 | | Lions Weekly: April 20, 2022 | A Note From Mr. Sandefur Lion Family, I pray that each of you and your families had a wonderful Easter as we celebrated the resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We are eternally grateful for how the Lord continues to move on our campus, as eighteen students decided to follow Christ during our combined all-school Easter chapel. Altogether this year, over forty students have excepted the Lord and are walking with Him as new believers. At the same time, this year has been incredibly exciting in the classrooms, fields of competition, and more. The greatest excitement as a Christian educator comes from students walking in the truth of the gospel. I am personally grateful for your partnership as we seek to develop servant leaders who will change the world for Christ. In Christ Alone, Jeremy Sandefur
President | Principal Highlights I would like to take a moment to share some incredible data that represents the great things that we are doing in the classroom. In a year where schools across the nation are facing "learning loss" due to the pandemic, teachers at The King's Academy are tackling this issue head-on. And they are succeeding! Currently, our average ACT composite score for this year is 25. This is up two points from an average ACT composite score of 23 for the 2020-2021 school year. Further, TKA students are scoring higher than the National Average of 20 and the State Average of 19. This impressive academic performance can be tied to several key factors: Power Hour (an opportunity for students to receive additional academic support), smaller class sizes, and an increased number of academically advanced classes. Prior to introducing Power Hour, our students' average ACT composite score was 21. We have shown continual academic progress as students learn how to best take advantage of this opportunity. Starting next year, we will take this one step further by requiring 2 days of Study Hall opportunities for our students. This will ensure that our students make the most of their time with our incredible teachers. Intentionally creating the smallest class size possible allows our amazing teachers to do what they do best; teach! Smaller classes coupled with an increased number of honors, dual enrollment, and AP classes; our teachers are able to deliver high quality and demanding instruction on a daily basis. I’m very proud of all of our students and teachers for overcoming the obstacles that a post-COVID world is presenting. Our teachers do not allow “learning loss” to be an excuse and they are meeting our students where they are in order to allow them to flourish. Our teachers put in many extra hours and go above and beyond to meet the needs of our students. It is my prayer that God continues to be glorified in all that we do at The King’s Academy. Principal Fuller | Jr. Beta Induction Ceremony Congratulations to our new Jr. Beta members who were inducted this week! The following Lions were inducted to as Jr. Beta members:
Alaiya Ailor – 6th grade
Jacob Anderson – 6th grade
Colt Barker – 6th grade
Benjamin Braden – 6th grade
Anthony Burton – 8th grade
Isla Cartee – 8th grade
Roman Cartee – 6th grade
Caleb Dovey – 6th grade
Claire Durham – 6th grade
Gianna Grizzanti – 7th grade
Reagan Hall – 8th grade
Hudson Hedrick -6th grade
Zoe Hill – 6th grade
Braden Holliman – 7th grade
Isabella Jones – 6th grade
Brooklynn Kinney – 8th grade
Cheyenne Knight – 6th grade
Lily Knight – 7th grade
Andrew Lane – 8th grade
Steven Lane – 7th grade
Elijah Mainor – 6th grade
Lana Pannell – 7th grade
Josiah Sandefur – 6th grade
Leah Smelcer – 7th grade
Austin Snow – 6th grade
Elizabeth Strobridge – 6th grade
Kylieann Thornton – 7th grade
Kaidence Webb – 7th grade
Zachary Weber – 6th grade
Jacob Wehrle – 6th grade
Ava Whaley – 6th grade
Addyson Whaley – 6th grade
Hunter Whaley – 8th grade
Cooper White – 6th grade
Chloe Wood – 6th grade
Megan Xie – 6th grade
Marilyn Xie – 8th grade
Hannah Young – 8th grade | IOWA Testing (Grades 2-5) Monday, April 25 - Thursday, April 28 Students will be testing in the morning before lunch. As students begin testing week, here are a few important reminders to help your child start each day successfully before testing:
- A good night's rest is essential.
- Eating breakfast can help eliminate hunger pains during testing.
-Share with your Lion how amazing they are, encourage them, and love on them.
-Be on time for school to eliminate the stressor of being late and anxiety of rushing. | 2023 Washington, DC Trip Next year in March 2023, we will take Middle School students to Washington, DC. This trip will include but is not limited to trips to :
- Arlington National Cemetery
- Mount Vernon
- Ford's Theatre / Petersen House
- Museum of the Bible
- Smithsonian Museums
- Holocaust Museum - Full visit
- United States Capitol
- United States Supreme Court
- Library of Congress
- White House Photo Stop
- Evening Illumination Tour of Memorials:
Vietnam, Korean, WWI, WWII & Iwo Jima Memorials,
Jefferson, FDR, MLK Jr., Eisenhower, & Lincoln Memorials,
Washington Monument - Photo Stop Please join us on May 10th at 6:00 pm in the Woody Auditorium for a brief informational session where we will have more details regarding the trip, including the registration process. | Spring Sports Highlights Our spring sports are off to a record-breaking season! We want to take a moment to highlight some of our teams and their accomplishments. | Varsity Baseball Our baseball season is off to their best start in school history! According to the Tennessee Athletic Coaches Association, our Lions are currently ranked 7th in the state. They are also currently tied for first place in the region. Our Lions have also had quite a few college scouts on campus because of how well they have played! To read more about their successful baseball season, here are a few articles to read: Local Media Coverage and TKA rankings | Middle School Golf TKA MS Golf has had a successful season led by captains, Carson Polk, Colt Glasgow and Maggie McKinney. The team has had many great wins this season including defeating Lakeway, Heritage, Alcoa, St. John Neumann (boys), Grace (girls), St. Joseph’s (boys) and Sacred Heart. They will be playing their last regular season match on April 21st at their home course, Sevierville Golf Club, before heading to the District Tournament on Monday April 25, at Beaver Brook Golf Club. District Qualifiers are Colt Glasgow, Carson Polk, Alex Fields, Brody Byers, Jude Glasgow, Maggie McKinney, Maya Jose and Delana Pritchard. Players will have a chance to qualify for regionals as teams and/or individuals. | Soccer The soccer team is off to a great start, too! Our Lions have been hard at work on and off the field! The soccer team currently has 4 wins, 1 tie, and 1 loss! | High School Tennis Our girls team has finished 2nd in District and will host regional playoff match on May 9th! All girls have strong individual winning records as well. Two of our girls tennis players have signed to play at the collegiate level. Katelyn Cook and Olivia Reagan will be continuing their education and athletic careers at Maryville College next year! | End of the Year Events As the end of the year quickly approaches, we want to be sure and communicate any calendar events as soon as we are able. Below are upcoming events for the month of May we would like for you to mark on your calendar.
Tuesday, May 3
- Middle and High School Band Concert at 6:30 p.m. in Woody Auditorium
Wednesday, May 4
- Jr. Beta $1 Star Wars dress up day to benefit Isaiah 117 House
Thursday, May 5
- Middle and High School Choir Concert at 6:30 p.m. in Woody Auditorium
Friday, May 6:
- Elementary Field Day from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (Huskey Field)
Saturday, May 7:
- PTF Family Fun Fair from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Tuesday, May 10:
- Middle School Washington, DC informational meeting at 6:00 p.m. in Woody Auditorium
Thursday, May 12:
- Elementary Spring Concert at 6:30 p.m. in Woody Auditorium
Friday, May 13:
- Senior Breakfast at 8:00 a.m.
- Legacy Walk at 9:00 a.m.
- Big/Little Buddy End of the Year Party at 10:30 a.m.
Sunday, May 15
- Baccalaureate Service at 3:00 p.m. at Seymour First Baptist
Tuesday, May 17
- Senior Exam Deadline
Thursday, May 19
- PTF Meeting at 3:15 in Brandes
Friday, May 20:
- High School Awards Day at 10:00 a.m. in Tibbetts
- Senior Graduation at 7:00 p.m. in Tibbetts
Monday, May 23:
- PreK4 Graduation at 6:00 p.m. in Woody Auditorium
Tuesday, May 24:
- HS Exams
- Kindergarten Graduation at 6:00 p.m. in Woody Auditorium
Wednesday, May 25
- HS Exams
Thursday, May 26:
- HS Exams
- 5th Grade promotion from 8:15 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. in Woody Auditorium
- Elementary classroom end-of the-year programs
Friday, May 27:
- Make-up HS Exams
- Middle School Awards at 9:00 a.m. in Woody Auditorium
- 8th Grade Promotion at 10:00 a.m. in Woody Auditorium
- Half-day dismissal at 11:30 a.m. No aftercare will be provided. | Elementary Field Day Get ready for an awesome day of fun! K-5 Field Day will be held on May 6th! Our field day theme is Survivor. When: K5-2nd 8:30am - 11:00am
3rd -5th 11:30am - 2:00pm
Where: Huskey Football field
Lunch: Hot dogs and hamburgers will be provided for students only by CNB bank.
What to bring: Sunscreen, towel, & water bottle!
What to wear: Each class will receive a bandana in their class color. More information about field day attire will be shared from your child's teacher. ● In the event of rain, we will announce an alternative date.
● Kindly, we ask for no pets at the event.
● Coach Robin is looking for volunteers! If you have interest in helping out on
this awesome day, keep an eye out for an email soon with instructions on how
to sign up! | Save these Dates! Below are the upcoming PTF meetings for the remainder of the year from 3:15 - 4:15 in Brandes: April 28
May 19 | PTF Members Thank you for being a member of the 2021-2022 Parent Teacher Fellowship at The King’s Academy. Please prayerfully consider how you can best support this vibrant fellowship for the 2022-2023 year. There are many ways to serve, including the PTF Executive Board.
Please use this form to nominate yourself or a PTF member to the Executive Board for the 2022-2023 year. All nominees must be current PTF members in good standing as of March 31, 2022. Nominations are due by April 25th at 5pm. At this time, the slate will be closed. Thank you for taking time to serve our school through PTF and for nominating members for our upcoming Executive Board. | PTF Family Fun Fair PTF will host the Family Fun Fair on Saturday, May 7, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This event will take place rain or shine. Join us for a day of fellowship and fun for all ages including inflatables, cakewalk, vendors, food truck and so much more! | 27th Annual Golf Tournament Join us at Egwani Farms on June 13, for our 27th Annual Golf Tournament to benefit TKA's football team! Gather your company, friends or family and purchase one of the following sponsorships:
- Purple Sponsor includes a 4-person team and a hole sponsorship for $500
- Silver Sponsor includes an individual player and a hole sponsorship for $200
- Individual players can participate for $100 All sponsors and participants can sign up with Head Football Coach, Jonathan Sellers, at 865-964-9182. | 2021-2022 Yearbook The price for the 2021-2022 TKA yearbook is $55. All grades, K3-12 will have the same yearbook. The slight price increase is because we are only going to have one larger all-school book. All yearbook orders can be placed online--here is the link. | Do you have a class of 2022 senior in your household? Don't miss out on the opportunity to purchase a Senior Tribute for the 2021-2022 yearbook! Senior Tributes are available for purchase at the bottom of the link listed here. | Business ads are available for purchase at the bottom of the link listed here. For any questions regarding yearbooks, email Mr. Josh Smith at jsmith@thekingsacademy.net. | Covid-19 Procedures While we are excited to offer in-person education, we must maintain a safe learning environment for all students, faculty/staff, and additional stakeholders. To do so, we will be working closely with the Sevier County Health Department regarding Covid-19 protocols. Click Here for more information | | |
