ICGL in Action

As we continue to live at a distance, Pace is committed to supporting individuals and groups impacted by the pandemic. The ICGL team has created a community engagement section on Pace Health, where Pace students, faculty and families can find engagement opportunities.

Atlanta Community Food Bank: Pace Athletics donated excess snacks and drinks from its concession stands to support those facing food insecurity during COVID-19. Their contributions are part of the more than 4 million pounds of food that the organization is donating during the month of May.

Bloom Closet: The Bloom Community Engagement Club thanks the Pace families who donated to its spring clothing drive, which filled two large U-Haul trucks to the brim. All donations are now at Bloom Closet helping foster families in need. 

Atlanta Mission & First Presbyterian Church: Sophomore Benjamin Chern and junior Jonny Sundermeier are bringing awareness to the needs of those experiencing homelessness. Consider donating one or more of the following items to Atlanta Mission and First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta’s Community Ministry: gently used or new backpacks and books for school-aged children; gently used sneakers (sizes 9-13); personal hygiene products; sunblock lotion; ponchos; canned goods; dry foods; salt and pepper; disposable plates, bowls, cutlery and napkins; individually packaged snacks and juice boxes; gift cards to Kroger, Walmart or Publix. 

Donate items May 28-30 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church parking lot, located at 1328 Peachtree Street NE. To drop off at an earlier date or help receive donations during the drive, contact benjamin.chern22@paceacademy.org or jonny.sundermeier21@paceacademy.org.

The Lower School Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL) Japan and Waste Teacher Cohort could not let the year end without recognizing students' hard work, so the Lower School celebrated Children's Week May 4-8. May 5 is Children's Day in Japan—a day to celebrate the happiness and joy of younger generations.  

Each day during the Lower School’s celebration, a teacher planned a video and lesson. On Monday, Pre-First teacher Patti Alexander led students through the origins of Children's Day and shared a Japanese fable. In addition, Robbi Hudgins’ second-grade class welcomed a special visitor—Jason Ferguson, second-grade associate teacher Scarlett Ferguson’s husband and an expert in Japanese language and culture. 

On Tuesday, Director of Curriculum and Professional Development Amy Underwood and fifth-grade teacher Hayley Hardwick taught Kanji, the Japanese character-writing system. On Wednesday, first-grade teacher Tara Hovan and her husband, Jason Hovan, a chef, showed students how to make candy sushi. 

Students learned origami from second-grade teacher Mary Pat McCallum and third-grade teacher Samantha Meiselman on Thursday, and the ICGL team rounded out the week with a STEAM lesson on making an island out of trash—like Japan’s Yumenoshima Island—with science teacher Katie Sandlin and Design Thinking teacher Janie Rowe. 

These ICGL activities were inspired by the teachers’ trip to Japan last year and provided students a way to celebrate their work.

As we continue to live life at a distance, many in the Pace community want to support the individuals and groups most impacted by the pandemic. The ICGL has remained in contact with its community engagement partners to provide support as they adapt to the ever-changing situation, and the team has created a community engagement section on Pace Health, where Pace students, faculty and families can find engagement opportunities.

In addition, sophomore Benjamin Chern and junior Jonny Sundermeier are leading an effort to bring awareness to the needs of those experiencing homelessness. Make a difference by helping Atlanta Mission and First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta’s Community Ministry, which provide free meals, MARTA cards, groceries and many other services to this population.

Please consider donating gently used or new backpacks and books for school-aged children; gently used sneakers (sizes 9-13); personal hygiene products (shampoo, soap, deodorant, lip balm); sunblock lotion; rain ponchos; canned goods (soup, tuna and vegetables); dry foods (rice, beans, cereal); salt and pepper; disposable plates, bowls, cutlery and napkins; individually packaged snacks and juice boxes; gift cards to Kroger, Walmart or Publix. 

Donate items May 28-30 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta’s parking lot, located at 1328 Peachtree Street NE. To drop off at an earlier date or help receive donations during the drive, please email benjamin.chern22@paceacademy.org or jonny.sundermeier21@paceacademy.org.

Many in the Pace community want to support the individuals and groups most impacted by the pandemic. The ICGL has remained in contact with its community engagement partners to provide support and has created a community engagement section on Pace Health, where you can find engagement opportunities, such as:

Atlanta Beats COVID: Upper School Science Department Chair Dr. John Pearson and Middle School Director of STEAM & Design Dr. Kirsten Boehner continue to use Pace’s 3D printers to produce face shields for healthcare professionals. This week, they donated more than 40 shields to MARTA Police. Pace has partnered with Atlanta Beats COVID to provide the personal protective equipment. Take action to support the work they are doing.

Bloom Closet Clothing Drive: Spring clean for a good cause! Bloom Closet provides clothing to foster children and is in desperate need of donations. May 6-8, sophomore Laura Arenth and juniors Lane Brickley and Caroline Janki will host a clothing drive to benefit Bloom Closet. Drop off gently used clothes at the Mautner's home (2854 Arden Road NW, 30327). Donations should be washed and placed in sealed, closed bags. No-interaction curbside drop-off will take place all three days; assisted curbside drop-off will be offered May 6 (12-2 p.m.), May 7 (3-5 p.m.) and May 8 (1:45-3 p.m.) You may also support Bloom by purchasing items from its Amazon Wishlist. Questions? Contact Arenth, Janki or Brickley.

Feed the Frontlines - Atlanta: Freshman Katie Janko has partnered with Feed the Frontlines Georgia to take part in High Schools for Healthcare. The competition between Atlanta-area schools strives to raise funds to purchase meals from restaurants impacted by shelter-in-place orders and provide the meals to overworked healthcare professionals. Pace is currently in fourth place! Support Janko and the Pace team; be sure to write “Pace Academy” in the comments. 

As we adapt to life at a distance, many in the Pace community want to support the individuals and groups most impacted by the pandemic. The ICGL has remained in contact with its community engagement partners to provide support as they adjust to the ever-changing situation, and the team has created a community engagement section on Pace Health, where Pace students, faculty and families can find engagement opportunities, such as:

Atlanta Beats COVID: Upper School Science Department Chair Dr. John Pearson has been using Pace’s 3D printers to produce face masks for healthcare professionals. In collaboration with several Pace families, the school has produced 100 masks for Coweta County’s Emergency Management Agency. Pace has partnered with Atlanta Beats COVID to provide the personal protective equipment. Take action to support the work they are doing.

Support Local Hospitals: Lower and Middle School students have been writing letters of encouragement to frontline healthcare professionals. With the increased strain on healthcare facilities and workers, many hospitals are in need of more tangible support. This week, we are encouraging families to donate excess household cleaning supplies (sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, etc.) and individually-wrapped snacks (granola bars, fruit snacks, etc.) to the local hospitals listed on Pace Health. 

Donate Food to Meals on Wheels: On April 1, the Pace community donated 200 pounds of food to Meals on Wheels Atlanta to support seniors sheltering in place—thank you! Please continue to donate food as you can.