This Friday, 6th grade students and parents visited the campus for a glance into secondary school days. After a connection assembly aimed towards connecting the visiting 6th graders to older students, administers and teachers met with 6th grade parents and students to discuss what they can expect in the transition from being on campus two days a week to being on campus three days a week.

To round off their experience, 6th grade students were able to participate in a secondary class and a Friday after school event.

Before heading into Thanksgiving break, elementary and secondary students came together to pack Christmas bags for children in Guatemala. Lake Pointe students packed 110 bags full of necessities, like tooth paste and soap, and small toys to be delivered to villages in Guatemala by Clubhouse Ministries. Including bags and donations from local churches, over 150 bags were shipped with funds for over 80 pairs of shoes to be provided.

A big thank you to all who donated and showed up to help pack bags!

For the first time ever, rain sent LPA's Fall Festival indoors. Secondary students, who hosted the elementary families for the afternoon event, showed amazing flexibility to change the set-up for the games  booths, and treats.  Later in the evening, the secondary students enjoyed their own time of socializing, pumpkin carving, and dancing.

Chile, Australia, and several other countries faced off during the annual LPA elementary field day. Elementary grade level teams, led by secondary students, adopted country names and competed in Olympic-inspired games. After the games and a potluck dinner, parents and their students competed in the first Lake Pointe All-Sport Golf battle; congratulations to the Burchfields who came in first place!

...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!

For the first time, Lake Pointe students are participating in the annual SCACS fine arts competition. Art teacher Mrs. Bolin selected several pieces from last semester's art classes to be entered. Along with their work, students created artist statements to be displayed at the competition. To see these LPA elementary students' work on display, visit the SCACS Fine Arts Festival on March 2 hosted at Hampton Park.

LPA 5th and 6th grade history classes explored the creation and development of language throughout the ages at the JAARS Museum of Language in Waxhaw, NC. As part of their experience, museum staff led them through grade appropriate demonstrations and presentations as the student were able to see and interact with written langauges dating back to Biblical times. As a special bonus, muesum workers printed each student's name in vaious ancient texts that they studied.

Secondary students invited elementary students to campus after their Friday classes for a Gaga ball tournament and playground games. The Gaga ball "pit" was donate to the school through an eagle scout project; since then, gaga ball has been a favored sport for recess and lunch across the grades. The tournament began with the kindergarten through second grade game, which was followed by a multi-round tournament for third through sixth graders. Secondary students officiated the tournament and cheered the elementary students on. While the older students competed, K5-2 students played tag and other games on the playground, and parents enjoyed a time of fellowship.

During their field trip at the York County Museum, first through fourth grade science classes explored creation up close. Students learned about rocks and how they erode, furry creatures from everyday, and galaxies beyond human sight. Many of the fact they learned add hands-on experience to the earth science and astrology classroom lessons they have learned this year.

LPA drama students starred in Max Lucado's The Crippled Lamb, which tells the story of a young lamp with a limp who finds his purpose when he witnesses Christ’s birth. Throughout the drama, music student provided support for the performers in short interludes of Christmas hymns and carols. Among the musical performers were the primary grade music and a combined elementary and secondary orchestra. As the grand finale of the evening, guests and students enjoyed warm drinks and bake sale goodies as they walked through art displays created by art classes of all levels.

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.

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.

Middle Ages’ Pecking Order

Second graders recently studied the four medieval levels of social, wealth, and power by making four-level box models. The levels are those closely represented on a chess set.

Using household items, dolls, and Lego bricks to distinguish between royalty, religion, privilege, and peasants is simple, yet profound. Boosted by discussions with both parent and teacher, the six-year-olds got a concrete understanding of status. In stacking boxes, each student saw that people lived in different positions.

The Christmas Fine Arts Festival featured a blended program this year. With Mr. Gibbons directing, the actors shared the stage with a variety of student musicians and singers, whose talents and numbers were interspersed throughout the drama, "Christmas in Genesis." 

Performing in different positions during the play, all three levels of the strings classes played, as did the primary music classes and the secondary student orchestra.

Photography and art classes displayed their work in a temporary gallery set up by art teachers, Mrs. Bolin and Mrs. Knight. Highlighted were samples of sculpture, imitations of famous artists' paintings and prints, and other forms. A popular exhibit was a collection of photography that challenged students to recreate settings, mood, and lighting of famous paintings.

Two semester-end shows per year showcase the talents of elementary and secondary students.

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.

To Guatema with love. For Christmas.

On November 4th, secondary and elementary students partnered with Clubhouse Guatemala by packing gallon-sized zip-lock bags with toys and basic necessities to send to children in Guatemala.

In one of the several joint elementary- secondary events held during the year, each elementary student had a secondary student as partner in assembling the bags. Afterward, all the students enjoyed a time of refreshments and recreation outside.

Through generous donation from LPA families and the Bridge Church, the students were able to send over one hundred packed bags. Tim and Lori Sunday, the worship directors and team coordinators with Clubhouse Guatemala, visited campus on Monday, November 7th to collect the packed bags and share their heart for ministry with the secondary students. Parent organizers, Mrs. Vensk and Mrs. McCarter were on hand to help the Sundays pack the outgoing truck.

According to the ministry's web site, Clubhouse Guatemala is "sharing, serving, and growing the harvest of Jesus Christ." CG is currently serving Guatemalan families in 13 different communities, with Student Development Centers working with over 1000 kids and their families on a weekly basis. The organization impacts thousands of lives with ministries such as VBS, Block Parties, Medical Clinics, Home Construction, Water Filter Systems, Chicken Coops, and many other ways. Two church plants are in process and a seminary is now open. For more info, click here.