Academy Action - University Heights Academy

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS ACADEMY
1300 Academy Drive
Hopkinsville, KY 42240
270-886-0254
Nonprofit Organization
Presorted Standard
US Postage PAID
Hopkinsville, KY 42240
Permit No. 299
ONLINE
VERSION
Academy Action
U N IVERS ITY H EIG H T S
AC AD EM Y
W I N TE R 2013
Academic Team Success
WWW.UHA-KY.ORG
On Saturday, January 26th, the University Heights Academy Varsity Academic Team competed at the District Governor's Cup competition held at Christian County High
School. The Blazers finished 1st place overall for the fifth
year in a row and took home many honors. Participating
in the competition were: 12th grade-Samantha Caudle,
Leland Sowards; 11th grade-Drew Burman, Kloe Freeman,
Trey Lachance, Emily Pape, Gretchen Powell, Vivek Shah;
10th grade-Vir Patel; 9th grade-Christian Barefield, Jordan
Kelly, Christopher Pape, and Sangeet Sheth.
The Quick Recall team finished in first place and qualified
for Regional Governor's Cup. The following individuals
also qualified for regionals:
Sympathy & Condolences for those in our
UHA Family
who have lost loved ones
Coach Grant Shouse and family in the loss of his
father
Jessica Johnston in the loss of her father
GREEN & GOLD WINNERS
The 2013 Green & Gold Drawing
was held on February 9th!
Important Dates To Remember:
March 22
Spring Fling
March 29—April 5 Spring Break
April 22—26
Testing
Leland Sowards-4th Place
Drew Burman-5th Place
Language Arts:
Sangeet Sheth-2nd Place
Arts & Humanities:
Christian Barefield-2nd Place
Kloe Freeman-5th Place
Math:
Vir Patel-1st Place
Trey Lachance-3rd Place
Leland Soward-5th Place
Science:
Trey Lachance-1st Place
Vir Patel-2nd Place
Vivek Shah-4th Place
Winners were:
English Comp.
Sharon Combs in the loss of her father
Becki Williams, Class of 1980, in the loss of her
Mother
Social Studies:
Sarah Newton
3rd Prize—$500
Sandy Boyd
2nd Prize—$2000
Ashbul Brunson 1st Prize—$7500
Congratulations!
Gretchen Powell-1st Place
Sangeet Sheth-3rd Place
The Regional Tournament was held on February 16th.
Trey Lachance placed 2nd in Math, Vir Patel placed
3rd in Math, and Gretchen Powell placed 2nd in
English Composition. All three are headed to the
State Competition in March. Congratulations!
Inside this issue:
Middle School Academic Team
2
Safety Updates
2
NHS Inductees
3
KYA Honors
3
JAC Winners
4
Blazer Athletics
4&5
Blazers Give & Annual Fund
6&7
UHA Patron - $10,000 and Above
Hiren & Manisha Shah—In Honor of Krishna & Gargi
Middle School Academic Team Success
2012-2013 Annual Fund
University Heights Academy’s middle school academic team completed in the District Governor’s Cup at Muhlenberg North
Middle School on Saturday, January 19th They placed 2nd overall in a very difficult district. Following are the results for
UHA: Math—Hemangi Patel 2nd; Social Studies—Deeya Patel 2nd; Science—Jakob Moore 1st, Sherafghan Khan 3rd, Tyler
Pratt 5th; Language Arts—Deeya Patel 2nd; Composition—Brynn Greene 2nd; Arts & Humanities—Garrett Gee 3rd, Ally Morgan 4th; Quick Recall—2nd. Garrett Gee and Shrafghan Khan went on to qualify at the Regional tournament for State as well.
Gee placed 5th in Arts & Humanities and Khan placed 3rd in Science. The state competition will be held in Louisville in
March.
School Safety Updates
In January UHA began implementing changes to update safety and security measures
around the school. Terry Parker has joined the staff as the new Safety Director. Terry
recently retired from the Hopkinsville Police Department after 20 years on the force. He
is also the father of Allyson 11th grade and Ashlyn, fifth grade. Terry is excited to join
the staff of UHA.
Other recent safety changes include no access to the back of the building between
7:45 and 2:30. All visitors must park out front in the newly designated visitor parking
spaces. Visitors must also enter through the main school entrance in front of the offices. All visitors must sign in and receive a new visitor’s badge. It is imperative for the
school to be aware of everyone that is in the building at all times. Lastly, all classrooms
are receiving new door locks that enable teachers to lock their doors from inside the
room. As always, UHA endeavors to see that the safety of our students, faculty and
staff is a top priority.
Faculty Member Receives Honors
During their December meeting, the Colonel John Green Chapter of the National Society
of Daughters of the American Revolution named Upper School teacher Brett Pritchett
Outstanding Teacher of the year for American History. Pritchett has been teaching for
nine years, most of those at University Heights Academy. He uses various methods to
bring history to life and engage his students in the learning process. During the summer,
Pritchett also works with Kids in College Can Soar, a summer camp for first- through
sixth-graders at Hopkinsville Community College. He is also active in community theater
and works with children through Campanile Productions.
UHA Student Selected as National Youth Correspondent
Kassy Harris, a student at University Heights Academy and Gatton Academy, has
been nominated to represent Kentucky as a National Youth Correspondent to the
2013 Washington Journalism and Media Conference at George Mason University.
Kassy has been awarded the opportunity to join a select group of 250 students
from across the country to participate in an intensive week-long study of journalism and media. Harris was chosen based on academic accomplishments and a
demonstrated interest and excellence in journalism and media studies. National
Youth Correspondents participate in hands-on, experiential learning through
decision-making simulations that challenge them to solve problems and explore
the creative, practical, and ethical tensions inherent in journalism and media. The
conference will take place July 7—12th.
Page 2
University Heights
Head of School Alliance—$1,000-$2,499
UHA Benefactor—$5,000—$9,999
Judy Hamby—In Honor of Bryant & Makenzi
Ben & Janine Cundiff
UHA Partner—$2,500-$4,999
Dr. & Mrs. Paresh Sheth
Rusty & Pam Nunn —In Honor of UHA Family
Dr. & Mrs. Deepak Patel
Greg & Lisa Batts
Dr. & Mrs. Kishorkumar Desai
Dr. & Mrs. Harold Calvert
Ed & Judy Budias—In Honr of Jessica & Chloe Cannon
Tim & Andrea Flynn
Tim & Kelly Workman
Bill & Katherine Flynn
Philip & Peggy Mullins
Scott & Kari Barlow
Dr. Bob Bressler
Chris and Sherri Hamby
Hal & Elizabeth McCoy
Dr. Mrs. Prakash Shah
Malcolm & Gail Blane
Trailblazer—$500-$999
Cater & Faye Hendricks
Steve & Elizabeth Norris —
Pat & Michelle Givens
In Honor of Carson & Clayton Joyce
Rusty & Elizabeth Wallace
Foster & April Cotthoff
Lucinda Gray
Lt. Col. & Mrs. Mark Burman —
Green and Gold—$250—$499
In Honor of Drew, Cailey & Lainey
Jill Bressler
Mary Catherine Smith —
Wes, Janet & Hannah Sowards—In Honor of Leland Sowards
In Honor of Sally & Clark Smith
Fred & Patti Thalmann
James & Lisa Bruce
Tom & Julie Folz
Ricky & Ginger Waldron —
John & Helen Watson
In Honor of Trey Stevens & Tatum Waldron
Imelda Gorman—In Honor of Shannon Brown
Sylvie & Matteo Fantini
John Cotthoff—In Honor of Jackson, Sam & Evelyn Cotthoff
Stephen & Tammy Gallup
Vickie Cotthoff—In Honor of Jackson, Sam & Evelyn Cotthoff
UHA PTO
H.B. Quinn
Dr. Ramesh & Manjula Patel
Jancie Bruce—In Memory of Bill Bruce
Steve & Sarah Newton
Mr. & Mrs. Fred McLerran
Lee & Meagan Conrad
Barry & Beth Meade—In Honor of Judy Keller
Gold—$100 -$249
Mr. & Mrs. Brooke Lawson
Eric Norrid—In Honor of Mr. D
Elizabeth Park Griffin
Marvin & Cathy Denison
W. David & Tracey Blane
Danny & Kristen Roberts
Jerry & Mary McRae—In Honor of Emerson Barlow
John & Tamara Curtis
Nobel & Anne Noel —
Lillian Cotthoff—In Honor of Jackson, Sam & Evelyn Cotthoff
Rizwan Khan, MD
In Honor of Thomas Noel
Pam Dill—In Memory of Howard Dill & Lawrence & Kathryn Jones
Doug & June Howard
Jessica Cannon —
Casey & Karen Covington—In Honor of Sheldon and Sarah Covington
Christy Hale-Scheriger —
In Memory of Julie Elizabeth Budias
Robert & Katie Peebles
In Honor of Abby Jo Scheriger
David & Carolyn Gilkey
Green - $0-$99
James & Iva Stewart —
In Honor of Pam Nunn
Shirely Young
Scott & Tammy Cowan
Don & Susan Bilyeu —
Rhea Wyatt
Jacob & Tracey Williams
Josh & Teresa Bailey
Sharon P’Pool
Hal & Judy Fennell —
In Honor of Brady Bilyeu
Dr. & Mrs James Cox
Clay & Shea Mohon
Joy Tilley — In Memory of Charles Tilley Jr.
In Honor of Taylor, Karrigan & Trever
Rogers
Jeremy & Lora Smith
Claudia Burns — In Memory of Dan Burns
Polly Forns
Jill Workman —
Jessica Johnston
Shane & Christy Gee
Kevin & Traci Atwood —
In Honor of Tim & Kelley Workman
Duncan & Sarah Cavanah
Gary & Donna Williams
In Honor of Layton Atwood and
Patricia Turner —
Mike & Barbara Kissner
Glenn & Becky Bradley
In Memory of Elizabeth Atwood
In Memory of Paul Turner
Matt & Laura Cherry
Richard & Judy Keller
Johnny, Liz & Jeff Brown
P.C. & J.A. Parrott
Sandra Livingston
Myriam Aponte In Honor of Luis & Juan Aponte
Charlie & Laura Fiscella
Ann Hicks
Pat Armstrong —
Lisa Allen
Landis & Charlene Groves —
Steve & Connie Wiggin
In Memory of Lt. Col S.D. Armstrong
Shannon Brown — In Honor of Linda Ledford
In Honor of Maggie & Claire Chewning
Taylor & Karen Hayes
Betty Holmes
Ed & Tammy Staley —
T.F. & Debbie Fowler —
Jeff & Beth Unfried
Steve & Sherry McGowen
In Honor of Roy & Collin Staley & Tara Staley
Thomas
In Honor of Trentin Fowler
Hughart & Beard Funeral Home
Stan & Kim Humphries
Mr. & Mrs. Brett Pritchett
Ray & Tasha Burnam —
Dr. & Mrs. W. Glen Sowards —
Jonah Kendall
Linda Ledford — In Memory of Caroline Williams
In Honor of Tyler & Tori Pratt
In Honor of Leland Sowards
Chris & Michelle Dill
Dallas & Cherry Chandler —
Bette Covington —
Mr. & Mrs. Dan Cayce —
In Honor of Preston & Spencer Workman
James & Faith Watkins —
In Honor of Brock Martin
In Honor of Marlee & Noah Thomas
In Honor of Kevin Watkins
Robert & Brenda Hackney
Andy Gurri —
Mike & Trish Richardson
Mike Smith
Doug and Sandy Carpenter — In honor of Tristen
In Honor of Faith Alm & Jessica Droke
Danny & Mary Armstrong
Charles & Marcy Thomas
Fincham, Kady Carpenter & Alyson Partain
Lisa Roark
Blazers Give
F.O.R Club
During the month of December, UHA embraced the holiday spirit and gave back to the community. Pre-K4 sponsored a
Blessing Bag drive for children in Ethiopia. The lower school donated 150 bags in all. Kindergarten collected diapers, wipes,
and baby clothing for Alpha Alternative. First grade went shopping for some families at Sanctuary House. Mrs. Wyatt’s third
grade class collected monetary donations and used their money to provide 9 local families Christmas dinner. Upper and
Middle School collected donations of pet supplies for the Humane Society. Upper school sponsored a coat drive. And, the
PTO sponsored a Toys for Tots drive. What a great month of showing how much our UHA family cares for the community!
Before the Christmas break, a group of 55 students and adults headed out after school for a Random Acts of
Kindness Scavenger Hunt. With 8 different groups, they were successful in surprising people with a little unexpected love and kindness in most of the Hopkinsville area. Some examples of acts included: passing out candy
canes, gift cards, flowers, candies, and baked goods to random people or workers at area businesses and public
service workers such as firemen, policemen, postal workers, etc. They also taped coins to machines at laundry
mats and left coins with a Merry Christmas message on vending machines, candy machines, and car washes.
Some paid for people’s orders in fast food drive- thrus and carried out groceries for customers. Gloves, hats and
mittens were given out at assisted living facilities and nursing homes. The students sang Christmas carols, and
one group sang and told about the event on WHOP. Everyone had a great time, and hopefully we added a little
brightness to other people’s day!
UHA Inductees
Blessings Bags
Dear Friends of UHA:
Fire Department collecting the Toys for Tots Don
It is hard to believe, but the school that our family has been a part of and which has been a part of our family from its first days is now in its 40th year!
Participating in its foundation back in 1973, the Lawson family has been involved in this wonderful community from the very beginning and has seen three generations proudly wear green and gold ever since. UHA has been such a big part of our lives that one of us even went back to teach new generations, including her son,
in the very classrooms where she herself sat when she was a student. As we celebrate the milestone of our school entering its fifth decade of educational excellence
and commitment to Hopkinsville, it seems impossible to think of our community without UHA. Our own family would not be the same without the invaluable education
and experiences we have all been provided through the years by the faculty, staff, students, and friends at 1300 Academy Drive.
Congratulations to UHA’s 2012~2013 National
Honor Society Inductees. Pictured left to right are:
Chandler Unfried, Tyler Williams, Haley Rublee,
Hendley Traughber, Vir Patel, Taten Frerichs,
Bailey Morales, Will Crabtree, Allyson Parker,
Matthew Armstrong, and Allison Watson. In order
to be invited into NHS, a student must have a
cumulative 3.5 GPA.
KYA 2012
On December 24, 2012, Mrs. Kristen Roberts and Mrs. Anne East took seven UHA students to
Forty years later, the little school we helped to begin has grown beyond anything we could have ever imagined. Current enrollment is 387 students (an all
time high in the history of the school). To us, this speaks to the vital role UHA plays in the life of Hopkinsville and Christian County. Providing the highest standards
in academics, athletics, community service, and the arts throughout the past four decades, our school has created an environment more and more families are
choosing for their children’s education and personal growth. Even in the face of global economic insecurity, the UHA family continues to thrive and grow in a place
where members of our community come together to build a better future for and through our children.
Louisville for the Kentucky Youth Assembly. Over 1100 students from all over the state gath-
As our school continues to expand, however, so does the cost of maintaining our commitment to excellence in and outside the classroom. Tuition still
only covers a portion of actual operating costs. To ensure that UHA’s financial necessities are met, we need your help! The Annual Fund Drive is a vital part of our
school’s continued success and any donation is, in fact, an investment. Your dollars are a investment in the education of our community’s next generations, many of
whom will someday be in positions to directly affect change, and influence our world.
five out of forty-one bills, to be presented in the House of Representatives chamber at the
ered to debate and demonstrate their interest in the governmental process. UHA presented
one bill, authored by Connor East, Chandler Hall, Morgan Thalmann, and Chandler Unfried.
Our bill, advocating the need for Charter Schools in Kentucky, was chosen as one of the top
Capitol in Frankfort, Kntucky. Alex Keys attended the conference as a candidate for Executive
Committee, and Bryant Hamby and Coby Lancaster were general delegates in the House of
Representatives. During the closing ceremony of the conference, UHA received an award for
Our family asks you to make a commitment to the school that has played such a big part in all our lives. Will you help us continue the work we started in
1973 of changing students’ lives in the Hopkinsville area by returning the enclosed card with your investment in our school? No amount is too small and every dollar
means a brighter future for each of our 387 (and growing) students.
As we approach our fifth decade of service and education, we ask your family to become a part of ours in this truly remarkable place, University Heights
Academy.
conference. In addition, Chandler Hall received an Outstanding Delegate Award.
Sixth Grade Showcase
On Saturday, December 1st, our sixth grade academic team members competed in the Kentucky Colonel’s 6th Grade Academic Showcase. Eight teams competed and UHA earned second place over-all. The following students won individual awards: Drew McGowan—1st place
in math and social studies; Jacob Moore—3rd place in science; Lauren Shaner—3rd place in
science (tied with Jakob); Emerson Barlow—4th place in language arts and 5th place in arts &
humanities. UHA’s Quick Recall Team (Drew McGowan, Jakob Moore, Victoria Sisk, Emerson
Barlow, Lauren Shaner, and Ann-Marie Fitzpatrick) placed 3rd. Congratulations to our sixth
grade team and to Mona Sheth, middle school academic team sponsor!
Sincerely,
The Lawson Family
Brooke and Ginny Lawson
Anne Lawson Noel
Brooke Lawson
Kathleen Lawson Akridge
Thomas Noel
Page 6
being a Delegation of Excellence for their performance, behavior, and participation during the
University Heights
Academy Action
Page 3
JAC Contest
UHA students in Ms. Sherry McGowan’s, Ms. Lisa Allen’s,
and Ms. Tracey Williams 4th and 5th grade classes took part
in the Junior American Citizens Art and Creative Expression
“Invest in America’s Future” Contests. JAC is sponsored by
the Colonel John Green Chapter NSDAR.
Placing locally in the JAC contests were: Sarah Covington—
4th Grade—1st Place Stamp; Maggie Unfried—4thGrade—3rd
Place Stamp;
Karlee West—4th Grade—1stPlace Poem;
Carly Craft—4th Grade—1stPlace Poster; Alison Bullen—4th
Grade—2ndPlace Poster; Maggie Chewning—4th Grade—
3rdPlace Poster;
Zohaib Iqbal—4th Grade—1stPlace Short Story; Alison
Bullen—4th Grade—2ndPlace Short Story;
Ashlyn Parker—5th Grade—1stPlace Stamp; Lainey Burman—5th Grade—2ndPlace Stamp; Brady Bilyeu—5th
Grade—3rd Place Stamp;
Roma Desai—5th Grade—1stPlace Short Story; Avery
Daniel—5th Grade—2ndPlace Short Story;
Kevli Sheth—5th Grade—1stPlace Poem; Roma Desai—5th
Grade—2nd Place Poem; and Grayson Eller—5th Grade—3rd
First school District
win for a UHA team!
Boys Basketball
Blazer Wrestling
Blazer Wrestling has taken the mats by storm this year. Senior Cameron Montgomery took first place honors for the second year in a row
at the regional tournament by wining three matches in under three
minutes. Cameron went on to wrestle at the state completion on February 16th and ended with a 5th place win! UHA now has a state
medalist for the 5th year in a row. In addition to Cameron’s success,
fourth grader Gavin Brown finished in 5th place at the Middle School
State Competition as well. Lower school wrestling successes include:
Brayden Brown — Elementary State Champion
John Michael Bronson—Kentucky State Youth Wrestling— 2nd place
Wesley Williams—Kentucky State Youth Wrestling—3rd place
In January, Blazer Basketball went into full
swing! The Boys team once again won the
All A Classic Region Tournament! UHA
fans are the best and they love to travel
and cheer for their Blazers! Alumnus and
Head Coach Grant Shouse is on his way
to having a great first season with this
team!
Lady Blazers
Lady Blazers have had a great season! In a
December game against Hopkins County, the
Blazers cruised to an easy victory with four
players reaching double figures. The girls finished the regular season with a win against
Union County on February 15th. Meg Starling recorded a triple double with 18 points,
10 rebounds, and 16 blocked shots. The girls
then went on to be the first UHA team to
ever win the District tournament. They look
forward now to the Region tournament.
Page 4
During Homecoming week, students
enjoyed showing their spirit with Merit
Day Monday, Take it Easy Tuesday,
Wacky Wednesday, There’s a Duck in
my Dynasty Thursday, and Find a Job
Friday. Seniors Cameron Montgomery
and Becca Vance were crowned King
and Queen.
Lee Lee Grubs dribbling past Ft. Campbell’s defense in
a an early season game. Photo courtesy of KY New Era.
Meg Starling in her 25 point game against Christan County. Photo
courtesy of KY New Era.
University Heights
Academy Action
Page 5