So Many Great Memories

By Sophia, Class of 2018

Courage. Dictionary.com says it “permits one to face extreme dangers and difficulties without fear.” Honestly, I don’t know if I agree with that. You see, very soon I, along with the rest of us in 8th grade, are going to have to make a change. We have all been here for a long time, some of us for our entire lives, and now we’re all going to high school, where we don’t know what will happen. We’re supposed to face this with courage and have no fear. Yet in all honesty—I am seriously terrified. Quaking in my boots. Thank you, but no thank you, I would rather just go crawl into a hole for the rest of eternity. This change absolutely terrifies me. I have made so many great memories at Charlotte Prep, and at first, I can’t say I looked forward to leaving. High school is a big deal, and I know just how many opportunities I will have to completely botch the entire thing. Then I think back and realize that I also had the chance to mess up at every turn during my years at Prep. If I made it this far, no sense in stopping now. Despite my fear, I know that without risk and change, you remain steady and safe, but nothing ever comes of it. Change brought me from my old school to Charlotte Prep, brought me to all my new friendships and experiences here, and I know that this change will bring me to even more exciting experiences and phenomenal times during high school. I wouldn’t have ever gained all the incredible memories I have at Prep if I didn’t take a risk and have the courage to try. So even though Dictionary.com says that for me to have courage I can’t feel afraid, I’m going to choose to accept my fear, and still have courage as I walk into High School next September ready for whatever comes next.

 

Thank You for This Experience

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By Jake, Class of 2018

I have enjoyed my time here at Charlotte Prep. I have been here for around ten years, and I am sad to see this journey end. Charlotte Prep has taught me a lot of important life lessons that I will continue to use throughout my high school experience and later on in my career. The four pillars have taught me how to act and how to be a helpful and productive person in my community.

The four pillars at Charlotte Prep have shown me to respect my peers, family, teachers, and even those that I do not agree with. I have learned perseverance. I remember, in my fifth-grade year, I tried out for the school basketball team and I got cut. That summer I worked on my game and when it was time for tryouts, I played hard and made the team the following year. At Prep, I have learned to be courageous and to stand up to challenges and to never back down. My teachers have also shown me to have integrity, teaching me to be honest and own up to your mistakes.

These four pillars have set me up physically and mentally through academics, the arts, sports, and in everyday life. I will be able to improve myself in my high school and professional career with these morals. Thank you for this experience, Charlotte Prep. I have learned so much and I have made lifelong friends thanks to you. Thank you.

Courage

By Erin, Class of 2018

Courage. Not only is it an important pillar here at Charlotte Prep, but it’s also fundamental to life. Whether it’s asking a question in front of the class, owning up to your mistakes, or standing up for a friend, courage is displayed all over campus, every day. In fourth grade, the fall talent show was coming up, and I, with not much previous singing experience, let alone in front of a crowd, decided to do a duet with my friend Caroline. We chose, of course, the “Cup Song”, acapella with plastic solo cups and everything. We practiced endlessly, talked about it way too often, and probably annoyed the heck out of everyone. As the date approached, I grew more and more nervous, with thoughts of failure and public embarrassment swirling through my brain. When the moment finally came, I marched up to the top of the stage and sang. Sure, I was pitchy and completely off the beat, but when we got up for our finale of crushing the cups under our feet, everyone cheered. At the time, I had never felt more proud of what I’d done. Later on, I learned that I, well, wasn’t as good as I thought I was back then, but I’d definitely improved and learned from that experience. Charlotte Prep has subtly guided me through obstacles and taught not to be afraid of new experiences. As I get closer to attending Myers Park High School, I can’t help but be terrified of the thought of a stampede of students crushing me and getting lost on campus. Still, even when I’m afraid, I remind myself that I’m brave and that I can achieve the success that I’ve always worked hard for. I want to take a moment to thank the teachers and my friends for supporting me through times when being courageous wouldn’t cut it. As I leave this place, I won’t forget the memories I’ve made with my fellow peers and the ways I’ve grown as a person.

 

Graduation Remarks

By Katie Cunnane ’12
June 6, 2018
Hello everyone. My name is Katie Cunnane. I was a lifer here at Charlotte Prep, and so was my big sister Gabby. And so was my big sister Blaire. And so was my big brother Jake. There’s one more as of today—my little sister Grace. My poor mother has been going through carpool line for over 20 years! I am currently 19 years old, which I know sounds very old to all of you, but I promise I clearly remember my eighth-grade graduation. Although I would never admit it at the time, I was terrified. I was about to go off to a high school where I knew absolutely no one. I was scared that I was not prepared for high school academically or socially, quite honestly. I was scared that I would lose touch with my best friends that I had known since kindergarten. And I was scared to leave this place; Charlotte Prep had always been my home. I was here every day with all of my siblings and cousins. To add to that, in preschool I cried so much that my teacher put a framed picture of my family in her classroom—so my 3-year-old self’s classroom even slightly resembled my home.

I am not going to lie and say that starting high school was not a big adjustment, but I can confidently say today that I had nothing to be worried about, and neither do you.

Just to express just how nervous I was for high school classes, I will confess to you all that I read my summer reading book for my honors English class three times the summer before high school. Mind you, this was a book that I had previously read at Charlotte Prep, so that makes a grand total of four times. Fortunately, I quickly learned that I was prepared for high school academics—and I promise you will find the same to be true. Although I do not know each of you individually, I know that Charlotte Prep has challenged you and prepared you for all the super fun papers and projects and exams that lie ahead of you! So, please don’t worry about reading your summer reading books four times.

The social scene was a bit more of an adjustment for me. I went from a class of 22 kids to a class of 400, and most of those 400 already knew each other from middle school. I was really worried that I would not know how to handle a different, bigger school. Like so worried that it took me hours to pick out what to wear for my first day of high school, and my Charlotte Catholic uniform gave me a maximum of four different polo/khaki combinations. But again, I came to find out that I was worried about nothing. Something I came to realize, which I wish I had known at the time, is that my very small, diverse class at Prep had taught me so much about people. It taught me how to interact and be friends with everyone, not just people who are similar to me. I know that you guys have this same wonderful ability to befriend everyone and anyone—it is the Charlotte Prep way. You will come to find that this is a rare and special quality; the people you meet in high school will really appreciate you for your ability to empathize with everyone.

As I started to make new friends in high school, however, I was still scared of losing touch with my friends from Prep. My best friend, Lena, was going to a different school than I was. Well, she now goes to college in Spain—we really could not be farther apart if we tried. But over the course of all these years, she has remained my best friend. And Lena and I are not a rare exception. My sister Blaire is 24 and still keeps in touch with her best friend from Prep, Victoria. My brother Jake is 26; he got married last summer, and his best man was his best friend from Prep, David. Whether you and your friends are going to the same high schools or different ones or even different countries, I am confident you will remain friends through time and distance.

So my advice to you all as you move forward is to be confident. I promise Prep has given you all the knowledge and skills to be successful in high school and beyond. What you have learned will stay with you. The friends you have made will stay with you. You are ready for the next step, all you need to do is remember that! If you do not want to take it from me, I can think of a couple other pretty special Prep lifers who happen to share my last name that would agree that Prep gives you everything you need to go on to be amazing people.

Thank you.

Africa Bound

By Katie Kilroy, Director of Bands

Kwadziwai (hello), Charlotte Prep!

I am honored to be a recipient of the 2018 Summer Sabbatical Scholarship Program ! Prep recently launched this faculty scholarship program thanks to the generosity of parents of children whose lives have been deeply and positively impacted by their learning experience at our school. The family has generously committed to contributing $10,000 per year to make this program possible into the future. Angela Stefanini and Anupam Mathur are also award recipients, and we would all like to say a heartfelt thank you to the family that made this opportunity possible.

In 2012, I fell in love with an instrument called the mbira that the Shona people of southern Africa have played for more than 1,000 years. My connection with this instrument led me to earn a master’s degree in percussion performance with a focus on West African djembe and Shona, or Zimbabwean, mbira. I spent my two years of grad school traveling the U.S. building a network with teachers, cultural centers, and musicians. Although my research ended when I came to Prep three years ago, I brought my knowledge of the music with me. I have created the West African Drumming Ensembles, which the students love, and I play mbira in class and even teach Shona songs!

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The Results Are In

High School Placement for the Class of 2018

By Eddie Mensah, Head of School

Back in January, I shared the details of our highly-successful high school placement process for eighth-grade students and their parents. I’m happy to report that the results for the Class of 2018 are in and, once again, the news is fantastic.

Continue reading “The Results Are In”