January/February 2012

The Lower School is immersed in its annual culture studyand this year’s focus is on Australia. We began our multi-week adventure with a presentation by Frank Chamblesswho lived and studied in Australia. From there, ourstudents will explore the Great Barrier Reef, experience thesounds and rhythms of the didgeridoos, and researchAustralian topics in the library. In addition to theseactivities, the students will study Down Under geography,food, and customs, hear an entertaining presentation byAustralian story teller, Joseph Trimble, and enjoy a visitfrom the zoo of animals native to the country.

The culmination of the culture study will be the AustralianFestival February 7-9. During these days, the LowerSchool children will try their hands at Australian crafts andlearn dance steps from Tonya Speed that will be set toAustralian music. It is truly an exciting time to be a LowerSchool student, teacher, or parent.

I especially want to thank all of our parent volunteers forhelping to make this study a success. Your work with thepreparations and activities will enable our faculty to createlasting memories for the students.

G’day mates!Jan Pringle

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2012

Science• Australia’s topography,climate, and plant and

animal life

Art• Creatures of the Great

Barrier Reef• Australian animals in clay• Art of the Aboriginal

people, including cave, dotand hand painting

Computer• Map study of continents

and countries• Research activities

coordinated with Scienceteacher

• Australian vocabulary

Library• Folktales, emphasizingnature themes, mythology

and pourquoi tales• Research activities

coordinated with Resourceor classroom teachers

Language• Spanish versions of thefolktales; Spanish names ofanimals in “Waltzing

Matilda”• Geographic relationship ofAustralia to major Spanish-

speaking countries• Study of Spanish terms for

weather/climate andlandforms of Australia aswell as native animals.

Greetings from Down Under!Our annual culture study encompasses all of the disciplines inour curriculum. In addition to the activities in the classrooms,the students will also participate in Australian learningactivities in each of their enrichment classes as shown below.

PRINGLE’S PAGES

Friday, January 13 was an important night for our varsitybasketball teams. The gym was packed and the atmospherewas charged. Both teams were playing against our fiercerival, Trinity, and each needed big wins in their pursuit ofplayoff berths. By the end of the night, I was hoarse andwe had won both games.

Sweet victories for sure, but the most important momentof the night occurred between the two games. For fiveyears, the Academy has dedicated all gate proceeds fromthis special night to the fight against cancer. When ourgirls’ game finished, Athletic Director and BasketballCoach Anthony McCall addressed the packed house andintroduced Mr. Kevin Sinclair who shared his story oftriumph over cancer. The fans and players listened quietlywith respect, and then offered Mr. Sinclair a rousingstanding ovation. It made me proud to be an Eagle.

Our basketball coaches used our biggest game of the seasonas a platform to inspire empathy, service, and community.They embodied the concept of transformational coaching.According to Joe Ehrmann, a former NFL defensivelineman and current high school coach, there are twokinds of coaches: transactional coaches andtransformational coaches. Transactional coaches useplayers “as tools to meet their personal needs for validation,status, and identity.” They care about wins more thanpeople. Transformational coaches, on the other hand, basetheir philosophy on the “bold conviction that sports canhelp transform our young people,” that coaches have “thepower, platform, and position to be linchpins in individualand social transformation—player by player, team by

team, teachable moment by teachable moment.”

Coach Ehrmann survived a difficult childhood, an NFLcareer and life of drugs and alcohol to become a preacherand youth coach. Parade Magazine named him “the mostimportant coach in America” and he recently wrote thebook InsideOut Coaching: How Sports CanTransform Lives.It is a powerful book and his most interesting examples ofcontrasting coaching philosophies are found in TheWizard of Oz. The Great Oz represents a transactionalcoach. He intimidated with fear and authority, hid behindhis title and power and ultimately abandoned his charges.Dorothy, the young girl in pigtails and a dress with an ever-present lap dog, represents a transformational coach.Coaching is all about relationships and that is what madeDorothy such an effective coach. She took a group ofinsecure players, the Lion, Tin Man, and Scarecrow, and“questioned their self-doubt, pointed out evidence to thecontrary, and used a mix of empathy, firmness, andaffirmation to convince them of their worth.” While Ozbelieved in demeaning and defaming, Coach Dorothyproved that building authentic relationships throughaffirmation, empathy and encouragement is the path toindividual and team success.

As fans, let us continue to cheer for our teams, supportthem through their wins and losses and, most important,celebrate our coaches for transforming young lives throughsports.

Dave Farace

Proud To Be An Eagle

The EAGLE GALA is fast approaching and the auction committee hasbeen hard at work! Mark your calendars now for Saturday, March 3 at 6:30p.m. in the Bear Field House. Reservations will be available online early tomid-February. Making your plans early will put you in a drawing for a newiPad! Great trips, beautiful jewelry, artwork by local artists and exciting diningopportunities await your bidding.

Looking forward to seeing you all there!

AmyWilliams and Josie EskridgeEagle Gala Co-chairs

7th GradeHigh Honors

Margaret Ann AllenAmber CarterSean ChoiEmily ErnestDora EskridgeLindsey FerraroEmma Franklin

Darry Elizabeth FreemanShelton JamesJenny JeonJustin Jones

Anna Kate LindseySellers McConnellAlice McGowinKate MooreSojung ParkGriffin PayneAnnie Ramsey

Elizabeth RobertsonAnn Vivian Spencer

Talya Whyte

Honor RollJade Brooks

Laurel BuettnerAnna Claire BullardFord ClevelandKate DockeryJohn ForrestRobert Fox

Caroline GallaharSam HudsonJoshua KimJohn KooAndy LeeMason LittleFord MozingoGeorge NorrellAlex Pierce

Caroline SellersMary Neill StarkeMaryRen StevensonOlivia WhiteDison Williams

8th GradeHigh HonorsTaimoor ArshadCari Budny

Collin DarwishMary Elmore DeMott

Krista GrantMary Braden Hendon

Iris Hou

Victoria HughesRosie Jin

Allen MillsapAnna PeeplesOlivia TrehernGracie TruloveShelby WalcottLindsey Warwick

Honor RollJack BarganierAndrew Bell

William ChandlerAnne Morgan Cousins

Evan FoyHolland GriffinHenry HamlettEllie HerronRahat Islam

Scotland KemperElsa LeonardSamantha LongWilliam MooreOlivia RushPierce RussellGigi Starling

Wilkie StevensonAnn Hunter Tankersley

Bo TorbertCaroline WalkerNatasha Yearwood

9th GradeHigh HonorsDanielle BerlinDawson BuettnerTaylor DockeryIvey HendersonChristine HongCody JonesBrenna KatzMiso Kim

Sam LaPlatneyJacqueline LeeEmily PierceWill Sahlie

Scott SimmonsPatrick Thackston

Honor RollJack AndersonMichael ChoiMcEachern FoyAbigail Hagood

Elizabeth McGowinJohn Thomas Monroe

Nora NewcombTed ParkEvan Price

Joshua ThomasJillian Tinglin

Daniel Updegraff

10th GradeHigh HonorsJohn Ahn

Garrett BarnesLilla Bea GrangerWilliam HaynesAnn Hester

Elizabeth KellyRachel Lee

Anne Louise PassCady UpchurchHayden WalcottRachel WarwickWilliam WestLayne WilliamsRachael Yearwood

Honor RollMazie ChambersJake ChesnuttJustin FreemanAlan Jeon

Hyunjung KimGaun Lee

Caroline LesterSarah Paige MasseyClaire RickardLillian RothGeorge SellersJulie Yoon

11th GradeHigh HonorsLee Ellen BryanCaroline ElliottElizabeth Franklin

Won JinAndrea Grey Jones

Mary Elizabeth MasseyKrisie StakelyParker Turner

Honor RollHendrick AdamsSarah Ross AdamsSterling AndersonErin Budny

Laura Katherine CrumEmily Garcia

Morgan HeumannLizzie HobbsEmily HouMarshall LeeNeill McCorveyJackson MullerPaige Smith

William SpeaksAnna StricklandCorrie TankersleyRyan TerryAidan White

12th GradeHigh Honors

Catherine AdamsBrittany BriddellLayne DoctsonNichole GreenRachel HeavlinErin Katz

Rosalind O’ConnorRachel O’MearaZach PippinAnne SaundersStephen ScottArthur SellersWilliam SellersDana SmithBo Starke

Hannah TrachyAudrey WoikaRyan Zienert

Honor RollMiah BrooksWill Canary

John Alex FowlerJulian FreemanWylie Hayes

Dawson HaynesForrest HookFitz Hudson

Bentley HudsonLaRonica KellySawyer KnowlesGibbs Lee

Kristoffer MonsenJonathan MooreSophie Odom

Nini Rabsatt-SmithJustine Reighard

Amanda ThompsonSamWalkerSara Walker

First Semester Honor Roll

On January 13, The Montgomery Academy athletic department continued a five year tradition of supporting aninspiring cause, Coaches vs. Cancer. Coaches vs. Cancer is a night of benefit basketball where all proceeds go to supportthe American Cancer Society. The nationwide fundraiser started at the college level in 1993 and has since then madeits way to the high school basketball court, with the Academy proudly being the first high school in the River Regionto participate. The event started at MA in 2008 when Coach Anthony McCall received a letter from the AmericanCancer Society about the fundraiser and thought it was an excellent cause. In recent years, the game has been playedagainst MA’s rival Trinity and proceeds have totaled over $18,000. “I think cancer strikes a chord with everybodybecause it affects a neighbor, a church member, a family member,” said McCall. “It affects everybody. It’s anopportunity for me to do something I love and a chance to try to do something with this disease.”

Each year thousands of schools in the United Statesparticipate in the National Geographic Bee using materialsprepared by the National Geographic Society. The contestis designed to encourage teachers to include geography intheir classrooms, spark student interest in the subject, andincrease public awareness about geography. Schools withstudents in grades four through eight are eligible for thisentertaining and challenging test of geographic knowledge.

The Montgomery Academy is proud to announce ourfinalists and runner-ups for this year: fourth grade finalist:Mary Ellen Sellers and runner-up: Coleman Speir; fifthgrade finalist: Vivian Herron and runner-up: MaryElizabeth Bullard; sixth grade finalist: Wylie Edwards andrunner-up: Margaret Leonard; seventh grade finalist: AliceMcGowin and runner-up: Ford Cleveland; and eighthgrade finalist: Bradley Turner and runner-up: ScotlandKemper.

After the grade-level competitions were completed, a finalround involving the 10 finalists and runner-ups was heldwith Scotland Kemper emerging as the champion.

From left to right, Winner: Scotland Kemper, Third Place: MaryElizabeth Bullard, Second Place: Mary Ellen Sellers

Geography BeeWinners

Happy New Year! I hope that everyone’s 2012 is off to agood start so far. At this time of the year, we tend to spenda good amount of time thinking about the future. Theholidays are a distant memory, and now we are focused onnew year’s resolutions that have inspired us to go for a jogmore regularly, to eat more healthily or to spend more timewith friends and family. Although not all of theseresolutions will be fulfilled, they are important in definingthe new year as a time of renewal and new beginnings.

Likewise, the semester break gives the MA family anopportunity for a new start as well. While students needto be mindful of what transpired last semester, they alsocan begin this semester with a fresh start and a newoutlook on the semester that awaits them. Hopefully,more productive study habits will be formed or test-takingskills will be refined. I encourage all Middle Schoolstudents to make goals for the new semester that we’ve justembarked upon. Hopefully, these “resolutions” willbecome a reality in the weeks ahead.

Since I’ve been encouraging the students to make personalgoals for the new year, I want to begin this semester bysharing a couple of my new year’s resolutions with you andby pointing out some aspirations that I have for ourMiddle School community as a whole. It has been a joyfor me to work in the Middle School. I am very proud ofour faculty, our program and our students. I’ve enjoyedgetting to know the culture of the Middle School as I’ve“learned the ropes” as a new administrator. I assure youthat I’m still learning every day. I feel good about muchof the work that I’ve been able to do in the Middle School,but I also have some goals for the new year:

• First of all, I want to visit classes more often. I havefound that it is very easy to get stuck behind the desk inmy office or supervising lunch. I’m often working on tasksthat I consider to be critical, but when it comes down toit, the most critical work that is happening occurs in theclassrooms of the Academy each day. I need to spend moretime enjoying and engaging in the outstanding work thatgoes on in our classrooms. Please don’t think that I haven’tbeen visiting classes at all. I have been to many classes,

but I will be making an even more concerted effort in thenew year to go where the action is. In fact, I now have a“post-it” note next to my computer that simply says “visitclasses!” so that I will have a visual reminder each time I sitat my desk.

• Secondly, I want to make sure that I don’t lose sight ofthe “big picture" even though it’s very easy to get boggeddown in the minutiae of daily school life. I tend to be afairly detail-oriented person. I take (and will continue totake) details seriously. But I also want to make sure thatI’m focused on pursuing our larger strategic goals andworking with our faculty to define our next set of goals forthe years to come.

• Finally, I must admit that I also have made theobligatory resolution to exercise more and to eat healthierfoods. We’ll see how that one goes.

I also have several major resolutions that I would like theentire MA Middle School family to focus on in the weeksand months ahead:

• Firstly, I think that it is critical that we all do what wecan to foster a culture of respect within our student body.We all know that the Middle School years can be difficultand those difficulties can often manifest themselves inexpressions of disrespect towards family, friends or facultymembers. These expressions of disrespect can emerge invarious forms from rolled-eyes and rude comments tobullying. Although I don’t think that this is a pervasiveproblem in our Middle School, I have been exposed toenough examples of disrespect to raise this issue with youall. While I’m not naive enough to suggest that we aregoing to eliminate all forms of disrespect, I do believe thatwe can continue to make strides in this area if we make ita constant goal. At school, faculty members are workingto create a positive culture of respect in the classroom.That culture is built on the expectation that students willbe respectful in their interactions with the faculty and withone another. We also want to support the lessons aboutrespect that I know parents are teaching at home.

• Secondly, I want us to take a good look at how weprovide feedback to our students both at home and atschool. While we always want to encourage our studentsby celebrating their successes and comforting their failures,we also need to be careful to avoid what some researchersare calling "empty praise." For many years, schools haveoften focused on building self-esteem with many honors,

MCWILLIAMS IN

THE MIDDLE

recognitions, and constant praise. However, recentresearch suggests that some of these efforts may not beyielding positive results. We certainly want students toknow that they are supported and cared for, but we shouldavoid creating situations in which students have an over-inflated view of their abilities and accomplishments. Arecent article in theWashington Post highlighted the waysin which teachers are starting to handle this issue:"Drawing on psychology and brain research, educators[are now aiming] to articulate a more precise and scientificvocabulary for praise that will push children to workthrough mistakes and take on more challengingassignments." Here at MA, we have already begun theprocess of evaluating the ways that we assess studentprogress, and I look forward to continuing this process inthe months ahead. I encourage us all to recognize that ourmission calls for us to focus on the pursuit of excellence. Ifwe tell the students too often that they already "excellent,"then they may miss the key part of our mission.

• Finally, I want us all to make sure that we areencouraging our students to take full advantage of whatthis institution has to offer. I've been a little concernedwith the recent trend of students looking to lighten theirelective course loads. When I was teaching in the UpperSchool, I would often hear students (and parents) say thatthey were hoping for an "easy" senior year. Although I

understand the dangers of excessive stress and I realize thatwe need to be reasonable about our course loadexpectations, we need to make sure that MA students areseizing the amazing opportunities that our school has tooffer. Rather than taking two free periods, students shouldtake electives in the arts, science, history, technology orworld languages. We offer so many electives that ourcourse catalog rivals that of a small liberal arts college.Many students enroll in these electives; however, some donot. While many of my comments here have focused onmy experience in the Upper School, we all need to realizethat attitudes about academic work are developed muchearlier in these students' lives. Please encourage yourMiddle School students to challenge themselvesthroughout their MA experience. Encourage them towork hard in their core classes, to take electives that willenrich their experience and to engage in the wide array ofafter-school activities. A critical requirement of our"pursuit of excellence" is for all MA students to embracethe pursuit as fully as they can.

I wish you all a happy and prosperous new year! I lookforward to continuing my work with all of you in themonths ahead!

John McWilliams

The Montgomery Academy prides itself in teaching itsstudents the importance of giving back to thecommunity through various programs and activities.One way Academy students give back is by tutoringchildren at Dozier Elementary. Every month, LatinClub members visit Dozier and tutor students in mathand reading. The Academy started this program in 2003with Patterson Elementary School, and it shifted toDozier Elementary when Patterson closed.

Latin Club StudentsGive Back

Latin club member Jake Chesnutt with two Dozier Elementary first graders

Two seniors on the varsity girls basketball teamwere honored this year for a majoraccomplishment – Miah Brooks and LayneDoctson both reached the 1,000 point mark intheir Academy basketball career. Layne surpassedthis milestone in the final game of last year’sseason and was honored at MA’s first home game this year.Miah reached 1,000 points this year during a victoryagainst St. Jude and was honored at a home game againstCatholic on January 3rd. Miah is a power forward andLayne is a shooting guard and both moved up to thevarsity team at the end of their eighth grade year. Miahand Layne have been named to multiple All-Tournamentteams throughout their careers that include CCC All-Tournament, Scholars 4 All-Tournament, AreaAll-Tournament, and Regional All-Tournament. Miah has

beenselected for first team All-Metro for thepast two seasons and was also selected for second team All-State as a junior. Layne, who plans to play volleyball incollege, has been selected second team All-Metro for thepast two seasons.

“The two are very good friends off the court. In myopinion, their chemistry off court has been a big reasonfor their success on the court,” said Coach Glenn Sylvest.

Brooks andDoctson score1,000 points

The Upper School Drama Department is proud to present The Dining Roomby A. R. Gurney February 23, 24, and 28. The cast is made up of 19 upperschool students including seniors Meredith Bear, Sophie Odom, RosalindO'Conner, Rachel O'Meara, Hannah Trachy, Sara Walker and KristofferMonsen.

The play is set in the dining room of a typical well-to-do household, wherethe family assembles daily for breakfast, dinner and special occasions. Theaction is a mosaic of interrelated scenes—some funny, some touching, somesomber—which create an in-depth portrait of a vanishing species: the upper-middle-classWASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant). The actors change roles,personalities and ages as they portray a wide variety of characters, from littleboys to stern grandfathers, and from giggling teenage girls to Irishhousemaids.

COMING SOON:Upper School

Theater PresentsThe DiningRoom

Here we go: new year, new semester! Marking off one yearand moving into another is an occasion for optimism;starting over is refreshing and exciting. The cyclical natureof the school year brings stability; offering a reboot at thebeginning of a quarter or semester or year sets the stagefor progress and change. There is a happy sense ofpossibility pervading the Upper School these days as kidsand teachers settle into new schedules and classes.

Along with new learning adventures, there are non-academic offerings that look toward the future inanticipation of still more change and growth. For juniorsthere is the prospect of Career Day later in the spring;seniors will have a chance to anticipate some of thechallenges of college life during the “Survival In College”series.

In all phases of school life teachers and coaches findthemselves pursuing the same elusive balance as parents:

preventing kids from being harmed and at the same timeequipping them to manage challenging situations. Forexample, the college survival series is in part a warning:don’t do as so many others have done. It’s also a means ofhelping students find their own wisdom and strength, ofaiding them in growing past the need for adult protectionand intervention.

Later in the spring I will be leading a discussion ofWhy DoThey Act ThatWay? If you’re the parent of a teen you haveprobably asked that question many times; author DavidWalsh offers some answers based on studies of the changesthat the brain undergoes during adolescence. He does agood job of addressing the disconnect between the nascentadult in your house and the tall person seemingly revertingto the terrible twos. He gives concrete advice on how toguide your child without smothering him and how to helpyour child practice independence without giving him asurvival task he is not yet equipped to handle.

I heartily recommend Why Do They Act That Way? andsuggest that you read it if you have a chance. I have almostfinished the book and definitely feel better equipped tomanage teens and help themmanage themselves. I hope tosee you at the discussion in April.

Cheryl McKiearnan

FROM THEUPPER SCHOOL

Congratulations to Lainey Williams, Roma Pirnie, Sarah

Barnes, Corrie Tankersley, April Shambo, Joshua Thomas,

Miah Brooks, Justine Reighard, Gibbs Lee, Savannah Bullard,

Addison Tambling, and Kaylee Quinn. Their artwork was

chosen to be on display at the Montgomery Museum of Fine

Arts as part of the Fabulous Folk Art exhibit and will be displayed

from January 22 through March 4, 2012.

MA Student Artwork toBe Displayed at MMFA

Sixth Graders Go Back to

On Friday, January 20 the sixth grade class traveled to Lawrenceville,Georgia to experience Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament.The class got a unique insight into what it was like to live in themedieval time period. They enjoyed a seminar on medieval times,a medieval meal and the ever exciting tournament of knights!

M e d i e v a l T i m e s

The Montgomery Academy is proud to announcethat Varsity Girls Tennis Coach and Seventh GradeScience teacherDenise Tinney has been named the2011 Coach of the Year by the National Federationof State High School Associations. Mrs. Tinneystarts her eighth year of coaching varsity tennis atthe Academy this year and coached junior varsityfor two years prior to that. Under her leadership,the varsity girls tennis team has won State in 2008,2009, 2010 and 2011. Upon being recognized forthis award Mrs. Tinney said: “Of course, I amhonored to receive this award, but I feel this is trulya team award for the girls’ outstandingaccomplishments over the years. I have a great teamwith awesome parents, a fantastic assistant coach in

Fairlie Herron, and wonderful support from the school particularly, Athletic Director Anthony McCall, and MiddleSchool Director John McWilliams.”

Denise Tinney Named Coach of the Year