Lowe's of Madison Awards Lowe's Heroes Grant to LOA School Spirit Store

Lowe’s of Madison, Ga., store #1958, recently issued a Lowe’s Heroes grant to Lake Oconee Academy’s (LOA) student-run school store for the purpose of helping the budding venture with the necessary equipment to effectively run the store. The Lowe’s grant provided supplies in the amount of $1,200 to build spirit wear displays, a checkout counter, tables, shelving, and storage bins for inventory.

LOA teacher Amanda Etheridge applied for the grant on the school’s behalf over the summer in anticipation of the opening of the store under a new name, The Armory. Originally run by parent volunteers, 6th – 9th grade students in the LOA Student Government Association (SGA) took over operations of the school store this year as an avenue to raise funds for student travel scholarships, and to pay for LOA SGA sponsored student events such as school dances and homecoming spirit week. Lowe’s employee Jeff Etheridge used the materials provided through the grant to construct attractive and creative multifunctional pieces to improve the store’s retail appeal and help with the organization of product.

“The grant from Lowe’s allowed us to use our startup funds to purchase inventory instead of having to use those funds to buy display pieces,” said LOA SGA advisor Chrissy Cronic. “This is a tremendous help for a student- run project. Proceeds from the Armory are dedicated to funding travel scholarships for LOA students. This is positively impacting many students by allowing them to attend academic field trips that otherwise would create a hardship for their families.”

“As students, we get to learn many aspects of running a small business from preparing deposits to marketing to merchandising displays,” said Stu Baker, LOA SGA member. “Our new displays from Lowe’s and Mr. Etheridge are really awesome. We are very proud of The Armory and the things we are able to do for our fellow students.”

Already this year, LOA SGA has pledged to donate $1,200 to student travel scholarships to assist students attending the 8th grade field trip to Washington D.C. this month. “This would not have been possible without the partnership with Lowe’s,” said Amanda.

The Lowe’s Heroes program encourages employees to engage in a volunteer project with a local nonprofit organization or K–12 public school and make a difference. Lowe's Heroes have participated in more than 1,300 projects, and Lowe's has contributed more than $1.3 million in materials.

For immediate release
Contact: Kerry Minster
706.454.1562
kerry.minster@lakeoconeeacademy.org

LOA Administers PSAT to Inaugural High School Class

Lake Oconee Academy (LOA) continued its mission to prepare its students for post-secondary education with the first-ever administration of the PSAT to the inaugural ninth grade class at LOA on Wednesday, October 15, 2014. The PSAT is a nationwide test taken by approximately 3.4 million high school students each year. The PSAT includes multiple choice questions in Writing Skills, Critical Reading, and Math.

The purpose of the PSAT is to strengthen a student’s possible score on the SAT college admission test. Students who take the PSAT receive a Summary of Answers report in December which will provide details about what questions they answered incorrectly and why, and where they need to focus to improve those weaknesses. Schools that test students at an earlier age have more time to act on PSAT data.

In addition to SAT preparation, the PSAT provides valuable information for a student’s choice in Advanced Placement (AP) classes. Students will collaborate with faculty members to evaluate skills for AP classes and determine what AP classes the student will be most prepared to take. The “AP Potential” is a program of the College Board that uses PSAT results to recommend AP courses to students based on their ability to think critically and reason. In the 11th grade, the PSAT is used as part of National Merit Scholarship qualifying.

PSAT administration for 10th graders is funded by the state of Georgia. LOA has elected to offer and fund the test for all 9th grade students in order for students to gain as much exposure and practice with the test as possible. As LOA expands a grade level each year, it will have all 9th and 10th grade students taking the PSAT next year.

“This is an excellent opportunity for our students,” said Dr. Hester Vasconcelos, AP Coordinator for LOA. “Most 9th grade students do not get to take the PSAT. Taking the PSAT a final time in the 11th grade gives students a fresh skills assessment and a measure of their progress, as well as the chance to compete for scholarships. Research shows that students in U.S. schools who take the PSAT multiple times score an average of 189 points higher on the SAT than students who do not.”

In preparation for the PSAT, LOA administered a Practice PSAT (full-length test) on Saturday, September 27, 2014. This practice test was open to all 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th graders in Greene and surrounding counties. Students arrived at LOA at 8:00 a.m. for breakfast followed by the full-length practice test. Approximately 50 students from Greene and Morgan counties participated in the test session. This will be an annual event at LOA. Interested parents and students should watch the LOA website or contact the school for practice PSAT administration dates.

For immediate release
Contact: Kerry Minster
706.454.1562
kerry.minster@lakeoconeeacademy.org

LOA Honored as a 2014 National Blue Ribbon School

Greensboro, GA (October 3, 2014) – On Tuesday, September 30, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan recognized Lake Oconee Academy (LOA) as a National Blue Ribbon School for 2014. The honor was based on LOA’s overall academic excellence and progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups.

“If you consider the number of schools across the nation, more than 1250 in Georgia alone, when LOA is in the top 239, it is an achievement,” said Dr. Otho Tucker CEO of LOA. “It speaks to the dedication of the faculty, the work ethic of the children, the assistance they receive from caring parents, the volunteers that come donating their time and effort for no more than the satisfaction of seeing a child succeed, and the leadership and vision of a thoughtful board of governors. I commend the families of people who made this happen. You should feel proud and honored.”

• According to data from the National Center for Educational Statistics, the United States has approximately 132,183 public and private P-12 schools

• The number of 2014 Blue Ribbon Schools is 337 from 47 states, U. S. Virgin Islands and DoDEA schools in Germany and Japan

• Of these, 287 are public (traditional, charter, choice, and magnet schools) and 50 private schools

• There are 25 K-12 schools; 239 Elementary Schools, 25 Middle Schools and 48 High Schools

• 289 are being recognized as Exemplary High Performing Schools and 48 are being recognized as Exemplary Gap Closing Schools

Greene County School Board member Leah Dukes had this to say about the honor, “While the high achievement of the school is impressive, even more is the second part. Student sub-group performance is at its highest. Dr. Tucker and the staff at LOA have shown that ALL students are capable of excellence. Thank you for demonstrating that innovation is the key to student achievement.”

The Department of Education will honor all 287 public and 50 private schools at a recognition ceremony on Nov. 10-11 in Washington, D.C. In its 32-year history, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has bestowed this coveted award on nearly 7,900 of America’s schools.

“These great schools are fulfilling the promise of American education—that all students, no matter their name or zip code, can flourish when schools provide safe, creative, and challenging learning environments,” Secretary Duncan said. “National Blue Ribbon Schools are models of consistent excellence and a resource for other schools and districts. We celebrate them for their tireless effort and boundless creativity in reaching and teaching every student.”

All schools are recognized in one of two performance categories, based on all student scores, subgroup student scores and graduation rates:

• Exemplary High Performing Schools are among their state’s highest performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests. Student subgroup performance and high school graduation rates are also at the highest levels.

• Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools are among their state’s highest performing schools in closing achievement gaps between a school’s subgroups and all students over the past five years. Student subgroup performance and high school graduation rates for each subgroup are at high levels.

Specifically, for the 2013-2014 award year, the Department strengthened the focus of both categories’ performance criteria around subgroups within a school and improving graduation rates for all students.

The Department invites National Blue Ribbon School nominations from the top education official in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Department of Defense Education Activity and the Bureau of Indian Education. The Council for American Private Education (CAPE) nominates private schools. A total of 420 schools nationwide may be nominated, with allocations determined by the numbers of K-12 students and schools in each jurisdiction.

NOTE TO EDITORS: Photographs and brief descriptions of the 2014 National Blue Ribbon Schools are available at http://www.ed.gov/nationalblueribbonschools

For immediate release
Contact: Kerry Minster
706.454.1562
kerry.minster@lakeoconeeacademy.org