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Something Different In Education

January 8th, 2010

Well, the summer of 09 remains young, but August will be here before we know it, and if you’re considering a change in your child’s education its best not to procrastinate.

In 2004 King’s Academy Christian School opened its doors to approximately 30 students. In a town where numerous private schools have operated for decades, it seemed like contributing to an already flooded market, except that King’s offers a very unique learning experience. K.A.C.S. is a “University Model School,” meaning that, like a college, students sign up for the classes they require in order to graduate, and attend those classes three days out of the week. On the other days they work at home on assigned reading and research projects. Part of the purpose of the approach is to prepare the students for the independence of college life and studies. It also allows the parents to take a more proactive approach to their child’s education.

But King’s Academy is more than just a school with a funny schedule. It offers a full, rich student life. In fact, the three day schedule actually increases the opportunities for learning by allowing more field trips & out of town travel, both as school groups or individual families.

There are also electives including photography, yearbook, home economics and others. Athletics, always central to the student’s experience, includes football, volleyball, basketball and junior high soccer. In 2007- 2008 King’s won the state championship in six-man football.

In philosophy King’s is an unapologetically Christian School. In fact, involved families are required to attend the church of their choice. That being said, the school has students of all denominational backgrounds. Faith is central in each classroom, but particular theology is not.

The staff of King’s Academy is as unique as the school itself. It’s made up of retired Tyler Texas public and parochial school teachers, career private school educators and home school parents anxious to try something new. The result is a wonderful staff with a variety of educational experiences, whose first concern is the spiritual and academic well being of the student.

After five years, the spring semester ended at King’s with around 107 students and all signs point to continued growth and success. While the university approach may not be for every family, it could be for your family.

Something Different At King’s Academy

January 8th, 2010

 At the beginning of the Summer I focused much of my writing attention on private schools and tutoring services in Tyler. One of the first schools I profiled was King’s Academy Christian School. Well, I have an amendment, or an addition to the piece I wrote in June. After five years sharing a facility with New Covenant Church on Shelley drive, the school has out grown that building, and is moving to a new location. King’s Academy will now be sharing a building with Trinity Baptist Church on Fourth Street in Tyler.
 
The school will retain its autonomy in terms of its government and denominational affiliation, (or lack thereof), but will partner with the church in order to share the cost of the facilities. The new location is beautiful, and will allow the school to continue to expand. The classes and programs offered by the school will not change too much immediately, but the staff hopes that the new digs will allow the school’s opportunities to grow along with the student body. Thankfully most of the faculty will be returning, so the Tyler schools immediate future continues to look bright.

King’s Academy in Tyler is enrolling now. Classes start on August twenty fourth, with open houses the proceeding week. To learn more about King’s see my earlier blog dated June seventeenth entitled “Something different in Education,” also located on this site. For even more information, call their office at (903)534-9992, or see the website at www.kacs.net. For more information on Trinity Baptist Church, call (903)593-3143 or visit their website at www.tbctyler.org. To learn more about New Covenant Church see their website at www.ncctyler.org.

Smarteze Tutoring Service

January 8th, 2010

smartezeSmarteze Tutoring Services is located near the loop by 155 South. Started by Kris Hampton, the program offers a variety of services and subjects for students who require assistance by a Tyler tutoring instructor.

Owner and director, Ms. Hampton is certified in a number of developmental programs for children. Her tutoring service runs from pre-k through adult education and specializes in providing one on one help to students with a variety of learning styles. The program focuses on building study skills, and critical reasoning. Smarteze keeps several highly qualified tutors available, with specialties in numerous areas of expertise.

The purpose of the program is to teach the Tyler student how to study and develops a love of learning and scholarship. There is also a physical education component which helps improve the student’s coordination and motor skills. For more information, go to www.smartezetutoring.com or call (903) 330-8469. Their office can be found at 3550 West Way St., Suite B, Tyler TX 75703

You can visit their Facebook page here: Smarteze Tutoring on Facebook

Opportunity, Values and Academics

January 8th, 2010

Grace Community School was founded in 1973 by a group of families from the church, who wanted to offer a Christian education to area Tyler Texas parents. The doors opened to sixty students ranging from second to twelfth grade. Today the school still places faith and scripture at the heart of all its courses of study. The purpose is to build Christian character into the student. The school also aims at producing young people with a Christian world view who are capable of defending their faith in an increasingly secular society.

But G.C.S. is also believes in challenging academics and ranks at the top among all Tyler Schools. The curriculum is designed to build critical reasoning skills and impart a wide knowledge of life and learning. The teachers are the school’s greatest assets. They are masters of their subjects and have themselves, a love of learning; a trait they transfer to their students. The staff serves the students not only as subject teachers, but as councilors, prayer partners and Godly examples.

Student life at the school is rich, with a full list of athletic and extra curricular activities. The sports program consists of football, basketball, baseball, volleyball, soccer, etc. Student clubs like yearbook, student government and many others are located on campus and help to create an authentic high school experience.

The campus is beautiful and almost always expanding in order to accommodate an ever growing student body. The athletic facilities are particularly impressive. The elementary school is located on the church grounds at 3215 Old Jacksonville Road, and the jr. high and high School at 3001 University Boulevard.

After nearly forty years of service to the Tyler area, Grace has grown into a school of nearly a thousand students. If you’re looking for a place with the opportunities of a public school, the traditional Christian values of a private school, and the academics of a college preparatory school, Grace Community School could be the place for your child.

Good Shepherd Offers A Great Education

January 8th, 2010

Since July is winding down and the kids will be headed back to school, it’s time to look at yet another academic opportunity in Tyler. Good Shepherd School has been serving Tyler and the East Texas community since 1979. The private Tyler elementary school offers all grades from kindergarten to twelfth grade. The school’s focus is on providing a Classical, traditional Anglican, education to its students.
 
Good Shepherd is a “Reformed Episcopal School.” Theologically, it holds tightly to its roots in the English reformation, but it remains a conservative Episcopal school. The school uses what it calls the “medieval trivium” consisting of Grammar, Logic and rhetoric, to teach the students to reason critically and communicate their ideas clearly.

The curriculum is a mix of texts selected by the teachers and staff as most useful and effective for those classrooms. This classical approach seems to be an effective one, since the students emerge with a well rounded education. With around a hundred thirty students, the teacher student ratio is low, a plus for many parents seeking a more personal tutorial experience for their children. 

The students also attend daily chapel services. The liturgical services teach the Our Father, (or the Lord’s Prayer), the Ten Commandments, the Christian Creeds, etc. The purpose of these services is to instill in the students an appreciation of the historic traditions of the Christian faith. The school hopes to provide the students with a world view grounded in reason and scripture, which he or she will hopefully carry throughout their lives. Even though the school itself is Anglican, the student body contains families from a number of different denominations.

While the education offered at Good Shepherd is excellent, the extra curriculars are admittedly light. They do offer some limited programs like basketball, and baseball. G. S. also partners with other area schools in order to offer greater athletic opportunities to its student body. For parents whose concern is largely academic however, this is not a huge trade off. If you would like more information contact the office at (903)592-4045, or see the website at www.gsstyler.org. Good Shepherd School is located at 2525 Old Jacksonville Rd. Tyler TX