Weekly News: January 22 – January 25, 2019

Photography Winners

Jacob Robison and Midge Barger’s photography was selected to represent the Middle Tennessee Regional Student Art Exhibition at Belmont University. Their work was chosen from 790 entries. Only 96 works of art were chosen for this show. Their work has been on display the past month at Belmont University’s Leu Center for Visual Arts.

Bowling

Congratulations to our Bowling team for the run at the State Tournament! Congratulations to Leah Hayes for finishing 3rd in the DII Bowling State Tournament and being selected at Miss Bowler of the Year for the 2nd time!

Congratulations to the CA Boys Bowling Team (Tyler Lucas, Luke Poston, Tyler Jones, Zach Austin, Dalton Daniels, Mitch Westerbeck, and Bryson Batson) on their DII Bowling State Tournament Appearance! We are so proud of all these students and their hardwork this year!

Kindergarten Preview

All current PreK students and parents are invited to a Kindergarten preview on Wednesday, January 30 at 3:00 P.M. This event will give you a sneak peek into our Kindergarten program. Join us for refreshments, class tours, and important information about the 2019-2020 Kindergarten year.

Engage, Embrace, Empower

Clarksville Academy is blogging! Our new blog launched the week of Thanksgiving and will post twice weekly. The hope of this blog is to offer insights for parents. We will discuss a variety of topics from technology, to parenting ideas, ways to prepare your child for testing, long breaks, etc. We hope you will choose to subscribe and to encourage your friends to do so as well. These blogs will not be CA centered, but will offer insights for any parent at any school. Subscribe at: https://clarksvilleacademy.com/category/engage-embrace-empower/

Dominican Republic

Follow along on our Spanish trip to the Dominican Republic by reading Coach Magrans blog.
https://clarksvilleacademy.com/category/off-campus-with-ca/

Dress Code

New dress code policies went into effect today, Tuesday, Jan 22. Everyone should have received an email from our Student Council President regarding these. Please contact your Head of School with questions regarding these changes.

FCA

FCA would like to thank those who donated and everyone who participated in our Christmas Dress Down Day. The money raised fulfilled all of our Christmas projects! We would also like to thank the Lower School teachers and students for decorating the Christmas cards for the nursing homes, they were beautiful.

Christmas Projects:

• Christmas dinner and gifts for four Angel Tree families

• $100.00 donation to Manna Café.

• 353 beautifully decorated Christmas cards to three local nursing home residents.

• BioSand water filter, chickens, fishing net, mosquito net, gospel tracts to help support Gospel for Asia.

• $100.00 donation to missionaries Jeff and Mary Beth Meyers.

• Cleft lip surgery for a child through the Smile Train.

• $100.00 donation to St. Jude Hospital.

Thank you and Happy New Year!

Communication of School Closing

When inclement weather prevents us from coming to school or causes us to be late, school closing information can be found on News Channels 2, 4, 5, and Fox 17, the Leaf Chronicle and Clarksville Now. We will also email and send text notification. Our website will have any school closing information posted as well. We will do our best to quickly assess the situation and make an announcement. We do not follow Montgomery County School System in these closings.

Annual Giving

Over the course of our first semester one way we have used our annual funds is to purchase a much needed software system for our enrollment management offices. This new system will help us track students as they inquire about CA and follow them throughout the enrollment process. It will allow our admissions office to better serve our future and current students. This is one of the many things that doesn’t merit a tuition increase, but is best served by our annual funds.

As you can see, we have already made strong use of the annual funds already committed, but we need your help to continue to improve our school. We have plans for additional professional development opportunities, emerging needs like AED machines, technology needs, updating our library to be a Makerspace, and continuing to boost our security with upgraded cameras, mag strike doors and more. If you have any questions about annual giving, please contact Sally Allen at sallen@clarksvilleacademy.com.

Dominican Republic, Day 3

By Danny Magrans, Spanish Teacher

“One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages open every door along the way.” Frank Smith

What a day! Last night I stayed up with the students until 1:30 in the morning to see the Super Moon full eclipse. What tremendous beauty! While the experience was wonderful, I worried about how the students would react to capturing the agenda we created for them today.

We spent most of the day, Monday, discussing social and economic issues that exist in the DR along with the impact those have on the students here. It’s hard to understand how families here survive on an average salary of 400.00-600.00 dollars a month. This crisis has nothing to do with hard work. The Dominicans work hard. Very hard. In fact we met a young man who shared his work schedule and earnings with us. He works a rotation of 12 days straight with 4 days off. Each day comes with a 10 hour shift at the hotel we stayed in. After work he attends a local university and is trying hard to complete his degree in languages.

Unfortunately the young man I describe is not the norm. As a result of the financial struggles, many students have to drop out of school after their 8th grade year. Why? To work. Many parents can’t afford to send their kids to school beyond the 8th grade. In many cases it’s even younger. They simply need their kids to earn money……at a very young age.

Thank goodness for a non-profit organization called the Dream Project who is working hard to flip the norm of this culture. This organization serves the communities here by impressing the need to stay in school, increase literacy, and improve social struggles. They provide many opportunities and services from ages 3 up to 18 to build confidence and hopefully build a lifetime of security. More importantly they help break the chains of poverty that exist …. one student at a time. Just ask the young man from the hotel who is a product of the Dream Project.

So what did my students do today? They listened. They interpreted because every lesson was presented in Spanish. They responded in the target language. While speaking in the target language was difficult for some, let me remind you that this conversation wasn’t about social fluency. It was about making a difference in the lives less fortunate. Pretty advance topic. They understood the majority of the lessons and most were able to apply responses in Spanish. I am a proud teacher.

We also began to think about ways we could help. It doesn’t have to be in some exotic island. It could easily be done at home. What matters most is that we gain confidence in our ability to help humanity. We must also trust that “the most noble thing a human can do is sacrifice for others.” Wow, do we have a lot to think about! Even more to do.

Tonight we had one of the most incredible meals in one of the most incredible settings. A tree house. Let me explain.

After many years of conviction and wonder a man with a vision built an organic farm. He wanted to build a house to teach the world that one doesn’t have to destroy the earth to do it. He wanted to build an organic farm with many different species of trees to teach the world around us how to use the resources we’ve been given to heal and live better lifestyles. He welcomed us in his home and cooked us a delicious meal. More importantly he challenged us to live our dreams and make a difference along the way.

It hit me after bed check tonight that our students have tremendous opportunities to make a difference in the corridor they’ve been given and the doors they will be able to open by learning a second language. Whether it be reaching the lives of those less fortunate or changing the manner in which medicine is produced, I have no doubt that our students will have an impact. Learning a second language, can reach so many other people. I firmly believe “it give a person another soul.”

Is Private or Public Education Right For Your Family?

By: Amy Burchett, Director of Admissions

As parents, we are faced with the weight of making many difficult decisions about what would be best for our children in a variety of different scenarios. Regardless of the nature of the decision at hand, we ultimately have to approach every topic by looking through the lens of “How would this affect MY child”. There is no blanket response to many of these scenarios that would apply equally to all children. Choosing the educational path that would be best for your student and family is no different.

When families begin to choose whether a private or public school option is the right fit for their family, there are many factors to consider. Typically, the first and most notable difference when comparing private and public education is the financial commitment related to private education. The seemingly out of reach tuition for a private school education can eliminate this avenue as a possibility to some families; however, many private schools offer either scholarships or tuition assistance to students who apply and qualify. This can help to bridge the financial gap for some.

For others, a driving factor in selecting a school for their child’s educational journey may revolve around smaller class sizes and the ability for individualized instruction. Any child, in any state, can attend public school. This could, depending on location and demographics, increase student population and thus increase class size. Private schools typically highlight smaller class sizes and lower student-teacher ratios in their classrooms due to their selective admissions processes.

It is also common that a family would desire that their children attend a parochial school. Many families value their religious affiliation and would like for their children to attend a private school that reinforces this through a religious-based curriculum. When considering public education, this would not traditionally be a part of the classroom curriculum.

A few additional considerations could be special education classes and services that may not be offered at a private school, proximity to home, and college preparation and counseling services for high school students.

Remember as with all things, it is important to do your due diligence in completing your research. When touring schools, be sure to bring a list of questions that you want to have answered. Sit down as a family, include your students in the discussions, and weigh the pros and cons of both. Keep in mind, you are choosing the educational setting that would benefit YOUR child most! Be sure to choose the school that you feel would best help your child reach their full potential.

Dominican Republic Day 2

By: Danny Magrans

“In order to achieve great things, one must be willing to live on the edge of what’s uncomfortable.”

Sunday–

What an exciting day. After a good night’s sleep we started the day. Our first true excursion was to a beautiful area called Damajauga. Here we scaled a moderately intense mountain to get to the first of 27 different waterfalls. Our mission was to get to the bottom of the mountain by using water as our main source of transport. In other words, we had to jump off the top of the waterfalls and swim to the next jump. Due to time restrictions we jumped off 12 waterfalls. The tallest was close to 23 feet tall. I am happy to report that the entire group faced the challenge and their fears with extraordinary courage. After a two hour excursion the students and adults left with tremendous joy and pride.

We ended the day at our new hotel in a new city. The hotel is called Kite Inn. We quickly learned why. Here we witnessed one of the neatest sports I’ve ever seen–Wind surfing. The skies were full of individuals from beginners to experts. It was simply amazing to see. Also, the students competed in races and an intense game of soccer versus a group of locals.

We finished the day with a wonderful dinner at a very cute beach side restaurant. While eating dinner I noticed an energy the I have not seen before. In fact I told the chaperones and our guides that in just a few minutes our students were about to turn this evening into a Latin American Disco. So much fun.

The students have blended so well with the DR culture. It’s so impressive to watch them interact (including speaking, dancing, playing soccer, and so much more) with the locals. They have achieved great things in such a small moment of time. It’s been remarkable to see how much our students have stepped out of their comfort zones.

Tomorrow will prove to be filled with many challenges and opportunities to push our limits and live on the edge. Wish us luck!

The following photo is from our visit to the Monument of the Revolutionary Heroes.

Dominican Republic Day 1

By Danny Magrans

“A person cannot discover new oceans unless they have the courage to lose sight of the shore.” Andre Gide

Today (Saturday) began another journey. Eighteen nervous, excited and eager students plus four adult chaperons boarded a plane with the Dominican Republic as their destination. This destination is a first time for most of us. We studied and prepared for this experience but there is nothing quite like living it. The students responded beautifully to the demands of international travel.

A million thanks for supporting your students’ mission to discover new oceans.

Tomorrow we will tour an ecological site so be prepared for some wonderful pictures.

Dominican Republic Trip January 2019

Follow along here to learn more about our Dominican Republic trip and all our students are doing. Danny Magrans and his 20+ students and parents leave early Saturday, January 19 for this wonderful adventure!

Staying Healthy during Cold & Flu Season

By: Melinda Parker, School Nurse

During the winter months it may seem like a daily battle to stay healthy. It is important to arm yourself and your children with good habits to try to keep cold/flu germs at bay.

The CDC offers a variety of tips for staying healthy.

1) Get vaccinated. Although the flu vaccine won’t stop you from getting the flu it will often lessen your symptoms and the actual time you carry the virus. It’s not too late! Many local pharmacies and grocery stores, as well as most doctors offices are still offering the vaccination.

2) Stay home when you are sick. This is very important especially when reporting to school or work. When sick, if you venture out, you are infecting everyone you come in contact with.

3) Cover your mouth and nose. Covering your mouth and nose with a tissue, your elbow, etc when sneezing and coughing may prevent germs from spreading to those around you.

4) Clean your hands. Wash, wash, wash! Make sure to wash your hands with warm water and soap often. A fun way to help your younger children know how long they should be scrubbing their hands with soap before rinsing is to sing the “ABC’s” or “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”. Not near a sink? Grab a squirt of Hand Sanitizer to hold you over.

5) Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. These areas are perfect entry points for those germs to get in.

6) Practice other good health habits. Clean and disinfect frequently! Clean your desks, school supplies, lunch boxes, water bottles, work spaces and home. Make sure to drink plenty of fluids (especially water!), eat nutritional foods, get plenty of sleep and again…wash your hands often!

Find out more here:

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/preventing.htm

Once sick it is often hard to tell the difference between the common cold and the flu. The CDC offers these tips for distinguishing between the two, but cautions that the best way to be sure, is to visit your local doctor or clinic for a flu test.

Colds often have a gradual symptom onset, they rarely have fevers, may have slights aches, and will sometimes cause fatigue or weakness. They commonly have sneezing, coughing, stuffy nose, and sore throats. While the flu has an abrupt onset and usually has a fever, aches, chills and fatigue. The flu may also have sneezing, stuffy nose, cough or sore throat. Cold symptoms are generally milder than the flu. Again, your best course of action when deciding whether it is the cold or flu is to be tested.

To learn more about cold and flu season and what you can do, visit the CDC here:

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/coldflu.htm

Shaping the Next Generation

By Joanne Askew, Lower School Science

What best describes the future member of the workforce? A person who is a problem-solver, a person experienced in persistent critical thinking. The future needs members of society who can apply their education in real-life situations, who works well with others. Someone who can communicate their ideas, knows how to explore others’ ideas, and collaborate to include both. A person who innovatively, and creatively, applies education in the real world.

How best do we shape that person? By providing an arena where subject-area knowledge can be transformed in a real setting. Project-based learning and Challenge Based Learning formats have proven to do just that. One major study (Conley, 2005) provides us with a consistent perception that simple academic knowledge in core content areas is not enough. The study finds that people entering the workforce, along with employers, desire a more holistic approach to implementing the educational experience. People are desperately seeking to be, and to employ, a person who is experienced in application of acquired knowledge.

By by providing young people the format to explore ideas that revolve around real world issues, we expand their circle of knowledge. To expose them to situations, during their academic career, we provide them with a setting that enhances their use of the skills listed above. Real world scenarios that enable them to work with community leaders and business people, explore options not in a text book, apply communication skills, work collaboratively on ideas, manage time, and all the while make a difference, are what prepare them for college, careers, and life.

Being presented with a challenge, or developing one, enables young people to go through the steps in critical thinking: identify a problem, investigate information, explore points of view, evaluate and if needed restructure, and apply/implement solutions. While implementing the steps, they are also experiencing self-expression. When possible, reporting data collected also provides them with the opportunity to communicate both findings and results to an audience.

Aren’t we all interested in surrounding ourselves with young people, team members, and coworkers who have experienced these situations? Communities, in fact the world, need leaders who work together to inspire, create, and cause change.

References: Conley, D. T. (2005) College knowledge: What it really takes for students to succeed and what we an do to get them ready. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass

Navigating an Overnight School Trip

Navigating an Overnight School Trip- 5 Key Steps to Success

By: Tracy Burkhart, Head of Intermediate School

As wonderful as traveling with our families is, the opportunity for our children to travel without us is an opportunity we should cherish. An overnight school trip experience is the ultimate “beyond the classroom” experience. Preparation is the key to getting our children ready so we can feel comfortable letting them embark on their “solo” adventures while gaining independence and interacting with the world around them.

Organized school group travel involves much advance planning by educational professionals that is thorough and begins long before the extended trip takes place. There will be paperwork to fill out, packing guidelines to follow, trip payments, and ample meetings to ensure all information and guidelines are communicated.

But for your own piece of mind, there are key steps parents and participants should think about during the planning process.

These involve managing money, packing, safety, health, and communication.

Ensure personal money management skills—Begin working with your child months in advance on how to manage their spending money for the overnight school trip. Work together to determine average amounts of money needed for meals (if needed), potential amounts for souvenir purchases, and any additional expenditures given by the trip leaders. Students could begin using a debit card and learn to balance their account. Also, most banks offer prepaid debit cards that are reloadable. Of course, some cash is always needed; budgeting this is crucial. Will some children make mistakes and possibly not budget correctly? Sure, but what a great life lesson while surrounded by educator chaperones to help them through the process and still not go without. Preparation and learning at its best!
Pack light and right—Most of us love to try to fit most of our closet and house into our luggage for an extended trip. While this may offer us a sense of security, it’s not always practical. Efficient packing can actually help to make the trip more enjoyable and less stressful. Your trip leaders will certainly offer a packing list detailing how many pieces of luggage are allowed (whether bus or airplane travel), additional carry-on/snack bags allowed, particular clothing items needed, and the appropriate electronics for the trip. As always, it helps to plan accordingly for general supplies to pack, such as, toiletries, contact lenses, cellphone chargers, etc. Also, be sure to check the weather forecast prior to departure to make sure needed items are packed. Your child will be tasked with managing all their belongings, so it’s best to pack efficiently, leave any expensive items at home, and label several items with their name.
Ensure your child knows the trip safety protocols —As parents and educators, we want each moment of an overnight trip to be memorable, yet with the utmost safety.This is a wonderful time to review in advance all behavior rules and safety protocols set forth by the trip leaders. Parents will be required to supply emergency contact information, informed of the safety protocols for traveling to the destination, informed of the rooming arrangements and nightly security checks, and informed of the group/ buddy system utilized during trip excursions. Students are supervised by a dedicated faculty chaperone and will have direct access to them at all times if any unforeseen need arises.
Stay Healthy—It’s not enjoyable to think of potential health issues that could arise during a trip, but preparation and notification will lead to peace of mind. Be sure to thoroughly fill out all medical documentation required by the school/trip leaders. If your child is prone to motion sickness, this is an opportune time to prepare for this over-the-counter medication too. Additionally, most children with allergies and food sensitivities know what to avoid while dining and should be comfortable with discussing their allergies with their peer group and chaperones if help is needed. Trip leaders will carry first aid bags, have a medical professional to aid with dispensing some medications, and ensure all trip personnel have emergency contact information.
Ensure Lines of Communication—Sending your child away on an extended overnight school trip is one of many bittersweet milestones for parents. We long to see them gaining their independence, but it’s difficult to let them go. We’re so fortunate to live in a time where there are so many available ways to communicate with one another. With that being said, many students get caught up in the excitement and activities of the trip and they forget to communicate their learning adventure with those back home. The most important thing to remember is that your child can be having the most amazing time even if there isn’t a shred of photo or text proof.Trip leaders and chaperones will encourage student participants to communicate with their family members, share special moments with you, and potentially have photo sharing sites or blogs to keep everyone informed. With that being said, it’s also natural for some students to become homesick or have some not so stellar moments on an extended school trip. When your children are out of your sight, it’s hard to gauge their complaints and mini-dramas. Use your best judgment, of course, but know that the chaperones are super busy ensuring the best trip possible for each child, but they will have a constant line of communication with both you and your child—and all will be well.

So, you packed, you prepped, and you’ve endured the days without your child and have witnessed their growth through the experience.

The last thing to prepare for is to welcome a different child (in a good way) to come home to you— well done! They will have matured, learned self-reliance, broadened their knowledge of the world, and ensured their love of experiencing new adventures with their peers for years to come!

Do Honor Codes Really Work?

by Dr. Rebecca Beach ’97, Upper School English Teacher

Do Honor Codes Really Work? Yes, they do. They help schools to instill academic integrity and they work to create an atmosphere of trust.

Research has shown that honor codes have significantly cut down instances of cheating, plagiarism, and stealing in schools. For example, The Center for Academic Integrity found that only 23% of students at colleges with honor codes reported one or more incidents of serious cheating on an exam, while the number increased to 45% at colleges without an honor code(1 character.org). This significant jump in numbers reflects the fact that campuses with honor codes successfully teach students to value their own work and respect the work of others.

I’ve seen this same positive shift first-hand at our school since we adopted an honor code in the fall of 2017. The Honor Code, in its most basic form, says: “On my honor, I have neither given nor received aid on this work.”

The importance of an honor code can be reiterated through the following:

1) visual signs of it in on plaques in all Intermediate and Upper School classrooms,

2) weekly assessments that ask students to sign their name beside the code

3) an annual ceremony that asks each incoming student in Upper School to sign their name to the honor pledge book

4) honor council hearings for those students who may have violated the code

These are tangible reminders of our school’s honor code that help to guide students as they complete coursework and interact with others.

But the real evidence of honor among students, I believe, occurs in more inconspicuous moments. When a student asks a classmate to copy her homework assignment and she refuses: that’s honor. When a student deliberately puts away a cell phone and an Apple watch before a major test: that’s honor. When a student seeks out help to make sure he is correctly citing an outside source in his essay: that’s honor. When a teacher talks to his students about the value of not cheating: that’s honor. When students help each other to study for an assessment without giving away answers: that’s honor. When students working in a group give a detailed account of who participated and contributed to their project: that’s honor.

I see honor among my students every day. It’s a powerful practice that demonstrates the importance of self-respect and respect to others. Without respect and honor, knowledge loses its vital force. For no vast quantity of knowledge can be worth much of anything if it is acquired, used, communicated, or disseminated without honor and integrity. These are lessons in character for students to learn early in their academic careers and to hold to tightly, far beyond graduation.