First Grade Goes to Walden Farm

It might have been a cold day, but a sunny one no less!  And you couldn't keep our first graders from enjoying it all... pumpkins, hayrides, farm animals, corn mazes - discovery at its best!   Check out Mrs. Woodard's class and see, first-hand, the joy of learning!

Star or Hero?

Star or Hero?

Do you want your child to be a star? Or is being a hero what matters most? Between the two, I choose hero. If my boys become stars, that’s fine, too. But that is not my ultimate goal for them. Here at Lipscomb Academy we understand that not everyone can be a star, but we want all of our students to become heroes; and there is plenty of opportunity for everyone to be heroic. As a part of this effort, weekly we recognize students who have displayed Christ-like Character. Christ-like character is defined in the acrostic below:

Over the past two weeks:

A second grade student was recognized for his Service. This boy worked around his grandfather’s house to earn money to give to Paola, a Honduran child whom his class is sponsoring.

A third grade girl was honored for showing Perseverance. Her teacher said, “She always gives her best in all that she does.”

A first grade boy was applauded for being a great Friend. He graciously helped a hurt classmate on the playground. He stopped what he was doing to check on the child and help him up.

A fourth grade student was acknowledged for her Responsibility. This student consistently brings her materials to class and is prepared daily to learn.

These students are recognized not as a side note, but as a main note. Character is essential for student success. In the most recent This American Life episode, (474: Back to School), Ira Glass asks Paul Tough, author of How Children to Succeed, “Why do some children succeed while others fail?” The conventional answer usually focuses on intelligence: success comes to those who score highest on tests, from preschool admissions to SATs. But Tough argues that the qualities that matter most have more to do with character: skills like perseverance, curiosity, conscientiousness, optimism, and self control; and he uses science and current research to back it all up.

At Lipscomb Academy we believe that the social curriculum is as important as the academic curriculum. We recognize that social, emotional, and intellectual growth are very much intertwined and mutually reinforcing. Our teachers pay close attention to each child’s well being in all these areas to enable them to reach their full potential. True traction in math, language arts, or Spanish can only take place when children trust their community and feel free to take social and academic risks—share a poem with the class, collaborate on a project with a student who is not a friend, stand up for someone who is being called names, or choose a more difficult essay question.

So back to the original question: Do you want your child to be a star or a hero? Ed Hallowell did a good job of answering this question in his book Connect when he referenced the following “hero” story told to him by Rick Lavoie, the head of Riverview School:

One day I was sitting at a counter at a downtown Greenwich pizza parlor. I was splitting a small pepperoni pizza with my five-year-old son, Christian. As we sat there, I could not help but overhear the conversation among three teenage boys who were sitting in the booth directly behind us. They were dressed in tennis white and had obviously just returned from a morning at their fancy local tennis club. Two of the boys were discussing the faults and foibles of another boy, who was not in attendance. They criticized his tennis play, his mode of dress, and every aspect of his personality. The boy obviously suffered tremendous social isolation and rejection. They laughed as they regaled each other with stories of his various faults and failures.

At one point, one of the boys turned to the third boy, who had been silent during the discussion, and said, “None of us ever want to play with Mike. He’s such a nerd. But whenever the coach asks us to choose a partner for doubles, you always choose to play with Mike. Nobody likes Mike. Nobody will play with Mike. Why do you play with him?”

The third boy responded quietly, “That’s why I play with him.”

I looked over my shoulder at that courageous young man, and then I looked at my own son. My fondest hope at that moment was that my son would develop the strength of character and courage that that boy possessed. I hope that young man’s father knows how proud he should be of his son.

This story gets me every time I read it. My fondest hope is that all students at Lipscomb Academy learn to exercise the character of Christ in their daily lives, on the playground, in the cafeteria, on the ball field and even at home, so that they may become truly successful children of God.

Jonathan Sheahen ~ Elementary School Principal