Propeller Coon Rapids Parade – The Adventure

Last night Propeller appeared in the Coon Rapids 4th of July Celebration parade…at least for about a third of it… Without any warning a crazy storm appeared sending the parade into chaos.
The night had been warm (nearly 100 degrees) but then it cooled off a bit. A large dark cloud appeared and the wind picked up…possibly reaching speeds of 70 mph knocking down trees, blowing up sand, papers, etc. Suddenly, people were running in a mad scramble for cover but with no where to go. We quickly dismantled the airplane and banner on our float as all 9 kids and 6 adults piled into our mini-van. There were plenty of police along the route but they really didn’t know what to do in the moment.
Our Propeller slogan “Adventure in Learning” certainly applied in this bonding moment for us all. We’re so thankful that no one was hurt.

There are a few photos below before the craziness, but the cable TV station got a little bit of video (and this was not the worst of the storm).

The rest of the parade was cancelled as were evening fireworks in Coon Rapids.  The storm was mentioned on KARE11 TV.

So what did we learn? We need to be prepared for anything. Fortunately, we had packed the van in a way that allowed us to all get in quickly. The parents stayed calm and moved the kids to safety quickly. Thanks to God for protecting us all.

 

The Kids are the Reason

At Propeller we care deeply about our kids…and their success is our top priority. We were reminded of this yesterday when we appeared in the Blaine Blazin’ 4th Parade. Check out our happy lineup of Propeller Kids that had an awesome time together sharing joy with many people along the parade route.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Propeller Wins First Place in Parade!

Propeller Academy participated in our first parade at Spring Lake Park “Tower Days“. Here are some photos on Facebook.

Propeller Academy won First Place for the best community float!

We all had so much fun at the parade. It was great to be able to bring joy to so many people. Lots of smiles, laughter, and happiness. Look for us at the Blaine, Coon Rapids, and Andover parades later this summer. It’ll be a blast. We’re taking off!

We had the tallest banner of any float…and we had to carry it several times to avoid the power lines! Thanks so much to all the people that came…parents, kids, and the parade goers! We couldn’t do this without you. You are truly awesome!

Propeller Power Lego Set

Lego has a building set called Propeller Power #6745. Here’s a very cool video of how it is built…

 

 

 

 

 

LEGO Creator – Propeller Power from Brian Stark on Vimeo.

Check out these other airplane Lego sets with prominent propellers…

Lego Propeller Seaplane 3178

Lego Pharoah’s Quest Biplane 7307

Multiple Intelligences in School

At Propeller, we stress the importance of understanding perceptions, developing skills, and utilizing imagination through a Biblical worldview. An aspect of our educational philosophy is the use of multiple intelligences. While aspects of this approach are used by many teachers, there are only a handful of schools cultured around implementing multiple intelligences (MI) in the United States. MI theory consists of eight areas that a individual can exhibit strength in. It is common for children to be strong in two or three areas and weaker in two of three areas. This awareness allows us to create a school where everyone is smart – we are just smart differently. Since each person is unique, we believe that it is appropriate to tailor activities and lessons towards various MI. It would not be practical to have every lesson taught through MI, however it is a pathway to create understanding, spark curiosity and allow for diversity amongst the student population so that negative aspects of competition and comparison are reduced and the healthy aspects of competition and comparison build competence, confidence and appreciation for the strengths that every person has.

George Lucus, filmmaker of Star Wars and Indiana Jones, has created an education foundation called Edutopia. This foundation explores ideas about project based learning and multiple intelligences – primarily for public schools. While some ideas only apply to public schools (standardized testing, annual yearly performance (AYP) and No Child Left Behind (NCLB), there are some great resources to inspire how Propeller Academy can innovate education for amazing kids.

Here is a video that shows what implementing multiple intelligence theory into school does for students and how it changes the way learning is experienced:

My Experience Choosing a Private Christian School

Two years ago my wife and I were making a major decision for our daughters about their future…what school would they attend? We differed in our approach…partly because we had very different experiences growing up. I had a positive experience with the public schools. My father even taught for over 30 years in the public schools. That was many years ago. Much has changed in our world and culture since then. Public school teachers face some big challenges.

My wife’s experience with public schools was extremely negative. She was labeled as slow and lacking capability. At one point in her education a teacher singled her out and presented her to the class as “the one that you never want to be like…an incredibly poor example of a person”. Soon after, Brenda was removed from that school by her mother who began home schooling her. Within a year she was reading many books and went on to become an excellent student. In fact Brenda became the first female in Minnesota to graduate with a post-secondary degree before she would normally graduate from high school. Because of her personal experience, she has a passion for making sure kids are taken care of in school.

My heart really changed when I saw the high school graduation party for some close friends that had attended private Christian school and home school throughout their education. The vision I saw of a community of supporters that would be there for them throughout their next phase of life through college and beyond was so important. I saw that they knew they were not alone in their faith. The way they communicated their past experiences, goals, and dreams to others showed something that I had never seen before in kids graduating from high school.

We investigated several private schools and eventually found one that fit for us. A few of the many reasons we chose a private Christian school for our daughters were:
* Integration of faith and prayer into everyday life. It’s a big deal for kids to see this modeled as a way of life. Many Christian kids only get to experience this 1-2 hours a week at church if that. School adds in many more contact points with excellent role models up to 30+ hours or more a week.
* Smaller class sizes. Having less that 18 students in a class gives kids a huge advantage. Teachers are able to be so much more effective and give kids the kind of attention they need to succeed.
* Excellent curriculum that incorporates belief that the Bible is true and reliable. The reason so many kids leave their faith when they get older is because they haven’t been instructed on why the Bible can be true with their real questions being answered.
* Celebration of Christian holidays including Easter and Christmas without apology.

The biggest negative factor was the cost. How would we make it work financially? This was a sacrifice…because public school is “free”…although we pay for it in taxes of course. I knew that others were able to do it. In the end, we felt it was the right thing to do to give our kids the best chance possible to succeed.

Propeller’s tuition point really makes it possible for so many more families. At $4,500/year it’s about $375/month over 12 months. Many people pay $20,000+/year for child care, $900/year for coffee, or over $2,000/year for pets. We need to make our children’s education a priority. Can a grandparent help with tuition? Could you drive a more economical car?

I’m not saying that everything or everyone that chooses to attend public schools is bad. It’s just that for our values and the outcomes we want for our kids, the cost is worth it. Our children have so much potential and we want to see it come alive. This investment is in their future. It is especially important to start them out early in the right way as it will prepare them for obstacles and opportunities that life presents to them as they get older.

As you make your decision we want to share this blessing with you “May God bless and keep you; May God smile on you and gift you; May God show you his favor and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26

New Propeller Ads

This is so true… Those people that have experienced Propeller Academy are our biggest fans.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Propeller Academy Online Store!

Show your school spirit with Propeller Academy logo products. Fun items like T-shirts, caps, tote bags, mousepads, blankets, yard signs, clocks, mugs, aprons, water bottles, and even a Christmas stocking. The school makes $1 profit from each item.

http://www.cafepress.com/propelleracademy

 

Making a Propeller

Because it’s fascinating… here’s everything you never knew about how propellers are made.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65sdTFdj5VU

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYprHKWqZ5E

FREE Propeller Coloring Book

Looking for a fun activity for your kids…or even a great way to unwind and de-stress?

 

Download our free Propeller Coloring Book pages with many things “propeller” in the world. Get out a box of crayons and be artistic. Be creative and add elements like birds in the sky, people in the windows, etc. Color outside the lines if you like.

Includes pictures of an airplane, biplane, helicopter, fan, windmill, wind generator, submarine, boat, propeller beanie hat, pinwheel, and even the Wright Brothers first plane. Can you think of any more propeller things we can add? The pages are FREE for you to print and color anytime.