OCTOBER 2011

Twenty-eight students at The Montgomery Academy haveearned AP Scholar Awards in recognition of theirexceptional achievement on AP Exams.

The College Board’s Advanced Placement Programprovides willing and academically prepared students withthe opportunity to take rigorous college-level courses whilestill in high school, and to earn college credit, advancedplacement, or both for successful performances on the APExams. About 18 percent of the more than 9 millionstudents worldwide who took AP exams performed at asufficiently high level to also earn an AP Scholar award.

The College Board recognizes several levels of achievementbased on students’ performance on AP exams.

Eight students qualified for the AP Scholar withDistinction Award by earning an average score of at least3.5 on all AP exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on fivemore of these exams. These students are: HaleyAndreades, Tade Anzalone, Sarah Harmon Hood,Davis Hudson, Win Knowles, Will Massey, JamesTrevor and Taylor Turner.

Eight students qualified for the AP Scholar with HonorAward by earning an average score of at least 3.25 on allAP Exams takes, and scores of 3 or higher on four or moreof these exams. These students are: Hamilton Bloom,Randal Brown, Alex Garcia, Grace Haynes, WilliamHughes, Rachel O’Meara, Callie Price and AudreyWoika.

Twenty-Eight Students EarnAP Scholar Awards

AP Scholars: front row from left to right: Rosalind O'Connor, Caroline Rickard,and Erin Katz. back row from left to right: Clayton Crenshaw, Ryan Zienert, BoStarke, and Stephen Scott qualified for the AP Scholar Award by completing threeor more AP Exams with scores of 3 or higher.

AP Scholars with Honor: from left to right: MA SeniorsRachel O'Meara and Audrey Woika were named APScholars with Honor by earning an average score of at least3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher onfour or more of these exams.

Twelve students qualified for the AP Scholar Award bycompleting three or more AP Exams with scores of 3 orhigher. The AP Scholars are: Beverly Brown, DaeilChung, Clayton Crenshaw, Andrew Crum, Erin Katz,Meredith Lee, Rosalind O’Connor, Caroline Rickard,Stephen Scott, Bo Starke, Winston Waters and RyanZienert.

Of the 2010-2011 award recipients, nine were sophomoresor juniors: Clayton Crenshaw, Erin Katz, RosalindO’Connor, Caroline Rickard, Stephen Scott, Bo Starke,Ryan Zienert, Rachel O’Meara and Audrey Woika.These students have at least one more year in which tocomplete college-level work and possibly earn a higher-level AP Scholar Award.

Each exam is developed by a committee of college anduniversity faculty and AP teachers, ensuring that APExams are aligned with the same high standards expectedby college faculty at some of the nation’s leading liberalarts and research institutions. More than 3,800 collegesand universities annually receive AP scores. Most four-year colleges in the United States provide credit and/oradvanced placement for qualifying exam scores. Researchconsistently shows that AP students who score a 3 orhigher on AP Exams (based on a scale from 1 to 5, with 5being the highest) typically experience greater academicsuccess in college and have higher college graduation ratesthan students who do not participate in AP.

TheSeussOdysseyby Don Zolidis

October 13@7:00p.m. •October 14& 15@4:00p.m.Wilson Theater

Tickets available on montgomeryacademy.orgProduced by special arrangement with Playscripts, Inc.

(www.playscripts.com)

THE MONTGOMERY ACADEMYMiddle School Theater

P R E S E N T S

Forty-six students fromTheMontgomeryAcademy seventh grade class qualified toparticipate in the 32nd Annual ScholasticTalent Search sponsored by the DukeUniversity Talent Identification Program.Eligible students must have scored at the95th percentile or higher on a grade-levelstandardized achievement test, such as theEducational Records BureauComprehensive Testing Program.

These students are:Margaret Ann Allen,Hannon Bagwell, Laurel Buettner,Anna Claire Bullard, Amber Carter,Sean Choi, Ford Cleveland, LandonCrane, Kate Dockery, Emily Ernest,Dora Eskridge, Lindsey Ferraro, John

Forrest, Robert Fox, Emma Franklin, Darry Elizabeth Freeman, Chandler Gautney, Jenny Jeon, Justin Jones,Michael Kelley, John Koo, Anna Kate Lindsey, Mason Little, Lucie Longshore, Sellers McConnell, AliceMcGowin, Kate Moore, Ford Mozingo, George Norrell, Will Palmer, Ellen Park, Jake Parker, Griffin Payne,Sister Penton, Elizabeth Robertson, Caroline Sellers, Porter Simpler, Jalen Smith, Camp Spain, Ann VivianSpencer, Mary Neill Starke, Helen Taylor, GrahamWaldo, Olivia White, Talya Whyte, and Dison Williams

Forty-six Students Qualify for DukeTalent Identification Program

The Montgomery Academy has beenrecognized as one of the nation’s Top100 schools in speech and debateactivities by the National ForensicLeague (NFL). The MontgomeryAcademy ranks 89 out of over 3,000schools nationwide based on studentparticipation and achievement in speechand debate activities. Recipient schoolsare published in Rostrum, the nationalmagazine of high school speech, and onwww.nflonline.org, the website of theNational Forensic League.

Academy Forensics TeamNamed Top 100 Program

Ninth Grader Sallie JohnsonWins Essay Contest

The Academy is proud to recognize ninth grader SallieJohnson for her recent publication of her third place essayin the September edition of The Chronicle of the Horsemagazine. A national weekly equestrian magazine, thisissue focused on foxhunting. Sallie's essay entitled"Calling for Tradition," looked back at the legacy andtradition of foxhunting. Sallie has been horseback ridingsince she was a young girl and eventing (an equestrianevent comprising of dressage, cross country and showjumping) since the age of five. She started foxhunting twoyears ago and really enjoys it. You can read her articleonline at www.chronofhorse.com in the September 5,2011 issue on page 28.

TheMontgomery Academy prides itself on being a leader in academics, athletics, arts, andactivities. In the athletics category, the Academy is second to none. With incrediblytalented and accomplished teachers and state-of-the art equipment and facilities, MA goesabove and beyond to deliver its students a first class physical education experience andpromote and instill a healthy lifestyle in them.

What makes The Montgomery Academy’s physical educationexperience different than any other schools is the way the classesare instructed. Instead of having a semester of health withlectures and tests, wellness education is incorporated in theirphysical education class everyday. “Our kids have enough sittingaround and test taking as it is,” saysDavid Bethea, Head of thePhysical Education Department. “We want to educate themthrough experience.”

And they are always finding innovative ways to teach thestudents about leading a healthy lifestyle that goes far beyondjust physical activity. One program the physical educationdepartment teaches for seniors is a course on how to avoid the“Freshman 15,” highlighting healthy eating options andactivities for that first year away from home. Just recently, theUpper School girls had a first period “healthy breakfast” wherethey were served different healthy options for that oh-so-important first meal of the day. Coach Bethea discussed the foodoptions and explained to the girls why it’s healthy and a goodbreakfast choice. “We hope this will teach them why it’simportant not to just grab a doughnut for breakfast,” saidBethea. “We try to inspire by doing.”

Julie Sinclair, Associate Director of the Athletics Departmentalso teaches classes at Metro Fitness. “We are doing the sameexercises and activities with our students that the trainers atMetro Fitness do with their clients,” said Sinclair. “We do theexact same type of training so that our students will learn theproper way to work out and not have to hire a $70 an hourpersonal trainer later in life.”

A normal week of physical education classes at the Academy willconsist of two days in the state-of-the-art weight room, one dayrunning or doing circuits, and two days learning to playsomething like tennis or ultimate frisbee. The students couldn’task for a better place to do something physical or play sports.The Academy is equipped with a sizeable weight room, afootball field, soccer field, five tennis courts, two gymnasiums,and softball and baseball fields. The Montgomery Academy isreally on top when it comes to athletics. But it’s more than justathletics; it’s learning how to take care of your body and live ahealthy lifestyle.

Health and Wellnessat the Academy

Photos top to bottom: David Bethea and Julie Sinclair teachstudents about healthy lifestyles. Physical Education classesintegrate sports, such as volleyball, with weight training andother strength building exercises in physical education classes.

FROM THE HEAD of SCHOOLM O N T H L Y U P D A T E S F R O M D A V E F A R A C E

Last spring I met with every senior to ask them to reflecton their MA student experience. The meetings wereextraordinarily informative, affirming and uplifting. Iliked them so much I decided to invite parents of seniors,in small groups of 3- 4 couples, to several breakfasts thisfall to ask for their perspective.

I opened every meeting with the same question: Whatpromises can I make to prospective families who areconsidering joining our school community? As the parentsthought about the question, I reminded them that I couldnever promise a perfect experience or an easy journey. Itdidn’t take long for the groups to open up and to share.Below are the top two promises I heard during all of theparent meetings:

Montgomery Academy offers the best, most well-roundededucational experience in the River Region

Our students are exceptionally well-prepared for college andlife beyond college

I wanted to press the parents a little and asked them tounpackage these promises by offering more details. Theythen offered specific promises about our faculty and theirchildren:

• The faculty take care of and love our children• Teachers pour themselves into their students• The Academy produces intelligent, confident,independent learners and thinkers• Students learn to advocate for themselves and areempowered to make their own decisions and developindependence

As an educator who is a true believer in the power andeffectiveness of independent school cultures, these sessionswere down right intoxicating for me! Our parents ofseniors were, in effect, fully endorsing and embracing themission of the Academy. They value our faculty’sunrelenting commitment to educating the whole child;they believe in the importance of academics, the arts,athletics and service to developing intellectual curiosityand emotional wisdom; and they recognize that characteris as important as intellect for success in college and in life.

As we enter this year’s admissions season, I will proudlyshare these parent promises with prospective families.

If you think I should add others, please feel free to contact meat 272-8210 or dave_farace@montgomeryacademy.org. Ipromise I’ll be a good listener.

This exciting evening for parentsfeatures Stacey DeWitt, anattorney, former child advocatewith the juvenile system andtelevision journalist, wholaunched Connect with Kids 10years ago to support her passionfor helping children and families.Today, Connect with Kids

produces news, Emmy-award winning television programs andparenting DVDs to give parents a glimpse into the lives of childrenand learn more about what parents can do to help their kids makegood decisions - to keep our good kids on track. The presentationis designed for parents of students of all ages and promisesimportant research based information and strategies for theperplexing problems of parenting.

Tuesday, October 47:00 p.m.

Wilson Theater

EmpoweredParenting

FeaturingStacey DeWitt

Teenagers have to deal with so manydifferent issues of concern todayincluding peer pressure, bullying, anddepression to name a few. Kids aregrowing up in an ever-evolving world,different from even a few years ago,and it can be stressful. Sometimes itcan be difficult for them to reach outto someone for whatever reason, andthat’s where Talk About It comes in.Talk About It is the leader inanonymous text and onlinecommunication and is currentlyserving hundreds of schools in 20states. So what exactly is it? It’s a wayfor students to communicate via textor e-mail to selected faculty membersabout any issues they might beexperiencing at school whether it bestress, family problems, drugs andalcohol, bullying, etc. Students maychoose to identify themselves online orthey may submit their communicationanonymously. Although faculty mayencourage anonymous students toidentify themselves, the school willrespect the anonymity of those usersunless they pose a threat to themselves,other students, or to the school.Currently many Academy students arecomfortable approaching teachers and

counselors with their problems, but byadding an additional channel ofstudent commuication “We don’t wantan instance or issue with our kids to gounnoticed,” explains Middle SchoolCounselor Brandalyn Wright.

“This system of communication willgive them a way to communicate anyproblems with us they are experiencingat school without the fear of anyoneelse finding out,” Wright continued.

If a student is being bullied, or forwhatever reason doesn’t feel like theycan openly seek assistance for an issue,this gives them another way to reachout.

Talk About It has been very successfulin other schools across the nation inhelping to prevent and reduce all kinds

of different problems that adolescentsencounter. “This system hascontributed greatly to a 70% reductionin students’ belief that bullying is aproblem at Canyon Vista MiddleSchool,” said Barbara Paris, Principal.

There are also numerous reports ofTalk About It preventing suicide introubled teens in schools using thesystem.

In the next few weeks, Talk About Itwill be introduced to Middle andUpper School students. Ten Academyfaculty members have been trained onhow to use the Talk About It and willbe the ones communicating with thestudents when they send messagesthrough the system about anyproblems or concerns they may behaving.

The Academy hopes this program willgive our students another safe place tovoice any issues they are having eitherpersonally or with other students.Please join us in encouraging yourchildren to use this communicationtool.

The Academy Introduces “Talk About It”

The Montgomery Academy Forensics Team had a great showing at the Marilee Dukes Novice Tournament held atVestavia Hills High School. Competing against teams from 21 schools and four states, 14 students participated andreceived recognition for 10 awards. In Public Forum Debate, Graham Schmidt and Jonathan Moore wentundefeated winning all four of their rounds and placed third overall whileWill Cochran and Benton Hughes wonthree of their four rounds placing 16th overall. In Duo Interpretation, Evan Price and Kris Monsen placed thirdoverall and Jack LaPlatney and Bruce Parrish took fifth place. In Original Oratory, third place overall went to KrisMonsen. Evan Price took third place overall in Prose/Poetry Interpretation.

The team will be back in action on October 7-8 at the 20th annual Raymond B. Furlong Invitational hosted by St.James School.

Forensics Team Off to a Strong Start

AROUND EACH DIVISIONFROM THE LOWER , M IDD L E AND UP P E R SCHOOL D I R E C TOR S

PRINGLE’S PAGESOctober 2011

As I checked our calendar forOctober, I once again realized what abusy month it is. There are specialevents scattered throughout theschool. Fall not only ushers in niceweather and football, but lots ofLower School fun!

The seniors will be coming to theLower School on October 11 to sharean activity with their Kindergartenbuddies. This will be the first ofseveral times the Kindergartenstudents will get together with theirsenior buddies during the school year.We are all excited about their firstvisit.

The Kindergarten students have otherfun events on their October calendar.A highlight each year is the visit ofDeputy Dave with the Kindergartenclasses on October 5. On Friday,October 14, the Kindergartenstudents and their dads or specialfriends will celebrate “Daddy Day atthe Park,” and the next week they willtake a field trip to a local fire station.What fun it is to be part of MAKindergarten–the children learnvaluable lessons in such fun ways!

In addition to the visit from theseniors, some of the tenth andeleventh graders will visit the LowerSchool during the month of October.

These Upper School students aremembers of a group that encouragesa special relationship with our fourthgraders.

The third graders recently enjoyedZoo Day. This field trip is always wellplanned and both the children andteachers have a great time enjoying thezoo while broadening their horizonsabout the animal kingdom.

The Eagleaires (Lower SchoolChorus) will be performing at theAlabama State Fair at 3:30 p.m. onOctober 10 and would love for you tocome to the Fair that day and supportthem. They will also be singing at theHoliday Market at noon on October14. I know I am predjudiced, butthey sound fantastic and are the bestLower School Choral groupanywhere. The members work hardand represent us well. They alwaysmake me feel so proud!

Some fourth grade members of theEagleaires will join some of themembers of the Middle SchoolChorus at the Alabama MusicEducators Association Workshop inBirmingham on October 7. Thesestudents will participate in a concertthat evening with children from acrossthe state at Samford University. It willbe a special experience for those

selected to sing and a treat for thosewho attend the performance.

The fourth grade will be going toHuntsville to visit the U.S. Space &Rocket Center on October 21. This isa highly anticipated field trip eachyear. It is a full day and provides aunique opportunity for classmates tobond with each other and theirteachers as they travel together andlearn about the space program.

The Lower School fall coffees havebeen well attended and quiteenjoyable. These coffees are informal,providing an opportunity for parentsto get together with each other andadministrators in a relaxed setting.

The first grading period ends October14 and report cards will be sent homeon October 21. Discuss the reportcard with your children and point outareas that should make your child feelproud and areas that need attention.Please do not over emphasize thereport card, but use it in a positiveway to promote helpful discussions.

Remember that the report card is onlyone method of communicating yourchild’s progress. Teachers holdindividual conferences in the fall andare available to discuss studentperformance and issues as they arise.

MCWILLIAMS IN THE MIDDLEO c t o b e r 2 0 1 1

I continue to be pleased with how theyear is developing in the MiddleSchool. We had an excitinghomecoming week, and we’re nowsettling back into a somewhat normalroutine prior to the end of the gradingperiod on October 14.

First of all, I would like to highlightseveral new programs at the Academythat will have an immediate impacton the Middle School. I hope thatyou noticed the article about the new“Talk About It” program in this issueof Around the Academy. “Talk AboutIt” is quickly becoming one of mostacclaimed programs for helpingstudents report problems that they arehaving to school counselors,administrators, and other teachers. Iam very excited that this tool will beoffered to our students, and I hopethat MA students will take advantage

of this new channel ofcommunication.

Furthermore, I am excited about ournew PARENTS+ program at theAcademy, and I’m specifically lookingforward to the Middle School BrownBag Lunch series. On October 18,Dr. Bob Beshear will address MiddleSchool parents on the physical andemotional changes that childrenexperience in the Middle Schoolyears. On November 15, I will lead adiscussion of academic motivation byfocusing on Daniel Pink’s bestsellingbook, Drive. Both of these sessionswill be held in the Mazyck Commonsat noon. I hope that you will makeplans to attend.

I also hope that you will plan toattend the Middle School play, TheSeussOdyssey. There will be three

performances of the play in theWilson Theater: October 13 at 7:00P.M., October 14 at 4:00 P.M. andOctober 15 and 4:00 P.M. This playis sure to delight all ages as it tells thestory of Homer’s classic epic in thestyle of Dr. Seuss. Over forty MiddleSchool students will appear onstage inthis production! Tickets are availableon the school website.

Over the course of the year so far, I’veenjoyed celebrating the successes ofour athletic teams. All of the fallathletic teams have had strongseasons. However, I’ve noticed aninteresting pattern about some of thehighlights of the fall: several of themost memorable moments haveoccurred when we’ve lost rather thanwhen we’ve won. I don’t think thatanyone who attended the games willbe able to forget the Middle School

Please do not hesitate to let yourchild’s teacher or me know when youhave concerns or topics you wish todiscuss.

As I address communication, I mustmention the Academics ManagerParent Portal. The faculty is workingto make this an excellent method ofcommunication between you and theschool. We are excited about it andhope you are as well. Please use it asyour first resource to answerhomework and schedule questions.

I would like to thank all of you foryour participation in our recentmagazine drive. The POA uses themoney earned through the magazine

sales to assist us in many ways,including providing financialresources for professionaldevelopment. You can ordermagazines through MA’s websitethroughout the year and the schoolwill get the credit. Please rememberthis when you wish to renew amagazine subscription.

The Scholastic Book Fair will be atThe Lower School from October26–November 2. The students loveshopping in the library and it is a greattime to purchase books for childrenon your holiday list. Many of you willbe volunteering during the book fairand I want to thank you in advancefor helping us.

Before concluding this issue ofPringle’s Pages, I want to remind youthat our Kindergarten Open Housewill be November 3. Please encourageany prospective kindergarten parentsto call the admissions office to makesure they are invited. Interestedpersons can also register online. Thisis an important event at the LowerSchool and is always a special evening.I am confident that this year’s OpenHouse will be the best ever!

Take care,Jan PringleLower School Director

Two big events dominate the calendarand my thinking (maybe yours too) aswe move from September to October:Homecoming and the first quartergrade report. One exists alongside ourculture of achievement; the other is anofficial record of it.

Homecoming this year maintained afragile equilibrium between havingschool and abandoning school infavor of silly outfits and the nighttimeconstruction of gigantic arts and craftsprojects. As usual, some learning gotdone and some pretty impressivefloats came together. It was gratifyingto see the kids working together,making and adjusting plans,managing unfamiliar tools andmaterials, helping each other get thebig picture and the details to mesh.

Aside from debates about whether therevelry goes on too long, or interfereswith study or doesn’t, or whether itactually has anything to do with itsorigins as a welcome back to alumni,Homecoming is an exercise in balancethat is good for the kids in ways thattranscend mere fun or school spirit.

We all have to figure out how to havea good time without completelylosing our way. Times of celebrationdon’t last, but commitments andobligations do. This Homecoming Iwas struck more than usual by thekids’ maturity in determining howmuch time they could give to buildingfloats, while figuring in the demandsof sports practices and the like as well.When I walked past classrooms, theseodd, cartoonish figures were bent over

pencil and paper or participating infocused discussions. It was a bitsurreal, but in a good way. The abilityto make smart decisions, with an eyealways on the big picture, mustconstantly be honed. I’m glad to haveseen evidence of sharp skills becomingsharper.

Report cards, of course, indicate thesharpness that academic, as opposedto decision-making, skills havereached. It’s easy to forget that theseskills exist on a continuum, that theyare always being developed andimproved. A 9-week report shows alevel of knowledge at a given time, butthat level moves and shifts from oneday to the next. The report is a goodindication of progress made andimprovements needed and, just as

FROM THE UPPER SCHOOLO c t o b e r 2 0 1 1

football team’s impressive comebackagainst Trinity or the volleyball team’spassionate play at the CCCtournament. In both of these cases,our athletes had to confront the realitythat their valiant efforts did not resultin a victory.

However, there’s evidence to suggestthat losing might not be so bad afterall. Recently, The New York Timespublished an article by Paul Toughentitled “What if the Secret to Successis Failure?” In the article, Toughanalyzes a character developmentprogram at a prominent independentschool in New York. Tough suggeststhat some problems often emerge forkids today when parents or schoolsshield children from difficulties.Tough writes, “we have an acute,

almost biological impulse to providefor our children, to give themeverything they want and need, toprotect them from dangers anddiscomforts both large and small. Andyet we all know — on some level, atleast — that what kids need morethan anything is a little hardship:some challenge, some deprivation thatthey can overcome, even if just toprove to themselves that they can.”Although I know that our studentsand parents would have been happierif we had won that football game inovertime or if we had prevailed in thefinal CCC volleyball match, we mustadmit that it is okay (or perhaps evenpreferable) for our students toexperience the pangs of defeat once ina while. Don’t get me wrong, I willalways cheer for our students to have

success in their endeavors; however, Ithink that it is instructive for ourstudents to encounter adversity andfigure out how to best deal with thatdisappointment. Fortunately, I ampleased to report that our studentshave handled these minor examples ofadversity extremely well. Theseexperiences will help our studentslater on in their lives when the stakesmay be higher.

Enjoy the cooler weather on thehorizon! I look forward to anotherexciting month in the Middle School!

John McWilliamsMiddle School Director

important, clears a space for reflection about learning.As the weeks go by, a student adjusts his or herapproaches to homework and reading and so on as itbecomes clearer what aids real learning and whatdoesn’t. At these 9-week checkpoints, both student andteacher can reflect on the highs and lows of the termand plan for the next one. Often one lesson thatemerges for a student is that each assignment, no matterhow small, definitely carries a certain amount of weight,though most of the time no one assignment can in itselfaccount for a difference of one or a few points in thefinal average. Instead, each one has its inexorable effect,so that ending up with a 79 instead of an 80 or an 89instead of a 90 is usually a matter of a few missedopportunities. Upon receiving the first quarter reportthis month, each student would be wise to think aboutways to rethink and retool so that those opportunitiesare seized and pay off, both in points earned and skillsrefined.

Cheryl McKiearnanUpper School Director

Monday, October 31 3:15 p.m.–5:00 p.m.

Food, Fun and Frights! Casserole, Soup and Bake Sale

carnival

Are you ready for cooler weather?

Get your MA StadiumBlankets and HoodedSweatshirts Now at

Wrap It Up!

WSFA Meteorologist JoshJohnson Visits 4th Grade

WSFA Meteorologist Josh Johnson recently visited MAfourth graders as they studied the science of weather. Joshdiscussed weather patterns, what causes thunder andlightning, and how the students can be prepared forsevere weather.

MA Teachers Enjoy Professional DevelopmentPrograms Over the Summer: Part Two

Last month we began highlighting members of our facultywho had the opportunity to participate in differentsummer study programs. We continue that here with fourmore interesting accounts.

Teresa Pittman, Upper and Middle School Latin teacherattended the American Classical League 64th AnnualInstitute at the University of Minnesota June 24-27. Thisis the most prestigious and well known classical studiesconferences in the nation. It included a wide variety ofworkshops, with special focus on the use of technology inthe classroom. This year the conference had a six-hourPre-Institute workshop on preparing to teach the new APLatin course that is scheduled to take effect in 2012-2013.There was also a special guest speaker: Father ReginaldFoster who is considered to be among the world’s foremostauthorities in the Latin Language and known as “the Pope’sLatinist”. Father Reginald has been on staff at the Vaticanfor almost 50 years and rarely makes appearances in theUnited States. The conference was also a greatopportunity to network with Latin teachers from acrossthe country.

Cliff Huckabee, Lower School music teacher, attendedthe JW Pepper Joy of Singing Workshop in AtlantaGeorgia over the summer. Several composers were there todemonstrate their compositions, which was great becausethe teachers got to hear the different pieces before buyingthem. There was also a choreography workshop with JohnJacobson where the teachers learned different dance movesto add to songs for chorus. Mr. Huckabee had a greatexperience and was able to find new music for both chorusand the third grade play.

Melissa Anderson, Upper School science teacher attendeda two-week long workshop in New Orleans where shelearned to use The Modeling Method of High SchoolPhysics Instruction. This method of instruction organizes

the study of physics around a small number of scientificmodels that build upon one another, thus making thecourse coherent. Students are also involved in discussingtheir naïve, but firmly held beliefs about the physicalworld. As a result, most of these beliefs are replaced witha corrected understanding of the physical world. Amodeling unit begins with a paradigm lab in which theteacher leads a pre-lab discussion in order for students todevelop a hypothesis. The next step is for students todesign an experiment, followed by a lab investigation andfinally a post-lab discussion about their model. Theseideas are reinforced through a lab practicum and unit test.Anderson recently presented The Modeling Method ofInstruction to her colleagues in an Upper School facultymeeting, and her enthusiasm was contagious! In fact, sheis assisting her physics colleague, Justin Little, with hisimplementation of this method of instruction as well.

Upper School English Teacher, Kevin Weatherhill,attended his fourth of five summers at MiddleburyCollege’s Bread Loaf School of English. This is a graduateprogram, ideal for teachers, as they offer two courses asummer over a six week period. There are five categoriesof study the program focuses on: Creative Writing,American Literature, British Literature prior to the 17thCentury, British Literature post-17th Century, and WorldLiterature. The living arrangements at Middlebury arequite rustic – wood cabins with no air conditioning and notelevisions. “It’s perfect for the earnest study of literature,”Mr. Weatherill muses. Over the past four years, his coursework has covered topics such as the Bible as Literature,Hip Hop and Youth Culture, Literacy as a Civil Right, andthe Contemporary American Short Story. Each of thesecourses has had a profound impact on what he teaches andhow he teaches it. When he completes his last two coursesnext summer, he will graduate from the program with aMasters of Arts in Literature.

Please call Susannah Cleveland or Linda Hummel at 273-7152 or visit our website atwww.montgomeryacademy.org to request more information.

Financial Aid is available.

The Time To Apply Is Now!Come see the

"MA Difference!"If interested in Applying to Kindergarten, pleasecontact the Admissions Office or inquire online

Kindergarten Open House is November 3, 2011

Middle and Upper School Prospective StudentOpen House will be January 24th at 11:30 a.m.

MA Celebrates Homecoming

The Montgomery Academy celebrated Homecoming 2011 on Friday, September 23. LowerSchool students began the day with a pep rally with cheerleaders and football players. MiddleSchool students had a homeroom window decorating contest showing their MA spirit.Upper School students created, built and decorated floats for the annual parade around theVaughn Road campus and the Hill campus as Lower and Middle School students cheeredthem on. The Varsity football team played a tough match up against the St James Trojanswhile Miah Brooks was crowned the 2011 Homecoming Queen during halftime.

Congratulations to the members of the 2011 Homecoming Court (from left to right): Elizabeth McGowin (9th grade),Sarah Paige Massey (10th grade), Sarah Catherine Hook (11th grade), Head of School Dave Farace, Lauren Jones(Kindergarten), Miah Brooks (Queen 12th grade), Haley Andreades (2010 Queen, Freshman at Vanderbilt University),Cassie Price (12th grade), Erin Katz (12th grade), Catherine Adams (12th grade), Sarah Ross Adams (11th grade),Garrett Barnes (10th grade), and McEachern Foy (9th grade).

To see more photos fromthe Homecoming parade,

click here. For morephotos from the

Homecoming pep rallyand football game,

click here.