2nd Hill Blog

All things 2nd Hill (2016-Present). Use the icon at the top right to search tags used in the blog!

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Mid-May Move Out Tips!

Hi there 2nd Hill Families!

Included below are some tips to help make move-out a much easier process. Please read them carefully and let me know if you have any additional questions!

1. Pick Up Items BEFORE Saturday, May 23rd. It will make Saturday WAY easier, I promise. You will be able to park in front of the building instead of potentially several blocks away. Your student will be able AND willing to help you, as opposed to being exhausted and wanting to say goodbye to friends. You will not have to carry items dressed up for commencement. If your family can get here, I HIGHLY suggest it. Many arguments can break out due to the stresses involved on move out day. It’s also possible that you get there and there's WAY more stuff than you thought. Many families will come on Thursday and Friday to take all belongings and only leave exactly what is needed for the final 24-48 hours.

2. Please help ensure that your student has completed their housekeeping assignment prior to check out. I will go over this with this students as it will not be their usual assignment. Following commencement, it is my responsibility to make sure the hall (student rooms, common areas, and restrooms) is clean. Your students help in making sure these tasks are completed will make my job easier following a long day for me as well. Many hands make light work, and I appreciate the assistance of all of your students!

3. Talk to your student about what time they should sign up for check out. The sign up will be available on Monday May 11th. I will offer morning and afternoon check out times. Morning check out times will begin at 7:30pm and will be listed every 10 minutes. It’s important that if you all sign up fora morning check out time that your student be vigilant in getting everything ready. Otherwise, they may be checking out after commencement. 

Afternoon check out times will begin at 12:30pm and will also be listed for every 10 minutes. If a student is finished early, they can find me on hall and I will try to squeeze them in earlier, however this is not guaranteed. Do know that I have certain things I must complete in each check out and I am will try to be as efficient and will get to all rooms as soon as possible.

4. All students are required to be officially checked out by 3pm. Failure to be checked out by this time will result in a late check out charge.

5. Students must have completed ALL Check Out Procedures in order to check out. Failure to not have completed any of the items on the list will result in the student moving to the end of the line. Student will clean their rooms prior to commencement during the Final Week. However, you should still move furniture around and make sure you all sweep and mop behind things to ensure everything is as clean as possible. 

6. Give your student the space and ability to make closure with commencement and saying goodbye to NCSSM. For some, this may be the last time they see each other until a reunion. They will all be running on little to no sleep, even if we do encourage them to at least sleep a little. They will be exhausted and emotions will be running higher than usual. They will want to spend time on Bryan Lawn searching for this friend or that friend, taking pictures, crying, etc. Give them this space, they’ll be thankful for it. 

7. There will be a thousand or more folks on Bryan Lawn following commencement. Have a designated spot to meet your student. Otherwise, you could easily spend a half hour or more looking for them. With that being said, it will not be easy for them to find their friends so don't plan to leave immediately after commencement. Let them enjoy the moment.

8. Once you leave campus, be prepared for them to sleep... for a day! I've definitely heard stories from parents that their student slept a solid 20 hours and only emerged to use the restroom. It will be an emotional, exciting, and exhausting last few days. They're going to need to rest!

[2ndhill-blog]

May & Commencement!

Hello Second Hill Families,

The end of third trimester and the school year is fast approaching! I imagine your students have already been talking about final exams, Commencement, and Move-Out. I have included an overview of Commencement and Move-Out, which will take place on Saturday, May 23rd.

Commencement

The 39th class of residential NCSSM students will graduate on Saturday, May 23rd at 10:00 AM. Commencement will take place on the school’s historic Watt’s Lawn, weather permitting.

Visitors are asked to park in the main Bryan parking lot, which is parallel with West Club Boulevard. Additional street parking is available in the Watts-Hillandale neighborhood surrounding the school.

All students are expected to attend the NCSSM Commencement ceremony. Absences must be pre-approved by Mr. Terry Lynch, Vice Chancellor for Student Life. The ceremony is expected to last approximately 2 hours.

In the event of rain, commencement will be held in the Physical Education Center (PEC) Gym. Commencement will be moved to the PEC only if there is substantial rain on commencement day. NCSSM Administration will make an announcement regarding the location of the ceremony due to rain by 7:00 AM, Saturday, May 23rd.

The ceremony is open to the public, and no tickets are required UNLESS it rains—in the event of inclement weather, each senior will receive 2 tickets for family, for the NCSSM Eilber Physical Education Center (PEC), and 2 tickets to live stream locations around campus (e.g. Auditorium, Lecture Hall, & Music Room). There is no limit to the number of family members or friends who may attend the ceremony if it is held on Watts Lawn.

Juniors will also have the opportunity to view a live stream of commencement at one of the locations across campus. Juniors will not be required to participate unless they are in the choir, orchestra, or a junior marshal. In the event of rain, updated information will be distributed regarding check-out times and procedures.

For more information about NCSSM Commencement 2019 keep an eye on the NCSSM Commencement website: https://www.ncssm.edu/commencement

Move-Out

Move-out will begin on Saturday, May 23rd at 7:30 AM and continue after the conclusion of Commencement and the reception that follows.

Each resident is responsible for:

(1) signing up for a check-out time,

(2) completing each day’s assignment on the Final Week Checklist,

(3) completing their housekeeping assignment AND helping to clean the hall as well as their room, AND

(4) completing the tasks included on the Check-Out Information sheet prior to checking out on Saturday.

Move-Out Sign-Up Sheet

In planning after-commencement activities such as lunch or graduation parties, please plan to check out first rather than coming back to campus afterwards. Graduation is a very exciting event for students and their families and I am reminded of my own Science and Math graduation as you begin making plans for celebrating with friends and family. I speak from experience in making this request—celebrations are more enjoyable after the move-out process has already been completed. It is also helpful for me to have everyone on hall working to move out at the same time rather than returning at various times throughout the afternoon.

I will be sharing the Move-out Sign-Up sheet with students on Monday, May 1th so that everyone can reserve a check-out time for the following Saturday. This sign up sheet will be posted on hall. 

***Please talk with your student about move-out and commencement plans before they sign-up for a time slot. Students are the ones responsible for signing up for a check-out time.***

It is easier for everyone if roommates plan to check out at the same time. This isn’t always possible, but the process is much smoother and efficient if everyone’s belongings are out of the way at checkout.

Early check-out times before commencement are available, but if you aren’t ready before all morning check-outs are over or by the start of commencement prep, you will have to wait until after the ceremony to check out.

If your student is interested in checking-out prior to Saturday, May 23rd, please let me know by email so that we can arrange a time earlier in the week. Remember, all early student check outs must be approved by Terry Lynch.

Final Week Checklist

The Final Week Checklist is designed to prevent residents from leaving the entirety of their packing and cleaning until the day of commencement. Room inspections will take place Sunday through Friday of the week leading up to commencement to ensure that residents have completed each day’s assignment and are making progress towards a smooth and successful move-out. A copy of the Final Week Checklist will be posted outside each room and initialed by me each night. This document is pictured below for your reference.

***[INSERT PHOTO OF CHECKLIST]***

​Check-Out Information

Check-out should take no more than 10 minutes if your student is ready. Residents are expected to have the following list of tasks completed by their check-out time on Saturday.

***If there is an issue with one or more of the tasks listed below, then I will move on to the next room that is ready for check-out and your student will be moved to the bottom of the check-out schedule/to the next available check-out time.***

In order to avoid conflict, please encourage your student to review this list and make every effort to complete each task BEFORE their check-out time:

The room is well cleaned. Make a point to dust, sweep, and mop behind all furniture. Please also wipe everything down including the inside and outside of furniture—if possible, bring your own broom/dustpan and cleaning wipes to avoid having to wait for the limited number available on hall.

All trash has been taken to outside dumpsters. Students are responsible for any trash they accumulate and should make sure to deal with it accordingly.

All belongings have been removed from the room AND the hallway. Along the same line as the previous task, we do our best to clean the hall as we go and items left on hall or in the building tend to get discarded and left behind.

Return all furniture that was removed from the room and return furniture to its original state. This typically comes down to returning original room furniture if it has been moved from that room and tracking down any desk chairs that have been stored elsewhere.

Complete housekeeping assignment. Residents will be assigned an individual housekeeping task earlier in the week AND are responsible for making sure that this task is complete on move-out day. Residents may be asked to complete an additional task on Saturday, depending on the condition of the hall and any issues that may arise during move-out.

Room Condition Report. Once your student has moved everything out and cleaned, both of you will sign the Room Condition Report after we note any damages that have occurred since move-in. Your student will turn in their room key and access pass and seniors will turn in their laundry cards, and summer vacation will officially begin!

Updates, reminders, about Commencement and move-out will be posted to the hall blog at 2ndhill.tumblr.com. As always, please feel free to contact me by email with any questions.

Best,

***[CC Name]***

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August: Some useful tips & info!

Hi there 2nd Hill Families, 

Included below are some videos made by the wonderful Community Coordinator Anna Acha that explain a few key components of student life at NCSSM. Please watch them, they’re quite short, and incredibly informative. Enjoy!

How to Sign Out

Learning More about LiveSafe

How To: Access Passes and Laundry

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August: Move-In Documents

Hi there 2nd Hill Families!

Below are some documents that detail prohibited items, decoration guidelines, and the charges for any damages to the residential furniture. Please look through these documents and continue to read the rest of the post.

Room Decoration Guidelines

This is a lot of information, but please be thorough in making sure that you do not pack any prohibited items or go outside the decoration guidelines as it will then warrant a further conversation with your student and require items to be sent back home. Sadly, we cannot make significant accommodations for any single student as we have a campus of 680 students for whom we are responsible. If your student does have any personal accessibility, dietary, mental health, or other needs that require certain fixes, please let us know so we can brainstorm how to make those possible.

Lastly, double check the list of prohibited items as some items cannot be in student rooms BUT can be used in hall kitchens or lounges depending on the layout. This distinction is important to note since it does allow flexibility. However, DO NOT bring these items first thing on move in day expecting that we can accommodate every single one. Please check our hall kitchen and lounge for any needed appliances before bringing them. 2nd Hill specifically has a toaster oven, stove, and microwave on hand for students to use in our kitchen. Generally, students do not have any major cooking issues throughout the year. If you have any other questions please feel free to let me know! 

Best, ***[CC NAME]***

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Mid-May Special: Tips for a Smoother Move-Out

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.

Have a great rest of the month and I’ll see you all soon!

[2ndhill-blog]

May Move-Out Updates

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,

Isaiah

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Mid-April Updates

Hello there 2nd Hill Families!

I hope you all have had a peaceful start to your April. I just have a few updates to share with you all this month!

April Programming Calendar

Flu Updates & Supply Request

As you all may have heard, there have been a large number of cases of flu going around campus. We have been vigilant in encouraging students to clean their personal spaces as well as thoroughly cleaning public spaces. Something that would be incredibly helpful would be donations of Clorox or Lysol wipes or Lysol spray. This is so that students can have additional supplies to sanitize their personal living space.

Spring Break

As you already know, students have Spring 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 so please make sure these are taken care of before next Thursday. Encourage your 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.

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

Emerson Email & Phone: [email protected]; 919-249-8251

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April Updates

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

Emerson Email & Phone: [email protected]; 919-249-8251

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Mid-March Updates

Hello 2nd Hill Parents and Families!

I have just a few updates for you so stay tuned! As always if you have any questions let me or Emerson know!

Programming Pictures

Below are some pictures of your students from Open Gym this past week!

Yearbook 2018-2019

This is a reminder that yearbook pre-sales ended March 1 at 11:59pm. The price for a 2018-19 yearbook is now $95. Purchases can be made online via the yearbook purchase site or with cash/check to the school cashier (can be mailed in). NCSSM is trying to keep the cost of the yearbook low (first increase in 15 years was last year, for $5) but the yearbook directly funds Blue Mirror, Stentorian, Broad St. Scientific, and Fifth World which are all student publications. Without this funding, these publications wouldn’t be able to showcase student creativity. If you have any specific questions about the yearbook process, please contact Kim Howell ([email protected]). Here is the link to the yearbook purchase site. 

March Extended Weekend

Students have an extended weekend coming up! It will begin on March 22nd and end on March 25th. Residence halls will close for extended weekend on March 22nd at 5:00 PM and re-open again at 12:00 PM on March 25th. 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.

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

Emerson Email & Phone: [email protected]; 919-249-8251

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March 2019 Programming Calendar

[2ndhill-blog]

March Updates

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

Emerson Email & Phone: [email protected]; 919-249-8251

[2ndhill-blog]

Late-February Updates

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

Emerson Email & Phone: [email protected]; 919-249-8251

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Mid-October Update!

Hi there 2nd Hill Families!

I hope everything is going well for everyone this October. I know that some folks may have been significantly affected by Hurricane Matthew a few days ago, so please feel free to reach out if there’s any sort of support needed. Below is the agenda for what’s included in our update. 

Agenda: - Exams - Trimester Break - Sign Out Procedures - Hall Food/Career Explorations

Exams

If you weren’t already aware, Trimester 1 Exams are going to be coming up in a couple of weeks for your students. What this means is that these next two weeks are going to be chock full of studying, stress, and quite possibly lack of sleep for your kiddos. Below are a few tips that I encourage you to give your students throughout the rest of this month:

Make sure to support your students through this stressful time

Encourage them to take care of themselves and to get enough sleep, food, and water

Listen to them and be careful not to add pressure to their already busy schedule

More than anything, we ask that you just be there for them and update us on what’s going on. Let me and Emerson know if there’s anything that we can do to best support your student. 

Trimester Break

Trimester exams begin on Monday, October 29th and end on Thursday, November 1st. Residence halls will close for trimester break on November 1st at 5:00 PM and re-open again at 12:00 PM on November 6th. The sign-out procedures for Trimester Break are the same as they are for extended weekends, so please make sure that you and your student are filling out the correct forms necessary for their travel plans as it will make their sign-out the day of much smoother. Please refer to the tag ‘#signout’ in the 2nd Hill Blog search bar to find previous posts with links and information about the signout procedures.

Also remember that longer breaks are a great time for students to take home unnecessary things that they no longer need and to prepare for upcoming campus events. Make sure to check in with your student as well as check the NCSSM calendar to send your student back to campus prepared for any major events.

Sign Out Procedures

Below is a flow chart for the sign-out procedures that we provide for students. Please refer to this chart to also understand what we ask of families when a student is leaving campus for certain situations. 

Some things to note:

If your student is going to be taking the train for long distance travel, they need to fill out the Student Travel Permission Form (see link below) and list “Amtrak” as the person picking them up

If they are going to be taking an Uber or Lyft alone to the train station, they’ll need to do the same thing but instead list “Uber” or “Lyft” as the person picking them up

Any time you have to fill out the student travel permission for a family member, other adult, or person/group picking up your student you need to remind those people that they need to come into the main lobby and physically sign out the student and bring Photo ID with them

I know that this whole process is confusing so if you still have questions, don’t hesitate to ask. The link to the Student Travel Permission Form can be found Here. 

Hall Food/Career Explorations

As always, if you’re interested in participating in either Hall Food or Career Explorations, please refer to the links below: Hall Food: www.SignUpGenius.com/go/5080848A4AF29A7FA7-2ndhill  Career Explorations: https://goo.gl/forms/4I0UJLMFBJGcuTrs2

Big shout out to all the families who have participated in both or either of these programming opportunities! Your support of the 2nd Hill Community is very appreciated. If you have any questions about either, please let us know!

As always, if you all have any questions, comments, or concerns please feel free to reach to either me or Emerson. Have a great rest of the month!

-Isaiah

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August 2018 Photos!

Hi there 2nd Hill Families!

Included in this post are a bunch of lovely pictures of your kiddos. Enjoy!

Water Ballon War w/ 4th West

Paint Fight w/ 3rd Beall

Turtle Hole w/ Royall

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2nd Hill Mid-August Updates

Hi there 2nd Hill & Families!

I hope you’ve all been adjusting to the dynamic of NCSSM and that everything has been going smoothly. Families, included in this post are some pictures of your kiddos being lovely humans. So far in this month we’ve had some interhall activities with Ground Reynolds, Convocation, the T-Shirt signing dance, as well as other campus events. When we have the complete programming calendars for September we’ll also be posting those events so you can know ahead of time what we’ll have going on in 2nd Hill. Enjoy!

Best, Isaiah

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Housing Guidelines 2018-19

Hi there 2nd Hill Families! 

Below are some documents that detail prohibited items, decoration guidelines, and the charges for any damages to the residential furniture. Please look through these documents and continue to read the rest of the post. 

This is a lot of information, but please be thorough in making sure that you do not pack any prohibited items or go outside the decoration guidelines as it will then warrant a further conversation with your student and require items to be sent back home. Sadly, we cannot make significant accommodations for any single student as we have a campus of 680 students for whom we are responsible. If your student does have any personal accessibility, dietary, mental health, or other needs that require certain fixes, please let us know so we can brainstorm how to make those possible. 

Lastly, double check the list of prohibited items as some items cannot be in student rooms BUT can be used in hall kitchens or lounges depending on the layout. This distinction is important to note since it does allow flexibility. However, DO NOT bring these items first thing on move in day expecting that we can accommodate every single one. Please check our hall kitchen and lounge for any needed appliances before bringing them. 2nd Hill specifically has a toaster oven, stove, and microwave on hand for students to use in our kitchen. Generally, students do not have any major cooking issues throughout the year. If you have any other questions please feel free to let me know!

Best,  Isaiah

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2nd Hill Mid-March Update

Hi there 2nd Hill Families, 

Included in this blog post are some lovely updates regarding some events on campus, pictures of your lovely nuggets -- *cough* students *cough* --, and some hopefully helpful information. Please be sure to read the whole thing!

Latin America Fest

Latin America Fest is happening this coming weekend! It’s premiering on Saturday, March 17th @ 7:00pm.  Please see the message below about LAF:

"Join us for a night filled with dancing, singing, acting, and fun. Get ready to learn about the beauty of Latin American Culture. Enjoy the laughs and quarrels of a Hispanic home with Abuela, your favorite aunt and uncle, and the hipster Latino kid who still needs to learn a bit about his culture. It's a night of guaranteed entertainment!!! See you there!"

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/latin-america-fest-mi-casa-tu-casa-tickets-44050509259

Sign Out Procedures

We’ve had some problems with students signing out off campus overnight for off campus events or for going home. If you have any questions about procedures before you sign out your student, please make sure to reach out beforehand so we can get them addressed. Remember that if your student is going to be picked up by another person that is not a legal guardian/parent and will be staying off campus overnight or past curfew, they must fill out the Student Travel Permission Form and must sign out at a desk. 

Family Programming

Just another reminder, I would love for some family members to participate in our hall programming by coming to talk about their career. I think it would be a wonderful experience for students to learn about different career paths and gain some insight from families. If you are interested at all, please let me know!

Prom!!

Prom is just around the corner! Please refer to the NCSSM Prom Website (http://ncssmprom2018.wixsite.com/magic) for any and all information regarding NCSSM’s 2018 Prom. 

Pictures

And now, pictures of your students:

As always, please reach out if there’s anything I can help with!

Best,  Isaiah