Principal Castro Serves as Vanderbilt Guest Lecturer

This semester, Principal Castro was asked by a Dr. Nicole Cobb at Vanderbilt University to guest lecture for a school counseling course. After meeting with Professor Cobb and talking to her about our school in hopes of partnership, she invited Mr. Castro to speak to the class directly. Dr. Cobb also immediately made The Academy for GOD an approved site for school counselor interns, and we are in our second year of partnership!

At this level, a counseling course typically covers a comprehensive range of topics related to the theory and practice of counseling such as human development and psychology, cultural competence, ethics, and professional etiquette. With over a decade of experience in the field of psychology and counseling, Mr. Castro spoke towards the Academy’s approach to counseling and student social-emotional services at a K-12 level, highlighting childhood development and scriptural teachings.

Following the visit, Dr. Cobb shared, ”I want to express our heartfelt gratitude to Alex Castro for your invaluable contribution to our Foundations of School Counseling class. Your insights and knowledge were not only enlightening but inspiring. Your willingness to share your story and your professional experiences left an indelible impact on their understanding of the school counseling field. Your presence and humor elevated our learning experience---you definitely are a favorite among guest speakers. The students especially enjoyed your interactive activities which pushed them to rethink how they build rapport and deep connection to the students with whom they are working. It has been an honor to witness how your career has continued to blossom since we first worked together. The Nashville community is lucky to have you in leadership and I look forward to seeing your continued impact on the lives of students and families in our city.”

We look forward to continued partnership and support with Vanderbilt University and are grateful for the work they do to train up counselors and social workers for schools just like ours!

You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. - Matthew 5:14-16

Relax, You Are At The Right Place: How the Academy is Benefitting Your Student

It can be difficult switching schools for both students and parents alike. Not only are you concerned with how your child will adjust to the new curriculum, new classmates, new environments, and new teachers, but you also wonder how you will fit in. After all, you cared enough about your child’s education that you enrolled them in a private, Christian school, and so it’s likely you will be wanting to know more than just what grades they are getting each quarter. 

Thankfully, at the Academy, you don’t have to worry about whether or not you made the right decision for your student. If you are looking for a place where biblically literate staff will do their best to ensure your child is mentally, socially, and spiritually prepared for the world they live in, then you are at the right place. Yeah, it may take some time to get adjusted, but we think you’ll like it. Here’s why: 

We’re Biblically Grounded

The Academy for GOD believes in the authority of scripture, which is why they dedicate time and energy to studying it in depth. This allows them to apply it in every aspect of the school, from the events they plan to the curriculum they teach and even the attitudes they teach with. Our desire is for Biblical values to permeate all that we do, because it is through God’s word that we learn about him, and through obedience to his Word is how we can draw close to him. 

We’re Holistic

With classes to increase emotional intelligence and weekly spiritual emphasis days, we are concerned about more than just a child’s mental aptitude. Emotional awareness and spirituality will help form healthy social connections among students, so that they are developing holistically. A holistic approach also means we are thrilled whenever the parents get involved. Whether they are cheering during sports or volunteering at a school event, parental involvement helps create a healthy environment children can flourish in. 

We’re Relevant 

The Academy is not mindlessly replicating educational systems and traditions that have been set by generations past, instead, they are implementing effective fact-based educational strategies to ensure this next generation of students is going to be prepared for the times they are growing up in. They are making the necessary changes so your children are being taught relevant content and skills to make them future leaders. 

Don’t just Take our word for it, look at the fruit…

If you are really wondering how well the Academy prepares your kids for their future, just ask any Academy graduate. Jesus tells us to judge a tree by its fruit, and we have confidence in those who have graduated from our institution that they can be a testament to the kind of fruit we produce. 

The Academy for GOD Receives 2023 Best of Old Hickory Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

The Academy for GOD Receives 2023 Best of Old Hickory Award

Old Hickory Award Program Honors the Achievement

OLD HICKORY, September 8, 2023 -- The Academy for GOD has been selected for the 2023 Best of Old Hickory Award in the Elementary school category by the Old Hickory Award Program.

Each year, the Old Hickory Award Program identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Old Hickory area a great place to live, work and play.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2023 Old Hickory Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the Old Hickory Award Program and data provided by third parties.

About Old Hickory Award Program

The Old Hickory Award Program is an annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the Old Hickory area. Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value.

The Old Hickory Award Program was established to recognize the best of local businesses in our community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to recognize the small business community's contributions to the U.S. economy.

SOURCE: Old Hickory Award Program

CONTACT:
Old Hickory Award Program
Email: PublicRelations@cities-distinction.com
URL: http://www.cities-distinction.com

2023 Bible Retreat: In Review

Academy Headmaster, Gregg Garner, and Jr High and High Vice Principal, Ms. Mathews propose a question for students to answer in light of the weekend’s bible study: what is it about Jesus that you want the world to know through you?

This spring, Jr. High and High School students packed up and headed to Deer Run Retreat center, for two days of Bible study, worship and fellowship. 

This is the second year the Academy has held a Bible retreat. These times serve as an opportunity for students to step back from their daily lives and responsibilities. They take focused time in God’s Word, developing the spiritual and social aspects of their holistic education. 

This year’s theme was ‘World Renown’, taken from John 13:34-35. “A new command I give you: love one another just as I have loved you. This is how you are to love one another. By doing this, the world will know you learn from me but only if you have love for one another.” In considering the question of how to love one another well, students were pointed to the whole of Jesus’ life and teachings. If you are going to love as Jesus did, you will need to study and understand his life. Such a weekend retreat is not an ‘end’ but just the beginning of a deeper dive into lifelong biblical education. 

Headmaster Gregg Garner was the main speaker, joined by a power team of other faculty and administrators who spoke on panels, led worship and facilitated small group discussions! Saturday night was an especially powerful time of worship. Many students and faculty testified to the presence of God moving so strongly that night. 

“I have always had this sort of wall inside of me. It specifically has put a cap on my worship and relationship with God,” says 10th grader Ethan Benoit. 

“During the worship time on Saturday night, I was trying my hardest to get past this gate, but I couldn’t. There was a limit to my worship. I prayed and I cried out but I could get no further. Then I saw Leif on the ground praying with his family and a few others. I felt compelled to go pray for him, so I did. I went to him and knelt beside him, and as soon as I touched him to pray over him, that wall, that very thing that had been blocking an emotional side of me that I have never seen, disappeared. 

I had never felt anything like it. It was this new sense of freedom and love that washed over me. The moment my hand touched Leif’s shoulder I broke into tears of joy.”

Vice Principal Meg Mathews, who organized the retreat, also testified to the willingness and initiative of the students to engage the Lord in times of worship and Bible study: 

A retreat is never absent of good times of fellowship with one another promoting unity, teamwork, and lasting friendships.

“Our Jr. High and High students do not wait to be entertained or facilitated; they are proactive in their faith and take the opportunity to engage God’s Word. I am so proud of our students as they have persevered so much through adversity and trials and yet they are still standing firm in their decision to follow Jesus and emulate him to the world.”

Students were also blessed to have parent chaperones join them in ensuring a smooth time. Academy parents had been helpful in volunteering for the two Parents Night Out events which gave students the chance to fundraise for retreat costs. Thank you, parents!

In between worship and times in scripture, the students played soccer, enjoyed the wildly popular zip line and navigated a climbing wall and high ropes course! 

Senior Leif Nadeau shared after the retreat,

“Before I went on this Bible retreat, I had a conversation with my mentor, Mr. Aaseby, who challenged me to approach this weekend with an open mind and fully participate in all the activities. Let me tell you, everything I did during this retreat was way out of my comfort zone. From sitting at a table that was already crowded, to talking with people I don't usually interact with, riding on a zipline, playing by the real rules in sports, raising my hands in worship, and giving a testimony — it was all new territory for me.

What I discovered by pushing myself out of my comfort zone was truly eye-opening. Through this openness, I was able to fully embrace the spirit of God during worship in a way I had never experienced before.”

Times of worship and bible study characterized the weekend as students were challenged to consider what it meant to make Jesus known in the world.

The weekend was a power-packed, rich time of encountering the Lord, growing in relationships with one-another, and having a ton of fun! Vice Principal Mathews reflects with conviction,

“I have no doubt these students will be World Renown through the ways in which they care and love one another and those in need one day as they continue to become these young men and women of God.”

5 Ways To Help Students Be Their Best: How parents can help their kids succeed at school

Every parent wants their child to succeed at school, but this isn’t as easy as it may seem. After all, you aren’t in the classroom with your child, so how can you ensure they are going to succeed? Here are some tips to help you think through ways you can mold your child into being the best student they can be from outside the classroom. 

1. Help Improve Their Self-Awareness. 

At the Academy, parents are invited onto campus for formal events and teacher meetings throughout the school year. These visits are valuable to the parent’s involvement in the student’s school experience and relationship with their teacher.

If you don’t have a chance to be actively involved in the school’s PTO or other volunteer programs, make sure to talk with your child about the in’s and out’s of their school life. Who’s their favorite teacher? Why do they like the kids they hang out with and what role do they play in their circle of friends? What subjects do they enjoy, and which ones do they struggle with? This will help you help your child, by asking more focused questions that can help them better process their experiences. School can bring out a lot of insecurities in a child, and not every child is gifted with the intrapersonal skills to make sense of it all on their own. Asking personal questions and helping them talk through their thoughts and feelings can hopefully bring them some clarity concerning how they think about certain situations. Elementary aged students may be more prone to being open and vulnerable than middle school or high schoolers, but it’s never too late to start. Share with them ways that you’ve seen them change, and how they are growing. Self-awareness will help make them be their best as they will know how to better approach situations based on how they know themselves.  

2. Give Them Opportunities to Explore

Part of students learning about themselves involves exploring new interests and figuring out what types of things they are good at or enjoy.  Every child is different. What may be the most boring thing in the world to one child, may be seen as wildly interesting to another. Providing strong emotional support will help students be more willing to try new things, as it builds confidence knowing that they will still be loved and supported even if they fail. It will give them the encouragement they need to further explore certain interests which can help build self-confidence as they begin learning more about themselves. This shapes their mindset and can help them develop as a student. 

3. Develop their Strengths

When you see a child has a knack for a skill, provide opportunities for them to develop it. If they are athletic, try to get them on a sports team, or if they are musically inclined, enroll them in a music camp. Encourage them to find ways in which they can enhance the natural skills they have. As they develop these talents, they are also developing their minds as they learn the ins and outs of a skill. This not only boosts their confidence, but will help shape the way they view themselves. They will be more okay with their weaknesses knowing that they have strengths.  

Parent-teacher meetings are welcome and encouraged at the Academy. Our teachers invest into a partnership with the students and parents in order for the student to have a successful learning experience.

4. Overcome their Weaknesses

Everyone has weaknesses and the sooner they are addressed, the sooner they can be caught up to speed with others. While no child is going to want a tutor, if they are falling behind in a certain subject then it may be an appropriate way to help them succeed. However, before hiring a professional tutor, you may want to try other options first. While children may react differently when their parents try to teach them, if you can find the time you may be able to tutor them yourself. If not, see if there are friends who are skilled in that subject who could tutor them. Other options may be hosting some of their classmates for a group study session. By opening your home to allow students to work on group projects or study for upcoming tests, you are encouraging both healthy academic and social practices. Getting students to be comfortable having weaknesses and being willing to face them head on is beneficial both in and out of the classroom. 

5. Challenge Them

Another way to help your student become the best they can be is by making sure they are challenged. This doesn’t just have to be in a purely academic sense, but by getting them out of their comfort zone and participating in activities they would rather avoid, it can stretch their familiarity, expanding their willingness to try things they would otherwise shy away from. When this attitude is applied to their academics, it helps students approach new topics with greater optimism even if it is in a subject they are weak in or unfamiliar with.