The Harding Academy Art Show announced

its 39th annual show at a kick-off event on November 12, 2013, at the Belle Meade home of former Harding parent Sylvia Roberts (Margaret ’03 and Marshall ’07). The co-chairs of the 2014 Harding Art Show, Ashley Heeren and Vickie Mertz, introduced Atlanta artist Steve Penley as the 2014 Featured Artist.

Born in Chattanooga, Tenn., and raised in Macon, Ga., Steve Penley began drawing at an early age and says that he has always been an artist. He attended the University of Georgia and the School of Visual Arts in New York City. His signature style—broad, colorful brush strokes—emerged in just a few days when a friend asked him to paint the walls of his new restaurant. Searching for inspiration, Penley focused on his love of American history and the American icons that he grew up admiring, and that continue to be the subject of his art today. Influenced by American television, history, pop culture, and comic books, Penley paints images that people both identify with and recognize. “These paintings are not documentaries of their respective subjects per se, but simply representations of the

common bonds we all share with them,” says Penley.

Steve’s art has appeared in the Coca-Cola Pop Art Gallery in Atlanta, Ga., as well as many other galleries in Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and New York. He is a regular contributor on television’s “Fox & Friends.” His works are displayed in numerous corporate and private collections throughout the United States

and Europe, including those of ESPN, Robert Mondavi Vineyards, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, and First Lady Michelle Obama.

Open to the public, the Harding Art Show is the oldest school-sponsored art show in Nashville. Since its debut in 1975, the show has grown from a modest gathering of artists to one of the largest exhibitions of fine art in the southeastern United States. The Harding Art Show is an important venue for participants and has launched the careers of significant southern artists. Participation in the show is by invitation only; last

year, invitations were extended to 73 artists after an exhaustive selection process. The 2014 Harding Art Show will be held Thursday, May 1, through Saturday, May 3, 2014. More information can be found on the show’s Facebook page, or by visiting artshow.hardingacademy.org. u

W I N T E R 2 0 1 4

Kaleidoscope Author . . . . . . . .2

Focus on the Curriculum . . . . . .3

Janet Shoemaker Profile . . . . . .4

Erin Hirsch Zagnoev ‘94 . . . . . .6

Class Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6–8

I N S I D E

February 6 Class Agent Reception and Alumni Gathering

February 7 Second Trimester Ends

February 13, 14, 15 All-School Musical Seussical

February 17 Presidents’ Day—School Holiday

February 20–21 Parent/Teacher Conferences

March 7 Deadline for Distinguished Alumni

Award Nominations

March 14–24 Spring Break

March 24 Don Schwartz Distinguished Educator

Program Speaker

April 10 Grades 5–6 Band/Choral Concert

April 17 Grades 7–8 Band/Choral Concert

April 18 School Holiday

April 25 Field Day

April 28 K–8 Student Art Exhibit and Awards

April 29 Spring Arts Festival Day; Spring

Concert for Grandparents and Special Friends (grades 5–8)

May 1 through 3 Harding Art Show

C A L E N D A R

There are several ways to keep up to date with Harding happenings. If you subscribe to Twitter, you can follow tweets from the head of school @HardingAcademy and from the athletic director @HardingAthletix. Alums on Facebook can request to join the group Harding Academy of Nashville Alumni. There are also group fan pages for Harding Academy; Harding Art Show; and Harding Academy Summer Programs, as well as the head of school blog.

Harding art SHow Featured artiSt Steve Penley announced

GENERAL NEWSHarding AcademyNurtur ing   the  Sp i r i t   •   Insp i r ing   the  Mind

Checkfor up-to-date event times and locations

Also follow us on

From left, Harding Art Show co-chair Ashley Heeren, Featured Artist Steve Penley, co-chair Vickie Mertz, and Kick-Off Host Sylvia Roberts

Lincoln Collage by Steve Penley—mixed media on canvas

2 Harding Academy w w w. h a r d i n g a c a d e m y. o r g

Curriculum Goes Beyond Academics

We are always busy in the lower school, and it is exciting to walk down the halls, peer into classrooms, and see students enthusiastically

engaged in the learning process. From a mere glance into the room, one can immediately see students who are motivated and participating. Their comfort level is clearly apparent as well. We work diligently to create an environment of “inspiring the mind, nurturing the spirit” so that all students may truly experience the joy of learning. From creating communities during the Roxaboxen unit in kindergarten to participating in an aeronautical simulation at the Challenger Center in fifth grade, the curriculum of Harding is carefully and thoughtfully designed to provide a variety of learning experiences that create a strong foundation of skills in the areas of academics, athletics, and fine arts.

Teachers and administration meet on a regular basis by both content area and grade level to discuss trends in curriculum, resources, and current student needs. They work together to design lesson plans and assessment tools, and they compare the information resulting from the latter to the data received from standardized tests to see how our students’ achievement levels compare to those of other students across the nation in both public and independent schools. Harding continues to excel in these comparisons, proving true to the school motto of Excellentia.

Most importantly, we strive to educate the whole child, to not only provide experiences to help each of them grow academically, artistically, and athletically, but also to develop the interpersonal skills needed for social and emotional growth. This year we incorporated the Olweus principles into our Moral Compassing program and integrated it within our Community Code. Each day teachers work together with parents to help children develop the necessary life skills of compromise, understanding, compassion, empathy, and resilience. By guiding students through peer conflicts, teachers work with students to help them develop a spirit of kindness and learn to respond with resilience when situations do not go their way. In this way students will develop life skills they use for many years to come.

The K–8 experience at Harding is a well planned journey that incorporates interpersonal skills and wellness

together with academics, athletics, and the fine arts in order to provide students with a myriad of opportunities to experience success and develop a lifelong love of learning.

LeadershipLeadership

Editors: Deb Anderson Faulkner and Leslie Virostek

Class Notes: Katherine Miller

Contributors: Phyllis Rose and Leslie Virostek

Photography: Steve Lowry

Design: Tracy Alia

G E N E R A L N E W SWeb address: www.hardingacademy.org

For information or submissions contact: Deb Anderson Faulkner, 615-356-5510 x311

An estimated 260 people attended the annual Parents

Party and Fall Auction, held on campus this year. Music was provided by Andy Child’s band (pictured) and the food was catered by Local Taco and Hattie B’s Hot Chicken. Both the gym and theater were decorated with festive lighting for the Friday Night Lights theme.

The online Fall Auction opened several weeks prior to the party and closed at the end of the evening. Several items drew as many as 30 or more bidders who competed to be the winner. Both the second and third grade movie, pizza, and dessert parties for six students with their teachers were among the most sought-after items. Four reserved seats for the kindergarten play also attracted a large number of bidders. But the most exciting offering was one that sold out prior to the party—a wine soiree for five Harding couples and their invited guests (50-person max) that tempted bidders to join in an evening with certified sommelier Justin Moore for a fabulous evening of wine-tasting. According to the item description, the winning bidders “will sniff, swirl, sip, and drink in knowledge about wines from different regions of the world, and a light course will be paired with each tasting.”

Party communications and auction co-chairs Anne Gilmour and Laura Lampley reported that the auction raised $24,268.

Laura UnderwoodLower School Director

Toy Event

Friday Night Lights

Through the Kaleidoscope Visiting Author/Illustrator Program, Harding is able to bring to

campus authors and illustrators whose work is familiar to students. On October 24, 2013, Jack Gantos, a National Book Award Finalist and author of the Newbery Honor book Joey Pigza Loses

Control, was this year’s author. His day-long, grade-by-grade visit with kindergarten through eighth students was both delightful and educational. Though Gantos has written books for all ages, it is Joey Pigza children’s series that resonates best with Harding students.

Kaleidoscope Author Jack Gantos Visits Harding

On December 10, 11, and 12, the advancement office sold toys donated to the school by current parents Neil and Louise

Kohler (second grader Max and kindergartener Lulu). All proceeds go to support The Campaign for Harding Academy. “These are top-of-the-line toys offered at extraordinary prices,” said Margaret Hubbard, former director of advancement and alumni relations. Prices ranged from $1 to $22 with a few larger items marked higher, and included Bananagrams, Legos, Blingles, The Trash Pack, as well as favorites from both Disney’s Planes, and the Dr. Seuss brands. Thanks to the generous donation, Harding was able to raise $6,000.

w w w. h a r d i n g a c a d e m y. o r g Harding Academy 3

Focus on CurriculumFocus on Curriculum

Students who climb from the early years of lower school to fourth grade at Harding physically move from the first floor to the

second floor of the building. According to Kent Ballow, third grade teacher, “most of them have never had a reason to go upstairs. To them it’s new territory. It’s exciting.”

Preparing students for the steps they’ll take to success sets Harding teachers apart, and gives Harding students an edge in life as well as school.

The journey through Harding is a well-planned route. First grade is where children blossom into responsible and respectful students, according to Aubry Maxson, first grade teacher.

Maxson, who began teaching at Harding 11 years ago, realizes that in order for students to become independent learners, they must be confident in their abilities. She looks to the Harding Community Code (be kind, be open, be a learner, be dependable, be honest, be respectful) as an important foundation for a first grader.

“First graders have their own desks for the first time. They sit in a circle that is a team. Here they must learn to be supportive of their team. They have to take turns being in a leadership position. They learn compromise and problem-solving,” Maxson said.

“First graders are expected to be responsible for their assignments and their belongings. They must keep track of their reading homework. They start with 15 minutes each night and this

builds throughout the grade levels. They’re also learning to use their time wisely.

“Even first grade lunchtime is a character building experience,” Maxson said. “Students select a number each week and sit at a new table with first graders from other classes. In this way, they learn to talk with someone they don’t know well and they practice being open to building new friendships.”

These life skills continue to be revisited in second grade in appropriate formats, so that by the time students reach Mrs.

Ballow’s class and beyond, students are fully confident in their abilities to perform independently as well as among their peers, older students, and even in front of the entire assembly.

One of the highlights of third grade is the Tennessee Idol play, patterned after American Idol. “By performance time, every student is confident in the knowledge of his or her character and is able to perform a solo act such as playing the part of Elvis Presley or Bessie Smith, or is able to perform in a group performance such as the segment on Cherokee Native Americans,” Ballow explained.

“The play changes a little each year. We play to a student’s strengths and sometimes write in a new character because we have a student who plays the violin or guitar.” Ballow concluded, “I’m so thankful that the administration encourages teachers to do what we need to do to enhance the curriculum and make learning exciting.”

Both Ballow and Maxson agree that Harding’s family feel, where students are known by

their teachers, and teachers are known by their administration, creates opportunities that enhance learning and provides a way for all students to achieve their goals. u

Step by Step to SucceSS:Harding’S K–8 aPProacH BuildS indePendence

by Phyllis Rose

Harding’s curriculum is like a spiral that is planned carefully across the grades. Kindergarteners learn to identify coins. First graders learn to count. Second graders learn to make change. And as they go through the spiral, students may not always have mastery, but they will always touch on that skill again in a more challenging way.

–Aubry Maxson, first grade teacher

Up The Spiral Staircase

It’s no secret. The goal of every lower school

student is to move “upstairs.” Literally.

First graders learn life skills that include being supportive of “team” members.

Fourth graders are fully confident in their abilities to perform independently as well as among their peers.

By the time students reach the fourth grade, they have learned the art of compromise and how to problem-solve together.

certified orthodontic assistant before becoming an accountant. Her first connection with the Business Office at Harding was as the auditor for the accounting firm that performed the school’s annual financial audit. After she left the accounting firm, Harding’s business manager contacted her about a position at the school. This year marks her tenth at Harding, and she says that her colleagues continue to make the job enjoyable. “I love my co-workers throughout the school,” she says. “They all know the job needs to be done well, but they also understand that you can have fun and enjoy working together toward the same goal.”

In her free time, Janet enjoys reading, bike riding, and spending time with husband Tony and daughter Grace. She says she has always taken inspiration—in both work and in life—from her parents.

“They were married for 66 years and experienced many tough times, but hung in there together to work through them,” she says. “They always taught my siblings and me that life isn’t always the way you want it, but ‘you know what is right and wrong’ and you will come out ahead if you do the right thing.” u

Harding HappeningsHarding Happenings

As the controller for Harding Academy, Janet Shoemaker

oversees the school’s budget, keeps track of revenues, and approves expenditures. She keeps abreast of the ever-changing accounting laws that affect nonprofit institutions like Harding and ensures that the school complies with all related rules and regulations. But there is more to Janet’s work than paperwork, procedures, and numbers that need to add up. Whether she is interacting with co-workers or parents, Janet says, “I am here to help make their relationship with the Business Office enjoyable. We demand a lot, but I am very willing to work through the process to make it easier for all involved.” A self-described “Type-A personality,” Janet holds herself to high standards. She says her job philosophy is: “Be accountable for your actions. Always do a good job, but do not be afraid to admit mistakes or errors. It is much easier to come up with a solution if you have this approach.”

Janet was a registered dental assistant and

Faculty Profile Janet Shoemaker

4 Harding Academy w w w. h a r d i n g a c a d e m y. o r g

JANET SHOEMAKER

Education:Janet has two bachelor’s degrees, one in office administration, the other in accounting, both from Tennessee Tech University. She’s

been a C.P.A. since 2002.

Experience:After more than 10 years as an

orthodontic/dental assistant, Janet began working for the Crosslin, Vaden & Associates accounting firm in tax and

auditing. She also worked as an accountant for HealthStream before becoming Harding’s

controller in 2003.

Second HarvestThird grader Chase Fields proudly participated in the Second Harvest Food Drive that took place the week of November 11, 2013. Each student was given a red bag to take home and fill with canned and boxed items to add to the school’s collection. In all, 4,172 lbs., of food was donated to the Nashville-based Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. For more information on the organization, please visit www.secondharvestmidtn.org.

The Fourth Annual Alumni Golf Tournament was held on October 14, at Westhaven Golf Club in Franklin, Tenn. Twenty-four teams competed in the four-man scramble, raising $18,000 for The Campaign for Harding Academy. Paul Steele ‘97, James Malone ‘94, Ricky Scott, and Charlie Malone ‘91 took first place with a score of 54. Coming in second place with a score of 55 was John Witherspoon ‘87, Ed Stevens, Jim Stevens, and Brad Stevens. Brad also won both the Closest to the Pin and Longest Drive competitions. Parkes Owen ‘90, J.R. McAllister, Cooper Jones, and Craig Andreen came in third place with a score of 55.

The annual program for the grandparents and special friends of students in grades kindergarten through fourth was

presented on November 26. This year’s Grandparents Chocolate program, led by lower school music teacher Pam Rhett, was based on the school’s Community Code. Students read personal essays they’d written about their grandparents, each grade level performed musical numbers, and the tenets

of the code—be kind, honest, respectful, open, dependable, a learner, and my best—were highlighted throughout. The Second Harvest Food collection was also presented.

After the program, grandparents and special friends were invited to classrooms where

students shared class work with their guests, as well as chocolate milk and cookies. Each guest was given a specially made chocolate candy bar to take home to enjoy. u

Kindergarteners sang “I Will Care About You” (words and music by David Williams) to illustrate the Community Code tenent: Be Kind.

Fourth grader Amelia Reddy was among the students who talked about the Community Code tenet: Be Open.

Chocolate bar wrapper art by fourth grader Olivia Morrison. Artwork was created during Olivia’s third grade year.

FirstPlace

SecondPlace

ThirdPlace

w w w. h a r d i n g a c a d e m y. o r g Harding Academy 5

Class NotesClass Notes

2013 Fall Athletic

Awards

CheerleadingCoach—Sara SizemoreMost Valuable Player—Liza Sweeting ’14Most Improved Player—Caroline Stanley ’16Coaches Award—Mimi Bond ’14Spirit Award—Anna Perrone ’15

Boys Cross-CountryCoach—Jason EmbryMost Valuable Runner—Owen Alsup ’14Coaches Award—Carter Smith ’14Rookie of the Year—Wilson Berry ’16Most Improved Runner—Philip Scholer ’14

Girls Cross-CountryCoach—Jason EmbryMost Valuable Runner—Ellie Faber ’14Coaches Award—Betsy Beuter ’14Rookie of the Year—Lila Hunt ’16Most Improved Player—Catherine LeMaster ’14

FootballCoach—Corby LucasMost Valuable Player—Michael McGuire ’14Most Improved Player—John McKee ’14Coaches Award—Jack Smith ’14Hustle Award—Rob Harvey ’14

GolfCoach—Edna PearsonMost Valuable Player—Ian MacDonald ’14Most Improved Player—McClain Portis ’14Coaches Award—Clint Blackwell ’14Hustle Award—Kate Mabry ’14

Boys SoccerCoach—Phil StankiewiczMost Valuable Player—Watson Dill ’14Most Improved Player—Clint Blackwell ’14Coaches Award—Michael McGuire ’14Hustle Award—Jack Smith ’14

Girls SoccerCoach—Lilly CashaMost Valuable Player—Emma Trichel ’14Most Improved Player—Belle Storms ’14Coaches Award—Lowery Nickels ’14Hustle Award—Ellie Faber ’14

Special RecognitionTeam

Girls Cross Country HVAC Division A Champions

Boys Cross Country HVAC Division A Runner-Up

Girls Soccer HVAC Division A Runner-Up

Boys Soccer HVAC Division A Runner-Up

IndividualEllie Faber ’14 HVAC Division A Cross Country Champion

HVAC Cross Country Division A Top 5 MedalistBetsy Beuter ’14 (4th place)

Lila Hunt ’16 (5th place)

Owen Alsup ’14 (4th place)

HVAC WrestlingSeve Ortale ’15—Champion, 107 lbs.

Alex Ray ’16—Champion, 75 lbs.

William Sell ’14—Runner-Up, 145 lbs.

Daniel McGuire ’16—3rd Place, 88 lbs.

Will Higgins ’16—3rd Place, 95 lbs.

Neil Schilling ’14—3rd Place, 100 lbs.

Garrett Schultz ’15—3rd Place, 112 lbs.

Seve Ortale ’15—Named HVAC Tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler

All-Tournament TeamsClint Blackwell ’14—Boys Soccer Division A

Michael McGuire ’14—Boys Soccer Division A

Lowery Nickels ’14—Girls Soccer Division A

Emma Trichel ’14—Girls Soccer Division A

Lowery Nickels ’14—Volleyball

Bailey Blackford ’15—Volleyball

The Eighth Annual Alumni Basketball Game was held Sunday, December 8, in the Roberts Gymnasium. The classes of 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 took to the court divided into the Blue Team and Red Team, while the Harding Pep Band played along. The Blue Team won, and everyone gathered in the gym lobby afterwards for a cookout while glancing at yearbooks and catching up with friends.

Pictured is the winning Blue Team, back row from left, Coach Mac, Jake Jacobson ‘12, Head of School Ian Craig, Jack Koehner ‘12, Parker Logan ‘11, Clay Andreen ‘11, Chandler Schultz ‘13, Coach Embry, Matt Garside ‘12, Brett Barnett ‘12; front row from left, Clarke Allen ‘12, Erin Anderson ‘10, Ben Hays ‘10, Ben Yahnian ‘10, Madison Shirey ‘11, and Sam Gregory ‘10. They defeated the Ken Folger-coached Red Team players: Clay Cavallo ‘11, Will Garside ‘10, Daniel Mangum ‘11, Riley McCormick ‘13, Grey Reames ‘10, William Schilling ‘10, Addison Smith ‘13, Stephen Sullivan ‘11, Kaitlyn Waggoner ‘10, and Sam Wheeler ‘12.

VolleyballCoach—Carol GreenMost Valuable Player—Bailey Blackford ’15Best Offense Award—Lowery Nickels ’14Coaches Award—Ainsley Hanrahan ’16Hustle Award—Ellie Slagle ’16

WrestlingCoach—Corby LucasMost Valuable Wrestler—Seve Ortale ’15Most Improved Wrestler—William Sell ’14Coaches Award—Neil Schilling ’14Hustle Award—Alex Ray ’16

Watson Dill ’14

Ellie Faber ’14

Emma Trichel ’14

Class NotesClass Notes

6 Harding Academy w w w. h a r d i n g a c a d e m y. o r g

1980Gil Lackey and wife Elizabeth Ross recently welcomed twins. A boy, Ross Alexander, and a girl, Vaden Hartsfield, were born on March 21. Gil is an outdoor writer, editor, and photographer living in Nashville.

1988Julie Colton Jones, along with husband Richard, welcomed a baby boy named Clayton Overton on October 10, weighing 7 lbs., 10 oz. He joins big sisters Saidee and Ella.

1990Marianne Stuart Stoll (pictured here with her former teacher Mr. Frances Horn, St Cecilia’s assistant athletic director) was inducted into the St. Cecilia Academy Athletics Hall of Fame on December 7, for her contributions to the tennis program.

1991Mark Dunkerley and wife Beville welcomed a baby boy named Hayes on November 11, weighing 8 lbs., 8 oz.

1993Phil Zimmerman and wife Gretchen welcomed a baby girl, Belén Amanda, on October 1, weighing 7 lbs., 9 oz.

1994Kristina Treanor Tam and husband Stephen welcomed a daughter, Augusta Penelope River, on November 18, weighing 6 lbs., 15 oz. Catherine Stuart Vrettos and

husband Chris welcomed a second daughter, Cathleen Beasley, on October 1, weighing 7 lbs., 5 oz. She joins big sister Caroline.

2002Robert Ballow is a graduate student and teaching assistant in math at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He spent his summer as a guide on the Ocoee River, and he recently made national headlines for rescuing a car accident victim.

2003Kathryn Harvey is a third-year law student at Wake Forest University.

Erin Hirsch Zagnoev started at Harding Academy in the fifth grade, when many of her

classmates had been together since kindergarten. “I know what it’s like to be the new kid, and I have a special place in my heart for those who are on a new journey,” says Erin, who is the director of membership and development at The Temple–Congregation Ohabai Sholom in Nashville.

One aspect of her job is welcoming families to the congregation and helping them to make an easy transition into the Temple community, into the local Jewish community, and into the broader Nashville community. She says her welcoming approach was definitely informed by her Harding experiences. “It was a safe and supportive place to try new things,” she says of the school.

Erin also coordinates fundraising activities for the Temple, the oldest and largest Jewish house of worship in Nashville, which also runs a religious education school, a preschool open to those of all faiths, and center for social justice. Erin feels good about raising money to help grow and build an important community institution. Often she is working with people on gifts that are meaningful to more than one generation of family members. She says, “I love people, and personal interaction is part of the job. I enjoy

having the opportunity to work with people during important times and transitions in their lives.”

Erin received a B.A. in communications from the University of Arizona before earning her M.B.A. in nonprofit management from the University of Judaism, Lieber School

of Graduate Studies in Los Angeles. Prior to her return to Nashville in 2010, she served as vice president of donor services and manager of women’s philanthropy for the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta.

She traces her choice to be a development professional back to her parents, who nurtured a strong belief in philanthropy: “My parents taught me that you support the things that are important to you.” Erin notes that her parents were role models for giving of one’s “time, talent, and treasure.” When Erin started at Harding, her mom got involved, and the same was true when Erin went on to Harpeth Hall.

Erin grew up as a member of The Temple congregation, and today she and husband Greg have two daughters—7-month-old Sari and 3-year-old Rena—who attend The Temple’s preschool. Erin is also a member of the Harding Alumni Board. She says, “Harding taught me about being a good citizen and being part of a community. I’m thankful that Nashville has a school like Harding.” u

Alumni Profile Erin Hirsch Zagnoev ’94 Class Notes

Immediate Past Alumni Board President Allen Huggins ‘94 and Alumni Board member Mimi Mayo ‘97

Hayley Phipps ‘01

Molly Campbell ‘02, Ellen Byrd ‘01, and Ellen Hammer ‘01

T. Eddie Sisk ‘92, Allison Sisk Jones ‘88, and Jordan Jones ‘94

Three decades of Harding Academy

alumni were represented in a September

reunion in the new middle

school building.

The Kappa Alpha Theta Nashville Alumnae Chapter held its annual Bal d’Hiver Charity Presentation Ball on November 30 at Loews Vanderbilt Plaza. The event benefits Nashville’s Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA).

Class of 2006 members of the court were Olivia Carmichael, Rachel Fleischer, Ann Walker Greenlee, Katherine King, Kristen Maxwell, Meghan Stallworth, and Marianna Weaver.

Harding alums serving as escorts were Ford Altenbern ‘07, Garrett Carmichael ‘06, Matthew Fleischer ‘01, Mac Frith ‘06, Jack Murfee ‘06, and Oliver Oldacre ‘06.

w w w. h a r d i n g a c a d e m y. o r g Harding Academy 7

2004William Ballow is a graduate student and teaching assistant in geology at Georgia State University. He spent his summer in Utah, Nevada, and New Mexico on a field study. Chase Lanting is a financial planner in Orange County, California, and very active in community service.

2005Elizabeth Johnston graduated magna cum laude from Furman University with a degree in environmental science. Katie Rush is working towards her master’s in nursing at Rush University in Chicago and is planning to return to Nashville in the spring to run in the Music City Half Marathon.

2006Andrew Ballow is majoring in math and computer science at the University of Tennessee and spent his summer as the youth director at Monteagle Assembly. Congratulations to Josh Edelman for being named a 2013–14 astronaut scholar by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, which provides scholarships for college students pursuing science and technology careers. Josh is an engineering major at Harvey Mudd College. Alex Karpos is a senior at University of Southern California and will graduate in May with a master’s in accounting and a bachelor’s in history. Will Logan ’08 and William Reames have released an iTunes EP, which is part one of their second album, Long Story Short, for their band Boy Named Banjo. They are traveling throughout the south and playing parties and festivals, which included a Predators game on December 23.

2007Laura Gregory is in the honors program studying pre-law at the University of Alabama, where she is majoring in political science and public relations and minoring in French. She spent her summer working for U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn in Washington D.C., and plans to study abroad in France next summer. Laura was elected to a second term as senator for the College of Arts and Sciences, then elected to serve as secretary of the Senate. She was named to the Mock Trial Competition Team and is now director of social media for it. She also was elected to serve on the judicial board of the Panhellenic Association, the governing board that oversees all sororities. Mary Kathryn Menck is a history major and Renaissance studies and art history major at Brandeis University, where she works on the student committee for the Rose Art Museum, interns at the Civil War Era Museum, and tutors ESL. Libby Rush is in her second year at the University of the Arts dance program and is beginning an internship in dance critique. She is working part time at Lululemon. Curtiss Telfer is a business engineering major at

Washington and Lee University, where he is an active member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and a leader for Reformed University Fellowship. He works afternoons at Alvin Dennis clothing store and mentors local elementary school children. He spent his summer as a camp counselor at Camp Ozark in the mountains of Arkansas. Will Turney is studying engineering at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. Mandy Williams is a junior at Auburn University studying math education, and she is active in her church. She is the chaplain for Delta Zeta sorority, and plays on the school’s club ultimate Frisbee team. Eric Yoon is a pre-med student at Bowdoin College playing his third season as goalie of the NCAA Division III hockey team.

2008Carol Allen is a starter on Denison University’s varsity lacrosse team and a member of the elite women’s a capella group called Ladies Night Out. She is a psychology major, an active member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, and works as a campus tour guide. Mary Graham Harvey spent her summer at Harding working with the Time to Rise program. She lives and works at the Bairnwick Women’s Center on the campus of the University of the South, where she is a sophomore and cheerleader for their football team. Drew Haynes is a member of National Society of Collegiate Scholars and Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Societies at the University of Mississippi, where he is studying business and finance. He is also a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity. Will Logan is a member of Sigma Chi fraternity and a business major at the University of Tennessee, with a minor in music business. (Also, see William Reames ’06) Elam Mangum is a resident advisor for Pepperdine University’s Washington World program, living in the Pepperdine facility in Washington D.C., where she plans to participate in an internship on Capitol Hill. Meredith Manning is a sophomore at Miami of Ohio in Oxford’s early childhood education program, where she was approved to tutor history in an inner-city school. She is an active member of the Alpha chapter of Delta Zeta sorority, whose philanthropic focus is working with deaf children. Nick Scanlan is an international studies major at Baylor University, minoring in environmental sciences. He completed a six-week study abroad program, living with a French family and attending classes in Paris. He is a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity, and plays intramural sports. He was accepted to the Outdoor Adventure Living Learning Program, which provides students with numerous opportunities, including backpacking, kayaking, rafting, and rock climbing.

Class NotesClass Notes

Christine Bass Burk ‘96, farm coordinator at the Glen Leven Farm of the Land Trust for Tennessee, educated our first grade students on the importance of gardening and farming on their November 6 field trip.

continued

2009Chandler Beasley has pledged Delta Delta Delta sorority at the University of Tennessee. Alex Floyd is enjoying the Tisch Theater program at New York University. Larkin Johnson is majoring in chemistry at Haverford College. Andrew Karpos is studying finance with a minor in Chinese at the University of Virginia, where he is in the Echols Scholar Honors Program and was selected to be on the club tennis team. He is a volunteer soccer coach for the Special Olympics. Bennet LeMaster has released an EP available on iTunes. Abby Scanlan is studying dance and psychology at the University of Georgia, and is a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. She participated in the annual Greek Grind Dance Competition, a campus wide event that benefits Prevent Child Abuse America.

2010Congratulations to the following Harding Academy Class of 2010 Montgomery Bell Academy seniors on their selection as Commended Students by the National Merit Corporation: Sam Gregory, Peter Weien, and Ben Yahnian. Sam spent his summer on exchange to the Raffles Institution in Singapore,

t

N E X TI S S U E

Focus on the Curriculum (grades fifth through seventh); Winter Athletics; Summer Programs;

All-School Musical, and Career Day

Class NotesClass Notes

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Last summer, I had the incredible opportunity to

further my ballet training at L’Académie Américaine de Danse de Paris. I have been dancing for as long as I can remember, but never in my wildest dreams did I suspect that my dancing would carry me all the way to Europe. I spent three weeks there, and they were some of the most unforgettable in my life.

About half the students at AADP were French and half were American, so some of our classes were taught in French, some in English, and some in a combination of the two. Listening to ballet corrections in French helped me hone my language skills in new and unexpected ways; useful ballet words like “lower-back” (bas du dos), “blister” (une ampoule), and “swollen” (gonflé), aren’t covered in typical middle school French curricula.

When I wasn’t dancing, I was able to spend my time exploring the beautiful city around us. In the end, however, my favorite part of my time in Paris wasn’t visiting Le Musée de Rodin on a cool, rainy evening, spending an afternoon strolling down Les Champs-Elysées, or even seeing the Paris Opera Ballet in performance. Instead, what I will remember is the day-to-day cultural and linguistic immersion I experienced. My favorite memories from Paris are

some of the simplest: getting to know the lady at the fruit shop down the street from where I lived; talking about favorite movies with the French girls in my class; and having the wrong perfume sprayed on myself (multiple times) when my language failed me in a perfume shop. I cannot believe how lucky I was to spend my

summer doing what I love to do in one of the most beautiful places in the world. u

TRAVELOGUEby Elizabeth Smith ’10

”In rehearsal for The Sleeping Beauty, or La Belle Au Bois Dormant. I was the Lilac Fairy, which has always been a dream role of mine.”

Enjoying tea and macarons at La Durée.

Congratulations to the following Harding Academy alums for their academic

achievements at St. Cecilia Academy for the first quarter this school year:

Principal’s List:Chandler Bailey ‘11 Lizzie Rohricht ‘13

Honor Roll:Maggie Collier ‘11 Merrie Luton ‘11

Congratulations to the following young alumni golfers who performed extremely

well at the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association State Golf

Championships September 23 and 24 at Willow Brook Golf Club in Manchester, Tenn.

Division II Class A State Championship William Disspayne ’12

Division II Class AA State Championship Will Garside ‘10, Conner Downey ‘12,

and Matt Garside ‘12

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Class Notesan experience made possible by the Warner Exchange Programs and Wilson Grants of MBA. Ben was one of seven students inducted into Totomoi, the honor fraternity at MBA. Claire Ramage, a senior at Harpeth Hall, has been named a semifinalist in the 2014 National Merit Scholarship Program. Congratulations to Elizabeth Smith on her selection as a 2014 National Merit Semifinalist. Currently a senior at Hume Fogg Academic High School, she received numerous awards last academic year including the Bryn Mawr Book Award. She is heavily involved in musical theater and chorus, and was cast in the fall musical, Hairspray. Justin Yoon, a junior at Milton Academy, is on top of the list in kick-offs among all high school kickers and recently achieved a 45-yard field goal. This past summer he was rated number one as a high school kicker at Kohls and Prokicker camps.

2011In September Parker Logan was honored by Gov. Bill Haslam for inspiring his peers and community in fundraising efforts for RallyFoundation.org. Parker is a junior at Montgomery Bell Academy and a lymphoma survivor who has been cancer-free since 2008. In addition to his work for Rally, his efforts include raising awareness and funds for childhood cancer research at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

2013Nathan Johnson is a competing member of St. Andrew’s Sewanee School’s mountain biking team. Rachael Johnson, a freshman at Philips Exeter Academy, is a member of the cross country team, glee club, and Merrill dorm sisters.