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JA conducted graduation ceremonies in the Brickyard for the second year in a row, a location that was precipitated by the pandemic, but quickly was asked to become a tradition. At 7 p.m., the ceremony opened with Faculty Member Chris Tucker carrying the school banner onto the field. Administrators, faculty members, and seniors followed, processing from the west end of the field to the east before taking their seats.
For Senior Chapel each spring, the graduating students don their caps and gowns for the first time and, holding their Alpha and Omega friends by the hand, parade into a school chapel service for the last time. There’s nothing like this mentorship program. JA kindergartners have the opportunity to engage people older than them, which provides priceless self-confidence and many fun memories. Meanwhile, the seniors remember their experiences from elementary school and see the proof that they’ve grown into young men and women who are ready for the next chapter of their lives.
The Book of Kells at Trinity College in Dublin is a treasured series of lavishly illustrated Latin manuscripts of the Gospels. The Greek island, Oia, is one of the most photographed places on the planet. These iconic sights are on the itineraries of JA’s two upcoming study abroad trips.
Members of the Jackson Academy coaching staff look forward to a 2021-22 athletic season filled with great competition and great opportunities. As incoming Head of School Palmer Kennedy begins his transition to the leadership of JA in June, interim athletic leadership positions for the year have been filled. A plan for hiring additional posts and structuring the coaching staff is underway.
Lance Pogue will serve as interim athletic director, overseeing the administration of JA’s athletic programs. He will continue as varsity head football coach, a position he held during the 2020-21 school year. Before that, he served JA for three years as defensive coordinator. Brandt Walker will continue to serve with Pogue as associate athletic director.
Priyadarshini “Priya” Ray is no stranger to accolades. The Jackson Academy Class of 2021 valedictorian won a place in the JA Hall of Fame, as a National Merit Finalist and STAR Student, and now adds recognition as a Jackson Free Press Amazing Teen to her growing resume of accomplishments. Having reaped the rewards of academic excellence throughout her years at JA, Priya continually reflect the spotlight directed at her toward classmates and teachers she leaned on and supported.
In its 36th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, Gatorade announced Parker Bracken of Jackson Academy as its 2020-21 Gatorade Mississippi Volleyball Player of the Year. Parker is the third JA student to receive a Gatorade Player of the Year award in recent years. Parker has been named Gatorade Player of the Year two years in a row. JA will recognize Parker at a ceremony Wednesday, May 12 at break.
Jackson Academy’s Ducks Unlimited Chapter took top awards at the annual Ducks Unlimited Banquet Friday evening at McLain Lodge. The Duck Bowl is a fundraising competition held throughout the year between Jackson Academy and Jackson Prep. JA’s chapter raised more than $23,000 for Ducks Unlimited through its annual banquet and spring raffle. Ducks Unlimited uses funds raised for wetlands preservation, conservation, and education throughout North America.
Last week saw Raiders in action on the field and court Wednesday and Friday through Saturday vying for state championship titles. The JA tennis teams competed in singles and doubles play throughout the day on Wednesday. Congratulations to the girls’ tennis team for claiming their sixth title in a row, and twelfth title overall, and to the boys’ tennis team for earning runner-up! On Friday and Saturday, JA track and field athletes claimed multiple state titles in individual and team events.
April is National Poetry Month, a time to read, listen to, and practice writing in this distinct literary style. In fifth and sixth grade English classes, Grace Simmons and Mallory Gnemi taught poetry’s characteristic elements, forms, and genres throughout the month, and shared their enthusiasm, too. To mark the end of April, fifth and sixth grade English classes celebrated by creating a Poetry Cafe! The fifth graders took turns stepping onto the PAC stage by class and reading a selection of poems and definitions aloud before enjoying some sweets. Sixth-grade students sipped coffee and nibbled cookies while taking turns reading from the biographies and writings of poets they enjoyed learning about – some even shared original poetry!
As Henry Wadsworth Longfellow so eloquently wrote in his poem “A Psalm of Life,” human beings can lead lives of greatness that will “leave footprints on the sands of time.” Longfellow was calling his readers to live life to the fullest and set an everlasting and inspiring example for others. Longfellow’s call is evident in the actions of Jackson Academy teachers, particularly those in the Academic Resource Center (ARC) who help students live more fully by understanding how they learn best, managing learning differences, developing confidence, and sharpening time management skills.