Beyond the Classroom
Community Service
In keeping with Parrott Academy's philosophy, we seek to develop students who appreciate and accept the responsibilities of membership in the community and society. Learning to serve our community locally, nationally, and internationally is an integral part of education at Parrott Academy. SERV is an honor society for service that was started at Parrott Academy in 1995. This honor society is open to students in grades 9 - 12 who meet specific criteria. SERV stands for "Students Effectively Realizing their Value." A minimum of 12 hours of community service is required for induction. Students with over 100 hours are recognized as National Presidential Service Scholars and earn a national award pin.
Our students have worked locally in soup kitchens, hospitals, churches, and museums. With students from eleven counties, our SERV participants are able to touch communities all over eastern North Carolina. Student groups have traveled far and wide including Washington, DC, Ecuador, Peru, and the Dominican Republic. Our most recent trip to Ecuador afforded students the opportunity to participate in a "minga," a cooperative volunteer/community effort during which our students worked side by side with local residents on community improvement projects. The students also had an opportunity to volunteer in schools and interact with children. Participants returned to talk about life changing experiences and memories that will last a lifetime.
Students will now track their hours on our new Track It Forward site. Documentation on this can be found below.
Our students have worked locally in soup kitchens, hospitals, churches, and museums. With students from eleven counties, our SERV participants are able to touch communities all over eastern North Carolina. Student groups have traveled far and wide including Washington, DC, Ecuador, Peru, and the Dominican Republic. Our most recent trip to Ecuador afforded students the opportunity to participate in a "minga," a cooperative volunteer/community effort during which our students worked side by side with local residents on community improvement projects. The students also had an opportunity to volunteer in schools and interact with children. Participants returned to talk about life changing experiences and memories that will last a lifetime.
Students will now track their hours on our new Track It Forward site. Documentation on this can be found below.
International Travel Opportunities
Each year, students from Parrott Academy travel to countries far and wide. Through SERV, our service organization, students have visited and worked in Ecuador, Guatemala, Peru, and the Dominican Republic. Our foreign language and history students have traveled to France, Spain, Italy, Greece, and China to name a few destinations. Students have the opportunity to study cultures, experience language immersion, and visit historical sites. We believe international involvement is an important element of secondary education. We have climbed the Great Wall, walked on the beaches of Normandy, and explored the Globe Theatre. Offerings vary by year.
Organizations, Clubs, and Academic Teams
Arendell Parrott Academy offers a wide range of extra-curricular activities to meet the needs of our students, including, but not limited to the following:
Battle of the Books
Battle of the Books is a reading program for students in grades 6-8. Participating students read from a list of 25-30 books and compete to answer questions based on those books. Members read 10 to 12 books each. A competition team of 6-12 students will be selected to participate in the final competition held locally. Winning teams will then advance to statewide competitions.
Bible Study
The Bible Study group meets weekly during club period to study Scripture, discuss passages from God's Word, to consider application to everyday life situations, and to grow in a relationship with God. The group prays together and supports one another. Members work on Scripture memory, group projects, and other Bible-based, service-oriented activities.
Chamber Orchestra
The APA Chamber Orchestra is devoted to enhancing each student's musical experience in string instruments. Students perform for a variety of functions throughout the year in addition to playing in concerts and drama productions. Chamber Orchestra members are eligible for various chamber competitions and the All-State Orchestra competition.
Cum Laude Society
Modelled after Phi Beta Kappa, the Cum Laude Society is a prestigious academic honor society that recognizes APA juniors and seniors who have achieved a superior academic record in a very challenging course load.
Dance Ensemble
The APA Dance Ensemble offers students the opportunity to perform in a unified dance group at school and community functions. Not only will the students perform teacher-choreographed pieces but will also have the opportunity to perform student-choreographed works. This is an opportunity for continued development of movement skills, creative processing, and critical thinking skills.
Debate Team
The team will participate in Lincoln-Douglass debate competition (one-on-one) and Public Form debate competition (two-on-two) in its first year. Plans are to attend two – four debate competitions during the school year to gain experience for the team. The focus this year will be on learning the fundamentals of debate. Practices will be during club periods, location to be determined, but there may be a few after-school practices the week of competitions.
Fellowship of Christian Athletes
The Fellowship of Christian Athletes is an organization that attempts to meet the students where they are in their spiritual journey and help them to move toward commitment to Christ and spiritual growth. It also aids athletes and coaches.
Honors Chorus
The Honors Chorus offers students the opportunity to perform in a vocal ensemble. The vocal ensemble performs standard choral, madrigal, and show choir selections. Students perform at school and community functions.
International Thespian Society
The International Thespian Society is an honor society which is part of the Educational Theatre Association. Its purposes are to promote excellence in school theatre and to maintain the advancement of standards in theatre arts.
Le Cercle Francais
Le Cercle Francais is comprised of students from all levels of French study who are interested in working to spread French culture and language, raise funds to supplement the Academy's French program, and add enjoyment to the study of French. Club activities include fund-raisers, peer teaching, and spreading Francophone culture within the "French community" at APA and among all students. The club functions through committees. In addition to officers, each French class level has a representative.
MathCounts
MathCounts is a national math enrichment program for students in grades 6 - 8. The program promotes complex problem solving through individual and team rounds, encouraging students to achieve in mathematics through fun and engaging competition.
Math Team
The Math Team is comprised of a group of students who represent APA at the ECU Math Contest and other competitions. The Math team is comprised of individual teams in Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, and a Comprehensive team that covers both Advanced Math and Calculus. During competitions, individual team members compete by taking written tests. Both individual scores and composite team scores are used in determining competitive ranking.
Middle School Council
The Middle School Council is the representative body for students in the Middle School. It is comprised of nine elected members: three from each grade. The president and other officers are elected by the council members. The Middle School Council promotes unity and community service among students in the Middle School. It also sponsors fall and spring dances in grades six through eight.
National Art Honor Society (NAHS)
NAHS provides leadership in the arts, promotes the arts in the school and the community, and functions as a service organization utilizing the visual arts. Members participate in a variety of fund-raising activities and provide all required signs and graphic arts for school functions. An annual induction ceremony features a guest speaker from an art career field.
National Junior Honor Society
The National Junior Honor Society recognizes outstanding students in grades 7-9 who display the ideals of scholarship, leadership, service, character and citizenship. First semester seventh graders, eighth graders and ninth graders who have a 93 average are eligible for membership. Students will apply to become members after initially being invited to join and will adhere to club attendance and participation standards to maintain membership. Members may be placed on a one-semester probation if their academic averages fall below 93 or if the Head of School feels they have displayed attitudes or behaviors unbecoming to a NJHS member. A student who transfers to APA and was inducted into an honor society at a previous school continues his membership at APA and has one semester to meet APA’s membership requirements.
National Honor Society for Dance Arts
The National Honor Society for Dance Arts recognizes outstanding artistic merit, leadership, and academic achievement in students studying dance at Parrott Academy. Induction into the NHSDA is earned through the accumulation 30 points awarded for dance activities, such as dance classes, rehearsals, performances, research, workshops, or community service activities, along with a GPA of at least 3.0.
National Honor Society
The National Honor Society recognizes outstanding students in grades 10-12 who display the ideals of scholarship, leadership, service, and character. First semester sophomores, juniors, and seniors who have a 4.0 weighted GPA or above in academic courses are eligible for membership. Students will apply to become members after initially being invited to join and will adhere to club attendance and participation standards to maintain membership. Members may be placed on a one-semester probation if their academic averages fall below 4.00 weighted GPA, or the Head of School feels they have displayed attitudes or behaviors unbecoming to an NHS member. A student who transfers to APA and was inducted into an honor society at a previous school continues his membership at APA and has one semester to meet APA’s membership requirements.
The Parrott Post
The Parrott Post is APA's student newspaper, which produces four printed issues per year of the school newspaper. The award-winning newspaper is produced by students enrolled in Journalism class. Students are assigned roles on the staff (e.g., Editor, News Editor, Sports Editor, Correspondent, etc.) and are responsible for gathering information, writing stories, taking photographs, designing, and printing the paper. Students will write news stories, features, opinions, and sports articles, and write headlines, interview subjects, take photographs, and revise proofread copy. The editor and adviser, along with the staff, create assignments, making the school newspaper a true "student paper".
Patriot Poets
The Patriot Poets is a new club created to help students obtain a higher level of appreciation for reading, writing, and reciting poetry. The student-poets will meet each Wednesday during club period to discuss poetry and critique one another's original poems. Students can expect to publish their poems in chapbooks, have their poems publicized in local media, and submit their poems to various poetry contests. Students may also be asked to read poems at school-related functions.
The Patriot Yearbook
The Patriot is the Academy's yearbook. It is produced by students enrolled in Yearbook class. Students are responsible for gathering information, writing stories, typing and laying out the yearbook. Additionally, students are required to sell advertising. The Patriot editor is a rising senior selected by the advisers.
Quiz Bowl
The APA Quiz Bowl Team is dedicated to representing the Academy with distinction in a variety of academic question-and-answer competitions. Each year, the Quiz Bowl participates in the N.C. Public Library Quiz Bowl competition, and various scrimmages and regional invitational competitions as they become available.
Students Effectively Realizing their Value (SERV)
SERV is an honor society for service. SERV stands for "Students Effectively Realizing their Value". Students work closely with a Serv advisor to find individual and group opportunities to participate in service in their community.
Spanish Club
The Spanish Club functions as a service organization to assist Spanish speaking people in the community. Club members participate in fund-raisers and volunteer opportunities, such as a penny drive to help purchase books and resource materials for Spanish speaking parents and students in the local area. Spanish Club also hosts occasional speakers to inform students about the growing Hispanic community in eastern North Carolina.
Spectrum
Spectrum is the literary journal of Arendell Parrott Academy published annually in the spring. It features poetry, stories, essays, and artwork by students in grades 1 - 12 from the current school year. The Spectrum staff is comprised of students who volunteer to work on the journal along with a faculty advisor.
Student Government Association (SGA)
SGA is the governing body for the Academy's Upper School. Its purpose is to represent students and provide leadership in improving the school community. Class officers elected at the beginning of each school year for the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades are automatically representatives in SGA. The president, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Parliamentarian are elected during the spring for the next school year.
Tri-M Music Honor Society
Tri-M is a national music honor society for gifted and dedicated student musicians at the Upper School level. Eligible students must meet criteria for scholarship, character, cooperation, leadership, and service. Activities include fund-raisers, such as bake sales and donations to community service projects. Each spring, a Tri-M induction ceremony is held.
Battle of the Books is a reading program for students in grades 6-8. Participating students read from a list of 25-30 books and compete to answer questions based on those books. Members read 10 to 12 books each. A competition team of 6-12 students will be selected to participate in the final competition held locally. Winning teams will then advance to statewide competitions.
Bible Study
The Bible Study group meets weekly during club period to study Scripture, discuss passages from God's Word, to consider application to everyday life situations, and to grow in a relationship with God. The group prays together and supports one another. Members work on Scripture memory, group projects, and other Bible-based, service-oriented activities.
Chamber Orchestra
The APA Chamber Orchestra is devoted to enhancing each student's musical experience in string instruments. Students perform for a variety of functions throughout the year in addition to playing in concerts and drama productions. Chamber Orchestra members are eligible for various chamber competitions and the All-State Orchestra competition.
Cum Laude Society
Modelled after Phi Beta Kappa, the Cum Laude Society is a prestigious academic honor society that recognizes APA juniors and seniors who have achieved a superior academic record in a very challenging course load.
Dance Ensemble
The APA Dance Ensemble offers students the opportunity to perform in a unified dance group at school and community functions. Not only will the students perform teacher-choreographed pieces but will also have the opportunity to perform student-choreographed works. This is an opportunity for continued development of movement skills, creative processing, and critical thinking skills.
Debate Team
The team will participate in Lincoln-Douglass debate competition (one-on-one) and Public Form debate competition (two-on-two) in its first year. Plans are to attend two – four debate competitions during the school year to gain experience for the team. The focus this year will be on learning the fundamentals of debate. Practices will be during club periods, location to be determined, but there may be a few after-school practices the week of competitions.
Fellowship of Christian Athletes
The Fellowship of Christian Athletes is an organization that attempts to meet the students where they are in their spiritual journey and help them to move toward commitment to Christ and spiritual growth. It also aids athletes and coaches.
Honors Chorus
The Honors Chorus offers students the opportunity to perform in a vocal ensemble. The vocal ensemble performs standard choral, madrigal, and show choir selections. Students perform at school and community functions.
International Thespian Society
The International Thespian Society is an honor society which is part of the Educational Theatre Association. Its purposes are to promote excellence in school theatre and to maintain the advancement of standards in theatre arts.
Le Cercle Francais
Le Cercle Francais is comprised of students from all levels of French study who are interested in working to spread French culture and language, raise funds to supplement the Academy's French program, and add enjoyment to the study of French. Club activities include fund-raisers, peer teaching, and spreading Francophone culture within the "French community" at APA and among all students. The club functions through committees. In addition to officers, each French class level has a representative.
MathCounts
MathCounts is a national math enrichment program for students in grades 6 - 8. The program promotes complex problem solving through individual and team rounds, encouraging students to achieve in mathematics through fun and engaging competition.
Math Team
The Math Team is comprised of a group of students who represent APA at the ECU Math Contest and other competitions. The Math team is comprised of individual teams in Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, and a Comprehensive team that covers both Advanced Math and Calculus. During competitions, individual team members compete by taking written tests. Both individual scores and composite team scores are used in determining competitive ranking.
Middle School Council
The Middle School Council is the representative body for students in the Middle School. It is comprised of nine elected members: three from each grade. The president and other officers are elected by the council members. The Middle School Council promotes unity and community service among students in the Middle School. It also sponsors fall and spring dances in grades six through eight.
National Art Honor Society (NAHS)
NAHS provides leadership in the arts, promotes the arts in the school and the community, and functions as a service organization utilizing the visual arts. Members participate in a variety of fund-raising activities and provide all required signs and graphic arts for school functions. An annual induction ceremony features a guest speaker from an art career field.
National Junior Honor Society
The National Junior Honor Society recognizes outstanding students in grades 7-9 who display the ideals of scholarship, leadership, service, character and citizenship. First semester seventh graders, eighth graders and ninth graders who have a 93 average are eligible for membership. Students will apply to become members after initially being invited to join and will adhere to club attendance and participation standards to maintain membership. Members may be placed on a one-semester probation if their academic averages fall below 93 or if the Head of School feels they have displayed attitudes or behaviors unbecoming to a NJHS member. A student who transfers to APA and was inducted into an honor society at a previous school continues his membership at APA and has one semester to meet APA’s membership requirements.
National Honor Society for Dance Arts
The National Honor Society for Dance Arts recognizes outstanding artistic merit, leadership, and academic achievement in students studying dance at Parrott Academy. Induction into the NHSDA is earned through the accumulation 30 points awarded for dance activities, such as dance classes, rehearsals, performances, research, workshops, or community service activities, along with a GPA of at least 3.0.
National Honor Society
The National Honor Society recognizes outstanding students in grades 10-12 who display the ideals of scholarship, leadership, service, and character. First semester sophomores, juniors, and seniors who have a 4.0 weighted GPA or above in academic courses are eligible for membership. Students will apply to become members after initially being invited to join and will adhere to club attendance and participation standards to maintain membership. Members may be placed on a one-semester probation if their academic averages fall below 4.00 weighted GPA, or the Head of School feels they have displayed attitudes or behaviors unbecoming to an NHS member. A student who transfers to APA and was inducted into an honor society at a previous school continues his membership at APA and has one semester to meet APA’s membership requirements.
The Parrott Post
The Parrott Post is APA's student newspaper, which produces four printed issues per year of the school newspaper. The award-winning newspaper is produced by students enrolled in Journalism class. Students are assigned roles on the staff (e.g., Editor, News Editor, Sports Editor, Correspondent, etc.) and are responsible for gathering information, writing stories, taking photographs, designing, and printing the paper. Students will write news stories, features, opinions, and sports articles, and write headlines, interview subjects, take photographs, and revise proofread copy. The editor and adviser, along with the staff, create assignments, making the school newspaper a true "student paper".
Patriot Poets
The Patriot Poets is a new club created to help students obtain a higher level of appreciation for reading, writing, and reciting poetry. The student-poets will meet each Wednesday during club period to discuss poetry and critique one another's original poems. Students can expect to publish their poems in chapbooks, have their poems publicized in local media, and submit their poems to various poetry contests. Students may also be asked to read poems at school-related functions.
The Patriot Yearbook
The Patriot is the Academy's yearbook. It is produced by students enrolled in Yearbook class. Students are responsible for gathering information, writing stories, typing and laying out the yearbook. Additionally, students are required to sell advertising. The Patriot editor is a rising senior selected by the advisers.
Quiz Bowl
The APA Quiz Bowl Team is dedicated to representing the Academy with distinction in a variety of academic question-and-answer competitions. Each year, the Quiz Bowl participates in the N.C. Public Library Quiz Bowl competition, and various scrimmages and regional invitational competitions as they become available.
Students Effectively Realizing their Value (SERV)
SERV is an honor society for service. SERV stands for "Students Effectively Realizing their Value". Students work closely with a Serv advisor to find individual and group opportunities to participate in service in their community.
Spanish Club
The Spanish Club functions as a service organization to assist Spanish speaking people in the community. Club members participate in fund-raisers and volunteer opportunities, such as a penny drive to help purchase books and resource materials for Spanish speaking parents and students in the local area. Spanish Club also hosts occasional speakers to inform students about the growing Hispanic community in eastern North Carolina.
Spectrum
Spectrum is the literary journal of Arendell Parrott Academy published annually in the spring. It features poetry, stories, essays, and artwork by students in grades 1 - 12 from the current school year. The Spectrum staff is comprised of students who volunteer to work on the journal along with a faculty advisor.
Student Government Association (SGA)
SGA is the governing body for the Academy's Upper School. Its purpose is to represent students and provide leadership in improving the school community. Class officers elected at the beginning of each school year for the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades are automatically representatives in SGA. The president, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Parliamentarian are elected during the spring for the next school year.
Tri-M Music Honor Society
Tri-M is a national music honor society for gifted and dedicated student musicians at the Upper School level. Eligible students must meet criteria for scholarship, character, cooperation, leadership, and service. Activities include fund-raisers, such as bake sales and donations to community service projects. Each spring, a Tri-M induction ceremony is held.