Important Information for Registered Participants

This page is for REGISTERED participants of the 2022 William Friday Teachers Retreat. Please review all details carefully. Questions can be directed to CarolinaK12@unc.edu.

Event Date & Agenda

The 2022 William Friday Teachers Retreat will take place Monday, June 27–Wednesday, June 29. (Please note attendees must be able to attend all sessions, including Monday’s Teacher Appreciation Dinner. The Tuesday evening Night Out at the Movies is optional.)

 CLICK HERE FOR THE AGENDA.

Cancellations

Please remember that this retreat, valued at over $900 per teacher, is being provided FREE OF CHARGE by the North Caroliniana Society. There is an extensive waiting list to participate, so if you are registered and find at any point you cannot attend, it is critical you e-mail cnorris@unc.edu with a cancellation notice. Failing to cancel and then not showing up results in extreme financial and resource waste, as well as prevents another teacher from filling the coveted spot. A $75 “no show” charge may be applied to your credit card if you do not show up or cancel in a timely fashion. (***Please note that cancellations related to an emergency, sudden illness, or COVID-19 will not be subject to a charge, but it is imperative you provide as much notice as possible so that our staff can plan accordingly.)

Event Location & Parking

Click HERE for a map of the Rizzo Center property (p.1) & directions (p.2)

Our entire event will be held in McLean Hall in Room 340 at the Rizzo Center, located at 150 Dubose Home Ln, Chapel Hill, NC 27517(building #2 on the map.)

Our event will kick off on Monday, June 27 at 1:00pm. Please plan to arrive in Chapel Hill no later than 12:45pm to give yourself time to park and make your way to McLean Hall, Room 340.

Parking is available on site:

• Commuter parking is available in the visitor’s lot near the entrance to the Rizzo Center. (See #6 on the map marked with a red arrow.) After turning onto DuBose Home Lane, take the first right into the main visitor’s parking lot. Follow the highlighted path on the map to McLean Hall. It’s a 3-5 minute walk from the parking lot to McLean Hall.
  
• Hotel Guest Parking is available near the entrance to the hotel. (See #5 on the map marked with a green arrow.) After turning onto DuBose Home Lane, continue past Loudermilk Hall and Maclean Hall on the left. Bear left down the hill to the parking lot. While check in will not occur until 4:15 pm, overnight guests should go ahead and park in the hotel parking lot.

Overnight Guests/Hotel Information

Click here for information about the Rizzo Center’s hotel rooms and accommodations. Each room has its own refrigerator, and a guest pantry offers free snacks and beverages. A full breakfast is offered for hotel guests each morning. The Rizzo also has a pool, fitness center, and shuttle service.

Hotel guests can check into your room at 4:15pm. You can either leave your luggage in your trunk until this point, or bring your luggage with you and leave it to the side of the seminar room. A few rooms may be ready for early check in before our 1 pm start time. You are welcome to ask at the front desk about early check in, but please ensure you will still have time to join us in McLean Hall, Room 340 by 1 pm. Remember, early check in is NOT guaranteed.

Dress Code/What to Bring

• The dress code is professional/business casual at the Rizzo Center. Our day on Monday will end with a private screening of Tales from the American South, followed by a lovely Teacher Appreciation Dinner and a group photograph. (There will be time to change in your room before dinner should you choose.)
• While June in Chapel Hill is quite warm outside, we recommend packing a sweater or jacket in case the seminar room is chilly.
• The Rizzo Center does have an outdoor pool and a fitness center; pack accordingly if you are interested in utilizing them during your free time!
  
• COMMUTERS: Please bring a voided check so that you can fill out your stipend paperwork on site. (The check will be used so that your $75 stipend can be direct deposited.) The $75 travel stipend is only available to participants not staying in the hotel.)
• Technology? You are welcome to bring your laptop if you choose, and free WiFi is available. However, you will not need a computer for the sessions and we invite you, in the spirit of a true retreat, to unplug!

Meals

• Snacks & beverages will be available for all participants throughout all three days of the event.
• A lunch buffet will be provided on Tuesday and Wednesday. A full breakfast is available for those staying in the hotel, and continental breakfast items and coffee will be available at the seminar room.
  
• A Teacher Appreciation Dinner will be provided on Monday night at 411 West in downtown Chapel Hill. (Make sure you have chosen your course selections NO LATER THAN JUNE 20 using this form.)
• Your evening is free on Tuesday evening, and there are many dining options throughout Chapel Hill and beyond.

Area Information/Things to Do on Your Free Evening

Take a dip in the pool, relax in your room, and/or join us for Teacher’s Night Out at the Movies Tuesday evening! Chapel Hill is home to Silverspot Cinemas, a high-end movie theater featuring comfortable chairs and an extensive food and drink menu. If you’d like to join the group for a movie on Tuesday night, we’ll be purchasing tickets to a movie of your choice. Details will be shared upon your arrival!

Rather explore the area instead? The Rizzo is only minutes away from downtown Chapel Hill and UNC’s campus. Click here for information about things to do in and around Chapel Hill.

The Streets of Southpoint mall is also nearby with numerous dining and shopping options.

Special Accommodations

If you have any type of mobility issues or need any kind of special accommodations to make you more comfortable during the retreat, please e-mail Paul Bonnici at CarolinaK12@unc.edu.

Please make sure to note any dietary restrictions when choosing your dinner selection on this form.

Questions?

If you have any questions, please contact Paul Bonnici at CarolinaK12@unc.edu.

Our Generous Donors

This event is hosted by Carolina K-12 at UNC-Chapel Hill, with funding generously provided by the North Caroliniana Society, who seeks to honor William Friday’s commitment to public education and public educators with a high-quality, all-expenses-paid opportunity to learn, feel appreciated, and rejuvenate after an incredibly difficult few years.