Volume 11, Issue 8
MIKE CRANE '71 AND ANNETTE KUSS HONORED

 
Columbus Academy recognized Michael S. Crane '71 as its 2017 Distinguished Alumnus and retired lower school teacher Annette Kuss accepted the Alumni Service Award at our annual Holiday Luncheon on December 22 at The Westin Columbus. Photos from the event will be shared soon on the school's social media channels.
ADMISSIONS OFFICE HOSTING ACADEMY MORNINGS

Wednesday mornings in January are a chance for prospective parents to learn more about Columbus Academy. Please pass along to anyone who might be interested that events on January 10 and 24 will highlight our Middle School and Upper School while activities scheduled for January 17 and 31 will focus on our Lower School. All four Academy Mornings begin at 9:00 a.m. and last until 10:30 a.m. To register, please email admissions@columbusacademy.org, call 614-509-2220 or click below.
KAYLE PODGURSKI WINS NATIONAL DIG PINK AWARD

During volleyball season this past fall, Columbus Academy junior Kayla Podgurski organized a successful Dig Pink fundraiser at a home contest against Whitehall. With a matching gift from Sports Imports, Kayla's event raised over $3,000 to help beat cancer. And for her efforts, the Side-Out Foundation and American Volleyball Coaches Association recently announced Kayla as one of three U.S. high-schoolers to win the 2017 National Dig Pink Award, which comes with a scholarship as part of Side-Out's Ambassador Program.
TOSHIKO TAKAEZU ARTWORK COMING TO CAMPUS

According to her 2011 obituary in The New York Times, Toshiko Takaezu was "a Japanese-American ceramist whose closed pots and torpedolike cylinders, derived from natural forms, helped to elevate ceramics from the production of functional vessels to a fine art." An exhibition of her works in clay, fiber and bronze will be open to the public in Columbus Academy's Morris Hall Art Gallery from noon to 4:00 p.m. on Saturdays from January 13 through March 10 as well as from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on school days for the Academy community. More details coming soon!
LOWER SCHOOL CONCERT FOCUSES ON KINDNESS

"The 12 Ways of Kindness" was the theme for this year's Lower School Winter Assembly as each grade performed individually as well as together on the concert's opening song and a crowd favorite. Please click on the following links for performances by each grade: PreK, Kindergarten, First Grade, Second Grade, Third Grade, Fourth Grade, Fifth Grade.
NOT TOO LATE TO MAKE 2017 ANNUAL FUND GIFT

When new, innovative opportunities for enhanced learning come up, teachers need the ability to act right away. Gifts to our Annual Fund give them that flexibility. Thank you, in advance, for supporting Columbus Academy. We wish you and your family a very happy new year!
 
COLUMBUS CROSSING BORDERS PROJECT

 
Earlier this month, our gallery space in Morris Hall hosted the Columbus Crossing Borders Project that featured works of 34 local artists as well as screenings of a documentary on the plight of refugees. Laurie VanBalen, director of the Crossing Borders Project, and artist Stephanie Hemmer discussed the artwork and issues regarding immigration with our students, including a lunch with Academy's Art Society.
LEADERSHIP EVENT BRINGS J.D. VANCE TO ACADEMY

 
"People feel trapped in the circumstances of their birth. Allowing that to continue is affecting the character of our country." That was one of many memorable quotes from J.D. Vance to our community during the school's annual Celebration of Leadership four weeks ago. The author of the 2016 best-seller "Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis" addressed Columbus Academy's upper-schoolers in the morning, had lunch with the editorial board of our student newspaper (read Academy Life interview) and spoke with leadership donors to the school's Annual Fund in the evening at the Wexner Residence.
NOTES FROM COLLEGE COUNSELING

Columbus Academy will host ACT/SAT Workshops in the Academy Hall Trustees' Room on Sunday, January 21 (1:00 to 5:00 p.m.), Friday, March 2 (9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.) and Sunday, April 8 (1:00 to 5:00 p.m.). This class will go at a steady pace and is intended for students who would like to test in the spring (price is $315). Please call 614-353-4725 or email tutor@bwseducationconsulting.com to register or if you have any questions. 
 
Also, College Counseling Parent Coffees will be held from 8:00-9:00 a.m. in the Columbus Academy Dining Hall on the following dates (snow date will be Wednesday, February 7, ONLY if needed for one of the below):
Wednesday, January 10 -- Joint Meeting with PACA
Wednesday, January 17 -- Standardized Testing
Wednesday, January 24 -- Planning College Visits
Wednesday, January 31 -- Athletic Recruiting 
WINTER ASA REGISTRATION NOW AVAILABLE

After School Activities (ASA) brochures have been sent home in backpacks and are also available online by clicking below. If you have any questions regarding registration or programs offered, please contact Special Programs at programs@columbusacademy.org or 614-509-2267. Winter programs begin the week of January 22 with the exception of Friday programs, which begin January 19. 
SUMMER EXPERIENCE REGISTRATIONS OPEN JANUARY 16

Columbus Academy Summer Experience 2018 registration opens on Tuesday, January 16, with a preview brochure available the week prior! If you have any questions regarding our summer programs, please contact the Summer Experience office at 614-509-2267 or summer_experience@columbusacademy.org.
ARTS SCENE

For its annual client calendar, a local printing company inquired to Columbus Academy last school year about featuring student artwork. From a collection provided by our arts department, PXPOHIO chose 13 works ranging from a steel sculpture by Will Belford '17 for the cover to a collaborative painting by last year's eighth grade visual arts elective class to a lower school masterwork of Van Gogh sunflowers. All of the pieces -- including works by Michael Zhang '17, Sarah Wexner '17, Matthew Schmitz '17, Rhea Rao '17, Olivia Irion '17, Murphy Rubcich '17, Dylan Warren '17, Sophie Krings '17, Parker Graham '17 and Baylee Mueller '17 -- were photographed by art teacher Crystal Tursich for this 2018 calendar, copies of which can be requested by contacting Fine Arts Department Chair Pedro Mena.
SERVICE LEARNING

Earlier this month, ceramic works by our upper-schoolers were the main attraction at an Empty Bowls/Soup-for-Shelter fundraiser at Otterbein University. For the price of a soup dinner, attendees were able to pick out a ceramic bowl to take home with all proceeds benefitting the Westerville Habitat Partnership. In addition to creating the bowls, Academy students wrapped all 190 that were purchased. At the conclusion of this second annual event, seniors Kelley Antoine and Shenique Lewis-Penney spoke on behalf of the ceramics program led by Andy Rahe '94. Christy Bening, Academy's service department chair, also thanked all of those in attendance.
SPORTS REPORT

 
Our varsity boys basketball team improved to 7-0 by successfully defending its tournament title at the Paul Pennell Classic (formerly the Bruin Holiday Classic) by defeating host Briggs 65-32 Thursday night. Academy juniors Dorrian Moultrie and Chris Boyle were both named to the all-tournament team for their efforts, which included leading the Vikes over New Albany 41-36 in Wednesday's semifinals. In JV action, our squad bounced back from a loss to New Albany in the semifinals by beating Briggs for third place. The Vikes host two important league games next week when they welcome Bexley and Grandview to The Mack on Thursday (January 4) and Saturday (January 6), respectively. Also, our wrestlers are competing today in a tournament at Marion Harding, and our new JV hockey team returns to the ice this afternoon (Saturday, December 30) for a 5:00 p.m. league matchup against Archbishop Moeller at Chiller North in the final sports contest of the calendar year. Bowling, swimming and girls basketball are all back in action on Friday, January 5.
THIS IS THE ACADEMY EXPERIENCE
Middle School 
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