Spring Newsletter

Letter from the Headmaster

The school year is rapidly coming to an end with a flurry of events scheduled to close out the year. Students in grades 3-8 completed the CTP 5 standardized testing, and results will be back toward the end of May. The high school AP classes are preparing for their exams, which are on a nationwide schedule and will occur on specific dates set forth by the College Board during the first couple of weeks in May. Finishing out the year, we will have high school semester and middle school nine weeks tests at the end of May.

Several orientation meetings are scheduled for May. To kick of the orientation sessions, we have Pre-K orientation for rising Pre-K students on Tuesday, May 10 at 5:30 p.m. in the cafeteria. Next, on Tuesday, May 17, we will have rising 6th grade orientation at 5:15 p.m. in the Learning Commons. Completing the orientations on Tuesday, May 17 will be rising 9th grade orientation at 6:30 p.m. in the Cafeteria. We invite rising Pre-K, 6th, and 9th grade parents to come join us and learn about what to expect in those grade levels from teachers.

Celebrating the academic accomplishments of our students is a top priority with our Honor’s Day and Night events. Please mark your calendars for the following dates:

-May 13 at 8:30 a.m. 2nd grade Honors in the cafeteria
-May 13 at 1:30 p.m. 1st grade Honors in the cafeteria
-May 17 at 8:30 a.m. 4th grade Honors in the cafeteria
-May 17 at 1:30 p.m. 3rd grade Honors in the cafeteria
-May 19 at 8:30 a.m. 5th grade Honors in the cafeteria
-May 19 at 12:30 p.m. Middle School Honors in the gym
-May 19 at 6:00 p.m. High School Honors in the gym
-May 20 at 8:30 a.m. Kindergarten Graduation in the cafeteria

Our special senior events kick off with Baccalaureate on May 12 at 6 p.m. in the cafeteria. We will have Senior Sendoff on May 19 at 1:15 p.m. The seniors are enthusiastically anticipating graduation and the success of their years at Bulloch Academy. Please join us for this special celebration on May 26 in the GSU Performing Arts Center beginning at 7 p.m. Graduation is an event like no other at BA, and I encourage you to come experience it!

As we look to next school year, we will soon have announcements to share the new additional faculty that we are hiring to accommodate the growth in our student enrollment. The new faculty will allow us to reduce the sizes in some of our largest grades. We will be increasing from two sections to three sections of second grade, which will give us three sections in grades PK – 2 nd grades, and we will add a third section to sixth and tenth grades.

I want to thank everyone for a fantastic year at Bulloch Academy and wish everyone a rejuvenating summer break! We will be working hard over the summer to prepare to welcome you back in August. Specific information regarding Open House, carpool, and beginning year items will be shared during the summer by email. Please be sure to check your emails and the website, as the 2022-2023 school year approaches. Be looking for a welcome back letter from me in mid-July. I hope to see you around campus at one of the many camps this summer. Have a fun-filled and safe summer!

Leisa Houghton
Head of School

Nurse’s Notes

It’s hard to believe this school year is coming to a close! I have very much enjoyed serving the staff, students, and parents in my role as your nurse, and I look forward to seeing you next fall.

The most important information that I need to share in this newsletter is with the parents of our rising juniors. I have mailed many of you and emailed you about the required immunizations needed to start school this fall. Your student MUST have the MCV4 booster shot prior to beginning his/her 11^th grade year in any school in the state of Georgia. Please go ahead and check with your providers to see what your student needs so that your junior is prepared for his/her first day of school. He/she cannot attend without it or a notarized religious exemption form on file at Bulloch Academy. My summer hours will include the week of June 20-23, 2022, from 9am-1pm should you have questions. I will return for the new school year on July 18, 2022, and am happy to help you sort through any questions you have regarding immunizations. The scheduling number for the vaccination clinic at Bulloch County Health Department is 855-473-4374. To clarify, this is not a covid vaccination. Covid vaccinations are not mandatory to attend schools in Georgia.

For our rising seventh graders, they are also due a meningococcal shot. I have been reviewing those records as well. The remaining ones are mostly summer birthdays. Thanks to all of you who have already taken care of this.  This is just a friendly reminder for parents of these students with summer birthdays.

Speaking of summer, I hope you all have a fabulous summer break!!! Please encourage those healthy habits that we have learned about in our lower school health lessons this year such as limiting screen time, moving their bodies, choosing healthier snacks, and good hygiene. I wish them a summer of playdates, sun, and fun! I look forward to fall when you share them with me again!

Gator Guidance

Peer Relationships by Melanie Bohanan

When helping children develop friendships, it is important to help them see how their behavior affects what others think of them. In classroom guidance, kindergarten and first-grade students learned the relationship between their behaviors and friendships. These behaviors or personality traits were presented as animal puppets. The shark personality is aggressive and sometimes attacks others with harsh words or pushing and hitting. The monkey is sometimes too silly and can get others in trouble. The fox is unpredictable and untrustworthy. He may like you one day and not the other. The turtle may be nice, but we don’t know much about him because he stays in his shell. The owl makes wise decisions and thinks about how his actions make others feel. The teddy bear is the ideal friend. He is a good listener, comforts you, and is a loyal friend whom you can always count on! When your child has a conflict with a friend, ask them, “What kind of animal friend were you?” 

In second grade, magnets were used to demonstrate how our behaviors can attract or repel others socially. We discussed behaviors that attract friends. Some of these behaviors included helping a friend, listening to our friend, and being kind. Unfortunately, sometimes our behavior can repel or push away friends. When we tease, interrupt others, or don’t play fairly, it can cause others to stay away. The students played a fun game and identified which behaviors are “attractor behaviors” and “repellor” behaviors”. Students were encouraged to think about how their behavior affects others.

Third and fourth graders learned about the importance of teamwork. We talked about good sportsmanship and how to be a good teammate. The students worked in small groups to achieve a common goal. They encouraged each other, listened and shared ideas, and did their part to meet the goal. When we cooperate and work together, the task is easier and more enjoyable.

Peer relations can also influence our decision-making. In 5th grade, students learned about peer pressure in classroom guidance. They learned strategies to use to handle peer pressure. These strategies help students know how to handle a difficult situation and still keep their friendships. These strategies were Say “No” and Leave, Make an Excuse, Act Shocked, Use Humor, and Return the Challenge. After the lesson, the students worked in groups to role-play the strategies in different situations. Students were encouraged to remember their values and make decisions that match their values and future goals. Students were also reminded to think of the consequences of their actions. When students are aware of peer pressure and given the tools to handle it, they will be better prepared to make good decisions and walk away from trouble. 

Curriculum Corner

As we close out another school year, there are many things to look forward to over the next few weeks with end-of-the-year parties, Honor’s programs, and other exciting events! Summer is a great time for learning opportunities for students of all ages. Students in grades 2nd-12th will have a summer reading assignment, grades 5th-8th will have a summer math assignment, and all AP courses will also have a summer assignment. These assignments will be given to your student prior to the end of the school year. They can also be found on the Bulloch Academy website towards the end of May. 

Bulloch Academy offers a variety of summer camps for ages K-12th grade, which allow students to be physically active and academically challenged during the summer break. These camp offerings range from sports and baking to book clubs and ACT prep. You can view all camp offerings on the website at https://www.bullochacademy.com/summercamp2022/. 

In addition to the camp offerings at Bulloch Academy, there are many other opportunities for students to continue their learning. Below, you will find some different offerings from within the local communities. 

• The Statesboro-Bulloch Regional public library offers a reading program every summer in which students log their reading to earn prizes. 
• For those with students who love science-related activities, Georgia Southern University is offering a Lego Robotics camp for students in 1st-8th grade. 
• The Georgia Southern Wildlife Center has a variety of summer programs for Pre-K through 12th grade in addition to self-guided tours offered during their hours of operation. 
• The Georgia Southern Museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM and on Sunday from 2-5 PM. 
• A short trip away is the Oatland Island Wildlife Center on the outskirts of Savannah, which offers a variety of animal exhibits and has different events throughout the summer. 
• Junior Achievement of Georgia recently opened a center on the Georgia Southern Armstrong campus and offers a week-long summer camp for students ages 10-14 to gain a basic understanding of business principles, how to be a citizen of a community, how to get a job, and how to make wise financial decisions for their future. For more information, visit https://www.georgia.ja.org/summer. 

As you take vacations, look for other educational opportunities around your destination. We hope everyone has a fun, safe summer and look forward to seeing everyone back in August!

Athletics

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; …” Teddy Roosevelt

In Teddy Roosevelt’s famous speech, which became known as “The Man in the Arena,” we are reminded of our “why” as it pertains to interscholastic athletics. The faces of our student-athletes are often marred by sweat and blood, whether in victory or defeat, and they have the opportunity to exit gracefully – smarter, stronger, embracing adversity, and demonstrating compassion.

That is our “why.”

I want to thank our coaches, parents, teachers, and our athletes for their contribution to BA athletics. We have so much to be thankful for.  

The varsity baseball team made it to the first round of state playoffs but came up short despite their best efforts. We applaud the team on a fantastic season. We recognized our seniors Cash Vickery, Johnny Hood and Connor Thompson Tuesday, April 19th. Playoffs will begin April 25th-26th.

Varsity soccer had a solid regular season. The boys made it to the first round of state playoffs and lost to Brookwood. Both teams finished 3rd in their region. The Lady Gators will compete TONIGHT in the Elite 8 at Frederica at 5:30pm. A win tonight will send them to the Final Four

The varsity track teams just wrapped up a great season. Congratulations to the 2022 State runner-up ladies track team from Bulloch Academy. After 3 long days of pushing themselves and their teammates, the girls were able to position themselves to challenge for the title in 2023.

Individually we had two state champions – Sophie Strickland in the 300 Hurdles and Bella Williams in the long jump.

Here are the rest of the results for BA:
-Sophie Strickland 3rd place 100 hurdles
-Jordyn Blissett, Sydney Blythe, Mary Banks Garvin, Bella Williams 2nd place 4 X 100 relay
-Sophie Strickland, Bella Williams, Sydney Blythe, and Caroline Baird 2nd place 4 X 400 relay
-Bella Williams 2nd place Triple Jump

Bella Williams was 2nd in the state in individual points while Sophie Strickland was 9th. Thank you ladies for putting on a great show and giving BA many shining moments. Your effort, your attitude, and your enthusiasm were delightful. And those smiles of jubilation and even those grimaces amidst adversity are worth a thousand words. Thank you to Coach Conner and her staff and volunteers. You are a treasure, coach, and we can only hope to “bottle up” some of your energy and positivity, and love for kids and then hold onto it for years to come.

The 2022 BA men’s track team fought valiantly with grit and determination. As a team, they placed 6th at State and, while I know they hope for better, it was not for lack of heart. James Simpson and Ian Ledbetter brought home the gold in the 800-meter run (Simpson) and the high jump (Ledbetter). Sullivan Ryan was state runner-up in the pole vault.
Other notable finishes include:
-James Simpson 3rd place 1600 meter run
-Sullivan Ryan 3rd place 110-meter hurdles

Thank you men for your effort and hard work throughout the season. Reset, recharge, and come back hungry for more in 2023. Thank you, Coach Hodges and his entire staff of coaches and volunteers. Thanks for pouring into the boys and sharing lessons of life along the way.

Varsity golf had a strong finish at region, finishing 2nd and competed at state on April 25th at Harbor Club on Lake Oconee in Greensboro, GA.  The competition was stiff and our boys and girls were tested and did not waver in their effort and their resolve.  Griffin Garvin qualified for All-Region.

The varsity tennis team competed at the region tournament in Brunswick on April 11th and they were fun to watch. They played with heart and with poise and an abundance of class. Three of our nine entries are representing BA at state on April 19 at John Drew in Macon. Lily Jane Beecher, Camille Wall, Valerie Jenkins, and Garrett Evans competed at the state GISA tournament.

Although our middle school programs had wrapped up before I arrived on campus, I am excited about the future of BA athletics and the MS and elementary programs are pivotal in sustaining our growth and pursuing excellence in athletics. 

We have contracts for our new coaching hires: Head Boys Basketball Coach Tony Raymond and Head Baseball Coach Jason Godbee.

Coach Godbee will serve as assistant AD as well and will teach history. Coach Raymond will continue to teach in Bulloch County. 

The Booster Club will host an end-of-the-year celebration on May 18th.  

Technology

Remember to be shopping for your students’ computer device!  Students in grades 5th thru 12th grade will be required to bring a PC or Chromebook to classes next year!  The specification requirements were emailed to all parents and are listed below.  You may utilize our partner Georgia Southern University’s Tech Center for assistance with your purchase. They are located on the GSU Campus, 98 Georgia Ave, Statesboro, Georgia 30458, 912-478-7744.

Bulloch Academy Chromebook and PC recommendations

These specifications are for families with children in grades 5 through 12th that are required to bring their own devices to school each da

See the table below for the hardware inside a Chromebook and PC that we recommend.  These are minimum requirements so choose a Chromebook or PC with at least these specifications or better.

Lower School

On April 21st, fifth-graders celebrated the fact that they published their own book!  Entitled This Is Us, the book contains a self-portrait of each student along with a biography poem describing themselves and what makes each one of them unique. The cover of the book was designed by 5th-grade students, Harper Whitfield and Allie Owens.  This book was published by Studentreasures Publishing Company, which has helped over 12 million students publish their very own books!

BA Community

Join us in congratulating Ms. Courtney!