Volume 13, Issue 9
ALL INVITED TO SATURDAY'S FIELDHOUSE FAMILY NIGHT

As Head of School Melissa Soderberg mentioned in her new year's message, all families are invited to our Fieldhouse Family Night from 5:00-7:00 p.m. this Saturday, January 25, to shoot some hoops, try the climbing wall and participate in other fun activities and prizes with the only price of admission that night being the right footwear -- athletic shoes with non-marking soles. That same evening, we will be inducting Phil Cannon '82, Lindsey Williams '01 and Scott Smith '03 into our Athletics Hall of Fame starting at 6:30 p.m. in the Dining Hall (RSVP to Director of Alumni Relations Melissa Clarke Beckett at 614-509-2290 or alumni@columbusacademy.org). To cap off the evening, those three former Viking standouts will be recognized at halftime of the varsity boys basketball home game against archrival Bexley that will tip off at 7:30. 
PARENT EDUCATION MOVIE NIGHT THIS THURSDAY

Please join the CA community for our 2019-20 Movie Night on Thursday, January 23, hosted by PACA Parent Education and the Alumni Office. Continuing with this year's theme of Flourishing, there will be three films being screened. Two of the films are from The Representation Project and examine how gender roles and stereotypes limit our children's ability to flourish. Miss Representation focuses on the social pressures and messaging that girls experience while The Mask You Live In focuses on boys and masculinity. Both films offer thoughtful information and examples for helping children navigate their challenges. The third film, No Small Matter, is the first feature documentary to explore the critical importance of early childhood education. Written and co-directed by Academy alumnus Greg Jacobs '87, the film presents poignant stories of real children, families and teachers, illustrating the impact of high-quality early childhood experiences. Miss Representation and The Mask You Live In will be shown in the Dining Hall. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the films starting at 7:00 sharp and running for approximately 90 minutes. Roundtable discussions will follow each film, and the event ends at 9:00. Food and drinks will be provided. RSVP to cavikingparents@gmail.com. No Small Matter will take place in the Schoedinger Theatre. The showing will begin promptly at 7:00 p.m. and will run for 75 minutes. Afterward, there will be a talk with Jacobs and Colin McGinnis, CEO of South Side Early Learning. To RSVP for No Small Matter, click here. Movie Night is an adults-only event. Childcare will be available for children through age 12 (all children must be potty trained).
SYMBOLIC MARCH PRECEDES MLK CELEBRATION

In a "We Shall Always March Ahead" activity last week, students at Columbus Academy traced their feet on a sheet of paper and then cut them out. On one foot, they wrote or illustrated a benefit they receive as a result of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s work. On the other, they wrote or illustrated one way they personally will act to ensure that the work keeps moving forward. They then joined a symbolic march (watch video) to a special assembly celebrating the civil rights leader. Our third-graders began the event with a rendition of "Agents of Change" followed by a welcome from senior Alisha Mohsin and an engaging story about inclusiveness and community from Dr. Pascal Losambe, our Upper School Dean of Students. The celebration ended with students sharing the reasons why they marched. To view a collection of their footprints, visit the Schoedinger Theatre lobby. 
TEN MORE COMMIT TO COLLEGE ATHLETIC PROGRAMS

 
Everyone is invited to Thursday's celebration at 3:30 p.m. in the dining hall to recognize the following Columbus Academy seniors who will be continuing their athletic careers on the collegiate level: Matthew Cammeyer (golf at Lafayette College), Sam Massick (football at Princeton University), Griffin Mitchell (golf at Drexel University), Sarah Neltner (soccer at Washington University in St. Louis), Mitch Priest (basketball at Grinnell College), Olivia Seline (rowing at Bates College), Philip Soderberg (football at Kenyon College), Mackenzie Smith (lacrosse at The College of Wooster), Andrew Swartz (lacrosse at Christopher Newport University) and Carter Warstler (basketball at The College of Wooster)! 
MIDDLE SCHOOL STAGING "BEAUTY AND THE BEAST JR."

Our middle-schoolers are very excited to bring Disney's "Beauty and the Beast Jr." to the Schoedinger Theatre stage on Friday, January 31, and Saturday, February 1. Both shows will start at 7:30 p.m., and seats can be reserved in advance using this order form. Tickets are $7 each but free for Academy students and faculty/staff. 
REGISTER NOW FOR SUMMER EXPERIENCE PROGRAMS

Registration for Summer Experience 2020 is now officially open! Join us this summer for Adventurous Explorers, Spanish, Skateboarding, Upcycling, Ready for K!, and so much more! Registering students from birth to 12th grade, including our Family Division of Explore With Me (babies/caregivers) and Adult & Child! For more information, please visit www.columbusacademy.org/summer or contact the Summer Experience office at 614-509-2267. Also, Winter ASA programs begin this week. If you missed the registration deadline and are still interested in a winter program, please contact the Special Programs office at 614-509-2267 or programs@columbusacademy.org.
RECAPPING ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL KIDS 4 KIDS PROJECT

 
Another successful Kids 4 Kids food and clothing drive was carried out this past fall as donations for the annual schoolwide service learning project concluded in November. Under the direction of service department chair Christy Bening and PACA service leader Kimberly Allison, as well as Service Board president Abby Yakam and vice president Alisha Mohsin, our community came together across all three divisions to lend a helping hand to accommodate sponsored families with winter clothing and food. Our lower-schoolers made trips to Meijer to purchase toiletries and non-perishable food items, while the middle-schoolers helped Dorothy Dell sort and then shop for the families using a pantry-like display in the Barton Room lobby. The upper school advisories also brought in non-perishable food items throughout the drive, which began on Halloween night as several students went out "Begging for Cans" throughout their various neighborhoods. Our upper-schoolers then teamed up with the Ohio Junior Classical League Executive Board for a clothing and toys store with the donations for the sponsored families to shop, before capping off the event with deliveries of food on November 23. A special thanks to all of our faculty, staff and volunteers who made this year's Kids 4 Kids partnership possible!   
DINNER OF GREAT CONVERSATIONS II

The Columbus Academy Board of Trustees' Cultural Consciousness Committee invites you to a Dinner of Great Conversations II with the school's Board, leadership team and Parents' Association on Wednesday, February 12. Last year's inaugural event was a big success, and we hope to gather community members again to meet and learn more about each other in a fun, interactive setting. The event is scheduled for 6:00-8:30 p.m. in our dining hall, and childcare will be provided for students under Grade 7. RSVP by February 5 to Shannon Nelson at nelsons@columbusacademy.org.    
SCHOOL IS ACCEPTING BOARD NOMINATIONS

The Nominating and Board Governance Committee is seeking nominations to the Board of Trustees. Recognizing the vital role played by trustees, Academy intends to appoint trustees in a thoughtful and methodical fashion, considering an individual's skill set relative to strategic issues currently facing the school and his or her demonstrated ability to function within the committee process. Please submit nominations no later than February 7. 
NOTES FROM COLLEGE COUNSELING

Families of freshmen and sophomores, please mark your calendars for a College Counseling Preview at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 4. This one-hour presentation is intended for both students and parents/guardians. 
 
In addition, our college counselors are hosting a series of Parent Coffees for anyone with children at Academy who might be interested in learning more about specific aspects of the college search process. The remaining two of these upcoming discussions will take place from 8:00-9:00 a.m. on the fireplace side of the Dining Hall.
  • Planning College Visits on Wednesday, January 22
  • Athletic Recruiting on Wednesday, January 29
Resources from Parent Coffee on Standardized Testing 
ARTS & MUSIC SCENE

Our first-ever Faculty & Staff Art Show is now on display in the Morris Hall Art Gallery! Now through February 25, see the many talented works done by our community of faculty and staff as their creativity is on display through photography, paintings, quilting and much more.
 
Additional Arts & Music Links 
SERVICE LEARNING

This year's Empty Bowls effort started early in the fall and included Academy students and faculty/staff as well as over a dozen master ceramicists from all over Central Ohio. The result was almost 600 beautiful bowls that were the prized takeaways from a Soup-for-Shelter event on December 13 at Otterbein University. All proceeds help to fund a wall build this spring for Westerville's Habitat for Humanity chapter that will include many volunteers from our school community. Art and ceramics teacher Charity White, who coordinated this year's successful bowl-making push, was quoted in a news article recapping the event.   
SPORTS REPORT

 
After leading their respective teams to the state semifinals, Columbus Academy seniors Sarah Neltner and Sam Massick were both recently recognized as All-Ohio first-teamers by the Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association and named to United Soccer Coaches All-Region Teams! Sarah was one of eight Central Ohioans selected to the All-Central Region squad while Sam was one of eight boys from our area to receive All-Great Lakes Region honors. 
 
Winter Sports Senior Nights 
  • Bowling on January 13 (view photos)
  • Swimming on January 21 (during 4:30 p.m. meet)
  • Ice Hockey on January 24 (prior to 7:30 p.m. game)
  • Boys Basketball on January 31 (prior to 7:30 p.m. game)
  • Girls Basketball on February 4 (prior to 5:30 p.m. game)
  • Wrestling on February 12 (prior to 5:45 p.m. meet)
Additional Sports Links
THIS IS THE ACADEMY EXPERIENCE
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