May 2008
Dear Friends,
It's hard to believe another academic year is drawing to a close. What an honor and privilege it is to be a part of the Westchester Country Day School community. Our students continue to excel in all areas and we could not continue to accomplish our goals without the support and leadership of our teachers and parents.
As we look to a new year and beyond, the Westchester Country Day School community is committed to developing plans that will address both short term and long term concerns. Our blueprint for the future, the Long Range Plan, will guide us over the next several years and will help us identify those areas of greatest need in the school. Recently, we compiled the responses that approximately 50 percent of our parents gave to the on-line survey. We are very pleased that a large number of our constituents took the time to complete the survey and to offer candid remarks about our school. In the months ahead we will report on the findings that will help to guide us in the development of our Long Range Plan.
As we develop the plans to enhance our school's facilities and programs we will never lose sight of the wonderful teaching and learning that is taking place at all levels on our campus. Your responses on the survey gave overwhelming support to our teachers and acknowledged their extraordinary efforts on behalf of your sons and daughters. Our teachers and students deserve the highest kudos for their efforts this year in all areas of school life.
In our efforts to introduce students to non-Western cultures, we will begin the study of Mandarin Chinese in the fourth and fifth grade language program starting in August. The National Association of Independent Schools identifies global education as one of the areas that all schools should address, and we are doing just that. We will continue to teach French and Spanish to our Lower School students in grades K-3.
Looking back over the past year, the achievements of our students in the classroom as well as in extracurricular activities that are featured in this issue are truly noteworthy. Recently, 50 students from all divisions participated in the excellent production of Peter Pan. Two juniors are among 1,000 students nationwide to take a national qualifying exam for the possibility of selection to the U.S. team to compete in the International Chemistry Olympiad. Three students will compete in the world finals of Odyssey of the Mind. Four students have been recognized at the state level by the Duke University Talent Identification Program. Two students will be attending the Governor's School this summer. Several students will participate in the Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Program. Two teams from Westchester were selected to participate in the finals of the North Carolina Envirothon competition. All athletic teams have been competitive and have represented us well through their hard play and good sportsmanship. Lower School students won many prizes in the state cup stacking competition. The spirit of caring for others is reflected by the actions of our students in various community service projects. What an impressive list of accomplishments!
Our nation is facing problems that require creative solutions from dedicated leaders and committed citizens. As we bid farewell to a fine group of seniors, we hope and expect that our young people will serve as the visionaries and assume the responsibility for action and leadership that is necessary in our global society.
Best regards,
Charles A. Hamblet
Head of School
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