Shannon Forest Christian School (SFCS) senior Thomas Spurgeon recently earned a score of 1540 out of a perfect score of 1600 (for Critical Reading + Math) on the college entrance SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test). Spurgeon is a SFCS "lifer" having started in the school's Preschool Program at the age of three. He earned the rank of Eagle Scout from Troop 828 in Greenville, attended Palmetto Boys State during the summer of 2010, holds the position of SFCS Key Club treasurer, competes on the Math Team and is a member of the graduating class of 2011. Spurgeon's top three college selections are Clemson, Erskine or UNC Chapel Hill. He plans to study accounting and eventually pursue a law degree. Spurgeon is the son of Molly M. Spurgeon of Greenville, who has taught at SFCS for the past 16 years and Todd M. Spurgeon.

The SFCS 2010 graduating class also scored well above national and state averages on the SAT exam. The statistics below compare total scores of the Critical Reading + Math portions of the test.

• SFCS Class of 2010 1111
• SFCS Honors students (Math & English) 1181
• SFCS Honors students (Math or English) 1129
• National Average – Public Schools 1016
• South Carolina Average – Public Schools 982
• Nat. & State averages based on 2009 – the latest data available from collegeboard.com)

Have you ever wondered what our schools would look like if we were given a clean slate to "invent" the idea today? I suspect the final concept would be very different than the way students are taught in many cases. Both public and private education today, is the result of years...decades if you will, of quick fixes and add-ons. There are notable exceptions of course, but by and large schools are based on an inherited organization instead of a model that is based on the best research across disciplines. It is school by default.

The vision we have here at Shannon Forest Christian School (SFCS) is to have a school by design. This means that the steps we take to create this design are carefully considered, based on current research and are those that address the needs of today's students. The challenge we face is to constantly strive to ensure that what we do is relevant to helping us produce the results we desire – students prepared for life. The big question, however, is...how does a school founded in the last century stay relevant in 2010 and into the future? At SFCS we work daily to achieve the following:

1. Build innovation into our school's DNA
2. Encourage, require and reward teachers to stay current on the best practices in their content area
3. Continually benchmark our student's performance against local, state and national levels
4. Emphasize quality in everything we do.

Obviously this is a large undertaking, but we are committed to improving, molding and succeeding in our school's design. An ancient Chinese proverb says "the longest journey starts with a single step." SFCS has taken the first steps and we would love to have you join our journey.

Sincerely,

Bob Collins
SFCS President

--Article Date: July 15, 2010

Please make note of the following dates as you plan your return to school and Crusader Athletics!

2010 FALL SPORTS PRACTICE SCHEDULE

Varsity Volleyball Practice
Monday, August 2 - Thursday, August 12
10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Varsity Soccer Practice
Monday, August 2 - Friday, August 13
6:00 p.m.- 8:00 p.m.

Varsity Cross Country
Practice will begin Monday, August 2, at 4:00 p.m. and will continue everyday at a time determined by the coach.

Middle School and Junior Varsity Volleyball and Middle School Soccer
Monday, August 16
3:15 p.m.- 4:30 p.m.

SPORTS PHYSICALS
Shannon Forest Christian School (SFCS) will be conducting A ONE TIME Sports Physical Day on Wednesday, August 18, beginning at 2:15 p.m. in the Upper School Gymnasium for all the athletes planning on playing sports for the 2010/2011 school year. The cost will be $20 per student. Checks should be made out to SFCS. Please pick up your physical form during registration. All athletes must have their physical before the first game in order to participate.

2010-2011 SAT & ACT TESTING
If you have an athlete who will be taking the ACT or SAT Test this year, please do not plan to take the test on the following dates as SFCS Sports teams will or could possibly be playing out of town.

Varsity Volleyball	ACT September 11, 2010
Varsity Soccer	SAT October 9, 2010
Varsity Baseball	SAT March 12, 2011
Varsity Softball	SAT March 12, 2011
Varsity Soccer	SAT March 12, 2011

 --Article Date: June 14, 2010