Newberry Academy Updates

January 1, 2023: January Newsletter

January 13, 2023: Tax Statements and Enrollment From Denise Shaw, Main Office

Dear Families,

2022 tax statements for late stay and summer program students will be sent home on Tuesday, January 17th. Tuition statements for the 2022 tax year will be emailed out to all families that same day. Families will receive two tuition statements to include the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 school year, which reflect all tuition payments made in the year 2022. If your student is no longer eligible for the Child and Dependent Care Credit, please disregard these tuition statements. Please speak with a tax professional for any questions related to this credit.

Priority Enrollment for the upcoming 2023-2024 school year will begin for current families only on February 1st. Space is guaranteed for all returning students during this time. We will open any remaining spaces to waitlisted families and then the community the following week.

December 1st, 2022: December Newsletter

November 29, 2022: Upcoming Events From Denise Shaw, Main Office

Christmas Music Program: Thursday December 1st at 6:00 PM in the gym

Students in Music Class and Chorus classes ages 2k-8th grade will be performing. Please have your child at the front of the gym near the stage at 5:40pm. They may wear Christmas attire-reds,greens, Christmas sweaters etc.

The Middle School band will be performing a short selection of pieces. For this performance we ask that students be at the school no later than 5:45 PM so that we can warm up. Dress is “Sunday best” – jeans may be worn if no other options are available. Slacks and khakis are preferred, as well as closed toed shoes. Ladies are allowed to wear skirts and dresses if they like, clothing must adhere to school dress code.

Middle School Drama class presents “The North Pole News” Middle School Drama class needs to meet in Ms. Kaminer’s room at 5:30 PM. They need to be in Christmas-y leggings, if possible, and long green t-shirts or Christmas/Festive Sweaters. (Jeans are fine if you can’t get leggings.)

Christmas Spirit Week

Wednesday, November 30 – Ugly Sweater

Thursday, December 1 – Pajama Day

Friday, December 2 – Winter Wonderland (Blue/White)

Pictures with Santa (PreK – 4th Grade)

Thursday, December 1 – Pictures with Santa. This will take place in the morning.

Shopping afternoon for parents (Grades 1st – 4th)

Saturday, December 3 from 2-5 PM – entertainment and snacks will be provided for you to have a little shopping time without your children. $10.00 per child.

Winter Wonderland Dance

Saturday, December 10th – $10.00 Single and $15.00 Couple – Tickets are for sale from Mrs. McJunkins before and after school hours.

6 PM – 8 PM – Middle School (Grades 5 – 8)

8:30 PM – 10:30 PM – High School

November 28, 2022: Upcoming Events From Denise Shaw, Main Office

Dear Parents,

If your student has played or will play any sport this school year, we are in great need of your assistance with concessions. Without volunteers, we will not be able to open our concession stand which directly supports all student-athletes and our athletic program.

We have home games this Friday, more throughout the month of December and into January and February. If JV/Middle school, and Lower School parents could help during varsity games, and varsity parents could help during JV/Middle school games, that would be great! We have one hour shifts. The link to sign up for all months are on our website under Booster.

If you can’t sign up but want to help, please email Booster Club president Scott Joyner at scottjoyner0108@gmail.com.

Thank you!

November 1, 2022: November Newsletter

October 20, 2022: Upcoming Events From Denise Shaw, Main Office

Dear Newberry Academy Families, please see the upcoming event schedule below.

1. Friday, October 21st, Last home football game and senior night at 7:10 PM BEFORE THE GAME BEGINS (flyer attached)

2. Monday, October 24th at 6:00 PM. Parents Council Meeting. Library or lunchroom depending on the number of attendees. Everyone is invited to attend. The minutes from our last meeting are attached to this email.

3. Thursday, October 27th, Parents/Grandparents Breakfast (7:45 AM) and Program (8:30 AM) for 5K – 4th grades and 5th – 8th grades (Drama, Band & Chorus)(Art Work will be displayed)

4. Friday, October 28th, Student Appreciation Day – Lunch on the front lawn for all students.

5. Friday, November 4th, Professional Development Day, NO SCHOOL for students.

September 14, 2022: Booster Club From Scott Joyer, Booster Club President

Dear Newberry Academy Families,

We wanted to take a moment to invite everyone to join the Newberry Academy Booster Club! The Newberry Academy Booster Club is made up of family members who like to support the various boys and girls JV, varsity and intramural teams offered throughout the year. The money raised by gate attendance, concession stand sales and booster club dues go directly to support the various sports offered by Newberry Academy. These funds help take care of a multitude of expenses ranging from paying officiating fees, obtaining equipment, travel expenses, etc. This year we are trying to also raise money to help pay for a Newberry Academy activity mini bus. This bus would not only be used to help transport athletes to away games and tournaments, but also take our students on the various field trips during the year the teachers have planned.

To join the Newberry Academy Booster Club, you do not need to have a student participating in any sports, we welcome everyone to join. It is mandatory to join if you do have a student on any JV, varsity or intramural team. To join we ask that you fill out the attached Booster Club sign up form and turn it into the front office. Upon receipt, the front office will notify you when your booster club pass is ready for pick up. You will use the pass to enter all home games, with no additional gate fee, for all the sports throughout the year.

As a Booster Club Member, we encourage you to get involved by volunteering. We have many different opportunities during the year. We are always looking for volunteers for games and tournaments which we host at home. One can volunteer at the concession stand, which is not only a great opportunity to support our student athletes and coaches, but a fun way to meet our wonderful Newberry Academy family members. For those who do have children on a JV, Varsity or intramural team, working the concession stand is a requirement. It is mandatory to work at least one snack bar shift per sport. Some sports have more home games than others, so we may need your help at more than one game/snack bar shift. At the moment we are looking for parents of Varsity and JV football players, or anyone interested in volunteering at concessions, to please use the link below.

The sign up can also be found by going to the Newberry Academy website, under Athletics, and Booster Club. For JV and Varsity volleyball, if you would like to help with concessions, please contact Mr. Scott Gardner at 803-924-0965. Future concession sign-ups will be posted once the game schedules are known.

We look forward to meeting you at a game soon and would like to thank you in advance for supporting the Newberry Academy Eagles and Booster Club.

Scott Joyner, Booster Club President

Maria Mannara, Football Concessions

Sign Up For Concessions

September 9, 2022: Parents Council Information From Abby Fuller May, Parents Council President

Good morning,

I hope everyone is well. I am your new Parents Council President, Abby Fuller (some background information is attached as requested). I just wanted to let you know that after some revisions this year (now that we are no longer under as tight of Covid restrictions), the Parents Council Assigned Jobs List for 2022-2023 is up for viewing. If you have previously looked at the Jobs List this fall, please take another look as changes have been made.

All you need to do is take a few minutes this weekend or next week to review the list to confirm that your job from last year is the same (if you want it to be) or to decide what job you want this year. Remember you need 8 hours this year per family!

After viewing the Jobs List, if you want to keep your job from last year and it will meet your 8 hours, you do not need to do anything. If you want a new job, etc., please make sure to complete the Schedule Your PC Hours webform that is on the Newberry Academy website. Instructions on where to go and how to do this are attached to this email.

Finally, I am going to start reaching out to each family and processing the requested jobs I have already gotten as well as processing any received after this email. I will also be confirming with those of you that want your jobs from last year. This will take me a few weeks but I will be making contact with everyone by the end of September so please get your job preferences into me no later than September 19^th since we have quite a number of opportunities coming up very soon!

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns by emailing me at ParentsCouncil@newberryacademy.com or you can text/call me at (803) 318-5800. Also please do bear with me as this is my first year as President and I am definitely going to need a learning curve but I will do my best!

Thank you in advance for all your hard work and dedication to making Newberry Academy the wonderful school that it is for our children!

Respectfully yours,

Abby Fuller

President

Parents Council

Newberry Academy

September 8, 2022: NA Jr. Civitan Drive From Denise Shaw, Main Office

Dear Families,

The Newberry Academy Jr. Civitan officers kicked off their annual membership
drive with a tailgate party on Saturday, August 27. Food, fun, games and
fellowship were enjoyed by all who attended. Jr. Civitan is a service organization
with projects that benefit the school and the community. The officers met and
have planned a project for each month.
In August the officers provided a delicious breakfast for the staff at in-service,
welcomed the first graders to the “big” school with a first- grade pencil and held
the tailgate party. As you can see, Jr. Civitan is an “active” organization.

Any 7 th -12 th grade student who would like to join Jr. Civitan should give their
$20.00 membership fee and t-shirt size to Jackson Wilbanks or Mr. Marty
Wilbanks no later than Monday, September 19. Please adhere to this deadline so
we can complete our membership drive and order t-shirts and pins before we
hold our initiation/installation ceremony in late September or early October.
Thank you for helping “make the world a better place” through Jr. Civitan.
Alex Davis – President
Co-Advisors – Shelby Fulmer and Marty Wilbanks

September 1, 2022: Student Activities From Nicole May, Head of School

Good morning families,

Did you know that in addition to our regular curriculum, Newberry Academy offers many opportunities for students to participate in a wide range of clubs and activities? On our first day of school, each teacher gave a description of the activities he or she sponsors, and students in middle and high school completed an expression of interest form indicating any activities that they would like to participate in this year. It is not too late to decide to participate!

Some of the activities include:

Junior Civitan, sponsored by Mr. Marty Wilbanks and retired NA teacher/administrator Mrs. Shelby Fulmer, is open to students in grades seven and up.

Junior Civitan is a service organization that gives back to our school and community through activities such as can drives, school and community beautification projects, dance-a-thons, assisting people with disabilities, and other activities. Junior Civitan offers leadership opportunities on a local and state level, and they provide a scholarship to a senior student each year. For more information, please contact Mr. Wilbanks by email at mwilbanks@newberryacademy.com for further information. Sign-up is taking place now!

Beta Club, sponsored by Mrs. Laurie Suber and Mr. Joe Pollock, is open to students in grades four and up who meet academic requirements. Beta Club recognizes and encourages high academic achievement, good character, leadership, and citizenship. Beta Club also does service for both the school and community. Activities include helping people with special needs and disabilities and arranging speakers to come into the school. Invitations for eligible students will be going home in the next few weeks.

Odyssey of the Mind, Sponsored by Mrs. Olivia Fulmer, is a project-based national competition that focuses on developing problem-solving skills in students. There is a middle school and a high school club. Information can be found on the website https://www.odysseyofthemind.com/ or by contacting Mrs. Fulmer by email ofulmer@newberryacademy.com Sign-up is taking place now!

Battle of the Books, sponsored by Mrs. Nicole May (High School), Mrs. Olivia Fulmer (Middle Schoool), and Mrs.Laurie Suber (Elementary). Newberry Academy students who are on the team read books from the Battle of the Books list and compete against other schools on their knowledge of the books in January. Sign-up is taking place now! More information can be found at https://www.battleofthebooks.org/ or by contacting Mrs. May nmay@newberryacademy.com or Mrs. Fulmer ofulmer@newberryacademy.com or Mrs. Suber lsuber@newberryacademy.com

Girl Scouts, sponsored by Mrs. Theresa Beevers, is open to girls in grades 1-12. Highlights from last year include a formal afternoon tea, planting roses, and learning to build a campfire. Please contact Mrs. Beevers by email tbeevers@newberryacademy.com for more information. Sign-up is taking place now!

Chess Competition, sponsored by Mrs. Kristina Konle, students can learn how to play and hold practice games in the library during lunch or break. They have the opportunity to compete against other schools at the SCISA Chess Meet. Sign-up is taking place now!

Art Festival, sponsored by Mrs. Kitty Mayer, is held in February. It is open to students in grades 1 – 12. Artwork can be in a variety of forms and mediums. Students or parents can find out more about entry from Mrs. Mayer and begin working on projects to have them ready for the February Festival. kmayer@newberryacademy.com.

LS, MS, and HS Quiz Bowl, sponsored by Mrs. Suber (high school), Ms. McJunkins (MS) and Mrs. Wilbanks (LS), is a trivia-style competition that is open to students in grades 4-12. It is held in October. Email lsuber@newberryacademy.com, amcjunkins@newberryacademy.com, or jwilbanks@newberryacademy.com for more information. Sign-up is taking place now!

MS and HS Math Meets, sponsored by Mrs. Devaney. Mathematicians compete against the clock and other students at the SCISA competition held in March. Reach out to Mrs.Devaney for more information at ldevaney@newberryacademy.com.

Dance Competition, sponsored by Mrs. Evelin Klingelsmith, is held in February and is open to elementary, middle, and high school students. Last year one of our students earned first place in the MS competition! Students prepare a dance, practice independently, and perform. Solo, small group, and large groups can enter and categories include contemporary, lyrical, ballet, tap, and acrobatics. Ms. Evelin can be contacted eklingelsmith@newberryacademy.com

Spelling Bee, sponsored by Mrs. Beevers and Mrs. Wilbanks. Selected students in third grade are given a list of words to learn and then compete against third-graders in other schools. tbeevers@newberryacademy.com, jwilbanks@newberryacademy.com

Literary Meet, sponsored by Ms. Kaminer (HS), Ms. McJunkins (MS and Elementary), is a large event held in March. Students compete against other schools in grade-specific competitions including extemporaneous speaking, oral interpretation, and essay writing (HS and MS) and story re-telling or poetry recital (LS). More information will be available in the new year. For more information, please email bkaminer@newberryacademy.com or amcjunkins@newberryacademy.com

Nicole May

August 17, 2022: School Security From Nicole May, Head of School

Dear Families,

School security continues to be a high priority at Newberry Academy, and over the summer our board of directors and school administrators have been working very closely with local law enforcement agencies to make sure that we are ready for the new school year and beyond. This has involved installing numerous new physical measures and implementing new policies on campus.

Please expect to see an increased law enforcement presence on our campus this year – for all the right reasons! We are looking forward to welcoming local law enforcement officers to Newberry Academy as they drop in at different times throughout the day to familiarize themselves with our campus, say hello to our students, and provide a visual reminder that our local LE agencies care about the safety of our students. The Newberry County Sheriff’s office will also be co-ordinating safety drills, conducting safety audits, and providing age-appropriate student and teacher safety education throughout the year alongside our permanent security officer, Constable Benji Sease.

Families also play an important role in school safety, and we ask that you carefully adhere to the following requirements for visitors on campus.

– All visitors to the main campus must enter through the front doors only, sign in to the front office, and wear a visitor’s pass while on campus (Big School).

– Visits to campus should be by appointment only or where approval is given by the Head of School or Kindergarten Director.

– Students will not be released to anyone who does not have the school-issued pick-up card that is provided on back-to-school night, or identification (LS and MS), or who is on the approved list (kindergarten). Please do not be offended if you are asked for identification.

– Family members who wish to chaperone students on field trips, help in the classroom, or transport students to athletic/school events must undergo a background check and a driver’s license history in advance. These forms are available through the front office or from your child’s teacher. The cost is $15 for both of these checks. Payment should accompany the forms.

We will continue to roll out additional safety measures throughout the year as time and resources allow. Newberry Academy is a registered non-profit organization, and any financial contribution toward our campus safety would help us achieve our goals earlier and be greatly appreciated!

Sincerely,

Nicole May

July 21, 2022: Back to School Information From Denise Shaw, Front Office

Dear Families,

Can you believe it is only 4 weeks until we are back to school!

Please make note of the following information and upcoming events:

– Kindergarten will be having a staggered back-to-school night on Monday, 15th August. You should have received an orientation package in the mail, if you have not received it please contact us.

5:30 – 6:00 PM – 2k and 4k

6:15 – 6:45 PM – 3k and 5k

– Elementary students will also have a back-to-school night on Monday, 15th August. This event will be held in your child’s classroom and will provide an opportunity for students to meet their teacher and new classmates. Parents will be able to ask questions and find out important information for the upcoming year. In order to reduce congestion, we will be staggering the times according to grade.

5:30 – 6:00 PM – 1st and 2nd grade

6:15 – 6:45 PM – 3rd and 4th grade

– 5th Grade students will have a meeting on Monday, 15th August at 6:00 PM in the lunchroom. Students will collect their schedules, books and go over important information.

– Middle and High School students will have a drop-in on Tuesday, 16th August. Students can collect their schedules and books anytime between 4 – 6 PM.

– Front office staff will be available to take payments for agendas, lunch accounts, sports fees etc. during the above times.

– Supply lists will be available on our website or through our new Spirit Store. Watch for more information soon.

– Don’t forget summer reading! We have copies of all books in our library ready for borrowing.

– Students that will need after-school care for the upcoming year please sign up on the school’s website as soon as possible.

We are looking forward to seeing everyone soon,

July 21, 2022: Supply Lists 2022-2023, Order now! From Denise Shaw, Front Office

Dear families,

New to 2022-2023, we are very excited to introduce the Newberry Academy Spirit Store, a Parent’s Council Project and school fundraiser! Supply Packs are available for ordering NOW by clicking the link below, which will remain open until next Friday, July 29th. Supply packs contain all required materials for your student and will be shipped to the school and ready for them on the first day of school.

Order Supply Packs Here!

All supply lists 2K-8th grade are available on our website under Admissions, Admission Forms. Upper school students will receive a list of required materials from their teachers the first week of school.

Please let our main office know if you have any questions.

July 19, 2022: Athletic Update From Denise Shaw, Front Office

If you are interested in playing middle school football and have not already contacted Coach Gardner please do so ASAP. We need a few more boys to have a team.

July 28^th is the first practice date for fall sports. Some teams may start later. Your coach should inform you of your practice time.

Physical forms along with participation fees are due before the first day of practice. These forms can be picked up in the front foyer of the school at any time. These forms and money must be turned in to the front office to Denise Shaw.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call or test Coach Gardner at (803) 924-0965

July 17, 2022: Important Back to School Information From Katie Sadler, Business Office

Dear families,

Parents Council is very excited to be offering school supply packs for grades 1st-8th, which allow parents the option to purchase all of their students supplies in a pack directly from the school. The link to order supply packs will be sent out soon along with our traditional supply list, and important back to school events and dates for August.

Please be reminded that all 12 and 11 month tuition draft plans for the 2022-2023 school year will begin drafting this Friday, July 15th. Monthly bill payments for the 12 and 11 month plans are due at this time.

If you already have an ACH form on file, you do not need to submit another form unless you would like to change your account information. If you do not have an ACH form on file by Friday, tuition will automatically increase to monthly bill pricing. If you have any questions regarding tuition, please contact Mrs. Katie in the business office directly at ktom@newberryacademy.com, 803-339-2760.

June 23, 2022: Important Dress Code Changes Grades 5-12 From Nicole May, Head of School

Dear families,

There will be three main changes to Monday – Thursday attire for the upcoming 2022-2023 school year.

– Hoodies are no longer permitted for either boys or girls (jackets, sweaters, and sweatshirts only)

– Collared shirts are now a requirement for boys (no longer a recommendation. T-shirts for sport or PE only)

– Leggings are not to be worn (other than for sport or PE)

Friday will still be a dress-down day where College, Newberry Academy, or SCISA t-shirts/sweatshirts can be worn.

The full dress code is being updated in our student/parent handbook which will be on our website under ‘Admissions’ – ‘Admission Forms’ in the next few weeks. A summary may be found below.

NA DRESS CODE OVERVIEW

First Offense – be provided with a suitable shirt – if one is available
Second Offense – a parent will be called to bring replacement clothing
Third or more Offenses – a parent will be called to bring replacement clothing, and the student will
receive an afternoon detention
Boys Dress Code:
1. Collared shirts are to be worn and tucked in.
2. Belts must be always worn.
3. Pants or shorts can be either khaki, denim or made of other substantial material. Shorts
must be no more than 4 inches above the knee.
4. Hair must be neatly trimmed, a natural color, and off the eyes and collar.
5. No facial hair or earrings are permitted.
6. Clothing should not be torn or tattered. No holes or fraying.
7. Unacceptable items are: sweat pants, warm-ups, camouflage, tie dyed, or those
promoting tobacco, alcohol, drug use, or political viewpoints.
8. No hats, hoods or head coverings indoors.
9. No athletic wear unless designated by administration.
10. Fridays are dress down days when NA shirts, college shirts or SCISA shirts can be worn.
11. No hoodies are to be worn.

Girls Dress Code:
1. Collared shirts are preferred but collarless plain women’s cut tops are permitted.
2. All tops must be modest. Sleeveless shirts must be three fingers wide (approximately 3
inches)
3. Miniskirts, bare midriffs, bare backs, low-cut tops and strapless sundresses are not
permitted.
4. Shorts and skirts must be no more than 4 inches above the knee when standing.
5. Hair must be of natural color (not necessarily the student’s own natural color).
6. Clothing should not be torn or tattered. No holes or fraying.
7. Unacceptable items are: sweat pants, warm-ups, camouflage, tie dyed, promoting
tobacco, alcohol, or drug use, promoting political viewpoints.
8. No athletic wear unless designated by administration.
9. Fridays are dress down days when NA shirts, college shirts or SCISA shirts can be worn.
10. No hoodies are to be worn.

The above information is an overview only. For more detailed information please see our
Parent/Student Handbook.