"Legacy has become such a special place for our family over the past three years. The teachers, administration and staff truly love the children and the families that are a part of the Legacy community - and invest in their lives daily. Their academic standards are so high and can be demanding, yet the teachers still find a way to make learning fun and engaging. Our girls now love learning and going to school is a joy for them, not a struggle. When asked if they would rather go to Disneyland or school, our girls both said school! Now that says something about the impact Legacy has had on them! Also, it is such an encouragement to us that the Legacy staff truly live out their Christian faith and encourage our children, and us as parents, to do the same. Whether it is through praising a good decision or guiding through difficult situations, at Legacy we know our girls are being pointed to the truth and their character is being nurtured."
Danny and Lindsay Besch

STEAM Education Promotes Heightened Student Engagement
When given the choice to "do art" or "do math," most kids would rush to secure an opportunity for the former - but what if they were the same thing?
That's the key to Legacy Christian Academy's multi-subject, layered STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics) education. "What's so fun about Legacy's STEAM emphasis is that our students are having a blast while engaging with really advanced levels of critical processing," shares Head of School Matt Millett. "Our new spaces were created to promote the kind of three-dimensional learning that not only sticks with a child because they're engaging with challenging material and concepts directly in a lab, but also so that they would have fun while doing it. Legacy is creating not only minds for the technological careers of the future, but a heart-felt passion for STEAM, too. We can't keep them out of our new Discovery Hall and Science and Innovation Labs! Children are scientists by nature; inherently inquisitive. We give them the tools and the guidance to do something with that desire - and they love it!"

The academic concern is that subjects could become watered down when taught together, as they have on some other campuses. That's why Legacy relies on their differentiated, accelerated curriculum to cultivate a base of academic success that STEAM builds upon. "Each subject is taught independently to build vital skills that will put our students on the track for success. They then take their newfound abilities and apply them in their STEAM projects and campus-wide programming. Crafted with intention, this fusion allows for a deep and meaningful understanding of each subject that is only fueled further through the hands-on, right-brain thinking that comes so naturally in the STEAM paradigm," explains Millett.
Legacy Christian Academy 257-7377

Sneaky Ways to get Kids to
LOVE LEARNING
Much like sneaking veggies into "milkshakes" by throwing spinach into the Vitamix when they're not looking, so too can we work in a little extra academic curriculum without the kids catching on. Here are a few of our favorite ways to boost brain power all year round.

Play Games
Uno is a wonderfully-fast-paced card game that even really little kids can grasp quickly - and won't make parents regret their life choices (We're looking at you, Chutes and Ladders!). The game teaches colors, matching and basic strategy. Improve spelling skills with good, ol' fashioned Hangman.

Netflix & Learn
Watch documentaries that don't double as sleeping aids. Warm the kids up on the "72" series available on Netflix, which ranks such important distinctions as, "The 72 Most Deadly Creatures of South America" and then work up to the truly-gorgeous nature docs that have slower pacing. Tweens and teens will benefit from films on social issues; "Blackfish," about the containment of orca whales, is one that will get them talking around the dinner table.

Cook
The kitchen is filled with math, chemistry, nutrition, physics education and more. Teach convection by demonstrating it on the stove (After you Google your refresher, of course.). Show your child how to read a nutritional label and wow them with fun facts like, "Four grams of sugar equal a teaspoon of sugar, which means that Mommy's latte has 13 teaspoons of sugar!" Have them use measuring cups to visualize fractions. Ferment some veggies they like, or make yogurt in your Instapot, to explain how bacteria colonies grow.

Plan a Trip
Turn your kid into a travel agent by letting them plan a day out or a weekend away. Have them ID the route, approximate mileage and gas costs, best area to-do's and more. Done right, you can incorporate geography, history, social studies and more into your little getaway.

SCVi Learners Complete Relief Trip to Puerto Rico
A group of SCVi Charter School students were part of a 13-member "backpacker" group from iLEAD Schools that completed a spring break relief mission to Puerto Rico, delivering much-needed donations of supplies to the hurricane-ravaged island.

The "Backpacks Full of Hope" mission was part of the Cultural Bridges program in which students learn by connecting with other cultures and helping those in need.

The learners' experiences, chronicled in a blog on the Cultural Bridges website, included planting approximately 400 trees to help revegetate the island, and assisting in the construction of "Earthships," sustainable housing units that will provide much-needed shelter in areas devastated by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

The blog summed up the impact the mission had on the SCVi students:

"On the long flight back to L.A., we all took stock and reflected. Some of us wondered when we could return to Puerto Rico to further our work. Others dreamed of the other places we'd bring our 'Backpacks Full of Hope.' Others still considered how we could learn to live a little simpler, without all of our material trappings. Some of us slept - a little. But we all felt proud of what we had accomplished, and forever connected to the Enchanted Island and her people."
SCVi Charter School 705-4820

Major Impact Theater Presents
"Harry & the Magic Rock"
Major Impact Theater is scheduled to present its latest production and uplifting musical, "Harry and the Magic Rock," on May 12 at the Newhall Family Theatre. The performance marks two firsts; Major Impact Theater's inaugural debut at the Newhall Family Theatre and the Newhall Family Theatre's first theatrical debut since its renovation.
Along with the amazing cast of characters, led by a talented team of actors and adults with disabilities, Grammy-nominated composer and keyboardist Wally Minko is donating a live music performance during intermission.
Major Impact Theater is collaborating with the City of Santa Clarita and the Newhall School District to provide the venue for the event, along with an incredible group of volunteers and sponsors, to bring the production to the community.
Founded in 2014, Major Impact Theater continues its commitment to diversity, inclusion and community engagement with partnerships and outreach specific to adults with disabilities. Major Impact Theater is a non-profit theater group that specially adapts plays for performance by adults with disabilities.
Tickets are available for purchase online at majorimpactheater.org.