The O’Neal Quarterly
Winter/Spring 2021
From Head of School John Elmore Winter /Spring Highlights O’Neal is only weeks away from completing a full school year of in-person • learning despite the COVID-19 Pandemic. In addition, our arts programs such as the in-person musical “Schoolhouse Rock LIVE! Jr” and athletics are strong and successful. While our faculty and students have met daily • challenges, there is a common desire to overcome the obstacles put before us with great achievement. • This year’s auction Fund-A-Need “All In For O’Neal” focused on the needs of our faculty and staff in the classroom and around campus. Our goal was well surpassed thanks to the generosity of our O’Neal community. There has been an overwhelming showing of gratitude for the last 14 months to celebrate and thank the faculty at O’Neal. I feel blessed to be a part of this amazing school • community.
The Upper School Choir wins the silver medal at the WorldStrides Virtual Heritage Festival. O’Neal wins the Hess S.T.E.M. Grant providing a kit containing lessons that explore applied math and science principles that first responders experience daily. Kelley Adams is announced as Head of Lower School for the school year 2021/2022.
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Upper School Science Olympiad Team wins the regional competition and qualifies for the state event April 24th.
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Matt Peal is announced as Head of Upper School for school year 2021/2022.
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O’Neal’s official Leadership Program covering all three divisions is announced.
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The O’Neal Players perform the One Act play: “Unmasked”.
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The O’Neal Players host three in-person performances of the musical “Schoolhouse Rock LIVE! Jr.”.
O’Neal Unveils Signature Scholars Program
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he O’Neal School is pleased to announce its new Signature Scholars Research Program (SSRP) to begin this fall. This selective program is for upperclassmen who are not only academically strong but also inherently motivated and passionate about a subject area. This two-year intensive research study will be directed by English Department Chair Dr. Nicole Camastra. Students who complete the program will earn a diploma with distinction from O’Neal. This unique program was developed by Dr. Camastra and Head of School John Elmore, in conjunction with Head of Upper School Matt Jacobs and O’Neal’s Academic Committee. Current sophomores may apply for the program this spring. If accepted, they will take the Research Methodology and Philosophy class taught by Dr. Camastra in 11th grade. At the end of the course students will have written their annotated bibliography and research proposal. The research proposal will be unique to each student’s scholarly interests. Students will identify experts on their research topic as credible sources and plan the schedule and phases of the project from beginning to end. During the second year of the program, each SSRP student will work with a faculty mentor who has expertise in the research area. Each student will produce a paper of approximately 10,000 words or a portfolio/product of relative weight and value. They will present and discuss their research before the school community and will be open to the public. We believe that O’Neal’s SSRP will allow these exceptional students to engage in an intensive student-centered and inquiry-based study that will challenge them well beyond a normal college preparatory or Advanced Placement program. Dr. Camastra writes of the program, “In addition to the
honor of finishing the program and earning the distinction on their diploma, students will emerge from the SSRP with a well-wrought and well-earned point of view on their given topic. They will have become well-acquainted with the requisite elements of research, placing them at a great advantage among their peers at the college level. Moreover, they will have identified and established a network of contacts in the student’s primary discipline, contacts that have the potential to grow and nurture the student’s personal investment in the research area. In this sense, the project has the potential to continue growing and adding value to the student’s life well beyond its two-year requirement at the Upper School level.” All students in the O’Neal Upper School complete a research paper each year as part of the English department’s curriculum. The SSRP will provide an even more advanced, robust academic experience for qualified O’Neal students. “Examples of topics could be researching psychology and industrial design to create a product to meet the needs of adolescents with ADD/ADHD or an intense study of astrophysics to understand the universe and our place within it,” says Head of School John Elmore. “While they work to quench their desire to learn more on a topic for which they are passionate, I look forward to seeing students develop an area of expertise. Their accomplishments will be showcased, and their O’Neal diploma marked ‘with distinction’ will recognize the achievement.”
O’Neal Partners with New Founders Institute
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he O’Neal School has partnered with Young Founders Institute. Young Founders is an experiential learning program and entrepreneurship lab held at UNC-Chapel Hill in the summer for students who are rising 7th-12th graders.
The program is an immersive residential &/or remote program on the UNC-CH campus where students work with seasoned entrepreneurs, investors, and UNC business school professors to turn an idea into a profitable business in two weeks. They work with some of the top students from around the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. Last summer, they helped launch over 20 successful companies founded by teen entrepreneurs. For more information about the program, visit: www.youngfoundersinstitute.com For information about O’Neal’s partnership with the program, please contact Director of College Counseling Renee Ferrerio rferrerio@onealschool.org.
Sports Perseveres Despite the Pandemic
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espite the pandemic and the COVID restrictions, O’Neal has been successful with the athletics seasons so far. As the spring season is in full swing, the fall season produces state individual champions – Alex Lapple for girls golf and Molly Kuzma for girls cross country. As for state tournament action, volleyball reaches the second round, boys soccer ends in the quarterfinals and girls golf places runner-up.
Before the Upper School student body, senior Molly Kuzma is celebrated for her signing with Johns Hopkins University for cross country and track and field beginning this coming fall.
The winter season sees the middle school girls basketball team make history by winning the conference championship. Varsity girls and boys swim teams are also conference champions. Alexis Coates is an individual state champion in the 200 IM and defends her state title in the 100 backstroke with a personal best time of 59.34. Varsity girls basketball ends their season undefeated in the conference and as state tournament quarterfinalists.
Girls Golf is NCISAA 1A/2A Runner Up - Alex Lapple is Individual Champion
Alexis Coats is NCISAA Div 3 Girls State Champion for 200 IM and 100 Backstroke
Varsity Girls Basketball is undefeated for Tri-TAC Season
Middle School Girls Basketball Conference Champs
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