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!

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!

Serving Our Students: A new way to help TFCA’s students succeed.

This article by Ruth Fitz-Gerald, TFCA's Student Services Coordinator, first appeared in the Winter 2014 edition of the Royal Review.

When Mrs. Burgess first approached me about considering the brand-new Student Services Coordinator position I quickly dismissed the idea.  I loved my teaching position and couldn’t see any reason to change.  In the days that followed God kept bringing the idea back to my mind and I started praying about it.  The long and short of it is that God convinced me to jump into this new program, and I have not regretted my decision.

Helping TFCA students find their God-given purpose, and experience academic success, is my primary goal. Much of my time implementing Student Services during the first semester has been spent observing in classrooms, administering diagnostic assessments, and researching strategies to help students achieve success.  Classroom teachers have been receptive to adding tools in their “teaching baskets” to meet the needs of their students.  While I envisioned myself working one-on-one with students I have found that I have only a small amount of time for this type of student support.

Ms. Boone has been a great help meeting student needs.  She is our Title 1 specialist and works one-on-one with students in grades K-5.  Title 1 focuses on reading and math skills.

To help reach students who need extra practice I am developing a peer tutoring program called Student to Student STEPS (Students Thinking Exploring, Practicing, Succeeding).  We now have a number of peer tutors in grades 6-12 who are ready to begin tutoring students in grades k-6 in the coming months.   Tutors will meet with their students once or twice a week to practice reading, writing, and math skills.  Research has shown that both the peer tutor and the student benefit from this type of educational opportunity.

In the future I hope to add a STEPS program for students who would benefit from an added challenge.  My idea is to work on projects and activities that require higher level thinking and logic skills.

God has created each student at TFCA and has a purpose for each one.  It is exciting to watch students experience success as they journey towards their God-given purpose.