Cincinnati Country Day School
September Alumni Journal
Homecoming & Reunion 2020 Goes Virtual
The Alumni Association and Advancement team are excited to "virtually" welcome Country Day alumni for a weekend celebration of Homecoming and Class Reunions, October 2-3, from the comfort of your own home! 
 
We have a fun weekend planned, kicking off on Friday evening with a toast from Head of School Tony Jaccaci and Upper School History Department Chair Merle Black.
Engage in all the weekend activities:

  • Catch up with fellow alumni from your class on a Zoom chat after the opening toast.

  • Reach out to your fellow classmates today, to set a time to get together!

  • Submit a couple of your favorite photos at Country Day by clicking here. The online scrapbook will be live at 5 p.m. on October 2.


  • Participate in CCDSpeaks Tech Talk on Zoom, October 3 at 1:00 p.m. More details below.
CCDSpeaks, hosted by Head of School Tony Jaccaci, will lead four CCDS alumni, who work in information technology, through a virtual discussion about computer and communication technology and its impact on society.
 
We look forward hosting this interactive Homecoming and Reunion weekend and are excited to welcome our alumni back "virtually" and celebrate the Country Day community.

Things may look different this year, but no matter the circumstances, Country Day stands together!
Athletics Update
By: Dennis Coyle
Athletic Director
Welcome to the 2020 fall sports season! Our teams are off to a fantastic start, and the energy can be felt throughout campus. I ask for your continued support as we navigate this year, and I assure you we will continue to do our best to keep our students safe and active.  
CCDS Football

The CCDS football team exploded for 41 points in its opener versus MVCA, while recording its first defensive shutout since Coach Coyle took over the program last year. Senior RT Adkins led the offense with eight carries for 125 yards, one reception for 22 yards and two TDs, followed by freshman Parker Corbin who added five carries for 83 yards. In total, the offense rushed for 368 yards and eight different players had rushing attempts in the game. Junior QB Zach Corbin was efficient at QB competing 2 of 4 passes for two TDs. On defense, we were led by junior Silas Snell (10 tackles and 3 sacks) and senior Marsalis Reed (8 tackles and 1 sack) stymied the MVCA offense all night. Senior Captains Michael Noack and Wynton Jackson also played key roles on both sides of the ball.
CCDS Varsity Girls Soccer

The girls soccer team is excited to tackle one of the most difficult schedules in the city as it prepares to defend its D3 state championship. Even with Covid restrictions, the ladies worked extremely hard during the summer and pre-season. Attendance at summer training was among the highest in program history. Without summer scrimmages, the team is focusing on playing its best soccer in October and November. The team’s success hinges on how quickly the seniors (Jenna Setters, Marley Cox, and Sabrina DelBello) and juniors (Annabel Blum, Sarah Coyle, Jada Moorman, Emma Robinson, and Sarah Zimmerman) connect with the sophomores and freshman players. The opening two games were defensive shows with a victory over Indian Hill 2-0 and a scoreless tie versus Mariemont. The team plays CHL foes Wyoming (defeated 4-1 on Tuesday night) and Madeira along with MVC rivals Seven Hills and CHCA over the next two weeks.
CCDS Varsity Boys Soccer 

Varsity played an intense match versus another top five, D-III team in Mariemont, losing 1-2, in a match that could have gone either way. All three goals were scored during the last 20 minutes, and CCDS unluckily hit the post and crossbar in the second half. Great goalkeeping by Sam Nitzberg and defensive work from the back line of Casey Graff, Ryan DeBeer, Dereck Gray, Hayden Bortz, Jack Connelly, and Andrew Pavlisko kept CCDS even with opponents throughout the match.

Coach Greg Hirschauer is pleased with the progress and potential for the boys soccer team and looks forward to returning to the field for the match on Saturday, September 12, at home versus Indian Hill.
CCDS Boys Golf

The varsity golf team, coached by Greg Faulhaber, is off to a strong start. The boys have played well and after the first day of the MVC tournament play, CCDS held a six-stroke lead. The team had a rainout last week versus Sycamore. The make-up date was moved to Wednesday, September 9 at Blue Ash Golf Course. On Tuesday, the team lost to McNicholas 161 – 185, led by Sam Pettengill who shot a one-over par 36 and Matthew Castrucci who shot a seven-over par 41. Next week, the team has matches versus Madeira, Seven Hills, and Sycamore.
CCDS Girls Golf

The CCDS girls golf team is off to its best start in eight years. Winning its first four-dual matches (versus McNicholas, Madeira and Indian Hill), the team is in second place in the CGGC (Cincinnati Girls Golf Conference). Leading the team is Natalie Kaminski who has been medalist in all four dual matches to date. Strong contributors include Pooja Kantemneni (district qualifier 2019), Sophie O’Brien, Jessica Rutherford, Maggie Gardner, Sig Smyth, and Alison Kohler. Freshman Katie Wang has been a promising addition to the team.
CCDS Girls Tennis

The CCDS tennis team has been working hard this August. Freshman Rana Arebi and Senior Sabrina DelBello took second place in the first doubles bracket of the CCDS Invitational. Junior Priya Thompson won the back draw of the first singles bracket at the tournament as well. Congratulations! We are looking forward to more successes as the season continues. 
CCDS Cross Country

The cross country team is off to a solid start, led by captains Lila Weizer (’21), Griffin McAndrew (’21), Terre Virzi (’22), and Christopher Langenbahn (’22). The roster, just shy of 30 strong, is the largest in years and is boosted by multiple runners joining through workouts from home. Although the start of the season was disrupted by Covid, the team is excited to build toward the Milford Invitational on 9/19 with some intrasquad competitions in the next two weeks. Junior Ashton Snell and sophomore Joe Gibson are both in peak season form already, and it will be exciting to clock the runners in the first team time trial.
Accelerating Alumni
René Peters '09 has worked at Microsoft in Seattle, Washington for more than two years and currently is part of the Cloud+Enterprise group. "I have gained knowledge of cloud technologies and artificial intelligence," said Peters. "It's an exciting place to be in my career, representing how we are leveraging technology to solve problems every day."
 
Peters discovered his interest in science early on while at Country Day. "In the Lower School, I would pick up a physics book to read, even though I couldn't understand it. I collected rocks all the time—at recess, between classes, and after school. Instead of a typical bedtime story, I would ask my dad questions like, "why is the sky blue?"
 
Peters said he spent significant time in the library’s science section and thought he would become a meteorologist. "Academically, I had teachers including Ms. Lewis who pushed me to achieve my potential," said Peters. "Ms. Butler encouraged me to apply to an incredible summer program that reaffirmed STEM as a career choice and introduced me to MIT, a place where I could thrive. These nudges had a meaningful effect on where I've ended up today." 
René is also grateful for the role Country Day athletics played in his career. "I had supportive coaches on the field including Coach Hirschauer, who challenged us not to be just better players, but to be better people," said Peters. "Coach Black and Coach Brownstein were also instrumental in my development in track and field, preparing me to run NCAA track in college."
 
Still finding time to give back, René is involved in local government through Seattle's City Technology Advisory Board. "We help inform local and state policies regarding technology, privacy, access, and equity with the public in mind. I am also on the board of Smart City Committee, where we focus on predictive policing and automated infrastructure management.”
 
We are excited that René has offered to join other leading technological CCDS alumni leaders and discuss a wide variety of topics during CCDSpeaks Tech Talk, October 3 at 1:00 p.m. To RSVP for the virtual event, click here. 
Student Spotlight
Sam Pettengill is a senior and multi-sport athlete at CCDS. He is a third generation Pettengill student and has taken full advantage of the opportunities Country Day provides. Despite the changes to the rhythms and routines of campus life due to Covid-19, Sam has not let it diminish his leadership in the classroom or the fields of play. "I am trying to be positive in everything I do," said Pettengill. "I wear a mask and encourage others to wear one and maintain their distance."
 
(Pictured from left to right: Sam '21, Grace '17, John '18, Lisa '85, and Chip Pettengill '79)
 
Sam has been a member of Honor Council since sixth grade and considers it one of his proudest accomplishments. "It means a lot to me; you're elected by your classmates and their respect and trust in me to serve each year is a privilege." The CCDS Faculty also plays an instrumental role in Sam's success. "I have great teachers I can talk to anytime and who are always willing to go the extra mile," said Pettengill. "Mr. Faulhaber is my golf coach, advisor, and math teacher. We spend a lot of time together, and he motivates me in and outside the classroom. Mr. Black's classes are informative and the interesting material he covers makes it one of my favorite bells of the day."
In addition to academics, Sam has excelled in three sports at CCDS: golf, track, and swimming. Going into his senior year, Sam has already competed in eight state competitions. "The state atmosphere is exciting but sharing those experiences with my teammates and friends is the best! My freshman year I teamed with my brother (John Pettengill '18) to compete in the golf state championships; it was great to motivate each other and share that experience."
 
Sam plans to attend a small college where he would like to play golf and major in architecture or biology. "I like the size of Country Day and the advantages of being able to talk to your teachers outside the classroom. Those relationships and extra time have made my time here special," said Pettengill. "When I look back on my time at Country Day, I will cherish the friendships and relationships with everyone at school and the great memories we shared together."
Faculty Feature
Merle Black is entering his 33rd year of teaching history at Cincinnati Country Day School. Memories of Mr. Black and time on Given Road are inseparable for scores of CCDS students and alumni. They often share that Mr. Black’s inspiring lessons have had a lasting and influential impact on them.
 
Merle is a native of Pennsylvania and his teaching roots run deep. He comes from a family of educators. His grandfather and uncle both served as president of Elizabethtown College. His three sisters have doctorate degrees. Merle graduated from Gettysburg College and earned his master’s at the University of Chicago. Merle began his teaching career at the Cheshire Academy (CT). "I liked Cheshire, but I wanted to teach at a school with a national reputation, a place where I could establish my roots and educate high school students at the highest levels of academia," said Black. "I met John Raushenbush (then CCDS head of school), and he sold me on Country Day, where learning is cool, and parents wholeheartedly value the transformative power of education."
 
"The Country Day faculty was impressive, both as exceptional educators and as friends. My first week on campus, Pat and Tim Dunn invited my wife and me to their home for dinner. They have become close friends, and I'm still sad they have retired." Although Merle no longer coaches, he thoroughly enjoyed the rewards of coaching. "Coaching builds credibility in and out of the classroom. The size of the school and the low student-to-teacher ratio gives me precious, extra time with students and that helps develop trust." 
"One aspect of Country Day, I can never overstate is how supportive our parents are," said Black. "Many multigenerational families have attended CCDS. They understand how special the school is and appreciate the doors it has opened in their lives. They prove, time and time again, that this is a fabulous learning institution and want their children to benefit from all Country Day provided them. For me, that's the ultimate compliment a school can receive."
 
(Pictured from left to right: Merle Black, Elizabeth Black '08, Suzanne Black, and Peter Niehoff '05)
 
Merle is pleased campus is open for in-person learning. "We must take full advantage of this time! We are in the classrooms again and we're learning. Our unshakable commitment to education will see us through this challenge, and Country Day will emerge stronger than ever!"
 
Following retirement, Merle hopes to complete his doctoral dissertation at the University of Chicago to avoid his sisters’ good-natured kidding about their superior educational credentials. 
 
Merle is not on Facebook but is active on email and would love to connect with alumni. If you would like to send Merle a message, click here.
 
Merle will also lead off Homecoming and Reunion Weekend with a toast to our alumni, click here to find out more.
Pictures of the Month
First grade students posed at a distance for a class photo on the stairs of the Upper School.
Upper school students are encouraged to use their creative talents in an arts class.
Lower school students popped balloons to find out the house they would join. Houses include, Compassion, Courage, Respect, Integrity, and Responsibility.
The middle school girls tennis team enjoys a bonding moment ahead of its match against Seven Hills.
Head of Lower School Mark Morawski learned firsthand the meaning of "Cookie Wednesday"
Sophomore Jourdan Jones artwork is displayed in the Messer Art Gallery.