LOA Earns 5-Star School Climate Star Rating from the Georgia Department of Education

Lake Oconee Academy has received a 5-star rating - a 98.5 out of 100 - for its 2104 School Climate Star Rating from the Georgia Department of Education (DOE). According to the Georgia DOE press release, school climate refers to the quality and character of school life – the “culture” of a school. A sustainable, positive school climate fosters youth development and student learning, which are essential elements for academic success, career-skill improvement and overall quality of life. The School Climate Star Rating helps determine whether a school is on the right path to school improvement.

“Research has shown us that school climate has a strong impact on student achievement,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. “The data used to develop the 2014 Star Ratings proves this once again. If your school has a positive climate, it’s giving students the environment they need to learn. You’ll likely see high achievement there – or a school that’s on the right track toward high achievement.” Every Georgia school received a 1 - 5 star rating, with five stars representing an excellent school climate and one star representing a school climate most in need of improvement. The rating system uses data from the following areas: School Climate, Student Discipline, Safe and Substance-Free Learning Environment, and Attendance. School Climate Star Ratings are an informational tool for schools, administrators, and parents; they do not affect the school’s College & Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) score.

Dr. Otho Tucker, CEO of Lake Oconee Academy had this to say about the score, “While I am, of course, pleased by this news, I am not at all surprised. When you provide an environment for students that allows for and expects success that is exactly the result that you will achieve. The dedication of our faculty and staff to create and sustain an environment conducive to learning is outstanding. I commend them for their efforts in making sure that our students arrive each day to a school environment where they feel respected, valued and safe.”

Interpretations of the star ratings are below:

'5-star' schools ranked excellent according to the school climate index;

'4-star' schools ranked above average according to the school climate index;

'3-star' schools ranked average according to the school climate index;

'2-star' schools ranked below satisfactory according to the school climate index, or

'1-star' schools ranked unsatisfactory according to the school climate index.

School Climate Star Ratings are required by law; they also serve as a companion to the Department of Early Care and Learning’s Quality Rated program, which includes an assessment of the learning environment. “Students cannot learn in environments that do not support them,” Superintendent Woods said. “Georgia is committed to measuring the quality of its learning climates, and this aligned approach helps us assess that quality from preschool all the way through 12th grade.”

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Contact: Kerry Minster
706.454.1562
kerry.minster@lakeoconeeacademy.org

LOA Named Among Top 50 Public Elementary Schools in the Nation

Once again Lake Oconee Academy has been honored for its academic excellence, extracurricular richness, geographical and demographical diversity, and reputation. TheBestSchools.org has named LOA as one of the top 50 public schools in the nation, including the Department of Defense Schools around the world. Schools on the list are located throughout the continental United States, Germany and Japan and the award was based on the performance of grades three-five in each school.

According to TheBestSchools.org, all of the schools named to the list “illustrate what highly-motivated faculty, staff, parents, and students can achieve by raising expectations, rewarding hard work, and building character. Additionally, all schools on the list, working with what they have, create environments that are highly effective at stimulating learning and fostering personal growth.” All of these criteria fall right in line with LOA’s mission to increase student achievement by building a culture of high expectations for all students. Most importantly, LOA ensures that not only are students expected to achieve, but they are also given the tools they need to do so.

Dr. Otho Tucker, CEO of Lake Oconee Academy had this to say about the honor, “Even though this award was generated by the achievements of grades three-five, I know faculty members from those grades will be the first to say the success stems from a school wide expectation of excellence from all and by all. The preparation these students received in grades Pre-K4 through grade two was critical in the success of the students in grades three-five. Meeting the expectations of teachers for students moving to grades six and beyond also drives third-fifth grade teachers to do their very best every day,” continued Dr. Tucker. “This is a school-wide award driven by a school-wide culture of excellence, which every faculty and staff member has and is committed to attaining.”

All of the schools on the list exemplify success in elementary education. Many of them, like LOA, were awarded 2014 National Blue Ribbon School status. To find out more about this honor, please visit www.thebestschools.org.

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Contact: Kerry Minster
706.454.1562
kerry.minster@lakeoconeeacademy.org

LOA Students Create Musical Magic with Grammy-Award Winning Producer Deezle

Lake Oconee Academy (LOA) music students were fortunate enough to cross paths with a musical powerhouse during an impromptu lunch visit at school in late October. Three-time Grammy Award-winning music producer Darius “Deezle” Harrison was invited to lunch at school by LOA parent Mark DeMattei and the result was a full-blown production resulting in a song co-produced by Deezle and LOA students titled “Let Your Light Shine.”

“Mr. Deezle,” as he became known to the students, stopped by LOA for lunch and was asked to speak to the chorus group for a moment about his career as a producer. What happened next was the opportunity of a lifetime for LOA music students.

“The kids had really legitimate questions about how I do what I do as a music producer and how the process worked, not just what I did,” said Deezle, who resides in Los Angeles. “I had some equipment in the car, so I thought, ‘I’ll just show you.’ This was a completely spontaneous experience. From the first drumbeat, an interest was sparked in these students. Then the next class period more kids showed up, then a few more and a few more. They inspired a song in that moment.”

The band and chorus students laid down the song structure and melodic structure in that initial session, and with a promise from Deezle to come back the following Friday to complete the song, they got to work. Deezle did some minor production work on the track and then emailed the melody and chorus lyrics back to LOA band director Courtney Pilgrim. The students practiced their parts, worked on the lyrics, and were ready for their final recording on Friday, October 31.

“This was a true collaboration,” explained Deezle, “I came up with the first couple verses and the students worked on the rest of the lyrics. Then they came up with the horn part after being inspired by the piano part and so on. I was thoroughly impressed with what they came up with.”

The LOA team of music educators – Courtney Pilgrim (band director), Amy Reber (piano instructor) and Juli Malcom (music and chorus instructor) – were thrilled for their students to have the experience of creating music with an accomplished producer who showed them how to express themselves creatively and truly “let their light shine.” The students will be premiering the track at their Winter Concert and the Southland Jubilee in downtown Greensboro, Ga.

“This was an unbelievable opportunity for our kids, “said Mrs. Pilgrim. “The excitement was through the roof. Deezle shared an amazing message with students that hard work, dedication and never giving up always pays off in the end.”

“This was a great experience and I hope it inspired the students to practice and devote their time to excellence in their musical craft,” Deezle said. “Band saved my life. When I was young I could either dedicate my time to doing things that would take away my freedom or I could go practice my horn. Music broadened my horizons - it gave me the ability to perform and travel, and allowed me to generate income even as a teenager. My path has been an interesting and winding road.”

Deezle was born and raised in New Orleans. La., and was influenced by the rich sounds of the New Orleans music scene and by his uncle who played the bass. Deezle picked up the alto saxophone in the 4th grade and joined the band. At the age of 15 he was playing in the halftime show of the Super Bowl. His Grammy awards resulted from his co-producing and sound engineering work with rapper Lil Wayne on the song “Lollipop” and the album “Tha Carter III.”

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Contact: Kerry Minster
706.454.1562
kerry.minster@lakeoconeeacademy.org

LOA 8th Graders Experience Washington DC

The 8th grade class of Lake Oconee Academy (LOA) recently had the exciting opportunity to tour the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., during a school trip from September 29 – October 3, 2014.

One of the most impactful moments of the trip was the participation of LOA students in a wreath laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, home to more than 400,000 fallen active duty service members, veterans and their families. Four students were selected to represent LOA for their academic achievement and effort, high quality character, and class leadership. Jameshia Copeland, Ashton Evans, Calleigh Reber and Tyler Weir spoke with military personnel, received instructions on protocol for the ceremony, and placed the wreath at the Tomb on the Unknown Soldier.

“It was awesome,” said 8th grade student Jameshia Copeland. “I was nervous at first but the guard talked to us and told us where to stand and when to put our hands over our hearts. The wreath had our school name on it and was really pretty. It was very inspirational.”

Students were also able to visit many of the memorials and museums that Washington, D.C., has to offer. They spent time at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Memorial, United States Capitol, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Newseum, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, and National World War II Memorial.

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

Reflections from LOA CEO Dr. Otho Tucker on Receiving the 2014 National Blue Ribbon Award

There are moments in life that are special to you personally. There are moments in life that are special because they impact those that you love. And, there are moments in life that are special because they reach to the soul of who you are in service of others. The 2014 National Blue Ribbon School Award is one that not only touches who I am as an educator but also what we represent as a high quality, high performing charter school. It epitomizes the very fabric of excellence that was the intent of the vision and mission, and the charge that was given me when accepting this position.

For those of you who do not know the extent of the 2104 National Blue Ribbon School Award, let me give you some background. It was started in 1982 by then Secretary of Education Terrell Bell to highlight the achievement of elementary, middle, and high schools across the United States, including the U.S. Military Schools found around the world. It is given to schools that, over a period of five years show consistent exemplary achievement and/or exemplary improvement in all segments of the education program. Schools become eligible to be repeat winners in five years and several have that distinction.

With this said, Lake Oconee Academy has shown this high achievement over the past five years and was selected for that achievement. This is the first year LOA was eligible for the award and to be selected in its first year is an honor in itself. With over 132,000 schools eligible for the award, only 290 traditional public, charter and magnet schools and 50 private schools from across the nation and the seas were recipients placing LOA in a group consisting of only twenty-five hundredth of one percent of schools (0.25%). Awards are nice; however, to be meaningful, there needed to be a greater message and that came with the two day awards ceremony and speeches held in Washington, DC.

The first of these messages came from US Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan. In his speech, Secretary Duncan made the point that even though schools were improving there was still unrest with many education programs and too many poorly performing schools in the United States. However, he then stated the best schools in the United States can compete with the best schools anywhere in the world and these Blue Ribbon Schools are in that illustrious group of best schools in the world.

We also heard the 2014 National Teacher the Year, Sean McComb speak. He asked the question, “What is the role of the 2014 Blue Ribbon Schools as it relates to the remainder of the education community?” He noted a conversation he had with the First Lady where she challenged him to reach back through the door of opportunity that had opened for him and pull other teachers through the door with him, assisting them to be high quality teachers. Mr. McComb challenged the Blue Ribbon Schools to share their experiences and expertise with those who request and seek their assistance.

LOA has helped a plethora of schools and educational leaders across Georgia and the United States with setup, curriculum design, and leadership. Even as recently as this week the Academy for Classical Education (ACE) from Bibb County continues to visit for Special Education design and implementation as well as leadership information. I spoke last Saturday morning at a weekend retreat for a DeKalb Leadership Academy that was seeking to improve their overall performance.

But the most impactful comments of the conference came from the 2011 National Superintendent of the Year, Mark Johnson. He turned a historically failing school district in California into one that was the home of multiple “Blue” schools. He made two direct and profound statements. Statements we live by here at LOA. First, “Every organization is perfectly aligned for the results it gets.” And second, “The world is not going to lower its standards for you.” At LOA, we do not intend for that to be a problem.

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Contact: Kerry Minster
706.454.1562
kerry.minster@lakeoconeeacademy.org

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