A newsletter for the families and friends of Westchester Country Day School

From the Head of SchoolFor the third year in a row now I have had the pleasure of serving as

an advisor to several members of the Class of 2015. This is a role I always have found particularly rewarding; more often than not, during my twenty-five years as an independent school teacher and administrator, I’ve had a group of advisees.

As an Upper School teacher, I was always jealous of the time that Lower School teachers had each day to build relationships with their students. Beginning in the sixth grade, when students change classes for each subject, teachers’ encounters with students are much more fragmented and rushed. Advisory offers us a rich opportunity to work with a small group of students at a higher elevation and see them more holistically.

As their advisor, my job is to get to know them well, have a broad, high-level awareness of their lives at school--academic, personal, extracurricular, etc--and to be a safe place for them to come if they have a questions or need advice. In addition, I am another point of contact for their parents as they move through the division. Over the years, I have become convinced that this kind of relationship is one of the key ways in which independent schools stand apart from the crowd.

Several years ago, as part of our work to strengthen the relationships between school and home upon which our community at WCDS is founded, we started to take time out at the beginning of the second semester to allow Lower School homeroom teachers and Middle and Upper School advisors to write personalized narrative reports about the students in their care to be sent home to parents in early February. These reports are meant to share with families our sense of each child’s progress, challenges, and strengths from the unique perspective of homeroom teacher/advisor.

We have several goals that we hope to achieve with these narrative reports:

• To continue to build the critical bridge between the school and the home upon which our successful work with our students depends.

• To share with parents all of the wonderful things that advisors have come to see and appreciate about their children over the year.

• To affirm our commitment as a school to teaching the “whole child,” providing parents with our sense of their child in a context broader than a particular class, club, team, or activity.

• Most importantly, to help us build community, engender trust, and foster strong relationships.

Middle School advisors began writing narratives during the 2011-2012 academic year, and the following year the Lower and Upper School

January 2015 Newsletter

In This Issue...

Headlines

Middle School News

Upcoming Events

Arts Update

Athletics Update

For the College Bound

Blue and White Gala

Fun Family Dinner on Friday, January 9

Open to all who have participated in this year’s Annual Fund.

Join us in the Cats’ Den between 5:30 and 7:00 p.m. for a wonderful Homecoming dinner catered by Pepper Moon.

If you have not had an opportunity to participate,

click here to make your pledge today!

Pledge now, pay by June 30, 2015.

The Annual Fund

Supporting Wildcat Nation

faculty joined the effort. This year I will write the third advisory narrative for each of my advisees, and over time, thirteen- and fourteen-year graduates will be able to leave us with a personal narrative for each of their years at WCDS.

Early next month, you’ll receive an email letting you know that this year’s narratives are available for you to download from WestNet. Our hope is that they will enrich and inform the ongoing conversations that we strive to have with all of you about your children, our students. I know I speak for all of the advisors and homeroom teachers when I invite you to share your responses to these reports with us; doing so will help us all serve students and families better.

We also welcome your feedback on any other element of our work as a school. If you have questions, suggestions, concerns, or compliments, please don’t hesitate to reach out to share them with us.

Cobb

Westchester Celebrates Homecoming

Students are invited to show their Wildcat spirit during Homecoming week with the following dress-up days:

Tuesday, January 6 - Camo/Neon DayWednesday, January 7 - Aloha Day (Hawaiian Inspired)Thursday, January 8 - PJ Day* Friday, January 9 - Blue and White Day and Homecoming** Lower School will participate Thursday and Friday only.

On Friday, be sure to come out and support your Cats on the hardcourt:

Middle School Girls vs Greensboro Academy at 3:30 p.m.Middle School Boys - A vs Greensboro Academy at 4:45 p.m.JV Boys vs Salem Baptist at 6:00 p.m.Varsity Boys vs Salem Baptist at 7:15 p.m.

Longtime Wildcat supporter David Couch will be honored with this year’s Athletic Hall of Fame Award prior to the Varsity game. The Homecoming Court will be presented following the Varsity game. Everyone is encouraged to attend!

Lower School Science Enrichment

Kindergarten students studied polar animals during their science enrichment class with Mrs. Beale.

At left, Pallavi Paruchuri stands next to “Penny” the Emperor penguin as she compares her height to the largest species of penguin. Students demonstrated their understanding of graphing and analyzing data during the penguin unit.

At right, students experiment with lard as an insulator while immersing their hands in ice water. Exploring characteristics of polar animals that allow them to stay warm in cold environments was the goal of the simulation.

Mr. Smith Wins Booster Puppy

Congratulations to Mr. Smith for being the winning bidder on the Booster puppy! She is settling into her new home just fine and making fast friends with all the members of the Smith household!

Welcome New Wildcat!

4th GradeMiss Kemina Lee Gilstrap -“Kemina”Parents - Mr. Alton Gilstrap and Mrs. Alison Gilstrap

Headlines

Middle School News from Mrs. Keever The Middle School Wildcats were filled with holiday

spirit and generosity that they shared throughout the month of December! The month began with a festive holiday concert, created and directed by Mrs. Jennings. This pursuit towards artistic excellence included talented performances such as vocal, violin, guitar, drum, and piano. It was a sight and sound to behold!

In the pursuit of moral excellence, Middle School

students joined all Wildcats in collecting over 700 books and then distributed them during our service-learning day to Fairview, Hasty, and Northwood Elementary Schools, as well as Family Service of High Point. In the photo below, a group of Wildcats entertain first grade students at Fairview after delivering the books. Twenty-five of our students spent that morning ringing the

Salvation Army bell (above) to raise funds for those less fortunate, and the experience touched them, as well as those who contributed, as others marveled at how polite and enthusiastic our Wildcats were.

After completing their service learning endeavors, students enjoyed holiday parties with their families in their advisory groups. A great time was had by all! There was food, games, singing, and gift giving galore.

We ended December with a challenge in the pursuit of academic excellence, otherwise known as exams. Sixth graders prepared for cumulative tests and culminating projects; seventh graders experienced exams for the first time; and eighth graders utilized their expertise as seasoned exam takers. All earned a relaxing, restful break!

As we look to a new year, we are excited about new adventures in the pursuit of athletic excellence. During the spring sports season, we will offer a new endeavor in our Middle School physical education program: rowing! Stay tuned for more information!

Many thanks to our favorite

decorating elf Elizabeth

Yocum, of Paper & Party

Place, for all the gorgeous

decorations that adorned

our campus in December!

Upcoming EventsWAPA Book Club8:00 a.m. Wednesday, January 7, Library. We will be discussing The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion. Everyone is welcome!

Friends of the Fine Arts Meeting8:00 a.m. Thursday, January 8, Library

HomecomingFriday, January 9

Rising 6th Grade Night6:00 p.m. Tuesday, January 13, Library. All current 5th graders and their parents are invited to attend this informative meeting about Westchester’s Middle School.

Haiku Training for ParentsThursday, January 15, 8:00 a.m., Library

End of Quarter 2Friday, January 16

MLK Day HolidayMonday, January 19, no schoolTuesday, January 20, faculty work day, no school for students

All-School Gathering8:15 a.m. Wednesday, January 21, Finch Center gym. Everyone is invited to a mid-year gathering to kick off the second semester.

Lower School Next Step Meeting5:15 p.m. Thursday, January 22, Lower School Classrooms. Current students in grades PK-4 are invited to visit their next year’s classroom(s) for a sneak peek of stepping up!

Rising 9th Grade Night7:00 p.m. Thursday, January 22, Library. Parents of current eighth grade students are invited to this informative meeting about Westchester’s Upper School.

Solo Recital for Cello, Guitar, Piano, Violin, and Voice6:30 p.m. Friday, January 30, Rives Hall

Girlology/GuyologySaturday, January 31 (see more info, page 9)

Meet Your WildcatsName: Terry Andrews

Title: IT Director

Family: Addie, Allison, and Abby

What was your favorite subject in school? Math

What book are you reading? Photoshop Compositing

Name of the last movie you watched: The Grand Budapest Hotel

Favorite Restaurant: Anywhere they serve Mexican

Dream Vacation: 50-state photography road trip by car

Something most people don’t know about you: I am a gourmet chef.

Favorite thing about Westchester:The people with whom I work.

Arts Update from Ann Parks

Accept the Challenge to Create Something New for Thirty Days

January is the start of a new calendar and marks the midpoint of our school year. Take this fresh opportunity to start something new…for thirty days. I recently watched a very short TED Talk by Matt Cutts on trying new things and how this challenge changed his life. One thing he did was take a picture every day for thirty days. Now, looking back at these photographs, he remembers exactly where he was on that day. For him, that day isn’t just a forgotten Monday, but a unique point in time. So, my challenge to you, and to myself, is to create something new every day for thirty days…every day in January. It may be a poem you jot in your notebook, a photograph you take on your phone, a thank you card you

make--something creative, such as the artwork above by Kayla Watson. Let me know how it’s going!

Our young artists have been busy creating and will share their work with the community. In January we’ll see some of our Upper School artists at the Theater Art Gallery Student Show, which opens January 22nd and runs through April 13. The Solo Recital for our instrumental students is also in January, on Friday the 30th.

After a little break for exams and the holidays, Wildcat athletics are back in high gear. Spirit Week has taken over the campus, and we will end the week with a wonderful Homecoming and Hall of Fame evening on Friday, January 9.

The 2015 Hall of Fame recipient is David Couch. David has been a loyal friend to Westchester for many years, and we will honor his contributions on and off the baseball field the weekend of January 9-10.

All of our teams are extremely competitive on the court and in the pool, but more importantly, they are representing Westchester in and out of the classroom at the highest level.

The next six weeks of the winter season should be exciting and full of great memories for all of our student-athletes. Some of the upcoming highlights:

February 2, 3, 5 - Middle School Basketball Conference Tournament Semis and finals at The Burlington SchoolFebruary 10 - Swimming Conference Championship – Salem AcademyFebruary 10, 12, 13 - Varsity Basketball Conference Tournament Semis and finals at American Hebrew AcademyFebruary 16 - Swimming State Championship – Greensboro Aquatic CenterFebruary 17, 19, 20, 21 - State Basketball Championships – First Round – Higher Seed Quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals will be in Asheville, NC

Senior Night for all of our winter senior athletes will be held on Friday, February 6, before the Varsity Boys Basketball game vs. Caldwell Academy at 7:00 p.m.

Athletics Update from Coach Schwartz

For the College Bound2015 will mark two important milestones for WCDS’s 23 seniors: graduation from high school and the start of

college. Many of our seniors submitted early applications and already have received admission decisions. Please join me in congratulating these seniors for their admission to the following colleges and universities:

Daniel Ayodele--Ohio University, West Virginia University, College of Wooster, George Mason University

David Ayodele--West Virginia University

Emily Bunch--Wingate University, Lenoir-Rhyne University, High Point University

Chelsea Eley--Bowling Green State University

Abraham Hernandez--Limestone College

Campbell Kinley--University of Tennessee, University of South Carolina, NC State University

Kayla Kushner--Johnson & Wales University, College of Charleston, High Point University, Western Carolina University, UNC-Greensboro

Morgan Kushner--Johnson & Wales University

Wyatt Lansford--UNC-Wilmington

Savannah Lewis--University of South Carolina (Honors College), Wofford College

Russell Marion--High Point University

Noah Reid--High Point University

Josie Roberts--Lenoir-Rhyne University

Kaitlyn Shapiro--UNC-Wilmington

Lowie Vandeplancke--NC State University

Ramya Varadarajan--George Mason University

Thomas Walsh--University of Virginia

Kayla Watson--High Point University

Thomas Wright--Pfeiffer University, Gardner-Webb University

Yuqi Yang--Indiana University

Although the seniors are beginning to wrap up their college applications, another very important application now requires their attention: the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), which went live January 1st. Families who will be applying for federal student aid are encouraged to file their 2014 taxes electronically as early as possible and to mark their calendars for FAFSA Day on February 28, 2015. FAFSA Day is a program offered by the College Foundation of North Carolina, the North Carolina Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, and the State Employees’ Credit Union. On this day college financial aid officers and other volunteers will help students complete their FAFSA forms. The program is open to students who plan to attend college in the 2015-16 academic year. For more information about FAFSA Day, including event locations by county, click here.

2015 will be a significant year for our current juniors as well, as they will begin applying to college in the fall. I encourage juniors to look at their calendars and make plans to take the SAT twice and the ACT with writing at least once by the end of June. SAT Subject Tests also should be considered. Click here for SAT test dates and here for ACT test dates. For information about an SAT prep course through Guilford College, click here.

As always, please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions, suggestions, or concerns.

Raegan AtkinsonDirector of College Guidance

Travel Itinerary

Jan. 15, 2015 Complete sponsorship form

Feb. 15, 2015 Turn in Record of Donation form for donations of items, service, vacation homes, etc.

March 1, 2015 Call Susan to volunteer to help.

March 10, 2015 Decide on what to wear - consider attire from your native country!

March 21, 2015 The Gala is here! 5:30 p.m. in the Finch Center

For more information or to share ideas, contact the Development Office or Tina Elsayed.

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To register for the programs, go to the girlology website: www.girlology.com. Once there, click on OUR PROGRAMS. You can go directly to registration by clicking on SIGN ME UP, or you can read more about our programs by visiting the other links.The registration process requires you to make a “Master Account” with your email, phone, address, etc. Then you will need to register the “Participant” (your child). If you have any problems with your registration, please feel free to contact the girlology office at info@girlology.com or Heather Singer at heather.singer@westchestercds.org or 822-4085.

When girls learn about puberty before it happens, they face it with greater conÞdence & even excitement. This is the perfect time to start healthy, factual conversations. This physician-led program will introduce puberty, hygiene, and

other awkward stuff (but not sex) in a setting that is active and entertaining.

Something New About You

Reserve Your Place!

for 4th & 5th grade girls and their moms*

10:00 am - 12:00 pmWestchester Country Day School

Library

Cost: $75 per pair Pre-Registration required

Register or Learn more at Saturday, January 31

www. girlology. com

Join Us for a Fun and InformativeMother*-Daughter Event ®

*or mom-substitute

Led by Dr. Melisa Holmes, Co-Founder, Girlology & Guyology

®

Saturday, January 31st, 10:00 am -12:00 pmWestchester Country Day SchoolClassroom 207 - Administration Building

Just the FACTSFor 4th and 5th grade guys and their dads*

guy ologyReserve Your Place!

Led by Dr. Mike Guyton, Pediatrician & GuyologistBodies are funny. Girls are confusing. Prepare him with the facts and honest

conversation. This physician-led program will introduce puberty, hygiene, and other awkward stuff (but not sex) in a setting that is active and entertaining.

Learn more and register at www.girlology.com (yes, GIRLology.com weʼll explain later.)

*or another inßuential man in his life

Pre-Registration Required.Cost: $75 per dad*-son pair

Westchester Country Day is a college preparatory school that seeks to educate each child toward moral, academic, artistic, and athletic excellence in a nurturing, family environment where students, teachers, and parents support one another. By respecting the student and honoring learning, Westchester aims to cultivate informed citizens who are ready for a rapidly changing world and to graduate students who view the pursuit and wise use of knowledge as a lifelong joy.