God is good and God has been good to our school.
As you know, we are the oldest continuously operated Seventh Day Adventist Academy in the world. Our early church members saw a need for a distinct Seventh Day Adventist form of education and dedicated themselves to fill that need with a school – our school South Lancaster Academy. As the saying goes, “there has been a lot of water under the bridge” since those humble beginnings. The same spirit of distinct Adventist education is currently alive and well at SLA.
We, as faculty have one real mission – that of educating your children, grandchildren and potentially your great grandchildren to the gospel message. Certainly the 3 R’s of education are important – that is reading, writing, and rithmatic, but there is a fourth – which is the reason for the school- that fourth R stands for religion. While the world’s message about education and success is about income, power, prestige, and accumulated toys, the message of our school is salvation. The world measures a person by their bank account - as a church and school we do not. Simply put as a question it can be stated as “how do you measure success?” Do we measure by the 3 R’s or the fourth? The fourth R is by far the most valuable.
That is what makes us distinct. Yes the majority of our students have gone on to higher education and eventually become successful in life demonstrating that we do a decent job with the 3 R’s. Most of you sitting here can probably name a few of those individuals. But the real test is the fourth R – that of commitment to God. That is what we are all about. We, as a school, have a an excellent record for success with the fourth R – religion - and most everyone here knows it – if we did not have success you probably would not be reading this.
Now more about our school. We are a school that is constantly in transition. Gone are the nostalgic days of working on the dairy or in the broom shop. That is a thing of the past. The student body that you knew is also a thing of the past. While they are still all children, and of one spiritual fabric, our student body is a reflection of the changing demographics of our church. It is exciting to see parents that are deeply concerned about their children’s spiritual education. We applaud those parents of the students both past and present for seeking our distinct form of education. These students are the future.
As a school, we are organized differently today from 50 years ago – South Lancaster Academy contains more than just students in grades 9 – 12. We have a whole elementary system included as part of our school. Seventh Day Adventist Education can now start as early as age 4.
Over the last three years South Lancaster Academy has operated contrary to the trend of other denominational schools. We have substantially increased our enrollment. We are at levels not seen in fourteen years. This is in the shadow of a severe recession and the closing of an associated institution. Currently our total number is 315 students. We are strong, we have excellent enrollment, and we look forward to continuing to do God’s work until He returns.
God has blessed us over the last few years and we ask prayers for His continued blessing upon South Lancaster Academy.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Future Shock Is Here
Many years ago, in a land far away, I was taking a basic sociology class that required that I read the book “Future Shock” by Alvin Toffler. One of the premises of the book was to demonstrate that as society moved into the latter half of the twentieth century, it would move faster and change would become more rapid. People would become overwhelmed with change and tend to either reject it or just shut down. I think that I am about there.
I have just returned from a seminar on technology in education, a seminar that has given me pause to think. Most of us tend to relate to the world in the frame of reference that we grew up with or are engaged with as an adult. Adults tend to seriously take to heart lessons and experiences learned in their adolescence. For example, we all remember the songs of our youth, yet are challenged to really listen to what is considered “modern” music twenty years later.
The same is true of technology. To put this into my own personal experience, the year I started kindergarten, our family still had a crank telephone hanging on the wall where you turned the handle and talked to the local operator to have you connected to someone. We were one of maybe the 30% of the households in the community that had a phone. I was in the third grade when John Glenn orbited the earth (this was a big deal, it was broadcast over the school’s pa system and I got to use the pointer on a world map to show the class where the capsule was!!). I was a teenager when man first set foot on the moon. The flight computer on the lunar excursion module (which failed on final approach) was substantial in size, and had less power than the credit card size calculator I carry in my briefcase. In the early 1970’s I almost bought a small calculator that could do the four basic functions and was the size of the laptop that I am now typing this on. Sometime in there the fax machine wowed us. In the 1980’s I was amazed at the speed of the IBM 286 as it calculated insurance policy values in 10 minutes as compared to the two weeks’ time frame if it was done the traditional manual method. Incidentally did you know that the space shuttle was designed to fly on the 286? Those are headed to a museum now.
The point of this discussion is to demonstrate the need plan for the updating of our school and school programs, we have to envision the impossible, the improbable, and the fantastic. The Browning building was built about the time John Glenn orbited the earth (and he is approaching 90 years old!!) and the academy building was built shortly after that with the gym under construction when the Apollo moon program was ending. At the time of construction the main visual aid in the classroom was blackboard and chalk. Today it could easily be handheld technology.
Today three quarter’s of the world population has hand- held computer technology, from cell phones to I-pads. Think about this. Three quarters of the earth’s population has the potential to access the internet in their hand. This is a whole new area of usage that most of us in education are behind the curve on. We do a good job with teaching students the basics of traditional computer usage in the realm of business applications or higher education, but we currently do not address the new field of handheld technology. This technology and social networking is as much a fact of life with students today as textbooks or calculators. We must come to grips with the use of this new field, train teachers to use it, and create an infrastructure within the school to adequately and safely support its use. This is no small task. In fact it is daunting to consider.
I have just returned from a seminar on technology in education, a seminar that has given me pause to think. Most of us tend to relate to the world in the frame of reference that we grew up with or are engaged with as an adult. Adults tend to seriously take to heart lessons and experiences learned in their adolescence. For example, we all remember the songs of our youth, yet are challenged to really listen to what is considered “modern” music twenty years later.
The same is true of technology. To put this into my own personal experience, the year I started kindergarten, our family still had a crank telephone hanging on the wall where you turned the handle and talked to the local operator to have you connected to someone. We were one of maybe the 30% of the households in the community that had a phone. I was in the third grade when John Glenn orbited the earth (this was a big deal, it was broadcast over the school’s pa system and I got to use the pointer on a world map to show the class where the capsule was!!). I was a teenager when man first set foot on the moon. The flight computer on the lunar excursion module (which failed on final approach) was substantial in size, and had less power than the credit card size calculator I carry in my briefcase. In the early 1970’s I almost bought a small calculator that could do the four basic functions and was the size of the laptop that I am now typing this on. Sometime in there the fax machine wowed us. In the 1980’s I was amazed at the speed of the IBM 286 as it calculated insurance policy values in 10 minutes as compared to the two weeks’ time frame if it was done the traditional manual method. Incidentally did you know that the space shuttle was designed to fly on the 286? Those are headed to a museum now.
The point of this discussion is to demonstrate the need plan for the updating of our school and school programs, we have to envision the impossible, the improbable, and the fantastic. The Browning building was built about the time John Glenn orbited the earth (and he is approaching 90 years old!!) and the academy building was built shortly after that with the gym under construction when the Apollo moon program was ending. At the time of construction the main visual aid in the classroom was blackboard and chalk. Today it could easily be handheld technology.
Today three quarter’s of the world population has hand- held computer technology, from cell phones to I-pads. Think about this. Three quarters of the earth’s population has the potential to access the internet in their hand. This is a whole new area of usage that most of us in education are behind the curve on. We do a good job with teaching students the basics of traditional computer usage in the realm of business applications or higher education, but we currently do not address the new field of handheld technology. This technology and social networking is as much a fact of life with students today as textbooks or calculators. We must come to grips with the use of this new field, train teachers to use it, and create an infrastructure within the school to adequately and safely support its use. This is no small task. In fact it is daunting to consider.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Principals Message December
I have been neglectful of communicating this semester. I shoulder the blame and ask forgiveness as time seems to slip away. God has blessed us in many ways this year. Wonderful students and parents, great opportunities, and a generally smoothly operating school.Below I have listed some important news to be shared:
The Jaime Jorge fundraiser was a success. Between cash and pledges $17,500 was raised. There are many worker elves who helped make this happen, they know who they are and I wish to thank them.
The elementary book sale was a success with the dollars raised going to support our elementary library.
The 2010 Iowa Test results are in. Our students have done extremely well across the board. In all grades tested, english language profiency, when measured as a class average, are well above the national norm. In most cases it is above the 70th percentile. Sciences, social studies, and use of materials are also well above the national average. Math has been the lagger in the past but even that has shown improvement. Math in general is above the national norm (although not as dramatic). All math areas have shown improvement with general computation as a challenge . We are working on that.
As we look forward to second semester, things like music festivals and tours, mission trips, sports activities appear on the calendar. These events and many others will be both eventful and exciting.
Friday, August 6, 2010
New School Year - Old Ideas
I just recently had the opportunity to read the school bulletin for South Lancaster Academy for the 1934 - 35 school year. It is interesting that many items in the bulletin are similar to what our current school bulletin says, just seventy five years removed. Required attendance, classes, grading policies, and discipline are a few that are very similar.
Work was required and the classes were set up accordingly to facilitate work. Wake up in the dorm was no later than 6:00 AM with classes promptly starting at 6:45 AM. Morning and evening chapels were mandatory for all students. This is not very different from boarding academy's operating now adays.
Some things are different however. Take for example the questionable activities. Naturally the prohibiting of not partaking of movies, card playing, tobacco use, and alcohol would be expected and were listed. The two that caught my attention were sleigh riding and frivolous parties. Sleigh riding? Not a worthy activity? I could see it if it were in the company of another relating to the fairer sex, but it did not stipulate that. Sleigh riding. Now adays that would be a worthy activity as it is not common.
I was once privy to a conversation by some older alumni who were discussing their treatment while living in the dorms (back when the academy was a boarding school affiliated with AUC). As I casually listened in while busy with something else, the discussion drifted to how they were treated and the bitterness they felt towards how they were treated. One example, apparently one warm Sabbath afternoon there was a hiking activity up one of the local mountains (this is still a common activity). The story teller related how a young lady went to this activity in something other than a Sabbath dress. She was reprimanded by the ladies dean who warned her that by her actions her salvation was in question. We have certainly come a long way from this "not so good ole day".
As I look back and forward at my point in life, I thank God for insight into the motivations behind different traditions within Adventist education. And my prayer to God is that we as an institution continue on a "reasonable course".
Work was required and the classes were set up accordingly to facilitate work. Wake up in the dorm was no later than 6:00 AM with classes promptly starting at 6:45 AM. Morning and evening chapels were mandatory for all students. This is not very different from boarding academy's operating now adays.
Some things are different however. Take for example the questionable activities. Naturally the prohibiting of not partaking of movies, card playing, tobacco use, and alcohol would be expected and were listed. The two that caught my attention were sleigh riding and frivolous parties. Sleigh riding? Not a worthy activity? I could see it if it were in the company of another relating to the fairer sex, but it did not stipulate that. Sleigh riding. Now adays that would be a worthy activity as it is not common.
I was once privy to a conversation by some older alumni who were discussing their treatment while living in the dorms (back when the academy was a boarding school affiliated with AUC). As I casually listened in while busy with something else, the discussion drifted to how they were treated and the bitterness they felt towards how they were treated. One example, apparently one warm Sabbath afternoon there was a hiking activity up one of the local mountains (this is still a common activity). The story teller related how a young lady went to this activity in something other than a Sabbath dress. She was reprimanded by the ladies dean who warned her that by her actions her salvation was in question. We have certainly come a long way from this "not so good ole day".
As I look back and forward at my point in life, I thank God for insight into the motivations behind different traditions within Adventist education. And my prayer to God is that we as an institution continue on a "reasonable course".
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