Academy Awards

We love being reminded of how incredible this place is...and there have been plenty of reminders of that lately!  We're especially grateful for how special the Academy is and how well our children are being loved on, invested in, taken care of and taught.  In the past few weeks we've gotten to see end of the year performances and participate in celebrations and ceremonies - each one a treasure that we do not take for granted and have been extremely blessed by (and hopefully we'll share lots of pictures from those events soon!).

One particularly special celebration happened Thursday - the Academy End of the Year Celebration (this year there was an "Academy Awards" theme -- about halfway through Nick said "oh...Academy Awards...I get it.").  The children walk (or dance!) into the International Lounge by class.  Different presentations are made by the classes - dances, poems recited, slide shows...there was even a rap this year.

Emma and the preschool class worshiping to "Seek Ye First" 

The beginning of Caroline's ballet class dancing to "Oh Our Lord" - gotta love it when the ballet teacher chooses an All Sons & Daughters song

The Elementary getting ready for the "good manners rap" 

And then (this is our favorite part!), each child is celebrated - each child is called up and given a "character trait" -- this is a particular word or value that the teacher has seen in the child throughout the year. They are also given a verse of scripture to accompany the trait. You can read about last year's character traits if you'd like (secret confession: I've had this in draft form all year....and just published it...it's about time).

After the character trait presentations, each class is presented as the next year's class (for instance, Eli's class is then introduced as the 2014-2015 Grade 4 class).  The whole presentation is special.  It's significant...holy...remarkable.

As an act of worship and an on-going celebration of the children that God has given us, here are the character traits the Cash kids were given by their teachers this year:

Emma: Alertness
"Emma pays close attention to everything and everyone around her and she is able to anticipate the right responses.  She is the first one to take action wen one of her friends need her help and sometimes you even here her call 'Emma to the rescue!' "

Ephesians 6:18 "and pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for the Lord's people."

Caroline: Goodness
"Caroline has displayed integrity, honesty, and reliability.  Simply put, Caroline has displayed goodness.  This goodness allows Caroline to do the right things even when no one is looking.  It also allows her to show compassion and be helpful towards those around her.  God can use Caroline's goodness to point others to Himself and advance His kingdom through her."

Romans 15:14 "I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another."

Eli: Kindess
"Eli is a very kind person.  He is always thinking of others and their feelings and wants everyone to feel included.  He is concerned when others are upset or sad and tries to cheer them.  Eli is a friend to all."

Proverbs 21:21  "Anyone who wants to be godly and loving finds life, success and honor."

It's special when Truth and Life are called out of your children.  We love that THAT is the award they get at the end of the school year.  We don't have anything against academic achievement awards and recognition...but there's something significant about being called up front and encouraged at the core of who you are.  That's what we want our children to hold as valuable - character, integrity, virtue -- being who God has made them to be.  Those are the things that are going to last long after report cards are lost and test scores are forgotten.

This is special place...we're honored to be here and to be a part of this community - and especially grateful to be a part of the Academy.

Surely there will be more to come.