Volume LIII Number 7 November-December 2020 New Staff Hired for In-Person School

Students returning to school were greet- ed by many new faces in their classrooms. Paideia added new staff to assist in classes in all levels of the school during hybrid schooling. See the complete list and more photos on page 2. Jordan Battle ’16 Marlis Finn Andrew Haworth ’01 Addison Kerwin ’20

Erin Trapaga Brittany Cook Anna Glass ’14 Karen Hernandez ’14 Chidike Iromuanya Chupzi Lema

Rosa Mendez Damon Sumner Gabby Donaldson Lauren Poe Ndelea Simama ’96 Antonjo Agolli

Hannah Barnett ’16 Dominic Beaufeaux Callie Clements ’14 Euzhan Collins ’08 Harrison Fisher ’15 Diamond Jones

New Members Join Elementary and High School Staff Sarah Davison is a new teacher in the elementary with Emily school. Prior to coming to Paideia Jonathan worked in Atlanta Orr and Emily Schreck. She has B.A. from the University of Public and Fulton County schools. He has a B.A. from Metro- Toronto and an M.A. from the University of Southern California. politan College of New York, an MPA from Georgia State Uni- Jonathan Burke is the new learning specialist in the high versity and an M.A. from Liberty University. COMMUNITY

New Faces continued from page 1 Half Day Aides Jordan Battle ’16, afternoon half day aide Marlis Finn, morning half day aide Jay Jones Josalyn Jones Kate Kingma ’14 Ashley San Miguel Andrew Haworth ’01, morning half day aide Addison Kerwin ’20, afternoon half day aide Erin Trapaga, afternoon half day aide Elementary Aides Brittany Cook, elementary aide, with In- dia, Sallie Jose’s class Andrew Stargill Alexandria Sweatt Isis Wilson Anna Glass ’14, elementary aide, Adri- Junior High anne and Dan’s class Callie Clements ’14, high school aide Gabby Donaldson, junior high aide, Karen Hernandez ’14, elementary aide, Euzhan Collins ’08, high school aide Naimah Frame’s class Olivia, Kaela and Terri’s class Harrison Fisher ’15, high school aide Lauren Poe, junior high aide, Bonnie Chidike Iromuanya, elementary aide, Diamond Jones, high school aide Sparling’s class Kristen, Isabelle and Stephanie’s class Jay Jones, high school aide Ndelea Simama ’96, junior high aide, Chupzi Lema, elementary aide, Patrick, Josalyn Jones, high school aide Kelly Clampett’s class Annie and David’s class Kate Kingma ’14, high school aide Rosa Mendez, elementary aide, Alessan- High School Aides Ashley San Miguel, high school aide dra, Britt and Kathy’s class Antonjo Agolli, high school aide Andrew Stargill, high school aide Damon Sumner, elementary aide, Brian Hannah Barnett ’16, high school aide Alexandria Sweatt, high school aide and Thomas and Elisa’s class Dominic Beaufeaux, high school aide Isis Wilson, high school aide

Junior High Students Take Paideia Cross Country Science Olympiad Top 3 Spots in Debate Coach Named Boys’ Coach Team Places First Tournament of the Year in Division Three junior high students finished in the top Paideia cross country coach Becca Mc- The high school Science three places in the virtual Middle School Novice Cauley has been named Class A Private Boys’ Olympiad team competed in Tournament of Atlanta Urban Debate League in Cross Country Coach of the Year by the Geor- the South Forsyth Invitational November. Alok Ahn, Ryan Dong and Yolanda gia Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Science Olympiad Tourna- King took the top three spots at a virtual debate Association. ment. Thirty-eight teams from tournament hosted by the Atlanta Urban Debate The varsity boys’ and girls’ cross country schools of all classifications League. teams finished in third and fifth place at the from five states competed in The club was started in August by Ryan, who State meet on Nov. 7. The teams, led by an all-day online tournament. runs the weekly meetings with help from faculty coaches Becca and Dan McCauley, wrapped Paideia finished first in A/AA adviser Andy Sarvady. Ryan is active in another up a successful season despite competing un- schools’ class and 14th overall. local debate club but neither Alok nor Yolanda had der COVID-19 restrictions. Javier Pardo ’21 and Shyam ever been in a tournament before. The director of Three team members earned Top Ten State Tridandapani ’21 finished in the AUDL, Christy Bradley, called their perfor- Championship medals in their races. Boys’ fifth place overall in the Circuit mance at the Middle School Novice Tournament team members Sam Colton and Elijah Mc- Lab event. Phillip Salzinger “stunning” and imagines they’ll be moving up to Cauley finished fourth and ninth respectively. ’23 and Sean Zheng ’22 fin- the varsity level soon. Kudos to Ryan Dong, who Varsity girl runner Jordan Walter finished ished in seventh place overall coached his team to quite an impressive victory. eighth. in the Sounds of Music event.

2 | The Paideia Newsletter • November-December 2020 COMMUNITY

#WinAtSocial: Empowering Students to Navigate Their Social World By Tami Oliver, Director of Technology The #WinAtSocial program has two “It was interesting to do the major components: the #WinAtSocial #WinAtSocial activities with my peers For people of all ages, social media curriculum and the Resource Portal. to see how our opinions on certain top- has become an integral part of daily life. ics were different or the same. I love More than ever, we turn to social media #WinAtSocial Curriculum that the emphasis is on social media. for connection, information, and enter- #WinAtSocial is the world’s first gami- Social media is a great way to stay in tainment. While the pros and cons of fied curriculum that empowers students to touch with friends. Especially during social media provide much substance for navigate their social world - social media COVID-19 or times when we cannot debate, there is no indication that it will and technology - to fuel their health, hap- see them.” be going away any time soon. As educa- piness, and future success. This gamified tors and parents, we should do our best and student-led approach to social emo- — 10th grade student to provide the tools and guidance for our tional education was created by the Social students to participate in a thoughtful and Institute with over 50,000 students at 60 The Resource Portal careful manner. schools nationwide. Students use devices The Resource Portal at https://theso- To that end, we are excited to announce (desktops, laptops, tablets, or smartphones) cialinstitute.com/Resource-Portal/ is the our new partnership with The Social In- to play during Homeroom, Advisory, or Social Institute’s parent and staff portal of stitute. Beginning this fall, our students in Health Class. Trainers (advisors or teach- #WinAtSocial, updated with expert tips 5th-12th grades began participating in the ers) host and facilitate the game. While and advice for helping your children navi- #WinAtSocial program to explore impor- students play at school, all parents and gate social media positively. Parents and tant topics and develop skills to help them staff receive real-time updated tools in the staff can log into the portal to stay ahead navigate the world of social media and Resource Portal and Family Huddles. of trending apps, privacy settings, and nec- technology. essary conversations to have about social “Several parents from our classroom media and technology. “The thing that excites me the most mentioned that they had a wonder- While our 5th-12th grade students about this curriculum is the positive ful time discussing the #WinAtSocial will complete several #WinAtSocial approach. We know that our students follow-up topics around their dinner lessons throughout the school year, we are going to use social media, but we table. They appreciated the oppor- invite all our families to take advantage want them to use it in a smart, con- tunity to raise these issues under the of this valuable resource to dive deeper structive way. I believe that this curric- umbrella of school curriculum, which into these topics together at home using ulum will help our students with this.” acted as an opening for bringing them the information in the Resource Portal. — Lacey Andersen, up and provided them with important Instructions on how to sign up for the Re- Innovative Teaching Specialist specifics to address.” source Portal can be found in the parent — Bonnie Sparling, portal of the school’s website at https:// Junior High Teacher www.paideiaschool.org/parent-portal.

Paideia’s Financial Aid Tax Credit Program Paideia Senior to Play Thank you to those who participated in the 2020 Financial Aid Tax Credit (FATC) Pro- Soccer at Stanford gram. Through our collective effort, Paideia received over $500,000 from the FATC Senior Will Reilly program! Taking the time to re-direct your tax dollars to Paideia exemplifies how we can signed an athletic have a big impact on our community when we come together. We are grateful you made it scholarship to play a priority to support Paideia’s Financial Aid. soccer at Stanford The application process for the 2021 tax year is now open. Since 2009, participation in University. Stan- the Financial Aid Tax Credit (FATC) Program by the Paideia community has raised close ford is an NCAA to $5 million for financial aid. This important program is integral to strengthening both Division I school and the socioeconomic diversity of our student body as well as the financial well-being of the is a member of the school. Please consider participating today by going to apogee123.org Pac-12 Conference.

November-December 2020 • The Paideia Newsletter | 3

continued on page 7 COMMUNITY The Powerful Play Goes On, and You May Contribute a Verse

Tal Birdsey ’83 is an alum and taught in the junior high from 1988-1998. He is a co-founder stressed out about it, or worried out loud and head teacher of the North Branch School in Ripton, Vermont. He is the author of A Room to them about “is this working?” or “are for Learning: The Making of a School in Vermont and a forthcoming book Hearts of the Mountain, about a year in the life of teaching and learning at the North Branch School. The you guys doing okay with this?” they have essay below by him appeared in a recent North Branch School Newsletter. given the following reply with great calm and wisdom: “Yes, it’s fine, it’s not perfect, Teaching and learning in emotions are often the root it’s the best we can do, and it’s a million these circumstances are ex- and origin of how we come times better than quarantine and Zoom. ceedingly difficult. Difficult for to know each other. In the This is heartening, and already is evi- the kids, difficult for the teach- circle, every day, for a year, dence that they have in them inspiring ers and staff, and difficult for two or three, we learn to hear levels of wisdom, patience, understanding, parents. The difficulty is, most the feelings and experiences and awareness — levels of which kids this obviously, in the practical ap- of others. We see their faces, age are often not credited. plication of the protocols. But their struggles, their joy, their It is awkward in the beginning. It’s all more than that, the protocols laughter, their confusions and new. The old Nineties are gone, and there themselves work against many doubts, their laughter and is an empty space where they once were. of the foundational premises of smiles, their tears. By read- The new students are in, and they don’t the school. ing these “texts,” the “texts” of each other, quite know where to go or what to do. The When we started the school, we wanted learning through, and alongside others, old kids kind of know what to do, but they a place small and intimate enough where the kids in the school come to know them- are making their first steps as leaders and every voice could be heard, every day; selves and the dimensions of other lives as the ones responsible for carrying the where kids faced themselves and each and their own. school, inspiring and instructing and coun- other around a table in a room where, in Moreover, we have always believed in seling and advising and modeling for the a single class, everyone could be a part allowing the kids space and freedom to others how to be and what to do. No one of the conversation; where every student move. We have learned over time that kids really knows anyone yet, in the new envi- felt the responsibility to be a part of the chasing each other in the woods, climbing ronment; no one can even tell if anyone is conversation; where no one could hide trees, getting their knees dirty and shirts smiling. or be hidden. I think of Voltaire’s quote sweaty, a little blood from time to time; Still, vast amounts happened. Tessella- about his concept of the diety: “God is jumping on each other, swinging together tions, prime numbers, Sigma. Newton’s a circle whose center is everywhere and in swings or hammocks; playing knee first law, mass, triangles as rigid structures circumference nowhere.” This is not to hockey or street hockey or selling flowers as compared to quadrilaterals, hypotheses say we conceived of our school as a place on the side of the road, playing manhunt or and how to test; scientific law and theory. to find god in a religious sense. But we Pokey Stick, wrestling pig piles, carrying What physical and chemical changes are. did discover, over time, that a circle of each other, jumping on each others’ backs, Why the milk spoiled. Where the energy kids and teachers, all working together, hugs from time to time — human touch, of a dropped egg goes when it hits the seeing and hearing each other, is the best the expression of their animal selves — all ground. The egg-smack magic trick (ask place to begin to look for that which might of this is vitally important to their devel- your child to perform it for you). Going have a power like a god. The closer the opment and to the creation of a human to the woods to meditate and gather sig- group becomes, the greater the vistas, the community. nificant items from the woods. Sitting in deeper the learning, the deeper the feel- Of course, the masks, being spread out, a large circle on the patio. Sitting in the ing. By the end of the year, the powers and not being able to touch each other is shade by the Buddha at lunch. Fierce and and understanding that have been forged and will add literal layers of difficulty to dysfunctional games of “sports ball” at the in that circle feel infinite, real, and yet, the process of becoming that learning and raggedy volleyball net. Soccer balls get- nearly inexpressibly beautiful. It is the best human community, and make the distances ting lost in the banks of ferns, goldenrod, shape out of which emerges unity, equal- between us harder to bridge. and jewelweed. Talking about who talks ity, and understanding. Moreover, human However, when I have (already) been in school, and how to make it a place more

4 | The Paideia Newsletter • November-December 2020 COMMUNITY where everyone can and must contribute. Asking what verse we will contribute to Puppets and Sustainability Come Together the world. Reading “O Me! O Life!” by Walt Whitman. Asking what it means to be craving the light, to struggle with these questions recurring. The fact that you exist and identity! What is the great play we are in and creating? Writing a speech? What is the most important thing that you must say and do and find? How do we get to the particulate details of life and move beyond the generalities that leave us cold and untouched? Why does precision in the de- Kristen Isabelle’s scription make us feel, remember, and see In November, and class began an exciting new study on farm- more? The reading of the first poems — ing. The class began by hearing a story about how Old MacDonald really got his farm Oscar reciting from memory “In Flanders as well as learn about the work of Farmer Kenzie and her assistant, Jennifer of Tiny Field,” Finn reading from Five Hundred Joy Poultry Farm. Great Poems “Do Not Go Gentle Into That A letter to class parents informed them that, “Tiny Joy Farm is located on the new Good Night,” by Dylan Thomas. Talking Paideia Farm site in East Atlanta and is dedicated to providing high welfare to their about the standards and our rules — how chickens and ducks while caring for our planet. Both Kenzie and Jennifer bring expe- we want the school to be. What words are rience in art, film and puppetry to our project.” acceptable, and in what contexts? How Students were invited to choose a Friday to visit Paideia urban agriculture coordi- Tania Herbert do we want to use our time well? Prunes’ nator , Kenzie and Jennifer at the farm. The plan calls for parents to futbol club on Wednesday and Friday. drop children off at the farm on their assigned day at 9:30 a.m. Parents can choose to Chasing in the woods. Sap, sweat, trails, stay and enjoy the program or return for pick up at 1:30 pm. E I E I O trees. What are our obligations and re- At the farm, students heard the book , telling about how one farmer used sponsibilities — with our work, in how we mud, garbage, poop and worms to enrich the soil and practice sustainable agricultural talk to each other, in conducting ourselves practices on his farm. in the middle of the pandemic? Going to Students also found materials to make their own puppets and put on a puppet show, the Burrito pond. Expressing fears and demonstrating what they’ve learned in their own retelling of Old MacDonald’s story. anxieties, revealing the truth. Trying to figure out how to be a good lab partner. Washing desks with the magic cleaning High School Singers Place at GNAS solution. Opening up and introducing Paideia high school students participated in the Georgia National Association of Singing ourselves. Not just names, but the interior Teachers competition in November and several students received awards. architecture of who we are and are trying The students receiving awards are: Celia Reed, third place music theater freshman/ to be. Remembering Nineties from last sophomore treble year — and trying to use their example to Sophie Lyman – third place classical junior/senior treble breathe life into the new year. Going to Emma Schulder – third place music theater junior/senior treble the North Branch River. Covering pools Charles Eastman – second place music theater and classical junior/senior tenor, bass, of water with asters. Building little hovels baritone under a root. Mandalas made from tiny Cameron Walls – third place music theater junior/senior tenor, bass, baritone. twigs, ferns, and white pebbles. A stack of twenty-five stones towering over a pool of water. A strange bug. Ground wasps. The sound of boulders clacking against bigger boulders. Trails of stones leading into the stream. The first week is the hardest. Masks or not, we are determined to make it work. Sophie Lyman Emma Schulder Charles Eastman Cameron Walls Celia Reed

November-December 2020 • The Paideia Newsletter | 5

ALUMNI Checking In An interview with Adam Johnson ‘98, Executive Director at Democracy Prep

What have you been doing since and giving more A week after COVID shut down our you graduated Paideia, and where voice and choice school for in-person instruction, our teach- are you now? to the people who ers converted to digital lessons, and our Life since Paideia has been full of matter most on our school managed to distribute more than wonderful experiences. Immediately after campus: the scholars 700 laptops and devices to our scholars to graduating, I spent a post grad year prepar- who work hard every ensure they could participate in our virtual ing for college basketball at The Berkshire day at growing their instruction. Moreover, we partnered with School. From there, I attended St. Mi- leadership and posi- local companies to guarantee no child chael’s College in Winooski Park, Vermont tioning themselves was without internet connection or meals. where I earned a B.A. in Accounting and for college success. Almost instantly, our team mobilized to Economics and with a minor in Business become a virtual hub of learning that could Administration. After graduating from Tell us about Democracy Prep’s support our scholars (educationally and St. Mikes, I took on a managerial role at mission and what led you to come up with this idea. social emotionally) — albeit in a new and W.W. Grainger, Inc. in Washington, D.C. somewhat unfamiliar manner. for eight years. While there, I earned my The mission of Democracy Prep is to Now that the 2020-2021 school year MBA at George Washington University. educate responsible scholars for success has started, DPAC is 100% virtual and de- My plan after completing my MBA was in the college of their choice and a life of livering instruction each day synchronous- to move up the corporate ladder and con- active citizenship. Democracy Prep was ly to our scholars. We monitor our com- tinue to make my way in the private sector. founded in 2006 in Harlem N.Y. by Seth munity’s COVID infection levels weekly However, my career took a turn when I be- Andrew, and I was selected as the leader to to determine when it will be safe to move gan engaging in Corporate Social Respon- expand the program into Nevada. into Phase II of our reopening, which will sibility work in graduate school and found My role since bringing the school to be hybrid learning (50% in-person and that my true passion was to find ways to Las Vegas has been to help to lay the foun- 50% virtual.) help my community through education. dation for long-term academic success and Our goal, after ensuring the health and As a result, I began exploring roles in the authentic civic engagement from scholars safety of our entire school community, is nonprofit sector and became director of who attend our school. to bring as many scholars back onto cam- Development and Community Relations at The mission of our school has incred- pus as we can at some point this school Teach For America Las Vegas in 2012. My ible meaning to me and our staff because year so we can rebuild our school commu- time at TFA afforded me the opportunity of the current reality in the West Las Vegas nity’s connection to one another. to learn the education landscape in Las community. Today, fewer than five out of Vegas, which lit my fire for supporting stu- 100 people earn a bachelor’s degree, and Anything the Paideia alumni com- dents more directly. those statistics mean our community has munity can do to support you? After five years at TFA, I transitioned an average household income that is the There are a few things that Paideia to become executive director at Democ- lowest in Las Vegas and among the low- alumni can do that would be helpful to my racy Prep at the Agassi Campus (DPAC), est in the state of Nevada. Our goal as a learning community at DPAC: a K-12 public charter school in Historic school is to become a vanguard for change • Connect Paideia alumni educators West Las Vegas. In my current role as ED, that helps return the economic and cultural with DPAC educators for collaboration I am responsible for the overall academic, prosperity that was once a part of the vi- • Share their college & work experiences financial, and cultural success of our 1,100 brant Historic West Las Vegas community. with our scholars students, along with supporting our alumni What are some ways that COVD- • Provide connections to speakers and who, in many cases, are first generation 19 has affected your business? leaders who can impress the value of college students. Like many schools across the country, college and/or civic engagement Now in our 4th year of operation, I am COVID-19 has had a tremendous impact One of the most important things our excited to accelerate towards achieving on the way we deliver instruction. Despite community needs is strong examples of our mission by developing our teachers, the challenges, our school community has high quality virtual lessons. If any of our refining our instructional practices, elevat- rallied to push forward and continue teach- alumni are teachers or work in the educa- ing the academic rigor across our campus, ing, learning, and thriving. more

6 | The Paideia Newsletter • November-December 2020

ALUMNI NEWS Alumni material compiled by Sadie Burbank ’08, Alumni Relations Coordinator

her senior thesis research is focused • Mark Herron ’84 is married 28 years degree program at Cornell Tech. Previ- on cross-cultural moral development, and living in the greater Cleveland, ously, he was working in Boston as a specifically how children learn to de- Ohio area with kids now 23 and 19. data integration specialist at an EdTech lineate in groups and outgroups along After graduating from Paideia, he company that supports school districts racial and ethnic differences and how attended Oberlin College and John with English learners. He is very ex- understanding this process could lead Carroll University and now works for cited to start graduate school and be a to reduction of prejudice. She is cur- information security in higher educa- full-time student again. rently interviewing for medical schools tion. He started formally writing poetry • Nell Mermin-Bunnell ’17 and plans to start her MD in the fall of in Jane & Jim’s (Thrower’s) class and will grad- 2021. hasn’t stopped since. A contemporary uate from Yale College next May. She romantic, Mark says “Information is completing a BS in Psychology and Security is my day job! A quick little Halloween poem (sonnet length): Virtual Events Presented in the Fall Encounter With A Crow After sunset, before night Paideia sustainability and urban agriculture in partnership with alumni relations, Paid- Cast against the dim twilight, eia Entrepreneurs Network, service learning, and high school clubs presented: Kiss The Up against the heavens paled Ground Community Watch Party & Action Panel featuring Korri Ellis (Paideia’s sustain- Glinting as the stars prevailed, ability coordinator), Keith Adams ’21 and Ashley Danzig ’21 (Climate Action Club), On a dark branch perched a crow Audrey Maxim-Rumley ’21 and Kaiya Patel ’21 (Urban Ag Club), Celeste Padula ’16 Regarding everything below; (director at FEAST Garden at Occidental College) and Sri Smith ’16 (Paideia’s sustain- Great and winged, a black shape ability intern from Agnes Scott College). With yellow claws and wicked beak, Paideia Entrepreneurs Network (PEN) in partnership with Paideia Alumni PYPline pre- He caught my eye and spoke: sented: The Entrepreneurial Mindset & DEI featuring Erika James (Dean of Wharton “Birth is not your dawn but day, Living is this time of day School of Business and Paideia parent) with alumni guests Kali Franklin ’96 (vice presi- Twixt the states of not and aye;” dent HR at New York City Football Club) and Meico Whitlock ’02 (founder of Mindful Then he rattled and he shook, Techie) in conversation with Michael Schulder (CNN Veteran and creator of Wavemaker Into shadowed flight he took. Conversations: A Podcast for the Insanely Curious). The Alumni Parent Council presented COVD-19: Beyond the Headlines featuring cur- • Jeremy Shaffer ’11 recently moved rent and alumni parents Jay Steinberg, chief medical dfficer at Emory University Hospital to NYC to begin a two-year, dual- at Midtown, and Wendy Armstrong, executive medical director of the Infectious Disease degree information science master’s Program at Grady Health System.

tion space, the DPAC educator community sages about the value of education, col- to me about school, sports, and life, and would find great value in learning from lege, and civic engagement, we believe it helped me realize that I had the potential other educators across the country. would be powerful for our scholars to hear to do what I wanted, so long as I commit- Democracy Prep is seeking to build a similar messages from stakeholders that ted myself to being excellent at all times stronger college knowledge base in our come from another vantage point. and focusing on the positives. My senior scholars and families. We could use sup- year, EJ put me in a position to captain our Which teachers and/or experi- port from alumni to expose our scholars ences during your time at Paideia team, alongside Andy Wessels ’98 and and their families to the benefits of a col- helped shape who you are and Bobby Mercado ’98. My experience as a lege degree. what you do? captain was both humbling and empower- Finally, if alumni have connections to I moved to Paideia in the middle of my ing. The experience helped me learn how influential and inspiring speakers who junior year and the transition could have to bring a group of people together to- believe in the value of quality education been difficult for me had it not been for the wards a common goal -- winning a cham- for all children, we would love to connect camaraderie and community of the boys’ pionship. Although we fell two points (!) those people to the DPAC community. basketball program, which at that time short of winning Paideia’s first ever state While my staff and I believe we can (and was led by Elfrem Jackson (EJ). EJ, as championship, the experience of building quite frequently do) deliver strong mes- most of us knew him, spent hours talking continued on page 8

November-December 2020 • The Paideia Newsletter | 7 Non-Profit Org. THE PAIDEIA SCHOOL U.S. Postage 1509 Ponce de Leon Avenue PAID Atlanta, Georgia 30307 Decatur, Georgia THE PAIDEIA SCHOOL is nonsectarian, serving families Permit No. 281 with children ages three through 18. Paideia does not dis- criminate in employment or in admissions. It actively seeks racial, cultural, and economic diversity in its student body. The ancient Greek word Paideia conveys the concept of a child’s total education: intellectual, artistic, and social. The Paideia School Newsletter is published 10 times a year. The deadline for the newsletter is the 1st of the preceding month. Send all correspondence to Jennifer Hill, Editor, at Paideia School, 1509 Ponce de Leon Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30307. Phone number is 404/377-3491, ext. 339; e-mail address is [email protected]. For informa- tion about sports schedules and upcoming events visit our web site at www.paideiaschool.org

Adam Johnson Ehrhardt (RIP) and Lynn Fryberger, the services available were plentiful. Un- continued from page 7 and my science teachers Kathy Brown fortunately, my 17-year old self neglected and Stacey Winston. All four ladies mod- to leverage them properly, but I appreciate relationships, sacrificing for others, and eled strong women in STEM and pushed the availability of them now that I am a collectively moving towards a lofty long- me academically. In addition, Susan, Lynn, school leader. term goal have helped me tremendously as Kathy, and Stacey made classes engaging, As a result, I use my personal lessons to a leader and father. fun, and relevant. I can clearly remember help my children take advantage of avail- My classmates nominated me to be a Stacey telling me “Athletes are intuitively able resources. Moreover, I try to recreate peer leader, and it was one of the most strong at physics -- I know you are going the adult structure and resources for schol- rewarding experiences of my high school to excel in this class.” That small state- ars who attend DPAC. career. Having the opportunity to mentor a ment at the start of my senior year was a Paideia continues to shape what I be- freshman and tutor young students helped boost to my academic confidence and led lieve to be possible for a K-12 community, me understand the importance of being re- to the subject being one of my favorite and I am thankful I had the opportunity to sponsible and a model for others. The Peer classes of my high school career. I use have Paideia as a part of my educational Leadership program taught me how to those ladies as models of excellence when journey. My two-year high school experi- reflect on choices and give back to others I visit classrooms at my own school. ence at Paideia played a major part in the whenever and however possible. development and shaping of the experi- Whether it is casting a clear vision for a If you could go back in time and ence I am working to create for the thou- team or being a model for others, I use the give the high-school version of sands of scholars at DPAC. While Paideia, lessons from my Paideia basketball and yourself advice, what would it be? like all places, is continuing to evolve and peer leadership experiences each day in I make a point to reflect often, and to grow, I hope the leaders at Paideia real- my work as a leader at DPAC. use those reflections to grow as a father, husband and school leader. When I reflect ize how much they have and continue to Any teacher(s) you want to give a on my experience at Paideia, I realize I did impact lives. Paideia is a special place that thank you or shout out to? not take advantage of the community and I hope more students (of all experiences Four of my most memorable teachers at the resources as best as I could. The num- and backgrounds) have the ability to expe- Paideia were my two math teachers Susan ber of adults who were willing to help and rience.