Senior’s challenge: Help campers ‘love well’

SCA seniors give of themselves

For the school’s 14th annual senior mission trip, seniors at Summit Christian Academy spent nine days this summer at Camp Blessing, a Christian ministry in Texas designed to make a week-long barrier-free summer camp available to children with disabilities.

For children 7and older, Camp Blessing offers traditional camp activities like horseback riding, canoeing, fishing, swimming, a ropes course and water games that are customized so kids with all levels of abilities could fully participate.

The seniors’ challenge for the week was to “love well.”

“No matter how concerned, or scared, or confused or worried our students were about the job before them, to ‘love well’ was going to get them through,” said chaperone Patty McWilliams.

Upon arrival, the SCA students reviewed the campers’ applications and prayerfully considered one to “buddy” with for the week. After training, each senior spent the week one-on-one their that new buddy, even sharing a bunk bed at night.

“It was really important that we put our camper’s wants and needs before our own,” said senior Kyla Brown. “All week, we helped our campers do exactly what they wanted to do,which usually looked very different from what we had in mind.

“This was challenging and doesn’t come naturally so it really allowed for God to shine through us.”

McWilliams aid there were “some sweet connections and some great challenges,” but added: “God works through the unexpected, and He promises if we keep our hearts and minds open, we will see Him at work. I know that each of our seniors were blessed in some way during this week...”

The senior mission trip aims to build class leadership and unity while helping the students grow personally and spiritually.

Superintendent offers perspective on equity in schools

Lee’s Summit School District Superintendent Dennis Carpenter was among Midwestern educational leaders who recently served on a regional panel of experts.

The Central and South Central Comprehensive Centers convened its annual cross-regional advisory board Aug. 22-23 in Santa Fe, N.M., with educational leaders from Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas and Missouri participating.

In addition to representing Missouri on the advisory board, Carpenter participated in a three-person panel focusing on “Equity for All Students in a Changing Educational Landscape.”

“It is always refreshing to engage and share with equity-focused leaders,” Carpenter said. “Ensuring equitable access and opportunities for all students is one of the most pressing educational issues facing public schools.”

Student earns creative-writing award

Summit Christian Academy junior Darcy Thomas participated in the George Caleb Bingham Academy of the Arts this summer and, at graduation, received the Director’s Award for Excellence in Creative Writing.

The five-week academy, held in Independence, enabled students to work with some of the area’s top instructors in the fields of creative writing, music, theater and visual art in a college-like learning environment.

Yale professor and guest author Sergio Troncoso said he was impressed by Thomas’s writing.

R-7 teacher published in MNEA magazine

Kim Blevins, an English teacher at Summit Ridge Academy in the R-7 School District, has been published in the Missouri National Education Association’s magazine, Something Better.

In the article, titled “The externship,” she shared her experience working at a Springfield television station under the auspices of GO-CAPS, the Greater Ozarks Centers for Advanced Professional Studies. She also interviewed other educators about their stints working at other businesses in that area.

This story was originally published September 5, 2017 at 3:22 PM with the headline "Senior’s challenge: Help campers ‘love well’."