New Dimensions Charter School
NDS Students participate in The Daughters of the American Revolution
American History Essay Contest
The Daughters of the American Revolution sponsor a nationwide American History Essay Contest each year for grades 5th through 8th. The contest in our area is sponsored by the Quaker Meadows Chapter. Generally, the entries in the contest will come from Burke County Public Schools, New Dimensions Public Charter School, parochial and private schools and home schooled students. This year, because of Covid-19, most schools in the county did not participate. Mrs. Sylvia Medford, spokesperson for the local chapter stated, "We were fortunate that both New Dimensions and Burke County Public School took part in the essay contest. The students were to write on The Boston Massacre which happened 250 years ago. It was a brawl between eight British soldiers and a crowd of Patriots. The significance of the battle was that the first fatalities of the American Revolution occurred that day. The eight Soldiers were convicted of murder, branded and sent back to England. The students were to pretend they had seen the fight and to talk with their families about what it meant for the colonies and our quest for freedom."
There were thirty-one student submissions. The submissions were judged three times by nine different judges. The essays are judged on grammar, spelling, how well they related to the subject, how well they followed instructions, punctuation, penmanship and bibliography. The scores are then tallied and the winners announced. The chapter winner's copy is sent to the regional chair in Asheville. The winners for the Quaker Meadows Chapter this year representing New Dimensions are Parker L, 5th grader at New Dimensions School; and Bryce W, 7th grader at New Dimensions Charter School. There were no entries for 6th and 8th grades. Honorable Mention in 5th grade went to Carter P from New Dimensions. Regional winners have not yet been notified.
New Dimensions Director, Dr. David Burleson, stated, "We are very proud of our students at New Dimensions for their hard work and for using this opportunity to learn more about our nation's history. We appreciate the opportunity to partner with the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) to enhance our students' love for history. This was a joint effort between our teachers, DAR, students and parents. We look forward to many years of having winners from New Dimensions."
Links to the essays:
As we begin to plan for the upcoming school year, it is crucial that we have feedback from you regarding the continued enrollment of your student at NDS. Please complete the form and parent survey at the following link by March 1.
Thank you for allowing NDS to be a part of your students educational experience.
NDS Virtual Open House Links
for Prospective Families
COVID-19 Information
Parents and/or Guardians,
Please click the button below to for information related to COVID-19 and the steps NDS has in place to safeguard our school and follow state and local mandates.
NDS OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD:
JANUARY 4 - MARCH 31, 2021
New Dimensions Open Enrollment period for the school year 2021-2022 began on Monday, January 4 and will end on March 31, 2021. We have several RSVP face-to-face tours available on the following dates/times:
Thursday, January 28: 4:15 K-5th grade; 4:30 Middle School
Monday, February 8: 5:30 K-5th grade; 5:45 Middle School
Tuesday, February 16: 5:00 K-5th grade; 5:15 Middle School
Call 828.437.5753 to schedule your tour appointment as space is limited. Tours will last approximately 30 minutes and you must call to register. Temperature checks, masks and social distancing required.
Click here to see what New Dimensions: A Public Charter School has to offer.
NDS Giving Back During COVID-19
New Dimensions Charter School continues to build community even in the COVID-19 crisis. While our teachers are not physically in our school building, they are teaching remotely and still finding time to assist others in our community. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Club sponsors; Aaron Mirtsching and Dana Ishuin, 2nd grade New Dimensions teachers, have been busy searching for ways to help our local healthcare community. Ms. Ishuin has been making adult and children's size masks. JoAnn Fabrics donated the fabric to the school and Ms. Ishuin has made over two dozen masks so far. The masks have been donated to Grace Hospital and to WalMart employees. She is continuing to make more masks to be donated to medical staff, ShurTape employees and additional WalMart employees.
Mr. Mirtsching has been using the clubs 3-D printers to make “ear guards” for the loops of the mask to help take pressure off the ears of health care/medical workers who are wearing masks all day to protect themselves and their patients. Over 100 guards have been made and donated to Grace Heights, Mountain Valley Healthcare, and Blue Ridge Healthcare. More ear guards are being made as Mr. Mirtsching has received a request from Carolina Rehab of Burke. New Dimensions is proud of the efforts of our staff in reaching out and helping our healthcare community. David Burleson stated, “Our school is made up of many caring, compassionate staff members and students. Giving back to our community has been a common theme at New Dimensions for years. We are thankful that we can contribute something to those true heroes on the front lines.”
For more information or to make a donation to this cause, please contact Mr. Aaron Mirtsching at amirtsching@ndschool.org. Donations can also be made through the following link: paypal.me/admirtsching.
Welcome to our school!
NDS Framework Performance
Good morning Dr. Burleson and Mrs. Rhodes,
It is with great pleasure that I inform you that in the 2018-2019 school year your school met every applicable measure of the Performance Framework, thereby exceeding expectations. This demonstrates to all that your charter school takes accountability seriously, and the Office of Charter Schools has decided to recognize this fact with an individualized badge, attached, for you to post on your website and use in your marketing efforts.
Thank you for your commitment to high quality public education of choice. Please don't ever hesitate to reach out to the Office of Charter Schools for guidance on any matter.
More information about the NC Charter School Performance Framework can be found on our website. https://www.dpi.nc.gov/students-families/innovative-school-options/charter-schools/performance/performance-framework
Joseph Letterio M.
Education Consultant
NC Office of Charter Schools
2020-2021 School Calendar (rev. 11192020)
