March 2014 paws for thought by Legacy PCA

Paws for Thought The Official Student Newspaper of

LPCA exists to cultivate parental involvement in the educational process of their children, to instill students with a biblical worldview and the passion to stand firm and articulate boldly in defense of their faith, to prepare them for the rigors of college to guide them into independent learning, and to train our students to always give themselves fully to the work of the Lord, because their labor will not be in vain. Truth is revealed by God through Christ “in Whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Colossians 2:3

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MARCH 2014 • VOLUME VII • ISSUE V

Lions Learn Internet Safety By Taylor Davies

Annual State of School Address Caps Exciting First Week in New Building By Audra May Founder & Head Administrator

t was another big week of Legacy firsts. After a successful grand opening of our very own school building last Monday, Thursday saw Legacy leadership hosting the first State of the School address in our new space. We were thrilled to see each of you who attended and hope that you found the meeting to be informative. I’d like to provide you some notes regarding the information that was discussed. The Powerpoint from the evening’s meeting is on RenWeb. The “theme” of the evening was the (Continued on p.2)

Legacy founders Audra and Brandon May counted God’s blessing during a historic first day in our new building.

Be sure to check out Legacy news online at youtube.com/LegacyPrepPFT and on Instagram at @legacypftnews and @legacyprep MARCH 2014

his month, the fifth grade boys met with sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Phillips, for their lunch discussion group focused on growing Christ-like character. They defined social media, and talked about internet safety. The boys were encouraged to use Philippians 4:8 as a guide when deciding what to look at, listen to, and say to others whether in person, on Edmodo, in text messages, etc. They also talked about the importance of following the guidelines set by parents for internet safety, and honoring the limits set by their parents and friends’ parents. It is very important to be appropriate and honorable on the internet. The students talked about how to respect other parents for kids who aren’t allowed on the internet. Some students aren’t allowed to have Instagram, Facebook, etcetera and how they should respect their friends who can’t have it. “Don’t say anything disrespectful. We talked about how to sound like a Christian, and respect God while online,” Mrs. Phillips said. Don’t give out personal info. Once you put it on the internet, it’s there forever. EVEN IF you delete it. “We used John 4:1-6 about the Samaritan woman and we really applied that. We also spoke about being yourself and not lying to sound ‘cooler’,” Says Mrs. Phillips. Put appropriate comments/pictures that are praiseworthy, not criticizing. Lift people up with it, don’t tear people down with comments. Mrs. Phillips said she enjoyed the meet and the boys spoke a lot and did great. The boys really paid attention and gave really great input. PFT

DEADLINE EXTENDED! Still Time to Order Yearbooks & Family Messages The deadline to order Legacy yearbooks and Family Messages has been extended to Friday, March 21. The price is $35 per yearbook. Family Messages are personal ads addressed to your student that go in the back of the yearbook. They can feature a picture and brief note, and the yearbook staff can handle the layout for you. A small message is 3.625 inches wide by 2.375 inches high for $5. The large is 7.5 inches wide by 2.375 inches high for $10. You can pay for both at the front desk. Please email your family message text and photos to djones@legacypca.org. PFT

And the Lord said, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for me?” And Isaiah replied, “Here am I. Send me!” Isaiah 6:8

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(Continued from p.1) excitement that surrounds all of the accomplishments of this current school year and our gratitude for God’s blessings. And, we want to continue this theme into next year. So, to honor how blessed we feel, our focus will be “Celebrate!” While the building is wonderful, our most important accomplish this year will be the upcoming graduation of our first ever class of seniors. We want to remind you again to SAVE THE DATE, which is May 23rd, for our first graduation ceremony. Our hope is to fill our gymnasium with over 300 people to show our support for these pioneering students. How blessed we are that they chose to trust us with their college hopes. We can’t wait to tell you how they’ve done and where they will be attending college and we cannot wait to CELEBRATE the Legacy they will leave! We also discussed how excited we were to be together again on one campus. The fact that my leadership team and staff and faculty have remained united despite the separation is a tribute to our love for one another and for Legacy. God has been faithful to grant us the patience and wisdom to wait on Him and I believe the fact we are all together is a blessing of our obedience to him. The teachers have been fabulous throughout the entire “building” journey and eagerly decorated their rooms to perfection. They were ready on day one and we had an amazing first day of school on the new campus. We are also thankful to our Legacy families for your patience and willingness to to help us move, set up, assemble and assist with parking. You were and are the best co-laborers ever! As we make preparations for the 2014-2015 school year, it’s important for you to know the state of our organization. I am so proud to announce that at the time of this writing, I have 100% retention of both my administrative team and faculty! I think this speaks highly of our love for your children, this wonderful school, and especially, God’s provision for our incredible growth. It’s no secret that our teachers are a large reason you continue to remain at (Continued on p.3)

Paws for Thought MARCH 2014 VOLUME VII • ISSUE V YouTube.com/LegacyPrepPFT Audra May Executive Editor amay@legacypca.org Daron Jones Managing Editor djones@legacypca.org EDITORS & PHOTOGRAPHERS 12TH GRADE Emily O’Donnell 11TH GRADE Sarah Cruthirds Logan Teal 10TH GRADE Amber Condley Kasen Jones Chandlyr Mickan Tray Wright 8TH GRADE Austin Bennett Clay Burkhard Jacob Campbell Brennan Cone Madyson Conley Sami Evrard Logan Mace Adisyn Mickan Harris Tucker Alexandria Wynn 7TH GRADE Bailee Cano Taylor Davies Anna Catherine Holcomb Noah Lightfoot Jaron Spinler

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(Continued from p.2) Legacy and we are so thankful for their service to our students. Which, brings me to my next point. This year, Legacy boasts a 95% retention rate! In the past, we’ve seen our retention rate right around 90%. But, this year, and over the past few years, more and more of you are choosing to stay. We hope this is because you are happy here in our wonderful, growing community! Above, I mentioned that our community is growing. I think this might be a bit of an understatement. Our informational meetings have been standing room only. We currently have nearly 70 new students in the queue to be interviewed and tested, and more applications are being filled out everyday. If our projections are correct, it appears we will have between 400 and 450 students enrolled next year. Of particular excitement to us is this small fact...Legacy will be 10 years old next year and we intend to do some “Celebrating!” You may not know that when Legacy began, we had only 43 students. Wouldn’t it be just like God to grow our school 10 times in 10 years? We believe that it’s possible we’ll have about 430 students next year. Truly, truly amazing! As part of the meeting, the board introduced its newest members, David Bargainer and Gary Gibson. A review of 2012-2013 board initiatives was given along with ongoing objectives for the current school year and some plans for next year as well. Specifically, we discussed which grades would be in the building next year, Prek -2nd and our HS students, and plans to move towards a “true” University Model building use for the 2015-2016 school year. This plan would mean we would put our building to its best use by doubling up the classroom space. Lower school students would attend on Tu/Th and upper school students would be on campus M/W/F. Max capacity of our current building is around 450 students, so using it five days per week would allow us to put nearly 900 students in the building, just not at the same time or on the same days. If possible, and if space were available, we would try to provide one class of each elementary grade on the same day as our MS/HS students for parents who do not wish to have students on campus on opposite days. At this time, we are unclear how this would work, but plan to visit with our sister UM schools this summer and next school year to determine the best way to proceed. It is important to note that of the almost 70 UM schools, ours is the only one in which all students are on campus at the same time. We will keep you updated regarding this transition, so please, no panicking! Also discussed was the financial status of the school. The short version is that we are financially healthy! Please see the power point on Ren Web for further and more detailed information about our budgetary report and the capital campaign. Last, we reported on items that still need to be funded. These are projects that are outside of the capital campaign, financed by those who have a special interest in seeing these efforts come to fruition. You can see an abbreviated list in the Did You Know feature on p. 23 of this edition of PFT. To contribute directly to these ongoing projects, please contact Heather Elsik at helsik@ legacypca.org. So, as we move forward, we have much to celebrate. The Bible says, “Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; Let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!” 1 Chronicles 16:31. We surely know the Lord reigns and we are glad and will rejoice! We are grateful for all the many blessings God continues to pour out on us. Let us celebrate His goodness so the Woodlands (and the world) will hear! GO LIONS!! PFT Serving Him and You, Audra May amay@legacypca.org www.legacypca.org

MARCH 2014

To SCRIP or not to SCRIP...

There is NO Question!

egacy began using the SCRIP giftcard program a few years ago as an easy, simple, no-brainer way to raise money for our school. SCRIP is a website that sells giftcards to hundreds of your favorite retailers. You purchase the giftcards at face value (a $10 giftcard costs $10) and each retailer gives a portion of that money back to Legacy. Legacy has generously made this program even more fabulous by sharing half of the rebates you earn from purchasing the Scrip giftcards as a tuition credit. The system is easy to use once you log on and look around! Despite all the great press about SCRIP, only a handful of families actually put it to use. Tiffany Little, our SCRIP Coordinator, estimates that we have about 15 families that participate each month. This small group of families still generates about $500 in rebates for our school every month. That is $4,500 a year...just think

MARCH 2014

what could happen if we double, triple or even quadruple our participation! Seems like a lot of us are missing out on an easy way to bless the school and our wallets. We asked a superstar SCRIP saver, Shalaina Cruthirds, for some tips on using the program. She said the best way to rack up the rebates is to shop the retailers that offer the highest return. Then, once you find the stores you love, add them to your favorites list to make reordering easy. Shalaina buys Lands’ End cards (rebate of 16%) at $25 every month so that she has enough money to buy uniforms for all three kids at the end of the school year using Scrip. Another way she has found to use the program is by eating out at restaurants that participate in Scrip, such as, Red Robin, Panera Bread Co., Dominos and Outback. 4

She also keeps a stash of cards in smaller amounts to give for those last minute party gifts, like a $5 Barnes and Noble and $5 Starbucks cards-who wouldn’t want to receive that gift?! She encourages everyone to use this program. Who knows, you might just cut your tuition by $50, $100, or even many $100s, like Shalaina! So, what are you waiting for? Log onto www.shopwithscrip.com. Get an account using our Legacy code: 5FBFLB9L246L9. Then shop! If you buy plastic cards they will arrive at the school one week after each order date. Don’t forget that you can link SCRIP to your checking account allowing for online payment, which is called PrestoPay. Wonder how you can use SCRIP without going through the front desk to get physical giftcards? After signing up for PrestoPay, try shopping for SCRIPnow cards. They are e-giftcards that give you instant access to shop. Next time you are shopping online or heading out to eat, log into SCRIP to see if you might be able to utilize a SCRIPnow card, which you can print out at home in a flash! If you have questions about how to make SCRIP work for your family check in with Tiffany Little for help at www.tiff-mike@att.net. PFT www.legacypca.org

(Above) My art history students create calendars in the likeness of the ancient Mayans. Jason Laycock did an excellent job. (Left Top and Right Top) My middle school art students did drawings incorporated patterns. Malik Manning did a terrific job with this bird. (Right and Left) Nat Hadaway and Lexi Maiz did excellent work with their line drawings in the genre of 1960s Op-art.

Scenes from Mrs. Ferebeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Art Classes (Right) Kyle Maiz and his excellent Mayan calendar. (Left) The middle schoolers practice drawing gesture poses. (Below) Reagan Mace poses for her fellow artists.

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MARCH 2014

Is Toothpaste a Liquid or a Solid? Ask a First Grader! By Kasen Jones First Edited by Logan Teal

irst grade has been busy in the lab this month. The kids have been mixing various solids such as pinto beans, rice, rock salt, and cardboard with water to see what changes would occur. They left the mixtures over a weekend this month, and returned to see if the water had evaporated, and how the solids had changed.

The next experiment the class conducted was mixing water with other liquids, such as corn syrup, dish soap, and cooking oil, to see what happened. The last project was to determine whether toothpaste is a solid or a liquid. “To know the answer to these questions, ask a first grader! They would love to tell,” says the first grade teacher, Mrs. Phillips. She loves the science curriculum this year and feels that these experiments will help simulate real

world situations with God’s creations. “This lesson benefits the kids so much because they are able to experiment with real life materials that they see everyday. They learn so much about the world God made by using science to make observations and draw conclusions.” Legacy strives to incorporate God’s creation in to science curriculum. “This helps the students develop connections and knowledge about how they fit in the world,” she said. PFT

Little Lions Show Math Muscles

The ACSI Area Math Olympics were held recently at Lifestyle Christian School. There were schools in attendance from as far away as Beaumont and Bellville! Ian Gibbons earned a 5th place ribbon and a Superior rating ribbon in the 3rd grade Reasoning category. Samantha Palmer earned an Excellent rating ribbon in the 4th grade Reasoning category. “This mom couldn’t be more proud of our two Legacy students,” said Ian’s mom, TJ Gibbons. “They represented Legacy Prep well! A special thanks to Mrs. Cone, who spent many hours on paperwork, preparations and an entire Saturday for this event. You are the best, Mrs. Cone!” PFT MARCH 2014

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Lions Excel at Math Compet it ion By Tray Wright

ecently, Legacy’s fifth through eighth graders competed amongst other students in the nation in the Mathematical Association of America’s American Mathematic contest (AMC). Winners of each grade-level received Target gift cards and Dress-Down Day cards. “The competition helps individual students get noticed by universities, as it is put on by the respected AMC,” said Mrs. Carrico. PFT

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LEGACY PREP MATH COMPETITION RESULTS 5TH GRADE 1st tie: Andrew Wright and Brandon Fornero 2nd: Owen Earl 3rd tie: Hannah Condley, Amaya Harrell, Easton Havemann 4th: Anina Manning 6TH GRADE: 1st: Annaleise Parsons 2nd: Cole Carrico

7TH GRADE: 1st: Dallas Furber 2nd tie: Allison Byrd, Kaitlyn Fornero, Kyle Harrison, Bailee Cano 8TH GRADE: 1st: Isaac Beeman 2nd: Sarah Havemann 3rd tie: Spencer Berglund and Malik Manning 4th: Ben Schardt

MARCH 2014

High School Girls Basketball

Varsity Girls Notch First Wins in School History By Brennan Cone

his season the HS Lady Lions struck a milestone in our athletic program with their first win. Even though the team had a losing record overall, the ladies still shined in play. “Many times in previou years we had a margin of defeat by 40 points or more,” said Mrs. May. “This year, we lost games by a margin of 1-10 points. We have grown so much as a unit and our confidence has excelled along with our skill level.” “We worked so hard to get in shape for the season,” said Chandlyr Mickan, a sophomore. “We played our hearts out and held goals for ourselves as we played.” This showed, as the ladies notched two wins and showed they can compete with anyone. “We accomplished so many of our goals as a team and individually,” said Sarah Cruthirds, a junior. We all will look forward to next season as the Lady Lions continue their excellent play. PFT

MARCH 2014

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High School Boys Basketball

Varsity Boys Wrap Up Season By Austin Bennett

egacy’s high school basketball team did a great job at representing our school this season. The team learned a lot, and did an amazing job at running the ball down the court and making baskets. In Ryan May’s opinion, the game in Belleville was their best. “The thing we worked on the most this season was running the floor and we did an excellent job running the floor that game,” he said. They had a lot of fun learning from Head Coach Matt Tarbutton, and improved during the season with his coaching. The players got to show their Lion pride representing Legacy this year. PFT

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MARCH 2014

Junior High Boys Basketball

JH Boys Finish Undefeated By Clay Burkhard

he junior high boys basketball season was a success. The team had an amazing season, finishing with an undefeated record. The team, coached by Reagan Sims, not only experienced the thrill of a great season, but were able to grow as young men of Christ. “They are a great group of guys. As a team, they continue to pursue The Lord. They have learned to respect and rely on each other, not just on the court, but in the classroom as well,” said Coach Sims. The boys not only had to work extremely hard on the court, but had to work hard in the classroom as well. The players must earn the privilege to participate during games through academics. The players have learned to work as a team throughout the season and it has contributed to their success on the court. “We have learned to work together as a team and focus less on our personal gains during the game,” said Casen Hutton. “This helps us focus on the main goal: win the game.” “We learned how to use the best basketball skills as possible in our games. Coach gave us great conditioning drills as well. Also, he taught us to keep our grades up in school, because if we didn’t, we would not get to plays” said Noah Lightfoot. Coach Sims is planning on returning next season to continue to coach the boys excel on the court and in life. We look forward to next season to watch the boys season. PFT

MARCH 2014

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Junior High Girls Basketball

JH Lady Lions Show Team Spirit By Anna Catherine Holcomb

egacy’s Lady Lions basketball team is sad to say that their season is over. They had an amazing time with their team and with the head coach, Mrs. May. I asked some of the girls and Mrs. May about the season to see how they felt it went. “When we first started at the beginning of the season, we were dropping passes left and right and not working as a team and trusting each other. Once the season progressed we grew not just as friends, but as a family. This year we all gained nine more sisters and worked as a team. I am very pleased and happy that God put each of these girls into my life and we got to finish out an undefeated season is district,” said Adisyn Mickan, one of the eighth grade girls on the team. “My favorite part of playing this year was getting to bond with my team, make new friends, and also being able to go undefeated in district, that was so cool and such an amazing experience,” says Anna Rosa Peterson, one of the seventh grade girls on the team. “The highlight of the season for me was in the middle of the season when our coach, Mrs. May, told us that she believed that we could go undefeated. We had the idea that it could happen, but we didn’t actually believe in ourselves until our coach said it. Hearing that from Coach May made us all want to strive to fulfill the slot that was open for us. Once our last game rolled around and we won we were so proud and happy about how our team played throughout the year. I will miss all of the girls when I go to High school next year but I have a feeling they will carry on this winning streak,” said Adisyn. Mrs. May feels that the team improved 100 percent this year and that each of the girls have improved tremendously as an individual. “I feel I improved as a coach especially because this group of girls challenged me because they were always ready to learn,” said Mrs. May. “I think the team will stay close to the same next year because the eighth grade girls will be joining varsity, but I know some girls that are wanting to join,” says Mrs. May. Mrs. May loved being with the girls and watching them play and improve, and the team loved being together as one. PFT www.legacypca.org

MARCH 2014

Baseball

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Written by Chandlyr Mickan Edited by Harris Tucker

or the first time in forever Legacy has its own baseball team! This year, Joe Witcraft is coaching the high school team of 11 boys. The team includes Raymond Camara, Colby Herman (12th), Branson Fredricks, Matt Wenstrom (11th), Travis May, Tray Wright, Ben Bargainer (10th), Bobby Cruthirds, Ryan May, Parker Primm, and Joshua Micheletti (9th). The boys have a large range in past experiences with the sport, starting at none at all to playing it since kindergarten. Coach Witcraft is doing a great job with preparing the team. “I am providing the student athletes with instruction, techniques, drills, and positive reinforcement to achieve their skill development. Thanks to the numerous parents that are assisting,” he said. “I had always dreamed of coaching a high school baseball program again,” says Witcraft. “Throughout my life, I felt God was always putting me in the right place at the right time. Last year, my path crossed the May family and we came to find we both had the same interest. I am blessed to have been asked to take on this new venture for the Legacy athletic program.” MARCH 2014

He has positive expectations for the season. “I feel we will be competitive. We will do our best each and every practice and game, representing Legacy. I pray that we stay healthy and free from injuries.” Despite the 80-to-40 degrees weather changes we’ve been having, the team practices outside at Carl Barton fields, located in Conroe. But, instead of building little snowmen on the days when the cold’s been bothersome and they couldn’t quite let go of the chill, they work on building a baseball legacy. Coach Witcraft’s work ethic that he’s shared with the boys is a quote by Vince Lombardi, “The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.” Tray Wright, sophomore, joined baseball to support the growing school. Along with practice on the weekdays, Wright goes on runs and exercises to keep in shape for the season. “I want to leave a legacy with lots of wins and achievements, and that future players can look up to as the first baseball team.” Senior Colby Herman has a past experience 12

with baseball. “I thought it would be fun to do it again with all my homies.” He also has excellent expectations for how the year will play out, aiming for the World Series. Another sophomore at Legacy, Ben Bargainer, started playing baseball at the age of five. He fell in love when he opened the doors to the YMCA. “I had a blast; my coaches always uplifted me.” Jeff Bagwell played the role of Bargainer’s idol. “I watched him hit home runs every time I went to the Astros games (except for one game; he went 0-4 and it made me cry).” Bargainer wants to leave a legacy of good sportsmanship. Raymond Camara thinks the team will do well for its first year. “Lots of practice and hard work should get us some wins,” he said. Camara joined baseball so he could participate in as many sports as possible before his graduation with the rest of the senior class. “What I want to take from this season is the enjoyment of being part of a first for our school.” The team has 12 more games to play this season, seven of them at home. Come support your first Legacy baseball team! PFT www.legacypca.org

Swim/Track & Field

Lions Open Track Season By Harris Tucker

he annual track season has kicked off to start a new year of events. The participating Lions athletes are practicing the events and activities that they will be engaging in throughout the next few months. Head Coach Matt Tarbutton and Assistant Coach Jennie Moyer will be overseeing track this year as it progresses throughout the next three months. Track participants are fired up for the season. “Track is a great workout, has focused coaching, and is a fun sport to do with friends,” says Hudson Railey, a junior high track athlete. Coach Tarbutton has been coaching track for four years now, and he continues to use the Bible as a guide for track participants. “I believe that track is very beneficial because it can help students improve their physical capabilities while also letting them compete in different sports activities,” Tarbutton says. “I believe God is pleased by track because God asks us to take care of our bodies and track is a good way to do so.” PFT

By Jacob Campbell

Lady Lions Swimmers Finish with a Roar www.legacypca.org

his year, Legacy’s Lady Lion swimmers wrapped up their season with their hearts and souls put into God. Miranda Herman, Chandlyr Mickan, and Natalie Thibodeaux all swam with the heart of a lion to show their confidence and power. “I had a blast swimming, I definitely plan on doing it again next year,” said Natalie. Even though the team was small, that didn’t stop them from representing Legacy in the water. “The girls did very well for just a few practices. I was very proud to be their coach this year,” said Ms. Danielia Mickan. The girls had just one meet this year, but still performed very well. With all the strokes to learn, the girls managed to stay strong and on their feet, ready for anything that came their way. “The hardest part was the first dive in the water,” said Miranda Herman. There were a lot of challenges the girls had to face everyday training for their meet. God has truly blessed these three Lady Lions for Legacy’s swim team and all plan on swimming again next year. PFT MARCH 2014

First Pep Rally in Our New Building!

MARCH 2014

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Pirkle’s Pint-Sized Presidents Present Perfect Poster Projects By Amber Condley

his month, Mrs. Pirkle’s kindergarten class did a project on presidents. “The students learned about the flag, the importance of authority in government (the purpose of the constitution), Martin Luther King, Jr., the characteristics and job of a president, how we choose a president (voting), George Washington, and Abraham Lincoln,” she said. Mrs. Pirkle used Romans 13:1-7 as the biblical integration – that is, God made the government to keep families safe. After researching their chosen president for two weeks, the kids made a poster that included pictures, and at least three facts. They presented the projects on Wednesday, February 5. This project was important for the kindergarten students. “They were able to take what they had learned about the character and job of a president in class and see how it related to real life presidents. Many of them found facts that they related to or thought were interesting. They also learned how to research a topic, create a visual from their research, and give an oral presentation,” she said Following up the presentation of the project, the kids were assigned a journal page called, ‘When I become President.’ Mrs. Pirkle said, “Most of their responses to the writing prompt showed that they had a good understanding that a president is God’s servant to work for the good of all the people. I think that doing the research for the project helped students not only see the responsibilities of the job of president, but also to see presidents as individuals who make choices based on their character.” A very proud Mrs. Pirkle said, “All of the students did a great job on their projects and their presentations!” PFT

Lions Show Well at Science Fair By Jaron Spinler

ecently, the seventh grade participated in the science fair. The students presented their projects on Friday, January 24th at Lone Star’s Montgomery Campus for the annual SCI://TECH Exposition. The students enjoyed doing their cool experiments. This was a chance to show off all the science they had ever learned up to this point. It made them create a hypothesis, research the topic, create an experiment, complete an experiment, and record the results. “I am very proud of the Legacy seventh grade students that attended the science fair,” said Mrs. Manning. “It was a wonderful opportunity for the students to compete in the science arena. The students had to present their projects to at least two judges. This required good speaking skills and knowledge of their subject.” In the end, five out of 15 of our students placed. That means they took first, second, or third place in their division and became eligible to go on to the Science and Engineering Fair in Houston. The winners were as follows: Gracie Jeffus- 2nd place in Animal Science Dallas Furber- 3rd place in Animal Science Rylan Walters- 1st place in Behavioral/Social Science (He went on to the science fair in Houston.) Bailee Cano- 1st place in Botany/Environmental Science Allison Byrd- 3rd place in Chemistry While not everyone won an award, Legacy students represented our school well. PFT

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MARCH 2014

Perseverence March Character Trait of the Month

With spring break around the corner, sometimes it can be hard to concentrate on

school work. This is a great time to ask God for perseverance! A simple definition of perseverance is: continuing to try even when it’s hard. Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). If we know problems will come, it’s important to decide how we’re going to face them. Are we going to try to hang in there and make the best of it, or cry out to Jesus to help us persevere in a way that’s honoring to Him? Imagine that you’re in bed, about to drift off to sleep, when you suddenly realize that you forgot to edit and type the final draft of your English paper. What are some ways you could handle this problem without freaking out? Many problems that we have are opportunities to practice calling upon the Lord for HIS solution, instead of trying to figure it out in our own strength. Look for ways to divide problems into smaller, more manageable steps. Ask God for help and the perseverance to keep growing into the godly man or woman he wants you to become. You will be reflecting Jesus to a world that needs to know him. “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12). The Compassion Experience School-Wide Field Trip On the morning of March 25, Legacy students will visit the Compassion Experience Tour at Woodsedge Church. The tour is an immersive exhibit that allows you to walk through the sights and sounds of a developing-world community through the eyes of a child living in poverty. This is a unique opportunity to touch students’ hearts for the needy and lost. Compassion International and Woodsedge are keeping the exhibit open for an extra morning to provide private tours to Legacy classes. Teachers and the school will communicate details as we get closer to the field trip. In the meantime, you can visit this link to get an idea of what your kids will experience: www.compassion.com/change/about-the-experience-video.htm

MARCH 2014

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From Elephants to Dogs and Everything in Between By Emily O’Donnell Edited by Amber Condley

he Pre-K class has been learning about farm animals. Cows and horses were the main animals that were taught. Mrs. Landrum would throw in some fun facts about roosters, chickens, sheep, dogs, cats and pigs. “We took a poll and graphed it. The unanimous vote was for dogs, man’s best friend,” Mrs. Landrum stated. The farm animals were taught for two weeks but the kids spiral it throughout the entire year. They continue to bring it up when Mrs. Landrum mentions something related to animals. “I will remember what God has done for me,” is the verse they reflected on as they studied wild animals. She started with elephants. The kids enjoyed comparing the Indian and African elephants. She tied it in with Noah and the rainbow, as well as how the cross reminds us how Jesus took away our sins and gave us righteousness. When they entered the penguin unit, the children learned how special our families are. Since this unit was so close to valentines day, they made valentines for their families. “They learned about kangaroos. They students took turns jumping as far as they could and compared them to the length of the kangaroos jump. Kangaroos can jump 42 feet in one hop,” Landrum says. The boys and girls were so excited about everything and so stoked to share the new material they learned with their friends and family. They also recently celebrated the 100th day of the school year. “We had been adding days to our 100-day chart, to be able to count to 100 in class,” she said. The teacher helped them make a trail mix by counting out 10 of 10 different items and the students wore a shirt with 100 items on it. “They were so excited!” Mrs. Landrum says. I say these kids have a great time with a great teacher. PFT

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This dangerous band of known criminals recently was apprehended by police after stealing a shipment of the new, ultra-stylish “We Are Legacy” t-shirts. Authorities reported that no one was hurt in the dangerous operation, which featured a joint task force between several topsecret government agencies. This group of ruffians had apparently been active in the region for a while. Thankfully, they no longer pose a threat to area citizenry. MARCH 2014

Bears from Marrs By Sami Evrard Edited by Amber Condley

s teddy bears surrounded the little girl, she thought of what she could do with them. Since the young age of eight, Legacy student Jodilyn Marrs has been thinking of the feelings of others. She eventually came up with an idea for the stuffed animals, and recently completed her seventhannual Teddy Bear Drive for the elderly in the Navasota Retirement Center. She collected new or lightly used stuffed animals from January 12th to February 12th. In total she collected 266 stuffed animals this year. After she had collected them, she and other 4-H members delivered stuffed animals to the nursing home on February 13th. Extra animals went to the Texas Children’s Hospital. “I do it not only to see the smile on the elderly faces, but because it is a great way to show compassion for others. I collect stuffed animals and teddy bears for the elderly to show them that there are people who still care about them and appreciate them,” Jodilyn said. “I visit the nursing homes on a regular basis and know a lot of the residents. They are basically like an adopted family. I love them all.” The Teddy Bear Drive helped show others that nobody is forgotten in God’s eyes. “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” 1 Timothy 5:8 If anybody would like to donate to this amazing cause in the future, catch Jodilyn in the hall to talk with her about it. PFT

Holcombs Enjoy Woodlands Elite By Adisyn Mickan

nna Catherine and Ellie Holcomb, Legacy 7th and 5th graders, respectively, are in competitive cheer for Woodlands Elite. Woodlands Elite (WE) is a cheer organization where almost every weekend the girls get to go compete against other cheer gyms. At WE they have different levels of teams. Anna Catherine is on Airborne, which is level two, and Ellie is on Rangers, which is level 1. Airborne won all Regional competitions and won two National competitions, and Ellie won half of the regionals and all nationals. “I loved being able to bond with my team and work with them throughout the year,” said Anna Catherine. “Though we had our ups and downs, the year was amazing and so exciting. By being on a competitive team, I have learned how to work with tons of different kinds of girls and I am so sad that the season is over.” The girls grew in many things throughout the season and made many good friends. “I liked being able to compete in front of everyone and a good chance to make friends,” said Ellie. PFT MARCH 2014

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Third Grade Exlores Montgomery Heritage By Madyson Conley

he third grade language arts classes visited the Heritage Museum of Montgomery County, Texas on Thursday, February 13th. The classes went on this field trip to explore pioneer times and to learn about people who made a difference in the history of Montgomery County. The museum, built in 1924, is housed in the historic Grogan/Crochan home. “It is composed of three permanent galleries, including Glimpses of Montgomery County, featuring a timeline chronicling the area’s entire history, from the prehistoric times to the building of Lake Conroe and The Woodlands in the late 1970s,” says Mrs. Gibbons, parent of third- grader, Ian. “The second gallery, Towns, People, and Events, honors those who have impacted the county and distinguishes some of the first events for the area, such as the county fair, the first telephone, etc. The third gallery is the HandsOn Children’s Room. Here, children can explore a log cabin and a turn-ofthe-century general store,” she said. The children loved the museum and learning about all the different historical figures. “It was really exciting because we got to hold a metal iron and it was really heavy. It was like the one Harriet Tubman got hit with. We also got to hold a very heavy cannonball. It was cool because there was only half of a cannonball, but it was still really heavy,” says Jordyn Conley, a third grader. PFT

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MARCH 2014

Wilson, Seniors Leaving a Legacy By Bailee Cano

ow do you feel when you’re the first to do something? Accomplished, right? That’s how Alex Wilson, who is in Legacy’s first senior class, is feeling. “Legacy is set up like college, the curriculum is challenging, and time management is essential,” says Wilson, talking about how Legacy has prepared him for college. Though Alex will be happy to get out of high school, he isn’t necessarily looking forward to going to college. “I wish I could have just a big summer break instead. It is scary,” he said. “It’s exciting, but it will be one of those things to look back and miss.” He’s applied to the University of Houston and UT Austin, and has decided to major in architecture. “I’ll definitely miss my friends and being able to work at HEB, but being apart of Legacy’s first senior class is something great to remember. Not many people get to say they were the first to do anything,” said Alex Wilson. Wilson is honored to be in the first graduating class from Legacy, and he will be among the first to have left their own legacy. PFT

Mrs. Phillips’ first grade students using the new Rapid Recall math program. MARCH 2014

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Welcome Back, Kurt Weitzel!

By Sarah Cruthirds

s you’ve been roaming around the halls of Legacy’s new building, you may have noticed a familiar face walking along aside you, or fixing something around the campus. That’s right, Kurt Weitzel is back! Kurt has been hired as Legacy’s facilities manager. He says, “I am taking care of the building by maintaining it, making sure all the needs of the school are met.” Kurt explained that some of these duties include jobs like cleaning the floors, making sure Legacy has the right equipment to function, and doing other odd jobs. Probably the most important job Kurt has is making sure everything, and I mean everything, meets state requirements. Kurt says, “My favorite part of my job is the unexpected things that pop up and not having to do the same things every day.” He also says there are plenty of things to do, and he is always busy. Before working for Legacy, Kurt owned his own landscaping and handyman business. Prior to that, Kurt held a similar type facilities position at Woodland Place Baptist Church. Many of you may have seen Kurt driving a peculiar car to and from school. Kurt has been driving a relative’s old school yellow bug. “Yes,” he says, “unfortunately, it is for sale.” While Kurt and his family have lived in Texas for 8 years, he is originally from Rancho Cucamonga, California. Kurt is true to his California roots, he says, “I like the 49ers!” Outside of work Kurt enjoys a variety of outdoor activities. He says, “I like to go to the park with my kids, go four-wheeling, and dirt bike riding. I like to get muddy.” In addition to enjoying time outdoors, Kurt loves spending time with his family. He says their dream vacation would be snowboarding for a week as a family. “I haven’t gone snowboarding since we’ve been in Texas,” says Kurt. While Kurt says he doesn’t have a ‘true’ role model he adds that his father’s work ethic was always something that he admired. Kurt’s favorite bible verse is Joshua 24:15, “As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.” With Legacy finally all in one place Kurt will be kept very busy maintaining not only the building, but everything in it and the grounds. So next time you see that spunky yellow bug in parking lot remember who the driver is and what a huge blessing he is to our school! PFT

Stained Linear Windows Story by Noah Lightfoot Edited by Kasen Jones

ave you ever seen a stained glass window? If you have, you probably know they’re a plaster of multi-colored glass, but how do you make these crazy creations? Recently Mrs. Laycock’s pre-algebra class created stained glass windows using linear equations. The students were given an optional extra credit project called “Stained Glass Windows.” They wrote fourteen linear equations that met certain conditions, graphed them on a coordinate grid, and then colored in the resulting sections to look like stained glass. “The stained glass project has helped the students practice writing and graphing linear equations, understand slope and y-intercept better, and have fun,” said Mrs. Laycock. “This taught students how to apply information they have learned in the classroom to a real-world situation. It also taught them how a change in slope or y-intercept effects a linear graph.” In the end, the windows turned out great. After the students solved all the equations and coloring, they created a neat piece of art. PFT

Evans Earning Master’s Degree By Alexandria Wynn

The Woodlands Fire Department recently visited pre-K, demonstrating fire safety procedures and equipment. www.legacypca.org

aty Evans, Legacy Prep high school English teacher, has gone back to college to get her Master’s Degree of Education in Curriculum and Instruction. Graduating from Texas A&M with a degree in Communication and English, she decided to make sure she benefits from all of the instruction about education she can. Planning to continue teaching, Mrs. Evans is trying to expand her knowledge. “I believe the classes I’m taking are helping me stay abreast of current best practices, which will benefit our high school,” she said. This will take her about two years. Ms. Evans is excited to continue to follow the traditional teaching plan. PFT MARCH 2014

Lions Praise Band vocalist Anina Manning sings, “While We’re Young,” by One Girl Nation to an audience of teenage girls at Back 2 Basics’ annual girls dinner. Back 2 Basics holds this annual dinner to encourage and share the love of Christ with girls in foster care or group homes.

Mrs. DeYoung’s first graders recently made Dirt Pudding. The kids learned how to write a HowTo paper and eat a yummy snack all at the same time! MARCH 2014

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Legacy’s chapter of the National Honor Society recently welcomed its new members for 2014. Congratulations, Lions!

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Additional Funding Needs

There are many projects or items still needing to be funded outside of the capital campaign? To contribute to these projects or to begin raising money for other projects you may have an interest in, please contact Heather Elsik at helsik@legacypca.org. Here are some items still needing financial support: • An elementary playground - Project cost is $100K. $38K has been raised, and construction will begin with about 75% funding. • Portable stage for music, drama, and special programs - Cost is approximately $20K. • Completion of the football field and field house - Project cost $250K, collected to date $150K, construction is underway and our first game is scheduled for August 22nd, 2014. • Seating for gym bleachers - To be used for special programs, basketball and volleyball games. Project cost is approximately $38K. • Signage - For the new building. Cost unknown. Please let us know how you’d like to help. PFT www.legacypca.org

MARCH 2014

A Trip to See the Stars By Logan Mace

rs. Tharp’s fourth grade class recently went to the NASA’s Space Center Houston to learn about our solar system, astronauts, and their journeys. “Each child picked out an Apollo mission and did a project on it,” said Mrs. Tharp. All the children had fun while they learned about the moon and its orbit, and also the stars and what they are made of. The kids also learned about the planets and how they orbit around the sun. Each planet has different hours and numbers of days in a year. They also learned about space travel, all the Apollo missions, other space expeditions, and the first trip to the moon. All of the kids had a blast and were amazed with how wonderful God’s universe is. PFT

MARCH 2014