Friday, July 29, 2011

Back to School at Love And Grace Christian Academy!

Love And Grace Christian Academy welcomes our returning students.  We are currently enrolling children from newborn through age 12. The academy proudly celebrates 40 years serving this community.  Using the A Beka program, our students thrive academically in a nurturing, fun-filled environment that is spiritually enriching. More information about the academy is available in our July blog at this link:  "Summertime Fun and Learning at Love And Grace - http://alturl.com/tsvz5

Enrollment Information:  If your family needs quality childcare, elementary school, or before and after school transport and care for public school children in our area, please call to schedule a tour of the facility and meet with our director, Ms. Cleotha Griffith.  The academy's enrollment incentive program is underway now.  It takes a village to raise a child.  We appreciate your help introducing our award-winning services to families.


40 Yeas of Excellence in Early Education:

Parent involvement is encouraged at Love And Grace.  PTA meetings on fourth Tuesday of each month.  Parents are welcome at any time and encouraged to participate in regularly-scheduled family/school activities. 

What I did this summer:

Summer Camp at Love And Grace was a huge success. Children are often asked to write an essay or give an oral review of their summer vacation for teachers and classmates.  Love And Grace students continued academic enrichment and enjoyed many fun, educational field trips. Our 4 to 12 year-olds did gardening, took swimming lessons, went skating and to the movies, animal shows, restaurants, and much more. Students also enjoyed arts and crafts and computer fun.  Love And Grace students shared what they enjoyed most about their summer camp experience, and a few of their favorite memories are listed below.



Sade, age 6, said her favorite field trip was to Cottle Strawberry Farms. Children picked strawberries all morning. They learned how strawberry crops grow and the importance of rich soil, clean air and water. When students returned to the academy, Mr. and Mrs. Griffith made strawberry smoothies for everyone. YUM! At the end of the day, each child took home a crate of fresh strawberries for their families.

Emanuel said his favorite summer camp activity was playing with all the toys and games that Love And Grace has.  He also likes drawing and painting.  Emanuel displays his creations on bulletin boards and windows at school. 




Jordynne, age 3, thinks her swimming lessons were tops!  One morning, Jordynne and her mom arrived after the bus had already left for swimming classes at the YMCA.  That was a major crisis for the budding aquatic star, and her mother vowed it would not happen again!  Learning water safety is important for all children.   Swimming is an exercise that many people enjoy throughout their lives.  Our bodies are temples for the Holy Spirit.  Proper nutrition and physical fitness are emphasized at Love And Grace.  The school serves children delicious, balanced meals and snacks and has three well-equipped playgrounds.


Ahmad, age 5, loved Watermelon Day at Love And Grace. Sweet, ripe melons were cut for the children to enjoy at our picnic tables before spending time on the playground.  It gave another opportunity to talk about growing plants and to glorify God for abundant provisions. Cool fun!



Ms. Erin, a teacher, was pleased that our summer field trips and lesson plan focused on animal and plant biology. The children enjoyed a field trip to the Bio Bus in July, where they participated in helium experiments and touched a large millipede. They also learned more about hydrogen gas and sea animals.  Science, math, and all subjects are presented to Love And Grace students in a way that develops a lifelong love for learning.


Working in the academy's vegetable garden helps Love And Grace students understand agriculture. The children helped Mr. Griffith pick cantaloupes, zucchini, okra, tomatoes, and banana peppers. The  fresh vegetables were then stir-fried and shared with students and staff.  We always pray together before meals and snacks at Love And Grace, teaching children to honor God, from whom all blessings flow.

Elijah, 11 months, delights in playing ball with his teacher.  He throws the ball, and Ms. Teressa retrieves it repeatedly.  This social game helps babies develop expectations about familiar events and develop hand-eye coordination and agility. Children learn to grasp objects between three and seven months of age, but the whole-arm coordination that allows them to roll or throw a ball at something (or someone) usually occurs somewhere between 18 months and three years. If Elijah keeps practicing, he may become a skilled ball player like James is.  James, age 2, enjoys baseball and basketball. Love And Grace students also participate in Tae Bo exercises after devotion every morning, even little Elijah!


God blesses each child with special gifts.  The low student to teacher ratio at Love And Grace guarantees that children get individual attention. Our goal is to help children discover and develop their unique talents. Love And Grace preschoolers enjoy dressing up as firemen, police officers, business persons, and historic figures.  Skyla, age 2, displays natural management skills. She likes pretending to be the assistant teacher for her class.  An enjoyable early school environment like Skyla has helps instill a lifelong love for learning. 

Love And Grace Christian Academy proudly serves the our community's children from infancy to pre-teens. 

Love And Grace Album Photos:





Parenting Tips

1.  Parental Involvement:  Parents want their children to have a solid support system. Getting involved with your children's school unites the two most important environments children have - home and school. The National Education Association reports that parental involvement results in fewer absences, improved behavior and increased academic success.  This is true regardless of parents' income, education level or cultural background.  Love And Grace's director and teachers look forward to partnering with parents to educate and nurture our next generation. 

2.  Hygiene:  Reducing the spread of germs helps eliminate absenteeism due to illness.  Love And Grace cleans toys and surfaces throughout the day.  Children should wash their hands frequently with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds (the time it takes to sing the "Happy Birthday" song twice).  We encourage children to do the elbow cough (sneeze into elbows, not hands) to reduce the spread of germs. 

3.  Healthy Habits:  Children should get proper rest, eat nutritious meals, and develop self esteem by being prepared for classwork.  Homework assistance for after school children at Love And Grace ensures that students arrive at school every day feeling confident. 

For your convenience, links to DeKalb County School System's 2011/12 calendar and DeKalb County Library are below.  May God bless your family with a safe, joyful, successful school year.


DeKalb County Schools and Library Info

Board-Approved School Calendar
Use this link to access and print the full calendar:
http://www.dekalb.k12.org

The DeKalb County Library ~ Information for other library branches is available at this link:  http://dekalblibrary.org/branches/

Friday, July 8, 2011

Summertime Fun and Learning at Love And Grace Christian Academy

Summer is a time when children at Love And Grace Christian Academy enjoy regular field trips, take swimming lessons, and enjoy playing on three large, well-equipped playgrounds.  Children continue to spend part of every day on academically enriching activities during the summer, some of which are so much fun that kids might not notice how much they are learning.
 
Tyric, age 12, built his own roller ball game since school was out.  He also made a five foot by two foot model of a city, equipped with every convenience. 


Two-year-old James has learned all the words to "This Little Light of Mine," and he enjoys singing it to the delight of his teacher and friends. 

Sade surprised her teacher, Ms. Teresa, this week with her exceptional artistic abilities. She drew a whale.

All the children ages four and up had an enjoyable learning experience on their trip to the library for an animal show Wednesday - Kopp's Kritters.  They learned about and actually interacted with a rabbit, a snake, and a slow-moving tortoise.

Friday's field trip was to Chick-Fil-A for its annual "Cow Appreciation Day." Chick-Fil-A gives free meals to customers who participate by dressing up head to toe like a cow. What fun! On Thursday, the children used arts and crafts supplies to make cow masks and create cow spots: black ones for white t-shirts and white spots for black t-shirts. Our  children arrived at the academy Friday morning wearing black and white and making impressive "moooo" sounds.

Next week's outings will include the Hands-on Fair on Tuesday, a reptile show on Wednesday, and a festival on Friday.  There will be many other educational activities, with lots of fun and games in between.

Mark your calendars!  On Friday evening, August 5, Love And Grace Christian Academy is having a fish fry, barbecue, and car wash fundraiser.  There will also be a yard sale.  Please plan to come have dinner with us and leave with a clean car.  Your children will enjoy bouncing in the Moonwalk and sliding, swinging, climbing the monkey bars and playing water games. Nothing beats a merry-go-round ride on a summer evening, unless it's a juicy barbecue hamburger or fish dinner with an icy Coke.

Can you think of anything more enjoyable than hearing your children laugh?  You deserve an evening with no worries about preparing dinner or dishes to wash.  Join us and give your family one more fun-filled summer event before heading back to school. Enjoy your evening with us between 5PM and 8PM on August 5, or just stop by and pick up your dinner and get your car washed.  We look forward to meeting our neighbors and getting together with our students' families.  Love And Grace is a nonprofit organization. Donations and gifts are appreciated and tax deductible, as applicable by law.  Please drop off your donations for the yard sale during Open House week July 25th through the 29th.

Summer 2011 is flying by. Now is the time to make arrangements for the coming school year.  Open House at Love And Grace Christian Academy is scheduled for the week of July 25 through July 29.  Children enrolled at Love and Grace have their spiritual and academic development carefully tended by Christian administrators, John and Cleotha Griffith, education and childcare professionals who have provided exceptional services to DeKalb County residents for 29 years.

Thousands of children were carefully nurtured by the Griffiths at Love And Grace and at Love Thy Children Christian Childcare Center on Rainbow Drive, which is under new management. The Griffiths now give their full attention to Love And Grace students. You are invited to tour our academy and meet Mrs. Griffith, if your family needs childcare for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary school for students up to third grade.  We also provide before and after school programs with extra curricular activities.

Love And Grace gives children a spiritually based educational experience using A Beka Christian-based program. Children from newborns to age 12 are accepted. The academy provides transportation to and from area public schools, and we are at your service for teacher work days and school holidays.
 
Every day begins with morning devotion at Love And Grace. Children receive nutritious meals, including a hot breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon snack. Each area in the academy is designed and equipped for children's safety and development according to their ages. Our low ratio of students to teachers ensures that infants, toddlers, preschoolers and elementary school students have the attention they need to thrive. After schoolers receive homework assistance so that parents and children can enjoy quality time together after their long days apart.  Following homework, students enjoy a game of baseball or playing on playground equipment and computer fun. Television is kept to a minimum, but we occasionally enjoy a Disney classic or Christian cartoons like Veggie Tales.



Each area of Love And Grace has a good library with books and educational games suitable to the age groups that use them. Following structured classes for the little ones, and upon completion of after schoolers' homework assignments, children spend time outside daily except during inclement weather.  Teachers engage the children in educational games, and toys are everywhere!  The academy is such a loving, fun-filled environment that some children cry when Mommy and Daddy come for pick-up. They sometimes persuade their parents to let them stay just 15 minutes longer.

Thank you for visiting our first blog! We are excited about sharing news from Love And Grace with academy parents and the community. Photos, videos, and a virtual tour of the academy will be added, so please visit often.  Our photographs will feature present and former DeKalb County residents who attended Love And Grace during their formative years. You may recognize some of them, and you may even be one of the children whose parents cared enough to place you in the Griffths' competent hands while they worked. One of Love And Grace's former students is a teacher at the academy now. When she has children, they may also attend.


There is nothing more rewarding than helping children grow spiritually and academically to live the lives that God ordained for them.  A positive, well-rounded early school environment helps promote a lifelong love for learning.  For the Griffiths, providing the community with quality childcare and education is more than a business; it is their mission.

We look forward to seeing you at our Open House the week of July 25 and at the cookout fundraiser on August 5.  For your convenience, the schedule for DeKalb County School's first week and a link to reach the entire schedule are posted below. Library information is also posted. May God continue to bless you throughout July 2011!

DeKalb County Schools
Board-Approved School Calendar 

THE DEKALB COUNTY LIBRARY ~ Information for DeKalb County Public libraries is available at this link:
http://dekalblibrary.org/branches/

.