Beaufort Academy kicks off new school year August 30
Beaufort Academy kicks off new school year August 30
Beaufort Academy will start its upcoming school year August 30 with a new trimester schedule, increased time in academic classes and new staff. Students are returning to BA two weeks later than usual because of the shift to trimesters.
Joining the faculty at the private, college preparatory K-12 school on Lady’s Island are:
- Betsy Rhatigan, returning to BA to teach Middle School English
- Tom Savage, Middle School History and Upper School English
- Kim Handy, Middle and Upper School French and Spanish
- Kelly Newbauer, Geometry, Algebra I and Algebra II
- Tony Gonzalez, Lower School Spanish and Upper School Art
- Stephanie Sullivan, Lower and Middle School Music
- Connie Ambrose, Middle and Upper School Health and Wellness
- Bradi Dinkins will teach third grade with Nancy Compton
- Laura Brummer will teach fourth grade
- Karen Nuelle will help manage Interim projects and services
The BA graduating class of 2010 exemplified the school’s emphasis on academics as 19 graduates amassed more than $2.2 million in scholarships. Nathaniel Rollings, a National Merit Finalist, received acceptances to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and the Air Force Academy, as well as a four-year Army ROTC Scholarship to MIT. He chose West Point.
Beaufort Academy juniors and seniors last spring took 68 Advanced Placement Exams and scored a school record passing rate of 75 percent – with “passing” being a score of three or higher. Most colleges and universities grant credits for scores of 3 or higher. Among the BA Advanced Placement students, 21 percent scored 3; 32 percent scored 4; and 21 percent scored 5. This is nine points higher than the BA Advanced Placement results in 2009 and better than any year since the school has monitored AP results, Headmaster Randy Wall said.
The later-than-usual school year start enables BA to use its new trimester calendar most efficiently, Wall said. The trimester system provides a three-week “interim” period of various learning options between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
This year’s first trimester will end before Thanksgiving and when students return, they’ll be in a three-week session of special learning opportunities called Interim. Students will participate in local internships with area businesses, agencies and professionals, develop community service projects, attend special career exploratory classes, work with artists and historians, and travel on extended field trips that could not be arranged during the regular school year.
Sophomores and juniors will take their school-sponsored tours of colleges and universities during the Interim. Though all students will have opportunities for travel and enrichment, students who desire additional academic assistance will find BA faculty ready to help during the Interim.
Another change for this school year: BA students will have six class periods per day, down from last year’s eight periods. Each core academic period will last 60 minutes, 15 minutes longer than last year. Electives and supplemental classes will be 45 minutes.
This provides more exposure to the core academic classes that provide the foundation of the college-prep curriculum, Wall said. In exchange, most school-day study halls are being eliminated and an after-school study hall option added.
“We had an exceptional year with our Class of 2010,” Wall said, “and our goal is to build on that success, to expand our college-prep services and to ensure that each child who graduates from Beaufort Academy is accepted into his or her preferred college or university. We have an incredible team to help reach that goal–from the teachers to our guidance and college application expert to our support staff.”
Related posts:
- Beaufort Academy presents Middle & Upper School orientation January 27
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- Beaufort Academy starts school year today, greets new faculty and staff members
- $102,517 academic improvement officer in public school system to lead local private academy
- Beaufort Academy sets Lower School orientation plans
