Fifty years ago in September, Carroll Academy launched its first school year with more than 100 students in grades 1-6. Now it on average has 315 students in grades K-3 to 12.
The private school, located in Carrollton, has started planning events for this anniversary, although the emphasis right now is on the start of school in August.
“This is our 50th year, so we are pretty excited about that,” said Penny Mitchell, head of school.
T-shirts will be printed with the theme “Today, Tomorrow and Always: Making a Difference,” and a line from verse from Psalms 133 has been adopted to inform activities: “Behold how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity.”
Also in the “what’s happening” category as school starts is the new bathroom building for the athletic complex. The hope is that it will be finished by the time the school has its “Meet the Rebels” event at 7 p.m. Aug. 8. “Meet the Rebels” will follow a half day of school from 8-noon that morning. Also scheduled are an open house for students, teachers and parents at 5 p.m. Aug. 6.
The first full day, from 8 a.m.-3 p.m., will be Aug. 9.
As the school year begins, those on campus can expect to see brick masons at work, although there are hopes the job can be finished earlier, Mitchell said.
“We are bricking up the front of the high school building to match the elementary building,” she said.
Security doors also are being installed.
The teacher-parent association has provided new blinds for classrooms plus computer tables in the computer lab and the high school library.
New or almost new on the instructional staff are:
nChad Crowe, the former elementary school principal, who has returned to Carroll after a year at Newton Academy.
nPatti Andrews, who will be teaching second grade. She taught last year in the Leflore County School District.
nZona Pilgreen, elementary school librarian. She formerly taught grades 4 and 5 at Carroll.
nZachary Whitfield, who is new and will be teaching history in the junior high and coaching football.
nAustin Brewer, who filled in at Carroll last year. He’ll be teaching junior high and high school math.
nKristin Holifield, who also helped out last year. She will be teaching business courses this year.
Mitchell is entering her second year as head of school, although she started at Carroll as a guidance counselor in 2013.
She likes the work and the school. She described it as “small but it’s family-oriented. You get to know all of your students and their parents. I’ve really enjoyed it.”
