Physical science students got into the swing of things 
This week, eighth graders helped Mrs. Johnson erect a pendulum in the gym to test the concept. 
Yes, the science says it's safe, but having the swinging weight coming at one's face made a few flinch.

Science is the process of thinking God's thoughts after Him.
-- Johannes Kepler
 

Absolutely! Ask any runner or sports team or traveler. A stumble at the beginning can certainly be overcome, but a good beginning sets such a helpful tone, one that provides confidence and momentum. Two weeks are completed out of the 17 week semester, and all appearance point to a positive start... thanks to everyone who has helped launch well. Can we do things (even) better next time? Certainly, and we've made notes on how to do so. If you have observations and suggestions, please share them: mailbox@LPA-SC.com.

Photo days went smoothly. Thanks to all who contributed. Purchasing photo sets is optional. Quality is guaranteed. If a purchasing family is not pleased, money will be refunded, since there is no make up photo day planned. For students who missed photo day, arrangements will be made for yearbook inclusion.

All five students in eighth grade Latin earned honors on their National Latin Tests. wo students received maxima cum laude honors, one student received a magna cum laude honors, and two students received cum laude honors. Congratulations!

Lake Pointe welcomed Elizabeth Hartley of Scholarship Gold in Lake Wylie Friday afternoon. The Lake Wylie college counseling and scholarship expert led
secondary students in a two hour session to learn and improve interview skills. Part of Lake Pointe's mission is to equip students with ministry, life, and opportunity skills. Through this workshop, students were taught how to identify their communication and relational skills and how to prepare for some of the most common question asked during scholarship, college admissions, and job interviews. 

...and through his creation we learn much about him! 

With an abundance of creation to study, elementary science students had much to share about God in their science night presentations and displays. Throughout the grades, students have learned about light and dark, animals that crawl on their stomachs and animals that walk on four legs, stars bigger than we can image and atoms smaller than we can see--the list could go on. A job well done to all the students and teachers for a spectacular night!

Secondary students and staff welcomed rising 7th graders and new 8th graders with their parents to campus for a look at what LPA's secondary days are like. During the day, students had the opportunity to hear testimonies and ask questions of administrators, parents, and a current 7th grader about what to expect in their the transition to Lake Pointe's secondary program. Additionally, students sat in on either a 7th and 8th grade class for the last period of the day. After lunch, students were invited to stay for an Ultimate Frisbee tournament to complete their "taste" of being secondary students.

The Lake Pointe family celebrated all that God has done and is doing during our annual all family meeting! The board and executive team utilized this time to share exciting visions and plans for the next three school years--through the 2020-2021 school year. Among many other happenings, Lake Pointe is looking to continue making refinements in curriculum and improvements in policies, as well as celebrating a couple big anniversaries. At the end of the meeting, protected registration for current LPA families was open. We are excited to see how God continues to work in and through Lake Pointe in the upcoming year!

The semester’s first academic event started the annual research paper season for secondary students. Starting in 5th grade and continuing throughout the rest of their middle and high school experience, Lake Pointe students develop the art of researching a topic and then crafting that information into a quality paper. Each year, a student is guided to select a paper topic that aligns with their studies within their histort class's time period. With each progressive year, students' papers are expected to be longer, more articulate, narrower in topic, and contain more specific citations. The researching and writing process stretches over six weeks,and students are able to utilize some of their history and english at-home time to complete their work. This process aids students as they build their academic stamina and prepare for college-level writing in the future.

Secondary history students debated history Friday afternoon in a modified Lincoln-Douglas debate. Topics for the debates came from the time period each grade level is currently studying. Therefore, students not only had to understand their history, they had to affirm or negate the nuances and moralities of their given resolutions about historic events.  Teams followed specific debate structures with time limits, which encouraged students to sharpen their communication skills as they worked to fit as much information and support into a limited amount of time. All students showed great courage and knowledge on stage, and all did a job well done.

Just as God has called believers to encourage and build one aother up, Lake Pointe's Mentoring Ministry seeks to build intentional encouragement-based relationships between expereinced co-teachers and new co-teachers. Through these pratnerships, co-teachers offer practical tips and tricks of the trade and advice for at-home school days. This program is not only intended to help families survive their first school year but to give real examples of how to thrive and reap the most benefits from the Lake Pointe program.

While summer provides much needed rest and recuperation for staff and families, it is also an important time of preparation for the upcoming school year. In light of this, LPA hosts trainings each summer for LPA’s co-teachers and teacher as well as educators from other schools.

The last week in June marked the beginning of these training session--which will continue up until the start of school. Throughout the week, three key sessions were held. Instructor Ali Salmon lead two section of trainings for new students and parents grades 3rd through 9th focused on the Institution for Excellence in Writing program. On Wednesday, instructor Stephanie Cutshall lead a one day training for the Singapore Math curriculum where parents and teachers alike experienced a hands-on introduction or refresher to the curriculum. Lastly, grade level supervisor Staci Jackson hosted a two day seminar on the Spell to Write to Read curriculum. Along with new parents and teachers, instructors from nearby schools and home-school parents attended this training session as they learned and practiced how to teach the various steps of the program throughout various grade levels.

Each of these training sessions will have a second session during the month of July with the same instructors. Lake Pointe uses these trainings with the aim that every family enters the fall confidently and fully prepared the upcoming school year.

Principal Louis Lemmon attended the annual conference for the National Assoc. of University Model Schools in Dallas, TX. He was able to attend a variety of seminars on matters specifically important to the UMS and several particularly pertaining to the Classical Christian UMS.

One of the speakers was Andrew Pudewa, the founder of the Excellence in Writing composition program used in grades 3-8. Mr. Pudewa has agreed to provide training to LPA teachers during their professional days in early August

This fall will be the first time Lake Pointe has offered AP Calculus on campus. Mr. Spratley, who teaches Trigonometry, will lead the course. In preparation for this new course, Mr. Spratley attended a week long calculus seminar organized by the College Board at Davidson College in NC.This new course will give students an opportunity to earn college credit by taking an AP test at the end of the year. Through the seminary, Mr. Spratley was able to refresh calculus content, review sample questions from the AP Calculus test, and begin to create teaching materials for the class.

The 2017 graduating class was ushered into their next chapter of life Saturday, May 20^th through the traditional Lake Pointe Academy ceremony.

Because Lake Pointe places high value on integral parent involvement in a young adult’s education, commencement focused highly on honoring parents and teachers as well as the graduating class. As tradition, class speakers remembered their time at LPA, took time to reflect on the moment of graduation, and looked forward to the future. As Mickey Vensk reflected on the graduate’s history at LPA, she referenced student retreats, classes that stretched and challenged, and countless other opportunities and experiences that they will remember for their life time. The present was presented through Kate Stranathan who captured the tension in the transition from high school to the rest of life. As a challenged, Kate reminded her class and their families to be in the moment even though there may be many unknowns before them. To end the time of graduate speakers, Lauryn Linn looked to the future where the lessons they learned through their time at Lake Pointe would help them succeed in their endeavors.

Following this time of reflection, graduate-selected teachers addressed the graduates. Ms. Connie Bishop, who taught senior-level government, reminded the students that though they will be moving into a time of life where they will take on new responsibilities that they should never forget what they learned in kindergarten—be kind, share abundantly, give hugs, and take naps. As the concluding speaker, Mr. Bill Spratley encouraged the graduates to face fears and take on challenges as they move out into the world.

During the last section of the ceremony, Head of the Board, Melody Miller, and principle, Louis Lemmon, presented the class of 2017 with their diplomas and certificates. Parents were invited on stage as their child’s name was called as a reminder that they were a necessary part to the achievement of their student. Totaling in nineteen students, the class of 2017 is Lake Pointe's largest graduating class to date. Eleven of the nineteen received LPA diplomas, and eight received certificates of completion

Students in grades 5 and 6 took advantage of a traveling exhibit's nearby stop to deepen their history studies. 

Friday, they visited Charlotte's Discovery Place to attend the Ancient China IMAX experience  the Gengis Khan exhibit.

With the 5th graders studying ancient history and the 6th graders studying the medieval period, the trip was a rare opportunity to learn more about Asia.

In addtion to Mrs. Brewer and Mrs. Gillespie leading their students, many parents attended, including some dads!

The group also took afternoon time to enjoy the rest of the exhibits at Discovery Place.

Honors biology students executed an activity to test and identify their blood types.

Mrs. Smith led students through the exercise to understand the simple typing of blood, and the varieties and characteristics of human blood.

Parents were invited to attend the special class session and to join in, and several did, making the lab an enjoyable time for all involved.

Beyond the scientific explanations and exciting information, the type-O category suggests a higher "universal donor" in Christ.

Tuesday, January 31, the state head of SACS (the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools), part of the international accreditation agency AdavancED, visited LPA’s campus.

Following a positive visit and two hour interaction with the academy’s department heads, Dr. Barringer  issued a positive report later in the week, enthusiastically approving the candidacy package LPA filed earlier. That package was a series of self-analysis, surveys, and reports produced by LPA's staff under the coordination of consultant Dr. Gail Stowe.

Accreditation focuses upon continuous improvement, a goal in which Lake Pointe's board and staff passionately agree. The process toward actual accreditation over the next one to two years is expected to improve various aspects of the academy.

As a longtime NC educator, administrator, and university professor, Dr. Stowe is familiar with the accreditation processes. Her coordination of LPA's efforts runs in the family, as she is the mother of LPA co-founder Amy Stowe Bowles.

More information will be shared at the Feb. 21 Family Vision Meeting.

Middle school and high school students launched their annual spring research unit in January.

The multiple-week composition project builds college-necessary research writing skills each year for eight years. The spring semester effort starts with simple reports in grade 5, and continues in increasing expectations through grade 12.

The goal of the continual and incremental exercise is that the student will have strong research composition skills by building that “muscle” a little bit each year.

Elementary students unfold history 

Mayans gazed in wonder at the Hebrew Tabernacle. Egyptians were inspired by the Gettysburg Address. And representatives from various nations and eras of church history reminded the audience that God loves all people groups and that history has a purpose in His plan. Students and teachers combined for a very successful History Night and are to be commended for their efforts.

Grades K5 through six each presented a program on their studies so far this semester. Additionally, various history projects were on display for all the families and extended families to see. Lake Pointe's curriculum uses the teaching of four periods of history: ancient, medieval, early modern, and modern. With one period studied each year, this cycle repeats every four years through 10th grade, after which students study American History and Government.