5 minute read
Once a Student, Now a Teacher
Meet Four Alumni Who Now Work as Faculty at Cannon School
Sally Trufant attended Cabarrus Academy for fifth through eighth grade, 1974-1978. She returned to Cannon to be a first-grade assistant teacher. This is her eleventh year in the classroom.
What are your favorite memories from your days at Cabarrus Academy? I have lots of fun memories, but some of the more unique ones are of having art and music in the basement. My art class was held in the boiler room with a cement floor and open duct work. My music room had orange shag carpet on top of the cement floor, and we used upside-down milk crates as chairs. Oh, and we had a bathtub in our bathroom!
What drove you to come back to teach at Cannon? My son, Rob, was in second grade and my daughter, Sara, was in kindergarten. I was ready to teach again after staying at home with them and wanted to be with them at Cannon.
What do you enjoy most about being part of the Cannon community? The Cannon community is like family. We support each other, celebrate each other, and love each other. We truly nurture relationships and genuinely connect with our students and each other.
Your son, Rob, is a senior and your daughter, Sara, is a sophomore. What has been the most enjoyable aspect of watching them grow at Cannon? The best part of watching my children go through Cannon has been learning that each division knows their age group so well and has met the unique needs of their developmental stages.
Marie Morgann attended Cabarrus Academy from 1990 to 1997, when she graduated as an eighth grader. Marie is in her fourteenth year of teaching at Cannon, and her ninth serving as the department chair of Middle School World Languages. Her first five years she taught French and Spanish to third through eighth graders. The last nine, she has taught French and Spanish to fifth through eighth graders.
What are your favorite memories from your days at Cabarrus Academy? My favorite memories are of assemblies in the large center foyer in the house on Union Street, performing at the Strawberry Festival for my family followed by delicious homemade pound cake and hand-cut strawberries, walking downtown to the library with my classmates for special events, learning Latin with Mrs. Peg Morrison, and the excitement of moving to the new building on Poplar Tent Road.
What drove you to come back and teach at Cannon? I was invited to come teach at Cannon Middle School by my own former Head of Middle School, Nalta Massey. I fell in love with teaching the children of Cannon School.
What else would you like to share about your days at Cabarrus Academy? I often talk about the feeling of closeness, caretaking, and love my sister and I received from the teachers and administrators. I was fostered in all my pursuits and passions, and I was treated with so much kindness and personal attention. I have and will always benefit from the relationships I created here. Even when my sister started her musical career as a young teenager, she continued attending Cannon School for private classes and tutoring. My sweet mother was PAT President for two years in a row, including our first year in the new building. From 1990 to the present, there has only been a few short months when the Morgann family has not been on campus! We love it.
Kelvin Drakeford attended Cannon School from 2006-2008, his junior and senior years. Kelvin returned to Cannon in 2012 as the Head Coach of the JV men’s basketball team and assistant varsity coach. In 2013-2014, he worked as a teacher’s assistant in the Lower School in addition to his coaching duties. Since 2015, he has been a Lower School PE teacher. He is also currently the Director of Women’s Basketball/Varsity Women’s Basketball Head Coach.
What are your favorite memories from your days at Cannon School? A few of my favorite memories from those days include the junior class trip to Boston. With me being a new student, it was an opportunity to bond with classmates and really build relationships. Another memory I enjoyed was convincing Mr. Gossage to perform the “Soulja Boy Dance” on the first day of school assembly my senior year.
What drove you to come back to teach at Cannon? I simply wanted to give back to Cannon School everything they gave me. My experience as a student at Cannon was exceptional. If I can help make a student’s experience here as special as mine...then I’ve completed my job.
What do you enjoy most about being part of the Cannon community? I love being able to build relationships with families and students. I enjoy being able to pour the knowledge that I have gained into my students and my players.
Your son, KJ, is in kindergarten here at Cannon. What has been the most enjoyable aspect of having him here? The most enjoyable aspect of having KJ at Cannon is the fact that I get to see and teach him every day. It’s one thing to see your child after work, but I get to see him during work! KJ truly adores his teachers at Cannon.
Kevin Ross came to Cannon School in 2003 for fifth grade and graduated in 2012. He is in his fourth year of teaching Upper School history. This year, he has split his time between teaching and the guidance counseling office.
Do you have a favorite memory from your days as a student? Making music with my best friends in Mr. Davis’s Jazz Combo. I learned nearly everything I needed to know in that class.
What drove you to come back to teach at Cannon? The relationships I had with my teachers here, specifically Brad Davis and Sherry Harley. (Today, Kevin teaches on the same Upper School history team as Ms. Harley.)
What do you enjoy most about being part of the Cannon community? Well…I met my wife here! (For more on that, turn to page 30!)
