Is it valuable?
At ECA, our vision is that school families Love God, Value Learning, and Serve Others.
April 23, 2023
To say that my home is filled with antiques would be an exaggeration. Yet, that didn’t stop my wife and I from enjoying the show “Antiques Roadshow.” I’m sure you know the premise: someone comes in with something they bought at a garage sale for $3 and discovers it is worth $300,000. Again, that hasn’t been my experience. But as a school, we definitely have important things we value. Recently, our ECA staff sat down to examine the important things about our school. If we were to go beyond loving God, valuing learning, and serving others, where would that take us. The vision we came up with can be seen in core value statements for our school.
Discipleship - We believe in Jesus as our personal savior and seek God’s plan in our lives to grow in our challenge to love one another as we learn from his inspired word, the Bible. We appreciate that this relationship with Christ is the first step to true happiness and success in life.
Discovery - We embrace the idea that EVERY member of our community wants to and can succeed. Success and excellence in school begins with academics but is unlimited as we discover our potential.
Growth Mindset - We recognize life is filled with challenges and these can become opportunities for growth. We understand that creativity and innovation can help us become lifelong learners that help us develop skills to tackle an ever-changing world.
Integrity - We hold ourselves accountable for our actions and learning. We embrace responsibility and yearn for a campus filled with dignity and safety for all.
Leadership - We understand that leaders are always growing with a vision to help others. We appreciate that special talents are a gift from God and recognize unique contributions we and others can develop as we strive to honor God and be the best we can be.
Thankfulness - We value the importance of gratitude and cooperation in our interactions with teachers, parents, peers, and school family. We strive to forge strong, positive connections with the people that surround us as we serve our community.
How much greater in value is our relationship with Jesus! “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” - Matthew 13:44, 45.
You can see a our value statements and mission statement in the document below.
AG Program and Monthly Classroom Participation
Our classroom agriculture program will continue next week, Monday, April 24. The next classes to participate will be the students in grades K-2. They will be in class with Mr. Wyatt from 1:15-3:15. Make sure they have the necessary attire to spend two hours outside in an area filled with dirt and possible cold weather. Here is a schedule of when your child will be involved in the afternoon class:
Monday, April 24 - Grades K-2
Monday, May 1 - Grades 7&8
Students will be outside and working in a garden space. Plan now as you look at the schedule of dates. Boot and gloves should be worn. If boots are not available, students can bring an extra pair of old shoes, but please send a bag so they can be put in the bag and sent home until the next class rotation. Students who already have boots and gloves from the after-school program are all set.
If you have not signed up for the after-school program and would like to do that on a monthly basis, please call the office. The one-time fee of $50 covers all days of the week (M-Th) for all students in a family. There is also a $5 per day option. Just call the office to sign up.
Spring P/T Conferences
Mr. Gaylor and Ms. Lidia are still conducting P/T conferences this coming Friday. If you have not signed up and would like to schedule a time, there are still openings. Call the office in the afternoon to schedule a time.
MAP Testing
This week, students at ECA will be spending M-W mornings doing spring MAP testing. This will be our last standardized testing session for the year. Homework will be limited during those three days. Extra sleep, good breakfasts, and extra snacks can help students do their best during the week.
Spring K-4 Swimming Lessons
During the first two weeks of May, students in grades K-4 will be spending one hour per day at Willamalane Swim Center on 14th Street in Springfield. These swimming lessons are a free program for all students. We will be taking the bus from school, leaving around 9:45 in the morning. Swimming lessons are from 10:30 - 11:30. Students will return to school by 1:00. It is important during these two weeks that parents of students in grades K-4 send a swim suit and towel in a bag on those days. It is also important to remember that we will be eating lunch right after swimming at the Willamalane Park on 14th in Springfield. There are no microwaves available to heat up food. Please do not send any food that needs to be microwaved during the two weeks.
May ECA Constituency Meeting
Our school operates under a school board that is made up of members from six constituent churches. ECA conducts monthly school board meetings. Once a year, we have an annual Constituency Meeting where area church members can come and vote on recommendations for the upcoming school year. This year’s meeting will be held on Thursday, May 18. It will be in the evening in the ECA gym. In addition to our church families, this meeting is also welcome to our school families.
Christian Counseling Available - Free Resources:
The NAD (North American Division of SDA) has recently shared new resources for children and teens that offer a safe and anonymous place to talk or text. Here is a news release from the NAD.
We’re excited to announce the launch of www.aruggedjourney.org our newest NAD site providing free online mentoring for guys. A Rugged Journey joins www.gorgeous2god.org (for young women) which has grown in its scope and ministry since its beginning in 2017.
These sites, along with their counterparts on social media, provide free help to our teens/young adults in a space they can ask questions without judgment or fear. The questions are answered by a team of dedicated Seventh-day Adventists at AIM on the campus of Andrews University.
In addition to the confidential Q & A, positive content is provided through videos, posts, etc.
www.gorgeous2god.org/ FB: gorgeous2god/ IG: @gorgeous2god
www.aruggedjourney.org/ FB: aruggedjourney/ IG: @aruggedjourney