Those are pretty big shoes to fill! Tylan Murrell (at right) specially designed this pair of basketball star center Andrew Lovedale's shoes, which Murphy McConnell (at left) then won in a raffle.

Global issues related to Africa were the theme of a festival held Thursday at Children’s Community School.  The festival culminated a year of research by the school’s seventh graders.  Special guests included Davidson College  basketball star Andrew Lovedale, whose work to raise money for athletics in his hometown of Benin City, Nigeria, corresponded perfectly with the festival focus.

We have a report on the CCS awareness festival, along with news of the team of Woodlawn School historians who have qualified to compete at National History Day, two students from Davidson who have recently been honored at Charlotte Country Day, and a listing of end-of-year events at local schools.

CCS STUDENTS CONCLUDE YEAR WITH ‘CAN’ FESTIVAL

The word “CAN” was everywhere evident Thursday night at Children’s Community School.  Emblazoned on bright orange shirts, written by hand on student signs, hanging in banners, the word stood for Change Africa Now, the slogan for a year-long study project for the school’s seventh graders.  The CAN Festival was intended to be held on the Davidson Town Green, but rainy weather sent events instead into the school’s gym.

CCS parent Rosetta Woods, who is from Liberia, helped student Lauren Morris balance a basket.

Students created booths on six different issues impacting Africa: genocide, poverty education, safe drinking water, orphans, disease and animal rights.  In addition, students performed African dancing and drumming, and games like Mankala.

Teachers Stephanie Cross and Melissa Porter guided students in research projects.

“We picked Africa because we were looking for something that encourages deep learning, but that can also impact people and involve the community,” explained Ms. Porter.  “The CAN Festival is about showing the issues, but also showing the good in African culture and celebrating it.”

One special guest at the event was Davidson College basketball star Andrew Lovedale.  Students raffled tickets to win a pair of Mr. Lovedale’s extra-large sized shoes, with proceeds donated to his work to support athletics programs in his hometown of Benin City, Nigeria.

Seventh-grader Tylan Murrell went to the website NikeID.com to specially design the shoes, which classmate Murphy McConnell won.  Murphy’s mother, Sherri, said the family plans to put the shoes up for bidding on eBay, and then contribute the earnings to either Mr. Lovedale’s charity or Children’s Community School.

Students tried out African games, including the board game, Mankala.

Students at the CAN festival were eager to talk about what they have learned.  At the booth about genocide, Lauren Morris talked about how fear and hatred and other negative feelings can lead people astray.  She  showed a basket of role-playing ideas designed to encourage people to treat each other with respect.  Lauren spun a globe marked with stars to show all the places where genocides have taken place: Rwanda, Darfur, Bosnia, Cambodia, Armenia…

“When I started this, I thought of the ‘Holocaust’ when I heard the word ‘genocide,’” said fellow classmate Nkenge Edwards. “Now I know that there are so many more places too.”

Meanwhile, at the safe water booth, Katie Lesseur pointed to a display of water bottles designed to show the high rate of water consumption in America, as compared to other countries.

“We use triple, no quadruple, as much water as people in Nigeria,” she said.

Katie added that her research has changed her own habits.  “I almost felt greedy,” she said.  “Now I take shorter showers and if I get a bottle of water, I drink it all.  This has really opened my eyes.”

WOODLAWN HISTORIANS BOUND FOR NATIONALS

Classes end Tuesday at Woodlawn School, but for six students the academic year will stretch another week, allowing for a trip to a national competition.

They’ll represent Woodlawn at National History Day, to be held June 15-19 at the University of Maryland. The historians advanced to the national level by placing first or second in various categories at the state competition earlier this month.

The Woodlawn team of historians bound for nationals includes (l-r): Haley Sherman, Paulina Campbell, Joe Andry, Erin Johnson, Lachlan Johnson and Lauren Sapp.

The annual History Day competition is a tradition at Woodlawn, and these are not the first Trailblazers to compete at the national level. However, this year’s three first place awards and two second place finishes proved the school’s best performance ever at state.

Seventh graders at Woodlawn use their curriculum focus on Africa and Asia to choose term paper topics that are considered for the competition, while the older grades choose the topic that most interests them.  Students began work on their projects before the winter break.  The theme for this year’s History Day is “The Individual in History,” and Woodlawn students used the internet, drama and writing to study subjects that ranged from the Pol Pot regime in Cambodia to American photographer Marion Post Wolcott, to Charlotte’s own civil rights pioneer Dorothy Counts.

The Woodlawn website had a full list of the 28 students who competed at the state competition, along with links to student websites and documentaries.

The national qualifiers are:

• 10th grader Erin Johnson: 1st place Senior Division Performance
• 8th grader Lachlan Johnson: 1st place Junior Division Individual Documentary
• 8th grader Joe Andry: 1st place Junior Division Website
• 8th grader Hailey Sherman: 2nd place Junior Division Website
• 7th grader Lauren Sapp: 2nd place Junior Division Research Paper

Additionally, ninth-grader Paulina Campbell placed third in the Senior Division Individual Documentary, and will be eligible to compete at the national competition due to the second-place winner in that category withdrawing from the contest. Ninth-grader Tori Rinker also placed third in the Senior Division Performance category.

HONORS TO TWO AT COUNTRY DAY

Two Davidson residents were among the 90 students at Charlotte Country Day recognized May 21 for outstanding achievements.

Conor O'Neill during Awards Day at Charlotte Country Day.

Conor O’Neill, the son of Jeanne Neumann of Davidson, received the Williams College Book Award, which is yearly awarded to the top overall student in the junior class.  He also won the school’s Humanities Award, given by the English and Social Studies departments for excellence in writing and interdisciplinary thinking.

“Conor’s excellence in AP English and AP US History, most clearly demonstrated through his original and analytical writing, have distinguished him as one of the finest and most engaging students in a very strong class,” says Tom Anderson, CCDS Upper School Social Studies Department Head.

Aidan Berkey, son of Vivien Dietz and Jonathan Berkey, received the ninth grade writing award, given to the student who most distinguishes him or herself in the craft and execution of all forms of writing, including creative and analytical work.

NEW PRINCIPAL COMING TO TOWN

Terry Hall

Terry Hall will not officially start her new job as Davidson Elementary School principal until July 1, but she plans to be in town next week to meet and greet the public.  The school’s Parent-Teacher Association will host welcome sessions on Thursday, June 4, at 6:30 p.m. in the school media center; and then on Friday, June 5, starting at 9:30 a.m. in the school cafeteria.

Click here for more information about the selection of Terry Hall as the new DES leader.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

• FRIDAY, MAY 29 – Last day of school for Children’s Community School.
• FRIDAY, MAY 29 – Graduation for the Davidson Day Class of 2009 begins at 7 p.m. in the school’s new auditorium.
• WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3 – Summer Fest at Davidson Day will run from 3:30 – 6 p.m. and include food, music, a dunk tank, tug-of-war tourney and more.
• THURSDAY, JUNE 4 - First of two meet-and-greet sessions with Terry Hall, the new incoming principal at Davidson Elementary School (see above for the details).
• FRIDAY, JUNE 5 - The combined Davidson Day School Choruses will perform at 9:45 a.m. at The Carowinds Festival of Music. The Davidson Day School singers will join other choral groups from around the country in performing “Dream a Dream” and “Lean on Me, a La Club Nouveau” for a distinguished panel of judges.
  

  The band Cynergy Rocks plays Bailey June 5.

• FRIDAY, JUNE 5 – The local youth band Cynergy Rocks, featuring Ruth Swallow of Davidson as the lead vocalist, will play for the “Adios EOGs Party” at Bailey Middle, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. in the school parking lot.
• TUESDAY, JUNE 9 – Davidson IB will hold an International Festival luncheon.
• TUESDAY, JUNE 9 – Last day of school for Woodlawn.
• WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10 – Last day of school for public schools, including Davidson Elementary, Bailey Middle and Davidson IB.  This is also the last day of school for the McKinney Academy.
• FRIDAY, JUNE 12 - Last day of school for Pine Lake Prep and for Davidson Day.

Send calendar items and press releases about local school news to us at: lauriedennis@bellsouth.net