Athens Academy Press Releases

Parents in Touch at Athens Academy

Thu, 01 May 2008 08:09:44 -0500

Parents in Touch would like to thank everyone who recently attended the sessions for parents of rising fifth graders: “Does Your Family Have a Line in the Dirt?” and “Parents! Do You Know the Five Questions to Ask?” We had positive parent discussions and interactions following the video clips. Thanks to Mr. Bill Oliver for providing so much valuable information.

There have been many requests for future sessions, so look for more information about Parents in Touch gatherings this fall. If you have any questions, please contact Lisa Bonet (706-613-9780) or Leslie Sinyard (706-546-5783) for further information.

Lower Schoolers Win Poster Contest

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 11:03:14 -0500

Athens Academy’s Lower School recently participated in the Elementary/Middle School Foreign Language Poster Contest sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of Spanish & Portuguese (AATSP). This is contest is held each year and includes students in grades K-8 in two divisions, grades K-3 and 4-5. Students from all over the state create posters representing the importance of studying a foreign language, and winners are selected at the school and state levels. The students were presented with their certificates by Spanish teacher Mrs. Crystal Vicente at the awards ceremony in April. The 2008 contest theme was “A Window to the World.”

Athens Academy’s school-wide winners:
Category 4-5 winners: Davis Haeusser (4th grade, 3rd Place), Tesh Parris (4th grade, 2nd place), Colin Murphy (4th grade, 1st Place)

Category K-3 winners: MacKenzie Ferguson (3rd grade, 2nd Place), Sydney Williams (3rd grade, 1st place), Drew Swan (3rd grade, 3rd Place)

AATSP-GA state winners:
MacKenzie Ferguson (3rd grade, 2nd Place), Tesh Parris (4th grade, 3rd place), Colin Murphy (4th grade, 1st Place)

Students Tapped for Cum Laude Society

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 11:19:42 -0500

At the 20th annual Cum Laude Society lecture and induction ceremony on April 16, fifteen members of the Class of 2008 were tapped for membership. As the secondary school equivalent of Phi Beta Kappa, Cum Laude recognizes superior academic achievement and sound character. Rona Chen, Jarrard Cole, Charles DuBose, Joseph Gaines, Ken Kansky, Laura Keith, Ruby Lai, Rebecca Marshburn, Ramey Mize, Sonya Rice, Sidney Sanders, Kate Stewart, Elizabeth Trandel, Evans Wellborn, and Kathryn Woodruff were each tapped for membership.

This year’s Cum Laude speaker was Thad Hill, executive vice president of NRG Energy and president of NRG Texas. Mr. Hill is a 1986 graduate of Athens Academy.

In 1988, Athens Academy became the seventh school in Georgia to be chartered for Cum Laude. There are now eight chapters statewide.

Athens Academy Students Named National Merit Finalists

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 10:58:38 -0500

Seven Athens Academy seniors have been named Finalists in the 2007-2008 National Merit® Scholarship Program for their performance on last October’s PSAT/NMSQT. Rona Chen, Jarrard Cole, Audrey Glasgow, Ruby Lai, Thomas Li, Sonya Rice, and Elizabeth Trandel will continue in the competition for National Merit scholarships.

Charles DuBose, Hannah Gollin, Nick Kalivoda, Ken Kansky, Laura Keith, Ramey Mize, Hugh Schlesinger, Kate Stewart, and Kathryn Woodruff have been recognized by National Merit as Commended Students.

The National Merit® Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships that began in 1955. High school students enter the National Merit Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®). Of the 1.4 million entrants, some 50,000 with the highest PSAT/NMSQT® Selection Index scores (critical reading + mathematics + writing skills scores) qualify for recognition in the National Merit® Scholarship Program. Approximately one-third of those 50,000 students are then notified that they have qualified as Semifinalists. To ensure that academically able young people from all parts of the United States are included in this talent pool, Semifinalists are designated on a state representational basis. They are the highest scoring entrants in each state. Semifinalists will be notified in early spring as to whether they have been selected as Finalists.

Athens Academy Art Teachers to Exhibit Work

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 09:27:07 -0500

Beginning April 14, the artwork of Athens Academy art teachers Lawrence Stueck and Nancy Lloyd will be on display in the Myers Gallery of the Science & Art Building on the Athens Academy campus (1281 Spartan Lane). A reception will be held in the artists’ honor on Sunday, April 27, from 2:00-4:00 p.m. in the Myers Gallery. The public is invited to attend.

The show, entitled “Cycles, Revolutions and Transitions” will feature 20 works that explore cycles: personal, societal and ecological. Dr. Stueck’s sculptures and paintings involve things that revolve. Using canvas, steel, oak, plastic, glass, cardboard, copper, pine and paint to create forms that spin, they elicit a playful response. Themes range from ludicrous to cosmic using metaphor, irony and enigmatic relationships. Ms. Lloyd’s exhibit of photographs, Polaroid transfer paintings, oil with gel transfers and a collage installation are an exploration of transitions. A sixteen-foot collage wall incorporates these methods with images inspired by a trip to Paris last summer.

Over the past 25 years, Dr. Lawrence Stueck’s installation art has been about environmental and societal issues. Dr. Stueck earned a BFA in sculpture from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, before moving to Athens, Georgia, in 1976. While working on a Ph.D. in art education at the University of Georgia, he conducted his dissertation research on the design of learning environments. Dr. Stueck taught in the art and education departments of the University of Georgia from 1996-2000. In 2000, he began teaching art at Athens Academy.

Nancy Lloyd received her master’s degree in art with an emphasis in painting from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She has taught art at Athens Academy for 24 years in addition to teaching watercolor in Italy with the UGA studies abroad program, painting classes through the UGA Continuing Education Department, and a workshop at the University of Arkansas. She also spent six years working in video, which included producing and scriptwriting television and video programs. Ms. Lloyd’s artwork has been displayed at the Georgia Museum of Art, the Tate Gallery, the Lee Scarfone Gallery at the University of Tampa, Meredith College, and the Palazzo Casali in Cortona, Italy.

Dr. Stueck and Ms. Lloyd’s show will run through May 29. In addition, the Bertelsmann Gallery will showcase an exhibit by Athens Academy Middle School students from April 14-May 1, and the student gallery in the Science & Art Building will have optical art projects by the senior psychology class, followed by exit shows from the senior portfolio class. For more information, please call 706-549-9225.

Academic Team Places First in Region & Third in State

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 11:29:27 -0500

The Athens Academy Academic Team placed third in the Georgia Academic Team Association (GATA) State Tournament in Dacula, Georgia, on March 8. The team, captained by Margaret Heald and supported by Hugh Schlesinger, Nick Kalivoda, and Ferris and Malik Obeidin, also took first place in the Region 8 competition. The team had four wins, with one loss during the tournament, including an exciting overtime win against the defending state champions. The state tournament is the culmination of the academic team season consisting of tournaments during which teams from across the Southeast compete against each other based upon knowledge of subjects including history, science, mathematics, art and literature. Additional members of the team were Della Cummings, Michael Lai, Kristen Turner, Bryan and David Roberts, Eric Perkerson, Elizabeth Newcomer, and Esther Deaton.

Mock Trial Team Wins Region

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 10:59:58 -0500

For the third consecutive year, the Athens Academy Mock Trial team won the Northeast Georgia Regional Championship. The team won every award in every round in which they participated, and they competed against Lumpkin County High School in the final round. Senior Houston Mahoney and junior Amy Bruckner each won three Best Witness Awards, senior Jarrard Cole won three Best Lawyer Awards, sophomore Christine Shaw won two Best Lawyer Awards, and senior Ramey Mize won one Best Lawyer Award.

Athens Academy’s Mock Trial team is sponsored by Latin teacher Kelly Ryan and drama teacher Lorraine Thompson, and local attorneys Rich Connelly, Eric Eberhardt, and Ernie Harris helped to coach the team this year. Judge Ethelyn Simpson also advised the team.

The team then went on to the state tournament in March in Lawrenceville, where seniors Jarrard Cole, Houston Mahoney, Rebecca Marshburn, and Ramey Mize each received awards.

Mock Trial allows students to sharpen their speaking skills, their ability to persuade, and their knowledge of law. It also provides a unique simulation of a case actually playing out in a courtroom.

Pictured: Seniors Houston Mahoney, Ramey Mize, Rebecca Marshburn, and Jarrard Cole celebrate their hard work following the state tournament in March.

Guest Author Todd Strasser to Visit Athens Academy

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 12:52:05 -0500

Guest author Todd Strasser will visit Athens Academy on Friday, March 28. Mr. Strasser is the author of numerous books for middle school and teen readers, including Can't Get There from Here, Give a Boy a Gun, The Wave, and the popular Help, I'm Trapped and Here Comes Heavenly series, among many others. His books have received awards from the American Library Association and the International Reading Association, and as well as many state book awards. Boot Camp, a 2007 novel about a fifteen-year-old boy sent by his parents to a disciplinary boot camp, has just been nominated for the Georgia Peach Book Award.

The public is invited to hear Strasser speak at the Middle School assembly from 8:15-9:00 a.m. and the Upper School assembly from 10:05-10:50 a.m. Both assemblies will be conducted in the Presentation Hall of the Bertelsmann Building. Mr. Strasser will also be available to answer questions and sign books until noon. For more information, please call 706-549-9225.

Caroline Ridlehuber Wins Literacy Award

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 12:43:23 -0500

Mrs. Caroline Ridlehuber recently received the 2007 Leadership in Literacy Award, presented by the Georgia Branch of The International Dyslexia Association (IDAGA). Mrs. Ridlehuber was honored at the IDAGA annual conference in Atlanta in February.

Mrs. Ridlehuber joined the Athens Academy faculty in 1972 and has served in many leadership roles as a language arts teacher, Middle School Director, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, and currently as Academic Dean (grades PK-6). Her love of reading and her keen mission of literacy have driven her work. Throughout her career she has sought ways to enhance reading instruction and identify struggling readers, creating a culture where reading is valued and enjoyed.

The Leadership in Literacy Award honors educators who have “significantly improved adolescent literacy at his/her middle or high school; supported early intervention programs that have led to measured success at his/her school or school district; creatively engaged parents in school/home cooperative ventures to support early literacy; and supported excellent teacher training and professional development that has led to significant gains in student reading achievement in his/her school district.”

Ruby Lai Chosen as STAR Student

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 08:50:30 -0500

Senior Ruby Lai has been recognized as the STAR student for Athens Academy. Ruby has chosen Andy Simmonds as her STAR teacher. Mr. Simmonds has taught Ruby in Precalculus Honors BC and Advanced Placement Calculus BC. Ruby is now jointly enrolled at the University of Georgia in a multivariable Calculus course.

Ruby is the founding member and captain of the Athens Academy Math Team. She is the co-president of the Media & Tech Club and is a member of the SEEDS Environmental Club and the International Club. Ruby also volunteers with the Oconee County Middle School MathCounts team.

The Student Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) Program recognizes outstanding students and the teachers who have been most instrumental in their academic development.

Students Inducted into National Honor Society

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 15:17:11 -0500

On February 22, thirty-five Athens Academy students were inducted into the National Honor Society based on their qualities of scholarship, leadership, character, and service. The students were inducted following the Schacht Lecture, which was delivered by Dr. Gordhan Patel, Emeritus Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate School at the University of Georgia. This year marked 30 years for the Schacht Lecture, named for Athens Academy’s first life trustee, Dr. Elmer Schacht.
Those students inducted this year were Brant Batzer, Margaret Boyette, Dani Buchner, Bob Cowsert, Colt Crymes, Rose Dasher, Esther Deaton, Georgia Hawkins, David Himelick, McGee Hopper, Lillian Jones, Katie Kalivoda, Maggie Kellett, Michael Lai, Christian Lapp, Julie Liu, Matt LoParco, Mary Katherine Malone, Tom McArthur, David Millard, Kajene Murugathasan, Elizabeth Newcomer, Billy Pate, Anar Patel, Jason Patel, Sebastian Portes, Sam Preston, John Rock, Abbi Ross, Thomas Sanders, Christine Shaw, Supriya Singh, Ben Terry, Aaron Varnado, and Kena Vyas.

Sarah Weinstein Receives DAR Good Citizen Award

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 15:10:42 -0500

Athens Academy senior Sarah Weinstein has been selected as the 2007 DAR Good Citizen for the Reverend John Andrews Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution in Oconee County. After Sarah was chosen by the faculty and her fellow seniors as the 2007 DAR Good Citizen for Athens Academy, her essay went on to win the Oconee County chapter’s essay competition. The Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizens Committee “recognizes and rewards high school seniors who possess good citizenship qualities of dependability, service, leadership, and patriotism in their homes, schools, and communities. Each award is given on a merit basis including completion of a questionnaire, essay, scholastic record, and a letter of recommendation.”

Students Selected for GISA's All-Select Band

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 09:10:16 -0500

Six Athens Academy students have been selected to participate in the Georgia Independent School Association’s Middle School All-Select Band Concert. Zoe Brewster, Dylan Brock, Natalie Busener, Jason Fern, Claire Grubb, and Nick Rorabaugh will perform with the All-Select Band on Sunday, February 3, at Blessed Trinity High School in Roswell. Natalie Busener and Claire Grubb play the clarinet, Nick Rorabaugh plays the trumpet, Jason Fern plays the trombone, Dylan Brock plays alto saxophone, and Zoe Brewster plays the flute.

Front row: Natalie Busener, Nick Rorabaugh, Zoe Brewster
Back row: Jason Fern, Claire Grubb, Dylan Brock

Local Students to Show Work at High Museum

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 09:15:47 -0500

Twenty-five students from Athens Academy, North Oconee High School, and Oconee High School will show their senior art portfolios at the High Museum in Atlanta from February 8 through March 29. An opening reception will be held on Friday, February 15, 5:00-8:00 p.m. The portfolios will be displayed in the Greene Family Education Center on the Atrium Level at the High Museum, 1280 Peachtree Street NE, in Atlanta.

From Athens Academy, eight seniors will display their work: Katie Gazda, Hannah Gollin, Sammie Maddox, Claire McDonald, Amy Michel, Ramey Mize, Sarah Weinstein, and Evans Wellborn. North Oconee High School has nine seniors in the show: Meg Abbott, Heather Brock, Kelley Broyles, Powell Cobb, Alton Goria, Ben Greer, Wade Gunter, Fuery Hocking, and Lydia Hunt. From Oconee High School, Amber Culpepper, Jessica Hemphill, Chris King, Lauren O’Brian, Rebecca Nunez, Philip Scheidt, Lily Smith, and Danielle Summers will be displaying portfolios.

Chenzi Xu '07 Wins Cum Laude Essay Competition

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 13:05:40 -0500

Chenzi Xu, 2007 graduate of Athens Academy, was recently recognized as a district winner of an annual writing competition sponsored by The Cum Laude Society for her entry, “Whitman’s Federated Identity.” Ms. Xu, who is currently attending Harvard University, received a $500 grant from the Cum Laude Society for winning the top prize in her district. Athens Academy belongs to District 5, which includes over 45 schools from Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

As part of the essay competition, each of the schools belonging to the Cum Laude Society is invited to send a copy of a single outstanding example of original work, either creative or research based, to be considered for recognition. The purpose is to “recognize and celebrate outstanding academy achievement…that gives evidence of superior scholarship and original thought.” The Cum Laude Society is an international academic honorary founded in 1906. Its 366 member schools include private and public high schools around the world. The presence of a Cum Laude chapter at a secondary school is an indication that superior scholastic achievement is honored.