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CONCORD CHRISTIAN SCHOOL

Volume 1, Issue 1 September, 2012

THE MANE EVENT

A Welcome Note from Dr. Patton...

Dear CCS School Family,

On the wall in my office is a picture of a man standing at the doorway of a

lighthouse while the North Sea is raging all around him. On this picture is a

verse of scripture, “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer,

My God, my strength, in whom I will trust” (Psalm 18:2). What a powerful

picture and a powerful verse from God’s Word!

This picture resonates into my soul as I think about your family. I realize that we serve the Lord

within a society that is placing great pressure on our children, our youth, and on our families.

My prayer for you is that you do or will recognize that the Lord is our Rock and our strength. I

pray that each CCS family will be found faithful in their walk with the Lord, and I pray that we

will be about His work partnering together in the education of the next generation of

students. Thank you for your prayers!

I also want to share a few highlights from the start of school, my first year at CCS. It

has been a delight to meet the students and families of our school. You may have heard

me called several names early this school year. They could be Dr. Patton, Dr. P, Dr.

Brain, or Mr. Brainy. While I am not sure about the brain or brainy part, that seems to

have stuck with some of our elementary students.

To reinforce the concept of living together in unity, to the elementary school students,

we did a short skit on body parts in our first ES chapel. I played the role of the brain,

and we held a little session trying to get the fingers, arms, knees, legs, etc. to all work

together. It was a cute skit and one that has a strong biblical application. The students

loved it and many have learned a nickname for their new Headmaster.

Thank you for your encouragement and for your prayers. We value each family and are here to

serve with your family in the Christian education of your children.

May you begin to see how God is at work in the life of our school as you read this, the first

MANE Event Newsletter of the school year.

Sincerely,

Dr. Patton

2012 Theme:

Unity in Christ

How good and

pleasant it is when

God’s people live

together

in unity!

Psalm 133:1

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From the Elementary Principal’s Desk...

The 2012-2013 school year has had a great start! It is always exciting to see the

children return after summer break, ready for another year of fun, learning, and

biblical integration. We are so blessed to have Dr. Patton with us as we begin

this new year. He brings with him over twenty years of Christian school experi-

ence as well as great leadership and spiritual guidance. We are all working side

by side to make CCS a wonderful school, and we are honored that you share your children

with us.

Concord Christian School saw a few changes in staff at the elementary level this year. Miss

Brooke Wilhoit, who taught third grade, has moved to fourth grade this year. You may

have also noticed that Miss Wilhoit is now Mrs. Bachand! She was married this summer to

Nick. Ms. Faris Lay was also married this summer. Her new name is Mrs. Dodson. Please

join our staff in praying blessings over these new marriages. Also, Mrs. Gay Lynn Alsop is

the new music/choir teacher for fifth grade through high school. Mrs. Alsop has many years

of teaching experience and looks forward to teaching general music and chorus to your fifth

grade children. Finally, Mr. Matthew Stephens has joined the CCS family as band director

for fifth grade through high school. Mr. Stephens graduated from Carson Newman College.

He brings excitement and vision to the band program.

I am blessed each day to get to visit classrooms. I have witnessed such creative, inspiring

teaching in each of our rooms. Kindergarten is busy learning all the rules of phonics, work-

ing on handwriting, and practicing memory verses. First grade has begun reading groups

and higher level math. Second grade is focusing on classical literature as well as studying

all about plants in science. Third grade used Oreos to show the phases of the moon. Fourth

grade is waiting on a new class addition… a lizard! The students are learning about ecosys-

tems and once they have researched and provided the proper ecosystem, their guest will

arrive. Fifth grade students are doing a novel study to help prepare them for their trip in

October to Tremont. These are some of the things that are going on daily in your child’s

classroom along with a strong biblical foundation and a love for our Lord and Savior. We

are so excited to have such wonderful students and parents at CCS and we look forward to

all the things that the Lord has in store for us this year. I would encourage each of you to

pray for our school, our staff and the students daily. Thank you again for allowing us the

privilege of working with your children.

Blessings,

Mrs. Leigh Ledet

UPCOMING FIELD TRIPS

October 3-5 Tremont (Grade 5)

October 8 Maple Lane Fa

rms (Grade 1)

ELEMENTARY 2012 THEME

“WE ARE ONE”

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Mrs. Edwards’, Ms. Hutson’s, and Mrs. Wantland’s Kinder-

garten students are off to a great start at CCS! In addition to

being with their teachers each day, they

have enjoyed seeing Ms. Loy, teacher’s

assistant, and Mrs. Hunt, student teacher

from Johnson University. They also have

been busy seeing friends again, making

new friends, and learning new routines.

Everyone is enjoying going to computer, Spanish, PE, Library, and Music

classes. Eating in the lunch room with friends is one of the highlights of

the day.

Students will learn a Bible verse for each letter of the alphabet this year as well as The

Lord’s Prayer, Psalm 23, Psalm 100, and John 3:16,17. The poem, “The Little Turtle” has

been learned, and we are now learning the poem, “Who Has Seen the Wind?”

Math is one of the favorite subjects in Kindergarten! The children

have enjoyed using the many different math manipulatives as they

discover math concepts. We have phonics every day, and look for-

ward to everyone beginning to read by Christmas! Our days are

busy with lots of fun, and we think we are off to a “Gold Medal”

year!

Fifth grade students are all buzzing about their upcoming field trip to Tremont

in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park! On October 3-5, our students and

teachers, along with many parent chaperones, will leave Knoxville to spend 3 days

learning about the ecology and environment of this wonderful national park. The

students will be involved with hiking, stream ecology, cooperation courses, and

building lean-to’s. They will also enjoy nightly campfires. Tremont is a residen-

tial environmental education center that provides in-depth experiences for

students. Their goal is to nurture appreciation of the Great Smoky Mountains

National Park. In preparation for their trip, students have been reading the

novel, “A Week in The Woods” by Andrew Clements.

UPCOMING...

Parent/Teacher

Conferences-

September 21st

Book Fair

October 3rd –4th

FBC Mission

Expo- Oct. 10th -

14th

End of 1st

Marking Period

Oct. 12th

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The Emotional Rollercoaster of a Teen

Over the past twenty-two years working with teenagers, I often sit down with frustrated parents not

knowing what has happened to their child since starting middle school. It seems that all of a sudden

their child has become someone else, someone they have never met. Mark Twain humorously said,

"When a child turns twelve you should put him in a barrel, nail the lid down and feed him through a

knot hole. When he turns sixteen, plug the hole!" Huge transitions take place in the life of a teenager

emotionally, physically, and even spiritually. As parents and teachers of teens, we need to see this as a time of opportuni-

ty, not just a time of survival. I once read an article published by the National Middle School Association entitled Helping

Students Ride Out the Emotional Rollercoaster by Judith Baenen (Middle E-Connections, September 2010). In the article

she discusses five different emotions middle school students often encounter.

First, anger seems to be a dominate emotion. The most trivial things seem to anger them very quickly. Our response to

that anger is key. We must teach them the tools in handling that anger in a godly way. Christ became angry at the money

changers. What constitutes “righteous anger”? Is it okay to be angry? What do we do when we become so angry we want

to lash out at someone or something? What does the Word of God have to say about anger? These are all very valid ques-

tions and great conversations to have with middle schoolers.

Secondly, middle school children seem to exhibit jealousy. With the influx of hormonal changes and the constant bom-

bardment of media messages concerning the outward appearance, they are getting mixed messages on their self-

worth. Again, taking them to Scripture and discussing that their identity is found in Jesus Christ is vital for

them to understand. First Samuel 16:7 says, “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or at

his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the

outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’”

Fear is another strong emotion among teens. Because of the many changes they are facing, they feel vulnerable.

According to Judith Baenen, teens express “fear of authorities, their parents, imagined accidents, specters from

the future, possible illnesses, failure, and many less obvious sources of unease. Add to those fears real family

problems and economic difficulties, and some students become overwhelmed.” Again, Scripture tells us in 2

Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” We are

to help them understand that they have power in Christ to overcome those fears. Satan loves to see Christians

crippled by their fear. It disables their ability to effectively serve Christ. How do we handle obstacles as adults?

Children are watching us very closely and learn by example.

Another common emotion is sadness. As an educator, I see this often. Depression seems to take hold of some

teens. In some cases, the depression is the result of physical imbalances and must be treated medically. For most, it is a

result of the changes going on in their lives and not knowing how to deal with them. Judith Baenen attributes this to the

loss of childhood. Their childhood beliefs are gone; the magic and mystery are no longer there. Again, what does Scrip-

ture say? Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are pure, whatever things are noble, whatever things

are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and

if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things.” This is a great litmus test for all of us. I find that teens love

drama. They love the attention it draws. As an educator, it’s often hard to find the balance of knowing when someone is

truly having a problem or they love the attention that a problem may bring. We must be good listeners. We, as parents and

educators, must give them a safe place to share, and we must share the truth in love.

Finally, not all emotions they experience are negative. Joy is often seen in a teenager. Just stand outside a classroom one

day and watch the interaction in the hallway between classes or during lunch and hang-time. There’s nothing more re-

warding then seeing the joy of a student when they’ve achieved a hard task in class; when they’ve accomplished some-

thing they didn’t think they could in the beginning. Teachers like to talk about the “light bulb effect” when they see stu-

dents understand a hard concept. As a coach, I experienced this when I saw a player make a seemingly impossible play on

the court. I see joy in the making of new relationships in middle school. I see joy in serving each other and working hard

in the community. I see joy on Fridays in chapel when they have their hands raised in praise toward God as they sing and

as they pray over each other.

Yes, middle school can be an emotional rollercoaster, often making us as adults dizzy trying to keep up. But we are to be

their mentors through this time helping them with the proper tools to handle these emotions and make good decisions. It’s

not easy, but it is rewarding. A book I highly recommend is Age of Opportunity: A Biblical Guide to Parenting Teens by

Paul Tripp. This is a great book for anyone who deals with teenagers. May this be a year of great accomplishments with

our students and a year of joy in serving our Lord!

Serving Him, Linda Reedy

From the Desk of the MS/HS Principal...

Middle School

Theme for 2012

“All For ONE”

High School

Theme for 2012

“Building Blocks

Of Our Faith”

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History Meets Each year our 8th grade students venture down the research path to explore topics in

history based on a specific National History Day theme. This year’s eighth grade

students began their journey the third week of school. Both classes visited the East

TN Historical Society on Gay Street to learn the basics of National History Day.

Time has also been spent in the classroom exploring the meaning of “historical context.”

Small groups were given an event and directed to find international, national, sporting, art,

and local events that happened five years before or after the event. This foundation showed

students that historical events do not take place in a vacuum, but are often prompted or

influenced by other events taking place at the same time.

Next, the classes explored this year’s theme: Turning Points in History - People, Ideas,

and Events. Once a definition was generated, the class listed possible people, ideas, and

events that could be classified as turning points before narrowing their focus on one idea.

Students learn the basics of researching: how to find and log sources and how to find rele-

vant facts and note them correctly. However, our students do not stop there; each student

will investigate his or her topic to find primary sources (first-hand account) that add a

personalized perspective that secondary sources (written by historians) cannot give us. The

class then learns to interpret and analyze each primary source to determine its importance to

the overall story and whether it shows a bias.

In the end, students compile their research and prepare a project that presents their findings.

Projects include presentation (skits), exhibits, documentaries, web sites, or research papers.

When all is said and done, our students will have gained research knowledge that will carry

them through high school and beyond.

CCS PARENT SURVEY

The week of September 24th you will receive an email link to the CCS Parent Survey 2012. It is very important that each family complete this survey since it will provide valuable data in our assess-ment of current programs and planning for advancement of CCS programs in the future. Areas of rating and feedback specific to CCS will include:

Spiritual life Academics Athletics Fine Arts Technology Facilities Field Trips Website CCS Communications Professional development CCS Advancement

CCS Announces ... “TASK FORCE” Meetings to

advance our school. In the month of October and November there will be a series of “task force” meetings. These meetings are open to any CCS

parent, employee, or FBC staff member. Each

meeting will be no more than 90 minutes in length and will be on the Kingston Pike, FBC Campus – location on campus to be determined. (You will be asked to let us know if you will attend these meetings when you complete the parent survey online later this month). TASK FORCE MEETING SCHEDULE: Tuesday October 2

nd 6:30 pm Technology

Tuesday October 23rd

6:30 pm Athletics Thursday October 25

th 6:30 pm Fine Arts

Tuesday October 30th 6:30 pm Spiritual Life

Thursday November 1st 6:30 pm Advancement

(fundraising, marketing, public relations, etc.)

PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS

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CCS Launches HS iPad Program

Concord Christian School high school students are buzzing with

excitement about the new 1:1 iPad program that began with the 2012

school year. All high school students are attending classes with their

own iPad loaded with a variety of Apps for school use. The students

have access to real-time information 24/7, making them active learn-

ers, as opposed to passive ones. They are getting daily, hands on

experience with 21st century tools. Several classes, like Government and Anatomy and Physiol-

ogy, have textbooks available as etextbooks that can be downloaded to the iPads thereby replac-

ing the heavy textbooks that students have had to carry around. If students are stumped by a

word in their etextbook, they can click that word and see the definition. Students are learning to

create their own iBooks complete with animated images, notes, videos and textbook links.

Classes are also using productivity Apps for learning enhancement. Students have access to

Apps such as Pages (word processor), Keynote (presentation software) and many others that

can be used for projects and taking notes in class. Some teachers even use the messaging capa-

bilities of the iPad to allow students to ask questions in class without disturbing any other stu-

dents. Most students have cases with Bluetooth keyboards to allow for fast and easy note tak-

ing. Teachers have remarked about how smooth the launch of the iPad program is going and

are pleased with the learning enhancement taking place with this technology implementation.

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9/17 Volleyball team photos (Middle School and High School teams) (3:45 PM)

HS JV Volleyball vs. Ambassadors (HOME: 5:00 PM)

HS Varsity Volleyball vs. Ambassadors (HOME: 6:00 PM)

9/18 HS Varsity Volleyball at Grace vs. Berean & TSD (AWAY: 5:30 & 6:30 PM)

9/18 MS Volleyball at ESK vs. Episcopal & Kings Academy (AWAY: 4:30 & 5:30 PM)

9/22 HS JV Volleyball Tournament at MHS/HHS (AWAY: 5:00 PM)

The CCS volleyball program is in full swing. Our varsity team is 8-2. The junior varsity team

has been very successful with a 3-1 record and even won against the Farragut High team. The

Middle School team is 6-1 with many players new to the sport. Kudos to the players, Coach

Ray, Coach Koepfer, Coach Hughey, and Coach Moore for their hard work. Our HS and MS

teams are capable of reaching some lofty goals this season. Thanks to all that have helped with

scorekeeping, tracking, lines and other jobs that we need to have a successful season. The goal

for the varsity team is to make it to the state tournament in our second year of varsity

competition.

The CCS Middle School tennis teams kicked off the first match of the year on September 10th.

The 8th Grade team, made up of Cheryl Ann Elliott, Sarah Galyon, Erin Long, Rachael Allion

and Hannah Tucker, won their match against Cedar Bluff Middle School, winning both doubles

matches. Erin Long won her singles match on her 13th birthday.

The 6th-7th grade team made up of Rose Yancey, Mia Ford, Isabella Elliott, Abby Hyers and

Philip Sparks, split the singles and doubles matches against St. Joseph's Middle School. Philip

Sparks won his singles match and also won playing with Isabella Elliott in doubles.

Congratulations to Coach Webster and the teams on a

terrific start to the first tennis season at CCS!

ATHLETICS

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Missy Bostick — President

Heather LaCharite — President-Elect

Julie Arnold—Secretary

Shannon Wright—Treasurer

Stephanie Koepfer and Jamie Stokely—Room Coordinators

Angela Nowell and Jackie Keck—Mentors

Jenky Walker—Missions Coordinator

Heather LaCharite, Jackie Keck, and Crystal Keeble—Family Support

Angela Nowell, Jackie Keck, and Crystal Keeble—Box Tops &

Campbell Soup Labels

Stephanie Koepfer, Jamie Stokely, and Jackie Keck—Golf Tournament

PPO Officers

New Parent Reception

The Parent Partnership Organization (PPO) hosted a reception in early September with Dr. Patton to welcome new CCS families. During this time, Dr. Patton shared information about the school year and also provided an overview of upcoming areas of CCS Advancement. Special thanks to the PPO for the fall decora-

tions and delicious treats that made this event

extra special!

CCS Staff Survey Results... At the start of this school year, the CCS faculty and staff completed an online survey rating the school’s programs. The results of this survey indicate many areas of strength and a few areas of focus in the future. Areas that we will begin to focus on in the near future include improvements to our science and computer labs When asked what one program, course, or field trip you would add to impact students spiritually, the two highest priorities are the following: 1) mission trips and 2) community service. Mission trip comment:

A goal that we are considering for the future is opportunity for each high school stu-dent to go on a CCS or CCS/FBC mission trip every other year.

We are also looking to establish a mission’s program where each CCS employee is given opportunity to serve on a foreign mission field every 4-5 years.

Community service comment: Earlier this year we finalized CCS high school community service hours. Each HS

student is required as part of their graduation requirement to have 60 community service hours (15 per year at CCS).

There will be more to come in the next newsletter regarding results from the CCS faculty/staff survey.