Founded: 1997 Mission: Cary Academy is a learning community committed to discovery, innovation, collaboration, and excellence. Grades: 6 through 12 Students: 755 curious minds; 39 percent identify as students of color. Technology: 1:1 Tablet PC program Athletics: 14 sports, 48 teams from Middle School through varsity Mascot: Charger Student clubs & activities: 114 (42 Middle School; 72 Upper School) Campus: 65 acres of space for inquisitive minds to roam. Highlights include a state-of-the-art video production facility, a maker space with 3-D printers, a new multimedia discovery studio, a 15,000 square-foot athletic complex, a 500-seat theater, a 22,000-square-foot science center (opening 2018), and a hammock hangout (BYOH). The facts on America’s most curious school 1500 N. Harrison Ave. | Cary, NC 27513 | caryacademy.org | Ph: 919.677.3873 | Fax: 919.677.4002 In accordance with our mission and the law, Cary Academy does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, national and ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or age.*Disclaimer: They say curiosity killed the cat. We disagree – and promise that no felines were harmed in the production of this book.Cary Academy challenges everyone to be enthusiastically inquisitive: to seek adventure, and to revel in curiosity. Never stop asking questions. We run on it. CURIOSITY, THAT IS. At Cary Academy, one question leads to another and another » which leads to insights, epiphanies, and breakthroughs » which lead to other countries, new friends, and great adventures » where new questions lead to more questions and adventures Curiosity makes you smarter. So say Harvard researchers. In a recent study, they concluded that curiosity “leads to higher intellectual investment and knowledge acquisition.” Translation: Asking questions supercharges your cerebellum. On our 65-acre campus, you’ll be in good company with 755 inquisitive brains. In small classes, students in grades 6–12 learn that brilliant insight begins with a question mark. And with the help of talented, dynamic teachers, they follow hunches, delve into deeper thinking, and come up with their own unique – and usually pretty innovative – answers. In fact, this could be the world’s most curious school. JACK LATTIMORE ’16 AND EVAN EHRHARDT ’18 CREATED AN APP TO FIGHT MALARIA IN RURAL INDIA WHILE ATTENDING THE GLOBAL SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUMMIT IN MUMBAI.PERSISTENTLY CURIOUS. AGGRESSIVELY CURIOUS. Luke ‘19 How do you say "love, all" in Mandarin? Ask Luke. He's a serious tennis player and is becoming fluent in Chinese. PASSIONATELY CURIOUS. Grace ‘19 Comfortable on the stage and on the field, Grace is a member of CA's chorus and a founding player on our varsity girls lacrosse team. Lacey ‘19 A CA art project helped Lacey discover her love of stained glass work. She's also a pole vaulter and competitive cheerleader. RELENTLESSLY CURIOUS. Katrine ‘19 This native of Denmark is an equestrienne extraordinaire. HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? TAKE THE STAGE AT OUR VERY OWN TEDX.ADVANCED STATISTICS STUDENTS USED BARBIES TO STUDY LINEAR REGRESSION. why? Ask yourself In Middle School, you might prosecute Nixon in a mock impeachment trial or draft bills and pass them in a senate simulation. Go on a Mars Mission in search of conditions that can sustain life. Program robots. Write a one-act play. Explore numbers theory or Chinese culture. And, you’ll get graded twice – one “typical” grade for achievement and another for your effort. And, why not? How? What if? That’s the whole point. We want you to ask questions, dig deep for answers – and the new questions those answers lead to. Our goal is understanding, not memorization. In Upper School, there’s no GPA. No class rank. No AP – we do our own ADV courses in lieu of AP for added flexibility and rigor. Lots of collaboration. Flexibility. Plenty of intellectual independence. And a curriculum designed to keep your gray matter working hard, from Calculus III to advanced Mandarin to environmental policy to debate to robotics to art history. Get all the details at caryacademy.org/academics GO FLY A KITE! 7TH GRADERS USE THE PYTHAGOREAN THEOREM TO BUILD (AND THEN FLY) CONYNE DELTA KITES.What kind of school would say that? One that wants you to stretch yourself, take risks, and try new things. As one teacher put it, “Falling on your face is always a possibility, but trying matters.” CA teachers aren’t afraid to try new things in their classes – or admit something didn’t work as they’d hoped. “We listen to students. We push kids to take risks, give them challenging projects, and look for different ways to present what they’ve learned. And we model risk-taking ourselves. Our students embrace that and try.” Our study spaces, classrooms, and labs are designed to inspire collaboration, hands- on experiences, and deep discussion. Because we know that’s how you learn best. “Feel free to fall on your face. ” SPANISH TEACHER VIC QUESADA-HERRERA IS A TWO-TIME RECIPIENT OF THE CARY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE’S LEADERSHIP IN TEACHING AWARD.MIDDLE SCHOOL MATH TEACHER LESLIE WILLIAMS WROTE A CHAPTER FOR THE BOOK REVOLUTIONIZING EDUCATION WITH DIGITAL INK.Next >