| TKA: A Year in Review (2021-22) | Lion Families, 2021-22 will go down in the 142-year history of The King's Academy as a year of renewal in the face of change. As we all know, change can be difficult, but it can also be fruitful. This academic year has seen some incredible blessings take place while coming out of a global pandemic that changed how education was done on campus and throughout the world. The goal of this annual review is to provide transparent information regarding the state of The Academy, to highlight exciting additions/new members of the family, and clearly communicate what is expected in the coming year. While no year will ever be perfect, as we have many obstacles to conquer and the fact that we are inherently not perfect, this past year has been a healthy bridge from the past several years to the pending future of The Academy. As an administrator, I seek to monitor numbers as they are an indicator of health in terms of school health and growth. Below is a quick look at TKA by the numbers for the 2021-22 academic year: 7: TKA was blessed to start the year with a 7% increase in enrollment from the previous year. 9: TKA ended the year at a 9% total increase in enrollment from the previous year. 24: Students who called our Residence Life Program Home (rebuilding the depleted numbers due to Covid-19) 26: Number of Love Where We Live (LWWL) projects that served our community. 43: This is my favorite number of all. This year 43 students accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. 1,000,070: This represents the faithful amount that has been raised collectively to the Legacy Fund and tuition assistance funds this year. These gifts represent the faithful support of so many. 24: Average ACT score (State of TN Avg: 20, National Avg: 19) 77: The amount of faculty and staff who faithfully poured into our students on a daily basis. 1: The audience for which we do what we do: our Lord. It is because of stakeholders like you, that The King's Academy is positioned to make an even larger impact on our community and world in our 143rd year of operations. We could not do what we do without the support of our families, communities, local and statewide churches, and so many alumni and friends of TKA. As you read through this year in review, please join me in praying that the Lord will continue to maximize the reach of this ministry as we continue to strive to develop servant leaders who will change the world for Christ. In Christ Alone, Jeremy Sandefur President/Headmaster | Elementary Spiritual Highlights (Faith): Daily Bible lessons leading students into deeper conversations about God’s love, His purpose for their lives, and how to handle hard situations with truth in God’s Word. Students learn to apply scripture to help them with life's challenges. PreK partnered with our intermediate grade levels for prayer along with sharing their experiences of the power of prayer together. Through Character Education classes: Older students served our younger students in the cafeteria, students wrote prayer letters and went to pray over one of our teachers who has family in Ukraine, and students took pride in their campus by completing on campus service projects. Throughout weekly chapel service and daily conversations in Bible class, students are asking questions about salvation and desiring a relationship with Jesus their Savior. We celebrated with 11 elementary students and their families about their decision to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Nothing can compare to the joy of sharing with parents the news that their child made the greatest decision they will ever make in securing their final destination. We have this amazing opportunity to rejoice alongside families in this special moment. What a blessing! | Community Highlights (Family): Fall Festival WVLT Chief Meteorologist Heather Haley Christmas Concert STEAM Week (Amazon Future Engineer Tour, MUSE of Knoxville, KUB/TVA, Three Phase Innovations) Junior League Junior Cheer Super Reader Week (Lady Vol Madison Webber- Surprise Guest Reader; Other Super Readers included community members, school administration, TKA Board members, TKA seniors, and TKA parents) Spring Concert Spring Carnival Field Day Grade level award ceremonies K4/K5 Graduations 5th Grade Promotion Big Buddy/Little Buddy program | Academic Highlights (Future): New PreK3 Program: This year we began our PreK3 program. This opportunity enhanced our early learning program by creating availability for children at the age of 3 to attend The King's Academy. This opportunity helps establish a strong foundation for early learners to develop social, emotional, spiritual, and physical skills prior to their second year of PreK. Mrs. Carole Daft and Miss Emma Connatser taught our group of Little Lions. Through their dedication, they helped lay the groundwork to develop an additional layer in the educational foundation that will support, strengthen, and advance our Early Learners to achieve at a high level entering the next level of PreK and into Kindergarten. ES Enrichment Clubs: Bible Club, Book Club, Whiz Kidz STEAM Club, Preschool STEM, Music Club STEAM Week: Focus on STEAM activities highlighting 21st century skills with challenges (Amazon Future Engineer Tour, MUSE of Knoxville, KUB/TVA, Three Phase Innovations) Super Reader Week: Focus on Reading with Reading Across America Week Spelling Bee: Elementary School had eight 4th/5th grade participants in the Spelling Bee. Math Olympics: Elementary had 18 participants and 5 winners in the Math Olympics. The participants from each grade level are listed below: 3rd Grade: Aavar Poudyal, Lillii Parton-Orr, Lindley Sandefur, Michael Strobridge, Madison Pritchard, Riley Hitt 4th Grade: Carynn Walker, Jakob Cobb, Landon Israel, Troy Knight, Cayden Blankenship, Enna Durham 5th Grade: Grant Woodward, Sawyer Rippetoe, Matthew Kirkland, Zane Miller, Gavin Lane, Jesmyn Lee Winners: 3rd Place: 3 3rd place winners 2nd Place: 1 2nd place winner 1st Place: 1 1st grade winner Academic success: (On/Above Grade level) Spring IOWA/IXL Benchmarks show grades K-5 79% student on/above grade level in Math and 80% on/above grade level in reading. Every grade level has shown 20% or higher growth over the school year Summative EOY Testing. IOWA Standardized Testing Results: Spring Summative Standardized IOWA testing results are proving TKA Elementary to be one of the top in the nation academically. In elementary, we set a goal to strive for National Blue Ribbon (NBR) Status meaning to be at the top 85% or higher in the nation. We achieved and exceeded the NBR cut scores in many areas throughout elementary. In areas that we didn't quite reach NBR status, we still achieved top recognition in the nation reaching 80th percentile or higher in Reading/Language Arts and Math. This speaks volumes of the level of education being delivered at TKA. 3rd grade CAPE National Blue Ribbon Cut Scores: Reading and Language Arts (RLA) 198 and TKA surpassed this at 204.3/199.1 and English and Language Arts (ELA) 206.2/206.6. 3rd grade math CNBR cut score 196 and TKA surpassed this at 198.6/203.6 meaning we met the 85th or higher percentile in the nation for 3rd grade. 4th grade CAPE National Blue Ribbon Cut Scores: RLA 215 and TKA met the benchmark for ELA 215 and Reading just below at 209.6. Math CNBR 215 and TKA scored 209.8 which doesn't hit the National 85th percentile for National Blue Ribbon, but we are at 80th percentile in the nation. 5th grade CAPE National Blue Ribbon Cut Scores: RLA 229 and TKA met the benchmark for ELA at 232.2 and close on Reading at 228.8. CNBR Math 231 and TKA were very close at 229.2 meaning we are higher than 80th percentile in the nation. | Middle and High Spiritual Highlights (Faith): In addition to our weekly chapel services, we have introduced a small group aspect to continue to pour into our students on a spiritual level. All teachers and select administrators (myself included) led a group of 8-12 students in an intimate small group setting where we discussed the previous week's chapel service, applied it to what we are walking through, and truly fellowshipped with one another. Another important spiritual highlight was our "Love Where We Live" program. Through this, we had the opportunity to live out our Faith for our students and the community to see. Projects like cleaning and washing Firetrucks for our first responders, furthering campus revitalization efforts for our public school neighbors, and helping our local churches improve their facilities allowed our students to recognize that it is not about "us" but about helping others. We have been blessed to have 32 students accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior this school year. We are incredibly blessed to be part of these students' spiritual journeys and for your continued partnership that allows us to meet our goal of developing servant leaders that will change the world for Christ. | Community Highlights (Family): Fall Festival Christmas Concert The Sound of Music Production Spring Concert Spring Carnival Field Day Senior Breakfast Legacy Walk Grade level award ceremonies Graduation 8th Grade Promotion Big Buddy/Little Buddy program Junior Launch Party | Academic Highlights (Future): New MS Clubs: King's Harvesters Book Club New HS Clubs: National BETA King's Harvesters Scholar's Bowl Book Club MS Academic success: 12 ACSI Math Olympic award winners 12 ACSI Creative Writing Contest award winners including one that was nominated for publication in the 2022 ACSI International Young Author's Anthology National Jr BETA Qualifier for: Leadership Collaboration Group Project IOWA testing data shows gains across the board! Click here to view our IOWA testing data! HS Academic success: Average ACT Composite Score- 25. (Compared to the National Average Individual score of 20.3/ Tennessee average of 19.1) Average ACT Composite Score National Rank- 80 Average ACT Math Score- 26 Average ACT Science Score- 25 Average ACT English Score- 27 Average ACT Reading Score- 24 19 Academically Advanced (Advanced Placement/ Dual Enrollment/ Honors) Course offerings Class of 2022 College Achievements 100% acceptance of all eligible Seniors $2,104,000.00 total scholarship dollars 1424.5 recorded community service hours | Athletics in Review The King's Academy fielded 23 teams that competed throughout the year. Sports involved; Elementary (two teams), middle school ( nine teams), and high school (twelve teams). We are extremely proud of how all of our athletes competed both on and off the fields of competition. Below are a few team highlights from the 2021-2022 school year: Football Finished 2nd in the Region and advanced into the 2nd Round of the TSSAA State Playoffs. Two seniors will be continuing their playing careers at the collegiate level. Volleyball MS Coach JC Gardner led a restarted program that saw great development and has been poised for the future growth of our program. This year TKA alum, Danielle Quesinberry, will take the reins of the varsity program that she played for as they prepare for their upcoming season. HS Girls Basketball New coach Dante Turnipseed led our girls to a great season where they advanced to the region tournament. MS Girls JV Basketball Our girls won the KISL Championship to cap off an impressive season. Junior League Basketball Our junior league season saw more players representing TKA than ever before. Our elementary students saw great success, winning multiple tournament championships. Baseball New Coach Matt Storm led the Lions to the best record in school history. Two of our varsity ball players signed college scholarships to continue their playing careers. MS Baseball New Coach Matt Kirkland led the team to significant success as they continue to build and filter into the varsity program. Cheerleading Our MS and Varsity Lady Lions competed extremely well at camp, being honored with multiple awards. Their support at athletic events contributed to very successful seasons and positive student experiences. Tennis Coach Jenny Cook led our team to the State Tournament (Singles/Doubles) and finished with impressive results. Three of our young ladies signed scholarships to further their playing careers in College. Softball New Coach Matt Manning led a rebuilding year that saw our girls win three of their last four games and poised them to continue to build upon that success. Soccer Our soccer team under the leadership of Coach Brent Frazier qualified for the State tournament after a second-place finish in the region. Three of our young men signed scholarships to play collegiate soccer. MS Soccer Our middle school team finished the regular season undefeated and finished as the KISL Runner-Up after a tough championship game loss. | Student Life Capsule TKA’s 2021-2022 year in Student Life was one of excitement and growth. We eagerly await to see how it will continue to develop as we rapidly approach this next year. Here is a quick list of opportunities that our students were able to be a part of this past year: The greatest thing that happened in our student body this year was the 43 students that surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ. God truly is good. Chapel services: Our weekly chapel services were led by Craig Conatser and Jared Cartee along with various special guests. Our chapel services encompass a four-year doctrinal plan to ensure that our students at TKA are taught the Gospel along with core foundational teaching that can be applied as a lifelong laborer for Christ. Small Groups: We reinstated discipleship small groups led by our faculty and staff. These groups provided an excellent avenue for our students to build bonds among their peers and grow in their relationship with God. TKA’s “Love Where We Live” initiative: served local organizations and ministries by being the hands of Jesus. Each class met immediate needs throughout the year on location for their projects and served selflessly. School Spirit: This past school year, we had many pep rallies and tailgates before a multitude of ballgames. Our student sections continually became more spirited as the year went by and we look forward to an even rowdier year. Homecoming 2021: It was great to celebrate in style coming off of the pandemic with our Jungle Theme Homecoming. The parade, dress-up days, and pep rally culminated with a BIG win on the field of competition. | Legacy Fund Update TKA is deeply and genuinely grateful for the dedicated support of our school community. Thanks to the generosity of many, The King's Academy has had a legacy of learning that has lasted for 142 years. This year, we were blessed to receive slightly over $1,000,000 in support for The Legacy Fund. The purpose of The Legacy Fund is for undesignated gifts that allow the most current and pressing needs of The Academy to be met in a prioritized and timely manner. The Legacy Fund supports operations to allow tuition to be as low as possible, as well as funding special projects for stakeholders throughout The Academy. Below you will see just some of the incredible projects that were possible due to the generosity of our community. 2021-22 Legacy Fund Projects Furnishings for the Dr. Carroll Reece Reagan Pavilion Love Where We Live T-shirts and supplies Operation Expenses New Electronic Sign on Boyd's Creek Road Walk-in freezer for Food Services Tennis Court Resurfacing Deficit Reduction Baseball Field Windscreen Safety Window Coverings for Ogle Building (in progress late July) Water Filling Stations throughout campus Mission Maasai Partnership Flooring Upgrades in Ogle Building Forged Parent Conference Christmas Bonuses for Faculty/Staff Parking Lot Resurfacing and Striping Mulch for Elementary Playground Woody Auditorium Facelift Updated Website (launching Fall 22) Marketing materials | Future projects include but are not limited to: Learning Lab STEAM facility Operation Expenses Pre-K Tricycle track Additional classrooms and furnishings Deficit Reductions Prayer Garden/Chapel Transportation upgrades Athletic facility upgrades We are truly humbled by the faithful giving of our school community that allows us to continue to fulfill our mission of developing servant leaders that will change the world for Christ. | Please join us in thanking the following for giving to the 2021-22 Legacy Fund: CLICK HERE | How You Can Help TKA relies on internet resources in attracting new students internationally and domestically. Would you consider creating a Niche review to assist in these efforts? Click Here To Leave a Review You will create an account and leave a review that can assist in the admissions process. Thank you for your help! | Additions to our Faculty and Staff | Tyler Rhoton, Chief Operating Officer | Kendedrick Jones, Director of Residence Life and Academic Advancement | Erin Fuller, Kindergarten Teacher | Brianna Connatser, 1st Grade Teacher | Morgan Kulig, 4th Grade Teacher | Danielle Quesinberry, Elementary PE/Character Education | JC Gardner, Third Grade Teacher | Hiko Eilertson, Assistant Director of Residence Life (Girls’ Dorm) | New Pre-K Program for Three-Year-Olds Launched 2021-22 saw a new program addition for The King's Academy in our 3-year-old program. Our youngest Lions enjoyed an incredible year of learning under the direction of Mrs. Carole Daft. Students learned about the world that the Lord created through sensory activities, as well as building fundamental educational concepts that will better prepare them academically. This program extends the reach into the Seymour community of TKA and will be a lasting and vital part of our mission on campus. | Big/Little Buddy Program This school year saw the beginning of TKA's Big/Little Buddy Program which paired up seniors with our K5 students. Participants participated in a variety of activities (field trips, programs, lunch visits, and so much more) throughout the year as they bridged the gap between the Anderson and Ogle Buildings. This program was a huge success and promises to be a fixture on campus for years to come. | College Road Trip In October, members of our 11th and 12th grade participated in the first College Road Trip. Students visited the following campuses during the three-day trip: The University of the Cumberlands, Tennessee Tech, Carson Newman University, Union University, and Middle Tennessee University. The purpose of this trip was to provide encouragement regarding the college application experience as well as exposure to different schools. The 2022-23 College Road Trip will visit the following schools: Johnson University, Wake Forest University, UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke University, Liberty University, and Virginia Tech. | Love Where We Live TKA students and faculty began the Love Where We Live (LWWL) program this fall as they sought to be the hands and feet of Jesus to Seymour and our surrounding community. Our faculty kicked off the campaign by serving our friends next door at Seymour Primary School. Student projects included clean-up work, playground preparation, providing meals for the hungry, serving our first responders, and so much more. The program will continue in 2022-23 as we seek to develop servant leaders that will change the world for Christ. | Love Gala 2022 TKA's Parent Teacher Fellowship (PTF) hosted the first annual Love Gala at Johnson University in February 2022. The evening gave members of the TKA community an opportunity to support the efforts of The Academy in a fun-filled environment. Total proceeds for the evening were north of $25,000. The most exciting part of the evening was the drawing for a year's free tuition, which went to Macy Miller (8th). Next year's Love Gala is currently scheduled for Saturday, February 25, at Johnson University. Be on the lookout for tickets, and more information in the weeks ahead. | First Annual Legacy Awards The King's Academy recognized the first annual Legacy Award Recipients: Dr. Walter Grubb, Ms. Brenda Ogle Burchfield at the Love Gala held on the campus of Johnson University. The Legacy Awards were established to honor men and women who have dedicated their time, talents, and resources to furthering the mission and vision of The King's Academy. Dr. Walter Grubb faithfully served The King's Academy for over thirty-one years as Principal, President, and Interim President, overseeing a long season of growth, academic revitalization, and campus revival. TKA is forever grateful for his faithful service and were honored to recognize him as the first recipient of the Legacy Award. Ms. Brenda Ogle Burchfield is a faithful contributor to The King's Academy, utilizing her resources to bless the students and staff in incredible ways. Ms. Burchfield received the Legacy Award due to her faithfulness in supporting the mission and vision of TKA and for ensuring that its greatest days are ahead. | Teachers of the Year The King's Academy was excited to celebrate our incredible team of dedicated educators by recognizing our Teachers of the Year at the Love Gala. Pre-K/Elementary Teacher of the Year: Mrs. Carole Daft MS/HS Teacher of the Year: Mr. Lee Daft | Super Reader Week Our Pre-K and Elementary hosted their first-ever "Super Reader Week" aimed at developing a love of reading at a young age. Students were blessed to have guest "super readers" each day as they explored the world of childhood literature. We are incredibly excited about how this program will grow in the years ahead as plans are already in the works for next year for Spring 2023. | Dedication of the Dr. Carroll Reece Reagan Pavilion The Dr. Carroll Reece Reagan Pavilion was completed in the winter of 2021 and dedicated on December 17th. During the dedication, we had many special visitors on campus. Among those were Mrs. Reagan and her Granddaughter, Ashlie (Reagan) Perkins as well as many other members of the Reagan family. The pavilion was a gift of love from Mrs. Miriam Reagan in memory of her beloved husband, Dr. Carroll Reece Reagan. Dr. Reagan's legacy lives on as the pavilion is an integral part of the daily life on campus. We are thankful to Mrs. Reagan and the Reagan family for the incredible facility that will benefit our families for years to come. | New in 2022-23 As we move into a new academic year, preparations are in full swing to ensure that this is the best year yet for The King's Academy. Below you will see just a sample of some new and exciting additions as well as information to help you prepare effectively. New Academic Offerings French I (HS) Japanese I (HS) ACT Prep (HS) New Middle School Electives: Math Lab, Spanish, 7/8 Music History Math Curriculum Update for 1st and 2nd New Offerings New Class Units: K4, 4th, and 5th Reading Buddies Restructured Power Hour (MS)/WIN time Homecoming Dance Middle School Dance Party Washington D.C. Trip (6th-8th) Student Activity Fee The Student Activity Fee covers the following for students in grades K5-12th: Access to all home (non-playoff) athletic events Field Trips Resources for the arts, fine arts, and physical education departments Student Life Experiences And so much more Families will not have to pay for these items throughout the school year, limiting the amount of money asked for during the year. Helpful Links 2022-23 Calendar 2022-23 Dress Code 2022-23 Student/Parent Handbook | PTF Work Day Saturday, July 30 Join us on campus, Saturday, July 30, from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. for a work day to help get the TKA campus ready for school to start! | Family Orientation Night Tuesday, August 2 Family Orientation Night will take place on Tuesday, August 2, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Students and families will have the opportunity to receive important paperwork, meet teachers, move in to lockers, and enjoy fellowship together. Food from local food trucks, Geno's Curbside Diner and Halfback BBQ and Smokehouse, will be available during this time for a time of fellowship with our Lion family. Proceeds will go to the PTF and be used for campus needs. | Back to School Bash Saturday, August 6 Middle and High School Back to School Bash will take place on Saturday, August 6, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Come out and enjoy a free concert by Rare of Breed, games and hangout time as we get ready for school to begin. Food trucks will also be available for purchase prior to the concert. We hope to see all of our Middle and High School Students at this event! | Homecoming 2022 Save the date of October 21st for Homecoming 2022! More information will be communicated in the coming months. However, all alumni are encouraged to join us as we celebrate 143 years of faith-based education. Any classes who would like to host a reunion during Homecoming 2022 are to notify Lori Campbell (alumni@thekingsacademy.net) for assistance. | | |