Durham Academy Magazine - Winter 2020

Winter 2020

Cavalier Capstones create a new recipe for end-of-year experiences

Watch the third episode of REEL DA, featuring Upper School English Teacher Harry Thomas, at bit.ly/ReelDAThomas.

CONNECT WITH DURHAM ACADEMY Facebook: facebook.com/DurhamAcademy Alumni on Facebook: facebook.com/DACavsAlumni Twitter: twitter.com/DurhamAcademy Alumni on Twitter: twitter.com/DurhamAcademyAl Vimeo: bit.ly/DAcavsvimeo LinkedIn: bit.ly/LinkedInDAAlumni Instagram: instagram.com/DurhamAcademy Flickr: flickr.com/DurhamAcademy View the magazine online at da.org/magazine.

The Durham Academy App is available in the Apple App Store.

FEATURES 16 — 2015 STRATEGIC PLAN REVISITED Students get progress reports, and so does the school! How well did Durham Academy do in implementing the goals of the Strategic Plan? Read about a lifechanging faculty; revamped social studies in the Preschool; new ways to teach math, language and history; and a student body that reflects our community.

Embracing Differences and Celebrating Similarities

30 — CREATING A ‘QUILT’ BY CONNECTING THROUGH STORIES Teachers know that one of the best paths toward learning is provided by the necessity of teaching something to others. What better way to reinforce values of empathy and inclusion than to give seventh-graders an opportunity to teach fourth-grade students that lesson?

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CAPSTONES CREATE NEW PATHWAYS FOR STUDENT PASSIONS

Upper Schoolers in grades 9 through 11 no longer end the school year with exams. Instead, they embark on Cavalier Capstones, adventures that range from cooking with immigrants to mountain biking in Appalachia.

42 — NEW OUTDOOR COMMONS COMPLETES UPPER SCHOOL After four years of planning, design and construction, students and faculty are enjoying a completely reimagined Upper School campus. The STEM & Humanities Center opened last year, and the final piece of the puzzle — the K Family Outdoor Commons — was dedicated on Nov. 7.

Curtain Up, Light the Lights!

52 — MUSICAL THEATRE RETURNS TO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL Karen Richardson and Ellen Brown are teaching a musical theatre course for seventh- and eighth-graders culminating in a spring musical showcase, and have plans for a fully staged musical featuring students from all grade levels.

Cover photo by Sarah Jane Tart

Photo by Michael Branscom

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Featured Contributors

Winter 2020 Vol. 47 // No. 1 EDITORIAL Kathy McPherson // Editor Sarah Jane Tart // Art Director

COMMUNICATIONS communications@da.org

Leslie King // Director of Communications Kathy McPherson // Associate Director of Communications Melody Guyton Butts // Assistant Director of Communications Sarah Jane Tart // Brand and Design Manager Jesse Paddock // Videographer

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Michael Ulku-Steiner, Head of School; Jessica Crowe Whilden ’00, Kindergarten Teacher; Nataki McClain, Lower School Math Specialist; Jennifer Sprague, Middle School Math Specialist; Jennifer Garci, Upper School World Languages Academic Leader; Rob Policelli, Upper School History Academic Leader; Mike Harris, Middle School History Academic Leader; Victoria Muradi, Director of Enrollment Management; Kelly Howes, Middle School Language Arts Teacher; Kelly Teagarden ’04, Director of Cavalier Capstones; Julian Cochran, Upper School Computer Science Teacher; Emily Donaldson ’20; Cecilia Moore ’22; Jake Kavanagh, Upper School Technical Theatre Director; Kristen Klein, Assistant Head of School; Ellen Brown, Middle School Theatre Teacher; Karen Richardson, Middle School Chorus Teacher; Michelle Rosen, Lower School Librarian

Bria Irizarry Office of Enrollment Management Administrative Assistant In addition to her work in enrollment management, Irizarry is also an assistant director of athletics, with a focus on sports information.

See page 14.

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Michael Branscom; Bob Karp; Karen Triplett; Constanza de Radcliffe, Upper School Spanish and French Teacher; Avni Chhabra Rampersaud; Laura Horton Virkler ’91; Peter Paul Geoffrion; Bria Irizarry, Office of Enrollment Management Administrative Assistant; Jackie Lauricella, Athletic Trainer; Heather Peterson; Shannon Harris, Upper School Librarian; Keith Isaacs; UNC Athletic Communications; Mary Moore McLean

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS Logan Beard ’21; Harrison Haynes, Upper School Photography Teacher

Julian Cochran Upper School Computer Science Teacher Creating outdoor experiences for Cavalier Capstones was a labor of love for Cochran, who is an avid hiker and backpacker. See page 34.

PRODUCTION RR Donnelley // Printer

LEADERSHIP Michael Ulku-Steiner // Head of School Karen Rabenau // Chair, Board of Trustees Nick Livengood ’08 // President, Alumni Board

DEVELOPMENT AND ALUMNI AFFAIRS

development@da.org

Tim McKenna // Director of Alumni Engagement Special thanks to StoryDriven, Girls Make Games, the Nasher Museum of Art and The Yale Alley Cats

Cecilia Moore ’22 Moore had heard so much about the culture of India and seen so many pictures and videos, that she wanted to experience India firsthand.

See page 38.

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CONTENTS Moral, Happy, Productive

8 — KYLA NEWKIRK ’24 The eighth-grader looks for opportunities to volunteer and help others any way she can.

Faculty Spotlight: Upper School Photography Teacher

12 — HARRISON HAYNES Students are mentored by a professional artist and musician whose career has taken him all over the world.

Staff Spotlight: Director of Diversity, Equity and Engagement, and Associate Director of Enrollment Management

46 — KEMI NONEZ Her dual role has one goal — to make sure all students and families feel included in the life of the school.

48 — AUTHOR’S UPCOMING VISIT SPURS BOOK CLUBS Julie Lythcott-Haims, author of the New York Times best seller How to Raise an Adult, will visit Durham Academy in March.

50 — COMMUNITY APPROACH HELPS SECURITY TEAM IMPROVE DA CAMPUS SAFETY Officers embark on a “meet the team” tour to engage students, parents and faculty.

54 — SEESAW APP: A WINDOW INTO YOUNG STUDENTS’ WORK Digital portfolio platform connects school and home, facilitates feedback.

56 ALUMNI 58 — HOMECOMING 2019 60 — YATES SIKES ’08 64 — NINA VARELA ’13 66 — ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME WELCOMES SIX NEW MEMBERS 68 — MARCO REYES ’10

Photo by Sarah Jane Tart

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What We’ve Accomplished So Far

T

he process of crafting Durham Academy’s 2015 Strategic Plan was neither tidy nor brief. After fielding input from more than 1,500 students, teachers, parents, alumni, administrators, staffers, parents of alumni and community partners, a series of detailed surveys, focus groups, visioning retreats and fruitful arguments led us — gradually, arduously — to a slate of goals that has served as a bright beacon for five years of travel together.

Today, with the clarity of 2020 hindsight, it is easier to see what we have accomplished so far.

Most conspicuous, of course, are the physical improvements to our learning environments: a new STEM & Humanities Center and the K Family Outdoor Commons for our Upper School, and the foundations of our Middle School Arts & Languages Center (the first of five phases of construction that will completely reinvent our Academy Road campus by 2025).

Even amidst this historically unprecedented storm of construction, we never forget that teachers remain the beating heart of our school and the source of past, current and future strength.

In the last five years, our faculty has been hard at work renovating curricula and constructing new programs. DA teachers have collaborated like never before to make the student experience more innovative, authentic, connected, inclusive and mission-aligned.

On the pages that follow, you’ll find hard evidence and firsthand accounts of these trajectories: Innovation — On page 20, Jessica Crowe Whilden ’00 describes one of the effects of our expanded kindergarten school day: a social studies curriculum more relevant to students’ interests, to families’ experiences and to the development of academic skills. Of course, the FUNdamental element of DA’s Preschool will remain vibrant. Expect a community-wide picnic, a DA mini-Olympics, tastes of the world and an environmentally friendly farm-to-table event.

Authenticity — On page 32, Kelly Teagarden ’04 recounts the launch of our Cavalier Capstones, which allow students to pursue authentic passions through a range of choices. On page 24, Upper School Spanish teacher Jennifer Garci describes

the unified work of her colleagues in preparing our Chinese, French and Spanish students not just to know their languages but to use them with confidence in the real world. This proficiency approach has, as she puts it, “quantifiable value and real meaning for our students, colleges, universities and future employers.”

Connectedness — Among our central strategic goals: making our curriculum more cohesive and logical over 14 grade levels. On page 26, Rob Policelli and Mike Harris describe the work of their history and social studies colleagues, including a shift “away from a culture in which individual teachers operated in largely siloed autonomy, and toward a culture where we are in constant dialogue with one another. This culture shift was reinforced by our recent physical shift into shared faculty offices and classrooms ... As new academic leaders, we were excited about working toward a North Star for history instruction.”

Inclusivity — On page 28, Director of Enrollment Management Victoria Muradi describes the “windows and mirrors” we are striving to provide our increasingly diverse student body and the “Full Cost of DA” initiative that has sought to identify and eliminate heretofore overlooked financial barriers to full participation in the DA experience.

Mission alignment — On page 36, Emily Donaldson ’20 describes her epiphany while cooking with immigrant chefs during her 2019 capstone. Her words nicely echo the sentiments of our faculty as they strive to preserve the best of our existing curricula while crafting new lessons that bring our Portrait of a DA Graduate off the static page and into our daily lives.

As you’ll see in these pages and feel on our rapidly improving campuses these days, we are not taking Durham Academy’s traditional strength for granted. The process to create our next strategic plan is underway. While the specific goals won’t be clear until May of 2020, we know already that they will be informed by the same growth mindset and collaborative spirit that have made the last five years so full of learning for all of us.

Michael Ulku-Steiner Head of School @MrUlkuSteiner

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Photo by Bob Karp

Luke Triplett ’20 Luke Triplett ’20 tied for third place in the U.S. Open chess tournament in August. The field was extremely strong, including 17 Grandmasters and eight International Masters. As evidence of just how tremendous his performance was, Triplett was the only player in the top 19 without a “GM” or “IM” beside his name.

“By measure of who Luke played, this is by far the best result of any Durham Academy chess player ever — it’s not even close,” DA chess coach Craig Jones said. “… In Luke’s last five rounds, he was paired ‘way up,’ [meaning he played people with much higher rankings than himself] and scored four wins and a draw. This is just so difficult to pull off — a once-ina-lifetime type of result. Luke’s result skyrockets him to North Carolina’s No. 2 ranking among all 12th-graders and to the second-highest rating ever achieved at Durham Academy!”

If you've had the pleasure of encountering Upper School Chinese teacher Bonnie Wang, you won’t be surprised to learn that she has been selected as the Foreign Language Association of North Carolina (FLANC) K–12 Teacher of the Year. Bonnie was honored at FLANC’s conference in October. Wang has been at Durham Academy since 2015, and has taught Chinese 1, 2, 3, 4 and AP Chinese.

She also has worked to introduce Chinese culture to the Upper School.

Photo by Constanza de Radcliffe

Photo by Karen Triplett

Bonnie Wang Named NC Foreign Language Teacher of the Year

Saia Rampersaud ’25

Photo by Avni Chhabra Rampersaud

Saia Rampersaud ’25 is among just 10 golfers from around the country in her division to punch her ticket to play in the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals at Augusta National on April 5. The tournament will be televised on the Golf Channel the weekend prior to the Masters Tournament.

Rampersaud competed in the Drive, Chip and Putt competition — a free youth golf development initiative that aims to help younger generations begin their lifelong connection with golf — throughout the summer. The field started with thousands of golfers playing in local qualifiers, with a fraction advancing through sub-regional and regional competitions to make it to the finals.

Dennis Cullen Inducted Into NCISAA Hall of Fame

Photo by Michael Branscom

The legendary Dennis Cullen was inducted into the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association Hall of Fame on July 22. Cullen — who retired in June after 42 years teaching Upper School math — served as head coach of DA’s cross-country and track teams from 1976–2015. He is among the most respected and successful high school track and cross-country coaches in North Carolina history. He won 39 state championships in boys and girls track and cross-country, and he continues to be involved in the programs.

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Many thanks to Cullen’s family, friends and the DA alumni who shared their memories about him in a tribute video screened at the induction ceremony.

Watch the video at bit.ly/CullenNCISAA.

Durham Academy // Winter 2020

Logan Beard ’21 Logan Beard ’21 has seen his graphic designs come alive. Beard merged his love of art and athletics — he plays lacrosse for DA — in a summer internship with N.C. State University athletics’ communications and brand management team. His biggest project was creating digital graphics for the N.C. State women’s volleyball team, including pre-game graphics and in-game score updates. He also has designed digital graphics for the University of Georgia men’s club lacrosse team and the University of Oregon men’s club lacrosse team. Beard’s interest in graphic design goes back to the summer after sixth grade, when he began to experiment with graphics and design using his iPhone, and it quickly became a hobby.

13 Seniors are National Merit Semifinalists

Artwork by Logan Beard ’21

Thirteen seniors have been named semifinalists in the 64th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. They are Vikram Agrawal, Adam Astrachan, Annie Brooks, Christopher Chaves, Tate Eppinger, Damilola Gbadamosi, Mac Hays, Adriana Kim, Aram Lindroth, Carl May, Will Norry, Julia Villani and Shan Wang.

Semifinalists were chosen by virtue of their performance on the 2018 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Of the 1.5 million juniors in more than 21,000 high schools who took the qualifying test, approximately 16,000 students were recognized as semifinalists, representing less than 1% of all U.S. high school seniors, and including the highest-scoring entrants in each state. About 90% of students from the semifinalist pool are expected to advance to the finalist level and will be notified of that designation in February.

Advocating for Juvenile Diabetes Research Ella Virkler ’20 knows what it’s like to walk the halls of Congress. She was among 160 students from across the nation who were selected by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation to advocate for Type 1 diabetes research in Washington, D.C., last summer. Virkler and her fellow delegates (who were selected after submitting essays to JDRF) sought support for the Special Diabetes Program as well as the lowering of insulin costs for consumers.

All of the advocates went through two days of training before sitting in on a hearing at which these issues were discussed, and afterward Virkler met with representatives of Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) and Rep. G.K. Butterfield’s (D-NC) offices.

Congratulations to DA’s members of Team Atlantis — Catie Powers ’24 and Claire Hong ’24 [not pictured] — who took home the grand prize in Girls Make Games’ Demo Day in August. Girls Make Games (GMG) holds summer camps for girl gamers all over the country, including one at Research Triangle High School. The top five teams from all GMG camps are invited to pitch their games to a panel of video game industry leaders at Sony Playstation’s headquarters in San Mateo, California. Team Atlantis will launch a Kickstarter to get their winning entry, “What They Don’t Sea,” published. In the game, you play a marine researcher with the Rachel Carson Research Organization who has been sent to collect samples of a special kelp for an alternative energy project.

Photo courtesy of Girls Make Games

Photo by Laura Horton Virkler ’91

Catie Powers ’24 and Claire Hong ’24 Win Girls Make Games Grand Prize

Watch a demo of “What They Don’t Sea” at bit.ly/GirlsMakeGames.

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MORAL HAPPY PRODUCTIVE On Kyla Newkirk’s sixth birthday, her mother, Monica, made a request that set her on the path to empathy that has come to define her life.

“My mom said, ‘Before you receive any gifts for your birthday, you have to serve others and help others,’” she recalled. “So that’s when I started to go to the Durham Rescue Mission to serve food and pray with the people there to give them encouragement so they can always feel like they matter, too. That’s just what I love to do.”

Now a Durham Academy eighthgrader, Newkirk has marked her birthday each year by visiting with residents of the Rescue Mission’s homeless shelter. And she looks for opportunities to help others anywhere she can throughout the year.

“I’ll find a person on the street who has a sign — like I’m struggling to help my family — and go to Panera Bread or someplace like that to buy them food,” she said. “And the change that I have, I would put it in the bag for them so they are able to buy some more food or whatever they need.”

A few years ago, Newkirk spent Valentine’s Day weekend creating what she called “Kyla Care Kits” — care packages filled with hygiene and first aid items, snacks, socks and red roses — and hand-delivering them to members of Durham’s homeless population.

“When I drive past a homeless person, or especially if I see kids with a homeless person, that doesn’t make me feel so great, knowing that I’m so fortunate and knowing that other people aren’t as fortunate as I am,” she said.

The Kyla Care Kits and other acts of kindness earned Newkirk recognition from city elected officials; former Durham Mayor Bill Bell and former Mayor Pro Tempore Cora

Kyla Newkirk ’24 Story by Melody Guyton Butts // Photo by Kathy McPherson

“ My mom said, ‘Before you receive any gifts for your birthday, you have to serve others and help others’ … that’s when I started to go to the Durham Rescue Mission to serve food and pray with the people there to give them encouragement so they can always feel like they matter, too.”

— Kyla Newkirk ’24 Cole-McFadden proclaimed March 22, 2016, as Kyla Newkirk Day in the Bull City. In addition, she has received a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield, and she was the first child to be honored by the Ebonettes Service Club for her work.

But public accolades aren’t the motivation behind Newkirk’s good deeds.

Not many of her classmates or teachers knew that once a week — between volleyball and lacrosse practices and homework time — she volunteered as a tutor at the Boys & Girls Club. She spent much of her time there helping at-risk students with math skills.

What Newkirk enjoyed most about her tutoring work was “their faces when they realize how to do certain math strategies that I teach them, things they didn’t know before,” she explained. “Sometimes they have breaks and we’ll just play a board game, and just seeing them smile is pretty great to me.”

Newkirk said she’s continually inspired by the example that her mother and grandmother set with their own service to others.

“My mom was a big influence because she’s always about helping other people. Sometimes she doesn’t realize that she needs to help herself as well. She loves to help other people, and so that’s what she always taught me,” Newkirk said, explaining that her mother devotes countless hours to community service — from serving food at soup kitchens to making toiletry bags for the homeless — with her sorority.

“And my grandma is the same way,” she continued, noting that her grandmother volunteers in the community with her church. “She had my mind stuck on helping other people. I’ve just grown to love it.”

Now, Newkirk hopes she can help inspire other young people to take action to make a difference in the lives of Durhamites who are facing hard times.

At the Upper School next year, she hopes to start a student club focused on helping the homeless community.

“I want them to know that they are people that matter in this world. I’ve talked with a couple of people that are homeless, and they hate how people just ignore them, and they feel like they don’t matter,” she said. “That’s really sad to me. And so I try my best to encourage them. That’s why I love to do it.”

Right: Kyla Newkirk ’24 serving dinner at the Durham Rescue Mission Shelter for Women.

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PHOTO BY SARAH JANE TART

Why Did the Chickens Cross the Road?

To get to the coop created by Preschoolers in the Aftercare art enrichment class! Staying at school after the pre-k day ends at 1 p.m. is a popular option for pre-k students and their parents.

Preschool art teacher Elizabeth McLeod showed Aftercare kids, who had been studying about fall and farms, how to make chickens out of paper plates and brought them together in a chicken coop adjacent to the pre-k classrooms.

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Faculty Spotlight: Upper School Photography Teacher

Harrison Haynes Story by Kathy McPherson

When parents take their children to Washington, D.C., or New York City, it’s often to visit the Smithsonian or gaze from the top of the Empire State Building, but when Upper School photography teacher Harrison Haynes’ parents took him on trips to those cities, it was to see art.

“I would attribute that 100% to the kind of cultural environment that my parents brought me up in ... this environment of the magic and the wonder of art images, and not just complacently seeing them but going to see them in person and knowing how they're made.”

Haynes was also exposed to a lot of music, “because my parents were part of a social group that went to see a lot of bands and some were in bands.” His father taught animation at UNC-Chapel Hill and was a drummer.

Those experiences planted a seed in Haynes, who earned a B.F.A. in painting from Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and an M.F.A. in photography from Bard College, played drums with indie-rock band Les Savy Fav

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and appeared with the band recently on Late Night with Seth Meyers.

Haynes was 11 when he began drum lessons. By junior high he had formed a band, Hellbender, with his two best friends, and by high school the band was recording albums and touring.

When it came time for college, Haynes didn’t know that he wanted to be an artist, but “I knew that art was a huge part of my being and I loved to draw.”

In Haynes’ first year at RISD he realized painting was “a way to capitalize on my ability as an artist, to learn something new. ... I became much more interested in, steeped in this notion of fine art and personal art and expressive art.”

Music continued to be part of Haynes’ life. He took a semester off to tour with his band, and after graduation he moved to Portland, Oregon, with his bandmates and toured. “I would come back and do art and go do music and back and forth. That's a pattern that still exists today.”

With a move back east, Haynes was living in Durham, working in a restaurant and a frame shop, painting as much as he could and exhibiting in restaurants and cafés.

“My first band was starting to break up, and a band that I had gone to college with — Les Savy Fav, that already existed — was losing their drummer. They called me and said, will you move to New York and be our drummer? Without a second thought, I packed up and moved to New York City and became the drummer for this band that already had a lot of momentum, had a booking agent, had an album out already and a little bit of a following. From 1999 to 2004, I lived in New York City and mostly just toured with the band around the world.”

Art continued to be part of his life. Frustrated by the expense of New York, Haynes and his wife, Chloe, moved to Chapel Hill and Durham for her to open an art gallery.

“I was still touring with the band. ... I was also traveling with my wife in the context of the gallery, and I started to become more immersed back into the art world at that time.”

Haynes missed producing his own art and decided to attend graduate school in photography. “I suddenly realized that I actually knew quite a lot about photography. I had been making photographs in different ways my whole life.”

Bard’s graduate photography program was a residency program, which gave Haynes the option to live in North Carolina and immerse himself in school in New York each summer. “All of the faculty were practicing artists that moonlighted as teachers. ... I started to understand how teaching works for an artist and how that's possible.

“Bard is a critique-based program, which means that you’re making work, but you're also talking about your work and explaining your work. ... It really refines your abilities verbally and interpersonally, which then ended up being incredibly applicable skills for teaching.”

Break Beat, 2018, archival pigment prints, wood, metal, magnets, 8 ft x 12 ft Photo by Peter Paul Geoffrion / image courtesy the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University

A job opened up at Durham Academy the week after Haynes graduated, and he realized DA was a school “that was resourced in a way that I hadn’t imagined and would allow me to teach at a level that I hadn't imagined would be possible. And the calendar, suddenly I would be able to make work in the summer and be in my studio.”

He has been at DA since 2012, and “the school has always been unbelievably supportive of me, as an artist and a teacher.”

Haynes is taking a spring semester sabbatical as the recipient of the faculty sabbatical award, and it is the first time he has had the luxury of working in his studio without also working a part-time job. “Being in the studio every single day is part of being an artist. I’m always quick to dispel the myth that artists just wait for inspiration and then make the thing after they’re inspired.”

Haynes has a studio at his home, and he is excited that his son, Roan, a DA third-grader, will grow up “knowing that I make things and how I make things and have that be a part of the fabric of our lives.”

He will work on two projects: helping produce a book of his artwork and refining Break Beat, an 8-foot by 12-foot installation that was exhibited at the Nasher Museum of Art.

Break Beat is “essentially a gigantic collage. It’s a number of objects that have been photographed and printed at a large size. ... I made photographic prints of those objects on paper. But instead of framing them, I cut out around the edges of each of those things. You end up with this kind of trompe l’oeil thing that looks real, but it's a piece of paper. There was nothing three-dimensional in that at all.”

The photographic prints were magnetized and attached to metal strips on a wood frame that sits about a foot off the wall. Haynes wants to continue to refine that display system so the artwork can be disassembled and assembled by a collector. “I want to figure out a way for you to buy the pieces and reassemble it like an IKEA thing, except it’s my art. I’m interested in the sculptural aspects of how that works.”

Haynes will be drawing and working on photography every day and reconnecting with art curators, gallerists and exhibitors while he is on sabbatical.

“Really my end game, my goal, my aspiration is to exhibit my work more. That’s what makes the work meaningful to me — for people to see it and respond to it and to have visceral experiences with my work.”

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A Banner Season for Fall Athletics Photography by Bria Irizarry

Girls Cross-Country • Second consecutive 4A NCISAA championship • Claire Middleton ’20 finished second in the NCISAA championship with 18:47, and five DA runners were in the top nine finishers • NCISAA All-State: Claire Middleton, Quinn Shanahan ’21, Allison Hall ’24, Anna Catherine Wilson ’21, Stella Stringer ’22 • TISAC championship • TISAC runner of the year: Allison Hall

Boys Cross-Country • Runner-up for 4A NCISAA championship • Jay Shanahan ’21 finished eighth in the NCISAA championship with 16:27; in October, Shanahan broke DA’s fastest 5K record with 15:44 • NCISAA All-State: Jay Shanahan • TISAC championship

Girls Tennis • Runner-up for 4A NCISAA championship with 19–1 season • NCISAA All-State: Alexis Galloway ’20, Madeline Towning ’20 • TISAC championship • TISAC player of the year: Madeline Towning • Alexis Galloway (133) and Madeline Towning (125) are No. 1 and 2 on DA’s all-time wins list

Girls Golf • Runner-up for Div. I NCISAA championship • Ona Lukes ’23 finished 9th, Saia Rampersaud ’25 was 11th and Kayley Kim ’23 took 15th in the NCISAA championship • NCISAA All-State: Ona Lukes • TISAC championship

Volleyball • Runner-up for 4A NCISAA championship • NCISAA All-State: Millie Loehr ’20, Elizabeth Kohn ’21

Field Hockey • Semifinalist for Div. I NCISAA championship • NCISAA All-State: Victoria Lawton ’20, Katherine Lantzy ’21, Emilie Kirschner ’23 • TISAC championship

Boys Soccer • Semifinalist for 4A NCISAA championship • NCISAA All-State: Crosby Williams ’20, Ryan Kirschner ’20 • TISAC championship • TISAC player of the year: Crosby Williams ’20

2015 Strategic Plan Revisited In 2015, Durham Academy produced a strategic plan at a time that marked one of the strongest and healthiest points in the school’s history. Due to that strength, DA was able to reach higher, unite more meaningfully and serve students more effectively than ever before. The 2015 Strategic Plan, more than any other in DA’s history, grew from shared values rather than pressing financial or physical plant needs — it focused on the DNA of DA through moral, happy and productive lives.

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We Committed to Strive for: 1 — A faculty full of life-changers (see page 18).

2 — A cohesive, connected and collaborative student learning experience (see pages 20–27).

3 — A broader experience of diversity and a renewed commitment to accessibility (see page 28).

We Committed to Connect Through: 4 — A unified and welcoming community (see page 30).

5 — A school connected to Durham, the Triangle and the world (see page 32).

And We Committed to Support Through: 6 — An enrollment and capital structure that supports our ambitions (see page 42).

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STORY BY MICHAEL ULKU-STEINER // PHOTO BY MICHAEL BRANSCOM

Seven Traits of a Life-Changing Faculty

Teachers Remain the Beating Heart of Our School Last June, we marked the retirements of eight teachers who had invested two, three or four decades of their lives in Durham Academy and its students, and who left big shoes to fill on campus.

While our 2015 Strategic Plan has catalyzed changes both conspicuous [new buildings!] and pervasive [more cohesive and cutting-edge curricula], we never forget that our teachers remain the beating heart of our school — the single most important factor in our current strength and our future excellence.

Recruiting, sustaining and nourishing “a faculty full of life-changers” topped our list of strategic objectives in 2015. That work remains even more poignant today.

In the last four years, we have strengthened our recruiting, mentoring, evaluation and professional development of new teachers. We have found new ways to celebrate excellence in faculty and staff. We have created time, space and programming for faculty to connect with each other and with the broader community. We have fostered a culture of innovation in teaching and learning that has catalyzed bold changes in instruction.

Beneath and behind those more visible reforms are hundreds of small but significant improvements — every one of them sparked by teachers asking and answering together, “How can we make this better for our students?”

The success of all this work still hinges on the quality of our teachers — the living, breathing, learning human beings who spend their days [and evenings, and weekends] investing in our students.

So ... what exactly are the traits of a life-changing teacher?

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Below is my personal answer — the “Magnificent Seven” traits I seek and celebrate in so many of my DA colleagues: 1 — Ethical force of character: If we aim to prepare students for moral, happy, productive lives, then the primary determinant of effective teaching, advising and coaching should be this magnetic moral charisma. This quality is potent, memorable and unmistakable in the best teachers and mentors.

2 — Intelligence: There is no substitute for mental acuity, cognitive agility and neural connectivity. It can manifest as any of Gardner’s “multiple intelligences” [musical, interpersonal, spatial-visual and linguistic]. Teacher “with-it-ness” means a combination of processing speed, alert intuition and good old common sense.

3 — Passionate, in-depth subject knowledge: Whether directed toward biology, Beowulf or basketball, this animating spirit should pull students irresistibly toward a field of inquiry and be backed with years of disciplined study and practice. This trait is often accompanied by eccentricity, or at least bold and unique personality. The best schools are, I think, full of strange individuals whose love of their fields radiates out to students and suggests that it is both cool and nourishing to care deeply about something other than themselves.

4 — Humility: Can you take responsibility for and learn from mistakes?

Can you see your strengths and weaknesses? Do you make monuments of your past decisions, or are you always looking to improve? Can you tolerate or even appreciate the limitations of others? Can you laugh at yourself?

5 — Drive: Most teachers fulfill their roles responsibly and professionally.

Many do so with spirited enthusiasm and a desire to improve their craft, their students and every program they touch. These are the teachers who go above and beyond the requirements of the job, who look for extra opportunities to help and new ways to improve the school.

6 — Positive team play: Optimism, flexibility, sense of humor, listening skills, patience — all these distinguish great team players. DA needs people who can work openly, intensely and joyfully with other adults.

7 — A commitment to the whole child and the long game: Excellent teaching means knowing students far beyond the classroom. It means attending student performances and competitions; learning about the hobbies, siblings, hopes and dreams of our students; conversing about real-life topics and real-world lives; and then keeping in touch with students for years or even decades.

This list is neither official nor final. It will continue to evolve through experience and conversation with students, parents, alumni and colleagues. What does a “life-changing teacher” mean to you? What role might you play in continuing to help us recruit, support and nourish a faculty full of these curious, passionate, striving, generous learners who inspire and challenge students on their various paths to moral, happy, productive lives?

Big Ideas for Little People Story by Jessica Crowe Whilden ’00 // Photo by Sarah Jane Tart

It’s an exciting time in the Preschool! On the heels of extending the kindergarten school day, the faculty has been working tirelessly to engage our youngest learners in thoughtful conversations and meaningful activities about belonging to and participating in both a local and a global community.

While there are many wonderful parts of our current social studies curriculum, we are shifting our focus from specific country studies to larger, more inclusive units of study. We will guide our instruction by thinking about big ideas such as our community, global citizenship, cultural celebrations, goods and services, and our environment. And using the Understanding by Design framework, where standards, programs and assessments are aligned to achieve students’ understanding, our young students can focus on making meaning of those big ideas — not just the facts they should know — as they learn about their world.

As a DA alumna myself, I know that it can feel challenging when a school decides to move away from some of its longstanding traditions such as the Mexican Fiesta and English Tea Party. This shift, however, will allow us to create new traditions that are deeply rooted in children’s choices and are guided by interests that reflect the students in our own classrooms. Students will learn about the relationship between geography and people, and how that might relate to their own families or their classmates in ways that create empathy beyond the classroom.

Our new social studies curriculum will continue to be developmentally appropriate and will allow flexibility and fresh ideas from the faculty. We will continue to integrate social studies across all disciplines, including Spanish, art, music, literacy and cooking.

To begin the school year, we will invite families and friends from our community into the classroom for sharing. We will share morning meetings with older and younger classmates and work to develop deep relationships with our school community.

As the units progress, children will rotate through classes to learn a skill, game, dance, song or

Students will learn about the relationship between geography and people, and how that might relate to their own families or their classmates in ways that create empathy beyond the classroom. custom. Interwoven into these units will be a community service project, field trip and a culminating museum day. With our new curriculum we are afforded tremendous opportunities to collaborate and deepen our cross-divisional and community partnerships.

We will provide opportunities for students to showcase their work and we will base our celebrations around those showcases. Celebrations will include a community-wide picnic, a DA mini-Olympics, tastes of the world and an environmentally friendly farm-to-table event.

Taking a broader approach to teaching social studies allows us to consider the students in our classroom and community, as well as the events happening in our country and world, and plan our teaching accordingly. While many of us will look back fondly on the All-American Lunch and the Kenyan Feast, be certain that changes coming to the kindergarten social studies curriculum have the students’ excitement and engagement at the forefront of our planning as we strive to find creative and relevant ways to teach the foundational skills for moral, happy and productive lives.

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STORY BY NATAKI MCCLAIN AND JENNIFER SPRAGUE

A Common Language for Math This year, Middle School teachers prepared for a different type of math student to enter fifth grade: one who is steeped in Bridges, a curriculum that has allowed students in the Lower School (and soon the Preschool) to speak the same, comprehensive math language. This year’s fifth-graders are the first class with fluency in a comprehensive math language and a dynamic learning process that makes math accessible to all students, regardless of their learning style. The Bridges curriculum uses varied models of instruction that allows students to learn math in individualized ways — whether that’s through direct instruction, visual models, investigative games, group or individual work.

Now in its second year of implementation in the Lower School, Bridges has been instrumental in “bridging” the gap between students’ conceptual and concrete understanding of math. For teachers, the Bridges curriculum has allowed students and teachers across the Lower School to share a similar framework, learning goals and expectations for mathematics.

“We just finished a month-long investigation in Number Corner where students use objects and information to identify patterns, analyze data or gain insights into number relationships over time using tables and graphs,” explained third-grade teacher Jeff Burch. “During that time, students were introduced to new math vocabulary and context. This will help them when we dig deeply into geometry and start working with shapes and area because these will not be new terms. They will have the background knowledge gained through these concrete math experiences and be ready to apply them in context.

“Bridges has helped me to be a better teacher,” he said, “because I am learning to look for student thinking, not just the correct answer to a problem.”

We decided to implement the curricular connections made across Lower School math classes in the Middle School. Fifth-grade math teacher Fabrice Fortin helped lay the foundation by observing Bridges math classes with us at the Lower School last spring. We visited many classrooms, but mainly focused our efforts on fourth grade.

After observing classes, interacting with students and teachers and meeting with us, Middle School

and Lower School math teachers applied for and received a Durham Academy summer grant.

Work from the summer grant focused on ensuring a meaningful and seamless curricular transition as students shift from fourth- to fifthgrade mathematics. We reviewed every unit of the fourth-grade Bridges program, and had discussions about the important strategies being emphasized and how those strategies could continue in fifth grade. This work provided insight into the language and approaches fourth-graders have developed, and set expectations for what rising fifth-grade students would know.

Work Places, Problems and Investigations and Math Practices are key Bridges components that translate well to Middle School, particularly teachers’ ability to differentiate within a class and the flexibility to work with students collectively, independently or in small groups.

Work Places engages students in math lessons through the playing of games. Students might use a probability game to help master and practice basic subtraction facts, with one student focusing on mastering their facts while another student, who has already mastered them, gets some extra practice while also gaining valuable experiences with probability concepts. Problems and Investigations allows the entire class to share thinking and grapple with math tasks, facilitated by the teacher. Teachers also observe students’ habits and mindsets of learning and working during Math Practices. This time is critical as students are developing fluency and practicing strategies for problem solving.

To better connect to the Bridges program, we revised the scope and sequence of the fifth-grade curriculum, which concentrates on skill work with operations and different types of numbers (whole, fractions, decimals) and culminates with geometry and percent units. One major curricular shift in sequencing was a change from teaching all of the operations related to one type of number, to separating the operations with different types of numbers. We continue to build collaborative relationships and recognize the importance of a consistent and cohesive mathematics program, and we look forward to what this deeper partnership will bring.

Photo by Kathy McPherson

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Durham Academy // Winter 2020

Swimming in the Sea of Language Story by Jennifer Garci // Photo by Kathy McPherson

Imagine telling someone you’re a swimmer. You may have taken lessons for years, or been taught at least five different strokes. Now pretend we’re on a boat in the middle of the ocean and someone falls overboard. I look at you and yell, “Do something!” Then you and I and everyone on the boat realize, you’re not that kind of swimmer.

Or maybe it’s skiing. Or cooking. Or in our case, speaking a world language.

World languages teachers have been transforming the way Durham Academy teaches and students learn because we realized there was a gap between knowing how to swim and being really good at it. We’re moving away from memorization of vocabulary lists and exploring what students can do with the language. Do they know individual words or can they combine phrases? Can they communicate in short sentences or entire paragraphs?

Can they ask questions and discuss abstract concepts or elaborate ideas?

All of these factors are used to establish a person’s proficiency level, which is what the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) measures.

Teaching students to speak a world language is our primary focus, followed by listening, reading and writing in real-world, spontaneous situations.

We still teach grammar and vocabulary, but grammar and vocabulary now serve as scaffolding to get students to talk about something. Dynamic courses are now built around current topics, news and culture, with unique vocabulary lists for each thematic unit that use grammar in context throughout our topics. They can range from traditions in Central America, to political

unrest in Cataluña, to sci-fi in French film or to China’s population policy.

How does our environment shape our identity? Why are traditions different from culture to culture? In what ways is education different from country to country? Yes, DA students are talking about these topics!

First and foremost, we focus on unrehearsed, spontaneous conversation. As teachers, we are listening for words, phrases, sentences and/ or paragraphs, an ever-expanding vocabulary, connectors, accurate grammar and multiple verb tenses.

We’re moving away from memorization of vocabulary lists and exploring what students can do with the language.

We evaluate students’ presentational speaking — rehearsed or planned speech, interpersonal writing, and interpretive listening and reading. This provides a 360-degree measurement of students’ proficiency, which has quantifiable value and real meaning for our students, colleges and universities and future employers. It doesn’t matter how many years students have studied a language. Proficiency can be measured, fluency cannot.

Recently, we renamed our Upper School language courses to reflect proficiency levels — level one and

two students are considered novices, and levels three and four are intermediate — with placement based on proficiency and skill, rather than the number of years they’ve studied a language. A new “Spanish for Heritage Learners” course recognizes that heritage speakers often possess different proficiency levels, particularly in their speaking and writing. We’re placing students in the appropriate swimming pool — if it’s too deep they might sink, if it’s too shallow they might feel like they’re in the kiddie pool. Students have a more valuable classroom experience as unique language learners, working with peers of similar skill, swimming together and supporting one another.

Teachers from Middle School and Upper School will be attending the annual ACTFL convention, where they will connect with thousands of other language teachers from across the world — learning ways to further challenge our students and bring new ideas and tools into our dynamic spaces.

It’s an exciting time in world languages education and especially at Durham Academy, where the Hock Center has been transformed into a center for world languages classrooms and a shared office for world languages teachers. The next time you encounter a group of Upper Schoolers, ask them what their proficiency level is as they swim in the sea of language education here at DA!

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STORY BY ROB POLICELLI AND MIKE HARRIS // PHOTO BY KATHY MCPHERSON

Shifting Our Approach to Teaching History What Do We Want Our Graduates to Understand?

How does identity/culture shape people’s perspective? How does history inform us about the present? How and why do interpretations of history change? What is the purpose of government? What should be the balance between freedom and security? Why does the control of resources matter?

These are the types of questions Durham Academy Middle School and Upper School students are now seeking to answer in their study of history — a comprehensive approach framed through the lenses of identity, history, power, economics and geography, rather than bookended timelines with memorized lists of names, dates and facts.

This shift in approach started with a shift in departmental culture — away from a culture where individual teachers operated in largely siloed autonomy, and toward a culture where we are in constant dialogue with one another. This culture shift was reinforced by our recent physical shift into shared faculty offices and classrooms (rather than teachers with their own individual classrooms) in the new Upper School STEM & Humanities Center. As new academic leaders, we were excited about working toward creating a North Star for history instruction. But we were also apprehensive about asking passionate, experienced and successful history teachers to rethink what and how they have been teaching for years.

We began by asking ourselves, “What do we want our graduates to understand and be able to do because they took history courses at DA?” We want students to connect to history in ways that lay a foundation for an adult life that approaches important and ambiguous questions in thoughtful, informed ways. Current educational research is clear: the more students understand why they’re learning what they’re learning, the more lasting and meaningful that learning will be.

In departmental retreats (often combining Middle School and Upper School faculty) and

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professional development meetings, history teachers learned a lot from one another. Our discussions were both reflective and aspirational. It was demanding and ultimately fun, because we were talking together far more frequently and systematically than ever before. We developed a list of categories and concepts that served as our North Star for curriculum alignment — helping to guide our faculty through change and toward compromises.

We call it a “Portrait of a DA History Graduate.”

In addition to serving as a roadmap for teachers to use in the classroom, we wanted it to be clear and useful for students. And they’re using it — fifthand sixth-graders even have the document taped to their binders. One of the broad lessons that the “Portrait” hopes to convey is that even though the most important questions can lack definitive answers, pursuing them in an informed way can be enlightening and empowering. As they move through the Middle School and Upper School, students will return to the concepts of identity, history, power, economics and geography with increasing depth and complexity.

We hope that our still-evolving curriculum — of which the “Portrait” document is just one component — gives students the historical information, skills and curiosity to engage meaningfully with these concepts well after graduation and propels them toward deeper and more lasting learning. Studying history can cultivate a critical and open-minded disposition that is well-suited to achieving a moral, happy and productive life.

This kind of curricular work is never really over.

We should always be reflecting on why and how we teach what we teach, and we should always be willing to adapt. The most important consequence of our department’s strategic work is that we’ve more fully embraced collaboration as the route to innovation, and we’re more committed to articulating clearer reasons for why we teach everything that we teach.

STORY BY VICTORIA MURADI

Reflecting the Diverse Community We Live In Improving and Enriching the Experience of Every Learner In education circles, we often hear the term “mirrors and windows” — the idea that we, as educators, can provide resources for children to learn about themselves and others. A mirror is a story that reflects your own culture and helps you build your identity. A window is a resource that offers you a view into someone else’s experience. Both are important to a learning community. Whether through literature, history, art or even our own personal connections with them, our students should see mirrors and windows. Unfortunately, they don’t always see themselves reflected.

Over the last five years, Durham Academy has worked hard on the mirrors and windows here in our community. Durham Academy’s 2015 Strategic Plan included goals to broaden the experience of diversity and renew our commitment to accessibility. Why? Because we believe diversity enlivens, improves and enriches the school — and the daily experience of every learner.

That means trying to make sure our student body reflects the diverse community we live in.

Since the strategic plan’s inception, DA has increased the number of students of color to 37.7% in 2019–2020, a 7.6% increase since 2015. We have created new partnerships with local organizations and feeder schools, and we have increased awareness of DA’s generous financial aid budget through our network of DA parents. And the work doesn’t stop there. Beyond numbers, we work to fully engage all of our families. Kemi Nonez, Director of Diversity, Equity and Engagement and Associate Director of Enrollment Management, has helped create new initiatives ranging from student affinity groups, to parent committees, to Inclusion Nights. (Read more about her work on page 46.)

For independent schools, tuition is often the greatest barrier for recruiting families from all socioeconomic backgrounds. Although DA’s annual need-based financial aid budget is more than $2 million, each year we have more demand

than funds available. The strategic plan included a goal of increasing financial aid to maximize accessibility at a level comparable to our peer schools, particularly at our largest entry point in the Preschool. Preschool and Lower School parents, many of whom are younger and have had less time in their careers to build up savings, were often having to stretch beyond their means. With increased financial aid, our youngest families can make fewer sacrifices in order to enroll and keep their children at DA. We are also examining ways to streamline the process of requesting financial assistance and making the process more transparent for prospective and current families.

When considering affordability and accessibility, we looked for hidden costs beyond tuition that might be a source of additional financial hardship.

We realized that families were often having to pay for additional items such as books, technology and supplies. A “Full Cost of DA” research and recommendation committee inventoried and categorized costs across the entire school. We identified ways for DA to absorb costs required for full participation in the school’s curricular program [related to a specific course and required for graduation]. As we change our curriculum and add new opportunities for students, we will continue this work.

One of Durham Academy’s greatest strengths is that we quickly identify areas needing improvement. This work is ongoing and will likely never be finished. In 2015, our community acknowledged the need to broaden diversity [in every sense of the word] and to renew our commitment to accessibility. We hope that by being more racially, culturally, ethnically and socioeconomically diverse, and by prioritizing inclusion through accessibility, students in pre-k through grade 12 will see those mirrors and windows in ways that strengthen who we are as a school.

Photo by Michael Branscom

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Embracing Differences and Celebrating Similarities

Creating a ‘Quilt’ by Connecting Through Stories Story by Kelly Howes // Photo by Melody Guyton Butts

“There will be times when you walk into a room and no one there is quite like you.”

This is the first sentence of The Day You Begin, a picture book by Jacqueline Woodson, the award-winning author of the celebrated memoir-in-verse Brown Girl Dreaming and other books for children, young adults and adults. This beautifully illustrated, lyrical story features a diverse cast of characters who converge in a classroom on the first day of school and learn that differences make people wonderfully unique, that similarities unite them and that sharing stories can help them connect with each other.

In their seventh-grade classrooms, Durham Academy students encountered this book as the center of their first seminar discussion of the school year. The seventh-graders’ positive response to the book and sensitive analysis of its messages led me and my language arts teaching partner, Rachel Cummings, to consider an extension activity that would reach across the distance between the Middle and Lower Schools and bring younger and older students together for a fun and meaningful experience.

Once they leave the friendly halls of the Lower School, the location of DA’s Middle School can make it challenging

for students to easily venture back. They continue to cherish their memories of simpler times and especially of beloved teachers, but the geography of campuses two miles apart means that interactions between Middle School students and younger students can be somewhat rare.

As teachers, we are well aware that one of the best paths toward learning is provided by the necessity of teaching something to others. The central lesson of The Day You Begin is that by actively embracing differences, celebrating similarities and sharing stories, we can forge connections with others in ways that make us even stronger versions of ourselves. What better way to reinforce values of empathy and inclusion than to give our seventh-graders an opportunity to teach fourth-grade students that lesson?

As DA learning specialist and Middle School diversity coordinator Dr. Cindy Moore noted, the seventh-graders would be allowed to spread their wings as leaders while also laying the groundwork for their future fifth- and eighth-grade partnerships. [As fifth-graders, students are paired with eighth-grade “buddies” with whom they participate in activities and to whom they bid fond farewells in end-of-year letters.]

We began by asking each of the seventh-graders to Next the students began work on their colorfully illusdesign a lesson plan that included an objective, an activtrated quilt squares, which the lead teachers then glued to ity and an assessment. The exercise was intended to help poster boards that would later be joined together. Before them determine what they would want their students to we knew it, it was time for the fourth-graders to make understand when the lesson was over, and how they would their way to PE class. After a round of goodbyes and a quick know their students had learned what they set out to teach cleanup, the seventh-graders boarded their buses for their them. Working through this process required students to trip back to the somewhat more complicated (in their eyes, think not only about the best ways to highlight the book’s anyway!) world of middle school. important themes of embracing diversity and making “I liked the quilt activity because it helped us recognize connections across differences, but also how to manage who we are and what we like to do, rather than just try to classroom logistics and other challenges. Individually keep up with the social norms,” said Andrew Lim ’25. “The and in small groups, the students set goals and thought quilt activity also helped us learn that we are all unique through plans and hoped-for outcomes, taking timeand have our own things about us, but we also share simiframes, age-appropriateness and varied learning styles larities as well.” into consideration. Mrs. Cummings and I were impressed In reflecting on this first-time activity, both students by the possibilities they envisioned, which ranged from and teachers saw many ways in which it could be improved. art-making to drama to written reflection to active games.

In this way, though, the experience mirrored what so much As the day approached, Mrs. Cummings and I melded of teaching is all about — trying out new ideas, taking together a number of students’ suggestions and made a risks and learning about learning! Spending time with the plan. The nearly 100 seventhfourth-graders had been both graders and more than 80 fun and interesting, as the fourth-graders would inpartners made unexpected teract through a read-aloud discoveries about each other. and short discussion of the “I really enjoyed meeting book, followed by an acsomeone new and learning tivity in which fourth- and about them,” said Anneke seventh-grade partners would Schmidt ’25. “It was also inmeet, chat and use Venn diteresting to learn about what agrams to brainstorm their kids that age like to do now, differences and similarities. and compare that with what I Each set of partners would liked to do in fourth grade.” then create “quilt squares” to “I learned that managing illustrate these discoveries, groups while still keeping a fowhich would eventually be cused mind was very difficult, joined together in a beautiful and I have gained a lot of new — Shreya Rao ’25 display of unique and shared respect for teachers now,” said traits and experiences.

Aneesh Patkar ’25.

Finally the day and hour arrived, and the seventh-gradSeventh-graders who had attended DA’s Lower School ers climbed off their buses and trooped into each of the voiced their pleasure in seeing old haunts and former fourth-grade classrooms. Despite some (perhaps inevitateachers. And all agreed that it had been a positive experible!) awkward moments as the two sets of students eyed ence that should definitely be repeated in the years to come. each other and the older ones wondered what to do with For me and the other adults present, the human “quilt” their suddenly bigger-seeming selves, the experience got of young people spread out on Brumley’s expansive floor underway. Seventh-graders designated as “lead teachers” was a heartening sight. Surely this is the way to make contook charge of the read-aloud and led the discussion. Then nections: sharing stories and laughter, thinking out loud, the partners paired up and walked to Brumley Performing finding common ground and using words and art to illusArts Building, where they found supplies and space to trate the beautiful diversity of our community. spread out for collaborative work.

The closing words of Woodson’s book articulate this Soon the auditorium floor was covered with pairs and message well: “And all at once, in a room where no one else small groups of fourth- and seventh-graders, and as they is quite like you, the world opens itself up a little wider to got acquainted, the noise level rose along with the comfort make some space for you. This is the day you begin ... to level. The lead teachers circulated through the crowd, anfind the places inside your laughter and your lunches, your swering questions, distributing supplies and endeavoring books, your travel and your stories, where every new friend to keep everyone on task. The Venn diagrams began to has something else so fabulously not quite like you at all.” bloom with details connected to hobbies, sports teams, families, cultures, pets and passions.

“I feel it was a very positive experience for me and my partner, Gabriella. I liked hearing about what we had in common the most because it was a lot more than our differences.”

Ingredients: 1/3 Empathy 1/6 Responsibility 1/2 Courage

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Durham Academy // Winter 2020

Capstones Create New Pathways for Student Passions Story by Kelly Teagarden ’04 // Photo by Sarah Jane Tart

Moral. Happy. Productive. The Upper School’s Cavalier Capstone program launched last May with happy in mind.

The culminating experiences, held after commencement, were created to provide students in grades 9 to 11 with learning opportunities beyond the traditional classroom — experiences that deepened and broadened student learning beyond the academic calendar, complemented and enhanced curriculum, and most importantly, allowed students to pursue authentic passions through a range of choices.

It was an experiment, but in 2019’s inaugural capstone week, students and teachers embraced the opportunity to learn, play and have fun together! Whether they built an underwater robot, wrote and illustrated their own comics, biked through the Appalachian Mountains, trekked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu or marched over the Edmund Pettus Bridge, students authentically and joyfully engaged in an activity of their choice.

It was also an inspiring week of community outreach and partnerships.

Students met the mayor of Durham, cooked alongside immigrant women from Afghanistan and Syria, interviewed and shared the stories of people struggling with homelessness, learned from farmers and chefs, built the external

walls of a Habitat for Humanity house and more. The energy and enthusiasm were palpable on campus as well.

As the week went on, multiple minigolf course holes emerged on the quad and the smell of fresh strawberry jam wafted through the air.

The reflections that follow echo the feedback of students and faculty alike who appreciated that a program driven by choice created a group of enthusiastic, curious and passionate participants. Mixed grade levels allowed for informal mentoring and friendships among students who might not traditionally overlap. Faculty appreciated being seen as equal participants scaling the mountain, facilitating more organic and authentic relationships between students and teachers. Overall, participants were grateful for the valuable balance and joy that capstones brought to the end of the school year. Rather than ending with exams, everyone was able to head into summer happy and inspired.

The resounding feedback from students was to offer the same capstones again in 2020. We’ve incorporated many of 2019’s phenomenal experiences such as the “Civil Rights Tour Through the American South” and outdoor expeditions, but we’ve also added new and exciting handson experiences related to animals, health care and art. We look forward to another incredible year of capstones thanks to the imagination and effort of faculty in designing the myriad offerings and to the enthusiasm and energy of the students in bringing them to life.

View the 2020 Cavalier Capstone offerings at bit.ly/Capstones2020. da.org

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Life Lessons from the Great Outdoors Story by Julian Cochran

In May, 43 students embarked on a choice of one of four outdoor Cavalier Capstone adventures I proposed and designed in collaboration with Ryan Carlson — the founder and director of Black Mountain Expeditions, an outdoor adventure company based in Montreat. The capstone offered students the choice of backpacking, mountain biking, rock climbing or whitewater kayaking. The group departed Durham Academy early on Tuesday morning after Memorial Day

Phot o by Jac ki e Lau ric ella and spent four days in western North Carolina on their varying adventures, returning to DA on Friday evening.

The students on the backpacking program spent all of their time in the backcountry exploring parts of

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Durham Academy // Winter 2020

Pisgah National Forest while hiking on a section of the Art Loeb Trail near Brevard, and the other three groups alternated between time in camp to train and learn about their various activities and leaving their home base to explore the multitude of outdoor recreation areas in the greater Pisgah National Forest area. Black Mountain Expeditions uses Camp Merri-Mac in Montreat as home base for all of the experiential education programs they run, so that was the training location for DA students who were in camp for the first day or two of their program.

Kayakers had time to learn how to maneuver and roll their kayaks in the camp’s swim lake. Rock climbers practiced knot tying, belaying and climbing technique on several of the camp’s climbing walls and towers.

Cyclists learned about proper pre-trip bike maintenance and techniques for navigating single-track trails while also utilizing some of the various camp trails for a less-challenging first run on their bikes. On the last two days of the program, all groups were out in the field actively engaged in their chosen activities.

The goals of the program were simple. Carlson and I wanted to design capstones that were curriculum-rich experiences for all participants, with the main goal that the students who went on the trips would push outside of their comfort zones while learning lifelong skills about how to plan and safely execute outdoor recreation trips on their own. Groups had students from various grades, so almost all students had the opportunity to

Photo by He at h er Pet erson work with classmates with whom they might not have shared classes or social groups before the capstone.

All students spent at least one night in the field away from camp, which tests participants with sleeping outdoors on the ground and cooking food on a shared stove. The whitewater paddlers had to learn how to combat any anxiety about navigating rapids for the first time, while the rock climbers addressed any fear of heights head-on.

The cyclists pushed each other to maximize the fun, while also understanding that the best trips are those where everyone comes home safely with great memories. The backpackers learned about meal planning, route finding, how to live comfortably in the outdoors carrying only the essential items on your back and the seven principles of Leave No Trace important to any backcountry adventure.

The outstanding weather positively impacted every group’s program.

Ingredients: 1/4 Balance 1/2 Drive 1/4 Resilience

Gorgeous blue skies, low humidity, no rain and cool, crisp nights made for an outstanding week. DA athletic trainer Jackie Lauricella, trip chaperone for the rock climbing capstone, best summed up the week: “The outdoor capstones were all the fun of sleepaway camp while being able to hone in on a challenging skill. I found myself immersed in gorgeous views, good people and adventure, and I could not have been more grateful to have the experience.”

Senior Brandon Caveney added, “The program was a meaningful learning experience that more than broke the monotony of the classroom and was a ton of fun for me. Our trip leaders were amazing! For example, one of my instructors went to the U.S. Olympic trials. Getting to learn about mountain biking from that person was a great experience.”

For the May 2020 outdoor education capstones, we will add a fifth track — fly fishing. We hope students and parents will continue to see these capstone offerings as an important part of the development of the whole student at the Upper School.

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Photo court esy of Victori a Mur adi

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Durham Academy // Winter 2020

Sharing Culture Through the Immigrant Kitchen Story by Emily Donaldson ’20 As a senior at Durham Academy, it’s sometimes difficult to see my everyday experiences and interactions at school with a fresh outlook and open mind. In applying to colleges and planning for my life next year, I had come to see DA traditions as habits I would leave behind and eventually have to outgrow. However, the Cavalier Capstone program completely transformed my perspective about the power of tradition.

As a part of the Immigrant Kitchen Capstone last May, led by Upper School history teacher Mr. Phu, who emigrated from Vietnam, and Enrollment Management Director Ms. Muradi, who emigrated from Afghanistan, I heard numerous immigrants discuss their stories and the different ways they navigated the United States. [This capstone introduced students to refugee communities in the Triangle, explored the circumstances that brought them to the area and examined the history of their native foods by cooking together with family recipes.]

Even though each of these immigrants has a different story, they all agree that tradition’s power and importance transcends beyond any specific time in their lives or place they once lived. Tradition isn’t an old habit to break, rather it’s a timeless reminder of community and its values.

In making their favorite recipes, immigrants are reminded of their relatives alongside their community’s love, dedication and generosity. These values are rooted in tradition, but they continue to remain relevant as immigrants are confronted with daily challenges in a new country.

I think I have a lot to learn from this mindset. DA’s emphasis on leading a moral, happy and productive life

shouldn’t just exist as a tiresome tradition that I mindlessly follow. Where we come from undoubtedly shapes where we’re going, yet it also provides surprising insights that enrich the journey.

During the first two days of the capstone, our class met two women who recently emigrated from Syria and Afghanistan. Although the two women came to the U.S. for different reasons, they are extremely brave individuals who took huge risks to ensure the best possible futures for their children.

One left Syria because her 7-yearold daughter, who had a rare blood

Ingredients: 2/3 Authenticity 1/3 Engagement disease, was sponsored by a nonprofit organization to come to the U.S. and receive life-saving medical treatment. I admire her willingness to start over and make the best of her life here, despite the many obstacles she faces. She works a 12-hour day in a convenience store to provide for her family because her Syrian teaching license and credentials do not transfer to American schools. Love for her family and a strong work ethic have been ingrained in her from an early age. Her morals will never shrink in the face of adversity. The same is true for the woman who emigrated from Afghanistan. I am inspired to see morality differently after meeting both of these women.

Being able to experiment and try new foods every day was part of the reason why this capstone captured

my interest. Out of all the new foods I helped prepare, mulukhiyah, a Syrian leaf, was the most memorable. The story behind this leaf is quite fascinating. Although it tastes like a more nuanced combination of spinach and kale, we were told this leaf literally means “royalty.” I found that the meaning behind this leaf accurately described our hosts’ attitude toward our class. Even though it was Ramadan and the women we cooked with were fasting, they didn’t hesitate to prepare a four-course meal for us. The immigrants we met did everything in their power to connect with us and make the experience extremely impactful.

The people we met derived happiness from helping us, even if it was at their own expense. I’m sure it wasn’t easy to cook food they couldn’t eat, nor was it comfortable to be vulnerable, yet they did both without hesitating and found joy in the process.

This capstone has redefined two parts of DA’s mission statement for me, but now it’s time to take action and truly implement these lessons. I want to make the most of my time left at DA, while finding new meaning in the traditions I used to take for granted.

Since senior year is full of many “last” events, I can’t simply breeze through my days and carelessly flip through months on the calendar. Creating new memories while still savoring the old ones is a perfect recipe for the future, one I wouldn’t have found without this capstone.

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India’s Scenic North, New Schoolmates and Iconic Sights Story by Cecilia Moore ’22 // Photography by Shannon Harris My feelings were anxious, curious and excited as I left my family at RDU International Airport and boarded the plane for a life-changing experience.

India. From the outside looking in, you’d think of this country as crowded, hot and having lots of elephants.

India has so many more things to offer, some of which I was fortunate enough to experience. For my capstone, seven of my classmates and I had the chance to travel through North India. Our 21day trip had three phases: a challenge phase, a project phase and a rest and relaxation phase.

After our 15-hour flight, we landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi and the entire group was exhausted. That’s when we got the news that our bags were lost and we would not have them for two days. On our first bus ride from New Delhi to Nainital, my transformation began as

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I saw how different this country was from the U.S. The driving laws were completely different. People drive on the left side of the road, but that wasn’t the only difference. The driving lanes appeared as more of a suggestion than a regulation. I compared it to a game of chicken, as our fate was in the hands of our bus driver. There were also many people on motorcycles who had the courage (you could call it) to squeeze through two huge trucks in order to get past. In India, everything was always moving so fast, literally and figuratively. Parts of my life back home didn’t seem so rushed, but this unexpected trait of my new environment took me by surprise.

The challenge phase of our trip was a hike at the base of the Himalayas.

And oh, it was a challenge, especially since I thought I was in shape. The “warm up” trek — that’s what Coach

Jordan Babwah called it — was 12 kilometers [7 miles]. The thought of surviving this for the next three days was quite nerve-wracking. Our three days of trekking introduced me to a side of myself I never knew.

As we hiked, I was able to reflect on the two days prior that we spent in Nainital, a mountain city in the state of Uttarakhand. Although it was in the mountains, there were more people living there than I expected. I loved how the homes looked as though they were boxes stacked on top of each other, with a lake in the center of the city. It reminded me of a scene of the houses in one of my favorite childhood movies, Rio. The project phase of the trip, the part I would call my favorite, entailed community service at an education center.

We painted and cleaned classrooms and finished a toilet room. We also had the opportunity to interact with the kids. I think this was a highlight for all of us. The language barrier didn’t stop us from having fun. We played games and I learned how to play Carrom, an Indian board game. The kids taught us new words and we taught them some too, including Drake lyrics. I met a special little girl named Lucky, whom I will always remember. She was 7 years old, and each day I would braid her hair while she took selfies of us. I will never forget the look on the kids’ faces when they saw their new classrooms; it was the best moment ever. I love knowing that we contributed to making their school experience a little bit better.

The last phase of our trip was the rest and relaxation phase, AKA sightseeing. We went to many historic places like the Galtaji Temple, where we saw beautiful monkeys and the Red Fort, which is known for its massive red sandstone. But my favorite place, as cliché as it might sound, was definitely the Taj Mahal. It was as breathtaking as I had heard it would be. The moment you are walking along the gate and then turn the

Ingredients: 1/2 Kindness 1/2 Generosity corner to see the most beautiful white marble mausoleum was amazing. It was easy to understand why it is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

If I took one thing away from this trip it would be that it’s OK not to be comfortable all the time, because that is how you learn about the world around you, and that is how you learn about who you really are.

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Photo by Me lody Guyton Butt s

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A Hole-in-One Capstone Story by Jake Kavanagh

Miniature golf has always appealed to me, both as a bumbling, budding golfer, and as a scenic designer, hopefully less bumbling. Long before I could hold my putter up straight or swing the club correctly, I was fascinated with courses and the game that

Ingredients: 1/6 Curiosity 1/3 Joy 1/8 Responsibility 1/8 Wisdom 1/4 Creativity I knew growing up as Putt-Putt. The experience of going to a miniature golf course was just that — an experience.

Miniature golf courses are known for their design aesthetics as well as the challenges that lie within those beautiful designs: waterfalls carrying balls off the green and windmills that tease you with the hole just on the other side. These are just some of the memories that children carry with them as they think back to their years of miniature golf outings with family and friends.

As the first Cavalier Capstone proposals started to come together, I thought about what I wanted to share with the students. A course on lighting design? Set design? Obvious choices, however, the Cavalier Capstone offered an opportunity for something different. When it came to DA’s moral,

happy and productive mission — I wanted to find something that fell right square in the middle of happy!

I wanted to make certain we had a blast designing, building and playing miniature golf. Students responded to the call. Clearly, they have the same nostalgia (or maybe it is not nostalgia at their age) for miniature golf courses.

Soon I had a full class of 18 students.

Then fear set in. Could they all design?

Could they all be trained well enough to use the tools? How could we design and build all of this in a week? Worst of all — there was no way to get waterfalls and windmills into the quad in five days.

We met as a group for the first time and made introductions. I shared inspiring images of themed miniature golf course designs to get them excited. We discussed the how and where and when and with what.

They expressed a combination of excitement, confusion and perhaps boredom. We did not leave that first meeting inspired.

On the first day of the capstone my faculty team — Upper School English teacher Jeff Biersach and Upper School library assistant Katherine Spruill — and I decided that as long as we all had fun and were able to play some mini-golf at the end of the week, that would be a success. Of course, in the back of my mind, I still wanted waterfalls and windmills. Day one, we handed out materials to the teams of student designers/builders. They started designing on the Kenan stage, directly on the plywood sheets that would become the base of their courses. As I walked around and discussed ideas with each group, I realized how excited and invested each team was

in the design process. They were all collaborating on ways to make their hole more challenging and creative.

Each team had a theme in mind and even teams with less design or artistic experience seemed truly excited by the challenge of creating a miniature golf course out of plywood, two-byfours and other various supplies from the theatre scene shop.

It is worth pointing out that some of these teams of designers/builders were not close friends. Some had not really known each other well before the capstone. However, everyone joined forces quickly when it came to collaborating on the miniature golf capstone experience. It was evident that our goal of focusing on happy while sneaking in the productive was working.

By all accounts, the week was a success. Designs were completed by the middle of day one, and most teams began construction after lunch.

We spent two-and-a-half long days building, gluing carpet, painting and assembling. By the end of the fourth day, we were already setting up the course on the quad. The final day was pretty much all play! Some holes were impossible, and some were pretty easy. Most were challenging and fun. All of them looked cool, and each team was proud of the work they did. Ms. Spruill, Mr. Biersach and I were hot, tired and impressed with what they had accomplished. On top of everything, I heard that the summer camp kids used them throughout the summer.

We will do it again. Maybe this year we can add windmills and waterfalls!

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STORY BY LESLIE KING

Four years ago, Durham Academy launched a strategic plan to create spaces that would provide cutting-edge teaching and learning experiences at the Upper School, spaces where students could build community. A milestone was reached on Nov. 7: After four years of planning, design and construction, a reimagined Upper School campus was complete. The first part of that plan — an interdisciplinary STEM & Humanities Center with shared departmental offices and a dynamic indoor assembly space — was built in stages, with the STEM wing opening in August 2018 and the humanities wing in April 2019.

The last piece of the puzzle, an outdoor commons built in the footprint of the double-decker building, opened to students on Nov. 7 in a celebration recognizing the hard work

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Photo by Sarah Jane Tart

New Outdoor Commons Completes Upper School

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and philanthropic support that went into moving a reimagined Upper School campus from the boardroom and the drawing board, to design and reality.

The opening celebration of the K Family Outdoor Commons also recognized the incredible generosity of the Krzyzewski family in supporting DA’s commitment to excellence as the lead donors for the outdoor commons. The terraced outdoor amphitheater — stepped seating, a brick pavilion and covered performance space, a multipurpose recreational space complete with a ceremonially appropriate basketball hoop and umbrella picnic tables — opens the Upper School campus to a beautiful, panoramic view of DA’s athletic fields.

The Krzyzewski family joins dozens of leadership donors who have helped make the Upper School’s dreams come true.

Photography by Keith Isaacs

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Staff Spotlight: Director of Diversity, Equity and Engagement, and Associate Director of Enrollment Management

Kemi Nonez Story by Kathy McPherson

Growing up in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C., Kemi Nonez went to public schools that were far less diverse than Durham Academy.

“I didn’t have another African-American girl in my class until seventh grade. That was the only experience I knew, but I knew something was off. I knew that identity, diversity, all those things mattered, and we talked about it in my home. That’s why I am passionate about the work that I do here at Durham Academy.”

As Director of Diversity, Equity and Engagement, Associate Director of Enrollment Management and a member of the school’s administrative leadership team, Nonez wants all DA students to see themselves reflected in the student body, to be included fully in the life of the school and to feel comfortable here. She wants them to have what she lacked in her school life.

Nonez had only two African-American teachers from elementary school through high school, and “not until I got to high school did I have a huge experience of having other African-American students, Latino students, in my actual day-to-day academic environment.”

The neighborhood she lived in was not diverse either, but Nonez’ parents “always did a good job of making sure I knew who I was in terms of my own self identity and what I needed outside of my school environment.”

Her parents believed it was important for her to be involved in social justice organizations. “From a young age I was involved in that work. When I was in high school I was the secretary of the Montgomery County Youth NAACP group. I started on a path that I knew was important.”

That meant continuing the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and being connected to the community.

“I was lucky enough to be exposed to a lot of culture in the D.C. area, to be able to meet [South Africa civil rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner] Desmond Tutu at the Kennedy Center. That weighed heavily on me. To hear Stevie Wonder sing happy birthday in honor of the King celebration. All those things ring true. To see that Martin Luther King Day became a holiday when I was growing up. All these things were a big impact on me, and to be in a city that had so much culture really carved a way to who I am.”

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Nonez and her NAACP youth group would talk with other young people, many of whom were attending historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

“We would be very heavily active in the HBCU environments. A lot of the folks who sat on committees with me or were involved with that, most of us went to historically black colleges or universities. That’s how I got to Durham [to attend North Carolina Central University]. I knew that I wanted to be at a historically black institution because it wasn't an experience that I was familiar with.

“Being able to go to a historically black college or university allowed me not only to only see professors who mirrored my image or were on the trajectory I wanted to be on, but also to have peers, my friends. I was able to complete that full circle of what I was kind of craving and missing in my experience growing up. So I owe a lot of who I am to my HBCU.” When Nonez was growing up, her heroes were her parents and their friends who were “part of a generation where they might have been the ‘first of’ in lots of fields [they were working in].”

She heard her parents talk about “what was important, what they had to do, the things that they had to get over.

My mom grew up in the Charleston, South Carolina, area, so it was a very different experience than my dad's experience growing up in New Jersey.”

Nonez’s father was an engineer who worked at Howard University and the National Academy of Sciences. Part of that relationship was “making sure that AfricanAmericans and women really had a place in engineering,

making their mark. … He became somewhat of a liaison with Georgetown and helping recruit black engineers.

NSBY [the National Society of Black Engineers] was really pivotal for my sister, who went into mathematics and engineering, and my husband, who is an engineer. Back then, you didn’t see a lot of blacks in the STEM fields.”

Nonez’ mother worked in the public school system for many years as a science teacher and “also had an entrepreneurial spirit, so she had her own florist business. She is still strong and going at it. I look up to her as one of the strongest women I know.”

Education was important in Nonez’ family — “there was no conversation of life after high school not being in a college setting” — and when it was time for Nonez and her husband, Patrick, to look for a school for their son, they attended a tour and information session at Durham Academy.

“After that tour and information session — ironically that’s what I do now (in Enrollment Management) — my husband felt that it was the place that he could see his son thriving as a young African-American male with independent thoughts, independent desires, and that was important to us as a family unit.”

Their son, Xavier, came to DA in Preschool and graduated in 2017.

Nonez joined her son at DA in 2009, leaving a career in banking to join the Enrollment Management team, and in 2011 she took on an additional role as DA’s Director of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, managing a team of diversity coordinators in each division. This fall, Nonez realigned her team’s title to Diversity, Equity and Engagement to more accurately define their mission and their work. This summer, Nonez was recognized with a Rising Star Award by the Enrollment Management Association, who cited her role in helping streamline financial aid and promoting diversity at her school and in the greater community.

Nonez believes DA is a model school and “it needs to remain a model school in every aspect that we have. If we’re not leading the charge in technology, what can we do better? If we're not leading the charge in diversity, equity and inclusion, what can we be doing better? … I think we’ve taken baby steps, but people would be surprised at the presence we have on a national scale, the work that we’re doing in diversity, equity and inclusion.

You talk to other schools and they’re like ‘oh, we’re not there yet’ or ‘no, we’re not doing that.’

“While it can be frustrating for some families or individual situations and even for my son, we have to recognize that this is work and it is fluid. We have to continue to strive to make sure it is the most inclusive environment, that everybody, every student has the ability to have an equitable experience.”

Kemi Nonez with son Xavier ’17 and husband Patrick Photo courtesy of Kemi Nonez

“ I didn’t have another African-American girl in my class until seventh grade. That was the only experience I knew, but I knew something was off. I knew that identity, diversity, all those things mattered, and we talked about it in my home.”

— Kemi Nonez

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Author’s Upcoming Visit Spurs Book Clubs Story by Kristen Klein // Photo by Kathy McPherson

If you watch Julie Lythcott-Haims’ critically acclaimed and wildly popular TED Talk (more than 4.5 million views), her parenting manifesto can be distilled down to this: “There’s a certain style of parenting these days that is messing up kids… where parents feel like a kid can’t be successful unless the parent is protecting and preventing at every turn, and hovering over every happening, and micromanaging every moment, and steering their kid toward some small subset of colleges and careers… our kids end up leading a kind of ‘checklisted childhood’.”

In her New York Times bestselling book, How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success, LythcottHaims draws on her experience as both a dean of freshmen at Stanford University and as a parent to examine the modern problem of over [or helicopter] parenting. I first encountered Lythcott-Haims’ work in 2015 and flew through her book, unable to put it down. As a then-director of the upper school at Pittsburgh’s Winchester Thurston School, the tensions and concerns she explored were ones I was all too familiar with — parents who prioritized perfection with their sights firmly fixed on getting their children into the “right college,” and students who measured their self-worth and success through a résumé-driven checklist of accomplishments like grades, scores, homework, leadership and service.

From her front row seat at Stanford, Lythcott-Haims witnessed the result — first-year college students who were burnt out and riddled with anxiety or depression because they weren’t allowed to develop their own resiliency or resources for success.

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Unsurprisingly, our students, parents, faculty and administrative team note those same tensions here at Durham Academy. At our summer administrative team retreat, we decided to devote significant time this year to discussing and addressing the tension between our desire to even more fully align with and live out our mission to prepare students for moral, happy and productive lives and our need to be (ad)mission driven as well, to equip our students to succeed in the college admissions process. We’ve had productive discussions with our full faculty and Board of Trustees about potential ways to successfully strike that balance. We hope to find an ally and a resource in LythcottHaims when she visits DA in March.

Because we knew the concerns raised in Lythcott-Haims’ book would resonate with many parents, we thought a book club might be a creative way to build community and partnership around this common theme. On Nov. 4, a small group of Preschool and Lower School parents gathered for a new DA book discussion group. Co-facilitated by a small team of administrators, participants shared childhood experiences and both challenges and strategies encountered while parenting our own children.

Lythcott-Haims’ book spurred our reflections, and her story and approach set the open and reflective tone for our conversation.

Lythcott-Haims begins by reporting how we parent now, and she gives historical context for how we’ve arrived here. In the book’s second section, she presents a sobering set of consequences children experience, explicitly noting that while we can’t show causation between our parenting and teaching choices and

student outcomes, the correlation is clear. She shares a plan for how we can move forward to better prepare children to become self-sufficient, resilient and moral and happy adults.

Throughout the journey, she reflects upon her own fears and challenges as a parent, and she directly calls out the college admissions “arms race” and her view of its clear impact on young adult mental health.

In addition to hosting two book clubs with Lythcott-Haims’ text (one for Preschool and Lower School families and one for Middle and Upper School families), and thanks to tremendous support from a DA family, we will also host Lythcott-Haims on campus March 19. She will speak with Upper School students and faculty, and then with parents in the evening, to advocate for “another

way” forward, one that will further aid us in encouraging our students’ developing independence and preparing them to thrive as adults.

We invite you to join us on our journey. The Preschool and Lower School book club wraps up its meetings in January, but our Middle and Upper School book club will have three meetings in January, February and March.

In addition, please join us to hear Julie Lythcott-Haims’ presentation March 19 at 7 p.m. in Kenan Auditorium. Our families are critical partners and advocates for a more mission-driven approach that supports students’ wellness, self-sufficiency and readiness for college and, more importantly, beyond.

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Community Approach Helps Security Team Improve DA Campus Safety From opening car doors at morning drop-off to patrolling DA’s campuses all hours of the day and night, Durham Academy’s security team is working to improve safety with a community approach — by getting to know and earning the trust of faculty, staff, parents and students of all ages.

Story by Melody Guyton Butts

Photo by Kathy McPherson

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DA’s security team has 11 officers, 10 of whom are veterans of the Durham Police Department and one of whom is retired from the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. Jim Cleary, who began his role as DA’s director of security this school year after having served as assistant director since 2015, sees their decades of experience in the local community as invaluable: “They all understand the value of a strong and positive relationship with the community. You limit yourself if you don’t have that community approach, and that’s what we’ve tried to create here at DA.” Cleary and his team are working toward getting students, faculty and staff more involved in security. At the Preschool and Lower School, officers are building comfort and trust with students by opening car doors at morning drop-off.

They gave a security presentation to Middle Schoolers, Upper Schoolers, faculty, Parents Council and trustees.

“We’re not just 11 [security officers] strong; we’re a whole community strong,” Cleary said. “If you see something, say something. But if you don’t have some type of relationship outside the security-student relationship, they’re much less likely to trust you and to say something to you. That’s why we’re trying to make steps to improve it all the way across the board.”

The security team, which has lots of new faces this year following the retirement of several members of DA’s inaugural security team, has implemented new measures aimed at increasing safety, including a policy of locking the front doors to the Preschool/Lower School building the majority of the school day.

Parents visiting the Preschool/Lower School building at hours other than drop-off and pick-up times must stop by the buzz-in station to the right of the front doors, where they press the silver button and display their DA parent badge for the camera in order to be buzzed in. Parents who forget their badge are asked to stop by the Lower School main office or Enrollment Management office to sign in and receive a visitor badge.

“It just makes sense from a security standpoint to have those doors locked,” said Cleary, particularly given that Preschool and Lower School students only leave the building during the school day for recess or to go to the gym or to Brumley Performing Arts Building. “We do have control over this,” he said, “so let’s get more accountability for everyone who walks through our doors.”

The security team is also limiting access to new and existing Upper School buildings, with doors that face into the heart of campus serving as main entrances, and most doors closest to parking areas remaining locked. In addition, cameras have been installed on the Ridge Road campus to help increase safety and deter thefts and break-ins.

Photo by Sarah Jane Tart

DA’s Security Team Director of Security Jim Cleary retired from the Durham Police Department (DPD) as a sergeant. The majority of his supervisory experience was with the Selective Enforcement Team (SWAT) and internal investigations.

bicycle unit and criminal investigations. Carter continues to serve as a DPD reserve officer.

Assistant Director of Security Glen Price retired from DPD as a sergeant. The majority of his supervisory experience was in uniform patrol and criminal investigations. Price was also a firearms instructor and DPD’s lead instructor for rapid deployment, which includes active shooter response.

Moses Irving retired from DPD as a K9 officer, with the majority of his career spent in that position. Irving and Gooch often trained their dogs together as DPD officers. “They, in my opinion, were the hardest working and most effective K9 officers in the history of the Durham Police Department,” Cleary said.

Bryan Britt retired from the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, where his primary responsibility was traffic accident reconstruction and traffic enforcement. After his retirement, he worked as a deputy with the Durham County Sheriff's Office, where he did courtroom security and prisoner transport.

Carey Britt retired from DPD as an investigator. He spent a large portion of his career handling white collar fraud cases.

In his last few years in investigations, Britt served as DPD’s liaison with Durham pawn shops, a role in which he was able to solve several burglary cases.

Gale Campbell, DA’s first female security officer, retired from DPD as a corporal. The majority of her supervisory experience was in internal and criminal investigations. Prior to her work at DA, she did contract work in internal investigations for the N.C. Central University police department.

Melvin Carter retired from DPD as a sergeant. The majority of his supervisory experience was with the downtown

Danny Gooch retired as a K9 officer with DPD, with the majority of his career spent in that position.

Bill Johnson retired as a sergeant and spent his entire career with DPD in uniform patrol. Most of his supervisory career was spent in the district that encompasses Durham Academy’s campuses. “Bill still has officers come by for advice when he’s working nights,” Cleary said.

Rick Pendergrass is a familiar face to many from his days directing traffic at DA during drop-off. He retired from DPD as a deputy chief (No. 2 in command). Prior to his role as deputy chief, Pendergrass was a member of the Selective Enforcement Team (SWAT) and worked in internal investigations. As a commander, he was in charge of a city district and then headed up the narcotics division.

Charles Sole had approximately 25 years of experience as a DPD officer and was well-known for his investigative skills.

He worked in major crimes in narcotics and then criminal investigations, including homicide. One of Sole’s homicide cases was featured on the television show 20/20.

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Curtain Up, Light the Lights!

Musical Theatre Returns to the Middle School Story by Ellen Brown and Karen Richardson // Photo by Sarah Jane Tart

When we were interviewing for our chorus and drama positions at Durham Academy’s Middle School a few years ago [Karen Richardson in 2015 and Ellen Brown in 2016], one of the questions we were each asked was, “How do you feel about putting on a musical?” Both of us loved the idea!

One of us had spent over a decade as the musical director and producer of annual productions of children’s operas and of middle school musical theatre at another school in the area.

And the other had extensive experience as a performer and directing young people in theatre and musical theatre in NYC for over a decade.

After settling into our relatively new positions at DA and spending time thinking and planning about how to make musical theatre a reality, we are thrilled to be partners in bringing musical theatre back to the Middle School as an elective for students.

But why musical theatre? We see immense value in this art form and so do our students. It combines song, the spoken word, acting and dance in

“ I wanted to join musical theatre because my sister does the high school musical and I always thought it would be so fun.

When they offered this course, I knew I had to do it.”

— Jaden Read ’25

a live performance that brings a story and characters to life. It can provide audiences with entertaining frivolity, escapism and joy. It can also give us insight into historic events and the human condition, as well as provide a mirror of our culture and the social issues we face.

Musical theatre is already part of the Middle School’s history. In the 1990s, with a radically different schedule, Middle School students mounted fully staged musical productions under the direction of former music teacher Debbie McCarthy. A few years before we joined DA, current movement teacher Mary Norkus and retired chorus and drama teachers, Melody Zentner and Elaine Malone, had attempted to revive the musical. However, sustaining it was a challenge due to scheduling restraints. While musical theatre lay dormant for a few years, we continued to think about how to bring back this opportunity in a way that would serve students and be workable for us as faculty. We also wondered if there would be enough interest in such a program.

Last year, we piloted an after-school enrichment called Broadway Musical Theatre and ended up having to offer two sections of the class due to its high enrollment. It was clear that many of our Middle School students had a strong interest in this unique and popular performing art. We began conversations with the leadership at DA about how to feasibly launch a musical and were met with positivity and encouragement to identify and execute the first steps.

We wanted students to be able to rehearse with some regularity during the day so they would have adequate practice time. That structure would also allow students to participate in other artistic and athletic interests

after school without having to choose between them. Although we were inspired to jump into a fully produced musical, we knew that it wouldn’t be easy to add such a demanding experience into an already jam-packed schedule at the Middle School.

We decided the best option was to offer musical theatre as a course for the 2019–2020 school year, which would allow students to pursue their interest in the subject and develop their skills as performers. In the spring of 2019, we auditioned interested sixth- and seventh-grade students for the course and selected 12 individuals for our first cohort this year. The main learning objectives of the course are for students to develop their vocal techniques, refine their ability to act through song and increase their comfort when performing in front of an audience. The musical theatre course culminates in a spring showcase performance that will feature a selection of solo, small ensemble and full ensemble musical theatre pieces. In addition to learning a variety of repertoire, students are currently researching and presenting on important musicals — from 1924’s Lady Be Good to 2015’s Hamilton — to learn about the development of this art form.

Our ultimate goal is to offer a fully staged musical involving interested students from all grade levels at the Middle School. We are hopeful that this goal can be achieved in the near future, especially given the promise of the wonderful new performance space that is being built on the Middle School campus. In the meantime, catch our showcase performance on March 26 at 7:30 p.m. in Taylor Hall!

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Seesaw App: A Window Into Young Students’ Work Story by Michelle Rosen // Photo by Sarah Jane Tart

Durham Academy parent Landy Elliott is one busy lady. As a mom of two small children and associate director of the North Carolina Leadership Forum at Duke University, her days are full of the juggling act that is modern-day parenting.

So, when she found out about Seesaw, the new digital portfolio app being used by the Lower School, she was thrilled!

“I swing back and forth between ‘mom’ and ‘employee’ all day long, and it can be pretty hectic. But when I have a particularly busy work day and am stressed about getting it all done, it’s such a great distraction and reminder of my other role when a Seesaw notification pings across my phone,” Elliott said. “I may be seeing crosseyed after editing a report for a few hours, and then my phone buzzes with a Seesaw update, and I’m instantly excited about getting to see what’s going on in my daughter’s day. Finding out information about what’s going on in the classroom has become an automatic process integrated into what I’m already doing — that’s one less item on a busy parent’s to-do list.”

The Seesaw digital portfolio platform allows students to document their learning in creative and engaging ways, such as videos, photos, audio recordings and drawings. Work from other

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apps, including green screen and slide presentation apps, can also be imported into the portfolio. After the work has been approved by teachers, it can then be shared with families.

“We love Seesaw,” said DA parent Megan Klenk. “For us it serves as a valuable, strengthening bridge between the worlds of home and school. We've noticed that Seesaw facilitates deeper and easier discussions about my son's experiences at school. It also opens up opportunities to capitalize on areas of excitement and to reinforce valuable messages.”

The push to bring Seesaw to the Lower School began soon after iPads arrived on campus several years ago. Lots of digital learning was happening, teachers said, but obstacles began to surface. As the number of iPads increased each year, so did the obstacles.

“We all started to become aware that the students were using various apps to document their learning, but there was no central place to store and no easy way to share their products,” said Michele Gutierrez, Lower School technology coordinator. “We wanted students to be able to look back on their digital work and see their progress. And we wanted parents to be able to see the creative work

their kids were doing. Seesaw was the perfect solution.”

Since that time, all Lower School teachers have brought Seesaw into their classrooms.

They say the easy-to-use app has many benefits.

“It gives my students the autonomy to choose the tools they feel more comfortable with to present what they learned in class,” said Spanish teacher Mercedes Almodóvar. “My students can explain in videos what they’ve learned or take photos and use audio to read what they have written. This gives me the opportunity to assess their oral and written skills in a way I can’t do in class.”

Third grade teacher Jennifer Klaver agreed, “with Seesaw I feel like I can have a personal ‘conversation’ with the kids if I don't get to speak to them about their work that day in class. I can look at their work when my kids have gone to bed and really focus on what they've done and give them constructive feedback.”

Across the hall, third-grade teacher Amanda Dolan said she uses Seesaw for many of her assignments. “I have four spelling groups, so it makes it easy to use for spelling tests,” she said.

“I also use it for fluency tests, where the students will take a photo of the passage and then record their reading.” She adds

More than 13,000 parent visits to Seesaw App in the last two years.

that her students have reflected on field trips, posted videos of projects and group activities, and have created flow charts using Seesaw.

Fourth-grade teacher Anna Larson ’96 said she likes that Seesaw allows students to hone another important skill — commenting on each other’s work.

“Seesaw allows the students a place to showcase their work, but also to observe and comment on the work of their peers,” she said. “It provides a social media-like, safe forum almost, for the kids to practice being thoughtful and contributing feedback to each other’s posts.”

Of course, classmates aren’t the only ones who can comment on portfolio items. Parents can also get in on the action. And that fact makes second-grader Gabriel Borai very happy.

“I feel great when my dad says ‘great job.’ Sometimes he says, ‘Keep up the good work and you’ll get a cake pop from Starbucks!’”

Borai said. “And my mom is like a newborn [newbie] on Seesaw, but she’s commenting a lot.”

Seesaw allows up to 10 family members to connect with a student’s account. Second-grade teacher Ashley Hinton says she’s even had requests from former students to connect with the accounts of their siblings in her class.

Stella Jernigan ’29 and Talia Savas ’28

“When I opened the email from [my student’s] big sister, who also was a Hinton Hero, requesting access to her sister’s Seesaw journal, my teacher heart exploded!” Hinton said.

“It has been very rewarding to see the encouraging comments from the big sister, as well as the motivation and eagerness to share from the little sister.”

One of the most useful ways Seesaw can be used by students is as a tool for self-reflection.

Stella Jernigan, a third-grader, likes to use it in this way. She said she often listens to her fluency recordings and is proud of how much she’s improved. “I

like to listen to my reading,” she said. “I’m so much better than I used to be, and that makes me feel really good.”

A comment like that is the key to Seesaw, according to firstgrade teacher Debbie Suggs. “I can only imagine how rewarding it will be to listen and look at a year’s worth of postings and actually hear and see the growth that has taken place,” she said. “Seesaw has become part of our daily lives.”

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY BOB KARP

Homecoming 2019 Alumni reconnected on campus, and classes ending in 4s and 9s gathered for a reunion party at Boxcar Bar + Arcade.

Derek Leadbetter and Malcolm Kendall, Class of 1979

Johanna Schaaper, Dana Williams, Anna Stone and Liz Pope, Class of 2014

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Lenae Frazier ’09 and Hannah Krigman ’79

Spring

Alumni Reception Friday, April 17, 6 p.m.

Upper School Catch up with classmates, faculty and staff on April 17 at the Spring Alumni Reception. Join us as we present the 2020 Distinguished Alumni Awards and the 2020 Faculty/Staff Legacy Award. An invitation will be sent via email in late February, so if we do not have your current email address, please send it to Director of Alumni Engagement Tim McKenna at tim.mckenna@da.org.

Spring

Alumni Events Feb. 18, all day DA Giving Day

March 26, 7 p.m.

Alumni Networking Social SAN FRANCISCO

March 31, 5:30 p.m.

Alumni Board Meeting CONFERENCE ROOM, KIRBY GYM

April 2, 6:30 p.m.

Alumni Networking Social ATLANTA

April 15, 6:30 p.m.

Alumni Networking Social CHICAGO

April 17, 6 p.m.

Spring Alumni Reception UPPER SCHOOL

April 23, 7 p.m.

Alumni Networking Social NEW YORK CITY

April 30, 6:30 p.m.

Alumni Networking Social CHARLOTTE

May 7, 1 p.m.

Hillary Rosen and Paul Niklason, Class of 2009

DA Golf Tournament CROASDAILE COUNTRY CLUB

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Alumni Spotlight

Yates Sikes ’08

Improving Seating for Rail Riders Q — What have you been up to since graduating from Durham Academy?

A — I went to Durham Academy for all four years of high school.

During those four years, I had the pleasure of experiencing a community that truly cares about the development of all members of its community, student and faculty alike. We were afforded many opportunities that other schools might not have been able to offer us due to the smaller size, making it much more tightly knit. Many of my best friends and memories of classes and the outdoors come from my time spent at DA. The coursework at DA impacted me by helping me explore physics, math and the sciences, ultimately propelling me to become a mechanical engineer. On the personal side, I think that taking Latin at DA helped me later when I chose to pursue learning Italian, which would ultimately lead me to meeting my wife, who also speaks Italian.

For a period, I worked in the aviation industry while working on the 787 project at Boeing, focusing on the windows that dim electronically and seating components. It had always been a dream of mine to work in aviation, and one of the things that DA pushed me to do was to always work toward my dreams and aspirations.

Durham Academy challenged Yates Sikes ’08 to think of different ways to problem solve, and his coursework in math, physics and other sciences helped him toward a career as a mechanical engineer. Now Sikes is using that skill to innovate and modernize rail cars in cities across the U.S. He works with a small company that recently designed and patented the only table to meet the most stringent testing requirements for crash safety.

Q — Why do you do what you do?

A — These challenges, along with the changing atmosphere in the U.S. rail market to modernize the appearance of rail cars for future ridership, has meant that we have to innovate not only on the design but also in the ways to manufacture the product. Recently, we designed and patented the only type of table in the world to meet the most stringent requirements of testing for crash safety to save passenger lives. We hope to continue to move forward with this type of safety initiative while at the same time improving the aesthetics of our products.

Q — What DA experiences influenced you or helped you get where you are today?

A — I think that the thing about DA that prepared me the most for working in industry is constantly challenging me to think in different ways to problem solve, and to promote a balance of working hard while also experiencing as much as possible, be it through reading, journeying in the outdoors, remaining active in sports or finding new things about which to be passionate.

Q — What are you doing now?

A — Now, a little over 10 years after graduating from DA, I am working in the rail industry, making rail seating for trains for almost every major city in the U.S. that has a rail system.

Working in the rail sector brings its own set of regulatory challenges with regard to fire and crash safety. These challenges mean that we get to conduct crash testing alongside companies like Fiat Chrysler and Ford, but we are small enough that individuals can have the opportunity to truly influence and impact the direction of the product.

Photo courtesy of Yates Sikes

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SAVE THE DATE iv .org/g a d . w ww

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MAKE A GIFT & MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Save the Date

ursday, May 7, 2020, at Croasdaile Country Club

Derek Rhodes ’11 Derek Rhodes ’11 organized a backto-school event for high school and college students of color on Aug. 24 — the Durham Success Summit.

The summit aimed to help students identify and maximize their leadership skills, create a local network of peers and receive the tools and training to make positive change happen in their communities. The event brought together industry leaders from across the country to speak and lead workshops on entrepreneurship, personal branding and networking skills. Rhodes is a former White House intern in the Obama administration who is now Director of Business Strategy for the Miami HEAT. Learn more about the Back to School Success Summit at durhamsummit.com.

DA basketball stand-out Liz Roberts ’16 got amazing news this fall when she learned she had earned a UNC women’s basketball scholarship for her senior season! Roberts joined the team as a walk-on as a first-year student and has earned the respect of her coaches and teammates with her passion for her team, as well as her help with recruiting and dedication to her studies. In November, Roberts joined 162 UNC students who were inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest and most honored college honorary society.

Roberts, an exercise and sport science major and coaching education minor, had to complete at least 75 hours of coursework in liberal arts and sciences with a GPA of 3.85 or better (on a 4-point scale) to be eligible. Less than 1% of all college students qualify.

Photo by Mary Moore McLean

Photo courtesy of Derek Rhodes ’11

Liz Roberts ’16

Chris Walsh ’19 Chris Walsh ’19, a first-year at Notre Dame, was selected to try out for the USA Under-20 Ultimate Frisbee team. He was among more than 400 athletes from across the United States who applied to be considered for the 2020 U-20 National Teams. One hundred men and 100 women were chosen to attend. The opportunity to play Ultimate Frisbee for the Irish was a key factor in Walsh’s decision to attend Notre Dame. At Durham Academy, he was one of several students who helped launch the school’s Ultimate Frisbee program, which began as a club when he was in ninth grade. By the time Walsh graduated in May, the team wrapped up its 2018–2019 season with a third-place finish at states and earned a spot in the national power rankings.

Photo by UNC Athletic Communications

Yale first-year student Yaakov Huba ’19 has joined the world-renowned all-male a cappella group The Yale Alley Cats.

The singing group was founded in 1943.

Huba, who is Tenor 2, made his debut as an Alley Cat with six fellow inductees on Oct. 5, at Yale’s Family Weekend Concert.

DA theatre teacher James Bohanek joined the a cappella singing group when he was a Yale student three decades ago. “I can’t express how thrilled I am for Yaakov, and what a kick it is for me that he will be part of the same tradition that so impacted my life when I was a student at Yale,” Bohanek said.

Photo courtesy of The Yale Alley Cats

Yaakov Huba ’19

Yaakov Huba ’19 pictured back row, far left

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Alumni Spotlight

Nina Varela ’13

Author Says DA Supported Her Dream

From the time Nina Varela ’13 learned to read and write, she knew she wanted to be a writer. She is grateful to the Durham Academy teachers who “who encouraged me and took my writing seriously — even when I didn’t.” Her debut novel, Crier’s War, was published by Harper Teen in the fall, and now she’s finishing up edits for the sequel and outlining her third book. Varela says writing is how she makes sense of herself and the world around her.

Q — What have you been up to since graduating from Durham Academy?

Q — What DA experiences influenced you or helped you get where you are today?

A — I went to the University of Southern California and got my B.F.A. in Writing for Screen and Television, but I pretty much immediately pivoted from screenwriting back to my first love, novel writing! Now I’ve got one novel out, and at least three more currently in the works.

A — I had so many amazing teachers, especially English teachers, who encouraged me and took my writing seriously — even when I didn’t. I never got the whole “You want to be a writer? So what are you going to do for money?” spiel. I had teachers who read my creative writing outside of class, who gave me books of poetry and short stories just because, who told me about writing competitions and helped me prepare work to submit, who advocated for me to take AP Poetry even though it was a junior level class and I was a sophomore. In high school, I worked on the literary magazine Exurbia and was allowed to organize a couple different assemblies in which students shared and created poetry. I just always felt accepted, never condescended to or told I was being unrealistic and should pick a more practical dream. And here we are.

Q — What are you doing now?

A — My debut novel, Crier’s War, was released on Oct. 1. So I’m celebrating that, but also finishing up edits for the sequel, plus working with my editor to outline my third book, plus working with my agent to sell a couple different projects this winter. Whew. In the rare moments I am not doing any of that, I am sleeping.

Q — Why do you do what you do?

A — I think I’m a little weird in that I’ve always known I wanted to be a writer. Like, I learned to read and write and that was it, I was set, I never wanted to do anything else. Writing is how I make sense of myself, all the big clunky embarrassing emotions I don’t like talking about; it’s how I make sense of the people around me, the parts of the world that I find frightening or sad, the parts of the world that are frustratingly complex. It’s a job and a coping mechanism and an expression of self and a deeply ingrained habit. And I just love it. It’s the place I return to over and over. I love telling stories. I want to do it forever.

Q — What are your interests away from work?

A — I draw a lot! I also love baking and cooking huge Southern feasts for my friends out here in LA, many of whom hadn’t previously experienced a good biscuit. Aside from that, I’m training to eventually run a half marathon, and I love just hanging around being lazy with my dog.

Q — What’s on the horizon for you?

A — My next books! The sequel to Crier’s War comes out in fall 2020, my third book in fall 2021 and in the middle of that I’m aiming to publish a couple of children’s books. Just lots of writing, basically, which is how it’s always been. And hopefully always will be.

Photo courtesy of Nina Varela

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Durham Academy // Winter 2020

Photo by Bob Karp Adaire Henry, daughter of new inductee Brandon Henry ’95, cheers as her dad is introduced.

Athletic Hall of Fame Welcomes Six New Members 66

Durham Academy // Winter 2020

Six alumni athletes were inducted into Durham Academy’s Athletic Hall of Fame on Dec. 6. This marks the fourth class of inductees for the Athletic Hall of Fame, which was established in 2013 and taps new members every other year.

The new inductees were introduced at halftime of the varsity boys basketball game vs. Charlotte Latin and were honored at a reception, hosted by the DA Alumni Board, after the game.

Lauren Blazing ’11

Lawrence Craige ’85

Tracy Hardaker Rankin ’91

Lauren Blazing ’11 was a three-sport star at Durham Academy, earning AllConference and team MVP honors in field hockey, basketball and softball, and was Senior Athlete of the Year. She was a multi-year NCISAA All-State performer and an All-American in field hockey, making her one of DA’s all-time greats in the sport. She played field hockey at Duke University, where she earned All-ACC honors, was a three-time All-American and helped lead Duke to the NCAA Final in 2013. Blazing joined the U.S. Women’s National Team in 2014, competing internationally for the United States. She attends law school at Yale University.

Lawrence Craige ’85 is one of Durham Academy’s all-time best tennis players.

Leading the Cavaliers, he finished with an 82–1 career singles record, posting undefeated single records as a sophomore and as a senior. Craige won three consecutive NCISAA singles titles, which remains a tie for the most high school singles titles in North Carolina history. Craige went on to be a conference singles and doubles champion as a player at the College of William and Mary. He is an attorney and lives in Wilmington.

Tracy Hardaker Rankin ’91 was a threesport athlete at Durham Academy, earning varsity letters in field hockey, basketball and soccer. She was an AllConference field hockey player and the Senior Athlete Award winner in 1991.

Rankin also was an All-Conference and NCISAA All-State basketball player, and was one of Durham Academy’s all-time top three women’s players in career points per game. She also is one of only six female members of the 1,000 career points club, with 1,323 career points.

Rankin lives and works in Nashville with her family.

Brandon Henry ’95

Cab Townsend ’87

Brandon Henry ’95 was a three-sport standout at Durham Academy, earning 10 varsity letters. He was named MVP of the soccer, basketball and lacrosse teams his senior year. Henry was an Academic All-American, a two-time NCISAA All-State selection and twotime state champion in lacrosse. In addition, he was an All-Conference soccer player and was the Senior Athlete of the Year at Durham Academy. Henry was a four-year lacrosse letter winner at Dartmouth College. He lives in the Washington, D.C., area.

Cab Townsend ’87 was one of the best high school high jumpers in the nation during his career at Durham Academy. A two-time individual state champion and leader of two Durham Academy state championship track and field teams, Townsend still holds the NCISAA record with a height of 6’10”. He went on to better that mark, becoming a 7’ high jumper at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Townsend is an attorney and lives in Atlanta with his family.

Kristin Weinhold Weaver ’99 Kristin Weinhold-Weaver ’99 is among the most outstanding swimmers in Durham Academy history. She won six NCISAA individual championships and set state records in the 50 and 100 meter freestyle. She is still a DA record holder, and was All-Conference, All-State and a three-time swimming AllAmerican. Weinhold-Weaver was also an outstanding softball player, earning All-Conference honors twice. She swam for Penn State University, where she was a Big Ten record holder and earned All-American honors. Weinhold-Weaver lives in Durham with her family.

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Alumni Spotlight

Marco Reyes ’10

A Part of Their Journey Q — What have you been up to since graduating from Durham Academy?

A — After graduating from Durham Academy, I attended High Point University, where I studied biology. While at HPU, I worked in Residence Life and I was a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity. I knew that I wanted to work in health care, however, I did not have a set path. Ironically, it was a literature class that set me on a path toward clinical research.

After graduating from HPU, I worked as a patient service associate at Harris & Smith OB-GYN. While at Harris & Smith, I took on the role of social media manager. I grew the clinic’s social media following by more than 200% in one calendar year and established a strong social media following for the clinic. Working at an OB-GYN also sparked an interest in women’s health and reproductive rights.

Q — What are you doing now?

A — In 2016, I began working with the genitourinary oncology research team at the Duke Cancer Institute, where I work as a clinical research coordinator. I have had the pleasure of working with world-class physicians and researchers in the field. I am a lead coordinator in clinical trials, such as an international registry for prostate cancer patients.

Another study that I am the lead on is exploring tumor cell biomarkers and characterizing the microbiome of patients with kidney and bladder cancer. Most recently, I have been working on studies that explore the effects that exercise can have on patients who are receiving treatment for kidney cancer. I am immensely proud to be a part of such a dedicated group of researchers that work hard to change the landscape of cancer care at a global level.

Q — Why do you do what you do?

A — In short, I want to make the world a better place for at least one person. As a researcher, I have the ability to do that.

My job is to help the principal investigators put their plans into action every day. As a coordinator, I also have the

As a coordinator for clinical trials at Duke Cancer Institute, Marco Reyes ’10 sees “the good in humanity” as patients participate in trials that may one day benefit people they’ll never know.

privilege of interacting with patients and I have the honor of being a part of their journey. When a patient agrees to participate in one of my trials, I see the good in humanity. I admire their selflessness and their courage because they understand that their participation in clinical trials will benefit patients that they may never meet. The patients are the reason why I do what I do.

Q — What DA experiences influenced you or helped you get where you are today?

A — Durham Academy taught me to think globally while acting locally. In the classrooms, my teachers taught us about the effects that our actions have on the world. DA also introduced me to the idea of service learning by giving us several opportunities to do community service. Durham Academy taught me the importance of giving back to the community.

Q — What are your interests away from work?

A — Anyone who follows me on social media knows that I am a fanatic about the Carolina Hurricanes. I am an avid movie watcher, and I enjoy going to the gym. I also enjoy volunteering, most recently at Durham Nativity School, where I serve as the chair of the Young Professionals Board.

Additionally, I will sit on the Board of Trustees at Durham Nativity School for the 2019–2020 school year.

Q — What’s on the horizon for you?

A — As the Young Professionals Board chair at Durham Nativity School, I will be busy planning events to raise funds for the school by engaging a new demographic of donors. The mission of Durham Nativity School is to educate tomorrow’s community leaders. My path through DNS led me to Durham Academy, and I hope to afford that opportunity to other young men. I also plan to go back to school to continue growing intellectually so that I may better serve my community.

Photo by Kathy McPherson

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Alumni & Faculty Weddings 1

2

3

4

1 — Rosemary Nye ’93 and Ken McNish, Sept. 28, 2019, West End, NC (Left to right: Liza Nye, Ellie Nye, Rosemary Nye ’93, Libby Lang ’89, Ken McNish, Tristan McNish ’21 and Cat McNish ’18) 2 — Haley Gfeller, Upper School history teacher, and Jed Helvey, April 13, 2019, Kiawah Island, SC 3 — Jeff Speir ’05 and Jess Pezley, May 18, 2019, Chapel Hill, NC (Left to right: Ali Pezley, Nina Armstrong, Dan Green, Jess Pezley, Jeff Speir ’05, Teddy Denton ’05 and Jake Stein ’05) 4 — Clark Witzleben ’07 and Katy Grein, Aug. 24, 2019, Telluride, CO

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Durham Academy // Winter 2020

In Memoriam Clinton W. Toms III ’52 died May 29, 2019, at Duke University Medical Center. He graduated from Woodberry Forest School, where he excelled in football, basketball and golf. He was a captain of the golf team at Duke University and set a record at Hope Valley Country Club in July 1966, shooting a 63. He was a tobacconist, a builder and a financial advisor, retiring from Morgan Stanley as a senior vice-president. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Helen Denning Toms; brother, Edgar Shelton Toms, Jr.; and many beloved nieces, nephews, great-nieces and -nephews.

Frank Belton “B.J.” Joyner III ’80 passed away unexpectedly Oct. 12, 2019, in Remus, Michigan. He was an active member of the United Methodist Church of the Dunes, and worked as a vice-president in sales and marketing in retail for many years. He loved cooking, golfing, working in his yard and playing, watching and coaching baseball. He is survived by his wife, Robin; sons, Belton, Vance and Grady Liam; father, Belton Joyner Jr.; stepson, Kyle Mokma; stepdaughter, Megan Haaksma; and a grandson, Lucas.

William Wrenn Gantt passed away at his home in Pinehurst on June 24, 2019. He served as a trustee of Durham Academy 1976–1979. A Duke University graduate, he worked with Touche, Ross & Co. and was the partner in charge until 1985, when he joined the Frank H. Kenan Family and helped develop Kenan Management in Chapel Hill. He served as president until his retirement. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Adrienne Weber Gantt; a daughter, Marley Gantt Sauer ’81; a son, Michael Taft Gantt ’84; and four grandchildren.

Helen Andren White ’68 died Oct. 14, 2019, at her home in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia. A graduate of the University of Washington, she held master’s degrees from UNC-Chapel Hill and Appalachian State University. A talented musician, she founded Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM), an after-school program for disadvantaged youth, and served as its executive director for 15 years as it was adopted in 40 mountain communities and five states. She is survived by her partner, Wayne Henderson; her mother, Junita White of Durham; two sisters, Emily White ’71 and Katherine White ’67; and a brother, Peregrine White ’75.

Jack T. Linger ’20 died Aug. 16, 2019, in Chapel Hill. He spent summer 2019 riding his bike 3,500 miles — traveling and talking to people from Washington state to Maine — because he wanted to learn what was important to Americans across the country before he voted in the 2020 election. His trip earned attention from local media, and he shared the journey through his blog, “America Across the Divides.” Jack joined DA as a second-grader in 2009.

He was a member of the varsity boys swimming and tennis teams and participated in Science Olympiad.

He is survived by his parents, John and Kathleen Linger of Chapel Hill, and a sister, Alison ’24.

Nicholas “Nicky” Abraham ’31 and his mother, Julie Abraham, died Oct. 26, 2019, in an automobile accident in Wake County. The Abrahams joined the Durham Academy community when Nicky was in kindergarten, and he always wore a confident, infectious smile. He loved to read — his favorite book was The Space Encyclopedia — and he wanted to be an astronaut when he grew up. Like all good astronauts, he had a mission: be curious, be persistent and be kind.

He always cared about his friends and his teachers.

He was the first to offer a hug, encouraging words and a helping hand. They are survived by father and husband Dr. Dennis Abraham.

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Thank you to all of the participants and volunteers in the 10th Annual Parents Association Turkey Trot!

Photo by Bob Karp

Mission-Driven

New Durham Academy Blog

We’re committed to creating a community that fundamentally influences the character and trajectories of young lives through an exceptional academic experience that focuses on: • Morality — empathy, kindness, integrity, responsibility and courage.

• Happiness — curiosity, engagement, authenticity, balance and joy.

• Productivity — creativity, drive, resilience, generosity and wisdom.

How do we do it? By modeling persistence vs. perfectionism, by preparing our students for the road rather than preparing the road for our students, by helping our students be their most authentic, unique selves — guided by caring, selfless teachers who know and nurture them.

Visit the blog at da.org/missiondriven.

April 1–4, 2020 da.org/auction ART PROJECTS • TEACHER TREASURES • GIFT BASKETS Celebrating and supporting the Durham Academy community through Parents Association

3601 Ridge Road Durham, NC 27705-5599

Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Durham, NC 27701 Permit #1083

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! da.org/summer

Photo by Melody Guyton Butts