January 2020
The Explorer: Alumni Edition 

Happy 2020, Harrisburg Academy Alumni! 

We hope you enjoyed a restful and fun holiday season. The school is bustling with activity as our students enter the second semester and our athletic teams hit the midpoint of their seasons. Read on to learn more!
We Want to Hear From You!  

Please fill out our Google form to share your contact information with us. If you would prefer, you can also email Lindsay Bowman with your updated information.
Alumni Events
Alumni Basketball Game
The annual Alumni Basketball games were held on Wednesday, November 27 and saw alumni return to campus from all years and places! Current Athletic Director and former Varsity girls’ coach, Jeane Serino, coached the alumni women’s team, which faced off against the current Varsity girls. Coach Pancoski coached the men’s game, where players were divided up by graduation year – evens vs. odds. 

Former coach and Athletic Hall of Famer Steve Stewart attended, as did other current faculty members and administrators. Alumni also enjoyed looking through old photo albums, visiting with alumni parents, and introducing their children to their Alma Mater.  
The Grinch
Another tradition before winter break continued this year with the performance of The Grinch , organized by the senior class. Isac Desbel starred as the Grinch, supported by John Helm as his trusty canine-turned-reindeer, Max, and Kyrell Johnson as Cindy Lou Who. The seniors’ retelling of this classic story delighted the assembled students, all the way from Pre-K to 12th grade, to alumni, faculty, and parents.
Class Notes
Updates on Academy Alumni. We want to hear from you! Email Lindsay Bowman with your Class Notes.
Class of 1990
Jonnathan Busko was selected as one of the National Rural Health Association’s 2020 Rural Health Fellows. This year-long, intensive program is aimed at developing leaders who can articulate a clear and compelling vision for rural America. As one of the fellows, Jonnathan will be focusing on access to urgent and emergency care services in ultra-rural and frontier areas. His work picks up from his MPH Thesis on Expanded Scope of Service and Practice EMS (Emergency Medical Services), also known as Community Paramedicine or Mobile Integrated Health.

Jonnathan is currently pursuing an MBA at the Maine Business School of the University of Maine. He lives in Bangor, ME with his family where he works for St. Joseph Healthcare as an emergency physician and as the medical director of the emergency department.
Class of 2014
Drew Bleigh ’14 and Johanna Jakobs ’15 are engaged to be married this spring. They currently reside in Germany.
Save the Date!

All alumni are invited to attend this year’s Gala Auction, Spring Fling, on April 25th at the Harrisburg Hilton! This year, we are adding casino games as entertainment in addition to our live and silent auctions. Join alumni, faculty, staff, parents, and members of the community to raise your paddles.  
How can you participate?

  • Mark your calendar for April 25, 2020 at the Hilton Harrisburg and purchase tickets to attend. 
  • Be a sponsor! Family Sponsorships are $500, which includes two event tickets; $1000 includes four event tickets.
  • Additional levels are available and include program ads and other goodies for your company or corporation! Please feel free to reach out to Stacy Klann or Vicki Disylvester for more information.  
  • Donate to the silent or live auction. Valerie Hubbard has graciously agreed to Chair the Auction Committee! We are looking for items such as sporting event tickets, overnight packages, gift certificates, and other unique experiences. 

Please contact Valerie at valerielynnhubbard@gmail.com for more information.
All proceeds support our students and the exceptional education offered at Harrisburg Academy.

Happening at the Academy
The Centers for Experiential Learning and Innovation
Do you know about our Centers?  The five Centers housed within the program — The Center for Experimental Sciences, The Center for Global & Local Citizenship, The Center for Technology & Entrepreneurship, The Center for Literary Studies, and The Center for the Creative Arts — provide customized learning opportunities that supplement the Academy’s traditional liberal arts core and International Baccalaureate curriculum. The Academy’s intent is to enable its students, with the support of faculty mentors, to cultivate their passions and create individualized internships that supplement traditional classroom learning.  

The Center for Experimental Sciences hosted its annual Science Night for Pre-K through 6 th grade students at Harrisburg Academy on January 15. There were many engaging experiments and helpful student volunteers. Science Night would not happen without the dedicated Science Department faculty – Maureen Smith, Lakshmi Shrikantia, Jen Klemunes, Carolyn Estill-Shover ’92, and Jeremy Smith.
Share with us – Who were your Science teachers and how did they make Science come to life for you? 
The Center for Global and Local Citizenship will host The Core Ensemble on January 23 , where they will perform one of their signature shows, “Ain’t I a Woman?” which honors four prominent African American women – Sojourner Truth, Zora Neale Hurston, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Clementine Hunter. The performance will be in the McCormick Auditorium from 12:00-1:10 – if you are in the area, please join us! The event is free and open to students, parents, alumni, and friends of Harrisburg Academy. 
More Events...
Geography Bee
The Middle School students recently completed the preliminary rounds of the National Geographic Society’s Geography Bee! The ten students with the top scores will compete in a final round to determine our school winner. 

International Night
Save the Date for our 9 th annual International Night, which will be on Friday, April 17 . This unique event brings the greater Harrisburg area together to discover the food, culture, and customs of the diverse community of Harrisburg Academy. View cultural dances, taste culinary dishes, and hear musical performances that highlight Academy families' cultures from around the world. The International Café will be open in Louis Lehrman Gymnasium at 5 p.m . with performances beginning in McCormick Auditorium at 6 p.m. This event is free and open to the public – bring a friend!!

Have you made your gift to the Academy Fund ? Give online any time, day or night!
New Interactive Touch boards!
Thanks to a generous donation by Shawn and Sharon Rooney, Harrisburg Academy is now equipped with ViewSonic ViewBoards. These interactive smart boards allow the students to engage with educational material like never before.
Be Social With Us!