Friday, March 26, 2010

The BUZZ from the MACSA Spelling Bee


The MACSA Spelling Bee was held on Wednesday, March 24 at Ambassador Christian Academy (Glassboro, New Jersey).


Participating schools included:

Ambassador Christian Academy (Glassboro, NJ)
Cape Christian Academy (Cape May Courthouse, NJ)
Cornerstone Christian School (East Brunswick, NJ)
Shrewsbury Christian Academy (New Freedom, PA)
West Fallowfield Christian School (Atglen, PA)

    Grade Level Winners
    First Place
    Second Place

    5th Grade
    Haily Becica - Cape Christian
    Alexis Lake-German - Cornerstone


    6th Grade
    Lauren Cairns-West Fallowfield
    Taylor Avery - Ambassador


    7th Grade
    Emma Millar - West Fallowfield
    Camille Menns- Cornerstone


    8th Grade
    Madison Duncan-West Fallowfield
    Alicia Jones - Cornerstone



      Overall Winner
      Madison Duncan from West Fallowfield

      Tuesday, March 23, 2010

      The Imperative of Christian Leadership


      “What the leader focuses on gets done.” 
      As I go about the continent speaking and doing accreditation site visits, I get to see many schools in action and gain a sense of how leadership happens in each place.  Since my job often focuses on helping others with change, I have been thinking about what motivates people to change and the role of leadership, formal or informal, in making change happen and as change relates to what makes Christian education distinctive.
      I recently read Dan Pink’s newest book, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. He describes management in the last 100 years as a version called Motivation 2.0, that relies heavily on control and extrinsic rewards. Pink contends that this style is out of sync with human nature itself, particularly in jobs of knowledge workers – the kinds of right-brain, creative, complex-thinking jobs that we see today. We are created to be curious and self-directed in our learning, but that somehow this desire gets “controlled” out of us – education being one culprit. Pink cites a Cornell study of 320 small businesses, in which half of the workers were granted autonomy and the other half relied on top-down direction, and states: “Businesses that offered autonomy grew at four times the rate of the control-oriented firms and had one-third the turnover.” Leaders lead out of their assumptions about the nature of human beings. Whether it is kids or teachers, if you assume the worst or the best about them, you will likely have people living up to those expectations. Do you as a leader bring out the best or the worst in your followers?
      What Pink says about money and extrinsic motivation resonates with me as a Christian. In his proposed Motivation 3.0 model he sees purpose maximization as a key to long-term job satisfaction. We desire to work for higher purposes in life beyond ourselves.  Christian education is, in the end, not about the money, but the highest purpose of helping student to know and live for Jesus Christ.
      In a recent survey (Gates Foundation/Scholastic) of more than 40,000 public school teachers, supportive leadership was once again shown to trump financial incentives, such as merit pay. In order to retain good teachers, 68% said supportive leadership was absolutely essential, while 71% said monetary rewards for teacher performance would have moderate or no impact on student achievement. Teachers also highly desired “relevant” professional development, clean and safe working conditions, and time to collaborate with access to high-quality curriculum.
      My friend Mark Eckel recently completed his doctoral work on the implementation of faith-learning integration and discovered that the key variable in terms of effect was leadership. He reports that the variable of administrative encouragement around faith learning integration happening in the classroom caused the largest shift in the total score for how teachers were integrating faith and learning! He states: “Learning how one teaches all things from a biblical point of view is the cornerstone of what it means to teach in a Christian school.” Amen!
      As a leader (whether you are an administrator or teacher) I leave you with these questions:
      1.    How do you know that faith-learning integration is being practiced in your classroom(s)? What evidence could you show me?
      2.    If teachers/students are dependent on you as a leader to emphasize this area, then what are you doing to strengthen faith-learning integration?

      Christian Education: Investment, Sacrifice, or Obligation?

      From Nurturing Faith
      Christian Schools International



      This is the time of year for budgets, annual parent meetings, and staff hiring.  A lot of time, energy, and discussion are put into financial matters related to the cost of Christian education. 

      What is the language used in our discussions with parents, board, and each other? Let us consider some thoughts around the words investment, sacrifice, and obligation. If our language conveys our values and really matters, then we should choose our words wisely.

      It’s wonderful to hear parents talk about investing into the lives of their kids by giving them a Christian education.

      When I think of “investment”, I think of these phrases:
      ·         Seen as a good thing to do with money – ex. The parable of the talents
      ·         Are a plan for growth and the future
      ·         Don’t always turn out like we planned, but we still make them anyway
      ·         Potentially impact future generations

      When I hear parents describe their choice for Christian education in a negative tone as a “sacrifice,” I think of these phrases:
      ·         Something I have to do
      ·         Sometimes grudging obedience rather than my heart’s desire
      ·         Something I am giving up, not always cheerfully, to maintain something else
      ·         Sense of loss rather than choice
      ·         Sometimes used in “guilting” – “I sacrificed so you can have this”

      I realize that the attitude of the heart is what determines how these words are used. I can also be forced to make investments for good (taxes come to mind) and do so with a resentful attitude.  I can also make a joyful sacrifice – the kind that is pleasing to the Lord, such as the Abel offers, or one at the cost of my life, such as Samson. On the other hand if I view sacrifice as obligation it may be like the cheerless Pharisee who tossed into the collection plate in large measure and made sure it was publicly visible. In Jesus’ observation, the widow “sacrificed” but she did so with a grateful and joyful heart as an “investment” in the work of the kingdom.

      How we and our staff approach our work is also key. Do we focus on our “sacrifice” to work at a lower salary or do we see our work as an opportunity to “invest” into the lives of the kids and into our community and world?

      The language we use and allow others to use really surfaces our values and our level of commitment. The Bible says that “where your treasure is there will your heart be also,” and provides many very clear stories of biblical characters who ran into trouble confusing obedience and gratitude – investment, sacrifice, or obligation.

      What attitude does our language convey about how we approach the opportunity for a Christian education that can equip our children to hear the redemptive call of God on their life in personal and corporate ways?

      Sunday, March 21, 2010

      Check out the latest posts from The Christian School Journal


      Most of us recognize how important it is for a modern aircraft, particularly a commercial aircraft, to be equipped with the latest technology in order to provide the best possible chance for mission success. If any of us walked onto a flight and was informed the trip was being made without radar, we might think twice about remaining on board. Do we not trust the experience and instincts of the pilot? I imagine our reasons for leaving the airplane would not be about mistrust, but more about believing that reliable and proven technology gives us the best chance for success.

      What about in our schools? Sometimes our daily requirements and routines capture our attention so often that we overlook the tools that are available to give us the best chance for success. Christian, public and private schools alike are wrestling with the present day economy, as well as the expectations of government, parents, board members and students. Budget surpluses are no longer in the school administrator’s toolbox, and to make matters worse, it seems organizations that could provide solutions elect to clash with one another instead. The commitment to instructional excellence is mostly unchanged, but the need to search for new tools is a reality, perhaps even a necessity.


      This article, although related specifically to Apple and Amazon, the larger story is the fast movement to digital content for books/textbooks.

      Amazon vs. Apple: Battle of the books

      With its new iPad, Apple is taking aim at Amazon’s core business and its Kindle book reader. Can the ‘e-tail’ pioneer keep up as books, music and movies go all-download?



      This fall about two million American students will leave for college for the first time to receive an education at a yearly cost of $12,000 a year for a public university and up to $50,000 for a private one. Scholarships and grants reduce the cost for most families, but still, theWall Street Journal reports that the average student leaves college with $23,186 in debt.
      The total cost for this transaction is somewhere between 25 and 40 billion dollars. Per year.
      Oh well, at least families are getting their money’s worth.
      Or not.

      Monday, March 8, 2010

      Attention: Physical Education Teachers

      Professional Development Opportunity
      Game Exchange


      Please note: The Game Exchange is not a MACSA sponsored event, but we recommend this event to our member schools each year.

      Game Exchange Network Workshop event is coming up on Thursday, April 22nd from 8:30 a.m- 2:30 p.m. and will be held at Philadelphia Biblical University.

      This practical and active workshop will help breathe new life into any PE program because you will leave with over 50 new games that you can immediately implement into your program. The full day workshop only costs $35.00 and includes a T shirt and a cafeteria lunch. Plus, it is an excellent opportunity to network together with other PE professionals.
      For more information, please visit the following links.
      1. www.campconcepts.org and click on the Game Exchange link at the top of the homepage for additional details, directions, etc.
      2. This event is sponsored in part by Anaconda Sports.  For all of your PE and athletic equipment needs, please visit them at www.anacondasports.com or contact the area representative David Boice (DBoice@anacondasports.com) for additional savings. Just mention the Game Exchange.