Photo courtesy James Coe
May 19, 2021
HEADMASTER'S MESSAGE

Getting Things Right

A couple of months ago, senior Hailey Buick and woodworking teacher Matt Stark asked me to visit the wood shop to see Hailey’s Senior Capstone project, which was to build a rocking chair.
 
As teacher and student described the unique difficulty of making such a chair, and the talent combined with hours and hours of dedicated work it took to build it, I took a seat and tested it out right there in the shop. A tall ladder-back rocker with a sturdily woven seat, this chair keeps your posture proper and doesn’t just recline; but it also doesn’t fight the sitting back, and carries a first push smoothly into rhythm.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Carol Lyon Honored

Carol Lyon, St. Johnsbury Academy’s Assistant Headmaster for Business Services, has received a 2020 Will Hancock Unsung Hero Award from the National Business Officers Association (NBOA).

The award is given to independent school business officers who have made extraordinary contributions to their schools. It is named after Will J. Hancock, who always went above and beyond the call of duty during his 35 years at Hawaii Preparatory Academy.

Math Contest Awards

Yicheng "Nathan" Shen (left, above) participated in the virtual MathCON Finals this past week and placed 17th overall nationally among all 12th graders. Nathan placed in the top 10% of all high school seniors in the first Round of MathCON to qualify for the national competition.

Last month a small group from our St. J Math Team participated in the national TrigStar competition. The contest is based on the practical application of Trigonometry and recognizes the most proficient students from high schools throughout the nation.

Our top 2 scorers were Qingyue "Jenny" Li, and Theodora Montague. Jenny (right, above) will be entered into the running to represent Vermont in the National Trig-Star finals soon.

In the UVM Mathematics Contest, Ben Carpenter and Jiabin “Andy” Xu tied for sixth in the state. Winners in our region of the state were Gavin Ghafoori and Yicheng “Nathan” Shen. Theodora Montague finished in the top 25 in the state.
Summer Academic Session

St. Johnsbury Academy is thrilled to offer a robust array of academic opportunities for rising 9th-12th graders. The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant challenges for students at all grade levels, and we are eager to help provide academic remediation and enrichment this summer. Students will have opportunities to fill gaps in their skills and knowledge, advance academically, and explore new and exciting hands-on classes they would not normally have during the traditional school year. These premier, in-person academic courses will come at no out-of-pocket cost to SJA families and are only available to currently enrolled SJA students entering 9th-12th grade. Each successfully completed course earns a student one elective credit. See below for our full list of course offerings and descriptions. Space is limited, so register today!
Youth Sports Camps Announced

St. Johnsbury Academy athletics and the St. J Rec are once again partnering up to bring dynamic youth sports camps to the Northeast Kingdom. Join St. Johnsbury Academy varsity head coaches, other members of the Hilltopper coaching staff, and student-athlete volunteers for a variety of 3 to 5 day summer camp programs including basketball, lacrosse, football, ultimate, track & field, field hockey, and soccer! Spots are filling up fast so register now!
UPCOMING EVENTS

Friday, May 27
Last Day of Classes
AROUND CAMPUS
Rauf Erkiletlioglu tests a detector for alpha-particle radiation that he built for Mr. Buhner's AP Physics class. As part of their final project for the class, students were required to create a project related to quantum physics.
As part of their final project, Mr. Mitchell's welding students are replacing the handrails at Streeter Hall.
Photos from yesterday's fashion show can be viewed here.
Students in Mr. Roberts’ Advanced Electrical class are busy this week installing a new 200 amp system at the football field to prepare for the school’s Commencement Exercises being held there on June 7. The upgrade in service will also allow the school to update the electrical systems in the press box and in the concession stand. 
Photos from last week's track meet vs MMU can be viewed here.