Greetings Camelot Families and Happy New (School) Year!

 

It is exciting and an honor to officially welcome new and returning families to the 2025-26 school year. Our days of late have been filled with anticipation of the imminent return of the faculty and students.  We extend an official welcome to Amy Shields who has joined our administrative team and will take the lead on admissions, and to Madeline Hayes and Eric Fossinger who join our MAPP team.

 

This summer has had many highlights including the June trip to Spain, a slate of summer camps full of adventures and the pool parties - which are always a nice way for returning and new families to connect. 

Currently, we are in the midst of sign-up for Fall Soccer (https://www.camelotacademy.org/media/documents/2026/athletics/Soccer_forms_Agreement_Code_of_Conduct_Dismissal_2025-2026.pdf ) and an August SAT class (https://camelotacademy.jumbula.com/).

 

Later this month we will host some MEET AND GREETS for families to gather at a nearby restaurant, as follows: 

Tuesday, August 19 - Families of K-5th grade students

Wednesday, August 20 - Families of 6th-7th grade students

Thursday, August 21- Families of 8th-12th grade students

 

From 12:00–1:00 PM on each of these days, families are invited to drop by Lakewood Social (2020 Chapel Hill Rd, Durham, NC 27707) to meet other Camelot families and say hello to members of the Camelot teaching team. This is an optional, casual gathering. Please note that  you are welcome to purchase food/beverages while you enjoy some time together, the restaurant features a menu that ranges from snacks to full meals.

 

In regards to my summer, I have enjoyed time spent visioning the upcoming year.  My experience meeting prospective families last spring provided much fodder to my on-going creative thinking and so my living room has been a summer home to three rolling white boards and an on-going outpouring of ideas.  I am deeply grateful for the faculty turnout to our summer meetings which has provided a valuable sounding board to enhance the development of these ideas. In addition to more Camelot-family gathering opportunities, as above, we have plans for multi-generational learning events and a daily schedule that promises to be the most bespoke yet in our mission to provide “a unique path” for each of our learners.

 

The theme of this school year is “Reflections in Courage.”  We plan to share more about our hopes and intentions for this theme at Parent Orientation (Monday August 25)  and Parent Night (Friday, September 19) and we welcome your ideas to the process.

 

For now, I’m back to the behind the scenes work of pulling together the details.  I leave you with an excerpt from the poem entitled Courage by David Whyte, as inspiration for our upcoming journey together.

 

“Courage is the measure of our heartfelt participation with life, with another, with a community, a work; a future.  To be courageous is not necessarily to go anywhere or do anything, except to make conscious those things we already feel deeply and then to live through the unending vulnerabilities of those consequences.”

 

I look forward to seeing you very soon!

 

Best,

 

Thelma

 

 

Reminders:

 

Student Supply Lists:

https://www.camelotacademy.org/parents/   (Under Forms and Handouts)

 

Summer Reading should be wrapping up soon.  Please check in with your teachers if you have any related questions or needs.

 

 

Upcoming:

 

Thursday, August 7  (5:30 PM) - New Family Orientation - Option 1 (on campus) (https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084CA4A622A1FA7-57106102-newfamily#/)

 

Tuesday , August 12 (5:30 PM) - New Family Orientation - Option 2 (on campus) (https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084CA4A622A1FA7-57106102-newfamily#/)

 

-         SAT class begins

 

Wednesday, August 13

- Faculty Work Days begin

 

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, August 19-21

- New Student “Soft” Orientations, by grade level (see email from Amy Shields)

- Family Meet and Greets at Lakewood Social, by grade level (see above for details)

 

Monday, August 25

- Whole School Parent Orientation on Zoom- multiple time options will be sent in advance

- 7:00 PM- Zoom meeting for all families interested in Fall Soccer

 

Wednesday, August 27- First Day of School

- Student  Orientation (Special dismissal times - see below***)

- No before or after school programming

 

Thursday, August 28

- Student Orientation (Special dismissal times - see below***)

- No before or after school programming

 

Friday, August 29 - Early Dismissal for ALL!

- Student Orientation (Special dismissal times - see below***)

- Last day for Soccer Sign up

 

Monday, September 1 - Labor Day

- School closed

 

Tuesday, September 2 - First Day of Classes

-Before and after school programming begins

-Soccer practice begins

 

 

 

 

***Special Orientation Dismissal times

(to allow for full faculty meetings each day):

 

Wednesday and Thursday, August 27 and 28:

NatureStart and Kindergarten - 12:00 PM

1st-5th grade - 2:45 PM

6th-9th grade - 3:00 PM

10th-12th grade - 3:10 PM

 

Friday, August 29

-NatureStart, Kindergarten and 1st-5th grade - 12:00 PM

-6th-9th grade - 12:15 PM

-10th-12th grade 12:30 PM