The Ron Clark Academy RCA Atlanta, GA The Ron Clark Academy Newsletter 2016 ”Remember that your greatest TALENT is so much more powerful than your biggest FEAR.” Jasmine Stewart, winner of the 2016 Amazing Shake. www.ronclarkacademy.com DEAR FRIENDS, Can you believe it was ten years ago that we held our first student interviews for the first class of 2010? Back then we met at City Hall because our building was still not ready for occupancy, and now we just completed our meet and greet for the class of 2020 in our state-of-the-art new building. At the time, we had great confidence in the education we would provide to our students, but we did not anticipate that they would become the trailblazers at some of the top schools across this country. Many people often ask Ron and me how we We knew that we would share our methods to create such magic at our school, and our engage our students, promote academic rigor, and answer is always the same: it is the people. create a climate for success, but we had no idea that 36,000 educators would come through our When a dedicated staff, precious children, doors to learn just how we do it. committed parents, and supportive community members come together, there We planned to hire the best teachers and staff is nothing we can’t achieve. Our school is we could find, but we had no way of knowing the living proof. depths of extraordinary talent we would be blessed to hire. Thank you all for being magic makers! We knew that we would strive to create a family With great appreciation, atmosphere, but we never could have anticipated the outpouring of love, sacrifice, and commitment that our families would give to help create and Ron Clark Kim Bearden support our dream. Cofounder Cofounder 2 www.ronclarkacademy.com WELCOME TO OUR SCHOOL. OUR WORLD. OUR MISSION To deliver the highest quality educational experience where global citizens are born through advanced rigor, engaging teaching methods, and a passionate climate and culture. 2015-2016 YEAR IN REVIEW Seventh grade students studied the history, culture, and art of Italy during the third quarter and then traveled to Venice, Rome, and Pompeii over spring break. The Amazing Shake competition gives our students real world experience in developing their business etiquette and “soft skills” – communication, social grace, relationship building and poise. This year, finalists traveled from ATL to NYC. Jasmine Stewart was named the 2016 winner! She is the first 5th grader to win the Amazing Shake. TEAMS The Essentials Step Team was named the 2015 Break the Stage National Champions for their magical Arabian Nights themed performance. RCA alumni students attended the White House Science Fair and met President Obama. RCA hosted the 5th Annual Model United Nations Pictured in white polo shirts (back row) Conference. Georgia Tech, Emory, Morehouse, and Agnes Garrett Minor, Terrell Prince, Erick Patterson, Scott College students chaired the committees along with (second row) Matthew Meadows. our very own Niles Boyd (2016). RCA teacher Wade King was the director of the conference, which had over 200 students participate (most ever) from 16 schools all over the Southeast. STUDENT SUCCESS For the second year in a row, four RCA alumni attended the White House Science Fair as honored guests for their outstanding achievements in mathematics. Peter Warrick, Jr., Brandon Benn, Shawl Pryor and Quivion Wynn were the 2015 winners of the MATHCOUNTS Video Challenge. They met President Obama. We have accepted 34 new students as incoming 5th graders to the Class of 2020. GLOBAL LEARNING Students traveled to Europe, visiting Paris and London and Barcelona. Students traveled to San Francisco, California, to demonstrate a “model classroom” for Promethean Class Flow. Eighth-grade students traveled to Soweto, South Africa, to The Essentials Step Team will be competing learn about the history and culture, volunteer in schools and for their third National Championship title this orphanages, and visit the Kliptown Youth Program. summer. 4 www.ronclarkacademy.com EDUCATION REVOLUTION We reached a milestone by hosting over 35,000 educators for training at RCA within the past nine years. Our new state-of-the-art gym and educator training facility allowed us to host 555+ educators for the national educators’ conference at RCA. Georgia Power partnered with RCA to train STEM teachers from across the state of Georgia. Ron Clark inspired the world when a video of him dancing with RCA students went viral, charting more than 80 million collective views and spawning national media Kim Bearden was inducted into the National Teachers coverage for several weeks. Hall of Fame. She was honored at the White House A special segment with Kim Bearden and Ron Clark aired by President Obama in May. on HLN TV entitled “Making Black History,” highlighting RCA’s commitment to teaching and celebrating culture. The message of the Ron Clark Academy has reached COMMUNITY all the way to Europe. The TV show, “Galileo,” filmed Students worked with Staples and product developers at a documentary about the mission of RCA that aired in Aruliden to make 11 new products a reality. The “Designed Germany. by Students” products are available in Staples stores. Ron Clark released his fourth book, Move Your Bus: An Deloitte partnered with RCA on a two-part skills-building Extraordinary New Approach to Accelerating Success in service project to work with RCA students and local area 4th Work and Life. graders. Promethean generously donated iPads and ClassFlow to help our students learn with integrated technology. Comcast sponsored our staff to attend diversity training with renowned presenter Al Vivian from BASIC Diversity. Kirk Brown, Senior Director of Development, was awarded Atlanta Business Chronicle’s “Who’s Who 30 Under 30.” Dr. Camille Jones was awarded the prestigious Presidential Award for Mathematics and Science Teachers. Each year, only two educators from each state receive this recognition. She was presented her award by President Obama at a ceremony at the White House earlier this year. Kim Bearden was inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame (NTHF). Each year, the NTHF recognizes 5 exemplary educators from across the nation for their contributions to The “Do It Like Me Challenge” video received over education. With over 29 years of classroom experience, 80 million views and was a trending topic. Students Kim continues to teach 5th grade while being the Executive were able to visit 107.9 in Atlanta, HLN TV, and CNN Director at RCA. with Don Lemon. THE RON CLARK ACADEMY 5 CLASS OF 2016 “Thank you, Mr. Bernadin for giving me “I want to thank my parents for making so many pep talks. I enjoy your spirit and sacrifices for me that I could have never enthusiasm every day. I’m gonna miss you.” imagined doing.” – Sebastian Haynes – Phenix Halley “Ms. Bearden, thank you for helping “Thank you Ms. Mosley for always being a me daily.” – Phakamani Qandashe model woman, caring person, and extremely truthful woman. You are always there!” “I would like to thank Dr. Jones for having – Kaitlyn Britton Wheeler the intellect of a 50-year old professor but the interest of a teenager. You have made math so “Mr. King, thank you for sharing your much more fun and you are the teacher that I personal experiences to show our class their can relate to. ” – Justin Polynice is no excuse for failure and for showing the guys you can be cool by doing positive “Thank you Mr. Fleming for taking me to so things. ” – Lennox Lamar many places for political experiences and for teaching me to be better. ” – Emmett Eckert “My favorite memory at RCA was our boat ride in Spain. Mr. Clark and I went to the tip “I want to thank Mr. Clark for encouraging of the boat to see the Mediterranean Sea. It me to love my passion for history. ” was so choppy; we almost died. But, it was – Leymare Figueroa really fun. ” – MacKenzy Jordan “Thank you Mr. Adams and Mr. Bruner, for “Don’t be someone you’re not to make pushing me in basketball and in life. You people like you. At RCA, we don’t judge and allowed me to speak my feelings with adults everyone will love you for who you really so I don’t drown in emotions. ”– Kenneth Miller are.” – Sebastian Haynes “I’d like to tell the incoming 5th graders to “I’ve learned to give it your best even when trust your teachers and don’t be afraid to ask things are hard or when things seem easy.” them questions, because I know I was.” – Lennox Lamar – Sabelo Hlatshwaya “Always push through your obstacles at “It’s most important to keep exploring RCA, even when you think you can’t go any and put yourself out there. Absorb and retain longer. Keep going anyway because it will as much as you possibly can, and then give pay off. ” – MacKenzy Jordan back. ” – Sisipho Mehlo “Remember to always build each other up “In 5th grade I was shy and didn’t see much and don’t try to be better than anyone else. strength in myself. RCA has given me the Be better so everyone else can be better with greatest gift and the ability to use my inner you. ”– Kaitlyn Britton Wheeler strength to change the world.” – Jayde Dieu THE RON CLARK ACADEMY 7 CLASS of 2016 AMISTAD ALTRUISMO ISIBINDI RÊVEUR Sebastian Haynes Sabelo Hlatshwayo Sisipho Mehlo Kenneth Miller St. George’s Sandy Creek High School Sandy Creek High School undecided (RI) (Tyrone, GA) (Tyrone, GA) Suleika Ward Jayde Dieu Joi Griffin Dion Matthews Martha Stilwell School of George School Miss Porter’s School Church Farm School the Arts (Jonesboro, GA) (PA) (CT) (PA) Justin Polynice Aaliyah Brown Emmett Eckert Lennox Lamar Middlesex School Salem Academy Church Farm School Peddie (MA) (VA) (PA) (NJ) 8 www.ronclarkacademy.com HEADS OF HOUSE Phenix Niles Mackenzy Jordan Kaitlin Britton Halley Boyd Idyllwild School of Wheeler St.