Students in Grades 5-8 Recognized For Academic Excellence

Feb 1, 2017 | Impact, Middle School News

IMG_4449Middle School Honors Celebration, Friday, January 27, 2017
Middle School Praise Band: Matthew Neylon – Director of Visual & Performing Arts
Invocation: Sutter Guttery – Grade 7 Chaplain
Pledge of Allegiance: Dylan Gantt – Student Council President
Welcome: Chip Houston – Head of Middle School
Recognition for Outstanding Academic Achievement
Honor Roll…..….………………………………………………….………………….………Deans of Students*
Students earning all A’s (90 or higher) with no more than two B’s (80-89) and no conduct grade less than satisfactory.
Head of School List……………………………………..………..……..Dr. J. Brett Jacobsen, Head of School
Students earning all A’s (90 or higher) and no conduct grade less than satisfactory.
Duke TIP (Talent Identification Program).…………..………Katie Cain, Middle School Head of Learning and Innovation
Duke TIP is a gifted education program based at Duke University. Its purpose is to identify gifted children and provide them and their parents the resources for them to reach their full educational potential. Seventh grade students can take the SAT/ACT to qualify for advanced summer programs.
Mount Vernon Mind Award……………………………………………………………..……..Heads of Grade**
This award is presented to the two students at each grade level who consistently demonstrate the six Mount Vernon Mindsets. These students exemplify the qualities of excellent solution seekers, communicators, creative thinkers, innovators, ethical decision-makers, and collaborators.
The Maverick Award….……………………..……Chip Houston, Head of Middle School
Based on Dr. Jacobsen’s Convocation Address, this award is presented to two students in each grade level. Mavericks step up, stand out, and face their giants. They also challenge assumptions, vary routes, and live fully.
IMG_4387* Dean of Students – Tasha Mines (Grades 5, 6)
* Dean of Students – Max Hanson (Grades 7 , 8)
**Heads of Grade – Jenny Novoselsky (Grade 5), Mary Beth Struble (Grade 6), Marie Graham (Grade 7), and Max Hanson (Grade 8)
Honor Roll, Grade 5
Zachary Betz
Peyton Brady
Ruby Burnett
Emma Chandler
Leah Collins
Lauren Dove
Charlotte Goerdel
Annabelle Goodson
Rory Hansen
Piper Hendryx
Jake Hodges
Eli Kenyon
AJ Kurtz
Cole Merrick
Max Moore
Lauren Parker
Gibbs Pope
Tyler Van Name
Miller Vargas
Honor Roll, Grade 6
Jackson Alewine
Jack Allen
Benjamin Barber
Leighton Batcheller
Ruby Burnett
Ellayna Casey
Brooks Champney
Emma Dickie
Grant Erickson
Ansley Fenech
Mary Fuentes
Hope Holloway
Kiefer Hurtado
Will Jackson
Virginia King
Brayden Motes
Adam Nagy
Liam OToole
Aidan Ray
Dawson Stevens
Liam Still
Ruby Turner
Jack Uhde
Luke Van Putten
Finn Whalen
Honor Roll, Grade 7
Meredith Baynton
Natalie Bernstein
Emily Bloodworth
Lily Chandler
Kate Christian
Lily Durlacher
Kate East
Reed Garzon
Ethan Gravely
Fiona Hendryx
Jane Holliday
William House
Regan Kelly
Sam Landers
Jackson Langley
Savanna Messner
Sara Reavely
Tyler Robinson
Hattie Schuessler
Olivia Sweeterman
Angelina Tuggle
Isabella Vargas
Ryan Weber

Honor Roll, Grade 8
Thomas Fairris
Amelia Humphrey
Sydney Levitan
Robert Long
Dillon Procter
Sarah Schab
Trey Tiffin
Rachel Turner
Carson Will
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Head of School List, Grade 5
Noah Arnold
Sarah Beard
Jane Brooks Blair
Jack Blitch
Charlotte Bradford
Nina Brooks
Kaki Bush
Julie Anne Bush
Cole Carroll
Jackson Cloud
Matthew Collins
Avery Daum
Cadyn Dawson
Kate Dawson
Locke Dimmock
Devin Dwyer
Abby Ethridge
Drew Flowers
Jonathan Gallinaro
Reagan Hickey
Cate Jacobsen
Curran Jolly
Wesley Laborde
Jack Landers
Emily Levitan
Elisabeth Levy
Alex Lordo
Mary Hannah Martin
Jackson McDougall
Elliott McGoldrick
Afton Mosley
Sam Nazarian
Jun Ogden
Cole Palmer
Nick Schweninger
McKenzie Seefeldt
Harrison Sherwood
Junie Shin
Erik Soelberg
Sydney Tiffin
Brendan Utz
Grace Westmoreland
Zachary White
Laney Whiting
Mia Williams
Clara Young
Head of School List, Grade 6
Phillip Adams
Campbell Bruening
Josh Cagwin
Christopher Collins
Jac Crouch
Andrew Dalba
Aubrey Ellis
Bryce Fennell
Annabel France
Zandy Geiger
Hunter Guttery
Michael Hardie
Michelle Hedrick
Sam Hodges
Annabeth Hoyal
Taylor Keller
James Knight
Rylan Kruep
Macy Leask
Sophia Mercer
Zach Rizzo
Maggie Sims
Benjamin Spitz
Kate Tudor
Maria Utz
Miller Woodall
Sam Worth

Head of School List, Grade 7
Cole Allison
Will Allison
Jackson Aull
Ashley Burke
Jake Callahan
Sydney Carroll
Isabel Dempsey
Peyton DeWeese
Giahni Dubique
Lexi Elias
Brooke Giles
Sutter Guttery
Sam Lin
Russell Lucas
Tyler Lutes
Henry Matthews
Sara McLeod
Meghan Nagia
Will Palmer
Cooper Patnode
Ella Grace Pickering
George Pope
Aleni Poulos
Olivia Ramsey
Ty Ross
Lauren Roush
Diego Ruiz
James Shanks
Kendall Slayden
Jack Srinivasan
Austin Taylor
Jaden Ward
Head of School List, Grade 8
Gillian Adams
Thomas Andersen
Caroline Betz
Justin Blumencranz
Bryce Cumming
Alyssa Dautrich
Dylan Gantt
Christopher Hardie
Nicole Hedrick
Will Hudson
Emily Kanderis
Blake Kytle
Jake Lortz
Eleanor Madderra
Aqil Merchant
Anusha Merchant
Alma Merchant
Holly Mitchell
Tabitha Nagy
Audrey OToole
Katie Peddle
Sarah Pope
Emily Raeside
Ethan Ray
Rowan Sherwood
Jack Sims
Susanna Soelberg
Jacob St. Denis
Christine Turnbull
Ella Uhde
Zack Van Putten
Duke TIP, Grades 5-7
The Duke University Talent Identification Program (TIP) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving academically gifted and talented youth. The program works with students, their families, and educators to identify, recognize, and help students uncover and pursue their passions. The students who qualified for the 2016-2017 Duke University Talent Identification Program are as follows:

Phillip Adams
Isabella Akhlaghi
Cole Allison
Will Allison
Anna Kate Anderson
Noah Arnold
Ben Barber
Leighton Batcheller
Meredith Baynton
Sarah Beard
Zachary Betz
William Biggar
Jane Brooks Blair
Jack Blitch
Charlotte Bradford
Peyton Brady
Ruby Burnett
Julie Anne Bush
Kaki Bush
Josh Cagwin
Jake Callahan
Clio Cardwell
Cole Carroll
Sydney Carroll
Ellayna Casey
Brooks Champney
Jackson Cloud
Christopher Collins
Matthew Collins
Reed Collins
Spencer Corley
Jac Crouch
Kyle Cumming
Avery Daum
Andrew Dalba
Cadyn Dawson
Isabel Dempsey
Peyton DeWeese
Emma Dickie
Locke Dimmock
Kaitlyn Dodder
Lauren Dove
Giahni Dubique
Lily Durlacher
Devin Dwyer
Justin Early
Kate East
Lexi Elias
Abby Ethridge
Grant Erickson
Ansley Fenech
Drew Flowers
Annabel France
Cedric Franklin
Greg Fuentes
Mary Fuentes
Jonathan Gallinaro
Davis Garrison
Reed Garzon
Zandy Geiger
Brooke Giles
Blythe Graham
Charlotte Goerdel
Hunter Guttery
Sutter Guttery
Michael Hardie
Addison Haylett
Michelle Hedrick
Fiona Hendryx
Piper Hendryx
Reagan Hickey
Jake Hodges
Sam Hodges
Jane Holliday
Hope Holloway
William House
Annabeth Hoyal
Keifer Hurtado
Jack Isakson
Will Jackson
Cate Jacobsen
Curran Jolly
Taylor Keller
Eli Kenyon
Virginia King
James Knight
Kate Koontz
Landry Kruep
Rylan Kreup
Wesley Laborde
Jack Landers
Emily Levitan
Elisabeth Levy
Alex Lordo
Russell Lucas
Mary Hannah Martin
Elliott McGoldrick
Sara McLeod
Sophia Mercer
Max Moore
Afton Mosley
Meghan Nagia
Adam Nagy
Sam Nazarian
Jun Ogden
Liam OToole
Cole Palmer
Will Palmer
Cooper Patnode
Reese Peddle
Emma Perez-Depetris
Ella Grace Pickering
Sean Pierce
Michael Pozzobon
Aleni Poulos
Aidan Ray
Benjamin Reagin
Lauren Roush
Diego Ruiz
Nick Schweninger
McKenzie Seefeldt
James Shanks
Harrison Sherwood
Kendall Slayden
Maggie Sims
Giselle Singh
Erik Soelberg
Benjamin Spitz
Jack Srinivasan
Liam Still
Austin Taylor
Carson Thomas
Sydney Tiffin
Eli Tillman
Kate Tudor
Ruby Turner
Jack Uhde
Brendan Utz
Maria Utz
Tyler Van Name
Luke Van Putten
Jaden Ward
Nathan Webb
Ryan Weber
Conlan Weeks
Grace Westmoreland
Finn Whalen
Zachary White
Laney Whiting
Miller Woodall
Sam Worth
Rediet Yonas


Mount Vernon Mind Award, 
Grade 5
IMG_4457Elliott McGoldrick consistently demonstrates the Mount Vernon mindsets. As a skilled collaborator, she is a very considerate and respectful teammate who is willing to put the needs of the team above her own. She is also quite an accomplished communicator who listens with great respect and discernment, and she also writes and speaks effectively. 
Afton Mosley is a solution seeker who does not hesitate to ask insightful questions when he receives new information or information that does not make sense to him. As a collaborator, he remains considerate of his classmates and he always steps up to help them without being asked. In his  essay on the China Test, he explained how some of Buddha’s teachings could help us make better consumer choices that would minimize the adverse effects on humans, animals, and the environment, clearly demonstrating the communicator and ethical decision maker mindsets.
Mount Vernon Mind Award, Grade 6
Hunter Guttery is the model Mount Vernon student. She is an effective solution seeker because she sets goals, develops plans, and implements them as needed, to achieve her ambition. She often exceeds expectations by asking thoughtful questions, and creating a new way to show her ideas in writing. Outside of the classroom, she plays for the fifth and sixth grade girls basketball team, where she is a valued contributor.  She consistently exceeds expectations of the typical sixth grade student. 
Christopher Collins is a man of integrity, and he is a phenomenal young man inside and outside of the classroom. He accepts feedback incredibly well and improvises when new challenges arise. While participating actively and enthusiastically, he also leads as an example of working hard to make things right. In addition to his stellar performance in the classroom, this student is a valued member of the fifth and sixth grade football and basketball team. He has a positive approach to solution seeking, ethical decision making, and communicating.

Mount Vernon Mind Award, Grade 7
IMG_4442Will Palmer is a kind and inquisitive student, who faces each challenge with an easy smile and an amazing attitude. His teachers all say that he is the type of student they can always count on to do his very best whether he is working alone or within a group. His attentiveness, listening skills, ability to implement decisions, and share the credit is an exemplar for both students and adults alike. This young man is a role model, and we only expect him to get better. 

Jack Srinivasan is a new student, who entered Mount Vernon this year and hit the ground running. His kindness, warmth, and ability to easily communicate with others quickly established him as a leader. In science, he is incredibly inquisitive, often going above and beyond to solution seek for answers to complex problems. Challenges motivate him and he often asks meaningful questions.
Mount Vernon Mind Award, Grade 8
Tabitha Nagy is a young lady who is always prepared and goes above and beyond on creative projects including creating visual presentations that are used as class exemplars. Highly self-motivated, she is an outstanding communicator, both verbally and in writing. Additionally, she stands out as a leader among her peers and serves as a shining example to others. Setting and achieving goals are high priorities for this young lady and that reflects the high standards she maintains for herself. Passionate about her learning, this young lady embodies the mindset growth for which we hope all Mount Vernon students strive. 
Justin Blumencranz is an avid learner whose enthusiasm for seeking new knowledge is contagious. His teachers note that “He loves creative projects, including homemade documentaries, videos, film trailers, and excels at capturing authors’ voices when writing alternate endings of literary works.” An avid reader, this young man asks insightful questions, works meticulously, and makes wise decisions. He even created his own light-up studio recording sign. Not afraid of constructive criticism, this young man has the growth mindset required for continued development of the Mount Vernon Mindsets. 

The Maverick – Grade 5
Mavericks are people who think and act independently. It is so refreshing to see that no matter what the crowd is doing, we can count on this student to stand her ground and be a kind and loving person. Without having to be asked, she frequently and patiently holds the door for all of her classmates. Her kind and cheerful disposition fosters healing strength and harmony, and this includes helping her teachers live fully by starting off their day with a hug. The grade 5 Maverick Award goes to Clara Young.
This next student steps up when asked, and equally as often he steps up without being asked. He displays selflessness by doing many things, both great and small, such as holding the door and picking trash up off the ground. He consistently exhibits kindness and concern for others as an eager helper and volunteer. In addition, this student’s love for learning is so enthusiastic, it’s contagious, and we are happy to say that this Maverick Award recipient is Harrison Sherwood.

The Maverick – Grade 6
IMG_4484We can always count on this Maverick to step up to a challenge! This fall, she had the opportunity to  try either a new instrument or sing in chorus during music. She wanted to work on voice, but was intrigued by the cello. Knowing it would be more work to learn something new, she decided to take on cello. This student is focused and often tries new ideas in her writing, even when she is not sure at first. She does not let that get her down! In addition, she will go the extra mile to engage herself and think deeply. We are proud to award the Mount Vernon Maverick Award to Zandy Geiger.
This next student lives and learns to the FULLEST! During our interviews at Insignia, he really engaged himself with his interviewee, and from his innate curiosity towards others, gathered fascinating information. In a recent project in science, he varied his route and thought of a unique idea and confidently dove into the challenge of research. In math, he helped lead the way toward the completion of marking the cross country course. He does not need prompting to learn; if anything, he initiates and takes full charge of his own learning. Rather than limiting his potential, boundaries serve as a means of creativity and taking his work to the next level. Congratulations to Sam Worth for earning the distinction of Mount Vernon Maverick.
The Maverick – Grade 7
This talented student shines with individuality and is comfortable setting and achieving his own, unique goals. He finds his own path and imagines, improvises, and adapts as new opportunities arise. His warm smile and unique sense of humor is hard to miss and exciting to watch. The Mount Vernon Maverick Award goes to Reed Garzon.
This bright and creative student has an unselfconsciousness that is beautiful and disarming. She is willing and able to take risks and supports the efforts of other people around her to do the same. Her optimism and sense of humour infuse the classrooms with surprise and unrestrained creativity. Her teachers and peers appreciate her consistent willingness to jump in, explore, and take the least traveled path to inspire us all.  Our second Mount Vernon Maverick Award goes to Peyton DeWeese.
The Maverick – Grade 8
In order for a young person to step up, stand out and face giants, he or she must be self-motivated and dedicated. This young man gives his best effort in pursuing scholastic and personal interests. His teachers describe him as outstanding writer and creative thinker who maintains a witty sense of humor while always showing empathy. Imaginative and creative, this young man actively pursues his artistic passions inside and outside of the classroom, and has earned recognition for his work with theater make-up, prosthetics, and artistic creations across a number of other mediums. He’s a true maverick. Congratulations to Mount Vernon Maverick Award winner, Ethan Ray.
Always confidently pursuing her own ideas, this young lady steps up, stands out, and faces her giants. She goes above and beyond on class projects, always thinking creatively. Self-assured and confident, this young lady would never be hindered by a naysayer. Her teachers describe her as strong, mature, loving and deeply entrenched in her learning. Additionally, those who have been in class with this young lady know she is always willing to help her classmates, give encouragement, and collaborate with others to create unique products. She is mature beyond her years and a recipient of the Mount Vernon Maverick award. Congratulations to Mount Vernon Maverick Award winner, Emily Kanderis.
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