Academics Come First

At Auldern Academy academics come first. Our curriculum is rigorous and our attention to the individual learning needs of our students is unparalleled.The faculty of Auldern Academy excels at helping students who have fallen behind academically to catch up to their peers. The students are able to gain ground quickly by participating in flexible programming. Our girls boarding school offers one-quarter and one-half credit courses, and allows students to take classes out of sequence if necessary. Girls may also work to catch up during a Summer Program.Open enrollment allows parents to place their daughters with us throughout the year.  We understand that math is an unavoidably sequential subject so Auldern Academy offers an in-house math tutor to help mid-year enrollees to catch up quickly.Each of the four grades taught at Auldern Academy are considered college preparatory and include Honors and AP coursework. Our small classes rarely exceed ten girls; therefore each student enjoys a high level of interaction, communication and one-on-one time with her teachers. A personal faculty advisor is assigned to each student and assists with academic planning. The advisor communicates with parents, staff and referring professionals regarding the student’s progress. Auldern strives for 100% college acceptance of our students.

ACADEMIC FACULTY

Chris Will, Lead Teacher - Social Studies and History

Chris Will has been with Auldern since the beginning and then became the Lead Teacher in 2007. Chris loves sharing his passion for History and Geography with our students. Chris has lived in North Carolina since 1984 and was raised in a large family of seven boys and one girl. He earned a degree in History Education from North Carolina State University and is certified to teach World History, World Geography, U.S. History, U.S. Government and Economics. He is an avid N.C. State Wolfpack fan. He is a U.S. Army veteran infantryman, who was awarded many honors including Expert Infantry Badge, the highest honor an Infantryman can receive. He served overseas and in the Middle East. He was a member of a security force for Secretary of State Colin Powell. Chris is a Civil War buff and has traveled to many Civil War battlefields. Chris and his wife, Alice, a veterinarian, reside in Raleigh.

 Jim Philips - English

Jim holds a Master of Arts degree in English from North Carolina State University. He is a North Carolina native who hails from Jacksonville. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. He joined Auldern in the summer of 2007 where he inspires our students through his own passion for reading and writing. Jim enjoys playing the guitar, watching college basketball and collecting books. Among his favorite authors are Herman Melville, J.D. Salinger, and WIlliam Faulkner. Jim resides in Raleigh with his wife Rachel and their two dogs.

Ed King - Spanish

Ed King received his M.A. in Latin American History at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He studied Spanish and Latin American History in a doctoral program at the University of Florida in Gainesville. An avid world traveler, Ed lived in Chile for two years. He taught HIstory at Austin College in Sherman, TX for 7 years, taking students to Peru, Columbia and Mexico for January term courses. He was the Regional Director of Church World Service/CROP in both Illinois and the Carolinas for 18 years. He inspected CWS relief and self help development projects in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Brazil, Argentina, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. He helped build housing in the slums of San Felipe, Guatemala for two summers with the God's Child school project. He traveled to Nicaragua and Cuba in Spring of 2004 with the delegation of Witness for Peace to study "Neo Liberalism in Central American and the Carribean." He has three grown children.

Dakota Cronin - Mathematics

Dakota holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from the University of North Carolina. Before joining the Auldern facility, he taught mathematics at Orange High School in Hillsborough, NC. He teaches all levels of math, from Algebra I to AP Statistics. He began his college career at UNC, Wilmington where he was a member of the Sailing Team. During the summer months, he worked at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility under a Pell Grant from Newport News, Virginia. An avid chess player, Dakota has taught chess at three local middle schools and offers private lesson. He recently started the Auldern Chess club that meets weekly. He plans to one day return to school to obtain a graduate degree in Electrical Engineering, furthering his design to pursue a career in the developing field of technology.

Lee R. Leal - Art

Lee R. Leal obtained his MFA from the University of Delaware and his undergraduate degree from Texas A & M University. Mr. Leal is well versed in all art media, be it ceramic, sculpture, photography or two-dimensional art. Mr. Leal's personal art passion involves ceramics and photography. He is a resourceful Art Instructor with the ability to engage, teach and motivate students while  helping them to develop their talents in a comfortable and creative environment. He has extensive experience in helping students to broaden their perspectives for personal expression through artistic creation. He helps students to focus and keep a clear perspective on their personal goals.

Mr. Leal has previously taught at the Cary Academy, the Saint Andrew's School, Delaware State University, Westtown School, the University of Delaware and was the Artists in Residence at the Wilmington Art Commission. He has received awareds from Rehoboth Art League, Elizabeth N. Bingham Award for Excellence in Pottery, the Kodak Photo Educators Scholarship and awards from the Santa Fe Workshops.

Ryan Gilmore - Science Teacher

 GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

 In order to graduate from Auldern Academy a student must earn twenty-five credits as follows:

1. 4 in English
2. 4 in Math (Algebra 1, Geometry, and two additional courses)
3. 3 in Science (a biological science, an earth science, and a physical science)
4. 3 in Social Studies (Government/Economics, United States History, and World Studies)
5. ½ in Health
6. 1 in Physical Education
7. 2 in the same Foreign Language (recommended)
8. The balance in Elective credits

 Additional Requirements

a. Minimum of 30 hours of community service
b. ACT or SAT testing 
c. College applications ( 3 suggested)                                                                                                                                             d. Advancement through the Phase System to Ambassador