Winterim–Leadership Disney

Clarksville Academy students in the Disney Global Leaders spent the first week of Winterim identifying their Strengths as Leaders and as Individuals and using these strengths to complete various challenges such as a Marshmallow Paper Bag Challenge and a Robotics Coding Challenge.

19 students traveled to Disney World to learn even more about leadership as they take courses in Managing Your Personal Brand and the Disney Leadership Strategies. Students will spend the mornings learning the new curriculum and during their afternoons in the park, they will be asked to identify evidence that exemplifies these lessons.

Day 1: On Monday, the Disney Leadership students took a class entitled “Examining Your Personal Brand!” Students had the chance to self-reflect on how they present themselves through everything from dress to what they post on social media. They also set goals for the future! We then turned our perspective outward and evaluated branding and experience through the Disney Corporation in the Rock N Roller Coaster!! We spent the day exploring Magic Kingdom and capped our first day with phenomenal fireworks!

Day 2: On Tuesday, Disney Leadership students spent the day at Epcot! The morning seminar was entitled “Disney Global Leadership Strategies.” Throughout the morning students evaluated three types of a Leadership and how they are actualized in the Disney Corporation. We rode “Soarin’” and learned the history of how one imagineer took on the Leadership to create the physics behind the experience! We spent the afternoon exploring the countries at Epcot and sampling way too many tasty treats! In the evening, students opted to head back to the resort and spend some fun time relaxing at the pool!

Day 3: Today, Disney Leadership has the good fortune to return to Hollywood Studios and to have a second course, from our new favorite instructor, Dave! Through hands on activities and riding a couple more roller coasters, we learned about how rollers coasters manipulate gravity and speed to function!! What better example of both gravity and speed than The Tower of Terror!! We also learned about how the science and set design interact to tell a story!! We are now in Animal Kingdom ready for yet another phenomenal day!!

Disney Leadership Winterim: Day 4

On Thursday, there was no seminar, and it was Hollywood Studios Day!! Half of the students elected to wake in the pre-dawn, to check out of the hotel, and to race with a mass of other Star Wars fanatics for a place in an electronic cue to ride the new Rise of the Resistance!! We were successful!! It was spectacular!! Students rode the Rockin’ Roller Coaster and the Tower of Terror repeatedly until it was time to leave for the airport. We arrived in Nashville at midnight and Clarksville by 1 a.m.! We were exhausted but elated after a 22-hour day!!

Winterim–Freshman Seminar

The Freshman Seminar Winterim is designed to allow them to explore a wider range of subjects and skills. This will be a chance for them to learn in a variety of settings and from a variety of professionals. They will work in both large and small groups and have a chance to expand their leadership skills. Throughout the two weeks students will visit the Makerspace, Fine Arts, leadership, fitness, learn etiquette, ACT prep work and more. Winterim encourages deeper faculty-student relationships and reminds us that learning is not restricted to a classroom. Each day we will post short updates and photos on what our Freshman are experiencing.

In ACT Prep students have been playing Proof, a mental math game. Using 9 numbers written on their card, students must create equations. If a successful equation is made, they get a point.

During fitness, students have travelled to Skyline Bowling and Rotary Park. Both off campus experiences were a nice change of pace for the students.

What is your soundtrack of 2020? From the lyrics of a classic Kenny Chesney song I Go Back, “Everytime I hear that song, I go back. We all have a song that somehow stamped our lives, takes us to another place and time”

This week Freshman have been thinking about their goals/resolutions for 2020. Students were asked to think of 3 short term goals to finish up freshman year and 3 long term goals to begin Sophomore year. Each student then created a 2020 Playlist of songs that will inspire, remind, and motivate them as they challenge themselves to meet and exceed their goals for the year!

Freshman learned about the brain, how to enhance their memory, and then challenged themselves in some games of the Match Game.

STEM Challenges in the Maynard Makerspace are always fun!

Winterim–Entrepreneurship

Over the next two weeks students will learn what means to be an entrepreneur. They will meet with local leaders, small business owners and financial advisors to learn what it takes to begin a small business. The culmination of their work will be to produce and sell a self crafted soda.

Day 1: Students began by getting to know one another, dream casting their ideas and learning about leadership theory. We began by playing Jenga–with a twist; the task was to encourage one another so that all 15 students would get a turn, and on each block there was an icebreaker question. Students were separated into three business groups by random draw and this will be their small business team for the week. Groups later toured campus to decide on the best use of the funds raised through their business venture–where and how can they give back to CA? The afternoon was spent in a master-class in leadership theory led by CA Alumna Erica Christmas.

Day 2: Students traveled to the Escape Game in Clarksville to try their luck at problem solving, team bonding and identifying leadership skills of their group members. After successfully escaping all four rooms, students travelled to the Ft. Campbell Outdoor Recreation center to participate in the Odyssey Challenge Course, a ropes course activity. This course was just another way to learn team work, community building and leadership in their groups.

Day 3: The group traveled to Thrive Creative Group to speak with owner Lorilee Rager and her team. Mrs. Rager provided the group with a wealth of information on marketing and branding. After lunch, students returned to campus to brainstorm product names, marketing strategies and branding opportunities.

Day 4: The group travelled to Project 2231 to tour Miss Lucille’s, Belle Hollow, ACME Athletics, and The City Forum. We heard from Clifford who told us the story behind each business venture, and the students came out with a new appreciation for all of the hard work that goes into the entertainment business. We bowled, ate delicious pizza, and played in the arcade before returning to CA to finish our work for the day.

Day 5: The group heard from three key figures in the entrepreneur community in Clarksville: Janie Manning, owner of NBalance Yoga Studio; Austin Cherry, CA alumnus and owner of Cherry’s Custom Concrete; and Lorneth Peters, Director of the Tennessee Small Business Development Center at APSU. The students listened to a panel discussion and an open Q&A session afterward. Later that morning the group walked over to F&M Bank to hear from Nelson Boehms about small business financing options for emerging entrepreneurs. After a meal at Blackhorse, they headed back to CA to work within roles to develop graphics, marketing strategies, sales plans, and more.

DAY 6:

We had a big time brewing our sodas at Kings Bluff Brewery! Dustin Brewer gave us lots of details about how his business operates and what they stand for in our community. The groups will brew Root Beer, Orange and Grape Sodas! Stay tuned!

New Hires Announced

For immediate release.

December 16, 2019

Clarksville, Tenn. Clarksville Academy, a private Pre-K through 12^th grade college preparatory school, is pleased to announce the hiring of our Heads of Intermediate and Upper School, as well as, the addition of a new position, Major Gifts Officer.

Head of Intermediate School, Alicia McQueen, received her Bachelor of Education in Interdisciplinary Studies and her Master’s of Science in Psychology, with an emphasis on School Counseling. Alicia is a member of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and the American School Counseling Association. She has just completed her eighteenth year as an educator and is serving in her eighth year at Clarksville Academy. During her time at CA, Alicia has taught all grade levels, including Lower School Guidance, Intermediate School English, Public Speaking and Discovery electives, and Upper School Leadership and Psychology. She has also served as school counselor for all grade levels. Recently, Alicia took on the role of CA’s Curriculum Director, which has involved the oversight and leadership of the Department Chair Committee, as well as the implementation of a PreK-12 full curriculum vertical mapping program. Her knowledge of, and commitment to, the intermediate school age student, coupled with her extensive guidance background and curriculum expertise, make her an excellent hire for this position.

Head of Upper School, Denise Walker, received her Associates of Science in Legal Studies, Associates of Arts in General Education, Bachelor of Science in Social Psychology, and a Master of Science in Continuing Education: Psychology and Counseling. Denise is a member of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and the American School Counseling Association. She just completed her fifteenth year as an educator, thirteen of which have been at Clarksville Academy. Prior to that Denise served in the United States Air Force as a paralegal. During her time at CA she has taught all grade levels, including technology, psychology, ACT Prep, Leadership & Strategic Impact, and served as our Director of School Counseling. In her role as the Director of College Counseling, Denise helped the 2019 graduating class secure 9.2 million dollars in scholarship funds, the highest in school history. Her leadership style, commitment to students, and extensive knowledge of our student body make her the standout candidate for this position.

While the highly qualified group of applicant finalists was competitive, Alicia and Denise bring a knowledge and experience of the Clarksville Academy community that made it clear that they are the right candidates.

Major Gifts Officer, Christina Clark has been a fixture in not only the Clarksville Academy community but the Clarksville community as well. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Apparel, Merchandising and Textiles with a minor in Business at the University of Kentucky. Throughout her professional career, Christina has focused her work on interior design and non-profit fundraising. Christina’s legacy in Clarksville has been her success in the non-profit sector, serving as leadership on a variety of committees and boards such as The Clarksville Customs House Museum Guild, Junior Auxiliary, Leadership Clarksville Board of Directors, and Austin Peay State University’s Candlelight Ball Committee. In 2018, Christina chaired the APSU Candlelight Ball and secured more scholarship dollars than any previous chair. Christina will focus her time and attention on securing major gifts on behalf of Clarksville Academy.

“Clarksville Academy is known as an educational leader in our community. The hire of these three individuals continues our commitment to attract the most qualified educators and leaders to support our mission and vision. Mrs. McQueen and Mrs. Walker are known and loved by our student and parent community, and are strong leaders who will lead our school on a course for success. Mrs. Clark’s tenacity and commitment to seeing Clarksville Academy grow made the addition of her position vital to our school,” Jennifer Hinote, Head of School.

For more information on Clarksville Academy or its programs visit: clarksvilleacademy.com.

Alicia McQueen, Head of Intermediate School

Denise Walker, Head of Upper School

Christina Clark

Christina Clark, Major Gifts Officer

Serving Others

By: Lisa Little, Key Club Sponsor

My first eyewitness experience of community service was at my great-grandmother Rosa Anderson’s home in Tennessee Ridge. Tennessee Ridge is a small community found on the outskirts of the town of Erin. As a child, I looked forward to riding the ferry across the Cumberland River that created the county line between Stewart and Houston counties. She was a tall, slender built woman with red hair that was always in a long braid down the middle of her back. She loved to cook, garden, quilt, crochet, and raise chickens. Often times during our summertime visits, she would take me to the garden to help her collect the bounty provided by the rich, red clay soil. She also liked for me to help her collect eggs from her brooding hens. I wasn’t always fond of this task as I had been pecked several times while attempting to retrieve the eggs. After our outside adventures, Granny Anderson, as we fondly called her, would lay the vegetables and fruits out in cardboard box lids that lined the floor of the enclosed back porch of her home. This room also had boxes stacked in every nook and cranny containing mason jars filled with canned vegetables, jellies, and jams. Locals would stop by to purchase fresh and preserved items or eggs. Though she lived on a fixed income, she charged very little for the items she sold. More than once, I walked with her to nearby homes to deliver boxes fresh fruit and veggies, as a gesture of neighborly love. She would give her handmade baby sweater sets or quilts to friends or church members. She would take some of her earnings to the local hardware store to purchase supplies for her crocheting and quilting. She collected used clothing to make quilts. She was resourceful, talented, and a beloved member of her community.

My great-grandmother passed away over 30 years ago. She is one of many members of my family that have what I call a heart of service. I began my own journey of service by joining Key Club as a freshmen student at Northwest High School. Through my family’s examples and my 4 year involvement in Key Club, I learned how to serve others in various ways and found it brought a great feeling of joy to my soul. In 2001, I was a founding faculty member of Rossview High School. During the assigning teaching and sponsor responsibilities by administration, I was granted the opportunity to establish a chapter of Key Club. It was truly a moment that came full circle. It was now my turn to give students the joyful experience of helping your fellow man.

Four years ago, I became a member of the Clarksville Academy faculty and again was blessed by becoming the Key Club Advisor. In the past four years, club member have earned over 10,000 hours of service. Through the leadership of club officers, these students have served many local organizations and charities. They have collected Jeans for Teens, food items for Manna Cafe, winter clothing for The Well, and children’s toys for Vanderbilt’s Ronald McDonald House. Additionally, they have painted Halloween pumpkins and created non-skid socks for local nursing home residents. Some students spent time tutoring classmates or middle school students during study hall. Others have volunteered to work at school events. A most recent service project involved creating PLARN from plastic grocery bags to make sleeping mats for the homeless.

Their reach has even extended to the needs of our four-legged friends. Two years ago the club collected pet food. This year, they decided to recycle their own t-shirts into dog toys. These students are full of enthusiasm and creative ideas of how to grow CA Key Club’s service to others. They never cease to amaze me; I learn from them at each meeting and event. Most of their ideas don’t involve spending money, but looking for ways to invest their personal time or how to recycle items as a useful product to others. I could go on for days about all that this wonderful group of students has done. Each one inspires me to be a better person, to help make their visions a reality, and to guide them in developing their own hearts of service. Two things that I hope I will continue through my lifetime are to never stop learning and to never stop giving of the talents afforded me.