Open Letter to SMA Fans

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In Praise of the yearbook

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“A yearbook is a love letter a school writes to itself.” This line comes from author Pat Conroy’s famous tribute to a school’s yearbook, which he compares to a “shining novel” that tells the whole story of one year in the life of a school community. “It is one of the most important books you will ever own,” Conroy concludes, “because it contains all the memories and dreams and anxieties and sorrows and triumphs of this single year of your life.” I agree wholeheartedly with Conroy. Some of the Academy yearbooks that reside in the Alumni Director’s Office. Yearbooks have always intrigued me. I enjoy looking through my parents’ books from the 1950’s and being amazed by how young they looked. Mom in her cheerleader uniform . . . Dad celebrating a big win in basketball . . . their youthfulness frozen in time, providing for me a peek into the lives they led and the adventures they enjoyed long before I came along. I am equally fascinated by my old high school yearbooks (I was a San ...
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Dr. Brian N. Guenther Named SMA President

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Dr. Brian N. Guenther was named President of San Marcos Academy by the Board of Trustees July 17 and will assume his duties on Aug. 1. Dr. Guenther will succeed Jimmie W. Scott, who is retiring as President and moving into a new role as President Emeritus. Scott will assist with the transition of the new President while working in the Development Office through Dec. 31, 2018. In announcing the change in leadership, Dr. Clay Sullivan, Chairman of the Academy Board of Trustees, described Dr. Guenther as one who “has a definite love and a calling to the Academy and its future.” “After a prayerful interview process, the Board of Trustees has selected a man that many in the San Marcos community already know and respect,” Dr. Sullivan said. “Dr. Guenther is incredibly well prepared to lead students and staff, and we are very confident in him as our new leader.” Dr. Guenther was named Interim Academic Dean at the Academy in May 2018, after having served three years as Associate Academic...
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Teacher Training: SMA Takes the Lead

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Teacher training is something San Marcos Academy takes very seriously. To ensure the the quality and professionalism of faculty members, SMA has created and is now implementing a unique teacher training course that utilizes proven materials developed by AdvancED , the parent organization of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). Of the 34,000 AdvancED educational institutions that enroll about 20 million students nationwide, SMA is the only school to develop a full state-of-the-art professional development training course using ELEOT material. The Effective Learning Environments Observation Tool (ELEOT) is a process used to train AdvancED classroom observers during accreditation visits. Although a handful of schools have used the AdvancED training videos to train their teachers, none has developed a full training course using those videos as part of a program specifically designed for classroom teachers. About one month ago, San Marcos Academy teachers began...
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