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Education

Greater Atlanta Christian School Concert Choir to Debut at Carnegie Hall

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GAC Choir
This GAC Choir image was taken before the final line-up for the New York concert was determined. Photo by Raven Wilson

The Concert Choir at Greater Atlantic Christian (GAC) School has performed in many places beyond its campus borders, but soon it will travel more than 850 miles to make its first-ever appearance on New York’s legendary concert stage, Carnegie Hall. On Saturday, March 23, 2019 at 7 pm, as part of MidAmerica Productions’ 36th annual concert season, GAC School Concert Choir will be an integral part of a larger group performing Morten Lauridsen’s contemporary classic, Lux Aeterna, under the baton of conductor John Ratledge, with the New England Symphonic Ensemble.

“This is something we’ve been working towards for a long time,” comments Dr. Marcus Miller, Director of the Concert Choir. “Students can thrive in the arts at GAC, but it’s important we show them that their artistic aspirations can take them anywhere, including to the greatest concert stage in America.”

The peaceful and uplifting Lux Aeterna has proven to be one of the most enduring choral works of the last quarter century. While it does not follow a specific form, it is a kind of Requiem. “Every one of the five movements relates to light, a universal symbol in so many ways,” comments the composer. “I wrote it as my mother was in the process of dying, so it was a way of, as so many artists do…dealing with that kind of a situation in an artistic way.”

The choir going to Carnegie includes four Peachtree Corners members:

  • Julian Fernandez
  • Autumn Clark
  • Katherine Kenworthy
  • Bronwyn Bailey

Greater Atlanta Christian School Concert Choir will share the stage, as part of a chorus of more than 135, with the following participating choirs:

  • Middletown Concert Chorale, Middletown, NY (Danielle Cornacchio, Director)
  • Hillcrest High School Ensemble, Tuscaloosa, AL (Khristina Motley, Director)
  • Chancel Choir of First United Methodist Church, Tuscaloosa, AL (John Ratledge, Director)
  • Wagner College Choir, Staten Island, NY (Roger Wesby, Director)

Sharing the Playbill

The March 23 concert at Carnegie Hall will also feature MidAmerica resident conductor David R. Thye, who will lead Dan Forrest’s LUX: The Dawn From On High with a choir of more than 160 voices drawn from four participating choruses:

  • Mosinee High School Concert Choir, Mosinee, WI (Carla Dul, Director)
  • St. Andrew’s Episcopal School Choir, Austin, TX (Cate Gasco, Director)
  • Central Regional High School Choir, Bayville, NJ (Beth Moore, Director)
  • Marist College Chamber Choir, Poughkeepsie, NY (Sarah Williams, Director)

The concert will close with a performance of Beethoven’s rarely heard Triple Concerto, featuring the international soloists Gianmaria Melis (violin), Francesco Mariozzi (cello) and Giuseppe Gullotta (piano), under the baton of conductor Corrado Valvo.

Purchase Tickets

Concerts in the Isaac Stern Auditorium/Ronald O. Perelman Stage are $150, $100, and $50. Tickets may be obtained by contacting CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800, visiting the Carnegie Hall Box Office at 57th Street and 7th Avenue in New York, NY, or by going online to www.carnegiehall.org). For more information, contact molly.waymire@piptix.com

Feature image shown is courtesy of GAC’s website.

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Doing Good

Good Samaritan Gwinnett Receives State Authorization to Launch Access Academy 

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Professional woman standing in front of Good Samaritan Health Center signage

Good Samaritan Health Centers of Gwinnett (Good Samaritan Gwinnett) has received state authorization from the Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission (GNPEC) to officially launch Access Academy, a private, certificate-granting, low-cost postsecondary education program targeting students of low-income and/or minority households who aspire to pursue careers in healthcare but may lack the financial means to attend traditional college programs.   

Access Academy is designed to meet the needs of students from underserved communities, providing healthcare-specific training at a fraction of the cost, thanks to charitable donations and volunteer-based faculty support.

Healthcare worker sterilizing dentistry instruments
photo courtesy of Good Samaritan Gwinnett

Access Academy will initially offer a five-month medical assistant certification program. Graduates of the program will be able to enter the workforce without the burden of student loans, directly benefiting their household income and financial well-being.   

“We are thrilled to launch Access Academy and open the doors of opportunity for those who need it most,” said Shameka Allen, CEO of Good Samaritan Gwinnett. “Our mission has always been to support underserved communities, and now, with Access Academy, we can extend that impact by helping students earn their medical assistant certificates and get their start in healthcare.”  

A history of mentoring and education

Good Samaritan Gwinnett has a rich history of educating undergraduate and graduate students in health sciences. Since 2012, the organization has mentored nearly 450 graduate students pursuing medical and dental professional degrees. The cost of precepting just one midlevel student for an average of 168 hours amounts to $10,038, reflecting the organization’s dedication to training and education.  

Two female healthcare workers standing at their computers
photo courtesy of Good Samaritan Gwinnett

Greg Lang, chief financial officer of Good Samaritan Gwinnett, spearheaded the efforts to secure state authorization and launch Access Academy.   

“It’s incredibly rewarding to see Access Academy come to life after months of planning and preparation,” Lang said. “Access Academy is not just providing training — it’s offering hope, opportunity and the support needed to turn dreams into reality.”  

An ongoing mission

The launch of Access Academy is part of Good Samaritan Gwinnett’s ongoing mission to expand its reach and make healthcare more accessible, both by providing direct patient care and by equipping future healthcare professionals with the skills they need to succeed. Since Good Samaritan Gwinnett’s inception in 2005, more than 52,300 patients have entered the clinic more than 300,000 times. 

For more information about Access Academy, visit them at goodsamgwinnett.org/access-academy or email Greg Lang at Greg.Lang@goodsamgwinnett.org.   

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Education

Pinecrest Academy Named to 2024 AP School Honor Roll

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a school building and green lawn

Pinecrest Academy, a private preK3–12 Catholic school serving north metro Atlanta, has once again been named to the College Board’s Advanced Placement® Program (AP®) School Honor Roll, earning Platinum distinction.

The AP® School Honor Roll recognizes schools whose AP programs are delivering results for students while also broadening access. Schools can earn this recognition annually based on criteria that reflect a commitment to increasing college-going culture, providing opportunities for students to earn college credit and maximizing college readiness.

“We are so honored to have received this AP Honor Roll Award, as we strive each year to provide every student with a college preparatory experience, which includes the successful completion of challenging AP courses,” commented Amy Bowman, Pinecrest Academy high school principal. “The Platinum designation from AP speaks to the excellence that our faculty strives for in delivering challenging content that prepares our students for college.”

The numbers

During the 2023-2024 school year, Pinecrest had 89% of seniors taking at least one AP exam during high school, 82% of seniors scoring a three or higher on at least one AP exam and 58% who took five or more AP exams. Twenty-one AP courses were offered, representing 30 sections taught by 12 high school teachers at the school.

“Our Class of 2024 earned a 100% acceptance into the college/university of their choice,” Bowman said. “Since the school’s first graduating class of 2007, Pinecrest’s high school has maintained a 100% graduation rate every year.”

AP School Honor Roll Award

AP Access Award

Pinecrest Academy was also awarded the AP Access Award this year. Schools on the AP School Honor Roll may earn the AP Access Award, which recognizes schools that demonstrate a clear and effective commitment to equitable access to advanced coursework. 

“AP represents an opportunity for students to stand out to colleges, earn college credit and placement and potentially boost their grade point averages,” said Trevor Packer, head of the AP program. “The schools have shown that they can expand access to these college-level courses and still drive high performance — they represent the best of our AP program.”

For more information, visit pinecrestacademy.org.

For more about the Advanced Placement® Program, visit ap.collegeboard.org.

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Education

Nine Wesleyan School Seniors Recognized by National Merit Scholarship Corporation

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individual senior photos of nine students

Wesleyan School recently announced that the National Merit Scholarship Corporation has recognized nine of the school’s seniors.  

The National Merit Scholarship Program is an annual academic competition that recognizes exceptional academic promise demonstrated by a student’s outstanding performance on their junior year PSAT. 

Seniors Will Jamieson, Thomas Markley, Sara Marie Miller, Tecson Wu, and Caroline Yates were named National Merit Semifinalists, an honor that only 1 percent of seniors (approximately 16,000 total) nationwide receive based on their PSAT scores. These seniors will submit essays in the hopes of becoming finalists to earn scholarship money from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Finalists will be announced in February. 

Additionally, seniors Landon Clement, Audrey Cornell, Rachel Oh, and Ellie Simmons were named National Merit Commended students. Approximately 2 percent of seniors nationwide receive this recognition. 

About Wesleyan

Wesleyan School is a Christian, independent K-12 college preparatory school located in Peachtree Corners. At the start of the 2022-2023 school year, Wesleyan enrolled 1,207 students from throughout the metropolitan Atlanta area.

To learn more about the school, visit wesleyanschool.org.

For more information about the National Merit Scholarship, visit nationalmerit.org.

Photos

From top left: Landon Clement, Thomas Markley, Ellie Simmons, Audrey Cornell, Sara Marie Miller, Tecson Wu, Will Jamieson, Rachel Oh and Caroline Yates

Photos courtesy of Wesleyan School; photo credit: Rebekah Smith

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