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Jackson Academy (Mississippi)
Encyclopedia
Jackson Academy is an independent, co-educational college preparatory school
in Jackson, Mississippi
. Jackson Academy was founded in 1959 on the basis of teaching children phonetic reading. Today, the campus is thriving with nearly 1450 students in grades K3 through 12. The school is a member of the prestigious Cum Laude Society Academic Honorary, one of only four charter members in Mississippi.
JA is the largest independent school in Mississippi. Its mission is "to serve students who aspire to higher education and lifelong learning in a balanced and nurturing environment in which each student is valued and is challenged to become a responsible citizen who can achieve his or her intellectual, spiritual, emotional, social, and physical potential."
JA strives to enable young people to grow and mature in a healthy, nurturing environment from the child’s earliest years to full maturation as graduating seniors. Experienced teachers, coaches, staff, and personnel take as their personal mission the appreciation of each student’s intellectual, spiritual, emotional, social, and physical potential.
Jackson Academy, led by founder and headmaster Loyal Bearss, was to have its foundation on the old educational standards of reading, writing, and arithmetic. The curriculum was both classical and experimental – classical in that the textbooks were taken from the McGuffey Readers and Webster’s Bluebacked Speller; experimental in resurrecting the concept of teaching reading through phonics rather than sight and memorization of words.
In 1959, Jackson Academy began operation in a renovated residence on Northview Drive in Jackson, MS. The school included grades primer through fourth grade. By 1963 Jackson Academy had grown to some 103 students, after which the JA Corporation purchased 5.5 acres on Ridgewood Road where main campus is located today.
, and is the past president of the Delta State University
Foundation and the Southern Association of Independent Schools
. Currently, Jernberg's primary role is to guide the school through its recently announced master plan http://www.jacksonacademy.org/boldvision.html, with the purpose of revolutionizing the campus and the community.
In December 2006, Pat Taylor was named headmaster. Taylor came to Jackson Academy from Mobile, AL, where he served as Assistant Headmaster at St. Paul's Episcopal School.
Keith Branning is the Senior High dean and associate headmaster. Bill Bunch is the associate Senior High dean and dean of student affairs. Bobby West, a successful high school basketball coach in the 1980s, is the Athletic Director. David Sykes is the Junior High dean, assistant Athletic Director and High School football coach. Sarah Love is dean of the Elementary School. Tara McDaniel serves as the dean of the Preschool.
Phase One: JA is currently at the midpoint of Phase One. Phase One includes the following: a performing arts center for school programs, theatrical productions and concerts as well as classroom and rehearsal space for choral music and a black-box theater. The new Performing Arts Center was dedicated and opened in early 2010; a student commons with dining facilities; student lounges and meeting spaces accessible to all grades; an enclosed atrium connecting the student commons to the performing arts center; an academic lawn along Ridgewood Road made possible by moving parking and traffic circulation behind the buildings; a new parking lot creating 150 additional spaces as well as improved traffic flow with a quarter mile of queuing space for cars on campus and off public roads; and a new 2,000 seat gymnasium adjacent to the secondary school gym.
Phase Two: Phase Two will include replacement of long-serving facilities with a new, state-of-the-art junior/senior high building to serve grades 7-12; and a new, expanded elementary building.
Bill Ball, head basketball coach of the Varsity Raiders, carries a 277-83 record in his first 10 years at Jackson Academy with 2 Overall State Championships.
area. Bryan Eubank has been the voice of the Raiders in some capacity since 2000, and has called the capture of 9 MPSA State Championships. Bryan spent 2005–2007 as the voice of the Mississippi Braves
before returning to call all three major sports for the Raiders in the fall of 2007.
University-preparatory school
A university-preparatory school or college-preparatory school is a secondary school, usually private, designed to prepare students for a college or university education...
in Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
. Jackson Academy was founded in 1959 on the basis of teaching children phonetic reading. Today, the campus is thriving with nearly 1450 students in grades K3 through 12. The school is a member of the prestigious Cum Laude Society Academic Honorary, one of only four charter members in Mississippi.
JA is the largest independent school in Mississippi. Its mission is "to serve students who aspire to higher education and lifelong learning in a balanced and nurturing environment in which each student is valued and is challenged to become a responsible citizen who can achieve his or her intellectual, spiritual, emotional, social, and physical potential."
About
Jackson Academy is accredited by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the Southern Association of Independent Schools. Affiliations include the National Association of Independent Schools, the Cum Laude Society, the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools and the Jackson Area Association of Independent Schools.JA strives to enable young people to grow and mature in a healthy, nurturing environment from the child’s earliest years to full maturation as graduating seniors. Experienced teachers, coaches, staff, and personnel take as their personal mission the appreciation of each student’s intellectual, spiritual, emotional, social, and physical potential.
Founding
The Mississippi State Times announced the opening of a new independent school in Jackson, Mississippi, set to debut in early September 1959. The name of the new school was to be Jackson Academy. The idea for the new school developed during the previous year when ten parents of first grade-aged children got together and decided how their children's first grade instructor, Mr. Loyal Bearss, and his curriculum should be extended through all of elementary school.Jackson Academy, led by founder and headmaster Loyal Bearss, was to have its foundation on the old educational standards of reading, writing, and arithmetic. The curriculum was both classical and experimental – classical in that the textbooks were taken from the McGuffey Readers and Webster’s Bluebacked Speller; experimental in resurrecting the concept of teaching reading through phonics rather than sight and memorization of words.
In 1959, Jackson Academy began operation in a renovated residence on Northview Drive in Jackson, MS. The school included grades primer through fourth grade. By 1963 Jackson Academy had grown to some 103 students, after which the JA Corporation purchased 5.5 acres on Ridgewood Road where main campus is located today.
Today
Peter Jernberg was Jackson Academy's headmaster from July 1988 until November 2005, when he became the school's president. Jernberg also serves on the Board for the Southern Association of Colleges and SchoolsSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
, and is the past president of the Delta State University
Delta State University
Delta State University, also known as DSU, is a regional public university located in Cleveland, Mississippi, United States, in the heart of the Mississippi Delta...
Foundation and the Southern Association of Independent Schools
Southern Association of Independent Schools
The Southern Association of Independent Schools is a U.S.-based voluntary organization of more than 340 independent elementary and secondary schools through the South, representing more than 180,000 students...
. Currently, Jernberg's primary role is to guide the school through its recently announced master plan http://www.jacksonacademy.org/boldvision.html, with the purpose of revolutionizing the campus and the community.
In December 2006, Pat Taylor was named headmaster. Taylor came to Jackson Academy from Mobile, AL, where he served as Assistant Headmaster at St. Paul's Episcopal School.
Keith Branning is the Senior High dean and associate headmaster. Bill Bunch is the associate Senior High dean and dean of student affairs. Bobby West, a successful high school basketball coach in the 1980s, is the Athletic Director. David Sykes is the Junior High dean, assistant Athletic Director and High School football coach. Sarah Love is dean of the Elementary School. Tara McDaniel serves as the dean of the Preschool.
Future
Jackson Academy is currently involved in the most transformational expansion in the school’s history. According to the school's website, the Bold Vision, Bright Future master plan has been divided into two phases with costs reaching an estimated $17.5M:Phase One: JA is currently at the midpoint of Phase One. Phase One includes the following: a performing arts center for school programs, theatrical productions and concerts as well as classroom and rehearsal space for choral music and a black-box theater. The new Performing Arts Center was dedicated and opened in early 2010; a student commons with dining facilities; student lounges and meeting spaces accessible to all grades; an enclosed atrium connecting the student commons to the performing arts center; an academic lawn along Ridgewood Road made possible by moving parking and traffic circulation behind the buildings; a new parking lot creating 150 additional spaces as well as improved traffic flow with a quarter mile of queuing space for cars on campus and off public roads; and a new 2,000 seat gymnasium adjacent to the secondary school gym.
Phase Two: Phase Two will include replacement of long-serving facilities with a new, state-of-the-art junior/senior high building to serve grades 7-12; and a new, expanded elementary building.
Athletics
Jackson Academy also excels in developing successful student athletes. JA student athletes regularly compete in volleyball, football, soccer, basketball, tennis, swimming, dance, cheer, golf, softball, cross-country, track, and baseball. In 2010, student athlete Davis Rogers was named one of 6 male national finalists for the Wendy's High School Heisman Award after being selected from approximately 55,000 national applicants .Varsity Football
David Sykes completed his third season as head coach of the Varsity Raiders with his third consecutive MAIS AAA Division I Championship as head coach. Coach Sykes was the Head Coach of the Washington School Generals from 1986 to 1999. His teams won 101 games during that span and during a 5-year span his teams posted 28 consecutive North AAA wins. He was named "Coach of the Year" four times. His most recent job was the Head Coach for the Junior High Raiders where he delivered a perfect 31-0 record in his four seasons. His overall coaching record at Jackson Academy currently stands at 68-2. Sykes replaced Joey Hawkins who finished with four state championships and an overall record of 87-30. He won the Metro Jackson Coach of the Year for the 2005 campaign. To date, Jackson Academy and Madison Central hold the record for the most coaches named to the All-Metro team at three, respectively.Varsity Basketball
Jan Sojourner, head basketball coach of the Varsity Lady Raiders, ranks as one of the winningest Mississippi high school girls basketball coaches in history. After her first year of coaching at Jackson Academy she has posted a winning record each of her over 30 seasons, with 4 Overall State Championships and numerous divisional championships.Bill Ball, head basketball coach of the Varsity Raiders, carries a 277-83 record in his first 10 years at Jackson Academy with 2 Overall State Championships.
Varsity Baseball
Jay Powell, with a record of 91-49 as head baseball coach, led the Varsity Raiders to their first State Championship in 9 years. The 2011 team broke numerous personal and team records on their way to winning the Championship including most runs scored in a season (363), most strikeouts thrown (310), most home runs (34), most wins (29).Athletics on the radio
Jackson Academy is one of a few high schools, independent or public, to have all of its football, boys basketball, girls basketball, and baseball games broadcast via radio in the Jackson, MississippiJackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
area. Bryan Eubank has been the voice of the Raiders in some capacity since 2000, and has called the capture of 9 MPSA State Championships. Bryan spent 2005–2007 as the voice of the Mississippi Braves
Mississippi Braves
The Mississippi Braves, or M-Braves as they are referred to locally, are a minor league baseball team based in Pearl, Mississippi, a suburb of Jackson. The team is the Class AA affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, and plays in the Southern League. The team is owned and operated by Liberty Media, which...
before returning to call all three major sports for the Raiders in the fall of 2007.