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9501 Arlington Expressway
Suite 245B

Jacksonville, FL 32225

(904) 652-1441

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Finding Your Purpose During Black History Month

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Finding Your Purpose During Black History Month

Every February, people in the United States celebrate the achievements and history of African Americans as part of Black History Month.  It honors all Black people from all periods of U.S. history, from the early 17th century to today, and has even begun to be recognized internationally in the last decade.

From civil rights trailblazers to activists, there have been many names that have become leaders in politics, culture, science, and more – like Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, and Rosa Parks, just to name a few. These heroes have all made a huge difference in our society.  Impact wants our students to discover their purpose and make a difference in their community.

Get to Know God

Impact’s ability to segment dedicated time to better familiarize ourselves with the Bible and God’s teachings quells the excuses that we may tell ourselves, such as being too busy. These excuses have no room for validity anymore. We give students the chance to sit and study God’s messages and connect both to Him and with each other. Students are not left alone to navigate this journey, our passionate staff is there to help them understand and guide the way.

Discover Your Purpose

Earlier this month at Chapel, Min. Kellee Craig spoke about the importance of Purpose. It was an excellent reminder to consider the parts we must play, and what God requires of us. It is up to us to use His guidance to find out our personal purpose, and how we can best put it to use. Whether that is sharing our knowledge, art, leadership, or empathy, we can learn how to utilize our talents to make a difference within our families, friends, and communities, just as our Black History Month heroes have done. Here at Impact, we’ll help you leave your impact.

We encourage our students and families to participate in our Black History Month Hero campaign. We are accepting forms detailing who your Black History Month hero is and why! We’d love to hear who inspires you the most. Fill out and submit your form here.

We Do School Differently

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We Do School Differently

You always want what is best for your kids as parents. You want them to have all of the love, safe shelter, good health, and best education that is available.  Don’t think that you can’t have a say in all of these matters – your choices can make a huge impact on your kids.

While your child’s education is typically determined by school zoning boundaries and places of residency, that doesn’t mean you are stuck with the local school you may not want your children to attend. We’ve outlined the difference of all of your choices down below, so you can determine what will benefit your children and suit your family’s needs.

Public vs Charter vs Private School

Public schools are usually traditional schools, located within a certain radius of your home, are free for students to attend, and have educational standards that are set by each state individually. Because public schools are reliant on federal, state, and local tax dollars, funding can, unfortunately, be cut. This can lead to larger class sizes, diminished extracurricular activities, and decreased academic achievement for students in general.
Charter schools are also free to attend. There is usually an application process, as space is limited, however, they can’t discriminate against admitting students because of their race, gender, or disability. Charter schools are considered independent public schools run by nonprofit groups, private companies, or community organizations. While they do exist in almost every state, they are not as common as public schools, so they may not be located close enough to your residence.

Private schools are privately funded schools and require tuition fees for students to attend. Since private schools, like Impact Christian Academy, are autonomous, they are able to establish a curriculum that is not regulated by state standards, as public schools are. This includes religious education. Also, class sizes are usually more intimate and allow for more individualized approaches to teaching.

Our Structure: Our Four Pillars

ICA is not just any ordinary Christian school. We have four core pillars that we model our curriculum around that provide an education that extends well beyond academics. We emphasize character development and Christian leadership at every level and strive to mentor students to be the best versions of themselves. Our pillars are:

Academics: High academic success with a focus on stem and college prep is our specialty.
Altruism: Teaching our students the altruistic values or the compassion of Christ is essential to being a successful person.
Arts: We encourage and vibrantly promote art culture. Our students are creative and talented in performance, visual, musical, and culinary arts.
Athletics: A dynamic program of student activities is vital to the educational and spiritual development of the student.

What makes our youth gifted and talented may not always be good grades in school, but a different way of looking at the world and learning. We are currently enrolling new students. Apply today.

Why Teach Altruism?

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Why Teach Altruism?

Altruism is at the core of our values here at Impact Christian Academy. It highlights the importance of selflessness and promotes putting others’ needs ahead of your own. It stems from humans’ innate desire of helping people, without the obligation of doing so, or the expectation of being rewarded for such kind gestures.

While the goal of altruism is not for personal gain, the practice does reap some positive benefits in the process. We believe those who are altruistic become the most successful by learning life skills and making positive impacts on their community as they go. Helping others tends to improve physical and mental health, reminds us that we’re not alone, and inspires others to do the same.

Think of the verse, “It is better to give than it is to receive.” – Acts 20:35

ICA enjoys showing our students that altruism is easier than it seems. Giving does not have to strictly mean gift-giving by any means. It can be simple acts of kindness and lending bits of time to others.

Some examples of altruism include:

  • Holding the door or elevator open for someone
  • Helping your neighbor carry their groceries inside
  • Ask someone how they are doing, and genuinely listen
  • Help out with chores
  • Give someone a sincere compliment
  • Volunteer at a soup kitchen, animal shelter, or community center
  • Donate non-perishable goods and clothes to a local drive

There’s no one-size-fits-all for practicing altruism. There is a method or medium for everyone. We encourage you to try to find ways of making altruism a priority in your life.  

Being a private Christian school makes altruism a priority for us.  ICA’s School-wide Community Service aims to model students to share the love of God through practical acts of kindness. By serving others with simple acts of selfless love, our students learn how open hearts, together with their peers, can make a difference.

How Staying Active Benefits Your Student

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Everyone knows that most kids love recess. But what you might not know is that climbing to the top of a slide or swinging from the monkey bars can help lead your student to success in the classroom. There is exhaustive research that suggests that physically active people are not only healthier but also perform better on tests of cerebral or intellectual ability. Further, establishing an active lifestyle as a student can help set healthy patterns that will last into adulthood.

Studies have consistently demonstrated that physically active people are not only healthier but also perform better on tests of cerebral or intellectual ability. Some studies even indicate that the results can be immediate– even a quick 5-minute walk can yield instant results. Most studies show that the more exercise students get, the more proficient their mental faculties and cerebral performance can become. A healthy and active lifestyle is a routine that needs practice and reinforcement to make into a lifelong habit, which is why we encourage all of our students to become active from a young age.

Here at Impact Christian Academy, we believe that offering a dynamic program of student activities is vital to the educational and spiritual development of the student. Just this school year we unveiled a brand-new playground for our Lower School Students as well as a weight room for our student-athletes to utilize in their athletic journey. We have a robust offering of experiences to enhance the development of positive student habits and attitudes that will prepare them for life outside of athletics. With our teams winning at the district and regional levels, we have established a winning athletics program. But more importantly, we don’t subscribe to the “winning at any cost mentality” that can be so damaging to student development, but rather we view athletics as a platform used to bring glory to God.

Ultimately, countless health benefits are brought on by physical activity. This is why this month we are encouraging our entire community of learning to get active this November. Whether it is team sports, pick-up games, weekend trips to the gym, or daily walks around the block, we can take care of our bodies and let our minds follow positive patterns of achievement. To learn more about the athletic programs at Impact Christian Academy, visit: https://icajax.com/athletics/

The Importance of Including the Arts in Your Child’s Education

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The Importance of Including the Arts in Your Child's Education

The benefits of integrating an education in the arts to your child’s education are countless and highly beneficial. The fine arts positively impact a child’s academic performance, assists in the development of social skills and provides an outlet for creativity that is crucial to development. Read our blog to learn more about the importance of arts in your child’s education.

 

Incorporating music into your child’s curriculum can help your child in the classroom in ways you wouldn’t believe. Studies show that children who play instruments are able to complete complex mathematical problems better than their peers who do not play instruments. That’s right, music makes you better at math! This is because at its core, music is inherently math. Learning to follow a strict beats per minute, time signatures and chord progressions are great math lessons for a student.  Music also can lead to increased coordination as instruments help children develop fine motor skills and hand eye coordination.

In addition to music, culinary arts are also known to have great benefits for child development. Children learn lifetime skills through practicing basic math skills in the kitchen such as counting, weighing, measuring and tracking time. They also can learn social skills by working together and communicating in the kitchen. Further, teaching cooking to youth is an opportunity to teach nutrition education such as planning meals and making smarter food choices.

 

Dance and the performing arts are also highly beneficial for the health and development of your student.  These disciplines are contingent on one’s memory, order and sequencing skills. Utilizing performing arts in academics also helps children develop proficiencies that are necessary for learning such as creativity, communication, critical thinking and collaboration. In addition, the performing arts are shown to burn calories, strengthen muscles, improve balance, increase flexibility, and improve cardiac health.

 

Here at Impact Christian Academy we recognize how crucial arts integration is in creating well-rounded, well-prepared learners and leaders. Impact Christian Academy encourages and promotes art culture in a vibrant manner. Our students are creative and talented in performance, visual, musical and culinary arts. Does your student have a huge desire to express their artistic talents? Complete our interest form TODAY! https://icajax.com/

National School Success Month

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National School Success Month

By September, our kids are back in school and ready to conquer the upcoming academic year.  What you likely did not know is that this month is also National School Success Month. This month is the perfect opportunity to work with your child and determine the best course of action to set your child up for success this school year. Read our blog to learn how to empower your student this September.

Monitor Your Child’s Daily Work

Keeping tabs on your child’s classwork and homework assignments on a daily basis helps you to avoid any surprises. Make sure that they are staying on track with their homework and preparing for any upcoming tests or quizzes.  Encourage them to excel in school by checking their finished homework and be available to answer any questions or concerns that they might have.

Read to Your Child Each Night

This month, we urge you to pledge to read twenty minutes a night to your child. It may feel hard to find 20 minutes each day to read with your child, but it’s so worth it! Children who read for just 20 minutes per day will be exposed 1.8 million words each year. A small amount of reading each day makes an incredible difference.

Communicate with Teachers on a Regular Basis

Building toward a child’s educational success takes a village, and the first step is making sure that all involved parties, from parents to educators, are all on the same page. Parents should make an effort to attend all parent-teacher conferences and orientations as this is a great way to get face-to-face time with your child’s teachers and administration.

Make Bedtime a Priority

Studies have shown that kids who regularly get an adequate amount of sleep have improved attention, behavior, learning, memory, and overall mental and physical health. Set bedtimes that allow elementary-age kids to get 10 to 12 hours of sleep; teens should get 8 to 10 hours.

Encourage Your Kids to Explore Their Interests

When your child is passionate or excited about something it can improve their focus and quality of work! Here at Impact Christian Academy, we encourage and promote art culture in a vibrant manner. Our students are creative and talented in performance, visual, musical, and culinary arts. We aim to provide an education that extends beyond academics in the classroom.

The staff at Impact Christian Academy is dedicated to helping your child succeed by instilling a rigorous academic environment, a biblical worldview and character development through highly competitive athletics – from these four core developmental areas, we empower our students to go out and fulfill purpose while making an impact. More importantly, we never forget the most important part of Christendom, which is an extension of the heart of Christ. To learn more, visit our website: https://icajax.com/about-us/

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