Feeling a Little Left Out
At ECA, our vision is that school families Love God, Value Learning, and Serve Others.
January 29, 2023
When I think about the upcoming month, I have to feel a little sad for February. With only 28 days in the month, I’m sure it would feel left out if a month could have those kind of feelings. My wife tells me the story of her grandfather who was born in February. On the day he celebrated his 16th birthday, his granddaughter turned 16 too. I’ll let you think about that for a minute.
The key to understanding Jesus’ love for us is understanding the connection he had with his heavenly father. In Luke 2, we are told about Jesus as a 12 year-old boy. His parents took him to Jerusalem. On their way back home, they noticed he was not with them. They returned to find him in the temple listening and asking questions of the spiritual leaders. When they asked him about why he was there, he replied, “Didn’t you know I had to be in my father’s house?” Jesus was connected to his heavenly father.
Fast forward to Matthew 27. Jesus is dying on the cross. Before he dies, he calls out to his heavenly father and asks him, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus was so connected to God the Father, that he didn’t understand what it felt like to not have God’s presence guiding and strengthening him. For us to say he felt left out and alone would be an understatement. How comforting is it then, when we understand that Jesus has overcome death and understands the importance of staying connected to God. He also understands the hurt and depth of loneliness. He gets it when we feel alone and left out.
I think my wife’s grandfather must have felt that way too being born on leap year, February 29, 1896. He didn’t have his first birthday until 1904. It has always been a fun family tale, but it is a reminder of how easy it is to feel left out. I’m so glad that God had a plan to include everyone in his heavenly kingdom. We just need to accept his gift. That is a joy and hope we get to share with our students every day!
2 Corinthians 5:21 tells us that “God made made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become right with God through Christ.”
AG Program and Monthly Classroom Participation
Our Agriculture program will start the first Monday next week, February 6. Our first class will be the students in grades 7&8. 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 6 - Grades 7&8
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.
Report Cards
Report cards will be passed out to parents this week at school. If you are unable to pick up your child’s report card at school, please contact the office and we will mail it out to you. Report cards have MAP test results from our winter testing so you can see how the past 3 months has gone with growth for your child. There is also a pamphlet that highlights our Visitation day next Friday, February 10. If you have any friends or family that you would like to share the information with, please consider sharing the date and contact information.
Visitation Day
Our next 1/2 day Friday in February, Feb. 10, will be our winter visitation day. We are excited to see our school grow, and we are always trying to find ways to make our program better to meet our community’s needs. The visitation day will last the entire 1/2 day Friday and visiting families will be able to have a sample of what makes ECA special. There will also be a session time to meet with the principal for a Q&A session. Students already attending ECA will be moving up a grade for the day. Eighth grade students will be helping out homeroom teachers during the day. There will be a hot lunch offered that day and visiting families eat for free. If you have any questions about this day, just call the office and they will be happy to help you.
Grade SIX Outdoor School is Coming Up
Thank you for getting registration packets in to school. We will give final details about meeting times, schedules, and return times next week. Here is the link to Big Lake Youth Camp if you still need to check out the 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.
Attend our Diamond Heist Dinner on March 12. We are finalizing details for prices, but we are excited to bring 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.
ECA Winter Survey
An ECA Google Survey was shared with you last week. This shared link would have been sent to your email address. This survey is anonymous. We understand the importance of meeting our school family’s needs and your honest feedback will help us plan and grow. The survey only takes about 3-4 minutes to complete. If you have not already completed the survey, please take a few minutes as you start this next week.
ASB Ice Skating
Last Thursday, ASB students in grades 5-8 enjoyed some time together at the Lane County Fairgrounds. The next ASB outing will be the Winter Banquet on March 2.
Winter Fundraiser - Thank you all!
Thank you to all who helped with our Territorial Seed Fundraiser. Thank you to Colton, a student in Mrs. Harness’ classroom for being the top fundraiser for our school. We are still calculating funds raised. We will post the results when finalized.
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
Friday, February 10 - 1/2 Day Friday & ECA Winter Visitation Day
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
“‘For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” - Romans 10:13