This just in from Hockaday: Effective next fall, teacher and ‘97 alumna Randal Rhodus will be head of the Lower School, replacing interim head Peggy Bradley.

“… It comes as no surprise to me that after a national search for our next Lower School Head, Randal emerged as the obvious choice in a pool of exceptional educators,” Hockaday headmistress Kim Wargo said in a press release.

After graduating Hockaday — where she played varsity field hockey and golf; served as class president; and received the school’s Founder’s Day Award, its Idanelle McMurry Headmistress Award, and its Sudie Duncan Citizenship Award — Rhodus went on to Duke University and Colombia University Teachers College, and has spent the past nine years teaching at Hockaday.

She won’t be in her new position for upwards of a year, of course. But you’ll know her when you see her.

Well this is interesting. Hockaday students are getting a visit Monday from a celebrity alumna: Grammy-nominated singer Lisa Loeb, who’ll lead “campfire style” assemblies and sign copies of her new (and first) book, Lisa Loeb’s Silly Sing-Along: The Disappointing Pancake and Other Zany Songs.

Parents and alumni are welcome at the last assembly of the day, at 2:25 p.m. Book-signings are slated for 9:25 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Doesn’t it seem like Dallas roads are perpetually under construction? Perhaps the solution to speedy projects lies with the city’s youth. A dozen students from DISD, Hockaday, Ursuline, and Greenhill constructed a 20-foot model of the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge in just one day.

If you don’t believe me, the entire thing was caught on film by producer Judy Kelly.”Calatrava Student Constructors Documentary: An Engineering Workshop,” will be screened 7 p.m. Friday at Simmons Hall on the SMU campus.

With the NBA lockout in full swing, Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle is making good use of his spare time. On Tuesday, he conducted a music assembly with musician Joseph Vincelli. Go to the jump for more photos and information on the event.
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OK, Daisies, whose dad is this? I want to thank him for relieving my extreme ninth-inning tension by making me say, “Hey, look — Hockaday!”

Oladunni Ogundipe of Hockaday, Spencer E. Williams of St. Mark’s, and Monica Ohawke of Ursuline are among the more than 1,600 black high school seniors who have been designated semifinalists in the National Achievement Scholarship Program. These students now have an opportunity to compete for approximately 800 Achievement Scholarship awards worth more than $2.4 million.

The National Achievement Scholarship Program, conducted by the National Merit Scholarship Corp., was initiated in 1964 to recognize academically promising black students throughout the nation and to provide scholarships to a substantial number of the most outstanding program participants. More than 31,100 young men and women have received Achievement Scholarship awards worth more than $98 million.

Kim Wargo should feel at home at Hockaday, since the school’s new headmistress — who was officially installed Sunday — has worked at similar all-girls campuses for a number of years. But Wargo should also feel at home because she could easily pass for a student. Seriously. Wow.

Kim Wargo, who was named the Eugene McDermott Headmistress of the Hockaday School in November, began her tenure today as Head of School. For more on Wargo’s background read our earlier post and the school’s press release.

Savvy and Chic is hosting camps throughout Dallas, including camps at The Hockaday School and Parish Episcopal School. Savvy and Chic is a program devoted to building healthy teen relationships, and their week-long camp guides girls towards positive choices and helps them navigate through difficult issues. The girls attending will learn a variety of skills focused on developing leadership, self-esteem, and positive attitudes while resisting bullying, peer pressure, and negative body images. Movie clips, music videos, social media, and magazines are all utilized to address these issues.

The camp is open to all girls going into grades 5-8. The Hockaday camp has begun and ends Friday. There are two one-week sessions at Parish Episcopal School (July 18-22 and July 25-29). Private camps are also available. For more information on the camps click here or contact Debbie Kenvin at 972-665-9977 or debbie@savvyandchic.com.

Fourth-grader Charlsie Doan is a basketball player, a gymnast, a golfer, a violinist, and a pretty good fundraiser. More impressively, she does it all without the full use of her right hand. Charlsie was born with Symbrachydactyly, a congenital hand disorder. Earlier this month, Charlsie raised more than $50,000 for Kid Swing, a project of the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital, where Charlsie has been a patient since she was 6 months old.

For more information, read Hockaday’s press release after the jump. Read More…