BCLS News

2011-04-25T06:30:00.000-07:00

A Great Year for the Arts

2011-04-25T06:27:00.000-07:00

A Great Year For The Arts

Brookwood Christian School has had an awesome year with our Theatre Programs this 2011-2012 school year thanks to TARGET and parent donations.

In October 2010, teens in CDATT (Comedic & Dramatic Arts Teen Troupe) our after school drama program performed for the Taste of Acworth. This local event had thousands of attendees.

In November 2010, Brookwood Christian and My Michelle Productions brought a mathematics musical “The Honky Tonk of the Wild West” to students attending Open Arms Day Care and Open Arms Day Care after school program. We were quoted as being the best in house program they have ever received. This program would not have been possible with out support from TARGET.

December 2010 was a busy month for Brookwood Christian and My Michelle Productions. We enriched the lives of the Special Needs students attending Awtrey Middle School with African drumming and storytelling. Students brought the book Jamari’s drum to life. Once again, Brookwood Christian would like to thank TARGET for funding this unique program .

Brookwood Christian School and My Michelle Productions also brought “Drama-Rama,”a medley skits addressing middle school academic and social issues to the 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th grade students at Herschel Jones Middle School in Paulding County. Herschel Jones received funding on behalf of the Puffin Foundation in order to sponsor the event.

And finally, in December 2010, our CDATT carolers blessed the hearts of many local businesses here in Acworth as they spread the Christmas cheer with song.

In April 2011, Brookwood Christian and My Michelle Productions were busy once again. We provided a one day residency workshop for Acworth Intermediate’s Celebration of the Arts Day. Our target audience were students in the 2^nd-5^th grade. The students were empowered and enlightened. Once again this event would not have been possible with out funding from TARGET.

Our CDATT drama program performed at The Big Shanty Festival held in downtown Kennesaw April 16^th and for Acworth Intermediate Spring Fling. Our students rocked both house with an 80’s theme to an original show “America’s Wildest Videos!”

What a great year it has been. 2011-2012 will be even bigger and better as we seek to expand our programs and solicit help from sponsors. Stay tuned and please go out and support our local TARGET located on Hwy 41.

Educational Software for Children with Dyslexia By Olivia Bethea

2011-03-14T17:22:00.000-07:00

Direct, explicit instruction by a skilled educator is essential to improving the reading skills of students who struggle with dyslexia or similar language based learning disabilities. Repeated reinforcement of the core skills being taught and ongoing practice are also essential for long term reading success. Educational software is not a replacement for a teacher or tutor. However, it can offer invaluable assistance to both teachers and students by providing drill and reinforcement as well as opportunities for students to practice reading skills independently.

Reading Assistant

Reading Assistant, by Scientific Learning Corporation is a software program that uses speech recognition technology to help students make improvements in reading comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary. The program listens as a child reads aloud and provides interactive assistance when it detects a problem. The software records each reading session and maintains performance records which can help both the teacher and student to stay abreast of areas of improvement as well as those which warrant further individualized instruction.

Scientific Learning software products are used in schools throughout the country and are also available for parents wishing to utilize the products for home use.

Lexia Reading

Lexia Reading Software is a web based program designed to remediate reading difficulties for students in grades K-12. Lexia products offer instruction at three different levels:

Lexia Early Reading – (ages 4 to 6) Focuses on introduction of phonological principles
Lexia Primary Reading – (ages 5 to 8) Helps students master basic reading skills
Lexia Strategies for Older Students - (ages 9 to adult) Works to remediate basic reading skills through the use of age appropriate content.

Each of the Lexia Reading products provides reinforcement of phonics, sound symbol relationships, and phonological awareness. Lexia is primarily designed for use in schools, however they do offer a "School to Home Connection" which allows students in schools that utilize the technology to access the software from home over the internet.

Smart Tutor

Smart Tutor is a web based program specifically designed for children in grades 1-5. It uses a research based curriculum to address five key areas of reading:

Phonemic Awareness
Phonics
Sight Words
Comprehension
Vocabulary

Smart Tutor starts with an in depth assessment of the child’s skills. Based on the results of that assessment a customized program is created which specifically addresses the child’s areas of strength and weakness. Direct, explicit instruction is provided using engaging, interactive, multi-media lesson presentation. The program gives immediate feedback to the child, and maintains records on the child’s performance for parents or teachers.

Smart Tutor is a subscription based program available for use by both schools and parents. Subscription fees are billed on a monthly basis and may be cancelled at any time.

Improving the Spelling Skills of Children with Dyslexia by Oliva Bethea

2011-03-14T17:21:00.000-07:00

Dyslexia Impacts Spelling as Well as Reading

Dyslexia is a learning disorder widely associated with reading difficulties. While dyslexia does adversely impact reading proficiency, the majority of dyslexic children also experience profound challenges with spelling.¹

Most dyslexics are lacking in phonemic awareness. Phonemic awareness, the ability to segment words or syllables into individual sounds, is the most reliable predictor of future reading failure.² These skills which are vital for reading, are equally important for effective spelling.

Poor Reading Skills Impact Spelling

Spelling skills are positively impacted by frequent reading. Proficient readers have greater exposure to words in print, and are therefore afforded more opportunities to observe how specific words are spelled. Dyslexics who struggle with reading skills are rarely enthusiastic readers. As a result, their limited exposure to printed words may further impair their spelling ability.

It is not uncommon for dyslexics to continue to struggle with spelling even after their reading skills have been remediated.³The complex structure of the English language, with its many spelling rules and patterns, makes spelling difficult for most dyslexics to master through conventional phonics and spelling instruction.

What Works?

Over the years, educators have had great success using the Orton-Gillingham approach to improve the reading and spelling skills of children with dyslexia. Orton-Gillingham is centered around a systematic and structured approach to spelling with a focus on multi-sensory instruction.

There are numerous Orton-Gillingham influenced spelling programs and curriculum. Each program is unique but all share foundational elements in common.

This approach differs from conventional spelling instruction in two key ways: what is taught and how it is taught.

What Is Taught

Phonemic Awareness is the ability to segment words or syllables into their individual phonemes, or units of sounds. Example: The word fish is comprised of three phonemes: /f/ /i/ /sh/.

Sound-Symbol Association involves instruction in the relationship between individual letters, their distinct sounds, and how to blend those sounds into words.

Six Syllable Types are used to form English words. Students are directly taught each syllable type and its relationship to word structure.

Morphology is the study of how morphemes, the smallest units of meaning, are combined to form words. It includes the study of base words, roots, prefixes, and suffixes.

How It Is Taught

Multisensory Instruction utilizes all learning pathways: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic-tactile. To enhance learning and facilitate long term memory, all pathways are simultaneously engaged.

Direct, Explicit Instruction requires the direct teaching of all the rules that govern written English. Concepts are taught individually and practiced until mastered.

Systematic and Cumulative organization of the material ensures that its presentation follows a logical, progressively difficult sequence, and involves ongoing review of previously learned concepts.

Synthetic and Analytic instruction teaches how to blend individual letters or sounds to form a word (synthetic), and how to examine and segment a whole word into smaller pieces (analytic).

The Type of Instruction Matters

English is uniquely complex because it is comprised of words from several different languages. Even so, the overwhelming majority of English words can be phonetically decoded if the rules governing English spelling and word structure are clearly understood. Only about 4% of English words are fully irregular and must be memorized.⁴This means that with the right type of instruction, dyslexic children can eventually master the skills needed to dramatically improve their spelling skills.

SOURCES:

^{1, 3,4}International Dyslexia Association Fact Sheet

²Put Reading First: The Research Building Blocks for Teaching Children to Read

Multi-Sensory Language Teaching Fact Sheet

Shaywitz, Sally (2003). Overcoming Dyslexia: A New and Complete Science-Based Program for Reading Problems at any Level. New York: Knopf

Is It Dyslexia? By Olivia Bethea

2011-03-14T17:19:00.000-07:00

Why Does a Bright Child Struggle to Read?

There are many reasons that a seemingly bright child may struggle to acquire fluent reading skills. Though dyslexia is a common reason for this occurrence, it is not always the cause. An understanding of the basics of this disorder and its common manifestations can assist the observer in determining whether dyslexia is the likely culprit of observed language based learning difficulties.

What is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a neurologically based learning disability that results in significant problems with language skills. While reading is the most commonly impacted skill area, dyslexia can adversely affect spelling, writing, and speaking as well. Dyslexia is not a reflection of intelligence and occurs in people of all backgrounds and intelligence levels. Of the estimated 15-20% of the population that has a reading disability, it is estimated that 85% of them are dyslexic.

What are the Signs?

Formal testing is necessary to obtain an official diagnosis of dyslexia. Professionals who test for dyslexia administer a diverse battery of tests with the intent of identifying a specific cluster of symptoms.

There are several warning signs that can signal the need to investigate the possibility of an occurrence of dyslexia.

Difficulty mastering basic phonics
Difficulty accurately reading words in isolation
Slow and labored reading of long passages
Eliminating word endings and suffixes when reading
Confusion of words with similar shapes, i.e. “form” for “from”,
Confusion of letters with similar shapes, i.e. b-d, m-w, p-q
Odd misspelling of words that in no way resembles the correct spelling
Frequent misspelling of sight words
Extreme difficulty with written expression

This list is by no means exhaustive. No two dyslexics are alike; therefore not all dyslexics display the same combination of symptoms. If a child consistently displays several of these warning signs and struggles academically, formal evaluation should at least be considered.

Can It Be Treated?

There is no cure for dyslexia but with proper intervention dyslexics can learn to read and spell well. One of the most successful techniques for remediating dyslexia is instruction by a teacher or tutor trained in multisensory, structured language methods. Research has shown that dyslexics taught by methods that engage several senses at once produce the most substantive long term gains in reading and spelling ability.

Early identification and targeted intervention are essential for the child with dyslexia. With the proper assistance, the child who struggles with this learning disability can ultimately succeed in their academic pursuits.

Phonemic Awareness: Key to Reading Success By Olivia Bethea

2011-03-14T17:14:00.000-07:00

Predicting Reading Failure

Can reading failure be predicted? According to research done by the National Institute of Health (NIH) it can. How? By evaluating the strength of a student’s phonemic awareness skills. Researchers for NIH have concluded that, "The lack of phonemic awareness is the most powerful determinant of the likelihood of failure to learn to read." Mastery of phonemic awareness has been found to be more closely correlated to reading ability than tests of general intelligence, reading readiness, or listening comprehension.

What is Phonemic Awareness?

Phonemic awareness is the ability to distinguish the smallest individual phonemes, or sounds, in a word. Phonemic awareness instruction involves teaching children that each syllable in a word is made up of sounds. For example, The five letter word shock is comprised of only three phonemes /sh/ /o/ /ck/. Children need to understand how sounds work in words before they learn to read print.

How is Phonemic Awareness Assessed?

There are a number of assessment tools from companies such as Linguisystems and Pearson Learning which can be used to evaluate the strength of a child’s phonemic awareness. Because this skill is such an important predictor of reading failure, early intervention is essential. It is much easier to provide preventive instruction in phonemic awareness than it is to remediate a child once they’ve fallen behind grade level in reading proficiency. Proper assessment will help identify which children need phonemic awareness instruction and to what degree it should be implemented.

Is Phonemic Awareness the Same as Phonics?

Phonemic awareness is not the same as phonics though the two are frequently confused. Phonemic awareness pertains only to the sounds in individual words. Whereas phonics involves understanding the relationship between sounds and the letters that represent those sounds in written language. Children need phonemic awareness in order to fully benefit from phonics instruction.

How Can Phonemic Awareness Skills Be Improved?

Phonemic awareness skills are built by providing instruction in how to focus on and manipulate phonemes in syllables of spoken words. Educators can utilize a variety of exercises to accomplish this.

Phoneme Isolation - Identify an isolated phoneme in a word

Question: What’s the last sound in bag?

Answer: /g/

Phoneme Segmentation - Break a word into separate sounds

Question: How man sounds are in ship?

Answer: /sh/ /i/ /p/. There are 3 sounds in ship

Phoneme Blending-Listen to isolated phonemes and then blend into a word

Question: What word has the sounds /f/ /l/ /a/ /g/

Answer: flag

Phoneme Deletion – Identify the change in a word when one phoneme is deleted

Question: What is spot without the /s/ sound

Answer: pot

Phoneme Substitution – substitute one phoneme for another to make a new word

Question: The word is big. Change the /i/ to /a/. What’s the new word?

Answer: bag

Phonemic awareness is only one component of a successful reading program. In isolation it does not provide a guarantee of future reading success. However it does lay an essential foundation for subsequent instruction in phonics, spelling, and reading fluency, all of which combine to greatly increase the likelihood of a child becoming a life long fluent reader.

Dysgraphia: Is It Just Bad Handwriting?

2011-03-14T17:11:00.000-07:00

Children with dyslexia or related learning disabilities commonly exhibit poor handwriting skills. In many cases letter formation is so poor that their handwriting is illegible. Do these students simply need additional handwriting instruction? For some students the problem may be remedied that easily, but in other cases the answer to that question is a resounding— “No!” For these other students, there is a phenomenon more complex than just bad handwriting precipitating the problem.

Dysgraphia Defined

Dysgraphia is a specific learning disability that directly impacts writing. At the root of dysgraphia is a visual-motor integration problem that is often first noticed when a child begins to learn to write. Dysgraphia often co-exists with dyslexia, ADD and ADHD. It is not uncommon for children with dysgraphia to also experience difficulty with spelling and written expression.

Signs of Dysgraphia

The parent or educator who suspects dysgraphia should look for more than just bad handwriting. Signs may include:

Letters that are irregularly sized and spaced
Capital letters in the wrong places
Awkard pen or pencil grip
Easy tiring when writing
Incomplete or omitted words in sentences
Inability to organize thoughts on paper
Difficulty with grammar and syntax

Solutions for Dysgraphia

Because dysgraphia is rarely present in isolation, it is important to have testing done by a professional trained in the diagnosis of learning disabilities. The severity of dysgraphia varies therefore remediation should be tailored to the specific learning deficits and/or co-existing conditions of the student. One child may need intense occupational therapy while another may just need explicit handwriting instruction.

Helpful Strategies

Handwriting remediation often starts with activities that assist students to learn to form letters such as tracing letters with the index finger, making clay models of letters, or copying letters from models. Once legible letter formation has been mastered they can progress to activities that facilitate automatic letter writing such as utilizing worksheets with numbered arrows which provide sequential steps for letter formation or writing letters from dictation.

Handwriting Without Tears is a popular handwriting curriculum designed by an occupational therapist with the intent of simplying the handwriting process for students who struggle with dysgraphia or other handwriting difficulty.

Write On Handwriting is an interactive, multisensory handwriting curriculum that utilizes computer technology and written practice to build motor memory and improve handwriting fluency. Students utilize a digital workbook on CD-ROM which provides both audio and visual instruction in letter formation and allows students to practice the sequential strokes first by using their mouse, and later in a paper worktext.

Regardless of the interim strategy or techniques employed, he ultimate goal of any intervention is to effectively remediate the individual student’s areas of weakness. With accurate diagnosis and proper intervention, dysgraphia is a learning disability that can be successfully remediated.

The student with dysgraphia may be aided in the classrom via a combination of strategies.

Accommodation - Provide alternative options to written expression.

(Example: Temporarily allow student to take oral rather than written quizzes and exams)

Modification - Alter the expectations for the student, or modify tasks to avoid the area of weakness.

(Example: Do not judge written assignments on neatness of handwriting)

Remediation - Provide the student with direct explicit instruction to improve handwriting skills.

(Example: Use multi-sensory techniques for learning letters and numbers)

What is Auditory Processing Disorder?

2011-03-10T10:21:00.000-08:00

What Is Auditory Processing Disorder?

Auditory processing disorder (APD) is a condition that adversely affects an individual’s ability to effectively process sound. Unlike deafness or being hard of hearing, auditory processing difficulties do not affect what is heard, but rather affects how auditory information is retrieved and processed by the brain. Children affected by this disorder can usually hear fine. They simply don’t process what they hear in the same way as others because of an aberration in the way their brains process sounds, particularly those that comprise speech.

Recognizing Auditory Processing Disorder

Auditory Processing Disorder can be difficult to detect because most kids with APD have no noticeable hearing impairment. These children do not have a “hearing problem” as it relates to detecting sound, but do have a “hearing problem” based on their inability to process auditory information in a normal fashion.

Common Areas of Difficulty

The impact of APD varies based on the individual child; however there are several common areas of difficulty.

Phonological Awareness – the ability to recognize and identify the individual sounds in a word. This skill is essential for reading, and weakness in this area can result difficulties with reading, comprehension, and spelling for children with APD.

Auditory Discrimination – the ability to distinguish the difference is sounds (i.e. being able to hear the difference between “ask” and “act”)

Auditory Memory – the ability to hold in memory and later retrieve information that was orally. This can result in a child struggling to follow multi-step instructions.

Auditory Sequencing – The ability to sequentially recall the order of items that were conveyed verbally. An example is confusing the sounds and order of syllables in a word such as saying or writing “am-i-nal” instead of “an-i-mal”

Auditory Blending – the process of blending individual sounds to make a word.

The phonemes /sh//r//i//m//p/ are blended to make the word “shrimp”. Problems with auditory blending can make it difficult to accurately spell words phonetically.

Diagnosis of Auditory Processing Disorder

If you suspect that your child is impacted by APD seeking the input of an audiologist is recommended. A full scale auditory processing evaluation, which must be administered by an audiologist, is necessary for a formal diagnosis. Based on the results of that evaluation the audiologist can provide specific input on which of your child’s processing issues are impacted by APD and establish a plan for therapy and remediation.

What is the Wilson Reading System Program?

2011-03-09T11:49:00.000-08:00

Our English language is very cool. It’s rich in vocabulary and expression. Although it is complex, our language follows rules, even if it doesn’t seem like it.

The Wilson Reading program is designed for students who struggle with decoding and spelling. They learn step-by-step the English language using a variety of multisensory techniques in order to master the skills it takes to read and spell. The Wilson method goes beyond the phonics skills. Students learn sound/symbol relationships, syllable types and word construction rules so that multisyllabic reading and spelling can be achieved.

By Deb Cain, certified Wilson instructor

2011-01-11T08:33:00.000-08:00

From
Investing in Literacy

Indiana’s former governor has stated that determining the number of new prisons to build is based, in part, on the number of second graders not reading at second-grade level.

From
Dialects, Teaching Reading and Literacy to Dialect Speakers: Educational CyberPlayGround™

In California they plan how many jail cells they will build in the future by how many children are not reading on grade level by third grade.

From
Democracy and Equity: CES’s Tenth Common Principle

“Based on this year’s fourth-grade reading scores,” observes Paul Schwartz, a Coalition principal in residence at the U. S. Department of Education, “California is already planning the number of new prison cells it will need in the next century.”

From
Evidence Based Education Science and Learning to Read

David Boulton: We were interviewing Lesley Morrow, the Past-President of the International Reading Association, and she made a statement which flabbergasted me. She said this was a fact: that there are some states that determine how many prison cells to build based on reading scores.
Dr. Grover (Russ) Whitehurst: Yes. Again, the predictability of reading for life success is so strong, that if you look at the proportion of middle schoolers who are not at the basic level, who are really behind in reading, it is a very strong predictor of problems with the law and the need for jails down the line.
Literacy for societies, literacy for states, literacy for individuals is a powerful determinate of success. The opposite of success is failure and clearly, being in jail is a sign of failure.
People who don’t read well have trouble earning a living. It becomes attractive to, in some cases the only alternative in terms of gaining funds, to violate the law and steal, to do things that get you in trouble. Few options in some cases other than to pursue that life. Of course reading opens doors.

What is Dyslexia

2010-11-18T18:25:00.000-08:00

What is Dyslexia? By Kim Wigington, Principal, Brookwood Christian School

Most people think that kids with Dyslexia see words backwards or see them with the letters all jumbled up. Even though that’s what we have always been told, that’s not really the case. Dyslexia is actually much more complicated than that. Unfortunately, Dyslexia has many components that cause kids and adults problems with reading and with learning in general.

The first problem is called bi-lateral coordination. Actually it’s the lack of bi-lateral coordination that causes problems. Think about the way a baby crawls. The right arm and left knee work together and move in sync. Most Dyslexics never crawl. They usually have trouble with any type of activity that involves using both sides of the body or crossing the mid line or center of the body. It’s not the crawling that helps kids read, but the lack of bi-lateral coordination that keeps Dyslexic kids from crawling. Yes, kids who are Dyslexic are born Dyslexic. With occupational therapy, most kids can overcome or at least significantly improve coordination problems. But that’s only one piece of the puzzle.

Heat sensitive brain photography has revealed that the section of the brain that works when a fluent reader reads, does not work when a Dyslexic reader reads. No, they do not have brain damage. They just have a wiring problem. The part of the brain that usually recognizes a word as a word or a chunk (rather than a bunch of letters) just doesn’t turn on without intervention. Because of this wiring problem, Dyslexics usually have poor “visual memory.” They don’t remember what words look like. They have to sound out a word every time they see it. This problem with visual memory also causes them problems with remembering a string of numbers like a phone number or memorizing multiplication facts.

Dyslexics don’t intuitively understand the structure of written language. A systematic phonics approach works best for these kids. At BCLS, we use Wilson Reading to teach the basic structure of written English. As I went through the Wilson training, I realized that I knew all these rules sub-consciously, but they had not been taught to me. We teach our Dyslexic students to read by introducing one reading rule at a time. We practice that rule as long as it takes for that rule to wire itself into the kids’ brains. Then we teach the exceptions to that reading rule and practice the exceptions. Systematic phonics can actually make new connections in the students’ brains and in a sense, rewire it.

Directionality is a very difficult concept for Dyslexic students to grasp. Young Dyslexics have trouble grasping the concept of left and right. They also tend to “mirror write.” They simply forget to write from left to right. At times they will write everything perfectly backwards from right to left. They also make reversals with letters like b and d and numbers like 2 and 5. They simply forget which way the letter or number is supposed to be turned. Couple poor directionality with poor visual memory and you end up with backwards letters and words.

Poor visual tracking causes Dyslexics to have difficulty reading a line of print. Even though they may have 20/20 vision, they often have problems with their eye muscles. This can cause problems in math, because students have to work with lines of numbers. They have to keep the numbers lined up correctly in order to get the correct answer. This seems to be related to the bi-lateral coordination. As soon as their eyes cross the midline of their body, the eyes twitch, and they lose their place. Vision therapy, which strengthens the eye muscles, can help with this problem. Another good trick is to have students follow the line of print with their fingers or an index card.

Dyslexia is a very complex learning disability. If their learning needs are not addressed, Dyslexics can give up early in school. They often feel like they cannot trust their own senses. They often have little to no self confidence. There are many components that must be pieced together for students to be successful. Dyslexia affects student achievement in every subject. In math Dyslexic students might write the number 12 as 51 if they reverse the sequence and reverse the 2. Most schools require students to read a science and history book in order to gain knowledge in that subject. If a student is not reading on grade level, they cannot decode a grade level text book. If the book is read to them or shown on video, they can understand the material. Usually their ability to comprehend far exceeds their ability to read. Dyslexia has nothing to do with intelligence.

At Brookwood Christian, we work hard to figure out exactly what is causing difficulty for each student. We plan their work according to their individual needs. We try to help them overcome their individual learning problems, but at the same time, we allow them to gain knowledge without having to read a text book. We help them work with and work around their learning disabilities. It is a very delicate balance and takes lots of work on the part of the teachers and students. Therefore, our class size is no larger than 7 students to any 1 teacher in reading and math. We have seen amazing progress with our students this year and have been very excited to see them develop into confident and competent learners.

Dyslexia Tutoring

2010-07-08T19:01:00.000-07:00

Wilson Reading lessons for Dyslexia in downtown Acworth, GA at Brookwood Christian School. Classes start August 12. Enroll full time or take one class.

Summer Camp

2010-07-08T18:53:00.000-07:00

Check out our summer camp pictures on Brookwood Christian's Facebook page. The next drama camp in Acworth this summer starts July 12.

Drama Camp Sign Up Sheet

2010-04-13T08:10:00.000-07:00

Summer Drama Camp Registration

Camp meets at Brookwood Christian School, 4728 Wood Street, Acworth, GA 30101. Classes are taught by My Michelle Productions. For more information call 678-401-5855 or email Kim.Wigington@BrookwoodChristian.com

Cost is $150 for 1st week for 1st child, pay only $125 for additional weeks or for siblings or friends who send in registration in the same envelope.

PLUS!!! Early Bird Registration: Mail in or drop off these registration papers with first week’s fee by May 1 and get $25 off each and every week! Payment in full is due each Monday. Each theme or class lasts 2 weeks, however students have the option of only coming one of the two weeks. The first Friday will be a dress rehearsal. The second Friday will be the final production. All Friday productions begin at 11:00 for beginners, 12:00 for intermediates, and at 4:30 for advanced students and are all open to friends and family. Age groups are 6-9, 10-13, and 13-18.

^{Beginners any age}^{meet 9:00-1:00 M-F (Little to no prior acting – will be split by age groups)}

^{____June 7-11 Princes and Princesses ____June 14-18 Princes and Princesses}

^{____June 21-25 Nickelodeon Comes to Life ____June 28-Jul 1 Nickelodeon Comes to Life}

^{____July 12-16 Sci-Fi Fantasy ____July 19-23 Sci-Fi Fantasy}

^{Intermediates any age}^{meet 9:00-1:00 M-F (Some experience- will be split by age group)}

^{This group will do some improvisation and will help write their play.}

^{____June 7-11 ____June 14-18}

^{____June 21-25 ____June 28- J1}

^{____July 12-16 ____July 19-23}

^{Advanced Musical Theater:}^{Meets 1:30-5:30 M-F (A few years experience – all ages together)}

^{____June 7-11 ____June 14-18}

^{____June 21-25 ____June 28- J1}

^{____July 12-16 ____July 19-23}

Student’s Name:____________________________________________Age:_________

I would prefer my child be put with the following age group:

____6-9 ____10-13 ____13-18

Parent or Guardian Information:

Name:___________________________ Name:___________________________

Cell #___________________________ Cell #___________________________

Email:___________________________ Email:___________________________

Emergency Contacts (allowed to pick up child):

Name:___________________________ Name:___________________________

Cell #___________________________ Cell#_____________________________

Medical Information:

Allergies:_______________________________________________________________

Medical Conditions:_______________________________________________________

Please check the meds we may give your child:

____Ibuprofen

____ Acetaminophen

____Tums/antacids

____Benadryl/Allergy meds

Drama Camp this summer

2010-03-09T10:55:00.000-08:00

Drama Camp with My Michelle Productions at Brookwood Christian School

4728 Wood Street, Acworth, GA 30101, at the corner of North Main, Wood St, and Hwy 92 near Dallas Landing on Lake Allatoona.

Beginners Camp - Age 6-14 from 9:00-1:00

and Advanced Camp - Age 12-18 from 1:30-5:30

June 7th-July 30th (No camp the week of July 4)

$150 for the first week. $125 for additional weeks.

Email Kim.Wigington@BrookwoodChristian.com or call 678-401-5855

March 2010 Newsletter

2010-03-09T10:47:00.000-08:00

Brookwood Christian Times

March 2010

MARK YOUR CALENDAR:

4-H meeting on Wednesday, March 10 at 1:00

Board Meeting on Monday, March 15

Early Dismissal at 12:00 and Parent/Student/Teacher Conferences on March 17-19

Spring Break is April 5-9

***************************************

Spotlight on Jordan Reid and Matthew Wanke for good behavior and hard work. They also show us daily how to be a good friend to someone.

BIRTHDAYS

April 30th - Colleen Allen

Wish List: Easter Crafts and Auction Items

Board News:

The next board meeting will be Monday, March 15. We have 2 new board members: 1) Betty Miller, the special needs contact for Reinhardt College and Lauren Ham, the special populations coordinator for the City of Acworth Parks and Rec.

The capitol campaign will kick off as soon as we return from spring break.

What to watch for ~

Spring Yard Sale: Please let Kim know if you can organize this event. The money will go toward purchasing 8 computer towers for the classrooms.

Auction: Rather than organizing a one night silent auction, send in new items or gift certificates for services as you get them. We will put them on a table in the hall or art room. Sandra will let everyone know by email what is available. These items can be purchased on the honor system by putting a check in a slotted box. Ready, Set, Go collect!

Family Fun Day and Art Expo: Thursday, April 20 at 7:00. This will be just like our party last year minus the big silent auction.

Special Olympics Fund Raiser:

On Thursday April 1st, 2010 the Acworth Police Dept. will be hosting a "Jail and Bail" fundraising event to benefit Georgia Special Olympics. During this time Citizens will be able to apply for a "warrant" to have an individual "arrested" by the Acworth Police Department and taken to "Jail." The subject of the warrant will be notified in advance of the impending warrant and be given the opportunity to participate by "posting bail". They will also be given flyers in advance to distribute to their friends to attempt to raise their "bail" in advance. Individuals that may not be able to leave their place of business or residence but would still like to participate will be given the opportunity to "Bribe" the officer who comes to "arrest" them in order to not go to jail. The event will take place on April 1st from 7 am to 8pm and all "arrestees" will be taken to the "Old Acworth Jail" located at 4357 Senator Russell Ave in Acworth. Upon arrival the "arrestees" will be booked in and have their "mug shot" photo taken as a souvenir. They will also have to stand before a "judge" and answer to their "charges". Warrant applications will be available at the Acworth Police Department located at 4400 Acworth Industrial Dr. The fee for a warrant

application will be $ 50.00 and must be paid in advance. The subject who is "arrested" will also have a "bail" of $50.00. All "Bribes" must also be at least $50.00 to be considered.

All proceeds from this event will be donated to the Georgia Special Olympics Foundation.

For More information about this event contact Officer Jeff Rose @ 678-801-4073 or jrose@acworth.org

Marian Williams City of Acworth 4415 Senator Russell Avenue Acworth, GA 30101 770-974-3112 Fax 770-917-0590

Our Mission is to encourage exceptional students in grades 1 through 12 to work to their very best abilities in a relaxed, low stress, Christian environment. Individual learning styles are nurtured while strengths are developed and specific deficits are remediated. We strive to improve our students’ quality of life through academic, physical, emotional, cultural, social, and spiritual growth.

Nadiya's Corner

2009-09-18T11:29:00.000-07:00

Colleen's crew

2009-09-17T10:31:00.000-07:00

Nadiya's Art Corner

2009-09-15T10:29:00.000-07:00

What's New with Mrs.Terri's Class Today.

2009-09-15T06:28:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Deb's Students ( What would be a perfect first day back to school)

2009-09-01T10:48:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Deb gave her students an assignment. She asked : What do you think would be a perfect first day back to school? The responses are listed below.

Sierra J. - I get a perfect score on my test. I meet my friends and made new friends. I don't want to go back to school. I Love everybody.

Nathan D.- The perfect day at school would be to have vanilla ice cream with pizza. My mom and dad dropping me off.

Tyler p.- I think the perfect day would be for dad to take me to school and eating cupcakes.

Jordon- The perfect day at school would be playing dodge ball.The perfect day would be to go on a field trip. The perfect day would be playing video games.

Charlotte S.- I think the perfect day at school would be children in charge and play time all day. Also that we can play on the computers and eat what ever I want whenever I want.

Ineja W.- On my perfect day at school I would be playing on the computers. Having friends watch us play and we get to play anything we want.

PSA Video

2009-05-06T11:54:00.000-07:00

2009-05-06T11:49:00.001-07:00

Booth Western Art Museum

Theme of the field trip: The Civil War

By, Jacob T. Wood.

The BCLS students took the car ride to see the Booth Western Art Museum, a place of a lot of history. The staff very friendly, they told us what to do and the classes soon filed into the elevator. We rose slowly and soon walked into a room full of pictures and plagues with info on the president that they represented. In the corner, there was a sculpture of Thomas Jefferson in the corner, head on his hand, thinking. We browsed the pictures of George Washington all the way from him to George W. Bush, soon Barak Obama would be in the halls right next to him.

We walked through those two halls, filling out a questionnaire about the presidents. Some of the stupid facts we found out, was that our 16^th president, Abraham Lincoln, was the first president with a beard.

Next we got to learn about what the marching and such for the soldiers of the Civil War. They had to carry at least 20lbs to carry as they were walking 20 miles. Daily. The government here was no help at all during these times. They supplied equipment, but for food they only supplied this combination of salt, flour, and water called Hardtack.

Next we learned about the medical procedures on the field for the infantrymen. Everything was extremely filthy and contaminated. Did you know that more soldiers died on the operating table and disease than in actual fights? Bleeding to death, amputations, fever, diarrhea, and vomiting were very common amongst the soldiers during this time.

We left that room, and then went back in the elevator, heading to the bottom floor to a room full of pictures drawn by other kids. We made collages using pictures of Lincoln and various generals from both the North and South. We also drew pictures using stencils of Confederate hats and cannons from both sides. Then we went back to BCLS.

THE END.

Booth Western Art Museum

2009-05-06T11:41:00.000-07:00

At the booth art museum we saw, paintings, scalpers, and antique wagons. On the first floor we saw a statue that was wax and the security of the booth. Then we went to a room that had lots of presidents. We had to do a search of the presidents.

The next place we went to was a hall and there we learned about the infantry men in the civil war and what they had to wear. The infantry men wore bags of there stuff from home. Also they had sewing kits on them because they couldn’t wash there cloth so it got lots of tears. They also had things to fix there sox. After she showed us the equipment she showed us the food they ate. The infantry men ate a thing called hard tack. It was hard Bread that if they had nothing else they ate it.

The next room we went to was about the medical tactics. As you can probably guess they didn’t have a good medical system out in the middle of no where and the years. They where very un-sanitized. People where getting diseases and infections and dying from miner injures that become nasty from infections. Lots of people had to get amputated limbs to stop spreading. So there was a mass death rate in that war.

After all those rooms, we had to go down stairs to make collages. Then we left.

Anthony Goodwin

Fowler house

2009-05-06T11:37:00.000-07:00

This house was at one time a schoolhouse. Later a schoolteacher Flounce Panis Flounce married William Burty and then they moved in this house. William’s parents had owned this house. Evan later an old man moved in this house alone.

But he left in the stillness of the night leaving the house empty. So now a lady opened an art gallery she also lives up stairs.

It took for years to restore and Remolded. The siding use to be brick now it is wood. it looks better than ever!

By: Kristen Wigington