Newsletter from the Principal
September 2 , 2005

The Principal's Newsletter : I want to welcome each of you to a brand new school year. We are off to a great start as all of our students are beginning to settle in. I am looking forward to all of the exciting things that God is going to do through our school body this year.

 

Over the course of the school year I will be sending out monthly newsletters to your family. My main purpose in writing you each time will be to inform you about important issues and events happening at GCA and to challenge you in regards to Christian education. Please take a few moments to read through this newsletter which will also be made available on our website (www.gracechristian.info) and on Edline.

 

Edline Signup : I am pleased to report that around 75 of our families have already signed up and are currently using the on-line communications tool of our school Edline. While this may seem like a lot, it is still less than half of our total number of families.

 

I would encourage you to take a few moments to signup. You will need an activation code so please contact the school office for this. Once you signup, please link your account to an email address where your child's teacher can reach you. If you have any problems, the office will be happy to assist you in any way they can.

 

This is a unique tool that not all schools provide for their families. One of the unique features about Edline is that you can access your child's account from any location in the world where there is internet capability. It is a great way to stay connected to what is happening in your child's class and at GCA in general. Teachers are posting calendars, assignments, grades, and notes to their Edline site. The office is using it as well to post news, announcements, discipline reports and transcripts.

 

Signup today and stay informed!

 

Tardy to School and Early Dismissal Procedures : Please keep in mind that if a student arrives late to school (after 8:00 a.m. for secondary students and 8:30 a.m. for elementary students) they must report to the school office to receive a tardy slip. Parents of younger students will want to bring their child into the office to sign them in. Once the student has been signed in, they will be given a tardy slip to take to their classroom. Students who are late to school will not be allowed to enter the classroom unless they have a tardy slip.

 

Likewise, if a student has to leave school early for any reason, the parents must check them out in the school office. We will fill out an early dismissal slip that will be given to the classroom teacher. At that point the student can be dismissed from school. No student will be allowed to leave without an early dismissal slip.

 

Volunteer Help : We need volunteers to help us fill some much needed areas in the functioning of our school. The main areas of operation where we could use some assistance include substitute teachers, the kitchen and lunchroom, and bus drivers. In addition, all of our teachers would be excited to have volunteer help in the classroom from time to time. If you could help in any of these areas please contact the school office. These are not insignificant areas and volunteering in any way greatly assists us in the operation of our school.

 

Drop Off and Pick Up Line : Thank you for your patience as we have worked on our afternoon procedures for pick up. Our process seems to be working very well and I am pleased at the safety that is being provided for our students by our faculty and student patrols. Please continue to drive slowly and carefully as you are around the school, always keeping an eye out for our students.

 

I know that some like to park in the main lot to pick up or drop off their children instead of going through the car line. This is allowed as long as you are personally walking your child to and from the building . This is especially critical during the morning for younger children. You should not be dropping your elementary age child in the parking lot and then asking them to cross traffic areas by themselves to get to the building. This is very dangerous. Our patrols and the carline are provided to give you the most convenient and safe way to get your child to and from the building safely. Please use it as much as possible.

 

Box Tops : It is that time again to kick off our “Box Tops for Education” campaign. As many of you know, we collect these coupons that are found on the boxes of many General Mills food products to raise money for our school. Cut these off the boxes of the items you purchase and send them with your child. Each classroom will have a collection box that the box tops can be placed in. We count these up each month and reward the class that brings in the most. This is a fun and simple way that we can raise money to purchase items around the school.

 

Red Cross Relief Effort : In response to the devastating hurricane that hit Louisiana, Mississippi and the surrounding region last week, GCA has decided to give our students an opportunity to be involved in the relief efforts. In the next week or so, we will partnering with a local chapter of the Red Cross to raise money to send to those affected by this hurricane. Look for more information in next week's communiqué, in your child's steno, and on Edline.

 

This is a great opportunity to impart on our students the values of giving, sacrifice, and sharing of our abundant resources with others who are in need.

 

Accreditation Update : I know some of you have asked how the accreditation process is going. It has been a very long procedure and we are nearing the end of the process. Please be in prayer for us as we finish all of our documentation and prepare for the on-site visit by the accreditation team.

 

 

 

For His Glory,

 

 

Brian Fourman