FPD Magazine, Winter 2013

FPD MAGAZINE

Bright Futures How FPD's bold new technology initiative will prepare our future grads.

FROM THE

FPD Magazine First Presbyterian Day School 5671 Calvin Drive Macon, Georgia 31210 Phone: (478) 477-6505 www.fpdmacon.org Administration and Staff Gregg Thompson, Headmaster Dr. Barry E. Shealy, Assistant Headmaster Joseph Childs, High School Principal Molly Pearson ’87, Middle School Principal Wade Putnal, Elementary Principal Kris Cutright, Instructional Support Director Charles Parrish, Chief Financial Officer Jennifer Barfield, Development Director Cheri Frame ’89, Enrollment Director Carol Sawyer, Alumni Director Greg Moore ’84, Athletic Director Brad Thompson, College Counselor Andrew Strickland, Fine Arts Director David Bass, Technology Director Cal Powell, Communications Director 2012-13 Board of Trustees Mr. Danny Smith, Chairperson Mrs. Saynor Foshee ’86, Vice Chairperson Mr. Cole Tidwell ’88 Mr. Rick Bonfim Mr. Jay Strickland ’81 Mrs. Lara Carlton The Rev. Chip Miller, Ex Officio Mr. Charles Scurry Mr. Paul Cable Mr. Henry Hicks Mrs. Tracy Jones Mrs. Patti Martin Mr. Gregg Thompson, Ex Officio Mr. Steven Rumford ’99 Design: Cal Powell Writing: Cal Powell, Susan Douglas, Dr. Barry Shealy, Jay Strickland, Greg Moore, Chandler Lee Photography: Cal Powell Printer: Panaprint FPD Magazine is published by the First Presbyterian Day School Development Office. Contents may be re-printed with permission of the school. For questions or comments, e-mail cal.powell@fpdmacon.org

Headmaster Dear FPD Family and Friends, Much is happening at “The Day School” with our SACS-SAIS accreditation visit in March, the transformative 1-to-1 technology initiative, winding down winter sports and spring seasons getting under way, the spring musical and, of course, a lot of learning is happening in the classroom.

In all this activity, one thing is central: lives are being changed here at FPD. As I read through the articles in this issue, the impact of gifted educators transforming hearts, minds and lives through the years jumped off the pages.

Reading through our self-study survey input from our families and various constituencies, a consistent praise from all groups was for the talented teachers and coaches who lead our students. Here are a few selected comments: “Teachers have been the biggest reason that we feel so grateful to be a part of the FPD community. The level of communication between teachers and parents is wonderful.”

“The greatest strength of FPD is the staff. There are so many different personalities and styles, but all of the staff are so loving and supportive of the kids.”

“We hire competent and gifted staff. All staff and faculty are readily available and open to communicate with students and parents and partner with families to equip our children to change the world for God’s glory.”

“The faculty and staff at FPD are excellent and provide every opportunity for the students to succeed. They really care about the students, not only when they have them as a student, but throughout their lives.”

“Having had one child who has graduated from FPD and college and one still in high school at FPD, I can say the key to our students’ success is the combination of the high academic standards combined with the strong Christian influence from our faculty and leaders.”

It is a privilege to work alongside this exceptional group of educators and for my children to have been impacted by their lives.

Thank you for all who provided feedback and input on our surveys. FPD continues to pursue excellence in all things. Your valued input along with testing data and young alumni surveys on their college experience provides instruction for our continued pursuit of growth and improvement.

May the Lord be glorified as the school family, past, present and future, seeks to honor Him with our best.

Because He is faithful,

Gregg Thompson

WHAT’S INSIDE 1-to-1 initiative

4 Bold technology initiative will place worlds of information at students’ fingertips.

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around campus

8 Combined science labs allow high school students the chance to be teachers.

fields of faith

12 Life-changing FCA event draws huge crowd to FPD.

sports roundup

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20 Recaps of fall and winter sports and a testimonial about life in the GHSA.

elementary Spanish

24 Elementary Spanish teacher Traci Martin brings a passion for the culture into the classroom.

FPD in the arts

32 Bobby McDuffie shares his memories of life at FPD and other interesting tales.

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classnotes

40 Alumni share their life updates.

ON THE COVER FPD MAGAZINE

Bright Futures How FPD's bold new technology initiative will prepare our future grads.

Elementary students Chandler Jackson, Catch Kitchell and Lillie Mealor will benefit from FPD's 1-to-1 initiative.

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1to1 INITIATIVE

A confident step into the future

A

By DR. BARRY SHEALY

bout 45 years ago, the Board of Trustees of the First Presbyterian Day School adopted a school philosophy that sought to lead students to “live a life glorifying to God, confronting honestly and confidently the problems and challenges of new knowledge, and contributing to the welfare of society under God.” Today, the school continues to “educate and equip students to change the world for God’s glory.”

By God’s grace, the board, faculty, and staff of FPD has acted in confidence in Christ to take bold steps to teach students well and prepare them for the challenges of today and tomorrow. The 1-to-1 program currently under development is considered by many to be one such bold step.

It is a program that is more about preparing students to change the world than about technology. Let’s take a look at the goals and details.

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FPD Magazine Winter 2013

EDUCATIONAL GOALS

FPD has five general educational goals that will be addressed through a technology initiative. This initiative includes providing Lenovo X230 Tablet PCs to every student in grades 5-12, class sets of the devices for grades 3 and 4, and implementing iPads in 3K-4.

These devices are the means to achieving the educational goals that drive the program.

Access to Content The Internet and other electronic resources provide a wide access to a rich array of content.

We plan to provide all students and teachers with access to filtered and monitored content and multimedia educational resources both in class and, for older stu-

dents, at home.

Our media center has a wide variety of digital and multimedia reference materials in addition to the broad spectrum of content available online.

Critical Engagement with Content We have long emphasized the use of media and materials including technologically enhanced instruction, to support students’ critical engagement with content and active learning.

We were one of the first schools in middle Georgia to require and achieve 100 percent faculty competency in instructional technology as defined in the state InTech program. We continue to have those expectations even after the state backed away from the certification re-

1to1 INITIATIVE

quirement. We were also the first school in middle Georgia to have interactive whiteboards in all classrooms.

A 1-to-1 wireless environment will allow our teachers and students access to state of the art tools for critically engaged learning.

Meaningful and Creative Expression A critical outcome of a liberal arts education is proficient capacity for meaningful and creative expression.

We will provide tools for productivity, discussion, and collaboration to promote students’ communication skills.

Using technological tools provides opportunities for students to communicate through important traditional speaking and writing skills as well as contemporary electronic and multimedia forms.

We will continue to emphasize writing skills across the curriculum. Recently, Michael Lindsay, President of Gordon College (MA) and author the book Faith in the Halls of Power, noted that the currency of leadership today is “persuasion.”

To change the world, it is critical that our students develop the ability to express themselves well and persuasively in and through a variety of media whether writing, speaking, through the arts and theater, multimedia productions or social media.

Connection to Exemplary Teachers Our core educational values express the importance of connection to a competent Christian educator to the development of a student.

The more quickly a teacher can provide meaningful feedback; the better a student will learn and grow.

Technological tools provide a greater connection for communication and connection between the student and teacher.

We plan to use classroom and course management programs, like DyKnow and Moodle, and shared digital notebooks in MS OneNote to close the feedback loop between the student and teacher.

21st Century Skills and Issues Today’s rapid advances in technology and the integration of technology across our culture and lives has led to both a critical importance for the development of new skills and raised critical issues students will need to address as they continue

“We want students to learn to use the technology tools they will use in college and beyond. We also want students to recognize issues that our technological society faces.” their education and take their place as productive citizens in the workplace and other parts of their communities.

We want students to learn to use the technology tools they will use in college and beyond. We also want students to recognize issues that our technological society faces.

And we want our students to critically evaluate these issues from a Christian and biblical perspective and make ethical and moral decisions.

PROGRAM COMPONENTS

Grades 5-12 Lenovo X230 Tablet – This device is a convertible Windows 8 tablet PC with an active digitizer that allows students to write on the screen with “digital ink” as they would with a pen or pencil in a notebook.

Microsoft OneNote – Students will keep their course materials organized in digital notebooks in MS OneNote.

A digital notebook is organized in the same way a binder might be with sections and sub-sections and pages and sub-pages.

But a digital notebook can contain more than handwritten notes and handouts. Students can keep multimedia files, a wide range of documents, links to the internet, and more.

In addition, teachers will have access to student notebooks to provide feedback on homework, note-taking ACCESS TO CONTENT skills, or drafts of paStudents will be issued their own tablet PCs (about a $2,000 value) loaded with roughly $1,000 worth of software. The machines will provide students access to Internet and network resources, digital pers. textbooks and more.

Moodle – Teachers will use the Moodle CRITICALLY ENGAGED LEARNING course management A true 1-to-1 program allows for technology-enhanced instruction, interactive media, educational software application, classroom connection as well as giving teachers monitoring capabilities. system to provide content to students in MEANINGFUL & CREATIVE EXPRESSION the same way college Tablet PCs provide both standard productivity tools as well as those for developing oral, visual, professors do today for collaborative and multimedia composition skills using both keypad and digital ink. their students. Moodle also provides drop boxCONNECTION TO THE TEACHER A 1-to-1 classroom includes shared notebooks, meaning feedback can be instant between teacher es for electronic suband student, giving all students equal access to instruction and guidance. mission of assignments, discussion forums, and 21st CENTURY SKILLS AND ISSUES online testing tools Students in a 1-to-1 environment develop vital technology skills as well as critical engagement with among other resources and evaluation of current issues in a technological society. for students and teachers.

DyKnow – DyKnow is a classroom manageAdobe Acrobat Pro, Photoshop, Captivate, Prement and instructional delivery tool that is designed senter for a wireless one-to-one environment. Audacity Teachers can monitor and control the laptops in Geometer’s Sketchpad their classroom, broadcast to their students’ devicFluidGrapher es, and display their students’ screens to the class SmartMusic through a wireless projector.

Grades 3K-2 iPad Program eTexts – We are Our youngest Vikings will have access to enworking with our gaged learning through a wide variety of educatextbook suppliers tional apps on class sets of iPads. Our teachers are to provide digital being trained and visiting schools with exemplary versions of all textprograms. books currently available.

Grades 3-4 Tablet Class Sets & iPads Lightspeed – Content filtering, monitoring and Third and fourth graders will learn to use Lenovo control of web access to keep users safe and protablets so they are prepared to have their own in 5th tected without over-blocking access to education grade. resources.

Teachers will be able to enhance instruction usSoftware Suite Highlights – ing the tablets, interactive SmartBoards, and also Windows 8 Enterprise, have access to class sets of iPads for use with a Microsoft Office Pro 2010 (Word, PowerPoint, wide variety of educational applications.

Excel, Publisher, OneNote, Access) Windows Movie Maker For more information, visit www.fpdmacon.org/1to1

TOP 5 BENEFITS OF THE 1-TO-1 INITIATIVE

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High school English teacher Emily Hulsey and her husband Ronnie became the proud parents of Laney Kaye Hulsey, who was born on Dec. 6, 2012. Hulsey joined the FPD faculty in 2008.

MCCORMICK HONORED BY MACON EXCHANGE CLUB

Several Mercer University football players showed up to support the Viking Football League players and cheerleaders prior to the championship games in October. The players signed autographs and greeted players during on-field introductions. Among the players attending was FPD grad Micah Moore, a freshman lineman for the Bears.

FPD band director Jonathan Baker was appointed as the conductor for the Macon Symphony Youth Orchestra this season.

Baker joined the FPD faculty in 2007. Baker has performed with numerous symphony orchestras, including the Hartford Symphony, Rhode Island Philharmonic, Vermont Symphony and New Hampshire Symphony Orchestras.

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FPD Magazine Winter 2013

Senior Scott McCormick was recognized in October as the Youth of the Month by the Macon Exchange Club.

The award recognizes a senior who excels in leadership, community service and academic achievement.

McCormick, a three-sport athlete for the Vikings, boasts a 4.0 GPA and takes six Advance Placement courses. He received an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point in February.

McCormick, along with classmates Davy Priester and Michael Money, also was named a National Merit Scholarship Program Commended Student in November.

More than two-thirds of the approximately 50,000 high scorers on the PSAT/NMSQT receive Letters of Commendation in recognition of their outstanding academic promise.

Teamwork Fifth graders partner with high schoolers to learn about biology and chemistry.

There’s more to learning than simply absorbing information. High school science students find that out first hand during combined labs with FPD fifth graders.

The labs give high school students a chance to pass on the information they’ve learned themselves in anatomy, biology and chemistry courses.

“We talked them through (the experiment) and taught them about what was going on as we did it,” senior Megan Pittman said of a recent chem-

istry lab. “It was really cool to see their reactions as they saw the experiment happening.”

The fifth graders’ study of the circulatory system was capped with a dissection of a sheep’s heart led by high schoolers.

“We’ve been teaming with fifth grade chemistry for about 20 years or so,” chemistry teacher Barbara Henley said.

“It has been a great experience for my kids because you don’t really know if you understand something until you have to explain it to someone else.”

Above left, fifth grader Erica Fuller works with high school students Megan Pittman and Grace Tinkey during a combined chemistry lab. Below, junior Will Black and fifth grader Ben Huggins team up to perform a dissection of a sheep’s heart.

FPD Magazine Winter 2013

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FPD’s Math Team won the GHSA Class A Division at the Georgia Southwestern University Mathematics Tournament in January. Team members are RuYi Marone, Jacob Cardis, Nicholas Shealy, Faith Marie Engle, Nicholas Shao, Davy Priester and Carter Floyd. Individually, Shao placed second and Davy Priester was third.

Winners of the FPD Spelling Bee were Cassidy Pearson (first place) and Jackson Slade (second place). The two advanced to regional competition.

High school students with the highest GPA through last year are Bennet Humphries and Davy Priester (current seniors), Katie O’Quinn and Taylor Burns (juniors), Barret Ham (sophomore) and Analee Appling (freshman), shown with principal Joe Childs.

MIDDLE SCHOOLERS ADVANCE TO STATE COMPETITION WITH SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT Seventh graders Mary Brett Anderson (left) and Amelia Squires advanced to the state science fair competition after placing first at regionals in January.

Their project, titled “Do name brand foods and drinks actually taste different than off brand foods and drinks” received the Broadcom Masters Outstanding Project Award at regionals at Georgia College and State University. The duo set up a blind taste test with cookies, chips and soft drinks and asked 28 participants to record their observations.

“We found that most people can tell a difference between name brand and off brand food and drinks,” Squires said.

FPD’s Mac Willingham and Kirsten Williams and Haley Harden all placed second at regional competitions for their projects, while Tyler Mimbs and Wilson Andress placed third.

Middle school principal Molly Pearson praised the students and teacher Rebecca Barnes.

“She is doing a great job of teaching our students how to think and write scientifically,” Pearson said.

The state competition will be held at UGA in March.

MIXON-FINCHER EVENT CELEBRATES THE ARTS One of the highlights of the elementary school year is the annual Mixon-Fincher Day, celebrating our young writers and artists.

The celebration is a recognition of two former FPD faculty members, Marion “Toot” Mixon, a longtime second grade teacher, and Jeanne Fincher, who taught art.

Elementary teachers plan various activities to promote writing and art in the weeks leading up to the big day, which culminates with a visit from parents to give the students an opportunity to display their work to mom and dad.

Third grade teacher Donna Blizzard said her students love “share time” on Fridays.

“We all gather on the floor around the rug right after lunch on Friday to share our favorite story from the week from our journals,” she said. “The children dearly love this cozy little time together where everyone feels willing and free to share. I have been most encouraged

this year as I listen to their stories without seeing all the grammar and punctuation mistakes and hear the growth in their storytelling abilities.

It’s also fun to watch them correct mistakes as they read! They are learning to edit on the spot!”

Enrollment doubles at downtown campus Enrollment at FPD Downtown has doubled since the campus opened a year ago.

Located at First Presbyterian Church, FPD Downtown opened with 3K and 4K classes and added kindergarten this year. First grade will be added next year and long-terms plans are to add a grade each year up to fifth grade.

FPD Downtown will offer full-day options for Pre-K and kindergarten this fall.

Also new for 2013, FPD’s main campus will offer full day options for Pre-K and kindergarten students.

For additional information, contact Enrollment Director Cheri Frame at cheri.frame@fpdmacon. org or (478) 477-4774.

Fields of

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FPD Magazine Winter 2013

Each year, Fellowship of Christian Athletes hosts a student-led event called Fields of Faith on high school campuses across the nation. In September, FPD athletic director Greg Moore joined forces with FCA’s Scott Adams to pursue a night of impact that would prove to be life-changing.

W

hat happened tonight at our stadium was one of the most inspiring things I’ve ever witnessed. The students got fired up for Jesus, and our community needed something like tonight to bring some unity to things. We have a lot of divisions in our community - from churches to schools to neighborhoods to politics - but tonight we were all about the same thing, and that thing is Jesus. He is still the one thing that can bring everyone together.

- Greg Moore September 24, 2012 Fields of Faith is an event highlighted by student participation. Bibb County’s event featured the Southwest High School Marching Band, the FPD Praise Band as well as scriptural challenges Johnson Stadium’s home side was filled to overflowing from players and during the Fields of Faith Event. At left, students from coaches at Northeast, Central, Southwest, local schools gather for prayer time. Below, FPD student Howard, Westside and Will Black delivers his testimony.

Mercer University.

FPD junior Will how Jesus is a part of all that we do,” Black told his personal story of a Moore said. “He had all of us eating life-changing relationship with his right out of his hand by the time he coach, Greg Moore, and how God was finished.” used that relationship to pursue him By night’s end, more than 200 and ultimately lead him to accept students stood to be counted as those Christ as his personal Savior. Black’s who were ready to give their lives to testimony was powerful, as he Christ. Hundreds more were moved encouraged the mostly teenage to a re-commitment of their personal crowd to make sure they understood relationship with Jesus. that “God is real, and He will pursue The evening concluded with teams, you, and accepting Him will be the coaches, youth leaders, students, and greatest decision of your life that you parents gathered in prayer circles on will never regret.” the field, creating an incredible scene That set the stage for national FCA on the lush grass at Johnson Stadium. speaker, Scott Pilkington. Pilkington Lives were changed, and eyes were spoke for nearly 45 minutes, with opened to see. everyone’s emotions moving from “We had hoped that maybe one laughter to tears throughout. person would give their life to “Scott has the unique ability to Christ tonight,” Moore said. “What take everyday life and relate it to happened far exceeded that.”

FPD Magazine Winter 2013

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For the second time in less than 10 years, a division of FPD has been named a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education. The distinction, awarded to the middle school, establishes FPD as the only private school in all of Georgia recognized and the only school, public or private, in middle Georgia. We’re proud to proclaim this means an FPD education is ...

Blue Ribbon Worthy

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he National Blue Ribbon Schools program honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools where students perform at very high levels or where dramatic improvements are being made in student achievement.

In September, FPD was recognized as an “Exemplary High Performing” school. These are schools that are recognized among the nations’s highest performing schools, as measured by nationally-normed tests.

FPD middle school principal Molly Pearson and longtime English teacher David Walton accept the Blue Ribbon plaque from Ava Kumi, director of the NBRS program, at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., in November.

“Achieving National Blue Ribbon status is quite an honor,” middle school principal Molly Pearson said. “It truly validates the intense effort on behalf of our faculty and students. FPD’s curriculum is well-planned and rooted in our core mission to educate and equip students to change the world for God’s glory. The positive relationships at our school between parents, teachers and students provide the strong foundation on which this high level of achievement can be reached.”

Middle school students celebrated with an ice cream party, catered by Blue Bell, of course, and Pearson and Walton traveled to Washington, D.C., in November to accept the official recognition.

For more information, visit www2.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/

ACCREDITATION REPORT DR. BARRY SHEALY, ASSISTANT HEADMASTER FPD is accredited by AdvancED (the parent organization of the Southern Association of College and Schools or SACS) and the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS) and certified by the Council for Educational Standards and Accountability (CESA). In March, FPD will receive a joint AdvancED/SAIS Peer Review Team for our 5-year evaluation and accreditation renewal.

What is Accreditation and Why Does it Matter?

AdvancEd states well that “accreditation is a voluntary method of quality assurance developed more than 100 years ago by American universities and secondary schools, and designed primarily to distinguish schools adhering to a set of educational standards.” Schools agree to comply with the accreditation organization’s set of standards and accountability through periodic self-study and external review.

The accreditation process is healthy for schools as it provides a set of recognized external standards for evaluation and guides a schools’ improvement process. It is also encouraging to parents as it provides a widely-recognized external stamp of approval for their students’ education.

Who are the Accreditation Organizations and Why More than One? There are many accreditation agencies in the United States and around the world. In North America, the term “regional accreditation” refers to accreditation by one of the six organizations recognized by the US Department of Education for accrediting public and private colleges and schools. This accreditation is the most widely recognized internationally and often opens doors for schools and students that other agencies do not.

Recently, three of those regional organizations, SACS and the Northwest and North Central organizations, merged to form AdvancEd. The National Association of Independent Schools provides accreditation for private schools through its regional affiliates such as SAIS. SAIS works closely with AdvancED to accredit private schools. This affiliation helps ensure that the interests and distinctive characteristics of independent schools are addressed in standards and processes.

The CESA is an organization for strong college-preparatory Christian schools. They have established a set of standards that fit on top of regional accreditation. These standards address the soundness and consistency of Christian mission and verify that the school maintains strong collegepreparatory academic practices and performance.

What does Accreditation Evaluate?

Accreditation standards address all aspects of a school’s program and practices.

Beliefs, Mission and Direction An accredited school must have clear and coherent mission and direction.

This means the school’s beliefs and values must be seen as foundational across the school’s program and practices. All decisions must be founded in the school’s vision. Currently, secular accrediting agencies do not dictate what the set of beliefs and mission can or cannot contain as long as the mission is in line with relevant laws including recognized religious exemptions.

CESA, however, requires certified schools to include Christian formation in its programs and require adherence to a statement of Christian faith that incorporates the Nicene Creed by board members, faculty, and administration.

Governance and Leadership Standards also address how the school board and administration operates for maintaining and funding the school’s program. The school board is generally responsible for establishing and maintaining the schools’ mission and vision and seeing that it is adequately supported and funded. The board then hires a head of school (or superintendent in the case of a public school system), who is given the task of operating the school so as to enact the board’s vision. The board governs through policies rather than making day to day operational decisions.

Academic Program & Resources Accreditation standards hold schools accountable for putting into place curriculum, instruction, and assessment systems that reasonably fulfill the school’s academic mission. The standards include teacher qualifications, the nature of instruction, a coherent and documented curriculum, the use of classroom and external assessment data to support student learning, and the

support services and resources needed to support students that the school is set up to serve within its mission. CESA specifies, for example, that schools use CTP4 standardized testing as part of a strong college-preparatory program.

Continuous Improvement Accredited schools must be formally involved in self-study and continuous improvement. Schools must continually look at student performance data, evaluate their program in light of mission, study research and exemplary practice, consider national curriculum standards, and participate in strategic and school improvement planning. This process is forced by accreditation agencies through the required quinquennial self-study and peer review.

Coherent Sense of Community Standards also address the relationship between schools and their stakeholders. Schools should be involved in the community they serve and families should be involved in the school. Communication between the school and constituencies should be clear and regular. The school should communicate its mission and vision regularly in the community. Schools should maintain contact with alumni.

Institutional Viability Institutional viability is a concept that is generally more critical for independent schools than public schools. Standards address many issues including reserve funds, tuition setting mechanisms, administration of admissions and financial aid, insurance and risk-management, management of debt, and financial planning.

What is the Process?

An accredited school regularly engages in self-study and planning for improvement. Every five years, the school receives a visit from the accreditation organization that consists of five educators trained in the accreditation process. During the two years prior to the visit, the school conducts a comprehensive self-study that includes evaluation of student performance, study of current educational research and practice, surveys of constituent groups, documentation of standards compliance, and strategic planning. The visiting team chair visits six months prior to the team visit to review standards compliance, where the school is in the self-study process, and verify the school is ready for the team visit. The school then finalizes the self-study including a five-year school improvement plan. When the team visits, they observe classes, conduct interviews, write a response to the self-study and standards compliance, make commendations and recommendations, and make a recommendation on the accreditation renewal application.

What Were Some Results of the FPD Self-Study?

The top result that rose out of looking at research and current practice as well as opinions expressed in our surveys is a need to improve our availability and use of technology. This was the genesis of our one-to-one computer and elementary iPad initiative over the past two years, culminating in our full implementation next year. This concern was by far the greatest concern for school improvement from our parents with 33% of parents placing this as their number one concern and 44% mentioning it as a top concern.

In looking at the surveys, overall parents, students, and faculty are very positive toward FPD and its programs. Similar to surveys for the 2003 and 2008 renewals, the top reasons parents send their students to FPD are the academic programs and a Christian education. Parents highly praise the sense of community and quality of the faculty and administration.

A significant concern of students and teachers on the surveys was consistency in enforcement of school rules. Alumni report that they were wellprepared for college but express the biggest challenge to be learning to live on their own. In our school improvement plan we will study our school rules and the consistency with which they are enforced and seek to alleviate these concerns. We also plan to study ways of providing students more individual responsibility and accountability to help the transition to independence in college.

The board is also committed to a timeline for study and action to ensure FPD can continue to sustain a long-term quality college preparatory Christian education in light of economic and societal pressure.

ARE YOU A GEORGIA TAXPAYER?

You can make a difference in the life of an FPD student through the Georgia GOAL Scholarship program.

Since 2009, Georgia taxpayers have been able to contribute scholarship funds to FPD through the Georgia GOAL (Greater Opportunities for Access to Learning) Program and earn a dollar-for-dollar credit on their state tax returns while benefitting scholarship recipients at FPD. Contributing to GOAL is easy, involving four simple steps:

1

Complete the GOAL contribution form*

2

Sign and date Part C of the 2013 IT-QEETP1 tax form*

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Write a check payable to the Georgia GOAL Scholarship Program.

*Visit the Giving tab at our website (www.fpdmacon.org) and click on GOAL for forms

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Mail to First Presbyterian Day School, Development Office 5671 Calvin Drive, Macon, GA 31210

FPD GOAL STATS AVERAGE GOAL AWARD $3,731 PER STUDENT

7 PERCENT OF STUDENT BODY RECEIVES GOAL AWARDS

BY RACE

70 PERCENT CAUCASIAN 21 PERCENT AFRICAN-AMERICAN 6 PERCENT HISPANIC 3 PERCENT ASIAN

MORE THAN 50 PERCENT OF GOAL RECIPIENTS ARE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

fine arts

Superior Sound Accolades piling up for FPD band members.

Sophomore Barret Ham (left) and junior William Roddenberry have been named to both the Georgia Music Educators Association All-State Band and the All-State Jazz Band.

The recognition is among many accolades received by FPD band members. Seven high school band members were named to the GMEA South Region Band, including Ham, Roddenberry, Carine Cerny, Nicholas Shealy, RuYi Marone, Matthew Wright and John Fuerniss. District XI Honor Jazz Band members (shown here) include Marone, Carter Floyd, Roddenberry, Cerny, Ham, Daniel Nelsen and John Fuerniss.

In addition, 13 band members were named to the GMEA District XI Honor Band while Aaron Lanning, Cerny, Nelsen, Roddenberry, Marone and Wright were named to the Macon Symphony Youth Orchestra. Ham is a member of the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra.

ART CLASSES RAISE MONEY FOR HOMELESS FPD’s “Empty Bowls” event serves as a reminder of the many homeless throughout our community.

Art students create bowls from clay that are then sold at a school-wide event.

“The idea is that people buy an empty bowl to take home and place on their table and every time they see it, to remember to pray for the people who have empty bowls in their city,” community service director Holly Scott said.

More than $2,000 was raised for local organizations Macon Outreach and Come to the Fountain.

Third through fifth grade students performed The Legend of Pocahontas in January. The production was directed

by Andrew Strickland with the backstage positions being filled by middle and high school theatre students.

sports

Viking athletes enjoy season full of triumphs FOOTBALL (7-5, 4-3 Region 7A)

The football team accomplished another first in school history during the 2012 season by winning a first round playoff game and advancing to the second round of the state playoffs in just its third season as a member of the Georgia High School Association (GHSA).

FPD defeated Brookstone in its round one playoff matchup 34-28 on Nov. 30 before dropping its second round game at Landmark on Dec. 7.

Key wins on the year also included a victory at home over GHSA AAA member Pike County, a come-from-behind road win at Pace Academy, and a win on Homecoming over GMC. Senior quarterback Brooks Stroud threw for more than 1,000 yards and tossed 11 touchdowns on the year. Senior teammate and wide receiver Scott McCormick led the team in receiving, hauling in more than 850 yards and scoring nine touchdowns. Senior running back Darron Moore rushed for 970 yards on the year while scoring 13 touchdowns, four coming in the first round playoff win at Brookstone.

SOFTBALL (18-13, 6-1 Region 7A)

The 2012 softball season was memorable one for the Lady Viking softball program as head coach Jim Turner led the squad to the

Carolyn McDonald

Nicholas Shao

Joseph Watwood

Michael Money

Hannah Davis

Grace Young

Girls Basketball

www.fpdvikings.com

www.fpdvikings.com

Kristin Fillingim

Conner Gettmann

Sam Pope

Sam Joyce

Caleb Dupree

Max Chandler

Brooks Stroud

First Presbyterian Day School Boys Basketball

2012

Collin Humphries

Darrelle Garvin

Daniel Jones

2012

www.fpdvikings.com

Patrick Hague Tanner Johnston Michael Money Grace Tinkey Joseph Watwood Danielle Ferro

First Presbyterian Day School Cross Country

www.fpdvikings.com

Alec Martin

First Presbyterian Day School Football

Grace Young

2012

2012

www.fpdvikings.com

www.fpdvikings.com

FPD Magazine Winter 2013

Austin Moore

First Presbyterian Day School Wrestling

2012-13

2012

2012-13

20

Both girls and boys cross country teams posted multiple impressive finishes during the 2012 campaign, both winning the 2012 Area 1 Meet and advancing to the GHSA Class A State Meet at the Georgia Industrial Children’s Home.

The Lady Vikings also posted a first place finish at the Viking Invitational on Oct. 13. The

Bonnie Scurry

Swimming

Cheerleading

CROSS COUNTRY

First Presbyterian Day School

First Presbyterian Day School

First Presbyterian Day School

Georgia High School Association (GHSA) state playoff berth and a Region 7-A championship by defeating Glascock County 13-0 on Oct. 3.

The region title is the sixth in the last nine years for the Lady Vikings and the first in school history as a member of Region 7-A. By notching the region title, FPD earned an automatic berth into the GHSA Class A state playoffs, where the season ended against the Darlington School.

Seniors Jenna Byrd and Claire Crawford participated in the Georgia Dugout Club All-Star Weekend in mid-November. Byrd (pictured at left), Crawford, and senior Hannah Davis garnered GHSA All-State honors for the Lady Vikings along with being named to the All-Region squad. Other members of the All-Region team include junior Mary Micah Lee, sophomores Sumner Carlton and Courtney Lawrence and freshman Jill Rogers.

www.fpdvikings.com

Scott McCormick

Joshua Weaver

Kaleb Fuller

Conner Albright

First Presbyterian Day School Football

2012

www.fpdvikings.com

squad finished with a fifth place finish or better five times out of nine official meets.

Danielle Ferro paced the Vikings all season and won the Viking Invitational with a time of 20:28. The girls’ squad will say goodbye to seniors Ferro, Grace Young and Grace Tinkey, who missed the entire season with an injury.

The boys team had a strong season as well, finishing 10th place or better in six of nine events on the season.

The Vikings captured the Area 1 title by placing five runners in the top-10 led by the second place finish of freshman Will Martin with a time of 17:43. The boys’ team will lose five seniors from the team: Conner Gettmann, Patrick Hague, Tanner Johnston, Michael Money and Joseph Watwood.

VOLLEYBALL

In its first year of varsity competition, the volleyball team and coach Stephanie Harrell advanced to the GHSA State Playoffs after finishing second in the Area competition.

The Vikings were led by seniors Abby Deckbar, Katy Hall and Bonnie Scurry on the year and have a strong foundation for the future. FPD finished with a 10-17 record.

SWIMMING

The FPD varsity girls and boys swimming teams had impressive finishes in multiple meets this season.

The girls finished fourth or better in several meets this season.

The highest finish for the Lady Vikings came on November 27, taking home second place at The Lovett School.

The boys team experienced success all year long, finishing no lower than fourth place on the year. FPD took home first place at the Lovett School on Nov. 27. Junior Gerald Johnson qualified for the GHSA State Meet on Jan. 18, the first FPD swimmer to do so in the past two years.

BASKETBALL

The varsity girls and boys basketball teams both competed in the Region Tournament in February.

The Lady Vikings (14-12) advanced to the tournament championship game with wins over Lincoln County and Hancock Central. FPD fell to Wilkinson County in the title game 45-31.

FPD was led by junior guard Savannah Phillips on the year, averaging more than 10 points per game. FPD gained region wins twice against Twiggs County and GMC. The Vikings (13-12) fell in the opening round of the region tournament on the road at Aquinas in Augusta.

Junior guard TJ Sams paced the Vikings on the year, who averaged 21.7 points per game on the year. FPD had two other players along with Sams posting double-figures in scoring on a game-by-game basis: senior forward Caleb Dupree (19.1 ppg) and freshman guard O’Showen Williams (14.1 ppg). Dupree also corralled 9.4 rebounds per game.

Dupree scored his 1,000th career point on Senior Night vs. GMC on Feb. 5. Dupree is the first player to surpass the 1,000-point milestone since Austin Royal (’05).

No Regrets Move to GHSA has proven incredibly rewarding.

Coach Jimmy Turner was the first to notice.

Several girls on the opposing softball team, public school visitors from a nearby rural county, took the field for a doublheader against FPD wearing tennis shoes.

Turner retreated to the FPD locker room and emerged with a pair of used cleats and handed them to one of the visitors.

It sparked a mass exodus. Within minutes, several of Turner’s players did the same, returning to the field to present their own used cleats to their opponents, members of the school’s first softball team.

“A bunch of us had extra cleats,” sophomore Sumner Carlton recalled. “So we brought them the cleats in the middle of the game. All their girls and coaches were just so thankful.

They kept saying ‘Thank you, thank you, thank you.’ ” The heartfelt moment transcended sports, sophomore Katherine Strickland said. It spoke to something much greater.

“As a Bible-believing school, we should go out and make disciples,” she said. “We always pray after home games and we invite the other teams to pray so that they can see what we’re all about and hopefully see we’re doing everything for God’s glory. By giving them the shoes, hopefully we showed them that we have something greater as our purpose than just winning a softball game.”

FPD is in its third season as a member of the Georgia High School Association. The fruits of that decision have been evident. FPD players now compete on a larger stage and have enjoyed numerous experiences such as the one Turner witnessed that hot August day.

“I think it’s definitely been a good move,” Carlton said.

“Most of the debate seemed to focus on if we were going to be put in an unsafe environment or whatever, but we’ve been exposed to situations like that (softball game) where we can help people, and I’ve never felt unsafe anywhere. And it’s much better competition week to week, especially for somebody like me who’s hoping to play sports in college.”

WRESTLING

The varsity wrestling team had a strong showing despite a young squad this past season.

Junior Martin Wilson qualified for the GHSA State Competitions and wrestled at the Macon Centreplex on Feb. 15-16.

Wilson finished in fourth place at the state match.

Wilson took home first place at the Bibb County Championships, posting 24 points for the Vikings. Altogether, FPD tallied 71 points on the day. Wilson also finished in third place at the Clinch Gear Prep Slam on Jan. 18-19.

COMPETITION CHEER

The team won the Cheerdawg Classic at Mary Persons and finished seventh at state.

The Vikings’ football team hosted Lincoln County, the state’s second winningest program, in October.

SPIRIT WEEK

Spirit Week 2013 saw the usual antics, as well as some new wrinkles.

There was a royal wedding re-enactment and an appearance by a kilt-clad William Wallace, among other curious sights. At the end of the week, the seniors were crowned champions. Then, everybody cleaned up the huge piles of glitter and streamers in the hallway.

hablamos ~

Elementary students have a great time learning Spanish under the guidance of dedicated instructor Traci Martin.

T

By SUSAN DOUGLAS

here’s a pleasant, happy sound heard in the elementary classrooms and hallways at FPD these days. It sounds a bit exotic, sort of like a verbal buffet line with a smattering of spicy jalapeno sauce, a hint of lime juice, and a smidge of southern accent.

Hola … y’all.

FPD students in first through fifth grade are now receiving Spanish lessons taught by a real, live instructor – Mrs. Traci Martin. For the past several years, elementary students were taught Spanish via a basic DVD series. But now they are even more excited about their new lessons with “Señora Martin.”

“She has really made the Spanish program come alive for the children,” said Elementary Principal Wade Putnal. “She creates games, she reads to them, they sing and make books and journals – the students are very engaged in the learning process, instead of just observing through videos.” ▀▀▀

While the kindergarten classes continue with the basic DVD series, introducing the Spanish language and culture to them through age-appropriate means, the other elementary students are benefiting from Martin visiting their classrooms two times each week for 30-minute sessions.

“This brings a whole new dimension to our curriculum,” Putnal said. “It’s so evident in her teaching how passionate she is about Spanish, and she wants the children to love it as much as she does.”

Born in Miami, Martin attended a bi-lingual elementary school. Her family moved to Macon when she was 13. She received a degree in business with teacher certification and also a master’s degree in education from Georgia College. She is married to Fred,

Elementary Spanish teacher Traci Martin enjoys a playful outdoors exercise with some fourth graders while teaching basic vocabulary skills. an FPD graduate (’79), and they have two sons at FPD: Will, a freshman, and Cooper, a seventh-grader. After teaching in Bibb County for several years, she started at FPD as a kindergarten aide, then a K-5 teacher and third grade teacher.

“I took both Spanish and French in high school, but I didn’t envision teaching language in my future,” Martin said. “Then, a few years ago I took a ‘Fluency Fast’ course and as soon as I walked into the room, all the Spanish I had learned from my childhood came rushing back to me. I was so excited to start using it in the classroom.”

Martin joked that she began to sprinkle her daily teaching with Spanish words and phrases whenever she felt nervous or needed to get her students’ attention.

Eventually she began to teach complete Spanish lessons to all the third grade classes.

“I realized this was the highlight of my week,” she said.

Martin’s style of teaching is rooted in storytelling.

The children learn the language sentence-by-sentence, which moves it quicker into long-term memory, she said.

The curriculum incorporates lots of games, vocabulary skills, reading, singing and writing. She is also able to use the computer and smartboard to enhance her teaching time.

“We learn in fun ways, playing games and singing cheesy songs,” said fifth grader Camden Lashley, in between a game of a Spanish-counting version of Hot Potato.

“I can ask questions now, which I couldn’t do with the videos,” added fifth grader Connor Proctor.

A group of first graders playing a Spanish “Simon Says” game excitedly told how much they loved their lessons: “It’s awesome!” said Saylor Hill.

“It’s good because I know Spanish now just like my older brothers (FPD students Aaron, 10th, and Pierce, 9th),” added Ella Reaves.

Older students work in collaboration with younger ones, through reading and singing together. Students can read some of their favorite books, such as “If You Give A Mouse A Cookie,” in a Spanish-language version, and even take AR (Accelerated Reading) tests in Spanish.

Martin is also diligent to integrate Spanish into current units of study in each classroom. If a class is studying insects or plants or parts of the body, she incorporates those Spanish vocabulary words into her teaching time.

Martin was thrilled when she recently received a handwritten letter from second grader Miller Bakkar, who was practicing “How to Write a Friendly Letter.”

In it, he thanked her for teaching him, and asked,

“She has really made the Spanish program come alive for the children.”

- Elementary principal Wade Putnal “How do you know all these words in Spanish? I hope you don’t retire!”

Martin's colleagues echo their students' enthusiasm for the language classes.

“We have really enjoyed having Mrs. Martin as our teacher,” said Lynn Strickland, first grade teacher. “It is very hands-on, very interactive. The students are engaged each time she comes in, and it is an enrichment to our learning.”

Jessica Murnan, fifth grade teacher, agreed.

“I love when she comes into my class. I took six years of Spanish when I was in school, and I never once got to do the things my students are doing to learn this language. I am even learning myself.”

Continuing her language training is very important to Martin. She regularly attends conferences and has spent some time abroad in Spain. She is currently working through a rigorous Rosetta Stone course and has considered adding a Spanish degree to her education in a few years.

Serving as a volunteer on a mission trip in Mexico is part of her long-range plan.

“I have felt such a passion for this language and for teaching it to the children,” she said. “I feel like I am exactly where I am supposed to be. I believe as we expose our kids to a different language and culture, then they will be a blessing as they go out and interact with the world around them.”

The Traci Martin file - Born in Miami, Martin attended a bilingual school. Her family moved to Macon when she was 13.

- Holds a business degree with teacher certification and a master's degree in education from Georgia College & State University - Husband, Fred, is a 1979 FPD graduate.

Their two sons attend FPD. Will is a freshman and Cooper a seventh grader.

Quotable "I took both Spanish and French in high school, but I didn't envision teaching language in my future. Then a few years ago, I took a Fluency Fast course (at FPD) and as soon as I walked into the room, all the Spanish I had learned from my childhood came rushing back to me. I was so excited to start using it in the classroom."

American Hero

Oliver Bateman, former Flying Tiger in World War II and state senate minority leader, also was instrumental in the founding and growth of FPD as both a board chairman and parent.

By JAY STRICKLAND

H

Oliver Bateman: 1923-2012

How do you remember a hero? How do you remember someone who gave of himself almost totally to everything in which he was involved? How do you remember a man whose influence and example have shaped so many young lives? For me, he was a friend, a fellow Citadel graduate and, without question, a real American hero.

I remember Oliver Bateman from two very different events.

The first was when my children were much smaller and my niece and nephews were coming to Macon. We were looking for an “activity” to take up most of a Saturday and we decided to go to the Air Museum at Robins Air Force Base. We called Oliver and he graciously agreed to meet us and he spent the next few hours shepherding my family around the museum and telling us some remarkable stories.

We often forget the real sacrifices the members of the greatest generation made.

While at the museum, Oliver told us the details of his decision to leave the Citadel and enter the Army in order to fly and of the various places across the country where he learned the craft of flying and becoming a fighter pilot.

Later that morning, he walked us through the Flying Tigers exhibit at the museum and showed us the life he led while he flew fighters in China.

There, on the wall, was a photo of a young man in the prime of his life. He asked my children if they recognized the young man. Of course, they did not, for the man who asked the question was far too old for them to relate to the man in the photo.

But for me it was a profound moment. In that photo was a 20-year-old fighter pilot, enduring hard living conditions, far from home, flying against the enemy, for his country.

I began that day to understand what it meant to truly love your country, to be one of the greatest generation. For Oliver, it was just a story, just a memory of his long and interesting life.

The other event that comes to mind occurred last summer. Oliver had told me that he wanted to see my son, Thomas, before he left for the Citadel.

We finally found a day we hoped would work. We went out to Walden and spent the next two hours having a wonderful visit.

Oliver regaled Thomas with tales of his time at the Citadel, funny stories, tragic stories, and stories of hope.

He showed us his annuals and told us about some of the men he had known during his time there. He had even taken the time to select one of his many pictures of the Citadel to give to Thomas.

I think when he got to see Oliver and hear his stories, Thomas realized that Oliver’s stories were similar to my stories and were similar to other stories that Thomas had heard about the Citadel. I believe Thomas was reassured that he had made a good choice for college and that he, like Oliver before him, could endure what the Citadel had to offer freshman year.

Afterward, as we were driving back to town, Thomas turned and said to me, “it is people like Mr. Bateman that made me want to go to the Citadel.”

Oliver influenced and affected so many people in his lifetime through his service to his country and his state, through his business and farm, through his church, through the school and through his love of the Citadel.

He will be missed.

Jay Strickland is a 1981 FPD graduate and a 1985 graduate of The Citadel, former FPD Board Chairman and a longtime family friend of the Batemans.

FPD arts in the

the road less traveled 1980 grad Amanda Jacobs has followed a twisting path to fulfillment as a composer and teacher.

By CAL POWELL

T

hrough a tragedy, Amanda Jacobs discovered her life’s calling.

A childhood friend had died in a terrible accident. Months and even years later, the grief still stung.

An accomplished pianist, Jacobs went to bed praying for the boy’s family back home in Macon, still grappling with the loss of their son.

"(Composing) has brought me into an incredible world that I wake up to and love and enjoy and find very fulfilling."

“The only story I knew of somebody surviving lions was Daniel, so I created a metaphorical musical play called ‘Daniel’ that explores the concepts of what we do when something bad happens and how do we survive the emotional attacks of our own lions and how do we tame them? The music was just there and I started writing it down.”

The musical marked the beginning of a new journey for Jacobs. Until that time, she considered herself a performer and aspired to be an acclaimed concert pianist.

During this time, Jacobs met Lindsay Warren Baker, a theater student at the time who would become Jacobs’ close friend and collaborator.

The two have combined their talents to compose and produce numerous works, including an adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” that has drawn critical acclaim.

Wesleyan College, where Jacobs received her undergraduate degree in 1984, will host a performance of the adaptation on April 11.

“It was through an accident and a terrible tragedy,” Jacobs recalled of her first steps as a composer. “It has brought me into an incredible world that I wake up to and love and enjoy and find very fulfilling.”

Jacobs splits her time between New York and the West Coast, where her husband is stationed.

Jacobs and Baker continue to collaborate while also teaching and pursuing independent projects.

Photo by Nic Minetor

“I wanted to do something to help the family,” Jacobs said. “The next morning, I woke up and had this idea for a musical of Daniel and the lions, about how emotions can eat us alive like lions.

She remains grateful for the dramatic, unexpected shift her journey took in the late 1990s.

“If we compare our life to a ceramic pot, we shape it a particular way, (but) if that gets shattered or cracked, we shouldn’t weep or mourn about what we think our life should’ve been,” she said. “We need to re-build and re-shape that pot to be bigger. That is what has led me beyond and into something that is equally as great if not geater than what I ever could’ve imagined for myself. That’s what’s so cool about it. Our world can be so much greater outside these cracks.”

Jacobs’ performance of Pride and Prejudice, an adaptation of the musical, will be held on April 11 at Wesleyan College in Porter Auditorium as part of the school’s Morning Music Club of Macon celebration. For more information on the musical, visit the website at www. pride-prejudicemusical.com

MCDUFFIE, MAESTRO

H

FPD arts in the

e calls himself just a fiddle player from Napier Avenue.

Of course, Bobby McDuffie is much more than that. The humble violinist from Macon has achieved international acclaim for his craft, yet you’d never know it from talking to him. Here, McDuffie, who was a member of FPD’s original class in 1970 before leaving after his sophomore year to attend the prestigious Juilliard School in New York, discusses his love of the school, the violin and more.

Take me back to your first encounter with the violin. How old were you then and what drew you to the instrument?

Well, the violin was my mother’s choice. I was 6 and there were two Hungarian brothers in Macon at the time, back in the early 60s. I started in 1964 with one of the Schwarzenberger brothers. I was just told what to do so I started playing it. I guess I was talented. I studied with him until I was 16 and went off to New York. But I just remember practicing like my mother told me to do and taking the lessons and I guess when I first heard real applause, I kind of enjoyed it. There was a Rotary Club performance when I was 10 and kind of enjoyed the applause. I didn’t really know what I was doing but I guess I was talented.

Did you know immediately you had a gift for it?

I didn’t really fall in love with violin until I was 14 when Itzhak Perlman came to Macon and gave a concert. Actually FPD was playing Stratford that night and I was on the varsity team, but I was not good. I had worked really hard in practice and coach McLeroy was going to put me in with the starting five. And … I couldn’t play because there was a violin concert and there went my basketball career at FPD. But I was never good anyway.

You’ve described that as a life-changing moment for you.

Can you elaborate on that night?

It was. I mean, it was the first time I’d actually seen the joyful aspect of playing the violin and making music. Before, it was just a task. I guess I would play music and I had raw talent, but I wasn’t developed enough to know exactly what I was doing. But I did know what Perlman was doing because I knew how hard the violin was. I had already been playing for eight years. What he did on the violin I had never seen or experienced before. So that, combined with just the sheer joy of music that came out of him absolutely was one of those life-changing moments.

You’re friends with him now, right?

We’re in a poker group. Been in it for over 20 years.

A lot has been written about your violin (a $3.5 million instrument crafted in 1735 by Italian Guarneri del Gesu).

What is it about that particular instrument that attracted you to it?

I felt like I could do anything I wanted without letting up.

I use the analogy that with all the other violins I’ve played sometimes I felt like I was running with a pulled hamstring.

Here I could just really let it go full throttle. Sometimes I don’t even have to put too much pressure on the bow and the sound still comes out. It’s just beautiful, a great instrument from top to bottom.

Where did you first see it?

It was flown over to New York by a German dealer back in the mid-90s. I felt like I was kind of a Guarnerius kind of player because Guarnerius made violins that really endured with power, great power, so many soloists preferred Guarnerius violins because they carry over an orchestra.

You’ve got a 25-year lease on the violin. What will you play when you have to return it?

Well, I’ll be in therapy for having to give it up. Seriously, I’ll have something, I’ll be 65 and I actually have a very dear friend who has a Guarnerius that he doesn’t play anymore and he’s offered for me to play that.

Your style has been described as “athletic and adventurous” by one reviewer. What’s your response to that and how would you describe your own style of play?

I do move when I play. Some people like it and some don’t.

I’ve had some critics get on my case about it. But I don’t know what I’m doing up there, I really don’t, (at least) physically. I just kind of get lost in what

I’m doing. Hopefully, just from the heart. I think it’s a great way of just tapping into something deep inside of you and expressing yourself through great music where you could never have said it in words. It’s a beautiful language full of great phrases and beauty. It’s just a way of kind of letting yourself go without having to use words.

their enthusiasm for teaching and their talent. I have intensive memories of FPD.

I read that you called yourself a late bloomer, musically speaking. Can you elaborate on that?

I have two very close friends, dear friends, one is Heyward Adams. He’s been my friend for 43 years, we played Little League together when we were 11. The other is Rocky Roberts, a stockbroker in Athens at Merrill Lynch. Those friendships have endured. … I get ribbed a lot by those two and I like it. They make sure my head stays small. They excel at that.

I don’t think I really hit my stride musically until I was around 30. I was still trying to figure out my own musical identity.

I played a lot of American music because as an idealistic Juilliard kid I thought it was the right thing to do. So I was kind of pigeonholed there for a while with American music and then I started playing more of the standard works and then a combination of the two. So that took a while to figure out, who I really was repertoire-wise. But also the career didn’t really take off until I made an album when I was about 30, 31 with BMI (Broadcast Music Inc.). That kind of got things going with the attention of conductors and presenters who started hiring me more.

Was Juilliard a culture shock for you?

I was kind of excited about it. The original plan was for me to leave my junior year of high school, then come back to FPD and graduate with all my friends. It took me about 3-4 months up there to realize I was going to have to stay if I was going to have a long-lasting career. I was surprised that I made such a practical decision at that age and it wasn’t made for me. Going from FPD to a Long Island public school was definitely a culture shock.

So I finished my high school on Long Island, lived with my teacher who taught me the Juilliard pre-college division and then I moved into the city at 18. Juilliard had no dorms, so at the age of 18, I rented an apartment in midtown Manhattan with a fellow Juilliard violinist, so I grew up pretty quick.

What are your memories of FPD? I have great memories of FPD. We didn’t even have walls in that original building. We had partitions with wheels. We could hear classes going on in the next room. … I remember I got a paddling from Mr. Middlebrooks. That was one of two I got at Presbyterian. He knew exactly where to hit me, right at the top of the back of the thigh. And so I could’ve yelled out 'praise Jesus' every time he did it. It was an interesting time. That was normal.

I had incredibly inspiring teachers and I don’t want to leave anybody out but I do remember Mrs. Gibson, the great English teacher, Mr. Floyd and Mrs. Morgan, Mrs. Hanson, those were great, great teachers, Mike Saunders, and of course Coach Mac, who taught me how to drive. Learned a lot. I’m still a little late to some things and I never came through with his advice that if we were going to have a flat tire, to leave early. Coach Mac was an amazing coach and such a patient teacher in the car and not so patient on the bench during games. I found that dichotomy very interesting.

Now that I’m teaching myself, I hope those people I mentioned know they’re still very much etched in my memory,

Do you still get requests to play Orange Blossom Special and Turkey in the Straw from your old FPD buddies? Do they treat you any differently?

What is the difference between a violin and a fiddle?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. You can play fiddle on a bad instrument.

If somebody were to call you a fiddle player, is that an insult?

Oh, no. I call myself a fiddle player. That’s just our lingo. In classical music, nothing is an insult. If people clap during the middle of a performance, I don’t care. I love it. There’s way too much high expectations and intimidating rules and things like that. If people want to clap, I love it. Just have a good time.

I know you’re really proud of the McDuffie Center for Strings at Mercer University. Can you tell us a little about that and what is your vision for the center?

It’s two-fold.

The first thing was it’s a Macon thing for me because I still love my native city and I just felt that anything to enhance the cultural activities there would be great.

Once it got off the ground and we started bringing in these talented students, then it became more of a curriculum, how do we shift the curriculum for high-level conservatory students to prepare them for the real world so they can actually go out and make a living? Now it’s a matter of not only attracting students and getting them a comprehensive conservatory education but to tap into all of this great university, and Mercer is a great university, tap into the parts of the university that will help complete an education.

So we’re not only part of the school of music, but we expect once the full curriculum is in place, which will be (fall 2013), that we’ll be very much involved with the law school, the college of liberal arts and the business school. So that’s kind of it: To create a complete musician, one who can actually make a living.

"It’s a beautiful language full o beauty. It’s just a way of kind of without having to use words."

of great phrases and f letting yourself go

FPD arts in the

a colorful journey FPD art teacher Nancy Butler seeks to inspire creativity.

By CAL POWELL

I

t was in a high school Spanish class, of all things, where Nancy Butler’s passion for art was born.

As the teacher discussed Spanish art history, Butler sat at her desk, entranced.

“This sounds so cheesy,” she said, “but it was completely thrilling to me. I was literally on the edge of my seat listening to

See more of Nancy Butler’s work, samples of which are shown above, at www.paintmyteam.com

information about all those artists.”

Intrigued, Butler skipped out on a senior trip with her classmates in high school, choosing instead to visit a friend in Madrid.

coming on the heels of an internship with renowned artist Judy Chicago, proved inspirational.

Butler said her love of art just “happened organically,” growing deeper with each experience.

“It's just the freedom to say what you want to say and to influence the viewer,” she said. “I'm a little bit of a control freak and it's a way to control a little world. All of our lives are so crazy, and (painting) is just a little haven for me where I can be expressive and not immediately judged.”

Butler, who has taught at FPD since 2008, still manages to balance her work as an educator with the life of a wife and mother - her twin boys, Owen and Merit, are fifth graders at FPD - while still feeding her passion for expression.

Butler has created a website (www. paintmyteam.com) to showcase her latest business venture, that of painting subjects on demand. Most are sports-related, but she also takes requests.

“I just want the kids to experience art maybe in a way similar to the way I experience art because I get a lot of joy out of it,” she said. “And I think it’s really great when they can experience some confidence because of something they’ve created. It’s really fulfilling for the teacher part of me to see a student start with an idea and be able to complete it.”

"I just want the kids to experience art maybe in a way similar to the way I experience art because I get a lot of joy out of it."

A whirlwind tour of Spanish art museums only reinforced the burgeoning passion, and Butler soon found herself in an intro to drawing course as a freshman at the University of Georgia.

There would be no turning back.

“I took the drawing class just to kind of test the waters,” she said. “I loved it. It just hooked me. I could spend hours and hours working on a drawing and it seemed like it was just 15 minutes.”

Butler graduated from Georgia with a degree in art education and promptly began teaching middle school art classes.

Later, while attending graduate school at Savannah College of Art & Design, Butler was named one of Sotheby's International Young Artists for the year 2001.

One of the perks of the honor was having her work displayed internationally in places like Tel Aviv and Amsterdam, as well as in galleries in New York. That experience,

FACULTY profile shane hall

HOMETOWN Born in Neenah, Wisc., but has lived in Warner Robins most of his life POSITION High school world history, economics FACULTY MEMBER SINCE 2009 EDUCATION

Northside High School, Warner Robins, 2003 Liberty University, B.A. in History and Government, 2008 BEHIND THE SCENES Hall is getting married June 15 to Christina Murphy ... he lost 40 pounds over the summer ... hopes to someday travel to Ireland ... first vehicle was a 1988 Ford Bronco II that caught on fire the first day he got it.

What brought you to FPD? Simple answer, God. The long story is that 2008 and 2009 was a bad time to look for a career in teaching. The public schools were on a hiring freeze.

One day out of the blue my parents suggested applying with some of the Macon area private schools. I didn’t know much about them so I Googled “Macon area private schools” and FPD was one of the top search results. After applying and getting a tour around the campus and meeting all of the administration I fell in love with FPD. The Christian mission, its core values; It was a perfect fit for me.

Being able to use the Bible to teach about Egypt and Babylon in World History and applying what Scripture has to say about money and stewardship in Economics is such a joy. This is the main reason I can’t see myself teaching any place else.

When did you realize you wanted to be a teacher?

I knew I wanted to be a teacher when I was in 11th grade. I was in AP U.S. His-

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FPD Magazine Winter 2013

tory and my teacher was Mr. Dan Kelly.

Listening to him teach and the passion he had for history just rubbed off on me I guess. I knew that I wanted to do that. I wanted to teach with passion like Coach Kelly!

What are some of the joys you experience as a teacher here at FPD? My favorite part of my job is interacting with my students. I love being able to pray for them and to talk with them about their faith. It is so awesome to watch the 9th graders grow into their faith and by the time they are 12th graders see the impact they are having on the school.

The best part about my job is that on Tuesday mornings at 7:30 a.m. a group of high school guys willingly agree to meet with me and study God’s Word! (I am sure the doughnuts and chocolate milk don’t hurt either) This guy’s small group has been a passion of mine from the start of my career at FPD. Watching a few young men grow up to become the men of God they are called to be; it doesn’t get any better than that!

FACULTY profile kristen stone

HOMETOWN Macon POSITION Second grade FACULTY MEMBER SINCE 2009 EDUCATION

Tattnall Square Academy, 2000 Mercer University, B.A., Elementary Education, 2004 M.A., Education, Lesley University, 2008 BEHIND THE SCENES Stone enjoys cooking and running (when time allows) ...

She taught for three years at Skyview Elementary in Lizella prior to coming to FPD ... Stone and husband Brian have two girls: Brinkley, 3, and Lorelai, 1 ... The Stones attend Forest Hills United Methodist Church

What brought you to FPD? It was all in God’s timing and answer to prayers. My desire to teach in an educational setting that incorporates Christian values in the curriculum has been and continues to be extremely important to me.

Being a part of the faculty here at FPD also opened the doors for the opportunity for my children to attend school where I teach. This allows me to be actively involved in my children’s education and Christian growth. FPD was and is still so appealing to my husband and me because it has such a strong sense of family.

FPD families and faculty alike are so supportive of my parenting role as well as my teaching role.

When did you realize you wanted to be a teacher?

During my teenage and college years, I babysat a lot and adored being around children. During my first few years of college, I sort of fought God’s calling to become a teacher. I was determined to go into marketing or some kind of job

with a business background.

After lots of prayer and God’s prodding, He sent me in the direction of elementary education and I fell in love with it. After a short period of time, my heart was on fire for teaching and I was more than confident that I was called to this profession.

From my first year as an educator, I have loved the fast pace, the fact that each day brings something new, and the high that comes with watching children passionately overcome challenges and desire to learn and grow.

What are some of the joys you experience as a teacher here at FPD? My absolute favorite part of my job here is being able to watch God mold and shape FPD students into world changers for Christ.

I see it as an honor to be a part of something that is so beyond anything that I can do as a teacher. God is at work here and I am blessed to be a part of it. The children I teach each day and the families that I work with each year are such a blessing to me personally.

FPD Magazine Winter 2013

39

CLASSNOTES

Brooks Thompson, son of Katherine Tribble ’95 Thompson and husband Brad

Rebecca Tribble ’98 Tauton and husband Billy

1982

Bonnie Adams ’82 von Hausch’s photo was selected as a finalist in the Canon Project Imagination Contest with director Ron Howard. The photo is entitled “The Escape.”

1995

Katherine Tribble ’95 Thompson, husband Brad, and sisters Olivia and Emory proudly welcomed Baby Brooks into their family on August 3, 2012. He was 7 pounds, 10 ounces.

1997

Tim Fleming ’97 married Beth Adkisson on May 19, 2012 at a beachside ceremony in Fernandina Beach, Florida. The couple lives in Thunderbolt, Georgia. Tim is a prothestist for Hanger Prosthetic Company in Statesboro. Beth is a speech and language pathologist and co-owner of Chatterbox Pediatrics in Pooler.

1998

Rebecca Tribble ’98 married Billy Tauton on March 10, 2012, at First Presbyterian Church in Macon. The wedding party included her sisters, Katherine Tribble ’95 Thompson and Mallory Tribble ‘05 Biringer, as matrons of honor, as well as alumni

Tim Fleming ’97 and wife Beth

Beth Wilson ’98 Youmans, Elizabeth Hall ’98 Milligan, Carol Gore ’98 Gordan and Jimbo Wooten ’98 and FPD College Counselor Brad Thompson. The couple lives in Forsyth.

1999

Syd ’99 and Jennifer Adams ’99 Rives welcomed their daughter, Riley Margaret Adams, born on April 27, 2012. She weighed 8 pounds, 15 ounces.

Dorothy Holliday (’99) and Kort Peterson are proud to announce the birth of their daughter, Rosemary Ruth Jeanne Peterson, born May 18, 2012.

She weighed 8 pounds, 14 ounces.

2000

Adam ’00, Jessie Fouraker ’00 Michie, and proud sisters Carolina Rose and Haylee Brooke welcomed Jessa Elizabeth Michie on June 12, 2012.

Carson ’00, wife Kate Pyles ’00 Royal, and son Holden Taylor are proud to announce the double delight of twins. After much bed rest for Kate, Tucker Norwood and Charlie Brent were born on September 24, 2012.

Tucker was 5 pounds, 8 ounces while Charlie was 5 pounds, 15 ounces!

Rosemary Ruth Jeanne Peterson, daughter of Kort and Dorothy Holliday ’99 Peterson

Jessa Elizabeth Michie,, daughter of Adam and Jessica Fouraker Michie, who graduated in 2000

Carlie Bridges ’00 Martin and husband, Anders, welcomed their first child, Asher, this summer. “We are so thankful to have him as part of our family!” she writes.

2001

Brannen Greene ’01 Sheppard and husband Mitch, of Sandersville, welcomed their first child, Julia “Pierce” Sheppard, on February 15, 2012.

2002

Lauren Royal ’02 DeGeorge and husband Stephen welcomed their son, Jackson Royal DeGeorge, on September 3, 2012.

He weighed 7 pounds, 4 ounces and was 19 3/4 inches long.

Matthew Lambert ’02 and wife, Alexis, welcomed Georgia Ely Lambert on September 17, 2012.

Jennifer VanHall ’02 Willingham and husband, Calder, welcomed daughter, Zoey Elizabeth on February 15, 2012. She weighed 7 pounds and 3.5 ounces and was 18.5 inches long.

2003

Caroline Seymour ’03 married Lionel Grébert on Oct. 20, 2012 at Lake Oconee.

Caroline has a MBA from Anderson University where she attended on a golf scholarship. She is currently a model with Next Model MGMT and Directions USA. Lionel Grébert is a graduate of the Citadel

Tucker Norwood and Charlie Brent, twin sons of Carson and Kate Pyles Royal, members of the Class of 2000

Asher Martin, son of Carlie Bridges ’00 and husband Anders

and serves as a captain in the U.S. Army.

He is finishing his MBA at North Carolina State University and will be working for Chevron this summer. They will be moving to Houston after honeymooning in Europe this May.

2005

Amanda Crosby ’05 married Kevin Lennon on July 21, 2012. Amanda is currently working at the Medical Center of Central Georgia as an R.N. and Kevin is a home mortgage consultant.

Julia “Pierce” Sheppard, daughter of Mitch and Brannen Greene ’01 Sheppard

2006

Casey Whalen ’06 and Stacey Ryle ’07 announced their engagement in 2012. The couple will marry in 2013.

Haley Causey ’06 and Jarrett Clubb ’06 were married on May 19, 2012.

Zoey Elizabeth Willingham, daughter of Calder and Jennifer VanHall ’02 Willingham

Emily Berry ’06 married Julian C. Hutchins on October 13, 2012 at First Presbyterian Church in Macon. The couple resides in Augusta.

Corbin Jones ’06 married Katy Moody in September 2012.

2008

Mason Behel ’08 married Michelle Harris in September of 2012. Mason and Michelle reside in Macon, Ga. where Mason teaches math classes and coaches football at FPD.

Caroline Seymour ’03 Grebert and husband Lionel

Sarah Gray ’03 (second from left), Suzanne Seymour ’07, Caroline Seymour ’03 Grebert, Rachel Seymour ’05 Warren, Laura Sexton ’07 and Leah Sexton ’11

Corbin Jones ’06 and wife Katy

Mason Behel ’08 and wife Michelle

Cole Wheeler ’12, Bo Bobinski ’77 and Tyler Wheeler ’10 representing West Point

Laura Lee Strawn ’08 married Jordan Dean on November 3, 2012 at First Presbyterian Church in Macon.

They are living in Dothan, Alabama.

Caroline Rabun ’08 will marry Tim Wood on May 18, 2013 in Fort Valley at Southern Bridle Farms. Rabun graduated from UGA in May of 2012 with a degree in Child and Family Development and teaches at a state funded pre-K program (Apple Tree Prep) in Athens.

Wood is from Pearson, Ga., and graduated from UGA in May of 2012 with a degree in English and is currently interning with the Wesley Foundation at UGA as a worship leader.

2010

Class of 2001 classmates Ashley Mize Alderman (with son Baylor), Anna Phillips Cox (with son Tripp) and Molly Davis with daughter Ellie

Several members of the 2010 FPD Baseball State Championship team engaged in FPD’s 2012 Homecoming weekend by participating in the Alumni Baseball game.

Those in attendance were Taylor Harden, Nick Mullis, and David Darnell.

Caroline Rabun ’08 and fiance Tim

2011

Rebecca Miller ’12 completed her first year of competition with the Valdosta State University Blazers. The sophomore accumulated six goals, which led the team, and four assists. Twenty-seven of the 47 shots by Miller were on goal. She played in all 20 games while starting 17. The Blazers (13-5-2) made the NCAA DII Tournament for the first time in school history in its first year of competition. Miller also plays with 2012 FPD graduate Kim Caitlin Alderman.

2012

Kim Caitlin Alderman ’12 recently finished up her freshman campaign with the Valdosta State University Blazer soccer team. The FPD graduate netted three goals on the season, all of them coming in game-winning fashion. Alderman played in all 20 games and started 12 for the Blazers who went 13-5-2 and made the NCAA DII Tournament in its first official season of competition.

Alderman also plays with 2011 graduate Rebecca Miller.

Got a Classnote? We want to hear from you. Please send all Classnotes to alumni@fpdmacon.org

Grads in the News Nashville, Tenn.

Photo by Bekah Cope Mackenzie Scott, a 2009 graduate, released her first CD, Torres, in late January. To find out more, visit her website at www.torrestorrestorres.com

Maiden Voyage

E

Mackenzie Scott is gaining notice in the music world.

EVEN AT A YOUNG AGE, Mackenzie Scott always felt drawn toward music.

Little did she know she was setting the stage for what was to come.

Even before venturing into the fine arts at FPD, Scott was introduced to music at a young age starting with piano lessons at age 7 and guitar at 16.

“I just really wanted to play so I taught myself,” she said. “I did eventually get some classical lessons. I had always written poems and short stories and I think that when I started playing the guitar is when I started actually writing.”

Scott, a recent graduate of Belmont University, has found a name for herself in the music hub of Nashville. Her debut album, Torres, was released in late January.

It’s available for purchase on CD, digital and vinyl. The record’s central focus is around the themes of deception, betrayal and getting left behind.

Scott is quick to remember her humble beginnings at FPD. It’s no wonder she says she found her niche for performing after participating in various shows such as Fiddler on the Roof and A Midsummer’s Night Dream as part of the FPD Theatre program.

“The theatre program is really what got me going,” she said. “I’ve always done music privately for myself, but being in shows at FPD really encouraged me to perform. I discovered that I really have a strong love of performance.

I realized that I really like sharing with people. I like being on the stage, I feed off of that. I think that’s what opened my eyes and helped get rid of my stage fright.”

- Mary Helen Douglas

homecoming

reunions ’77

’87

’82

Class members and some of their spouses gathered during homecoming weekend for informal reunions.

Mark your calendars for the next homecoming weekend, which will be Oct. 18, 2013, when the Vikings take on Hancock Central.

’97

alumni awards

School recognizes Walton, Pearson Longtime faculty member David Walton received the Service Award during Homecoming 2012 festivities. Mr. Walton joined the FPD faculty as a seventh grade teacher in 1971 and began his 50th year as an educator in August.

Walton, a Macon native, graduated from Macon’s Lanier High School in 1959 and from Mercer University in 1963.

He took his first teaching job later that year at Macon’s Riley School, where his principal was future FPD assistant headmaster Russell Floyd. In the spring of 1971, Floyd called Walton from FPD and encouraged him to apply for a seventh grade position at the school. Walton interviewed with headmaster Henry Middlebrooks and later accepted the job, and a legacy of enthusiasm, excellence and dedication was born.

In 1981, Walton was named assistant headmaster and principal of the elementary school, a job he held until 2002, when he returned to the classroom, his first love. He

Alumni assistant Chandler Lee, David Walton, headmaster Gregg Thompson, Molly Pearson, alumni board member Hope Hahn Shields and alumni assistant Mary Bennet Rose during the announcement.

has been there ever since, assuming the role of Chair of the English Department that same year. Walton plans to retire at the end of this school year.

Molly McCurdy Pearson has been named the recipient of the Distinguished

Alumni Award. She is a 1987 graduate of FPD who received an education degree from the University of Georgia.

Pearson began her teaching career in 1992 and later earned a master’s degree in education from Georgia College & State University. She returned to FPD as a science teacher in 1999 and was named principal of the middle school in 2003.

Pearson has taught numerous subjects, including physical science, environmental science, biology, algebra and pre-algebra.

She also has sponsored student clubs and activities such as Junior Beta, robotics and advisory groups.

In September 2012, FPD’s middle school was named a national Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education, one of just eight schools in the entire state so recognized and the only private school in Georgia.

Pearson and husband Sam have two children, Cassidy and Clay, who attend FPD.

FLASHBACK

Ream, shown in this photo from the 1986 yearbook, started out as a long-term substitute at FPD before taking a full-time teaching position in 1983 as a sixth grade teacher.

Liz Ream

The Decatur native and Wesleyan grad taught FPD sixth graders from 1983-98.

I was a substitute teacher for nine years. That’s where I really learned about teaching. I did any grade they called and asked me for and I even did P.E. I couldn’t tell a ball from a strike but I made an attempt and I really enjoyed it. I got paid $13 a day - big money.

my pastor about it. I said ‘Would you come out and talk to them about this situation?’ So what he did was he came out and did a foot-washing demonstration. That’s how we are to treat each other. I don’t know if they remember that, but it certainly stuck in my mind.

(FPD) was really like a family. The teachers were very concerned about each other. There were days I would think ‘I can’t believe I really get paid to do this’ because I was doing what I loved. I thought it was a wonderful job.

I’m sure there were some who came through who didn’t like me. Not every teacher is liked by everybody. You have to accept that.

I taught everything except math. No one would’ve wanted me to teach math.

Somebody has to like them (sixth graders). The parents don’t know what to do with them at that age, and I know that from having my own. They’re so concerned about where they fit in that little society. I got more telephone calls from parents concerning social issues than I did school.

We had one year where they were really mean to each other.

That age child can really be mean. I was working on that and we were praying about it, working on it. So I spoke to

What made me want to teach was when I was in the seventh grade, I had the meanest teacher. She wasn’t mean to me, but she was mean to everybody else. And I thought, ‘You know, there’s a better way to do this.’ And that really stuck in my mind.

When you’re in the middle of teaching, you don’t realize these people are not going to stay 11 years old. They’re going to get grown up and have families and then when you picture them in your mind, they’re still 11.

When you encourage somebody, it makes a huge difference.

- As told to Cal Powell

Barfield excited to be a Viking

Calling all golfers! If you’d like to participate in the 14th Annual FPD Golf Tournament, held April 29 at Idle Hour Country Club, please contact Stephanie Gaither at stephanie.gaither@fpdmacon.org. Sponsorships are available. Registration is open to the first 30 teams. An awards presentation and raffle will be held following the tournament, and dinner will be served. Come join us!

Jennifer Barfield joined the FPD administration team in March as the school’s Director of Development and Institutional Advancement.

Barfield will oversee the school’s fund-raising efforts and work closely with FPD’s marketing and communications team.

Barfield most recently worked a Assistant Vice President for Development and Alumni Affairs at Middle Georgia State College.

“FPD is one of Georgia’s most highly respected independent schools,” Barfield said. “I look forward to contributing to the success of the school and its students.”

DATES to REMEMBER www.fpdvikings.com

Check out the latest sports news online FPD launched a new sports-specific website, www.fpdvikings.com, in August 2012. The site features photos, scores, schedules, rosters, player and coach bios, videos and more.

You can also get up-to-the-minute sports updates via the sports Twitter feed (#FPDVikingSports).

Make sure to bookmark this page and visit often to get all the latest news on FPD athletics.

Please contact FPD sports information director Chandler Lee (chandler.lee@fpdmacon.org) with any feedback.

March 22 ............... Grandparents Day March 25-29 .......... Spring Break April 11 .................. Former Faculty Reunion April 18 .................. Fine Arts Night April 29 .................. FPD Golf Tournament May 19 ................... Baccalaureate, 7 p.m.

May 25 ................... Graduation, Noon Aug. 15 ................... First day of school Oct. 18 ................... Homecoming

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