Mon, 15 Oct 2007

Start of the 2007 – 2008 school year by Stephanie Peede

It's a brand-new school year bringing brand-new scholars to take Lawrence Academy's total to approximately 335 students.

The faculty has also been joined by several new faces: Carolyn Dail (art), Tammy Harrison (Pre-K assistant), Janet Holland (computers), Scott Jameison (fifth grade), Robyn Norris (algebra, 6th & 7th grade math, 6th grade English), Karen Sawyer (music), Penny Thompson (11th & 12th grade English), and Shannon Van Staalduinen (first grade).

Lawrence now has dual-enrolment classes for students 16 and older through Martin Community College. A grade of "B" or higher will be transferred to the UNC school system for college credit. Available courses include general psychology, introduction to sociology, introduction to computers, introduction to business, and business law.

The 6th grade is no longer in the elementary hall- they are now considered a part of middle school because it is more appropriate for their age group and also, these students are in need of content area teachers due to the increased level of study. This also aids them in preparing for high school because they are held accountable for their own work, studying and grades, have lockers, and change classes regularly, much like high school students.

The first day of school went smoothly thanks to the mandatory orientation the Friday before (August 24, 2007). At 10:00am, the elementary students and their parents met in the gym for a general welcome from Edna Harvey (assistant headmistress for grades PK-6) and a few basic guidelines for car safety. They then proceeded to their respective classrooms where they met teachers for added information, and also to set up desks and cubbies so that it would already be done for the first day. At 11:00am, the middle and high school students met in the gym, also, for a welcome back from the headmaster, Eric Meadows, then a review of rules and expectations by Dr. Ed Clouse (assistant headmaster for grades 6-12). Class schedules and locker assignments were passed out at this time. After that, the students were free to walk around, talk to teachers, and find lockers, helping Monday go off without a hitch.

Thu, 11 Oct 2007

Homecoming 2007

Homecoming week concluded on Friday, October 5 with a win against Cresset Christian and a high school dance. Kaitlyn Greene was crowned Homecoming Queen by 2006 Homecoming Queen Jenna Griffin. Homecoming representatives were: 12th- Kathryn Gilbert, Kaitlyn Greene, Rachel Taylor and Brittany Whitehurst; 11th- Debbie Stotesbury; 10th- Casey Belch; 9th- Bethany Daniels.

Headmaster Gets Stuck!

Mr. Meadows recently took part in "Stuck for a Buck." This fundraiser was designed to help raise money for the school's Parent Teacher Organization.

Each student had the opportunity to buy pieces of duct tape for $1 and stick Mr. Meadows to the wall. Everyone really enjoyed this project and the fund raiser exceeded expectations.

Meet the Teachers: Mrs. Shannon Van Staalduinen by Stephanie Peede

Mrs. Shannon van Staalduinen comes from Belhaven where lived with her parents and three sisters. She attended Dordt College and was previously employed at Boyden Hall Elementary working as an aide in the special education class. Married in 2006, Mrs. Van now teachers first grade here at Lawrence Academy.

Meet the Teachers: Mr. Scott Jamieson by Courtney Harrison

Mr. Scott Jamieson is Lawrence Academy's new 5th grade teacher. He was born in Liverpool, England and he grew up in Wales. Mr. Jamieson attended the University of Liverpool, majoring in archaeology. He was among the top twenty-six students in the country. He has one brother and a niece named Eve Olivia. Besides teaching, he has had many other occupations which include being an officer cadet in the Merchant Navy, a landscape gardener, a job in the magistrate's court system and a summer job in Spain. He came to teach in North Carolina as part of a cultural exchange program. He loves playing soccer (or as he calls it, football) and wishes that he could play for a professional team. He enjoys teaching his class and said that he was "very grateful to the staff and parents who helped him get the job and looks forward to a great year at Lawrence Academy."

Meet the Teachers: Miss Janet Holland by McCaul Nelson

There are many new faces at Lawrence Academy this year, but Janet Holland isn't one of them. Holland attended Lawrence Academy from grades 7 - 12. After graduating, she went to the College of the Albemarle and received her associate's degree. She now has returned to teach Kindergarten - 9th grade computers and is the varsity cheerleading coach.

Holland says that it's "definitely different" being a teacher now instead of a student. "I thought it would be a good place to learn and get my foot in the door," Holland said about her decision to return to Lawrence as a teacher.

Coming back definitely has its advantages. Holland is able to have her first teaching job in an environment that she feels comfortable in. She is reminded of all her good memories as a student at Lawrence Academy. Holland also gets to use her five years of experience as a Lawrence Academy cheerleader to aid her as coach of the varsity cheerleaders.

Holland enjoys teaching here and hopes that the remainder of the year will go just as smoothly.

Meet the Teachers: Mrs. Robyn Norris by Sarah Meggison

One of our new teachers at Lawrence this year is Mrs. Robyn Norris. Mrs. Norris teaches 6th grade math and English, 7th grade math and 9th grade Algebra. She attended Randolph-Macon Women's College in Virginia, majoring in math. Previously, she has worked in Charleston, SC teaching middle and high school math, science and Bible. Also, she taught preschool in Kitty Hawk.

"We heard good things about it in Kitty Hawk," Mrs. Norris said of how she heard of Lawrence. Not only do we welcome Mrs. Norris to Lawrence, but also her daughter Charlotte who is in Kindergarten. Mrs. Norris said that she likes teaching here very much and also likes her students.

Meet the Teachers: Mrs. Penny Thompson by Jeanne Lunsford

Lawrence Academy would like to welcome Mrs. Penny Thompson back for her first full year teaching at Lawrence. She is teaching 12th grade AP English, 12th grade English and 11th grade Honors/AP English She said, "I'm really proud of Lawrence Academy and its students and teachers." Mrs. Thompson has a double major in English and Social Studies. Alexis Becker, Mrs. Thompson's granddaughter, is currently a 5th grader at Lawrence. We welcome Mrs. Thompson to our faculty.

Meet the Teachers: Mrs. Karen Sawyer by Katie Carter

Joining the ranks of Lawrence Academy teachers this year is Mrs. Karen Sawyer. She teaches music for grades K-12. In addition to teaching at Lawrence, she is also a church musician, and participates in many other musical activities. Mrs. Sawyer attended the College of the Albemarle and East Carolina University. She has previously taught at the Albemarle School and has been directing children's choirs for almost 30 years. She has two grown sons and used to perform in a bluegrass group with her family. Besides the piano, Mrs. Sawyer also plays the organ, flute, upright bass and guitar.

Meet the Teachers: Mrs. Carolyn Dail by Alan Phelps

This year our school is blessed to have a wonderful new addition to the Lawrence Academy academic "family", the new art teacher Mrs. Carolyn Dail. Art should be fun and involving, something that Mrs. Dail always delivers upon when teaching class.

"I enjoy the class, and she is a really nice person," said Sam Mitchell of the sophomore class. And he's not the only one who says these things. Almost every student I have talked to has had nothing negative to say about their teacher; only positive remarks can be heard.

I had a chance to interview Mrs. Dail and ask her about why art is the subject of her choice, why she chose Lawrence, and what are some of her inspirations and favorite works of art.

She became involved in art in her sophomore year of high school when many other students in her class did as well. The teacher was excellent she says, and that also contributed to her involvement in the subject.

One of her favorite artists is Norman Rockwell, and her favorite works are Renoir and other works of the impressionist movement.

Over the years she began to shy away from art a bit because of life and all of the obstacles that it presents to people, but after ten years she began to pick up on it again.

She enjoys oil painting the most, and dabbles in water color. She is also involved in Home Economics, a subject she taught in her earlier career as a teacher. Ms. Dail's home economics talents extend to her side career, a sewing and drapery business.

Mrs. Dail chose Lawrence because of the need for an art teacher with a few weeks away from the school's opening. She is a retired public school teacher, and seeing a chance to help she seized the opportunity. This shows what kind of a person that she is; someone who will take challenges and face them head on.

It is true what her students say about her being nice. In my time talking with her I found her to be a social, confident and positive person. To give an example of this, when asked to state a philosophy of art in general she said a characteristically optimistic quote: "There is an art in anything you do, be it art itself, or a talent such as sports or academics."

Mrs. Dail is a very interesting person, and it seems that her class is quite popular among her students. She is an example of what a good artist is: observant, optimistic, and critical (but in a good, constructive sort of way). This new teacher is a welcome addition to the staff at Lawrence Academy.

Lower School Students Enjoy Pictures from "Emi" by Edna Harvey, Elementary School Assistant Headmistress

Emiliano Enea is an American soldier close to the hearts of Lawrence Academy Lower School students. Mrs. Harvey reports that "Emi" wrote to the students and sent a letter in care of her address in Edenton. Emiliano had previously sent pictures for the students as a thank you gesture for the many cards these students sent to him during the last school year. When Emi was issued orders to have his tour extended, Mrs. Harvey explained to the lower school students that Emi was sad. The wishes for safety and good cheer went to Iraq in five sequential mailings. Each student included a colorful card.

Lower School students have continued this mission of good cheer cards once again this year. They are writing to little Youssif, age five, who was badly burned in Iraq in mid January. Youssif will come to the Grossman Burn Center in California for treatment.

Emi's letter:

Dear Ms. Harvey,

Thank you so much for sending me all those nice class pictures!! I hung them up in my room and proudly show them off to my fellow paratroopers. I have a side of my wall which is my "motivation wall." It reminds me everyday why I need to come home. I took a picture of my room and sent it to Leslie,who will in turn forward it to Rebecca (Mrs. Andre). Hopefully you can print or copy the picture and show it to the various classes as a small token of my appreciation for their support. If anything positive could possibly come out of this deployment it would be for the "Warriors" of Lawrence Academy to continue their support of the troops. I make a friendly challenge to yourself, alumni, staff and students to continue the awesome show of support to another lucky soldier. Perhaps even random care packages would suffice. I feel this would be very important because even when I am home, there will be other soldiers in harms way. They need our support, too!!

God bless all the way! GO WARRIORS!

Emiliano

Teachers Attend Math Workshop by Sheev Patidar

The K - 3rd grade teachers attended a Saxon Math workshop at the Holiday Inn in Rocky Mount, Monday, September 17. The purpose of the workshop was to familiarize the teachers with the new components of the newest edition of Saxon Math program. This is the third year Lawrence has used Saxon Math for grades K - 3rd, but it is the first year for 4th – 6th. Saxon Math is "a success-oriented program that enables all children to develop a solid foundation in math by building on prior knowledge, while using a distributed approach with daily hands-on experiences." The elementary teachers are very pleased with the progress in math using the Saxon Math program.

Beware:

Ms. Meadow's 8th grade Grammar Police is on the job. Each student has been deputized and will be seeking perpetrators of bad grammar in printed text. Each week deputies must bring in an article that breaks a grammar rule; the articles are posted on our badge bulletin board. Remember, we are proofreading what you are writing.

Spanish Students Plan Trip to Costa Rica by Scott Thompson

Sr. Giron's Spanish students have begun to plan a trip to Costa Rica, which is scheduled to take place after Easter. Although planning is still in its early stages, students are already creating fundraising ideas. Sr. Giron said that at least five students are needed to go on this trip.

Kindergarten News by Pam White, Kindergarten Teacher

Our newest Lawrence Academy Warriors began their adventure on Friday, August 24, 2007. This was Gingerbread Day which was an orientation for the students to come and meet their new friends. The students heard the "Gingerbread Man" and got to eat gingerbread cookies. The kindergarten students have been very busy since the beginning of school. Saxon Math is an exciting program where the children learn through math manipulatives. The manipulatives the students love are linking cubes, teddy bear counters, and pattern blocks.

The unit "school" has been our first unit in Open Court Reading. The children have been listening to stories about school. The students have already learned seven high frequency words and have read three pre-decodable books. They have also learned about the title of a book, the table of contents, the author, and the illustrator.

We are excited about kindergarten and the many things we will be learning this school year.

Second Grade News by Phyllis Faulk, Second Grade Teacher

The second grade has had a great beginning! We are happy to welcome a new student to our class. Joey Shields has recently moved to Edenton from Elizabeth City.

Mr. Meadows brought a special visitor to us last week. "Corduroy" was mysteriously left in his office with a message attached requesting assistance in finding our classroom. Mr. Meadows promised to come back when we read that story in our reading book and help us solve the mystery. Until then we are enjoying having Corduroy on our "Concept-Question" shelf.

Curtis Baker recently brought in and talked to the class about two turtle hatchlings that he found and is raising. Curtis researched on the Internet and discovered many interesting facts about the turtles to care for them.

Fourth Grade News by Sara Stevens, Fourth Grade Teacher

Mrs. Stevens' 4th grade class is off to a great start this year. We are learning all about North Carolina. We have learned our state symbols and each week we have a NC Trivia Question. In science we are going to make an edible cell. Doesn't that sound good? Come see them in our room after October 5th.

JV Football News by Jeanne Lunsford

Our JV football team saw their first victory this season in the home game on September 21 against Northeast. The game had a rousing first half with Luke Leary scoring one touchdown, leaving the score tied 6-6 at halftime. The scoreless second half pushed the game into overtime. In overtime, each team has four downs score, the first play being from the ten yard line. On the third down of the second series, the Warriors ended the game with a pass from the quarterback Chase Stevens to number 83 Clint Thompson resulting in the final 12-6 victory. The team members include: Chance Askew, Hunter Askew, Dallas Belch, Gage Brabble, Patrick Castelloe, Trid Copeland, Bryan Drew, Scott Dunlow, Cody Elliott, Lance Harrell, Mason Hughes, Luke Leary, Ryan Lilley, Austin Mahlandt, Nicholas Morris, Michael Myers, Brandon Perry, Chase Stevens, Daniel Swain, Clint Thompson, Robert Thompson, Shane Tripp and Jesse White. The head coach for this season is Mr Howard Harkey, assisted by Eric Lockhart. Mr. Allen Castelloe, another assistant coach, commented, "We have a very young team this year without much experience. They're getting better every day, and working hard in practice. All we can hope for is for them to continue to get better every day."

JV Volleyball News by Alan Phelps

The lady warriors of the JV Volleyball team have had a promising season so far. With three conference wins and three loses people could argue that the season could go either way, but the team and coach say otherwise.

"We have a chance to win the TIC championship this year," says Coach Dr. Ed Clouse. And he's not the only on involved with the team that thinks so. "I think we actually can win," said Kendra Spruill, the setter for the team, when I asked her about the upcoming games.

As you can see the Lady Warriors do not lack confidence in their abilities. With nine players, some of which have played for two or three years, this is a good and predictable stance to have.

Players this year include (by grade level from 6th grade to sophomore year): Jordyn Lyle, Nicole White, Heather Whitehurst, Holly McNair, Danielle Davis, Casey Belch, Taylor Sexton, Kendra Spruill and Jennifer White. These girls are primed and ready for any challenge that may arise this year, eager to overcome any obstacles in their way.

With a good winning record so far, dedicated players, a vigilant coach, and all the spunk that they can muster, the JV Volleyball team is living up to the name of its mascot: the Warrior.

Varsity Volleyball News by Katie Carter

This year's Varsity Volleyball team has put forth an amazing effort. All of the players have worked their hardest to make this season a success. Kate Hodges, Ashton Lyle, Ashtyn Mizelle, Debbie Stotesbury, Kathryn Taylor, Kendall Street and Shelby Zube make up this years group of players. Coached by Dr. Ed Clouse, their win-loss record, as of press time, is 17-2.

Soccer News

The Lawrence Academy boys soccer team is off to a great season. The head coach, Señor Giron, is very excited about his team of talented players. Scott Jamieson, the new 5th grade teacher at Lawrence, is helping Sr. Giron with coaching this season. The soccer team includes Aadil Amod, Randy Davenport, RJ Deppisch, Wilson Greene, Brandon Godwin, Walker Jeannette, Van Johnson, Dillon Lassiter, Brian McGrady, Chris Mills, Sheev Patidar, Dylan Ralph, Alec Roberson, Kelby Roberson, Brennan Sasser, John Summerford, Nicholas Summerford, Parks Tripp, Max Walker and Tyler White. The team's record so far is three wins, three loses and four ties. "We are doing the best Lawrence has ever done!," said Randy Davenport. This great soccer team is sure to have a successful season.

Tennis News

The tennis team has had an exciting season, finishing with a 5-6 win-loss record. The starting six players are Sarah Gilliam, Rachel Taylor, Kathryn Gilbert, Kaitlyn Greene, Margaret Jeannette and Hallie Corbett. The team is completed with Laura Thompson, Bethany Daniels and Annie Gray Dixon. The tennis state playoffs will be in Wilson on October 28 - 29.