eagle newsletter - Jefferson Christian Academy

May 11, 2015
Volume 5 Issue 9
EAGLE
NEWSLETTER
Please Pl
J e f f e r s o n C h r i s t i a n A c a d e m y ~ 1 5 0 0 H e r i t a g e P l a c e D r i ve ~ B i r m i n gh a m , A L 3 5 2 1 0
www.jcaweb.net
205-956-9111 (phone)
2 0 5 - 9 5 6 - 9 5 0 8 ( fa x)
Mission Statement
With God's guidance, Jefferson
Christian Academy will
cultivate and maintain an
environment where the student
is nurtured and challenged to
realize his/her potential in
spiritual maturity,
academic attainment, athletic
achievement and social and
emotional development.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1
JCA GOLF TOURNAMENT
2
SPIRITUAL EMPHASIS D AY
2
4
3
G RANDP ARENTS ’ DAY
3
JC A T ALENT SHOW
4
SPRING RETREAT
4
ELEMENTARY FIELD D AY
5-6
PRESIDENT’S DESK
7
L ADY E AGLES SOFTBALL
8
E ARLY LE ARNING CENTER
9
APRIL IN PICTURES
T H
GRADE TRIP
May 2015
1st– Grandparents’ Day (1/2 Day, No
Aftercare)
4th – Faulkner University Dual
Enrollment Parents Night
5th – Yearbook Dedication
5th – Sports Banquet
6th - 8th – Senior Final Exams
7th - 8th – 5th Grade Trip Chattanooga
11th - 12th – 8th Grade Trip Atlanta
11th - 15th – Senior Trip
14th – Preschool Program & K4
Graduation
18th – Middle/High Awards
18th - 22nd – 2nd Semester Exams
21st – Elementary Awards
21st – Last Day of School (1/2 Day, No
Aftercare)
21st – Senior Graduation
A Great Day at Castle Pines for the
19th Annual Jefferson Christian
Academy Invitational Golf
Tournament!
Great fun, food and fellowship was had by all who joined in for our 19th
Annual Jefferson Christian Academy Invitational Golf Tournament
Thursday, April 23rd, at Castle Pines Country Club. Congratulations to
our 1st Place Team: Ben Boyd, Lee Bradley, Nathan Bradley and Kevin
Vernazza. We would also like to congratulate our 2nd and 3rd place teams
along with the winners of all contests.
This tournament was a success because of its sponsors. We would like to
thank Bryan L. Parker, CPA, LLC, IBML, Alabama Orthopaedic
Surgeons, Superock Block, Logan’s Roadhouse, Moore Construction,
Pigskin BBQ, Pepsi, Leeds Family Eye Care, Dewey Barber Chevrolet,
Dewey and Gail Barber, Tri-Counties Heating & Air, and all of our
Individual Sponsors.
A special thanks to our volunteers: Mrs. Gina Mann, Mrs. Julie Kizer,
Mrs. Cheryl Jones, Mrs. Kristi Bryant, Mrs. Amy Burch, Miss Ashlee
Bradley, Miss Olivia Champion, Miss Taylor Mann, Miss Lindlee Moon,
Miss Ashlei Smith, Miss Jenna Taggart and Mr. Dale Stripling.
The JCA Golf Tournament is one of four major fundraising events that
helps keep tuition affordable at JCA and support the continued
advancement of the Academy.
First place team: Kevin Vernazza,
Ben Boyd, Nathan Bradley and
Lee Bradley.
A beautiful day at Castle Pines
Country Club.
Page 2
Eagle Newsletter
2015 Spiritual Emphasis Day
Spiritual Emphasis Day 2015 was a huge success. We had a great time dedicating
the entire day to enriching our lives spiritually. We were blessed to start the day
with a great keynote lesson from Richard O’Connor from the Saks Church of
Christ in Anniston, Alabama. He did an awesome job talking about the “Good,
Bad, and Ugly of Life” and how Jesus is there with us through all of those times.
We then broke off into class sessions that were taught by some incredible
teachers. The classes taught were: “Focus on the Savior” by Phil Baus from the
Scenic Hills Church of Christ in Pensacola, Florida, “Freedom from Sin” by Rene
Zeringue, the Youth Minister at the Ohatchee Church of Christ, “Facing Self” by
Malvin Sanders, the Youth Minister at the Highland Church of Christ in
Columbia, Tennessee and “Fighting Satan” by Andrew Kingsley from the
Ashville Road Church of Christ.
We also had two girls classes taught about “Rahab” by Renee Galloway from the
Ashville Road Church, as well as “The Woman at the Well” by the W.I.N.G.S
group from Faulkner University.
We want to give a big thanks to Faulkner University for providing lunch for this
special day. We then were treated to a great performance by Cornerstone from
Faulkner. As always, Spiritual Emphasis Day gives us a chance to completely
focus on our lives with God and how much He loves us.
4th Grade Visits Our State Capitol
Miss Shoemaker’s fourth grade class visited Montgomery on Thursday, April 9th, to enhance their yearlong study of
Alabama history. Each year the fourth grade visits our beautiful State Capitol to experience Alabama’s history in a
meaningful way.
This year the students enjoyed a tour of the Alabama State Capitol, the First
White House of the Confederacy, the Alabama Department of Archives and
History, and Old Alabama Town.
At the Capitol building students learned about some of our governors and
viewed the amazing twin spiral staircases. The students had fun exploring
Jefferson Davis’ home, searching for signature features of the historic
building. Perhaps one of the highlights of the trip was learning about the
early way of life in 19th century Alabama at Old Alabama Town.
Students visited a blacksmith, cotton gin, and print shop. They also learned
about the time-consuming process of spinning and weaving. They were
impressed that people in the 1800s only owned two sets of clothes!
At the end of the day, the students were worn out from a fun-filled
educational experience.
Page 3
Eagle Newsletter
Elementary Celebrates Grandparents’ Day
On Friday, May 1st, the elementary students entertained their grandparents and other family members with a
performance entitled “LEGENDS.” From the spectacular opener, when all elementary students filed into the
auditorium singing “Sir Duke” by Stevie Wonder, to the touching closing song, “Forever Young” by Rod Stewart,
each moment of the show was entertaining.
Elementary art and music enrichment teacher, Jenni Brooks, planned the show to demonstrate the seven musical
genres the students have studied during this semester. K4 classes performed Jazz songs; kindergarten classes
performed Folk songs; 1st graders performed Country/Western songs; 2nd graders performed a Blues song; 3rd
graders performed Rock songs; 4th graders performed a Rap song; and 5th graders performed Pop songs. The 5th
graders also did a wonderful job narrating the entire show.
Through the process of practicing and performing the show, elementary students enjoyed learning about the legendary
“greats” from all genres of music. Grandparents were already familiar with these legends including: Duke Ellington,
Woody Guthrie, Roy Acuff, Elvis Presley, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, and many others. During the
performance, toes were tapping, and heads were bobbing in the audience. Thank you to all who came!
JCA’s Got Talent!
The 2nd Annual “JCA’s Got Talent” was held on Friday, April 17th. We enjoyed watching several students showcase
their talents this year. One of our 6th graders, Morgan Wormely, took home 1st place and brought the house down
with her acapella rendition of “Wings”. Talents ranged from vocals, to instruments, to both!
A new addition to the talent show this year was the “lip sync” portion. Since there was only one student, Jay North, to
sign up for this area, Mrs. Taggart challenged Mr. Henry to a Lip Sync dual. Although both sides entertained and
fought hard, it was Mr. Henry’s lip sync of “Firework” that stole the show.
When asked how she felt about losing, Mrs. Taggart replied, “You can’t beat a guy dancing around like a girl!”
We can’t wait until next year’s talent show when the battle will continue. A special thanks to all the students and their
special talents.
2015 First Place:
Morgan Wormley
2015 Second Place:
Rachel Muncher & Paige Watson
2015 Third Place:
Matthew Murray
Page 4
Eagle Newsletter
2015 High School Spring Retreat
On April 24th and 25th, the High School classes returned to Camp NeyA-Ti in Guntersville, Alabama for their annual Spring Retreat.
The theme this year was “Prince of Peace”. Coach John Bryan
O’Connor and Andrew Kingsley, youth minister of the Ashville Road
Church of Christ, presented three outstanding lessons on how to find
peace in our lives.
Students enjoyed spending time with each other, fishing, playing ball
and participating in our annual kickball game!
We want to thank all of the students who took time out of their
schedules to join us on this retreat.
2015 Elementary Field Day
Friday, April 24th was the JCA Annual Elementary Field Day. This year’s theme was “Everything Dr. Seuss”. It
was a “Great Day for Up” as the students bounced around on the moonwalk. At the “Go Dog Go!” station, they
raced each other (teachers and students) in the 50 yard dash. The students tested their balancing skills like “Cat in
the Hat”. Everyone also got to enjoy “Barbaloot Bears”, “Humming Fish” and “Hop-on Pop” ice sticks at the “Seuss
Snacks” station.
We would like to thank Mrs. Brooks, Mrs. Baker and all our parent volunteers for making this field day a success!
The students look forward to this day each year. While we had to reschedule the original date due to weather, we
could not have asked for a more beautiful day!
Eagle Newsletter
Page 5
From the President’s Desk
Partnerships - Part Two Partnership – the relationship between two or more people that are involved in the same activity – North American
English Dictionary
Partnership – the state of being a partner: participation – Merriam Webster Dictionary
Have you ever thought about how many partnerships we enter into as we go about our daily lives? Some of course
stand out more than others, business partnerships for instance, but each day we enter into numerous situations where
we ARE involved in, and participating in, the same activity as other people.
Do you eat out? When we cross the threshold of an eatery, of any type, we enter into a form of partnership in which we
are involved, through participation, with others. For our part we have certain expectations, namely, high-quality
flavorsome food and good service. The proprietor expects you will enjoy your meal, pay for it and come back often.
Let’s face it; no restaurant is open to serve one time only diners. The server expects that their good service will be
rewarded with a gratuity. All of this is built on understood, yet un-spoken, expectations and trust. If a single person in
the partnership fails to live up to those expectations – the trust will be lost and the partnership will fail. The restaurant
owner loses a customer, the server does not receive a gratuity, you leave unhappy. The best solution in this situation is
usually open communication with the manager as anger and disrespect won’t help you meet your goal of a good meal
out.
Everyone has day to day unwritten, but understood, partnerships which, as in the example above, can disappoint. Many
articles are written on “Why Partnerships Fail”. These works detail what caused the breakdown and ultimately the
dissolution of something which had, in the past, worked to the benefit of all participants involved. Usually the loss of
trust, differing or misunderstanding of expectations, poor or no communication, unrealistic goals, emotions and/or
unresolved issues become the cause of the conclusion.
When we look at the formula for success please remember that in the Educational Partnership there are four legs, or
partners, the student, the parent/guardians, the teacher and the school administration. All partners must understand that
the main goal is the enrichment and support of the educational environment of the student/s, and must be committed to
involvement in an ongoing partnership.
Successful Partnerships Must Have:
Trust - Trust is the foundation, an essential ingredient for any type of successful partnership, whether personal,
business or in education. Trust is built through consistency and must be demonstrated day by day. Trust between the
teachers, administration, students and parents enables collaboration and contribution in the educational process.
Without the trust of all four partners the proverbial stool of education will fail.
Communication – With trust as the foundation, communication is the cornerstone of all partnerships-- without it
nothing is accomplished. Ongoing dialogue between JCA, our faculty and administration and you, the parent/s, is so
important because it helps to reduce the risk of assumptions and encourages us to stay focused on our shared vision-the education of your child. At times there may be some miscommunication or disagreement, but an open line of
communication, free of emotions, will help us work through them more quickly.
Page 6
Eagle Newsletter
Shared Expectations, Priorities and Objectives – A smart psychology professor once summed all of this up in a few
words, “always be on the same page, which requires knowing what page your partner is on”.
All partners have expectations and the failure, or perceived failure, on the part of the other to meet the expectations, as
in the restaurant example, commonly leads to the dissolution of the accord.
Expectations and objectives must be realistic and the priorities in which they will be accomplished must be understood
by everyone involved in the partnership.
(To be continued)
Note: I hope by doing the research, and writing this series of articles, I will learn ways in which I can improve
myself as a person and the partnerships between JCA and the students and parents we serve.
“… and they shall
mount up on wings
like Eagles…”
Isaiah 40:31
Eagle Newsletter
Page 7
Lady Eagles Softball
The first few weeks of the 2015 season were slow.
Practices were held in the gym and several games
were cancelled due to rain. Once the rain subsided,
we finally had the opportunity to play, and play we
did!
I am proud of our Lady Eagles accomplishments in
the limited time we had for this season. The girls
won the 1A Area 8 Tournament, qualifying for the
Sub Regionals in Troy where they advanced to the
final 4.
I am looking forward to next season. We will be
losing one Senior, Brynne Culverhouse, but expect
great things from the returning players for the 2016
season.
Coach Monosky
Top row: Coach Monosky, Ashley Tucker, Ashlee Bradley, Taylor Mann,
Karlee Johnson, Emma Pugh, Jodie Monosky, Brynne Culverhouse, Jill
Taggart, Vanessa Njuguna, Morgan Cleveland, Coach Chandler. Bottom
row: Allison Taylor, Jesse Morris, Marley Glenn, Assistant Morgan
Galloway
Page 8
Eagle Newsletter
JCA
Early Learning Center
The Butterflies are sweet friends.
Babies
All the Bumblebees say hello!
Crawlers
The Owls love Earth Day!
K3
Those silly Caterpillars!
Toddlers
Fireflies planting flowers for Earth
Day.
K2
Page 9
Eagle Newsletter
April in Pictures