March 2017 News
Japanese Speech Contest Results
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
Congratulations to Mary Pennington for her work at the Japanese speech contest at the Chicago Japanese Consulate on March 25. She won second place out of the total ten high school students selected to participate from across the Midwest. This year, unlike past years, high school students were grouped into one category regardless of how many years of Japanese study. Therefore she was competing against students who studied Japanese all four years at high school. This is Indiana Academy’s first top ranking in some years, so it is an honor for the Academy and a testimony to Mary’s hard work.
Mary Pennington was selected as one of ten high school students across the Midwest to speak at Chicago’s Japanese Consulate-sponsored speech contest. Mary Pennnington and Van Vandergriff were our entrants this year, and this year more applicants than usual were screened. It is a remarkable achievement with only 2 years of Japanese study, as they were up against students with four years of Japanese study. Mary will be going to Chicago on March 25 to give her speech at the Japanese Consulate.
Van Vandergriff successfully passed Level 4 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test in Dec. 2016. The JLPT is an overall Japanese proficiency exam taken for admission to colleges and companies, with JLPT Level 1 being the highest (native speaker). This test is extremely difficult, and although Level 1 is the highest level, Level 4 is approximate to 4 years of Japanese high school study.
On Saturday, Feb. 25, Japanese students also went to DePauw University to participate in the Japan Olympiad of Indiana, a trivial quiz bowl competition on Japanese language and cultural knowledge. This was the Indiana Academy’s first appearance in several years. They faced close to 30 teams from 9 different schools. The teams were divided by level (years) of Japanese study. We had two Level II teams (2nd year students) and one Level III team (Directed Studies students). All of our teams placed into finals, which consisted of the top 3 teams in each level. In an unusual turn of events, our two Level II teams both tied for the finals, and had to face off each other. As a result, our Level II team achieved 2nd place and our Level III team achieved 3rd place.
Level II: Finals runner up
Jenny Thach (team captain)
Emma Elmore
Luke Swartz
Level II: Finals contestants, Second Place
Anthony Phan (team captain)
Gretchen Andreasen
Jack Cook
Level III: Finals contestants, Third Place
Van Vandergriff (team captain)
Mary Pennington
Taylor Hunt
Students Attend BPA Leadership Conference
Wednesday, March 15, 2017
The Indiana Academy had 10 students attend the 50th Indiana Business Professionals of America State Leadership Conference on Sunday March 12th. Our students competed against schools from across the state in various business oriented events. The results for our students are as follows:
| Event | Team Members | Placement |
|---|---|---|
| Financial Analyst | Angela Cardwell Ben Hiatt | 1st |
| Global Marketing | Hannah Komanapalli Ritika Mehta | 3rd |
| Economic Research | Juliana Qin Kole McGinn Isaac Taylor | 3rd |
| Web Site Design | Ritika Mehta Nicholas Shaw Zackary Swoboda | 3rd |
| Extemporaneous Speech | Zachary Swoboda | 5th |
| Word Processing | Katherine Klamer | 8th |
Envirothon Team Heading to State Tournament
Wednesday, March 15, 2017
The Academy’s Envirothon teams finished in first and second place at the Regional competition held Wednesday, March 15 at Hayes Arboretum, and both teams have qualified to proceed to the State Tournament being held on April 26th in Southern Indiana.
Students Selected for Prestigious Science Camp
Wednesday, March 15, 2017
Hannah Komanapalli and Isabelle Turner, Academy seniors, were recently selected to represent Indiana at this year’s National Youth Science Camp (NYSC). NYSC is a residential science education program for young STEM enthusiasts the summer after they graduate from high school. Applicants had to demonstrate exceptional academic achievement, leadership in school and community activities, and a genuine interest in the sciences. Two students from each state and Washington, D.C. were chosen to attend the camp at no cost this summer in West Virginia. Students will be challenged academically in exciting lectures and hands-on studies, and they will also have voluntary opportunities to participate in an outdoor adventure program.
The National Youth Science Camp is made possible through the planning and fundraising of the National Youth Science Foundation, a nonprofit organization with a mission to honor, sustain, and encourage youth interest and excellence in science by conducting comprehensive informal science education programs that provide opportunity for constructive interaction with others and emphasize the social value of thoughtful scientific careers.
“Growing our students’ passion for subjects such as science, technology, engineering, and math is so vital to the future success of the students and our state,” said Dr. Jennifer McCormick, Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction. “I congratulate Hannah and Isabelle and am grateful for their opportunity to join such an amazing group of talented students to share ideas and learn.”
Read more here.
2017 Indiana Academic All-Star
Monday, March 13, 2017
Hannah Komanapalli has been chosen as one of the 2017 Indiana Academic All-Stars by the Indiana Association of School Principals. She will be recognized at a luncheon ceremony at the Indiana Roof Ballroom on April 25th. Komanapalli identified Mike Mayfield, Instructor of Life Sciences, as her most influential school employee, and Mayfield will also be recognized at the program.
The Indiana Academic All-Stars program recognizes 40 seniors each year and 40 additional Regional Winners. Students are selected based on their SAT/ACT test scores, participation in various scholastic events as well as other criteria. Komanapalli continues a string of multiple Academy students who have been recognized for this honor over the years.
Chemistry Olympiad Winners
Monday, March 13, 2017
Indiana Academy placed third overall in the Indiana Section for the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad held on March 4. First place for our team was Michael Hu, and his name will be placed on a plaque in Burris Laboratory School. In addition, Hu and Andrew Quest have been invited to sit for the National Chemistry Olympiad exam in April. The national exam, a highly competitive qualifying examination, will determine those going to the summer boot camp for selection to the International Chemistry Olympiad team.
Gymnast Heading to State
Friday, March 10, 2017
Indiana Academy student Taylor Burhans is the only member of the Burris Gymnastics team, and she has just qualified to compete in the state championships on Saturday, March 11. See related story here.
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.