Good morning, good morning, good morning, Welcome, welcome, Welcome in its time now for our community connection right here on K one, the one you trust. Our program today is brought to you by Tall Grassmotors, our layd Neecamp Funeral Home of Wesley and Kitty College, and we have Cornerstone Classical Academy in here, and we have Dale Willis and also Sarah.
Walton welcome board. Kind of been a busy year for the two of you.
Has It's been a great year.
Lots of good ops, I imagine, Yeah, yes, absolutely, Well, let's talk about some of the some of the big positives.
Of the Well, we wrapped up our initial our launch year for the Leadership Academy this past year. Sarah and I both teach that and that went really well. Had nine students all together, a couple of part times that came and went, but did really well with that, got out in the community, did a lot of great things and really paid off big. I believe our students loved it, their parents loved it, and we're excited about year two which is coming up.
For that.
Hey, Sarah, I got to ask you, what was your reaction? It was brand new, you know, it was the first time testing the waters. I guess you guys just went in head first and we really did. Yeah, we did. How did you? How would you recap the year? Oh?
It was it was an amazing year. We we were able to look at some people in history, were able to give kids examples of great leaders throughout history. We were able to get out in the community and visit visit different businesses, different uh, different leaders there. We were able to get our kids a couple of different internship opportunities that were really great for them.
We think one of them, yes, we did.
We got to intern here a little bit. We had one who was really interested in being a VET tech and so we were able to place her with an internship at a local VET. We were able to connect with with Phillips and their inn and Ship program and things like that. So we really made some great steps this year and it should continue on into next year.
Speaking of next year, Dale, what are you looking toward?
Well, it's important that our students, some of our students will be back for their second year. Plus are We had five eighth graders at Cornerstone that become eligible for leadership this year as well. It's a high school program and we just need them to know that we're gonna this is this is Phase two, Chapter two, but it's gonna look it's gonna have a lot of the same elements of last year in terms of the core, but
a lot of new layers this year. New new textbooks, new opportunities in the community, more concentrated effort on internship programs, and just it's it's just really exciting to be able to build on what we laid in place last year and make it bigger and shinier. It's going to be very exciting.
Sarah, What how did the kids react to this? First of all, it was new to them, and kids are kind of like, oh new challenge, Oh goody great. So what did they come away with? Did you see a progression as the semester went on.
We saw them as a group getting closer to each other. We saw them taking some leadership roles on both there in our leadership class and in the high school. We saw them stepping up in different ways, and we got feedback from them. You know, this was one of their
favorite times. They loved to come and do this. We gave them a time of course, and during leadership we learned a lot of things, but they also got to have activities, have games where they they got close knit, they formed relationships with each other which strengthened their bonds,
and overall, the feedback that we got was amazing. We had several times where we went and toured somewhere, we came back and even students that necessarily weren't interested in those things the places we went to, then they would come back and say thank you for setting that up. That was an amazing opportunity just to to go and see that. And so that kind of feedback was really great.
I think you started a fire Dale.
These kids came from eight different eight kids came from six different churches and four different schools. So this was not a group of kids that were all together here and said let's go do leadership. They came from all directions and her point is a great point. We saw them come to know each other, love each other, and
take care of each other. We had we had one student that could only make it midway through the three hour block because she was going to try County, and then she would leave there and come to our class and the other students would make sure that she stayed caught up. It was just a cool thing to see.
You know, it starts out with leadership and it winds up being a little bit of teamwork too, which, by the way, is the best form.
Of leaders are the important component.
Wow, everybody learned a little something. Did they get to learn a little bit more about themselves too? Is as true?
Yes, and a lot of them I believe themselves and some of the leaders that we studied, and that was a very important thing we wouldn't She mentioned the historical figures that we dove into, and we looked at them not just from an accomplishment evaluation, but from who they were as people and how that set them up to be successful. We talked about in our mission statement that we're not as interested in what you're going to be when you graduate as who you're going to be when
you graduate. And I think we really, I think we planted that seed this first year.
Did some of the kids come away a bit surprised?
Probably in some ways we came away surprised as they impressed us with different things that they learned and would say answers that they would give us.
You know, you give the kid an opportunity to amaze you, they'll succeed that's very true. Where did you get the idea for this program? Day?
Oh, I've been thinking about this for years. Letting it cook. Yeah, just letting it cook. And these eyes at Cornerstone, it was just a blessing to be able to run into them and share that vision and and see and it's just been a great team effort.
Now, how do we get the kids to sign up? Now that it's out there, people know about it, people are talking about it. How do we get the parents that saying.
We're going to roll that into the whole Cornerstone school?
Now?
Packet okay, and Sarah can give us some details on that. I see that.
Well, they can obviously, they can go to the website and enroll. Through the website, they go in and there is a section for signing up, and in that section you can check and see if you want to be in the Leadership Academy, and you fill out your student fills out an application for the Leadership Academy, and then it will be reviewed and we'll get back to you.
That easy huh, no secret handshake.
Well, you know there's some excited to have any of them.
We've had some really cool things just happen at the Cornerstone School itself, outside the leadership aspect of it. We've become accredited since we last talked, we are now accredited school graduations, which is a big deal, and that ties into the whole tax credit program. And we've seen a lot of interest in that. Our numbers are will be a little more hectic this next year than we were
these past years. Bring it on, right, bring it on. Yeah, really excited and probably have some opportunities to add some new teachers this next year as well. If anybody's out there then wants to.
Come talkature we have.
I mean, we didn't quite double our enrollment, but this the tax credit or the yeah, the tax credit. It opened up this opportunity to a whole lot of families that maybe it wasn't an option for them before. And so they're still able to apply if they want to come to Cornerstone, then they are still able to apply and also apply for the tax credit as well.
You know, I've been here in town for about six years and I got acquainted with the Cornerstone Academy quite early in the ongoing care and I kept telling myself, you know, this is going to be that little engine that could and by Golley. Every time I turned around, you get things like accreditation, you get the thing like the leadership program, You get things like more and more people finding out about you and putting together just an interesting blend of how kids can learn. Well.
We appreciate the part that you guys have played in that as well.
Well. We just like to be good neighbors to everybody. That's part of being a community. Broadcasters to reflect communities, wants, needs, in attitudes and everything. And this is a great way for folks who might not have explored private school or alternatives to public education. Please go on the web site, Please take a look, Please pick up the phone, Please ask a question, Please set up with an appointment, and you'll be amazed.
Absolutely, And just a reminder, we are at hybrid school wearing class Tuesdays and Thursdays, leadership on Wednesdays, and then homeschool the other days.
Which makes you very unique. In fact, I can't think of a school that's that's like this at this level in a community where it's hybrid like this. You know what, It puts a lot of responsibility of the young people to keep going and keep up, and.
They have to take they have to manage their week.
They really do keep this step up and we partner with parents and it's a great a great combination with the teachers and the parents.
Does this bring families together a little bit closer to because of the parents really having.
To be I think it does. I think it helps them to be as involved as they can be, and they are. They're the ones that are going to see they're the ones that know their child and so they're going to it is. It's such a benefit to the child to be able to be taught and be with their parents, and it's just the best blend.
I think it's a cool thing for a student, for a young person to see their parents develop a relationship with their teacher. It as well, I think everybody wins in that equation.
It also creates just a lot of accountability on everybody's part, and that's something that we kind of lack in the world as a whole these days. Through my comment, my ears true. But I want to thank you all for coming in and sharing some great news once again. What's the website?
Oh goodness, Cornerstone Classical Classical Academy dot.
Com And we'll just stick it into Google as you'll find it here in Bartlesfield. And remember, folks, this is really something else. And what I mean by something else, it's very unique and it's really worth your time and effort to check it out. I want to thank you both for coming in today and sharing some really good news for having us alrighty ladies and gentlemen, you've been watching and listening to our Community Connection program on K one, the One you Trust