In our last post, I mentioned that it was the first in a two-part series looking at the thought of innovation at Brainerd Baptist School. I talked about the culture of innovation that we have worked hard to create. If done correctly, I believe this type of culture encourages our faculty to be risk takers and try new things. Many of the innovative things we do that make our program unique have come from teachers in our building. The expectation for our faculty is that they are life-long learners who are constantly working to become better teachers. We want them to try new experiences and techniques. The blog post below is another example. We utilize an “exposure” model and strongly believe that our students benefit from being exposed to many different types of learning and various subjects.

The following post is the first of two in which we are highlighting something new at Brainerd Baptist School this year. We strive to develop a culture were creativity and innovation are normal parts of our day. These are traits that we want our students to develop, so it is important that we, as a school, also embody these traits. I believe that schools operate best when there is no fear of failure of trying something new.

Much is made about the excitement of children as the first day of class approaches. Today marks the first day of class at Brainerd Baptist School. A LOT of preparation has gone into making this day fun as smoothly as possible for our students. My youngest child had her first day (junior year) on Monday and I certainly understand the anxiety that can accompany this momentous occasion from a parents perspective. Moms spend time shopping (often with their child) for the various necessary, (and often unnecessary school supplies -hello locker wallpaper and chandeliers). Schedules are analyzed and memorized. New shoes are purchased, and in many cases, other things like picking out a new backpack is a tradition for many. Today marks the 20th consecutive year where I have experienced a “1st day” professionally.

When trying to think of the right adjectives to adequately describe Cathy Creed, several instantly come to mind like affectionate, compassionate, witty, sincere, observant, patient, intuitive, friendly, loyal, supportive, funny, and most importantly, a champion for doing what is best for students.

We are a few weeks removed from our annual auction, and I have some exciting news to share with our families. As was stated on the night of our auction, our goal was to raise enough money to purchase a new bus.

When a student is fighting a devastating disease, it isn’t easy to stay on track with the school curriculum.  Brainerd Baptist School isn’t just going the extra mile to provide an education for seven-year-old Hayden Hudgens.  We’re going 350 extra miles.

This past Tuesday, Feb. 19th, we launched our first ever food waste reduction challenge.  As I began researching food waste in our nation, I was blown away and saddened by the statistics.  According to a study conducted by the Natural Resources Defense Council, “Up to 40% of the food in the United States is never eaten.  But at the same time, one in eight Americans struggles to put enough food on the table.” 

The month of February has been designated as Black History month since the 1970s when President Gerald Ford urged Americans to, “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” Over the years, our teachers have done an amazing job of incorporating meaningful activities into our curriculum that celebrate the accomplishments of African-Americans throughout our history.

Rachel Adams, our school nurse, has done a phenomenal job of developing challenges to help our students focus on improving their health. Last year, Mrs. Adams partnered with our PE program to develop a monthly fitness challenge. This year, Mrs. Adams and Mr. Owens have developed another fun and challenging month to help our students focus on their health. I asked Mr. Owens to write a blog post that gives more details about this special challenge and those details are listed below.