arts week

In April we celebrated Arts Week with three evenings of activities. The Middle School and Upper School choir concert – themed “New Traditions” – kicked off the week and was simply marvelous. The student performances, the range of song selections, the arrangements, the depth of preparation, and the enthusiasm were all impressive. The Middle School and Upper School band concert was a fabulous evening of music, community, and talent. With the theme “Band Through the Years,” the show gave the audience the chance to experience a progression of talent. The Nighthawk Band crushed it, and solos by the three honor band student-musicians were unforgettable. The spring arts show on Friday evening was the perfect feather in the cap of an already impressive week. Seniors Max Fink, Frances Kovach, and Camryn Miller provided insightful and inspiring artist talks, and the Messer Gallery and the Dining Terrace were adorned with gorgeous pieces of artistic expression from students of all ages.

The energy and excitement were palpable all week long – a wonderful celebration and display of our incredible arts program!

“What are you reading?”

It was the first thing Merle Black would always ask me whenever I returned to campus after graduating from Country Day. When, as a college student, I saw him at a Country Day basketball game, Merle wanted to know what I was reading. Years later, when I was a parent of two young CCDS students, he greeted me the same way: “What are you reading?”

Not “How are you?” or “Is your family well?” or any other customary greeting. For Merle, how I was doing was inextricably linked to what I was reading.

The question came from a place of curiosity and care, as did most things from Merle – no one has ever loved his students more than Merle Black. But the question was also an implicit challenge: Are you still learning? Are you still curious about the world? Are you still growing as a thinker?