A publication to share school related accomplishments of

students, faculty, staff, & alumni of Prince Avenue Christian School.

Prince Chapel - a Meaningful Opportunity

for Spiritual Growth

Prince Chapel is a time set aside every Thursday for students to take a break from their normal day-to-day work and worship together through music, prayer, and the preaching of God’s Word.

Dr. Nick Wilbur, Director of Campus Life and high school Bible teacher, shares, “Chapel really is meant as an opportunity for students to set their work aside for a few minutes and simply focus on God. It also gives our students the opportunity to lead in worship. Sometimes that is through our praise band leading us, or students giving their testimony. Either way, we want to use this opportunity to help God’s Spirit move amongst our student body and draw them nearer to Him.”

More Than a Buddy: The Prince Barnabas Program

One of the many blessings at Prince is having PreK-12 students all on one campus, therefore allowing the opportunity for interaction between the lower school and high school students. The Prince Barnabas mentorship program pairs a lower school student with a responsible upperclassman, providing a mentor, friend, and support system to the lower school student. It is an enjoyable experience for both students as they grow together in remarkable ways.

High school guidance counselor and head of the Barnabas program Jesse Owens says that Barnabas is a highlight of his responsibilities at Prince.  “The Barnabas program includes lots of prayer in all aspects. We pray over the pairings, and our mentors are encouraged to pray with their mentees at each meeting. This program is one of the best things at this school.”

Crews Capps Named Prince 2026 STAR Student

Senior Crews Capps has been named the 2026 STAR Student for Prince Avenue Christian School after earning the highest SAT score in a single sitting among the senior class. Crews selected high school history teacher Karen Barrett as his STAR Teacher.

Crews is the son of Meradith and Brad Capps and has attended Prince for the past two years. He is a member of the National Honor Society, National Beta Club, Interact Club, and Thespian Club and received the Wolverine Academian Award for earning the highest grade point average in his class during his junior year. His academic honors also include being named a National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist, an AP Scholar, and a College Board National Recognition Program recipient. In addition, Crews was the 2025 GHSA AA Region and State Literary Champion in Extemporaneous Speaking.

Lower and Middle School Academic Honors

Fourth-Grade Principal's Honor Roll

Fourth-Grade Head of School's

Honor Roll

Fifth-Grade Principal's Honor Roll

Fifth-Grade Head of School's

Honor Roll

Prince fourth and fifth-grade students were recognized during Lower School Chapel for academic excellence in the second quarter of the fall semester. Students who made the Head of School Honor Roll achieved a grade of 90 or above in all core classes, and students who made the Principal’s Honor Roll achieved a combined A average in all core classes. Congratulations to these students and their parents on this great accomplishment.

Prince middle school students recognized for academic excellence were distinguished as The Head of School's Honor Roll (earning a 90 or above in every core class) or The Principal's Honor Roll (earning a combined 'A' average in all core classes).

Prince Students Participate in

Supreme Court Simulation

Prince strives to give students opportunities to better prepare them for life outside of high school. Mrs. Karen Barrett’s Advanced Placement (AP) government class recently completed a Supreme Court simulation that allowed students to learn about the United States judicial system firsthand.

The simulation involves students being assigned a role in a real-life court case currently being argued in front of the Supreme Court. Mrs. Barrett explains that she thoroughly enjoys this project. “The simulation teaches students how the court and world operate, as well as preparing them for any issue that may arise in the world by teaching them how to research so they will be able to get involved and know what’s going on.”

This year, students argued the case of Wolford v. Lopez, a case concerning the 2nd Amendment. Students were assigned to research one of the nine justices or the case perspective of the lawyer on the defendant or prosecutor side and then argue it in class.

Prince Students Selected

for Youth Leadership Athens

Pictured Above:

Back Row Left to Right: Kaden Monteiro, Harrison Alverson, Tison McGuirt,

Ryan Carson, Hendley Boucek, Maddie Capps, Alivia Nickelson

Front Row Left to Right: Ella Thomas, Lyla Ward, Sydney Taylor, Anna Bea Boucek

A number of Prince High School Students have been selected to participate in the prestigious program of Youth Leadership Athens (YLA). Participants include sophomore Anna Bea Boucek and juniors Harrison Alverson, Ryan Carson, Maddie Capps, Tison McGuirt, Kaden Monteiro, Alivia Nickelson, Ella Thomas, and Lyla Ward.

YLA is an opportunity for students to develop and hone leadership skills to help others while also providing a sense of community with young, aspiring leaders such as themselves. Students also gain a valuable network of leaders and adults in their community to broaden their horizons and help them excel in whatever they do.

From Classroom to Community:

Prince Art Project Headed to Wire Park

Prince Avenue middle school art teacher Leah Laturell is a well-known artist in the Athens area, and anyone walking into her classroom today would immediately encounter a unique work in progress—a large Georgia Bulldog statue similar to the iconic painted concrete bulldogs displayed throughout downtown Athens. Once completed, this custom piece will become a permanent fixture at Wire Park in Watkinsville.

Mrs. Laturell has been working alongside Wire Park owner and Prince parent Duke Gibbs, whose family she has known for years, to design the bulldog. The plan includes gray pants, a black Georgia jersey featuring the number 13, spikes lining the jersey, and two championship rings on the front paw.

Under her guidance, Mrs. Laturell’s students have also had the opportunity to contribute to the project. They have painted selected sections of the statue, giving them hands-on experience with a community art project. The experience provides students with a deeper understanding of their local community and how art can extend far beyond traditional classroom assignments.

Mrs. Laturell appreciates the support of the Prince community in this process and says, “It truly is an honor to be painting such an important piece for the community, and I know it means a lot to the kids.”

Prince Empty Bowls Auction

Raises Money for Local Shelter

Pictured Left to Right: Aiden Campbell, Chip Dickens, & Ava Cheek

The Prince Avenue Christian School National Art Honor Society’s (NAHS) 15th Annual Empty Bowls silent auction was held January 26th – 30th. Prince high school NAHS members created 40 beautiful handmade pottery bowls and filled the bowls with themed goods such as coffee, edible goodies, jewelry, golf, and small potted plants. Parents and students enjoyed bidding on and competing for their favorite bowls.



All proceeds from the auction went directly to A Bigger Vision, a local Athens-area homeless shelter. Prince NAHS has donated more than $36,000 to A Bigger Vision over the past 15 years, and because of the generosity of the Prince community, this year’s auction raised approximately $2,665 to add to that total.

Fine Arts Winter Concert

The Prince Fine Arts Department presented a winter concert on Tuesday, February 10th. The concert included performances by the Wolverine Bands and Voices of Prince. The popular Improvables also entertained the audience with their comical antics and creativity.

Varsity Basketball All-Region Honors

Congratulations to these athletes who received Region 8 AA All-Region honors for the 2025-2026 basketball season.

Middle School Basketball Championships

Prince Avenue Christian School youth basketball had an exciting and action-packed season. Overall Prince had 13 youth teams who competed in the girls’ Northeast Georgia Feeder League and the boys’ Premier League.

Two Prince teams came away as league champions. The 6th/7th grade girls team ended their season 6-1. Coach Patrick Rodriguez says that he is proud of the girls for growing and being coachable. “There are many points that I tried to instill in the girls as the season went along, but one of the first things I explained was that it's never how we start the season but rather how we finish.” 

The 6^th grade boys white team finished the season undefeated. Coach Scott Brannon describes the season as extremely successful. “We not only brought home a championship, but our boys played the game of basketball the way it is supposed to be played – as a team.”

Many thanks to our parent coaches, and congratulations to these young Wolverines on great seasons.

Prince Seniors Sign to Play College Athletics

Congratulations to these Prince senior athletes who have signed to play their respective sports at the college level.

Eli Attaway: Baseball

Gordon College



Drew Payne: Baseball

Appalachian State



Kylee Simmons: Softball

University of South Carolina Upstate

Conner Mitchell: Clay Target

Emmanuel University



Taylor Saxon: Softball

Brenau University



Brice Williamson: Football

Appalachian State

“The Voice of the Wolverines”

Shares Encouragement Statewide

Last year, when walking into Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the 2024 Georgia High School Association (GHSA) football state championship game, Wolverine fans felt like they might be at home. A distinct and familiar voice echoed through the stadium — the “Voice of the Wolverines,” Mr. Dale Shedd.

It was an opportunity Dale was not expecting. Prince Athletic Director Richard Ricketts had recommended him to GHSA leadership, and soon Dale was invited to announce six of the twelve state championship games. Dale explained that he is very comfortable in the press box at Prince, so the size and scope of the press box in the Benz was an adjustment. “The State Championship games are part of a live TV production, so I wore a headset with an executive producer in my ear giving me directions and cues throughout the game. But once the game starts, it’s football just like under the awesome Friday Night Lights in Bogart for our Wolverine home games.”

As Dale has become more widely recognized across the area, new opportunities have followed, including announcing the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Football All-Star Game and the basketball Classic City Showcase at Akins Ford Arena in Athens. He will also return to Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the 2025 GHSA football state championship games.

No matter the venue, Dale remains grateful for the chance to use his voice as a source of encouragement for student-athletes. “My job is the same—to professionally and enthusiastically announce each play and give athletes recognition for their quality play.”

Tarleton, Merenuk, and Mitchell Recognized

as GISA Master Teachers

Three Prince Avenue Christian School teachers were recently named by the Georgia Independent School Association (GISA) as Master Teachers. Fifth-grade teacher Amy Tarleton, high school Spanish teacher Jennifer Merenuk, and high school science teacher Felicia Mitchell were chosen from over 170 GISA member schools and were recognized at a special luncheon held by GISA.

Dailey Recognized for 25 Years

in Music Education

Prince Band Director Gerald Dailey was recently recognized by the Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA) for 25 years of teaching in music education. Mr. Dailey was honored during the opening ceremony for the GMEA Conference. Congratulations to Mr. Dailey for this teaching milestone.

Good, Better, Best:

Honoring the Life of Coach Richard Bell

It is with tremendous gratitude for a life well lived that Prince Avenue Christian School honors the life and legacy of Coach Richard Bell, who passed away on December 13.

After a remarkable 44-year career coaching college football, Coach Bell was a legend long before he arrived on the Prince campus in 2010. Drawn to Athens to be closer to family, he quickly realized he was not ready to retire and still had more to give – to the game, to the coaches, and to the players. He joined Prince as the Defensive Coordinator under Head Coach Mark Farriba to help the fledgling Prince football program during what proved to be pivotal years. Just two seasons later, the Wolverines made their first appearance in a state championship playoff game.

Athletic Director Richard Ricketts, who had served on staff at the University of Georgia during Coach Bell’s tenure there, maintained a close relationship with him. When Ricketts learned that Coach Bell was retiring from college football, he didn’t hesitate to reach out. “I begged him to come to Prince Avenue,” Ricketts recalled. “Begged!”

Coach Bell quickly became a beloved presence on campus, known for his signature phrase: “Good, better, best! Never let it rest, ’til your good is your better and your better is your best.” He lived that mantra daily. In addition to coaching football, Coach Bell served as the middle school PE teacher, where it was common to see him doing push-ups or running a mile alongside his students, every one of whom he knew by name.