Category: SGA Newsletter

More Students, More Ministry!

Free Preschool
Promising Kids march near the Center City campus.

In January 2017, Spring Garden Academy welcomed nearly 60 new preschool students  into our  school family. God has shown His favor by allowing the City of Philadelphia to select Spring Garden Academy as one of the designated early childhood education providers for the PHLPrek initiative. Through the PHLPrek Initiative our school is able to proudly provide free preschool to underserved families in our communities.

Furthermore, this expansion has not only translated into more students, but also more employment opportunities for our community. And as the socioeconomic impact of this initiative continues to unfold, we also see God’s divine plan unfolding.

Ultimately, when God placed these new students and their families in our care, He certainly gave us a unique ministry opportunity. We can invest in even more young leaders for the city of Philadelphia and beyond. Please continue to pray for our school family as it grows!

To learn more about Spring Garden Academy visit our website!

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Upcoming Open House Dates

Employment Opportunities

About us

Spring Garden Academy is a Christian private school that serves families in the Spring Garden and Tioga communities. We are committed to offering a quality, affordable education that integrates a Christian worldview and prepares each child to become a leader in the family, church and community.

Our mission

To partner with families to provide quality care and a Christian education to Philadelphia’s children—including those who are most at risk— in an environment designed to meet the needs of children in all areas of development — physical, intellectual, social, emotional, creative and spiritual.

We provide

APRIL 2016 NEWSLETTER

ART THAT UPLIFTS THE COMMUNITY

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March was National Youth Art Month! Thus SGA students decided to use their artistic talents to give back to the community. Students at both campuses created handmade cards filled with motivational scriptures, affirmations, and quotes.

Afterwards, students hand-delivered their cards to two senior centers, Spring Garden Senior Center and Mercy Neighborhoods Community Center. Additionally, cards were also delivered to patients at Temple Hospital.

Of course, this was all made possible through the help of our office staff, after school teachers as well as coordinators within local community centers.

TELL PEOPLE ABOUT JESUS

Psalm 96:3 says, “Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.”

In March, our students learned the importance of spreading the gospel. Several missionaries visited our school to tell our students about their work around the world. During these visits our students learned that anyone can be a missionary by simply telling people about Jesus.

Then— within a two week time-period—our students raised close to $400 dollars to donate towards our national children’s missions giving project, BGMC. The funds will buy printed materials for children as well as church plants around the world.

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APRIL 11 th – APRIL 15th WEEK OF THE YOUNG CHILD

An annual celebration sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) celebrating early learning, young children, their teachers and families.

THE WONDERS OF TEACHING

IMG_1008Being an educator can be a rewarding yet difficult profession. One’s days are filled with smiles and laughs, but sometimes difficulties and frustrations arise. Mr. Tom Strube, SGA’s lead kindergarten teacher, recently took a moment to reflect on how he came to love teaching and the wonders that his years in the classroom have brought into his life.

Initially, Mr. Tom’s desire to work with children was inspired by his high school math teacher, who oddly went by a similar name (Tom Struble).

Mr. Tom speaks on his teaching experience, “I think one of the most rewarding things about teaching is seeing the transformation in students’ lives. I mean ultimately I know that it is God that’s steering them through the course of their lives, but to be a part of that is incredible.”

Every day, Mr. Tom works to mold his kindergarteners into thinking, caring, helpful individuals. Mr. Tom’s joy is visible through his work. He is one of the first staff members to arrive and his energy spreads throughout our school. In his class everyone is a scientist, an artist, an explorer, an inventor, a musician, and most of all a friend.

Even on the challenging days, he still maintains a positive attitude. “One of the most challenging things about teaching is laying down your pride to become more understanding of the children. Also, speaking the truth to the students in love can be hard. I find myself on certain days still having to vocalize that though I am upset or hurt by their behavior, I still love them unconditionally.”

Ultimately, he knows that filling his classroom with the love and forgiveness of Jesus is the best way to build a safe and productive learning environment.

LOOKING AHEAD
4/11 – 4/15 Week of the Young Child
4/11 – 4/15 Scholastic Book Fair
4/15 1st to 8th grade Poetry Recital
Pre-k/K Parent Breakfast
17th and Tioga:  4/12, 8:30-9:30
18th and Spring Garden: 4/14, 8:30-9:30
FAMILY FUN NIGHT 
April 15th, 6 – 9 pm!
Join US!

MARCH 2016 NEWSLETTER

Inspired by History

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In February, our children learned about significant black figures in American history who helped pave the way for freedom, success, and equality for all people in America.

Our 1st and 2nd grade class took a special interest in learning about Booker T Washington, the Tuskegee Airmen, and George Washington Carver.

One student, Katie, was fascinated with the Tuskegee Airmen and the planes the pilots flew during WWII. “She asked so many questions about the specialized planes and aviators. I was surprised at how excited she was. Maybe she’ll be a pilot one day,” said our 1st/2nd grade teacher, Ms. Zorana.

The kids also loved learning about all the things George Washington Carver invented. They couldn’t believe how many ways he manipulated the peanut. Their enthusiasm made us believe that the next great inventor may possibly be among us.

Cultural Exploration

IMG_0085IMG_0092In order to gain a more in-depth understanding of ancient cultures, this month our students went on two educational field trips

At the start of the month, our 7th and 8th graders visited the Penn Museum to view exhibits of ancient artifacts and learn more about the importance of archaeology in the process of documenting history.

All students also learned about ancient and modern day Israel which led to a great field trip to the Jewish American History Museum for the 3rd-8th grades. The students especially enjoyed the field trip because they were able to connect the Bible to many of the cultural exhibits they observed. We have many more exciting trips planned for March!

“If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.”
Booker T. Washington

Daily Commitments

Each morning the Kindergarteners at SGA start off their day by making a daily commitment. Mr. Tom, with the help of his students, created four important commitments that the entire class tries to honor; the commitments are, to keep control of your body, talk in an inside voice, use words first, and be a friend to everyone.

The students try to keep all four, but every day each student makes a commitment to focus a little extra on one. “I was so proud of my kindergarteners because even when I tried to speed through the day and skip over daily commitments, they were adamant about making them,” Mr. Tom explained.

The commitments have been making a visible difference in the lives of our students. They are learning self-control, integrity, and kindness. They have been drawing closer to Jesus.

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We Are a Family

Spring Garden Academy places a lot of emphasis on building a family structure within our classrooms and throughout the entirety of our school. So when the children heard that one of our long-time staff members, Ms. Becky, would be moving to Oklahoma in order to be closer to family, February became a month of farewell celebrations.

For many of the preschool and after school children at Highway, Ms. Becky has been known as the first face to greet each child in the morning and parents in the afternoon.

The children made her cards, parents and staff gave her gifts, and we took so many pictures as a way to keep Ms. Becky with us even in her absence. She will always be a member of the SGA family.

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LOOKING AHEAD

• March – June, Girls on the Run
• March 7th-11th, Missions Week
• March 18th, JAM Night at RLC
• March 23rd-24th, Fine Arts Districts

 

JANUARY 2016 NEWSLETTER

FORMING RELATIONSHIPS WITH GOD

micahelSpring Garden Academy (SGA) brought in the New Year with a commitment to pray, and ever since then our children have been eager to hold conversations with God. Micahel, a preschooler at 18th and Spring Garden, is learning to pray.

After undergoing many life changes, Micahel came to our school last summer. When he started, he would often isolate himself from his peers. However, this past month Micahel has been learning to talk to God. Recently, even though Micahel was the youngest in the group, he boldly volunteered to pray for everyone in the room. It was a beautiful moment that showed our school family just how wonderful God’s power can                                       –Lauren Morgan

 SCRABBLE (ASAP)

On January 20th, our 3rd-8th grade students competed in the After School Activities Partnership (ASAP) city-wide Scrabble tournament, located at the IMG_2415Philadelphia School District building. Two of our students, Elijah and Aniya, won best winter word, and many of our children won multiple rounds. Ms. Se, SGA’s lead out-of-school-time teacher, commented on how friendly some of our children were. “Makayla displayed great sportsmanship. She introduced herself to her opponents and was very friendly and out-going even though most of the competitors were being a bit closed.” We are proud of our children for a job well done!

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Playing Scrabble is a fun, hands-on way for our children to build reading, vocabulary, dictionary, and even math skills. Scrabble club will continue this spring.

 “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I may remember. Involve me and I learn.” –Benjamin Franklin

A DAY OF SERVICE (MLK DAY)

IMG_2309Martin Luther King Day is a day to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through service. This year the kindergartners and preschoolers at our Tioga location created a “justice and acts of kindness” wall, where they posted positive and uplifting messages and pictures. Students also made a peace flower and “helping hands” wreath with Ms. Maris as she explained the history of the Civil Rights Movement and the importance of MLK day. Finally, the children completed an in-school service project by helping our 6th-8th grade teacher, Ms. Bridget, clean the library. It was a fun and informative day.

JBQ, A SEASON TO REMEMBER 

As the 2015-2016 season of Junior Bible Quiz comes to an end we would like to congratulate all the participants for such a spectacular season. Many students came a long way. Malaysia, a 2nd grader in Ms. Zorana’s class, practiced diligently, soared, and became one of our best quizzers, quizzing out at several meets and coming in 5th place overall.

Joshua, a 2nd grade student, was also another quizzer who shined, coming in 2nd place among the quizzers. His mother Michele commented:

“Going into Bible quizzing I really didn’t know what to expect. Joshua was nervous, but after the first meet I saw how he hungered for that knowledge. He has excelled beyond what I could have ever hoped for. I am blessed to know he’s learning God’s Word, and he’s also learning team work and confidence in trying new things.” –Michele Singh

We take extra joy in knowing that our children are being overtaken by the word
of God. We can’t wait until next season!IMG_2240