A Busy Month
At ECA, our vision is that school families Love God, Value Learning, and Serve Others.
Have you ever noticed the ocean waves as they gain energy and crash into the shore? As they get closer to the beach and rocks, there is no where for the energy to go except to rise up and crash onto the shore. Sometimes, things tend to crash around us as life gets busy. As we enter this last full month of school, it’s always helpful to remember to keep our eyes of God.
“Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.”
Psalm 46:10
We are beginning our final full month of May!
Following our parent/teacher conferences last week, we are starting down the home stretch. The month of May is especially busy. Here are several things to remember as we begin this next month:
April 28 - May 1 - MAP testing. Students in grades K-4 will begin testing at 8:30 each morning. Students in grades 5-8 will begin their testing session at 10:00. A little extra sleep and a healthy breakfast are good ways to start our testing days. For students who miss any tests during the first three days, we will have a makeup session this Thursday.
Saturday, May 3 - Students in grades 3-6 will be performing at the Eugene SDA Church during our church program. Students in grades 7&8 will be sharing mission trip highlights and mini-sermonettes. Students should arrive at the church by 10:30 am. Once there, students will be directed to a meeting room. The church program will begin at 11:00. Please plan on church dress or spring colors.
Here is the address for the church: 1275 Polk St, Eugene, OR 97402
Most Mondays this month - We will be having AG on Mondays for different classes. The one exception will be Monday, May 5. There will not be an AG program on that Monday. Additionally, during the week of May 5-May 9 Mr. Wyatt will not be here for AG class. We will still have after-school, but it will not be AG-based.
May 5-May 9 - “Eat Your Rainbow Challenge” - Read more farther down in the newsletter.
May 9 - 1/2 Day Friday - Please note: there will be NO after-school program on this Friday. Students need to be picked up at 12:30. Mr. Wyatt is gone for this week.
May 12-May 22 - Swimming Lessons for grades K-4. Students will leave school at 10:00. Swimming lessons will be at Willamalane Swim Center off of Mohawk Boulevard. The address is 1276 G St, Springfield, OR 97477.
May 28 - ECA’s annual Track & Field Day followed by our late afternoon classroom open house. We call it “Emerald Expo.”
Keeping Our School Focused on the Right Things - Second Message
This is the last week to participate in the leadership survey. Last week, I sent an email to all families. This week, I will send out a remind notice. If you have not completed the survey, look for the link. Here is a recap of what the survey is all about: As a school, the ECA staff and teachers work together to provide a Christian education with high academic standards, solid values, and a vision for an eternity with Jesus. Our vision is that students and families love God, value learning, and serve others. This week, you will be receiving an email that helps our conference leaders know how well our school is reaching its mission. Specifically, you will receive an email with a survey link. The link asks questions about the leadership of the school. Specifically, it is a survey about how the principal is helping staff, families, and community work together to reach our school’s vision statement.
This survey is going to all schools in the Oregon Conference and is a way to collect information about how principals in each school can grow and help their school community thrive. Are there things that are being done well? Are there areas to continue growing? This is your chance to share your feedback in a safe and anonymous way. As one of the many principals in the Oregon conference, we thank you for taking your time to help us grow and serve your children and families.
AG Class 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, April 28 - Grades 7&8
Monday, May 5 - NO AG Class
Monday, May 12 - Grades 5&6
May 5-9 - Eat your Rainbow Challenge
Here is a letter from our sponsor and coordinator of this year’s healthy eating program, Connie Dunks. This letter is also going home with your child in paper form with a phone number to call if you have any questions:
Dear Parents,
During the last couple of months the Ag School has presented to the students at ECA the concept of eating fruits and vegetables from all colors of the rainbow. Our goal was to teach them the different nutrients from each color and how these nutrients nourish their bodies. To build excitement around this rainbow concept, we have announced to the students the “Rainbow Challenge”. On May 5, the students will be given a chart to take home to track the days that they eat 5 colors of the rainbow over the next week. They will earn $2.00 credit for each day they achieve this. With the credit they earn they will be able to “buy” fun items in our Rainbow store over the following week.
On May 6, I will kick off the challenge with fruit parfaits that will have 5 colors in it and serve these during their lunchtime. Our goal is to make the challenge fun and easy! I have told the students they don’t have to eat a whole apple or a lot of broccoli…..2 bites of a color will be enough!
The 5 colors are:
YELLOW
ORANGE
RED
GREEN
BLUE/PURPLE
Yours,
Connie Dunks
ASB Banquet This Wednesday, April 30
Our ASB leaders have been busy planning a fun evening for students in grades 5-8. We are doing things a little different this year, so parents, we need your help dropping off and picking up students. The plan is for students to leave school, go home, get cleaned up and dressed up for a fun evening. Parents should plan on students being dropped off at the Laurelwood campus. It is about 10 minutes away from the ECA campus. Students will be dropped off at 6:00 in the main dorm building. When you pull into the Laurelwood campus, the dorm is off to your left.
Parents should plan on returning to the Laurelwood campus to pick up their child. There will be a fireworks show as part of the evening fun. Parents are welcome to come early to watch this show. Thank you to Tannerite Industries for sponsoring this safe and festive show. Dan Tanner is a licensed pyrotechnician and will be presenting a 15-minute show. If you would like to watch this show, plan on arriving to the campus a little early around 8:00. The show should be finished and students should be ready to go home by 8:30.
Please note, to help with all expenses, there is a $10 fee per student. You can call the office and charge to cards on file or to make payment arrangements.
Hot lunch happens every Monday and Wednesday. Additionally, whenever we have a “regular” 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, April 28 - Monday AG - Grades 7&8
April 28 - May 1 - Spring MAP Testing
Wednesday, April 30 - Grades 5-8 ASB Banquet
Saturday, May 3 - Eugene Church Program hosted by ECA students in grades 3-8
May 4-10 - “Eat Your Rainbow Challenge”
Friday, May 9 - 1/2 Day Chapel
Monday, May 12 - Thursday, May 22 - K-4 Swimming Lessons