A Message from the Head of School |
|
Dear FA Families,
I am writing this morning to inform our school community that FA will move to a pilot program of optional mask wearing beginning this Monday, October 4th. This will provide an option for our students that we have been unable to comfortably provide until now. What will continue to remain the same, though, in terms of the school’s Covid–related protocols is:
- A heightened awareness and loyalty to the school community by individual parents to unfailingly keep sick children at home;
- Our school’s emphasis is on personal responsibility in the accurate and timely self-reporting of a positive test, contact tracing, and maintaining the existing quarantining guidelines; and
- A continued emphasis on sustaining appropriate social distancing whenever possible and on vigorously and regularly washing one’s hands.
The school's Covid Committee does not perceive the virus as any less dangerous nor less contagious than we once did; it appears less pervasive in our area at this time. Numbers from the hospital and numbers from the Glynn County Health Department both indicate that the virus is dramatically less prevalent in our area now.
FA’s running Covid dashboard numbers indicate that not one FA student has contracted Covid in the past three weeks, and we have only had two quarantines during that timeframe. This school year we have had 11 positive cases, 5 presumed positive cases, and 58 quarantine cases.
The Glynn County data is not as heartening, but it is inarguably trending downward with positive test cases moving from 19.4% on September 3rd to 7.85% earlier this week. Area hospitalizations are trending similarly downward. The committee’s reasoning for relaxing the mask mandate and offering the mask optional alternative now is that even with our students potentially interacting with the larger unmasked area population from 4:00PM on every school day and on the weekends, our dashboard numbers are so low that the perceived risk now of any significant number of FA students contracting the virus appears well below any reasonable risk tolerance level … mask or no mask. Additionally, even in the eleven cases that we have had with our students this fall, no one has become seriously ill.
“Mask optional” certainly means that teachers, staff, and/or students are invited to continue to wear masks anytime while at school. My guess is that some will; many will not. Some of us will wear masks for the first week or so at least in support of those younger students who might still want/need to wear a mask but feel self-conscious. All teachers and coaches will emphasize the importance of personal choice on this matter at this time and support student choice along either pathway. No ridiculing or bullying will be tolerated.
Piloting this program allows the school the flexibility to return to the mandated mask option if the situation changes. No one to date seems spectacularly accurate in predicting the behavior of these viruses, so my unsolicited opinion is that it would be prudent to hang on to your supply of masks for a bit. The Georgia/Florida football weekend, Halloween, and Thanksgiving are all still before us this fall.
A heartfelt thanks to everyone for exercising compromise and understanding in mask decisions this fall. There surely was a group of parents who were not in favor of mandated masks when we first instituted the plan, and there may be a group who feel like this move to optional masks is premature. Part of living in harmony within a community is the ability to express one’s perspective civilly and then have faith in the particular decision-making body that careful thought will be given to each decision for the greater good, regardless of whether you personally agree with it or not. Onward and upward we march on together. It’ll be great to be able to see smiling faces again.
Respectfully,
Scott L. Hutchinson
Head of School
|
|
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED THIS WEEK:
Friday Night Varsity Football Game
Monday @ 10:00 AM
US Assembly in the Gym
Monday @ 1:05 PM
Varsity Girls Soccer Meeting
Athletic Conference Room
Monday @ 3:20 PM
MS + US STEM Club Meeting
Mrs. Bradford's Classroom
Monday @ 4:00 PM
MS Tennis vs. St. Francis
@ Coastal College of Georgia
Monday @ 5:00 PM
MS Volleyball @ Jane Macon
Tuesday @ 7:15 AM
MS Faculty Meeting
Tuesday @ 1:00 PM
Augusta University
College Counseling Center
Tuesday
Varsity Volleyball Matches
vs. Ware County @ 6:00 PM
vs. Brunswick High @ 7:00 PM
@ Brunswick High School
Tuesday-Thursday
Wednesday @ 8:00 AM
FA Parent Association Board Meeting
Shuman Conference Room
Open to All FA Parents
Wednesday @ 10:00 AM
US Advisory
"Compassion It"
Wednesday @ 1:05 PM
Varsity Boys Soccer Meeting
Athletic Conference Room
Wednesday @ 3:30 PM
All-School Faculty + Staff Meeting
Gymnasium
Wednesday @ 6:00 PM
College Financial Aid Night
Junior + Senior Students/Parents
Thursday (Noon - 2:30 PM)
FA Campus Flu Vaccine Clinic
Thursday @ 5:00 PM
MS Football @ St. Andrews
Thursday @ 5:00 PM
MS Cross Country
@ Blythe Island
Thursday
Varsity Cross Country
Boys @ 5:00 PM
Girls @ 5:30 PM
College of Coastal Georgia
Friday (All Day)
FA Schoolwide Spirit Day
Friday @ 8:10 AM
Lower School Morning Meeting
Gymnasium
Friday @ 9:00 AM
American University of Paris (Virtual)
College Counseling Center
Friday @ 10:30 AM
Pre-K Fire Truck Campus Visit
Friday @ 7:30 PM
Varsity Football @ Home
vs. Memorial Day School
Pink-Out Game
Friday @ Varsity Football Game
FA Sports of Fame
Halftime Ceremony
Friday + Saturday
Varsity Volleyball State Tournament
Saturday
MS and US Debate and Speech Meet
Online (Hosted by Valdosta High School)
Saturday @ 6:30 PM
FA Sports Hall of Fame
Induction Ceremony
Invitation Only
Monday, October 11
School Holiday (Fall Break)
|
|
Fleming Hall Dedication Ceremony |
|
On Friday, Frederica Academy's Middle School hosted the formal dedication ceremony of Fleming Hall in memory of Ellen E. Fleming.
The ceremony was an opportunity to honor Miss Fleming's vast accomplishments as Frederica Academy's longest-serving Head of School, recognize Miss Fleming's family, express our gratitude to the Terry Thomas Foundation and all of the other donors who have contributed to the Ellen E. Fleming Memorial Fund, unveil a beautiful portrait of Miss Fleming painted by Helen Bowers that will hang in Fleming Hall, and showcase our extraordinarily talented and impressive student vocalists, presenters, and speakers who participated in the ceremony.
|
|
L-R: Helen Bowers, portrait artist and FA alumni parent; Ellen Fixx, Miss Fleming's niece and namesake; Megan Trowbridge; and Madison Morgan.
Megan and Madison assisted with the portrait unveiling while Merrill Been (photo below) narrated the unveiling. Megan, Madison, and Merrill are the three seniors who were in Pre-Kindergarten when Miss Fleming was starting her fifth year as Frederica Academy's Head of School in 2008.
|
|
Johnathan Aiken, Middle School Student Council President, and Scout Brummett, Middle School Student Council Vice President, presented gifts to Dewey Benefield and Susan Goodhue to express the school's appreciation to the Terry Thomas Foundation for its legacy gift to the Ellen E. Fleming Memorial Fund. |
|
Mary Ford Fitzjurls and Elizabeth Temple, members of the FA Class of 2026, presented a commemorative replica of the plaque that will hang in Fleming Hall with Miss Fleming's portrait to Nancy Fixx, Miss Fleming's sister. |
|
Members of the Middle School Ensemble performed, "What the World Needs Now is Love" during the dedication ceremony. Performers included: Greer Flagstad, Faye Flagstad, Riley Kruk, Peyton Kruk, Braylee Chism, Lola Byrd, Maddie Lavallee, Kyler Alexander, Ava Wyrick, Olivia Helms, Emerson Pickens, Elizabeth Temple, Annabell Rhodes, and Brianna Kohlhoff. The students were directed by Tess Nielsen (keyboard) and accompanied by Reagan Raffaele (saxophone). |
|
October Parent-Teacher Conferences |
|
Frederica Academy parents are encouraged to take advantage of the parent-teacher conference opportunities offered on the evening of Thursday, October 21 (Middle and Upper School) and during the day on Friday, October 22 (All Divisions). School will not be in session for students on Friday, October 22.
First Quarter Report Cards will be posted on October 18; therefore, these conferences will be a chance to meet with each child's teachers and discuss each student's progress to date. It is also a moment to spend time with teachers to ask any questions about the curriculum in general, about issues specific to the challenges confronting your child, or to better understand if he or she is performing as hoped or expected.
We believe that attending your child's conference will be time well invested. Please use the divisional buttons below to schedule your conferences.
Should you have questions about these upcoming conferences, please contact the appropriate teacher or division director.
|
|
Please mark your calendars for our first FAmily Trunk or Treat on Tuesday, October 26, at 5:30 p.m.! We can't wait to see you at our not-so-spooky Halloween event. Stay tuned for more information about when to sign up and other details. In the meantime, if you would like to help plan and execute this fun family event, please join us this Tuesday, October 5, at 9:00 a.m. in Hamilton Hall.
Holiday Greenery and Poinsettia Sales Extended!
ORDER DEADLINE EXTENDED: Greenery Orders will be accepted through Friday, October 8th. We found a few extra days in our schedule and are able to extend sales through the end of this week. We would like for you all to take these extra days to share our sale with others! And to thank you for spreading the love, we have a few special offers for you:
-
Follow us on Instagram and share the latest post or story to be entered to win a direct shipped wreath that you can keep or gift to someone else.
- We will provide Free gift tags for poinsettias you plan to gift at pick up.
- We will provide complimentary delivery of any large orders of poinsettias to a single location.
Our 22" wreaths have a direct ship option so you can send them to family, friends and clients. Locally, you can order poinsettias, wreaths and greenery for neighbors, your neighborhood association, churches, your favorite charity or clients and your office.
Pickup and deliveries will be the week of November 29. Please look out for an email with exact dates and times as we get closer to the end of November.
|
|
Important FA Chromebook Information |
|
Repair season for Chromebooks has begun in earnest. The FA Technology team wants to make everyone aware of this year's pricing model. Your Chromebook is covered for parts replacement and labor in the first year it is purchased. If you purchase a Chromebook warranty after the first year, all labor costs are covered and the cost of replacement parts is billed to the family account. If you do not purchase a warranty, labor and parts will be billed to repair broken Chromebooks.
The price of Chromebook screens has drastically increased recently due to the lack of chips from China as well as the increased price of petroleum. The Technology team has shopped around and the best price replacement found is approximately $100. Last year, the highest price paid was $50. As a result of this price increase, we wanted to alert you that family accounts will be billed $100 in parts alone per cracked screen repair this year.
Faculty and staff at FA have been emphasizing Chromebook love and respect with students. Please help reinforce this at home. All of our Middle School students are required to have their Chromebooks in a case, and we recommend cases for everyone just to avoid unintentional damage. The Chromebooks are an important part of the classroom learning experience.so let's all work hard to keep them functioning all day every day. Thank you.
|
|
Tuesday - Thursday
Georgia DNR's Coastfest
|
|
FRIDAY
School-wide Spirit Day
|
|
FRIDAY
Pink Out Football Game
|
|
US Music Recording Session |
|
Dear FA Families,
The Upper School Popular Music Ensemble (PME) recently had the incredible opportunity to record a 3-track EP at The Loft Recording Studios in Columbus, Georgia. The Loft! has hosted a number of high-profile Grammy and Emmy winning artists such as Willie Nelson, The Heavy, and Helena Bonham Carter, and is widely regarded as one of the premier small studios in Georgia.
When we arrived in Columbus, we immediately began immersing ourselves in music and art with a private performance by two students of Schwob School of Music's Guitar Studio. We were all impressed with the high level of artistry as the performers tackled music by contemporary and classical composers such as Duke Ellington and Fernando Sor. Everyone walked out of the performance inspired! The performance was followed by a tour of the Schwob School of Music's facilities, including the immaculate Legacy Hall, one of the greatest small concert halls in the country, as well as Schwob's recording studio, the technological hub from which all 250+ concerts per year are recorded and streamed. After the tour, we enjoyed dinner and a fantastic show by a local band performing for Columbus' "Music on the Lawn" series, which proved to be yet another inspirational performance for all of us!
Day two of our trip was when the real magic happened. As everyone filed into the recording studio and met our engineer, Wyndhem Enneamba, I could see the looks of awe, and maybe a little hint of intimidation, on everyone's faces. We were finally in a stunning recording studio where giants of the industry have recorded. Lea Maye Smith was playing the same piano that Lloyd Buchanan played, Trey Walbridge was playing the amp that the lead guitarist from The Heavy played on its "Glorious Dead" album, and our drummers were playing in the same booth where Willie Nelson recorded original music. Between the history, acoustic designs, microphones, and control room, I could tell that everyone had the realization that this was a serious opportunity for all of us. We quickly began the process of setting up and sound checking the mics; students were decked out in their monitoring gear, and we began recording! I can't describe the feeling of watching these students finally record the music they've worked so hard to master in just a few very short weeks. They sang and played with passion and impressed everyone who witnessed the session! I truly believe this trip was an eye-opening experience into what the possibilities are in this industry, and I hope it continues to inspire these students for quite some time.
In addition to Lea Maye and Trey, other participants included Jack Alston, Max Byrd, Mavry Driggers, Case Harrison, Jordan Lee, Brooke Lewis, Luke Smith, and Emily Wyrick.
A big thank you to the parents, teachers, and administrators who helped give these students an opportunity to experience music in a very unique and special way. And most of all, thank you to the students who attended. I am grateful for their discipline, hard work, and for sharing their talent on stage with me every day! Be on the lookout for the release of the album this spring!
Dr. Jordan Taylor (Dr. T)
Middle and Upper School Music
|
|
FA First Friday Performance |
|
The Upper School performing arts students were featured at the Ritz Theatre on Friday, October 1, as a part of Brunswick's First Friday Program. Actors from Thespian Troupe #8989, The Knightingales vocal ensemble, and the Popular Music Ensemble presented a showcase of variety acts.
Dr. Tess Nielsen, Fine Arts Director, and Dr. Jordan Taylor, Middle and Upper Music Teacher, led the students in the performance. Mrs. Becky Triplett, math instructor, was featured on trumpet, and Mr. Taylor Lenon, math and technology instructor, assisted as the event photographer. Twenty-two Upper School students and three Middle School students performed in the show.
|
|
US Wearable Art Modeling Shoot |
|
On Friday October 1, five Upper School students graced the stage in DeLeon Peacock’s Wearable Art Fashion Show at the Ritz Theatre. Sydney Carroll, Margaret Spiers, Brooke Lewis, Aubre Smith and Emily Wyrick modeled clothing designed from Mr. Peacock’s paintings. The event also served as a fundraiser for Morningstar Children and Family Services.
|
|
US Health + Wellness Club |
|
The Health and Wellness club ended September's Suicide Awareness and Prevention month by helping host Worry Free Wednesday for the Upper School. Health and Wellness Club members extend a big "Thank You" to Health Wellness mom Kelly Trowbridge and her company Brightstar Care for sponsoring the popsicle snack. Our members and other students had fun dancing, playing with temporary tattoos, and socializing during this fun event. A few club members spoke last week to the Eighth Grade health class on anxiety and other related topics.
October is a big month for Health and Wellness Club members as they kick off anti-bullying month! They are partnering with Mrs. Lee to sponsor "Compassion It!" Every day during the month one club member will issue an act of compassion challenge for the student body. Jon Phillip Spiers, Megan Trowbridge, and Ashton Frankel participated in the Lower School assembly on Friday to start this anti-bullying campaign and Ashton later joined the Pre-K class to read "The Stick and the Stone."
October will be a busy month for Health and Wellness as it sponsors FA's flu vaccine clinic on Thursday and plans for National Unity Day with its next Worry Free Wednesday on October 20th!
|
|
Last week, Sra. Wagner's Sixth Grade and Seventh Grade Spanish students presented their "My Favorite Season" projects in Spanish. |
|
Mrs. Triplett is the recipient of the September Middle School Golden Spike Award.
The Golden Spike Award is an award given to a Middle School teacher each month. This award recognizes outstanding work, commitment, positive attitude, leadership, and teamwork. The award pays homage to a specific moment in history when the Union Pacific Railroad met with the Central Pacific Railroad at Promontory, Utah, completing the first transcontinental rail. To commemorate this historic occasion a golden spike was driven into the ground. Just like Middle School, the golden spike is the link binding together the achievement and growth of students.
Congratulations, Mrs. Triplett!
|
|
LS "Compassion It" Launch |
|
Positive energy filled the FA Gym on Friday as we launched the Compassion It program during Lower School Morning Meeting. October is National Bullying Prevention month and all three divisions are uniting together to promote a culture of Compassion and Kindness. Compassion It is designed to inspire daily compassionate actions and attitudes by turning compassion into action.
Every student and teacher received a Compassion It bracelet to wear each day during October. We start each day on one color and when we ‘Compassion It’ (show kindness, empathy, and positivity), we flip it over to the other side. And repeat all day, every day! The challenge is for each bracelet wearer to flip it as many times as possible!
We had very special guests, seniors Jon Phillip Spiers, Aston Frankel, and Megan Trowbridge, join us to help us understand what it looks and sounds like to turn compassion into action. They acted out different scenarios for students to decide if they saw compassion in action. Examples include:
- Sitting or playing with a classmate who is lonely;
- Allowing others to join your group;
- Picking up trash on the school property;
- Helping someone when they drop something by picking it up for them;
- Speaking up for a classmate if someone is teasing them or talking about them in a negative way;
- Sharing the ball when we are playing a game; and
- Listening to our friends without interrupting.
To help promote Lower School Compassion It every day, Mrs. Day introduced the Knights Honor Award. Students, teachers, or parents can fill out a shield complimenting a student for showing compassion in action and put it in the jar in Mrs. Pruitt’s office. Each week, the homeroom that has the most compliments of showing compassion will earn the Knights Honor shield to go on their classroom door for the week!
Upper School and Middle School will launch Compassion It at their assemblies on Monday and Tuesday!
To learn more about Compassion It, click HERE.
|
|
Third Grade Doctor Distributor |
|
Third Grade students performed an "operation" on multiplication problems on Friday. They acted as Doctor Distributive as they used the distributive property to solve unknown multiplication problems. |
|
Second Grade Star Students |
|
Last week, Second Grade Star Students were Tucker Green and Julia Haverstock. They did a wonderful job presenting their decorated All About Me Star posters and interviewing each other.
Tucker invited her sister, Cece Green, who is a Fourth Grader be her guest reader and Julia invited her Mom, Kimbrough Haverstock to be her guest reader. Tucker and Julia shined brightly this week as the Second Grade stars!
|
|
First + Second Grade Yoga |
|
This month, I am Yoga, by Susan Verde, is featured in the FA StoryWalk. The book is part of the “I am” collection that celebrates mindfulness and wellness. Verde’s books encourage readers to be empathetic and compassionate towards others and themselves.
To accompany I am Yoga, yoga sessions have been coordinated by Monica Miller-Smith and instructed by James Oberlies. Students and teachers have participated in the sessions, and they have been enjoying themselves immensely. So, you may see your child practicing 4-count breathing or yoga poses at home. If your child is interested in continuing yoga, there are many children’s yoga books and yoga card sets that can be purchased on Amazon or at a bookstore.
|
|
Kindergarten STEM Challenge Photos |
|
Anna Hopkins was the Pre-K Mystery Reader last week. She read, Goat's Coat to the students. Charlie Hopkins was very excited to share the stage with his mother.
|
|
FA Fall Athletic Schedules |
|
October 11
School Holiday - Fall Break
October 12-17
Gym Closed (Floor Refinishing)
October 13
PSAT Exam
Upper School Noon Dismissal
October 14
School Photo Retakes
(Make-Up Day)
October 15
Senior Knight
Varsity Football (Before game vs. Bulloch Academy)
Varsity Cheerleading (Halftime)
Varsity Cross Country (Halftime)
October 18
First Quarter Grades Posted
October 19
National Honor Society Assembly
Special MS + US Assembly Schedule
October 21-22
Parent Association Recycled Uniform Sales
October 21
Second Grade Pirate Day
October 21
MS + US Author Visit
October 21
Teacher + Staff Luncheon
Thank you, FA Parent Association!
October 21 (Evening Option)
MS + US Parent/Teacher Conferences
October 22
Parent-Teacher Conferences (PK-12)
No School for Students
October 23
ACT Exam
October 25-29
Homecoming Week
October 26 (5:30 PM - 7:00 PM)
FA "Trunk or Treat"
Middle School Parking Lot
Sponsored by: Parent Association
October 28
GISA AAA Regional One-Act Play Festival
October 29
Varsity Football Homecoming Game
vs. Pinewood Christian
Homecoming Court @ Halftime
November 1
Lower School Storybook Character Day
Parade @ 8:00 AM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
