National Beta Schools of Merit

CCS-Leland and CCS-Whiteville have been named 2024-2025 National Beta Schools of Merit by the National Beta Club, the nation’s largest independent student honor society. The award honors Beta Clubs that include members from all eligible grade levels and reflect a strong commitment to academic excellence, leadership, and service.

Both schools also achieved top national rankings at the 2025 National Beta Convention in Orlando. CCS-Whiteville’s Elementary Robotics team (made up of Adam Ahmad, Caleb Hobbs, Hunter Thomas, Ryan Martin, and John Hudson Richardson) placed tenth, while CCS-Leland had two students place individually. Jace Granda placed tenth in 6th Grade U.S. History, and Alex Eaton placed ninth in 7th Grade U.S. History.

“At our school, we strive to cultivate leadership, service, and academic excellence. National Beta embodies all of that and more,” said Laurie Benton, headmaster of CCS-Leland. “I couldn’t be prouder of our Beta Club students. Their achievements reflect not only their dedication and character, but also the spirit of our entire school community.”

Kimberly Patrick, headmaster of CCS-Whiteville, echoed Benton’s sentiment. “Our Beta Club has continued to shine on the national level, and I am so proud of them. These students truly represent what CCS-America is all about.”

Learn More About National Beta Club

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Staff Spotlight: Andrea Vitolo

The Roger Bacon Academy is dedicated to internal growth and promotion. Our leadership works to recognize talent, nurture potential, and promote from within. Andrea Vitolo’s journey illustrates this commitment. Her dedication and drive have taken her from the classroom to a key role in the RBA Corporate Office.

Andrea began her journey at RBA in August 2015 when she joined CCS-Leland as a substitute teacher, primarily supporting 3rd grade classrooms. Just one month later, she accepted a full-time position as a Kindergarten Teaching Assistant. She remained in this role for several years, building a strong foundation in early childhood education and experiencing firsthand the impact of an RBA education.

In July 2021, Andrea advanced to the position of Kindergarten Interventionist, where she provided targeted support for students needing additional academic assistance. Her commitment to student success and her growing skill set did not go unnoticed. In November of the same year, she continued her professional growth by joining the RBA Corporate Office as a Finance Assistant. In this role, she continued to expand her knowledge and gained hands-on experience in financial operations.

In 2023, Andrea was promoted to Payroll and Benefits Coordinator, her current role. She now manages payroll processing and employee benefits administration for RBA staff.

Andrea’s journey is a testament to both her hard work and RBA’s strong culture of supporting and promoting talent from within. This month, Andrea celebrates ten years at CCS-America and RBA. We are proud to have her as a member of the RBA family and look forward to all she will accomplish in the years to come.

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CCS-America Dresses for Success!

CCS-America schools have Dress for Success Days throughout the year to help students build the habit of dressing in a nice and professional fashion. While participation is optional, these days are designed to give students the opportunity to experience the benefits of dressing professionally. Research shows that dressing professionally can boost confidence, improve performance, and strengthen communication skills.

Dressing professionally is a lifelong skill, especially in situations where it is important to make a good first impression. Students will carry this habit into college interviews, job interviews, business meetings, and many other future opportunities.

Students will have several chances to wear their Dress for Success outfits throughout the year. The first Dress for Success Day is tomorrow, August 28th. We encourage all students to participate!

Upcoming Dress for Success Days:

September 18th

October 30th

November 25th

December 18th

Visit the links below to get your student’s Dress for Success items:

Dress for Success Collection

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What is Direct Instruction?

All CCS-America schools utilize Direct Instruction, a research-based instructional approach that emphasizes the use of intensive, small group instruction, using carefully designed lessons. Through Direct Instruction, complex cognitive skills are broken down into small units. This creates exciting teacher-student interaction.

Teachers introduce and model new information, and students show understanding through choral and individual responses. They then receive immediate teacher feedback. As a result, students are fully engaged and become productive, confident learners.

This summer, the National Institute for Direct Instruction (NIFDI) announced their Silver Star schools, recognizing schools and networks that have demonstrated a long-term commitment to utilizing Direct Instruction programs with fidelity. The Roger Bacon Academy/CCS-America was one of three schools and networks nationwide to receive this honor.

The NIFDI stated, “These campuses have utilized DI programs as their core academic instruction and have shown remarkable results.”We are proud of our commitment to Direct Instruction and honored by this national recognition of our success.

Learn More About Direct Instruction

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Back to School Community Events

Our campuses kicked off the school year with their second annual Back to School Community Events! This event was a community favorite last year and was highly anticipated by families and staff alike.

CCS-Leland and CCS-Wilmington held their events after school on Friday, August 8th. Although CCS-Whiteville had to unfortunately cancel due to weather, the other campuses welcomed charter families and local community members for an evening filled with games, food, bounce houses, and a whole lot of fun.

This event was also an opportunity for community members to learn more about our classical curriculum, academic successes, and what makes CCS-America schools so unique. Thank you to all who attended and made it a night to remember!

CCS-Leland Pictures

CCS-Wilmington Pictures

Be sure to remind any friends, family, or neighbors who attended that enrollment is still open for the 2025-2026 school year! Visit www.EnrollRBA.com for more information and to join our amazing school community.

Don’t miss CCS-Southport’s Community Carnival, which will take place this Friday, August 15th. We can’t wait to see you there!

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2025 Wilmington Safety Awards

At CCS-America, safety of our students and staff is a top priority. The Roger Bacon Academy is committed to ensuring that our teachers, students, and staff work in in a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment.

This dedication to safety was recognized at the 2025 Wilmington Safety Awards, an event hosted by the North Carolina Department of Labor and the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce. The ceremony celebrated organizations across southeastern North Carolina that are fostering strong safety cultures.

Thanks to the hard work of our staff and faculty, all four CCS-A campuses, along with the Roger Bacon Academy, received with Gold Awards in recognition of their commitment to safety.

“It’s a privilege to recognize businesses that don’t just talk about safety- they lead by example, day in and day out,” said Luke Farley, NC Labor Commissioner. “When you earn this recognition, you’re showing your team that you care- and you’re helping set the standard for others to follow.”

Check out pictures from the ceremony:

Wilmington Safety Awards Photos

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Starting the School Year Strong

We’ve had a great first two weeks back to school! Students across all grade levels have returned with energy, enthusiasm, and a determination to learn. They are already working hard and learning new things. Middle school elective courses are underway, fourth graders have begun learning Latin, and kindergarteners are adjusting and getting used to their new routines.

We are proud of how smoothly this transition back to school has gone and are excited to continue and add to last year’s great academic accomplishments. Thank you to our outstanding staff, students, and families for making the start of the new school year such a success.

Check out what our students have been up to so far:

First Week Photos

As a reminder, we still have seats open in select grade levels across all four campuses! Encourage your friends and neighbors to visit www.EnrollRBA.comto join our CCS-America family.

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Alumni Spotlight: Savannah-Grace Jones

Meet Savannah-Grace Jones, proud alumna and valedictorian of the CCS-Whiteville Class of 2017. The daughter of State Representative Brenden Jones and longtime CCS-Whiteville substitute Angela Jones, Savannah-Grace graduated first in her class from South Columbus High School in 2021. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing with honors from Campbell University, where she was also granted early acceptance into their medical school.

While at Campbell, Savannah-Grace emerged as a strong campus leader and advocate. She held various roles within the Campbell Student Nurses’ Association, the BSN Student Council, the Student Government Association, and the Campbell Healer Collaborative, among others. She notably founded the Campbell University chapter of Young Women for America. In recognition of her outstanding leadership, she was honored at graduation with the prestigious Dr. Nancy Duffy Leadership Award.

Savannah-Grace will soon begin her nursing career in the ICU at McLeod Seacoast Medical Center while continuing to pursue her academic and professional goals. She attributes her passion for learning and leadership to her faith, her family, and the strong academic foundation she received at CCS-Whiteville.

“My teachers taught me that hard work pays off,” said Savannah-Grace. “They showed me that integrity matters, and that the pursuit of excellence is worth every ounce of effort.”

We are proud to have Savannah-Grace Jones as a part of the RBA Alumni family!

At last month’s RBA/CCS-America staff orientation, Savannah-Grace was invited to give a speech to all staff members, including her former headmaster, teachers, and coaches.

Click the link below to watch her full speech about how her RBA education and teachers shaped and inspired her journey:

Savannah-Grace Jones’ Full Speech

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

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CCS-America Incentive Awards

CCS-America teachers and grade level teams across all campuses work very hard to make sure their students are successful. They give them care, attention, and all the tools students need so they can reach their highest potential. Each year, CCS-America recognizes the grade level teams that have reached various milestones, including 95% attendance, high growth in English, high growth in Math, and high growth in History.

For each merit award earned, the grade team receives a financial award and streamer to attach to their rally flag. Congratulations to the 2024-2025 Incentive Award Winners and to all of our incredible teams of teachers!

Click the links below to see the awarded teams from each campus:

CCS-Leland

CCS-Southport

CCS-Whiteville

CCS-Wilmington

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Welcome Back for the 2025-2026 School Year!

We are excited for another great school year at CCS-America! Here are some important dates to remember:

View the full 2025-2026 CCS-A school calendar HERE.

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Staff Professional Development

Just as we hold our students to high standards, CCS-America also holds our teachers and staff to high standards of excellence. On July 9th, RBA and CCS-America prepared to welcome students back with Staff Orientation and Professional Development Day!

Along with participating in multiple breakout sessions discussing a variety to topics, staff had the opportunity to hear from Mr. Zach Palmer, history teacher at Thales Academy. He discussed the importance of classical education and the vital role educators play in helping students grow in virtue.

We also welcomed CCS-Whiteville alumna and former valedictorian Ms. Savannah-Grace Jones, who shared how her RBA education shaped and inspired her journey from CCS-Whiteville, to high school and college, to ICU nurse in Little River, SC.

Thank you to Mr. Palmer, Ms. Jones, and all our dedicated staff for their commitment and contributions to today’s professional development. We are ready and excited for the new school year to begin!

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CCS-America Board Names New Chair

The Board of Trustees has announced a leadership change following the decision by longtime Chair Robert Spencer to step down after eleven years of service. Colleen Combs, a nine-year trustee, has been elected as the new Chair of the Board. Mr. Spencer, who has served on the all-volunteer Board for thirteen years, will remain on the Board as Vice-Chair.

“We are all grateful to Mr. Spencer for his steady leadership over the past decade,” said Ms. Combs, who brings extensive experience from her former role as a Supervisory Program Analyst with the National Labor Relations Board. “Under his guidance, we expanded our network of schools and enrollment while remaining faithful to our original classically oriented mission. Recent national achievement test results, which place our schools at the top among classical institutions, reflect the strength of the educational model he helped to build.”

Mr. Spencer reflected on his years with CCS-America, saying, “I joined this board because I believe parents deserve an educational option with a classical emphasis on reading, writing, history, and math. It’s been an honor to help grow a network of high-quality schools that offer that choice to families across ten counties in southeastern North Carolina. As Ms. Combs takes the reins, I look forward to continuing to support both her and our schools.”

The entire CCS-America community thanks Mr. Spencer for his years of leadership and welcomes Ms. Combs as she begins this new chapter.

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Visit ShopRBA for your school uniform needs!

If you haven’t already, be sure to purchase your student’s uniform at ShopRBA! The online store carries long lasting, quality clothing at an affordable price. Orders are conveniently delivered to your student’s campus within 7-10 business days.

Along with uniform pieces, ShopRBA also carries Dress for Success clothing and fun accessories like water bottles, belts, and beanies. Visit www.ShopRBA.school to see approved items and easily place your order.

We are excited to see you all in uniform for the 2025-2026 school year!

ShopRBA

Uniform Policy

The Dear Classical Charter Schools of America Parents, Families, and Friends,

As we close out the 2024-2025 school year, I find myself reflecting with immense pride on the great strides our students and staff have made this year. It has been one of growth, celebration, and many impressive accomplishments.

One of these accomplishments is our continued success on the national stage. CCS-Leland ranked first in the entire country on the Classical Learning Test 8 (CLT8) exam, while CCS-Whiteville ranked third. Our schools were the only public, only charter, and only tuition-free schools in the top twenty. Ranking so highly among the hundreds of schools across the country once again affirms the effectiveness of our rigorous classical curriculum and commitment to excellence.

Beyond academics, we have expanded our extracurricular programs, along with our electives and resources. Our middle school sports program continued to grow with the addition of soccer, baseball, and softball and the continuation of basketball. Our students also had the opportunity to compete nationally in both archery and cheerleading, with our RBA Cheerleading Team bringing home more national titles to add to their collection. The continued support for sports at CCS-America not only enhances the school experience for our students, but also promotes teamwork, leadership, and sportsmanship, all important aspects of our character education curriculum.

Our drama students and show choirs continued to dazzle us with plays, performances, and talent shows. Beta Club and Science Olympiad students have proudly represented CCS-America in high-level competitions. We hosted our 20th Annual FASTAR, 9th Annual History Bowl, and 2nd Annual CCS-America Spelling Bee, many of which were held in the newly completed Leland and Southport auditoriums and gymnasiums.

We celebrated the success of both our Back to School and our Spring Community Events, bringing together our charter family with our surrounding community. Each event was a reminder of the dedicated, supportive network that makes our CCS-America community so special.

One of the most joyful parts of the year has been seeing our graduates thrive in high school and early college programs, demonstrating the confidence and academic strength they developed during their years at CCS-America. We are very proud of the foundations they have built and excited to see what their futures hold.

As we look ahead to the 2025-2026 school year, I am excited for everything that we will continue to build and accomplish together. None of this would be possible without the dedication of our incredible staff, supportive parents, and hard-working students. Thank you to each of you for your contributions to this extraordinary year.

We wish you a restorative, joyful summer break and look forward to welcoming you back in July.

Warm regards,

Baker A. Mitchell, Founder

The goal of Classical Education is to create independent learners discerning Truth, Goodness, and Beauty so that civilization can flourish.

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Softball and Baseball Champions Revealed

Our inaugural CCS-A softball and baseball season has come to an end, and what a season it was! Both CCS-Leland teams finished undefeated, each ending the season with a perfect 6-0 record. At their final games, they were awarded medals and trophies, officially naming them the first-ever CCS-A Softball and Baseball Champions.

This season was full of big hits, impressive plays, and lots of school spirit. Above all, it showcased the teamwork and sportsmanship that define our CCS-A student athletes.

Congratulations to all teams for a great first season! CCS-A middle school sports will continue this fall with boys’ and girls’ soccer.

Trophy Ceremony Pictures

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CCS-Southport Presents: Peter Pan!

Last Thursday, CCS-Southport middle schoolers took the stage for a performance of Peter Pan, their spring musical! They performed for an audience of parents, families, and CCS-Southport kindergarten and first grade students.

These talented students brought the world of Neverland to life, complete with fairies, pirates, mermaids, and Lost Boys. Key CCS-America character traits (such as courage, responsibility, and the importance of family) were showcased in the performance.

Congratulations to CCS-Southport for an incredible performance! Special thanks to Kimberly Boumpani and Kimberly Dollar for their hard work in putting on this production.

Check out pictures from Peter Pan here:

Peter Pan Pictures

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CCS-America Archery at the National Level: Good luck Ethan!

This month, eighth-grader Ethan Stanley proudly represented RBA and CCS-Leland at the NASP 2025 US Eastern Nationals in Louisville, Kentucky.

Ethan is the #2 ranked archer among middle school boys in North Carolina for the 2025 year. In Kentucky, he shot very well and earned a qualifying score for the NASP Grand National Championship, which will take place June 5-7 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina!

Congratulations to Ethan on this outstanding accomplishment. All of CCS-A is cheering you on. Good luck at Grand Nationals!

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Enroll for the 2025-2026 School Year!

The 2026-2026 school year is almost here! We are currently taking applications 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