#2ndhill

Hi there 2nd Hill Families!

I wanted to send a follow up to our blog post earlier this month about move-out. I have included a few tips for you to consider to help make your move-out as smooth as possible. As always, let me know if you have any additional questions after reading this!

Don’t take everything back at once. I have told the students that they shouldn’t expect to move everything out in a day when they’ve been bringing items for the past 8 months. Although some families are farther away than others, it’s a great idea to come up at least once before move-out to get your student’s belongings. Unlike junior move-in, no one will help you carry items and it’s 650+ families moving out in the same 2-3 hour window instead of being spread out like move in.

Make sure there are no surprises. Didn’t know your student would buy a futon from a graduating senior right before move-out? Little surprises like that can throw a monkey wrench into your move-out plans. Establish a plan with your student about if they are planning on bringing any large items back. You should also plan a check out time with your student so you all are on the same page.

If you want a parking spot on/near campus, arrive VERY early! Do not expect to get a spot on or close to campus on Commencement unless you arrive several hours in advance. Historically, we start seeing guests arrive on campus at 7:00 AM and by 8:30-9:00 AM all on campus spots are filled. If your son has a lot of items to move out, you may want to prepare yourself for a longer trek to your vehicle.

Even if you check out in the morning, you must stay through graduation! As I have already said in a previous email, there will be morning and afternoon check out times. If you did not get approval to leave campus early, your student must be present for graduation. This applies particularly to junior students and families. I know it’s not convenient, but this is the process. 

Make sure you check out on time! The bulk of check-out will be in the afternoon from 12:30-3:00 PM. Please do not plan to be gone during this time. If you and your student are not completely ready by the time your move out time comes around, you will be bumped down in priority while I’m checking out other rooms. 

You MUST be present at check-out. A parent/guardian is required to be present during check-out to verify the condition of the room (just like the beginning of the year). If for some reason neither parent/guardian plan to be at checkout, you can give another adult permission to act in your place, but I must have verification of that before move-out.

Give your student time to say goodbye. Regardless of if you’re a junior or senior, perhaps the biggest mistake you could make during move-out is rushing to leave before you’ve had time to say goodbye to all of your friends. Graduation will be an emotional day and you don’t want force your student to miss out on final chances for goodbyes. While you still have to check out between 12:30-3:00 PM, make sure your student has plenty of time to say goodbye to everyone.

For your student, the biggest point of emphasis is being prepared. I will be working with all the residents leading up to commencement to ensure they are ready to go for checkout. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Hello 2nd Hill Families, 

It's bittersweet that we are down to a couple of weeks left in the year. While it is exciting to see students gear up for summer and some much needed relaxation, it is sad that this will be the last time the Classes ‘19 and ‘20 will be on campus together. That being said, I'm looking forward to a fun and joyous end of the year for all of us.

I know some families have already started planning for move-out, so I wanted to share some information with you. Below are two documents that detail what your student has to do for move-out. I have gone over these with everyone at our hall meeting, but I also wanted to make you aware. I would encourage your student to be proactive in packing their items and cleaning their rooms. If you haven't planned so already, I would also strongly encourage everyone to come to campus before that last Saturday, May 25th to move the bulk of your student's belongings out of the room. For junior families, move-out is NOTHING like move-in and it can be very stressful. There will be an additional post going on the blog in the next few days with tips to make move-out smoother. If you have specific questions let me know.

The major reminders for all families in regard to move out are as follows:

The bulk of move out will occur on 2nd Hill the afternoon of Saturday May 25th. Please do not schedule any events like a family celebration until AFTER your student has been checked out of their room. We want all families checked out by 3:00pm. There will also be move-out times in the morning. I will share those when they are opened.

Your student will have a housekeeping task to complete before they leave. While this may be inconvenient for timing, it is important to get the hall clean for summer programs. 

We will be using a sign-up sheet on hall for move-out this year. Your student will be signing up for a specific move-out time to be checked out of their room. This means that both you and your student need to be ready at that specific time. Please talk to your student about what time will work best for your family, accounting of course for any travel needs.

At least one parent/guardian MUST be present at move out. This is so you can confirm the status of the room and sign the necessary form. If a parent/guardian is unable to be present, you must contact me so we can work out an alternate arrangement.

Some families (mainly juniors) inquire if they can move out before graduation. That is a decision that is made by Vice Chancellor Terry Lynch, and is normally only granted with extenuating circumstances. If this may apply to you, feel free to contact me for next steps.

Lastly, NCSSM has updated their commencement site with all the info you need to know for that day. You may find the link below-

https://www.ncssm.edu/commencement

As always, thank you all for your support through this entire year. It was a pleasure to have your student on 2nd Hill and I wish everyone a positive ending to the year!

Much love,

Hi there 2nd Hill Families!

I hope you all have been doing well! I have a few updates for you all this month so be sure to check out this whole post. 

Programming Pictures

Below are some pictures from our cookie decoration program with 2nd Bryan!

SkyZone Waiver

We have lots of students on hall who are interested in going to SkyZone which is a local trampoline park. In order for us to bring students, they need to have a waiver filled out. The link to the online waiver is here. 

***EDIT***

Please make sure to select the option to fill out a waiver for “Children”, even if your student is 18. If you have specific questions let me know!

Spring Break

Students have a long break coming up! It will begin on Thursday April 18th and end on Sunday April 28th. Residence halls will close for break on April 18th at 5:00 PM and re-open again at 12:00 PM on April 28th. Again, the sign-out procedures are always the same, just make sure to fill out the appropriate permission forms (see below) at least 48 hours in advance of your travel so staff members have enough time to follow up with you and your students before the day of sign-out. Make sure your students remember to unplug their fridges and take any food home that may spoil as they’ll have to clean it when they come back (which nobody really enjoys). This is also a good time to encourage students to begin taking unnecessary items home as this is the last major break that they will get before the end of the school year. Anything that you can do to make closing out at the end of the year easier will be a big help. 

Please refer to the tag ‘#forms’ in the 2nd Hill Blog search bar to find previous posts with links and information about the signout procedures.

Though Spring Break is an incredibly fun and relaxing time for students, please remind your students to be safe and to make good decisions.

They are still under the purview of the school even when on break and the consequences of their decisions can extend to the school’s Code of Conduct process.

Reusable Utensils

Recently, we have been pushing to make sure that students bring their own re-usable cups, plates, and silverware to on-hall food programs to encourage more environmentally sustainable practices. If your student does not have a re-usable cup, plate, or silverware, please coordinate with them to make sure that they are supplied. If this is in any way an inconvenience for you or your family please let me know and I’ll make sure to create a work around for folks.

Hall Food

As always, we’re looking for families to sponsor upcoming hall food events. We only have a few left as the year quickly comes to a close! Please see the link below to sign up!

Link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080848A4AF29A7FA7-2ndhill

Student Travel Permission Form

Here is the link to the student travel permission form. Remember that it is only necessary to complete and submit the online Student Permissions Form if your student will be off campus overnight, will miss a curfew, or will be traveling beyond a 30 mile radius of campus AND picked up by someone other than a custodial parent/guardian.

Link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc-QX7V4Ntfoac0pv3ki3bsT2KBs-CyLxcywHCHzU7sqeSEAw/viewform?c=0&w=1

As always, if you hav any questions, comments or concerns don’t hesitate to reach out to either me or Emerson via email or phone. If you do call either of us and we are unavailable, please leave a voicemail so we can get back to you!

Isaiah Email & Phone: [email protected]; 984-244-0650

Hello 2nd Hill Parents and Families! 

I hope you all are having a great start to the month. I have just a few updates for you this month so stay tuned!

NCSSM Prom 2019

Preparations have begun for NCSSM’s 2019 Prom. Below is the link to the official prom site-

https://ncssmprom2019.wixsite.com/2019

If your student is interested in going to prom, it would be a good idea for them to discuss with you plans (assuming they have been made in advance) and what they may need from you (i.e. vehicles, formal wear, permission to go out after prom, etc.). The site above has all the information you may need to know about prom. I will send further updates/reminders as we get closer. Tickets are on sale and can be purchased online at the link below. Tickets are available for pre-sale for $50 until April 4th (online purchases) or April 5th @ noon (cashier’s office). Are pre-sale, tickets will be available at the door for $60. 

https://www.ncssm.edu/residential-program/student-life/activities-clubs/ncssm-prom-payments

Reusable Utensils

Recently, we have been pushing to make sure that students bring their own re-usable cups, plates, and silverware to on-hall food programs to encourage more environmentally sustainable practices. If your student does not have a re-usable cup, plate, or silverware, please coordinate with them to make sure that they are supplied. If this is in any way an inconvenience for you or your family please let me know and I’ll make sure to create a work around for folks. 

Hall Food

As always, we’re looking for families to sponsor upcoming hall food events. We only have a few left as the year quickly comes to a close! Please see the link below to sign up!

Link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080848A4AF29A7FA7-2ndhill

Student Travel Permission Form

Here is the link to the student travel permission form. Remember that it is only necessary to complete and submit the online Student Permissions Form if your student will be off campus overnight, will miss a curfew, or will be traveling beyond a 30 mile radius of campus AND picked up by someone other than a custodial parent/guardian.

Link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc-QX7V4Ntfoac0pv3ki3bsT2KBs-CyLxcywHCHzU7sqeSEAw/viewform?c=0&w=1

As always, if you hav any questions, comments or concerns don’t hesitate to reach out to either me or Emerson via email or phone. If you do call either of us and we are unavailable, please leave a voicemail so we can get back to you!

Isaiah Email & Phone: [email protected]; 984-244-0650

Hi there 2nd Hill Families!

Sorry it’s been a while since we’ve last had a post! I have a few updates for you for the end of February so be sure to check out this whole post. 

Senior Leadership Positions

Something that you may have heard about from your students is the current application process for senior leadership positions. While there are many great opportunities to fulfill your campus service requirement, many are interested in various leadership positions around campus. Since there have been questions about what each position is, I’m going to do a quick rundown of each. For more information, feel free to check the link below:

https://sites.google.com/ncssm.edu/campus-service/senior-leadership-campus-service

Attache. Works with NCSSM Institutional Advancement to promote the school and raise funds among students, families and alumni. 

Library Liaison. Work in the NCSSM library, providing a range of services from assistance with finding books to helping with library promotion and activities. 

Peer College Counselor (PCC). Work with the Counseling department to help juniors and seniors with college planning, scholarships, school visits, and interview skills.

Residential Life Assistant (RLA). Works with CC/REIs on the residence hall to build and promote community. Their duties include taking check, supervising housekeeping, planning programs, and providing support for their peers.

Smart Bar. Provide technical support for students with computer issues and lead other technological initiatives around campus. 

Sustainability Project Leader (SPL). Promotes sustainability around campus with educational programs and providing resources to empower others to become more sustainable.

Student Ambassador.  Works with NCSSM Admissions to represent the school. Provide campus tours to prospective students and families to helping with Discovery/Welcome days and recruitment across the state. 

Teaching Assistants (TAs). TAs can be found in every academic department and offer a variety of services like tutoring, assisting teachers with creating and preparing demonstrations in the classroom, handle clerical tasks, and help with others needs in their respective depts. 

Please note that although these positions sound interesting and worthwhile, there are many other great ways to show and practice leadership. Some other positions involve taking lead on projects like leadership conferences, creating the yearbook, helping with research opportunities and working with Student Government is also a great position as well. These leadership positions aren’t the end all/be all for campus service. Rising seniors should truly look for something they would enjoy doing and do well at, not something they think only  looks good on a college resume. If there are any questions, students are encouraged to reach out to seniors currently in those positions or the heads of the respective campus service positions.

3rd Trimester

As 3rd Trimester starts in a little over a week, now is a good time to have a conversation with your students about how they want to approach the last trimester of the year. As the weather gets warmer and the days get longer, morale tends to boost, but often times at the expense of productivity. Ask them what they’re going to do to create productive spaces in their day to day routines while also balancing their own well-being. This trimester, we’ll be having a conversation on hall about how to create a more productive and effective hall community so feel free to ask them how that conversation goes! If you have any questions or would like input on how to have this conversation, don’t be afraid to reach out!

Reusable Utensils

Recently, we have been pushing to make sure that students bring their own re-usable cups, plates, and silverware to on-hall food programs to encourage more environmentally sustainable practices. If your student does not have a re-usable cup, plate, or silverware, please coordinate with them to make sure that they are supplied. If this is in any way an inconvenience for you or your family please let me know and I’ll make sure to create a work around for folks.

Hall Food

As always, we’re looking for families to sponsor upcoming hall food events. We only have a few left as the year quickly comes to a close! Please see the link below to sign up!

Link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080848A4AF29A7FA7-2ndhill

Student Travel Permission Form

Here is the link to the student travel permission form. Remember that it is only necessary to complete and submit the online Student Permissions Form if your student will be off campus overnight, will miss a curfew, or will be traveling beyond a 30 mile radius of campus AND picked up by someone other than a custodial parent/guardian.

Link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc-QX7V4Ntfoac0pv3ki3bsT2KBs-CyLxcywHCHzU7sqeSEAw/viewform?c=0&w=1

As always, if you hav any questions, comments or concerns don’t hesitate to reach out to either me or Emerson via email or phone. If you do call either of us and we are unavailable, please leave a voicemail so we can get back to you!

Isaiah Email & Phone: [email protected]; 984-244-0650