News & Notes

Anonymous Donor Funds Two Scholarships for Area Students

Through the generosity of an anonymous donor Academy Hill is offering two full scholarships for bright students from the Springfield area for the upcoming school year. The donor recently gave a smaller gift to the School and quickly saw the benefits of matriculating a bright Springfield youth. This year the gift has doubled in size and will allow for two students from the Springfield area to attend Academy Hill this fall.

Head of School, Jake Giessman said, “The unique educational environment at Academy Hill allows academically talented young boys and girls from all over the region to explore their own scholastic ability. Gifts like these make a huge difference in the life of a young people and their families. Our hope is that we can give the recipients tools to give back to the community in the future.”

The donor was said to be inspired by the story of Mass. Governor Duval Patrick and his matriculation through the prestigious Milton Academy. As a young man Governor Patrick moved from the South side of Chicago, IL on a scholarship to attend Milton Academy in Milton, MA.

“This story and those like it are evidence of a conscious effort people are making to give inner city children the opportunity for a better future,” says Giessman. “This partnership is part of a larger undercurrent of innovation and promise in the Greater Springfield area. It all starts in the classroom.”

Inquiries should be directed to Marjorie Weeks, 413-788-0300.

Board of Directors kick off Academy Hill's first annual campaign

Members of Academy Hill's Board of Directors recently launched Academy Hill's first annual giving program. This annual campaign will provide you opportunities to support the people and programs that make Academy Hill a special place of learning for your child.

A goal of $50,000 has been set. The board has already committed $10,000, which positions us for a successful campaign. This gift, along with other generous gifts and pledges already committed, brings us close to 30% of our goal at the outset of the campaign.

Your participation is critical to the future of Academy Hill. Like our students, our school needs to grow and develop. We need to work hard to provide a continually enriching atmosphere for our students, while also trying to keep tuition at a reasonable cost to our families. It is imperative that we keep a strong faculty who are committed to educating Academy Hill's bright minds, and provide those teachers with reasonable salaries and strong professional development opportunities. We need full participation from our community. Full participation sends a strong message to businesses, foundations, grant sources, and other donors, that this community is committed to the mission of the school, nurturing and challenging students who have exceptional potential.

Academy Hill, like all independent schools, depends on the generosity of parents, grandparents, and friends for the funding needed to enrich its program. Tax deductible gifts before April 30, 2007 will ensure that we continue to attract and retain superb faculty, enhance our programs, maintain the buildings and grounds, and above all educate your children and instill the value for life long learning.

BusinessWest Profiles Jake Giessman

BusinessWest (the business journal of western Massachusetts) chose forty people under 40 years of age it felt were movers and shakers in western Massachusetts. Jake, although only 30 years old, made the list. Download a pdf reprint. (May 14, 2007. PDF)

Matthew Woodard Considers The Ice Cream Man

Matthew Woodard wrote this piece, published in the Springfield Republican and aired on Albany's public radio station, at Academy Hill as part of a unit exploring National Public Radio's revival of Edward R. Murrow's This I Believe radio series.  Matthew is an accomplished musician whose work has been played at Greenwood Music Camp and Yellow Barn this past year.

Listen to Matthew Woodard’s "The Ice Cream Man" as it was recorded by WAMC 90.3. (mp3 file will open in a new window)

Magda Zydzik Reads from Her Article in the Springfield Republican

Magda Zydzik came to Academy Hill in fourth grade, not long after immigrating to the United States. In the eighth grade at Academy Hill, she undertook a year long interdisciplinary study of her native Poland and shared her work through public presentations and an exhaustively researched website. After graduating from Academy Hill, Magda spent a summer in Poland. This essay, published in the Springfield Republican and aired on Albany's public radio station, relates one of her experiences there.

Listen to Magda Zydzik’s "Silent Tears at Auschwitz" as it was recorded by WAMC 90.3. (mp3 file will open in a new window)