In the list of 43 students in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools district who have just been announced as National Merit Semifinalists you will find one Davidson name – Krista White.

Learn all about Krista’s achievement in our school news below, plus find out about Davidson Day volunteers at the Ada Jenkins Center and a top-ten Woodlawn finisher in Saturday’s Cannon Cross Country Invitational.

Krista White is National Merit Semifinalist

Krista White of Davidson was recently named a semifinalist through the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, a non-profit that focuses on recognizing academic excellence.

Krista White of Davidson is a National Merit Semifinalist

In the spring, most of the semifinalists will advance to the “National Merit Finalists” level and about half of that select group will be awarded $2,500 in National Merit college scholarships.

For the senior in the International Baccalaureate program at North Mecklenburg High School, the honor means she has to face even more piles of college application materials – the Merit Scholar program requires semifinalists to write a personal essay and gather recommendations and other materials.

The White family is familiar with the National Merit program – Krista’s older sister, Lauren (now a sophomore at Harvard) was a National Merit Finalist in 2007.

Besides the IB program at North Meck, Krista is also a member of the cross country and track teams and the Young Democrats Club and she has been involved in Science Olympiad since her middle school years.  An avid sailer, Krista is part of the North Meck sailing team and worked as a sailing counselor on the Neuse River this summer.

She appears to like all aspects of classwork.

“I really enjoy science and math, and psychology is probably my favorite subject,” she said. “Plus I really like art.”

Krista is the daughter of Trisha and Craig White of Davidson.  She is the granddaughter of Jeanie & Robert White of Davidson, and Pat and Bill Schaffer of Cornelius.

The complete list of semifinalists for area public schools can be found on the CMS website.  Krista is one of six at North Meck to receive the honor.

Planning for IB Middle renovations

The Town of Davidson and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools will host a two-day public planning workshop about proposed renovations and additions at Davidson IB Middle School on South Street. The school system plans to renovate the building, and the town is considering joining the project by incorporating a gymnasium and community recreation center.

The event begins with a school tour and kick-off planning event Wednesday evening, followed by an all-day workshop session Thursday (10 a.m. – 5 p.m.) which will include time for neighbor concerns.  The planning “charrette” session closes with a 7 p.m. overview session at Town Hall.

Find more details in our previous coverage, “Planning workshop Sept. 24-25 for IB School project.”

Cannon hosts 10th annual Cross Country Invitational

Two Davidson-area school sent teams to the 10th annual Cannon School Cross Country Invitational Saturday at the school’s campus in Concord.  Woodlawn was represented by both a girls and a boys team, while Davidson Day sent a boys team.  Both schools competed in the Division II level.  Woodlawn’s boys team placed 9th (led by Sawyer Bowman, who covered the 5K course in 19 minutes and 32 seconds, earning 8th place among 104 racers) and Davidson Day placed 17th in the invitational, while the Woodlawn girls team (led by Jamie Richards, who finished 27th among 80 runners) placed 8th in their competition.

Senior Walker Burton (at left) and junior Demond Gates, both student athletes at Davidson Day, helped stock shelves at the Ada Jenkins Center.

Davidson Day athletes volunteer at Ada Jenkins

During their preseason workouts, student athletes at Davidson Day School learned about teamwork, responsibility and commitment by volunteering at the Ada Jenkins Center in Davidson.

All middle school and varsity athletes have taken time out from their training to join the school’s new athletic director, Kevin Buechler, and school coaches in doing landscape work and stocking shelves at the Loaves & Fishes emergency food pantry, located inside the Ada Jenkins Center.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

• Wednesday, Sept. 17 – First “walk/bike to school” day for Davidson Day.
• Thursday, Sept. 18 – Scout Night.  Cub Scout Pack 58, which represents the Town of Davidson, will hold an information session at Davidson Elementary starting at 7 p.m. for all interested boys, from first grade and up.
• Wednesday, Sept. 24 – First “walk/bike to school” day for Children’s Community School.
• Sept. 24-25 – The Town of Davidson and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools will host a two-day planning workshop about renovations to the IB Middle School (see above).
• Friday, Sept. 26 – Faculty Development (classes canceled) for Davidson Day
• Tuesday, Sept. 30 – Teacher workday (classes canceled) for Davidson Elementary, Children’s Community School, Bailey Middle and Davidson IBSend calendar items and press releases about local school news to us at lauriedennis@bellsouth.net . Don’t forget to include a contact phone number, in case we have questions.