Proposed Addition to FCDS Would Unite Arts, Athletics

	LEWISVILLE, N.C. – September 15, 2006 –Forsyth Country Day School is pleased to announce that its Board of Trustees has approved preliminary plans for a facility that would further the vision of the Pollock Fine Arts Academy, enhance the performance of its athletes, and promote the health and well-being of its school community: the Arts and Wellness Center.
The proposed Arts and Wellness Center at FCDS

The proposed facility would be built as a spacious, two-story addition to the Childress Activities Center, mirroring the existing building’s design. The upper level would house classrooms, two choral rooms, the Scronce Orchestra Room, a band room, two smaller-group rehearsal rooms, storage areas, a fitness center, and an alumni athletic Hall of Fame. The lower level would feature sports training facilities including two batting cages, a training track, a sports medicine area, strength training equipment, a warm-up area, and office space.

“The Arts and Wellness Center will allow us to fulfill a number of goals outlined in our 15-year plan – to improve our arts programs and facilities, to create an athletic performance center, and to create a space on campus to promote the health and well-being of our school community – in one fell swoop,” said Headmaster Henry M. Battle, Jr.

Lead donors Tim and Brenda Scronce, parents at the school, gave $200,000 to fund part of the cost for the new Arts and Wellness Center, which will house an orchestra room named for them.

“About a year ago, Brenda and I had decided to financially give to the school,” Tim Scronce said. “We approached the school’s development office personnel and over this past year, they have helped guide us to a decision of where our gift could provide the best impact for our and other FCDS students.”

Fine Arts Director Dr. Rebecca Shore said that the new center will fulfill critical space needs for the arts programs, and that the combination of arts and athletics in a single building is consistent with current thinking about the way in which our brains work. Citing Dr. Carla Hannaford’s book Smart Moves: Why Learning is Not All in Your Head, Dr. Shore said that both artistic and athletic expression actually enhance academic learning because they represent “highly skilled uses” of the body and brain and “integrate different kinds of knowledge with skilled muscular coordination” or with “integration of body, thought, and emotion.”

According to Athletic Director Rusty LaRue, more than 90 percent of Forsyth Country Day School’s Middle and Upper School students participate in interscholastic athletics, and the new space will enable them to improve their speed, strength, and agility in a state-of-the-art facility.

“I think combining the space is a great concept and makes a lot of sense as they are both important programs at our school,” LaRue said. “These activities not only help create well-rounded students, but provide leadership opportunities for children. The construction of this new building will further augment our ability to better serve our students and families. With the new Arts and Wellness Center, FCDS will continue to be a leader in the private school market and a model for other schools to follow.”

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