Dear FA Families, 

There are probably things in life that serve simply as an end in itself, but most things that I know about and have experienced serve both as an end in itself and as a means to an end. Eating, sleeping, reading, exercising, working, hobbies, worshiping, travelling, and even beginning a family are all activities that do have immediate value and clearly function as an end unto themselves; but, for the most part, those activities are engaged in largely as a means to an end for the greater goal of living balanced, purposeful, and fulfilling lives. Life can feel a bit empty if one only thinks about engaging as a means to an end … preparing for some indefinite future … so finding a balance between enjoying the present and preparing for the future seems essential.

Last Tuesday morning I was in Corn Hall meeting and chatting with the admission representative from MIT who was here on campus visiting and presenting her school to interested FA sophomores, juniors, and seniors. It is a compliment to FA and the quality of our students that MIT and schools of similar ilk pilgrimage down to St. Simons Island to meet and recruit our students. Watching the Upper School students listening intently and asking good questions reminded me once more how much education at a college preparatory school, especially in Grades 9-12, turns toward a means to an end … getting accepted to and succeeding in your “best fit” college … and less about the act of learning as an end in itself. I live in a professional world where tuition-paying parents often and understandably consider their return on investment of both the money invested and the precious years of their child’s life invested in this enterprise of learning.

All of us at FA, regardless of a child’s grade level, want what we ask of your children … how we challenge and support your children every day … to be worthy of their time both as an end in itself and as a means to an end. Because learning is both sequential and cumulative at all grade levels, what we do in class everyday must serve two purposes … be engaging enough to hold students‘ interest and at the same time be linked to past and future lessons that will bring understanding to its final destination. Like with many things in life, education, in general and certainly at a college preparatory school, strives for that balance between the two.

Respectfully,

Scott L. Hutchinson

Head of School

Monday-Saturday

Homecoming WEEK (FAHOCO)

Monday

Homecoming Dress Theme

Pajama Day

Monday @ 10:00 AM

Upper School Assembly

Gym

Monday @ 5:00 PM

MS Volleyball

@ St. Francis

Monday @ 5:00 PM

Varsity Cross Country

@ Bulloch Academy Meet

Tuesday

Homecoming Dress Theme

Construction Day

Tuesday 

MS + US Morning Assembly Schedule

Tuesday @ 9:50 AM

US Construction Obstacle Course

Sea Island Green

Tuesday @ 6:00 PM

MS Parent Social

Happy Hour

@ Wolf Island Oyster Co.

Wednesday

Homecoming Dress Theme

Island Life

Wednesday 

MS + US Morning Assembly Schedule

Wednesday @ 9:50 AM

All-School Hula Hoop Contest

Sea Island Green

Wednesday @ 1:05 PM

University of Georgia

Admission Representative

College Counseling Center

Wednesday @ 4:00 PM

MS Tennis

@ Camden Middle School

Wednesday @ 4:00 PM

Department Meetings (As Called)

Wednesday @ 5:00 PM

MS Volleyball

@ Needwood

Thursday

Homecoming Dress Theme

Camo Day

Thursday @ 8:15 AM

Parent Association Coffee

Shuman Conference Room

Thursday @ 5:00 PM

Volleyball Senior Night

@ Home vs. Liberty County

Thursday @ 5:00 PM

MS Football @ Home

vs. St. Andrew's

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

Click HERE to Volunteer

Thursday @ 5:00 PM

MS Cross Country

@ College of Coastal Georgia

Friday

Homecoming Dress Theme

FA Spirit Day

Friday

MS + US Pep Rally Schedule

Friday @ 8:10 AM

LS Morning Meeting

Hamilton Hall

Friday @ 2:20 PM

School-Wide

Homecoming Pep Rally

Gymnasium

Friday @ 6:15 PM

FA Booster Club Tailgate Party

New FA Pavilion

Click HERE to Volunteer

Friday @ 7:30 PM

Varsity Homecoming Football Game

vs. Tattnall Square

CLICK HERE TO VOLUNTEER!

Saturday Morning

SAT Exam @ FA

Saturday (8:00 PM - 10:00 PM)

Homecoming Dance

FA Gymnasium

Please click on the button below to review an updated DRAFT of the FA 2022-2023 Family and Employee Directory and email Anita Shelbrack to submit edits or changes.

Please also email Anita Shelbrack if you want to order a hard copy of the 2022-2023 Directory.

Adam Hagfors, an FA parent, has kindly organized a group opportunity for FA families to attend a Jacksonville Jaguars home game on Sunday, November 6, at 1:00 p.m. 

Participants are responsible for purchasing their own tickets from a block that is reserved for FA families. Adam is coordinating a place to tailgate (starting at 11:00 a.m.) for game attendees who want to gather before the game.

The week-long festivities will be fun and spirited. We encourage each student to take part in dressing in the theme of the day. If students do not dress in theme, they should wear their school uniforms.

Events such as Homecoming Week are fun for the students, but they sometimes forget that they still have school work! Parents may want to be more active in the evenings to ensure students have completed any assignments for the next day. A quick reminder may help them stay organized.

Thank you to everyone who came to the US Parent Social last week. It was a great night. A big thank you to Gretchen McGregor for all of her help organizing the event and making it so special. Please don't forget that the Middle School Parent Social is this week. We can't wait to see all of the MS parents at our social on Tuesday night. You don't want to miss it! 

PA COFFEE & CONVERSATIONS

Featuring FA Resident Experts and Resources

• Rachael Lee, School Counselor
• Liz Mason, Learning Specialist
• Nikki Pope, School Nurse
• Dan Redanz, Chromebook & Technology Specialist

Thursday, September 29th, at 8:15 AM

Shuman Conference Room

Join us at our first Thursday Morning “Coffee + Conversations” session. This series was inspired by one of our most popular PA meetings last year. These meetings are designed to let you have the chance to hear from and interact with faculty and administrators in a casual format. This fall’s coffee will feature a lively chat and introductions to some of FA’s resident experts and resources. You can learn more about what they do and when you can reach out to them. We'll bring the coffee. You bring your questions about physical and mental health, Chromebooks and online safety, learning resources, and more! 

All FA families, supporters, and friends are invited to attend the FA Tailgate Party on Friday before the Homecoming Football Game. It will take place in the new Pavilion and starts at 6:15 p.m. The buffet line will start closing around 7:15 p.m. so that everyone can be in the stands for kick-off at 7:30 p.m.

This week's tailgate party is sponsored by Parkwood Podiatry. Thank you to Dr. Matt Eller and his talented and caring colleagues at Parkwood Podiatry.

Go Knights!

Date: Saturday, October 1, 2022

Location: Frederica Academy’s Gym

Start Time: 8:00 PM (attendees must arrive by 9:00 PM)

End Time: 10:00 PM

Entry Fee: $15 

Attire: Semi-Formal

Dance Policies:

• All Upper School students are invited to attend
• Students who would like to invite a non-Frederica Academy student to the dance MUST submit a Guest Permission Request Form by Tuesday, September 27, 2022
• Middle school students and individuals over the age of 21 are not permitted to attend
• Attendees and their guests will be billed $15 (each) through the Business Office 
• Students will be breathalyzed upon entering the event

Frederica Academy's annual flu vaccine clinic will take place on Thursday, October 13 between noon and 3:00 p.m. in the Gym. This clinic is open to all FA staff, students, and family members. The flu vaccine forms should be turned in to Nurse Pope by October 6th. Please call Nurse Pope with any questions.

Nikki Pope BS RNC BSN

Frederica Academy School Nurse

912 638 9981 x 492

[email protected]

Sign up for the Middle and Upper School Open Mic Knight! The Stage is yours on Friday, October 14, at 5:00 p.m. at the new Windolf-Johnston Performance Plaza. Upper and Middle School students (Grades 5-12), faculty, and other community members are welcome to perform any kind of music or performance appropriate for our PK-12 school audience. Use the sign-up button below or see Drs. Nielsen and Taylor for details! 

Parent Association is so excited to celebrate Halloween at its Second Annual Halloween Trunk or Treat! Save the date for Monday, October 24th. Start planning your costumes and don’t delay in signing up to be one of our trunks! Spots are limited. Click here to sign-up your trunk! Sign up deadline is October 10th. 

The class trip week in the Middle School is October 24-28. Each trip leader has either distributed or will distribute information to parents in the next week. The Fifth Grade information was distributed via email in late August. The Eighth Grade information was sent last Wednesday. If you have questions regarding a trip, please contact the grade-level trip leader.  

Eighth Grade departs on Monday, October 24. All other MS students will depart on Tuesday, October 25. Students in Grades 5-7 will complete their standardized testing on Monday, then have time for trip prep later in the day. All students return on Thursday, October 27. Friday, October 28 is a school holiday for Middle School students only!

Trip Leaders:

Fifth Grade -- Sandra Smith

Sixth Grade -- Tracy Wagner

Seventh Grade -- Ashley Zimmermann

Eighth Grade -- Becky Triplett

Frederica Academy will host a Veterans Day assembly on Thursday, November 10. Friday, November 11, is a school holiday.

We are collecting photos and information on service members (deceased, retired, or active) to put into a slide presentation, which will be shared with students and families as part of our Veterans Day observance. Please submit photos of family members who have served our great nation. Include the name of the individual, branch of service, and the student(s) they are related to at Frederica Academy.

Submissions should be sent to Brad Hutcherson by Tuesday, November 1.

Thank you for your time and help in making Veterans Day memorable for the students at Frederica Academy.

Frederica Academy's literary magazine, Oracle, is excited to announce its editors for the 2022-2023 School Year!

Lea Maye Smith will serve as Editor-in-Chief and Grayson Caine will serve as Editor-at-Large. Any questions about submissions to the magazine should be directed to them or emailed to [email protected].

Oracle looks forward to sharing your work with the rest of the FA community.

Ryann Hankey was joined by a senior representative from both Brunswick High School and Glynn Academy as they were honored as this month's Rotary Students of the Month at the Brunswick Country Club last week.

Being a part of the FA Health and Wellness Club can really make an impact on a student's life. I am proud to be this year's co-president, serving alongside Katie Eckert. We have many amazing projects planned for this year as we invest in the health of our school family and community. 

Just this past week, Upper School club members visited Middle School advisories to discuss suicide prevention and awareness. Suicide is the second leading cause of death between the ages of 10-17. We want this age group to know the warning signs and how to ask for help. We also want them to know that it is "okay to not always be okay."

We are so excited for this upcoming year! Our Relay for Life team has started and our upcoming flu vaccine clinic and Red Cross Blood Drive will keep us busy. We have over one hundred members now registered in our club and we can't wait to see where this year takes us.

Josh Manning

Co-President

FA Health and Wellness Club

The FA Health and Wellness Club sponsored its first "Worry-Free Wednesday" last week during Upper School lunch.

Bringing attention to National Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month, club members provided purple and blue rocks for students to write positive messages, side walk chalk messages, temporary tattoos, and purple and blue cotton candy as a treat! With music playing and the weather being perfect, this was a great time for our Upper School students to come together for some fun and positive energy.

Look for our future Worry Free Wednesdays to incorporate other important health topics while giving students a time to relax and enjoy each other's company.

McKenzie Todd

President-Elect 

FA Health and Wellness Club

The Upper School Audio Technology Class is thriving in its new recording studio. They have started rolling out a series of student-led podcasts, which will feature some of FA’s beloved faculty and staff. 

Students in Mrs. Hooks' Sixth Grade English Class created utopia projects that they presented to their classmates. While reading the novel, The Giver, students have learned about the unintentional consequences of utopias and have acquired a deeper knowledge through active exploration of real-world challenges and problems.

Fourth Grade students are reading The Circulatory Story by Mary Corcoran. To help the students better understand the concept of cellular respiration, they did a demonstration using yeast, sugar, warm water, and a balloon. The yeast used the sugar and the oxygen (or O2 as they call it in Fourth Grade) to create carbon dioxide (CO2) and energy, which blew the balloon up during class! 

As a continuation of their weather unit, Third Grader students have been learning about the different types of severe weather. Last Thursday, the students had a great time creating tornadoes in a bottle to see what happens when opposite winds come together.

Kindergarten students enjoyed making homemade applesauce last week to celebrate the start of autumn and Johnny Appleseed’s upcoming birthday! 

Vivie Dobkowski’s mother, Felicia Dobkowski, was the Pre-K Mystery Reader last week. She read The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog by Mo Willems.

Start your Christmas shopping early by gifting a wreath or poinsettia to family or co-workers, or deck your own halls with beautiful and fresh greenery this holiday season! Orders are due by Friday, October 7th. Orders can be submitted online here or you can print the attached form and send it to school with your child. To help encourage 100% participation, all faculty and students (by way of a family order) will be entered to win a prize! Details forthcoming. This is the PA single largest fundraiser. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Frederica Academy families can support us in three ways:

1. Order greenery and/or poinsettias for your own home and your extended family! Note: The 22” wreath can be shipped; so, it’s perfect for out-of-town family or for those that want a convenient delivery option!
2. Share this link with your friends, neighbors and other community organizations, and encourage them to purchase their holiday greenery needs through our sale. 
3. Order greenery and/or poinsettias for your work, local business, or favorite charity!

October 6 @ 6:00 PM

College Financial Aid Night

October 8

Upper School Debate Tournament

Bolles (JAX)

October 10

No School

FA Fall Break

October 12

PSAT Exams (Grades 10-11)

Noon Dismissal

October 12

Freshman-Senior Leadership Retreat

Epworth

Noon Dismissal

October 13

Senior Class Group Photo

October 13 @ 8:30 AM

Yearbook Retakes

Shuman Conference Room

October 13

FA Faculty + Staff Appreciation Luncheon

Thank you, FA Parent Association!

October 14

MS + US Open Mic Night

Windolf-Johnston Performance Plaza

October 19

World Unity Day

October 20 (Morning)

Fall FA Board of Visitors Meeting

October 21

Parent-Teacher Conference Day

October 22

ACT Exam

October 24-27

MS Carpe Vitam

October 24 (5:00 PM - 6:30 PM)

FA Trunk or Treat

KiX Parking Lot

Sponsored by FA Parent Association

October 25 @ 9:50 AM

National Honor Society Induction

Gym

October 28

Middle School Holiday

October 29

MS + US Debate/Forensics Tournament

Valdosta State

October 31 @ 8:15 AM

LS Story Book Character Parade