Three Ways to Continue Character Building at Home

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, the summer is nearly upon us.  There are only a few weeks until graduation.  Once school is out for the summer many of the normal operations of the campus will stop.  The constant buzz and energy of students in the halls will dissipate, and the cheerful voices of our teachers will be noticeably absent.  But not all of the good things have to stop for the summer.

We’ve placed a lot of effort this school year on the idea of character building.  It goes into the planning for nearly everything we do.  But character building is something that needs to be thought about over the summer, too.  Parents, here are a few very simple things you can do to help your child develop even further while they are home over the summer.

1. Family Service

Our kids take their cues from us.  They learn what acceptable living looks like by watching us.  And while they may not see the many hours of work that you are putting into serving your own family, it’s important for them to see you serving others.

One great way to work along-side your kids in service is to survey your neighborhood and find a person or family who needs help with something.  Maybe it’s adopting a widow who needs her lawn mowed. Fathers, that’s a great service for you to do with your child.  Find a way to get outside of your normal comfort zone and show someone love, and make sure your kids are along for the ride.  Choosing to do service that has no measurable payback is humbling, and it’s the very heart of Christianity.

2. Talk About the Hard Stuff

Americans have worked long and hard to push discomfort into extinction.  The sad part about that is, our kids often suffer from our choices to not talk about the hard stuff.  Either we don’t want to make them uncomfortable or we don’t want the awkwardness, but either way our kids suffer when we don’t address the tough stuff.

Make a point of talking about the hard stuff this summer.  Address the issues that have been lingering.  Is your child struggling with honesty?  Make this the summer of clarity on how dishonesty hurts him/her, you as a parent, and God as their heavenly father.  Do you have a child who is reaching puberty?  Just talk about it.  Is your high schooler dabbling in areas that they shouldn’t be?  Don’t let it go on.  Make this the summer of talk.  Good comes from shining light in the darkness.

Stepping up to the plate and doing the hard things will set a fantastic example for your children.  They will see your example and know that you love them, but they will also see that discomfort isn’t a bad thing.

3. Create ceremonies

There’s nothing wrong with making a big deal out of otherwise normal events.  Find a way to create ceremonies for your kids this summer, and make a big deal out of it!

The whole idea is to let your kids know that their development is important to you.  There are a lot of different ways to celebrate your child, but we’re focusing on character development, so here are two examples.

Milestone Celebrations

You may identify key ages at 5 (when the start Kindergarten), 10 (around puberty), 16 (when they get driver’s license), 18 (graduate high school) as appropriate times to have ceremonies that remind your child about the importance of their new responsibilities as well as the excitement that is to come.  Include other people in these events who are influential in your child’s development, and ask them to take part in the ceremony by sharing blessings or advice.  This creates an opportunity for you as the parent to open up the line of communication and to pour truth into their hearts.

Character Celebrations

Keep your eyes open for opportunities to celebrate your children when they make great decisions that exhibit character.  Did your kiddo choose to tell the truth even when it was very hard to do?  Did your child choose to give his/her last piece of candy to someone else?  Did your high schooler make the decision to not go with his/her friends to a place they shouldn’t? Show them how important that is.  Celebrate character growth at every turn. Whether it’s ice cream on the way home, or a nighttime bonfire event with friends, our kids should know how important good character is.

I'm Not the King. Life is Bigger Than Me.

“Brandon! You’re not the KING of this house!”

This is one of the wonderful choruses that my mother sang out often during my youth.  I remember it very clearly, and my mother had to remind me often.  I wasn’t in control in our house.

As a parent, do you sometimes feel the need to remind your children that they are not in control?  Maybe it’s a bold statement like my mom’s, or maybe you find yourself constantly trying to help your kids see that there is a bigger picture.

As an adult, “you’re not king of this house” rings true everyday.  I have to remind myself daily that life should not be about me.

As I mentioned in a previous blog, author Tim Elmore explains that the lives of our children are full of speed, convenience, entertainment, nurturing and entitlement.  I explained that these things are not inherently bad, but if this is reality for kids, it can cause problems that often lead to very difficult consequences.  The key is knowing the right opportunities to teach all of life’s messages.

Childhood Messages Adolescent Messages

1.  You are loved. 1.  Life is difficult.

2.  You are unique. 2.  You are not in control.

3.  You have gifts. 3.  You are not that important.

4.  You are safe. 4.  You are going to die.

5.  You are valuable. 5.  Your life is not about you.

As adults we need to have a realistic view of life, and as parents we need to equip our children with a realistic view.  We need to clearly express these childhood messages as a foundation for our children, but there comes a point when they need to start hearing the adolescent messages.

At OCA, how can we assist you in helping our students realize that life is bigger than us?  That we are called to a larger purpose?  One positive way we believe we can do this is through a new program we will be initiating next year.  Oklahoma Christian Academy will be partnering with Hope Christian Academy.

Hope Christian Academy is a private Christian school in Ghana, West Africa.  It offers life-changing opportunities to children that live in the adjacent orphanage, Village of Hope, as well as the surrounding villages.  Only 10% of the people of Ghana (and West Africa in general) are able to attend school after second grade, due to the cycle of poverty.  In addition, over 30,000 children in Ghana are homeless.  Whether they are sold into slavery by desperate parents, lose parents to disease, or have been abandoned, these children long for an education.  The children who have the incredible blessing of attending Hope Christian Academy are aware that this opportunity calls them to make a difference.

Our Sister School Program allows our OCA students to make a difference.  This exclusive Sister School Program will partner students and teachers at Oklahoma Christian Academy with students and teachers at Hope Christian Academy to foster mutual sharing, understanding, and tolerance.

How will our students develop these 21st Century Kingdom skills of generosity, justice, and tolerance?

Our first through eighth grade students will be exposed to learning experiences that compare and contrast the geography, history, and cultural practices of Oklahoma students with those of their friends in Ghana, allowing them to develop tolerance of differing perspectives.  In addition, OCA students will be paired with HCA students as pen pals, fostering and deepening friendships.  They will participate in service projects that make a concrete, positive difference in the lives of their friends at HCA.

The Sister School Program applies Biblical principles to students’ lives, inspiring and broadening their life vision, worldview, compassion, and service by giving them an opportunity to play an active role in God’s redemptive plan for the world.  It will allow our students to live out what God has asked of them,

“And what does the Lord require of you?  

To act with justice and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God”

Micah 6:8

We have committed ourselves to this project for many reasons.  In addition to the educational and emotional formation it will provide, this program allows us to complete a major part of our mission at OCA, to equip our students to “exercise Christian leadership in our world.”

Raising Digital Citizens (Part 2)

Are you being intentional with your children's time spent on the internet? Whether we admit it or not, technology is impacting our families in both positive and negative ways. Let’s focus on some practical tools to make your life easier while you're raising children in a digital age.

Family WiFi Router

Here are three newer options that are transforming home technology protection. With these options parents can filter content, limit screen time, and monitor usage.

Koala Safe

Circle with Disney - Video

Qustodio

Accountability Software

Covenant Eyes will allow you to flag certain content on multiple devices and when inappropriate content is used you will be notified.  Video

Now, cellphones are a different animal!

It's extremely difficult for parents to manage the cell phone usage of their children. Studies show that 88% of American teens ages 13 to 17 have or have access to a mobile phone of some kind, and a majority of teens (73%) have smartphones. 

I don't have good data on when to give children cell phones, but through my experience I don't think it's a wise decision to give unlimited internet to elementary students. So, if your elementary student has a SMART phone you may consider limiting Safari, which you can do in the settings.

The most brilliant thing I have seen parents do with the use of cellphones is create a cell phone contract between parents and child. This may seem strange, but it's imperative to build a trusting relationship with your child when it comes to their phone. Here is an example of an appropriate contract. Please take a look and consider it!

When your child graduates from high school he/she will have access to anything they want. As you consider that, I think it is wise to create a timeline of expectations that work backwards from 18 years old. Our end-goal should be creating responsible young adults. I would suggest creating different contracts as your child gets older, allowing for more freedom and creating less restriction as they mature.  Pick certain milestones and create goals to help achieve each milestone..

Just a thought!

6th & 7th grade: basic cell phone with no internet (They still exist!) Don’t turn on the data plan.

• Create a contract with heavy restrictions.  The primary purpose of the phone now is to communicate with mom and dad as students become more involved in extracurricular and social activities.  Your service provider can walk you through steps to monitor messages.

8th-10th grade: Turn on data plan but limit the usage of Safari utilizing accountability software.

• Create a contract creating a little more freedom but still having control. Students may be texting and communicating more with friends now.  Your service provider can walk you through ways to monitor student messages, but it’s important to know about apps and other ways that students communicate, such as direct messaging through apps.  The only way to check these is to know your students’ passwords.  OCA’s fall parenting workshops on technology target these types of tips.

11th-12th grade: If your student has proven trustworthy with a phone up to this point, you can provide a little more freedom.  A good phrase to guide you is “trust but verify.”  You trust the student has developed good habits, but you still do occasional checks to verify continued good choices.  Keep a contract, but it can reflect these updates in monitoring and freedom.

This is just a rough timeline using the knowledge of my experiences working with parents and teens. This is not a plan that will fit all families, and you will need to decide what is best for you. My desire is to provide you with practical tips for raising teens in this technological age.

At OCA we are committed to assisting you in raising children that honor God, themselves, and others by learning to become good digital citizens.

Technology is frighteningly amazing!

Digital Citizenship & Practical Parenting (Part 1)

Fact: Technology is rapidly changing the world we are living in. It is changing the way we, learn, communicate, shop, entertain, travel and teach.

Raising children in this digital climate is not an easy task. Some of you have no memories of a computer in your house growing up while others may have memories of one computer located in your parents bedroom or some other place where using it involved being monitored. Fortunately and unfortunately, these days no longer exist.

As a parent I have been very intentional with the amount of technology and television that we allow our 18-month-old to watch. That's a ridiculous statement! Think about what I just said. I have to be intentional with not allowing my 18-MONTH-OLD to overuse technology. You know the drill… YouTube Mickey Mouse, playing peekaboo barnyard on our phone, etc. My 18-month-old can even FaceTime grandparents who live out of state.  

Technology is Amazing

What we can do with technology today is simply incredible. For example, our students at OCA have access to real time collaboration through Google Documents.

Technology is Frightening

We get this at OCA. That is why we have put several technology safeguards into place.

1. Content filtering system on campus.
2. Any Chromebook that is allowed to leave campus, our content filter follows the device off-campus.
3. Every high school student must sit through a technology orientation and Chromebook course before they receive their device.
4. Hapara System- where the teachers can see what the students are doing on their computers in real time and create a classroom management process.

What can you do to protect your home?

First and foremost it is important for both educators and parents to remember that we should always focus on the hearts of our children. There is a place to block access, hold accountable, control usage, and monitor content. However, let’s continue to partner together as a school and as a family to raise children that desire to do the right thing. Let us spend intentional time talking about the values and beliefs of our children because ultimately their actions will flow out of these values and beliefs. When we can focus on the heart we are truly creating digital citizens.

It is no surprise that we see Jesus frequently focusing on the heart and the character of people. In Matthew 5:21-48 we see a famous passage where Jesus repeats the statement, “You have heard that is was said...

Jesus is more concerned about the beliefs and values that are causing the specific action rather than the specific action. As parents, let’s not forget this.

Now, with my sermon over… I do believe there is wisdom in protecting your home and our school by using technology appropriately. So, let’s get practical.

Be looking for Part 2 of this blog series next week with practical information to protect your home.

Building Leaders Takes Commitment. Let's Do This.

On Saturday my family drove to Austin, Texas to attend the funeral of one of my high school teachers. I only had one class with Mr. Moss, but I valued his words and knew he cared about me. I received a letter from him before my high school graduation, and I’ve held on to it all these years.

In this letter Mr. Moss says, “My prayer for you is that you will be a steadfast seeker of truth; so that your life may be blessed by Him, who is the author of all truth.” I appreciated the thought then, and today as a parent and educator I understand his prayers for me on an entirely new level. It’s a blessing to know that he wanted such good things for me, and looking back, these hopes and prayers from my teachers were influences that molded me into the man, husband, father, and educator that I am today.

My hope and prayer for the educators of OCA is that our students will know that we want what is best for them, and that we will be able to build meaningful relationships with them.

I recently asked our faculty what they wanted people to say about OCA out in the community. If someone was talking about OCA in the grocery store what would you want them to say?  I assume, as would you, that our math teachers would want people to talk about a wonderful math department, our other teachers would desire the same for their departments, our elementary teachers may want people to talk about their great classes, our coaches would want people to talk about how great their programs are, some might want people to talk about our technology, or our teaching strategies, our fine arts directors would want people to talk about their programs, and the list could go on.

Honestly, my hope is for all of these things plus some. I want people to think programmatically we have top-notch options for your children. However, as I told the faculty, I want these things because it’s what we do not because it’s who we are. What we do is teach, direct, guide, coach, lead because we are experts in education. We went to school and were trained to be experts in this field. We have a passion to be excellent because it’s simple what we do.

Now, who we are is a little different. We are people who desire to _(fill in the blank)____________.

love students

lead them to love God

be advocates for students

assist families in raising their children

Who we are is the most important thing to me and we started off this semester talking about these things. We are not perfect but we desperately desire for all of our students to feel loved and appreciated. Our elementary teachers have their class of students that they can intentionally care for and show love.

This semester we are starting a new program with our middle and high school students. We’re initiating mentor groups that will be led by the faculty and staff. We will meet formally once a month during chapel in small groups and have other meeting times throughout the semester.

I know how deeply our faculty and staff care for our students. The mentor program will give another place and time for relationships to develop and deepen between our staff and students, and I hope this will help them see just how deeply we do care. I hope that each of our students leaves our campus with a letter filled with wisdom from a teacher or administrator, and I hope it’s a letter they can look back on years later to draw from.

Building leaders takes time and commitment. We're ready for both.

What Our Students Are Learning - It's More Than Facts

Merry Christmas! The end of the semester is quickly approaching with just one week of school left, so I thought this would be a great time to take a look at some of the fantastic things our students have done over the semester.

In my first blog post I highlighted 21st Century Kingdom Skills. Let’s take a look at how our students are using these skills that have become central to our student development this year.


· Faithfulness: Joshua 24:14

· Collaboration: Ephesians 4:2

· Responsibility: Galatians 6:5

· Self Motivation: Hebrews 12:1

· Information, Technology, and Media Literacy: 1 Timothy 4: 11-14

· Critical Thinking & Problem Solving: Colossians 2:8

What about faith-formation and faithfulness?

Coach Crawford has gotten to know a family of four that lives in Cashion who is struggling. The family is being supported by one of the children, who is in high school, because their mother has been severely injured. Their house is dilapidated and has a trailer on the property. They have to wash clothes outside in a shed. Coach Crawford, in partnership with Memorial Road Church of Christ, is fixing their trailer up so they can move out of the house and into the trailer. Then, they plan on fixing the house up so they can rent out the trailer to provide more income.

Recently, OCA students cleaned out flower beds, tore down drywall and paneling, removed cabinets, picked up trash, raked the yard, cut dead tree branches down, and shoveled and cleaned sidewalks. To end the day our OCA students prayed over the family! It is wonderful to see our students' faith in action!

What about collaborating to help our world?


OCA has robotics! Did you know our robotics team received 2nd place in their very first competition! They competed in a competition through a national organization called First Robotics. The competition challenged the builders to create a robot that could help with the global trash epidemic.

Our students did a tremendous job creating a robot to help with the trash problem we are having globally. Hopefully, through this experience they learned about science and engineering, but more importantly, they learned that through the skills they have they can play a part in redeeming the world.

One of the OCA Robotics team members, Christian Wood said, “I learned a lot about teamwork, technology, and about protecting the environment. This is the world that God gave us and we should do our best to protect it.”

What about responsibility?


With the hopes of teaching important skills and instilling life principles, Mrs. Dunagan and Mrs. Ruff’s class are taking on the challenge of growing wheat. On October 6 they started with two raised flower beds and a bag of dusting wheat on our playground. They cleaned out the beds, broke up the soil, and used a yardstick to carefully measure out each row for planting. The yardstick was also used to help them dig a straight line for their seeds. The hope was that if they continued to use the same yardstick and the same unit of measurement that the kids would become familiar with the process.

Each child spread their own seeds and watered them. Mrs. Dunagan said, “Throughout this waiting period we talked about patience and faith during times of waiting. Our kids would check their wheat every day at recess. The first signs of a sprout the kids knew right away and were ecstatic.”

Once the wheat began to grow they started measuring the wheat using centimeters. The first measurements were on October 12th and the wheat was three centimeters tall. After measuring we graphed the growth of our wheat on our AITC bulletin board. The students use the same ruler each time and graph the growth themselves. They also write the length and the date we measured. To finish off the project they will be entering their findings into the state fair next year.

What about self-motivation?

I am sure most of you heard we were given a 3D printer by one of our wonderful alumni. Our students have really enjoyed playing with it and seeing what they could create. One of our students, KJ Hazelip, created his own iphone case using the 3D printer. He designed it and printed it.

The first case he attempted to make, which was his first 3D print ever, did not turn out very well. So, he made some changes to his design and printed another, and that didn’t come out to his liking. Through his own self-motivation he spent hours perfecting it. In his third print he got it right.

“I didn’t want to quit on my first try,” KJ said. “I was really motivated to get it right. The first time I forgot to print out the ear hole, the second time the build plate was unlevel, and the third time was perfect. I was surprised by how easy the printer was to use. At my previous school we got to play with 3D design software but we never had the opportunity to print something!”


What about real-life application and problem solving through technology?

Several of our technology club students were given a real-life task by the Oklahoma State Highway Patrol this semester. Their goal was to fix Bobby the Safety Boat, a fully-functional robot that helps teach boat safety.

The challenge our students had was that Bobby the Safety Boat was not operating. Thanks to some of our OCA students and our Systems Administrator, Mr. St. Aubin, it looks like Bobby the boat is fully repaired. They had to replace the rectifier diode (5400 1/5400 50v 3A 1.2v forward voltage) with rectifier diode (HER605G 50v 6A 1.3v forward voltage) on the 2nd voltage regulator. The Turnigy 9x v1 with OpenTX firmware to solve some issues and add new features like motor disarm. They also installed a new light bar on the top for a more modern look. Colton Britt says, “I feel like we learned a lot about electrical engineering. Also, it was fun seeing how we could recycle parts from an old PC computer to fix the boat.”

What about creativity?

Mrs. Loomis had one particular student shine with creativity during her make-an-instrument project! The objective was for students to identify the families of instruments in multiple ways. This project was a way to help the students better understand the instrument families they had been studying over the previous weeks and as a way to feature their creativity and musicality. Fourth grader Britt Bailey created a french horn out of electrical conduit and a funnel! How creative is this?!

What about making academics relevant?

How about math class? What are we doing in math that is fun, engaging, and real-life application? Well, just this week our junior high math class has done a fun project.

The objective of the project is to use ratios and proportions to make a scale model of a famous landmark. This project was split into three phases. First, they were asked to choose a famous landmark and research the actual dimensions of the building/landmark. Second, the students had to pick a scale for their drawing/model (¼ in: 1 ft, 1/16 in: 1 ft, or 1/32 in: 1 ft) and they were asked to draw the schematics for the building/landmark. They needed a minimum of 2 schematic drawings, one of the elevation and one from overhead. Thirdly, they were asked to construct a scale model of their landmark/building out of “gingerbread.”

Here is an example from London, a sixth-grade student. Her project was Big Ben clock tower located in London. Great job!

I had so many stories and examples I could have shared from our amazing students this semester. There are too many great things happening here to record in one place! If you have additional stories that you would like to share, make sure to add them to the comment section below. I love hearing more stories about ways that your students are learning how to live a more full and purposeful life through OCA’s education. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season!