4 minute read
Reflecting on Success
Message from the Board of Trustees Chair, Bill Zimmern ’95
As I reflect on the 2022–23 school year, I am exceptionally proud to be an alumnus, a parent, and your Board Chair. As I wrote to you last year, we are entering an exciting era in our school’s history. We have the opportunity to build upon the visionary foundation laid down by past leaders and put to meaningful use the incredible facilities made available by your generous support. Looking ahead, I am excited to see continually developing programming and student opportunities growing in ways that set our school apart.
We remain deeply grateful to Smoky and Margaret Bissell for gifting our school over 330 acres in Weddington last year. Their remarkable support offers our students in the immediate and distant future much to be excited about. Under the leadership of Head of School Marcel Gauthier, supported by CFO David Mancos and Facilities and Plant Operations Manager Greg Walters, we have moved forward over the past year in significant ways regarding the Weddington Farm.
Experienced personnel have been hired to both manage the physical property and develop and implement impactful educational programming outside of the traditional classroom. In the coming years, the Board of Trustees will plan to achieve the best and highest use for Weddington Farm in the interest of current and future students of Country Day. The initial steps taken to date and those which will be taken in the coming months will not only enrich current students’ experiences but also inform the Board of Trustees and school leadership as we seek to maximize the property’s potential.
On Cannon Campus, the school’s leadership sought to address parking challenges that arose last year following our post-pandemic return. These challenges were an indirect reflection of our robust enrollment, strong parent partnerships, and durable traditions that build community. To relieve student parking pressures, while enhancing the athletics scheduling experience, we have created a new parking area on the south side of campus near Dowd Field. This new area offers over 100 additional parking spaces and expands Crawford Field, which will enable more flexible athletics practice scheduling.
In quickly addressing the parking challenge, Marcel showed us early on that he is a pragmatic and seasoned leader, who is highly capable of leading a complex school like Country Day. Nimble in his role, he expertly manages the day-to-day details of running a school, while also taking the long view, inspiring those around him to think big about what’s best for our students today and tomorrow. I look forward to working with Marcel in the year ahead as the Board of Trustees focuses on strategic planning and seeks to define what excellence means at Country Day.
We are fortunate to enter strategic planning from a position of strength. Our facilities are second to none in our region. Parents expressed deep satisfaction with their children’s teachers and academic programming in our end-of-year survey. For these reasons and more, our admissions pipeline is exceedingly robust, and reenrollment continues to exceed 97 percent. On top of tuition, our community expresses its satisfaction with the Country Day educational experience by making our school a philanthropic priority. Once again, the Country Day Fund broke school records for funds raised and community participation (please see the next page for more details). Thank you to everyone who has given generously to make an impact in the lives of our students.
Lastly, please join me in thanking two trustees rolling off the Board of Trustees this year: Stephen Shuford and George Dewey IV ’90. We are grateful for their dedication, commitment, and leadership. They have both served the school well. For the 2023–24 school year, Brian Chambers, Pontea Dixon, and Su Ping Lu will be joining the Board of Trustees. Please join me in welcoming them into this new volunteer leadership role.
Over the next year as your Board Chair, I am looking forward to the school year ahead and playing an integral role in where strategic planning points us. With the strength of our school’s leadership, the resources available to us, and the commitment of our community, Country Day is well-positioned to continue improving upon an already outstanding student experience. Thank you for your wide-ranging support across so many channels and your personal contribution to the genuine, heartfelt sense of community that sets our school apart.
Sincerely,
