Winter 2014 Visions

VISIONS THE MONTGOMERY ACADEMY

Winter 2014

Visions - Winter 2014

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Visions The Montgomery Academy Established 1959

Head of School Dave Farace

WINTER 2014

Mission Statement The Montgomery Academy develops leaders committed to honor, scholarship, service and the pursuit of excellence.

dave_farace@montgomeryacademy.org

Associate Head of School Vivian Barfoot vivian_barfoot@montgomeryacademy.org

Director of Advancement Carolyn Peddy Bryan ‘75 carolyn_bryan@montgomeryacademy.org

Director of Communications Leigh Barganier leigh_barganier@montgomeryacademy.org

Annual Giving & Alumni Programs Coordinator Marie Harrington marie_harrington@montgomeryacademy.org

The Montgomery Academy 3240 Vaughn Road Montgomery, Al 36106-2725 (334) 272-8210 • Fac (334) 277-3240 www.montgomeryacademy.org The Montgomery Academy is a member of

National Association of Independent Schools The Montgomery Academy admits students of any race, religion, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students of the school.

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2013-2014 Board of Trustees

2013-2014 Alumni Council

Mr. Clark Sahlie ‘84 President Mr. Ronnie Brown ‘92 Vice President Mr. Owen Aronov Secretary/Treasurer Dr. Steve Davidson Ms. Lee Hayes Mr. Pete Taylor ‘80 Mrs. Krystal Mims Mr. Temple Millsap ‘74 Mrs. Shannon Speir Mr. Gil McKenzie Mrs. Anita Barrera Mr. Jim Leonard Dr. Brad Katz Mrs. Lee Sellers ‘84 Mr. Mike Jenkins IV Mr. Sommerville Hill ‘89 Mrs. Roly Singh Mr. Lee Copeland ‘75 Mrs. Debby Spain Dr. Rodney Smith Mr. Lewis Gayden ‘87 Mrs. Leura Canary Mrs. Carol Hodges

President – Sommerville Hill ‘89 Hart Johnson ‘97 Jeanie Montiel Parnell ‘95 Gray Borden ‘97 John Ashworth ‘92 Georgia Stevenson Holmes ‘01 Mallory Watson Searcy ‘02 Alex Carothers ‘98 Elizabeth Bloom Williams ‘02 Philip Sellers ‘02 Taylor Williams ‘03 Rachael Saucer ‘03 Robert Mooty ‘04 Britney Crawford Sellers ‘06 Price McLemore ‘90 Alice Novak ‘92 Josh Segall ‘97 McCain Ashurst ‘98 Emily Dauber Flowers ‘99 Phelps Reid ‘99 Bert Morris ‘96 Sally Vann Wiggins ‘02

On the cover: Upper School students traveled to Italy over Thanksgiving break. For more on their trip, turn to page 18.

visions table of contents

6 Arts

50th Anniversary Christmas Pageant, Middle School Play, Upper School Chorus, Upper School Theater

11 Academics

Convocation, iPads Transforming Learning at MA, The College Process, Framework for Faculty Growth

18 Activities

Italy Trip 2013

20 Athletics

Cross Country State Champions, Volleyball State Champions

22 Alumni

Alumni In The Arts, Class Notes, MA On The Road, Alumni Weekend 2013

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Give to MA

The MA Fund is a vital source of institutional momentum for The Montgomery Academy, and the primary way for parents, alumni and friends to help sustain the special features that set our school apart. Your gifts make possible a robust environment for learning in and out of the classroom, and are essential to our enduring pursuit of excellence.

A few of the opportunities for leArning And discovery thAt your gifts to the MA fund MAke possible Resource teachers in every Lower School grade

Three theatrical productions each year

Physical Education equipment for grades K-12

20 Advanced Placement courses

27 art electives for Upper School

Two extensive libraries with over 50,000 volumes

Art supplies for grades K-12

34 different athletic teams with 68% of the student body participating on at least one team (grades 7-12)

Lower School culture study

Choral groups in Lower, Middle and Upper Schools

Music theory courses

Award-winning speech and debate program

Game officials and referee expenses Athletic team uniforms Transportation for co-curricular programs

For information about tax-deductible donations, call Carolyn Bryan or Marie Harrington at 334-272-8210 or visit www.montgomeryacademy.org.

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THE HONOR PLEDGE On my honor, I did not give or receive any unauthorized help on this work.

A LETTER FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL The Pursuit of Excellence is a tradition that demands change. As I reflect on the past several years, MA has indeed changed quite a bit. I’m proud to serve a school community that recognizes the importance of change and embraces the struggle that often accompanies it.

Our most significant recent change was the development of a bold new mission statement that reads: The Montgomery Academy develops leaders committed to honor, scholarship, service and the Pursuit of Excellence. This fifteen word statement defines the MA student experience and informs every decision we make on campus.

Advances in technology are clearly revolutionizing our classrooms. We have successfully launched a 1:1 iPad initiative and expect the pace of change in blended learning to be brisk. Technology is also transforming our faculty professional development and evaluation programs. We have partnered with a Maryland based company, Folio Collaborative, to introduce electronic faculty portfolios and online evaluation programs designed to give students, faculty, and administrators the opportunity to provide constructive feedback in our collective pursuit of excellence (see Vivian Barfoot’s article on page 16).

Other recent changes have strengthened our commitment to relationships and community. Our new Courtyard Convocation and Kindergarten-Senior Buddy Program celebrate the K-12 student journey (see Scott Richburg’s article on page 11). “Family Nights” have been a big hit-- sprinkled throughout the year, we close the campus at the end of the academic day and cancel all athletic practices, late meetings and homework in recognition of the importance of family. As Ronald Reagan once said, “All great change in America begins at the dinner table!” Embracing the philosophy of servantleadership in support of the broader community, the entire MA community now partners with one non-profit organization for a full academic year. For the 2013-2014 year we are supporting Habitat for Humanity.

In the midst of all this progress, we are also returning to our roots by affirming treasured MA traditions. Perhaps our greatest tradition is our culture of academic integrity and honor. Our student-led Honor Council remains vibrant and central to school life and we emphasize honor by gathering each class to publicly pledge their commitment to our Honor Code and to write out and sign the full honor pledge before every major test or paper (see above). We are also returning to our “Standing Tradition,” where students rise at the beginning of each class and when adult guests visit their classrooms. As civility and honor erode in our larger culture, we believe these traditions differentiate and define a Montgomery Academy education.

DAVID J. FARACE Visions - Winter 2014

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50th Anniversary Christmas Pageant M E MOR I E S OF T H E P ROGR A M I have such fond memories of Pauline Gay and my Mom laughing as they worked side by side on these pageants every year. Glittered cardboard wings, striped shepherd costumes, special selection of the Littlest Angel who always wore pjs, red horns repurposed with Reynolds wrap for the herald angels to announce the Savior’s birth... and I’m certain Mrs. Bond or Mrs. Chambless were cueing up the choirs to sing “Gloria In Excelsis Deo”! It was a labor of love and patience.

-Sissy Bolton Flynn ’75, daughter of Mrs. Clara Bolton, former first grade teacher.

One of my most treasured times with The Montgomery Academy first graders is working with the Christmas Pageant. For the past thirty-eight years, I have found great joy in watching hundreds of precious first graders present this inspiring pageant. This wonderful tradition that embraces the excitement of siblings, mothers and fathers, and students asking “What part did you get?” and sharing, “Oh, that was my part!” makes this a very joyous celebration for our school family! The sweet innocence of the children dressed in beautiful costumes and proudly performing their roles have made our holidays very blessed indeed!

-Becky Snellgrove, lower school teacher since 1976.

I remember from the very beginning the Christmas Pageant was a standing room only presentation. As a matter of fact, in the early years due to facility limitations it was presented twice. This was quite an ordeal for first grade teachers but Mrs. Gay, Mrs. Bolton, Mrs. Snellgrove and many others have worked very hard to make the Pageant a beautiful and meaningful production and in my opinion they have been very successful. When my daughter was in first grade the teachers wanted her to take the Speaking Angel part, but due to her “shy and retiring nature” she declined.

Fortunately, over the years she overcame some of her shyness, participated in a number of middle and upper school productions, and now teaches kindergarten at MA.

-Wade Segrest, Headmaster 1973-85, former faculty member, parent of alumni, and current grandparent.

I remember it came time to really start buckling down during practice because the play was just around the corner. Everyone was taking everything so seriously and making sure everything was perfect. All of a sudden, my classmate who played Joseph fell off the stool he sat on during the play and we realized he had

fainted! He was okay, but then during the practices, he went on to faint a few more times! Our whole grade remembers this incident, and at that time as first graders, it kind of scared us, but looking back on it today, we all laugh about it!

-Caroline Franklin ’14, Singing Angel in the 2002 Christmas Pageant.

Back in the old days the 6th graders provided the singing for the pageant because there was no chorus.

The year I was in 6th grade, my brother was one of the first graders in the pageant so it was neat that we got to do it together.

-Rebecca Segrest Hollingsworth ’84, lower school teacher, current parent, and Angel in the 1972 Christmas Pageant.

I have wonderful memories of the Christmas Pageant during my years as a first grade teacher. All my memories are very meaningful; some are even a little humorous! One vivid memory occurred as I was waiting backstage at my usual post with the angels, preparing to send the Speaking Angel out to say her lines. Just as the Narrator gave the verbal signal for her to enter the stage, the Speaking Angel became ill and clearly could not go on stage. All the Angels were lined up behind her, staring at me with panicked expressions on their angelic faces. For a moment I froze. I was not sure what I was going to do. Seconds later after hearing the Narrator proclaim in a loud voice, “And the Angel said unto them,” I did the only thing I knew to do. I loudly proclaimed the Savior’s birth from behind the curtain.

The Heavenly Host Angels proceeded to the stage, and the Pageant carried forth. I will never forget the year I was actually in the Pageant and am still thankful that I knew the Speaking Angel’s lines!

-Jan Pringle, Lower School Director, former first grade teacher, parent of alumni, and current grandparent.

During this busy time of year the Christmas pageant at MA for me has been a time of quiet reflection on the true meaning of the season. We can take a deep breath and enjoy our precious children, in their innocence, depicting the greatest story ever told. How rewarding it is to have parents who participated in the pageant come to watch their little ones. This long-standing tradition is but one example of many meaningful MA experiences that make our school a special place.

-Thomasine McDonald, lower school teacher since 1981.

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Middle School Theater Presents

The Election

After an embattled student body president resigns in disgrace, Mark Davenport figures he will cruise to victory in the special election. After all, his only opponent is nerdy Christy Martin, who wants to eliminate football. But when a mysterious Super PAC gives her an unlimited budget, things start to get very ugly. Mark must face total annihilation or accept the services of a slick professional campaign manager with questionable ethics and a million-dollar Super PAC of her own. The Election is a hilarious and timely satire on the contemporary political scene.

The Montgomery Academy Middle School presented Don Zolidis’ The Election during the fall of 2013 with a cast of over seventy students and a set design by Middle School Art Teacher Sara Woodard. Many of the actors performed live while others starred in recorded campaign ads and news bulletins that were projected during the show.

This is the second play by Don Zolidis that The Montgomery Academy has produced in recent years. We are not alone in enjoying his particular gift for writing stories with large casts and funny dialogue. In a national survey of high schools, three scripts by Mr. Zolidis ranked among the top ten most-produced one-act plays in North America.

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Upper School Musical

She Loves Me When Amalia Balash starts working alongside Georg Nowack at Mr. Maraczek’s Parfumerie, the two argue endlessly, while unknowingly writing loving words to each other as a part of an anonymous “dear friend” romantic pen pal service. When Georg finds out who his “dear friend” has been, he looks at their relationship and realizes all that animosity he thought he felt may have been nothing less than love in disguise.

This story of love letters and coworkers has been presented many times, as the original play Parfumerie, and the films The Shop Around the Corner, In the Good Old Summertime and, most recently, You’ve Got Mail. An intimate and touching show, featuring music by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick (Fiddler on the Roof) and book

by Joe Masteroff (Cabaret), She Loves Me is considered by many to be the most charming musical ever written.

The Montgomery Academy’s spring production featured a gorgeous set designed by Upper School Art Teacher Connie Deal, including over a hundred different perfume bottles. The cast of 21 was anchored by seniors Sarah Ross Adams, Caroline Elliott, Sarah Catherine Hook, Rayisa Israil and April Shambo.

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Upper School Theater

Love’s Labour’s Lost

Imagine a king and three young lords in the prime of their lives deciding to lock themselves away, not eating, not sleeping, not seeing women – just studying. Then throw into the mix a visiting princess and her three lovely ladies in waiting. Finally, populate the countryside with simpletons and tricksters, braggarts and buffoons, teachers and lechers and you have a potent comic mixture.

The Montgomery Academy’s production of Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost arrived just in time for the 2013 Valentine’s season. This romantic comedy took its design inspiration from 1963, with the love songs in the air, “Camelot”-inspired fashions, and Mayberry-esque clowns in the background. The second Shakespeare play to be performed in the James W. Wilson, Jr. Theater, the play featured a cast of twenty students, including seniors Sarah Ross Adams, Caroline Elliott, Sarah Catherine Hook, Neill McCorvey, April Shambo and Parker Turner.

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CONVOC ATION 2014 With change come new traditions, and two new MA traditions which came with Head of School Dave Farace are a school-wide Convocation, uniting all aspects of the MA community, and the Kindergarten-Senior Buddy program, which pairs graduating seniors with kindergarteners for a year of fun activities.

To Mr. Farace, both new traditions are unity builders: “My general thought was that we have two campuses but we are one school. Convocation is an opportunity to bring all faculty and students together to celebrate our K-12 community.” As for the KindergartenSenior Buddy program, Farace says it is all about relationship building: “Again, we are a K-12 community and I think it is important for our older students to provide vertical care for our younger students.”

For kindergarten parent Hadley Newell Haugabook, that emphasis on community and relationship building is key to the MA difference: “When you sit at Convocation and watch your nervous little kindergarten baby girl and that smiling, proud senior walking together through the crowd hand-in-hand, you know that is why you chose The Academy.

It is a family.”

Senior mom Rhonda Acreman saw this year’s Convocation from the other end of the parent spectrum: “As a senior parent I appreciate the special glimpse I got of my son as a role model thus diverting my thoughts from the little boy he once was which served to ease any sense of sadness I may otherwise have experienced. What better way to help a mom realize her little one is all grown up than to see him with someone so young.”

Both parents agree that the Kindergarten-Senior Buddy program has been a positive addition to Montgomery Academy life. Haugabook says that her daughter Virginia “looks forward to every activity she does with her senior buddy; and if they haven’t done something in a while she is dying to know when the next thing is!” For Acreman’s son Alex, the program allowed him “one last chance to leave a legacy” and gave him a “sense of ownership and pride of his years at MA.” Senior Lillian Roth says that this year’s Convocation was special for her, in large part because of her kindergarten buddy: “Walking down the center aisle on Convocation morning with my precious kindergarten buddy was the perfect beginning to my senior year.” Beginning the year this way, Roth adds, was the building of a “metaphorical bridge” uniting the youngest and oldest students at The Montgomery Academy. The senior buddy program has been an extension of that sense of togetherness, as she and her buddy have shared lunches, playground activities, and craft making. In her time as a Lower School volunteer, Hadley Newell Haugabook says she has watched seniors like Roth and Acreman relish the senior-buddy experience: “They are equally thrilled to be back to their childhood stomping grounds for a few minutes!”

Uniting old and new, young and old, change and tradition, Convocation and the Kindergarten-Senior Buddy program have become central to The Montgomery Academy experience.

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iPads Transform Learning at The Montgomery Academy Fifth Grader Social Studies Teacher Brooke Bishop

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We have all seen the Apple commercials promoting the newest devices and the wondrous things you can do and create with them.

The majority of us have succumbed to Apple and purchased multiple devices for ourselves and our families, but do you use the device like Apple intended you to use it, or do you mostly play Candy Crush and check Facebook? While students at MA may play games and use the devices for social media in their free time, they are also transforming their learning with the use of iPads.

Each student at The Montgomery Academy has daily access to iPads in all classes. The Lower School students share a collection of school-owned iPads while all Middle and Upper School students use personally purchased devices. The possibilities are endless for these digital natives and their instructors!

During the 2012–2013 school year, the fifth grade piloted the iPad program by integrating school-owned devices into the classrooms. It was clear from the beginning that iPads would forever change the way teachers teach and students learn.

The world was truly at the students’ fingertips! They created Keynote presentations and iMovies; they completed online tests and quizzes; and used AirServer to efficiently share ideas and examples of student-created work. The pilot program proved to administrators and teachers alike that Montgomery Academy students were ready and willing to commit to iPads throughout the school in 2013–2014 and beyond. An iPad committee was formed, a handbook was created, help sessions were provided, and iPads were purchased; the 2013–2014 school year would be like none other!

Beginning this year, Lower School students at the Academy are using iPads as an innovative tool for learning. For example, the fourth graders documented their day at Fort Toulouse by capturing pictures and short videos with iPads. They generated iMovies with the material they collected and presented their final products to their classmates using AirServer. Second graders created Keynote presentations entitled “Meet My Friend.” The students conducted interviews with each other, wrote informative paragraphs, manipulated text and shapes, and even personalized the slides with photographs and videos.

Kaky Butler, the second grade resource teacher, is enthusiastic about the devices; she declares, “They have been a fantastic addition to the Lower School.” iPads are widely used throughout the Middle and Upper School as well. Students and teachers create VoiceThread presentations to share thoughts and ideas with one another without having to meet face-to-face. Class notes, homework, and other assignments are posted on The Montgomery Academy portal to be accessed by students. The Showbie app is used to create a paperless classroom by allowing documents to be uploaded from the portal, completed and submitted by a student, and graded and returned by a teacher. Fifth grader Stewart Miller comments, “The accessibility to class materials is much better with iPads. I don’t rummage through my papers looking for what I need anymore.” Teachers often choose to record and attach voice notes to graded assignments along with handwritten comments. All files are kept organized in Notability which serves as a digital binder for all classes and keeps students consistently organized. The excuse, “I can’t find my homework” or “You never gave it back to me” no longer applies. Also, with the use of Dropbox, all documents are saved to the device and can be retrieved if needed.

Digital textbooks have been incorporated into many classrooms this school year. Some teachers offer a choice for students to use either a digital or paper copy of the materials. Many digital texts have the capability of creating digital flashcards for students to use when studying for tests or exams. Students use AirServer and its mirroring feature to compare observations and ideas with one another and the classroom teacher.

Educational apps have also had a major impact on students’ learning in the classroom. For example, in the fifth grade social studies class, students have access to a digital atlas and multiple maps to use as references when learning. These digital versions offer a more complete and accurate view of the world in comparison to the flat, two-dimensional maps included in the back of textbooks. In the Upper School, Ashley Belcher will begin using the Leafsnap app with her Natural History class to identify tree species and to keep digital collections of samples.

The impact iPads have had on learning in the classroom this year is truly amazing. Information is no longer surface level for students. The inclusion of these devices has allowed teachers and students to remain connected with one another and with the world. Students at The Montgomery Academy will be prepared for college and careers that require the use of tablets.

The most fascinating aspect of having iPads in the classroom is that these devices will continue to evolve throughout these students’ careers; the possibilities are truly endless.

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Hundreds of thousands of American students apply to college during their senior year in high school.

The application itself is neither the beginning nor the end of a process that culminates in their new identity as freshmen on a new campus the next fall.

Before sending off any applications students take the ACT or the SAT, or both; they attend test prep sessions; they visit prospective schools; they weigh the size, cost and proximity of colleges to home.

They gather teacher recommendations and write admissions essays. Four members of the MA class of 2014 have allowed a glimpse into the later stages of their journey toward college. Only one has chosen a school as of this writing; the others await news about not only admission but also about scholarships.

THE COLLEGE PROCESS

by Cheryl McKiearnan

William West 14 Visions - Winter 2014

Garrett Barnes is unusual in having already

found a perfect match: in the spring of her junior year she accepted a soccer scholarship from Davidson College. Garrett had been thinking very specifically about what she sought in a college. Soccer would be a factor; given her ambition to be a doctor, a school’s success in having its students accepted to medical school would be another. And—-as a simple matter of quality of life—the campus must have an abundance of trees.The MA college advising office helped her narrow her list of choices, which at one point included nine schools. At last, armed with ACT and SAT scores, two recommendation letters and one admissions essay, and buoyed by Davidson’s 98% rate of acceptance into medical school for its students, Garrett met with soccer coaches from Davidson and sealed the deal.

She is basking in the calm of having made one of life’s most important choices and is secure in knowing that she did so wisely, with an abundance of information, guidance and self-knowledge.

William West is poised to decide where he will go to college. Since 9th grade he has scrupulously maintained a solid GPA so that his options would be many; with the guidance of MA’s college advising department he has been able to manage the application process smoothly. Along with strong academics William brings to admissions offices two teacher recommendations, two college essays and considerable intellectual curiosity. He lists among his interests political science, pre-law, architecture and American studies. Because of his wide interests,William plans to attend a small liberal arts school. Campus visits and the opportunity to talk to admissions representatives have helped him to narrow his list from seven schools to three: Sewanee, Wofford and Samford. These institutions provide what William requires in terms of academic rigor, social environment and opportunities for enrichment. Though eliminating schools from his initial list was easier than William anticipated, making the final choice is proving quite difficult—an indication, perhaps, that he has been very wise in assessing himself and the options available to him.

Garrett Barnes

Rachel Warwick began to think about college when she was in middle school.

As time went on she settled on aerospace engineering as her area of interest. Her criteria for assessing colleges became more informed as she began to make campus visits as a sophomore. One vital factor is the national ranking of aerospace engineering programs, primarily those in the southeast. In preparing for the application process, Rachel secured two teacher recommendations and wrote two essays; she took the ACT four times and the SAT three. She has applied to Georgia Tech, Purdue, UT Austin, Texas A & M, and Auburn. Once the applications are in, however, the process is far from finished: scholarship applications are due in the coming months. As Rachel awaits decisions by the colleges and prepares to choose from among the offers she receives, she is bemused by information that continues to arrive from schools she has never even heard of. It is a common experience for MA students, who despite their nervousness regarding how colleges will judge their applications are in fact very desirable prospects for all kinds of schools.

George Sellers, another aspiring engineer, has conducted his college search with a great deal of certainty. He wants to study mechanical engineering and participate in ROTC, and he intends to pursue a career in the Air Force. Seeking admission to ROTC adds another layer to the complexities of applying to college. In addition to taking the ACT and SAT four times, writing seven college essays and submitting two teacher recommendations, he took a fitness test in August. If he qualifies for ROTC, the rewards could be considerable: up to full tuition with allowances for books and housing and a stipend for other expenses. George has been accepted by Oklahoma and awaits decisions from Clemson and Indiana, his other top-choice schools.

Rachel Warwick

When he makes his college choice and dons the ROTC uniform, he will be fulfilling a dream that originated when he made a trip to the Imperial War Museum in London with his family. Gazing at the airplanes on display there and hearing the exploits of airmen inspired George when he was only 5 years old. That early fascination has never wavered; it has deepened with the years and guides his plans for the future.

Clearly the paths that MA students follow are as varied as they are as individuals.

Backed by solid records of achievement, they have the luxury of following their interests and dreams as they consider the next steps they will take. What colleges will be be lucky enough to welcome William, Rachel and George into their freshman classes next fall?

What factors will be most important as they decide which offers to accept? Read the next issue of Visions to find out.

George Sellers

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Framework for Faculty Growth

By Vivian Barfoot, Associate Head of School

At the Academy we often declare that a major strength of our school is the amazing faculty, and we highly value teachers who are committed to guiding students in their pursuit of excellence.

These gifted educators bring great expertise and are given a broad scope of choices as they create courses, design co-curricular activities, and develop sports opportunities. While Academy faculty members have considerable freedom in their teaching, there is often great pressure to achieve outstanding results.

It is important to note that teachers give continual feedback, guidance and support to students in all aspects of their learning and participation experiences. These questions come to mind: Don’t teachers need that same kind of feedback, guidance and support? How can teachers be confident they are moving ahead on the path to success? How does a successful school strike the appropriate balance between supervision and support? I once heard an administrator say, “If you hire well you don’t have to supervise heavy.” Realistically, is it wise for us to just hope bright teachers figure out what works best for student success?

these interactions between teachers and supervisors, holding everyone accountable and encouraging positive support and honest feedback. The conversations are powerful and teachers are using the honest feedback to grow and improve professionally.

It makes sense for us to honor the tradition of quality in our faculty professional ranks by creating and fully supporting a culture of continual improvement.

A huge factor in the strength of a school’s faculty is the degree to which an institution supports teachers in their ongoing learning endeavors. It is a point of pride at the Academy that we financially support and encourage teachers to seek advanced degrees as well as to attend workshops and conferences geared toward increasing content knowledge. As you can imagine, professional development training has been vital for teachers as we have prepared for and implemented the iPad initiative this year. Following that trend of supporting professional learning, MA is sending four teachers representing all three divisions of our school to San Francisco to attend the international Learning And The Brain Conference where many of the best and brightest experts will focus on the theme “Using Brain Science to Boost Social and Emotional Skills.”

In an inspiring TED Talk video I heard Bill Gates describe how teachers have historically received very little meaningful feedback and encouragement to grow in their practice. Gates introduced his video speech saying, “Everyone needs a coach.”

Teachers deserve regular meaningful feedback to improve and develop their skills. They deserve fierce conversations to get them get them back on track when they falter. They deserve encouragement and ongoing education.

In the fall of 2012 MA joined Folio Collaborative, a consortium of impressive schools dedicated to professional growth and redefining teacher evaluation. The Montgomery Academy’s collaboration with these great NAIS schools and many others across the nation encourages best professional practices with faculty development.

This is a partial list of Folio Collaborative School: • The Buckley School (New York) • Culver Academies (Indiana) • McDonogh School (Maryland) • Harpeth Hall (Tennesee) • The Hewitt School (New York) • The Hockaday School (Texas) • Randolph School (Alabama) • St. Andrew’s Episcopal School (Maryland) • The Westminster Schools (Georgia) Folio Collaborative creators believe great professional cultures flow from authentic interaction between adults.

By implementing the Folio system of professional development and evaluation, the Academy has invested in an organized system of relevant conversations that are informed by personal reflection, ongoing goals, classroom observation, and feedback. The Folio system offers a simple digital organization documenting all of

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This year the Folio framework provides faculty with yet another level of feedback to enhance teaching effectiveness. Students in each fifth through twelfth grade class have the opportunity to submit feedback from their perspectives to teachers about approachability, expectations, and other qualities of the classroom learning environment. The anonymous digital feedback is a chance for students to engage in responsible communication and contribute to their own learning experience. This process encourages greater student engagement while helping teachers better understand what is working well and what needs refining.

Teaching effectiveness is a dynamic process and The Folio Collaborative framework is a healthy way the Academy manages that vital process.

Middle School Computer teacher Gary Nelson reflects on his professional development experience last summer by saying, “I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in the 2013 Peabody Professional Institute for beginning teachers in independent schools. The ideas that I took away regarding classroom management and pedagogy have been invaluable tools as I have worked to better the practices used in my classroom each day. Additionally, the idea exchange and conversations regarding best-practices in independent schools left me with a great sense of pride in the way The Montgomery Academy operates. I left the Vanderbilt campus this summer with renewed purpose and energy, and have no doubt that the experience has made me a more effective classroom teacher and has advanced my effectiveness in carrying out the Academy’s mission in the greater MA community.”

In addition to formal educational offerings, MA faculty members have many opportunities for sharing ideas and methodologies with their peers.

There is currently a faculty driven plan for establishing

Professional Learning Community group sessions within and across divisions that will offer new opportunities for professional growth.

A faculty committee explored various models of Professional Learning Communities to identify three different types of faculty groupings the Academy is embracing to strengthen the collaborative teacher interaction. One model is the Reflective PLC, designed to allow a random group of faculty to hear a speaker or read educational material followed by in depth discussion to analyze the significance for our learning environment. The random group will meet several times a year to consider various educational practices, taking advantage of the wide scope of perspectives from the random grouping.

MA faculty watched the Ken Robinson’s video “Bring on the Learning Revolution” and spent time in Reflective PLC groups discussing how the classroom experience reflects the contention that intelligence is diverse, dynamic, and distinct. The Academy teachers are also engaged in Content PLCs, a model that has faculty meet in small vertical teams with a specific curriculum content agenda. These groups meet as often as needed throughout the school year to create greater continuity and easier transitions of the educational experience at the Academy.

For example, science teachers from fourth grade through eighth grade will meet to talk about scope and sequence of the curriculum, expectations of scientific measurement at each level, standardization of lab procedures, progression of scientific vocabulary, assessment variation, and the most effective use of technology. Peer collaboration and encouragement by like minded teachers are powerful tools.

Finally, MA faculty will engage in Topic PLC groups during the summer which may grow into more ongoing exchange groups. These groups will meet around specific areas of interest to explore new skills or specific ideas. Relevant topics to attract faculty discussion are Tips for Technology Effectiveness, Student Engagement Through Interdisciplinary Studies, and Building Student Motivation. All three types of Professional Learning Communities encourage teachers to learn from each other and establish a rich faculty culture of ongoing learning and improving. Acclaimed educator Ken Robinson declares, “The quality of education can never exceed the quality of teachers.” Maintaining that quality requires continuous attention and improvement.

A strong faculty remains the Academy’s greatest strength, and it is exciting to realize our pursuit of excellence has us engaged in a comprehensive professional development plan that creates a structure for faculty growth, monitors individual progress, encourages innovation and celebrates success.

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ITALIA

2013

Teresa Pittman, Upper School Latin Teacher

During the Academy’s Thanksgiving break, forty students and six chaperones spent ten days exploring Italy. Beginning with our arrival on the short airstrip in the waters surrounding Venice, the group quickly immersed themselves in Venetian life by taking a gondola ride throughout the city, learning the intricacies of creating Murano glass and handmade lace and sampling the local gelato. The group also had the experience of navigating the planks in Saint Mark’s Square that were erected to help pedestrians avoid water that came in during the night, but still had to wade through ankle-deep water that flooded many of the streets in the city.

The next stop for the group was Florence where we had a close-up view of the 10,000 runners who were participating in the marathon that morning. After walking around the many barricades setup throughout the city, we saw Michelangelo’s David, visited the Duomo, had more gelato, shopped in the street markets and leather stores, and rubbed the nose of a boar in a tradition that ensures a person will return to Florence one day. “My favorite part of the Italy trip was our day in Florence! I loved exploring a city filled with so much history,” said Olivia Rush. Matthew Virden added, “I enjoyed our free time because it gave us a chance to explore the different cities on our own. During free time we were able to immerse ourselves into the culture and try different foods. One of my favorite experiences was climbing to the top of Giotto’s Bell Tower with Ann Hester, Rachel Lee, Gracie Trulove, and Jake Chesnutt. We climbed over 400 steps to the top to see an amazing view of the sunset over Florence.” Florence was also a favorite for Ann Hester, who said, “My favorite place was Florence because it contained so many of my favorite facets of Italy. In Florence I saw artistic wonders like Michelangelo’s David, visited historical sites such as the Duomo and Giotto’s Bell Tower, browsed street vendors and shops, and indulged in wonderful ‘café lattes’ and scoops of gelato.”

The next day was spent traveling as we headed past Rome to the coast south of Naples. That evening we strolled through the streets of Sorrento enjoying the sights and sounds of this resort town. Then we traveled by ferry to the Isle of Capri and loaded onto another boat to tour around the island. After arriving back from our island tour, we went to the city at the top of the hill for lunch and a visit to Augustus’s gardens. Back in Sorrento that evening, the students learned the traditional Italian

18 Visions - Winter 2014

dance, the Tarantella, and enjoyed seeing each other perform it with the local dance instructors. We then toured the ancient city of Pompeii, which left all of us impressed both with the level of the Roman civilization and the intensity of the volcanic disaster. One of the chaperones, Linda Hummel commented, “The place that was jaw dropping to me was Pompeii. I stood in awe, closing my eyes and imagining the mighty chariots going up and down the stone streets of the busy city.”

Finally, after traveling through many miles of the Italian landscape, we arrived in Rome. No visit to Rome would be complete without seeing the magnificent Sistine Chapel and Saint Peter’s Basilica and spending time in the Vatican Museum.

We traversed the streets of Rome and toured the impressive Colosseum; the Pantheon which exhibits geometric perfection; the Forum that reminded everyone of the Roman legacy; and visited the shops around the Spanish Steps. We enjoyed our Thanksgiving dinner of pizza and then walked to the Trevi Fountain to let the coins determine our futures. The following day, we visited the four layers of the St. Clemente Church and the unusual spectacle of the bones of Capucin monks on display at the cemetery below their church. Our wonderful Italian trip ended with a fun dinner of burgers and fries at the Hard Rock Café in Rome. All of us, students and adults, will remember this trip of a lifetime.

“Although I’ve traveled to Italy several times, each trip is new and different because of the dynamics of the group–both the students and adults. I love their excitement and anticipation as we prepare for the trip. I love the look of pure enjoyment when they taste the Italian gelato for the first time, the expression of awe when we walk into St. Peter’s Basilica, and the fun when they throw their coins into Trevi Fountain (which is my favorite place). When we return, I love hearing them thank their parents for sending them on this great adventure and share their memories with their friends. Traveling with MA students and adults is truly my favorite part of the whole experience,” said Teresa Pittman.

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boys and girls cross country teams make school history capturing state titles in same year The 2013 season marked a first for the Cross Country program at The Montgomery Academy. For the first time in school history the boys and girls programs won state titles in the same year. The girls team won their third consecutive state title while the boys won their first state title since 2006.

Throughout the season the girls cross country team, led by team captains Taylor Gerard, Claire Rickard and Emily Pierce, challenged themselves by running in the 5A-6A division of races. They began the season by winning the Kickoff Classic and then competing against teams from Alabama, Louisiana, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi in the Championship Division of the Challenge of Champions Invitational held in Mobile. They placed third in the 40team Scottsboro Invitational, won the large school division of the Tiger Classic hosted by Auburn, and claimed first place in The Montgomery Academy Invitational.

The girls dominated the Sectional Championship. Led by Taylor Gerard’s individual championship, the MA cross country team claimed the first four places and six of the top seven places. Kaylee Quinn, Tara Katz, Brenna Katz, Kate Harris, and Maggie Chambers rounded out the allsection representatives.

The girls returned to the state meet as defending champions and clearly the team to beat. The meet proved

to be one of the fastest championship races in several years. Led by all-state runners Taylor Gerard, Kaylee Quinn, Tara Katz and Brenna Katz the girls captured their third consecutive title. The boys team came into the season led by captains Everett Fuller, Jack Anderson, Jack Barganier and Taylor Dockery with the clear goal of capturing the state title. The boys defeated defending champion Hatton at the Scottsboro Invitational and dominated the 1A/2A race at the Jesse Owens Invitational.

The Montgomery Academy boys team returned to the sectional meet with expectations of a very close race from Holy Spirit Catholic High School. By placing four runners in the top six positions, the boys managed to win the second consecutive Sectional Championships.

Jack Barganier, Jack Anderson, Bennett Griffin and Griffin Payne led the team to a five-point victory.

The boys arrived at the state meet with a clear target on their backs. Running as a pack the team placed four runners in the top ten and were led by all-state runners Jack Anderson, Jack Barganier and Bennett Griffin.

The girls ended the season ranked as the fifth best team in the state behind only traditional 5A and 6A powers.

Bennett Griffin ended the season as the top ranked eighth grader in the state.

- Cross Country Coach Michael Floyd 20 Visions - Winter 2014

State Championship Volleyball Team Has Motivating Season Following a harsh assessment at team camp of no leadership on the team, the 2013 Montgomery Academy Varsity Volleyball team discussed what they needed to do in order to be successful. On the first day of practice, the team established a wall of motivation that included examples and stories of inspiration, motivation, and challenges for the season. Led by captains, Rachel Lee, Cady Upchurch, and Sarah Paige Massey, the seniors took control and demonstrated an intense work ethic that the rest of the team followed. The 2013 Class 2A State Champion MA Eagles were highly intelligent, highly motivated people all working together toward a common goal.

With the leadership and caring personalities of the captains, the team experienced one of the most pleasurable and rewarding seasons any volleyball program could dream of with a record of 49-4: the second best in school history. The team won both the Mayor’s Cup Tournament and MAC Attack Tournament and was runner-up at the Bayside

Tournament. The team was not only successful playing at the Class 2A level, but also victorious playing against Class 6A #1 ranked team, McGill Toolen, as well as both the Class 4A and Class 5A State Champion teams. Rachel Lee made the All State Team and Jillian Tinglin was named the Class 2A State Tournament MVP.

-VOLLEYBALL COACH JULIE SINCLAIR Visions - Winter 2014

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E

AL UM NI IN

TH

ARTS ALISON PRESTWOOD & CHRIS BETHEA

AnMACollaboration As a senior at MA in 2001, Chris Bethea had already decided he wanted to turn his passion for music into a career after college. He still had a lot of questions about what exactly goes on in the music business and what avenue in music he would like to pursue. Chris and his father, Coach David Bethea, were introduced to fellow MA alum, Alison Prestwood ‘75, who was in Nashville successfully pursuing her dream to be in the music business. They met with Alison to discuss the music industry in Nashville. At the time, Alison was a full-time bass player, recording with numerous artists. From this meeting, Chris had a jump start with a better understanding of the exact field in music to pursue in college at the University of North Alabama.

Fast forward 12 years. Chris is a now a full-time mixing engineer in Florence, Alabama, taking clips of songs and putting the final song together. Chris recently mixed songs for Kevin Richardson, Percy Sledge, and Hey Romeo. His work has been featured on “The View” and “The Carrie Diaries.” Alison is currently practicing law in Franklin, Tennessee at Reid & Prestwood, PLC. She continues to play electric bass in music studios and has toured and recorded with artists including Patty Loveless, Olivia Newton-John, Blake Shelton, Marty Stuart, and many more. She was also nominated four times for the ACM Award for Bass Player of the Year by the Academy of Country Music.

Recently, Chris was given the opportunity to work for Warner Brothers Records on the album, Bring You Back, for Brett Eldredge.

The album included “Waited Too Long,” a song on which Alison played bass guitar. Chris was amazed that after a brief meeting over a decade before he and Alison both worked on the same album. “Alison plays on hundreds of songs and I have mixed hundreds of songs. The odds that two MA graduates worked together on such a successful album…it really is just incredible.”

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ROSS BESHEAR

ALI BOOZER

CAROLINE TAYLOR

JONATHAN MATTHEWS’ CURRENT WORK

ALUMNIWORKINGIN

THEARTSBIOS arts. Here is a look at where some of our alumni are today!

Cloris Leachman and Tara Reid, a staged reading of “Hamlet” playing Rosencrantz opposite SNL’s Darrell Hammond as Guildenstern along with Shirley Knight and Fred Willard, and starring in the rock musical film “Thunderstruck”, which premiered at The LA Film Festival. He is currently in preproduction with a supporting role in a musical television pilot called “Desire” co-created by Emmy Award winner Ramona Schindelheim and starring Cathy Richardson.

Alexis Boozer ’00

Brad Blondheim ‘87

Alexis “Ali” Boozer followed up her training from the Hill Hall cafetorium/auditeria stage and ASF with a BA in Drama from Stanford University where she won the Evelyn M. Draper Award for Performance.

Brad Blondheim is currently the Co-Executive Producer of the show “Swamp People” for History Channel. After getting his start producing feature documentaries, Brad has now produced shows for MTV, A&E, Spike TV, Tru TV, CMT, and VH-1. His first feature documentary film entitled “Scratch” premiered at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary. Brad’s second film entitled “Big Rig” premiered at the 2007 South By Southwest Film Festival and was delegated an official cultural ambassador by the American Film Institute.

From the beginning, The Montgomery Academy has strived to foster creativity through its exceptional arts program.

Students are encouraged to participate in theater, music, visual arts, speech & debate. Starting in Kindergarten, Academy students participate on the stage and in the art room. After developing a passion for the arts during their days at MA, many of our alumni have pursued careers in the

Now living in Los Angeles, Ali acts with fortunate frequency while also producing and directing film and digital content with her company Gossypium Media. She continues her stage work and training as a company member with the Ruskin Group Theatre where she met her fiancé, actor Maury Sterling.

Rich Amberg ’96

She can currently be seen on “Emma Approved,” a follow-up to Emmy-winning series “The Lizzie Bennett Diaries” and will be shooting season 3 of “Leap Year” as the newest addition to USA Network’s digital lineup. She is also in the Memphisset feature film, “Being Awesome,” making Southern festival rounds, including the Oxford Film Festival, February 6-9, 2014.

Ross Beshear ‘98 Ross received his MFA from The Actors Studio in New York City in 2008. Recent credits include a supporting role in “The Fields” starring Academy Award winner

Rich Amberg built on his creative writing and theater experience at The Montgomery Academy to explore both fiction and dramatic writing during college and beyond. Since graduating from USC film school, he has sold many feature films and three television pilots for networks. This year he Visions - Winter 2014

23

accepted a professorship at Missouri State University, where he heads the screenwriting program. He is currently writing a movie for the Disney Channel.

Catherine Williams ’94 Cat studied at the Boston Conservatory of Music and graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. She spent many years working as an actress in theater and television and is now focusing more on directing and producing. Cat served as the Associate Director on the Broadway productions of “Thurgood” (starring Laurence Fishburne), “A Life in the Theater” (starring Patrick Stewart), and “The People in the Picture” (with TONY winner Donna Murphy). Most recently she co-directed the performance for the opening gala for The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills. Cat has two television series in development as well as a feature film based on Carolyn Jessop’s memoir, Escape.

Egan Gauntt ’94 Egan moved to Los Angeles in 1994 to attend the University of Southern California with the intent of working in the Film Industry. She began her first film job in the Art Department of the feature “Alien Resurrection” in 1996. Egan was able to connect with some of the top designers and artists on that film and continued working with them on such films as “Godzilla” and “Monkeybone”.

She met her husband, Shepherd Frankel, while working on the critically acclaimed film “Magnolia” by Paul Thomas Anderson. Together they worked on “Stuart Little 2,” “Terminator 3” and “Sweet Home Alabama”. After moving from the Art Department to Set Decorating on “Terminator 3” and “Spiderman 2,” Egan began the interior decorating career she is pursuing today.

Elizabeth McDonald ‘04 After several AP art classes at MA, Elizabeth knew that she wanted to pursue a career in the arts. This led her to Medical College of Georgia, where she graduated with a Master’s degree in Medical Illustration. For the past two years, Elizabeth has been working as a medical animator in Atlanta. As an animator, she works with clients to translate their medical topics into 3D animations and graphics. Her clients include pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers, universities, hospitals, and even make-up companies.

Jonathan Matthews ’99 Jonathan Matthews has been painting professionally for seven years, focusing on the human figure. While studying advertising at the University of Alabama, Jonathan took

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painting as an elective, where a professor introduced him to the work of the prominent Norwegian figurative painter, Odd Nerdrum, whom he had the chance to study in Norway and France. Since then, he has been focusing primarily on commissioned portraits, though he does find time to work on figurative work for gallery sale.

Matthew Austin ‘03 Matthew Austin completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with Honors at the Rhode Island School of Design in 2007. Following his first year of school, he worked with Alabama painter Nall in the South of France designing opera sets. He spent his senior year in Rome, painting and creating performance art, which engaged and explored the city’s web of public spaces.

Immediately after, he moved to New York for two years and worked as a digital projects manager for abstract, geometrical painter Peter Halley.

In 2013, Matthew received a Masters of Architecture degree from Rice University in Houston, Texas, where he was awarded the AIA Henry Adams Award. Between semesters, he worked with the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) in New York and Hong Kong. He also explored modern civic architecture in Northern India on a travel fellowship.

Matthew now lives and practices in Los Angeles, California, where he is a project designer with Michael Maltzan Architecture. Current work includes a 50,000 square-foot interdisciplinary arts center at Rice University, his alma mater.

Caroline Taylor ’04 Caroline Taylor graduated with a BFA in Painting and minor in Art History in 2009 from Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY, where she is currently a member of the Fine Art Alumni Committee. She held internships at The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Exhibition Design), Phillips de Pury (Contemporary Department) and the Felix Gonzalez-Torres Foundation before spending four years with the Deutsche Bank Collection in New York. Beyond curating exhibitions, Caroline organized acquisitions of contemporary artworks, managed collections and collaborated with the Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation on art grants and sponsorships.

Currently, Caroline is an independent curator and art advisor with upcoming exhibitions at the German Consulate, NY (March 2014) and Galleri Haaken, Oslo (April 2014). She is also working with MADE Gallery in Montgomery to organize contemporary exhibitions. Caroline credits former MA art teacher, Hope Brannon, with encouraging her to attend art school and find in art a full time career.

BLAKE WILLIAMS

ASHLEY BRAMLETT FAMILY CAT WILLIAMS

LEE HAMBLEN WITH WORK

AlumniintheArtsREFLECT

ontheMADiffeRence “I grew up loving art. I would look at my grandmother’s collection of paintings and imagine myself in some of them. My mother used to sit me in her lap and we would draw together. When I won first place in the MA high school art contest in 1970, I was encouraged to make art a career. Art has taken me to wonderful places and introduced me to such interesting people. It has been a great blessing and adventure.”

“I have so many fond memories from my days on the MA stage (the lunchroom stage in Hill Hall). I remember the old blue curtain and the pop up footlights. I loved those footlights! They would either blind you or trip you, but they are fondly etched in my memory. Even now when a production seems to be falling apart I always (jokingly) suggest that I have the answer…we just need FOOTLIGHTS!”

Lee Calhoun Hamblen ‘70

Cat Williams ‘94

“I can trace my love for music production back to Karen Williams’ independent study class at MA where I first had access to recording software.”

“I draw on a range of aspects of my education to do this job in arts management and not a day passes when I don’t think back to a teacher or friend from MA and the things I learned there.”

Chris Bethea ‘02

Emily Dauber Flowers ‘99

“I was inspired to pursue acting by the amazing teachers I was lucky enough to run into during high school. I was very involved in forensics and the drama program at the Academy, and those early experiences have had a huge impact on what I’m doing right now.”

“My daily art classes at MA with Mrs. Tullos and Mrs. Brannon (affectionately known as ‘B’ to most of us) instilled a sense of wonder and possibility with my art career. My hope for the future is to continue evolving my art and therapeutic practices, and above all else, enjoy my new family!”

Blake Williams ‘06

Frances Beck Rodriguez ‘04

“In preparing for a presentation I gave to a group of MA students last spring it dawned on me that every subject studied at MA helped build a foundation for the skills I use today. Of course drama and chorus nurtured my creative skills, math is relevant to compositions, the science of light is critical to a good photograph, writing is key for blogging, the study of art history developed a foundation for my style, and my PE teachers would be amazed at my climbing skills when going for a great shot!”

“Before we had the wonderful A.P. Art History program at our school, many were introduced to the subject in other ways. I was inspired by Madame Weissman’s introduction to the history of French art in her French language classes.”

Elmore Inscoe DeMott ‘86 “In middle and high school, my English teachers, Ms. McKiearnan, Ms. Hobbs and Dr. Robison, required my best and blessed me with the skills to think critically and compose descriptively, encouraging challenging vocabulary and pushing the envelope of critical thinking.

Not only does MA bestow upon her students the appreciation of all things artistic, but also the opportunity and encouragement to get involved.

MA teachers have a way of nourishing talents and extracting excellence from students, and I count as a great blessing my years of education and instruction there from.”

Alice Novak ‘92 “My art career definitely started with Mrs. B (Brannon), who recognized that I had a knack with portraiture. I’ll never forget her yelling at me for not working hard enough in her class and saying ‘YOU ARE GIFTED! DON’T YOU KNOW THAT?!’”

Julia Ann Starke ‘06 “The art classes I took under the tutelage of Hope Brannon at MA certainly fostered the longstanding interest I have in learning new art techniques and helped to instill the confidence I needed to start my own small business.”

Katherine Bryan Berry ‘07

Ashley Gibbons Bramlett ‘95 Visions - Winter 2014

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ALUMNIWORKING

INTHEARTS Isabel Hill is an architectural historian, urban planner, author, photographer and documentary filmmaker in Brooklyn, New York.

Isabel Hill ‘69 Lee has spent the last twenty years participating in art shows and art galleries in the Southeast and teaching art classes to adults in Nashville. She also enjoys doing portraits and other free-lance work.

Lee Calhoun Hamblen ’70 Jessica Freehling-Kazzie is the manager of Art’s Music Shop, Inc. (Birmingham), a three-store full-line and piano retailer, based in Montgomery, Alabama since 1905.

Jessica Freehling-Kazzie ’83 Alice Novak serves as Assistant Curator of Education for Adult Programs at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts where she works with docents, designs adult programs, and teaches A.P. Art History to students from local high schools.

Alice Novak ’92 Nordan Dembitsky and a friend started the band, Gentleman Zero, which won Birmingham magazine’s “Best Cover Band” award in 2012 and 2013.

Nordan Dembitsky ‘94 Lida Cunningham Sease is a project manager with the internationally known firm McAlpine Tankersley Architecture in Montgomery. While obtaining her Masters of Architecture from Georgia Institute of Technology, she was awarded the AIA Henry Adams Gold Medal.

Lida Cunningham Sease ’95

Emily Dauber Flowers is the Managing Director of the Cloverdale Playhouse, Montgomery’s community theater, now entering its third season.

Emily Dauber Flowers ‘99 Frances is currently living and working in New Orleans, Louisiana where she creates art that explores the enchanting and intriguing creatures, flora, fauna, spirit and ambiances of the South. In addition to making these pieces, she worked on several large-scale works for restaurants around town, most notably Peche Seafood.

Frances Beck Rodriguez ’04 Blake graduated in 2012 from David Mamet and William H. Macy’s acting conservatory at Atlantic Theater Company and is currently an actor in New York City. Since graduation, Blake has added numerous theater credits to his name, as well as, a televised National Geographic docudrama.

Blake Williams ’06 After graduating from Auburn where she studied contemporary drawing and painting, Julia Ann has worked for the last two years as the membership manager at the Michael C. Carlos Museum in Atlanta, Georgia.

Julia Ann Starke ‘06 After Katherine graduated from Mississippi State University with a biological engineering degree, she recently started a calligraphy business, Riley Writes Scout, in Washington, D.C. She creates personal monograms, invitations, prints of sentimental quotes & Bible verses, and architectural drawings, as well as doing calligraphy for wedding events.

Katherine Bryan Berry ‘07

For nearly six years, Ashley has enjoyed her own photography business, Dogwoods & Dragonflies. Recently, she has written a set of children’s books including, Otis Goes to School.

Ashley Gibbons Bramlett ’95

ISABEL HILL 26 Visions - Winter 2014

ALICE NOVAK

NORDAN DEMBITSKY

Ed Billingslea, Anthony McCall, John McWilliams ‘96, and William Haynes

Melissa Anderson, Arthur Sellers ’13, George Sellers, and Diane McWilliams

Tade Anzalone ‘11, Taylor Turner ‘11, Connie Deal, and Carole Yeaman

Denise Wentworth and Addison Tambling ‘12

Ken Dyess and Mandy Beggs

Michael Floyd, Nolan Clark ‘13, and John Tracy

Seniors Jennie Austin, Garrett Barnes, Sarah Paige Massey, and Jesse Austin

Nolan Clark ’13, John Tracy, and Chris Kropa ‘13

Seniors Ellie Knight, Tristan Watson, and Laken Dennis

Addison Tambling ‘12, Gibbs Lee ‘12, Brenda Garrigan, Nolan Clark ’13, Chris Kropa ‘13

Ryan Terry ‘13 and Cindy Ackerman

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Class Notes

Class Notes Yvonne Harvey

former head of the foreign language department and French teacher – from 1967 until 1984 - passed away on September 9, 2013. She spent her last years in Hood River and The Dalles, Oregon.

1970 1970 Connie Milligan was presented the Pioneer Award from National Alliance on Mental Illness – Lexington, Kentucky for the work she’s done in the mental health field.

1974 Temple Millsap received the Stegall Seminary Scholarship annual “Spirit of the Foundation” award, in honor of Foundation donors and students, at the 2013 Dinner of Celebration on August 1 in Montgomery.

1983

Bart Savage

died unexpectedly on October 31, 2013, at his home in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. He is survived by his fiancé, Sharyn Peach; mother, Elizabeth Duncan; brother, Ben Savage; sister, Jennie Savage and nephew, Cameron Cronwall.

1984

1988 David B. Hughes recently joined the firm Capell & Howard, P.C. as a shareholder. David’s practice primarily focuses on commercial and residential real estate.

1992 Thomas Paulk McInnes was born on July 3, 2013, son of Mahaley (Paulk) and Jody McInnes ‘90. Thomas joins big brother, Duncan, who is four years old.

1994 Ali Ho Horton and her husband, Ted, are excited to announce the birth of their son, William, on July 22, 2013. He joins big brother, Lucien, who is 3 years old. The happy family lives in New York City where Ali is Managing Director and Legal Counsel for Davidson Kempner Capital Management.

1995 Ben Spivey and his wife, Ashley, proudly announce the birth of their son, Forrest Benjamin, on June 10, 2013.

Day Mitchell and her husband, Justin Allen, celebrated the birth of their twins; daughter, Cassady Mitchell Allen, and son, Parker Mitchell Allen, on November 13, 2012.

Cammie Hill Prewitt and her husband, Ryan, joyfully announce the birth of their son, Searcy. Searcy joins big brother, Aubrey, who is two years old. The Prewitts live in New Orleans, Lousiana.

1996 Alison Keene Barnes was named to the Dean’s List for the Spring 2013 semester at Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law. John McWilliams and his wife, Sarah, proudly announce the birth of their daughter, Anna Elizabeth, on November 30, 2013.

Bert Morris and Sommer McKenzie were married September 7, 2013, at First United Methodist Church in Montgomery, Alabama.

MA Board President Clark Sahlie had the opportunity to meet Howard G. Buffett and Tim Cook when Auburn University’s College of Human Sciences honored them at the annual International Quality of Life Awards on Tuesday, Dec. 10 in New York City.

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Carol Reese Vucovich and her husband, Chris, welcomed their second son, Henry Reese, on October 17, 2013. Henry joins big brother, Will.

1997 Camp Boswell and Teah Benkoczy were married on October 26, 2013, in Boone, North Carolina. The happy couple lives in Asheville, North Carolina.

Class Notes Harvey Farrior and his wife, Emily, are excited to announce the birth of Amelia Rose on June 20, 2013. Rose joins big brother, Thomas, and big sister, Julia.

Virginia Webb Harvey is thrilled to announce the birth of her baby brother, Charles Andrews, born September 26, 2013. Virginia and Charles are children of Thomas and Leslie Neeland Harvey.

2001 Aimee Bryan Northrup and her husband, Wyatt, joyfully welcomed their daughter, Elizabeth Grace, on August 29, 2013.

1998

Evelyn Smith married Nathan Smith on September 14, 2013.

The wedding took place at the family lake house of classmate, Georgia Stevenson Holmes ’01. Evelyn and Nathan are at home in Washington, DC.

Elizabeth (Dixon) Allen and her husband Grier proudly announce the birth of their son William Walker Dixon Allen. Walker was born December 16, 2013.

Walton Upchurch and Nick Price were married on October 26, in Hendersonville, North Carolina. They currently live in Palo Alto, California.

It’s twin girls for Will and Betsy (Bowling) Duggar! Caroline and Lucy were born on June 19, 2013.

2002

Rush Elliott and his wife, Candice, welcomed their daughter, Lacey Paige, on December 16, 2013.

Harris “Boman” Marshall was born on July 1, 2013. Congratulations to Travis, Meredith, and, big sister, Anne Riley!

BOMAN MARSHALL

Mac Caddell was promoted to Vice President of Domestic Operations at Caddell Construction Company.

1999 Rachel Sh’ar Lipchitz and husband, Bryan, welcomed their son, Dean Albert, born on August 21, 2013. They live in Dallas, Texas.

2000

Emily Dunavant and Artur Antoniak were married on July 4, 2013.

Ray Hawthorne was appointed to serve as President of the Pike Road School Board in Pike Road, Alabama.

Mary Margaret Kemp and Zach Moore were married at First United Methodist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, on June 15, 2013. Mary Margaret and Zach are enjoying life as newlyweds in Birmingham, Alabama.

Margaret Knudsen and Joshua Stephen Rawson were married on November 9, 2013 at Pintala Baptist Church. Margaret is the Business Manager of Freaky Fast, Inc., a new franchise for Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches.

Mallory Watson Searcy and her husband, John, happily welcome their daughter, Walker, born on September 19, 2013. Walker joins big brother, Tripp.

Will Cunningham recently joined the law firm of Sasser, Sefton, Brown, Tipton & Davis in Montgomery, Alabama.

Patrick Tinney and his wife, Laura, proudly announce the birth of their son, Ryder Daniel, born August 15, 2013.

Mitchell Dubina was elected to the Pike Road Education Leadership Council in Pike Road, Alabama.

2003

Fred Greene received his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business on June 15, 2013.

Mary Tyler Head Spivey and her husband, Steven, proudly announce the birth of their daughter, Sydney, on June 28, 2013. Big sister, Campbell, is so happy to have a little sister!

William Crocker Waits was born on December 17, 2013, to proud parents Gibian (Goolsby) and Josh Waits.

Rich Williams and his wife, Rebekah, welcomed their son, Moyer Hicks, on August 18, 2013. Moyer joins big brother, Tripp, and the family currently lives in Mountain Brook, Alabama.

Russell Barnes is working on his MBA at Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.

Emilie (Reid) and Burns Parker joyfully announce the birth of Sarah Hampton on August 5, 2013. The happy family is living in Birmingham, Alabama.

Rachael Saucer joined The Montgomery Academy as the new Advancement Coordinator.

John Scott and wife, Allison, are excited to announce the birth of their daughter, Avery, born August 13, 2013.

Bart Smith became an F-16 pilot on August 2, 2013, after training Visions - Winter 2014

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Class Notes

Class Notes at Luke AFB in Glendale, Arizona. Bart, his wife, Rachel, and their daughter, Martha, currently reside in Montgomery where Bart is a full-time pilot for the Alabama Air National Guard at Dannelly Field.

Spearman Cobb and his wife, Jordan, are excited to introduce their daughter, Simmons, born on September 12, 2013.

Weldon Doe and his wife, Becca, joyfully announce the birth of their daughter, Abigail, on September 16, 2013.

Clint Calvert and his wife, Stephanie, welcomed Maggie Lane on December 26, 2013. The family currently lives in Birmingham, Alabama.

2007 Emma Armstrong received her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing in August from the Accelerated Second Degree Nursing Program at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Sewanee, University of the South in May 2011. She will be working as a registered nurse in the post trauma unit at the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville.

David Barrington and Nikki Wilcox were married on July 20, 2013. They currently live in Birmingham where David is attending University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine.

2004

Elinor Jackson married Jack Phillips on November 2, 2013. The happy couple currently lives in Yazoo City, Mississippi.

Wallace Campbell received his PhD in Applied Economics in May 2013, from Clemson University.

Theresa Johnston was named to the Dean’s List for the Spring 2013 semester at Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law.

Katie Sasser and Bose Bratton were married on July 20, 2013, at First United Methodist Church in Montgomery. They are at home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Liz Laurie and Justin Bogie were married June 8, 2013, on the Grand Lawn of the Grand Hotel in Point Clear, Alabama. They live in Washington, DC where Liz serves at a special assistant with the Chertoff Group, a consulting firm focused on national security.

Danielle Scott Lieb and her husband, Lance, welcomed their son, Luke, on August 10, 2013.

Greg Crews and Haley Dover were married on August 17, 2013.

2005 Vanessa Lee and Clark Weber were married on June 22, 2013.

Vanessa recently completed her Juris Doctorate from Jones School of Law and the happy couple is currently living in Birmingham, Alabama.

Sara Woodard joined The Montgomery Academy faculty as Middle School art teacher.

Hayden Hamrick married Andy Sentenn November 30, 2013.

2006 John Shashy passed the Alabama Bar Exam and was named to the Dean’s List for the Spring 2013 semester at Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law. John is currently in the United States Army flight school at Fort Rucker.

John Burns Paterson and Emily Sherrod were married on September 21, 2013. The couple resides in New York City, New York, where John is the Wine Director at CraftBar.

30 Visions - Winter 2014

Caitlin Ackerman and Ken Young were married at The Chattahoochee River Club in Columbus, Georgia on December 7, 2013. The newlyweds currently live in Montgomery, Alabama.

Sarah Donnell was presented with her white coat during the Ochsner School White Coat Ceremony for third year medical students. Ochsner Clinical School is part of the University of Queensland school o f Medicine located in Queensland, Australia. The ceremony was held in New Orleans at The Audubon Tea Room.

2008 Caroline Lee married Jason Smith on December 7, 2013, at First United Methodist Church in Montgomery. The happy couple lives in Washington, DC where Caroline is a writer with United Press International.

Mike Foxhall and Mimi Staples were married on June 15, 2013, in Jackson, Alabama. The happy couple now resides in Mobile, Alabama.

2010

EMILY CHEEK

Emily Cheek graduated magna cum laude from Belmont University completing her degree in public relations in three years. For the August commencement, she was chosen as the student commencement speaker. Emily was married to Nick Zini on October 13, 2013.

Class Notes Holman Head

, age 87, born on January 13, 1926, Long Island, N.Y., resident of Lyons, N.J. (1932-43) and a resident of Alabama since 1946, died December 11, 2013. Holman was the son of Middleton Edward and Fannie Marie Holman Head and was preceded in death by his sister Frances Head Gale, Gloucester, Massachusetts and brother, M.E. Head, Jr., Westerville, OH. Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Hallie Fuller Head; daughter Hallie Head Rawls and husband Bruce Alan Rawls; sons Robert Holman Head and wife Margaret White Head (all of Birmingham, Alabama) and Martin Edward Head and wife Amy Gilreath Head of Auburn; granddaughters Hallie Martin Rawls of Columbia, S.C. and Olivia Paramore Head of Washington, D.C.; grandsons Bruce Alan Rawls, Jr. and Jackson Fuller Rawls of Birmingham and Holman Edwards Head, Bennett Samford Head and Davis Martin Head (all of Auburn, Alabama). He is also survived by a sister Rose Marian Bliss, Concord, N.H. Head served 3 years (1943-46) in the U.S. Navy in World War II and attended Dartmouth College. He received his Naval/Commission from Midshipmen’s School, Notre Dame University and served aboard LST393. He received his A.B. and M.B.A. degrees from the University of Alabama and taught economics and statistics as a graduate student. An educational, business and governmental administrator, Head served on numerous volunteer civic boards and commissions. He was director of The University of Alabama Montgomery Center in the 1950’s followed by 20 years’ service with Blount, Inc. (and predecessor companies) as Vice President, Administration. He served as Executive Assistant for postal affairs to the Postmaster General of the U.S. 1969-71. He headed the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce 1971-74 and later the Alabama Chamber of Commerce 1980-85. He was President, Head Realty 1986-92. In 1989-90 he was Chief of Staff to the Governor of Alabama.

Head was a founding trustee of The Montgomery Academy (1959) and Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce Education Committee in establishing Auburn University in Montgomery (1965-67) and Chairman of AUM Land Acquisition Committee. He served on the Board of Visitors, University of Alabama College of Commerce and the Board of Governors, Alabama Association of Independent Colleges.

He was General Campaign Chairman (1976) and President (1979) of The Montgomery Area United Way. A long-term Rotarian, he served on the Executive Committee, Citizen Conference of Alabama State Courts and Chairman, Governors Criminal Justice System Emergency Action Force (1992). He was President of The Blount Foundation 1974-81.

Paul Shashy completed a congressional internship with Martha Roby in her Washington, DC office. Paul is a senior political science major at The University of Alabama .

School of the Arts where he is a part of one of NYU’s longest-running theatrical traditions, a musical parody revue entitled “Forbidden NYU”.

2011

2012

Haley Andreades studied abroad in Cape Town, South Africa where she completed a service-learning program. While doing service work at a high school and helping coordinate the creation of a start up a choir at the school, Haley also took classes toward her degree at Vanderbilt University. Her blog link: browncatandhalesdocapetown. wordpress.com.

Sophie Odom was accepted as an art major in the University of Southern California Roski School of Fine Arts program.

Taylor Turner is currently studying at New York University’s Tisch

2013 Drew Patterson was selected as a member of the track team at Samford University.

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Class Notes Stay Connected: Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Visit us at www.montgomeryacademy.org/alumni to learn about upcoming events and more.

Calling all Academy Alumni!

Have you recently begun an exciting new career, gotten married or had a child? Have you taken any exciting trips? We want to hear about it! Share your news and send us your photos for the upcoming edition of Visions. Email marie_harrington@ montgomeryacademy.org

Parents of Alumni: If your child no longer lives at your address, please notify the Alumni Office at marie_harrington@ montgomeryacademy.org or 334-273-7155 of his/her new mailing address, and let us know if you would like to continue to receive this publication.

milestones and memories

32 Visions - Winter 2014

The Advancement Office has already been very busy this school year taking trips to see our alums! In September, 20 alums from the New York City area gathered at the CraftBar and enjoyed catching up with fellow alums, Carolyn Bryan and Marie Harrington.

In October, Carolyn Bryan and Marie Harrington traveled to Mobile, where the MA alums in the area were treated to delicious appetizers while visiting with one another at OK Bicycle Shop. The Bound’ry Restaurant was the place to be in Nashville for the alumni social held in November where 15 alums gathered to visit with Dave Farace, Carolyn Bryan, Marie Harrington and Rachael Saucer. Make sure to like the MA Alumni Facebook page so you don’t miss an alumni social in your area!

Upcoming MA on the Road Events April 17, 2014 Montgomery area alumni social at Pine Bar

MOB 172 Mi.

Nathan Handmacher ‘94, Sam Blitz ’03, Kelley Pirnie Lamberth ‘90, Jonathan Cross ’00, Mary Katherine Sullivan Cross ’00, Bernie Dorrough ‘00, Hunter Gilpin Oswalt ’03, Bill Bryan ‘76, Carolyn Peddy Bryan ’75, and Bill Hines ‘78

Mary Katherine Sullivan Cross ’00 and Bernie Dorrough ‘00

Harris Oswalt, Hunter Gilpin Oswalt ’03, Bill Hines ‘78, and Bill Bryan ‘76

Sam Blitz ’03, Mary Katherine Sullivan Cross ’00, and Jonathan Cross ‘00

Nashville alumni group

Dave Farace and Elizabeth Crum Boyer ‘00

Kitty Hill ‘94, George Moody ’01, Mary Bridges ‘97, and Max Smith ‘97

Alison Prestwood ’75 and Jon Sundock ‘83

New York City alumni group

Caroline Taylor ’04, Carolyn Peddy Bryan ’75, and Isabel Hill ‘69

Rosalind O’Conner ‘12, Alex Katz ‘10, and Marie Harrington

Catherine Williams ‘94, Alison Ho Horton ‘94, and Kim Till ‘73

NAS 284 Mi.

NYC 1022 Mi.

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Alumni Weekend October 11 & 12, 2013

CELEBRATING THE CLASSES OF 1968, 1973, 1978, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998, 2003, 2008

Academy alumni from the classes of 1968, 1973, 1978, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998 and 2003 traveled far and wide to return to campus on October 11 and 12 Reunite, Reminisce, Relax and Reconnect with one another. Over 200 alumni, family, faculty and former faculty attended the Tent Party on Friday night before the Homecoming football game, where the Eagles enjoyed the victory over the Reeltown Rebels.

Saturday afternoon, more than 50 alums toured both the Hill Campus as well as the Vaughn Road campus – reminiscing about their time here at the Academy. Saturday night the Johnson Garden and courtyard was transformed into a lovely setting for the 100 alums to relax and reconnect with fellow alums while enjoying the delicious cocktail buffet.

T E N T

P A R T Y

Rebecca Segrest Hollingsworth ‘84 and Trey Hardwich

LaVondra Dyess and Roland Hester ‘78

Mark Pierce ‘85 and his wife Christi with Kate Varner ‘83

Ken Dyess, Pat Webb ‘93, Chip Cox ‘93 and his daughter

Rachel Smith with husband Bart Smith ‘03, and Worth Stuart ‘03

Stephen Price ‘83, Leslie Cobb Donnell ‘83, Noble Yelverton ‘83

Josie Mitchell McLemore ‘03 and Larry McLemore with son, Wilder, David Hughes with daughter, Victoria and his wife Kiki

Caroline Kyser Smith ‘97 and Clay Barnett

Brent Rosen, Alan Bishop ‘06, and Brooke Sullivan Bishop ‘04

34 Visions - Winter 2014

Alumni Weekend October 11 & 12, 2013

CELEBRATING THE CLASSES OF 1968, 1973, 1978, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998, 2003, 2008

C O U R T Y A R D

P A R T Y

John Davis ’88, with his wife Elizabeth, Dave Farace, and David Hughes ‘88

Allison Pierce wife of Scott Pierce ‘83 and Stuart Blount Yelverton ‘85

Kate Varner ‘83, Noble Yelverton ‘83, Ken Dyess, and Lesleigh Shewmake Batchelor ‘83

Lang Herndon husband of Lynne Biggio Herndon ’83, and Stephen Price ‘83

McCain Ashurst ‘98, Alex Carothers ‘98, Ashley Barnett Wolf ‘98, with her husband Whitney

Andy and Sarah Faulkner Loving ’88, Kiki Hughes and Cheairs Porter ‘88

Daphne and Frank Johnston ’93 and Lynn Hargrove Franks ‘93

Leslie Cobb Donnell ’83, Stephen Price ’83, Katy Dunn McCall ‘83

Nathan Pearman ‘03, Mary Patton Kyser ‘03, and Meg Wisnewski ‘03

Laura Dozier McClendon ‘03, Wade McClendon ‘03, and Sam Blitz ‘03

Daniel Hackett ‘03, Caroline Millsap wife of Henson Millsap ‘03

Scott Williams ’83, John Young with wife Elizabeth Wilder Young ‘98, Cat Hill Saunders ’83 and husband Tom Saunders.

Nathan Echols ‘03, Alex Broder Cone ‘03, Brian Cone ‘00, Jonathan Pilkerton, Frazier Montiel Pilkerton ‘03, Laura Dozier McClendon ‘03, Wade McClendon ‘03, Sam Blitz ‘03, Josie Mitchell McLemore ‘03, and Larry McLemore

John Dunn ‘03, Brent Rosen, Taylor Ramsey ‘04, and Daniel Hackett ‘03

Pete Crane ‘83, Stephanie Law Zeringue ’83, Bart Savage ’83, Wallace Wilson ’83, Kate Varner ’83, Scott Pierce ‘83

Lynne Biggio Herndon ’83, Amy George ’83 and Lynne’s husband Lang

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2014

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