2022-23 Voice Issue 1

VOICE

Artwork by sophomore Darcy Howard 2023 Blue Ribbon Recipient

Features

2 BUILDING COMMUNITY

One of the intangible benefits of doing life in a JK-12 community is the opportunity students have to interact across divisions.

6 STUDENT TAKEOVER

Senior Annie Thompson shares how students and faculty are enjoying the growing pains of construction on our campus.

8 APPLE DISTINGUISHED SCHOOL

CCS is recognized as an Apple Distinguished School for 2022-25 for innovatively integrating Apple products into our instructional environment to support our curriculum and academic initiatives.

Departments

Send story ideas to laura.goodyear@charchrist.com

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Send address changes to margaret.jackson@charchrist.com

Dear Charlotte Christian Community,

While reading Pete Greig’s excellent book, How to Hear God: A Simple Guide for Normal People, the quote above gave me pause. I have spent my whole life in schools where the pursuit of knowledge and the growth of skills is the focus. At Charlotte Christian, we design a rigorous and challenging curriculum with the goal of developing the minds of our students. Of course, through intentional biblical immersion, we prayerfully and diligently work at pointing the students’ hearts to Jesus. We don’t forget the heart, but I wonder if we elevate it enough.

For more than 1,500 years the Benedictine Rule has guided monastic communities. The first word of the Rule - listen. Greig writes, “Fifteen centuries of successful community built on the power of mere listening.” Throughout His ministry Jesus asked those around Him if they had ears to hear what He was saying. Of course, after all He created ears - He was questioning if they were listening. As a parent, I can think of times my kids heard me, but didn’t listen.

Thankfully God has created a myriad of ways for us to listen to Him. We have His written word in the Bible, the Spirit speaking to our conscience, the created order and beauty of nature, fellow Christ followers, the work of the local church, the example of Jesus, our dreams and daily life in which God interjects himself. So many ways yet we struggle to listen well.

Too often we long for a burning bush when God is merely speaking through a word read, a sermon preached or a prick of heart by the Spirit. My prayer for Charlotte Christian is that our community is one in which we listen well. May we also teach our students that God speaks in many ways and that it is incumbent on us to listen and listen well.

God Bless, Barry Giller Head of School

“The heart is more important than the mind.”

- Pete Greig

BUILDING COMMUNITY

Often when students are asked how they describe Charlotte Christian in one word, they respond with community or family. One of the intangible benefits of doing life in a JK-12 community is the opportunity students have to interact across divisions. This semester our students have experienced building community with students in different grades.

BONDING AS READING BUDDIES

The new KnightTime schedule has allowed for dedicated weekly time for middle school students to participate in quarterly classes outside of their typical learning environment. Mrs. Mary Berger, middle school science teacher, facilitates Reading is Fun! during KnightTime that cultivates a love for reading for her sixth grade students as well as allows them to partner with first grade students as their reading buddies.

“The goal of the class is for the sixth graders to enjoy reading things they choose to read and to see the value in reading, said Mrs. Berger. “I’m hoping as they see the first graders try to read and as they read to them, it may encourage the sixth graders to appreciate reading more and also give them a chance to give of themselves.”

“It was fun to go hang out with the first graders,” shared sixth grader Locke Boor. “We were separated into groups and read a couple of books that they picked out. About halfway through the story we would ask them what their favorite parts were and what they thought would happen next and make it more interactive with them. They were excited to see us and it was fun getting to read to them.”

Sixth grader Caroline Lucado enjoyed seeing her younger brother, Jack, in Mrs. Valadez’s first grade classroom. “It was fun because my brother was there and I got to meet the people in his class. I remember when we were in kindergarten and the older kids would come read with us so it’s fun to now be the older kids reading to the younger kids.”

First graders loved having the middle school students visit with them. They invited them back to help celebrate their small moments writing and hosted Muffins with Middle Schoolers. This celebration included reading their story to their middle school buddies and having muffins. Each lower schooler read in a small group and classmates would write compliments to their friends on their writing.

“We shared stories and we read to the sixth graders,” said first grader Collins Whitman. “One time they brought books from the middle school library and read to us. We shared our stories with them and sixth graders brought sticky notes and we wrote stuff about what we liked about the story that we all read.”

Charlotte Christian provides opportunities for students to experience different cultures through travel during Winterim in the upper school or summer trips. This past summer a group of middle and upper school students traveled to Spain for a language and cultural immersion trip. They spent two weeks in Salamanca, Spain, attended classes in the mornings and participated in a variety of sociocultural activities in the afternoon. The students received academic credit from their language school classes affiliated with the University of Salamanca. During their time in Salamanca, the students and chaperones stayed in homes with host families to give them a better perspective of Spanish culture. “A highlight of the trip for me was when

Tate Efird started playing soccer with some of the local boys playing in La Plaza Mayor,” shared sophomore Margaret Biggers. “They immediately brought him into their game and everyone did their best to communicate to one another. It was so much fun to see them all having fun together even though they were so different. It is so important to learn about different cultures because it makes you globally competent. If you take the time to learn about other cultures, then you are given a new perspective and understanding.”

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, fifth-grade students learned about the rich culture of Salamanca, Spain, from members of the group.

The students shared the importance of stepping out of our comfort zones and growing our global awareness and also answered questions from the fifthgraders about their experiences.

“It sounded really fun,” said fifth grader Brook Myers. “We learned that they would have to talk with everyone in Spanish - even to their ‘host’ mom for the trip!”

“The older students talked about how it impacted them and how they learned a different language,” said fifth grader Grant Gialanella. “They said it was good for them to learn about the Hispanic heritage and the Spanish culture. It was interesting because we don’t get to hear from the upper school students as much so I really liked it to hear about their experience.”

HANGING OUT TOGETHER

“An initiative of the athletic department this year is to help find ways to build community between school divisions,” explained Female Athletics Coordinator Amanda Naeher. “We were excited to create this fun opportunity for our upper school student-athletes to partner with a lower school class. Studentathletes are assigned a lower school class and are encouraged to go play with them at recess or P.E. and build rapport with the students. It has been great to hear how much the older and younger students have enjoyed hanging out together!”

Senior Tanner McCammon joined Mrs. Grace Ulrich’s class during their P.E. time and hopped on a second grade team for their volleyball rotation. “It’s great to hang out with them. I remember being a second grader and seeing upperclassmen walk the hallways and say hi and give me fist pumps. It’s really fun to go back to lower school and now I’m the upperclassman.”

COLLABORATING ON CLASS EXPERIENCES

Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden visited our middle and upper school forensics classes recently and brought a staged crime scene vehicle. Sheriff McFadden talked with students about proper collection of evidence and crime scene processing through this hands-on experience. Students examined the vehicle and took notes to aid in their investigation of the scene. Upper school students solved the case by discovering a hotel key that could be traced back to the car owner. They learned that the hotel key magnetic strip contains personal information long after someone checks out.

“The mobile crime scene was a great cross-divisional experience and the students loved Sheriff McFadden,”

said Ms. Jessica Simmons, upper school science teacher. “I’m so appreciative to partner with Charlotte community members to provide our students with real life opportunities to learn more about the world of forensic science.”

The middle and upper school students enjoyed collaborating on the experience together and hearing the different perspectives from each other. “It was really amazing,” said eighth grader Julia Silva. “The sheriff was experienced and smart and strategically placed objects in the car for us to find and taught us how to analyze the evidence. It was cool to see the different perspectives with the different age groups. He made us feel like real detectives. Everyone got to play a part so we all felt included.”

“It was fun as we all got to collaborate together,” said eighth grader Owen Metzelaars. “It was interesting to learn about what we were doing compared to what the high schoolers were learning and what the sheriff taught us about it. It was a little difficult to find all the clues but I think we actually got more than the high schoolers!”

“One thing that I loved about having the sheriff come was getting to use what we have learned in class in an almost real life situation,” shared junior Kate Trimakas. “I thought that it was very enjoyable to include the middle school class in our experience. At the end, we came together as a whole group and shared with each other what we had found. It was really interesting to see certain things that caught their attention versus what caught ours.”

Senior Kai Carter is partnered with Ms. Stephanie Ferrari’s junior kindergarten class this year and often enjoys hanging out and talking to the students during their snack time. “I was really glad that they started this because it’s a great way to bring our community together and it’s a great way for high schoolers to be able to talk with lower schoolers because we don’t get to see them a whole lot.”

Tucker Morgan, JK, shared, “We like Kai coming to our class because we can talk to her.” And Lyla Olszowy, JK, added, “I like it when our high school helpers come to our tables and talk to us.”

TakeoverStudent Edition

What students and faculty enjoy about campus construction

By Senior Annie Thompson

Between the brand-new Middle School Building and the upper school construction, our campus has spent the past two years full of changes and adjustments. Whether in the cottages, the Huge Gallery, the wrestling room or the new third-floor classroom, teachers and students have been placed in classes all over campus. While there are definitely growing pains, the disbursement of classrooms has generated new opportunities for everyone. Members of the community shared the many positive and exciting things from construction on campus and having class in a new location.

“ Seeing the beginning, middle, and end of a project. ”

- Upper School Spanish Teacher Rhonda Nieto

“ Being able to see my big sister when she walks to class! ”

- Hadley Matthews, grade 2

“ My favorite thing about the upper school construction is that we get to see the high school students on a regular basis. ”

- Max McNeer, grade 8

“ My favorite thing about the upper school being under construction is being able to see the construction process of the building I will be in for my senior year. ”

- Kathryn Jamison, grade 11

“

My favorite thing about the upper school construction is that I get to see my former students! ”

- Middle School Language Arts Teacher Karen Plettner

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My favorite thing about it is the anticipation for the next four years. ”

- Witton McCammon, grade 8

“ Getting to see the progression of the building each day. ”

- Morgan Shultz, grade 8

“ Sharing a room (in the cottages) with one of my best friends! ”

- Upper School Math Teacher David Zacarias

“ I like to see the progress of the building getting closer and closer to being done. ”

- Hali Woodman, grade 8

“ I have a study hall in the Huge Gallery and am able to look at my peer’s beautiful artwork. ”

- Wisdom Whipper-Daniel, grade 10

“ I have loved watching the construction take shape while I’m currently in the new Middle School Building. It gets me very excited for what is to come next year! ”

- Upper School English Teacher Brooke Webber

“ Having my family members in the same building as me. ”

- Will Huge, grade 8

LEARNING ABOUT THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS

Second graders learned about the construction process of the Upper School Building. This year classes are visiting the construction area to hear from Head of School Barry Giller and the Rodgers Builders team.

“ It was really cool how it was small at first and now it is humungous. They must be working really hard. I like their design. We got to ask questions and see their helmets and camera. It was noisy - you could hear thru the glass! ”

- Harper Campbell

“ We learned how they were doing. We all guessed how much money it takes to build it. The closest was $3,050. Griffin got to try on a hat that had a camera. It takes pictures of everything! ”

- Eli Jabbour

Charlotte Christian School is pleased to announce that it has been recognized as an Apple Distinguished School for 2022-25 for innovatively integrating Apple products and technology into our instructional environment to support our curriculum and academic initiatives.

Director of Technology and Innovation Steve Beezhold helped spearhead the team effort to gain this recognition. “We’ve been working toward this for many years and it was an intensive process that caused us to examine our use of technology and helped us modify the way we use it. We had to make sure we have scaffolding across all divisions so we can tell a cohesive story through our use of technology. It is an honor to be recognized by Apple and it puts us in a distinct network with other high-achieving schools. As an Apple Distinguished School, we will have a higher level of professional development with Apple and more interaction with the Apple Education Leadership Team.”

Apple Distinguished Schools are centers of innovation, leadership and educational excellence. They use Apple technology to inspire creativity, collaboration and critical thinking in teaching and learning in the school environment and have documented outcomes of marked academic accomplishment. Charlotte Christian’s programming and faculty embody these very characteristics which led to this national recognition.

Only around 700 schools worldwide have received this distinction, and CCS is one of only five schools in North Carolina to have achieved this honor.

A big part of that building process was working with teachers to help support them to learn to use Apple technology with proficiency. Upper School Technology Facilitator Grayson Bedenbaugh completed the rigorous Apple Learning Coach certification to help guide teachers through the Apple Teacher Certification training. He said that teachers who were not as fluent in technology had to become so during the pandemic, and already having a solid technology platform helped in the transition through that season. “I think having Apple devices helped us transition through Covid better than most schools,” he said, “and the response our teachers had was great. It gave them confidence to try new things. I’m super proud of this Apple distinction because it shows our teachers have a willingness to learn and shows Apple recognizes our use of

technology in a way that separates us from other programs.” 90% of CCS teachers are now Apple Certified Teachers, well over the 75% required to become an Apple Distinguished School.

Lower School Technology Facilitator Katey Balikian shares that the Apple technology at CCS is enhancing instruction that’s already happening, and she sees firsthand how lower school teachers are using it well. “The lessons aren’t about technology – the technology is becoming part of the fabric of what they are already doing in the classroom,” she said. Lower school students are taught to navigate technology carefully to support their learning in both their classrooms with userfriendly iPad devices and in the lower school technology lab using iMacs. iPad devices are a daily component of instruction to support beginning coding, access ebooks, complete research and to create new content utilizing platforms such as Raz Kids, PebbleGo, Seesaw and Apple apps to support student learning and engagement. One iPad device app allows students to record themselves as they reason through math problems and allows teachers to go back and identify what problem-solving skills the students are using. This type of technology helps both students and teachers maximize their learning and instruction.

Teachers also utilize Apple safety dashboard technology to make sure students are safe online. “I’m really proud of our teachers. They have embedded technology into everyday instruction and are making sure students are safe in the process,” shared Mrs. Balikian.

In middle and upper school, our STEM course offerings support a myriad of student interests for learners to explore. Students collaborate and bring their designs through the stages of product development utilizing various Apple tools that include Pages, Keynote, Everyone Can Create, iMovie and Adobe Cloud. Our course catalog includes Architecture, Engineering, Media and Podcast Production, 3D Printing and Coding, Digital Media, Digital Music, Genius Hour and MidKnight Innovation. Middle school students in 3D Printing designed and built a 3D printer!

Middle School Technology Facilitator and Apple Learning

Coach Heather Wilson is excited for this recognition. “This integration of technology through teacher-designed lesson plans gives students higher-level deeper learning, not just memorization and regurgitation. This use of technology increases student engagement, resulting in an increase in learning which leads to opportunity for future careers.”

Digital Music Teacher Don Humphries helped guide the fine arts department into the world of digital music making. “What if we could start teaching students to use these resources to create their own music? It’s different from being in choir or band, we are reaching another set of students.”

Students are able to explore digital media through our newly furnished M1 iMac lab. Mr. Humphries said students are learning and creating with professional software that is industry standard. “Students take the Apple environment to explore and experiment and come up with their own structure and composure to create their own music. It’s endless what these students can do with these programs.”

As always, the commitment to our mission is at the forefront of all we do. It guides our decisions and remains grounded in Christ, focused on students and committed to excellence. Our robust student opportunities in academics, spiritual life, athletics and fine arts are all supported by our program innovation, including the technology tools that enhance so much of our work. An important part of that work includes a focus on healthy and balanced technology implementation and the preparation to be safe, responsible and ethical digital citizens.

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FIVE COMMENDED STUDENTS IN THE 2023 NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

Seniors Brynn Berger, Jack Cataldo, Sophie Howard, Olivia Kuo and Anna Phalen were named Commended Students in the 2023 National Merit®️ Scholarship Program. Commended Students placed among the top 50,000 scorers who entered the 2023 competition by taking the 2021 Preliminary SAT/National Merit®️ Scholarship Qualifying Test.

COLLEGE BOARD NATIONAL RECOGNITION PROGRAM SCHOLARS

Alex Andrews, Zaliyah Emmanuel and Sterling Jackson were awarded the National African American Award and Samuel Castelan, Gannon Caswell, Gabe Cavalcanti, Evan Santaniello, Alex Smith were awarded the National Hispanic Award. The upper school students were selected as College Board National Recognition Program awardees based on their academic achievements in school, outstanding performance on the PSAT or AP exam and their application they each submitted last spring.

2022 AP SCHOLARS

Upper school students and recent graduates earned Advanced Placement (AP) scholar distinctions. A total of 65 Advanced Placement honors were earned by students based on AP exams taken in May of 2022. Students who pass AP exams (3 or higher) after taking AP courses may be eligible to earn college credit based on their scores and the individual college/university requirements.

AP LATIN AWARD

AP Latin seniors Jack Cataldo and Caroline Crews received Certificates of Commendation for their performance in the 2021-22 Classical Association of the Middle West and South (CAMWS) Translation Contest.

2022 MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE FAIR

Eighth grade students participated in the annual middle school science fair before Christmas break displaying their creative ideas, innovations, experiments and problem-solving skills. Students presented their projects to judges, classmates and parents in the Lamb/Johnson Gym. Judging was conducted by retired STEM professionals, CCS alumni, AP STEM seniors, teachers and administrators. Students who place at this event will compete at the regional level at UNC-Charlotte on Feb. 4, 2023.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THESE WINNERS:

Life Science Category:

1st Place: Bradshaw Banner/ Drew Howard (tie)

2nd Place: Mia McVicker

Behavioral and Social Sciences Category:

1st Place: Alex Del Corso

2nd Place: Oliver Jackson

3rd Place: Ellie Cypert

2022 SPELLING BEE

Chemistry Category:

1st Place: Perry Brown

2nd Place: Ellee Johnson

3rd Place: Chloe Cummings

Earth and Environmental Science Category:

1st Place: Ruth Bandy

2nd Place: Gavin Lawrence

3rd Place: Morgan Shultz

Physics and Mathematics Category:

1st Place: Andrew McPhaul

2nd Place: Karis Blackson

3rd Place: Ethan Walker

Seventh grader Emma Huff won the school Spelling Bee and eighth grader James Langdon was the runner-up. Students who won classroom bees competed in the third through eighth grade spelling bee in December. Emma will move on to compete in the regional spelling bee this spring. Well done to all our spelling contestants!

READING KNIGHTS

Congratulations to the lower school students who participated in the first and second quarter Reading Knights program! 473 students participated during the first quarter and read 3,466 books. The group was recognized before a varsity football home game. 4,543 books were read by 392 students for the second quarter with five classes having 100% participation!

MIDDLE SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

The middle school volleyball team beat Cannon School, 2-0, to win the Greater Charlotte Middle School Athletic Association (GCMSAA) championship. The Knights finished the season with a record of 9-3.

VARSITY GOLF FRESHMAN MAKES IMPACT

Freshman Chloe Scofield is the first varsity girls’ golfer at CCS. In her first season on the varsity squad, she earned first team all-conference honors with the third lowest nine hole scoring average in the CISAA (40.6). Her play qualified her as an individual for the NCISAA Division 1 state tournament where she shot an 81 and finished 14th in state.

VARSITY FOOTBALL HEAD COACH JASON ESTEP RECOGNIZED AS COACH OF THE WEEK

Head Coach Jason Estep was recognized as weekly coaches of the week along with 10 high school coaches (five from N.C., five from S.C.) during a Carolina Panthers home game. Coach Estep is in his 16th year at the helm of the varsity football program at Charlotte Christian. He has tallied a 138-42 record and eight state championship titles.

VARSITY TRACK & FIELD ATHLETES

Four Knights advanced to the finals and ran personal best times at the Liberty High School Opener Indoor Track Meet in December. All four of these athletes are also ranked #1 in the NCISAA.

• Sophomore Nina Dominique ran 7:00 in the 55m dash, and 40.21a in the 300m, placing first in both.

• Sophomore Evan Boykin ran 6:49 in the 55m dash and placed 2nd.

• Freshman Kate Willette placed 2nd in both the 1000 (time of 3:15.00) and 1600 (5:24.64).

• Senior Brynn Berger placed 7th in the 55m hurdles (9.26).

Freshmen Andrew and Peter Caswell both posted top marks in the state. Andrew ran the #1 time in the 1000 and the #2 time in the 1600 while Peter ran the #4 best time in the 500 amongst all freshmen in the state. Both athletes are ranked #1 in the NCISAA for those events.

FALL & WINTER ATHLETIC SIGNINGS

• Molly Coles University of Cincinnati (soccer)

• Kaylin Garlick UNC Charlotte (softball)

• Wesley Jones UNC Charlotte (baseball)

• Johnny Joseph Queens University of Charlotte (baseball)

• Connie Kofoed Belmont University (volleyball)

• Tanner McCammon Elon University (baseball)

• Baker Reale Palm Beach Atlantic University (lacrosse)

ALL-CONFERENCE & ALL-STATE HONOREE

4 3 2 1 6 5 ALL-STATE

Congratulations to the following student-athletes on earning CISAA All-Conference and NCISAA All-State recognition for fall sports.

ALL-CONFERENCE

Cheerleading: Second Team

Darcy Howard

Anna Huge

Avery Rash

Piper Rozsak

Football: First Team

Cam Estep

Micah Gilbert

David Hulbert

Kyron Jones

Danny Stevens

Grant Tucker

Second Team

Brock Benton

Armonté Ferguson

Ryan Henley

Cross Killen

Tripp Woody

Bryce Young

Golf: First Team Chloe Scofield

Soccer: First Team

Tate Efird

Nick Rosen

Tennis: Second Team

Anne Carlton

Volleyball: First Team

Kai Carter

Connie Kofoed

Second Team Shea Fuqua

Cross Country: First Team Kate Willette*

Football: First Team

Kyron Jones

Danny Stevens

Grant Tucker**

Tennis: First Team Sophia Harris

Volleyball: First Team

Kai Carter

Connie Kofoed

*also Reader’s Choice Charlotte Observer Athlete of the Year

**also CISAA Player of the Year

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FESTIVAL IN THE PARK

CCS submitted roughly 80 works of student art representing a wide range of grade level, media and technique to Charlotte’s annual Festival in the Park art exhibit. Scan the QR code to see artwork from the CCS student artists who were chosen as winners in their respective divisions.

CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY LS ART CONTEST

A team of lower school artists represented CCS in an art contest at the Charlotte Motor Speedway as part of their STEAM Expo. The artists worked as a team to paint a reading theme on a “turtle,” which is a piece of equipment used in the infield at NASCAR races. The artist chose to represent a Magic Tree House book which was inspired by the lower school spring musical for this year. The “turtles” were displayed on the track throughout the 2022 NASCAR weekend.

NCAIS HONOR BAND

Six middle and upper school band students represented CCS at the 2022 NCAIS Honor Band: junior Chloe Boyd (trumpet), sophomore Faith Giller (tenor saxophone), senior Jacob Glenn (oboe), sophomore Eva Nieto (French horn), seventh grader Nico Nieto (trumpet) and freshman Rebekah Switzer (flute). Students from across the state are selected each year to participate in this merit-based clinic. Independent school band students gathered for a two-day intensive clinic to learn new skills and make music in a collaborative setting at UNC Wilmington.

NCTC ACT 1 PLAY FESTIVAL

The upper school competition ACT 1 team performed Swiss Family Robinson: A Musical Adventure at the annual North Carolina Theatre Conference high school play festival in Kings Mountain. Under the direction of Ms. Claire Hilton (‘11), the team performed a one act piece penned specifically for CCS by lyricist Polly Hilton (‘11) and composer Andrew Heidorn. They were awarded the following recognitions: Superior Rating, Excellence in Choreography and Excellence in Acting (Evie Owens).

GENESIS BAND PERFORMANCE

Sixth grade beginning band and orchestra students participated in our fifth annual Genesis performance in Alkire Auditorium which provides our beginning instrumental music students with a comfortable first performance experience and provides parents with an insider’s look at what life is like in the beginning band and orchestra classroom. The students shared with the audience how their instruments work and demonstrated some of the skills, techniques, exercises and fundamentals that they have mastered in the first quarter of instruction.

JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH, JR., MIDDLE SCHOOL MUSICAL

The middle school performed the musical James and the Giant Peach Jr. by Roald Dahl. The cast brought James to life as he befriends a collection of singing insects that ride the giant piece of fruit across the ocean, facing hunger, sharks and plenty of disagreements along the way. The cast and crew overcame their own illnesses and delays to finally present James’ musical adventure about courage and selfdiscovery.

Ms. Kayla Cochran strives to be a lifelong learner and models that for her students through the opportunities that she has pursued to learn, train and grow. She persevered through moving states, changing schools and changing requirements to finally finish her Master of Arts in teaching from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in December. When she lived in Florida, she was part of a vibrant salsa dance community in Miami and is currently part of a diverse and talented group of artists who train in the African Brazilian arts including capoeira, a martial art and samba dance. They represent African and Brazilian movement at a variety of festivals, museums and community events across the Carolinas. Through this experience, she also learned Portuguese and has traveled to Brazil to train with professionals and teachers of the highest level.

In her upper school English classes, Ms. Cochran provides her students a global worldview and honors other cultures and people groups based on what she has learned about cultures, languages and history from her travels. She uses class discussions, stations, games and thoughtful writing prompts to help students analyze other perspectives and deepen their own faith and values. Her students learn salsa dances of the Caribbean, jazz dances of the Harlem Renaissance and analyze the distinct traditions that Native American and African American writers have woven into literature, music, art, religion and culture. Last year she led a J-Term trip to Utah, New Mexico, Arizona and Nevada to celebrate with students the rich variety of Native American landmarks and legends. She will lead a Winterim trip in March 2023 to England and France to give students a first-hand opportunity to be global learners.

Mr. Alan Hayes uses his experiences from professional development conferences hosted by the National Council of Teachers in Mathematics to help his middle school students to think critically and understand how math applies to real life situations. “Math is an exciting subject to teach,” shared Mr. Hayes. “It allows students to explore God’s design, order and complexity in our world. The most important thing I want my students to know is that I believe they can achieve any challenge I give them with my support.”

Mr. Hayes presents problems to his students and asks them to consider what information is important

and then his students engage in rich classroom discussions about which strategy they could use to solve it. He appreciates it when his students ask, “When am I ever going to use math in my life?” because it shows their inquisitive nature which he is able to connect to real world situations that are relative to their lives. For example, when working with quadratic functions the students explore the starting and ending height of a baseball being thrown or a football being kicked and calculate how long each has been in the air. These practical applications bring relevancy and connections to his lessons which students remember.

Ms. Jill Harouny recognized how a student’s academic success in the classroom often has a direct impact on their emotional well being. Her heart for students who need additional academic support has led her to continue to pursue OrtonGillingham training and certification which she has been using in the classroom and one-on-one with students for the last seven years. The OrtonGillingham Approach is a multisensory approach that helps students process and retain information using the different senses. Links are constantly made between the different pathways in learning to read and spell. The approach helps all learners because it incorporates auditory, visual and kinesthetic patterns that reinforce each other for optimal learning differences.

This past summer Ms. Harouny was named a teaching fellow and attended the Teaching Institute Summer Symposium.

The symposium covered the brain science behind working memory and how working memory affects a student’s ability to remember and use information. Ms. Harouny learned strategies to help students elevate their thinking to remember and

Jill Harouny

Third Grade Teacher

Kayla Cochran Upper School English Teacher

Alan Hayes Middle School Math Teacher

The 2022 Alumni Service Award recipient is Todd Woolery who graduated from Charlotte Christian in 1992 and is the owner and president of CCIS Construction Consultants. Mr. Woolery has served at Charlotte Christian as a board member for three consecutive terms (2013-2022) and also served as the chair of the facilities committee, which he has been a member for more than 10 years. Todd is married to Rebecca and the couple has two children who both graduated from CCS: Jacob in 2020 and Hannah in 2022. His mother also worked in the business office and his sister, Missy, is a 1989 graduate.

As a former student and parent, I have seen first hand the value of an education that Charlotte Christian School provides. The longevity of the educators and staff speaks volumes into the lives of former and current students. To that end, I have enjoyed the last 15 years of being a volunteer that serves the community to utilize the God-given talents that were nurtured by my time and ours kids’ time at CCS.

The 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient is Dr. Derek Halvorson who graduated from Charlotte Christian in 1989. In 2012, Dr. Halvorson was appointed the sixth president of Covenant College. He currently serves on the board of directors of the Chalmers Center for Economic Development, on the executive committee of the Georgia Independent College Association and on the president’s council of the Collegiate Conference of the South. He is also actively involved in the life of Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church. Derek is married to Wendy and the couple has two children: a son, Banks, and a daughter, Whit. His mother, Dr. Marni Halvorson, taught in Christian’s science department and all three of his younger brothers attended CCS as well.

I am deeply grateful for the high-quality, Christcentered education I received at Charlotte Christian-an education that prepared me well for continued academic growth, for professional life beyond formal education, and for my life as a follower of Jesus Christ. The gift of my Charlotte Christian School education is a big part of what motivates me to serve in Christian education myself. I long to see young men and women equipped both for their God-given callings and for faithful Christian living. I don’t know of a better means of accomplishing that objective than first-rate, unapologetically Christian education.

The Alumni Service Award honors an alum who has consistently provided exemplary volunteer service to Charlotte Christian School.

The Distinguished Alumni Award honors an alum who has made outstanding contributions to God’s Kingdom through their field of work, demonstrated a heart for Christ as a servant leader in their community and shown exceptional dedication to Charlotte Christian School.

- Todd Woolery (‘92)

- Dr. Derek Halvorson (‘89)

THANKSGIVING CHAPEL

The CCS community gathered to worship in Knights Stadium at our annual All-School Thanksgiving Chapel. Head of School Barry Giller referenced Psalm 23 and shared how Jesus is our shepherd and as a shepherd, He provides all of our needs. Mr. Giller challenged us to not focus on what we don’t have but rather be thankful for all the blessings that God has given us.

Senior Ivy Pham, eighth grader Josiah Tall and second grader Kaden Powell also shared what they were thankful for and eighth grader Harper Youngerman closed in prayer. Kaden shared, “I was a little nervous to speak in front of everyone but it was pretty cool to be on stage with the older students. I shared that I was thankful for Charlotte Christian School, the Bible, my friends and family and I was looking forward to celebrating Thanksgiving with them.”

KNIGHTS SERVE

Our first semester school-wide service project was to collect Operation Christmas Child (OCC) shoeboxes in partnership with Samaritan’s Purse. Students and families packed more than 1,127 shoeboxes and then our community prayed over them at our all-school Thanksgiving Chapel. Middle and upper school students had the opportunity to volunteer at the Samaritan’s Purse Warehouse to help prepare shoeboxes to be shipped to children around the world.

Our middle school students were blessed to hear Izabella McMillon share her personal experience as a child receiving a box from OCC. “I was shocked when Izabella shared about how little she had and how excited she was to receive a shoebox filled with gifts,” said seventh grader Ariana Wilson. “I hadn’t realized the impact one shoebox could have on a child.”

Thanks to a generous designated parent gift we were able to host bestselling author and counselor David Thomas for more than 300 parents from our community as he shared about the three R’s of recognize, regulate and repair for raising emotionally strong kids and teens. David Thomas, LMSW, is the director of family counseling at Daystar Counseling in Nashville, Tenn. He is the co-author of eight books, including the bestselling Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys, a frequent guest on national television and radio, the co-host of the Raisingboysandgirls podcast, and a speaker across the country.

david thomas:

Bestselling author parent education event

“David Thomas is really a gifted speaker and educator,” said parent Marie Moore. “I really appreciate the work that he and Sissy Goff are doing to help us better understand how

to navigate the unprecedented rise in anxiety we are seeing in our children. The statement that most resonated with me was that in order to help our children address their anxiety, we must first address our own. Along these lines, he spoke about the importance of ‘regulate first, talk second’ in regards to navigating conflict and how we must first model this in order to teach it to our children successfully.”

2002 Class Reunion

Homecoming 2022 was a success!

Congratulations to seniors Kai Carter and Kyron Jones who were crowned this year’s queen and king. Close to 300 alumni and their families enjoyed the pregame tailgate and CCS alums Derek Halvorson (‘89) and Todd Woolery (‘92) received alumni awards. Members from the classes of 1992, 2002 and 2012 met throughout Homecoming and Thanksgiving weekends to catch up with their classmates.

Homecoming King and Queen Varsity Football 2022

2012 Class Reunion

Alumni Tailgate

1992 Class Reunion

Alumni Award Recipients

UPPER SCHOOL TOPPING OUT

Charlotte Christian School hosted a Topping Out ceremony along with Rodgers Builders for the new Upper School Building that is slated to open in August 2023 for the 202324 school year. Participating in the Topping Out ceremony was Head of School Barry Giller; Board of Trustee Chaplain Pier Scott; Upper School Principal Shonn Brown; senior Zaliyah Emmanuel; Pat Rodgers, Kelton Carpenter and Donald Alston of Rodgers Builders, general contractor; and many generous donors and supporters.

The ceremony celebrated the topping out or installation of the final beam to the roof of the building and recognized the hard work of the craftworkers and the generosity of donors. Charlotte Christian students and community members signed the beam that will be used in the construction of the building. “The growth of this building is such a testament to the work God does and will continue to do in our CCS community,” senior Zaliyah Emmanuel shared at the ceremony. “We are so fortunate as a school to have a community that cares about the learning environment here at CCS. Proverbs 24:3 says, ‘By wisdom, a house is built, and by understanding, it is established.’ We can definitely see this happening here on campus.”

The building will be a two-story 30,000 square foot facility and will include 15 classrooms, four science labs, common areas, dedicated learning space and offices for the Academic Services program and offices for diversity and belonging and spiritual life.

Tennis Tourney Hosted on Campus

Close to 50 participants served up a morning of friendly competition and fellowship at the annual Ladies’ Tennis Tournament in November. After three years of cancellations, the tournament was back and for the first time was held on Charlotte Christian’s campus at the expansive new tennis complex. “It was a beautiful day to play tennis and get to know other CCS moms,” shared CCS parent Amanda Cash. “I love that the event was on campus at our beautiful new facility.” The group enjoyed a catered lunch together as prizes were awarded to the bracket winners. Thank you to all those who participated. We look forward to next year’s event and hope to see some new faces on the court!

Thank you to all of the families who have generously supported the 2022-23 Annual Fund. More than $421,955 has been raised to date to support multiple campus initiatives. Visit the school’s website to make a gift or pledge.

As a Christ-centered, college preparatory school, we rely on God’s provision through tax-deductible charitable contributions over and above tuition to sustain and enhance our programs and facilities. For more than 70 years, Charlotte Christian has equipped students to be extraordinary thinkers and Christhonoring decision makers. We have been blessed with academic excellence, a challenging curriculum, diverse co-curricular activities, excellent facilities, supportive families and an outstanding faculty. God has provided all of this for the school through the generosity, stewardship and volunteering spirit of many.

CLASS NOTES

Jono Durham became engaged to Mary Lacore in the summer of 2022. The couple’s wedding will be in Charleston, S.C. in September 2023.

Sarah McDonald and her husband, Jake, welcomed a son, Mark “Mac” Butera, on Oct. 25, 2022. Mac joins big sister, Ansley, who is 6 years old.

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Annie Nedrow Dundorf married her senior year prom date, Matt, in June and the couple is moving to San Antonio at the end of December. Matt will be training to be a Special Tactics Officer in the Air Force at Lackland AFB and Annie will graduate from Clemson Nursing in a few weeks and start working in the Neurosurgical ICU at Methodist Hospital as a nurse. Annie shared, “I am still so thankful for the foundation CCS provided and all the teachers who believed in me all those years ago!”

Emily Black married Brian Monahan on Oct. 15, 2022 in Asheville, N.C. at The Grove Park Inn.

Abby Seelig Carpenter and her husband, Matthew (‘12), along with their two-yearold daughter, Halle, said goodbye to Charlotte and started traveling fulltime for Chick-fil-A this past summer. Matthew began a two-year leadership development program with Chick-fil-A Corporate that involves traveling to provide support to restaurants that are in transition between operators. So far they have lived in St Paul, Minn., Surprise, Ariz., Atlanta, Ga., and San Diego, Calif. They are thankful for this opportunity to love and serve so many people through this company!

Andrew Frowine married his sweetheart, Megan Fortin, on Aug. 13, 2022.

Bryce Bradley (‘11) and Lacy Buseick Bradley (‘11) welcomed a daughter, Billie Kathryn, to their family on Dec. 1, 2022.

Lauren York Swickard and her husband, Josh, are expecting their second baby in early 2023. Additionally, Lauren is involved in her third movie that she wrote, produced and starred in called Holiday Harmony with Brooke Shields streaming on HBO Max. The other two are on Netflix titled California Christmas and California Christmas: City Lights . She has a TV show titled Casa Grande she wrote, produced and was the show runner that is coming out on Amazon Prime early 2023.

ALUMNI ALBUM

Chris James (‘08)

Tiffany Shin (‘03)

Annie Nedrow Dundorf (‘17) Eric Veal (‘02)

Jono Durham (‘16)

Matthew and Abby Seelig Carpenter (‘12)

Max Fulginiti (‘06)

Emily Black (‘13)

Nathan Walker is currently in medical school at Campbell University and a member of the class of 2026.

Kelby Brown Jr. and his wife, Angel, welcomed their third child on Nov. 29, 2022, Kelby William Brown III.

David Durham is engaged to Alexandria Quinn Richard and the couple plans to marry in January 2023 in Fort Worth, Texas.

Chris James and his wife, Abigail, welcomed a son, Thomas Halligan, born on Aug. 19, 2022.

Max Fulginiti and his wife, Catherine, welcomed a third son, Jon, who joins older brothers Roman (5) and Daniel (3).

Tiffany Shin and her husband welcomed a daughter, Zara AhnKyu, on Oct. 4, 2022. The name Zara means “God remembers” and the couple is so grateful for this addition to their family.

Eric Veal recently purchased and is now owner and president of Interactive Knowledge, an education technology company based in Charlotte. It’s been a busy year as he and his wife, Chana, welcomed their first child, Brooklyn Michelle, on May 3, 2022.

Garrett Carter and his family have recently moved to 10 acres in Newton, N.C. 7C’s Farms, named after their family of seven, has been founded and is built on the concept of regenerative farming. It is their mission to use the farm as a beacon of light to their neighbors and assist lower income families in their times of need for food and shelter. Thanks to Erika Stone Wishnefsky (‘93) for coming alongside them in this dream.

Lara Freeman graduated from UNC Charlotte with her graduate elementary education certification and N.C. teaching license in May 2021. She is currently teaching second grade at Carmel Christian School.

Matt Osman was recently elected to the Superior Court bench in Mecklenburg County after spending the last 12 years serving as a District Court Judge.

Ashley Philemon Mangione launched her own reading tutoring company, Dynamic Learning Connection (www.dynamiclearningconnection.com), in August 2022 after years of working as an elementary reading support teacher in the Charlotte area.

Kelli Garner’s son, James Michael Thomas, is 18 years old and is graduating from Northwood Temple Academy in May 2023. In the fall he will be attending Methodist University in Fayetteville, N.C.

Matt Osman (‘93)

Sarah McDonald (‘12)

Lara Freeman (‘93)

Bryce and Lacy Buseick Bradley (‘11)

Ashley Philemon Mangione (‘90)

Kelli Garner’s son, James Michael Thomas (‘86)

Kelby Brown Jr. (‘10) David Durham (‘10)

Lauren York Swickard (‘11)

2021-22 OPERATING REVENUES

2021-22 DESIGNATED GIVING

• Inflatable Knight tunnel for athletics.

• Lights and poles at Guy Field for soccer and lacrosse programs.

• Gaga pit addition at lower school playground.

• Speakers and turf infield at the baseball field.

• iMac for production booth in Alkire Auditorium to support recording chapels and programs.

• Equipment for praise band to support transition to a zero hour class.

• Guest artist program allowing experts to come on campus and teach masterclasses such as Mr. Caleb Simon taught combat choreography to MS/US theatre; Ms. Roni Langley taught 3D art specialists poxy to MS art classes; and Mr. Jerry Lowe, a low brass specialist, worked with MS/US band program.

In December 2019 the school structured a long term debt package for $20 million at a weighted average rate of 2.7% to refinance existing debt and to support future campus construction activity. Interest only payments were made for three years.

2021-22 ANNUAL FUND GIVING

CLASSROOM UPGRADES

• Math curriculum for the middle school and curriculum for statistics, algebra and trigonometry in the upper school.

• Additional Smartboard interactive displays, adding one in LS and four in MS.

• Upper School Technology Lab computers and lighting fixtures upgraded.

• New JK classroom and desks for kindergarten.

CO-CURRICULAR PURCHASES

Athletics

• Digital scoreboard with five-year sponsorship partnerships and football play clocks in the end zones installed at athletic stadium.

• Bleachers updated and HVAC system for Lamb/Johnson Gym.

• Home volleyball court in Guy Gym was repainted and refinished.

• Weight room floor.

• Expansion of Hudl software for all sports to provide team data for coaches and ability to livestream home events.

Fine Arts

• Wireless mics for musical theatre, wireless podium microphone, upgraded theatrical lighting and sound board software updated in Akire Auditorium.

• Three iMac digital media workstations purchased for digital music classes.

• Continued orchestra inventory expansion with purchase of two upright bass, cello, oboe and piccolo.

• Shelving installed in kiln rooms in all three art studios.

• Black Box Theatre updated with dance mirrors.

Additional Purchases

• 48-passenger bus.

• LED outdoor lighting added on all campus buildings.

• Main parking lot surface resealed.

ENROLLMENT TRENDS

CONTRIBUTIONS - CASH RECEIPTS

2021-22 CAPITAL GIVING

MASTER CAMPUS PLAN

A new two-story Middle School Building opened in August of 2022 with more than 24,000 square feet that includes the Good Family Innovation Suite of three rooms with a dedicated robotics room, a STEM fabrication lab and a flexible use classroom. The building also provides open space for student and staff collaboration, dedicated learning space for electives such as eSports, RoboKnights and MidKnights Knews and the lower and middle school administration offices. There are speakers mounted on the outside of the building to play music as visitors are welcomed to campus in the mornings. The $8.6 million project was constructed thru the continued partnership with Rodgers Builders and LS3P.

24 HOUR GIVING DAY CHALLENGE

The fourth annual 24 Hour Giving Day Challenge was hosted on March 8, 2022 to fund ongoing campus improvements including a new Early Education Playground. 127 donors gave $55,189 to this campaign.

2021 EMPLOYEE FIELD DAY

Employees enjoyed a day of professional development to collaborate with colleagues in their division and departments and then enjoyed competing against each other in the afternoon in field day games.

SCRAPBOOK

1. Middle School Building 3D Printers

2. First Day of School

3. Lower School Gingerbread Houses

4. Annual Freshman Walk

5. Middle School Windy Gap

6. Upper School Windy Gap

7. Grades 3-5 Christmas Chapel

8. Upper School Physics Rocket Project

9. Jeremy Smallwood Visits STEM Class

10. Middle School Pink Day

11. Middle School Cheerleaders At ACC Football Championship

12. Lower School S.L.A.M. Week

13. First Day of School

14. Knightsfest 2022

15. Lower School Reading Knights Recognition-Varsity Football Game

16. Upper School Powderpuff

17. Grades K-2 Christmas Chapel

18. Seniors Painting Parking Spaces

7301 Sardis Road

Charlotte, NC 28270

(704) 366-5657

Fax: (704) 366-5678