Friday, December 23, 2011

Celebrating Christmas

     I remember my first Christmas at DLES.  I was walking down the hall one morning before many students had arrived.  Not all ceiling lights had been turned on allowing the lights on the tree to glow even brighter, and below the tree was a set of tiny bells playing beautiful songs of the season.  I was overcome with such peace as I thought about how thankful I was for my own children and so many other students to be in a place so full of joy and truth.
     To be perfectly clear, there has been no shortage of joy over this Christmas season at DLES.  It began with our fourth grade chorus joining all Lipscomb choruses, Campus School through University, and performing with Amy Grant and guests for Lipscomb University's annual, Lighting of the Green:
Next came Polar Express Day complete with the conductor, a viewing of the movie, dancing teachers serving hot chocolate, and, of course, creative writing pieces to cap off the experience:

What is Christmas without Santa?  Campus School Headmaster, Dr. Mike Hammond, made his annual appearance as the jolly ol' St. Nick to help put Pre-K and Kindergarten in the spirit:
Parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents were given stellar performances, including Orff ensembles, a capella arrangements, scripture memorization and traditional and modern holiday works, by pre-first through fourth graders on Grandparents' Day:
There's nothing better than the last half-day of school before break... homemade goods, parents, and parties galore:



And nothing beats our Christmas sing-a-long tradition that follows morning Chapel:

It's because of such, DLES is full of spirit, love, and excitement for learning, and we are so thankful for the hundreds of educators, staff, students and families who make it so.  From our "house" to yours, we wish you the merriest Christmas ever, with love! 

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Elementary News - November

Elementary News
November, 2011

We are approaching a season of the year when events, activities, and requirements in all areas of family life can cause stress and take away joy.  As I was working this week to gather all the information you need to navigate the wonderful offerings we have upcoming during this semester, I realized how overwhelming this must seem to parents of young children. I never want what we’re offering here at school to take precedence over what is good for your family. 

We are busy here at DLES, perhaps more excited and busier than we usually are in November and December. I hope you can take a breath, say a prayer of thanks to the One who made us, and look forward with a discerning eye to the opportunities set before your family. 

Thank you, parents, for supporting our programs and our teachers here at Lipscomb. We know your insight, your understanding, and your support as we move forward are key components to the success of our school. It is with thanks to you and thanks to the Father that I enter this busy time of year, knowing that the ultimate goal here is to educate, inspire, and nurture children.

May the Lord bless you and keep you,
Sharon Farmer
Elementary Principal

The Stephens Gift:
Last week at the Lipscomb University Associates Gala, Dr. Lowry announced that a donation of $10,000,000 has been given to the Campus School by long-time Lipscomb supporters Neika and Bill Stephens, through the Stephens Christian Trust. We have spent the past year planning and dreaming for the future of our school, and this gift makes possible many of the programs and facilities we have planned. As details unfold for our updated and new facilities, you will be hearing more information. We ask for prayers and your input as decisions are made. Many of our students have been writing thank-you letters to Mr. and Mrs. Stephens. I’m amazed by the mature and spirit-filled children you are rearing. Thank you for sharing them with us.

Annual Fund: Letters have recently been mailed to Campus School families detailing this year’s annual
fund goal. We hope you will be prayerful as you consider your role in Lipscomb’s future.

Disney Planet Challenge: Our third grade team of teachers, along with our science lab coordinator Ginger Reasonover, has entered the Disney Planet Challenge. This is a nationwide initiative encouraging environmental education and community environmental projects. Since DLES is a Performer Level Green School, this initiative is a “natural” as we educate our students. Our students are studying the effects of the improper disposal of medications on our water and soil. With the help of the Lipscomb University Pharmacy School, students are running tests on soil and water and documenting results. Our students will be holding a Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Day on Tuesday, November 15th from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Their flier is the 3rd page of this newsletter. Please help us recycle hazardous materials properly. Bring your recyclables next Tuesday to the front of the elementary building.

News and Notes:
  • Congratulations to our second through fourth graders who participated in Jump Rope for Heart on Friday, Nov. 4th. They raised approximately $9,000 for the American Heart Association.
  • Congratulations to our fourth grade chorus members who were chosen by audition to participate in the MTVA Honors Chorus: Lydia Guertin, Annabel Williams, and Sydney Willamson.
  • Thank you for your positive response to the adjustments we had to make due to the Granny White Pike road closure for the past month. We appreciate your flexibility.
  • This is the time of year when our students sign up to run in the April 27th ING Kids Marathon. You have received registration information from Belle Cromwell and Melanie Grogan by e-mail. Last year we had about 130 runners. The cost is $25 per participant if you register before December 31st. The race will fill up quickly.
  • Remember that you can order talent show and first grade play pictures from Scott Ellis, the school photographer. Go to his website: http://www.scottellisphoto.com/. Enter the gallery “Lipscomb.”
  • Fourth graders and their parents enjoyed Pioneer Day yesterday, planned by our fourth grade team. We began the morning in chapel with Bob Wood, one of our members of the Board of Directors, talking to our P-1st through 4th graders about pioneers in the Bible—Abraham and Sarah, Moses, Joseph—people who went into a new land, trusting God to lead them to a better place, making the journey easier for the people coming behind them. This was a marvelous day of hands-on integrated learning!
Dates to Remember:

Tues., Nov. 15 Hazardous Materials Community Drop-Off, Elementary Campus
Thurs., Nov. 17 DLES Thanksgiving Lunch
Nov. 21-25 Thanksgiving Holidays, No School, No Extended Day
Tues., Nov. 29 Lighting of the Green at Lipscomb University
Dec. 14, 15 Pre-First through Fourth Grade Grandparent Days
Dec. 15, 16 DLES half-days
Dec. 19 – Jan. 3 Christmas Holidays, No School
Wed., January 4 Students return to school

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Open House, Grades PK-12

Come and see what David Lipscomb Campus School is all about!  It's this Sunday... don't miss it!

Monday, November 7, 2011

DLES Third Grade - Impacting their community, taking care of the earth!

Third graders help coordinate one-stop drop-off for green-minded consumers on Nov. 15

 

As part of an annual study of earth science issues, the David Lipscomb Elementary School third graders are studying this month the negative effects of medications that get into landfills and the water supply. The students will cap off their study by coordinating a household and e-waste collection on Tuesday, Nov. 15, America Recycles Day, at the elementary school.
 
Throwing away trash used to be a simple operation. But today with more awareness of the damaging effects of mercury, lead and arsenic on the environment, throwing out household trash – including light bulbs, batteries or old electronics -- has become much more complicated with various items having to be disposed of in various locations around town.
 
And now with more than 100 different pharmaceuticals having been detected in lakes, rivers, reservoirs and streams throughout the world, disposal of expired and leftover prescription and over-the-counter drugs has become an important issue. Pharmacists recommend that many drugs be returned at only designated “take-back” locations, but they are not often easy to find.
 
At the Nov. 15 collection, held at the David Lipscomb Elementary School site, 4517 Granny White Pike, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., the third-graders will accept everything from old computer monitors to expired prescription drugs.
 
Acceptable items include various household waste items such as alkaline and rechargeable batteries, thermometers, fluorescent light bulbs and various recyclables; e-waste such as old VCRs, computers and TVs; and the Nashville Metropolitan Police Department will be on hand to accept expired and leftover prescription and over-the-counter medications.
 
For a complete list of items accepted – from electrical cords to cell phones – log on to events.lipscomb.edu and scroll down to the dates of the collections.
 
The third graders will be learning about medications and their effect on the environment by touring the Lipscomb University College of Pharmacy labs on Tuesday, Nov. 8, Wednesday, Nov. 9, and Thursday, Nov. 10. They will also visit a wastewater treatment facility, create a public service announcement and hand out information flyers on proper disposal of medications at the Wal-Mart south of Old Hickory Blvd. on Nolensville Road on Saturday, Nov. 12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
 
For years, pharmacists have instructed patients to flush leftover medications down the toilet, but now that practice is having ill effects on the nation’s water table, said Ginger Reasonover, the science laboratory coordinator at the elementary school, who has worked with the third graders to study the issue.
 
In March of 2008 the Associated Press found that 24 major metropolitan areas had trace amounts of drugs in their water supply, meaning at least 41 million Americans have tiny levels of drugs in their drinking water.
 
Some, but not all, pharmacies and police stations will take back drugs, but it’s hard to know which ones offer the service, Reasonover said, and other pharmacies offer the option to return leftover drugs through the mail, but at a cost.
 
Patients have long been encouraged to dispose of their leftover medications immediately because of the need to protect children from accidental poisonings and to discourage patients self-medicating with antibiotics and thus increasing their resistance to the drugs.
 
But now that the Environmental Protection Agency has identified more than 100 individual pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the nation’s drinking water, simply flushing them can do more harm than good.
 
In an experiment in the school’s on-site garden, the third graders determined that throwing them away is also problematic, especially antibiotics, which can leech into the soil, making the soil antibiotic resistant. If crops are grown on that soil and we eat those plants, we also have the possibility to become more resistant to antibiotics, Reasonover said.
 

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Fourth Grade Talent Show - Another Star-Studded Event

Last Friday our fourth graders performed for a packed gymnasium of parents and adoring elementary school fans. I love this event! It reminds me of the lazy summer days of childhood when my friends and I would dress up in our parents’ clothes, hang a bedspread over the clothesline and perform for each other.


Our philosophy here at DLES has been that our children need to be the ones to prepare for this performance, provide their props and costumes, and rehearse until they are ready to show their “stuff.” Ms. Collins and Ms. Harris audition the acts and choose those best-prepared. They provide some structure to the presentation, a program, and the piano. They let the children have one rehearsal in the gym. They choose the acts that are ready to go. The results are always surprising. We find children who have lovely singing voices, talents in dance, acting, and even drawing.

Childhood is about discovery, about finding out what talents lie within. Sometimes the students who may struggle with an academic subject far outshine the others in performing talent. God’s gifts to us are many and varied. Celebrate the successes of your children.  They want you to delight in them. 
 
Sharon Farmer, DLES Principal

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

The future is bright!

Parents,

As we move rapidly through this new school year, I want to share with you the plans that continue to move forward in the Campus School, because it will impact the high quality experience your children will have at Lipscomb. We began this school year differently with Quantum Learning Training in levels one and two for teachers and administrators to bring us up to date on the latest research and strategies for teaching, learning, and critical thinking. We are already looking forward to levels three and four of Quantum Learning later this year.

Several other initiatives are moving forward that you need to know about as well. The following initiatives are in planning stages:
  • An early childhood focus for Pre-K and Kindergarten to parallel recommendations from NAEYC.
  • Develop a Pre-K through 12th grade plan for building technology skills applicable to post secondary study.
  • Create some new special programming or "academies" at the high school level in collaboration with the university.
  • Launching the Olweus Anti-bullying program campus wide in January. Some elements have already been implemented.
  • Enhancing our service learning program as a third major pillar of spiritual formation to emphasize service to others as a key component to living in the image of Jesus Christ. The first two pillars are embedded in daily Bible study and chapel.
  • A comprehensive study of all extracurricular programs for elementary through high school to know what else could be offered and how they might be funded.
  • An in-depth review of our facilities and develop a plan for our needs over the next ten years. This will also involve capital planning to address these needs.
Committees of faculty, administration, and members of the 2020 Leadership Council will work together this year to make these plans and dreams become a reality for your children. Lipscomb is a wonderful school with exciting new plans for the future. God has richly blessed us with many wonderful families represented by 1323 students this year.


Dr. Michael Hammond,


Headmaster

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Lipscomb (and George) Go to Vienna


Mrs. Lankford's second graders are excited to share the Vienna Experience with 28 Lipscomb University students from now through December. "George," the class mascot, is traveling to Vienna, Austria for the fall semester with LU students participating in the study abroad program. Mrs. Lankford's students will be corresponding with university students as they travel throughout Europe learning about different cultures, languages, and landscapes. Elementary students will be recording and graphing miles traveled and hearing about the region's different foods, famous sites, and fun facts. Elementary students have been arriving each morning, anxious to check email, hoping to hear of daily adventures from George and his experiences!

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

It's Easy Being Green


Hard to imagine we were sweltering just a few short days ago as we now enjoy the beginning of our second day of cool, crisp relief... though the near-100-degree temps last Friday didn't keep the crowd down from Second Grade's, Frog and Toad Picnic. Moms and dads, grandparents, aunts and uncles joined their kiddos for a hoppin' good time at the annual event celebrating the students' study of one of nature's most intriguing cold-blooded creatures. From the examination of metomorphosis in Science to completing the entire Frog and Toad collection in Reading, DLES second graders had a lot of new information to share with loved ones about the enchanting amphibians.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

My... how you've grown!


As hard as it is to believe, we are now officially two weeks into the new school year 2011-12. We have had an exciting time of catching up on summer adventures and realizing the changes we have all gone through in just a matter of months. Many of our students have gotten taller, braver and, of course, smarter! Our teachers have taken part in campus-wide training in multiple new initiatives, increasing their ability to impact the children even more. And we are so humbled by the fact that in spite of recent economic downturn, our PK-12th grade campus continues to increase in numbers, allowing us to serve an even greater number of students, a true, true blessing. At DLCS, you can find growth taking place everywhere you turn, and for that we are so very thankful. We hope you'll enjoy this year's journey with us... it's gonna be a good one!

Thursday, July 28, 2011

DLES Highlights 2010-11

It might be hard to believe, but we only have a few more days and we'll be back in full swing! To rev us back up, I thought it might be fun to look at some highlights of last year. We're looking forward to seeing everyone on Registration Day, August 11th!

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Thursday, May 19, 2011

Finishing Strong

I think I probably did my first dissection lab in high school... certainly not before middle school, but with so many wonderful resources at our disposal, and a one-of-a-kind connection to a booming university, our fourth graders were able to complete their study of animals under the direction of Lipscomb University's, Tamera Klingbyll. There were a few turned up noses to the idea of opening up Silver Shimmers to investigate what was inside, but it didn't take long before every student was engaged and intrigued by the remarkable ways in which God creates.

Our fourth graders - soon-to-be-middle-schoolers - only have a handful of days left on our campus before they venture a little further north to the main campus where a myriad of wonderful adventures await them. They have been great leaders for this school during the 2010-2011 school year, they are continuing to learn in these last days, and they are most certainly finishing strong!

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Challenging Students, Changing Lives

Whether a parent, school faculty/staff member, an alum, or student, this makes one proud to be a part of the David Lipscomb family. Look for more videos to come!

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Our Youngest Paint Kandinsky and Monet



Spring is here, and there is no better welcome than to stroll through our pre-kindergarten and kindergarten common area, soak up the sun through the skylights, and admire the beautiful works of art our youngest have produced. Both Monet and Kandinsky are wonderfully represented by pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students. Ms. Harper, DLES Art Teacher, believes in teaching students not only about the mechanics of art, but the process. It is quite common to find DLES students working on artistic projects for weeks at a time, learning what commitment to quality truly requires... a lifelong skill our children will use for years to come.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Beyond School Hours


What takes place during school hours is extremely important, of course. But DLES also knows parents need opportunities for their children after school as well. Our Extended Day program offers families the ability to work their full day while their students participate in options beyond school hours. Extended Day is available until 5:30 every day and allows children time for outside play, art studio time, gym time, and more. Additionally, students can also be a part of enrichment options after school such as our music academy (PK-4 grades) and our newest offering, chess club (2-4 grades), pictured here.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Calling All Interested Families


We are growing ever-closer to January 29th, David Lipscomb Elementary School's Admissions Testing Day. All families who have applied through January 28th will be invited to be a part of the activities on the 29th, so that we have the opportunity to spend time with applying students and make determinations regarding placements for the 2011-2012 school year. If you, or someone you know, is interested in being a part of DLES, please contact us today to find out more. We don't want you to miss out!

Jennifer Green, Elementary Admissions/Guidance
966-6320 or jennifer.green@lipscomb.edu