North Yarmouth Academy (NYA) is pleased to announce the establishment of the NYA Merit Scholars Program. The NYA Merit Scholars Program is designed to recognize deserving students and provide them with the opportunity to attend North Yarmouth Academy. This year, one full and one partial scholarship will be awarded to an incoming freshman student. One full scholarship and one partial scholarship will also be awarded to a rising sophomore, junior or senior student. The scholarship honors the student’s achievements and covers the cost of tuition over the course of the student’s career at NYA. Current and new students are eligible for these scholarships.

Applicants must be nominated for the award and should demonstrate qualities that are intrinsic to NYA’s mission. The nomination process is open to any adult who knows the student’s academic abilities and character and can speak to that on the nomination form. (NYA teachers, coaches and staff are not eligible to nominate students.) Nominees will be invited to apply to NYA, and a Scholarship Committee will review the applicants and invite the top ten finalists to campus for interviews. Nominations must be received by January 10, 2012, and applications are due on February 10, 2012. Scholarship recipients will be notified by March 20, 2012.

“We are thrilled to be able to attract exceptional students and recognize their accomplishments through these generous scholarships. With this program, students will not only have the opportunity to benefit from our academic, athletic and the arts offerings, but also enhance our community through their talents in these areas,” said Head of School Brad Choyt.

To nominate a student, please contact NYA’s Admission Office at 846-2376.

NorthYarmouthAcademy is an independent, college preparatory, coeducational day school serving students in grades five through twelve. For 198 years, NYA has fostered integrity, character and intellect in young adults. For more information, please contact NYA at 207-847-5423 or visit our website at www.nya.org.

Eight students from North Yarmouth Academy (NYA) were selected for the All-State Music Festival, an event occurring nationwide that places top high school instrumentalists and vocalists into a band, chorus, and orchestra. The 2012 Maine All-State Music Festival will be held on May 17 through 19, 2012 at the University of Maine in Orono. Students will rehearse for three days under the direction of leading national conductors and then present a concert on Saturday, May 19, at the Collins Center for the Arts on the University of Maine campus in Orono.

Selected students include:

Band:

• Olivia Stam ’15, Cumberland Foreside, flute
• Chelsea Muller ’12, Gorham, alto saxophone

Chorus:

• Jae Jeon ’12, Gorham, alto
• McKenzie Larson ’14, Raymond, soprano
• Soo Kyung Park ’12, Freeport, soprano
• John LeBlanc ’15, Falmouth, bass

Orchestra:

• Ellis Miskell ‘15, violin
• Elise LeBihan ‘15, South Freeport, violin

Students were selected after November auditions requiring them to learn several scales, a solo, an ensemble piece, and sight-read. Over 1,000 students auditioned statewide. “This is the largest number NYA has had accepted in recent memory, and we are pretty ecstatic here in Higgins [Hall, the music building],” said Linda Vaillancourt, String Ensemble and Middle School Band Teacher.    

In addition to the All-State Music Festival, 35 students from NYA were selected to perform at the District 2 Honors Vocal and Instrumental Concerts. NYA students were selected from more than 1,200 auditions.  Liz McIntosh ’16 (Falmouth) received the highest score in the district for Middle School violin. District 2 covers schools in Portland to Lewiston/Auburn to Bethel.

District 2 Honors Vocal and Instrumental Festivals:

High School Band

• Kevin Schwarm ’12, Freeport, percussion
• Olivia Stam ’15, Cumberland Foreside, flute

High School Orchestra

• Elise LeBihan ’15, South Freeport, violin
• Ben Randall ’12, Lisbon Falls, violin
• Maggie Meixell, ’12, Westport, violin
• Tae Eun Park ‘12, Freeport, violin
• Hannah Hungerford ’15, Portland, viola

High School Mixed Choir

• Soo Kyung Park ’12, Freeport
• McKenzie Larson ’14, Raymond
• Jae Jeon ’12, Gorham
• Hadley Gibson ’12, Freeport
• Jessica Powers ’12, Falmouth
• Tae Eun Park ‘12, Freeport
• John LeBlanc ’15, Falmouth

High School Treble Choir

• Olivia Stam ’15, Cumberland Foreside
• Anya Siviski ’15, Lewiston
• Grace Gilbert ’13, North Yarmouth
• Louisa Mahoney ’15, Freeport
• Anna Bilodeau ’15, Winthrop
• Rhiannon Ramsey-Brimberg ’15, East Boothbay

Middle School Band

• Zelda Clegg ’17, Brunswick, clarinet
• Suzanna Butterfield ’17, Raymond, clarinet
• Cris Paradis ’17, Portland, bass clarinet
• Tyler Waaler ’17, Yarmouth, trumpet

Middle School Orchestra

• Acacia Bright ’16, Freeport, violin
• Liz McIntosh ’16, Falmouth, violin
• Claire Maurer ’16, Freeport, violin
• Dagen Braun ‘16, Windham, violin
• Linnea Hull ’16, Portland, violin
• Hailey Frager ’16, Portland, violin

Middle School Chorus

• Suzanna Butterfield ’17, Raymond
• Hailey Frager ’16, Portland
• McKenzie Sangster ’16, Brunswick
• Andrei Vile ’16, South Freeport

The District 2 Honors instrumentalists will perform at Oxford Hills High School in South Paris on January 27 and 28, 2012, and the District 2 Honors vocalists will perform on February 3 and 4, 2012 at Windham High School.

North Yarmouth Academy is an independent, college preparatory, coeducational day school serving students in grades five through twelve. For 198 years, NYA has fostered integrity, character and intellect in young adults. For more information, please contact NYA at 207-847-5423 or visit our website at www.nya.org.

The NYA Robotics Club sent 5 representatives (Phong Ho ’11, Katherine Roche ’12, Matt Hawkins ’12, Ben Ford ’15 & Muriel Adams ’15) to the Southern Maine VEX Tournament at USM Gorham on Saturday. Of 17 teams competing, NYA finished the Qualification rounds ranked 3rd. This placed us on the 2nd ranked alliance (with a team from Sanford) for the Elimination Rounds. Making it to the Finals, our alliance placed second in the tournament to Cape Elizabeth!  More from the Press Herald.

NYA Robotics Club at USM competition

The next competition is the State Tournament in Bangor on Saturday, February 11.