Harding Academy (Searcy, Arkansas)
Encyclopedia
Harding Academy is a K-12
private school
in Searcy, Arkansas
. It is affiliated with Harding University
. Like that institution, it is associated with the Churches of Christ and named in honor of an early minister of that fellowship, James A. Harding
.
Mr. James Simmons is the current Headmaster.
The H.A. choral program is among the best in the state. The chorus consistently receives high rankings at competitions, and it gives concerts and goes on tours periodically. Several members of the chorus have performed at Carnegie Hall
. The Choral director, Craig Jones won the National Christian School Association Teacher of the Year award for 2010. http://www.kffb.com/blog/harding-academy-teacher-wins-national-teacher-of-the-year-award/
Other activities include quiz bowl, band, National Beta Club
, art club, history club, chess club, key club, and drama. The H.A. Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) have been particularly successful in recent years, competing locally, statewide, and on the national level. In 2007, H.A. student Conor Kirkman won second place in the Arkansas state FBLA competition in the Technology Concepts category, but he bested that feat when he won first place at the national FBLA competition in the same category.
Every school day the students and faculty come together for chapel, followed by a daily 45-minute Bible
period that all students (grades 7-12) attend.
The school is very active in helping the community; the school has volunteered to help clean parks and other public areas in Searcy. The school has an annual food drive which is usually organized by the S.A president. The school also helped raise money for the Bald Knob, Arkansas
School District.
, and its colors are red and white. H.A., which routinely defeats larger schools, won the best in Class 2A All-Sports ranking in 2005 and the best in Class 3A in all sports for 2006, "despite having a student body population of approximately 200 for grades 10-12". Coach Brad Francis explained that the Wildcats “. . . had several teams go deep in the postseason” in 2006, though paradoxically none won state championships. "According to Athletic Director Mike Keese, 70-75 percent of the boys in grades 10-12 at Harding Academy participate in at least one school sport, while 50 percent of the girls are involved in athletics". Keese noted that this continues a tradition of excellence and "credited former principal Bill Diles, longtime superintendent Ed Higginbotham and former head football coach and athletic director Bill Barden for laying the foundation for the school’s athletic success".
The football team has won many conference championships and four state championships, and consistently does very well in football each year, often going very deep into the postseason.
Baseball is relatively new to Harding Academy, but after just a few seasons the baseball team won the Arkansas AAA State Championship in 2008, the first time the school has won a state title in baseball (Bagley). http://thedailycitizen.com/articles/2008/05/18/news/sports/sports01.txt
The school also has a very prestigious junior high athletics program. The Junior High football team had an undefeated season in 2007 for the first time in school history.. The Junior High football currently has was their conference 2 years in a row. The junior high basketball teams and the track teams have also been very competitive.
To further enhance the athletic ability of students, the school gives all senior high students the option of taking a Wellness class. Wellness Class is a daily class period where students are building strength in the weight room, while also gaining strength and flexibility by various methods. Nearly all athletes are in a wellness class.
Boys may participate in these sports:
Girls may participate in these sports:
The girls' basketball team has won one state championship and many recent conference championships.
Also, there are two different sports education courses offered: Lifetime Sports (Lifetime sports was eliminated at the end of the 07-08 school year) and Physical Education.
Students who maintain a 95% throughout the school year will be honored at the annual Circle of Excellence ceremony.
K-12
K–12 is a designation for the sum of primary and secondary education. It is used in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand where P–12 is also commonly used...
private school
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
in Searcy, Arkansas
Searcy, Arkansas
Searcy is the largest city and county seat of White County, Arkansas, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 20,663. It is the principal city of the Searcy, AR Micropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of White County...
. It is affiliated with Harding University
Harding University
Harding University is located in Searcy, Arkansas, in the United States, about north-east of Little Rock. It is a private liberal arts Christian university associated with the Churches of Christ. The university takes its name from James A...
. Like that institution, it is associated with the Churches of Christ and named in honor of an early minister of that fellowship, James A. Harding
James A. Harding
James Alexander Harding was an early influential leader in the Churches of Christ.Several schools are named after Harding: Harding University in Searcy, AR, Harding Academy , Harding Academy , and Harding University Graduate School of Religion in Memphis.Harding helped David Lipscomb, another...
.
Mr. James Simmons is the current Headmaster.
Student life
Harding Academy (H.A.) prides itself upon its rigorous approach to academics. Harding Academy is accredited by the National Christian School Association. Many students take AP courses and successfully gain college credit while still enrolled in high school. A very high percentage of each graduating class attends college.The H.A. choral program is among the best in the state. The chorus consistently receives high rankings at competitions, and it gives concerts and goes on tours periodically. Several members of the chorus have performed at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
. The Choral director, Craig Jones won the National Christian School Association Teacher of the Year award for 2010. http://www.kffb.com/blog/harding-academy-teacher-wins-national-teacher-of-the-year-award/
Other activities include quiz bowl, band, National Beta Club
National Beta Club
The National Beta Club is an organization for 5th-12th graders in the United States, recognizing academic achievement, leadership, character and service....
, art club, history club, chess club, key club, and drama. The H.A. Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) have been particularly successful in recent years, competing locally, statewide, and on the national level. In 2007, H.A. student Conor Kirkman won second place in the Arkansas state FBLA competition in the Technology Concepts category, but he bested that feat when he won first place at the national FBLA competition in the same category.
Every school day the students and faculty come together for chapel, followed by a daily 45-minute Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
period that all students (grades 7-12) attend.
The school is very active in helping the community; the school has volunteered to help clean parks and other public areas in Searcy. The school has an annual food drive which is usually organized by the S.A president. The school also helped raise money for the Bald Knob, Arkansas
Bald Knob, Arkansas
Bald Knob is a city in White County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 3,210 at the 2000 census. Located at the intersection of two of the state's natural regions, Bald Knob is often promoted as "where the Ozarks meet the Delta". Bald Knob is also a leading strawberry producer in the...
School District.
Athletics
Harding Academy's mascot is the WildcatWildcat
Wildcat is a small felid native to Europe, the western part of Asia, and Africa.-Animals:Wildcat may also refer to members of the genus Lynx:...
, and its colors are red and white. H.A., which routinely defeats larger schools, won the best in Class 2A All-Sports ranking in 2005 and the best in Class 3A in all sports for 2006, "despite having a student body population of approximately 200 for grades 10-12". Coach Brad Francis explained that the Wildcats “. . . had several teams go deep in the postseason” in 2006, though paradoxically none won state championships. "According to Athletic Director Mike Keese, 70-75 percent of the boys in grades 10-12 at Harding Academy participate in at least one school sport, while 50 percent of the girls are involved in athletics". Keese noted that this continues a tradition of excellence and "credited former principal Bill Diles, longtime superintendent Ed Higginbotham and former head football coach and athletic director Bill Barden for laying the foundation for the school’s athletic success".
The football team has won many conference championships and four state championships, and consistently does very well in football each year, often going very deep into the postseason.
Baseball is relatively new to Harding Academy, but after just a few seasons the baseball team won the Arkansas AAA State Championship in 2008, the first time the school has won a state title in baseball (Bagley). http://thedailycitizen.com/articles/2008/05/18/news/sports/sports01.txt
The school also has a very prestigious junior high athletics program. The Junior High football team had an undefeated season in 2007 for the first time in school history.. The Junior High football currently has was their conference 2 years in a row. The junior high basketball teams and the track teams have also been very competitive.
To further enhance the athletic ability of students, the school gives all senior high students the option of taking a Wellness class. Wellness Class is a daily class period where students are building strength in the weight room, while also gaining strength and flexibility by various methods. Nearly all athletes are in a wellness class.
Boys may participate in these sports:
- Basketball
- Track
- Cross Country
- Tennis
- Baseball
- Gymnastics
- Football
- Golf
Girls may participate in these sports:
- Basketball
- Track
- Cross Country
- Tennis
- Softball
- Cheerleading
- Volleyball
The girls' basketball team has won one state championship and many recent conference championships.
Also, there are two different sports education courses offered: Lifetime Sports (Lifetime sports was eliminated at the end of the 07-08 school year) and Physical Education.
Academics
Harding Academy prides itself in offering a high quality education, by offering a wide variety of AP and Honors classes. The school also requires all students (Grades 7-12) to take a Bible class; during these Bible classes the students are offered memorization work, and also a broader perspective on various topics of Christianity and the Bible. Harding Academy has continuously scored well above the state average on ACT scores. All classrooms are equipped with state-of-the-art Smartboard technology, which enables teachers to offer a wide array of educational experiences.Students who maintain a 95% throughout the school year will be honored at the annual Circle of Excellence ceremony.
Notable student achievement
- James Kee, 2006 state shot put champion.
- Conor Kirkman, winner of the Technology Concepts competition at the 2007 national FBLA conference.
- Jordan Simpson, named "student of excellence in foreign languages" by the United States Achievement Academy in 2008. http://thedailycitizen.com/articles/2008/06/01/news/features/features07.txt