June 27, 2025

NOTES FROM SPARTAN LANE

JOHN THORSEN, HEAD OF SCHOOL

Happy almost Fourth of July to you and your family! I know it has been extremely hot outside lately, and the news on our screens has also been cause for concern. I hope that our students can relax, unplug and find some joy over their summer holiday. In spite of the heat, we had a fun playground party this past Tuesday to welcome our new Preschool families to Spartan Lane, and everyone had a good time. Our Field Geology "Trimpe Trek" travelers returned to Athens early Wednesday morning after an amazing time exploring the west--including a day in the snow. Our Zambia trip took off last evening, and they are poised to have a memorable time in Africa.

I found this article on screen time and children and thought it was worth sharing with our community. As you know, we effectively are a phone-free school until the ninth grade. We have continued to debate the merits of changing course. For the time being, we still see Upper School as a time to learn and grow before heading off to college. We have been restricting campus phone use more and more, and we are finalizing details on more phone-free time in the year ahead. In my last message, I shared that we are hoping to have some Wait Until 8th cohorts form in grade levels across the Lower and Middle Schools. They turnover their lists in July, so we will launch this process next month, but please do talk with your fellow parents and know that we will need at least ten families to sign up in each grade level. Here on Spartan Lane we are advocates of this and hope that many of our families will join us in this important work.

In the meantime, enjoy your summer, a change of pace and quality time with your loved ones. We are looking forward to a positive school year ahead, so please review the Upcoming Events calendar below and start penciling things into your calendar (or phone). We are hosting a movie night at Wire Park on Monday, July 21, and if you are in town we hope you can join us. Our first sports contest of the year will be a football scrimmage against PACS on Wednesday, August 6, at 7:00 p.m., the same night we will welcome our new families to campus (more information to follow). We have had another good year in philanthropic support, but if you have yet to join us with your own gift, please know that our fiscal year closes on July 31, 2025. Thank you for your engagement and support--it makes a difference!

Go Spartans,

John Thorsen

Head of School

JOIN US FOR ACAD MOVIE NIGHT AT WIRE PARK!

MONDAY, JULY 21 / 6:00 PM / "INSIDE OUT 2"

Athens Academy is excited to host a fun summer family event at Wire Park! Wear your green and white and join us for Inside Out 2 beginning at 6:00 p.m. Admission is free and everyone is welcome. Bring chairs and blankets but please no outside food or drink. We hope to see you there!

CALENDAR CHANGE ANNOUNCEMENT

SPRING BREAK MOVED TO MARCH 9-13, 2026

Due to a recent change in the University of Georgia’s academic calendar, Athens Academy will be adjusting our spring break dates to continue to align with theirs. Our spring break will now take place the week of March 9–13, 2026, rather than the originally scheduled week (March 2-6). We understand that this change may require a change of plans for some families, and we apologize for any inconvenience. Please be in touch with your child's division director with any specific questions or concerns. Thank you for your support and understanding.

SUMMER LEARNING WEBSITE (rising K3-12)

REQUIRED & CHOICE SUMMER LEARNING INFORMATION

The Summer Learning website is now live! Please note that some content will continue to be updated over the next few weeks. Check back frequently for summer reading and other assignments. Questions? Contact your child's division office directly.

CLASS OF 2026 SENIOR PORTRAIT INFORMATION

Athens Academy uses Bentley Photography exclusively for all senior drape/tuxedo yearbook photos. As a courtesy to our families, we are offering rising seniors the option to schedule a brief on-campus photo session this summer in the Chambers Center boardroom. Times are available on Wednesday, July 30, and Thursday, August 7. Click here to register for an on-campus photo appointment. The on-campus sitting fee is $35 and can be paid by cash, check, or credit card. Families may also opt to schedule a photo session at the Bentley Photography Studio in Winder (770-867-2853, bentleyseniors@gmail.com). If you have any questions, please contact Bentley Photography directly.

BACK-TO-SCHOOL 2025-26 DATES FOR YOUR CALENDAR

With summer just around the corner, we wanted to share the schedule for new and returning student orientations beginning on Monday, August 11. Click here for details on these events as well as the first day of school and other activities. Questions? Contact your child's division office directly. Thank you, and have a great summer!

DONATE TO THE COMMUNITY CLOSET: AN ACAD CAPSTONE PROJECT!

As part of her Capstone project on sustainability in fashion, senior Sloane Turner is organizing a drive to collect girls' gently used, dress-code-appropriate clothing and shoes. She plans to collect the clothing during June and July in preparation for a pop-up Community Closet in August. Sloane's goal is to promote fashion recycling while helping to offset the cost of new school clothes for Upper School students--especially rising ninth graders, who no longer wear school uniforms and may need to augment their wardrobe. If you have clothing you would like to donate, a blue drop-off bin is located in the Chambers Center reception area. Stay tuned for dates and times for the Community Closet, coming in August! Questions? Email Sloane Turner.

YOUTH SPORTS UPDATE FOR 2025-26

We are currently working on the details for our afterschool activities for 2025-26, including expanded Extended Day and Enrichment opportunities as well as the introduction our new Developmental Youth Sports programming.

Lower School: Developmental Youth Sports will be open to Lower School students (grades 1-4) and will offer four 12-week options each semester.

Fall Semester:

• Flag Football (Skills)
• Speedy Spartans Running
• Basketball (Preseason Skills)
• Baseball (Preseason Skills)

Spring Semester:

• Strength & Conditioning
• Tennis (Preseason Skills)
• Volleyball (Preseason Skills)
• Soccer (Skills)

More information, including pricing and scheduling, will be announced later this summer.

Middle School: For grades 5 and 6, we will continue to offer Tackle Football, Speedy Spartans, and Girls on the Run. This year we will also add a Football Cheerleading option for grades 5 and 6. The Enrichment programming for Middle School will also be expanded. Students in grades 7 and 8 will continue to participate in the Middle School athletic program, with 21 teams to choose from throughout the year.

**We are also excited to offer two new Flag Football teams for students in grades 1 and 2.** These teams will compete in the local private school league, and volunteer coaching opportunities will be available. More information and a registration link will be sent to these families directly later this summer.

More details on Extended Day, Enrichment, and Developmental Youth Sports will be shared as they become available. If you have specific questions, would like to volunteer to coach or are interested in running an enrichment program, please email Thad Mathis, director of Auxiliary Services.

IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO MAKE A GIFT!

Click here to make a gift to the Annual Excellence Fund before the fiscal year ends on July 31! Athens Academy's fiscal year runs August 1-July 31, and we appreciate your annual participation! Every gift helps to support our students, teachers, and programs here on Spartan Lane. Click here to pay with PayPal, Google Pay, Venmo, or credit card today. Questions? Email DeDe Guest.