Are You as Smart as a 5th or 6th Grader?

LIFE LESSONS LEARNED IN MIDDLE SCHOOL AT LRCA

By Heather Bennett, Communications Specialist

GGrowing up is hard work. Being a tween, that awkward phase between nine and 12, is hard work. You’re a kid, but you’re not a child anymore. You have more responsibilities, but the list of things you still can’t do seems endless. I can only imagine the difficulty modern technology and social media add to this pubescent period of development. I remember that stage of life 40+ years ago, and not fondly! Ever since I’ve been a part of Little Rock Christian as a parent and then as an employee though, I’ve witnessed how the middle school experience here is like NOWHERE ELSE!

When Middle School Assistant Principal LeAnn Murry and I brainstormed about what to cover in the spring issue of The Warrior she said, “How about content that is student driven? Student voices? How do THEY see middle school?” I loved the idea and thoroughly loved hearing from these young men and women who were wise beyond their years. Like the name of the old television series conveys, I may not be “smarter than a 5th grader”, but I certainly am a better person for having spent time with these students and feel certain you will be impressed with what they’ve learned and what they share.

Wisdom from Warriors

By Judah Johnson, Kinze Jones, Hayden Mays, and John Isaac Small

• Teachers always help and challenge students to reach higher levels.

• Teachers help students get more involved with Christ.

• Teachers help us grow stronger and excel to the best of our abilities.

• God is your only path to joy and happiness.

• It’s okay to not make some people happy if you’re doing the right thing.

• If things get hard, just remember every day ends.

• There are so many good teachers.

• It’s always okay to say no to peer pressure.

• Don’t be afraid to stick up for people or check on people who are doing wrong.

• Choose good friends.

• Don’t go with a crowd just because it’s the popular thing to do.

• It’s okay to tell your teacher how you feel.

• It’s okay to make mistakes so you can learn from them.

Judah Johnson - “Sometimes in friendships, people change and you can’t control that. You go through different things. God has different seasons and different friends for different times. Some friends are for one time or one friend may go another way then come back. God’s always there. 'There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." (Proverbs 18:24)

Kinze Jones - “There’s a reason for everything. You may wonder why God is doing this? God knew everything even before we were born. Everything has a role to play in your life. When you make mistakes, ask for forgiveness. God will wipe the slate clean.”

Hayden Mays - “It reminds me of the story of Job. There are moments in life where you’re put to the extreme. Believe God’s there to get you through it and teach you valuable lessons through struggles.”

John Isaac Small - “Our teachers pray for us. They are very spiritually connected. They pray for us to have wisdom and for God to take care of any and all the needs on the hearts and minds of the children in their classes.”

“In lower school, the O in R.O.L.E., stands for obey. As kids get older, the O becomes ownership. You own your choices. The E in excel is to not only do your best, but encourage others to be their best. We want students to end 6th grade with a strong foundation in academics and spiritual formation along with the ability to navigate situations and problems and build on that,” Mrs. Murry conveys.

Mrs. Murry consistently relays on the intercom, “Make it a great day. The choice is yours.” May we all apply this middle school morning announcements mantra to our own lives!

EVIDENCE OF GREAT LOVE GROWING UP, DISCIPLINE, AND TAKING OWNERSHIP

By Chelsey Goode, 7th Grade English

A few weeks ago I was at a Little League Softball game for my daughter. We arrived early, and my two kiddos were spending some time in the play area. I noticed some flying objects soaring past the faces of not only my children but of the others playing alongside them. When I started looking around, I spotted a few older boys using the space to throw plastic utensils, baseballs, and roughhousing with one another.

After a while of watching this, one of them accidentally kicked a small toddler. My inner teacher was roaring inside. However, I knew I needed to be gracious. I didn’t know these boys; they didn’t know me. I walked up to the group and kindly asked them to take their fun elsewhere and to allow this space to be left to the smaller kids. One of the boys, probably age 10 or 11, wasted no time getting right in my face. Through clenched teeth, he responded, “This is a public park. I can do whatever I want.” He and his friends then proceeded to do just that. They got more aggressive, and they stared at me frequently to ensure I was watching while they did it.

At first, this situation angered me. However, after having some time to reflect, my heart hurt for those boys. I wondered if they’d ever had someone love them through what ownership looks like. Has anyone ever cared enough for them to correct them?

I think as a parent I have certainly struggled with the fuzzy boundary that dances between love and consequences. Does she know I love her even when I punish her? Does he only see the bad-cop when he sees me coming? I don’t know about you, but for me, these thoughts can plague my heart and damage my understanding of this beautiful role in which God has gifted me.

Recently, I had been studying the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15. Though I had read and been under the teaching of this parable several times, I had never read it from the perspective of a parent. In verse 13 the father wastes no time in giving the inheritance that his son has asked for. Being the wise parent that he is, he is well aware of the harsh realities that are likely awaiting his son, but he allows him to go. It was a new revelation to me to realize that at no point does the father stand in the way of his son’s departure. The father allows him to leave. The father knows that trials are sure to come to his son. He knows that his son will experience the natural consequences for his actions, and the father does not stand in the way.

We can be so quick to stand in the way of our kiddos. We can be quick to limit their consequences. We can be quick to soften the blow, but at what cost? What is the cost of never allowing our kids to fail?

Those kiddos in the play area that day weren’t bad kids. They were kids who desperately needed to understand consequence. They were children who were starved for correction. After teaching in other schools, I can assure you that so many of the children in our society are in the same boat. As Bible-believing parents, we owe it to our children to teach them to sail upon a very different vessel.

Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go…” He has given us His children on loan. How are we stewarding them for His Kingdom? How are we equipping them for the life He has intended? How are we showing them that consequences are biblical and necessary? Discipline isn’t the contradiction of love, but the evidence of great love.

“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another…” Colossians 3:16