Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall School Blog: Take Charge

On Thursday, February 22, the CH-CH community gathered in the Assembly Hall for the Winter Athletics’ Awards. 

As students in the podcasting co-curricular activity produced the first episode of their series, In the Loop, a segment, called “Fire Interview,” asked students to name their favorite teacher. “Miss Ibave, Señora Ibave…” an echo is soon apparent. 

Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall School (CH-CH), marked a significant milestone in its history by opening the doors to a new Middle School to start the 2023-2024 school year. This expansion represents an exciting chapter in the school's legacy, reaffirming its dedication to providing a well-rounded education to students.

Allen is a last name that appears across campus; on buildings, in yearbooks, in the school’s history, and seen through sculpture. David Allen (DA) '93, son of Margaret Allen, is a sculptor who created two pieces as part of the Campus as Canvas initiative, The Core and The Sphere. In an interview, Allen gave insight into his work on campus, The Core on the island by South Hall and The Sphere in the courtyard at the Learning Commons. 

As lead learner at Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall School, I am forever absorbing and reflecting on the various teaching and learning practices around our community.  Teaching and learning not simply in the classroom environs, but also in our Co-Curricular programming, Student and Residential Life programs, and even in our school operation spaces.  Simply asked, how can we better engage and seek greater learning and meaning from the moments we nurture throughout the day and each week?  What reflective practices are we committed to as individual learners, as well as a school community?

Members of the CH-CH community might be surprised to find a familiar face on their TV screens this holiday season. Is that Spanish Teaching Fellow Samantha Cruz sending up a cloud of flour from her stand mixer on Netflix’s Nailed It? Why yes, in fact, it is! If you have a Netflix account, you can watch the episode here.

The CH-CH Middle School is currently enrolling students and will open its doors for 8th-grade students in the fall of 2023 and then for both 7th and 8th-grade students in the fall of 2024. Leading the charge for this new addition as the Head of Middle School is Kelly Walsh. Kelly has held the role of Director of 9/10th grade programs at CH-CH for the past six years and is passionate about creating a program that will unlock the potential of middle school students. The Chronicle Magazine (CM) sat down to talk with Kelly (KW) about her background and plans for CH-CH Middle School and the impact it will have on the community as a whole. 

“When I think back to the merger and my experience at Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall, I marvel at how international the community was, including myself, a daughter of a Liberian diplomat in England. As the President of our Senior Class, I was proud of how our 1972 class joined together with a feeling that the big tent included everyone and that your aspirations and desire to achieve were encouraged and undergirded. For today's students, continue the tradition of being a welcoming and affirming community. Thank you to my former faculty: Sharon Quarles, Louise Schulze, Beatrice Smith, Paul Economides, Lee Colby Wilson, Margaret Fitzgerald, and Roy Hatt (Head of School)."

The Certificate of Distinction Program at CH-CH is designed to give students the opportunity to dive deep into areas of interest and passion within Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), the Humanities, Math and Science, and Visual Arts. Students are mentored by a CH-CH faculty member throughout this journey. By completing a balance of coursework and outside enrichment opportunities, students further develop their creativity, critical thought, analysis, collaboration, and communication skills. 

It’s the middle of summer and Em Chonofsky ‘14 admits that her home is “the equivalent of being in your car with all the windows open. So it is warm.” That’s just one quirk she’s learned to live with, residing aboard a 48' long, 6'10" wide steel boat, known as a narrowboat. She first felt the lure to live aboard one of these UK canal boats as a university student six years ago, but it wasn’t until she was a working woman that Em made the leap into boat ownership.