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

From the Head of SchoolI had an extraordinary experience on the last day of school in December that

I would like to share with you. It speaks both to our school family’s deep heart for service and to our students’ generosity and capacity for leadership.

First a bit of background: Late in November I received a call from Sherri Scott at the High Point Community Foundation. Sherri had received a request from the principal at Fairview Elementary for children’s dress clothes to support the school’s Young Men of Distinction program. A group of fourth and fifth grade boys had been selected based on their academic and leadership potential, and the staff at Fairview wanted khaki pants, button-down shirts, and blue blazers to reward the boys for their success and to help to teach personal presentation and comportment. Sherri called me because, as she put it, our students were known around town for how well they present themselves.

I shared Sherri’s name and number with Mary Kate Farris, President of the National Honor Society (NHS) here at WCDS and a member of the Class of 2014. Soon thereafter, as I hope you all know, Mary Kate had organized a children’s dress clothes drive, gathering blazers, shirts, and khakis from many of you. So on the the last day of school in December, I joined the three NHS seniors responsible for the effort--Mary Kate, Prajan Marhatta, and George Heath--at a reception at Fairview Elementary at which we met the fourth and fifth graders who are currently “Young Men of Distinction,” delivered the clothes we had collected, and spent time over juice and doughnuts talking with the students and their adult mentors.

I describe this visit as “extraordinary” for a couple of reasons. First of all, it stands as a powerful example of the ways in which we teach and equip our students to lead and to serve. Once I had connected Sherri from the Community Foundation with Mary Kate and NHS, all of the work to plan, organize, publicize and execute the clothing drive was conducted by students under student leadership. Because Mary Kate has been at WCDS, she was equipped to step forward and exercise a host of organizational, interpersonal, and leadership skills when the opportunity arose. Her teammates were ready and willing to step forward to assist her as well.

As wonderful as the project was as evidence of the attitudes and skills our students have developed, I was equally struck by the less formal interactions that took place between the young men from Fairview and our three senior NHS members as they sat together enjoying their doughnuts and talking. Generosity of spirit comes in many forms, and as they sat and talked with these young students--answering their questions about college, encouraging them to work hard, and even sharing in a rap or two with George laying down the beat--Mary Kate, Prajan, and George shared themselves with these young men, offering connection, advice, and care.

January 2014 Newsletter

In This Issue...

Headlines

Upcoming Events

Meet Your Wildcats

Arts Update

Athletics Update

For the College Bound

Counselor’s Corner

WAPA Notes and News

These habits of mind and heart are part and parcel of what we work to instill in all of our students, and seeing these three seniors at work last month offered me powerful evidence that our work as a school to build moral excellence is paying dividends in the lives of ours students and in our local community. Our graduates will enter the world as young adults with hearts for service and the skills needed to make things happen. Most importantly they understand the power of building relationships, bridging divides, and living in community.

I could not have been more proud of these three seniors and the extraordinary ways in which they represent Westchester Country Day School.

Cobb

Parent Participation Reaches All-Time High

Thanks to everyone who has shown their support for this year’s Annual Fund. Parent participation is at 83% - the highest ever in school history! We’d like to see it reach 100%! If you have

not had an opportunity to give, please click below.

Pledge now, pay by June 30, 2014.

Click here to make a pledge today!

The Annual Fund

Supporting Wildcat Nation

NHS Establishes Writing Lab

The National Honor Society is providing tutoring for Upper School students in a new program called Peer Assisted Writing. The NHS students will be trained by Sarah Cerniglia and Cheryl Cunningham and the program will launch in January.

Teachers will be able to refer students to this program, or students may sign up for help on their own. A schedule will be posted indicating when NHS members are available, including tutorial time, study halls, and after school for 30-minute time periods.

“We believe that writing is one of the most important skills a student can develop in life, regardless of career choice,” says Ms. Cunningham. “We also believe that sometimes students connect with their peers on levels they don’t reach with their teachers. It is our hope that parents will have serious talks with their students about taking advantage of this program.”

Varsity Basketball team Visits Ronald McDonald House

On December 7 the Varsity Boys Basketball team volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House in Winston-Salem. The Ronald McDonald house serves families who are dealing with a multitude of challenges.

“The boys helped clean the house inside and out including taking out trash, cleaning bedrooms, and organizing the supply area,” said Coach Dagan Nelson. “It was awesome to give back to such an incredible organization. The Ronald McDonald house does so much for so many. We feel privileged that we could help out for a couple hours!”

HeadlinesWCDS Hosts Frida Kahlo Traveling Exhibit

Westchester will be displaying a Teacher’s Discovery Traveling Exhibit featuring the incredible Mexicon paintings of Frida Kahlo, thanks to a grant from the High Point Area Arts Council and Friends of the Fine Arts. Frida was married to Mexican muralist Diego Rivera but won acclaim for her own paintings, including many self-portraits. The students and staff will enjoy the beautiful reproductions, including life-size photos of Frida. The exhibit celebrates fine art, women in art, and Mexican culture.

Students in Middle School Spanish classes will discuss the artist’s life and work in Spanish and English. Middle School students will learn how to look at a painting and make connections to Mexican culture and will create pamphlets and brochures that help viewers “tour” the exhibit. Upper School students will also explore the artist’s life and works in Spanish class. Lower School art classes will meet and discuss the artwork, which lends itself to an array of lessons.

This exhibit will be on display from January 27 - February 7 in the Finch Center and will be accessible to all Westchester students and classes.

Middle School Update from Mary Keever

The Middle School Wildcats were filled with holiday spirit that they shared throughout the month of December! From performing in a festive holiday concert, to collecting and distributing books for Fairview, Hasty, and Northwood Elementary Schools, Middle School Wildcats shared their enthusiasm and blessings with all. Twenty-five of our Middle Schoolers spent a morning ringing the Salvation Army bell to raise funds for those less fortunate, and the experience touched them, as well as those who contributed, as they 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.

As we look to a new year, we are excited about new adventures. In between the winter and spring sports seasons, we will offer a new endeavor in our Middle School physical education program: dance! Wildcat alum and parent Cres Calabrese will lead us in this endeavor as students learn line dancing and conservative hip hop moves that they will showcase at a Middle School dance party on Friday, March 21, from 11:30-1:30. Put your dancing shoes on, Wildcats!

Sixth Graders Take Puff Car Challenge

Sixth graders participated in the “Puff Car Challenge” in science class which was the finale to their unit on “Air” during exam week. Students were challenged to design, engineer, and build a vehicle made of straws, lifesavers, paper clips, paper, and tape that could travel the greatest distance propelled by only one puff of air. During the challenge students recognized the role of troubleshooting, research and development, invention and innovation, experimentation in problem solving, and appreciation of the design process. The winning designs included those built by Caroline Clodfelter, Deni Lewis, Abby Mozingo, Nick Nottoli, Stuart Nunn, and Elizabeth Ragsdale.

Welcome Baby Grein

Mrs. Grein, her husband and daughter, welcomed a new addition to their family, Pleasant Hunter Dalton Grein, on January 3 at 1:39 p.m. He weighed in at 7 pounds 15 ounces and is 20 1/2 inches long. Congratulations!

Seniors Sign-Up for Big Brother Program

Hunter Heinbach, Dylan Menchetti, and Tracey Neza are going to be “big brothers” to at-risk students at Kernersville Elementary School beginning this month. They will serve as role models for small groups of students during the school day, once a week, every week. Our students were selected based on their demonstration of the following skills/attributes: sense of responsibility, skills at nurturing, and understanding the meaning and value of service.

Yearbook Sale Ends Soon

Yearbooks for the 2013-2014 school year will be on sale through January 20. Click here to purchase yours now!

Sixth Grade Class Presents Internet Safety Forum Do you know what your children are doing online?

Please attend a Parent Forum on Online Safety to learn more about online safety. It will be held in the library on Wednesday, January 8, at 6:30 p.m.

This is an opportunity for parents of students in 4th - 8th grades and students in grades 4 and 5 to learn more about kids’ social media use, cyberbullying, cell phone safety, etc.

The hour-long program will include presentations by Mrs. Russell’s 6th grade technology students, Terry Andrews, WCDS Director of Technology, and Heather Singer, WCDS Counselor.

Please consider attending this presentation.

Sincerely, Sixth Grade Technology Class

WE NEED YOUR HELP TO MAKE THIS YEAR’S CAREER FAIR A HUGE SUCCESS!!

How can you help?• Volunteer your time the day of the fair to assist in a variety of ways.• Volunteer to speak at a Career Café during the month of February during our Middle or Upper School lunch (30 minutes) about your chosen career path – such a great learning experience for our students!• Volunteer to have a table at the Career Fair and speak with students about your career.• Volunteer to help set up the day before.

Please contact Heather Singer by phone: (336) 822-4085 or by email: heather.singer@westchestercds.org if you are available to volunteer!

Drama campers enjoyed putting on a performance of The Aristocats. Next summer’s Cat Camps will be announced in February, so stay tuned!

Upcoming EventsInternet Safety ForumWednesday, January 8, 6:30 p.m. See more, page 5.

HomecomingFriday, January 10

Rising Sixth Grade NightTuesday, January 14, 6:00 p.m., LibraryCurrent 5th grade students and their parents are encouraged to attend!

MLK Jr. Day HolidayMonday, January 20. No school.

Faculty Work DayTuesday, January 21. No school for students.

Next Step MeetingsThursday, January 23, 5:15 p.m., Lower School classroomsCurrent students in Grades PK - 4 and their parents are encouraged to attend.

Rising Ninth Grade NightThursday, January 23, 7:00 p.m, LibraryParents only, please.

WAPA Family Movie NightFriday, January 24, 7:45 p.m., Finch Center

PK-5 Open House and Classroom VIsitsWednesday, January 29, 9:15 a.m.

Middle and Upper School Talent ShowWednesday, January 29, 7:00 p.m., Rives Hall

Meet Your Wildcats

Name: Jackie Argo

Title: Assistant to the Head of School

Family: Husband, CraigBoys: Sam (’14) and twins Jack and Will (’16)Mom: Nana Hilda (she lives with us)

What was your favorite subject in school? Band/music

What book are you reading? Just finished listening to The Book Thief

Name of the last movie you watched: Saving Mr. Banks

Favorite Restaurant: Ooo – I have lots, but Panera is always my go to. I love their Chai Tea!

Dream Vacation: Anywhere with my boys – I love to travel with them - somewhere with just the right balance of fun and relaxation.

Something most people don’t know about you: I played the trumpet from 6th grade through college. Favorite thing about Westchester: People, people, people! I love being able to know every student.

Cat Camp Corner

Arts Update from Ann ParksNew Year’s Resolution

This year I will: Try out for a play Realize that I can sing Take dancing lessons Redesign my bedroom Paint a picture for a friend

This year I will create, imagine, practice, and celebrate the arts: together.

In December, we sang and played instruments at holiday concerts. We delighted in sharing

the holidays through art projects and song. Our students danced in magical productions. Footnotes brought joy to our neighbors by performing at the Uptowne Holiday Stroll and The Stratford retirement community in High Point (pictured). Celebrations were all around!

January will bring even more opportunities to bring the arts together. Middle School art will be featured in the youth gallery of the Theater Art Gallery in High Point. Final casting for the Upper School play will be in early January, and we are excited to see many new faces on stage. Start working on your songs and skits—the MS/US Talent Show is January 29 in Rives Hall. Also in late January we are showcasing the artist Frida Kahlo with an exhibit in the Finch Center. This exhibit is a collaboration between the arts and world language faculty, allowing our students to experience this great painter and her heritage in many ways.

After a little break for exams and the holidays, Wildcat athletics is back in high gear. Spirit Week has taken over the campus, and we will end the week with a wonderful Homecoming / Hall of Fame evening on Friday night. The 2014 Hall of Fame recipient is Eric McNamara. He graduated from Westchester in 2003 and had an incredible career in the pool and in the classroom while at Westchester.

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:

2/3, 2/4, 2/6 - Middle School Basketball Conference Tournament - semis and finals at Canterbury School

2/6 - Swimming Conference Championship at American Hebrew Academy

2/11, 2/13, 2/14 - Varsity Basketball Conference Tournament - semis and finals at Westchester

2/17 - Swimming State Championship – Greensboro Aquatic Center

2/18, 2/20, 2/21, 2/22 - State Basketball Championships – First Round – Higher Seed; quarterfinals and semifinals at Westchester; championship at FCDS

Senior Night for all of our senior winter athletes will be held on Tuesday, February 4, before the Varsity Boys Basketball game vs. American Hebrew Academy at 6:00 pm.

Athletics Update from Coach Schwartz

Parents of sophomores and juniors should expect their students’ PSAT score reports to come home the week of January 6. Information on these reports is invaluable in helping students assess areas of weakness, and information available online through the feature My College QuickStart can offer students suggestions about how to improve in these areas. While one should view PSAT scores as indicators of performance on the SAT, it is important to keep in mind that these scores generally rise over time, especially when the student makes a concerted effort to improve vocabulary, reading comprehension, and math skills. Please feel free to contact me with questions or concerns about PSAT score implications. Sophomores will take the PSAT again next October as part of the National Merit Scholarship Program.

The coming year marks the beginning of an important time period for juniors as they begin to prepare for the college search and application process. All juniors should plan to take the SAT Reasoning Test twice before the end of this school year, once in the winter and once in the spring. The SAT test will be administered again on January 25 (registration deadline was December 27), March 8 (registration deadline February 7), May 3 (registration deadline April 4), and June 7 (registration deadline May 9). Juniors who plan to apply to the very selective schools should take the SAT Subject Tests on June 7. Juniors may also want to consider taking the ACT on June 14. Another important date for all juniors is Wednesday, February 12. On this morning all juniors and their parents are invited to meet in the library at 8 am for a program on the college selection and application process, Westchester-style. This two-hour program will officially mark the beginning of the college search process for the Class of 2015.

January marks beginning of tax season, and most of us turn to the collection and organization of data that we will need in order to file our 2013 federal and state tax returns. Parents with children who will be in college next year have a particular interest in this process, because the information supplied on the federal tax return is used in determining if the family will qualify for financial aid for the next school year. The first step toward applying for financial aid is to complete the FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid. All students and/or parents who plan to apply for financial aid of any type must file the FAFSA even if they anticipate applying for a low-interest parent or student loan from the federal government. This form will be available online at www.fafsa.ed.gov and should be completed only after completing one’s 2013 federal income tax return. The FAFSA will generate the family’s EFC, or Expected Family

Contribution, based on the figures provided. This calculation represents the amount of money the family will be expected to contribute toward the student’s first year of college. In order to continue to be considered for federal aid, a FAFSA must be filed annually, as soon after January 1 as possible, but before March 1. Federal money is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so the earlier the FAFSA is completed, the more likely a family is to receive federal aid if they qualify. The federal methodology employed by the FAFSA places more emphasis on income than on the family’s assets. Once the EFC is calculated, a family can subtract this amount from the total cost of attending a particular college, and the remaining amount will represent the family’s need.

College acceptances are rolling in. Congratulations are extended to the following seniors who have received word of college acceptances since our last newsletter:

Mikey Anderson – Western Kentucky UniversitySam Argo – NC State UniversityTyler Atkinson – UNC Wilmington Winthrop UniversityBaxter Bruggeworth – Elon University High Point UniversityChase Carroll – George Mason University UNC AshevilleArinze Chukwuma – University of TennesseeMary Kate Farris - Randolph Macon College Salem CollegeAndrew Foreman – NC State UniversityDaphne Foster – East Carolina University Radford University UNC CharlotteGeorge Heath – UNC AshevilleHunter Heinbach – NC State UniversityAnna Hood – College of Charleston NC State UniversityAvery Keefe – NC State UniversityTracey Neza - East Carolina UniversityErica Sawyer – High Point University UNC WilmingtonThomas Verellen – East Carolina University University of Alabama University of South CarolinaCameron White - High Point UniversityCatherine York – Duke University

Betty FlytheCollege Placement Advisor

For The College Bound

Welcome back! Hope you all enjoyed your holidays and winter break. We are half way through the year already and I must say - it has certainly flown by! Welcome 2014!

Does your child suffer from stress and anxiety? Do you feel he or she does so more than the “average” student?

Now that the holidays and exam periods are over, your student may be experiencing less stress and anxiety; however, stress may start to return sooner than you had hoped for, so here are some signs to look for…

According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, symptoms usually include excessive fears and worries, feelings of inner restlessness, and a tendency to be excessively wary and vigilant. Even in the absence of an actual threat, some teenagers describe feelings of continual nervousness, restlessness, or extreme success.

Please remember, given the array of changes and uncertainties teenagers face, anxiety often hums as background noise, but it can increase over time as well and be seen in different ways. If your student has experienced or continues to experience anxiety at home and/or at school or in social interactions, please contact me at 822-4085. There are several exercises that your student and I can work on to lessen the anxiety and increase the coping skills of your child. I have several times where I am available, including after school on some days.

Parent ForumWe have many exciting and informative events

coming up this month and next month. First, our 6th graders, Technology Department and I will be

hosting our January Parent Forum on Wednesday, January 8, in the library at 6:30. You will not want to miss this Parent Forum on Internet Safety and How to Protect Your Children Online. We encourage all parents and students from 4th grade through the 8th grade to attend! It is sure to be an evening of fun! We will have two sessions that evening: a parent session and a session for your students, so be sure to bring them too!

Career CaféThe Counseling Office is also responsible for this

year’s Career Fair which will be held on Wednesday, February 26. You will more than likely be asked to participate in some form or fashion over the coming month! We have a very special opportunity for our parents to be our special guest speakers at our Career Café in the month of February during our Middle School and Upper School lunch periods on Mondays and Wednesdays. Please contact me if you are interested in sharing your personal career path and information about your career! Our students are interested in many different careers so, please call!

Get Connected!Don’t forget! Continue to check out my blog for

important topics and information, as well as the WCDS School Counselor twitter account! You can connect here…

Heather SingerMiddle and Upper School Counselor

Counselor’s Corner

https://twitter.com/wcdscounselor

http://wcdscounselor.blogspot.com/

Cats off Campus

Be sure to visit our Cats off Campus page often to read about all the amazing accomplishments our students are achieving outside

the walls of WCDS.

WAPA Notes and NewsBook Club

January 8 - Wild by Cheryl StrayedAll parents are welcome.

Hubs Winners

Lower School - Mrs. Driver’s fourth grade classMiddle School - Lilly SheffieldUpper School - Jake WeilandCongratulations and thank you to everyone who supported this important fundraiser!

Box Tops

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.