1997-1999

By July of 1997, along with administrators, eighteen staff and thirty-three faculty had been hired and 244 students were enrolled. The week of August 11th brought a frenetic pace of activity, but on August 18th the doors opened. Building was not complete, walkways were designated around areas still under construction, but as Virginia Sall said, “I remember the first day. The teachers were just spring-loaded and could not wait to be with the students and start teaching. It was electric!” At the opening ceremony, the first of 20 Handshake Ceremonies, Head of School, Don Berger, told the students, “You have the chance to be pioneers. This will be a year of firsts.”

Needless to say everything was a first – some were unique events others the beginning of a tradition to be continued for the next twenty years. The first opening day, the Handshake Ceremony began on the steps of the middle school as part of opening speeches for the first day of a new school. With Board members, parents, faculty, staff and most of all students present a great collaboration of learning began with each and every one shaking welcoming hands with each other.

The following year, with the continued growth in numbers, this ceremony moved to the Fitness Center where it has taken place ever since. With building and landscaping complete, the Dedication of the school took place on April 19th, 1998 with the gathering of the entire CA community on the quad. Those first two years also saw the first Grandparents Day, Elympics, Wacky Olympics, Holiday Shoppe and World Language Exchange Trips.