Amidst the Trees - FCDS magazine Spring 2017

Amidst Trees L

The Magazine of Forsyth Country Day School

SPRING 2017

FCDSMagazine Forsyth Country Day School 5501 Shallowford Road Lewisville, NC 27023 336-945-3151—fcds.org Head of School

Gardner Barrier ’97

Assistant Head of School Director of the Johnson Academic Center Gabrielle Miles

Director of the Upper School Steve Manna ’02

Director of the Middle School Dan Quesnel

Director of the Lower School Dennis Moser, Ed.D.

Director of Development Mark Palmer

Amidst the Trees Editor

Priscilla St. John

Publication Design ROODcreative

Contributors

Sydney Beason ’18, Ruby Gallagher ’18, Eva Hollar ’21, Tom Howell, Mckenzie Hungate ’17, Sarah Jin ’21, Lena Johnson ’17, Zoe Kurtz ’18, Anika Pawa ’25, Thoran Pierce ’30, Norie Pocock ’27, Noble Smith ’21, Rita Wang ’17, Daniel Wood ’18

Front Cover Role model: Ben Merrick ’17 and Evan Bass ’29 spend quality time together on Buddy Day. Students in grades eight through 12, the Big Buddies, get together with Little Buddies from age 2 through seventh grade to work on service projects, play, or curl up with a good book. It’s a treasured time for cross-divisional bonding and character development for the entire FCDS community.

Correction: In the fall issue of Amidst the Trees, the list of college acceptances was printed incorrectly. Amidst the Trees regrets the error. Please turn to the final pages of the magazine to see a list of where each member of the Class of 2016 matriculated.

Parents, alumni, and friends of Forsyth Country Day School are encouraged to contribute articles, photographs, and other items of interest to Amidst the Trees.

Please send them to: priscillastjohn@fcds.org or Editor, Amidst the Trees, Forsyth Country Day School, P.O. Box 925, Lewisville, NC, 27023.

Alumni are encouraged to send Class Notes updates and pictures to Rosalie Hill Bland ’85, Director of Alumni and Parent Relations, at rosaliebland@fcds.org.

Amidst the Trees is published twice annually and sent free of charge to parents, alumni, and friends of Forsyth Country Day School. POSTMASTER: please send address changes to Amidst the Trees, P.O. Box 925, Lewisville, NC, 27023.

Forsyth Country Day School is committed to cultivating an inclusive learning community free from discrimination. The School prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex in the administration of its educational policy and practice, admission and financial aid policy and practice, and other school administered programs

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A MESSAGE

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CAMPUS NOTES

from Gardner Barrier ’97 Head of School

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CULTIVATING CHARACTER It’s not just about academics at FCDS

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GOOD COUNSEL

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DONOR PROFILE

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MAKING THEIR MARK

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FURIES ON THE ROAD

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FURIES THEN & NOW

Furies making an impact

Why we give Toni & Jimmy Dew

Regional alumni gatherings

Directing paths to bright futures

FCDS alumni & their accomplishments

Catching up with Karl Haigler

a message from Dear FCDS Community,

Mr. Barrier shadowed Zoe Kurtz ’18, who co-wrote one of the pieces in this issue, to experience a day in the life of a junior.

Gardner Barrier

Welcome to the spring edition of Amidst the Trees, the magazine of Forsyth Country Day School. It’s hard to believe that the school year has come to an end – my first year as a Head of School and my first as the head of my alma mater.

It’s surreal to suddenly be the leader of a school you attended, and sometimes I’ve had to pinch myself as I walk through campus. It’s an incredible feeling to be back here “amidst the trees”, and as I reflect upon the year, I made a list of things I’ve learned.

(In true David Letterman tradition, they go from 10 to 1 – but they’re really in no particular order.)

The Top 10 Things I Learned in My First Year as Head of School at FCDS: 10. Starting an eighth grade poker club has been a lot of fun.

9. Our new website is excellent – attractive, easy to work with, and it really speaks to our message.

8. When our youngest students come by my office to deliver thank you notes, it’s pretty awesome!

7. We have an amazing community and network of Furies! It is a privilege to spend time with my colleagues, our parents, our alums, and our students!

4. We have a wonderful partnership with our dining service, FLIK, and a wonderful contributor to our community in Chef Christian Jenkins.

3. Our students expect a lot from one other and the adults around them. Kudos!

2. Saying “Go Furies” has always felt pretty great, but it means even more to me now.

1. For me, the best thing about being back at Forsyth as Head of School is working with people like John Danforth and Pattie Stoltz who have known me, supported me, loved me, and believed in me for a long time. It is awesome to be part of this kind of community where we all KNOW that we have people pulling for us!

This issue of Amidst the Trees reflects so much that is good about this school – our new character program, our college counseling department, and the many impressive accomplishments of our students. We touch base with three alumni under 40 who are doing incredible things, fondly remember a founding faculty member who passed away early this spring, and catch up with Furies across the country. Happy reading – we’ll see you in the fall.

Take care,

6. Every day is its own adventure. No possibility of boredom here!

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5. Our Board is made up of incredibly giving people. They are volunteers, yet they generously give of their resources (time, talents, and dollars) to serve this school and to support me.

Thank you!

Gardner Barrier ’97 Head of School Follow @gardnerbarrier on Twitter

Oh, the things we could do . . .if everyone gave.

Each year, the Forsyth Fund helps FCDS do so many of the things that prepare children for all of the places they’ll go.

If you’ve already given, thank you! If not, we hope you will consider making a gift of any amount.

Forsyth Country Day School fcds.org•336.945.3151

On the long wall just outside the FCDS auditorium, students have painted four sturdy brown trees. Each tree stands for a character trait that the school community holds dear: respect, responsibility, integrity, and compassion. At the beginning of the 2016-2017 school year, the trees were bare. As Forsyth Country Day embraced its new character program, green paper leaves with students’ and teachers’ names began to appear on the trees, and the trees came to life.

“Working with the four traits we chose, we’re training more

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mindful and empathetic citizens,” Head of School Gardner Barrier ’97 said. “The character curriculum helps our kids think beyond themselves. It helps them develop empathy and great respect for others.”

The program was created from scratch by FCDS for FCDS. “Because it’s not a purchased program, it’s really flexible and fluid,” said Assistant Head of School and Director of the Johnson Academic Center Gabrielle Miles.

“It started with a list of all of the traits we thought were important: respect, integrity, humility, compassion, kindness, self-

Cultivating Character control, responsibility,” Ms. Miles said. “Then we went to the Lower and Middle School faculty and said, ‘This is what we think; we really need your input’.”

After faculty weighed in, the list was winnowed down to four traits on which the program would focus: respect, responsibility, integrity, and compassion. “We chose these four traits because they most accurately reflect our values as a community.”

Ms. Miles credits the three guidance counselors – Martha Bennett Metzler ’01, Amasa Monroe, and Megan Martin-Wall – as well as Middle School Director Dan Quesnel with conducting a great deal of research into how best to teach character. “What

we’ve developed is a very positive program,” Mr. Quesnel said.

“It’s not about what we aren’t going to do; it’s about what we are going to do. We’re training future leaders here.”

Lower School Two changes made in Lower School included lengthening the daily morning meeting time to 20 minutes and adding a time for reflection at the end of the day. “In the mornings, they introduce a trait and ask students, as they go through their day, to think about that trait,” Ms. Miles said.

“In addition to defining the traits, we’ve devoted time in our day to it,” Lower School Director Dennis Moser, Ed.D. said. “It’s

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not a by-product of what we do. It’s a valued time of the day in the morning and afternoon.”

Two days a week, teachers give a character lesson. The other three days of morning meeting time are devoted to community-building activities. “We have reflections from 3:20-3:30,” Dr. Moser said. “Our kids come out of academic mode and think, ‘How did I treat my friends today?’ or ‘Was I respectful today?’ It’s been really valuable to come back after a day to focus on character in a quiet, reflective place.”

Fourth grade teacher Kim Fowler ’92 said that she sees a difference since the character program started in the fall. “I think it’s been really successful,” she said.

“Kids are so perceptive. They are attuned to look for those traits now, and it’s not forced at all.”

To recognize good character and point it out to others, students or faculty may receive Spotlight Awards. When someone is “caught” exhibiting one of the four traits, his or her name is written on a green paper leaf and added to the tree mural.

Fourth grader Victoria Hattley, whose name was recently added to the mural, said that students are more aware now of how they treat one another. “If someone fell down, most of us would try to help

them,” she said. “I think we’re just learning the right things to do.”

Victoria is especially aware of being a mentor to younger students in Lower School. “We have to set good examples because we’re fourth graders,” she said.

The other day, she said, a group of fourth graders walked past EAP students on their way to the playground “We were careful to walk and not run, and their teacher thanked us for setting that example of respecting the rules.”

Middle School Middle School students started the year learning the four traits as the Lower School students did, then concentrated on bringing them to life, said sixth grade language arts teacher Robin Snow. “We wanted the kids to understand not only what the words mean, but how to put them to practical use,” she said.

The Middle School study of compassion, for example, provided an excellent opportunity to put the principle into practice through the Middle School Day of Caring in the fall. The fifth graders visited Vienna Village retirement community. The sixth graders visited H.O.P.E. (Help Our People Eat) to make meals for the hungry. Seventh graders made no-sew blankets to donate to a local homeless shelter, and the eighth grade worked with

Ronald McDonald House on its traditional luminary kit project.

During the second semester, there have been monthly themes, and the four character traits are discussed in the context of those themes. January’s focus was diversity. Frank Brown, the school’s Director of Diversity, Inclusion, and Outreach, discussed the first time he experienced racism while PT Ferrell, beloved manager of the Fury Café and an FCDS parent of a Class of 2017 alumnus, talked about what it was like to move to the United States from a foreign country.

Thinking about diversity helped the Middle Schoolers prepare for the arrival of the students from Beijing #5 Middle School in Beijing, China in January.

“When the Beijing students were here, our kids made them feel so welcome,” Mrs. Snow said. “Each homeroom had buddies, and they would invite them for lunch.”

Mr. Quesnel was especially impressed with one young lady, Ansley Reid (daughter of Susan Dew Reid ’89). “On the first day the Beijing students were here, Ansley walked up to a Beijing student and showed her how to use the panini press to grill her sandwich, then invited her to sit with her every day. It was truly character in action.”

In February, the theme was leadership, with lessons from pediatric E.R. physician Allison McBride and John Allen, a former FCDS teacher, coach, and businessman. March was devoted to community, with guest speakers firefighter Jenna Hadfield ’14, and Rex Welton from the Humane Society. April focused on the power of words, and May offered a recap of all four themes.

“I think the speakers were good,” said seventh grader Joshua Howard. “In their daily lives, these people have to show the traits we’ve been talking about. You can see how that connects to the school environment and how we need those traits.”

The program itself, Joshua said, strikes the right balance. “I like it,” he said. “It’s not too much, and it’s not too little.”

Upper School The character program will be officially introduced in Upper School in the 2017-2018 school year. “This year our focus was to hear from the faculty about

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how we could successfully roll it out next year,” said Mrs. Metzler.

One reason for that is to give students a voice in the process, said Ms. Miles.

“The more student-led it can be, the more student buy-in we’ll have, and the better it will be.”

That doesn’t mean, however, that there isn’t a focus on cultivating good character in Upper School now. “In the Upper School, it’s more organic and not as official,” Mrs. Metzler said. “We think of small ways to make a big impact.”

All Upper School clubs have a service component – either on campus or out in the greater community. The Fishing Club cleans the pond. The Boys’ Service Club helped out at the Kiwanis Club’s Pancake Jamboree. The Engineering Club works on fun, hand-on engineering activities with Lower School students in after-school care, and the Social Issues Awareness Club served dinner at SCAN (Stop Child Abuse Now) and completed

a wheelchair challenge to raise awareness about able-bodied privilege. Buddy Day – in which Upper Schoolers and eighth graders serve as Big Buddies to students age 4 through seventh grade – has also become a cherished activity that builds community across divisions and provides an opportunity for mentorship.

“Buddy Day is an awesome opportunity for conversations,” Mrs. Metzler said.

“Little buddies are watching, so it’s a call to character for the Upper Schoolers.”

It seems that it’s a call they’re prepared to answer. Next year, the Upper School’s Leadership Club is taking on a particularly ambitious service project, said club advisor Mr. Barrier. “Working with NCAIS (the North Carolina Association of Independent Schools), the Leadership Club will plan the first-ever Greater Good Forum,” Mr. Barrier said.

“It’s all about helping to form and fund non-profits, like FCDS parent Matt Peterson’s Hydrating Humanity. Our

kids are going to lead it and plan it, and we’ll host it here.” The 20 members of the club will take care of every detail – including who the speakers are, who the vendors are, and the logistics.

“We’ve gone from the theoretical to how we live it out,” Mr. Barrier said.

“We are empowering students to think in terms of impacting not just each other or the local community, but the global community.”

Serving others – effectively, living out the four character traits – is a boon to all.

“I feel that spending time serving others allow students’ perspectives to be broadened,” Mrs. Metzler said. “Our focus at FCDS is not just on academic excellence; it’s about making a positive impact on the community – both here and outside these walls.”

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S E T O N S U P CAM

FCDs Welcomes Celebrity Chef In January, FCDS welcomed Chef Jet Tila of The Food Network as part of the celebration of the Dining Hall’s newly renovated service area. Tila is well-known for his appearance on Iron Chef America and as a judge on Chopped and Cutthroat Kitchen.

For lunch, FCDS chefs prepared Tila’s recipes while he signed autographs and met students. He even took the time to venture into Lower School to meet the kids and talk to third graders about the importance of math in cooking.

The Middle School got to see a live cooking demonstration in the auditorium (an overhead camera allowed the audience a bird’s eye view of the process). Tila cooked traditional pineapple fried rice, giving out tips of knife skills (you pinch the blade), stir fry (never use olive oil, and just coat the pan, then pour the oil out), and be VERY careful when cooking aromatics like garlic. Burned garlic=start over.

When he finished cooking, fifth grader Sienna Ricciardi – a huge fan of Chef Jet’s – got to taste his finished dish. He even took the chef’s coat off his back, signed it, and gave it to her.

Many thanks to FLIK, FCDS’s food service provider, for funding the majority of the renovation and for bringing Chef Jet Tila to campus!

Gift of Failure Author Shares Insights with FCDS Community 9

In February, the FCDS Speaker Series Sponsored by

Mercedes-Benz of Winston-Salem welcomed acclaimed speaker and best-selling author Jessica Lahey to talk about her book, The Gift of Failure.

Lahey, who taught in the Duke Talent Identification Program and is raising two sons, offered FCDS parents one piece of advice that might be a little scary: it’s O.K. to let your kids fail, and as parents, we are actually doing our children a disservice when we try to protect them from failure.

As a teacher, Lahey noticed a change in the parent-teacher relationship. She saw kids freezing up, afraid to ask questions, afraid to be anything less than perfect. She saw parents jumping in to help children in school and kids unable to develop strategies for success because every hurdle was a new opportunity for parents to “save” their children.

“I had a hunch: overparenting was making kids less successful in school,” Lahey told the audience of FCDS parents and faculty. “This fear of failure made kids unable to enjoy the learning experience and resulted in a learned helplessness. Kids were hearing something parents didn’t intend for them to hear: ‘If I do it for you, I’m saying I don’t think you can do this’.”

Extrinsic motivators, such as threats or praise, surveillance, and checking Haiku, actually reduce motivation for longterm focus, though they may work short-term. “Kids are bad multi-taskers,” Lahey said. “It’s hard to connect the promised reward or consequence with all the steps.”

What parents should try to cultivate is intrinsic motivation – the desire to do the thing itself. Here are three steps that can help: 1. Give kids autonomy – Let them work by themselves. “It’s O.K. to stand by them, but don’t take over – especially when kids get frustrated,” she said. Working through things independently will also let children develop their own strategies.

2. Cultivate competence – Confidence is NOT competence.

“We’re actually hurting our kids when we tell them they are smart and talented,” Lahey said. “It lowers self-esteem and causes distress when they don’t understand something. If they’re told they’re smart, they won’t raise their hands to ask questions.”

When something is harder to understand and a child has to work to learn and remember it, it is more likely to become encoded in long-term memory and be retained. Lahey advocates a growth mindset: “You become smarter the harder you work,” she said. Kids gain competence from trying, sometimes failing, but persisting in their efforts. “It’s O.K. to praise them for effort and for working hard,” she said.

3. Connection – It’s not surprising that teachers play a key role in learning. “When students and teachers know that they have things in common, they have better relationships,” she

said. “It’s all about relationships. Kids do better if they have someone they can trust at school. People who inspire them light up the learning centers in the brain.”

This relationship with teachers is something that kids can build on and use to do better. Rather than calling a child’s teacher to ask about a grade, empower your child to talk to that teacher him or herself, using that connection to ask, “How can I do better next time?” They need to solve their own problems.

All of FCDS’s impressive group finished in the top 55 at MathCounts. “Considering there were about 125 students who competed, all top math students from their respective schools, I think this is quite an accomplishment!” said MathCounts advisor Charlotte Phillips.

FCDS Wins Fourth Place, Seven Students Place in Top 20 at MathCounts

Six Furies Recognized with Scholastic Awards

Congratulations to Edwin Xiao, who qualified for the state finals in the North Carolina MathCounts competition. Edwin came in fourth in the competition and represented Forsyth Country Day School in the Countdown Round, going head-tohead against three other students to make it to the Final Four.

The school came in fourth overall.

Other top math students from FCDS’s Middle School competed against 125 total students from 14 schools from across the region in individual and team rounds consisting of exams and buzzer rounds. They were: Joshua Howard (Team & Individual) Edwin Xiao (Team & Individual) Sophie Scherer (Team & Individual) Jake Koonin (Team & Individual) Saanvi Pawa (Individual) Landon Greenwood (Individual) Jacques Hall (Individual) Sarah Jin (Individual) Berk Yalcinkaya (Individual) Celeste Waugh (Individual) Six FCDS students (in addition to Edwin) placed in the top 20 at the competition: Joshua Howard – Seventh Place Jake Koonin – Tenth Place Sophie Scherer – Eleventh Place Jacques Hall – Twelfth Place Saanvi Pawa and Sarah Jin (Nineteenth Place – tie).

Each year, the Scholastic Art & Writing awards recognize students in grades 7-12 for their creative achievements. Scholastic is the nation’s oldest and arguably the most prestigious recognition program for teenage artists.

This year, six FCDS students earned gold keys, silver keys, or honorable mentions from Scholastic. They are: Serena Chen – Gold Key Lydia Yu – Silver Key Samy Bencherif – Honorable Mention Sophie Liu – Honorable Mention Mereck Barnes – Honorable Mention Rita Wang – Honorable Mention

Seventeen FCDS Musicians Earn Chairs in Elite Orchestra Congratulations to the 17 FCDS students who won chairs to the Junior Western Regional Orchestra in February. “This once again ranks FCDS among the top of all schools in North Carolina [for orchestra],” Director of Orchestras Aaron Craven said.

More than 463 orchestra students from throughout North Carolina auditioned at FCDS for fewer than 179 chairs in the Honors Orchestra (the top group) or the Repertory Orchestra.

“Regardless, it is a great honor to be selected to either group,” Mr. Craven said. It was a particularly difficult year for violin players to make the orchestra due to the quality of the players – more than 135 violinists scored more than 150 points.

“This year we had the most students in the history of the school audition for Jr. Western Regional Orchestra and the most students earn a chair,” Mr. Craven said. “I couldn’t be more proud of our students and program!”

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Students who earned chairs traveled to Boone on May 12 for a two-day festival at Watauga High School that culminated in a concert on May 13. *HONORS ORCHESTRA PARTICIPANTS Violin I Jennifer Rogers and Sarah Jin Violin II Garrison Hall, Saanvi Pawa, and Sophie Scherer Viola Ben Schomberg Cello Katherine Li

*REPERTORY ORCHESTRA PARTICIPANTS Violin I Shelby Caine and Mary Gray Speakman Violin II Matthew Nichols Viola Carver Hiatt and Haley Stock Cello Anna Clifton, Jacques Hall, Sonya McNatt, and William Surratt Bass Ellen Buck

Members of the 2016 NCISAA State Champion Fury lacrosse team and their coaches celebrate the unfurling of their banner.

Go Furies!

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Three FCDS Lower School Artists Recognized by Dixie Classic Fair Congratulations to the following Lower School students for winning ribbons for their artwork at the Dixie Classic Fair. First place: second grader Sophie Wyshner, second place: third grader Livy Barrier, third place: kindergartener Addison Nance.

More than 60 Upper School Students Represent FCDS at YAG FCDS students take leadership and law-making seriously: more than 60 Upper School students took part in the North Carolina Youth and Government Conference in Raleigh in February. “Visiting this event for the first time, I was enamored by the program,” reported Upper School Director Steve Manna. “It compels young people to learn and become excited about government, helping them to become more informed and impactful citizens—and eventual voters and community leaders.”

More than 1,000 young people from across the state came together to form a mock government with executive, legislative, and judicial branches as well as media. FCDS’s Jacob Jung was Lieutenant Governor, Rahul Krishnaswamy and Sutton Blanchard were presiding officers in the Senate, Victoria Parker was a senior budget analyst, and Nicholas Emken served on the Governor’s Cabinet.

Many FCDS students drafted bills passed by the Cabinet or in the Freshman Forum including Sydney Beason, Lindsey Ickes, and Meredith Dockery; Andrew Claybrook, Ally Pollock, and Lucy Long; Bella Wiese and Ashley Parsons; and Will Schomberg, Jacob Parker, Nick Strauch, and Jack Dew.

Yasmin Horner and Cason TeVault scored 10 (out of 10) in one of their appellate court cases, and Charles Terry and his Mock Trial team earned second place in the Mock Trial competition.

Sophomore David Craig and junior Logan Welborn were appointed to prestigious positions in next year’s Youth and Government: David will serve as a senior budget analyst and Logan will be a broadcast editor.

“These are all tremendous accomplishments, and as a community we have much for which to be proud of these students,” Mr. Manna said. He commended FCDS YAG’s student leaders – Victoria Parker, Rahul Krishnaswamy, and Jacob Jung –and Mr. Tom Howell for serving as faculty sponsor.

The FCDS members of Youth and Government are: Harrison Angell, Katherine Angell, Zachary Atala, Sydney Beason, Sutton Blanchard, Prescott Breitling, Jack Brinkley, Lawson Brown, Olivia Cain, Meredith Cavenaugh, Nicholas Chen, Noah Chmil, Andrew Claybrook, David Craig, Olivia Cromie, Peter Cromie, Avery Dew, Jack Dew, Regan Didier, Lauren Do, Meredith Dockery, Nicholas Emken, Demetri Hodges, Caleb Hollar, Yasmin Horner, Ash Huggins, Lindsay Ickes, Ellen Jiang, Gus Johnson, Jacob Jung, Rahul Krishnaswamy, Mindy Li, Olivia Li, Jackie Liu, Lucy Long, Bella Merrick, Ben Merrick, Taylor Myers, Michael Noll, Jacob Parker, Victoria Parker, Ashley Parsons, Banks Pickett, Ally Pollock, Trevor Poppe, Jacob Pruitt, Will Scarpa, Will Schomberg, Matthew Sides, Alexandra Sorescu, Brooke Stewart, Nick Strauch, Charles Terry, Cason TeVault, Dean Tickle, Thatch Townsend, Logan Welborn, Lily White, Bella Wiese, and John Woodard.

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GOOD COUNSEL The college admissions process can be a stressful time for students and parents alike. Will my child get into his first choice?

How many APs should she be taking? What sort of SAT score does he need to get into my alma mater? What are colleges really looking for, anyway?

These are the kinds of questions that Forsyth Country Day School’s college counseling office deals with every day. Helping students and parents answer these questions – and any others they may have as they navigate the college admissions process – is not only their job, it’s their passion.

“We want parents to know that we care about their child’s future, and we’ve been through it ourselves,” said Co-Director of College Counseling Virginia Perry. “It’s hard for parents.

I’ve done it four times for my own children. We all want the best for our kids.”

Co-Director of College Counseling Lorna Hogan concurs.

“We’re a huge safety net,” she said. “We think of your kids as our kids, and we want to help them not only find the right school for them, but to thrive as people.”

Relationship: Students The key to helping students find the right college for them is building relationships. “We get to know the students as people first – it’s really about forming that connection,” said college counselor Sara Spong. “Once we know them, we can help them find their niche. We talk about how their strengths might indicate a major to pursue. Then we advise them to go with their strengths.”

“Everyone in college counseling was always there for me, was always helpful” said Ben Merrick ’17. “I think college counseling at Forsyth is outstanding. My friends at other schools didn’t have anything like this.”

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Jacob Jung ’17 said that he found himself going to the college counseling office if he ever had a problem – which helped make the college admissions process less difficult. “It wasn’t as stressful as everyone told me it would be. At times there was heat, but I had my counselor. She was a blessing for sure.”

Relationship: College Reps The college counseling department also works hard to build relationships with college admission representatives. “The relationships we have with our college reps are second to none,” Mrs. Hogan said.

Mrs. Perry agreed. “The college counselors build such strong relationships with the college reps with whom they work. We often hear, ‘I like your letters [of recommendation]. Your letters mean a lot.’ The college reps want to understand the kids beyond the numbers, and we help them do that.”

When college reps come to campus for visits, counselors make sure that kids who have expressed an interest in the college not only attend the visit, but get to meet the representative.

“It’s a two-way street,” Mrs. Perry said. “When you come to a college visit, you learn about the college and that college rep learns about you. If someone has decided to apply, we make an effort to introduce the student to the rep, have them talk to them a little. Reps like that. They like to put a face to the name, so that when they get the application, they say, ‘Oh, I remember him’.”

Ben Merrick said that the college counselors helped him establish connections at Bucknell, Wake Forest, and Notre Dame, where he will matriculate in the fall. “The way they reached out to schools for me was huge. They’ve been really helpful with establishing connections with college representa-

tives,” he said. “One of the counselors would call the Bucknell or Notre Dame rep and say, ‘I have this kid here’.’’

Jacob Jung saw the same thing. “Practically my entire family has gone to Davidson,” he said. “College counseling at FCDS helped make that a reality for me.”

Rahul Krishnaswamy ’17 said that the entire college counseling staff stepped in when he was hoping for admission to Duke (where he will matriculate in the fall). “They pushed really hard for me – all of them,” he said. “They e-mailed their admission contacts at Duke and updated them on the awards I received recently and what I’d been doing outside of school. I think they wanted me to get in as much I wanted to get in.”

Relationship: Parents Also key to a successful college counseling program is the relationship between college counselors and parents. For the counselors, that means being available to answer questions or address rumors parents may be hearing.

“Rumors come up about what it takes to get in at certain schools, and we want parents to contact us when they hear something – we cherish the opportunity to maintain contact with them,” Mrs. Hogan said.

“We are in constant contact with the colleges and we have the most up-to-date, trending information.”

An interesting fact: because of the relationships the counselors have with their college reps, “They know our school,” Mrs. Perry said. “They’ll take slightly fewer APs from our kids than they will from the public schools.”

“We’re not competing with the number of APs that the Career Center offers,” Mrs. Hogan agreed. “The schools know Forsyth Country Day School, and they know what they’re getting with our students.”

Upper School math teacher Teresa Angell concurred. “As a faculty member, I have always known our college counseling department was excellent, but I didn’t realize the extent of it until I was the parent of a senior.”

The college counseling staff was invaluable to Harrison Angell ’17 throughout the admissions process. “They walked him through every step, and we benefitted so much from their expertise,” Mrs. Angell said. “We’re so grateful for the entire college counseling department –they work so hard to provide a positive experience for our children as they apply to

college.”

Jeremy Burnett, the mother of twins Ben ’17, who will attend Duke University, and Molly ’17, who will attend Middlebury College after a gap year, said that the key to college counseling was to trust the process – and the counselors. “It’s a scary process, especially your first time through,” she said. “But they have a system that breaks it down for the kids and parents.

They give the kids responsibility, but just a little bit at a time so that it’s not too difficult to handle.”

The Parent Brag Sheet, which parents fill out in a student’s junior year, was especially helpful to the Burnetts. While Ben “really put himself out there” and already knew his college counselor, Molly was different. “She’s quiet, and she’s not one to draw attention to herself,” Mrs. Burnett said. The college counselors, however, talked to Molly’s advisors, her teachers, and carefully read the brag sheet that Mrs. Burnett had filled out, and got to know Molly’s strengths and personality well.

“They really did their homework, and they were able to pull out all of the great things that Molly does,” Mrs. Burnett said.

“Molly never seeks the spotlight, but she is a one-of-a kind young lady who provides great energy in the classroom or in

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any group,” Mrs. Perry said. She was fascinated to learn about Molly’s work with home composting, gardening, bringing the FCDS greenhouse back to life, and earning her Girl Scout Gold Award. “Molly enjoys being outside of the box, and she’s a brilliant thinker who’s always expanding her knowledge base in some interesting way.”

“As a parent, there were times when I was freaking out, but I

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had to trust the college counselors,” Mrs. Burnett said. “They had it under control, and their process works. They’ll go above and beyond for every kid and they’ll give it their all.”

Kellie Faulk, the mother of three FCDS alumni and one rising ninth grader, agreed. “At our first daughter’s College Night for Juniors, we were shocked to receive color-coded directions regarding the testing, application, and touring season Hannah

faced,”Dr. Faulk said. “We had friends with kids in public schools who were struggling to navigate the complex system, while we were handed step-by-step instructions along with someone there to guide us through it all.”

“The combination of fabulous faculty members with an advisor and college counselor all four years results in the ‘secret sauce’ that makes FCDS great,” Dr. Faulk said. “It has been a sacrifice for our family to travel from out of town [they commute from Statesville], but it has all been worth it!”

Relationships with Alumni For many FCDS alumni, the relationships with their college counselors don’t end after graduation. Jackie Kniejski ’15 University of Georgia ’19 said that she spent much of her time from sophomore year through graduation eating candy in the College Counseling office. “They truly got to know me as a person, which made me comfortable to talk to them about everything in my life,” Jackie said.

During her first semester at a big state school, Jackie began to doubt choosing UGA. “I was unsure if I’d made the right decision, so I went back [to the college counselors] during winter break to discuss transferring options. They quickly put my life back into perspective.”

The counselors realized in short order that Jackie, who had been very involved at Forsyth, wasn’t getting involved at the University of Georgia. “They told me I needed to fix my priorities and from there everything would fall into place,” Jackie said. “They gave me that tough love that I really needed to hear, and now I am beyond happy at UGA. I wouldn’t trade this school for anything. College counseling at FCDS helped to get me to where I am today, and I will be forever grateful for FCDS’s college counselors.”

Hannah Vrooman ’16 Appalachian State ’20 remembers a dilemma the college counselors helped her face: choosing between two programs she loved equally – the Honors College at Appalachian State or UNC-Chapel Hill. “I agonized for weeks over my decision, and ultimately going with my gut was definitely the right choice,” she said. “To those who are where I was a year ago: ultimately, college is a very fun and formative time of your life, and the decision you make will be a good one! Have confidence that your college counselors, family, and friends will help you through your decision process and that wherever you go, as long as you take advantage of your time, will be incredible.”

FCDS students on a college tour for juniors in front of Lee Chapel at Washington and Lee University

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STUDENT BLOG: COLLEGE TOURS

By Zoe Kurtz ’18 and Sydney Beason ’18

For the past few years, Forsyth Country Day School has offered the southern college tour experience. For four days, students take a bus to six college campuses. These schools include the College of Charleston, the University of Georgia, the University of South Carolina, Furman University, Clemson University, and Wofford College.

College tours give rising seniors the ability to figure out what speaks to them individually as a person and as a student.

“College tours gave me the opportunity to figure out what I wanted in a university. Before the trip, I did not have a feel of what type of school interested me,” Lindsey Ickes ’18 said. “Did I want a big campus with large classes or a small school where I would have the opportunity to get to know my teachers? I got to see every type of school from as big as 35,000 students to as little as 1,700. At the end,

I felt more relaxed about the college experience and realized what type of school I could see myself being successful in.”

From eating at the school cafeterias to having dinner with Forsyth Country Day alumni to walking around downtown Charleston, there was never a dull moment.

“I am so glad that I went on these tours. I got a feel for exactly what I want in a college campus. One of the coolest things was that two of our tour guides at both Georgia and South Carolina were biology majors,” Michael Bodenhamer ’18 said. “I am really interested in being a marine biologist, and having the ability to ask them questions and learn more about it was a huge plus. My favorite college we saw was College of Charleston. I liked it most because it is near the water, which is convenient for marine biology.

They have amazing internship oppor-

Furies on the Southern college tour made time for fun at Furman University.

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tunities and I love how well the college blends in with the rest of Charleston.”

Kate Rollins ’18 enjoyed the University of Georgia because of the size of the campus and the massive variety of options it offers.

Another fun thing about visiting the various colleges was getting to talk to some FCDS alumni about their college experiences. Some of the alumni we met up with were Laine Lockwood ’16 from College of Charleston, Austin Smith ’16 and Hannah Kostuchenko ’16 from the University of South Carolina, Gavin Grosswald ’16 and Jackie Kniejski ’15 from the University of Georgia, and Charlie Spong ’16, McKinnon Reece ’15, and Anna Wade Strawsburg ’15 from Clemson University. They gave us direct insight into what it is like to be a college student at their particular schools.

Donor Profile: Why WE Give Toni and Jimmy Dew he Dews have at least 10 reasons for supporting Forsyth Country Day T School: their four children: David ’81, Brian ’85, Mike ’85, and Susan Dew Reid ’89, and six grandchildren: Jack ’18, Hannah Reid ’19, Avery ’20, Ansley Reid ’22, Brooks Reid ’22, and Walker ’24.

“We have loved the school since 1979 when our children first enrolled.

We continue to feel a part of it now that our grandchildren attend,” the Dews said. “The best gift we could give our kids was a quality education – they would always benefit. It’s the same for our grandkids.”

“We feel good about supporting the school financially so that it can continue to provide the same quality education to others. We couldn’t think of a better place to give to support the future of our children and grandchildren.”

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FURY FLASHBACK ~ ~ Girls’ Service Club initiation was not complete without a traditional can-can routine at Five Points! Pictured are the members of the classes of ’81 and ’82.

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Forsyth Country Day School has produced some truly remarkable alumni in its almost five decades of history; for this profile, we interviewed three alums under 40 who are making their marks in three very different areas – media, the arts, and athletics. Amidst the Trees spoke with Ross Clark ’00, Frances “Katie” Pollock ’08, and Tanner Beason ’15 recently to find out what they’re up to – and how Forsyth Country Day helped them get there.

Ross Clark Loves Something New Every Day That’s the motto of Sweet – a partnership between every millennial’s favorite app, Snapchat, and the Hearst Corporation – and it’s a philosophy that Ross Clark ’00, as vice president and general manager, embraces himself.

“I oversee the partnership, leading strategy and day-to-day operations across editorial, revenue, and growth for the brand,” Ross said. Every day, Sweet (via Snapchat Discover) publishes 12-15 original pieces on topics including travel, entertainment, fashion, and beauty that reach more than 16 million unique

Ross Clark

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monthly visitors.

“Sweet is the best environment on Snapchat Discover,” Ross said. “It’s curious, it’s global in its mindset, and embodies sophisticated taste. On the business side, we are an ad-supported business and offer marketers the ability to connect with Sweet’s readers through a dynamic set of advertising products.”

Ross’s favorite thing about his job is that it’s constantly changing. “I love that no single day is the same,” he said.

“We’re a brand that was born on Snapchat, and nobody has ever done what we’re doing, so we have such flexibility and creativity in continuing to push the envelope.”

As the brand continues to grow and develop, Ross hopes to build offline extensions and to keep pushing the limits. “The through-line behind everything we do is that we’re incredibly agile and we have the ability to iterate - after 24 hours the content we create disappears and we can do something else.

So we will keep pushing the envelope of what’s possible on the platform.”

Prior to taking over at Sweet, Ross worked at Condé Nast and NBC Universal. For current FCDS students and alumni interested in a career in media, he has some advice.

“Be hungry, relentless, and focused,” he said. “Many people want to work in media and entertainment, so you are going to have to be smart and also hustle. Also, take the long view.

Many jobs in this space follow the apprentice model and you’re going to have to work your way up, usually starting on the least glamorous end.”

Ross started his career at the lowest rung – working in the mailroom. There, he stuffed envelopes, answered the phone, made copies, created press clippings, and took out the trash.

“That work was critical for the business to run and offered me so many opportunities to learn,” he said.

It’s also important to realize that it’s not always about you, he said. “Russell Simmons, the media entrepreneur, has this great quote: ‘Those who focus on being good servants usually attract the most in the end’,” Ross said. “Approach your job every day from the mindset of what you can do to help others and be solution-based. The rest will follow.”

The FCDS Experience and Favorite Teachers As an FCDS “lifer” who attended the school from what was then pre-k through graduation, Ross cherishes the friendships he formed at Forsyth Country Day. “I have life-long friends from when I was 5 years old. I think that level of community is

rare and I’m grateful for it,” he said. “I think FCDS did a great job in instilling a love of learning and teaching me how to read and write critically.”

Although Ross said he had so many great teachers during his 14 years at FCDS that it would be hard to pick a favorite, he gave it a try. “Mr. Danforth for showing me the power of enthusiasm and why it’s important to foster a real community.

Mr. Funk for teaching me why it’s important to build both sides of your brain. Ms. Chickadaunce for teaching me that ambition and hard work are a pretty unstoppable combination. Mrs. Spencer for sharing her love of history.”

Frances Pollock is Inspiring Important Conversations through Music

true story of George Stinney, a 14-year-old African-American boy who became the youngest person ever executed in the United States. Seventy-years later, he was exonerated. Stinney won Frances numerous awards from Johns Hopkins University, including the prestigious Diversity Innovation Grant, and a Baltimore City Paper’s “Best of Baltimore” Award. More recently, she was commissioned by the Washington National Opera to compose a 20-minute opera for the American Opera Initiative.

The resulting piece, “What Gets Kept” - about the final day in the life and the death of a terminal patient - was performed at the Kennedy Center on March 17, 2017.

“In terms of the number of things I’ve written, I wouldn’t even know how to give you a ballpark estimate,” she said. In addition to the pieces she writes herself, she often writes pieces of

Frances Pollock In her time at Forsyth Country Day, second-generation Fury Frances Pollock ’08 (her father is Eddie Pollock ’75) was known as Katie. Professionally, she changed her name to Frances (her given middle name) at the suggestion of a teacher due to the prevalence of the name Katherine.

After she graduated from FCDS, Frances earned her bachelor’s degree in music theory and composition from Furman University and her master’s degree in vocal performance from Peabody Conservatory. Today, her work has been called “bold and bracing” and she has been named “one of the female composers shaking up the opera world.”

All that began at Forsyth Country Day. “The first thing I wrote was for Ms. [Mignon] Dobbins’s class,” Frances recalled.

“I wrote a little choral piece...I was probably a senior in high school. We did it at the senior spring concert, which was a great experience.”

Since then, she has written both the music and libretto for one full-length opera, Stinney: An American Execution, the tragic

larger works, such as part of a theater score. “Classical composers are writing film scores, musicals, and ballets,” she said. “The purely classical musician is not really a thing anymore.”

That her best-known pieces tackle serious issues is no accident. “When I was in high school, I went to NC Governor’s School, and I started to go to seminars about what inequality looks like in America at this time,” she said. At Governor’s School, she got involved with the Innocence Project, which strives to free the wrongfully convicted – which is how she learned the moving story of George Stinney.

“I was appalled but not shocked when I learned about this case,” Frances said. When she began writing the work, she was living in Baltimore and working with inner city kids. “It was the perfect story to tell,” Frances said. “I felt like I could tell his story in a very honest way.” The Stinney family was excited about the opera and began working with Frances to bring it to New York.

At press time, Frances had been awarded an Opera America

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Tanner Beason - Far Right Female Discovery Grant to produce Stinney in the spring of 2018.

Although she is an accomplished composer and singer, Frances’s true passion is to start conversations about difficult subjects. “I want to tell the most authentic story possible and to bring people together to talk about things that need to be talked about. That’s not easy without a medium like music.”

The FCDS Experience and Favorite Teachers “Aaron Craven and (former choir director) Jeremy Truhel are great teachers,” Frances said. “Ms. Dobbins, too...they were mentors and the best parts of my FCDS education.” She especially admired how they not only taught but were active in the music world. “They were so talented.”

She remembers being astounded when she heard Mr. Truhel sing. “I did not realize people could sound like that,” she said.

“Having those experiences made me want to explore that further.”

In Director of Orchestras Mr. Craven, Frances found both refuge and inspiration. “I was a cellist with him,” she said. “He got me thinking about focused hard work, which served me incredibly well throughout college. Mr. Craven was the one I would go to and practice with during tutorial...he always made

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himself available,” she said. “He made being in orchestra feel important to his students, and that was a big thing for us.”

Tanner Beason is Making the Most of His Time at Stanford The first year away at college is usually an exciting time, but second-generation Fury Tanner Beason ’15 (his father is Stewart Beason ’81) takes that excitement to a new level. After graduating from FCDS, he went on to Stanford University. As a member of the Cardinal soccer team, he is now a two-time national champion – and he’s only a sophomore.

During his freshman year at Stanford, Tanner redshirted, meaning that he didn’t play in any games to maintain four years of eligibility. “I plan to be in the program for five years,” he said. In his first year, he watched the Cardinals win the national championship from the bench.

“I’m a defender, and there was a great senior in front of me,” Tanner said. “I was never going to take his spot. I tried to use the experience to focus on myself and on getting better. We won that fall and I was watching.”

Redshirting was a far cry from Tanner’s previous soccer career at Forsyth Country Day, where he made varsity in eighth grade and played that year and the next. Then, he had to make a pain-

ful choice. “You couldn’t do high school soccer and [the N.C. Fusion U-18 Academy team],” he said.

“It was hard, but it was the clear choice. I knew I wanted to play in college and that’s what I had to do.”

While Tanner played with the Fusion, he supported his friends on the FCDS team from the stands whenever his academy schedule allowed. “All of my closest friends were at Forsyth. It was no fun that I couldn’t be out there with them.”

Academy players are in a lot of showcases that allow college coaches to see them in action. “In my freshman year, I e-mailed schools, feeling around,” he said. “They can’t email you back, but can reach out to your coach...I reached out to Stanford my freshman year and I never heard from them.”

He didn’t think much of it, he said, but in the March of his junior year, he got an email from Stanford. “I thought it was spam,” he said. “I had to ask my coach if that was a real e-mail.”

It was the real deal, and by Tanner’s second year as a Cardinal, things were dramatically different. “I played almost every minute. It was definitely an interesting change to get through,” he said. “Throughout the fall it was very cool to be a part of it. It was an unbelievable season and I’m really happy.”

During his five years at Stanford, Tanner plans to stay very busy with soccer, training 20 hours a week

during soccer season and eight hours a week during the off-season. There’s also class time and studying: he’s majoring in management science and engineering and plans to complete a master’s program in his fifth year after he completes his bachelor’s degree.

Although he’s planning a future in business, Tanner is leaving the option open to play soccer even after his five years are up. “If I have the opportunity to play after college, I will pursue that,” he said.

The FCDS Experience and Favorite Teachers “I think I was prepared very well at Forsyth,” Tanner said. “I feel very much above average even at Stanford. FCDS does a very good job of challenging you to work hard and to be prepared for the workload. If you don’t push yourself in high school, college will be a bit of a wake-up call. I think the workload at FCDS prepared me very well for what I have to do here.”

“Mrs. Harrington, Mrs. Stoltz, Mrs. Angell, Mrs. Fortney, Mr. Manna, Mr. Trotter, Mr. McBride, Mrs. Hogan, Coach Turner...I think I had great personal relationships with my teachers that helped get me to where I am today,” Tanner said. “Those relationships helped me develop as a person and a student...that’s the advantage of Forsyth.”

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Our first Furies on the Road event in Atlanta this past October! From left to right: Brigitte Roufail Peck ’86, Steve Sidman ’88, Head of School Gardner Barrier ’97, Midd Read ’06, Sarah Fishel Jourdain ’03, Matt Fishel ’07 and his girlfriend.

Austin Furies met in December 2016 with Development Director Mark Palmer. From left: Evan Thomason ’14 and girlfriend, John Craig ’16, Michael Burton ’10, and Mark Palmer.

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This year, FCDS took its show on the road – whether it was down I-77, up I-95, or across the country to connect with alumni.

At press time, Furies had come together in five cities – Austin, Texas, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Georgia, Charlotte, N.C., and – of course – Winston-Salem.

The following Furies gathered with Head of School Gardner Barrier ’97 in Washington, D.C. in late February: Jim Barnett ’82, Kathryn Clark ’07, Kelly Diamond ’85, Scott Gallisdorfer ’06, Mike King ’97, Lizzie Martin ’09, Ben Pulliam ’06, Fred Richards ’82, and Fairley Spillman ’77.

Thanks to Nancy and Bruce Downing for hosting our latest Furies on the Road event in Charlotte! Pictured are: Dana Gottlieb Ditesheim ’84, De Cordell ’81, Lib Craver McAlister ’81, Michele Roufail Jones ’81, Nancy Williams Downing ’81, Ruth Jackson ’14, Duncan Ham ’95, Dolly Dudley ’82, Head of School Gardner Barrier ’97. Not pictured: Todd Johnson ’75, Diane Blackburn Burks ’00, Rosalie Hill Bland ’85.

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When Forsyth Country Day School was founded, 100 percent of its students were coming in from the public schools, and their skill levels were wildly different. “Mabel set a high standard for the students, and she helped them reach their potential.”

An art lover and patron of the arts, Mabel Brandon made it a priority to expose FCDS students to the arts and culture. “She was known for getting the students out in the community and in the state,” Mr. Danforth said. “She was so excited to take them out on field trips to the Biltmore House, Reynolda House, the symphony, Little Theatre. She wanted to build their appreciation of the arts, of culture.”

John counts Mabel Brandon – along with Mark Hagerman, the late Sue Lowrey, and Julian Scarborough – as the mentors who made his career at Forsyth Country Day possible. “Mabel was a good friend,” he said. “She was someone I could lean on. She got me off on the right foot, and we remained friends all these years.”

Former students remember her well. “We had Mrs. Brandon for homeroom at ‘the church’,” said Gwynn Walker-Candee ’78. “We invited her to a reunion a few years ago and of course she came – drove herself there, in fact! Such a force, that woman!”

John F. Lowrey ’83 agreed. “She was such a nice lady and a wonderful friend to my parents (founders Rod and Sue). “She loved the school and the kids. FCDS would not be where it is today without her guidance and vision.”

“People should know that Mabel Brandon put the school first always,” Mr. Danforth said. “In making difficult decisions, she thought of the students and what was best for them and what would help the school prosper. It was all about the students.”

Remembering Mrs. Brandon

Mabel Brandon, one of Forsyth Country Day’s founding teachers and a life-long supporter of the school, died on Sunday, March 12, 2017. She was 87.

Amidst the Trees sat down with Mr. Fury himself, John Danforth, to discuss a woman who was a mentor, friend, and inspiration. “Mabel was really a teacher’s teacher,” Mr. Danforth said. “She cared for every student as a total person. It wasn’t just academics, but about how and who they were.”

When Forsyth Country Day was founded in 1970, Mrs. Brandon was a veteran teacher, having taught for years in the public schools; Mr. Danforth was 22 and fresh out of Wake Forest University. Mrs. Brandon taught math for three years – first at the temporary space at Shallowford Presbyterian Church in Lewisville, then on the current campus.

After three years, then-Lower School Director Mark Hagerman took over as Head of School and Mrs. Brandon became the Lower School Director – a position she held for seven years.

“She did development, admissions – she did anything that was needed to grow and strengthen the school. She was tough, but she always put the kids first,” Mr. Danforth said.

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In Memoriam Forsyth Country Day School expresses its deepest sympathy to the families of the following Forsyth Country Day School alumni and friends. These listings include all information received by press time. If a friend or loved one is not included and you would like him or her to be remembered in our next issue, please send the information to rosaliebland@fcds.org by August 1, 2017.

ALUMNI Joe Hart ’81 passed away on December 22, 2016. He was a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and earned his JD and MBA from Emory University and his master’s degree in tax from New York University. After spending time in Atlanta, he returned to Winston-Salem, where he was a tax and estate attorney. He is survived by his father, Dr. Oliver James Hart and wife Lynne; his siblings Jimmy Hart ’76, Bonney Hart Daves ’78, and Bess Hart Wagner ’79; and he was the uncle of Hart Wagner ’08 and Mour Wagner.

Kimberlee Lambe Masich ’75 passed away on July 12, 2016. She is survived by her husband, Kent Masich and sons Tom Masich ’07 and Davis Masich. She was the sister of Sheridan Lambe Baker ’77.

FRIENDS & FAMILY Mabel Brandon was a founding teacher at Forsyth Country Day School. Please see page 27 for an article about her impact on FCDS. John A. Taylor, Sr. was a founding parent and generous supporter of Forsyth Country Day School. He was the father of Suzanne Taylor Ramm ’82 and the grandfather of Bowman McCuiston, Marguerite Ramm, and Taylor McCuiston ’10.

A. Tab Williams, Jr. was a former Trustee and generous supporter of Forsyth Country Day School. He was the father of four alumni: Artie Williams ’75, Susan Williams Mann ’76, Steve Williams ’78, and Nancy Williams Downing ’81. Mr. Williams was the grandfather of six Furies: Taylor Williams ’95, Tab Williams ’06, Cameron Williams ’07, Eliza Williams ’10, Laurin Williams ’10, and John Mann ’12.

Births & Adoptions

Michael Tierney ’99 and his wife Michelle welcomed a son, William Michael Tierney, on December 6, 2016.

He joins sisters Lillian Grace, 4, and Evelina Rose, 2.

Martha Bennett Metzler ’01 and her husband Sam welcomed a son, Finn Porterfield Metzler, on March 9.

Finn weighed in at 7 pounds, 6 ounces and joins big brothers Bennett ’30 and Bud ’31.

New bundle of joy? Let us know if you welcomed a child into your family (and send a picture!) so that we can include your happy news! Send birth or adoption announcements to rosaliebland@fcds.org by August 1, 2017, for inclusion in our next issue.

Martha & Finn

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FURIES: THEN A NOW Karl Haigler Then: Mr. Haigler taught history in the Upper School for 10 years and left a lasting legacy at FCDS – for students who remember him and for those who don’t even know his name.

How? Students in his American Bicentennial History class built the log cabin across the lake as a project to try to get out of writing a dreaded term paper (they didn’t), and today, second graders use it as a base of operations on Colonial Day. Another little known fact: Mr. Haigler wrote the school’s Alma Mater,

from which this magazine took its name –winning a cool $10 in the process.

Now: Mr. Haigler is the president of Haigler Enterprises, a management consulting firm he founded in 2002. He is a nationally recognized expert in workplace and adult literacy whose clients have included Pfizer, Family Dollar Stores, Kraft Foods, Hewlett Packard, Volvo, Beam Global Spirits and Wine, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, to name a few.

Members of the Class of ’77 pose with the log cabin during the building process. It was a project for their Bicentennial American History class during their junior year.

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Karl Haigler playing his guitar

RESERVED FOR HALF PAGE AD

Karl Haigler with Garner Barrier, Head of School

Come out of the shadows . . .

Karl Haigler keeps in touch with FCDS... won’t you? Send us a Class Note telling us what you’ve been up to since graduation, or since the last time we heard from you!

Email rosaliebland@fcds.org or visit our website at fcds.org/page/alumni.

Do you know who’s in this picture from the 1976 yearbook? Let us know and we’ll send you some school swag!

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CLASS OF 2016

COLLEGE MATRICULATION Owen Michael Baughan Max Bryson Beeler Samuel Albert Beresford Kylie Bouplon Emma Gilda Burke Grant Christian Cain Zoe Alice Chamberlain Jonathan Phillippe Chen Katharine Jane Ciener Martin Marius Cloete Channing Lee Cox John Alexander Craig Alexander James Curry Robert Padgitt Davis Riley Grace Didier Alan Doorasamy Matthew Ryan Edwards Benjamin James Fasel Katharine Gilchrist-Brown Abigail Kathleen Greene Gavin Samuel Grosswald Christian Ray Hawley Alan Hernandez Morales Lillian Ruth Hicks Christian McKenzie Hill Joseph Campbell Hilleary Carter Elizabeth Hunter Campbell Elizabeth Hutcherson Ashley Morgan Ickes Elliott Parker Klass Hannah Faryn Kostuchenko Daniel John Lauffenburger Samantha Alyse Lew Esteban Miguel Leyva Laine Margaret Lockwood Kristen Michelle Logan Sarah Allan Logie Jacob Michael Martin Caldwell Gray Miller William Davis Mitchell Jason Fairfax Moxley Mary Dudley Newman Ethan William Noble Matthew Richard Parker Rachel Elizabeth Peters Jaret Paul Phillips

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University of Virginia Brevard College North Carolina State University University of North Carolina at Greensboro University of North Carolina at Wilmington Morehouse College Bates College Wake Forest University University of North Carolina at Wilmington Elon University Liberty University University of Texas, Austin Appalachian State University University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Syracuse University American University Catawba College University of North Carolina at Charlotte High Point University Salem College University of Georgia Clemson University Roanoke College North Carolina State University University of Georgia Bowdoin College University of South Carolina University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Davidson College University of Mississippi University of South Carolina Appalachian State University Appalachian State University Savannah College of Art and Design College of Charleston University of North Carolina at Charlotte Liberty University North Carolina State University Rhodes College North Carolina State University University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill North Carolina State University University of South Carolina Elon University Goucher College Furman University

Where in the World Are Our Furies?

While some members of the classes of 2013-2016 went abroad, most stayed in the United States. The vast majority elected to remain close to home at North Carolina colleges, and the next most popular colleges and universities are in South Carolina and Virginia. Although Furies do tend to stay in the Southeast, watch for the trends to start shifting when data comes out for the Class of 2017.

Benjamin Chalmers Pike Lucas Antonio Poppante Jill Joanna Porte Royce Alexander Porter Spencer Graham Powell Sarah Diana Pranikoff Hal Judd Rollins Joel Austin Schneider Noah Andrew Seach Austin Conner Smith Bruno Solomun Charles William Spong Ashley Noelle Stewart Elizabeth Edna Stockton Rachel Elizabeth Surratt Zachary Blake Swaim Esnarda Torres Cisneros Sophie Petronela Van Zandt Alexandra Nicole Vargo Kendall Jane Vaughn Lathan Hargis Verwoerdt William Hargis Verwoerdt Hannah Lynn Vrooman Chloe Cecile Wall William Rollins Westbrook Abigail Ann Williams Peter Lindner Worcester Amelia Caroline Wright

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill North Carolina State University Hanzehogeschool Groningen Appalachian State University University of Georgia University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill North Carolina State University United States Naval Academy University of North Carolina at Charlotte University of South Carolina Miami University, Oxford Clemson University University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill North Carolina State University North Carolina State University Appalachian State University Savannah College of Art and Design University of North Carolina at Wilmington North Carolina State University University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Appalachian State University North Carolina State University Bucknell University University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of Virginia University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Gallery Walls Rita Wang ’17

Anika Pawa ’25

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Mckenzie Hungate ’17

Thoran Pierce ’30

Sarah Jin ’21

Noble Smith ’21

As you walk the halls of Forsyth Country Day, you’ll soon discover that every wall is a gallery offering insights into the minds of the school’s artists from EAP to twelfth grade, and each artist has his or her own unique perspective and technique.

Here’s a look at what graced our walls as we reached the end of the 2016-2017 school year.

Norie Pocock ’27

Lena Johnson ’17

Eva Hollar ’21

Daniel Wood ’18

Ruby Gallagher ’18

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Forsyth Country Day School 5501 Shallowford Road Lewisville, NC 27023