PET PARADE IN 2 GRADE ND
byHarperWoodbury‘34,GraylynZiegler’34,CameronKline‘34,andEmmieCherubini’34
Hopper, the beloved bunny in 2nd grade, loves to be quiet Hopper needs a safe space to hide He dislikes being picked up; he feels threatened when lifted off the ground Hopper loves eating fruits like blueberries and strawberries. Hopper also loves veggies like carrots and lettuce. The beloved second graders love making a plate for him out of their fruits and veggies that they don't eat at lunch. Hopper's habitat is messy and he loves to play hide-and-seek. He almost basically lives at the Horner’s house.
The guinea pigs are super fun animals because they let you hold them. Mrs. Fuller has two guinea pigs, Snickers and Benny Snickers likes to sleep, hide under his house, and does not like getting picked up Benny likes getting picked up, he climbs all over Snickers, and drinks lots of water The guinea pigs come out during 2nd grade free time on Fridays
The new hermit crabs are loved by the 2nd grade students They are new to Mrs Fuller's class Their names are Coral and Oyster Coral and Oyster are 8 months old Their habitat is grassy and sandy They don't come out a lot because they are nocturnal. Students get to take them home every Friday, and not just 2nd grade. That’s why they love the hermit crabs. They usually go home with the Wesleys.
The parakeets in 2nd grade are quite noisy when the door is open to the hallway. The second graders don't really like that they’re noisy. Colton from second grade said, “It's a stress having the parakeets because they will never shush!” But the students like to play with them and like to hold them The colors of the parakeets are bright blue and green The blue parakeet's name is Elsa and the green parakeet's name is Anna Yes, their names are inspired by Frozen The birds hang out on the curtain, and you can put them on your shoulder The students volunteer to take the pets home and the teachers pick who takes them home.
WHO’S YOUR ROLE MODEL?
by Harper Woodbury ‘34
*4th grader Cameron Kline’s role model is her mom
*3rd grader Everly Kovach's role model is Kennedy Sass
*2nd grader Annabelle Woodbury's role model is her sister Harper Woodbury
*1st grader Hannah Hummel’s role model is Natalie Abreu Gonzalez
*Kindergartener Hana Charubini’s role model is her mom
DDS Lower School News
and
1NORWAY41(18gold12silver11bronze)
2USA33(12gold12silver9bronze)
3Italy30(10gold6silver14bronze)
OPINIONS
My Favorite Subject by Beckett Bishop ‘34
My favorite subject is writing. I like writing because you can explore your imagination I enjoy writing fiction stories because I can make up the character's name, the setting, and what's going to happen in the story. I also like writing fiction because it can have dragons, giants, and other make-believe characters and places so I can expand my imagination These are just a few reasons why I love writing
Favorite Subject: (Newspaper Club and Aftercare polled)
Math - 17
Writing - 10
Science - 6
Social Studies - 2
Reading - 2
WATCH FACTS
by Graham Kuhn ‘34 and Noah Hamrock ‘34
My Favorite Special by Asher Wesley ‘34
photo by Elle Glavin ‘34
TherearemanydifferentspecialsatDDS.In myopinion,Artisthebestspecial.Thisis becauseyoucanexpresshowcreativeyouare. Also,youcansketch,paint,color,anddraw!In Art,creativityhasnolimits.Whenyougetto freedraw,youcandrawwhateveryouwant! Thebestthingiswhenyouhearthewords, “Getyourapron,wearedoingclaytoday!”Clay isthebestpartaboutart.Yougettosculpt yourclayandlaterpaintit!TheteacherisMrs. Langley,andsheiskindandverythoughtful. Fromdrawinganimalstoplacesoreven yourself,anythingispossibleinArt.
Watches are very interesting, some are very expensive like over one million dollars and some are cheaper like 100 dollars. Watches can be made of almost anything. An extremely expensive watch might be made of lapis and cost 14 million dollars. A watch made of emeralds can cost up to 5 million dollars. The first watch was made in 1524, over 500 years ago, by a German locksmith named Peter Henlien Watches are popular fashion accessories for both men and women There are 5 different types of watches: dress watches, field watches, chronographs, dive watches, and aviator watches The most expensive watch in the world is the Graff Diamond Hallucination watch valued at 55 million dollars Watches became popular in the 1600s The first watches were completely mechanical As technology got better, mechanical watches were mostly replaced by more modern watches The first digital watch was invented in the 1970s The modern digital watch was invented in April 1972
Winter Olympics 2026 Milan
Cortina Medal Count
by Elle Glavin ‘34
DDS Lower School News
WHAT’S TRENDING?
by Priya Patel ‘34 and Asher Wesley ‘34
photo by Priya Patel ‘34
6-7
Thephrase"6-7"(or"67")isaviralinternetmemeand slangtermthatexplodedinpopularityin2025,primarily amongGenerationAlpha.Itoriginatedfromaspecific rapsongandevolvedintoa"brainrot"social phenomenonusedforin-grouphumor.In2025,itwas namedthewordoftheyearbyDictionary.com,butnow in2026it'sstillmentionedbykids.
StrangerThings
Inthe Netflix seriesStrangerThings,the"kids"primarily referstothecoregroupoffriendsknownasTheParty, aswellastheyoungerbreakoutstarswhohaveaged throughouttheseries.Overall,mostkidslikeStranger Things.Hereisapopularityratingoftheshow.
Popularityrating:
2outof5ElementaryschoolkidslikeStrangerThings. 3outof5MiddleschoolkidslikeStrangerThings. 4outof5HighSchoolkidslikeStrangerThings.
Labubus
Labubusarefuzzy,popular,sharpteethedmonsterswith verylongears.Itwascreatedin2015byArtistKasing LungmeantforTheMonsterseries.Itwasoriginallyfrom astorybook.Theybecameviralinearly2025withvery highdemand.Peoplestartedtomake/sellfakes.Most realLabubusaremadefromPopMart,oftenas keychains/charms.Theyarestillalittlepopularin2026.
Bangs
Bangsareevencuthairsonyourforehead.Theyhave beenpopularforthousandsofyearsstartingwith AncientEgyptianswhoworethemonwigstoshowthey wereimportant.Thenamebangsactuallycomesfrom horsesinthe1800s,peoplestartedcuttinghorsetails straightacrossinastylecalledabangtailandeventually, peoplestartedusingthesamewordforhairontheir foreheads.
THE GREAT KINDNESS CHALLENGE
by Lucy Soer ‘34, Kylie Surratt ‘34, and Siena Kearey ‘34
TheKindnessChallengeisanannualevent. Over21millionstudentsinmorethan43,000 schoolsand135countriesparticipateinThe GreatKindnessChallenge.Everystudentin lowerschoolgotassigned50challenges,and wetriedtodoasmuchaswecouldinaweek. Someofthechallengesweretopassoutten heartstotenpeople,smileat25people, compliment10people,bringflowerstooneof thestaffatschool,andpickup10piecesof trash.Wealsowroteonekindnessquoteevery day.
Whatdoeskindnessmeantoyou?
Mrs.Perrysaid,“Kindnessisanimportantpart ofeveryrelationship,friendship,family,and communities.Weallneedkindness.Kindness keepstheworldsafeforanimals,plants,and people.Itryhardtobekind.”
Whatdoeskindnessmeantoyou,Ms.Carrie? “Kindnessmeanssharingwordsof encouragement,offeringasmilewhen someoneisdown,andhelpingsomeonein need.’’
Whatdoeskindnessmeantoyou,Mrs. Twardowski?
“Showingupforothers.Itdoesn'ttakemuch tobekind.’’
DDS Lower School News
TRAVEL BOSTON, MA
Reviewed by Noah Hamrock‘34 and Graham Kuhn ’34 Boston isagreat placetovisitforfun!Youcandosomanyfun activitiesthere. Massachusettsis asmallstate, but it isoneofthemostentertaining placesintheU.S, believeitornot.Afun placetovisit in Boston istheFineArt Museum.TheyhavesportsteamscalledtheNewEngland PatriotsandtheBoston RedSox. Boston isfamousfortheirlobsterrolls.Therearetwokindsof lobsterrolls,Connecticutstyleand Mainestyle. Mainestyleisservedcoldwith mayonnaise, andConnecticutstyleisservedwarmwith melted butter.We, Noah andGraham, prefer Connecticutstylebecausethenicewarm lobsterfeelsgoodon acold Bostonday.
Herearesomefunfactsabout Boston. Didyou knowthat itwasfounded in1630?
1.The Boston Public Garden was the first public garden in the United States, and it was established in 1634.
2.In 1919, they banned Christmas because of a deadly molasses flood.
3.The city's nickname is Beantown because of its early trade of molasses used in baked beans.
4.At the Boston University Bridge, people can see a boat sail under a train going under a car that's driving under a plane.
5.In Boston, you can drive 90ft underground in theTed WilliamsTunnel.
6.The biggest art heist in the world happened in Boston, the thieves stole 500 million dollars worth of art.
7.The oldest restaurant in continuous service in the US, Union Oyster House, is in Boston and was built in 1826.
8.Fenway Park is the oldest baseball stadium that is still in use by the Boston Red Sox.
9.Some of Hollywood’s most noticeable stars are Bostonians.
10.Thefirst American light house was built in Boston Harbour.
Easter bunny, hunt, eggs, spring, chocolate, candy, Peeps, grass, sunshine, hop, jellybeans, basket, flower, pink, Sunday, April, chick, carrot, green, tulip, daisy, bird, butterfly
by Lucy Soer
DDS Lower School News
by Zoë Smith ‘34, Noah Hamrock ‘34, and Graham Kuhn ‘34
MakoShark
Longfin Mako sharks can grow up to 13 feet long and can dive as deep as 5,748 feet! The Mako shark is a solitary animal that eats tuna, mackerel, and swordfish, and sometimes squid They are found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, Norway to South Africa, California to Chile, Japan to Australia, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea! Makos are very good swimmers and hunters when it comes to survival These sharks have a dark blue or gray-black upper body and a white underside, helping them blend into the open ocean from above and below. They have a cousin called the Shortfin Mako shark Shortfins have shorter fins than longfins (obviously!) and are the world’s fastest shark.
JOKES
by Asher Wesley ‘34 and Harper Woodbury ‘34
1.What was the tree’s reaction to spring?
2.Why couldn’t the flower ride a bike?
3.What is a flower’s favorite kind of pickle?
4.Did you hear about the girl that ate a frog?
DID YOU KNOW?
Platypus
The platypus is a unique semi-aquadic Australian species. The platypus is a type of mammal called a monotreme. They are near threatened It has a broad flat tail, waterproof fur, and webbed hands and feet The platypus is one of the few venomous mammals. Platypi are solitary animals. Many people believe platypi are teal when they are actually brown. At first European scientists didn’t believe in the platypus; they thought it was too crazy to be real The platypus is truly an amazing creature
Pelican
Pelicans live for 25 to 30 years They are 3 to 5 feet long and weigh over 7 pounds. Pelicans live in quite a few places including Texas, Alabama, Louisiana, Galapagos Islands, Central California to South Central Chile, and in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil Some types can spot a school of fish from 50 to 100 feet in the air. Once they have spotted a fish, they fold back their wings and dive into the ocean to eat. Most feed on mid-sized fish and invertebrates; they eat over 4 pounds of food each day Pelicans are very social, yet they don't communicate a lot. They congregate to feed and they fly together. They may fly in a v shape but usually fly in regular lines or in a single file.
5.How do birds know how to fly north in the spring?
6.Why did the cloud stay home from school?
tI saw gnileef rednu eht .rehtaew
7.What did the ocean say when spring arrived? .1tahW a !fael-er
DDS Lower School News
TEACHER FEATURE
An interview with Ms. Lute by Asher Wesley ‘34 photo by Beckett Bishop ‘34
How long haveyou been teaching at DDS? 14 years
Whydoyou liketeaching music? I want kids to experience music and learn it just like I did What instrument isyourfavorite? The piano. I've been playing since I was 5.
What doyou liketodooutsideoftheschool campus? I like to do stuff with my family and watch football
What isyourfavoritesong you havetaught? Waving Flags for Grandparents Day
How long haveyou been teaching music? 16 years. Rate musicclassfrom1-10. 10, I love teaching music.
ECH STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
An interview with Kinsley Kearey ‘39 by Siena Kearey ‘34 and Priya Patel ‘34 photo by Siena Kearey ‘34
What isyourfavoritecolor? Red, black, and purple because they are cool colors
Who isyourfavoriteteacher? Ms Ann-Marie
What isyourfavoritespecial? P E , because I like running Who isyour best friend? Matthew and Ben.
Doyou have any pets? A chameleon whose name is Ghostbuster, a dog named Brutus, a horse that’s name is Strudel, and a bunny named Marshmallow
What isyourfavoritething todooutsideofschool? Play on the playground at home and in the neighborhood
What isyourfavoritething todo in school? Play in my classroom. When isyour birthday? September 4th
What isyourfavoritegift you’ve received sofar? My electric scooter
What isyourfavoritesport to play? Soccer because I like kicking the ball
What isyour lucky number? 5
DDS Lower School News
BOOK BUZZ
Rating:5stars
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown reviewed by Asher Wesley ‘34
TheWildRobotbyPeterBrownisaboutarobotnamedRozwhogets strandedonawildislandandlearnshowtosurvivewithanimals.At first,theanimalsareafraidofher,butshelearnstospeaktheir languageandbeginstomakefriends.Sheevenraisedababygoose namedBrightbill,whichshowshowmuchshehasgrownand changed.Ilikedthisbookbecauseitteachesimportantlessons aboutkindness,friendship,andacceptingdifferences.Myfavorite partwaswhenRoztakescareofBrightbillbecauseitwasemotional andshowedhercaringside.Iwouldrecommendthisbooktoothers becauseitisexciting,meaningful,andeasytounderstand
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
An interview with Ryan Kline ‘38 by Cameron Kline ‘34 photo by Cameron
How long haveyou been at Davidson Day? 2 years.
Who isyour best friend? Preston
Who areyourteachers? Mrs Reinhardt and Mrs C
What isyourfavoritespecial? P E
What isyourfavoritesubject? Math.
Doyou likeschool? Yes, because I like to be with my friends. What isyourfavoritetimeoftheday? Centers because I play with my friends
What isyourfavoritecolor? Red.
An interview with Asher Wesley ‘34 by Kingston Horner ‘34 and Norah Lubben ‘34 photo by Kingston Horner ‘34
What isyourfavoritefood? Cookies.
What isyourfavorite beverage? Coke
What isyourfavoritesport? Soccer
How long haveyou been at Davidson DaySchool? 5 years
How many petsdoyou have? 3
Ifyou had a superpower, what would it be and why? Super strength because then I can lift anything up.
What doyou dowhen you havefreetime? Play football
What isyourfavorite movie and why? Superman because it is based on my childhood hero
What isyourfavorite book? The Wild Robot.
Doyou have anysiblings? Yes, 3.
Kline ‘34
DDS Lower School News
CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT
STEM is afun placeto learn, but not all people love STEM. In STEM, you can learn abouttechnology and robots Oneofthe mostfunthings istheSTEM wall
Right now all grades, kindergarten-4th grade, are doing a 3-Dprint project Studentsgettocustomize and design right here intheSTEM Lab. Kindergarten isdesigning and printing a keychainto help remind peopletotakecareofour planet, EARTH! First grade is building a model ofhow babies and adults arethe same and different Second grade is building a bird housethatfitsthe needsofthe birds in our area. Third grade is buildingthe lifecycleofa livingthing oftheirchoice Finally, 4th grade is building a night lightthat has a custom design, a light, and an on-off switch.
Inthe backoftheSTEM room istheSTEM wall. Atthe STEM wall, you can screw boltswith a wrench or an automatictoydrill You can make anything withthe screws like a rainboworyour name. Anotherthing is that ifyou have a marbleyou can make a mazewith pipesyou can screw in TheSTEM room also has KEVA planks. When you havefreetime, you can play withthem You can build a house, a platform, or even atower! We all personally loveSTEM and hope you dotoo!!!
by Asher Wesley ‘34, Priya Patel ‘34, and Kingston Horner ‘34
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
interview with
Whydid you start golf? We moved to a neighborhood with a golf course, and my dad played golf almost his whole life.
When did you start golf? When I was 3.
Doyou playfor a club? Yes, it is in the Peninsula Club. Howoften doyou playgolf? I play almost every weekend if it’s nice outside. What isyour averagescore per hole? Usually birdie or par What isyourfavoriteclub? My favorite club is either a driver or my 6 or 8 irons? What sizeclub areyou? I’m in green and green is if your about 60 inches tall When doyou practice? Every Sunday but usually my dad and I play for fun on any day
How manyfatherdaughterchampionship matches haveyou won? I’ve won 5 in a row and this upcoming May I’m determined to win 6 in a row
Doyou hopeto be a progolfer? Yes, I think because my dad is a top golfer in the club, so I bet I am too!
photo by Asher Wesley ‘34
DDS Lower School News
MIDDLE SCHOOL SCOOP
Doyou get todecorateyour lockers? Yes, but I didn’t decorate mine
An interview with Kingston Liss ‘31 by Norah Lubben ‘34 and Zoë Smith ‘34 photo by Norah Lubben ‘34
Arethere a lot moreclubs in middleschool than there are in lower school? Well, I wasn’t here when I was in lower school, but probably! What’syourfavoritesubject? My favorite subject is history because I’m good at it.
Howoften doyou get study halls? I normally get it two times a week
Doyou participate in anyclubs? I do a club that I made, because you can make clubs when you ’ re in middle school. The club is called History Club.
How much homeworkdoyou have, doyou thinkthat it is a reasonable amount? It depends on the grade, and NO.
Doyou have limited tech accesstocertain apps? Yes, we are not allowed to use apps like YouTube and video games
Doyou have Morning Meetings? We do have Morning Meetings, and they are in the theater.
Doyou play anysports? I run cross country, and I play golf and basketball.
Doyou take French orSpanish? I take French, because I used to live in a part of Canada where they mostly spoke French Doyou dotheateror band? I do theater, but I don’t really like it.
An interview with Cameron Ziegler ‘32 by Graylyn Ziegler ‘34 photo by Graylyn Ziegler ‘34
Doyou likesoccer and what happens at soccer? Yes, we run laps, kick the ball, play scrimmages, and play soccer games. Would you want to playsoccer next year, and why? Yes, because it is fun
What madeyou thinkof playing soccer? Because of all my friends are playing too.
Doyou thinksoccer isgood foryour knee, and why? No, it's not because you have to move around a lot and do stuff with your leg. When isyour4th gamegoing to be? Near April 10th
When issoccergoing toend thisyear? Before school ends
Will you besad when it'sover? Yes. What areyou better at, goal keep, stricker, ordefender? All of them. What isyourcoach's name? Coach Matt
DDS Lower School News
MUSICAL THEATER CLUB
Ava Kuhn
An interview with Ava Kuhn ‘31 and Lillian Liss ‘31 by Kylie Surratt ‘34 and Graylyn Ziegler ‘34 photos by Kylie Surratt ‘34
What isyour role in WillyWonka? Willy Wonka. What doyou like about your role? I like how silly and funny my character is
How many plays haveyou been in and which wasyour favorite? I’ve been in 10 plays I liked Shrek the best Whydid you start doing theater? I like singing and acting. Howold wereyou when you started doing theater and what grade? Five and in kindergarten. Ifyou could be any role in WillyWonka but WillyWonka, what would you be? An Oompa Loompa
What wastheOG roleyou wanted to be? Willy Wonka
What isyourfavorite roleyou have been? Mrs. Trunchbull
Lillian Liss
What isyour role in WillyWonka? Charlie Bucket. What doyou like about your role? I get to say a lot of lines and sing songs. I get to spend time with a lot of myfriends. How many plays haveyou been in and which playwasyour favorite? I have been in 6 plays and Willy Wonka is my favorite because I love my role. What madeyou thinkofdoing plays? When I lived in Canada, I loved acting. When I moved here, I found out about Mrs. Griswold's theater club. Howold wereyou when you started doing theater and what grade? Fourth grade and I was 8 years old. Catsordogs? Dogs, because I have 2. Ifyou could be any role in WillyWonka but Charliewhat would you be? An Oompa Loompa. What wastheoriginal roleyou wanted to be? Veruca Salt. What isyourfavorite roleyou have been? Charlie Bucket. When isthe play? April 24th and 25th.
Artwork by Norah Lubben ‘34 and Kylie Surratt ‘34
DDS Lower School News
SENIOR SHOWCASE
Who'syourfavoriteteacher? Mrs Langley
An interview with Sophie Saunders ‘26 by Emmie Charubini ‘34 photo by Cameron Kline ‘34
What isyourfavorite memory here at DDS? Going to Sound to Sea
How manyfriendsdoyou have? 20
Doyou get new lockerseveryyear? Yes.
What'syourfavoritesubject? Math.
What'syourfavorite bookyou read in lowerschool? Flat Stanley.
What'syourfavoritesong? Rocket Man
Howold areyou? 17
Doyou have a crush? No
What isyour lucky number? 14.
Doyou love Davidson DaySchool? Yes.
Whydid you cometo DDS? Both my parents work here.
Doyou thinkstudents at DDS are kind? Yes
Doyou like 67or41? 67
What doyou liketodoforfun? Hang out with friends
Areyou readyforcollege? I think so.
Where areyou going tocollege? UNC Chapel Hill
How long haveyou been at DDS? 16 years.
How long haveyou been a Patriot Pal? 6 years
What'syourfavoritegrade? 12th
What’ssomething you enjoydoing? Reading
LACROSSE
A game review by Elle Glavin ‘34 photo by Madison Newman ‘26
The Davidson Day Patriots hosted the South Charlotte Thunder on March 27th The game was at Wolter Field at Davidson Day School The seniors on the team are, #0 Ella Clark, #1 Olivia Berkman, #6 Katherine Watson, #7 Olivia Trumpower, #12 Izzy Pierce, and #33 Molly Brown. They entered the game undefeated, but this was their first loss of the season. The starters for the game were Molly, Ava, Avery, Katherine, Allyson, Ashley, Reese, Izzy, Addie, Hattie, Gabi, and Caroline When asked about the game, Coach Mullineaux said about the team, “It was a tough loss, but it will help us learn and grow! I am proud of how our players handled themselves in times of adversity, and I know that this learning experience will help us be a better team moving forward "The score was Thunder 15, Patriots 8
DDS Lower School News
LOWER SCHOOL
SPRING ART CONTEST WINNERS
First Grade - Gianna Stevens ‘37
Third Grade - Tommi Jo Whaley ‘35
Sponsored by Elle Glavin ‘34, Asher Wesley ‘34, Beckett Bishop ‘34, Harper Woodbury ‘34, Graylyn Ziegler ‘34, Cameron Kline ‘34
Second Grade - Worth McAlister ‘36
Fourth Grade - Kylie Surratt ‘34 and Harper Woodbury ‘34
An interview with Coach Turner by Cameron Kline ‘34 and Harper Woodbury ‘34 photo by Harper
What isyour job and doyou like it? I'm Athletic Director. I love my job! On a daily basis, howdoyou doyour job? I have a really long day before classes even start. I order stuff, but then I get things ready for our sports in the afternoon. Sometimes I may have to paint and line the field. We may have to cancel because of the weather, and then there are times I meet with parents and coaches.
Doyou havegood relationshipswith teachers and who arethey? I have great relationships with lots of teachers I try to give them shout-outs every Sunday if I see them at games or practices around the gym A lot of teachers are coaches also so I get to work with them all the time Coach Glass and I have the closest relationship because we work together and we share an office How long haveyou been at Davidson Day? I am just finishing my 5th year here What doyou coach? I've coached soccer at all levels up to the highest level of college, and I coached for about 18 years at a school very similar to Davidson Day
Whydoyou like about your job? Not many people get to work in their hobby, and my hobby is sports I love every sport You see I'm here doing a little sports clinic now, so that's fun. I love coming to work everyday!
Doyou likegirlsor boys better and why? It's a tough question. I've coached both boys and girls teams and have done really really well with them both. I'm a girl dad. I have twin daughters who are 23 years old, so I guess I have a soft spot in my heart for girls.
Woodbury ‘34