Construction Continues at Whitefield

Patch Staff Report

Construction of Whitefield Academy’s new Upper School building continues “under budget and on schedule” as a school official told Patch this week.

Designed by the architectural firm Perkins+Will, the new Upper School is being built by Van Winkle Construction and is set to be completed by early summer. The 37,000 square foot academic building, part of an $11.5 million capital campaign to improve Whitefield’s campus, will house 14 classrooms, four science labs, offices, and a 400-seat black box theater for dramatic performances, concerts, recitals, and weekly chapel services.

Since its establishment in 1997, Whitefield Academy, now a 75-acre campus, has continually enhanced its presence in the community through economic development, as well as offering solid academic, arts, and athletic programs.

Almost $8 million of the contributions for the capital campaign came from the Whitefield community with 100-percent participation from the board of trustees and faculty and staff. Atlanta-based foundations also provided significant support to help them reach their goal.

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Whitefield Academy senior Ben McNally of Atlanta was recently recognized as a Good Citizen by the Fort Peachtree Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. Son of Peter and Charlotte McNally, Ben is one of three students to receive the award.

Each year one senior class member is selected within an accredited high school by its faculty and students to be the DAR Good Citizen. Each student chosen must exemplify the qualities of a good citizen which are dependability, service, leadership and patriotism in their homes, schools and communities.

Once chosen, the students enter the DAR Good Citizens Scholarship Contest. First the student writes a description of how he or she is an example of a good citizen. This is submitted together with an official grade transcript and two letters of recommendation. Then, a 500-word essay is administered at school in one sitting within a two-hour limit and without reference material.

Non-DAR judges score each contestant’s entry. The entry scoring the most points advances to the district competition. Among found districts, the state winner receives $250 and advances to competition among eight regions of the United States. Winners in each of the eight national regions receive $500 and advance to the national competition. The national winner receives a $5,000 scholarship, an inscribed silver bowl and an invitation to the DAR Continental Congress in Washington, D.C.

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Eighth-grader Luke Miltner of Smyrna recently won the Whitefield Academy Middle School Spelling Bee. Seventh-grader Kamryn Johnson of Atlanta took the runner-up spot. Both Luke and Kamryn will move on to the next level of GISA competition in February.

Eighteen Middle School students participated in the spelling bee; the participants qualified for the bee after taking a written spelling test in class. The top two spellers in each class participated in the competition.

Participants in the bee were: Anna Blair (6th), J.B. Cantrell (8th), K.J. Cainion (6th), Holden Hosch (8th), Kamryn Johnson (7th), Jared Jones (6th), Molly Langella (6th), Katherine Martin (7th), Kerry Martin (8th), Isabel Miller (7th), Luke Miltner (8th), Charles Money (8th), J.T. Morris (8th), Anna Kate Peterson (7th), Ethan Powell (7th), Patrick Spellisy (6th), Amira Williams (7th), and Keene White (6th).

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The Whitefield Academy K-5 Chess Team recently took second place in the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Chess Tournament. Fourteen Lower School students competed in the tournament, one of the most competitive scholastic tournaments held in Georgia. Eight students made up the K-5 team, which took second place with a total of 14 points.

Fifth-grader Zachary Justice led the team with four points. Entering the final round undefeated and playing for the championship, Justice lost a close match but finished in third place overall in individual competition.

With three points each, fifth-grader Caleb Corliss and second-grader Zoe Justice had strong showings as well. Fifth-graders Kameron Hughes, Connor Miller, Laura Scheidegger, and Everett Sinclair, along with fourth-grader Cole Peterson, rounded out the K-5 team.

A younger and less experienced K-3 team also competed well, finishing in seventh place overall. Third-grader Jack Krahel led the team with three points, followed by kindergartner Drew Justice with two and a half points, and third-grader Joel McKinney with two points. Second-graders Riley Keeble, Mary Linley Marshall, and Luke Sinclair also contributed to the team's solid finish. The teams will go on to regional competition in February.