The Experiential Advantage

Dear Village Family,

Welcome back to our Village as together we celebrate the Holiday Season. I hope your Thanksgiving was filled with gratitude for God and experiences with family.

Many times the peace and pace we find at Thanksgiving is shattered by the pace and purchase of Black Friday. My cousin shared with the family last Thursday that his favorite holiday was Thanksgiving because “it was filled with memories and people.” He expressed what research has shown to be true: experiences “tend to bring more lasting happiness than material purchases.”

Scientists have a word for the new getting old and for delight dimming to doldrums. It’s called habituation. 

Research shows that we easily habituate to material possessions. In contrast, experiences don’t lose their luster. Scientists sometimes refer to this asymmetry as the experiential advantage. Studies also show that the more money you earn, the greater the experiential advantage. Read more here.

For our school, we are entering a time of expounding experiences, and here is a preview for the next three weeks before the Christmas Break:

• IB Night – Monday, November 28^th at 5:00 pm
• This is the first in the series of events to provide information on how we are growing in IB.
• Our team will cover questions submitted by you focusing on how IB is implemented through our Early Years, Primary, and Middle Years Programmes.
• MYP Jekyll Island Trip, November 30^th to December 2^nd
• Our 7^th and 8^th Grade classes are spending two days at the Georgia 4-H camp in Jekyll Island, experiencing their sea and land research center.
• Enrollment Opens for the 2023/2024 school year, on December 5th
• Re-enrollment for our Kindergarten through 8^th Grade Families
• Enrollment for our Prekindergarten and Transitional Kindergarten families for our Kindergarten
• We are excited to begin 9^th grade for next school year as part of our Middle Years Programme
• Loved One’s Day – December 9^th
• Our classes will celebrate their Loved Ones and those in our community who don’t have family here in town.
• More information to be sent out by your student’s class.
• Global Gala – December 11^th
• Join us for an evening featuring the “Taste of Celebration”; small plates from local chefs, fresh botanical non-alcoholic creations from our school garden, along with a silent auction. The evening is filled with fabulous entertainment from Gary Lovini, the Christmas Liberty Voices, and featured student invitationals.
• All purchases are tax deductible and can be made through our website at https://creationvillage.com/gala/
• Christmas Spirit Week – December 12^th to 16^th
• See the attached PDF outlining our spirit week, and thank you to Audrey in MYP Year 2 for creating the flyer.
• Town Hall – December 13^th
• Join us for our December Town Hall as we provide updates for the 2^nd semester as we close the 1^st semester.
• Our Christmas Concert – December 15^th at the Celebration High School Performing Arts Theatre
• Join us at 5:00 pm for our TK-8^th Grade Advent celebration, “Sing With Us The Christmas Story”
• IB Chapel – December 16^th
• We ring in Christmas and lift our voices to worship God in our last chapel of the year

Let’s expand our experiences and multiply our joy through this season by giving our time, talent, and treasure to those in our community who need it the most.

With gladness and gratitude,

Derek Cummings
Head of School