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Articles - Spotlight on Education Monroe Academy Harvard, Yale, Duke, and of course, the University of Georgia are a few of the colleges attended by graduates of Monroe Academy. In the 2003-2004 school year, Monroe Academy had two National Merit Finalists. Two seniors scored a perfect 800 on the math portion of their SATs. The average SAT score at this school is 1170, which is one of the highest, if not the highest in Central Georgia. After students graduate from Monroe Academy, 100% of them go to college. It’s statistics like these that are drawing the attention of parents seeking the best education for their children. Monroe Academy was founded in 1966 with the sole intention of being a college preparatory school. Its campus includes four academic buildings, a new science facility, a gymnasium, athletic fields, tennis courts, two playgrounds, and a cafeteria. Centrally located in Forsyth, Monroe Academy draws its students from 10 counties. While the majority comes from Monroe County, a sizable percentage comes from Spalding, Lamar, and Butts counties. Almost half of the students take advantage of the Academy’s bus transportation to and from Griffin, Jackson, Barnesville, and Locust Grove. With its impressive academic achievements and substantial campus, you might think it’s a large school, but the opposite is true. Monroe Academy has only 350 students in grades K3–12, corresponding to a student/teacher ratio of 14:1. It’s not small because of a lack of applicants; it’s small because maintaining a small class size is part of the philosophy set by the founding fathers and perpetuated by the current board of directors. “We have no intention of growing much larger,” said Head of School Pamela Bell. “If we grow too large, we’ll lose so much of what we’ve tried to accomplish here.” While Monroe Academy has no plans to increase the size of the student population, it always has plans for higher academic achievement. Just this year, the new Science center was completed and a science Advanced Placement (AP) course was added to the schedule. That brings the total of AP courses to six, representing every discipline across the curriculum. Although it’s already accredited with quality by the Georgia Accrediting Commission (GAC), Monroe Academy is in the final stages of receiving a dual accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS). The triple accreditation is another step in the long-term plan of academic excellence. In an effort to select highly motivated students, the application process is fairly stringent. In addition to filling out an application form, prospective students are required to take an entrance exam, interview with the admission staff, and provide letters of recommendation from previous teachers and principals. One part of Monroe Academy’s success equation is motivated students, and the other part is highly qualified teachers. All of the teachers are state certified and hold a bachelor’s degree. Fourteen of the teachers hold Master’s degrees or specialty degrees. “We have very high caliber teachers who teach a very advanced curriculum,” Bell said. She explained that the high SAT average is due to the curriculum. “We don’t teach to the test. We teach the curriculum and the result is high scores on the test.” At Monroe Academy, preparing students for college goes beyond classroom study. All juniors take the Junior Seminar, a year-long course developed and administered by the counseling office. It explains the college application process in-depth. Meetings are held once or twice a month to discuss topics such as decision making, getting the most from college visits, standardized testing, college essays, and financial aid. The purpose is to prepare students early in the process, so they will be in position to gain admission to the school of their choice. Preparing for college includes lots and lots of homework, and Monroe Academy makes it easy for students to keep track of their assignments. The school uses Homework Hero, an on-line service where teachers can post a schedule of assignments. It’s especially helpful if students must be absent for any length of time. Parents love it because they can stay abreast of current topics of discussion in their child’s classes. However, it’s not all work and no play. The Monroe Academy Mustangs do have their fun and games, including 10 athletic teams and 14 clubs. Students can choose to participate on any athletic team regardless of their skill level. All students that want to be on a team receive a uniform. There are no try-outs and no cuts. The only exception to that rule is cheerleading because of the logistical difficulties involved with an over-sized squad. “Most students are not going to be star athletes, but at least they can learn the value of teamwork and have the opportunity to experience competition,” explained Bell. Monroe Academy’s athletic teams include baseball, basketball, football, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track, and cheerleading. In addition to sports, students can participate in various activities and clubs such as Academic Bowl, Literary Club, Student Government, Newspaper Staff, Drama Club, Key Club, Technological Student Association, and more. Extra-curricular activities provide many benefits. It allows students to explore and develop personal interests which helps them to become well-rounded adults. It also helps them feel connected to their school. “When they’re involved, they feel like they’re a part of a greater whole,” Bell said. “Feeling connected creates a strong sense of attachment, that carries over to the alumni.” Bell should know about feeling attached. She’s a graduate of Monroe Academy,
and so is Assistant Headmaster Ted McMichael and Counselor Lisa Davis. The
Monroe Academy Alumni Association is very active with over 1,300 members. Alumni
activities for the 2004-2005 school year include several fund-raisers, a golf
tournament, and a family ski trip.
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