Preparing for a Great Year!
At ECA, our vision is that school families Love God, Value Learning, and Serve Others.
Checking & Double-Checking
This summer, I shared my plans to go to Hawaii to be part of my daughter’s wedding. Planning a wedding involves a lot of checking and double-checking. Being part of a wedding in Hawaii meant even more planning. We had to consider travel plans and accommodations for everyone that would be there. How do you get flowers, wedding dresses, tuxedoes, and everything else needed across the Pacific Ocean? All of the beaches in Hawaii are public beaches. How do you plan for making a space for that special moment? Again, there was a lot of checking and double-checking.
Preparing for a new school year is very similar; in this newsletter, we will share ways we are planning to be prepared for a safe and successful school year. But what about succeeding in life? What do we need to do to plan for success? How can including God in the “travel” plans make everything smoother? King Solomon shares a bit of his wisdom in the book of Proverbs.
We humans make plans, but the Lord has the final word. We may think we know what is right, but the Lord is the judge of our motives. Share your plans with the Lord, and you will succeed. - Proverbs 16:1-4
School Staff Training
As a school, we focus on our school mission that our families love God, value learning, and serve others. We want every day to be filled with moments that happen in a safe, learning environment. Our staff are involved in training before school begins that covers several areas. We discuss our school mission, our plans for meeting academic goals, and how we can work towards helping our school community grow stronger. Here are some specific trainings / courses our staff have been trained in:
First Aid Certification
Concussion Awareness
Common Myths About Active Assailant Events
How to Recognize a Potential Attack is Imminent or Underway
Warning Signs and Pre-attack Indicators
Ways to Think About Threats
How to Protect Yourself and Others if An Attack Occurs
Sexual Harassment: Student Issues & Responses
Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Prevention
Child Abuse: Mandatory Reporting
Optional Parent Class Available to our School Families
As a parent of Emerald Christian Academy, our school’s conference Office of Education would like to extend the offer of SafeSchool online safety training program to you. We have available Child Abuse and Concussion Safety Videos. This is optional for all parents. If you would like to participate, click on the link below for instructions to participate in these two free video courses. This requires a commitment of about 30 minutes but gives you valuable information that can help our school family be a safer place for everyone.
Communication
As we shift over our school database to AE Connect, we will be shifting to a new communication tool. Our hope is to move away from the REMIND App. As we complete family information this week, we should have classroom and school groups for communication set up soon. Once this is complete, you will have access to the AE Connect Portal. A link will be sent to you in the email groups. You should be able to update family information and contacts there. Thanks for your patience as we get this system functional.
Upcoming Back-to-School Night
Next Tuesday, September 10, we will be having our annual Back-to-School Night. This evening has two parts - an evening meal, and a school / classroom presentation time. Tami Waterson will be preparing an evening meal that will begin at 5:45 and go until 6:30. There is a charge for this meal. Proceeds will go to our school’s worthy student fund. Meal prices will reflect our hot lunch prices.
Next, our school presentation will begin in the gym at 6:30 and go until 7:50. We will introduce staff, share common school news in the gym starting at 6:30. At 6:40, we will break up into classroom sessions. There will be three sessions: 6:40-7:00, 7:05-7:25, and 7:30-7:50. During these sessions, you can visit homeroom teachers and get shared documents and information about how you can stay in touch this year. We will also have some of our part-time staff if you have questions about school programs outside of homeroom classrooms. Teachers will repeat their sessions three times. If you have a younger child, you can go to your child’s earliest classroom presentation and be done for the evening. If you have children in more than one grade, this allows to you hear all of the classroom sessions.
Have you always wanted to get involved at school but didn’t know how. Stop by the Home & School Booth. They will share more about their plans for the year and how you can be a part of it. You can also find information about volunteering at school, in classrooms, or on field trips. Background checks are needed. This easy process involves following a link, providing some basic information, and watching a couple videos on child safety. This check is done by our supervising conference and maintains a safe campus for your children.
Would you like to wear the latest ECA school attire? We have school shirts & hoodies available for ordering / purchase. We have sizes for children and adults. All profits support our worthy student fund. This helps families in our community send their children to our school.
Upcoming Bible Camp - Middle School Students
For returning families, you have probably heard about our school’s participation with Bible Camp at the Washington Family Ranch in Antelope, OR. This event is designed for students in our churches, schools, and home school families in Oregon in grades 7 & 8. Currently, we are planning on all of our students in grades 7&8 participating. There is no additional charge for this program. If you would like to make a donation to help offset the school expenses, that is appreciated. If you are able to make a donation to help offset the costs of the trip, that would help us have funds for more programs in the year. Donations for the trip do not need to be submitted by this week. As a school, we will pay in October for the September event.
Below, is a link to more information about the program and paperwork that must be filled out for children to attend. It has information about what is Bible Camp, when, where, etc. This program will happen Thursday, September 12 - Sunday, September 15. We will be taking a bus there with Mr. Gaylor and Ms. Lidia as chaperones. We also have parent volunteers who are helping to work in the kitchen while our school is there.
There are TWO forms that need to be filled out: 1) OR conference Medical consent/release, 2) Young Life Camp Registration Form.
If you have any special dietary needs, please follow this link to let camp staff know before the camp begins.
Please click on the links below to download the required two forms. The third & fourth link is a information letter and packing list. NOTE: On the Young Life Form, it asks for the group or church name that will be attending. Please fill in “Oregon Conference - Junior High Bible Camp.” These forms need to be completed, signed, and returned to school before we leave on September 12. Forms can be printed out and returned to the 7/8 classroom or given to the school office.
Hot Lunch Begins This Week on Monday
Hot lunch will happen every Monday and Wednesday this year. 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
Tuesday, September 10 - ECA Back-to-school-Night, more information coming this week.
Friday, September 13- ECA’s first 1/2 day Friday
Thursday, Sept. 12-Sunday, Sept. 15 - Bible Camp for 7th & 8th Grade students
Friday, September 20 - ASB (Grades 5-8) Beach trip to Florence and the Oregon Coast