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Sophie and Thomas Holland zoom into MSNBC

6th

Sixth-grader shares vaccination experience, hopes with national audience

May 14, 2021

How does it feel to be one of the first young people in the world to receive the COVID-19 vaccine? That’s exactly what MSNBC’s Chris Jansing asked Sophie Holland ’27, during a live interview conducted from Cary Academy’s campus, yesterday afternoon.

“I just really wanted a way to help out all of the community and a way to get out of this pandemic, so that we can all be safe and go back to normal lifestyles,” Sophie told Jansing.

Sophie – who participated in a double-blind vaccine trial of 12- to 15-year-olds conducted by Duke University and Pfizer-BioNTech – appeared with her father, Thomas Holland, MD. Dr. Holland, a hospital physician and infectious disease specialist at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, has been working on COVID-19 since the early days of the Coronavirus pandemic, leading in-patient clinical teams caring for COVID-19 patients while helping other infectious disease experts better understand the virus and the health emergency it posed.

Hours prior to the interview, Sophie was “unblinded,” receiving word from vaccine trial officials that she had, in fact, received two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, rather than the placebo. Sophie says she’s looking forward to spending time in person with close friends, now that they can receive the vaccine.

Written by Dan Smith, Digital Content Producer and Social Media Manager

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Josh Rowsey with students

7th

Students make their voices heard during CA’s first-ever Poetry Slam

May 13, 2021

After a four-week study of spoken word, poetry, and rap with artists-in-residence Josh “Rowdy” Rowsey ’09 and Lauren Bullock, seventh-grade students shared their voices at Cary Academy’s first annual Middle School Poetry Slam! Student performances on identity and current social justice issues took place on May 12 in the Cary Academy Fitness Center. Students shared poetry and rap that touched on racial injustice, climate change, recent violence towards Asians, female empowerment, gender identity, and much more! Students blew their audience away with their ability to take risks, lean into discomfort, and voice their most deeply held beliefs, feelings, and passions! After a challenging year of disconnection and isolation, it felt so good to have such a bonding and communal experience! 

This community-building and advocacy-focused event was the culmination of a month-long study of spoken word, poetry, and rap under the tutelage of Rowsey and Bullock. These two guest experts have been working with 7th graders in the Language Arts classroom, coaching them up on the history of spoken word and hip-hop, poetic form and devices, and performance techniques involving voice, body language, and gesture. Based on this guidance, students have been busy writing, revising, and practicing their delivery for weeks! As Josh and Lauren say, “Peace, love, and family!” 

Kevin Joshua Rowsey is a National Recording Artist, Writer, Actor, and Educator based in the North Carolina Triangle Area. “Rowdy” has been featured on BET, NPR, PBS Kids, and has given a TEDX talk on the importance of Hip Hop Culture. Rowsey is a U.S. Hip Hop Ambassador through the U.S. Department of State and the Next Level Hip Hop Program. On stage Rowsey is part of the national collective No9to5 Music and plays with a live Jazz Band (J) Rowdy & The Night Shift which was nominated for a 2017 Carolina Music Award. They’ve been able to share the stage with the likes of Rakim, Busta Rhymes, Ari Lennox, Childish Major, Snow Tha Product, Murs, 2 Chainz, Juicy J, and a plethora of other national recording acts. Currently Rowdy is the founder of two triangle area cyphers – The UNC Cypher (UNC-CH) and the Med City Cypher (Downtown Durham). He also holds the position of Program Director at the Downtown Durham – Afrofuturist Teen Center Blackspace. Through UNC Greensboro’s Masters of Arts in Teaching Program Rowsey continues his mission to spread southern hip hop at a national and international level through performance, writing and educational workshops inspiring the culture through the craft. 

Lauren Bullock is a queer multiracial writer, performer, teaching artist, events organizer, and model. Her work appears on AFROPUNK.com, Button Poetry, The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, and more. Lauren earned acclaim for her pop culture commentary through editorials on Black Nerd Problems as well as serving as poetry editor for FreezeRay Poetry. To date, she has organized 7 international and regional arts conferences or festivals, and 5 monthly series. Lauren’s modeling work has also been featured by publications such as Gmaro Magazine and Out-and-Out Magazine. When not creating she enjoys fighting crime as a costumed vigilante of many aliases.

Written by Dan Smith, Digital Content Producer and Social Media Manager

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Essential Arts

German Day 2021

World Language

Virtual German Day 2021 results: sehr gut!

April 15, 2021

This year, the North Carolina German Day Competition took place virtually due to the pandemic, with a mix of live online events and prerecorded submissions. German Day is hosted by local universities (this year led by Appalachian State and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) and organized by the N.C. chapter of the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG).  Congratulations to the following winners! 

Middle School: 

A Capella Song: 
1st place:   Gavin Koo (Level B) 
2nd place:   Aubrey Bundy, Sebastian Escobar, Kelley Felix, Alexander Ferretti, Mirabelle Greenwolfe, Jonas McMullin, Tess Perkinson, Riley Powell, Rishi Ramesh, Hogan Wendt and Rajan Wood  (Level A) 

Song with Choreography: 
1st place:  Izzy Bottorff, Anurag Gaddu, Reagan Lee and Max Leuchtmann (Level A) 

Song with Musical Accompaniment: 
1st place:  Sebastian deSouza, Nora Leuchtmann and Zelin Ye (Level B) 

Cooking Show: 
3rd place:  Aviva Wang (Level A) 

Upper School: 

3D Art: 

1st place: Mary Esposito 

2nd Place: Emma Esposito 

2D Art: 

Honorable Mention: Sara Martin, Rin Mauney 

Poster: 

2nd place: Louisa Wendt 

3rd place: Alexandra Butulis 

Song with Musical Accompaniment: 

3rd place: Kaeshev Alepati 

Karaoke: 

1st place: Zoe Koo, Rin Mauney 

2nd place: Rin Mauney, Cy Reading, Sedef Iz 

3rd place: Koa Kaliebe, Claire Ferris, Eva Hammer, Kyle Murphy, Mary Esposito 

Verb Bee: 

1st place: Claire Ferris 

Culture Bowl: 

2nd place: Tommy Frank (Level B) 

2nd place: Charlie Eheman (Level A) 

Poetry Recitation: 

1st place: Kendyl George (Level 3) 

Extemporaneous Speaking Heritage Level: 

1st place: Claire Ferris 

2nd place: Tommy Frank 

3rd place: Koa Kaliebe 

Cooking Show: 

1st place: Leah Wiebe (Level B) 

3rd place: Kaeshev Alepati, Tymur Tkachenko (Level B) 

Honorable Mention: Louisa Wendt, Adora Koonce (Level A) 

Written by Dan Smith, Digital Content Producer and Social Media Manager

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A member of the CA faculty receives an injection at the CA COVID vaccination clinic

Community

Cary Academy hosts COVID-19 vaccination clinic for Triangle-area educators and other front-line workers

March 10, 2021

On Friday, March 5, in partnership with Health Park Pharmacy, Cary Academy hosted a coronavirus vaccine clinic in the Center for Math and Science gym. In addition to CA faculty and staff, CA invited members of the Cary Police department, an RTP-based firm that manufactures syringes for vaccination, and faculty and staff from thirteen Triangle-area elementary and secondary schools: Bright Horizons, Cardinal Charter, Carter Community School, Central Park School, Cresset Christian, Dream Academy, LatinxEd, Mills Park Elementary, Neal Magnet Middle School, Reedy Creek Elementary, Research Triangle High School, The Raleigh School, and Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy.

“The question of where to go and how to arrange a vaccination is made a lot easier when we’re able to offer vaccinations – not only to our own employees, but other educators and community members,” said Dr. Mike Ehrhardt. “And we’re really grateful to all the partners that helped make this happen.”

By the end of the day, 450 school staff and faculty, front-line workers, and at-risk individuals from Durham and Wake Counties received an injection of the Johnson & Johnson single-dose COVID-19 vaccine from the Health Park Pharmacy team and their volunteer vaccinators.

If you are a healthcare professional interested in volunteering to help distribute vaccines during future vaccination clinics in and around Wake County, contact Health Park Pharmacy nurse manager Lauren Crotty.

Written by Dan Smith, Digital Content Producer and Social Media Manager

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Kevin Rowsey - Ubuntu

Middle School

Ubuntu inspires students to think about themselves and their communities

March 5, 2021

At Cary Academy, the final Friday in February always marks the Middle School’s Ubuntu program  – CA’s celebration of community that supports our mission by helping students see how they can impact the school, their community, and the world. Ubuntu allows students to experience different cultures, food, work, and other topics through different lenses, piquing their interests and inspiring them to take a deeper dive into a variety of issues.

This year, in the interest of keeping our students and community members safe and healthy, the Ubuntu Celebration was spread across the week, last week. On Tuesday and Thursday, Middle School students in the Blue and Gold learning cohorts had the chance to sample foods from across the globe during lunch. On Friday, each Middle School grade attended virtual discussions with scholars, activists, and artists whose work serves to inspire us to think about ourselves, our roles in our communities, and our place in history.

Jaki Shelton Green - Ubuntu

The sixth grade was inspired by Jaki Shelton Green, the third woman and the first African American to be honored as North Carolina’s state poet laureate. Shelton, who teaches documentary poetry at Duke University, challenged the Class of 2027 to each choose an object or experience that has particular significance to them and then craft a thoughtful personal statement on how it’s shaped who they are. In preparation for her workshop, “What We Keep Keeps Us,” Shelton Green asked the students to consider having a conversation with their family about the object, its meaning to them, and its meaning to their family.

Kevin Rowsey - Ubuntu

CA alumnus Josh “Rowdy” Rowsey ’09 sat down with the seventh grade to discuss how developing one’s voice and a strong sense of self helps us strive towards social justice. Rowsey, an educator and hip hop artist who uses music, writing, and performance workshops to mentor youth across the nation, is the Program Director at the downtown Durham Afrofuturist Teen Center, Blackspace. During Rowsey’s workshop, entitled “Afrofuturism: Taking SPACE as a form of Social Justice,” students created and performed spoken word and lyrics inspired by John Lewis’ autobiographical March trilogy of graphic novels, co-written with Andrew Aydin, and illustrated by Nate Powell.  “Josh’s electric energy and welcoming spirit encouraged students to take a risk and courageously perform their pieces before the entire seventh grade,” says MS language arts and social studies teacher Lucy Dawson.

Brie Starks - Ubuntu

Brie Starks, the Children and Families Program Coordinator at we are, a Durham-based organization dedicated to disrupting structural racism in the education system and promoting youth engagement on racial injustice, spoke with the students and faculty of the eighth grade. Starks worked with the Class of 2025 to better understand cultural identifiers, bias, and how they can take action to effect real, meaningful social change in her workshop, “Unpacking Identity and Implicit Bias.” Starks, who holds a Master of Social Work, has worked on a number of advocacy efforts for students of color, underrepresented youth, persons living with disabilities, and building campaigns around trauma awareness.

About the presenters

Jaki Shelton Green, ninth Poet Laureate of North Carolina is the first African American and third woman to be appointed as the North Carolina Poet Laureate. She is a 2019 Academy of American Poet Laureate Fellow, 2014 NC Literary Hall of Fame Inductee, 2009 NC Piedmont Laureate appointment, 2003 recipient of the North Carolina Award for Literature. Jaki Shelton Green teaches Documentary Poetry at Duke University Center for Documentary Studies and has been named the 2021 Frank B. Hanes Writer in Residence at UNC Chapel Hill. Her publications include: Dead on Arrival, Masks, Dead on Arrival and New Poems, Conjure Blues, singing a tree into dance, breath of the song, Feeding the Light, i want to undie you.On Juneteenth 2020, she released her first LP, poetry album, The River Speaks of Thirst, produced by Soul City Sounds and Clearly Records.Jaki Shelton Green is the owner of SistaWRITE providing writing retreats for women writers in Sedona Arizona, Martha’s Vineyard, Ocracoke North Carolina, Northern Morocco, and Tullamore Ireland.

Joshua Kevin “Rowdy” Rowsey is a National Recording Artist, Writer, Actor, and Educator based in the North Carolina Triangle Area. Rowdy has been featured on BET, NPR, PBS Kids, and has given a TEDX talk on the importance of Hip Hop Culture. Rowsey is a U.S. Hip Hop Ambassador through the U.S. Department of State and the Next Level Hip Hop Program. On stage Rowsey is part of the national collective No9to5 Music and plays with a live Jazz Band (J) Rowdy & The Night Shift which was nominated for a 2017 Carolina Music Award. They’ve been able to share the stage with the likes of Rakim, Busta Rhymes, Ari Lennox, Childish Major, Snow Tha Product, Murs, 2 Chainz, Juicy J, and a plethora of other national recording acts. Currently Rowdy is the founder of two triangle area cyphers – The UNC Cypher (UNC-CH) and the Med City Cypher (Downtown Durham). He also holds the position of Program Director at the Downtown Durham – Afrofuturist Teen Center Blackspace. Through UNC Greensboro’s Master of Arts in Teaching Program Rowsey continues his mission to spread southern hip hop at a national and international level through performance, writing and educational workshops inspiring the culture through the craft. 

Brie M. Starks, MSW is a proud Detroit, MI native. Brie is a proud alumna of the University of Michigan where she obtained a B.A. in History, Political Science, and Afro-American and African Studies. She also holds a Master of Social work from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice. Instead of a clinical based MSW, Brie chose to pursue a macro-focused MSW in community organizing and obtained a certificate in Global Human Rights at Penn. Brie has worked on a number of advocacy efforts for students of color, underrepresented youth, persons living with disabilities and building campaigns around trauma awareness. She enjoys DIY projects and anything that allows for maximum creativity. Brie is the Children and Families Program Coordinator for we are.

Written by Dan Smith, Digital Content Producer and Social Media Manager

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2020 Spring Athletic Awards

Monsio Love Joof teaches about Liberian culture

CA Curious

Teaching beyond a single story

February 18, 2021

Too often—whether in the news or media representation in movies and television and beyond—Africa is presented in monolithic, flattened, and exoticized terms. These racist and otherwise damaging narratives flatten and stereotype the African experience, failing to reflect the rich history and diverse peoples and cultures represented on the continent.  

At CA one of our primary goals in world history is to upset such narratives, to instill in our students a mindset of genuine, respectful, and ethical curiosity about other cultures and empathy for other people. Through rich opportunities for in-depth exploration and discovery, we aim to broaden our students’ perspectives and encourage them to develop a more nuanced and intricate understanding of the countries, peoples, and cultures of the African continent.  

To that end, earlier this month, we were thrilled to invite our seventh graders to campus for our first-ever annual Celebrate Africa Day. An immersive experience designed to supplement the world history curriculum and study of the African continent, this very special community event was an opportunity for students to move beyond a single story of Africa and its people. 

The morning kicked off with great energy and fun, courtesy of dance teacher Jasmine Powell, who led students and advisors in an incredible Zoom dance activity.  

Within their advisory groups, students got on their feet to experience Ethiopian “Eskita” celebratory dance, Malian West African “Lengin” rite of passage dance, and Nigerian “Sango/Yemaya” religious dance, among others. Ms. Powell—who has an extensive background in African dance—explained the movements in detail, sharing her vast knowledge about the hidden meanings and purposes of the many dances. It was an energizing and fascinating start to the day. 

From there, students rotated in small groups to hear from six different CA family members who each hail from different African countries.  

Samson Berhan from Eritrea (father of Bemnet Samson ’26), Chi Ugwa from Nigeria (mother of Ike Ugwa ‘25), Monsio Love Joof from Liberia (aunt of Sam and James Joof ‘24), Memezie Kiadii from Liberia (mother to Tori Kiadii ‘25), Adeola Lawal from Nigeria (mother of Oyinlola Lawal ‘20), and Seif Oduor from Kenya (father of Kai Oduor ’26) shared beautiful artifacts from their home countries, as well as aspects of their culture, languages, and experiences. Students learned about Igbo, Yoruba, and Luhya tribal ethnicities and phrases in Kiswahili and Tigrinya.  

Perhaps the most powerful aspects of the presentations were the personal stories about childhood, tight-knit familial communities, and artisanal skills and craftsmanship. We are so lucky to have such incredible diversity within our community and extend a special thanks to all those that were willing to share of themselves, their experiences, and their knowledge so that our students could have such a rich learning experience.  

One of the rotations featured a National Geographic Giant Map of Africa, on loan to us from West Forsyth High School teacher Debra Troxell in Winston-Salem. Using a map that spanned half a basketball court, students actively explored the geography of the continent.  

In teams, students “tiptoed to Tanzania,” “flew a plane from Cairo to Cape Town,” and dove head-first into the Indian Ocean. In conjunction with their study of Great African Civilizations, students walked the path of the hajj across the Sahara Desert like Mansa Musa, sailed their dhow along the Swahili Coast, and made a powerful posture like Queen Nzinga in modern-day Angola. Not only did students learn more about the countries, cities, and bodies of water in Africa, but they got a chance to more fully appreciate the tremendous size of the continent, as well as the boundless diversity of landforms, climates, rivers, and historical attractions.  

The morning ended on a communal and celebratory note with lunch catered by Goorsha, a Durham-based Ethiopian restaurant owned by CA parent Fasil Tesfaye (father of Abben Fasil ’25). Students and teachers got to taste the wonderful cuisine of the horn of Africa, including authentic Injira (Ethiopian flatbread made with teff grains), Zilzil Alecha (beef with garlic, onions, and ginger), and Fosolia (carrots and green beans in a rich tomato sauce). The food was delicious—and very graciously paid for through a generous PTAA grant! It was so wonderful to see the students eating together on the field and patio while sharing reflections on the morning’s events.  

To put the day’s events into context, seventh graders have been studying the African continent since early December. We began with the immense size of Africa and the incredible linguistic, topographical, and cultural diversity that the continent contains. We also addressed the way Africa is often portrayed in the media and “the danger of a single story,” a phrase coined by Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. We discuss the ways Africa gets flattened into a monolith, both its people and its places, and how we must do the work to seek out many, many more stories to add texture and variety to this singular and problematic narrative.  

Students then launched into an annual research project where they chose a Great African Civilization or ruler of their choice. These ranged from the powerful ancient Egyptian and Nubian empires, to the Almoravid’s who conquered the Iberian Peninsula, to the advanced artistic society of the Nok, and many, many more.  

Ultimately, the students’ final assessment will include the preparation of a persuasive presentation targeted at the North Carolina Board of Education for why their topic, and Africa in general, should be studied more thoroughly in middle school curricula, as the continent is a woefully undertaught region of the world.  

After immersing ourselves in the flourishing and vibrant African civilizations of the 11th,12th, 13th, and 14th centuries, the class then spent several weeks studying the very difficult and sensitive topics of the Atlantic Slave Trade and European Imperialism and Colonization.  

We purposefully root this study in the in-depth exploration of such powerful and thriving civilizations as the Mali, Songhay, Great Zimbabwe, and Kingdom of Benin to recognize and honor the humanity of those that would ultimately be violently enslaved and colonized—these were not solely victims, but peoples with long, rich histories, communities, and flourishing cultures that are all too often erased in the face of violent history.    

To further personalize these historical events, students read a collection of personal narratives and examine primary source artifacts. In doing so, we aim to amplify the empathy our students feel for the human beings taken from their homes or exploited in their own civilizations. 

Our goal is that seventh graders not only learn the facts and figures of the Atlantic Slave Trade and colonization but feel the immense emotional and psychological weight and lasting consequences of this historical period. Throughout this unit students read about resistance to the slave trade and the many brave individuals and groups who fought against this oppression in covert and overt ways.  

At the end of the trimester, we will end our study of the continent on a high note, with the independence movements in countries such as Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa. To demonstrate their learning, students will write their own original parables, describing in metaphorical terms how the people and countries of Africa have faced tremendous exploitation and cruelty but have fought with great dignity, perseverance, and success to regain independence and splendor.  

We will return to the course-long theme of oppression followed by resistance and positive change and we will continue to inculcate within our students a sense of hope and empowerment to make the world a better place. While the study of world history can at times be difficult and full of despair, we believe it is important to also focus on the incredible collective movements that brought about real progress and our students’ ability to effect change in the world.  

In broader terms, our hope is to center a part of the world that is often taught peripherally, if taught at all. Our scope and sequence in world history are meant to clearly send the message that Black lives matter and that Black history matters.  

What better way to punctuate this message to our young learners than by devoting a whole day to the continent—by listening to personal stories of our CA family members, by exploring the vast and diverse landscape, by communing together over a homemade batch of Injira, and adding more and more stories to their narrative of an amazing continent.    

Written by Lucy Dawson and Alicia Morris, MS language arts and social studies teacher and MS social studies teacher

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Middle School

CA teams get with the (computer) program

January 14, 2021

After the first of four contests in the American Computer Science League (ACSL) Programming contest, Cary Academy’s student-led teams rank at the top of the leader boards, having scored 30/30 and 29/30, against some of the best programming teams in the U.S., Canada, Croatia, and Romania.  

The written section of the contest consisted of five questions in 45 minutes involving logic and discrete mathematics that relate to how computers analyze information. The programing section involved reading a program statement and specifications in order to write a program within 72 hours to turn five inputs into five output, following the given rules and requirements. 

The Middle School’s junior team scored 30/30 and the Upper School’s intermediate team scored 29/30. It’s hard to do much better than that!

Advised by Mr. Jon Noland in the Upper School and Mrs. Leslie Williams in the Middle School, the students practiced with both past programs and written questions during student-led club time and on their own in order to prepare for the contest. 

CA’s teams will compete in three more regular-season contests, before the All-Star Contest in May 2021.

Written by Dan Smith, Digital Content Producer and Social Media Manager

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Middle School Reflections

October 15, 2020

We are now past the halfway mark of the first trimester and adjusting to the recent move from all-virtual to the cohort model – a very interesting, unique, and fluid first trimester.  

Every year, with predictability, we run a comprehensive and engaging Middle School program where the focus is spent (and where it should be spent) on teaching. This year, however, our focus has had additional layers and dimensions, as we’ve had to rethink all aspects of our program. A huge amount of time and energy was spent on addressing logistics– from pick up to drop off; from student passing patterns in-and-between buildings to lunch lines, from desk arrangements to sanitizing stations, and so on– so that our community members would be learning and teaching in the safest environment possible.   

On top of providing input and planning for this critical safety piece, the Middle School faculty re-envisioned their curricular objectives and teaching delivery so they could instruct our young learners more effectively virtually and face-to-face for longer blocks of time. We were challenged to think in new ways; what had worked beautifully with students on campus in a 45-minute daily class did not necessarily transfer to the modified structure.  

While we were fortunate to have good feedback from our community members about last spring’s foray into virtual learning to inform our efforts, last trimester’s program was an abbreviated, crisis-response version of school. Our goal this year has been to transform that experiment into a longer-term, sustainable, engaging program that continues to embody the full CA experience despite the evolving circumstances of the pandemic. And, despite our faculty committing extra time over the summer to plan for the cohort model, it has proven to be time-intensive, thought-provoking, and challenging work.  

PE teachers ponder how to teach students virtually or how to teach in-class participants with limited or no contact between students.  Performing arts faculty wonder how to handle ensembles and practices when the band or chorus classes now meet outside. All teachers grapple with how to best group students when some are not on campus. And how does one engage a lively bunch of adolescent learners for extended periods when in virtual mode?  As many questions as answers arise and, as thoughtfully and carefully as we have planned, there have been and will continue to be on-going tweaks and adjustments as we learn what works and what does not. In many ways, every day, we’re modeling what we hope to instill in our students: resiliency, flexibility, a willingness to experiment, to take risks, to assess and take advantage of emerging learning opportunities, to stretch, and to grow—all while maintaining our commitment to core values. 

Having our Middle Schoolers back on campus invigorates all of us and brings a much-wanted sense of normalcy. We have missed the energy, the laughter, the enthusiasm, and the sounds of young people.  (A school building devoid of students for an extended period of time is too quiet and unnatural, and, frankly, a little sad.)  

Our students seem happy to be back on campus and to be with their peers and engaged in learning. Everyone is getting used to working with the challenges of safety parameters (speaking clearly and listening carefully in a face-covered environment, keeping six feet apart, washing/sanitizing hands throughout the day, and of course, running the daily health app).  Even though routines are different from the past, they are still routines, and everyone is settling in.  A little predictability and routine has been very welcome in this time of unpredictability.  

Over the past months, I have become more conscious and appreciative of the word collaboration in our mission statement. This unique time has forced our employees to be even more collaborative than before. It would be impossible to run the Middle School Program right now without the help of our colleagues in other divisions. Staff members from Advancement, Information Services, Admissions, Security, The Center for Community Engagement, as well as our Head of School are supervising students during lunch, providing a break for Middle School faculty and an opportunity for our students to meet employees outside the instructional areas.  Our Facilities staff and Campus Logistics Director work tirelessly to ensure that the buildings are set up to support safety protocols. The examples of individuals jumping in to help are numerous. I am also grateful to parents for their collaborative partnership and for working with us through this journey. The flexibility, support, and constructive feedback has been invaluable.   

We are certainly in a different place than we were a year ago, but there will be a day when school is back to “normal.”  While unwanted and hugely disruptive, the pandemic has forced us to think outside of the box and to reimagine our Middle School program. The lessons we are learning now will ultimately make our program even stronger when we return to school as usual. 

Written by Marti Jenkins, Head of Middle School

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Visual Arts Showcase 2020

Middle School

Middle School visual arts showcase for 2019-2020

June 5, 2020

Traditionally, as the school year comes to a close, works by Middle School arts majors and sixth-grade art students are exhibited in Berger Hall as part of the Middle School Arts Showcase. With the move to virtual learning, CA’s traditional showcase isn’t possible. Thanks to Middle School visual arts teacher Alyssa Armstrong, you can enjoy the work of CA’s talented Middle School artists in our virtual visual arts showcase.

Written by Dan Smith, Digital Content Producer and Social Media Manager

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