Education
FWCD through the Eyes of a New Family By Emily Bintliff In May 2010, as Anne and Orlando Carvalho arrived from Philadelphia to visit Fort Worth Country Day, a sudden spring thunderstorm developed. Running into the Schwartz Administration Building, they were soaked. As they laughed and dried off, they were warmly welcomed by Admission Associate Yolanda Espinoza and Kathy Lott, director of financial aid and associate director of admission. The Carvalhos knew instantly they had found the school they wanted their children to attend. In spite of the rain, FWCD’s tree-lined grounds and the beauty of its college-like campus reminded them of home. The friendly welcome was an added bonus. Orlando earned a degree in math from Fairfield College and an MBA from the University of Maryland. He climbed up the ranks in engineering and management at RCA; GE; Martin-Marietta; and, finally, Lockheed Martin. Anne was a dental hygienist for 23 years, but has been a stay-at-home mom and volunteer for eight years. Orlando’s 32-year career in the aerospace industry had taken him to Washington, D.C., but the family had always been able to remain in Philadelphia; they never relocated until Texas beckoned. With Orlando’s promotion to executive vice president and general manager of Lockheed’s F-35 program, the family discussed whether it was more important to move together to Texas or to keep the children in the schools and with the friends they had grown accustomed to. Once they found FWCD, there was no doubt in their minds what they were going to do—move to Fort Worth. Just what exactly were the Carvalhos looking for in a school? The
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girls, Katharine ’13 and Caroline ’14, were attending a Catholic girls’ school in Philadelphia. Anne and Orlando originally assumed the girls would continue their education at Ursuline Academy of Dallas, while Jack ’17 would attend St. Mark’s School of Texas. The family would live in Southlake as a compromise. The entire family was willing to make the necessary commutes, until Katharine discovered FWCD online. It was at her suggestion that her parents visited that rainy day in May, allowing the family to truly be together—work, home and school all within minutes of each other. Orlando said: “When everything about a school feels right, you know you don’t have to look any further. We quickly realized that FWCD answered the need of a college-prep environment and answered it well. Everyone we asked spoke highly of the School. It’s a beautiful campus, and everyone we met was so friendly and generous.” After the Carvalhos discovered the Mira Vista community, the deal was sealed. Good impressions of FWCD continued as the three children came to Fort Worth later in the month for their classroom visits with their student ambassadors. Jack said that Brennan Woods ’17 was a great ambassador, introducing him to all his classmates and making him feel extremely comfortable. Katharine was matched with Kaelyn Scoville ’13 and Caroline with Mary Claire Ekstrom ’14. Both girls received the same welcoming feeling from their ambassadors, and Anne complimented the student ambassador program by praising the communication she received from the ambassadors prior to the children’s visits. Howdy Week also provided an excellent introduction to FWCD, according to Anne and all the children. By Homecoming the girls were well-entrenched in FWCD with dates and mums—an eye-opening Texas tradition! fwcd.org
They are also impressed with the independence afforded FWCD students, especially in Upper School. Anne and Orlando feel the children are receiving a “more mature” education at FWCD because of that. There are several opportunities during the day to complete homework, meet with teachers for extra help or with friends to discuss assignments, or even to grab a bite to eat. And speaking of food, the consensus among the Carvalhos is that the food in Fischer Dining Pavilion is great, ample and full of wonderful choices. Katharine thinks she will be better prepared for college after spending two years at FWCD than if she had stayed at her school in Philadelphia. “The class selections are so much more extensive at FWCD,” says Katharine. “I’m going to be able to take several AP courses next year, and my old school only offered one.” Caroline adds: “The curriculum is similar to what we were used to in Philadelphia, but the co-ed environment adds so much to learning.
Chakka Cummings
The entire Carvalho family agrees that the education the children are receiving at FWCD is better than what they experienced in Philadelphia, not only because of the curriculum, but also thanks to the teachers and administrators. Anne said: “We came to FWCD expecting a college-prep curriculum, and, of course, we got that, but we did not expect the teachers and administrators to be so hands-on. Mr. [John] Stephens and Mr. [Chaka] Cummings in Middle School really know how to handle boys, keep their attention and help them reach their potential.” Anne and Jack also singled out Middle School Spanish Teacher Valerie Montgomery ’01 for her help in getting Jack to the level he needed to be in Spanish. “The teachers are available to the students. They want every child to succeed,” Anne said. Jack echoed the sentiment saying: “Señora Montgomery has helped me bring my grade up 20 points in Spanish. I couldn’t have done it without her extra attention.” Seventh graders Katherine Walters, Caroline Parker, Jack Carvalho and Anna Brett Hyde
Just hearing a boy’s point of view on a subject, especially one like history, is something I wasn’t used to, and I think it’s so much fun and exciting!” Katharine singled out Upper School History Teacher Dean Barker as a teacher who has helped her become a better student. While Barker says of Katharine: “Katharine works very hard and asks good questions. She seems to be well-liked and certainly respected by her classmates. I see that particularly when we are doing group work.” One of Caroline’s favorite teachers is Math Teacher Paula Weatherholt. According to Weatherholt, Caroline started the year as a shy and not very confident student. Now she says: “Wow, how different Caroline is! She has made many friends. You can hardly tell that she’s a new student any longer. She is speaking up in class and even helping others around her with their assignments. Her grades continue to improve but mostly her smiles are getting bigger and bigger each day. I’m so happy to see her with her friends and taking chances. She is a very special young lady.”
Getting Involved
James McKeachie ’13, Katharine Carvalho ’13, Caroline Carvalho ’14, Kaelyn Scoville ’13 and Hunter Williams ’13
SPrinG/SUMMER 2012
Few new families join the FWCD community and make the immediate impact on all aspects of campus life that the Carvalhos have. Anne laughingly remembers arriving in Fort Worth on August 11, book-sale day. The check-out lines were long in the library, but rather than complaining about the time spent waiting, Anne used it as an opportunity to visit, network and meet other parents. She said that she couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to FWCD. FALCONER
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