News

Carolina Day School had a great showing at the Odyssey of the Mind Regional Tournament at McDowell High School on Saturday, February 25, 2023. CDS brought six teams and all six teams qualified to advance to the State Tournament.

Carolina Day School congratulates the students whose works were selected from among thousands entered into the Southeast Regional division of the Scholastic Writing Awards.

In 2023, Carolina Day School began implementing a new visitor management system that will assist our school staff in keeping our students safe. This new system facilitates visitor screening, visitor badge printing, notifications – all in one place. Our school staff will know in real-time all visitors and students coming and going from our campus, increasing the safety of students, teachers, and staff.

Congratulations to the following CDS students for being recognized in the WNC Regional Scholastic Art Awards, sponsored by Asheville Art Museum (2 South Pack Square, Asheville, NC). Students in grades 7–12 from across our region submit work for this highly competitive, juried competition. 

CDS Sophomore Caroline Barton '25 had a banner year after placing first in three different races this season and winning an NCISAA 2A State Championship. She set a personal-best time of 18:28.30 and has been named the Citizen-Times and Times News Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year. Congratulations, Caroline!

Imagine a decorated gymnast facing a career-ending injury. Imagine a cutting-edge, experimental surgery in which this gymnast’s almost completely paralyzed body learns to heal itself using starfish DNA. Imagine that the Olympic Committee must rule on whether or not this young gymnast can compete due to the advantages granted to her by the surgery and if she is, in fact, human. This is the plot of a short story by Mauren McHugh titled “The Starfish Girl,” published in Slate in 2018. It’s one of the many stories read by CDS students in Susan White’s and Dora Nelson’s Biosocial Ethics And Motives (BEAM) class.

Individuals in both the Boys and Girls Cross Country teams took home state titles this year, while others placed among the top runners in North Carolina.

As the first Upper School student to complete all of the requirements for the new Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Development (LEAD) program, Anna McCrary has been making strides on a project that she hopes will have a lasting impact on Ashevillians struggling with mental illness.

On Thursday, November 3, the Carolina Day School One-Act Class presented the world premiere of Scheherazade, Again, written by CDS alumna Sophia Pereda-Echeverry ’21. Before performing Scheherazade, Again for the Carolina Day community, those involved with the production competed at this year’s North Carolina Theatre Conference’s High School Play Festival, for which they took home four awards. 

The Carolina Day Speech and Debate team competed in the Grady Franklin Invitational at Chase High School on Saturday, October 29. Erick Zenteno '25 and Wyatt Henry '26 took 1st place in Junior Varsity Public Forum Debate! Dannan Garner '26 took 10th place in Junior Varsity Lincoln-Douglas Debate.

On November 8-10, our sophomores and juniors set off on their multi-day college trips to visit a vast array of universities and colleges. This annual trip allows CDS students to explore the different kinds of higher education institutions so they might discover which ones are the best fit for their individual needs. 

On Friday, November 4, Carolina Day School saw the return of the annual Lower/Key Lower School Musical, as students in grades 4 and 5 gave two fantastic performances of Annie the Musical.

Earlier this semester, in October, Olivia Myers RN, joined Carolina Day as the new School Nurse.

The Carolina Day School One-Act Class presents the world premiere of Scheherazade, Again, written by CDS alumna Sophia Pereda-Echeverry (class of 2021). An illumination of grief, of what is said and what goes unsaid, Scheherazade, Again unfolds at the nexus of multiple realities. It explores the power and influence of the stories we tell to each other and to ourselves.

Carolina Day School’s Director of Athletics Tauni Butterfield recently announced the appointment of Paul Capodanno as the Wildcats new head coach for the varsity boys basketball team. "Coach Cap," as he is known, joined Carolina Day for the 2022-2023 school year and also oversees the physical education program for the Lower School grades at CDS. 

The Alumni Association presents three prestigious awards to honor deserving graduates, faculty, coaches, and friends of Carolina Day and its predecessor schools.

When Amanda Matos came to CDS as an athletic trainer five years ago, she saw a school brimming with scholar-athletes waiting to be celebrated. What she didn’t see, however, were athletic facilities that championed the hard work her students put into their school and into their sport. Both Amanda and Tauni Butterfield, as Assistant Athletic Director and Athletic Director, respectively, have been working tirelessly to bring a renewed sense of school spirit to Carolina Day.

Spring and summer saw students all across the Upper School board planes and set off for international adventures. Three trips, led by French teacher Kathryn Garrison, Spanish teacher Fernando Pomar, and Science teacher Michael Hill, exposed CDS students not just to an immersive language and academic experience but also to an exploration of diverse cultures and environments.

Jacquelyn Nasti, CDS’s new Director of After Care, is finally bringing a fully realized After School Enrichment program back to campus. Last spring, Jacquelyn launched a pilot program for reviving the much missed After School Enrichment, a program gone by the wayside during the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic. Her first year with CDS, Jacquelyn was hyper focused on After Care, a priority for parents who suddenly had tenfold responsibilities during the school year. 

At age 68, CDS Soccer Coach, George Tasedan, is set to compete on the global field. Representing the United States, George and his team of more mature soccer players will participate in the 4th Senior World Cup in Roskilde, Denmark August 24-26, alongside teams from England, Wales, Denmark, and Germany.