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SouthLake Christian Academy Update – June 2023

Dear SouthLake Christian Families,

I hope you are enjoying summer break. I interrupt your leisure briefly to give you a few updates.

Last month we celebrated SouthLake’s 31st graduating class. Here are some facts about the class of 2023. Of our 51 graduates, 29% are lifers having attended SouthLake continuously since JK or Kindergarten. 92% of our graduates participated in student organizations, sports, or fine arts. 40% reported earning scholarships totaling nearly $3.5 million dollars for academic achievement, leadership, athletics, fine arts, and service to the community. 8% of the class will compete as student athletes at the collegiate level. 4% of our graduates received scholarships to study in an arts-related field. Our graduates were accepted to 75 different colleges and universities across the country. They will attend 25 different schools in 7 states. 60% will matriculate in state and 40% will leave North Carolina to attend schools in the Southeast, Northeast, and Midwest. 25% will attend Christian colleges or universities. We celebrate these remarkable accomplishments. We love each and every graduate and we will miss them.

The end of our academic year also gives us pause to celebrate success in our athletic and fine arts programs. Our 35 sports teams won a combined 7 conference championships this past year and one state championship. Sophomore Nolan Boovy took gold in the high jump at the state meet. Many of our athletes set school records, and many more set personal records. Of note, all of our student athletes must show strong academic performance to remain eligible for competition.

Our fine arts programs also have much to report. 15 elementary, middle, and high school students were selected to state honors choruses. 6 lower school students were chosen to have their artwork displayed at Charlotte’s Mint Museum of Art. 12 students in K-6thgrade were chosen to represent SouthLake in the ACSI Visual Arts Fair, where 7 received the highest marks for their artwork. These curricular and co-curricular programs represent valuable opportunities for our students to learn, grow, and work together.

As we celebrate our students, I am reminded that we are more than the sum of our accomplishments. God loves us no more when we succeed, and no less when we fail. We do well to remind ourselves and our students that our worth rests not in our performance, but in our status as people created in the image of God and redeemed by Christ. This knowledge frees us to do our best without the crippling pressure to reach societal standards of success. In that spirit, I am thankful to our faculty and staff for guiding our students to noteworthy achievement while keeping it all in perspective.

Onward,

Matthew S. Kerlin, Ph.D.
Head of School
SouthLake Christian Academy

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To my Mom on Mother’s Day:

I cannot imagine what it’s like to be a mother. I have no idea what it must feel like to conceive three children, give birth to two, but see only one live to adulthood. How do you learn to parent when you didn’t grow up in a healthy family or have a strong parenting role model? And when your prime adult years are focused on keeping a critically ill child alive, how do you find normalcy? Yet in spite of the pain and difficulty, you somehow overcame to be a good mom and grandmother. The things true of your childhood were not true of mine. Today I am thankful for what you sacrificed and endured to give me a good life.

When I became a dad, I had not read books or attended classes on how to parent. More or less I did what seemed good and right. I had examples of good parenting to fall back on and role models to emulate. I knew to spend time with my kids, to be a part of their lives every day, to let them be who God created them to be, and to nurture them toward faith in Christ. These things came somewhat naturally to me because this is how I was raised. Whatever good I have done as a parent, I owe to you and to the grace of God.

Thank you for being my mother. Thank you for sacrificing education and career to be home for me and Mark. Thank you for enduring the daily exhaustion of parenting both a sick child and a hyperactive one. Thank you for loving me and my family through all the years and different cities and homes and jobs and churches that have filled our journey. Wherever I go and whatever I do, I know I have a mother who loves me, is proud of me, and did everything in her power to give me all she could. I love you. Happy Mother’s Day.

Your son,

Matt

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SouthLake Christian Academy Update – May 2023

Dear SouthLake Christian Families,

By my count, we have 10 school days left in this academic year. One year ago, I would have told you we were finishing one of the most difficult years of my professional life. Today I am happy to say we are finishing one of the most enjoyable. I feel honored to work with such distinguished teachers and supportive parents. I am grateful to each of you for your collective efforts to protect, train, and teach our students in a Christ-centered environment.

Spring Festival
Please help me extend warm appreciation to our Parent Teacher Fellowship for a stellar Spring Festival last month. I have attached to a school email the list of sponsors who helped make that event financially possible. Two years ago, we made this a free event and solicited sponsors to help cover costs. Thanks to generous sponsors, we now receive as much in voluntary donations as we once got from ticket sales. When the need arises, SouthLake families always come through.

New Website
Perhaps you have noticed we launched a new website after Spring Break. Many months in the making, our new site provides all the information you need in a format that is pleasing to the eye and easy to navigate. We track traffic to our site and notice that admissions, athletics, and our school calendar are most often accessed. Along with the new SouthLake app, our new website will help us better communicate with you and prospective families.

Enrollment
We project enrollment for the 2023-2024 academic year to reach 650, up from 546 in 2018. We have grown every year for the past five years. As of last week, we have space left only in kindergarten, largely because we added an additional class, and a few spots in high school. All other grades are full. Retention remains well above industry standards at 94%.

School Board Service
Each spring we reach out to school families to invite those who may wish to serve on our School Board to apply. We do not always have openings, but we solicit applicants anyway so we have people ready to serve when the need arises. Upon request, I will send you an applicant profile which lists qualifications for service. If you believe you qualify and are willing to serve, please complete the profile and send it to me. I will forward your application to our School Board Chair and set up a time to talk further. I am grateful to have a qualified and engaged School Board in place, and we welcome experienced leaders to serve alongside them to strengthen our school.

Annual Fund Donations
 In closing, let me ask you to make a donation to our school’s Annual Fund. The Annual Fund provides value added to the school on behalf of all our students and teachers. With previous Annual Fund donations exceeding $1 million, we have improved school safety, renovated our sanctuary, and will be adding new Fine Arts classrooms this fall. We value gifts of all sizes and seek high participation as much as gifts of extraordinary size. You can access the “Giving” link on our website, or click the “Give” link on the SouthLake app. Thank you in advance for your generosity.

By now you may feel like I am just an annoying cheerleader for SouthLake. I certainly do not mean to imply that SouthLake is without its challenges, but I find little value in negativity. I will confess to being a relentless optimist about our strengths and potential as a school. By God’s grace, SouthLake continues to thrive against all odds. Our former Head of School, David Rowles, said on a recent podcast episode, “If God wants SouthLake to fail, it will, no matter what we do to prevent it. And if God wants SouthLake to succeed, it will, no matter what we might do to mess it up.” My optimism about SouthLake grows from my confidence in God’s proven faithfulness to us through the years. I pray you will experience God’s faithfulness in new ways as we head into the summer months.

Onward,

Matthew S. Kerlin, Ph.D.
Head of School
SouthLake Christian Academy

Education God's Will Technology
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SouthLake Christian Academy – Update April 2023

Dear SouthLake Christian Families,

Believe it or not, only six weeks remain in our academic year. We are on the home stretch and the days ahead will be busy. Let me make you aware of two upcoming events of importance.

First, our annual Spring Festival will take place on Friday, April 21 from 2:30 to 5:30 in our main parking lot. The event will feature a DJ, food trucks, a climbing wall, inflatables, and other games and activities for students of all ages. The event is free, although you will need money to purchase food. As in years past, we are seeking sponsors to help defray event costs. If you are willing to provide an individual or corporate sponsorship, click here to give us your information and complete payment. Subsequent communication about this event will include acknowledgment of our sponsors.

Second, this Sunday is Easter and school will be out Good Friday and Monday. If you do not have a home church, you are invited to join SouthLake Presbyterian Church for a sunrise service this Sunday at 7:30 a.m. at McGuire Nuclear Station’s Lakeside Park. You will enjoy complimentary coffee and donuts but will need to bring your own chair.

Now please allow me to conclude with a word about Easter, the holiest holiday of the year for Christians. I find it instructive that the four Gospels of the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) devote a total of four chapters to Jesus’ birth, but 28 chapters to the historical events surrounding Jesus’ death and resurrection. Upon the resurrection of Jesus Christ hangs the validity of Christian faith. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15, either Christ rose from the dead or our faith is in vain. But if Christ rose from the dead, Paul argues, then death is swallowed up in victory; death has no sting. In a world so obviously broken and fallen, let these words of hope ring loudly in your hearts and minds this Easter. Christ is risen!

Blessings,

Matthew S. Kerlin, Ph.D.
Head of School
SouthLake Christian Academy

Bible Theology
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SouthLake Christian Academy – Update March 2023

Dear SouthLake Christian Families,

Regardless of the groundhog, it sure feels like spring has arrived, at least for now. Flowers are blooming, temperatures are warming, and several important things are happening this month at SouthLake.

Spring Musical
As I type this email, several volunteers are putting final coats of paint on the sets for our musical production of Peter Pan which opens tomorrow night on campus. The production runs Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7:00 p.m. with a matinee performance Saturday at noon. Tickets cost only $10 and can be purchased online here. You can also buy access to view the livestream of Friday night’s performance. The story will entertain you and the talent on display will inspire you. I am incredibly proud of the cast, crew, faculty, and volunteers working tirelessly to put on a show you do not want to miss.

Summer Camps
The registration link for our summer enrichment and athletic camps is now live. You can access the link on our website under the Campus Life tab, or simply click here. Once again, you will see a stellar lineup of opportunities for students to stay mentally and physically sharp this summer.

Academic Calendar
Attached to this email you will find a PDF of the linear calendar for both the 23-24 and 24-25 academic years. In an effort to help everyone with advanced planning, our administrative team is working ahead to put all the important dates in place for the next two school years. While some minor dates are still TBD or could change, the most important dates are now set, and soon we will begin work on the 25-26 academic year.

SouthLake Media
Episode two of the SouthLake Podcast is now out. In this episode, our three school deans discuss campus culture, parent partnerships, and school values. You can find our podcast wherever you get your podcasts, now including Spotify. And later this month we will launch our newly redesigned website. Finally, a quick reminder that Daylight Savings Time begins March 12, in spite of legislative attempts last year to end the practice. The time change does help our sports teams, all of which are off to a strong start this season.

Welcome to those of you who are new to SouthLake and receiving my monthly email for the first time. We are glad to have you.

Onward,

Matthew S. Kerlin, Ph.D.
Head of School
SouthLake Christian Academy

13820 Hagers Ferry Road
Huntersville, NC 28078
704-949-2200

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SouthLake Christian Academy Update – February 2023

Dear SouthLake Christian Families,

Welcome to February, and to Missions Week, a beloved tradition at SouthLake. Missions Week introduces students to God’s work in the world, locally, nationally, and internationally. In addition to tee shirts and spirit wear, we celebrate the week with three school-wide chapel services, each centered on the theme “Let Your Light Shine” from Matthew 5:16. With songs, skits, videos, and guest speakers from the SouthLake community, students enjoy an upbeat worship experience while learning about missions and how we can be a light to those around us. We are livestreaming each chapel service so you can attend or watch online today and Friday at 1:55 p.m. on the SouthLake Media YouTube channel.

Growth
I am happy to announce we are expanding. For many months we have operated near our maximum capacity and managed to accumulate dozens of students on wait lists for various grades. In particular, high demand for kindergarten represents our greatest growth potential. Beginning this fall, we will add an additional kindergarten class to SouthLake, and then a first grade class in 2024, a second grade class in 2025, and so forth, in order to keep our class sizes small. This will require us to renovate facilities and build new space. In the short term, we are reviewing a bid to renovate space in Wilcox, turning our library into classrooms and relocating the library closer to the students who use it most. We are also getting bids to clear a wooded area adjacent to the First Building and add a structure for Fine Arts classrooms, freeing up existing space for new classes. These projects will allow us to grow our lower school for the next 4-5 years, and eventually lead us to build a new academic building. We will not need to raise tuition in order to pay for renovations as generous contributions to our Annual Fund in recent years will fund much of the development. We will also continue to work without interruption on our new donor-funded athletic complex. I will have more details in the weeks to come, but let me know if you have any questions.

“Diving Into SouthLake” Podcast
Episode One of our new school podcast drops today. You can find the podcast on the Apple Podcast app, or wherever you access your podcasts. The podcast has been months in the making and I want to thank high school math teacher John Keith Sheridan for his work as producer. We plan to release one episode each month, near the first of the month, from September through May. The first episode chronicles God’s providence to SouthLake through the ups and downs of our history. The podcast represents our latest effort to keep you informed about everything happening at SouthLake, past, present, and future. If you have ideas for an episode, you may email your ideas to podcast@southlakechristian.org.

Mental and Spiritual Health
Current events often pose a challenge for us as educators, counselors, mentors, coaches, administrators, and ministers. How do we address social issues or concerns that affect different families differently? One event can have little impact on one while being traumatizing to another. As a school and a ministry, we want to be sensitive to student needs while not adding to the social turmoil around us. In this spirit, our School Counselor recently extended an invitation to high school students who may want to talk about the events surrounding the killing of Tyre Nichols and the significant media attention that has generated. Additionally, she is available for one-on-one conversations with students who may have need. I know not every student knows or is directly affected by current events, while some students and their families are deeply disturbed by what they see. We will always do our best to make school a safe place for the conversations students need to have, and a safe place for those who don’t need the conversation.

Conclusion
In closing, let me say how uplifting it was to spend two days listening to students, faculty, staff, and parents talk about SouthLake during interviews for our new school video. I can’t wait to see the finished product when we release our newly redesigned website coming this March. We are not a perfect school, but we are blessed with some amazing people who work tirelessly every day to make this place better for the sake of our students and God’s glory.

Onward,

Matthew S. Kerlin, Ph.D.
Head of School
SouthLake Christian Academy

Education Mental Health Race Suffering
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SouthLake Christian Academy Update – January 2023

Dear SouthLake Christian Families,

Happy New Year. I hope you had a restful break. Later this month I will have updates for you on a few important matters including tuition rates for next year and our turf field project. For now, let me offer a few words of confession and encouragement for the coming year.

This semester we will be studying the beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-11) in Middle and High School chapel, faculty-staff devotions, and our parents Bible study. The beatitudes, so-named for the Latin word for “blessed,” encapsulate Jesus’ teaching to his disciples on the nature of the Kingdom of Heaven. In these verses, Jesus commends a way of life that is surprising and countercultural. The way to a blessed life isn’t wealth or influence or self-fulfillment or even education. Jesus rejects politics, power, personality, and pride as means of achieving earthy or heavenly blessing. Instead, he blesses those who are poor, sorrowful, meek, peaceful, and persecuted for righteousness’ sake. I confess these are not always attributes I seek diligently. Thankfully, I see these attributes in so many of our people at SouthLake. If you plan to make resolutions for the new year, perhaps Matthew 5 is a good place for us to start.

School resumes on Wednesday. See you then.

Blessings,

Matthew S. Kerlin, Ph.D.
Head of School
SouthLake Christian Academy

Bible Leadership
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SouthLake Christian Academy Update – December 2022

Dear SouthLake Christian Families,

As Christmas approaches, our fall semester draws to a close. Between now and winter break we have much to accomplish and I have several updates to give you.

Giving to SouthLake
Thank you for your generosity this month. In recent weeks we asked for donations for faculty/staff Christmas gifts, Caterpillar Ministries, and Giving Tuesday. SouthLake families came through is a big way. November brought nearly $90,000 in donations to the school. Giving Tuesday alone saw a 271% increase in donor participation over the same day last year. Participation totals matter as much as dollar amounts because they show broad support for our mission. I know the end of the calendar year means many people asking you for money. We never take your generosity for granted. We are a better school because of your kindness.

New Turf Field
We are making progress toward adding a turf field and track to our campus. UDC Sports continues work on the design, in conversation with Mecklenburg County and the Town of Huntersville, to determine the possible scope of the project and what regulatory requirements we may face. When I have options to review, I will solicit feedback from you about project possibilities and associated costs.

Website
We are also working on a redesign of our website. During my time at SouthLake, I have noticed an increase in the number of families applying to SouthLake after finding us online. Word of mouth remains the number one way people learn of our school, but our website is now a close second. Part of the redesign involves producing a new school video. Around the first of the year, we will begin shooting footage on campus, conducting interviews with parents, students, and teachers. The finished product should go live shortly after Spring Break.

Christmas Concerts
We have several fine arts events next week. Our Orchestral Christmas Concert will be Tuesday, December 6 at 7:00 pm. Our Choral Christmas Concerts will be Thursday December 8 at 7:00 pm (Middle and Upper School) and Thursday December 15 at 6:30 pm (Lower School). All three events will take place in the newly renovated Sanctuary in the First Building. Even if you do not have children in these programs, I encourage you to attend, see the good work of our teachers and students, and enjoy the sounds of the Christmas season.

Winter Break
The last day of the semester is December 16. That will be a half day; buses will run in the morning but not after school. We return to classes next semester on Wednesday, January 4. Everyone appreciates a shortened week coming back from a break.

In case you don’t hear form me until next year, I wish you and your family a wonderful Christmas holiday and blessed new year. I will pray the distractions of the season do not keep you from the peace and joy of Christ in the days ahead.

In Christ,

Matthew S. Kerlin, Ph.D.
Head of School
SouthLake Christian Academy

Education
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SouthLake Christian Academy Update – November 2022

Dear SouthLake Christian Families,

Every fall I am grateful to live in North Carolina, but particularly this year. Not only have cooler temperatures and colorful trees made our campus particularly beautiful, but we are also enjoying one of the most peaceful semesters in years. Thank you for all the ways you help our school thrive.

Staff Christmas Fund
As the holidays approach, the Parent Teacher Fellowship (PTF) begins their annual fundraising effort aimed at showing our teachers how much we appreciate them. Here is how you can participate. Think about the teachers, administrators, and support staff who impact your children each day. Don’t forget those who teach enrichment classes such as music, art, PE, foreign languages, or our lunch workers, bus drivers, and After School caregivers. Think about an amount of money you might use to purchase a gift for those individuals, and click here to donate. All money collected will be divided equally among faculty and staff members. A portion of the donations will also be used to support the Employee Christmas dinner. The deadline to donate will be Tuesday, November 15. At the Christmas dinner on December 2, each employee will receive a Visa gift card and a name-only listing of participating families so employees will know of your generosity. Participation in this program is not mandatory, nor does this preclude you from choosing to purchase your own teacher gifts. Should you have any questions about this program, you may contact PTF President Tracy Helms at trcy_helms@yahoo.com.

Sanctuary Dedication
You are invited to a Service of Dedication for our newly renovated sanctuary in the First Building. We are extremely pleased with the outcome of this project, which by God’s grace was completed on time and on budget. We want to set apart the space to God’s honor and glory for the church and school to use for many years to come. The service will be Sunday, November 27, at 10:30 a.m. in the Sanctuary. SLCA families and employees are cordially invited to attend as your present church commitments may allow.

That’s all for now. I will see you in carline, which for the time being is a most pleasant duty. When you see my bald head, feel free to say hello. And if you have a dog, they are most welcomed in carline. I would love to say hello to you and your furry family member. I may even have a treat for the dogs.

Blessings,

Matthew S. Kerlin, Ph.D.
Head of School
SouthLake Christian Academy

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SouthLake Christian Academy Update – October 2022

Dear SouthLake Christian Families,

My first-of-the-month correspondence comes to you a few days later than normal because I know you don’t read emails during Fall Break, and I don’t blame you. Each Fall Break I go off grid and hike in the mountains, mildly disappointed when I return to technology. I hope you found an equally rejuvenating way to spend your days away from school.

Fall Break 2023
While we are on the subject, next year’s Fall Break will occur a week later than usual. Typically we break the first full week of October, which falls awkwardly just a few days before the close of our first quarter. Next year we will bring equity to our four quarters by scheduling Fall Break for October 9-13, 2023. We will keep it the second full week of October in future years.

School Board
We have new members to welcome to our School Board. In our quarterly meeting last month, the Board welcomed four new members – Kim Sailors, Ken Barna, Jed Belvin, and Hank Capps. All four have a long tenure of service to the Academy. Mr. Belvin and Dr. Capps both return to the Board after hiatuses of 2 and 3 years respectively. Dr. Amy Alexanian has been appointed to the role of Chair. The Session of SouthLake Church and the School Board have approved a new set of bylaws for the Academy which are set to go into effect next academic year. The new bylaws call for an expanded School Board to include between 9 and 12 members rather than 7 as it now stands. This Spring we will request nominations for new Board members, seeking those with outstanding leadership ability and a tenure of service to the Academy. Stay tuned for more information next semester.

Honor Chorus
This fall six students were selected from SouthLake to the North Carolina Elementary Honor Chorus, a choir of about 190 students selected among nearly 500 who auditioned. These students will have the opportunity to sing with the best vocalists in North Carolina, working with a nationally acclaimed choral conductor to prepare for a concert in Winston-Salem, NC the weekend of November 5-6. Congratulations to fifth-grader Julia Herring; sixth-graders Tony D’Ovidio, Gus Godfrey, and Ella-Rose Romero; seventh-grader Matthew Caputo; and eight-grader Jesse Smith. Incidentally, Ella-Rose tied for top score in her audition. Thank you to Mrs. Mary Ann Foltz for directing our increasingly impressive choral program.

School Counselor
This month we welcome to SouthLake our new school counselor, Caroline Conklin-Ortiz, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate who will join us full-time after her wedding this weekend. She comes to us from private practice, having worked previously in school settings. Her deep faith in Christ and compassionate approach to counseling will help us better care for our students, faculty, and staff. Stronger mental health support remains an important initiative of our school’s strategic plan.

New Athletic Complex
SouthLake has contracted with UDC Sports to begin design work for a new turf field and running track on campus, the exact location to be determined. A parent committee has formed to raise 100% of the funds necessary to complete the project without the school incurring debt. As you may know, 80% of our students in grades 6-12 play a sport, and 9 of our 35 athletic teams compete or practice on our existing turf field, which is scheduled for replacement in two years. Several additional teams use our existing field to train and condition, creating scheduling challenges that often keep students on campus late into the evening. Track and cross country combine to form our largest athletic teams and they must travel to train and compete. We often relocate PE and recess from our current field to prevent sound conflicts with standardized testing in our field house classrooms. A new athletic complex will meet a host of logistical, athletic, and academic needs. I look forward to sharing more details with you as they become available.

In closing, let me add that the weather is outstanding and campus is beautiful this time of year. Enrollment is at capacity and many exciting projects are underway. God has indeed been good to SouthLake.

Onward,

Matthew S. Kerlin, Ph.D.
Head of School
SouthLake Christian Academy

Education Sports