SPRING 2018
INSIDE:
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Introducing Restore 525 12 Graduating Classes Arts & Athletics Students Use E-Commerce to Help Spread the Gospel
Mission Statement The Classic is published twice a year for the Covenant Day community.
To assist the Christian family by providing an education marked by a biblical worldview, academic excellence, and affordability, so that students are equipped to be salt and light for God’s glory.
2017-2018 BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Don Moseley (Chairman), Rich Protasewich (Vice Chairman), Land Hite (Treasurer), Anne Rogers (Secretary), Jody Billiard, Danny Church, Kevin DeYoung (Christ Covenant Church Senior Pastor), Aaron Helms, Caroline Kelly, Jared Olshefski, Brian Peterson, Jerri Webb, Larry Kirkman (Trustee Emeritus)
HEAD OF SCHOOL Mark Davis
Editor/Designer, Classic Megan Fair, mfair@covenantday.org
Contributing Writers
Mark Davis, Amadea Dancu, James Kepper, Abby Lee, Landon Rehg
Vision Statement Covenant Day School is committed to becoming an exceptional, Christcentered, college-preparatory school. We will create an environment which develops lifelong learners, critical thinkers and problem solvers who will be actively engaged in the world as ambassadors for Christ. Our appraised, innovative academic courses and comprehensive extra-curricular offerings will be taught through the lens of truth found in the historic Christian faith by godly faculty and staff who are skilled educators and dedicated mentors. Graduates will be prepared for matriculation into leading colleges and universities in order to live out their callings on the global stage. Our distinctive sense of family, with a diverse community of students, families, friends, donors and alumni, will undergird these efforts necessary to bring excellence to every aspect of Covenant Day School, a ministry of Christ Covenant Church, for God’s glory.
Photographers
Thank you to the faculty, staff, parents, alumni, students, and friends who shared their photos for this publication
Special Thanks to:
The entire CDS community who contributed to this publication
Submit Story Ideas to: Megan Fair, mfair@covenantday.org
Send Class Notes to:
Core Values Christlikeness - A reflection of the work of Christ, loving in thought and deed, serving God and others Truth - A pursuit of biblical truth so as to develop the knowledge and discernment that guides our judgment and decisions in all areas of life Integrity - An insistence on biblical principles that develop character, integrity, and moral excellence
Linda Glass, lglass@covenantday.org
VISIT US ONLINE
www.covenantday.org /golions (Athletics) /enews (Weekly E-Newsletter) /arts (Arts) /give (Make a Gift) /publications (Magazine Archives) /portals (MyCDS Portal)
STUDENT ARTWORK
COVER PHOTO
The many faces of Covenant Day School
Artists (left to right, top to bottom): Grace Keel, Mary Kate Abner, Rachael Boyce, Daniela Dahlgren, Georgia Kibler, Aislinn McGrory, Erika Fager
TABLE OF CONTENTS
W
elcome to the tenth edition of Covenant Day’s Classic magazine. Throughout each edition, our hope is to share the many beautiful stories of Covenant Day. Every student, parent, teacher, grandparent, friend, staff member, and alum has unique gifts and experiences that make up our school community. As I drive on to the campus every morning, I love seeing students walking to class, parents hugging their young children, Officer George waving to drivers as he directs traffic, the butterfly garden and outdoor learning area that has been cared for by so many, and teachers smiling as they greet parents and students. So this issue is dedicated to the hundreds of faces of Covenant Day—the faces that make this a special place to come to every day. Thank you for giving me the privilege to share these wonderful stories every year. I am so grateful for this school community.
Covenant Day high school theater students presented Mary Poppins for sold out crowds in February.
Megan Fair Director of Marketing and Communications
FEATURES
Page 8 | Students Create Short Movies
DEPARTMENTS
Page 4 | ContainIt Builds Coffee Shop
Page 5 | Aquaponics in Haiti
2 From the Head of School 12 CDS News 14 Arts 16 Athletics 18 Alumni News & Class Notes
FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
Dear CDS Community, In this edition of Covenant Day’s Classic, you will discover the inspiring stories behind the hundreds of faces of our school community. On a daily basis, we largely recognize one another by our faces. We smile, frown, laugh, cry, contemplate, and rejoice. Our faces can tell others a great deal about us. I am reminded as I see the many faces of our students at CDS, that there is a child of God behind each face and that there is a conscience, heart, and soul within each child. I have used the illustration of each child possessing a tablet on their heart upon which each passerby makes a mark. Every teacher, parent, coach, and volunteer has the opportunity to present Christ to our children every day. Enjoy browsing this issue of the Classic magazine as you learn more about CDS through the articles and see the faces of God’s children in our midst. As your days and weeks pass by, I hope that the Lord will place the faces of our students upon your heart as a reminder to pray for the next generation of God’s people. Pray that they will be strong, courageous, holy, obedient, inspired by the Word of God, and a people who show exceptional love to their neighbors. Sincerely, Mark Davis Head of School 2
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s e c fa OF COVENANT DAY
FEATURES
ContainIt Uses Coffee to Foster Sustainability A 20-foot shipping container that was transformed to include three beds and a small student workspace was delivered to Pine Ridge Reservation less than three years ago to serve as a refuge for youth in need. Since then, Covenant Day students have continued to create spaces of rest and refuge for those in need on the reservation. So much intentionality and prayer goes into each container. Three transformed containers are now located on the reservation and include a 20’ single container, a 40’ singles unit with bath and kitchen, and a 40’ family unit with bath and kitchen. But our students wanted to do more. They wanted to go beyond just building functional living spaces. Students Jordan Daugherty and Aislinn McGrory organized a twoday Blitz Build in December to tackle ContainIt’s latest project – a coffee house container. The nearest city to Pine Ridge Reservation is two hours away, so finding jobs is challenging. The desire is that the container will provide jobs for individuals on the reservation so they have an opportunity to provide for their families. The coffee house container will be outfitted with a kitchen area, commercial coffee shop equipment, supplies, an order counter, and customer seating. Once they arrive at Pine Ridge, the team hopes to build a porch area off the back of the container for additional seating on nice days. In addition to their continued partnership with Edifice, Inc. and Little Diversified
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Architectural Consulting, students have learned from Brakeman’s Coffee and Supply and Summit Coffee what goes into running a coffee house. Sophomores Katherine Neil and Hill Wilson are leading a team of students on mastering the basics of being a coffee barista so they can bring this training to the reservation. The team of students pored over dozens of articles before kicking off their training at Summit Coffee. They also gained experience by shadowing baristas at Brakeman’s. Additionally, students hosted a coffee tasting for parents on campus in April to add to their experience. The training will be rolled out in three phases on the reservation. The container will be delivered to the reservation in May. In June, Katherine and Hill will accompany the second team to the reservation to begin the barista training process. A third team will travel to Pine Ridge at the end of the summer. The students want to go beyond simply training the Lakota people on how to make coffee. “We hope to spread the gospel by building authentic relationships with the people we meet,” Katherine said. “Our desire is to connect with those we meet through different activities that interest them, such as quilt making or auto mechanics. This will allow our stories to be woven together as we connect with one another.”
The ContainIt team visits Summit Coffee in Davidson for barista training.
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Students Seek Sustainable Hunger Solutions Covenant Day students are using fish and plants within agricultural engineering to create sustainable food sources and jobs in Haiti. With more than 80 percent of Haitians living below the poverty line, Covenant Day desires to respond to a growing need with a long-term, sustainable solution. Through Restore 525, a student-led initiative, students are building off the research and groundwork from Covenant Day’s beta project, This Green Fish, which began in 2011. For more than a decade, Covenant Day has been partnering with ministries in Haiti. Covenant Day is currently partnering with Mission of Hope International (MOHI). Located in Grand Goâve, Haiti, MOHI is an interdenominational Christian outreach ministry that is working with all people to fulfill the Great Commission as the hands and feet of Jesus. Under its missionary leaders, Lexidan and Renée Edmé, MOHI is helping to restore hope through Christ-centered restoration. In 2014, a team of students and teachers traveled to Haiti to create a proof-of-concept aquaponics system in partnership with MOHI schools. During this trip, Covenant Day helped train and employ a local Haitian man, Wilson, who is committed to maintaining the aquaponics system at MOHI. After conducting a formal evaluation early last year, concluding that the proofof-concept system has been successful, MOHI asked Covenant Day to fill a 16,000-square-foot farm with multiple aquaponics systems. Restore 525 was up for the challenge. The Restore 525 student team established a strategic plan for both researching aquaponics in Haiti and establishing the MOHI aquaponic farm. Through this process, students are learning to conduct biochemical tests, harvest crops, keep a clean worksite, research aquaponics, manage a complex project, and much more, while helping suffering people. This summer, Covenant Day will send two teams to Haiti to help further research aquaponics, train and learn from members of the community, and begin building the aquaponic farm. By God’s grace, this aquaponic farm will not only provide jobs, nutrition, and educational resources, it will provide Christ-centered hope and healing. WWW.COVENANTDAY.ORG
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ALUMNI NEWS
Students Use E-Commerce to Help Spread the Gospel Every year, visitors at the JAARS Center in Waxhaw, North Carolina are delighted to learn that they can help support missions by shopping for unique gifts and handmade crafts at the JAARS gift shop. Many of these items are made by artisans around the world who live in communities and countries that are just now receiving God’s Word in their own language. JAARS, a partner of Wycliffe Bible Translators (WBT), was founded 70 years ago to help make Bible translation and language development possible. Their focus is on solving logistical problems – especially transportation and communications – so that linguists and translators can work effectively “off the grid.” JAARS and the 100+ Wycliffe organizations around the world are focused on getting the Gospel to nearly 600 million people who still have less than a full New Testament in a language they can fully understand. Passionate about spreading the gospel, Covenant Day middle school students have found a unique way to make a global impact through partnering with JAARS. JAARS Vice President of Engagement Steve Biggerstaff believes that this partnership will have a global impact. “Economically marginalized communities around the world, typically in areas still waiting for or just recently receiving Scripture in their own language, will benefit from a new channel to sell their arts and crafts,” he said. A group of middle school students, along with their teachers Beth Farina and Jake Schuster, are teaming together to create an e-commerce website so that individuals around the world can have access to the unique gifts and crafts at the JAARS gift shop. Middle school students are excited to be a part of a project that has a global reach. “It’s fun to be involved with an organization that spreads Bibles all around the world,” seventh grade student Phoebe Lindner said. “I also like designing stuff a lot so this lets me practice doing that in the real world.” The research phase of the project kicked off in November at the Covenant Day Holiday Market. Students who were interested in the project manned a table that included items from around the world such as jewelry, purses, and pottery. They also conducted market research by asking shoppers to answer a variety of questions about the items relating to competitive pricing, target audience, and uniqueness of items. This collaboration, which will become an official class in the fall, will give our middle school students the opportunity to learn how to produce and maintain an e-commerce website while being a part of a much larger mission. “This project is a wonderful opportunity for both JAARS and Covenant Day,” teacher Beth Farina said. “We would love to have parents who have experience with e-commerce to share their perspectives and expertise with students as we kick off this new outreach program. We are excited to see the impact that this project will make both at Covenant Day and globally.” 6
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The New Kid on Campus This year, Covenant Day welcomed its first telepresence robot. You’ll find it sitting in on classes, traveling through the hallways, and even raising its “hand” to ask a question. The idea of a telepresence robot began as a way to continue to enhance Covenant Day’s robotics program. “The desire was to bring our students new technology to investigate and incorporate into their learning experience,” Director of Sustainability and Restoration Clifford Chin said. But what started as a robotics project has given Covenant Day students, who are faced with unusual circumstances, a chance to continue taking classes at Covenant Day. The robot was initially used as a way for one of Covenant Day’s senior international students, who returned home to Ethiopia last summer, to continue to take classes to earn his high school diploma at CDS. In the spring, Covenant Day added a second robot in the middle school. The students operate the robots from their computer, iPad, or iPhone. They have the capability of maneuvering them to their different classes. Essentially, the robot is similar to having an iPad on a stick that is using FaceTime. If they have a question during class, the students can raise the face of the robot, much like raising a hand. “This technology has provided a means of support for students to continue their education during difficult times in a unique and effective way,” Clifford said. “It has enabled us to help fulfill our mission as a school as we partner with parents and students equipping them to be salt and light to the world.”
A Heart for Restoration and Sustainability Clifford Chin’s desire to make an impact on the lives of all people through restoration and sustainability is evident through every project he has spearheaded at Covenant Day. He introduced aquaponics technology, now Restore 525, to Covenant Day in 2011 and has led more than a half a dozen Covenant Day trips to Haiti. His second initiative, ContainIt, has impacted not only our students, but youth and adults in need on Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. He has partnered with dedicated staff on the Butterfly Garden, Outdoor Learning Center, and the JAARS Collaboration Project. The new telepresence robot is his latest project. When it is not traveling through the hallways or sitting in class, you can find it at its home base in Clifford’s office. WWW.COVENANTDAY.ORG
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FEATURES
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION! Fifth Grade Students Write and Produce Movies Picture of Mary Kersteins and...
The fifth grade class transformed their classroom into a movie theater and sat back with their popcorn and snacks and enjoyed a series of short movies – written, filmed, and produced by themselves! Covenant Day fifth grade students engaged in a cross-curricular project using language arts, visual arts, and technology to create a movie from start to finish. Students began by writing a narrative in language arts. As they wrote their narrative, they kept in mind the different elements of a story: characters, setting, conflict, plot, and theme. Once their narratives had been completed, they took them to their art class to create a storyboard. They learned a variety of techniques that went into cartoon art, paying special attention to the different emotions of the characters in their story. Students looked into mirrors and were challenged to sketch their different facial expressions - portraying a variety of moods such as happy, surprised and confused - with as few lines as possible. There were five parts to the storyboard, which served as the basis for their movie. Finally, students used their storyboard to create props to bring for the filming of their movie. A green room was created for students to take pictures and film the different scenes. They wrapped up their movie by designing a slideshow and recording the voice narration. “I love how this project clearly targets our Portrait of a Graduate toward their ability to communicate effectively and with confidence,” art teacher Jackie Weigel said. “While these fifth graders engaged themselves in the combined creative process of written, visual, and technological languages, they not only were able to imagine their efforts as productive in the real world but they came away with a poised sense of accomplishment. What a tremendous mind-set for them now as they head off to their middle school years.” Through this project, students were able to deepen their understanding, grow in creativity, and learn how different subject areas can be connected. “By delving into different content areas, it brings an efficiency to the project and it also helps students deepen their understanding and recall,” Lower School Principal Mark Helmer said. “A well-integrated project develops good cognitive ‘hooks’ to assist our students in their retention of the material. From a practical standpoint, I also think the students enjoy projects that foster creativity and develop clear end products.”
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E M B R A C ING A G L O B A L S
CIETY
High school students are learning about cultures from around the world through Covenant Day’s International Program and Multicultural Club. The International Program, which officially launched in 2014, has included students from Haiti, France, Germany, China, and Ethiopia. This year, the International Program hosted an International Food Festival for students and teachers. They learned about different countries and enjoyed a sampling of international foods. In February, students experienced Chinese traditions through a Chinese New Year Celebration and Spring Festival. “The International Program gives our students the opportunity to see that we live in a global society and that students from other cultures can enrich our lives,” International Program Coordinator Robin Southern said. “We would like our students to celebrate the differences of other cultures, while embracing the fact that we are much more alike than we are different.” This school year, nine of our international students are from China and are a part of the New Oasis International Education program. These students live with host families during the school year and are immersed in American culture. Senior Joyce Liu will be Covenant Day’s first international student graduate. She was quick to get involved when she came to Covenant Day as a sophomore. She has participated in ContainIt, three athletic teams, the Multicultural Club, and Beta Club. Joyce is excited to return to the United States in the fall as a freshman at Emory University.
MULTICULTURAL CLUB SPOTLIGHT The Multicultural Club was founded this year by students Ben Airing, Zach Martens, and James Jiang. Students plan international events on campus as well as seek opportunities to gain new experiences off campus. “Learning about other cultures and experiencing them, even when they are uncomfortable, helps us to develop our sense of place in the world,” Ben said. “Part of being Christ-believers is putting ourselves in uncomfortable situations to develop empathy, which will lead to the dignity of all cultures.” This year, James has enjoyed providing opportunities for students to learn more about cultures from other countries. “As an international student, I have the duty to promote diversity in our school,” he said. “There are so many things that are unknown to us in this world, and we are seeking to explore them through the club.” This year, the club volunteered with Project 658 and attended the Chinese Lantern Festival at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden.
FEATURES
co mmunit y S TO RIES CDS seniors at Windy Gap
EVERYONE HAS A STORY Stories can be powerful and encouraging. They can bring unique perspectives and new ideas. Covenant Day’s seniors in the Marketing and Communication Internship set out to learn more about their classmates and teachers by asking questions and then taking the time to listen. Here is what they discovered.
LEARNING FROM BASEBALL Since he was four years old, Covenant Day freshman Philip Abner has been playing baseball. He started with tee ball and quickly grew to love the game and began to develop as a player. Philip is currently the only freshman on Covenant Day’s varsity baseball team and has also earned a spot on the 72-man roster for the USA Baseball 16U National team. As a freshman, Philip has been scouted by athletic programs across the country including Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill, and Virginia Tech. From baseball, Philip has learned that the way he responds to the different challenges that come his way is important. “It is about how you respond to those troubles and setbacks. When you get knocked down, get back up.”
A RANGE OF VOICES Covenant Day’s a cappella group kicked off spring break with a trip to East Tennessee State University’s A Cappella Festival. CDS students participated in a masterclass with Ben Bram, one of the arrangers and cofounders of Pentatonix! 10
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COMMUNITY THROUGH EXTRACURRICULARS In his first year at Covenant Day, student Zach Brighton has wasted no time in getting involved in the school community. He is an integral part of both the soccer and baseball teams, and a valuable member of the ContainIt club. Zach believes that these extracurricular activities have enabled him to adapt to a new school, feeling a part of the community from day one. Zach is involved in the construction aspects of ContainIt and appreciates the fact that the club caters to a wide variety of skill sets and interests, while pursuing a common goal.
EDUCATING INFORMED CITIZENS Having taught high school sciences at Covenant Day for 15 years, Farrell O’Quinn is a staple of the Covenant Day community. She teaches junior and senior environmental science classes, imparting lessons that are relevant to students’ everyday lives. “As citizens of a modern and increasingly urban world, we tend to have very little knowledge about the systems that sustain our lives,” she said. “I want my environmental science students to be informed citizens who have an understanding of how their lifestyle choices can impact the ecological order of things in both a positive and negative way.”
LOVING OTHERS Growing up in Los Angeles, CDS Spanish and Bible teacher Kari Cope has had close proximity to the Spanish language from an early age. It was after a mission trip to Mexico in high school that she developed a desire to become fluent in the language. Additionally, Kari has traveled with the Charlotte Eagles on multiple international tours as a way of pursuing both her love of missions and soccer. “We are created with a need and desire for community, and I believe that we have a responsibility to better equip ourselves to love others well,” she said. “Learning the language of others is one way to do that. Growing in understanding of people who are different from us expands our conception of the God whose image we are all created in.”
PURSUING INTERESTS THROUGH A GAP YEAR As her friends hear back about college acceptances, senior Daniela Dahlgren is making plans for a gap year to pursue her interest in long-term missions, specifically medical missions. Daniela discovered her love for mission work several years ago after spending a month in Mazatlán, Mexico with her sisters. She worked with children, prayed for strangers, worshiped in the streets, and witnessed the impact the Bible had on those she met. Through her time in Mexico and as a student at Covenant Day, Daniela has learned the value of good Christian leadership because it helps cultivate good community.
HELPING LITTLE ROOS ONE POUCH AT A TIME When they’re not at school, freshman Emery Pikel and her siblings Ellie and Brodey are spending time helping others through their nonprofit Kangaroo Kids. In 2017, the siblings created the nonprofit to help families who have children with chronic illnesses or conditions. They create a medical binder, called The Pouch, to help families keep track of important medical information. Their first binder was created for their aunt who was pregnant when her baby, Olivia, was diagnosed with Down Syndrome. Shortly after, they reached out to the NICU at Carolina’s Medical Center’s Levine Children’s Hospital and their first hospital partnership was formed. Today, families from Charlotte and all the way to Australia, are benefiting from Kangaroo Kids! Learn more at www.kangarookidsclt.org. WWW.COVENANTDAY.ORG
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CDS NEWS CDS Showcases Artwork at ArtTalk (1)
Covenant Arts hosted its first annual ArtTalk this year at Planet Ballroom in Matthews. Students from Mrs. Spata’s AP Studio Art classes showcased their concentration pieces that they had prepared for their AP portfolio. The community was invited to view the art and talk with students about their artwork – the choices they made, the themes they saw, and the questions they pondered. Teachers and AP students from other local schools were invited as well. The night concluded with a dance lesson from the instructors at Planet Ballroom.
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Theater Department Adds First Dramatic Production (2)
Covenant Day High School Theater presented Les Misérables on April 26-28. This marked Covenant Day’s first full-length dramatic production, giving students the opportunity to gain extensive training in acting. Les Misérables gave theater students the opportunity to focus on developing their acting skills as they learned how to play difficult characters onstage. Next year’s spring drama will take place April 25-27.
Covenant Day AP Studio Art students displayed their work at Covenant Day’s first ArtTalk at Planet Ballroom in Matthews.
Congratulations to our Nationally Acclaimed Students
Senior Cameron Collins was recognized as a National Merit Finalist, and seniors Ashley Derrington, Aaron Harabedian, James Kepper, Holly Levett, and Jackson Moseley were commended by the National Merit Scholarship Competition. Additionally, sophomore Drew Patterson was selected as a winner of the Congressional Essay Contest. Drew will be attending the Congressional Seminar in Washington, D.C. in June.
Covenant Day Teacher Receives Doctoral Degree
Congratulations to high school English teacher and department chair, Dr. Stephen Mitchell, for completing his Doctor of Philosophy in Humanities at Faulkner University in the Great Books Honors College. In March, he defended his dissertation, “The Problem of Freedom in Select Works of T. S. Eliot, Flannery O’Connor, and Walker Percy.”
2 Covenant Day High School Theater presented Les Misérables as its first dramatic production in April.
Sporting Clay Shoot Supports Sustainability Initiatives (3)
ContainIt’s second annual sporting clay shoot at Meadow Wood Farm on Friday, March 16, brought in $80,000 to support Covenant Day’s sustainability initiatives. More than 200 people participated in the event, which included morning and afternoon sessions this year. Participants had the opportunity to tour ContainIt’s new coffee shop container and learn more about the student-led sustainability initiative, Restore 525. Next year’s event will take place on Friday, March 15.
CDS Welcomes Grandparents to Campus
More than 100 grandparents visited Covenant Day on March 9 for our annual Grandparents Day. This year, the program expanded to include grandparents of middle and high school students. The day began with worship in the Christ Covenant Worship Center. Following this time, lower school grandparents enjoyed a meal and attended a variety of fun activities with their grandchildren. Grandparents of middle and high school students joined Head of School Mark Davis for a light breakfast as they learned more about Covenant Day. They also enjoyed a sneak peek of the spring drama production before joining their grandchild in class. Make plans to join us for next year’s Grandparents Day on Friday, March 8! 12
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3 ContainIt’s Annual Sporting Clay Shoot brought in $80,000 to benefit sustainability initiatives at Covenant Day.
Save the Date! Covenant Day has many exciting events planned for the 2018-2019 school year! For a printable calendar, visit www.covenantday.org/calendar.
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Students Visit Peru on Spring Break (4)
Eight students traveled to Peru this year with Mrs. Spata over spring break. They started their journey in Lima and worked their way down to the Sacred Valley where they visited Cuzco, Ollantaytambo, and Machu Picchu before an eight hour bus ride to Puno to take in the sights at Lake Titicaca. Highlights of the trip included visiting the Maras Salt Ponds, hiking up to the Sun Gate at Machu Picchu, visiting with the locals in the Sacred Valley, and walking on man-made floating islands made of reeds on the highest navigable lake in the world.
Choral Students Recognized for Performances (5)
Covenant Day middle and high school choral students are benefiting from new opportunities as the choral program continues to grow. This year, 12 students from the middle and high school choirs were selected to represent Covenant Day at the North Carolina Music Educators Association 2018 All-State Chorus. High school students Josh Chacko, Hanna Colvin, Kimmi Curcio, Grace Keel, Lance Lokas, Tori Winsky, and Tim Yardley, along with middle school students Mary Claire Brown, Mark Curcio, Shaw Moran, Kirsten Spolar, and Jacob Wimberly performed at the All-State Choruses. Additionally, for the first time in school history, the high school choir attended the North Carolina Music Performance Adjudication as a large group and received a superior rating of 97, just three points shy of a perfect score. The sixth grade choir and the seventh and eighth grade mixed choir both received superior ratings as well, with scores of 94. In addition to performance opportunities around the state and in the Charlotte area, students are also learning the art of songwriting. This year, students in the Worship Leadership Program composed two original worship songs and recorded a music video. The middle and high school choral program includes three choirs, two a cappella groups, and the Worship Leadership Program.
4 Students hike Machu Picchu during their spring break trip to Peru.
5 Congratulations to our high school choral students for receiving a superior rating at the NC MPA.
Trivia Night
More than 130 parents, dressed in their favorite team’s colors, attended Covenant Day’s first Trivia Night at The Palmer Building on March 1. The night included delicious food, a time to socialize with friends, two rounds of CDS trivia, and halftime entertainment! Mark your calendar for next year’s Trivia Night on Thursday, February 7.
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High school students traveled to Peru for spring break.
ARTS
U sing the A rts to
inspire + transform
TAY L O R N E L S O N music as worship In his first year at Covenant Day, Choral Director Taylor Nelson has brought exciting new levels of energy, passion, and interest to our choral program. The impact he has made can be heard during concerts, school musicals, and as you walk by the choir room in our high school building. Taylor teaches middle and high school choir, middle school worship leadership, and high school worship leadership. He also directs high school a cappella, teaches vocals for both musicals, and conducts the orchestra for the high school musical. Taylor’s passion for music dates back to his youth. In high school, he was eager to sharpen his skills, pursuing a variety of avenues for growth including the Charlotte Children’s Choir and Blumenthal Performing Arts Center’s Junior Ambassador Program. “As I grew in the arts, a mentor told me that sometimes the Lord reveals His plan for our lives through the unique gifts we have,” Taylor shared. “Upon hearing those words, I began to consider music education as my future career choice. In the Lord’s providence, I was accepted to the music education program at Cedarville University, and the rest is history.” Taylor has brought his passion for music to the choral program, rallying his students around the value of teamwork with the motto, “better together.” In addition to developing teamwork, Taylor believes that music education benefits the whole student, reaching the individual’s mind, hands, and heart. “In the realm of the mind, students are challenged to demonstrate technical proficiency and critical thinking. In the realm of the hands, students learn to contribute to a world that is bigger than their own South Charlotte bubble. In the realm of the heart, students are challenged to worship through their singing. Choir teaches students never to settle for less than their best, because both our products and our process are acts of worship.”
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C A S E Y S TA R K E Y theater as a reflection of life For the next three summers, you can find Theater Director Casey Starkey immersing herself in professional theaters in New York City as she pursues her Masters of Theatre Education at NYU. Theater has been a longtime passion for Casey, but she knew it could be a risky career choice. But as hard as she tried, she couldn’t get it off her mind. Today, Casey is in her first year at Covenant Day and teaches middle and high school theater classes in addition to directing all of our school’s musical and dramatic productions. Casey believes theater can deeply impact students beyond the fundamental basics of communication, confidence, and self-expression. Theater teaches students empathy, how to grieve, how to love, and how to inspire. “To truly become a character, you must first know yourself,” she said. “What a powerful tool it is to get to teach students about how to define themselves biblically and then be able to throw their mental and emotional energies into learning how to be someone else on stage. I love how theater is storytelling and how we get to entertain, inspire, and teach others through our stories. Theater is a reflection of life and that perhaps is the most beautiful part of this art.” Having the opportunity to teach students and witness the impact theater has on their lives and relationships has encouraged Casey. “These kids have all the talent, but what separates them from students you may find at an arts school is that their love for each other supersedes a competitive environment,” she said. “I love watching them support each other and the family that they have become as we work on these productions.” WWW.COVENANTDAY.ORG
JACKIE WEIGEL art inspires the heart In her earliest memories, a love for the arts was there. Whether she was making crafts in vacation Bible school, singing in her church and school choirs, or fine tuning her skills as a ballerina, veteran art teacher Jackie Weigel couldn’t get enough of the arts. She had several teachers along the way that spurred on her love for the visual arts. As a college student, she pursued a degree in interior design and graphic design and went on to intern at Bloomingdale’s before accepting an interior design position for a large private design firm in Washington, D.C. She eventually started her own firm and began to get involved in Bible Study Fellowship. There her love of children began to grow as she taught them God’s Word. It was during this time ten years ago that she brought her experience and love of the visual arts to Covenant Day to benefit our young students. Through visual arts, Jackie points her students to the Creator as they learn to express their unique gifts and ideas. “Visual arts allows the mind’s eye to be seen,” she said. “At Covenant Day, we aim to inspire the hearts of students to produce works through the lens of God’s Word for His glory.” Jackie also desires to instill in her students the value of creative thinking. “Art is a universal language that not only reveals details of what historians fail to record, but it honors, encourages, educates, and enables us to solve problems through creative thinking.”
(Top) Taylor Nelson works with senior Harrison Chase on the set of the high school musical, Mary Poppins. (Middle) Casey Starkey works on hair for the cast of Mary Poppins. (Bottom) Jackie Weigel teaches students about blind contouring. WWW.COVENANTDAY.ORG
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ATHLETICS Coach Wolbers’ enormous contribution to Covenant Day tennis over the past several years is evident. He brings more than 40 years of professional tennis experience to Covenant Day, including USTA national top-ten rankings on both the national level and in seven sections across the country. At Covenant Day, he has led the tennis program to seven conference championships with six students going on to play tennis at the college level.
day, not “As a cheerleader at covenant DORS FOR THE ONLY ARE STUDENTS AMBASSA DORS FOR CHRIST.” SCHOOL , THEY ARE AMBASSA
COACH WEIGEL
After more than a decade of being impacted as a student at Covenant Day, Mackenzie Weigel (’11) is back on campus, but this time she is the one impacting students. CDS Cheerleading Coach Mackenzie Weigel was a “lifer” at Covenant Day and played soccer and cheered in middle and high school. After graduating, she went on to be a collegiate cheerleader at Wofford College, competing at NCA College Nationals and cheering on the Terriers in two March Madness appearances. While a student at Wofford, Mackenzie was selected to spend two summers with Christian Cheerleaders of America, traveling around the country coaching cheerleading squads and spreading the gospel through camps. Today, Mackenzie is instilling in students the importance of using their gifts and talents to glorify God. “As a cheerleader at Covenant Day, not only are students ambassadors for the school, but they are ambassadors for Christ,” she said. “A cheerleader’s job is to serve the school through lifting the attitudes of the athletes and the crowd. Cheerleaders at Covenant Day are given the unique platform to glorify God by serving others through their athletic abilities.” Mackenzie shared that while she was a student at Covenant Day, she “cherished the way the faculty and staff poured into students with an eternal purpose.” Today, she is on the other side as she pours into the lives of students as they learn to navigate their own gifts and challenges. Through cheerleading, Mackenzie hopes to encourage teamwork, unity, selflessness, confidence, perseverance, and strength in her students. With the recent addition of football to Covenant Day’s athletic offerings, cheerleaders have even more opportunities to hone their skills and foster school spirit. “I’m excited to see how this program evolves as new traditions are formed and the program grows,” Mackenzie said. “The unity that cheering on your school brings to your teammates and the school community as a whole brings so much camaraderie that it makes you so proud to be a part of your school.” 16
COVENANT CLASSIC | 2018
A multi-sport collegiate athlete himself, Coach Wolbers understands the importance of athletics for students. “Everything about interscholastic athletic programs benefits students — from the mind, spirit, and body to the excitement surrounding goal-oriented competition,” Wolbers said. “Those fortunate enough to wear their school’s uniform in competition on any level become the face of that institution. It is an awesome honor not to be taken lightly.” Coach Wolbers desires for students to use their gifts to represent the Lord, regardless of the outcome of any contest. “The most enjoyable aspect of coaching at CDS is leading a group of young adults with a Christ-centered mindset on a journey that will require bonding, risk, and humility.” And tennis is just that, a journey. Coach Wolbers teaches his students the importance of tennis as a lifelong activity, not just a high school athletic experience to remember. “It is a recreational outlet for both genders and over the 144 years of its existence as an outdoor sport, there have been literally generations of entire families who have been ‘hung up’ on its many positive aspects of athletic and social characteristics,” he said. So whether you’re a student or a retired business person, take a step outside this weekend and enjoy some time on the courts. COACH WOLBERS
WWW.COVENANTDAY.ORG
Determination and discipline are no strangers to senior Sophie Lindner. As a middle school student, Sophie traveled to Italy to compete in an international swim competition against swimmers from around Europe. Although she had been swimming since she was eight, it was in Italy that her love for swimming began to grow as she realized the incredible experiences she could have from competitive swimming. And she was right. Since that pivotal trip, Sophie has gone on to compete among some of the top swimmers in the world at the Olympic Trials, U.S. Open, and U.S. Nationals/World Championship Trials.
SENIOR SOPHIE LINDNER
“The state meet THIS YEAR was a blast. everyone was invested in EACH OTHER. We were there as a team,
EVENTS & RECORDS 100 fly (54.28) 100 back (53.98) 200 free (1:48.12) 100 free (50.42) 50 free (23.42)
MEETS
not as individuals.” Olympic Trials (2016) U.S. Open (2016) U.S. Nationals/ World Championship Trials (2017) Summer Junior Nationals (2015, 2017) Winter Junior Nationals (2015-2017)
College Commitment: UNC-Chapel Hill
Her swim experiences from around the country have pushed her to be a strong swimmer and effective leader on the Covenant Day swim team. You can find Sophie in the pool giving her best regardless of which race. Over the past four years, she has created lifelong memories with her teammates. Her favorite memory was from the NCISAA State Swim Meet this year when she capped off her CDS swimming career by claiming two first place finishes and setting a school, meet, and state record in the 100 fly. Not only has Sophie built memories with her teammates, but she has benefited from the support and encouragement of her teachers and coaches. “Their prayers and encouragement for me shows that they not only care about me as a student and athlete, but also as a person and my growth in Christ.” Not only has swimming taught Sophie discipline, time management, and school-life balance, it has also given her the opportunity to develop relationships with people from around the country. “Because of the time I spend with many nonChristians from around the U.S. and the world, I am able to be salt and light in the darkness,” she shared. “I am able to talk to people I never would have met otherwise and am able to show them what Jesus is like through my actions and words.”
WWW.COVENANTDAY.ORG
8TH GRADER COLE WALTON
In his first year playing football, eighth grade student Cole Walton developed a wide range of skills that would take many students years to acquire. He learned what it looked like to be a well-rounded football player, gaining experience as an offensive lineman, defensive lineman, running back, and linebacker. His coaches not only taught him about the game of football, but set an example of encouragement and support. “Our coaches are always there to encourage us and keep us focused,” he said. “Even in the off-season, they talk to us about ways to become a better player and a better person.” From his teammates, Cole has learned the importance of camaraderie and supporting one another. “My favorite thing about football is that no matter how good or bad you played in a game, your teammates are always there to support you,” he shared. And while Cole has many memories from his football season, his favorites are grabbing a bite to eat after the games with his coaches and teammates. He enjoyed the chance to get to know his teammates better, talk about the game, and get a moment to relax. Cole’s first football season was marked by encouragement and a better understanding of teamwork. He shared the impact that Ephesians 4:16 had on him and the importance of the whole body supporting each of its parts. “It reminds me of football where if every person plays their position properly, the outcome is good,” he said. “This applies to COVENANT CLASSIC | 2017 17 everyday life, too. All people have to work together to accomplish a given task.”
ALUMNI NEWS
FACES OF ALUMNI
from our 12 graduating classes
I found a lifelong community at Covenant Day. The friendships I made have lasted far past graduation. It was the many days spent at Covenant Day that gave me my best friends and even my husband-to-be! I will be forever grateful for these friends that have walked with me through different phases of life and always continue to push me toward the Lord.
MCCLAIN CAUTHEN
My teachers impacted me through their commitment to excellence and their love for God that I desire to model. They sparked my interest in leadership by providing opportunities to serve. I have continued this in college through leadership development programs and involvement with various clubs.
Covenant Day was a creative launch pad for me. The art room was where musicians would get together and play. It was there that I started singing, playing, and writing music. This led to leading worship in college and now finding a local community through songwriters here in Nashville. Music for me is a direct outpouring of my joy for the Lord and how He is working. 18
’15
COVENANT CLASSIC | 2018
’13
NATHAN JOFFE
’14
ANSLEY SWANN
JOEL THOMAS
’16
At CDS, I learned the importance of searching out a Christian environment where God is active and that community is important. I also realized my passion for getting up in front of people and making them laugh. I have been able to pursue that by starting a circus club at my university, and performing stand-up comedy in the city SAM MITCHELL MITCHELL downtown on Friday nights. SAM
ALEX ROUSSEAUX
’17
’17 ’16 ’15 ’14 ’13 ’12 ’11 ’10 ’09 ’08 ’07 ’06
As a student at Covenant Day, I spent a lot of time in athletics and working with our athletic trainer. After spending time with her and learning about athletic training, I decided to study it at as a student at UNC-Chapel Hill. I absolutely love what I am doing and I have CDS to thank for introducing me to this profession!
Because of Covenant Day’s emphasis on ’12 reading and writing from an early age, I am able to effectively communicate my thoughts through writing. Covenant Day helped foster in me interests in history and writing that have translated into a love of philosophy and first principles thinking that I carry with me in all my endeavors, whether at my job or in my hobbies.
JOSH BATSON
’11
My teachers at Covenant Day impacted me by caring about who I was as a person, not just who I was as a student. They helped me develop a strong work ethic that I still have today. WWW.COVENANTDAY.ORG
’10 DUNCAN PALMER
Covenant Day not only helped prepare me academically, emotionally, and spiritually for college at Georgia Tech, but it also taught me the value of pursuing Christ-centered relationships, friendships, and mentorships. Life is so much easier when you have people in your life who constantly speak Truth into it.
SAMANTHA JONES
JUNE 16
’08
During my senior year, I helped plan our class trip to New York City. Through logistical challenges, budget management, and schedule creation, I learned how to plan and execute an event. I started my own event planning business, Hazel George Events, where l continue to use the skills I developed at Covenant Day.
’07
JEREMY CLAYTON
save the date
I was part of Covenant Day when the high school was getting started, and everything was small, new, and changing as we grew. Since then, I have helped start up a Christian kindergarten in South Korea, volunteered at a classical school in its infancy, and I hope to one day start a small school of my own.
’06
HANLEY RICE
At Covenant Day, I established SAM lifelong friendships andMITCHELL met my wife, Natalie (Weir ‘10). My teachers taught me the importance of keeping my faith in all that I do. Their impact has helped me be successful at work, in relationships, and in my marriage. CDS provided a foundation that challenged me in my faith and in academics. Several teachers went above and beyond to challenge students’ reasoning on difficult topics and encourage us to think biblically. The smaller class sizes allowed for higher engagement and the opportunity to do fun projects like building bottle rockets as part of a science exploration class.
’09
JESSICA TONEY
ALUMNI NIGHT
Class of 2013 five year reunion JULY 28 JULY 31
Class of 2008 ten year reunion luncheon + evening celebration ALUMNI VOLLEYBALL SCRIMMAGE
AUG 3 ALUMNI SOCCER SCRIMMAGE OCT 12 HOMECOMING WEEKEND jan ‘19 19
ALUMNI NIGHT date tbd COVENANT CLASSIC | 2017
In January, more than 100 alumni reconnected with teachers and friends during Alumni Night at Mac’s Speed Shop in Matthews. WWW.COVENANTDAY.ORG
ALUMNI NEWS
CLASS NOTES SUBMIT YOUR CLASS NOTES ONLINE COVENANTDAY.ORG/ALUMNI
2006
John Grey Michael Woody was born to Hanley Rice and Michael Woody on September 24.
2008
Jordan (Manns) Clevenger and her husband welcomed their baby, Austin June Clevenger, on December 13. Adrienne (Hess) Morgan married Clint Morgan in Scotland on September 29. Mary Frances (Roberts) Behrendt is a Child Life Specialist at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital in Washington. Tim O’Boyle married Katie in August. They will move to Prague, Czech Republic in June for a promotion as Finance Operations Manager for the European Market Unit of his company.
Emily (Horner) Harris married Damon Harris on February 10. They are on staff with CRU at the University of Alabama. Davis Toney married Lacey Terry in March and they live in Charleston, SC.
2014
Alex Rousseaux and John Crouch (’13) are engaged and are planning a September wedding.
Robert Leake ‘08
Kelsey Hymel ‘08
2015
Abigail Wallace is engaged to Ben Phelps, who is a middle school basketball coach at CDS. They are planning a summer 2019 wedding.
2017
Leah Ertel is currently serving as a teacher in the Dominican Republic.
John Kempf ‘09
Trey Bullard ‘10
Nathan Sharett is on the Indiana Wesleyan University men’s soccer team that made it to the NCCAA Division 1 National Championship in December.
Lauren (Villarreal) Sloan married William Sloan on March 3 and they live in Virginia. Kourtney (Madden) Clark and Taylor Clark welcomed their first child, Charlotte Mae, on December 21. Robert Leake is engaged to Alexis Green and is planning a January wedding.
Hanley Rice and Michael Woody ‘06
Jordan (Manns) Clevenger ‘08
Blair (Bolton) Widner ‘11
Emily (Horner) Harris ‘11
Kelsey (Rice) Hymel and her husband, Jon, welcomed their first baby, Miles Eric, on December 18.
2009
Adrienne (Hess) Morgan ‘08
John Kempf is engaged to Emily Black and is planning an August wedding. Alex Rousseaux ‘14 and Abigail Wallace ‘15 John Crouch ‘13
2010
Trey Bullard is engaged to Maria Condatore and is planning a July wedding.
2011
Lauren (Villarreal) Sloan ‘08
Latham Moseley is moving to Sydney, Australia to help cover the Asia/Pacific region for his company. Blair (Bolton) Widner married Drew Widner on January 13. Tim O’Boyle ‘08 20
COVENANT CLASSIC | 2018
Kourtney (Madden) Clark and Taylor Clark ‘08
Leah Ertel ‘17 WWW.COVENANTDAY.ORG
2018 IMPORTANT DATES Aug 17 Aug 20 Aug 20 Aug 20-22 Aug 21 Aug 22 Aug 22-24 Aug 24 Aug 26 Aug 28 Aug 30 Aug 31 Sept 3 Sept 5 Sept 6 Sept 14 Sept 19 Sept 28 Oct 5 Oct 8 Oct 10 Oct 12 Oct 17-20 Oct 18 Oct 19 Oct 22 Oct 22 Oct 29 Nov 3 Nov 7-9 Nov 8-9 Nov 9 Nov 16 Nov 17 Nov 21-26 Nov 27 Dec 5 Dec 7 Dec 13 Dec 14 Dec 17-Jan 2
HS Orientation LS and MS Orientation Back to School Expo HS Windy Gap 1st Day of Classes for 1st-8th TK/K Begins MS Windy Gap 1st Day of Classes for HS Blessing of the Children (CCC) LS Back to School Night MS Back to School Night New Parent Breakfast Labor Day, No School Convocation HS Back to School Night HS Drop/Add Deadline Community Heroes Chapel Fall Festival Fall Break, No School Columbus Day, No School MS Parent/Daughter Breakfast Homecoming MS Musical 1st Quarter Ends Faculty Professional Development, No School for Students MS Winter Sports Tryouts Begin Lion’s Cup Tennis Tournament JV/Varsity Winter Sports Tryouts Begin TK-12 Admissions Open House ERB’s, Half Day for LS/MS TK-12 Parent/Teacher Conferences No School for HS Students Holiday Market The Gala Thanksgiving Holiday, No School Return from Thanksgiving Holiday Performing Arts Christmas Chapel MS/HS Band/Choir Concert LS Christmas Concert Christmas Holiday, Half Day Christmas/New Year’s Holidays, No School
From CDS High School Musical, Mary Poppins
For a complete list of CDS events, visit www.covenantday.org/calendar. Please note that all events are subject to change.
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Mark your calendars for November 17, 2018!