Davidson Day students delivered over 1,200 pounds of food to the Ada Jenkins Center in November. (Photo courtesy Davidson Day)

The holiday season is a time when most area schools conduct food drives, several of which benefit the local food shelf at the Ada Jenkins Center.  Davidson Day students made a delivery right before the Thanksgiving holiday, while Bailey Middle will be sending its collection of donations Monday, Dec. 14.  Click here to let us know what your school is doing!

School Notes this week focuses on all the school performances planned for Davidson’s annual holiday festival, “Christmas in Davidson.”  We also have information on the upcoming CMS board meeting, which will include action items about the new W.A. Hough High in Cornelius. Our calendar also lists December events, including open houses and workshops on “Managing Stress for Teens and Parents” (Dec. 10 at Bailey Middle)  and “Young Children and Sports” (Dec. 14 at Cannon School).

CHRISTMAS IN DAVIDSON

“Christmas in Davidson,” which starts Thursday night and runs through Saturday, will feature a number of school performers.  Don’t want to miss your school’s show?  Here’s a listing of what schools will be where:

• Bradley Middle‘s dance team will march in Saturday’s Christmas parade through Davidson and Cornelius.
• Cannon School will have a booth during the event with informational literature and free giveaways.  The school’s musical groups will perform Friday at Davidson United Methodist Church according to the following schedule: Middle School Strings Ensemble at 6 p.m., Upper School Chamber Ensembles at 6:20 p.m., Upper School A Capella Groups at 6:50 p.m., Middle and Upper School Chorus at 7 p.m., and Upper  School Jazz Ensembles at 8 p.m.
• Community School of Davidson performers will take the stage Saturday at the Village Green according to the following schedule: the band will play at 5:30 p.m., the chorus will sing at 5:45 p.m., and dance students will perform at 6:15 p.m.
• Cornelius Elementary student groups will perform Friday, 8 p.m. at the Village Green; the school’s Unicycle Team will march in Saturday’s Christmas parade.
• Davidson Day‘s “Gingerbread Singers” and band members will perform from 7-7:30 Thursday at the Village Green; Upper School Theatre students will peform “Fruitcake & Santa Claus – the Game Show” at 6 p.m. on Friday, also at the Village Green; a school info booth all three nights of the festival will feature gingerbread cookies, hot coco and a student arts display.
• Davidson Elementary chorus groups will perform from 6-7 p.m. Thursday on the village green; the school’s student council will be selling hot chocolate and donuts to raise money for student activities all three nights at a booth on South Main.
• Highland Creek Elementary’s “Hurricane Hoppers” team will march in Saturday’s Christmas parade.
• Hopewell High’s “Singing Titans” will perform on the Village Green Friday, 8 p.m.; the marching band will be part of Saturday’s Christmas parade.
• JV Washam Elementary‘s jump team will march in the Christmas parade Saturday.
• Mallard Creek High‘s marching band will join the Christmas parade Saturday.
• McKinney Academy students will perform at 8:30 p.m. Saturday at the Village Green; the school will have a float in the Christmas parade Saturday.
• North Mecklenburg High‘s marching band will be in the Christmas Parade Saturday.  The school’s FFA club will also have a float in the parade.
• Pine Lake Prep‘s marching band will be in the Christmas Parade Saturday.
• Woodlawn School‘s elementary choral group will play Saturday, starting at 7 p.m. on the Village Green.

CMS SCHOOL BOARD MEETING IS TUESDAY

School board member-elect Rhonda Lennon.

The December meeting of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education will start at 5 p.m. with an installation ceremony for newly-elected members.  That will include Rhonda Lennon, elected in November to represent District 1, which includes Davidson and most of north Mecklenburg County.

The first action item on the board agenda is a motion to “rescind prior Board action to name new high school the ‘W.A. Hough High’ and reconvene School Naming Committee.  The second action item seeks to “name the football stadium at North Mecklenburg High School the ‘William A. Hough Stadium.’”

Both of these items have been put on the agenda at the request of At-large Member Kaye McGarry and follow objections raised by a group of parents who are opposed to the Hough name. Groups representing both sides of this issue are expected to be at the school board meeting, and offer comments during the “requests from the public” session at the beginning of the regular meeting.   Those interested in addressing the board need to call CMS at 980-343-5139 by noon, or sign up by 6 p.m. in person, the day of the meeting.

The school board meets at the Government Center, located at 600 East Fourth Street in Charlotte.  Live broadcasts of board meetings air on CMS-TV Cable 3.

See our previous coverage, “School rep will seek new name for Hough High,” and “It’s official: School on Bailey Road is ‘Hough High.‘”

SCHOOL CALENDAR

• THURSDAY-SATURDAY, DEC. 3-5 - Area students perform at “Christmas in Davidson.”
• TUESDAY, DEC. 8 - Davidson IB Middle will host an open house for prospective students and their families at 10 a.m.
• TUESDAY, DEC. 8 – CMS School Board will meet.  (See above for more.)
• THURSDAY, DEC. 10 – Winter Music Concert and PTA meeting at Davidson IB Middle will feature the school’s band and orchestra, performing at 6 p.m.
• THURSDAY, DEC. 10 – Parent University, an educational program sponsored through Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, will host a free seminar, “Managing Stress for Teens and Parents,” from 6:30 – 8 p.m. at Bailey Middle School in Cornelius.  The workshop will focus on strategies designed to help decrease stress for the entire family, and ways to help teens prioritize their various activities and responsibilities.
• THURSDAY, DEC. 10 – McKinney Academy, a private elementary school on Armour Street in Davidson, will hold an open house for interested families at 6:30 p.m.
• MONDAY, DEC. 14 - Cannon School hosts “Young Children and Sports,” staring at 7 p.m. in the school’s Foundation Hall. The free seminar, open to the public, will include a panel of experts on sports medicine and athletics.  See more on the school’s website.
• MONDAY, DEC. 14 – Bailey Middle’s 6th grade band concert starts at 7:30 p.m.
• TUESDAY, DEC. 15 - Holiday program during the Davidson Elementary evening PTA meeting.
• WEDNESDAY, DEC. 16 - Walk to School Wednesday for Davidson Day
• WEDNESDAY-THURSDAY, DEC. 16-17 – Bailey Middle bands perform at Davidson and other area elementary schools.
• FRIDAY, DEC. 18 – Flu vaccine clinic for Bailey Middle
• MONDAY, DEC. 21 - Two weeks of winter break starts for most area schools.

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