Open House, Grades PK-12

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

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.

 

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

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

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!