Upcoming Events
With Oratory, Spring Follies, and Spring Formal events all approaching and the start of track season here, there are a number of practices and rehearsals happening over the coming weeks.
THIS WEEK:
MONDAY 2/27 3-4:30 - Oratory rehearsal (7-12)
WEDNESDAY 3/1 3-4:30 - Track Practice
FRIDAY 3/3--1pm Early Dismissal
UPCOMING:
Oratory Night -- Thursday, March 9
Spring Break -- March 20-24
Spring Follies -- Thursday, April 6
Good Friday -- Friday, April 7 -- NO SCHOOL
Spring Formal -- Saturday, April 22
Upper-Level Athletics
Upper-Level Students, please remember to bring athletic clothes for your athletic period. We have athletics each week from 2-3 pm, except on Wednesdays.
Track Season
Track season is underway, and we are finalizing our dates for the upcoming meets. Thank you to Dr. Lofton for leading our coaching team for track and to Mrs. Webb and Mr. Wright for helping coach this year.
ALL 6th-12th grade students may participate in track. We have jr high and sr. high teams. Each team is still needing a few more participants. Track participation is a great opportunity to stay in good physical shape, work both individually and as a team member in various events, and have a fun time making memories! It also adds great diversity to your athletic experience and can lead to scholarships, as well! It's a great thing to at least attempt. Do it for fitness and do it for your classmates!
Practice will be each week on Wednesdays and Fridays 3-430pm.
The first meet will be held on March 11th. A full-season meet schedule will be forthcoming.
Senior Boys Shooting Practice
Beginning NEXT MONDAY 3/6, the senior boys' team will have shooting practice every Monday 3-430pm.
Battle of the Books
Students in lower levels are actively preparing for the upcoming Battle of the Books competitions that will be held in March. Reading lists were sent home in January. If your child needs another one, please reach out to your child's teacher or Ms. Fisk. Books can be checked out through the school library or can be found at the local public libraries. Ms. Wendy at the Lockesburg Library has all of the competition books ready for checkout.
Competition dates are as follows:
March 2: Ms. Gallagher's Class
March 3: Mrs. Teague's Class
March 9: Ms. Wright's Class
March 10: Mrs. Marshall's, Mr. Smallwood's, and Mrs. McCleskey's Classes
Teacher of the Year -- Mrs. Figueroa
Congratulations to Mrs. Figueroa, who was awarded LA Teacher of the Year at the Sevier County Chamber of Commerce Banquet on Thursday night.
We are so grateful for Mrs. Figueroa's unfailing dedication to her students, her hard work and love at all hours, and her genuine love for Christian education which she imparts to her students every single day.
Congratulations, Mrs. Figueroa!
All-State Athletes
Congrats to our own Senior Ethan Gallagher, Senior Dori Bartek, and Sophomore Oaklee Lofton for being selected as HCAA All-State Players. They played in the All-State games on Saturday in Oklahoma City.
Our Mission, Calling, and Discouragement
Each of us from time to time faces discouragement, difficulties, and opposition. It shouldn't be surprising. Jesus told us that those who follow Him will face opposition--even be hated. A look at the story of Nehemiah can be a great source of encouragement as we see Nehemiah and the people of God faithfully work together to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem. It was their mission, their calling. It wasn't long before they had tremendous opposition. At one time the people even became disheartened. It's easy to do. But in the midst of the opposition and the difficulties they prayed, they adjusted strategies, and they kept on serving the Lord. One important thing they did was build a clear system in which they took care of each other. When one was in trouble they sounded the trumpet and the others all came to help. Unlike the world, they did not turn on each other, harm each other, or contribute to the difficulties.
Christian education is our mission together as administrators, teachers, parents, and students. Our aim is to create an environment where our children receive a great academic education but do so in an environment that reinforces our values in a world that is constantly rejecting Biblical values. Ours is meant to be a cooperative of Christian families and Christian students who all want a Christian environment and are all truly laboring together to build a strong culture of faith with lives centered on following Christ. Of course, in our endeavors, as humans, we will each make mistakes that will require us to all be humble, gracious, forgiving, and long-suffering with one another. If we are each truly focused on pleasing Jesus day by day it makes everything else resolvable. We will all face opposition and pressures and discouragements--just as Nehemiah and the people did--so in those days it is so important that we encourage each other and remember that we have a common goal of pleasing Christ and a common mission of building Christ into all of our students and crafting an excellent school that pleases God. Each family must do their part to contribute to this. Each student must do this, and each member of our staff and team must, as well. It takes all of us.
One of the great things about our school is that every family signs a written commitment pledging that we will all work together. In spite of our own individual imperfections, God still uses each of us together to fulfill His purposes. That's really an amazing thing!
Our commitment, signed by all families, in one section states: "I promise to resolve disputes by dealing directly with the person or persons involved without criticizing them or the school. When the issue at hand is a sin issue the approach will be in accordance with the biblical instruction found in Matthew 18:15-17. I will maintain the confidentiality of matters between teachers and administration, not sharing these with my child or any other individual who is not a part of the problem or solution. I will consult the school administration concerning any problem we are unable to resolve." (FULL PARENTAL COMMITMENT HERE.)
In a world that criticizes everyone, gossips, backbites, stirs trouble and strife amongst people and complains incessantly it is an amazing and refreshing thing to have a community of people committed to following clear Biblical patterns for how to handle challenges and difficulties. It's most important because we want to please God and obey the Bible. It is also important because strife impacts children. When adults talk about others negatively (another parent, a teacher, a sibling, etc), it guides their children on how to treat them and how to handle their own problems. Children emulate what they are around and then they bring that to school.
As Christians, we are teaching our children how we live in the world, without being like the world (James 4:4). Our values are different. We uphold godly standards, we hate sin, we forgive those who hurt us, we refuse to gossip, we choose purity and righteousness, and we look to build each other up--encouraging one another to follow God with all of our hearts.
In our mission of Christian education and raising godly children, we can all get discouraged at times. When that happens let's remember to pray for one another, encourage one another, and help one another. Our commitment to Christ is what makes us joyfully different!