Fort Worth Country Day

Please help us welcome the newest faculty and staff to the FWCD community!

🌟 𝓕𝓦𝓒𝓓 𝓑𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴𝓽𝓱𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱 𝓢𝓹𝓸𝓽𝓵𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 🌟

🔴 Eleanor Young
🔵 Teaching Assistant
🔴 What I love the most about being a TA is getting to make close bonds with the other TAs and TFs I’m working with and enjoying being a part of the vibrant community my team has given me.

🌟 𝓕𝓦𝓒𝓓 𝓒𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓼𝓮𝓵𝓸𝓻 𝓢𝓹𝓸𝓽𝓵𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 🌟

🔴 Catherine Hart
🔵 Fort Wonder Camp Counselor
🔴 I love being a counselor because I get to see the kids get super excited over the theme and solving mysteries based on the camp and how much they enjoy being a part of the different games and competitions we have throughout the week. As well, getting to see previous campers that I was with from past weeks run up to me for a high five or a hug and to chat about the fun memories from our week together.

🌟 𝓕𝓦𝓒𝓓 𝓑𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴𝓽𝓱𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱 𝓢𝓹𝓸𝓽𝓵𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 🌟

🔴 Chance Odom
🔵 Teaching Assistant
🔴 Being a TA this year has been so so fun! Good community hours, I'm making great relationships, and I'm making progress on myself by finding more self confidence! It's been very fun and endearing.

🎉🏅 Congratulations to Carly Walker ’24 on being named WFAA’s North Texas Buick Dealers Scholar-Athlete of the Week! Tune in on August 11 at 10:35 p.m. to see her shine! In 2024-25, Carly led as Captain of the varsity field hockey and soccer teams, won an SPC Championship in pole vault, was on the high honor roll, and served as a yearbook editor. She founded Backyard Blast, a summer camp she’s run for four years, and helped build homes in Tijuana, Mexico, with Homes of Hope. She even performed in Matilda Jr. her senior year! Good luck in college, Carly! 🌟

🌟 𝓕𝓦𝓒𝓓 𝓑𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴𝓽𝓱𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱 𝓢𝓹𝓸𝓽𝓵𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 🌟

🔴 Rhea Alexander '24
🔵 Teaching Fellow
🔴 It's a greatly rewarding experience. It's extremely tiring and there are times I want to give up, but I keep going because of the gratification I get when I see a student excited about being here.

🌟 𝓕𝓦𝓒𝓓 𝓑𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴𝓽𝓱𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱 𝓢𝓹𝓸𝓽𝓵𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 🌟

🔴 Joy Yun '20
🔵 Teaching Fellow
🔴 My favorite thing about being a TF is forming a special bond with my students and being there for them as their cheerleader, role model, and Breakthrough family member. I love seeing how they enjoy learning subjects that they once might've disliked!

🌟 𝓕𝓦𝓒𝓓 𝓑𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴𝓽𝓱𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱 𝓢𝓹𝓸𝓽𝓵𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 🌟

🔴 Evi Scaling Brown '24
🔵 Teaching Assistant
🔴 I spend my summer with Breakthrough because I love the close knit, supportive community.

🌟 𝓕𝓦𝓒𝓓 𝓑𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴𝓽𝓱𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱 𝓢𝓹𝓸𝓽𝓵𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 🌟

🔴 Chris Hoppe '21
🔵 Teaching Fellow
🔴 I spend my summer at Breakthrough because I feel like I am making a difference in my community. I’m also gaining valuable teaching experience before I become a full time teacher after graduating from college next year.

🌟 𝓕𝓦𝓒𝓓 𝓒𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓼𝓮𝓵𝓸𝓻 𝓢𝓹𝓸𝓽𝓵𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 🌟

🔴 Carson Lee '23
🔵 Fort Wonder Camp Counselor
🔴 I love being able to have fun while also doing my job supervising the campers. I have some of my most favorite memories at camp and it's fun to try and create the same for these campers.

🌟 𝓕𝓦𝓒𝓓 𝓑𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴𝓽𝓱𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱 𝓢𝓹𝓸𝓽𝓵𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 🌟

🔴 Charlotte Comeaux '24
🔵 Teaching Fellow
🔴 I spend my summer with Breakthrough because I like the structure of the program and I get to do fun activities like Magic Monday and cheers!

🌟 𝓕𝓦𝓒𝓓 𝓑𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴𝓽𝓱𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱 𝓢𝓹𝓸𝓽𝓵𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 🌟

🔴 David Yun '24
🔵 Teaching Fellow
🔴 The best part about being a teacher is recreating the impact I received as a student.

FWCD is in the news! The solar car team, Falcon EV, finished up the race yesterday and finished third overall! They also finished first on day four in their division. The team completed 260 laps which is 360 miles. Way to go Falcons!

https://fortworthreport.org/2024/07/17/fort-worth-high-schools-face-off-as-part-of-solar-car-challenge-at-texas-motor-speedway/

Fort Worth high schools face off as part of Solar Car Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway | Fort Worth Report Thirty-one high school teams built cars from scratch as part of a national competition that ended with a race in Fort Worth.

🚧Construction Update 🚧

The Lower School is coming along! Right now they’re working on drywall, the ceiling framework and bricking the outside. In the coming weeks, we can expect to see tape and bedding the walls, painting and windows. Stay tuned for more updates!

🌟 𝓕𝓦𝓒𝓓 𝓒𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓼𝓮𝓵𝓸𝓻 𝓢𝓹𝓸𝓽𝓵𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 🌟

🔴 Harrison Kemmer '23
🔵 Fort Wonder Camp Counselor
🔴 I like giving back to the school and the kids as a counselor. I used to come to the camps before Fort Wonder and I wanted to be a part of them now.

🌟 𝓕𝓦𝓒𝓓 𝓒𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓼𝓮𝓵𝓸𝓻 𝓢𝓹𝓸𝓽𝓵𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 🌟

🔴 Kenzie Medaris '19
🔵 Fort Wonder Camp Counselor
🔴 I love being a counselor because it allows me to use my education degree outside of the traditional classroom setting. Engaging with the kids, fostering their growth, and creating unforgettable summer memories are incredibly rewarding experiences. The unique camp environment offers a wonderful opportunity to connect with the kids in a meaningful way and make a positive impact on their lives.

Please help us congratulate 🌟 𝓒𝓪𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓮 𝓒𝓸𝓵𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓼-𝓥𝓮𝓬𝓲𝓷𝓸 🌟 on being named the 2024 Perry and Nancy Lee Bass Distinguished Teaching Chair in Upper School!

From Catherine's teaching philosophy:
“To be a bringer of joy in the English classroom (and probably any other kind of classroom) is to be the designer of a space where creative energy is nurtured, where multifaceted ideas can be grappled with through dialogue and writing, where students are encouraged to take intellectual risks and encouraged to improve, and where beauty can be acknowledged and appreciated.”

There are just three days left to give to The FWCD Fund. Make your gift today at fwcd.org/give.

You might not be able to tell from the outside, but construction on the inside of the Lower School building is moving quickly. Right now, they are putting brick on the exterior and insulating and sheet rocking the inside. Stay tuned for more updates!

Design Inspirations had another remarkable year, with Breakthrough Fort Worth and Gill Children’s Services each receiving a generous $77,000 check to support their impactful programs. Keely Nezworski, Mackenzie Zwick, Lauren Bailey and Kaci Strawn came to campus to present the check to Breakthrough’s Executive Director, Joe Breedlove ’78. Celebrating its 31st anniversary in 2024, Design Inspirations is an esteemed annual fundraiser hosted by Fort Worth’s Kappa Kappa Gamma and Pi Beta Phi Alumnae Associations. For the event, local designers, individuals, business owners, and philanthropic organizations create stunning tablescapes for a worthy cause. Last year, the event also championed Breakthrough and Gill Children’s, donating a total of $169,500 to both organizations.

Only 🔟 days left to support the 2023-24 FWCD Fund! Your gift brings smiles to our Falcons' faces! Every contribution, big and small, makes a huge difference for our students and faculty. Let’s hit our goal together! Give today: fwcd.org/give

Breakthrough Fort Worth students and alumni enjoyed their Fancy Meal event at the Fort Worth Club on June 13. Keynote speakers Raúl Jared Frías Pérez, Breakthrough and FWCD Class of 2020 graduate, and Alexis Jehardé Davis, Breakthrough and Arlington Heights Class of 2020 graduate, shared their stories and why Breakthrough is so important to them. More than 200 community members attended the luncheon event, which raised nearly $95,000 for the program. This year’s Fancy Meal Co-Chairs were Kate (Terry) ’00 and Sam More ’00 and Elizabeth (Hill) ’00 and Ed Deegan.

Today, June 19, commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. Although the Emancipation Proclamation was signed in 1863, it wasn’t until June 19, 1865, when enslaved people in Texas learned that they were finally free. We honor Fort Worth’s pride and joy, Opal Lee, for her tireless efforts in making Juneteenth a federally recognized holiday. Happy Juneteenth!

Please help us congratulate 🌟 𝓒𝓸𝓵𝓲𝓷 𝓓𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓵𝓪𝓼 🌟 on being named the 2024 James S. Garvey Chair for Distinguished Teaching in History!

From Colin's teaching philosophy:
“... I teach so that students can discover a sense of self while learning more about the world around them …. The more questions we ask, the more academic theories we understand, or at least appreciate, the more involved and versatile our understanding of life can be. If we really want our students to be prepared for the 21st century, then they need to be able to make sense of the world around them by integrating curiosity into their academic process. Interest, though, comes in many forms. It is that skill I hope to convey to my students so they understand more about themselves.”

Breakthrough Fort Worth 2024 has officially begun!

Please help us congratulate 🌟𝓚𝓮𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝓙𝓮𝓷𝓴𝓲𝓷𝓼 🌟on being named the 2024 Thomas M. Ryan Chair for Distinguished Teaching in Lower School!

FWCD’s Endowed Master Teaching Chair designation is the highest distinction earned by FWCD faculty members who have a sustained record of teaching excellence and are held for three years.

From Kelly’s teaching philosophy:
“At the heart of it, my philosophy of teaching is rooted in my unwavering belief in the transformative power of education. By providing a safe and stimulating learning environment, integrating literacy skills across the curriculum, fostering active learning, and leveraging research-based practices, I am committed to nurturing the growth and development of every student who enters my classroom. Each day I learn alongside my students as we embark on a journey of discovery, exploration and lifelong learning.”