Perspectives, Spring 2018

Perspectives CHARLOTTE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL MAGAZINE | SPRING 2018

25 YEARS AS AN IB SCHOOL

BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE A FOUNDATION FOR CRITICAL THINKING

FOSTERING CURIOSITY THROUGH REAL-WORLD SCIENCE

Ready for the Future Country Day READY

Contents

18 32 28 14 18

22 26 28 32

Building Community The AMAZE Curriculum Helps Build a Foundation for Critical Thinking Paying Attention to Art Everything is Possible for Country Day Seniors Thinking about the Theory of Knowledge Take Me to the Water

DEPARTMENTS 3 Head of School’s Message

38 From the Archives

4 News & Notes

39 Alumni Matters

12 Overheard

42 Class Notes

Perspectives EDITOR Lee-Anne Black CONTRIBUTORS Lauren Batten Shannon Drosky Katie Elsasser Danielle Ferguson Amy Ilfeld Beth Lawing Adele Paynter McKensy Phillips Laurie Goldman Smithwick ’87 Tim Waples Brian Wise PHOTOGRAPHY Lee-Anne Black Megan Brevard Shannon Drosky Joe Hernick Lisa Hernick Beth Lawing Jonsie Evans Moore ’95 Paul Murphy The Professional Photography Group Brian Zhan DESIGN Windtree Studios/Robert Locklear

Perspectives is published twice a year by the Marketing and Communications Office for alumni, parents, staff, and friends of Charlotte Country Day School. Please send questions, comments, or story ideas to lee-anne.black@charlottecountryday.org.

ADDRESS UPDATES: Send address changes to updates@charlottecountryday.org.

ALUMNI: Visit charlottecountryday.org/alumniupdate.

You can also send address changes to alumnirelations@charlottecountryday.org.

Our Mission

Through excellence in education, Charlotte Country Day School develops the potential of each student by fostering intellectual curiosity, principled character, ethical leadership, and a responsibility to serve.

Affirmation of Community

Charlotte Country Day School is committed to living as an authentic, inclusive community.

Our pursuit of this commitment to community recognizes and affirms the richness brought by difference and discovered through commonality.

For more information about our Mission, Key Values, and Affirmation of Community, please visit charlottecountryday.org/mission.

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On the Cover

Send requests to updates@charlottecountryday.org.

Inside Cover

PERSPECTIVES

AP Environmental Science students have been monitoring water quality along the Briar Creek watershed for more than a decade.

Lower School students are fascinated with the construction of their new Hance Lower School Learning Center, which opens for the start of the 2018–19 school year.

School Leadership 2017–18 BOARD OF TRUSTEES

OFFICERS: Todd A. Gorelick ’82, Chair David M. Benson ’85, Vice Chair Kathleen Knox Krupa, Vice Chair James H. McLawhorn, Vice Chair Amy Fonville Owen ’81, Vice Chair Walker L. Poole, Vice Chair Arthur C. Roselle, Vice Chair A. Wellford Tabor Sr., Vice Chair Scott R. Stevens, Secretary-Treasurer

MEMBERS: Dr. Adelle Anthony-Williams Howard C. Bissell* Dr. Lauren I. Browne Christina N. Byron Edison P. Cassels ’87 George S. Dewey IV ’90 Kenneth V. Garcia Amanda S. Houser R. Michael James Dr. Ameesha P. Kansupada Leigh F. Moran Mary Claudia Belk Pilon ’92 Steven L. Purdy ’87 Sally Cannon Saussy ’67* Laura A. Schulte Stoney D. Sellars R. Glenn Sherrill Jr. ’89 Stephenson P. Shuford Catherine S. Stempien Andrew W. Tate William H. Zimmern ’95 Mark E. Reed (Ex-officio) *Life trustee

2017–18 ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL Mark Reed, Head of School Scott Waybright, Assistant Head of School Matthew Less, Head of Upper School Warren Sepkowitz, Head of Middle School Adele Paynter, Head of Lower School Joe Hernick, Director of Educational Technology David Lynn, Director of International Studies Brian Wise, Director of Diversity Planning Abe Wehmiller, Director of Athletics Nancy Ehringhaus, Director of Admissions and Financial Aid Lauren Batten, Director of Advancement David Mancos, Chief Financial Officer

Message from the Head of School

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O OPEN the 2017–18 academic year, I shared with faculty and staff, students, and our entire community, three aspects of a Country Day education that, I believe, are simply non-negotiable—academic excellence, moral courage, and kindness. These characteristics draw from our Mission and Key Values, Affirmation of Community, and Strategic Visions. They reflect the work educators and staff do every day, with purpose and intention, to prepare the next generation of leaders, thinkers, and doers to go out and change the world.

So what does it mean to be a “thinker” and how does that tie back to academic excellence? In this issue of Perspectives, we explore how critical-thinking skills are embedded into the curriculum at every grade level and across multiple and varied disciplines. For example, in very age-appropriate ways, students in junior kindergarten are developing the fundamental skills necessary to approach learning from multiple perspectives. The arts programming in Middle School helps students to flex their creative muscles while honing problem-solving and thinking skills. In Upper School, real-world science is fostering curiosity and helping to launch our graduates into impactful careers. In future issues, we’ll take a deep dive into how the school develops students to be future leaders and doers.

Just as our approach to educating students continues to grow and evolve in order to ensure they are fully prepared It feels great as Head of School to walk for a fast-changing world, so too, does into a junior kindergarten classroom our campus. We opened the year with and see one of our youngest learners wearing a sweatshirt that says “Time to the excitement of two new buildings Go and Change the World.” under construction. At the heart of these projects is a commitment to serve students even better through facilities that allow for greater curricular innovation, support of students’ passions, and strengthening of community. On page 14, you can read an update on our progress and how our campus will continue to transform over the next few years to better serve students now and in the future. The thread that ties all our stories together is people. You, our Country Day community members, through your commitment to our mission and serving students well continue to make us an exceptional school community. I hope you enjoy this issue.

Sincerely,

Mark Reed Head of School

SPRING 2018

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NEWS & NOTES

“Reading Teaches Empathy” and Other Lessons from Matt de la Pena 2016 Newbery Award winner for Last Stop on Market Street

“You can never be a good writer if you’re not a great reader.”

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HE EXCITEMENT for 2016 Newbery Award winner Matt de la Pena’s visit to Country Day began long before his presentation on October 11 as this year’s Diversity Guest Author. Middle School Librarian Megan Fink Brevard, who holds national leadership roles within the American Library Association, met Matt two years ago at a conference and booked him before his popularity really took off after winning the Newbery Award for Last Stop on Market

Street. Launched in 2006, this didn’t particularly like it. program has benefited not only The story was about an older Country Day students, but also woman of a different race. over 2,500 Charlotte-MecklenMatt kept reading, mostly burg Schools (CMS) students. because he wanted to figure Mrs. Brevard created the out why the professor Diversity Guest Author Series, suggested the book to him. along with director of Diversity Then he began to care about Planning Brian Wise, because the character and what she never had direct access to happened to her. any authors, much less diverse “Reading is the ultimate ones, in her public school in form of empathy,” he said, West Virginia, and she wanted to –Matt de la Pena “because it’s one-sided. We bring that experience to others. want the character to be OK.” Funny and engaging, Matt Matt told the enraptured kept the students enthralled with his students that by the time he finished the journey from a nonreader focused on book, he was on the verge of tears. “The sports to someone who writes for a living.

Color Purple (by Toni Morrison) changed In a very powerful story, he shared how my life,” he said. “It made me feel things; he finally realized the value in reading books became my secret place to feel.” great literature. In college, where he Other memorable quotes, include: played on a basketball scholarship, a “You can never be a good writer if professor gave him a book and said, you’re not a great reader.”

“I thought of you.” No one had ever “Having a goal can change your life recommended a book to Matt before. even if you don't achieve it.”

He started reading the book and at first “If you do any kind of art, put it out in the world because you never know who is listening.”

In the evening, a group of students from Country Day and CMS, who were selected for the Diversity Author Book Club through an essay contest, had the privilege of sharing their perspectives with one another and talking with Matt about his books.

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NEWS & NOTES

Eurydice

Wins State High School Play Festival Competition

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ONGRATULATIONS to the cast and crew of Eurydice, who represented the state of North Carolina at the 2018 Southeastern Theatre Conference High School Festival in March. In November, at the State High School Play Festival Competition, Country Day’s beautiful retelling of the classic myth was named Distinguished Play and Judges Choice, winning the competition. In addition, the play was awarded: • Excellence in Acting: Viki Zay • Excellence in Directing: Jenny Goodfellow • Excellence in Set Design and the Festival Spirit Award At the Southeastern Conference, Country Day cast and crew members won the following awards: • All-Star Cast Award: Stella Cohen, Brooke Henderson, Peyton Otis, Camila Saavedra, and Viki Zay

•“Spirit of Festival” Award: Given to the school that “embodied the principles and guidelines of the festival” both on and off the stage.

Congratulations to all the cast and crew: Joey Beach, Stella Cohen, Zoe Conner, Yasmine Deep, JR Hecimovich, Brooke Henderson, Nicklaus Ipock, Tyanna Mann, AJ Di Nicola, Peyton Otis, Camila Saavedra, Viki Zay.

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NEWS & NOTES

Charitable Giving

estate or illiquid business interests—can provide meaningful tax savings.

Under the New Tax Act

By Lauren Batten, Director of Advancement

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tax savings, increased income, and plans ITH THE new year came to transfer wealth to one’s heirs while comprehensive tax law supporting Country Day students and changes made by Congress faculty simultaneously. The Oak Society that begin in 2018. Given the broad nature recognizes those who plan to include of the changes, you may be uncertain Country Day in their wills or estate about how the new laws may affect your plans. We are deeply appreciative to Oak plans to support the causes you cherish.

Society members for their foresight and Fortunately, the charitable deduction extraordinary generosity was the only widely used “Country Day has been in helping to ensure our deduction that was not students’ success beyond limited under the new such an important part their lifetime. law. In some cases, the of my life. Including tax benefits of making Country Day in my estate Giving options charitable gifts were plans through a gift of to consider: even expanded. life insurance was a Cash Some of the most logical and prudent way Giving cash by check, powerful philanthropic credit card, or other means tools available to Country for me to give back to a place that has impacted of transfer remains the Day’s donors come in my family and me in so most common way to make the form of deferred many positive ways.” a charitable contribution. gifts. The benefits of The new tax law continues deferred giving include – Richard Worrell ’91 to encourage gifts of cash and expands the limit on the amount you can deduct.

Retirement Funds and Life Insurance Gifts Tax benefits from gifting retirement account assets remain substantially unchanged under the new tax code. Life insurance policies provide another good option.

Give and Receive Income Did you know that you can make a gift today and also receive income from the gift for yourself and/or another person?

The income can be received for life or a particular term. You can make special gifts while also contributing toward your retirement, supporting parents or other loved ones, or providing funding for educational expenses or other special family needs. These plans can offer immediate income and/or capital gain tax savings.

Make Gifts over Time You may even make charitable gifts, such as a charitable lead trust, for a period of time before the assets funding the gift are returned to you and/or your heirs. When the assets pass to other beneficiaries after the charitable gifts are completed, the value of the gifts from the trust will serve to reduce or eliminate federal and/ or state income, gift, and estate taxes that might otherwise be due.

Appreciated Securities Given the current environment, many donors are finding it advantageous to Making Future Gifts make gifts of securities. If you own stock, There is also good news regarding future mutual funds, or other securities that gifts in the new tax law. Even fewer have increased in value, this route may estates will be subject to estate tax. Giving be a good one to consider. If the value of through your will or living trusts are cona security is less than its cost, however, venient ways to make gifts of a lifetime. it’s usually best to sell that security and make a gift with If you would like to explore how you might support the resulting cash.

Other Assets Gifting other property that has increased in value—such as real 6

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Country Day in ways that help you meet your overall planning goals, please contact Lauren Batten, Director of Advancement, at (704) 943-4539 or lauren.batten@charlottecountryday.org

What Are College Admission Officers Really Looking For Among Applicants?

By Katie Elsasser, Director of College Counseling

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N THE FALL, I attended the National Association for College Admission Counseling conference and sat in on a session called “Peering into the Crystal Ball: Selective College Admission in 2025.” Among the panel were representatives from Princeton University, Bucknell University, Drew University, and the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, who all spoke about the trend toward valuing candidates who show “performance-based character” and “grit.” That’s not to say that good grades and a challenging academic course load in high school are not important. But when colleges are looking at thousands of applicants with strong “numbers,” they look beyond that for the humanistic attributes that indicate a young person who can make an impact.

More and more, they will be looking for students who are responsible in accomplishing an objective, who persevere, who are curious. They want students who meaningfully contribute to their communities and/or their families, who have overcome obstacles, and who work hard. These colleges seek students who can demonstrate that they are decent and kind to others day to day and who have made a great impact on others.

There will be less and less emphasis on testing; indeed, there are many colleges and universities that are test-optional. Janet Rapelye, the dean of Admissions at Princeton said that while they will continue to seek students with academic excellence, they will also be looking for students with “fortitude”—those who are persistent and do well with teamwork and group settings, who have a tolerance for others. The challenge for students will be to show that they have those qualities with authenticity, not just to impress college admission officers.

As a college counselor and the parent of three Country Day graduates, I can firmly attest that we are producing the kind of well-rounded, passionate graduates that

selective colleges are seeking. Here are just three reasons why I think our Upper School makes our students ready for college and beyond: Strong Adult/Student Relationships— Country Day students are known and nurtured by their teachers, advisors, and coaches. The small student/teacher ratio means that students are supported when they are struggling and empowered to achieve their absolute best when they are ready to be challenged.

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program—Between 20 and 25 percent of any given class is accepted into the IB program, and the IB philosophy is reflective of the overall Country Day approach that emphasizes critical thinking, problem solving, risk taking, and resiliency. In the Upper School, 27 teachers are IB trained. (See page 28 for more.)

Selfless Service—Social responsibility is embedded into the student experience at Country Day. In my own children, I saw how the lessons they learned starting in Lower School about the value in helping others led to their distinctive passions in high school—one who promoted literacy through Promising Pages, another who championed affordable housing with Habitat for Humanity, and the oldest who supported underserved schools through ReLax, an organization that donates gently used sports equipment.

Katie Elsasser with daughter Anna ’17

SPRING 2018

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NEWS & NOTES

Affinity Groups:

Why Do They Exist at Country Day?

By Brian Wise, Director of Diversity Planning

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HE EXISTENCE of affinity groups at an independent school like ours can sometimes be puzzling, with the response to the idea of affinity groups ranging from enthusiastic support to skepticism and even tempered opposition.

People unfamiliar with the ideas and concepts behind the creation of these groups may initially regard them as divisive and contrary to the values of inclusivity and community.

Why are Affinity Groups Necessary?

Simply defined, an affinity group is a formal or informal group of individuals linked by a shared interest, experience, social identifier, purpose, or goal. Affinity groups strengthen our community by providing support and affirmation to our students and parents whose identities, whether racial, ethnic, or otherwise, may differ from the majority population and culture at Country Day. Our affinity groups: • Reduce the sense of isolation, discomfort, and even marginalization many children can feel.

The Annual POCIS Back to School Cookout always brings out a big crowd.

• Encourage students to embrace the different parts of their identity and to feel confident and proud about themselves, thereby building resilience (rather than silently suppressing aspects of that identity because it is different from the majority culture).

• Help students to feel more visible and more included in our community; thereby increasing their commitment to inclusion and empowering them to engage the broader community more confidently.

Is the Group I Eat Lunch with an Affinity Group?

When speaking with students about affinity groups, I often ask, “Who do you eat lunch with most often?” The answer is usually with their friends or teammates. When I dig a little deeper, they 8

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tell me they eat or hang out with the people they have the most in common with. I get a very similar response when I ask the same question of faculty. Math teachers eat with math teachers, science teachers with science teachers, history teachers with history teachers. These are informal affinity groups because when an “outsider” sits at one of those earmarked lunch tables as a nonmember, there can be initial awkward tension. I think we all have experienced this scenario in one form or another because

NEWS & NOTES

NEWS & NOTES

Sandra Raymore and James Roberts:

COMMUNITY BUILDERS The couple was inducted into the Honorary Alumni Association in February In numerous ways, Sandra Raymore and James Roberts have left a lasting impact on Country Day through their leadership, generosity of time and resources, and influence as community ambassadors for the school. These parents of graduates—William, Jeffrey, and Rachel, triplets from the Class of 2012—helped found and lead the school’s People of Color in Independent Schools (POCIS) chapter, and were awarded the Affirming Community Together Award from POCIS for helping to foster diversity within the Country Day community.

From day one Sandra and James were committed to getting involved in school life and making Country Day a great place for all students, according to Brian Wise, director of Diversity Planning. The – Mark Reed, Head of School couple served in many leadership capacities, beginning with the Committee on Culture and Climate, which developed the current school Mission and Affirmation of Community. Likewise, they served on the Boosters Club, Sandra was a dedicated leader within the Parents’ Association, serving as Middle School Board chair and PA president. James served on the Board of Trustees from 2007–2017,

participating on numerous committees, including the Development Committee, the Head’s Advisory Committee, and was the chair of the Marketing and Communications Committee. He continues to serve the school as a Campaign Cabinet member.

“They are living role models for our students,” says Mark Reed, Head of School. “They are very intellectual, yet also down to earth and committed to community. I have appreciated their thoughtful approach to the school’s challenges and the valuable insight they have offered me.”

“They are just the best of the best,” sums up Brian. “I consider both of them bridge builders.”

“They are living role models for our students.”

affinity groups are a natural part of any community.

What about the Formal Affinity Groups?

Formal affinity groups at Country Day allow students who share a common culture/social identifier to come together for nurturing and celebration in a safe and protected environment. Our affinity groups provide the opportunity and time for students and parents to integrate personal stories and experiences, enact change, and become leaders of our community. They include: Middle School: African American Girls, African American Boys, You Go Girl, Multiracial Student Group

Upper School: Affinity groups fall under the umbrella of the Diversity Awareness Forum which seeks to promote a general respect for people’s differences by creating an open-minded environment that embraces all people, ideas, and cultures.

Groups include Interfaith Club, El Foro Hispano, Black Student Union, Girl Up, SWAG (Super Women’s Affinity Group), PRISSM (Promoting Respect Inclusion and Safety for Sexual Minorities), Asian Affinity Group, and International Club.

Parents: The International Parents Groups help international parents and students acclimate to life in Charlotte and at Country Day. POCIS (People of Color in Independent Schools) supports teachers, administrators, parents, and students who

believe that diversity and multiculturalism are endemic to quality education for all.

These organizations are invaluable and work to serve and enrich Country Day students and families.

Mission Centered Country Day affinity groups create a positive and constructive context for students to explore and affirm their identities and experiences with the full support of the school leadership. This approach helps to strengthen our community and to cultivate students confident enough in themselves and their place in this community that they can grow into young leaders.

SPRING 2018

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NEWS & NOTES Physical Education at Country Day

Exercise is

Good for Your Brain!

As seen in Charlotte Parent, Middle School Physical Education teacher McKensy Phillips shares some tips and information about using physical activity in the classroom to further engage and inspire learning.

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OU MAY have heard that physical exercise is not only important for your body’s health, but it also helps your brain. Exercise releases a protein called BDNF, which keeps brain cells functioning and growing. This protein can be called “the master molecule of the learning process.” Greater amounts of BDNF mean that your brain is better able to make the connections between the brain cells (neural networks) that are the physical representation of what you have learned.

So What Does this Mean?

Exercise is not just good for the heart and muscles, it’s good for the brain. So much that many researchers believe that getting your students’ heart rates up after learning new material may facilitate the learning process.

Once you teach new information, give your children some time to ponder it (read: don’t just keep going forward). For example, when teaching a new concept 10

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in math, instead of teaching it and then immediately allowing them time to tackle some equations, give the students a small break to move around, allow connections to be made, boost the blood flow to the brain a bit, rejuvenate, and then get focused. This not only activates the oxygen, blood flow, and brain cells, but it also helps refocus the students’ attention.

Tips for using exercise for learning in and out of the classroom: • Have children get up and do 10 jumping jacks.

• Ask them to move their desks around so they adjust from a teacher-lecture pattern to a peer-share configuration.

• Have students go get something from the outskirts of the room.

• Give the students a quick water break.

• Have the kids stand up and high-five each other after each correctly solved equation.

Country Day students love their physical education classes for one reason—fun!

They’d be surprised to know how much science lies behind our comprehensive fitness program. In Lower School, the award-winning program brings whole grades together every day for 30 minutes of exercise and community building.

Recognized as a North Carolina Physical Education Demonstration School, our program incorporates cardio, strength, flexibility, and agility—all four key components of fitness. It also creates an opportunity for entire grades to interact, leading to better social skills and higher self-esteem. All of this unfolds every day in outstanding facilities that include a gymnasium, tennis courts, indoor and outdoor tracks, and plenty of field space.

All Middle School students also participate in physical education every day. The program concentrates on a student’s physical fitness level with emphasis placed on improvement.

Country Day’s program is also recognized by the Governor’s Council on Physical Education and Health for our efforts to improve physical education programming and by the National Physical Education Association, which recognizes top elementary physical education programs in the nation.

NEWS & NOTES

Two Longtime Professionals Honored Dianne Lawing and Susan McConderee inducted into the Honorary Alumni Association

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HEY WORK on different campuses, in different roles, yet Dianne Lawing and Susan McConderee share a reputation for being the “go to” knowledge keepers for their respective teams, along with having the admiration of their peers for their commitment to Country Day. They were both inducted into the Honorary Alumni Association on February 28, a fitting tribute before they both retire in June.

Honorary Alumna for Faculty/Staff: Susan McConderee Known as “mission control” to her colleagues, Susan is an integral component to the success of Country Day’s Advancement office. Susan has spent nearly her entire 31 years of service to Country Day helping to build our school’s strong culture of philanthropy and steward our closest friends and supporters. She is the big-hearted, hardworking, behind-the-scenes administrative player who helps make so many programs and events flow seamlessly—from capital “For Susan, it’s all campaign listening sessions and about the people. annual fund mailings to alumni events. Over the years, Susan has That’s defined her done nearly every job within the success and her work Advancement office and is a lifelong learner who embraces here; she represents new technology and office Country Day to so efficiencies, while also being many people who the keeper of our institutional traditions, history, and culture. have been a part of Warm, friendly, organized, and this school community knowledgeable, Susan is also known for her great sense of for generations.” humor and ability to “tell it like it is.” We will miss her dearly when — Lauren Batten, Director of Advancement she retires in June to spend more time with her beloved husband, Ray.

Honorary Alumna “Dianne is the kind of for Faculty/Staff: person who does so many Dianne Lawing things behind the scenes, Longtime scheduling coordinator and math for which she wants no teacher at the Middle fanfare. The school is a School, Dianne is respected, appreciated, better place, our students even revered, for her and teachers are served ability to accommodate better, because of people so many needs, anticipate and head like Dianne.” off challenges, and problem solve, all —Warren Sepkowitz, Head of Middle School with her trademark calm and can-do spirit. She is the computer whiz who can slice and dice the data in our various software programs and patiently guide others who are less technically proficient. She is the keeper of knowledge and know-how, who influences quietly from behind the scenes to make the Middle School such a fantastic environment for our students.

But it’s not all about schedules, report cards, and operations for Dianne. Since joining Country Day in 1985, Dianne has served Middle School faculty and students in all grades as a math teacher, department chair, Student Council advisor, PE teacher, and a volleyball and basketball coach. She also worked tirelessly and received great personal satisfaction from her many years as coach of the MathCounts team. Dianne’s son, Tripp ’91, attended Country Day, and her grandson, Peter, is in eighth grade. She looks forward to spending more time with her family, and playing golf, when she retires in June.

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Overheard Charlotte Country Day School is a special place. The environment is supportive, creative, and motivating.

The teachers are outstanding. They truly care about their students, and encourage students to be curious learners and to be compassionate citizens.

Charlottean: Aishwarya Sharma, a junior at Charlotte Country Day, for being recognized by the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence for her service and passion. She recently established the state's first Say eNOugh Club.

As seen in Charlotte Agenda’s daily newsletter sent on February 5, 2018.

Esther Farnham November 21, 2017

You’re going to have to work for it, but a little savings can build up to something big.

– Lauren Johnson, fourth grader (who is saving money for the Oceanography Club), as seen in Your $, the TIME For Kids financial literacy magazine, January 2018 issue.

KriolaMommyScholar @DrTLimaNeves I had an awesome lunch conversation with 7th grade young women at Charlotte Country Day as the Cabo Verde Country Liaison for their Global Village program. I could tell they’d done a tremendous amount of research prior to meeting with me. I’m impressed.

#caboverde @ccdsnews

I have a privilege I won’t waste and a passion for diversity and leadership I can’t contain. My words are powerful; I’ll never stop speaking up.

– Sammy Ferris ’18, Country Day’s 30th Morehead-Cain Scholarship recipient (and fifth in six years), from her application for this highly selective scholarship to UNC-Chapel Hill.

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Whether this is your first or 14th year here, please do your part to make this an accepting and open-minded community. Whether that means including someone in your game at recess, sitting with the kid sitting alone at lunch, or standing up for someone when you see that they need it, do your best to make this community the best it can be.

Jake Morris, Student Body president, speaking at the sixth annual All-School Convocation, which served to elevate three aspects of the Key Values in our Mission: Academic Excellence, Moral Courage, and Kindness.

Instead of fighting technology, let’s help kids build a thoughtful relationship with it.

Devorah Heitner, author of Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and Survive) in Their Digital World, who met with Lower and Middle School faculty and parents to share her knowledge of how children engage with technology.

One of my most memorable experiences was having the honor of driving Florence Chapman around campus in a golf cart for her 80th birthday parade.

– Jim Griffo, Campus Store manager, celebrating 30 years of service to Country Day, was one of 22 faculty and staff honored by the Parents’ Association on the first day of the 2017–18 academic year.

Thoughtful, respectful, and unified.

It’s a reminder that size isn’t everything!

An observation from Dr. Tony Lombardino, Upper School psychology teacher and ornithology expert, on the predatory habits of the red-tailed and cooper hawks relative to crows and other smaller song birds after a hawk sighting on Cannon Campus.

They made it about community and they made it an opportunity for everyone and anyone who loves Country Day to make an impact.

– Merrill Mills, director of the Country Day Fund, speaking in support of Alex and Patty Funderburg, recipients of the David L. Hood Jr. Award for Volunteer Service.

– Three principles of the Athletics Department, as stated by Director Abe Wehmiller, to be used as a foundation for conversations with coaches and student-athletes on events surrounding NFL protests.

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FEATURES

BUILDING

COMMUNITY COMMUNITY From sharing creative design ideas to making curricular connections in math, science, art, and engineering, students have been engaged in the exciting construction projects occurring on Cannon Campus.

The construction educational team took Lower School classes on tours through the facilities, incorporating technology that allowed students to virtually see inside the finished Learning Center.

The Hance Learning Center construction was the inspiration for drawing lessons at the easels for kindergarten students earlier this year.

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rom our littlest students who were overwhelmingly excited to see bulldozers on the other side of the construction safety fence this past fall to the Upper School teens who took note this winter of the workers toiling in cold, wind, and snow three stories up, the construction projects underway on Cannon Campus are already making an emotional and curricular impact.

“It’s presented an amazing opportunity for our students to be an active part of our community and campus growth,” shares Ashley Johnston, Lower School director of studies. “Each new space ultimately serves the students, and we’ve been fortunate to hear our students’ voices at every step of the process.”

For instance, fourth graders have had the opportunity to be on the actual design team sharing their thoughts and perspectives on how the Hance Lower School Learning Center can best serve students. Greg Walters, facilities director/Plant Operations manager, says, “Having the students and faculty involved in different ways with the construction demonstrates to us that the entire community is ‘all-in’ with our construction activities, and even in the details. It’s not just something we

have to do. The energy level, interest, and support is very high and it makes things exciting.”

The construction educational team took Lower School classes on tours through the facilities and shared 3D glasses so students could virtually see inside the finished Learning Center. Melissa Salvato, thirdgrade teacher, shares, “The construction site superintendent and Greg Walters weaved math, geometry, and measurement into their tour. They also shared the value of a timeline, working toward a deadline, and project management as tools, which align with the skill building we introduce in third grade. Along with using the virtual reality glasses, the experience was a great opportunity for some of our dreamers to see that playing with LEGOs can someday be applied to real life. They will be the future architects, superintendents, and VR architects, too.”

To honor our school community, its history, and our hope for the future of Country Day, Head of School Mark Reed asked all 2,000 members of our academic community at the All-School Convocation to sign a steel beam that was later hoisted to the top of the Purdy Center for Science and Mathematics.

FUTURE LEARNING CENTER NAMED IN HONOR OF JOHN AND CLAUDIA BELK

Anticipated opening in the summer of 2020 In April, Head of School Mark Reed The John and Claudia Belk Upper and Board Chair Todd Gorelick ’82 School Learning Center is made possible announced the anticipated opening in by a gift from the John M. Belk family, the summer of 2020 of the new John MC Belk Pilon ’92, and Jeff Pilon ’92 and Claudia Belk Upper School Learning of more than $5 million toward capital, Center. The Belk Learning endowment, and the “The more you do Center will be a versatile Country Day Fund. and dynamic academic In choosing the for mankind, the space at the heart of name for the Learning better you’ll like life. our Upper School. This Center, MC and Jeff Whether it’s a technologically advanced sought to honor the company or a city or state-of-the-art library will work of John and state, you’ve got to promote individual and Claudia Belk. John Belk leave it better for the once said, “The more group study both during and after school, while you do for mankind, next generation.” also serving as an inviting the better you’ll like community gathering space. The Belk life. Whether it’s a company or a city or Learning Center is also the final comstate, you’ve got to leave it better for the ponent of a three-phased construction next generation.” The Learning Center plan that delivers on our strategic priority is a current advancement of his lifelong to create a distinctive and innovative effort to leave things better for those learning environment. who will come in the future.

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For up-to-date stories and information about construction progress, visit charlottecountryday.org/distinctivelearning.

Bruton Smith Athletic Center

PURDY CENTER FOR SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS Opening: August 2018 Cannon Science Building Pell Hall

CREATING NEW OPPORTUNITIES

CARMEL R OENVIRONMENT AD IN A DISTINCTIVE LEARNING

While it’s true that learning can take place just about anywhere, students and faculty thrive when they work in spaces that fully support innovative and creative academic programming. As part of the Strategic Plan process, the school community expressed a desire to ensure we continue to offer our students a distinctive and sustainable learning environment.

The Board of Trustees approved a long-range master facilities plan to create a distinctive and innovative learning environment, strengthen community, and prepare students for a fastchanging global society. These capital projects surfaced as priorities:

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• Purdy Center for Science and Mathematics (New Upper School Math/Science Building) • Dowd Student Center (New Upper and Lower School Student Center, includes cafeterias) • Hance Lower School Learning Center (includes Extended Day) • John and Claudia Belk Upper School Learning Center • Endowment (to support programming, financial aid, faculty professional development, and operations) • Continued strength of the Country Day Fund

PHASE PHASE

II

I

HANCE LOWER SCHOOL LEARNING CENTER Opening: August 2018

DOWD STUDENT CENTER Anticipated Completion: August 2019 Gorelick Family Theater

Dickson Kindergarten Building Belk Hall

Barnhardt Hall

Bray Hall

Levine Center

PROJECTED PHASE

III

Claudia Watkins Belk

Hall

JOHN AND CLAUDIA BELK UPPER SCHOOL LEARNING CENTER Anticipated Groundbreaking: June 2019

The Purdy Center for Science and Mathematics is on schedule for an August 2018 opening.

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AMAZE The

Curriculum Helps Build a Foundation for Critical Thinking

Students learn best when they are known, seen, safe, and valued; and their critical-thinking skills increase when they are taught to view history, literature, and current events from multiple perspectives.

This curriculum approach gets underway in junior kindergarten.

E

ven though our youngest students are just five and six years old, parents and teachers alike ask ourselves, “What skills do we want these children to leave Country Day with upon graduating?” It is certain that we all want our children to come away with strong reading comprehension and writing skills, deep math and science literacy, and a strong knowledge base of past and current events, along with a host of other tangible abilities.

A “softer” skill set, but no less important, falls under the umbrella of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). In fact, our Affirmation of Community calls on us to

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develop curriculum that equips students to think critically, to act respectfully, and to show sensitivity to the needs and feelings of others in preparation for success in local and global communities. That’s because when we create a learning environment in which every child feels known, seen, safe, and valued, they are more willing to take risks. That leads to a greater depth of understanding, builds critical thinking skills, and improves the academic experience. A meta-analysis of research published in the journal Child Development showed an 11 percentile gain in academic achievement for students who participated in a well-implemented social/emotional learning program versus students who didn’t.

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FEATURES Mirrors and Windows

Children are naturally curious, and at a very early age, they recognize similarities and differences. What they don’t do—at least at first—is ascribe a value to those differences. The intentional DEI and social/emotional learning work we do in the junior kindergarten and kindergarten classrooms lays the groundwork for continued openness to and respect for difference in developmentally appropriate ways.

“Over the past two years, we have fortified our classroom culture and settings with the AMAZE curriculum,” explains junior kindergarten teacher Amy Ilfeld, who helped pilot the program for the Lower School. “In a nutshell, the AMAZE program provides children with dolls, conversation, and high-quality literature that mirrors their own likes and dislikes, physical features, and home life. The program tools also provide a window into differences such as family structure, socioeconomic status, or heritage.”

The role of play to explore human differences and reduce bias is a newer

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addition to the curriculum that is proving very powerful. As anyone with young children knows, at this age, they still view inanimate objects as having real personalities and real feelings, so the dolls become “classmates.” For instance, during a recent lesson, Mrs. Ilfeld introduced “Rahma” to the class, which she summarized this way: “I told the children that Rahma lives with her mom, and her sister, her ‘aunt,’ and her

aunt’s two children from Somalia. Rahma is shy and loves books. I shared with the children that Rahma wears a hijab as part of her Muslim religion and that in order to respect her beliefs, they shouldn’t tug on the hijab or take it off her head. The curious children asked all kinds of questions and were delighted to learn that, just like many of them, Rahma loves macaroni and cheese and reading books about elephants. Because we

When we create a learning environment in which every child feels known, seen, safe, and valued, they are more willing to take risks. That leads to a greater depth of understanding, builds critical thinking skills, and improves the educational experience.

From BucsBlog (blog.charlottecountryday.org)

This excerpt from a recent leadership blog by Adele Paynter provides another example of how inclusion teaches children to think critically.

had been learning about building, I finished the lesson by asking the children to create a space that would feel comfortable and safe for Rahma using various mediums, such as building blocks and crayons. One child showed me her drawing of a house and added that she was going to draw a Christmas tree for Rahma. This created an opportunity for an age-appropriate discussion about holiday traditions that addressed awareness of, and respect for, Rahma’s values.”

Launching Discussion The dolls are complimented by powerful picture books to help launch discussions and give children a foundation for understanding themselves and others. Young children often think that if someone is alike in one way, they must be alike in another way. This “transductive reasoning” is often applied to gender—“I am a girl and I like dancing, so being a girl makes people good at dancing.”

To disrupt this pattern of thinking and teach children to think about people in more complex ways, discussions take place about stereotype, and teachers read books that dismantle a single perspective on what it means to be a girl or boy.

“The incredible conversations we have with young children would astound

you,” says Mrs. Ilfeld. “They have formed fixed perceptions; and yet, they are open to change through discussion. The objective is not to teach a value judgment about difference, but rather to recognize and respect the difference.”

A Foundation to Grow On At all grade levels, Country Day teachers develop curriculum with intention and purpose to guide our students to be leaders, thinkers, and doers. “As our students define a healthy sense of self, they develop a strong identity, and strong identities have strong voices,” sums up Mrs. Ilfeld. “Whether in the next grade, in college, or the workplace, these are the voices that ask questions such as ‘Why is it like that?’ ‘What can I do?’ One could argue that social and emotional skills empower students to make change. And that will be important for our students to navigate a complex, integrated world.”

“One of my favorite TED Talks of all time is The Danger of a Single Story by Chimamanda Adichie. In it, she says, ‘In social studies, students need access to multiple texts so they have more than a single story about an event. The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story.’

“We want our students to be more critical in their intake of information, asking questions like: Whose voice is represented here? Whose voice is missing? How might they understand this story differently than this author? This year, our fourth graders showcased this kind of thinking in their simulation of the Second Continental Congress, in which some took on the perspective of the Patriots, while others passionately argued as Loyalists. The end result—really good, rigorous academic thinking and a deeper understanding of the issues on all sides.”

These are a few of the persona dolls used to teach anti-bias to our youngest students.

– Contributors Lee-Anne Black, Amy Ilfeld, and Adele Paynter

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Art Paying Attention to

Research tells us that the

creative arts help to improve the attention spans of the

adolescent brain, as well

as hone problem solving,

collaboration, and critical thinking skills. On Bissell Campus, caring teachers give students opportunities in and out of the classroom to flex their artistic muscles.

By Beth Lawing

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It’s lunchtime for seventh graders, and Anna Stevens, along with several more students, can be found in art teacher Dwayne Wilson’s classroom. Anna has been personally motivated to come to the art room during her lunch break for three time-consuming weeks to work on her “Pop-Art Project” that’s based freely on the work of artist Burton Morris. This scene, where orange slices live peaceably with orange paint, is replicated on a regular basis in the art classrooms of Mike Hennessey and Stacy Utley, as well.

Beyond the joy that any teacher feels in accommodating students who want to spend extra time honing their skills, these art teachers know that this gift of space and time can also increase the overall attention spans of their Middle School students. Medical research suggests that the human brain is made up of a system of neural pathways which are dedicated to attention. Training these networks through increased practice improves general measures of intelligence in children. Current research at Johns Hopkins suggests that learning how to create art—be it music, visual arts, or drama— activates the attention networks inside the teenage brain.

In other words, the virtue of diligence appears to impact the overall hardwiring of their brains.

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“Art is experimentation and exploration. We give our students room to explore for themselves after providing them with a strong foundation in art history.”

–Mr. Utley

That persistence can be seen in Anna’s description of her lunchtime work: “I started with thumbnail sketches, then bigger copies of my ideas, then a rough draft. At first, I planned on using paint, but then I changed my mind because I knew that Sharpies would give my work more ‘Pop!’ And when I thought of ‘Pop,’ I thought of ‘Pop Tarts’! I love the comical look of my piece and how it has my own twist of colors. I’m really proud of how cartoony my cherry illustrations came out on the ‘PopTarts’ box.”

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Developing Creative Thinkers “The best way to teach art to anyone of any age,” explains Mr. Utley, “is to make it relatable. The use of color, texture, rhythm, and movement will always capture people’s attentions. When I teach the material in such a way that the art is relatable, I can see the wheels in my students’ heads begin to turn as they incorporate the new ideas I present to them into their previous understandings of the world.”

“After we teach our fifth graders the art history behind the oldest cave paintings in Lascaux, France,” says Mr. Wilson, “I like to transform my art room so that it is like a cave. I turn out the lights, I turn up the AC, and I have my students paint in cramped quarters with only rudimentary materials—just like early humans did.

Recreating the surroundings helps the students mimic the methods and the styles of the early cave artists. Basically, we want our art rooms to be a safe environment that is nonjudgmental so that everyone feels welcome and can discover new means of self-expression.”

“That is what art is,” agrees Mr. Utley. “Art is experimentation and exploration. We give our students room to explore for themselves after providing

them with a strong foundation in art history.”

Just as history is interwoven with art, art is interwoven into other academic disciplines. “Art is history,” explains Latin teacher John Feliciano. “Every chapter we examine starts with a discussion of a painting to put the stories that we are about to translate into a historical context.”

Since many ancient societies had high levels of illiteracy, people shared information through art forms. “For centuries artists have turned to Greek and Roman mythology for inspiration. In the same vein, I have my students create mosaics based on stories from Ovid’s Metamorphoses,” explains Mr. Feliciano.

“Mosaic is a great medium for instilling confidence in students as it is a relatively simple art form that people have been using for thousands of years.”

The end result is a lovely new gallery of mosaics outside Mr. Feliciano’s room depicting tales like Minerva and Arachne, Jupiter and Calista, and Romulus and Remus to name a few.

Becoming More Resourceful When fifth-grade artists arrive on the Bissell Campus, they learn pretty quickly that their art teachers are building them up to think for themselves (a teaching practice known as modeling metacognition). “For example, if students want to make 20 perfect circles for their art pieces and come to me for assistance,” explains Mr. Wilson, “I’ll say, ‘Well, can you find anything circular in the art room to trace?’ In no time, they’ve found the lid to a spray-top can and are creating the artwork themselves without my help. I joke with them that anything’s fair game to use in my art room—except my laptop!”

SURROUNDED BY

Art

“I’ve noticed that art at Country Day is not confined to the work our students make in the studios,” observes art teacher Stacy Utley, who joined the faculty in August. “You see it around campus in the murals and artwork of teachers, and in the framed works of notable artists. Art is in our library, cafeteria, gathering spaces, and green spaces. The pieces are as diverse as art can be and they are interwoven into every aspect of this campus. You can’t help but notice and appreciate it.”

The Artist in Residence Program is key to this intentional approach to community art. Middle School Head Warren Sepkowitz notes, “The Artist in Residence Program exposes our students to different mediums to help them more fully appreciate art while we simultaneously beautify our campus.”

This year, Country Day parent and internationally recognized artist Chas Fagan is working with our eighth-grade art students on the design of a sculpture.

Past Artists in Residence include: 2010–11: Mosaic with Pam Goode 2011–12: Mural with Lauren and

William Puckett 2012–13: Videography with David Johnson 2013–14: Musical Composition with

Alan Kaufman 2014–15: Theater Production with

Flying By Foy 2015–16 A capella Singing with

Catch 22 2016–17: Quilting with Linda Pelletier

“We’re definitely not Sotheby’s,” jokes Mr. Hennessey. “I reassure them by saying, ‘Don’t be afraid to fail! Don’t be afraid to make a mess!’ I especially like helping my students focus on the trial-and-error parts of the artistic process. In Middle School art, we research, we brainstorm, and we create several drafts of our work.

Students also collaborate on each other’s art by politely offering suggestions for improvement.

“And by the time they are eighth graders, I’ve taught them a lot about how the brain works,” says Mr. Hennessey. “My students know that the left side of the brain is where their ‘filing cabinet’ is for managing the order and logic that helps them with their daily routines. They also know that the right side of their brains is the experiential side that wants to try new things. We encourage our students to let the right side of their brains create without the left

side being too critical. To accomplish this lofty goal, I teach my students about contour drawing. Drawing without looking at one’s work allows the left side of the brain to ‘go to sleep’ while the right side gets creative.”

Research funded by the National Endowment for the Arts also suggests that adolescents who take visual art courses feel a greater sense of attachment to their schools than their peers. Other positive skills associated with participating in visual arts during adolescence include persistence, collaboration, creative thinking, problem solving, and overall motivation.

“That’s what I love about Country Day. Our children have such a distinct advantage because they can take art from the time they start kindergarten all the way through their senior year,” says Mr. Hennessey. “In my 30 years of teaching adolescents about art, I know firsthand that our approach, which focuses on teaching children how to think more deeply and more critically for themselves, will help them in the future as they learn to become even more adaptable in their ever-changing world.”

Art teachers Dwayne Wilson, Stacy Utley, and Mike Hennessey care deeply about developing the adolescent mind and heart.

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FEATURES

AN ALUMNA SHARES WHY

Everything is

Possible FOR COUNTRY DAY SENIORS

Laurie Goldman Smithwick ’87, our special guest speaker at Senior Convocation on August 25, shared five lessons for life with the Class of 2018 to make the most of their senior year and prepare themselves for all the possibilities that await them next year.

Special guest speaker Laurie Goldman Smithwick ’87 was introduced by her high school teacher and advisor, retired educator Mary Allen Todd. As a designer, business owner, WFAE contributor, and TED Talk presenter, Laurie often speaks on the topic of creativity.

Funny and engaging, Laurie shared with the students that one​​of​ her​ ​strongest​ ​memories​ ​of​ ​Country​ ​Day​ ​was​ ​being​ ​told​ by Ms. Todd ​ that​she ​​wasn’t living​​up​​to​​her p ​ otential. Now, she realizes, she says, “What​ ​Mary​ ​Todd​ ​saw​ ​when​ ​she​ ​looked​ ​at​ ​me,​ ​was someone​ ​who​ ​ seemed​ ​capable​ ​of​ ​doing​ ​anything,​ ​or,​ ​more​ ​accurately,​ ​EVERYTHING.” She added, “Despite what it may feel like, Country Day is not in the business of creating straight-A students. Instead, they’re creating artists and doctors; judges and marketing directors; athletes, parents, and engineers. And let me fill you in on a dirty little secret about adulthood: future judges don’t necessarily need to make straight A’s in AP biology. And engineers don’t necessarily need to make straight A’s in American Lit. Not that good grades aren’t worthwhile and definitely something to strive for, but the teachers at Country Day have much larger plans for you. That’s why, what they are really teaching you is how to think creatively.”

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“The teachers at Country Day have much larger plans for you. That’s why, what they are really teaching you is how to think creatively.”

– Laurie Goldman Smithwick ’87

FIVE LESSONS FOR SUCCESS Laurie concluded her address to seniors with five lessons for success in their final year of high school and beyond.

“So what can you do, in this, your last year at Country Day, to make sure you’re receiving the lessons Country Day is trying to impart? I’ve got five suggestions:”

1 Communicate.

Seek out every opportunity you can to work with other people, be it on a sports team, a service project, or planning a party.

Not only is collaboration an essential and challenging life skill, but communicating with other people gives you the opportunity to learn from them. Communicate.

2 Be willing to take risks.

Opening yourself up to vulnerability is opening yourself up to opportunity. Join a new club this year. Plan a flash mob at the soccer game. Ask. Him. Out. New, unfamiliar experiences will pay dividends for years to come. Take risks.

officemate looked over and saw that I was reading the article I was about to design.

“You actually read the articles?” she asked, incredulous. “Uhh. You DON’T read the articles?” I responded, also incredulous.

People. Keep learning.

5 Be open-minded.

When I was in 10th grade, I was struggling with some of the typical 10th grade struggles: Who am I? What do I stand for?

Is my outfit too matchy matchy? One day Paulette Beatty called me into her office.

I knew Ms. Beatty because we were both redheads, but she had never been one of my teachers, so why was I being called into her office? When I sat down she slid a folder across her desk to me; information about a study abroad program for 11th and

12th graders. “I think you should study abroad next year,” she said, even though high school students didn’t really do this back in the 80s. “And this is the program for you.” I looked at the folder, and the following September I boarded a plane bound for France, a new family that didn’t speak English, and a year that changed my perspective forever. Be open-minded.

Leave space for new experiences.

“All of you are capable of doing everything.

With that impossible standard, you will never live up to your full potential. But thanks to your time at Country Day, you’ll never stop trying. Seniors, experience everything you can this year.

“Soak it all up. Take it all with you.

“Have an amazing year. I cannot wait to see what you do next. THANK YOU.”

Head of School Mark Reed, Laurie Goldman Smithwick ’87, and retired English teacher Mary Todd.

3 Be flexible.

Life is change. The senior lounge is different this year. Roll with it, and realize that “different” isn’t inherently bad. Most of the time it’s just different. Learn from it. Be flexible.

4 Keep learning.

When I worked as a graphic designer in New York City, the firm I worked for was responsible for designing a monthly magazine—the whole magazine—from cover to cover—every month. Our creative director would divvy up and assign sections of the magazine to each of us. One day, my SPRING 2017

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“WHAT DO I KNOW?”

“HOW DO I KNOW IT?”

“WHAT HAPPENS WHEN DIFFERENT PEOPLE KNOW DIFFERENT THINGS?”

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FEATURES

Thinking about the

THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE Theory of Knowledge (TOK) is a required course in the International Baccalaureate Diploma program that asks students to question and reflect upon the process of acquiring knowledge and how they know what they know. It’s a little bit of theory and a whole lot of fun.

By Tim Waples, Upper School English and IB TOK teacher

When people ask me what “Theory of Knowledge,” or “TOK,” is, I often say, “It’s a critical thinking course.” But what exactly is “critical thinking?” Suddenly I’m questioning my own knowledge: I think I know what “critical thinking” is, but I would hate to have to define it!

And just like that, I’m doing TOK: I’m thinking about my knowledge, how it is useful to me, and how I very frequently encounter limits to what I know. Once we begin thinking about our knowledge, it becomes difficult—and undesirable— to stop.

So, is TOK as much and as little as “thinking about knowledge?” The very first homework assignment of the class (borrowed from my predecessor, Jerry Kasparek) asks students very simply to write down one hundred things that they

know. So simple, and yet so difficult.

After an initial rush of “facts,” we often find inspiration lacking: “I know I know a hundred things, but I can’t think of any!”

We find ourselves checking off the objects in the room, fast-forwarding through our daily routines, painstakingly struggling toward 100. And when we look at our lists, we find little shortcuts, like “The sky is blue,” or “2+2=4,” when the truth is that we are too often blind to the assumptions that make our shortcuts “work.” (So, for example, can 9+5=2? Look at a clock before you answer!) This first assignment reveals to us that our minds are amazing engines of knowledge, memory, attention, creativity, and possibility; but they are also balky office machines that rarely operate under ideal conditions. We are forever confronted by our own awkwardness and limitations.

Three Basic Questions I tell my students that TOK can be captured in three basic questions: “What do I know?”

“How do I know it?” and, “What happens when different people know different things?” Those questions, along with the distinction that TOK draws between “personal knowledge” (like knowing your favorite color or flavor of ice cream) and “shared knowledge” (like knowing that Country Day was founded in 1941), requires that our class be shaped by the knowledge of all the people in the room, not only the teacher. TOK has to be a studentcentered, discussion-oriented class.

From year to year, but even from section to section in the same year, each class is going to be its own distinct one-of-a-kind event. Teaching—or taking—TOK means being open to the perspectives of each of the people in the room, noticing how they overlap, discovering when they differ, or even disagree, and then finding out what happens next.

If you ask students about TOK, it won’t be long before they mention “Inquiries,” the two-page essays they are required to SPRING 2018

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FEATURES submit every other week. What is wonderful and horrible, according to students, about the Inquiry assignment is that they are absolutely free to write about anything they want, as long as they are analyzing their knowledge: what happened in TOK or any other class, family traditions, sibling or friend relationships, college visits or standardized test anxieties, technology and social media, travel experiences, current events or their wide-ranging activities and interests, from sports to arts to summer camps or jobs.

In an Inquiry, students generally ask a question and do their best to answer it, which might include recognizing the limitations or variations inherent in their answer, or how their answer has changed over time, or how it differs from the ways others might answer the same question.

I think students love the freedom they have to write about anything, and I know they sometimes hate the responsibility of being required to find and develop their own topics, when it’s easier (but so much less interesting and revealing!) to be told what is required. I hope that having this frequent and flexible assignment makes it easier for students to reflect on their thinking and their writing, to see their knowledge changing, and to communicate with me about their progress. I know that

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The Impact of TOK Theory of Knowledge (TOK) is intricately connected to the core IB experience. Students blog reflections on their CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) experiences, which often spark TOK Inquiries. The Extended Essay requirement, a 4,000 word, self-directed research paper on a topic of the student’s choosing, is introduced in TOK.

“I remember my class had many meaningful, eye-opening discussions about our world and society; and overall, the class taught me how to widen my lens on the world. I honestly think since TOK, I process my ideas differently.”

– Alana Markel ’18

“It represents a haven for reflection and examination of things we think we know.

We are really able to increase our knowledge through thinking with different perspectives because we are going beyond our previous assumptions.”

– Cana Scott ’19

Each day in TOK, I’m reminded that my knowledge is a powerful tool, but one that is incomplete without the awareness of others.

each year—every week, actually, since my two sections alternate deadlines—I am grateful for the energy, curiosity, passion, anxiety, and genuine reflectiveness that my students share with me in their writing.

And I am grateful every year that many of my Upper School faculty colleagues from across the disciplines come to visit, to discuss the ways that their own knowledge and experiences have shaped them. Right along with the students, I’m inspired and entertained by these visits, from Mr. Mick Stukes discussing Godel’s Incompleteness Theorem or the paradoxes inherent in the concept of infinity, to Dr. Tony Lombardino sharing the latest insights of neuroscience, or conducting an illusion which tricks us into “feeling” the sensation of touch in a rubber hand placed in front of us.

Each day in TOK, my students and my colleagues remind me that our knowledge allows us to be wise or foolish, to be kind or callous, to be globally minded or self-interested. Each day in TOK, I’m reminded that my knowledge is a powerful tool, but one that is incomplete without the awareness of others, and one of the few things that I can be sure of is that each day my knowledge is changing.

Although I’m confident that I know at least a hundred things, I know that trying to demonstrate it reveals the complexity and beauty and individuality of our knowledge.

By the Numbers

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$4 MILLION Scholarship offers awarded to IB classes over past five years

YEARS OFFERING THE IB DIPLOMA PROGRAM (Country Day was the first school in North Carolina.)

9:1

Student-teacher ratio

79

%

25 IB courses offered

In the past five years, IB Diploma recipients have matriculated to these selective schools: Colorado College Davidson College Duke University Hamilton College Johns Hopkins University Middlebury College New York University UNC-Chapel Hill University of Pennsylvania University of Texas at Austin Wake Forest University Washington and Lee University Washington University in St. Louis Yale University

(100% IB-trained teachers)

IB DIPLOMA PASS RATE AVERAGE 2013–16

(Class of 2017 averaged 94%; US average 68%)

7

IB Diploma scholar-athletes playing at the collegiate level

IB Diploma Recipients Say… “TOK with Dr. Kasparek was my favorite course in IB. In a lot of ways, it was more like a college-level course than other classes…along with Mr. (Ed) Kelly’s Honors European History and AP Physics with Mr. (Ron) Curtin.”

– Ayan Kayal ’99, associate general counsel, Facebook, Inc.

“The IB Program built a foundation of critical thinking and problem solving that has been paramount to my success. I adjusted to the expectations of higher education faster than my classmates who did not study under an IB curriculum. I am also a significantly better writer than I would have been without the intensive training in IB English, history, and Extended Essay. I know that what I took from my time in the program will continue to help me in my medical studies and in my career as a doctor.”

– Abby Winn ’10, MD candidate, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine; medical student researcher at VTC Research Institute

“I attribute a lot of my academic success in college to my IB education. I am able to see the big picture, thoroughly explain my thinking, and make connections with other ideas and subjects. IB also required me to be organized, manage my time productively, and communicate with teachers and classmates. Because of IB, I look forward to a challenge instead of veering away from one.”

– Mattie Newson ’13, English teacher, Mountain Brook High School, Birmingham, Alabama

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TAKE ME TO THE

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A long-term, water-quality monitoring project in AP Environmental Science fosters curiosity through real-world science and prepares students for college and career.

By Lee-Anne Black, editor

E

arly on a chilly Saturday morning in November, the seven students in Chris Gawle’s AP Environmental Science course gathered at a site just off Myers Park Drive to put into practice the water monitoring lessons they had been learning in class.

After doughnuts and hot chocolate, Mr. Gawle reviewed safety guidelines, showed students the testing sites, and made assignments for the morning. The students put on their boots and waders, picked up equipment like nets, turbidity tubes, chemical kits, and Hanna instruments, and headed off confidently to complete their assigned water measurement. They spent the next few hours testing and recording chemical water-quality indicators, such as nitrate, phosphate, and turbidity levels, along with assessing biological indicators among macro invertebrates.

Mr. Gawle (see page 36) has the process down to a science, so to speak, as this is the 16th year his AP juniors and seniors have conducted scientific field surveys of water quality and macrobenthos diversity.

Prior to the Myers Park Drive location, Mr. Gawle took his students on an overnight trip to Asheville to conduct a similar stream survey in the Pisgah Forest.

While productive, that trip came with scheduling logistics. In 2007, upon hearing that Mr. Gawle was looking for a suitable local site, the Premo family (whose daughter Katie Premo Hottel ’08 was a student in Mr. Gawle’s class) suggested their Airlie neighborhood along Myers Park Drive.

The new site in suburban Charlotte is ideal because it allows the student scientists to measure the effect of environmental input in two types of water—ponds and a stream—as well as map the variants in quality based on proximity of the water sources to Providence Road versus the homeowners. (See map, next page.)

“Even more important than the location is the process,” explains Mr. Gawle. “This project gives students the opportunity to apply the lessons learned in class to real-world applications and be a part of a long-term study, just as career scientists are.”

By conducting the same studies, at the same site, at the same time every year, the students can analyze trends and assess whether those trends differ based on distance from runoff surfaces. While the water quality has been consistently fair to good across the two sites, the study has shown species diversity to be highly variable.

SPRING 2018

33

FEATURES In August, senior Adina Peck, who was a member of Mr. Gawle’s AP class the previous school year, presented “LongTerm Monitoring of Briar Creek Water Quality and Macrobenthos Diversity” to the Airlie Homeowners Association. In a detailed presentation, Adina broke down the science in a thorough, yet digestible way, detailing 10-plus years’ worth of data collected by more than 100 Country Day students. She also provided tips on what the homeowners could do to ensure better water quality, such as using time-release fertilizer and picking up pet waste.

“I am proud that Adina stepped up to present our body of work. She represented Country Day well,” said Mr. Gawle. “I also can’t thank the Premos enough for hosting us all these years. In fact, even though they recently moved, they made sure the new owners would continue to allow us to use their driveway as our starting base!”

Instilling a Passion, Making a Lasting Impact The water monitoring project is just one way Mr. Gawle brings science to life for his students. Another popular activity is the Eco-Column Project, in which students build an ecosystem, add a global problem—such as acid rain or climate change—and then analyze the environmental impact. Students write mini-proposals, conduct their own research, analyze their data, and collaborate on their findings.

“They learn how to handle large amounts of complex data, and I teach them how to present their information correctly in tables and graphs,” explains Mr. Gawle.

“By the end of the process, they've completed a 20-30 page college-level 34

PERSPECTIVES

THIS PROJECT gives students the opportunity to apply the lessons learned in class to real-world applications and be a part of a long-term study, just as career scientists are. paper and gained the confidence to do well in college science courses.”

“I remember that felt like such a big project at the time,” says Christina Mills White ’06, a planner at Yellowstone National Park, who is currently focused on visitor use management. “What I can appreciate now is that Chris was teaching us the fundamental process we’d use over and over again in every college lab, then on a much larger scale in grad school, and then almost daily in our careers.

“The skill set of trying to wrap your head around a complex system, understand the drivers of that system, gather data around it, test solutions, and present complex information clearly to an audience is invaluable, and something many people never learn to do well. We’re working through the same process here at Yellowstone as we try to get a handle on our dramatic increase in visitation, how it affects park resources and visitor experience, and what we can do about it. It’s the same process and complex thinking that Chris teaches.”

Even though in high school Christina hadn’t thought of herself as someone who is good at science, much less who would pursue a career in the sciences, AP Environmental Science became her favorite class at Country Day, “partly because Chris is so enthusiastic and cares so deeply about what he is teaching, but also because he made science feel so human and connective,” she says.

“This was 12 years ago, but I distinctly remember sitting

in his class and thinking, ‘Wow, this is so important.’”

Sarah Gledhill ’12, an energy advisor with CLEAResult, an energy efficiency consulting company, echoes that sentiment. “Mr. Gawle really helped open my eyes to the world around me,” she says. “In high school, you’re still a kid. You put trash in the trash bin and don’t think twice about where it’s going.

I distinctly remember a slide he showed us about the one-way waste stream and how there is no circular feedback into that system. He really drilled in the ideas of sustainability and that, in so many ways, humans are taking more than they’re putting in and we can’t expect that to last forever. (Continued on page 36.)

Far from Providence Road

MY

DR

IVE

Impervious surfaces like roads cause runoff that is potentially high in metals, petroleum, and nutrients.

DE VI PRO A RO NCE

Potential runoff from lawns, (fertilizer, pet waste)

K AR S P ER

D

R R C A I BR

EE

K Near Providence Road

•

= Water Quality test site

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35

FEATURES

MEET Chris Gawle Upper School Science Teacher and Sustainability Coordinator Education: BS in biology, Bates College; MS in marine sciences, University of Charleston Classes taught: 9th grade Biology, AP Environmental Science, Environmental Issues, IB Environmental Societies, Marine Biology “I‘ve been teaching science at Country Day since 2002 and previously was in graduate school investigating the effects of watershed development on the environmental quality and fauna of tidal creeks in Charleston. I am passionate about teaching marine and environmental science and I am always striving to inspire my students to consider how they are connected globally to other peoples and to nature itself. I tell my students that if they aren’t outraged by something after taking my class, they haven’t been paying attention.

“I’ve been married to my wife, Julie, since 2008, and I am an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys traveling, hiking, autograph collecting, and SCUBA diving. If time and space were no limitation, I would thoroughly enjoy having dinner with Charles Darwin, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, and Carl Sagan.”

“That was powerful and I remember many days walking out of his class a little bit enraged. Then you get over the dramatic phase and ask ‘what can I do about it?’ The motivation I walked out of that class with carried over to college and I declared my major in environmental studies during my first semester at Middlebury. Today in my career, because I know the science and how systems are supposed to work, I am able to help change human behavior and make a difference in climate change,” says Sarah.

Whether or not his students choose to pursue a career in environmental science or sustainability, Mr. Gawle’s goal is to get 36

PERSPECTIVES

them ready for the next level. While he is proud of the fact that his students consistently earn top marks on the AP exam (five 4s and five 5s in 2017, for example), he says, “I want my students to leave for college feeling ready to handle an undergraduate thesis. I love hearing that they’re successfully preparing lab reports in their college science classes and that their professors are using their reports as examples to the rest of the class.”

“He may have trained me a bit too well,” jokes James Furr ’15, a junior studying sustainable technology and physics at Appalachian State University.

“The projects I did in Mr. Gawle’s class

were tougher than the assignments I have had so far in my sustainable development courses. It felt like real science; there are not a lot of classes that give you that kind of hands-on experience, even in college.”

James, who is a member of Appalachian’s successful solar vehicle team, also credits the biology and organic chemistry classes he took while at Country Day in influencing him and preparing him for college.

Christina sums up the influence Mr. Gawle has on his students this way: “He helped me realize I could make an incredible career out of something that I cared about that is also outdoors, adventurous, and important.”

Work

SCIENCE at

Christina Mills White ’06 is a planner

at Yellowstone National Park, where she is currently focused on visitor use management. “We’ve seen incredible increases in visitation, especially in the past few years,” she says. “We’re trying to figure out how that is impacting park resources and infrastructure and what to do about it. So it’s a bit of natural science, a bit of social science, and a bit of public policy.”

The Park Service has a dual mission, which is to first and foremost protect resources for future generations, but also to provide for visitor enjoyment.

“We’re constantly striving to do both of these things well, but balancing resource protection and visitor enjoyment is tricky when you have 4.2 million visits a year.”

Christina began her career with the National Park Service in 2010, after graduating from UNC-Chapel Hill with a degree in environmental studies. As a member of the Wilderness Stewardship Division, she worked at several parks helping to monitor wilderness resources and develop stewardship plans. She began her work at Yellowstone in 2012; and, in 2014, she earned a master’s of science in natural resource management from the University of Montana.

As an energy advisor, Sarah Gledhill ’12 consults with Colorado businesses and homeowners to be more energy efficient, utilize utility company incentives, and save money. “Something that really excites me about the energy efficiency

world is that even though we’re having political issues related to climate science and energy sources, at the end of the day, everyone pays energy bills, everybody wants to be comfortable in their homes, and everybody wants to save money. I think the economic benefits of sustainability are underplayed.”

For instance, Sarah works with lighting efficiency at CLEAResult. “It’s amazing how many incandescent bulbs are still around,” she says. “They create more heat than they create light. I didn’t really know until I started working in this field just how much inefficiency is out there. I like my work because I believe we need to talk about how to utilize energy more efficiently, before we talk about where our energy comes from.”

Sarah graduated from Middlebury College in 2017 with a degree in environmental studies. Before college, she took a gap year, which included conservation work in the Galapagos Islands.

A junior at Appalachian State, James Furr ’15 is majoring in sustainable technology with a minor in physics. He explains his major as “construction management and industrial design fused with sustainable development philosophy. Basically, I’m learning how to incorporate renewable energy sources into infrastructure.”

Outside of academics, James is heavily involved in App State’s student-led solar vehicle team, Team Sunergy, which placed third in the Formula Sun Grand Prix in July 2016. James joined the team his freshman year, because “it looked fun, interesting, and cool,” he says. As the team’s youngest member in 2016, James was a jack-of-all-trades learning the ropes.

Two years later, he is charged with making the structural loading calculations related to the suspension and electronics. “We’re building a new car for our next race coming up this summer,” he explains. “I spend about 15 hours a week working with the team. It’s a huge commitment, but it’s very rewarding. I’ve actually learned more from the solar vehicle team than from any of my classes.”

SPRING 2018

37

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Norma Mackenzie:

Innovative Science Teacher and Computer Pioneer “Education was the lucky winner when Norma Nuttall Mackenzie decided to teach. Of course, as a woman interested in science in the 1960s, she basically had only three choices: education, nursing, or medical technology.”

T

HAT QUOTE comes from a nomination for Norma Mackenzie in 1996 as the Faculty Exceptional Performance Award winner. Norma, who joined Country Day as a science teacher in 1970, retired in 2006, after more than three decades of inspired teaching, curriculum innovation, and deep dedication to her students and colleagues. Among her many innovations and contributions, Norma was a driving force behind the hands-on “C.D. By the Sea” Coastal Awareness Camp at Litchfield Beach to

38

PERSPECTIVES

teach students about ecology and coastal preservation in the 1980s.

She was also a computer pioneer. As colleges began to incorporate computer use into science labs in the early 1980s, Norma became the first area chemistry teacher to computerize her Chem I labs.

She continued to help the school usher in new technology like scanners, modems, and Internet access and she ran a popular summer program. Demanding, yet fun, Norma made an impact on generations of Country Day students.

ALUMNI MATTERS

Kristen Anderson-Lopez ’90

Named Alumna of the Year

Y

OU MAY not know Kristen, but you most definitely know her work.

She, along with her husband, Robert Lopez, are the highly talented duo who wrote the eight original songs for Disney’s Frozen, including “Let It Go,” for which they won the 2013 Academy Award for “Best Original Song,” along with two Grammys. Most recently, they wrote the musical centerpiece of the 2017 movie Coco, “Remember Me,” which won the 2018 Academy Award for “Best Original Song.”

On February 28, Kristen was named Alumna of the Year at the 37th annual Honorary Alumni Association Dinner. She accepted her award via video as she and her husband were understandably unable to travel to Charlotte. They were within days of opening night for their current creative endeavor, the stage musical adaptation of Frozen.

Prior to the phenomenal success of Frozen, Kristen and Robert had written music for numerous television shows, films, and musicals, including for the Disney film Winnie-the-Pooh. Kristen also provided the voice of Kanga in the film. Kristen joined Country Day after her family moved to Charlotte when she was 14. She played Mary Magdalene in the Upper School production of Jesus Christ Superstar and performed in various shows with the Children’s Theater of Charlotte. She went on to Williams College, where she double-majored in drama and psychology. While attending the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop in New York, she found her true calling as a lyricist and met her husband and collaborator. The Lopezes live and work in Brooklyn, and have two daughters, ages eight and 13.

Kristen earned a second Academy Award for her work on the hit movie Coco.

“It was a very inspiring experience to teach Kristen.

She always came into class with a positive attitude, with a bubbly personality that was just endless. She was fearless in front of a crowd, but also humble. She was an exceptional talent at voice and at drama. I’m very proud of her. Extremely proud of her.”

—Gary Forbis, Country Day choir director and Honorary Alumni Association member

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39

ALUMNI MATTERS

5

QUESTIONS for Danielle Ferguson

Danielle S. Ferguson, who joined Country Day in October as director of Alumni Relations, has more than 16 years of experience in constituency development and student engagement in independent schools. After graduating from The Hotchkiss School, followed by a BA from the State University of New York at Albany, Danielle received her master’s degree in education from Southern Methodist University.

Q: A:

Hulu, Netflix, or Sling? And what have you been binging on lately?

Since I cut the cord from cable, Hulu

has become my “go to” site for streaming network shows. I never miss an episode of This Is Us or Law & Order: Special Victims Unit! When I settle in for a binge session, it’s usually on Netflix.

I enjoyed the suspense of Stranger Things, and although I’ve never read a comic book, I loved the action in Jessica Jones and Luke Cage. Initially it provided a topic for conversations with my younger cousins back in Dallas but I kept watching because I got hooked. My interest in BBC shows started with Luther—I’m a fangirl of Idris Elba— and eventually branched out to include Broadchurch, Call the Midwife, Sherlock, Happy Valley, and The Great British Baking Show.

Q: A:

Do you have a Charlotte-area hidden gem?

Le’s Sandwiches and Cafe on N. Tryon

creates bahn mi sandwiches that are simple and perfect. I grew up in Brooklyn surrounded by lots of great ethnic food options. I’ve been happy to find Le’s and other gems that satisfy my foodie needs.

My other top pick is the network of greenways and trails that make up the Carolina Thread Trail. They may not be considered a hidden gem, but I do think 40

PERSPECTIVES

it’s one of our underutilized and under supported resources. Since moving to Charlotte, I’ve been slowly exploring green spaces in and around town. I like to be outside as much as possible, and, was excited to purchase a home near the McAlpine Greenway four years ago.

I frequently get out there for walks and bike rides.

Q:

It’s Saturday morning and

you have the day in front of you.

What do you do?

A:

Q:

You’ve worked at both boarding

schools and day schools your entire career. What’s the draw?

A:

I loved my experience as a student

at Hotchkiss because I felt like there were adults in the community who really saw me and understood how my cultural identity helped shape my character.

Throughout my career, a goal has been to use enthusiasm and empathy to connect across differences in meaningful ways to acknowledge student realities. The draw has been the wonderful students and colleagues that I have gotten to know over the years, and the idea that our interaction may leave a lasting influence.

Q:

What has surprised you most

about Country Day since joining our community?

A:

I can’t say that I’ve been surprised,

but I have been very encouraged by the deep love and appreciation that folks have for Country Day. I think #BucsforLife perfectly describes the alumni, parents of graduates, former faculty, and current students, faculty, and staff. I’ve been on a “listening tour,” so to speak, in recent months, and have had the pleasure of enjoying great conversation over coffee or lunch with a breadth of community members. Favorite memories that were shared with me include stories about building props for Spirit Week, and the hijinks that can ensue while traveling with students. There have also been great stories about the lasting impact that a teacher made and how they helped direct the career trajectory of a student. Hearing these stories makes me proud to now call myself a Buccaneer!

If I need to hit the regional farmers

market, I’m up and in that parking lot by 8 am to avoid the rush. After stocking up, I’ll head home to cook or meet up with friends for brunch. Weather permitting, at some point in the afternoon I look for an activity outside. That might include reading in my hammock, yard work, or hitting the greenway. I try to sign up for weekend activities at the Gantt, McColl, or Levine every month, so my day could also involve some time in Uptown. When I’m feeling lazy and just want to hang with my friends, we get together for cookouts, movies, day trips, and “crafternoons,” a few WANT TO KNOW MORE hours when we give ourselves about Danielle? Stop by Levine 208 to say hello, permission to take the time or reach her at (704) 943-4544 or to work on something that is danielle.ferguson@charlottecountryday.org. not work.

ALUMNI MATTERS

An online community for alumni, parents of alumni, and current and former faculty/staff We recently launched BucsConnect, an online community and professional networking platform created especially for alumni, parents of alumni, and current and former faculty/staff.

In addition to staying in touch with classmates, teachers, and

friends, BucsConnect allows you to share your knowledge, skills, and connections with our community. It’s easy to get started. You can sign up in less than two minutes by importing your LinkedIn or Facebook profile. Join today: bucsconnect.org

5 WAYS BucsConnect can be a resource for you 1

Search for a mentor to guide you in developing your career and leadership skills.

(OR offer to serve as a mentor)

2

Get advice preparing your resume or prepping for interviews. (OR answer questions about resumes/your profession)

3

Connect with alumni who can introduce you to key contacts in your field.

(OR introduce others to your business network)

4

Find a roommate or housing in your current/future city of residence.

(OR find a renter for your house/condo/apartment)

5

Meet up with alumni living nearby who enjoy similar interests.

(OR share info about what’s happening in your neighborhood)

All alumni, parents of alumni, and current and former faculty/staff are invited to join. Sign up today at bucsconnect.org.

You can sign up in less than two minutes by importing your LinkedIn or Facebook profile.

More than 300 members are already willing to be mentors.

Share your knowledge, skills, and connections.

Network with more than 5,500 community members in hundreds of locations and professions.

Find a job or internship.

This is just a sampling of BucsConnect features and benefits. Learn more at bucsconnect.org.

SPRING 2018

41

CLASS NOTES

1

Stay in Touch

We recognize that social media has changed the pace of communication, and therefore, the role of Class Notes. But we will always want to know and help you celebrate your big and small milestones. Share your professional, volunteer, and community news in a variety of ways: Tag your social posts #BucsforLife Join BucsConnect and post updates: bucsconnect.org E-Mail us at alumnirelations@charlottecountryday.org Update your information and send photos via the form at charlottecountryday.org/alumni

1978 David Diamond was elected Fellow of The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC), a nonprofit association of 2,500 lawyers and law professors. To qualify for membership, a lawyer must have no less than 10 years’ experience in the active practice of probate and trust law or estate planning. Lawyers and law professors are elected to be Fellows based on their outstanding reputation, exceptional skill, and substantial contributions to the field. It is their aim to improve and reform probate, trust and tax laws, procedures, and professional responsibility.

1987

Laura Lea Taylor and John White were married on September 30, 2017, in the gardens of the 1889 WhiteGate Inn & Cottage in Asheville, North Carolina.

Vinay Patel, president of SREE Hotels, opened a new Springhill Suites across from Charlotte’s Spectrum Center in April.

1988 Sally Harris is now the owner of Counseling Service at Lake Norman, a private counseling practice in the Lake Norman area.

Charles Marshall rocked out at The Visualite recently with his band the Balsa Gliders. Their newest album, “National Television,” is now out.

Tracy McCaskill Singer and her husband, Ron, recently moved into a new home in the Eastover neighborhood of Charlotte. Three years ago, Tracy and Ron welcomed into the world their precious daughter, Payton Singer, who joined older sisters, Emmye and Olivia Crawford.

PERSPECTIVES

1 Kristen Anderson-Lopez won her second

Academy Award for “Best Original Song” for writing “Remember Me” for the Pixar film Coco.

(See page 39.)

Alumna Landra Booker Johnson ’91

Shares Personal Story of Courage On Thursday, January 11, the Middle School “The good news is that welcomed current parent and alumna Landra today, there are more of us Booker Johnson ’91 as their assembly speaker who see the humanity in all in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. people, regardless of what Landra began her talk by challenging students to others look like, where they consider why we say “Happy Martin Luther King come from, how they speak, Day” given the turbulent times in which he lived, how they worship, who they and the way he died. love, or how they vote.”

To give context, she shared the story of Gina, a young girl raised in Belle Sumter, Alabama. The – Landra Booker Johnson ’91 gym was silent as Landra took us back to 1954.

She described seven-year-old Gina’s parents, siblings, home, small town, and the routine as Gina traveled on the bus to her segregated school. One day, after exiting that bus, Gina was deliberately struck by a passing car. The teen driver did not stop to offer help and was never prosecuted. Gina endured months of recovery in the hospital and had to learn how to walk again, but she did not let the accident hold her back. Gina grew up, graduated from college, became a teacher, and went on to become Gina Booker, Landra’s mother!

Landra believes there’s reason to celebrate the legacy of Dr. King because unlike those young men who hurt her mother, today there are “more of us who see the humanity of all people regardless of what others look like. Today the majority are those of us who believe in what our country was founded on; that we are all created equal.”

Landra Booker Johnson ’91 and her mother, Gina. Landra shared her mother’s story of courage in the face of discrimination at the Middle School MLK Day assembly.

42

1990

CLASS NOTES

3

2

1995

2006

Jennifer Dixon’s direct sales clothing company, La Señorita Jolie, was recently featured in the Charlotte Agenda for the national traction it has gained. CA wrote: “Known as LSJ by insiders, this company launched in 2013. La Señorita Jolie currently has a few hundred stylists across 28 states, with a fairly large pocket in Los Angeles.

Dixon hopes to grow to 1,000 people shortly.”

Megan Stiles married Andrew Lyford on May 28, 2017. Laura Buckfelder and Andrew Stiles ’04 served as wedding attendants. Megan and Andrew live outside Washington, DC, where Megan works for Capital One and Andrew is an aerospace engineer.

1998

Elizabeth Bernstein is happy to announce her engagement to Cameron Rifkin. They will marry in Charlotte this summer.

2 Helen Robinson Ambrose and family wel-

comed Gabriel “Gabe” Washington Ambrose on December 26. Gabe was six pounds, 10 ounces, and 19 inches. He joins big brothers Liam (5) and Jack (2). Everyone is doing well!

1999 Mignonne “Maggie” Gavigan Smith, founder and designer at Mignonne Gavigan, was selected as one of Southern Living’s “50 most stylish Southerners.“Her hand-beaded scarf necklaces and wing-shaped earrings add star power to everything from white tees and boyfriend jeans to your go-to LBD,” Southern Living wrote. The list is described as those who are “behind the blogs, brands, and Instagram feeds that highlight the best of Southern style right now.”

2001 Congratulations to Christopher Belk, cofounder of Saucehouse BBQ in Athens, Georgia. His restaurant and catering company, which highlights the regional differences in barbecue, was recognized by the University of Georgia Alumni Association as the 2018 fastest-growing business during the ninth annual Bulldog 100 Celebration.

Christopher earned his bachelor’s degree in political science in 2005 and his MBA in 2013.

4

5

2008 3 Jonathan Elsasser married Sarah Peck on

June 3, 2017, in the University of Virginia chapel.

Country Day classmates Lucas Fries, Michael Kipnis, Alex Sturges, Ben Turnbull, Alison Schiffli Orshoski, Lillie Cochran, and Roy Langley were present.

4 Sarah Hotham married Dr. Michael R. Zetz

Jr. on October 28, 2017 in Charleston, South Carolina. The family-only ceremony was held at Middleton Place and included Michael’s two sons, Caleb and McLeod. The reception was a full celebration with family and friends on the first night in their new home, also on the historic plantation property.

5 2015 USL Goalkeeper of the Year Brandon

Miller will return to Charlotte as keeper for the Charlotte Independence soccer club. Brandon currently holds the USL records for most shutouts in a single season (13) and goals-against-average in a single season (0.54). Independence Head Coach Mike Jeffries said Brandon’s championship pedigree goes a long way in filling a key position for the club.

2010 Chad Walton married Cameron Crawford on October 21, 2017.

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43

CLASS NOTES

2012

6

Allen Jackson graduated magna cum laude, with high honors in economics, from Middlebury College in May 2017. Allen served as a captain of the Middlebury tennis team in 2016 and senior captain in 2017, helping his team reach the NCAA Championships. Allen was recognized as an Intercollegiate Tennis Association Scholar Athlete throughout his college career. Allen is currently working in Chicago for William Blair as an investment banking analyst.

2013 Catherine Armistead’s artwork was recently selected for exhibit at the Viridian Gallery in Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan, NYC. Juried by Chrissie Iles, curator at the Whitney Museum of Art, New York, the title of the show is “30 Under 30.”

7

8

9

2014

6 Akanimo Eyo is an actor, known for The KAOS Brief, Isle of the Dead, and a recent appearance on the CBS show NCIS.

7 Alex Owen, who is graduating with a

master’s degree in computer science this spring from Johns Hopkins University, visited Cannon campus to speak with students in AP Computer Science classes. He told students about opportunities that are available in the computer science industry, including his two-summer internship at Tile, in Silicon Valley. He also spoke about the latest technology areas in computer science, including machine learning, quantum computers, autonomous vehicles, and cryptocurrencies (bitcoin, etc.). The discussion was lively and the students had lots of questions for Alex.

8 Jack Siman, a senior majoring in mechanical

engineering at Duke University, scored big during live College Game Day activities before the Duke v. UNC regular season finale on March 3. Selected for the State Farm half-court shot contest, Jack hit the basket on his second shot, winning $18,000!

9 James Furr and fellow members of the

Sunergy crew from Appalachian State University traveled to campus with their solar car, Apperion.

Students, including the Lower School Green Team, got in on this special treat. Apperion provided a real-world example of recent lessons on energy conservation and alternative energy sources. (See page 37 for more information about James.)

2016 William Byron won the NASCAR Xfinity title for Dale Jr.’s team by virtue of his third-place finish in the Ford EcoBoost 300 in his first and only season in the series (he jumped to the Cup Series this season).

44

PERSPECTIVES

i n m Aeleukend W April 8 2 & 7 2 018 2

FEATURING EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES FOR ALUMNI, PARENTS OF ALUMNI, AND RETIRED AND CURRENT FACULTY/STAFF See the full schedule and register to attend: charlottecountryday.org/AlumniWeekend

BUCSNOTES A ROUND-UP OF FUN FACTS EVERY BUC MIGHT LIKE TO KNOW.

80

150

The number of student-athletes currently participating in the Robert C. Witman Athletics Leadership Academy. Thirty of those are returnees from last year and are enrolled in the Veteran Leaders program. Fifty are participating in the Emerging Leaders program.

The number of creative classes, challenging sports camps, and fun activities offered through Summer Programs 2018. NEW this year—bus routes. Check it out at charlottecountryday.org/summer

31,635 The combined square feet of roofing installed in the construction of the Purdy Center for Science and Mathematics and the Hance Lower School Learning Center on Cannon Campus.

Learn more on page 14.

25

The number of years Country Day has offered the rigorous International Baccalaureate Diploma Program. We were the first school in the state to be accredited for IB.

2,508

The number of views of individual profile pages on BucsConnect, where 694 active users are networking personally and professionally. bucsconnect.org

SPRING 2018

45

Nonprofit Org. US Postage

PAI D

Charlotte, NC Permit No. 984

1440 Carmel Road Charlotte, NC 28226-5096 charlottecountryday.org

The Drowsy Chaperone was a hit on stage and online. Photos from the hilarious Upper School production were hugely popular on Instagram, and they generated lots of conversation on all social media channels.