SERVE ON NCSBA COMMITTEE 

The North Carolina School Boards Association has named Onslow County Schools Board Member Paul Wiggins an at-large member of the NCSBA Legislative Committee.  

“These individuals will do the work that leads to the adoption of the association’s legislative agenda,” remarked NCSBA President Brenda Stephens. “They will help us design a survey to gather information from our members and then develop a draft agenda for adoption at the 2020 meeting of NCSBA’s delegate assembly.” 

In addition to the agenda, committee members will review ongoing legislative activity and provide guidance to the Board of Directors on legislative matters. This year’s legislative committee is comprised of a subset of the NCSBA Board of Directors, the eight district presidents, and ten at-large school board members that were nominated by their school board and appointed by the NCSBA president. 

The committee will meet later this year, and its members will serve a two-year term. 

Congratulations and thank you for serving, Mr. Wiggins! 

CENSUS 2020 

National Census Day was Wednesday, April 1! That means that you now should have received your invitation to complete the census. If you have your form and have yet to fill it out, do so soon to help our community get much-needed resources. If you have not yet received a form, a representative from the U.S. Census Bureau should be following up with you in the coming weeks. Learn more about the census and its importance at 2020census.gov.  

FOLLOW OCS ON SOCIAL MEDIA 

Keep up with even more OCS happenings on the following platforms:   
Facebook - @OCSNC   
Twitter - @OnslowSchools   
Instagram - onslowcountyschools 

Hello, OCS Family. Please see the latest district updates below.  

OCS COVID-19 UPDATES AND RESOURCES   

Thank you for your patience and flexibility as the district continues to navigate these unprecedented circumstances.  

We are aware of Governor Cooper’s announcement earlier this afternoon regarding a stay-at-home order which will go into effect beginning at 5 p.m. Monday evening. More on what this will mean for OCS will be shared with you as it becomes available.  

In the meantime, we would like to remind our families that they can find the latest school-related COVID-19 updates at www.onslow.k12.nc.us/covid19 and that the following resources are available to them during the school closures: 

Student Nutrition Hubs  

Since the Student Nutrition Hubs started operating on Tuesday, March 17 the district has served a total of 99,814 meals to children free of charge. As we move forward, we will continue operating the 10 nutritional hubs Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., as resources permit. In addition to these sites, we will continue looking at other opportunities to provide satellite nutrition hub sites throughout the county. Locations for the nutritional hubs and satellite feeding stations can be found here: Student Nutrition Hubs. 

We would also like to remind those who are picking up meals that, in accordance with federal and state guidelines, all meals being served must be for children ages 1-18 who are in economically disadvantaged areas.  

Instructional Technology  

To maintain the continuity of digital instruction, the OCS Instructional Technology Department has implemented a plan to repair broken or malfunctioning district-issued student devices. Students will be able to drop off a broken or malfunctioning laptop, have an IT Technician repair the device and have it ready to be picked up within 24 hours. You can find more information and a list of drop off/pickup times and sites here: IT Information and Resources. 

Student Counseling Services  

During this challenging time, OCS school counselors and social workers will be available for virtual counseling sessions to help our children cope with the many questions and uncertainties they have. You can find more information and links to each school’s counseling services here: Student Counseling Services. 

CENSUS 2020 

National Census Day is April 1! 

DID YOU KNOW? Census forms and invitations to complete the census began arriving at homes in Onslow County earlier this month. If you have received you form, please be sure to fill it out at your earliest convenience. If you have not received any information from the Census Bureau yet, be sure to keep an eye out for it in the coming days. Learn more at 2020census.gov.  

FOLLOW OCS ON SOCIAL MEDIA 

Keep up with even more OCS happenings on the following platforms:   
Facebook - @OCSNC   
Twitter - @OnslowSchools   
Instagram - onslowcountyschools 

Hello, OCS Family.  You can find all the latest district news and updates below.  

OCS COVID-19 UPDATES AND RESOURCES  

Thank you for your patience and flexibility as the district navigates these unprecedented circumstances. As we all face the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, we would like to make our families aware of the services available to them throughout the school closures.  

You can find all district COVID-19 information and updates on the district’s website here: Coronavirus Information. You can also find information about services being offered throughout school closures below: 

Student Nutrition Hubs 

Since the Student Nutrition Hubs started operating on Tuesday, the district has served a total of 14,532 meals. Beginning on Monday, March 23, free breakfast and lunch will be provided to children ages 1-18 at several sites across the county, Monday-Friday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. On Monday, a new site at Southwest Elementary will open and, in addition to the sites located at schools, satellite locations will be coming to Christian Community Church in Maple Hill, Belleau Woods in Midway Park, and the Belgrade Community Building. You can find more information here: Student Nutrition Hubs. 

Learning at Home  

We would like to thank our staff, students and parents for their patience and open-mindedness as the district transitions to virtual learning during the school closures. As we work together to educate our children in this challenging time, we have established guidelines to support the learning-from-home process. You can find more information and resources here: Learning from Home Guidelines.

Instructional Technology 

To maintain the continuity of digital instruction, the OCS Instructional Technology Department has implemented a plan to repair broken or malfunctioning district-issued student devices. Students will be able to drop off a broken or malfunctioning laptop, have an IT Technician repair the device and have it ready to be picked up within 24 hours. You can find more information and a list of drop off/pickup times and sites here: IT Information and Resources. 

Student Counseling Services 

It is hard to get away from the rapidly changing news about COVID-19 and the changes it continues to cause in our society. With schools currently closed for students, concern over this new virus has increased the number of questions children and families have. OCS school counselors and school social workers understand this and, during this challenging time, will be available for virtual counseling sessions to help our children cope with these questions. You can find more information and links to each school’s counseling services here: Student Counseling Services. 

NEWS FROM THE BOARD 

On Thursday, March 19, the Onslow County Board of Education held an emergency meeting and approved a resolution granting the superintendent emergency powers to keep the district moving forward as it responds to the COVID-19 pandemic.  The resolution allows the superintendent more flexibility to make decisions regarding staff assignments, school calendars, governmental waiver applications, curriculum, and more, which would normally require Board approval. This would allow him to make decisions more quickly, as is often needed during a rapidly evolving situation. These powers are entrusted in the superintendent under the understanding that he will continue to communicate with the Board and inform him of the decisions he makes.   

You can find a full summary of the Board’s emergency meeting here: News from the Board. 

CENSUS 2020 

Census forms have started arriving in the mail for households across Onslow County. Keep an eye out for your census form! 

DID YOU KNOW? Renters are considered a historically under-counted population. Renters should respond to the census at the address where you will be living or staying on April 1, 2020. Count every person living or staying in your home. Learn more at 2020census.gov. 

FOLLOW OCS ON SOCIAL MEDIA 

Keep up with even more OCS happenings on the following platforms:   
Facebook - @OCSNC   
Twitter - @OnslowSchools   
Instagram - onslowcountyschools  

Hello, OCS Family. Please read below for the latest district news and updates.  

OCS CORONAVIRUS UPDATE 

OCS continues to closely monitor information from the CDC and work closely with the Onslow County Health Department on COVID-19. 

Current guidance from national, state and local health officials does not recommend school closures at this time. You can view the CDC guidance for schools here: CDC Guidance for Schools. The latest guidance from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services can be found here: NCDHHS Guidance for Schools.  

Thank you for your support as we take preventive measures to support the safety and well-being of our students and staff. We would like our school community to know we will remain in close communication with them as this situation continues to evolve and will notify parents of any developments which may impact our schools. 

For the most accurate and up-to-date school-related COVID-19 information, please visit OCS Coronavirus (COVID-19) Info & Updates.

DIXON AREA REDISTRICTING  

On March 10, during its regular monthly meeting, the Onslow County Board of Education approved Scenario 1(A) as the redistricting plan for the new Coastal Elementary School, which will open to students in the southern part of the county in August 2021.  

At the meeting, OCS Chief Operations Officer Steve Myers presented the Board with scenarios 1(A) and 2. Scenario 1(A) splits the existing Dixon Elementary district in half and does not include pulling any students from Southwest Elementary to Coastal Elementary. Scenario 2 would have split the Dixon Elementary district in half the same way as Scenario 1(A), but it would have included pulling 18 students from Southwest Elementary to attend the new school.  

When the new redistricting plan goes into effect for the 2021-2022 school year, fifth grade will be moved back into the elementary schools from Dixon Middle School, the population of Dixon Elementary will reduce to 635 students, and Coastal Elementary School will open with a student population of approximately 658. 

You can find more on the Southern Elementary School Project and view the approved redistricting plan here: SESP Redistricting. 

MAKEUP INFORMATION AND WORKDAY 

After a careful review of our calendars, it has been determined we have enough instructional hours that we will be able to absorb the day missed due to snow on February 21 without having to create a student makeup day.  

We would also like to remind our families on the traditional calendar that Monday, March 16 is a teacher workday and that there will be no school for students on that day.  

MAGNET SCHOOL LOTTERY APPLICATIONS 

The magnet school application portal for the 2020-2021 school year will close TODAY at 11:59 p.m. The lottery will run at 10 a.m. on Monday, March 16, 2020.  

If you are interested in learning more, you can find further information on the county’s three magnet schools and the application process here: Magnet School Lottery Information.

DUAL LANGUAGE IMMERSION PROGRAMS 

Is your child starting kindergarten in August? Consider enrolling in a Dual Language Immersion program! DLI is a Spanish-immersion program offered at Clyde Erwin Elementary Magnet School, Hunters Creek Elementary, Sand Ridge Elementary, Carolina Forest International Elementary and Stateside Elementary. Learn more about DLI and how to send your child to one of the programs here: DLI Information.  

CENSUS 2020 

National Census Day is April 1! 

DID YOU KNOW? Children, newborn to 5 years old, are considered one of the more difficult populations to count. It is estimated that there were as many as 8,000 small children in Onslow County left uncounted following the 2010 census. Families with children should count all of their children on their census form, including those under the age of 5. Visit 2020census.gov to learn more. 

NEWS FROM THE BOARD 

A summary and video of the Onslow County Board of Education meeting on March 10, 2020 can be found here: News from the Board. You can find a summary of the emergency Board meeting on March 13, 2020 here: News from the Board.

SCHOOL EXPRESS 

The School Express program allows businesses in our area and beyond to partner with the school system by offering discounts to OCS employees. If you own a business and would like to offer a discount, you can fill out the online participation form here: School Express Participation Form. If you work for the district, you can access the full list of current School Express offers here: School Express Discounts.

COMMUNITY FLYERS

To see the latest flyers for upcoming events for students and families from our community partners, visit our virtual bulletin board here: Community Flyers. If you are interested in distributing a flyer to OCS families, you can read about Peachjar here: Peachjar Flyer Distribution. 

FOLLOW OCS ON SOCIAL MEDIA 

Keep up with even more OCS happenings on the following platforms:   
Facebook - @OCSNC   
Twitter - @OnslowSchools   
Instagram - onslowcountyschools  

Hello OCS Family! Read below for the latest district news and updates. 

LOCAL CORONAVIRUS PREPAREDNESS 

Onslow County Schools is committed to the safety and security of our students and staff. We are continuing our coronavirus (COVID-19) preparation for any situation which might impact our schools. OCS district staff remain in regular contact with the Onslow County Health Department and are working closely with school administrators and staff to ensure a safe and healthy learning environment for our school community.    

A page dedicated to COVID-19-related information has been added to the OCS website. You can find more information on preparation and prevention, answers to frequently asked questions, as well as helpful links to public health organizations, here on the OCS website: OCS COVID-19 Resources.  

OCS LAUNCHES SAY SOMETHING PLATFORM 

OCS will officially launch the “Say Something” Anonymous Reporting System for students grades 6-12 on Monday, March 9.   

Say Something is a youth violence prevention program, which most North Carolina public school districts will be adopting this year in alignment with guidelines from the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.  

Say Something, from the national nonprofit organization Sandy Hook Promise, provides youth and adults a secure, anonymous reporting platform for concerns related to violence, suicide, bullying, self-harm and other forms of threatening behavior. Tips are received by trained personnel, who will notify the proper authorities, whether they be school administrators or law enforcement. Training on proper use of this tool will be provided for staff and students at all OCS middle and high schools starting next week.  

You can find more information about Say Something here: Say Something Anonymous Reporting System.   
 
MILITARY UNITS ADOPT JCE 

On Monday, the staff and students of Jacksonville Commons Elementary celebrated their school’s joint adoption by Marine Corps Air Station New River’s MAG-29 and HMHT-302. 

JCE Principal Deborah Hoffman thanked the partnering units, saying that JCE is proud to have their support as they continue to find new ways to provide for the school’s students and families, 70 percent of whom live below the poverty line.  

HMHT-302's LtCol Joel Archibald said that his unit’s relationship with JCE began when they received Christmas cards made by the school’s students and decided to return the favor. When the opportunity to adopt a school was presented, they knew they wanted to continue that relationship and influence students by modeling positive behaviors.  

Congratulations to JCE and thank you to all the military personnel who invest time in our schools and students! 

ELEMENTARY SPELLING BEE 

Thursday night, students from 20 OCS elementary schools gathered at Parkwood Elementary School to compete in the 2019-2020 OCS Elementary School Spelling Bee. All competitors were the winners of their school-level competitions.  

Sand Ridge Elementary’s Dominick Rising took first place, and Swansboro Elementary’s Jacek May came in second. Congratulations to the winners and a job well done to all who competed! 

CENSUS 2020 

National Census Day is April 1! 

DID YOU KNOW? During the 2010 Census, at least 22,000 people were not counted in Onslow County. Over the last decade, this has resulted in the county missing out on an estimated $402 million in state and federal funding. Find out more about the 2020 census and how you can help your community at 2020census.gov. 

BOE MEETING MARCH 10 

On Tuesday, March 10, the Onslow County Board of Education will hold its regular monthly meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Eastern North Carolina Regional Skills Center.  

Agenda items include a "Census Moment," an instructional technology highlight, discussion on 2020-2021 tuition, the 2020-2021 Head Start Project approval, and Dixon area redistricting. 

CONTACT INFORMATION  

In order to stay up to date on the latest news and updates from the district, we encourage our families to ensure that their most recent contact information, including phone numbers and email addresses, is on file at their schools. Having current and accurate information is essential in our effort to provide the OCS family with important notices and updates. If you or someone you know has not been receiving district notices, please contact your school to confirm that your contact information is entered correctly. 

SCHOOL EXPRESS 

The School Express program allows businesses in our area and beyond to partner with the school system by offering discounts to OCS employees. If you own a business and would like to offer a discount, you can fill out the online participation form here: School Express Participation Form. If you work for the district, you can access the full list of current School Express offers here: School Express Discounts.

COMMUNITY FLYERS

To see the latest flyers for upcoming events for students and families from our community partners, visit our virtual bulletin board here: Community Flyers. If you are interested in distributing a flyer to OCS families, you can read about Peachjar here: Peachjar Flyer Distribution. 

FOLLOW OCS ON SOCIAL MEDIA 

Keep up with even more OCS happenings on the following platforms:   
Facebook - @OCSNC   
Twitter - @OnslowSchools   
Instagram - onslowcountyschools  

Hello OCS Family! Thank you for another great week at OCS. You can catch up on the latest district news and happenings below.  

LOCAL CORONAVIRUS PREPAREDNESS 

Onslow County Schools is working closely with the Onslow County Health Department as they continue to prepare for the possibility of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). OCS will remain in close contact with OCHD and notify parents of any developments which may impact our school community.  

At this point, OCS would like to reiterate OCHD’s response that the immediate risk of this virus is low to the public. Information from OCHD and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction indicate that, thus far, there are no cases in our state. However, we encourage OCS students, staff and families to practice preventative measures such as good hygiene, regular hand washing and staying home if you or your children are sick.  

You can find more information and helpful links here: OCS Coronavirus Preparedness.  

MILITARY UNIT ADOPTS WOHS 

Dozens of Marines lined the cultural arts auditorium of White Oak High School Tuesday as Combat Logistics Regiment 27 and the Vikings solidified their partnership through the Adopt-a-School program.  

The Adopt-a-School program promotes mutually beneficial relationships between the military and schools by allowing a military unit to “adopt” a school. The units support schools by helping with test monitoring, mentorship, and more. In return, schools help their units by sending them letters and care packages while they are deployed.  

Col. Brian W. Mullery said, “We have young citizens of our Republic that are growing through the process of high school, and if we can positively impact that and help or assist them in any way, that is exactly why we are here. We truly appreciate you allowing us into your family in order to do that.” 

Congratulations to WOHS and thank you to all the military personnel who invest time in our schools and students! 

ROTARY CHALLENGE 

The Dr. Kay B. Gresham Rotary Academic Challenge was held Saturday, February 22. 

The Challenge, sponsored by the Onslow Area Rotary Clubs, hosted 7 teams from Onslow County high schools. After 21 regular rounds and a sudden death championship round, Dixon High came out on top. Congratulations to the following winners: Dixon High - 1st Place, Southwest High - 2nd Place, Richlands High - 3rd Place, Onslow Early College - 4th Place.  

Thank you to the Rotarians who helped during the competition and to the Onslow Area Rotary Clubs for supporting this program for the past 23 years! 

MAGNET SCHOOL LOTTERY APPLICATIONS 

The magnet school application portal for the 2020-2021 school year opened on Monday, February 24 and will close at 11:59 p.m. on March 13, 2020. The lottery will run at 10 a.m. on Monday, March 16, 2020.  

If you are interested in learning more, you can find further information on the county’s three magnet schools and the application process here: Magnet School Lottery Information. 

CENSUS 2020 

National Census Day is April 1! 

DID YOU KNOW? Responding to the census fulfills your civic duty because it is mandated by the U.S. Constitution. The United States has counted its population every 10 years since 1790. Learn more at 2020census.gov. 

NEWS FROM THE BOARD 

A summary and video of the Onslow County Board of Education meeting on February 26, 2020 can be found here: News from the Board. 

SCHOOL EXPRESS 

The School Express program allows businesses in our area and beyond to partner with the school system by offering discounts to OCS employees. If you own a business and would like to offer a discount, you can fill out the online participation form here: School Express Participation Form. If you work for the district, you can access the full list of current School Express offers here: School Express Discounts.

COMMUNITY FLYERS

To see the latest flyers for upcoming events for students and families from our community partners, visit our virtual bulletin board here: Community Flyers. If you are interested in distributing a flyer to OCS families, you can read about Peachjar here: Peachjar Flyer Distribution. 

FOLLOW OCS ON SOCIAL MEDIA 

Keep up with even more OCS happenings on the following platforms:   
Facebook - @OCSNC   
Twitter - @OnslowSchools   
Instagram - onslowcountyschools  

Hello OCS Family! We will see you back in school on Monday, and in the meantime, you can catch up on the latest district news and updates below. 

MAGNET SCHOOL LOTTERY APPLICATIONS 

Onslow County is home to three magnet schools: Clyde Erwin Elementary Magnet School of International Studies and Cultural Arts, Northwoods Elementary Magnet School of Technology and Innovation, and New Bridge Middle School. Enrollment in these schools is based on a lottery  system. Entry into the magnet school lottery is available to the enrollment-eligible children of all Onslow County residents or in accordance with the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children. 

The magnet school application portal for the 2020-2021 school year will open on Monday, February 24, 2020 and will close at 11:59 p.m. on March 13, 2020. The lottery will run at 10 a.m. on Monday, March 16, 2020.  

If you are interested in learning more, you can find further information on the magnet school lottery application process, as well as each of the district’s magnet schools, here: Magnet School Lottery Information. 

STUDENTS COMPETE IN STEM COMPETITIONS 

On Saturday, February 15, 185 OCS students traveled to compete in two different regional STEM  competitions.      

Twenty students traveled to the Southeast Regional Science and Engineering Fair hosted by CESTEM at UNCW to compete, and 165 students, a total of 11 teams, competed at the Division B/C Regional Science Olympiad Competition at Lenoir Community College.   

Two students received awards at the Science and Engineering Fair, while 16 individual students and two full teams will go on to represent OCS at the state Science Olympiad competition. 

You can read more about the competitions and find a winners list here: https://bit.ly/38OSTTd 

Congratulations to the winners and a job well done to all who competed!  

CENSUS 2020 

National Census Day is April 1! 

DID YOU KNOW? Active duty service members are counted by the census where they live, not where they have residency. Being counted where you are stationed will not affect your residency status in your home state. Service members should be counted with their household if that is where they live. If staying in military barracks or dormitories, Census Bureau employees will work with a representative of the building to ensure you are counted. If deployed outside of the U.S., the Census Bureau will use data from the U.S. Department of Defense to count you. Visit 2020cencus.gov for more information.

SCHOOL EXPRESS 

The School Express program allows businesses in our area and beyond to partner with the school system by offering discounts to OCS employees. If you own a business and would like to offer a discount, you can fill out the online participation form here: School Express Participation Form. If you work for the district, you can access the full list of current School Express offers here: School Express Discounts.

COMMUNITY FLYERS

To see the latest flyers for upcoming events for students and families from our community partners, visit our virtual bulletin board here: Community Flyers. If you are interested in distributing a flyer to OCS families, you can read about Peachjar here: Peachjar Flyer Distribution. 

FOLLOW OCS ON SOCIAL MEDIA 

Keep up with even more OCS happenings on the following platforms:   
Facebook - @OCSNC   
Twitter - @OnslowSchools   
Instagram - onslowcountyschools  

Hello, OCS Family! It was another great week at OCS, thanks to all of you. Catch up on the latest district news and updates below.  

TEACHER WORK DAY 

We would like to remind our families on the traditional calendar, that Monday, Feb. 17 is a teacher work day and there will be no school for students on that day.  

SESP REDISTRICTING INFORMATION 

The new Southern Elementary School Project (SESP) under construction on Folkstone Road in the Dixon area, will open for students in August 2021. To better serve our elementary school children in the Dixon area, on September 20, 2019, the OCS Board of Education asked district staff to begin working on a redistricting plan to address the opening of the new school. 

The opening of a new school will require the creation of two separate districts within the existing Dixon area. On February 14, OCS district staff provided the Board of Education three re-alignment proposals for consideration. 

The new district lines are designed to provide a continuity of instructional services and balance the student population between the new school and Dixon Elementary.  

Before making a final decision in February, OCS would like to receive input from parents and families affected by the re-alignment. A town hall meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on February 18, in the multi-purpose room at Dixon Middle School, located at 118 Ridge Field Avenue, Sneads Ferry, NC. We encourage any parents who may be impacted by this proposal to attend the meeting to receive additional information and provide feedback. 

You can read more about the SESP and find the proposed re-alignment maps here: www.onslow.k12.nc.us/sesp.  

CHINESE NEW YEAR  

Two OCS elementary schools recently took time to celebrate the Chinese New Year and Chinese culture. 

In January, students and staff at Carolina Forest International Elementary held their annual Chinese New Year celebration, which featured colorful dragons, dancing, and a lot of fun.  

On February 7, Dixon Elementary, a Global Ready School, held its annual Chinese New Year parade, where students wore their handmade dragons for all to see. This year was special for Dixon Elementary, as they took an opportunity to give back.  

In response to the novel coronavirus outbreak across much of China, DES staff and students organized a collection drive for scrubs, surgical masks and money to send to the doctors treating those affected by the virus.  

CEEMS AND NWES LOTTERY INFORMATION 

On Thursday, February 20 from 5-6 p.m., Clyde Erwin Elementary Magnet School and Northwoods Elementary Magnet School of Technology and Innovation will hold informational open house sessions for prospective lottery applicants. At these sessions, you can learn more about the schools and how to apply for the enrollment lotteries.  

CENSUS 2020 

National Census Day is April 1! 

DID YOU KNOW? For the first time, in 2020 the U.S. Census Bureau will accept responses online. The process will be quick and secure. You can respond to the census in less time than it takes to finish your morning coffee. You’ll still be able to respond by mail. To learn more about what to expect, visit 2020census.gov. 

SCHOOL EXPRESS 

The School Express program allows businesses in our area and beyond to partner with the school system by offering discounts to OCS employees. If you own a business and would like to offer a discount, you can fill out the online participation form here: School Express Participation Form. If you work for the district, you can access the full list of current School Express offers here: School Express Discounts.

COMMUNITY FLYERS

To see the latest flyers for upcoming events for students and families from our community partners, visit our virtual bulletin board here: Community Flyers. If you are interested in distributing a flyer to OCS families, you can read about Peachjar here: Peachjar Flyer Distribution. 

FOLLOW OCS ON SOCIAL MEDIA 

Keep up with even more OCS happenings on the following platforms:   
Facebook - @OCSNC   
Twitter - @OnslowSchools   
Instagram - onslowcountyschools   

Hello, OCS Family! Thank you for making this week at OCS great. Below, you can read all the latest district news and updates.  

SOUTHERN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROJECT INFORMATION 

A new elementary school is coming to our area! Construction is currently underway on the Southern Elementary School Project (SESP). The new school will help ease overcrowding at Dixon Elementary and Dixon Middle, housing up to 870 students. Located on Folkstone Road, it will have the same design as the new Richlands Elementary School and is scheduled to open in August 2021. 

With construction underway, the district would like your feedback on a name for the new school. A survey has been created to collect your input. The survey will be open until 5 p.m. on Friday, February 21 and can be accessed here: http://bit.ly/sespnamingfeedback. More information about the Southern Elementary School Project is available on the OCS District website: https://www.onslow.k12.nc.us/sesp. 

TEACHING INFORMATION SESSION 

The OCS Human Resources department will host an information session for anyone interested in learning more about how to become a teacher on February 26. See below for details:  

CENSUS 2020 

National Census Day is April 1! 

DID YOU KNOW? Your responses to the 2020 Census are safe, secure and protected by federal law. Your answers can only be used to produce statistics. You will be asked a few simple questions like age, sex and the number of people who live in your home, including children. The census will never ask for Social Security numbers, bank or credit card numbers, money or donations, or anything related to political parties. You can learn more about the 2020 census at 2020census.gov.  

NEWS FROM THE BOARD 

A summary and video of the Onslow County Board of Education meeting on February 4, 2020 can be found here: News from the Board.

SCHOOL EXPRESS 

The School Express program allows businesses in our area and beyond to partner with the school system by offering discounts to OCS employees. If you own a business and would like to offer a discount, you can fill out the online participation form here: School Express Participation Form. If you work for the district, you can access the full list of current School Express offers here: School Express Discounts.

COMMUNITY FLYERS

To see the latest flyers for upcoming events for students and families from our community partners, visit our virtual bulletin board here: Community Flyers. If you are interested in distributing a flyer to OCS families, you can read about Peachjar here: Peachjar Flyer Distribution. 

FOLLOW OCS ON SOCIAL MEDIA 

Keep up with even more OCS happenings on the following platforms:   
Facebook - @OCSNC   
Twitter - @OnslowSchools   
Instagram - onslowcountyschools