Funding the Future - Student Services Spotlight

As our school family is well aware, we are currently raising funds to implement or improve three areas of technology at The Frankfort Christian Academy. While these improvements would have a positive impact on all of our students (see what our teachers are saying!), there is one group of students that we would like to draw your attention to today, students who are involved in our Student Services program.

Mrs. Fitz-Gerald reads aloud many tests each week to students. Sometimes when there is a high need for test readers, other staff or volunteers are used to read tests. As our Student Services program grows, we will have an even greater need for learning and testing accommodations for our students. There are iPad apps that will help students take tests with audio recorded by teachers, staff, or volunteers. We can cut down the amount of reading and time by recording the tests once and it can be used multiple times by additional students.

"The mobile iPad cart would drastically change how we can accommodate our students that need verbal cues when testing. It would allow teachers the opportunity to record audio of tests for every student, then allow students to listen to the tests on an iPad file and work at their own pace as they complete each problem.  The audio would also allow them to tune-out any background noise and distractions so that they could completely focus on the tasks at hand."     Lindsay Barnes, MS/HS Math Teacher

To see this action, check out the app currently being tested in the Student Services department, Audio Exam. 


The Student Services Coordinator has purchased the $9.99 app on her iPad and coordinates with teachers to record the test on the Audio Exam Creator version. Once the test is recorded, students use a school iPad with the free Audio Exam Reader app installed. The test is timed and reads through each question at the student's chosen pace and their answers are recorded on the physical test.

This video takes you through exactly what it's like for a student to use Audio Exam Reader!


As you can see, having additional school iPads available through the mobile iPad lab would make a huge difference for our Student Services program and the students who are helped through it! Are you able to donate to support this project? Read more at FrankfortChristian.org/FundingTheFuture!

Funding the Future of TFCA

TFCA intends to implement the following new technology and improvements for our students:  a mobile iPad lab, new classroom technology, and improvements to our computer labs. These three projects will be supported through a new fundraising campaign, Funding the Future at TFCA, which is going on now! With the addition of these new tools, TFCA’s students will be better equipped to enter the 21^st century workforce and will put us on the cutting edge of classroom technology integration.

Our goal for this fundraiser is to raise $20,000 to fully fund these projects. Students have taken home brochures which explain each project and detail the specific items that we need to purchase in order to make these projects a reality. This will be our only spring fundraiser this year and to celebrate the success of the campaign, our students will have a Field Day at the end of school! We can’t wait to see how our students will be blessed through the financial support of our TFCA family and donors.

Here's what our teachers are saying about these projects:

"A mobile iPad lab would allow teachers to access a different dimension of learning opportunities right in their classrooms. Assessment of learning could be done through creative means such as videos and recordings. Engaging learning opportunities are abundant through the plethora of apps available for iPads. As the Student Services Coordinator and STEP Up teacher I can think of a multitude of ways I would utilize this type of mobile lab."     - Ruth Fitz-Gerald, Student Services Coordinator (Read more about how our Student Services program would be impacted by the addition of a mobile iPad lab!)

"I am so thankful for my iPad AND for my ENO board in my classroom, but I am unable to use them together.   If I want to use the iPad for a lesson I have to go to another room to use their Apple TV or borrow iPad from other teachers. I like to use my iPad for many different things. We use them to research information, educational games, centers, and apps that enhance the learning process or make it fun. It is difficult to do that with only one iPad in the room, so having access to multiple iPads and/or an Apple TV would be WONDERFUL!!"     Lori Anderson, 3rd Grade Teacher

"In my ideal world I would love to have 5 iPads to use during reading groups. This would allow the students to be able to each work on reading and phonics apps during groups and I could monitor their progress. Right now I have one I pass around and we take turns but this allows for dead time and  the other children can't see the app at the same time. I don't have an Apple TV so I can't reflect my iPad up for all to see. I would love to have one of those as well. My dream would to hang the Apple TV behind my reading table and they could each have their own iPad and I could assess them as they manipulate the app we are working on. They could record stories orally and we could publish them as a group. There are so many things I could do with a technology reading group area. I have an ENO board and that is excellent as well. I am blessed to have it but it cannot run iPad technology on it, only computer web sites."    Dawn Noble, Kindergarten Teacher

"A mobile iPad lab would be an amazing addition to my classroom!  6th graders could work on science and math apps to research,learn, and increase knowledge.  The parts of the human body would come to life before our very eyes."     Kendra Miller, MS Math & Science Teacher

"I have been a teacher for almost 17 years and each year it gets more difficult to capture the attention and imagination of my first graders. One way to grab them that never fails is to integrate technology into what we are learning. In my classroom we take turns using our 1 classroom iPad each day...not for one moment to I have to make sure the student using the iPad is engaged in our lesson. I can't imagine how much we could accomplish if I had access to a cart with a classroom set of iPads and could put one in each student's hand for some lessons!  

I have had an Apple TV box in my classroom since late fall and can not imagine life in the classroom without it! I use it daily to engage students in my lesson. From displaying awesome 3D illustrations of plant parts to simply practicing spelling words with to magnetic letters app it is a great tool to have in my toolbox. I hope through the Funding the Future campaign we can provide this amazing tool to all TFCA classrooms!"     Jennifer Cull, 1st Grade Teacher

Learn about the goals for each project and how to donate at FrankfortChristian.org/FundingTheFuture!

New Teachers/Positions for 2014-15!

To meet the needs of our students and our growing school we are excited to announce the addition of several new positions. 

First, Mrs. Linda Perkins has accepted our new Reading Specialist position and will be retiring from second grade. She has been such an amazing second grade teacher, and we our certain she will do an excellent job providing reading support to TFCA students. Second, we have hired Mrs. Pandora Morrow as our new second grade teacher, and we have hired Elise Fitzgerald as our new language arts/social studies teacher for middle school. Please read a message from each of our new teachers below!

Pandora Morrow - Second Grade Teacher

My name is Pandora Morrow and it is a pleasure for me to announce that I am the new second grade teacher here at TFCA. I received my Bachelor's degree in Early Elementary and an endorsement for Teaching English and Writing in middle grades from Northern Kentucky University. I received my Master's Degree in Teaching Reading and Writing all grades from Georgetown College. My Husband Bob and I have been married for sixteen years and have a daughter that attends TFCA. I am so excited about the upcoming year and look forward to working with you!

Elise Fitzgerald - Middle School Language Arts and Social Studies

My name is Elise Fitzgerald. I am originally from the small town of Grundy, Virginia, but recently married my wonderful husband in December and relocated to Frankfort. I have a bachelor's degree in middle grades education with emphasis areas in language arts and social studies and biblical studies from Kentucky Christian University. I left a full time ministry at Mountain Mission School in order to be with my husband in Frankfort. I am very excited about this new teaching opportunity. 

We are so thankful that God always seems to put the right people, in the right place, at the right time for our school!