VOICE
THE MAGAZINE OF CHARLOTTE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL • 2019-20 • ISSUE 1
Artwork by Senior Andrew Knotts
Departments
Features 1
HAPPY 10TH ANNIVERSARY MR. GILLER
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In 2010 Barry Giller became Charlotte Christian’s 11th head of school.
Alumni come back to campus to serve on staff and various part-time roles.
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LEADING TO GROW
11 MY FAVORITE THING
At the heart of Charlotte Christian’s mission is the desire to prepare students to impact the culture for Christ.
Send story ideas to laura.goodyear@charchrist.com Send alumni news to alumni@charchrist.com Send address changes to margaret.jackson@charchrist.com
THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Students share what they like most about Charlotte Christian.
13 KNIGHTS HEADLINES 15 EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT 17 COMMUNITY 19 ACADEMIC SPOTLIGHT 21 ATHLETIC SPOTLIGHT 23 FINE ARTS SPOTLIGHT 25 DEVELOPMENT 26 CLASS NOTES 29 ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT 31 ANNUAL REPORT
Dear Charlotte Christian Community, “So, Dad, have your thoughts on dogs and heaven now changed?” asked one of my girls in a recent conversation. It was an innocent question with deep theological implications and a reminder of a class several years ago. I am blessed to teach a Current Events class each fall semester, and a few years ago my twin daughters were in my class. Students today, like students for decades, enjoy getting teachers off topic and down a rabbit trail. One day that trail was a deep discussion about my thoughts on why our earthly pets will not be in heaven. This was upsetting to many of the students, and we had a healthy debate while trying to find hints of the truth in God’s word. When I announced to our children that we were leaving Connecticut and moving to Charlotte 10 years ago, there was much weeping and gnashing of teeth. In a weak moment I promised them a dog once we arrived in Charlotte. A few weeks after moving here we adopted Mango, our golden retriever who has been a great family member, and then with Mango aging, we decided it was time to add another dog to the mix. My daughter found a breeder who had some beautiful puppies, and a few weeks later Chutney joined our home. Sadly after only a year and a half with us Chutney suddenly died. This was a sad season in our family’s life, and my daughter inquired if my thoughts on dogs and heaven changed now that it was personal and no longer a lecture topic. Here is why I love Christian education - it is a place where theology and doctrine meet real life. We can have deep discussions in our Bible classes about God’s character, providence and sovereignty, but we also take that theology and apply it to life and the ups and downs of being a human. School is a place to acquire knowledge and skills but also a lab to apply what is being learned; this includes our relationship with Christ. Here is what I love about Charlotte Christian - it is a place that acknowledges we do not have all the answers. God’s word reveals much but it does not reveal all. I do not want to graduate students who think the Christian life is a checklist of beliefs and behaviors. The Christian life is a journey towards God the Father, and on that journey we know we do not have all the answers but we do know where the truth is. So, I told my daughter I still believe Chutney will not be in heaven, but I also trust God will have something even better for us when we get there, but then again I could be completely wrong and I simply rest in God’s ultimate authority. God Bless,
JK - GRADE 2 CHRISTMAS CHAPEL
Barry Giller Head of School
In 2009, Charlotte Christian began the search for its 11th head of school. Led by Mr. Andy Calhoun, search committee chair, a search firm was enlisted and a total of 31 listening and feedback sessions were held with more than 200 parents, board members, faculty, staff, alumni and students.
A total of 71 individuals
expressed interest in the position, of which 36 completed the application process. Six of those candidates made it to the next round, one of whom was Mr. Barry Giller. We all know how this story ended, and in June of 2010 Mr. Giller and his family of nine moved to Charlotte to begin his tenure at the helm of Charlotte Christian School.
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Happy 10th Anniversary Mr. Giller
A 1994 graduate of Wheaton College, Mr. Giller received his bachelor’s degree in history/social science and a certification for secondary education. He also holds a master’s degree in educational leadership from Nova Southeastern University and is an adjunct professor for Gordon College. Mr. Giller currently chairs the executive committee for the Council of Educational Standards and Accountability and is the president of the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association. Mr. Giller is also a faculty member for the Van Lunen Center at Calvin University which provides executive management education for heads of Christian schools. In addition to the daily responsibilities of running one of the preeminent Christian college preparatory schools in the country, Mr. Giller has overseen multiple projects, campaigns, initiatives, and accreditations during his 10-year tenure at Charlotte Christian including: • • • • • • • • •
The addition of the Warner Field House and renovation of the Guy Gym in 2012 Introduction of the all-inclusive dining program (2013-14) Started J-Term week January 2014 The addition of the Hendrick Center for Arts and Science in July 2014 The renovation of the MS/US Media Center as well as the athletic stadium and track renovation in the summer of 2015 KnightTank student/faculty collaboration started in 2015 The addition of the Center for Worship and Performing Arts in 2017 iKnights Initiative bringing Apple technology to campus Enrollment has grown from 989 (2010-11) to 1,113 (2019-20) 2019-20 ISSUE 1 n
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In celebration of his 10th year as head of school, we recently sat down with Mr. Giller to reflect on and discuss his tenure at Charlotte Christian.
Q: WHAT WERE ANY
APPREHENSIONS YOU HAD ABOUT MOVING TO CHARLOTTE?
A: I
had two fears moving to Charlotte. The first was if this New Englander would be accepted and understood in the South. The second was if my family would transition well. After 10 years, I am so thankful that God removed both of these fears. The first few months, and maybe even years, were difficult as we adjusted, but I look back and see clearly how God used our move to grow and stretch all nine of us. I am so thankful for how welcoming and accepting the Charlotte Christian community was to us in those early days.
Q: WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR
BIGGEST SURPRISE AS HEAD OF SCHOOL (HOS)?
A: As a control freak I do not like
surprises. For some reason I thought moving to the South and in particular the Bible Belt meant that running a Christian school would be easy. In the Northeast Christian schools fight for enrollment and struggle to survive. My school of 525 students in Connecticut was the second largest in all six New England states combined, and when I moved to Charlotte we had three or four schools bigger than that within five miles of each other. What I have learned is that bigger does not mean easier. I love the challenges I face on a 3
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daily basis, and the biggest challenge moving forward is how do we as a school maintain our focus on a Biblical mission while the culture around us continues to challenge our beliefs and values. So, my biggest surprise would be that living in the Bible Belt does not remove the cultural pressures against a Biblical worldview.
Q: WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR
PROUDEST MOMENT AS HOS?
A: I think
my proudest moment is opening the Center for Worship and Performing Arts. I am so thankful that God allowed me to play a small role in the building of that amazing facility. I love that we have a place where our students can worship God each week in chapel. It is so encouraging and affirming to be in the Alkire Auditorium on a Thursday and see the excitement of our lower school students as they enter chapel, or listen to our middle school students sing praises to God, or watch our upper school students listen and wrestle with what the speaker is sharing. I also love that we have an amazing setting for all of our fine arts performances.
Q: IS THAT DIFFERENT FROM
YOUR MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT AS HOS?
A: My
most memorable moments are the five (and soon to be six) times I have handed a diploma to one of my own children. My dream was to be
a public school teacher and football coach, until I was hired at The Stony Brook School in NY in 1994. During my three years at Stony Brook, I worked with amazing high school students who had a maturity of faith I did not have as a high schooler. It was from that experience that Lisa and I committed our lives to Christian education because that maturity was what we wanted for our children. Now, 26 years later, I am so thankful for the wonderfully talented and passionate teachers who have poured into my children and helped them become the mature and faithful men and women they are, and praise the Lord that they are seeking Christ in their own lives.
Q: HOW HAVE YOU DEVELOPED
AS A LEADER DURING YOUR 10 YEARS?
A: During
my own educational journey, I was the student who hated group projects. I always preferred to work alone and not rely on others. I allowed the fear of others not meeting my expectations to rob me of the joy of collaboration. As an administrator, when stressed I tend to revert to my high school self and work alone, and I have even been accused by a trusted colleague of being a lone ranger at times. Therefore, I have worked hard to involve others in my leadership and work as a team. Another colleague a few years ago gave me a picture that hangs today in my office that reads, “knowledge speaks but wisdom listens.” I would hope that my colleagues, especially those on the senior staff, would say that over the last 10 years I have become a better listener and remained quiet more often.
Q: WHAT DO YOU STILL LOOK
FORWARD TO ACCOMPLISHING AS HOS OR AS A LEADER IN CHRISTIAN EDUCATION?
A: It is important for all of
us to model to our children and students that we are lifelong learners. Charlotte Christian is a great school but there are many areas in which we can continue to improve. I am excited about our latest Strategic Plan and look forward to working with my team and the whole CCS family on accomplishing the goals set out in the plan. I am eager to continue to grow our campus and complete the master campus plan. Most importantly I want to continue to graduate students that are equipped to impact the culture for Christ. I have been blessed over the years by amazing mentors, and I hope that I can provide some help to younger and less experienced heads of school. Charlotte Christian is so blessed and I
think the Scriptures tell us that we need to take our blessings and use them to bless others. I am excited about Charlotte Christian’s involvement in a variety of national organizations where we can share our school experiences and lessons learned with our school communities. I am thankful to be able to serve on several boards specifically the North Carolina Independent School Athletic Association and the Council of Educational Standards and Accountability. I feel it is important for me to represent our school within those organizations, and I am always proud to represent Charlotte Christian.
people to serve for particular times in various roles and institutions. Sometimes that call could last 40 years and other times just one year. What I love is to watch God’s sovereignty play out in the lives of our employees. It is always hard to say good-bye but at the same time I rest in God’s providence and know without a shadow of a doubt the best place is always in the center of God’s will.
Q: WHAT GETS YOU UP IN THE
meeting about 15 years ago, and the discussion was about how MySpace was changing everything. The biggest change in education and our society as a whole is technology. It has changed the way we interact with each other, how students socialize, how we interpret current events, and how we teach. My goal as a Christian educator is not to run from technology but rather teach our students how to be wise and discerning users of technology. We are designed by God for community, and so I think it is important that as a school we continue to foster an environment that celebrates and encourages community. If we are honest, technology often takes us from true community; I can text rather than speak with someone, watch a sermon online rather than go to church, shop online rather than go to a store and interact with people, take a class online rather than sit in a classroom with fellow students, and the list goes on and on.
MORNING?
A: An alarm.
Q: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE
CHALLENGES YOU HAVE FACED AS HEAD OF SCHOOL?
A: The greatest challenges always
revolve around change. I remember the season in which we introduced the all-inclusive lunch program and the corresponding tuition increase. The community had many questions and concerns, but now I believe we can all look back and see the benefit of this program for our students, faculty, staff and even, parents. Another big change was our approach to working with students that learn differently or have diagnosed learning disabilities. We want to minister to whole families, and this program change impacted all areas of our school. I believe, however, that it has propelled us to be a better school. We have hired staff, changed curriculum, challenged our classroom teachers to reconsider their content delivery and now have more than 100 students thriving in our academic support program.
Q: HOW HAS CHRISTIAN
EDUCATION CHANGED IN THE LAST 10 YEARS?
A: I clearly remember sitting in a
The other change that can be difficult to manage is personnel changes. I firmly believe the Bible teaches us that leadership is seasonal. God calls His 2019-20 ISSUE 1 n
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Community is important and part of how God wired us, so for me I want to always be aware of creating opportunities for our students to engage each other but also be able to engage with loving and caring adults who will ultimately point them to Jesus.
Q: WHAT HOBBIES DO YOU ENJOY? A: I love to golf, especially with
Q: WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT
Q: IF YOU HAD TO CHEER FOR A
LIVING IN THE SOUTH?
A: We love living in the South.
Each year as I watch sporting events in the North around this time of year and I am very thankful for the Carolina weather. We have found Charlotte to be a great place to raise kids, and we enjoy heading to the mountains and beach when able. We enjoy some good NC barbeque, although when we moved here I thought barbeque was an event in someone’s backyard. And who can complain about year-round golf? We are thankful that my parents moved down from New England not too long after us, and Lisa’s mom and grandmother live in South Carolina while two of her sisters and their families live in Atlanta.
Q: WHAT IS YOUR PERFECT MEAL? A: My perfect meal would start with
a cup of New England clam chowder and then continue with baked stuffed shrimp, corn on the cob, salad and some type of chocolate dessert.
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members of my family. I enjoy reading and of course watching the Patriots, Red Sox and Celtics compete for (and often win) championships.
Q: WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE
PLACES TO EAT IN CHARLOTTE?
A: I have probably eaten the most
meals out at Red Rocks which is a school and family favorite. In addition, I am a big fan of Barrington’s and NC Red since both have menus inspired by New England.
LOCAL/REGIONAL SPORTS TEAM, WHICH ONE WOULD YOU PICK?
Q: DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE
I pay tuition, so I was a fan of Clemson for four years, and right now I cheer for Appalachian State (roll ‘Neers!) as well as Covenant College and Lee University since I pay tuition at those schools.
so I will sit in that with my dog Mango at my feet and a good game on TV. The other place would be the first tee on a golf course.
A: I tend to cheer for schools where
I enjoy cheering for any college team that has a CCS alum playing for them so there are many of those and locally that would include UNCC basketball and baseball, App State basketball and football, UNC football, Duke football, and many more. As for the professional teams, I cheer for the Hornets (unless they are playing the Celtics.) I admire Coach Borrego and his commitment to his faith while leading his team to play hard and compete every night. It also helps that his children are CCS Knights!
PLACE TO UNWIND?
A: I have a favorite chair in my house,
Q: AS AN AVID READER WHAT IS A
BOOK YOU HAVE ENJOYED THAT YOU WOULD RECOMMEND TO AN UPPER SCHOOL STUDENT?
A:
Many of our students (and most adults) struggle with the concept of grace since we are conditioned for an achievement-based culture, so I would recommend the classic by Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel. I would encourage any upper school student to read any book by Tim Keller for spiritual development, any book by Dan and Chip Heath for leadership principles, and Malcolm Gladwell to understand social dynamics.
Leading to Grow At the heart of Charlotte Christian’s mission is the desire to prepare students to impact the culture for Christ. Our goal is to help each student grow in their walk with Christ as they study, understand and obey God’s word and develop a Christian worldview. Beginning in the earliest of grades, students attend weekly chapels and are taught daily Bible lessons on an ageappropriate level. As students mature, additional opportunities exist to challenge them in their faith and to help them grow in their wisdom and understanding of who God is and what His plan is for them. Some of these additional opportunities include stepping into service and leadership roles in the spiritual life of their divisions.
Lower School The chapel focus in lower school this year is “God is love and we are fully loved by Him.” Mrs. Christina Sachtleben, lower school spiritual life director, takes time each week to remind her students that God gives His love freely to us, and therefore we should give it away to others. She uses Peaches the chapel dog and Peaches’ lemonade stand to illustrate this truth. Peaches visits lower school classrooms each week and gives away “free” lemonade to students to reinforce this concept. With that in mind, Mrs. Sachtleben has enlisted students to get involved by walking Peaches, supervising the lemonade stand, gathering Peaches’ mail and guarding the prize box that is brought to chapel each week. In addition to the long-standing tradition of having students lead the pledge of allegiance, pledge to the Bible, and pledge to the Christian flag, Mrs. Sachtleben invites students to serve as chapel ushers and to help lead the school verse. She has also created a committee to welcome visiting chapel speakers and musicians, whereby two students work together to ensure that these visitors are welcomed and cared for.
Middle School As students move into middle school and begin to explore their faith on a deeper and more personal level, one of the key spiritual life leadership opportunities for students is through the House Chaplain program which began last year. For the 2019-20 school year, there are 27 house chaplains who meet weekly with Mr. Luke Boythe, director of middle school spiritual life, for spiritual growth and leadership development opportunities among which are chapels and the Wednesday 2019-20 ISSUE 1 n
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In addition to the initiatives carried out by Lilly and her team, Mr. Jeremy Cummings, upper school spiritual life director, charged the other seven prefects with leading a chapel. First semester, seniors Austin Knotts (fine arts prefect), Jed Giller (athletic prefect) and Lily Robinson (student life prefect) each planned and implemented their own chapels where in addition to deciding on the topic, desired music, and visual aids - they all served as the chapel speaker.
morning house devotional program. House chaplains take the lead in designing and implementing these spiritual life initiatives, an opportunity Mr. Boythe is passionate about. “The impetus behind the house chaplain program was to give students the opportunity to own and to lead in their division,” said Mr. Boythe. “I like to tell them that they are the ‘end users,’ the ones actually experiencing life in the middle school and the more they get involved in what we are doing, the more they will connect with it. Being involved as a house chaplain or chapel usher is an opportunity to have a voice. It is our goal for students to ask themselves what spiritual development means to them and exploring some of these leadership options gives them a sense of how to do this.” Each Wednesday morning, students meet with their houses – a collection of three advisory groups (one from each grade level) – and the house chaplains lead a 12-minute devotional which they have created using curriculum provided. In addition, house chaplains are responsible for planning and executing four chapels during this school year. “In the middle school, my chaplains and I desire to set the environment for the Holy Spirit to do what He is going to do,” said Mr. Boythe. “I ask them to consider ‘What does it mean to say I exist in a Christ-centered middle school and how can I be a part of it?’”
Upper School The prefect system in the upper school has provided a platform for students to take a role in spiritual life development. Led by this year’s spiritual life prefect, senior Lilly Mull, students serving under Lilly work behind the scenes to lead chapel praise and worship, pray for needs in the upper school, and minister to others through cards and words of encouragement. 7
CHARLOTTE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
The first student-led Knight of Worship, featuring the praise band from the upper school trip to Windy Gap, was held in October in the Alkire Auditorium. Students from Carmel Christian School were invited to attend, an invitation reciprocated when Carmel held a night of its own in November. Another Knight of Worship is planned for the second semester. “At Windy Gap we noticed how excited people were for the worship time and how many people wanted to stay for the extended time of worship,” said Lilly. “Also, over the summer the prefects were talking about how we wanted opportunities to show love to other schools which is part of the reason we partnered with Carmel Christian for the Knight of Worship.” “Moving forward I plan to continue to expand our student involvement with chapels,” said Mr. Cummings. “My ultimate goal is to have a chapel practicum class where students would work together to plan and execute every aspect of numerous chapels per semester. My hope is that this practical experience will help equip our students to not only impact the culture for Christ but to also help strengthen the church and other Christian organizations like Young Life, FCA, CRU, etc.”
Beyond the Ruins There’s No Place Like Home Jared Odenbeck (‘13)
of CCS alums working full-time on campus as members of the faculty and staff (pictured above), and it is clear that CCS is a place many will always call home. Mr. Andy Ross, athletic director, is in a unique position to work with a large concentration of alums who return to coach in a variety of sports.
“You Can’t Go Home Again” is an often-used expression made famous by author and North Carolina native Thomas Wolfe in his novel of the same phrase. And though yes, oftentimes if you try to return to a place you remember from the past, it won’t be the same, at Charlotte Christian School – you can always return home.
Taylor Wagener (‘09)
Alumni are an important part of the Charlotte Christian community. A sentiment often shared among seniors as they prepare to graduate, is that they see themselves as members of a family at CCS. Whether for lifers or recent additions to the upper school student body, relationships built among peers and teachers are long-lasting, and as alumni, these relationships tie graduates back to a place they felt loved and accepted – Charlotte Christian School.
“It is such a blessing to work alongside alumni that return to school to coach the next generation of Charlotte Christian student-athletes,” said Mr. Ross. “Having alumni involved in the athletic department has certainly helped grow the already strong sense of community and family that comes with being a Knight. It has also given us opportunities to connect our current student-athletes with the history and efforts of those that have come before them. What most excites me most about our alumni involvement is the reason they come back to coach: they return not simply for love of the sport but out of a desire to pour into the lives of our student-athletes and point them to Christ. Coaching provides them the opportunity to do this in the same way their coaches poured into them years earlier.”
Never has this been more evident than a recent look at the number of alumni serving currently (or in the past year) on campus as coaches, chapel worship leaders, J-Term presenters, admissions open house speakers and more. From working as the assistant director of summer camps to coaching varsity cross country runners, CCS alumni have found their way back to campus through many different roles. Add that to the number 2019-20 ISSUE 1 n
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Kennedy Manyika, a member of the class of 2016, has stayed involved with Charlotte Christian in a variety of ways. He has coached football and track and field as well as led worship in chapel and for CCS mom’s bible study. “Being able to come and give back (to CCS) through coaching and leading worship has been a sweet gift,” said Kennedy. “I honestly didn’t think I would be back so soon, but Coach Rob (track coach Eugene Robinson) reached out and asked me to help coach, and if anyone knows Coach Rob, then you know that he is very hard to say no to! I quickly realized that saying yes was one of the best decisions I made. Being able to coach kids and help them accomplish things I never did, while speaking the truth of the Gospel into their lives is a huge blessing and privilege. Leading worship at chapel allows me to more explicitly share truths that I’ve learned in song; and at the same time the kids (most often lower schoolers) minister to me. Their hearts are so open to Jesus and it blows me away to witness that. Some of the kids I coach were kids I hung out with after school at extended day before my football games as a student. Now, they are out there making plays, winning state championships, and becoming great young men!” With the addition of Mr. Reid Fronk, director of alumni relations and a member of the class of 2004, to the development office in 2017, an emphasis has been placed on connecting CCS alumni to each other and back to campus.
Gerlea Patton (‘17), Phoebe Son (‘18), Kennedy Manyika (‘16)
Caroline Kasay (‘15)
“My goal is to provide opportunities for CCS alums to be connected to a place that has meant a lot to so many,” shared Mr. Fronk. “As an alum myself, I speak selfishly when I say we want to remain a part of Charlotte Christian and to help others experience the same family environment we had.” Even if a coaching commitment or speaking engagement isn’t an option, many graduates still long to remain connected to their teachers and mentors who greatly impacted them during their days at CCS. According to Mrs. Katrina Miller, an administrative assistant in the upper school office, it is not uncommon to see the halls flooded with alums visiting their former teachers during their breaks from school.
Joy Farley (‘08) in middle
“It is amazing to see how many graduates come back to volunteer or to work at CCS,” said Mr. Fronk. “Honestly, it is highly unusual and therefore speaks to how CCS is a home to us and a place that shaped us into the people we are now.
Matt Simmons (‘13)
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recent Alumni involvement on campus: FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES Katey Balikian (’12) LS Media Specialist Luke Boythe (’98) MS Spiritual Life Director Kristen Brobst (’03) Admissions Coordinator
PART-TIME EMPLOYEES Julie Apple (’01) admissions event speaker & J-Term speaker
Connor Maitland (’16) football coach
Christal Barnett (’11) basketball coach
Kennedy Manyika (’16) football/track and chapel worship leader
Omar Carter (’07) basketball coach
Maryah Mazyck (’12) basketball coach
Sam Dexter (’12) admissions event speaker
Blaydes Moore (’10) admissions event speaker
Daniel Eggers (’02) cross country coach
Jared Odenbeck (’13) soccer coach
Joy Farley (’08) J-Term speaker
Gerlea Patton (’17) chapel/employee orientation worship
Hope Giller (’17) assistant summer camp director
Brian Segovia (’19) classroom speaker
Emma Giller (’17) athletic facilities coordinator – summer
Chandler Sharpe (’13) soccer coach
Jacob Giller (’18) facilities team member - summer
Matt Simmons (’13) baseball coach
Xander Gum (’14) athletic department intern
Phoebe Son (’18) chapel worship leader
Caroline Kasay (’15) worship leader on Dominican Republic J-Term trip
Taylor Wagener (’09) basketball coach
Reynolds Maharajh (’10) basketball coach
Ben Ector (’81) US English Teacher Reid Fronk (’04) Director of Alumni Relations Alex Kemp (’11) First Grade Teacher Margaret Jackson (’89) Admissions Specialist Angela Liner (’00) LS Counselor Krista Roth (’05) ESL Teacher/ Academic Services Tutor Jessica Smith (’00) Nurse Jeffrey Swicegood (’02) Extended Day Josh Watson (’00) Facilities
Sarah York (’14) college counseling shadow
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MY FAVORITE THING
ABOUT BEING A CHARLOTTE CHRISTIAN KNIGHT We asked students what they liked most about Charlotte Christian and here’s what they had to say…
“I like eating the great food!” - Willie King, Grade 2
“I like being able to to be in a community that can pray and learn about the Bible.” - Claire Lucado, Grade 6
“CCS is a tight knit community of friends that support me.” - Zachary Brown, Grade 11
CHARLOTTE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
“Going to football games, the Senior Walk, making new friends and learning about the Bible.” - Carson Perry, Grade 2
“Every teacher is kind and wants to teach me.” - Thomas Albee, Grade 8
“My favorite thing about being a Knight is the relationships you form with the kids and adults here.” - Kennedy Williams, Grade 6
“The teachers are very nice here.” - Jadon DePasquale, Grade 4
“I love the devotion that the faculty has for us. They pour their time and energy into my growth and success both as a student and a follower of Christ.” - Kennedy Young, Grade 11
“Being able to represent Christ through athletics and academics.” - Dominique Kay, Grade 8
“My favorite thing is going to chapel and having great teachers.” - Sutton Biakabutuka, Grade 2
“The friends I’ve made here and the teachers that deeply care about my success and well-being. I also love spending three days at Windy Gap with my friends and the Lord.”
“Learning about Jesus!” - Max Austin, Kindergarten
“Everyone cares about you and your family. Plus, they are always there for you. I always feel comforted and welcomed.” - Madeline Smith, Grade 4
“I get to be at school with my sister!” - Marshall Kincheloe, Kindergarten
- Shae Whittle, Grade 11
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KNIGHTS HEADLINES
New Middle School Heart Zones System In 2018 the middle school instituted the Heart Zones System, a newly incorporated heart rate monitor program. The school has 30 heart rate monitors that connect through software to an iPad. The monitors are worn tightly on the student’s inner forearm, and data is displayed on a TV screen in the gym where students can see how their heart rate is changing throughout the class period.
Charlotte Christian School
INNOVATION & LEADERSHIP
Cohort
Professional development of our faculty is essential to the mission of Charlotte Christian. Among the opportunities this year is the newly formed Innovation and Leadership Cohort. Teachers from all divisions meet monthly to discuss and share innovative instructional practices using integrated technology. Shared knowledge is taken back to their teams who work together to implement it in their classrooms. The basic elements of the Innovation and Leadership Cohort focus on working with adult learners, technology integration, learner-centered vs teacher-centered environments, design thinking skills, problem-solving and emerging technologies that impact student learning. “We are learning to be innovators in the classroom, and we are taking technology and not just using it for the sake of technology, but to facilitate learning in the classroom,” says upper school Spanish teacher Allison Reeves. Another member, Liz Daniel, teaches middle school math and has gained a new perspective from her time with the group. “This cohort has encouraged me to take risks in the classroom which have really paid off. One of the things I’m getting out of it the most is that I feel like I really understand what our students go through when they are trying to learn something new,” said Mrs. Daniel.
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“A lot of our students are visual learners and having the numbers [anonymously] displayed in the gym is very motivating to these students. It encourages them to participate at a higher level,” says middle school P.E. teacher Emily Mayes. There are five different heart rate zones coded by color - blue, green, yellow, orange, and red (max heart rate). Students are able to see the breakdown of the amount of time they stay in each zone and are encouraged to stay in orange or red most of the class. Sometimes students are tasked with a challenge to be in a particular zone for a certain amount of time. This challenge is both physical and mental because students may be participating in a low impact activity (volleyball, badminton, playing goalie in hockey, etc.) where their heart rate could be lower. Students have to be mindful about jogging in place while also participating in the game, in order to keep their heart rate up. “I think our middle school students really enjoy using the heart rate monitors because they are able to see a live picture of how their heart rate is changing as they work harder,” said Mrs. Mayes. At the end of a class period, a report is run on the teacher’s iPad and student data is saved. This data can be used to look back throughout the school year at how a student’s cardiovascular system has improved.
Girls INC.
2014
have seen up-close the growth of marriage and families in their leaders’ lives. Since they began, Mrs. Billington has married and Mrs. Jones has had two children. When the girls began high school, the group started to meet longer and more often. They began meeting every other Sunday afternoon at Mrs. Billington’s house. The group has used a variety of Bible studies, and last year in preparation for senior year they spent time learning about themselves through personality, strength, and love language assessments. The girls connected what they learned about themselves to scripture and how the Lord has knit each of them together. This year has been about preparing them to be rooted in gospel truth before they venture out into life beyond CCS. The group enjoys regular hangouts in addition to Sunday bible studies and even took a weekend trip to the beach this past summer. Relishing the experience, Mrs. Billington said, “This year I was grateful to have Miss Sharon Humphrey approach me about joining my girls for their senior year at Windy Gap. We’ve walked the hard roads of teenage years, the stress of the pressures of life as young women in the digital age, and the joys of friendship and real gospel community. They have been such a gift in my life.”
2019
In 2013, a few moms of recently promoted fifth graders came up with a plan for a special Bible study opportunity. Their goal for their rising sixth graders was to host a Bible study where the girls could deepen their faith and strengthen friendships among the grade, as well as have other women in their lives who they trusted and would pour into them. With this in mind, Girls INC was born, modeled after a successful men’s group led by former CCS middle school teacher Mr. Doug Damon. The girls who began this adventure together in sixth grade are poised to graduate this May. Mrs. Katie Billington, current second grade teacher, and Mrs. Cassie Schofield Jones, former first and fourth grader teacher, agreed to lead the group. “We invited every girl in the sixth grade and began meeting at the homes of different CCS families each month. “At our first Girls INC we did face masks and invited the girls to ‘take off their masks’ with us,” said Mrs. Billington. Through their years in middle school they participated in topical studies, journals for every girl, and get togethers. Mrs. Billington notes she has been able to not just engage in Bible study, but also walk through real life with the girls and their families over the many years they’ve been active. The girls
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EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT
Growing with Grace This school is where seeds were planted and roots grew deep in preparation for what was ahead. I saw the character of God in the actions of my teachers and coaches. I learned of God’s loyalty and faithfulness in this community that supported and helped raise me. And I learned to wrestle with Gospel Truth when circumstances did not appear to line up with my definition of love.
By Angela Liner, lower school counselor Ever since I was a little girl I have been fascinated by the human condition. I was quite reserved, but in no way naive. Actually, a dose of naivety may have been good for my young, tender heart. I was always watching, always taking in the behaviors of those around me, and oftentimes carrying troubles far beyond my developmental capacity. I was like many of the students here at Charlotte Christian School. In fact, in 1989 I was one of these students. Today, my office is a few doors down from my first-grade classroom. I can still remember my teacher at the time, Mrs. Gribble. Her name sounded a lot like “scribble” which I thought was a funny name for a teacher so adamant about neat handwriting.
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After I graduated from Charlotte Christian School in 2000, I attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where I finally settled into studying my first love - psychology. All those years of wondering about the “whys” and “hows” of people’s hearts, intentions and actions would now be put to use. After Chapel Hill, I went on to graduate school at UNC Charlotte to get my master’s degree in counseling. It was there I fell in love with school counseling in particular. I was then able to serve as the middle school counselor here at Charlotte Christian from 200613 before starting a family of my own. I returned to counseling at another local Christian school before the Lord opened up the door to come back to Charlotte Christian as the lower school counselor. I am honored to be back here with my two children, Timothy (1st grade) and Ellie Grace (kindergarten), and in a position
to pour back into the community that molded and shaped me into the person, mother, wife, daughter and friend I am today. As a counselor, I am passionate about the well-being of the whole child which includes the social, emotional, spiritual and mental aspects that make up each student that walks on this campus. I have spent this first semester getting to know the youngest of our students by visiting their classrooms to explain my role, meeting with all our new students transitioning to CCS, and setting up individual sessions here at school with those in need of extra support. In addition, one of the highlights my first year back has been leading a parent education series on Paul David Tripp’s book “Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family.” Our group enjoyed weekly discussions about how we need the rescuing grace of God, grace that has the power to shape how we view everything we do as parents. This theme of grace is a thread throughout my new blog, Growing with Grace, which is intended to support and connect with lower school parents. My hope is that in my new role, I will be a resource for parents, teachers, and students, as we walk through these precious foundational years together.
EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT
Leslie Prewette, Director of Human Resources Leslie Prewette joined the Charlotte Christian senior staff on Aug. 20 as the director of human resources. She oversees employee relations, benefits, recruiting and staffing, and regulatory compliance in addition to creating strategies to increase the number of qualified applicants for employment and implementing an effective employee training program. Mrs. Prewette is a Charlotte native, and she and her husband, Justin, have three children: Hudson (5), and twin three-year-old girls, Hadley and Hensley. We wanted you to get to know Leslie, so we sat down with her to ask about her first few months on the job. WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT HUMAN RESOURCES? “My favorite part of my HR role is listening to employees talk about how the Lord brought them to Charlotte Christian. My desire is to make the HR office at Charlotte Christian not just ‘transactional’ in business with policies and procedures but to allow for employees to walk through the different seasons of life with care from their CCS community.”
WHAT EXCITES YOU MOST ABOUT THIS POSITION? “I am excited each day to work with great people that love the Lord, education and the students in their classrooms. I look forward to recruiting other great people to add to our team to fulfill the vision of Charlotte Christian. My favorite part of this role is being intentional in celebrating and appreciating our teams. I want our employees to feel valued and appreciated!”
WHAT WERE YOUR FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF THE CCS COMMUNITY? “Charlotte Christian is a welcoming environment for both new employees and families. They are intentional with everything they do both administratively and in the classroom.”
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EMPL YEE FUN DAY OCT. 11, 2019
Employee Fun Day By The Numbers TELL US ABOUT EMPLOYEE FUN DAY. “Employee Fun Day was created to celebrate, with our faculty and staff, our record student enrollment for the 2019-20 school year - 1,113! Our desire was to take our amazing team off campus and CELEBRATE them in a big way. What better way than with golf clubs, great food and of course...gift bags! Our morning kicked off with a Chick-fil-A breakfast and a fun balloon game to figure out what bus they rode on. We almost filled an entire floor at Topgolf with our faculty and staff cheering each other on in friendly competitions. Our day included a buffet lunch filled with Nashville Fried Chicken and these amazing doughnut holes that were filled with all kinds of yummy goodness. Two teams took home prizes for their wins in their scramble games.”
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Top Score of the Winning Team
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Employees Scramble Games Golf Bays Food Menu Options Cheerleaders
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Charlotte Christian partnered with the Urban Ministry Center (UMC) Dec. 2-6 for Operation Sandwich, an all-school service project. Students in grades JK12 made sandwiches for UMC which gives away approximately 800 sandwiches a day at their men's shelter. Through the efforts of the students, faculty, staff and volunteers, the CCS community made a total of 6,927 sandwiches, exceeding the original goal of 5,000! Following each day’s work, sandwiches were collected and delivered to UMC, and at the end of the week Upper School Principal Shonn Brown, along with several student prefects, went along for the delivery. "Operation Sandwich was an overwhelming success!" said senior Nathan Haynes, head prefect. "Not only did the school come together to help those in need, but also to grow spiritually as a unit. The project was special to every individual involved but even more so to the people who had the opportunity to deliver the sandwiches. When we dropped them off at the Urban Ministry Center, the joy on both the volunteers’ faces and those in need made every effort worthwhile. This opportunity is a true testament to what CCS stands for and what we can accomplish as a family!"
“You know a service project made an impact when the students talked about it throughout the day - usually about how many sandwiches they made,” said Mrs. Michelle Drury, PTF coordinator. The UMC staff was grateful for the partnership and the ability to go beyond what they normally provide for their guests. "Thank you very much for showing God's love to our neighbors through making sandwiches,” shared Sandra Smith, kitchen manager for the Urban Ministry Center. “We were able to provide two sandwiches per person at lunch and an extra sandwich to take with them in the afternoon. We appreciate you so much, and you are truly a blessing.” The Urban Ministry Center is an interfaith organization dedicated to bring the community together to end homelessness, one life at a time. UMC formed in 1994 as a partnership of uptown congregations and businesses to address the needs of the poor and homeless with compassion and tangible help.
Operation Sandwich by the numbers Grades JK-1: 823 Grades 2-5: 1,601 MS: 2,137 US: 2,366 Total: 6,927 17 CHARLOTTE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
Thank Him, For He is Worthy! This year’s annual all-school Thanksgiving chapel was centered around God’s love and worth and how as a community we should be thankful for His blessings. Students shared their thoughts, artwork and songs to show that God is worthy of our praise on Thanksgiving and every day. Chapel started with Mrs. Christina Sachtleben, lower school spiritual life director, challenging the community to join the lower school in memorizing the entire passage of 1 Corinthians 13. In his message, Mr. Giller spoke about his family’s annual Thanksgiving football game and the competitiveness they enjoy surrounding the winner and MVP of the game. While traditions are fun, he said, we need to remember to spend less time sharing why we are worthy and more time on why Jesus and only Jesus is worthy as He is the world’s MVP. “I was excited that all three divisions were able to be together to worship and praise God for He is worthy,” shared Mr. Cummings, upper school spiritual life director. “I have so much to be thankful for but I have someone to be thankful for - God who gives us all things.”
Officer Scott DelDuca
Retires
For the past 16 years, Officer Scott DelDuca has been serving the Charlotte Christian community as one of the on-duty Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department officers that helps patrol the campus. He is probably known more fondly as the officer at entrance B during morning carpool who shares a smile or stern look for those speeding by. After joining the force in 1994 and serving in Asheville, N.C., he moved to Charlotte in 2002 and has been part of the CCS community ever since. “I’ve been here my whole career – Christian is like family,” shared Officer DelDuca. “It has been great to see the kids starting out little and seeing them through graduation. I enjoy running into them even out in the community and how excited they are to see me. I may not know all the names of the kids but I know their cars!”
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ACADEMIC SPOTLIGHT
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AP SCHOLARS LUNCH In mid-November, 15 upper school students enjoyed an AP Scholars luncheon with Upper School Principal Shonn Brown and other members of administration. The AP exams taken last May, have a base requirement of scoring a 3 or higher on three or more AP exams. (2019 graduates are not pictured.) NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLAR Congratulations to senior Jack Howard on being named a semifinalist in the 65th annual National Merit® Scholarship Program. More than 16,000 students from across the country were recently named semifinalists as part of the 2020 National Merit® Scholarship Program. Jack will go on to compete for approximately 7,600 National Merit® Scholarships, worth about $31 million, that will be offered next spring. Jack is an AP Scholar with Distinction, a member of the National Honor Society, and co-president of the National Junior Classical League. He is also a member of both the varsity cross country and track and field teams. He participated in several experiences this past summer including the Elevate Leadership Lab at Gordon College, a residential summer engineering camp at NC State University, and a job shadowing opportunity at Bosch Rexroth, a local engineering company. Congratulations also to seniors Ben Boone, Hannah Brandon and Ethan Eshleman for being named Commended Scholars.
COCA-COLA SCHOLARS FOUNDATION Congratulations to senior Laila Robinson who was selected as a semifinalist in the 2019-20 Coca-Cola Scholars Program. She is one of 1,928 semifinalists chosen among 93,000 applicants because of her outstanding leadership, academic achievements, and service demonstrated in school and community activities. The semifinalists are in the running for 150 college scholarships worth $20,000. Laila serves as the admissions prefect this year in the student government leadership program at CCS. She has been on the summa cum laude honor roll, a member of the varsity softball team and will receive the bi-literacy seal for Spanish at the end of her senior year.
ACADEMIC WORLDQUEST In late November, more than 500 people from the greater Charlotte area participated in the 10th annual Academic WorldQuest trivia event. The CCS delegation answered 75% of the total questions correct and scored our highest score to date across all eight categories (world flags, history of British colonialism in Asia, Geography of Chile, Nobel Peace Prize winners, US-China trade, populism and politics around the world, treaties and global potpourri). Under Mrs. Szymborski’s leadership, the team included: Zach Brown, Jack Howard, Jason Kerr, Mark Marin, Zack Marin, Joseph Sachtleben, Kristen Snyder, and Maya Szymborski.
2019 SPELLING BEE WINNERS Thirty-six lower and middle school students participated in the annual Charlotte Christian Spelling Bee. Congratulations to fifth grader Laci Knight for winning first place and fourth grader Emma Huff for placing second. Laci will go on to represent Charlotte Christian in the Regional Independent School Spelling Bee. 2019-20 ISSUE 1 n
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ATHLETIC SPOTLIGHT
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NCISAA DIVISION 1 STATE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONS The varsity football team won the NCISAA 4A state championship against Christ School on Nov. 8 with a score of 38-21 for its third straight championship title and second year to defeat Christ School in the finals. The team held off the competition all year and only suffered two losses. This is the sixth football state championship for Charlotte Christian in the last 10 years.
VARSITY CROSS COUNTRY RECORD SEASON The new cross country program head and varsity coach, Mr. Drew Ward, came onto the scene just as several young runners began to peak. The boys’ team had an average time improvement of 1:48, finished 10th in the state meet (the first top 10 finish since 2008) and had three boys break 19 minutes for the first time since 2010. The girls’ team had an average time improvement of 2:18 and finished 8th in the state meet (the first top 10 finish since 2006.) In the NCISAA state championship meet in late October, senior Jace Grauel led the boys with a time of 18:10, which was a personal record by 19 seconds, and the girls’ team was led by sophomore Olivia Jones, who placed 7th overall and finished the race in 19:33, the second-best time in school history.
VARSITY DANCE TEAM TO NYC Members of the varsity dance team traveled to New York City in November to participate in several workshops at the Broadway Dance Center. They learned combinations and technique from Broadwaytrained choreographers and dancers. The classes included styles of advanced ballet, hip hop, commercial jazz, and contemporary. The team topped the trip off by attending the Broadway performance of Frozen and the Radio City’s Rockettes’ Christmas Spectacular. The team is led by Coach Stewart Emery, who is in her eighth year as head coach. The varsity dance team includes seniors Lucy Cain, Alyssa Mederos, Bria Pinckney, Lily Robinson and Kristen Snyder; juniors Anna Fulton, Ava Van Hoy, Sarah Whiting and Shae Whittle; and sophomores Aspen Israel and Shelby Violette.
FALL ATHLETIC SIGNINGS On Nov. 13, the NCAA’s National Signing Day, three Charlotte Christian student-athletes signed their letters of intent to play collegiate athletics. Congratulations to...
Brett Adams Will Newsom Morgan Shrader
NEW BUBBLE AND BUS During the first semester, the athletics department has been busy repairing and replacing equipment and facilities. Most notably, the Charlotte Christian swimming pool, in partnership with MSA Swim, received a new bubble to protect and warm the pool during the winter months. The project was months in the planning and was in place just as the winter swim season began in November. Additionally, the Knights added a new bus to the fleet, complete with custom wrapping on the exterior.
ALL-CONFERENCE/ALL-STATE HONOREES Congratulations to the following students-athletes on earning CISAA All-Conference and NCISAA All-State recognition for fall sports. All-State Cross Country: Olivia Jones All-State Football: JB Awolowo LJ Brown Greyson Cadd Mason Diel Logan Jones Caleb Stephens
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Wingate University, baseball Gettysburg College, lacrosse Pfeiffer University, volleyball
All-State Soccer: Noah Berhmann
All-State Tennis: Margaret Carlton All-State Volleyball: Morgan Shrader All-Conference Cheerleading: Charlotte Abig Sophia Abig Caroline Banker Kalen Bland Morgan Brown*
Cassidy Levinsky Lily Robinson Ava Van Hoy Sarah Whiting All-Conference Cross Country: Olivia Jones All-Conference Football: JB Awolowo Jimmy Bailey LJ Brown
Greyson Cadd Carson Chow Mason Diel Logan Jones Chase Preston Henry Rutledge Caleb Stephens All-Conference Soccer: Noah Berhmann Ayden Truax Charlie Williams
All-Conference Tennis: Margaret Carlton* Savannah Perry All-Conference Volleyball: Elinor Langdon Morgan Shrader *also CISAA Player of the Year
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FINE ARTS SPOTLIGHT
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MARY POPPINS, JR. MIDDLE SCHOOL MUSICAL Under the direction of Mr. Eric Simpson, the middle school performed the musical Mary Poppins, Jr. in October. This timeless classic was brought to new life in the Alkire Auditorium. The cast and crew were all in, from the British accents to the incredible ensemble performances of “SupercalifragilisticExpialidocious.” Sweeping sets and poignant scenes left the adults nostalgic for their own childhoods. Carson Betzold, grade 8, stole the show as Mary Poppins and theatre newcomer, Jayden Stall, grade 8, performed as Bert and won the hearts of the audience. Mr. Simpson shared that this show’s importance and lingering effects are [because] “this production is a cue to take notice of the little things that we sometimes overlook in the business and craziness going on around us and that we should find joy in the mundane and never forget that a little imagination goes a long way.” To view a slideshow of the performance, please scan the QR code here.
ACT 1 AT NCTC Congratulations to the ACT 1 competition drama team on their recent performance at the North Carolina Theatre Conference (NCTC) High School Play Regional Festival. The team presented Unshackling Shakespeare’s Women written by Upper School Theatre Director Angela Blount. Sophomores Ginny Lash and Xander Hanegraaff were recognized for Excellence in Acting and long-time CCS costume designers Mrs. Connie Farrell and Mrs. Anne Putnam earned Excellence in Costume Design at the competition.
GENESIS PERFORMANCE Our grade 6 beginning band and orchestra students participated in the second annual Genesis performance in the Huge Gallery. This performance is designed to provide our beginning instrumental music students with a comfortable first performance experience. Genesis also provides parents with an insider’s view of what life is like in the beginning band and orchestra classroom. During the performance, students taught the audience how their instruments work and demonstrated some of the skills, techniques, exercises, and knowledge that they have mastered in the first nine weeks of instruction. We are proud of our beginners and thankful that God has blessed us with a healthy new crop of young instrumental musicians who will grow up to impact the culture for Christ. To view a slideshow from the Genesis Performance, please scan the QR code here.
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PATRIOTIC ART AWARDS Charlotte Christian won awards at the 2019 Carolina Freedom Foundation’s Patriotic Art Competition. Junior Zoe Jackson earned second place and a prize of $500 for her photography and painting piece, “But you do it anyway.” Sophomore Virginia Plettner won honorable mention for her acrylic painting montage, “Courage in the Face of Chaos,” and sophomore Zoey Zhang won honorable mention for her acrylic painting for “Courage.” The Carolina Freedom Foundation hosts the annual breakfast honoring veterans and service members in our community. This year’s theme was “Be Courageous.” Submissions from Charlotte Christian Art 2, Studio Art Honors and AP Studio Art students were judged by a panel of artists. This marks 13 consecutive years Charlotte Christian students have come away with one or more awards in this competition, dating back to 2007. To view a slideshow of work from the Patriotic Art Awards, please scan the QR code here.
CARNEGIE HALL HONORS PERFORMANCE SERIES Congratulations to the following upper school orchestra students who auditioned and were selected to participate in the 2020 Carnegie Hall Honors Performance Series: Kendall Ficken (violin), Elena Morales (violin - not pictured), and J.D. Williams (viola). These students will travel to New York City in February for a four-day clinic during which they will work under the leadership of a world class conductor to prepare a concert, attend a Broadway musical, and take in the sights of the city.
FALL & WINTER CONCERTS It was a busy season of singing and performing for the fine arts department. In October, the sixth grade beginning band and orchestra students performed the inaugural Genesis concert in the Huge Gallery and the upper school band, jazz, orchestra and wind ensemble students performed their fall concert. In mid November, band and orchestra students in grades 7-12 performed at the Southern Christmas Show in Charlotte. The Christmas season was ushered in with the annual Lessons and Carols choir concert at Providence Baptist Church followed by the middle and upper schools band and orchestra Christmas concert. To view livestreams of concerts, please visit the Charlotte Christian School YouTube channel using a smart phone’s camera to scan the QR code.
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DEVELOPMENT
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Sporting Clays Tournament
Charlotte Christian will host the fifth annual Sporting Clays Tournament on April 17, 2020 to benefit the Annual Fund. During the sporting clay shoot, teams of four will compete as they cycle through 15 different stations. Participants will have the opportunity to bid on items through a silent auction. Sponsorship opportunities are available as well. Please contact Mr. Reid Fronk at reid.fronk@ charchrist.com or (704) 366-5657, ext. 4317 if you are interested in becoming a sponsor. The tournament will take place at Meadow Wood, a private hunting and clay shooting club located in Waxhaw, N.C. Registration for the Sporting Clays Tournament will open in late January 2020. Thanks again to title sponsor Seedspark.
Charlotte Christian parent Lisa Giller shared at the sixth annual Charlotte Christian Ladies’ Luncheon. Mrs. Giller is a Bible study teacher, writer and
Ladies’ Luncheon with Lisa Giller Thursday, January 30
Crown Room, Calvary Church
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avid reader. She and her husband, Barry, have seven children, five graduates of CCS and two current students. A special thank you to Charlotte Dentistry for sponsoring the luncheon again this year. Proceeds from the event benefited Charlotte Christian’s Annual Fund.
Breaking Ground on Phase 2 Next phase of Master Campus Plan This January we broke ground on phase 2 of our master campus plan with construction to take place on the northern most part of our campus. We anticipate this project taking 10 months to complete with the plan to open these new facilities next fall. This project will include: • eight tennis courts • artificial turf game field for soccer and lacrosse programs • field house with locker rooms for the soccer and tennis programs, bathrooms and concession stand and a trainer’s room • loop road that will connect these athletic facilities to the main part of campus • additional parking areas
Thank you to all the families who generously supported the 2019-20 Annual Fund. More than $496,000 has been raised to date to support multiple campus initiatives. Please visit www.charlottechristian.com/annualreport for a list of families who have given for the 2018-19 school year.
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CLASS NOTES
Macall Collins is engaged to Jeff Bennett who she met leading on the same Young Life team in Charleston, S.C. The couple has been dating for close to two years and became engaged on Nov. 16.
Send your alumni news to: alumni@charchrist.com
Josh Hall graduated from Charleston Southern University with a degree in marketing having played four years on the baseball team. He is living in Charlotte and has started an Employee Benefits Agency with his dad called Remedy Advisors, LLC. Josh earned his Advanced SelfFunding Certification (ASFC) and began specializing in creating self-funded benefits plans for his clients.
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Elizabeth Gowan and Abby Yoh both traveled separately abroad this summer to Frankfurt, Germany. Abby is a Wheaton College student and was in Frankfurt for the summer on a missions trip with the organization ten2 that is part of the Greater Europe Mission (GEM). Elizabeth was passing through Frankfurt with her group from UNC-Chapel Hill and they were able to get together for dinner!
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Meredith Harris married Hayden Pezzoni on Aug. 17, 2019 at Belk Chapel in Charlotte. The couple met through Fellowship of Christian Athletes at UNC
Charlotte while playing softball and football, respectively. Living in Charlotte, Meredith will complete her MBA from UNCC in May 2020, and Hayden is working towards his Masters in Divinity from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Michael Tan is in the Philippines serving/ volunteering with the Peace Corps in their water conservation division.
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Harris Wilson recently accepted a position with Butterball, LLC as an associate account manager for Walmart and Sam’s Club. He, his wife, Allie WilsonSeelig (‘14), and their two dogs are in the process of relocating to Bentonville, Arkansas. Allie also recently completed her master’s degree in education and currently teaches middle school science. 2019-20 ISSUE 1 n
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Chandler Sharpe married Seth Jones on Aug. 17, 2019 in an outdoor wedding ceremony at Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens in Charleston, S.C. After a honeymoon celebration in Antigua, the newlyweds returned to Birmingham, Ala. where they will live for the next three years. Chandler is a BSRN in Pediatric Emergency Trauma at Alabama Children’s Hospital while Seth is earning his graduate degree in physical therapy at Samford University. CCS alums at the wedding included Maid of Honor Carson Kowar (’13) and wedding photographers Cam and Sam Fulginiti, both 2010 grads. Bailey Thompson Nantz married her high school sweetheart, Thomas Nantz, on Sept. 14.
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Ian Ebert is living in Charlotte and working in the corporate partnerships department for the Charlotte Checkers. The Checkers recently won the first ever Calder Cup Championship in team history as well as the first professional championship for the city of Charlotte!
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Kelby Brown Jr. and his wife, Angel, have two daughters, Etta Lynn (2) and Vanessa Sylvia (6 months) who love playing together! Blaydes Moore joined Davies Law in Ballantyne and specializes in real estate planning and trust.
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Maggie Hood’s theater company, The No Name Collective, has begun work on their fifth production coming up in early 2020: Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure in which Maggie will take on the leading role of Isabella. The No Name Collective is based in New York City, they have produced four Shakespeare productions since their inception. Rachel von Gnechten Lamar and her husband, R.G., were blessed to welcome a beautiful baby girl, Eliza Ruth, to the world in June 2019. The Lamar family resides in Middle Georgia where they grow pecans on their family farm. Find their fresh, roasted Front Porch Pecan snacks on Amazon!
Hunter Johnson started working for a start-up satellite manufacturing company based in Florida.
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Cramer McCullen is currently living in Philadelphia, Pa. where he is finishing up his last year of family medicine residency at the University of Pennsylvania. He has accepted an ultrasound fellowship position for the coming year during which time he will work as a hospitalist at the Hospital of University of Pennsylvania. He will be the first Family Medicine physician to hold this position at the institution. Jason Burns and Alexa Richardson Burns are happy to announce the birth of their daughter, Aubrey Ellington, on Oct. 23, 2019.
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Kathryn Benson married Eric Williams on May 1, 2017. The two met while Kathryn was working as a veterinarian in Southport, N.C. and Eric was stationed in Oak Island, N.C. with the Coast Guard. They spent the past two years living in Puerto Rico, and recently moved to Virginia. Andrew Henson and his wife, Sydney, are expecting their first child in late spring of 2020. Andrew has been a practicing labor and employment attorney since 2015 and is in the process of moving from Durham to Richmond, Va. to take a new job at Troutman Sanders, a law firm primarily servicing the Southeast.
ALUMNI ALBUM
Elizabeth Gowan & Abby Yoh (‘17)
Maggie Hood (‘09)
Macall Collins (‘16)
Josh Hall (‘15)
Rachel von Gnechten Lamar (‘09) Jason Burns & Alexa Richardson Burns (‘07)
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Meredith Harris (‘15)
Kathryn Benson (‘06)
Michael Tan (‘15)
Austin Neal (‘05)
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Austin Neal reached the 10year mark selling orthopedic implants for Stryker. Austin married Kristen Thibodeaux in October 2012. The couple currently resides in Columbia, S.C. and have two boys: Luke (3) and Wyatt (1). Michelle Furlong Tanner and her husband, Ford, welcomed their second child, James, on Oct. 15 in Charlotte. Christie Smith is currently living in Perth, Australia working with YWAM Perth, an international Christian missions community. She is working in their ministry development school as well as on their media team as a graphic designer.
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Tressa Ribaudo Weber and her husband, Aaron, moved to Sterling, Kansas for Aaron to work as the director of development at Sterling College. Julie Apple married Jason Walker on June 8, 2019 in Ocean Isle Beach, N.C. They currently live in both Charlotte and Greensboro. Jason is an engineer and Julie owns Japple Fitness & Nutrition, japplefitness.com.
Harris Wilson & Allie Wilson-Seelig (‘14)
Michelle Furlong Tanner (’05)
Chandler Sharpe (‘13)
Julie Apple (‘01)
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Emily Chance Harrison is an ambassador for Screen Strong, an initiative of Families Manage Media, a national organization based out of Charlotte whose purpose is to educate the public on the dangers of childhood screen addiction and to provide solutions for families to prevent addictive screen use. She lives in Asheville with her husband and two sons.
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Detra Chambers married LaQuan Robinson on March 2 and welcomed a daughter, Lenya, on Sept. 22. Mark Rice was promoted to Western Region Sales Manager for Industrial OEM Sales with Schaeffler Group USA. The new role required a move to Temecula, Calif. Danielle Williams had a big year in 2019! In June she eloped in Olympic National Park. After teaching art stateside and internationally for 10 years, she accepted a job offer with the Department of Defense Education Activity in Spangdahlem, Germany. In November Danielle and her husband moved to Europe and are loving it!
Thomas Nantz & Bailey Thompson (‘13)
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Ike Reeder became the fifth president of Birmingham Theological Seminary out of Briarwood Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Ala. His wife, Angie, works at the local high school, Vestavia Hills, and his stepchildren, Virginia and Win, are at Vestavia Hills and Briarwood Christian School. The family attends Briarwood Presbyterian Church. Charlotte Smith Mixon is the owner of Precision Clean LLC, a residential and small business cleaning service. She just opened her third location in Charleston, S.C. while maintaining her Fayetteville, N.C. and Columbia, S.C. locations. Her husband, LTC Chad Mixon is a Battalion Commander in the 82D Airborne Division located at Fort Bragg, N.C. Charlotte and Chad have two boys, Chase (10) and Cole (8), and live in Columbia, S.C.
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Pete Pait and his family are moving to Christchurch, New Zealand after living in Thailand for more than nine years. They are praying that their life with the Kiwis will be just as blessed.
Ian Ebert (‘12)
Detra Chambers (‘99) Ike Reeder (‘93)
Kelby Brown Jr. (‘10)
Charlotte Smith Mixon (‘93) 2019-20 ISSUE 1 n
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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
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BEN ECTOR (‘81), 2019 ALUMNI SERVICE AWARD WINNER Congratulations to Ben Ector (‘81), the 2019 Alumni Service Award winner. Ben has served at CCS across four decades as a teacher and a coach and currently teaches English in the upper school. The annual award honors an alum who has consistently provided exemplary service to Charlotte Christian School, going above and beyond in devotion to the school. Ben and his wife, Kathy, have a son, Evan (’14), who was a Charlotte Christian lifer. My nurturing parents sent me to Charlotte Christian when I turned 13 years old. By the end of my sophomore year, I recommitted my life to Christ. The fact that God has had me teach tenth grade English for more than 30 years must have some meaning: unfinished business? The time in my life when God impacted me most directly? The good news of Christ’s salvation, though completely undeserving, is ours! From that spot, everything else works out fine. Our behavior doesn’t define us. Our identity must be in Christ alone because of Grace alone through Faith alone for God’s glory alone. We know this because by Scripture alone.
Below is an excerpt of what he shared with the upper school students during the assembly at which he was honored. “The Latin term for nurturing mother is Alma Mater. Charlotte Christian School has been and continues to be our nurturing mother. If nothing else, she’s fed us knowledge and given us all that we need for life because she’s given us the Word of God. 2 Peter 1:3 teaches us that the power of God comes from knowing Christ Jesus, and that power sustains us. In the 1970s, when Thomas Eckel was head of school, the lower school included the classrooms in one hallway of the current Middle School Building. The upper school (grades 7-12 then) met in classrooms in the gym that are now the weight room, coaches’ offices, locker rooms, and the trainers’ room. Charlotte Christian offered a great little Christian school for Christian families. In the early ‘80s we added the main body of the Upper School Building.
Like everything else, even here at CCS, changes keep coming -- fast; but one thing never changes and doesn’t have to change ever as long as we take care of our mom. Charlotte Christian can always be all about its foundation on the Gospel. After all, this institution was born because of a Billy Graham Crusade. Charlotte Christian’s mission has always been built on the Gospel. In many of the best ways, though, Charlotte Christian School is my nurturing mother, my alma mater. She is yours, too. So, we honor our mother; we cherish our mother; we admire our mother. For many of us in the room, the framework from which we view the world comes from our experiences here at our alma mater.”
I graduated in the top 20 of my class. However, there weren’t quite 20 members of the class of ‘81. Now, about eight heads of school later, in any given class, we have more than 100 headed to some of the finest colleges and universities in the world. Over the years, our alma mater has gone through lots of changes, both physically and spiritually. One constant, though, continues to be the Gospel of Grace.
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ALUMNI ROAD SHOW The Alumni Road Show stopped in Boone, N.C. this fall to visit alums at Appalachian State University. Members of the Charlotte Christian administration had the opportunity to spend time encouraging alums and hearing about college life.
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HOMECOMING 2019 More than 200 alumni and families attended the annual Homecoming football game and enjoyed the pre-game activities and tailgate. Special thanks to the Touchdown Club for combining efforts so both its members and alumni were able to network and fellowship together. Members of the Class of 2009 enjoyed a special time reminiscing and reconnecting at their 10-year reunion held at Rooster’s in Southpark. If you are in a milestone year next year and would like assist with reunion planning, please reach out to Reid Fronk at reid.fronk@charchrist.com.
SUPPORTING ALUMNI IN THE PROS Members of the class of 2014 traveled to Minneapolis, Minn. to watch fellow alum Garrett Bradbury (’14) play his home-opener in the NFL for the Minnesota Vikings. Garrett was drafted in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft after playing for NC State University. Head of School Barry Giller, Varsity Football Head Coach Jason Estep and Director of Alumni Relations Reid Fronk visited Matthias Farley (’11), safety for the New York Jets, when he was in New England playing against the Patriots. Seth Curry (‘08) comes to Charlotte with the Dallas Mavericks to play the Charlotte Hornets on Feb. 8. If you would like to join the CCS group, please scan to use the CCS community link to purchase tickets and secure access to early admission to watch pregame warm-ups next to the court. Please contact Reid Fronk for more details.
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COLLEGE ALUMNI EVENT CCS alum in college gathered in early January prior to a home varsity basketball game for the annual College Alumni Pizza Event. Alumni in college had a chance to spend time together back on campus after their first semester. It is always a special time for this group to reconnect with each other as well as their former teachers. 2019-20 ISSUE 1 n
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2018-19 2018-19 OPERATING REVENUES tuition (net) 92.5% other fees/revenues
4.6%
contributions
2.9%
2018-19 OPERATING EXPENSES Salaries/Benefits
64.2%
Plant/Operations
25.0%
Instructional Costs
5.2%
General Admin.
3.0%
Interest Expense
2.6%
The financial results for Charlotte Christian School are audited on an annual basis by an external audit firm and presented to the board of trustees for review. A copy of the audited financial statements or the IRS 990 filing may be obtained by sending a written request to the address below. Questions on the financial data in this Annual Report or on other aspects of the financial operations of Charlotte Christian School may be directed to the chief financial officer. Charlotte Christian School • Attention: Terry Efird, Chief Financial Officer • 7301 Sardis Road Charlotte, NC 28270 • terry.efird@charchrist.com CHARLOTTE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
ANNUAL REPORT
CHRIST-CENTERED. COLLEGE PREPARATORY. EDUCATING THE WHOLE CHILD.
NET ASSETS (at June 30)
TOTAL DEBT OUTSTANDING (at June 30)
2017
2017
$25.6
2018
$27.9
2019
*$29.5
MILLIONS
LTD loc
$5.2 $1.1
2018
$7.2 $2.0
2019
$7.2 $1.0
MILLIONS
*Net assets increased $1.6 million due to positive operating margin and designated gifts/pledges for capital improvements and endowment.
ENROLLMENT TRENDS
CONTRIBUTIONS - CASH RECEIPTS
2016-17
2017-18
2018-19
Lower school
375
404
411
Capital $1,987,751 $1,391,239 $1,177,043 Improvements
Middle school
273
272
276
Annual Fund
upper school
407
409
413
1,055
1,085
1,100
retention
94%
95%
95%
Endowment Gifts Parent Partnership
diversity
21%
20%
21%
total enrollment
*Enrollment trends based on August data.
2016-17
Miscellaneous Total Cash Receipts
2017-18
2018-19
$585,526
$530,965
$551,572
$1,549
$9,896
$7,749
$66,878
$79,886
$84,293
$287,167
$338,836
$293,709
$2,928,871 $2,350,822 $2,114,366
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18-19 Annual Fund Giving Your support of the Annual Fund provided the following improvements for students, employees and families:
Campus Improvement Plan: • New roofs installed for the Early Education and back section of the Middle School Buildings • Relamped overhead lighting at Knights Stadium • Paved and updated Early Education Building parking lot
New Curriculum & Equipment: • Heart Zone Systems purchased for students to wear during middle school P.E. classes to monitor how their cardiovascular systems improve throughout the year • Additional VEX Robotics kits purchased to expand the school-wide robotics program to 10 competition teams as well as have for classroom use • Mobileserve program purchased for middle and upper school students to easily track their service hours
Support of Technology Initiative: • Sixteen SMART Interactive boards installed throughout campus to support enhanced student engagement and collaboration • Purchased additional campus security cameras bringing the total to 76 • Purchased additional iPad cart for lower school students
Athletics: • New bubble for Swim Center • Covered batting cage (designated gift) • Softball screen • Gym goal lift system • Wrestling mat for meets • Track program received new storage facility for equipment and portable discus cage
Fine Arts: • Purchased new equipment including an upright bass and a digital piano • Auditorium additions include a lighting control board and dimmer packs, curtain track additions and a new mic system • Expanded Digital Music curriculum CHARLOTTE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
Facility Upgrades: • Renovated upper school science lab with new cabinets, countertops and exhaust system. Digital probes and thermometers were purchased for experiments. • MS/US Media Center bathrooms received a full upgrade and new furniture purchased for the Administration Building conference room • Continued classroom upgrades with new desks and chairs for the lower and upper school
Additional Purchases: • New bus • Golf cart • Vests for employees • Upper school teacher laptops • HVAC for Dining Hall atrium and Upper School Building
24 HOUR
GIVING CHALLENGE CHARLOTTE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
This challenge supported much needed improvements to the back of campus including the lower school playground and the area around the concession stand. More than 130 donors gave $43,800 towards the campaign.
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SCRAPBOOK
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Homecoming - Hawaiian Day
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Powder Puff Game
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First Day of School
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S.L.A.M. Week
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Homecoming - Movie Character
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Upper and lower school students
at recess
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Middle School Science Fair
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KnightsFest
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9. KnightsFest 10. Middle School Windy Gap 11. Upper School football players
in carpool
12. Upper School Band Concert 13. Upper School WIndy Gap 14. First Day of School 15. Kindergarten Fall Centers 16. Middle School Veterans Day
Chapel
17. Upper School Rising 9th lunch 18. First Day of School
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7301 Sardis Road Charlotte, NC 28270 (704) 366-5657 Fax: (704) 366-5678
www.charlottechristian.com
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