A Forever Valentine
At ECA, our vision is that school families Love God, Value Learning, and Serve Others.
February 12, 2023
For those of you who are curious, I love my wife. I remember the first year we were married. We lived in a small one bedroom house on three acres in Creswell. This was before the days of the internet and predictable weather forecasting, so when February 14 rolled around, we woke up to about 10 inches of snow. She had prepared well for our first Valentine’s Day together. Two months earlier she had purchased some of my favorite things while she was visiting her family in Seattle. She had kept them hidden away in our tiny home for two months. I wasn’t quite as prepared. We exchanged cards and spent the morning walking in the snow into Creswell to find an open bakery. I am so blessed to have someone who is always thinking about me. It reminds me that we have a heavenly father who isn’t just planning for Valentine’s Day, but for eternity.
“The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” - Psalm 103:8
Winter Weather and School Closures
With the possibility of snow on the valley floor Monday evening and Tuesday morning, there is a chance that there might be a school closure. As a general rule, ECA follows the snow closure policies of the 4J school district. A Remind notice will be sent out in the event that there is a school closure. As Monday progresses and the weather system moves in, we will know more. Occasionally, because of our higher elevation, the Pleasant Hill school district has canceled school due to icy and snowy road conditions. In events like this, we cancel due to the road conditions of our school. Again, Remind announcement will go out if school is cancelled.
AG Program and Monthly Classroom Participation
Our classroom agriculture program continues tomorrow, Monday, February 13. Tomorrow’s class will be the students in grades 5&6. Students will be in the class 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, February 13 - Grades 5&6
Monday, February 27 - Grades 3&4
Monday, March 6 - Grade K (1:15-2:15) and Grades 1&2 (2:15-3:15)
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.
Visitation Day News
Thank you for sharing the word about our school during our winter visitation day. We had 7 students visit our campus. We will explore another visitation day later in the spring as we specifically look at the Spring Kindergarten Roundup.
No School Next Monday, February 20
Next Monday, our school will be observing the national holiday Presidents Day. Classes will resume on Tuesday, February 21.
Grade SIX Outdoor School is happening this Tuesday!
Students in grade six will be gone from our ECA campus from Tuesday, February 14 - Friday, February 17. With the uncertainty in our weather this week, I am planning on having parents drop off their children at the Gateway Mall parking lot in front of the Target store. Depending on the weather and road conditions, we will plan on having students being dropped off by 8:30 am. Even in the event of a school closure, Big Lake is still scheduling Outdoor School to start on Tuesday. I will be there with the bus at 8:00 and hopefully that 30 minute window of time will allow families safe time to travel depending on road conditions. We will be driving up to the Ray Benson Snow Park to catch a ride on a snow cat up to the camp. With the possibility of poor road conditions, our trip up may take a bit longer on the bus. Our school buses are equipped with auto chain technology, but we will be limited to 30 mph for the trip.
Please remember to look over the packing list and instructions that were sent home two weeks ago. They can also be viewed by clicking on the link below. Also, please remember to pack sleeping bags and clothing bags / suitcases in a large labeled garbage bag. The trip from the snow park to the lodge is about 30 minutes and all students and luggage will be in the outdoor weather. Keeping it bagged will ensure dry bedding and clothing for the week.
BIG LAKE YOUTH CAMP
Instructions for Camp
Supporting ECA’s Mission Spring Mission Trip
ECA will be taking the students in grades 7&8 to Monterey Bay, California to do a mission project during our school’s Spring Break. We will be working with the SDA boarding school, Monterey Bay Academy, to find ways to support the school and community. We are excited for this opportunity. If you would like to support this trip, there are several ways to do this:
Can & bottle drive - bring your cans and bottles to school and we will collect them for the mission trip fund.
Donations - Any donations will be used 100% by students for this mission project.
Utilize our 7th & 8th grade students for “babysitting” for a night out. Donations will go to the mission trip,
We are working to schedule a “rent a middle school student for a Sunday.” Do you have any yard work that needs to be done? Do you have a project that you would like done around your home and are in need of a few extra hands. More information will be coming soon.
Diamond Heist Dinner - Sunday, March 12.
Attend our Diamond Heist Dinner on March 12. We are excited to offer a fun evening with good food, friends, and a mystery to solve. We are inviting a group of theater performers to our school for an evening meal. They will be leading us in an evening of mystery where you, the audience, gets to solve the mystery. We will also end the evening with a dessert dash. This is sure to be an evening you do not want to miss. Even better, you can invite friends to share the evening with.
We are also in the process of arranging child-care services if you would like to have a date-night out on that evening. Child-care will be at the school during the evening program. As a school, we try to have a community program that allows our school and church families to come together. This will be our winter program. As a school family, you are invited. Consider inviting friends or church friends for a fun evening. Call the school office if you have any questions or if you are interested in purchasing tickets.
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
Announcements & Upcoming Events
February 14-17 - 6th Grade Outdoor School for 6th Grade Students
February 20 - No School
February 23 - Ski/Snowboarding Trip for Grades 5-8
March 2 - ASB Winter Banquet
March 12 - Diamond Heist Mystery Dinner