JA Launches New Strategic Plan: One Path Forward

August 21st, 2015

On August 6 during Teacher Work Week, JA faculty, staff, and administrators met for a presentation of JA’s 2015-2020 strategic direction.

Reflecting on the achievements of the past five years, our faculty, staff, and administration, in conjunction with members of our broader community, have identified core ways we can continue to provide students and families the best education possible–an education that seeks to inspire every child individually and equip every student to live a life of purpose and significance.

To learn more about the strategic plan, visit jacksonacademy.org/strategicplan. Join us on our One Path Forward. For our children, for our families, for a stronger JA.

Fourth Quarter Honor Rolls

May 26th, 2015

Fourth quarter honor rolls are as follows:

Academy Honor Roll

Twelfth Grade :William Bell, Hunter Berry, Sarah Allen Bowman, Blake Brennan, Caroline Burford, Elizabeth Burford, Kristen Clower, Caroline Duncan, Maris Hardee, Maggie Hubbard, Hannah Jane LeDuff, Jake Manning, Suzie Raines, Tori Roberts, Thad Scott, Mary Brooks Thigpen, Will Tribble, Will Varner, Ann Elizabeth Walker, Matt Whitfield, Martha Rose Wright

Eleventh Grade: Makenna Adams, Nick Beddingfield, Reid Fracchia, Sarah French, Georgia Gibson, Dalton Gibson, Kathleen Giddens, Ford Gordon, Robyn Hadden, Sydney Hays, Kyle Kantor, Parker Kennedy, Abbey Lindsay, Rose Maxwell, Tyler McClellan, Hannah McCowan, Glennis McWilliams, Hayley Murphy, Caroline Nall, Avenell Newman, Annalee Purdie, Amanda Ray, Sam Rhodes, Alexis Ridgeway, Davis Rippee, Blaine Tierney, Cory Tirman, Abigail Tyner, Jack Virden, Clarke Wilkirson, Ford Williams

Tenth Grade: Alexandra Barlow, Lizzie Bowman, Grace Cartwright, Conley Chinn, Mary Hunter Johnston, Sahil Patel, Travis Rogers, Malon Stratton, Livvie Strickland, Nancy Usey

Ninth Grade: Avery Anderson, Janise Bennett, Blaine Bowman, Hadley Brennan, Caroline Childress, Sam Ciaccio, Kellan Clower, Kennedy Collins, Hannah Collums, Sophie Creath, Lacey Irby, Katie Johnson, Will Laird, Braden Lewis, Emma Lucas, Bailey Magee, Dolph Maxwell, Meredith McClellan, Gracie Meck, Kennedy Neal, Lindsey Nosef, Walker Pedigo, Baley Reed, Jeffery Richburg, Maggie Smith, Olivia Stringer, Emma Ward, Brehan Whitehead, Anna Claire Williams

Eighth Grade: Skylar Alexander, Eeshaan Bajaj, Ashton Berry, Elliott Butler, Lucy Clement, Camille Couey, Mary Beth Dyess, Avery Hederman, Erin Hederman, Columbia Holeman, Megan Lacey, Lexi Lomax, Anne Marie Lundy, Kit McCormack, Preston McWilliams, Brandon Miller, Gabrielle Morris, Reese Overstreet, Will Spence, Mary Lindley Tharp, Mary Parker Williams

Seventh Grade: Blakely Amis, Reese Anderson, Emily Burks, Steven Chustz, Carter Elliott, Gracie Eubank, Courtney Francois, Logan Hatten, Russell Hawkins, Ashlie Henderson, Caroline Hill, Sydney Morris, Kennedy Nations, Virginia Parry, Maddie Puckett, Anna Katherine Ray, Anna Roberson, Ellie Rogers, Kayla Shepherd, Lily Grace Thigpen, Jane Anna Vickery, Mary Gray White

Honor Roll

Twelfth Grade: Matthew Aiken, Hayden Berry, Gordon Campbell, Matthew Campbell, Beatty Carpenter, Zach DePriest, Annie Edgecombe, Grady Fisher, Gavin Funderburg, Anderson Helton, Danielle Hodges, Haley Hodges, Steven Irby, Eliza Lundy, Mary Morgan Pryor, Chandler Sessums, Bryan Sumner, Jheri Thomas, Chrisshawn Turner, Price Waltman, Lauren Williams, Bailey Wood

Eleventh Grade: Allie Brown, Brennan Canton, Madison Carroll, Kendall Cockayne, David Crystal, Matthew Faulkner, Daisy Ford, Chris Howie, Hannah Hudson, Camryn Kestenbaum, Ben McDowell, Rebecca Nosef, Mary Ousley Owen, Hays Rogers, Ashley Sanders, Avery Smith, Delaney Wallace, Lucy Waller, Hannah Wootton, William Youngblood

Tenth Grade: Parker Alexander, Hope Berry, Mary Kathryn Brogan, Mary Kate Brown, Catherine Burford, Kathryn Butler, Chelsea Francois, Abigail Giddens, Callie Hall, Grace Herfurth, Abbie Knighton, Claire McClure, Milla McCormack, Ambie McCoy, William Mitchell, Kassidy Neal, Grace Parry, Michael Payne, Olivia Rule, Elizabeth Scott, Phillip Talley, Gracy Thomas, Mitchell Tyner, Dray Willson, Kayla Young

Ninth Grade: Maggie Allen, Grace Ardelean, Bryan Barksdale, Garrett Clarke, Sara Thomas Easley, Frances Anne Fortner, Cailynn Gregory, Hannah Hardin, Katherine Hudson, Baker Kirkland, Kyle LeDuff, Joshua Lucas, Elizabeth McCubbins, James McLemore, Blake Mills, Mary Mitchell, Heather Molden, Gage Morgan, Luke Pitts, Noah Thigpen, Lillie Walker, Sarah Grea Walker, Drake Warman, Cassidy Wray

Eighth Grade: Ashlyn Adair, Hayden Allen, Addison Avdoyan, Samantha Brown, Johnny Carpenter, Ellie Brent Cartwright, Cam Diket, Camille Felder, Sara Wilson Fielder, Sarah Fisher, Owen Fracchia, Charlie Gautier, Ariel Hayes, Ramey Hogue, Thomas Iupe, Sean Lackey, Francie LeDuff, Ashley Manning, Rob McDowell, Burkette Moulder, Charlotte Palmer, Tyler Pitts, Tafarri Pleas, McKinna Powell, Walker Rippee, Webb Strickland, Will Thomas, Venice Williams

Seventh Grade: Lili Alford, Walker Barnes, Nicholas Brown, Kelsey Burke, Brent Butler, Katie Carter, Elizabeth Childress, Ava Del Vecchio, Walker Fielder, Tanner Golden, Sydney Guy, Hannah Hardee, Zipporah Hawkins, Gabrielle Healy, John David Hendrick, Trey Herrington, Ana Kelly Hontzas, Alayla Jackson, William Janous, Bennett Johnston, Case Kempthorne, Henry Lee, Christian Luckett, P.J. Martin, Sara Evelyn McClintock, Harris McLemore, Chris Mondie, Douglas Noble, Nora Pickering, Nelson Thomas, Will Travelstead, Don Waller, Elizabeth Watson, Reed White, Camden Yates

Students Develop Skills through Leadership Programs

May 5th, 2015

JA students are active in leadership development programs in Madison County, the City of Jackson, and the City of Ridgeland. Participants in these programs are nominated by the school and serve with students from schools across the county or city, depending upon the program.

Caroline Burford and Hannah McCowan were selected as Junior Diplomats for the City of Ridgeland Chamber of Commerce. The program introduces students to business opportunities in Ridgeland and involves them in community service projects. Caroline is serving a second year in this role and was selected as a co-captain, where she serves as a team leader. The Junior Diplomats participated in service opportunities such as KidFest Ridgeland, Make a Difference Day, Trunk or Treat at Halloween, Youth Villages Holiday Heroes Wrapping Party, and the Mayor’s Fun Walk. For photos, click here.

Kyle Kantor and Annalee Purdie participated in the Madison County Youth Leadership program. Part of this groups’ experience included meeting with legislators and being mentored by local college professors. Madison County participants were recognized at the February 27 League and Legislative luncheon held by the Madison County Business League & Foundation at the Old Capitol Inn. For more information, click here.

Gipson Clark, Symone Davis, Max Milam, Bryant Miller, and Caroline Nall were selected for Youth Leadership Jackson, a program operated by the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership. The program seeks to develop confident young leaders who are committed to advancing and positively impacting the Metro Jackson area.

One of the activities for this group of students was learning about how the Jackson Police Department is structured and touring the facilities. The participants also met Hinds County Sheriff Tyrone Lewis, sat in a Chancery court proceeding, heard from the Attorney General’s office, and toured the Henley-Young Juvenile Justice Center. For more information, click here.

Congratulations to all our JA participants!

Two JA Groups Get Involved with Heifer International

April 28th, 2015

MS-Heifer

What do a rooster crowing, bartering, gathering sticks, lack of sleep, a mouse, and joy in the midst of hardship have in common? All are part of the story of the Heifer Village experience. On March 30, sixth graders, faculty, and chaperones spent a night in an experiential learning setting designed to increase awareness of how hunger and poverty affect people. Heifer Village in Perryville, Arkansas reenacts the challenges of living in areas of the world where Heifer International sends aid.

Heifer International was established 70 years ago on the “teach a man to fish” philosophy that works to end world hunger and poverty by helping families achieve self-reliance. Through donations, the organization creates a sustainable source of income and nutrition by providing a family a cow, goat, chickens, or other animal.

Shortly after providing orientation, Heifer Village staff randomly assigned students and chaperones to a village in a poverty-stricken area of the world where they “lived” for nearly 24 hours. Some students were randomly assigned an “injury,” “blindness,” or “pregnancy” to illustrate how those things can affect daily life in a village. Each village was given limited supplies and instructions for setting up camp, building fires, and making a meal. Adults were assigned to be either “elderly” or a “two-year old” so that students could take the lead. One group of 14 was given a plastic tub filled with a pot, seven matches, a container of oil, and a paring knife. They then had to barter for wood to build a fire and acquire food by bartering, offering to work for food, or even stealing.

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