Students Respond with Service During the Pandemic

Written by Jr High and High Vice Principal, Mrs. Mathews

This spring, our staff and students went from an on campus school to distance learning in a matter of weeks in response to the global pandemic. Although it was a transition for us as educators, how much more for our students? Much of the normalcy of their day to day, including a social outlet and the opportunity to learn and experience spiritual growth at school was changed all in a matter of days.

As the Vice Principal of Jr High and High, I wondered how our students would respond. How would they navigate this monumental moment in history? How would they spend their days as we transitioned to online school? I was deeply moved to learn of how our students were serving their families and neighbors in need.  

Freshman, Anna Roberson, used her skill with sewing to make 50 face masks for local healthcare workers to use during the pandemic.

One of our ninth grade students, Anna Roberson, took it upon herself to make 50 face masks for local healthcare professionals. She saw a need and met it with the skills that she had. It was amazing to see her rise up to the occasion and do what she could to help those on the frontlines combating COVID-19. 

One of our eleventh grade students, Genesis Garner, realized that God’s gifts should only continue during this time. Instead of letting distance keep her from exercising these gifts, she set up a bible study and worship time on her own volition for students both in Nashville and Arcola, IL. It was during this time that young people realized that even though a screen separated them, the love of God brings them together.

One of our 7th grade students, Ezrah Aaseby, recently offered to mow the lawn for her elderly neighbor. She went with a joyful heart and served despite knowing she wouldn't be able to visit with her neighbor. What a response of humility! 

Sophomore, Jones Warren, built a chicken coop in his backyard for his new chickens he is raising!

Many of our students also have the opportunity to raise baby chickens! They have put their skills to the test and built a chicken coop for their new flock. This time at home has given one of our 10th grade students, Jones Warren, an opportunity to practice several skills he has learned on our campus. What a great use of time during this distanced season! 

Furthermore, as part of their online curriculum, all of our Jr High students are now starting their own backyard gardens! We hope this task teaches them responsibility and a desire to be grounded during this pandemic experience. 

Our students’ world changed, but they did not. They have continued implementing the lessons and values they are learning at school, whether it be on campus or online. They are serving nurses on the frontlines, the elderly in their neighborhoods, and their own families. They did not look at this moment in history and become stifled. Rather, it has sparked something in them they might not have realized that they had, and they are spreading that light. These faces are the face of the future, and all I see is hope. I pray that they can continue to bless those in the face of adversity because they surely blessed me during this season!

7 Things to Maximize Online Learning Effectiveness

Written by Academy Headmaster, Mr. Gregg Garner

COVID - 19 and Bam! They’re home. ALL DAY. And school… it’s online for now. 

In the same way parents approach a new school year ensuring their student has all the right tools and resources… walking their kids to their classroom for the first week or two, learning the drop off protocols, familiarizing themselves with the faculty and staff, acclimating to the class schedule and homework expectation... so a parent has to ensure their kids have all the right tools and resources for the online effort. 

Parents will have to walk their students through the online platform (Learning Management System, at our school Canvas), learn the Zoom participation protocols, familiarize themselves with the roles of the online faculty and staff (tech guys are your new besties!), and acclimate to the new schedule format and classwork expectations.

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Such changes are indeed a lot, but because the routine has changed up, naturally stress seems to show up. Giving this analogy was a bridge I wanted to conceptually build for you to cross that transition gap (from on campus to online) with a healthy mental approach that gives you a perspective based on your previous experiences - that these school starting stressors will come to a calm and a new normal will settle in.

As to assist in the transition, some Academy teachers and I have put together a list of seven things you can do at home to maximize your students' online learning efforts. Here they are!

1. Create a Daily Schedule

   1. Make sure everyone in the family is on the same page as to who needs to be where and when. For example Timmy has class at 9, at his desk in his room, for 30 mins. At 10, Susie has class and will work from the porch for the duration of her class and classwork. 

   2. You can create a basic schedule, or a detailed one. A detailed schedule would have more than class and classwork times, with designated locations, but it would also have assigned breaks, meals, chores, and even times for play.

2. Designate a Specific Learning Place

   1. Free of visual distraction such as other family members in view

   2. A “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door, or even one to put on the student's back to let others know they are working.

   3. Consider ergonomics for healthy posture. Put the iPad on a stack of books and use a keyboard. Ensure the work area is well lit.

3. Ensure all supplies are stored near or at the designated study space. 

   1. iPad, keyboard, headphones, writing utensils (including stylus), and paper. 

   2. If you have multiple children, perhaps a labeled tub to contain all of these items could make it easy to store and keep track of.

4. Check your internet connection

   1. If you have several location options for your students to work, make sure that every location has a strong internet signal, particularly for the Zoom classes.

5. Allocate times for your student to use our social forum, Workplace, for interpersonal interaction and have some fun!

6. Have your student attend the weekly “live check-in” with our teachers to ask any questions concerning content, including any questions related to completing an assignment.

7. Schedule breaks!

   1. A 15 min brain break after 45 mins of working is a great recharge for the mind.

   2. Snacks and meals can also break up the workload and keep energies high. 

   3. Recess! Give them some time for free play and just doing whatever they want for an hour amidst all the classwork. 

Do these 7 things and let us teachers take care of the rest! Don’t stress about how well they’re doing their work. Don’t worry about whether or not they’re even doing it right. We’re here to serve your family and have created this system to have flexibility for this transition from on campus to online. So, take a deep breath, smile, and allow God’s peace to animate your next moments so you can have the joy of the Lord be your strength.

God bless you Academy Families!

Love,

Gregg & The Academy Faculty

Providing Meals to Kids during a Pandemic

Written by School Nutritionist, Mrs. Breann Chigumira

Rafael Reyes ensures the food is not only nutritious, but delicious too! The meals are not just basic sandwiches but greek pitas, taco salads, pizza pasta and more.

Over the past 5 years at the Academy for G.O.D, I thought I had "seen it all" in terms of hurdles to us serving nutritional lunches to students. Tornados, severe weather, flooding, school cancellations because of sickness, construction of new school buildings on campus, and the list could continue. However, what none of us were prepared for was a pandemic that would begin to change what our 'new normal' would look like. We were looking at a total shutdown of 'in-person' classes, and our school made a choice to move to an online format for the rest of the semester.

However, I knew that we could not just stop our school's nutrition program altogether. During the school year we serve breakfast and lunch daily to students, and now more than ever students and their parents need this support. With unemployment in Tennessee predicted to rise above 'great depression' levels, I knew that parents would be even more hard-pressed to feed their children.

During a health crisis we also have to acknowledge that ensuring children have proper nutrition will help boost their immunity toward this ever circulating virus. As I shopped at local stores looking for food for my family, I was challenged to find certain fresh fruits or vegetables and other nutritious items. If families are quarantined at home, how will they go to the store, if stores are out of food, how will families eat? These were all questions I knew our program could provide some solution to. Our school nutrition program has always emphasized fresh fruits and vegetables, and I knew that this was no time to reduce that intake for children.

For the everyday heroes who are part of school nutrition programs across the country, this was a time for us to step up and feed a vulnerable population. This was not the time to take a break or step back in fear. It was time to decide how to overcome obstacles, problem-solve, and ensure children have the best opportunity to thrive amidst a world in chaos. 1 John 4:18 was a motivating refrain behind these decisions: 'There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear...whoever fears has not been perfected in love.' Instead of being anxious or acting out of fear, love drives me to do God's will to help kids in my neighborhood (while at the same time practicing the wisdom this pandemic necessitates).

As often as possible, food is sourced locally. When we say “local” we mean down the hill at our on campus farm, Hopewell Farms.

As I realized the ongoing effects of COVID-19, I searched out grants and programs that would help our school to operate as a free meal site for any child under 18. I immediately got our application in to be part of the USDA’s ‘seamless summer option,’ this would allow our school to operate as a free meal site for any child under 18, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Broadening our focus beyond the Academy made it so that we could offer assistance to anyone in need in our proximity.

Every day what would normally be used for lunch tables are still used for lunch tables, just all packed to go. This team goes above and beyond with home delivery for those in the neighborhood, and a streamlined drive through service for those who are not.

Comparatively, our school nutrition program is not generally a huge operation. We are among a handful of private schools in all of Tennessee that operate under the USDA's National School Nutrition Program, with the rest being large school districts with 1,000s of students. Despite being a small site, I knew with some hard work we could serve our neighbors and those in need. Our first week, we served almost 2,000 meals (breakfast and lunch). Going into our second week, we are set to serve over 2,000! We are delivering meals in the Hopewell neighborhood. We also have a drive-through system for pick up Monday-Friday until the end of the semester. We completely revamped all of our operations to fit this new need, which was no small undertaking! Despite substantial food shortages, we have still been able to provide a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables along with fresh organic produce from our on-campus garden. We are also supporting several employees who now do not have to file for unemployment and still supporting local food businesses who need our patronage.

This has been an important time for us to step up to the challenge. I'm so happy with my team and our readiness to meet COVID-19 with faith that we can do our part. School nutrition may not always get to the forefront of daily news. But it's making a splash in this part of Nashville. It's nice to be reminded of this essential work, which contributes to the health of our communities -- our kids! I work with a team of everyday heroes who deserve applause! Groups like mine, all over the country, are stepping out and ensuring children are still taken care of, despite incredible challenges. That is a reason to keep hoping.

When Our Loss Becomes An Opportunity: Academy Online Goes Live!

Written by Mr. Muñoz, Elementary Vice Principal

I recently walked around the empty halls of our school building, and I felt a little sad about all the missed moments with our students over the past few weeks and the weeks to come. I miss hearing the kids laughing in the hallways and giving each other hugs. I miss seeing teachers smile at each other and share their stories. I miss glancing in the door windows to see teachers interacting with their students. While it does feel like a loss, I am reassured by remembering that with God even our losses can become opportunities.

Romans 8:28 “and we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to his purpose.’

As a school community, we have a calling and love for God. I am challenged by this scripture today to focus on the opportunity that can come from God’s work on our behalf.

Elementary students check in with their teachers and classmates for a live session each morning, then begin their lessons for the day!

The Academy Online is one of those works, and our staff has been working with such diligence, creativity, and collaboration to prepare something special for our students. Mrs. Benoit, one of our elementary lead teachers had this to say about the program, "I am excited about the new program the Academy is rolling out and incredibly blessed to be part of something new and exciting! I'm thankful to be part of a team that works together to ensure that our students get access to the best education possible, despite the inability to come together in person. The dedication of the teachers and staff at the Academy never fails to amaze me. I'm always encouraged by the way everyone works together to continually strive to maintain access to our holistic education in a stress-free and fun manner for our students."

As we launch our program today, I can’t help but wish the doors of our school were open! At the same time, I couldn't be more excited for the opportunity in front of us through this new program. It will not only bless our students, but open up the door to bless students all over the world!

COVID-19 Response: An Update from the Principal

Dear Academy Parents,

I hope you are doing well and amidst this time of “social distancing” that you are finding real joy with your children. The Academy Online kicks off April 6th and both faculty and staff are busy doing all that needs to happen to ensure the same quality programming you’d expect from our school, online.

The Academy Online will continue to offer the same holistic, innovative approach to education that you have become accustomed to at the Academy. Through our online platforms students will be able to interact with their teachers and classmates during the quarter. The flexibility of the program makes it so that if your student is unable to attend ‘live’ one day, the recording is made available for them to view later! Teacher feedback and interaction will also be readily available for all levels, so you don’t have to feel overwhelmed to make sense of what your students are learning, and they can get the professional attention they need. 

The following is from Headmaster Garner:

“The global impact of COVID 19 has with it an unpredictable element that makes it difficult to determine when we could resume any gathering of more than 10 people (as nationally advised). However, it is currently our plan to keep all end of the year programming such as spirit week, field day, student performance night, the formal banquet, etc. It is even possible that if things change, the last couple weeks of school could be on campus. Again, we will have to wait and see. At this moment we are not able to guarantee anything related to our physical gathering. What we can guarantee is that we will keep doing what is best for our children through our exciting online format - attending to their academic and also social needs during this unique time in our national history.”

I agree with Headmaster Garner, we are all doing what we believe will be the best for our students at this specific moment in history. I truly believe that the Lord has uniquely set us up for a time such as this to continue providing excellent education to our children in this state of emergency. I look forward to this next season of the Academy for G.O.D…Online!

We love you all.

Principal Alex Castro

"I lift up my eyes to the hills— 

from where will my help come? 

My help comes from the Lord, 

who made heaven and earth. 

He will not let your foot be moved; 

he who keeps you will not slumber. 

He who keeps Israel 

will neither slumber nor sleep. 

The Lord is your keeper; 

the Lord is your shade at your right hand." 

- Psalm 121:1–8