Ignite Christian Academy is proud to celebrate senior Ashton DeVos as our first high school student of the month for 2023! Ashton lives in a small town in the western part of Nebraska with his family at a Christian camp, where his dad is the director. Living at the camp provides Ashton with opportunities to meet fun people and do fun things! Ashton also recently celebrated his birthday, on Christmas!

Ashton was nominated by his teacher, Mrs. Henn who described Ashton as a student who “consistently turns in high-quality, creative work and has a kind, clear, and intelligent sense of humor. He recently submitted a well-developed proposal for a video game based on navigating American Midwestern culture that was incisive, hilarious, and sounds very fun to play.

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Our first elementary student of the month for 2023 is fifth-grade student Gabrielle Keen. Gabrielle is still in her first year at Ignite Christian Academy and is enjoying the freedom that the schedule offers her!

Gabrielle was nominated by her teacher Mrs. Scarborough who said, “Gabrielle is proactive in her communication, wants to understand the content on the deepest level possible, and perseveres when things get tough. She displays Christ-like characteristics and is truly a wonderful student ICA has been blessed with!”

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The November 2022 highschool student of the month at Ignite Christian Academy is 12th grader Madeline Szelmeczki, a member of the Blue Umbrella and National Honor Society President. During her time at ICA, Madeline was surprised to find the many ways she could receive help with something. She enjoys visiting the Academic Support Room or booking appointments with her teachers and was also surprised to see how many student interaction opportunities exist. She feels like she is part of a school and not just sitting in her room by herself. Upon graduation, Madeline will be attending Belhaven University as a dance major. She has been dancing for fourteen years and wants to teach dance after college.

Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Funk nominated Madeline as the student of the month. Mrs. Smith stated that Madeline “exhibits natural grace and leadership in each Blue Umbrella staff meeting and is the kind of student I love to have in my classroom.” Mrs. Funk described Madeline as a student who “has set the standard as our Honor Society President this year. The meetings and slides she prepares are well thought out, engaging, and fun. She goes above and beyond and is a natural leader.”

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The November 2022 elementary student of the month at Ignite Christian Academy is fourth grader Kyle Fung. Kyle lives in New Jersey and appreciates that they have all four seasons and many great parks to visit and go on nature walks. Kyle is active in clubs and classes here at ICA and recently competed in one of the school’s spelling bees.

Kyle’s teacher, Mrs. Ramesh, nominated Kyle as the student of the month, stating, “Kyle is very committed to learning and always does an excellent job in writing his answers and providing details. He really does put in effort and time in completing his projects and does it neatly. Whenever he needs help, he does not hesitate to book appointments with me and shows up for the meetings on time. He also informs me about his vacation plans and catches up with his work, and stays aligned with the suggested pacing. He also works with Imagine Learning supplemental resources in Math and Reading. He is truly an exceptional student, and I think we need to encourage such students!”
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The October 2022 student of the month at Ignite Christian Academy is Eva Butler, a 10th-grade student, currently living in India. Eva has enjoyed the experience and travel opportunities of living in both the United States and India.

Eva was nominated by her Spanish teacher, Mrs. Zwick who describes Eva as a student that goes above and beyond expectations. “Eva is motivated to learn the Spanish language. She has completed more of the course than any other student and her work is high quality with a focus on details. I know that when I give her feedback, she will apply it.”

While Mrs. Zwick nominated Eva based on her academic performance, she wanted to celebrate Eva’s spiritual growth. Mrs. Zwick was inspired by Eva’s reflection in which Eva said “We should not just study our Bible every day because we are required to do so. It should be something we are excited about and have an interest in.” [Read more…]

The September 2022 high school student of the month at Ignite Christian Academy (ICA) is Tori Isenberg, a sophomore from the west bank of the Mississippi River not far upstream from Minneapolis. With aspirations to be a professional writer, Tori is living the words of Colossians 3:17 as a student at ICA, “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

“Tori has worked extremely hard in my classes and is always checking in on ways to improve her work,” Marcus Lewis wrote in honoring the Minnesotan. “She makes our class better by asking questions that benefit the rest of the class during Open Office Hour Zooms that I offer. She is a great student who wants to produce the best work possible!” [Read more…]

The September 2022 student of the month at Ignite Christian Academy (ICA) is Hannah Hutto, a kindergarten student from Southeast Mississippi. Still a couple months shy of her 5th birthday in November, Hannah is an intelligent child who is the youngest recipient to be named ICA’s student of the month.

“Hannah has been working very hard in her coursework,” said elementary teacher Brittany Smith in nominating her for this award. “She is persisting in completing her work on time, and we are working together to find ways to challenge her.” [Read more…]

The May 2022 high school student of the month at Ignite Christian Academy (ICA) is Kyle Schwartz, a senior from eastern Missouri near the Mississippi River. Throughout his high school years at ICA, Kyle became a member of the National Honor Society and served as president of the ICA chapter of the NHS this year. He also worked as the Student Leader of the Craft Club for two years. In addition, he wrote articles and created the “Charlie and Fred” comic strip for three years in ICA’s Blue Umbrella newsletter.

“Kyle is an outstanding senior and has been such an involved member of the ICA school community,” Student Engagement Specialist Amy McConnell wrote in in nominating Kyle for this month’s high school award. “Kyle takes immense pride in his work, is kind and thoughtful with his communication, and will be graduating with a 4.0 GPA. He embodies our school’s mission, and we are excited to see what God has in store for him.” [Read more…]

The May 2022 student of the month at Ignite Christian Academy (ICA) is Nistreanu Valeria, a 5th grade student from Romania. Whether working on her family’s farm or her homework, the first-year ICA student has shown a dedication to giving her best effort.

“Valeria is a hard-working student who truly wants to learn and succeed,” Katie Phillips wrote in nominating Nistreanu for this month’s honor. “She is always willing to seek help when she doesn’t understand. Whenever we meet, she is kind and respectful. I always LOVE working with her. The other thing I appreciate about Valeria is her thoroughness in her responses. Valeria never cuts corners. Every response is in complete sentences and is enriching to read.” [Read more…]

The April 2022 students of the month for grades 7-12 at Ignite Christian Academy (ICA) are twins Alex and Alli Voorhees from Indiana. The Hoosier State 8th graders were nominated this month for reminding history teacher Becky Novack of her passion for teaching.

“Alex and Alli are twins in my 8th grade history class,” wrote Becky Novack in nominating the two for this month’s honor. “Both of them are such a light in my day because they are so engaged. It is rare for a day to go by without a note from Alex and/or Alli. Sometimes these notes are related to course questions, but often they are just a ‘hello,’ maybe a joke, or just checking in to see how my kids are or what I have planned for the weekend. These interactions remind me why I love teaching: connecting with students!” [Read more…]