I hope that your summer is going well.  It is hard to believe that school will start again next week. I remember thinking that summer lasted forever when I was a kid.  At age 50, things go a little faster.

Our new facility on 77 Center Drive is nearing completion and many new amenities and creative spaces will provide a learning environment conducive to our students.  Every detail of the new school has been overseen by Dr. Peine, a committee of our parents, gifted architects and engineers to make sure that the new facility maximizes the learning environment and enjoyment of all of our children.  As we all know, the magic of our kids happens within them rather than in brick and mortar buildings, but having an environment more conducive to learning and interacting with each other is a mission that we are proud to have fulfilled.  I look forward to meeting you at the grand opening celebration on Sunday, August 22 from 2:00 - 5:00 p.m.

We are fortunate to have added such wonderful members to our team this academic year:  Ms. Alyssa Cady in Discoverers I, Ms. Melissa Bernard in Discoverers III, Ms. Rachael Weeks in Investigators I, Dr. Donald Morris in Music, Ms. Noelle Zagorski in Physical Education/Health and Ms. Curt Atkins in Art.  Ms. Jessica Cuneo comes to us after a national search to become our Associate Director.  By far, our primary requirement of our applicants is that they care for children and help them to reach their potential.  We know that we have found in these new associates that kind of dedication and nurturing spirit.

Five new members to the Scholars' Academy board of directors were confirmed at our end-of-year meeting in June.  We had our highest number of qualified applicants to the board in our ten-year history and these five outstanding individuals will help us shepherd the school for the next several years:
· Resa Harris is a semi-retired judge, who has worked in the Mecklenburg County family court for many years. Resa has worked with many nonprofits including NC Society to Prevent Blindness and the Family Support Center.  She brings a wealth of experience in childhood development.
· Vipin Ramani is a Scholars' Academy parent and is a Senior Vice President at Bank of America.  He is also treasurer of IACPM, an international banking industry association. 
· David Saye is a Scholars' Academy parent and practicing attorney in Charlotte.  David and his family have a long history of bringing a passion and energy to the causes in which they support.
· Debbie Starling is a Scholars' Academy parent and has an educational background as a primary school teacher and in business administration as a former search consultant.
· John Watkins is a Senior Vice President at Bank of America and is a long-time parent and leader in our school.  Among other things, John has served as our school's athletic director as well as the coach of the Scholars' Academy soccer team.

This past year, Cheryl Drake-Bowers, Ann Gleason and Stephanie Tolan ended long tenures on the board with significant contributions.  It is through the assistance of gifted parents and community members like Ann, Stephanie and Cheryl that our school continues to grow and flourish.  I can tell you that they gave a full measure of themselves to the school and we all owe them a debt of gratitude for their gift.

There have been some new committees formed this past year to address the rapid growth of our school.  Board member Lisa Waugh chairs the Vision Committee which is tasked with assuring that the school continues to adhere to the rigorous standards as set forth by the founders of our school.  As Lisa continues to add members to her committee, she is choosing at least one from a number of parents who applied to be part of that committee.  You will continue to hear more from the Vision Committee as the school year progresses.

As I'm sure that you are all aware, funding has been cut for all public schools in North Carolina (and the rest of the country).  While budget cuts have created some hardship for us, we have continued to flourish financially and otherwise thanks to the generous gifts of our parents.  Gifts have come in many forms, not just financial, and we hope that you will find ways to help our school, either financially or with your time and talent.  For those of you who made pledges last year, we are still accepting payments on those pledges and we understand that the economy may impact the payment schedules of your pledges.

I look forward to seeing you at our building celebration on Sunday.

Sincerely,

Gaston Gage
Board Chair