Academy Students Fill Classrooms Around the Globe
Last week marked the end of our Fill a Classroom school supply drive, hosted by The Academy for G.O.D.
These students at Aquatic Public School in India, along with schools we work closely with in El Salvador and Uganda will be the recipients of the school supplies drive.
After receiving lists of needed supplies from G.O.D. partner schools in India, El Salvador and Uganda, homerooms at the Academy were paired up with a particular schools, and encouraged to fill the needs together. The response of Academy students and their families was overwhelming! Collectively, students gathered nearly 400 pounds of school supply items, from paper and pencils to art supplies and math games. 12 large boxes of materials are now packed full, ready to be sent out with Academy teachers volunteering their time abroad this summer.
Teaching students to have a global awareness is one of the emphases at the Academy. Fill a Classroom drive gave kids a chance not just to learn about what’s going on around the world, but to be a part of doing something about it. It was precious to see the generosity that flowed from students of every level. Kindergarteners painstakingly chose their best pencils to share. 7-year-olds spent entire recess blocks combing over the list of supplies, matching classmates up with particular items to make sure that each and every supply would be gathered for St. John’s Primary School in Uganda.
These items, all collected by students at the Academy for G.O.D., are a result of the students learning about the needs in the developing world and responding generously.
11 year old Porter Bohannon went shopping with his family, and brought in paper, scissors and notebooks for students at a rural school in El Salvador. “I’m hoping my items will help the kids have a better learning experience in school.”
12-year-old Elliott Davis thought creatively about how she could give from her own possession. “I had a pair of brand new slippers that I’d been planning to return and when I heard about the school supply drive I thought, that would be the perfect thing to use my money on! So my mom and I returned the slippers and went and got 22 boxes of crayons, a jumbo pack of expo markers, and those were the last items on the list for our school in El Salvador!”
The winning class that earned a pizza party after gathering the most supplies for Aquatic Public School in India.
The 8-10 year old students who gathered supplies for Aquatic Public School in India were the first ones to check every item off their list! They earned a pizza party together, along with some tasty treats that were donated by parents. But even after the pizza party had been won, students banded together to donate the final remaining items on each supply list, until in the end we received close to 10% more items than requested on almost every list!
We want to thank every person who donated towards teachers and students all over the globe, who will excitedly receive these supplies and start their school year off with a well-stocked classroom! It is more blessed to give than to receive, and we are blessed to have wrapped up our school year by giving together.
Rise Before the Aged
ACADEMY FOR G.O.D. CONNECTS NEIGHBORS ACROSS GENERATIONS
“You shall rise before the aged, and defer to the old; and you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.”
A basic and steadfast value at the Academy for G.O.D. is respectfulness of parents and teachers. But the above verse goes beyond that. It talks about a regular and consistent respect and deference to the aged--and not just those you see in school or home environment. The Bible says that this kind of care for the elderly is an expectation upon all those who fear God, and our students are learning it from the very beginning.
These are some of the sweet students who called McKendree Village their favorite place.
When I drive to the grocery store now, my kindergartener tells me “That’s McKendree Village mom!” It’s one of the most exciting new landmarks that we pass. Because the Academy for G.O.D. campus is only a short drive from McKendree Village Assisted Living Center in Old Hickory, each class has been able to take field trips to spend time with the residents this year. This was birthed out of a desire to make “field trips” more than a fun break from the school schedule, but also an eye-opening experience for students to understand their world, including the variety of people in it. If we are teaching our students to be kind and ethical neighbors (the school’s mission), that needs to include learning how to properly respect, greet and care for the elderly in our vicinity. The results were just as the school had hoped: fantastic.
When my daughter traveled to McKendree with her class, her class had been prepared on how to show respect and care, encouraged to shake hands, ask questions, and listen to responses. Her teacher texted me after, “Charlee did so well asking them questions and listening, shaking their hands. One man, Milton, told her gesture would make his smile last the whole day.” But it made the students’ day as well. Chaperones were sharing that the kids said it was their favorite field trip yet!
Brandon Galford, Academy teacher and field trip facilitator, told me, “Our kids painted pictures for the residents and did various crafts. One of the women I spoke with doesn’t have any kids or grandkids. She said she looks forward to the “God school kids” who come out and bless them.” He continued, “Several of the women were seriously moved. One lady, Betty, told me she’s so thankful that our kids come out and get exposed to elderly people so that they can grow up to not fear getting old - so they can see it as a blessing. She said she prays this for the kids.”
Mr. Galford accompanied Miss Foster's class to McKendree with his daughter Sophia.
When the high school students were asked about their favorite part of the visit, Gerron Norman immediately responded, “The joy that was on their faces as we sang with them.” From Amazing Grace to How Great Thou Art, the students sang songs the residents could sing alongside them. Teachers likewise enjoyed sitting in between the young and old generations and observing the experience. Academy teacher Ashley Moore reflected, “It was touching to me to see our students in full-fledged ministry mode. I saw them take intentional moments to introduce themselves to the residents and ask about their kids and grandkids. They never left a room without asking for ‘words of wisdom’ and offering to pray with each person they met. They were also given the opportunity to perform worship songs and some funny skits they’ve been working on in other creative arts classes. It was fun to see education and ministry collide.”
So often we drive right past our neighbors, old or young. We keep doors closed and don’t ask questions. But the Academy for G.O.D. is training kids in another way--one that explores their natural vicinity and asks how they could be good neighbors, showing love and respect and kindness, opening doors that previously were closed. I think that Milton is in good company when he notes this gesture of kindness makes a lasting impression.
Thankful for Grandparents!
ACADEMY FOR G.O.D. GRANDPARENTS DAY - SPRING 2017 IN PHOTOS
Grandparents hold a special place in a child's life. They often sit outside of the day-to-day busyness and are able to speak from a different position, one that understands how quickly life passes you by! We try our best to include grandparents in the educational journey of their grandchildren at the Academy for G.O.D. through a monthly newsletter and hosting a grandparents day each semester. We are always very blessed through their time on our campus. Here's a look at our Spring Grandparents Day, which had a focus on thanksgiving, with testimonies from the grandparents themselves!
"I loved the gratitude the kids are showing. During their presentations or videos nearly every student said their favorite thing or what they loved, or were thankful for, was school. So many said that they were thankful for their school and being able to learn, or learning more about God.
I enjoyed watching how the kids all interacted with their teachers. You could tell they had actual relationships with them. I was thankful they broke it up into time periods so could see both of my grandkids in their own classes. I enjoyed seeing that the teachers seem to LOVE what they are doing and that they KNOW the kids. There was a little guy who is super shy and didn’t want to be in front of everyone and a girl didn’t want to read her poem in front of everyone—the way the teachers handled each situation with care. It was impressive because they knew what the kids needed, and were able to handle it so well."
-Trudee Hill, grandparent of Owen and Charlee Kagay
"I saw kids happy to be learning, articulating knowledge and emotion accurately, and responding and submitting to authority respectfully. I observed values being transferred from teachers who exemplify more than professional educators, but rather a slice of who they really are in ways that are meaningful. I also witnessed the useful and practical being mastered and applied rather than the usual academic test-and-forget.
The school slogan, ”Holistically educating children to become responsible, kind and ethical neighbors; competent persons, globally conscious, and historically relevant,” is more than just words. It’s actually being lived. I am very glad to be represented by my grand-children at the Academy."
- John Novak, grandparent of Evie & Yonah Arroyo
"I loved hearing from the teachers what they are learning in class and seeing some of the kids work they have done. Especially listening to the kids enthusiasm about their school and their desire to show off."
- Mary Nelson, grandparent of Malachi & Caden Aaseby
"I loved seeing that young children are already learning about what makes a true story, a fiction story, a myth or the truth.
It was also great to see how the children in Daniel’s class were very willing to help one another. To see children who had consideration for one another was indeed a blessing."
- Keith Cameron, grandparent of Daniel Cameron
Kids: Emotions Aren't Bad
Mrs. Loeffler does a classroom activity to help students become more aware of different kinds of emotions.
When the movie Inside Out came out in theaters the public loved it. The storyline is simple enough -- a young girl struggles to adjust when her family moves across the country. The movie personifies the complex interplay of Fear, Sadness, Joy, Disgust, and Anger that are stirred up in our protagonist. But why the craze over the movie? Why are people captivated by the relationship between different emotions? Perhaps because every person can relate to the intense power of human emotions, which can be hard to describe and even harder to control.
Students at the Academy for G.O.D. are being taught from a very young age how to identify and handle their emotions. “I teach the kids that the Lord gave us our emotions and that emotions are good! We look to the Word to learn how God desires us to appropriately use our emotions," says Lyssa Loeffler, who teaches a class called My Emotions to 6-and 7-year-old students. "For example the Bible says, 'When you are angry, do not do wrong,' showing us that angry and wrongdoing are not one in the same. Children must learn to talk about their emotions in a healthy way. I tell the kids, ‘God gave you emotions, and with his help we can use them to share with others how we feel, but this takes practice! Sometimes if our emotions are out of control we can act a little crazy or do something that we shouldn't, like hurt someone else.”
Mrs. Loeffler talks to her class honestly about the freedom to feel emotions, even using Scripture to point out the range of human emotions, from sadness to joy. But the Bible gives instructions about how to avoid being taken over by emotions. “I tell the kids, if they’re sad, that’s okay and sometimes when we are sad, we cry and it helps us feel better. I also teach them to take time to pray when they are feeling scared, sad or angry so that God can help them. The kids are learning that when they pray, God will meet them and they can even experience joy with his help even when they are angry, sad or afraid.”
Mrs. Loeffler works with students to build their vocabulary so that they are better able to express themselves when they are upset, and then work towards resolve. Most children are able to say when they experience basic emotions, like feeling mad or sad. But teachers at the Academy are nurturing in students the ability to express things like, “I’m embarrassed because... I feel disappointed that… I got discouraged when…” Once they can share how they feel with their teachers and their peers, it becomes easier to resolve an issue.
The need for emotional awareness and intelligence happens at every level. For that reason, Emotional Awareness isn't just for our beginners. As life becomes more complex, so do our emotions, and we need to engage vocabulary that helps us work through all of the things we are feeling. Junior high and high schoolers at the Academy are gaining those tools.
Mrs. Loeffler encourages times of storytelling in her class, so that students can share when they felt a strong emotion and then how they dealt with it. Children are usually quite honest. Their stories may end with "..and then I got mad when they pushed me so I pushed them back!” At which point Mrs. Loeffler guides the group conversation towards better ways to handle their responses. “Above all, I teach them that their emotions can never manifest in aggression. We practice ways of dealing with our emotions so that when they arise, they can act with self-control. They are taught to ask an adult for help, pray, take deep breaths or find a space where they can cool down so that they don't affect others negatively.”
Homeroom teacher Derek Bargatze has witnessed the beginning fruit from these classes in his young students. “One student of mine has really changed. She’s an expressive and sensitive person, so she’s been able to better label how she’s feeling and we’ve worked out conflict easier.”
Brandon Galford uses similar concepts, but on a deeper level, to engage with his high- school students in their class, "Emotional Intelligence." The teenage years carry with them many tumultuous emotions; social awareness is increased, not to mention the hormonal changes that occur.
Mr. Galford offers the high schoolers helpful tools for managing their emotions. “I teach them once you’ve identified what you’re feeling then there should be an evaluation process. Ask yourself: Why am I feeling this way? Who or what was the catalyst for this? Is this emotion valid or am I being unnecessarily sensitive? Is this anger I feel actually the product of my own envy, or is the emotion I feel legitimate, given the situation? What mechanisms are available to me in regards to how I should express this emotion?”
When teaching his students about managing their emotions, the goal for Mr. Galford is always ‘proper expression.’ An outburst of anger, for example, is an improper expression because it does not demonstrate control. Going to the person who offended you and discussing the matter is a proper expression.
These are basic interpersonal skills, but somehow they are lacking in many of today’s educational institutions. When asked about his experience finding classroom resources for this class, Mr. Galford laughed and shook his head. It was incredibly hard to find any sort of textbook for students on the subject of Emotional Intelligence. Yet self-awareness and managing one’s emotions is crucial for every person’s relationships in life! Not to mention that it is a universal skill required for any occupation, in any field of work.
The Academy will continue to offer courses that tutor young children and youth in a sensitivity to their God-given emotions. We believe that investing into their emotional intelligence will produce in them the ability to deal with anxiety in a healthy way, and enjoy a life of rich relationships.
Adventuring Outdoors
“It’s time for Outdoor ‘Ventures!" young students cheer on Friday mornings, as they bundle up for their very favorite class of the week. At the Academy for G.O.D., Kindergarteners don their rubber boots and jean overalls, ready to be fully immersed in a woodland experience called Outdoor Adventures.
ACADEMY FOR G.O.D. OFFERS KINDERGARTENERS OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE OUTDOORS
Rubber boots - check. Overalls - check. Outdoor Adventures is a time to figure out just what discoveries there are to be made in the woods.
“It’s time for Outdoor ‘Ventures!" young students cheer on Friday mornings, as they bundle up for their very favorite class of the week. At the Academy for G.O.D., Kindergarteners don their rubber boots and jean overalls, ready to be fully immersed in a woodland experience called Outdoor Adventures.
The 5 and 6 year olds traipse into the back woods of the school’s property, and enjoy a supervised but unstructured time of exploration. Shouts of “Look at this leaf!”, and “I found a beetle!” echo through the trees. One student nervously balances on a slick log. With more body control than she’s ever had to exercise, she makes her way to the end of it and jumps off, triumphant. The fact that it was 6 inches off the ground does nothing to inhibit her joy.
“It’s a really great class for so many reasons.” Kindergarten teacher Rachel Nowlin says, “The kids learn about cause and effect in a natural setting. If they climb on an old, dry log and it cracks, then the next time they find an old log, they know to be careful. They move with much more caution than they do in the classroom, simply because they know there are natural consequences to being out of control.”
As students explore, they record observations they make when they look more closely at the bugs, flowers, and trees they encounter.
Nowlin uses the class as a way to capitalize on healthy curiosity. “Sometimes I’ll have them go find one interesting thing from the woods, and they’ll come back with an unusual leaf, a piece of moss, or a flower, and bring it back to class to make a note in their journals. They are excited to learn how to spell that new word.”
Crossing a shallow creek becomes a lesson on suction, as students giggle and fight to pull their booted feet out of the mud. One young boy compares a jagged stone with a round one smoothed by the water, and runs to find a teacher to ask how that happened. Teachers and aides stand by, ready to ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ over discoveries, but do not interfere with the discovery process.
A study published by NPR has shown that access to nature provides a calming effect, and decreases symptoms of stress. In outdoor activities students tend towards working in groups; they make a task of rolling a giant boulder, or together scale a pile of wood chips, warning each other to be careful and offering a helping hand. These social benefits improve in-class dynamics.
Outdoor Adventures is a class unique to Kindergarteners. After learning to handle themselves in a natural setting, students graduate to other outdoor classes like Coordination & Balance, and Gardening. Maneuvering a wheelbarrow full of compost requires not only coordination and strength, but also the consciousness of when exactly to stop loading up the wheelbarrow. It only takes one spill with a full wheelbarrow to go a little lighter the next time! These classes are natural settings for lessons on self-awareness, humility, and teamwork.
Far from being less important than more ‘academic’ topics, students at The Academy will continue to enjoy these outdoor classes as part of a holistic approach to education. Whether it’s forging a creek, examining a leaf, or digging a garden bed, students will learn what it means to truly explore the world!
