School News & Updates > Winter Newsletter
Winter Newsletter
Letter from the Headmaster
With only a few weeks until the official start to spring, Bulloch Academy students are already gearing up for a busy season. We are excited for the spring season to begin and for the fun times planned for this time of year. March begins new family enrollment. If you did not register in February, please do so as soon as possible, as some classes are filling and will have waiting lists. BA has been fortunate to experience unprecedented growth the past couple of years, and we want to be sure we have a place for your child(ren). BA currently has an all-time high enrollment of 667.
Plans are being made for next school year, and registration numbers drive the number of classes per grade and the sections of classes in middle and high school. We have decided to add a third section to our rising 10th grade class to accommodate the increased number of students in that grade. High school students will soon begin meeting with the counselor for academic advisement and scheduling for the 2022-2023 school year, and students must be registered to attend these meetings.
Report cards for the third nine weeks will go home on March 15. Students tend to get spring fever early in March, so please help keep your student(s) on track, and check the Portal often for assignments and assessments. We want everyone to have a successful end of year as we begin to wind down the school year and begin the last nine weeks….where has time gone? Be sure to mark your calendars for Spring Portraits – Kindergarten – 5th grades will be March 9 and PreK and grades 6-11 will be March 10. They will have both individual pictures and class group pictures.
CTP 5 testing will be March 21-24 for grades 3 rd -8th. More information will be sent to parents closer to the date. Grades 1 st -2nd will continue STAR testing, as we look to transition to the Iowa Flex test later this year or early next year. Kindergarten students are assessed with skills report cards each progress and report card period, and Pre K students registered for Kindergarten at BA will take a Kindergarten readiness test in April and early May.
Thursday, March 3 is Open House Night. If you have any names of families to invite, please share the information with Morgan Conner at [email protected]. We hope everyone will join us for a fun-filled night on March 3 with Gatorpalooza events and games, along with the faculty basketball game. The Lower School Talent Show is scheduled for March 11 with 2nd & 3rd grade performance at 8:30 a.m. and 4th & 5th grade performance at 10:00a.m. The spring book fair is scheduled for March 28-April 1 in the Learning Commons.
Our teachers and coaches are working on developing summer sports and academic camps, and we will have that information available sometime in March to share with everyone. With spring sports beginning and the unpredictable weather, please check sports schedules often, as we have already had to reschedule some events due to rain.
As dates are finalized for spring, they will be posted online. I look forward to seeing everyone at one of the many activities this spring!
Leisa Houghton
Head of School
Pre-K Press
By: Kim Burnette
Our youngest Gators have had a great start to 2022. We celebrated being 100 days older and smarter!
Come join the BA Family! Now accepting Pre-K applications for the 2022-2023 school year!
Lower School
Happy TWOsday! 1st grade had a great time celebrating all things “2” on 2/22/22
Upper School
The science club embarked on an informative field trip to Georgia Southern University on February first to experience some of the research in departments revolving around Science, Engineering, Math, and Technology (STEM). The students were divided into three groups and led by Kania Greer and her staff at the Institute for Interdisciplinary STEM Education at GSU. Students experienced two anatomy labs where they were allowed to manipulate medical models and view human cadavers and human organs. Students toured the Nursing school and were afforded hands-on experiences regarding the training of nursing students, and allowed to use real-life simulated models. The students were led on a tour of Dr. Soloiu’s propulsion lab. Graduate students and Dr. Soloiu explained the different research they were engaged in, and BA students participated in a question and answer session. The students also toured the Kinesiology lab and saw all four sections. The students learned about current research and how the lab serves the Bulloch community. Our students actually participated in experiments using the cutting-edge technology that was abundant in these labs. Students ate lunch in the University Dining Commons. Dr. Bailey, Mrs. Bailey, and Mr. Horton served as chaperones.
Dr. Bailey’s physical science students created bridges using primarily popsicle sticks, string, and glue. The classes were divided into 16 groups and each team designed and executed a bridge that would eventually be tested for maximum weight capacity. Students studied bridge design and some of the most famous bridges in America. The assignment was to create the “new” Roy G. Biv Bridge spanning the Ogeechee River. Students were to use concepts and vocabulary they had learned in previous physical science units including forces, thermal expansion, waves, and the importance of quality design. Students were especially intrigued by how wave action destroyed the Tacoma Narrows bridge in Washington State and how the disaster changed American bridge building in a positive direction. Each team had a project manager, engineer, and designer. The team created a bridge proposal including a detailed design drawing, a written description with a presentation, and a reflection. Aesthetics were part of the design as the theme revolved around the study of visible light (ROY G. BIV) in the electromagnetic spectrum. The rubric included effectiveness, design, creativity, aesthetics, and teamwork. The effectiveness portion elicited much excitement as teams added weight to their bridges until they collapsed. The final bridge failed at 110 pounds! Each group completed a written reflection on their bridge project featuring what they would change if they completed the activity again and what types of tradeoffs do bridge builders face in terms of safety, functionality, budget, and aesthetics when building a real bridge.
STAR Students
Nurse’s Notes
By: Heather Dabbs, School Nurse, RN, BSN
Hello everyone! We certainly have experienced our share of cool morning weather since our warm New Year’s Eve weather! Surprisingly, I noticed pollen on my car on our warmer days. It sure would be nice to see white snow instead of Georgia’s yellow snow. With the pollen, I expect to see children with allergy-type symptoms over the next few weeks, especially as we wind down with winter sports and move back outdoors for spring sports.
February was National Children’s Dental Awareness Month. Our health care lessons focused on our teeth. I always enjoy visits from the lower school children who come to get a container for the teeth that they lose at school and to sign the Gator Teeth chalkboard in my office! We had a special visitor in the Pre-K and Kindergarten classes to teach the kids about how important taking care of our teeth is!
Parents of our 6th and 8th graders should be on the lookout for information on scoliosis screening to take place on campus in either March or April. Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine that most often is diagnosed in adolescents. Every child with scoliosis is different. Symptoms we look for are:
· Their shoulders are two different heights.
· Their head doesn’t look centered with the rest of the body.
· One hip is higher than the other or sticks out.
· Their ribs are pushed out.
· When the child stands straight, their arms don’t hang down straight next to their body.
· When they bend forward, the two sides of their back are different heights.
These changes can cause self-esteem issues in children/adolescents and can lead to back issues in adults. Your child’s doctor should test for this during routine exams. You will receive a form via email with further information and instructions. You may opt-out if you choose, but we hope to have good participation at BA. We are thankful to our public health nurses who provide these services for us on our campus and in our community!
Gator Guidance
Kindness and Bucket Fillers by Melanie Bohanan, Lower School Counselor
Have you filled someone’s bucket today? Each of us carries an invisible bucket inside that holds our thoughts and feelings about ourselves. When our bucket is full, we feel happy, loved, and capable. In the story, Have You Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud, the students learned about being a bucket filler. Our bucket is filled when other people do or say kind things for us. Kindergartens learned how to fill each other’s buckets through kindness and friendship. When we share, take turns, smile, and help each other, we build friendships. When we are a “bucket dipper”, we take away someone’s happy feelings and need to apologize. The kindergarteners decorated their bucket filler headbands and wore them around the school to show that they are spreading kindness.
Valentine’s is a perfect time to practice bucket filling and show others that we care. Second graders had fun decorating their own little buckets with stickers. Then they wrote compliment cards to each other and dropped the cards in each other’s buckets. They were beaming as they read all of the kind words that their classmates wrote about them. Third graders showed their appreciation to someone special in their lives by making a card and saying thank you to a teacher, parent, grandparent, or another significant person in their lives. It feels so good when we are grateful for each other and show we care.
Words are powerful! They can make someone feel amazing or they can really hurt. Once words are spoken, they are forever imprinted on our hearts. In classroom guidance, first graders were provided a visual of a wrinkled heart to show how our heart feels when we get our feelings hurt. Even when we say we’re sorry, the hurt is still there. Before we speak, think and be smart. It’s hard to fix a wrinkled heart!
When given the choice, bucket fillers always choose kindness. Fourth and Fifth graders learned to show empathy and accept differences. In fourth grade, the students learned how to walk in someone else’s shoes. Volunteers were given a pair of shoes to put on while I read a scenario about that person. Students were asked to think about how they would feel in their shoes. What would they be thinking and feeling? Then students thought about what they could do or say to that person to show empathy and understanding. Fifth-grade students worked with a partner to discover ways that they were alike and different. Everyone was able to find unique qualities in his or her partner that they liked and respected. We discussed ways to get to know someone better and make connections. Students were encouraged to sit with someone different at lunch or ask someone new to join them in an activity.
Each day we have an opportunity to fill each other’s buckets. When we fill someone else’s bucket, we actually fill our own bucket too! We feel good when we are kind to others and see the good in each other. When your child gets home from school, ask, “Did you fill a bucket today?” Every day we have a choice. We can be a “bucket filler” or a “bucket dipper”. It’s an important choice that influences our friendships, behavior, and happiness.
Upper School Guidance By: Natalia Granade, Upper School Counselor
Athletics
By: Andy Woodard, Athletic Director
Our Lady Gators Basketball Team has repeated as Region 2-AAA Champs! They made it to the State Championship game on Saturday, February 26th. The finished as state runner-ups and we could not be more proud of the incredible season these ladies have had!
The BA Wrestling Team finished up the season with a fourth-place finish in the State. Senior Harrison Wren repeated as State Champion in the 145-pound weight class. Seniors Wesley Joyce and Jackson Perry finished as State Runner-ups in their respective weight classes along with Sophomore Hudson Cason.
The BA Archery Team finished a strong season with a GISA State Runner-up Finish. As the weather turns warmer, spring season is gearing up. The Baseball, Golf, Soccer, Tennis, and Track Teams have officially begun their seasons.
Our spring sports coaches are:
Baseball – Andy Woodard
Golf – Walt Garvin
Boys Soccer – JP Padilla and Hector Angles
Girls Soccer – JP Padilla and Catelyn Coffer
Boys Tennis – Trey Walker
Girls Tennis – Sally Scott
Boys Track – Ronnie Hodges
Girls Tack – Barbara Conner
MS Baseball – Jon Priest
MS Golf – Judianne Odell
MS Boys Soccer – JP Padilla
MS Girls Soccer – Ashley Burke
STEAM
By: Ashley Wren, Music Teacher
Hello from the music room!
By: Vanessa North, Art Teacher
The fifth grade participated in an MLK drawing contest sponsored by the Roosevelt Cone Jr. Scholarship. Congratulations to Raegan Pierce on winning the contest!
BA Community
An Update from the Cornerstone Committee
On January 29, 2022, Bulloch Academy hosted our BALL Gala and celebrated our 50 year anniversary. We were grateful to honor teacher Mrs. Pam Sapp, the Arthur Howard Family, and the Averitt family for their remarkable contributions to our school and students over many decades. The incredible evening marked a milestone in Bulloch Academy’s long history, and we enjoyed reflecting on the cornerstone of the school’s founding, love for family.
Proceeds from the evening will be invested in tools for science education and include enhancements to our Makerspace. We can’t wait to have a multitude of cutting-edge tools and purposeful upgrades to our facility to benefit our children’s futures!
We appreciate the outstanding support of our presenting sponsor, Synovus, and our Gold sponsors including Morris Bank, Davis Marketing Company, Crider Foods, and Wall Orthodontics. We also value the generosity of Green Sponsors including Capstone Benefits Consulting, Citizens Bank of the South, Herff Jones, Maxwell-Reddick and Associates, Metter Pharmacy, Southern Family Dentistry, Walker Pharmacy, The County Line, and The Lofts at West. A big BALL of thanks also to Friends Of supporters, Table Sponsors, and all who attended and made this a memorable evening.
Special thanks to our fabulous Gala chair, Erin Walden, for organizing a hugely successful event. Stay tuned for announcements of total funds raised and specific ways your generosity advanced science education on campus. We love our BA family who provide generous support and consistently invest in education, thank you for helping our children succeed!
Gatorpalooza by Brandilyn Stroup, Director of Curriculum and Support Services
This school year is flying by and we are coming up on some exciting events in the next few months! One event to look forward to is Gatorpalozza on Thursday, March 3. This event will include engaging STEAM activities for students across all grade levels to participate in throughout the evening. STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Math, all of which are 21st-century skills. Students participate in STEAM activities integrated into their classes at Bulloch Academy, which helps them prepare for their future. The different activities students will engage in at Gatorpalooza will promote collaboration, critical thinking, communication, and creativity to apply real-world knowledge into student learning. Come join us from 5:30-6:30 to take part in the various activities our teachers have planned for your students! Afterward, stick around for the faculty basketball game that will take place from 6:45-7:30. We hope to see you there!
Do you know a new family who would be interested in scheduling a tour of our campus? Encourage them to reserve a time slot HERE at our Open House on Thursday, March 3rd.
