Traditional Art Inspired by Mexico

Written By Elementary Teacher, Ms. Laura Voight

Alebrijes are a form of traditional art from the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. You have likely seen them in the popular Disney movie, Coco. While they were not highlighted within the movie, they are shown and explained as a part of the culture in southern Mexico and an important aspect to the holiday, Día de los Muertos. Known for the vibrant colors and unique patterns, they are exquisite pieces of art.

The alebrijes project was an opportunity for students to connect with the people of Mexico through a form of visual arts.

This project also provided the perfect opportunity for the Focus Level to “get their hands dirty” with an art project in their Principles of Design I class. The first two principles that the class learn about were contrast and pattern, two essential components of alebrijes. Since a part of the mission at the Academy for G.O.D. is to raise up a generation of children who are globally conscious, this was also the perfect opportunity to examine and imitate art from a foreign culture. The class learned about the history of alebrijes and how they are tied to the native Zapotec roots of Mexico. These designs are similar in style to Mayan and Aztec artistry. 

The students set out on a journey to create their own alebrijes - only they would not be carving wood as the traditional sculptures are made. After learning about the symbolism behind animals used in the traditional Oaxacan art, they used newspaper, cardboard, paper towel rolls, and finally, paper mâché to make their sculptures. This alone was a week long process. Students learned how to use their hands to form what their minds imagined. They had to be resourceful with the materials given to them and persevere through the inevitable phase of art creation where you’re just not sure what, exactly you have created. In the end, the students themselves were surprised with their work! They were proud of their creations and several of them admitted to having created something that they liked very much, despite their conviction in the middle of the project that they had somehow created the ugliest art imaginable.

In the end, the students were able to connect to the people of Oaxaca through their endurance of artwork that did not come easy. Just as the artists in Oaxaca take time to carefully carve their animals from wood, the students had to mold and re-mold their animals with paper and cardboard. They had to recall their lessons on contrast and pattern and incorporate the traditional patterns used in alebrijes. They learned to not only craft a form of art that was not initially appealing to their eyes, so used to soft colors and open spaces, but to appreciate it as well. By then end of the unit, each student was excited to take home their piece and show their families what they had learned.

The Legacy Campaign

Dearest Grandparents,

I hope this letter finds you well.

The dynamic between a grandparent and a grandchild is fantastic to witness. Though both are on two different ends of the spectrum of life, they possess a beautiful connection that allows them to be very present in their season of living. The smiles on both of their faces show they enjoy the simplicity and pleasures of life, but in different ways. Let me explain...

I believe that no one is more captivated by a child opening a hoped-for gift than their grandparent. Of course the child’s parents are fixed on them, witnessing the wonder in their eyes and the joyful anticipation of their prize. However, the parent’s appreciation of the moment is naturally limited to their experience on the timeline of life. And while for the parent that moment is perfect, I suggest it can also get better, and this is something a grandparent knows.

You see, similar to the parent, the grandparent’s perspective of that gift-opening moment sees their grandchild’s wonder, hope, and joyful anticipation. But simultaneously, they see their own child, now an adult, living out the adventure of parenthood, igniting a string of memories from their past, flooding them with images and feelings welling up in their soul. All of this enriches the moment beyond their own capacity to hold onto it all, resulting in tenderness, the taking of lots of pictures, and a quiet, rewarding smile. 

What a blessing to live long enough to see your children raising their own children, and celebrating life with them. God is so good!

In this 8th year of The Academy’s existence, we wanted to extend an invitation for grandparents to participate in what we are calling “The Legacy Campaign.” This fundraising effort is to help us continue providing scholarships for our students, your grandchildren, ensuring they get a Christ-centered education and an affordable one at that. 

You may not know this, but since our inception we’ve given scholarships to our students that make up the difference between what school tuition costs are and what families can pay. These scholarships are based on a sliding scale related to family income and other factors like number of children enrolled in school. In 2019 alone, we provided just over $170,000 in scholarships for our students. In 2020, almost $20,000 in scholarships were given just to our international students in Uganda and The Philippines. Praise the Lord!

So, up until now, where did this money come from? Some of it has come from the generosity of donative individuals - some of you in fact - and also our parent organization, Global Outreach Developments Int’l. It has also come through the generosity of faculty and staff, many of which have volunteered in their positions. For example, it wasn’t until year 7 that a Principal was actually on payroll, and even now, several key administrators still volunteer their service.

Students from the Academy’s inaugural year, 2013, together on the playground.

8 years ago, we started with less than 20 students, in 4 different grades, in 2 classrooms, and an all-volunteer faculty and staff. Today, we have over 200 students, in kindergarten through 12th, in over 24 classrooms, with over 40 faculty and staff, plus another 20+ routine volunteers! Even though we had such awesome growth, which included purchasing over $1,000,000 in new facilities, we did not pass a proportionate increase onto student tuition, holding to our value of keeping this education affordable for families.

However, in order for us to continue offering the quality education that we have been able to up until now, we need your help. Much of our natural growth comes from multiple child families. When a family has to put 4 kids in school, that affordable tuition (ours is still one of the lowest in the state for a program like ours), at full price can require an additional $15,000 of consideration for a family per year. Our scholarships help keep siblings together in the same school, they help single-parent families overcome their income limitations, they help impoverished families in the developing world and even missionary families get access to a biblically based and innovative model for education. 

We are asking you to help us raise $50,000 this year so that we could continue to help our parents (your children), keep their kids (your grandchildren), in school with a tuition cost they can afford. 

Grandparents and students enjoy the Academy’s annual “Grandparent’s Day” event.

Proverbs 13:22 lets us know that a good person is one who leaves a legacy for their children and their children's children. What a great legacy to give your grandchildren in the form of a Christ-centered, biblical and holistic education that teaches them the word of God, including God’s vision for his Kingdom and how they can use their education to bring about a better world. 

I hope you truly consider giving a tax deductible donation to “The Legacy Campaign.” I sincerely pray that God will bless you and your family and if anything, after reading this letter and thinking about your grandchildren, I hope you will feel that rewarding smile come upon your face.

Serving Jesus our Lord,

Gregg Garner

Founder/Headmaster

The Academy for G.O.D.

When Challenges Become an Opportunity for Growth

Written by Mr. Alex Castro, Principal

“Great works are performed, not by strength, but by perseverance.” ~ Samuel Johnson, English Writer

Do you remember when the simplest tasks were the ones you could mindlessly complete?  For instance, walking into a store and not feeling the pressure of having to wear a mask. Now, you have to go back to your car and get that mask if you forgot it on your way in. Our new normal, as a result of living during a pandemic, brings new considerations for what was once a simple task or routine. Those considerations are specifically tied to the safety of self and others. As adults, we’re able to separate these moments from past experiences and see the whole picture, yet we require our children to adhere to the same mindset in the midst of developmental stages that may contradict the very ‘reasonable’ reactions that we have as adults. I’d like to take a moment to look at where a typical middle school student is in their development. 

Reflecting on my own experience as a middle school student, I vividly remember an awkward, gangling young man who would worry about what others thought of him. It lent itself to a lot of insecurities that were accompanied by negative thoughts about myself and my abilities. So essentially, I was a normal teenager. I had a hard time separating what I thought from the reality of what was happening. Everything was exasperated to new heights because, in the midst of the hormonal changes that my body was going through, my brain was also changing. I was entering the phase of development of formalized thinking, or the formal operational stage.

Whether in the classroom, recess or times of worship together, students are encouraged to consider the newness or change around them or challenges that face them as opportunities for growth and maturation as young people who love God.

The formal operational stage begins at approximately age twelve and lasts into adulthood. As adolescents enter this stage, they gain the ability to think in an abstract manner by manipulating ideas in their head, without any dependence on concrete manipulation (1). In short, adolescents are separating what is fact and what is fiction on their own. They are beginning to formalize what they know to be true based upon what is in front of them and not merely what they have been told. They are better able to think critically. They can think through problems that normally children would need the assistance of an adult. The issue comes when the adolescent is not properly guided. It is important to think of this stage as we interact with our moment and how a pandemic can stunt growth...if we let it.

In comes the theory of growth mindset to combat this stunting of growth. Growth mindset holds that an individual will put forth more effort, and thus lead to higher achievement, if they believe that their brain is more malleable (2), or that it can be shaped and grown. During the course of the impact that COVID-19 has presented, we find ourselves in a place as a nation looking forward to the unseen impact this historical moment will have on the future. This is where theories like growth mindset come into play. 

At the Academy we incorporate the growth mindset into our K-12 curriculum. Students learn that in challenging moments, there is opportunity to grow. The book of James teaches us that we should even count such trials as joy (James 1:2-3). So then, the question is, “why?” Why encourage our students to embrace failure and struggle? The answer is simple. If we can teach our students to have strong emotion management skills and see their trial as an opportunity for growth, they are better prepared to face difficult situations and grow in endurance with clarity and understanding that they are exactly what scripture tells us in James...mature and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:4). If I could go back and talk to that young man I was in Jr High, I’d tell him to embrace the struggle, lean on the Lord, and know that through that struggle you’re building your endurance and find the joy in your growth. 

 (1) McLeod, S. A. (2010, December 14). Formal operational stage. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/formal-operational.html 

(2)  Decades of Scientific Research that Started a Growth Mindset Revolution. (n.d.). Retrieved from: https://www.mindsetworks.com/science/

Building Unity through Collaborative Visual Arts

By Ms. Corey Foster, Deputy Headmaster 

Large scale city murals seen around the world often include a team of people to accomplish the design of one or more artists. This type of undertaking requires teamwork revolving around a shared mission, collaboration on process, clear communication, honesty, and trust. I wanted my 7th grade Mixed Media students to experience this during the first month of school. Here’s what happened... 

On the first day of our academic class schedule in August, I gave students the following prompt: 

Today, you will be starting a month-long project that will stretch you. The success of this project will only be achieved on the other side of intentional teamwork. You will be creating one collaborative class mural from start to finish and each student will contribute a portion of the work. While this project will help you review the elements and principles of design and teach you layer painting skills, the most valuable lessons will be connected to your unity as classmates. 

With a combination of excitement and nerves to begin the project, I encouraged students with verses from Psalms 133:1, “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters dwell in unity!” and 1 Corinthians 12:12, which highlights the body having many members. These verses don’t say “you will always agree all the time” or “everyone has the exact same task/responsibility”, but instead speak to a unity that can come from agreeing to work together and acknowledging that everyone is valuable as they bring different gifts to the group. 

Camden’s original design won the competition!

Over the next 4 weeks, this group of 7th graders set out and accomplished their own mural project together. First, they chose to develop a design that incorporated the Academy for G.O.D. mission statement, something they are all committed to, which states: “Holistically educating children to become responsible, kind and ethical neighbors; competent persons, globally conscious and historically relevant.” From that initial idea, each student developed a design that was up for consideration (see photo for winning design). After the project was finished, Josie wrote, “We were all pretty anxious about finishing and making sure it looked good because the design looked really hard to replicate. We had to focus and listen to get things right, but we all finished and it looks great!” 

Each workshop following was filled with students making suggestions, sharing their honest thoughts, working through conflict about preferences or skill sets, and making decisions together. While each student received their own canvas, each student was also accountable to the others as each canvas connected very purposefully to the ones on either side. Rollercoasters of emotions were seen, heard, and felt. From frustration to happiness and worry to amazement, students endured through emotions and as Audrey put it, “my friends helped direct me in this, and we helped each other to connect our [background] colors.” 

TL & TR: Paying attention to fonts and details

BL: Measuring for accurate design layers and display

BR: Determining colors, coloring mixing and discussing how each canvas blends into the next

Appreciation for the opportunity to learn, one of the three overarching school rules at the Academy, doesn’t just include taking in academic information. It means showing appreciation in all the moments of learning related to all aspects of our holistic education: academic, social, emotional, ethical, and spiritual. These students put this value into practice holistically as they navigated this project. 

In reflection of the entire experience, Camden said, “I like what we made. And something I learned was to always listen to everybody’s ideas.” Though not all ideas were used, the ability to share and hear perspectives, and choose the best route together made all the difference in their success. Speaking to a similar idea of valuing everyones’ voices and skills, Sophia wrote, “I got to learn how each of my classmates think through certain things. I got to understand who in my class is better at what, like drawing, measuring things, outlining, etc. This helped me learn my classmates more and even grow a closer bond with each of them.” What a gift for a group of Jr. High students! 

The final collaborative mural hanging in the 7th grade classroom with all the smiles following a job well done!

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.