Do We Really Need that Sunlight?
At ECA, our vision is that school families Love God, Value Learning, and Serve Others.
Saving a Little Extra Light for our Daytime Hours
I hope all of you enjoyed a little extra sleep this weekend. There are 48 states in our country that follow Daylight Savings Time. Arizona and Hawaii are the only exceptions. It was signed into law with the Uniform Time Act of 1966. What does that mean for our students? It means it will start to get darker a little sooner each day. If your child is staying after school for the after-school program, plan for a warm jacket. This colder Fall weather generally means colder and wetter days, especially when students participate in recess or AG outside. It can also affect our mood.
Is light really that important in our lives? Anybody who has lived in the Pacific Northwest for a bit knows about seasonal affective disorder. Our bodies need that sunlight and when it is missing, our bodies can be affected. Specifically, SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) can show signs:
Symptoms of depression can include:
Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood most of the day, nearly every day, for at least 2 weeks
Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism
Feelings of irritability, frustration, or restlessness
Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness
Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities
Decreased energy, fatigue, or feeling slowed down
Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
Changes in sleep or appetite or unplanned weight changes
Physical aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not have a clear physical cause and do not go away with treatment
For winter-pattern SAD, additional symptoms can include:
Oversleeping (hypersomnia)
Overeating, particularly with a craving for carbohydrates, leading to weight gain
Social withdrawal (feeling like “hibernating”)
Jesus reminds us in the Bible “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life" - John 8:12
SBL - How is Schoolwork & Homework Related?
When determining a final score in a class, teachers look at the important concepts - the standards. The teacher must examine the student’s performance on assignments (practice) and assessments (tests and quizzes). Together, assignments and assessments are the “mounting evidence” or a pattern of scores entered in the gradebook to show student growth. These scores are providing the Meaningful Data, one of the four pillars of SBL, for the teacher to study. Instead of depending on a single assessment at the end of the unit, the teacher examines a series of scores to determine proficiency. Here is as an example of how the two work together.
Homework is considered student practice of knowledge and skill and is part of the learning progression. Typically, homework considered as part of the learning progression is homework that is completed in class. Work done outside of a classroom is beyond the teacher’s control, and there is no guarantee that the homework is the student’s own. Scores recorded in the gradebook by standard are considered part of the body of evidence toward proficiency and must accurately represent the student’s knowledge.
John Hopkins Institute for Educational Policy Survey
Check your email inbox. Our school survey link will go out tonight or tomorrow. This email will be sent out to your household with a link to be part of this year’s ECA school survey. Students in grades 3-8 will be able to participate in this survey AT SCHOOL. The link that you will receive is for you, the parents in the household. Our goal is to have as close to 100% participation as possible. This is a chance for you to share your voice as we look at how our school is reaching its goals and mission. Below, you will find an updated letter from John Hopkins Institute explaining more about the survey:
Dear parents,
This survey measures critical elements of school culture that reflect stakeholders’ beliefs about their schools. School Culture 360™ highlights elements of a school community that include:
School Climate – Characteristics of the school environment that foster academic achievement and positive interpersonal relationships
Academic Climate – Characteristics of the learning environment that promote high expectations, teacher support of student learning, and peer support of student learning
Civic Open Classroom Climate – The routine experience of deliberation and viewpoint diversity
School Mission and Vision – The stakeholders’ beliefs about the school’s commitments and values
These areas have been linked to various student outcomes, including academic achievement and civic preparation. A summary of research about these domains is available upon request.
While parents, teachers, staff, administrators, and students in Grades 3 to 12 take the survey, not all these groups will answer all components.
This survey is completely anonymous and will be used for secondary research. Participation in the survey is completely voluntary; there are no penalties for not participating.
Parents/guardians: Please complete one survey per household. Separated parents may complete one per parent.
November - No School Days are Coming Up (Another Reminder)
The month of November has a mixture of days that affect our normal school week. Additionally, our normal 1/2 day Friday will be on November 22 this month. Here is a list of modified school days this month:
Thursday, November 7 - 1/2 Day of school with afternoon set for P/T Conferences
Friday, November 8 - P/T Conferences
Monday, November 11 - No School - Veterans’ Day
Monday, November 18 - No School - Teacher Inservice Day
Friday, November 22 - 1/2 Friday
Wednesday, November 27 - 1/2 day of school to start the Thanksgiving Vacation.
Thursday, November 28 - No School - Thanksgiving Day
P/T Conferences THIS Thursday & Friday
Every fall and spring, we schedule time for parents and teachers to get together for conferences. These fall meetings will be THIS week. Because we are needing to schedule time for all of our familes in two days, this Thursday will be a 1/2 day. School will be let at at 12:30. We will NOT be having an afterschool program on that day. P/T conferences will then begin at 2:00 and go into the evening. Conferences will resume the next day, Friday. If either of these days do not work for you, please contact your homeroom teacher to schedule a time.
The best way to sign up for a time is to click on the box above. You will be taken to a shared Google document where you can put in your family last name for a desired time. Here are the times you can sign up for:
Thursday 2-5 (9 blocks), 6-7:40 (5 blocks)
2:00 2:20 2:40 3:00 3:20 3:40 4:00 4:20 4:40 6:00 6:20 6:40 7:00 7:20 7:40
Friday 9-12 (9 blocks), 1-3 (6 blocks)
9:00 9:20 9:40 10:00 10:20 10:40 11:00 11:20 11:40 1:20 1:40 2:00 2:20 2:40
November 22 - ECA School Family Thanksgiving Meal & Holiday Craft Fair
We are only three weeks away from our annual Thanksgiving Potluck. We should have more specific information for you next week. Know this - your family is invited to join us on Friday, November 22 to have lunch with your child and all of the other school families. Grandparents are invited too. We also invite families from our constituent churches.
New this year - We will be having a Holiday Craft Fair November 22 in the ECA Gymnasium during the Thanksgiving meal. Lunch will be served at 11AM followed by a Holiday Craft Fair from 1-3 PM. If you are a crafter and would like to have a table at the fair, please contact Carrie Dunks at carriedunks@gmail.com or 530-632-6441 for more information
Oregon Health Authority Water Quality Inventory & Report
Because our school is on a well, we are required to maintain monthly pH testing and yearly testing for hard elements (copper, lead, etc.) Recently, our school did an internal survey of our water supply lines from the well to our main classrooms. Building plans from 1972 show that lines leading from our well to the main water lines are steel water lines. There are also copper water lines going into our pump house. These plans do not show lead water lines. The school is required to share this information with you. What does it mean for your child? It means we take your child’s health and safety seriously and work with state guidelines to ensure your child’s drinking water is safe and all tests are current, passing, and up-to-date. If you would like to see a copy of the report that was provided to the Oregon Health Authority, it is available upon request.
AG Program - Monday’s Science Class
Our Monday AG classes continue this 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. Note, there will be no AG classes on Monday, November 11 (Veteran’s Day) or November 18 (Teacher in-service day). Here is a schedule of the days and classes:
Monday, November 4 - Grades 7&8
Monday, November 25 - Grades 5&6
Monday, December 2 - Grades 3&4
Hot lunch happens every Monday and Wednesday. Additionally, whenever we have a 1/2 Friday, hot lunch will be offered by our Home & School. You can click on the link below to order hot lunch for the week for your child. If you have more than one child, please click the link more than once and turn in one week’s submission for each child. There is a payment option that is included in the form.
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
Monday, November 4 - AG Day for Grades 7-8
Monday-Thursday, November 4-7 - Open Window to Participate in ECA Survey
Thursday, November 7 - 1/2 Day 12:30 dismissal followed by P/T Conferences
Friday, November 8 - NO School / P/T Conferences
Monday, November 11 - No School - Veterans’ Day
Monday, November 18 - No School - Teacher Inservice Day
Tuesday, November 19 - Grades 3-6 Field Trip to the Hult Center
Friday, November 22 - 1/2 Day Friday & Family Thanksgiving Meal / Holiday Craft Fair