Volume 13, Issue 4
EXPLORE CAMPUS WITH PACA ON WEDNESDAY

In place of the monthly PACA Forum this Wednesday, all Academy parents and guardians are encouraged to join Head of Lower School Mark Hansen on a hike around our 231-acre campus! Meet at 8:00 a.m. in the dining hall, grab a cup of coffee and enjoy a brief description regarding the importance of an outdoor curriculum. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes and clothes because from there, Mr. Hansen will lead an exploration of the school's wooded trails just like the PreK's Forest Friday program. The weather forecast looks great, so don't miss this opportunity to marvel at the school's natural beauty while fostering connections with other families!
SIX EARN NATIONAL MERIT COMMENDED HONORS

Six additional students from Columbus Academy have been recognized in the 65th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Academy seniors Gigi Bates, Max Brown, Evan Farrenkopf, Alexandria Graham, Whitney Hannallah and Medha Sinha have been named Commended Students for their exceptional academic promise! 
PICTURE RETAKES TOMORROW & SPIRITWEAR FRIDAY

School picture retakes will be offered tomorrow (Wednesday, October 2), from 8:30-11:30 a.m. in the walkway behind Academy Hall. Anyone who preordered should have received an email from Irish Eyes Photography with a password to view images (be sure to check your spam folder and child's school email account). If you did not preorder but would like to see your child's photo, please email your child's name and grade level to erinfoster@irisheyesphotography.net. If you wish for your child to have a retake, email your child's teacher or advisor by tomorrow morning so that your child can be escorted to the photo location. Also, our first pep rally of the school year will be held this Friday afternoon, so a full spiritwear dress down has been allowed for the day, meaning Academy gear from head to toe if students choose!
ADMISSIONS EVENT FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM

Columbus Academy will host a 3-Year-Old Explorers Program, PreK and Kindergarten Showcase event for interested parents and guardians (adults only, please) on Thursday, October 10, starting at 9:00 a.m. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet the teachers who bring creativity and curiosity to life, as well as see our classrooms and playgrounds in action! 
JUNIOR SPEECH PROGRAM BEGINS NEW ERA

As a graduation requirement, all Academy 11th-graders must deliver a 5-7 minute speech in front of the entire Upper School on a topic of their own choosing. It is a tradition that goes back over 100 years to almost the very founding of our school. Last month also marked a new era in the Junior Speech program as English Department Chair Beth Reifeis guided the school year's opening four speakers in her new role as our public speaking instructor. Kudos to Daniel Farber, Suzy L'Hommedieu, Maddie Rosenberg and Javier Sais for starting the year, and era, so strongly and best of luck to all of this year's speakers!
HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH ASSEMBLIES

Columbus Academy kicked off Hispanic Heritage Month with special assemblies for both the Middle School and Lower School featuring world-renowned pianist Orlay Alonso. Dr. Alsonso, who also happens to be the father of second-grader Oliver, shared what it was like growing up in Cuba while also entertaining us with his skills as a virtuoso performer! We'll be sharing more Hispanic Heritage Month activities in upcoming newsletters.
TIM LEET SELECTED AS SUNNY 95'S TEACHER OF MONTH

Tim Leet, who has taught science in our Upper School since 1999 and also serves as the Ethics and Character Coordinator, was named this school year's first Teacher of the Month by Sunny 95. The radio station's event director, Andre Friederich, presented Tim with a plaque in front of this morning's physics class, which was treated to an impromptu pizza party from Jet's Pizza.
GIRLS EXCEL IN FOOTBALL, WRESTLING & BASEBALL

During a recent 26-8 win at Worthington, fifth-grader Morgan Spalding caught a 7-yard scoring pass from sixth-grader Cody Hock, making her the first girl to score a touchdown for Columbus Academy's youth football team! As you may remember, current seventh-grader Mia Robeano preceded Morgan as the first-ever female football player at Academy. Girls competing in sports that were traditionally for boys has become more commonplace in recent years, including on our middle school wrestling and baseball squads. And we have several female standouts already in the youth pipeline for our ice hockey program as well!
NOTES FROM COLLEGE COUNSELING

New this year, the College Board is requiring all AP Exam orders be placed in the fall, so AP Exam registrations are due November 1. By moving to fall ordering, students in AP classes will have access to many new resources and digital tools to prepare for the exam. For more details about these changes and how Academy students should register, click here.
 
Junior College Night for Class of 2021 students and parents will be on Tuesday, November 12, at 7:00 p.m. in the dining hall. This is the only college counseling program exclusively focused on Grade 11 students and parents all year. The presentation will provide a road map for the next 18 months as well as demystify the college admission process. Please come and gain a better understanding of what to expect from college counseling at Columbus Academy. 
ARTS & MUSIC SCENE

Academy's upper school fall play on November 1-2 will consist of a series of one acts featuring 19 different actors and actresses. Look for more details about the cast and tickets in the weeks to come! Auditions for this year's middle school musical "Beauty and the Beast" will be on October 28-29 with callbacks on October 30 and cast announcement on November 1. A parent meeting will be held on November 4 when rehearsals start. The performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on January 31 and February 1.
Additional Arts & Music Links 
SERVICE LEARNING

It was the second Friday of September when our upper-schoolers embarked on their annual service day, making their way around Central Ohio with their respective advisory to various service-based organizations. Known as the "best day of the year" to our student-led Service Board and Service Department Chair Christy Bening, each advisory took part in helping sort and cook food, paint, garden, move storage items and much more, all in the spirit of lending a helping hand to our surrounding community. Once they arrived back to campus in the afternoon, the club fair began in the senior quad as numerous opportunities for student involvement were on display! 
SPORTS REPORT

 
We are excited to announce a new partnership to share hype videos for Academy's sports teams and special events. Our first joint release promotes this Thursday's varsity home football game against Bishop Ready that will be televised at 7:00 p.m. on the CW Columbus. This video is produced by Josh Tu, an Academy junior with a passion for photography and videography, and features music by InfraSound as well as commentary from CBUS Sports Radio. Look for more of these student productions throughout the school year!
Fall Sports Senior Nights
  • September 19: Girls Tennis (view gallery)
  • September 25: Girls Soccer (view gallery)
  • October 1: Boys Soccer at 6:45 p.m. on Hondros Field
  • October 2: Volleyball at 6:00 p.m. in Mackenzie Gymnasium
  • October 2: Cross Country at 6:15 p.m. on Hondros Field
  • October 3: Boys Golf at Halftime of 7:00 p.m. Football Game
  • October 4: Field Hockey at 5:00 p.m. on Carlin Fields (time change)
  • October 25: Football at 6:45 p.m. on Hondros Field
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