From the Head of School

Dear Prep Family, Welcome to Jackson Prep’s 2022 Excellentia magazine! As you can see from the cover, Excellentia is the new name for our Patriot magazine. Inside you will find articles covering the construction and opening of Jackson Prep’s new state-of-the-art Lower School; the incredible production of The Phantom of the Opera; our Prep families’ mission efforts around the world; and the accomplishments of our students, teachers, and alumni. We have an incredible community at Jackson Prep, and I am excited about sharing their stories with you. As you read Excellentia, you will see why I am energized about the future of Jackson Prep. These truly are exciting times!

We had an outstanding start to our school year. We have achieved much in the classroom, on the stage, and on the athletic fields. We have had this success because of the hard work and talent of our students and the dedication of our faculty. Working together, Prep continues to set the standard for secondary education. Our community is proud of the tradition of excellence we have established over the years, and we are particularly excited about expanding this tradition to our new Lower School.

As you will read in this magazine, the Jackson Prep Lower School will open in August 2023 under the leadership of Amanda Slack. We will welcome students in PreK-3 through grade four into our new stateof-the-art facility. While we can’t wait to share this innovative building with our students and families, the establishment of our Lower School consists of more than just facilities. As I have said before, the greatest strength of Jackson Prep is our faculty. To that end, we are working to hire the best faculty who will be teaching a creative and interactive curriculum that will engage our Lower School students. Our educational program, which has been developed based on research and consultation with other leading institutions and our faculty, will be vertically aligned with our Middle and Upper Schools focusing on the development of the whole child. In particular, we want our students to be prepared not only intellectually, but also emotionally and spiritually. Our curriculum will have an intentional focus on teaching biblical values with our Lower School students, consistent with our mission of “instilling personal integrity through biblical values.” We have a unique opportunity to build a Lower School, incorporating cutting edge and imaginative pedagogy, consistent with the tradition of excellence that makes Jackson Prep great.

I find my inspiration among our students and faculty at Jackson Prep. I hope you also find inspiration reading about their accomplishments and our plans for the future in this first edition of Excellentia. Enjoy the magazine, and I look forward to visiting with you throughout the 2022-2023 school year.

Go Patriots!

Lawrence M. Coco, III Class of 1992 Head of School