Magazine of Cary Academy | Summer 2020 - FlowPaper FlipBook

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Th e Magazine of Cary Academy FALL 2019 Th e ﬁ nish line is only the beginning page 4 Bridging divides through dialogue page 8 How CA spent its summer vacation page 20 ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: CONTINUING CA’S TRADITION OF SERVICE page 14 LEARNING THE ROPES page 12In November 2019, the Cary Academy Board of Directors approved the School’s updated strategic plan, which will guide our direction for the next ﬁ ve years. In this issue of ?, Th e Magazine of Cary Academy, we highlight some of the important initiatives that underpin key elements of our strategic vision: “Cary Academy will create personalized learning opportunities that are ﬂ exible and relevant in an environment that supports student wellbeing. We will cultivate self- directed and bold life-long learners who make meaningful contributions to the world.” I have purposefully put in bold the second sentence of this vision statement, as it speaks to a core purpose for the creation of our new Center for Community Engagement. Th e Center is the home for several of the programs mentioned in this issue. Th e school’s Dialogue Across Diﬀ erence initiative, highlighted on page 8, seeks to build empathy within our community and equip students and adults with the mindset and skills to build bridges with those who might hold diﬀ erent values or opinions. Our new summer partnerships, highlighted on page 20, provide an opportunity for Cary Academy to expand access to innovative learning opportunities and work in collaboration with other individuals and organizations who share these core values. Finally, on page 19 you can read about how we are working to put the “learning” into our service learning program through the creation of a new student organization they have named the Delta Club. Service has always been a hallmark of the CA experience, and we are delighted to share some of the ways our alumni have been making a diﬀ erence through their work with Camp Kesem. Look for more on the school’s new strategic plan in upcoming issues of ?, Th e Magazine. In the meantime, we welcome parents, employees, alumni, and friends to join us in celebration of our community at the annual PTAA Taste and Toast at 4:30pm on Sunday, January 26, 2020 in the newly renovated library. Look for information about tickets on our website and Facebook pages. Prior to the party, all are welcome to join me at my annual State of School presentation in the new Center for Math and Science, starting at 3:15pm. Best wishes for a tremendous 2020! Our community has 2020 vision. FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL Mike Ehrhardt, Head of SchoolTh e Magazine of Cary Academy FALL 2019 In this issue Snap- shots 20 Campus News 2 Alumni News 31 The Big Question 32 Whether it’s a success on the athletic ﬁ eld, surviving the college application process, or milestones in pet care, CA’s faculty, staﬀ , and students have a lot to be proud of. page 32 COMMUNICATIONS TEAM Mandy Dailey Dean Sauls Dan Smith PHOTOGRAPHY Dan Smith The CA community Cover courtesy of Alyssa Armstrong 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 Building an inclusive community In a community dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion, what is the key to ﬁ nding common ground and understanding? A trailblazing CA program is giving students, staff, faculty, and parents the tools to share experiences and build connections across differences. 8 Personal best Conrad Hall’s lifelong passion for teaching and running laid the foundation for a tight-knit community of current and former students striving towards their better selves in pursuit of success. 4 Preparing for impact How did CA spend the summer vacation? By increasing our community impact through collaborative partnerships with three youth-serving organizations that brought transformational learning experiences to students across North Carolina. 20 Th e Kesem connection For a growing number of CA alumni, a commitment to community and service continues at a unique, life-changing summer camp. 14Campus News ? Th e Magazine of Cary Academy Two with Lester Turner in October to Wake Forest University for two days of music-making. DEBATE STANDS TALL CA Speech and Debate had a spectacular fall trimester, starting with one of its best showings ever at the 27th annual Yale University Invitational Tournament where ﬁ ve students placed in the top 10 of their respective events. The team topped their Yale performance by winning the Duke University National tournament and all four Dogwood Speech and Debate League tournaments. The team wrapped up T1 by traveling to the 39th Annual Villiger Tournament in Philadelphia where Alex Lim ‘22 won Humorous Interpretation, Becca Segal ‘20 came in third in Extemporaneous Speaking, Saajan Patel ‘20 made it to the ﬁ nal round in Congress, and Ari Curtis ‘21 reached the quarterﬁ nals for Oral Interpretation. BACKPACK BUDDIES’ RECORD- BREAKING FOOD DRIVE The sixth grade’s ﬁ rst Backpack Buddies Food Drive of 2019-2020 exceeded all expectations, meeting their collection goal, and breaking all previous records from prior years. The items will help feed hungry kids right down the road at Reedy Creek Elementary. US MATH COACH RECEIVES STATEWIDE RECOGNITION On November 7, the North Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics presented US math teacher John Noland with the 2019 State Math Contest Coach’s Award. Noland has coached math teams at CA for the past eleven years; the award recognizes his commitment to mathematics education and his dedication to supporting mathematics competitions. CA MUSICIANS TAKE STATE, NATIONAL STAGE In November, three CA students played for national and state orchestral honors. Violinist Jessica Zhong ’20 performed in the All-National Honor Orchestra Ensembles (ANHE), becoming the third CA student to perform in the ANHE, alongside the top-performing high school musicians in the country. In the ﬁ nal audition, Zhong won the principal chair in the 2nd violin section. Closer to home, violinist Sophia Liu ’22 and ﬂ utist Abby Li ’22 performed in the North Carolina Honors Orchestra. Liu made 4th chair of the ﬁ rst violin section. Eleven CA students were selected for this year’s NCAIS Honors Band. Grifﬁ n Baird ‘21,Emma Bracken ‘24, Will Capps ‘23, Izzy Che ‘24, JR Cobb ‘22, Ian Fan ‘24, Abben Fasil ‘25, Haitian Huang ‘23, Luke Ramee ‘24, Cade Reading ‘24, and Oliver Wang ‘22 traveled Forging an international community around innovative education Cary Academy’s World Language Exchange program oﬀ ers ample opportunities for transcultural collaboration and learning, but our curricular and cultural exchange across borders doesn’t stop there. Our faculty are regularly engaged in various mission- driven professional development opportunities that extend our community across the globe. Last summer, Band Director Lester Turner spent an “awe- inspiring” tenure in India as a Fulbright Fellow in the Teacher for Global Classrooms program. Th anks to an ongoing collaborative partnership with his host school—Kendriya Vdiaylaya of Kerala in Malappuram—Turner is building musical connections that will bring an important international perspective to his students. A follow-up to MS World Language teachers Katie Levinthal’s and Gabrielle Verhoven’s participation in the Atlantik-Brücke Transatlantic Teachers’ Study Trip this summer, 15 teachers from Germany visited CA to connect on teaching practices around subjects like world cultures, world history, science, technology, and world languages in October. Th e following week, a team of CA faculty and administrators visited the Frankfurt International School, joining colleagues from around the world for the ﬁ ft h meeting of the Collaborative for Innovative Education (CIE). Th ey focused on personalized learning, with MS teachers Katie Taylor and Meredith Stewart presenting about CA programs. CA will host the sixth international CIE forum in March 2020.CHARGER ATHLETES SHINE The fall season was a busy one for Charger athletes, 19 of whom earned an All- Conference award, and four received All-State honors. In September, three Charger athletes signed letters of intent to play at the collegiate level. Dorrit Eisenbeis ’20 will play ﬁ eld hockey at UNC-Chapel Hill, Laney Rouse ’20 will play soccer at the University of Virginia, and Jack Todd ’20 will swim for the University of Chicago. Eisenbeis was named TISAC ﬁ eld hockey Player of the Year; she and teammate Abby Pompeo ’21 were honored as members of the NCISAA All-State ﬁ eld hockey team. The varsity girls cross country team took second place at the NCISAA State Championship. Kenny Eheman ’21 ﬁ nished as an All-State runner, leading the varsity boys cross country team to a 4th place ﬁ nish overall. The MS boys cross country team won their third consecutive TISAC conference championship. Erin Singleton ’20 was named TISAC girls golf Player of the Year, as CA’s varsity girls golf team took second place at the NCISAA State Championship. Singleton was named to the All-State team. At the 2019 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships, in Budapest, Hungary, Charlotte Hook ’21 earned a bronze medal in the Women’s 200M Butterﬂ y. Hook is now qualiﬁ ed for the U.S. national team and will compete for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team in June 2020.Ask most Cary Academy alumni to name a faculty ﬁ gure who has changed the course of their lives and Conrad Hall’s name comes up time and time again. Whether sparking new passions for history, developing championship-winning cross country and track and ﬁ eld teams, or stewarding a tightly-knit community of running alumni, Hall has been instrumental in shaping the CA community. PERSONAL BEST Joining CA in 1998—the school’s early days—Hall was initially drawn by the opportunity to meaningfully pursue his tandem passions of teaching and coaching. It is his approach to both—the very embodiment of CA’s core values of discovery, excellence, collaboration, and community— that has made the partnership a natural and impactful long-term ﬁ t. “To be able to share my love of both history and running—to have the opportunity to shape CA’s history curriculum, as well as its track and ﬁ eld and cross country programs from the very beginning, to develop them, to build that community—it was, and continues to be, exciting work,” oﬀ ers Hall. shared goals, joy, and adversity—ﬁ gures prominently. “I hope to be a role model by living that balance, to show that it’s okay to pursue your goals and seek out success, but that you need to take care of yourself mentally, physically, and personally, along the way.” In the classroom, that means making history relevant to his students in ways that help them grow and relate to their community and the world. “History is replete with individual examples of courage and striving,” Hall explains. “Whether reﬂ ecting humanity at its best or worst, it provides compelling insights into who we are as human beings, and how we deal with the complex challenges of life.” Hall uses those observations to connect with his students and student athletes alike, applying the lens of the past to help them glean insights into, not only current events, but challenges they might by facing in their own lives, whether at home, in the classroom, on the track or trail, in their community, or the broader world. On the coaching side, Hall builds his teams around a no-cut concept that emphasizes a balance between individual growth and group successes. It is a philosophy that has set the tone for a program that has amassed a combined seven NCISAA State Championships, 21 State Runners-Up, and 26 TISAC Conference Championships and craft ed a tight-knit community of runners whose For Hall, teaching and coaching have always been diﬀ erent sides of the same coin, each oﬀ ering unique chances to shape student trajectories, build character, and foster community. A high school track star—Hall has ﬁ ve NCISAA individual event championships, three state cross country championships, four state track and ﬁ eld championships, and numerous local running records under his belt— he credits the “immensely positive and important” role that his own high school coaches played with helping him successfully navigate the waters of high school and beyond. “My high school math teacher and track coach has been a powerful role model, mentor, and guide throughout my time in high school and beyond, even to the present day,” Hall explains. It was those powerful coaching experiences that led Hall to teaching. While double-majoring in history and political science at Duke University and captaining the track and cross country teams, he found himself increasingly drawn to secondary education. He ultimately pursued a Master of Arts in Teaching, motivated by the chance to positively shape his students’ lives in much the same way his mentors had his. “I had experienced ﬁ rst-hand the positive impact that a good coach can have and the beneﬁ t of being part of a team,” Hall explains. “I realized how both teaching and coaching could allow me to help people learn and grow. I knew that it was what I wanted to do.” At the heart of Hall’s approach is an eﬀ ort to strike a productive balance between guiding students and allowing them the freedom to chart their own paths. A philosophy of ﬁ nding a healthy balance—between academics, community, family, individual success, ? Th e Magazine of Cary Academy For Hall, his commitment to his craft extends beyond test results, records, and titles to something much larger: “Both in the classroom and with my teams, helping my students and athletes learn and grow, to be stronger, more conﬁ dent, more capable, and more caring people—that is what I am passionate about, that is what I look forward to every day.” FiveI graduated, the team won their ﬁ rst championship, and Coach Hall made sure I felt included in that celebration.” For Hall and many of his athletes and alumni, running isn’t just an aft er-school activity; it’s a joyful, transformative experience that imparts lessons—about teamwork, leadership, community, and personal growth—to broader parts of their lives beyond the track. Th ose lessons and the friendships born on the cross country and track teams have made for a community whose closeness surprises even Hall, as many have remained close friends and even business partners. “Conrad’s passion is contagious; it built this community,” says Bryan Fisher ’03, who brieﬂ y returned to CA as an assistant coach aft er college, before starting his own business. “His vision for the program and challenging us to set bonds remain active across graduating classes, even years aft er commencement. “Everyone likes to win, but it’s about so much more than that,” explains Hall. “Th ere might be a few hundred people in a race, but only one person can win. Running is a sport that embraces a supportive growth mindset.” Some of the best members of the cross country and track and ﬁ eld teams are not the fastest runners, according to Hall. Instead, they are those that add intangibly to the team’s sense of camaraderie, through their pursuit of personal growth and strident support of their teammates and even rival runners. “I wasn’t the best runner on the team,” notes alum Connor Riser ’12, “but I never felt unimportant or had a performance held against me. To that end: we were State runners-up all four years I ran for CA; three years aft er ? Th e Magazine of Cary Academy “HIS VISION FOR THE PROGRAM AND CHALLENGING US TO SET OUR OWN GOALS, TO RECOGNIZE OUR LIMITS, AND CHOOSE OUR PRIORITIES WAS INSPIRING. HE WAS MY FIRST MENTOR.” —BRYAN FISHER ‘03 Sixour own goals, to recognize our limits, and choose our priorities was inspiring. He was my ﬁ rst mentor.” Th at closeness is on display each fall, as CA alums who graduated 10, 15, and nearly 20 years ago return for the annual cross country alumni meet. “Starting at CA, even before we had a graduating class, I always talked with my runners about how cool it would be to have an alumni meet,” explains Hall. “As soon as we actually had alumni, we had an alumni meet.” For Hall and his runners, the alumni meet is a low-key, low-stress fun time for alumni to get-together. It also gives the varsity team a chance to connect with their CA predecessors, who help to mentor a new generation of Charger runners while renewing their bonds to the school. “It’s almost like a second Homecoming for this group, and it makes them feel very connected,” remarks Hall. For those who can’t make it to the alumni meet, Hall serves as the point of connection for many alumni. He maintains living histories and running logs for the cross country and track and ﬁ eld teams, highlighting historical milestones and apprising the programs’ alumni of the current teams’ achievements. Fisher explains it simply: “Conrad is our point of connection. Even if we didn’t go to school together, we have the shared experience of being coached by Conrad Hall.” For Hall, the opportunity to inspire growth, year aft er year, in new groups of students and runners —now stretching across generations—is what keeps him moving forward. “Every student has the ability to become the best person they can be. We should do everything we can today to be the best we can, then wake up tomorrow and be better. I’m hoping to help them on that journey. Beyond spurring him to teach and coach, Hall’s education also inspired a passionate advocacy for need-based ﬁ nancial aid. “Without need-based aid, I would not have had access to the education I was fortunate enough to receive. I don’t know where I would be without it, but I know I would not be here,” oﬀ ers Hall. Th ree years ago, Hall was able to advance his fervent belief, not only in expanding access to need-based aid but also endorsing a healthy balance between self, community, joy, and hard work, with the foundation of the Coach Conrad Hall Endowment. Established through a gift from his parents in 2018, the endowment provides need-based ﬁ nancial aid for a CA scholar-athlete dedicated to embodying excellence while ﬁ nding a balance between school, home, and sport. Th is year, inspired by the impact that Coach Hall has had on their lives and the broader Cary Academy community, cross country alumni Joel Blondy ’07 and Rachael Blondy ’10, along with their mother Mary, have created a matching challenge—Meet the Match—in support of the Coach Conrad Hall Endowment Fund. “I would not be the person I am today without him… he was always there to inspire and challenge us,” oﬀ ers Joel Blondy. In turn, Mary, Rachael, and Joel are now challenging the Cary Academy alumni community to honor Coach Hall and his commitment to need-based ﬁ nancial aid. Th e Blondys will match, dollar for dollar, each gift made to the endowment by alumni through June 30, 2020, up to $50,000. When asked about the challenge, Hall remarked, “I am just absolutely humbled by it. Knowing that it is being built by alumni who have been through the program, that they value the impact it has had on their lives, even to this day, and feel compelled to give back—it makes it all the more meaningful.” “I think everybody should be rooting for Coach Hall because he’s always rooting for everybody else,” says Bryan Fisher ’03. “A lot of people, including myself, give him credit for helping them become successful people. I’m sure there’s a lot of alumni who want to give back.” If Conrad Hall inspired you, the Blondys invite you rise to the challenge and #MeetTh eMatch. More information online at bit.ly/meetthematch. MEET THE MATCH ? Th e Magazine of Cary Academy SevenNext >