POOR Richard’s Gazette
A Publication of the Ben Franklin Academy
Contents
Headmaster’s Column
Parent & Grandparent Night
The Franklin Players
Green Club
Philanthropy Project
Teacher Appreciation Day
New Faculty
Golf
Cross Country
Spirit Night
Open House
Annual Fund
Alumni News
Headmaster:
Wood Smethurst, Ed.D.
Dean of Studies:
Martha B. Burdette, Ph.D.
Director of Media
Services:
Jack Miller, Ph.D.
Editor:
Ashley Lamar
Board of Trustees
President:
C. Michael York, Ph.D.
Vice President:
Henry Edelhauser, Ph.D.
Secretary – Treasurer:
Martha B. Burdette, Ph.D.
Other Trustees:
Mr. Dameron Black III
Mrs. Jane Black
Wood Smethurst, Ed.D.
THE BEN FRANKLIN ACADEMY
1585 CLIFTON ROAD, N.E.
ATLANTA, GA 30329
Headmaster’s Column
We have had an eventful and exciting fall. As we continue to reach
our Five Year SACS/SAIS Objectives, we are working to build a strong,
committed community of parents and grandparents; strengthen the
curriculum and the sports programs; and build clubs and activities like
Green Club and Drama. Dr. Edward Ellis joined our faculty this year
to teach English and World Religions and assist Lauren Head in Cross
Country. Pam Liu is new to the Math department. Their profiles can be
found on page seven. We continue to offer Open Houses and individual
tours to families who are interested in our innovative Mastery Learning
approach, which addresses the needs and goals of bright, creative teens
who seek a challenging curriculum and a nurturing environment. More
and more families are choosing our progressive program as they hear about
the success of our alumni.
As we move forward into the spring, we will begin collecting data for the
next five-year SACS/SAIS Self-Study to renew our accreditation in 2015.
We will address how well we’ve met our five-year goals as we develop our
plan for continuous progress for the next five years. We are excited about
the process and look forward to receiving input from all our stakeholders.
Best wishes for a healthy and prosperous 2014!
Dr. Wood Smethurst, Headmaster
Telephone: (404) 633-7404
Fax: (404) 321-0610
www.benfranklinacademy.org
[email protected]
Volume 29, Number 1 • Winter 2014
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Parent & Grandparent Night
Ben Franklin Academy’s Parent/Grandparent Night was held on Monday, August 19,
at the Emory University Conference Center.
Family members were able to meet faculty
members and discuss their teen’s progress.
The families were served dinner as they
heard more about the school’s plans for the
fall semester.
Cynthia Davis signs in with teacher Kecia May.
Barry Dunnavant (left) speaks to Anh Thu and her cousin
Helen Pham.
Associate Dean Peter Birdsey speaks to Catherine Addison.
Matt Wineski (left) converses with Joe and Kerry Bresee.
Parents enjoy their dinner while listening to Dr. Smethurst
speak.
Dr. Edward Ellis (left) visits with Mary Stanley and
Tony Casadonte.
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Volume 29, Number 1 • Winter 2014
Parent & Grandparent Night
Dr. Nugzar Davitashvili chats with Mary Ryan.
Teacher Ashley Lamar meets Sarah Haas.
The parents were able to visit with each other as well as with
the teachers.
Dr. Smethurst talks to Carmen Sidbury and Renata Turner
before the meal.
Charlie Weber discusses education with Susan Phillips and
Jerry Phillips.
Pam Liu (right) meets with parents Alana Black and Adam
Payne.
Volume 29, Number 1 • Winter 2014
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The Franklin Players
Kicking off their 16th season, The Franklin Players presented the psychological
drama To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday set in 1980’s Nantucket. In what has been
described as a story of obsessive and enduring love, this play by Michael Brady was
turned into a 1996 film featuring Peter Gallagher and Claire Danes. Our own stellar
cast featuring Lucas Hardy as David, Callen Phillips as Rachel, Kyra Cohen as
Esther, Avery Burton as Paul, Rachel Hamilton as Kevin, Irene Zielinski as Gillian,
and Gabi Collard as Cindy appeared on the BFA stage November 12,13, and 18.
A parent-sponsored reception, organized by Katherine Bailey, helped to celebrate
the opening night performance and continued the theme of a beach-side Nantucket
cottage with selections of popular food from the period.
Irene Zielinski - Gillian
Callen Philllips - Rachel
Lucas Hardy - David
(Pictured at Right)
Avery Burton - Paul
Rachel Hamilton - Kevin
The play is a realistic portrayal of David, a literature professor, who at 37 is grieving
the death of his wife Gillian, an adventurous primatologist, who has continued
to “visit” him as a ghostly reminder of their loving, but troubled marriage. When
David’s daughter, Rachel, shows up to intervene in David’s unhealthy seclusion,
she brings fortification: Gillian’s sister, Esther, and brother-in-law, Paul, along with
Kevin, a long-ago friend of David’s and now prospective date. The events of the
weekend cause the adults to re-examine their relationships; Esther and Paul have to
deal with the problem posed to their marriage by Rachel’s provocative young teenage
friend, Cindy, while, most importantly, David comes to realize that he can be a loving
and attentive father to Rachel without betraying the memory of Gillian.
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Volume 29, Number 1 • Winter 2014
The Franklin Players
The cast and
crew of To Gillian on her 37th
Birthday.
The production included an opening projection of stars and constellations and throughout
the scenes were riffs of great ‘80’s music. The hard working crew, under the leadership of
Crew Chief Taylor Mulcahy, Production Manager Nathaniel Hoffman, and Stage Manager
Robert Deane, built all of the sets, hung lights, created a pier and “sand beach,” and designed
shingles for the weathered house facade. The tech crew also included Steven Bailey, Sidney
Turner, Alex Zielinski, Ethan Beller, Will Keenan, and Veronique Mattox. The show was
directed by Dr. Pamela Turner with Assistant Dean Jeff Guthrie as Tech Director and faculty
member Wright Howell as Line Coach.
(Pictured right)
Crew member
Will Keenan constructs a piece of
the stage.
(Pictured above)
Irene Zielinski - Gillian
Callen Philllips - Rachel
Student technicians Stephen Bailey (left) and Alex Zielinski (right)
measure pieces for the set.
Volume 29, Number 1 • Winter 2014
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Green Club
The BFA Green Club now has a mascot fish in a fish tank! Our fish mascot serves as
a useful educational tool for thinking about ecosystem questions such as “How much
food does the fish need?” and “Will snails help clean the fish tank environment?” Our
Wednesday lunch club gatherings have provided a great time to discuss environmental
and political issues. We also had our annual jack-o-lantern creation by carving our
mascot fish on a pumpkin for Halloween and we had an organic Thanksgiving feast in
November.
Andy Nguyen and Rachel Hamilton gathering pumpkin
seeds at the Green Club Halloween celebration.
Anna Lloyd, Olga Novokhotko, and Benjamin Latting with Green Club gold fish mascot.
Philanthropy Project
Our first philanthropy project this year was held at Open Hand. This nonprofit organization packages food and delivers it to critically ill people who are physically unable to
prepare their own nutritional food. Open Hand can always use volunteer help in packaging and/or delivering food, so it is a great place for anybody who wants to volunteer.
Working on this generous project together encouraged much camaraderie and friendship with many funny stories told among our group of 18 volunteers!
Our next philanthropy project was a contribution to the Children’s Restoration Network (CRN), which donates canned foods to homeless families. There is much appreciation for anything we can provide to this organization. We delivered over 5000 pounds
of food to CRN.
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Volume 29, Number 1 • Winter 2014
Teacher Appreciation Day
Teacher Dameron Black IV can’t wait to try some of his
cookies.
BFA mothers Christine Ronn,
Mary Claus, and
Mary Konieczny
put together the
cookie swap boxes.
Teacher Charlie Weber has to make some tough
choices on which cookies to take home to enjoy.
New Faculty
Edward Ellis, Ph.D. and Pam Liu joined the Ben Franklin
Academy this fall. Edward has taught for many years on the
secondary and collegiate level and holds three degrees in
Philosophy, the B.A. from Rhodes College and the M.A. and
Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University. He also completed an
M.Ed. in English Education at Georgia State University and
is working on an M.A. in Literary Studies.
Pam Liu has been a strong addition to the Math Program.
She holds a degree a B.A. in Math from Duke University.
She currently teaches all levels of math from Algebra I to
Pre-Calculus.
Our faculty and students have enjoyed working with them,
and they have contributed much to the academic program
this year.
Volume 29, Number 1 • Winter 2014
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Golf
Golf at BFA includes the PE class and the varsity golf team. Coach
Ashley Lamar brings his experience as a former assistant club
professional as well as his love for the game to his work with the
students at BFA. This fall, a group of thirteen students enjoyed the
chance to learn the fundamentals of the game at the local driving
range while earning credit for school. Each Tuesday, students
make their way to the Grand Slam Driving Range for an hour of
instruction and fresh air.
Coach Ashley Lamar works on set-up with varsity golfer
Jordan Diamond.
BFA Students (from left to right) Ross Goines, Slater
Schoch, Caleb Magruder, and Jonah Siegel at the driving
range for the weekly golf class.
This coming spring the varsity golf team will once again
have regular afterschool practices and compete against other area high schools. The team will be anchored this year by
senior James Kyles. Last season, James fired a personal best
75 in the region tournament to qualify for the state championship tournament in Savannah. James is looking to make
it a memorable final season at BFA and with his experience
and leadership the next edition of the BFA golf team is
poised for another successful run through the region tournament and then on to state.
Varsity golfer James Kyles on the
course at the 2013 Region Tournament.
BFA Student Thomas Bell at the weekly golf class.
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Volume 29, Number 1 • Winter 2014
Cross Country
The Ben Franklin Academy Cross Country team had a very successful season this
year, setting the fastest overall pace in the school’s history. Coaches Lauren Head and
Edward Ellis led the team. Returning runners were senior, Jack Bresee; junior, Cedrik
Maisonneuve; and sophomore, Jake Dotson. Rounding out the team included newcomers, Gabriel Troiano, Ross Goines, Andy Nguyen, Anh Thu Nguyen, Adam Meiri,
Alex Moore, and Nathaniel Hoffman. Veteran Bresee achieved substantial personal records during the season, most importantly 24th place at the Battle of Atlanta in Hampton, Georgia, in a field of 334 runners, with a time of 20:02.
Throughout the season, Cross Country athletes consistently trained hard, which was
demonstrated by their posting faster overall individual times by 2:39/mile at the end of
the season compared to the beginning of the season.
The Ben Franklin Academy team competed against other high school teams across the
state of Georgia in meets including the 2nd Annual Nike Panther XC Invitational, Fayetteville; Battle of Atlanta, Hampton; Atlanta Classic, Douglasville; and the 9th Annual
Python Meet, Decatur. The team placed 7th at the Championships for Region 5A/Area
3 held at Our Lady of Mercy in Fayetteville. The team competed on November 23rd
in the annual Piedmont Park Race 2 Recycle 5k. In this final event of the season, BFA
runners and coaches raced to support the organization Keep Atlanta Beautiful, which
works to promote cleaner and greener city neighborhoods. The team celebrated their
accomplishments and received recognition in December at the annual BFA Fall Sports
Banquet.
(From left) Jack Bresee, Jake Dotson, Gabriel Troiano, Alex Moore, Cedrick Maisonneuve, and Andy Nguyen.
Jake Dotson made a mad dash for the finish line.
(Pictured left) Dr. Ellis (center) with
(from left) Nathaniel Hoffman,
Gabriel Troiano, and Adam Meiri.
Volume 29, Number 1 • Winter 2014
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Spirit Night
Ben Franklin Academy’s Spirit Night, an event enjoyed by the full family and faculty
of Ben Franklin Academy was held on Thursday, September 19, at Bruster’s Ice Cream.
Everyone present participated in games and activities while partaking of the wonderful
ice cream!
(above) - Students Peyton Jones, Connor Cassidy, and Robert
Deane relaxing after their ice cream.
(above)
The Latting family enjoyed the evening.
(above) - BFA Faculty/Staff Members - Amy Barnes, Vivian
Waldrop, and Debby Keenan had a great time, too.
Open House
(Pictured left)
Dean Kecia May
answers questions
from prospective
students.
(at right) Dean
Peter Birdsey listens to potential
BFA parents.
(Pictured left) Teacher Dameron
Black speaks with
guests.
Ben Franklin Academy holds two Open Houses
for prospective families each fall and winter. This
year the Open Houses were Thursday, December
12, and Thursday, January 23. Both Open Houses
were held from 5:00 - 6:30 PM. The pictures above
are from the January 23 Open House.
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Volume 29, Number 1 • Winter 2014
Annual Fund
With the New Year, we reflect upon all that has been accomplished in the past calendar
year, we are humbled and most grateful for the family and friends of the BFA community.
For the past 25 years, you all have rallied around our mission and supported our work in
every way possible. Your involvement, presence and support is the best holiday gift that
we could receive.
Each year, funds raised through the Annual Fund are designated for identified needs for
BFA students that provide opportunities for educational growth. The 2013-2014 Annual
Fund will support high priority repairs and improvements to both the Senior House and
Junior House, as well as scholarship assistance.
We hope we can count on your continued support this year. Your gift to the 2013-2014
Annual Fund will support repairs to our Junior and Senior Houses, as well as provide
support for our Scholarship Fund.
This year, we are especially grateful to Mary Claus, our Annual Fund Parents Chair, and
to our Annual Fund Volunteer Committee: Scott Bond, Kerry Bresee, Angela Cassidy,
Rob Fortson, Kathryn Hochman, Joanne Lyman, Mary Konieczny, Kerry Quinn, and
Phyllis Weiss. To make your gift to the Annual Fund today, please go online to www.
BenFranklinAcademy.org/support-BFA or mail your pledge card and donation to our
Development Office.
If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Martha Burdette at 404-633-7404.
“An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.”
Benjamin Franklin
We at Ben Franklin Academy recognize the truth in these wise words from our namesake –
both then and now. We invite our friends to invest in the school’s future by providing for Ben
Franklin Academy in your estate plans. Donors who have invested in the future of the school
in this way will be honored as members of The Liberty Legacy.
By joining The Liberty Legacy, members will help to guarantee that Ben Franklin Academy
will remain a place where deserving students can get back on track to graduation and
academic success. Planned gifts strengthen the school’s endowment, providing a cornerstone
for the long-range plans of the school, its financial aid program, and its service to future
generations of students struggling with learning challenges.
Should you have any questions about how to make a planned gift to the school or for more
information about The Liberty Legacy, please contact Dr. Martha Burdette at 404-633-7404.
Volume 29, Number 1 • Winter 2014
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Alumni News
Earlier this year, BFA Alumni Anna Elise Barnes (2010) received the Jane C. Waldbaum
Archaeological Field School Scholarship for summer research. This award was given to only eleven students in the nation and enabled Elise and several other students,
along with professors from both Eckerd College and North Carolina State University,
to spend five weeks in central Thailand excavating the site of an Iron Age cemetery,
Promtin Tai.
Jordan Suresky (2009) graduated magna cum laude from Lynn University in Hospitality Management. Jordan is attending the University of Houston this year, begining the
Master’s program in Hospitality Management.
Nathan Schulman graduated from Reinhardt University with a B.A. in Communications and Visual Arts. Nathan credits the freedom to explore topics of his choosing
while at BFA with instilling in him a love of writing.
Bryan Wethington (BFA class of 2010) was selected to the 2013-2014 class of Who’s
Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges for the University of
Mississippi. Bryan was nominated and then selected by a committee of faculty, staff,
and students. The Dean of Students at the University of Mississippi said, “Each year
the University of Mississippi...honors those students who have made significant contributions to their campus in the area of scholarship, leadership, and student activities by
selecting them to Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges.”
We congratulate Bryan on his accomplishments!
Volume 29, Number 1 • Winter 2014
(404) 633-7404
www.benfranklinacademy.org
[email protected]
THE BEN FRANKLIN ACADEMY
1585 CLIFTON ROAD, N.E.
ATLANTA, GA 30329
12
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