Top National Rankings for CCS-Leland and CCS-Whiteville

CCS-Leland and CCS-Whiteville have tied for #1 and #3, respectively, among more than 250 schools nationwide in the Classic Learning Test’s (CLT8) 2025 CLT8 School Rankings.

Of the 20 highest-scoring schools, they are the only public, only charter, and only tuition-free schools. All the other top-ranking schools are private schools charging from $6,200 to $36,000 in yearly tuition.

The three-hour CLT8 is designed to measure eighth-grade students’ readiness for high school. Much of the content on the exam is drawn from classical literature, grammar, classical mathematics, and historical texts, all of which are central in CCS-America’s classical curriculum.

“We couldn’t be prouder of our students and staff for their hard work, which has led to this confirmation of our curriculum’s effectiveness,” CCS-America founder Baker Mitchell, Jr. said. He noted that a majority of the students who took and excelled on the CLT8 were students who had attended the schools since the beginning of their education, allowing them to enjoy a substantial academic edge from CCS-America’s innovative and carefully sequenced classical curriculum.

Jessica Lopez, Dean of Classical Humanities, added, “Last year, we were excited to see CCS-Leland rank in the top 20 nationally in the 2022-23 CLT8. That was our first time participating in the exam. This year, we are thrilled to see both Leland and Whiteville students achieve such outstanding results. It is clear that the dedication to our unique classical curriculum and innovative methodologies by CCS-America’s deans, academic coaches, teachers, and especially our students has paid off tremendously.”

“Out of the hundreds of schools that take the CLT8 every year, CCS-Leland and CCS-Whiteville’s recognition in Classic Learning Test’s 2025 School Rankings is a remarkable achievement,” said CLT officials.

Congratulations to Leland and Whiteville for such an outstanding accomplishment! Learn more about the CLT8 using the link below.

What is the CLT8 and how did we do?

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CCS-Leland Presents: Peter Pan!

Middle school students at Classical Charter Schools of Leland presented their spring musical, Peter Pan, with performances on February 28th and March 1st.

The talented Leland Show Choir wowed the crowd with their musical numbers and took everyone on a magical journey through Neverland. The musical highlighted the values of family, dependability, courage, and responsibility. These values also are emphasized in the Character Education curriculum at CCS-America. The musical was complete with fighting pirates, mischievous fairies, flying, and of course, a sprinkle of pixie dust.

Congratulations to these students for putting on such a spectacular show, and a special thank you to Mr. Taylor, Ms. Steffel, and Ms. Hahn for all of their hard work in bringing this show to life.

Check out pictures from the performances below:

Peter Pan Pictures

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CCS-America Spelling Bee

On February 26th, our annual CCS-America Spelling Bee was held in the Leland auditorium. Grade level winners from all four campuses joined together for a final spelling showdown.

Hosted by Ali Cause-Nance, Dean of Math and Sciences, the event was full of excitement and friendly competition as students showed off their spelling abilities. The hard work and dedication of all the students was clear, and after a series of challenging rounds, a winner was crowned for each grade level.

Check out the list of winners:

1st grade- Elijah Navin from CCS-Leland

2nd grade- Addis Woolen from CCS-Southport

3rd grade- Emily Nguyen from CCS-Leland

4th grade- Madison Fackler from CCS-Leland

5th grade- Emma Evans from CCS-Southport

6th grade- Audrie Andrews from CCS-Whiteville

7th grade- Tessa Caulder from CCS-Leland

8th grade- Jacob Kibler from CCS-Southport

Congratulations to these winners and to all of the spellers who represented their schools! Great job!

CCS-America Spelling Bee Pictures

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Students of the Month: Dependability

CCS-America students are recognized monthly for displaying a specific character trait from our School Pledge that they not only say, but practice in their daily lives.

February’s character trait was Dependability. Dependable students do what they say they will and keep to their word, even if it is difficult to do so. Dependability is seen in the School Pledge as “I Pledge to be truthful in all my works.” Students apply these words to their everyday lives by being responsible decision-makers others can rely on.

Congratulations to all of these students who demonstrated exemplary dependability. Check them out on the links below!

CCS-Leland

CCS-Southport

CCS-Whiteville

CCS-Wilmington

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Enroll for the 2025-2026 School Year!

We are currently taking applications for the 2025-2026 school year for all grade levels!

Remember, this year we are offering a new incentive for current CCS-A parents and staff members. When a new student applies for enrollment at a CCS-A school between 12/1/24 – 6/30/2025 and enters a current parent or staff member’s name and email in the “Referred By” section of the application, that parent/staff member will be emailed $25 of Shop RBA store credit for each referral!

BE SURE TO PROVIDE ALL NEEDED INFORMATION: The application must have the first and last name and email of the person providing the referral in order to receive the store credit.

ENROLL HERE

Handwriting Day 2025

Handwriting and penmanship are important aspects of CCS-America’s classical curriculum. National Handwriting Day is celebrated on January 23, the birthday of John Hancock, who is best known for his prominent signature on the Declaration of Independence.

Each year, on National Handwriting Day, our annual Handwriting Competition is held. Students are given a phrase to copy and a prompt to answer in their absolute neatest handwriting. Grades 4 and up must write in cursive. Each student is then judged on spacing, size, slant, content, and the use of proper capitalization by our curriculum coaches and RBA founder Mr. Mitchell.

First-place winners and honorable mentions receive cash prizes, and classrooms demonstrating excellent overall handwriting are awarded door medallions.

Although the wintery weather caused a slight delay in the competition, our students worked hard and showed off their outstanding penmanship.

Check out the winners from each campus at the links below. Great job to all CCS-America students for their hard work!

CCS-Leland

CCS-Southport

CCS-Whiteville

CCS-Wilmington

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Extracurricular Highlight: Archery

Archery is one of the many unique extracurriculars offered by Classical Charter Schools of America. Each middle school campus has a built in range and provides state-of-the-art equipment to each student that participates in archery. Through our archery program, students learn proper archery techniques, as well as gain the mental concentration, physical fitness, discipline, and self-confidence that archery requires.

This month, CCS-America’s three middle school teams from Leland, Southport, and Whiteville participated in the National Archery Schools Program’s (NASP) North Carolina State Tournament in Winston-Salem. Our teams have been involved in NASP for fifteen years and have earned nine State Championships, two second place trophies, and many individual awards.

CCS-Leland’s Ethan Stanley shined, placing second among all middle school male competitors statewide and third among all male competitors statewide. This is a huge accomplishment, and we are so proud of Ethan!

Congratulations to Ethan and to all CCS-A students who competed in the tournament!

Check out pictures from the tournament below:

2025 NASP Pictures

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NC Office of Charter Schools Visits CCS-Wilmington

Last Friday morning, North Carolina Office of Charter Schools representative Megan Carter traveled from Raleigh to tour the CCS-Wilmington campus, located in the historic Peabody building in the heart of Downtown Wilmington.

CCS-A is always proud to showcase its facilities and highlight the accomplishments of its students and faculty. We are grateful to the Office of Charter Schools and to Ms. Carter for coming to witness the educational impact we are making on the Wilmington community.

The NC Office of Charter Schools works hard to support our state’s charter schools, and we are happy to work with them in advancing this mission. “The Office of Charter Schools does a lot for our state, and we were happy to show them the amazing impact their support has,” said Leslie Smith, Headmaster of CCS-Wilmington. “Our historical building and Direct Instruction style were definitely something they took note of.”

To schedule your own tour of our Wilmington campus and learn more about us, visit the link below:

Schedule a Tour of CCS-Wilmington Here!**************

Enroll for the 2025-2026 School Year!

We are currently taking applications for the 2025-2026 school year for all grade levels!

Remember, this year we are offering a new incentive for current CCS-A parents and staff members. When a new student applies for enrollment at a CCS-A school between 12/1/24 – 6/30/2025 and enters a current parent or staff member’s name and email in the “Referred By” section of the application, that parent/staff member will be emailed $25 of Shop RBA store credit for each referral!

BE SURE TO PROVIDE ALL NEEDED INFORMATION: The application must have the first and last name and email of the person providing the referral in order to receive the store credit.

ENROLL HERE

CCS-Wilmington Presents: Beauty and the Beast!

The 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students at Classical Charter Schools of Wilmington showcased their talent and hard work in their performance of “Beauty and the Beast” on February 5th, playing to a full house!

Based on the classic fairy tale, students told the love story of Belle and the Beast, reminding the audience that it’s what’s on the inside that counts.

The story emphasizes that inner qualities, such as generosity and courage, are far more important than superficial outer qualities, such as your size or the color of your eyes. Such virtue, celebrating goodness over looks, also is highlighted in the CCS-A curriculum.

A few CCS-Leland middle school students joined the cast to complete the perfect performance.

Congratulations to CCS-Wilmington for a spectacular show, and a special thank you to Mrs. Rexroad, Mrs. Lafave, and Mrs. Aaron for all of their hard work!

Beauty and the Beast Pictures

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CCS-A Success at the State Beta Convention

Last week, members of the CCS-Whiteville and CCS-Leland Beta Clubs traveled to Greensboro to compete in North Carolina’s 33rd Annual Junior Beta Convention and 1st Annual Elementary Beta Convention.

They proudly represented CCS-A, competing in both individual and team events across Academics and the Arts. The skills necessary for these events are grown and developed through CCS-A’s curriculum.

Congratulations to everyone for such impressive performances! The mission of the Beta Club is to promote academic achievement, character, service, and leadership, and we are so proud of the way these students represented Classical Charter Schools of America.

Stay tuned for this summer, when the CCS-Whiteville Beta clubs will be competing at Nationals in Orlando!

Beta Event Winners

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CCS-Southport Boosterthon is a Success!

CCS-Southport kicked off the month with an exciting Boosterthon! This year, they raised funds for new musical instruments and equipment for music class, as well as P.E. and art supplies. As they collected donations, students celebrated their fundraising achievements with fun prizes.

The Boosterthon ended with a Fun Run for elementary school students and Color Run for middle school students. Students demonstrated incredible enthusiasm, not just as they ran around the track, but in their dedication to supporting their school’s programs. After counting the final donations, it was revealed that CCS-Southport exceeded their $20,000 goal! Go Southport!

To see some photos of this action-packed day, check out the links below:

CCS-Southport Fun Run

CCS-Southport Color Run

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Students of the Month: Honesty

Virtue is an important part of CCS-America’s classical curriculum. Each month, we recognize students for displaying a specific character trait from our School Pledge that they not only say, but learn and practice in their daily lives.

January’s character trait was Honesty. Honest students are truthful in both their words and their actions. Honesty is seen in the School Pledge as “I Pledge to be truthful in all my works.” Students apply these words by telling the truth, following the rules, and not exaggerating facts.

Congratulations to all CCS-A students who exemplified honesty this month!

Check out January’s honorees:

CCS-Leland

CCS-Southport

CCS-Whiteville

CCS-Wilmington

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Enroll for the 2025-2026 School Year!

We are currently taking applications for the 2025-2026 school year for all grade levels!

Remember, this year we are offering a new incentive for current CCS-A parents and staff members. When a new student applies for enrollment at a CCS-A school between 12/1/24 – 6/30/2025 and enters a current parent or staff member’s name and email in the “Referred By” section of the application, that parent/staff member will be emailed $25 of Shop RBA store credit for each referral!

BE SURE TO PROVIDE ALL NEEDED INFORMATION: The application must have the first and last name and email of the person providing the referral in order to receive the store credit.

ENROLL HERE

Happy 100th Day of School!

January 15th marked the 100th day of school for CCS-A students! All campuses celebrated with fun “100”- themed activities and events.

For our kindergarten students, this is an especially big accomplishment. To celebrate completing their first-ever 100 days of school, they had a “100 Day Fashion Show”. In preparation, each student decorated a shirt with 100 of their favorite things.

The day ended with them walking the runway, showing off their unique and creative shirts. From flowers to buttons to hearts and even jellybeans, our students showed off both their creativity and their pride in completing 100 days of school.

Congratulations to all for reaching this milestone! We can’t wait to see where the rest of the school year will take us.

Check out pictures from the fashion shows below:

CCS-Leland

CCS-Southport

CCS-Whiteville

CCS-Wilmington

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Another Decade of Leland Excellence

Exciting news for the CCS-America community: CCS-Leland has been granted a ten-year charter renewal by the NC Charter School Review Board, effective July 1st, 2025!

This renewal follows a thorough evaluation of CCS-Leland’s academic performance, financial responsibility, and commitment to the CCS-A mission. It ensures that CCS-Leland will continue to provide classical education to Leland and the surrounding areas for the next decade, and further solidifies the CCS-A network as a leader in classical education in North Carolina.

“We are incredibly proud of this accomplishment, but not necessarily surprised,” said CCS-Leland Headmaster Laurie Benton. “Our classical curriculum clearly supports student success both in and out of the classroom. This renewal confirms the strength of our network, the effectiveness of our curriculum, and the dedication of our teachers, staff, and families.”

Here’s to the next decade of excellence at CCS-Leland!

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Snow Days for CCS-A

Last Tuesday night, a heavy snow fell over all four CCS-A campuses and their surrounding communities. A historic winter storm brought up to 6 inches of snow to our area.

Wednesday morning, we woke up to a beautiful winter wonderland! While our students stayed on track with their studies and worked hard on their remote schoolwork, they also made the most of these rare snow days and had some fun. They went sledding, had snowball fights, made snow angels, and even built snowmen.

We loved seeing our students having fun in the winter weather. We hope everyone enjoyed the snow and the extra time spent together as a family!

Visit the links below to see how each campus enjoyed the snow days (and to share your own snow day pictures!):

CCS-Leland

CCS-Southport

CCS-Whiteville

CCS-Wilmington

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Open Enrollment CLOSES Friday!

Enrollment for the 2025-2026 school year is STILL OPEN, but not for long! Tell your friends and family!

REMINDER: Open Enrollment closes on January 31st! Applying during Open Enrollment ensures equal opportunity to the spots available in the lottery. Any applications received after January 31st will go on a waiting list in the order in which they are received.

Remember, this year we are offering a new incentive for current CCS-A parents and staff members. When a new student applies for enrollment at a CCS-A school between 12/1/24 – 6/30/2025 and enters a current parent or staff member’s name down in the “Referred By” section of the application, that parent/staff member will be awarded a $25 Shop RBA gift card for each referral!

BE SURE TO PROVIDE ALL NEEDED INFORMATION: The application must have the first and last name of the person providing the referral in order to receive the gift card.

ENROLL HERE!

Welcome to Quarter 3!

Welcome back! Here is what to look forward to this quarter:

For a look at the entire 2024-2025 calendar, click on the link below.

School Calendar

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Leslie Smith Named CCS-Wilmington Headmaster

We are excited to welcome Leslie Smith as the new Headmaster of Classical Charter Schools of Wilmington.

Mrs. Smith holds a Master of Arts in Teaching in Elementary Education from UNC at Pembroke, as well as a Bachelor of Science from Fayetteville State University.

For the past five years, Mrs. Smith has been a valuable member of the CCS-America community. She has served in various roles, including teacher, head teacher, and most recently, operations coordinator at CCS-Whiteville, where she fostered an environment of mutual respect, curiosity, and growth. She will bring this same passion and dedication to her new role as Headmaster.

Throughout her career, Mrs. Smith has earned several accolades, including Teacher of the Year for 2023-2024 and multiple National Handwriting Classroom Awards. Her commitment to education and excellence make her an inspiring leader for CCS-Wilmington.

We are excited for Mrs. Smith to bring her experience, ideas, and support to the already outstanding CCS-Wilmington team. Please join us in congratulating and welcoming Headmaster Leslie Smith.

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The Power of Cursive

Just in time for National Handwriting Day, officials in Washington are rediscovering something that CCS-America has known all along– that cursive writing is a valuable skill.

The National Archives is looking for volunteers to help transcribe historical documents that were written in cursive. Unfortunately, cursive handwriting is becoming an increasingly rare skill, as many students in the U.S. are either not taught it or don’t continue to use it regularly in their daily lives.

Many historical documents, including our country’s founding papers, were written in cursive. Without the ability to read cursive, one must rely on someone else’s translation to understand these original texts.

 
Cursive is a core element of CCS-America’s classical curriculum. Students begin learning to write in cursive in 2nd grade, and by 4th grade, they are expected to write exclusively in cursive—a practice they continue throughout their years at CCS-A. 

Research shows that cursive writing has many benefits over typing or printing, including increasing information retention, and engaging the brain more deeply. Studies have found that due to the fluid motion involved, cursive engages more areas of the brain and creates more elaborate brain connectivity patterns. This can enhance memory, fine motor skills, and cognitive processing.  

With National Handwriting Day (1/23) just around the corner, be sure your student is practicing their cursive reading and writing in their everyday lives. We’re proud that our students are a part of the effort to keep cursive alive. 

Check out the full article to learn more about this cursive reading opportunity:

Can you read cursive? It’s a superpower the National Archives is looking for.

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Students of the Month: Generosity

Virtue is an important part of CCS-America’s classical curriculum. Students are recognized monthly for displaying a specific character trait that they are not only learning and practicing, but also recite daily in our School Pledge.

December’s character trait was Generosity. Generous students are careful with what they have so they can share with others. Generosity is seen in the School Pledge as “I pledge to be virtuous in all my deeds.” Students apply these words to their everyday lives by doing good for others without seeking anything in return.

Congratulations to all CCS-A students who demonstrated outstanding generosity. Check out December’s honorees using the links below!

CCS-Leland
CCS-Southport
CCS-Whiteville
CCS-Wilmington

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Enrollment is OPEN for the 2025-2026 School Year!

Spread the word- Open Enrollment for the 2025-2026 school year is here! Tell your friends and family!

This year, we are offering a new incentive for current CCS-A parents and staff members. When a new student applies for enrollment at a CCS-A school between 12/1/24 – 6/30/2025 and puts a current parent or staff member’s name down in the “Referred By” section of the application, that parent/staff member will be awarded a $25 Shop RBA gift card for each referral!

BE SURE TO PROVIDE ALL NEEDED INFORMATION: The application must have the first and last name of the person providing the referral in order to receive the gift card.

ENROLL HERE!

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Spotlight Nomination Form

If you believe you or someone you know deserves a RBA shoutout, let us know! Fill out THIS FORM to nominate someone for a newsletter spotlight!