Durham Academy: A Closer Look

( A CLOSER LOOK )

We Believe in Excellence We Believe in Laughter We Believe in Hopes & Dreams We Believe Teachers Change Lives We Believe in Hands On We Believe in Our Community We Believe in Becoming Your Best Self We Believe You Belong Here

WE BELIEVE IN

E XC E LLE N C E

“I

feel lucky to work with

our students. They are so excited about learning, it doesn’t matter what the subject is. All a teacher needs

Durham Academy is firmly grounded in a liberal arts tradition— the strongest foundation for cultivating ethical and intellectual virtue, curiosity and creativity, critical thinking and empathy.

is that kind of enthusiasm.”

—MICHELLE ROSEN, PRESCHOOL & LOWER SCHOOL LIBR ARIAN

“I chose DA for my children because I had a great experience here as a student.

I believe it’s one of the best schools in the country.”

—ROB E VERET T ’86, PARENT

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“The Durham Academy recipe really works to create happy, moral and productive lives.

We see beyond the current test score or sports season, beyond the end of the school year, beyond graduation.

That great beyond is what DA is really all about.”

—michael

ulku-steiner, HE AD OF SCHOOL

“What separates DA from the rest are the people. The teachers here are dedicated to making sure each and every student succeeds, and their care for us extends far beyond the classroom.”

—J U S T I N C H A N G , S E N I O R

“It’s pretty amazing when you’re able to grow up in an environment where your teachers can cultivate an amazing relationship with you while still encouraging you to try your hardest.”

—ELIZA GRANGER, JUNIOR

“I think students care more at DA.

They care about their progress and what they are learning. Their fresh ideas and surprising angles teach me to see new things.”

—J E F F B I E R S AC H , UPPER SCHOOL ENGLISH TE ACHER

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“We have strong coaches who know their sport and who can teach and develop skills, but who also care about the kids and have an Here, everyone is an athlete. We offer daily P.E. for our youngest students and intramurals and competitive teams as they grow.

impact on their success on and off the field.

DA’s philosophy combines high participation while keeping the competitive spirit.”

—STE VE ENGEBRETSEN, D I R EC TO R O F AT H L E T I C S

WE BELIEVE IN

L AU G H T E R

Fun is part of our everyday experience. You’re just as likely to see DA’s Head of School starring in a viral video as hosting a delegation of elementary school principals from China.

“At DA we have both P.E. and recess.

It gives us energy!”

—S A M PAG DEN , PR E-K I N DERG A RTN ER

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“ We take happiness seriously.”

— G I B F I T Z PAT R I C K , M I D D L E S C H O O L M AT H T E A C H E R

“We go to the P.O.L. whenever we want. That’s what we call the library because it stands for Palace of Learning. We have

a tree house, a tree, and the Empire State Building in our library.”

— S H E L B Y L I T T L E , F I R S T- G R A D E R

“In a single tour around campus, I’ve stumbled upon friends discussing philosophy over lunch in Chinese, making music with plastic buckets and garbage cans and launching rockets 6,000 feet in the air. My classmates are talented, creative and unconquerably happy.”

—J AC K S O N D E L L I N G E R , S E N I O R

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“Every day I see loving, laughing, singing, dancing, hugging, smiling children creating, exploring and joyfully engaged with each other and with their teachers.

The sense of community is so strong that we refer to it as our DA Family.

The bonds formed between our students, our families and our faculty are deep and last long after the children graduate.”

— D E B B I E S U G G S , F I R S T- G R A D E T E A C H E R

“This place has heart. Our teachers love what they do and they love our students.

My son and daughter can’t wait to go to school every day.”

—L AUR A M AGID, PARENT

WE BELIEVE IN

HOPE S & DREAMS

“I started Durham Academy in kindergarten. The teachers were my idols, and I knew I wanted to be one. It was my dream to come back to DA.”

“We’re always asking kids to stretch and to find something within themselves that maybe they didn’t know was there. We’re pushing kids in healthy ways, helping them find the boundaries of what they’re capable of doing.”

— L E E H A R K , A S S I S TA N T HEAD OF SCHOOL AND UPPER SCHOOL DIRECTOR

—J E S S I C A W H I L D E N ’ 0 0, K I N D E RG A RT E N T E AC H E R

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H O P E S &

D R E A M S

“I decided I wanted to be a curator in an art museum when I took AP Art History at DA. It opened my eyes to a whole new way of seeing the world and truly changed my life. Four years later, I’m at Princeton, and I’m officially a member of the Art & Archaeology department.”

95 percent of our students are admitted to their first-choice college.

—M AIRE AD HORTON ’ 13

“DA creates independent learners—the kind of people who come out of school with enough selfconfidence to know they can do whatever they want to do.”

—GEOFF L A MB ’86, PARENT

“We’ve seen our kids change so much in their excitement for learning new things, in their capacity to do things on their own, in trying new passions. It’s great to know that somebody else is helping you to do what is the most important thing for us, which is raise our family.”

—LUIS PA S TO R , PA R EN T

“What makes Durham Academy so special is that teachers encourage you to try things and to pursue your passions, but the things they value aren’t how good you are at it, it’s more about how you grow as a person and if it makes you happy.”

—ELLIE DUSEK, SOPHOMORE

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D R E A M S

“When my husband and I moved back to Durham from New York City, I was really thrilled about the prospect of my kids attending DA. I had such a peaceful feeling knowing they would experience the same school environment that I did. My teachers and coaches helped mold me into the woman I am today.”

— A S H L E Y F R E E D M A N ’ 9 7, P A R E N T

“I often think about how lucky I am to have attended a school filled with so much heart and compassion for its students.

To develop a lifelong love of learning in young people is essential. Giving them the courage to explore whatever life has to offer is a gift.”

—WARD HORTON ’ 9 4

The Triangle offers our students access to world-class universities and cutting edge biotech and medical research organizations. It’s home to a vibrant mix of arts, culture and food scenes.

WE BELIEVE

T E AC H E R S CHANGE LIVES

“I love what I do. I love the people I work with. I love the kids that have rolled through this classroom over the years.

My very first students are now juniors in the Upper School, and I still get to see them.”

—T O M B A R R Y, FOURTH-GR ADE TE ACHER

“I’ve never met a group of adults outside my immediate family who have so genuinely cared about my success—academically, socially, athletically and in the future.”

—alice

wa rd, S E N I O R

T

“

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L I V E S

he thing that stands out the most about DA is the individualized attention from the teachers. The caring environment and the recognition that every child is different is so much a part of this school. It all comes back to the coaches, the teachers and the school directors. It’s about the people.”

—S E TH J ER N IG A N ’ 9 6, PARENT

“Multiple teachers here have shaped who I am.”

— R A L I T S A K A L FA S , S E N I O R

“One-on-one time is very important and valuable here.

As a teacher, what I particularly treasure is having so much unscheduled time to give extra help or advise my students.

It’s part of our culture.”

—EDITH KEENE, UPPER SCHOOL FOREIGN L ANGUAGE TE ACHER

“My 10th grade physics teacher was the one

career has been directed toward poverty-

who turned on the light bulb and made me

oriented diseases. My teacher was really the

realize that everything I was doing had a

catalyst. He totally invested in me, and I've

direct ability to translate into a meaningful

never forgotten it. I think about him daily.

outcome in the world. That changed my

Absolutely think about him daily.”

life. Because of DA, my whole professional

— D R . B I L LY F I S C H E R ’ 9 4 , UNC PHYSICIAN AND SCIENTIST

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“In 20 years of teaching at Durham Academy, I’ve realized each child is a puzzle whose pieces are put in place at different times. My

B E L I E V E

T E A C H E R S

C H A N G E

L I V E S

“There’s a reason I’ve spent my career at DA. I get just as much from the kids as I deliver. I’m so thankful for those relationships.”

Durham Academy faculty are caring, generous, creative people who change lives. They are expert teachers who love their chosen field and nurture courage and compassion in their students.

—T I M D A H L G R E N , M I D D L E S C H O O L H I S T O R Y T E A C H E R

students don’t learn the same way or at the same pace. But that’s what DA teachers are masterful at doing—helping to put puzzle pieces in place when it’s the right time and in the right way.”

— L I B BY L A N G ’ 8 9, SECOND-GR ADE TE ACHER

“Our teachers are loving.

They promise to take care of us and help us learn.”

—DIEGO DHUNGANA, F I R S T- G R A D E R

WE BELIEVE IN

HANDS ON

“The most transformative experience for our kids has been the music program.

My daughter is shy socially but a general on the athletic field. We knew she would do well in sports. But she has The arts at DA promote discovery and selfconfidence. Children participate in the arts at every age and at every stage of development.

found a new part of herself through the winter musical and the a cappella singing group.” — A M I T N A G A R , P A R E N T

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“Our school has been doing a save the sea turtles project for over 20 years. We make and

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Beginning in fifth grade, classes take annual experiential learning trips that bond them together.

Destinations range from the mountains to the coast, from the nation’s capital to the Civil Rights Trail.

sell crafts through our own store to raise money for the sea turtle hospital at the beach. Then, at the end of the year, we go to Topsail Island to visit the hospital.”

—PETE MOR ANO, THIRD-GR ADER

“Senior Challenge is the perfect combination of physical, mental and emotional. Students are challenged to do things on this wilderness experience that don’t come naturally to them. I think they get a taste of who they are, of what they can accomplish.”

— G R E G M U R R AY, U P P E R S C H O O L P H Y S I C A L E D U C AT I O N T E AC H E R

“My love of science started in my Lower School science class.

We took apart old machines with real tools like hammers and screwdrivers to learn about the insides of technology. Another favorite memory is going out to our garden. We learned where food comes from and how flowers grow.”

—J O S E P H WA L S TO N , E I G H T H - G R A D E R

“DA has been so supportive of me in my own art career.

I have been able to model for my students what it means to be an artist and to help them understand the way art functions in the world. I think they have seen something far beyond a hermetic classroom experience.”

— H A R R I S O N H AY N E S , UPPER SCHOOL PHOTOGR APHY TE ACHER

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“I joined Durham Academy’s cross-­country team when I joined the school my sophomore year.

I have never experienced a team more welcoming and amazing. We warm up together, we suffer through workouts together and we work together during meets. We run with each other, not against each other.”

—VERONIC A KIM , JUNIOR

We field more than 40 sports and intramural teams and 80 percent of students play a sport.

“Going to France with my French teacher was actually my first time out of the country. I feel like it instilled a whole lot more confidence in me, in my French abilities, my common sense, and my ability to go through day-to-day life and succeed.”

—NICK FOGG, EIGHTH-GR ADER

WE BELIEVE IN

OUR COMMUNIT Y

“I tutor a second-grader in reading at a local Durham elementary school all year.

I think it’s a great opportunity to get to know a child, to be a mentor for him, and to acquire some skills in teaching and lesson planning.

I’ve learned that it’s really hard being a teacher.”

—ANDRÉS ROSA , SENIOR

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urham Academy’s community service commitment is real, pervasive and school-wide—not simply an afternoon class project that might be forgotten over the weekend. It’s one of the aspects that drew us to DA.”

— M A R Y G A LV E Z , P A R E N T

“I am a DA graduate and life-long member of the Durham community.

I’m so proud of the school’s long history of connecting students with meaningful engagement opportunities in the city that we call home.”

—GARRET T PUTM AN ’94, PARENT

Community service begins in pre-kindergarten and is prioritized schoolwide with dedicated service days in all divisions.

“W

e help with whatever we can in our community. It makes our country a better place. I feel great because I know I’m helping people who aren’t as lucky as I am and don’t have as much as I do.”

—MADDIE KING, THIRD-GR ADER

“We’ve had a relationship with Durham Academy for eight years now. DA has been willing to make and expand that investment because the results are transformative not only for the public school students they tutor but for the Upper Schoolers themselves.”

— D E B B I E M C C A R T H Y, E X E C U T I V E D I R E C T O R , AUGUSTINE LITER ACY PROJECT

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“Even our youngest children get to feel the joys and rewards of doing for others.”

— S H E R I - LY N C A R R O W, PRESCHOOL TE ACHER

“Hosting Special Olympics on campus every year unites us for a day and as a school. We train to help our buddies compete. It’s a great way to unite the community for a greater cause.”

—J O I A F R E E M A N ’ 1 4

WE BELIEVE IN

B EC OM I N G YO U R B E ST S E LF

“Our students learn respect for all cultures and ethnicities, they build friendships that last decades and span continents, they develop grit by stretching and challenging themselves. Trying, failing and trying again in an atmosphere of caring and support, they practice giving back in an immersive culture of gratitude, and they earn confidence in their most courageous, compassionate and capable selves.”

— MICHAEL ULKU-STEINER , HE AD OF SCHOOL

DA strives to build character through actively engaging students in everything from conflict resolution to public speaking. Even our youngest students learn to shake hands, look another person in the eye and speak in front of the entire school.

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“One of my students, a star basketball player, took a studio art class for the first time in his junior year—kind of late. He ended up being one of my most passionate artists. He went on to art school and is still making, showing, and selling his paintings.”

—A N N E G R E G O R Y- B E P L E R , UPPER SCHOOL ART TE ACHER

“Durham Academy helped me know who I am. I found out that I’m a birdwatcher, a nature person, and I am kind.”

— N AT E H O L D S W O R T H , F I R S T- G R A D E R

“W

e have more than 400 students in the

Upper School, and we have the same goal in mind for every one of them—

to help them find a place here where they can be their best, most authentic selves. We believe that being fully engaged is not only accepted, it’s expected.”

— L E E H A R K , A S S I S TA N T H E A D O F S C H O O L A N D U P P E R S C H O O L D I R E C TO R

“One of the key things Durham Academy taught me is that anything is possible if I put my mind to it.

The sky’s the limit.”

—SA MMY L ANE VI ’ 14

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“Durham Academy has taught me to be kind, respectful and tenacious.”

— C AT H E R I N E H A L L , F I R S T- G R A D E R

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Words like honor, kindness, integrity, and courage are part of our students’ vocabulary. We incorporate conversations around our core values into morning class meetings, advisory lessons and assemblies, and celebrate them throughout the year.

WE BELIEVE

YO U BELONG HERE

“When I started DA my sophomore year, I had no idea the surprise I was in for. Within three years I knew the name of almost everyone on campus and was asking teachers for advice on any facet of my life. The friendships I forged in those few years are the ones I cherish the most.”

—RAHUL SHARMA ’14

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“Before we moved to Durham Academy, there was this constant angst about what’s next, are we doing the best we can for our kids? That’s all gone, and it was gone from the minute that we started at Durham Academy. It was such a heavy weight that was lifted from our shoulders because it’s like ‘There you go, we’ve found it!’ ” — A N A VA LV E R D E , P A R E N T

H

“

aving people at the school

who are diverse—whether that diversity is religious, ethnic or socioeconomic in nature—

is just as important as teaching about it.

Here, you can be with people who are like you and people who are different.”

—BRE ANNA BYRD, SENIOR

“At DA, it’s common for the same student to star in the spring musical and play a varsity sport, as well as attend prom and compete in Science Olympiad in the same weekend.”

—T H O M A S P H U , U P P E R S C H O O L H I S T O R Y T E A C H E R

Durham Academy is committed to diversity and inclusion from the boardroom to the classroom. Our community represents a variety of perspectives, cultures and ideas that enrich the daily experience of every student.

“The first day, I knew DA was going to be the perfect fit for me. Everyone was incredibly welcoming—my classmates (even the seniors) and teachers were amazing.

I didn’t even have to go to a class to know that this is where I wanted to spend my

“What Durham Academy teachers do is try to give children diversity of thought, not just diversity of color or languages, one child at a time. My child belongs to a tribe that is not color-based, and it changes as she grows.”

—R A JEE V DHAR M APURIK AR , PARENT

high school career.”

—AUSTEN DELLINGER , FRE SHM AN

“I think this school is really safe.”

— H A L E H U T C H I N S O N , F I R S T- G R A D E R

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“We welcome families into our circles and into the heart of our culture. Whether those families are migrating from China, Chile or Chapel Hill, we help barriers disappear by sharing our traditions and welcoming new ideas and perspectives that can , enhance our community.” — michael ulku

steiner

HEAD OF SCHOOL

Admissions Office 3501 Ridge Road Durham, NC 27705 919-493-5787 admissions@da.org www.da.org