From the Eagle’s Nest – Quarter 1 (2024)

It’s hard to believe that last week we wrapped up the first quarter of the school year. It’s a great time to pause, reflect, and celebrate the growth and accomplishments we’ve seen thus far. Enjoy these first quarter highlights!

Spiritual Development Through Our Learner Profile:

One of our big initiatives has been to dive into our new Learner Profile because we don’t just want to say we want to grow in our relationship with Christ and each other, we want to live it out! For the months of September and October both students and staff are learning what it means to be relational. Here are just a few of many examples of what we’re calling “God’s Kingdom Sightings”–times when we see the Holy Spirit at work in the lives of others. Students and teachers submitted the ones that follow:

One morning a third grade student took time out of his morning recess to walk a PreK student who had scraped his knee to the office to be taken care of. He was genuinely concerned about his little friend!
One student was doubting herself and saying she was bad at writing. A classmate said, “You’re great at writing!” and it really made her feel better.
One of my students talked to me privately to own up to breaking the rules because she didn’t want the wrong person to be blamed. She put herself aside, thought of her friends and said, “It was me.”
“I was playing Legos, and everybody else was playing Uno. One of the girls quit the game and came to play with me because I was lonely. My heart grew so much that we became bff!”

It is sweet to see how God is answering our prayers and opening our eyes to the opportunities we have to love one another through godly relationships.

Academic Excellence Through Our Curriculum:

The 18th century scientist Michael Farady once said, “The book of nature which we have to read is written by the finger of God.” Perhaps no other subject better points to the majesty and glory of God, since it so clearly reveals the beauty and order of His creation. We are excited that our students are diving into a new, more interactive edition of BJU Press’s science curriculum this year! Here are some notable features:

Students apply science to life by building foundational knowledge and skills with pre-assessments, scaffolded instruction, spiral review, and hands-on activities.
Students have opportunities to observe, classify, measure data, analyze data, make inferences, and communicate their findings.
Students interact with and use models, enabling them to better explain and describe their observations as well as make predictions about scientific principles they’ve learned.
Collaborative STEM activities give students opportunities to design, test, and refine engineered solutions to real-world problems.
Lessons are designed from a biblical worldview.
Follow this LINK to learn more and see grade level scope and sequences.

Please pray for wisdom and direction for the Curriculum Committee as they review and make recommendations regarding our math curriculum, which is under study this year.

Servant Leadership Through Service Opportunities

In the gospel of Mark, Jesus teaches us that, “. . . the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 20:28). One of the best things we can teach our students is that it’s not all about them! God created us to serve, and when we are putting the interests of others ahead of our own, we are living in a way that causes us to flourish. Did you know. . .

The average Twin Oaks student participates in over 50 service opportunities from preschool through 8th grade?
Most students volunteer for classroom duties they are responsible for that help serve their teacher and classmates?
Our middle school students deliver and serve lunch to our Early Childhood students on a weekly basis?
Our recycling program is carried out by students?
Once a year each K-8 class leads at least one chapel for the entire school?

Putting ourselves last isn’t something that comes naturally to us, and we’re thankful that Twin Oaks Christian School is a place where students can hear and apply what God’s Word has to say about developing the heart of a servant.

One of my greatest joys is collaborating with Twin Oaks’ dedicated teachers and staff to create meaningful experiences that deepen your children’s relationship with Christ. As we enter the second quarter of school, we will continue to seek God’s guidance as He equips us to do His work and to know and love each of our students more deeply. Serving our students and families is a cherished privilege, and we are grateful for your continued partnership.