Heard in the Halls: 5 Things that Have DA Talking
Hauling Gravel, Growing Community
Students, faculty and parents have been hard at work to extend Sandy Creek Trail — a goal that could pave the way for a Pickett Road crosswalk. Students participating in Senior Challenge: Local moved 24 tons of gravel to extend the trail by 100 feet last August, and Celsey O’Hare ’29 secured a Contribution Project grant to further advance the project.
The trail expansion is particularly significant in light of the late-May announcement that DA has acquired the 16-acre property directly across Pickett Road from the track and Alumni Field (and adjacent to the previously established trail). The land is being evaluated for potential uses as part of DA’s long-term campus master planning process, with environmental considerations top of mind.
Kudos for Two DA Staff Legends
Forrest Beck and Cedric Richardson are the recipients of the inaugural Durham Academy Staff Excellence Award, as shared in a surprise announcement at the closing faculty and staff meeting in June. While Beck teaches and coaches robotics in the Upper School, his primary role is senior network and systems engineer. He is known across school departments as a collaborative problem-solver whose skill knows no limits.
Richardson, who serves on the Ridge Road campus grounds crew, is known for his attention to detail and unwaveringly sunny disposition — no matter the weather. He is often one of the first employees whom school visitors encounter, providing friendly guidance that leaves them with a smile and a positive first impression of DA. Learn more about Beck, Richardson and the award at url.da.org/staffexcellence26.
Research Symposium
With 20 Upper Schoolers presenting their culminating research projects, the Spring Research Symposium was a much-anticipated event — attended by scores of community partners, teachers, family members and peers. This year marked the second year of DA’s Pathway Scholars and Thesis Scholars programs, through which students pursue community engagement and academic research projects. Among those presented at the symposium: an investigation of teens’ willingness to implement “Blue Zone” longevity practices by Alexandria Parker-Horton ’27, a Thesis Scholar.
Learning Support Addition
Over the course of the school year, an addition to the Preschool/Lower School campus steadily took shape, culminating with the opening of the ARC — Academic Resource Center — in April. The ARC, which is situated beneath the library, serves as a hub for learning support faculty and a space for teachers and outside professionals, such as speech therapists, to work one-on-one with children.
Spotlight on Sustainability
What began with plans to document the installation of solar panels at DA soon turned into much more, as Nachi Kumara ’26 and Eli Werness ’26 realized that a comprehensive look at the school’s sustainability goals was warranted. In the end, their documentary also featured a tribute to retiring sustainability coordinator Tina Bessias ’78, whose passion and determination guided DA’s strategy around sustainability for nearly a decade. (See more on sustainability here.)