Creating Screen Time Balance as a Family

In today’s world, you can’t stay away from screens. However, it’s important to be away from them for at least a few hours a day. Spending too much time with technology leads to higher stress levels, lower quality sleep, eye strain and a feeling of dependence. Our devices have the power to keep us informed and connected, but like everything in life, moderation is key. Here are a few ways you can create screen time balance with your family:

Enjoy Analog Activities 

When we’re constantly connected to our devices, it can be easy to forget about activities our families can enjoy together without the help of a screen. Break out your favorite board games from your childhood, and create new memories for the family. Encourage everyone to lace up their walking shoes to go out and explore the local park. If you can get the family away from screens for just a couple hours a day, you’ll notice that you all become less reliant on technology for entertainment. 

Have Dinner Without Devices 

Ever look around the dinner table and notice that everyone’s either on their phones or has them out just in case? Staying away from devices for an extended period of time can be difficult, but dinner is the perfect time for a technology break. Make dinner a dedicated time for communicating with one another and enjoying each other’s company. Dinner time creates a great opportunity for daily family bonding without the help of devices.

Set Time Limits for Everyone 

Keep in mind that not only children feel the impacts of too much screen time. Adults often find themselves mindlessly tuned into their devices just as much as children do. Consider setting limits that the whole family can abide by. This is also a great way to lead by example. If your child sees that you can rely less on technology, they will feel more empowered to do so themselves. 

Enforce an Electronic Curfew

One way to set time limits is by setting a curfew for use of electronic devices. Powering down devices after a certain hour has a positive effect on health for people of all ages. The most visible impact is on sleep. Children and teens need to get 8-10 hours of sleep to maintain their health, and adults need about 6-8 hours. It’s recommended to power down your devices an hour before bed so you can more easily fall asleep.

Charge Devices Outside of Bedrooms

How do you keep your child or teen from bringing their phones into the bedroom at night? Set up charging stations outside of the bedroom. This is a great way to hold everyone accountable and to remove the temptation of losing yourselves in late-night infinite scrolling. Consider a dedicated area where all devices are charged outside of bedrooms so everyone can rest a little easier at night. 
At North Tampa Christian Academy, we view technology as a powerful tool that brings us together, as long as we’re not too dependent on it. Students at our Tampa private school thrive creatively, academically and spiritually in a project-based learning environment. Faculty and families work together to inspire leadership through Christian innovation. Contact us today to learn more.

5 Ways Faith Can Help Children Thrive

What children learn when they’re young builds a foundation for the rest of their lives. Faith provides guiding principles that can steer them in the right direction. However, the benefits of faith for children go far beyond discipline. Spirituality has been shown to positively impact mental and physical health for people of all ages. Learn about a few of the ways faith can help children live more meaningful lives.

Connection to Community

As someone who practices a religion, you have a built in community at church, or perhaps at a faith-based school. In many cases, the connection goes deeper than that. When you find another person who practices the same faith, you know you have something in common with them. This can be especially impactful for children as they seek friends with common interests. Along with meeting other children through their faith, they have the opportunity to interact with spiritual leaders who can guide them and help them through hard times. 

Sense of Hopefulness

Spiritual faith often includes a belief that there’s something good waiting for you. This can give children a sense of hope when things aren’t going their way. Knowing that something good will happen eventually can ease thoughts that lead to depression or quiet feelings of anxiety. Belief in a higher power is shown to lead to better mental health overall and also better response to mental health treatments.

Feeling in Control

Being hopeful can help people of faith with external stressors, while feeling in control can help on an internal level. Most faiths have guidelines that believers follow, which provides a moral compass. This can make life easier for children, especially as they grow older and start facing peer pressure. It’s easier to say “no” to drugs and unsafe behaviors when you have a compelling reason to resist the temptation. Children of faith also may find it easier to bounce back when they do give in because they tend to surround themselves with people who can guide them through difficult times. 

Stronger Family Ties

Younger children generally feel attached to their parents and siblings, but that can change as they grow older. Teens often feel like they can’t relate to their parents or like they’re too cool to hang out with the other kids in their family. Through a common faith, however, children often feel more connected to their family members. This leads to stronger relationships that children carry with them throughout their lives. 

Better Health Outcomes

Mental health isn’t the only area that faith can directly benefit. In many ways, faith can lead to better physical health. The built-in community faith creates keeps people of faith more accountable to each other. With less likelihood of falling into unsafe and unhealthy behaviors, children are more likely to have better overall health as they grow older. When a person of faith does become ill, they often have more hope that they’ll recover, which can aid in the recovery process. 

At North Tampa Christian Academy, we believe faith can help people of all ages live abundant lives. At our Tampa Christian school, students thrive creatively, academically and spiritually in a project-based learning environment. Faculty and families work together to inspire leadership through Christian innovation. Contact us today to learn more.

Teacher Spotlight: Denise Tonn

Denise Tonn’s life has been a life of travel. During her time in college, those travels brought her on a mission trip that inspired her to be a teacher. As a child, she wanted to live in Alaska and drive for dog sled teams. Her childhood had her moving all around the US, including time in Clearwater, Florida as a middle schooler. She liked Clearwater so much that she moved back to the area as an adult, which eventually led her to her current role as a science teacher at NTCA. 

Even though she has made a home in Tampa Bay, Tonn still loves to travel. Her favorite place she’s visited is a village in the interior of Guyana, where she had the opportunity to live for a year. College brought her two a couple different states, with her earning a BS in Biology from Southern Adventist University in TN and an MS in Biology from Walla Walla University in WA. When she’s not teaching, she enjoys exploring new places, going kayaking and spending time with her family.

In her 16 years of teaching, Tonn has had the opportunity to participate in professional development programs around engagement strategies, student-centered learning and project-based learning. She incorporates all the lessons she’s learned by using different combinations of techniques every day. This career allows Tonn to continually learn and find new ways to engage students, something she does with a passion. 

“I see each of my students as a child of God who has immeasurable value in His sight,” Tonn said. “How could I do any less than my best for them?”

During her early years of teaching, Tonn drastically changed her teaching techniques whenever she learned new methods and wanted to try them out. She now has a strong sense of what works well, and she is much better at tailoring her instruction to the strengths and needs of the students she has each year.

If you ask Tonn, the best part of being a teacher is seeing the progress students make throughout the year. It’s not as much about the “aha” moments for her as the gradual changes that take place. She loves being part of the journey as students begin to take on more responsibility, experience small successes, form better habits and gain confidence in their abilities. It also brings her joy when they enjoy the subject matter. As a science teacher, she hopes that students will walk away with an appreciation of science as a relevant part of their lives. 

“I hope my students develop a sense of wonder and deep appreciation for God’s creation in the natural world,” Tonn said. “I hope they leave knowing that science is not some esoteric realm that’s the property of people in lab coats, but that science belongs to all of us. “

After taking her classes, Tonn wants students to be able to approach questions using the scientific method to find answers in their everyday life. Former students will sometimes tell her about how they experienced connections between things they learned in her class and what they’re learning in university classes or work life. Watching these students embrace education after high school brings her great joy. 

“Because isn’t the goal of every teacher to grow students who will be lifelong learners even after they don’t have a teacher anymore?” 

Get to Know Denise Tonn

Do you have any pets? One cat and two big dogs
What is your favorite Bible verse or passage? The Christmas story in Luke
If you could have dinner with three people, dead or alive, who would you choose? Jane Goodall, Rosalind Franklin, and Wangari Maathai
If you won the lottery, what’s the first thing you would do? Buy my mom a house
If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Super speed 

At North Tampa Christian Academy, a Tampa private school, students thrive creatively, academically and spiritually in a project-based learning environment. Faculty and families work together to inspire leadership through Christian innovation. Contact us today to learn more.

Understanding the Growing Popularity of Esports

This generation is more online than any generation before. Children spend much of their time tuned into devices, whether they’re playing video games or tuning into streams of their favorite gamers or celebrities. It should be no surprise that competitive video gaming, known as eSports, has taken this generation by storm. So, why is eSports so popular?

Online Streaming

Before the pandemic, Esports was already making its way into the mainstream. However, when people needed to isolate themselves, this genre of sports exploded. The world of conventional sports screeched to a halt, but Esports players had a unique ability to move their games remote. Since all the gaming was done online, this was an easy pivot to make. Live streaming events had always been part of Esports, so the infrastructure was all there to make Esports successful at a time when other sports struggled.  

Ease of Access

Nearly anyone can play a video game. Becoming a superstar athlete involves rigorous training, an early start in life and, most importantly, innate physical ability. Gamers can come from any walk of life and anywhere around the world. While competitive gamers work hard at their craft, the starting point is as simple as picking up a controller or using a computer keyboard. 

The accessibility of Esports extends to its fans. Anyone with an internet connection can watch Esports, while watching other sports games may require cable or a television setup. Like any sport, Esports fans have the option of traveling to see their favorite teams in person. And with the high production value of Esports shows, there’s plenty of motivation to make the trip if you’re a fan.

Turning Hobbies into Careers

“When you do what you love, you don’t work a day in your life.” This is a huge part of the appeal of competitive gaming. While it’s just as involved as any other sport, especially as you move up the ranks, competitive gaming can be a great springboard for turning a hobby into a career. What starts out as playing games can become much more without high startup costs and at just about any point in life. 

A Growing Genre

Esports has been around for decades but has only recently become a household term. As fast internet becomes available to more people and as gaming genres expand, more and more people feel welcome in the gaming community. Esports tournaments range from team competitions to individually ranked games. With so many ways to play and so many games to choose from, it’s no wonder Esports keeps growing as time goes on. 

School Esports Teams

One way that Esports has become more accessible to more people is through Esports programs at schools. Many colleges now offer Esports programs, and some private schools, like North Tampa Christian Academy, offer them to younger players. There are many ways to get involved in Esports, no matter your age, ability level or background. 

We encourage our students to pursue what they love, whether it’s competitive gaming or playing sports on the field. At North Tampa Christian Academy, a Tampa private school, students thrive creatively, academically and spiritually in a project-based learning environment. Faculty and families work together to inspire leadership through Christian innovation. Contact us today to learn more.

Spreading Love with Valentine’s Day Crafts

Valentine’s Day is coming soon! Children will pass out valentines to all their friends and classmates, and couples will exchange flowers and candy. It’s the perfect time to remember the importance of love in our lives. The holiday also presents an opportunity for making adorable heart-shaped crafts with your child. Here are a few Valentine’s Day crafts that we love.

Bird Feeder Hearts

Crafting projects often end up stashed away and eventually thrown away, despite your best intentions. What if you could make an adorable craft that could be put to use? These bird feeder hearts can do just that, making them more sustainable and fun than the average craft. They’re easy to make, especially with the help of older children. 

Recipe

• For the hearts

• ¾ cup of flour

• ½ cup of water

• 1 2.5 teaspoon envelope of unflavored gelatin

• 3 tablespoons of corn syrup

• 4 cups of birdseed

• Other items needed

• Heart-shaped cookie cutter

• Cooking spray

• Pieces of ribbon

• Gift tags 

Instructions

• Spray a spoon with cooking spray.

• Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl. 

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper

• Spray the inside of a heart-shaped cookie cutter, place it on the parchment paper, then fill it with birdseed, packing it down as you go.

• Spray a second spoon with cooking spray to pat down the heart, making sure it’s really packed in. 

• Make a hole near the top center using a chopstick or similar object

• Remove the cookie cutter, fixing up the edges, then let them sit overnight

• The next day, put a ribbon through the center of each heart, and tie the ends together

• Tie a gift tie to each ribbon 

Perler Bead Valentines

Who says Valentine’s cards need to be made from cardstock? Playing with perler beads will bring you right back to the days when you were making cards for your classmates. It will also show your child a fun, easy form of crafting. For this project, you will need to use an iron, so you may need to help a younger child.

Items needed

• Perler beads

• Perler bead pegboard

• Parchment paper

• Iron

• Small 2.75-inch glassine envelopes

• Washi tape

Instructions

• Arrange beads on a pegboard into a heart shape, and build a square around the heart. Make the overall size 12 pegs across to fit into a 2.75-inch envelope. 

• When the design is complete, lay parchment paper over the beads

• Set the heated iron on the parchment paper, holding for 10-15 seconds

• Allow plastic to cool

• Once it has cooled, remove the square from the pegboard, and place into an envelope. Seal the envelope with washi tape. 

Yarn Heart Art

A staple of crafting, yarn can be used in many ways to create works of art with a homemade feel. You can dive into crocheting or knitting with your child, create a design using a board with nails, or do this simple project. These pieces of 3D art make wonderful decorative gifts despite how simple they are to make.

Items needed

• Red yarn, preferably in multiple shades

• Flat wooden hearts, various sizes

• Small canvases, around 6” x 6”

Instructions

• Wrap the wooden hearts with yarn, forming the round shape as you wrap. Be careful to make sure it holds the heart shape. 

• If you are using multiple colors, be sure to alternate between the two colors when you’re wrapping. 

• Tuck in the loose thread.

• Hot glue the hearts to the canvas.

If your child loves to paint, consider having them paint the canvas, making sure it fully dries before sticking anything on it. A bright solid color like yellow or blue can make the red hearts pop and add another dimension to this simple project. 

Crafting for Valentine’s Day gives you a chance to spend quality time with your child and allows your child to spread love through homemade gifts. At North Tampa Christian Academy, a Tampa private school, students thrive creatively, academically and spiritually in a project-based learning environment. Faculty and families work together to inspire leadership through Christian innovation. Contact us today to learn more.