Life Changing Generosity - Thank You, Donors!

The Academy for G.O.D. invites you to participate in the The Legacy Scholarship Program (LSP). The LSP was created to provide national and international students with an affordable education model - one that many experts have described as “the future of education.” The LSP acknowledges student athletes, academic exemplars, as well as families with financial hardship.

The Arts Scholarship is one avenue students can receive financial support, by demonstrating noteworthy skill in the performing arts. Students are able to showcase their skills through opportunities like weely chapels, school assemblies and events.

Last year The Academy for G.O.D. gave over $170K in needs-based scholarships to students around the world. As the pandemic caused schools to close, we were able to offer dozens of students the option of online education. In the midst of a struggling economy, we also also provided scholarships to 110 students from families in need to remain in school here on our Nashville campus. These scholarships were offered thanks to the generosity of many like you, who donated to support K-12 education in our annual Giving Campaign. We THANK you. Families were impacted and blessed in truly life changing ways.

Lawrence Ssemakula , a father and educator in Uganda took the lead in organizing the dozen students in Uganda who enrolled in the Academy Remote Learning Program when local schools closed down due to Covid-19.  His children are still taking a full load of classes online with us, as Ugandan schools have yet to re-open.

“For us it was an answered prayer to our situation in Uganda where schools have been closed for nearly two years. God heard our cry, he intervened when we had no idea of what to do next and responded to our prayer. Our children are getting the best education we'd never thought of.

Secondly, the students have an opportunity to take classes which they can manage unlike in their former schools which had a broad curriculum with many subjects. The content is very adequate and mostly practical which has made them enjoy the learning, it meets their learning abilities.”

As Ssemakula noted, it has been nearly 2 years since the youth of Uganda have been out of school, and now are facing a slew of challenges related to learning gaps and a sharp rise in teenage pregnancy (1). Thankfully, his children and others who received scholarships to the Academy have had continued access to engaging and biblically based education. 

Here in Nashville many families also faced financial hardships, and were able to apply for scholarships. Because of the generosity of our donors, students were able to attend classes, participate in our Phoenix sports program, take part in talent shows and STEM Fairs, and receive 2 nutritious meals a day on campus. What a gift! 

Thank you for your consideration and continued support. We are committed to providing the best education possible to students that would otherwise not have the opportunity. Our prayer is that the Lord provides the means, both spiritually and monetarily, to continue His great work through donors like you!

Left: Educator Lawrence Ssemakula says “We appreciate the (Academy) teachers’ way of teaching. It's not easy to get students engaged in learning virtually. Our children enjoy learning due to the teachers' carefulness demonstrated through meeting the students' individual needs and even following up on individual students to ensure they are enjoying their studies.”

Right: “My family chose to use the Academy online program during a season of life that had many unexpected challenges.” says Deb Nava, of her 1st and 3rd grade students. “The flexibility of the program allowed us to quickly work through some material or spend extra time on the classes my kids loved. Our weekly check-ins with a teacher were helpful to keep them on track or ask questions about certain assignments. I felt really good about the progress they made while at home, and I knew they would confidently be on par with peers in the classroom. It’s an excellent program and I’m so thankful we had a positive experience during a hard season.”

(1) COVID-19: Education replaced by shuttered schools, violence, teenage pregnancy https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/07/1096502

The First Two Weeks of School: A Valuable Transition

Have you ever had that Sunday morning church experience where you’re rushing to get the kids out the door? Everybody fed, check! Everybody dressed, check! Kids to their Sunday school rooms. Quick restroom stop. When you finally sit down in the pew, you can breathe a sigh of relief. Even though you are a few minutes late, you’re here and it’s time to settle in. As the music begins you take a deep breath and calm your mind by moving through the mental checklist: Yes, you turned the stove off at home. Yes, you packed the diaper bag, yes you locked your car in the parking lot… and you begin to mentally transition to focusing on this time with the Lord ahead of you.

This reality of transition is one that we acknowledge and accommodate for at the start of every school year. It’s our “two-week alternative schedule” where we acclimate, assess and settle the students in for the new year of learning.

Maybe you’ve heard your student say something like, “Well, we haven’t started our real schedule yet…” They’re not wrong! But although they have not begun their academic schedules, they have most definitely begun their school year. 

High school students begin the school year meeting new classmates with opportunities to reflect on their summer where many of them participated in national and international mission opportunities.

Acclimation, assessment and “settling in”. Developed by Founder Gregg Garner, this is the simple way to understand what happens during our first 2 weeks of the school year. 

During their first few days back on campus, students are acclimated back into the school setting by reconnecting with peers, getting to know their teachers, and reviewing school routines and behavior expectations. At the elementary level this looks like remembering how to line up, how to move through meal service times, when they can use the restrooms, and what activities are appropriate for indoor recess. Before we begin administering any demerits or incentives, students simply get these few days to adjust into being back at school. 

Assessments come next, which do include academic assessments but also social and emotional. Through review exercises and games, teachers gauge how much their students remember, while also evaluating the demographics and personality of their new class. Is it a 2:1 ratio of girls to boys? Might need to adjust the sport through which Jr. High students will learn Game Strategies. Is it a class full of kinesthetic learners? Need to buy some more manipulatives for math class. Does this group of developing readers need to be on their feet for Language Arts courses? How about a readers’ theatre? Assessments provide teachers the data they need to teach students, not just classes. 

Finally, during the last few days of our alternative schedule, students settle in for the upcoming year. For 7th graders this looks like the reminder that, although they will now be receiving a number grade on every assignment, they are not their grade. They are more than a number. And school is the safest place to be wrong, to make mistakes and to grow. For our Juniors and Seniors, this looks like several blocks of research, reflection and discussion with teachers to decide on senior projects, internship placements and directed studies. 

So next time your student mentions that they haven’t started ‘regular school yet’, you’ll know what they mean! And you can follow up with questions like, “Tell me about your new teacher!” “What’s something you’re excited for/nervous about in this upcoming year?” Or even, “Remember to get to bed early tonight because your body is adjusting to the school year.” Here’s to being ready for a wonderful year of learning!

Elementary students use team-building exercises and games to develop their class dynamic and healthy interactions with one another.

News on our beloved Vice Principal, Robert Muñoz

This letter is to inform you of a tragedy that has taken place in our Academy family related to our beloved Vice Principal, Robert Muñoz. This blog contains sensitive information.

Dear Academy Family, 

As you may know, this last week we had a mission team serving in El Salvador made up of Academy students, G.O.D. summer interns, and GOD Int’l facilitators. They had a powerful week of ministry to the poor with God moving in powerful ways. 

On July 4, the G.O.D. Summer Interns and the Academy El Salvador team were enjoying a recreational day at the beach on their final day. Everyone at the beach was given rules and warnings about the ocean and staying shallow, including having two in-water personnel to create the outer boundaries and keep students within it, plus several other personnel in a lifeguard watch role. 

Tragically, two trip facilitators, G.O.D. staff members Michael Davis and Robert Muñoz - having of their own volition chosen to go beyond the restricted boundaries, were caught in a rip current. Three lifeguards rescued them out of the water, Michael conscious and Robert unconscious. Several attempted to help, performing CPR, and transferred Rob quickly to a hospital. 

Our team, including RN Jordan Miller, Midwife Celesta Bargatze, and a team of development workers trained in emergency situations performed CPR on Rob while swiftly transferring him to the hospital. Rob’s best friends, Gregg Garner and Jason Roufs never left his side. Sadly, Rob passed away on the evening of July 4th.

Rob and Heather’s families, along with the Community Church for GOD, are surrounding the Muñoz family in prayer and support. Rob has been instrumental in the formation of the Academy for G.O.D. and so beloved as the Vice Principal. We cannot imagine the Academy hallways, or the morning announcements, without him. We know that Rob would want the Academy students to continue worshipping Jesus alongside their best friends, just as he did. We hope to honor him by continuing to cultivate that kind of legacy at our school. 

We have gathered a list of resources for you regarding talking with children about loss (listed below). We ask for your mercy and your prayers as our team has had to navigate the loss of one of our founding pillars and best friends, alongside caring for Academy kids on the trip and the school family God’s given us. We have done it to the best of our ability with God’s help. 

Books

Helen Fitzgerald. The Grieving Teen: A Guide for Teenagers and their Friends. 

Earl A. Grollman. Bereaved Children and Teens: A support Guide for Parents and Professionals. 

Michealano Mundy. Sad Isn’t Bad: A Good Grief Guidebook for Kids Dealing with Loss (Picture book, for young kids) 

Alan D. Wolfelt. Healing A Friend’s Grieving Heart: 100 Practical Ideas for Helping Someone You Love Through Loss. 

The Dougy Center. 35 Ways to Help a Grieving Child. 

Website: The Dougy Center - Grief Support and Resources for Kids, Teens, Young Adults, and Parents. https://www.dougy.org

Academy Field Day: A Demonstration of Who We Are

The morning of May 21 dawned bright on a cloudless sky. A blanket of heat promises summer is on the way - but first! A cool breeze flutters a web of streamers lining the G.O.D. Int’l pavilion, overlooking the soccer field. As the clock ticks toward 9am, parents begin to gather and Academy for G.O.D. staff, unified by rainbow tie-dyed tee shirts (Field Day on the front, This is Who We Are theme on the back) set up tents and stations on the field. 

Field Day at the Academy for G.O.D. 2021 kicked off with a dance competition led by Trinity Thomas and her daughter, Ari. Parents watched, danced, and cheered for their kids from the pavilion overlooking the field throughout the whole event.

It means only one thing. Time for the 7th Annual Field Day, a much beloved event at the Academy for G.O.D., enjoyed by parents, staff, and most of all, students. The music fades in, DJ’d by Headmaster Gregg Garner, and students begin to stream on to the field, running to their team tent, denoted by color. Blue, turquoise, green, yellow, red, orange, purple - all decked out in face paint and tie-dyed tee shirts to represent. From 9am-12:30pm, the competition unfolds - a series of events including a traditional relay, Bible trivia, Heroes of Faith themed scrabble, and an extreme egg toss (read: water balloons launched at teachers, parents, and Principal Castro decked out as the school mascot, the Phoenix.)

When asked about her own experience of field day as a child, Celesta Bargatze, mother of four Academy students, said, “When I was in school, we had field day, but it wasn’t like this. It was a lot of races, the 5 fastest kids always won, and then there was a tug-of-war at the end. It celebrated athleticism, but it wasn’t fun for everyone. This is a completely different kind of field day. The kids look forward to it all year.”

This year, High School students were assigned the role of coach for their teams. Teachers stepped back and observed, only occasionally guiding the older students to be the example and give clear instruction to their teammates. Student leadership is a strong value at the Academy for G.O.D., and the upperclassmen know how much the younger ones look up to them.

Teams are made up of all ages from kindergarten to High School. Every activity is linked to an academic discipline (Creative Arts, Social & Emotional Learning, Language Arts and STEM) a goal (honesty, demonstration of skills and information learned, teamwork) and an opportunity to display team dynamics: selflessness, strategy, encouragement, unity, communication, obedience, cooperation, positivity.) Masters of Ceremony Craig Duffy (Elementary teacher) and Stephen Ownby (athletic director and High School teacher) monitor, award points, and encourage the kids throughout the day. 

Field day is just as full of life for spectators as for the kids. Parents can watch the whole event while enjoying biscuits and gravy made by parent Missy Brooks, or volunteer to make snow cones from fresh juice or popcorn to refresh their kids. Students are ceremonially appreciated throughout the morning for outstanding participation on sports teams,  extracurricular committees, and awards given throughout the year for character and outstanding performance. Every aspect of field day reflects something that is true about this school. It is an intentional event, meant to appreciate our students, our values, and to give glory to God. 

Cloud of Witnesses Scrabble challenged students to first identify what Hero of Faith was being described, then work together to organize themselves with members of other teams to spell out the name of that individual. The first group of students to organize themselves with a correct spelling received the most points for their respective teams.

Heather Horst, mother to two students who have been at the Academy for three years, said of the event: “Field day was full of contagious happy energy, all the fun food like popcorn, fresh juice icees and corn dogs! Watching the kids and adults run around the field had me wishing I was a kid all over again! My boys were bursting with excitement! We are so thankful for this amazing school!”

When asked what Field Day at the Academy for G.O.D. is all about, Deputy Headmaster Corey Foster said, “Field day at the Academy is a snapshot into every aspect of holistic education that our students receive on a daily basis. From engaging challenges that require critical thinking, linguistic skills, social emotional awareness, and biblical knowledge to students knowing their strengths and the strengths of others. From God’s Word being highlighted to the values from it being implemented in the interactions of both students and staff. From kindergarteners to high schoolers displaying unity to the older serving the younger. Field day is a celebration of who we are.”

Oliver Sherrod (6) crosses the finish line to win the relay race for Purple Team, flanked by team members Justice Garner (15) and Leif Nadeau (16) who ran the final lap with him, encouraging him toward the finish line.

To all students of the Academy for G.O.D., congratulations on a year finished well. Have a great summer!

Blog written by: Sara Davis
Manager of Communications for G.O.D. Int’l

STEM Comes to Life Through Integrated Learning

Written by Ms. Rebekah Davis, M.S.

Spring is officially here and STEM teachers are taking it to the next level with experiments that get students up, active, outside and shooting things off into the sky! 

Every good STEM teacher strives to help their students understand the application of their discipline -- to witness how scientific and mathematical principles don’t exist in a vacuum, but when integrated and applied to the real world, they unlock the potential to create! Teaching STEM in an engaging way is no easy thing. We are so proud of our Jr. High and High School teachers who work hard to make integrated learning happen.
Last week at the High School level, Ms. Castro (Math) and Ms. Hartnell (Physics) collaborated on a rocket ship project which had the students creating and launching bottle rockets across the field. In planning their rockets, each student had to consider drag, lift, thrust, center of gravity and center of pressure when designing a flying craft. They also learned how to calculate velocity and acceleration to build their quadratic equations.

LEFT: Ms. Hartnell guides students through the process of building rockets. Students had to consider drag, lift, thrust, center of gravity and center of pressure when designing a flying craft.

MIDDLE: High School Math teacher Ms. Castro looks for every opportunity to engage young bodies along with their minds. Coming back from Spring Break, she put chalk in the hands of Pre-Algebra students and turned them loose to review linear equations on the basketball courts. Students loved it!

RIGHT: After launching their rockets, students used the time and distance from their flight paths to build quadratic equations which mapped the trajectory in a parabola.

Meanwhile inside with the Jr. High students, Mr. Aaseby was making magic happen with a chemical experiment involving “elephant toothpaste”. Students analyzed the chemical reaction and pinpointed variables of the reaction, then changed those in order to produce a new hypothesis with a new result. 8th grader Blessing Davis says, “I learned how important it is to be really specific in predicting outcomes when the variables change.” 

Jr. High Science teacher Skylar Aaseby is known for ensuring his students truly understand even the most challenging topics. He was inspired to build this wave pool to demonstrate to his students how transverse waves are additive and subtractive when they interact together.

Not only were students applying the scientific method, the experiment also gave significance to the concept of exothermic reactions as the beakers were warm from the produced heat. One student who is reluctant when it comes to science shared, “Mr. Aaseby works so hard to make a difficult thing like science make total sense! I don’t really like science, but I’ve actually really enjoyed his class because he makes it easy for me to understand. He is most definitely a top example of what a teacher should look like.” 

Bravo teachers, here at The Academy and all over our nation this year, who work so hard to provide an engaging learning experience for the students. We appreciate you!