The Times They Are A Changin'

The article title seems innocuous enough: "Last Entry for Encyclopaedia Britannica." Most won't even notice this article among all the "big" news items; fewer still will read the article, and even less will connect the dots. We educators better pause and contemplate the significance of this article. Books are going the way of the vinyl album.

The Technology of Yesterday

Information is not as valuable as it once was.  When information was scarce it was worth more.  Either because of access or availability, information only used to be found in a small number of places.  Teachers were seen as one such source. A teacher made information accessible and available. Today information is abundant.  In the western world it is easily accessed and available.  Type "Trail of Tears" into a search engine. Within seconds you have 6,300,000 sources of information about the topic.

The Reality of Today's Student

We can no longer view teaching as the conveying of information from the informed (teacher) to the uniformed (student).  Our job is to train our students how to find the information they need, evaluate the validity of the information, give meaning to the information, and create something meaningful from the information.  I think that this has always been the job.  But once upon a time we were the sole source of their information, today we may not even be viewed as such among the plethora of other seemingly credible sources.  It makes the question, "what are they teaching my kid?" take on a whole new meaning.

Xerox passed on the GUI interface that became Windows.  Kodak passed on digital photos.  Retailers said that Amazon would never work because "nobody will buy online." At Shannon Forest, we will not miss the signs that the world is changing.  We will continue to build a school designed for tomorrow. Our students are the future.

SFCS Seniors engaging in the technology of tomorrow, the Apple iPad, today.

My How Time Does Fly

It is hard to believe that I have been at Shannon Forest Christian School for nearly two years now.  Sometimes it feels like I have been here only a few days, while other times it feels as though a few decades have passed since I began. 

I came to this school out of a sense of obedience to the Lord, and have subsequently grown to love this place.  Early on, Tracie Blair, a 15 year veteran of Shannon Forest, told me that “this place will get into your blood.”  She wasn't kidding. 

Shannon is a very special place, and like so many other special places, it is the people that make it such.  Teachers everywhere are to be esteemed, and Shannon has some of the best in the profession, hand's down.  I base this on two criteria: character and professionalism. The people we spend time with ultimately shape the people we become, and our students spend large amounts of time with their teachers. Therefore, who we place in the classroom with your children is really, really important. No great revelation there but well worth remembering, and I can promise you that your child is spending time with men and women of great character.  I emphatically believe that what makes us a Christian school is the presence of Godly teachers.  They are the Gospel on display.  The qualities of dedication, passion, skill in their craft, and a love for this place make our teachers the best in their field.  

Mrs. Stine's 2nd Grade Class

Middle School Teachers Ms. Teie, Ms. Tate and Ms. Gahan celebrate Homecoming Spirit Week with students Tara Burress, Laney Powell, Katelyn Pittman and Rebecca Reynolds.

Teachers Mrs. Cain and Mrs. Weaver fellowship with SFCS Alumna Sarah Thackston.

Every study of educational performance concludes that the level of parental involvement is one of the key drivers of a student’s success.  We have really involved parents at Shannon Forest.  As I have gotten to know our families, I always enjoy hearing the stories of what brought each family to Shannon. I find it most interesting to learn what keeps them at Shannon: the people.  I love the commitment that our families have to this place.  The main reason we emphasize participation in the PTF and Annual Fund is because it is this kind of parental involvement that makes for great schools. The reward for our parents is that their involvement directly benefits their child, and in turn is amplified to impact many others. 

SFCS Parents Jeff and Michele Holder with their daughter Morgan

If you want to know what gets me out of bed in the morning, I would tell you that it is the privilege I have been given to spend time with our students. We have great kids here! Our size fosters community; this means that we all know each other. What we do here is not simply some educational transaction, but a living out of life together. We share life. My life is blessed daily because of this. 

So two years in, I feel good about where Shannon Forest is. By no means have we arrived, but we are well into the journey. Our greatest challenge is to continue to seek to fulfill our mission. In fact, I have a burning passion to see this place have such an impact on our students that it influences everything that comes after: students that have such excellent preparation that they will be the saltiest of salt and the brightest of light in a world that desperately needs a credible witness to the transforming power of the Gospel.

Lower School students getting ready for the pep rally.

8th grade students Katie West, GraceAnne Stokes, Caroline Knight, Caroline Kredensor & Laura Wellons

For all that has come to pass, and all that remains to be done at Shannon Forest, I give thanks to God! And I look forward to continuing on this journey with you.