The Messenger 2013 by St. Paul Christian Academy

The

Messenger

A p u b l i c at i o n o f S t. Pa u l C h r i s t i a n A c a d e m y

Educating the Whole Child

2 0 12 - 2 0 13

Our

M i ss i o n

St. Paul Christian Academy integrates academic excellence with a passion for Christ to develop a strong foundation for young leaders who uniquely shape the world in which they live.

Head of School

Ken Cheeseman E d i to r i a l T e a m

Nancy Crowell Julie Dilworth Lisa Schlachter Shari Shephard Sarah Simmons Heather Sisemore Contributing Writers

Ken Cheeseman Drew Clausing Richard Cowan Bobby Huff Jane-Ann Myers Amy Nickels Gr aphic Designer

Meghann Collins Roberts Printing

Lithographics The Messenger is published annually by St. Paul Christian Academy. Web Version: stpaulchristianacademy.org/messenger Please send address corrections to: St. Paul Christian Academy 5035 Hillsboro Pike Nashville, TN 37215 or e-mail: office@stpaulchristian.org

online find us

It's so easy to stay connected and keep in touch. Visit us at stpaulchristianacademy.org

from the

Head of School Dear St. Paul Community,

I have the greatest job in the world! To be graciously granted the blessing of walking into a room full of four and five-year-old junior kindergarteners who immediately surround me with hugs, while all simultaneously and excitedly telling me about the important work they are doing, is an indescribable joy. The delight continues as I walk through Schaeffer Hall, which emanates daily with the sounds of creation, creativity, awe, and wonder. Here are just a few of my experiences: junior kindergarten through second grade children engaging in a great story as Mrs. Rogers, our librarian, assumes the character in a book; the tapping of rhythm and beat in music; the “oohs” and “aahs” as our little ones discover and explore our world in science lab; the strikes of colored pencils and paint brushes on paper as junior kindergarten through sixth grade students create art; the sounds of Chinese, Japanese, French, Spanish, and other languages being spoken in our World Languages & Cultures classes, violins and guitars yearning to find unison; dramatic dialogue and monologue permeating the third floor of Schaeffer Hall; upper schoolers creating movies to highlight academic and character elements of school life; silence as a group of students sit by the fire lost in the reading of books of their choosing; and the giggles of kindergarteners as they scurry under the parachute in the Rochford Center. In short, it is the experience of watching our children explore, discover, puzzle, and learn new ideas through a myriad of modes that makes my job the best in the world. Throughout this issue of The Messenger, we are treating you to many glimpses of my world, a world that understands that children come to us everyday with many different gifts that we strive to encourage and develop. While we are known throughout this community as a school that prepares students exceedingly well for the rigors of the top college prep schools in the city, one of the secrets of that success is that we do so while teaching the whole child, not just focusing on the academic gifts that our students possess. It is at the intersection of the arts, physical movement, and academics that our students can fully experience the gifts God has given to them and be the best possible versions of themselves. I am excited for you to gain a glimpse of the wonderful world I experience every day and see how we engage the whole child at St. Paul. Enjoy these articles, pictures, and slices of life at St. Paul. Godspeed; I am

Yours in Christ,

Kenneth C. Cheeseman Head of School

The Messenger 2012- 2013

features

SAIS/SACS Reaccreditation Strengthening Your Brain

12 x

Dreaming in 3D

Alumni News

on the

Parent Council

cover Can you find the hidden bowtie?

All cover images by Uchida Photography

S t. P a u l C h r i s t i a n A c a d e m y

table of

contents

4 Educating the Whole Child 7 SAIS/SACS Reaccreditation 10 Board of Trust & Annual Giving 11 Pillar Parents 12 Strengthening Your Brain

30 Beyond the Classroom

16 St. Paul by the Numbers

32 Alumni News

20 A Beginnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Guide to Guided Reading

36 The St. Paul Senior Living Community

22 Wizard of Oz

37 The Saint Shop

23 St. Paul Summer

38 Love One Another

24 St. Paul Traditions

40 Athletics

28 Dreaming in 3D

42 Author Visits 43 Parent Council 46 Art Gallery 47 Student Center

stpaulchristianacademy.org

Educating the

Whole Child by ken cheeseman

As many of you know, last summer I took a trip to China with a group of American educators. I was blessed to come away from that experience with a much clearer understanding of the Chinese educational system and culture. In February, I traveled to Philadelphia for the annual ESHA (Elementary School Head’s Association) meeting held during the NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools) annual gathering of over 5,000 of our country’s independent school teachers and leaders. There I had the privilege of sharing reflections from my trip to China. We began in Bejing, then flew to Xi’an, taking a day trip to Lintong District to see the Terracotta Warriors, a truly amazing wonder of the world. We traveled to Shanghai, my favorite city in China, with a side trip by bullet train to Wuxi. Next, we trekked to Chongqing, city of 32 million people, with a day trip to Dazhou and the world-famous, 2,000-year-old cave carvings, another majestic sight. Our last leg of the journey took us to Hong Kong where we were greeted with our first sunshine of the trip, quickly followed by Tropical Storm Doksuri, which threatened to delay our homeward flights. Along the way we met many warm, gracious, friendly people who were so proud of their country, their schools, and their students.

During our stay we visited many schools, most of which were seventh through twelfth grade schools, with one visit to an elementary school. We met friendly administrators, knowledgeable teachers, and thoughtful, articulate students. My favorite school was the elementary school - Shanghai World Language Primary School. We danced with the students, made dumplings, watched a calligraphy lesson, and were treated like royalty. One question I have been asked is, “Why China?” I wanted to visit China for several reasons. First, learning about new people and their cultures and sharing those new insights with our students is an inherently valuable experience. Second, it is important that we understand the Chinese education system because it is clear that as our students become adults and take their places in the changing world economic structure, they will collaborate with, and compete against, the Chinese. Third, when I look at the most recent PISA (Program of International Student Assessment) scores and other internationals tests, it is clear that the Chinese students are outperforming their U.S. counterparts by significant margins. In traveling to China, I was very curious to learn why and how the Chinese system produces students whose scores on this international assessment are so much stronger than our students in the U.S.

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“Learning about new people and their cultures and sharing those new insights with our students is an inherently valuable experience.”

S t. P a u l C h r i s t i a n A c a d e m y

—7—

In seventh grade and beyond, the Chinese school day begins earlier and goes later, with tenth through twelfth grades, the Chinese school day begins earlier and goes later, with the tenth through twelfth grader students coming back for tutorials after the evening meal. I found no athletics, only two, forty-five minute periods a week for stretching and almost no arts. I did find a plethora of robust English, Chinese, physics, chemistry, biology, history, and math. A significant driver in the Chinese students’ strong PISA performances is the fact that they take physics, biology, and chemistry, every year from seventh through twelfth grade. Juxtapose that with the typical, strong independent school in the U.S. where students take each of those three sciences once or twice their entire seventh through twelfth grade experience. The Chinese do not think of math in the discrete categories that we delineate. They take the equivalent of at least two of our math periods every day. In these narrow areas, the volume of content these students learn is much greater than our students. The American education system, in strong, independent schools like St. Paul, views school as the most significant tool for broadly educating students and creating men and women who see the interconnectedness of the component parts of their lives. Our definition of what is important, meaningful, and valuable for schools includes core academics, arts, athletics, character, interdisciplinary problem solving, and social development. Instead of the volume of math and science the Chinese system demands, we emphasize making connections between multiple disciplines, innovative problem solving, and the relational, interconnectedness of all parts of life to

the whole. As a result, our students tend to think differently and much more innovatively than their Chinese counterparts. Our schools continue to produce students who are the idea generators and problem solvers for the world’s challenges. In addition, another big difference in the Chinese system is the size of school and scale of operations. Most of the schools we visited were between three and eight thousand students. There are typically seventy students in one classroom with one teacher in the upper school and about forty students in one classroom in the lower school. At one of the key academic schools there were over 9,000 applications for 120 openings, a mind-bogglingly narrow admission funnel! Contrasting the size and scale of their system with our independentschool size, and understanding our intention to educate the whole child, one sees a significantly different approach and outcome. At St. Paul, we believe that the best education comes within deep and rich relationships between the teacher and the student. These relationships allow the teacher to know the child, his or her affinities, strengths, and weaknesses, and develop those in lifechanging ways. Because we rely on these relationships so heavily, we structure our school with a much smaller class size. With our broad curricular, co-curricular, and extra curricular offerings, the faculty at St. Paul are able to build relationships and nurture the hearts and minds of our students. We are committed to building an excellent academic foundation, and a strong character that is defined by a passion for Christ and Christ-like leadership. 

—8—

S t. P a u l C h r i s t i a n A c a d e m y

Faculty!

Congratulations,

On December 14, 2012, the Academy received official word of its 5-year SAIS/ SACS dual-reaccreditation from the Southern Association of Independent Schools and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

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The Messenger 2012- 2013

In its follow-up report, the accreditation visiting team gave numerous commendations, including:

Academy Leadership • Ken Cheeseman’s leadership; Mr. Cheeseman was mentioned by each constituency as being a visionary, transformational leader • having a Board clearly dedicated to the school and its mission • the administrative leadership team, who are authentic, collegial, and operate with transparency

Passion for Christ • the “middle pillar,” the school’s passion for Christ, is a strongly held core tenet which was mentioned by every constituency • promoting the spiritual growth for all children through a missioncentered Bible curriculum

Leadership Development • creating a student mentor program called the Buddy System which gives students an opportunity to both give and receive • developing student leadership through the Leadership Retreat, student-led programs and the Student Leadership Team

Faculty Excellence • developing a cohesive and committed faculty and staff that values excellence and continuously looks for ways to improve • the faculty, which is confident, cohesive, and committed to St. Paul • recognizing the internal need for 21st Century Skills alignment with the current curriculum and planning for professional development centered around the alignment and technology resources — 10 —

S t. P a u l C h r i s t i a n A c a d e m y

Academic Excellence • holding firm to its commitment to educate the whole child, preparing that child to be a 21st Century leader, and instilling in that child a passion for Christ • employing specialists to observe those students who have required additional support and developing an academic coaching center

Community • the school pride of the students, who described St. Paul as “ joyful,” “loving,” and “beautiful” • the sense of family and community that was mentioned by every constituency; students here are known, nurtured, and challenged • reaching 100% parent participation in the school’s annual fund • recognizing the importance of diversity among faculty and students including a strong presence of male teachers • seeking to clarify and strengthen the diversity of the school and meet the changing needs of students through a concerted effort of classroom teachers and support staff • enhancing the security of the campus through continued evaluation of safety/emergency plans • creating a communication network that supports the exchange of information • the school’s strong partnership with parents, as is evident by the many conferences offered, consistent communication, and responsiveness to both the needs of the children and the parents

The Campus • providing new facilities that meet the growing needs of the school • reinforcing the school’s mission by refining and bolstering the school’s branding standards • the facilities, which are beautiful and well kept; new enhancements and additions have allowed the school to implement their program more completely

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The Messenger 2012- 2013

2012-2013

Board of Trust

Hal Andrews Mark Bacurin Sterling Barrett James Chesser Joe Cook Gary Dean

2012-2013

Stephanie Dickinson Beth Dodd Warren “Bump” Elliott Todd Glisson, Vice-Chair Kay Herring Bill Kenny

Faculty Liaisons

2012-2013

K.C. Carraway and Kathleen Herb

2012-2013 Annual

Don Logan Carole Peterson Ben Sensing Byron Smith, Chair Josh Smithson Morgan Wills

Annual Fund Grandparent Chairs

Debbie and Gary Neill

Fund Parent Class Agents

Junior Kindergarten

Second Grade

Fifth Grade

Mrs. Cooke’s Class

Mrs. Callison’s Class

Andrea and Scott Hardy

Ms. Hoover’s Class

Page and Joe Plowman Mrs. Herb’s Class

Jill and Dan Mendoza

Mrs. Roseberry’s Class

Holly and Jeff Calk

Mrs. Humphrey’s Class

Mary and Wade McMinn Mrs. Holladay’s Class

Mrs. Webb’s Class

Natalie and Kit Ozburn

Mr. Page’s Class

Amy and John Stritikus Kindergarten

Third Grade

Sixth Grade

Mrs. Brown’s Class

Mrs. Groves’ Class

Jennie and Craig Menzie

Paige and Kevin Roddey

Mrs. Clark’s Class

Mrs. Burns’ Class

Mrs. Mossack’s Class

Ashley and Matt Lane

Kristen and Josh Smithson

Miss McGarry’s Class

Mrs. Oliver’s Class

Mary and Tal Lefler

Christy and Steve Singleton

First Grade

Fourth Grade

Mrs. Anderson’s Class

Mrs. Clement’s Class

Jeanie and John Dayani

Shelley and David Breen

Miss Carraway’s Class

Mrs. Floyd’s Class

Jill and Sean Stroud

Kate and Mauro Mastrapasqua

Mrs. Ford’s Class

Mr. Mitchell’s Class

Catherine and Cameron Plato

Britt and Alan Horn

— 12 —

Trudy and Chuck Mader

Tanzy Wallace and Bob Grohovsky

Michal and David Caldwell

Mrs. Cobb’s Class

Dana and Bond Oman

Mr. Radbill’s Class

Beth and Bob Singer

If you would like to make a gift to support the mission of the Academy, please visit our website at stpaulchristianacademy.org, then click on the “Support” tab at the top, or contact Lisa Schlachter by calling (615) 269-4751 or email lschlachter@stpaulchristian.org.

Be a Pillar Parent

S t. P a u l C h r i s t i a n A c a d e m y

St. Paul Christian Academy

Pillar Parents

We ask all parents to help in supporting the mission of the Academy and building community by doing these six things:

Pray

Pray for our students, faculty, and staff.

Invest

Support the Annual Fund with an amount that is comfortable for your family. Participation is key.

Learn

Learn the mission statement and be able to share it with others.

Lunch

Eat in the Dining Hall with your child(ren). Enjoy Flavor’s fabulous food while spending quality time with your child(ren).

Attend

Make an effort to attend school events and cheer on our students.

Read

Read with your children daily and read the My SPCA page regularly.

Your role as a Pillar Parent will help to strengthen our mission and will directly and positively impact the lives of our students.

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T h e M e s s e n g e r 2 0 1 2 - 22 00 11 33

by Jane-Ann Myers — 14 —

S t. P a u l C h r i s t i a n A c a d e m y

Strengthening

Your

Brain I don’t know if you’ve read any of Daniel Pink’s books. He has some really great things to say, even if some of it is a bit one-sided. In an article in the Washington Post, Mr. Pink is quoted as saying, “In our competitive and evolving economy, being logical and analytical is no longer enough. Left brain is out. Right-brain noodling, the kind of processing that is intuitive and creative and synthetic, will soon rule the day. Or as Pink puts it in a classic bullet point: “The MFA is the new MBA.” In his book A Whole New Mind, he suggests if your job is one that is in abundance or can be automated, your job, in years to come, will be done by someone in Asia or India for less money and with more efficiency. Therefore, qualities such as creativity, ingenuity, and innovation will be the skills that will be desirable in the job market of the future.

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The Messenger 2012- 2013

I’ve just begun reading a book by a research journalist named Paul Tough entitled How Children Succeed. I highly recommend it! (In the spirit of full disclosure, at the writing of this article, I am only half-way through the book.) One of the common themes in his research is the idea that those skills that make up I.Q., rooted in reading, grammar, and math, are not the skills that are essential to success. Mr. Tough’s point is that there is a growing body of evidence that qualities such as grit, curiosity, and the hidden power of character are critical to the ultimate success of a child.

an either/or scenario. One of the men who was instrumental in shaping my view of child development, Richard Ryder, worked with the Gesell Institute of Human Development. As he coached me to observe various developmental domains of school readiness in a child, he contended that the whole child comes to school. If a child has strong language skills, indeed the child brings that strong skill to school. However, one strong skill does not singularly see him or her thru the day. Within each child there is an academic child, a physical child, a spiritual child, an emotional child, and a social child. In addition, intertwined in all of those developmental areas are the child’s ability to self-regulate and modulate the many executive functions that are the critical components of cognitive and non-cognitive thought.

Within each child there is an academic child, a physical child, a spiritual child, an emotional child, and a social child.

What I want to embrace about both Mr. Pink’s and Mr. Tough’s ideas is this: the education of the whole child is critical to that child’s success. While I agree with Mr. Pink, I believe that the equation is one that includes both firm knowledge and creativity. It is not

Yes, it is true: if a child works all day, every day on

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S t. P a u l C h r i s t i a n A c a d e m y

reading and math facts, he or she will learn to read more quickly than a child who works on reading, math, music, art, physical education, and foreign language. While it takes more time for skills to develop and mature, it is critically important that we as parents and teachers make certain that each domain in every child is nurtured with great intention. In the end, those neurological underpinnings that are established by attending to every part of the child will ensure that he or she is ready and able to succeed as an adult. There are many studies on the neurologically-rooted critical thinking skills that the study of art, music, and foreign language establish. Several years ago I attended a conference hosted by “Learning And The Brain” where educators and neurologists partner to research how the brain learns, holds onto information, and accesses information. A group of researchers from Rhode Island (Fox, Knowles, Jeffrey) presented findings mapping the way the brain responds while learning to read music. Music is a language that operates separate from words. Through the structure of the octave and the symbolism of the notes there are patterns that produce melodies. The better the brain is at music, the better the brain is at recognizing all kinds of patterns. The brain likes to take what it knows and apply it to novel circumstances. Think about all the opportunities the brain has to recognize patterns: spelling, grammar, math facts, music, colors, facial expressions. Learning to read music and understand music simply makes your brain smarter. But, in this short space we don’t have time to look at all of that evidence to, in the end, tell us what we already know.

There are numerous studies that tell us that one’s I.Q. is not static. Our brain is a muscle. The way we stimulate it can make it stronger. If you haven’t taken a look at the books Nurture Shock or SPARK, I encourage you to do so. Some of the research presented in these books strongly proves that we can actually strengthen the brain. One piece of research says that simply teaching children the qualities and properties of the brain will help them understand those metacognitive tools that will make them willing to take risks which result in learning! The piece of research I want to leave you with is the inextricable link between what we remember and emotion. Many researchers are showing us that, as a rule, we remember emotionally charged events better than boring ones. In an article by Miranda Hitti on WebMD she says, “When emotions are aroused, the brain takes note. It stores as much detail as possible about the emotion-filled event, wiring it for quick recall. That emotioncharged memory can be summoned at a moment’s notice, even after a long time has passed.” As adults we only need to tap into our own bank of memories to know this is true. We can all think of songs, stories, colors, or people and remember everything about them because they evoke emotional responses. If we commit to continue to teach the whole child, we will teach our children in every domain and hopefully prepare them for every good work God has planned for their individual and unique journeys. 

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10,072

by one set of grandparents to attend Grandparentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and Special Friendsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Day.

Miles flown

represented by families at St. Paul.

Ch u r c h e s

121.4

Cumulative number of teaching years of current St. Paul faculty and staff.

Over 600

consumed by faculty AND staff during A SINGLE day at St. Paul.

Cups of coffee

St. Paul Numbers by the

S t .

a t

P a u l

f a m i l i e s

b y

r e p r e s e n t e d

Denominations

fifteen

(tie between Nickels & Hughes family)

longest run of a current family at St. Paul

19 years 6,125 carpools directed by nancy crowell.

held by faculty & staff

20 Home states represented by faculty & staff. 91 Degrees

represented by faculty and staff.

universities

F o r t y- s i x

by one family to attend St. Paul.

driven each day

Academic Excellence | Passion for Christ | Leadership Development

JK-6th | Located in Green Hills (615) 269-4751 | stpaulchristianacademy.org — 20 —

Scan to Learn More

S t. P a u l C h r i s t i a n A c a d e m y

Seventh Grade

Acceptance

Our students have been accepted to seventh grade at the following college prep schools in the city for the 2013-2014 school year.

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Brentwood Academy Christ Presbyterian Academy Ensworth Franklin Road Academy Harding Academy Harpeth Hall Lipscomb Academy Montgomery Bell Academy Overbrook School University School of Nashville

The Messenger 2012- 2013

Beginner’s Guide

by bobby huff & amy Nickels — 22 —

S t. P a u l C h r i s t i a n A c a d e m y

Guided Reading At St. Paul, we continually strive to refine and enhance our curriculum and instruction. Because reading is such a critical skill, we intend to make it both effective and enjoyable by using a balanced approach. This approach employs strategies such as shared reading, independent reading, responsive writing, creative writing, and word study. Enhancing our classrooms with a multitude of different-leveled books affords our teachers more opportunities to direct and shape each child’s learning. As we educate the whole child, our Guided Reading program allows our teachers to support each developing reader in both individual and small group instruction, using books that are written on levels of increasing difficulty. These books are not only organized by how challenging the decoding is for the child, but by genre as well. Children work in “instructional” and “independent” reading levels, ensuring both success and the positive result of the reading itself. Ultimately, our students love to read because, regardless of where they begin in the reading journey, they feel successful. Guided Reading allows our teachers to assess the level in which each child is performing as a reader and to establish a framework for successful day-by-day fluency development. Children move through the program

according to the speed with which they master each skill, moving to increasingly more challenging books. Guided Reading also gives our teachers the freedom to teach children to problem solve while reading for meaning. In addition, our students can extend the strategies as they use both the context of the story and the comprehension of the meaning. Problem solving strategies provide firm foundations for the longer texts they will encounter as they grow and mature as readers. Guided Reading provides follow-up lessons to reinforce phonemic awareness, high-frequency word recognition, and word attack skills needed for longer, more complex word structures. We know that reading is one of the foundational skills in a child’s education. It is one of the most important skills that a child can learn in the early years of education. We continually look for ways to relate to and teach each child based on where each individual stands in his or her learning journey. We strive to improve those skills that are already established and to strengthen those skills that are still developing. Guided Reading is one of the many tools our teachers can access. Our kindergarten and first grade teachers are dedicated to not only teaching each child to read, but to discovering the many parts of God’s world that reading will show them. 

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The Messenger 2012- 2013

St. Paul Players p r e s e n t s

Thursday

f r i d ay

May 2

May 3

at 6:00 PM — 24 —

S t. P a u l C h r i s t i a n A c a d e m y

2 0 1 3 C a m p da t e s

June 3-7 June 10-14 June 17-21 June 24-28 July 8-12 July 15-19 July 22-26 July 29-August 2

To register, go to stpaulchristianacademy.org/stpaulsummer â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 25 â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

The Messenger 2012- 2013

traditions

2 3 1 5 6 — 26 —

S t. P a u l C h r i s t i a n A c a d e m y

1 Wacky Day 2 Monument Day 3 Christmas Chapel 4 Third Grade Play 5 100th Day 6 Fall Harvest 7 Pumpkin Carving 8 Sixth Grade Retreat 9 Buddies 10 70s Day 12 50s Day

7 8

9 10 — 27 —

The Messenger 2012- 2013

traditions

12 16

17 — 28 —

12 Spiritual Life Week 13 JK Hoedown 14 Evening with the Arts 15 Wax Museum 16 Christmas Program 17 School-wide Art 18 Pig Day 19 Christmas Tree Lighting 20 Thanksgiving Feast 21 Worm Dissection 23 Math Mayhem 23 Pilgrim Day 24 Spelling Bee

18 19 22

20 21

24 — 29 —

The Messenger 2012- 2013

Dreamingin

by drew clausing — 30 —

S t. P a u l C h r i s t i a n A c a d e m y

Children dre am without inhibition.

They don’t let themselves become distracted by logic and order. Instead, they simply let their minds take them wherever they may, and we ultimately find that a mind without limitations can bear some delicious fruit. The philosophy of dreaming up something and making it a reality led me to develop a class designed around this way of thinking. I wanted this class to be ultra specialized and extremely engaging. Have you ever asked your children to not do something only to turn around to find they are doing exactly what you told them not to do? It can frustrate parents, but that is exactly what is so wonderful about children and what I think is missing in many adults. Children have natural tendencies to want to learn about things that seem to be “behind the curtain,” so to speak. They want to know if they can do some of the same things as adults. With this in mind, my goal was to combine this eagerness with an already strong imagination. I believe this is a perfect recipe to stretch students and teach them some amazing things. I have enjoyed using an app called SketchUp in my class. SketchUp is a CAD (computer aided design) program designed to be basic in nature, but detailed and precise enough for professionals. In case you don’t know what CAD is, think of 3D architecture and modeling. This

kind of program doesn’t exactly sound like it is made for a sixth grader, does it? Yet, to a sixth grader, there is no fear about taking on a challenge like this. They hunger for this type of challenge. In teaching my class, I show students a demonstration video to help them understand 3D modeling. Next, I teach them the capabilities of some of the CAD tools by taking two days to work with them to create a simple 3D object, such as a small house. Finally, I brainstorm ideas with them... nothing is off the table. As they develop their projects, I walk alongside them, monitoring their progress and answering basic questions. It really is amazing what the students have created so far this year. To watch a student imagine an idea, know which tools are necessary to develop this idea, and actually create a visual model in the end is pretty spectacular. The only way to make this even more amazing would be translating digital creations into physical 3D models. With a 3D printer already on campus, students will soon be seeing their creations jump from digital form to physical form very soon. This is the kind of work that will send imaginations into overdrive! As adults, we sometimes forget how to dream and create with this kind of imagination. I encourage you to let our sixth graders inspire you to dream big. 

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T h e M e s s e n g e r 2 0 1 2 - 22 00 11 33

beyond

— 32 —

the

S t. PSt. a u Paul l C hChristian r i s t i a n AAcademy cademy

classroom

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The Messenger 2012-2013

Saints around the States

Alumni news

College

Location

Auburn University Austin Peay State University Baylor University Belmont University Birmingham Southern University Boston University Centre College Clemson University College of Charleston Columbia University DePauw University Eckerd College Elan College Emory University Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising Furman University Gordon College High Point University Kansas City Art Institute Kansas State University Kenyon College Lipscomb University Maryville College Middle Tennessee State University Nashville State College New York University Pace University

Auburn, AL

College

Rhodes College Samford University Sarah Lawrence College Sewanee, The University of the South St. Louis University Stanford University Tennessee Tech University Transylvania University Tulane University University of Alabama University of Colorado University of Georgia University of Kentucky University of Mississippi University of North Florida University of Richmond University of South Carolina University of Tennessee-Knoxville University of Tennessee-Chattanooga University of Texas University of Virginia University of Wyoming Vanderbilt University Virginia Military Institute Virginia Tech Wake Forest University Western Kentucky University

Clarksville, TN Waco, TX Nashville, TN Birmingham, AL Boston, MA Danville, KY Clemson, SC Charleston, SC Broadway, NY Greencastle, IN St. Petersburg, FL Elon, NC Atlanta, GA Irvine, CA Greenville, SC Wenham, MA High Point, NC Kansas City, MO Manhattan, KS Gambier, OH Nashville, TN Maryville, TN Murfreesboro, TN Nashville, TN New York, NY New York, NY

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 34 â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

Location

Memphis, TN Birmingham, AL Bronxville, NY Sewanee, TN St. Louis, MO Stanford, CA Cookeville, TN Lexington, KY New Orleans, LA Tuscaloosa, AL Denver, CO Athens, GA Lexington, KY Oxford, MS Jacksonville, FL Richmond, VA Columbia, SC Knoxville, TN Chattanooga, TN Austin, TX Charlottesville, VA Laramie, WY Nashville, TN Lexington, VA Blackburg, VA Winston Salem, NC Bowling Green, KY

S t. P a u l C h r i s t i a n A c a d e m y

Class of 2007

Alumni Reunion

Sunday, April 28

Keep in touch

We want to hear from you! Visit the alumni page of the website, stpaulchristianacademy.org/connect, to update your information. — 35 —

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A l u m n i f e at u r e s

“…pouring truth into my heart for which I am eternally grateful.” —Rebecca swift A 1989 alumna of St. Paul, Rebecca Swift graduated from Hillwood High School in 1995. She attended Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, where she double-majored in Sociology and Political Science. Rebecca went on to earn her Master of Social Work degree from the University of South Carolina in Columbia and later obtained her License in Clinical Social Work for Tennessee (LCSW). She has served or worked in a variety of settings, including Centerstone Community Mental Health, Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, and currently at Siloam Family Health Center. At Siloam, the goal is to care for the medical, emotional, spiritual, and social needs of the uninsured of Middle Tennessee. They see patients from over 80 different countries, many of whom are immigrants or refugees living in the United States. Rebecca enjoys spending time with her sister’s family, including her niece and nephew. She attends Grace Community Church and has been active in international mission efforts in Moldova, Uganda, and Belarus.

“St. Paul really prepared me morally and academically for the transition into middle and high school.” —spencer patton

After graduating from St. Paul in 1998, Spencer Patton attended Montgomery Bell Academy, where he ranked #1 in the nation in speech and debate and lettered as a freshman on the varsity tennis team. He went on to double-major in Economics and Psychology at Vanderbilt University. Spencer began his career as Director of Marketing for KPAC Solutions, a private investment company focused on acquiring and turning around distressed and underperforming manufacturing industrial businesses. In 2009, he founded a hedge fund, Steel Vine Investments, where he currently serves as Chief Investment Officer. He has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones Newswires, and KITCO News and was recently interviewed on Fox Business Network and Bloomberg. Spencer serves as the chairman of the board for the Williamson County Chapter of the Red Cross. He has two daughters, Zoey and Piper, and hopes they will attend St. Paul in the future.

“Looking back now, I realize how blessed I was to have been part of the St. Paul community and to have had the opportunity to grow and learn at such a terrific school.” —paige heinze A St. Paul alumna of 2002, Paige Heinze graduated from Harpeth Hall and then from the University of Georgia, where she majored in Risk Management and Insurance. After graduation, Paige moved to Dallas, Texas, where she works at Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies, a group of six regional insurance carriers that are part of the Berkshire Hathaway Insurance Group. Paige is currently a marketing specialist and visits independent insurance agencies throughout the Southwest region to build and foster relationships with appointed agency providers.

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Fondest Memories

Here are some of the fond memories our alumni have shared:

Great teachers

Select Choir

Playing basketball

Yearbook signing

Multiplication pop quizzes

Making life-long friendships

After School Care with Mrs. Doscher

Learning songs like The Fifty Nifty United States

Field Day

Welcoming Mr. Cheeseman as Head of School by performing NSync’s Bye Bye Bye and later revealing bowties underneath our costumes

Chip Adkisson and his many balloons

Bible Stories

Experiencing life outside the walls of the classroom—Children’s Theater, Washington D.C., Nature’s Classroom, Tybee Island, apple orchard, potato chip factory

The Christmas Program

Our trip to Atlanta

The Wizard of Oz with Norita Riegle and Carol Coles

Learning cursive

Theater Workshop

Kickball games at recess

Cheering at football and basketball games

Pig Day

Becoming closer to Christ and all the people I met

Talent Show

A classroom transformed into an Egyptian pyramid

The excitement when the school moved out of the church classrooms into its own buildings

Junior Kindergarten Christmas Chapel

Share your memories at stpaulchristianacademy.org/connect — 37 —

The Messenger 2012- 2013

Partnering with the

St. Paul Senior Living Community

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TheSaintShop

Visit stpaulchristianacademy.org/saintshop to purchase items online! â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 39 â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

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LoveOne Another B y R i c h a r d C o wa n

In chapters 13-17 of his gospel narrative, John provides a rich account of the final conversation between Jesus and His disciples wherein a new command is given. In a radical shift from what a Jewish rabbi might have taught or instructed his students to do, Jesus set aside technical theology or doctrine and called his students to consider the lateral plane of their relationships with one another. He told them to, “love one another,” and, as a result, established a new era of His kingdom in which all peoples and all nations would be drawn to the Lord by the same kind of love modeled by Jesus and his disciples. The other 3,000 words recorded in this final address and prayer provide an understanding of the source of such love and its purpose in establishing the kingdom of His Father. The Holy Spirit, who fills us with the fullness of Christ, serves as the source of this love and also guides followers of Christ in how to love one another in this world. As the Spirit filled and moved within the hearts of those first ambassadors of Jesus almost 2,000 years ago, He continues to prompt and inspire our St. Paul community to love one another, throughout our campus and into the world.

Every week on our campus, our sixth grade leaders cultivate an atmosphere of kindness and respect by leading five morning devotions, emptying 60 recycle bins, and happily walking junior kindergarten students to their classrooms. In October, 56 hygiene kits were assembled by 102 kindergarten hands and sent to orphans in Honduras who have little or no access to basic self-care products.

In mid-November, nearly 200 volunteer hours and dozens of Christmas gifts were given by our fifth-grade families to help replenish Family Tree Christmas Store at Family Affair Ministries in East Nashville. In early February, as part of Spiritual Life Week, 1,072 pounds of groceries gathered by fifth and sixth graders were transported to Second Harvest Food Bank to provide over 900 meals to families in need. Over 1,000 pounds of new and gently-used clothing donated by our third

and fourth graders were taken to Thrift Smart. Thrift Smart will sell these clothes to provide financial support for ministries developing small businesses in Africa and Belize. Over 60 bags of personal hygiene products donated by our first and second graders now stock the shelves at Siloam Family Heath Center. Our junior kindergarteners and kindergartener students donated 16 boxes of books and games that are now being shipped to elementary school children in Belize. For Valentine’s Day, 150 cards were written by St. Paul students and one was delivered to the door of each of the residents at the St. Paul Senior Living Center.

In the final weeks before Spring Break, 400 prayers, one written by each student at St. Paul, were lifted up to the Lord each day in the sixth grade Bible classes.

Well done students, you are following Jesus’ command to love one another. Our St. Paul community, does indeed integrate academic excellence with a passion for Christ, to uniquely shape the world in which we live. May others know we are Christians by the way we love one another, may the world be uniquely shaped by that same love, and may our mission continue to reflect the mission given us by our King in his farewell address so many long years ago. Romans 13:8, “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another...”. 

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Athletics

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A u t h o r visi t s

n.d. wilson The Academy hosted author N.D. Wilson in the C.S. Lewis Library for an author talk and book signing on Thursday, September 20. Mr. Wilson is the author of several books for middle school readers: Leepike Ridge, The 100 Cupboards trilogy, and a brand new series called the Ashtown Burials. He has also published a collection of essays for adults called Notes From The Tilt-A-Whirl: Wide-Eyed Wonder in God’s Spoken World. Mr. Wilson is a well-known name in Christian literary circles, and his novel The 100 Cupboards was chosen for the Today Show’s Al Roker Summer Reading Club.

Christine Shih On March 8 Christine Shih, a Jane Austen scholar and mother of a first grader, lead a literary discussion and taught parents how to use literature to help their children develop imagination. Mrs. Shih earned nursing degrees from John Hopkins School of Nursing and Vanderbilt Univeristy School of Nursing, specializing in pediatrics, family, and oncology. She also has degrees in psychology and music from Vanderbilt University. She began writing interdisciplinary critical essays on Jane Austen in 2009. Since then, she has presented her essays at various conferences held at Jane Austen’s estate in Chawton, UK, the Jane Austen Society of North America, and St. Hugh’s College, Oxford University. Interested readers can read her work in a soon-to-be published book titled Among the Janeites by Deborah Yaffe. She is currently writing a monograph (an academic book) on Jane Austen and William Blake, to be published by the Edwin Mellen Press. In addition, Mrs. Shih’s work on bibliotherapy was highlighted in the feature article of the Fall 2011 issue of the Vanderbilt Nurse.

Ron White On April 2, along with Montgomery Bell Academy and The Trinity Forum, St. Paul brought author Ron White to MBA’s campus for a conversation on “Lincoln’s Sermon on the Mount: The Second Inaugural Address.” White’s most recent book, A. Lincoln: A Biography was a New York Times, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times bestseller. The book was also honored as a best book of 2009 by the Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, History Book Club, and Barnes & Noble. White is the author and editor of seven other books including Lincoln’s Greatest Speech: The Second Inaugural, a Washington Post and San Francisco Chronicle bestseller, and The Eloquent President: A Portrait of Lincoln Through His Words (2005), a Los Angeles Times bestseller, and a selection of the History Book Club and the Book-of-the-Month Club. Dr. White has lectured at the White House and the Library of Congress and has been interviewed on the PBS News Hour. He is a graduate of UCLA and Princeton Theological Seminary, and holds a Ph.D. in Religion and History from Princeton University. He has taught at UCLA, Princeton Theological Seminary, Whitworth University, Colorado College, and San Francisco Theological Seminary. He also serves as a Fellow at the Huntington Library.

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S t. PSt. a u Paul l C hChristian r i s t i a n AAcademy cademy

parent

council

Scan to watch

Strummin’ and Hummin’ 2013 The Loveless Barn was transformed into a magical venue to host the 2nd Annual Strummin’ and Hummin’ Songwriters’ Night. And what a night it was—a night of fellowship, great food, and three amazing songwriters who blessed us with their stories, songs, and voices. Stacey Andrews and Adrienne Knestrick were the master-minds behind the successful evening, and their efforts raised over $32,000 for the school! After a southern-style Loveless Café dinner, Jackson Moore and John Dayani, co-chairs of Dads’ Fellowship, entertained the crowd with their unique sense of humor. Edward Playfair then took the stage as auctioneer for the evening. Rivers Rutherford (St. Paul dad), Dave Turnbull, and Kelley Lovelace wowed us with their talent and made us laugh at their stories. Rivers touched us with his testimony of what St. Paul has done for his children and reminded us that St. Paul is more than just a school teaching our children their ABC’s. It’s a place that is dedicated to molding our children’s hearts with a passion for Christ. If you weren’t able to come to this year’s event, you can catch a snippet of the sold-out event on the SPCA website. Next year, you won’t want to miss out!

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E.L.F. In February, junior kindergarten through second-grade students participated in E.L.F. (Environmental Learning Fundamentals). This special annual event brings together students, volunteer parents, and teachers for an activitybased learning session. The topic of this year’s E.L.F. lesson was weather, and focused on Bible stories relating to the topic. The theme verse was “Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens, and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.” (Psalm 36:5). The children imagined themselves as raindrops as they went through an obstacle course that represented the four stages of the water cycle. Through hands-on activities, they learned about wind as it relates to Moses and the parting of the sea; tornados and hurricanes through miniature models; precipitation through the story of Noah’s Ark; and clouds, lightning, and thunderstorms when Jesus calmed the sea. Our deepest thanks to Whitney Lytle and the 70+ parent volunteers who helped our children learn about weather!

Moms’ Luncheon with Point of Grace It might have been dreary and cold outside, but inside there was warmth and love abounding as Point of Grace shared with us the God-given harmonious voices with which they were blessed. Robyn Moore graciously opened up her home so that Shelley Breen (St. Paul mom), Denise Jones, and Leigh Cappillino could share songs and stories of struggles that we all face in life. There was laughter, and even some tears, as they talked of how God has worked in each of their lives. In addition to supporting the Academy, the women who attended were strengthened by Point of Grace’s messages of God’s mercy, grace, hope and peace.

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Dear Dads’ Breakfast

Grandparents’ & Special Friends’ Day

Sweetheart Moms’ Breakfast

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Student Corner

S t. P a u l C h r i s t i a n A c a d e m y

Created by the Sixth Grade Newspaper Elective Class

Mad Libs

Mr. Cheeseman was wearing a ____________________ bow tie. He bought it specifically for adjective

the _________________. He was so ____________________. Mr. Cowan was even going to noun

adjective

bring his _________________ to the _________________. All the _________________ were noun

noun

plural noun

invited. There were going to be ____________ in the Dining Hall. At 7:00 the _____________ plural noun

noun

will end. The next day at ____________________ everybody was talking about the ________________ ________________. The ________________ will be so _________________ adjective

noun

adjective

to have the _________________ again next _________________. noun

noun

Crossword

St. Paul Crossword

A cross 3 Where you do adding and subtracting

4 Headmaster of the school

6 Grammar 8 What St. Paul has on the logo 10 The athletic complex

Down 1 The sport we play on the field 2 The sport we play in the gym

5 The sport where we run 7 Where we play basketball 9 Where you add chemicals and dissect worms

10 Answers: 1 Football; 2 Basketball; 3 Math; 4 Cheeseman; 5 Track; 6 Language Arts; 7 Rochford; 8 Pillars; 9 Science; 10 Massey.

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noun

Across: 3 -‐ Where you do adding and subtracting 4 -‐ Headmaster of the school 6 -‐ Grammar 8 -‐ What St. Paul has on the logo 10 -‐ The athletic complex

Down: 1 -‐ The sport we play on the field 2 -‐ The sport we play in the gym 5 -‐ The sport where we run — 49 — 7 -‐ Where we play basketball 9 -‐ Where you add chemicals and dissect worms.

The Messenger 2012- 2013

Word Search S

Academic Athlete Athletic Basketball Blue Chapel Christ Christian English Football History Leaders Math Pillars Saints Science St Paul Track

Find What Is Different Find 7 differences in the two SPCA pictures!

Answers: Answers: Curtains, plug, Captain Hook’s belt, Wendy’s belt, light, wood panel of stage, blue lining

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Congratulations to the Class of 2013! Not pictured: Sam Rajbundit, Margaret Ann Whitton, and Franklin Frazier