Joy in the Journey

by Lily Mae Easterbrook

This year over spring term, many of the high schoolers were fortunate enough to go to Nicaragua to minister to the people. After a three hour flight on March third to Managua, we took a bus ride through Nicaragua to Los Rayos de Esperanza.

On the first morning, we had a short preparation time before we went to our morning activity. For the activity, we were separated into teams and went on a scavenger hunt in Diriomo for items we would use later in the week. After the teams collected the items and took pictures at the specified sites, we gathered at the bus and went back to Los Rayos for lunch. Later, we went to Candelaria to serve through a children’s club. Everybody was put into a team for the clubs such as English lessons, games, and Bible stories. The kids were extremely welcoming with a ready smile and a hug for everyone. By the end of the afternoon every adult, teenager and kid had a blast experiencing God’s love. That evening, went to Maranatha church and met some of the youth, which ended with getting ice cream and watching “futsal” (a form of soccer) in the park.

On the second and third day, our schedules were very similar.  All of the students were split up into four levels of Spanish where we learned immersion style. Following Spanish lessons, we went to a sports outreach. The first day we played soccer on a field in Diriomo, and the second day we played basketball in Diriomo’s Central Park. It was truly amazing to see Arborbrook students and local children connect through sports even with the language barrier. After the sports outreach, we grabbed lunch and headed back out to the kid’s clubs at Valles de Granada and Paz y Reconciliación. The kids were very different at each barrio, but, overall they loved to be taught and happily received the materials we were able to share with them. We finished off the second day by walking around, exploring, and getting pizza in Granada. At the end of Sunday, we attended church at Maranatha.

On the fourth and fifth days, we went to Spanish class but instead of sports outreach afterward, we all went to separate barrios and served a specific family there. There we built outdoor kitchens for the families and helped out around the house with cooking, cleaning and childcare. Wherever they needed assistance, we gladly helped them. Since many of the outdoor kitchens were done in the first day of construction, many of the girls decided to visit a special needs community. The community was a truly beautiful experience. The children there found delight in the smallest things. When we finally left, there was not a dry eye among us. We all had been touched by God through those adorable children. At the end of the fourth day, we all went to Maranatha church where we practiced the drama for the Evangelistic Festival. The fifth evening was the Evangelistic Festival. We served ice cream, danced, and played with the children in the park before the skit. It was magical to see so many peoples’ hearts touched. We also had the opportunity to give out lollipops and Bibles to the people in the park that night. The experience was truly incredible. We all went back to Los Rayos in awe of the night’s events.

On the last day in Nicaragua, we started out with a team building exercise. The exercise sounded deceivingly simple. The objective was to tap 101 numbered plates in order. While it sounds easy, it took a lot of leadership, teamwork and patience to complete it. We eventually got our completion time down to 9 seconds! After that, we headed out to go zip-lining and shopping in Catarina. Catarina is built around the crater of a volcano. We shopped, took pictures, and enjoyed the last moments in Nicaragua. On our way back to Los Rayos, we stopped by a pottery shop where the owner illustrated the Christian faith through the forming of pottery. It was really interesting to see the parallels between the two. That evening, we discussed everything we had seen and experienced that week. We also shared our highs and lows of the week. We unanimously agreed that leaving was a massive low.

Early the next morning, we climbed on the bus and drove to the airport. We all struggled with saying goodbye to Nicaragua. When we finally reached Charlotte Douglas Airport, it was surreal. It still did not feel like we were home. After experiencing so much it was hard to find the “normal” that we had left behind. One thing that I learned is that blessings come in every size, shape and form. They can come in the form of a thought, a present, or a smile and to one person, they can mean the absolute world.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support. I would also like to give a special thank-you to the chaperones: Mrs. Peaseley, Mrs. Mowbray, Mr. LeSuer, and Dr. Hagler. They took incredible care of all of us and made sure to connect with everyone individually. Also, thank you so much to Mrs. Heidorn for letting us use her facility and resources and for the opportunity to serve. Thank you again and again.

by Wade Grimes

Hi there Arborbrook families,

So you’ve crossed the digital divide.  Your kids have computers and tablets and phones.  They have apps and lingo and secret hand shakes.  They sit in front of the computer on your home Internet connection and…you have no idea what they are doing.

You know you’ve raised them right, but you don’t want them to stumble across something they shouldn’t see—like that terrible hamster dance video—or get into something they shouldn’t get into.  You want to give them freedom, but also want to give them some boundaries.  In reality, all you really want is to stop them from playing that terrible hamster dance video!

I can see that glazed look in your eyes…that look that tells me that for the first time since they’ve been born your kids know more than you know about something, and you’re not sure that’s a good thing.  You’re stressing that Arborbrook has just given your grade 7-12 kids an email address and required them to go online on your home Internet connection to check it…requires them to use the Google Classroom…gives them access to chat, and Wikipedia, and YouTube…and that terrible hamster dance video!  Welcome, Arborbrook Families, to the scary world of “the internets.”

Nah, just kidding…it’s not scary. You just need some help.

Because I know you, I know that you have already put into place some effective parental oversight—you have the computers out in an open area of your house, you have rules against kids with devices in rooms overnight or behind closed doors, you log on and read your kid’s email, you friend your kids on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat.  Also, because I know you, I know that even though you’ve done all those things, you still feel a bit lost.  It’s ok, really.  What you need is some good solid Internet content filtering, time limits, and reporting to come alongside your already excellent parental oversight.

“Wait,” you say.  “What in the world is Internet content filtering?” Well, here’s what it’s not:

Think of it this way—there are places that you don’t want your kids to go on the Internet.  There are probably places where you don’t want yourself to go on the internet.  Internet Content Filtering is hardware and software that keeps you and your kids out of those places.

Really though, it’s more than that—say you want to set a time when devices just won’t work anymore…or say you want to know exactly how much time they spend on YouTube watching that hamster dance video…or say you feel like your kid is spending too much time on the Internet, and you want to limit the amount of time they have access.  Say you get mad at your kids and you want an easy way to turn the Internet off entirely?  Internet Content Filtering not only keeps your kids safe from the sketchy parts of the web, but it can also help from turning their brains into mush, like this guy:

“That sounds great,” you say.  “Where can I get one of them Internet content filters?”  I have also recently been trying to skin this cat as well, and have found a new vendor that has an easy-to-install, low-cost solution that fits the bill: Circle.  Circe is a small, white magical box that you pair with your home network and sits in-between your family’s tablets, phones, and computers and the Internet.  It examines and records all traffic, and allows what you tell it to allow, and denies what you tell it to deny.

Here’s a pretty picture of Circle:

Here’s a quote from the Circle website:

“Circle is a smart device and app that allows your family to manage all of your home’s connected devices. With Circle, parents can filter content, limit screen time and set a bedtime for every device in the home. Circle can even pause the Internet.”

You set this thing up on your network, and then install an app on your iPhone (no Android at this point).  Circle automatically identifies all the devices on your network.  In the app, you associate the device with a user, and then set up appropriate content for age, time limits for apps or content categories, and bedtimes.  You can block ads, and enable Google safe search.  From that point forward, Circle controls Internet content while the device is on your home network.  You will receive push notifications on your phone when someone hits a time limit, or when your kids unplug Circle cause they’re mad they can’t see the hamster dance video.  On top of all that, you can see how much time is spent online, or in Facebook or Instagram, or on science websites.  You can also see a complete history of all sites visited for a day, week, or month.

Again, “That sounds great,” you say.  “I bet it costs a fortune.”  Nope.  $99.  That’s it. No monthly charge. Just 99 bucks. Here’s the website:  https://meetcircle.com/

Once again, “That sounds great,” you say.  “But I’m totally lost, and I have no idea about how to get this thing installed, much less configured.”  Never fear, my friend.  I’ll come to your house, install it, and configure it for you for $100.  You spend $199, and you get a turn-key solution—installed, configured, and ready to help you with the hamster dance.

Let me know how I can help.  My email is wade.grimes@arborbrook.org.  Remember, 99 bucks for the circle, a hundred bucks for me to install it.  You know I’ll do it right, cause here’s my picture:

by Wade Grimes

Arborbrook Dad and Sometimes Head of the Arborbrook Technology Team

wade.grimes@arborbrook.org

I am seeing more and more angst from parents who “dislike” the science fair (and in some cases that might be an understatement). And I get it. I feel your pain. I’m a parent too, and science fair “board weekend” can be traumatic at times. However, I think it is important for us to gain some perspective on the science fair too. We do it for good reasons and it truly does not need to add huge amounts of stress to family life.  I offer these thoughts as a fellow struggler, realizing some of them will come “too late” in the process this time around for some of you, but in an effort to release stress for those of you who may be feeling it at the moment.

First, why do we do it?

Not many parents really ask this question out loud, but I know they are thinking it.  If it is so stressful, why do we do it at all? There are several good reasons:

• It helps our students understand good science. They experience, in an age appropriate way, what it is like to be a scientist. To ask a big question, to design a test to answer that question, and to figure out how to report the data they find- these are all important parts of the scientific method that they simply need to know. Many of them will go into a science-related field one day, and this will be their first real exposure to what it might be like to be a biologist or a botanist or a chemist.
• It helps our students become critical thinkers. I am sometimes surprised at how many people fall prey to hoaxes. Yes, as Christians, we believe in a God we cannot see, but he also gave us a logical mind that can think critically. Taking a statistics class in graduate school helped me appreciate data and not fall prey to convincing-sounding arguments with little reliable data to back them up. The science fair begins to build that ability in our students.
• It encourages our students to develop perseverance and resilience when they do something hard. If everything comes easily and nothing takes time or is challenging, they do not learn those important life skills. They need the mental toughness that a “big” project will require of them.
• It teaches them how to manage time well. This is not something they can do the night before, so they must do it in steps and think about those steps beforehand. Breaking a big task into component parts is an important life skill.
• It gives them an opportunity to practice their presentation skills. Many of our graduates go on to jobs that require a high level of presentation ability. Many 21^st century jobs require the ability to communicate well. This is a great way to practice sharing something that they did with an audience in a concise and interesting way.
• It sparks their curiosity. Children are naturally curious and ask questions. This gives them the “permission” to follow one of those questions until they get an answer.
• It builds memories. My children often do not remember day-to-day assignments that they do which may not require much of them, but they always remember their science fair projects with great fondness, down to even small details. These have become the stuff of family folklore.
• It is a great way to engage with mom and dad. My husband helps my kids with the science part and I help them with the trifold board part. It is a great division of labor and enables them to spend some high quality time with their dad and with me.

How do you do it without stress? A few tips to help!

• Keep this in mind at all times: it is their project. It is not your project, mom and dad! It is theirs. You do not need to be embarrassed by a board that doesn’t look professional if it was your child’s work.
• Have age-appropriate expectations. If they are very young, their hypothesis might be very simple and their sample size won’t be quite as large as when they are older. Their boards definitely won’t look like the older kids’ boards.
• Follow the teacher’s lead. The science teachers have put a great deal of time into helping students have the skills they need to do a graph or follow the scientific method. They have set mini deadlines to help your child manage his or her time well. Be encouraged by all the help you are getting from the school so it doesn’t all happen on one weekend. Mini deadlines are your friend. You can also create your own checklist with goals with your child which will also help.
• Set time limits. This is also good if you have a perfectionist or over-achiever in your house. Set the timer for one hour and say to your child, “Today you have one hour to work on this. What are you going to do in that hour?” Write it down. When the timer rings, go do something else. The next day you can spend another hour on it.
• Choose to have a good attitude.  If you are already saying the science fair project is going to drive you crazy, your child will pick up on that attitude too and it will be a self-fulfilling prophecy. You can choose to have a good attitude and help your child choose to have a good attitude also.
• Split the responsibility. As I said above, we split it 50/50. Dad helps with the actual project (kids do generally need a little help thinking it through). Mom helps gather supplies and makes suggestions for the board. Talk to your spouse about this ahead of time and make it a division of labor (or if you are single maybe a grandparent or good friend can help!)
• Encourage your child to choose a project in an area they have interest. When we are doing something we love it is not burdensome. If they love to bake, there are tons of baking science fair projects. If they love the outdoors, choose something in botany to do. If they love engineering, they can build something.
• If you have multiple children doing a project, encourage them to do something together. This may require a bit of compromise but it is worth it. They still have to do their own boards, but they can do a very similar project, just collecting their own data and doing their own board. We had a family of four kids that did this one year and it really helped four projects feel like just one!
• Celebrate a job well done! Plan to go out for frozen yogurt or do something else that is fun to celebrate when it is done. Give yourself permission to order pizza out on “board weekend.” And don’t forget to come to the science fair, listen to the presentations, and give your child a giant high five for his or her hard work. When you come, don’t compare the projects to one another. I know this should go without saying but I also know we tend to do it. Comparison kills joy.
• When all else fails, remember this only happens once every two years! Next year is a history fair year. You have 24 months before you have to think about this again. And if your child is in junior high (7^th or 8^th grade) this is their last one. Believe it or not, a time will come when you will miss this fleeting time with your child and wish you had one more science fair project to do together.

“Why love, if losing hurts so much? I have no answers anymore: only the life I have lived. Twice in that life I’ve been given the choice: as a boy and as a man. The boy chose safety, the man chooses suffering. The pain now is part of the happiness then. That’s the deal.” – C.S. Lewis

This week leading up to our amazing 10-year anniversary celebration has been a week filled with late nights, work, and contemplation. I spent many hours this week putting together an iMovie with pictures from the past ten years, many of which I remember as if they were taken yesterday. There was so much raw memory- so many moments of great joy and hope, but also photos of families who were once a part of our school who have moved on to other places and whom I still miss. Then there were the faces of young children who are now still with us thriving in the high school, loyal families and loving families who have woven deep and lasting threads into the fabric of our school. Looking at this year’s new faces filled with so much joy and hope, I was filled with the weight of responsibility that comes with the deep trust these families put in our school to educate their children, not just about mathematics, spelling, or the location of Paraguay on a map, but about deeper things like kindness, forgiveness, mercy, and love. I pray we never lose that singular focus as a school.

Friday night I came to see the high school students present a play with excerpts from the works of C.S. Lewis and a scene from Shadowlands, about his relationship with Joy Gresham, the woman who became his wife somewhat late in his life and who died of cancer. It was very powerfully done and moving, and I wept watching as Allie who played Joy told Jack (C.S. Lewis) played by Josh Scott, that the pain now is part of the joy before. They shared a glimpse of the playfulness and love these two had for one another. These students were sharing a depth of truth far beyond their years and life experience. In some ways, I want to shield them from the reality of such hard things. I want them to have a magical childhood, filled with wonder and joy. But alongside that come the hard things too, things for which they must be prepared lest they believe their faith to be based on a lie when hard things come. And ultimately we want them to know that only God can satisfy. We want them to know that lesser things do not cut it. As Laura Story writes in her song, “Blessings,” “You Love us way too much to give us lesser things.” Everything other than Him is a lesser thing. As Pastor Furtick recently preached in his sermon series Mood Swingers, we need for our joy not to be dependent upon our circumstance. Our feelings need not control us, and neither do our circumstances.

Naomi Heidorn, the founding director of our school, graciously came to speak to us for our 10-year anniversary yesterday. Her words were filled with wisdom and grace as she shared about the early years of Arborbrook and also acknowledged some of the hard things that happened too. It isn’t good to gloss over the hard things, focusing only on the good. The pain now is part of the joy before. God uses those things for our good, as he used some hard things in the life of our school to make our school better and stronger as a result. Two of our alumni spoke yesterday, and it was clear how much good Arborbrook had done in their lives. How thankful I am when God gives us such clear pictures of the good He is doing in our midst, a lasting and eternal work in the hearts and minds of children and families.

Saturday, just as the ceremony was wrapping up and the rest of the festivities were set to begin, we received word that a mom from my church Carmel Baptist, dear friends of the Mowbray family, had been hiking on Crowders Mountain when she slipped and fell, losing her life. Earlier that day I had to deal with an incident of vandalism. Two of our staff members have close family members who are dying, and several close friends have received some devastating diagnoses. So as fun as it all was- the bands were amazing, the face painting and hair braiding and sketching were all so fun, the food trucks and fellowship, and dunking booth- all of it was just a blast; it was also marred somewhat by the reality of those things. The pain of loss, the sting of sin – it reminded me that this world is not our home. As grateful as we are for ten great years- and I am deeply grateful- this world is just a mist that appears for awhile and then vanishes. This is why it is so important what we are doing- teaching children about the reality and joy of the kingdom and new life through Christ.

I will choose to love, even though loving hurts. Even though it carries the risk of loss. Even though every family that leaves our school hurts my heart. I know that God’s will is a mystery and must trust that He will use the choices they make for His glory and for their good. When Naomi left Arborbrook, it hurt, and yet there is a new school filled with children in Nicaragua that would not have come to be had she not left. And He continues to bless Arborbrook beyond measure.

Meanwhile I pray. I pray for the choices, the hires, the schedules, the curriculum work, the campus improvements we must make happen this summer. I pray for those experiencing loss and illness. I pray for those who have children who are in rebellion or running from the truth of the gospel. I pray with a sense of urgency for the Lord’s favor to be upon our school. Please pray for the permitting delays and extra cost we may need to incur as we are facing an unexpected issue with Phase II of our gym renovation. Pray for creativity and patience as we work through these things, and that the Lord will raise up people who choose to give to the important work that we are doing as a school. Pray for our teachers and staff, and pray for the hearts of our students. Pray for strong and healthy marriages for our families.

I also give thanks. I give thanks for all He is doing and has done. I am thankful for our beautiful new gym, for a strong and supportive board, for the beautiful gardens all over campus and for people like Emily Shepherd who tends to the hearts of her students along with the veggies in our garden. I am thankful for news of great joy like the birth of little Luke Alexander D. and the engagement of our own April D. I am thankful for the very high quality people we have drawn this year to interview for open positions and for the equally high quality people who we have already and who are joyfully staying another year to teach or work for us. I am thankful for the hours the teachers and staff put in far beyond their work day at school to make our school amazing. I am thankful for volunteers like Jenna M. and Stacia N. who put in long hours to share their gifts with our school. I see the fingerprints of Jehovah Jireh all over this school from the people whose unique gifts add to our school to the privacy fence materials that the local Lowes is donating to us. God is so very, very good.

Will you join me in giving thanks for ten amazing years and looking forward with hope to the next ten? For make no mistake- what we are setting out to do at Arborbrook is no less than eternal- to love children and families for the kingdom.

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” – 2 Peter 3:9

As we approach Spring Break, we often think of sunny beaches and warm breezes. However, not every break is about a big getaway, and home becomes the destination for relaxation. There are plenty of ideas all over the Internet with things to do in the Charlotte area, so what could you do that is different?

The better question is: What are some “living ideas” for a “staycation?” Below, I’ve compiled a list of ideas that I hope will help with provide some fresh ideas. Perhaps you have already seen or done some of the concepts, but these have added twists to them and it could make for a very fun week! Enjoy!

History – Head over to Kings Mountain National Military Park in Blacksburg, SC. There you can take a stroll on a paved 1.2 mile loop that is quiet and scenic with displays of events that took place during the Revolutionary War. Want a more difficult trek? Check out their 16 mile hike, but I advise caution, as this is noted as a moderately difficult path.

Geography – Have you ever gone geocaching? This is a great activity for people of (almost) all ages to try. My family has gone to several sites in the Charlotte area, but we have a very special location that you may enjoy. This cache is not a secret, but it is by far the most unique geocache we have found to date due to it being an abandoned/utility only type of road. To get started, go to this site and set up a free account. You will also need to set up a compass on your cellphone to help navigate. On the site, you will be able to access many hundreds of geocaches in the Charlotte area and beyond. Some will be easy, and some not so much. Check out my favorite geocache at the following coordinates! N 35° 03.598 W 080° 45.840

Bible – Go to Jetton Park, Lake Wylie, or some quiet location outdoors, and enjoy a picnic together, pray together and rest in God, rejoicing in the recent celebration of Easter. Both parks have waterfront decks that you are able to reserve. Check out my family’s favorite private spot on the lake at the following coordinates: 35.466562, -80.903775

Math and Science – Break out the pots and pans and get cooking…or baking! Create a cooking challenge (Chopped!) in the home with your family and see who was the most creative. Want a simple math challenge? Help your child figure out how to break down a cup of flour in smaller amounts. Or if you’re a big kid, challenge yourself to break a cup down from a tablespoon! For the science portion, use a base recipe and adjust most of the measurements. Will the recipe work? Only you will be able to decide!  Mrs. Fisk’s family used to play “cafeteria” for lunches when her children were young.  She would set out items like cheese sticks, raisins, chips, and boiled eggs and give each one a price.  Then she would give her kids a dollar and they had to “shop” for their lunch!  This taught them how to budget and gave them practice counting out money (of course she usually had to specify that a main course and a fruit was required so they wouldn’t spend their whole dollar on dessert!).

Writing/Grammar/Poetry – Get your creative thinking caps on, and draft up a poem. Have your whole family do this and have a Poetry Jam! Or…go to the local library, grab a children’s book (or a comic book) and ACT it out to your family!  Make dinner for your family one night and come up with a beautifully written and illustrated menu complete with creative names for the courses.  Or go to a bookstore and help your child pick a “spring break book” and choose a time to read for at least 30 minutes a day in a beautiful spot (maybe even a hammock in your backyard).  You can read right along with them.

Art – Head uptown to the Mint Museum and enjoy the sites of some beautiful works of art. Did you know admission is FREE on Wednesday nights from 5-9pm? (This applies to both museum locations.) Don’t feel like leaving your home? Check out some virtual museums online!

Music – If you are family of musicians, create a song and record it! You might be surprised in your own talents. If you are not a musician, grab some cans, empty glass jars, or whatever you can; take spoons and other utensils and have a music jam session together. We used to do this with the drum line in college and it was amazing what tunes would develop with simple rhythms.

Nature – It’s spring! And what better way to kick off the season than by helping design your gardens at home. Create a raised bed for better crop production, or make a new gardening section only using pots and planters for a unique challenge.  Grab some watercolors and ask your children to teach you how to paint a leaf or a flower using dry brush technique.

I hope you enjoy your spring break! May it be full and restful!

-by Andrea Robson

I love working with the junior high and high school students at Arborbrook. I get to experience the change in the atmosphere when something exciting is getting ready to happen.  A couple of weeks ago the change in the air was spring term. Spring term (previously called May term) is a week set aside from the regular class schedule where junior high and high school students may choose a single intensive course for one week.  Students chose between options that corresponded to their interests. As the week approached, you could feel the excitement in the air.

If you were on campus at all the week of March 9-12, you may have wondered what was happening.  We had a group of 15 students actively building a gazebo that can serve as an outdoor classroom! This was our Project Management Class led by one of our parents, Tom Schrachta.  Tom took 15 junior high and high school students and taught them how to use basic tools and follow instructions to build the gazebo. One of our junior high students, Carolena, said, “Mrs. Trent, I actually got to use a drill!”

Elijah described it like this, “It was fun, and challenging and overall a hard task to tackle, but we did it!”

Another exciting class on campus was our Sports and Nutrition Class hosted by the Charlotte Eagles.  The Charlotte Eagles are passionate about engaging students in sports while promoting healthy habits such as nutrition. Students spent time in the classroom learning about proper nutrition and what the Bible says about their body being a temple and how they are to take care of it.  They played various sports including soccer, volleyball, and Ultimate Frisbee.  Student Cora E. wrote about her experience. “Over the week we talked about nutrition, trust, identity, confidence, and how to apply God to sports. It really helped me play sports more to the glory of God and less for myself.”

One of Lorien’s favorite activities was the trust exercise.  She explained you had to lead your partner over various obstacles, then fall back into a group and trust that they would catch you. “Both of the times we did it, I was with someone I usually didn’t hang out with, but I loved getting to know them.”

Now for those who were not excited about sports or building, Home-Economics was the perfect class.   Eleven students met each day at the home of MaryLou Scott for a week of meal planning, sewing, and cupcake decorating.  Students received a recipe that they used to make their own lunch everyday. Some of the items on the menu included enchiladas, turkey potpie, fruit salad, taco soup, and chopped salad with homemade dressing.  They even had a special caterer come in and teach cupcake decorating! Students also learned how to sew a pillow.  Jessie Z. said she used a sewing machine for the very first time. “I made a pillow all by myself.  It was fun because I had never made anything like that on my own before!”

And to add to an already fun-filled week, they learned how to build a wardrobe on a budget.  When I asked junior Rachel her favorite part of Home-Ec. she said, “Everything!”

And for our history buffs out there, do you know about the cool places you can explore all within one hour of Charlotte? Our students hiked the Battlefield Trail at Kings Mountain and learned about a great battle that changed the course of the Revolutionary War.  Gabe described it by saying, “So I was in Kings Mountain and I was breathing the fresh mountain air and I was just thinking about how great it is to be an American. I mean people in some other countries like Russia are ‘free,’ but not really free like we are.”

Or how about a trip to Historic Camden where the worst American defeat took place during the Revolutionary War? Then there was the visit to Fort Dobbs, the only French and Indian War site in all of North Carolina.  Students engaged in the “Gone for a Soldier Tour” where they actually got to dress in uniforms the soldiers would have worn and see a musket fired.  And one of my favorites that I highly recommend for anyone wanting to learn more about Charlotte was the Charlotte Historical Walking Tour. I took this tour a few years ago and was amazed to learn how the city got its name as the “Queen City.” I also learned the old Ivey’s building my mom worked in as a teenager is one of the only original buildings left it downtown Charlotte.  Or how about Fourth Ward where there are still some homes that date back 75 years. Nicole said, “One of my favorite things that happened during spring term was when I got to tour Charlotte Center City.  It was beautiful and I enjoyed looking at the buildings.” Four trips, in one week; that is the kind of history class anyone could enjoy!

One week, one class that really interests you, and the experience of a lifetime!  That is spring term! I wish I had a spring term when I was in school.  To sum it up, when I asked Madalyn T. if she enjoyed her spring term she said, “I wish we could have a fall term, winter term, and spring term. I loved it!”

by Missy Trent, Guidance Counselor

In this modern day, the practice of etiquette is something that is becoming a lost art. Because we want our students to be prepared and able to be confident and comfortable in many different settings, and because we also believe that good manners never go out of style, we decided to offer a new experience for our students this winter: Club Protocol.

Humans love to be independent, justifying that we are stronger if we do everything on our own. The problem with independence is that it directly contradicts what God wants for us as a people. We are called to be a community, working together, learning to lean on each other, and in essence, care and love one another. How can we possibly learn what it’s like to be united if we are running solo in life?

For about eight weeks this winter, students came together once a week to learn about proper etiquette in a more formal setting and about good manners in general. Topics included how to set a table, how to eat properly (how to use utensils and which items to use for what), how to be courteous (opening doors and pulling out chairs), and even how to respond to an RSVP and write a thank you note.

When I taught the students about walking together and opening doors for one another, the explanation is that it’s not that we are incapable or helpless, it’s that we can’t all lead and we can’t all wait (for the door to open) either. One must lead, and one must allow for it. If we all lead ourselves around, we bump into each other and it becomes very messy. In class, the students were also able to learn the roles required by etiquette, as well as learning how to sit and eat at the table properly. They learned how to set the table, and why it was arranged in such a fashion. They were taught what was acceptable as well as inappropriate at the table. In the world of etiquette, there is always a reason for the behavior we should carry. Lastly, they learned why manners were important; manners show respect for others. Without understanding the importance of respect, we cannot possibly have good manners. The two work hand in hand.

After eight weeks of learning the roles of protocol, the students finally were able to show off their new skills in a beautiful formal setting. The pressure was off, as the event took place privately rather than out in public. The students all dressed up in beautiful dresses and handsome suits. The gentlemen escorted the ladies to the table, and seated them to the chairs. They stood when the young women left the table. It was so refreshing to see young people acting in such a courteous manner.

Our wonderful seniors had arranged the tables in a lovely setting and served dinner (using correct serving techniques!), and etiquette was in full swing in the room. An amazing three-course dinner was served to the students including a soup course, main course, and dessert course – beautifully prepared by parents within the school. Finally dessert and tea was served, and the students practiced the art of sitting still and conversing. Being still in today’s environment is so very important, as it shows each other they are dedicated to sharing time with that person (without checking a phone every few minutes!).

After dinner was served, the students had a wonderful opportunity to learn how to dance. An instructor by the name of Mike Stowers from Metropolitan Ballroom taught the waltz and salsa steps. After 15 minutes of instruction, the students were able to dance to music and slowly were becoming accomplished dancers! The evening wrapped up with a little contemporary music and I was pleased to see many of the students formally thanking the adults and seniors for their hard work. It was a beautiful and successful evening, and we look forward to continuing this tradition in years to come!

by Andrea Robson

The other day I was walking by the playground in the cottage and a young voice cried out, “Mrs. Fisk, look what I can do!” I turned and saw the most adorable little redhead on the monkey bars, swinging his legs up and over one of the bars and hanging there suspended for a minute. He was so proud of himself and it was impossible not to smile.

“Great job, Carson!” I said. I watched him for a few minutes and as I walked away, I thought about his sweet optimism and excitement over a newfound skill. He was filled with a joy that you don’t often see in people as they age, and when you do it is refreshing. This past week, a beloved radio co-host, Tom Magliozzi (better known as one-half of “Click and Clack, the Tappit brothers” on public radio’s Car Talk) died from complications associated with his Alzheimer’s disease. As a loyal listener who found myself smiling at his jokes on many a Saturday morning, I wept at the news. I have no idea if he was a believer, but I do know he was absolutely, irrepressibly filled with joy. And it was so refreshing that even a person as mechanically impaired as I am tuned in to listen to him regale his audience with car advice peppered with lots of laughter.

As Christians, we are called to “Rejoice in the Lord always!” (Philippians 4:4). We are called to rejoice despite circumstances. But the pressures, worries, and just plain busy-ness of this life often make that difficult. At Arborbrook, it is truly not enough for us to prepare kids for college (though that is part of what we do), and it is not enough that they can get As on their papers or high scores on their SATs; rather for us, it is about passing on the joy of learning and the joy of the Lord. We want students to not only learn, but love to learn. It is in doing so, that they become hungry for more and that the knowledge really sticks.

We are choosing to focus on the things that matter most, “nourishing a love of learning and flourishing in Christ.” For what will it matter if our kids get a high-paying job if they have no space in their life for the Lord? What will it matter if they achieve high test scores but are so turned off by years of being pushed that they have no interest in pursuing higher education? What will it matter if they can read 20 books in a month if not one of those books inspires them to deeper, truer thoughts or more noble actions? What will it matter if they are filled with knowledge but lacking in wisdom?

It was so good to be in Assembly this past Thursday and hear some of our high school young men share testimonies of when it was hard for them to trust God. It was so good to see our young people encouraged to take leadership and to share with their peers. It filled me with joy to see the faith of these young men and to know they are being encouraged by teachers who love them and who model a vibrant relationship with Jesus.

So what does the love of learning look like? Sometimes it takes the form of a fun hands-on activity or a book that is so good you don’t want to put it down. Sometimes it is the joy of discovery like finding a HUGE sweet potato growing in Mrs. Shepherds home garden. And sometimes I think it takes the form of excitement over something that a student thought was too hard and they find one day that they are able to do it. Challenge, provided that it is appropriate to the child’s age and maturity, can be a source of joy and pleasure for our students.   Like little Carson on the monkey bars, or the junior high student who thought he hated to write suddenly writing a beautiful poem- there is pleasure in accomplishment and in the learning of new skills.

Wouldn’t you like to be a little more like Carson on the monkey bars, excited over the new things you are learning and reaching for the next bar that is just out of reach? Wouldn’t you like to be more like Tom Magliozzi and full of laughter? Or like Emily Shepherd, whose passion for God’s creation is totally infectious? I know that I would.  I want to come to Jesus full of trust in Him regardless of circumstances, rejoicing always.   🙂

But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” (Luke 18:16-17)

“But now, by actually dying for you, Christ brought you over to God’s side and put your lives together, whole and holy…”

Colossians 1:22