SPRING 2021
What a r a e ! y R E P SU
UNIVERSITY SCHOOL of JACKSON
232/240 McClellan Road Jackson, TN 38305 731.664.0812 • usjbruins.org
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
USJ’s Mission
Caroline Campbell
We instill a passion for academic, artistic, and athletic excellence, while committing to personal integrity, mutual respect, and lifelong learning.
Jennifer Craig Brian Dougan Matt Fite Anita Hamilton
Identity Statement
Darrell King
USJ is a non-denominational, non-sectarian, college preparatory school dedicated to academic excellence and to our founding principles of faith, service, and scholarship. Based on a heritage grounded in Judeo-Christian values, we provide an educational environment where students of all ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds are valued and respected. The faculty, administration, and students are empowered to nurture and embrace the Judeo-Christian values and our operating principles. Through the fulfillment of our mission and adherence to these core principles and values, we prepare our graduates to be responsible and informed world citizens.
James Kirkland Geoffrey Lindley Steve Maroney Preston Miller James Robinson Ashby Scott Trey Teague Kathryn Tucker John Whybrew
ADMINISTRATION
SPRING 2021 CONTENTS Community..................... Development.. ................ Athletics.......................... Academics.. ..................... Faculty............................. Arts.. ................................. Alumni.. ............................ 2
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Don Roe Head of School Jim Hardegree Associate Head of School Dean of Students David Suber Upper School Director Margaret Livingston Middle School Director Louise Dunn Lower School Director Laura Moore Admissions Director
COMMUNITY NEWS
USJ Math-A-Thon Raised Over $100,000 for St. Jude The St. Jude Math-A-Thon has become a tradition for USJ’s Lower School students. Every other year, our students are challenged to raise money through sponsorships while working on math problems or through a donation for St. Jude. Knowing that no family should ever have to face cancer, USJ has made a difference in the lives of many families who have a child at St. Jude. The USJ community has undoubtedly been committed over the years to meet and exceed their biennial goal of $50,000 for St. Jude. A record-breaking $66,320 was raised in 2013, making USJ the number one school in the nation for MathA-Thon fundraising. In 2015, $76,811 was raised; 2017’s event brought in $72,606 for St. Jude. Two years later, our Lower School students exceeded our biennial goal by raising $77,518 in 2019. On February 22, USJ broke all previous records for donations to St. Jude. This year, our students raised $102,536 through their Math-A-Thon! Many of our students came up with creative ways to raise money before the event. Shooting free throws, baking cookies, lemonade stands in January, and selling homemade bread were just a few of the imaginative ways the students took ownership of this massive fundraising effort. Head of School Don Roe said this to the faculty upon learning about the amount of money raised. “Today was truly a great day at USJ. While every day here is special and significant, the lessons taught to our young people about giving and service to others and the impact this gift promises to have on children in need is not only touching but congruent with our mission as a school and as citizens. I am so proud of you and am thankful for your service to our children and community. Know that your work with these students is making a difference.” Raising money for St. Jude and helping children with cancer has become a source of pride for our students. The support of our community ensures that families with children at St. Jude never have to pay a dime for doctors to save their child’s life. What a wonderful gift! And, what a great way to teach our children about serving others to the best of their abilities. We are growing thinkers, doers, and givers, and we could not be more proud of these students. Great job, Bruins family!
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LOWER SCHOOL STUDENTS COLLECTED CANS FOR RIFA In November, our Lower School students worked together to serve Jackson’s local food bank and charity Regional Inter-Faith Association (RIFA). One in five people struggles with food insecurity each day in the Jackson area. With almost 19 percent of Madison County living below the poverty line, RIFA serves to meet the food needs of our community, and we are thankful for our many generous families who participated. USJ typically holds a large canned food drive for RIFA each year. Although COVID-19 hindered this year’s efforts, our Lower School families were called to donate cans for those in need. During the two weeks before school was out for the Thanksgiving holiday, our students diligently brought in their canned goods to give to those in need. Students came up with creative ways to remind each other to bring in canned goods. One of our fifth-grade classes created a video, which can be found on our Facebook page. The video served to remind everyone to bring in their canned goods and why RIFA is so essential to the Jackson community. On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, Lower School Student Council members helped the RIFA team pack up hundreds of cans of donated food. Together, Lower School students collected 3,651 pounds of canned goods for RIFA. Great job, Bruins! We are immensely proud of your efforts and spirit of giving to this vital Jackson resource.
SPORT SHOOTING TEAM RECEIVES GRANT FUNDING The USJ Sport Shooting Team has been awarded a $10,200 grant from the National Rifle Association Foundation and Forked Deer Friends of the NRA. This grant is the largest grant ever awarded to a shooting sports team in the state of Tennessee! The Foundation’s general focus is to promote and advance firearm safety, marksmanship, shooting sports, and hunting safety. A special thank you to parent Angie Box for advocating for USJ’s Sport Shooting Team to receive this special award.
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SAVE THE DATE: HOLIDAY MART 2021! USJ’s annual Holiday Mart is in the works to be held this fall on the weekend before Thanksgiving, November 19-21, at the Carl Perkins Civic Center. For many Jacksonians, the Holiday Mart marks the beginning of the holiday season. The festive weekend always provides shoppers with the chance to discover special gifts and unique finds.
As a non-profit, USJ relies in part on funding from our annual Holiday Mart to continue to offer the best programs for our children. A special thank you to all of our volunteer parents, grandparents, students, the Parents Club, and our dedicated Holiday Mart chairs for always making this annual event a huge success.
If current plans materialize, the Holiday Mart Preview Party will be held on Thursday, November 18. This fabulous event allows those who attend to be one of the first to see the full selection of one-of-a-kind gifts before the Mart opens for the weekend. Guests will enjoy an unhurried shopping experience and an elegant dinner buffet during the threehour ticketed event.
Mark your calendar and make plans to attend the 2021 Holiday Mart. We look forward to seeing you there!
UPPER AND MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS GIVE BACK WITH ANGEL TREE PROGRAM Teaching our children about service to others is not only part of our mission; doing so lays the groundwork toward the development of a caring and thoughtful individual. The Salvation Army’s mission of “Doing the Most Good” was lived out through the hearts of our students and families in December. Our Middle and Upper School students were able to bless the lives of twenty-nine families this Christmas, and we could not be more thankful for the opportunity. This year our Upper School advisory groups each adopted an angel from the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree Program. The Middle School also adopted angels as a service project. Each group’s mission was to purchase needed items for each “angel” and at least one item from their wish list. The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree Program has been in existence since 1979 when Majors Charles and Shirley White placed the first Angel Tree in a shopping mall in Lynchburg, Virginia. The goal was to provide clothing for children in need. For the last forty years, the Angel Tree Program has grown across the country. More than three million people receive clothing, toys, or a warm meal on Christmas morning each year thanks to this program. Students from each advisory group gathered up all of the donations and met the Salvation Army staff as they picked up the gifts. Upper School Advanced Placement English Teacher Whitney Meriwether said, “We are excited to have the opportunity to work with our students to help those in need receive gifts and necessary items for Christmas. It was an excellent opportunity for these students to help the Jackson community. We are proud of their efforts and for blessing so many families this holiday season!”
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DEVELOPMENT NEWS New Tennis Complex Groundbreaking USJ is excited to announce that our Board of Trustees has approved funding for the next scheduled project on the Campus Master Plan. The current tennis courts, located behind the Middle and Upper School building and adjacent to the soccer field, will soon be relocated away from our main sports complex. The future courts will be moved to the old Lower School elementary playground site, which is south of Carlock Stadium. A groundbreaking ceremony was held after school on Monday, February 8. The project will include an expansion in the number of tennis courts from six to eight, in addition to the new location. The courts’ old site will provide for much-needed additional parking spaces in the future to reduce stress during the spring sports season. As the next stage of USJ’s Campus Master Plan is slated to begin, Board member James Kirkland said, “We feel fortunate that even through this pandemic, our programs have remained strong, including the financial support provided to USJ by our generous community. We are excited to take the next step in our Campus Master Plan. This project will also open up space for the next phase of parking improvements to our sports complex.” USJ has been incredibly blessed to remain operational this school year despite a pandemic. The dedication of our faculty, staff, administrators, and trustees has been tremendous. They are genuinely committed to the school and are willing to work together toward solutions to continue the school’s mission of growing our students. If you are interested in making an in-kind, monetary, or other donation to this project or the Tennis building’s future construction, please contact Chief Development Officer Russ Ellis at rellis@usjbruins.org. We hope you will share in our excitement for this and future projects at USJ!
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Updates to Bruins Baseball Complex Planned Another project not originally on the Campus Master Plan that has evolved entirely through donor interest and funding is improvements to the Baseball complex. On October 27, current and former baseball families and the USJ community were invited to a reception to update everyone on the planned facility and equipment upgrades.
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With a very generous lead gift from Whitney and John Overton, the current donations have reached almost $600,000, which is more than the initial goal. Plans include both new indoor and outdoor batting cages, which have already been completed. Future renovations will consist of an upgraded press box with wrap-around stadium seating from the home side, behind home plate, and around to the visitor side. 1
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Plans to celebrate the upcoming renovations and an unveiling of the new baseball stadium name were scheduled to take place at the Bruins home game on Tuesday, April 20. If you would like to learn more about the Baseball complex’s planned improvements or how you can contribute through a monetary or in-kind donation, please contact Chief Development Officer Russ Ellis at 731-300-3645 or rellis@usjbruins.org. Whatever projects interest you and your family, Russ is always willing to share what’s going on at USJ. 1
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T H E U S J AR B OR PRO JECT UPDATE USJ’s Arbor Project is moving forward! The first plantings have begun and will include more than sixty trees, shrubs, and ornamentals. The plants will be added to the island and the sloped area on the Middle School Carpool drive and in groupings of plantings and trees next to the pond near Entrance 1. Several shrubs and ornamentals will also be planted around the pine trees on the Great Lawn out front to create a site that will not need to be mowed or maintained. Thank you to the many alumni, parents, and grandparents who have contributed to the Arbor Project so far! None of this would have happened without their support. If you would like to make a monetary or in-kind donation to this or any other project that interests you, contact Chief Development Officer Russ Ellis at rellis@usjbruins.org. Arbor Project Donors through March 2021 Sylvia Bell in memory of Mark Lashlee Pam & Steve Bowers in honor of Clayton Bowers Bonnie & Bob Boyce, Celia Beth O’Neal in honor of Ty & Joshua O’Neal Molly & Danny Cole in honor of Zach Cole, Kate & Jake Payne, Caleb & Callie Garrett Nancy & David Comperry in honor of Rowan & Ben Little Betsy & Alan Dement in honor of Gage & Darcy Dement & Natalie & Cate Fite Teresa & Jim Dunn in honor of Skylar Grace Dunn Jane & Bob Ferguson in honor of Mary Blake & Neely Grace Ferguson Mr. & Mrs. Jeff Gamble in honor of Emerson West Gamble
Mr. & Mrs. Warren Grammer in honor of Taylor Grammer Mr. & Mrs. Johnny Hall in honor of Raelyn, Ansley & Maribelle Hall Carilyn & David Jordan in honor of Shelby Jordan (‘12), Harrison & Harper Jordan Carol & Ron Kirkland In honor of the Warmbrod Family Erie Kate McCord in honor of Kathryn McCord Tucker, Nancy McCord Derivaux, Tripp Tucker, Dr. Lauren Tucker Trammell, George A. Smith, Aven Kathryn Trammell, Tucker Trammel, Ford Tucker Joy Meriwether in memory of John Meriwether Randy Olswing in honor of Theresa Olswing Hunt & Houston Payne in honor of Zack Cole, Kate & Jake Payne
Jane A. Preston, Kimberly & Bill Preston in memory of Dr. William Hall Preston & in honor of Anderson & Abigail Preston Roberta & Jim Price in honor of Kate McKnight Orr, Thomas & Price McKnight, Robert Price, Jay Price & in memory of Catherine Price McKnight Kathleen & Alan Sallee in honor of Taylor Sallee Phyllis & Brad Sigler in honor of Hadley, Smith & Livie Banks Haltom Mr. & Mrs. Dan Steele in honor of Steele Haynes, Laney Pearce Haynes & Guy Londe Kathryn & Johnny Tucker in memory of Dr. Charles Ames & in honor of Marilynn, Paige, Paula, Chase, & Anna Lee Ann & Warren Wyatt in honor of Penn & Brittain Butts 7
Teamwork Makes In-Person Learning Possible It’s no secret that USJ has been incredibly blessed this school year. Our students have been able to attend school every day, our sports teams have been able to practice and compete, and our arts students have continued to rehearse, create, and perform. However, we don’t take for granted why USJ has remained open for in-person instruction this school year. USJ owes an enormous debt of gratitude to many people. Some of those include: - Our faculty and support staff, who day-in and dayout, continue to reinforce social distancing, the use of masks, and surface cleaning with our students. - Our fine arts educators and coaching staff for ensuring that students continue to follow all safety procedures during practices and events. - Our cleaning staff for keeping our facilities sanitized and sparkling clean. - Nurse Mary Ann Giampapa for quickly conducting contact tracing when informed of any new cases, advising on recommended quarantines, and overseeing all written safety procedures. - Associate Head of School Jim Hardegree for carefully planning before any student or athletic event on campus to mitigate COVID-19 exposure. - Head of School Don Roe and the leadership team for conscientiously leading the way so that the school could continue in person. These are some of the many people responsible for why our students have had the opportunity to continue to learn and stay in school this year. None of this has been easy. Yet, we’ve had success because everyone took ownership of the process and was on board with the procedures.
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Athletic Director Michael Stroup is quick to give credit to many for our success this year. “The administrative team did not waste any time coming up with procedures to help protect our players, coaches, and our community. Though COVID-19 placed more work on coaches and staff, everyone knew we had to follow the procedures to get back to playing sports. Thanks to Mary Ann Giampapa, who quickly contact traced positive cases, we have only had to quarantine one team thus far since school started in August. That is a testament to our studentathletes and coaches following the procedures put in place,” said Stroup. Head of School Don Roe shared, “The dedication of our faculty and staff, as well as our parents’ commitment to community health, have been the main reasons why we are still able to grow our students through in-person learning. The faculty and coaches are incredibly devoted to ensuring that our students receive all of the same opportunities normally afforded to them and have been thoughtfully creative throughout the year. I am extremely grateful for how they continue to engage our students positively despite the obstacles we face with COVID-19.” Our faculty and staff have persevered and led with the highest level of professionalism. They, along with the entire USJ community, are completely dedicated to our students’ growth and education. Excellent job, Bruins family! We are so thankful for each of you.
Q&A With USJ’s Nurse Mary Ann Giampapa We recently asked our Director of Student Health, Mary Ann Giampapa, about her thoughts on USJ’s success this school year. Our Student Health Department has worked tirelessly over the past year, but their efforts were not achieved alone. Many people worked together to ensure that COVID-19 would not hinder USJ’s mission of continuing to grow our students. Read on for Mary Ann’s thoughts. Why do you feel that USJ was able to offer in-person instruction this school year? There were two main reasons that we were able to achieve continuous inperson instruction. Our administrative team identified a singular objective, which was in-person learning for every student every day. After that goal was determined, going forward, every decision made was measured against this purpose. The second factor contributing to our success was quick and consistent contact tracing of positive COVID cases and close contact exposures with appropriate isolation and quarantine periods strictly enforced through USJ’s Student Health Office. What was the most challenging obstacle that you feel USJ faced while trying to maintain in-person learning? Misinformation. People are bombarded with information about COVID-19. Unfortunately, much of that information is not based on reliable research and clinical findings. Keeping people up to date with weekly information about COVID has helped, but this is still the most difficult thing for Student Health. Tell us about the professionals, alumni, and parents in the healthcare or general community that helped shape USJ’s COVID safety procedures for this school year? We were able to solicit input from key leaders within the medical community with a connection to USJ as we formulated our procedures. Additionally, the overwhelming support of our parents and friends of the school helped to make what was seemingly impossible possible.
How has USJ continued to offer athletics, plays, and musicals for our students to participate in and continue to grow? We used researched-based information to establish safety procedures for our athletics and performing arts programs. Every team, camp, and event is monitored to promote safety. Immediate isolation of students with exposures and positive cases has also helped keep our case numbers low and allow our teams to compete. The implementation of masks and face shields, limiting cast size and contact during the performances, distance protocols for both students and spectators, and the consistent hard work of our fine arts faculty and volunteers are why they were successful in continuing in-person performances. I am so thankful that we have been able to provide these performances in live settings! How did the procedures put in place in the summer of 2020 at Camp Bruins help prepare us for the coming year? I feel that these procedures gave us a “trial run.” Not only were we able to operate a safe and effective summer program, but we also used the experience to formulate a safe and practical plan to begin the school year. I want to mention a special thank you to Camp Bruins Director Faith Dixon for her meticulous attention to detail and hard work during this process. Our summer athletics experiences were also an integral part of establishing our procedures for the entire student body.
What support have you received this year to help you do your job? My most considerable support has been the dedication of our staff. Their commitment to in-class instruction has eliminated many struggles that I see in other school environments. Their willingness to be in the classroom despite some level of personal risk has been inspiring to me. Every department made significant contributions to the process. It has truly been a team effort! No system succeeds unless the people at the point of entry buy-in and work consistently to change behaviors. Our faculty and staff implement any procedural changes necessary and monitor student attendance, behavior, and compliance. The second factor was the support of Administration. Student Health has been included in the planning and implementation of everything related to COVID-19. Mr. Roe, Coach Hardegree, and the division directors have consistently led USJ to manage each situation individually, allowing Student Health to make the best decision for that particular instance. Doing so helped us to avoid unnecessary system-wide changes while still addressing unique issues for each case. Finally, our USJ families have been the best. No matter what we have asked of them, they have worked to help us provide a safe environment for USJ activities. This support included keeping their children home when they didn’t feel well and spending time in isolation and quarantine when necessary to decrease the virus’s spread at school. It truly takes a village, and everyone played a significant role in our success! 9
ATHLETIC NEWS BEN PLEDGER PUNCHES TICKET TO KOHL’S NATIONAL UNDERCLASSMEN CHALLENGE CAMP
JULIE WAGNER ACHIEVED 1,000 CAREER POINTS Congratulations to senior Julie Wagner for earning the milestone of 1,000 career points as a Lady Bruin on Friday, February 5, at the game against Sacred Heart! We are so proud of you, Julie!
2020 ALL-STATE SELECTIONS Congratulations to the following student-athletes who were recently selected to 2020 All-State teams! GIRLS GOLF: Claire Henson GIRLS SOCCER: Morgan English, Betha Pucek, Stella Spencer, Lilly Kate Varino FOOTBALL: Steele Haynes, Josh Jones, Ben Pledger, Tyke Tabor, Blaine Verdung VOLLEYBALL: Reagan Carney
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Junior kicker and punter Ben Pledger was recently selected to attend the Kohl’s National Underclassmen Challenge Camp, which was held the second weekend in January in Miami, Florida. The invitationonly camp was extended to Ben due to his performance at one of five Showcase Series events last summer. Kohl’s is the only organization ESPN trusts to rank kickers, punters, and snappers because they see the largest amount of high school kickers, punters, and snappers at their 150 events across the US. The Kohl’s coaches shared this about Ben’s performance. “Pledger had a strong showing at the 2021 Kohl’s UC Challenge. He charted well in all three areas of camp. In July, Ben excelled in his kickoffs and charted a big ball of 73 yards with 3.78 seconds of hang time. He showed confidence in his catch/ mold and his drop on punting and created a consistent swing on his field-goal attempts. While attending the Showcase Series in June, Pledger showed that his “A” ball is up there with some of the best in the country. He has climbed in the rankings with the continued growth of his technique.”
(Photography by Wavy Media)
Congratulations, Ben, on your selection to the Kohl’s National Underclassmen Challenge! We are very proud of everything you have worked so hard to accomplish and look forward to watching you play over the next year.
LADY BRUINS GOLF AT STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS Congratulations to our Lady Bruins Golf Team, who competed in the 2020 Division II-A Girls’ State Championships this fall! The tournament was held on October 12 and 13 at WillowBrook Golf Club in Manchester, Tennessee. Team participants included sophomore Charley Cloud, freshman Claire Henson, and sophomore Allie Ing. USJ finished fifth overall, and freshman Claire Henson finished third in the state. Also in attendance was freshman Josie Porter who served as first alternate. Congratulations to our Lady Bruins and Coach Brian Henson on an incredible season!
BRUINS END SEASON AS STATE RUNNER-UP On Thursday, December 3, the Bruins headed to Cookeville for the second year in a row to compete in the football state championship game against defending champion Davidson Academy. Classes were canceled for the day so that faculty, staff, students, and families could attend the Blue Cross Bowl at Tennessee Tech University’s Tucker Stadium. As with everything in 2020, tickets were limited so that social distancing guidelines could be observed. A send-off, including excited parents, students, and friends, was held for the team on Wednesday night as they left the school for Cookeville. Finishing the season with a trip to Tucker Stadium is always a special event. This outstanding team was led by seniors Logan Antwine, Andrew Coy, Myles Mayo, Andrew Smith, Tyke Tabor, and Blaine Verdung. During Thursday’s game, the Bruins were up at halftime, but Davidson Academy pulled away in the second half. Sportswriter Michael Odom shared stats from the game. “Steele Haynes and Myles Mayo had rushing touchdowns, while Andrew Smith connected with Tyke Tabor for a
touchdown pass for the first three touchdowns. Tabor had three touchdown catches from Smith with a total of 140 receiving yards. Smith finished with 226 passing yards. The Bruins held Davidson Academy to 62 rushing yards in the first half, but the Bears’ 197 yards rushing yards in the second half proved to be the difference.” The final score was 53-35. That evening, the Tennessean named its Top Performers for the Division II-A state championship game, as mentioned below. USJ players included junior Steele Haynes, who had 148 all-purpose yards — 65 rushing, 56 receiving, and 27 on kickoff returns. He also had 13 total tackles with four for loss. Junior Josh Jones had 12 total tackles, including 8.5 for loss and three sacks. Senior Andrew Smith was 16-of-30 passing for 226 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. Senior Tyke Tabor had six catches for 140 yards and three touchdowns. It was an outstanding fall for our Bruins, with an impressive 10-3 record. They had an incredible football season in a year of uncertainty. What a joy it was to watch our Bruins play!
GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY COMPETED AT STATE On the morning of November 6, the Lady Bruins traveled to Hendersonville, Tennessee to compete in the State Championships. Senior Sara Beth Brauss, sophomores Caroline Conder and Betha Pucek, and freshmen Adan Jett, Bradi Jett, Mary Payton Redden, and Corrine Sullivan showed much determination this season. Although the team placed sixth, we are incredibly proud of these young women for qualifying and competing in the state championships. We look forward to watching them next season!
FUTURE GOLDEN SUN JULIE WAGNER SIGNS WITH ARKANSAS TECH Senior Julie Wagner signed to play basketball with Arkansas Tech University on Friday, November 20. The ceremony was held at the new outdoor dining facility located just outside the cafeteria during Upper School’s break time. Students, family, and friends attended while Coach Tony Shutes shared his thoughts about Julie and her time as a Lady Bruin. We look forward to seeing her continue her basketball career at Arkansas Tech. Although she will be playing for the Golden Suns next year, Julie is most certainly a Bruin for life!
OLIVIA JONES RECOGNIZED FOR 1,000 CAREER POINTS On November 17, Lady Bruin senior Olivia Jones was recognized for achieving 1,000 career points. She actually hit the mark in February of 2020 as a junior, but this was the first opportunity that Coach Shutes had to recognize her achievement on the court. Way to go, OJ! We are so proud of you!
OLIVIA JONES SIGNS WITH UNIVERSITY OF NORTH ALABAMA On Friday, November 13, family and friends gathered in the outdoor dining facility to celebrate Olivia Jones, who signed to continue her basketball career with the University of North Alabama Lions! Olivia, also known as OJ, has been an enormous asset to our Lady Bruins athletic program, and we were thrilled to see her continue to play during her senior year! Head Girls Basketball Coach Tony Shutes and Head Soccer Coach Paul Conway were both on hand for the signing to talk about how Olivia handled herself on the field and the court. We could not be more proud of you, Olivia. We also cannot wait to see what the future hold for you! 12
MORGAN ENGLISH NAMED GIRLS SOCCER PLAYER OF THE YEAR Over the Christmas Break, sophomore Morgan English was named The Jackson Sun’s All-West Tennessee Girls Soccer Player of the Year! Morgan was chosen because she helped lead the Lady Bruins to their first Division II-A runner-up finish since 2013, with 46 goals and 10 assists in 2020, for 134 total goals in her high school career. Head Soccer Coach Paul Conway said, “Morgan puts in the work when nobody is watching. This recognition is a testament to her drive to be the best. USJ is fortunate to have a student-athlete like Morgan, always striving for excellence, on and off the field.” Morgan says she looks forward to her junior year and plans to work hard to help bring home another state championship title for USJ. If anyone can do it, we know you can, Morgan. Congratulations on a great season. We cannot wait to see what you and the Lady Bruins achieve next year!
REAGAN CARNEY NAMED VOLLEYBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR In December, senior middle hitter Reagan Carney was named The Jackson Sun’s All-West Tennessee Volleyball Player of the Year. Reagan was selected for this honor because she was instrumental in getting the Lady Bruins back to the state quarterfinals this fall. USJ finished third in the Division II-A West Region and beat Knoxville Grace to reach the final eight. Head Volleyball Coach Martha Sheffield said, “Reagan has been a joy to coach, and I have loved being able to see her develop the past two years. She was gifted with a lot of talent, but with that, she continued to work so hard, never taking a practice or game for granted and never settling for where she was. Reagan was the perfect teammate, always lifting others up, and had the selfless attitude that coaches strive to teach their players. She will be greatly missed, not only for her athletic ability but for her integrity. Reagan is a perfect example of a true Lady Bruin in every aspect.” Congratulations, Reagan! We cannot wait to see what is next for you.
LADY BRUINS SOCCER FINISHED YEAR AS STATE RUNNER-UP At the start of the school year, whether the Lady Bruins would play a full soccer season was uncertain. Everyone hoped that COVID-19 would not disrupt their schedule. Despite the odds, the girls had a great season, ending the year as state runner-up! This exceptional team was led by seniors Sarah Beth Brauss, Colby Cloud, Rachel Hellums, Olivia Jones, and Emma Richards, and helped bring the Lady Bruins back to Murfreesboro for the second straight year. On Friday, October 30, the Lady Bruins beat Silverdale Baptist in the quarterfinals in Murfreesboro 9-1. On October 31, they beat Nashville’s undefeated Christ Presbyterian Academy in the semifinals 1-0 and matched up with the defending champions Battle Ground Academy for the state championship on November 1. The very-close match-up against BGA ended 1-0. Our Lady Bruins finished their season as state runner-up with an overall record of 17-4. We are so proud of our Lady Bruins, these seniors, and Coach Paul Conway for their hard work and determination. Go, Lady Bruins!
TYKE TABOR COMMITS TO WESTERN KENTUCKY On Friday, February 5, Tyke Tabor committed to continuing his football career at Western Kentucky University. After school in the Blankenship Theater, family and friends gathered to wish Tyke the best as he made his decision public. We look forward to hearing more from you, Tyke. Go Hilltoppers!
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USJ’S COLLEGE ADVISING OFFICE OFFERS MANY OPTIONS TO MEET OUR STUDENTS’ NEEDS In November, Director of College Advising Carol Ryan and Associate Director of College Advising Shannon Whisenant met with sophomore and freshman parents over Zoom to discuss college planning. The session was called “College Advising from the Comfort of Your Couch.” Topics for the Zoom session included how to set up your advising appointment, how to utilize resources offered through College Advising, as well as semester grades and exams. They also discussed establishing a timeline for ACT testing, including using PSAT and PreACT test scores to direct future testing. Always thinking ahead, Mrs. Ryan made a video for parents on how to set up their Zoom account. Many of us who are technologically challenged were very thankful!
Carol Ryan
The College Advising Office does an incredible job each year of educating parents and students on the college admissions process. Those with questions can contact the College Advising Office anytime. Assistant Lori Howell is always willing to help by sending transcripts, answering general questions, and referring parents or students to either Carol or Shannon. Together, their office does a fantastic job each year of helping our graduates get into the college of their choice. Carol, Lori, and Shannon strive to educate each student and family and offer many tips and assistance throughout the school year. Some great examples include: 1. File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on October 1 or soon after because Shannon Whisenant doing so could result in higher scholarship awards. 2. Working individually with each student on admissions and scholarship essays that reveal what the student will bring to the college campus. 3. Mock interview practice based on questions USJ alumni have been asked at college admissions interviews. 4. Educating the freshmen on their high school transcript and explaining how a GPA is calculated. 5. Promoting outside opportunities for growth and learning, like Leadership Jackson, the Lott Leadership Academy, and dual enrollment coursework. Shannon Whisenant offers an individual advising meeting each year to freshman and sophomore students. Mrs. Ryan provides a similar yet more targeted session for juniors and seniors to help each student proceed toward the goal of attending the college of their choice. Both offer down-to-earth advice and approaches to get the most out of the college admissions process, including providing educational workshops with guest speakers on topics ranging from the differences between the ACT and SAT to informational seminars with our Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation liaison. In addition to meeting individually with the juniors and seniors, Mrs. Ryan also meets with her students in groups during English class to discuss what they should be focused on next and what changes are currently happening with the college admissions process. Her office also seeks out opportunities to help our students prepare for the ACT. In April, the junior class will attend a free ACT Prep workshop off campus to help them become more comfortable taking the ACT. We are incredibly thankful to have such dedicated staff that devote so much time to our students’ futures. Has your child scheduled their advising appointment for this year? If not, now is the time! Carol Ryan can be reached at cryan@usjbruins.org and Shannon Whisenant at swhisenant@usjbruins.org.
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JUNIOR ROTARIANS SELECTED Congratulations to the following seniors who were chosen by the faculty to represent USJ as Junior Rotarians for the 2020-2021 school year! Amar Boparai, Reagan Carney, Lisa Nnaji, Andrew Smith, Savannah Tabor, and Julie Wagner. The Junior Rotarian program provides for one representative from each school to attend a local Rotary Club meeting weekly for a designated month. Each Junior Rotarian is under consideration for the annual Rotary Scholarship, and typically one student from each school is selected as a scholarship recipient. We are tremendously proud of these young Rotarians and look forward to who they will become in the future.
THREE USJ SENIORS RECOGNIZED BY THE NATIONAL MERIT CORPORATION AND THE COLLEGE BOARD USJ senior Amar Boparai was recognized in February as a Finalist in the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program. Approximately 16,000 students in the nation received Semifinalist recognition on September 8, out of over 1.5 million entrants. The Semifinalist pool represents less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors. Approximately 90 percent of the 2021 Semifinalists achieved Finalist standing. The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships that began in 1955. Students enter the National Merit Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which serves as an initial screen.
Amar Boparai
In addition to our Finalist, another USJ senior earned special recognition from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Mohid Tanveer was recognized as a Commended Student in the National Merit Scholarship Program for his outstanding academic promise. Senior Lisa Nnaji also earned academic honors through the College Board’s National African American Recognition Program. This recognition means that she scored in the top 2.5 percent among African American PSAT/NMSQT test-takers in the ten-state South region. Amar Boparai is the son of Ranjodh and Sukhjit Boparai and has attended USJ for 13 years. He is a member of numerous honor societies and is the president of the Mu Alpha Theta National Mathematics Honor Society. He is also a four-year member of the varsity soccer team. An AP Scholar with Distinction, Amar was the recipient of numerous academic awards, including the Yale Book Award and the Bausch and Lomb Honorary Science Award. He was a Boys State Delegate, a Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership Delegate, a Junior Rotarian, served as a Junior Marshal, and attended Tennessee Governor’s School for the Sciences and Engineering in Knoxville.
Lisa Nnaji
Mohid Tanveer
Lisa Nnaji, an AP Scholar with Distinction, is the daughter of Drs. Felix and Chizoba Nnaji. Lisa currently serves as president of the National English Honor Society, Treasurer of Science National Honor Society, and Secretary of Spanish National Honor Society. Lisa was the recipient of scores of academic awards, including the Harvard Book Award. She attended Tennessee Governor’s School for the Scientific Exploration of Tennessee Heritage and the Summer Institute of the Gifted at Princeton University. Lisa was a Leadership University graduate, a member of the Madison County Teen Court, served in the school’s orchestra, and was a six-year member of the Tennis team. Mohid Tanveer, an Eagle Scout, is the son of Tanveer and Maliha Aslam. Mohid currently serves as president of the Science National Honor Society and vice president of Mu Alpha Theta. He received numerous academic awards in high school, including the Xerox Award for Innovation and Information Technology. An AP Scholar with Distinction, Mohid attended Tennessee Governor’s School for the Sciences and Engineering in Knoxville and plans to major in Computer Science in college. He also served as a Junior Marshal and was a four-year member of the varsity soccer team. 15
CHESTER EVANS AWARDED AVIATION SCHOLARSHIP In December, USJ freshman Chester Evans was awarded a $10,000 Ray Aviation scholarship from Kentucky Lake’s chapter of the Experimental Aviation Association. The Ray Foundation awards over a million dollars each year in scholarships to help youths earn their pilot’s certificate. Chester’s goal is to become a pilot, and this scholarship will help him accomplish this milestone. Chester developed his love of flying through a remote control aircraft flown often with his brother. He will soon begin his formal training to someday become an airline pilot by attending glider school. Chester can officially earn a singleengine land license when he turns seventeen after obtaining the required flight hours, training, and exams. His father, Paul, is also a private pilot. Chester and his dad are currently building a Zenith 750 Super Duty at the Carroll County Airport. Chester is from Round Rock, Tennessee, and is the youngest son of Drs. Paul and Pam Evans. His older brothers Aaron Evans (’16) and Patrick Evans (’19) also attended USJ. Pictured with Chester are Scholarship Coordinator Carl Blevins and his parents. Congratulations, Chester, on receiving this scholarship! USJ is very proud of your hard work and determination to reach your goal of becoming a pilot. We cannot wait to hear more about your journey.
HOMECOMING 2020 Although COVID-19 made everything at school different this fall, some things needed to be the same, like celebrating Homecoming week! This year’s theme was “Bruins Got Game” and was held September 14 through 18 leading up to the game against Jackson Christian. Each day that week brought dress-up days such as Celebrity Day for Clue and USJ Spirit Day for Scrabble. Friday was class theme day, including Battleship for the seniors, Candy Land for the juniors, Life for the sophomores, and Monopoly for the freshmen. The parade was held outdoors as usual, with everyone distanced along the parade route. The Lower School students made signs and banners to cheer on the Upper School students as they paraded by with their class floats and vehicles. The parade ended at Carlock Stadium, where the pep rally was held, which was a first! Parents were allowed to distance in lawn chairs behind the goalposts and view the pep rally. The students were spread out and grouped in the stands during the event. Homecoming representatives from each class were introduced at the pep rally and the half-time show. Senior representatives included Logan Antwine, Jenna Box, Sarah Beth Brauss (Queen), Andrew Coy, Joseph McGrath (King), Meg Miller, Walker Moore, Channing Sellers, Andrew Smith, and Julie Wagner. Junior representatives were Steele Haynes, Lilly Mitchell, Jack New, and Mallorie Sikes. Sophomore representatives were Parker Barnes, Suzanna Pickens, Betha Pucek, and Abe Stonecipher. Freshman representatives were Jayce Barksdale, Brilee Davis, Mary Payton Redden, and John-Gregory Wilson. Senior class banner carriers for the parade and half-time show included Savannah Spencer for the National Art Honor Society, Kizer Robertson for History Honor Society, Emily Hailey for International Thespian Honor Society, Amar Boparai and Mohid Tanveer for Mu Alpha Theta, Lisa Nnaji and Sydney Fesmire for National English Honor Society, Sydney Sellers and Reagan Carney for National Honor Society, Sarah Hanna for Science National Honor Society, Maddie Jones for Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica, Esosa Odeh for Société Honoraire de Français, Ethan Persons for the Student Government Association, and Ella Shelton and Holland van Buuren for Class of 2021. Although things were a little different, the Student Government Association, the faculty, and administration worked together to ensure that all of the traditional events could still be held. 16
NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY INDUCTION CEREMONY
MU ALPHA THETA INDUCTS NEW MEMBERS
On March 3, USJ’s chapter of the National Honor Society (NHS) inducted its newest members during a ceremony in the Blankenship Theater. The NHS is the nation’s premier organization established to recognize outstanding high school students. More than just an honor roll, NHS serves to honor those students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, leadership, service, and character. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors who have achieved a 93 academic average after fall semester are eligible to apply for membership. Congratulations to these scholars!
Just before Thanksgiving, the Upper School inducted new members into the Mu Alpha Theta Mathematics Honor Society. The goal of Mu Alpha Theta is to inspire interest in mathematics, develop strong scholarship in the subject, and promote the enjoyment of mathematics in high school students. To be considered for membership in Mu Alpha Theta, students must be juniors or seniors enrolled in Honors Algebra II, Honors Pre-Calculus, or AP Calculus with an overall grade point average of at least a 3.0 in past courses.
Seniors include Clayton Bowers, Armond Etghayi, Rachel Hellums, and Virginia Williams. Juniors are Farrah Brown, Solomon Scott, and Adam Tankersley. Sophomores include Ella Akin, Zainab Baba, Madelyn Badgett, Cassidy Bruno, Mimi Campbell, Charley Cloud, Caroline Conder, Mark Cox, Morgan English, Autumn Hanna, Carley Hays, Allie Ing, Ashlynn Isbell, Sanchita Jinturkar, Gracie Lin, Zack Mahalati, Addy Measley, Madeline Miller, Emma Moody, Molly Nichols, Ijeoma Oleru, Ty O’Neal, Efosa Osayamen, Jaci Oxford, Kaelan Patel, Khushi Patel, Berkeley Pettigrew, Anderson Preston, Will Ragon, Brayden Roberts, Julianna Schultz, Joshua Sievers, Abe Stonecipher, Owen Stonecipher, Reed Sullivan, Taylor Tremblay, Lilly Kate Varino, Andi Cate Via, and Ella West.
The following students were inducted on November 24. Seniors include Reagan Carney, Landon Hooper, Ikenna Oleru, and Andrew Smith. Juniors include Farrah Brown, John Dougan, Blair Driver, Sadie Hanna, Mae Howell, James Mitchell, Lilly Mitchell, Stephanie Nnaji, Mmesoma Nwokolo, Sawyer Phipps, Michael Saridakis, and Caroline Wilkerson. Congratulations to these scholars!
NATIONAL ENGLISH HONOR SOCIETY INDUCTION STUDENTS INDUCTED INTO SCIENCE NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY On December 9, USJ inducted eight new members into the Science National Honor Society (SNHS). Congratulations to John Dougan, Blair Driver, Sadie Hanna, Meg Miller, James Mitchell, Stephanie Nnaji, Mmesoma Nwokolo, and Caroline Wilkerson! Membership in SNHS is limited to juniors and seniors who have maintained a 3.5 average overall in the sciences. Members must also have taken at least one Advanced Placement (AP) science class and have been enrolled in either Honors or AP levels of Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. The SNHS promotes scientific and intellectual thought and advances students’ knowledge of classical and modern science. The honor society also helps prepare USJ’s Science Bowl Team and conduct the Middle School Science Bowl each year.
On February 24, The National English Honor Society (NEHS) inducted thirty-one new members during a ceremony in the Blankenship Theater. USJ’s chapter of NEHS is open to Upper School students who have demonstrated exceptional ability in such areas as literary analysis, media studies, composition, linguistic study, and creative writing. To achieve and maintain active membership, NEHS inductees are required to achieve a 92.5 overall, complete the fall semester in Honors English II, and remain in AP Language and Composition and AP Literature and Composition during their junior and senior years. Congratulations to the following students on their invitation and induction into NEHS! Zainab Baba, Madelyn Badgett, Farrah Brown, Cassidy Bruno, Mimi Campbell, Hudson Cherry, Charley Cloud, Caroline Conder, Autumn Hanna, Ashlynn Isbell, Allie Ing, Jade Jones, Sanchita Jinturkar, Madeline Miller, Emma Moody, Ijeoma Oleru, Kaelan Patel, Khushi Patel, Berkeley Pettigrew, Anderson Preston, Will Ragon, Brayden Roberts, Julianna Schultz, Joshua Sievers, Abe Stonecipher, Owen Stonecipher, Reed Sullivan, Taylor Tremblay, Lilly Kate Varino, Andie Cate Via, and Ella West. 17
FIFTH ANNUAL MIDDLE SCHOOL FRESH GREENERY FUNDRAISER Last fall, USJ’s Middle School held their Fifth Annual Lynch Creek Farms Fundraiser. Lynch Creek Farms offers a wide variety of fresh decor, including fragrant evergreen Christmas wreaths, stunning Thanksgiving or Holiday centerpieces, festive garland, and much more. Your student does not have to be in Middle School to participate. Parents, grandparents, and friends looking for fresh garlands, wreaths, centerpieces, and tabletop trees for gifts or themselves can order those through this fundraiser to help the Middle School raise money for various student events. Middle School Student Council Faculty Advisor Mary Claire Hancock shared, “This fundraiser helps the Middle School fund events for our students, including field day and the delivery of a Valentine for each student. Any funds raised are put back into our students to add extras to the events sponsored by the Student Council each year.” If you use the link provided by the Middle School office instead of shopping directly on Lynch Creek’s site, the Middle School receives fifteen percent of all sales. This year’s fundraiser netted $775.68 for our students. If you’d like to support the Middle School next year when you are decking the halls or sending gifts to those far away, let Middle School Assistant Hayley Wilkerson know now that you’d like to be added to next year’s email list. Email Hayley at hwilkerson@usjbruins.org.
MIDDLE SCHOOL SPELLING BEE The Middle School’s annual Spelling Bee was held on February 24, after lunch in the Blankenship Theater. The students who qualified in their individual classrooms gathered on stage to compete at the school level. The winner will represent USJ at the West Tennessee Regional Spelling Bee, held annually at Union University. Seventh-grader Madison Davis won first place, eighth-grader Mary Caryl Gwatney earned second place, and seventhgrader Hunter Springer took third place. We want to give a special thank you to all of our Spelling Bee contestants and our English teachers Ruth Ann Morrison, Kathy Davis, and Emily Richards, for organizing this annual event.
STUDENTS PERFORMED THE NUTCRACKER During the Christmas holiday season, Ballet Arts presented its 39th annual production of The Nutcracker. Not only is attending or participating in this event a tradition in Jackson and West Tennessee, but this Ballet Arts classic is also the longest-running production of The Nutcracker in Tennessee. This time-honored event was held December 11-13, 2020, at the Carl Perkins Civic Center in downtown Jackson. Although this year’s show had limited tickets available and featured a live stream option due to the pandemic, the historic show continued. The following USJ students performed and continued this long-held tradition: Caroline Alea, 7th grade; Olivia Botter, 7th grade; Matilda Campbell, 6th grade; Mimi Campbell, 10th grade; and Emi Hammond, 6th grade. Congratulations, Bruins, on your performance! We cannot wait to see you again next year.
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PREPARING FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL
NEW ADVISORY PROGRAM This school year, the Middle and Upper School divisions have reorganized our previous advisory programs and implemented two new curriculums to target age-specific social-emotional skills. The Middle School has implemented the Second Step® Middle School program, which is geared for students in grades six through eight and is a continuation of the Lower School program. The Upper School selected the School-Connect curriculum, which focuses on the unique aspects of adolescent development. A team of USJ educators came together during the previous school year to review many programs on the market. The selected programs offered curriculums that best represented our student population and provided continuity of learning from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Middle and Upper School Guidance Counselor Debbie Anton shared, “While excelling in academic classes is important, students also need skills to take on learning challenges, make good decisions, handle strong emotions, cultivate positive relationships, and prepare for life beyond graduation.” The Middle School years are times of rapid change. The Second Step® curriculum is a research-based learning program designed to improve students’ social-emotional skills, including emotional management, impulse control, problem-solving, and empathy. This program offers our faculty leaders weekly lesson plans with relatable scenarios to discuss with our students and interactive activities to keep students engaged. Four units are organized around mindsets and goals, recognizing bullying and harassment, managing relationships and social conflict, and thoughts, emotions, and decisions.
The first week in February, our fifthgrade classes took turns visiting the Middle School for a day. Students visited with sixth-grade teachers, heard about opportunities in athletics and the arts, and visited the library, cafeteria, and gyms. When the fifth grade visits each year, the students are typically in awe of the different learning environment, enjoy seeing the classrooms and, of course, the cafeteria! Parents were also invited to a special rising sixth-grade parents’ question and answer Zoom session on February 25 and had the opportunity to submit questions ahead of time. Middle School Director Margaret Livingston and Middle School Dean of Students Bryce King shared those answers and discussed academics, scheduling, and expectations. After the fifth-grade visits, Middle School Director Margaret Livingston shared, “What a joy it was to host our fifth-grade students during the Middle School visits last week! Each group was engaged and inquisitive, and they are looking forward to all that Middle School has to offer.” We are very excited to have another group of wonderful students join the Middle School next year.
For our Upper School students, the School-Connect curriculum was chosen because it focuses only on high school students and their issues at each successive grade level. Topics include the transition from middle to high school, conflict resolution, developing healthy relationships, and preparing for college and the workforce. The program includes weekly structured interactive multimedia lessons and is presented in a format that sparks meaningful conversations and connections with their faculty leaders. Anton explained further, “Our Middle School students have completed the first two units, and I have encouraged our parents to further cement the concepts by talking to their children about what they have learned. We hope that these new programs will help to build self-confidence and give our students the social-emotional tools they need for college and beyond.” We are so fortunate that our children have been able to continue to attend school and experience these new programs despite the 20202021 school year’s challenges. We are also particularly thankful for our faculty and staff’s steadfast support and their willingness to continue to improve how we teach and grow our students.
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FACULTY NEWS
Vaccination Efforts for Faculty and Staff The Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department recently offered USJ’s faculty and staff the opportunity to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. Eighty-three percent of our staff participated in the first round of this mass immunization campaign for teachers and childcare workers in Tennessee. In a coordinated effort led by our Director of Student Health, Mary Ann Giampapa, small groups loaded onto large buses on January 20 at various times during the day and were transported to the Health Department to become vaccinated. The first dose offers 50 percent protection from contracting the coronavirus caused by SARS-CoV-2. Each of our faculty and staff who participated that day received their second round three weeks later on February 10, giving them up to 95 percent protection against catching the virus. Hopefully, those who participated will offer another layer of protection for our students and each other as we continue to grow through this pandemic. For the remainder of the school year and in the foreseeable future, all safety procedures, including the wearing of masks, frequent and thorough handwashing, sanitizing classrooms and common areas, and practicing social distancing will remain in effect. It is important to note that choosing to take the vaccine was strictly voluntary. Some were unable to attend the first round but received the opportunity to become vaccinated in early February. By March, 88 percent of our staff received both doses of the vaccine. We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to participate in this monumental inoculation effort, along with other public and private school educators and staff from area schools and daycares. Many thanks to the staff and leadership at the Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department for their tireless efforts on behalf of our county’s residents. We are also thankful to our Director of Student Health, Mary Ann Giampapa, for making this event a reality. Finally, we are grateful to our faculty and staff, who always work together toward what is best for our students and the Bruin family!
Randy Olswing Named Chief Financial Officer In November, USJ announced the appointment of Randy Olswing to the senior leadership position of Chief Financial Officer. For the past twenty years, Mr. Olswing served as Assistant Head for Operations/ Chief Financial Officer at Hutchison School, a private independent school located in Memphis, Tennessee. Before his tenure at Hutchison, Randy served as Bursar for the University of Memphis for fifteen years and served in various financial leadership roles for the University of Tennessee. Head of School Don Roe shared this about Olswing. “I am excited that Randy has joined our senior leadership team. We are extremely fortunate to hire a Chief Financial Officer with two decades of strong independent school financial experience. Randy was instrumental in Hutchison’s sound financial position over the years, and USJ is blessed to have the opportunity to hire someone with his level of professionalism, experience, and integrity. I look forward to relying on his leadership and expertise within the independent school community.” Mr. Olswing is a University of Memphis alumnus. He and his wife, Theresa, have a son, two daughters, and five grandchildren that live in Memphis and Nashville. The Olswings moved to Jackson to be conveniently located between families.
PAUL CONWAY NAMED COACH OF THE YEAR! In December, Head Soccer Coach Paul Conway was named The Jackson Sun’s All-West Tennessee Girls Soccer Coach of the Year for 2020! Messages of congratulations and admiration for Conway poured in over social media during Christmas break. In 2020, USJ went 17-4, finishing runner-up in the West region. Coach Paul led the Lady Bruins to the Division II-A state championship game for the first time since 2013. We are so proud of you and look forward to seeing you and the Lady Bruins on the field next fall! 20
Jane Ramer’s White Coat Gallery For the last thirty-five years, Jane Ramer has been teaching at USJ. Always up for a challenge, Mrs. Ramer is a positive example of an inspirational teacher who knows the importance of her life’s work – introducing our students to the world of science. She also strives to guide them, along with our faculty, toward becoming competent and thriving adults. Like many of our faculty members, Mrs. Ramer takes pride in her students’ accomplishments. She also loves to hear from them and to have them visit the school. Many of our alumni are in healthcare and can trace back the beginnings of their love of science to Mrs. Ramer. Last school year, she added something inspirational on her classroom wall for her current students. It is a gallery of many of her former students who went on to work in the medical field. Mrs. Ramer shared, “I started the gallery when we were thinking about our open house last year. I thought about the athletic pictures, the fine arts pictures, and thought, why don’t we have our science people recognized?” Jane began reaching out to find pictures of those who had entered the healthcare fields, and the gallery grew from there. She and Alumni Relations Director Cathy Garrett contacted those they could find
on Facebook or through email. Soon, the photos poured in, and the gallery took shape. Ramer said, “I thought it would be inspirational for my current students, and it would make me happy seeing them each day!” She also mentioned that USJ graduate McKenna Smith (’20) told her upon seeing the gallery, “Now, Mrs. Ramer, you have to stay at USJ until you can add my picture to the wall!” Mrs. Ramer also shared that every now and then, she walks into her classroom and finds her students looking at the gallery. They often ask questions about who they are and what they do for a living. Some of her current students even have parents on the wall. For example, freshman Ryan Hutchison’s dad, Jason Hutchison (’90), is on the gallery wall. When asked about her former students, Mrs. Ramer said, “There are quite a few more that I haven’t been able to get in touch with, and, of course, there are always more to add as graduations occur. For example, I recently added Ali Graham (’14). One student I remember in particular that I had in ninth grade when the schools consolidated in 1987 was Nicky Debnath (‘92). He went on
to Harvard for undergrad, attended UT Medical School, and then was on the faculty of Washington University Medical School. He presently practices otolaryngology in Orlando, Florida.” Since 1986, Jane Ramer has taught almost every student who graduated from USJ. She is also often mentioned by alumni as one of their favorite teachers from high school. Did you have Mrs. Ramer during your time at USJ? If you are in healthcare, she would like to add your photo to her gallery wall. Please reach out to her at jramer@usjbruins.org. She would love to hear from you!
Celebrating Our Faculty This year, instead of holding a luncheon, the faculty and staff kicked off their Christmas break on the last workday of the year with a short celebration in Blankenship Theater. Although some of our faculty have been at USJ for as long as thirty-eight years, Mr. Roe recognized those who had reached years of service milestones during the event. Afterward, faculty and staff were treated to a boxed lunch and a gift from the Board of Trustees. Congratulations to those who have reached these important milestones and to all of our faculty and staff on a great semester! 25 Years – Karen Morganti 20 Years – Elizabeth Atkins, Elizabeth Maloan, and JoAnn Latimore 15 Years – Adair Hardegree and Vicki Wilson 10 Years – Kellie Byrd, Ferry Kaveh, Mary Ann Giampapa, Ronnie Giddens, and Ranee Jones 5 Years – Kathy Brandt, Annie Hayes, Whitney Meriwether, and Nick Stamper
Karen Morganti
Elizabeth Atkins
Elizabeth Maloan
JoAnn Latimore
Adair Hardegree
Vicki Wilson
Kellie Byrd
Ferry Kaveh
Mary Ann Giampapa
Ronnie Giddens
Ranee Jones
Kathy Brandt
Annie Hayes
Whitney Meriwether
Nick Stamper
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Lower School Holds Second Annual Turkey Trot Our Lower School students enjoyed a short Thanksgiving week that was filled with many happy activities. On Tuesday, students shared a traditional Friendship Feast with their classmates and then participated in the second annual Turkey Trot. This fun event allowed each class the opportunity to race, jog, or jump their way around the course – all in the name of fall fun!
Wacky Sweaters and Christmas Fun! The first week of December found the Lower School looking forward to the holiday season. Lower School faculty, staff, and students marked the beginning of the month with a day set aside to show their Christmas cheer! Fridays are usually a spirit wear day. However, on December 4, Wacky Christmas Sweater Day was an excellent opportunity to be festive and the perfect end to our first week back after Thanksgiving. The next week on December 10, our Middle and Upper School students, faculty, and staff also participated in a Christmas Spirit Day. Middle School students wore sweaters and shirts that could be anything holidaythemed, and the Upper School students could enjoy the day in full Christmas garb. We loved seeing all of our Bruins dressed in festive attire for the holidays.
Summers at the Jones Academic Center Since August of 2018, USJ’s Camille & Ralph Jones Academic Center‘s (JAC) mission has been to serve our students from Early Childhood to twelfth grade who need academic assistance during the school year free of charge. The JAC’s primary goal is to help students with unique learning differences. The center is dedicated to assisting students who require additional instruction outside their regular classroom setting. The JAC has become an essential resource for many families during the school year. However, you may not realize that the center also offers optional classes during the summer for literacy, comprehension, and specific content areas. These summer courses are designed to meet the needs of students who attended classes or received tutoring during the 20202021 school year to assist with continued improvement over the summer. The courses are also for students who meet other qualifying criteria. Current JAC students will have registration priority for summer classes. However, any open spots will become available to current USJ families who would like academic assistance this summer. Each course is 22
six weeks. Classes meet for fifty minutes, three times per week (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays), and space is limited. The cost per group depends upon the teacher-tostudent ratio based upon the number of students who sign-up for each course. Last year, the price per small group was $360 for the summer. Taking a vacation or missing a class for any reason is okay. Your child can still attend the rest of the course. Makeup sessions are not necessary. However, attending at least twelve of the class dates is needed to see academic improvement. Instruction will be held in the JAC located on the Lower School campus. Any profits will support the center and help provide students with the necessary materials and manipulatives for the 2021-2022 school year. We are excited to be able to offer these courses this summer. Seeing your child succeed is our passion! For more information, contact JAC Director Christy Glenn at cglenn@usjbruins.org. Thank you to all of our faculty and families for your continued support of The Camille & Ralph Jones Academic Center!
4-H Winners Congratulations to the following students on their recent 4-H achievements!
4-H Program Begins at USJ We are excited to share that this past December, our fourth and fifth-grade classes began participating in the Madison County 4-H program! This program builds problem-solving and leadership skills through civic engagement, healthy living, and STEAM-based projects. Due to COVID-19, our 4-H instructor, Mrs. Sharon Tubbs, meets monthly with our classes via Zoom during the school day to guide and assist in project development. Currently, our fourth and fifth-grade classes have been working on the 4-H Health Rocks! program, which is a drug, alcohol, and tobacco prevention program that focuses on building self-esteem, self-worth, while providing awareness tools to help make wise decisions. They have also worked on Christmas and holiday decorations, woodcrafts, public speaking, sewing, cookie baking, and photography.
Haynes McSwain won a first-place class ribbon and first place overall for Woodcraft. Mary Mac Hise won a first-place class ribbon and honorable mention overall for her Christmas ornament. Eliza Dorris won a firstplace class ribbon and fourth place overall for her Christmas ornament.
Tubbs shared, “Up next this school year, our 4-H students will participate in contests for bread baking, decorated super shirts and piggy banks, and dairy posters and demonstrations. We also hope to be able to extend the 4-H program at USJ next year to include our sixth graders as they move up from the Lower School to the Middle School.”
Breniah Donaldson won the Holiday Craft Contest with a beautiful handmade Christmas tree.
We are thrilled to be able to bring Madison County 4-H programs to USJ. We are also incredibly proud of our fourth and fifth-grade students who are diligently working toward developing life skills needed for the future. Great job, Bruins!
Cooper Scallions won the Woodworking Contest with an impressive wooden deer stand.
For more information on 4-H, check out their website at madison.tennessee.edu, and click on 4-H and 4-H Youth Development.
Tina Anderson and Sally Rogers Earned Educator of the Week Honors First-grade teacher Sally Rogers was selected as WBBJ TV’s Educator of the Week in October. Two months later, longtime educator and fifth-grade teacher Tina Anderson was also nominated for this special award. Tina Anderson came to USJ in 1998 and has helped shape our students’ lives for almost two decades. Mrs. Anderson has been nominated as Educator of the Week numerous times over the years. For her, it is more than a job. She says that each of her students become like her own over a school year. She has also remarked how much she loves her job and that “the moment that I decided I wanted to teach, there was no turning back. I fell in love with watching kids grow and teaching them new things that they didn’t feel like they could learn.”
Sally Rogers
First-grade teacher Sally Rogers says that her favorite part about teaching is getting to know her students and forming a bond with them. Mrs. Rogers shared, “Letting the children know that I love them is important for their academic and personal success. No matter how old they are, they need to know that adults believe in them.” Those of us whose children have had Mrs. Anderson or Mrs. Rogers as a teacher know how much they love and care for their students. The dedication of so many of our faculty members is what makes USJ a great place to learn and grow. To nominate one of our incredible USJ faculty members for WBBJ TV’s weekly award, email your nomination to educator@wbbjtv.com. WBBJ accepts nominations for this weekly award throughout the school year.
Tina Anderson 23
ARTS NEWS All-Northwest Tennessee Honor Choir USJ’s Concert Choir had twenty-five students selected to the regional All-Northwest Tennessee Sr. High Honor Choir this fall! Congratulations to Choral Director Dian Eddleman and her students for their efforts in achieving this prestigious honor! The following students were selected: Seniors Jenna Box, Meg Miller, Esosa Odeh, Ethan Persons, Channing Sellers, and Savannah Tabor; juniors Sadie Hanna, Landan Kopiar, Kelsa Lunsford, Mmesoma Nwokolo, Henry Piercey, Michael Saridakis, Solomon Scott, Gracyn VanWinkle, and Caroline Wilkerson; sophomores Madelyn Badgett, Charley Cloud, Jesse Conquest, Ashlynn Isbell, Kim Kabre, Zack Mahalati, Addy Measley, Reed Sullivan, Abe Stonecipher, and Owen Stonecipher. Further congratulations are also in order to thirty-three of our seventh through ninth-grade students who were selected to the regional All Northwest Tennessee Jr. High Honor Choir: Freshmen Ava Beller, Stella Crenshaw, Kamryn DePriest, Alec Garabedian, Annika Jerge, Cade Jett, Amelia Moore, Kendall Morris, Toni Tremblay, Claire Whybrew and Jack Wilkerson; eighth-graders Catherine Bell, Carmen Biggs, Sawyer Hunley, Lizzie Montoya, Vaidehi Prasad, Cooper Sikes, Luke Sullivan, Paige Temple, and Mills Terry; seventh-graders Emily Goetz, Mia Goodwin, Allie Harbin, Harper Head, Hayden Hight, Anabeth Hooper, Aydon Isbell, Millie Jones, Jack Morris, Amenze Odeh, Matthew Murray, Diego Montoya, and Avani Prasad. The Jr. and Sr. High All-Northwest Tennessee Honor Choir Festival is tentatively scheduled for May 7-8, 2021, at West Jackson Baptist Church. Congratulations to all of these talented students.
Twenty-Two Students Selected for Tennessee All-State Choir! Congratulations to Upper School Choral Director Dian Eddleman and the twentytwo choral students who recently achieved Tennessee All-State Choir honors! This year’s auditions were unusual in that they were held virtually. It is typically challenging for vocal students to have enough time to prepare for in-person auditions. It is also harder to convey pitch and tone through recorded audio. Despite the odds, a record number of USJ’s Upper School Choir students were selected for All-State honors. Upon hearing the announcement, Eddleman shared, “All of my choir students have worked hard preparing for this virtual audition, and I couldn’t be more proud of them!” Tennessee All-State Choir members include USJ seniors Jenna Box, Meg Miller, Esosa Odeh, Ethan Persons, Channing Sellers, and Savannah Tabor; juniors Sadie Hanna, Landan Kopiar, Kelsa Lunsford, Mmesoma Nwokolo, Henry Piercey, Michael Saridakis, Solomon Scott, Gracyn VanWinkle and Caroline Wilkerson; and sophomores Madelyn Badgett, Ashlynn Isbell, Kim Kabre, Addy Measley, Reed Sullivan, Abe Stonecipher, and Owen Stonecipher.
Christmas Choral Concert On Sunday, December 13, USJ Concert Choir held their annual Christmas Concert in the Blankenship Theater. The concert included twelve songs and featured several ensembles and soloists. The senior girls’ ensemble performed That’s Christmas to Me, and included Sarah Beth Brauss, Jenna Box, Reagan Carney, Meg Miller, Emma Richards, Channing Sellers, Savannah Tabor, and Holland van Buuren. Senior Meg Miller performed the solo on the concert number Joy, and seniors Jenna Box, Emma Richards, Channing Sellers, and Savannah Tabor served as percussion accompanists as the choir sang White Winter Hymnal. Concertgoers were also treated to traditional songs, including Deck the Halls, O Holy Night, and We Wish You a Merry Christmas. A special thank you to Upper School Choral Director Dian Eddleman for planning, directing, and organizing this festive concert. Dian and Upper School Advanced Theatre Instructor Erica Davidson made the afternoon concert truly special. It was the perfect way to ring in the Christmas holiday season! 24
Elfis and the Sleigh Riders USJ’s traditional first-grade musical production of Elfis and the Sleigh Riders continued! On Monday, December 14, our first graders filmed their sociallydistanced performance so that the show could go on. Elfis and the Sleigh Riders is a rocking holiday musical for young voices with five songs mixed into the show. The kids had a great time, the parents were able to view the musical, and all safety measures stayed in place. We applaud music teacher Leslie Scott for always going the extra mile and for her dedication to her students. Great job, Bruins!
Lights! Camera! Christmas! Just before Christmas break, our third graders were able to perform their musical Lights! Camera! Christmas! It was yet another socially-distanced virtual performance. However, the kids had a wonderful time performing, and the parents could still see their children in action. What a fantastic way to overcome the obstacles created by COVID-19. Lights! Camera! Christmas! is a fun Christmastime musical with six songs and dozens of speaking parts. Having the opportunity to continue this tradition of learning stage confidence and working together as a group was so important. We are so thankful to be in school and for the dedication of our faculty. Thank you to Elizabeth Atkins for her role in making this performance a huge success.
Lower School Half-Time Show The Lower School music education faculty normally organizes a large-scale half-time show on the field during a football game each year with all of their students. It’s a time-honored tradition at USJ that so many of our students happily remember. Not having the show this year due to safety concerns with COVID-19 was unimaginable. Despite the odds, music teachers Elizabeth Atkins and Leslie Scott made it happen the first week in October! Although the kids did not perform to a crowd at a football game, they still learned, practiced, and danced on Kirkland Field at Carlock Stadium like always. Ensuring that the event continued is an excellent example of our incredible performing arts faculty’s can-do attitude. They are always up for a challenge and are always willing to give their students 100 percent. A special thank you to Mrs. Atkins and Mrs. Scott for keeping the half-time show alive!
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Ten Students Selected for All-West Band and Orchestra Congratulations to the Director of Bands and Orchestra, Tom Grant, and our ten Upper School students who were recently selected as All-West Band and Orchestra honorees! Being chosen to All-West is significant because these students compete with every band program in West Tennessee. Grant said, “Many of the bands in the competition have one player per instrument, so this makes this honor even more powerful when you see how many students are competing for one spot. I am very proud of their efforts and accomplishments these students earned for themselves and USJ!” Auditions for All-State honors with students from Middle and East Tennessee will be held later in March. Mr. Grant shared further, “Instrumental All-West and All-State are formidable competitions, and our students have represented themselves and USJ with honor and outstanding ability.” Congratulations to each of these talented students! All-West Tennessee Senior Symphony Orchestra 2021 Mary Anki, Andy Lam, and Livvie Leeper All-West Tennessee Senior 11-12 Senior Bands Stephanie Nnaji
All-West Tennessee Jazz Bands 2021: Blue Jazz Band Reid Venable All-West Tennessee Jazz Bands 2021: Red Jazz Band Lisa Nnaji, Mohid Tanveer, Will Venable, and James Wilkes
All-West Tennessee Senior 9-10 Band Cassidy Bruno
Smokey Joe’s Café The Upper School’s fall musical production, Smokey Joe’s Café, was held December 4-6 in USJ’s Blankenship Theater. As the old saying goes, “The show must go on,” and thanks to our phenomenal performing arts faculty and staff, that is precisely what happened! Despite COVID-19, the students learned in person all semester, practiced responsibly for their musical, and were able to perform on stage with face shields to a socially-distanced audience. Smokey Joe’s Café opened on Broadway in November of 1994 and ran continuously for twenty-four years. It’s a fun, revue-style musical featuring thirty-nine songs written by Jerry Liebert and Mike Stoller. Audience members for USJ’s production were treated to many rock and roll and rhythm and blues favorites, including “Jailhouse Rock” and “Hound Dog.” Seniors Emily Hailey, Meg Miller, and Courtney Wilkes shined throughout their performances on stage. And our musical seniors Amar Boparai, Livvie Leeper, Lisa Nnaji, and Baker Northern kept the show rocking! Dr. Tammy Grant, Upper School Advanced Placement Music Theory and Musical Director, shared this after the show. “The cast did a great job with Smokey Joe’s Café! I would also like to give our incredible band students who accompanied the show, directed by Tom Grant, and our wonderful faculty and administrative staff members Elizabeth Atkins, Erica Davidson, Dian Eddleman, Mary Ann Giampapa, Margaret Livingston, and Kyle Williams, a special shoutout. You guys were awesome!” Our students, faculty, and staff have the can-do attitude to make things happen despite any obstacles. Their determination to perform and produce the same high-quality musical typically associated with USJ is fantastic. Well done, thespians! We are so proud of your hard work. 26
Briarcrest Regional Art Contest & Exhibition Congratulations to seven of our Upper School art students whose work was accepted in the Briarcrest Regional Art Contest & Exhibition! Fifty schools submit at least three hundred pieces of art for consideration each year. This year, seniors Jenna Leigh Sammons and Savannah Spencer; juniors Laney Pearce Haynes and Elle Jerge (Fourth Place Junior Division for Blue Me); sophomores Madeline Miller and Cassidy Bruno (Second Place Sophomore Division for Almost Ready); and Freshman Caitlin Roemen each had work accepted to BRACE 2020. We are incredibly proud of Upper School Visual Arts Chair Libby Lynch and these students for their hard work. Way to go, Bruins!
West Tennessee Regional Student Art Competition Winners Last fall, Upper School Visual Arts Department Chair Libby Lynch’s classes participated in the Thirteenth Annual West Tennessee Regional Student Art Exhibition, which is co-sponsored by the Tennessee Art Education Association and the West Tennessee Regional Art Center. The entry deadline was in early November, and the accepted works of art were on display at the West Tennessee Regional Arts Center from January 18 through February 25. Ten of our Upper School art students had work accepted into this competition. Congratulations to Mrs. Lynch and these talented students. We are so proud of each of you! Senior Clayton Bowers received Best of Category for Video Sophomore Cassidy Bruno had two pieces accepted Senior Emily Hailey had two pieces accepted Sophomore Allie Ing placed 4th in Drawing Junior Elle Jerge had two pieces accepted Sophomore Betha Pucek had one piece accepted Freshman Caitlin Roemen had one piece accepted Senior Jenna Leigh Sammons received Best of Category for Sculpture Senior Ella Shelton received overall Best of Show Senior Savannah Spencer received Best of Category for Mixed Media
Jenna Leigh Sammons
Savannah Spencer
Ella Shelton Wins Best in Show USJ senior Ella Shelton’s work recently won Best in Show honors in the Thirteenth Annual West Tennessee Regional Student Art Competition. Her winning piece became part of the center’s permanent student art collection. Best in Show honors also earned her winning entry a spot on two local billboards, as well as a $500 prize. One billboard is located in Humboldt near the exhibition, and the other was above the shopping center at the corner of Highway 45 Bypass and Carriage House Drive on the Casey Jones Village side. Ella’s art will also be on display at the Tennessee Art Education Association’s Best of the Best Student Art Exhibition, which will open on July 13 at the Leu Center for Visual Arts in Nashville. Congratulations to Ella on this fantastic achievement. We are so proud of you!
Clayton Bowers
Mid-South Scholastic Art Competition Five of our Upper School Art students recently received recognition by the 2021 Mid-South Scholastic Art Awards. This contest is a regional juried student art competition, and Gold Key winners will also compete at the national level. Works from Gold Key winners were exhibited at the Brooks Museum of Art in Memphis between January 23 and February 21. Senior portfolios submitted were also reviewed for scholarships by area colleges and universities. Congratulations to the following students and their instructor Libby Lynch on their fantastic contributions to the art world! Senior Clayton Bowers received a Gold Key in Film & Animation for Combat Combination.
Senior Savannah Spencer received a Gold Key in Photography for Halfway in Water.
Sophomore Cassidy Bruno received a Gold Key in Drawing & Illustration for Mascara.
Senior Emily Hailey received an Honorable Mention in Art Portfolio for The Luck of The World.
Sophomore Cassidy Bruno also received a Gold Key and Best-In-Show Middle Drawing Award for Bubbles.
Sophomore Elle Jerge received an Honorable Mention in Sculpture for Beaded Wood.
Clayton Bowers
Scan the QR code to view the video.
Cassidy Bruno
Cassidy Bruno
Savannah Spencer
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ALUMNI NEWS WEDDINGS:
BIRTHS:
Best wishes to Megan Klipfel (‘06) and Sergio Montejano, who were married on Sunday, September 27, 2020, at The Barn at Sycamore Farms in Nashville. A reception was held immediately following with all of the flowers created by Megan’s mom, Rhonda Klipfel, owner of The Petal Pushers. Megan and Sergio spent their honeymoon in St. Augustine, Florida. They are living in Nashville, where Megan is an assistant nurse manager at Vanderbilt Children’s HospitalPediatric Cardiology, and Sergio owns a residential and commercial construction business.
We were excited to hear that Jeff Bentson (‘01) and his wife, Jen, are the proud parents of Harvey Bentson, born March 3, 2020, weighing 8 lbs. 4 oz. and was 20 inches long. Jeff and his family have been living in Singapore since 2014. Jeff works with Harley Davidson, and Jen works with Ernst & Young.
Halle Priester (‘11) and Danny Gross were married on the morning of August 22, 2020, at Idlewild Presbyterian Church in Memphis, Tennessee, with a brunch reception following at the Pink Palace Museum. The couple traveled to Highlands, North Carolina, for their honeymoon in the mountains. They live in Memphis, where Halle is an attorney with Rainey, Kizer, Reviere & Bell, and Danny is a firefighter/paramedic with the Memphis Fire Department. Congratulations! Congratulations are also in order to Ashton McGuire (’12) and Morgan Kleinsasser, who were married at 4:00 p.m. on October 17, 2020, at The Atrium at Blue Haven in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. They traveled to Aspen, Colorado, for their honeymoon. Ashton and Morgan both work as Physician Assistants in surgery at Monument Health in Rapid City, South Dakota. Ashton is in General Surgery, and Morgan is in Cardiothoracic Surgery. They love living in the Black Hills and enjoying the outdoors with their dog Ollie.
To update your mailing and email address, or tell us your latest news, please visit usjbruins.org/alumni or contact Alumni Relations at alumni@usjbruins.org.
Congratulations to Margaret Morrison Maddux (‘01), husband, Tim, and two-year-old brother, Hank, who welcomed Sunny Ruth Maddux on May 12, 2020. Sunny weighed 7 lbs. 7 oz. and was 18 inches long. She is the granddaughter of longtime faculty member Ruth Ann Morrison (OHA ‘74). The family resides in Nashville. Jonathan Wright (‘05) and his wife, Savannah, who also attended USJ, celebrated the birth of their daughter, Holly Anne Wright, on October 23, 2019. Holly Anne weighed 7 lbs., was 20 inches long, and is currently enrolled in the Infants Program at USJ. Congratulations on your little Bruin! It’s a girl! Jimmy Henson (‘06) and Lauren Radicioni Henson (‘07) were “thrilled and shocked” (they didn’t know the gender) when their second daughter, Charlie Nicole Henson, arrived on November 22, 2020. She was 6 lbs. 10 oz. and was 18 ½ inches long. Big sister Elsie, who calls her “Baby Chawlie,” is in the Toddler Program at USJ. Rebekah Davis Harrelson (‘06) and her husband, John, are thrilled to announce the arrival of their second child, Frances Estelle Harrelson, on Monday, June 29, 2020. She weighed 8 lbs. 2 oz. and was 21 inches long.
Create a Lasting Legacy with Walkway Bricks Would you like to honor a student, alumni, teacher, volunteer, administrator, or a member of the senior class at USJ? Consider purchasing a brick in his or her name. Walkway bricks are a perfect choice and leave a lasting legacy as they line the Upper School building entrance. Each brick is engraved with a personal message with the option to add a selected design. The eight-inch by four-inch bricks are $100 each and include a mini replica of the original. We hope you and your family will want to be a part of this important campus landmark. A link to the order form can be found on the Alumni section of usjbruins.org. To be included in this year’s order, please return forms by May 31, 2021. 28
For more information, please contact Cathy Garrett at cgarrett@usjbruins.org or 731-300-3687.
IN MEMORIAM John McNeese Giffen (OHA ‘80) died November 21, 2020, at Williamson Memorial Hospital in Franklin, Tennessee. He is survived by his wife of thirty-four years, Michelle S. Giffen; his children John Andrew Giffen and his wife Cassie Steinberg, Matt Hum Giffen and his partner Alonza Lasher, Elizabeth Marsh and her husband Ron Marsh, his grandchild Eleanor McNeese SteinbergGiffen, and his siblings Dave Giffen and Jim Giffen. John was preceded in death by his parents David Kerr and Gladys “Bonnie” M. Giffen, and his sister Karen Lee Giffen Jones and brother-in-law John Jones. A longtime resident of Franklin and Williamson County, John was born August 29, 1962, in Jackson, Tennessee. John attended Lambuth College and earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in 1984. John and Michelle met while both were in college at Lambuth. They married on August 3, 1986. John enjoyed a successful career in real estate in Williamson County for many years serving as a Realtor, principal broker, and brokerage manager. He was an accomplished real estate instructor, speaker, and author. John served on numerous Realtor boards and committees, including the board of directors of the Williamson County Association of Realtors. He held multiple professional designations and certifications and received numerous awards during his career, including being named WCAR’s “Realtor of the Year” in 2014. John was a loving and devoted husband, father, and grandfather. John enjoyed spending time with his family and traveling the world with Michelle. He loved his church family at Christ Community Church in Franklin, where he served as a ruling elder for many years. Michael Jayson Cash (OHA ‘81) passed away peacefully at home on February 2, in Jackson, Tennessee, following a brief illness. Michael is survived by his wife, Anna; children, Jordan Cash and Greyson Cash of Eugene, Oregon; and many aunts, uncles, and cousins whom he dearly loved. He was preceded in death by his parents, Carolyn and David Cash, also of Jackson. Michael was born on August 10, 1963, in Clarksdale, Mississippi. While at
Old Hickory Academy, where he was a three-year varsity football letterman as a defensive and offensive tackle. In 1980, Michael received the Lion’s Club Player of the Year award. Michael attended the University of Tennessee at Martin, where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Agribusiness in 1986. He continued his education by completing a master of business administration degree from Union University in 1999, followed by a law degree from Nashville School of Law in 2003. Michael married his wife, Anna, in their favorite city, New Orleans, in 2007. He served as the co-owner of D&C Equipment and practiced law for nineteen years. He was a member of the Madison County Bar Association, the Tennessee Bar Association, and the Jackson Rotary Club, where he was recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow. Michael is remembered as a loyal and honest friend who enjoyed spending time at the family cabin on the Tennessee River. Tanner Fullalove Chapman (‘12) passed away Tuesday, February 16, 2021. He was the son of Frank Chapman and Laura Martindale. He was born January 12, 1994, in Jackson, Tennessee. While at USJ, Tanner was a member of the USJ Singers and the football team. He was voted “Most Quotable” by his peers. He attended the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. He was as his name reflects, “full of love” in every way. Tanner loved making music and producing videos. He is survived by his parents, brother Knox Chapman and half-brother Hayden Reed Chapman. Former Head of School, Clay Lilienstern, passed away Monday, January 11, 2021, after a brief battle with leukemia. He was 77 years of age. Mr. Lilienstern had a tremendous impact on our school from 2007-2013. He recently enjoyed retirement in Bellaire, Texas, with family and friends and continued his passion for civic leadership by serving Bellaire’s community. He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, colleague, and friend. He was born November 13, 1943, to Oscar and Suzanne Lilienstern of Houston. After graduating from Bellaire High School in 1961, Clay attended the University of Alabama, joined Delta Tau Delta fraternity, and graduated with a B.A. in Political Science & History in 1965. He attended the University of Houston Law School,
earning his J.D. in 1968, and served in the U.S. Army for four years as Captain, Judge Advocate General’s Corps. During his posting to the Pentagon, Clay also studied for and received his LL.M. (Master of Laws) degree from George Washington University. He began his civilian legal career with Andrews Kurth LLP in 1972, and he became a Partner with the firm in 1979. During his tenure with Andrews Kurth, Clay worked on many complex litigation cases, including the Howard Hughes estate case for which he would eventually appear before the United States Supreme Court. After helping lead Andrews Kurth for twenty-five years, Clay co-founded Hicks Thomas & Lilienstern LLP in 1997, which he helped build for four years before retiring from his legal career in 2001. Clay was an enthusiastic and life-long student, as evidenced by the other three advanced degrees he earned later in life: MBA from the University of Houston in 1992, MTS from Southern Methodist University in 2002, and MLS from Rice University in 2015. He was also a restless retiree who never stopped working. Clay began a second career as an educator at Episcopal High School in Houston, where he served as a history and economics teacher and Assistant Head of School for six years combined. He then became Head of School at USJ. After returning to Bellaire, Clay continued to serve, this time as a Member of the Harris County Appraisal Review Board for the past five years. He believed in leadership and community service and contributed his time and money to many organizations, including Annunciation Orthodox School, City of Bellaire Zoning & Planning Commission, Briar Club of Houston, and the Nature Discovery Center. Clay was a man of great accomplishment, honor, ethics, and integrity, and he was, above all, a great provider and protector for his family. He is survived by his wife of fifteen years, Rebecca Lilienstern, son Robert Lilienstern, daughters Susan Mullen (Chuck Mullen), Kelli Lilienstern (Carl Hennagir), Melanie Henrikson (John Henrikson), and grandchildren Abigail Lilienstern, Patrick Mullen, Charles Mullen, Ann-Marie Mullen, Penelope Hennagir, and Cecelia Hennagir.
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Charles Campbell Sets Outback Bowl Record New Year’s Day saw USJ alumnus Charles Campbell (’18) playing for Indiana University against Ole Miss in the 35th annual Outback Bowl! Although Indiana lost to Ole Miss 26-20, Campbell set two records during the game. He converted on a fifty-three-yard field goal, which is the longest in Hoosier history, as well as a record-setting kick for the Outback Bowl. This was Campbell’s second fifty-yard-plus field goal for the season. Way to hustle, Charles! We are very proud of your record-breaking year.
Dr. Doug Haltom First to Perform New Partial Knee Replacement Surgery
Brandon Rowland Inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame On February 23, USJ alumnus Brandon Rowland (’99) was announced as a 2021 inductee into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame. Chairman Phillip Fulmer personally informed Brandon of the honor over a Zoom meeting. Brandon thought that he was a guest on a podcast. What a great way to surprise their newest inductee! Brandon had both legs removed below the knee at six years old due to a condition called disseminated intravascular coagulation. While growing up, he didn’t allow his amputation to stand in the way of his endeavors. Over the years, Brandon played baseball, tennis, basketball, and soccer. While Brandon was a senior at USJ, he was asked to join a wheelchair basketball team, the Jackson Generals. Brandon went on to lead the team to two national titles and won tournament MVP in 2002. He is also a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Martin. “Brandon’s story is one of perseverance and dedication in the face of adversity, and one that is an important reminder of the value of sports to its participants,” said Brad Willis, Executive Director of the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame. “Brandon’s inclusion in the 2021 Class of the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame is a testament to his competitive nature, and one that spotlights an athlete overcoming the biggest of obstacles.” Since 1966, the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame honors athletes, coaches, teams, administrators, and sportswriters who have impacted Tennessee sports history. Please join us in congratulating Brandon on this prestigious honor!
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We are excited to share the news that at the end of September, USJ alumnus Dr. J. Douglas Haltom (’94) was the first to perform a new partial knee replacement surgery in the United States! Doug is a board-certified and fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon at West Tennessee Bone & Joint Clinic, P.C. The new Episealer® implant partial knee replacement surgery was performed at Physicians Surgery Center in Jackson, Tennessee, within the West Tennessee Bone & Joint Clinic’s investigational device exemption (IDE) clinical trial, EPIC-Knee: Episealer® Knee System IDE Clinical Study. The new procedure’s metal implant is a good option for older patients because it allows for quicker rehabilitation. The implant is meticulously designed for each individual through magnetic resonance imaging to match the size, shape, and contour of their knee. A 3-D model is designed of the knee and its damaged tissue. The model is then used to create the implant and individualized surgical instruments for a perfect fit. Fellow alumnus Dr. Jason Hutchison (‘90) is also a board-certified and fellowship-trained surgeon at West Tennessee Bone & Joint, P.C. Jason is the lead investigator for the study on the Episealer® in Jackson. He says that he has several patients interested in being screened to become a candidate for the trial. Doug and his wife Beth have three children at USJ. Haynes is in the eighth grade, Miller is in the fifth grade, and Luke is in the third grade. Jason and his wife Melissa also have three children at USJ. Ryan is a freshman, Lauren is in seventh grade, and Sawyer is in fifth grade. We look forward to hearing more about this clinical trial and its outcome. Congratulations to Doug on performing the first Episealer® partial knee replacement surgery in the United States! We are incredibly thankful to have so many of our alumni who choose to live in Jackson and who are providing exceptional healthcare to our community.
More information about the specific camps below can be found at usjbruins.org/camps
ACADEMIC ACT English Prep ACT Math Prep ACT Reading and Science Prep Algebra Boot Camp, rising 8th-12th Middle School Math Fundamentals, rising 6th-8th Robotics Camp, rising 2nd-6th SCRATCH: Intro to Programming, rising 3rd-6th STEAM Lab Camp, rising 2nd-6th
Register online at usjbruins.org/camps Camp Bruins deadline: April 15, 2021, or until full All other camps: Register now! Please note that several camps closed early last year due to demand. Register early to secure your child’s spot.
ARTISTIC Art-Rageous Art Camp, rising 1st-8th Drama Camp, rising 6th-12th Little Bruins American Girl Doll Camp, age 3 to rising K Little Bruins Science and Sensory, age 3 to rising K Little Bruins Soccer Camp, age 3 to rising K Little Bruins Superhero Camp, age 3 to rising K Mad Scientist Camp, rising 1st-5th Musical Theater Camp, rising 1st-9th
ATHLETIC Baseball Camp, rising 1st-8th Best of the West Soccer Camp Week 1, age 5 to rising 7th grade Best of the West Soccer Camp Week 2, rising 7th-12th grade Football Camp, rising K-8th Girls Basketball Camp, rising 2nd-8th July Boys Basketball Camp, rising 2nd-8th July Soccer Camp, rising K-8th Little Bruins Beginner’s Gymnastics, age 4 to rising K Little Bruins TOT Basketball, age 4 to rising K Softball Camp, rising 5th-8th Tennis Camps, rising K-12th Running Camp, rising 5th-8th Volleyball Camp, rising 2nd-8th
Camp Bruins June 7 – July 30 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday – Friday Your children will love our organized summerlong daycare program full of learning experiences and fun activities, which are developmentally appropriate for two-yearolds through rising sixth graders. Structured weekly themes include water play, arts and crafts, inflatables, physical activities, and music. Tuition: 5 days a week all summer: $1,600; 3 days (M/W/F only): $960; 2 days (T/ TH only): $640. Lunch is included in the price. Optional cost by the week (for rising K-6th only): $220 per 5-day week. Registration is $50 per child/$100 per family maximum with a $20 per child t-shirt fee.
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