Fall 2021 Enrollment & Prospective Family Events

Spring 2021 is the time to learn more about the Academy for G.O.D. through a tour or open house. We hope you’ll plan your visit today!

At the peak of the 2020 global lockdowns imposed to counter the spread of COVID-19, 1.6 billion children were out of school.(1) Families immediately began experiencing the effects of having to care for their children, facilitate virtual schooling (if available), and maintain their own jobs. Despite being mandated to close our campus in March 2020, Academy students remained connected to their teachers and classmates, and 100% of students finished the spring 2020 semester in full. As we’ve moved into the beginning of the spring 2021 semester, our campus is open with over 230 students enrolled on campus or online, and our programs are thriving!

Our faculty and staff are committed to the best practices to promote the health and safety of each individual on our campus each day. With policies and prevention plans in place, we will continue to keep our campus open. However, the Academy also continues to offer programs for homeschool families in the Nashville area, the United States at large, and international students. If you have questions about which program would be the best fit for your family, please reach out to our admissions department. We also invite you to visit our campus this spring and learn more about who we are. All guests must RSVP to attend events this spring, so don’t miss your opportunity to sign up today!

(1) https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/12/covid19-education-innovation-outcomes/

The Legacy Talent Show

This past Saturday evening, 23 students from Kindergarten to 12th grade took the stage to dedicate the most sincere, heartfelt productions to some of The Academy’s dearest supporters: our students’ grandparents. From original songs and dances to martial arts and comedy acts, our students left the audience laughing, crying, and rejoicing over what they saw. 

What did they see on the stage? One of our judges and a two-time Dove Music Award winner, Meredith Andrews, said it best: “This is more than a talent show. This is the heart of God on display!” 

At the end of the night, each performer received a superlative award for their act. Sharing this moment of celebration was a highlight of the show!

The show’s theme was “Legacy”, which became a moving and emotion-filled thread throughout the night. Students expressed how their acts were inspired by their parents or grandparents. Others shared how their grandparents passed down a special talent to them that they in turn wanted to share with others. Two of our senior students even wrote a song for the Academy students coming up behind them, reminding them to practice what they learn in God’s Word because there is a world in need waiting for them. Each performer walked off the stage at the end of the night with a superlative in hand; an award given to them by the judges that distinguished their act above all the rest. 

The Legacy Talent Show would not have been possible without the selfless service of our PTO and parent volunteers as well as our tech crew, made up of Academy high school students! In light of our month-long Legacy Campaign, our students have been learning what it means to receive and to leave a legacy. As the campaign highlights the Academy’s scholarship program, our students recognize they are receiving the gift of a Christ-centered education, and in turn are becoming equipped to bear the fruit of good works in the world. This was the inheritance on display during our Legacy Talent Show! 

There’s still time to give towards the Academy’s Legacy Campaign! If you’d like to give the gift of a holistic, biblical education to students in the United States and around the world, we invite you to join us and thank you for your generosity!

How Academy Online Isn't Your Typical Online School

That’s a wrap on our 2019-2020 school year, and with the fourth quarter held fully online, our students adjusted to a new way of learning in just a few weeks! We are proud to showcase some fun, quality projects our students completed over their final quarter. Enjoy!

One of our weekly themes was “Endurance”. Students were presented with a variety of assignments that required focus and perseverance to complete. We received a number of submissions that were creative and inspiring. Check out this “trick shot challenge” from one of our elementary students, where they were to set up a challenging shot and practice endurance until they succeeded at the shot.

The shift to online learning meant exponential opportunities to practice technology! Elementary students learned the ins and outs of iPad apps like iMovie, while learning practical skills like how do laundry! In one Creative Arts course, students created step-by-step presentations to teach others how to properly wash laundry. This was one of our favorites!

Our Jr High students’ backyard gardens are thriving! They’ve been applying what they learned in elementary gardening classes to manage pests with homemade organic sprays, and control weeds with mulching methods like cardboard and wood chips. Way to go students, we are so proud of you!

Also in Jr High, the Nutrition & Meal Prep class, emphasized skills such as proper knife grips, and how to work safely around heat in the kitchen. Their final project was to plan and execute a 3 course meal, documenting both how they used their skills, and the fellowship that was enjoyed on the other side of their efforts!

One of our high school students, Genesis, composed a poem in her Social Studies course reflecting on what they’ve learned in the class.  It was a joy to see students creatively express themselves and the content they had processed through online modules. 

“Life Hacks” was a favorite class with our younger elementary students. Teachers were intentional in embedding STEM skills (geometric shapes) and Language Arts skills (following and articulating step-by-step processes) into fun, creative projects.

In her 8th grade Project Development course, this Jr High student created a product called “No-Dough” to assist her in making bread and cleaning her supplies. This class trained students to create a product that met some need that they had, and could be marketable.

Memorizing and writing scripture is a component of our Language Arts courses. These are some submissions from elementary students!

This Jr High student did an excellent final project for his Visual Arts course! His video showcases the creation process.

And finally, this documentary by one of our upper elementary students blew her teachers away! The students were asked to use the videography and storytelling skills from the Documentary Making to produce a mini-documentary on a subject of their choice, something that was interesting and feasible to do within a 6-week period.

Enrollment Opportunities for 2020-2021

For private schools such as ours, spring is the season for enrollment!  We welcome new families into our school via one of our various programs every year. This spring, we are opening a new program for enrollment, with the launch of Academy Online. Students in the state of TN and around the world are welcome to enroll in a virtual, distance learning program and progress at their own pace from their location of choice. 

If you’re interested in enrollment at the Academy for G.O.D. for the 2020-2021 school year, please evaluate which program below is for you. Our administration is also ready to walk you through each opportunity in order to best suit the needs of your students. With on campus, online, and homeschool services available, we’re ready to help you make 2020-2021 the best school year yet! 

Campus Program 

The Academy’s Campus Program is located on over 25 acres in the Hopewell Neighborhood of Old Hickory. K-12 students attend in person 5 days a week, 6.5 hours per day, for the 180-day school year as required by Tennessee Code Annotated § 49-50-801. They also qualify to participate in all school-related activities and events. 

Academy Online (5-days a Week)

The Academy Online is a virtual, distance learning program, characterized by the unique philosophy and approach of our school, available to K-12 students both in the United States and around the world. Online students enrolled full-time have courses available 5 days a week, using a competency based model so students can work at their own pace, within the term. Online students who reside in Middle TN are allowed to participate in clubs, the Phoenix sports program, field trips, assemblies, and other extracurricular activities. Online enrollment is open year-round. 

Academy Online (Single Course Enrollment)

Single course enrollment is offered through Academy Online for students who need to obtain course credit(s) or would like a supplemental learning opportunity in a particular subject, enjoying the Academy’s educational philosophy and approach. Single course enrollment is open year-round. 

HOMESCHOOL PROGRAMS

Tutorial Program (2-days a Week)

The Academy’s Tutorial Program is a 2-day a week on-campus supplemental learning experience for homeschool students in the state of Tennessee. Students receive a hands-on classroom experience across a wide variety of subjects and qualify to participate in clubs, Phoenix sports, field trips, assemblies, and other extracurricular activities. Enrollment for the tutorial program is open from January-May for the fall. 

Umbrella Program

Homeschool families in the state of TN are required to register their children with their local school district or a church-related "umbrella" school defined by Tennessee Code Annotated § 49-50-801. The Academy maintains student records, attendance and any voluntary testing results, and optionally offers consulting services related to curriculum. If you are not a resident of TN and are interested in the Academy’s Umbrella program, please ensure you are compliant with the homeschool laws of your state. 

Removing Stress from Reading

Written by Ms. Rachel Nowlin, Kindergarten Lead Teacher

Learning to read can be stressful. It can also be a lot of fun! As a kindergarten teacher at the Academy, I am thankful everyday that we teach individual students how to read, rather than forcing each five and six year old student to fit a predetermined reading mold for which they might not yet be ready. According to the New York Times, few five year olds are even ready to be independent readers. Thinking that a kindergartener who isn’t reading simple books on his or her own is “behind” is stressful and can be detrimental for both the parent and the student. When a child associates reading with stress, they can be less likely to want to try it. 

In kindergarten, reading is made fun! Our students are grouped with other like-minded students to work on the aspects of reading they are ready for. If they crave books, we give them books and they enjoy the challenge! If they are still cementing their letter sounds, we play fun games to help them nail these down. If they are still learning to recognize their letters, we give them lots of exposure through games and activities while making sure that they associate letters with fun so they want to start reading when they’re ready. 

We also don’t load down our students with reading homework they will struggle to do, but we encourage families to spend time together by reading books out loud to their children. Even when kids start to learn how to read, they still want you to read to them. I love hearing from my students about how their parents read them Bible Stories every day at home. They hold on to those memories! Deuteronomy 6:7 talks about the necessity of parents teaching their children about God’s word, “You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”

I love reading. I grew up reading and still love it. So, it didn’t take long this year for my students to start copying me by saying, “It’s my favorite class - Reading!”