Renée Charity Price

Renée Charity Price is a distinguished educational leader with more than two decades of experience in independent schools, currently serving as Head of Middle School and Assistant Head of School at Princeton Day School in New Jersey. In this role, she has been involved in every aspect of school leadership. As head of a vibrant division within a PK–12 community of nearly 1,000 students and 160 faculty and staff, she has stewarded initiatives that advance academic excellence, innovation, and student well-being. Ms. Price has guided significant programmatic growth, including oversight of a $3.5 million STEAM initiative that integrated coding and design thinking across the K–8 curriculum, and the creation of an innovative enrichment program that expanded opportunities for student exploration, creativity, and engagement. A collaborative and strategic leader, she has partnered closely with trustees, faculty, families, and students on schoolwide strategic planning, mission and values work, and efforts to strengthen enrollment, community engagement, and institutional effectiveness.

Ms. Price is deeply committed to faculty development and to cultivating inclusive, supportive school cultures where both students and adults can thrive. She has strengthened hiring and mentorship practices, expanded leadership opportunities for faculty, and launched initiatives to support students’ social-emotional learning and digital citizenship. Under her leadership, the Middle School has seen growth in enrollment and increased demand across grade levels, reflecting the strength of its program and community. She has also led numerous administrative searches and organizational improvements designed to empower teacher leadership and ensure long-term sustainability. Her thoughtful, student-centered approach reflects a belief that schools must prepare young people not only for academic success but also for ethical leadership and engaged citizenship in a complex world.

Prior to her tenure at Princeton Day School, Ms. Price served as a teacher and K–12 history department chair at St. Catherine’s School in Richmond, Virginia, where she led curriculum innovation and interdisciplinary initiatives to deepen inquiry, critical thinking, and global understanding. Her earlier professional experience includes teaching and curriculum development roles in independent and public schools in Washington, D.C., and Virginia. A respected voice in independent school leadership, she has presented at national conferences, served on accreditation teams, and participated in selective leadership institutes for aspiring heads of school. Ms. Price holds degrees from Teachers College, Columbia University; the University of Pennsylvania; and the University of Virginia. She is widely admired for her integrity, warmth, and clarity of purpose, and for her unwavering commitment to fostering dynamic, inclusive learning communities in which every student is known, challenged, and inspired.

Ms. Price has two children, a seventeen-year-old high school junior son and a fourteen-year-old high school freshman daughter. Her husband, Mike Price, is a manager and services engagement expert with an enterprise application and business AI company.

 

 

US Robotics Team ended their regular season this past weekend with an awesome 2nd place finish and taking home one of the most prestigious awards. Your Chargers, team #5160, competed in their first competition of the season, on March 6–7 at Heritage High School in Wake Forest. Out of 29 teams, our students had an outstanding performance during qualification rounds, finishing with a 9–3 record and earning an impressive 4th overall ranking. This strong showing reflected months of hard work, thoughtful strategy, and excellent teamwork both on and off the field.

During alliance selection, Team 5160 proudly captained the 4th alliance, selecting Team 6502 (Darc Side) from Durham Academy and Team 6240 (Eagles of the Night) from Warrenton, NC. Together, the alliance entered the playoffs with high momentum and confidence. Unfortunately, during the playoff bracket, a mechanical issue with our robot impacted performance, resulting in an upset loss to the 5th alliance. As this tournament followed a double-elimination format, the team had a second opportunity, facing Alliance 7 in the lower bracket. Despite a determined effort and strong play, our alliance was ultimately outmatched, falling by a score of 175–116, ending our run in the tournament.

While the playoff results were disappointing, the overall experience was a tremendous success for our team. Ranking 4th in a competitive field and successfully leading an alliance at our first event is an achievement the students can be proud of. Even more importantly, the team demonstrated resilience, professionalism, and a growth mindset—qualities that will serve them well as the season continues.

Last weekend they attended their second tournament, once again held at Heritage High School in Wake Forest. This event proved to be an especially challenging test. The Chargers entered qualifications with what was widely regarded as the toughest match schedule in the tournament. They faced Team 9496, Lynk, currently ranked 5th in the world, three times during qualification rounds. They also faced Team 9032, Robo Whales, considered the second-best robot at the event, once during qualifications.

Despite the difficulty of the schedule, the Chargers rose to the challenge, finishing with a strong 8–4 record and earning the 5th seed after qualifying rounds. One of the most exciting moments came when Team 5160 earned a victory over the formidable Lynk, while paired alongside none other than the Robo Whales—a testament to both strategic play and consistent performance under pressure.

During alliance selection, the Chargers were thrilled to be chosen by Team 6500, the Gear Cats (Raleigh), joining forces with Team 6908, Infuzed (Cary) to form Alliance #3.

This time, playoff performance was much more successful. Alliance #3 won their first two playoff matches before dropping into the lower bracket. Refusing to back down, they fought their way through and won their fourth playoff match, earning a spot in the best-of-three finals against Alliance #1. That powerhouse alliance featured Lynk, Robo Whales, and Team 10121, TMSA Mecha Tiger.

Unfortunately, Alliance #1 proved too strong and the Chargers fell in two matches. Despite this, the team was proud to hold their opponents below their average scoring and celebrate an outstanding 2nd place finish at the tournament.

The weekend ended on an even higher note during the awards ceremony, when Team 5160 was honored with the Engineering Inspiration Award, one of the most prestigious awards in the FIRST Robotics Competition. This award recognizes teams that demonstrate exceptional commitment to sharing a passion for STEM within their school, community, and beyond.

We would like to give special recognition to senior Daniel Chen, our lead coder. Daniel works collaboratively with six other programmers across the country to develop programming documentation and support resources for less-experienced FIRST Robotics teams, which is an incredible example of leadership, service, and outreach.

With this momentum, the Chargers now advance to the FIRST NC State Championship, taking place in Greensboro from April 10–12.

You can follow Team 5160’s journey on Instagram at @chargers5160, and find more information about the State Championship, including opportunities to volunteer and upcoming livestream links at:
https://www.firstnorthcarolina.org/2026-first-nc-frc-state-championship

We are incredibly proud of the Chargers and excited to see what lies ahead. Thank you to our students, mentors, and families for making this possible. Go Chargers!

 

 

Dear Cary Academy Community,

As Cary Academy prepares for the leadership transition ahead, the Board of Directors has established an Ad Hoc Board Transition Committee to support this process.

The committee’s charge is to help ensure a smooth and thoughtful transition as we honor Mike Ehrhardt’s final year as Head of School and prepare to welcome Paul Turnbull to Cary Academy. Its work will focus on three primary areas: supporting Paul’s introduction to the community, coordinating plans to celebrate Mike’s leadership and departure, and helping Paul and his wife, Leslie, feel welcomed and connected as they prepare for their move to Cary Academy.

Chaired by Tami Polge, the committee includes members of the Board of Directors and the Leadership Team: Joan Davis, Aleta McClenney, Fernando Pulido, Vivek Munshi, Heather Clarkson, and Ali Page, with support from RG175 consultant Bob Henderson.

We are grateful to these leaders for their willingness to serve the school in this important work. More information will be shared as the transition progresses.

Warmly,
Trude R. Bate
Chair, Board of Directors

 

 

The Middle School Science Olympiad team is back from States—and they’ve set a new standard. With a ninth-place finish, the highest in program history, and a collection of state medals in hand, this crew proved they can compete with the very best. The margins tell the story: just three points shy of eighth place and eleven from seventh in a field that began with 145 schools and narrowed to 45 at the state level. Even more, they climbed another spot from last year and earned distinction as the second-highest placing private school in North Carolina.

In short: momentum is real, and it’s building. Now, let’s celebrate our scientists:

Medaling Events:

2nd Place:
Scrambler – Aanya Chakunta, ’30 & Lucy Yang, ‘31

3rd place:
Metric Mastery – Yuna Kim, ’30, Zofia Wang, ‘30

8th Place:
Codebusters – Anthony Liu, ’31, Ryan Xu, ’31, & Sylvie Knott, ‘30

Crimebusters – Aanya Chakunta, Lanlan Huang, ‘30

Experimental Design – Aashritha Karthik Kamu, ’31, Lucy Yang, & Shriya Shah, ‘31

9th Place:
Anatomy and Physiology – Ryan Xu &Elena Huang, ’30

Mission Possible – Raahi Desai, ’31 & Sylvie Knott

We also want to highlight our 11th place finishes, just one spot away from medaling:

11th Place:
Botany – Caroline Yang, ’32, Aarna Shah, ‘32

Circuit Lab – Lanlan Huang, Alex Launiau, ‘31

Helicopter – Anthony Liu, Alex Launiau

Quantum Detanglers – Audrey Graff, ’30, Olivia Hu, ‘30

Solar System – Anwen Baugh, ’30, Sophie Mei, ‘30

These results show just how deep, competitive, and impressive this entire team was across the board, not just competing side by side, but thinking together, problem solving together, and celebrating each other’s wins like they were their own. We are incredibly proud of what they accomplished this season, and even more excited for what is ahead. Way to go, Chargers!

 

 

In celebration of its 30th anniversary, the Arts Department will stage two all-school extracurricular productions during the 2026–2027 academic year. Both productions are open to students across divisions and offer a range of performance and technical theater opportunities.

Fall 2026: Something Wicked(er)!

An original, audience-immersive event first produced in 2022, Something Wicked(er)! returns as a reimagined haunting of Berger Hall’s theater. The production will feature the spirits of characters from past plays and musicals trapped in a magical maze of mirth and mayhem! Performance and tech opportunities are open to students in grades 6–12.

Performance Dates: October 28–30, 2026

Winter 2027: Dinner Theater and Musical Revue

We’re bringing back this one-of-a-kind experience! Following a scrumptious dinner served on stage by our student company, guests will enjoy a rousing musical revue featuring Hollywood classics, Broadway favorites, and unexpected gems. Performance opportunities will be open to students in grades 7 through 12; tech opportunities will be open to any student in grades 6 through 12.

Performance Dates: Thursday, February 25 through Saturday, February 27, 2027, and Thursday, March 4 through Saturday, March 6, 2027

 

 

It has been an exceptional month for CA mathematicians, with Chargers earning standout results in major state and regional competitions across the Middle and Upper Schools.

In Middle School, David Qi, ’31, Caeden Rupasinghe, ’31, and Dao Tan, ’32, competed in the State Math Contests for Levels I – III. Dao placed 2nd at the Fayetteville State University site for Level I and finished 10th overall in North Carolina, while David placed 5th at the UNC Greensboro site and 9th overall statewide. Congratulations to all three Middle School state qualifiers.

Members of CA’s Upper School Math Team—Frank He, ’28, Daniel Liu, ’29, Aiden Lu, ’28, Lingfei Tang, ’27, Ved Vainateya, ’28, Max Ye, ’29, Eric Zhu, ’27, and Jayden Zhu, ’29—earned second place at the State Comprehensive Math Contest. Several Chargers also earned individual honors, including Lingfei Tang (4th), Eric Zhu (6th), Ved Vainateya (12th), Daniel Liu (21st), Aiden Lu (37th).

CA’s Math Team also finished 2nd place in our highly competitive 21-state region, boasting some strong individual performances from Eric Zhu, ‘27: 35/36 (Tied for 3rd), Lingfei Tang, ‘27: 31/36 (Tied for 7th),Daniel Liu, ‘29: 26/36 (Tied for 18th), Aiden Lu, ‘28: 26/36 (Tied for 18th).

Additional scoring members of CA’s math team, earning at least 4/6 on one of six math league contests, included Anna Benjamin, ‘27, Victor He, ’27, Stephen Jia, ’29, Kevin Jiang, ’29, Daniel Liu, ’29, Aiden Lu, ’28, Keshav Munshi, ’29, Derek Qi, ’28, Lingfei Tang, ’27, Ved Vainateya, ’28, Isabel Yun, ’28, Eric Zhu, ’27, and Jayden Zhu, ’29.

 

 

Congratulations to the Class of 2026 as you embark on your college careers at 58 different colleges in 20 states, and the District of Columbia! To watch this year’s Baccalaureate ceremony, the Awards ceremony, and Commencement, click here. For a gallery of images from this year’s Commencement, click here.

Class of 2026:

Conrad Akulian, Guilherme Arnaut, Saachin Arora, Sidney Barber, Noah Becker, Jessica Bedford, Sofia Bohorquez, Jack Boucher, Hudson Chang, Daniel Chen, Max Chen, Ryan Chen, Sarah Chen, William Chen, Yul Choi, Bella Corral, Annalise DeMatteis, Alister Devins, Daphne DiFrancesco, Spencer Dill, Aidan Dunsmoor, Mason Dupre, Zuleika Ekangaki, Tova Feldman, Fiona Fitzsimons, Maren Fleshman, Kavi Gibson, Harper Gildener, Maya Giralt, Sadie Goulding, Bailey Greczyn, Cate Gredvig, Naomi Hammer, Lucy Hankins, Jonah Hanson, Alaina Jacobson, Dana Jhoung, Hala Johal, Lana Joyce, Raya Jung, Oliver Karra, Caroline Keefe, Catherine Kendall, Ava Khoudary, Gavin Koo, Maddie Kovacs, Ellen Lan, Augustus Lavalette, Alison Lee, Clare Lee, Mirella Leerberg, Keira Leslie, Allen Li, Abby Lierman, Henry Lim, Chloe Lin, Wells Lin, Linus Lindsey, Alex Liu, Patrick Liu, Aanya Lunani, Kush Lutz, Rehan Mahmood, Akash Mani, Brady Marchand, Caden Martin, Melissa Masere, Cecilia Matronola, Callie McCarron, Danica McCarron, Christopher McHenry, NeVaeh McNair, Grant Messerly, Finn Miller, Piper Miller, Madi Moore, Dhruv Mulik, Ayden Musau, Anjali Narahari, Misha Nasim, Kai Oduor, Lauren Parker, Moriah Parks, Kajal Parmar, Bharghav Parvathaneni, Serena Patel, Sohum Patel, Jordyn Phillips, Sienna Pollock, Noah Prince, Luna Pulido, Elizabeth Rayas, Deuce Ross, Aidan Rousseau, Keira Sabapathypillai, Yusef Said, Bemnet Samson, Bella Sillers, Zack Staffhorst, Luke Stallings, Shrey Surana, Oliver Swartz, Rhianna Thomas, Delaney Thompson, Chimdi Uchendu, Etienne Van Tonder, Keira Vandewouw, Aviva Wang, Cam Weber, Katie Wiater, Kate Wiebe, McCoy Williams, Brianna Xin, Joyce Xu, Rebecca Yao, Liliana Yi, Chris Yonas Daniel, Kenna Zhang, Steve Zhong, Rhea Zhou, Lily Zhu.

Colleges attending:

Appalachian State University, Bates College, Boston University, Brown University, Bucknell University, Carnegie Mellon University, Case Western Reserve University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Davidson College, Denison University, Duke University, Elon University, Emory University, George Washington University, Georgetown University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Hamilton College, Harvard University, Haverford College, Howard University, Indiana University (Bloomington), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, New York University, North Carolina Central University, North Carolina State University, Northeastern University, Oberlin College, Occidental College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Rhode Island School of Design, Rice University, Santa Clara University, Springfield College, Stanford University, Syracuse University, The University of Alabama, Tulane University of Louisiana, United States Military Academy at West Point, University of California (Berkeley), University of California (Davis), University of California (Santa Barbara), University of California (Santa Cruz), University of Chicago, University of Miami, University of Michigan, University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill), University of North Carolina at Charlotte, University of North Carolina Wilmington, University of Pennsylvania, University of Virginia, Vanderbilt University, Wake Forest University, Washington University in St. Louis, Wellesley College, William & Mary, Williams College.

 

 

Pictured above: Head of School Award winners Kenna Zhang, ‘26, Yul Choi, ‘26, Henry Lim, ‘26.

Last week, Cary Academy gathered for the annual Awards Ceremony to honor students who exemplified excellence throughout the 2024-2025 school year.

We honor these individual accomplishments and celebrate the collective spirit of this student body.

Congratulations to all the winners! Video of the Awards Ceremony and a complete list of award winners is available below.

Award Winners:

National Merit Scholarship semifinalist:

Guilherme Arnaut, ‘26

National Merit Scholarship finalists:

William Chen, ‘26

Yul Choi, ‘26

Fiona Fitzsimons, ‘26

Harper Gildener, ‘26

Jonah Hanson, ‘26

Gavin Koo, ‘26

Augustus Lavalette, ‘26

Clare Lee, ‘26

Allen Li, ‘26

Patrick Liu, ‘26

Akash Mani, ‘26

Anjali Narahari, ‘26

Sohum Patel, ‘26

Aviva Wang, ‘26

Brianna Xin, ’26

Joyce Xu, ‘26

Upper School Awards:

Hudson Chang, ‘26

Bella Corral, ‘26

Jordyn Phillips, ‘26

McCoy Williams, ‘26

Outstanding Discovery Awards:

William Chen, ‘26

Augustus Lavalette, ‘26

Kalyn Grice, ‘29

Lily Zhu, ‘26

Naomi Hammer, ‘26

Annika Taneja, ‘28

Jessica Bedford, ‘26

Outstanding Innovation Awards:

Cole Matthews, ‘29

Bella Corral, ‘26

Alister Devins, ‘26

Conrad Akulian, ‘26

Akshadha Chintu, ‘28

Isabella Grossi, ‘28

Sophie Holland, ‘27

Malyn Johnson, ‘27

Serena Patel, ‘26

Jasmine Phillips, ‘27

Elina Shah, ‘27

Kiran Singh, ‘27

Simran Vishnubhakta, ‘27

Tara Viswanath, ‘28

Rayan Almony, ‘27

Camille Monds, ‘27

Aidan Dunsmoor, ‘26

Etienne Van Tonder, ‘26

Outstanding Collaboration Awards:

Bella Corral, ‘26

Kiran Singh, ‘27

Joyce Xu, ‘26

Cydnee Bozeman-Palacio, ‘28

Charlotte Ro, ‘27

Luna Pulido, ‘26

Dani McCarron, ‘26

Naomi Hammer, ‘26

Tova Feldman, ‘26

Annika Liu, ‘29

Aarnavi Boppana, ‘29

Outstanding Community Awards:

Steven Leo, ‘28

Melissa Masere, ‘26

Hogan Wendt, ‘27

Outstanding Service Awards:

Sophie Livingston, ‘27

Skyler Jayasooriya, ‘27

Cate Gredvig, ‘26

Anisha Cattamanchi, ‘28

Founder Award:

Daphne DiFrancesco, ‘26

Head of School Award:

Yul Choi, ‘26

Henry Lim, ‘26

Kenna Zhang, ‘26

Brandeis University Book Award:

Sophia Curtis, ‘27

Brown University Book Award:

Riley Powell, ‘27

Dartmouth College Book Award:

Lingfei Tang, ‘27

RPI Medal:

Eric Zhu, ‘27

University of Chicago Book Award:

Anna Benjamin, ‘27

Johnnetta Camile Overton Scholarship:

Camille Monds, ‘27

Spector Family Fund Award:

Noelle Moorhead, ‘27

 

 

Cary Academy’s HOSA chapter had a strong showing at the 2026 NC HOSA State Leadership Conference this spring. Chargers competed across a wide range of health science and hands-on skill events, earning 10 Top 10 finishes across eight events, including two first-place finishes and six top-three finishes.

Congratulations to the following Chargers who earned Top 10 finishes at States:

Sophie Wu – 1st place, Behavioral Health
Lucas Yang – 1st place, Epidemiology
Ty Allen – 2nd place, Physical Therapy
Anna Benjamin – 2nd place, Medical Math
Emma Wang – 2nd place, Clinical Laboratory Science
Aviva Wang – 3rd place, Extemporaneous Writing – Health Policy
Angie Horne – 6th place, Clinical Laboratory Science
Andrea Ye – 8th place, Behavioral Health
Akshadha Chintu – 8th place, Phlebotomy
Sophia Cui – 9th place, Medical Terminology

Congratulations to all of Cary Academy’s HOSA competitors for representing CA at the state level and to our Top 10 finishers on an outstanding showing!