The O’Neal Quarterly FALL 2015

• RetiredAdmiralLeightonSmithspoketoMiddleandUpperSchoolstudentsabouthissuccessfuljour-neystartingintheNavalAcademyandthelifelessonshelearnedalongtheway.

• TheBoosterClubhostedtheJV/VarsityFallSportsRecognitionCeremonycelebrating85student-athletesforthefallseason.

• TheO’NealVolunteersjoinedinwiththelocalHabitatforHumanityorganizationforoneofthemany“HabitatBuilds.”

• ParentsfromLeeCountyandMooreCountyeachhostedan“AllAboutO’Neal”informativeeventintheirhomeforcurrentO’Nealfamiliesandtheirguests.

• TheO’NealUpperSchoolwasgivenapresentationonthedangersofdistracteddrivingbytheSouth-ernPinesPoliceDepartment.

• O’NealMiddleSchoolinductedthreemembersintoitsJr.BetaSociety.

• TheUpperSchoolhelditsHonorCouncilInductionCeremonyin-ducting3membersand2alternatestothe5-membercouncil.

• NewberyAwardWinningAuthorKatherineApplegate,spokeinO’Neal’stheaterataneventthatwasopentothepublic.ManyO’Nealstudentswereabletopur-chaseherlatestbook,“Crenshaw”andhaveitautographed.

• O’NealseniorLaurenDailey,presentedtotheUpperandMiddleSchoolstudentshersummerstudyabroadinMoldova.

• Sixth,seventh,eighthandninthgradestudentsenjoyedgettingtoknowoneanotherduringtheirclasstripstoavarietyoflocationsrang-ingfromtheNorthCarolinamoun-tainstoWashington,D.C.

• AwardwinningauthorAlanGratz,presentedhisnewestbook“CodeofHonor”toMiddleandLowerSchoolstudents.Healsovisited7thgradeEnglishclassestoteachthemhisprocessinwritingabook.

• O’NealpartneredwithSouthernPinesUnitedMethodistChurchtohosta“StopHungerNow”mealpreparationeventoncampus.Closeto90O’Nealfamiliesparticipatedandapproximately30,000mealswerepreparedandsenttoZambia.

• AvarietyofafterschoolprogramswerescheduledtoserveLowerandMiddleSchoolstudentsincluding,LEGOLeague,ScienceOlympiad,OdysseyoftheMind,LowerSchoolChorusandmore.

• TheseniorsenjoyedanovernightretreattoCampCarawayforin-structiononwritingcollegeessaysforapplications.

• MiddleandUpperSchoolstudentsheldHonorCodeAssemblies.TheyrecitedtheHonorCodePledgeandgavetheirsignatures.

• HeadofSchoolAchievementAwardsweregiventoUpperSchoolstudentswiththehighestGPAenter-ingthe2015-2016schoolyear.

• O’Nealopeneditsdoorsto412studentsonAugust18th.

O’Neal Director of Athletics JamesFranklin started his first year with

specificgoalsandaplanonhowtoachievethem.Asidefromteamprideandcontinu-itybyprovidingpracticeshirtsforstudent-athleteswithhelpfromtheBoosterClub,he has communicated very clearly thepurposeandvalueofO’NealAthletics.Afewofthekeyfactorsforastrongschoolsportsprogramarethesportsinterestandfundamentalskillsetsofthestudentswhofeedintoit.

Aspartofsuchcultivation,theFalconDe-velopmentProgram(FDP)wasborn.Start-ing in September, this free after schoolprogramhasbeenoffered2daysaweektostudentsingrades3-6.Almost20studentsstrong, FDP Director Ben Kemp startedthe students offwith speed, strength andagility exercises and has nowmoved ontoteachingthefundamentalskillsofbase-ball.Before theendof theprogram, stu-dents will also be introduced to soccer,volleyball,tennisandbasketball.

“TheestablishmentofFDPhasbeenagreatsuccessuptothispoint,”saysBenKemp.“Thefeedbackfromstudentsandparentshasbeenoverwhelminglypositive.Ihavethought for a few years now that Lower

Schoolwaslackingsomesortofathletic-based program for students. FDP givesour youngest students the opportunity tostay in shape, developnumerous athleticskills,andexperiencethesportswehavetoofferhereatO’Neal.FDPhasthepo-tentialdowntheroadtoplayamajorrolein helping generate interest and developathletesforallofourathleticprograms.”

Using O’Neal sports to teach overallathletic development, FDP students willleave the program with a greater graspof theABC’s of sports,Agility, BalanceandCoordination.Eachsessionwillfocuson improving our students’ fundamentalgrowth,cerebralability,andtheirpsycho-logical and physical development. BenKempisa4thand5thgradeteacherintheO’NealLowerSchoolwhoalsohasthein-structorskillsneededforFDP.Inaddition,his knowledge of the individual studentsintheFDPprogramhelpsinknowinghowmuch tochallenge themandhowbest tocommunicatetothem.

“The purpose of The O’Neal School’sFalconDevelopmentProgram(FDP)istoprovideouryoungerstudentstheopportu-nitytobecomebetteracquaintedwithallaspects of organized sports,” says JamesFranklin.“WearefortunatetohaveMr.Kemp’s energy and expertise leadingourprogram.Wehopewecanaidinthedevelopmentofour futureFalconath-letesandadvancetheirskillandathleticabilities.”

The Falcon Development Program

AtTheO’NealSchool, students love tolearn and their teachers inspire their

passion and dedication. I am fortunate toseethiseverydayasLowerSchoolstudentsjoyfullyentereachclassandMiddleandUp-perSchoolstudentsengagewiththeirteach-ersandeachotherintheirstudies.O’Neal’sfacultymembers truly know their studentsandchallengetheminanurturing,balancedway, and it is obvious that they lovewhattheydo.

Eachyear,thefacultyworkstodevelopandenhance our programs. This year we areintentionally addressing the “strength ofcharacter”aspectofourmissionstatement.Students can participate in the FalconDe-velop Program in athletics, robotics in theInnovationCenter,chorus,andourgrowinginternationalpartnerships.WeeklyseminarsinGrades6and9addresstopicstosupportour students during these important transi-tionalyearsinourprogram.Theideasandenergy of our faculty make our programsstronger,improvethelearningoutcomesandskillsofourstudents. Theyalso instill theloveoflearningthatmakesourcommunitysounique.

JohnC.ElmoreHeadofSchool

FDP Director Ben Kemp teaches the students how to hold a baseball glove in order to properly catch the ball.

Victory is making an out with a tag at third base as the students in the Falcon Development Program learn the basics of baseball.

Sarah Massey

O’Nealvarsitygirls’tenniswithayoung teamandnoseniors this

year,made a great showing in con-ference play taking 2nd place andearnedtheirwaytothequarterfinalsfor the state tournament losing toGastonDaySchool.

Thevarsityboys’soccerteamlosttoCaryChristianinthefirstroundoftheNCISAAtournament.Theteam’slaststateappearancewasin2013.O’NealVarsitySoccerCoachJackieCavalli-niwasawardedco-coachoftheyearforsoccerbytheEasternPlainsInde-pendentConference(EPIC).

Invarsitycrosscountry,seventhgradestudentandnewmemberoftheteam,MollyKuzma,dominatedbywinning4outofthe5meetssheracedinforregular season,1stplace for theconferencechampionshipmeetandplac-ing19thattheNCISAAtournamentinafieldofover200girls.O’NealislookingforwardtowhatthefutureholdsforMolly.

All Conference recognition is awarded toSophia Renner, Sarah McInnis and Caro-lineLandry(VarsityGirlsTennis),WilliamSchirmer,BrianSubin,andMasonSullivan(VarsityBoysSoccer),SarahColthart(Var-sity Volleyball), and Molly Kuzma (CrossCountry).

The Falcon Development Program

Fall Sports Records

Upcoming Events11/10 MilitaryAppreciationDay11/16-20PAScholasticBookFair11/20 SpecialPersonsDay1/22 Homecoming

FDP Director Ben Kemp teaches the students how to hold a baseball glove in order to properly catch the ball.

VarsityGirls Tennis: 9-2 / 2nd EPIC / Quarter finals NCISAA Boys Soccer: 9-5-1 / 5-3 EPIC / 1st round NCISAAVolleyball: 1-15 / 0-8 EPIC Boys Cross Country: 4th EPIC / 25th NCISAAGirls Cross Country: 4th EPIC / 24th NCISAA

Junior VarsityBoys Soccer: 2-2 Volleyball: 3-10 / 0-6 EPIC

Middle SchoolBoys Soccer: 4-0-2 / 1st in SEMSACVolleyball: 4-12

The Fall Sports Season Wraps Up

Recognitions

TheO’NealSchoolhasmuchtocelebrate,astheybring home honors from the 2015NCTCHigh

SchoolPlayFestival,heldatUnionPinesHighSchoolonOctober30-31.Thetheatreprogram,ledbyHenryHamilton, made the school and community proudwith their presentation of “DrumTaps”, playwrightLindsayPrice’sadaptationofWaltWhitman’spoetryattheFestival,andisthrilledtobringhomethefol-lowingawards:anoverallratingof“excellent”withanawardforExcellenceinProductionDesign.Thestudentcastandcrewof11includesGraceBell,Me-ganBloom,Ceci Bockoven,MadisonGreer, IsabelHuesa,IanJohnson,TyraMarsh,AndrewShoecraft-Martin,AverySchaefer,GraceStroud,andLuYang.

The Arts

Doran Lamble

Photo by Avery Schaefer

Photo by Avery Schaefer

P.O. Box 290Southern Pines, NC 28388

In this issue, enjoy photos of Middle School student artwork.

The O’Neal Quarterly

Lastyear,localartist,JessieMackay,introducedtheMiddleSchooltoherexperiencesinTanzaniaandTanzanianart.ShespenttwodayswithJudyBrowne’sartclasses,sharingherAfricanart

techniqueswiththestudentsandcreatingaclassmasterpiece.

O’Nealalumna,KatherineKelly‘10hasbecomeO’Neal’sconnectiononthegloballeveltobecomemoreacquaintedandknowledgeableabout thepeopleandcustomsofTanzania.Katherine is thefounderoftheAfricanCommunityEmpowermentCompanyandthedirectoroftheHillCrestPre-

PrimarySchoolinTanzania.KatherinesharedinformationonHillCrestanditsstudentsatoneoftherecentMiddleSchoolmorningmeetings.Throughpictures,studentsmetNoella,an7yearoldgirlwhoseschoollifewillbefollowedthroughouttheyear.

JessieMackayandCarolKelly,Katherine’smother,spoketotheMiddleSchoolatanearliermeeting,informingthestudentsaboutthechildrenandpeopleofTanzania.MiddleSchoolstudentsthendonatedpillowcases,whichwillbesewnintodressesfortheyoungladiesatHillCrestSchool.Theappreciationoffashionissomethingsharedbymiddleschoolersaroundtheglobe,anditwasanenjoyablefirstconnectiontohavewiththesestudents.

Jessie and Katherine also met with the Upper School’s Global Issues class to begindiscussionsonrenewableenergy.PlansareintheworkstocollaboratewithJamesObi,alocalbusinessmanwhoworksintherenewableenergyfieldinavarietyofAfricancountries.

ThroughthisconnectionwithTanzania,bothMiddleandUpperSchoolstudentswillbenefitbyaraisedsenseofglobalawarenessintheMiddleSchoolandoneofglobalcitizenshipin the Upper School. Additional activities will follow and with these collaborations,similaritiesanddifferencesbetweencultureswillbeunraveled.

The Tanzania Project

Ryann Perkins