ATHENS ACADEMY Years of Excellence with Honor
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ATHENS ACADEMY Years of Excellence with Honor ACCENT SPRING 2017 ATHENS ACADEMY TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Notes from the Head of School John C. Thorsen Head of School 2 Celebrating 50 Years George H. Huban, Jr. 10 Imagine: Athens Academy in 2067 Director of Development 12 Upper School Kelley Cuneo Director of Communications 14 Middle School Beth S. Thomas ‘90 16 Lower School Alumni Coordinator 18 Preschool DeDe P. Guest Annual Fund Coordinator 20 Fine Arts Toni S. Parr 22 Service & Leadership ACCENT - SPRING 2017 ACCENT Development Office Assistant 24 International Studies Margaret M. Smith Archivist 26 Athletics Sue S. Williams 28 Faculty & Staff PSO Coordinator 30 Alumni by the Numbers ATHENS ACADEMY P.O. Box 6548 - Athens, Georgia 30604 706-549-9225 - Fax 706-354-3775 32 Weddings www.athensacademy.org [email protected] 34 Births 36 Class Notes 44 Alumni Around Campus Athens Academy is accredited by the Southern Association of Independent Schools and AdvancEd (formerly the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools). The school holds memberships in NAIS, GISA, GHSA, CEEB, CSEE, CSS, ERB, NACAC, SACAC, and The Cum Laude Society. Athens Academy admits qualified students of any race, color, sex, religion, or national origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, or national origin in administration of its educational policies and other school-administered programs. Athens Academy seeks excellence with honor in the educational and personal experience of each student. NOTES FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL Greetings from Spartan Lane, Classes started on this campus in March 1972. It was quite a change from the original campus housed on the Cabaniss farm. The three original buildings were transformational to our program and, as you know, the campus has continued its evolution to this day. However, it has never been about the buildings – it has always been about the program and the people delivering the program. We are mindful of our students and what they will be doing when they leave Athens Academy. This awareness and communication from our graduates is what led us to eliminate our traditional exam week in December. We are now doing different forms of assessment to increase our students’ engagement with the subject matter and to prepare them for Mr. Thorsen with third graders Tab Butler, Kate Sullivan, Camden Camp, and Henry Thomas Garrard what lies ahead in college. You see this sort of evolution each and every day walking around our campus. Please do not misunderstand, this is As this issue of Accent is being printed, we will be loading not change for change’s sake. It is about teachers inspiring buses for Middle School trip week. The sixth grade will go to students. Recently while walking through campus I met a group Savannah, the seventh grade and I will be going to Washington, of fourth grade students on their way to their world languages D.C., and the eighth grade will head over to Camp DeSoto in class, where they are studying Germany and Austria. Down the Mentone, Alabama. These are life experiences, full of bonding hall, their classmates are in the Lower School science lab doing and learning opportunities which will not be forgotten. I am projects on forces in nature. It was fun to watch them work with guessing that many of our alumni remember these trips. Our Hot Wheels cars, making loops, ramps, and corkscrews as they fearless seventh grade trip leader Marion Marvel will be heading studied speed and velocity. I would have been quite happy to up to Washington for the 21st time. jump right in and play--I mean learn--with them. Our campus continues to evolve to meet the demands of our Over to the Upper School, our new public speaking class programs and the teachers who offer them. We are looking with Miguel Cooper is presenting their humorous interpretation forward to moving into the Chambers Center in early May and monologues. In Science and Art, the engineering class is working transitioning the Parents Building into a Middle and Upper School on model homes utilizing solar energy for power. Over in the teaching space for the near term. In the long run, we hope to Schacht Building, Becky Green is teaching her eighth grade tear it down and complete the Middle School campus with a new algebra students about functions--not memorizing functions, but purposefully-built space. putting them to use and solving problems. Needless to say, there In keeping with the theme of this Accent, I hope that is a lot of active learning going on around our campus each and you will consider visiting the 50th anniversary web page every day. (athensacademy50years.org) to read my remarks from our Salute to the Founders event on Saturday, April 1. The comments share some insight into our past and what makes this such a special place. Thank you for your continued support of all that we do, and GO SPARTANS! All the best for a healthy and happy spring and summer ahead, John Thorsen Head of School Above: Mr. Thorsen enjoys the Preschool [email protected] Halloween parade; right: Mr. Thorsen with first grade Birthday Card Contest winner Aisha Ahmed. 1 Happy Birthday, Athens Academy! When Athens Academy’s doors opened for the first day of We’ve had lots of notable news along the way this year--the school on September 5, 1967, there were just 147 students formation of the 17 Society, a group of student ambassadors; and twelve faculty members on the original campus at the a successful run for one act play The Katrina Project; multiple corner of Hawthorne Avenue and Jefferson Road. On Tuesday, accomplishments in orchestra, band, and chorus; four current August 16, 2016, Athens Academy began its 50th year on 152 students signing to play collegiate athletics; the Lower School’s beautiful acres with 955 students and 134 faculty members, first-ever Hour of Code; and in February we welcomed and everyone was excited to celebrate our great school! University of Georgia President Jere Morehead to campus to We kicked off the year with the Faculty and Staff Back-to- deliver the 39th annual Schacht Lecture. In late January, the School Party, hosted annually by the Board of Trustees. This Middle School Drama Deparment performed You’re a Good year the Board was pleased to invite former faculty, staff, Man, Charlie Brown, which also turned 50 this year. We had a and trustees to join in the festivities at the Botanical Garden. party afterward to celebrate both birthdays! Alumni parent, former trustee, and longtime supporter In early February, we held the first of two major anniversary Kelley Tison was honored that evening with the inaugural J. events, the 50th Birthday Bash. Hundreds of alumni, alumni Robert Chambers, Jr. Award, which recognizes “extraordinary parents, current and former faculty, staff, and trustees, individuals whose actions reflect unwaivering support and grandparents, and friends joined us for a beautiful evening selfless devotion to the ideals and philosophy of Athens at the Athens Cotton Press. In April, we held the more formal Academy.” Salute to the Founders at the Athens Country Club, where we As part of the 50-year celebration, the Fine Arts honored our founding trustees as well as our five heads of Department presented The Myers Gallery: A Twelve-Year school: Ronnie Griffeth, Al Cash, Bob Chambers, Kay Betts, and Retrospective Show featuring the work of over 90 artists John Thorsen. It was a wonderful evening, and we are grateful whose work had previously been displayed in the gallery. A to have the opportunity to celebrate Athens Academy! reception was held in August, and nearly 100 people came out We hope you’ll be sure to purchase a copy of our to campus to enjoy the beautiful art. commemorative book, Athens Academy: Celebrating 50 Years In November, our Grandparents and Special Friends Day of Excellence with Honor, an important reminder of our history guests helped us sing “Happy Birthday” to Athens Academy. and those whose sacrifices made it possible, as well as a Also in November, Dr. and Mrs. Ham Magill named Richard reminder of the importance of an institution such as this for Patterson’s science classroom and lab in his honor. the young people of this region. They have and will continue Mr. Patterson will retire in June after 40 years at Athens to make an enormous impact on the community, the state, Academy; longtime Middle School math teacher Becky Green and the world. is also retiring, and their co-workers and students are excited to celebrate their dedication and accomplishments as the school year winds down. 2 ATHENS ACADEMY / ACCENT Athens Academy: Celebrating 50 Years of Excellence with Honor This beautiful hardbound coffee-table book tells the story of Athens Academy’s first 50 years, from the early years on Jefferson Road up through today. Filled with hundreds of photos, Athens Academy: Celebrating 50 Years of Excellence with Honor is an important keepsake for current families, alumni, faculty, grandparents, trustees--anyone who has been part of one of Athens’ most important and influential institutions. $50 per copy; pre-order by May 15, 2017, and save $10 To order, go to www.athensacademy.org and click “50th Celebration” 1 The Beatles. Mini-skirts. Frisbees and Pop Tarts. The decade of the Sixties was a vibrant and volatile period marked by revolutions in music, fashion, and social norms. Flattops gave way to mop-tops for boys, and beehives and bouffants gave way to straight-line and pixie cuts for girls.