May 2006
Bill Coulthart Retires
[top]
After
seven years of coaching the boys’ varsity soccer team,
guiding the golf squad and teaching Middle and Upper School
physical education classes, Bill Coulthart has retired. The
school honored him with a celebration May 23 in the
Administration lobby. Grateful parents, former and current
students, and faculty and staff gathered to say a heartfelt
goodbye.
Coulthart
arrived at CA after working as an associate professor of
physical education at Jacksonville University in Florida.
“Cary Academy students and staff have benefited form
Bill’s extensive background,” Head of School Don Berger
said. “Bill was always truly interested in seeing all his
students succeed … and he is a model to us all.”
“I can
think of no other place that I would have rather spent my
last seven years teaching and coaching than at Cary
Academy,” Coulthart said. “I have come to enjoy the true
feeling of family and community that seems to come from
everyone here: parents, students, staff, faculty and
administration.”
Foreign Language Trips Underway
[top]
Ninety-nine Cary Academy juniors are
spending the next two weeks in China, Spain, France and
Austria as part of the annual foreign language exchange
trips.
For daily reports on their adventures
abroad, you can visit the students’ websites and read their
journals. Just navigate to the top of the intranet homepage
and scroll over the website you wish to visit. Click, and
poof, you are in the land of the Gauls, sitting in a Spanish
plaza or visiting a cafehaus.
Four students on the China trip are
blogging about the experience for The News and Observer.
To read that blog, go to the N&O’s homepage where a
direct link to the blog may be found in the top left corner,
titled
blogs.newsobserver.com/china.
MS Gets New Leader; Artist Visits
[top]
Katelyn M.
(’11) gave Head of the Middle School Marti Jenkins a break
for the day as she took over the reigns May 24.
She sat in
on the leadership team meeting, declared a dress-down day of
flip-flops and hats, and helped Assistant Head of the Middle
School Vince Janney handle a “disciplinary” problem. “I
enjoyed getting to observe classes I don’t normally get to
see, i.e. 6th/8th grade classes, and I learned some of the
things involved in Mrs. Jenkins’s job I didn’t know,”
Katelyn said. “And the fact that I got a pizza and ice
cream party with my friends at lunch was great, too.”
All during
the week of May 22-26, local wire artist Jonathan Daniel
visited the art classes of Lee Leal to teach the art he
learned growing up in Zimbabwe. He assisted the students in
making colorful wire rings and butterflies.
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Marti Jenkins assists Katelyn M. during the
leadership meeting.
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Artist Jonathan Daniel
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Holocaust Survivor Enthralls Audience
[top]
Lucy
Carson spent World War II as a “hidden child,” moving from
place to place in France to escape the Nazis. She shared
her experiences May 23 with the Modern World History class
of Sheila White. An audience of around 50 teachers,
students, and visitors from other classes filled the room.
Carson
shuttled between an orphanage, a Catholic convent and
private homes during the war. She lost both parents to the
conflagration and was reunited with an aunt and her
5-year-old sister at the end of the war in Antwerp,
Belgium. She and her sister immigrated to the US in 1947.
Jared
Carson (’08) had asked his grandmother if she would like to
speak to the class, said White, and she readily agreed.
Cary Academy Graduates 87 in Seventh Commencement
[top]
To
thunderous applause, whoops of joy and some tears, the 87
seniors of the Class of 2006 graduated May 21.
Anson
Dorrance, women’s head soccer coach at the University of
North Carolina, delivered the
commencement address to a
packed house in the SEA. He drew on the 11 core values –
like not whining, working hard and caring about each other –
that his teams have employed on the way to numerous
championships.
“Everything
I have shared with you
are choices you have,” he concluded. “I hope all of you
have a chance to live a life that exceeds your dreams.”
Before
Dorrance spoke, senior speakers Lianne Gonsalves and Joelle
Portzer presented heartfelt addresses to their classmates,
families and all those in attendance.
Gonsalves
urged her classmates to not get too caught up in the
workaday world, but to “live, laugh and love.” Drawing on
artistic imagery, Portzer told her fellow ‘06ers that, “We
stand here ready to add color, shape and texture to whatever
part of the world we touch.”
Rob
Smithson received the Founders’ Award from founder and board
of director member John Sall.
Click here
for more pictures from the commencement ceremony for the
Class of 2006 and a copy of the
opening
remarks made by Head of School Don Berger.
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Golf Brings in Over $70K
[top]
Score
the Ninth Annual Scholars Golf Classic a hole-in-one. With
money still coming in, the tournament has raised over
$70,000 for need-based scholarships at Cary Academy.
With a
shotgun start, 60 teams spread out over all three courses at
Prestonwood Country Club May 15. Despite dodging a few
raindrops, the golfers enjoyed a day of warm temperatures
and mostly sunshine.
Alums
Charlie Winn (’05) and Ryan Cotter (’02) played, and 17
parents also participated. For the eighth out of nine
years, R.N. Rouse and Co. Inc. served as the grand sponsor
of the event. Cecilia Davis served as the parent chair.
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Spring Athletes Garner Team, Conference Awards
[top]
The Cary
Academy spring teams did well this year, with boys’ tennis
sharing the TISAC title with Durham Academy, and girls’
track winning the TISAC. The teams also did well in placing
many Chargers on all-conference and all-state teams. Those
teams were recently announced along with team honors.
In varsity
girls’ soccer, team awards went to Alex Berger (’07) for the
Charger Award and Liz Heller (’06) for Team Unity
Recipient. Berger, Amy Dement (’06), Dannye DiNizo (’06)
and Rachel Kenney (’06) were named TISAC All-Conference.
Berger made NCISAA All-State.
In softball
team awards, the Big Stick Award went to Bryelle Smith
(’07), and Saige Clark (’07) won the Charger Award. Smith
and Clark were named all-conference.
In
baseball, Adam Kramer (’06) got the Charger Award, and
Barrett Roberts (’06) was named most Most Improved. Kramer
and Roberts were joined by Bret Knight (’07) on the
all-conference team, and Kramer made the all-state nine.
In golf,
Connor Leonard (’07) was named Medalist, and the Coaches
Award went to Meg Hewitt (‘07).
In track,
Most Outstanding Senior awards went to Mark Hallen (‘06) and
Kelly Shipkowski (’06). High point scorers were Glen Wright
Colopy (’06) for the boys and Tenny Crawford (’07) for the
girls. All-conference honors went to Sarah Helfer (’07) in
the 800; Rachel Park (’07) in the 1600, 3200; Crawford in
the 100H, 300H; Blythe Friedman (’08), Dara Brown (’09),
Shipkowski and Crawford in the 4x100; and Park, Catherine
Jacobs (‘07), Lianne Gonsalves (’06) and Helfer in the
4x800.
At the
state championships, Helfer won the 800m, thus earning
All-State honors.
In boys’
tennis, the Sportsmanship Award went to Dennis Gugger (’08),
and the Charger Award to Zach Sarnoff (’09). Gugger, Mike
Kohagen (‘10), Sarnoff and Taylor Meyer (‘08) were named
all-conference, with Tyler Graybeal (‘06) receiving
honorable mention. Meyer placed on the all-state team.
In
lacrosse,
Andrew
Leithe (‘06) took home the Charger Award,
and
Clark Cooper (‘06) the Sportsmanship Award.
Leithe, Cooper and Tyler Phillips (’08)
were named all-conference.
PTAA Scholarships Awarded
[top]
At the
Upper School awards ceremony May 17, the PTAA awarded its
annual scholarships.
The winners
of the PTAA Merit Scholarships are rising seniors Lauren
Kahn and Brendan Kiu. Each will receive a scholarship in
the amount of $2,000.
Three other
rising seniors were awarded scholarships in the amount of
$500. Those three members of the Class of 2007 are Allison
Yim, Murphy Chang and Caitlin Daniels.
Students to Blog on China Trip for N&O
[top]
Four Cary
Academy students from the exchange group traveling to China
will supply an immediate recap of their experience through a
blog that The News and Observer is starting
May 21, the day before the students depart.
Brittany
Sterling (‘07) will be in charge of capturing her experience
on film and then posting her pictures. Diana Chiritescu
(‘07) and Alanna Daley (‘07) will be alternating days with
different diary-like entries of their time abroad. Lauren
Viehbacher (‘07) will be making her voyage to China two
weeks later and will be spending her time as an intern for
NCR and regularly writing about her tasks, and what it is
like to work in China. On May 22, the exchange group of two
teachers and 12 students will board a plane to Shanghai.
Readers
can access the blog through the N&O’s homepage with a
direct link found in the top left corner titled
blogs.newsobserver.com/china. This link will
be active on Thursday, May 17th.
Click here to read a preview about the blog.
Three Seniors Excel in Competitions
[top]
Mark Hallen
(’06) is one of 20 students from around the nation who have
made the National Chemistry Olympiad team. He took the
five-hour national exam April 21 at the N.C. School of
Science & Math. For making the team, Hallen has been
invited to a study camp this summer at the Air Force Academy
in Colorado Springs, CO. At the camp, students will receive
intense training from both high school and college chemistry
educators. At the conclusion of the camp, these educators
will pick the top four students to travel to Korea to
represent the U.S. in the International Chemistry Olympiad
competition.
Shannon
Mentock (‘06) participated in the Young Epidemiology
Scholars (YES) Competition in Washington, D.C. on April
21-24. She was among the 60 high school juniors and seniors
from across the nation who were named regional finalists for
the competition. The regional finalists presented in groups
of 10, and the top two from each group were selected as
national finalists. Unfortunately, Mentock was not one of
the top two in her group, but she said the whole experience
was incredible, featuring world renowned speakers, dinner at
the National Academy of Sciences and other presentations.
After an
inspiring tour of Duke University’s radiology center last
year, Lianne Gonsalves (’06) decided to enter an essay
contest sponsored by Duke. It was a good idea. Announced
in early May as the winner of the contest, Gonsalves
received a $1,000 prize. To read her essay,
click here.
Haitian Dance Performance Dazzles
[top]
Performers
from the Resurrection Dance Theatre (RDTH) in
Port-au-Prince, Haiti, performed for the school May 5.
The RDTH,
founded in 1985, evolved from the creation of St. Joseph’s
Home for Boys, which was also founded in 1985. The mission
of RDTH is to teach its members – former street children and
mentally and physically disabled children – that they have a
special gift to offer the world: themselves.
Combining
Haitian and African movements and featuring traditional
Haitian drumming, RDTH shared the life stories of Haiti’s
children in an unforgettable way that thrilled and impressed
the CA students gathered.
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Fun, Food and Good Times at Spring Sports Day
[top]
The
Spring Sports Day held Friday, May 5, and hosted by the
Charger Club parent athletic boosters, provided an avenue
for friends, families and supporters of CA to come together,
mingle, eat and watch some good athletic contests. The
Chargers hosted Durham Academy for the day’s games.
A pep
rally in the gym kicked off the event. An ice cream social
for the Middle School followed, and a tailgate party cookout
by the stadium press box provided food throughout the
evening.
CA won
the tennis matches 5-4. In lacrosse action, CA lost 18-6,
but the Chargers took the baseball game 6-1. DA beat the
softball team 16-1 and won a close soccer game 1-0.
The new
press box and PA system were dedicated at halftime of the
lacrosse game.Click
here for more pictures
of Spring Sports Day 2006.
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Smithson a Presidential Scholar; CA Students Receive Awards
[top]
Senior Rob Smithson has been selected as a Presidential
Scholar.
One male and one female from each state is selected for this
honor, with 13 at-large selections, as well.
In his
application, Smithson was asked to write about a teacher who
has influenced him, and he wrote about English teacher
Carole Hamilton. Both Smithson and Hamilton will be invited
to Washington, D.C. this summer for a series of events and a
recognition ceremony at the White House.
In other
great news, three Cary Academy seniors have been selected as
National Merit Scholarship winners. Each will receive a
$2,500 scholarship. The students are Sarah Basham, Mark
Hallen and Smithson.
Econ Team Places Third
[top]
The Cary Academy economics team placed third in the recent
N.C. Economics Challenge held at the Federal Reserve Bank in
Charlotte. Schools from all over the state attended the
competition.
The CA team consisted of seniors Andrew Bryson, Clay Hane,
Charles Hendren and Alexis Travars. The competition
consisted of three sets of tests: one on microeconomics,
one on macroeconomics, and one on “International Trade and
Economic Current Events.”
The team finished first on the microeconomics section of the
competition.
What is Your Summer Quest?
[top]
The Summer Quest staff has been busy
planning a fantastic summer, and they are looking forward to
your family being a part of it all!
There are many new offerings this time
around, as well as some of the favorites from last year.
Some of the new camps include: Digital Photography,
Environmental Adventures, Real Fighting Robots, MultiMedia,
Auto Design, Law, Fine Arts Portfolio, Introduction to Film
Studies, Chocolate Dreams, Athletic Speed Camp, Draw Manga,
Simple Silversmithing: The Friendship Ring, and Financial
Savvy for Teens.
Spaces are filling quickly, so sign up
today. For more information and program registration status
visit
www.caryacademy.org/summer, or call the Auxiliary
Programs Office at 677-7839.
April 2006
Rushin, Todd Win Teacher Awards
[top]
Science instructors Gray Rushin and Joselyn Todd have been
honored for their innovative teaching styles by the Sigma Xi
chapter at North Carolina State University (NCSU). Rushin
has won the Outstanding Teacher Award for high school, and
Todd has won the same award for middle school.
Sigma Xi seeks to honor middle and high school teachers in
science and/or mathematics who instill in their students a
love and appreciation for their subjects. Each year, Sigma
Xi recognizes one middle school and one high school teacher
of science or mathematics from public or private schools in
Wake, Johnston, Harnett, Franklin, Orange, Durham or Chatham
counties. The winners of these awards are recognized at the
Sigma Xi Spring Banquet with the presentation of a check for
$400.
“I’m
honored to be recognized by an international organization of
distinguished scientists,” said Rushin. “I hope to find
some of my former students amongst the Sigma Xi membership
in the coming years.”
“I know
that such an award is only achieved with the support of
special people who themselves have abilities that allow
others to rise to their potential,” said Todd. “With this
in mind, I am very fortunate to work with such talented
individuals in the Cary Academy community - students,
parents, colleagues and administrators.”
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Art on Display
[top]
Cary
Academy held FAME Fest April 19 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in the
Fine Arts Building. This celebration collection of all the
student arts focuses on visual arts as well as musical
components.
CA students
were given the opportunity to set up booths and sell their
own artwork and crafts, while visitors had the chance to
purchase the pieces of art for reasonable prices.
FAME Fest
is designed to support the blossoming youthful artists.
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Honors Galore
[top]
Lianne
Gonsalves (’06) has accepted the Park Scholarship to attend
North Carolina State University. She is also the winner of
a $1,000 national Beta Club scholarship.
Danniella
Hornby (’07) received an honorable mention in the Phi Beta
Kappa Essay Contest. She and her parents attended an award
banquet April 25.
Diana Woodall (’08) and Mark Hallen (’06) finished in the
top 15 at the 2006 Elon University Mathematics Contest held
April 1, making them eligible for an academic scholarship at
Elon University.
SADD Holds Events
[top]
Students
Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) at Cary Academy took
the initiative to remind students of Drunk Driving Awareness
Week, April 17-21.
Alcohol is involved in 60 percent of all teen death car
accidents, and SADD wanted to drive this point home. The
SADD chapter displayed an automobile, parked in front of the
Upper School, that had been exhumed from a drunk driving
accident.
With the
help of local law enforcement, the
chapter set up a Gator course for students April 20 that
simulated, using goggles, the effects of drinking, and
provided a driving simulator tractor trailer on campus in
the US parking lot.
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Rooney Wins First Burdick Fellowship
[top]
Michael
Rooney (’09) is the inaugural recipient of the Charles M.
Burdick Young Writers’ Fellowship, a $1,000 grant allowing
one freshman to attend a summer creative writing program
prior to the sophomore year. The PTAA, in cooperation with
the Middle and Upper School English Departments, came up
with the fellowship.
Applicants
were required to demonstrate their commitment to both the
craft and promulgation of creative writing. As a result,
they completed an extensive application, submitted two
pieces of creative writing for review, and interviewed with
the selection committee.
Rooney
impressed the interviewers, sharing an inventive short
story, discussing how he would use the knowledge gained, and
outlining several options that would encourage student
participation in language projects. With his award, Rooney
has chosen to attend the residential Duke Young Writers’
Camp.
During the
2006-2007 school year, the PTAA will expand the CMB Young
Writers’ Fellowship opportunities. Freshmen will still be
able to apply, while eighth-graders will gain the option of
pursuing a second $1,000 grant.
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions!
[top]
The seniors
in the Class of 2006 are making some tough decisions. The
87 graduating seniors have received offers of admission from
over 90 different colleges from 25 states in the United
States, and from Washington, D.C. and England. Many have
spent the past several weeks trying to make their final
choice. In most cases, students have until May 1, the
national candidates’ reply date, to respond to their offers
of admission.
The gamut
of colleges to which seniors applied and have been admitted
range (alphabetically speaking) from Alfred University to
Yale University. Geographically, students are considering
colleges across the country, from North Carolina to New
York; from California to Connecticut; and from Massachusetts
to Minnesota. They include liberal arts and sciences
colleges such as Bard, Carleton, Claremont McKenna,
Davidson, Hampshire, Oberlin, Swarthmore, and Wellesley; to
midsize universities including College of Charleston, Duke,
Furman, GWU, Georgetown, Harvard, NYU, Princeton, University
of Richmond, Tufts, and Wake Forest; to larger state
universities such as UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC-Wilmington, NCSU,
UVA, University of Georgia, Florida State University, and
Virginia Tech. Other options include technical institutes
such as Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and the Olin
College of Engineering.
In addition
to the impressive offers of admission, many seniors were
also offered merit scholarships. For more information about
these, please
click here.
National
Honor Society Welcomes 17
[top]
With a
bright sun shining down, the National Honor Society induced
17 new members into its ranks during a brief ceremony at the
amphitheater the morning of April 18.
The new
members are: Stephanie Aanstoos (’07), Elizabeth Atkins
(’08), Stephanie Bauman (’07), Kelly Bolick (’08), Ben
Goldhaber (’08), Rodrigo, Haragutchi (’08), Kelly Hughes
(’07), Jackie Lee (’08), Yasmeen Mansour (’08), Tom Marty
(’07), Anna Morris (’08), John Nelson (’08), Rachel Park
(’08), Brian, Pritchett, Kim Ray (’08), Vinny Tumminello
(’07) and Nilesh Wani (’07).
Day of Silence Upcoming [top]
On April 26, Cary Academy Upper School students and faculty
will again have the opportunity to participate voluntarily
in the National Day of Silence, sponsored by the CA
Gay-Straight Alliance.
In sponsoring this day, the CA Gay-Straight Alliance wishes
to help create a safe, accepting community at Cary Academy,
not just for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender)
students, but for all students. Participation in the
National Day of Silence is completely optional. As in the
past, teachers will be teaching, advising and supervising
extra-curricular activities aloud during the day. While a
student’s decision to participate has a personal impact, if
a faculty member is silent for the day, their decision has
an impact on all their students that day. Teachers may
choose to remain silent during their free periods.
Students are free to make their own choice regarding
participation in this effort led by the GSA. Teachers and
students will respect the choice of individuals who are
participating in the Day of Silence and some teachers may
structure their classes in a way that allows students who
are participating to remain silent. However, for some
classes this might not be reasonable. CA asks that students
make wise choices when participating in the Day of Silence
and not allow their classes to suffer as a result. For more
information about the Day of Silence, and the institutions
that sponsor it, please visit
http://dayofsilence.org/about/history.php.
Watson gets Science Award
[top]
Ryan Watson
(’07) is one of the winners of the third annual Carolina
Award for Outstanding Achievement in Science. The award,
part of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s
Science Carolina initiative, is administered by the Office
of Undergraduate Admissions and the Morehead Planetarium and
Science Center.
Science
teachers statewide nominated candidates for the award. Eight
winners from grades eight to 11 were selected based on a
review of their transcripts and a short essay. Science
instructor Dan Yaverbaum nominated Watson.
To
recognize his achievement, Watson, his parents and Yaverbaum
attended a special luncheon at UNC on Thursday, April 6.
During the luncheon, Chancellor James Moeser presented
Watson with a certificate and a gift.
Two Going to National Chemistry Competition
[top]
Mark Hallen
(’06) and Ryan Watson (’07) will be representing Cary
Academy and North Carolina at the National Chemistry
Olympiad Exam.
The two
were chosen after the Chemistry Olympiad competition for
North Carolina. Based on the results of the first round exam
of this competition, the top 15 students from the state were
selected. Hallen and Watson will take the national exam
April 21 at the N.C. School of Science & Math. This is a
five-hour exam that includes a lab practical.
The top
scorers on the national exam are selected to attend a summer
camp at Air Force Academy in Colorado. During that camp,
students are selected for the final team that will represent
the U.S. in the 2006 International Chemistry Olympiad in
South Korea.
Nationality Night, MS international Festival Entertain
[top]
Food,
dancing and fun all happened April 12 during the annual
Nationality Night. The event is a festival celebrating the
different cultures around the world, but it also is a
fundraiser for the Reedy Creek English as a Second Language
(ESL) program. All of the proceeds go to the Reedy Creek
ESL program for the transportation expenses that allow Upper
School students to tutor every Monday and Wednesday.
The Middle
School held its annual International Festival April 12 for
the seventh and eighth grades. Workshops celebrating
different cultures were set up in classrooms throughout the
MS and campus.
This year's
finale consisted of a capoeira performance by Deollo Johnson
in the theater. Capoeira is
an African-Brazilian martial arts-dance that integrates
strikes, sweeps, acrobatics, dance, music and theatrics into
a seamless flow, a “conversation of bodies,” emphasizing
improvisation and creativity, guile and grace. Deollo
Johnson has been practicing martial arts for over 20 years
and capoeira for seven years.
To the
delight of the audience, Johnson brought some CA students up
on stage to participate in a capoeira performance. Enjoy
these pictures of the International Festival.
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Three Awarded Prestigious Scholarships; Two get Park
[top]
Three
seniors have been awarded eminent scholarships.
Aparna
Chatterjee has been awarded the Morehead Scholarship from
the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and she and
Lianne Gonsalves have both been awarded the Park Scholarship
from North Carolina State University. Rob Smithson has been
awarded and accepted the Jefferson Scholarship at the
University of Virginia.
In the next
two weeks, a story with an extensive list of colleges to
which seniors have applied and have been admitted will be
posted here. Also, a list of seniors who were offered merit
scholarships will be available.
Middle School Students Recognized by TIP
[top]
Based on
ERB results, 72 Cary Academy seventh-graders recently
qualified for the Duke Talent Identification Program (TIP)
to take the SAT or ACT. About 50 students took advantage of
this opportunity.
Those who
scored 510 or above on the math or verbal sections, or over
500 on both the math and verbal sections, of the SAT or 20
or above on the math or English sections, or 221 or above on
the reading or science reasoning sections, of the ACT will
receive state recognition at a ceremony at Campbell
University on May 8.
Students
who scored 650 or above on math or verbal or achieved a
combined score of 1260 on the math and verbal (SAT) or 28 or
above on math or English, 30 on reading, or 27 on science
reasoning (ACT) will receive recognition at the grand
ceremony on Duke's campus on May 22.
Twenty-nine
of the students who took the ACT or SAT scored well enough
to receive state or grand recognition—that’s almost 30
percent of the seventh-grade class! Following is a list of
who will receive recognition.
Grand level
recognition
Patrick Luo
Andrew Marron
Katelyn Mitchell
Evan Zayas
State level
recognition
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Shaun Allison
Samuel Andrews
Emilie Chen
Kendyl Curry
Preston Daniels
Alaina Doyle
Zachary Dresher
Elise Everett
Jeffrey Goettel
Amy Holt
Kenji Jameel
John Joyner
Charlotte Kelley |
Scott Kenney
Justin Ketzler
Harry Lambert
Joshua Landry
Erin Lerch
Brittany Miles
Alexander Morgan
Yates Parrish
Trevor Pearce
Carly Shedlick
Georgia Van de Zande
Louis Vaught |
Orchestra Gala Includes Boston Violinist
[top]
Xin Ding, a violinist from the Boston Symphony Orchestra,
performed at the Cary Academy Orchestra Spring Gala Concert
held April 4 in the Fine Arts Building.
She played a solo and ensemble with the CA orchestra
students.
Local musician Audrey A. Low played the third movement from
Mozart piano concerto no. 23 with the CA chamber orchestra.
Ding, a former faculty member of the Central
Conservatory of Music in Beijing, had an extraordinary
career during her studies. She was the concertmaster of both
the China Youth Symphony Orchestra and China Chamber
Orchestra. After she received a bachelor of arts degree from
the Central Conservatory of Music in 1995, she won the Gold
Prize of the National String Quartet Competition in China.
She has appeared as soloist and in chamber music throughout
China, England, France and Japan. Since 1997, she has
performed with the New Hampshire Symphony, the Boston
Philharmonic Orchestra and other ensembles. Ding joined the
Boston Symphony in January 1999.
School has New Science Teacher
[top]
Aaron
Rothrock is the new sixth-grade science teacher.
Rothrock
received his doctoral degree in chemistry from the
University of North Carolina, where he worked as a teaching
and research assistant. Rothrock has just finished his
first season at CA as the assistant coach of the JV boys’
basketball team.
As a
science teacher at the sixth-grade level, Rothrock hopes to
inspire his students to yearn for more knowledge about
science. “I am trying to pose questions, develop lab
assignments and execute demonstrations so that the students
are ‘wowed’ and want to discover both in class and on their
own how something works the way it does,” said Rothrock.
Chargers Claim Baseball Tourney Title
[top]
Using
good pitching and hitting, the Cary Academy baseball team
took the Chargers Invitational Baseball Tournament title
April 1 by defeating South Davidson High School 7-6.
Right-hander Preston Bull (’07) threw a six-hitter and Bret
Knight (’07) and Barrett Roberts (’06) homered in the win.
Mark Easley (‘08) and Bull went
2-3 at the plate, and Ian Wilson (‘08) did the same, with a
triple as one of his hits.
In the
third place game, Halifax Academy beat Cannon School 15-2 in six innings. In
the fifth place game Rocky Mount Academy took out Durham
Academy 10-2. In the seventh place game North Raleigh
defeated the Cary Academy "B" team 12-2.
Making the
All Tournament Team were:
-
Cary
Academy: Adam Kramer and Preston Bull
-
South
Davidson: Nathan Barker and A.B. Crouse
-
Rocky
Mount Academy: Edmund Gravley
-
Cannon
School: Matt Keeler
-
North
Raleigh Christian Academy: Bryce Finger
-
Durham
Academy: Nick Livengood
-
Halifax
Academy: Taylor Caudle

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March 2006
Reptile Club Hosts Exhibit at Museum
[top]
The
Cary Academy Reptile Club took part in the North Carolina
Museum of Natural Sciences’ annual “Reptile & Amphibian Day”
event, held Saturday, March 11, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Club members set up an exhibit on boa constrictors, which
was located on the fourth floor of the museum. They showed
off the slithery creatures to interested viewers and even
draped some of the snakes around a few very unsqueamish
spectators. Club advisor and chemistry instructor Gray
Rushin supervised the exhibit.
In addition to Cary Academy’s boa constrictors, museum goers
were able to get close-up looks at anacondas, pythons,
poison dart frogs, chameleons and sea turtles.

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Great Results for CA in Math Competitions
[top]
Recently,
about 180 Upper School students took part in the American
Mathematics Competition (AMC). In this rigorous and
challenging event, each student has the chance to answer 25
questions in 90 minutes. From this test, approximately the
top five percent from around the country were selected to
participate in the American Invitational Mathematics Exam (AIME).
Cary
Academy had 17 students selected for the AIME or about 10
percent of those who took the test from the school. “This
test was substantially harder and more grueling with three
hours to solve 15 problems,” said math instructor Jeff
Killmer. “To be invited to participate in this test is
considered a huge honor.”
The
national average is 2.8 correct answers on the AIME. Mark
Hallen (’07) got 10, Nick Tarleton (’08) got 5, and Alex Vig
(’08), Clayton Casper (’08), Will Hussey (’06) and Jeff
Stanton (’06) each got 3. From this test, the top 1.5
percent are chosen to participate in the United States of
America Mathematics Olympiad (USAMO).
For the
first time in the history of Cary Academy, a student has
qualified to take the USAMO, and that student is Mark Hallen.
Out of approximately half-a-million initial participants in
the AMC, Hallen is one of only 250 students (and one out of
12 from N.C.) to qualify for the USAMO. This next test is
nine hours over two days (April 18-19) to answer six
questions. The winners of this will go on to compete in the
International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO).
Seventh-grade Shakespeare
[top]
Seventh-graders
took to the stage of the Fine Arts theater on the morning of
March 3 to perform scenes from A Midsummer Night’s
Dream. In attendance were family members and their
fellow Middle School classmates.
“This is
the kids’ first encounter with Shakespeare at Cary Academy,”
stated language arts instructor Briarly White, who along
with English instructor Delia DeCourcy sponsored and
directed the students. “They read Romeo and Juliet
in eighth grade, but this is where they first meet
Shakespeare.”
White said
the performances help the students lose that feeling of
dread and insecurity that first comes over many students
when they hear they are going to study Shakespeare for the
first time.

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New England-Area Alums Attend Dinner
[top]
On
March 3, alumni of Cary Academy who are now in the New
England area, gathered for a dinner in Boston with visiting
faculty and staff members, including Don Berger, Marti
Jenkins, Eric Bondy,
Palmer Seeley, Marcia Rogat
and Martina Greene.
The alumni
who attended the event at the Hard Rock Cafe were Michelle
Cobley, Sara Hardin, Travis May, Holly Metter, Rachel Wall,
Emily Mangone and Maria May.
The group
caught up on each other’s lives, relived some tales from the
past, and enjoyed a good meal paid for by CA.

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Debaters Make Their Points
[top]
Eight
students did extremely well at a debate held Feb. 17-19 on
the campus of Harvard. Out of 240 extempers, Ben Goldhaber
(‘09) broke to elimination rounds (top 51), with Elizabeth
Atkins (‘09) and John Nelson (‘09) very close to the break
number. In Varsity LD, out of almost 300 debaters, Clay Hane
(‘07) went 5-1 and broke, while all the rest of the LD
debaters went a respectable 3-3.
At a recent
debate at Porter Ridge, where the LD and PF topics for
states and districts were first debated, nine students
performed well. In varsity LD, Arjun Chandran (‘09) placed
second and Robert Thorstad (‘09) fourth. In congress, Ryan
Watson (‘08) placed second in the varsity chamber, while
Michelle Luo (‘09), in her fist outing in congress, took
first in the novice chamber, and Anna Morris (09) placed
fourth.
Also in
novice, Michael Kahn (‘10) gave two speeches that earned a
5s (6 is perfect), and he got his first chance to serve as
presiding officer of the chambers. Ryan Dunn (‘10), also
making his debut in congress, performed well.
Bands Play at Campbell University
[top]
On Feb. 24
all Upper School band and jazz band students traveled
to Campbell University.
Dr. Dwayne
Wilson, director of bands at Campbell and a CA parent,
graciously offered to host the bands for not only a concert,
but a day of rehearsals, workshops and clinics. The
Campbell University Music Department cancelled a number of
classes so that it would have space for the school’s bands,
and music faculty and students volunteered their time to
work with the CA students.
Some of the
performance highlights included Devil Dance by
Beginning Band, Tricycle by Middle School Band,
Rock this Town by the Upper School Band, Round
Midnight by the MS Jazz Band and Monkey Business
by the US Jazz Band.
Tales for Tots a Success
[top]
The Junior Class Community Service Committee recently
collected 770 children’s and teenager-themed books during
its Tales for Tots drive.
This year’s drive was shorter than last year’s, but the
drive collected about 100 more books. The books will be
donated to the Raleigh Girls and Boys Club.
“It is great that so many people from the Cary Academy
community supported this drive,” said
Emily
Winslett (’07), Junior Class Community Service Committee
co-chair. “The committee is very
happy about how engaged everyone was and how successful we
were. We know we made a big difference on helping children
at the Raleigh Girls and Boys Club learn how to read.”
PTAA Offering Merit Scholarships
[top]
The Cary
Academy Parent Teacher Administration Alliance (PTAA) is
pleased to offer applications for merit scholarships to
current Cary Academy juniors. Each year the PTAA selects,
through application and interview, one or more well-rounded
11th-grade students who have personified the
school’s values of respect and responsibility in his/her
academic and extracurricular endeavors during the Upper
School years. The number and cash value of the scholarship
awards may vary from year to year and will be determined by
the success of the annual PTAA fundraiser (auction) and the
amount of funds available. In 2005, the PTAA awarded a
maximum of two $2,000 “Honor” and three $500 “Honorable
Mention” scholarships. Awards will be applied as tuition
credit for the 2006-07 12th-grade Cary Academy
academic year.
Applications are available to interested, eligible students
from the Upper School Dean of Students or on the
Intranet
(this is a secured area, a Cary Academy userid is needed).
Deadline for submission is 3:30 p.m., Friday, April 7.
In addition to completing the application and securing two
letters of recommendation, each applicant will be invited to
interview with the Scholarship Selection Panel during the
week of April 24- May 5. Decisions will be based on the
award criteria presented in the Application Guidelines.
Eligibility:
-
Program is open to currently enrolled 11th Grade
students who have completed at least one full year at
Cary Academy.
-
Applicant must have achieved Honor Roll (Scholar’s or Headmaster’s)
status for at least two (2) Cary Academy Upper School
trimesters.
-
Application must be initiated by the student; parent or teacher
nominations will not be accepted.
-
Applicant must complete the application process without outside
assistance.
-
Deadline for submission must be met. Completed application and
written references must be submitted to the Upper School
Dean of Students on or before 3:30 PM, Friday, April 7,
2006.
-
The award of this scholarship will not affect eligibility or reduce
the amount of financial aid received, except when the
sum of financial aid and scholarship awards exceeds the
total cost of tuition, student activity fee, and dining
fee for the award year. In such a case, the excess
amount will be returned to the Cary Academy financial
aid fund.
Questions or comments should be directed to the
Upper School Dean of Students or via e-mail to
Kevin Rowsey. Your participation is invited.
Click here for PTAA Merit Scholarship Application
(Secured area and Cary Academy UserID required)
Scholarship
Selection Panel
(two
faculty or staff members, two parents, one community
representative): to be announced soon
February 2006
Girls Basketball Team Comes up a Little Short in State Title
Game
[top]
The Lady
Chargers lost to Providence Day 63-52 on Saturday in
Greensboro in the title game of the NCISAA 3-A state
championships.
Bryelle
Smith (’07) led the team with 17 points. Brittany Blackwell
(’07) had 12, Tenny Crawford (’07) added 8, and Kelly Lewek
(’09) chipped in with 7. Adding to the Lady Chargers tally
were Shani Evans (’07) with 6 points and Meg Hewitt (’07)
with 2.
To get to
the title game, CA fought hard and got past Durham Academy
54-53. Evans
gave the Chargers their first lead of the fourth quarter on
a jumper, then stepped in front of an entry pass on Durham’s
final possession of the game to seal the win. In the first-round game on Feb. 23, CA defeated
Charlotte Latin 71-41.
To read
more about the Lady Chargers’ games at the state tournament,
check out these links at The News and Observer:
The team
finished the season with a 27-5 record and the TISAC regular
season and conference tournament titles. Blackwell, the
TISAC player of the year, made All-State. Making TISAC
All-Conference were Blackwell and Smith. Crawford received
an Honorable Mention. Senior Will Hussey made the boys
All-Conference squad.
Read more about Coach Randy Bennett and the girls team here:
http://www.newsobserver.com/821/story/412670.html.
The Charger
wrestling team also had another first for the state
tournament when Alex Rosenthal (’10) made it to the
championship final at the 103-pound weight class. This
earned him the distinction of being the first Charger to
wrestle for a state title. Even though he lost by a score
of 8-2 to place second, this is the highest any Cary Academy
wrestler has placed at a state wrestling tournament.
Miguel
Alecio (’09) also had a great tournament. He placed third
at the 171-pound weight class, making him the third CA
wrestler ever to get this honor. He won his match with only
20 seconds left. The score was 6-6 in the third period when
he scored a reversal and almost pinned his opponent.
Five other
Cary Academy wrestlers performed well in the consolation
rounds. Those wrestlers were: Tyler Hartsfield (’09) -
119, Carson Bills (’09) - 140, Corey Lerch (’09) - 152, and
Max Flescher (’08) - heavyweight.
On Feb. 20
in Charlotte, the swim teams earned enough points to finish
sixth in the NCISAA state 3A tournament. The CA relay
squads performed admirably, positioning the individual
swimmers to jockey for the points which would land the team
its sixth-place finishes in the boys and girls divisions.
The medal winners for the girls:
-
1st 200
IM: Bryttany Curran
-
1st 100
Breast: B. Curran
-
3rd 400
Free Relay: (Shannon Miller, Sarah Helfer, Katelyn
Linker, B. Curran)
The medal
winners for the boys:
-
2nd
100 Fly: Rob Smithson
-
3rd 200
Free Relay: (R. Smithson, Tyler Graybeal, Richard
Samulski, Daniel Uchiyama)
-
3rd 100
Back: R. Smithson
New Cary
Academy Records – Boys:
-
100
Back: R. Smithson
-
200
Free Relay: (R. Smithson, T. Graybeal, R. Samulski, D.
Uchiyama)
-
400
Free Relay: (T. Graybeal, R. Samulski, D. Uchiyama, R.
Smithson)
CA Students Perform in Orchestra Festival
[top]
Six
students performed in the N.C. Eastern Regional Senior All
State Orchestra Festival in Durham at the N.C. School of
Science and Math, Feb. 17-19. More than 200 students from
53 schools participated in this festival.
The string
orchestra conductor was Tracey Rush, a professor at
Northeast Iowa Community College, and the symphony orchestra
conductor was Yoichi Udagawa, a professor at the Boston
Conservatory of Music. This year’s program for the symphony
orchestra was the most difficult one in the festival’s
history, according to CA orchestra director Yiying Qiao, but
he said all the musicians worked very hard and improved
greatly in the three days. The final concert went extremely
well, he added.
The
students representing CA were: Murphy Chang (’07) -
flute/symphony; Andrew Bryson (’06) - cello/string; Jeffrey
Stanton (’06) - viola/string; Rodrigo Haragutchi (’08) - 1st
violin/symphony; Charlotte Morgan (’08) - viola/string; and
Nathaniel Ting (’09) - 1st violin/symphony. Two
seniors, Abraham Chen and Aparna Chatterjee, were unable to
make the trip.
Students Learn, Drink at Coffeehouse
[top]
The
German classroom on the second floor of the Administration
Building took on the relaxed feel of a Viennese coffeehouse
Feb. 17. With music playing softly, the Middle School
German students gathered at a table in the back and
conversed over dessert and coffee.
Instructor
Dawn Gartlehner supplied the coffee – decaf – and the
students supplied the dessert, apfelstrudel they had baked
the day before. Students ate the dessert plain or with
loads of whipped cream (schlagobers).
Prior to
enjoying their joe, the students learned the history of the
cafehaeuser through a lecture and video presentation by
Gartlehner.
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Second Part of International Computer Contest Completed
[top]
Upper
school students participating in an international computer
programming contest hosted by the American Computer Science
League (ACSL) have completed leg two of the contest, and
both CA teams have made great strides.
In this
year-long programming contest, CA students have the
following standing: the senior division has moved from 20th
to 12th place with Jeff Stanton (’06) in first
place on his team. The intermediate team has moved from 41st
to 24th place with Robert Murphy (’09) in first
place on his team and also tied for first place in the
individual grouping internationally.
This
contest is quite a challenge for these students. Not only
are the students required to write programs in Java, but
they must solve a set of computer science problems. These
results are based on the first two legs of the contest;
there are still two other parts followed by invitations to
the All Star part of the contest. The third part of the
contest begins in March. This is the first year Cary
Academy has been a participant.
For score
information, go to: http://acsl.org/team_scores.htm
or
http://acsl.org/ind_scores.htm.
Girls Win First Round Game in State
Tourney; Wrestling, Swim Teams Place Sixth at
State
[top]
The girl’s
basketball team beat Charlotte Latin 71 – 41 on Feb. 23 in
the quarterfinal round of the NCISAA 3A state
championships. The team will now play Friday, Feb. 24, in
the semi-final round at 7 p.m. at Greensboro Day School and
will play either Durham Academy or Ashville School.
The Lady
Chargers reached the state tourney after defeating Durham
Academy 56-38 on Saturday to claim their first Triangle
Independent Schools Athletic Conference (TISAC) tournament
championship. They ended the season with an overall record
of 25-4
and their second regular season title.
To meet
Durham for the TISAC title, the Chargers defeated St. Mary’s
by a convincing score of 80-35. TISAC Player of the Year
Brittany Blackwell (’07) led a host of CA scorers with 32
points. Blackwell scored her 2,000th point in the win and
was awarded the game ball.
The boys
basketball team lost on Feb. 14 in the first round of the
TISAC to the N.C. School of Science and Math.
Making
TISAC All Conference were Blackwell and Bryelle Smith
(’07). Tenny Crawford (’07) received an Honorable Mention.
Senior Will Hussey made the boys squad.
The CA
wrestling team placed sixth at the NCISAA state 3A
championship meet held Feb. 17-18. This is the highest team
finish for the wrestling team at the state tournament.
The Charger
wrestling team also had another first for the state
tournament when Alex Rosenthal (’10) made it to the
championship final at the 103-pound weight class. This
earned him the distinction of being the first Charger to
wrestle for a state title. Even though he lost by a score
of 8-2 to place second, this is the highest any Cary Academy
wrestler has placed at a state wrestling tournament.
Miguel
Alecio (’09) also had a great tournament. He placed third
at the 171-pound weight class, making him the third CA
wrestler ever to get this honor. He won his match with only
20 seconds left. The score was 6-6 in the third period when
he scored a reversal and almost pinned his opponent.
Five other
Cary Academy wrestlers performed well in the consolation
rounds. Those wrestlers were: Tyler Hartsfield (’09) -
119, Carson Bills (’09) - 140, Corey Lerch (’09) - 152, and
Max Flescher (’08) - heavyweight.
On Feb. 20
in Charlotte, the swim teams earned enough points to finish
sixth in the NCISAA state 3A tournament. The CA relay
squads performed admirably, positioning the individual
swimmers to jockey for the points which would land the team
its sixth-place finishes in the boys and girls divisions.
The medal
winners for the girls:
-
1st 200
IM: Bryttany Curran
-
1st 100
Breast: B. Curran
-
3rd 400
Free Relay: (Shannon Miller, Sarah Helfer, Katelyn
Linker, B. Curran)
The medal
winners for the boys:
-
2nd
100 Fly: Rob Smithson
-
3rd 200
Free Relay: (R. Smithson, Tyler Graybeal, Richard
Samulski, Daniel Uchiyama)
-
3rd 100
Back: R. Smithson
New Cary
Academy Records – Boys:
-
100
Back: R. Smithson
-
200
Free Relay: (R. Smithson, T. Graybeal, R. Samulski, D.
Uchiyama)
-
400
Free Relay: (T. Graybeal, R. Samulski, D. Uchiyama, R.
Smithson)
Ten Seniors Finalists for National Merit Scholarships
[top]
Ten Cary
Academy seniors have been recognized as National Merit
Scholarship Program (NMSP) finalists. Each has received a
certificate of merit.
Finalists
are being considered for a merit scholarship award by the
National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) and will be
notified in March if they are accepted.
Cary
Academy’s National Merit finalists are Sarah Basham, Lila
Battis, Andrew Bryson, Christine Ernst, Mark Hallen, Charles
Hendren, Hannah Schmidt, Rob Smithson, Zoe Vulgaropulos and
Abby Weathers.
Advertise to the Community in the CA Cookbook
[top]
As part of
the celebration of Cary Academy’s upcoming 10-year
anniversary, the school is collecting and publishing recipes
in 1500 North Harrison Bistro: A Cary Academy Cookbook.
Ads and
coupons are now being accepted. This is an opportunity to
advertise to the entire Cary Academy community and the
Triangle. The first edition of the cookbook calls for 3,000
copies. Cookbooks will be sold at the Holiday Shoppe.
Parents,
parent-owned businesses and other businesses that might be
interested in appearing in the cookbook may take out an ad
or coupon. Ad prices are $75 for a quarter page, $125 for a
half page and $200 for a full page. Prices for coupons,
double-sided, are $125 for a quarter page, $200 for a half
page and $350 for a full page. If you are interested please
contact Lynne Fountain, director of Advancement, at
lynne_fountain@caryacademy.org.
CA Hosts Mt. Vernon for Tour, Game
[top]
For the
fifth year in a row, Cary Academy hosted the Mt. Vernon
Redirectional School basketball team on Feb. 14 for an
intramural game against the Middle School’s Blue boys team.
Bob
Matthews, visiting program coordinator, and the students
arrived on campus that morning and received a tour of the
school. After eating lunch with the Middle School, the team
headed over to the gym for a brief practice before the
actual game at 12:30.
“The game
was very exciting; the kids enjoyed the experience,” said
Kim Cherre, co-athletic director. “Some years they also
have girls that play. We used to just play the game with
our PE class using both girls and boys, but we really wanted
to give their boys more exposure and make it seem like a
real game atmosphere. So now our MS boys team plays, and we
set up the gym like a real game.”
Mt.
Vernon won the contest by two points.
Peter Pan Soars
as School Musical
[top]
With
back-to-back sold-out performances Feb. 8 and 9, Peter
Pan has proved it has wings. The school musical will be
performed twice more on Feb. 17 and 18.
“We have
created two different worlds – the nursery based on reality
and Neverland based on the imagination of the eternal boy,”
said theater manager and overall production designer Shannon
Clark.
With great
sets like The Jolly Roger pirate ship and the Lost
Boys’ cave and colorful props such as the nursery’s doll
house and the mermaid fireplace, the show is a treat for the
eyes. Actors such as Cole Boyer (’10) as Peter Pan, Kristin
Killmer (’06) as Wendy and Ian Anson (’06) as Capt. Hook
lend their voices to many memorable numbers.
Director
Glen Matthews feels that this play, a production combining
the talents of Upper and Middle School students, is one for
the whole family. “For although Peter Pan is a story
about children, it is really for children of all ages,” he
said.

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Student Art Displayed
[top]
As
people filed in to watch Peter Pan on opening night
Feb. 8, they had something else catch their eye. The first
annual Student Art Show filled the ground floor of the Fine
Arts Building and provided a glimpse into the other artistic
talents of CA students.
The free
event, hosted by Cary Academy's Community Outreach for the
Visual Arts (COVA), lasted from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Food and
drinks followed a formal reception.
Art
ranged from pottery to paintings to mosaics and drawings. A
steady flow of observers streamed through the lobby, and
many in the crowd stopped and pressed in close to admire the
handiwork of particular pieces.
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CA Places Sixth in Science Olympiad
[top]
Competing
in a regional tournament held at Wake Technical Community
College on Feb. 4, the Cary Academy Upper School Science
Olympiad team secured sixth place overall and qualified for
the state tournament April 8. In the process, they placed
in the top eight for 15 of 24 events, including nine in the
top four.
All 14
members of the team won at least one medal. Led by Mark
Hallen (’06) and Jeff Stanton (’06), all of the students
built and perfected their entries or studied the content for
their competitions almost completely on their own. Stanton
and Lance Rappaport (’06) clinched first place in Circuits
Lab and Aparna Chatterjee (’06) and Shannon Mentock (’06)
took second in Chemistry Lab.
Coach and
parent Rusty Parks organized the team and several parents
provided support. The team now has two months to perfect
their work for the state competition, hosted by NCSU.
The
individual event results are as follows:
1st Place -
Circuits Lab - Jeff Stanton and Lance Rappaport
2nd Place - Chemistry Lab - Aparna Chatterjee and Shannon
Mentock
3rd Place - Break It On Down - Mark Hallen and Alex Su
3rd Place - Physics Lab - Jeff Stanton and Lance Rappaport
3rd Place - Rocks and Minerals - Ryan Watson and Angela
Hayes
3rd Place - Disease Detectives - Tom Marty and Swapanthi
Nagulpally
3rd Place - Don't Bug Me - Mark Hallen and Ashton Lai
4th Place - Flying Bird - Brendan Kiu and David Marron
4th Place - Food Science - Ashton Lai and Ryan Watson
6th Place - Robot Ramble - Jeff Stanton and Ryan Watson
6th Place - Mission Possible - Jeff Stanton and David Marron
6th Place - Designer Genes - Christine Ernst and Ryan Watson
7th Place - Forestry - Mark Hallen and Aparna Chatterjee
7th Place - Practical Problem Solving - Aparna Chatterjee
and Tom Marty
8th Place - Tower Building - David Marron and Brendan Kiu
CA Hosts Debate Tourney
[top]
Over
30 schools and over 350 students, representing institutions
such as Myers Park, Durham Academy, Wakefield, Jack Britt,
Massey Hill Classical and Pinecrest HS, competed in the
Charger Classic Speech and Debate Tournament held Feb. 4 at
CA. The first place sweepstakes went to Myers Park.
Students
bandied about topics such as whether the
use of the state's power of eminent domain to promote
private enterprise is unjust, and they sparred over whether
the policy decisions of the current Israeli government
toward the Palestinian state have improved prospects for
peace in the Middle East.
The
Student Congress, which consisted of 125 students, discussed
topics such as whether to end life tenure for Supreme Court
justices and whether to call for a resolution demanding the
dismantlement of the Iranian nuclear program.
Jake
Hartsfield ((’07) and his band provided the entertainment.
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Trip to ECU Caps Program on Robotic Heart Surgery
[top]
Sixteen
seventh- and eighth-graders recently completed a new program
on robotic-assisted cardiology surgery developed by science
instructor Dr. Joselyn Todd and Dr. Betsy Sigmon, owner and
operator of Creature Comforts Animal Hospital in Cary.
The program
the two developed covered five seminars in five days and
culminated in a trip to the Brody School of Medicine at East
Carolina University Jan. 27 to watch a video of the da Vinci
Surgical System in action.
This robotic system allows a surgeon to be remote from the
actual surgical table where the surgery is conducted. Small
tools on the robot actually complete the surgery at the
surgical table as the surgeon uses joystick-like devices in
a 3-D setting at a remote location. The students were
allowed to manipulate the da Vinci Surgical System and watch
it in action.
In addition, the students observed doctors performing telemedicine and got a look at
the Leksell Gamma
Knife, a gigantic device that
uses gamma rays to treat problems of the brain without
making an incision.

The
students videotaped their time at ECU as well as each of the
class sessions at Cary Academy. One of the requirements of
acceptance into the program was that each student had to
participate in taping one of the five seminars.
“We are
creating a science documentary on robotic-assisted surgery,”
said Todd, who added that video production instructor
Bridget Harron is helping the students. “The theme of our
program is ‘robotic-assisted surgery is life-changing and
life-saving.’ We hope to have it on the web by March.”
Two to Intern With SBI
[top]
Marina
Makligh (’06) and Kelly Shipkowski (’06) have been selected
as inaugural participants in the North Carolina State Bureau
of Investigation High School Experience program.
They are
just two of 12 students selected from 35 public and private
high schools in Wake County. This is a mini-internship
program that has been designed to attract the highest
caliber of applicants to consider careers in forensics and
law enforcement.
They will
learn about the operations of the SBI, working with special
agents in the field, and will get a chance to visit crime
labs and other facilities.
Mousetrap Cars Zoom in Gym
[top]
They
say if you build a better mousetrap the world will beat a
path to your door. How about a better mousetrap car?As the
culmination of a month-long project, the eighth-grade
science students took to the SEA Feb. 3 to try out their
mousetrap cars for speed and distance.
“The idea
of this project is to make a car; the process is what is
important,” said instructor Barry Rochelle, who helped run
the project along with Andrew Chiaraviglio. “The students
had to come up with a blueprint, and Andrew and I looked it
over with them. They then tweaked the design, built the car
and wrote up an analysis of the process. These races
finalize the project and give the students a little fun.”
The basic
idea of the mousetrap cars is to demonstrate how a device
(mousetrap) can store potential energy and convert it to
moving (kinetic) energy
Dance Students Awed by Philadanco
[top]
On Feb. 2
the Middle School dance students traveled to N.C. State
Center Stage to watch a performance by Philadanco, an
internationally recognized modern dance company that is
based in Philadelphia.
The company
performed sections of several dances, including “Rosa,”
which was choreographed to honor the story of Rosa Parks.
Instructor
Betsy Ward-Hutchinson said the Cary Academy dance students
were impressed by the technical strength of the performers.
“We were treated to a question-and-answer session where we
got to know the dancers and how they became professional
performers,” added Ward-Hutchinson. “One student told me
that it was inspiring to see dancers with so much strength
and passion.”
January 2006
School to
Switch to Tablet PCs for all Grades
[top]
Based on
the recommendations of the IS Department, the faculty, and
the Leadership Team, Cary Academy has decided to move to
Tablet PCs for all grades for the academic year 2006-07.
Don Berger announced the big news during his
State-of-the-School Address, given Jan. 23 at the
PTAA General Membership Meeting in the Fine Arts Lecture
Hall.
Over the
past two years Cary Academy has been investigating the
possibility of moving from a desktop classroom environment
to a student portable-computing environment offering a 1:1
ratio. Each student will be issued a PC from the school.
The IS
Department and the PTAA Communications Committee provided a
live, audio-only webcast of the meeting and Berger’s
address.
Click here (secured site) to access a feed of the
webcast and hear more about the Tablet PC decision and the
meeting’s other news, including a question-and-answer
session from the audience.
Chinese Exchange Students Arrive on Campus
[top]
Fourteen
Chinese students and their vice-principal arrived Jan. 27 to
participate in Cary Academy’s student exchange program. The
students hail from the city of Zheng-Zhou in the province of
He Nan. The students will leave Jan. 31.
During
their stay they will live with CA host families, attend
classes, and take trips to the tobacco museum in Durham,
Duke University and the State Capital Building. They also
will tour downtown Raleigh and the North Carolina Museum of
Art.
The
students were welcomed to campus with a party in SEA 127 on
the afternoon of the 27th and enjoyed an American
teenage staple – pizza. After the party, the group took in
the girls’ basketball game.
CA exchange
students will visit China May 30-June 3.
NHS Holds Lecture; ‘Taps’ New Members
[top]
A
lively exchange of ideas accompanied the National Honor
Society’s lecture of Jan. 24. Discussing the topic of “The
Role of the U.S. Government in Regards to Domestic, Moral
and Ethical Issues” were Jon Ham and Chad Adams of the John
Locke Foundation and Donna Martinez, a columnist for
“Carolina Journal.”
The panel
addressed questions posed by NHS Lecture Series Committee
members, including the ethical basis of capitalism, the
extent to which personal beliefs should determine a judge’s
competency for the Supreme Court, and the challenges facing
public education. The panel explored these topics for a
short time, and then
the floor was opened to the audience to pose questions to
the panel. The conservation lasted well into lunch.
On Jan. 26
the NHS ‘tapped’ its new members. Before lunch, current NHS
students entered classrooms with lighted candles to inform
new members of their selection. The newbies, all from the
Class of 2007, were escorted to the lobby of the
Administration Building for an induction ceremony in front
of family and friends.
Congratulations to the new members: Murphy Chang, Kevin
Cotter, Robert Edmiston, Jake Hartsfield, Amelia Hoyle,
Catherine Jacobs, Lauren Khan, Swapanthi Nagulpally, Lauren
Phipps, Alex Su, Brendan Szulik and Lauren Viehbacher.

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Students Make District, State Bands
and
Orchestras
[top]
A number of
students played their way onto all-district and all-state
bands recently.
On Jan. 7,
20 students auditioned for the North Carolina Music
Educators Association (NCMEA) Central District All-District
Band. The Central District consists of roughly 20 counties
in central N.C. representing hundreds of public and private,
middle and high schools and tens of thousands of band
students. The audition consisted of learning a very
challenging solo piece, eight or nine major scales with
arpeggios, and also sight-reading a piece of music students
had never seen. Click these links to see a list of the 20
students and how they fared.
On Jan. 21
eight Cary Academy orchestra students made the 2006 NCMEA
All-State Orchestra. Auditions lasted from 10:15 a.m. to
4:30 p.m., and every contestant had to perform in front of
nine judges in order to get their final score. Over 400
players from eastern North Carolina participated in this
competition. The CA students who were selected are:
Symphony Orchestra – Violin I:
Nathaniel Ting (’09), Rodrigo Haragutchi (’08); Violin II:
Aparna Chatterjee (’06), Abraham Chen (’06); Flute II:
Murphy Chang (’07). String Orchestra – Viola: Jeff Stanton
(’06), Charlotte Morgan (’08); Cello: Andrew Bryson (’06).
Scott
Stanton (’08) auditioned for the NCMEA East Region All-State
Jazz Band and placed fourth alternate among the top eight
tenor saxophones (all grades). The auditions consisted of
learning a very challenging solo piece played with CD
accompaniment, scales for the ii-V-I progression in the keys
of B-flat and F, sight-reading two pieces of music the
students had never seen, and improvising two solos in the
keys of B-flat and F with CD accompaniment. Almost 100
students registered for the auditions and approximately 40
made one of the two high school jazz bands. This is only
the third year that the East Region Jazz Band has been in
existence. Since 2004, four Cary Academy students have been
selected to one of the bands, more than any other
independent school in the region.
Also,
Peter McNeill (’09), fourth chair in the 9-12 Symphonic
Band, and Vann Mitchell (’08), fifth chair in the 9-10 Wind
Ensemble, just completed a weekend of rehearsals ending with
a concert Jan. 28 in Memorial Hall at UNC. The represented
CA well.
Cookbook in Need of Recipes
[top]
Do you have
a recipe that always receives rave reviews? Is there a dish
or cookie your family begs you to make? If so, we hope you
will share your collage of culinary cravings and be part of
our commemorative cookbook celebrating Cary Academy’s
10-year anniversary. (Read that five times real fast!)
Next year
marks our 10-year anniversary, and plans are well underway
to make it a year of fun-filled memories.
Click here to
learn how you can join in the fun and help us create a
collection of recipes that will be used and cherished by our
community for years to come.
Students Celebrate MLK Day
[top]
To
celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Middle and Upper
School students attended assemblies held Jan. 17 in the
theater. They watched a documentary about the “Children’s
March” in Birmingham, Ala., on May 2, 1963, and afterward
met in their advisories to discuss key ideas pertaining to
the video.
The
“Children’s March” documentary concerned the effort of
Birmingham youths to participate in the Civil Rights
Movement and their willingness to be arrested for the cause.
In other
MLK-related news, Scott Stanton (’08) and Ben Vig (’10)
played in the Triangle Youth Jazz Ensemble as part of the
Martin Luther King All-Star All-Youth Dream Concert held at
the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium Jan. 15.
Where There’s Smoke, There’s a Fire (Investigator)
[top]
Bernard
T. "Sandy" Kromenacker, a CFI/CFEI/CVFI senior analyst and
director of investigations for Forensic Fire Consultants
Inc. in Raleigh, delivered an introduction on forensic fire
analysis to the forensic science class Jan.17.
The class
learned about fire patterns, accelerants, clues left behind
by fires and arsonists, and what it takes to become a fire
investigator.
Afterward,
he showed the class his van loaded with equipment for use in
investigations. Kromenacker trains law enforcement and
insurance personnel all along the East Coast.

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Snowflake Ball Draws Over 100
[top]
The
Key Club members of the junior class teamed with the Raleigh
Parks and Recreation Department to throw a dress-up dance
for the area’s special needs population Jan. 6. The
Snowflake Ball attracted over 100 guests to the Cary Academy
dining hall. Caitlin Daniels (’07) and Michelle LeFort
(’07) served as co-chairs.
The
physical and mental developmental delays of the guests
ranged from wheel chair confinement to Down syndrome and
autism. Some of the guests arrived in a limo, many wore
tuxedos, and many were in formal dresses. Over 60 Key Club
members donated food and decorated the dining hall, and 25
members worked /socialized during the dance.
The Key
Club wants to make this an annual event and get more
involved with the special needs population at other events
this year.

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US Students Participating in International Computer
Programming Contest
[top]
Upper school students are participating
in an international computer programming contest hosted by
the American Computer Science League (ACSL).
In this year-long programming contest
CA students have the following standing: the senior
division is in 20th place with Nick Tarleton
(’07) in first place on his team and tied for second place
in the contest. The intermediate team is in 41st
place with Robert Murphy (’09) in first place on his team
and also tied for first place in the individual grouping
internationally.
Not only are the students required to
write programs in Java, but they must solve a set of
computer science problems. These results are based on the
first leg of the contest; there are three other parts
followed by invitations to the All Star part of the
contest. The second part of the contest begins in
February. This is the first year with Cary Academy’s
participation.
For score information, go to: http://acsl.org/team_scores.htm
or
http://acsl.org/ind_scores.htm.
Terracotta Horse now Graces Library [top]
Prancing
proudly in the back of the library is a 40-inch-tall
terracotta charger horse, a replica of a horse displayed in
the Terracotta Warriors Museum in Xi-An, China.
The school
purchased the horse in 2005 from the Terracotta Warriors
Museum Factory during the school’s annual student exchange
program visit to China. Instructor Ming-An Lee helped
secure the purchase. Read more about the visit to the
museum and factory
here.
The library
received delivery of the horse Jan. 12, and workmen placed
it atop a newly built three-and-a-half foot base.
The horse
is a replica from the Qin Dynasty (221 BC – 207 BC).
Many Seniors Already Decided on College Choice
[top]
The college
search process has moved quickly for many of the 87
graduating seniors in the Class of 2006 at Cary Academy.
Fifty-eight
percent of the class applied to a college or university with
an early action or early decision (ED) deadline of Nov. 15
or earlier, and 20 percent have been admitted to a college
through an ED program. “We are very pleased that the
students have been so through in their early investigation
of these colleges, and we are extremely pleased with the
response the students have received,” said Susan Staggers,
college advising director.
The
students admitted under the ED plan will attend the
following colleges and universities next fall: Bucknell
University, Carleton College, Davidson College, George
Washington University, Gettysburg College, Meredith College,
New York University (two students), Swarthmore College,
University of Pennsylvania (three students), Vanderbilt
University, Wake Forest University (three students), and the
College of William and Mary.
The
58-percent figure does not include any of the University of
North Carolina system colleges that offer early notification
or rolling-decision plans. With the UNC system colleges
included, nearly 85 percent of the class applied to at least
one college or university by Nov. 15.
With
admission offers from other colleges with early
(non-binding) or rolling plans included, half of the senior
class has received an offer of admission from at least one
college. These offers of admissions include Elon
University, Emerson College, Georgetown University, Florida
State University, the University of Georgia, Notre Dame,
Bard College, College of Charleston, and North Carolina
State University.
UNC-Chapel
Hill and many other colleges will not begin notifying
students of admissions decisions until the end of January or
later. For most students, news from colleges will arrive
into late March, and they will have until May 1 to make a
final college choice.
Students put Poetry On-line
[top]
The
seventh-grade students of Briarly White and Delia DeCourcy
spent the weeks prior to the holiday break studying a wide
variety of poetry. They also crafted small poetry
collections of their own during this time. As a culminating
project, each student created a website displaying his/her
original work.
Please
click on this
link to access the home page for the whole class
project. To view individual artists’ poems, click on his/her
name from the class list.
The entire
collection is titled
Our
Voices in Verse: A Collection of Seventh Grade Poetry.
Chargers Triumphant at Home Tournament
[top]
It was
close, but the Lady Chargers protected their home turf,
winning the girls championship of The Cary News Holiday
Invitational Dec. 30 at the Sports and Fitness Center. In a
tight contest, the Chargers staged a comeback to beat
Western Harnett High 68-64. This is the third straight
title for the girls in the Invitational’s four years.
The
Chargers, now 12-2, were lead by Brittany Blackwell (’07),
who pumped in 30 points. Point guard Bryelle Smith scored
13.
With a
59-24 thumping of East Forsyth on Dec. 28, the Chargers got
the tourney off to a good start. The team followed that
victory the next day by sending Fayetteville Pine Forest
back down I-95 to the tune of 82-39. That set up the
championship with Western Harnett, which had beaten
Fuquay-Varina 52-43.
On the boys
side, the chargers gave great effort in every game but ended
up losing the seventh-place game to Greenfield School,
60-40.
December 2005
Spirit Week, Homecoming Pump up CA
[top]
Sprit Week and Homecoming, Dec. 16-21, turned out to be a
rousing success. Spirit Days and activities included
Western or Hip-Hop Wear Day, Sports Team and Collegiate
Apparel Day, 80’s Decade Day, CA Blue-n-Gold Day, Pajama
Day, and a Wacky Olympics. In addition, students donated
items to a canned food drive for the N.C. Food Bank and to a
Giving Tree for underprivileged families in Johnston
County.
The Class
of 2009 proved to be the overall winner in the Spirit Week
rankings. The class won the food drive with a total of 11,
175 points and also walked away the winner of the Wacky
Olympics. The Class of 2006 showed the best spirit with a
69 percent participation rate. Molly Trask (‘06) won the
Homecoming T-shirt Design Contest. The runners-up were
Murphy Chang (’07) and Sarah Ashley King (’06).
Homecoming occurred Dec. 20. On that day a pep rally was
held and the Homecoming Dance took
place after the night’s basketball games against Cresset
Christian Academy. The girls won their game, but the boys
dropped a tough one, 48-33. Faculty, staff, parents and
fans filled the bleachers to capacity. With the X-Factor in
high motor, the atmosphere was downright raucous.
More alumni
showed up than ever before for this year’s homecoming. They
used the occasion to catch up on old times with friends and
faculty, taking in the games and munching some great food in
the hospitality room.
Kathleen
Markle, from the first graduating class in 2000, arrived
that day from Chicago, where she attends law school at
DePaul University. “The best thing about tonight is just
seeing what Cary Academy is now as compared to what it was
when I was here,” said an impressed Markle while standing in
a packed lobby. “There were so few kids here when I was
here; there are a lot more now. And there’s so much
school spirit; everyone’s getting into it.”
Instructor Published in Renowned Journal [top]
Robert Coven, US history teacher, recently had an article on
the use of computers in the classroom published in the
International Journal of Technology, Knowledge and Society.
The article, Clio Goes Electronic, appears in the
2005, Volume I issue.
In his article, Coven states: “… the computer has become a
vital element in education, as it has in so many other
fields of endeavour. Particularly through the Internet, all
elements of teaching have been transformed. As educators,
we need to insure our students learn the proper use of the
incredibly powerful tools and resources the computer has
made available. This paper, while focusing on the teaching
of history, attempts to demonstrate the need—and provide
suggested methods—to use this tool to its greatest
advantage.”
The abstract of the article can be
read here.
Press Box Now Installed [top]
A
big, blue press box now stands watch over the track and
soccer field. It was installed over the weekend of Dec.
16-18.
After
workers prepared the ground behind the bleachers, a crane
was used to hoist and set the press box in place. A formal
dedication will follow.
The 8’ x
18’ press box is heated and air conditioned. There is also
a filming deck atop the structure. A state-of-the-art sound
system is scheduled to be installed.
Funds
raised by the Chargers Club paid for the press box.

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Design a Tee for the 10-year Anniver-sa-ree [top]
Cary
Academy will soon mark its 10-year anniversary. The school
opened its halls to 244 students Aug. 19, 1997, and has seen
a steady increase in enrollment every year. There are now
700 students matriculating at CA.
Every good
anniversary needs a proper T-shirt to showcase it to the
world. CA’s 10-year anniversary is no exception. Students
are being asked to unleash their creative streaks and help
CA by submitting designs for the T-shirt.
All
students are welcome to submit as many designs as they would
like. The deadline is Feb. 1, 2006. The winner(s) will
receive a $100 gift certificate to the campus store, Charger
Corner, or a $50 gift certificate to the store of their
choice.
Design
submissions may be brought to the Advancement Office,
located in the Administration Building, care of Lynne
Fountain, director of Advancement. Submissions also may be
submitted electronically to
lynne_fountain@caryacademy.org.
Geography Bee Generates Good Buzz [top]
Quick
-- on what continent, at a place called Vostok Station, was
earth’s lowest recorded temperature recorded? Give up?
Well, the answer is Antartica. Did you know it?
Alison
Parker (’10) did and answering that question won her the
Middle School Geography Bee held Dec. 12 in the theater.
Harry Lambert (’11) finished second. A full house of their
fellow MS students applauded loudly and cheered approvingly
for all the contestants as they were announced onstage at
the close of the bee.
The other
contestants were: eighth grade -- Austin Cooper and
Daniel Leef; seventh grade -- Greyson Gardlik,
Alex Evans, Zach Dresher and
Charlotte Kelly; and sixth grade –
Emily Schramm and Cameron Mankin. All 10 finalists
received a book
certificate; Parker also received a medal and the chance to
advance to the state-level competition. She will take a
written test to try to qualify for the state-level. The top
100 scores in North Carolina will advance to that
competition in the spring.
Ben “Jazz
Man” Vig provided live jazz music for the bee.
CA Sends Textbooks for Hurricane Relief [top]
The
aftermath of Hurricane Katrina lives on. As the schools in
Louisiana and Mississippi attempt to reopen, they have to
replace everything, including buildings, desks, textbooks,
paper and more. Cary Academy is trying to make this process
a little easier by donating over 1,000 textbooks and
supplies to five schools in Louisiana and Mississippi.
Cheryl
Cotter, community service coordinator, organized this
donation. The process of contacting the schools took about
two months due to the lack of telephone landlines in the
area. She mostly talked to volunteers and displaced
teachers on their cell phones and personal e-mail. Finally,
five schools were chosen: three independent schools that
are currently sharing temporary space in a church in New
Orleans and two public schools in D’Iberville, MS.
The Upper
School Student Council and Middle School Student Government
raised the money to ship the books by holding sponsored
dances, including the US “Bayou Bash.” The students packed
the supplies collected by the eighth grade and the books
Dec. 10-12, and everything will be shipped Dec. 16.
Visiting Artist Helps Students Produce Online Collection of
Poetry [top]
Zelda
Lockhart believes poetry can be found in everything, and she
believes everyone can be a poet. The Hillsborough writer
delivered this simple but profound message to the
seventh-graders of Cary Academy during a weeklong workshop,
Dec. 5-9.
Lockhart kicked off the week by reading
poetry to the students of English instructor Delia DeCourcy
and language arts instructor Briarly White. “I then sent
them out to find poetry in different places,” said the
author of Fifth Born and the forthcoming Cold
Running Creek. “Once you are aware of poetry you
realize it’s in ads, songs, everywhere.”
After reading and studying the elements
of poetry the students brought in, Lockhart set the students
to work on their own poetry.
The collected poems, titled A
Mountain of Poetry, can be found online by clicking
here.
The PTAA sponsored Lockhart’s visit.
Public flocks to Holiday Shoppe; Over 100 Vendors Sell Wares [top]
The
third annual Holiday Shoppe at Cary Academy drew in a steady
flow of customers over its three-day run from Dec. 1-3, with
profits going toward need-based scholarships and community
outreach.
“This is a
great event for the school,” said Head of School Don
Berger. “I’m very happy with the way it went. I’m happy
because it’s a great community-building event that brought
300-plus parent volunteers together to pull it off; I’m
happy with the high numbers of the public who got to come to
Cary Academy and see our wonderful campus; and I’m happy
because this raised a significant amount of money for the
school.”
Nancy Kenna, Holiday Shoppe chair, gave credit to all those
who helped run the show. “This Holiday Shoppe came together
successfully because of the efforts of so many volunteer
parents, staff and faculty,” she said. “We had a tremendous
response from the outside community, and it was a perfect
opportunity for us to showcase our school.”
Linda
Blackley of Cary carved some time out of her schedule to pay
her first-ever visit to the Holiday Shoppe, and was glad she
did. “I’d heard so many wonderful things about it, that I
decided this year I could not miss it,” Blackley said. “I
really am impressed. There is a wide variety of
merchandise, and it’s spread out and well arranged.
Everybody is friendly, too.” Holding up a plastic basket
half-full of items, she added, “I’m just getting started (on
shopping).”
Vendor
Jimmy Reese of Apex has been handcrafting jewelry for six
years and selling it through his business, Blind Coyote.
This was his first Holiday Shoppe.
“I do this
for a living, so I do quite a number of shows a year,” he
said as he sat in a folding chair and put the finishing
touches on a piece of jewelry. Clamping a piece of wire
with pliers, he continued, “We get treated a lot better here
than at other shows. It’s the extras like the café (run
this year by Café Carolina), the hospitality room for the
vendors, and the entertainment provided by the (Cary Academy
student) choral groups. This show has a lot going for it, a
lot of pluses. I hope to come back next year, and I’m going
to try and get two tables.”

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Debate Coach Receives National Recognition [top]
Richard
Pellicciotta, a history and economics teacher and the coach
of the speech and debate team, has earned a first diamond
from the National Forensic League (NFL).
Pellicciotta attained a total of 1,513 points on Oct. 30.
Coaches receive 1/10th of their students’ points.
Under Pellicciotta’s instructions his students earned over
15,130 credit points.
On
attaining a total of 1,500 points coaches are entitled to
wear a diamond-set NFL key or pin; additional diamonds
accrue at 3,000, 6,000, 10,000 and each 3,000 points
thereafter. Minimum time for each diamond is five years as
an NFL member coach.
In June
2006 Pellicciotta will receive special recognition at the
Lincoln Financial Group/NFL National Tournament. This
year’s tournament will be held in Grapevine/Colleyville, TX,
June 18-23 and will draw 2,700 students and 1,500 coaches,
school administrators and parents.
The
National Forensic League is a non-partisan, non-profit
educational honor society founded in 1925. Its purpose is
to encourage and motivate high school students to
participate in and become proficient in the forensic arts:
debate, public speaking and interpretation. Over 93,000
high school students and over 3,500 high school teachers are
active members.
Beta Club Starts Babysitting Service [top]
Finding a
babysitter can be difficult. However, it is now much easier
for Cary Academy employees due to the Beta Club’s new
babysitting service. The club created this program to
simultaneously fulfill their service requirement while
giving CA employees free help at home.
The new
babysitting program serves as a replacement for the
babysitting nights held by the Beta Club in the past. After
brainstorming with Carol Winslett, librarian and Beta Club
advisor, Lianne Gonsalves, Beta Club president, thought of
this new-and-improved babysitting service.
“I hope it
will become a permanent project that the Beta Club
continues,” said Gonsalves.
Using the
program is very similar to hiring a normal babysitter. An
employee chooses a student, contacts them and sets up a time
for the service. After the club member has babysat, the
employee needs to contact Gonsalves with the name of the
student and the hours he/she babysat.
There are
25 club members volunteering for the babysitting program who
live in Cary, Chapel Hill, Fuquay-Varina and Raleigh. All
have babysat before, and many of these ninth- through 12th-graders
are even CPR-certified due to a certification day organized
by Gonsalves.
“There is a
lot of enthusiasm about this project because it is something
that our members already love to do,” said Gonsalves.
The
program, which began at the end of November, is already
popular with employees.
Seven Perform with State Choruses [top]
Seven Cary Academy students performed with the N. C. Middle
School Honors Chorus and the N.C. High School Honors Chorus
during the Nov. 12-13 North Carolina Music Educators
Association (NCMEA) Conference in Winston-Salem.
This was the 20th annual performance of the middle school
honors chorus. A total of 177 young musicians from 76
schools from across the entire state made up the chorus.
Henry Leck, internationally recognized choral director and
specialist in choral techniques, conducted the choir.
Representing Cary Academy were Matt Lee ('12), Louis Vaught
('11), Alex Morgan ('11), Alison Parker ('10) and David
Sierra ('10). Vaught also participated in 2004.
Kaley
Lunsford (‘06) and Allison Yim (‘07) represented the school
in the high school honors chorus. Mack Wilberg, who teaches
at Brigham Young University and is also the assistant
conductor to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, conducted.
The 180
singers who made up the N.C. High School Honors Chorus were
chosen from approximately 1,300 students who auditioned in
the statewide audition process. Lunsford and Yim
participated in the Middle School Honors Chorus, and
Lunsford was chosen to participate in the 2004 High School
Honors Chorus.
Students’ Design Picked as Winning T-Shirt [top]
Katelyn
Mitchell (’11) and former student Courtney Anderson (’11),
members of the All About Animals Club in the Middle School,
won a T-shirt design contest last year for Hummingbird Farm,
a non-profit organization in Pittsboro.
The Middle
School club came up with several designs for the non-profit,
and Mitchell and Anderson’s design was picked by Hummingbird
Farm as the winner. The girls won gift certificates as well
as a T-shirt.
Hummingbird
Farm teaches about living in harmony with the earth and all
creatures on the earth.
Choruses put on Diverse Concert [top]
The Middle
and Upper School choral groups put on a concert Dec. 1 that
was well received by all in attendance. The students
performed works from countries from around the world.
“I thought
the students sang extremely well,” said Jacquie Holcombe,
music and vocal instructor. “I believe they were pleased
with the concert, but they also know there are things we
still need to work on. The culturally diverse music we
performed was challenging yet fun to learn. We did not tire
of the selections throughout the learning process. The MS
sang songs in Hebrew, Spanish and Latin while the US chorus
sang in Spanish and an African dialect. Many of the song
selections were performed a cappella (with no
accompaniment).
“The
audience was outstanding,” Holcombe continued. “There were
very few vacant seats, which was a great treat for the
singers. To perform for a full house that is supportive is
what every performer dreams of. We appreciate the wonderful
support of family, faculty and friends.”
November 2005
Three CA Students Perform with State Honors Orchestra [top]
Three Cary
Academy students performed with the N.C. Honors Orchestra
Nov. 13 at the North Carolina Music Educators Association (NCMEA)
Conference in Winston-Salem.
This group
is considered the highest level student orchestra in the
state. A total of 119 young musicians from 52 schools from
across the entire state made up the orchestra. Dr. James
Kjelland, an associate professor of music education at
Northwestern University in Chicago, conducted the
orchestra.
Representing Cary Academy were Aparna Chatterjee (’06),
Rodrigo Haragutchi (’08) and Rob Smithson (’06). Abraham
Chen (’06) and Joelle Portzer (’06) were selected for the
orchestra earlier in the year but could not make the event.
Chatterjee
won fourth chair out of 24 contestants in the first violin
section, and Haragutchi won 17th chair out of 24
contestants in the second violin section. Smithson was the
second chair out of four in the clarinet section.
Haragutchi
won the full scholarship for the 2006 summer scholarship
competition. He will attend a five-week music camp at the
N.C. School of the Arts during June and July, 2006.
Chem Students Entertain [top]
The senior
Chemistry III class presented its annual Chemistry Show for
the
seventh
grade Nov. 11. The “show” involved a full 80-minutes of
chemical demonstrations led entirely by the seniors.
The
demonstrations, in order, were:
-
“The
Flaming Vapor Ramp” – demonstrated gases that are both
heavier and lighter than air as well as their shared
flammability.
-
“Burning Carbon” – demonstrated the role of oxygen in
supporting flames, particularly using 100-percent pure
oxygen.
-
“Nitrocellulose” – demonstrated how an ordinary
substance like cotton can be chemically altered to be
much more reactive.
-
“Dry
Ice” – demonstrated a substance that must be very cold
to be solid, sublimes at room conditions, and creates a
dense gas.
-
“Underwater Fireworks” – demonstrated a reaction that is
so prone to occur that it will even take place
underwater in fiery fashion.
-
“Contact Explosives” – demonstrated a compound that is
so unstable and energetic that it can be set off by the
touch of a feather.
-
“Hydrogen Balloons” – demonstrated the lightest
substance in our universe and its flammability, with a
spectacular reaction whose product is merely water.
Adding other compounds also demonstrated how other
colors can be generated in commercial fireworks.
-
“Methane Mamba” – demonstrated the production of columns
of flammable bubbles using a low density gas.
-
“Thermite Reaction” – demonstrated a reaction that
produces enough heat energy to melt iron.
-
“Sodium in a Trashcan” – demonstrated the unusual sight
of a metal that reacts with water in violent fashion and
can produce enough energy to propel the lid of a steel
trashcan high into the air.

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Mayan Museum Fills MS Halls [top]
Displays
showcasing ancient Mayan culture lined the sixth-grade hall
Nov. 12 as the Cary Academy community enjoyed Sixth Grade
Mayan Museum Day.
The
culmination of independent research projects by Cary Academy
sixth graders, Mayan Museum Day showcased every aspect of
Mayan culture from housing to medicine to art to food. Each
student researched a specific topic area and made posters,
models and other displays to present to the guests who
toured the “museum.”

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MS Netters Scoop it Up [top]
The
Middle School girl’s tennis team served as celebrity
scoopers Nov. 10 at Maggie Moo’s in Cary at the Arboretum.
They served up plenty of treats to help raise money for the
North Carolina Special Olympics. Ten percent of the money
raised during the girls’ shift from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. will
be donated to the Special Olympics.“ It was a great
bonding experience,” said Chrissy Ettefagh, assistant team
coach and MS science teacher. “The girls had a blast and
did something for a great cause.” Josh Hartman, a MS
language arts teacher, also coaches the team.

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CA Breaks Records at Book Fair [top]
At
its annual Barnes & Noble book fair Nov. 4-5, Cary Academy
set a store record by going over the $10,000 mark, bumping
the school up to the higher tier and making it eligible to
receive 25 percent of the sales. CA will use the money to
purchase books and other materials for the library to
strengthen its collection.
In
addition, people donated 43 books, totaling over $800, from
CA’s wish list table. On Friday evening customers were
treated to a display of handcrafted teapots made by seventh-
and eighth-graders of Margo Smith’s visual art classes.
Thanks go to Smith, Pam Ray, Jan Richards, and Kim Ray for
setting up this beautiful display.
Diana
Harris from the PTAA helped coordinate the book fair.

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Wide Range
of Music Performed at Concert [top]
The Middle
School and Upper School orchestra students presented their
fall concert Nov. 10 from 7-8 p.m. The program included
folk music by the sixth grade: “Mountain Climbing,” “Oh,
Susanna,” and Dreidle.” Multicultural selections covered
Korean and Spanish folk songs. Classical music included
Mozart’s “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” and Gossec’s “Gavotte.”
The US
honors orchestra provided the highlight of the concert with
Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro.” The theater tech class
ran special lights for this music. Aparna Chatterjee (’06)
played Mendelssohn’s “E Minor Concerto,” considered one of
the world’s 10 greatest violin concertos. Also heard that
night were Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Alborada,” “Ridin’ the Rail”
and “The Lady.”
The concert
was free to the public.
Student Fundraisers Underway [top]
Three holiday fundraisers
are being held at CA now. The Key Club is selling gift wrap
to aid Habitat for Humanity, the Middle School Student
Government is selling poinsettias to fund future projects,
and the baseball team is selling Christmas trees to raise
money for a spring training trip.
The Key Club is supporting
a Habitat for Humanity home and the start-up furnishings /
household needs of the recipient family. Members have
elected to ask for support through a silent fundraiser with
the Sally Foster Company, a company that sells high quality
gift wrap and gifts.
Please consider purchasing
your gift wrap needs either through the on-line catalog or
through the print catalog available for review in either the
MS or US office. Either way the Key Club Habitat project
will receive 50 percent of the purchase.
To make an online
purchase, visit the Sally Foster site
www.sallyfoster.com.
When you are ready to
‘checkout’ you will be asked to choose an option:
-
Choose the 2nd
option - ‘Seller/Group Credit’ option
-
Then choose the ‘I
want to enter a group account number’ 760137
-
Or you can select the
‘Search for a group’. Enter ‘Cary’ and the State and you
will find Cary Academy in the drop-down menu.
-
Then ‘Continue
Checkout’
The Middle School Student
Government’s annual poinsettia sale has begun. The plants
come from a greenhouse in Hillsborough and are of superior
quality. The six-inch potted plants cost $6 and come in
four colors: pink, red, white and marble. Also for sale is
a 10-inch hanging basket with red, white, pink or marble
flowers for $12. Orders must be pre-paid by Wednesday,
Dec. 7, with cash or a check made out to Cary Academy
Middle School Student Government. Plants may be
picked up at Cary Academy’s Student Center on Thursday,
Dec.15, from 3-5 p.m.
You may order by
contacting
Vincent Janney or a member of the Middle School Student
Government.
Click here for an order form.
Would you like a Christmas
tree that costs 30-50 percent less than one from your
average tree lot? If so,
click here for an order form (Adobe PDF File). Make
checks out to Cary Academy Baseball and deliver them to the
Middle School or Upper School offices by Nov. 21.
You can pre-order a tree
of any size or 24” wreath from now until Nov. 21. The trees
will be delivered to Cary Academy on Dec. 3, ready for pick
up.
Money raised will help
fund the semi-annual spring training trip to Florida in
March, as well as perform a service to the community. Their
goal is to sell 500 trees to offset the cost of the trip,
but if they sell 1,000 all members can go for free.
Record
Attendance for Grandparents’ Day [top]
Over 300
people showed up on a brilliant Nov. 4 for Cary Academy’s
largest-ever Grandparents’/Special Friends’ Day. The guests
attended classes with their student hosts, strolled the
campus under a beaming sun, and enjoyed an hour of arts
performances in the theater.
The
morning began with a breakfast reception in the Dining Hall,
where the guests were treated to two wonderful testimonial
speeches by Joelle Portzer (‘06), president of the Upper
School Student Council, and Ankit Agarwal (’06), senior
class president. After the arts performance, the guests
attended classes with their student host, observing a Cary
Academy education firsthand. Optional campus tours were
offered through the Advancement Office to any guests who
wished to see and learn more about the campus.
“Grandparents’ Day is really cool,” said Mason Harris (’10),
who had just finished eating breakfast with his
grandparents, Charlie and Cary Owen. “They get to see
where we go and what we do.”
James
Bennett (’10) enjoyed having his grandparents, Tate and Iris
Bennett, in class. “They get to hear about the material
we’re learning,” he said, “and they get to meet our
teachers.”
To view the
day’s program, read the text of the two morning student
speakers, and see a list of all those who made this great
day possible,
go here.
To view a video produced by Tech Video students and their
teacher Bridget Harron, about Grandparents,
click here (Windows Media Player File).

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Sign Up for
Sip-n-Shoppe [top]
A
Sip-n-Shoppe preview party will kick off Holiday Shoppe 2005
Wednesday, Nov. 30, at 7 p.m. The cost of this event is
$15. Anyone interested in attending should call
919-228-4653.
At this
year’s Holiday Shoppe, to be held Dec. 1-3, over 100 vendors
will put their wares up for sale. This free event is open
to the public. Those attending will have a multitude of
potential gift purchases to choose from, including jewelry,
home accessories, hostess items, children’s items, holiday
ornaments, apparel, food, and a wide variety of handmade
crafts.
The hours
for the Holiday Shoppe are: Thursday, Dec. 1, 10
a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday, Dec. 2, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and
Saturday, Dec. 3, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Proceeds from
Holiday Shoppe go to community outreach and need-based
scholarships.
Busy Weeks
for Middle School [top]
A
lot has been happening with the Middle School over the past
weeks. The annual Charger Cup Challenge took place, a
middle schooler reigned as Head of School for a day, and a
touring band of professional jump ropers stopped by for a
performance.
On Oct. 21
the Blue Team won the Charger Cup Challenge, beating the
Gold Team by 61 points.
This was the closest Charger Cup ever. During the field
day, the entire Middle School participated - on blue and
gold teams according to their advisory – in a multitude of
games. Students racked up points in soccer kick, dress-up
derby, lucky limbo, sports throw, shoe toss, balloon-pop
relay, H2O handoff, and Nerf ball toss. Over 60 parent
volunteers helped run the event.
Sabrina Mason (’11) took over the school’s top position
Oct. 26 by first declaring a “Dress Down Day” for
faculty and staff. Mason’s day as Head of School consisted
of doing homework in Don Berger’s office, touring the
administration offices, eating lunch catered by Moe’s with
three of her friends in the boardroom, and attending an
afternoon meeting with Berger. Berger took Mason’s place in
Joselyn Todd’s science class.
On Nov. 4
the Bouncing Bulldogs and other national and world champion
jump ropers thrilled and amazed with their talent and
athleticism during a performance in the Fitness Center gym.
Special
thanks goes to the PTAA for all its help with Charger Cup
and for bringing the jump rope artists to campus.
Lecturers
Speak on American Values Abroad [top]
The
second event in the National Honor Society’s lecture series,
“Why does it Matter? The Role of Ethics and Morality in our
Lives,” was held Nov. 1.
Dr.
Jefferson Powell, a Duke University professor, and
James Coley, president of the North Carolina Society for
Ethical Culture, were the chosen speakers. Lecturing on “American
Values Abroad” the duo attempted to demonstrate how ethical
decision-making is applied. Each professor presented his
ethical framework and contrasted it with the other.
Joelle Portzer
(’06), a lecture series committee member, coordinated this
event.
October 2005
Girls Claim XC State Title, Boys Third; Other Teams
Fare Well in TISAC [top]
Following
on the heels of a stellar season, the Cary Academy girls
cross country team is now state champs. On Oct. 28 in
Hendersonville they ran away from favored Providence Day to
take the 2005 NCISAA 3A State Championship. The boys team
placed third. Results will be posted as soon as possible at
www.ncisaa.org.
Scoring
for Cary Academy were: Danielle Curran – 2nd
place, Rachel Park – 7th place, Sarah Helfer – 10th
place, Rachel Blondy – 13th place, and Amy Dement
– 17th place.
On Oct. 21
the girls and boys cross country teams claimed the TISAC
championship, held at SAS Park. In this meet, Glen Wright
Colopy finished second overall for the boys with a time of
16:46. David Dement placed fifth with a time of 17:42.
Mark Hallan and Alex Vig placed ninth and tenth
respectively, with times
of 17:49 and 17:56. Rachel Park received the conference’s
Most Outstanding Runner award for girls cross country.
Cary
Academy’s teams have done extremely well recently in the
Triangle Independent Schools Athletic Conference (TISAC).
The Cary
Academy varsity volleyball team finished in second place in
the conference for the regular season with an 8-2 conference
record and a 12-4 season record. The team also placed
second in the tournament. The team received an at-large bid
to the NCISAA state tournament with a number five seed.
This is the second year they have been seeded in the state
tournament. On Oct. 25 they lost to Forsyth Country Day
3-2. Players Tenny Crawford, Shannon Miller and Kelly
Shipkowski were named All-Conference.
The Cary
Academy varsity boys soccer team performed well in
conference and received an at-large bid to the NCISAA state
tournament. They lost 6-2 to Charlotte Latin Oct. 25.
Kirsten Kohagen received the TISAC Player of
the Year Award for girls tennis and
was named all-conference and all-state this year as well as
last year. Emily Graybeal also made all-conference for a
second year.
Click here for a list of team, TISAC conference and
NCISAA State awards for the Fall 2005-2006 Cary Academy
Athletic Teams.
And the Survey Says…. [top]
Results
from the 2004-05 Community Survey are now available. For the
eighth consecutive year the school has surveyed parents in
key areas of school operation.
Last year’s
survey took an abbreviated form for two reasons: a
recommendation by the SACS and SAIS Accrediting Team to only
survey constituents every three years and a recommendation
by the Strategic Planning Committee to hire a consultant to
help us evaluate and redesign our survey. As a result, a
decision was made to use for the first time an on-line
survey. The on-line version was similar to previous surveys
in format except in the use of numbers rather than letters
in the rating scale used to answer questions. Consequently,
it is unclear if the results from last year’s on-line survey
provide an appropriate comparison to previous years’
results.
The
Leadership Team and faculty are close to completing their
review of the survey results and within the next few weeks
will decide on areas to focus their attention for
improvement this year. You may access the
complete Community Survey here.
Book Fair at Barnes & Noble Nov. 4-5; Students’ Work to be
on Display [top]
On Friday,
Nov. 4, and Saturday, Nov. 5, support our school by buying
books, music, software, magazines, and gifts at the Cary
Barnes & Noble, 760 SE Maynard Road. CA will receive 20
percent from sales of $2,000-$10,000 and 25 percent for
sales over $10,000. The store is open from 9 am to 11 pm
both days. All proceeds will go to enhancing our school
library collection.
On Friday,
Nov. 4, at 7 pm join us for an artists’ reception featuring
the work of Margo Smith’s Middle School Visual Arts
students. Students’ teapots will be on display in the
store, and cookies and tea will be served. In addition that
night, the Cary Barnes & Noble is having a raffle drawing
for a new American Girl doll.
Also,
please note that there will be a special Cary Academy wish
list donation table located in the store if you would like
to purchase a specific book from our wish list for donation
to the CA Library.
Book fair
vouchers are available in the library, Middle School office,
Upper School office, and
on-line from the CA home page. If you forget your
voucher don’t worry, vouchers also will be available at each
Barnes & Noble cash register.
For more
information, please contact Carol Winslett, CA Librarian, at
677-3873 ext.4547.
Please
support our school by giving the gift of reading!
Library Wish List for Grandparent’s Day [top]
Grandparent’s Day is set for Friday, Nov. 4. Cary Academy
teachers have submitted wish lists of materials available
for donation, and those lists have been sent to CA
grandparents.
Many of
these items will be on display on the morning of
Grandparent’s Day in the vestibule of the dining hall for
grandparents to purchase and donate to the library
collection. All items will have personalized bookplates
honoring a grandchild, teacher or event.
Grandparents can make a donation by selecting a title or
titles from the list and buying the item while visiting
campus or by sending a donation to the school, addressed to
the librarians. They may request specific titles or give a
donation to be used
to purchase a wish list item.
New Head of School Gives a Dressing Down (Day) [top]
Cary
Academy welcomed a new Head of School on Wednesday, Oct.
26. Sabrina Mason (’11) took over the school’s top position
by first declaring a “Dress Down Day” for faculty and staff.
Mason
received this honor through last year’s PTAA auction, an
annual event to raise money for the school. Her day as Head
of School consisted of doing homework in Don Berger’s
office, touring the administration offices, eating lunch
catered by Moe’s with three of her friends in the boardroom,
and attending an afternoon meeting with Berger. Berger took
Mason’s place in Joselyn Todd’s science class.
When asked
about being Cary Academy’s leader for a day, Mason
succinctly exclaimed, “It’s fun!”
Blue Team not Sad About Win [top]
The
Blue Team won the Charger Cup Challenge Oct. 21, beating the
Gold Team by 61 points. This was the closest Charger Cup
ever.
During the
field day, the entire Middle School participated - on blue
and gold teams according to their advisory – in a multitude
of games. Students racked up points in soccer kick,
dress-up derby, lucky limbo, sports throw, shoe toss,
balloon-pop relay, H2O handoff, and Nerf ball toss.
Over 60
parent volunteers helped run the event. The actual trophy,
with a blue ribbon tied to it, will be on display for the
next year in the trophy case outside the Middle School
Office.

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Poet Imparts Tips, Encourages Students to Write [top]
Kay
Stripling Byer, the poet laureate of North Carolina, visited
the campus Oct. 18-19. This is the first school she has
visited other than colleges during her two-year term.
She spoke
to students from the eighth- and 11th-grade
English classes on how she approaches writing poetry, and
she offered tips and read from her works. She encouraged
the students to pay attention to anything – a favorite word,
a random thought, sights and sounds – that drew their
attention and to write about these experiences.
“I really
enjoyed talking about poetry to the kids,” Byer said. “The
students have been terrific here and asked a lot of hard
questions on the process of writing.”

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CA gets a Little Taste of the State Fair [top]
The
State Fair may have finished in Raleigh, but for one day
last week it came to Cary Academy.
State Fair
Day, held Oct. 20, created – with a little help from an
unusually warm October day – a festive atmosphere all along
the quad. Food Service personnel set up outside the
cafeteria and dished up sausages, corn on the cob, green
beans, baked chicken and beef kabobs to hungry faculty and
students. The cotton candy machine proved to be a big hit,
especially with the Middle School kids, and the line was
always long.
With live
music playing and games going on the quad, and students
strolling the grounds, happily placing strands of cotton
candy in their mouths, one could envision the hectic midway
only a few short miles away.
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Jazz on the Quad Entertains [top]
About
30 of the school’s jazz students performed for the public
Oct. 17 at the annual Jazz on the Quad. Parents, faculty
and their children lounged on the grass and sat in chairs
spread over the quad. Some even brought picnics and enjoyed
their food as they listened to the tunes.
The acts
jamming were the MS Jazz Band, MS Jazz Combo, US Jazz Band,
US Jazz Combo, and 2004 graduate Adam Pedersen and friends.
Dr. Dwayne Wilson, a Cary Academy parent and director of
bands at Campbell University, joined the US Jazz Combo on
three tunes. After the concert, employees, parents and
alumni were invited to join in for a Blues Jam Session.
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Cary Academy
Winter Athletic Schedules [top]
The Cary
Academy Athletic Department has released the winter
schedules for the varsity, junior varsity and Middle School
teams. In all, the school will field 10 teams with more
than 170 events scheduled to take place between mid-November
and the end of February.
While the
Middle School and junior varsity teams play as independents,
the varsity teams will face a slate of games against
conference foes in the “new” Triangle Independent School
Athletic Conference (TISAC). With the loss of Cardinal
Gibbons High School, the TISAC now includes Cary Academy,
Durham Academy, North Carolina School of Science and
Mathematics, North Raleigh Christian Academy, Ravenscroft
School, and Saint Mary’s School.
Follow this link
to read more about how our teams are expected to fare and
for a complete sports schedule.
State’s Poet to Visit Cary Academy [top]
Kay
Stripling Byer, North Carolina’s poet laureate, will visit
Cary Academy Oct. 18-19.
Byer will
address the 11th and 8th grade English
classes on the subject of finding one’s creative voice. She
will speak on how she found her own voice as a poet and how
she has evolved as a writer through the years. The Cary
Academy PTAA is sponsoring the visit.
Byer is
the author of Black Shawl, Catching Light and
Wake. The library has recently purchased all three
volumes.
Five Make State Honors Orchestra
[top]
Five Cary
Academy orchestra students have been selected to the 2005
N.C. State Honors Orchestra. They are, with instrument:
Aparna Chatterjee, violin; Abraham Chen, violin; Rodrigo
Haragutchi, violin; Rob Smithson, clarinet; and Joelle
Portzer, trumpet.
Every year,
about 1,500 young musicians compete for Western and Eastern
Regional All State Orchestra. In September the NCMEA
Orchestra picks the final 120 winners from both regional
orchestras to form an N.C. State Honors Orchestra.
The honors
orchestra will perform for the NCMEA convention in
Winston-Salem in November.
Beta Club Works Triathlon
[top]
Members of
the Cary Academy Beta Club battled the rain and cold
recently to aid the participants in the Blue Devil
Triathlon.
The event,
held Oct. 8 at Falls Lake and the surrounding area, raises
money for cancer research. It consists of swimming 2.4
miles, biking 112 miles and running 26.2 miles. The
participants started at 7 a.m.
The Beta
Club set up a water station on the bike course. The
students volunteered in two shifts, one from 8:30 a.m. to
12:30 p.m. and another from noon to 4 p.m.
The club’s
next event will be the Red Cross Blood Drive on Oct. 25.
School Bands to Play Public Concert
[top]
The annual
Middle School/Upper School Band Concert is set for
Wednesday, Nov. 2, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts
auditorium. Admission is free, and the performance is open
to the public.
The groups
appearing are: Beginning Band (sixth grade), Middle School
Band (seventh/eighth grade), and the Upper School Band
(ninth -12th grade).
About 80
Cary Academy students will participate in the night’s
performance. The band director is Eric Grush.
Strategic Plan Identifies Four Major Goals
[top]
Board
members, faculty, parents, staff and students began work on
Cary Academy’s second Strategic Plan back in April 2004 with
the help of consultant John Littleford and identified four
major goals for emphasis -- faculty retention, community
building, life balance and student profile. On May 17,
2005, the Strategic Plan was approved unanimously by the
Cary Academy Board of Directors for implementation.
In the
coming years, the leadership of the school plans to identify
targeted areas of the plan for completion during each
academic year. Involvement and input of all the school’s
major constituencies - parents, faculty, staff, students and
board - will ensure the attainment of the plan’s four goals.
Read the entire plan here.
Cary Academy
Seniors Nominated for Scholarships [top]
Cary
Academy seniors Joelle Portzer and Rob Smithson have been
named as nominees for the Morehead Scholarship at the
University or North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Aparna
Chatterjee and Lianne Gonsalves have been nominated by the
school for the Park Scholarship at North Carolina State
University.
Ten seniors
have been recognized as National Merit Scholarship Program (NMSP)
semifinalists, placing them among the top one percent of
more than one million test takers on the 2004 PSAT/NMSQT.
These
students continue on in the competition for some 8,000 Merit
Scholarship awards worth $32 million. These scholarships
will be awarded in the spring. Cary Academy’s National Merit
semifinalists are seniors Sarah Basham, Lila Battis, Andrew
Bryson, Christine Ernst, Mark Hallen, Charles Hendren,
Hannah Schmidt, Rob Smithson, Zoe Vulgaropulos and Abigail
Weathers.
Cary Academy also
has 11 students named Commended Students in the 2005-2006
NSMP. These students do not compete for the Merit
Scholarship awards, but they are recognized for their
exceptional academic promise and for placing in the top five
percent of the 1.3 million high school juniors who took the
2004 PSAT/NMSQT. These seniors are Abraham Chen, Amy
Dement, Lianne Gonsalves, Claiborne Hane, Daniel Jacobson,
Shannon Mentock, Emily Pace, Lance Rappaport, Kelly
Shipkowski, Jeffrey Stanton and Molly Trask.
In
addition, Abby Weathers has been recognized by the National
Achievement Scholarship Program, placing her among the top
one percent of more than 120,000 black Americans who took
the PSAT last October. She will continue on in the
competition for scholarship monies from colleges and the
National Merit Scholarship Corporation through both the
National Achievement and National Merit programs.
The NMSP
and the National Achievement Scholarship Program have
recognized 25 percent of Cary Academy’s Class of 2006 for
outstanding results on the junior year PSAT/NMSQT.
Students put Math to use in the Kitchen [top]
On Oct. 2
the sixth-grade math students filled the Middle School with
tasty treats. The students, who have recently finished
studying fractions, combined their math skills with their
cooking skills for a hands-on application of fractions.
The
students chose a recipe and adjusted the ingredients to feed
a class of 18 and to feed the 100 sixth-grade students.
Each student then applied the numbers to cook enough for
their class.
For many of
the students, this was their first experience in the
kitchen. Most students chose to bake sweets, ranging from
frosted pumpkin pie filled with ice cream to apple muffins
to brownies topped with M&M’s®.
Romans, Vikings, Moors Ply Wares at Bazaar [top]
The
atmosphere was frenzied: market-goers pressed
shoulder-to-shoulder, Vikings brandishing swords, English
peasants haggling with customers over silver bracelets,
silk-robed Chinese merchants hawking candles, toga-wearing
Roman doctors shouting promises of cures to smallpox and
leprosy, all the while a spicy mixture of incense and cooked
food wafting through the air. Just another normal day in
the marketplace, circa 1,000 A.D.
The seventh
grade’s Festival of the Year 1000 made its annual appearance
Sept. 29 at “Constantinople” (the space between the
MS and Fine Arts Building). Dressed in Y1K costumes, the
students displayed their goods at booths lining “city
streets,” as parents and faculty, flush with the Y1K
currency of huizis, purchased the wares.
The
countries represented were Spain, Ghana, Russia, China and
England, and the empires represented were the Byzantine,
Khmer (Cambodia) and Holy Roman. The Vikings and the
Islamic world were also on hand. The occupations
represented were merchant, artisan, cartographer,
shipbuilder, historian, physician and storyteller.

Click on picture for a larger view. |

Click on picture for a larger view. |
Two Make State Honors Chorus [top]
Kaley
Lunsford (’06) and Allison Yim (’07) have been selected to
the 2005 N.C. High School Honors Chorus.
The two
US chorus students were picked by audition from a field of
987 students from across the state.
They
will prepare a program of choral music and perform it with
the other 187 selected singers at the North Carolina Music
Educators Conference in Winston-Salem on Nov. 13.
Essay Reflects Real-World Experience of Internship [top]
Since
1998, a select group of 12-15 Cary Academy students have
interned at SAS for the summer. The students get valuable
experience and exposure to the working world.
To apply
for the program, students must have a recommendation from
the Head of School or one of the two top administrators in
the Upper School. They must then interview for the available
positions. This year SAS received applications from 30
students for 17 positions. Almost all of the students
applied for more than one position in departments including
ISD, Research & Development, Corporate Services, Finance,
and Human Resources.
Holly
Metter (’05) worked as an intern in IT Business Operations
this summer and is now a freshman at Harvard. Metter
brought her summer internship experience to a close by
writing her reflections, which can be
accessed here.
September 2005
Fun Fest
Lives up to Name [top]
Bristling
with rides, games and food tents the field behind the Middle
School took on the look and feel of a carnival midway Sept.
23 as the annual Fun Fest kicked off a new school year.
Approximately 1,100 people attended the event, jointly
sponsored by the PTAA and the school.
As parents
chatted, kids lined up for temporary tattoos, joined in
giant line dances to thumping pop music, waited patiently
for a chance to swamp an instructor in the dunking booth,
and whooped it up on a mechanical bull. Big crowds
congregated at the bungee jump, food tents, Bingo and the
Titanic slide.
“My
favorite was the rock climbing wall,” said Camden Hyatt
(’10), whose slightly flushed face and damp hair told of his
exertions and the warm weather. “I got to the top of two
sides.”
A seasoned
veteran of previous Fun Fests, Camden added, “This has been
the best one so far.”
Enjoy these
pictures and more of Fun Fest 2005..
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Click here for more Pictures |
Students Perform in Romeo and Juliet [top]
Two Cary
Academy students are appearing on stage in one of the most
famous ballets in the world.
Lauren Kahn
(’07) and Anna Plastina (’10) are performing in the Carolina
Ballet production of Romeo and Juliet as ‘citizens of
Verona.’ The show started Sept. 15 and runs to Oct. 2 at
A.J. Fletcher Opera Theater at the Progress Energy Center
for the Performing Arts in Raleigh.
Prior to
the run of the play, the girls attended dress and tech
rehearsals with the dancers and artistic director Robert
Weiss, and thus received a behind-the-scenes view of how a
ballet performance is staged.
NHS Speaker Addresses Morality [top]
Dr.
Douglas MacLean, professor of philosophy at the University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and director of the Parr
Ethics Center, kicked off the Fourth Annual National Honor
Society lecture series at Cary Academy on Monday, Sept. 19,
in the Fine Arts Theatre.
MacLean’s
speech, titled What Do Philosophers Say about Morality?,
consisted of defining moral philosophy for the students and
giving the history behind it.
This year’s
Upper School NHS lecture theme concerns the role of ethics
and morality in our lives.
CA Holds Sixth-Grade Tour [top]
About
50 curious parents attended the first sixth-grade tour and
information session of the school year held Sept. 22. Three
more sessions are scheduled.
Denise
Goodman, director of admissions, said the sessions give
prospective parents of CA sixth-graders a chance to “visit
the school, see what we’re all about, and see us in
action.”
After an
introduction from Head of Middle School Marti Jenkins and
Head of School Don Berger, the parents split into groups and
toured the campus. The tour focused on the sixth-grade
classes and curriculum. Parents observed classes as they
happened and asked questions of teachers.
At the end
of the tour, parents were invited to attend an optional
financial aid session in the Administration Building.
CA teams Do
Well; Tailgate a Success [top]
The
weather, the fans and the Cary Academy teams combined to
make the Great Fall Tailgate a solid success. The Chargers
Club sponsored the event, held Sept. 16.
Parents,
students and fans gathered on campus for food and games,
and, of course, to watch CA’s best in volleyball, soccer,
field hockey and tennis action. All the volleyball teams
and the JV field hockey squad racked up victories. Check
out the Athletic Scoreboard on the intranet for all the
results.
Enjoy these
pictures and more of the tailgate festivities.
CC Girls Number One in State [top]
In the
first N.C. Cross Country Coaches poll of the season, the
Cary Academy girls’ cross country team sits atop the N.C.
Independent Schools Athletic Association rankings for
girls. The boys’ team is ranked fifth in the boys rankings.
As of Sept.
16, the overall record for the girls is 24-5. The NCISAA
record is a perfect 7-0, and the TISAC conference record is
unblemished at 2-0.
The
10-member team continues to impress coaches Conrad Hall and
Kim Jones, who hope the team can continue its momentum for
the rest of the season.
Team
members are Amy Davis (’06), Amy Dement (’06), Lianne
Gonsalves (’06), Alexis Travars (’06), Sarah Helfer (’07),
Nushimia Khan (’07), Francesca Boone (’08), Danielle Curran
(’08), Blythe Friedman (’08), and Rachel Park (’08).
Student’s Artwork Makes N&O
[top]
It is an
impressive painting: a head-and-shoulders frontal view of a
young man, eyes closed, head slightly tilted upward,
shoulders sloped, a contented expression. It makes one
wonder, “What is he thinking?”
The acrylic
work, created by Zoe Vulgaropulos (’06) for Meredith
Steele’s advanced art class, was featured in the Sept. 14
The News and Observer in “In the Schools,” an education
roundup that runs in the Life Style section.
If you
haven’t seen the work, check it out in the library, where it
is on display at the circulation desk.
German Exchange Students Finding a Home at CA [top]
Marcel
Kastor, 17, and Noel van Horn, 16, have come a long way to
study at Cary Academy and learn about American culture.
The two
young men arrived in August from Germany as exchange
students and are staying with CA host families in the Cary
area.
Both are
adjusting well, making friends at the school and settling in
nicely with their American families. Both said they became
exchange students to improve their English, experience a
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and, most of all, learn
firsthand about the United States, its people and its way of
life.
PTAA Starts New Year With Social, Meeting [top]
More
than 100 people attended the Sept. 8 social and general
membership meeting of the Cary Academy PTAA, held at the
dining hall.
During the
highly welcoming event, parents signed up at numerous tables
for volunteer opportunities while enjoying dessert crepes
and coffee.
PTAA
President Tricia Tumminello started the meeting, which
included the treasurer’s report, an update on the hurricane
relief initiative, a discussion of Charger Bucks and an
update on the new athletic boosters club. At the end of the
evening, Jim Aanstoos, director of information services,
addressed the crowd about “Student Tree 101.”
Fun Fest, Tailgate Party Coming; Mark Your Calendars! [top]
Cary
Academy will be hopping on consecutive Fridays this month
with a tailgate party to heighten athletic spirit and the
annual welcome-back, all-campus fiesta, Fun Fest.
On Friday,
Sept. 16, the newly formed CA booster club will hold The
Great Fall Tailgate at 4 p.m. The Middle School and varsity
soccer teams, the JV and varsity volleyball teams, and the
JV field hockey squad all have home games that day.
Hamburgers, hot dogs and a variety of other food and drinks
will be available for purchase. Come on out and support the
Chargers!
The
following Friday, Sept. 23, Fun Fest, will take over the
Middle School field from 3:15-7 p.m. with rides, food,
activities, and – a dunk tank! Amusements open immediately
after school. A buffet dinner will be served from 4:30-7.
Fun Fest is
for CA students, families and employees. The cost is $7 per
person and free for children under 6.
Scott Gives Students, Parents Straight Talk [top]
Doug Scott,
North Carolina’s first nationally certified Drug Recognition
Expert, spoke frankly to students and parents about today’s
drugs and their effects during two different forums Sept.
7. During the day he spoke with students, and that night he
delivered an address to parents at the Fine Arts Theater.
Scott, who
is a security expert with SAS, concentrated both forums on
the drugs that are prevalent in today’s society like GHB and
analogs, and MDMA and other psychedelic amphetamines. He
also touched on older but still much abused drugs like
alcohol, marijuana, LSD, mushrooms, inhalants, heroin, and
some commonly abused prescription medications.
“He was
really able to give a ‘what’s happening today on the
streets’ update on the new kinds of drugs that are
regrettably on the street today,” said Mitch McGuigan, head
of Upper School. “He also talked about the signs to look
for if kids are involved in drugs, and he talked about the
paraphernalia associated with drugs.”
Prior to
joining SAS in 2003 Scott served as a lieutenant with the
Cary Police Department. He spent 25 years specializing in
substance abuse investigations and traffic-related
violations.
Beautiful Voices From Afar Visit [top]
The
Alternotives, an a cappella group from Oxford University in
England, harmonized for, and vastly entertained, CA students
and faculty Sept.6.
The
10-person group is touring the Eastern seaboard, stopping
for concerts and training sessions at colleges and schools
like CA. The PTAA Cultural Committee sponsored their visit
here.
After
working with and imparting tips to the MS and US choral
classes, the group wowed the MS with a concert in the Fine
Arts Theater. Will all voices blending beautifully, and
some acting as the group’s own percussion, they performed
hits such as “Son of a Preacher Man” and “Goodbye Earl.”
For the
finale, they brought the MS choral classes on stage and
performed “Like a Prayer,” the song they had rehearsed
earlier with the classes.
Sunny
Days at CA [top]
The
wonderful weather of the past week has seen an increase in
the bustle around campus. Students and faculty have enjoyed
these ray-dappled days at CA in various outdoor activities.
Enjoy the following pictures of learning and having fun in
the great outdoors.
Club Fair Draws Attentive Crowd [top]
On
a warm, breezy Aug. 31 in front of the Upper School
building, young Democrats mingled with meditators, anime
artists stood shoulder-to-shoulder with reptile lovers, and
ultimate Frisbee players joked with European sports lovers.
It was all
part of the 2006 US Club Fair. The annual event allows US
students to learn about the 48 clubs offered at CA and gives
them a chance to sign up, if they wish.
This year,
new clubs such as the Meditation Club and the Philosophy
Club joined old favorites like the Young Democrats, the Key
Club and Student Ambassadors.
Each club
in the US has a student leader and a faculty advisor. Most
clubs have a minimum of 10 members and most meet once a
week, either Monday, Wednesday or Friday. A few clubs meet
multiple times a week and even on weekends.
Shelton
Shepherd, dean of students, organized the event, which took
place over the lunch period. “I was glad to see the
cafeteria mostly empty,” he said. “That meant the students
were out learning about the clubs and having fun.”
Elympics Come to CA [top]
Ever
heard of Bakertopia? Its 13 inhabitants are loud, creative,
energetic, and their country began with the “original 13
cookies.” Bakertopia and the other exotic lands of
Caripotamia convened Aug. 31 for the daylong Elympics, a
bonding activity based on that other famous gathering of
nations.
The
students, designated by Enrichment groups, had been charged
at the beginning of the year with creating their own
country. Each group named their country and fabricated a
short history of their native land. Some thought of a
national anthem, some made up a language, and some designed
costumes
and flags. Each group presented their country Aug. 31 at a
morning assembly in the SEA, dubbed a “mingling.”
For the
rest of the day, the students continued the bonding activity
with events such as a quiz bowl, word puzzle contest,
Frisbee golf tournament, “name that
tune”
tourney, scavenger hunt, Pictionary contest,
basketball-shooting contest, balloon launch, and for the
finale, an obstacle course. The proud yet young state of
Swivel Hipsters carried the day, winning the overall
Elympics.
The other
countries participating were: Derkaderkastan, JJASSDERTIMBS,
Maggie Mooey, Mikakadaframcan, Pagina Dos and Sticky
Bunsistan.
The
Elympics, created by social studies teacher David Snively,
had been held in the past and was brought back this year.
Parents Meet Faculty; Learn the Ropes of College Admissions [top]
Parents
were on campus more than once this past week, Aug. 29-Sept.
2. On different nights, they learned about the college
admission process, met the instructors of the Middle School,
and were introduced to the Upper School teachers.
In an
informative session at the Fine Arts building Aug. 29,
seniors and their parents received a nuts and bolts
presentation on how to apply to colleges at Senior Parent
College Night.
“We covered
topics such as requesting teacher recommendations, handling
transcript request forms, tips on writing essays,
information on visiting college campuses and college rep
visits to CA, financial aid information, etc.,” said
Laura Sellers, associate director of college counseling.
She and Susan Staggers, college advising director, organized
the event.
On Aug. 31
and Sept. 1, parents attended Meet the Teacher sessions
held, respectively, at the Upper School and Middle School.
During
these nights, parents attended an abbreviated version of
their child’s schedule and learned about their classes and
their instructors.
CC Girls Win Big; Now No. 1 [top]
With
only 10 runners, the CA girls’ cross country team piled up
huge victories Aug. 31 against four larger public schools at
a home meet at SAS Soccer Park.
The CA
girls beat Apex, Durham Jordan, Durham Riverside and
Knightdale, only losing to the day’s other participant,
Green Hope. Green Hope fields over 140 runners on its cross
country teams.
Along
with Green Hope, the Apex girls’ team is considered one of
the strongest programs in the state for large public
schools.
According to the website for the N.C. Independent Schools
Athletic Association, the girls’ team is now ranked number
one in the 3-A TISAC conference, and the boys’ team is
ranked third.
Congratulations goes out to the team and coaches Conrad Hall
and Kim Jones.
August 2005
Football Main Topic of Athletic Forum [top]
Like a
swift and powerful linebacker, the topic of football
dominated the athletic forum held the night of Aug. 22 in
the Lecture Hall.
Fifty
parents and faculty arrived to discuss their opinions and
ask questions about the recently released Athletic
Improvement Committee Report.
(Click
here to read the report.) Head of School Don Berger facilitated the
90-minute session.
When asked
by a parent to comment on the status of the football
proposal at CA, Berger said the board of directors has
approved a committee to research the pros and cons of
football, including the “financial aspect and community
building.”
He added,
“A rough timetable is that the committee will start work in
four weeks and have its report ready for the board at its
January (2006) meeting. If that is too ambitious, then the
report will be ready for the May meeting. Then the board
will make a decision.”
Berger said
the major reason for looking at football is community
building. Responding affirmatively, a parent said, “People
know football; it is a differentiator.”
After the
topic of football went to the bench for a breather, opinions
on other sports issues were aired in length, including
coaches and pay, outside coaches, clinics, school spirit,
and Middle School sports.
Toward the
close of the forum, Berger had taken a moment to recognize
that there is “certainly an impetus to strengthen our sports
programs.” But, he later added with emphasis, “Academics
are always first at Cary Academy.”
Cary
Academy Opens Year with Bubbles, Handshakes and a Record Enrollment [top]
Cary
Academy started its ninth year Aug. 17 with a record 700
enrolled students. So, that meant, theoretically, 700
handshakes for the faculty and staff at the annual handshake
ceremony that kicks off the academic year.
That’s a
lot of arm pumping, but it didn’t deter anyone. As the line
of students snaked through the Fitness Center, the faculty
and staff welcomed each student with a friendly grip and
many even gave out hugs. Smiles and laughter abounded.
Eighth-grader Zack Green, 12, a three-year veteran of the
event, gave thumbs-up to the 2005 handshake ceremony. “This
year was pretty good,” said Zack.
“The people were eager and even friendlier than in the
past.”
Earlier in
the day, Zack and the rest of the Middle School students
gathered for their annual group photo. After the shot, the
instructors handed out bottles of soap bubbles to the kids
so they could goof around a little before heading back to
class. The kids obliged, brightening up an otherwise
overcast day as they lofted clouds of little iridescent
bubbles into the air with shouts and giggles.
Cary
Academy new-comers, sixth-graders Kelsey Miller and Sydney
Branson, both 11, said they were excited about starting
school. Sydney said she likes to act and is itching to
check out her drama class. Kelsey also is interested in
the
arts. “I’m looking forward to orchestra (class),” said
Kelsey “I have fun playing the violin.”
Alex
Rosenthal, 13, couldn’t wait to meet his eighth-grade
teachers. “I’ve heard a lot about them, and that made me
excited (about this year),” he said. “They’ve been here
awhile and have great experience with Cary Academy, so I’m
hoping to learn a lot. I’ve also heard they’re funny.”
Shani
Evans, 16, is looking a little ahead as she starts the 11th
grade. “I’m one step closer to being a senior,” she said
with a smile. She does plan to make the most of her
penultimate high school year, though. “I’m looking forward
to playing on the basketball team and going to the prom,”
she
said. “I want to try to get straight A’s this year; that
might be a little hard here at Cary Academy, but I’m going
to try.”
The
excitement over the start of the year is not just limited to
the students. Head of School Don Berger feels it, too.
“I’m really looking forward to a couple of things this
year,” he said. “One is following the accomplishments of
our students, to track their new success in the arts,
academics, and sports; I always look forward to that.
Another thing is enjoying the enthusiasm and creativity
brought to our school by the new faculty.”
Click here to view
more pictures from opening day.
MS Parents Mingle at Social [top]
The
Administration Lobby was the place to be Tuesday, Aug. 16,
as excited parents with kids in tow crowded in for the
Middle School Parents’ Social.
New parents
with children starting their Cary Academy careers, as well
as parents with returning children, mingled, munched
provided goodies, loaded up on informative handouts about
the school, and listened to brief comments from school
administrators and PTAA personnel. A convivial din filled
the lobby throughout the 90-minute, mid-morning function.
When some
of the parents were asked what they wanted their children to
take away from the coming year, besides a
great education at Cary Academy, the answers were
illuminating.
Roger
Schwarz of Chapel Hill is enrolling his daughter Hannah in
the sixth grade. “I’d like her to get a sense of community
and learn from and with others who are different from her,”
he replied.
Barb
Hartsfield said that she hoped her daughter, Carrie, who is
starting the sixth grade, would gain self-confidence and
make lots of friends. The Cary resident then added, with a
laugh, “And I hope she still loves school.” (Hartsfield
also has two sons at CA. Tyler is a ninth-grader, and Jake
is in the 11th grade.)
Karen
Apperson of Chapel Hill has two children in the Middle
School: Bryan, an eighth-grader, and Emily, who will be
starting the sixth grade. “I would like both to learn time
management skills and organizational skills,” she said.
“I’d also like them to learn about sportsmanship and make
friendships.”
Faculty Learn New Student Management Software
[top]
During August, the faculty of
Cary Academy received training on how to use the school’s
new student management software.
The new software is part of
The Education Edge™ package, which is made by Blackbaud, a
leading producer of software and services for nonprofit
organizations.
For years Cary Academy has
been using Blackbaud software in its Admission, Business
Office and Advancement departments, but faculty had been
using a different system for student management. This made
it difficult at times for departments and faculty to share
information, so school administrators recently added
Blackbaud’s student management module.
Now student information can
be shared easily between faculty and all administrative
departments. This improves efficiency and allows any
updates of a student’s information to immediately be shared.
All faculty, new and
incoming, learned how to use the new software during the
first two weeks of August. Training sessions were
facilitated by the school’s Information Services Department,
using an on-site trainer from Blackbaud to train selected
teachers in a “train-the-teacher” approach.
“By adding this new module, a
student’s information is readily accessible to all faculty
once Admissions enrolls that student in the system; it’s all
shared in a common database,” said Dr. Jim Aanstoos,
director of Information Services. “And this software has a
very good implementation of the gradebook, attendance-taking
and scheduling functions, as well as web-based access to
grades and schedule for parents. The transition to any
major new software is always challenging, but on balance
this is very good for the faculty and the school.”
Website Gets New Look [top]
A new
sleeker, easier-to-navigate Cary Academy external website is
now patrolling the Internet. The new look went up July 18,
and if you haven’t seen it yet, go to
www.caryacademy.org and check it out.
The new
site has half the navigation buttons than the old site, and
much of the information from the old site has been condensed
under these new buttons. The new site has more pictures,
color and contrast. The result is a website that attains
the goal of the school’s Internet/Intranet Redesign
Committee: to be clear, concise, uncluttered and more
navigable.
Cary
Academy webmaster Kevin Rokuskie is pleased with the
results. “I’m very happy,” he said. “The site is a lot
cleaner, and we’re putting up new pictures on the homepage
all the time. The mission statement that you see on the
homepage is done in Macromedia Flash, and that gives it more
pizzazz.
“The
committee did an excellent job,” Rokuskie continued. “I’m
very happy with the students who served and the parents and
faculty who made their suggestions throughout the whole
process.”
Rokuskie
singled out two student volunteers on the committee who
played an integral part in putting together the new website,
especially the homepage. Richard Findel (’05) designed the
look of the homepage, and Jeffrey Stanton (’06) wrote the
JavaScript incorporated into the homepage.
Taylor Meyer takes state tennis title [top]
Rising
tenth grader Taylor Meyer won seven straight matches to
claim the Boy’s 16 division title at the North Carolina
Junior State Closed tennis tournament, held July 29-Aug. 4
at the Cary Tennis Center.
Taylor, the
fifth seed in his age group at the tournament, defeated
top-seeded William Parker 6-4, 1-6, 6-2.
To claim
his trophy, Taylor had to overcome a sluggish start. “I was
rusty in the beginning,” he said. “Every match was pretty
close except for the first one. I focused on staying in
there the whole match and playing the best I could on the
big points. I learned you can still pull through even if
you don’t have your ‘A’ game.”
Taylor
plays on the varsity tennis team at CA and trains at Raleigh
Racquet Club.
Latest “Parent News” Available Now [top]
Be on the
lookout for the August 2005 edition of “Parent News.” If it
isn’t in your mailbox, it should be soon! (The electronic
version of the newsletter
can be accessed here.)
Information on the following is included in this month’s
edition:
-
Middle
School Meet the Team Night
-
the
2005-06 extended day program
-
the
supply list for sixth through eighth grades
-
the
inaugural edition of the Cary Academy Performing Arts
Program
Also, an
article describing the new fundraising program for CA,
Charger Bucks, appears in the newsletter. Formerly know as
“scrip,” Charger Bucks are prepaid cards and gift
certificates from Cary Academy that can be used, same as
cash, at hundreds of area retailers and restaurants.
July 2005
New Faculty, Staff Join Cary Academy [top]
Thirteen
is a lucky number for Cary Academy this summer as it adds a
baker’s dozen of new employees. These individuals bring a
diverse wealth of experience in both public and private
academic settings to Cary Academy.
Click here for more
information about the new employees.
New Staff/Faculty Attend Orientation [top]
The
newest employees of Cary Academy are learning the ins and
outs of the institution during an orientation process that
started July 27 and will run through Aug. 5.
Orientation
is designed to welcome new staff and faculty members but
also to prepare them for their careers at Cary Academy.
Thus the process covers the basics such as benefit
explanations and enrollment, building tours, and photocopy
training, but it also includes diversity training and
computer training.
The
computer training includes tutorials for those faculty who
will be using Toshiba Tablet PCs in their classrooms, and
training sessions on how to navigate the school’s
comprehensive database, Blackbaud.
Sessions
are provided on the many uses of the
school’s website, including the setting up of personal
websites inside the school’s system. Faculty may use their
websites to post anything from homework to class projects to
syllabi.
Immediately
following the end of new staff/faculty orientation the
school will provide an orientation/training period for all
faculty from Aug. 8-16. “Each year we devote eight or nine
days to faculty training to give our faculty a chance to
collaborate on curriculum, to learn about new technology and
apply that to their teaching,” said Head of School Don
Berger.
“We also
use the time to review school polices and procedures and
practices so our faculty are absolutely ready to begin the
year in the best possible position,” Berger added.
Asst. Upper School Head Awarded Fellowship for School
Leaders [top]
Eric
Bondy, assistant head of the Upper School at Cary Academy,
has been selected by the National Association of Independent
Schools (NAIS) to receive an NAIS/ Edward E. Ford Fellowship
for Aspiring Heads. The fellowship supports the professional
development of independent school administrators who have
shown significant leadership ability. Through intensive
programming, mentoring, and specialized projects, NAIS/E.E.
Ford Fellows develop their leadership capacities and learn
about the major issues facing independent schools today. The
program prepares these individuals to take on future
leadership roles. Bondy is one of 68 Fellows for 2005-06.
The 50 men and 18 women hail from NAIS member schools in 24
states.
Friday
Fellowships Awarded [top]
Five Cary Academy teachers
have been selected as this year’s recipients of the William
C. Friday Summer Fellowships, which provide financial
assistance for faculty to pursue professional development
opportunities in the summer. Recipients are Andrew
Chiaraviglio, Robin Follet, Todd Shy, Vince Janney, and Josh
Hartman. Descriptions of their proposed projects are:
Andrew
Chiaraviglio, MS Science & Mathematics
Andrew Chiaraviglio will spend three weeks strengthening his
Geographic Information (GIS) software skills, producing a
practical (GIS-based) electronic campus map, and preparing
to give additional GIS training to interested Cary Academy
colleagues.
Robin
Follet, US English
Robin Follet will apply his Friday Fellowship to the
completion of a young adult novel. Doing such will enable
him to polish writing abilities that he can pass on to his
students, to explore one of the keystone motifs of 9th-grade
World Literature (the Hero’s Journey), and to teach writing
by example.
Vince
Janney, MS History, and Josh Hartman, MS Language Arts
Vince Janney and Josh Hartman
will travel for two weeks through Cambodia to gain
perspective on that country’s history and culture so that
they can give a voice to one of the smaller Southeast Asian
nations. They will create a variety of curriculum components
such as video lectures, PowerPoint presentations, handouts,
and activity sheets for use in the sixth and seventh grade
Humanities program.
Todd
Shy, MS Language Arts/History
Todd Shy will use his Friday Fellowship to attend Summer
Literary Seminars in St. Petersburg, Russia, which offer a
unique inter-cultural exchange of Russian and American
writers. One of his goals is to expand the inclusion of
Russian culture into the curriculum.
Cary Academy Sets Fall Athletic
Schedule [top]
The Cary Academy Athletic Department has released the fall
schedules for its varsity, junior varsity and middle school
teams. In all, the school will field 15 teams with more than
250 events scheduled to take place between mid-August and
the end of October.
While the
middle school and junior varsity teams play as independents,
the varsity teams will face a slate of games against
conference foes in the “new” Triangle Independent School
Athletic Conference (TISAC). With the loss of Cardinal
Gibbons High School, the TISAC now includes Cary Academy,
Durham Academy, North Carolina School of Science and
Mathematics, North Raleigh Christian Academy, Ravenscroft
School, and Saint Mary’s School.