Show Choirs Complete Seasons

March 27th, 2018

Both Showtime and Encore show choirs have had very successful competition seasons.

Directed by Amy Arinder, Showtime opened its season at the Jackson Prep Showchoir Masters where the group earned first runner-up. Next, Showtime competed at the Opelika Southern Showcase where the group won Best Visuals, Best Overall Effect, Best Vocals, and Grand Champion. At the West Jones Showchoir Invitational, Showtime took home first runner-up, and at the Oak Grove Magnolia Invitational the show choir was awarded second runner-up. Congratulations on a great season, Showtime!

Encore, under the direction of Katie Shores, opened its season at the Jackson Prep Showchoir Masters where the group earned first place in the large mixed division and Best Costumes. In finals, Encore was awarded Best Visuals, Best Overall Effect, Best Vocals, and Grand Champion. Next, the group competed at the Opelika Southern Showcase where the show choir earned second runner-up in the Championship Division. At the West Jones Showchoir Invitational, Encore took home second runner-up in the large division and in finals, as well as Best Costumes. At the Auburn Showchoir Show Down the group was awarded second runner-up in both the large division and in finals. Encore also earned Best Set Crew at Auburn. Encore concluded its season at the Heart of America competition in Orlando, Florida, on March 24.

Both Encore and Showtime will be holding auditions for the 2018-19 school year on May 7-9. There will be an informational meeting regarding show choir auditions held on Thursday, April 5, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. in the PAC. Please contact Katie Shores at kshores@jacksonacademy.org or Amy Arinder at arinder@jacksonacademy.org for more information.

Show Choirs Impress Judges and Audiences for Big Wins

January 31st, 2018

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Showtime 2018 (photo by Richard Stafford)

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Cannon Bosarge, solo winner

Jackson Academy’s show choirs began their competition season Friday and Saturday on a high note. JA’s Middle School and Upper School groups delivered impressive performances that yielded enthusiastic applause, accolades, and the judges’ top award for Encore at Jackson Prep’s Show Choir Masters Competition.

 

Showtime

Showtime earned first runner up in the Large Division for middle school show choirs. Cannon Bosarge won first place in the middle school solo competition.

Showtime is under the direction of Amy Arinder with Megan Rowan as accompanist. The group’s program is choreographed by Kevin Chase and Nick Quamme.

 

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Encore 2018 (photo by Richard Stafford)

 

Encore

Encore captured first place in the Large Division for upper school show choirs. Then the group “swept” the competition in finals, meaning the show choir won every category, taking home Best Vocals , Best Visuals, Best Show Design, and Best Costumes . To end the evening, in overall competition among all divisions, Encore was named Grand Champion. Latham Nance earned first place in the high school solo competition.

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Encore after the big win

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Latham Nance, solo winner

 

Encore is under the direction of Katie Shores, with accompanist Nancy Cheney, and choreography by Kevin Chase and Nick Quamme.

To see Encore and Showtime, as well as many other impressive show choirs from our state, come to JA for the Jackson Academy Showchoir Invitational this weekend. Click this link for the weekend schedule that begins Friday, February 2.

Both of JA’s show choirs will continue their competition seasons with the following appearances:
February 9-10 – Opelika, Alabama
February 16-17 – West Jones
February 24 – Auburn, Alabama (Encore only)
March 2 – Oak Grove (Showtime only)
March 24 – Heart of America, Orlando, Florida (Encore only)

Intergalactic Artist Speaks in Chapel

November 28th, 2017

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Frank Ordaz spoke to JA’s Upper and Middle School students in chapel while visiting Mississippi to create a documentary of his journey as an artist and Christian. “I knew I was an artist by the time I was 7 years old,” he said. He painted the worlds of “Star Trek,” “Star Wars,” “E.T. the Extraterrestrial,” and many more before God invaded his galaxy with the gospel of grace.

“Non-Christians want to see authentic Christians,” Ordaz told students. “They are looking to see if you walk as Jesus did.” He experimented with world religions, but when he met a true follower of Jesus Christ everything changed. The man whose faith inspired Ordaz’s was a reputable sound engineer in Hollywood, but it was his humility that earned him respect and brought the gospel to life for Ordaz.

Ordaz describes his former self as extremely arrogant, but now he displays the same humility that first drew his attention to Christ. He graciously shared wisdom gleaned from his experience with students who are interested in working in the arts. He told students that to truly thrive as a Christian artist you must have a good support system, and be excellent at what you do.

After working as a matte painter for the movies, Ordaz went on to work as an illustrator. At the request of former first lady Barbara Bush he created the artwork for the 2006 White House Easter Egg Roll. In 2011, Ordaz returned to his first love: oil painting. His fine art landscapes and portraits are sold through shows he attends and his own venue in Auburn, California, where he resides with his wife Jana. The couple has two sons.

JA parent Anthony Thaxton met Ordaz at a Christian arts workshop where Ordaz invited Thaxton to help him share his story. In the three years since their first meeting the men have filmed in California, Mexico, and Mississippi and have become dear friends. Ordaz’s story includes the flamboyance of Hollywood but is ultimately a story of how one man’s humble faith set another free to discover his true Father and, through knowing him, his identity and purpose.

First Quarter Honor Rolls

November 15th, 2017

Academy Honor Roll

Twelfth Grade
Avery Anderson, Janise Bennett, Blaine Bowman, Hadley Brennan, Hannah Collums, Ilana Dallaire, Lacey Irby, Will Laird, Braden Lewis, Dolph Maxwell, Meredith McClellan, Elizabeth McCubbins, Lindsey Nosef, Allie Perkins, Claire Ross, Maggie Smith, Lillie Walker, Emma Ward, Brehan Whitehead, Anna Claire Williams

Eleventh Grade
Ashlyn Adair, Skylar Alexander, Eeshaan Bajaj, Ashton Berry, Elliott Butler, Johnny Carpenter, Lucy Clement, Camille Couey, Mary Beth Dyess, Camille Felder, Charlie Gautier, Avery Hederman, Erin Hederman, Columbia Holeman, Megan Lacey, Anne Marie Lundy, Kit McCormack, Preston McWilliams, Brandon Miller, Gabrielle Morris, Burkette Moulder, Charlotte Palmer, McKinna Powell, Kaylan Sanders, Will Spence, Webb Strickland, Mary Lindley Tharp, Pier Thompson, Mary Parker Williams

Tenth Grade
Reese Anderson, Walker Barnes, Kelsey Burke, Steven Chustz, Carter Elliott, Courtney Francois, Simeon Gates, Trey Herrington, Miles Johnson, Case Kempthorne, Azaria McDowell, Harris McLemore, Asher Morgan, Kennedy Nations, Virginia Parry, Nora Pickering, Anna Katherine Ray, Anna Roberson, Lily Grace Thigpen, Nelson Thomas

Ninth Grade
Drew Antici, Thomas Arnold, Connor Bailey, Paul Bautista, Emmy Brown, Nicholas Bryan, Gracie Coe, Emma Collums, Ava Couey, Coleman Dinkins, Caroline Graven, Phoebe Guinn, Caroline Harrington, Sophie Hays, Avery Hendrick, Zharia Hill, Parker Kirby, Zoe Ladner, Warner Lamb, Emory Ann Laseter, Isabelle Lee, Isabel Lehman, Miles Taylor Leverette, Lachlan McLendon, Elizabeth Pedigo, Madeleine Pettus, Will Pilkington, Priya Ray, Emma Roberts, Lila Robertson, Anna Claire Seago, Lauren Anne Smith, Emery Thigpen, Wes Thomas, Ty Usey, Maysa Vivians, Alice Williams

Eighth Grade
Abigail Addison, Abby Arnett, Drew Barrentine, Cannon Bosarge, Anna Claire Bush, Gibson Cheney, Jalia Coins, Caroline Courtney, Gunner Cress, Rachel Beth Deaton, Regan Felder, Tye Gardner, Connor Gee, Ferriday Rose Green, Sandon Guild, Samuel Hadley, Reid Hewitt, Tray Holeman, Harrison Johnston, Maggie Koury, Annalee LeDuff, Davis Lee, Parker Lowe, Clayton Mahaffey, Kennedy McKee, Anna Carlisle Nichols, Anne Barret Roberson, Ashton Tate, Sarah Beth Usey, Annalee Willson

Seventh Grade
Thomas Antici, Bailey Berry, Cade Breland, Sarah Clay, Elizabeth Copeland, Lucy Brooks Elfert, Mary Manning Farese, Cooper Flechas, Jeffrey Gao, Grayce Geary, Ann Cole Hammons, Sydney Grace Hewitt, Emma Duncan Hogue, Blake Jones, Ava Ladner, Drake Lester, Samuel Long, Merritt Nations, Anna Lauren Parker, Eliza Perkins, Dev Sharma, Louis Summerford, Camille Towery, Josh Watson, Olivia Claire Williford, Parker Yarborough

Honor Roll

Twelfth Grade
De’ja Bradford, Garner Cheney, Caroline Childress, Sam Ciaccio, Garrett Clarke, Kellan Clower, Kennedy Collins, Sophie Creath, Frances Anne Fortner, Cailynn Gregory, Katherine Hudson, Katie Johnson, Kyle LeDuff, Tre Lewis, Emma Lucas, James McLemore, Blake Mills, Mary Mitchell, Gage Morgan, Kennedy Neal, Walker Pedigo, Max Rogers, TJ Smith, Olivia Stringer, Isabel Temple, Bryant Thaxton, Sarah Grea Walker, Drake Warman

Eleventh Grade
Hayden Allen, Addison Avdoyan, Lailaa Bashir, Samantha Brown, Ellie Brent Cartwright, Darby Douglas, Owen Fracchia, Ariel Hayes, Ansley Hill, Thomas Iupe, Sean Lackey, Francie LeDuff, Ashley Manning, Reese Overstreet, Isabelle Partain, Tafarri Pleas, Carneilus Powers, Dylan Ramey, Emory Rhodes, Logan Thomas

Tenth Grade
Joseph Adams, Lili Alford, Emily Burks, Brent Butler, Yazzy Chambers, Lizzy Childress, John Eric Clark, Kellum Clark, Ava Del Vecchio, Ginny Dyess, Gracie Eubank, Land Gebhart, Sydney Guy, Hannah Hardee, Logan Hatten, Russell Hawkins, Gabrielle Healy, Caroline Hill, Alayla Jackson, William Janous, Henry Lee, Christian Luckett, P.J. Martin, Sara Evelyn McClintock, Ja’Ree Myers, Douglas Noble, Keishun Pickett, Alex Rushing, Will Travelstead, Don Waller, Reed White, Mary Gray White

Ninth Grade
Simms Baker, Parker Bracken, Rosemary Caldwell, Mackenzie Coburn, Julianna Copeland, Ava Crawford, Jenna Daly, McNeill Dinkins, Mary Grace Downs, Turner Easley, Isabelle Eiland, Meredith Fielder, Tristan Foster, Krislyn Gibson, Gus Gordon, Fumilayo Hall, Garner Hixon, Michael Hogue, Andrew Holmes, Hallie Gray House, Ford Hudson, Caitlin Johnson, Graham Laseter, Nicole Lawrence, Marie Lewis, Michael Lowe, Jonathan Lucas, Pryor Mehrle, Jesse Montgomery, Hensley Moulder, Thomas Nance, Anna Blake Reed, Elena Roberts, Elise Robinson, Bryant Seago, Ally Sessums, Ella Jane Simmons, Emily Thompson, McKenna Thompson, Jack Varner, Kate White, Delaney Williams, Samia Wilson, Anne York

Eighth Grade
Jordan Bertschler, Andrew Burks, Elizabeth Castle, Davis Cress, Caroline Crisler, Ashley Crump, KD Davis, Morgan Dilworth, Matthew Frost, Parker Grant, Hudson Hadley, Anthony Jasinski, Libby Lohmeier, Brooks Magee, Daniel Martin, Molly McClure, Charlie Nutter, Hayden Parr, Olivia Quin, Will Rhodes, John Moak Scarbrough, Garrett Smith, Reed Travelstead, Banks Whittington, John Wicks, Drew Williams

Seventh Grade
Stella Allen, Molly Baldwin, Mary Peyton Barnette, Gwen Bishop, Emily Buchanan, KK Clark, Lila Eubank, Mary Grace Foster, Lilly Gebhart, Mia Healy, Houston Hearn, Win Hooker, Josie Huff, Adams Kennedy, Walker Lake, Cruise Nance, Gracie Drew Pratt, Brooke Rogers, Kendall Ross, Dane Stevens, Dajionae Weathersby, Bennett Wier

Impacting Writing for Middle School a Goal of Megan Logan

October 3rd, 2017

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“Everything changed this summer,” says Megan Logan. Ready to stay at home and teach her children, she was surprised to receive a call from Middle School Dean Matt Morgan. It was two weeks before classes would start, and Morgan asked Logan to join the Jackson Academy faculty and teach eighth grade English.

Sudden change is not new in Logan’s life. While in her junior year of college she was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. “One day I came home from church and there was a knot,” she points to her chest, “that had not been there.” Early diagnosis gave her a good prognosis, but still meant leaving the University of Southern Mississippi for a semester and moving home to Clinton to complete treatment in Jackson.

“You would never expect something like that to happen to you in college. Nobody does,” says Logan, “but the Lord used it for good and really grew my faith during that time.” As her location changed, so did her perspective. “I said I was going to be a business woman,” she recalls. “I was going to make lots of money.” Instead, she set out to work in the same field her father and mother had made their careers in – education. “I realized what was important to me and that if I was going to work I wanted to do something that was fulfilling, and I also wanted a career that allowed me to have lots of family time, so teaching became evident that that was just what the Lord had for me.”

Logan completed her degree at Mississippi College and taught at an independent school and in the Clinton public school system with her husband, James Logan. He is now in seminary, and with four children at home it seemed impossible for Logan to take on a full time teaching position. Logan still recalls her response to Dean Morgan’s call: “I said, ‘There’s no way.’” A visit to campus for a tour and interview erased her uncertainty. “Everybody was just so warm and friendly,” says Logan. Jackson Academy’s emphasis on community quickly had her hooked. “It was an environment I was excited to bring my family into,” she says.

“Everything was just right here.” For Ella in fifth grade, Sarah in first, and Mae in kindergarten, JA provided a perfect match for Logan to teach while her children had access to quality, holistic education. Her youngest child, Henry, is two years old and spends his days under the care of an aunt.

As Logan’s family settles into the JA community, she is settling into teaching eighth grade English at a new school. She focuses on teaching students to apply grammar skills in writing. From teaching personal narratives to research papers, she exudes passion for her subject and students.

Logan knows firsthand the importance of a good teacher. At Hinds Community College, Dr. Beverly Fatherree taught Logan’s English course in such a way that “it really changed the way I thought about just about everything and how writers viewed the world and how they communicated and how [writing is] so important that it touches all aspects of life.”

As Megan Logan works to impact the lives of her students, she seeks to do more than teach ideas. She seeks to embrace the opportunity her visit to JA showed her – an opportunity to become part of a community. “I really do feel like the teachers here all care about the students,” she says. “It’s not just academics. Academics are very important, but it feels like a family.”