Re-Enrollment is Open!

We are excited to launch Re-Enrollment for the 2015-2016 school year! Just as we did Re-Enrollment electronically last year, which saved time and frustration for both parents and staff, TFCA's Re-Enrollment will be completed online, through ParentsWeb. This process is designed to be simple and to save your valuable time!

Instructions have been emailed to all current students' parents. For those of you who are visual learners (like myself!), here are some screenshots to help guide you through the process.

Before you start, make sure you have a ParentsWeb account and know how to access it. For instructions on setting that up, see this post.

We also ask every parent to review the 2015-2016 Tuition & Fees information before beginning the Re-Enrollment process.

To begin the Re-Enrollment process (or to withdraw your student for the next year), do the following:

1. Log in to ParentsWeb.

 

 

2. Click Family Information on the left-hand menu, then click Enrollment/Re-Enrollment

 

 3. On the first page of the Re-Enrollment process, this is what you'll see. You should see all students in your family. This is the step at which you either check the box to Re-Enroll or uncheck the box to Withdraw. It will be checked by default, because of course we hope you're coming back! :) Make your selections for each child and then click Next.

 

4.  After clicking Next, you will complete a set of Acknowledgements for each custodial parent in your family. Please read through each item carefully. There are some changes noted on the 2015-2016 Tuition & Fees which you will be asked to acknowledge that you have read and understand.

Be sure to scroll down on the right-hand side and complete all before clicking Next!

5. After clicking Next, you'll have the opportunity to review and edit your student's information for accuracy. Be sure to scroll down on the right-hand side for all fields.

 

6. Next, you'll review the Custodial Parent information. This is last thing you'll do before completing your Re-Enrollment.

 

 7. After clicking Next, your enrollment will be considered completed. You will receive an email confirming your submission. If you feel like what you received is in error, please contact us right away!

 

We hope you find this process to be simple to complete! Thank you!

Krista Dulaney, Director of School Relations

Academic Goals for the 2014-15 school year

Each spring, we administer the Terra Nova 3 standardized test to our students. We get the results back and we spend a great deal of time analyzing the results. We look at each subject and each grade. We identify trends, both positive and negative.  

 

As a school, we surpass national norms in every area. Many of our students score in the top 10%. Out of 300+ students, approximately 100 scored a 90% or better on the total battery or a 95% in a core subject area (reading, language, math, science or social studies).

in all areas.

This year we identified three main areas we wanted to see growth school wide. They are:

1. Reading Comprehension strategies
2. Writing mechanics skills
3. Math computation skills, including Geometry and Spatial skills

To address these areas, we have adopted a school-wide reading focus that concentrates on specific strategies for comprehension each month. These strategies will be incorporated across the curriculum in instruction. We will focus on the strategies with teachers in faculty meetings and trainings. We will also be doing quarterly progress monitoring that will illuminate growth or regression in comprehension levels.

We will do training as a faculty that focuses on improving reading/writing skills. In all subjects and grade levels, we will work on incorporating more writing opportunities. Grammar, sentence structure and analytical writing will be part of our focus. Language Arts exit criteria for each grade level will continue to be met and evaluated.

In Math, we will work to incorporate more hands-on math strategies. Students will master addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts by the time they enter the 6^th grade. There is also a need for a specific focus on geometry and spatial skills. Professional Development opportunities will be offered featuring math strategies and hands-on instruction. Teachers will also be sent to the National Math Teachers conference. Math skills will also be assessed quarterly and reported to parents.  

We will reassess overall trends and scores again in the spring 2015 following the receipt of our Terra Nova 3 score reports.  

As a school, we do not “teach to the test”. Our goal and our aim is to provide high quality, Biblically-based instruction that challenges our students at every level. We want to utilize the tests we administer to expose areas of strengths and weaknesses and help us continue to evaluate and guide our curriculum development.

Carrie Beth Tigges, Principal

Prepare Him Room...

Expectation.  Hope.  Waiting.  Patience.  Longing.  Wishing.  

 

The season of Advent and Christmas is upon us.  As a society, we don’t do waiting well.  We want instant gratification.  If someone doesn’t take off immediately at a green light, we honk our horns.  When we don’t get an immediate response to a text or email, we send another one.  We are the “microwave” generation, not the cook on the stove all day generation.  Yet, as Christians, we are waiting expectantly for the return of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  

In the same way, the Jewish people were waiting expectantly for their Messiah.  There had been silence.  They had turned away from God and rejected his teaching.  He withdrew from them.  Yet, he always intended to maintain his promises.  He WOULD send a Messiah.  It may not have been in the way they thought he would.  

A baby.  A manger.  A stable.  A star.  A girl.  A carpenter.  A promise.  

His story unfolded in a way that none had fathomed, yet all would come to hear.  Even then, it would be some thirty years before HIS son would be fully revealed.  Jesus came that night in a humble way, in a humble place.  His death was equally humbling.  He did not die with a huge celebration.  He died alongside criminals.  Yet, God’s promise still rang true.  His son took our sins.  He bore our shame.  He rose to life.  He ascended and now we find ourselves coming full circle.  Again, we wait.

We wait for His return.  We long for His coming.  We follow Him.  We serve Him.  We lean on Him.

If he says he is returning, we know he is returning.  We wait……expectantly.

As we prepare our hearts for this season, we as a school want to join you in Celebrating Advent with us.

Each week leading up to Christmas has a different theme.  We will focus on joy, peace, love and hope.  We will light the Advent candles each week in chapel and focus on that week’s theme.  The last chapel we will also light the Christ candle.  Traditionally, that is done on Christmas Eve, but we are not here on that day and still want to share the significance with our students.

There are many ideas for keeping the focus on Advent/Christ vs. the commercial aspect of the Christmas season.  I wanted to share a few ideas with you that our family has used over the years.  

·         Make a paper chain for Dec 1-25.  Write people or issues you want to pray for each night.  Another idea is to write the different names of Jesus with the scripture reference and look those up with your kids.  Here is an idea for this: http://www.spelloutloud.com/names-of-jesus-advent-chain.html

 

·         Consider a service idea for each day leading up to Christmas.  Here is a link to a blog with a free printable calendar of service for December:  http://www.coffeecupsandcrayons.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Random-Acts-of-Christmas-Kindness-Printable-Calendar-for-Kids.pdf

·         I wrap up books about Christmas and my boys take turns unwrapping a book each night from December 1-25.  I have done this since my oldest son’s first Christmas.  It is one more way to slow down the hustle and bustle, sit down and read with my children.

·         Another great idea is found here:  http://gracefilledmess.blogspot.com/2013/11/counting-days.html  You take the Jesus storybook Bible and read a specific part each night leading up to Christmas.

·         We will also have bookmarks that we will be sending home/giving to all of our students.  There are verses listed for each day of Advent you can read together as a family.  Consider reading them each day before you leave for work and school or around the dinner table each evening.  

However you celebrate, I pray you feel the excitement of anticipation of Christ’s return.

Blessing to you!

Carrie Beth Tigges, Principal

Turning On Auto Email Gradebook Progress Reports

Parents, we wanted to let you know about a nice feature that you can turn on in ParentsWeb! We have turned on Auto Email Gradebook Progress Reports for grades K-12, but before you begin receiving them, you'll need to set your preferences in Parents Web. When set to Daily or Weekly, you'll receive a daily or weekly email with an up-to-date progress report for your student(s).

Your preference is defaulted to Never, so here's how to change it to Daily or Weekly if you'd like (if you don't want progress report emails, you don't need to anything!):

Log in to ParentsWeb (if you've never done this before, see the previous blog post for step by step instructions!)

Click Web Forms from the School Information menu.

Click Family Demographic Form.

Click Custodial Parent Form next to your name.

Scroll down to the bottom section labeled Parent Preferences and select Weekly, Daily, or Never from the Auto Email Gradebook Progress Report drop-down box and then click Save.

Here's a video of me setting up my preferences, if you want to see it that way:


That's it! You'll begin receiving progress reports according to your preferences. If you use the RenWeb Home app, you can adjust this setting on the app (I just don't have a nifty video of the process). If you have any questions about this procedure, feel free to call the office and speak to me (Krista Dulaney) or send me an email:  dulaney@mytfca.org

Introducing RenWeb & ParentsWeb!

Introducing

 

We’re excited to announce the roll-out of our new school management system – RenWeb School Management Software. We’ve been working all summer on the process of setting up RenWeb’s ParentsWeb – a private and secure parents’ portal that will allow parents to see academic information specific to their children, while protecting their children’s information from others.

All you need is an Internet-capable computer or mobile device to view information such as:

Attendance Daily Grades Progress Reports Report Cards Transcripts Lesson Plans Discipline Homework

Missing Assignments School Calendar School Announcements Staff and School Directory Teacher Email Addresses Teacher Websites Web Surveys and Tests Other Useful School Information

Here are your instructions for getting up and running with your own ParentsWeb account:

• Click here or navigate to FrankfortChristian.org and click on ParentsWeb from the Quick Links section at the bottom of the page.
• Click Create new ParentsWeb account
• In the District Code box, type TF-KY
• Type your email address and click Create Account. IMPORTANT:  You MUST use the email address that we have on record for you in RenWeb, the email address where you receive official school correspondence. Without using this email address, RenWeb cannot link you to your family’s account. If you aren’t sure which email address we have on record, please give us a call!
• An email will be sent which includes a link to create your ParentsWeb login. The link is active for 6 hours only.

• Select the Click to Create your ParentsWeb login link.
• A web browser will display your Name and RenWeb Person ID.
• Type a User Name, Password, and Confirm the password. 

• Click Save User Name and/or Password.
  A message displays at the top of the browser, "User Name/Password successfully updated."

• You may now log in to ParentsWeb using your new User Name and Password.

ACCESSING PARENTSWEB

You have several options for accessing ParentsWeb:

• You may access the full site from a computer browser with easy links from TFCA’s website.
• You may also access a streamlined mobile version from a mobile device (smart phone or tablet), known as ParentsWeb Mobile, also using the links from TFCA’s website.
• You can also download the RenWeb Home app from the App Store (iOS devices) or the Google Play Store (Android devices). The RenWeb Home app is free to download, but there is a $4.99 annual subscription fee. This is not TFCA’s fee; we don’t get any money from it. Please note that this is optional; you are not required to use the app. The other access options above are excellent ways to use ParentsWeb. Here are some reasons why you may choose to use the RenWeb Home app:

o   Always stay logged into ParentsWeb, providing instant access

o   Navigate to your information faster

o   Communicate easier with other school parents and faculty through your smartphone’s integration with the School Directory, allowing you to Tap & Send emails or make phone calls instantly to directory listings

o   Import school calendar events and student homework assignments into your Personal Calendars

Note:  TFCA’s staff does not have access to your password! If you have forgotten your password, click Forgot Username/Password and enter TFCA’s District Code of TF-KY and your email address to reset your password.

We look forward to your participation. Together we can improve our children’s academic development and the communication between our school and your home.