Magazine of Cary Academy | Summer 2020 - FlowPaper FlipBook

Made with FlowPaper - Flipbook Maker

Ideas to inventions Page 9 Leaning in to rise up Page 14 Model behavior Page 18 Faculty conversation: Social and emotional wellness Page 21 ONE ALUM SEEKS JUSTICE FOR ALL Page 26 SPECIAL ISSUE: 2019-20 ANNUAL REPORT Page 34 The Magazine of Cary Academy SUMMER 2020Our summer edition of ?, Th e Magazine of Cary Academy comes to you during what has been a historically disruptive and uncertain moment in history. Remarkably, as we go to print in mid-July with one month to the ﬁ rst day of the 2020-2021 school year, we cannot say with certainty what school will look like in the fall. Th e evolving pandemic has made it unclear if will be able to gather on campus safely. When we are able, it will look and feel fundamentally diﬀ erent. However, despite the real harm and uncertainty unleashed by COVID-19, I think you will ﬁ nd this issue of Th e Magazine reassuring. While some of our issues revolve around a theme—and there is simply no way of avoiding the pandemic right now—the breadth of stories is a testament to the strength of our community and the guiding light of our mission. In our alumni proﬁ le, you will hear how Brianna Gaddy ’12 has embarked on a legal career to ﬁ ght systemic racism. We proﬁ le the wide range of interests and inﬂ uences of mathematics teacher John Noland, the recent recipient of a statewide mathematics award. Congratulations are due to four CA Upper School students, who won a prestigious global entrepreneurship contest—in the ﬁ rst year of a brand new program for Cary Academy. For those of you wanting to learn a bit more about how the school fared during the disruption of last term, we have an overview of how our mission and vision has been our North Star through the pandemic. Our counselors also share some wisdom for wellness. And ﬁ nally, we celebrate the conclusion of the school’s ﬁ rst-ever capital campaign, which has raised more than $13 million for ﬁ nancial aid, facilities improvements, and new programs. Reassuring indeed. Times may be unsettled, but our community is stronger than ever. Our commitment to our mission is unwavering, and the talent and dedication within the faculty and staﬀ gives me the utmost conﬁ dence that we will not only meet this moment—we will thrive and emerge even stronger as a school and a learning community. Dear CA Community, FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL Mike Ehrhardt, Head of School PS: For those who want to learn a bit more about our practical planning for the school year, please head to united.cary.academy.Th e Magazine of Cary Academy SUMMER 2020 In this issue Campus News 2 Alumni News 32 Snapshots 30 COMMUNICATIONS TEAM Mandy Dailey Dean Sauls Dan Smith PHOTOGRAPHY Dan Smith The CA community HEAD OF SCHOOL Michael Ehrhardt DIRECTOR OF ADMISSIONS Heather Clarkson DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS Mandy Dailey HEAD OF UPPER SCHOOL Robin Follet DIRECTOR OF FACILITIES Jess Garcia DEAN OF FACULTY Martina Greene HEAD OF MIDDLE SCHOOL Marti Jenkins DIRECTOR OF EQUITY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Danielle Johnson-Webb DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION Karen McKenzie DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT Ali Page CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Deborah Reichel is published three times a year by Cary Academy. CARY ACADEMY 1500 N. Harrison Avenue Cary, North Carolina 27513 (919) 677-3873 www.caryacademy.org During Ubuntu, on the ﬁ nal day of T2, Upper School students and staff drew ﬂ owers from a country/region of their family origin. Upper School art teacher Karen Rose composited hundreds of ﬂ owers into a map of the globe that represents our ﬂ ourishing, beautiful, vibrant community, and serves as a reminder that we grow together as we learn. Pitch Perfect The next great idea has to start somewhere— a group of entrepreneurially-minded CA students launched a club and soared to great heights. 9 Never by the Numbers What do you get when you add a heartfelt love math and a philosophy of perseverance— and then multiply it by 12 years spent helping CA students to decode the world? The answer: John Noland. 18 Mission Accomplished Faced with unprecedented events, Cary Academy’s four core values guided students, faculty, and community alike through to the conclusion of an incredibly challenging year. 14 Re-working the System How one CA alumnae ﬁ ghts systemic racism to create a more inclusive and equitable legal system for all—one judicial outcome, one policy at a time. 26 Talking Th rough It How do CA’s counselors guide students through the challenges of adolescence, academic anxiety, and the stress of current events to ensure social and emotional wellbeing? 21 2019–20 Annual Report 34Campus News ? Th e Magazine of Cary Academy Two education teacher, Dawn Smith —Assistant Head of Middle School, and Joseph Toriello— Facilites Technican. NEW ROLES FOR FAMILIAR FACES Congratulations to CA staff and faculty who are transitioning to new roles for the coming school year: Eldridge Baltazar has been promoted from Assistant Athletic Trainer to Athletic Trainer, Kendall Bell ’15 has been promoted from teaching fellow to Upper School science teacher, and Palmer Seeley will be the new Entrepreneurship Coordinator in the Center for Community Engagement. CHARGERS COMMIT TO COLLEGIATE SPORTS Typically, student-athletes from the senior class who will participate in NCAA athletics sign letters of intent during ceremonies in the Fall and Spring. However, this is anything but a typical year, so CA’s Spring 2020 signing celebration went virtual. In a video celebrating their time playing for CA, Isabella Barnette committed to swim for Loyola University Maryland, Helen Chen signed to swim at MIT, Abby Hook will swim for Washington University in St. Louis, Alex Nunnally will play basketball at Juanita College, and Maddy Walker announced she will cheer at North Carolina State University. ALL-STATE BAND MEMBERS HIT HIGH NOTE Three CA students made ﬁ rst chairs for their instruments of the 2020 All-State Band and All-State Jazz. Marvin Koonce ’21 was selected on piano for the All-State High School Jazz; Abby Li ’22 earned 1st Chair Flute for All-State Honors Band; and Luke Ramee ’24 was named 1st Chair Trombone for All-State Middle School Jazz. Koonce and Li have applied for the 2020 All-National Ensemble in Florida during the fall. A NEW DIGITAL DOORSTEP In April, the Communications department unveiled the new caryacademy.org. Offering more than a simple visual upgrade, the new site has been entirely reconceptualized— from function to architecture, content to design—to improve communications, showcase stories from our vibrant, diverse community, and highlight those experiences that make CA unique. LOOKING FORWARD CA’s leadership, faculty, and staff are working hard to ensure our community enjoys a safe learning environment. In the present, ﬂ uid moment, information can change rapidly. For the latest news on our evolving plans for the 2020-2021 school year, our CA:United site at united.cary.academy. TUITION HELP FOR PANDEMIC- AFFECTED FAMILIES In April, Head of School Mike Ehrhardt announced that CA’s Board of Directors approved an Emergency Tuition Assistance Program for families whose ﬁ nancial circumstances were negatively impacted by COVID-19. THANK YOU AND FAREWELL We wish to express our appreciation and well wishes for those faculty and staff members who are moving on from CA: Rob Assadurian—Athletic Trainer, Sheila Hall —Entrepreneurship Director, Kristin Lane —Middle School Learning Specialist, Marisa Scoville —Upper School science teacher, Kimberly Shaw —health and physical In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, members of the CA community espoused our shared values and showed that #CAGivesforGood. Here are just a few examples: • Following the lead of MS math teacher Leslie Williams, Eddie Bricio ‘22 has been making 3D printed PPE materials for health professionals. • Erin Carriker ’14, a front line healthcare worker, used social media to highlight some of the challenges she and her colleagues have faced, while also praising the hard work and dedication of the healthcare community. (See more stories of how alumni have responded to the pandemic on page 32.) • Several Charger parents and parents of alumni have been producing bright, colorful, comfortable fabric masks for donation to hospitals and healthcare facilities across the Triangle. • CA Board member, parent of two alumni, and author of four cookbooks, Sandra Gutierrez has been welcoming visitors into her kitchen with a weekly Facebook video series of easy-to-follow recipes. To see more of the CA community’s response, visit: caryacademy.org/news-tag/cagivesforgood Stronger, together.HONORING OUR SENIORS The global pandemic may have disrupted the way we usually celebrate a graduating class at Cary Academy, but it couldn’t dampen our Charger pride. From the PTAA’s surprise of yard signs and goodie bags, to virtual Baccalaureate and US Award ceremonies, and even a drive-through parade featuring portraits of our seniors, our creative and passionate community found ways to honor the Class of 2020, culminating in a Commencement ceremony in August. The Class of 2020 is headed to 50 different colleges and universities in 17 states, plus the District of Columbia. Seven Charger athletes will play at the collegiate level. Colleges with more than two CA students attending are Duke University, North Carolina State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Wake Forest University.CAMPAIGN FOR CARY ACADEMY: FROM BLUEPRINTS TO BRICK AND MORTAR Last year marked a monumental milestone for Cary Academy, as numerous, long-planned campus improvements came to fruition. Made possible, in part, by generous private support of our ﬁ rst-ever capital fundraising eﬀ ort—the Campaign for Cary Academy—each renovation, addition, and upgrade reﬂ ects our strategic plan and vision for student-centered, future-oriented learning. ? Th e Magazine of Cary Academy FourA LIBRARY FOR THE FUTURE As CA works towards creating more personalized and ﬂ exible learning environments, it seemed obvious to prioritize a library renovation in the Master Facilities Plan. Construction began in summer 2019, and the community celebrated its completion last winter at the PTAA’s Taste and Toast in January. Th e approach to the library renovation reﬂ ects a reconceptualization of the library itself. In addition to being a quiet spot to conduct research or study, the library is now also an inspiring hub for collaboration and community-building with functionally-diverse spaces that meet a variety of student needs and personal learning styles. Want to work together in a group? Pull together the plush seats under the rotunda and collaborate with your peers. Need some peace and solitude to study? Choose from the solo seating options in the new designated quiet area on the second ﬂ oor. Ready to put design-thinking to work and take a team project to the next level? Head for one of the glass-enclosed conference rooms that now line the second ﬂ oor and tap into built-in screens for easy sharing or whiteboards for brainstorming. Th at ﬂ exible, forward-thinking vision is one that parents Greg and Dana Hinn could get behind. Greg fondly recalls his own quality time spent studying in Philips Hall at his alma mater, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Upon learning their family could contribute to providing a similarly valuable community space for CA students, Greg and Dana jumped at the chance. “While touring Cary Academy last fall, we learned of the planned library renovations, including the study rooms that allow small group collaboration. We decided to donate to the Campaign for Cary Academy to assist the school in oﬀ ering a quiet, beautiful study environment to students. Between 2016 and 2025, we will have seen three children graduate from Cary Academy. We consider our contribution as a legacy in their honor to beneﬁ t all CA students.” A “LATTE” NEW SPACE Arguably, one of the most exciting features of the newly-renovated library is CA’s new café and store. In addition to oﬀ ering a community-building hang-out spot, the cafe and store will serve as a learning lab for entrepreneurial students. Rather than studying marketing and branding, human resources, and supply- chain economics in an isolated classroom, our students will have opportunities to gain expertise by participating in real- world business decisions in the café or bringing their products to market in the store (under the supervision of a manager and teacher, of course). A bonus of the renovation? You no longer have to traverse campus to pick up the latest CA swag. Th e Charger store is located within the café, giving visitors— whether parents, alumni, or community members—a chance to sip, shop, and purchase CA branded t-shirts, mugs, and, eventually, student-developed products. ? Th e Magazine of Cary Academy FiveMAKING MAGIC IN THE MAKER SPACE Featuring state-of-the-art laboratories, an enormous maker space, greenhouse, versatile working spaces, and classrooms, the construction of the 24,000 square foot Center for Math and Science (CMS) might be the most transformational infrastructure project undertaken during the Campaign for Cary Academy. Michael and Melissa Colantuoni are two of the many parents who recognized how the CMS would enhance the hands-on scientiﬁ c inquiries and mathematical modeling that prepare our students for college and careers. “We love that CA is still new, its history still being written by the students, faculty, and parents,” notes Michael. “Giving to CA’s ﬁ rst capital campaign was an impactful way to directly support and provide unique learning opportunities, not only for our children, but for their classmates, and for graduating classes for years to come.” Joe and Sevanne Epperson were also moved to make a diﬀ erence in the CA community. Inspired by maker spaces they saw during college visits, the Eppersons were intrigued by the potential of establishing a similarly-outﬁ tted space at CA—one centered around interdisciplinary discovery and innovation. Working with Director of Technology and Innovation Karen McKenzie, and Upper School Design and Programming Teacher Betsy McDonald, they developed a plan to equip the 2,400 square foot maker space with the equipment, tools, and supplies needed to conduct research, design machines, and even create art. “We were excited for the opportunity to contribute to the maker space and to help fund the incorporation of advanced technology into the hands-on learning environment,” oﬀ er the Eppersons. “Students from across CA—from the arts to robotics— now have a resource similar to what they would ﬁ nd at the university level.” Last year, these state-of-art 3D fabrication tools—including 3D printers for high-quality, high-ﬁ delity, rapid prototyping, and an abrasive waterjet and laser cutter for precision cutting and engraving—were put to good use. CA’s robotics team has ﬂ ourished, designing, and building (and sometimes tearing apart and rebuilding) robots that have performed well in competitions across the region. CA even hosted our ﬁ rst FIRST Tech Challenge Tournament last winter—sure signs of more expansion to come. Per the original vision, the maker space also supports multi-disciplinary and cross- departmental projects. Th is year, it served as a backdrop for set design for theater arts, a collaborative data visualization project that bridged visual arts with statistics and calculus, and even the creation of CA-branded keychains for the Admissions department. ? Th e Magazine of Cary Academy SixFUNCTIONAL, FUN FITNESS Th e Campaign for Cary Academy touched nearly all areas of campus, not just our dedicated learning spaces. Th anks to the ﬁ nancial contributions of Ralph and Gizelda Willard, we now have a top-notch strength and conditioning center where students, employees, and alumni alike can pursue their personal wellness goals. “We were watching a baseball game with Dr. Ehrhardt aft er a tour of campus, which included the weight room. He mentioned that more than 85% of our students are involved in interscholastic sports,” says Ralph. “With a campus as innovative and thoughtful as ours, we couldn’t believe that our students’ only outlet for ﬁ tness and wellness was in a crowded, windowless room with antiquated equipment. We saw a need for all students to have ready access to quality training and ﬁ tness instruction in a modern, spacious environment. We knew this was an area we would be excited to support.” Today, visitors will enjoy a vastly diﬀ erent experience than that witnessed by the Willards on their ﬁ rst tour. Capitalizing on the unused real estate of an adjacent oﬃ ce and storage closet, the expanded strength and conditioning center oﬀ ers users ample space for coordinated, sport-speciﬁ c workouts. An astroturf ﬂ oor and new state-of-the-art equipment provide everyone the tools needed to achieve their whole-body wellness goals. And a separate glass-enclosed sports medicine room allows for treatment and rehabilitation of injuries in appropriate privacy. ? Th e Magazine of Cary Academy Seven TRACKING OUT Our track underwent a signiﬁ cant upgrade over the summer of 2019. CA is now home to one of the best tracks on the East Coast, featuring an Olympics-quality MONDO surface. “Th e older I get, the more I appreciate how my time at Cary Academy positively Next >