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.”
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
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.
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:
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.
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 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.