What Makes Something Valuable?
At ECA, our vision is that school families Love God, Value Learning, and Serve Others.
Where do we keep the things that are valuable to us?
I don’t know about you, but my family has a safe deposit box. We keep our “valuables” in the bank to keep them safe. Everything was working quite well until we decided we needed some items for an upcoming event. No problem we thought. We have our keys. The bank has their keys. What could go wrong? Well, it seems that some of those locks in the vault are a bit aged and tend to stop working. The only solution is to arrange an appointment with a locksmith, a bank employee, and yours truly. Suddenly that quick and easy access to the valuable items we needed right away became a little bit more complicated. Three weeks of complications later we were reunited with our mementos, keepsakes, documents, and personal treasures.
It got me thinking a bit. What valuable things do we keep near us? Is there anything that can separate us from those treasures?
Matthew 6:21 reminds us of the treasures we need to keep close. ““Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
And how do we know that God’s true treasure will always be there for us? Romans 8:38, 39 gives us the facts. “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
This week, I hope you see just how valuable it is to keep Jesus with you every day and close to your heart.
Fall MAP Testing is coming us soon.
During the last week of September and the first week in October, we will carry out our first session of yearly testing. Here is a little more information about the program:
Students in grades K-8, will have three days of testing in the morning hours from about 8:30-11:00. The three tests that your child will take are reading, ELA, and math. They will take one test each day. The results of this Fall testing will be shared with you at our P/T conference in early November. Each test is customized to your child’s ability to answer questions. Most tests take between 45 minutes - 1 1/2 hours. We are able to pause testing sessions so students will be taking breaks midway through the tests. If possible, this would be a great week for a little extra sleep, a good breakfast, and a readiness to do their best each of the three days M-W. Because some students may finish before others, please make sure your child has a book or reading material in case they finish before others. Because this testing will take place during our morning core teaching time, homeroom teachers may have altered teaching schedules for this week.
We will also have a makeup testing period on Thursday, October 3 in the middle of the day for students who may have missed a day or still need to finish a test. This first testing session will be one of three testing sessions we will use this year. We also do testing in January and late April. Home & School will be providing healthy snacks during each of the three days to keep energy and minds working. Thank you again Home & School.
Last Week to Order ECA Attire for this Year
Are you wearing the latest ECA attire? Home and School met last week and they have some amazing plans for this coming school year. Just like everyone else, they work with a budget to help bring extra flavor to our school in all the fun activities they plan. One of their fundraisers is with our school hoodies, shirts, and beanies. If you have not had a chance to order new attire for this year, now is your chance.
If you would like to place an order for any of these items, you can follow the link below for an order form. Just provide us details on what you would like to order, payment details, and we will take care of everything else.
AG Program - Monday’s Science Class
Our Monday AG classes are continuing 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. Here is a schedule of the days and classes:
Monday, September 23 - Grades 3&4
Monday, September 30 - Grades K-2
Monday, October 7 - Grades 7&8
Monday, October 14 - Grades 5&6
Monday, October 21 - Grades 3&4
Monday, October 28 - Grades 1&2
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, September 23 - AG Class for grades 3&4
September 30 - October 2 - MAP Testing
Sunday, October 6 - ECA Fall Festival