February Newsletter

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

From the Head of SchoolMoral Excellence: Conviction, Community, and Courage

I’ve always been a fan of great satire and its ability to capture sometimes-challenging truths in ways that make us knowingly laugh. So when I heard that a prominent satirical online newspaper was selling yellow bracelets inscribed with “Cheat to Win” where “Livestrong” used to be, I knew they had found the powerful balance between import and humor that satire alone can achieve and, in so doing, unearthed a hard truth about where we are as a nation and where I fear we are headed.

Unfortunately, we live in the midst of a national crisis of character in which the drive to succeed has begun to outstrip our commitment to integrity. Time and time again, in athletics, business, and yes, even schools, we have begun to privilege the outcome over the process, to rationalize away the sometimes-immoral means we undertake as we pursue advancement, profit, performance, or achievement. Simple moral axioms like those found in our Code of Conduct seem nowadays less important than coming out on top. We have, I fear, replaced “Livestrong” with “Cheat to Win” as our national creed.

It is in the midst of, and because of, this very troubling reality that WCDS has held firm to its core commitment to moral excellence. Now, perhaps more than ever, we need to do all that we can to prepare our children to turn this tide when they become the civic leaders, CEO’s, athletes, scholars, and parents of the future.

With this in mind, each fall the Upper School community—students and teachers alike—participate in Honor Week, a time dedicated to a our collective commitment to and affirmation of the Upper School Honor Code. Programs educate students about the requirements of our Honor Code, develop and reinforce the principles of academic integrity, and clarify the serious implications that can result from honor code violations at the college level. All Upper School students must take the Honor Test until they pass with 100% correct. This effort culminates in a formal ceremony in which all members of the Upper School community come forward and sign their names to the Honor Code.

This fall I was honored by an invitation to speak at this ceremony, and I thought I would share with you a quick snapshot of what I shared with this group. My remarks focused on three elements critical to our efforts, both individually and collectively, to live lives of moral excellence: Conviction, Community, and Courage.

Conviction: There can be no doubt that integrity rests upon our commitment to a core set of strongly held principles, and powerful research conducted by the Institute for Global Ethics has shown that we share globally a core set of five basic values: honesty, respect, responsibility, compassion, and fairness. Much of our work with younger children as parents and in schools focuses upon inculcating both an understanding of and a commitment to these basic moral values. As these children grow into teenagers and teenagers into adults, we carry these strongly held convictions with us, and they become the foundation upon which our moral lives are built. Our Upper School honor assembly was, in

February 2013 Newsletter

In This Issue...

Spotlight on Student Writing

Headlines

Upcoming Events

Meet Your Wildcats

Travel Abroad Update

Arts Update

Athletics Update

Counselor’s Corner

For the College Bound

Healthful Hints

WAPA Notes and News

part, a moment in which all of the members of this community affirmed our decision to commit to the values that we hold as a school family.

Community: The second critical element in our efforts to live lives of moral excellence concerns the kinds of communities we embrace and in which we participate. WCDS is a powerful place in large part because of our shared commitment to a clear set of values; when we live in a community that reaffirms our convictions, we develop powerful habits of mind and action that can equip us for those moments in which we face challenging decisions. When I spoke to the Upper School student body, I encouraged them to be intentional and thoughtful about what kinds of communities they choose to join—be they real or virtual—and to seek out those places and people who affirm and strengthen their convictions.

Courage: As critical as conviction and community are to our moral lives, when push comes to shove, it is courage or its absence that will matter most. Moral courage is the willingness to act upon those convictions that we hold strongly even when we face the risk of harm in doing so. As we all know, our lives will ultimately lead us to moments in which our convictions will be put to the test. It is in these moments that our character is both forged and revealed. Will we choose a key value—honesty, loyalty, or respect—when doing so could hurt us in some way? I have come to put great stock in the old adage that “what is right is not always easy, and what is easy is not always right.” Often we are tempted to choose the easy road at the expense of our convictions; moral courage is that strength that we develop to stand our ethical ground when necessary, to walk the high road in the face of a moral challenge.

We should all take very seriously the way in which Westchester’s Mission Statement orders the four types of excellence we pursue as a school community. Moral excellence occupies the first position in this list for a reason: it is the foundation upon which the other three rest. We can give no greater gift to our students than to build in them a deep appreciation of, commitment to, and courage for living lives of integrity; doing so will, I believe, help us all in powerful ways when these children grow into the men and women of character that our country needs most.

Video Contest

Win a $25 gift card to Blue Rock Pizza and Tap!

Members of the Westchester com-munity (students, faculty, parents, alumni, etc.) are invited to create a 2-minute or less video on “What Makes Being a Wildcat Special.”

The top five will be posted on YouTube and the one with the most “likes” will win the gift certificate!

Visit WestNet Community for complete details!

Spotlight on Student WritingLife of PiBy Jaya Bhardwaj, 8th Grade

Life of Pi is an excellent book, that is actually about the life of Pi!

Pi, aka Piscline Motor Patel (casually named after a French pool), is the main character of the book. He is a man living in Toronto, Canada as a man from Pondicherry, India.

Pi’s story is so figurative, and words can describe the depth and genuine quality of his story. I believe his story is one that could be called a “fairy tale,” except it’s not for the faint of heart.

Pi grew up in Pondicherry, India. Pondicherry is a French region of India; it evaporates with color, religion, and ethnicity. Pi grew up there with his mother, father, and brother Ravi.

Pi’s father decided to open a zoo where they lived and immediately designed and became prepared for this zoo. Of course Pi was very excited as a young boy and anxiously waited for all the animals to arrive.

Yes, eventually the animals arrived and Pi loved to examine them, breathe in their way of life, and enjoy their “company.” But, there was one specific animal that Pi particularly liked. His name was Richard Parker the tiger. One day when Pi tried feeding Richard Parker (VERY dangerous), he explained to his angry father that he could see what was going on in Richard’s mind just by eyeing him with care. His father told him to stop speaking rubbish.

Pi’s life went on, and it flourished. Plus he even found himself a girlfriend. Her name is Anandi, and she’s a classical Hindu dancer.

Except Pi’s life seemed to suddenly stop before him when his father explained to him that Pondicherry was suffering economically, and they had to move...move to Canada. The only problem Pi saw with this picture was the fact that all the zoo animals would be auctioned when they reached Canada. But Pi had to accept that.

They all boarded a (Korean) ship bound to Canada. When they were all being served food on the boat, Pi’s mother asked if there was any vegetarian food. The cook scoffed and slopped a glob of “food” on her plate. She asked for vegetarian food over and over again, but the cook rudely ignored her. So, the family carried on with their “food” and sat down. Then, a bubbly Korean sailor said that he was a vegetarian Buddhist, but learned to like meat.

At night, the Patel family slept in peace, except when Pi was excitedly awakened by a thunderstorm. He eagerly asked brother to come outside with him to experience the storm, but half-asleep Ravi said no. So Pi eagerly ran outside to one of the decks to find loads of pouring rain and loud thunder. He screamed joyful screams, until those screams became those of terror when he realized what was happening. The boat was slowly, slowly sinking. Pi watched as water filled up at the bottom of the boat. He screamed for his family and ran down to where they were...but then it became quite obvious to him what had happened. His conscience was telling him what he didn’t want to hear, and he was encouraging himself externally to what he felt.

Pi made it back up to the deck to find scared people. He struggled to find a lifeboat, but then by “luck” got thrown into one. The boat tumbled and plummeted into the dark, eerie ocean. Pi was horrified, not because of the rain! He’d seen worse. He was scared because there was a zebra in his lifeboat. Thinking that wasn’t scary, up came a hyena and an orangutan. But what triggered his I’M ABOUT TO DIE warning was when Richard Parker crept up into the boat too. Pi was sharing a tiny boat with a tiger, hyena, zebra, and orangutan.

Eventually the skies became crisp blue again, and the sun got its job back. Pi found food and water, but was still struggling with the fact that he was living with four other ANIMALS! Pi watched in fear as the hyena (being desperately hungry) bit and basically ate the zebra. He then watched it attack the poor orangutan. But Richard Parker did the “noble honor” of killing the hyena. All that was left was Mr. Pi Patel.

And We’re Off!

Over the course of weeks and weeks, Pi formed a training system for Richard Parker. He knew that back in the zoo Richard got loads and loads of food. So, he fished for fish...and the tiger ate it. He barely showed any gratitude though. Pi came to an important realization that he wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for Richard Parker. Richard Parker kept Pi alive just with his strength and courage. To Pi, he actually formed somewhat of an acquaintanceship with Richard. They gazed into each others eyes once: and we got the depth and surreal images of what Richard Parker saw through his eyes. An amazing thing it is....to see what an animal sees!

At one point, they both found a small island. Pi (with joy) eagerly found food and water! Richard Parker seemed to be quite satisfied too. As Pi slept one night, he thought to himself that he would live, until he saw a tooth in a leaf and came to the realization that this island was giving him false hope. No, he wouldn’t live! The thought occurred to him that this island probably wouldn’t be found again. This island wasn’t the destination! It was just a part of the journey.

So Pi and Richard Parker continued their journey. It became so much of a strife every day. Pi prayed to God everyday and thanked him for Richard Parker everyday too. They were connected: Pi was the boat, and Richard Parker was the oar.

...That blessed day finally came upon Pi and Richard Parker. Their boat floated up to the sandy white beaches of Mexico. As weak Pi struggled to walk out of the boat, he fell to the shore. His eyes were barely open; but his sandy dry eyes witnessed Richard Parker walking away from him. Pi didn’t understand, but then realized that Richard was a wild animal. As Richard was about to walk into the forest, he stopped. Pi waited for Richard to turn around and look at him, but he didn’t. Richard Parker took a breath and walked into the forest. Pi says that was the end of Richard Parker.

Soon, Pi was rescued and taken to a Mexican hospital. Two Korean gentlemen came to talk to Pi about the wreck, because he was the only one who survived. Pi told them his whole story not leaving out a detail. The two men said that their company wouldn’t believe his ridiculous story. So Pi told them that the orangatan was his mother, the zebra was the sailor, the hyena was the cook, and the tiger was him...

In my opinion, this is one of the best books I have read in my whole life. It disperses itself with so much depth and quality. It’s a unique story, with its own rhythm. Words really can’t describe how amazing it is.

So go find the Richard Parker in you.

The TouchdownBy: Cook Smith, 4th Grade

“Go, Cook! Go number forty-seven!” I was playing football at Hasty Elementary School. It was a cold Monday night. We were losing seven to zero with two minutes left in the game! Two plays beforehand our tailback got hurt so they had to run it to me. The first play we ran was a twenty-two dive. I got about five yards on that play. Next, our coach said that we were going to throw the ball. We tried, and it was an incomplete pass. Ugh! Sadly, it was third down. Our coach said to run a reverse twenty-seven dive while the center hiked the ball to the quarterback. I counted in my head, “One, two,” and I took off running. The quarterback handed it off to the running back. He then handed it off to me. I passed the first down and was still running! Twenty, fifteen, ten, and five! Thankfully, that stopped the clock. Our team had ten seconds. When I was in the huddle, it felt like ten years. Then the quarterback came to the huddle and said, “Same play, opposite side.” I was shaking like a scared deer, shaking with fear. I got the ball and lowered my shoulder. Finally, I scored after hurting my shoulder. Now we have to get the two point conversion. At last, our coach said, “Twenty-two dive.” The defense jumped, so it was on the one yard line. I got the two point conversion simply. I scored my first touchdown and won my first game of the season. I was jumping with excitement! Not only did I score my first touchdown, but I won us the game. From that day on I have scored many touchdowns but none has been that exciting and that important.

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Headlines

Gala Planning Gets Under Way

And We’re Off! The committees are meeting, ideas are flying, items are being collected, menus considered, graphics designed - it’s Blue and White Gala Auction time!

This year’s event is planned for Saturday, May 4, beginning at 5:30 p.m., in the Finch Center for Academic and Athletic Excellence a.k.a. Westchester Downs. The Gala will have a Kentucky Derby theme, and we will be broadcasting the Derby live at the event. The evening includes live and silent auctions, dinner, dancing, and a wonderful opportunity to socialize with old friends and new... all for the benefit of our students. Money raised from the auction funds classroom enhancements, professional development opportunities for faculty, tuition assistance for qualified students, and so much more. Please plan to join us at the event!

Also, we need lots of help! If you would like to be a part of the planning, contact Susan Fagg in the Development Office. Or, if you can help us acquire an item to auction, we are always looking for new, exciting items for the auctions. Can you donate:

A beach, mountain, or vacation home?•A puppy – do you know any breeders?•Gift certificates - do you know or frequent a restaurant or •hotel that would be willing to donate?A party – do you and 2-3 of your friends like to entertain?•Children’s toys•Electronics•Anything else! •

We are looking forward to a great evening. Again, please contact Susan Fagg or any of the members of our leadership team with any thoughts, item ideas, or if you would like to help. The Leadership Team includes: Jackie Argo, Jenny Boyette, Emilee Brigman, Colleen Brumfield, Dana Clinard, Suzanne Griffith, Whitney Heard, Renee Hetley, India Miller, Christi Morgan, Cheryl Natale, Donna Nottoli, Laurie Rives, Heather Singer, and Elizabeth Yocum.

News from Middle SchoolFour Middle School leaders - Annabelle Fisher, Jane Nunn, Stephanie Thomas, and Charles York - joined

Mrs. Keever for Rising Middle School Night. They each shared their enthusiasm and passion for different aspects of WCDS with the current fifth graders and their parents. They talked candidly and meaningfully about morals, academics, arts, and athletics in our Middle School. They did an outstanding job, so much so that the fifth graders and their parents weren’t the only ones who left that meeting feeling impressed and excited about the unique atmosphere and focus of our Middle School. Mrs. Keever was proud indeed. That feeling continued the next day when Mrs. Keever received the following email from a parent of a student at another area middle school. He wrote in response to an incident he witnessed with the Middle School girls basketball team, coached by Mario Watson and A.B. Henley, at a game the day before.

“During the game, one of our players took an inbounds pass under your basket and, mistakenly, made a shot that went in giving your team a two-point basket. After the game, the player from our team was walking past two of your [WCDS] players, and what I witnessed was your players telling our player about when they too had done the same thing – shooting a basket at the wrong goal. As I watched, the three of them got a nice laugh with each other which, I am sure helped our player get past any ‘feelings’ she may have experienced as a result of her mistake.

“I did not hear the conversation but was close enough to see them talking and knew what the conversation was about. I was so impressed at the sportsmanship exhibited by your two players

- that despite having lost the game they took time to console an opposing team player - I felt compelled

to write to someone about it.

“Anyway, I hope you will commend the coach(es) who are, apparently, preaching the ideal of sportsmanship above winning (as you say on your website page). Most importantly I hope you/coach will commend those two players as role models for exhibiting what is REALLY the important aspect of playing sports.”

This is a great example of what we strive for daily with our Middle School Wildcats: we focus on examining and cultivating that which will make us winners in life. We strive to lift each other up and lead with purpose and by example. We learn from and with each other!

Middle School Student Wins Essay Contest

Seventh grade student Samantha Mickey is the winner of the Alexander Martin Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution’s American History Essay Contest for the seventh grade. She will be honored at the club’s meeting on February 12.

The American History Essay Contest was established to encourage young people to think creatively about our nation’s great history and learn about history in a new light. This year’s essay topic was: Forgotten Patriots Who Supported the American Struggle for Independence.

The contest is open to students in grades five through eight. A winner is selected from each of the four grades and advances to the state level. Essays are judged for historical accuracy, adherence to the topic, organization of materials, interest, originality, spelling, grammar, punctuation, and neatness.

Senior is Rotary Student of the Month

Westchester Country Day School senior Avery Goho (pictured with Rotary president Alan Lomax) was named the Willow Creek Rotary Student of the Month for January. She is the daughter of Harvey and Lydia Goho of High Point.

The Rotary Student of the Month program recognizes outstanding students who excel in both school performance and community volunteer activity.

Avery is a stellar student at Westchester and has received numerous awards and honors including the Westchester Cup, which is awarded for character and integrity, and the Peters Family Scholarship for excellence in academic achievement. She is a member of the National Honor Society, Art, Spanish, and Blue Key clubs. She is a volunteer with Westchester Manor Nursing Home and the Boys and Girls Club. She is an avid runner and swimmer, and was named Female Athlete of the Year her sophomore year, as well as Academic All-Conference her freshman, sophomore, and junior years.

Mock Trial Team Venue Change

Westchester’s two Mock Trial teams will compete at the regional level of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice High School Mock Trial Competition at the Mecklenburg Courthouse in Charlotte on February 9. Both teams will argue both sides of a civil case suit for damages by a female soccer player who sustained concussions and was seriously injured as a result. Our teams will compete against teams from across the state. The following students are on this year’s teams: junior Lewis Miles, Lead Counsel; seniors Claire Councill and Walker Rose; juniors Baxter Bruggeworth, Arinze Chukwuma, Tommy Frungillo, Prajan Marhatta, Tracey Neza, Cameron White, and Catherine York; and freshmen Ryan Beale, Tommy Boggis, Ariana Winkle, and Caroline Womack. John Bryson is our outside counsel.

Upcoming EventsPresidents’ Day HolidayMonday, February 19 - No School.

Steel MagnoliasFriday, March 1, 7:00 p.m.Saturday, March 2, 7:00 p.m.Sunday, March 3, 2:00 p.m.Rives Hall, $5 at the door. Please note: this performance is designed for mature audiences.

Health and Safety FairThursday, February 289:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., Finch Center(see more information on Healthful Hints page)

Meet Your WildcatsName: Marla Seelig

Title: 2nd Grade teacher

Family: Four daughters - one in San Francisco, one in Charleston, S.C., and two in New Orleans.

What was your favorite subject in school? Reading - I loved to read Nancy Drew mystery books! I also enjoyed writing stories!

What book are you reading? The Magic Tree House series with my 2nd grade friends!

Name of the last movie you watched: Life of Pi

Favorite Restaurant: Green Valley Grill

Dream Vacation: Anywhere there is a beach and exotic landscape

Something most people don’t know about you: I had a daughter born in the car! Yes, really!!

Favorite thing aboutWestchester:The students and faculty - I love the small school setting but the BIG respect everyone shows towards others. The students are full of curiosity and the families are so supportive.

Go Far Group Makes StridesThis fall, a group of Westchester Lower Schoolers (from left, Aidan Lim,

Coach Erin Hamilton, Alexander Chinnasami, Arto Behrens, Tess Mickey, Emma Steward, Coach Heather Schwartz, Ali Schwartz, Mikey Schwartz, Coleman Schwartz, and Taylor Bundy; not pictured, Giovonni Natale) participated in the GoFar (Go Out for a Run) program as an after-school elective. These students met twice a week for 10 weeks to run on the cross country trails on campus, learn about healthy eating and exercise habits, and develop positive character traits. On Saturday, November 17, this group joined 1,500 other local students, parents, and teachers to complete a 5K race. What a huge accomplishment for these children to cross the finish line after running three miles! Many thanks to Erin Hamilton, Sara Britt Grein, Lisa Meyer-Braun, Mary Marshall Fariss, Haleigh Breece, Alex Evans, and Luke Evans for volunteering to run with the kids. The spring GoFar program will begin on March 4, 2013. Click here to sign up your 2nd-5th grade students. The kids will be training for the WCDS 5K on campus on May 11!

Traveling Abroad for 2013-2014

We are looking forward to our upcoming travel abroad destinations!

Upper School students will have the opportunity to travel to Peru with Margaret Qualls and Rustin Thomas in December 2013. This will be an awesome opportunity for all of our Spanish-speaking students (but not a requirement)!

Overview of Peru itinerary:Day 1: Fly to Lima, PeruDay 2: Guided tour of Lima including the Government Palace and Archbishop’s Palace Visit the San Francisco Monastery Visit the National Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology Take a walking tour of MirafloresDay 3: Fly to Cuzco Take a guided tour of Cuzco including the Korikancha Temple and Cuzco Cathedral Visit the Sacsayhuaman Fortress Visit Inca sites of Tambomachay and KenkoDay 4: Travel by train to Machu PicchuDay 5: Travel by train to Ollanataytambo Take a guided tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas including Ollantaytambo and the Indian Market in Pisac Return to CuzcoDay 6: Enjoy a free morning in Cuzco before visiting a local orphanage that afternoonDay 7: Enjoy another free day in CuzcoDay 8: Fly to Puerto Maladonado and then travel by boat to Amazon LodgeDay 9: Participate in naturalist activities in the Rain ForestDay 10: Travel to Puerto Maldonado before flying to Lima to board the overnight flight for homeDay 11: Arrive Home

We will have two interest meetings for the Peru trip,PLEASE JOIN US at one of them!!

February 6, 2013, at 6:30 p.m. in the libraryFebruary 11, 2013, at 6:30 p.m. in the library

Peru: Land of IncaPeru is an awe-inspiring portal to the world of the Inca, one of the world’s great ancient civilizations. Spellbinding sites like Machu PiccHu, informative exhibits at Lima’s National Museum, and monuments like the temple in Cuzco bring it all into focus. You will also travel to the Rainforest and Amazon Lodge while learning more about the Peruvian culture of today. It is certainly more compelling than ever before. You won’t want to miss this unbelievable opportunity! The tentative dates for this trip will be December 26, 2013 – January 5, 2014.

Hawaii: The Island StateWe will be traveling to the Island State, home to archaeological sites, volcanic cones, lush marine life, and World War II memorials. You will discover Hawaii’s royal beginnings and Polynesian traditions on a comprehensive tour, perfect for history and science students. I am sure this will be a fabulous trip that our students will remember forever! The dates for this trip will be early-mid June, 2014.

Overview of a sample itinerary: Day1: Fly to Honolulu, HI Make a photo stop at the Nuuanu Pali Lookout Take a walking tour of WaikikiDay 2: Snorkeling at Waikiki Beach Take a guided tour of Honolulu including the Punch Bowl Cemetery, King Kamehameha statue and the State Capitol before enjoying free time at the International Marketplace Dinner will be a picnic-style dinner on the beach with great entertainmentDay 3: Visit the USS Arizona Memorial, USS Bowfin, and the USS Missouri before enjoying free time in downtown Honolulu and a great evening on a dinner cruiseDay 4; Visit the Dole Pineapple Plantation and the Polynesian Cultural Center where you will receive a Lei greeting and a Luau meal while enjoying the HA Breath of Life showDay 5; Hike Diamond Head before enjoying free time at Waikiki Beach Board an inter-island flight to Hilo on Hawaii’s Big Island, the largest of the inhabited Hawaiian islands where there will be a guided tour of Hilo and you will visit the Imiloa Astronomy CenterDay 6: Visit Volcanoes National Park and travel to KonaDay 7: Travel to Kona with our first stop at Waipio Valley Lookout and enjoy free time at Kona Beach (departure time permitting) Depart for homeDay 8: Arrive Home

We will have two interest meetings for the Hawaii trip,PLEASE JOIN US at one of them!!

March 6, 2013, at 6:30 p.m. in the libraryMarch 18, 2013, at 6:30 p.m. in the library

Contact Heather Singer with questions or for more information!

The Middle School students will have the opportunity to travel with Christine Beale and Gwen Russell to Hawaii in June 2014. What a great destination filled with science and history for all Middle School students!

Arts Update from Ann ParksWe love the arts in February! Use your creative

skills to make a valentine for someone close to you. Sing a love song. Express yourself! These moments will be cherished more than any Hallmark card.

This month our students will be expressing themselves in many different venues. I hope everyone enjoyed seeing the range of talent in our Middle and Upper Schools at the talent show. It was a jam-packed evening with something for everyone—what fun! Many of those same stars will grace the stage for our Upper School dramatic

Eighth grader Rachel Ormond’s untitled work in clay is on display at the TAG Middle School Art Exhibition.

Sixth graders Ava Tuggle (left) and Susan Dhakal stand by their works at the opening of Theater Art Gallery’s Middle School Exhibition on Thursday, January 17. Other WCDS students with works on display are Zach Beale (6th), Jake Keels (7th), TJ Webb (8th), Stephanie Thomas (8th), Sophie Lanham (8th), and Rachel Ormond (8th).

Sixth grader Zach Beale’s work at the TAG exhibition. Middle School art students are under the direction of Victoria Bailess.

production of Steel Magnolias which will run March 1-3. Please note that this is not appropriate for our Lower School students.

Currently our Middle School students have artwork on display at the Theater Art Gallery in High Point. This show will run through February 22, after which our Lower School students will have an opportunity to have their work selected for the TAG Elementary Art Show. Those exhibition dates are March 5-April 10. Our Lower School students will also shine at their own Talent Show, which has been moved to March 19 at 6:30 p.m. Mark your calendars now! Also, looking ahead, be sure to watch for your invitation to our annual Celebration of the Arts, April 14.

If you would like to get involved with our dramatic productions, we could really use some help with the set construction and preparation for the upcoming show, Steel Magnolias. Please see the schedule below for dates and times. We are also looking for items for set dressing and would love to borrow rather than rent or purchase. Thank you in advance! If you have any questions, please contact Ann Parks.

Set pieces for Steel MagnoliasSmall artificial Christmas tree, 3-4’Small glass top table for manicure tablePair of matching small upholstered chairs, floral or

pastel, for waiting areaPair of chrome frame vinyl or fabric small side

chairs to go with manicure set2 chrome vinyl chairs with or without arms and low

back (don’t have to match)Metal standing coat rackPair of rolling plastic supply carts 30” tallGlass shelves (3) 4’ long, 4-6” wide with brackets

Set Construction ScheduleFriday, Feb. 1 - 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 2 - 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. (and laterif available)Saturday, Feb. 9 - 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.Weekend of Feb. 16 - TBDFriday, Feb. 22 - 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.Saturday, Feb. 23 - times TBD

Looking for a creative family activity? The Weatherspoon Art Gallery at UNCG has a free family fun night planned entitled “Imaginary Landscapes/Mystical Places,” on Feb. 21 from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. This description from the Weatherspoon website explains what the evening has to offer:

Mythical places, time travel, and ancient civilizations are recalled in the evocative drawings and sculptures of artist Diana Al-Hadid, on view in the McDowell gallery. Enjoy this special evening event for families and create an imaginary landscape, take a tour with WAM’s Teen Art Guides, or participate in a musical experience with Chad Eby and students in the UNCG Jazz program. Activities take place throughout the evening, and no registration is required.

Athletics Update from Coach SchwartzIt is hard to believe that the 2012 - 2013 winter athletic season is already winding down, but what a

wonderful season it has been! All of our varsity and Middle School Wildcat student-athletes are excelling in and out of the classroom and are representing our school with great class and sportsmanship.

Senior Night for all of our Varsity winter athletes will be Friday, February 1, between the girls and boys varsity basketball games against Caldwell Academy at 5:30 and 7:00 p.m.

Our winter varsity athletes will also be having basketball and cheerleading clinics on February 1 for our Lower School Wildcats. Click here for more information and registration.

Conference Tournament Schedule:

Middle School Boys / Girls Basketball 2/4 – Higher Seed2/5 – at Burlington Day School2/7 – at Burlington Day School

Varsity Swimming 2/7 – at Salem Academy – 3:00 p.m.

Varsity Boys and Girls Basketball – TAC2/12 – Higher Seed2/14 – at Burlington Christian School2/15 – at Burlington Christian School

NCISAA 2A State Tournament Schedule:

Varsity Cheerleading 2/9 – at North Raleigh Christian Academy

Varsity Swimming2/19 – at Greensboro Aquatic Center

Varsity Girls and Boys Basketball2/19 – Higher Seed2/21 – Quarterfinals at Charlotte Country Day School2/22 – Semifinals at Charlotte Country Day School2/23 – Championship at Providence Day School

Spring Season Opening Practice Information

Varsity / Junior Varsity Boys Baseball2/18 - 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. at WCDS

Varsity Track 2/19 - 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. at Simeon Track

Varsity Girls Soccer2/19 - 3:45 - 5:30 p.m. at WCDS

Varsity Boys Tennis2/25 - 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. at Willow Creek

Varsity Golf2/25 – Team Meeting - 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. at WCDS

Middle School Golf2/25 - 2:25 - 5:00 p.m. at Emerywood

Middle School Track2/25 - 2:25 - 3:00 p.m. at WCDS

Counselor’s CornerIn the coming months, there will be programs through the Counseling Office that I hope you and/or your

student will consider attending. Several of these will be occurring during the school day as a part of advisory time or study hall periods (upper school students). Each topic will have a great amount of information that will be shared with your student on various topics directly related to them.

Middle School:We are beginning our month-long direct focus on bullying. Each middle school student will be asked

to answer an anonymous survey of 15-20 questions about bullying at WCDS. This was done last year and proved to be a very effective tool for students, teachers, administration, and parents. We will share these results in March with our parents, and we hope you will join us! We will also be discussing bullying, its effects, and what to do if they, or a friend are being bullied. We will also share these results with our teachers and administrators and focus on ways to remove bullying from our school. We were way below the national average for bullying last year and I am looking forward to comparing our results from this year to last year’s and am hoping to see even less bullying occurring in our hallways!

Upper School:Has your tenth grader been thinking about a career choice? Do they feel overwhelmed at times by the

pressure of choosing a college/university with little knowledge of their defined career path? If so, this is a great opportunity for them!

We, as school counselors, know that one good way to make informed decisions that will lead to lifelong, career success, is to take a career assessment test. These tests help to match a person’s interests and abilities with their learning and personality strengths and the results can prove quite valuable when selecting a career, as well as, a college.

After discussion and realizing the benefits that past students have gained from participating in a career development session with Mrs. Singer, our Upper School Counselor, we will be scheduling ALL of our tenth graders to participate in a four-meeting series this spring. Beginning in February, each 10th grader will be asked to sign up for a time during the study hall periods to explore his or her career development.

This is what a few of their classmates, who have previously taken the course, had to say:“I enjoyed learning more about myself and possible career options.”“It opened my eyes to many choices that I did not know about.”“I thought it was a very good class and really showed me that I should major in exactly what I have been planning on majoring in; it also showed me my strong and weak points.”“It laid out my personality and based on that, listed jobs that I would enjoy doing. So, I now have choices instead of being clueless about what I want to be.”

During these four meetings, they will: Take the MBTI assessment which will determine their four-letter personality type •Learn about their type preference, including how they interact with others, their strengths, and •important areas for growthReceive the MBTI Career Report based on their type preference and an in-depth understanding of •this report by the school counselor; this report explores preferred work tasks and work environments, as well as, the most popular and least popular occupations based on their typeTake the IStartStrong Survey which will identify career options that support their personal interests and •passionsReceive the IStartSurvey Report and an in depth understanding of this report by the school counselor; •this report paints a clear picture of how one’s interests and themes link to various jobs, work settings, and career fields

The cost for the course is $35 and can be made by credit card (please click here), cash, or check (made out to WCDS) by February 15. Your student can drop this check off at Renee Hetley’s office or give it to Heather Singer. If your student chooses to opt out for any reason, please email me with this information so you will not be charged. Please email Mrs. Singer if you have any additional questions.

For the College BoundIn the coming weeks you will hear about exciting

new offerings in course selection in the Upper School, and many of your students will be exploring options that will include one or more Advanced Placement, or AP, courses. In order to provide parents and students alike with venues for fact-finding, we are planning three programs during the coming months that are designed to answer many of your questions.

On Monday, February 4, we will sponsor an •evening focused on our AP program. At this time we will share with parents much of the information we convey to students about the opportunities and the expectations inherent in participating in the AP program. We believe our AP classes are second to none, and we are excited about sharing with parents information about this very important facet of our Upper School curriculum. Currently 74% of our senior class members take one or more AP classes and, based on their scores on the AP exam in May, many of them will receive college credit for the work they complete while in high school. Then, on Wednesday, February 13, at 8:00 in •the morning, parents of members of the junior class will be invited to meet with their student and me as we explore the college process and officially launch the college search for members of the Class of 2014. Finally, on Wednesday, April 17, we will host a •program entitled College Prep 101, a program designed to help parents of students of all ages understand the college search and application process. This is a program designed to demystify the process and debunk some of the myths that surround the topic. Our guest on the evening of April 17 will be Jared Rosenberg, Senior Assistant Director of Admissions at UNC Chapel Hill. Jared will share with us the specifics of what admissions committees look for as they evaluate applicants and what parents and students can do as early as Middle School to prepare. That evening we will also take a look at how Westchester addresses preparation for the process as we hear about our own college counseling program. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to hear from one of our state’s authorities on college admissions. Join us on Wednesday, April 17, from 6:30 until 7:30 p.m. in the library and hear for yourself how your student can position himself for success in the college admissions process.

By now parents of seniors who plan to apply for financial aid for college should be gathering information for completion of their 2012 federal income tax return in anticipation of completing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Available money for financial assistance can be

exhausted, so it is incumbent on parents to complete this paperwork as soon as possible. Applications must be submitted online by going to www.fafsa.ed.gov.

Congratulations to Claire Councill who has been named a finalist in the Jefferson Scholarship Program at the University of Virginia. Claire will visit UVA for several days in March as she continues her pursuit of this prestigious scholarship. Also, congratulations are extended to the following seniors who received word of college acceptances since our last newsletter. This list is based on information submitted by seniors as of January 28.

Bruno Beca - Hampden-Sydney College

Leah Caffey - Elon University UNC Chapel Hill

Sarah Kate Christiansen - Radford University

Kristine Chukwuma - High Point University

Claire Councill - UNC Chapel Hill University of Virginia

Nicole Danch - Appalachian State University Florida Atlantic University University of South Carolina

Thomas Freund – UNC Chapel Hill

Avery Goho – UNC Chapel Hill

Olivia Greeson – UNC Charlotte

Christian James – College of Charleston University of South Carolina

Lizzy Lawrence – UNC Chapel Hill

Jan Luehr – Elon University

Bele Seyoum – Appalachian State University UNC Chapel Hill

Katarina Terentieva – UNC Chapel Hill

Will Thomas – Mercer University Sewanee

Kennedy Thompson – UNC Chapel Hill

Julie Tugwell – High Point University Western Carolina University

Leigh Tyson – Appalachian State University Clemson University UNC Chapel Hill University of South Carolina

Patrick Williford – UNC Chapel Hill

Tristan Winkle – University of Montevallo

Healthful Hints from the School NurseMark your calendars for Westchester’s Health and Safety Fair, located in the Finch Center for Academic

and Athletic Excellence, on Thursday, February 28. The event will be held from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.

The Health Fair is open to all students, parents, and grandparents. Our neighbors and local community are invited to attend as well.

The Health and Safety Fair mission is to provide our Westchester students and community with information about health, safety, and wellness programs available in our community and beyond. Free cholesterol checks will be provided for the first 120 adults.

More than 40 local professionals and vendors will have information booths at the event, including our parent physicians from the areas of dermatology, cardiology, oncology, and orthopedics. There will be class-sponsored and individual, student-led booths with information on communicable diseases, nutrition, and drug use prevention.

The fair will also feature booths from area law enforcement. The NC Highway Patrol will provide a DUI experience with goggles while driving a golf cart. “VIP for VIP,” sponsored by High Point Fire Department, will have a tumble car to demonstrate the importance of wearing seat belts and non-distracted driving.

Attendees will be able to take part in a Zumba demonstration, gait analysis, and stress reduction biofeedback. There will be games, door prizes, and healthy snacks available.

Please come on out and stroll through the exhibits with your child or come on over on your own and bring a friend.

I’m also looking for parent volunteers to help during this event. If you can spare a little time, give me a call or email me a quick note.

Beth Kennedy, RN, Director of Health Services

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.

WAPA Notes and NewsBook Club

Reminder that the WAPA Book Club will meet February 6 and March 6 at 8:00 a.m. in the Library. The book discussion for February will be The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls, and for March is The Innocent Spy by Laura Wilson. All are welcome!