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Now Enrolling Your Child for Small Class Sizes and Fun Learning with Lakeside Charter Academy

Many parents might be ready to pass the teaching torch back to the teachers and schools as we all navigate through the ‘stay at home’ orders. While we can’t yet determine when the school doors are opening again, we can announce that enrollment for next Fall is open at Lakeside Charter Academy now!  LCA is a tuition-free public charter school in Cornelius, serving grades K-8. 

Dr. Montague delivers a ceiling tile designed by the middle school students to the Director of Office of Charter Schools, Dave Machado.

MEET THE PRINCIPAL

There are many great reasons to get in line for this commendable school, led by Dr. Jim Montague. Dr. Montague is everything a parent might be looking for in a school principal. The former teacher and coach works hard to be welcoming and accommodating to students and families when they stop in to meet with him. He is excited about the culture of the school, and he is especially passionate about keeping learning both fun and meaningful. He also has three children and has lived in the Charlotte area for over 30 years.  Dr. Montague leads LCA with more than a decade of experience working in NC charter schools and holds a doctorate in educational leadership from Wingate University. 

“LCA has a community feel unlike any school that I have worked at.  Everyone is at Lakeside Charter Academy to best serve our children and students.”

Dr. Montague

With the recent shift to temporary home-schooling, parents are reminded that school is about a lot more than just getting good grades. If you are a parent looking for a school that offers creative activities to learn the required standards, teachers who instill a love for learning, small class sizes, passionate staff, and a tight-knit community feel, then take a closer look at Lakeside Charter Academy. 

THE PILLARS: SCHOLARSHIP

LCA is committed to three pillars of education: Scholarship, Leadership and Citizenship. First, let’s look at an overview of Scholarship – the academics your child will receive. The school’s curriculum follows state guidelines and uses the Common Core Standards. They use Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA), Math in Focus, Shurley Grammar and Discovery Education. Dr. Montague explains how students are getting the exact same academic programs offered in a nearby private school in Charlotte, “and our students get to learn them for free!” 

For technology, students have access to classroom sets of Chromebooks, as well as Macbook Pros for group work. The school is moving towards one-to-one technology in the near future. Knowing how to utilize technology is a crucial part of a student’s success in today’s technology-driven world. LCA is making sure to meet that need. Next year, all students will also receive one hour per day dedicated to remediation or enrichment. If your child needs an extra dose of math, or needs a higher level of challenge in reading, there is time carved out each day for that targeted instruction based on individual needs. 

The typical classroom at LCA has only 15-17 students. With these ideal class sizes, teachers are able to differentiate instructions easily and provide more one-on-one time with each student. Educators can hone in on each child’s strengths, weaknesses, or just have a little more time to build a meaningful connection with each child in class.

LEADERSHIP

Next, let’s dive into the pillar of Leadership. LCA aims to develop confident and capable students. One of the strongest ways they do this is by their weekly assemblies. The school brings in local leaders to speak to the students and show them real-life examples of what it took for them to be successful. Some examples of previous local guests include an author, chef, retired veteran, dentist, veterinarian, the Charlotte Hornets Book Bus, and a professional athlete. They also have older students partner with younger students for “Book Buddies” and lunch meetings to provide opportunities for leadership, as well as building strong bonds across the school. 

Students attend weekly assemblies showcasing local leaders who inspire students to work hard to achieve their dreams.

CITIZENSHIP

The final pillar is Citizenship which starts with having the right staff. Dr. Montague has built a team of educators who show high energy, creativity, compassion, and above all, a love for kids. The staff is second to none in his eyes thanks to their creative styles of teaching and creating classrooms that are so much fun, you might forget you’re actually doing school work. For example, while reading a book about pancakes, you might find one of the teachers warming up a griddle to cook actual pancakes for the students, to complement the story discussion. Teachers here go the extra mile to create activity-based learning to cover the academic standards, rather than just lectures and worksheets. 

Fourth graders brought in objects from home for a fun activity and to make a personal connection with one of their lessons.

Students also receive one hour of specials per day. Those specials rotate between Music, P.E., Art, Character Education and Spanish. There are many after school activities to explore such as soccer, running, theatre/drama, hip hop, Legos, MS sports and coding. “Our school also performs many community service activities, including: visiting retirement communities to bring cards and goodies, food drives, letters to service members, and much more!” states Dr. Montague. Other activities organized by LCA for the whole family include Checkers games, Knights games, the Birkdale Village Holiday parade, bowling nights, and much more!

MORE FEATURES OF LCA

Other offerings include before and after school programs from 7am-6pm, hot lunches, proven strong communication with families,  30 minutes of recess each day, beautification days to keep the building and playground fresh and clean, and a staff and principal who are very present and personable; you’ll even see them helping greet students as they get out of their cars each morning.

The parent surveys are coming in showing positive feedback and the staff is here to stay. Test scores continue to increase and enrollment is growing – some grade levels are already seeing a waiting list! 

So, where will you pass the teaching torch next Fall? If you’re searching for a school with a community-feel, a talented staff, a leader with fresh ideas and quality experience, then contact Lakeside Charter Academy about enrollment today.

For more information, visit LCA’s website, Facebook page, or get in touch with the principal directly: 

WEBSITE: https://www.lakesidecharteracademy.com/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/lakesidecharteracademyofnc/

EMAIL: j.montague@lakesidecharteracademy.com

Jeanette Crump

I moved to NC in 2020, from Lake Geneva, WI. I was drawn to the Charlotte area for its ideal weather and notably friendly people! The Lake Norman charm brought me to Cornelius. After a lovely career in elementary education, I am switching gears to serve as an event coordinator. I find passion in bringing joy (and fun events!) to other hard working, well-deserving people! My motto: "Make time for fun because life's not waiting for you."

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Old Town Cornelius (OTC) is quickly becoming a hub for a vibrant and flourishing arts scene just outside of Charlotte, NC. Known for its popular local breweries, OTC is making a name for itself as a destination for culture of all kinds: from boutique stores and bottle shops, to farm-to-fork restaurants and live music venues. So what are you waiting for?! Come out and experience the scene for yourself!

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🍧🍧🍧If the sun’s out, you know where to 🍧🍧🍧If the sun’s out, you know where to find us! @pelicans_snoballs_cornelius is back open with a fresh new look to the outdoor dining area! 
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#snowcone #corneliusnc #28031 #snoball #pelicans #yum #destinationsnoball #otc #lkn #oldtowncornelius 
📸: @cornelius28031
DID YOU KNOW? 🤔 The pass through seen here has DID YOU KNOW? 🤔 The pass through seen here has a history of a place for hustle and bustle for Cornelius commerce and community.🤝 Once served as a convenient route for cotton to make its way to and fro the farmers’ wagons, the gin mill and the production mill — it is now the current location of the hustling and bustling Old Town patio and performance space. ☺️
Follow @oldtownpublichouse and @publicgroundsnc for announcements of free and open to the public events like Sunday Funday, The Coffee Creative, and more! ☕️ 🎨 🍻 
Kudos to #OTPH for converting this once forgotten piece of land into a safe and usable park in the center of downtown.
Our signature CORNELIUS design in toddler and yout Our signature CORNELIUS design in toddler and youth sizes this spring! 💛💙💜
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send us a DM to get yours today! We still have adult tees and ladies tanks in stock too!
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Spring is in the air! #OTPH hosting the first #Sun Spring is in the air! #OTPH hosting the first #SundayFunday in the open air beer garden in the heart of #OTC ❤️🧡💛💚💙
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public art by @jrchristenbery 
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Say what?! Thinkin' & Drinkin' Trivia is back at O Say what?! Thinkin' & Drinkin' Trivia is back at Old Town Public House!! 🤓🧠🍻
Gather your squad, put on your thinking caps, and join us Tuesday evenings at 7pm for a friendly competition featuring 3 rounds of general knowledge trivia!
Winning teams will receive awesome prizes, sponsored brewery swag, and be on their way to being crowned trivia champs of Old Town! 🏆
@oldtownpublichouse
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#trivia #pubtrivia #otph #drank #thank #cheers
🌷Spring SIP SHOP & STROLL through the unique sh 🌷Spring SIP SHOP & STROLL through the unique shops in the heart of OTC! 🌷It is Second Saturday this week, come out and experience the best in what local has to offer! 🎉🎉🎉
Sip, Shop & Stroll Shops include: 
The Shoppes at Home Heart & Soul, Juelerye, LKN Car Wash, Inspired at Lake Norman, Public Grounds Coffee, Avalilly's Boutique, Bells Box Collective, Rootz Cornelius NC, The Bungalow Market, Brick Row, Seven Oaks Venue, Old Town Public House and MORE! 🎉🎉🎉 
Tag @oldtowncornelius #secondsaturdayOTC for a chance to win some sweet prizes form our local shops!
DID YOU KNOW?🤔 Cornelius once had a train depot DID YOU KNOW?🤔 Cornelius once had a train depot that served both the cotton mills in town, in fact for most of the late 19th and early 20th century, the tracks actually crossed Main Street and had a direct service line to the Gem Yarn Mill (now known as Oak Street Mill) 
🚂🚂🚂 Industry flourished along these rail lines from the Caldwell Station to Davidson.  Residents would take the train into Charlotte for a day of shopping and entertainment. 🛤 As the economy of this area changed, the station was no longer needed and was demolished in 1955. 
Does anyone know the site of this the former train depot, what exists there today? Answer in comments for a chance to win #OTC Swag 👇👇👇
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#oldtowntales #oldtowncornelius #funfact #history #historyapprecation #corneliusnc #lkn
Shoutout to OTC’s LKN Mini Golf for hosting the Shoutout to OTC’s LKN Mini Golf for hosting the putt-putt benefit for “Cool Kids Clubhouse in Honor of Dan Jansen” this weekend! 👏👏👏 What a great way to combo a fun outdoor family event into fundraising for @coolkidsclubhouseclt - on a mission to improve quality of life for pediatric oncology patients and their families. 
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@lkn_mini_golf @speedway_pat @wavesentertainmentusa 
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We would like to take a moment to congratulate Dep We would like to take a moment to congratulate Deputy Chief Kevin Fox (far right) on his 30th Anniversary today. 🚨🚨🚨Chief Fox joined as a Junior Firefighter at the age of 15 and has been involved with growing the department ever since. In 1991 when he joined the department was 100% Volunteer and ran around 300 calls a year. Today we staff two stations, run close to 3000 calls a year and our first full time staff will start next week. It’s been quite a journey - Congrats on your 30 years!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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#repost @cornelius_fire
📰 OTC in the news 📰 #repost @davidboraks @wf 📰 OTC in the news 📰 #repost @davidboraks @wfae •••The historically Black neighborhood of Smithville in #CorneliusNC is facing gentrification pressures, so residents are plotting a revitalization. The Smithville Community Coalition 
told town commissioners Monday it needs financial support from the town and Mecklenburg County to carry out the proposed $11 million plan. The draft plan calls for buying about 25 acres of vacant property; improving roads, water and sewer and other infrastructure; and building about 167 affordable housing units. The new housing would be aimed at current and former Smithville residents as well as public employees, such as police, firefighters and teachers. 🏡🏡🏡
Some town commissioners appeared supportive Monday, but the lone African American board member Thurman Ross, who lives and owns property in Smithville, remains skeptical. 
More on @wfae and WFAE.org #affordablehousing
Celebrate Black History Month with us and learn ab Celebrate Black History Month with us and learn about the roots of our very own Smithville, the historic African-American neighborhood located in the heart of Cornelius with this virtual video tour! (Link in bio)
 🗯BIG plans for revitalization and redevelopment being presented to the Town Board in the coming weeks! 🗯
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Huge thanks to the Smithville Community Coalition for putting this all together 
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Wonder what type of treasures can be found in @kno Wonder what type of treasures can be found in @knottyandboard on Main St? 🌟🌟🌟Oh just about everything to make your home beautiful inside and out! 
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Outdoor dining plans this weekend? 🔥 🔥 🔥 Outdoor dining plans this weekend? 🔥 🔥 🔥 Something about drinking bourbon fireside at a historic 120 year old home on Main Street in OTC...
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Put @barrelandforklkn on your to-do list now! 🍽
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Looking forward to bringing back to the days of co Looking forward to bringing back to the days of cornhole at the Corntown Festivals 🌽 
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Shoutout to @korakdesign for designing our logo and referring us to the best custom cornhole board artist in the area!
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@oldtownpublichouse 
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DID YOU KNOW? 🤔 With the help of a $1,000 gift DID YOU KNOW? 🤔 With the help of a $1,000 gift from his mother, Hugh Roy Smith began his professional career as a florist. 💐
In 1934 he expanded his operation to build his first greenhouse and opened a landscape business. 🌿
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H.R. Smith was known as the “king of the rhododendrons,” cultivated snapdragons,  azeleas and crepe myrtles. He led a “Beautify Cornelius” campaign with then mayor Harold Little in 1976 and planted trees and shrubs along the railroad tracks 🛤and street corners.
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Rows of his crepe myrtles still stand along Main St near the location of the original train depot 🚂 and Brick Row, which was a garden officially dedicated to his honor in 1983. 🥀
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#oldtowntales #hughroysmith #corneliusnc #flowershop #freshflowers #azelea #crepemyrtle #snapdragon #beauty #townspirit
We lift you up to the light 💗 . Message of love We lift you up to the light 💗
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Message of love and luminaries dedicated to the souls we have lost to COVID 19 appears on Catawba Ave.
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“We must discover the power of love, the power, “We must discover the power of love, the power, the redemptive power of love. And when we discover that we will be able to make of this old world, a new world. We will be able to make men better. Love is the only way.” ~ MLK
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