News from Kentucky Country Day

Sheikh Hamza Yusuf to Visit KCD

2009-10-26T08:40:00.002-04:00

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

2009-10-26T08:31:00.000-04:00

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

2009-09-10T16:41:00.009-04:00

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

2009-09-02T12:57:00.005-04:00

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?

2009-08-28T11:27:00.003-04:00

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

2009-08-28T10:57:00.004-04:00

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

2009-08-25T10:27:00.005-04:00

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

2009-08-24T11:13:00.006-04:00

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

2009-08-24T11:04:00.007-04:00

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

2009-08-21T12:14:00.005-04:00

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

2009-08-12T09:15:00.002-04:00

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

2009-08-12T09:00:00.001-04:00

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

2009-08-11T09:00:00.004-04:00

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

2009-08-11T08:30:00.004-04:00

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!

2009-06-17T12:51:00.004-04:00

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

2009-06-17T12:13:00.003-04:00

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

2009-06-17T11:56:00.005-04:00

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

2009-06-17T11:47:00.005-04:00

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

2009-06-04T12:36:00.005-04:00

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

2009-06-03T08:40:00.006-04:00

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

2009-06-03T08:40:00.003-04:00

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

2009-06-02T10:32:00.002-04:00

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

2009-06-02T10:18:00.003-04:00

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

2009-06-02T08:23:00.004-04:00

Looks like the Courier had a photographer at graduation too:

courier-journal | Photo Galleries | The Courier-Journal

Congratulations to the class of 2009!

2009-05-29T14:26:00.005-04:00

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