No images? Click here ST. AUGUSTINE PREPARATORY ACADEMYFour Pillars Newsletter - Winter 2020To our Aug Prep community - I write with a heart full of gratitude - gratitude for the amazing educators at Aug Prep, gratitude for the families who entrust their children into our care, and gratitude for the perseverance and hard work our students show us every day. As I experience the daily workings of our school, I have an even deeper appreciation for the work of educators. There are days that this work is HARD. Yet, every day, God is revealing His presence, peace and HOPE within our community. During a recent week in February, we launched our enrollment efforts for 2020-2021 (we processed over 1,800 applications in February!). That Thursday and Friday, we hosted parent-teacher conferences with approximately 95% attendance. Friday evening, Aug Prep’s Student Council put on a 90’s themed dance for 200 of our high school students. And Saturday morning, Aug Prep hosted Teach For America-Milwaukee’s quarterly all corps member training, a major basketball game and continued enrollment efforts. At 8 am on Saturday, Angel, one of our juniors who had been at the dance the evening before, was back at school sharing both his story as well as Aug Prep’s with the TFA corps members. He rocked the house. When I saw him Monday morning and mentioned I had heard from several people how awesome he was, his response was a giant smile and “I want to be a high school social studies teacher when I grow up!” I cannot wait to see that happen. Angel and the 1,250 other students like Angel at Aug Prep are why we do what we do every day. Please continue on to read about some of the activities and stories that fuel our work. I also encourage you to watch the following video. It is a lens into the impact our teachers are having on our K4 and K5 students as they begin their education journey. My gratitude is also for you. We are thankful for your partnership in these efforts. Warmly, MISSION MOMENTOur Message Spreads We hosted a basketball game recently where the other team got to Aug Prep very early. They could not get in the gym immediately, because our high school students were having chapel, and one of the players asked their coach what that (chapel) was. This high school student had never heard of chapel and her coach had the opportunity to explain it. The coach later told me that he was a believer and had tried to start FCA at his school but had some issues doing so. When I walked by the team a little later, the same girl was reading the Bible verse on the wall out loud. She seemed very confused and paused for a second and said, "Whoa this is very inspirational." It is awesome to see how doors open for discussion about Jesus even with students from public schools when they come to Aug Prep to play a basketball game. - FAITH -For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10 Our 6th and 7th grade scholars recently had their annual retreat at Fox River Christian Church! The purpose of student retreats at Aug Prep is to intentionally create space to deepen our students’ understanding of God, to grow together as a community of faith, and to encounter God’s love in a fresh and new way. - FAMILY -In November, we started a staff vs. parents volleyball night; only one parent attended the first evening. Now there is a consistent schedule and, just last week, we had 100-150 parents, staff and even some students playing volleyball, futsal and basketball together. The evening has transformed into an open gym and active Aug Prep community night. Our Family and Community Engagement Coordinator, Esmeralda Rocha, started the activity night because we wanted our parents to feel a sense of belonging at Aug Prep. We have a lot of restrictions for when guests can enter the building because we prioritize our students’ safety, so we wanted the opportunity to let our parents know they are welcome and this is their community too. At the same time, the open gym gives our students the opportunity to connect with their parents in a fun way at their school. The open gym has truly created an incredible opportunity for community. Parents getting to know parents. Parents getting to know staff. Even staff getting to know their colleagues. “It’s a beautiful thing to see a dad and their son or mother and their daughter come in together to play volleyball or futsal. They keep coming. This is their thing now.” Esmeralda Rocha - ACADEMICS -In January, our 7th grade students showcased their Family History projects. The project is part of Mrs. Dutton and Mrs. Meka's Literacy class. Students read House on Mango Street which is a story told in sometimes heartbreaking, and sometimes joyous, vignettes. It is a story of a young Latina girl growing up in Chicago, inventing for herself who and what she will become. Students were then tasked to write about their own families - they interviewed family members to learn about where they are from and when they moved to Milwaukee. They wrote about important events in their family's history and what they want their legacy to become. Students took a literacy approach to the project by using figurative language to describe their family members. In connection to their story, they created posters and could bring in a family artifact - something meaningful - to showcase at the school. Parents attended the showcase where students described their project and answered questions. - ATHLETICS/ARTS -Peter and the Starcatcher is a story of an orphan that becomes the legendary Peter Pan. It contains thieving pirates and jungle adventures with hesitant comrades and unexpected heroes. This play tests the boundaries of duty, love, and friendship and will show you just how far despair and greed can take someone. The Augustine Theater has been preparing since November 2019 to create this spectacular play. The ingenuity of over 85 staff and students has helped bring this play to life. We welcome you to join us for the fun! Show Schedule: SAVE THE DATEDetails and sponsorship information for our 3rd Annual Golf Outing & Dinner will be sent soon. We encourage you to mark your calendars now for July 13th and hope to see you on the green this summer! Please contact Kaitlyn Wollum to get or stay involved with our mission: |