Bayside Academy is the premiere private school on the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay.
I graduated from Bayside Academy in Daphne, AL in 1994 and although I have not found time to be an active alumni, my memories of that time are cherished and the friendships I forged are still alive and well today. I arrived on campus for the beginning of the 6th grade school year, a transplant from a local catholic school. I can remember being scared of the unknown of my new surroundings but from that point on, I was completely content.
In those days, the school buildings were much older and the campus was much simpler than it is today. There was a track, a gymnasium and a few rows of modest white rows of school houses, sectioned by grade. These buildings followed a gentle slope down to our historic main building, a original residence dating back to the Civil War. This historic landmark houses our head master, admin staff and library and rests on a high bluff overlooking Mobile Bay.
I could not see the benefit of the student to teacher ratio at that time or the high level of academic content that was instilled in us. I enjoyed the competition in the classroom and the laid back atmosphere of life on campus. We spent our break time outdoors, eating our lunch under grandfather oak trees and took walks down to the school pier to identify scientific names of animals and vegetation.
The small population at the school gave the campus a real community appeal and it was not uncommon for students to shed tears on graduation day as they said goodbye to teachers they had grown fond of over the years. I remember sensing that our teachers really cared about us and not wanting to disappoint them by failing to complete an assignment or study for a test. If you are a parent considering Bayside Academy, I suggest that you thumb through a few annual year books and let the faces of the students in the pictures tell the story of Bayside. It was truly a unique experience.
Comments (1)Subscribe to CommentsComment