independent school

In this edition of The Spectator's podcast – CaxyPod – Jessie Ji ’24 interviews All-School President Jerry Ren ’24 on plans and preparations for the upcoming Winter Dance!

It's a Caxology takeover as Claire Ireland ’24 and Theresa Fu ’24 turn the tables on Garry Sloan, the show's typical host. They ask him the questions and give listeners a chance to get to know LFA's new Dean of Advancement.

The December episode of The Spectator's podcast features Theresa Fu ’24 and Ela Jain ’24 discussing the New Hunger Games film in depth, as well as a host of other winter releases.

This episode of The Spectator's CaxyPod features a Thanksgiving theme. Host Jessie Ji ’24 talks with LFA English teacher Angela Zhou ’18 about cultural differences in terms of the Thanksgiving holiday, and how that impacts student sentiments around this time of year.

Seniors Ela Jain ’24 and Esti Rosenblatt ’24 open the year with the first fall CaxyPod to discuss autumn movies and approaches to digesting a host of different media – from music to television and books – to get in the mood for the season.

Lake Forest Academy students do big things! In this episode, meet Cameron Fink and Ned Koh, both graduates from the class of 2023, and hear how LFA became a laboratory for their friendship and an exciting entrepreneurial adventure.

Chris Pryor is president and founder of The Gowan Group.

As a lifelong educator, strategist, and thought leader, Chris is in his third decade of independent school leadership. He has held leadership positions at independent schools such as Harbor Country Day, The Independence School, Hackley, Rye Country Day, and Tuxedo Park School and was actively involved with NYSAIS.

Chris is a well-known speaker on topics such as social media, marketing, admissions training, crisis management, professional development, and board training.

With The Gowan Group, Chris realizes his vision for an educational consulting organization that serves the needs of independent schools on every front–from Admission and Enrollment Management to Advancement and Fundraising, and from Strategic Planning to Leadership Development. Gowan Placement’s exceptional team advises and guides families through a comprehensive and personalized approach to school placement. To accomplish this, Chris assembled a stellar group of nationally renowned consultants who have the passion, experience, expertise, and resources to help independent schools turn every challenge into a growth opportunity.

Chris Pryor is the Founder and Principal of LeadTeam Partners. Following a 20+ year career in independent schools, Chris developed his school partner search practice to support school administrators by finding the right consultant, coach, facilitator, speaker, or vendor for their needs.

Prior to LeadTeam Partners, Chris served as Assistant Head of School for Advancement and External Affairs for Congressional School (VA) and as a Director of Business Development for Independent School Management (ISM). 

Informed by how private schools and consulting firms operate, Chris seeks to manage the search process for busy school leaders so that they can focus on the day-to-day operations of their school. 

The third episode of the Caxy Athletics Pod hosted by J.J. Alexos ’23 features Diana Bishopp ’23 who will be playing ice hockey at Sacred Heart University. Bishopp talks about growing up playing hockey, transferring to LFA, and now moving on to playing at the NCAA Division I level.

The second episode of the Caxy Athletics Pod hosted by J.J. Alexos ’23 features Tatum Young ’23 who will be playing basketball at Wheaton College (Mass.). Alexos and Young discuss  playing basketball growing up, her decision to attend Lake Forest Academy and her experiences at the Academy before talking about what she is looking forward to at Wheaton.

Rebecca Malotke-Meslin is the founder of Pleasantly Aggressive Coaching & Consulting where she empowers women to take control of their leadership journey and ditch the habits holding them back.

Rebecca combines a background in social research with 20 years of sales, marketing, communications, and school leadership to create a transformational experience for her clients. One of the many connections she has with InspirED is that Rebecca was director of admissions at three private schools over 15 years.

Through one-on-one coaching, leadership cohorts, and speaking engagements, she delivers enthusiasm and expertise to her audiences. In her role as a consultant, she works with organizations to eliminate barriers, reduce biases, and create more inclusive spaces for all women. Rebecca is also the host of the Confidently You: Women in Leadership Podcast.

Lake Forest Academy recently announced plans to expand the school's current athletic facility. The athletic center expansion is the largest individual capital project in LFA’s history and will add 45,000 square feet of new space to facilitate the athletic program, support the LFA experience for students, faculty and alumni, and elevate the school’s local and national profile. The facility will be made possible by individual donations and participation in LFA’s annual Gala on April 29. In this episode, you'll hear from multiple voices about the positive impact of the new facility and the excitement it is bringing to campus.

In the latest episode of Caxology, meet Lake Forest Academy Dean of Students Jennifer Rundles. Rundles is in her first year at LFA after making her move to the Academy last July. She takes the Caxy Query, talks about her transition from Georgia to Illinois, and gives us a glimpse of her excitement for the future of LFA.

In this episode of The Spectator podcast, host Connor Drobny ’23 interviews History and Social Science teacher Filipp Velgach. He is in his second year at Lake Forest Academy after seven years in Chicago’s high schools and currently teaches Ancient and Modern World History. He prides himself on showing human society’s capacity to grow through ingenuity and socio-philosophical movements, while also challenging philosophies and actions that define the history of the human species. Velgach also coaches soccer, squash, and track and field.

The first edition of The Spectator podcast is here! The episode takes a look at the college decision process for seniors and finding the best college or university for each student. Hosts Bika Gupta ’23 and Anusha Srivastava ’23 are joined by three members of LFA's College Counseling department - Keily Pacheco, Mia Rogers, and Ben Wetherbee - for insight into the college decision process.

Welcome to an encore edition of Caxology to the very first episode that explored the namesakes of the Richards & Tremain Society - Eloise Ruthven Tremain (Ferry Hall principal, 1918-1945) and John Wayne Richards (LFA headmaster 1913-1941). Host Garry Sloan talks with Rita MacAyeal '87, Director of the Library and Archivist at LFA, to learn more about these stalwart figures of the school’s history.

A "nitty gritty" final part of our discussion on the topic.  Do more Black teachers need to apply to teach in these places? Shouldn't different cultures be in these spaces to show the world is a wider place? Is it all about networking rather than education?  Listen as each guest leaves a word of wisdom/advice or encouragement for us all.

It's a new episode of Caxology! In this episode, meet math instructor, coach, dorm parent and new First Lady of LFA Maggie Tennyson. Maggie takes the Caxy Query and talks about the transition of the past few months. Later in the episode, Maggie's husband Chris makes an appearance and together they share some hopes and dreams for the future of Lake Forst Academy.

Caxology is brought to you by LFA’s Richards & Tremain Society. Founded in 1988, the Richards & Tremain Society recognizes members of the LFA community who have made thoughtful legacy gifts benefiting the school. For more information about the Richards & Tremain Society or ways you can help support the mission of Lake Forest Academy, visit www.lfanet.org/give. Caxology isn’t new… it's been around for a couple of years, but only available for download at Lake Forest Academy's website. A few look back episodes will be posted soon, and we look forward to bringing you new episodes in 2023. Thanks for listening and we hope you enjoy Caxology!