Past Feature Articles: 2002-2003
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Summer Quest Combines Fun
and Learning
[top
of page]
 Would
your kids like to learn digital photography, web design or desktop publishing?
How about honing their lacrosse skills or learning to cook great Southern
specialties?
Cary Academy’s Summer Quest
continues through the week of July 29 with a veritable
smorgasbord of programs and activities.
So far this summer 540
students from the Triangle area have learned new skills and made new friends,
said Stephanie Dungan, Auxiliary Programs Coordinator at Cary Academy.
Summer Quest enrollment has almost doubled from last year, with more
programs open to younger children. Of the 38 teachers involved, 28 are Cary
Academy faculty and staff members.
Summer Quest has offered an
array of programs this summer, including flute camp, learning to invest in the
stock market, ceramics, cooking with dough and sharpening study skills. But
science and technology classes remain the most popular offerings.
There is still time to
enroll. Contact the Summer Quest Office at 677-1946, x 7030 for more
information, or go to www.caryacademy.org.
Art
Teacher’s Work Featured at Raleigh Municipal
Building
[top
of page]
A peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a green and
white striped awning, an old red barn, a Granny
Smith apple. Meredith Steele’s signature is
painting the mundane, then putting it all together
in a colorful collage.
The Upper
School Visual Arts teacher’s work is currently on
display in the Raleigh Municipal Building lobby
gallery. The exhibit is sponsored by the Raleigh
Arts Commission and runs through Sept. 5.
A
Halloween jack-o-lantern, a bowl of cherries or a
fast food logo may end up together on a canvas on
one of Steele’s distinctive paintings.
“I
was always interested in painting. I always seemed
driven to create,” Steele said. She primarily
works with oil and acrylic.
Steele
thinks having a required art course at Cary Academy
ultimately helps students.
“This
way students have to get away a little from left
brain thinking in the classroom. They can express
themselves any way they want because there are no
right or wrong answers.
Summer’s a
Memory
[top
of page]
It’s back to
school for Cary Academy students Tuesday, Aug. 13 at 8 a.m. This fall’s
enrollment is 667. The traditional Opening Day Celebration kicks off at 1:30
in the gym, with remarks from Head of School Don Berger. Afterward all faculty
and staff take part in the annual welcoming tradition of shaking hands with
Cary Academy students.
New Upper School Head Readies for School Opening [top
of page]
Mitch W. McGuigan believes that excellent schools provide students with the skills to lead exceptional lives.
The new Head of Upper School arrived at Cary Academy in July. He previously
served as Head of School at St. John's-Ravenscourt School in Winnipeg, Manitoba in
Canada for 11 years.
McGuigan, who comes from a 183-year-old school, wants to expand school activities to engage even more students. "We need to make sure that all students are involved. We are a family. I want everyone to feel that they have a place at Cary Academy,” he said.
He comes from a school that is internationally acclaimed in public speaking. He hopes to build this emphasis at Cary Academy. Public speaking and debating teach students to listen, think and present solutions to problems, he said.
McGuigan also wants to make sure that Cary Academy's public perception is an accurate one.
"I want Cary Academy to be known as a school that fosters excellence in every area of school life, especially leadership, citizenship and school spirit. Cary Academy is a place where people have fun taking chances," he said.
Cary Academy Welcomes New Faculty
[top
of page]
Twelve new
faculty members arrive this fall, bringing a wealth and breadth of teaching
experience from across the country and the world. Of the new faculty, one is a
native of Spain and another is a native of Puerto Rico. Two come to Cary
Academy with recent career experience in Japan and Egypt. Others hail from
afar as California, Wisconsin and Texas and as close as Virginia and Maryland.
Bio Information on new Faculty
Faculty, Staff Battle It Out in X Games
[top
of page]
They stuffed Jell-O into cups. They dunked whiffle balls on the basketball
court and they pulled and tugged until they dropped. This year's Cary Academy
X Games called for a variety of skills in some fun and wacky events. The Aug.
9 afternoon event pitted teams of Staff, Upper School and Middle School
Faculty in hurriedly listing the most outrageous excuses why students didn't
have their homework. Then it was back to the drawing board to sketch a
likeness of Head Of School Don Berger. But the most anticipated event was the
Tug-O-War. After a ferocious struggle, the Middle School Faculty pulled down
the Tug-of-War Title...AGAIN!!
 
'60
Minutes' Visits Cary Academy
[top of page]
Dawn Bates
and her Middle School Math class had short notice. The email from the
Advancement Office asked teachers to please open their classrooms briefly to a
film crew - from "60 Minutes."
"The students
needed to be working on their computers. It was only the third day of school
but their homework had been computer-related," said Bates.
Morley Safer
and his crew had interviewed Dr. Jim Goodnight earlier in the week for a
segment on SAS, tentatively scheduled for October or November. A decision was
made to also shoot some footage at Cary Academy Wednesday.
"I didn't
tell the students it was '60 Minutes' beforehand. I just said we were having
guests," Bates said.
When the crew
arrived, the students were working diligently on their math autobiographies
while Bates monitored their work. The camera crew remained in Bates' classroom
for about 10 minutes. Afterward, she told her students who the film crew was.
"They were
very excited," she said. Bates thinks the national exposure is an excellent
opportunity for Cary Academy. But she's hoping her voice won't be heard on
national TV.
"Maybe
they'll do a voice-over," she said.
The crew also
shot footage in Gray Rushin's US Chemistry class, Chrissy Ettefagh's MS
Science class, and Josh Hartman's MS Language Arts class.
Cary Academy’s Opening Day a Success
[top of page]
 On
Monday students found their classrooms, met their teachers and geared up for a
new school year. During Opening Day Ceremonies Head of School Don Berger
welcomed new students, faculty and staff as well as those returning. He gave
an update on the Sports and Education Annex. The building will include five
classrooms, a new student lounge and a gym double the size of the current one.
Berger reminded students “it only takes one person and one small act to make a
tremendous difference” at Cary Academy as well as in life. Students lined up
around the gym to shake the hands of faculty, staff and the Class of '03 for
over an
hour. The tradition was a welcome back gesture, Berger said, but also a
symbolic bonding of the Cary Academy Community.
Mixed Chorus Selected to Perform
in Big Apple
[top
of page]
The Cary
Academy Middle School Mixed Chorus is headed to Manhattan in February! The
choir is among a handful of outstanding choral groups in the U.S. chosen to
perform at the American Choral Directors
Association’s National Convention in New York. Only 41
of 277 applicants were selected, according to Choral Director Jacquie
Holcombe.
The choral
groups selected are not only schools. They include men’s and women’s choirs,
college and high school choirs, boy choirs and children’s choir, professional,
community and church choirs. Only two other
junior high or middle school choirs were selected. The choirs hail from 19
states, Washington, D.C. and Canada.
Cary Academy
students will have a busy schedule in New York. They will be performing at
Avery Fisher Hall, Riverside Church and the Avenue of Americas Hilton Hotel.
Each concert will last 30 minutes and the choir will perform approximately
seven selections. According to ACDA officials more than 6,000 choral
professionals will pre-register in addition to approximately 2,000 more
registering upon arrival.
Friday
Endowment Recipients Have Productive Summer Vacations
[top
of page]
Two of the
Friday Summer Fellowship winners left the country to pursue their career
development this summer. A third settled into a Durham coffee shop for some
intensive daily writing.
 The new
Friday Summer Fellowships provide financial assistance to faculty for
professional development. Faculty can choose original research, reading,
writing, technology, courses and seminars.
Lyn
Fairchild, Upper School English Department Head, wrote a booklet to aid high
school teachers in helping their students become better writers. She worked
with a UNC-CH professor, adapting his respected teaching method into lesson
plans, handouts and other materials for teachers.
Delia
DeCourcy, Assistant Middle School Head and Language Arts teacher, attended the
Bread Loaf School of English's Oxford University campus. She took a seminar at
Lincoln College for credit toward her master's degree.
Matthew
Ripley-Moffitt, who teaches Middle School History, used his endowment for a
three-week trip to study East Asian culture in Japan and China. The trip is
through the North Carolina Teaching Asia Network.
The Friday
Summer Fellowships are established in honor of Dr.William C. Friday. Friday
was president of the University of North Carolina from 1956 to 1986. He is a
former member of the Cary Academy Board of Directors.
Look for an
in-depth article about the Friday Fellowships in the winter issue of
Discoveries.
Cary
Academy Students Excel on Advanced Placement Exams
[top
of page]
The stats are
in. Cary Academy students posted high scores on their Advanced Placement
examinations. Of the 105 Sophomores,
Juniors and Seniors who took 241
Advanced Placement examinations in
May, 93 percent scored 3, 4, or 5 on a 5 point scale. These figures are up
from the previous year when 88 students took 222 AP exams, with 82 percent
scoring 3, 4, or 5.) Scores of 5 on AP exams are considered extremely well
qualified extremely to obtain college credit. A 4 score is considered well
qualified, 3 is qualified and 2 is possibly qualified. The work of students
posting scores of 1 are not recommended for college credit.
The College Board administers the AP examinations.
"This reflects incredibly well on our school and the quality of
teaching here," said Laura Sellers, College Advisor. "It also certainly
reflects well on what students are doing in their advanced classes."
New Parents Learn Cary
Academy's Intranet and More
[top
of page]
 Who
teaches your child Math? Why won't there be school on Nov. 8? Name a topic in
Mitch McGuigan's or Marti Jenkins' August letter to parents.
About 150 new parents
scoured the Cary Academy Intranet for these and other answers Thursday, Aug.
29. It was all part of an electronic scavenger hunt at
New Parent Technology Orientation. The
exercise helped parents to skillfully navigate the
school's Intranet. Guiding them along the way were Jim Aanstoos, Don Berger,
Chuck Burdick, Jason Franklin, Marita Gonsalves, Marti Jenkins, Dima Manakhov,
Eric Moore, Debby Reichel, Kevin Rokuskie, Mike Roy and Kris Wetterling.
Following the technology session, parents enjoyed dinner in the Dining Hall,
met the school Leadership Team, heard about the PTAA and learned about Home
for the Holidays and the Annual Fund.
Middle School Parents
Meet the Teachers [top
of page]
Armed with campus maps and
class schedules, Middle School parents got a taste of what it's like to be a
Cary Academy student Tuesday night. Parents first met with their children's
advisor. Then it was off to Language Arts, World Cultures, Math, Science,
Spanish, Art, P.E. and more. Meet the Teacher Night provides the opportunity
for parents to get acquainted with faculty, ask questions about course
material and capture the flavor of Cary Academy.
US Parents Return to School
[top
of page]
It was back to school for
parents on Upper School "Meet the Teacher Night" on Thursday. More than 450
parents descended on campus to meet their sons' and daughters' teachers and
get a taste of their class work. Parents had the chance to ask questions
before zipping off to the next class.
"We go every year. We get a
lot of insight and learn the ways material is connected to other classes. We
gain a great appreciation of what kids have to do," said Linda Stanton (Craig
'04), Jeffrey ('06) and Scott ('08). "Their days are full."
Upper School Faculty were
treated to a dinner before "classes" began for parents at 7 p.m.
 
Assembly Commemorates
9/11, Celebrates Hope
[top
of page]
Students, Faculty and Staff
filed into the gym to the strains of Mussorgsky's Promenade. They
walked beneath colorful flags representing the many countries of
 the
9/11 victims. After Julia Zhang led the Pledge of Allegiance, Head of School
Don Berger told the audience that last year's tragic events shook the United
States to its core. Individual responses differed from sadness to anger to
hopelessness. But the tragedy brought communities together. "Our big world
was pulled closer together by these events," he said. Berger challenged the
Cary Academy community to continually learn about the world and the events
affecting other countries.
Members of the Cary
Academy Dance Company performed a work choreographed by Betsy Hutchinson
especially for the 9/11 Assembly. The dancers depicted grace,
dignity and hope. Students Reed Malin and Kat Miller summoned candle bearers
from the audience. As the Honors Orchestra played Amazing Grace, candle
bearers lighted the wicks of the ones beside them in the spirit of strength
and hope.
Family Fun Fest has a
Great Gathering
[top
of page]
 More than 900 turned out for the 6th Family Fun
Fest. The younger set bounced around in the Moon Walk while the more
adventuresome bounced much higher on the bungee trampoline. There were
thrills, chills and some spills on the Titanic Slide and the Iron Man.
Students and younger siblings alike reached for greater heights on the
climbing wall. The lines were long for an opportunity to dunk a teacher or
administrator. Head of Middle School Marti Jenkins, Head of Upper School Mitch
McGuigan (attired in full hockey regalia) and Middle School Assistant Head
Delia DeCourcy endured repeated soakings.
So did Bill Velto, David McAllister, Tami
Kaiser-Polge, Kim Cherre, Katie Blalock, Josh Hartman
(resplendent in an academic gown, no less), Zack Fisher, Andrew Chiaraviglio, Kevin Rokuskie, Dawn Gatlehner, Sam Morris, Jon Powell and Carol
Akers.
The DJ kept the afternoon hopping with music,
dancing, a three-legged race and more. Some participants hung out at the bingo
tables while others had their faces painted and their hair dyed. But almost
everyone stopped by for
 barbecue, chicken, baked beans, potato salad and snow
cones.
Family Fun Fest is sponsored by Alliance, the
parent support organization of Cary Academy and was chaired this year by
Connie Moreadith.
Click here for more Fun Fest 2002 Pcitures.
'Renaissance' Art
Underfoot [top
of page] Cary Academy art students
literally painted the town. Four Middle School and four Upper
 School
students recently participated in the 4th Annual Raleigh Street Painting
Festival. This year the theme was the Renaissance and artists throughout the
area weighed in with their own ideas. The two teams of Cary Academy students
joined artists throughout the area, using colored chalk to design 6-by-8 foot
spaces in City Market.
MS students included Murphy
Chang, Nick Fair, Christina Wieand and Dallas Williams. Shanita Bigelow, Erika
Chou, Laura Fox and Bryn Robbins represented the Upper School. MS Art Teacher
Margot Smith and US Art Teacher Meredith Steele accompanied the students. Over
the weekend more than 15,000 visitors viewed the street art. 
Ann Goodnight, a member of
Cary Academy's Board of Directors, sponsored the students' participation in
the Raleigh Street Painting Festival.
Students Lend a Helping
Hand [top
of page]
 Cary
Academy Upper School students recently helped out with numerous community
projects. Their community service was in conjunction with grade-level trips
and also in commemoration of Sept. 11. Seniors gleaned 1,170 pounds of sweet
potatoes near Fuquay Varina for the Society of St. Andrew Juniors helped with
Habitat for Humanity, the SPCA, the Tammy Lynn Center, a Raleigh homeless
shelter and the Ronald McDonald House. Some students also baked goodies for
three Cary fire stations and the Cary Police Department.
Freshmen worked at the Food
Bank of North Carolina sorting potatoes and re-labeling cans. Students also
spiffed up the grounds of Cary Academy.
"Most of us went into this not wanting to have anything to do with digging,
getting dirty or being involved with farming in any way," says
Melih Onvural ('03), who gleaned sweet
potatoes. "We were there for two hours. They gave us
25-pound bags to hold our potatoes. We got covered in dirt in the process but
we had the justification of knowing our efforts helped someone who desperately
needed a helping hand."
"I think
forging relationships in the community and participating in meaningful work
for others was a commendable way to honor those that were lost in the tragic
events of Sept 11," said Tami Kaiser-Polge,
Service Learning
Coordintor. "The community service agencies are
grateful for the support and hard work of our students and teachers. It was a
fun week and lots was accomplished."
Cary
Academy Provides School Supplies in Afghanistan
[top
of page]
Cary
Academy is joining students across the state in putting together school supply
kits
 for
students and teachers in Afghanistan. The program is called Student to
Student: North Carolina Reaches Out to Afghanistan. It was created after
State School Superintendent Mike Ward visited the impoverished country. There
are some 9.6 million school-age children in Afghanistan, many who lack desks,
paper, pencils and other basic school supplies.
Cary
Academy 7th and 10th grade students have collected scissors, markers,
pencils, clipboards, paper, pens, chalk, tape, glue sticks and other supplies.
Supplies are being collected through Friday October 4th and can be dropped off
in the MS lobby or U125. Bill Velto is the contact for
the US and Todd Shy is coordinating the MS efforts.
The North
Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church is supplying warehouse
space and the international relief organization, Stop Hunger Now, is
coordinating the delivery of the kits to Afghanistan.
New Director of Facilities
Settling Into New Job [top
of page]
Jess Garcia, the new Director of Facilities, is quickly
adapting to his new environment.
 As
the Director of Facilities, Garcia is responsible for developing and
maintaining all Cary Academy buildings, grounds, and related equipment. This
includes all construction activity, vehicle management, grounds upkeep,
security and more. As Director of Facilities Garcia is also part of the
school's Leadership Team. Garcia comes to Cary Academy from Rocky Mount,
where he was an Assistant Site Manager for Advanced Technology Services, Inc.
Garcia brings extensive experience in project planning,
maintenance, and cost and control management. Prior to his employment in Rocky
Mount, Garcia was Facilities Manager for an Abilene, Texas power generations
firm. Retired from the U.S. Air Force, Garcia previously served as Chief of
Maintenance at Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas. At Osan Air Base in
Korea he was Propulsion Maintenance Superintendent, supervising all areas of
aircraft maintenance. Garcia was Engine Maintenance Manager at Norton Air
Force Base in San Bernardino, California and Jet Engine Testing Facility
Supervisor at Keflavik Naval Air Station in Iceland. He holds a Bachelor of
Science degree in Industrial Technology from Southern Illinois University at
Carbondale.
Garcia says he'd like to stay at Cary Academy "for the next
20 years." He lives with his wife in Zebulon and has two grown daughters.
Cary Academy Students Hear Renowned Scientist of Genomics Revolution [top
of page]
Thirteen Cary Academy students were part of the
audience that gathered at Duke University recently to hear Dr. Craig Venter.
Venter is president of the Center for the Advancement of Genomics. He was
named Time magazine Scientist of the Year in 2000 after leading the private
effort to sequence the human genome. The speech was a part of the Boyarski
Lecture series in Law, Medicine and Ethics.
Cary Academy
faculty members Abbey Thompson and Lauren Brown, as well as
four parents, accompanied the students. This was a unique
opportunity for students to hear such a unique and influential scientist.
Venter
founded Celera Genomics, a private corporation which is regarded as the first
to sequence and analyze the human genome, or the genetic material of an
organism. The human genome project begin in the late 1980s. Venter used what
he called "whole genome shot gun" mapping to sequence the genome. Though many
scientists were skeptical at the time, the method proved successful. Celera
finished the sequence within three years.
Students
were impressed with the lecture.
"I thought
that it was an awesome opportunity. It was very interesting because Venter
spoke to the public, not just the Bio experts," said Sarah Kenney ('03). "I
think the material of Venter’s lecture and that of biotechnology is incredibly
relevant to our future."
"I
actually understood what was being said," quipped Rachel Jacobs ('03). "The
notes that I took throughout the presentation will help me a lot in the paper
I have to write about genetic screening and engineering."
Volunteers Work the
Phones for Annual Fund Campaign [top
of page]
 Sixteen
volunteers manned the phones Wednesday night for the first Simply the Best
Annual Fund Campaign. Chairs Luis and Sandra Gutierrez led their
enthusiastic troops during a successful and productive evening. The campaign
goal is 80 percent participation. Fundraising for Simply the Best will
continue throughout the 2002-03 year. Pledge payments will be received through
June 15, 2003.
Dr. Eugene Flood to Guest
Host on CNBC’s Squawk Box [top
of page]
Dr.
Eugene Flood, Jr., Ph.D., father of Christi (‘03) and Scott (‘07), will be a
guest host on CNBC’s Squawk Box on Tuesday, Oct. 8. Dr. Flood will
participate in the show’s mix of business news, viewer call-ins, and
fast-paced banter. The show, hosted by Mark Haines, with reporters David
Faber, Joe Kernen, and Maria Bartiromo, airs from 7a.m. to 10 a.m.
Dr.
Flood is the President and CEO of Smith Breeden Associates, a financial
service firm headquartered in Chapel Hill. Prior to joining Smith Breeden in
January 2000, he was a Portfolio Manager in Morgan Stanley Asset Management.
Dr. Flood, who had been with Morgan Stanley since 1987, has traded a broad
spectrum of instruments, including fixed income, equities, foreign exchange
and commodities. Before joining Morgan Stanley, Dr. Flood was on the faculty
of Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, where he taught
finance. Dr. Flood has lectured in a number of executive training programs
including those at the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology and the Graduate School of Business at Stanford
University.
Dr. Flood currently
serves on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Visiting Committee for
the Economics Department and the Dean’s Advisory Committee for M.I.T’s Sloan
School of Management. He is also on the Board of Visitors for the University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Duke University Fuqua School of
Business, and is on the Board of Directors of the Society of Quantitative
Analysts. Dr. Flood has a Ph.D. in economics from the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology and a B.A. in economics from Harvard University.
Parents
Meet the Board [top
of page]
 Cary Academy Board of
Directors answered questions from parents at a forum Tuesday night in the Fine
Arts Building. 'Meet the Board Night' followed the Board of Directors'
scheduled fall meeting.
Questions were submitted
beforehand by parents and read by Board Member Richard Stevens, who moderated
the Q&A forum. Questions covered a variety of issues, from the effect of the
expansion of Cary Parkway to having a school for younger children.
Approximately 50 parents listened as Board members talked about the role of
the Board and how members are selected. Because an opening now exists, parents
were encouraged to submit recommendations to Board member Hugh Little, who
chairs the Nominations Committee.
Because of the specificity
of some of the questions, Stevens said that the Board of Directors was not
involved in the daily operation of the school, but served as a policy board.
"We're watching the
finances. Our role is to make sure Cary Academy is a quality school 50 or 75
years from now," Stevens said.
Chairman of the Board Dr.
James Goodnight said he thought of the Board as "looking down as if the school
was a forest. We're making sure it is healthy." "I expect the staff to handle
day-to-day issues. We want to make sure the students are graduating, going on
to good colleges," he said.
Another question addressed
the greatest challenges of the school. Board member Dr. LeRoy T. Walker said
Cary Academy must continue strong teacher and parent
involvement to prepare students to cope with so many rapid changes in the
world.
Stephens commented on the
ongoing challenge of keeping high quality faculty.
Afterward, Annual Fund
Chairs Luis and Sandra Gutierrez reminded parents of the 80 percent goal of
the Annual Fund, Simply the Best and announced that the first Phonathon
resulted in $33,000 pledged by 22 percent of the Cary Academy community.
After the Q&A forum Board
members and parents chatted informally at a reception.
That's Me in the
Spotlight [top of page]
 Many in the Cary Academy
community found themselves on stage, singing and playing during "Evening of
Entertainment." The fundraiser earned approximately $4,000 for the Middle
School Chorus' February trip to the National American Choral Directors
Association meeting in New York.
The program offered a
variety of first-rate acts. Some hightlights include parents Susan Berger
(Alex, '07 and Sarah '09), John Overton (Kiki '03 and Johnnetta '08) and
"Chef" Paul Johnson (Seth, '09). Head of Upper School Mitch McGuigan and his
wife Mary were hits with their rendition of Elton John's Your Song.
Parent Mark Easely (Mark '08) drew raves for his song, The Lion Sleeps
Tonight, calling up Head of Middle School Marti Jenkins, Head of School
Don Berger and others to handle the animal sound parts. DJ/Karaoke director
Bill Smith of Magic of Music kept the evening rolling smoothly. Smith donated
his services to the school.
The evening began with a
bountiful lasagna dinner.
Photos Taken by Trey
Winslett (12).
Click here for more pictures
Noted Neuropharmacologist
Visits Cary Academy Oct. 21, 22 [top of page]
Respected
neuropharmacologist Dr. Wilkie Wilson will speak on "How Young Minds
Develop and the Negative Influence of Drugs and Alcohol." at Cary Academy
on Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 21 and 22. Dr. Wilson is a professor in the
Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology at Duke University Medical
Center. He is an authority on the ways in which alcohol and other drugs
interact with the central nervous system. Dr. Wilson is the author of numerous
scientific publications and books on this topic.
Dr Wilson was a popular
speaker at Cary Academy two years ago during the Community of Concern
gathering. The organization is composed of independent schools and parents
dedicated to substance abuse/abuse awareness in schools.
Dr. Wilson's schedule:
Monday, Oct. 21:
9:55 - 10:50 a.m.: Upper School students, grades 9.10 in the Theater
12:30 - 1:30 p.m.: Administration members in A227
2:20 - 3:15 p.m. Middle School students, grades 7,8 in the Theater
Tuesday, Oct. 22:
9:55 - 10:50 a.m. Upper School students, grades 11, 12 in the Theater
3:30 - 5 p.m. Faculty and Staff in FA004, required for Faculty
7 - 8:30 p.m. - PTAA and SAS Institute Personnel in the Theater
Talent and Rhythm on the
Quad [top of page]
 Jazz
on the Quad attracted an enthusiastic crowd Thursday night. The Cary
Academy Upper School Jazz Band, directed by Eric Grush, entertained
concert-goers with So What by Miles Davis and Samba 120 by Les
Sabina. Then Adam Pedersen, Chef Paul Johnson and Zack Hobbs did some stellar
improvising while waiting for the North Carolina State University Band Jazz
Band to get out of a traffic jam. 
The NCSU Jazz Band played
Bandstand Boogie from 'American Bandstand' and Jumpim' with Symphony
Sid . Adam, Zack and Roger Shaw played solos with the NCSU Jazz Band.
The West Lake Middle
School played Satin Doll by Duke Ellington and 25 or 6 to 4 by
Chicago.
Sports and
Education Annex 'On Target'
[top of page]
 The new Sports and Education
Annex is on schedule and should be ready by July 2003, according to Cary
Academy Facilities Director Jess Garcia. The 31,500 square-foot structure will
include a gym with two regulation-size basketball courts. The space will allow
for Middle and Upper School teams to practice sports at the same time.
Approximately 90 percent of Cary Academy's 665 students participate in one or
more sports.
The building will include
five classrooms. Some will be used for physical education classes. Others will
house the foreign language classes.
The Sports and Education
Annex will contain a much needed new lounge for Upper School students. The
building will also contain 180 lockers as well as a training room for treating
injuries and for rehabilitation. 
Garcia said the construction
project had been 'trouble free' due in part to good weather. CP&L will be
running power lines to the building during the end of October.
The concrete walls went up
at a rapid rate with help from hydraulic scaffolding, a relatively new device,
Garcia said. The general contractor of the project is RN Rouse and Co. of
Goldsboro.
More SEA Construction Pictures
Click here for a building map
Young
Artists Display Work at N.C. State Fair [top of page]
Four Cary
Academy art students are displaying their work at the North Carolina State
Fair Student Art Exhibition. The exhibition is in the Scott Building on the
fairgrounds. The fair runs through Oct. 27. The students are Laura Fox,
'03, Yuriko Tamura, '04, Tara Gilboa, '07 and Christina Wieand, '08. Cary
Academy art teachers are Margo Smith, Meredith Steele and Beth Chappell.
Honest Talk about the
Effects of Alcohol, Drugs on the Brain [top of page]
 Some
hands went up when Dr. Wilkie Wilson asked Cary Academy Middle Schoolers if
they knew someone who used marijuana. More hands went up when he asked if they
knew someone who used alcohol. The Middle Schoolers had come to the right
place to get honest answers Monday about the ways in which alcohol and other
drugs interact with the nervous system. Dr. Wilson is a professor in the
Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology at Duke University Medical
Center and the author of several books.
Dr. Wilson said he first
became interested in writing a book, "Buzzed" and speaking to young people
when his then college-aged daughter told him many students didn't realize the
harm they were doing to themselves through drugs and alcohol. He said students
learn a lot about taking care of their bodies in school but not enough about
taking care of their minds.
"Your brain is not fully
'wired' until you're around 21. Right now your brain is still developing. It's
learning how to hold several thoughts at once and learning how to inhibit bad
behaviors," he said. "Your brain at this age has a different chemistry than an
adult's." Dr. Wilson said the pre-teen and teen years were excellent learning
years, ripe for soaking up knowledge.
"You'll remember more at
this time than any other, so make good memories," he said.
However, drugs and alcohol
can negatively affect the brain in various ways. Extreme use can inhibit the
part of the brain that triggers the breathing process. Drugs and alcohol can
suppress one's natural fear of danger. Drugs and alcohol can be toxic, killing
brain cells. And drugs and alcohol can make people want them more than
anything else in the world.
Dr. Wilson warned students
against inhalants, such as paint thinner, explaining that these poisonous
drugs can stop one from breathing. Though marijuana is not as poisonous as
other drugs, it can block the learning process, disturb brain development and
"make you fat and lazy," Dr. Wilson said. He called ecstasy a "horrible,"
drug" causing severe repercussions.
The students kept Dr. Wilson
busy with their questions, such as what is the worst drug ("Alcohol," he said)
and what harm can diet drinks do ("Not much.") Dr. Wilson did warn the
students away from caffeine at their age, saying it can make them anxious and
interfere with sleep.
Cary Academy Students Help With Children’s Carnival
[top of page]
 Twenty-five
Cary Academy Upper School students helped put on an innovative and fun
carnival last weekend for some deserving children. The carnival was a
collaborative effort with Chesterbrook Academy, the site of the event. The
carnival featured 15 game booths, including a fishing pond, duck pond,
Grandmas’s Attic of Surprises, Spin and Win, Batter Up, pumpkin decorating,
sand art spin art, a cupcake walk and more.
Those attending were children from the after-school
program Loaves and Fishes and families from the Raleigh Rescue Mission and
Salvation Army homeless shelters. The children were ages 2 to 8.
According to Tami Kaiser-Polge, Service Learning
Coordinator and an organizer of the carnival, many of the Cary
Academy students were from the Key Club. Students spent time Friday setting up
booths and operated them on Saturday, as well as baking cupcakes and cleaning
up.
Grandparents and Special
Friends Day A Success [top of page]
 Grandparents
- and great-aunts, cousins and family friends - arrived on the Cary Academy
campus early Friday morning to accompany their favorite students to class.
First off, a light breakfast and welcoming remarks from Head of School Don
Berger, Reed Malin, President of the Upper School Student Council and Julia
Zhang, Senior Class President.
One of the highlights of
the program was a video of students partcipating in various programs and
activities at Cary Academy. The video was produced by the Tech Video Class,
under the direction of Bridget Harron. The guests were also treated to
student performances in the fine Arts Center Auditorium by the Jazz Band under
the direction of Eric Grush, the Upper School concert choir directed by Jacquie Holcomb, the Dance Company directed by Betsy Hutchinson, the Middle
School String
Duo and the Upper School String Quartet conducted by Yiying Qiao and the Upper
School Chamber Choir directed by Larry Speakman. Rounding out the performances
were selections from the Broadway Revue.
Then it was back to class,
to see what a Middle School German class was like, to find out what their
student was learning in Science, Spanish and Music. This was the first visit
to the campus for many Grandparents and Special Friends and they enjoyed
seeing Cary Academy for themselves.
Gallery of Horrors [top of page]
 Halloween
is a day for channeling creativity into clever costumes. This year marked the
Invasion of Dwarfs, Crocodile Man and a variety of interesting outfits among
students.
In the official Pumpkin
Carving Contest Lauren Brown won first place for her
Einstein carving.
For Individual Female, Claudia Griesing took first place honors for her chess
piece attire, with Kim Jones runner-up as a US Navy drill
sergeant\instructor.
Barry Rochelle won second as Crocodile Man. Honorable
Mention awards went to Chef Paul Johnson and Josh Hartman as Snow White. 
In the Group Category, it was the Battle of the Dwarfs. First place was
awarded to the Upper School Math Department for their Seven Dwarfs ensemble,
with second place going to the 6th Grade Team for Snow White and
the little guys.
Click here for More Pictures.
Percentage
Nights a Success [top of page]
The Cary Academy Community turned out to support the Book Fair
Nov. 1 and 2 at the Cary Barnes and Noble store. The event raised
approximately $1,700 for the PTAA through books, videos and other items
purchased. The Middle School Strings Orchestra and the Upper School
String Quartet, under the direction of Qiao Yiying, performed fin the story on
Friday night.
Mark your calendars now for the
next Percentage Nights on May 1 and 2.
Seniors Receive Nominations for Prestigious Scholarships [top of page]
Cary Academy students have recently been nominated for significant
scholarships.
Reed Malin and Trey Winslett received nominations
by Cary Academy administrators for the UNC-CH Morehead Scholarship. The
prestigious Morehead Scholarships are based not only on academics but on
contributions and achievements in sports and extracurricular activities. The
Morehead Scholarships are full scholarships, plus summer internship experience
and international travel and study.
Trey Winslett and Erica Helfer are Cary Academy's
nominations for the North Carolina State University Park Scholarships. These
are also based on high academic standing as well as leadership and
contributions to the school community. The Park Scholarships are full
scholarships to North Carolina State University.
In
addition, Steven Delphy and Darcy Wold have been tapped as National Merit
Semi-Finalists based on their PSAT scores taken in the fall of their junior
year. The following seniors also received National Merit Commended
recognition: Sandy An, Lorraine Bailey, Peter Cvelich, Will Duke, Alex Gonski,
Erica Helfer, Brittany Kielhurn, Charles Law, Reed Malin and Will Scott.
Author Sarah Dessen
Visits Cary Academy
[top of page]
 Author
Sarah Dessen conducted a fiction workshop at Cary Academy on Wednesday,
November 6. Dessen met with Upper School students interested in creative
writing and with the Middle School literary magazine staff. Both discussions
involved numerous questions by students and a writing exercise. Dessen spoke
about short story and novel writing, publishing, and dealing with criticism.
Dessen’s advice to aspiring student writers is to “Just keep writing. The more
you write, the easier it becomes and the better you get. Keep doing it no
matter what your critics say,” she told students.
Dessen
graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with Highest
Honors in Creative Writing. She has published five novels, including That
Summer, which was a 1997 American Library Association Best Book for Young
Adults. A feature film combining two of her works, tentatively titled How
to Deal, will be released in April 2003, and will star Mandy Moore.
Photo by Liz Smith.
Cary
Academy Students Participate in Honors Chorus [top of page]
Ten Middle
School students sang in the North Carolina Middle School Honors Chorus in
Winston-Salem this past weekend. The students were Diana Bloom ('07), Clayton
Casper ('07), Julie Cooper ('08), Caitlin Daniels ('07), Flo Lumsden ('07),
Sam Fuchs ('07), Meg Hewitt ('07), Nicole Huber ('07, Allison Yim ('07)and
Danielle Curran ('08).
The students
endured a grueling round of practices on Saturday, with the concert presented
Sunday afternoon.
The students
are under the direction of Middle School Music and Vocal teacher Jacquie
Holcombe.
Cary Academy Welcomes NCAIS
Conference Speakers, Participants [top of page]
Cary Academy
becomes a hub of activity Nov. 8 and 9 when more than 1,200 educators converge
on the campus for the N.C. Association of Independent Schools (NCAIS)
Active Learning and Technology Conference. The conference, hosted by Cary
Academy, offers more than 250 presentations -- 49 by Cary Academy faculty and
staff with about a dozen making more than one.
Click to see complete
list of presentations and workshops.
 Registration
begins at 9 a.m. on Friday, followed by Pre-Conference Workshops.
Dr. Dennis
Denenberg, a retired professor of Elementary and Early Childhood Education at
Millersville University, will make his keynote speech Friday at 1 p.m. He is
the co-author of 50 American Heroes Every Kid Should Meet and has taken
his heroes message to teachers and parents in 28 states. Dr. Denenberg will
speak on how teachers can help children understand that real heroes are all
around us, not on movie and TV screens.
Dr. Mel
Levine, a Professor of Pediatrics and Director of the Clinical Center for the
Study of Development and Learning at UNC-CH, will speak at 2:45 on Friday
about learning differences in children and the ways in which schools and
families can adapt to these differences.
Dr. Barbara
J. O'Keefe, Dean of Communications Studies at Northwestern University, will
speak Saturday at 10 a.m. on the role of training and technology in improving
the skills of communicators. The conference adjourns at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Cary
Academy's Katie Blalock and Michael Gibson co-chaired the conference and were
assisted by Russ Van Wyk along with the Information Services staff.
Approximately 70 PTAA volunteers under the direction of Linda Stanton helped
with registration, the reception and other tasks.
NCAIS is an organization of 67 independent schools,
including 3,300 teachers and nearly 30,000 students. The annual conference
brings faculty and administrators together for seminars and forums for
professional development.
Head of Upper School
History Wins Stipend for Study Trip [top of page]
Clare E. Adkin, Jr., Cary
Academy History Department Chair and Advanced Placement Economics teacher, was
selected by the National Council on Economic Education (NCEE) to be part of a
Study Tour on Economic Education to Ukraine and Lithuania.
Ten pre-university economics
educators from throughout the United States will participate in the study
beginning in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 14 and ending on Nov. 26.
The study tour is lead by
James Grunloh, Professor of Economics at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
The group will observe and teach in both elementary and secondary classrooms
the Ukraine and Lithuania and also meet with political and educational
leaders. Upon returning home, participants will deliver presentations in their
local regions to promote and enhance the teaching of economics.
Adkin said, “I believe this
opportunity to develop my knowledge of the benefits of economic education in
the transition economies of the dismantled Soviet Union will better prepare me
to teach economics at Cary Academy and promote economic education throughout
North Carolina.”
NCEE was founded in
1949 to instill an understanding of economic principles and to help students
function successfully in a changing global economy.
Upper School Student Excels in Dance [top of page]
Aparna Chatterjee (’06), a
Cary Academy ninth grader, recently competed in the World Indian Classical
Dance Competition hosted by the All Kannanda Kootas of
America (AKKA) in Detroit and placed second against thirty competitors
from around the world. Chatterjee has competed in a form of Indian Classical
Dance called Bharatanatyam since the age of 10 years old. Bharatanatyam is the
oldest and most intricate form of Indian Classical Dance and dates back
thousands of years.
7th
and 8th Graders Present Home for the Holidays Creations
[top of page]
 Cary Academy 7th and 8th
grade art students displayed their handcrafted ceramic homes on Nov. 14.
Staff, faculty and students were invited to visit
Margo Smith’s classes during the day on Nov. 14 to view the ceramic homes.
While there, they also enjoyed hot chocolate, spiced cider and desserts.
The students were encouraged to get creative with
their ideas, on which they began work more than a month ago, Smith said. Many
took that creative inspiration to heart in crafting their homes.
“I was going to do something like everyone else,
but I dared to be different,” said Ruth Hendren (’07), who created “Home of
Aladin,” a colorful dome-shaped home.
Students also got creative in naming their homes.
Max Dancik (‘08 ) created a jailhouse, naming it “Home of Ben D. Bars.”
Cameron Bumgarner (‘08) created an igloo, naming it “Home of I.C. Guy.”
Smith said she tries to have a party each year so
students have the opportunity to show their work. Last year, students made
eccentric teapots. Smith said her idea to have students create homes this year
came from Cary Academy’s Home for the Holidays home tour, which takes
place Dec. 5-7.
Sixth graders host Mayan Museum Day [top of page]
 The
sixth grade hall and classrooms were abuzz with a showcase of the activities
of the ancient Mayas last Friday.
The sixth grade Mayan Museum Day was a culmination of
three weeks of independent research projects by students.
After an initial three weeks of study about the Maya in
World Cultures, reading a novel set in ancient Mayan times, and the related
activities, students had the opportunity to choose a topic of their own
interest from 13 suggested areas of study – or suggest their own topic,
according to Matthew Ripley-Moffitt, sixth grade History teacher and sixth
grade team leader.
The students then worked to create their individual
projects – with teacher guidance – over the next three weeks. Student projects
covered everything from Mayan food to medicine to architecture.
Museum Day was an opportunity for the sixth graders to
share all that they learned while faculty, staff and parents toured the
exhibits.
Students spring into
service this holiday season [top of page]
 As
part of the Service Learning initiative at Cary Academy, several community
outreach projects will begin in the coming weeks. More information is on its
way, but in the meantime, students already have multiple opportunities to
participate this December.
Just one of those
projects is the second annual school-wide canned food drive and grade level
competition that will take place during Homecoming, Dec. 16-19. The push is on
to beat last year’s total of 5,000 pounds of food for the North Carolina Food
Bank.
Students have already
been busy this year in numerous other projects. They are visiting Reedy Creek
Elementary on their lunch hours and after school to serve as tutors and
mentors to elementary school children.
Several Junior Beta
Club members visited the Raleigh Rescue Mission in November to deliver
dictionaries for the Adult Learning Center, games for the middle school
children and a check that will be used to add sand to the playground, toddler
swings, or possibly tickets to Exploris. While there, they took a tour and
spent time helping to make labels for the books in the adult library. The
students organized the books and made labels for the books based on the
Library of Congress classification system.
“One
Noble Journey” [top of page]
 All
11th grade students attended Mike Wiley’s one-man play on American
slavery, “One Noble Journey” on Monday, Dec. 2.
Wiley, the
actor, writer, director and producer of the play, brought students into the
lives of Henry “Box” Brown and Ellen Craft, whose real-life escapes from
slavery were bold, ingenious, and fascinating.
Students
were a part of the performance through audience participation, which Wiley
uses frequently to bring more empathy to the audience.
The topic
fits into the 11th grade History curriculum. Students are currently
studying antebellum America and slavery.
Wiley, a
local actor, has toured the country performing and recently appeared on The
Learning Channel in Real Stories of the Navy Seals.
Basketball already
hard at work in the 2002-03 season [top of page]
With four games under their belts this season, the Charger basketball team is
already working hard to bounce back from last season’s disappointing outcome
(12-14, 3-6 in TISAC).
The team lost its first two games this season against Greensboro Day and
Wesleyan Christian, but is now 2-2 following wins against Raleigh Charter and
Cresset Christian on Nov. 21 and 22.
The Chargers hope to make a formidable opponent as the season continues, if
they are able to fill holes left by graduated players. Players to watch
include D1 recruit 6’8” Freddy Jagla and D3 recruits 6’5” Jeremy Allen and
6’4” Surry Wood.
Coach
Jon Powell and Assistant Coach Tom Baker have been working diligently with the
players to prepare them for an exciting season.
Adkin returns from
trip to Ukraine and Lithuania [top of page]
Clare E. Adkin, Jr., Cary Academy History
Department Chair and advanced placement Economics teacher, recently returned
from a trip to Ukraine and Lithuania where he had the opportunity to study
economics education in the two countries’ schools.
Adkin was one of 12
pre-university economics educators from throughout the United States to be
selected by the National Council on Economic Education (NCEE) to be part of a
study tour on economic education to Ukraine and Lithuania.
In addition to learning
about the developing economies and economics education taking place in the two
countries, Adkin and the group had the opportunity to present to teachers and
those who train teachers to teach economics.
He said their secondary
role was to offer encouragement and suggestions to educators in those
countries.
While there, he was also
able to experience local culture, visit with families and enjoy ethnic food.
Adkin returns from his trip with new knowledge that he
believes will bring a more worldly experience to his classes at Cary Academy.
He also plans to share
his experience with other groups in the community and in the state. He will
present at the North Carolina Council for the Social Studies conference in
Greensboro in February, as well as work with the state of North Carolina on
its plans for economics education.
Food Drive Brings in
6,150 Pounds of Food and Other Items [top of page]
 Students,
faculty and staff collected approximately 6,150 pounds of food and essential
household supplies, as well as some monetary donations during this year’s food
drive.
The donations were loaded
onto a truck on Dec. 19 and taken to the Food Bank of North Carolina to help
those in need.
In the Upper School,
sophomores ranked first in donations, bringing in 2,291 cans and other items.
Sixth graders took first in the Middle School, bringing in 760 cans and other
items.
Boys and Girls
Basketball Play Team from Australia [top of page]
The
boys and girls varsity basketball teams had the opportunity to play opponents
from Down Under as they took on Australia’s HSE Dingos on Dec. 30. Cary
Academy was just one stop for the team, who was touring the U.S.
Both
the Cary Academy girls and boys teams returned from a 10-day break from
competition – each having posted a win against
Rocky Mount Faith Christian during
Homecoming on Dec. 20.
The
boys had some foul trouble – 22 fouls – but pulled off a win, 53-40. Surry
Wood and Chris Carlton were the high scorers of the night with 18 and 11
points respectively.
The Lady
Chargers also had a strong win, 51-34. Coach Randy Bennett called offensive
and defensive teamwork the keys to the game.
UNC Band Director
visits campus, works with US Wind Ensemble [top of page]
Dr. Michael Votta, Jr. was
on campus on Dec. 16, working with the US Wind Ensemble all day.
Votta is Music Director of the NC Wind Orchestra and is a member of the
faculty of UNC-Chapel Hill where he serves as Director of University Wind
Ensembles and teaches courses in conducting and orchestration.
 A
day’s work culminated in the evening with a performance by the Wind Ensemble
for the Cary Academy community.
“This performance was noteworthy because it
was the first time ever that the US Wind Ensemble has given a full concert by
itself,” said Eric Grush, band director. “Up until now, concerts have always
been shared with at least one other group.”
The
day gave students the opportunity to work with a professional conductor and
“to focus on going beyond playing the right notes at the right time, so that
we can really begin to make music,” Grush said.
Students also got an idea of what an All-District or All-State Band clinic is
like, in that they spent a full day rehearsing and then performed that
evening.
Their
evening performance included Affirmations (1994), Mark Williams;
Fugue on Yankee Doodle, John Philip Sousa; Flourish for Wind Band
(1939), Ralph Vaughn Williams; October (2000), Eric Whitacre;
Bravura (1918), C.E. Duble; Second Suite in F (1911), Gustav Holst;
and Sleigh Ride (1948), Leroy Anderson.
Ensembles under Votta’s direction have received critical acclaim in the United
States and Europe. Before his appointment at UNC, Votta held conducting
positions at Duke University, Ithaca College, the University of South Florida,
Miami University (Ohio) and Hope College.
Votta
holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in conducting degree from the Eastman School of
Music where he served as Assistant Conductor of the Eastman Wind Ensemble and
studied with Donald Hunsberger. A native of Michigan, Votta received his
undergraduate training and Master of Music degrees from the University of
Michigan, where he studied with H. Robert Reynolds.
He is the author of numerous articles on wind
literature and conducting. His arrangements and editions for winds have been
published by Warner Bros. Music and Ludwig Music, Inc., and have been
performed and recorded by university and professional wind ensembles in the
US, Europe and Japan. Votta maintains an active schedule as guest conductor
and clinician in the US, and has appeared in Europe and Israel. As a
clarinetist, Votta has performed as a soloist throughout the US and Europe.
Homecoming week
activities full of fun and spirit [top of page]
The
week leading up to Homecoming was filled with fun, spirit, and even a pig.
Throughout the week, classes competed against each other. Students wore their
favorite college colors one day, partnered with a friend to dress like twins
on another, and came dressed in pajamas on still another day.
The
Upper School competed in “Wacky Olympics” on Tuesday, Dec. 17. A student from
the class of 2005 found himself the winner in a competition to see which class
could successfully hang one class member from the bleachers using only duct
tape.
Students didn’t forget those in need, collecting
approximately 6,150 pounds of food and other items to donate to the Food Bank
of North Carolina.
Friday afternoon’s pep rally came with a
 special
surprise. During the week, students had taken up a collection to have the
faculty member of their choice kiss a pig during the pep rally. While Heather
Theobald looked to be the front-runner, a last minute surge in collections put
Mr. Berger out in front. He did indeed kiss a pig, much to the delight of
students.
Returning alumni were greeted on Friday night with a pasta dinner prior to the
basketball games.
The
week culminated with Friday’s homecoming basketball games. Both the girls and
boys teams were victorious against Faith Christian. The boys won, 57-32, while
the girls won 49-21.
PTAA Auction, Sentimental Journey, set for Feb. 8 [top of page]
 The
PTAA invites everyone on a Sentimental Journey when
the sixth PTAA Auction takes place on Feb. 8.
Sentimental Journey
is this year’s theme for the auction, which begins at 6 p.m.
in the dining hall and fitness center. Tickets to the
auction are $25 per person, half the price of previous
years.
There
will be live Big Band music and even be room to dance,
according to PTAA president Cheryl Cotter.
“Come As
They Were” vintage clothing is encouraged, with prizes for
“Most Authentic Attire” and other categories.
The
auction is the PTAA's only fundraiser. All funds go directly
back to programs, scholarships, grants and gifts to the
school.
This
year’s goal of $75,000 will be dedicated to a two-year
project in the fine arts area – possibly completing the
existing orchestra pit and/or fixtures and lighting to
display the work of Cary Academy’s talented students.
A few
changes have been made for this year’s event. The event will
be on campus instead of off campus. Also, instead of a full
meal, heavy hors d'oeuvres will be served.
Auction
items include Middle School art projects, restaurant gift
certificates, a Biltmore Estate lodging and tour package, a
beach house getaway package, sports events tickets, theater
tickets, a pen and ink drawing of your home, art classes
offered by Middle School teacher Margo Smith and a pair of
painted rocking chairs by Head of School Mitch McGuigan and
his wife Mary.
Those
purchasing a raffle ticket have the opportunity to win a
half-year of paid tuition. Only 250 tickets are being sold.
The
first closing for the silent auction takes place at 7 p.m.,
with the live auction from 8:30-9:30 p.m.
Information of the auction was mailed home to all families.
Seats can be reserved by filling out the form on the back of
the mailing or by contacting Chris Gilmore in the
Advancement Office at 677-1946 ext. 6912.
Alumni, parents talk college with current students and
parents [top of page]
 Six
Cary Academy alumni and three parents of alumni returned to
school on Jan. 8 to talk to current students and parents
about the transition to college.
The
panel included: Todd Metter (’00), Middlebury College,
Vanessa Hamer (’01), Duke University, Evan Pike (’01),
University of Miami, Emily Mangone (’02), Tufts University,
Jonathan Schwarz (‘02), Yale University, and Uzma Rawn
(’02), Ithaca College. Parents of alumni included: Paul
Bitting Sr. (father of Paul Jr., ’00), Mina Levin (mother of
Jonathan Schwarz), and Abid Rawn (father of Uzma).
During
the evening, current students and parents had the
opportunity to ask questions of the alumni – directing their
questions to the whole panel or to a specific member.
Questions from parents and students ranged from “What would
you have done more of while at Cary Academy?” to “How did
you and your parents survive the application process?” to
“How well did Cary Academy prepare you?”
The
consensus from alumni and parents of alumni was that Cary
Academy did prepare students well for the college
experience.
“I
personally think Cary Academy did a really good job of
preparing me,” Uzma said.
As the
old saying “hindsight is 20-20” goes, however, they said
they would have done a few things differently.
Mangone
said she sometimes wishes teachers had been a little less
understanding at Cary Academy. She said she discovered that,
when there are 300 students in a college class, she could
not always go talk to her professor when there is a problem
the way she could with her small classes at Cary Academy.
Alums
did offer consensus on several points. They all agreed that
it is important to look at more than just academics when
choosing a college. They suggested finding a school that is
a good fit socially as well. Students should think about the
size of the campus and other social factors when choosing a
college.
“There
are a lot of non-academic points when you’re choosing a
school,” said Metter.
And when
arriving on campus, “get involved,” the alumni told students
repeatedly.
Ciompi Quartet visits Cary Academy, works with string
students [top of page]
The Ciompi
Quartet visited the Cary Academy campus on Friday, Jan. 10
to work with students and give a performance.
 The
Ciompi Quartet is a well-known quartet based at Duke
University.
The four
musicians spent one hour working with string students -
Violin I, Violin II, Viola, Cello - and then presented a
concert to faculty, middle school string students and all
upper school students.
Quartet
members include, Eric Pritchard,
violin, Hsiao-mei Ku, violin, Jonathan Bagg, viola, and Fred
Raimi, cello.
The Ciompi
Quartet has been praised
by audiences and critics worldwide and has established
itself as one of the Nation's leading String Quartets. The
Quartet performs regularly in major cities across the U.S.
and has traveled to Europe, Israel, South America,
Australia, and China.
In April 2003, the Quartet will tour Italy.
Members of Class of 2003 first in CA history to be accepted
to Columbia, Indiana, others [top of page]
The
Class of ’03 has already added some “firsts” to the list of
colleges and universities to which Cary Academy students
have applied and been accepted.
Those
schools include: Columbia University, Sarah Lawrence
College, the University of Chicago, Indiana University,
Peace College, Cornell College of Iowa, Eckerd College, and
the U.S. Naval Academy.
Most
seniors will not hear from colleges and universities until
late March or early April, but a few applied under early
action or early decision plans and received acceptance
letters from a range of wonderful colleges in addition to
those ‘firsts’ noted above. These include: Furman
University, Georgia Tech, Hamden-Sydney, Harvard University,
Purdue University, N.C. State, University of Notre Dame,
Wake Forest University and Stanford University. Other
students took advantage of rolling admissions applications,
and have heard early, positive responses from Clemson, the
College of Charleston, Elon University, most of the UNC
system universities (UNC-Chapel Hill will not mail their
first decision letters until late January), and the
University of Kentucky.
The
College Advising Office will post a comprehensive list of
college acceptances in May, once all seniors have heard
final news and made their choices.
Susan
Staggers, Director of College Advising, said, “The senior
class has done a terrific job with the college application
process thus far. We’re pleased for those who’ve already
heard some good news, and we know that the entire class will
have news to celebrate in the next few months.”
Cary
Academy has graduated three senior classes to date, with
the172 students in those classes gaining admission to nearly
200 colleges and universities in the U.S. and abroad.
Upper School Observes Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday
with Special Ceremony [top of page]
 The
words of Martin Luther King Jr. rang through the Fine Arts Theater on Jan. 21
as Upper School students marked the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday with
readings, speeches and a performance by the Cary Academy step team.
The
assembly, "Heroes of Conscience," featured images and voice recordings
of Martin Luther King Jr.
The
Upper School Chamber Choir, under the direction of Larry Speakman, performed
“I Dream of a World,” a musical selection talking about freedom for all
people, regardless of race and other differences.
Students
also shared information about people with similar goals and dreams to those of
Martin Luther King Jr. who have worked for freedom in other parts of the
world. Students learned about Aung San Suu Kyi, who currently leads a
pro-democracy movement in Myanmar, and about Steve Biko, who died in police
custody in 1977 in South Africa after leading anti-apartheid movements there.
National Honor Society Kicks Off Inaugural Lecture Series [top of page]
 Dr.
Akram Khater, associate professor of History at N.C. State University, visited
Cary Academy on Jan. 13 as the first in a series of four lecturers that are
part of the National Honor Society’s lecture series, “Global Citizenship in
the Midst of Conflict.”
This
year’s lecture series is the first in what the National Honor Society hopes
will become an annual event.
“We
felt that there was a need at the school for discussion outside of the
classroom on current issues and topics that do not always get addressed in the
regular academic curriculum,” said Peter Cvelich, president of the NHS.
Khater gave students a look at the Middle Eastern perspective on United States
foreign policy. He is well known throughout the Triangle and North Carolina as
an excellent speaker and an authority on the Middle East.
The
people there, Khater said, see discrepancies in United States foreign policy.
Not all countries, or even all people within a country are treated the same,
from their view, Khater said. People see “double standards.”
Other
speakers in this year’s series are: Dr. Rania Masri, “War Against Iraq: Who
Suffers? And Why?” on Feb. 11. Alan Canfora will talk on “Student Activism
Past, Present, and Future” on Feb. 28. Carol Squillace will talk about
“AmeriCorp” on a date that is still to be determined.
Cary Academy Cheerleaders Place First at Regional Competition [top of page]
 Cary
Academy cheerleaders showed that cheering at school sporting events is just
one of their priorities when they placed first at the Canadian American Cheer
Regionals competition on Jan. 11 in Hickory.
In
addition to winning first place, the team won a bid to compete in the CANAM
National Cheer Competition on March 21-23, 2003, in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
In order to qualify for the
national competition, each team must have a composite score of 225. Cary
Academy earned a score of 251. The scores are determined by three judges and
reflect the following categories: Voice, Formation, Showmanship/Spirit, Motion
Tech, Jumps, Tumbling, Dance Ability, Perfection of Routine, and Overall
Appeal. The victory marks Cary Academy’s first large competition in four
years.
CANAM is an annual
competition hosted by Cheer, Ltd, a cheer organization that holds camps,
training for coaches, certifications and competitions. Cheer Ltd. also
markets Cheer Wear and is aligned with American Cheerleader Magazine and Team
Cheer Apparel.
President of College Board Visits Cary Academy [top of page]
Gaston
Caperton, president of the College Board and former governor
of West Virginia, visited the Cary Academy campus on
Thursday, Jan. 23.
Most
students and faculty were home due to a snow day, but
Governor Caperton still had the opportunity to receive a
tour of the campus from Head of School Don Berger and learn
more about educational initiatives taking place at Cary
Academy.
Governor
Caperton’s visit was due in part to the positive things he
had heard from his niece, Diana Harris, who has a son, Joe
(’08), who attends Cary Academy.
Berger
showed Governor Caperton the Cary Academy intranet,
explaining to him how the intranet helps Cary Academy
communicate effectively with all its constituents.
He also
explained to Governor Caperton the ways in which the use of
technology helps the school meet its goals of
individualizing education and allowing students different
modes of expressing the things they have learned.
In a
tour of the campus, Governor Caperton saw the library media
center and was given a quick overview of the grounds.
In a
communication with Berger following the visit, Governor
Caperton said he was “deeply impressed” by what he saw at
Cary Academy.
Following his visit to Cary Academy, Governor Caperton
visited SAS, where he met with James Goodnight and John
Boling, director of SAS inSchool to talk about ways the
College Board and SAS might collaborate for educational
purposes. Berger made the same offer of collaboration
between the College Board and Cary Academy.
Sophomore Class Ski Trip is a Success [top of page]
 While
a day off from school is reason enough for many students to
celebrate, Cary Academy sophomores had another reason to
look forward to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
Forty-nine
sophomores enjoyed a day of skiing, snowboarding, and tubing
at Wintergreen Resort, Virginia on Jan. 20. The trip was a
chance for students to enjoy fellowship with their
classmates while raising money for their prom fund.
Students
left Cary Academy at 4:30 a.m. on Monday to travel by bus to
Wintergreen Resort. Upon arrival, students chose rental
equipment and purchased lift tickets for the slopes with
varying levels of difficulty. They then skied, snowboarded,
or tubed from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. With different prices
for rentals and lift tickets, prices varied, but
coordinators Bill Velto and Jeff Kilmer were pleased that
the cost was $100 at most for each student.
Velto
said, “The students seem very pleased with the trip, and
there’s talk of trying to do another one in February.”
Killmer
said that the trip got “rave reviews” and hopes that the
trip will become an annual fundraising event.
Roughly
$800 was raised, which class will use as they plan their
2004 prom.
String Students Excel in All-State Competition [top of page]
Six
Upper School string students competed in the All-State
competition on Saturday, Jan. 18. Every one of the six won
a chair in the competition.
This is
an improvement over the four students that won chairs last
year.
About
200 violin, 100 viola, 80 cello, and 38 bass players
participated in the competition. Aparna Chatterjee (’06) won
first violin of the symphony orchestra; Abraham Chen (’06)
and Anna Smith (’03) won second violin from the symphony
orchestra; Bobby Schlatzer (’04) won viola chair from the
string orchestra; Alex Wilson (’04) won cello chair from the
string orchestra and Zack Hobbs (’04) won the bass chair
from the symphony orchestra.
The
victories are particularly impressive as the competition
included a new, challenging component: sight-reading, said
string director Yiying Qiao. Each student had to read 16
measures of music within 60 seconds and play it immediately.
Qiao
said that this year was very difficult, and that the help of
private teachers was greatly appreciated.
William Friday Summer Fellows Present to Cary Academy Board
of Directors [top of page]
 The
first three recipients of the William Friday Summer
Fellowship Program gave a short presentation about their
experiences to Cary Academy’s Board of Directors on Jan. 28.
The
recipients, Delia DeCourcy, Assistant Middle School Head who
teaches Middle School Language Arts, Lyn Fairchild, who
teaches Upper School English and Matthew Ripley-Moffitt, who
teaches Middle School Social Studies, gave an overview of
their respective projects.
The newly created Friday Summer
Fellowships provide financial assistance to faculty for
professional development in their field through original
research, reading, writing, technology, courses, seminars,
institutes and other opportunities.
Fairchild used her fellowship to write a booklet that
provides high school teachers with a proven and
distinguished method to help students become better writers.
DeCourcy attended the Bread Loaf School of English Oxford
campus, where she took a seminar toward an M.A. in English.
Ripley-Moffitt used his endowment for a three-week trip to
study East Asian culture in Japan and China.
The
Friday Summer Fellowships are an endowment from Dr. William
Friday, president of the University of North Carolina from
1956 to 1986. He is a former member of the Cary Academy
Board of Trustees.
Upper School Scientists Showcase Their Work [top of page]
 Guests
to the Upper School on Wednesday, Feb. 5 learned about the
smallpox vaccine, marine pollution, crime scene forensics,
eating disorders and numerous other topics.
Cary
Academy’s Fifth Upper School Science Showcase gave more than
200 guests the opportunity to learn about a variety of
topics related to science.
Biology
and chemistry students displayed their scientific projects
from their research. Visitors had the opportunity to quiz
the scientists. Many students created posters, reports and
web sites giving in-depth explanations of their projects.
For
those who did not have the opportunity to visit the Upper
School on Wednesday, links to many of those projects are
on-line at
http://web1.caryacademy.org/classes/biology/ibp2003.htm
Cary Academy Students Place at All-District Band Auditions [top of page]
Cary
Academy band students earned high recognition for their
musical skill at the All-District Band auditions held
Saturday, Jan.13. An estimated 1,500 students from public
and private schools in 20 central North Carolina counties
auditioned for one of about 400 spots in five bands. Cary
Academy students excelled with seven of 18 auditioning
students
selected, four of whom are eligible for All-State.
The
seven Cary Academy students who secured spots on the
All-District Band are: Adam Pedersen (’04), who plays tenor
sax, earned first chair 9-12 Symphonic Band, Rob Smithson
(’06), who plays clarinet, earned 10th chair 9-12
Symphonic Band, and Lauren Phipps (’07), who plays alto sax,
earned fourth chair Concert Band. Four selected students are
also eligible for All-State: Zack Hobbs (’04), who plays
String Bass, earned first chair 11-12 Wind Ensemble, Roger
Shaw (’04), who plays clarinet, earned second chair 11-12
Wind Ensemble, Eric Smith (’05), who plays Horn, earned
second chair 9-10 Wind Ensemble, and Saige Clark (’07), who
plays clarinet, earned sixth chair Symphonic Band.
Cary
Academy tied with Ravenscroft for placing the most students
from an independent school and placed more students than
many area public schools with much larger band programs.
Senior Named Finalist for Morehead Award [top of page]
Reed
Malin (’03) has been named a finalist for the 2003 Morehead
Award to UNC-Chapel Hill.
Malin is
one of 120 finalists for the award – 68 are from North
Carolina, while the remaining 52 are from outside the state.
Malin
was selected from an initial pool of 1,300 North Carolina
applicants as one of 230 semi-finalists in the fall before
making the cut as a finalist at the end of January.
The next
step is an interview for the Morehead, which will be
conducted March 3 and 4. Recipients will be announced March
7. Approximately 50 Morehead Awards will be conferred this
year, according to the John Motley Morehead Foundation.
The
Morehead Award is a full undergraduate merit scholarship
that includes four years of tuition and expenses at UNC-Chapel
Hill as well as a fully funded summer enrichment program
that supplements academic study with off-campus travel and
experience.
Morehead
Scholars are selected based on excellence in four areas:
scholarship, leadership, moral force of character, and
evidence of physical vigor, and recipients receive a full
four-year scholarship to UNC; summer travel, service, and
work opportunities; and support and advice from Morehead
Alumni and staff. Funds for each Morehead Scholar total
approximately $64,000 for each in-state student and $100,000
for each out-of-state student.
Sixth PTAA Auction Draws Large Crowd [top of page]
 The
Parent Teacher Administrator Alliance’s (PTAA) Sixth Auction, held Feb. 8,
proved to be a big success for the PTAA’s fundraising efforts.
The
auction drew almost 360 guests, who bid on items such as
art projects by Cary Academy
students, gift certificates, travel packages, sports events tickets, theater
tickets, and even a golden retriever puppy.
The
Sentimental Journey theme encouraged “Come As They Were” vintage clothing
and the evening included
 live Big Band music.
Guests
enjoyed a silent auction, drinks and heavy hors d'oeuvres in the Cary Academy
dining hall early in the evening.
They
moved to the gym, which had been spectacularly decorated, for a live auction
and hot buffet.
The raffle for one-half year’s free tuition was
followed by live band music, which closed out the evening.
Benefits from this year’s auction, the PTAA’s only fundraising event, will be
dedicated to a two-year project in the fine arts area, including completion of
the existing orchestra pit.
Second NHS Speaker Talks to Students About the Effects of
War on the People of Iraq [top of page]
 Rania
Masri,
coordinator of the Iraq Action Coalition,
addressed the issue of war in Iraq and the consequences on
the people of that country when she visited Cary Academy on
Feb. 11.
Masri’s visit marked the second lecture in the National
Honor Society’s lecture series Global Citizenship in the
Midst of Conflict.
The Iraq Action Coalition is an on-line media resource
center for groups and activists who are working to end the
consequences of war against the people of Iraq.
During her presentation to Upper School students, Masri
pointed out that Iraq is more than just Saddam Hussein –
that there are many innocent people living in the country.
She said 67 percent of Iraq’s population is under the age of
16 and that many of them rely on food rations to survive –
rations she does not think they will have access to if war
breaks out.
Remaining speakers in the series include, Alan Canfora, who
will talk on Student Activism Past, Present, and Future
and Carol Squillace (’01) will talk about AmeriCorp.
Dr. Akram Khater, associate professor of History at N.C.
State University, was the first speaker in the series on
Jan. 13.
Science Olympiad Team Places Third at Regional Competition [top of page]
 Cary
Academy’s Science Olympiad Team placed third in North
Carolina Science Olympiad’s fourth region competition held
recently at Garner High.
The
team placed behind Green Hope High and Raleigh Charter High,
but ahead of Cardinal Gibbons and Durham Academy.
Their third place finish
allows them to continue on to the state tournament on April
4-5.
Students placing at the
competition were: silver medal for “Science of Fitness,”
Josh Lebenson and Courtney Redden; silver medal for “Wright
Stuff,” Ryan Smith and Rob Mason; fourth place for
“Experimental Design,” Sandy An, Julia Zhang and Tray
Cooper; silver medal for “Sounds of Music,” Roger Shaw and
Brad Butler; silver medal for “Qualitative Analysis,” Josh
Lebenson and Garrett Roach; gold medal for “Feathered
Frenzy,” Julia Zhang and Roger Shaw; and fourth place for
“Remote Sensing,” Alex Gonski and Rob Mason.
Other team members
include: Davey Catchings, Lara Huff, Katie Hayes and Jeffery
Stanton.
Investment Team Takes Second in North Carolina Stock Market
Simulation Game [top of page]
The
investment team of Trey Winslett (’03), Tray Cooper (’03)
and Chris Leithe (’03) recently finished second out of 261
teams in the State of North Carolina Stock Market Simulation
Game.
Team members will
represent the Cary Academy Investment Club at the awards
banquet in Greensboro this spring.
The Cary Academy
Investment Club is also celebrating its second anniversary.
The club has increased
its portfolio value by 56.9 percent since its start in the
spring of 2001-possibly the very worst time to start,
according to the club’s faculty advisor, Clare Adkin.
“This is particularly
impressive considering the NASDAQ is down 32 percent, DJIA
is down 16.5 percent, and the S&P 500 is down 23.5 percent,”
Adkin said.
Two Seniors Named National Merit Scholarship Finalists
[top of page]
Steven
Delphy (’03) and Darcy Wold (’03) are among this
year’s finalists for the National Merit Scholarship
Program.
The
National Merit Scholarship Program
is a privately financed academic competition for recognition
and scholarships that began in 1955. High school
students enter the National Merit Program by taking the PSAT/NMSQT
— a test which serves as an initial screen of the more
than one million entrants each year — and by meeting
published entry/participation requirements.
Delphy
and Wold were among roughly 16,000 students who qualified as
semifinalists.
All
winners of Merit Scholarship awards will be chosen from the
finalist group, based on their abilities, skills, and
accomplishments.
Beginning
in March, approximately 8,000 finalists will be notified
that they have been selected to receive Merit Scholarship
awards.
Going,
going, gone! Tickets for The King and I are selling
quickly
[top of page]
 Don’t
wait until the last minute to get tickets for this year’s
musical performance, The King and I. Center section
seats are already sold out for each performance. Seats in
all other sections are still available, but will sell out
quickly.
Performances
take place on Feb. 28, March 1, 6 and 7 at 7 p.m. in Cary
Academy’s theater.
The
production of The King and I marks the first combined
Upper and Middle school musical theater collaboration in
Cary Academy’s history. More than 100 students are cast in
the production, which not only includes actors, but also
singers, dancers, musicians and technicians.
This
year’s performance promises to be as rewarding as past
musicals at Cary Academy.
The
production is directed by Glen Matthews with assistance from
Bridget Harron; choreography by Betsy Ward-Hutchinson;
musical direction by Jacquie Holcombe; conducted by Yiying
Qiao; and designed by Michael Hayes, Ned Hamilton, Margo
Smith and Jae Brainard.
Tickets
are $10 for all seats in the center section; all other seats
are $7 for adults, $5 for students and senior citizens.
For
reservations, go to the link from the Cary Academy intranet
site, email BoxOffice@caryacademy.org,
or call 677-1946 x 2103. Please specify the date and
preferred seating section in the ticket request.
Debate, Middle School Chorus Students Weather Recent Storm
[top of page]
The
Middle School Chorus and members of Cary Academy’s debate
team each turned separate troubles with the recent snowstorm
that hit the Northeast into positive experiences.
The
Middle School Chorus was on its way home from a week in New
York City where members performed at the American Choral
Directors Association National Convention when they were
forced to spend two nights in New Jersey due to the snow on
Feb. 16.
Seven
members of the debate team and their chaperones found
themselves stranded in Boston when the storm hit.
Will
Harbour (’06), Haley Nix (’06), Andrew D. Bryson
(’06), Roger Shaw (’05), Keith Porcaro (’05), Emma
Hewitt (’06), Andrea Milne (’06), faculty member Lauren
Brown and parent, Shawn Nix were supposed to leave Boston on
the morning of Feb. 17, however, Boston received more than
two feet of snow, canceling their flight. The group spent an
extra night in Boston and had the opportunity to see some of
the city and even stayed at a hotel with a mall and movie
theater attached.
The
Middle School Chorus, who traveled by bus to and from New
York, managed to get outside New York City before the snow
hit. Parent chaperones worked to get all students and
chaperones rooms at a hotel off the New Jersey turnpike.
While
there, they helped the hotel owners by vacuuming the halls
of the hotel and making their own beds in the morning. They
also enjoyed some fun with snowball fights. The chorus
arrived home on the evening of Feb. 18.
String Students Compete in All-State Tournament
[top of page]
Six Cary Academy
string students competed in the Eastern Region All-State
Orchestra Festival on Sunday, Feb. 23 at the North Carolina
School of Science and Mathematics in Durham.
More than 170
students from across Eastern North Carolina were involved in
the competition.
Conductors for the
competition were Dr. Alexander E. Jimemez from Florida State University and
Dr. Bill Scott from Spartanburg, S.C.
Winners
from the symphony orchestra category included: Aparna
Chatterjee (‘06), who won sixth chair in first violin,
Abraham Chen (‘06), who won fifth chair in second violin,
Zack Hobbs (‘04), who won seventh chair in bass, and Anna
Smith (‘03), who won 19th chair in second
violin. Winners from the string orchestra category included:
Bobby Schlatzer (’04), who won 11th chair in
viola and Alex Wilson, who won tenth chair in cello.
Student Artwork on Display at Cary Ballet Conservatory [top of page]
Several Cary Academy art students
currently have work on display at the Cary Ballet
Conservatory at 3791 NW Cary Parkway. The artwork will be
on display for several weeks as a part of “Celebration of
Children in the Arts.”
On Saturday, March 8 from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m., the public is
welcome to attend the celebration (free of charge) to
observe the artwork, participate in hands-on crafts, face
painting, balloons, performances, and hot dogs and popcorn.
These are the students who have work on display: Matt Keane
(’05), Travis Wright Colopy (’05), Nikki Gutierrez (’06),
Holly Metter (’05), Dallas Williams (’07), Murphy Chang
(’07), Chloe Krakauer (’08), Zoe Vulgaropolus (’06), Laura
Schramm (’09), Andrew Mason (’07), Molly Trask (’06),
Julianne Gonski (’05), Tricia Litchfield (’05), Eddie
Rendleman (‘04), Alex Dileonardo (’04), and Michelle Luo
(’08).
News Anchor Frances Scott Visits Cary Academy [top of page]
 ABC
11 Evening News Anchor Frances Scott visited campus on Feb.
26 to talk with students involved in Tech Video I and II and
600 Seconds about the in’s and out’s of the television news
business.
Scott
told students a little bit about how she got into the
business and then participated in a question and answer
session with students.
She
talked about the two-way pull in television news – it has to
be entertaining enough to keep viewers interesting, but at
the same time, reporters and anchors want to do the tough
stories that really matter.
“If you
don’t get people to watch, you can’t educate them,” she
said.
Scott,
who said she has been in the business for about 20 years,
told students they would have to make sacrifices when they
first got into the business, possibly working nights,
weekends and holidays.
Opening Weekend of the King & I a Big Success [top of page]
 The
combined Middle School and Upper School performance, The
King & I, opened to a large crowd during its first weekend.
Performances took place on Feb. 28 and March 1.
The
performance, which includes more than 100 students, features
bright and elaborate costumes and sets and showcases the
strong acting and musical talents of the Cary Academy
student body.
In
addition to the cast, students are also involved in the
orchestra and backstage.
Tickets
are still available for March 6 and 7. Prices are $10 for
all seats in the center section; all other seats are $7 for
adults, $5 for students and senior citizens.
For
reservations, go to the link from the Cary Academy intranet
site,
http://web1.caryacademy.org/arts/reservationsKingandI.htm,
email
BoxOffice@caryacademy.org, or call 677-1946 x 2103.
Please specify the date and preferred seating section in the
ticket request.
US Wind Ensemble Festival Performance Earns High Marks [top of page]
The Cary
Academy Upper School Wind Ensemble received “Excellent” and
“Superior” ratings at the District Band Festival on March 4
in Jacksonville. The band received the “Excellent” rating on
its stage performance and the “Superior” rating for
sight-reading.
Band
director Eric Grush said, “In the past four weeks, our
playing has improved from roughly a ‘C-’ to a ‘B,’” adding
that he is very proud that the band has come so far. He said
he is most pleased with their performance in sight-reading,
as he considers it to be the best measure of musicianship.
Special
preparation for the Festival took place on Feb. 5 when the
band performed at the North Carolina State University
Concert Band Invitational in Raleigh. The band was one of
only
three high school bands invited to the invitational.
Dr. John
Entzi, Director of Bands at NCSU, provided equipment, three
judges, and a professional recording engineer for the
event. The judges critiqued the band’s performance in order
to help prepare them for the Festival.
Cary Academy Hosts Regional Battle of the Books Competition [top of page]
 Cary
Academy was the first stop on the road to the Battle of the
Books State Championships when the school hosted the
Regional Independent Schools Battle of the Books Competition
on March 5.
Five
school groups competed throughout much of the day in various
rounds of competition. Prior to the competition, each
team was responsible for reading 27 books. During the
competition, teams competed against each other in a rotating
order, answering questions about the books they read.
Final
scores were: Homeschoolers, 160, St. Thomas More, 152, St.
Timothy’s-Hale, 129, Cary Academy, 107, and Harrell’s
Christian Academy, 88.
The
homeschool group will go on to compete in the regional
Battle of the Books competition for both independent and
public schools. The winner there goes on to a state
competition for both independent and public schools.
Blues Musician Scott Ainslie Gives Performance; Works with
Eighth Graders [top of page]
 Blues
Musician Scott Ainslie made a return visit to Cary Academy
on March 7 to give a performance and work with the eighth
grade class.
Ainslie
performed for seventh and eighth grades, also giving them
some background on the history of the Blues.
He then
spent about an hour with eighth graders in a seminar. During
that time, he focused on a musical sociology/history that
looked at how the Blues developed, how it reflected the
times, and how people have expressed themselves and their
situations through the music.
Ainslie holds a BA in Music Theory
and Composition from Washington & Lee University, where he
graduated Magna Cum Laude and as a member of Phi Beta Kappa
in 1974.
He has
worked in avante garde and Broadway theater productions,
toured in Europe, and in addition to touring nationally and
internationally has worked as an artist in educational
settings, presenting teaching concerts on the African roots
of American music.
More
information on Ainslie can be found at:
http://www.guitarpicker.com/Ainslie/Scott.htm.
National Honor Society Welcomes Kent State Survivor [top of page]
 Alan
Canfora, who was a student at Kent State University during
the anti-war protest in the 1970’s and was shot by the
National Guard, visited Cary Academy on March 6 to talk
about student activism.
Canfora’s lecture, entitled
Student
Activism Past, Present, and Future,
was the fourth lecture in the National Honor Society’s
lecture series Global Citizenship in the Midst of
Conflict.
He addressed the similarities in student protest over the
centuries – comparing the protests at Kent State and current
war protests to protests in the 16th Century by
students who were forced to attend religious schools.
“We were but an echo,” he said. “You can hear the echoes, I
think, of the on-going, long-standing tradition – young
people begin to think for themselves and they raise their
voices in protest.” Canfora encouraged peaceful
protest. He also shared slides with students showing the
Kent State protests where four people were killed by the
National Guard during a protest against the war in Vietnam.
Canfora currently lives in
Barberton, Ohio. He has been the chairman of the Barberton
Democratic Party and Deputy Director of the Summit County
Board of Elections since 1992.
Students Have Art on Display in Cary Through March 29
[top of page]
Anna
Charlton (‘05) and Michelle Cobley (‘05) will have works of
art exhibited in The Fifth Student Art Show featuring
students from Cary Area High Schools. The Fine Arts League
of Cary and the Town of Cary sponsor the show.
The exhibit runs through March 29 at
the Herb Young Community Center at 404 N. Academy Street.
Sixth Annual Scholars’ Golf Classic Registration Underway [top of page]
Sign up
now for Cary Academy’s sixth annual Scholars’ Golf Classic
to be held on Monday, May 12 at Prestonwood Country Club.
The
registration deadline for this year’s event is April 24.
As in
years past, five levels of sponsorship are available:
Endowment Circle, $2,500, Scholarship Supporter, $1,500,
Faculty Friends, $1,000, Blue Tee/Green Sponsor, $500 (with
one player), and Cary Academy Friends $150.
Parents
and friends are encouraged to play and enjoy a great day of
golf and fellowship.
Register
on-line at
http://web1.caryacademy.org/advancement/golf-entryform.htm
or through the mail. Registration will be on a first
come/first served basis. As an early registration bonus,
registrations and payments made by April 8 will be entered
for the Grand Prize Drawing.
The
day’s events will be as follows: 10:30 a.m. – registration;
11 a.m. – driving range opens; 12:30 p.m. – shotgun start.
Tourney boxed lunches will be served from 11 a.m. to noon.
Awards
and Recognitions include: first, second, third place team
(each course); Longest Drive; Closest to Pin; Hole-In-One;
and Putting Contest.
All
proceeds from the Cary Academy Scholars’ Classic benefit the
Scholarship Fund.
More
information is available at
http://web1.caryacademy.org/advancement/golf-classic02-03.htm
or through a mailing sent home to families and
friends of Cary Academy.
Senior College Seminar Helps Ready Seniors for College [top of page]
For the
second year in a row, Cary Academy seniors had the
opportunity to talk college life with some people in the
know during the Senior Seminar held on March 7.
Issues
from communication with professors and roommates to safety
on campus were covered during the half- day
seminar aimed to help prepare seniors for their upcoming
college transition.
Visitors
to campus included a group from North Carolina State
University and the Raleigh Police Department.
Raleigh
police Detective J.T. Anderson gave an open talk on the
dangers of date rape drugs and, during the final part of the
day, all staff and faculty left the seminar to give seniors
an opportunity to speak candidly with several Cary Academy
alumni who returned to campus to answer questions about
college life.
Seniors
also received Surviving the College Transiton – An
Affectionate Send Off of Material from Cary Academy, a
booklet of information covering student life, academics and
the social aspects of college life.
Cary Academy’s Fed Challenge Team Heads to Richmond for
District Competition [top of page]
Cary
Academy’s Fed Challenge Team is headed to the Richmond
Federal Reserve Bank District Competition on April 1
following a win in the final round of the Fed Challenge
competition for the Carolinas in March.
The team
will compete against winners from Baltimore and Richmond.
Team
members include Lorraine Bailey (’03), Melih Onvural (’03),
Jillian Vitter (’03), Rosemary Hubbard (’03), Waqaar Khawar
(’03), Christina Flood (’03), and Brendan Duckett (’03).
The Fed
Challenge is a national competition sponsored by the Federal
Reserve Bank of the U.S. to promote economic education.
A
school-sponsored team makes a presentation before economists
and bankers, who act as judges, as if the team is the
Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC). They behave as Alan
Greenspan and the FOMC members would behave if they were
discussing targeting interest rates.
After 15
minutes the judges quiz the team on their understanding of
monetary policy, the role of the FOMC, economic conditions
in the U.S. and around the world, and more.
“It is very
challenging to prepare for and present,” said Clare Adkin,
the group’s faculty advisor. “Our students are all Advanced
Economics students and have been studying for this
competition for over two months.”
Cary Academy Hosts First Spring Writer’s Festival on April
3-4 [top of page]
Cary
Academy welcomes musician, screenwriter and author
William McCranor Henderson,
and award-winning authors Elizabeth Spencer and Carole
Boston Weatherford for the school’s first Spring Writers
Festival on April 3-4.
This
festival, planned primarily by students, is an opportunity
to celebrate literature by bringing writers together to
share their work with one another and the public.
This event is sponsored in part by the Cultural Arts
Committee of the Cary Academy Parent Teacher Administrator
Alliance.
On
Thursday evening, the public is invited to school as the
authors participate in a book signing at 7:30 p.m., followed
by readings in the school’s Fine Arts Theater at 8 p.m. The
authors will sign books following the readings as well at
9:30 p.m.
On Friday morning, April 4, the
authors return to campus for a school assembly and visit to
various classrooms. In the afternoon, they will participate
in a workshop with students from 1 to 2:20 p.m.
For more information visit
http://web1.caryacademy.org/writers.
Science in Our Community Features 16 Scientists [top of page]
Sixteen
scientists shared their knowledge with Middle School
students on March 28 as part of the Middle School Science
Department’s Science in our Community event.
 From
park rangers to poultry scientists, students learned about a
variety of topics in science.
Presentations included: Scott MacLeod, Computer 3D Modeling
in Construction; Christine Zone, Bugs and Drugs; Jay
Schwartz (Alyssa ’08), Value of Medicines; Dr. Sarah Rajala
(Kristen Aanstoos ’04 and Stephanie Aanstoos ’07),
Engineering the World Around You; Mike Vaught, PG, (Audrey
’08), Improving the Performance and Health of a Water Well;
Dr. Hasan Jameel (Firoz ’09), Paper Recycling; Dr. Pam
Rowsey (Kevin ’09), Physical Activity Effects on Immune
Function; Dr. John L. Weinerth, The Use of Energy Sources in
the Treatment of Kidney Stones; Dr. Vivian Doelling
(Hillary, ’09), Baby Chicks Get Vaccinated Just Like Human
Babies; Dr. Jim Aanstoos (Kristen ’04 and Stephanie ’07),
How Computers Analyze Pictures; Dr. Kaja Lee (Cameron ’08
and Jordan ’05), Radiology: X-Rays are an Important and
Essential Diagnostic Tool in Medicine; Dr. Charles Greenberg
(Pierce ’07), Moving Molecules from Bench to Bedside: Basic
Research in Medicine; Dr. Hawazin Khoury (Mazin ’08 and
Nisreen ’05), Quantitating HIV in Patients Blood; Dr. Fred
Holt (Kathryn ’07), The Ear: Anatomy, Physiology, and
Hearing Loss; Lorin Mueller, The Life of a Park Ranger; and
Dr. Subhash Gumber (Natasha ’08), Workings of the
Gastrointestinal Tract.
Visiting
scientists presented mini-lectures to students. Students had
the opportunity in small groups to hear three of the 16
lecturers, with different groups of students hearing
different lectures.
Students Showcase Their Talents at the Upper School Variety
Show [top of page]
 Upper
School students and faculty performed to a packed house on
March 28 in the annual Upper School Variety Show.
The evening featured more than two
dozen acts. Students and faculty sang, danced and performed
skits.
The
event was put on by the Class of 2004 and also featured
student directors and crew.
Friday Fellowship Winners Announced [top of page]
The 2003 William C. Friday Summer Fellowship recipients were
announced at the end-of-term faculty and staff meeting on
March 14. This year’s winners are Matthew Gardzina, Middle
School social studies teacher, and Meredith Steele, Upper
School visual arts teacher.
Gardzina
will use his fellowship to develop an online,
multidisciplinary web site resource center with lesson plans
for teaching architectural history. The site will be
available for middle and high school teachers who wish to
use architectural history as an interdisciplinary tool for
teaching history, math, science, and art.
Steele
will study landscape painting this summer at the
Contemporary Landscape Painting Workshop at Sierra Nevada
College in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. There, she will work closely
with Gregory Kondos, a highly regarding landscape artist.
She will then continue her own work during the summer and
produce a minimum of ten paintings. Steele’s paintings will
be exhibited at Cary Academy and she will incorporate her
newfound skills as a landscape painter into her courses.
Author and Boy From Haiti Share Story of Hope and Caring [top of page]
 Middle
and Upper School students were treated to a special message
of hope and caring on April 2 when Canadian author and
storyteller, Peter Eyvindson, and a child of Haiti, Soni
Derazin visited the school.
The two
shared the story of Soni’s triumph over cerebral palsy. Soni
presented two dances of his own to the audience.
After
meeting Soni in Haiti in 1999, Eyvindson wrote about the
true story of Soni’s life in a book called Soni’s Mended
Wings.
Soni grew
up challenged by cerebral palsy, was abandoned by his
family, and spent six years confined to a crib in a home for
disabled children in Fermathe, Haiti.
When former
street children from St. Joseph’s Home for Boys in
Port-au-Prince Haiti learned of Soni’s situation, they took
over caring for him and other children at the home. With
dedication and compassion, the children of St. Joseph’s
taught Soni to walk, talk, and dance.
Eyvindson
volunteers to tell the tale to audiences of all ages,
traveling internationally with Soni several times a year.
Students Sample Foreign Culture During International
Festival [top of page]
 The
classrooms of the Middle School were filled with a taste of
foreign culture on April 3 as the Cary Academy Foreign
Language Department sponsored International Festival.
Middle
School students attended two workshops in the afternoon,
followed by a performance for the entire Middle School by
West End Mambo, a touring mambo band.
Presenters included: Cesar Oviedo, Latin Music;
Lingyun Lou,
Chinese
Calligraphy;
Wael Masri,
Conflict
and Culture in ArabLands;
Vaneep Sandhu, Surteg Singh Sandhu, and Sandeep Pannu,
Indian
Dance (Bhangra) and Culture;
Annette Samborski, Baye Cobb, and dancers from the School of
Scottish Dance,
Scottish
Dancing;
Michelle Draughon,
Salsa
Dancing;
Isabelle
Blanco, Making (and eating!) Crêpes; Eloise Robinson,
Virtual Tour of Great Museums of the World;
Mark Fountain, Polish Culture; Hanyu H. Chio,
Chinese Folk Dancing;
Mari
Asanuma Jameel,
Japanese
Culture;
and Thuy Dancik, Vietnamese Culture.
During
the performance by West End Mambo, students who took
part in the Latin Music workshop and the Salsa
Dancing workshop were invited on stage to perform with
the band.
College Representatives Talk Admissions With Students and
Parents [top of page]
 Parents
and students had an opportunity on April 2 to hear about the
admissions process at several colleges and universities
straight from admissions officers at those schools.
The
evening was hosted by the College Advising Office and
featured:
Jack
Blackburn, Dean of Admissions at the University of Virginia;
Barbara Polk, Senior Associate Director of Admissions at UNC-Chapel
Hill; Tommy Griffin, Director of Admissions at North
Carolina State; Carrie Williams, Senior Admissions Officer
at Duke; and Joe Biedlingmaier, Admissions Officer at
Furman.
Sophomore and junior students/parents were the target
audience, but interested ninth graders and parents were
invited to attend as well.
The
college advisors began with some common admissions questions
that they hear from students and parents, then opened the
floor to student and parent questions.
Questions ranged from the advantages of large and small
colleges and universities, to what parts of a student’s
application are now most important in the admissions
process.
Upper School Concert Choir Excels in First Choral
Competition [top of page]
The
Upper School Concert Choir participated in its first choral
competition on April 11 at the Heritage Festival Choral,
Band and Orchestra Competition in Myrtle Beach, SC.
With 32
of 53 members of the choir making the trip, Cary Academy
competed in two areas with a Women’s Choir in the Open
Category and the 1-A Division for Mixed Choirs.
Each
choir performed three selections after which one of the
adjudicators conducted a “mini” workshop with the group. The
adjudicator stressed the positive points of the performance,
offered a verbal critique of each selection and actually
worked with the group to enhance the group’s presentation of
the selection.
Both
choirs scored superior ratings in performance, which is the
highest rating given and brought home a second place trophy
in each division.
With
choirs in attendance from Minnesota, Delaware, Pennsylvania,
Connecticut, South Carolina, and North Carolina, the group
took the opportunity to stay and listen to many choral
groups from other areas of the country and to compare its
sound and vocal technique to other groups. The weekend also
allowed the group time to enjoy Myrtle Beach, playing Putt
Putt, shopping, eating and attending the awards banquet,
show and dance at Medieval Times.
Science Olympiad Team Places 12th in the State
[top of page]
Cary
Academy’s Science Olympiad Team received two silver medals,
a bronze, and a fourth and fifth place in the recent state
competition for the North Carolina
Science
Olympiad.
Out of 351
teams from across the state, 42 were invited to the state
competition. Cary Academy placed 12th out of
those teams.
Individual
winners included: Roger Shaw (’04) and Brad Butler (’04),
silver in Sounds of Music; Shaw and Julia Zhang
(’03), silver in Feathered Frenzy; Josh Lebenson
(’03) and Courtney Redden (’03), bronze in Science of
Fitness; Lebenson and Garrett Roach (’03), fourth in
Qualitative Analysis; Lebenson and Roach, fifth in
Polymer Detectives.
French Exchange Students Visit Cary Academy [top of page]
 French
Exchange students spent more than two weeks with Cary
Academy students, learning about academic life and American
culture.
Two separate groups: one from Tours,
and another from Renne, France visited the school in April.
The groups stayed very busy visiting
classes, touring museums, bowling, a party at the Salls’,
and even a Bluegrass festival.
The juniors in the program will
complete the second half of the exchange this May; after a
few days in Paris, half will be going to Tours, and the
other half to Renne.
Cary Academy Seventh Graders Recognized By Duke TIP Program [top of page]
Earlier
in the school year, 81 seventh graders were identified, on
the basis of their ERB results – standardized tests taken by
sixth through tenth graders – by Duke University’s Talent
Identification Program (TIP) as eligible to participate in
the talent search program.
The Duke
University Talent Identification Program (Duke TIP)
identifies gifted children and provides resources to nurture
the development of these students. Through Duke TIP a range
of activities and programs are accessible to parents and
teachers to meet the individual needs of gifted children,
according to the TIP web site.
The seventh
grade students were provided the opportunity to take the SAT
or ACT. This year, 38 students took advantage of this
opportunity to take the SAT or ACT and the test results are
back. Nineteen of the students who took the standardized
tests scored well enough to receive special recognition. One
student scored well enough to receive grand recognition.
These seventh grade students include: Grand Recognition –
Michelle Luo; State Recognition – Elizabeth Atkins, Arjun
Chandran, Yera Chokshi, Austin Curry, Mark Easley, Nick
Fair, Max Flesher, Stuart Gordon, Aubrey Hamilton, Rodrigo
Haragutchi, Angela Hayes, Cameron Hayes, John Nelson,
Meaghan Quindlen, Kim Ray, Sona Shah, Scott Stanton and
Christina Wieand.
Those who
scored 510 or above on the math or verbal sections of the
SAT or 21 or above on the math or English sections, or 22 or
above on the reading or science reasoning sections of the
ACT will receive state recognition at a ceremony to be held
in May.
Students
who scored 650 or above on the SAT math or verbal, or 28 or
above on math or English on the ACT, 30 on reading on the
ACT, or 27 on science reasoning on the ACT, will receive
recognition at the grand ceremony on Duke’s Campus on May
19.
Sixty Students Take Part in American Mathematics Competition [top of page]
In
March, 60 Cary Academy students participated in the American
Mathematics Competition. These mathematicians distinguished
themselves in many areas.
The team
ranked among the top 17 percent of schools participating. In
the grades nine and ten, the school winners were Mark Hallen
and Katie Hayes whose scores were in the top one percent. In
Grades 11 and 12, the school winner was Yuriko Tamura whose
score was also in the top one percent.
In addition
to the performances by these students, Ryan Jamiolkowski,
Katie Cheng, Andrew D. Bryson, Erica Helfer, and Natalie
Case all qualified for the American Invitational Mathematics
Exam. Each of these achievements represent school firsts.
Five CA Ensembles Earn “Superior” Ratings [top of page]
Five
Cary Academy Ensembles earned “Superior” ratings at the
recent Music Showcase Festivals in Virginia.
Each
earned first place in their classes as well.
The
Upper School Wind Ensemble earned a Superior rating and
first place in High School Concert Band - Class A.
The
Middle School String Orchestra earned a Superior rating and
first place in Junior High
School String Orchestra class. The Middle School String
Orchestra also won the Overall Grand Champion Award. This is
the highest award in this competition in the middle
school/junior high, grade seven through nine, instrumental
groups.
According to judge's recommendation, the Middle School
orchestra
first violin section earned an Outstanding Section Award and
Rodrigo Haragutchi (’08), violin, earned an Outstanding
Soloist Award.
The
Upper School Jazz Band earned a Superior rating and first
place in High School Jazz Ensemble - Class A.
The
Middle School Wind Ensemble earned a Superior rating and
first place in Middle School Concert Band - Class A.
The
Honors Orchestra earned a Superior rating and first place in
High School Orchestra/String Orchestra.
According to judge's recommendation, the Honors orchestra’s
three soloists: Lorraine
Bailey (’03), clarinet, Joelle Portzer (’06), trumpet, and
Eric Smith (’05), french horn, earned Outstanding Soloist
Awards.
Orchestra Director Yiying Qiao said he feels both the Middle
School and Upper School orchestras have improved greatly
this year due to the hardwork of his students and his
leadership.
Audio files of Performances from the
Music
Showcase Festivals in Virginia:
F.A.M.E. Fest Celebrates the Arts at Cary Academy [top of page]
 It
was indeed an afternoon of Fun, Art, Music and Entertainment
on Friday, May 9 as Cary Academy’s budding artists showcased
their talents at F.A.M.E. Fest.
The celebration took place in the Fine
Arts Building, where Middle and Upper School artists
displayed works from paintings to sculptures to
mosaic pieces.
In addition to their displays, the
artists also did demonstrations, showing off talents such as
weaving and making mosaic tile artwork.
The display of talent did not stop at
the visual arts as singers, musicians and actors also
performed for members of the Cary Academy community and
guests.
Percentage Nights at Barnes & Noble Raise Funds and Book
Donations [top of page]
 The
Parent Teacher Administrator Alliance (PTAA) earned more
than $1,150 from the May 1-2 book fair at Barnes & Noble in
Cary.
This was
the second time this year that Cary Academy offered
percentage nights at Barnes & Noble. The PTAA received 20
percent from sales of $2,000-$10,000 and 25 percent from
sales over $10,000.
In
addition, a special Cary Academy wish list table was set up
for anyone interested in purchasing a specific title for
donation to the library. Fifteen books were donated to the
library collection.
Shoppers
on the evening of May 1 received a special treat as Jacquie
Holcombe and talented members of her Middle School and Upper
School chorus performed at the store.
Middle Schoolers Show Their Athletic Skill [top of page]
 Middle
School students participated in the Charger Cup on May 1 –
taking part in games from basketball shoots to pizza box
relays.
The sun
was out and the heat was on, but that
didn’t slow the groups as they rotated from the soccer goal
to the track to the tennis and basketball courts.
Middle
Schoolers split up into Blue and Gold teams by grade level
to compete against each other in the afternoon events.
Foreign Exchange Trips Depart [top of page]
Exchange programs to France and Spain
departed Saturday and Sunday for their three-week adventures
overseas, while the German exchange program will depart the
first week of June.
One
group of students will travel to Rennes, France, while
another heads to Tours, France. Earlier this year, a group
of students from each of those towns in France visited Cary
Academy.
Meanwhile, students headed to Spain will travel to
La Coruña
and to Oviedo. Students traveling to Germany are headed to
Rottenburg.
Students
and faculty planning to travel to China for their exchange
program were unable to make the trip this year due to the
SARS outbreak in Asia.
To read
the story that local news station WTVD did on this
cancellation, please visit
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/news/042403_NW_sarscaryacademy.html.
Students
return from France, Germany and Spain in mid-June.
Eighty-Seven Members of the Class of 2003 Celebrate Graduation
Day [top of page]
 The
87 members of Cary Academy’s Class of 2003 turned their
tassels in a Friday evening ceremony on May 23, held in the
gymnasium due to wet weather.
Lee V. Stiff, professor of
mathematics at N.C. State University and past president of
the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, gave the
commencement address. He told seniors that the answer to the
question “what is success?” can be found within themselves.
“Find a
way to convert your passions into your own sense of
success,” Stiff told the Class of ’03.
The
commencement ceremony featured class speakers Will Duke and
Reed Malin, while Megan Anderson, Eric Helfer and Brian
Block contributed to the ceremony as well with the opening
reflections, special thank you and closing reflections.
During
the commencement ceremony, Malin was also recognized as this
year’s recipient of the Founders Award, given each year to a
senior who has acted as a role model to all Cary Academy
students.
Four Students Selected for All-State Band [top of page]
Five
Cary Academy students auditioned for the All-State Band on
April 26, with four selected for the honor.
All-State consists of three bands – one for 11th-
and 12th-grade, one for 9th- and 10th-grade,
and one for middle school students.
Zack
Hobbs ('04) was awarded first chair String Bass for the
11-12 Wind Ensemble; Adam Pedersen ('04) was awarded first
chair Tenor Sax, 11-12 Wind Ensemble; Roger Shaw ('04) was
awarded 11th chair Clarinet, 11-12 Wind Ensemble; and Eric
Smith ('05) was awarded sixth chair French Horn, 9-10 Wind
Ensemble.
Saige
Clark ('07) narrowly missed a spot in the middle school
band, being named third alternate.
Students
had to earn one of the top chairs (positions) in the
District Band to be eligible to audition for All-State.
There are six band districts in the state. Cary Academy’s
district, the Central District, is traditionally the
strongest and most competitive, according to Eric Grush,
band director.
All of
the All-State scores can be found at:
https://web1.caryacademy.org/facultywebs/eric_grush/scores-HonorsBand03.htm
Sixth Graders Donate Mosaic Table to Glenaire Retirement
Community [top of page]
 A
group of sixth grade students visited the Glenaire
Retirement Community on June 3 to donate a mosaic-topped
table to residents.
Sixth
graders
Therice Morris, Amanda Pieper, Taylor Russell,
Misha Sims, Sydney Norton, Maya Vulgaropulos and Lauren
Jamiolkowski traveled to Glenaire as representatives of the
sixth grade class. Middle School Beta Club Advisor Dawn
Bates and Service Learning Coordinator Tami Kaiser-Polge
accompanied the girls on the trip. They presented the table
to
Activities Director Sheila Bullock and members of the
Glenaire community.
The
table, nearly two months in the making by members of the
sixth grade class, was made possible through a grant from
the PTAA and much hard work by art teacher Margo Smith and
the sixth graders.
The
mosaic design on the tabletop portrays brightly colored
flowers. It will sit in a patio area outside at Glenaire.
The
sixth grade girls had cookies and drinks with several
residents and told them that the table was the sixth grade’s
way of saying “thank you” for letting them visit Glenaire
throughout the school year.
Class of ’03 College Acceptances Show A Bright Future Ahead [top of page]
 Yale,
Harvard, Duke and the
United States Naval Academy
are just a few of the names in an impressive list of college
and university acceptances and enrollments for the Class of
2003.
The 87
recently graduated seniors will head to 48 colleges and
universities that are as close as Raleigh, Durham and Chapel
Hill, and as far away as Colorado – the University of
Colorado at Boulder, California – Stanford University, and
even Scotland.
One
member of the Class of 2003 will head to the University of
Glasgow, a university in Scotland dating back to the
mid-fifteenth century.
“We
are pleased to see that the Class of 2003 continued to apply
to a wide range of colleges and universities,” said Susan
Staggers, director of College Advising. “One hundred
forty-two colleges received applications from Cary Academy
seniors this year. Members of the Class will be attending 48
different college or universities, 35 of which are
out-of-state.”
A full list
of acceptances and college choices for the Class of 2003 can
be found at:
http://web1.caryacademy.org/college/acceptances0203.htm
Eighth Graders Celebrate Their Middle School Experience [top of page]
Eighth
grade students closed out their Middle School careers on
June 6 with a graduation ceremony and celebration. The
ceremony, held in the theater, featured student speakers,
musicians and singers.
Speakers
included Stephanie Bauman, Emma Morgan, Rachel Parks and
Morgan Smith, while Meg Hewitt presented the class gift to
the school – a Shumard Oak to be planted at the school. Sara
Baker,
Cori Lindler,
Florence Lumsden, Nicole Huber, Caitlin Daniels and Allison
Yim sang, while Brendan Kiu, Alexander Rosen and Murphy
Chang had instrumental solos.
The eighth
graders finished their day with a celebration in the dining
hall.
PTAA Used Textbook Sale Brings In Money for 2003-04
Textbooks [top of page]
The
first PTAA sponsored used textbook sale raised $1,692 to go
towards Upper School textbook purchases for the 2003-04
school year.
The book
sale, intended to be a service to the community, rather than
a fundraiser, originated in response to parents who
requested a low-cost option for book purchases.
The
entirety of the proceeds went directly to the Upper School
to purchase textbooks in an effort to reduce that cost for
parents. In total, $1,692 was raised from the sale of
several hundred books that were donated by Cary Academy
families.
Textbooks were priced at 50 percent of the Varsity price for
good condition books and 25 percent of the price for fair
condition. A “Bargain Bin” contained books that will not be
used next school year.
SummerQuest 2003 Gets Underway [top of page]
 Robotics,
cooking and computer camps are some of the most popular
picks for pre-teens and teens this summer at Cary Academy.
SummerQuest 2003 is in full swing, with 15 or more camps
taking place each week from June 16-Aug. 1 (except the July
4 holiday week).
Students
are launching hydro rockets, creating their own computer
games, perfecting their volleyball skills, creating mosaic
tile artworks, and much, much more this summer.
During
the first two weeks of camp, computer animation, robotics,
ceramics, cooking and a Babysitting Boot Camp were
among the many camps that filled up.
On
Wednesday, June 25, WRAL-TV visited the Robotics with
Lego Mindstorms camp, led by Cary Academy Middle School
teachers Zack Fisher and Josh Hartman.
Interested in a SummerQuest camp experience? There’s still
space in some camps. Visit
http://www.caryacademy.org/summer/index.html to learn
more.
Foreign Exchange Students Return from Overseas [top of page]
 Rising
seniors are returning from their overseas experiences with
wonderful stories to tell this summer.
Sixty members of the Class of 2004
traveled to France, Spain and Germany for the annual junior
exchange program. They visited schools in the country they
traveled to and took in the sights.
One group of students traveled to Rennes,
France, another to Tours, France. Spanish language students
traveled to La Coruña and to Oviedo, both in Spain. Students
traveling to Germany are visited a school in Rottenburg.
“Spain was absolutely amazing,”
said Amberly Killmer. “Not only was the country gorgeous,
the people were generous and friendly to all of the
Americans.”
Heather Wiles, who traveled to
France, said she was struck by the beauty of the country.
“The city of Rennes, the capital
of Brittany, is itself filled with historical beauty,” she
said. “The houses are works of art themselves.”
All students came away feeling
that they had gained a second family.
A true exchange program, Cary
Academy students stayed with host families overseas.
This spring, the French students
had hosted students from Rennes and Tours at Cary Academy
and in their homes.
In the
fall, the exchange will be completed, when students from
Spain and Germany visit Cary Academy.
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