Remembering the Power of Love
At ECA, our vision is that school families Love God, Value Learning, and Serve Others.
September 10, 2023
Hello ECA families
Twenty-two years ago, our sleepy school day was jarred awake with the events of September 11, 2001. Many of us remember much about that day and the emotions and feelings we had. It is a day that we remember the families who lost loved ones and the heroes who gave their all on that day. Responding to the emergency, firefighters from all over the area responded. When the day was over, 343 firefighters never returned home. If you listen to interviews from comrades and family, they all share a common theme: the firefighters loved their job and were willing to sacrifice everything for the safety and lives of the community they served. I’ll let that sink in.
In the book of John, Jesus tells us in chapter 15 that our mission is to love one another. He explains that if we know the love of God the father, we should share that love with others. As difficult as it is to understand the commitment to an oath of service by the firefighters on 9/11, I would suggest it is currently impossible to understand the love of a God for a sinful world and Jesus’ love for all of us. That is the God we serve. As we start this year, we can celebrate God’s love in our families, school, and community. We can celebrate an all-powerful God who overcame death and is coming again. At ECA, our vision is that our school families and students love God!
Connecting at Back-to-School Night
Thank you to the families who were able to attend last week’s Back-to-School Night. If you were unable to make it, I encourage you to reach out to your homeroom classroom teacher to see if there is any important information you missed. Schedules, passwords, and ways to stay in the know were shared and we want everyone to be in the know this year. We also had sign-up sheets for volunteering in classrooms and checking in with Crystal to update any authorized individuals for picking up students. Many of you still need to update this list from last year. Call the school office to confirm your pickups for this year and to fix any other missing information. Thanks!
Upcoming Bible Camp
This Thursday is coming up fast! Our plan is to leave ECA at 10:00 and arrive in Salem at Livingstone Adventist Academy around 11:45. Students should have everything packed according to the supply list. Please do not send cell phones. They won’t work and will really detract from the experience and goals. Communication can be maintained through my cell phone and email. The service is limited, but I will make it a point to check my email or phone daily depending on service.
Bible Camp Family Information Packet
Upcoming Hot Lunch Program
Our kitchen is in the final steps of getting the last few permits signed off. If all goes as planned, we should be starting a hot lunch program the first week of October. More information will be going out as we put the pieces together.
Upcoming Community Fall Festival
Mark you calendars for our school community’s first family get-together. On Sunday, October 1, we will be hosting our annual Fall Festival. There will be booths, games, food, fun, and more. Students, families, friends, churches and our community are all invited. This is a fun day with many opportunities to meet new friends, classroom parents, support our classrooms in fundraising, and support our upper ASB in their fund-raising for the Spring Washington DC trip. We appreciate our Home & School leaders and volunteers as they work with parents and school staff to make this a great day for everyone. More details will be sent home soon.
7th & 8th Grade DC Trip Planning Meeting
Students in grades 7&8 will have a chance to go to Washington D.C. during the last half of Spring Break and 1st half of the following week. For students and parents wishing to go, the end of September is our deadline for the $1000 deposit per person. We will have a final tally of those going on our first 2024 school year meeting. This meeting will be on Tuesday, October 3 at 6:30 in the ECA library. If you or your child is planning on going, we need you there. If you are unable to attend, we will make a ZOOM session available.
AG Program - Mondays Science Class
This year, every student will be able to participate in ECA’s Agriculture Program. This happens on the first day of each week. Students will be outdoors doing a variety of things with Mr. Wyatt Johnson. Throughout the year, there may be a few rainy days. Boots and gloves are great things for working outdoors on Monday Science Days. Water bottles are great things to have outside too. Students are in class with Mr. Wyatt from 1:15-3:15. Here is a schedule of the days and classes:
Monday, September 11 - Grades 7&8
Monday, September 18 - Grades 5&6
Monday, September 25 - Grades 3&4
Monday, October 2 - (K from 1:15-2:15 & Grades 1&2 from 2:15-3:15)
It then repeats over and over through the year.
A Friday Field Trip for 5th-8th Grade Students on Sept. 22
On Friday, September 22, students in grades 5-8 will be taking their first ASB trip to the Oregon coast. We will be taking a school bus and spending the day in Florence and at Honeyman State Park. As parents, you are able to join us, but a background check is necessary if you would like to ride the bus and volunteer. If you are planning on going as a parent and have not completed a background check, you will need to drive your own vehicle. We try to plan field trips for the extra Fridays each month so we can keep our core M-Th school days in place. More information will be going out in our next newsletter, next Sunday.
One thing to think about for our families… we will be needing a female chaperone to join us. Mr. Gaylor will be the class representative and male chaperone, but we are looking for that right 6th grade mom who would like to spend 4 days with our great 6th grade students in the conference. Supervision would include daily moving with groups and nightly sleeping with students in cabins. Background checks are required. If you are interested, please send me a message or talk to me at school. This really is a fun time for our students and a great opportunity to experience something your child will never forget.
Upcoming 6th Grade Outdoor School
ECA 6th Grade families, every year, the Oregon Conference hosts an outdoor school for all students in the Oregon Conference. There are several students in this group, so they divide the students in to two groups. There is a Fall session and a Winter session. This year, the dates for the two sessions are as follows: Fall - October 9-12, Winter - February 12-15. Just like our middle school Bible Camp, ECA pays for all 6th grade students to go. If you would like to make a donation to the fund, we thank you for helping us provide programs for the students at our school.
Where: Big Lake Youth Camp, (outside of Sisters Oregon)
https://biglake.org/
Why: 6th grade teachers, Conference Youth Leaders, and 6th grade students enjoy a week of learning 6th grade science and celebrating God’s love for us.
How: Students leave school Monday morning and return on Thursday.
What do you need to do: As a family, decide if you would like your child to attend. This is a special program that 6th grade students have been a part of for the past 40+ years in Oregon. As I find out our session date, I will share it with you.
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