Points of Pride

For multiple Januarys now, Shannon Allen, our Communications Manager, has curated a calendar year’s worth of “Points of Pride.” The result is a wonderful collection of things to brag about to grandparents and the like, a list unique to each calendar year. 

In only our first weeks of 2025-26, the “Pride List” is mostly about the spring semester of 2025. Feel free to share ideas with Shannon and with me about your spring 2025 memories.

Meanwhile, I just wanted to highlight one single day in the ramp-up to a great 2025-26. I would call Saturday, August 23, 2025, a Point of Pride. Consider all that that one day says about the vibrancy and sense of community at Fort Worth Country Day.

8:30 a.m. Our Admission team (Director Caroline Corpening Lamsens ’99, Assistant Directors Joanna Harrison and Sarah Hollingshead, and Admission Associate Yolanda Espinoza) hosted Popsicles (really sno-cones) on the Playground for the Class of 2038 kindergarteners and their parents/guardians.

10 a.m. The Admission team had popcorn for the Junior Kindergarten Class of 2039 on the same playground.

10 a.m. Our College Counseling team (Director Kristin Larsen, Associate Director Sarah Casarez and Assistant Director Emily Shideler) hosted an incredible workshop for junior class parents.

10 a.m. English Teachers Jackie Rains and Myrna Sam, as well as former faculty and past parent Esther Mulqueen, were running the first of many Saturday Test Prep workshops, preparing juniors and some sophomores for SATs and ACTs.

11 a.m. Our Varsity Football Coaches and players gathered in the Scott Theater for Coach Keith Burns’ traditional end-of-preseason Helmet Ceremony. 

8 p.m. Our Parent Faculty Association (PFA) worked with our Advancement Team to host a simple dessert and champagne gathering for our parents in the Lou and Nick Martin Campus Center.

8 p.m. Our Upper School Student Council, advised by faculty members Jennifer Giroir, Stephen Dickey and Sarah Casarez, and led by Student Council President Jack Wegman ’26, decorated and planned a wonderful back-to-school Howdy Dance.

Look over that timeline. There was serious work, and there was serious community-building going on on that Saturday. I am proud of the effort and thought so many FWCD team members put into that Saturday, and I am grateful for the day’s immense goodwill impact on the start of our year.