Cary Academy

Infobox School
caption =
name = Cary Academy
motto = "Discovery, Innovation, Collaboration, and Excellence"

image_size = 190px
established = 1996
type = Private
grades = 6-12
head of school = Donald S. Berger
accreditation = SACS, SAIS
tuition = $16,850
administrator =
location = 1500 North Harrison Avenue
city = Cary
state = NC
zipcode = 27513
country = USA
religion =
denomination =
affiliation =
conference = TISAC, NCISAA
staff = 125
students = 700
campus = Suburban, 52 acres
free_label = School colors
free_text = blue and gold
color box|#0000FF color box|#FFD700
mascot = Chargers
website = [http://www.caryacademy.org/ www.caryacademy.org]

Cary Academy is a private middle and high school in Cary, North Carolina established in 1996. In September 2004, the United States Department of Education named Cary Academy one of 255 public and private schools that had won its No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon award since the inception of the program. This award is given to high performing schools and to schools that show significant improvement in performance.

History

Cary Academy was founded by James Goodnight and John Sall. Doctors Goodnight and Sall were co-founders of SAS Institute. As such, the school places a heavy emphasis on the use of technology in the classroom. [http://www.sas.com/news/sascom/2004q1/feature_sasinschool.html] . Starting in the 2006-2007 school year, the school transferred to a Tablet PC program for all students. Architecture for the school buildings is neoclassical, with ornate columns at entrances. It was modeled after the University of Virginia, and was designed by Cherry Huffman architects of Raleigh, North Carolina. Several buildings make up the campus: Middle School, Upper School, Administration, Fine Arts, Student Center (cafeteria), Fitness Center, and the Sports and Education Annex. Approximately 300 students are in the middle school and 400 students are in the upper school. Faculty-to-student ratio is approximately 1:15.

Academics

The middle school curriculum includes required course sequences in science, math, social studies, English, foreign language, and PE; students are also required to choose an elective in the arts. Almost all classes meet each day; the exception is art classes in sixth grade, since sixth-graders choose one class to have three days a week and are rotated through the other arts on the other two days to expose them to different disciplines.

Math levels offered are Math 6 and Math 7 (more or less based on the standard North Carolina curriculum), Transitional Math (i.e. pre-algebra), Algebra I, and Geometry. Students are initially placed into either Math 6 or Transitional Math, based on previous grades and test scores and on the Iowa Algebra Readiness Test, which is given to interested students the spring before entering; later placements are based on performance in the previous year. Most students do not take Math 7, going straight from Math 6 to Transitional Math and thus moving one year ahead of the standard North Carolina curriculum.

Science, Social Studies (officially referred to as World Cultures in 6th grade), and English (officially referred to as Language Arts) consist of three-year integrated sequences, though English and social studies emphasize ancient civilizations somewhat in the sixth grade, Europe in the seventh, and the United States in the eighth. Foreign language classes are emphasized more than is generally the case in middle schools; levels from Novice to Intermediate-Low on the ACTFL scale are offered in Spanish, French, German, and Chinese. There has been some discussion of adding an Italian program. Arts offered are visual arts, band, orchestra, chorus, drama, and modern dance.

Some middle-school students take advanced courses in the high school, but otherwise there is little mixing of the middle and high schools, with the exception of a few extracurricular activities (these are also mostly separate).

High school

The high school offers an extensive range of courses, both required and elective; they include many AP classes, for which college credit can be earned. [http://web1.caryacademy.org/academicinfo/courses/coursecat.htm] Most students take at least one or two of these in their junior and senior years, and many take as many as five each year; there are enough AP classes to offer an AP option in nearly every subject for juniors and seniors.

The foreign language program is again a particular emphasis, with comprehensive instruction offered from the novice to the most advanced level; in most cases 3 years of the same language are also required in the high school curriculum. The same languages are offered as in the middle school. The school organizes a two- to three-week exchange program with schools in countries with these native languages; the program usually takes place in the sophomore year, and approximately 90% of students participate. Four years of English are also required, including two years of World Literature and one of American Literature. Three years of science, including Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, are required as well, and several year-long and single-term courses ranging from Anatomy and Physiology to AP Biology to Forensics are required as well. Three years of math are required, though almost all students take four. The majority of Cary Academy students are one year ahead of the standard curriculum, as befits the middle school math curriculum described above; they take Geometry as freshmen and Algebra II as sophomores, and then choose from an array of other options ranging from Probability and Statistics to AP Calculus BC (the school does not offer multivariate calculus although a few students take advanced math courses at North Carolina State University). The fifth core requirement is three years of history and/or social sciences, including two years of World History and one of American History. There are a few other requirements such as PE (which is generally waived for athletes participating in two or more varsity sports) and a World Arts program in 9th and 10th grade. All subjects are taught with heavy use of technology, using the school's computer-for-every-student policy and more recently the tablet PCs. Other areas of strength include the AP Chemistry [http://www.allatoms.com] [http://library.thinkquest.org/11226/news.htm] [http://harcourt.com/about/news/articles/2002/031302_classrmconnect_educofyear.pdf] and European History [http://web1.caryacademy.org/facultywebs/joe_staggers] classes. The success of Cary Academy's academic program is reflected in the successful college admissions of most students, with more than a quarter of the class of 2006, as well as similar percentages in previous years, attending University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and many others going to other colleges such as North Carolina State University, Wake Forest University, Duke University, Harvard University, Yale University, Stanford University, Princeton University and the University of Pennsylvania.

Cary Academy is also known for its strong Speech and Debate Team, participating in regional and national competitions of the National Forensic League. Past titles include 2003 & 2004 Tarheel East District Tournament Sweepstakes Winner (District Champions), 2004 Tarheel Forensic League State Tournament Sweepstakes Champions (State Champions), and 2003 TFL State Tournament Sweepstakes Runner-Up. [http://www.ncspeechanddebate.org/]

Unusual schedule features

Cary Academy has a few unusual schedule features. The first is its trimester schedule, in which the year is split into three terms rather than two or four, split up by two-week breaks approximately at Thanksgiving and mid-March. The intent is to maximize the ability of students to learn and to give faculty time to prepare adequately. The winter term is split up by a one-and-a-half to two week holiday break. The second feature, which is used only in the high school, is its double block daily schedule; two days of the week, only half the classes meet (the other half meeting on the other day), but they meet for twice as long. This feature is meant to accommodate longer in-class activities and, in some cases, homework assignments, as well as to reduce the time taken to move between classes (though most classes have a break between the two normal class periods unless they are doing an activity that impedes such a break).

Tablet PC program

For the 2006-2007 school year, the school issued Tablet PCs to each student, model HP Compaq TC4400, replacing the desktops that had been present in every room while continuing the one-computer-per-student policy that had been used in most classes. Tablet PCs are small laptop computers that can be used in "tablet mode," in which an electronic stylus is used to write on the screen. This shift was accompanied by an increase in the classroom use of computer technology, which was already very high; some classes have nearly eliminated the use of paper and textbooks. The Tablet PC program is one of the first of its kind in the country; it was financed by school founder Dr. Jim Goodnight. The main difficulty has been the distraction associated with having computers open in every class; some students use them to play computer games and communicate by instant messaging or social networking sites with other inattentive students or with individuals who are not in class. To combat this, the school has enabled parents to view a student's internet history both in class and at home, some teachers use a "tablet only" policy where screens must be folded flat (inhibiting "surfing"), and some teachers monitor students' usage patterns during class hours. Despite these measures, some students still manage to outwit their teachers and continue to use their tablets for other purposes. While some students still manage to outwit both their teachers and the IT staff, they represent a tiny minority at the school and the vast majority of the tablet users utilize them to enhance their learning.

Athletics

Cary Academy is a member of the Triangle Independent Schools Athletic Conference and the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association [http://www.ncisaa.org] . Cary Academy has seventeen different athletic teams participating in fourteen different sports. The teams are as follows.

BoysLacrosse,Baseball,Basketball,Cross Country,Cheerleading,Golf,Soccer,Swimming,Tennis,Track,Wrestling,

GirlsBasketball,Cross Country,Cheerleading,Field Hockey,Golf,Soccer,Softball,Tennis,Track,Swimming,Volleyball

In 2006, the Varsity Girls' Cross Country team won the state championships, and the Varsity Girls' Basketball team came in second.

In 2008, the Varsity Mens' Cary Academy Tennis Team won the state championship.

Arts

Cary Academy's Fine and Performing Arts department has put on multiple theatrical productions, instrumental and choral music concerts, visual art exhibitions, and modern dance performances since its initiation. Past theatrical performances include:
*"The Secret Garden" by Francis Hodgson Burnett (2007)
*"Struwwelpeter: A Haunting" by Dr. Heinrich Hoffmann (2006)
*"Peter Pan" by J. M. Barrie (2006)
*"Rhinoceros" by Eugène Ionesco (2005)
*"Monkey" (based on "Journey to the West") by Colin Teevan (2005)
*"The Wizard of Oz (stage)" by L. Frank Baum (2004)
*"Bang Bang You're Dead" by William Mastrosimone (2004)
*"The King and I" by Rodgers & Hammerstein (2003)
*"Little Shop of Horrors" (2002)
*"Crow and Weasel" by Barry Lopez (2002);
*"Fiddler on the Roof" (2001);
*"Oklahoma" by Rodgers & Hammerstein (2000)
*"The Tempest" (2001)
*"The Fantasticks" (2001)
*"A Midsummer Night's Dream" (2000)
*"Working" (2000)
*"Reckless" (1999)
*"Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" (1999)
*"Our Town" (1998)

External links and sources

* http://www.caryacademy.org/
* http://www.sas.com/
* http://www.milesplit.com/team/7276
* http://www.ncisaa.org/
* http://www.sacscasi.org/schools/Proceedings_Accredited_SACS_CASI_NC.html
* http://www.privateschoolreview.com/school_ov/school_id/20818
* http://www.cherryhuffman.com/web/projects/Cary%20Academy#start
* http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm/bay/search.summary/orgid/5507/print/1.htm