What is courage?  Is it only defined by grand gestures like saving a person from a burning building? Or can acts of courage be found in the daily experiences in our classrooms or in our social and emotional interactions? 

middle school students are pondering questions about courage during the school's newly reconfigured advisory program. The advisory period has been moved from morning to later in the day and lengthened to 20 minutes for the purpose of enriching our middle school students' learning experiences. 

We salute the students from the Classes of 2018 and 2019 whose performance on last spring's AP exams earned them the designation of Advanced Placement Scholar. With the AP Scholar Awards, the AP Program recognizes high school students who have demonstrated outstanding college-level achievement through their performance on AP Exams.

While Trip Week was an exciting time for all our students, one group of Middle School students made headlines!  Our 8th graders were featured on the Illinois Governor's Mansion Association Facebook page as the first school group of the academic year to tour the renovated Governor’s Mansion. The students toured the mansion and learned from updated programming and works of art on display. 

EA eighth graders trek to Springfield annually during Trip Week to visit historic sites and attractions. they explore the world of Abraham Lincoln and visit our state capital, among other historic sites.

I am always struck by the way our Homecoming celebration brings our community together, from our youngest student to our "most experienced" alum. This weekend was filled with images that demonstrate those bonds as our community came together, despite the weather (!) to celebrate Elgin Academy. I observed and heard stories all weekend that saluted the courage, compassion, and creativity that are our hallmarks.

Homecoming could not happen without much work. I am so thankful to work with the dedicated staff and faculty members who organized and executed our plan and can be proud of the result. And I would like to say a special thank you to our parent volunteers from all divisions who played such a key role in helping us celebrate. This weekend and all of its joy would not have been possible without all of you.

I am again grateful today for your partnership, and so appreciate everything you do to make this an excellent place for our students.

~Seth Hanford, Head of School