Some more pictures of the girls

Field Trip Update-Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens

The trip to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens was AWESOME! The girls recognized many of the flowers in the garden from their native countries. We planned the timing of our visit so that the girls could view "Something's-a-flutter"-the butterfly exibit. It was one to remember, as they were able to witness a hatching butterfly and it's first flight. It was breathtaking...although I am not sure which made the bigger impact. The butterflies or the jumping fountain...I think the video (below) speaks for itself.

A month of firsts...

SO, the past few weeks have been crazy busy and flown by. The academy girls are making HUGE 'gains', as one of our teachers quoted this week. They received their first report cards and for the first time ever all received A's!!! They were beside themselves!
We also had our first parent teacher conferences...Jacki, our teacher underwent some real ordeals to meet in each of the girls homes to share about how the girls are doing, more information about their schooling, learn more about their families, and see first hand what goes on inside their homes. It was a real eye opener for her. Pray for these girls! There are severe issues going on that need addressing.
And, on to a lighter note, we had our first annual visit by the state to inspect and certify our school. What that means...for starters, we are even more official than before, and second, we are in great-standing as a new private school in Charlotte. Yeah!!
Also, Our girls are starting to make headlines, literally! They were featured in the Asian Herald, the Asian periodical circulating in and around Charlotte. This was especially cool when I took one of the girls into an Asian market to shop and pulled the paper from the stand and showed both the clerk and her the article and picture. She felt like a little celebrity! It was great.
There are many more weeks and months of firsts to come...these are just a few!

We take the bull by the horns roun' here!

Of course, we had to make sure that the first field trip of the year was a big one. And, since we talk all the time about how we are going to reshape this generation of girls, make a mark in there present that watermarks their futures, and so on...we all "put our big girl pants on' and went whitewater rafting. This was, as you may imagine, a HUGE deal for the academy girls.
We went with Wahoos Adventures (http://www.wahoosadventures.com) in Boone, NC and they took us to Elizabethton, TN on the Watauga river. The girls got to see the local hydro-electric dam release the water for us (Quite the site, I must say. A first, for me), see blue heron, beavers, ducks, hummingbirds, honey bee hives along a cliff, all in their natural habitats in and on one of TN's most gorgeous rivers.
So, educationally, it was great. Now, to the fun stuff.
Each of us, chaperones included, took turns at 'riding the bull'.(Known roun' Wahoo's as riding on the bow (very front) of the boat holding on only with a small rope, feels and looks just like riding a bull, except for the not on a bull and being on the water thing, but you get the idea) Riding the bull is good with a little experience, and great with a lot, however we were about forty seconds from hitting the largest whitewater 'knuckles' of the trip, called the Anaconda, when our guide asked who wanted to "ride the bull first?". Naive or just plain crazy, First two up, the field trip chaperones, of course (GG and MC) So, we embraced our first field trip, by the horns. After tons of laughter, gallons of water in our boat, mascara running and serious bonding, the first field trip goes on the books. It was really special for the girls to hae such an amazing opportunity to do such am awesome adventure sport. Wahooooooooo!!!!!

Define, fail... Now, we will re-define it!

Brick by Brick...

At the academy, this was a great week. Bonds are forming. Cultures that normally have no contact or if any, is negative, have deepened in understanding and relationship. One of the girls is a Somalian refugee and muslim, and another a Vietnamese montagnard refugee. Earlier in the week, they were required to assist one another with reading. One of a higher level and the other considerably below. It was during this time that they were able to truly connect. You see, it is impossible to hide in our small classroom of five girls. You cannot get looked over when you do not understand or feel like participating. You get zeroed in on. And these two, when paired together, forgot the things that frustrated them and kept them distant from one another, and developed a closer friendship that carried over into lunch and after school, and beyond. (What I need to tell you as background info, is that for the past few weeks we have really struggled with these two. They 'put up a fight' about uniforms, language, participation in PE, etc. The work was hard, they were struggling academically, mentally and socially. They were the two hardest in the room.) It was to all of our delight, when Jacki, our teacher said that they connected. Truly connected! This was the TRUE turn around in the classroom! Walls are being broken down, and lives are being changed!

Swing...batter!

So close to a week after I blogged about our needs at the academy, and having not, because we had asked not...we've gotten some great response. We have filled three of four days more of volunteers for the morning schedule of reading to and with the girls, for the month. In addition, we have had a snack company donate snacks for each week. This is a huge start, as many of you have stepped up to the plate to PRAY. I have to admit, it's much easier to try to make something happen in your own power, or JUST DO IT, rather than simply pray and wait anticipating something will happen, BUT, even though it seems silly...IT WORKS!
We have a ways to go to fulfill all of the previously mentioned needs, but we are getting there! Believe with us, and let us know when you're ready to bat!

"You have not, because you ask not." -Jesus

The quote makes sense. We don't have, because we simply do not ask. I am convinced that the phrase is too powerful in meaning and in context to ingnore, therefore, I am acting upon it's direction...so, here goes!
At the academy, we NEED help. We NEED food donated (groceries or gift cards) for the girls for breakfast and lunch, as these particular girl's families are not be able to provide healthy breakfasts and lunches for them daily. We NEED volunteers from 9-11:30 to help in stations of reading, vocabulary and simple math. We NEED crafts and activities donated for them to do at the apartment after school is over so they can spend productive time together and building relationships, instead of going back into their environments of home where far too many unfortunate circumstances exist. We also NEED volunteers to take time to mentor, study with, cook with or simply listen to, these girls. And lastly, we NEED prayer for the girls, our teacher, our staff, building, travels...Well, Just prayer, in general. Please.
So, it is with much anticipation that I blog tonight, knowing that a gap will be filled and needs will be met. I believe that there is power in belief! Thanks for believing as we believe!

Uniform shopping-Shop till you drop!

The Academy Girls

Left to Right- Khon, Tri, Maryan, Chinh and Kiet

The dream...continued

At One7 (a non-profit urban youth ministry ) one of the areas focused on is tutoring. In most Charlotte schools, churches and ministries, tutoring is approached as an element that must to be included for grant requirements, or a way to link volunteers to hands-on ministry, sometimes getting shoved into a program to check a box or overlooked as a necessity. One7 is different-we use tutoring to dig deeper into the lives of those we tutor and obtain valuable information while doing so, we truly care about kid's grades, wishing to better the chances of success for that student.
It was during tutoring that we discovered a bigger, deeper finding. There were huge links missing in our One7 kids. Tutoring led us to more tutoring. Then, we tutored one on one, calling in for professional back-up. We were concerned they may have been behind and wanted to able to better help them, so we had them tested. That's when it all hit! We were blown away by our findings...sixth and seventh graders who read and write at or below first grade levels. Three, four and five grade levels behind. Unable to add and subtract, much less do multiplication and division.
So, we were faced with a question. What do we do with the knowledge we now have? The answer, led us to the dream. The dream was perfectly clear-start a small school with students who were being passed through the system. Failing, yet passing. Focus on them individually, teach them the bible, make learning fun yet productive, teach them about life and living, and mostly-love. Help them catch up and continue through graduation. And from that point the snowball began!

The chicken or the egg?

It's hard to put into words the severity of the challenges we face at the academy-the largest...Literacy. It is as simply put as the old phrase which comes first, the chicken or the egg? It is commonly overlooked in the school systems for the sheer fact that students are able to fly under the radar when classrooms are full of trouble makers, bullies, and distractions. But, in a classroom of five...another story. Where do you begin when a seventh grader is passing through middle school, yet she cannot read or write. I mean, really cannot read or write. Two, three and four letter words look like a jumbled mess to her. And, who's responsible? Where do you begin? What comes first?
We're making chicken omelets!

"A dream becomes reality" ...(the vision behind One7 Academy)

You know the type of dreams you may have that when you awaken they slip your mind before breakfast? I mean, they were really vivid, descriptive and 'real' to you at the point of awakening, but no true significance carried over. Then, there are others that may cause you to re-think a bit, maybe put things into perspective, at best. And then, still, there are some that you can't get off of your mind at all. The ones that truly shake you to your inner core, that promote change within you, that prompt you to try making a difference, maybe even view mankind and creation differently, causing you to want to take action in some drastic way...That's the type of dream I am about to explain...it was the catalyst for the One7 Academy! A dream became reality! More to follow...