It's been a great two days for community partnerships and achievement at Battle Academy.
On Friday, CIGNA employees delivered 109 food boxes to be distributed to families struggling to make ends meet, a struggle that's often worse during the holidays. Thanks, CIGNA - your generosity doesn't go unnoticed or unappreciated. Our faith partners at First Baptist Church - Golden Gateway and First Baptist Church - East 8th Street also reached out to offer help to those in need at our school.
Saturday morning, students, parents and staff members planted eight beautiful trees on our campus. Take Root donated the trees and offered help and instruction with the planting. Take Root's mission, to increase the tree canopy in the urban core, directly affects our students; kids who live in areas with dense urban forests, for instance, have a lesser prevalence of asthma. In addition, trees have been shown to decrease crime and litter as well as to slow vehicular traffic. For a school in the heart of the city at the corner of Main and Market Streets, these benefits are priceless.
Also Saturday morning, Battle students under the leadership of fifth grade Lead Math Teacher Jamelie Kangles participated in a Lego robotics competition sponsored by the Chattanooga Engineers Club and TVA Partners-In-Education. The challenge was themed around the future of transportation and required students to demonstrate their learning in a hands-on way. The event was held at UTC's Advanced Vehicle Test Facility near Chickamauga Dam.
The crowning touch on these two days? Debbie Rosenow, fifth grade Literacy Lead Teacher, received word that she is now a National Board Certified Teacher! Achieving this credential shared by only a few teachers in Hamilton County (two of whom also achieved certification while teaching at Battle) takes tremendous motivation and hard work.
It's clear that great things are happening at Battle. Thanks to all our partners for all they do to make Battle an even better place for kids.
Patty Streip
Family Partnership Specialist - Battle Academy
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My daughter has attended Battle Academy since kindergarten, and this is her last year there. In that time, she has not only flourished academically and socially, but we have been fortunate enough to be treated like family. In fact, Battle's faculty and staff (and I mean everyone on staff) treat each child with respect and care. It's a welcoming environment for students and parents, one in which your thoughts are encouraged, heard and acted upon. I could go on and on citing examples of how blessed we've been to have Battle Academy as a part of our lives these past five and half years, but I'll only say that if every child could attend a school like Battle we'd have many more children thriving in school.
I hear many negative comments about schools here and across the country and not one thing that is complained about can be found at Battle. I urge you to see what's being done correctly at Battle; it might surprise you.
Dana Lingerfelt
Chattanooga