Dear FA Families,

Frederica Academy distinguishes itself both in the volume and in the depth of our students’ commitment to serve the needs and support the mission of various organizations and initiatives within the Golden Isles community. Students learn firsthand at an early age at FA the value and fulfillment in serving others; and throughout their careers at the school they have reinforced time and again for them the importance of being interested in, and committed to, helping others in the community in which they go to school and live.

As a school, our inclination towards promoting involvement and service within our community addresses two fundamental goals: 1) to be an institutional leader within our community in terms of forging meaningful, positive partnerships with other organizations; and 2) to begin to mold selfless young leaders by providing opportunities and inspiration to encourage our students to share both their time and energy to improve the lives of others. As the companion piece to this note, in a couple of weeks I am going to write about all the ways that FA as an institution encourages partnerships with other organizations. Being a strong and supportive community member and a good neighbor are important missions of the school, and sharing our resources… the campus, our intellectual capital, and the legion of young volunteers… is no small part of that mission. This morning I am writing briefly on the role of individual service in the life of an FA student.

In all three divisions and in all grades within those divisions there are opportunities aplenty for our students to extend their talents, passions, and energies beyond the orbit of their own self-interests and contribute to the improved welfare of others. Sometimes these opportunities take the form of individual initiatives based on some personal connection or history; more often though, they are group efforts involving many students with a common calling. When I shared with the faculty that I was going to write this note today, I received summaries of over a dozen active projects that our students are, or will soon be, involved in. For example, please click here to read a description of the upcoming re-designed Middle School Student Council holiday service initiative that is both typical and emblematic of these group projects.

Our Lower School students are involved year-round in food and clothing drives with a whole host of organizations including, but not limited to, Safe Harbor, Second Harvest, Communities in School, and Sparrow’s Nest where their exuberant participation pays significant dividends for area families in need. The Upper School Service Council’s mission is to promote service and volunteer activities for all Upper School students, who, as a graduation requirement, are compelled to perform a minimum of one hundred hours of community service during their high school careers. This umbrella group generates countless opportunities for Upper School students with an appetite to serve others and give back to the community.

The litany and diversity of service opportunities at FA is extensive ranging from Upper School students serving on The Humane Society Teen Board, which furthers the mission of the Human Society of South Coastal Georgia, to our varsity cheerleaders who recently participated in the Golden Isles’ Alzheimer Walk, to the Health and Wellness Club’s actively raising awareness, educating, and fundraising for the Glynn County Relay for Life dedicated to fighting cancer, to the many employees, students, and other FA family members who will volunteer later this month at the RSM Golf tournament… just to name a few.

Wanting to extend a hand to others less fortunate and to worthy causes is a natural impulse embedded in all of us from a very early age, but practicing and acting on those impulses throughout our lives is an acquired attribute that is strengthened over time by repeated gestures of sacrifice and good will. As the inscribed maxim above the entrance to Corn Hall declares, “To whom much is given, much is expected,” and that inscription both captures the essential spirit of FA‘s philosophy toward community service and anchors this message’s final sentence.

Respectfully,

Scott L. Hutchinson

Head of School

Today

FA Day @ Jaguars Game

Monday @ 10:00 AM

US Assembly in the Gym

Monday @ 3:25 PM

MS + US STEM Club Meeting

Mrs. Bradford's Classroom

Monday

MS Soccer @ St. Francis

Girls @ 3:30 PM

Boys @ 3:30 PM

Lanier Field

Monday @ 3:30 PM

MS + US Spring Musical Auditions

Hamilton Hall

Monday @ 3:30 PM

Humane Society Teen Board Meeting

Shuman Conference Room

Tuesday @ 8:20 AM

FA "Bucket Shot"

Football Field

Tuesday Morning

Class Photos

Click HERE for Schedule

Tuesday @ 10:00 AM

Senior Class Meeting

Nash Academic Center

Tuesday @ 3:30 PM

MS + US Spring Musical Auditions

Hamilton Hall

Tuesday @ 6:00 PM

Sophomore Class College Night

Hamilton Hall

Wednesday @ 10:00 AM

US Advisory

Wednesday @ 10:00 AM

MS Boys Basketball Meeting

Coach Wilson's Classroom

Wednesday @ 3:30 PM

MS Soccer @ Home

vs. Needwood

Girls @ 3:30 PM

Boys @ 4:30 PM

Wednesday @ 4:00 PM

US Faculty Meeting

Mr. Willis' Classroom

Thursday

MS + US Morning Assembly Schedule

45-Minute Classes

Thursday(9:00 AM - 9:45 AM)

Veterans Day Hospitality

Shuman Conference Room

Thursday @ 9:50 AM

Veterans Day Assembly

Grades PK-12

FA Gymnasium

Thursday @ 3:30 PM

World Language + Culture Club

Friday

School Holiday

Veterans Day

With Friday night's awesome home victory, our varsity football team won another Region championship and secured a first-round bye in this year's state playoffs.

Under the GIAA state playoff format, ten GISA schools qualify for the GIAA AAA playoffs. The top six seeds earn a first-round bye. Seeds 7-10 will play their first-round games this Friday.

Frederica is the #6 seed and will play Deerfield-Windsor (#3 seed) on Friday, November 18, in Albany.

Save the date! The Knights Table is offering a special Thanksgiving lunch on Tuesday, November 22nd, available to all students in Grades PK-12. Special friends (parents, grandparents, etc.) are invited to join their student for lunch. The charge for guests will be $6 and an RSVP link will be in the November 13th and 20th Sunday e-newsletters. Pre-Kindergarten bento boxes will be adjusted accordingly that day.

Middle-Upper School Musical Auditions

"Legally Blonde"

Auditions (Hamilton Hall)

• Monday, November 7, 3:20 PM - 4:00 PM
• Tuesday, November 8, 3:20 - 4:00 PM
• Thursday, November 10: Call Backs or Additional Auditions

Show Dates

• Thursday March 30, 
• Friday March 31, 7:00 PM;
• Saturday Matinee April 1, 2:00 PM

Sophomore Class College Night is scheduled for Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. in Hamilton Hall. The evening is designed for both students and parents to receive pertinent information about the college search process.

FA students, employees, and Veterans Day Assembly visitors are invited to wear "Red, White, and Blue" on Thursday in honor of all veterans and active-duty service members.

Lower School students should wear navy and white uniforms. Middle School and Upper School students should wear red, white, and blue outfits appropriate for a patriotic and respectful occasion.

“Research indicates that compassion improves our overall sense of well-being. It makes us happier, healthier, and more resilient.”

World Kindness Day (WKD) is celebrated annually on November 13th. On this day, participants attempt to make the world a better place by celebrating and promoting good deeds and pledging acts of kindness. World Kindness Day was first launched in 1998 by The World Kindness Movement, an organization formed at a 1997 Tokyo conference of like-minded kindness organizations from around the world. The mission of the World Kindness Movement and World Kindness Day is to create a kinder world by inspiring individuals and nations towards greater kindness. Each division will be provided with a lesson to recognize WKD.

Check out the World Kindness Day websites HERE and HERE.

Watch a video about the Science of Kindness HERE.

Watch a video about how Kindness can be the norm HERE.

Click HERE for resources to make kindness the norm at home!

Rachael D. Lee, M.A, LPC

School Counselor (PK-12th)

Middle School Cheerleading Coach

912-638-9981 ext. 746

The College Counseling Center will host a makeup Pre-ACT exam on Saturday, November 19, 2022, at 8:30 a.m. If you would like to sit for the make-up exam, please click HERE to secure your seat. 

The exam will be held in Corn Hall. Standard testers will be dismissed by 11:30 am. The deadline to register is Thursday, November 10th.

Are you excited about Christmas and the upcoming holiday season? If so, please join the FA Parent Association and other parent volunteers on Monday, November 21, when they gather to mobilize this year's Holiday Card Stuffing operation. The winners of this year's Lower School Christmas Card art contest will be announced at Morning Meeting on Friday, November 18.

Dear FA Community,

The Middle School Student Council is partnering with Safe Harbor, a local non-profit, to lead the Middle School in a service learning project this Holiday season. Safe Harbor's mission is to provide services that promote security and stability for at-risk families, children, and individuals.

Each Middle School advisory group will be assigned two local youths who have holiday wish lists. The Middle School will conduct a cash donation drive for the entire FA community. The money raised will be distributed equally among the advisory groups. Students will then take a field trip during school to shop for their newly adopted friends. The Seventh and Eighth Grades will go to Target on Monday, December 5, during their Directed Study class, while the Fifth and Sixth Grades will go to Target on Tuesday, December 6, during their elective class.

The donation drive will start on Monday, November 14. We will have donation boxes set up in both Benefield and Fleming Halls. Any amount you feel comfortable giving will be incredibly helpful and will go a long way towards helping local students.

Our hope is that our students learn to empathize with those who are less fortunate and that they learn that their collective efforts can make a huge difference in our community.

Trey House and Rachael Lee

MS Student Council Co-Sponsors

Click HERE for the course list. Click HERE for the application.

Applications are due to Dr. Nevins by Thursday, April 6, 2023, but summer classes fill up quickly! 

Coach Brown is offering aerobic training for Middle School and Upper School students who want to:

• run track this spring or cross country next fall;
• stay fit for other sports; or
• improve their baseline fitness.

The sessions will be two or three days a week, starting this week. Coach Brown will create a group text to coordinate the dates, times, and logistics for these sessions.

This weekend, Lea Maye Smith (Class of 2025) traveled to Washington, D.C., to take part in the All-National Honors Ensemble program sponsored by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME). Lea Maye was selected through a highly competitive audition process to perform with over 500 high school students considered to be the best in their respective home states. Lea Maye performed with the All National Modern Band, a popular music ensemble, at the Gaylord Convention Center. The talented band of 15 students played a five-song set to an excited audience. Dr. Jordan Taylor attended the conference, and Dr. Tess Nielsen chaperoned the high school students throughout the event .NAfME is the professional organization for teachers of music, and its mission is to advance and preserve high quality music education for all. Drs. Taylor and Nielsen are members of NAfMe and make use of the professional development to strengthen our FA music program.

To celebrate the National Council of Teachers of English's (NCTE) "National Day on Writing" on October 20th, Oracle, Frederica Academy's Literary Magazine, sponsored a six-word story competition which challenged students and faculty to submit an original narrative that implied a complete story arc in no more than six words. Because of the day's proximity to Halloween, many students chose spookier themes. Below are the winners, who will also have their stories published in Oracle. Congratulations to the following winners:

Maddie Lavallee

Seventh Grade Winner

"I feel happier with my mother."

Aaron Hamm

Eighth Grade Winner

"Only one man, yet two beings."

Haseley Caine

Upper School First Place

"Last day on earth just ended."

Ani de Havillande

Upper School Second Place

"Wait, where did the knife go?"

Margaret Spiers

Upper School Third Place

"The light died; so did I."

Once the Spanish conquered the Aztec empire in the 16th century, the Catholic Church moved indigenous celebrations and rituals honoring the dead throughout the year to the Catholic dates commemorating All Saints Day and All Souls Day on November 1 and 2. In what became known as Día de Muertos on November 2, the Latin American indigenous traditions and symbols to honor the dead fused with non-official Catholic practices and notions of an afterlife. Our Middle School Spanish students learned about this ancient tradition and helped build the altar with “ofrendas” while honoring their loved ones last week

Last Wednesday, the Middle School welcomed Heather Heath, Golden Isles Arts and Humanities Director, as she presented a playwriting workshop. Students gathered in the Pavilion to brainstorm script ideas and participate in improvisational acting. The Price-Blackburn Foundation organizes an annual playwriting competition for Middle School students. Winning recipients receive a cash prize and will have their play read on stage at the Ritz Theater. 

Sixth Grade Earth Science students doubled as geologists for the day last week by analyzing an assortment of minerals and their different properties such as the luster, hardness, and powder residue minerals form within Earth or on Earth’s surface by natural processes. Their structure and appearance are greatly influenced by these natural processes and, because of this, geologists employ a battery of tests to determine the identity of the mineral they are holding. Students relied on observation to determine the color, texture, and luster of each mineral. They then analyzed what color powder is formed by doing a scratch test. Finally, they compared their minerals to the Mohs' Scale to determine the hardness of each mineral, grouping and classifying them using household objects including their fingernails, pennies, glass, and a steel nail. They all rocked this lab!

Ahoy! Second Grade students had a great time on Thursday for Pirates Day! This year, the students participated in a new pirate STEM unit with new read alouds to learn about who pirates were, what they did, how they dressed, and even how they talked. Then, for Pirates Day, the students dressed as pirates and participated in fun-filled activities such as face painting, walking the plank, and even capturing me! The Second Grade team and I would love to give a huge THANK YOU to all the amazing pirate parents pictured below who helped contribute to the success of the day with a special thank you to Ashley Johnson for organizing it all!

Becky Pruitt

Lower School Director

Christopher O’Brien’s mom, Erika O’Brien, was the Pre-K Mystery Reader last week. She read the book Every Little Letter, by Deborah Underwood

November 14-18

Apogee Appreciation Week

November 14-18

Sixth Grade

Golden Isles Youth Orchestra

STRING-on! Program

November 15 @ 5:00 PM

RSM Wiffle Ball Game

FA Baseball Field

November 16-18

9:00 AM - 4:00 PM

FA Book Fair

Shuman Conference Room

November 17 + 18

MS + US Fall Play

November 18 @ 8:10 AM

Sixth Grade STRING-on! Performance

@ Lower School Morning Meeting

November 18

First Grade Thanksgiving Program

Epworth

November 18

Oracle Submissions Deadline

November 21 (8:15 AM - 10:15 AM)

FA Parent Association

FA Holiday Card Stuffing

Shuman Conference Room

Click HERE to Volunteer

November 22 (Lunch Periods)

FA Thanksgiving Lunch

FA Special Friends Invited

November 23

FA Young Alumni Council Meeting

November 23-25

FA Thanksgiving Break

December 1

FA Jingle Bell Celebration

December 3

SAT Exam

December 5-6

MS Soccer Playoffs

Glynn County Stadium

December 5 @ 4:00 PM

MS + US Christmas Caroling

Marsh's Edge

December 6 @ 7:00 PM

MS + US "Light the Night"

Magnolia Manor

December 7 @ 8:30 AM

PK Holiday Program

DRESS REHEARSAL

Hamilton Hall

December 8 @ 8:30 AM

PK Holiday Program

Hamilton Hall

December 8

MS Soccer Championship Games

Glynn County Stadium

Girls @ 5:00 PM

Boys @ 6:00 PM

December 8, 9, 12

MS + US Exam Review Days

December 9

First Grade Jekyll Island Field Trip

December 9 @ 7:00 PM

FA Benefield Society Party

Shiver Residence

Annual Fund Benefield Society Donors

December 10

ACT Exam

December 13

MS + US Science Exams

December 14

MS + US Math Exams

December 14 @ 10:00 AM

Third + Fourth Grade Field Trip

Ritz Theatre (Downtown Brunswick)

December 14 @ Noon

Department Chair Meeting

December 15

MS + US Language Exams

December 15 @ 10:00 AM

Lower School Giving Tree Ceremony

Hamilton Hall

December 15 @ Noon

School-Wide Early Dismissal

December 16

Student Christmas Break Begins

Teacher/Staff Work Day

December 19-22

10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

FA Front Office Open

December 23-27

FA Campus Closed

December 28

Semester 1 Grades Posted

December 28-30

10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

FA Front Office Open

January 2

FA Campus Closed

January 3

Teacher/Staff Work Day

January 4

Second Semester Starts