VOICE
THE MAGAZINE OF CHARLOTTE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL • 2016-17 • ISSUE 2
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CLASS OF 2017 Recognizing the achievements of this year’s senior class.
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LOWER SCHOOL ROBOKNIGHTS TAKE ON THE WORLD Two new upper school service clubs meet the needs of kids and adults in Charlotte.
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MAD FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE The inaugural Middle School Science Fair results in several awards won at the state level.
10 LEGACIES TO REMEMBER Three faculty members retire after a combined 63 years of service to CCS.
Departments 13 15 18 21 23 25 27 31 33
KNIGHTS HEADLINES HELLO MY NAME IS COMMUNITY ACADEMIC SPOTLIGHT ATHLETIC SPOTLIGHT FINE ARTS SPOTLIGHT DEVELOPMENT ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT CLASS NOTES
NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER CHAPEL
Dear Charlotte Christian Community, On June 3 Charlotte Christian hosted its 54th commencement exercises. Though many people interchange the words, there is a difference between commencement and graduation. Commencement is the actual ceremony where a new beginning is celebrated. To commence is to begin or start. Graduation is the completion of all academic requirements of an institution. To graduate is to accept a diploma. As head of school, I have the privilege of sitting on the stage and watching the different emotions of the seniors at commencement. Throughout the ceremony I can see them reminiscing on great memories, considering with trepidation the future, and excited about the end of this part of the journey. I would imagine the disciples experienced the same roller coaster of emotions during the days following Jesus’ death and subsequent resurrection. For three plus years Jesus taught them and they faced their own commencement exercises. Jesus delivered His commencement address with these words recorded in Matthew 28:18, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Jesus told His disciples to leave their “schooling” and go into the world proclaiming the good news. Like Jesus, at our students’ commencement, we desire for them to start this new journey by fulfilling the school’s mission of impacting the culture for Christ. God and their parents gave our talented teachers authority to teach these graduates, and now prayerfully they will enter the world sharing the good news of Jesus. As the class of 2017 received their diplomas indicating their graduation, may they begin a wonderful and exciting journey with Jesus always by their side. God Bless,
Barry Giller Head of School Send story ideas to laura.goodyear@charchrist.com Send alumni news to alumni@charchrist.com Send address changes to margaret.jackson@charchrist.com
NKIRU AFULUKWE Johns Hopkins University
CLASS O
CONNOR ARMISTEAD University of North Carolina at Charlotte CAROLINE BANKS University of North Carolina at Greensboro MADISON BARNES East Carolina University JACK BENNETT University of Wyoming CODY BISCHOFF Montreat College GRACE BLEVINS Columbia University MATTHEW BOELKINS Calvin College EVA BOWER Milligan College GRACE BRADHAM Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University AVA BRUNS Clemson University CLAY BRYANT Auburn University CARTER BUGG Furman University GRACE BURT Clemson University JACKSON CANNON Wake Forest University LEAH CLONINGER Marymount Manhattan College ANSLEY CORRIGAN Auburn University ASHLYN COX University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill BRIAN CRAWFORD Coastal Carolina University
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GRACE DUPRÉ Roanoke College
HANNAH GENTLESK Furman University
IKE GRIFFIN Wofford College
ANDREW DURDEN Presbyterian College
NATE GENTLESK University of South Carolina
TAYLOR GRIGG Auburn University
SARAH BETH EDWARDS College of Charleston
EMMA GILLER Covenant College
LINDSAY FAGAN Auburn University
HOPE GILLER Lee University
KATHERINE HANEBUTT State University of New York at Fredonia
CHRISTOPHER FORD Auburn University
PATRICK GIRARD North Carolina State University
KYLE FORKER University of North Carolina at Greensboro
AUSTIN GLOVER College of Charleston
KATE FOSTER University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
JILLIAN DEPINTO Appalachian State University
JANE FOX Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University
HALEY DOBBS University of South Carolina
JACK FRASIER Denison University
DREW DONATHAN Clemson University
MILES GARY Furman University
CHARLOTTE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
CENIA GOLDSTEIN North Carolina State University MELISSA GOLDSTEIN Clemson University ELIZABETH GOWAN University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill PATRICK GREENE University of South Carolina
JEN HO Johnson & Wales University (Charlotte) SARAH HORTON Wheaton College (Ill.) MELISSA HOWARD High Point University AUSTIN ISRAEL Louisburg College ELLEN JOHNSON Clemson University EMMERY JOHNSON University of South Carolina VICTORIA JOHNSON Spelman College
MAX SCHMIDT Texas Tech University
OF 2017
SYDNEY SCOTT University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ELIZABETH ANNE SMITH Clemson University BEAU SNUGGS Butler University LAUREN SPANGLER Appalachian State University SARAH STATER University of Tennessee, Knoxville JAKE STUBBLEFIELD College of Charleston NICK SUAREZ Lenoir-Rhyne University MARK TROTTER Clemson University CASSIE TRULL University of North Carolina at Wilmington LILLY TURNER Auburn University
ALEXIS JONES Queens University of Charlotte RHODES KARRIKER Auburn University GRANT KIKER Southern Wesleyan University JORDAN KILLEN University of South Carolina ADAM LEWIS University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill MCKENZIE LEWIS Clemson University ANNA LICHTENBERGER Furman University MASON MARCEY Radford University
JORDAN MAXWELL Coastal Carolina University SUMMER MCCORKLE Elon University AMANUEL MCLAIN Lynn University MAC MCLENNAN Presbyterian College RILEY MILLER University of North Carolina at Charlotte NICK MURRER Lenoir-Rhyne University NOAH NALEWAJA University of Florida ANNIE NEDROW Clemson University
JAIDEN MASON Willamette University
JACKSON NORRIS University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
KAYLE MASON University of Portland
CASEY ODENBECK Palm Beach Atlantic University
JAMES OZER-JAECKEL University of North Carolina at Charlotte GERLEA PATTON Catawba College JOHNATHON PEACH University of North Carolina at Wilmington ROB PETERSON Hargrave Military Academy JORDAN ROSE PETRUK Western Carolina University MACKENZIE RAY University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill BRYDEN REED College of William and Mary ABBY RICHARDS Appalachian State University KATIE SABA University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
COLBY VALERIANO Babson College CHRISTIAN VANSICKLE Elon University SCOTTIE WALLACE Wofford College ADDISON WEAVER North Carolina State University LACEY WELLER Belmont University BROOKLYN WILLIAMS Spelman College HOPE WINGET Fordham University JENNA LEE WOOTEN Clemson University ABBY YOH Wheaton College (Ill.) KAI YOUNG Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University 2016-17 ISSUE 2 n
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2017 VALEDICTORIAN:
$5,369,984
in College and University Scholarships (through May 22, 2017)
120
24 23
Lifers (started in JK, K, or Grade 1)
Honors Graduates (cumulative GPA of at least 4.5)
16 12
AP Scholars
Academic Conservatory Distinctions
6 3
College Acceptances
National Merit Finalists or Commended Scholars
CHARLOTTE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
Abby Yoh
STARTED AT CCS: Fourth grade FAVORITE MEMORY: “Managing the varsity girls’ basketball team and participating in band.” COLLEGE PLANS: “I plan to attend Wheaton College next year. I am not positive what I would like to study, but I am leaning toward Christian ministry with a possible double major in health sciences. I would like to be a missionary or go into the nonprofit world and try to connect my passion for service with my passion for health and nutrition.” IMPACT OF CCS: “Charlotte Christian has impacted me in so many ways. I became a Christian with the help of my fourth grade teacher Mrs. Clark. Since then, my faith has been challenged and stretched and grown, in large part thanks to my Bible classes at CCS and the opportunity to see how my teachers live out their faiths. CCS has also given me a community and many of my closest friends. CCS has also stretched me. I have been pushed out of my comfort zone by classes like AP Computer Science and activities like joining the swim team (I am really not an athlete), but I have always found people willing to help me. I definitely feel prepared for life after graduation and I am very grateful for all of the opportunities I have had because of CCS.”
CLASS O
seniors By T
Goldstein
5 SERVICE
HOURS
STARTED AT CCS: “Kindergarten in Mrs. Windham’s class and I’m proud to be a lifer!”
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2017 SALUTATORIAN: Melissa
FAVORITE MEMORY: “Playing in Christmas tournaments in Charleston with the varsity girls’ basketball team.” COLLEGE PLANS: “I am excited to be attending Clemson University next year. Go Tigers! I will be entering Clemson as a pre-professional health studies major. This major is broad, which is perfect for me as I decide what direction to take my career. I am very interested in how the human body works, and I plan to either focus on the brain and psychology in the field of counseling or go into physical therapy with a specialty in athletic training.” IMPACT OF CCS: “Charlotte Christian has been my home away from home for the past 13 years. The relationships I have formed over my span are unique, and it is these bonds that have made Charlotte Christian so special to me. Here I have found several mentors and motivators as well as many lifetime friends. While I definitely feel I have been prepared intellectually for what is next, especially in learning how to defend my faith, I know my knowledge and preparation extends outside of the classroom. Because of Charlotte Christian, I know what a relationship with Jesus ought to look like, and it is these Christ-like examples that have prepared me for whatever is next.”
OF 2017
The Numbers
Earned During Upper School Career
17 14
College Athletic Signings
Gold & Silver Key Combined Regional Visual Art Awards
4 2
Gold & Silver Key Combined Regional Writing Awards
National Gold & Silver Medals for Scholastic Art
“It has been our pleasure to work with the Class of 2017 as they have prepared for college. They have a wide range of talents, including academic, athletic and artistic abilities. They have kept us laughing and have added lots of personality to our upper school. We are proud of all that they have accomplished and look forward to hearing about all that comes next for them.” - Mrs. Jodi Foxx & Mrs. Katrina Cassier Upper School College Counselors
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Have you ever driven a “claw bot”? Or did you know that the “field” does not have grass on it, or that a “bot” can have a “tail”? What about “object-oriented coding” and “autonomous programming”? These are all fun (and impressive) tech words that fifth grade members of the lower school RoboKnights learned by participating in the first year of Charlotte Christian School’s lower school VEX IQ Robotics team. These students don’t just know the language, they also have the knowledge and action to back it up. This first-year group of six students includes two teams of three, RoboKnights Girls and RoboKnights Boys, all with a love of STEM – science, technology, engineering and math. Perhaps the most amazing part is that both teams were selected to represent the state of North Carolina at the 10th Annual VEX IQ Robotics Worlds Championship in Louisville, Ky. Charlotte Christian sent two of only six teams (elementary and middle school combined) who went from the state of North Carolina. Caelyn Miller, Kennedy Rogers, and Clara Sadowski, were the RoboKnights Girls, and Israel “Izzy” Lewis, Evan Santaniello, and Jackson Turner, were the RoboKnights Boys. Together they made up the lower school super team from Charlotte Christian that took the bluegrass state by storm. Both teams were coached this year by Mrs. Dana Brickner, lower school STEM coordinator, and Mrs. Kimberly Warr, lower school instructional technology facilitator. Mr. Mark Sadowski, VEX IQ Robotics parent and professional engineer, also volunteered his time to mentor both teams during practices after school and the team’s many competitions.
LOWER SCHOOL TAKE ON THE WORLD CHARLOTTE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
The RoboKnights traveled to Kentucky in April with Lower School Principal Miss Sharon Humphrey, their coaches, and parents to participate with 274 other teams from 77 countries in the largest VEX IQ Robotics event in the world. More than 10,000 people were in attendance and a total of 1,400 robots or “bots” competed during the elementary and middle school divisions in the three days of competition.
At the world level, both teams competed in 10 teamwork rounds where they were randomly paired with a team from another state or country to form an alliance. In addition, there were three skill rounds that tested driving skills and three autonomous rounds that tested the students’ ability to create several programs using the software ROBOTC that would run their robot by simply turning on the bot’s “brain.” During each round, teams worked together on the field, a rectangular-shaped competition table divided into two areas by a seesaw-style bridge and strategically placed orange and blue hex balls. Points were scored through various methods including putting the colored hex balls in the tower; knocking them off the fence (that’s where a tail on the robot comes in handy); and balancing the bridge, a tricky maneuver that required both teams to get on the bridge and balance it off the ground. It was such a high-level skill, that it netted 25 points in competition. Each
round was 60 seconds long, and all were streamed live online, complete with a playby-play announcer, so family, friends and classmates back in Charlotte could watch their competitions. At the competition, the RoboKnights Girls won the VEX IQ Challenge Worlds STEM Research Project Award, a prestigious honor based on their year-long project that focused on how robotics can help students with special needs, specifically children with autism. The RoboKnights Boys had a successful competition and took their “bot” to the top 20 to compete in the world semifinals of the elementary division where they were partnered with a team from Beijing, China. The group began in September following an application process that required selecting team members to commit to the year-long practice and competition schedule. The team started by learning how to build their robots, which is when
they decided to design a “claw bot” which meant they built a claw on the front of their bots so that they could easily pick up hex balls. They also were intentional about the size and design so they could fit on the bridge easier when paired up with another team. Team competitions began in December and continued through April. Together, the two teams won six trophies including the boys’ two first place awards for the VEX IQ Crossover Robotics Challenge, the Design Award, and their VEX IQ Challenge State Championship Title. The girls won an Excellence Award, and received an invitation to Worlds by their combined high scores of skills and autonomous programming, and the Worlds STEM Challenge Award. “I learned about teamwork and how to work together,” shared Jackson Turner. “I learned how to practice with teammates and alliances to be the best you can be.” 2016-17 ISSUE 2 n
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Jackson noted that each member of this three-member team had their strengths, so they quickly learned to assign duties based on their strengths so they could earn as many points as possible in each round. His favorite role was being the closing driver, which required being calm under the time pressure, and listening to his teammates when they shared input during a match. Clara Sadowski shared that she and her teammates had a difficult start on the competition circuit. She said it was hard, but instead of letting it get them down, the girls rallied and spent time together determining what they needed to adjust and how they could make their bot better and improve their skills. “I learned about
CHARLOTTE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
perseverance,” said Clara. “Our team did not make the finals in the first three competitions so we had to work together and make changes to get stronger. This experience allowed me to meet a lot of new friends, learn tech skills, and build strong relationships.” “Out of all of my years of teaching, this has been the most incredible experience,” said Mrs. Warr. “It was a tremendous opportunity to be able to foster their love for robotics and engineering. It has certainly been a highlight in my career.” “I was amazed by the accomplishments of all our students this year. They were all a pleasure to work with, and they have
grown so much in their knowledge and understanding of robotics and how to work together for a common goal,” shared Mrs. Brickner. “I especially enjoyed the opening ceremonies of the Worlds Championship. They were so much like the Olympics and it was phenomenal to see all of the students from so many countries marching in for the competition - it was a tremendous blessing.” Students who think they might enjoy being a member of the Lower School RoboKnights team next year will receive more information in their lower school STEM class after the start of the 2017-18 school year.
Middle School Launches Charlotte Christian School’s Annual Science Fair There’s an exciting new educational program in middle school, and it’s all centered around fun with science. Before Charlotte Christian School students complete their time in middle school, they will be challenged in eighth grade with a semester-long project that culminates in the Middle School Science Fair. Mrs. Diep Stamps, life science teacher, hosted Charlotte Christian’s first science fair in December with the idea of creating an annual event that would encourage eighth grade students to explore, develop and test original ideas in science. The inaugural event brought out the best in budding biologists, chemists, engineers and more. Students were tasked with selecting an original project for which they had a genuine interest and to present a hypothesis they could research to either prove or disprove based on their independent findings. As part of the challenge, students had to test their proposals in lab environments over the three-month period, write a scientific report outlining their findings, and create a visual presentation. The final component was presenting their findings to judges
that included Head of School Mr. Barry Giller, professional scientists from various science and engineering fields and upper school AP science students. Projects were classified into one of five categories: Biological Science A (life science); Biological Science B (behavioral science); Chemistry; Earth and Environmental Science; and Physical Science and Mathematics. Mrs. Stamps shared that the fair was modeled so that students who scored well at the school level could advance to compete in the Regional North Carolina Science & Engineering Fair which was held on the campus of UNC-Charlotte in February. “I really encouraged students to choose topics of great appeal to them so they would enjoy the process and stay engaged throughout the semester as they tested out their hypotheses.” At the school fair, 15 students won honors in the five divisions and from that group, four girls advanced to represent Charlotte Christian at the regional fair. The regional competitors were: Elizabeth Davisball, Emma Edwards, Zoe Jackson
2017 CHARLOTTE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE FAIR WINNERS Biological Science A – Life Science 1st Zoe Jackson 2nd Jake Major 3rd Kate Carlson Biological Science B – Behavioral Science 1st Hank Soule 2nd Ethan Fancher 3rd Gracie Mitchell 1st 2nd 3rd
Chemistry Emma Edwards Katie Gowan Heather Harriss
Earth and Environmental Science 1st Jordan Montgomery 2nd Ekene Afulukwe 3rd Caroline Luff Physics and Mathematics 1st Elizabeth Davisball 2nd Jimmy Bailey 3rd Zach Brown
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and Jordan Montgomery. Zoe Jackson won the first place award for Biological Science A for her project that studied the science of hatching baby chicks earning a spot at the North Carolina Science and Engineering Fair. Elizabeth Davisball was honored with a second place United States Air Force Outstanding Engineering Award for her project that studied the aerodynamical pull on fabrics used by athletes in the sport of swimming.
Hatch More Chicken Eighth grader Zoe Jackson’s aptly named research project, “Hatch More Chicken,” continued to earn honors and went on to secure second place in the state at the 2017 North Carolina State Science and Engineering Fair held in March at Meredith College. She earned a plaque and a gift of $75 and also became one of the state’s two nominees for the 2017 Broadcom MASTERS – Math, Applied Science, Technology, Engineering Rising Stars Program, the premier national science competition for middle school students.
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CHARLOTTE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
Zoe’s project was a comprehensive research project where she built three homemade incubators, one complex and two simple, to test her hypothesis that the complex incubator would have a higher survival time for the baby chicks. Her complex incubator included a Styrofoam portable cooler with a lamp and water to provide humidity, and her two simple incubators were a shoebox fitted with a lamp and a household heating pad. To fully test her theory, she took on the “mother hen” role for 16 eggs which included checking them every three hours to make sure the temperature and humidity were within acceptable ranges and rotating the eggs every eight hours. She set an alarm clock to wake herself during the night for her duties, and even brought her incubators to school and everywhere else she went. She would hold the eggs under a flashlight to see evidence of life, like the vein around the chick’s heart and then later an eye. On average the gestation period for healthy chicks is 21 days, and Zoe’s eggs in the simple incubators survived 1-3 days and those in the complex incubator survived 9-10 days, which proved her hypothesis correct. Although her hopes were to hatch the chickens, she responded like a true scientist. “I think I learned that you can win even if the project did not turn out the way you thought it would,” she
shared. “I still learned a lot and had a great experience. I also learned the importance of good communication skills and I really enjoyed talking to the judges about my research and the process of my experiment.” As one of the state’s two nominees, she is currently preparing her application for the Broadcom MASTERS. From the applicants, 300 MASTERS semifinalists will be selected and then the top 30 MASTERS finalists will be invited to Washington, D.C. for the national competition in October of 2017. Winners at the national level are eligible for up to $25,000 in awards. In the end, Zoe and her fellow eighth grade classmates proved the hypothesis that science can be engaging and fun. “Our goal was to prepare our eighth grade students well for upper school science classes by giving them an active and engaging way to learn the scientific method,” shared Mrs. Stamps. “I was very proud of how they embraced so many different projects and how they further developed soft skills like creativity, communication, and public speaking.”
1986
1997
LEGACIES TO REMEMBE Saying goodbye is never easy even when, as Christ-fol perfect. Three lo lowers, we know ng-time, beloved God’s plans are teac hers recently Christian Sc hool an re tir ed and their impa d its students will ct on Charlotte be remembered fo r a long time.
R
2004
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Mrs. Eva Crawford Director of Visual Arts
Dr. Freida Thomas
Upper School Academic Learning Specialist
Mrs. Eva Crawford joined the Charlotte Christian community as the upper school art teacher in 2004. After 13 years in the classroom, she retired from full-time teaching to spend time with her family and to pursue volunteer and professional art-related opportunities. Whether a beginner who had never picked up a paintbrush, or a budding artist in the middle of creating their AP Studio Art portfolio, Mrs. Crawford helped many students to improve upon their artistic abilities. Students who came through her classes were often inspired to pursue art in college and then as a career, even if that wasn’t something they had considered before. Ashton Bobo, a member of the class of 2013, is a recent graduate of Auburn University with a bachelor of science in interior design. Mrs. Crawford played a pivotal role in helping her choose her career path.
Dr. Freida Thomas joined Charlotte Christian in 1986. Having laid the foundation for the Academic Services program, Dr. Thomas has walked alongside countless students helping them succeed in the classroom. Her patience, kindness, and humility have had a great influence on her students and colleagues alike. Dr. Thomas and her husband, Ron, will be moving to Sun City at Carolina Lakes where she is looking forward to getting involved in Bible studies, clubs, activities and possibly taking the time to write a book. Though leaving CCS is bittersweet, Dr. Thomas expressed that “God has blessed my time here and I am eternally grateful for that.” Many students feel that Dr. Thomas was essential in their success, a sentiment shared by Dillon Carpenter, a member of the class of 2015 and a rising junior at Anderson University. “Dr. Thomas encouraged me to be the best that I can be,” said Dillon. “Before working with her, I struggled with time management and finding the drive necessary to do well in classes. She showed me that I was capable and smart enough to not only pass my classes but to excel in them. I struggled to make good
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“As a student, Mrs. Crawford pushed me artistically and spiritually. She worked with me directly to make sure I would grow as an artist with every project I did in her class. She was understanding and listened very well. She taught me how to plan out realistic timelines for projects,” said Ashton. “As for who I am today, she was the one that suggested I pursue my interior design major because of my mix of passions and talents. The way she personally invested in me made the work even more worthwhile. She created space for selfexpression while sticking to discipline. Her warm heart kept me coming back excited to see what the next class held, and she inspired me to try and make others feel this way in my presence.”
grades but with Dr. Thomas’ help I was thriving by the end of high school and was able to continue that into college. Without her constant encouragement, I would definitely not be where I am today.” “Dr. Thomas showed me how important it is to work hard to do my best instead of just being okay with being average. I have taken that drive not only in my studies but also in everything that I do. At college I have maintained a 3.7 cumulative GPA while balancing a full academic load every semester and playing baseball. I was just nominated to be the South Atlantic Conference baseball Scholar Athlete of the Year, and it is all because of the tools that Dr. Thomas taught me. I know that I speak for everyone that Dr. Thomas worked with; not only did she help us as students but she challenged us to be better people. She took a personal interest in every aspect of our lives and she genuinely cared and loved every student that she worked with. Without Dr. Thomas we wouldn’t be where we are today. She is an unbelievable lady and I was so honored to work with her,” said Dillon.
Mr. Bob Angley, Upper School Math Teacher Mr. Bob Angley recently retired after completing his 50th year in the classroom, and he and his wife, Joanie, will be moving to Colorado to be closer to their daughter, son-inlaw and grandchildren. He taught for 30 years at two area schools before he joined CCS as an upper school math teacher in 1997. In addition to teaching, Mr. Angley was a championship-winning coach, having led the Charlotte Christian varsity girls’ basketball team to four state titles in five seasons. Though math is what he officially taught, thousands of students would say they learned much more than that from the gentle, kind and compassionate man whose biblical words of wisdom are legendary.
Written
by Sara h
York, m e
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KNIGHTS HEADLINES New Upper School Dean of Students
Charlotte Christian is excited to welcome Mrs. Brooke Morgan to the upper school leadership team as dean of students. As Mr. Allen Nielsen retires from his current role of principal at the end of June and transitions to oversee campus security and facilities, Mr. Shonn Brown will move from assistant principal of student life to his new role as upper school principal. Mrs. Morgan will work alongside both Mr. Brown and Mrs. Amanda Poole, upper school assistant principal for academics. Since 2007, Mrs. Morgan served on the faculty of South Charlotte Middle School, where she was the dean of students, managing all aspects of student life, including mentoring and disciplining students and partnering with parents in support of their children. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business and marketing education from North Carolina State University and graduated summa cum laude and valedictorian of the College of Education. She also holds her master’s degree in educational leadership from Winthrop University.
Fourth Annual LS STEM Challenge
More than 130 fourth and fifth grade students had lots of fun with the Mint Mobile Challenge, this year’s engineering task in the annual Lower School STEM Challenge. Students were grouped into 34 small teams and tasked with designing, building, and testing a model race car with the goal of creating a car that could travel the farthest distance down a ramp and across the floor. Teams used the provided materials and their growing knowledge of engineering, math, and science, to build their model cars, making for a fun afternoon of hands-on science. In its fourth year, the annual Lower School STEM Challenge has been a creative way for students to put the skills they have learned in Mrs. Dana Brickner’s STEM class to the test by collaborating with classmates on action-oriented activities. This year, it was all girl power in the winner’s circle. Congratulations to these young scientists: Fourth Grade Winners: FAB 4 Bella Benton Jilli Del Corso Maddie Kotula Ashlyn Preston
Fifth Grade Winners: LADY ROBO-KNIGHTS Sophia Fair Caelyn Miller Kennedy Rogers Clara Sadowski
Senior Eagle Scouts Making Their Mark Through Service
For more than 100 years, the Eagle Scout Award has stood as the highest attainable rank for the Boy Scouts of America, and this year, five seniors have met the challenge. Congratulations to Matthew Boelkins, Carter Bugg, Patrick Greene, Bryden Reed, and Mark Trotter on reaching this honorable pinnacle of service. Their love of God and country, desire to serve others, and years of commitment and leadership are all worthy of recognition. All five seniors began as Cub Scouts in first or second grade and have worked toward this goal for years, including earning at least 21 merit badges and completing their individual Eagle Scout service projects. The Boy Scouts of America organization describes it best, “‘Eagle Scout’ is not just an award; it is a state of being. Those who earned it as boys continue to earn it every day as men. That is why an Eagle Scout IS an Eagle Scout – not was.”
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First Annual Super Colby 5K Race Finishes Strong More than 300 enthusiastic runners and walkers from all over Charlotte participated in the inaugural Super Colby 5K Race at McAlpine Park in mid-March. The event was a tremendous success, raising more than $12,500 for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. Freshmen cross country team members Hannah Brandon and Annika Urban created and developed
the idea of a 5K race in honor and memory of Charlotte Christian student, Colby Young, who passed away in October of 2016 after a brave battle with brain cancer. “The school played such a major role in helping with this event through the Knight Tank program and I am so thankful for that,” said Annika. “We want to do everything we can to stop brain cancer.” Make plans now for the second annual Super Colby 5K schedule for March of 2018.
Steve Byrnes Memorial Broadcasting Award
Congratulations to senior Hannah Gentlesk on receiving the first Steve Byrnes Memorial Broadcasting Award. Hannah was awarded a crystal trophy, $1,500 scholarship, and paid internship with FS1, a cable sports network owned by FOX Sports. Mr. Steve Craddock, senior vice president of FOX Sports, and CCS eighth grader Bryson Byrnes, son of the late Mr. Steve Byrnes, presented the inaugural award in April.
the goal of enabling Christian schools to achieve academic, programmatic, and institutional excellence. In April, Charlotte Christian upper school faculty and administrators had the opportunity to return the visit and travel to Colorado as part of the exchange in school-to-school observations. Both schools observed one another and then offered helpful guidance on things that are done well and potential areas of improvement. It was also an opportunity for faculty to learn innovative ideas for the classroom and exchange thoughts on academics, technology, athletics, and more in a noncompetitive environment. New upper school principal Shonn Brown led the visiting team from CCS which included faculty members representing various upper school departments: Steve Beezhold (technology), Susan Jones (math), Rhonda Nieto (world languages), Amanda Poole (academics), Jessica Ramsey (media center), Andy Ross (athletics), and Renuka Szymborski (English).
Hannah is a CCS lifer and will be attending Furman University with plans to study communications and marketing and pursue a career in sports broadcasting. She developed her passion for broadcasting as a two-year member of the Knights Knews Broadcasting Team. The award was established in honor and memory of Mr. Steve Byrnes, a highly respected national network sports broadcaster, who passed away from cancer on April 21, 2015. Mr. Byrnes’ career spanned more than three decades and encompassed roles as a play-by-play announcer, pit road reporter, sideline reporter and studio host covering NASCAR, the NFL and college football.
Sharing Knowledge Through School-To-School Observations
Charlotte Christian School welcomed visitors from Valor Christian School of Highlands Ranch, Colo. to campus in the fall. The visit was part of a grant program Valor received to observe programs and practices at other Christian high schools in the country. Both Valor and CCS are charter members of CESA, the Council on Educational Standards and Accountability, a national organization founded in 2010 with
Middle School Earth Day Celebration
Middle School Earth Day featured an expanded celebration this year, including the popular Eco Games and various educational activities designed to heighten awareness about recycling and conservation. Led by middle school science teachers Mrs. Beth Tiess and Mrs. Diep Stamps, the day included iPad activities featuring recycling methods and an iPad scavenger hunt using the GooseChase app to help students locate recycling areas on campus. Patterned after the popular Hunger Games books, “tributes” from each grade met in the stadium to compete in the action-packed Eco Games, all created by the Environmental Club. Congratulations to this year’s winning tributes, eighth graders Brenna Long and Jimmy Bailey. 2016-17 ISSUE 2 n
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HELLO
MY NAME IS
WORLD LANGUAGES DEPARTMENT We continue our series on getting to know the different academic departments around campus. This issue we feature the middle and upper school World Languages department.
Hello Hola Bonjour Salve
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Debbie Baglia
Angelina Ferrari
Mrs. Debbie Baglia teaches French to middle school students and has taught at CCS for 17 years. She received her bachelor’s degree in education and French from the State University of NY at Fredonia and has taken graduate courses at Wingate University. She and her husband, Peter, will celebrate 40 years of marriage this year. The Baglias have two sons and three grandchildren with one more arriving in the fall.
Mrs. Angelina Ferrari teaches middle school Spanish and has taught at Charlotte Christian for 16 years. She received her degree in education from the Instituto Nacional del Profesorado, Paraná, Argentina, her native country. Mrs. Ferrari is married to Julio, also from Argentina, and has two sons who are students at CCS.
Why is a language the best subject to teach? “I love to see the looks on my students’ faces as they work to master a new sound system. It’s even more rewarding when they begin to communicate in French. It is exciting to see my students make discoveries about French. They are astounded to find out that French is spoken in more than 40 countries and regions. They begin to notice French in movies, books, and on labels of items that they purchase. When they make these connections the language becomes more real to them and of course, more useful.” What do you like most about working at CCS? “I love the praying, community spirit. I know that my colleagues, the CCS parents, and even my students lift me up in prayer especially during difficult times. That blesses me each day!”
Why is a language the best subject to teach? “We touch on all subjects - Math, History, Art, Geography, Science, and so on. Although of course we are not experts in all the areas, at one point or another, we find ourselves teaching the language through a famous painting, talking about the artist, what the picture tells. We might be doing simple math to talk about how old a certain person is, or how long ago something happened. We take our students on trips around the world, using Google Maps and other technology, as we use the language to describe the places. And more importantly, we have the opportunity to integrate biblical truth on a daily basis as we model our respect and appreciation for another culture.” What do you like most about working at CCS? “I love the people I work with, my coworkers in the middle school are the best team ever. I’m thankful that working at CCS allows my own kids to be here. Lastly, I love that I get to teach the same group of students for three consecutive years, getting to know them and their families.”
Rhonda Nieto Mrs. Rhonda Nieto teaches upper school Spanish and has taught four years at Charlotte Christian. She is a graduate of Harding University with degrees in Spanish and biochemistry and is also a National Board Certified teacher in the area of World Languages. Rhonda and her husband, Jorge, have two children, both current CCS lower school students. Why is a language the best subject to teach? “As a world language teacher, I have the opportunity to explore other cultures and perspectives with my students. We have the pleasure of learning about the 21 Spanish-speaking nations and their peoples. In class, we use games, role-play, music, film and even food as learning tools. Through the international trips we offer, we even experience the cultures and language for ourselves. Having the opportunity to see how God is working on a global scale makes my job amazing. I’m pretty sure that language teachers simply have more fun.” What do you like most about working at CCS? “I enjoy the interaction that I have with students every day. I cherish getting to know the kids and learning about their lives. We have fantastic students and teachers at CCS.”
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Becca Overcast
Alison Tarwater
Dawn Young
Mrs. Becca Overcast teaches all levels of upper school Latin and has taught at Charlotte Christian for two years. She received her bachelor’s degree in English and Latin from Samford University. She is married to Barr and they have a black lab Chester.
Ms. Allison Tarwater completed her first year teaching upper school Spanish at Charlotte Christian. She received her undergraduate degree from UNCCharlotte and her master’s degree from Winthrop University. She was a Spanish teacher in the Charlotte Mecklenburg School system for 12 years. She is engaged to Chad Reeves and will be married this November.
Mrs. Dawn Young teaches all levels of upper school French and has been at Charlotte Christian for 11 years. She received her bachelor’s degree in international affairs from Mary Washington College and her master’s in Education in Secondary French and social studies. She is married to Bob, and has two sons, both current Charlotte Christian students.
Why is a language the best subject to teach? “Teaching a language is the best because we get to teach a variety of subject matters, just in a different language. For example, when I teach body parts, I also teach about Pablo Picasso’s portraits. When I teach numbers, we also do basic math skills. Everyday is different. We are able to teach students about other cultures and through those lessons learn about our own culture and language.”
Why is a language the best subject to teach? “Knowing other languages allows us to understand others’ cultures and points of view, and I love being in a position to equip students to build bridges and become ambassadors for their countries and Christ’s love.”
Why is a language the best subject to teach? “When you study language, you get to explore so much more, from history to religion to sociology and cultural practices. Learning a second language gives us a window into how people live (or lived) in other parts and eras of our world, and makes us more mindful of our role in it.” What do you like most about working at CCS? “I love the CCS community. I have been so welcomed and supported as a new teacher, and I have loved getting to know and learn from both colleagues and students.”
Guess that teacher? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Debbie Baglia Angelina Ferrari Rhonda Nieto Becca Overcast Allison Tarwater Dawn Young
What do you like most about working at CCS? “I love my students and the faculty. But mostly, I love that we get to pursue our passions of teaching while openly loving Jesus and sharing our faith.”
A. I have a new puppy who eats random items around my house. B. I am “sort of” addicted to the game Hay Day on my iPad. C. I love to dance. I have formerly studied ballet, jazz, modern and belly dance, and currently attend a 5:45 a.m. Jazzercise class before school most mornings.
D. I spent a weekend in Spain learning how to bull fight. The last day we had to get into the ring with a bull. After the second turn, he knocked me down and the picadores had to distract him so that I could get out of the ring.
What do you like most about working at CCS? “Having worked here for more than a decade - the longest I have ever taught in one school - I appreciate the family of support with which I have been blessed. It means a lot that my co-workers are my children’s teachers, and that I can count on them to love and pray for my children.”
E. In college, my friends and I marathon watched all three Lord of the Rings movies (extended edition) in one day. It lasted more than 12 hours. F. I have completed two years of college towards a degree in tourism and hospitality. I have as much fun planning a trip as I do going on the trip itself. 1. B 2. F 3. A 4. E 5. D 6. C
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Honoring OUR PAST
To celebrate the contributions of black Americans and their historical influence on our culture, as well as bring students of different backgrounds together, a team of upper school students worked together to create a moving chapel commemorating Black History Month in February. Victoria Johnson, a 2017 CCS graduate who will head to Spelman College in the fall, met with Upper School Spiritual Life Director Jeremy Cummings in November to share her ideas on how to use chapel to celebrate the achievements of black Americans and to learn together how to appreciate the backgrounds and different cultures of all upper school students. An organizing committee, which included students in ninth-twelfth grades, met on weekends to talk about their vision for the event, plan the different aspects of the chapel and discuss how to bring their ideas to life. The chapel, entitled “Healing the Divide,” featured a panel of community leaders of different races who answered questions previously submitted by students. The guest speakers included Mr. Erick Hodge, from Transformation Church; Ms. British Hyrams, director of Christian ministries at Central Steele Creek Presbyterian Church; Mr. Jim Kallam, senior pastor of Church at Charlotte; and Mr. Perry Tuttle, inspirational speaker and sports minister. The diverse group of speakers addressed issues of racial tension and how to live in Christ with people of all backgrounds. A key component of the chapel was the worship experience led by Mr. Dennis Reed, an award-winning musician and the young artist in residence and director of gospel choir at Catawba College. Additional expressions of visual and performing arts were woven throughout the chapel and included an inspiring dance performed by middle school student Carrington Lue-Hing as well as a painting that was created live throughout the event by a group of upper school art students. “The chapel more than exceeded our expectations,” said Victoria. “So many people came up to us afterward to share how they were touched and to say that they had learned so many new things. It was also cool to see how everyone came together in worship. It was everything we hoped for and more.”
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In an effort to model the biblical principles of mentorship and servanthood, upper school students will transition to a new form of student government for the 2017-18 school year. In the new prefect system, seven student leaders will be mentored by a faculty member, with whom they will meet regularly, and will be charged with creating and leading a committee of student volunteers that will help guide their specific area of oversight.
The prefects and their faculty mentors for the 2017-18 school year are: Head: Academic: Admissions: Athletic: Spiritual Life: Student Events: Student Life/ Fine Arts:
Terrelle Brown Mr. Barry Giller Head of School Mac Hamilton Mrs. Amanda Poole Upper School Assistant Principal Cole Von Cannon Mrs. Allycia Brown Lower School Director of Admissions Meg Martin Mr. Andy Ross Director of Athletics Caroline Thompson Mr. Jeremy Cummings Upper School Spiritual Life Director Carter Bland Mrs. Emily Fair Student Events Coordinator Grace Baker Mr. Shonn Brown Upper School Principal
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Leading by Example These student-leaders, all rising seniors, were selected from a pool of 29 applicants after filling out an application and interviewing in front of a panel of seven administrators and teachers that were chosen by the class of 2018 to represent them. Student input on the applicants was sought from current members of the Student Government Association. “We are excited about our new prefect system and the opportunities it will provide all of our students,” said Mr. Barry Giller, head of school. “We did not make this move because past student governments have been ineffective or because we felt like students elect the wrong leaders. We are simply seeking better ways to foster leadership skills in our students based on the biblical examples of mentorship and to give our students a greater voice in the areas that affect them.” In moving to the prefect system, school administrators spent a year researching and studying how other schools implement this system, talking with students and debating the value of the new system vs. the current Student Government Association format. A team of teachers and administrators also traveled to Houston to visit a private Christian school with a prefect student government structure in place.
This summer the prefects will attend a leadership retreat and spend time meeting together and with their faculty mentors to prepare for their new roles. Prefects are expected to function as servant leaders, humbly seeking to build up others and leading by example, and the newly-announced student leaders are ready to accept this challenge.
“I am so excited about the new prefect system because it allows students and faculty to work together in such a unique way! As the event prefect, my goal is to reach across all divisions and engage the entire CCS community through our activities. This is a great place and we can make it even better,” said Carter Bland, student events prefect.
“The thing I’m looking forward the most about next year is the task of increasing the connections between the high school and the other divisions, and working with the other prefects to make the first year of this new system a successful one,” said Terrelle Brown, head prefect.
Charlotte Christian Prefect Position Descriptions Head Prefect
Athletic Prefect
The head prefect serves as the student face of the school. They will focus on building support across school divisions and promoting school-wide unity. They also work with the prefect coordinator in assisting other prefects in their roles and leading prefect meetings.
The athletic prefect will help in the promotion and support of upper school athletics through fan attendance and involvement at games and pep rallies. They will serve as a liaison between student cheer groups (i.e. Lamb Loonies, etc.) and the upper school administration, promoting fan sportsmanship and coordinating game day dress-up themes.
Academic Prefect The academic prefect is responsible for establishing and maintaining the sense of value of academics within our school community. The academic prefect will serve as an important communication link between the students and the upper school principal regarding general academic demands and concerns. They also work with the National Honor Society sponsor and the academics/personal counselor in the implementation of an effective peertutoring program.
Admissions Prefect The admissions prefect is responsible for assisting in the admissions office and working with the admissions directors. They will help with the recruitment and identification of new students and families along with helping them to acclimate after enrollment. They will assist in the selection, training and coordination of admissions student ambassadors whose primary responsibility is to tour prospective students and families around the school. In addition, the admissions prefect is also responsible for directing a student welcome program for all new students and helping them to settle into school life.
Spiritual Life The spiritual life prefect will help plan and facilitate weekly chapel activities, CELL groups, the fall spiritual life retreat, the biblical worldview conference, and various division (or school-wide) service opportunities.
Student EventS Prefect The student events prefect is responsible for helping plan, promote, and put on upper school social events including Homecoming activities; Fall Frenzy/Sadie Hawkins dance; winter week activities/competitions; the Knights Out dance; and the Senior Superlatives/Talent show.
Student Life/Fine Arts Prefect The student life/fine arts prefect is responsible for morale, enthusiasm and shaping student perception about what it means to be a student at Charlotte Christian School. They will work to involve students in non-athletic events and activities, (plays, concerts, clubs, etc.) and in the planning and coordination of assemblies. The student life prefect also serves as a representative on the upper school discipline committee.
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ACADEMIC SPOTLIGHT
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MIDDLE & UPPER SCHOOL STUDENTS EARN 76 HONORS ON NATIONAL LANGUAGE EXAMS The National Language Exams are administered each year in grades 6-12 for French, Latin and Spanish language students. Twelve upper school students received honorable mentions for French, and Thomas Spangler received a bronze medal. Upper school Latin students received 10 honorable mentions, five bronze medals (Michael Bartholomew, Drew Marin, Allison Holbrooks, Jackson Mitchell, Xavier Pearce) and three silver medals (Jack Howard, Martha Ann Langdon and Jaiden Mason). Upper school Spanish students received 27 honorable mentions, seven received bronze (Christina Boelkins, Nathan Brannon, Annslie Burris, Samantha Cohane, Hannah Paschall, Matthew Siverling and Taylor Turner) and one received silver (Hannah Brandon). Pictured are the silver medalists: Jaiden Mason, Martha Ann Langdon, Jack Howard and Hannah Brandon. Middle school Spanish received one gold medal, five silver medals and two bronze medals, as well as 15 honorable mentions. Individual names were not released in time for this publication. Middle school French students received four honorable mentions: Morgan Brown, Hannah Burgess, Ashley Glover and Ava VanHoy. MULTICULTURAL FESTIVAL Fifteen years ago the lower school hosted a Spanish Festival that has slowly grown to include many more cultures over the years. The goal of the Multicultural Festival is to help students expand their horizons and reflect on what it means to be a global citizen. The festival encourages students to value and integrate other cultures into their daily lives. Junior kindergarten students studied Israel; kindergarten studied France, Italy and Uganda; grade 1 studied Spain; grade 2 studied the play The Land of Many Colors; grade 3 studied Italy, England and Ireland; grade 4 studied Kenya; and grade 5 studied Ethiopia. Students participated in hands-on activities relating to the culture of their classroom, prepared and ate food from their region and heard from upper school students who have visited these countries during J-Term trips. There was also a Spanish spelling bee for students in grades 3 and 4, and grade 5 students explored the language with native Spanish speakers. The festival closed with an assembly of dances and music from around the world. EIGHTY-FIVE STUDENTS INDUCTED INTO THE NHS & NJHS This year the upper school inducted 46 students into the National Honor Society (NHS) and the middle school inducted 39 students into the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS). The requirements for NHS are a GPA of at least 3.75 or 4.0 weighted and at least 45 service hours by the end of their sophomore year. NJHS students must have a GPA of at least 3.75, grade 7 a minimum of 10 service hours and grade 8 a minimum of 15 service hours. All inductees demonstrate the tenants of the society: leadership, service, Christian character and citizenship. NATIONAL MERIT® SCHOLARSHIP HONORS Senior Abby Yoh was named a scholar in the 62nd annual National Merit® Scholarship Program. Senior Patrick Girard was named a finalist along with seniors Grace Blevins, Melissa Goldstein, Addison Weaver and Elizabeth Gowan were also recognized as commended students. Recognition is based on the students performance on the 2015 Preliminary SAT/ National Merit® Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQ) taken when they were juniors. LOWER SCHOOL READING KNIGHTS The Reading Knights finished the year with 355 participants in the third quarter and 349 in the fourth quarter. There were 340 students who participated in all four quarters and were recognized during chapel on May 18. A special group of grade 5 students participated in the program for all of their lower school years; these 35 students earn the The Round Table moniker and received a medal with their names engraved. Ms. Mull’s grade 5 class had the unique accomplishment of having 100% participation in the program and celebrated with a pizza party. Overall, the Reading Knights read 17,416 books this year.
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ATHLETIC SPOTLIGHT
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VARSITY DANCE TEAM CHAMPIONS The varsity dance team, coached by Mrs. Stewart Emery, participated in two competitions this year. At Walt Disney World they competed in the Florida Dance Competition and placed fourth in the media varsity jazz division. The second competition was in Raleigh at the Fellowship of Christian Cheerleaders/Dance (FCC Carolina) where they were champions in the dance division, which was the team’s third straight state championship. The team showcases their versatility through a variety of styles, everything from jazz and contemporary to hip hop. This year’s team included: senior co-captains Leah Cloninger and Lilly Turner as well as Elizabeth Bobbitt, Mallory Brown, Callie Cain, Lucy Cain, Caroline Farley, Chloe Jackson, Kayla Knight, Allie McCreary, Alyssa Mederos, Rachel Parsons, Lily Robinson, Emma Schmidt, Hailey Thomas and Marissa Wilks (manager). VARSITY BASEBALL HEAD COACH GREG SIMMONS EARNS 600TH CAREER WIN Varsity Baseball Head Coach Greg Simmons earned his 600th career win with a 10-1 victory over A.C. Flora on March 11 in Columbia, S.C. The remarkable achievement stretches back to 1992 when Coach Simmons was brought to the helm of the baseball program. He is particularly pleased to have had the 600 wins all at CCS and credits his success to the many players that have contributed, his three sons, and his wife Renee. As far as what Coach Simmons is looking forward to now, he says it’s simple, “The number 700, one game at a time. In my world, the biggest game is the next one. When that next one is not the biggest game of the year, then I will know it’s time to hang it up but until then, I’m still chasing the next one just like in 1992 when I was chasing the first one.” GRADE 4 INTERFAITH BASKETBALL CHAMPIONS The Grade 4 Interfaith basketball team won the championship game against St. Gabriel to finish the season at 11-1. The team of lower school student-athletes included: Andrew Boythe, Parker Cadd, Daniel Guandolo, Caleb Hinson, Matthew Lye, Brendan Miles, Grant Nicholson and honorary member Bill Guandolo and were coached by Rob Miles and Luke Boythe. Coach Miles said the team’s strength was “a commitment to trusting each other. We built on our skills each week individually and as a team. By the title game we had so much confidence and trust in each other, it was so calm throughout the game.” WINTER & SPRING ATHLETIC SIGNINGS On Feb. 1, six CCS student-athletes signed to play collegiate athletics. Eva Bower signed with Milligan College to play soccer; Emma Giller signed with Covenant College to play softball; Cody Bischoff signed with Montreat College to play lacrosse; Bryden Reed signed with College of William and Mary to play football; Beau Snuggs signed with Butler University to play football; and Christian VanSickle signed with Elon University to play football. On May 17, three more student-athletes signed their NCAA letters of intent. Connor Armistead signed with University of North Carolina at Charlotte to play golf; Jaiden Mason signed at Willamette University to play volleyball; and Nick Suarez signed with Lenoir-Rhyne University to play baseball. Rob Peterson also signed to play post-graduate basketball at Hargrave Military Academy. PHENOMHOOPS NC TOP 80 The CCS boys’ basketball season (22-8) came with many postseason accolades. The Statesville based PhenomHoops is a source for high school basketball player analysis and highlighted three CCS players this year. Sophomores JC Tharrington and BJ Mack and junior Blake Preston were all selected to play in the showcase. Analysts had plenty of praise for our student-athletes. “[JC Tharrington’s] sky-high IQ is evident in every second he’s on the floor. A true point guard with the ability to run a team on both sides of the ball extremely well.” Blake’s technique and style earned him high marks. “An old school type player that simply knows how to play the game of basketball. He’s a true big man that thrives in the low post, high post and in transition, allowing him to get buckets however he pleases.” 2016-17 ISSUE 2 n
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FINE ARTS SPOTLIGHT
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DISNEY’S ALICE IN WONDERLAND, JR. March 2-4 the lower school performed Disney’s Alice in Wonderland, Jr. There were a total of 67 students from grades 4 and 5 in the cast, including three versions of Alice, played by Sarah Davis, Emma Isom and Whitney Johnson as Alice shrinks and grows throughout the play. The cast was full of quirky characters: The White Rabbit played by Aidan Hinson, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum played by Chandler DeBoer and Walker Darnell, Captain Dodo Bird played by Andrew Boythe and the Cheshire Cats played by Sarah Grace Beauchemin, Bernice Gitiche and Payton Shivers. The play sold out in record time and the audience was delighted by the humorous and heartfelt performances. Standing ovations were routine with a cast that included Avery Sehorn as the Caterpillar, Samone Carpenter as the March Hare and Thomas Albee as the Mad Hatter. A talking doorknob, played by Taylor Young, the Queen of Hearts played by Katherine Jamison and the King of Hearts, played by Zachary Zinger rounded out the cast. FOOTLOOSE The upper school performed Footloose this past April with a 32-actor cast, most of whom had not been in a theatrical performance before. Two upper school teachers also joined the cast, Mr. Alex Compton and Mr. Rhett Davis. Under the direction of Ms. Angela Blount, the group drove at the heart of the story – a town reeling from senseless tragedy and a young girl who seeks love. Junior Dallas Thomley, who played Willard Hewitt, scored in the top 20 for the Blumey Awards Best Actor category. This is Dallas’ second consecutive year being nominated for a Blumey award. NATIONAL MEDALS EARNED IN NATIONAL SCHOLASTIC Four upper school students earned national recognition in the 2017 National Scholastic Art and Writing Competition this year. Senior Grace Blevins received a National Gold Medal in the Editorial Cartoon category for her work Ignored, Profiled, Silenced. Junior Caroline Doyle received a National Gold Medal in Editorial Cartoon for There’s No Excuse. Senior Ava Bruns received a National Silver Medal in the Senior Portfolio category for Creation. Sophomore Maya Cauthen received a National Silver Medal in the Drawing and Illustration category for Family Ties. The competition received more than 330,000 entries and less than one percent are recognized at the national level. Gold medal winners, Grace and Caroline, were invited to New York City for the National Ceremony at Carnegie Hall on June 8. COLLAGE ART FAIR SCAVENGER HUNT This spring the CCS Visual Arts Department held a unique scavenger hunt experience for the school community. The Flenniken Dining Hall displayed 16 pieces of art from visual artists ranging in grades JK-12. Students, parents and teachers were given a ballot with small clues. Each participant was encouraged to explore and study the pieces in order to find all the clues. In early March a winner, Elena Ong, was selected from the completed ballots and received an Amazon gift card. Director of Visual Arts Eva Crawford explained the purpose behind the scavenger hunt was to “invite people to look more closely at art. Even when seeing great masterpieces in a museum we spend no more than a few seconds looking. The game of searching for the clues allows for a closer look and appreciation for the terrific thoughts, creativity and skill our artists have executed.” Artwork pictured at the left: Pumpkin Patch by sophomore Nathan Brannon, Girl Daydreaming by sophomore Grace Bradham and Football Player by senior Lacey Weller. 2016-17 ISSUE 2 n
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CENTER FOR WORSHIP AND PERFORMING ARTS
Five months into the project, construction is well underway for the Center for Worship and Performing Arts. Construction is on schedule for the two-story building that will house an auditorium, a scene shop, a black box theater, dressing rooms, prayer room and visual arts gallery.
“As we plan the calendar for 2017-18, the reality of having our events in this new space gets even more exciting!” said Mrs. Kelly Goley, director of fine arts.
The fine arts department is excited to move into the new building and already the community is making plans for school events that will be held in the new auditorium after the dedication in November. One of the first events will be a Christmas concert including a middle school and upper school bands, orchestras and jazz band concert and reception in December.
SAVE THE DATE
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Center for Worship and Performing Arts Dedication Tuesday, Nov. 21 at 9 a.m.
“We are reimagining our concerts, shows, and gallery receptions and asking, ‘How can we do this differently? How can we improve on what we’ve done before? What limitations have we had that we can move beyond?’ During the summer we will be preparing for the costume closet move by creating an inventory and sorting costumes and by planning the new costume creation space. We are humbled by the generosity of the donors and that the administration of Charlotte Christian School has always recognized the fine arts as a growing, vibrant part of our community.”
The third annual Sporting Clays Tournament at Meadow Wood was a ‘17 success! The morning charlotte christian school and afternoon sessions were filled with 120 participants with winning teams from Autobell Car Wash and Rodgers Builders. The annual event raised $15,840 for the UKnighted campaign. A special thanks goes to the title sponsor, CCIS Construction Consultants, and the 16 additional sponsors for supporting the 2017 tournament. Save the date for the 2018 Sporting Clays Tournament on Friday, April 27, 2018.
Sporting Clays Tournament
We are grateful for the generous support from our parents, grandparents, alumni and friends of Charlotte Christian that supported our UKnighted campaign for the Center for Worship and Performing Arts and the Annual Fund. We are closing out the year with more than $5.2 million raised in cash and pledges.
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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
CHARLOTTE
CHRISTIAN
STEPHEN CURRY jersey retirement january 24, 2017
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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
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ALL-ALUMNI KICKOFF On April 8 the newly formed Young Alumni Cabinet hosted the first annual All-Alumni Kick Off event at the Sugar Creek Brewery in South End. A group of more than 250 alumni and their families enjoyed a catered dinner, raffle contest and reconnected with classmates and teachers. The Young Alumni Cabinet was formed in the fall of 2016 in order to strengthen the relationship between CCS and alumni. The cabinet provides opportunities to meet and network, provide leadership and service opportunities and to enhance the school experience for current CCS students. The cabinet members are: Julie Apple (‘01), Taylor Bard (‘08), Mason Bradley (‘07), Omar Carter (‘07), Daniel Eggers (‘02), Joy Farley (‘08), Reid Fronk (‘04), Sam Fulginiti (‘10), Randy Garcia (‘00), Scott Glover (‘09), Zach Kamm (‘01), Mike Metcalf (‘00), Blaydes Moore (‘09), Jackie Smith (‘03), Jessica Smith (‘00), Matt Smith (‘07), Jeremy Thompson (‘04), and Ben Walton (‘06). If you have any questions about the Young Alumni Cabinet, upcoming events, or if you would like a campus tour please contact alumni@charchrist.com. Upcoming Alumni Cabinet Event Dates Save the date for these upcoming alumni events… • A networking event on September 21, 2017. Stay tuned for the location and time. • Homecoming football game and Alumni Tent on October 13, 2017 at 6:30 p.m. FOOTBALL ALUM GAME & DINNER On December 26, 2016, the Touchdown Club of CCS hosted an Alumni Football Reunion to bring back former football players and to celebrate Varsity Head Coach Jason Estep as he wrapped up his 10th season. Coach Estep’s record of 88-29, four NCISAA state championships (’08, ’12, ’13 and ’14) and three NCISAA state runners up made for plenty to celebrate. More than 130 players participated in either the flag football game and/or appetizers and fellowship at Red Rocks Café. Coaches Eugene Robinson and Mike Rose and former Touchdown Club President, Pardon Dexter, presented Coach Estep with a large composite picture of the seniors from each year. CLINT IRWIN MLS CUP Clint Irwin, a 2007 CCS alum, helped bring his team, Toronto FC, to the MLS finals this past December. Toronto FC ended up falling to the Seattle Sounders in a shoot-out of penalty kicks. Prior to playing with Toronto FC, Clint spent three seasons with the Colorado Rapids. He was also named to the 2015 AT&T MLS All-Star Game Roster. Clint began his soccer career playing on the Charlotte Eagles team in 2012. Before playing professionally, Clint played at Elon University and was named first-team All-Southern Conference each of his four seasons. While at CCS, Clint received the award for National Player of the Year from the National Christian School Athletic Association. MATTHIAS FARLEY FCA SPEAKER On April 6, CCS alum Matthias Farley (’11) was the keynote speaker at the Union/Lincoln/Gaston County FCA Banquet held at Shiloh Baptist Church. Matthias is a defensive back for the Indianapolis Colts and was a standout player while attending Notre Dame. Several of Matthias’ former CCS coaches and teachers attended the event. Matthias spoke about the impact his high school coaches and teachers had on him and how their staying in touch with him through his football career has been an important lifeline. He reminded students about the importance of relationship and accountability and he thanked his former coaches Jason Estep, Todd Hines, Eugene Robinson and Mike Rose.
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CLASS NOTES Send your alumni news to: alumni@charchrist.com
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Baxter Bradbury, Rachel Redmond, and Sarah Redmond traveled with the UNC club swim team to the East Collegiate Club Swimming National Championships at Georgia Tech this past April. The UNC swim club placed fifth overall out of 86 universities. Baxter, Rachel, and Sarah also received numerous individual medals including a silver medal in the 800 free relay for the girls. Zifei “Holly” Liu is attending Indiana Bloomington University and is majoring in accounting and pre-business. She has applied to the Kelley School of Business. Alex Parker had a great freshman year at Elon University both in the classroom and on the football field. He was named to the Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll and the CAA Academic AllConference team.
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Payton Walker completed her sophomore year at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She was awarded the Quincy Sharpe Mills Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $3,000 and was also awarded the Ace Reporter award given by the School of Media and Journalism.
Margaret Elliott is a cheerleader for Cornell and watched Trey Phills (’14) play at the Yale v. Cornell basketball game this season. Both alums were student-athletes at CCS.
Madison Killen was selected to be an intern for Tim Scott, the U.S. Senator from South Carolina. Madison is a sophomore at the University of South Carolina and is majoring in criminal justice and political science. Madison made her debut with the Georgetown Ribbon Club in December 2016 and was presented by her grandfather, James T. Killen lll.
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Blake Thomas, a senior at Western Carolina University, has been selected to the RETREAT REU Program at Florida State University this summer. He will participate in alignment structural testing of carbon nanotube composites under the mentorship of Dr. Richard Liang.
Adam Burnam graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in May 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and a minor in Japanese language. He has also been accepted into the UNC Charlotte Master of Science in Computer Science program for the fall 2017 semester where he will study robotics.
Chandler Goodson graduated this May 2017 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is moving back to Charlotte to work with Wells Fargo starting in June and will also begin leading Young Life in the Charlotte area. Morgan McManus will be attending Wake Forest University School of Law in the fall.
ALUMNI ALBUM
Baxter Bradbury, Rachel Redmond, and Sarah Redmond (‘16)
Alex Parker (‘12)
33 CHARLOTTE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
Zifei “Holly” Liu (‘16)
Madison Killen (‘15)
Tyler Simmons (‘11) & Celeste Vitez (‘12) Kyler Brown (‘11)
Payton Walker (‘15)
Austyn Durden (‘11)
Chandler Sharpe recently graduated with honors from the University of South Carolina with a BA in nursing. Chandler was active in ADPi, USC Nursing Association, Golden Key, Sigma Alpha Lambda – Leadership Honor Society, and Sigma Theta Tau – Nursing Honor Society. She served in various leadership roles across campus including on the USC Dance Marathon Executive Committee and fundraising “For the Kids.” She has accepted a position at Levine Children’s Hospital on the Infant and Toddler floor. Her passion for children started in the Dominican Republic with CCS and SCORE!
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Ellie McAdams graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in May 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene. She is happily living and working back in Charlotte as a registered dental hygienist. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, going to church, traveling when she can, and cheering on the Tar Heels. Taylor Shue married Amy Jamil on May 12, 2017 at The Westin in Hilton Head, S.C. The Shue’s will reside in Huntersville, N.C. The wedding was photographed by Mari Pillmore (’12) of Captured by Mari Photography.
Blake Thomas (‘14)
Griffin Gum (‘11)
Margaret Elliott (‘13) and Trey Phills (‘14)
Maggie Walker (‘11)
Alex Payne graduated in May 2017 from the Darla Moore School of Business Master of Accountancy Program at the University of South Carolina. While earning his master’s degree, he also completed and passed all four sections of the CPA Exam, and accepted a position with Cherry Bekaert in Charlotte. Celeste Vitez married Tyler Simmons (‘11) on Dec. 17, 2016.
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Kyler Brown is getting married this summer to Erinn Menninger in his fiancé’s hometown in Pennsylvania. Austyn Durden recently accepted a position with the Autism Society of North Carolina as the program coordinator for their Social Recreation program in Winterville, N.C. Austyn graduated from East Carolina University in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in recreational therapy. She recently passed her national exam to be a licensed recreational therapist and a certified therapeutic recreational specialist. Griffin Gum is engaged to Kassidy Sullivan and the couple plans to wed in York, Nebraska on July 8, 2017. Griffin is currently working in Ft. Worth, Texas for Kaifect Sports Marketing.
Chandler Sharpe (‘13)
Brian Bartlett (‘10)
Maggie Walker is a high school arts teacher at Lafayette High School in Northwest Georgia. She owns a wedding planning and consulting company on the side and lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee with her friends.
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Brian Bartlett and his wife, Mary Beth, welcomed a son, James Brian, on Jan. 4, 2017. Brian and Mary Beth reside and work in Huntsville, Ala. Kelby Brown recently married the love of his life, Angel (Thompson) Brown, at Duke Chapel on Dec. 17, 2016. The couple is expecting their first child, a girl, in September 2017. Kelby will be joining the Class of 2021 at the Duke University School of Medicine this fall. John Kincaid received his master’s degree in real estate development from Clemson University in May 2016. John currently lives in Atlanta and is employed by Noell Consulting Group.
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Ryan Hart graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law and will be moving to New York to begin work as an associate at Cravath, Swaine and Moore.
Ellie McAdams (‘12)
Kelby Brown (‘10)
Taylor and Amy Shue (‘12)
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Elizabeth Newton ran the Boston Marathon in April in memory of Colby Young and raised $16,550 for Ronald McDonald House Boston Harbor.
Hadley Hayes Mann and her husband, Will, welcomed their first daughter, Frances “Francie” McAlister, on March 1, 2017.
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Michael Moreau received his bachelor’s degree in business administration in accountancy and finance from Boise State University. He will begin work for Deloitte as an auditor in Boise, Idaho in the fall.
Abby Dunning recently married her best friend Justin Epps at Trump National Golf Club on Lake Norman on March 18, 2017. The couple has two beautiful children, Cash (2) and Ava (1). The family lives in Charleston, S.C. where Abby is able to stay at home with their kids and Justin works at D.C. Machine in the machine tool business. William Kincaid was married on August 13, 2016 to Amy Elizabeth Arnette from Jacksonville, Fla. The couple was married in the historic Memorial Presbyterian Church in St. Augustine, Fla. Will works for Google Fiber and the couple resides in Raleigh, N.C. Fran Pfrimmer Sutton and her husband, Drew, welcomed their first child, John Andrew, on April 7, 2017.
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Phillip Stokes and his wife, Rachel, welcomed their first child, a son named Luke Tyler, in August 2016. Phillip graduated with his Ph.D. in Middle Eastern languages and cultures from the University of Texas at Austin on May 24, 2017. He will be the assistant professor of Arabic at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville starting Aug. 1, 2017.
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Ashley Wilson Louckes and her husband, Rob, reside in Atlanta, Ga. with their two children, Madeline (2) and Tanner (1). Rob is a Project Manager for Choate Construction Company.
Ashley Ferreira married Chris Johnston on April 2, 2016.
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Mark Brown and his wife, Liz, welcomed their first child, Isaac Clayton, on Aug. 10, 2016. Isaac weighed 6 lbs. and 14 oz.
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Scott Zook has been living in East Africa since 1997 working with Wycliffe Bible Translators to support the work of Bible translation, literacy, and scripture use. Currently, Scott, his wife, Melissa, and their 10-year-old daughter, Abigail, live in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Scott serves as the director of a team of Ugandans, Tanzanians, and missionaries who are partnering with more than 30 language communities in Uganda and Tanzania to provide the word of God in the language of their heart.
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Jeana Foard Stewart has recently been appointed to the position of weekday preschool director at First Baptist Church Bonds of Matthews. Since 2005, she has worked as the preschool music teacher swap and librarian as well as served extensively in the children’s ministry.
ALUMNI ALBUM
Abby Dunning (‘05)
Michael Moreau (‘04)
35 CHARLOTTE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
Fran Pfrimmer Sutton (‘05)
Mark Brown (‘96)
Ashley Ferreira (‘04)
Scott Zook (‘86)
Hadley Hayes Mann (‘04)
Jeana Foard Stewart (‘84)
GRANDPARENTS’ DAY 2017 More than 500 grandparents attended the annual event held in March. Each grade level performed a special song for their grandparents, and the cast of Disney’s Alice in Wonderland gave a special preview of the lower school musical. Following
the
program,
students
and
grandparents visited the classrooms and the book fair.
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