This blog replaced by new KCD website

This is the last entry on the KCD blog. The new KCD website at www.kcd.org offers many of the features we first tried out here, so check it out!

If you were subscribed to blog updates via email or RSS feeds, the new site offers even more subscription options: http://www.kcd.org/content/resources/connect-kcd

Sheikh Hamza Yusuf to Visit KCD

On November 12, we are proud to welcome Sheikh Hamza Yusuf to KCD. Sheikh Yusuf is one of the world's leading scholars and lecturers on Islam, and it is a real privilege to welcome him to our campus. Sheikh Yusuf will speak to upper school students between 2 and 3 pm on November 12 in the Commons.

Although space is limited, parents are also welcome to attend.

US Play Gets Rave Reviews

Congratulations to the cast and crew of You Can’t Take It With You, which wowed audiences in productions held over October 22-24. Hats off to director Kate Scinta, technical director Rudy Keel, and the entire cast and crew of upper schoolers.

Wild Kingdom Day

Today was Wild Kingdom Day in the Upper School. If you don't know what Wild Kingdom Day is, these pictures and videos should tell you all you need to know. Wild Kingdom day is a venerable tradition at KCD and dates back to the early 1970s, when teachers Paul Hagenau and Susan Dilday first organized a field day for upper school students.

More videos are posted on our YouTube channel, and there's also a set of pictures up on Flickr

Out on the nature trail

Second and third graders in Becky Gallion's art classes have been taking inspiration (and some of their materials) from nature. This week, Ms. Gallion's classes hiked outside on KCD's nature trail (newly renovated thanks to the cross country team) and collected sticks that will be used for a classroom calligraphy project.

More pictures are up on Flickr

Are you ready for flu season?

It's likely that the coming flu season will once again be dominated by discussion of the Swine Flu, also known as the H1N1 virus.

KCD has acted on recommendations from the CDC and the Department of Education, most of which boil down to common sense: asking children to sneeze into tissues or the inside of their elbow, frequent handwashing, and increased vigilance for anyone exhibiting flulike symptoms. Teachers have been asked to communicate and reinforce these behaviors with their students. As an additional precaution, we have installed hand sanitizer dispensers in every classroom.

For more information on what you can do at home, please take a minute to read through the following parent resources from the CDC. Please note that KCD's sick policy mirrors that of the CDC: children must be free of symptoms and fever for 24 hours before returning to school.

Steps for parents to protect children
Steps for parents with children at high risk for complications

If your child is diagnosed with the H1N1 virus, please inform your division director.

09-10 handbooks and curriculum guides are on their way

It's the publishing event you've all been waiting for: the distribution of the 09-10 student/parent handbooks and curriculum guides. The books are back from the printer and will be distributed next week. Both books will go home with each family's youngest child and will be handed out by classroom teachers (LS) and advisors (MS & US).

If you just can't wait to dive in, pdf versions of the publications are posted at the links below:

2009-2010 Student/Parent Handbook
2009-2010 Curriculum Guide

Community in action

On Sunday, the cross country athletes and their families showed real community spirit by getting together to extend the nature trail and lay down mulch. It was a solution to a practical problem facing the team, as construction has limited areas where athletes can run safely. These trail improvements, however, will not only benefit the team, but also the teachers and students who use the trail for nature hikes, science classes, and other activities. Kudos to everyone who pitched in!

More pictures on up on Flickr

KCD profile in US News college issue

Check out the current issue of US News & World Report to see KCD's profile page! Click the image above for a larger version.

Photos of Dahin Sheli's new water catchment system

Brina Stephens has shared these pictures from Tamale, Ghana, showing that construction of the Dahin Sheli school's rainwater catchment system is nearly complete. The catchment system will provide students at the school with a supply of clean drinking water and was funded with money raised during last year's Walk for Water.

Sister Cities representatives in Tamale report that the collection of water from this year's rainy season should begin around mid-September. The construction of the second system at Tamale Islamic Secondary School will hopefully begin some time in the next month.

Students meet their Reading Buddies

Seeing scenes like these is one of the great things about working at a school! Starting this week, JK and kindergarten students began meeting their third and fourth grade reading buddies, with whom they'll spend some reading time each week. The little ones stay with their reading buddy throughout the year, so they get to know each other pretty well. These pictures are of students in Ms. Lotz's kindergarten class and their fourth grade buddies from Ms. Stephens' class.

John Hale's new book gets great NYT review

The New York Times Book Review just ran an extremely positive review of Lords of the Sea, the new book by alumnus John Hale '69. The books sounds terrific and has a fascinating thesis, but the Times reviewer is also impressed by the author's ability to paint a vivid picture of life in classical Athens:

Mr. Hale’s sea-level view of Athens during its Golden Age is, as Mr. Kagan had guessed, a novel and gripping way to approach a story that has been told many times before. What Mr. Kagan might not have guessed is that his student would become a far better than average writer. In “Lords of the Sea” Mr. Hale’s simple but vigorous sentences prick up your ears from the first page.

Class A Kentucky Country Day has A-plus football staff

The July 29 edition of the Courier-Journal carried a terrific article on KCD's football coaching staff on the front page of the sports section:

The Kentucky Country Day School football program might be small in numbers and size, but head coach Tim Green has assembled nothing less than a big-time staff.

Of the nine coaches at KCD, including Green, eight played football in college. Four of those have played professionally: former University of Louisville players Dave Ragone, Tony Stallings and Justin Rascati and former Louisville Fire head coach Tommy Johnson.

Neil Trautwein '79 on Fox Business News

Neil Trautwein '79 recently appeared on Fox Business News representing the National Retail Federation and providing commentary on Wal-Mart's support of health care reform. I can't seem to get the video to embed, so here's the link.

Courtney Plaster-Strange '06 Selected to Midwest High Performance Field Hockey Team

From the Northwestern Athletic Web site:

Plaster-Strange, a forward, earns her second bid to the Midwest team after a junior campaign at Northwestern during which she scored seven goals, increasing her career total to 13, while leading NU with 46 shots. As a sophomore in 2007, she was one of three Wildcat players to start all 18 games and closed the season with five scores over the final eight games to finish second on the team in goals.

Here's the full article. Congrats, Courtney!

Construction is under way!

More pictures. I'm going to be shooting photos from time to time and posting them to Flickr, so visit there over the summer to check our progress.

KCD says goodbye to log cabin

The Courier-Journal covers the sale of KCD's log cabin:

A historic log cabin that served as the admissions office at Kentucky Country Day School has been sold to the Boy Scouts and moved to Shelbyville.

The cabin, which originally was built near Carrollton in the early 1800s, was taken apart last month. Pieces were photographed and labeled so it can be reassembled starting this week at the Harry S. Frazier Jr. Scout Reservation.

Katharine Rhodes Henderson '74 is inducted into Alumni Hall of Fame

I am proud to announce that the Reverend Dr. Katharine Rhodes Henderson, KCD class of 1974, was inducted in the Alumni Association Hall of Fame during Commencement. Dr. Henderson was introduced by Alumni Association Vice President Pai Charasika 1994 (above with Dr. Henderson). The bio below comes from Pai's introduction:

Dr. Henderson is a minister, author, speaker, and prominent figure in women's leadership and multifaith issues.

Since 1985 she has dedicated her talents to the Auburn Theological Seminary in New York City, where she has launched several of Auburn’s signature educational programs and built its department of institutional advancement. She has also been a leader in developing multifaith programs for women, corporate executives, and leadership programs for teenagers from around the world. This winter, she was named as the seminary's next president, a post she will assume on July 1st.

Dr. Henderson is a sought-after speaker on women's leadership and multifaith issues who has taught, spoken and preached in seminaries, churches and synagogues, and to community groups. She is also the author of God's Troublemakers: How Women of Faith are Changing the World. Her intellectual interests include leadership, particularly among women; the role of progressive religious leadership in the public arena and religion in the media; communication across lines of faith, race and class; and the role of philanthropy in shaping society.

Dr. Henderson received her doctorate in higher education from Columbia University's Teachers College, her master of divinity from Union Theological Seminary, and her B.A. from The College of Wooster. She was ordained as a minister in the U.S. Presbyterian Church in 1982 and is currently Parish Associate at First Presbyterian Church in New York City.

KCD students' trips to Ghana forge friendships

This article in the Courier-Journal came out last week. Great coverage of a great story.

Students at Kentucky Country Day School are leaving a lasting impression in the African country of Ghana.

Over the past year, two student groups traveled to Tamale, a sister city of Louisville, and a third group is there now. While there, the students meet with government officials, live with local families and work on projects at schools. They already have brought Internet access to one school and are working to bring safe drinking water to two schools.

Dexter Mahaffey, coordinator of diversity activities at KCD, said he didn't want students to go there as tourists but to build relationships.

'If you have a friendship, you begin to understand a place much better,' he said. 'You want to take care of your friends.'

James Racine featured in C-J article

Louisville musician Maestro J--known around here as KCD strings instructor James Racine--is prominently featured in this Courier-Journal article on Louisville's emerging soul scene:

If you're hip to Louisville's soul music scene, you know Racine as Maestro J, the man who made a name for himself a few years ago as Louisville's own hip-hop violinist. He was known for taking tracks from popular rap music and replacing the lyrics with his fancy string work, getting his audience to see hip-hop in a brand new way.

Since then, Racine has shed the 'hip-hop violinist' moniker and now, backed by a band, focuses on soul music. It's no secret that Louisville's soul music scene isn't as vibrant as some would hope, but that's not stopping Racine.

Groundbreaking held for KCD theater

Today's Courier-Journal has an article on last week's groundbreaking:

Kentucky Country Day School held a ceremonial groundbreaking May 26 for its long-awaited theater.

The 400-seat theater will be part of a new 25,000-square-foot fine arts building, which also will have classrooms, a stage shop, ceramics studio and large lobby.

Architect Sherman Carter Barnhart designed the building, and Parco Construction Inc. has been hired to build it.

A fundraising campaign called 'Expanding Horizons: Building on Excellence' was announced in March. At that point about 80 percent of the $7.5million needed for the project already had been raised.

The campaign also will pay to add a third lane at the entrance and 84 additional parking spaces. A cafeteria that was used for theater productions will be renovated.

Head of school Brad Lyman said he sees the new theater as a place where traveling productions could be held, and he envisions it becoming the 'east end center for the arts.'

$2 million grant will help gifted students afford KCD

Today's Courier-Journal has an article on our recent $2 million grant from the Malone Family Foundation:

The school is forming a committee to find students who could benefit from the grant.

Lyman said it is the largest gift from a foundation that the school has received. The money will benefit students in seventh through 12th grades starting in 2011.

The Malone Family Foundation selects independent schools to receive endowments based on academic caliber; staff quality; accommodations for gifted and talented students; strong advanced placement and enrichment programs; attention to individual student's needs, interests and talents; financial strength and stability; a commitment to financial aid; and an economically, culturally, ethnically and socially diverse population.

Baseball players named to All District team

Congratulations to recent graduate Tyler Robertson and rising ninth grader Will Smith, who were recently named to the All-District baseball team for the 28th District.

Will was the only eighth grader in the 6th or 7th region to make the all district team.

Lacrosse players named All-Americans

Congratulations to varsity lacrosse players and recent graduates Michelle Worthington and Ellen Esterhay, who have been named as All-Americans. This recognition marks Ellen's second straight All-American designation.

In addition, Ellen was named most valuable offensive player, and Michelle was honored with the Neal Cory Award.

Congrats!

Graduation photos on Courier-Journal website

Looks like the Courier had a photographer at graduation too:

courier-journal | Photo Galleries | The Courier-Journal

Congratulations to the class of 2009!

Congratulations to the class of 2009, whose commencement exercises were held last night at St. Matthews Baptist Church.

More graduation photos are up on Flickr

Children's Choir performs "Cinderella"

Last week, the 3/4 Children's Choir put on a terrific version of Cinderella. This version, written by Roald Dahl, displayed the author's characteristic wit and humor. Congratulations to the performers and director Jeannine Ary on a great production!

Spring athletic awards

Athletes in spring sports were recognized during the Class Day assembly yesterday. Award winners are pictured above. Awards were presented to these athletes during their individual team banquets.

A full listing of award recipients is posted here.

Class Day awards

Today was Class Day, the annual year-end upper school awards ceremony. The day began with the senior breakfast in the Wilder Room. Seniors were presented with roses by Jr. K students as they made their way to the Gardner Gym for the assembly.

A complete listing of awards is posted here
A picture set from Class Day is up on Flickr

Groundbreaking ceremony gets us on our way!

At long last, our plans for a new performing arts center are about to become reality! This morning, parents, students, and alumni gathered for a ceremonial groundbreaking ceremony in which KCD administrators, students, and local dignitaries put shovels in the ground to launch our latest project. With this ceremony following hard on the heels of last week's announcement of our Malone Foundation grant, this is a great time to be at KCD!

Groundbreaking pics are up on Flickr

Kindergarten music program

The year-end kindergarten music program is one of my favorite KCD events. This one was terrific--congratulations to the students and the teachers on a great show!





Pictures from the show are up on Flickr

FYI Online - May 22, 2009

Here's this week's FYI Online.

First grade dinosaur program

The first grade had a standing-room-only crowd this morning for their Dinosaur Program. This performance had it all: dinosaur songs, dinosaur jokes, and dinosaur hats. These children are obviously excited about dinosaurs, and they put on a wonderful performance.

The first grade will conclude their dinosaur unit next week with a visit to the dinosaur exhibit at the Indianapolis Children's Museum.



Pictures from the program are up on Flickr

Third graders hold multicultural celebration

KCD's third grade concluded their study of world cultures yesterday with a multicultural celebration featuring projects and foods from around the world. Parents were invited to join in, too. What a spread!

KCD receives $2 million grant for scholarships!

It's official: we have been awarded a grant from the Malone Foundation! Mr. Lyman made the following announcement a short time ago:

I am extremely proud to announce that Kentucky Country Day School has been awarded a $2 million grant from the Malone Family Foundation. This money will be used to perpetually endow The Malone Scholars Program, which will fund scholarships to motivated students based on merit and financial need. This gift represents the largest gift ever made by a foundation to KCD.

The selection process for this grant is extremely competitive, and only three schools nationally are selected by the Foundation each year. Schools may not apply for a grant but rather are selected by the Foundation on the basis of their academic excellence; the quality of their staff; the breadth and depth of opportunities and accommodations for gifted and talented students; strong AP and enrichment programs; attention to the individual student's needs, interests, and talents; financial strength and stability; a commitment to financial aid; and an economically, culturally, ethnically, and socially diverse population.

That the Malone Family Foundation has selected our school for this grant is a resounding testimonial to the quality of our academic program, the dedication of our faculty, and the strength of our community.

The Foundation partners with only one school in each state. I am proud to announce that we are, and will remain, Kentucky’s only Malone Foundation partner school. The scholarship program that this grant will establish marks another tremendously exciting moment in the history of our school. We will publish further details of the grant in the very near future. Please visit www.malonefamilyfoundation.org to learn more about the program.

Softball senior night

Last Thursday, the softball team recognized their graduating seniors. Sarah Anderson, Molly Dobbins, and Stephanie Carson were recognized before playing their last home game as Bearcats.

KCD has shot at boys' tennis title

There's a great article in today's Courier-Journal on our varsity boys' tennis team:

There's a little guy ready to crash the party this week. Kentucky Country Day — with about 270 students in grades 9-12 — is a top contender for its first state tennis crown.

'We're a little bitty school, and it's clear that we don't get the shots that the Trinitys and St.X's and Manuals get at something like this,' KCD coach Lisa Pepper said. 'I want this for the boys so badly. Now they just have to go out and play.'

The State Tennis Championships will begin Thursday and run through Saturday in Lexington, and KCD enters with a strong hand.

Courier-Journal article profiles John Hale '69

Thanks to Charlie Fothergill for pointing me toward this fascinating article in Sunday's Courier-Journal. The story's a profile of archaelogist and alumnus John Hale '69, who's just published a book based on his research in underwater archaelogy. John's a fascinating guy, and his previous research on the Oracle of Delphi was the subject of a Connections feature a few years ago. From the Courier:

Hale and his colleagues were combing the bottom of Greek waters with Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) or robots for signs of the king of Persia's 300 ships that ancient records said were lost in a storm about 492 B.C. Because of active sediments, the team was starting to realize it would be very hard to find anything when the 'eye' of a robot beamed an image of a pot back to the ship. At the direction of those on board, the robot shined a light inside the pot, catching a green gleam. Out of the water, the team discovered the green object was the bronze spike of a spear shaft.

'The really exciting things were: A) It was in perfect condition; and B) It was from the same period of the wreck we were looking for,' Hale said.

What they couldn't figure out is how it got there. So they went back for the pot with the submersible. Once on deck, an octopus emerged from the pot, where it had been living. The sea creature had used the spear to ward off intruders, said Hale.

KCD welcomes guests from Tamale

Today, KCD welcomed Mr. Kojo Kaleem Jehanfo and his wife, Adamu Jehanfo, to our school. Mr. and Ms. Jehanfo are from our sister city of Tamale, Ghana, and we're thrilled that their visit marks the first time that we have been able to host visitors from Tamale.

The Jehanfos spent most of the day at KCD, meeting with Dexter Mahaffey's African Lit class and Elizabeth Spears' kindergarten class in the morning and with the middle school Global 20/20 club in the afternoon. During his time in Louisville, Mr. Jehanfo will work with us on proceeding with our Tamale Water Project and offer guidance on our contributions to the Tamale Scholarship and Aid Fund.

Mr. Jehanfo, who now works as a building contractor, was formerly attached to the Ghanaian embassy in Washington, D.C. Both he and his wife, who is principal community health nurse with the Ghana health service, have been very involved with the Sister Cities program in Tamale.

Students explore the chemistry of tie-dying

Last week, students in Bridget Adkins' chemistry classes explored the science behind tie-dying. Students worked on their shirts last Friday and wore them to school today. Looks like they turned out great!

Seniors volunteer for School Choice Scholarships

Kudos to seniors Sarah Anderson, Kelly Beam, Stephanie Carson, and Molly Dobbins, who woke up early on Prom day to help with a service project for School Choice Scholarships at St. Nicholas South. This program offers scholarships to assist young people in attending the school of their choice. The program has helped young people with tuition at many area schools, including KCD. Sarah, Kelly, Stephanie, and Molly painted faces at the event, and Taylor Shorten participated in a ballroom dancing exhibition fund-raiser for School Choice last year.

More pictures on Flickr

Three athletes named to all state boys' lacrosse team

KCD All State Lacrosse team members, originally uploaded by Kentucky Country Day.

Congratulations to Eddie Crawford (goalie), Ryan Scinta (midfield), and Cameron Harter (attack), who were named to the Kentucky Lacrosse Association All-State team.

FYI Online - May 15, 2009

Better late than never--here's the link to the May 15, 2009, newsletter.

Log cabin moves to make way for new theater

Today, we took the first steps toward preparing for our new fine arts center and auditorium. Starting this morning, crews began disassembling the log cabin, which will find a new home in a Boy Scout camp near Elizabethtown. It's sad to see it go, but it turned out to be extremely expensive to keep the structure here on campus. With the Boy Scouts, the cabin will continue to be used, and a plaque will recognize the building's connection to KCD.

The Admissions Office is now in their new space at the end of the 5/6 middle school hallway. Stop by and say hello!

Exploremore was a blast!

The kids had a great time at Exploremore on Friday, and it looks like all the adults survived! Thanks to all the parent volunteers (especially Cindy McCarthy and Steffi Sparks) who organized a terrific day of games, crafts, and projects for our students.



More pictures and videos from Exploremore are up on Flickr.

Cat & Nicole perform New Soul on ukulele

I am posting this for the obvious reason: it is awesome. Eighth graders Cat and Nicole had been playing ukulele for about a week when they performed this at the middle school talent show last month. They were kind enough to perform it again so I could post it here.

KCD welcomes Collegiate second graders

Today, KCD second graders welcomed their friends from Collegiate for a music program. Each group performed a number, then the students performed a piece together.



Picture set on Flickr

Girls' lacrosse team plays in state finals Thursday night!

Please come out tomorrow night as the Bearcats look to repeat as state lacrosse champs. The girls will take on Manual at 7:00 p.m. at the U of L lacrosse field.

2009-2010 calendar now available

A detailed calendar for 2009-2010 is now available. The calendar is also posted on the home page of our Web site via the calendars drop-down menu and in the KCD Quicklinks section.

Remember that this calendar is a work in progress, so be sure to check the date stamp at the top to see if updates have been made.

Author Tania James '99 visits KCD

We were happy to welcome alumna Tania James '99 back to campus yesterday. Tania's first novel, Atlas of Unknowns, was just published by Alfred A. Knopf, and she was back in Louisville for a book tour that included a packed reading at Carmichael's bookstore.

Thanks to Tania for making time to visit several upper school English classes to discuss her writing process and her work.

Check out our other posts on Tania's novel.

FYI Online - May 8, 2009

Here's this week's newsletter.

Tamale Water Project aims to provide clean drinking water

Fourth grade teacher Brina Stephens and the KCD Lower School are leading a schoolwide effort to raise $10,000 (including a generous $5000 matching gift by Michael and Carla Culotta) to install a rainwater catchment system at one of our sister schools in Tamale. The Dahin Sheli Primary/Junior High School currently has only one tap to serve 1200 students, and students (many of whom walk several miles to school) must carry their day's supply of water from home each day.

The Lower School will be holding a "Walk for Water" on May 14 to demonstrate our community's commitment to helping with clean water issues in Tamale. Check this Friday's newsletter for additional information.

Hands-on pig anatomy

Seventh graders in Mr. Wilhelmi's class got a chance to study pig anatomy up close yesterday during their dissection unit. Some students may have learned more than they wanted to know about the insides of a pig!

More pictures are up on Flickr

Theater groundbreaking is May 26

A ceremonial groundbreaking for our new theater building will take place on May 26. We'll dive headfirst into construction shortly after school is out, and we plan to have the building finished by the fall of 2010. Keep checking here for more details on the groundbreaking ceremony.

Tania James '99 reading in Louisville this weekend

Tania James '99 will be doing a couple of readings in town this weekend to support her new novel, Atlas of Unknowns:

Friday, May 8
8:00 p.m. at The Rudyard Kipling (422 West Oak Street)

Saturday, May 9, 2009
4:00 p.m. at Carmichael's, 2720 Frankfort Ave

More info: http://www.taniajames.com/

Hope to see you there!

Talking with your kids about Swine Flu

Here are some great parent resources describing how to talk with younger children about Swine Flu without creating anxiety.

The first is from the CDC: Advice to Parents on Talking to Children about Swine Flu Concerns.

The second is an animated Brainpop movie that provides facts about the virus in a calm, reassuring manner.

Kentucky Country Day students travel back to Tamale, Ghana

Just spotted this story by Kelly Beam and Hayden Dry on the Sister Cities of Louisville blog:

On the first day of the year we were off to head back to our favorite country in the world, Ghana. Both of us had previously been in Ghana in June of 2008 for two weeks, and fell so in love with the country and its people that we just had to return. We wanted a reason to go back, and to work with Dahin Sheli Primary School.

Read the rest: Kentucky Country Day students travel back to Tamale, Ghana

FYI Online - April 30, 2009

Here's this week's newsletter. Have a great Derby weekend!

Lower schoolers celebrate Derby

Students in JK and kindergarten had a great time today at their Derby celebration. Kindergartners created Derby floats, and JK students painted their own jockey silks for the big day. After lunch, students took their place at the starting line to race a lap around the track. Everybody got a chance to be in the winners' circle!

Second graders perform classmate's play

Yesterday, second graders in Ms. Dick's class put on a special performance of a play written by their classmate Leah Goldberg. The play was performed on Tuesday morning in the commons in front of an appreciative audience of parents. Leah wrote the play as a special enrichment project with Ms. Holbrook.

More play pictures on Flickr

Exhibition showcases student artists

The annual Studio Art Show kicked off on Sunday and unveiled a really impressive selection of work by upper school students. Head to Flickr for a few examples. These works and many more will be on display in the main lobby until May 5. Don't miss your chance to stop by!

Highlights from the choral music concert

Below are a couple of numbers from the choral music concert last Thursday night. Enjoy!

Great shot from Powder Puff tournament

Teacher and coach Brina Stephens captured this great shot at the upper school Powder Puff tournament on Sunday. The tournament, as well as recent dress-down days in the middle and upper schools, have raised funds to install a rain catchment system for our sister school in Tamale, Ghana. Diversity Coordinator Dexter Mahaffey explains:

Dahin Sheli, our sister school in Tamale for two-year-old kids up to eighth graders has no running water on campus. None. Zippo. Zilch.

If they want or need water, women and girls have to tote large plastic buckets on their heads to the nearest well--which is not next door--and carry it back.

We're trying to raise $10,000 by the end of the school year to put in a system that catches rainwater, purifies it, and collects it in a huge storage tank for year-round use.

A parent has pledged to match however much money KCD raises by the end of the school year up to $5000. SO, all we need to do is raise about $4000 more than we've already raised, and they begin installing the system this summer, in time to collect rainwater before the dry season hits in October.

Every penny you donate, from Powder Puff to dress down, goes towards this.

FYI Online - April 24, 2009

Here's this week's newsletter. Have a great weekend, everybody!

Stitch for a Cause Washington Wrap-Up

Today, Stitch for a Cause members returned to Louisville from Washington DC where they spent the past two days advocating for legislation to improve the lives of newborns around the world. The group included seventh grader Ayesha Singh, fifth graders Sanjana Rane, Divija Sharma, and Sonia Gadre, and KCD teachers Lisa Stringfellow and Marjorie Seely.

The group spoke to staff members of Senator Jim Bunning, Senator Mitch McConnell and Representative Ben Chandler and actually had an extended discussion with Representative John Yarmuth of Louisville.

Representative Yarmuth was very impressed by the students and agreed to sign-on as a co-sponsor for House Bill 1410, The Newborn, Child, and Mother Survival Act of 2009. The students shared their work on the Knit One, Save One campaign and about the tremendous community interest and support that has been generated by their effort to save newborn lives in developing countries. The KCD group was one of only four Advocacy Day teams to win the commitment of their member of Congress (out of 125 meetings on Wednesday).

The KCD students learned first hand about how our government works and had an opportunity to take part in that process by discussing an issue on which they have worked hard to make a difference. Below are a few more video journal segments of their DC experience.

Sanjana Rane and Sonia Gadre discuss their meeting with
Senator Mitch McConnell's staff.

Students discuss the results of their day on Capitol Hill



Final Thoughts on Advocacy Day

Lower School Jams at Jazz Assembly

Yesterday, lower schoolers were treated to a jazz assembly featuring improvisational versions of kids' favorites such as "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and "Frere Jacques." The numbers were performed by KCD orchestra director James Racine (violin), KCD guitar instructor Craig Wagner (electric guitar), Douglas Latham (keyboard), Lougo Campbell (drums), and Jacob Duncan (saxophone). As you can see from the pictures below, the kids had a great time!

Courier-Journal article: KCD celebrates spring's arrival

Wednesday's Courier-Journal carried a front-page Neighborhoods article on our Grandparents Day Program:

Using colorful streamers, white kites shaped like doves, poetry and music, elementary students at Kentucky Country Day celebrated the arrival of spring.

Hundreds of parents and grandparents filled the gym to see an annual performance that has become a rite of passage for the lower school students.

Emma Baker, 10, remembers being a part of the show when she was in first grade and said being involved has gotten better now that she's older.

'You get to recite poems when you're in the fourth grade,' she said.

All 275 first- through fourth-graders performed during the April 17 music program, which is put on as a reception for grandparents — but parents and friends are also welcome.

Many come each year. This was the sixth time for Anne Williams, who has two grandchildren attending the school. She said it's fun to return every year and see what the students have in store.

'I love it,' she said. 'I can't believe how much hard work it takes to pull this off.'

Happy Earth Day!

The Middle School really got into the spirit of Earth Day today. They started off the day with a trip to Tinseltown to watch the movie Earth (they walked, of course). Later in the day, eighth graders took their solar racers for a spin outside, and some middle schoolers visited lower school classrooms to play games and read books with an environmental theme.

Stitch for a Cause in Washington, DC

KCD teacher Marjorie Seely, Sonia Gadre (5th grade), Sanjana Rane (5th grade), Ayesha Singh (7th grade), Divija Sharma (5th grade), and KCD teacher Lisa Stringfellow in front of the White House. Ayesha is holding a scrapbook of pictures and letters from hundreds of knitters that will be presented to President Obama.

We have had an excellent visit in Washington so far. We made it to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on time for our rendezvous with Save the Children organizers and took pictures in front of the White House. A camera crew from WHAS11 met with the our students and interviewed them about their participation in the Knit One, Save One campaign.

We were invited to a White House briefing and listened to top-level Obama administration officials for domestic and international policy talk about the commitment that has been made to maternal and child health initiatives and praise us all for our passionate and willingness to voice our support for this issue.

Waiting at Louisville International Airport - Introduction to Advocacy Day

White House Briefing on Global Development Policy by Gail Smith, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director of Relief Stabilization and Development

Later, at a reception for participants, KCD students were able to meet ABC News Political Commentator Cokie Roberts. Ms. Roberts presented two awards during the evening to Senator Susan Collins and Congresswoman Betty McCollum for their work on behalf of newborn and maternal health initatives.

Stitch for a Cause delegation off to D.C.

Middle school teachers Lisa Stringfellow and Marjorie Seely, along with Ayesha Singh, Sanjana Rane, Divija Sharma, and Sonia Gadre, are off to Washington D.C. this morning. The group will represent KCD community service club Stitch for a Cause at Save The Children's Advocacy Day 2009.

The group left this morning and will meet with Obama administration officials this afternoon at the White House. Further meetings with Kentucky's representatives will follow on Tuesday.

WHAS-11 ran a story on their trip yesterday. Text is below, and the WHAS Web site also has video of their previous coverage.

A group of Kentucky Country Day students and teachers are headed to Washington D.C. to further their message to save premature babies.

This project is called Stitch for a Cause, started by K.C.D. teacher Lisa Stringfellow. Lisa and a few of her students will be meeting with Obama administrators, ABC's Cokie Roberts and other officials this week.

The students have raised money through the Stitch for a Cause project by knitting hats for premature babies. The visit to Washington is part of save the children's advocacy day.

Their schedule is pretty packed, but Lisa said she may have time to post here during their trip.

Atlas of Unknowns is out today

If you're looking for a great book to read this spring, check out Atlas of Unknowns by KCD alumna Tania James '99. The book is out from Knopf today. I just finished the novel and thought it was terrific: a great story, engaging characters, and a wonderful prose style.

Tania will be doing readings at several cities (including Louisville) this spring. More information on her tour schedule and about the book can be found on her Web site.

UPDATE: The San Francisco Chronicle has a glowing review on their Web site (warning: plot spoilers):

Once in a while, a novel comes along that makes you wonder why people don't read more fiction - why, given the right book, anyone would choose to do anything else. "Atlas of Unknowns," the dazzling, original and deeply absorbing debut by Tania James, is this rare book.

Welcome to the Alumni Association!

Last Friday, Alumni Director Mollie Mulloy '01 welcomed graduating seniors to the Alumni Association with a lunch in the Wilder Room. Congratulations on your impending graduation, seniors! We hope the Alumni Association will help keep you connected to each other and to KCD.

Flickr Set

Celebrating Holi at KCD

Last Friday, KCD parent Upasana Chhibber taught lower schoolers about Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors. Ms. Chhibber's visit was part of a program in which parents are invited to share their cultural, religious, or ethnic traditions as a way of highlighting diversity in our community.

Flickr Set

FYI Online - April 17, 2009

Almost everything in this week's issue was already posted here, but I'll go ahead and provide the link to this week's issue for completists.

Grandparents and Special Friends Day

This was a great day to be in the Lower School! Our classrooms were filled with visiting friends and family who were here for the Grandparents and Special Friends Day musical program.

Kudos to Jeannine Ary and LuAnn Hayes for pulling off another fantastic production.

More pictures from the performance

KCD parent honored for contributions to athletic program

Congratulations to KCD alumnus and parent Bill Beam Jr. '76. Bill has been awarded the prestigous 2009 Dr. Rudy J. Ellis Distinguished Service Award by the Kentucky High School Athletic Director's Association. This award recognizes individuals who have made continuous and significant contributions to high school athletics in the state of Kentucky.

Bill has been a key figure in the development of the athletic program here at KCD and the renovation of our athletic facilities. I like to call Bill "Mr. Bearcat" because of his impressive knowledge of Bearcat athletic history and his tireless efforts to promote and advance our school.

Bill receive his award on April 23 at the Brown Forman Club at Papa John's Stadium.

Pictures from Pine Mountain

Thanks to Matt Evans for sending these great pictures from the seventh grade Pine Mountain retreat. What a beautiful setting! Students will be back in Louisville on Friday.

Baseball team wins regional class A title

Congratulations to Coach Maione and the varsity baseball team, who captured their fourth straight Region 7 class A title with an 11-1 victory over Whitefield Academy. Alex King picked up the victory going the distance on the mound. Offensively, King was 4-4, Tyler Robertson was 1-2 with a home run, and eighth grader Will Smith went 2-4. The Bearcats move on to face DeSales in the Semi-State with a chance to move on to the final 8 in Lexington.

Lisa Stringfellow named interim middle school director

Head of School Brad Lyman made this announcement yesterday naming middle school English teacher Lisa Stringfellow as interim middle school director for 2009-2010:

I am pleased to announce that Lisa Stringfellow will serve as the interim middle school director for the 2009-2010 school year.

Lisa has served the KCD middle school with distinction for nearly fifteen years. A graduate of Dartmouth College, Lisa has been active in a variety of school activities including technology integration, Stitch for a Cause, and diversity initiatives to name but a few.

She will return to the classroom for the 2010-2011 school year.

Please join me in congratulating Lisa.

FYI Online - April 10, 2009

I forgot to post this last week, so here's last week's news from KCD. In a weird bit of Internet circularity, the first item contains a link that will bring you back to this blog.

Stories include

• Web site project recognizes KCD's history of National Merit excellence
• KCD welcomes Fort Campbell soldiers
• Food class makes smoothies
• Records fall during 2008-2009 basketball season

Maestro J and band perform at KCD

Consensus seems to be that today's X Period was the best ever. In his alter ego of Maestro J, KCD orchestra conductor James Racine and his band performed for the Upper School. Below are a couple of clips from today's performance. Thanks to Mr. Racine and his band for permission to post them here.

Fort Campbell soldiers visit KCD

Today, we welcomed a group of soldiers from Fort Campbell. Ten Special Forces soldiers and their commanding officer spent most of the day on campus, where they met with students, teachers, and administrators. A number of classes welcomed soldiers as guest speakers, and the soldiers did everything from reading a book to kindergartners to discussing world languages, history, and culture with upper school students.

KCD built a relationship with the soldiers of the 1st battalion and their families during last year's Bridge to Fort Campbell service learning project. Thanks for Chris Brice for arranging this opportunity and to the soldiers of the 1st battalion for sharing their time and expertise with our students.

Theater building may finally rise this time at Kentucky Country Day

During Spring Break, the Courier-Journal ran another, more substantial, article on our new theater building. The article, "Theater building may finally rise this time at Kentucky Country Day," ran in the Neighborhoods section on April 1 (no joke!).

The campaign, Expanding Horizons: Building Upon Excellence, has reached 80 percent of its goal to raise $7.5million for an expansion that will include improved roads, new classrooms and a 400-seat theater.

Head of School Brad Lyman never seems to tire from sharing details of the plans. His laptop has been used countless times to show renderings of the new building, which will sit near the front entrance of the campus. The building, which hasn't been named, will have 25,000 square feet with its theater, orchestra pit, stage shop, ceramics studio, classrooms and a large, airy lobby.

Be sure to click the photo galleries link on the right for more pictures.

Tania James' debut novel set for April 21 release

Atlas of Unknowns, the debut novel of Tania James (class of '99), comes out on April 21. I'm about halfway through the book now, and it's terrific. I'll be doing an interview with Tania later this month for a story that will appear in the upcoming spring issue of Connections.

The Courier-Journal ran a great article on Tania in their Arts section yesterday:

"Junot Diaz, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of 'The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao,' described 'Atlas of Unknowns' as 'an astonishment of a debut, so radiant with life, with love, with good old human struggle that I had trouble detaching myself from its pages.' Critically acclaimed author Nathan Englander ('The Ministry of Special Cases') calls her 'the real deal.'

Accolades like these signal that 28-year-old James is a writer to watch. But despite this praise, James admits she's still nervous about her novel's April 21 release.

'In the writing process I think about audience, but an audience that agrees with me,' she said with a laugh. 'Now it's just a whole different set of conversations. I'm anxious.'

'Atlas of Unknowns' tells the story of Linno and Anju, two girls raised in India by their father and grandmother after their mother's mysterious death. The novel follows Anju's experiences in America, where she ends up after landing a scholarship to a prestigious school in New York — a scholarship she betrays her sister to win.

Meanwhile, Linno begins to blossom back in Kerala, rejecting a wealthy blind suitor and using her artistic gifts to make her own success. But when Anju goes missing, Linno's life is thrown off track and she's determined to get to America to find her sister.

'Family is just a wonderful theater for fiction,' said James, who has two sisters. 'There's just so much conflict and resentment and antagonism and all of this is co-existing with love.'"

The novel's page on Amazon.com includes an essay by Tania about the origin of the novel, and below is the book trailer released recently to promote the book.


Atlas of Unknowns - Tania James - Final Spot from Khushi Films on Vimeo.

Spring Break!

Have a safe and restful Spring Break. Classes (and blogging) will resume on Monday, April 6.

FYI Online - March 26, 2009

Here's this week's news from KCD.

This week's stories include

• Diversity Day focuses on faith
• Mayor Abramson kicks off Explore Louisville
• Pi Night celebrates math
• French exchange program builds friendships
• Upper school speech team members excel at district tournament
• KCD places sixth in Governor's Cup State Competition
• KCD captures team, individual chess championships
• Middle school speech team excels at state tournaments
• Kindergartners share musical program
• Singers selected for national honors choir
• Lower school art report
• From the Parent Association

Diversity Day fashion show

During Diversity Day, the middle school put on a fashion show highlighting the many different cultures and backgrounds at the school. This was a lot of fun!

KCD theater project covered in The Courier-Journal

Here's the story the Courier ran on our plans to build a new theater and additional classrooms. What a great project!

KCD unveils $7.5 million renovation | courier-journal | The Courier-Journal

KCD welcomes visiting Chinese delegation

Today, we welcomed a delegation from Louisville’s sister city of Jiujiang, China. These visitors included several principals of Jiujang high schools as well as the director of their education bureau. We were also joined by Sister Cities President Wei-Bin Zeng and Executive Director Joanne Lloyd-Triplett.

Our guests toured campus, sat in on an upper school class, and met with KCD administrators to discuss the American education system.

Ayesha Singh featured on Save the Children Web site

Save the Children has posted a really nice profile of seventh grader Ayesha Singh and her work on behalf of the Survive to 5 campaign. This April, Ayesha and Lisa Stringfellow will travel to Washington to advocate for increased support for newborn health issues in developing countries.

Official Site - Save the Children: Helping Children in Poverty and Children in Need

Tapping maple trees for sap

Yesterday, guest speaker Mr. Keith Kirk showed the seventh graders in Mr. Wilhelmi's class how to tap a Maple tree and collect the sap. Mr. Kirk also described the process of cooking the sap into syrup.

Welcome to KCD's blog!

Welcome to KCD's new blog. I'm going to try this out as a way to keep in touch with parents, alumni, and other friends of the school. We'll continue to refine this site to make it more effective in keeping you informed.