Fall/Winter 2018
Spotlight on the Arts
We & Thee Fall/Winter 2018
3 A Note From the Head of School 4 A New Home 5 Artistry and Mechanics 6 It Takes a Village 8 Making a Mark 10 Moving Beyond Boundaries 12 A First Time for Everything 14 A Joyful Noise 15 One Frame At a Time 16 Alumni Spotlights 19 Building STEAM 20 Alumni Welcome Class of 2018 21 CFS Welcomes New Staff Members 22 Athletics Spotlight
Through the power of dramatic play, Chapel Hill Early Schoolers, seen here constructing a dog house, more fully explore their project unit on pets.
Belief that the truth is continually revealed Which implies: openness to answer the light in others; willingness to listen and respond to the still small voice within; belief that answers are dynamic, not static; commitment to look beyond and beneath the obvious, searching for truth and identifying falsehood; engagement in the search for truth because of its inherent value, not simply to find answers. — TENET OF THE SCHOOL PHILOSOPHY
We & Thee is published by
Carolina Friends School 4809 Friends School Road Durham, NC 27705 919.383.6602 | www.cfsnc.org
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Karen Cumberbatch, Head of School Katherine Scott, Communications Coordinator Cover image by Lissa Gotwals Photography Interior photo credits: American Dance Festival, Anna Maynard, Aden Darity, Brian Whittier ‘79, Chris Grochowski, Chris Walt, Henry Walker, Jason Manning, Katherine Scott, Laura Shmania, Lissa Gotwals, Mig Little Hayes, Rachel Bachenheimer, Sunshine Scoville
A Note From the Head of School The first issue of We & Thee dedicated to the arts at CFS, also the first edition of the magazine in color, came eight years ago. Like this publication, our School has since then not just grown older, but richer, with new and renewed features that remain rooted in our Quaker philosophy and values. This year we will begin our celebration of a “Year of the Arts,” inspired by the opening of our state-of-the art Performing Arts Center. You will be able to read in this issue about the many ways in which the building is technologically advanced, and the positive impact it is already having on our students. Amid discussions of these exciting advancements — sprung floors, light boards able to be programmed from a laptop — it is easy to wonder where the value of simplicity is nurtured in this space. One of the ways I already see simplicity being lived is through the power of storytelling, which helps us to be honest and authentic, to uncover deeper truths, and to face our challenges and trials, coming through to something richer and more meaningful. Storytelling allows us the opportunity to engage in dialogue, identify our blind spots, and motivate change. This is what makes the process of creating and experiencing art so powerful: to expose the beauty, humor, and ugliness that exist in ourselves and our community and provide the opportunity for transformation. We know that an arts curriculum is not just a complement to a rigorous education — it is integral. Music enables new applications for mathematical principles of ratio and scale; visual art practice provides a refinement of fine motor skills that, according to medical schools, is becoming more rare;
dance and theater exercise muscles of the body and mind. The arts provide opportunities for self-reflection, for exploration of community, and for new ways of seeing how these are connected. As author Ken Robinson noted, the arts “speak to parts of children’s being which are otherwise untouched.” They help give voice to the voiceless and encourage each of us to express that which is most meaningful. For many of us and for our students, these disciplines have been and continue to be crucial in helping us to discover our Light within. I believe this truth is what animates the organic collaboration of our educators in creating such a rich and truly interdisciplinary curriculum for our students. From our youngest learners to those anxiously awaiting news about college acceptances, we see the benefits of making these connections between the mechanics of our world and the creative potential that it allows. As we open the doors to our new performance space, we hope that you will take advantage of the many upcoming opportunities to participate in our celebration and expansion of the arts at CFS. Let us all be lifted up together by the power of the arts. We look forward to engaging in these life-changing experiences with you. Karen Cumberbatch, Head of School
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Teach Your Children Well A New Home Celebrating our new Performing Arts Center The completion of the Performing Arts Center (PAC) marks the last project in the Building Friends capital campaign. The new 350-seat theater and classroom spaces have been many years in the making. We are so thankful to the many donors who have made this dream a reality. The sound and light systems are so advanced, says teacher Dylan Pendergrast, that students will be learning on professional-grade systems that can “be real catalysts to careers.” Inside the theater, tracked curtains can adjust the quality of the sound between theatrical and musical performances. For his assistance with the PAC’s acoustic design, we thank Robert Long, whose other recent consultant projects include the renovation of Baldwin Auditorium at Duke University. All of the lights in the PAC are light-emitting diodes (LEDs), advantageous because they don’t require the color gels needed in older stage lighting technology. The level and color of the lights is all controlled electronically, so light designs can even be created on a laptop. 4
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The sound system has the capacity for 36 separately balanced input channels. For theatrical performances, this means the ability not only to use microphones, but also to enhance scenes with pre-recorded or mixed-audio sound effects. For musical performances, it also means the ability to capture rich audio recordings. New features of the stage itself include a projection screen for film screenings and speaker presentations. A scrim and cyclorama allow for projections or light designs to appear behind performers without requiring backlighting. The creation of a designated costume shop is enabling our first ever class in costume design. Much in the way other new facilities have created new opportunities for our students, such as the impact of the addition of the Gym and Athletic Fields on our sports program, this building has the potential to take our already strong performing arts education to an unprecedented next level. — Katherine Scott
Artistry and Mechanics A new chapter in the life of the Shop In many ways, the Shop is the heart of our campus. Built in part by former Upper School students, not only is it the nexus for the operations of our maintenance staff, but it also serves as a teaching facility for woodworking, service, and scene shop/tech theater classes. Service learning and the accumulation of practical knowledge and skills of craft are as important to our education as the way in which we intellectually challenge our students. Unlike in many schools, where students headed for higher education are typically tracked separately from those favoring vocational learning, our students can benefit from learning both skill sets. Typically around 100 students are taught in the Shop each year. In a building with limited space, teaching needs are balanced with the ability of the Shop staff to provide maintenance and physical plant support for our entire Main Campus. The addition of the scene shop in the new Performing Arts Center is expanding our capacity to teach more students these skills. The updated tools and dust-collecting air system not only provide a wide-open maker space, but also significantly upgrade our ability to keep students safe. While these enhancements provide new opportunities for Middle School woodworking courses, they are having the greatest impact on our ability to teach scene craft. In the past, service and tech theater classes have had to build sets inside the Quaker Dome in pieces, which then had to be carried through the double doors of the Center Building to be assembled. This was complicated not just by limitations of size, but also the busy schedules of the Center and Quaker Dome. In the new PAC, the scene shop is located directly behind the stage with a warehouse-sized doorway so that large set pieces can be wheeled in directly.
Top: The Shop being built, 1991. Center: Terry Pendergrast teaching a Middle School woodworking student, 2014. Bottom: Dylan Pendergrast helping tech theater students measure props to enter the Center Building, 2017.
While some students will continue to be taught in the original Shop building (especially those requiring access to a greater array of tools and resources), one challenge the Shop staff foresees in having a dedicated and separate teaching space is maintaining the accessibility of the work of the Shop staff to students. Over the years curiosity and inspiration have been sparked in many children by working side by side with staff. This speaks to the shared respect and sense of community on which our School is built. In addition, our Shop staff all play multiple roles in our community. Most of them are also teachers, and their contributions range from instructing Aikido to teaching math to traveling to Newton Grove, NC each year with our entire ninth grade class on their End of Year Experience. — Katherine Scott We & Thee | Fall/Winter 2018
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It Takes a Village Taking Middle School theater to new heights
For over 40 years, the performing arts have been a vibrant part of our Middle School education. Over the years, we have progressed from staging only dramatic plays to alternating dramas and musicals from year to year to now presenting both each year. The collaboration among music, dance, and theater teachers and students has led to a growth in the level of production. This was visible in last year’s incredible performance of CATS. In addition to a cast
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of some 45 Middle Schoolers, the production required the attention of former theater teacher Jessica Hudson, dance teacher Aubrey Griffith ‘05, music teacher Joanna Sisk-Purvis, and costume and makeup designs by parent Kim Black. Henry Walker, who has been at CFS since 1971 and currently teaches Middle School language arts, science, and history, has been and continues to be a huge advocate for the program. — Katherine Scott
Joanna Sisk-Purvis Watching my students grow and mature in their ability and self-confidence is one of the absolute best parts of my wonderful job! I’ve taught many of these children since they were six years old. One thing I’ve learned over years is that the kids who become very serious about their art, whether singing or movement or acting, aren’t necessarily the ones who were the loudest singers or most accomplished musicians and actors in the first grade. Some of our most memorable, crowd-
Henry Walker What keeps me at this program is how much such a process lets the lights of each student shine brightly, how each can be a part of a larger whole. We encourage each student to commit to the production, to be willing to take whatever part or role will allow them to shine. When it works, which it usually does, we build a larger whole
pleasing performers in CATS were only ready for smaller ensemble parts in previous musicals. During my years at CFS, Henry Walker has been instrumental (pun intended) in bringing in more teachercollaborators to expand the quality and reach of the musical theater program. One thing I’ve enjoyed so much is working closely with directors and choreographers to fit the songs in as an organic part of the show. At CFS, I feel we work as a real team: we listen to each other’s ideas and respect each other’s
areas of expertise, without being afraid to ask questions or make suggestions. I think this has a very positive effect on the kids, who see us respecting each other the way we want them to do with us and with one another.
within which each person in the production has enormous success as part of a group. At CFS, we work to celebrate and energize the individual, while also celebrating and energizing the community. Theater does both, the way we do it. Watch a show. Watch the kids. See the best within release itself and the whole grow larger!
Opposite: The cast of CATS in performance (top); Parent Kim Black applies makeup before a show (bottom left); Another scene from the performance (bottom right)
Join us for the Middle School production of Narnia, February 8 and 9 in the Performing Arts Center!
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Making a Mark Teaching technical skills and lenses to view the world through visual arts
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1. Middle School painting and dance students paired up at a recent visit to The Beyond: Georgia O’Keeffe and Contemporary Art at the North Carolina Museum of Art. Selecting images of North Carolina landscapes, they interpreted abstract versions of what they saw using oil pastels. 2. Older Lower School students learned to manipulate clay using pinch-pot techniques to create hollow dog bodies and then attached various other parts. They then were able to explore ceramic glazes for the first time. 3. Campus Early Schoolers used self-portraiture as a tool to enhance their fine motor skills and as a lens through which to view themselves as individuals, supporting their growing senses of self. 4. Upper Schooler Jason Manning created this digital photography collage, examining contrasts in color and texture through natural scenes on campus.
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Seniors in the Upper School’s advanced visual arts course traveled this fall to one of the National Portfolio Day events held across the country. This allows students to get valuable feedback on their portfolios ahead of their college applications. We & Thee | Fall/Winter 2018
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Moving Beyond Boundaries How dance helps students learn to inhabit their bodies While dance instruction existed at Carolina Friends School before Annie Dwyer, in her 28 years at CFS she has built a deeply textured program of modern dance that spans from Lower to Upper School. In addition to teaching for over 40 years and holding an M.F.A. in dance, Annie was the first certified dance teacher in the state of North Carolina. She is the only teacher at CFS with classes in three units, and she manages to teach principles of movement, shape-making, musicality, and expres-
sion in developmentally appropriate ways. Annie’s dance classes offer a space in which children’s voices are heard through dancing, writing, and sharing together. In recent years, Annie has focused on weaving her expanding study of anatomy and somatics into classes for all levels to help children navigate an increasingly complex and technological world. Translating images and forming connections between dance and other curricular areas remains a main focus in dance experiences.
Below: Middle School dance students work with Campus Early Schoolers on basic movement shapes and patterns.
Above right: A scene from the 2017 Upper School Winter Dance Concert. Below: Upper Schoolers in a site-specific dance class perform in collaboration with Jennifer Curtis ‘96 for an audience of Durham Early Schoolers at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University.
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Jess Shell ‘97 Annie has the amazing ability to recognize, bring out, and support the individual needs of each of her students while also providing a sense of community within the classroom environment. She also has this magical way of taking what others might view as a challenge or problem and creating a teachable (and learning) moment. Annie was one of my first modern dance teachers, and she has remained a close mentor and sounding board long after my graduation from the Upper School. She has this incredible sense of service, and she humbly gives so much of herself in her role across the units at CFS. Annie is an incredible mentor. I feel so lucky to have experienced her as a teacher and now as a colleague as I enter in to my second year teaching dance in the Upper School. Her light shines brightly and is reflected in the light of everyone she touches.
Annie Dwyer showing Lower School dance students the shapes, drawings, and words that their visual art partners had “air mailed” to them for a collaborative project last spring. This was inspired by Remy Charlip’s innovative Air Mail Dances.
Last spring, Tommy Noonan ‘01 became our first weeklong, professional dancer-in-residence thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor to the Dance Program Fund. Tommy is a director, choreographer, and performer whose work has been presented throughout the United States, Germany, France, Portugal, Poland, Switzerland, Austria, Spain, and Mexico. He is also co-director of Culture Mill, a non-profit organization based in Saxapahaw, dedicated to fostering creative community and collaboration through artist residencies, educational outreach, and original artistic projects.
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A First Time for Everything The journey of the Upper School’s fall production
On an early November night, a group of eight Upper School actors ran through the rows of seats in the Performing Arts Center, preparing for their dress rehearsal. Sets were built, costumes sewn, lighting designed, lines memorized. The fall play, Larry Shue’s 1984 two-act comedy The Foreigner, is set in rural Georgia in the “recent past.” Amid screwball-like antics and simmering frustrations, the play’s building conflict sets a misfit group against the Ku Klux Klan. The play’s satire paints the villains as inept and the protagonists as forces for good.
However, that November night came in the wake of a series of violent crimes across the country motivated by racial, ethnic, and religious hatred. Members of the production wondered if these real-life events made the comedic alchemy of satire impossible. The director, Upper School theater teacher Austin Campion, sensed that greater discernment was needed on the impact the play might have. A small group of School leaders and staff joined the dress rehearsal as audience members. It was the first time that actors portraying Klansmen had put on their white-robe costumes. One student later reflected that
Clockwise from left: The cast and director of The Foreigner meet before dress rehearsal; New lighting cues were established that can be used for all future performances;
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she “could not stand wearing it,” and that she “didn’t want to look at the other actors wearing the robes.” What the production members and staff together uncovered was a feeling that some symbols are too powerful, and some histories too recent. The decision was made to pause and rethink the production. In a letter to the community, Head of School Karen Cumberbatch wrote that the play “is meant to be jarring and unsettling, and in most situations it would also be a provocation for discussion about issues we want our students and our community to confront.” While a zone of discomfort is often where learn-
A scene during the public performance and dialogue; Audience members explore the set and Performing Arts Center spaces
ing happens, she notes, moving “into a zone of alarm, danger, and fear” can paralyze critical thinking and shut down the dialogue and discourse originally intended. Austin and the eight student actors then searched for a way to use what they had prepared to allow the greater community a way into the deep examination of which they had been part. What resulted was a one-night event that began with time to wander through the facilities and set and talk with the actors, followed by the performance of a selection of uncostumed scenes, and finally an open
dialogue with questions and observations from the audience. Effectively dissecting the work and inviting the audience into the conversation provided a depth of engagement that would not have been possible by simply staging the play. Austin and the students talked about the range of emotions they had felt as they grappled with the work: disappointment in letting the production go; revelation at the unintended impact their efforts may have had; and appreciation for the opportunity to grow together, artistically and personally.
“This feels especially hard right now, for the community as a whole,” one student said. “We’re still...realizing just how much of this show is still going on — how much the Klan appears in different forms.” The first show in the Performing Arts Center didn’t go as planned, but the end result was a creative stretch marked by reflection and an even greater sense of community inclusion. — Katherine Scott
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A Joyful Noise New afternoon enrichment opportunities expand music education
If you’re on the sidewalk between the Center and the Middle School any late afternoon of the week, you’re likely to hear students making music. In March, with support from Lower/Middle School music teacher Joanna Sisk-Purvis, the Extended Learning Office launched our after-school music program with percussion, piano, violin/viola/mandolin, and voice lessons. This fall, we’ve doubled the number of students, added guitar and ukulele instruction, and outgrown our original space in the Lower/Middle School music studio. Our instructors have performed from California to Europe, in clubs, music festivals, and outdoor venues for musical theater (think Tarzan!). Current students range from Lower School to Upper School, and we welcome adults as well, from inside and beyond the CFS community. In a 21st-century school community, learning isn’t just an 8:30 am to 3:00 pm proposition for children. Increasingly, we want to provide additional opportunities across ages and 14
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stages, and that’s the mission of Extended Learning at CFS. Since the School created the position of Director of Extended Learning in 2016, my current role, we’ve added several new initiatives, including Camps CFS (providing care on staff work days), an adult travel program (which this summer will include a week-long civil rights bus tour of the South), and a growing partnership with educators and students in Zhuhai, China, among others. — Anthony L. Clay
Below: Scott Mulligan, Upper School Music Teacher and Extended Learning instructor, works with a Lower Schooler learning piano.
“What an eye-opening experience it has been pioneering the first after school music program at CFS! Watching students grow into their potential, overcome obstacles, and develop skills and confidence they never thought they had is beyond fulfilling.” Scott Mulligan
One Frame At a Time A growing film program gives students new ways of exploring community
When Ahmed Selim (who goes by Selim) began teaching film part-time in the Upper School, he had two students. In just his second year as a full-time film and language arts instructor, the program anticipates seeing 47 students this year. Selim came to CFS with international filmmaking and higher education teaching experience. He hopes to continue to grow a partnership between CFS and FiLMS for World Peace, a film education and production program he started. FiLMS for World Peace has two mottos: “transform conflict into discovery” and “make magic happen.” This is at the core of what I aim to do with the films I produce and the students I teach. Through storytelling, we shorten the distance between us; we challenge ideas not people; we explore ideas of community. The skills my students learn translate into ones they can use in other aspects of their lives and education. They learn project management. They learn to take risks. I advise them to allow the creative process to teach them. This requires that they allow themselves to be “bad” at something long enough to get good at it. We live in a world where people can’t tolerate being bad at something — it makes them feel vulnerable. But there is value in that vulnerability; it helps us grow. The students also learn digital media literacy. Media has been democratized. We don’t have to only be consumers of it; we can be producers of it.
Aligned with our Quaker values, my students and I have developed the idea of “consensus filmmaking.” This allows every person involved in the production to have a voice. Allowing the crew and interviewees to be part of the process is what makes the camera disappear — what allows for real authenticity. In this way, the truth is continually revealed. Four former CFS students of mine are currently pursuing film at the university level or professionally. When Theo Holt was working on his application for the Robertson Scholarship, I wrote in my recommendation letter about a real turning point for him. I asked him what his goals were: was film something he did for fun, or did he want to see how far he could take it? I then challenged him to become not just a filmmaker, but a mentor. There was a moment of conflict when a student didn’t want Theo to be the mentor on his project. I gave Theo an “out,” but he wanted to see if he could convince the student to work with him. They met together and came back with a production plan. The project turned out really well. What he learned in the process was that teaching is another way to learn. You have to be open to when your vision gets challenged, but also have the gumption to stand up for what you believe in. — Ahmed Selim
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Alum Spotlight: Jessica Harris
Jessica Harris ‘00 was a founding member of Shen Wei Dance Arts and danced with the company for over 10 years. She has a self-designed Masters degree in the Experience Economy from New York University and was a recipient of the Jack Kent Cooke Graduate Arts Award. Currently Jessica is focused on building her ventures Body Brain Kids, Oracle Acts and The Rooster Scale. She is also a Movement Pattern Analyst, decoding people’s movement to see how they make decisions. Jessica shared with us how her CFS experience, and how the arts-integrated curriculum has impacted her work: There is a difference to me between including arts in education and integrating arts into education. My CFS education integrated arts so completely that my process of learning was primarily creative and interdisciplinary. In CFS classes, I learned conceptual information through creative exercises. In “Around the World,” we wrote long stories about our travels with imagined characters and plot lines that we created with our classmates. In my “Science of Cooking” class, we tweaked recipes to see what would happen. 16
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In my “Journal Writing and Dance” class, we wrote about and choreographed on subjects we were interested in. My education at CFS prepared me for creative entrepreneurship. Currently I have a preschool enrichment program, Body Brain Kids, which uses movement to teach letters and numbers to children. I also perform as an Oracle at parties and events. We dress up in clothing from different time periods and answer questions through both writing and performance. Additionally, I am publishing a book this December titled The Rooster Scale: A Guide to the Experience Economy, looking at how art, business, and life are merging, illustrated by CFS alum Catherine Edgerton. With all of these pursuits, I credit my CFS education for helping me to think beyond what already exists and create a new kind of livelihood. I am inspired by how many of my CFS classmates have gone on to create their work. Our interdisciplinary, creative education at CFS prepared us to adapt and thrive in a time of tremendous change. — Jane Sacco
Alum Spotlight: Jaylan Watson
EVIDENCE Dance Company, with Community Ensemble
Jaylan Watson’17 is a student at NCCU working toward an undergraduate degree in psychology. He is also exploring teaching hip-hop dance and participating in dance battles around Durham and throughout the state. He hopes to be known for dance in Durham and eventually everywhere. When asked how his education at CFS helped shape his interest in the arts, and specifically dance, Jaylan offered:
Looking back, I’m glad that they could help me explore my passion for dance, and that I could have a space to be creative and weird. Being involved in dance has taught me patience, and that just because you don’t achieve something the first time around, that doesn’t mean you won’t get it. Dance has taught me to be self-aware. You have to know yourself in order to discover new ways to move your body.
CFS is a huge part of my life. I’m a lifer, so for 14 years all I really knew was Friends School. They helped mold me into the person I am today. CFS taught me how to internally reflect, and not to be afraid of silence. Professionally, CFS helped to not be so shy around people, and to be myself, unapologetically.
What I enjoyed about CFS the most was the level of comfort that students have, and being able to be friends with your teachers. My most supportive mentors and friends came from Friends School. Being able to connect with my teachers more as friends and less as authoritative figures, and having advisors that I clicked with, made for fun days on campus.
When I was at CFS, I threw myself into the arts. I found my love for dance at CFS. I was a part of the 7th period dance class, which performed every year. If it wasn’t for teachers like Annie Dwyer and Leah Wilks, I don’t think I would’ve been comfortable being a dancer. They helped me see that dancing is acceptable for boys.
My proudest moment so far after leaving CFS has to be getting the chance to dance with Ronald K. Brown, in the community piece for his dance company Evidence. I wasn’t the only CFS alum or student that was a part of the production, which speaks to the creative space that is CFS. — Jane Sacco We & Thee | Fall/Winter 2018
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Alum Spotlight: Jasmine Powell
Jasmine Powell ’04 is a dance artist from Hillsborough, NC. Locally trained, her performance career began with Durham’s Collage Dance Company, then moved to join Dance Diaspora, and Philadanco. Currently, she is on the performing arts faculty at Cary Academy, where she brings cultural history into the dance curriculum. She is also a dancer with KT COLLECTIVE and COMPANY, and creates her own aesthetic choreography locally and regionally with performances and workshops. Jasmine shared how her CFS education helped her develop her multi-faceted career and the way she moves in the world: CFS helped marry my interest in dance with my passion for science. My teachers’ encouragement led me to Duke University for the Howard Hughes Precollege program in Biological Sciences, which led to a job in their Behavioral Ecology labs. Continuing to pursue science in college, I later entered the research world at Temple University, working in an Epigenetics Lab in the Fels Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Biology. I never thought of myself as a choreographer, a scientist, or a teacher; life just presented itself to me that way. Even though I don’t explicitly engage in science at the moment, all aspects of science play a role in my work. Sometimes it is with body language or knowledge of the body’s facility, through the study of Pilates. Other times, it’s a more holistic science, using our bodies as access points into deeper personal meaning and discovery. 18
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I found my voice in the arts. Art is my access point for teaching and introducing my students to dance, whether it is through a historical, political, technical, or a creative lens. In dance, you can understand the micro and macro, all in a single move, if you are open to seeing it differently and regularly allow your perspective to shift. I value the sense of internal accomplishment that CFS has instilled as a culture, teaching strategy, and recuperative state of being. CFS helps you discover who you are in moments of silence, solitude, and reflection. It teaches you to take ownership of your journey and find what works for you. When doors might appear closed, CFS shows you the multiple ways to get inside a room to work towards your next step. It also teaches you to learn that disappointment is also an avenue for growth. My latest project is to produce and direct my second engagement with DIDA - Durham Independent Artists Series. In my upcoming DIDA performance, Approximation of a Woman, I explore the cost of being a woman who lives her life on its own vulnerable terms. It will premiere at the Hayti Heritage Center in Durham in May 2019. Ever since my time at CFS, I have constantly sought new experiences, learning and trying, even when the outcome is not favorable. I recognize that I am not done growing in any of my roles, and I continually examine my surroundings and myself during my lifetime of learning.
— Jane Sacco
Community News
Building STEAM Preparing students for opportunities in the humanities and sciences Part of preparing our students for success beyond CFS means making sure that they are able to strive for and attain every opportunity during their time with our Upper School. In addition to the benefits we provide through our well-trained teaching staff, individual attention, and depth of course options, we also help our students find ways to challenge themselves outside our classrooms. There are two nationally recognized, highly competitive, state-wide summer academic programs that provide rich and meaningful experiences for students. One is Summer Ventures, a STEM program offered by the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, with specialized coursework in areas such as robotics, aviation technology, forensics, and computational chemistry. Another is Governor’s School of North Carolina, a residential program integrating academic disciplines,
the arts, and unique courses open to rising seniors only. This past summer, five CFS students participated in these two programs. Below are some reflections from their experiences: “CFS has given me the tools to be a successful researcher, strong writer, and independent worker. I really enjoyed Summer Ventures and I now want to minor in mathematics in college. I am so glad that CFS brought this program to my attention.” — Devin Brader-Araje “CFS prepared me in many ways for Summer Ventures. There are obvious experiences, such as mathematics classes, but also more subtle occurrences that taught me a great deal — like learning to be flexible and open to change.” — Anderson Proescholdbell “My education at CFS prepared me to think in an abstract
way, which was required in my Governor’s School classes. CFS also prepared me to think on a deeper level and work collaboratively with my peers. Knowing how to see connections between subjects really helped me in my classes.” — Ahrianna Keefe “It was powerful to engage in passionate conversations — conversations where, despite differences of opinions, everyone [at Governor’s School] listened and respected one another’s points of view. One of the best things about CFS is knowing that I will feel safe sharing my thoughts and opinions…I believe that this is an extremely important skill to have in the world beyond high school and college — communicating passionately about topics without judgment on the people around us, and thereby learning from such conversations.” — Madison Chandler
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Community News
Alumni Community Welcomes Class of 2018
Congratulations to our 2018 graduates! Isak William Atkins-Pearcy Megan Rose Aurentz Yousef Rezwan Azhar Jemilet Florence Barton-Lippin Morgan Emily Reilly Bellavia Daniel James Berenfield Violet Miranda Bishop Lauren Scott Boyle Jillian Alexandra Carboni Liam Stanton Alexander Coerr Bridger William Cothran Isabel Christean Coyne Roy Asher Farrell Isabel Rose Fisher Gwyneth Ivy Benitez-Graham Kimaya Alyce Puravalen Guthrie Thaddeus Theodore Holt 20
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Ashlee Breen Horning Camilla-Victoria Øllegaard Jepsen Peter Brubaker Johnson Alexander L. Kauff Jackson Blaise Kennedy Nola Bea Kim Mayer Sebastian Kipp Sarah Kornberg Hadden Charnley LaGarde Katherine Smoker Lanier Tsehaye Lindsey-Mills André Corbett Maillard Audrey Blackwelder McNeely Luke Michael Morton Claire Jane Louise Murphy Coleridge B. Neal
Bradley Todd Neville Bridget Leigh O’Donnell Adina Ruth Ornstein-Luks Roya Elizabeth Safi Tatum Avery Schwartz Henry Joseph Spuria Olivia Sara Stella Jake Taylor Maeve Burwell Taylor Alexander Joseph Thomas Meiying Wang Benjamin Richard Westlund Kei Yamagishi Kaydi HaiLin Zembow Alexander Zepka Erica Jane Knight Zurbuch
Community News
CFS Welcomes New Staff Members Alice Turner, Middle School Theater Arts Alice Turner is a Chapel Hill native and a CFS Lower and Middle School alumna (2002). She received her B.F.A in acting from Elon University. She has years of experience doing professional theater in both the Triangle and New York. Aubrey Whisler, Admission Assistant Aubrey holds both a B.A. in Public Policy Studies from Duke University and an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Houston. Caitlin Cameron, Early/Lower School Learning Specialist After attending Bucknell University for undergraduate degrees in psychology and sociology, Caitlin pursued her Masters of Education in School Psychology at the specialist level at UNC Chapel Hill. Chris Gann, Upper School Physics and Computer Science Teacher Chris graduated with a B.S. from Berry College in 2002, doublemajoring in Physics and Mathematics and earning a minor in Computer Science. In 2004, Chris completed his M.S. in Differential Geometry at UNC-Chapel Hill. He is a National Board certified teacher. Jeannine Borzello, Upper School Administrative Assistant Jeannine is an artist and educator, and ASL interpreter who has been teaching at CFS and abroad for the past 24 years. She is a board member of the North Carolina Art Education Association.
Joe McHugh, Interim Upper School Head Joe is a senior educational leader with complementary leadership experience in corporate and nonprofit environments. His graduate work focused on curriculum and educational philosophy.
Mary Barber, Upper School Language Arts Teacher Mary has experience in outdoor education and in public schools, and earned a Masters in the Art of Teaching from Duke University.
Kate Newman, Lower School Teacher Originally hailing from Brooklyn, NY, Kate studied elementary education at Duke and later received her master’s degree in special education from UNC. Kate is a member of Durham Friends Meeting.
Naa Adom, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity Naa earned a B.A. in English and Africana Studies from Goucher College and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Hollins University. Naa has 10 years of experience writing curricula, teaching English, and being a diversity coordinator in independent schools along the East Coast.
Kerry Howard, Middle School Learning Specialist Born and raised in Barbados, her degrees include a Bachelor of Education degree in Elementary Education. She also has a Master’s of Education in Special Education at Elon University and 17 years of teaching experience.
Ruffin Powell, Middle School/ Upper School Librarian Ruffin has been a Middle and Upper School librarian since 2002. A Nashville, Tennessee native, she earned her B.A. in English at the College of William and Mary and her M.S. in Library Science at UNCChapel Hill.
Kristina Krzywonos, Upper School Chemistry Teacher Kristina taught for eight years at an independent school in High Point, North Carolina. Her degree in chemistry is from High Point University, where she designed an experiential science outreach program for local elementary schools. She is also a CFS parent.
Scott Mulligan, Upper School Music Teacher After receiving a B.F.A. in Musical Theater with an emphasis in songwriting from Boston Conservatory at Berklee School of Music, Scott performed and taught at some of the largest professional theaters and schools in the country.
Mark Shanahan, Director of Facilities Mark came to CFS with eight years of experience in Quaker organizations, as Facilities Manager at Scattergood Friends School and Sustainability and Facilities Manager for Friends Committee on National Legislation. Mark is also a CFS parent.
Simone Kershner, Advancement Associate Simone has worked in nonprofits, education, and communications since the 1990s. Simone earned her Bachelor’s degree from Harvard, an M.F.A. from Naropa University (Boulder, CO), and a Master’s degree from The University of Chicago. She is a CFS parent.
We & Thee | Fall/Winter 2018
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Athletics Spotlight
This fall marked our first season in the newly formed Tri-Tac athletic conference. Below are recognitions of our student athletes for the spring and fall 2018 seasons. Girls’ Soccer Gigi Paulig, all-conference Nola Kim-Mayer, all-conference Rose Fisher, all-conference Chloe Gillespie, honorable mention Track Lukas Irwin, second place 800 meters conference meet, second place 1600 meters conference meet Boys’ Soccer Ben Hodgins, all-conference Simon Covington, honorable mention Cross Country Kevin Pignone, first team allstate and all-conference Lukas Irwin, second team allstate and all-conference Volleyball Alex Rauwald, all-conference Zoe Brader-Araje, allconference Zoe DeBenedette, all-conference Abby Breschi, honorable mention Girls’ Tennis Asheton Ayotte, all-conference, all-state Hallie Hulls, honorable mention
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We & Thee | Fall/Winter 2018
Your gift to the Annual Fund provides everyday essentials for the artists and artisans, scientists and athletes, readers and programmers within our students. This includes lab equipment, art supplies, library books, athletic equipment, musical instruments,
and learning technology. It also supports staff development, field trips, Exploratoria, End-ofYear experiences, and more. Every dollar you give makes a difference this year. Support the Annual Fund today!
www.cfsnc.org/donate
We & Thee | Fall/Winter 2018
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Carolina Friends School
NONPROFIT ORG U.S. Postage
4809 Friends School Road Durham, NC 27705 919.383.6602 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
An annual tradition, the Lower School “Springfest” caps a year of leadership for fourth-year students in which they produce their own play before rising to Middle School. The students get the chance to become playwrights, performers, and theater tech operators. Last year’s musical was adapted from the book Lion Lessons by Jon Agee.
PAID
Durham, NC Permit No. 783
On the Horizon January 14, 2019 Working Together for Peace and Justice, featuring Joyce Ajlouny January 21, 2019 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration April 26-28, 2019 FriendsFest, Performing Arts Center Grand Opening, Alumni Reunions