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Acros share Christmas

Madison Academy hosted the ladies and children from the Nashville Rescue Mission for an evening of dinner and entertainment on Sunday, December 11.  The Academy bus and vans picked up passengers outside the Rescue Mission on Sunday afternoon with the promise of good food, laughter, and the chance to see Santa.

Upon arrival at Madison Academy, our guests were escorted by students through a hallway of lights and a decorated gymnasium to their dining tables.  The gymnastics team, now functioning as smiling wait staff, appeared with sparkling juice followed by overflowing plates of salad, pasta, and bread.  The sweet treat of pie and cookies came next.

Then, when every belly was full, the cheerful high schoolers transitioned to entertainers and shared their talents as gymnasts in several routines.  The guests were invited to participate in the fun and many chose to get on the mats.  Women and children took their power pose in the air, as the Acros lifted the guests in elevators.  Following the show, Santa arrived with gifts for every guest.

“Merry Christmas” a woman exclaimed blowing a kiss to Santa as she exited the building to load the bus.  “Y’all gave me Christmas I didn’t think would come.  Thank you!”

Businesses and individuals willing to open their hearts to the Rescue Mission guests donated all the food and gifts for the event.  For 5 years, the management of the Rivergate Fazoli’s has gladly donated the breadsticks.  Other corporate donors include the Madison Kroger and Rivergate Target.  Our school families purchased, wrapped, and prayed over the gifts a few days prior to the event.

For more than a century, Madison Academy has made an intentional effort to provide a variety of service and ministry opportunities that both inspire and empower our students to care for others.  We desire that our students develop meaning and purpose in their faith.  Because it is right here close to home, this event imprints compassion on the lives of our students like no other.

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Acros go to Acrofest 2018

Freshman taking a biology quiz. Learning doesn’t stop.

The Acros team traveled to Southwestern Adventist University, November 7-11, to participate in the national Acrofest 2018 and join other academies and colleges/universities teams.  The 30 member team rode the bus to Keene, Texas.  It has been five years since the team participated in a national Acrofest.  Once there they participated in clinics that helped them learn/perfect gymnastics routines.  You can access their schedule here.

Wednesday night was registration from 6-9 pm and then Praise and Worship from 9-10:30 and Worship time at 10:30-11:00.  Breakfast the next day was between 7 – 8 am.  Worship and Warm-ups began at 8 am.  Then there were rotations all day with lunch in the middle of that.  Madison Academy was assigned to Group D along with Midland Academy and

Antillean University.  After supper there was a Showcase Performance followed by Handstand/Butterfly/Etc. Competition.  Coach Ley shared the results on his Facebook page: ” 2nd and 3rd in the handstand contest (Ian and Jake), 2nd in the back tuck contest (Jake), 2nd and 3rd in the butterfly contests (Jake, Sara, Marlana and Rosie).”  There was free time till worship then lights out at 11pm.

Friday was more practice in the morning however teams performed at local schools in the afternoon.  Madison Academy was part of the program at Keene Public Elementary along with Union College, Sunnydale Academy, Georgia-Cumberland Academy and Peterson’s.  Participants were able to relax at vespers and afterglow and then lights out again at 11 pm.

On the final day the team went to church that featured Pastor Michael Gibson. At sundown the teams again came together to worship, lead by Pastor Russ Laughlin, before the evenings performance.

The culmination of all that hard work was shown at the Saturday night performances from many of the academy’s gymnastic teams and Southwestern Adventist Gymnastics.  Madison Academy Acros were placed three spots before the Southwestern Adventist Gym Team finale.  Here is a link for the entire show.  The Madison Academy Acros part is here.

If you would like to support the Acros team, businesses can purchase banners with their names/logos or be placed on the back of the team’s t-shirts for this year.  Contact Coach Ley if you are interested is supporting this organization.

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Acros promote health lifestyle

On Monday, the Acros performed during the Long Hollow Baptist Church program for 6th graders in Sumner County that promotes healthy lifestyles and making good choices.  This is the third year the team was invited to participate. During their rotation our 30-person Acros team gives a performance and shares anti-drug skits with the audience.  The audience is then asked to participate and given drunk googles.  They are asked to do some simple activities made harder because of the googles.  The Acros team believes that with a healthy lifestyle more can can be accomplished.

After finishing at Long Hollow Baptist Church the Acros team went to Ridgetop Adventist Elementary school and performed for a second time.  There was time for

some clinic work — where members of the Acros team help develop the gymnastics skills of the students.

 

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Acros Trip to Jackson

MA’s Acros Team traveled to Jackson, TN for the weekend. Their itinerary included serving at the Come Unify Cafe, assisting in the Sabbath church service, and interacting with exotic animals at Dr. Tozer’s farm. On Sunday they practiced their acro-skills at the trampoline park and worked on team building at the Escape Room.

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Acros home show

Backdrops for Acros home show! Sea battles, pirates, mermaids, stowaways, castaways, Egyptians, and cannibals will combine for a night of entertainment you won’t forget. There’s also a little bit of gymnastics thrown in😀. This Sunday night at 5 pm at the Madison Academy gym, see you there!  The event will also be live-streamed and available after the performance on demand.

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Acros participate in Acrofest 2017

The 18 member Madison Academy Acros gymnastic team traveled to Highland Academy to learn and enhance their gymnastic skills mentored by Southern Adventists University Gym-Masters at the Kentucky-Tennessee Acrofest, January 26-28.  Not only are the Acros participating but those in grades 5-12 from across the conference are eligible to participate and learn or enhance their skills in tossing, pyramids, tumbling, three highs and other gymnastic activities.  Pastor Greg Taylor, KY-TN Youth Director, is sharing the Word of God during this event.  The theme this year is G.L.O.W. (Go Light Our World).  On Saturday night at 7:00pm, teams perform their routines with the Gym-Masters giving the final performance of the evening.

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Art class displays work at Acros Homeshow

The art students of Mrs. Estella displayed their projects that they created in class throughout the school year. There were paintings, drawings and craft making.  Avery Kroll won best of show.

The Acros performed their final show of the school year in the Madison Academy gymnasium to a large crowd of parents, alumni and community members.  The theme was set in a fictional high school.  The performance included tumbling and acrobatic routines.  The finale demonstrated the skills of each member.

To see some video of the event look for our facebook page.

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Acros Tour 2016

The Acros Team took advantage of the long President’s day and Valentine’s day weekend to do some team bonding, skill building, and service.  The tour began with a caravan down to SAU on Friday, February 12.  The Acros got to experience what a Friday night vespers program was like on a university campus.  After the vespers, we had a short worship before sleeping on the gym floor in the Gym Master’s facility, and I asked the students what impressed them or stood out to them about the vespers program.  One comment that surprised me was that they said that everyone was singing.  If you know how self-conscious high school teenagers are, it would be a culture shock for them to hear praise at a louder volume than normal talking level.

The next morning we had a cold breakfast of cereal, fruit and sweet rolls that Coach Schwarz made for the team.  We attended the youth Sabbath school in the college church and then attended the Connect church service in the Collegedale Academy auditorium.  A young man from Nigeria gave a powerful testimony about how God impressed him to leave his lucrative career as a pop singer in Nigeria to come to Southern to pursue ministry.  He sang an original song and prayed for God to work out the problems that he was having in trying to return to Nigeria in order to do ministry in his own country.  I think that it impressed our students to see a young man willing to walk in the path that God designed for him and to live the adventure of faith.  After the service, the university hosted lunch for us in their cafeteria, for which our students weren’t shy about taking advantage of.

We had a short worship at sundown and Coach Schwarz brought in pizza for our kids and then went over the rules on using the equipment in his gym.  The SAU Gym Masters have a multi-million dollar facility to train in, with two-floor-level trampolines, a trampoline tumble track, an air floor tumble track, a foam pit and numerous training aids.  We played and trained for two hours, swam in the pool and used the hot tub for an hour and a half, then spent more time in the gym before getting ready for bed.  The girls got a lot of reps in on the trampolines sharpening their flying skills.  I worked with many of them on their flares and back tucks and in a few minutes was able to correct their form without putting them in a spotting belt.  The skills they learned would have taken them weeks to learn back at Madison.  The boys gained new confidence in their tumbling and gained so much more body awareness as they learned back handsprings, back tucks, front flips as well as gainers and full twists.  Also, skills that they wouldn’t even attempt back at school without the training aids we had access to at SAU.

Sunday after breakfast, we packed up the vehicles and headed to Knoxville to meet up with James Kirk, who every Sabbath runs a homeless ministry by the interstate in Knoxville.  The weather was bitingly cold in the low 30’s high 20’s with a brisk wind.  We set up grills and propane heaters, and the homeless began to gather.  Many of which sleep outside under the interstate and some who are lucky enough, get temporary shelter in the Salvation Army shelter.  We cooked chicken hot dogs and gave out care packages.  Some of the care packages were donated by Jordan Kittle’s and Symone Stewart’s mother.  We also stopped at Walmart and purchased over a hundred dollars worth of hats and gloves.  It didn’t take long before all our care packages were gone and I felt sorry that we didn’t have more to give.  Doug Thompson gave away his Acros hoodie and Dan Johnson gave away several Acros warm up pants.  After several hours in the cold, we loaded back up and took the kids out to eat and to warm up.  I’m sure many of the students realized that some of the homeless that we served would have to spend the night outside and didn’t have a place to get away to warm up.

The next two nights we spent at a cabin in Gatlinburg where played some team building games, some fun games and got to relax, talk and spend time together outside of school.  Sometimes the best teaching moments happen outside of the classroom.  On Monday, we were supposed to go on a zip lining adventure, but the cold and slightly wet weather changed our plans.  We instead took the students to Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede dinner show.  They had a great time.

Overall the trip was a huge success.  The students gained new skills, grew closer as a family, experienced service for God, and had fun in the process.  I wish all the students at Madison Academy could experience trips like this one.  You never know how a young person’s life can be impacted and changed for the positive, just over one long weekend.

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Acros learning and performing at KY-TN Acrofest

The 26 member Madison Academy Acros gymnastic team is participating in the Kentucky-Tennessee Acrofest January 28-30 at Highland Academy. The Acros improve their gymnastic skills because of the work of the clinicians from the Southern Adventist University Gym-Masters team.  Those in grades 5-12 are eligible to participate and learn or enhance their skills in tossing, pyramids, tumbling, three highs and other gymnastic activities. On Saturday night, teams perform their routines with the Gym-Masters giving the final performance of the evening.