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.

Being blessed with fall weather, secondary students and staff participated in the annual LPA Dodgeball tournament. Teams of three competed in a double elimination tournament and a team costume contest. This year, the tournament's first place title fell from the Justice League, the traditional teacher's team, and was claimed by the Men of Steel (pictured above in the back row).  For the costume contest, first place went to the Pink Ladies and second place went to the Geeks (pictured above in the front row).

Satan can seek to amplify the awkwardness felt by teens when around senior citizens. It is a product of modern separation into same age peer groups and the deterioration of the close extended family. So, it was heartwarming to have LPA's largest group ever to bless and serve the residents of Morningside Assisted Living. Students led and sang hymns and resident requests and some students played piano.

Beginning a new yearly discipline, the secondary student body has used the first few weeks' morning gatherings, connection assemblies, and Friday afternoon events to focus on authentic faith. Staff and student leaders have led the student population in studying what God's Word says about fully living out  the Christian faith. This past Friday, students practiced applying what they are learning by brainstorming ways to live authentic faith within the walls of Lake Pointe. Then, next week, students will practice living their faith off campus through service visits to the Rock Hill Palmetto Crisis Pregnancy Center and Morning Side Nursing Home.

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!

With classic table settings at a beautiful venue, high school students enjoyed the yearly LPA formal. This year's dance was themed after New York City.

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. 

Secondary Student Life hosted its first ever sock hop. Keeping in theme with a classic 1950s sock hop, this informal dance was held in the school's mulit-purpose room. Students came dressed in 1950's style, and a staff member taught simple 1950's line dances. At the end of the night, students participated in a dance competition to songs such as Rockin' Robin and the Hand Jive. 

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.

Though temperatures mostly hovered below freezing, secondary students reveled in reconnecting with their classmates during LPA's 11th annual secondary winter retreat at Bethelwoods campgrounds and conference center. The theme of this year's retreat was Reveal; students spent small group time discussing what it meant to reveal matters of the heart. Throughout the rest of the two day retreat, students participated in group activities such as capture the flag, basketball, lip singing, and gathering around the fireplace.

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.

This week launched the mini-apprenticeship program (MAP) for secondary students. Fitting into Lake Pointe’s goal to connect students to each other and to adult Christians in Christian fellowship, MAP volunteers, weather LPA staff or parents, teach a small group of student a specific skill set that they cannot learn in the classroom. These groups meet for two or three weeks and at various times throughout the semester to allow students to participate in as many MAP groups as they desire. Though the number of times these groups meet may be comparatively small, the hope of the MAP program is to help cultivate deeper, inter-generational friendships between students and adults that magnify the beauty of a diverse church body. Some of the skill sets that will be taught this semester include cake decorating, basic auto-mechanics, bread making, and camping survival skills.

With beautiful fall-like weather, the Lake Pointe 2017 Fall Festival was a delightful celebration of the season! Elementary families flooded in at the peak of the afternoon. This portion of the day featured face painting, sack races, a bounce house, hay rides, and many other festival games. These activities were ran by secondary student volunteers who not only managed the games but also encouraged and played along with the younger kids.

As the temperature dropped with the sun, secondary students enjoyed an evening of pumpkin carving, pie eating, and yard games. The cooler weather made it just right for a bonfire and line dances.

Overall, there were about 110 tickets sold; about 90% of the profit from the festival will be aiding in this year's student life missions focus--to help build wells in areas without access to clean water!

The first Friday Student Life event created the time and space for teachers and students to connect with intentional conversations. Gathered around tables with pizza and treats, teachers and students asked and answered prepared questions that ranged from fun and wishful questions such as "What is your ideal job?" to more personal questions such as "What was the most memorable moment in your Christian walk?" Tables then turned into teams as during a teacher- focused trivia game.This game taught the students which of their teachers would want to be a sloth and which favored Foghorn Leghorn as their cartoon of choice. As a conclusion, Ms. Bishop led the students in the sitting down Cha-Cha slide (picture to the right).

Summer was tossed off with the chicken at the secondary first day picnic. After a day of meeting teachers, starting classes, and learning or relearning the ins and outs of a LPA school day, the secondary students, staff, and family members gathered at Westminster Park for a time to socialize and play games. 

Student Life Director Mr. Miller started the picnic off with an ice breaker game of Chuck the Chicken where teams worked together to chuck Chuck the chicken and run laps. Teams strategized and took council from on-looking staff and alumni for a tough competition.

Parents and staff joined for a picnic feast of fried chicken and joined in reconnecting with one another. The evening was concluded as student leaders led those congregated in worship songs and prayer.

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

The cold and clouds couldn't damper spirits at the annual LPA field day. From parents and students to teachers and staff, the Lake Pointe community came together at Camp Canaan for this last school-wide event. As the games began, teams, composed of elementary classes and headed by secondary student leaders, gathered together with great enthusiasm. Each team donned head bands, arms bands, and team colors and waved their team flag as they competed against one another. After the races and relays, each group enjoyed rotating through various stations coordinated by secondary students that challenged their balance, strength, and team work.

Meanwhile, parents, younger siblings, and teachers enjoyed spectating as they fellowshipped on the side lines wrapped in warm blankets. Afterwards, everyone gathered to enjoy a delicious, covered-dish cookout. Even though the structure time ended, the festivities did not. Pick-up games of soccer and basketball lasted until the sun and temperature began to drop.

The academy held a contest to encourage students to design a custom yearbook cover for this year’s memory book. Mrs. Bolin, who serves as yearbook advisor, set up the contest parameters, and a panel of judges reviewed almost twenty entries.

Natalie Salmon earned 1^st place with an image that prominently features a compass. Second place was awarded to Abigail Luke, and Connor Moseley placed third. Students were honored at a Connection assembly and received Visa gift cards of $100, $50 and $25 for their efforts. Congratulations to all who participated.

Yearbooks are now on sale and online

To order a copy of the 2016-17 yearbook click here.
Then use Yearbook ID Code: 10135917 for Lake Pointe.

Pasta...Secondary students enjoyed a spaghetti fellowship lunch.

Praise... the LPA worship band led a time of worship.

And prayer...  then students broke into smaller groups for prayer.

The afternoon event saw students rotate around various campus rooms that students decorated for the theme and topic being prayed for -- such as academy teachers/staff, international missions, students, governement leaders, etc

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.