March 2017 News
Student Exchange Program with Germany
Monday, March 6, 2017
The Indiana Academy has a close partnership with a school in Germany called St. Afra. Over the Academy’s spring break, several administrators, faculty, and students traveled to St. Afra to learn more about their school and develop an immersive cultural exchange with St. Afra for this fall semester (August–December 2017). This fall the Academy will be sending two of our students to St. Afra, and they will send two of their students to our school for one semester.
Academy students will live in their dorm in Germany and will stay with their German host family over the breaks. Although not a requirement, the parents of the Academy students going to Germany may also be the host families for the incoming German girls over our breaks.
Over the past 5 years, St. Afra students and teachers have visited the Academy several times, and Academy faculty and staff have traveled to St. Afra school several times as well to continue strengthening our established relationship with this German school for academically gifted students.
Science Olympiad Team Heading to State Tournament
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Our Science Olympiad Team recently competed in the Science Olympiad tournament at St. Joseph’s College in Rennselear, and they have qualified for the State Tournament being held at Indiana University on March 18th.
Lilly Endowment Awards Indiana Academy $30,000 Grant
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
The Indiana Academy recently received a planning grant of $30,000 under Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Comprehensive Counseling Initiative for Indiana K – 12 Students. The aim of Lilly’s Counseling Initiative is to increase significantly the number of K–12 students in Indiana public school corporations and charter schools who are emotionally healthy, realize academic success, graduate from high school, obtain valuable postsecondary credentials, certifications, and degrees necessary for meaningful employment, and are prepared to compete and prosper in the global society in which they will live and work.
The Academy will use the grant for multiple counseling areas including student mental health, college and career advising, and professional development resources for Academy staff. “Having the best counseling department as possible is crucial with a school as unique as ours. A population of such high ability students combined with a predominantly residential school creates unique counseling situations,” said Dr. Vickie Barton, Executive Director of the Indiana Academy. “We are always looking for the best ways to meet their college and career counseling needs while also addressing their social and emotional needs.”
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by three members of the Lilly family – J.K. Lilly Sr. and sons J.K. Jr. and Eli – through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly & Company. The Endowment is primarily committed to the causes of community development, education and religion and has a special commitment to its hometown, Indianapolis, and its home state, Indiana.
2017 National Merit Finalists
Friday, February 10, 2017
The following seniors have advanced to Finalist standing in the 2017 National Merit Scholarship competition:
Kalina Harden
Skyler Kiefer
Hannah Komanapalli
Cassandra Pent
Juliana Qin
Sidra St. Rain
Students Serve as Senate Pages
Monday, February 6, 2017
Indiana Academy students recently served as Senate Pages at the Indiana Statehouse. In addition to touring the historical Statehouse which includes the House and Senate Chambers, the Supreme Court, and the Governor’s Office, pages had the opportunity to observe the legislative session directly from the Statehouse floor as well as meet and assist their senators with tasks.
View our Facebook photo gallery from the visit. Below are photos of our students with their senators.
Ian McConnell with Senator Becker Camille Goethal with Senator Bohacek Victoria Lipscomb with Senator Bohacek Grace Siefker with Senator Bohacek Jaylynn Burney with Senator Brown Brittany Kent with Senator Charbonneau Lucy Bates, Samantha Miles, and Joel Van with Senator Crane Lucy Bates with Senator Crane Samantha Miles with Senator Crane Rae Handy with Senator Delph Cassidy Caudill with Senator Eckerty Ritika Mehta with Senator Eckerty Nicholas Shaw with Senator Eckerty Lauren Stewart with Senator Eckerty Cassandra Pent with Senator Freeman Carson Adams with Senator Grooms Mason Burris with Senator Grooms Cassandra Pent with Senator Grooms Josiah Zintsmaster with Senator Head Allisyn Smith with Senator Holdman Katey Kaiser with Senator Houchin Kathryn Wahl with Senator Houchin Sidra Rain with Senator Koch Alexandria Robinson with Senator Koch Anna Beach, Lilly Fillwalk, Micha Show, and Barbara Willey with Senator Lanane Anna Beach with Senator Lanane Lilly Fillwalk with Senator Lanane Micah Snow with Senator Lanane Barbara Willey with Senator Lanane Emma Elmore with Senator Leising Jasmine Miller with Senator Melton Kayle Bender with Senator Merritt Madeline White with Senator Mishler Robert Belin with Senator Niemeyer Gavin Mull and Juliana Qin with Senator Raatz Emily Cook with Senator Smith Nikita Kumar with Senator Zakas
Update on David Haynes Film
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
The movie Break My Bones by Indiana Academy instructor David Haynes continues to garner attention from film festivals worldwide. It will next play in Amsterdam, Netherlands, at the IMAGINE Film Festival, and then, in October of 2017, it will play in Barcelona, Spain, at the FILMETS Badalona Film Festival.
Indiana Rising Stars
Friday, January 13, 2017
Four of our students were recognized by The Indiana Association of School Principals (IASP) for the 2017 Rising Stars of Indiana. The students are: Brendan Bale, Conner Partaker, Julia Newbold, and Sarah Heffner. Each Indiana high school was invited to recognize up to four students currently in the 11th grade, based on their academic achievement. Each student will receive a Certificate of Achievement and the program’s College and University sponsors will receive a list of the students who indicated an interest in their school, along with the possible fields of study noted on their submission form.
Academy BPA Students Advance to State Leadership Conference
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
Fifteen Academy students who constitute a Business Professionals of America club participated in the BPA Region 9 contest at Hagerstown High School on Saturday, December 10. Members of the club qualified in ten different events to advance to the State Leadership Conference in March.
Qualifying Events
Students advance to the State Leadership Conference from these events. Some events take the top 6 places, others only the top 3 places. Some team events take the top 2 places.
| Event | Team Members | Placement |
|---|---|---|
| 150-Financial Analyst Team | Angela Cardwell, Ben Hiatt | 1st* |
| 155-Economic Research Individual | Ben Hiatt | 1st* |
| 160-Economic Research Team | Juliana Qin, Kole McGinn, Isaac Taylor | 1st* |
| 165-Personal Financial Management | Katherine Klamer | 2nd* |
| 205-Intermediate Word Processing | Katherine Klamer | 4th |
| 225-Advanced Office Systems & Procedures | Allison Johnson | 7th |
| 230-Fundamental Spreadsheet Applications | Isabelle Turner | 7th |
| 245-Legal Office Procedures | Allison Johnson | 1st* |
| 250-Medical Office Procedures | Juliana Qin Nikita Kumar Jakob Barbour Georgia Coffman | 6th* 7th 13th 16th |
| 265-Business Law | Hannah Komanapalli Isabelle Turner | 1st* 2nd* |
| 500-Global Marketing Team | Nikita Kumar, Ritika Mehta | 1st* |
| 515-Interview Skills | Georgia Coffman | 4th |
| 525-Extemporaneous Speech | Zackary Swoboda | 1st* |
| 535-Human Resource Management | Ritika Mehta | 1st* |
| * Advances to State Leadership Conference | ||
Open Events
These events open to anyone and not classified as advancing events yet each top 10 individuals receive medals and certificates.
| Event | Team Members | Placement |
|---|---|---|
| 190-Financial Math & Analysis | Hannah Komanapalli Jian Tao (Isaac) Taylor Zackary Swoboda Nikita Kumar Ritika Mehta | 1st 2nd 3rd 8th 9th |
| 390-Information Technology Concepts | Jian Tao (Isaac) Taylor Nicholas Shaw Nikita Kumar | 2nd 4th 9th |
| 391-Computer Programming Concepts | Hannah Komanapalli Nicholas Shaw Jian Tao (Isaac) Taylor | 1st 2nd 9th |
| 590-Business Meeting Management | Nicholas Shaw Hannah Komanapalli | 3rd 5th |
| 591-Management, Marketing & Home Resource Concepts | Nicholas Shaw Nikita Kumar | 1st 7th |
2017 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
Ritika Mehta, senior, has been named a recipient of the 2017 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship. The scholarship grants full tuition to any accredited public or private college/university in Indiana as well as covering fees and providing an annual stipend for required books and equipment. Ritika has a 4.0 grade point average, and she plans to study finance and marketing possibly at IU Kelley School of Business or Notre Dame.
Ritika is the daughter of Rajeev and Rashmi Mehta. She is a volunteer and youth coordinator for the South Asian Muncie Association (SAMA). For several years, she has organized activities for younger children and choreographed and performed dances for the annual SAMA event. This has been a compliment to her practice of Kathak (Indian Classical Dance) which she has done for six years. Ritika is also a member of Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA), Model United Nations, Academic Super Bowl, Environmental Club and Student Parliament. She has won multiple awards in the Science Olympiad and in essay contests.
In selecting Delaware County Lilly Endowment Community Scholars, consideration is given to student activities and achievements, community and civic service, academic ability, and the potential for leadership. Ritika was chosen out of an applicant pool of 76 impressive candidates from high schools across Delaware County. After the field of school nominees was narrowed to two, the finalists’ names were submitted to Independent Colleges of Indiana, Inc. (ICI) for approval. ICI is a nonprofit corporation that represents 31 regionally accredited degree granting, nonprofit, private colleges and universities in the state. The scholarships are a result of a statewide Lilly Endowment initiative to help Hoosier students reach higher levels of education.
Indiana Academy Instructors Awarded Robert P. Bell Education Grants
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
Robert P. Bell Education Grants are awarded to teachers and counselors for innovative ideas, programs, or classroom projects. Administered by the Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County, four Indiana Academy faculty members, Michael Mayfield, John Marsh, Jennifer Robinson, and Les McSparrin were awarded a Bell Grant.
Students in the Human Anatomy and Physiology course taught by Michael Mayfield, instructor of life sciences, are studying the human cardiovascular system. As part of this study they will be dissecting a preserved sheep heart and illustrating the external circulation and internal structures. They will use computerized probeware to produce a three lead ECG (electrocardiogram) of their own heart. To help in mastering the material, they will transfer their drawings onto the front of a t-shirt along with a tracing of their ECG on the back. From this activity, Mayfield hopes the students will better understand the physical structures of the human heart and the flow of blood.
John Marsh, instructor of history, is another recipient of the Bell Grant. Marsh created a mock election process that expanded beyond the standard classroom teaching on the nomination process, electoral college, candidates, and issues. Students trained in the roles of the various poll workers, and then the polls were open during the nearly identical period as the official polls in Indiana on Election Day. Students followed the complete procedure when they came to vote. Through hands-on participation and responsibilities, the end result for students was a broad understanding of the election laws and procedures regarding this most central of citizenship rights.
French Instructor, Jennifer Robinson, instructor of French, had a variety of things happening during National French Week (November 4-10) and the grant assisted with and Arts & Crafts event during that week. For that event students focused on the hand-painted pottery traditions in the Brittany region of France. Their pottery pieces were decorated using permanent markers, and they created personalized signatures following the example of the true Quimper artisans. Finally, to extend the reach of this project beyond the walls of the Academy, each student made one pottery item for themselves and a second to offer to someone in the community. Each item includes a student-produced card explaining the Quimper tradition, an explanation of the significance of the chosen design, a brief biography of the student artisan, and some facts about the French language.
Students in biochemistry are embarking on a 5-7 week course with Les McSparrin, instructor of chemistry, to explore a real-world laboratory project that is problem based. The students will be isolating the DHFR protein from transformed E. coli colonies. What makes this a “real-world” project is that the students will be using the same procedures and apparatuses that are currently in use in biotechnology labs across the United States. Student won’t just be learning about the function of the protein itself, but they also will be learning techniques that will carry over to college and/or the workplace. Since the field of biochemistry and biotechnology is growing at such a rapid pace, students will have a considerable advantage over other students who don’t have this skill set upon graduation. He wishes to enhance in-class discussions of DHFR and other protein folding with hands-on experiences.