Both basketball teams fourth in tournament; Debnam named MOP.
On Dec. 29, in the third-place boys’ game of the Cary News Holiday Invitational, the Chargers fell to NCISAA 1A power Greenfield School 60-56 to take fourth place.  The Chargers record is now even at 7-7.  The girls also finished fourth when they lost to Southern Durham 40-70. Nick Debnam (‘08) was named the boys’ bracket Most Outstanding Player, and Dara Brown (’09) made the girl’s All-Tournament team.  The All-Tournament teams were selected by a vote of all head coaches (coaches voted for players at the conclusion of each game). Coach and Athletic Director Randy Jordan said that, overall, the tournament was a success. Ragsdale won the boys’ bracket by defeating Durham Academy 82-45.  In the girls’ bracket, Rabun Gap won by forfeit over Western Harnett 2-0.  (Western Harnett had mistakenly over-scheduled games and was over the allowed NCHSAA limit).
Trio campaigns for Edwards in Iowa; alum debates in Thailand
Firoz Jameel (’09), John Nelson(’08) and Elizabeth Atkins (’08) have been in Iowa campaigning for John Edwards in his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.  The three received school-approved absences before the break so they could get directly involved in the presidential campaign process.  All had been very active in politics prior to this trip.  Nelson has been volunteering for Edwards, and Atkins worked for a congressman as a page last summer.  Jameel has been active in local campaigns in Cary and Wake counties. Alum and former CA debater Haley Nix (’05), who attends Yale University, did very well at the recently completed World Schools Debate Finals in Thailand:  Her team made it to the top 16 out of 400 international teams.
Author to visit Middle School
Susan Fletcher, author of Shadow Spinner, will be visiting the sixth and seventh grades on Friday, Jan. 11, to answer questions about her book and about writing. She will arrive at 10 a.m. and then meet with the seventh grade in the Lecture Hall at 10:30.  At  noon, she will converse with the sixth grade. From 2-3 p.m., Fletcher will autographs books in the library for the students.

US girls’ self-defense class offered for second trimester
Spots are now being reserved for the second session of classes for a girls’ self-defense class.  The class is sponsored by the Student Council and the PTAA, and there will be a charge of $9 per student. The instructors are certified by the American Women’s Self Defense Association.  They will teach prevention and awareness tactics in addition to physical defensive techniques.  Topics covered will include verbal assertiveness, threat assessment and recognition, auto safety, lowlight awareness, padded assailant training and other physical resistance techniques.
The series of five, two-hour classes will be offered on Thursdays from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.  The class size will be limited to 20 participants.  The second series of classes will be held on Jan. 10, Jan. 17, Jan. 31, Feb. 7 and Feb. 21.  To reserve a spot in this class, please contact Lauren_Jamiolkowski@caryacademy.org

Great spirit, returning alums turn Homecoming into a smash
From exciting games to rousing student spirit to a packed Alumni Room, the eighth annual Homecoming  celebration, held Dec. 20, proved to be a great day and night of events for Cary Academy.
During the pep rally held near the end of the school day, the cheerleaders and the step team generated excitement and anticipation.  Students and staff poured out of the gym enthused, and many returned with their families for a spaghetti dinner that night at the cafeteria.  Lots of happy alumni returned for Homecoming and mingled with fellow alums and CA teachers at a hospitality room in the gym.  A first ever Alumni Parent Social, hosted by the PTAA and the Alumni Office, took place in the lobby of the Fine Arts Building. In athletic action, the boys’ varsity basketball team beat Kestrel Heights 83-46, while the girls’ varsity lost its first TISAC game 31-38 to St. Mary’s.  In swimming action versus Riverside High School, the girls won 110-60, and the boys lost 66-104.  
  
                 

Averell wins Geo Bee
Michael Averell  (’13) captured the 10^th annual Middle School GeoBee Dec. 13.  In the final round he correctly answered all three questions, outlasting Nicole Ackman (’13) for the title of school champion.
Averell will now take a written test to try to qualify for the state-level competition in the spring. 
The 10 finalists were, by grade:  6^th - Thomas Allemeier, Daniel Sheitman and Ted Waechter; 7^th - Averell
and Ackman; and 8^th - Joe Calder, Ryan Cinamon, Emily Schramm, Matt Lee and Rachel Holt.

Parent donor starts scholarship to aid with tuition—first of its kind
Often in independent schools, parents step forward with key areas of interest and work closely with the school to make their dream a reality. These gifts come in the form of endowments or scholarships to name a few. Cary Academy thanks Dr. Jay Bauman for starting the Stephanie Bauman Leadership and Character Scholarship to help a deserving Middle School student with tuition.  Stephanie graduated in 2007 and attends the University of Miami. The newly formed scholarship recognizes excellence in the areas of leadership and character and will provide up to $10,000 for a family who has demonstrated financial need. The award committee will select a MS student who exhibits outstanding academic effort , character,  and leadership, and who demonstrates involvement in school activities.  Students will not apply for the scholarship, and the recipient will not be announced to the community due to the confidential nature of our financial aid process and award recipients.  The selection process will begin in January 2008. Cary Academy welcomes parents to share their ideas and bring forth their major gifts to the Head of School or the Director of Advancement.

Artist teaches African symbol art
Visiting artist Charles Joyner spent the week of Dec. 10-14 teaching 10th grade World Arts students about Adinkra symbols. Joyner taught the students how to make Adinkra stamps and how to print Adinkra patterns.  Adinkra symbols originated in Ghana. Joyner is an artist and a professor at the College of Design at NCSU.  The PTAA sponsored his visit through a Cultural Arts grant.

Graham 23rd at USATF; Bergdolt skates to 7th
Thomas Graham (’12) placed 23rd at the USATF Junior Olympic National Cross Country Championship on Dec. 8 in Lawrence, KS.  With a time of 13:57 for 4K (2.5 miles), he was the top finisher from the Southeast’s Region III, representing NC, SC, GA and VA. Kay Bergdolt (’14) skated with her partner at the Junior Figure Skating Nationals in Salt Lake City Nov. 26-30.  They finished second in the qualifying round and 7th in the final.  The duo would have been higher in the final round, but because of a technical and new interpretation of the rules, they did not get credit or points for their death spiral.  If they had, they would have been second or third overall. 

Don’t forget…Homecoming is Dec. 20 
TCA’s eighth annual homecoming will be Dec. 20.  All are invited to the pep rally at 2:45 p.m.  A spaghetti supper will be held in the dining hall from 5-7 p.m.  The cost is $5 per person (kids 6 and under eat free).  Please see the flyer for more information on homecoming and for your RSVP section that needs to be in by Dec. 14 if you plan to come to the supper. Support the Charger teams by attending the games before or after dinner.  Admission to the basketball games is two canned/non-perishable food items per person. Canned goods will be donated to the North Carolina Food Bank.  The game times:  at 4:30 p.m. the swim  team will host Riverside; at 6 the varsity girls’ basketball team will play St. Mary’s; and at 7:45 the varsity boys will take on Kestrel Heights. CA alumni are invited to the hospitality room in the SEA.  This year for the first time, an Alumni Parent Social, sponsored by the Alumni Office and the PTAA, will be held in the Fine Arts lobby from 7-9 p.m.  For more information on this social, call Melinda Bissett at 228-4654.

NHS sponsors lecture on free speech  
The opening lecture in the latest National Honor Society lectures series took place Dec. 12 and focused on the always-hot topic of free speech.  The lecture was titled Say Anything:  Is Free Speech an Absolute?
The discussion featured Katherine Lewis Parker, the legal director of the North Carolina ACLU, and Michael J. Gerhardt, the Samuel Ashe Distinguished Professor in constitutional law and director of the Center for Law and Government at UNC.   
 “The goal of the NHS lecture series is always to highlight parts of our society and nation that we don't necessarily pay much attention to every day, but that affect us nonetheless,” said Max Hamilton (’08), who is in charge of NHS publicity.  “One such example of this is the bill barring NC minors from having a MySpace account without parental permission.  When (Parker) mentioned that this was going through the state senate, there were a lot of surprised looks exchanged among the audience.”

AMTP goes on road to CCMS
After two years of work, Middle School science department chair Dr. Joselyn Todd was able to coordinate a collaboration between Centennial Campus Middle School (CCMS) and her Advances in Medical Technology Program. The collaborative effort focused on a cardiovascular structure and function module and took place Dec. 4 and 6 at CCMS.  The collaboration involved four CA teachers, 10 CCMS teachers, at least two AMTP collaborators, 200 CCMS students (the entire 7th grade), and 32 of CA’s students who have taken the AMTP.  The group, spread out over eight classrooms, dissected hearts on Dec. 4 and on Dec. 6. In addition, they created a podcast. 

Meyer, Sarnoff to play in USTA tourney
Two members of Cary Academy's boys’ tennis team will compete in the USTA Winter National Championships in Scottsdale, AZ.  Taylor Meyer ('08) and Zach Sarnoff ('09) both qualified for the tournament to be held Dec. 27-Jan. 1.  Meyer will be playing in the Boys 18-and-Under division, and Sarnoff will be playing in the Boys 16-and-Under division.  Exactly 128 of the top junior players in each age group from across the country will be participating in the championships.  

Homecoming set for Dec. 20 
CA’s eighth annual homecoming will be Dec. 20.  All are invited to the pep rally at 2:45 p.m.  A spaghetti supper will be held in the dining hall from 5-7 p.m.  The cost is $5 per person (kids 6 and under eat free).  Please see the flyer for more information on homecoming and for your RSVP section that needs to be in by Dec. 14 if you plan to come to the supper. Support the Charger teams by attending the games before or after dinner.  Admission to the basketball games is two canned/non-perishable food items per person. Canned goods will be donated to the North Carolina Food Bank. 
The game times:  at 4:30 p.m. the swim  team will host Riverside; at 6 the varsity girls’ basketball team will play St. Mary’s; and at 7:45 the varsity boys will take on Kestrel Heights. CA alumni are invited to the hospitality room in the SEA.  This year for the first time, an Alumni Parent Social, sponsored by the Alumni Office and the PTAA, will be held in the Fine Arts lobby from 7-9 p.m.  For more information on this social, call Melinda Bissett at 228-4654.

MS Robotics Team earns second-place finish The Middle School Robotics Team under the team name the (Time) Chargers placed second out of 61 teams in the category of Teamwork at the FIRST LEGO League state competition held Dec. 1 in Greensboro.  The judges were impressed with the team’s ability to work together as a unit, its creative teamwork presentation and its willingness to help other teams with its robots.  CA’s 10 students were great ambassadors for Cary Academy, keeping a positive attitude and professional demeanor for all 12 hours of the contest.  Despite having robot issues that team members desperately wanted to work out during the competition, they took the time to help other teams that also had robotic difficulties.    TTeam members are:  Joseph Cornett (’13), Richard He (’13), Jacob Kuo (’13), Patrick Lambert (’13), Adit Namdev (’13), Alexandre Pauwels (’13), Emily Apperson (’12), Cameron Mankin (’12), Megan McKay (’12) and David Moon (’12).  In sports: Blackwell garners award, Graham second in XC racebr> Brittany Blackwell (’07) of UNC-Wilmington has earned a Rookie-of-the-Week award from the Colonial Athletic Association in women’s basketball. Blackwell averaged 13.5 points, nine rebounds, two steals and two assists as the women’s team collected a pair of victories over regional rivals College of Charleston and Elon. The forward shot a torrid 68.8 percent from the floor. Thomas Graham (’12) placed second at the USATF Junior Olympic Region III Championship on Nov. 17 in Winston, GA, for the 13-14 year-old Youth Boys Division.  This qualifies him for the National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championship in Lawrence, KS, on Dec. 8.  The national championship will be a single race in which the top 300 13-14 year-olds in the United States will line up and compete against each other.  Upper School students dress down to help Bangladesh cyclone victims The Upper School is sponsoring efforts to help victims of Bangladesh's Cyclone Sidr.  Although official figures have yet to be published, the Red Cross estimates that the cyclone has killed up to 10,000 people, over half of the country's rice crop has been destroyed, and millions have been left homeless and without their means of livelihood.  Led by US students Firoz Jameel (‘09), Kenji Jameel (‘11), Andrew Copland (‘09) and Sonja Thalheimer (‘09), the Cary Academy community is doing something to help the cyclone victims.   According to Firoz, "Bangladesh is one of the poorest countries in the world, and the impact of a very small amount of aid can make such a huge difference.  For example, 28 dollars will feed, educate, and maintain a Bengali child's health for an entire month."  Hot cocoa and breakfast items have been sold all week.  In addition, starting Thursday, Nov. 29, Dress Down pins, allowing the purchaser to dress casually without fear of detentions, will be on sale.  As of Nov. 28, the school has raised over $650.  All proceeds of this week-long fundraiser will be donated in Cary Academy's name to Save The Children's Cyclone in Bangladesh Relief Fund. Financial Aid process for 2008-09 underway  All applicants interested in financial aid for the 2008-09 academic year are requested to complete the Parent Financial Statement (PFS) online.  The PFS is available on the Cary Academy external website under the admission tab and on the School and Student Services (SSS) website www.nais.org/financialaid/sss.  By completing the online PFS, Cary Academy should receive a report of your information within 48 hours.  To apply for financial aid at Cary Academy, you must complete the following by Jan. 7, 2008: ·         Submit a copy of the Parents Financial Statement (PFS) to School and Student Services (SSS).  The SSS School Code for Cary Academy is 2139. ·         Provide a copy of your 2006 tax return with all supporting schedules and W-2 statements to the Cary Academy Admissions Office.    The Cary Academy Financial Aid Committee will consider your financial aid application if you complete the PFS by the Jan. 7 deadline and submit a copy of your 2006 tax return.  Enrollment contracts for current students will be mailed in February and will include financial aid determinations. If an award is granted and accepted for the 2008-09 school year, a copy of the 2007 tax return you submit to the IRS must be submitted to the Financial Aid Committee by May 1, 2008.  If you file electronically, the copy submitted to the Cary Academy Financial Aid Committee must be signed.  The Committee will review your finalized tax forms and reserves the right to amend your financial aid award based upon these documents. Please let Director of Admissions Denise Goodman, ext. 4550, know if you have any questions about the forms or financial aid process. Holiday Shoppe welcomes patrons The annual Cary Academy Holiday Shoppe 2007 started Nov. 29.  It will run through Dec. 1 at the SEA.  This free event is open to the public. Patrons are purchasing a multitude of gift items, including glass bird feeders, professionally crafted silver and gemstone jewelry,  floral arrangements, dog and cat treats, sports memorabilia, and clothing, belts and tote bags.  Local Cary businesses like Sew You Like It and Beyond Blue Interiors are part of the multitude of vendors on hand.  During the run of the Holiday Shoppe, daily door prizes will be given away.              The hours for the Holiday Shoppe are:                  Thursday, Nov. 29, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.                Friday, Nov. 30, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 6:30-9 p.m.                Saturday, Dec. 1, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Proceeds from Holiday Shoppe go to community outreach and need-based scholarships.  There is no tax charged on Holiday Shoppe purchases.  Almost 300 volunteers are helping put on the event. Come shop at Holiday Shoppe 2007  Fifty new vendors have joined the impressive lineup of businesses that will put their wares up for sale at Cary Academy’s annual Holiday Shoppe 2007, to be held Nov. 29-Dec. 1 at the SEA.  This free event is open to the public. Patrons will be able to purchase a multitude of gift items, including glass bird feeders from The Glass Garden, professionally crafted silver and gemstone jewelry,  floral arrangements by Fabulous Finds of Raleigh, dog and cat treats and accessories from Dapper Dander of Sanford, as well as clothing, belts and tote bags from businesses such as Vineyard Vines, At Ease of Raleigh, Sunflowers of Apex, and As You Wish.  Local Cary businesses like Sew You Like It and Beyond Blue Interiors also will be at the shoppe. During the run of the Holiday Shoppe, daily door prizes will be given away.                      The hours for the Holiday Shoppe are:   Thursday, Nov. 29, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 30, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 6:30-9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Proceeds from Holiday Shoppe go to community outreach and need-based scholarships.  There is no tax charged on Holiday Shoppe purchases.  Almost 300 volunteers are helping put on the event. Key Club assists runners, Interact In preparation for the Old Reliable Race on Nov. 11, 30 Key Club members stuffed 2,800 runners’ bags on Oct. 30 for the United Way and race sponsor, Talecris.  And for the fourth year, 35 Key and Beta Club members volunteered at the race.  In addition, CA students, an alum and one staff member ran in the race.  Nick Kisley (’09) sprinted to second place in the 5K.  Information Services administrator Marita Gonsalves ran the 5K, and her daughters, Lianne (’06) and Rachel (’10), ran the 10K. For the third year, the Key Club donated and delivered a Thanksgiving meal and grocery store gift cards to Interact to ensure a meal for families displaced from their homes by domestic violence.
Eight represent CA at NC Honors Chorus  On Nov. 9-10, five Middle School and three Upper School chorus students participated in the North Carolina Honors Chorus.  There were approximately 185 students from across the state in both the Middle School Chorus and the High School Chorus.  Close to 1,200 singers auditioned for each of the choruses.  Julie Cooper (’08), Seth Johnson (’09) and Danielle Curran (’08) represented the Upper School.  Cooper and Johnson have been selected to the chorus for the past two years.  Curran was honored as a third-year participate.  The MS reps were Adidit Dholakia (’14), Victor Walker (’13), Griffin Sanford (’13), Matt Lee (’12) and Thomas Graham (’12). When all the students who had been selected to MS Honors Chorus were asked to remain standing if they had been selected for three years straight, the only student left upright was CA’s very own Lee.  Walker made the chorus for the second year.
Boys’ basketball teams see first action of new season The varsity Chargers started the ’07-08 season Nov. 14 with a 64-53 loss to St. David’s School.  CA jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead and led 11-9 at the end of the first period.  A slow second quarter hurt the team, but another quick start in the third put the Chargers right back in the game.  Coach Randy Jordan said the team got great looks at the basket in the last period but couldn’t get their shots to fall. Leading the Chargers were Stuart Gordon (‘08) with 21 points on 3-for-3 shooting from behind the arc. Nick Debnam (‘08) had nine points and four assists, and Jared Carson (‘08) had seven points and two picks.  Alexander Stuart (‘08) came off the bench to grab five boards, and Cameron Walton (’11) had two steals. In jayvee action, the CA boys kept up a relentless attack and beat SDS 57-38.  Nine different players scored, including Peter Nasuti (‘10) with 19, Paul Vandergrift (‘11) with nine and Jason Sigmon (’10) with six.  The Chargers outrebounded St. David’s 57-34.  Nasuti accounted for 20 rebounds, while Bryan Apperson (‘10) and Vandergrift had six apiece.

Jiang assembles winning iTest team  
In September, Damien Jiang (‘10) gathered a group of the best math students from across North Carolina to participate in the iTest (www.theitest.com), a national high school math competition that is administered through the Internet. In October, after five days of grueling work and collaboration, the team submitted its answers.  The team missed only one problem and solved all of the tiebreaker problems. With a score of 98.4/100, the North Carolina team emerged in first place from among 336 teams from across the nation.

CA serving up Fall Break tennis camp
TSG Academies is partnering with Cary Academy to offer a Fall Break Tennis Camp for Cary Academy students interested in developing or enhancing their tennis game.  The camp will be held Nov. 12-16 from 8:30 a.m. to noon (half-day program) or from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (full-day program).
For registration info, click here for the flier. 

US news: Governor School nominees named; vocal group visits 
On Nov. 7, Grains of Time, an a cappella men’s group from NCSU, delivered a workshop/concert for the Upper School chorus students. 
In other Upper School news the nominees for Governor’s School have been announced.  They will join a pool of applicants from across the state seeking 800 slots for this program.
The nominees are:  Firoz Jameel (’09) – Spanish; Jackie Bennett (‘09) – Spanish; Connor Smithson (‘09) – Spanish; Therice Morris (‘09) – Natural Science; Damien Jiang (‘10) – Instrumental Music; John Peebles (‘09) – Natural Science; and Michelle Wainer (‘09) – Visual Arts.

Debate team hits right notes at Florida Blue Key tourney
The Cary Academy debate team recently attended the Blue Key tournament, hosted by the University of Florida, for the first time, and four students lead the way in an impressive team performance.
Arjun Chandran (‘08) won the tournament title in Varsity Lincoln Douglas Debate by winning the final round on a 3-2 decision.  He was first in a pool of 84 debaters who represented five different states.  After six preliminary rounds the tournament broke to Double Octas where Chandran proceeded to defeat five opponents on his way to the tournament title.
In Novice LD, John Peebles (‘09) advanced to the round of 16 before losing in only his third LD tournament.  In Extemporaneous Speaking, both John Nelson (‘08) and Firoz Jameel (‘09) double broke, advancing in the Domestic and Foreign divisions.  Nelson went all the way to the final round in the Domestic division and placed fifth.  He also made the quarterfinals of Foreign Extemp.  Jameel was a quarterfinalist in Domestic and a semifinalist in Foreign.

Largest-ever contingent enjoys Grandparents’ Day The annual Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day, held Nov. 2, drew the largest crowd in its 10-year history.       Following opening remarks over breakfast in the cafeteria by Head of School Don Berger, senior class President Max Hamilton (’08) and Upper School Student Council President Hill Winstead (’08), the attendees visited the classrooms of their sponsoring CA student.  Around 10 a.m. the group gathered in the theater for student performances, and afterward many grandparents took part in the blood pressure clinic in the lobby.  Dr. Joselyn Todd’s AMTP class conducted the clinic.      “Just being able to spend time with her is fun,” said Kyle Lerch (’14) of his grandmother, Carol Knight, who visited from Raleigh.  “I’ve enjoyed showing her my everyday routine.”               Tennis player Kohagen named conference POY for 4th year running Varsity girls’ tennis player Kirsten Kohagen (’09) has been named the Player of the Year by the NCISAA conference for the fourth year in a row.  Also for the fourth year in a row, she made the all-conference team and the all-state team.  Kohagen was undefeated this season at the #1 position for CA.  She received the Charger Cup award for the tennis team. Players Marissa Meir (‘09) and Haleigh Morgus (‘12) also received all-conference awards in varsity tennis this season. Morgus, an eighth-grader, received the Up and Coming Award for the team and posted an undefeated season at the #3 position.   Afghani student speaks to 7th grade run Nov. 1-4 On Oct. 29, the PTAA Cultural Arts program sponsored a visit to the seventh grade by Benafsha Noori, an Afghani student currently studying at Meredith College.  She is a refugee and survivor of the Taliban regime and is one of only 30 Afghan women selected to receive a college education in the United States as part of the recent Initiative to Educate Afghan Women (IEAW).  Her personal perspective and experiences complemented the students’ study of The Breadwinner (a novel depicting life under the Taliban) in Language Arts.  During her talk, she informed the students of what it was like having to wear a burqua, the concept of an arranged marriage, and many other items of cultural significance.  She also described her experiences growing up in Afghanistan and her family’s flight to Pakistan once the Taliban took control of the country.  In Pakistan, she focused on her education and several years later was hired in Afghanistan to work for the United Nations World Food Program as a manager overseeing 50 people   US Variety Show a success Citizen, a band made up of four sophomores, opened the 7th annual Upper School Variety Show Oct. 26 with a three-song set. The rest of the show featured a combination of instrumental and voice performances from students and a blend of bands, self-expressionists and comedians.  “I am glad that Cary Academy has an event like the Variety Show because it give students an opportunity to show everyone what they’re made of and for them to do something on their own,” said performer Aaron Harrington (’10). Advisor Katy Allen said the show went well.  “We had a large - just short of sellout - crowd that seemed very appreciative and produced lots of applause.  There were over 75 students involved in cast and crew, and they did a great job.”   All Five Fall Teams Advance to States; three from XC make All State For the first time in the school’s history, all five of Cary Academy’s fall sports teams – tennis, field hockey, volleyball, cross country and soccer – advanced to the state tournament!! In boys’ soccer, the team traveled to Providence Country Day as the # 10 seed and played a very hard and well played match, but fell 2-0.  The field hockey team lost 6-0 to the #1 state seed.  The volleyball squad won in five games to advance to the state semis but then lost to Wesleyan Christian Academy, 25 – 21, 25 – 18, 25 – 22.  Girls’ tennis won 8-1 to advance to the state semis, but dropped a close match to St. Mary’s, 5-4. Both the varsity girls’ and boys’ cross country teams finished in third place at the state tournament.  Nick Kisley (‘09) finished second, eighth-grader Thomas Graham (’12) finished sixth, and Rachel Park (’08) finished ninth.  All three made All State. CA Annual Book Fair at B&N to run Nov. 1-4   Cary Academy will hold its annual book fair Nov. 1-4 at the Cary Barnes & Noble bookstore on Maynard Road.  The library will receive a percentage of all CA purchases of books, music, software, magazines, gifts, and food and drink items from the café.  All proceeds will go to enhancing the library’s collection. During the four-day event, artwork by Cary Academy students will be on display at the store.  Instructor Margo Smith’s seventh and eighth grade visual art students will display decorated ceramic teapots.  The Upper School art students will display personal works of art.  On Sunday, Nov. 4, from 4-5 p.m. a reception at the store for the artists will be held with light refreshments. A special Cary Academy “wish list” table will be located in the store for those interested in purchasing a specific book for donation to the CA library. Book fair vouchers are available here and in both school offices and the library.  If you forget your voucher, they should also be available at each cash register.  New this year:  If you cannot make it to the Barnes & Noble in Cary, please visit a Barnes & Noble near your home.  Vouchers will be accepted at all Barnes & Noble stores located in the Triangle (Crabtree, Southpoint, Briar Creek, Triangle Town Center, and Durham).   Please contact Carol Winslett, CA Librarian, at 677-3873, ext. 4547, for further information. Grandparents’ Day coming Nov. 2   Cary Academy’s annual Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day will be held Friday, Nov. 2. A reception in the Student Center will start at 8 a.m. Classroom visits will begin at 8:55, and at 9:45, guests will be treated to student performances in the theater.  An optional campus tour will conclude the day. During the reception, Head of School Don Berger and two Upper School student government leaders will address the visitors. Virtual visit by author highlights potpourri of school news   · Chris Eboch, author of The Well of Sacrifice, spoke to the sixth grade Oct. 23 about her Mayan novel during a virtual visit.  She answered questions from the kids for most of an hour.  Most of the questions were about the history of the Maya, but the students spent a considerable amount of time asking her about the characters in the novel.  The PTAA sponsored the event, and the IT department (with much help from Sam Morris and Kevin Rokuskie) coordinated the event. On Oct. 21-22, the CA Singers and the CA Ensemble participated in the Independent School Choral Festival held at St. Mary’s School and Meymandi Hall.  Nine independent schools from across North Carolina brought 266 students to participate in the event.  The performance included six choral selections, which were performed as a mass choir under the direction of  Dr. Deen Entsminger from Belmont University in Nashville, as well as one or two choral selections performed by each of the schools choruses.         Michael Kahn (’09) and Bryan Abadie (‘09), two AP chemistry students, have succeeded in locating the single black dot in a container with 1,000,000 dots. The plastic container, housed in Gray Rushin’s room, contained a combination of 888,889 blue dots, 100,000 yellow dots, 10,000 red dots, 1,000 white dots, 100 pink dots, 10 green dots, and only one black dot. The dots, each smaller than a sprinkle, filled a clear plastic container with a sealed lid. Students tried to find the single black dot for weeks before the two eagle-eyed lab partners succeeded. All Five Fall Sports Teams Advance to State Tournament For the first time in the school’s history, all five of Cary Academy’s Fall Sports Teams—Tennis, Field Hockey, Volleyball, Cross Country, and Soccer— advanced to the State Tournament!! Congratulations to the players and coaches for all their hard work and dedication. Many of the teams are beginning play today (see schedule above) and your support is welcomed! Seventh grade hears about diabetes; will participate in JDRF Walk Pediatrician and CA parent Dr. Gordon Still spoke to the seventh grade Oct. 12 on the etiology, symptoms and medical treatment of type 1 diabetes.  Volunteer speakers for JDRF (Junior Diabetes Research Foundation) also spoke on the realities and daily management of the disease. The seventh grade has chosen to support the JDRF as its service learning experience this year.  The class and community members will participate in the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes on Saturday, Oct. 27, at 10 a.m. at Nortel campus in RTP. To find out more about type 1 diabetes, or to sign up for the JDRF Walk team, or to make donations, please visit:  http://walk.jdrf.org/walker.cfm?id=86841534 Mankin designs new Holiday Card   Cameron Mankin (‘12) is this year’s winner of Cary Academy’s holiday card design contest.  Mankin said his design, which includes five snowmen that are each holding different objects, such as a paint brush and a basketball, symbolizes the different aspects of Cary Academy.  “I’ve always liked drawing and painting,” Mankin said. “I came up with the idea, and it flowed from there.  I just had a spark of inspiration and started drawing.” The challenging part of designing the card, Mankin said, was finding a design that would work well with the holiday theme. Mankin said one of his initial ideas involved a dancing figure, but he realized that it was too difficult to put into a snowman’s shape. Bands to put on October concerts  The CA bands will put on two late October concerts:  the annual Jazz on the Quad and a Halloween concert. Jazz on the Quad is set for Monday, Oct. 22, from 5-6:30 p.m. on the quad.  Feel free to bring a picnic, but no alcohol, please.  The concert will feature the MS Jazz Band, US Jazz Band, US Jazz Combos, and Citizen (student blues/rock band) along with Cecil Johnson, freelance saxophonist and adjunct faculty member for Jazz Improvisation. On Oct. 30, the bands and drumlines of both schools will put on a Halloween Concert from 7-8 p.m. at Cary Senior Center (Bond Park). Morris, Todd add to blogosphere Instructional Technology Director Sam Morris and Middle School science department chair and instructor Dr. Joselyn Todd have teamed up to create a blog designed to help teachers navigate through the world of Web 2.0 and other technology issues. Some of the initial posts include:  Virtual Field Trips with the Help of Tourists, Making OneNote more Printer Friendly, and Blogging 102: Hopefully You Are Reading Some Blogs? Now Create One. The blog may be accessed at this link:  http://www.4teacherssake.org/   Middle School XC, soccer teams win conference championships The Middle School boys’ and girls’ cross-country teams won the inaugural Triangle Middle School’s Conference Championships Oct. 11 at SAS Soccer Complex. In the boys’ race, Thomas Graham (’12) led the champion CA team with a first-place finish.  His nearest rival finished 20 seconds later.  In the girls’ race, Anna Hamilton (‘12) again led the champion CA team with a sixth-place finish, followed by a 10th place finish by Sydney Kalin (’13). Before the girl’s championship race, over 100 boys and girls from 10 teams competed in a non-scoring “B” race.  Gaurav Judge (’12) was the individual winner in a time of 11:49. In the TMSC soccer championship game Oct. 12, the CA Blue Team came out flat in the game’s first eight minutes and allowed Magellan to score on a solid header off a corner kick.  Some nifty saves by Jake Hammer (‘12) kept the score at 1-0. Then, in the 12th minute, C.J. Miller (‘12) scored off a nice Brett Reuben (‘12) pass.  Andrew Park (’12) soon scored on a penalty kick into the left side netting for a 2-1 CA advantage. Josh Kennedy (‘13) scored the third first-half goal. Reuben scored the final goal in the second half for a 4-1 CA victory.  Debate team earns awards; performs well in Philly The National Forensic League (NFL) has recently honored the Cary Academy NFL chapter with two prestigious awards.  The CA chapter has received the Leading Chapter Award in the Tar Heel East District.  This award, based upon student participation, is the highest honor NFL can bestow upon a chapter.  Out of 2,900 NFL member schools from across the country, CA is one of only 104 to receive this award.             In addition, the debate team has made it into the 200 Club of the NFL.  The team earned this award by achieving at least 200 degrees last year.  This placed the team in the top five percent of NFL chapters nationwide. The debate team competed at the University of Pennsylvania’s Liberty Bell Classic Invitational Oct. 6-7.  Firoz Jameel (’09) placed fourth in extemporaneous speaking, and Mike Rooney (’09) and Andrew Copland (’09) broke to quarterfinals in public forum.  Austin Cooper (’10) and Michael Kahn (’09) went 4-1 in public forum, but through an error in the tab room (they were listed as being 3-2), did not get to compete in quarterfinals.  The tournament will be recognizing their success, though. Over half of 2007 class AP scholars Exactly 51 members of the Class of 2007 have been designated as AP scholars.  This constitutes 52 percent of the entire class.  This is also the fourth year in a row that 50 percent or more of CA’s senior classes received AP scholar designation. Thirty-one members of the Class of 2007 received Scholar with Distinction recognition by earning an average grade of at least 3.5 on all AP exams and grades of 3 or higher on 5  or more of the exams.Four of the 31 students were named National AP Scholars.  These students averaged at least 4 on all AP exams and grades of 4 or higher on eight exams. Doctor to speak at Cary Academy on breast cancer Dr. Glenn Coates of Wake Radiology will talk about recent advances in the detection and treatment of breast cancer at a presentation Tuesday, Oct. 23, in the theater of the Fine Arts Building from 7-9 p.m. Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of premature death among women, but new methods of breast imaging are available, and greater knowledge of options for diagnosis and treatment can help women make informed decisions about their health. Dr. Coates will review facts about breast cancer and describe the promise Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) holds for cancer detection.  The presentation is free and open to the public.  It is sponsored by Cary Academy, Wake Radiology and the Cary Academy PTAA.  Metric Week, a burning ship?, a blog winner – all part of latest potpourri of school news It’s been quite an exciting past few days for the students of Cary Academy: On Oct. 9, the seventh grade students gathered outside on the MS hill and attempted to re-enact a piece of history.  The students simulated an ancient event in which Archimedes, a Greek scientist, used glass to reflect the sun and cause Roman ships to catch fire.  From 30 yards they aimed flat mirrors at a cardboard replica ship.  At one point, the ship got as hot as 125 degrees Celsius, or 257 degrees Fahrenheit, but it wasn’t enough to start a fire. Cameron Mankin’s (‘12) design has been selected to adorn Cary Academy’s holiday card this year. Aditi Dholakia (’14), Victor Walker (’13), Griffin Sanford (’13), Matt Lee (’12) and Thomas Graham (’12) have been selected to participate in the N.C. Middle School Honors Chorus. The sixth grade math and science classes celebrated National Metric Week Oct. 8-12 (the 10th  month of the year, and the week containing the 10th day).  Special activities included the Mini-metric Olympics, a metric prediction contest, daily CAST news features, and daily lunch announcements containing tidbits of metric knowledge. Instructors Bill Velto and Robert Coven contributed the lesson on page 118 of Digital Age –Technology based K-12 Lessons Plans for Social Studies.  The book was recently published by The National Council for the Social Studies. The AP Art students designed a life-size Totally Twisted pig for the State Fair. Andrew Hillenius (’08) won an Olin College contest to name its blog.  The college chose Olin-former. Alisha Jarwala (’11) will be performing an Indian dance at the Cary Diwali Celebration at Koka Booth Amphitheatre on Oct. 13 and at the International Festival of Raleigh at the N.C. State Fairgrounds on Nov. 3.   Tablet PC fall series announced The Technology Committee of the PTAA has announced its fall lineup in the Tablet PC Parent Education Series.  Several parents, teachers, and the Information System staff of Cary Academy have planned the topics.  All parents are invited. The sessions will be held in the lecture hall of the Fine Arts building from 7-8:30 p.m. on these dates: ·         Tuesday, Oct. 9  (The Tablet PC at School and Home) ·         Tuesday, Oct. 16  (Monitoring Internet Activity) ·         Wednesday, Oct 24  (Home Networking and Security) ·         Tuesday, Oct. 30  (Suggested Guidelines for Parents) Please mark your calendar, bring your questions, and RSVP to mark-easley@nc.rr.com , Technology Committee chair, if you are planning to attend any of the sessions. Y1K, service day keep 7th and 8th grades busy     The annual Y1K outdoor bazaar made its always-anticipated appearance at Cary Academy Oct. 3.  Seventh-graders dressed as Moors, Vikings and Chinese traders sold wares to parents and staff/faculty.  This year, the culture of India made its first appearance. On Sept. 28, the eighth grade, as part of its service day, traveled to venues such as Women’s Healing Place, Interfaith Food Shuttle, Builders of Hope and Disaster Relief Warehouse.  At each stop the students learned a little about the mission of each group, and then the students spent part of the day engaged in work at the site.  Examples of Friday’s activities included gleaning sweet potatoes to be delivered to the Interfaith Food Shuttle, packing food bags and delivering them to Elder Peak in Raleigh, and removing old carpet and tearing our drywall in houses to be renovated.
Meir competes in Southern Cup; three make state chorus   Marissa Meir (’09) participated in the Southern Cup (formerly the Junior Davis/Fed Cup) Tennis Tournament in Chattanooga, TN, September 7-9.  She was one of three girls selected in her age division to represent North Carolina.  Meir won three matches that contributed to North Carolina being awarded first place in its division.  Julie Cooper (’08), Danielle Curran (’08) and Seth Johnson (’09) have been named to the North Carolina High School Honors Chorus.

 

September 2007

Teams turn tailgate into roaring success   The Great Fall Tailgate, held Sept. 28, produced not only fantastic school and community spirit, but proved to be a  banner day on the field for the CA varsity teams, with all four winning their contests against Ravenscroft. The field hockey team won in thrilling fashion with a 3-2 double overtime victory.  This is the first conference win for the team.  Nicole Rothman (’08) knocked in the winning goal.  The volleyball squad took its match, three games to one.  In soccer action, the varsity boys won 1-0 on a header.  In JV games, the Lady Chargers volleyball team beat the Ravens 25-20 and 25-18.  The team leaders were Meg Bryson (‘11) with kills and serves, and Amy Holt (‘11) with great defense and serving.  Meanwhile, in Middle School action, the boys’ Blue team battled NRCA in soccer and won one-nil. The Gold girls’ volleyball team improved its record to 5-6 with a victory over Sallie B. Howard.  The girls’ Blue volleyball team lost to NRCA, two games to one.  In the rubber match, the girls fought back from a 4-10 hole but wound up losing 13-15.      Nominees named for Morehead, Park scholarships   Jackie Lee (’08) and Anna Morris (’08) have been named the school’s nominees for the Park Scholarship at North Carolina State University.  Max Hamilton (’08) and Rachel Park (’08) have been named the school’s nominees for the Morehead-Cain Scholarship at UNC-Chapel Hill. The Park Scholarships Selection Committee evaluates candidates based on four criteria set by the Park Foundation:  scholarship, leadership, service, and character. The Morehead-Cain Foundation seeks candidates based on the criteria of leadership, scholarship, moral force of character, and physical vigor. Austrian Students visiting   Twenty-five Austrian students arrived Sept. 18 for their exchange trip.  They are staying until Oct. 4. In addition to attending classes with their Cary Academy partners, the students are spending time with their host families.  Their visit to the area also includes a trip to Durham to see Duke Homestead and Duke Garden, a visit to Chapel Hill and UNC, bowling at Buffalo Lanes, participation in a CA scavenger hunt, and a tour of Raleigh and its museums. US news:  Debaters at WFU; Reedy Creek drive underway   On Sept. 15-16, sixteen students traveled to Wake Forest University for a debate competition.  CA had its best performance ever at the event with four students in elimination rounds:  Arjun Chandran (’08) in Varsity LD was ranked 12th speaker out of 140 entries but dropped in double octas; Andy Flook (’09) in Jr. Varsity LD placed second out of 58 entries; and John Nelson (’08) and Ben Goldhaber (’08) placed second and third respectively out of 57 entries in Extemporaneous Speaking.  Nelson bested Steven Wilson's ('04) third place of 2004. Out of 139 attending schools from across the country, Cary Academy placed around tenth.  Alumnus Nick Tarleton (’07) traveled with the team and assisted in judging. Rachel Gonsalves (’09) and Aneesh Kodali (’09), with support from the BETA Club,  are spearheading a school supply drive for Reedy Creek Elementary students in need.  The collected supplies will also be available for the RC students to replenish their backs during the school year.  If you would like to donate school supplies, drop-off bins are available in both the MS and US main halls.    Seniors receive National Merit recognition A quarter of the Class of 2008 has been recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program for its outstanding results on their junior year PSAT. Ten students have been recognized as National Merit semifinalists, placing them among the top 16,000 scorers (top one percent) out of 1.4 million test takers on the 2006 PSAT/NMSQT. These students continue on in the competition to compete for some 8,000 Merit Scholarship awards worth $32 million. These scholarships will be awarded in the spring. Cary Academy’s semi-finalists are seniors Elizabeth Atkins, Ben Goldhaber, Andrea Green, Max Hamilton, Corey Lerch, Michelle Luo, Charlotte Morgan, David Thorstad, Robert Thorstad and Diana Woodall. Cary Academy also has 14 students named Commended Students in the 2008 National Merit Scholarship Program. Although these students will not continue in the competition for Merit Scholarship awards, Commended Students placed among the top five percent of more than 1.4 million students who took the 2006 PSAT/NMSQT. Seniors recognized for this honor are Arjun Chandran, Max Dancik, Katherine Ernst, Max Flescher, Clayton Gladieux, Stuart Gordon, Rodrigo Haragutchi, Angela Hayes, Melanie Mason, Taylor Meyer, Anna Morris, Kimberly Ray, Hill Winstead and Rachel Yip.

The Great Fall Tailgate is Sept. 28   Mark those calendars!  The Great Fall Tailgate is coming Friday, Sept. 28, from 3-7 p.m. behind the stadium. The event is being sponsored by the Chargers Club.  They will be serving hamburgers, hotdogs, chips, cookies and drinks.  Dinner can be purchased during the athletic events that afternoon.  Come cheer for the Chargers! For information, or to volunteer, please contact Beth Rosenkampff at brosenkampff@nc.rr.com.    The Charger Corner will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in conjunction with the Tailgate event. The store will be featuring a sale of 10% off all regular priced items.  Contact Pamela Huff for more info.

Ukrainian music teachers visit Six music teachers from the Ukraine, along with an interpreter, dropped in on Eric Grush’s ADV Music Theory Students Sept. 20.     The teachers are visiting the area through the International Affairs Council and are going to seminars at many schools and educational institutions in the area.             The group entertained the students with two songs, one a Ukrainian folk song, and virtuoso piano playing.

Two get Bridges scholarships Librarian Carol Winslett and math instructor Sue Tombes are the 2007-08 Bridges Scholarship recipients.  Both will attend a week-long renewal seminar offered by the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching on Ocracoke Island.  Winslett’s January seminar will focus on personal health and wellness, while Tombes’ May seminar will explore the impact of emotional intelligence on learning.

US news:  Debaters at WFU; Reedy Creek drive underway   On Sept. 15-16, sixteen students traveled to Wake Forest University for a debate competition.  CA had its best performance ever at the event with four students in elimination rounds:  Arjun Chandran (’08) in Varsity LD was ranked 12th speaker out of 140 entries but dropped in double octas; Andy Flook (’09) in Jr. Varsity LD placed second out of 58 entries; and John Nelson (’08) and Ben Goldhaber (’08) placed second and third respectively out of 57 entries in Extemporaneous Speaking.  Nelson bested Steven Wilson's ('04) third place of 2004. Out of 139 attending schools from across the country, Cary Academy placed around tenth.  Alums Swapanthi Nagulpally (’07) and Nick Tarleton (’07) traveled with the team and assisted in judging. Rachel Gonsalves (’09) and Aneesh Kodali (’09), with support from the BETA Club,  are spearheading a school supply drive for Reedy Creek Elementary students in need.  The collected supplies will also be available for the RC students to replenish their backs during the school year.  If you would like to donate school supplies, drop-off bins are available in both the MS and US main halls.

Fun fest cancelled; reset for April 11 With a rain forecast looming, the decision has been made to cancel Fun Fest for tomorrow, Friday, Sept. 14. The event has been rescheduled for Friday, April 11, 2008. If you’ve registered for Fun Fest, your name, record of payment and permission slip will remain on file for April 11. If you prefer to re-register in April and want a refund or credit to your account at this time, please e-mail Christine Gilmore by Sept. 21.

Middle School Parent Social Sept. 28 The Middle School Parent Social, presented by the PTAA, will be Friday, Sept. 28, from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at the Wessex Clubhouse (112 Bathgate Lane, Cary). This social coincides with the Middle School Dance, so parents can come and meet their peers while their kids dance the night away. Adults only, please. Questions should be directed to PTAA Middle School reps Karen Green (karengreen43@nc.rr.com) or Sue Haberberger (suehab@bellsouth.net). The directions to Wessex from Cary Academy: right onto Harrison, left onto Weston Parkway, left onto Midenhall Way (just past the Arboretum), frst right onto Bathgate, clubhouse is on right.

Lipscomb sings while Bennett may speak   Katie Lipscomb (’11) sang the national anthem Sept. 5 before the Durham Bulls playoff game against the  Toledo Mud Hens. “I think it went pretty well,” she said after.  “I was extremely excited but a little nervous about picking my starting pitch, since they don't give you one.  I think I'm going to send in the recording of it to some other stadiums to see if I could do it again.” Jackie Bennett (’09) might soon be delivering a keynote address to the future leaders of America.  She has been selected as a finalist in an essay contest to determine the closing keynote speaker at an upcoming Junior National Young Leaders Conference (JrNYLC) in Washington, D.C.

Forbes visits Cary Academy Reporter Emily Schmall from Forbes magazine paid an all-day visit to the campus Sept. 5 in preparation for a story on Cary Academy, founder Dr. James H. Goodnight, and the school’s use of technology in education. The reporter talked to Dr. Joselyn Todd, MS science department chair, and Jacob Warwick (’12); Pat Martin, MS math department chair; Matthew Ripley-Moffitt, MS social studies chair, and Maggie Birmingham-Corbett (’13); David Snively, MS social studies teacher and CAST News advisor, and Lauren Moore (’12) and Ben Shpurker ‘(12); and Sam Morris, instructional technology director. She also interviewed Head of School Don Berger. The story will appear in the Forbes 400 October issue (on stands Sept. 25), and it will be linked to our website upon publication.

Follet coauthors book on teaching Romeo and Juliet English instructor Robin Follet and two former CA colleagues, Delia DeCourcy and Lyn Fairchild, recently coauthored Teaching Romeo and Juliet: A Differentiated Approach, a guide about teaching one of Shakespeare’s most famous works. Although the project was largely a collaborative effort, Follet was completely responsible for writing about Act III of the play. All three writers worked extensively on the final editing process for the book. Teaching Romeo and Juliet: A Differentiated Approach, officially debuted this summer. It is published by the National Council of English Teachers. Both students and faculty can take a look at the guide in the Cary Academy library, where the book is currently on display.