Courage in the Face of Challenges
At ECA, our vision is that school families Love God, Value Learning, and Serve Others.
February 19, 2023
As we reflect on tomorrow’s holiday, President’s Day, I want to take a moment to think about the courage it takes to meet challenges. Emerald Christian Academy began its service to our community in the years following WWII. In the past 75 years, our school and its families have faced many trying and challenging times. Just think about all those later chapters in US History and World History when you were in school. I smile when I think back to conversations I had with my mother when I was a young boy. I always wanted to know what life was like for her as a child. How was school different in the 40s than the 70s? She graduated from Wisconsin Academy, an SDA Academy, about the same time ECA opened its doors. So much has changed in education and our world since those bygone years. Yet, in so many ways, the goal of Christian education and the challenges it often faces has not changed at all.
Our school is committed to bringing the message that Jesus loves each and every one of us. His desire is to restore a broken relationship with his children and the gospel is the message that gives us the courage to serve him daily. There will always be new challenges: new ways to learn, technology, social media, economic good times, economic bad times, and the list goes on and on. The staff at ECA are encouraged to see how God has led through the past 75 years and are excited to walk in faith and trust in a partnership with you - our ECA school family.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” - Joshua 1:9
No School tomorrow - Monday, February 20
Tomorrow, our school will be observing the national holiday Presidents Day. Classes will resume on Tuesday, February 21.
Winter Weather and School Closures
With the possibility of snow on the valley floor again this week, there is a chance that there might be a late start or 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. 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, a Remind announcement will go out if there is a delay or school is cancelled. These Remind notices go out before 6:30 am on days that might be affected.
Skiing/Snowboarding for Grades 5-8 this Thursday, February 23.
Right now we are planning on a fun day for families who have already signed up for our ski/snowboarding day at Hoodoo Ski Resort. Last week, the school took a bus up to the Hoodoo ski area for outdoor school. With poor road conditions, it took the bus three hours to get to the top. The final hour was with chains required and driving at 30 mph. As we get closer to this Thursday and the prospect of poor weather and road conditions, we will stay in contact with you about departure times to allow for safe travel for students. Students in grades 5-8 who are not going skiing or snowboarding will need to stay at home for the day. There are no scheduled classes for GRADES 5-8 students at ECA on that ski/snowboarding day. Students in grades K-4 will have a normal day of school if weather conditions stay favorable. If you have any questions, you can call the office beginning Tuesday morning.
AG Program and Monthly Classroom Participation
Our classroom agriculture program will continue next Monday, February 27. The next class to participate will be the 3rd & 4th grade room. 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 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.
Thank You Home & School Volunteers
If you were to survey classroom teachers from all over the world about one thing they could use in the classroom that would make a BIG difference, the answer would be a unanimous “time!” Extra time to spend with students one-on-one, or extra time to plan. Parents, I’m sure you would say the same thing as busy parents; if only there was more time in the day to get everything done. Thank you to the Home & School volunteers who came in to ECA and volunteered to give our teaching staff a 45 minute lunch break for a solid 4 days at the beginning of February. The “time” you gave to give our staff a mid-winter boost was greatly appreciated. Thank you again.
Supporting ECA’s 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.
Grades 7&8 Final Mission Trip Meeting - February 28
Next Tuesday, families from grades 7&8 are asked to attend a final planning meeting for our mission trip that is coming up. We will be meeting from 6:30-7:30 in Ms. Lidia’s classroom. We will plan the final key pieces: vehicles, drivers, daily schedule, activities, deposits, and fundraising opportunities. There will also be a zoom invitation for families unable to attend in person.
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 20 - No School
February 23 - Ski/Snowboarding Trip for Grades 5-8
March 2 - ASB Winter Banquet
March 12 - Diamond Heist Mystery Dinner