News

This week, Upper School Isdell Global Leaders (IGLs) Samantha Ayeni, David Halsey, Reese Honeycutt and Cullen West, and ICGL Director Trish Anderson and Associate Director Tatum Branaman depart for the second of two field study trips—this time to Ecuador in partnership with Kingue Adventure School, where they will continue their yearlong exploration of Food. 

In addition, the 2025–2026 Lower School ICGL Faculty Cohort is launching its exploration of Climate—next year’s global theme—in Portugal. The cohort aims to develop a developmentally appropriate curriculum that will be integrated into classrooms throughout the coming school year. Cohort participants include first-grade teacher Jordan Leet, second-grade teacher Kylie Holthaus, third-grade teacher Sarah Wright, fourth-grade teacher Marisa Zhuño, Spanish teacher Poli Aparicio, STEAM associate teacher Naina Maile, Lower School ICGL Director and fifth-grade teacher Rebecca Rhodes and Director of Curriculum and Professional Development Amy Underwood. 

Follow the IGL and ICGL Faculty Cohort’s adventures via the ICGL Instagram account.

Join the Upper School visual arts department after school on Tuesday, April 22, in The Zalik Theater lobby to celebrate the talent, hard work and passion of the eight senior student-artists in Advanced Studio Art and independent studies. A reception will begin at 4 p.m., but those on campus between dismissal and 4 p.m. are welcome to stop by early.

Upper School Dean of Academics and history teacher Mindy Lawrence has been selected as the 2025 James Madison Fellow for the state of Georgia. As part of this program, Lawrence will pursue a master's degree in history with a focus on the American Constitution, spend a month in Washington, D.C., next summer studying constitutionalism and receive $24,000 toward the cost of her education. Congratulations, Mrs. Lawrence!

Close out the school year with melodic merriment and sweet-sounding celebration at spring year-end concerts! All performances will be held in the Fine Arts Center’s Zalik Theater. All performances are free and open to the public.

• Middle and Upper School Band Concert: April 27 at 7 p.m.
• Upper School Chorus Concert: April 29 at 7 p.m. 
• Upper School Strings Concert: April 30 at 6 p.m.
• Middle School Chorus Concert: May 5 at 6 p.m.
• Lower School Strings Concert: May 7 at 4:15 p.m.
• Middle School Strings Concert: May 7 at 6 p.m.

Last month, five Upper School students competed in the American Chemical Society’s U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad Local Exam: juniors Dominic Hantula, Arnav Maddineni, Rebecca McCloskey, Dylan Stapleton and Jon Soren UyHam. 

The U.S. Chemistry Olympiad gives students the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in chemistry, including lab knowledge, kinetics, thermodynamics, equilibrium, atomic structure and properties, molecular structure, electrochemistry and organic chemistry. To prepare, these students spent their spare time studying concepts that go far beyond the standard curriculum of 10th-grade chemistry and AP Chemistry.  

Hantula was one of the top 13 students in the state and, therefore, is eligible for the national competition, which will take place at Emory University on April 12. Congratulations to these Knights for a strong performance on the local exam and for broadening their understanding of chemistry!