Athens Academy Press Releases

On November 5, Athens Academy’s performance of Arlecchino & The City of Love won the sub-regional One Act Play competition, sponsored by the Georgia Independent School Association. The cast and crew then went on to place second in the regional competition at the Georgia Mountain Center in Gainesville. Sophomore Chase Brantley and senior Bridgette Duffield were recognized for their outstanding performances at the sub-regional level, and Chase went on to win “Best Actor in the Region.” In addition, Athens Academy received the “Best Crew” award at the regional competition. Arlecchino & The City of Love is an original play by Drama Department Director Lorraine Thompson.

Posted by Kelley Cuneo at 12:18 PM | Permalink

Athens Academy staff member Robbie Link was recently recognized by the Georgia Independent School Association (GISA) for 25 years of outstanding work in independent schools. Mrs. Link has served as an administrative assistant at Athens Academy since 1984 and has spent many of those years as the assistant to the Upper School director. She previously worked at the University of Georgia.

Mrs. Link was honored by the GISA at their annual conference in November at Brookstone School in Columbus, Georgia. GISA is an association of private, independent, and parochial schools throughout the state sharing “a commitment to overall excellence and to the nurture and care of the physical, intellectual, social and moral development of all students.”

Posted by Kelley Cuneo at 10:27 AM | Permalink

According to recently compiled statistics, Athens Academy students have scored 3 or higher on 96% of Advanced Placement (AP) tests taken over the past 10 years. In addition, nearly 50% of the 1,568 tests taken in the past decade were scored at a 5, the highest score for an AP test. In those same ten years, the average score was 4.2 on a 5 point scale.

This fall, 47 out of 148 junior and senior members of the Athens Academy 2007-08 student body were recognized as AP Scholars by the College Board, including three members of the Class of 2008 who achieved AP National Scholar status. Jarrard Cole, Ruby Lai, and Elizabeth Trandel each qualified for National Scholar status by achieving an average grade of 4 or above on a 5-point scale on all Advanced Placement exams taken, and grades of 4 or higher on 8 or more of these exams.

Thirty-three members of the Class of 2008, or 42% of the class, achieved some level of AP Scholar recognition from the College Board. Success on AP exams generally means that these students entered their first year of college having already earned credit hours. Members of Athens Academy’s Class of 2008 have gone on to such colleges and universities as the University of Georgia, Harvard, UNC Chapel Hill, Georgia Tech, and Emory University.

Fourteen members of the Class of 2009 were recognized, including Della Cummings, who earned Scholar with Distinction Status as a junior. AP Scholars with Distinction are recognized for having achieved a score of 3 or higher on five or more exams.

National Scholars (3):
Achieved a score of 4 or higher on 8 or more exams.
Class of 2008: Jarrard Cole, Ruby Lai, Elizabeth Trandel

AP Scholars With Distinction (17):
Achieved a score of 3 or higher on five or more exams.
Class of 2008: Anand Agrawal, Rona Chen, Charles DuBose, Hannah Gollin, Ken Kansky, Laura Keith, Thomas Li, Rebecca Marshburn, Ramey Mize, Sagal Mohamed, Sonya Rice, Max Ruppersburg, Hugh Schlesinger, Kate Stewart, Sarah Weinstein, Kathryn Woodruff
Class of 2009: Della Cummings

AP Scholars With Honor (16):
Achieved a score of 3 or higher on four exams.
Class of 2008: Mark Allen, Indy Bekerie, Joseph Gaines, Audrey Glasgow, Nick Kalivoda, Alex Lober, Brett Mills, Farres Obeidin, Manisha Reddy, Walter Wellborn
Class of 2009: John Beach, Margaret Heald, Anna Kochut, Sloane Kukanza, Eric Perkerson, Everett Young

AP Scholars (11):
Achieved a score of 3 or higher on three exams.
Class of 2008: Lindsay Barrett, Sam Mansfield, Sidney Sanders, Meg Winthrop
Class of 2009: Maddie Dahl, Margaret Gaby, Alec Greer, McKay Matthews, Joey Miller, Malik Obeidin, Blake Sinyard

Posted by Kelley Cuneo at 10:05 AM | Permalink

Senior Lauren Slocumbe was named Athens Academy’s Homecoming Queen at the football game against Lakeview Academy on Halloween night. Lauren is the daughter of Lisa Slocumbe and the late Bobby Slocumbe of Athens. Other members of the Queen’s Court included Sara Katherine Braucher, Gracie Liedberg, Blake Sinyard, and Mary Hadley Williams. Senior James Colquitt, son of Tracy Colquitt and Carey Colquitt of Athens, was named Homecoming King earlier that day. Will Daniel, Russ DeVore, Matt LoParco, and McKay Matthews rounded out the King’s Court.

Photos:
Homecoming Queen & Her Court (l to r): Mary Hadley Williams, Homecoming Queen Lauren Slocumbe, Blake Sinyard, Sarah Katherine Braucher, and Gracie Liedberg.

Homecoming King, his Court & their Mothers (l to r): Debbie & Will Daniel, Betty & Russ DeVore, Tracy & James Colquitt, Matt LoParco & Lisa Barrett, and Marne & McKay Matthews.

Posted by Kelley Cuneo at 10:41 AM | Permalink

Athens Academy has been named the Georgia State Champion in the President’s Challenge Physical Activity and Fitness Awards Program for the seventh consecutive year. The State Champions program recognizes one school in each state in each of three divisions that has the highest percentage of students receiving a Presidential Fitness Award in the spring. According to the President’s Council, “Athens Academy serves as a leader and role model in physical fitness.”

During the fitness testing last spring, 213 students in grades 1-8 scored at the 85th percentile or higher, qualifying them for presidential recognition; 155 students attained a score of 50% or higher on all five tests, qualifying for national recognition. In all, 86% of Athens Academy students in grades 1-8 achieved recognition. “This is a great testament to the ability, goal setting, and hard work of the students,” says Physical Education Department Chair Don Chuboff. “It also highlights the Academy’s commitment to physical wellness for the student body.” Students regularly attend physical education classes, participate in interscholastic activities, and are involved in a variety of after-school programs that ensure a high degree of physical activity. This emphasis on student activity and wellness manifests itself in wonderful fitness scores as well as in increased academic performance, as has been highlighted by several recent scientific studies.

Since its inception in 1966, the President’s Challenge Physical Activity and Fitness Awards Program has challenged America’s young people to raise their activity and fitness to the next level. The Physical Fitness Test recognizes students for their outstanding level of physical fitness in five events: curl-ups or partial curl-ups, shuttle run, endurance run/walk, pull-ups or right angle push-ups, and V-sit or sit and reach.

Posted by Kelley Cuneo at 12:29 PM | Permalink

On October 24, Athens Academy and The Hill Center of Durham, North Carolina, teamed up to provide a special professional development opportunity for educators and administrators throughout the region. Representatives from The Hill Center traveled to Athens Academy to present one of their nationally recognized professional development programs, “Differentiated Instruction: A Classroom Model for Meeting Individual Learning Needs.” Almost 50 faculty and staff members from Athens Academy, Jefferson City Schools, Morgan County School District, Madison County School District, Greene County School District, Prince Avenue Christian School, Monsignor Donovan Catholic High School, and Gatewood Schools attended the workshop, which was designed to help teachers to continue to develop a better understanding of differentiated instruction concepts, student learning preferences and interest assessments, and activities for providing support for successful learning of all students.

Posted by Kelley Cuneo at 12:27 PM | Permalink