We & Thee, Fall 2015/Spring 2016

Fall 2015/Spring 2016

Looking Forward

Carolina Friends School

What’s Ahead For CFS?

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But We Do Have Deep Values, A Clear Vision, And The Support Of A Remarkable Community

FROM THE EDITORIAL STAFF As we were planning this issue of We & Thee last summer, following up on the issue that focused on the School’s first fifty years, we cast our attention on the next chapter in the life of the School. We knew we didn’t have a crystal ball, but we did have a clear vision, and a plan.

While the issue was in process, the fall brought some significant developments at CFS—related both to the leadership of the School and to the Building Friends Campaign that was such an important part of that plan.

These developments slowed our ability to get this issue of We & Thee to press, as we have awaited discernment from our tireless Board of Trustees regarding a leadership transition plan and next steps regarding the campaign. Now we are grateful to Renee Prillaman for agreeing to serve as our Interim Head of School as we conduct a national search for a Head of School to begin serving in 2017-18; and we are grateful to the School’s trustees, staff, parents, alums, friends, and all who have contributed and will contribute to make possible the building of our performing arts center, with ground-breaking this year.

The vision with which we started remains the same—to bring the School’s mission to life for all the students of CFS—and our plan going forward will always have that vision as its central focus.

In this issue, you’ll find a reflection by Mike, a student interview with Renee, articles featuring some of the School’s signature pedagogy, interviews with alums who have chosen to enroll their children at CFS, the long-awaited graduation spread, athletics updates, and more.

We hope you find the issue a testament to this School and the loving community that sustains it and makes it such a vibrant learning environment.

That’s CFS! We & Thee is published by

Carolina Friends School 4809 Friends School Road Durham, NC 27705 Mike Hanas, Head of School Anthony L. Clay, Editor Kathleen Davidson, Associate Editor Doug Johnston, Design Consultant Chris Grochowski, Laura Shmania, Sunshine Scoville ‘90, Brian Whittier ‘79, Photographers

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From Madison Avenue to Carolina Friends...

After finishing college at UNC-CH in the late ‘70’s, Doug Johnston’s professional career took him from copywriter to creative director, working for ad agencies from New York to Tulsa, and back.

In retirement, he opted to return to North Carolina—and we’ve been fortunate to have his experience, expertise, and thoughtfulness as the designer of every issue of We & Thee since Summer 2006.

In these 10 years, Doug has been responsible for the publication's evolution from a 12-page black-and-white newsletter to a 20-page color newsletter to a 24-page color magazine. He's patiently and gently tried to educate novices (like the new Director of Advancement/W&T editor) about good design and put his remarkable creativity to work for us, from a magic trick by Josh Lozoff '89 shown on repeating pages to clever and thought-provoking covers (from a periodic table for a STEM issue to the crystal ball you see here).

This self-described "art monkey" has also been responsible for the Building Friends Campaign logo, banners, construction signs, and related design elements. He's produced a cable TV spot and countless print ads as well as open house and other marketing materials for us. Whatever we needed, Doug delivered with simple beauty, powerful prose, a dash of humor, and a Friends School authenticity.

Doug is incredibly modest, eager to remain behind the scenes.

We appreciate the chance to shine this brief spotlight on his talent and dedication to CFS over the last decade.

He retires as Kathleen Davidson (a former W&T editor) takes leave of the Director of Admission role she's so magically filled the past two decades. They're an inspiration as partners in this design work for CFS and as partners in life. Many thanks.

From The Head of School

Savoring CFS

I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve (or save) the world and a desire to enjoy (or savor) it. This makes it hard to plan the day.

But if we forget to savor the world, what possible reason do we have for saving it?

By Mike Hanas

I came across the quote above while in Italy in November – a gift shared by Durham Early School Head Teacher Cesanne Berry – and, as I told members of the Staff in my return remarks early in January, E.B. White’s words capture better than any I can muster the essence of my sabbatical . . . and my mindset going forward.

I arrived back in the states on Saturday, December 19th, after adventures in Alaska, Montana, Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park, Jackson Hole, and Italy. In Alaska I learned to sea kayak and covered nearly 100 miles of Prince William Sound with a small group of adults in a NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) program. We kayaked between icebergs and across the face of a glacier, marveled at humpback whales rising to the surface between our kayaks (with orca pods off in the distance), and made camp at nine different sites over the course of two weeks. I was stretched physically like never before (or at least not since my participation in Annie Dwyer’s Dance Program), and that says nothing for what transpired between the time when I wrestled my way into and then out of my kayak.

My time in the Rockies was less physically daunting and proved uniquely eye-opening; I’d read and heard about geysers, had seen

magnificent mountain ranges before, and the meaning of “big sky” – well, that seemed obvious. In fact, I’d never seen such vast, complicated (what we know as Yellowstone sits on an active volcano!), and beautiful terrain and big, blue sky. Ostensibly, I was hiking, but the truth is that I danced my way through Montana and Wyoming with my senses of both possibility in and responsibility for the earth growing exponentially.

During my time between adventures, I claimed time to read, write, think, and, unlike ever before during my professional career, claimed time to just be; and then I made my way to Italy in late October. I lived in Florence for eight weeks and hoped to make it feel less and less a tourist destination and more and more like a home away from home. I studied art history, enjoyed the freshest and friendliest meals I’ve ever had at local trattorias, and loved walking my way around a remarkable (and very pedestrian friendly) Renaissance and modern city. From Florence I ventured to places including Rome, Venice, Milan, Pisa, Luca, Sienna, Fiesole, and Cinque Terre. But as compelling as so much of what I saw and learned was, I consider becoming a regular at my local café my most significant accomplish-

ment. When the baristas Andy, Martino, and Michele began greeting me by name – “Ciao, Michael, Buongiorno!” – and preparing my drink with no need to hear an order from me, I felt like I’d become more than a tourist, a member of the community.

I am - and forever will be - grateful for the time and space to act and reflect on leadership, the environment, art, and the promise and possibility of adventure that stretches us. What I am and will forever be most grateful for, however, is the reminder to savor all that I can in what is before me – it’s what makes all the hard stuff worthwhile.

On the Friday that launched our Spring Vacation, I welcomed Grandparents and Special Friends visiting CFS. It marked the last time I would do so, and, as I realize the poignancy of such occasions during what would be my last few months as Head of School at CFS, I have every intention of savoring all that I can. I also intend to savor my view of what’s next for CFS, the theme of this issue of We & Thee, as this place - about which so many of us care so deeply continues to make as meaningful a difference as it can in the educational landscape of the Triangle and beyond.

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How Renee Is

By Katherine MacPhail ‘16

Renee Prillaman has been at Carolina Friends School for 18 years and has been an educator since 1975. Renee was first drawn to CFS because she saw the opportunity to be with students and teachers who were “in a constant learning process.” Her experience as an educator has evolved over time and she has now “developed an increasing awareness of the impact made in the world by the children whom we have taught and mentored.”

For the past three years, Renee has worked as the Assistant Principal for Teaching and Learning. This position was created to facilitate professional growth and learning across the School, to support Head Teachers, and to guide the development of a cohesive understanding of Carolina Friends School’s curriculum across units. She also served as Acting Head of School while Mike Hanas was on sabbatical. Mike will assume the role of Head of San Francisco Friends School in July, and Renee will serve as Interim Head at CFS while the search for a new Head of School is underway.

As Interim Head of School, Renee’s 4 We&Thee/Fall 2015/Spring 2016

responsibilities will include working with the Board on issues of accessibility, affordability, and sustainability, supporting the completion of the performing arts center, and serving on the search committee for a new Head of School.

Renee will collaborate with Interim Head for Teaching and Learning Ida Trisolini to support new staff, explore new opportunities for professional development, and continue development of assessment strategies for both the work of students and staff.

Collaborating with staff who are engaged in the Peaceful Schools NC project, inclusivity and diversity work, and new staff work on environmental sustainability and service learning will be at the fore of Renee and Ida’s work for 2016-2017.

Beyond her plans for the near future, Renee shares her vision of Carolina Friends School over the next fifty years.

Some things, she believes, will stay very consistent. She refers to the CFS mission and philosophy, which reads “Carolina Friends School is a vibrant and inclusive learning community empowering students to think critically,

creatively, and independently. We foster active exploration and quiet reflection, in individual endeavor and collaborative engagement. Inspired by Quaker values – pursuit of truth, respect for all, peaceful resolution of conflict, simplicity, the call to service - we teach our children that it is possible to change the world.”

Renee explains how CFS remains true to its mission and philosophy: “We call ourselves back to it when we aren’t being true to it. It becomes a point of investigation, examination, and reflection…

We are very clear in our mission, and we are very clear about the Quaker character of our school.” Renee believes that CFS’s dedication to its mission will carry the School through the next fifty years and beyond Renee moves on to suggest that while the commitment to the CFS mission will remain, the manifestation of that mission may evolve and change. When she imagines the future, Renee looks forward to an increased sense of international connection. Renee mentions the rich dialogue that’s been established with Carolina Friends School’s sister school in Afghanistan and foresees more attempts to create relationships with a global community. She explains that “globalization will have an impact on how we think about things” and expects more international students and international exchange programs.

Renee also believes that in another 25 years, CFS will be well established as a center for peace education. She foresees an evolved understanding of service learning. Renee expects the School to move beyond the idea of service as something that is done on certain days in which students “sprinkle a little goodness.” Real service, she explains, is about building relationships and cultivating shared learning and growth. This will exist not only in end of year programs, she says, but also across curricula. She imagines the School will develop relationships with organizations, other schools, nonprofits, and community agencies to provide mutually beneficial

T I Raising Ihe Bar endeavors. Many schools are becoming increasingly interested in service learning, she explains, and Carolina Friends School can serve as a model for that effort.

In addition to peace education and service learning, Renee sees other ways that Carolina Friends School’s mission will set the School apart. She sees the CFS mission as inspiring a different relationship with technology. While Renee expects CFS to embrace and integrate technology as it evolves, she asserts that Carolina Friends School will not consider technology a substitute for teachers. CFS will remain a place where teaching as a human endeavor continues to be essential. Renee maintains that “relationships are at the core of teaching, especially with children. Students want mentoring and guidance.”

Stewardship of the environment is another aspect where she expects CFS will be distinctive. Our land use may become a model for other schools in the area of sustainability. Renee imagines possibilities including gardens and education in alternative energy and foresees partnerships with like-minded people and organizations.

Renee also expects to see CFS become a more racially and ethnically diverse and inclusive school. She imagines that the conversation about diversity will be “the ground we walk on,” so much so that “it’s almost not a conversation; it’s how we live and how we are.” She admits to feeling excited about being CFS’ first female head, even if it’s for a short time.

Renee thinks the student population may expand in number but not significantly so because that would compromise our commitment to individualized attention and primacy of relationships, but she points out the alumni population will continue to expand. She asserts that one thing CFS will not change is the way the School cares about alumni. She observes, “once you’re a student, you’re always a student.”

Professional Development Highlights

Deepa Bhatt-Mackin (US), Anna Lynch (MS--and a UVA alum), Laura Lamberson (LS), Caroline Hexdall (ES, LS), and Jon Lepofsky (US), at the University of Virginia in March for a differentiated learning conference.

Each year the CFS staff engage in a range of experiences to foster professional growth, enrich their knowledge base, and deepen their connections as colleagues and life long learners. Some of these experiences happen on campus and others take us away. Some are year long or even two year long experiences while others take the form of workshops and conferences.

The entire staff has been engaged in year-long work in Inclusivity and Diversity with dRworks. Beginning with staff retreat in August and spanning the year through professional development days and staff meetings, this work has been a focus.

Additionally, we support staff and students annually in attending the People of Color Conference and in the spring we send staff to the White Privilege Conference.

This year several staff have participated in long term programs including the Teacher in Review process in which teachers conduct year long action research projects. Currently there are staff engaged in the Friends Council on Education’s SPARC program, a two-year program for experi-

enced teachers; The Center for Courage and Renewal’s Academy for Leaders; and the Harvard Education Graduate School’s Leadership Certification Program.

Workshops and conferences in which staff have participated this year include annual conferences for Friends Council on Education, NC Association of Independent Schools, Southern Association of Independent Schools, National Business Officers Association, and National Association of Independent Schools. Other conference and workshop experiences have included Design Thinking, Summit, Friends Environmental Education Network, Educators New To Quakerism, Librarians Peer Network, NCTies, Building Learning Communities, STEM Education, Differentiated Instruction, Mindfulness Workshop, and a range of online courses and webinars to name just a few.

In addition to attending, our staff regularly present at conferences and lead workshops. This year that has included NCAIS, SAIS, NAIS, Kennedy Center for Teaching Artists, NCAEA, and FCNL.

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Experiental Learning

STEPPING OUT (OF THE CLASSROOM) At every level, from our youngest Early School children to our seniors, CFS believes in the importance of what is possibly our most meaningful education—that which takes place outside the classroom walls. On any given day, one might find a line of Early School children on a campus hike or a group of Lower School

Lower School students in the creek

Dylan Pendergrast from 27 Views of Carolina Friends School: “The creek that flowed through campus carried with it laughter from the Early School playground, sounds of woodworking tools carefully crafting student projects, and silence as a source of inspiration to Upper School students. The creek meandered through the backdrop of Middle School theater productions, provided an outdoor learning environment for Lower School children, and joined Klopfer’s pond in a reservoir of learning, silence, laughter, and love. It was a fitting place for a child like me to sit.

The creek gave me a place to play, observe, reflect, and dream..”

children exploring the creek. Middle School students might be watering plants in the greenhouse while an Upper School group is advocating for climate change awareness in Washington, DC. CFS has espoused belief in experiential education for the past 50 years and will continue this mission into the future.

Gleaning in Newton Grove

CFS Board member Chari Smith had this to say about daughter Kathryn’s experience in Newton Grove, where the CFS freshmen spend 10 days as part of the Upper School Endof-Year Program: “Kathryn’s Newton Grove trip was truly transformational. She marks that End-of-Year experience as her defining first step on her life’s path of working with young children. All of her post-high school choices were informed by that first experience, including her college major, college jobs, and her study abroad teaching in a bilingual school in Costa Rica. CFS gave Kathryn a valuable gift by providing the context for her to find her passion through service learning, and by putting guides like Father Tony and the trip leaders in place to light the way.”

Victoria’s Mural During an End-of-Year service trip to Trinidad, Upper School students worked in two orphanages and with Habitat for Humanity. At one of the orphanages, junior Victoria Cruell designed and painted this mural on their dining room wall, which had been freshly painted by other Upper School students.

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Entrepreneurship Have you ever wanted to start your own business? This group of Middle School students explored the world of entrepreneurship and start-up companies during MS Exploratorium and then pitched their great business idea to potential investors (their peers) at the end of the week. How cool is that? They got great advice along the way: from Chris Heivly of the Startup Factory (American Underground), Jordan Shamp (‘99 CFS grad) of Notables, Gabriel Eng-Goetz of Runaway Clothing, Jennifer Curtis of FirstHand Foods, Leslie McDow of Organic Transit (the Elf car), and Seth Gross of Bull City Burger and Brewery--to name a few. It was an exciting week and only confirmed for us why Durham is a national hub for innovative, socially-conscious businesses and creative companies! And you are very likely to see some CFS Middle School students launch their own fabulous startups in the future!

Middle School Service Day 2015 During a Middle School service day, students in this group spent the day learning about and supporting the work of Habitat for Humanity in Durham. They delivered donuts to house builders, toured a new house under construction and a historic house under renovation, painted a garden shed in a community garden, and wrote letters to government officials praising the efforts of Habitat for Humanity and encouraging continued support for its programs.

All our Early Schools enjoy regular “fly days” or field trips. These trips allow us to provide experiences for the children to engage with the larger community on an authentic level. We view the children as citizens of the world, we want to allow them to build a relationship with their community by doing meaningful work and research outside of the classroom walls. Because of the easy access to the Bull City Connector bus line for the Durham Early School this means trips to Downtown Durham. On one of these trips, the five- and six-year-old class visited the 21c Museum Hotel and the Marriott. They studied the special features of each hotel, and interviewed the staff about what happens in a hotel. During a visit to the Marriott, the children became very interested in understanding how the fountains worked. They did many sketches and used wire and clay to make visible their ideas about the fountains. They then applied the ideas they learned in Downtown Durham to their own vision for a city, built in their own block area. The cycle of learning from the larger community, returning to the classroom to develop ideas further, and traveling back out again for more research creates a joyful way for children to build their learning. The richness and depth that come from experiencing and re-visiting the natural world, or the big-ness of the city or college campus, are essential aspects of our Early School program.

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In The Maker Space Curriculum @ CFS

Hands On=Minds On Contributors to this article include Sharon Guillory, Tommy Johnson, Charlie Layman, Michael Bonsignore, and Jenni Scoggin

Upper School From solar-powered insects skittering across the deck outside the Resource Building to pi-themed cookie cutters created on a 3D printer, students in the Upper School’s maker program have been busy. Their new lab, completed in December 2014 and shared by the physical science classes, features adjustable-height industrial tables and high stools that allow students to work sitting or standing, while a smaller room houses 3D printers with room for future machines such as a laser cutter/engraver and a CNC mill capable of machining custom circuit boards for electronics projects.

While the Upper School maker program is still in its infancy, it’s already gathered an enthusiastic following. Three classes (one each term) were offered this year: MakerLab Tools & Techniques, Microcontrollers/Physical Computing, and 3D Design and Digital Fabrication. Next fall, an Advanced Tools 8 We&Thee/Fall 2015/Spring 2016

and Techniques class will explore 3D printing, laser cutting/engraving, and CNC milling.

What do students do in these classes? One example is a project in the Physical Computing class that required students to combine programming, electronics, and hand tool skills to construct a head with a microcontroller brain. The head was programmed to respond to its surroundings. Photoresistors, ultrasonic, infrared, and flex sensors provided the inputs while LEDs, piezo buzzers, and servo motors produced appropriate “reactions.” This open-ended activity elicited some highly creative solutions such as an interactive Teletubby, a Gene Simmons head (wagging tongue included), and an ominous Borg-like skull.

In addition to maker-specific courses, professional development classes acquaint staff members with the program and give them a chance to participate in hands-on activities. One afternoon found the School’s administrative staff gathered in

the new Maker Lab to play and learn together, each one constructing a tree with blinking LEDs that could be powered by their computer’s USB port or by an external charger -- a project that had already met with success in the fall term MakerLab class. Plans are forming to entice more teachers into the space to explore the possibilities for using the lab to create

cross-disciplinary opportunities for their students. Weekend workshops at which parents and students can learn and collaborate are being planned as well, along with open lab time for students (and teachers) to work on individual and shared projects.

The possibilities are endless, and we’re just getting started!

Middle School We are always engaged in a variety of Maker Lab type activities in the Middle School. Last winter we had a twice-weekly after-school program where students learned about soft circuits and sewable electronics. We used conductive thread, metal snaps, battery holders, and LEDs to create stuffed creatures and clothing that light up. We played around with felting and explored different ways to incorporate switches, lights, and buzzers into our three-dimensional projects. Fabric, yarn, wool, and felt were all used to make wearable and squeezable creations with electric components. Learning to use felting needles, embroidery needles, and a variety of materials were all part of the challenge. Students worked individually and collaboratively to design unique projects like hats, scarves, bracelets, or animals and had to troubleshoot problems as they arose.

Each spring the 4th years are busy designing, building, and testing miniature electric race cars along with Photovoltaic panel systems for recharging the batteries used in their vehicles. These vehicles will be raced to see which team can build the fastest, most efficient vehicle. The cars have to meet spe-

cific design criteria about size and weight, and students need to keep a project journal to document the process from start to finish. Students have been learning to use an electric scroll saw as well as hand tools to shape their vehicles and build the charging stations out of wood paneling and other simple resources, including found objects and recycled materials.

They have been learning how to solder the circuits and use multimeters to construct and test their electrical systems.

Along with figuring out gear ratios and mechanics, they have been putting a lot of thought and effort into the design of their cars and making them look good. It has been a fun and challenging project.

The first annual Cardboard Challenge in November invited teams of students and other community members to build a robot out of cardboard; proceeds benefited our Habitat for Humanity Interfaith Build. As one parent said, “The students exemplified rich creativity, collaboration and problem solving through the design and construction of their robots.”

We look forward to more engineering and design projects.

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Lower School Our Lower School students have a natural curiosity about how things work; they are born engineers. In their first year in Lower School, students learn about the field of engineering and develop an understanding of what constitutes technology.

Lessons in Design and Engineering classes help children learn that everyday objects are technological inventions. Students examine common objects such as a vegetable peeler, a toothpick dispenser, a paintbrush, or a whiteboard marker to identify the materials used in the objects and name the problem that is solved by each invention.

They learn that designers and engineers chose materials based on the properties of those materials to accomplish their desired outcomes.

For example, last year first- and second-year students explored the field of acoustical engineering in a unit called Seeing Animal Sounds. The children learned how acoustical engineers aid scientific research in animal studies. Children experimented with different types of materials to determine how to dampen sound and designed systems to record, interpret, and communicate a variety of bird sounds. As a culminating project, every student made plans, chose materials, and constructed a musical instrument.

More recently, students created devices through which plants could be pollinated by hand. And they are now exploring circuitry and building lanterns that will shine brightly.

As students move on to the older classes in Lower School, they are given many opportunities to create, construct, and tinker. By working with tools and a variety of interesting materials, they are better able to connect with the physical world and build lasting experiences and knowledge about how it works.

Rather than asking a child to memorize and produce the “right” answer to a question, in our maker classroom environment we invite 10 We&Thee/Fall 2015/Spring 2016

children into an open-ended experience where they can create, build, and explore their solution to a problem. Through open-ended questions our students are able to tinker and work through their thinking to arrive at a unique solution.

We may, for example, challenge our students to design a twowheeled electric vehicle that will go as fast as possible or build a marble track that will run for exactly ten seconds or design and construct a bridge out of pasta. We believe by setting out to invent a solution to a problem, a young child gets to learn about the design process, the limits and potential of materials and sound construction principles. While setting about finding a solution to inquiry problems, our students also learn safe and effective tool use. It is amazing the products our students produce when we allow them the space to use their imagination to create. This past year we have had students produce such projects as automatic cat feeders, gerbil-powered cars, and tabletop hovercrafts.

We are building the foundation for each child so they are equipped to “make” and solve design challenges at different levels throughout their education. While we embrace some digital technology in Lower School, we have found our students need to learn more through building and manipulating actual materials. We see our job as preparing our students to be better problem solvers and tool users to prepare them for laser cutters, 3-D printers, and the digital technology of the future.

There are many learning opportunities in a maker’s classroom.

The beauty of a classroom focused on making and creating is that academic subjects are merged together to create an authentic learning experience for our students. Instead of compartmentalizing math, science, and language, our students must call upon all of their knowledge in these academic areas to arrive at solutions and products.

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And the Beat Goes On Recently, Carrie Huff interviewed four alums who are current CFS parents of students ranging in age from Early School through college, asking them to reflect on their choice of CFS for their own children, what they think has remained the same and what has changed, and their hopes for the future of the School.

Brian Whittier ’79 and Coleman Birgel Whittier are parents of three “lifers”: Eric ’11, Crispin ’13, and Lili Whittier ’17. Brian attended CFS for Middle and Upper School, with a junior year at public high school.

Dan Kaplan ’81 and Marian Abernathy are parents of Celie and Alex Kaplan, both Middle School students. Dan attended from kindergarten through his Upper School graduation.

Sadie Bauer ’93 and Jon Lepofsky (CFS Upper School teacher) are parents of Owen and Theo Lepofsky, who are rising to Middle and Lower School this fall. Sadie was a CFS

were told it was a school in the woods where you didn’t have to wear shoes. As an 11-yearold kid it sounded like my kind of place. Not only did it become my kind of place, it became my family. We had the freedom to make our own choices and have experiences that seemed natural to me. Only really later in life did I truly understand what an extraordinary place CFS is in so many ways. I knew when I had children CFS was where they were going to go to school. I have been fortunate to be able to make that happen. Three of my closest friends today are guys I met in the Middle School, and they have all said they wish they could have lived here in the area so their own children could attend CFS. My three children have all been nurtured, loved, and educated how I imagined.

Dan: CFS gave me a marvelous education in the traditional academic sense, but also taught me so much more that is so ingrained in my soul that it’s easy to forget that it start-

Sadie: CFS was an extended family for me.

A safe, comfortable, exciting, and inviting place. As a parent, I couldn’t think of better qualities to offer my children in a learning environment. My education at CFS offered me a world of possibilities of thought, creativity, learning, and experimenting. Most of all, I loved going to school. I loved learning, loved trying out new things and being an active participant in my education. I wanted that, and am very grateful for having it, for my children.

John: An assortment of memories and experiences made CFS special for me and are examples of the types of experiences that I want for our children.

• Making life-long friendships on the playground of the Durham Early School • Listening to Tom Shewey read stories from atop the loft, with different voices for each of the characters • Experiencing the ancient world of “Vespa”

“lifer.”

John Richardson ’97 and Carolina PerezHeydrich are parents of Lola and Riley Richardson, who will both be enrolled in Lower School this fall. John also attended from Early through Upper School.

ed at Friends: A deep appreciation for our world in all its natural and human diversity, and a continual search for clarity and simplicity that my medical trainees know as my mantra. I think these values are all the more crucial in our ever more frenetic and wired world. Also the middle school years are such an intense formative period, and CFS provides a safe place for kids to become who they are meant to be. As a diffident teen, my birding career might not have survived the ribbing it would have earned me elsewhere, and my life would be much poorer for it.

from a time capsule that was discovered during construction behind the Lower School • Trying to memorize all of the numbers from the Pi sequence scrolled out along the wall of the Middle School • Realizing the inequality of world food distribution through a popcorn exercise as part of World Appreciation Day in the Middle School • Watching commercials for homework in Kenny Dalsheimer’s advertising class and discovering what a “target audience” is • Playing against the “teacher team” in a stu

What were the memories of and/or experiences with your own CFS education that made you want to recreate it for your child(ren)? Why did you choose CFS? Brian: I came to CFS in the early ’70s when my mother moved me, my sister, and brother to North Carolina from California. We 12 We&Thee/Fall 2015/Spring 2016

A re your children being (or have they been) taught by any of the same teachers that you had? Were their experiences like yours?

Brian: Henry Walker is still in the same corner of the Middle School and all three of my children have taken classes with him.

us both a big hug noting that she loves when her “grand-students” arrive at school! If possible, Owen’s experiences have been even cooler than mine! The love and thoughtfulness that Dee offers students has magnified, and the creativity and bold experimentation so special to Michael has increased. I’m glad that our younger son, Theo, will be able to share some of these same teachers as well.

John: Our son Niley started at Campus Early School with Libby Pittman Pendergrast. Libby was one of my teachers at the Durham Early School. I see two main similarities between Niley’s experience and the one that I remember: the forming of strong, possibly life-long friendships and the introduction to an educational environment that allows people to be themselves. Now that he is in Lower School’s Sky Class, he is a student of Tom Shewey, who was my teacher in what used to be “Fire” Class.

Our daughter Lola is in the Lower School River Class with Dee Dudley-Mayfield. Dee was my teacher in the same classroom, which was called “Earth” when I was there.

The Lower School’s physical environment

at CFS been like or unlike yours?

Brian: I have found that the sports program exists now whereas in the ’70s not very much. I had a lot more free time when I was a kid than my kids have ever had. Almost every afternoon is taken up with structured activities.

Dan: Wired! I was there in the days of rotary phones. We wrote by hand and literally cranked out our publications on a mimeograph machine. But in every way that matters I think the experience is essentially similar – as I would hope.

Sadie: A constant that I love about CFS is the strong sense of each individual, along with the supportive focus on group and community. Every child needs and offers different things, and thus in this way both of my children’s experiences have, as they should be, been very different than mine was. At the same time, the ability to think outside the box, support students where they are, create true community, and find engaging ways to teach and learn are the mainstays of my love of Friends School, and it is those similarities that allow my children

Dan: Only a couple are still around: Henry Walker is a timeless treasure, and a fount of warm wisdom – our very own Gandalf. And Terry Pendergrast I understand still spends some time with the shop classes. I hope he has forgotten the time I got a drill bit caught in my pants leg. I can still see him yanking the cord out of the wall.

Sadie: My older son, Owen, has now been taught by three of my former teachers, one in each class he has been in: Libby, Dee, and Michael. I was also fortunate to have Kathy as a teacher when in LS, and fondly remember Owen’s first day of LS when Kathy gave

(classrooms and playground) are very similar to the one that I experienced, with enhancements, of course. Lola and Niley have formed strong connections with each of their teachers, and that is something that I remember feeling as well (part of the magic of CFS). At dinner, we’ve heard about “Over Day” (staying late at school and watching a movie), interest groups, walking around the building to earn mileage ribbons and starting each morning with the calendar (“today is, Monday, May…”)—these were all things I remember experiencing as well.

In what ways have your children’s experiences

to have the perfect experience for them.

John: The similarities I see are: strong bonds with teachers, choice in experience (interest groups, free-play), an environment that allows people to be themselves, and teachers who identify and facilitate growth in both character and education at an individual level. Some of the differences I have observed are: exposure to technology at younger ages (iPads) and an overall focus on STEM learning (smath, engineering & design). (For the record, I think these are GREAT!)

dent-organized, three-on-three basketball tournament in the Upper School • Learning how to create the pages of the CFS Yearbook from Willy Rotella (before digital images!)

• Installing new siding to a house during a day of service at Habitat for Humanity in Durham • Learning the basics of backpacking and rock climbing as part of Cam Gott’s end-ofyear trip to the mountains • Performing an unrehearsed skit with Jonathan McGovern in front of the entire Upper School as part of Senior Night at Quaker Lake My wife and I chose CFS because we believed it could provide a similar but individually different experience for each of our kids. In less than a year we can already see that this is happening for both of them.

(Continued on Page 15) Carolina Friends School 13

(And How Will This Affect Her Classes?)

In her twenty-second year of teaching, Frances Brindle’s thirst for knowledge is as strong as when she first began, if not stronger. She doesn’t want to just read about the subjects she teaches; she wants to experience biology firsthand in the field. All of her traveling experiences inform her teaching.

During any given summer, one place you will not find Frances is in the beautiful home that she and husband Phil designed, just around the corner from the school. Where might you find Frances? Here are a few of the possibilities.

In 2007, with support from the Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program of the National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded to the Organization for Tropical Studies at Duke, Frances was offered the opportunity to study in Costa Rica. During her five-week research experience, she stayed at La Selva in the north and at Las Cruces close to the Panamanian border. While staying at La Selva, she completed her own research project at a site in the rain forest, where howler monkeys sometimes passed 14 We&Thee/Fall 2015/Spring 2016

overhead. Following this trip, Frances taught a class on Ecology and the Environment.

She also led two End-of-Year experiences in Costa Rica.

In 2009 Frances received a PACE Grant (Professional and Community Enrichment) at CFS. As a recipient of this grant, she completed an eight-week course on permaculture design and ecovillage living at Lost Valley Educational Intentional Community and Education Center in Oregon. She lived in a tent at the edge of a meadow, with daily classes and hands-on practice in sustainability and ecological gardening. What she learned about passive solar energy influenced the way she and Phil designed their home. Following this experience, Frances taught Gardening and Cooking and her class created a garden behind the Upper School Meeting Hall.

During the summer of 2012, Frances participated in an Educators of Excellence Institute in the Amazon Rainforest led by Liz Baird and Kim Smart from the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.

Frances marks this as “the most amazing

educational experience” she has ever had, giving her the opportunity to be in the company of other educators from NC and local Peruvian teachers, in an astonishing place with a “perfectly run program.” She flew to Iquitos, a large city in the northern Amazonian lowlands reached only by plane or by the Amazon River. She lived at Explorama Lodges in the rain forest and particularly loved the time spent on the longest canopy walkway in the world, traveling from tree to tree on suspension bridges.

One of her most vivid memories was arriving by boat at Monkey Island, where a spider monkey took her by the hand and walked her to their destination. One of the most important things Frances learned on the Amazon was the need for clean water and the work of CONAPAC (Conservación de Naturaleza Amazónica del Perú) in providing this sustainably to the villages. Upon returning to CFS, Frances and the Freshman class planned a Water Cycle event, which involved the entire school. In one wellplanned day, she raised $5000 for this program.

In Summer 2014, Frances went to Peru and volunteered for the Crees Foundation, which supports a sustainable Amazon, located in the Manu Biosphere Reserve, staying at Manu Learning Center. During a month-long experience she contributed to all the research projects to understand the value of secondary forest and saw in action how it is possible to save the rain forest by addressing the needs of the people living in the area. She visited the village of Salvación, across the Rio Madre de Dios from Manu Learning Center, and participated in reforestation and biogarden development, the work of Raynaldo, a local with a vision to improve the lives of his people, work supported by Crees.

Not surprisingly, she is now preparing for an End-of-Year trip to Peru, where students will be a part of this service work and participate in the ongoing research of Crees.

Last year Frances flew to London to spend a full day at The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, “one of the most amazing gardens in the world,” a garden that Frances had not yet visited, though her students in Plant Biology were awed by the movie, Kingdom of Plants, shot over the course of a year at Kew. She then headed to northern Sulawesa, Indonesia, where she volunteered for Tasikoki, a rehabilitation center for wild animals rescued on route between Borneo and the pet trade in the Philippines and beyond, where the goal is to release them back into the wild.

Given this depth of experience and wide range of interests, it’s no surprise that her class offerings in the Upper School are quite varied. Classes she has taught include Introduction to Biology, Advanced Biology (AP Curriculum), Advanced Biology Lab, Biotechnology, Human Anatomy and Physiology, Comparative Anatomy, Plant Biology, Mycology, Ecology and the Environment, Sustaining Life, Research Lab, and Gardening. She has led end-of-year trips to Ireland, Costa Rica (2), Nicaragua, and the Galápagos Islands (4). She also led a parent trip to the Galápagos one summer. During the school year Frances works with the Madagascar Club, which has raised money through bake sales and sent solar-powered Luci lamps to children attending the Rah King School to help them with their studies after dark and support the work of SADABE in the rural community of Tsinjoarivo. This summer, she'll be learning and doing service work in Madagascar and South Africa.

even disappointed, to learn that CFS What are your thoughts about the hadn’t changed at all since I attended. changes that have occurred at the school That would have seemed out of character based on my own experience. since you were a student?

(Continued from Page 13)

Brian: I don’t believe the size of the school has grown a whole lot, which is keeping with the feel of the place, a small close-knit community.

Dan: There’s a bit more structure in the MS, both physically (some interior walls) and academically, without being overly confining. I think they’ve found a happy medium. There’s also less aversion to competition, at least when it comes to team sports, which I applaud.

And there are dances. Surviving defeat and rejection are critical life skills, and better to start with small ones.

Sadie: While I still occasionally space out and try to turn into the “old” driveway, in general I find the changes to be very close to the heart of the School.

They have offered more opportunities to meet more learning needs. More community opportunities. More space for exploration. I feel the thought and planning that goes into each new building, field or play space, as well as the thought that accompanies curricular changes. To me, the changes have happened in a very natural way to meet the needs of community members. Just as an older sibling struggles with the changing dynamics of a family structure as a new sibling joins the family, so does a community change with each additional change or adaptation in structure. The key is working together to acknowledge the change and to use even that process as a learning opportunity. CFS does that.

John: The main changes I see are related to new facilities and to some extent, the curriculum. Although, on the second point, I’m only just learning what some of those differences might be. I really like the physical changes to the campus and was excited to hear about the School’s focus on STEM learning, including some of the additional physical improvements that are being made to accommodate more of this in the Middle and Upper Schools. I would have been more surprised, and possibly

What are your educational hopes for the future of CFS? Brian: I hold onto the hope that the School will remain at its present size to be able to offer the size classes and experiences that such a place offers.

Dan: That it continue as an oasis in a turbulent world where strong students can grow into good people with the skills and confidence to really make their lives matter.

Sadie: As a parent there are so many things to appreciate about your kids, so many steps and developmental milestones to marvel at, and then there also comes this time when you realize they have this life that just does not involve you. While that certainly happened earlier than I expected it to (!), when I catch glimpses of my sons’ lives at school or with friends out of school, I see the influence of their time thus far at CFS. I beam with pride and gratitude that they get to have the parts of their lives that do not involve me be in a place I call home. ‘Keep on keepin’ on’ would thus be my hope for the future!

The truth is indeed continually revealed, and my hope is that CFS continues to be open to hearing and honoring the truth as it reveals itself, and to adapting as a community in response to these truths.

John: I attended the 50th Year Celebration and heard former Principal John Baird speak as part of a meeting for worship. The perspective he shared about CFS through the years made a lot of sense to me (paraphrasing): CFS must thrive and adapt, and never lose what makes it special—its soul.

Watching my children experience CFS, I can see that the School continues to be all of those things that it was for my generation. My hope is that the next generation of parent/alums will see a version of their own wonderful experience through their children’s.

Carolina Friends School 15

Congratulations, Class of 2015

On Saturday, June 6, Carolina Friends School gathered in the Gym for a Meeting for Worship with Attention to Graduation, centered on the 41 students in the Class of 2015. After a Meeting for Worship in which many meaningful messages were shared with the group, each student received a diploma and a hug from Principal Mike Hanas and Upper School Head Teacher Tom Anderson. After a standing ovation, hugs were exchanged all ‘round.

16 We&Thee/Fall 2015/Spring 2016

The Members of the CFS Class of 2015 Elise Genevieve Ashkin-Baker Sarah Elizabeth Bellavia Madison Michelle Bennett Samuel Jacob Berenfield Rachel Skye Boyle Aliza Drew Bridge Lily Beatrice Burr Jess Katherine Carboni Alexandra Camille Jin Coelho Alfred Jenkins CovingtonCara Elizabeth DiLiberti Emma Anning Dubinski Molly Josephine DuBose Henry Knox Engler Christian Alexander Ernteman Lillian Cheren Garlick George Kennard Ralston Gildehaus Erin Rosalind Hazlett-Norman Darius James Holeman Logan Elizabeth Ikenberry Sierra Dashae Jamerson

Anna Priyanka Jean Kasibhatla Emily Gwynneth Langan Abraham Robert Lange Allena Suzanne Lessler Dana Amelia Levi José César López Joshua Thomas King McClain Ruth Daniella Metz Ariana Melissa Nicholson Patricia Patterson O’Sullivan Rebecca Emily Berton PorterfieldWinstead Nicholas Adams Richmond Olivia Rose Sanford Mac Frederick Schilder Austin Alexander Rogers Sorscher Jeffrey Soichi Takahashi Max Branson Taylor Gabrielle Brigitta Tiffin Logan Reed Wilson Matthew Andris Zoltners

The Colleges that the Class of 2015 Attend Agnes Scott College American Academy of Dramatic Arts – West American University (2) Appalachian State University Bates College California College of the Arts (San Francisco) Carleton College Clark University Colorado School of Mines

Guilford College (2) Kenyon College Naropa University Rhode Island School of Design Sarah Lawrence College Savannah College of Art and Design Smith College University of Colorado - Boulder University of Mary Washington

University of North Carolina: UNC Asheville (5) UNC Chapel Hill (8) UNC Greensboro (2) UNC Wilmington Wake Forest University Warren Wilson College Washington University in St. Louis

Other Schools Offering Admission to the Class of 2015 Allegheny College Amherst College Boston University Bowdoin College Bryn Mawr College Case Western Reserve University Centre College Champlain College College of Charleston College of Wooster Colorado College Earlham College

Eckerd College Elon University Emerson College Fort Lewis College Furman University George Mason University Goucher College Greensboro College Grinnell College Haverford College Lawrence University Lees-McRae College

Long Island University Global College Macalester College McDaniel College Mount Holyoke College New College of Florida New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology North Carolina State University Northeastern University Oberlin College Oregon College of Art & Craft

Pace University - New York City Prescott College Reed College Rochester Institute of Technology St. Olaf College Stony Brook University University of New Mexico University of Rochester University of Vermont Vanderbilt University Wellesley College Carolina Friends School 17

NEW STAFF/TRUSTEES STAFF Deepa Bhatt-Mackin (Upper School Counselor, Learning Specialist) graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from Wellesley College and a Master’s in Counseling Psychology from Northwestern University. She has spent the past 15 years working with children and families in a variety of settings, including schools, community counseling agencies, and a private psychotherapy practice. Most recently, Deepa worked as the Acting Director of Family Preschool. She lives in Durham with her husband and two young children, who attend CFS. Emi Charboneau (Lower School Administrative Assistant) grew up traveling and living around the world.

Having called Hawaii and Okinawa home for many years this island girl loves playing on the beach with her husband David and her two boys Duncan and Evan. Emi loves singing, baking, and crafting. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with her degree in Psychology and minor in Art History. Emi has years of experience in early childhood, elementary, and exceptional children education. Prior to joining the CFS Lower School Staff in 2015, she worked in the exceptional children’s department at Central Park School For Children. Emi is thrilled to be a part of the peaceful and nurturing environment of Carolina Friends School.

18 We&Thee/Fall 2015/Spring 2016

Aden Darity joined CFS in 2015 to teach PE electives, Exploratorium, and strength and conditioning classes for the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools respectively. He is a graduate of Cornell College and has worked with students in Durham Public Schools in various capacities. Aden recently was the girls' head basketball coach at Duke SchooI and is currently the head women's basketball coach at Wake Tech Community College. Aden enjoys helping young people develop skills, understanding, and enjoyment of athletic activities and trains athletes of various ages.

Melissa A. Kotačka (Upper School College Counselor) most recently was an Assistant Director of Admissions with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; prior to this, Melissa worked for the Visiting International Faculty Program as a Certification and Acceptance Specialist. Melissa is currently pursuing a M.A. in Counselor Education at North Carolina Central University. She also holds a B.A. in Russian and Interdepartmental Studies from the University of Iowa and a M.A. in Slavic Languages and Literature from UNCChapel Hill. She is a member of the Southern and National Associations of College Admission Counseling and serves as co-chair of the Local Arrangements Committee for the Greater Raleigh National College Fair. In addition to college counseling, Melissa also teaches public speaking and other electives. When not helping students and families explore their post-CFS options, she's most likely catering to the whims of her dog and/or curled up with her nose in a book while mainlining chamomile tea.

Mars Nealson (Durham Early School Teacher) was born in upstate New York. IBM moved her family to Charlotte when she was eight and she has lived in North Carolina ever since. She received a bachelor’s degree in English from UNC-Greensboro, and later earned an associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education. Mars has been an early childhood educator since December 1993 and has spent a majority of that time working in Reggio-Emilia-inspired programs. She loves the way the Reggio philosophy empowers young children to explore deeply and to discover their own languages for expressing their thoughts, feelings, and ideas. Mars believes that children learn best when they are allowed to follow their own interests, exploring, experimenting, questioning, and finding their own ways to the answers; she believes it is more important for them to figure out their own method of finding an answer than it is for them to get the “right” answer. Mars has extensive experience in, and a deep love for using emergent/negotiated curriculum, documenting children’s learning, outdoor learning, and creating a strong sense of community in the classroom.

In her free time, Mars enjoys aerial dance, medieval re-creation, reading, and exploring the woods and water where she lives in Eno River State Park with her husband Keith and daughter Elena. They share their home with their dog Rosie and ball python Emmie.

Marit Nelson (Chapel Hill Early School Teacher) grew up in Maine but has happily, and warmly, called North Carolina home since 2002. She graduated from UNC Chapel Hill with a B.A. in Elementary Education. Marit is particularly excited to develop relationships with students while getting to read, make art, and be outside with them. She loves to visit her family in Maine in the summer and her in-laws in Mississippi in the winter, work on her house, and get her two dogs to do ridiculous tricks.

Chris Grochowski (Campus Early School Teacher) Chris literally ran into Carolina Friends School the second day he was here in Durham. His wife, Colleen, and their two sons, Zac and Christian, had just arrived from Arizona. They were staying with friends and he woke up early to go for a run. Chris ran out of their neighborhood off Mt. Sinai Road and the next thing he knew was standing by the old water tower. A few months later, he was serving hot lunches, as a caterer, to the Upper School students and staff. Fast forward a few years when his nephew enrolled as a student in the wonderful Campus Early School, Chris says he fell in love with CFS. He also enjoys spending time with his family, cooking, and playing disc golf.

Dan Wales (Middle School Teacher) arrived at CFS with 15 years of teaching and coaching experience. He holds a B.A. in English Literature with a Writing Concentration from Georgetown University and an M.A. in Religion from Duke University. Dan has worked with a full spectrum of students and athletes, ranging from three year-olds to college students, with most of his experience in upper and

middle schools. Dan began his career working in Georgetown University's Writing Center and in Washington D.C. public/charter schools. Since moving to North Carolina in 2008, he has taught and coached at The Hill Center / Durham Academy and Stanford Middle School. In the summers Dan serves as an instructor at Duke Young Writers' Camp and as the Academic Director for Duke W.R.I.T.E. for College. Beyond literature, writing, sports and games, Dan enjoys playing music, dancing, acting, traveling, mountaineering, organic farming, working with animals, and almost anything else that connects him with nature. He also coaches boys soccer, basketball, and baseball.

Leah Wilks ’05 (Upper School Teacher) has been teaching dance in the Upper School alongside Annie Dwyer since 2010.

She returned to the Triangle area after getting her B.A. in Environmental Studies from Vassar College and then living in California. Leah also teaches dance at NC State University, Ninth Street Dance, and the American Dance Festival.

She performs with a variety of companies in the area including RenayAumillerDances, real.live.people.durham, Shaleigh DanceWorks, and The Dept. Leah is a founding member of Culture Mill and of Durham Independent Dance Artists. She runs her own multimedia dance company, VECTOR, with Austin-based visual artist Jon Haas, and was a recipient of the 2014 Indy Arts Award for her contributions to the developing local dance scene. Leah loves working with students at CFS as they remind her why she dances and choreographs in the first place, and because they teach her more than she probably ever teaches them. Leah will be headed to a graduate dance program this fall.

TRUSTEES Omid Safi and his family were looking for a daycare for their youngest child, Layla, when they stumbled across the Chapel Hill Early School. They realized very soon that it was not a day care, but a fortress of love.

Many schools talk about “teaching the whole child.” Here it was a reality. Many talk about acknowledging the light within all. At CFS it is an ultimate commitment and a daily mission. Their lives have been enriched by being a part of this beautiful and growing community. Three of the Safi children are now enrolled at CFS, in the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools.

Omid is a professor of Islamic Studies at Duke University, with interests including the study of medieval Islamic spirituality, the poetry of Rumi, and the civil rights movement. His life is devoted to exploring the connection between love and justice, the legacies of spirituality and adamant nonviolent resistance to tyranny and oppression. A noted public intellectual, he is a frequent guest on national and international media on matters related to contemporary Islam and the Middle East. He is the head of the Duke Islamic Studies Center, and each summer leads an adult educational tour to Turkey, http://illuminatedtours.com, (and someday, Iran) to promote understanding.

Felix Wong serves on the Board’s Business and Investment Committees. He and his wife, Nili, are the parents of Anand (Upper School) and Chaitan (Middle School). Felix is a partner at Florida Capital Partners, a private equity investment firm focused on the middle market.

Carolina Friends School 19

Sporting News

“Tennis, Everyone?”

by Tate Godwin ’16 and Rebecca Lanning It’s four o’clock in the afternoon on the last day of March, which is going out like a lamb...all sunshine and crisp blue sky. If you’re just pulling into campus, things might seem pretty quiet. The playing field is empty—both the girls’ Middle School soccer team and the Upper School Ultimate Frisbee team are playing off campus. But if you head up the hill past Campus Early School, you’ll hear this: the thwack of tennis balls and some good natured cheering from the court-side crowd.

The boys’ Upper School tennis team is hosting its third home match of the season.

Tennis courts had always been part of the Master Plan of Building Friends, CFS’s $7.75 million capital campaign. Thanks to generous donors and the vision and dedication of Assistant Principal and Varsity Tennis Coach John McGovern, construction was completed in Fall 2014—ahead of schedule. Six gleaming green-andblue courts. Picnic tables with umbrellas and extra seating for spectators. An ample shed for storage. Plenty of parking spaces. The facility is a dream come true for players, coaches, and fans. Before the courts were built, the girls’ and boys’ Middle and Upper School tennis teams travelled upwards of an hour round-trip to hold practices and home matches on various public courts in Durham and Orange County.

20 We&Thee/Fall 2015/Spring 2016

“Now, on match days, the team can play two full sets of singles and get all the doubles in without having to worry about the allotted time running out,” notes Tom Bond, CFS Board of Trustees member and parent of All-Conference and All-State player David Bond ‘16. “We are getting twice the practice time, which is helping make the team stronger,” says Henry Chapman, the sole freshman on the US boys’ team. “We can come up at lunch and hit a couple balls. It’s been really good for bonding.” Although the courts were not completed in time for the girls’ season that fall, Noor Sandhu ‘17, who plays #1 on the US girls’ team, made up for lost time by practicing with the boys. While cheering them on today, she’s quick to point out that the courts don’t just benefit the CFS tennis teams. “Having the courts here encourages students who have never played tennis to give it a try. The courts are great for the whole athletic department.”

If you build it, they will come. "Having the new home courts has made the tennis teams (and their parents) feel that they are a part of the larger CFS community. It is great to see staff and students stop by to watch and support the team during a match,” says Bronwen Nishikawa, parent of Kai Glass ‘16, known to his teammates as The Wall.

Staff member and Assistant Coach Jonathan McGovern ‘97, who played tennis at UNC-Charlotte, could not agree more.

“For all of their history, the tennis teams have essentially been forgotten, anonymous entities,” he says. “Now anonymity can be good for team building, in the development of the dictum: it’s us against the world. That can be a useful rallying cry, but in the end everyone loses out. I think of Philip Meyer being such a fantastic player who never really got to share his talents with the community. Or David and Tate and all their amazing achievements over the last couple of years.

It's a great shame that so much was missed, but thankfully now, as a result of the hard, tireless work of my dad and many others, all the current and future players will be able to showcase their talents for their peers and teachers on campus. That makes me extraordinarily happy.” Such joy is contagious. This afternoon several staff members have stopped by to cheer on the Quakers, including US math teacher Dave Worden who made the “quick shuttle up the hill” to watch two of his advisees play. As the last match winds down, the sky deepens, casting a golden glow across the courts and neighboring fields.

A slight chill hangs in the air...along with the smell of victory. Dave says he’s got a hankering for a hot dog and wonders, “When is John going to convert the old bus into a concession stand?” This weather.

These courts. On a day like today, anything seems possible.

TEAM RESULTS CFS Upper School Athletics / 2014-15 GIRLS’ CROSS COUNTRY all conference: Zoe Lindsey-Mills ‘16 BOYS’ CROSS COUNTRY all conference: George Gildehaus ‘15 Dillon Lanier ‘16 BOYS’ SOCCER all conference: Knox Engler ‘15 all state: Knox Engler ‘15 GIRLS’ TENNIS all conference: Noor Sandhu ‘17 Player of the Year Erin Hazlett-Norman ‘15 all state: Noor Sandhu ‘17 VOLLEYBALL all conference: Hadden LaGarde ‘18 BASEBALL all conference: Darius Holeman ‘15 GIRLS’ SOCCER all conference: Marisa Rauwald ‘16 BOYS’ TENNIS conference regular season (undefeated) and tournament champions #3 seed in the state tournament lost in the semifinals all conference: David Bond ‘16 Tate Godwin ‘16 Player of the Year all state: David Bond ‘16 Tate Godwin ‘16 Coach of the Year: Jonathan McGovern ULTIMATE USA Ultimate High School Southern Champions USA Ultimate High School State Champions

Summer Tennis

Camp Opportunities Jonathan McGovern will be offering two, weeklong camps for players ages 9 to 14 called Tennis for Novices.

The camps will run June 13-17 and June 20-24.

Carolina Friends School 21

An Update on The Building Friends Capital Campaign

Work Completed, Work That Remains We’ve celebrated 11 transformative enhancements to our teaching, learning, and other spaces—classrooms, science and maker labs, art studios, athletic facilities, and more—from the Chapel Hill Early School addition that opened in Spring 2012 to the Lower School renovations and addition that opened this past fall.

To finish fortifying our infrastructure, the CFS Board of Trustees after months of discernment decided in November to borrow the necessary funds. So, now we’re excited to break ground in coming months on a 350seat arts and events center.

As Board Clerk Marsha Green wrote to our community in December, “the School’s strong financial position and today’s historically low interest rates support borrowing as a conscious act of good stewardship to enable the completion of a long-awaited home for our performing arts program and a fitting launch into our second halfcentury.”

This first building “across the creek” will be a space for teaching, performances, gatherings, speakers, and other events for the entire CFS community 22 We&Thee/Fall 2015/Spring 2016

and beyond.

In January, the trustees also approved a modest addition to be completed in the next several months to meet long-identified needs at our Campus Early School.

Thanks to these investments—and the generosity of so many Building Friends Campaign donors—generations of CFS students and teachers will be even better positioned to do their best work.

CFS teachers talk about the importance of the arts and the arts center….

I believe that the arts are central to the health of a community – choreography and the voices of students have the power to shape the world – art has the power to heal and instruct – it can address important issues and allow students to embody different points of view.

I believe that the way we do the arts at CFS is powerful – so the opportunity for folks truly to have a seat will be amazing.

--------A facility of this scope is a prism through which many lights in our community can shine: the students who bring their absolute best to the stage; the staff who work just as passionately to focus students' light through that glass;

and the community as a whole, which, as in a lighthouse, attracts attention to what is best about this place - our focus on whole student-centered curriculum.

Working in a dedicated and professional space is a reward in and of itself.

It is a joy to teach in a space that, like a lab built for physics, is equipped with everything necessary for your success.

--------A Friends education is one that honors and nurtures the light in every child. The joy of performing shines brightly in many students at CFS. Just as it's important for those participating in athletics to have the facilities that will support their growth and performance, and for those in science classes to have the spaces that best facilitate their learning, those in the performing arts will have the appropriate spaces they need to foster their passion.

Thank You, Retiring Staff!

We celebrate your contributions to CFS and send you with our blessing to continue to share your Light in the world.

Peggy Craft, Upper School math teacher and advisor, retires after four years at Carolina Friends, and many more in the teaching profession.

Locally, she has taught at the North Carolina School of Science and Math as well as Durham Academy. Peggy also spent a decade as a computer programmer before becoming a high school teacher. She describes this second career as “all good—great, even,” and says she feels “lucky to have had CFS as my last gig.” Peggy has taught almost every math course we offer, spending a lot of time in Geometry and Calculus.

In retirement, Peggy will “take to the road with my little camper,” enjoy her grandchildren, and do some hiking and contra dancing.

Kathleen Davidson, Director of Admission, joined the CFS staff in 1996, six years after her children arrived as students. Her work has deepened and enriched our application process, support for prospective families, and connections in the wider community.

Her collaborations have been rich and visionary, including work with Head Teachers in enrollment, with John McGovern and Katie Collini in tuition assistance, with Friday Meeting in providing leadership, and with the Parent-

Staff Association in building strong connections between parents and the School. She often expresses gratitude “for the opportunity to know every student, parent, staff member, and trustee-a gift!” Kathleen's warmth, authenticity, and loving commitment to the success of CFS and her grounding in Quaker values will be deeply missed.

Chris Firpo, a CFS alum parent, has been our Director of Summer Programs since 1995. Thanks to her leadership, we offer courses in technology, drama, art, music, sports, cooking, outdoor adventures, and science across four age groups: 5-7, 6-8, 8-12, and 1015. She’s moved registration online, advanced the registration timetable, and added innovative offerings (from robotics to a Chinese student program). She’s worked hard to create revenue that benefits the entire School while always putting students first. She wants campers to be treated as individuals by adults who have time to talk, to explain, and to listen to each child. Chris loves to travel and received a CFS Professional And Community Enrichment (PACE) grant to visit Costa Rica in 2013.

Alex Gordon, Athletic Director and parent of three CFS graduates, began his CFS professional journey 16 years ago as a teacher and assistant to John McGovern, our first Athletic Director.

Alex has continued to teach physical

education to Lower Schoolers, and he has stewarded the Athletic program at CFS—one that has grown to include girls' and boys' swimming, tennis, track, and coed ultimate–with a gentle hand and deliberate care for 14 years. He has remained faithful to a CFS approach that has nurtured newcomers, as well as highly-skilled athletes, and teams that make no cuts, as well as those that compete for (and win!) state championships. Alex says, "I was—and am— just someone who wanted to help children and adults have enjoyable and positive experiences in life."

Françoise Heyden, for the past 14 years has been a Middle School Spanish and humanities teacher and advisor. She is an advocate for students and a humble leader of service, and has been a grounding presence in everything she has touched. Her students have been blessed by her expertise, passion, and care. She has furthered beyond measure the Afghan Sister Schools Partnership, building life-changing relationships and opportunities with our sister school in Topchi. Whether teaching Spanish, advising, making hundreds of “Soisy Pops” to raise money to sponsor children at Safe Passage, or taking students to serve as tutors at Forest View Elementary, Françoise embodies what it means to serve.

Carolina Friends School 23

Carolina Friends School 4809 Friends School Road Durham, NC 27705 919.383.6602 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Nonprofit Organization U.S.Postage PAID Durham, NC Permit No. 783

Thank you to the 400+ Friends of Friends School who have donated $300,000+ to the 2015-2016 Annual Campaign as of mid-May. We couldn't do all we do without our Friends. We are so close to our goal--and we need your support to reach FRIENDSHIP IS...BEING A FRIEND OF FRIENDS SCHO it by June 30.

OL! Annual Campaign gifts impact our entire School. The generous support of current and former families, alums, grandparents, staff, board members, and friends help us keep tuition down by $770 per student.

For the first time, the Friends of Friends School Annual Campaign invites you to direct gifts to an area that inspires you, while providing resources that animate CFS and make it a special place to learn and grow. Consider designating your gift to support one of these aspects of our work: financial aid, technology, academic programs, staff support, campus care/stewardship, or our greatest need. Each funding area helps to provide the kind of transformational education to which we at CFS aspire and aids teachers and students alike.

You can learn more about directing your gift and make a one-time or recurring, credit card donation by visiting www.cfsnc.org/InspiredGiving.

THANK YOU!