Take the Lid Off - No Grade Levels!
Elementary teacher, Ms. Vagatai, expounds on the Academy’s approach to grade levels, student progression and the future of education!
Written by elementary teacher, Ms. Leafa Vagatai
“We don’t have grade levels in our school!” My sharp response to my students when I overhear them describing themselves as “second graders” (1).
I proceed to explain to them that our school is fluid because we create classes, activities, and content to meet their individual needs as they continue to grow.
Elementary students often complete assignments and projects with a partner or small group. Developing the ability to cooperate, share, and acknowledge one another’s abilities are skills gained at this age level.
“Everyone grows at a different pace in different disciplines and not everyone's the same. Instead of forcing everyone to be the same, we adjust ourselves.”
Cue the critic…
“C’mon, it’s all just semantics right? You’re a second grade teacher!”
No, I’m not and a comment like that is only indicative of a misunderstanding of the philosophy of the Academy and also what the goal of education should be: to holistically educate children, not manufacture them. Not only is this the future of education, but it is what’s desperately needed in education right now.
When the pandemic of Covid-19 hit, schools across the globe shut down and the concern for educators and administrators has been what to do about the inevitable learning gap (2). Remediation has always been a hot topic within education, but now it’s everyone’s problem as students are missing months, and soon to be years, of education on a global scale.
The fluidity offered between levels for students opens up opportunities for some students to be challenged to a greater extent while others gain the needed support in another level. Seeing students thrive in their level placement is a goal of our teachers!
Studies throughout the years have shown the impact that the disruption of school has on children for years to come. One article published by RISE program explained that even when Pakistani students were able to return 3 months after an earthquake in 2005, 4 years later were still 1.5 years behind in schooling, identifying a major contributor to that gap being an inflexible and unadaptable pedagogical practice (3).
So, what’s the solution to the impending learning chasm? It’s what we’ve been doing from the beginning of the Academy for G.O.D.; fluidity in curriculum and an individualized approach to a child’s education. Meeting children where they’re at and helping them to move forward. Remedial or not, this is education.
Fall 2021 Enrollment & Prospective Family Events
Sign up today for your tour this spring! Applications for campus and homeschool programs are now released. We look forward to meeting you!
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!
The Complex Cortex of Camille Lively
8-10th grade students collaborate on a one-act musical to close out their performing arts course in the fall 2020 semester. The result was funny, thought-provoking, and impressive as they showcased their work before their classmates and teachers.
High school performing arts teacher, Mr. Ownby, with Esther Bargatze, playwright, and songwriters and musicians, Justice Garner and Kiah Roufs.
The 8th-10th grade performing arts students at the Academy for G.O.D. finished a semester of learning about performance related to theater and music. To end the course, students produced an original one-act musical titled “The Complex Cortex of Camille Lively.” The script, music, program artwork, and acting were all produced and performed by the students. I had the privilege of teaching and directing these talented students this semester as they accomplished this project and successfully performed their one-act musical on Friday, December 18th to an audience of their fellow students.
This class was such a joy as the giftedness and potential of each student was further unlocked as they responded to the challenges associated with producing this performance. It was a blessing to instruct the students and also be able to envision all of the ways that God will continue to use their skills for the world to better know and experience his goodness.
From Esther Bargatze, 8th grade student and lead playwright:
The play was written to give insight into what goes on in the complex growing minds of the young and lively, in a meaningful and comical way.
Life can be difficult no matter what stage you find yourself in, but being a teenager can be incredibly difficult as you try to navigate the world, figuring out how to be you while yet potentially so influenced by everyone and everything around you. “The Complex Cortex of Camille Lively” explores the tensions of being a young teenager through the main character of Camille Lively (Young and Lively) who gets bombarded by issues with her siblings, tensions with friends, and the various input she receives from her best friends that ultimately leads to her feeling misunderstood by everyone. Julian, Camille's best friend, offers the perspective of the young male teenager who also deals with the influx of voices from those close to him in his life that influence decisions he makes, good and bad. Ultimately, this is an exploration of the necessity for perspective-taking and communication. There's a lot to consider when navigating life, but these considerations are best made with a group of faithful friends surrounding you.
This musical production was written and produced by 8th-10th grade performing arts students at our school. The play is about a teenage girl, Camille, and all of her friends (Penny, Emily, Lucy, and Cassy) who have significant influence into the decisions she makes just by being themselves. Alongside Camille is her best friend Julian Barnaby, and his group of friends (Donald and Dan, Parry, Logan, Eddy, and Cory). Camile and Julian's friends are there to help communicate how much we can be influenced by our peers, but also to communicate thoughts and feelings that happen in teenage minds through each character.
As Camille continues to work through her feelings with the help of her parents, she learns the importance of considering others’ perspectives, and how to handle the strong emotions that can feel overwhelming.
Throughout the play, Camille faces challenges with her family, and when her emotions get ahold of her, it affects her behavior at school and her friendships. Camille is reminded that she is not alone and that she has friends, teachers, and her parents who love her and can offer her invaluable wisdom. When we were writing this play we wanted the theme to be about considering others’ perspectives, and not just thinking about our own. As teenagers especially it can be very easy to stop paying attention to the people around us because we're so caught up in our own feelings. We hope this production encouraged everyone to consider the interest of others a little more, to communicate, and to trust those around us who love us.
Exploring Solutions for Global Issues
As high school students learn about major global issues for their generation, they seek to find solutions to the issue on a smaller scale using tools from their STEM courses.
Written by Mrs. Rachel Hartnell, Lead Teacher
Students recorded the particulate matter collected from the air before and after their experiments to identify the effectiveness of their design. Particulate matter is too small to see by the naked eye making it the perfect size for us to breathe in!
This semester, our high school students were challenged to consider current global issues and design solutions for how to address these problems according to the word of God. In the Lab Science class, high school students have learned the process of research, experimental design, and data analysis. Utilizing these universally applicable skills, they were given various case studies on major environmental issues that are affecting their generation. After learning about negative outcomes to people both in the third world and here in the United States, they researched sustainable solutions and designed experiments in groups to prove a solution’s viability. Each lab group produced their own unique solution and competed with the other groups to see who had the most effective outcome.
The most recent environmental issue they addressed was air quality by looking at how air pollution has contributed to the spread of disease globally. Based on their research, students designed experiments to decrease indoor air particulate matter in order to slow the spread of bacteria and viruses. One group experimented with decreasing possible particulate carriers or emissions. Another group looked into how to make consideration for ventilation using dry ice. Others designed experiments that tested natural methods for air purification and the effects of plant life on reducing air particulates. Each experiment reduced the level of air particulates, and the group testing plant life reduced particulate matter by 100%.
After each unit, when students analyse and share their success, we celebrate as a class. We take some time to dream of all the ways we as a people of God can come up with biblically rooted, ethical responses to the issues that exist today. Students are inspired and ready to tackle the next issue presented to them!
The Legacy Talent Show
in honor of their grandparents, our students took the stage to showcase their creativity and talents. The night was a blessing to all who viewed live and online!
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!
