Build a House; Leave a Legacy

Build a House;

Leave a Legacy -

THE MIDDLE SCHOOL HOUSE SYSTEM

Our Middle School students were in for some surprises when they returned to campus in August. First, they experienced Ignite, a two-day conference whose aim was to get them excited about the academic year and to encourage growth in their walk with God. That was followed by the eagerly anticipated launch of the LCA House System, an initiative distinctive to Legacy’s Middle School.

The house system has been a work in progress for a while. The Middle School team learned about the concept several years ago, when a group of teachers heard about it at a conference. Then Lana Snear, our Middle School guidance counselor, met with students who had experienced the system firsthand, and was impressed by the impact that it had on their lives. The students told her they were able to relate to one another in new ways and also gained valuable leadership skills.

After the isolation and challenges brought on by the pandemic, students needed to be connected more than ever before, so the race was on to get this system up and running as soon as possible. A committee of eight Middle School teachers and staff became the driving force. Devising the house system was no small feat. The committee began by determining the ideal number of houses, their names, and, most importantly, how they could instill connection, value, and purpose among the Middle School student body as a whole. The team collaborated to design and implement a point system that would embolden students to participate with

(l to r) Mrs. Buhl, Mrs. Thomas, and Mrs. Keathley are proud new members of Elliot house.

Cooper Johnson (’26) smiles in his new ten Boom tee. WHY ARE CONNECTION, VALUE, AND PURPOSE IMPORTANT TO MIDDLE SCHOOLERS?

CONNECTION. Students have a sense of security when they feel connected to other people. Whether that’s another student or an adult, feeling connected and known helps them to feel more rooted in their identity. In the halls of the Middle School, students are encouraged to “knowtice” one another — not just to know their names, but to know about them and who they are.

VALUE. In Middle School, students start to question their worth. Some may feel they only have value because they’re good at sports or because they’re high achievers academically. The house system plays to every student’s unique, God-given abilities and enables all to excel in how they were made and to be appreciated for that.

PURPOSE. The house system helps students realize that they all contribute in some form or fashion, and that God has a plan for their lives. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare, and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Once students discover their purpose, they learn to embrace it.

a goal in mind: the coveted House Cup. House points are everywhere to be had, from heated athletic competitions like dodgeball, to showing spirit at pep rallies and from demonstrating a heart of service, to excelling in the classroom, as well as good old-fashioned participation in the form of showing up at a school event in your house shirt.

The next big task: house sorting. The team knew they needed to find a way to configure all of the grades and to make the unveiling exhilarating. And what better place for some excitement than the football field?

As they headed outside, each student received a sealed envelope — and were told not to open it — inside of which was a colored paper that held their designated house. Gathered together in their respective houses, faculty and staff teams charged out as each house was introduced. Faculty proudly sported their brightly colored house T-shirts; some took their house pride to new heights with face paint and nifty accessories.

Led by a flag bearer, the house teams positioned themselves at each of the four corners of the field, and once the students were given the all-clear to open their envelopes, papers went flying and students started running to their new houses.

Students were given their new house T-shirts and the fun was under way!

Their first task was to come up with a house chant — a battle cry to unify and motivate the new members. It was fascinating to watch the new teams in Students tear into their envelopes to find out which house they will call home.

(l to r) Mrs. Bales, Coach Thrash, Mrs. Cleckler, and Mrs. Jennings are happy to be in Foster house.

action as leaders emerged even from the seemingly most timid of students. They were already beginning to recognize their value as individual members of a unified team.

Although the house system is still in its infancy, Dr. Snear is already encouraged by its success. “The connectedness between and among the houses is palpable. There’s a change in the feeling of the Middle School,” she says. “I see students reaching outside of their bubble and there’s a sense of belonging that I’ve never seen before.” The house system is stretching both students and teachers to interact in brand-new ways.

The teachers realize the potential of house points to motivate students to achieve and push themselves outside of their comfort zones. All teachers have in their classroom a jar for each house, so that they can award house points as they’re earned, which is another great incentive for students. “It’s been interesting to see the competitiveness develop among the teachers,” Dr. Snear says. “These teachers are seriously competitive.”

Jayden Davis (’28) is pumped to get into the competition representing Lewis house!

THE FOUR HOUSES

Students are placed in one of four houses for the entirety of their Middle School years. The houses are named for the following heroes of faith: Andrew Foster, C. S. Lewis, Corrie ten Boom, and Jim Elliot. Within each house, students are assigned to a squad of same-gender, same-grade-level peers who meet once a week to discuss challenging topics, current struggles, and any needs. In addition, within each house older squads are paired with younger squads to create a family (for example, eighth-grade boys with sixth-grade boys) to promote leadership and mentorship.

ANDREW FOSTER

The Middle School chose Andrew Foster because he demonstrated the quality of obedience by accepting the call to evangelize through education.

Andrew Foster (1925–1987), who lost his hearing at age 11, was a missionary to the deaf in several countries in Africa until his death. In 1954, he became the first African American to earn a bachelor’s degree, in education, from Gallaudet University and then got a master’s degree, also in education, from Eastern Michigan University. He soon earned a second master’s, this time in Christian mission, from Seattle Pacific Christian College (now called Seattle Pacific University). He founded Christian Mission for the Deaf African in 1956, and eventually set out for Accra, Ghana, where he established the first school for the deaf on the entire continent of Africa.

CORRIE TEN BOOM

The Middle School chose Corrie ten Boom because of her courage in the face of the worst evil to befall humankind.

Cornelia Arnolda Johanna ten Boom was a Dutch watchmaker. During World War II, Corrie and her family helped Jews escape the Gestapo by hiding them in their home; she believed her actions were following the will of God. Arrested, she was sent to the Ravensbrück concentration camp. She became a writer, and her most famous book, written after her release, is The Hiding Place, which tells the story of her family’s efforts to aid Jews and how she found and shared hope in God while imprisoned.

C. S. LEWIS

C. S. Lewis, known as “The Apostle to the Skeptics,” is famous for his fiction (Chronicles of Narnia, for example) and his Christian apologetics, such as Miracles and The Problem of Pain. In 2000, his apologetic Mere Christianity was voted best book of the 20th century by Christianity Today. Lewis also taught English literature at both Oxford and Cambridge Universities.

The Middle School chose C. S. Lewis as a professor, as a writer of fiction, and because he was one of the most influential Christian apologists of his time.

JIM ELLIOT

Philip James Elliot was an American Christian missionary and martyr who died trying to evangelize the Huaorani people of Ecuador. Even as a youngster, Jim knew he was called to share the gospel with unreached peoples. He earned a Bible degree from Wheaton College, then studied linguistics and Bible translation at Camp Wycliffe. He arrived in Ecuador in 1954 and began preaching to the Quechua, with hopes of making contact with the Huaorani. Two years later his team was ready, but on meeting them, Elliot and his companions were slain by a group of Huaorani warriors.

The Middle School chose Jim Elliot because he believed his work for God was more important than his life.