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