This Is the Academy Experience
To keep our community informed about what is happening at Columbus Academy, we'll be sharing news and achievements directly with you on a more frequent basis. Thank you for being a part of the Academy Experience!
Little Dribblers Class of 2031 photo
Preparing Future Hoops Stars
JoAnne Adams, chair of our PE department, started the Little Dribblers program with the help of the late Keith Helfant '82 during the 1999-2000 school year. Beginning with the very first participants from Academy's Class of 2009, the PE class project has been a winter highlight for third-graders and has even served as a catalyst for future Viking basketball standouts. School photographer Cynthia Wilson captured that connection in a social media gallery by mixing images of current seniors as Little Dribblers with pictures of them as varsity players giving high-fives to this year's performers (click here to view). Our fourth-graders will also have a chance to experience this special tradition, now in its 23rd year. After not having the opportunity to perform last winter, our Class of 2030 will be putting its skills on display at the OSU men's basketball game vs. Penn State at noon this Sunday (January 16), at our varsity girls' 6:00 p.m. game against Tree of Life on February 3 and at our boys' 7:30 p.m. tipoff with Worthington Christian on February 11. Also, former Little Dribbler and current senior Sophie Spolter is expected to surpass the 1,000-point total for her career during tomorrow's 6:00 p.m. home game against Fisher Catholic. After scoring 25 points in her last game, Sophie currently has 999 career points and could be the first player in our girls program to reach 1,000 since the late Andrea Esselstein '00 achieved that mark as a junior in 1999.
Parent Forum Livestream & Wellness Walk
This month’s Parent Forum on Wednesday, January 12, will introduce new Director of Campus Safety and Security Perry Doran and feature a special presentation by our college counselors that will provide a big-picture look at today’s college application landscape. You are welcome to attend in person from 8:00-9:00 a.m. on the fireplace-side of our dining hall, but the entire meeting will also be livestreamed. If you would like to watch via a Zoom webinar feed, just go to https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86378848438 starting at 8:00 a.m. this Wednesday morning. There will also be a Wellness Walk with Shaun Ditty that will leave from the dining hall at 8:30 for anyone who wants to learn about mindfulness while being guided around campus by our lower school counselor (please dress appropriately to be outside for an hour).
Blood Drive Donors Needed on January 12
The Red Cross is experiencing the worst blood shortage in over a decade. Columbus Academy’s student-run Service Board will be hosting a blood drive from 7:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. this Wednesday, January 12, in our athletics entrance lobby. Many appointment slots remain available, so we hope you consider donating. To make an appointment, please click here.
Check Your Local Bus Information Daily
If you have children who ride a bus to and/or from school, please be sure to check your local district’s school transportation plans on a daily basis. If your local school district is not busing its own students on any given day, there will not be a bus available for your children either, so you will be responsible for transporting them to and from our campus on those days.
Update on Covid Communications
Going forward, parents and guardians will only be notified of Covid cases if they affect their children’s sports teams or individual lower school classrooms. All families can check the Covid Information Page for daily updates on positive tests affecting our campus. If you have any health-related questions or concerns, please contact school nurses Beckie Hoagland and Janet Fireman by emailing nurse@columbusacademy.org or calling them directly at 614-509-2234 (school office), 614-332-2764 (Beckie’s mobile phone) or 614-496-9591 (Janet’s mobile phone).