Noble Academy kicks off the new school year by marking a special milestone: celebrating the 39th day of the school's 39th academic year! Learn how Noble Academy began in 1987 as Guilford Day School, co-founded by Rita Rice Ledford and Ginger Parnell, with just eight students, and how it grew into today’s thriving community of 135 students. With our 40th anniversary approaching next fall, we are calling on our entire community (alumni, parents, faculty and former faculty, and longtime supporters) to share their stories, memories, and moments of transformation. Share Your Noble Story: Submit a short video or written reflection to Christy Duncan at cduncan@nobleknights.org to be part of our celebration! Produced by Noble Academy, a school for students with learning differences in Greensboro, NC.
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S6 E1: 39 Years
Gayle Cole:
Last week you might have heard that we celebrated a special date at Noble Academy. If you didn’t hear, October 15 was the 39th day of school this year, and this year is the 39th day since Noble became a school. We started our Noble journey in 1987 as Guilford Day School, when Rita Rice Ledford and Ginger Parnell began with just eight students and four full-time teachers. They already had co-founded a testing and tutoring service five years earlier, and they and the families that they served believed deeply that students with learning differences deserved a school where they can uncover their strengths, build genuine confidence, and thrive.
Within two years of opening the private school division, the program had 36 students, nine teachers and four staff members, and the Upper School graduated its first student.
All that is to say, on October 15, not only did we mark the 39th day of our 39th school year, but we also began getting excited about looking forward to our 40th anniversary next fall. We hope you will get excited along with us! We are preparing to honor our history while continuing to build for the future. Over the coming year, we will be sharing stories, reconnecting with our extended community, and celebrating the legacy that makes our school and our history so remarkable.
And you know what? If you have your own story, whether it is from our Guilford Day School or our Noble Academy years, we invite you to share it with us. Let your story be part of celebration and part of inspiration.
Whether you are an alumnus, a past or current parent, a former faculty member, or a longtime supporter, we want your voice as part of our milestone moment.
Did a Noble teacher change your trajectory or your child’s perspective?
Do you have a moment when things finally clicked?
What makes you proud to be part of this community today?
Please share a short video or written reflection with Christy Duncan at cduncan@nobleknights.org as we gather memories and look ahead to Year 40.
Thank you for being part of the Noble Academy story.