DA Newsroom
FEATURED
The new outdoor commons opened this morning with stepped seating, a brick pavilion, covered performance space, a multipurpose recreational space and a panoramic view of DA’s athletic fields.
The final weekend of fall sports at Durham Academy ended with a state championship title in girls cross-country and state runner-up finishes by boys cross-country, volleyball, girls tennis and girls golf!
Every fall, pre-kindergartners are visited by "community helpers" — people who work to keep us all safe. The highly anticipated in-person visits from Durham police officers, firefighters, waste management workers (and this year DA’s very own security team), include question-and-answer sessions, tips on staying safe and tours of emergency vehicles!
MISSION-DRIVEN
The Preschool/Lower School parent book club is underway, with the Middle and Upper School parent book group to begin meeting in January. Author Julie Lythcott-Haims believes too many kids end up leading a “checklisted childhood.”
“There will be times when you walk into a room and no one there is quite like you.”
This past summer, my family and I, as part of an initiative of the Parekh Family Foundation, traveled to Nairobi, Kenya. My parents provided free medical care, performed free surgeries, and taught rehabilitation techniques to the local people.
When Middle School teachers reconvened last August, there was no time to exchange summer stories. We immediately jumped into a workshop focused on incorporating design-thinking and service-learning projects into our curricula.
Do you remember being asked any meaningful questions while you were in school? As a math teacher, I ask a lot of questions every day, but not many of them will be memorable or meaningful decades later. They’re important to learning algebra, but not necessarily to living a purposeful life.
Since starting his eighth-grade elective course, STEAM by Design, in 2017, Karl Schaefer has presented his students with opportunities to explore cutting-edge technology in innovative ways. More importantly, though, he’s taught important life lessons.
COMMUNICATIONS STAFF
Leslie King
Director of Communications
C: 678-613-6707
P: 919-287-1729
Kathy McPherson
Associate Director of Communications
Preschool/Lower School News
Editor, DA Magazine
919-489-6569 (x6144)
Melody Guyton Butts
Assistant Director of Communications
Middle/Upper School News
Manager, DA Website/Social Media
Manager, News & Notes
919-489-6569 (x6145)
Sarah Tart
Brand and Design Manager
Art Director, DA Magazine
919-489-6569 (x6153)
Jesse Paddock
Videographer
919-489-6569 (x6154)
Tim McKenna
Director of Alumni Engagement
Alumni News
919-489-6569 (x6149)
Durham Academy's Office of Communications is responsible for all DA digital platforms and print publications, including the school's website, social media, photography, videos, e-newsletters, bi-annual magazine, and press releases.
We encourage our accomplished faculty, staff, parents, students, alumni and parents of alumni to notify the Office of Communications about personal or professional news, announcements or achievements. Email us so we can share them!
Nemo: First day of school! First day of school! Wake up, wake up! C’mon, first day of school!
Marlin: I don't wanna go to school. Five more minutes.
Nemo: Not you, dad. Me!
On Aug. 20, a very similar scene will play out in the households of more than 70 kindergartners and their parents.
FEATURED CONTRIBUTORS
Tina Anderson Bessias ’78
Upper School English and Blended Learning Coach
Cavs Go Green During Winter Seminar
Andrea Caruso
Upper School Science
Cavs Go Green During Winter Seminar
Gib Fitzpatrick
Middle School Math
Asking Big Questions to Help Students Find Their Way