Parent Quick Reference Guide

Key Information, Policies, and Resources

Find quick answers to common questions about school hours, dining, transportation, student life, school policies, and more.

Family Handbooks

Lower School

Middle School

Upper School

Statement of Commitments

Quick Links

Parent Portal
School Calendar
Lower School Attendance Form
Lunch Menu and Dining Info
BucsShop Spirit Wear and PE Uniforms
Emergency Communications – Standard Response Protocol (SRP)

🗓️Daily Logistics

⏰ School Hours

Junior Kindergarten: 8:00 am–1:15 pm
Kindergarten: 8:00 am–2:00 pm
Grades 1–2: 8:00 am–2:50 pm
Grades 3–4: 8:00 am–3:05 pm
Grades 5–8: 8:00 am–3:10 pm
Grades 9–12: 8:00 am–3:15 pm

📋 Attendance/Reporting Absences

Lower School (grades JK–4): LS Attendance Form
Middle School (grades 5–8): Email or call (704) 943-4820
Upper School (grades 9–12): Email

Students are expected to attend all classes and school commitments during the school day. To participate in athletics, theater, music, or other co-curricular activities, students must attend the full school day. If a student misses part or all of the day due to illness or another reason, approval from the division office is required in order to participate in practice, rehearsal, games, or performances that day.

🍽️ Lunch & Dining

Healthy options provided by Aladdin Food Management Services
Students may bring lunch or purchase in the dining hall
ID cards scanned; monthly statements sent to parents
Dining Hall Hours
- Lower School: 10:45 am–12:30 pm
- Middle School: 10:45 am–12:30 pm
- Upper School: 7:30–9:30 am (breakfast), 11:00 am–1:10 pm (lunch)
View Monthly Menu & Dining Info

🚌 Bus Transportation

Routes, schedules, and contact info: Bus Transportation

👔 Dress Code

Division-specific details in Family Handbooks

🩺 Health Services

Visit Health Services for information about your child's physical and emotional well-being, including health forms, policies and protocols, FAQs, and introductions to our nurses and counselors.

🌧️ Inclement Weather

Notifications via text, email, BucsNet, website, social media
Delayed opening: Classes start at 10 am (JK–12)
Early dismissal: Emergency notifications; Extended Day may be affected
See Inclement Weather section below for full details.

📚 Library Hours

John and Claudia Belk Upper School Learning Center (Library): 7:30 am–4 pm
Dougherty Middle School Library: 7:30 am–3:45 pm
Hance Lower School Learning Center (Library):
Monday–Thursday: 7:45 am–3:30 pm; Friday: 7:45 am–3 pm
Please note: Students must be supervised by a parent, guardian, tutor, or teacher after Lower School library hours.

🛍️ BucsShop

School-Year Hours: Monday–Friday, 7:30 am–3:30 pm
Summer Hours: Monday–Thursday, 9:00 am–2:00 pm; Fridays closed
Phone: (704) 943-4685
Email: bucsshop@charlottecountryday.org
Online Store: cdbucsshop.myshopify.com

📣 School Communications

🖥️ BucsNet

BucsNet is the central parent hub for announcements, calendars, news, athletics, arts events, and more.

🔐 My Portal

Log in to password-protected info: update contact info (Update Family Profile), health forms, directories, schedules, report cards, billing
Login issues: bucsnet@charlottecountryday.org

📱 Mobile App

Download for real-time access (App Store & Google Play)

📧 Newsletters & Emails

BucsNOW weekly newsletter
Weekly emails from division heads

📲 Social Media

All School Instagram: @charlottecountrydayschool
Other Country Day accounts:

🚨 Emergency Communications

Receive text, email, voice alerts for emergencies, delays, or closings
Ensure contact info is current: Update My Portal

📰 Print Publications

Perspectives (Fall & Spring)
Annual Report (financials, admissions, donor recognition)

🛡️ Campus Visitors & Safety

The safety of our students, faculty, staff, and visitors is a top priority. All parents and visitors to the Cannon and Bissell (Middle School) campuses during the school day must check in using the Raptor Technologies guest management system and wear a visitor badge while on campus.

Raptor screens visitors against sex offender registries in all 50 states and allows our security team to know who is on campus at any given time. Raptor does not perform a full criminal background check.

Visiting Campus

Whether you are coming to campus for lunch with your child, volunteering in a classroom, meeting with a faculty or staff member, or for another reason during the school day, please follow these steps:

Check in when you arrive. At your first visit, you will need to present a photo ID, such as a driver's license.
Wear your visitor badge. Your badge should be visible at all times while you are on campus.
Check out when you leave. This helps our security team maintain an accurate record of who is on campus.

After your first visit, Raptor will remember your information and can print a visitor badge with your photo when you return.

Cannon Campus Check-In Locations

Levine Center Main Desk is the primary check-in location for the Cannon Campus. Park in the visitor lot and proceed to the Levine Center front door. The receptionist will let you into the building and assist you with checking in and receiving your visitor badge.

Secondary check-in locations include:

Cramer Hall — Purdy side Admin Desk
Bray Hall — Main Lower School Admin Desk
Belk Learning Center — Upper School Library
Athletics Office — Harris Performance Gym
Plant Operations — Admin Office

Controlled Building Access
All Cannon Campus buildings have controlled-access locks. Employees and Upper School students use their school-issued badges to access buildings. Replacement employee or student badges cost $25.

Bissell Campus

Visitors to the Bissell (Middle School) Campus should check in at the Sklut Center front office and receive a visitor badge before proceeding to their destination.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I am picking up my child from the Nurse's Office?
Please check in at the appropriate front office first and obtain a visitor badge before proceeding to the Nurse's Office.

Do I need to check in for after-school or community events?
No. The Raptor guest management system is used during the school day. Community events such as the Halloween Parade, Grandparents Day, and athletic events do not require visitor check-in unless otherwise communicated.

Where can I go if I need help?
Our security team members wear bright yellow shirts and are available to help with questions about parking, check-in, or navigating campus.

Questions or Assistance
Contact David Robinson, Director of Risk Management and Security, email or call (980) 515-4976.

🏫 Student Life & Academic Support

🎓 College Counseling

Upper School College Counseling

🏫 Educational Resources Program (ERP)

Academic support for JK–12 students, including tutoring, accommodations, assessments, psychoeducational evaluations, and referrals in Lower School, Middle School, and Upper School.

✨ Honor Code

“I will not lie, cheat, or steal, nor will I tolerate those who do.”

🎉 School Spirit

Mascot: Buccaneers
Colors: Green, Gold, White
Motto: Fortitudine Ac Pietate

🚗Student Driving & Parking (Upper School)

Limited driving privileges; cars must be registered with Upper School Office ($10 fee). Complete the Parking Sticker Request form to register.
Contact: Melanie Dennis in the Upper School Office, melanie.dennis@charlottecountryday.org.

📚 Textbooks

Our textbook provider for Middle and Upper School students is MBS/BNC Direct (authentication code: 1440)

💳 Tuition & Billing

Re-enrollment for the following school year typically begins in late January/early February. An Enrollment Deposit of 10% of tuition is required at the time of re-enrollment, which is credited to the total tuition due. When it's time to re-enroll, parents receive a personalized e-mail with a unique link that brings you to your family's Enrollment Portal. For questions, please contact Shannon Starnes in Student Billing at shannon.starnes@charlottecountryday.org.

Payment Schedule

There are three payment plans to pay the remainder of the tuition:

Two equal installments to be paid in July and January,
A 10-month payment plan that is set up with an automatic bank draft, or
Full tuition paid by July 15

Billing

Tuition and fees can be paid in three methods:

Online by electronic check or credit card
- To pay online, make sure you are logged into the My Portal and select "My Invoice."
Bank auto draft
Mail a check (to the Business Office, 1440 Carmel Road, Charlotte, 28226)

Incidental Charges
Incidental charges such as dining hall, Campus Store, Extended Day, tutoring, PE uniforms (Middle School), and bus transportation fees are billed on a monthly basis and must be paid either online or by check. Charges are NOT automatically drafted like tuition is.

Understanding Your Bill
For questions about your bill, please contact Shannon Starnes in Student Billing at shannon.starnes@charlottecountryday.org.

Financial Aid

Financial aid helps close the gap between the costs of attending and a family’s ability to pay tuition, as determined by the School and Student Service for Financial Aid (SSS). We encourage our families to apply for financial assistance if needed. Financial aid is awarded annually in the form of grants and are based upon a demonstration of financial need, coupled with a student’s individual merits. Learn more about financial assistance.

Questions?
Contact Nancy Ehringhaus, director of admissions and financial aid, nancy.ehringhaus@charlottecountryday.org or call (704) 943-4531.

❄️ Inclement Weather (Snow, Ice, Etc)

Cancellation of School

Decisions to close or delay school due to inclement weather are made jointly by the heads of Charlotte Country Day School, Charlotte Latin School, Providence Day School, and Charlotte Christian School, typically before 6 am, when conditions clearly warrant.

These decisions consider neighborhood and bus route surveys from each school, information from weather services, and, when necessary, updates from transportation and street maintenance departments. Because Country Day families commute from neighborhoods throughout Charlotte and from cities an hour or more away, the final decision about whether a student attends school rests with parents when conditions allow the school to remain open.

If inclement weather forces a school closing or delayed start, we will:

Activate the school’s emergency notification system to send a recorded message and text to phone numbers listed in our directory, as well as emails to addresses on file.
Post announcements by 6 am on BucsNet, the Country Day website, Facebook, and Instagram.
Report closings or delayed starts to major local television and radio stations. Due to high announcement volume, information may not appear on broadcasts immediately; station websites (e.g., wbtv.com) typically provide the most current updates.

Delayed Opening of School

We try to avoid delayed openings due to their impact on family, work, childcare, and transportation schedules. However, if a delayed opening is deemed necessary for the safety of students and staff, the school day will begin two hours later, with classes (JK–12) starting at 10 am.

A delayed opening does not affect the end of the school day or normal after-school activities, including Extended Day and athletics.

Early Dismissal

If hazardous weather occurs during the school day, school closings will be announced via email and voice broadcast. Please rely on these announcements instead of calling the school.

Review family transportation and early pick-up plans with your children in advance. Faculty will stay on campus until all students have left safely.

Lower School: Students not picked up at dismissal will wait by grade in Claudia Watkins Belk Hall.
Middle School: Students should inform the office if going home differently than usual.
After School Program: Extended Day and Enrichment Classes do not operate on inclement weather days.

Lightning Policy

To ensure the safety of students, faculty, staff, parents, and visitors, Country Day uses a lightning detection system.

When a lightning alarm sounds, school policy requires everyone—students, employees, parents, and visitors—to move indoors immediately. During carpool, students will not be allowed to load or unload from vehicles until the all-clear signal is given. Parents who choose to park, enter the campus, and pick up their child during a lightning delay do so at their own risk. Whenever possible, signs will be posted to alert drivers that a lightning delay is in effect.

📋 School Policies

Asbestos Management

Country Day is committed to maintaining a safe and healthy environment for all students, families, faculty, and staff. In compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA), the school conducts semiannual inspections of all buildings where asbestos-containing materials may be present.

The school completed a comprehensive asbestos assessment in 1988, at which time approximately 95% of identified asbestos-containing materials were safely removed. The remaining 5% were professionally encapsulated, a process that seals the material to prevent fiber release and is considered an EPA-approved long-term control method.

As required, trained personnel perform ongoing surveillance twice each year, and all findings are documented and maintained by our Plant Operations office. Families may review these records upon request.

Student Information & Access for Custodial and Non-Custodial Parents

Charlotte Country Day School asks for the cooperation of separated or divorced parents in supporting this policy regarding access to student information.

Recognizing that the student’s well-being is our shared priority, CCDS welcomes appropriate involvement by custodial, non-custodial, and stepparents in your student’s education. Communications from CCDS—such as grade reports, teacher comments, standardized test scores, and general mailings—will be sent to the student’s custodial parent(s). CCDS will also share these communications with any stepparent or non-custodial parent unless a court order or similar legal document prohibits sharing this information.

Email Privacy & Use

To protect the privacy of our parents and students, the school does not release class-wide or grade-level email lists for personal or non-school-related communication (such as birthday parties or private events). This ensures that family contact information is used only for official school purposes and remains secure. We encourage parents to collect personal contacts directly from one another when planning outside activities.

Student Photo & Video Consent

Country Day may use photographs or videos of students for school promotional purposes, including print materials, videos, BucsNet, the School website, or social media. CCDS does not share student names online alongside images.

On occasion, CCDS may provide student photos to the media to highlight achievements if it is appropriate under the circumstances. Parents or guardians may choose to restrict the use of their student’s images by contacting the Marketing & Communications Office.

Nondiscrimination in Admissions and Employment

Admissions
Country Day welcomes students in JK–12 without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national or ethnic origin. The school does not discriminate in its admissions process, educational programs, financial aid, athletics, or any other school-administered programs.

Employment
Country Day is an equal opportunity employer. The school does not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. This commitment applies to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, hiring, promotion, assignment, compensation, training, benefits, discipline, and termination.

Country Day provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with known disabilities, unless such accommodations would create an undue hardship. This policy governs every stage of employment and ensures equitable access to opportunities, resources, and support.