Academics

Commencement for the Class of 2021 was held May 15 on Kirkland Field at Carlock Stadium.

Graduating seniors have proven their adaptability as they have navigated a changing world amidst a global pandemic. This group of students created new traditions together, innovated change that would allow them as much of a return to normal as possible, and exhibited a collaborative spirit in adhering to guidelines that allowed them to study in person, play sports, and attend school events. We have watched our Class of 2021 apply our motto, “USJ: An Education for a Lifetime,” in realtime. The determination that allowed them to attend school in person this year when so many could not is the same determination that will propel them to succeed in their lives after USJ.

Congratulations to the University School of Jackson’s Class of 2021! We are excited to see what the future holds for each of you.

USJ College Advising begins helping freshmen navigate throughout all facets of the college process until graduation. Working alongside our college advisors, USJ students and families are supported during college exploration, planning, application, and the decision-making process.

We offer a college prep workshop series that both parents and students are welcome to attend. These personalized services are considered part of tuition and are provided to USJ students free of charge.

John Dougan, Henry Piercey, James Mitchell, Lilly Mitchell, Caroline Wilkerson, Mmesoma Nwokolo, and Sadie Hanna were selected to attend the American Legion Boys and Girls State programs.

Approximately six hundred young men and women representing every county in Tennessee virtually attended the American Legion’s State program this year. Participants are assigned to mythical cities for the week and function under the basic laws of the State of Tennessee, using the existing constitution and bylaws as their guide.

Through this program, the hope is to impress on future generations the responsibilities of citizenship, develop leadership, and bring young men and women a full realization of the duties of the American citizen.

Eight students from the University School of Jackson were selected to participate in the Tennessee Governor’s Schools in Summer 2021. Programs are academically rigorous and participants must submit their application through the College Advising Office and then accepted by the Tennessee Governor’s School application committee.

The Tennessee Governor’s Schools provide eleven challenging and high-intensity programs for rising eleventh and twelfth grade students. Each school offers a unique learning environment for students interested in the arts, humanities, agriculture science, STEM programs, advanced mathematics, physics, leadership, international studies, Tennessee history, or potential teaching careers.

Sadie Hanna Humanities at University of Tennessee at Martin

Michael Saridakis Business, Innovation, and Technology at Tennessee Tech Cassidy Bruno Sciences and Engineering at University of Tennessee at Knoxville

Ijeoma Oleru Sciences and Engineering at University of Tennessee at Knoxville Elle Jerge Visual Arts at Middle Tennessee State University

Mmesoma Nwokolo Integration of Biological and Statistical Sciences at East Tennessee State University Sanchita Jinturkar Scientific Exploration of Tennessee Heritage at East Tennessee State University

Stephanie Nnaji Sciences and Engineering at University of Tennessee at Knoxville

Lisa Nnaji was named a 2021 Coca-Cola Scholars Program Regional Semifinalist in March 2021, and was recognized with an award certifcate by Ms. Bartholomew from CocaCola during the school day.

Lisa was one of 1,609 students selected out of 99,403 applicants to move on to the next phase of the selection process; that is 1.6%.

The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation exists to bring better leaders to the world through investment in exceptional high school students who are dedicated to service and action that positively affects others.

In April, Upper School members of the Science National Honor Society hosted a science bowl for the Middle School. Participating students were divided up into teams of eight and went head-to-head against one another to determined who would be crowned the “science bowl champions.”

The winning team was the Darwinners, and they took home commemorative science bowl t-shirts. Ellen Driver was the team captain and members were Harry Morris, Josie Dougan and Lidiah Mahalati.

Congratulations to Natalie Fite for placing 1st in the 4-H Western Regional Speech Contest in February 2021. The 4-H program focuses on building problemsolving and leadership skills through civic engagement, healthy living, and STEAM-based projects.

On May 25, the class of 2033 became the first group of students to experience the Kindergarten bridging ceremony outdoors by the lower school pond. Approximately 65 students from Mrs. Hailey Eldridge, Mrs. Kathy Brandt, Mrs. Jennifer Sammons, and Ms. Holly Brown’s classes participated in the ceremony attended by Dr. Louise Dunn, Head of School Don Roe, and Kindergarten parents. Students were recognized individually by their teachers and received a commemorative certificate of completion. To the delight of the audience, classes also presented a brief musical performance of “Movin’ On Up!” that has been a long-standing USJ tradition.

Additionally, first-grade classes from the class of 2032 were invited to take a picture in their Kindergarten bridging attire since they were unable to have a ceremony in the spring of 2020 due to COVID-19.

WHAT IS STEAM? Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) is an innovative educational movement that is teaching students how to be successful in a 21st century economy. Employers, educators, and parents have noticed that students thrive in problem-solving, creativity, ingenuity, critical thinking, dialogue, and innovation due to these programs.

The University School of Jackson currently participates in the STEAM initiatives below and is actively adding new opportunities for students to learn using this method.

- Integrating computers, tablets, and mobile devices in the classroom - Lower school STEAM curriculum - Bring your own device initiatives - Robotics instruction - Robotics after school club - Emphasis on process-based learning - Setting up Google email accounts for all students 2nd grade and up

STEAM activities require students to ask thoughtful questions and problem solve creatively. This process starts at design and is carried all the way through to implementation. Students learn how to step away from problem solving in a methodical step-by-step way and embrace trial and error.

Activities often require students to work in groups to solve a problem using the strengths of different members of the group and letting everyone bring something to the table.

Today’s career path is rapidly changing, and USJ is preparing students to excel in a fluid environment that requires them to think for themselves and grow in innovation. Students are pushed beyond textbook answers and are taught how to explore concepts that can’t be looked up on the Internet.

The Lower School STEAM Lab is a space for exploring, making, failing, fixing, and trying things in a different way. Students are encouraged to take on unfamiliar and challenging projects in teams as they utilize their critical thinking, communication, and collaboration skills. Projects include the following:

- Coding on Code-A-Pillars (Kindergarten),

Ozobots (1st-5th) and Dash and Dots (3rd-5th) - Computer programming - Robotics - Lego robotics - 3D Printers - 3D Pens - Engineering design & build outs - Google classroom - Scratch coding summer camps

Heidi McDaniel Lower School Technology Teacher

Heidi received a degree in elementary education from Lambuth University.

She has two children (Michael and Maggie) and one grandchild (Matthew). Matthew is currently enrolled at The University School of Jackson. Kyle Hopper Director of Technology

Kyle is from Scotts Hill, Tennessee, and received a degree in computer science from the University of Memphis.

He currently lives in Jackson, Tennessee, and is married to Tiffany. They have two children, Aria and Jace.