Hall Updates
Hall updates are sent via email at the start of each month to share what 2nd Beallians have been up to on hall and what's coming in the near future!
This page contains longer/more in depth information than what is sent in the monthly emails - check out this page for highlights throughout the month, school wide events and info, links to important things, and more!
August
Hello 2nd Beall families!
I hope you have had a great summer, relaxing and chillaxing and thinking about things like sleep, video games, vibing outside and more sleep. But, it is that lovely time, and I am so excited for the 2024 - 2025 school year to begin! Please scroll down to find your in depth + detailed August monthly updates below!
ABOUT YOUR CC
I am Axel Battista and I will be the Community Coordinator (CC) for 2nd Beall! CC's maintain safe and inclusive hall environments through their support of students' intellectual, social, and emotional growth. CC's do this by staffing offices to ensure student safety and security, providing counseling on things such as homesickness to anxiety, and facilitating a variety of activities to foster a sense of community! This year, our hall theme is SCOOBY DOO!
More information about me can be found on the Leadership tab at the top of this page!
HOW TO CONTACT YOUR CC
If you need to get in touch with me, I am reachable by email at axel.battista@ncssm.edu. I additionally can be reached via phone or text at (919) 416 - 2823. I check my email often and will always respond within 24 hours. Please be aware that I am often on duty at night, therefore I may be unable to respond to urgent matters prior to 12pm.
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM MONTHLY CC UPDATES
Typically, I will update families via email and our hall website at the start of each month. So as to not clog your inbox, the emailed updates will include the most pertinent information, while our hall site will have longer explanations and more details. The site will also be a great way for me to share experiences and pictures of students having a wonderful time on 2nd Beall. Currently, the site has more information about myself, the Residential Life Assistants (RLAs), move-in (including a hall tour video), and so much more! Please note that I will be hosting a family meeting to answer any questions on Google Meet Wednesday, August 7th from 6:30pm-7:30pm. Please be sure to log in to this meeting with your NCSSM email address!
2nd Beall Family Meeting
Wednesday, August 7 · 6:30 – 7:30pm
Time zone: America/New_York
Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/hex-ugeq-bjw
Or dial: (US) +1 601-516-5283 PIN: 189 402 015#
**EDIT 8/7: PLEASE SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS SECTION FOR INFO DISCUSSED AT THIS MEETING!**
MOVE IN REMINDERS
For move-in, we strongly encourage students and families to label all of their belongings. There are a lot of individuals moving around campus on move-in day and sometimes items are misplaced. Labeled belongings are much easier to reunite with their owners, so please be sure to label all items with your name, residence hall, and room assignment.
I am sure that everyone has already received this information, but please double check while you are packing to confirm that you are not bringing any items on our prohibited items list. You will be asked to take them back home if you arrive on campus with them.
Room Occupancy and Safety Guidelines (Prohibited Items)
Feel free to review the "Living on Campus" page on this site get a better idea of room layouts. Please note that while we provide general measurements for each residence hall, each room is unique and variations exist in room dimensions. You should use these measurements as a general guide only. We are unable to provide specific measurements for each room.
ROOMMATES
For many students their time at NCSSM will be the first time they have experienced sharing a room with someone. It is natural for there to be some growing pains as students adjust their habits and learn to live together. For this reason we encourage students to spend their first few weeks getting to know one another and discussing their sleep habits, study preferences, and what makes them feel comfortable in their shared space. After the first extended roommates will work together to craft a roommate agreement; this agreement will outline how they will respect one another’s space, accommodate each other's sleep and study habits, what they can borrow and share with each other, and how they will keep their room clean. The agreement is a living document and can be revisited as needed throughout the year.
While we hope that all students will get along well, it is possible that your students develop a conflict with their roommate that they have trouble navigating on their own. If this occurs you or your student should let their CC know. We will work with the students to mediate the conflict and work towards a mutual resolution. It is imperative that you speak only to your student about any conflict they are having, do not contact the other student or their family. If the conflict continues the CC may ask that the students work with either the Assistant Director or Director of Housing and Residence Life to continue working towards a solution. NCSSM operates at full occupancy; therefore, room changes are not easy to accommodate. No room changes will be approved during the 1st quarter of the school year. Changing rooms is considered only if all conflict resolution options have been exhausted, a space is available, and the move is considered a positive step for all parties involved. For these reasons, a room change should not be viewed as a likely outcome to resolve a conflict.
CLINIC
Student Health, often referred to as the Clinic, is located on the first floor of the Hunt Residence Hall. The Clinic is staffed by a nurse, medical assistant, and a family nurse practitioner. Our medical director oversees the Clinic’s daily operation and is present in the Clinic one day a week. The Clinic is staffed and equipped to manage most acute and chronic illnesses that occur while students reside at NCSSM. Common over-the-counter medications, bandages, splints, and crutches are dispensed at no additional charge to students. Prescriptions, if required, can be picked up from a local pharmacy. Some problems may require additional care, in which case students are referred to area professionals. Families will be notified if this referral is necessary.
Students are prohibited from keeping certain types of prescription medications in their rooms (e.g., narcotics, psychotropics, stimulants). These medications must be retained and distributed by the Clinic. Students may keep over-the-counter medications in their rooms for their personal use (e.g., pain relievers, cold medications, stomach remedies, herbal remedies, vitamins, etc.).
The clinic is open Monday - Friday from 8:00am to 4:00pm. After hours and on the weekends students can reach out to CCs on duty for help; the CCs will contact a 24 hour telephone nursing service called UNC Nurse Connect to seek advice on how to aid your student.
Students may schedule telehealth appointments and in-person appointments, as well as medication drop-off/pick-up appointments. The Clinic is not open to drop-in appointments as it has been in the past.
FIRST EXTENDED PREPARATION
As students prepare for the first extended weekend it is important to understand that we use a special sign out for these weekends away from NCSSM:
Halls close at 5pm on Friday, August 30th and reopen at noon on Monday, September 2nd.
Students will sign a virtual Extended Sheet during hall meeting. On this form they indicate where they are going for the break, who they are traveling with, and how they are getting to their location.
If a student is not departing early, is not returning to campus late, is not taking a train or Greyhound bus home, and their final destination is home or they are being picked-up by a parent/guardian, they do not need to submit a pass on Orah (our signout system).
If a student is departing before the day the Extended Weekend begins or returning to campus late they will need to have a parent/guardian sign them out at Bryan desk or submit an overnight pass on Orah and sign out at Bryan desk with whomever is picking them up.
If a student's final destination is not home and they are not being picked up by a parent/guardian, or if they are taking the train or Greyhound bus, they will need to submit an overnight pass on Orah and sign out at the Bryan desk.
MISC
I'd like for students to fill out this Google Form as soon as possible! This will help us get to know one another as well as provide useful information that will help me plan fun activities for you!
You will hear from me again next week in anticipation for our various move ins, but please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns that I can address. I am so excited for this year to begin, and I cannot wait to meet all of you!
Highlights from Family Meeting Google Meet 8/7
Medical Needs
On-campus Clinic
Open Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:00pm
Clinic sets up necessary medical appointments
We do not provide routine medical transports, such as for teeth cleanings, tightening braces, etc.
Medical assistance is available 24/7 via the Bryan Front Desk (Blobby) or by utilizing the CC on Call Schedule
On-call Healthlink representatives (A UNC system initiative where we can call a nurse after Clinic hours) will be contacted to determine appropriate medical care outside of clinic hours
Orah Sign Outs:
Students will use the Orah app on their smartphones or computers to sign out and to sign back into campus.
Anytime they leave campus, they’ll submit a pass - there are multiple kinds of passes a student could submit.
When they return to campus, they’ll end the pass in the app if it is a Day/Local pass. For all other pass types, they need to scan their smartphone at NFC tiles around campus or talk to a staff member.
Families do not need to log into the Orah app. Your role will be approving or denying pass requests for trips more than 30+ miles away from campus, missing curfew, or off-campus overnight, and you can do that through your email only.
Since this is a new system, we expect there to be a learning curve. Please reach out to me or Justin Plummer (plummer@ncssm.edu), Associate Director of Student Services at NCSSM-Durham, if you have any questions or issues.
Anytime they’re leaving campus,* students will submit their passes using the Orah app on their smartphones or computer.
When your student submits a Travel 30+ Miles, Missing Curfew, or Overnight pass, you will get an email asking you to approve or to deny the pass. You can also send it back to the student, asking for more details. We are asking students to submit all passes 24-48 hours in advance to give you time to review them.
If you are the person picking them up, they will still need to submit a pass, but you won’t get an email asking you to approve it.
Only listed legal guardians can sign out a student without prior approval. - Check Blackbaud to ensure legal guardians are listed.
Please do not give your student access to your NCSSM email account. We want to avoid students approving their own pass requests.
*Extended weekends are a little different.
September
Hello 2nd Beall Families!
I hope everyone had a wonderful August and is looking forward to what September brings! As a reminder, you'll get one of these update emails from me each month, detailing what 2nd Beall has been up to, what they can look forward to, and sharing any necessary and pertinent information. Please come on down to our Hall Website and click on the September dropdown on the Updates page (which is where you are right now!!) for more detailed information as we move into September. This is to ensure these emails do not get terribly long, and gives you a chance to explore the changes made to our website each month! :) :) :)
In August, 2nd Beall enjoyed a Show and Tell, Speed Friending with 3rd Beall, Schedule Coloring and Access Pass Decorating, and more! Please check out our Hall Site for some photos from Convocation, and our resident Bug Busters (TM).
In September, 2nd Beall can look forward to Jumbo Games with 1st Beall, a Self Care Night with Royall, a Group Study in the Lounge, 2 programs with our Sibling Halls, 1E2E2D and 3rd West, and so much more! Our Hall Calendar is also updated with programs for the rest of September.
FAMILY DAY PREVIEW
Each September, NCSSM invites families to campus for a fun and informative Family Day! On Saturday, September 14th, 2024, experience a ‘day in the life’ of your student as you walk through a condensed version of their schedule. You’ll envision the excitement of learning as you have the opportunity to meet your student’s instructors, counselors, and other key campus members, all while exploring NCSSM’s interactive classrooms and innovative learning spaces.
A detailed agenda for Family Day can be found here. In addition to meeting their student’s stellar teachers, families will have a chance to connect with other NCSSM families at the Parent Association hospitality table and visit the school store, where families can snag some awesome merchandise and show their school spirit!
Families should RSVP by completing this registration form as soon as possible and no later than Wednesday, September 11th.
For 2nd Beall, I will be in our Lounge from 1:30-3:30pm to meet and chat with any families! No pressure, but if you'd like to say hi, please do!
HALL SNACK & GETTING INVOLVED ON 2BL
If you are interested in getting involved on hall, consider providing a Snack at our Monday night Hall Meetings! This is TOTALLY OPTIONAL, and more information can be found here on the "Get Involved" Tab on our website. If you do decide to participate in Hall Snack, please sign up for a date on the spreadsheet, communicate with me in advance, and take a look at our allergies list! To ensure Hall Snack is as easy and safe as possible, any snacks provided by willing and able families should be individually pre-packaged. We cannot accept homemade goods, as much as we would love to!
Additionally, our hall Amazon wishlist is updated on the Get Involved tab, as well. Again, this is totally optional, but serves just as a reminder. Anything provided to 2nd Beall is incredibly appreciated and wonderful, no matter what it is. :)
COLLEGE FAIR PREVIEW
The NCSSM Durham community is excited to host our annual College Fair on Friday, September 13th, at the end of the academic day from 3:15 to 5:15pm. This is an amazing opportunity for juniors and seniors to learn more about colleges across the country and explore what school might be right for them.
In the past, representatives from more than 70 schools from around the country have been available to talk with students and families about their schools, the college admissions process, financial aid, and scholarships. More information about the schools represented at the college fair this year and student requirements for attendance will be shared in the coming weeks.
INCREASING WORKLOADS
Now that we have made it to the first extended weekend, students should be getting into the swing of things with classes and life at NCSSM. Around this time students will also notice their workload increasing. It is imperative for them to develop strong time management skills and learn to seek out help as they begin to face these new challenges. If needed, students can reach out to their CC and/or any of the following resources:
Center for Advising and Academic Success (CAAS): CAAS serves all residential and online students during their time here at NCSSM. The purpose and function of the Center is to provide individual, ongoing, and real-time academic support and guidance for all students. Some of the CAAS services include:
providing guidance and advice for students on course choices and placement
providing academic consultation for students
developing and managing academic support plans
communicating directly with student support teams
communicating/collaborating with Counseling on academic support
providing administrative support for Enrollment Services/Registrar
Tutorials: Most classes and departments offer formal tutorials for students. These tutorial sessions are led by both faculty and student TAs. Tutorial sessions or resources can be found on each department’s website:
Residential Education Courses: All juniors take RE102; in this course they learn about academic success strategies. The skills they develop and the resources provided by their instructor will be helpful to revisit as their workload increases.
PROGRESS REPORTS
As September draws to a close, faculty across campus will be completing grading assignments to release progress reports for students on September 20. To view student progress reports, families will need to log into Blackbaud and select the “progress” tab. Families will then click “report cards” to open all the progress reports for the year and select either “Semester 1 - Durham” or “Semester 1 - Durham (no comments),” depending on whether they want to view grades and teacher feedback, or just grades.
If families have concerns about their student’s performance, then please reach out to their student’s CC. CCs always meet with students who have multiple Cs or a D to help develop a plan for improvement, but will be happy to meet with anyone if there are concerns. It is also important that students reach out to their individual teachers, counselor, and the Center for Advising and Academic Success for advice on how to improve. This is also a good time for students to evaluate whether they should be attending tutorials more often.
RESIDENCE HALLS CLOSING AND OPENING
Just a quick reminder that the Residence Halls will be closing twice during September.
Closed Friday, August 30th at 5:00pm. Opens Monday, September 2nd at noon.
Closed Friday, September 27th at 5:00pm. Opens Sunday, October 6th at noon.
Students will complete an electronic Extended Sign-Out Form during hall meeting. On this form they indicate where they are going for the break, who they are traveling with, and how they are getting to their destination. If students have specific questions about checkout procedures for Extended Weekends, they should reach out to their CC.
Well, that's all for now folks! If you read this far, thanks so much! Please reach out if you need anything from me, but until then, see ya!
October
Hello 2nd Beall Families!
I hope everyone had a dry September - with all this weather blowing through and the changing temperatures, I'm not even sure it really is October!
In September, 2nd Beall enjoyed a Self Care and Movie night with Royall, a group study hall in the lounge, a Scooby Doo watch party in the lounge, visiting the Scrap Exchange in Durham, and more!
In October, 2nd Beall can look forward to Spooky Themed Door Deck-orations, S'Mores with 4th West, Just Dance with 2nd Bryan, a Barnes and Noble trip, a Presentation night, and so much more!
If you haven't checked out our Photos tab yet, please do! Additionally, if you're willing and able and would like to provide snack at a Hall Meeting, please visit the Get Involved tab! As always, no pressure!
Now, onto generalized school wide updates!
SAB INTRO
As students adjust to the rigors of NCSSM it is also important for them to make time to have fun, relax, and enjoy all parts of the Science and Math experience. To that end, it is important that you and they know about the NCSSM Student Activities Board and all the amazing opportunities that it offers students.
SAB is made up of student and employee volunteers from across campus. Under the supervision of Kori Willoughby, the Student Activities
Coordinator, SAB meets every other Thursday throughout the year to plan activities and events for the student body. Meetings are open to all students. I'm one of the volunteers, so 2nd Beall in particular can enjoy the 2 SAB programs a month that I host!
Some popular SAB events, outside of major campus-wide events like Welcome Week, the Halloween Dance & Costume Contest, Winter Semi-Formal Dance, Prom, and End-of-Year Celebrations, include:
Friday Fun Day activities like grocery bingo and giant Twister
Thursday Night Trivia in the Courtyard
Weekend Movie Nights outdoors and in the Lecture Hall
Food Runs, Loops, and Sunday study breaks
Block Parties on Hill Street
You can find out more about SAB and see upcoming events on their website.
PSAT
NCSSM will be administering the PSAT to the entire junior class on Wednesday, Oct. 16th. You do not need to do anything to register nor do you need to make a payment as that was part of the security deposit. If you think your student might qualify for a fee waiver, please email financial.assistance@ncssm.edu to get the information you need ASAP. Students may access the PSAT student guide electronically. If students would like to prepare further for this exam, they can do some practice problems through Khan Academy.
In preparation for Wednesday’s PSAT administration, we will follow a Wednesday Lab schedule during the day on Monday, Oct. 14th. All juniors will take the PSAT in the morning on Wednesday; we will then follow an abbreviated Monday schedule that afternoon. Evening classes and Online webinars will meet on their normal Monday schedule.
1:1's / One on Ones
Over the next few weeks your students will be receiving emails from me to schedule 1-on-1 meetings. These meetings give me a chance to get to know your students better, respond to any issues they are having on hall or campus, get ideas about things they would like to see on hall, and just generally check in on how they are enjoying their time at NCSSM. 1:1s typically last between 20 and 30 minutes. We will have these meetings every semester.
PROGRESS REPORTS
As October draws to a close, faculty across campus will be completing grading assignments so that we can release second progress reports for your students on November 8th. To view your student’s progress report you will need to log into Blackbaud and select the “progress” tab. Then click where it says “report cards” to open all the progress reports for this year. Select either “Semester 1 - Durham” or “Semester 1 - Durham (no comments),” depending on whether you want to view grades and teacher feedback, or just grades.
If you have concerns about your student’s performance, please let me know. I always meet with students who have multiple Cs or a D to help develop a plan for improvement, but will be happy to meet with anyone if there are concerns. It is also important that your student reach out to their individual teachers, guidance counselor, and the Center for Advising and Academic Success for advice on how to improve. This is also a good time for students to evaluate whether they should be attending tutorials more often.
RESIDENCE HALLS CLOSING AND OPENING
Just a quick reminder that the Residence Halls will be closing once before our next update:
Closed Friday, September 27th at 5:00pm. Opens Sunday, October 6th at noon.
Students will complete an electronic Extended Sign-Out Form during hall meeting. On this form they indicate where they are going for the break, who they are traveling with, and how they are getting to their destination. If students have specific questions about checkout procedures for Extended Weekends, they should speak to me.
Thanks for reading, and see you next month for another update!