The Lady Hawks will play in the GISA Class AA State Soccer Championship for the second time in three seasons after defeating Piedmont Academy 5-1 in the semi-finals.

Victory was less than certain at the half, when the score was 1-1.  However, after a half-time speech and readjustment, Heritage came back with a concerted effort and played extremely well.

Senior, Emily Gray Powell, scored three of the Lady Hawks' five goals against Piedmont, while junior, Megan Gruber, scored the other two.  Powell scored her 191st career goal during the game.

Coach Rineer celebrated after the game with a nice ice bath! (Photo courtesy of Paula Vandersluis.)

The State Championship game will take place tomorrow (Saturday, May 21) at 1:00 pm at Stratford Academy, 6010 Peake Road, Macon, GA 31220-3903.  Directions to Stratford:
Go southbound on I-75.
At the junction of I-75 and I-475, take the I-475 by-pass south.
Exit at Zebulon Rd.
Turn left off the exit ramp.
Go about 650 yards and turn right on Peake Rd.
Follow Peake Rd. about 1.2 miles.
Stratford Academy will be on the right.

Read more about the semi-final game in the Times-Herald.

Lory Pendergrast was chosen to participate in a curriculum development project being developed by Lawrence Hall of Science at the University of California at Berkeley. "We are developing Earth Science curriculum units that incorporate a focus on 'disciplinary literacy' that integrates hands-on investigations with reading, writing, and talking science," states the letter from Jacqueline Barber of LHS at UC Berkeley. The curriculum project is entitled Seeds of Science/Roots of Reading. Ms. Pendergrast is thrilled that the project speaks to The Heritage School's SACS initiatives on critical thinking as well as reading and writing across the curriculum. 

This program is part of the GEMS (Great Explorations in Math and Science) and funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.  Ms. Pendergrast has used several of these programs over the course of the years: Rivercutters, Plate Tectonics and Stories in Stone, and has found them to be incredible tools for middle school science students. Consequently, she was 1 of 19 teachers across the nation chosen to participate.   

The Adopt-a-Physicist Program continues to be a success with our physics students. Dr. Joel Fajans from Berkeley, California, was the class favorite this month. His research is on trying to trap antihydrogen from antiprotons and positrons. His research at Cal Berkely was deemed a major breakthrough in physics for 2010. Dr. Fajans is the physicist who did the "antimatter" research background for the Dan Brown's best-selling  Angels and Demons book and movie (starring Tom Hanks). 

From black holes to comets and to NASA rockets, the physics class had another great experience chatting on line with physicists at leading institutions across the nation.

The French Department is excited to offer a trip to France and Switzerland next Spring. Departing March 28 and returning on April 6, 2012, students will spend time in Paris, Geneva, Chamonix, Nice, and the beautiful town of Eze. This trip is open to all Upper School students and their parents. The cost of the trip is $3,231 for travelers who sign up with a $195 registration deposit by June 30. Students with airline flight privileges may participate in the trip for a price of $2,424 if they register by June 30. These costs include everything except lunch on each day of the trip. Interested travelers may also elect to set up a monthly payment plan for the trip through the tour company, ACIS.There will be an informational meeting for interested parents and students on Tuesday, June 1, at 6:00 in Alice Browning's room. For more information, read the flyer. Please contact Alice Browning at abrowning@heritagehawks.org with questions.

Gail Jones and Lory Pendergrast will sponsor a Spring Break 2012 trip to Costa Rica. This will be a week-long trip focused on eco-tourism in the cloud forests and rain forests of this extraordinary country. Participants will explore the flora, fauna, and culture of Costa Rica and zip line over the tree tops. The trip is limited to Juniors and Seniors and has only 15 spots. Cost for the trip will be approximately $1550.00 which includes airfare, lodging, activities, and four days worth of meals. The first stop will be to the UGA Eco-Lodge of the Monteverde Cloud Forest.

The Spanish department will be offering a trip to Spain next Spring Break. The trip will include Madrid, Toledo, Sevilla, Granada, Cordoba y Costa del Sol with an optional day trip to Morocco.