May 16, 2012

Athens Academy Hosts Hill Center Workshop

Hill Center 1.jpg

On Saturday, May 5, Athens Academy hosted a special Hill Strategies Workshop, a day-long professional development opportunity conducted by professional trainers from The Hill Center in Durham, NC. Jean Neville and Sara Gray Horne spent the day with approximately thirty educators representing public schools in Clarke, Oconee, Morgan, and Franklin Counties; as well as a group from Athens Academy, discussing and practicing strategies designed to meet the individual needs of students at all grade levels and disciplines. Teachers learned about designing engaging, hands-on activities for phonics, reading comprehension, vocabulary, and study skills. Funding for the workshop was provided by The Zeist Foundation, an Atlanta-based family foundation.

May 7, 2012

Athletic Director Receives Certification

Thumbnail image for KPetroski2.jpgKevin Petroski, athletic director for Athens Academy, has been recognized as a Certified Athletic Administrator by the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA). To earn this distinction, Coach Petroski has "demonstrated the highest level of knowledge and expertise in the field of interscholastic athletic administration." This voluntary certification process included a thorough evaluation of his educational background, experience, and professional contributions, as well as a rigorous and comprehensive written examination.
Coach Petroski joined the Athens Academy faculty in 2005 and has been the athletic director since 2008. Before coming to Athens Academy, he spent two years at Monsignor Donovan Catholic High School and seven years at Southwest Georgia Academy in Damascus, Georgia. Coach Petroski started his teaching/coaching career at Thomas Jefferson Academy in Louisville, Georgia. He has a bachelor's degree in education from the University of Georgia.
The NIAAA is a national professional organization consisting of all 50 state athletic administrator associations and more than 7,600 individual members. It is dedicated to promoting the professional growth of high school athletic administrators and preserving the educational nature of interscholastic athletics and the place of these programs in the secondary school curriculum.

April 30, 2012

Headmaster Bob Chambers Receives Love of Learning Award

JRC Love of Learning1.jpg

On Wednesday, April 18, Athens Academy Headmaster Bob Chambers received the Love of Learning Award from the University of Georgia's Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. Mr. Chambers was selected for the award due to his "outstanding record of service and promotion of scholarship at Athens Academy, as well as in the greater community at large." As a life-long educator, Mr. Chambers believes that one's educational experience should be a journey of preparing for the future while enjoying the present.

Mr. Chambers has been involved with independent school education for over 45 years. With both undergraduate and graduate degrees from UGA, he began his teaching career at Pace Academy in Atlanta, where he later served as principal of the Upper School and as assistant headmaster. In 1983, he and his family came to Athens, where he has served as headmaster of Athens Academy for the past 29 years.

Mr. Chambers has served on the Board of Trustees of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS), the Georgia Independent School Association (GISA), the Georgia High School Association (GHSA), and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). He was the founding member of The Cum Laude Society at both Pace Academy and Athens Academy. As the secondary school equivalent of Phi Beta Kappa, The Cum Laude
Society recognizes superior academic achievement and sound character.

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is the nation's oldest, largest, and most selective all-discipline honor society. Founded in 1897, it supports chapters in nearly 300 colleges and universities. Notable members include former President Jimmy Carter, author John Grisham, astronaut Wendy Lawrence, and Netscape founder James Barksdale. Phi Kappa Phi's mission is to "recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others."
Pictured: Mr. and Mrs. Chambers following the ceremony on April 18.