Glenview Standard-Based Learning
By Jeff Rogers
Whenever a teacher stands in front of a class to present a concept there is a lingering question in their mind of “Do the students understand what I am teaching?” That question is then usually followed by an attempt to assess how much the students comprehended the concept. Standards-Based Learning seeks to answer that question as well as giving the teacher feedback on how well the students are learning.
At Glenview Adventist Academy the administration and teachers have created an environment in which Standards-Based Learning is accomplishing that mission.
“It was a no brainer from the beginning,” says Principal Brian Allison. “We are not changing our gradebooks but are changing how we teach.”
While the gradebooks may not have changed they have been tweaked slightly. Now along with the grades being entered teachers are noting what standards have been addressed and what level of understanding the students have achieved on that standard.
“We are teaching for mastery not memorization,” Allison adds. “We are getting away from the concept of a teacher just giving 50 math problems and now focusing on whether the students understand the concept.”
Arizona Conference Superintendent of Education Chris Juhl is excited about what is going on at Glenview Adventist Academy. “When I visit Glenview, I experience a group of teachers who understand the goals of Standard-Based Learning,” he says.
From an administrative perspective Allison is shifting his focus as well. “I am more interested in seeing the teachers’ unit mapping rather than lesson plans,” he says. “They are focused on teaching the why.”
TAA Royals Inducts 17 New Members
By Jeff Rogers
The Thunderbird Adventist Academy National Honor Society Chapter, the Royals, held their annual induction ceremony February 3. The chapter welcomed 17 new members comprised of Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors to the NHS organization. The four pillars of the organization are Character, Leadership, Scholarship and Service.
To be eligible for admittance to the Royals, students need to have three consecutive semesters of 3.5 GPA or higher. The Royals moved their annual induction in recent years to the Spring to allow for Sophomores to be eligible.
TAA Backpacking Trip
By Denisse Mortera Chavira
The first weekend of February a small group of students and staff headed to the Superstition Mountains for an overnight backpacking trip. Led by Boys’ Dean Mark Courtad and Music Director Talea Shupe, both avid hikers and outdoors people, the group hiked four miles into the mountains from Canyon Lake. One of the students that hiked the four miles was Junior Denisse Mortera Chavira who described her backpacking experience.
“I am the kind of person that enjoyed being home and appreciates alone time. But when Dean Mark proposed the backpacking trip to the class, I knew I had to go. We got our food ready (PB & J sandwiches), our baggage ready (a fairly big backpack) and a positive mentality ready to start our way up the Superstition Mountains.
Throughout the entire hike, no one seemed burdened by the hot Arizona sun or the weight in our backpacks. Maybe it was because of all the jokes and fun conversation we had throughout the walk or all the yummy granola bars we had.
After walking four hours, we finally got to the camping site. We started setting up our tents and putting to the test our Pathfinder abilities when we decided that it was a good time to make a campfire. The sun was about to go down and the wind threatened to freeze our hands before we could look for any dry branches. After 40 minutes of trying to light our fire from a tiny flint one of the guys brought with him, we finally got a big fire started.
At sunset, we laughed, shared testimonies of the wonders of God in our lives, enjoyed some hot chocolate (and more PB & Js obviously), sang songs around the campfire and talked. Some secrets may or may not have been spilled in that late-night conversation.
Eventually, at a reasonable time (probably before midnight), we said goodnight to everyone and got all cozy in our tents. Without a doubt, that was one of the coldest nights in my life, but it was one of the most fun as well. And yes, the trail was a little tiring, but I also got to know some of my classmates better. It is a sweet memory that will forever be one of my favorites.”
Yuma Strings
By Jeff Rogers
Karina Adler, head teacher at Yuma Adventist Christian School, has a passion for kids and for string instruments. Combining those passions at the school provides an opportunity for students to be exposed to a skill that they can always use. “This is a skill for a lifetime,” Adler says. “You can play string instruments your whole life.”
The school rents instruments from the Yuma Orchestra Association at a discounted price. The weekly classes started at the beginning of the school year with learning the parts of the instruments, then progressed to reading sheet music and then to the basics of playing the instrument. “One of our objectives is for students to get practice and learn responsibility and self-discipline,” Adler says. “They have to learn to take care of their instrument, fill our their practice sheets, and remember to bring their instrument to class.”
The Yuma Adventist Christian School orchestra is comprised of students in grades five through eight and this is the first year for the group to be practicing and performing. The ten violins, two cellos and one viola fill out the group and meet every Wednesday for music class. They had one performance in the Fall semester and will have another in the Spring. As the students progress in their skill level there may be more performances in the future but for now Adler is content in the steady progress the students are making. “I want them to gain confidence in their performance and then that will translate to other life skills,” Adler says.
Adler’s passion for string instruments began when she was in middle school. “I started playing the cello in the 7th grade,” she says. In high school she joined the high school orchestra and joined the Yuma String Ambassadors and then later she joined the Yuma Civic Orchestra. Her senior year in high school she picked up the violin and became a private tutor.
In addition to teaching them a skill they can always use, Adler also recognizes that exposure to string instruments can lead to not only a new skill but also in general confidence. “If the students never do it again, they can at least say they did it,” she adds.
