Benton Hall Academy Teacher Follows Family's Footsteps

When Jeannine Briley saw how a school helped her friend's son, Briley knew she had to get involved -- and now she's the board chair for Benton Hall Academy

ChanceLight Behavioral Health, Therapy and Education, the nation's leading provider of behavioral health, therapy and education solutions for children and young adults, today announced John McLaughlin, Ph.D., has transitioned from ChanceLight Executive Vice President to a member of the Board of Directors.

Benton Hall Academy is promoting its educational style as an option via an Open House to be held on April 11 from 5:30 – 7:00 pm. Prospective students and their parents can learn from teachers, administrators, board members, present students and their parents about the unique educational approach of BHA.

Recently, students learned science, social studies and language arts through an interdisciplinary project focused on the subject of biomes. Led by educator Denise Johnson, seventh and eighth-grade students researched a specific biome and shared their new-found information with each other through an adventure travel advertising campaign.

Like many folks around the country at this time of year, Benton Hall Academy students took some time to share a delicious meal with family, friends, and faculty and to reflect on what is happening in their lives for which they are thankful. The annual BHA Thanksgiving Feast was held on November 16 with over 120 attending and enjoying the various pot luck dishes brought by guests along with the traditional turkey and ham provided by the school. Some of the things that our students took the time to acknowledge include: When asked what is something you’ve learned this week that you are thankful for, Elise (a Junior in High School student) said, “I should be more thankful for the friends I have.” Isiah, a Sophomore, said that he is thankful for “…family, friends, sports, my dog and life.” Eighth-grader Evan added, “…this school and my teachers.” Favorite Thanksgiving traditions included making the food, spending time with family, having a Thanksgiving feast with family, and “…eating turkey with my cousins and my sister. Deciding to attend Benton Hall Academy was the biggest accomplishment of the school year for one student. Ruby, an eighth-grader, also noted that because of having friends beside her, she was able to overcome the obstacle of self-doubt. When asked who is a teacher or mentor that has made an impact on your life, two students said it was Ms. Kathy because, “…she has always been easy to talk to and to help me with my work,” and “…she has been an astounding teacher.” Finally, our students have shared some very sensitive and deep quotes for all of us to think about going forward: “Sometimes you gotta fall before you fly.” – Sleeping with Sirens “The earth has music for those who listen.” – George Santayana In the end, through the annual Thanksgiving feast, BHA provides a period of time for students, family and staff to slow down and count their blessings.

NASHVILLE, TN October 30, 2018 – Benton Hall Academy announced today that the first topic in its 2018-19 speaker series will be “Helping Kids & Teens Have Fun and Succeed in Sports.” A.J Heritage, Ph.D. and Licensed Clinical Psychologist at Southeast Psych Nashville will address the necessary balance between excelling in sports activities and enjoying the experience. The event will be held on Thursday, November 15, beginning at 7:00 pm at the school. Many parents struggle with balancing their child’s participation in sports. Do you encourage your child to participate in only one sport with the idea that they will master that sport with potential positive outcomes? Do you allow your child to try many different sports for the enjoyment and learning aspects of team involvement? How much should your family invest in coaching and training? How do you help your child to learn how to stay with a commitment to a sport and how do you know when your child is just burned out on being on a sports team? Parents, grandparents and interested families are welcome to attend. Dr. Heritage is an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Psychology Counseling and Family Science at Lipscomb University and acted in that same capacity at Tennessee State University’s Department of Psychology. He received his bachelor degree in Psychology from Hamline University of Minnesota and his Master of Arts and Ph.D. in Psychology from Vanderbilt University. He has conducted several presentations on the subjects of adolescents and sports. The remainder of the series will pick up again after the holidays and all are welcome to attend.

As Benton Hall Academy and the Nashville Korean Presbyterian Church move into the third year of their co-location partnership, several capital improvement projects are underway. One of the first projects is the installation of a new play structure on the south side of the building. According to Head of School, Jimmy Purcell, the former play structure was over 10 years old, was no longer securely anchored and was dry-rotted. “This equipment is used daily at BHA and we’re excited to provide a new, safe experience to our students,” he noted. The BHA/NKPC partnership has allowed both organizations to fulfill their missions. BHA has benefited from a centrally-located building close to I65 and NKPC believes that the co-existence meets their desire to keep the building in use during non-church-event hours. In the end, a picture is worth a thousand words…

As parents evaluate their student’s progress through the first 2 months of the 2018-19 school year, Benton Hall Academy presents its style of education as an alternative via an Open House to be held on October 25, from 5:30 – 7:00 pm. In addition to learning from teachers, administrators, present students and their parents, and board members about the unique educational approach of BHA, interested families can visit with several post-high school programs offered in the Middle Tennessee area. At this time of year, parents may be asking themselves some or all of the following questions about their child’s present educational delivery system: · Is my child challenged to their full potential? · Is my child accepted and encouraged by the educators, administrators and students in their present school setting? · Is my child learning excellent study, organizational, social and life skills? · Is my child excited to go to school or do they dread it every morning? Many of these questions will be addressed at the Open House while parents and their children tour the facility, meet the faculty, talk with present students and learn more about the mission and purpose of BHA. In addition, representatives from the following post-high school programs will be available to discuss their unique approaches to “life after high school.” · College Living Experience – Since 1989, College Living Experience (CLE) has been providing transition supports to young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and other varying exceptionalities. The CLE team is dedicated to providing the highest quality of individualized services across the areas of academics, career development, independent living, and social skills. It’s these wrap-around supports that help each student experience independence as they transition to college, pursue a career and build a life away from home. For more information: https://experiencecle.com · IDEAL (Igniting the Dream of Education and Access at Lipscomb), Lipscomb University – IDEAL is a two-year, non-residential certificate program that is designed to encourage and support students with Intellectual Disabilities/Developmental Disabilities (ID/DD) to experience college as their peers do. IDEAL students between the ages of 18 and 26 and who have completed high school take classes, go to sporting events, complete internships, eat in the cafeteria, attend chapel and enjoy just being a college student. For more information: https://www.lipscomb.edu/education/special-programs/ideal-program · Next Steps at Vanderbilt University – Next Steps at Vanderbilt was launched in December 2010 supported by the Vanderbilt Kennedy University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (VKC UCEDD). It is a 4-year inclusive higher education program committed to providing students with intellectual disabilities inclusive, transformational postsecondary education in academics, social and career development, and independent living, while honoring equality, compassion, and excellence in all endeavors. For more information: https://peabody.vanderbilt.edu/departments/nextsteps/index.php In announcing the event, Head of School Jimmy Purcell noted, “The best way for prospective parents and students to fully understand a BHA education is to visit the school, talk with everyone involved in their child’s education, and learn how we approach each student’s education by specializing it to their needs.” Parents and students are cordially invited to attend the Benton Hall Academy Open House on October 25 from 5:30 – 7:00 pm. The school is conveniently located at 5555 Franklin Pike, Nashville, TN 37220. For more information, contact us at 615-649-5591 or check out our website at: https://www.bentonhallacademy.org/ Our Mission: Benton Hall Academy is a place where children who learn differently, are educated with compassion, inspired to discover their strengths and maximize their potential.

If you have an opportunity to visit a school on the first day of classes, regardless if you are a student, parent, or grandparent, you probably bring various memories of what you personally experienced during your school days in the past. Many of us dreaded that first day and the return to a regimented schedule, others looked forward to reconnecting with old friends or meeting new friends, and all of us experienced the ambivalence of entering the doors of a new school for the first time. Today on the first day of school, as I talked with Benton Hall Academy students during their lunch period, I heard similar stories with a new generation of young people. Fourth-grader Owen Jenks is going to miss his summer activities of playing at home and having lots of time to read his series books. Wade Gross, an 8th grader starting his fifth year at BHA, is looking forward to classes and working on projects, because he “…likes to keep busy.” Senior Michael Sarmento is happy to be back for the “…good food, good teachers and good classes.” The Elementary School students were focused on their lunches and shared with me some of their favorite summertime activities. Jentry Magee who is in 4th grade and starting his first year at BHA enjoyed paddle boarding at the beach. The Middle Schoolers were more animated, participating in a deep discussion about video games. Molly Bain, a 7th grader, told me that she liked that there were more students in her classes this year. She also likes Science and Art, especially the combination of both. Finally, the High Schoolers freely expressed their opinions on coming back to school. Tenth-grader Brady Hofferbert said that returning to the school schedule is “…a lot like jet lag; you get used to it after a while.” At the same time, parents have their own memories in addition to their children’s first-day-of-school experiences. Brady’s Mom, Shannon Hofferbert, reported that Brady was happy to reunite with teachers and friends and that he’s pleased with his classes and schedule. With Brady off to school, Shannon was able to “…scrub the house.” The Hofferbert family is anticipating a good year at BHA. “Brady has blossomed,” she said. “When he received his first report card at BHA,” Shannon noted, “with tears in his eyes, he said, ‘Mom, I’m smart!’” With Benton Hall Academy families, just like any other educational situation, first-day-of-school experiences make a strong impression and the memories stay with us throughout our lives. Have a great school year, everyone!