FPD Magazine-Summer 2011

FPDmagazine SUMMER 2011

A PUBLICATION FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF FIRST PRESBYTERIAN DAY SCHOOL

FROM THE

WHAT’S INSIDE

Headmaster 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 Chris Childers, Development Director Cheri Frame’89, Admissions 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 2011-2012 Board of Trustees Mr. Rick H. Bonfim Mr. Paul Cable Mrs. Lara Carlton Mr. Rob Danner Jr. Mrs. Patti Martin Mrs. Saynor Foshee’86, Vice Chair The Rev. Chip Miller, Ex Officio Mr. Charles Scurry Mr. Dan Slagle Mr. Daniel L. Smith, Chairman Mr. Jay Strickland ’81 Mr. Gregg Thompson, Ex Officio Mr. Cole Tidwell ’88 Mr. Kevin Watson ’88 Design: Cal Powell Printer: Panaprint Photography: Andrew Brooks, Cal Powell 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 cpowell@fpdmacon.org or csawyer@fpdmacon.org

Dear FPD Family and Friends,

cover story

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4 FPD Class of 2011 ready for new adventures.

development

To our graduates, you are a special class to me, not just because my son is in it, but also because we began our journey at FPD together 14 years ago. In those few short years we’ve seen pre-schoolers blossom into men and women ready to face the opportunities and challenges of college. In those few short years together we’ve witnessed God’s faithfulness and learned in good times and hard that “God is good all the time.” We’ve built lasting friendships and I pray that each of us have developed a deeper personal relationship with Jesus Christ that will last forever.

You don’t look the same as you did when we started Pre-K together … neither do I or FPD. We’ve grown. I can still visualize my son sitting in my lap mowing our lawn together. Now he sits behind the wheel of our lifted Chevy 2500. Time has flown! Saying goodbye to him and the class of 2011 is only made easier knowing you’re prepared and well-equipped to pursue God’s best as you join fellow alumni in changing our world for God’s glory.

24 FPD Golf Tournament draws a record crowd.

feature story

26 World-renowned artist and FPD grad Steve Penley ‘83 returns to campus for a visit.

on campus

31 FPD Downtown Campus to open this fall at First Presbyterian Church.

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faculty profiles

38 Veteran kindergarten teacher Nina Fleming teaches love for learning - and laughing.

Cherish your memories, remember your lessons taught by our exceptional faculty and your parents, work hard, and keep your relationship with Christ at the center of all your endeavors. It’s been a pleasure growing up with you. Congratulations and may the Lord bless.

To our extended family and friends, thanks for your investment in making FPD what it is today: a place where boys and girls can grow and mature in a Christ-centered school of the highest quality.

You’ve helped provide the resources and facilities that allow students the great privilege to form and pursue dreams with a challenging competitive academic core, a depth and breadth of interscholastic opportunities in athletics, the arts, and various clubs, all permeated by the reality and centrality of Christ.

Your support of our students, families, faculty and staff make our school the wonderful home away from home that we call FPD. Thank you!

class news

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40 Alumni updates, reunion news and more.

on the cover The Class of 2011 celebrates its graduation with the ceremonial hat toss on May 21.

Because He is faithful, Photograph by Andrew Brooks Gregg Thompson

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ONWARD

Cover Story: The Class of 2011

On May 21, 2011, the latest, and largest, class of seniors in school history was welcomed into the tight-knit family known as FPD alumni.

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FPD Magazine Winter 2011

FPD Magazine Summer 2011

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The Class of 2011

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT Devin Lavender

Adriana Figueroa

College: University of Georgia Notable: Lavender is a Peyton Anderson Scholar and was selected as a member of Georgia’s Redcoat Marching Band.

College: Belmont University Notable: An accomplished artist, writer, singer and actress, Figueroa plans to study Design Communications at Belmont.

Evan Place

Maggie Feagin

College: Colorado School of Mines Notable: One of just 10 male finalists for the Dooley Award, Place is an honor graduate who will attend college on a swimming scholarship.

College: University of Georgia Notable: Captain of the cheerleading squad and editor of the yearbook, Feagin was accepted into UGA’s Honors Program.

Matthew Goldin

Alyson Wells

College: University of Georgia Notable: Wells is a Peyton Anderson Scholar and Project LEAD member with a passion for mission work in Africa.

College: Berry College Notable: Will attend Berry College on a Leadership Fellows Scholarship. Goldin also was named the Exchange Club Youth of the Month.

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Commencement 2011

Commencement address

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Dr. Bryan Chapell president and professor of practical theology at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis

T

hank you Headmaster Thompson and faculty, board, parents, friends, grandparents, and mostly students. It’s a privilege to be with you on an occasion of such important transition in your lives.

I want to have you think about that in terms that you will well recognize from the Lord Jesus but may not always recognize how they apply to these times of transition.

Let me read these familiar words that you will know. You have to transport yourself just for a moment to a hillside overlooking a sea and looking at the Savior as he says this, “No one can serve two masters. For either He will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. For you cannot serve God and money. Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?”

He’s just saying if you already have the most important things, why are you worried about the little things? He continues, “Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you that even Solomon, in all of his glory was not arrayed like one of these. So if God so clothes the grass of the field which today is alive and tomorrow is cast into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O’ you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we do?’ For after all the Gentiles seek these things, but your heavenly Father knows that you need them. So seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.”

Jesus says you cannot serve God and money. Well why not? I mean deep down we actually know. Did you hear about the guy who was going off to college and he said to his girlfriend, “Sweetie, I just want you to remember that even though I don’t have the grades of Johnny Crayton, I’m not as handsome as Johnny Crayton, I don’t have as good a scholarship as Johnny Crayton, I just want you to remember that I love you with all my heart.” And she responded “I love you, too. Tell me more about Johnny Crayton.”

Divided loyalties do not lead to the best relationships. That’s true between people, it’s true between us and God, as well. And so, if we really say, why does Jesus say you cannot serve two masters? You know that’s not the path to happiness and maybe you have to know that, then why would he bother to say it? Anybody could figure that out.

Maybe you have to actually question what would tempt you to act differently; to actually divide your loyalties. And the reason we would be tempted to put material things above spiritual things is that we want to live well. Sometimes it just doesn’t seem realistic to put God first above those things that we know will allow us to be real in a real world.

This past week I spent some time with an educator who’s Cuban in heritage and she was explaining to me how her family, when the communists took over Cuba, lost land and home and many of them lost their faith too. And she said this is how it happened. She said the communists came in and they took all the land from everyone. They took their homes and they said now listen, you can continue to believe in whatever you want to believe. We won’t take your faith away from you. If you want food, however, you can pray to God. Or you can join us and we’ll give

FPD Magazine Winter 2011

you the land on which to grow it.

We worry about material things because it is reasonable to want to drink and eat and have clothes and shelter. It’s actually reasonable to worry about survival.

It’s even biblical to plan responsibly for income and education and future marriage and provision. That’s a biblical thing to do. How can Jesus say ‘Well then, don’t worry?’ And actually get to the point that he says don’t worry because if you prioritize the things of God, if you put the kingdom of God first, seek his righteousness first, then what you need God will provide.

Why should you believe such a thing and prioritize the things of God over everything else?

The reason Jesus gives us is he simply says because you believe in God’s fatherly care. And it actually should be obvious to you that God is such a father that he would care for you.

Those of you had the logic and the rhetoric classes know that this is very simply the argument from the lesser to the greater. As he says, “look at the birds of the air. They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly father takes care of them. Why would you think that He would not take of you who are of much more value than they?” Birds – he gives care to those who cannot take care of themselves. Why wouldn’t you trust him?

Said the robin to the sparrow - why do humans worry so? Said the sparrow to the robin - it must be they have no heavenly father such as cares for you and me. Least that’s the way we act sometimes. But the point of the Scriptures from the beginning to the end and the point of Jesus’ words here is we do in fact have a heavenly father who cares and while that does not take away all challenge, it takes away the anxiety of what would allow us to put other things ahead of God himself.

I can remember graduating from high school and the college that I was going to was in a town that I had never visited. I had never been on campus, never even been to that town. And I can remember going from St. Louis to Chicago where the university I was going to be attending was and driving up Highway 55 and being very excited on the way to college and talking and chatting with my father as we were driving down the road. About halfway there I began to talk less; a little closer and less conversation. And I remember my father looking over at me at one point and saying, you’re scared aren’t you? I said I am. Then my father did something I hope I will never forget. He actually pulled off to the edge of the highway and there in the cornfields of southern Illinois, stopped the car, turned off the engine, looked at me and said this, “Now you look at me.

You are my son. I do not know if you will do well or if you will do poorly in that college. But I am your father and nothing is going to change that. You always have a place in my home. I will always care for you and nothing will change that.”

Did that take away all the challenges? No, it did not take away all the challenges. But the knowledge that I had security in the love of my father took away the worst of the anxiety. And it is what Jesus is telling us here: that we have a heavenly father - doesn’t mean there are no challenges. But we have a heavenly father, the one who brought the earth into being, the one who sent his Son for us. That kind of a father cares for us. Knowing his care takes away the worst of anxiety even if it does not take away all the challenges.

The challenges still exist. We know it in the way Jesus follows the reference to the birds with a very hard question. He simply says this: which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to your life span? The question is just setting up the awareness, the futility of our anxiety. Why worry? It doesn’t buy you any more time. In fact it takes away a lot of our time. Why worry? It doesn’t change anything. But it does do something. When Jesus says to us why do you worry because you can’t even add an hour to you life span, He is reminding us all not just of the futility of worry but of the limitations of ourselves. Ultimately we do not have control even over an hour of our lives.

What will happen in the next moment, much less the next four years or 40 years that may be ahead of you or twice that? You really don’t know and you can’t control that.

You must know that in this wonderfully sweet Sermon on the Mount that we so often refer to as this sweet little message from the Jewish rabbi on the mountainside overlooking the sea, there have actually been some rather hard things already said to make us very aware of our human limitation and nature.

Jesus has just said things like this: “Forgive sins against you even as God has forgiven you your sins. Love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn your left also. You have heard it said you should not commit adultery, but I tell you if you even look at another person with lust in your heart, you have already committed that sin. You have heard it said do not kill, but I say to you if you even take away from the reputation of your brother by calling him fool, you are in danger of hellfire. Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the religious rulers that you know, you have no hope of heaven.”

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Commencement 2011

Now I’m really worried! I can’t live up to these - who could live up to those standards?

And yet Jesus who has just told me about a heavenly father’s care has just told me of my being totally undeserving of such care. Because this highest revelation of the law - what it really means not just in the written command but what it means to the heart. If that’s really what he requires, I’ve got to confess my awful limitations in the face of that. When I begin to wonder in this sweet sermon of Jesus ‘though he cares for the birds, will he care for me?’

And to answer that question Jesus says, “Well then look at the flowers. After all they don’t toil or spin. They don’t do anything and yet even Solomon in all of his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If God would so clothe the grass of the field, which today is and looks wonderful and yet you know in a few fours will be bundled up and thrown away; if God so clothes that which cannot take care of itself with such beauty why would you doubt he would still care for you?” It’s a slightly different message. It’s not just saying God will care for those who can’t take care of themselves. It’s actually saying he gives splendor to those who cannot adorn themselves. He gives beauty to those who cannot save themselves from destruction. Now what you and I want to do is we want to take that little statement and turn it into a theological message of grace.

If God gives splendor to those who cannot provide for themselves, if he adorns with beauty that which is deserving of the fire of hell, then won’t he take care of us? Is there any proof that what Jesus is saying about God’s care for those who don’t deserve it at all would be true of us? So we really can trust him for tomorrow? Is there any proof? To answer that question, you just have to follow the gestures of the Savior. Think of it, what has he just done? He says “Look at the birds of the air. They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly father takes care of them. And look at the lilies of the fields. They don’t toil or spin. They’re going to be thrown away and cast into the fire and yet your father adorns them with beauty.” If you just follow the gesture from the clouds to the land and he finally asks the question, why would you doubt that God would provide for you?

Where do your eyes go if you were listening to the sermon? Where would your eyes now come to rest? Look at the birds, look at the flowers. Now why would you doubt that your heavenly father would care for you? The great evidence of the Father’s care is that Jesus stands before them on which their eyes finally rest. What is the great evidence that you can trust in? He sent Jesus for you. When you could not take care of yourself, he took care of the worst of things for you. When you could not adorn yourself with beauty because of what you know and he knows; nonetheless he provided by the gift of his son by his sacrifice on a cross to make you splendid to Himself. When you know that, that even when you have tripped and fallen, you can come back to rest upon Him and know a care that gets you up to go again.

In my son’s junior year of high school, the school initiated a wrestling program and my son discovered he had a particular aptitude for wrestling. So at the end of that very first year of having a wrestling team, my son went to districts and to regionals and was in that final match before qualifying for state, way ahead on points, far superior to his opponent. Within seconds of finishing the match, he made a mistake, and got turned and pinned in the final seconds. I can remember my son and I walking out of the gymnasium down the road to the parking lot and as we walked, here’s my son all muscled up from the season of wrestling; strong, able and just crying for all he’s worth. “Oh dad how could I have done that?” And I can remember as he asked me that I asked, “Colin, I love you.” When I said it, I don’t know how to tell you this - he just collapsed on me. This big strong guy - he just collapsed on me.

And I just kept saying “Colin, I love you.” Finally he looked at me and said, “Dad, I know.”

But it’s what I wanted him to know: that even when so much was behind him that may have caused him shame and embarrassment and hurt, that his father still loved him and that he could lean on me. The shame was not the end of the story. The good news is that next year he did go to state. But the best news of all is that he had a father who would say that it does not matter what you have or haven’t done. I will love you.

I’m an imperfect father in saying that. I haven’t always said it when I should have. But there is a Heavenly Father who plans to say it for all eternity and proves it through the gift of Jesus Christ, so that when the shame, the hurt, and the failure is behind you, and you wonder if you can fall on Him, listen to me: the one who sent Jesus is one you can rest upon. That will not take away all the challenge, but it will take away the worst of the worry, because the one who has loved you eternally will love you forever as you rest on Him. Father would you so work in the hearts of all us here, young and old. Some just starting new paths and some down a long path; help us to know that regardless of the shame or the failure or the difficulty behind us, that you have shown us the Savior that is for us, that we in resting upon Him might know the best of the blessings, even as we face the worst of the challenges. We are confident that we can face them because we rest on You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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FPD Magazine Summer 2011

By the numbers The class had the most National Merit Scholars FPD has ever had in one class with eight. Six were named Commended Scholars: Evan Place, Adriana Figueroa, Trey Lowery, Tyler Mullis, Meredith Pierce and Ben Scurry. Two seniors, Martha Banner Banks and Zachary Shealy, were named National Merit Finalists. Shealy also was named STAR Student.

This class also led the way with 42 AP Scholars, with 49 members receiving gold honor cords as Honor Graduates. This means they maintained a 90 or above GPA for all 4 years of high school.

This senior class was the first to have a community service requirement for graduation. The seniors responded with 4,266 total hours of community service. That comes out to an average of 45 hours per student when 20 hours was the amount required. They impacted 70 different agencies and churches and went to places in Macon, New Orleans, Mexico, Jamaica, Peru and Uganda.

The Class of 2011 has sent out 309 college applications to 73 schools in 21 states. They have been accepted to such notable schools as Berry, Alabama, Georgia College, Ole Miss, Georgia Southern, Auburn, Georgia Tech, Mercer, Samford, College of Charleston, North Carolina, Rhodes, Emory, Colorado School of the Mines, Brigham Young, Davidson, Georgia, Tulane, William and Mary, Belmont, Oklahoma, Baylor, The Citadel, Rutgers, Florida State, Vanderbilt, Florida, Furman, Wofford, Virginia, Sewanee and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical.

Five students were offered and accepted admission to UGA’s Honors College. On average, about 15,000 freshmen apply to UGA and about 500 (3 percent of total applicants) are accepted into the Honors College.

This class included a Macon Exchange Club Youth of the Month winner, two Peyton Anderson Scholars, two Auburn Presidential Scholars, an Emory Scholars Semifinalist, a Bonner Scholar, a Georgia College and State Trustees Scholar, an Ole Miss Chemistry Scholar, a Macon Touchdown Club Scholar Athlete, a National Football Foundation Scholar, a Kennesaw State Leadership Scholar and two Golden Eagle Honorable Mention winners.

Other notable awards were….

The Daughters of the American Revolution Citizenship Award given to Rebecca Miller.

The Wendy’s High School Heisman State Winner, Fran Johnson, the only girl to win the award in the state of Georgia. Johnson also was named by The Telegraph as its Selby Buck Award winner, given to the top athlete in Middle Georgia.

Two students were named Vince Dooley Finalists. Only 10 boys and 10 girls were chosen as finalists from more than 400 GHSA schools. FPD was the only school with both a boy and girl finalist: Evan Place and Fran Johnson.

Johnson was named the overall state winner.

One Boy’s State Oratorical winner out of more than 400 participants at Boy’s State: Tyler Mullis. One Boy’s Nation Senator: Stuart Veal. Only two males from each state were chosen to attend Boy’s Nation in Washington.

The Class of 2011 Julie Elizabeth Allen ** Philip Caleb Anderson Amelia Marlee Ballard Martha Banner Banks ** Theron O’dell Bassett Carolyn Ashley Blann ** Jessica Nicole Boazman ** Caitlyn Ashley Bowman * Kali MacKenzie Boyle Michael Stephen Bragg ** Taylor Ray Bridges Jeremy Alan Bullard * Benjamin Ellis Burrell * Madison Elizabeth Calloway Cameron Wayne Carter Sydney Michelle Causey Andrew Hardin Chambless ** Meredith Frances Conger * Stephen Morse Coon * William David Crawford Abhijeet Dalal ** Samuel Brock Douglas Richard Douglas Dozier III * Lindsay Brett Duncan ** Garrick Austen-Allen Durst Margaret Elizabeth Feagin ** Adriana Maria Figueroa ** Jared Allen Foxworth ** Steven Elliott Fuerniss Anna Leigh Gainey Emily Rebecca Gettmann ** Wesley Powell Gilbert Matthew Ryan Goldin ** Jeremy Grayson Greene Anna Virginia Harris ** Kristen Marie Hobbs ** Scott Daniel Howard * Kristin Leigh Ingram ** Zane Robert Jarvis Fran Maureen Johnson ** Haleigh Noel Jones * Heather Lee Langston Hollie Lacey Langston Devin Leigh Lavender ** Rebekah Marie Leach ** Benjamin Steele Lefholz * Tyler Seth Lewis ** James Lewis Lowery III ** Taylor Brooke Maddox Elizabeth Jane Laws Mangum *

Clatus William Martin ** Caitlyn Bailey Marxsen Marissa Nicole McCranie ** Logan Miles McDonald * Shelly Elizabeth Meadows * Rebecca Blair Miller * Jonathan Ballard Millwood Patrick Thomas Mobley Cole DeWayne Moore Tyler Christopher Mullis Jordan Layne Murphy Laura Olivia Newsome ** Thomas Joseph Neyman Joshua Hays O’Quinn * Yogesh Gunvantlal Patel Mary Claire Patterson James Buckner Patton ** Emily Ferrell Peavy Robert Wesley Peavy Meredith Emily Pierce ** Evan Matthew Place ** Alexander Neal Penic Prather ** Anderson Lee Putnal Clark Harding Putnal Gregory William Putnal Jr Amber Marie Raines Daniel Cody Reeves Murray Tildon Ricketson Katherine Elizabeth Scott Benjamin Palmer Scurry ** Leah McArthur Sexton * Zachary Allen Shealy ** Taylor Alexandra Sloope Brandon Perry Smith ** Stephen Charles Snyder ** Emily Amanda Sparks Timothy Lloyd Stokes Cameron Margaret Suttles Robert Gregg Thompson Victoria Marie Vanhuss Stuart Edward Veal ** Colby Rebekah Watson Alyson Diane Wells ** Taylor Kirsten Westbury John Kenneth White Kelly Leigh Woods * Honor Graduates ** Honors With Distinction

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Valedictorian address Martha Banner Banks

Commencement 2011

The settled happiness and security which we all desire, God withholds from us by the very nature of the world: but joy, pleasure, and merriment, He has scattered broadcast.

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FPD Magazine Summer 2011

We are never safe, but we have plenty of fun, and some ecstasy. It is not hard to see why. The security we crave would teach us to rest our hearts in this world and oppose an obstacle to our return to God: a few moments of happy love, a landscape, a symphony, a merry meeting with our friends, a bathe or a football match, have no such tendency. Our Father refreshes us on the journey with some pleasant inns, but will not encourage us to mistake them for home.

Lewis envisions life as a journey whose trails are punctuated by rich, ephemeral blessings. As graduates, we embark on this journey, aware of its obstacles, but heartened by the assurance of sweet pleasures along the way and the eternal joy that awaits in our ultimate destination.

Finally, I would like to share a poem with my classmates. It reads: The soul should always stand ajar, That if the heaven inquire, He will not be obliged to wait, Or shy of troubling her.

Depart, before the host has slid The bolt upon the door, To seek for the accomplished guest Her visitor no more.

Written by Emily Dickinson, these verses urge us to possess a heightened spiritual awareness, a readiness to seek God’s presence in our daily existence. They capture the fleeting, fragile nature of divine opportunity, as well as the hardened earthly response to such occurrences. At this dynamic time in our lives, as new experiences abound, I pray that my classmates and I will gain the wisdom to see seemingly fortuitous events as blessings ordained by God. Thank you.

Y

ou hear people talk of how there are certain “defining moments” in our lives that shape us and mold us into the individuals God intended us to be. Well, this is definitely one of those moments because today marks a milestone - the closing of one chapter and the beginning of a new adventure - in the lives of my classmates and me.

In one regard, it is difficult to comprehend that the day of my high school graduation is here. There is almost this surreal feeling that it should be someone else’s class sitting here waiting to walk across the stage and take that next, big step into the “real world.”

Yet, in another sense, it seems like this day should have happened a long time ago. I know I am not alone when I say that I started catching bouts of the “senioritus” bug the very first day of freshman year ...

There is an old, African proverb that goes “It takes a whole village to raise a child.”

Having been at FPD since kindergarten, you might say I consider the faculty here as my village.

What makes the FPD community so unique is that it has a familial resonance to it, so, in a way, I feel like my teachers throughout the years have played a significant role in my upbringing. Where our parents leave off, they take up in educating us in hopes that we may grow in an intellectual and spiritual understanding. ... A huge part of who we are is made up of the lessons you taught us both in and out of the classroom.

A lot of us will leave this place where we have had a supportive faculty to not only love us and care about our individual well-being but also to encourage us in our spiritual growth and maturity. We will leave here to join larger institutions where professors may or may not recognize our faces let alone our names and where they may or may not challenge our Christian faith.

When I think on this, I cannot help but feel that we

Olivia Newsome

took our time with you for granted. Day in and day out, you have shown us what it is like to live out your Christian faith in the workplace - an example we will take with us wherever the Lord may lead. Thank you for your wisdom and patience, your discipline and sympathy, and your guidance and support. If it takes a whole village to raise a child, then I am glad I had you.

For all the wonderful things the faculty has taught us, we would not be where we are today if it was not for our families, especially our parents. Between driving us to and from practices or ballet or art lessons, cleaning up our messes, teaching us the importance of sharing and being kind and responsible and loving us no matter how many times we goofed up, we owe you a lot.

Thank you for seeing that we received a good education and a foundation in the ways of Christ, our Lord. Thank you for patiently teaching us that even when we thought we knew everything, we were not always right. Thank you for your example of character, your direction, your advice when we did and did not want it, but, most importantly, thank you for your unconditional love. ...

To my classmates, I have thoroughly enjoyed these past 13 years with you. We have created quite a legacy here at the Day School in academics, athletics and the fine arts. We have been blessed beyond words to attend a school like FPD together. ... My prayer is that we always cling to the Lord for comfort and direction. So, as the old Irish blessing goes:

Commencement 2011

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e thank God for bringing us here today.

As the cornerstone of our education, his presence is felt in every classroom.

He has blessed these students, imbuing us with unique aptitudes and interests. He has also blessed our teachers, granting them patience, humor, and the desire to impart their knowledge to others.

By his wisdom, God has brought us together, and in his grace he has sustained us through joys and sorrows.

We thank the teachers and administrators at this school for their resolute devotion. Academically, they have demanded nothing less than our utmost effort, urging us to explore and defend our thoughts. With contagious zeal, they pour themselves into their subjects, challenging students to do the same. ...

We also thank our parents for their unconditional support. With unwavering love, they have instilled us with confidence, praising our virtues and rejoicing in our achievements. Their thoughtful discipline has curbed our vices and strengthened our character, and by their example we were taught right from wrong.

They have made sacrifices, putting our needs ahead of their own, that we might have the best opportunities. In short, our parents have provided us with the foundation upon which we will build the rest of our lives.

Today we fondly reflect on years past, yet we also anticipate the changes soon to befall us. With nervous excitement, we will leave our homes behind, departing from the security of our families. ...

Acknowledging the joys and woes that await us, we accept the inevitability of failure and disappointment, yet we look forward to new friendships and simple pleasures.

C.S. Lewis beautifully expresses this idea, writing:

Salutatorian address

May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind always be at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face, and rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

FPD Magazine Summer 2011

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Family matters

CLASS OF 2011

Jason ‘99, Michael ‘11, David ’01 and Laura ’05 Bragg

Allie, Taylor ’11 and Daniel ’06 Bridges

Kristen ’08 and Julie ’11 Allen

Robbie ’09, Amelia ‘11 and Rob ’83 Ballard

Ben ’11 and Libby ’07 Burrell

Cameron ’11 and Staci ’07 Carter

Martha Banner ’11 and Martie (Gilbert) ’80 Banks

Craig ’85 and Caitlyn ’11 Bowman

Andy ’11 and Kaylen ’07 Chambless

Leigh (Freeman) ’86 Hartley, Will Crawford ‘11 and Austin Hartley

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FPD Magazine Summer 2011

FPD Magazine Summer 2011

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Sidd ’07 and A J ’11 Dalal

Taylor (Feagin) ’99 Battaglia, Maggie ‘11 and Matthew Feagin

Laura ’09, Anna ’11 and Catherine ’10 Harris

Jennifer ’08 and Kristin ’11 Ingram

Pablo ’99, Adriana ’11 and Yara ’04 Figueroa

Jared ’11 and Caleb ’08 Foxworth

Blake ’08 and Zane ’11 Jarvis

Fran ’11 and Morgan ’09 Johnson

Chad ’09 and Anna ’11 Gainey

Wesley ’11 and Zack ’07 Gilbert

Todd ’85 and Devin ’11 Lavender

Blake ’09 and Tyler ’11 Lewis

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FPD Magazine Summer 2011

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Taylor ’11 and Tori ’09 Maddox

Gregg ’02, Liza Jane ’11 and David ’07 Mangum

Taylor ’08, Clay ’11 and Alec Martin

Elizabeth (Marxsen) ’05 Bazemore, Caitie ’11 and Bryce ’01 Marxsen

Jack ‘03 Pyles, Joseph ‘11 and Sara (Neyman) ’04 Pyles

Lindsey, Josh ’11 and Bryan ’81 O’Quinn

Perry Ivey ’96, Logan ’11 and Maisy McDonald

Sarah (Miller) ’03 Taylor, Rebecca ‘11 Miller and Julie (Miller) ’01 Johnston

Chad Bacon ’05, Keith Brown ’79, Mary Claire Patterson ’11 Elizabeth (Patterson) ’06 Bacon, and Bobby Brown ‘10

Michelle ’08 and Alex ’11 Prather

Whitney ’06 and Jonathan ’11 Millwood

Jenna ’06 and JoJo ’11 Murphy

Robert ’77 and Evan ’11 Place

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Clark ’11, Kane ’07 and Anderson ’11 Putnal

Tyler ‘08 and Murray ’11 Ricketson

Susanna ‘10, Tim ‘11 and Daniel ’05 Stokes

Rebekah ’07, Robert ‘11 and Jessica ’09 Thompson

Andrew ’09, Mark ’09, Katie ’11 and Will ’08 Scott

Laura ‘07 and Leah ’11 Sexton

Sara Kay ‘10 and Stuart ’11 Veal

Brian ‘03 and Kelly ’11 Woods

Studio photographs by Andrew Brooks Photography.

All members of the Class of 2011 with alumni family members were invited to be photographed prior to graduation.

Not pictured Calli ‘09 and Colby ‘11 Watson Robby ‘05, Kathleen ‘07 and Alyson ‘11 Wells

Jonathan ’08 and Zachary ‘11 Shealy 20

Rebecca ’10 and Will Black, Emily ’11, Todd ’83 and Megan Sparks, Garrison Black

21

Senior Awards & Honors Valedictorian Martha Banner Banks Salutatorian Olivia Newsome STAR Student Zachary Shealy Class president Joseph Neyman DAR Citizenship Award Rebecca Miller Leukemia Society Award Amelia Ballard Prudential Scholarship Katie Scott Georgia Scholar Zachary Shealy Bonner Scholarship Anna Gainey Peyton Anderson Scholarship Devin Lavender & Alyson Wells Exchange Club Youth of the Month Matthew Goldin National Merit Scholars Meredith Pierce, Trey Lowery, Adriana Figueroa, Tyler Mullis, Ben Scurry, Evan Place, Martha Banner Banks, Zachary Shealy National Merit Finalists Martha Banner Banks, Zachary Shealy John Philip Sousa Award Devin Lavender R.A. Bowen Trust Scholarship Alex Prather, Rebecca Miller, Jared Foxworth, Robert Peavy

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FPD Magazine Summer 2011

Vince Dooley Award Finalists Fran Johnson & Evan Place (Johnson was state winner) Serlio Award (excellence in technical theatre) Jeremy Bullard Director’s Award (FPD Theatre) Jeremy Bullard Wendy’s High School Heisman Fran Johnson (state winner) Female Outstanding Athlete Fran Johnson Male Outstanding Athlete Taylor Bridges Boys Nation Senator Stuart Veal Cum Laude, National Latin V Exam Michael Bragg Senior Superlatives Ashley Blann, Jessica Boazman, Trey Dozier, AJ Dalal, Fran Johnson, Rebecca Miller Best Citizen Award Jessica Boazman, Trey Dozier, William Putnal (pictured below)

College Decisions Samford University Julie Allen Samuel Douglas Elliot Fuerniss Southern Polytechnic State Philip Anderson Logan McDonald University of Virginia Martha Banner Banks North Georgia College Theron Bassett Will Crawford Kennesaw State Ashley Blann Caitlyn Bowman Ben Burrell Clark Putnal Leah Sexton Alex Sloope Georgia Tech Jessica Boazman University of Mississippi Kali Boyle Brigham Young University Ben Lefholz

University of Georgia Michael Bragg Jeremy Bullard Andy Chambless AJ Dalal Trey Dozier Maggie Feagin Jared Foxworth Emily Gettmann Anna Harris Kristen Hobbs Devin Lavender Rebekah Leach Trey Lowery Clay Martin Marissa McCranie Olivia Newsome Buck Patton Robert Peavy Meredith Pierce Ben Scurry Alyson Wells The Citadel Taylor Bridges Florida State University Jonathan Millwood Macon State Taylor Maddox Cole Moore Yogi Patel

Belmont University Adriana Figueroa Berry College Anna Gainey Matthew Goldin Mercer University Jeremy Greene Emory University Brandon Smith Georgia College & State Maddie Calloway Meredith Conger Lindsay Duncan Scott Howard Haleigh Jones Tyler Lewis Alex Prather Victoria Vanhuss Colby Watson John White Kelly Woods Valdosta State Fran Johnson Rebecca Miller Cody Reeves

Georgia Southern Amelia Ballard Cameron Carter Sydney Causey Stephen Coon Garrick Durst Wesley Gilbert Zane Jarvis Liza Jane Mangum Caity Marxsen Shelly Meadows Josh O’Quinn Mary Claire Patterson William Putnal Stephen Snyder Tim Stokes Cami Suttles Robert Thompson Taylor Westbury Auburn University Kristin Ingram JoJo Murphy Joseph Neyman Katie Scott

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Tyler Mullis Colorado School of Mines Evan Place Georgia Southwestern Anderson Putnal Toccoa Falls Amber Raines South Georgia College Murray Ricketson Vanderbilt University Zachary Shealy William and Mary Stuart Veal Undecided Emily Sparks

Georgia Military College Heather Langston Holly Langston Emily Peavy

Truett-McConnell Patrick Mobley

FPD Magazine Summer 2011

23

Swingin’ good time Annual FPD Golf Tournament features record turnout in 2011.

24

FPD Magazine Summer 2011

Beautiful weather greeted a huge crowd of golfers for the 12th annual FPD Golf Tournament on April 25.

A record 30 teams competed in the event, with more than 45 individual and corporate

sponsorships. There were also a lot of great prizes for the top scores and the raffle.

We’re so grateful for your support and we are already looking forward to next year’s event!

FPD Magazine Summer 2011

25

,

,

it was a miracle Divine intervention in the form of a phone call from a friend behind Steve Penley’s rise to artistic success.

By VICTORIA VANHUSS originally written for The Saga, FPD’s student newspaper

W

orld-renowned artist Steve Penley spent an entire day in January visiting his old high school and sharing stories and art techniques with students and faculty.

After speaking to the high school students, signing autographs and posing for pictures, Penley was shuffled into an art room, where he spent about an hour talking about and demonstrating his process to a smaller group of Art 1 and AP Art students.

There, he told the group he never actually painted a real picture until college.

“My stepmom wouldn’t let me paint in the house, so I just drew all the time,” Penley said. “That’s all I’d ever do. I always tell people that drawing is really more important. It teaches you to see things.”

Penley’s passion for drawing grew, and he eventually decided he wanted to make a career out of this talent.

With the support of his friends and words of caution from his parents, the 1983 FPD graduate went on to major in art at the University of Georgia.

“My dad was horrified,” Penley said, laughing. “He was trying to tell me the statistics. My dad was so overwhelming. I was in a panic, and I tried to go to business school. I realized that my attention span is so short. I would have never been able to make it in a cubicle.”

Penley said when he finally decided to be an art major his dad supported him by paying his tuition, something that obviously meant a lot to the young Penley.

Penley draws inspiration from several fields, including history, music and sports.

“He believed in me enough to do that, even though it was probably against his better judgment,” he said.

Penley’s career wasn’t something that happened overnight. In fact, many times he questioned himself.

“When I look back to some of the paintings I did when I was here, they were so bad,” he said. “I don’t even think I was really that good. I just got so much practice. I even look at paintings that I did a few years ago, and I think they are horrible. I can’t believe people were buying them.”

Through networking and persistence, Penley eventually had a couple of big breaks. Ever since, the Penley name has been well-known in the art world.

Nowadays, with his career in full swing and a family to focus on, it’s no wonder the painter has given up his New York lifestyle for a much more comfortable and quiet life in Georgia.

“We had a gallery in New York for a couple years, and then it went spiraling downhill because I was in charge,” he said, joking. “I feel like I could write a book about what not to do in business.”

Penley said the stress of having to pay rent for a space in the middle of Manhattan led him to close down his New York gallery.

“I’ve had enough New York to last a lifetime,” he said. “I used to think New York was the greatest thing in the world until I lived up there for a while. I spent a lot of nights sleeping in the gallery, and I was flying

back and forth every day. It was terrible.”

Now, Penley’s studio is an old, abandoned grocery store. It’s not as fancy as a loft in the city, but it’s big enough to house all his projects.

Currently his studio is home to a massive 20-by40 piece of canvas portraying an American flag.

The painting was initially going to be used for the inauguration ceremony for Gov. Nathan Deal, but an ice storm canceled those plans.

Now the painting lies on the studio floor surrounded by other paintings that convey the same general message – the American ideal.

Penley’s theme of identifiable, historical figures was birthed from a simple job offer.

Rob Evans ’84, a longtime friend of Penley’s and fellow FPD grad, opened a restaurant in Atlanta and needed some artwork. He called Penley, who had about a week to do 10 or 15 paintings.

In the process of completing this task, Penley not only found a new style but a trademark subject.

“Icons are great reminders of what made America different from the rest of the world,” he said. “I think it is important for us to remember what makes this country great. It’s important for us to remember how lucky we are to live in America.”

With his paintings now hanging in places like The Federal Reserve and The World of Coke in Atlanta, it’s not hard to see why Penley has been called one of

the most celebrated artists in America.

His unique style is credited to his seven-color system, his use of bold brush strokes and his love of acrylic paint.

Penley starts off with a big brush and works his way down to the smallest brush for detail. He tries to keep everything quick and easy, and he approaches every painting systematically.

“I try to pick these subjects that everyone will recognize,” he explained to the art students.

While his name is recognizable even around the world, Penley credits a lot of his success to his upbringing.

“The Christian philosophy is the only way that you can really be grounded in life, and it’s a great basis for success later in life too,” Penley said. “It’s the only thing that kept me from going

crazy because if you’re an artist you are already halfway there. If you get out into the world and you don’t have some sort of foundation, you’ll go nuts.

Before I came to FPD, I went to public school, so I saw the other side of things. (FPD) was so small, but it was such a great group of people.”

On Campus

Spring scrapbook

Faculty births

Former faculty members come back for a reunion.

Gil Cutright Memorial Eighth grader Bryce Little, the lton, recipient of the Patti Car ner Sum Award winner, and cipal Molly Pearson prin Fuchs Cup, with middle school

Jazz Band releases its CD, “Brouhaha 2011.”Copies available in the high school office or call the school at 477-6505.

English teacher Belinda Yu performs on the violin at chapel service.

FPD Theatre puts on production of “Twelth Night.”

FPD grad Maddie Jackso n and sixth grader Carli Sutton and her classmates he lp with donations for Ala bama tornado victims.

Seventh graders carry water around the track as part of a class project to raise aw ar the shortage of cle eness about an water in Africa.

Mincey Catherine Stembridge was born on Aug. 4, 2010. Her parents are Richard and Sarah Beth Stembridge, who teaches third grade.

Kris Cutright, FPD’s IS Director, is the proud grandmother.

David Sutton Brannen was born Aug. 6, 2010. He is the son of FPD Bible teacher Jeffrey Brannen and wife Elizabeth.

Charles Edward Gray was born on Feb. 24, 2011. Parents are Andy and Lydia Gray, who teaches Spanish at FPD. Vera Mae Morgan, daughter of FPD’s Nick and Amy Morgan, was born on May 24, 2011.

emed music and Elementary school performs Africa-th Day event ents dpar Gran al annu dance show for

Senior Adriana Figueroa (left) won first place in the GHSA state literary competition in girls solo. Senior Robert Peavy won first in boys essay.

Victoria Vanhuss took fourth in extemporaneous speaking.

Juniors Katelyn Sutton (dance) and Jonathan Easter (math) selected for Governor’s Honors program

Varsity math team wins the Furman tournament

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FPD Magazine Summer 2011

Student Legislator

Elementary aide Betsy Peake is the proud grandmother of Peyton Rae Griffin, born Dec. 10, 2010.

FPD math teacher Ellen Royal is the grandmother of Holden Taylor Royal (left) and Steven Obed DeGeorge.

Tales from a Boys Nation Senator

By Stuart Veal, Class of 2011

School establishes downtown campus FPD has announced plans to open a satellite campus in the fall of 2011 to be housed at First Presbyterian Church in downtown Macon.

This new campus will provide a Christ-centered college preparatory education to children of parents who live or work near downtown.

Initial plans are for the school to offer enrollment to 3K and 4K students, with the intent to add one grade a year up through fifth grade.

FPD Downtown would allow early drop-off beginning at 7:30 a.m. and late pickup until 6:30 p.m. through its licensed extended day program.

The satellite campus would be limited to 12 students for 3K and 16 students for 4K. “The purpose is to offer an FPD education convenient to business men and women working in downtown Macon,” FPD headmaster Gregg Thompson said. “First Presbyterian Church, FPD’s sponsoring church, has excellent classroom facilities that are vacant throughout the week, affording a terrific environment for extending our Christ-centered college preparatory program to the downtown area.”

A year ago, I arrived on the campus of Georgia Southern University as a citizen of Georgia Boys State.

Georgia Boys State is a weeklong camp for rising seniors who experience politics first-hand by forming their own state from scratch.

First, cities are organized, 16 in all, complete with mayors, councilmen, police chiefs, city attorneys and so on.

Next there are four counties each with representatives and senators to fill the general assembly, sheriffs, and party chairmen (the citizens are divided into parties: Nationalist and Federalist), and finally there are the state positions: everything from governor to agricultural commissioner, attorney general to secretary of labor.

In all there are probably 200 positions at Georgia Boys State: Judges, legislators, law enforcement and all kinds of bureaucrats. We even had the media, what some political scientist call the fourth branch of government, in the form of a newspaper.

Though I was somewhat reluctant at first to “play along,” I found the program exciting, and by the middle of the week I was myself knee-deep in Boys State politics as the newly-elected Speaker of the House, one of the most powerful positions in the mythical “state.”

When the week of debating, politicking, and making new friends finally came to a close, the Boys State staff, to my surprise, selected me to be one of two senators to represent Georgia at Boys Nation in Washington D.C. The Boys Nation Program does for Federal Government what Boys State does for state and local. It draws 98 boys, two from every state but Hawaii, to D.C.

to form a mock senate, elect a president, vice president and other major federal positions, and ultimately pass laws that eventually go to President Obama’s desk.

Over the course of the week I met President Obama, Johnny Isakson, Saxby Chambliss and Jim Marshall and I even got to see Harry Reid and John McCain debate on the senate floor.

I made great friends, one who will be my roommate in the fall at The College of William and Mary, and learned a lot about both government and life.

It was such a joy to be a part of the program that I returned this summer as a member of the Boys State staff.

It was a lot of hard work on little sleep, but it was such a joy to help put together such a wonderful program for another year of Boys State citizens.

Stuart Veal (right), a member of the Class of 2011, stands with congressmen Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isaakson while attending Boys Nation. Albany’s Davison Goldsmith (center) is the other student shown.

FPD Magazine Summer 2011

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On Campus

William H. Bragg Teacher of the Year Scholarship Winners

Andy Bridges Memorial Thomas Strickland with Coach Jimmy Turner

Jeanne Fincher, art teacher

Ponder Family Grayson Bargeron with Buddy and Saynor Ponder

McKay Family Olivia Taylor with Principal Joe Childs

James T. Girardeau Cole Wheeler with Coach Greg Moore FPD Headmaster Gregg Thompson with Nancy, Rad, Marsh and Anna Massey

Massey named top teacher

Judy Jones Mary Margaret Smith with Headmaster Gregg Thompson

Judy Jones Anna Grace Jones with Dwight and Tracy Jones

FPD Alumni Honor Scholarship Katie O’Quinn and Kaitlynn Jones with Steve O’Quinn ‘84 and Jamey Jones ‘83

Alumni Awards

Alumni board member Wynne Pearson ‘96, Taylor Heard ‘98, alumni board president Hope Hahn Shields ‘87, Dave Sparrow, and FPD headmaster Gregg Thompson 32

FPD Magazine Summer 2011

Faculty Memorials

Taylor Heard ‘98 was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award during homecoming festivities.

Heard is the counselor to the Assistant Secretary for Cybersecurity and Communications at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Heard has degrees from Samford and Georgetown. He and his wife Megan live in Arlington, Va. Also honored was Dave Sparrow, who was named the FPD Service Award recipient.

Sparrow has volunteered for countless activities at FPD through the years, and has manned the grill at home football games for nearly two decades.

He also serves as the school’s landscaper and takes special pride in making the campus beautiful.

Sparrow and his wife Beverly are the parents

of FPD alumni Kim Sparrow Kirby ‘99 and the late Mike Sparrow, class of 2001.

The school also recognized Lt. Col. Mike Smith ‘85, who traveled nearly 8,000 miles to attend his 25th reunion.

Smith is currently serving as the commander of the 168 Multi-functional Medical Battalion stationed in South Korea. Since 2002, Smith has been deployed on four combat tours to Afghanistan and Iraq and has earned four Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart.

Sixth grade teacher Nancy Massey ’88 received the William H. Bragg Teacher of the Year Award at a ceremony in May. The award is given to a teacher who exhibits commitment to Christ that is evident and contagious; a teacher who demonstrates professional excellence; one who challenges and engages students academically and spiritually and one who is a servant leader.

Nominations are submitted by

faculty members, student leaders and members of the board of trustees.

Students wrote “her sense of humor holds our attention. We know she genuinely cares for and loves us.” Another wrote “She makes us think about the world and how we can make a difference in it, even when we’re dissecting frogs or owl pellets.”

The honor includes a monetary award of $2,000.

Wedding bells Emily Webb, who teaches 10th grade English, married Ronny Hulsey on July 24, 2010.

High school art teacher Nancy Huggins married David Butler on May 27, 2011.

Former elementary art teacher Jeanne Fincher passed away on Jan. 22, 2011.

Fincher, who taught at FPD from 1977-1990, is the inspiration for the annual Mixon-Fincher awards honoring talented artists and writers in the elementary school.

Fincher also served on the board of trustees. She was a member of First Presbyterian Church.

“She was my favorite teacher,” said current FPD art teacher Jaime Simmons. “I wanted to be like her and wanted to be an art teacher just like her. I’m so glad I had the opportunity to have her as a teacher and that I am following in her footsteps.”

Martha Jones, first grade teacher Martha Harpole Jones, a longtime �rst grade teacher, died on Aug. 24, 2010.

Jones was with FPD from the beginning, teaching from 1970 until her retirement in 1982. Her husband, Col. Robert Jones, who preceded her in death, was a history teacher at the school. Jones was a member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

Her former students shared many fond memories of Jones, including singing the “Brand new shoes” song and taking tests with a cardboard box on their desks to discourage wandering eyes.

“All �rst graders should have a teacher who loves them enough to make them behave but still show them they are adored and valued,” said Kelly Shobe. “There was no ‘funny business’ when it came time to pay attention but we laughed a lot.”

Don Bradford, who served on the founding board of trustees, passed away on April 16.

He was an active member of First Presbyterian Church for more than 50 years.

FPD Magazine Summer 2011

33

Maiden voyage

L

Vikings’ first year in GHSA a rousing success.

egendary coach John Wooden once said, “we tend to forget that all good things take time.” I have found that to be true in my life as a high school coach, as trying to shape each new team into all that it can be is certainly a process of weeks, months, and sometimes even years.

We make statements like, “time will tell” and “it’s going to take some time” as we gauge our progress. What we cannot do along the way is lose sight of the joys that come from the journey itself.

Many, many people have asked about our transition to the GHSA and whether or not we think it has been a successful move. I believe it has, but time will surely tell in the long run.

There are some things that we can measure, and then

Story by Greg Moore 34

FPD Magazine Summer 2011

there are other things that just have to be experienced.

We can recount the number of area, region, and even state championships our teams may have collected, and we can list all of the individual honors that are recordbreaking and notable for sure.

What we can’t put in that format, however, is the courage required to respond to a new challenge.

Our coaches and parents have watched the kids at FPD take off into a new arena with new opponents. We have been up-close witnesses to growth, new outlooks on what it means to be great, and a new appreciation for competition on a very large stage.

Educating and equipping, as stated in the school’s mission statement, is taking place on every team on this campus. To me, that means the move to the GHSA is

Top photo by Dan Slagle

indeed, a positive step for our kids, and that’s what all of this is being done for anyway.

There is a big world out there, and the values we can learn on our high school teams will go a long way in determining whether or not we really can help to make a difference out there eternally. The GHSA provides us with a wonderful opportunity to educate and equip in new ways.

How excited was the crowd when our softball team defeated Rutland last fall to give the Lady Hurricanes their first loss to a Bibb County school in a long time?

But how captivated was everyone — from both schools — when the two teams joined hands after the game in a circle around the mound to pray for each other’s school?

Or, how about our middle school kids learning new lessons in humility as we watched one of our own learn how to wrestle a young man from the Georgia Academy for the Blind?

Restored was the belief that we are all in this thing together, and that competition is good and healthy.

I marveled at the looks in the eyes of the young men from both teams on opening night last football season, as we mixed at midfield to join in a post-game prayer for both teams. It had been a hard-fought game, and the kids on both teams were tired, but the pause to give thanks to the One who loves all of us still took priority.

I’ll never forget this comment from the young man from Irwin County after the prayer as he told me, “ we’ve never done that with another team before.”

For the record, we did post six region championships, one county championship, one state runner-up finish, and of course, a state championship in girls soccer.

Those don’t include the countless individual achievements and accolades that have come from the media and other coaches around the state.

We want to win, and we are doing a lot of it. But we want to win in our mission too, and the first year in the new league has shown us the new opportunities that exist out there on a larger stage for that to occur.

Our coaches and kids have responded so positively, and I think that is the joyful part to watch on this journey. Time will surely tell as to the eventual success of our move to the GHSA, but let’s not forget to enjoy the priceless moments of growth and learning that God is blessing us with on our teams along the way.

Go Big Red!

2010-11 Highlights Region, area and county championships Fast pitch softball Girls Cross Country Boys Cross Country Girls Soccer Golf Wrestling Girls Track State and Playoff Finishes Girls Cross Country – Class A State Runners-up Golf — Third place in state Girls Soccer — Class A State Champions Girls Track — Fourth place in state * Softball, Girls Basketball, Boys Tennis, Baseball, Boys Cross Country, Boys Track all quali�ed for the state playoffs Individual Accolades Fran Johnson — Wendy’s High School Heisman State Winner, Vince Dooley Scholarship Award Winner, The Telegraph’s Selby Buck Award Winner as the Middle Georgia Athlete of the Year Grace Tinkey — State cross country champion, Gatorade High School Runner of the Year Award Cole Wheeler — Telegraph All-Middle Georgia Wrestler of the Year Caty Hulsey — Telegraph All-Middle Georgia Swimmer of the Year Rebecca Miller — Telegraph All-Middle Georgia Soccer Player of the Year Fran Johnson — GACA Softball All-Star for all classi�cations Patrick Mobley, Robert Thompson — Southeast All-star selections for baseball seniors Fran Johnson — State Champ in the 300-meter hurdles Evan Place — Dooley Award Male Finalist FPD Magazine Summer 2011

35

Making History

Soccer team claims first GHSA state title

Season in review GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY Region Champions, State Runner-Ups GHSA Class A Grace Tinkey – Telegraph Middle Georgia Runner of the Year, Gatorade State of Georgia Runner of the Year BOYS CROSS COUNTRY Region Champions, 6th place state finish for GHSA Class A FASTPITCH SOFTBALL Region Champions, Qualified for State Playoffs Fran Johnson – GACA All-Star Team Selection for State of Georgia, Wendy’s High School Heisman State Champion for Georgia, Signed letter of intent with Valdosta State University FOOTBALL 5-5 overall record, missed state playoffs by 1 game Taylor Bridges – Associated Press All-State Class A Team Selection, National Football Foundation Award Recipient Clay Martin – Macon Touchdown Club 2010 Scholar-Athlete GIRLS BASKETBALL Region 3rd place finish, reached 1st round of state playoffs WRESTLING Bibb County Champions, 4th place Class A Area finish (out of 12 schools, Finished 14th overall out of 65 Class A teams in state team competition) Cole Wheeler – State individual runner-up for weight class in Class A, Telegraph Middle Georgia Wrestler of the Year Connor Morris – 5th place ; Joseph Brittain – 6th place finish in State Meet SWIMMING Caty Hulsey – 9th place finish in 200 IM (5th place overall in state), Telegraph Middle Georgia Female Swimmer of the Year, 2nd Team All-State Swimmer; All-American Candidate Evan Place – 8th place finish in breast stroke; 14th place overall finish in 200 IM, Dooley Award Finalist, signed letter of intent with Colorado School of Mines Ben Scurry, Matthew Goldin, Evan Place – Academic AllAmericans

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FPD Magazine Summer 2011

GIRLS TENNIS 5th place finish in region BOYS TENNIS 5th place in region; qualified for state playoffs Won preliminary round of state playoffs BASEBALL Advanced to 2nd round of state playoffs Patrick Mobley – signed letter of intent with TruettMcConnell; Robert Thompson granted preferred walk-on status at Georgia Southern University GIRLS SOCCER Region Champions, GHSA Class A State Champions Rebecca Miller – Telegraph Middle Georgia Soccer Player of the Year, signed letter of intent with Valdosta State University BOYS SOCCER Tied for 2nd in Region Standings, Qualified for state playoffs with a 6-2 region record GOLF Region Champions, finished 3rd in state in GHSA Class A Heidi Park qualified for girls state as Region 9 low medalist, named All-State selection GIRLS TRACK & FIELD Region Champions, Finished 4th in state in GHSA Class A Fran Johnson – State champion in 300m hurdles; state runner-up in 100m hurdles BOYS TRACK & FIELD Qualified for State Track Meet Gray Lindley – 3rd overall in Class A State with 9:47 time in 3,200m run, 4th overall in State with 4:28 time in 1600m run (both new school records) Middle School Bibb County Champions FPD Finished 5th overall in the Georgia Athletic Directors Association Regions Directors Cup Standings for Georgia High School Athletics Class A

Tie game, packed house, less than three minutes left in the Class A state championship.

Such was the situation FPD sophomore Atalia Ramirez found herself in when she took a short pass from Melissa Hash just a few yards from the goal.

Ramirez calmly turned and lofted a looping shot toward the goal, just millimeters beyond the fingertips of the Paideia goalkeeper.

Final score: FPD 3, Paideia 2. The final horn set off a wild celebration and gave the Vikings their first state championship in their inaugural season in the GHSA. It also marked just the second time that any school in the GHSA won a state championship in any sport during their first year in the league. FPD is the first girls soccer team to accomplish it.

“What an awesome way to win a championship game,” Vikings coach Joshua Trieste said.

FPD finished as the top-ranked team in the state with a record of 21-1 (20-0 in GHSA play). The team outscored opponents 140-5 and did not allow a regular season goal in GHSA play.

The only loss this season came to AAAA Lexington High School, then the No. 2-ranked team in South Carolina.

Several girls set season or career school records. Rebecca Miller is now the single season (46) and career (138) goal scoring leader. Melissa Hash is now the career record holder for steals with 877.

Katie Scott set the single season assists mark with 24 and goalkeeper Claire Crawford now has the career record for goals against average with .53 mark.

The team also eclipsed the school record for goals scored in a season with 140.

This year’s captains were seniors Katie Scott, JoJo Murphy and Rebecca Miller. These three, along with senior Caitlyn Bowman, end their careers with a record of 81-9 and won 3 Region/Area Championships.

Teams they participated with since 2009 have not lost a single Region/Area game. They have also played in 3 state championships.

There were 5 girls from FPD chosen as GHSA 2 - A All-Area team players: Katie Scott, Melissa Hash, Kim Caitlin Alderman, Atalia Ramirez and Rebecca Miller.

Miller was named the Telegraph’s Soccer Player of the Year, while Trieste was named Coach of the Year.

FPD Magazine Summer 2011

37

s i n c e

1986

What brought you to FPD?

Have kids changed over time?

What brought you to FPD?

I wasn’t looking for the job but things unfolded and evidently this is where God wanted me because here I am 25 years later and loving it. I liked the school because it was a Christian, college prep school with a family atmosphere. My children were young then and I would be working half days and have the same holidays that they had. This was ideal for me at that time.

Kids have definitely changed over the years since I first came to FPD. Our world has changed so much it has caused changes in families, children and all of society. Due to many advances in technology, children spend most of their time on computers, iPods, Wiis and watching TV and don’t play outside much. Many children don’t know nursery rhymes and fairy tales like children used to. This is because of being involved in technology and not being read to, not being given the opportunity to pretend, be silly, build with blocks, play dressup and sing and dance. Children are growing up too fast and often are not allowed to be children. In my class, we sing and dance and read a lot and the children love it. They laugh and laugh. They think I’m silly. One student even says “Mrs. Nina, you are so silly!” We have lots of fun. I have always loved children and teaching the little ones is so rewarding.

I’d taught in Houston County for seven years. I taught pre-K one year and third grade for six years. My school, Perry Elementary, ended up closing and they placed the teachers all over the county. I was supposed to begin working the next year at Tucker Elementary. However, I had a lot of friends in Macon and had recently begun going to Ingleside Baptist on Sundays, so I thought I would fill out an application and try to get an interview here at FPD. I actually found out that I’d gotten the second grade position here at FPD a few days before I had to sign a contract with Tucker Elementary in Perry. I was thrilled!

What are some of the changes you’ve seen in the school?

One of the main changes I have seen since coming to FPD is the size of the campus and the (fact that the) student body has grown from about 600 students to close to 1,000.

Our campus is beautiful and looks almost like a college campus.When I first came, Bible was not taught in every level every day and now it is taught daily from 3K through 12th grade. Also there has been the implementation of community service projects for our students and they are more prepared on how to study for tests and write essays.

What is your favorite subject to teach?

I love reading and want all children to love to read. I like to see “the light come on” when children discover that they can read words and even short sentences. It is so exciting and rewarding. Also, many children that come to our school do not attend church and many have not ever read the Bible or prayed.

I enjoy seeing the children learn to pray. They often have to be taught the lessons from the scripture and taught how to pray. The first time that they pray by themselves is so sincere, precious and rewarding. I feel as though I have touched this child’s life and made a positive difference in his or her life.

Nina Fleming

Pre-K teacher B.A., Wesleyan College, Early Childhood Education

faculty profiles

faculty profiles

“In my class, we sing and dance a lot and the children love it. They laugh and laugh.

They think I’m silly.”

Why is FPD special to you?

I love the family, Christian atmosphere and the fact that we pray before we start any meeting and when we close each meeting.

This is so important and special for me. I like how colleagues help each other learn, how we support each other and I like seeing how the Lord always provides. The purpose of FPD never changes: “To educate and equip students to change the world for God’s glory.” That means our school is stable and secure.

Any funny memories?

I was teaching a unit on presidents Washington and Lincoln, and a unit on The Ground Hog. I asked the class if anyone knew who our president is now. Two little boys raised their hands and were eager to answer. I called on the first little boy and he said “ God is our president.”

I had to chuckle. The second little boy, waving his hand, replied “The groundhog is the president.” Again I had to chuckle. You never know what will come out of the mouths of the little ones.

What is the highlight of your job?

It sounds cliché, but the children are definitely the highlight of my job each and every day! I get very attached to them and the school year always flies! The next thing I know, I have a whole new set of little faces looking at me. The good thing is, I get attached to them before long as well, so it’s a cycle. I also love that the campus is all together because every day I see some of my former students. I love watching them grow up. My very first class I taught here at FPD is now in the eighth grade! I can hardly believe it!

Can you think of a few funny stories or incidents worth sharing?

Oh gosh, where do I begin?

Honestly, I wish I’d written these down, because they’re countless!

The second year that I taught second grade here, my classroom was down near Terry Rabun’s current classroom. The storage room was right beside my classroom and something would “beep” in there 24/7. One day, one of the students asked me what it was and I told them

“It sounds cliche, but the children are definitely the highlight of my job each and every day.”

that it was just something electrical making that noise. Another little boy said, “Oh, I thought it was just part of the cuwiculum (curriculum).”

Earlier this year, one of my little boys was making a paper fan.

Another one of my students said, “Only girls use fans. Real men suck it up.”

Also earlier this year, we were in the middle of a social studies lesson and one of my children asked me if I was around when the dollar bill was invented! What?!

One time when we were studying the human body, I was reviewing with my students for an upcoming test. I said, “Who can tell me what people breathe out that trees need?”

A little girl said, “Ooh, ooh, I know Miss Pearson. It’s called hydrogen peroxide!”

s i n c e

2004

You have an interesting story about faculty member Johnny Morton. Do you mind sharing that with us?

When I was 12, I went to a youth retreat in Fort Valley where Johnny was the youth speaker. Over the course of that particular weekend, I asked Jesus Christ to come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior.

Johnny is actually the one who prayed with me to receive Christ!

It wasn’t until I’d worked here for a few years that I put two and two together and made the connection that FPD’s Johnny Morton was the same one who prayed with me years and years ago! It’s just so neat how God works!

Tell us a few little-known facts about you.

I have a niece here at FPD who is in sixth grade, and a nephew who is in first grade. They are my heart! ... I started painting last summer and have sold a good many of them.

That’s been very exciting. I even had a booth this year at “Mistletoe Market” in Perry! ...

My dream of dreams is to go to South Africa to visit Seal Island. I want to get in a shark cage so I can go down and see great white sharks!

Shelly Pearson

Second grade teacher B.A., Elementary Education, Georgia Southern FPD Magazine WinterUniversity 2011 35 University/M. Ed., Walden

35 37

Class News

Kris Tallant ’83 Garner with husband Chris

Cardin Weaver (FPD 3rd), daughter of Joey ’83 and Lally Boyd’83 Weaver

Andrew (13), Valentine (11) and Victor (6) Lucas, children of Jennifer Hidgon ’89 Lucas and husband Jean-Baptiste in Switzerland

Leigh Thomas ’93 Robinson with her husband Johnny and children Chase, Cole, Emma, and Avery

1983

Rick ’85 and Cheri ’89 Frame with their children Sadie, Truett, and Cammie at the Georgia Tech Fan Day with Coach Paul Johnson

Kris Tallant ’83 Garner writes, “I am very happily married since August 2009. My husband and I together have four children. I have a boy, Jake who is 19, and a girl, Sarah, who is 15. He has a 13-year-old daughter named Hailey, and a 10-year-old daughter named Maggie. All the girls live with us.

My son lives in Warner Robins and is in the Georgia National Guard. My husband, Chris Garner, has worked for Delta Airlines as an airplane mechanic for 22 years. I am a Pharmacy Tech for CVS/Pharmacy in Covington. We have been attending First Baptist Church of Covington and are getting ready to join. We are a very happy family!”

1986

Trey (9) and Benjamin (2) Lewis, children of Cissy Strong ’87 Lewis and husband Ricky. The Lewis family recently moved from Alpharetta to Raleigh, N.C.

Keith Watson ’86 with his wife Amy and children Ivey (15), Robby (13), and Elijah (7)

40

Keith Watson ’86 and wife Amy have three children: Ivey (15), Robby (13) and Elijah (7). Robby is in the 7th grade at FPD. Ivey attends Veritas and Elijah is homeschooled.

Keith is pastor of New City Church in downtown Macon.

1988

Leah Benton ‘88 Lee and husband, Randy, have moved back to Macon after living in Suwanee for the past 12 years. Their two daughters are attending FPD. Savannah is in the sixth grade and Molly is in the fourth grade. “It has been fun being back in Macon.

I am always running into old friends. We feel very blessed that our girls had a smooth transition into a new town, school, church and home. Savannah and Molly have made so many wonderful new friends! It is also exciting to share my school with my girls!”

FPD Magazine Summer 2011

Lorene (far left) and Clinton (far right) Parker, children of Karen Owen ’87 Parker and husband Mitchell, enjoyed seeing some Penley art at the Tellus Museum in Cartersville

Hats off to Lyn Matthews’88 Rehn for her hard work and support on behalf of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. She and her team of walkers known as the Rehndrops have helped to raise several thousand dollars to help find a cure for Multiple Sclerosis.

Lyn was diagnosed with MS more than 10 years ago. This year along with walkers in both Maryland and Georgia, The Rehndrops raised more than $15,000 for the National MS Society. To make a donation on Lyn’s behalf, go to her webpage, http://main. nationalmssociety.org/goto/Lyn.rehn11

1989

Jennifer Higdon ’89 Lucas and her family have spent the last 3 years in Switzerland.

Her husband Jean-Baptiste was transferred to the Valais canton to head up the Alcan factory. Jennifer is a lecturer in the English department of Les Roches International School of Hotel Management, part of Laureate Universities, where she teaches academic writing to native and non-native speakers. The positive side to the long, cold and snowy winters is that their house is 15 minutes from the Crans-Montana ski resort where they ski on a regular basis. The children even ski for P.E.! Andrew (13), Valentine (11) and Victor (6) are friends with the Bolles children who attend FPD and exchange emails with them on a regular basis.

This picture was taken their last hike in 2010 before the snow set in.

Gerald Hudgins ’89 writes, “My family and I have moved back to Georgia from Knoxville, Tenn. I have been promoted to a Case Manager position with FDIC in the

The “Rehndrops” team of walkers, led

by Lyn Matthews’87 Rehn, helped raise several thousand dollars for MS research.

Colton Edge, son of Susan Palmer ’94 Edge and husband Jeff

Atlanta Regional Office. I previously served as the Supervisory Examiner over East Tennessee’s Knoxville Field Office. We recently bought a new home in Alpharetta. My wife (Kendra) and I now have three children, Emily (10), Alexander (6), and Victoria (2).

Jennifer Richardson ’89 Nelson was named in Georgia Trend Magazine’s list of “40 Under 40,” which recognizes Georgians under 40 years old for notable contributions to their professions, community and state.

Nelson, the Georgia Department of Economic Developmen’s Deputy Directy for Existing Industry and Regional Recruitment, was nominated for the key role she has played in economic development in Middle Georgia for the past 13 years. She joined GDEcD in 1998 as Regional Project Manager for Region 6 in Middle Georgia. Her email is jnelson@georgia.org

1993

Leigh Thomas ’93 writes, “I married Johnny Robinson on July 24, 2010. I have two sons, Chase Clay, who is 10 and in the fourth grade at FPD, and Cole Clay, who is 7 and in the first grade at FPD. Johnny has two daughters, Emma, who is 9, and Avery, who is 5.”

1994

Susan Palmer ’94 Edge and husband Jeff announce the birth of their second child.

Their son Colton Edge was born on April 14, 2010, and was a healthy 8 pounds, 3 ounces and 21 inches long. Susan writes, “We are so excited to have this addition to our family, and his big brother Palmer is so happy to have a best friend forever.”

Mr. and Mrs. JohnCalvin Smith ’94 (Michelle Lin)

Mr. and Mrs. Michael O’Neal ’99 (Mary Catherine Self ’98) and their wedding party which includes several FPD alumni

Chris Nelson ’94 writes, “My wife Lindsay, and I had twin boys on March 1, 2011.

Conrad and Crosby were just under 15 pounds together at 7 pounds, 8 ounces, and 7 pounds, 7 ounces, respectively. They joined their new big brother, Cliff, (3.5 years old) at home in Athens on the 4th. Everybody is doing great and adjusting to our new sleep schedule.”

John-Calvin Smith ’94 and Michelle Lin were married July 18, 2010, at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Honolulu, Hawaii. JohnCalvin graduated from UGA in 1999 with a BFA in Fine Arts Painting and in 2005 with an A.B. in Chinese Language and Literature where he was a President’s Scholar. In 2009 he graduated from National Taiwan University with an MBA in International Business. He is employed by Wei Yu Engineering Co. in Taipei, Taiwan as manager of the sales department.

Crosby and Conrad Nelson, twin sons of Chris Nelson’94 and wife Lindsay

1995

Betsy Epps ’95 Smith and husband Paul are living in Perry and are proud to announce the birth of their son. Nelson Palmer Smith was born on June 28, 2010. He was 8 pounds, 6 ounces and 20 1/2 inches long. He joins big brother Davis.

Nelson and Davis Smith, children of Betsy Epps ’95 Smith and husband Paul

1996

Robert Perry Ivey ’96 has been appointed the “McEver Chair: Visiting Writer in Poetry” at Georgia Tech to guest teach for the Spring 2011 semester and is also a full-Time Faculty Professor at Georgia Perimeter College in Covington.

Mr. and Mrs. Josh Powell ’97 (Betsy Watts)

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41

Class News

Mincey Catherine Stembridge, daughter of Richard Stembridge ’99 and wife Sarah Beth

Eliana Rose Gottlieb, daughter of Katie Beth Higgins ’99 Gottlieb and husband Adam

Mr. and Mrs. Taylor Frame ’99 (Stephanie Rodgers)

Tiffany Thompson ’99 Buckthal with her husband Eric and children Bradley and Chandler

1997

Mr. and Mrs. Anders Martin (Carlie Bridges ’00)

Reunion Organizers 1986: Jon Spivey spivey41@yahoo.com 1991: Kelley Richardson Hester khester@sports.uga.edu 1996: Marcia Moon Livingston mmoon78@hotmail.com 2001: Joanna Todd Griffin joannagriffin@gmail.com 2006: Matthew Reed mmreed35@gmail.com Organizers needed for 1976 and 1981! Please e-mail Alumni Director Carol Sawyer at csawyer@fpdmacon.org if you would like to organize your reunion.

42

Josh Powell ’97 and Betsy Watts and were married September 25, 2010, at Vineville Baptist Church in Macon. Among the wedding attendants were Ruth Watts ’10, Rachel and John Michael Phillips ’97, Lindsay ’98 (Powell) and Matthew Attaway, Natalie and Andrew Powell ’00, and the groom’s father, Roy Powell. The groom’s uncle, Ronnie Milsap, performed during the ceremony and at the reception.

Robyn Jones ’97 Washburn has started a home business of hand painted frames, signs, and more called “The Robyn’s Nest.” Check out Robyn’s blog at www. therobynsnesframes.blogspot.com

1998

Mary Catherine Self ’98 and Michael O’Neal ’99 were married on April 10, 2010, at Vineville Baptist Church in Macon, where they are both members. The Matron of Honor was the bride’s sister, Tonya Self ’92 Allen and the bridesmaids were Kim Leverette ’99, Sherrie` Raleigh ’99, Dawn Ray, and Peyton Allen (Tonya’s daughter). The Best Man was Michael’s father, John O’Neal and the groomsmen were Bryan O’Neal ’97, John Michael Hoyle ’99, Greg Hamilton, and Tristen Allen (Tonya’s son). Hannah Ray was the beautiful flower girl and Eli Allen (Tonya’s son) was the precious ring bearer.

The couple honeymooned in Jamaica and now reside in Macon. Mary Catherine is the office manager of GHS Distribution, Inc. and Michael has recently joined the GA Farm Bureau as a Senior Brokerage Account Rep.

FPD Magazine Summer 2011

Holden Taylor Royal, son of Carson ’00 and Kate Pyles ’00 Royal

1999

Richard Stembridge ’99 and wife Sarah Beth (FPD 3rd grade teacher) are proud to announce the birth of their daughter. Mincey Catherine was born August 4, 2010, weighing 6 pounds, 5 ounces and measuring 19 inches.

Tiffany Thompson ’99 Buckthal, husband Eric, and son Bradley proudly welcomed Chandler Paul Buckthal into their family on Oct. 15, 2010. He weighed 7 pounds, 7 ounces. and was 20 3/4 inches long. They are currently building a new home in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. Taylor Frame ’99 married Macon native Stephanie Rodgers June 19, 2010, on the beach at Tybee Island. Taylor and Stephanie reside in Smyrna, where Stephanie teaches at Westminster and Taylor works in commercial real estate.

Katie Beth Higgins ’99 Gottlieb and husband Adam welcomed their first child, Eliana Rose, on October 22, 2010. Eliana was born at home after less than 12 hours of labor, and she weighed 8 pounds, 15 ounces and was 21 1/2 inches long.

2000

Carson ’00 and Kate Pyles ’00 Royal welcomed their son, Holden Taylor Royal, on June 12, 2010. He was 7 pounds, 3 ounces and 21 1/2 inches.

Carlie Bridges ’00 Martin writes, “On September 18, 2010, I married Anders Martin of Augusta. Alumni in the wedding party were

Sean ’00 and Bryan ’03 Caldon

Hannah and Colin Jones, children of Logan Caldon ’01 Jones and husband Brian

my brothers Kyle Bridges ‘02 and Craig Bridges ‘06. Betsy Phillips ’00 Lane, Katie Barnes ’00 Myers, and Kate Pyles ’00 Royal were all bridesmaids. We are now living in Macon where I am employed as a pediatric nurse for Sibley Heart Center Cardiology, and Anders is employed as a computer programmer at Robins Air Force Base. We are loving our new life together!”

Sean Caldon is now the Manager of ZINGO, a local franchise dedicated to getting people who are drinking off of the roads each weekend in Macon. Their hours are Friday and Saturday nights from 10 p.m. until 2 a.m. and are available for private events such as weddings, parties, etc. Zingo is Macon’s premier designated driver service. Using mini motor bikes that fold up to be stowed in a car, they are able to meet customers, wherever they are, and drive them safely home in their own vehicle.

Beth Gorman ’00 Burnsed was named one of 20 Under 40 for the Golden Isles Magazine (page 54 of the following link): http://www. goldenislesmagazine.com/Nov_Dec10/index. html

2001

David Bragg ’01 writes, “I graduated from VSU in 2005, Speech Communication with an emphasis in Public Relations. I have been working professionally 5 1/2 years. Since then I have worked in Operations Management. I am now Director of Risk Management for an Anheuser-Bush distributorship, Pearlstine Distributors in Charleston, S.C. It is the second oldest family

Mr. and Mrs. Jason Faulkner ’02 (Caryn LaBarbera)

Mr. and Mrs. Steven DeGeorge (Lauren Royal ’02)

Steven Obed DeGeorge, son of Lauren Royal ’02 DeGeorge and husband Steven

business in the state of South Carolina and the largest distributorship. My wife, Bree and I reside in Mt. Pleasant, S.C. We love being by the ocean and enjoy all the fun Charleston has to offer.”

Mr. and Mrs. John Gordy (Sarah Tatro ’03)

2002

Meg Gamble ’02 married Spencer King on May 8, 2010 at First Presbyterian Church in Macon. The wedding party included her sister, Katie Gamble ’07, as maid of honor as well as Sarah Girardeau Wright ’02. Both Meg and Spencer work at the Chick-filA Corporate Office, so even the famous Chick-fil-A Cows came out to celebrate with the happy couple. Alterations of Meg’s dress, along with wedding preparations, the ceremony and reception were featured on the eighth episode of TLC’s “Say Yes To The Dress: Atlanta.” The new Mr. and Mrs. King honeymooned in the Hawaiian Islands and currently reside in Smyrna.

Lauren Royal ’02 DeGeorge writes, “Steven and I met while working in an orphanage in Acapulco, Mexico, in 2004. After multiple summers of being down there at the same time, we got connected in the States, started dating, and got married on Aug. 8, 2009.

The Lord has blessed us so much as we have grown in our love for each other and for Him. We live in Louisville, Ky., where I taught Spanish to middle schoolers. On Nov. 10, 2010, our son Steven Obed DeGeorge was born 10 weeks premature. We have been surprised by the joy that Lord has given us since his birth. He is an absolute delight! The Lord has proven his faithfulness to us as he protected our son during his seven-week stay

Mr. and Mrs. Spencer King (Meg Gamble ’02)

The wedding party of Bryan Caldon ’03 and Ali Scott: L to R, Sean Caldon ‘00, Brian Jones, Logan Caldon ’01 Jones, Ali Caldon, Bryan Caldon ‘03, Denise Caldon, and Randy Sorkness.

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Class News

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Cabe ’04 (Becky Kellum)

Greer Hawkins’03 teaches members of The Saga some basic stretching exercises during a vist to the school last year.

Kris Hattaway

Mr. and Mrs. Austin Royal ’05 (Anna Caroline Wojohn)

in the Neonatal Intensvie Care Unit and by providing the grace we needed to endure the ups and downs and days of uncertainty.”

systems for health care professionals in Kenya and Zimbabwe. Eventually, the aim of this effort is to help bolster the nations’ battles against various health challenges.

Jason Faulkner ’02 and Caryn LaBarbera were married June 27, 2009, in a garden ceremony in Auburn, Ga. FPD alumni in the wedding were Ashley Faulkner ’04, Roger Wood ’04, Cam Childs ’03, Wes Childs ’03, Bert Barnes ’02, and Micah delaRosa ’02. Jason and Caryn live in Marietta. Jason is the assistant branch manager of State Bank in Atlanta. Caryn works in public relations at Melissa Libby and Company in Atlanta.

Greer Hawkins ’03 writes “The Lord works in mysterious and wonderful ways.

In October 2008 I was about to graduate from UGA with a master in Public Health.

Instead, I had three ankle surgeries (due to overtraining for a marathon followed by an infection). Dropping out of school, living in a bed with the possibility of losing my foot was not the highest time in my life. Now, looking back, God blessed me with a tough trial so that I could better relate to others who have faced challenges.

I went back, graduated, and started my own small personal training business here in Atlanta. I’ve helped a lady lose 20 pounds in eight weeks, several people tackle their first 10k or half-marathon, and I’ve worked with many brides before their big day! Hope to see some of y’all soon.

Check out www.gowithgreer.com.

2003

Sarah Tatro ’03 and John Gordy married May 30, 2009, in Augusta at First Presbyterian Church. Sarah is a pediatric nurse at Covenant Pediatrics and John is a banker in Augusta and they plan to move to St. Louis for John to get his M. Div. at Covenant Seminary in late spring.

Bryan Caldon ’03 and Ali Scott were married March 18, 2011, in Olympia, Wash. Bryan, a former Naval Nuclear Engineer Instructor, and recipient of the 2004 Commanding Officer’s Personal Excellence Award, is stationed at Bremerton Naval Base and serves on the USS Stennis Nuclear Aircraft Carrier.

Heyward Adams ’03 is part of a team of researchers from the Georgia Teach Research Institute that is helping to automate human resource information 44

FPD Magazine Summer 2011

2004

Robert Cabe ’04 and Becky Kellum were married June 12, 2010. Becky teaches at FPD and Robert teaches and coaches at Westside High School. Robert was recently accepted to attend Mercer’s Walter F. George School of Law next year.

Kris Hattaway ’04 is the Director of Place at NewTown Macon, a nonprofit organization working to revitalize downtown Macon. She is responsible for marketing, events, and promotions.

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Tatro ’06 (Jessica Ferega)

Kris loves her job and being able to work with so many organizations to better this community. She is very proud to be a recent graduate of Leadership Macon, class of 2010. In April of 2011, the Junior League of Macon presented its 9th annual Tour of Kitchens – Culinary Places and Outdoor Spaces – and Kris was excited to be chair of the Tour of Kitchens committee.

John Kuipers ’04 graduated in December from Georgia Tech with a Bachelor of Science degree in computational media.

2005

Austin Royal ’05 and Anna Caroline Wojohn were married on July 10, 2010, at First Presbyterian Church in Macon.

Groomsmen included Ashley Royal, Jr. ’98 and Carson Royal ’00. Bridesmaids included Lauren Royal ’02 DeGeorge, Caroline Royal ’07, and Kate Pyles ’00 Royal. Austin graduated in 2010 from UGA. He is an intern with Reformed University Ministries on the LSU campus in Baton Rouge, and Anna Caroline is a geriatric nurse.

2006

Stephen Tatro ’06 married Jessica Ferega on July 16, 2010, at First Presbyterian Church in Macon. He is a financial officer at AAA Signs INC. in Augusta, Georgia and Jessica is the Director of Children’s Ministries at First Presbyterian Church in Augusta.

Jonathan Seale’07 is a musician and co-founder of Mason Jar Music in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Will Patterson’07 was named All-Conference at Rhodes his senior year and is now an intern at Alabama-Birmingham.

2007

Michael Cole ’07 attends the University of Georgia and recently received the Daedalian Colonel Charles W. Getchell Memorial Scholarship. This prestigious honor is awarded annually to outstanding ROTC cadets and only five were awarded nationally.

Will Patterson ’07 graduated in May with a business degree from Rhodes College, where he was a four-year letterwinner for the football team. He is now working as a strength and conditioning intern at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, where he will be working toward a graduate degree.

Chandler Lee ’07 was featured in the Georgia College & State University student newspaper, the Colonnade, in April about his aspirations of becoming a professional sports broadcaster.

Jonathan Seale ’07 is the co-founder of Mason Jar Music, an audio/visual production company and creative collective based in Brooklyn, N.Y. MJM aims to combine the 21st century’s affordable digital tools with tried-and-true analog philosophies and skilled craftsmanship to create highquality audio and video products for a wide range of clients. The group has been featured in both the Washington Post and on NPR. His band, Flearoy, placed third in the national SongCircle songwriting contest in November.

Jonathan Shealy ’08 is a principal dancer with the UGA Ballroom Performance Group.

Mackenzie Scott’09, a student at Belmont University, released her first extended play album last year.

2008

Jonathan Shealy ’08 is a Principal Dancer with the University of Georgia Ballroom Performance Group. He will be attending Marine Officer Candidate School in Quantico, Va., this summer. Jonathan is a journalism major at UGA.

2009

Natalie Souther ’09 is attending Georgia Tech in Atlanta and is majoring in Industrial Engineering with an emphasis on Health Systems. She just finished her third Semester on the Dean’s List and is a member of the Gamma Beta Phi honor society on campus. She is also a member of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority.

Mackenzie Scott ’09 released her first Extended Play Album in March, accomplishing a lifelong dream. She wrote all the lyrics, music, selected the accompanists, edited as well as selected her artwork for the cover. Some of the songs were recorded at the RCA Studios on Music Row and some on the campus of Belmont University, where she attends. She will now be working on a full-length album. Scott’s EP, “Hit & Run,” can be heard at https:// www.noisetrade.com/mackenziescott

In Memoriam Todd Dorsey ’77 Stephen “Todd” Dorsey passed away Aug. 18, 2010 at the age of 51.

Todd was a member of FPD’s Class of 1977 and worked as a foreman at Southern Warehouse for 19 years.

He was an avid outdoorsman and a member of New Heights Baptist Church in Macon.

2010

Congratulations to Ansley Pridgen ’10.

She is a freshman at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where she was accepted into The National Society of Collegiate Scholars. She plans to obtain a master’s degree in business and wants to attend law school.

FPD Magazine Summer 2011

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2011 Football Schedule

FLASHBACK

Gibson, shown at left in this photo from the 1986 yearbook, taught high school English at FPD from 1973-1991.

Margaret Gibson

Retired English teacher known as ‘Grammar Maven’ On the early days of FPD: It was a great beginning,

just a wonderful time. We were very, very excited, for one thing, and we had a positive attitude.

We couldn’t wait each year to see how many new students we’d get.

I remember Mr. Middlebrooks taught advanced math in the little room that was at that time what we called our clinic. It had room for a cot and a lavatory. He had two students in there.

I never thought about the (possibility) the school would not succeed, frankly. It never entered my mind.

Some people called me the Grammar Maven.

My father and mother were college people and my father had a college degree and a seminary

degree and we were expected to speak correctly and write correctly. I guess it just came naturally.

Most of them (students) come back to me and say, “Mrs. Gibson, I thank you for teaching me grammar because when I got to Georgia or Auburn, I could handle what we had to do.” Bobby McDuffie jokingly said when he left Presbyterian and went to Juilliard he was the only one in his English class who knew what a metaphor and onomotopeia was.

I remember there was a picture in the annual of me standing on my head (top left, from 1981) in the classroom. I had promised one of my students if he could go three days doing his homework, I’d stand on my head. He did. I guess it was worth it.

I don’t know that it took (laughing).

- As told to Cal Powell 46

FPD Magazine Summer 2011

Aug. 26 Sept. 2 Sept. 9 Sept. 16 Sept. 23 Sept. 30 Oct. 7 Oct. 14 Oct. 21 Nov. 4 * Homecoming

At Irwin County At Pike County Athens Academy At Strong Rock Christian Eagle’s Landing Christian At Our Lady of Mercy Whitefield Academy* At Southwest Atlanta Christian Landmark Christian Region Play-In

Coming soon: The FPD Cookbook

Homecoming & Reunion Weekend Oct. 7-8

Friday - 6:15 p.m.: Alumni Dinner under the big tent.

Free for alumni and their families.

Football game: FPD vs. Whitefield Academy, 7:30 p.m. Free for alumni and their families. Alumni awards will be presented prior to kickoff.

Saturday: Luncheon and campus tours for reunion classes of 1976, ‘81, ‘86, ‘91, ‘96, ‘01 and ‘06 as well as past and present faculty at noon in the MAC lobby and lunchroom.

For more information, contact Alumni Director Carol Sawyer at (478) 477-6505, Ext. 138 or csawyer@fpdmacon.org Nominations are being accepted now for the 2011 Alumni Service Award and Distinguished Alumni Award!

Outstanding members of the FPD family are recognized annually both for continued service to FPD and for accomplishments in the community. The alumni board is now receiving nominations for the Alumni Service Award, to recognize an individual who consistently serves and supports FPD, and the Distinguished Alumni Award, to recognize an alumnus who has made an exceptional mark on his or her community through vocation or service. Email your nomination to Carol Sawyer, Alumni Director, csawyer@fpdmacon.org. Be sure to include a short paragraph about why you feel this person is worthy of the award. You may also include a short bio on the nominee.

Nominations must be received by Aug. 15 for the nominee to be considered.

Featuring artwork by FPD’s own Steve Penley and hundreds of recipes from the FPD family, this cookbook promises to be a staple of your kitchen for years to come. Pre-order your copy today! Call Carol Sawyer at (478) 477-6505, Ext. 138 or e-mail her at csawyer@fpdmacon.org. Also, be on the lookout for an announcement regarding a cookbook unveiling celebration in the fall!

FPD Online: Get connected!

To see school videos

For photographs of campus events

http://www.vimeo.com/fpdmacon http://www.flickr.com/photos/fpdmacon For school publications

http://issuu.com/jcpowell

Social networking

“Like” First Presbyterian Day School and FPD Alumni pages

FPD Magazine Summer 2011

47

5671 Calvin Drive Macon, Georgia 31210 www.fpdmacon.org

Alumni Gallery

Members of the class of 2007 traveled to Rhodes College in Tennessee to watch Will Patterson play in his final football game.

Left to right are Stephanie Alexander, Kane Putnal, Will Patterson, Bret Bledsoe, Logan Faulk and Blake Yaughn

Alumni in the wedding of Taylor Frame and Stephanie Rodgers included Rick Frame ’85, Brad Whitfield ’99, Bo Trawick ’99, Richard Stembridge ’99, Jason Bragg ’99, and Syd Rives ’99.

The Frame and Spivey children at Grandparents’ Day in March. Back row are Jackson Spivey and Sadie Frame. Front row, left to right: Kate Spivey, Jay Spivey, Truett Frame and Cammie Frame.

Katie Gamble ’07 and Meg Gamble ’02 King

Several FPD people came out to support Robert McDuffie and Steve Penley ’83 at the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. Robert performed at the opening of the exhibit featuring Steve’s artwork of Georgia musicians. Back row left to right: Robert McDuffie, Beverly Thompson, FPD Headmaster Gregg Thompson, Chris Childers, Steve Penley ’83, Saynor Foshee ’86, and Rob Ballard ’83. Front row: Julie Young ’80 Wilkerson, Dottie Moody ’83 Clendenin, Alumni Director Carol Sawyer, Carla Kemper ’80 Morton, Bible Teacher Johnny Morton, Teresa Penley ’82 Sheppard, Sharell Lewis, and Elementary Music Teacher Katy Nichols.

Cole Morton, Corrie Peake, Joby Peake ’07, Andrew Scott ’09, Kemper Morton ’09, and Jean Hawkins ’07 at the Troy cross country meet last fall.