Groundbreaking Ceremony at Cate School
The students, faculty, administration, and trustees of Cate School in Carpinteria hosted a Groundbreaking for the Emmett-Horowitz Aquatic Center, on Friday, October 16, 2009, at 10:00 AM.
With Cate’s 100th anniversary celebration just about a year away, alumni, parents and other friends of the school will celebrate the official groundbreaking for the Emmett-Horowitz Aquatic Center, a new state-of-the-
Cate’s Emmett-Horowitz Aquatic Center will feature a CIF-regulation sized double-deep competition pool for water polo and competitive swimming, a smaller recreational pool, locker and shower facilities, and an as-yet-to-be-
Other educational uses of the new facility will include swimming instruction, water safety programs, fitness swimming, and beginners' instruction in kayaking and SCUBA diving for any of the 265 students and more than 100 faculty and staff.
Cate School Headmaster Benjamin Williams, IV says, “This splendid new aquatic facility will serve our community well for generations to come, even as it exemplifies the kind of high-performance, energy-efficient design that is the hallmark of a sustainable future. The project team seeks to achieve LEED certification for the Emmett-Horowitz Aquatic Center. This will be an outstanding achievement, particularly in comparison with standard, energy-intensive pool facilities."
Williams further notes, “Of course, none of this would have been possible without the extraordinary support of the Cate community. To date, the Centennial Campaign has raised $45 million toward its $65 million goal, including a total of 12 gifts of a million dollars or more. Among these are gifts from an anonymous Cate alumnus whose most recent pledge this past June boosted his individual support of the Centennial to $1.7 million.”
To date, the School has built five new LEED-H Platinum certified faculty residences—5 of only 154 new homes in the nation to receive that highest-level certification—
“Excellent facilities not only attract quality-seeking faculty and applicants, they also help teachers and students to do their best work," says Williams. "Cate’s building and renovation campaign is designed not only to meet immediate needs but also to set the standard for future sustainability. We announce this groundbreaking with great pride in the men and women whose commitment to excellence at Cate never wavers."
Cate closed its last fiscal year on June 30, 2009 having recorded the second-highest level of gifts received in the school’s history – this during a year many consider to be the most economically challenging since the Great Depression. Even as the school seeks other funders to join the Emmett and Horowitz families, whose lead gifts make the upcoming groundbreaking possible, Williams points out the remarkable generosity and vision of the Cate community.
Director of Admission Charlotte Brownlee ’85 foresees a very positive impact on her office’s quest to attract the best and brightest to Cate School. "With the increased number of applicants looking for water polo and swimming programs, we are thrilled that the aquatic center is underway. Last year was our most competitive in recent history, and we are pleased to have a facility that matches the talents of our students."
Cate School is a college-preparatory school with an enrollment of 265 day and boarding students from 15 countries and 23 states. In addition to being one of the most selective boarding schools, with only a quarter of applicants admitted, Cate's population of 41% students-of-
The Emmett-Horowitz Aquatic Center is designed by architect Larry Clark and constructed by Hartigan-Foley. Those interested in attending the Emmett-Horowitz Aquatic Center groundbreaking are invited to contact Meg Bradley, Director of Development, at 684-4127, ext. 269 for directions and parking information.
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
