FA Honored as a National Banner Unified Champion School

Fryeburg Academy is excited to announce its recognition as a 2018 National Unified Champion School.  On Tuesday, October 23, Special Olympics representatives Lise Bird and Ian Frank, Director of Special Olympics Unified Sports in Maine, presented the Academy with the Unified Champion banner at the all-school assembly.  Students, faculty, and staff celebrated the event with music from FA’s band, balloons, and a video compilation that included a message to the Academy from the Chairman of Special Olympics, Tim Shriver.
 
The Special Olympics Unified Champion School program model is based on three main components: implementation of inclusive sports, inclusive youth leadership opportunities, and whole school engagement. Schools who earn this high honor meet these criteria as well as exemplify a commitment to meeting the ten standards of excellence outlined by Special Olympics. Schools must also have an established Partners Club — a club bringing students with and without intellectual disabilities together for sports, games, community service, school events — and have a sustainable plan for these activities in the future.

“We began this vision four years ago,” says Sue Thurston, FA’s athletic director. “Kathy Dunham, a special education teacher at the Academy, came to me to talk about starting a unified golf team and was eager to get this program going at the school.”  “From there,” says Thurston, “We added unified basketball, which I coached with my husband, James Thurston, to get it started.”

Four years later, the Academy now offers three unified sports: golf, basketball, and outdoor track with an active Partner’s Club that meets weekly and sponsors two events per year.

“It’s about acceptance,” continues Thurston. “We want our school to be inclusive and to welcome everyone no matter their race, religion, orientation, or disability. I’m so proud of our students who have embraced this opportunity in the classrooms, at school-wide events, and on our playing fields...and hope this positive change carries over into their communities. Honestly, it’s the best thing I’ve been a part of at the school.”

To learn more about the Special Olympics Unified Champion School program, please visit https://www.specialolympics.org/our-work/unified-schools.



 
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List of 5 news stories.

  • Fryeburg Academy Fall 2023-24 Honors/High Honors Roll Recipients Named

    We are pleased to announce the following students who have earned academic recognition at Fryeburg Academy for the Fall of 2023-24:

    HONORS
    Grade 12: (Honors)
    Charlotte Adamus
    Vittoria Bernardini
    Natalie Berry
    Dom Bond
    Jordin Booker
    Owen Burford
    Tori Butters
    Jilyan Byrne
    Lorenzo Catana Vallemani
    Jonah Densmore
    Vitoria Do Espirito Santo Teixeira
    Elle Dooley
    Austin Dorner
    Deniz Eroglu
    Manu Fandos Martinez
    Aidan Flanigan
    Amber Gagnon
    Mia Grandchamp
    Gal Hanan
    Emily Hoosier
    Noah Jacobs
    Emma Keaten
    David Kim
    Joey Kim
    Kardelen Lacinok
    Helena Landry
    Margherita Lassini
    Leo Lee
    Celine Lee
    Ana Maillett
    Moss Marques
    Caroline Masterman
    Asher McKenney
    Ryan Meade
    Natalia Millan Arenas
    Mina Milosevic
    Tommy Morini
    Tasia Nason
    Rachel Pizzo
    Grace Porcaro
    Abby Pratt
    Ashe Rabideau
    Winter Raymond
    Dustin Rhoda
    Gideon Richard
    Leah Rokes
    Margherita Rossi
    Gunnar Saunders
    Louie Shin
    Lamar Smith
    Hunter Tripp
    Tanner Tripp
    Gabby Udoto
    Logan Walton
    Kara Willette
    Connor Williams
    Mary Wing
    Kevin Zhou
  • Academy Students Earn Silver and Bronze at the National FFA Convention

    From October 31 through November 3, five members of the Academy's FFA Chapter (Future Farmers of America) and faculty member Jennifer Solter Jones attended the National FFA Convention held in Indianapolis, Indiana. 
  • FA's Falls Sports Assembly Honors Student-Athletes

    On Thursday, November 16th, Fryeburg Academy celebrated the fall sports season with its annual fall sports awards assembly held in the Leura Hill Eastman Performing Arts Center. The following student-athletes were recognized for their outstanding performance during the fall 2023-24 season:
     
  • Joseph R. Manning Installed as the Academy's 55th Head of School

    Fryeburg Academy and the Board of Trustees announce the installation of Joseph R. Manning as the Academy’s 55th head of school. The Installation Ceremony was held on Friday, November 3, 2023, with members of the Fryeburg Academy community, the Board of Trustees, and former head of school Erin P. Mayo in attendance as a guest speaker. Manning steps into this new leadership role during the school’s 232nd year, following a long-tenured and successful career at the Academy spanning twenty years of service. 
  • FA Students Earn Letters of Commendation in the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program

    Fryeburg Academy seniors Tyler Bartick and Jiwon Choi have earned Letters of Commendation from the National Merit Scholarship Program (NMSC) for their performance on the 2022 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®).

Fryeburg Academy

FRYEBURG ACADEMY
745 Main Street
Fryeburg, ME 04037
p. (207) 935-2001      
f.  (207) 935-5013      
admissions@fryeburgacademy.org
Fryeburg Academy is an independent boarding and day school, serving grades 9-12 and postgraduate. We invite you to explore our site and learn how students from around the globe find their place in the world through our exceptional academic, art, and athletic programs.