December 2019 News
Academy Instructor’s Film Wins at Canadian Festival
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
Congratulations to David Haynes, Instructor of English at the Indiana Academy, for his second short film Base Camp being awarded Best International Short Film at the Rio Grind Film Festival, in Vancouver, Canada.
Mr. Haynes’ first film, Break My Bones, was also featured at several film festivals.
Rising Stars of Indiana Class of 2021
Monday, November 25, 2019
The Indiana Association of School Principals (IASP) recently announced the Rising Stars of Indiana Class of 2020. Each Indiana high school was invited to recognize up to four students currently in the 11th grade, based on their academic achievement.
Students recognized from the Indiana Academy are:
Lehan Hu
Corrine Meier
Shivali Singireddy
Josie Stevenson
The Indiana Academy, along with IASP, congratulates these students on all they have already achieved, as well as offering support and encouragement as they continue their accomplishments and expand their knowledge, growth and leadership skills well into the future.
Academy Instructors Receive Bell Education Grants
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
The following Academy instructors received a Robert P. Bell Education grant from the Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County Inc.:
- Tom Arnold – $238.04 (Election of 1896 Posters)
- John Marsh – $450 (Build an Escape Room)
- Stephanie Nagelkirk – $356.29 (Harlem Renaissance Party)
- Evan Ward – $108 (Ancient & Medieval Medicine Science Fair)
Each of these instructors has been awarded a similar grant in the past, and we are proud of their continued efforts in securing funding for innovative projects for our students.
Fourteenth Annual Harlem Renaissance Party
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
On Monday, November 11, Stephanie Nagelkirk’s African-American Literature class hosted its fourteenth annual Harlem Renaissance Party. The party is the culmination of a research project where students choose a figure from this pivotal time in history and portray that person for the evening.
A class-only dinner was followed by a public show, featuring students portraying such artists as Jelly Roll Morton, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Zora Neale Hurston, Duke Ellington, Jessie Redmon Fauset, and others. Performances ranged from vocal solos and instrumental pieces to dramatic readings and speech excerpts.
Ms. Nagelkirk uses the Harlem Renaissance party and performances as a novel way to engage students with a part of history and culture with which most traditional literature classes would be unfamiliar.
Academy Partners with Earlham College for Japanese Exchange Visit
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
The Indiana Academy will host a group of Japanese visitors October 28-November 4. This will be our first time hosting this Japanese group in partnership with Earlham College. There are hopes this could grow into a regular event, with a possibility of future exchange opportunities as well. As hosts, we will guide our visitors, teach them about our school and share our culture. Our visitors will teach us origami and the possibility of a traditional Japanese dance performance is also being discussed. The delegation consists of nine Japanese students and three chaperones. They are joining us from Morioka and Tanohata schools, located within the Iwate Prefecture.
History Professor Publishes and Speaks
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Dr. Daniel Vandersommers, Assistant Teaching Professor of History at the Indiana Academy, has published his first book. Zoo Studies: A New Humanities, coedited with Tracy McDonald, is an original and groundbreaking work that will change the way readers see nonhuman animals and themselves. More information about the book is available here.
In addition, Dr. Vandersommers was the keynote speaker at the 2019 CAZA (Canada’s Accredited Zoos and Aquariums) conference in Calgary on Friday, September 27. He gave a speech titled “Toward Ecological Futures: Zoo Conservation and Embracing Narratives of Entanglement.” CAZA is committed to the advancement of accredited zoos and aquariums as humane agencies of animal welfare, conservation, science and education.
English Instructor Publishes Game Research Paper
Thursday, August 1, 2019
Dr. Phillip Lobo, Instructor of English at the Indiana Academy, published an article in the spring issue of Game Studies, the international journal of computer game research titled “Novel Subjects: Robinson Crusoe & Minecraft and the Production of Sovereign Selfhood.” The article performs a comparative analysis of Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe and the Mojang game Minecraft to demonstrate “how video games have taken up the torch of realism, both clarifying this underlying urge to make of novels a kind of game-of-self, as well as pointing to problematic qualities of the subjects they form and inform.”
You can read Dr. Lobo’s article here.
Academy Hosts Summer Adventure Camps
Monday, July 1, 2019
This summer, the Indiana Academy hosted several day camps for students in grades 4-10. Each of our week-long camps were full of hands-on and fun-filled activities. Camps included:
- Starting from Scratch: Computer Programming – Campers learned how to use code to make a range of programs, including animations, stories, and games. Attendees of the Silly Science camp performed simple experiments using household items to learn basic science principles.
- Virtual Reality: Building Your Own World – Participants learned the basics of 3D programming and learned the history of virtual reality.
- Let’s Get Baking – Campers learned mixing methods to create decadent desserts, including breads, pies, cakes, and custards. Run Your Own Restaurant – In this camp, the kids had to write a menu then make homemade pasta, sauces, and desserts. All campers also had to practice proper etiquette during the camp.
- NASA Engineering Design Challenge – This exciting camp was funded in part by a grant from NASA, and it encouraged students to explore the unique challenges faced by NASA scientists and engineers as they design the next generation of aeronautic and space vehicles, habitats, and technology.
Indiana Academy Receives AP Award
Friday, June 14, 2019
The Indiana Department of Education recently announced recipients of the 2018 Advanced Placement Awards, and the Indiana Academy is in the top 10% percent on the list. To be selected, at least 25 percent of a school’s 2018 graduating class had to receive a 3, 4, or 5 on an AP exam. Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Jennifer McCormick recognized the Indiana Academy along with other AP award recipients on Thursday, June 13 during a ceremony at the Statehouse.
Dr. Smith Awarded Silver Pen at National Convention
Thursday, June 6, 2019
Dr. Jeff Smith received the Silver Pen award while at the African Violet National convention for writing the “best article” in African Violet Magazine in a given year. His latest award-winning article, “What do Hybridizers See?” was published in the Nov./Dec. 2018 issue. This was Dr. Smith’s second Silver Pen award and he has received the “best article” award 7 times in his career.
Dr. Smith has now written a total of 158 columns for African Violet Magazine over 26 years, making his the longest-running column, and has had more than 50 additional articles published.