Harrisburg Academy is one of the founding members of the Capital Area Quiz Bowl League (CAQBL) Howard Wilson Jersey , which has been in existence since 1999. This year, 15 area schools participated in this academic challenge sport, in which teams of four students compete against teams from other schools in a series of matches, answering questions relating to math, history, science, literature, the arts, global issues and even popular culture and music. Each CAQBL match includes competition for an A-team round, building toward the league championship which is decided in a winner-take-all final. B-Team matches are played as well, in order to give all students an opportunity to participate and improve their competitive skills.

This year’s Harrisburg Academy team had a successful and busy season. We practiced weekly starting in September and played other schools in six regular matches and in the finals on Jan. 27. All 14 team members competed in matches, on either A or B team and earned valuable CAS hours. Harrisburg Academy’s strong A team led the league through most of the season, finishing among the top four teams with a loss in the quarterfinals.

Our young but experienced players are looking forward to even more success next year. We will welcome new members in the fall who are interested in learning to play and who appreciate a sense of camaraderie and a thrilling academic challenge.

- A Blueprint for the Academy's Future:

In creating the model for our strategic planning, the administration made a few key decisions. First, we endeavored to engage our entire school community in the process. This approach allows all Academy community stakeholders, as well as friends of the Academy, to provide feedback. We also decided to shorten the strategic planning timeline from five years to just three. This allows the Academy to more quickly adapt and react to the rapidly changing educational world in which we function.

At the core of the strategic planning process is our Planning Committee, made up of trustees, parents, faculty, and administrators. This group attends each of the strategic planning meetings and engages in the many group conversations that generate a whole host of innovative ideas and suggestions.

Our first few strategic planning meetings have resulted in thought-provoking conversations and creative ideas. Each week the dynamics are different, as new parents and community members join the discussion. By using one broad question each week, the meetings become our own Academy "think tank," as multiple groups wrestle with the same question but come up with radically different feedback. The five guiding questions used in our strategic planning model are as follows:

How do we achieve the long term enrollment goals at the Academy?
What internal improvements and partnerships with other organizations (including global ones) can be made to the academic, extracurricular, and co-curricular programs to provide an experience of excellence for our students? (April 24)

How does the Academy best demonstrate its value to parents, alumni, and the greater Harrisburg community? (April 30)

How does the Academy achieve the goals of our new Comprehensive Campaign and continue to build a culture of philanthropy? (May 15)

How does the Academy attract, cultivate, and retain its most talented faculty to achieve the mission of Harrisburg Academy and provide our students with the 21st century skills they need? (May 22)

Please join us for our two final conversations. Don't miss your chance to have your fingerprint on the blueprint for the Academy's future.

For more information, please visit our <"http:harrisburgacademy20140303another-great-season-for-quiz-bowl">website.
By EVAN DUGGAN

VANCOUVER, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- A major breakthrough is needed in the renegotiations of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in order to keep the pact alive, says a Canadian trade expert.

"There has to be some type of announcement related to an agreement within a major sector," said Michael Manjuris, a professor of economics and trade at Ryerson University in Toronto. "Maybe it will be the automotive sector because that seems to be the one we're all talking about."

Trade ministers from Canada, Mexico and the U.S. on Monday completed the sixth round of NAFTA negotiations in Montreal, with lead officials noting that some progress was made, but adding that tough challenges remain ahead of a new deal.

Something like a breakthrough in the auto sector "will have to come out in the next round to show that there is real progress and we're not going to turn to a political fight in having [NAFTA] cancelled," Manjuris told Xinhua in an interview.

U.S Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer in his closing remarks after the weekend meeting said they took a step forward in this latest round, but he also criticized Canada for its recent launch of a challenge against U.S. trade practises with the WTO.

He called the complaint "unprecedented" and a "massive attack on all of our trade laws," according to Canadian news reports.

Last month, Canada's government launched the wide-ranging 32-page complaint to the WTO, accusing the U.S. of imposing unfair anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties against Canadian products.

Canada said U.S. broke the WTO's Anti-Dumping Agreement, the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, and the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes.

Manjuris said the complaint will have certainly sparked interest from other nations around world.

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