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One of the most anticipated traditions each year at JA is Senior Awards Night, held last Tuesday evening. At this event, JA announces members of the Hall of Fame, Most Beautiful, Most Handsome, Beauties and Beaux, Mr. and Miss JA, and Class Favorites, among other academic, service, and student life awards.
“Sometimes you have to leave home to see how wonderful something is,” said Lenwood Brooks ‘01, the 2025 recipient of the Jackson Academy’s Distinguished Alumni of the Year award. The alumnus who portrayed the Wizard in the school’s “The Wizard of Oz” production years ago was not speaking figuratively. Like Dorothy’s character in that tale, Brooks lived out a story of leaving and returning. Returning to JA, he said, made all the difference in his life.
On April 23, Jackson Academy’s K4 students celebrated World Book Day with a parade through the Lower School. Dressed as characters from their favorite books, students exhibited their costumes and props to Lower School students and teachers, sharing the stories they chose to highlight. From well-known classics to newer favorites, the parade showed the wide range of books that have captured the interest of JA’s youngest students. The event allowed them to connect what they were reading in the classroom to a fun, school-wide tradition.
Twenty nine Jackson Academy seniors received scholarship recognition in April during an event honoring students who will attend Mississippi State University in the fall. MSU President Dr. Mark Keenum spoke to the student body and recognized the recipients. Scholarship recognition included the full-ride MSU Presidential Scholarships awarded to Brooke Dennis and Law Stanley. Ella Boykin was honored with a full-ride scholarship for earning the METP Mississippi Excellence in Teaching Scholarship.
Jackson Academy recognized the 2024-2025 Teacher of the Year award recipients during a professional development day assembly held this spring. Each year, one teacher from each division is selected by their peers to receive this distinction.
Faculty and staff of Jackson Academy heard a fascinating presentation about artificial intelligence in education on Professional Development Day in March. Literature teacher Alesha Cary led a session that she has presented at professional conferences in Mississippi on what educators should understand about AI, both the positive and the cautionary.
Twenty five Jackson Academy seniors received scholarship recognition in April during an event recognizing students who will attend The University of Mississippi in the fall. Associate Director of Admissions for Mississippi Recruitment Megan Thomas presented scholarships, including the university’s most prestigious award, the Robert M. Carrier Scholarship, awarded to Willis Thigpen.
The University of Mississippi announced at Jackson Academy on Thursday that senior Willis Thigpen is a recipient of the Robert M. Carrier Scholarship. The award is considered the most prestigious offered by the university, according to Jackson Academy College Counselor Amy Bush. The Carrier Scholarship awards $40,000 over four years of attendance.
Each spring, those familiar words open the door to a long-standing Jackson Academy tradition: the Beatrix Potter Tea Parties. Held in the Preschool library, this special event invites K4 and K5 students into the world of “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” with lemon tea, cookies, and carrots served as they listen to the classic story read by librarian Mimi Heard.
Athletic Director Brandt Walker announced Thursday that Coach Henry Gantz is Jackson Academy’s new head coach and girls basketball program director. Coach Gantz brings a wealth of experience and a passion for developing student-athletes, both on and off the court.