Welcome to
THE TALON Spring 2018
LETTER FROM HEAD OF SCHOOL
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NATIONAL SCHOOL OF CHARACTER
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KIDS HELPING KIDS
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HOMECOMING
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FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS
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TECHNOLOGY AT ECC
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DAY OF CARING
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BOOKS AS BRIDGES PROGRAM
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INNOVATION & CURRICULUM
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PERFORMING ARTS
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AV LEAGUE 15 VOLLEYBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
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DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION STATEMENT Carrollwood Day School embraces and celebrates the rich diversity of our students, employees, and families from all backgrounds. As an International Baccalaureate continuum school, CDS strives to create a supportive and inclusive learning environment where each person is valued. We work to intentionally develop cross-cultural competency and appreciation of differences within all constituents. We value the influence of a wide range of experiences and perspectives in our classrooms, relationships, and interactions as we prepare our students to contribute to a diverse and interconnected world.
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Dear Friends, Welcome to the spring edition of The Talon. I write with deep gratitude for the amazing school we all are part of! It is hard to believe that in 1981 Carrollwood Day School began in a storefront as a preschool. With the support of parents, CDS added the elementary school, a middle school, and finally an upper school to round out the exceptional educational experience for all students. From the storefront and a rented summer camp location in Odessa, to the ECC on Casey Road and the sprawling Bearss Avenue campus, CDS has truly become a premier independent school in Florida.
The 2017-2018 school year is shaping up to be an exceptional one for CDS in many ways. The year started with our entire community being featured on The Today Show! CDS was recognized as a National School of Character for the second time, a notable tribute to our school-wide commitment to character development. Enrollment is the highest in our school’s history and our projections show that we will be full in most grade levels from toddler through twelfth grade in 2018-2019. Our students continue to excel in the classrooms, on the playing fields, on stage, and at interscholastic events. Our prekindergarten and kindergarten are immersed in learning the binary number system and its application to coding! Our theatre troupe brought home the highest awards in school history and our girls’ volleyball team captured the first FHSAA state championship title for any CDS sport! As enjoyable as it is to reflect on past accomplishments and milestones, my focus and enthusiasm are now drawn to the exciting outlook for our future. The entire faculty and staff are laser focused on pushing CDS to the next level through innovative ideas and approaches. We all believe that CDS students will have a leg up as they enter the workplace of the future. Throughout their school career at CDS, students are developing the skills that will enable them to successfully navigate the uncharted future workplace. They become adept at being inventive, creative, and resilient, essential qualities for generating their own paths to success. This is a great moment in the life of CDS and exciting days are ahead. It is with a bright vision of the future that I invite you to join me in working towards our fullest potential. Best regards, Ryan Kelly, Ed.D. Head of School CDS MISSION STATEMENT The mission of Carrollwood Day School is to create entrepreneurial thinkers for a global society. We provide strong character-based education emphasizing problem-solving skills and philanthropic understanding. Our students are prepared to be world leaders using the International Baccalaureate Programmes, cutting-edge technology, creative arts, and competitive athletics. Most importantly, CDS fosters the development of the entire student not only in academics, but also ethically, emotionally, and through social experience. Our goal is to help students discover and develop their own talents and interests and use these to better the world and themselves.
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2017 National Forum on Character Education
This past October, Head of School Ryan Kelly, along with Allison Agliata, Trudi Buscemi, and Erma Ruffkess, attended the 2017 National Forum on Character Education. In addition to spending two days sharing and learning with hundreds of educators from all over the world who are also passionate about character, CDS was honored as a National School of Character for the second time. Sheril Morgan, Director of Schools of Character for character.org, commended CDS on our legacy of character development, “What a phenomenal accomplishment! It is quite a feat to be named a National School of Character more than once. It took a great deal of commitment and teamwork and you should be celebrated!”
This year’s conference, “The Missing Peace,” resonated with the theme that character is the missing piece of the puzzle to building a more peaceful world. CDS administrators had the opportunity to reconnect with several longtime collaborators: Keynote speaker, Dr. Richard Weissbourd, is co-director of the Making Caring Common Project at Harvard University which CDS supports as a partner school; Michele Borba collaborates with CDS faculty, parents, and students on an ongoing basis to help CDS continue to strengthen our authentically caring community; and Hal Urban, nationally recognized author and character education consultant, has visited CDS several times to speak with students, parents, and faculty. It was also exciting to meet and hear from emerging young leaders in character education like Houston Kraft and Amit Dodani who bring innovative and passionate perspectives to creating a campus culture of compassion and character. And, of course, some of the most valuable lessons were learned through interaction with character advocates from other schools. However, the take-away that resonated the strongest was how truly fortunate we are to be part of a school community that collectively embraces and champions the commitment to maintain a strong character-based culture.
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Helping After Harvey The theme for this school year, “CDS: Where Caring is Common,” embraces an essential quality of CDS culture. It is the touchstone that unites our entire school community in our mission to develop students who are happy, high achieving, globally conscious citizens. We are very proud of the actions our students take to make a positive difference for others in our community and beyond. When disaster struck in Houston in August, the entire school mobilized to help the youngest victims of Hurricane Harvey. In less than a week, CDS students rallied their families and local businesses to donate truckloads of toys and school supplies for the children of Houston. NBC’s Jeff Rossen took notice and came to Tampa to witness first-hand and share with the nation the outpouring of support from CDS students. When asked why students wanted to do this, a middle schooler explained, “If we were in this situation we would want people to give us stuff, so it’s like treat people like you want to be treated.” Students wrote cards and notes of support to the children of Houston with heartfelt messages like, “Houston is strong brave, tough, and amazing. You’ll get through. We love you.” On September 6th, Jeff Rossen arrived in Tampa with camera crews from The Today Show along with a crew and trucks from United Way. They spent a busy morning at CDS, broadcasting and loading the mountain of school supplies and toys that were donated onto trucks for delivery to Houston the next morning. It is touching to note that this humanitarian effort took place just days before Hurricane Irma was predicted to hit Tampa. Head of School, Ryan Kelly, noted, “I’m so proud; this is a huge rally of support for the 3 million children impacted by Hurricane Harvey. I’m just amazed. We unfortunately have a hurricane coming our way, so when we’re done helping Houston, we’re going to get ready ourselves.” Luckily for the CDS community, Hurricane Irma was downgraded to a Category 1 hurricane as its eye wall passed east of Tampa. We are very thankful that much of the Tampa area was spared serious damage.
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What better way to start the fall season than with CDS Homecoming. The CDS community embraced a week-long celebration in mid October. From the pep rally with our littlest Patriots at the ECC, to our alumni returning to campus for Friday night under the lights, the week was memorable to all. All divisions of CDS participated in school-wide activities around the clock. Students enjoyed homecoming traditions of themed dress days, making spirit banners, athletic competitions, cheer offs, and powder puff. The excitement built throughout the week leading up to the Friday night football game. Record attendance filled the Wagner Athletic Complex with parents, students, faculty and alumni. The roar of the crowd built as our Early Childhood Campus students formed a spirit tunnel on the field for the football players. A new tradition began with alumni who were treated to a VIP lounge area on the football field to see up close the new facilities that have been built at CDS. Current teachers and staff greeted the alums and reminisced about their time they shared together while they were students. None of the returning alums had ever competed on Swain Field at the Wagner Athletic Complex and were blown away by the changes that had been made over the years. Advancement Coordinator for Alumni, Teddy Owens, was thrilled. “What’s great about having our alums back for Homecoming and for the social is not just seeing the look on their faces when they see classmates they haven’t seen in years, it’s the excitement they get when they see former teachers and staff who helped guide them through their journey. Seeing the joy that Mrs. Benedetti got from seeing her former students gave us great pride in putting together this event.” At halftime the CDS community welcomed Class of 2017 alums, Arthur Winslow and Nicole Wang to the field. They led the halftime ceremony, greeting the homecoming court and crowning the homecoming king, Grayson Fisher, and queen, Gabi Quarles. After halftime the CDS Alumni Association hosted a social at Glory Days. Seven graduating classes were represented. Alums and staff shared stories, food, and drinks. Ben Gersten, Class of 2011, was one of many alums in attendance. “Homecoming is not only a time to reminisce, but a time to reflect. Seeing former faculty and classmates really puts things into perspective. It helps you realize how you have grown as an individual and how your peers from high school have grown as well. It was wonderful seeing everyone not only at Homecoming but the social that followed it. I hope 2018 brings in a new era for CDS and its alumni when it comes to bringing all the Patriots back together!”
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Working as an educator in the classroom requires many hours of professional development. The title of “Life Long Learner” is certainly appropriate. After teaching for 22 years, I can honestly say that attending the People of Color Conference (PoCC) in Anaheim, California this year was a major highlight of my career. The PoCC is sponsored by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and began in 1986. As I entered the Anaheim Convention Center, I quickly realized that it would be an extraordinary experience. The main purpose of the Conference was to provide professional development that would improve the intercultural climate in independent schools. The opening keynote speaker was Kimberle Crenshaw, a professor at the UCLA School of Law and Columbia Law School. Ms. Crenshaw spoke about her theory of intersectionality, which is the study of intersecting or overlapping social identities specifically related to minorites. Nearly six thousand attendees stood to their feet several times throughout Ms. Crenshaw’s hour long speech. The three day Conference offered many workshops from which to choose. In fact, two of the workshops that I chose to attend reached a maximum capacity! One of the sessions that I enjoyed was called, “My Mathematical Mind.” The presenter, Deborah Pearl, helped me reaffirm the importance of presenting math lessons in a variety of learning styles. Creative methods of instruction will inspire students of color and help them achieve in this area. In addition to the workshops, the PoCC offered Affinity Group Sessions. Attendees had the ability to meet and share experiences with specific ethnicities and sexual identity groups. The PoCC Conference far exceeded my expectations for professional development. The workshops, facilitated by professional educators, provided a deeper understanding of establishing a school community where all students can excel and grow. I am proud to say that this encompasses the Mission Statement of Carrollwood Day School, which celebrates diversity and a safe learning environment for all. I look forward to implementing the strategies that I learned. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyjzvowqJJM https://pocc.nais.org
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Our early childhood program is known for nurturing the natural curiosity of our youngest students by creating a safe environment to explore, experiment and take risks, and by providing opportunities to develop problem solving, critical thinking and communication skills. This year, the ECC is taking these practices to the next level by embracing and implementing a new coding strand into its curriculum. Our students all have big ideas and big questions, they are innovators by nature and our job is to help them develop the skills to find solutions, create and make their ideas a reality. Coding prepares students for future careers that utilize a certain set of skills called soft skills and skills that require students to think critically, problem solve, communicate effectively, be a team player and be an innovator. Our youngest Patriots are actively participating in plugged and unplugged coding activities. The two and three year olds engage in STEM inspired activities using manipulatives that foster their innovation, problem-solving and communication skills, providing the foundations for coding. Our prekindergarten students are collaborating to use basic patterning and problem-solving techniques to analyze and design algorithms to code robots, their peers and even their teachers! These patterning and problem-solving skills are applied at a more advanced level in kindergarten as the students use them to read and build binary codes. Our kindergarteners are very engaged and inquisitive about this topic and use the concept to design and read each other’s binary bracelets and program a tiny robot known as an ozobot. The addition of this new component to the early years curriculum was a very careful process ensuring the content aligned with each grade level’s standard and met student’s learning needs. The activities are developmentally appropriate for the early years and use the familiar methods that are already being used in the classrooms, integrating the concepts from core subject areas. The addition to the classroom and the curriculum did not change the philosophy or belief, but rather enhanced student learning. It further developed and focused on skills that play an integral role in setting the tone for students to feel and be successful. Preparing students to be college and career ready begins with the proper implementation of these foundational skills.
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“Our students all have big ideas and big questions, they are innovators by nature and our jobs is to help them develop the skills to find solutions, create and make their ideas a reality.” Anna Boodoo, Assistant Head of ECC
On January 3, 2018, CDS students kicked off the new year with a Day of Caring. Middle School and Upper School projects benefited local and far-reaching causes, from the Community Food Pantry and Kids and Canines to helping bring clean water to the students at Bitame Lucia International School in Cameroon. Students in kindergarten through grade 5 dedicated their efforts to benefit current pediatric cancer patients and the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation. The focus for the Lower School’s Day of Caring originated with the vision of two 5th grade students, Brooke Bergin and Bobbi Walters. Sadly, pediatric cancer has touched the lives of CDS families, and CDS students understand the real challenges young cancer patients and their families face. Cancer is the number one cause of death by disease among children, yet only 4% of federal government cancer research funding goes to study pediatric cancer. Kids helping kids is part of the DNA of CDS. On CDS’s Day of Caring, each grade level contributed to those fighting pediatric cancer in a very special way.
The theme for this school year, “CDS: Where Caring is Common,” embraces an essential quality of CDS culture. It is the touchstone that unites our entire school community in our mission to develop students that are happy, high achieving, globally conscious citizens. We are very proud of the actions our students take to make a positive difference for others in our community and world.
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I would love to tell you that I already knew of the Books As Bridges program and what they did; that I purposefully found this program to fulfill the needs of exploring identity and diversity while connecting my students to the global community and inspiring them to action. It’s true, that was my intent in introducing the program to the students, but I found it by pure luck while looking for ideas for hosting a book drive last Spring at the school. The International Book Project started as an organization that sought to promote literacy and cultural understanding by collecting and distributing books to under served schools and organizations. The Books As Bridges program was set up as an extension of the original project, and was designed to connect schools in Kentucky to an international partner class. Luckily for us, the program was willing to expand to other U.S. schools outside of Kentucky. And if I needed further evidence of our good fortune, the purpose and intent of this program perfectly aligned with our unit of study on identity and exploring the roles and identities of children in the global community, and provided an opportunity for students to answer one of our inquiry questions: How can we make a difference as global citizens? After reading several non-fiction narratives about various children from other countries, students were introduced to the Books As Bridges program and their pen pals. Students wrote two letters and put together a cultural box for the students of the Bitame Lucia School in Cameroon. Although our correspondence was limited, it was enlightening for all involved and greatly impacted the students. “My favorite part about this program was getting the letter back from my pen pal because they put so much work into writing to us. Also it was kind of heartwarming when someone wrote such a caring letter to you without even meeting you,” said Reece Todd.
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A surprising observation that we all made was that the students in Cameroon had access to video games, contemporary U.S. music, and technology, but they didn’t have plumbing or access to clean water to drink at the school! In a video the Bitame Lucia School shared with us, we learned that the school must pay money each month for water to be pumped from a nearby waterway, and the students use buckets to transfer water to bathrooms, toilets, and classrooms. Students also had to bring their own drinking water to school each day. One of highlights of the year was when the Books As Bridges program coordinator, Angelina Cody, visited our language arts classroom. “In the presentation today I learned that people are very committed to this program. I can say this because our presenters flew all the way down here from Kentucky to Florida to educate us about this program. One thing that I learned about the culture in Cameroon is it is very passionate in its unity with its people; some people may not agree with others but they all stay unified and that’s how they survive,” reflected Zachary Greif. During the visit with Ms. Cody, the students learned about the historical background of Cameroon and about their native language; “There are two main languages in Cameroon: French and English. This is because when Cameroon was controlled by other countries it was divided by the French and the British,” recalled Maddie Miniati. Of course, one of the most appealing parts of the presentation was the traditional snack: students tried puff puff, which, as Cayden Marulanda put it, “tasted like French toast.” Before leaving, students participated in a craft that was sent to the Bitame Lucia School – each student added a design to a large swath of fabric, the completion of which represented the traditional clothing of Cameroon, called toghu.
At the end of the year, many students asked if they would be able to continue writing their pen pals in Cameroon and raising money for them. The answer to that question was, and is, “Yes!” The current 7th grade students completed their first letter to their pen pals before winter break and they have started a fundraising campaign selling Shakespeare-themed t-shirts (over 150 sold already!). They will also be donating the funds from the largely popular Shakespeare Festival Fundraiser, “Send Your Teacher to Jail.” As teachers, we are thrilled that our students are looking for ways to connect with and help others, both locally and globally, and there is no better outcome than when we see evidence that they got more out of the experience than we had ever planned. As Joanie Hsu reflected, “There is not much holding us apart except a body of water or some land. We are all the same in one way or other. We are here to give support, share resources, share ideas and to share stories.” The other focus of the year was the fundraising effort. In order to build a borehole, which would provide clean water access for cleaning and drinking, the Bitame Lucia School needed to raise $5,000. We didn’t think we could raise $5,000, but we certainly wanted to make a dent in the amount of money needed to get the borehole project started. A small group of students formed the Clean Water Squad, which took command of designing and organizing the sale of a one-of-a-kind reusable water bottle. The 6th grade also wanted to sell snacks to the middle school during study hall at the end of each day, showing true understanding of their market by appealing to the everlasting hunger that grips the average middle schooler. Each advisory volunteered for at least a week, which included bringing in snack items to sell and operating the sales table during study hall. At the end of the year, their fundraising efforts paid off. The 6th grade raised $1,700 for the Bitame Lucia School in Cameroon, allowing them to begin the work on the borehole project.
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Carrollwood Day School will be the preeminent school in the Tampa Bay area for innovation in teaching and learning across all disciplines and divisions
Recently, our team of division heads, ECC through Upper School, sat down to an inspirational meeting, an exercise in dreaming, sharing our vision for where we want our program to go, followed by a brainstorm on what resources we need to get us there. From the outset, we knew we needed a big dream, an achievable moonshot goal, that would motivate us in our work with faculty, students, and families. The statement above captures that goal—we won’t strive to be or work to be the preeminent school in the Tampa Bay area. We will be that school. And it is happening now. At the heart of every school is its exceptional faculty and exemplary curriculum. We are proud of our teachers and their dedication to keeping pace with our school as it has experienced tremendous growth. Next year, we are giving our Upper School curriculum a makeover, adding exciting new programming to our current solid foundation of offerings to ensure that we continue to serve our students as best we can to prepare them for successful and fulfilling futures. We are proud to offer our 11th and 12th graders many of the challenging and authentically preparatory courses put forth in the IB Diploma Programme, and next year we will offer even more. At the Upper School, we already offer the full slate of IB math courses. From IB Math Studies, a statistics and probability rich curriculum perfect for students interested in humanities-based careers, to Math SL, which brings students a healthy dose of calculus, rounding off with Mathematics HL, a heady course perfect for our future engineers and astrophysicists. In the 2018-2019 school year, in the area of sciences, we will be able to brag that we are the only area IB school to offer every IB science option, at both a standard and
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By Sara Rubinstein
higher level: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Environmental Science, Computer Science, and the new Sports, Exercise & Health Science, an anatomy and physiology elective for students interested in careers in sports medicine. Students at CDS can choose from them all, or even double, if science is their area of passion. After having traversed a robust MYP Design Technology curriculum in grades 6-10, offering increasing opportunity to specialize in entrepreneurship, engineering, or computer science, next year’s juniors will be able to continue on to IB Design Technology at the 11th and 12th grade level. This will further refine their design thinking and project management skills as they dream and create at increasingly sophisticated levels. Combined with our new Business Management course, where emphasis is placed on strategic decision-making and the operational business functions of human resource management, finance and accounting, marketing and operations management, CDS’s future engineers and entrepreneurs will be well placed to enter college way ahead of the curve. In humanities, we are prepared to offer IB DP Music for our growing pool of dedicated musicians and to expand our English curriculum to include both IB Literature, for students passionate about reading, writing, and literary analysis, and the new IB Language and Literature, which includes critical analysis and writing about both literary and non-literary texts.
Our underclassmen will also benefit as we add new full-time faculty members in English, math, humanities, and design tech to accommodate both our new courses and to keep the student-teacher ratio low. Every Upper School family will appreciate the addition of a full-time assistant to the college counseling office to help facilitate family and school visits. Additionally there will be a substantial increase in the college guidance department budget to support the enhanced advocacy and enrollment of our students to a growing list of competitive schools nationwide.
preparatory education. Our mission promises to create entrepreneurial thinkers for a global society who can think critically and ethically about the challenges and opportunities that wait for them in the years ahead. We hope you share our enthusiasm for the steps we are taking next year to make our vision of developing students who have the critical competencies they need to succeed and lead in tomorrow’s world a reality.
School wide, our faculty and students next year will have the support of two new innovation specialists. One at the Lower School and one at the Middle and Upper School. These full-time faculty members will spend their days studying curriculum and researching best practice in instruction to find ways to support teachers as they integrate innovative thinking, modern tools, and relevant practice into classrooms. Finally, the addition of two learning specialists at the Middle and Lower School levels to supplement the work of the existing Upper School learning specialist will ensure that all of our CDS students have the tools and resources necessary to succeed in our program. Carrollwood Day School has always been an extraordinary place and it is poised to take its place as the preeminent destination school in the area for a relevant, engaging, and authentic college
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The CDS theatre program couldn’t be more grateful for the completion of the dressing rooms this past September. In a special tribute, the unveiling celebrated CDS Lifer, Parker Hayes, Class of 2017. Family, friends, faculty, alumni, and students toured the spaces in awe of the professional details and special memories of Parker. Upper School Performing Arts Director, Colleen McEvoy, shared, “The spaces were transformed into these amazing dressing rooms for the students. There is such an air of excitement about them. It adds a new feeling of professionalism to our wonderfully growing theatre department. We are so thankful for these new spaces that we can call home.” The cast of Peter Pan will be the first ones to enjoy the new dressing rooms, with show dates scheduled for April 6-8 and April 13-14. Keep your eye out for ticket information - this is a musical you won’t want to miss!
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Carrollwood Day School Upper School theatre students are dedicated to making a difference in the community through the impact of performance and art. Under the leadership of Upper School Performing Arts Director, Colleen McEvoy, students recently performed the powerful play, I Never Saw Another Butterfly. This one act play is based on the poetry created by the Jewish children of Prague who were imprisoned in the Terezin concentration camp. The play imparts a lesson on how to maintain hope behind the razor wire of oppression. The theatre students tackled this emotional piece beautifully. Many researched the Holocaust and visited the Florida Holocaust Museum to gain a better perspective on the characters they were portraying. Their goal was always to portray these characters truthfully and respectfully. The performance of I Never Saw Another Butterfly was our way of saying, “We remember and we won’t stand by and let it happen again.” The students spent weeks creating their characters and fine-tuning their performances. We also added an original choreographed dance number that told part of our story through movement. Sophomore Caroline Shasek brilliantly choreographed this number. It really captured the emotion of the play. I Never Saw Another Butterfly premiered on December 1 and 2. In addition, the theatre department had a special school performance on November 30 for CDS Middle School students as well as students from Hillel Academy. It was truly a special moment in CDS history. The students poured their hearts and soul into this performance. We are so proud of the cast for their hard work and artistic growth. This play has inspired the students to understand how a message of light could have come out of such darkness. They made it their mission to spread hope within the community. We released butterflies into the world remembering those that are no longer with us and began our butterfly hope chain. The mission of the chain was to allow the audience to inscribe a promising “wish” or “hope” on paper and form a chain of inclusion showing that we are a united community. The chain will start at Carrollwood Day School and hopefully travel to schools, museums, corporations, and other locations in the Tampa Bay area. The goal is to see how many lives we can touch within our community. I Never Saw Another Butterfly is a play that we will remember always.
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Are you one of the 12,000 viewers who tune in to watch our CDS athletic teams play live on YouTube? Did you know those broadcasts are being brought to you by our very own Upper School students? This group of 12 students do it all, from setting up the event on YouTube, to wiring the cameras, to broadcasting, and shooting from multiple angles. It is 100% student initiated from start to finish and below are the talented students to thank! Name: Sierra Nursey Years at CDS: 1 Role: Live Stream Manager/Director Inspiration for joining AV League: I have been making films since I was in 4th grade. I wanted to join the AV League to improve my skills and make friends. Name: Jared Johnston Years at CDS: 4 Role: Play by Play Announcer for Sports Livestreams Inspiration for joining AV League: I want become a play by play announcer for NHL Hockey and for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the future. Name: Chloe Wang Years at CDS: 9 Role: Camerawoman and Event Organizer Inspiration for joining AV League: To be able to live stream the events and to know what it was like to be behind the scenes of the live stream. Name: Petra J. Waterstreet Years at CDS: 4 Role: Camera Manager/Language Specialist Inspiration for joining AV League: I love to film them all. Name: Evan McConnell Years at CDS: 1 Role: Cameraman and Tech Support Inspiration for joining AV League: I wanted to learn about cameras. Name: Christian P. Hansen Years at CDS: 3 Role: Camera Manager Inspiration for joining AV League: The idea of producing Live Broadcasts intrigued me and I already had some technical skills. Favorite thing about AV League: Cooperating with others to produce broadcasts Name: Lauren Danielson Years at CDS: 4 Role: Assistant Director/Camera Inspiration for joining AV League: An interest in film, the opportunities the club provides, and a it’s a great way for all of us to have fun and enjoy what we are doing. Name: Nisanth Aremanda Years at CDS: 5 Role: Tech and Camera Supervisor Inspiration for joining AV League: I wanted to try something new. Name: Joseph Johnston Years at CDS: 4 Role: Live Stream, Camera and Director Inspiration for joining AV League: I like camera work and the whole show when completed, even though it’s hard work, it’s rewarding and working with others to achieve a goal is meaningful to me. Name: Maya Gohil Years at CDS: 2 Role: Director/Camerawoman Inspiration for joining AV League: A senior told me about the AV League and it sounded interesting so I decided to join. Favorite thing about AV League: It gives the opportunity for working together with others who share a similar passion as well as having a sense of community. Name: Chloe Munyon Years at CDS: 4 Role: Assistant Live Stream Manager Inspiration for joining AV League: An AV member Name: Camilo Yepes Years at CDS: 10 Role: Unofficial Assistant to the assistant to the Live Stream Manager Inspiration for joining AV League: I thought it was cool and wanted to help contribute to it Favorite thing about AV League: How great it is working with all these kind, smart, funny and talented people
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History Made!
On November 16th, Carrollwood Day School Girls Volleyball captured the first FHSAA State Championship in the history of the school. CDS defeated The Benjamin School 25-22, 25-19 and 25-20 to win the 2017 FHSAA 4A State Championship. On the way to the state championship, CDS captured their fourth straight district championship along with their third regional championship in the last four years.
Led by Senior Gabriela Quarles’ 17 kills and Junior Ally-Reese Williams’ 9 kills and four aces, the Patriots won their fourth match in four tries during the state tournament without ever dropping a set. The state championship capped a special season that saw the Patriots win 26 of their 28 matches for a record of 26-2, including 22 straight wins to end the season. The 26 wins ties a school record, while the team’s winning percentage broke the previous school record.
Several Patriot players broke individual school records including: Career Blocks: 107, Senior Krissy Lloyd Career Kills: 1,006, Senior Gabriela Quarles Season Assists: 933, Senior Kendel Saigol Season Digs: 390, Junior Lauren Ianni Season Aces: 76, Junior Ally-Reese Williams Season Blocks: 66, 8th Grader Ava Swain
Head Coach Eric Praetorius was named Florida Dairy Farmers 4A Coach of the Year and has now amassed a school record of 111 wins. Williams was named the 4A State Player of the Year and Quarles was named Hillsborough County Player of the Year. All three individual honors were also firsts for the Carrollwood Day School volleyball program.
Congratulations to the players and coaches on an incredible season. Special thanks to the Red Reign and student body that made the trip to Jacksonville to cheer on the volleyball team to the state championship. Lastly, thank you to seniors Gabriela Quarles, Kendel Saigol and Krissy Lloyd for their hard work and contributions to our program. In addition to winning the state championship and 92 games in their careers, they have laid a foundation for success for our volleyball program and athletic department for years to come.
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Gabriella Reimer ‘14 Surprise isn’t a word that is used often with Gabriella “Gabby” Reimer. The Carrollwood Day School Class of 2014 Alumna has always seemed to be just the opposite, “no surprise.” Whether it was dancing at a young age that led to the CDS Flamenco Club or her love for writing which led to her founding the Creative Writing Club at CDS, those around her came to expect that Gabby would be at the top of everything she took part in. So when the CDS Class of 2014 Valedictorian was accepted to the top business school in the world, the London School of Economics, those who know her weren’t surprised. Mrs. Kelly Benedetti, Gabby’s Global Politics teacher, homeroom advisor, and flamenco dance teacher is just one who knew Gabby would achieve great things after her time at CDS. “Ms. Reimer’s acceptance to the London School of Economics, in addition to her already tremendous achievements, is no surprise to those of us who had the wonderful opportunity to work with her.” We wrote Gabby to find out more about her time at CDS, why she chose Providence College, how she felt about being accepted to the London School of Economics and what she has planned after she completes her Master’s at the London School of Economics. Gabby, How did you end up at Providence College in Rhode Island and what has your experience been like there? I decided fairly early on that I wanted to go to college out of state. As much as I love Florida, I knew I wanted to get as far out of my comfort zone as possible. This led me to start looking at universities all over the country and eventually I narrowed my search to the North, particularly New England. I toured Providence College (PC) the summer before my senior year, and it seemed to be exactly the kind of school I was looking for: small, liberal arts, located in Rhode Island, a place that actually has seasons! After receiving acceptances from PC and a few other schools in the region, I had to make the difficult decision of where I would spend the next four years. PC actually offered me a full-tuition scholarship, which was hard to compete with and played a significant role in my decision.
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Although the snow wasn’t everything I dreamed it would be (it was only exciting for about 48 hours before it became annoying), my years at Providence College have been some of the best years of my life. PC has given me incredible academic opportunities over the past four years. I’ve done quantitative research with professors in the Political Science department, presented at a conference, and traveled to Europe and Africa multiple times. Right now I’m completing an independent thesis project on comparative development and working as a student assistant in the Feinstein Institute (our on campus organization dedicated to public service). In addition to these incredible classes and academic opportunities, I’ve made some great friends and a strong professional network. What will you be getting your degree in at Providence? I am in my senior year right now, and this May I will be graduating with two separate degrees, one in Political Science and the other in Global Studies. I also have a minor in Spanish. Tell us about the London School of Economics and your reaction to being accepted to the best business school in the world. My LSE story is actually two-part. The London School of Economics and Political Science actually has a program called the General Course, where undergraduate students from abroad can study at the LSE for a year as a “study abroad” experience. Courses are graded by LSE faculty and transferred back to the home institution (in my case PC). The program is a bit more rigorous than your traditional study abroad experience, as students are required to take a full course-load (four courses that are a year long), final grades are entirely based on the final exam taken in May, and students are graded against their peers (yikes!). LSE boasts one of the best International Relations departments in the world, however, and as someone who is deeply interested in global political issues and foreign affairs it seemed like a no-brainer that I would spend a year at LSE. So my first acceptance to LSE came in February of 2016. I spent the entirety of my junior year studying at LSE as an undergraduate student (2016-2017). It was definitely the most difficult but also the most rewarding year of my academic career thus far. My year at LSE helped me decide that I wanted to pursue a Master’s at LSE following my college graduation. During my junior year I took an Introduction to Global Development course at LSE, and I deeply enjoyed the theory and history behind global development. Since Providence
College doesn’t have many courses specialized towards Development Studies, I decided that I should pursue a Master’s to attain a better understanding of the field. LSE has one of the best Development Studies programs in the world, and since I was already familiar with the school, it made sense to return for my Master’s. I submitted my application this past October, along with a few other applications to various universities in the UK. Since LSE is such a competitive and rigorous school, I knew that getting accepted was a bit of a long shot. However, this past December I received an offer to pursue a Master’s in Development Studies. I actually accepted the offer a week ago, and I am looking forward to studying among some of the top academics in the field and being a part of groundbreaking research in the developing world. How did Carrollwood Day School prepare you for your success in college and life? Are there any memories that stood out? My experience in the IB program at CDS was invaluable for my experiences both at Providence College and the London School of Economics. The teachers at CDS and the IB program gave me the fundamental building blocks for college, such as the ability to write a formal paper, construct a bibliography, and give presentations. Many of my peers weren’t prepared to do this when I arrived at college. Additionally, the LSE academic system is quite similar to the IB academic system. My entire grade at LSE was based on one three-hour exam I took at the end of the year. My experience taking the IB exams truly prepared me for my final exams at the London School of Economics. My fondest memories from high school were almost always spent in Mrs. Benedetti’s Global Politics course. This class really helped me find my passion and path in college. I originally thought I wanted to pursue business administration or marketing, however, after studying International Relations theories, human rights norms, and various global conflicts in her class, I knew that I wanted to be involved in international affairs in some way. This class pushed me to change my major to Political Science and started me down the path that I am on today. What do you plan on doing after graduation? After getting my Master’s next year I would like to spend a few years working in the development field. There are quite a few organizations that would offer amazing employment opportunities such as the World Bank, the United Nations Development Program, or the International Monetary Fund. Alternatively there are a number of think tanks doing groundbreaking research on international development (Brookings Institute, Center for International Development, etc.), all of which would be amazing to work for. My hope is to work for one of these institutions for a few years and learn about policy and programs that are currently in play. After gaining a few years
of practical experience in the field, I would like to return to graduate school for a PhD, and pursue my research interests in comparative economic development. Because of what Gabby means to Mrs. Benedetti, she took great pride in having an impact on Gabby and her future plans. “It is a deep honor that the Global Politics course influenced the course of Gabby’s exciting trajectory, and a testament to the IB’s development of and commitment to opening this field of study to students worldwide. Gabby took a chance on the course when it was brand new, as were all of the teachers to it! Her fierce intellect, ability to recognize patterns and hidden interrelationships, feisty humor, abiding warmth, and unabashed love for my specialty of pirogies (Mrs. T’s, of course) endeared her to all of the staff and her peers. My pride in and enduring affection for Gabby, as her Global Politics teacher, homeroom advisor, and flamenco dance teacher (and she was fabulosa, ole’!!) cannot be overstated. We congratulate Gabriella on her amazing successes thus far, we celebrate the brilliant future that awaits her, and she will always be a beloved daughter of CDS.” Gabby, congratulations on continuing to achieve at the highest level and taking such great pride in everything that you do. You are an inspiration not only to your CDS classmates, but also to the teachers and staff that had the great privilege of being part of your life. Our hope is that current CDS students will see your story and will be inspired to work for their dreams just as you have. You are CDS! Gabby Reimer’s CDS Highlights • 2014 Class Valedictorian. Attained the highest GPA of any student since the inception of the CDS high school. • National Spanish Exam Silver Award • History Excellence Award, English Excellence Awards • Biology Excellence Award • Awarded the Harvard Book Prize for excellence in scholarship • Founder and vice-president of the Creative Writing Club • President of the CDS Key Club • Active in the school Youth in Politics Club • National Honor Society • Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica (Spanish honor society) • Mu Alpha Theta (math honor society) • Competitive dance team • CDS Flamenco Club all four years of high school • Gabby taught dance to students with physical handicaps and learning disabilities • 2013 awarded the Lives that Inspire Scholarship for being a positive role model and a source of inspiration for others • At the beginning of her senior year, Gabby spent a week in the Dominican Republic with other students from CDS teaching and mentoring younger children
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