TSA Elementary School

Have a Great Summer !!!

The following is a guest post from Tattnall Square Senior, Ashley Clay, editor of the Tattnall Blue and Gold, and recent winner of the Macon Telegraph’s prestigious Golden Eagle Award for Excellence in Journalism.

I started elementary School at Tattnall Square Academy in Kindergarten and now that I’m days away from graduation Mr. Kosater wanted me to share some of my life lessons with you.

A- Always follow the rules. I’ve always been a rule follower. Elementary school taught me that life has rules, and you simply have to follow them. When others are breaking the rules, it makes it harder to follow them, but you have to stand your ground, and do what you know is right. Elementary school, like life, is all about the mistakes you make and the lessons you learn. I have found out the consequences of breaking rules and the rewards of following them.

B- Believe. I accepted Jesus into my heart when I was in the second grade, and I am committed to keeping my promise to Him to live each day in His honor and glory. Through the countless chapel services I have sat through in my 12 years at Tattnall, I have never ceased to be moved by God’s work at Tattnall. Even as a little girl sitting in the bleachers of the gym during chapel, I can remember feeling God tugging at my heart and the inspiration I received to go through the rest of my day. I will forever be blessed that I had the opportunity to hear God’s word each week of my elementary, middle, and high school years.

C- Care for yourself and others. In kindergarten, you couldn’t let everyone steal your crayons, but you also had to be willing to share. As the co-editor of the school newspaper, I have put this kindergarten lesson into practice. You have to know when to stand up for yourself and when to share your advice with others. Elementary school taught me how to deal with tough situations. Everyone couldn’t be the mom when we played house, so we had to compromise and take turns. Life is all about how you deal with situations, compromising, and sometimes waiting for your turn.

Ashley is the daughter of Greg and MeLisa Clay. She plans to attend Georgia Southern University and major in Elementary Education.

As we transition from the chill of winter to the warmth of spring, the month of March brings us a multitude of activities at Tattnall Square Academy. Mr. Collins, the new Headmaster, will be on campus several days each week in March and we look forward to working with him during this time. Several of our Lower School students were honored by the Macon Exchange Club essay contest. First place and $75 went to Will Trevitt. Second place and $50 went to Taylor Stevenson and third place and $25 went to Abigail Deese. Great Job!!

Our standardized testing begins March 16th. These are not the high pressure, high stakes type of tests many of our friends and colleagues endure elsewhere but in combination with other tools they do provide us a snapshot of our academic progress. As always, encourage your children to do their very best.

Our Open House is Thursday, March 19th at 7:00 in the Media Center. This will be a great opportunity to bring in prospective families to talk to Mr. Collins and also learn about the tuition discounts and incentives. We hope to have a big crowd. Be sure to check out the digital billboard on Zebulon road advertising the Open House.

I am constantly impressed with our students, faculty and parents. Whether it’s the sixth graders taking time to read to our Kindergarten or our faculty pulling together to put on a fantastic Spring musical you can tell we are certainly dedicated to excellence. March is busy but we are never too busy to talk to you. Feel free to call if you have questions, ideas or concerns. Enjoy the month.

Gerry Kosater

We are pleased to announce an All School Open House Thursday, March 19th at 7:00. Mr Larry Collins, the new Headmaster, will be here to meet and answer questions from prospective families. Information will also be provided on the tuition discounts and new family incentives, the Board of Trustees instituted for the 2009-2010 school year. We hope you will join us for this night of fellowship.

Tattnall Square Academy has named Mr. Larry Collins, Headmaster for the 2009-2010 school year. Mr. Collins replaces Mr. Barney Hester, who announced last April he would step down as Headmaster after this school year.

Mr. Collins has extensive administrative experience last serving as assistant Headmaster at Deerfield Windsor in Albany, Ga. Mr. Collins and his wife Melanie have three children Drew, Hudson and Mary Ramsey. I’m sure you will help me extend a warm welcome from the Tattnall family to the Collins’. We are excited about working with them in the future.

The months of January and February bring winter’s chill along with a multitude of activities at Tattnall Square Academy Lower School. We have already had a Geography bee winner, fourth grader Riley Roberts and runnerup Will Trevitt, and a Spelling Bee winner Kaytlin Thompson and runnerup Thomas Humphries. We’ve also hosted a very successful Open House with over thirty families in attendance. Our new website is up and running at http://www.tattnall.org/, if you haven’t checked it out, I encourage you to do so. For more information on the many ongoing activities at Tattnall Square Academy, visit our calendar pages on the top of this page.

The current economic climate has certainly been a source of concern for all of us, teachers and parents alike. However we are confident better economic times are also on the horizon. The faculty and administration are committed to Tattnall Square Academy and your children. Together, we have faith that God will guide our every action with His wisdom.

Once again, I look forward to seeing you on campus in 2009 and please call if I can answer any questions that you might have.

As partners in the educational process, we can all achieve success if we work toward the common goal, the education of our children as Christian leaders.

Gerry Kosater

The month of December is an extra special time at Tattnall Square Academy. Our Tattnall Holiday traditions such as the Lower School Musical, the Band Concert and especially Kid’s Yule Love ensure that Christmas spirit is in abundance.

The season also brings us more great news.

Mrs. Christie guidance program for Lower School this year is called ” Giraffe Heroes”. Heroes are people who “stick their necks out for the common good of others.” They traveled to giraffe country to learn about heroes and read “Stan and Bea’s Tall Tales.” Our third grade students created illustrations for the stories they read and their drawings were selected by the National Giraffe Heroes Organization to be featured on their website. The illustrations will bring to life these tales to students all across the world. Stop by the elementary school building to see Tattnall’s own giraffes! These students have been recognized for “sticking their necks out” at Tattnall Square Academy and their pictures are located outside Mrs. Christie’s office and also on the second floor.

Also, Mrs. Laura Green, 5^th grade teacher at TSA, submitted a recipe that was selected to be served in the dining halls at University of Georgia to over 8000 students. The recipe was her now famous Chicken Parmesan. Mrs. Green was a guest of honor along with the other recipe winners and was treated to a sampling of all the recipes in Athens. Her Chicken Parmesan will be served in the UGA dining halls this year and next. Laura’s daughter Whitley is a freshman at UGA.

You can read more about these stories by clicking on the links above.

December brings to a close a great first semester for the Tattnall Square Lower School. Much has been achieved but as always there is more to be accomplished. We look forward to our lasting partnership with you, the parents, as we continue to guide our students towards achievement and success.

I look forward to seeing you in 2009 for what will truly be an outstanding year. From my true family at home and also my family at school, I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Gerry Kosater

I hope your year is going well and you are looking forward to a learning filled November and December.

Several weeks ago we applied for a grant through the Loveday Foundation for Innovative Teaching. The grant is given yearly to one elementary school, one middle school and one high school that are members of the GISA throughout the state of Georgia. This includes not only the schools we compete against interscholastically but also independent schools that compete in GHSA. The grant rewards innovative teaching which the Foundation defines as ” containing original and innovative ideas and involving significant numbers of students. The proposal should also have an impact which continues over time.”

Tuesday, November 11th, we were notified that our proposal for the creation of an “Outdoor Living Laboratory” had been awarded the $1000.00 grant as this year’s elementary winner. We are very excited not only about the opportunities this will provide for all of our lower school students but to be selected from such an elite pool of independent schools from all over the state is also very rewarding .

Past winners can be viewed at this website-

http://www.gisa-schools.org/tch_grant1000_pastwinners.asp

This project was the brainchild of K-5 teacher Susannah Allen but as she will tell you, it was a collaborative Lower School effort with many of us contributing to the final plan. The plan for a garden” laboratory” will begin to take shape in the coming weeks and more information will be forthcoming but I wanted to share this great news with all of you.

The holiday season is fast approaching and that is definitely an extra special time at Tattnall Square Academy with the K-5 presentation of Thanksgiving at chapel, November 19th, the Lower School Christmas Musical December 4th, the Band Concert December 11th, and Kids Yule Love December 12th, just to name a few of the upcoming events. I encourage you to join us at these traditional Tattnall events as we demonstrate our true Christmas spirit. Thanks for being a part of our academic community.

    I hope your year is off to a terrific start. Excitement is in abundance at Tattnall Square Academy as we move towards the end of the first quarter. October and November promise to be full of learning centered activities in all the classrooms with many other events, such as the Fall Festival, scheduled as well.

    I recently spent three days in South Carolina as part of a peer accreditation review team for SAIS. The peer reviews occur every five years and basically we recommend based on our visit, to approve or deny the school’s application for accreditation. The five person team consisted of two from Georgia, two from South Carolina and one from North Carolina. The team reviews the school’s improvement plan, operating procedures and vision for the future. A byproduct of this visit is the ability to discuss independent education with experienced and qualified educators who are part of the review team. Brainstorming solutions to common problems was a definite highlight of the trip for me. Listening to administrators from other schools discuss issues such as finances, student learning and discipline to name a few was both enlightening and informative.

    Everyone was in agreement, independent schools face similar problems but by working together we can and do make a significant difference in the lives of our students. Collaboration is definitely an important component of a 21st century education.

    I returned to TSA enthusiastic about our faculty and what we have accomplished to this point but even more energized about what we will achieve in the future. Our goal is to be partners with you in the education of your children. We will encounter the daily trials and tribulations of school life, but we will remain enthusiastically committed to our students and their success.

We believe Tattnall Square Academy is poised for greatness and I’m excited, as I hope you are, to be a part of this learning community.

Welcome to a new school year at Tattnall Square Academy Lower School.  We are committed to utilizing technology to keep you informed.

Technology in one form or another has been a major means of communication dating back to the invention of the telephone. What you are viewing now is called a “blog” (short for “web log”) and is a tool that is both useful and popular. Blogs are easy to construct and update. During the year, I look forward to sharing current events, upcoming events, and photos with you at this site.