January 2014
Prince News Inside Empty Bowls
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iPad Program 4 ............... Honor Roll 6 ............... Wolverines Honored 12 .............. Angels descended on Prince Avenue to celebrate the birth of the Savior.
Prince Avenue Remains Strong in 2014!
Pre-K Gives Thanks! The Indians joined their parents for a special Thanksgiving meal.
The first semester at Prince is on the books and much has been accomplished already this school year, with much still to come. Here are just a few of this year’s accomplishments! Our first distinguished speaker presentation for Middle and High School Chapel was held in November (2013) as Mr. Kevin “Chappy” Hynes, parent of Elijah (7th) and Noelle (5th) and UGA campus minister for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, challenged our students in their personal integrity, ethical decision making and sound judgment, social responsibility, account-
ability within a body of believers and acts of service. Each of these five biblical principles is a part of the newly implemented Christian Character Development Program which consists of a distinguished speaker series and discussion, student honor code and a community service component. We are thankful for Col. Hathaway’s vision for this program and for Chappy leading our students in this inaugural event. As we shared last week, we are pleased to announce that Mr. Kendall Eley has been named Academic Dean at PACS, Continued on page 2
Prince Avenue Christian School • www.princeave.org 2201 Ruth Jackson Road • Bogart, GA 30622 • 678-753-3000
the wolverine way effective immediately. Over the next several months, he will consult with David Douglas, who will be leaving Prince Avenue in July to serve as Heritage Academy’s Head of School. Mr. Eley’s vision is to be both innovative and proactive in advancing the school’s curriculum across all grade levels from pre-k through high school. He brings extensive academic credentials and experience to this position, having earned both Specialist’s and Master’s degrees in Educational Leadership, and a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Georgia College and State University. Mr. Eley will continue to provide leadership to the technology department until a new director is hired. Please welcome Mr. Eley to this position and give him all your support as he works to make our great academic program even better. Our reenrollment period begins on Monday, January 27th and open enrollment on Monday, February 10th. As Prince Avenue prepares for the 2014-15 school year, I encourage each of you to begin the enrollment process early this year as we anticipate several classes reaching capacity. We have hosted 72 families with 97 prospective students at our Open Houses already this school year. Thank you to all who have invited families to visit Prince and have assisted at these Open Houses. As we endeavor to partner with Christian families to provide the best college-prep Christian education for all of our students, our focus remains to fulfil our mission. As our enrollment numbers increase, our goal is not to get bigger, but to continue to improve at everything we do. Our current capital campaign is about recognizing that excellence is the foundation of our future, as we continue to strive for excellence
and expand the depth and breadth of all of our programs. Our goal is to raise $5.5 million to add needed academic facilities, build a fine arts and assembly gymnasium wing, add lunchroom space and upgrade technology infrastructure. Through generous donations and support, we have already added new foreign language classrooms, additional lunchroom seating, technology infrastructure, educational classrooms, a new band room and renovated the chorus room. Thank you to those who have already
pledged or given, and I encourage our entire Wolverine family to be “All In” and make your pledge or gift today to the Excellence Campaign! We also need for every family to be part of our 2013-14 Annual Fund to help reach our 100% participation goal. Every gift to the Annual Fund is important, valued and needed to help us reach our budget goal which in turn helps keep tuition costs lower. Already, 100% of our faculty, staff and board have pledged to this year’s Annual Fund. Let’s make it 100% for our entire school family! Stay warm, be “All In,” and have a great second semester! –Blessings, Danny Howell
Happy New Year Wolverine Families! I am excited to announce that the Capital Campaign for Excellence is moving forward… The cash on hand for this initiative has increased to over $940,000. WOW! We are close to that one million dollar mark. Please honor your pledges, and if you have not pledged to our Excellence Campaign we have brochures and pledge cards available for you in the front office. The Annual Fund is also increasing in participation and in dollar amount. We have collected $70,000 of our $100,000 goal. Giving to the Annual Fund helps keep our tuition reasonable and benefits every Prince Avenue Christian School student. It is important that every family participate every year in the Annual Fund. “Give every year, make a difference every day!” Please remember you can always donate online. All monies donated to Prince Avenue Christian School are fully tax deductible. I want to thank you for your generous giving! –Kim Brannon Director or Development
the wolverine way Empty Bowls Is PACS’ Creative Drive to Feed the Hungry One of the unique characteristics of Prince Avenue Christian School is the opportunity that students are given to use their talents and abilities to minister to the community. The Empty Bowls Silent Auction, sponsored by the PACS National Art Honors Society (NAHS), is one such event. PACS art teacher, Meghan Hudson, implemented Empty Bowls at PACS three years ago as a way to get her art students involved in ministering to the community. “I want the students to use their artistic talents that God has given them to serve.” Mrs. Hudson had participated in Empty Bowls as a student in college and really appreciated the symbolism the effort involved while also helping other organizations that minister to those in need. “Empty Bowls is an international grassroots effort to fight hunger,” she explains. “The basic idea is that potters, artists, craftspeople, and educators work with the community to create handcrafted bowls. Guests are invited to a simple meal of soup and bread. In exchange for a cash donation, guests are asked to keep a bowl as a reminder of all the empty bowls in the world. The money raised is donated to an organization working to end hunger.” In implementing Empty Bowls at PACS, Mrs. Hudson has used her creativity and designed the Empty Bowls campaign to better fit our school community. Instead of the meal of soup and bread, the NAHS students design, build, fire, and glaze their bowls starting in the month of November. In January, the students fill them with goodies gathered from donors or sponsors.
The bowls are then set out for display in the front hallway and sold by silent auction to the highest bidder. All the money raised is donated to “A Bigger Vision”, a homeless shelter in downtown Athens. A representative from “A Bigger Vision” will visit the PACS campus to receive the donation and share with students about the work that they do and the way the money will be used to help those in need. Students will have opportunities to ask questions and learn other ways they can be involved in ministering in the community. Mrs. Hudson describes this step in the process as very important. “This gives the students a personal connection to the organization that they have supported with their time and their talents.” Senior Mary Catherine McElroy concurs. “It is great knowing that something we make in class for fun can be used for such a good cause.” In describing the popularity and success of the Empty Bowls campaign, Mrs. Hudson says that students, teachers, and parents have been very supportive. “Our goal the first year was to raise $1800. We exceeded that goal. The second year we set our goal higher and exceeded that one as well.” This year, the students are hoping to raise more than $3000. In addition to NAHS students working on the Empty Bowl campaign, many others on campus have gotten involved. The Marketing class has designed the posters to promote the event on campus, and many teachers have crafted bowls and filled them to enter for auction as well. Parents and students are encouraged to participate in this year’s Empty Bowls event. The bowls crafted by teachers and students are on display in the front hallway, and can be viewed before the auction. On Friday morning, January 24th, the Empty Bowls Silent Auction will be held from 8am until noon. Bids can be placed next to each bowl, from 8:00 am until noon. Senior, Jamee Crowe, has participated in Empty Bowls since it began three years ago. She describes Empty Bowls as one of her favorite activities at school. “The best part, by far, is counting the total amount of money raised and knowing it is all going to help the needy and a fantastic organization.” –Amy Frierson
the wolverine way iPad Program Enhances Creative Learning and Teaching
Photo by Justin Evans Photography
Prince Avenue’s youngest students in Pre-K and Kindergarten are diligently working on writing their letters correctly, practicing the motions over and over. Meanwhile, AP Calculus teacher Kendall Eley watches as his seniors are working to solve an accelerated motion problem using the formula “r”=1/2 “a” t^2+”v” _”o” t+”r” _”0” . Chorus and drama students are intently listening to recorded music as they are rehearsing their parts for their next performance, while art students are searching typography on the internet as they prep for their next graphic arts project. These students all have something in common: they are working on iPads, Prince Avenue’s newest technology tool for teaching and learning. Three years ago the school began a pilot program, providing iPads for seniors, and began to investigate ways that this technology could be used in the classroom to enhance both teaching and learning. That first year, most of the seniors’ math work was done using the iPad, and the Advanced Placement science and history teachers began to use a variety of apps to help reinforce the concepts they were teaching, says technology director Kendall Eley. “We really wanted to evaluate the potential of the iPad as a learning tool,” says Eley. “There are so many apps that have been developed for educaPre-K students practice making letters using iPads in the classroom. tional purposes, and we knew that we could find ways to incorporate the use of this technology into our curriculum in ways that would make the learning experience even more effective.” The pilot program was deemed a success, and the iPad program was expanded last year to include all high school teachers and students. This year, iPads were issued to teachers in the middle and lower schools as well, and, based on teachers’ proposals, several were placed in four lower school classrooms for students to use. “No one had to teach even our youngest student how to use the iPad,” says Eley. “Even our 4-year-olds are comfortable with using this kind of technology. It seems almost second nature to them.” Eley has been encouraged by the variety of ways he sees the iPads used in the classrooms. His AP Calculus students use the Educreations app to video record themselves as they work out problems, explaining their efforts step by step. Mr. Eley can easily review the recordings to evaluate the student’s progress with solving a problem, or to see how they may have gone wrong. Conversely, a student can ask him a question, and he can record his step-by step work to demonstrate the solution. Fourth grade teacher Danny Delgado also uses this same free app to let students record and classify parts of a sentence. He says “this app is a great tool for me to assess what a student understands and what they may be struggling with.” Doug Jackson says his AP Chemistry class uses the Vernier data collection system to wirelessly plot data in real time on their iPads. The students then use the Numbers app to do calculations and make professional graphs for their lab reports. High School English teacher Tracy Hathaway explains that her students are able to download class materials from her Moodle site, and add their own notes using their iPads to create effective study tools. (Moodle is an internet storage site teachers use to make class materials available for students.) Her students can also work on their grammar and editing skills using practice sheets they can download. She thinks she uses about 80% less paper because students can complete and email their work to her using the iPads. Marketing teacher Diana Jones uses the tool in much the same way, creating packets the students can use for notes on the iPad, and then providing a way for them to conduct internet research on marketing topics.
the wolverine way First grade students in Mrs. Hayden’s class are learning to blog using the iPads, and every day they make entries in an online journal, giving them the chance to improve their writing and organizational skills. During center times, the students work on their phonics, spelling and grammar skills using a variety of iPad apps. Mrs. Hayden loves having the iPads to enhance the skills taught in her classroom, and recognizes the importance of these young students learning to use technology appropriately at an early age. “These students will continue to be faced with growing and changing technology,” she says. Mr. Eley agrees that by implementing the iPad program at Prince Avenue, we are responsible for helping our students learn to use the internet and technology responsibly. “We have a number of security initiatives in place which help us to monitor student iPad use and activity,” he says. “Students can only download approved apps to the school issued iPads, and internet use can be controlled while on campus. These devices are intended to be learning tools for our students, and part of the education process is to help students learn to make right decisions about their use of technology for the right reasons. “ Middle and high school students are provided school email accounts, and the iPads give students and teachers an easy communication tool. “Even simple schedule requests can be made via iPads, says high school principal Seth Hathaway. And academic guidance director Lisa Ricketts has worked with the students to submit registrations for dual enrollment courses. And she says high school students regularly “visit” college campuses online through
video tours using the iPads. “These days it would be difficult to say ‘the dog ate my homework,’” laughs Mr. Eley, “since most work, at least in high school, can be submitted online. But if the dog eats the iPad, we’ve taken care of that problem as well. Part of the $288 technology fee high school students pay each year includes insurance on the devices.” Prince Avenue’s coaches have also found good use for the iPad technology. Photos taken from above the football field during a game can be quickly emailed to a coach’s iPad on the sideline, and offensive and defensive adjustments can be made based on what is seen from a bird’s eye view. And, old school “game film” has been replaced by video viewed on iPads so coaches and players can evaluate their performances play by play. Varsity baseball coach David Lincoln uses an iPad app to record player’s hitting and fielding so he can provide players feedback on technique and fundamentals. Girls soccer coach Danny Delgado is using the Coachnote app which lets him send his players information about formations, drills, and tactical strategy. Fine Arts Director LaMurl Morris is ex-
cited about the ability to record different parts of a music score for the students to download to their iPads and practice in groups or by themselves. “I can compile accompaniment tracks by section, as well as videos and audio files for the students to use to learn the music or drama parts. The iPads are a tremendous resource for helping our students prepare for performances.” And visual arts teacher Meghan Hudson has found ways to incorporate the tool in her classroom too. The app Tracing Paper Lite helps students learn proportion and scaling, while they also spend time in and out of class using the iPad for research about the topics they are studying in art. Eley says he will continue to evaluate the iPad program, and encourages teachers to develop creative ways to use the technology to enhance their work in the classroom. “I am excited that the program has advanced so far so quickly,” he says. “It is exciting to be on the forefront of educational technology advancement. Prince Avenue is emerging as a leader in this area.”
the wolverine way Second Quarter/ First Semester
HEAD OF SCHOOL All A HONOR ROLL
The 4th - 8th Grade Honor roll is based on quarter grades; The 9th - 12th Grade Honor roll is based on semester grades.
FOURTH GRADE Drew Bobo Kyla Bowen Delanie Case Will Elrod Alex Fetzer Nate Grooms Jake Hathaway Elizabeth Jackson Seth Jernigan Barnabas Li Landys McClellan Grace McClendon Erin McNeely KK McNeely Sarah McNeely Luke Nesbit Emmie Norman Widener Norris Jackson Pollock Madison Sizemore Amelia Tyler Abby Weaver Chase Whalen Caleb Wilson Davis Wood
FIFTH GRADE
Emma Allen Maggie Allen Cassie Atha Jake Bachman Gracie Behr Audrey Bliss Logan Brown Sam Browning Tori Cameron Addi Kay Carter Abby Cearley Joe Conner Abigail Durocher Erin Eley Garrison Hammond Camille Hardin Anna Hardwick Sarah Hilton Emily Hinson Jake Johnson Hendley Jones Klaire Lattin Evan McCall Maddie McDonald
Wyatt Mercer Reid Murray Sam Naeher Olivia Shiver Ashton Walker Tanner Wells Reece Wyatt
SIXTH GRADE
Sean Adams Danielle Anglin Reid Baker Taylor Bond Kenzi Bray Kelly Cascella Mackenzie Case Meg Chandler Aleah Crane Hamilton Culpepper Jared Deatrick Jaden Drudge Alex Gilmore Charlie Graffin Ansley Hall Walker Henson Sammy Hodges Tanner Iley Seele Jarrett Max Johnson Caleb Land Sarah Lashley Shannon Lee Kali Marlowe Hunter Melton Caroline Middlebrooks Trent Nesbit Amelia Norman Lindsay Rogers Lauren Rowell Mattison Ruff Bryson Seay Thompson Sewell Trey Stiles Bo Warren
SEVENTH GRADE Chase Barker James Brinson Madison Britt Annie Echols Allie Faulkner Jay Hamil Christopher Harding Daniel Harper
Lilly Henderson Trace Jeffers Carson Kooistra Danny Lee Avery Mulford Lilly Renn Adam Smith Will Todd Sted Wilfong
EIGHTH GRADE
Matthew Colquitt Ariana Crane Dini DiCosty Addie Lee Frierson Meg Garrett John Morgan McDonald Mary Grace Palmer Emili Pinson Gabriella Sposato Aynsley Stier Vannah Strozier Emily Weaver Luke Wells
NINTH GRADE
Marlan Adams Mark Aldin Haley Barker Virginia Beth Butler Matthew Butt Preston Chandler Chase Deatrick Macy Frazier Sam Gignilliat Jared Gilstrap Alex Harding Seth Lashley Ashley McCall Forde Norris Hannah Payne Jared Pringle Isabelle Renn Sammi Richt Baylee Rogers Megan Schwartz Noah Shoemaker Sam Todd Joanna Varghese Robert West Max Woolery
TENTH GRADE
Warren Albert Connor Bachman Jared Bloodworth Jessica Bond Rachel Brannen Tyler Breedlove Jon Conrad Hazael Cortese Anna DiCosty Will Douglas Mary Martin Harper Abby Hathaway Nicki Hood Lu(Hester) Huang Madeline Jackson Sarah Beth Johnson Ferrell Lavender Drew Lay Kate Marlowe Andrew Medina Soohyon (Sue) Min Madison Naeher Jessica Pringle Rayne Pyfrom Zachary Ragle Gracie Renn Peyton Ricketts Parissa Shedd Allison Shirley Gabrielle Sims Jordyn Smith Duncan Taylor Zachary Ware Erica Webb Wesley Wells Anna Beth Wommack Amanda Wooten
ELEVENTH GRADE Hamilton Armit Caroline Brannen Laura Brannon Catherine Bray Amanda Brown Leah Buczynsky Ben Butler Chandler Carey Curry Cross Sarah Crowe Claire Daniel Seabon Davis Jordan England
Kelsey Fitzpatrick Andrew Gignilliat Lauren Gilstrap Ashton Glenn Josh Hampton John Hayden Sydney Henderson Mayra Leyva Clare Looney Emma Meeks Sutton Norris Rhett Parr Isaac Power Hunter Ashley Raye Caroline Taylor Victoria Town Josh Whalen Jack Wilfong Erica Wise Jake Woolery
TWELFTH GRADE
Sam Brannon Ella Brightwell Gracie Brownlee Anna Cail Caroline Clark Jacob Colquitt Jamee Crowe Ross Crowell Abby English Blake Graham Emmi Harding Elli Heath Amanda Hill Peyton Howell Gracyn Lastinger YiYing (Elaine) Lin Mackenzie Lowman Anna Machovec Austin McCall Mary Catherine McElroy Lydia Megdal Katie Milliner Zack Morris Ander Mullinax Christian Payne Olivia Ricketts Brandon Sallee Conner Sibley Grant Simpson Autumn Stephens James Wagner James Wooten Jason Wu
the wolverine way Second Quarter/First Semester
PRINCIPALS’ A-AVERAGE HONOR ROLL The 4th - 6th Grade Honor roll is based on quarter grades.
FOURTH GRADE Lauren Black Katie Boarman Dane Boswell Anna Christenson Nealie Cook Annie Cross Rinne Furlow Kate Garth Braelin Hagen Aidan Harter Noelle Hynes Nathalie Lavender Emily McClung Kara Grace Myers Georgia Nunn Hunter Smith Jack Tebeau Hutson Tolbert Katie Weems
FIFTH GRADE
Elizabeth Brantley Elizabeth Coleman Jaxon Connerley Kellie Cucuzza Zach Hamilton Haley Holcombe J.J. Hudson Tate Jernigan Nick Katsegianes Phillip Kelley Colin Kitchens Bree Kuschel Hugh Laughlin Garrett Loftin Branson Meeler
Caleb Norris Ellen Patton Gracie Power Gabriella Rice Livi Richt Chas Scoggins Heather Smith Matthew Thompson Carter Zittrouer
SIXTH GRADE
Gia Albert Caden Bush Allie Carter Emilie David Sara Drinkard Sybille Foucart Sara Frantz Kathryn Anne Frierson Gavin Harter Maggie Holt Taylor Howard Jack Johnston Charlie Kahlstorf Abbigail Merhar Lauren Pollock Ashleigh Sayles Faith Steele Seth Ward Maddy Wilson Joey Young
SEVENTH GRADE Payton Bowles Patrick Brannen Jared Breedlove Haley Cartey
Delaney Cook Janie Henderson Hope Hewatt Josh Hilton Molly Howard Elijah Hynes Megan Jackson Savannah Johnson Sarah Kelley Cade Murray Shelby Reese Aly Richt Thomas Ross Boone Seay Lolly Titshaw Foster White Drew Wright
EIGHTH GRADE
Mary Hamilton Bottoms Daniel Calderon Kalin Cartey Emily Cox Sydney Crawford James DeLaurier Megan Garth Benjamin Hardwick Rebecca Hathaway Caroline Hill Elaine Hinson Will Kahlstorf Rachel Machovec Rebekah Machovec Marianna Mahaffey
Luke McDevitt Annie McElhannon Kelley McKeithan Dalton Meeler Sarah Owens Tyler Roberts Emma Taylor Sara Thompson Taylor Titshaw Jon Varghese McNeal Wilfong Jonathan Witcher
NINTH GRADE
Audrey Adamson Cailyn Bloodworth Preston Chandler Jomarie Cortese Natalie Crews Palmer Heath Morelle Holcomb Amelia Loveless Tyler Maxey John Shumaker Bryce Thomas Alex Tuttle
TENTH GRADE
John Bailey Nick Boarman Christopher Chittom Monica Chumbler Catherine Creighton Grant Crowell Jonathan Dauler Joy Harris Claire Hurley
Geraldo Jimenez Landon Livesay Christopher Nunn Emily Soles Chandler White Qizhe (Jerry) Zeng
ELEVENTH GRADE Maggie Aldin Scott Aldin Matthew Allen Walker Boswell Tory Bowles Erikson Brown Jonah Doster Yiming Gao Katelyn Grider Tyson Herron Kristian Knowles Terry Ko Jamie Lee Lilli Perno Wills Porter III Mary-Frances Stearns Rachel Steele Silas Stocks Luke Wallace
TWELFTH GRADE John Butt Bethany Campbell Alexandra Lavender Montana McCullers Christopher Pounds Monica Walcott
Senior Mackenzie Lowman was named Prince Avenue Christian School’s Rotary Student of the Semester, selected by teachers for her demonstration of the Rotary Club motto of “Service Above Self.” The daughter of Steven and Kimberly Lowman, she chose science teacher Joann Drake to share the honor with her at a Rotary Club breakfast. While taking a rigorous academic course load, Mackenzie has maintained a 4.1 GPA, and served in the leadership of both the National Honor Society and the National Beta Club. She is also involved in the school’s Interact Club service organization, and in the National Junior Honor Society. She received the Georgia Certificate of Merit and the Phi Kappa Phi Certificate of Achievement. She has sung in Prince Avenue’s chorus, performed drama productions, and she ran on the school’s cross country team. A member of Grace Fellowship Church, Mackenzie helps to lead a Bible study for eighth grade girls, participated in mission trips to Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and Mexico, and has also served as a volunteer at Butterfly Dreams Farm working with mentally and physically challenged children.
the wolverine way PACS Lunch is a Nutritious and Favorite Part of the Day! In the early morning hours, while the rest of the Prince Avenue Christian School families are still at home going through their morning routine, the PACS cafeteria staff has begun their day’s work. These 12 ladies work diligently each day to prepare healthy and delicious meals for students, faculty, staff, and visitors. They also serve breakfast, provide a concession style snack for middle and high school students, and are responsible for food service for many special events sponsored by the school. When entering the school front hallway, one can quickly observe that the PACS cafeteria is a hub of the school. There is an energetic flurry of activity as the entire school rotates in and out, and takes a much needed break in the day to eat and relax. With lunch time beginning at 10:40 for Pre-Kindergarten, the cafeteria staff manages to serve as many as 700 meals in any given day. And this is no ordinary lunch. “Most of our menu items are made from scratch,” says Food Service Coordinator Lesia Carithers. “We make our own lasagna, spaghetti sauce, casseroles . . . almost everything is made right here.” As the coordinator, Ms. Carithers is responsible to plan and prepare menus. “I try to offer a variety of choices and include items that I know even picky eaters will eat. That way I know they will not go home hungry.” With a commitment to good nutrition, Ms. Carithers says the menu usually includes at least two meats, a fruit, a green vegetable, a salad, and a soup along with other choices. Students have the opportunity to make selections and can even opt to choose a veggie tray with no entrée. The
one limitation she mentions is french fries. “We only allow students to choose one serving of fries. No doubles on that one!” Each year Ms. Carithers plans about 20 menus and rotates those menus throughout the year. She incorporates new recipes and keeps serving the known favorites. “Chicken Wings”, she says with a smile. “They can choose different flavors, and they just love them. I always know that is going to be my most popular day.” But menu planning and food preparation is just a small portion of Ms. Carithers’ responsibilities. Daily, she manages the lunch count, orders food from her supplier, and stays in compliance with health and safety regulations. “The Health Inspector comes four times a year unannounced, and we have to be ready. We always score in the high 90s.” She is also willing to confer with parents if they have concerns regarding allergies or food sensitivities and does what she can to assist parents as they plan for the needs of their children during lunch. Ms. Carithers’ high standards for the PACS kitchen are also evident in the continuing education classes that she attends and requires of her full-time staff. “Serve Safe” is a course where attendees are certified in courses that cover food safety practices, food-borne illnesses, allergens, and more. She has also attended a Food Service convention in which she was provided spiritual encouragement as well as professional training. “The convention inspired me spiritually and professionally. I came
back refreshed.” Clearly Ms. Carithers’ enthusiasm for making the PACS cafeteria a unique experience has been contagious. Her staff and volunteers serve with a smile, interacting personally with each student who comes through the line. As a result of the delicious food and friendly environment, PACS’ lunch is known to be a favorite part of the day, says Principal Bettyann Collinsworth. “I am so thankful for our lunchroom staff who works hard to prepare nutritious food that the kids will actually want to eat. They have a tough job. They do it well, and they do it with love. Many times during
the wolverine way
Reaching Out
dismissal, I will ask students, ‘What was good today?’ I can’t tell you how many times the answer is ‘Lunch!’” she says. Alongside the cafeteria’s extended staff includes parent and grandparent volunteers who give of their time to help the lunchroom run smoothly. As a parent who volunteers regularly, Carri Leigh Todd says serving in this way is one of the best ways to give of her time to PACS. “It is a joy to serve in the lunchroom and see all of the students as they come through the lunch line.” Mrs. Todd also encourages parents not to be intimidated by jumping in to help. “The lunchroom staff is so hospitable to everyone who works with them, and to top it all off, you get to eat the delicious food they are serving that day.” When talking of the challenges of her job, Ms. Carithers does not waiver in her dedication. She acknowledges that she has a challenging and diffi-
cult task every day, but she says the rewards outweigh the challenges. “It is special to get the hugs from the children and to know that I did something to help their day along.” Parents and grandparents are encouraged to volunteer in the PACS cafeteria by contacting Laine Hood at ls_hood@yahoo.com. –Amy Frierson
Running with the PACS 5K and Fun Run PACS Campus March 8, 2014 2:30 pm
The Prince Avenue Christian School Interact Club initiated a project to get students to join the national drive to provide letters to every deployed military personnel who is stationed overseas. Prince Avenue’s “The BIG Thank You” campaign collected 375 letters which were sent to military personnel. The Prince Avenue Christian School students contributed 8200 pounds of canned and boxed food to the ACTS (Area Churches Together Serving) food bank through the Tackling Hunger, Pound for Pound drive sponsored by the school’s National Honor Society and National Junior Honor Society. The drive nearly reached its goal of donating enough pounds of food to equal the total weight of the varsity football team. Over 1,700 of the cans were donated at the Wolverines football game against Pinecrest Academy, and the NHS and NJHS presidents Mary Catherine McElroy and Emily Weaver, and Head of School Danny Howell, announced the total to Mr. Rainey Hiss, Coordinator for the Oconee County Food Bank and Clothes Closet which is supported by ACTS. Also, more than 450 shoeboxes were contributed for the Operation Christmas Child project sponsored by Samaritan’s Purse.
the wolverine way Young Angels Stand Alert! Elementary music students joined the Little Prince Players Drama Club for an outstanding performace of Angel Alert! in November. Angel Alert! is a fictional work which portrays the Nativity story from the angels’ perspective and provides a unique opportunity for the students to learn more about the birth of Jesus. The story features two lead angels, Michael and Gabriel (played by fifth graders Carter Zittrouer and Tori Cameron), who guide the other angels in protecting events to ensure that the Son of God can be born. Meanwhile, two mischievous angels, Harpo and Halo (fifth graders Emily Hinson and Anna Hardwick), play key roles in the outcome of a battle to help the wise men see the baby. The rest of the cast was made up of fourth and fifth grades students who are members of the afterschool drama club, the Little Prince Players. The group is directed by Justin and Sharon Carter.
Students Honored by the DAR Three Prince Avenue Christian School students were honored at a luncheon on Saturday, January 11th by the Apalachee Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). Eighth grade student Addie Lee Frierson, freshman Chase Deatrick, and senior Gracyn Lastinger were recognized for their participation and achievement in an essay contest sponsored each year by the DAR. Participation in the contest is voluntary and divided by grade level and topic. Addie Lee Frierson responded to the given topic “The Lives of Children During the American Revolution” in using historical facts to portray either an historical or a fictional child living during the American Revolution. Addie Lee was honored as the contest winner for PACS as well as the chapter winner for the Apalachee Chapter of the DAR. Her essay has been forwarded to the state level competition. Chase Deatrick’s essay, “How Do Americans view Christopher Columbus and George Washington Today?” compared and contrasted these two heroes from American history and explained how Americans can apply the experiences of these two men to their own lives. Chase was honored as the contest winner for PACS. Gracyn Lastinger was chosen by the Prince Avenue Christian School faculty as the 2014 DAR Good Citizen because she exhibits the qualities of good citizenship: dependability, loyalty, service, leadership, self-control, and patriotism in her home, school, and community. In addition to receiving this award, Gracyn voluntarily submitted an essay on the topic “Our American Heritage and Our Responsibility for Preserving It,” describing how a person’s personal heritage affects his or her personal duty to our nation. Gracyn’s essay was chosen as the chapter winner for the Good Citizen essay contest and will be forwarded to the state level competition. All three PACS students were presented with a certificate of achievement, a medal, and a cash award from the Apalachee Chapter of the DAR. The students read their essays aloud to the guests in attendance at the luncheon.
the wolverine way PACS Students Sing in Chorus Six Prince Avenue fifth graders traveled to Jonesboro to participate in the Statewide Elementary Honor Chorus–a conglomeration of 500 fourth and fifth-grade students from schools throughout Georgia, sponsored by the Georgia Music Educators Association. The students, chosen by their schools’ music instructors to be part of the Honor Chorus, spent Friday and much of Saturday rehearsing in preparation for their performance in First Baptist Jonesboro’s Worship Center on Saturday. All 500 students were assigned to be part of one of two choirs, both of which were directed by well-known conductors. Each choir rehearsed independently and did not hear the other choir’s songs until the concert on Saturday. Lower school music teacher Larry Boling selected Prince’s six participants this year, including Cassie Atha, Gracyn Behr, Elizabeth Coleman, Camille Hardin, Anna Hardwick and Ellen Patton from the 30 students who auditioned. Boling said selecting only six from those 30 has been the hardest challenge of this process. The chorus is not only for girls, but Boling said it just so happened this year that the six who stood out were girls. The Honor Chorus performed several songs, two of which were spirituals, which Boling said is not normal for the state concert. “They’re two really old, African-American spirituals, and they’re really cool, fun songs to sing,” Boling said. “One of the other songs they sang is a really funny one called ‘The Duel,’ which is about a cat and a dog having a fight, and the singers really liked that one.”
Prince Avenue Christian School band members participated in the Athens Tuba Christmas Concert at the Classic Center on December 3. Tuba Christmas was founded in 1974 by Harvey Phillips, Professor of Tuba at Indiana University to honor his teacher, William Bell who was born on Christmas day in 1907. The first Tuba Christmas performance was given by over 300 musicians in New York City’s Rockefeller Plaza. In the years since, Tuba Christmas has grown into an international event performed by hundreds of thousands of tuba and euphonium players in cities throughout the world. New Wolverine Band Director Miles Adams has had students perform in this concert in previous years, and was privileged to take students Luke Wells, Danny Lee, Tanner Iley, Nick Studinski, and Trent Tredwell to participate in this year’s festivities.
Honors Chorus students Camille Hardin, Gracyn Behr, Cassie Atha, Elizabeth Coleman, Ellen Patton, and Anna Hardwick.
the wolverine way From the Wolverine Sidelines... Wolverine athletes have been honored with team, region, and state recognition for their achievements in fall sports. Cheerleading Dedicated Wolverine Cheerleader/Most Valuable: Gracie Brownlee, Claire Hurley, Katie Milliner, Hunter Ashley Raye Coaches/Captain Award: Gracyn Lastinger, Olivia Ricketts Cross Country Individual State Qualifier: Abby Hathaway Football AJC State First Team: Christian Payne AP State: First Team–Christian Payne, Zantravious Shields; Second Team–James Wagner Honorable Mention: Zantravious Shields Athens Banner Herald ALL Area: First Team–Kevon Hudson, Christian Payne, Region Player of the Year Christian Payne, Zantravious Shields, Zack Graham, Alexander Stier; Honorable Mention–Max Moorman, Tyson Herron, Conner Sibley, T.J. Loveless, Zach Ragle Region 8-A Awards: Player of the Year–Christian Payne; Offensive Line–Alexander Stier, T. J. Loveless; Running Back–Kevon Hudson; Quarterback;–Tyson Herron; Defensive Line–Blake Graham, Chandler Chitton; Linebackers- Zach Ragle; Defensive Backs–Zack Graham, Zantravious Shields, Max Moorman; Defensive Ends–James Wagner, Conner Sibley; All Purpose–Jonah Doster; Rudy Award–Clay Petty; Academic Award–Conner Sibley, Christian Payne; Coach of the Year–Jeff Herron N.E. Ga. FCA All Star Team: Jonah Doster, James Wagner, Kevon Hudson, Zack Graham, Zantravious Shields, Christian Payne, Conner Sibley; Richard Bell–Assistant Coach of the Year Northeast Georgia FCA All Star Game: Tyler Foster, Zack Graham, Chandler Chittom Junior Bowl: Zantravious Shields Softball All Region: Emily Soles , Chandler Carey , Bethany Campbell , Jordyn Smith All Area Athens Banner Herald: Bethany Campbell, Emily Soles; Honorable Mention–Chandler Carey , Jordyn Smith All State: Emily Soles, Chandler Carey, Bethany Campbell; 2nd team-Jordyn Smith Georgia Dugout Club Player of the Year: Emily Soles Georgia Dugout Club Coach of the Year: Lacy McClendon Volleyball All Area First Team: Sydney Henderson All Area Honorable Mention: Kelsey Fitzpatrick
Emily Soles Georgia Dugout Player of the Year
State Cross Country Qualifier Abby Hathaway