GRACE COMMUNITY SCHOOL FALL / WINTER 2012 - 2013 MID-YEAR REVIEW
Acts of Grace - THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER! - Dec 2012
FROM THE HEADMASTER’S HEART by Jay Ferguson The other day, I was working at my desk in the middle of something rather pressing when I received an email from my daughter. She asked me to print an assignment on our printer (the printer at home was broken), and put it in her locker. Immediately, and without thinking, I printed the document, stuck it in a manila folder, and headed up to the high school. On my way, it hit me: I’m the head of our school, a school with an $8.5 million budget, over 100 employees, 1,000 students, and 650 families. My inbox was full, as was my calendar. And yet, my child asks, and my fatherheart responds. It’s a fascinating tribute to the awesome incomprehensibility of Christ that He’s referred to in Scripture as “Eternal Father”. He is not God the Father, and yet God and Son are one. Jesus said so. Spurgeon found this equally amazing: “How complex is the person of our Lord Jesus Christ! Almost in the same breath the prophet calls him a “child,” and a “counselor,” a “son,” and “the everlasting Father.” This is no contradiction, and to us scarcely a paradox, but it is a mighty marvel that he who was an infant should at the same time be infinite, he who was the Man of Sorrows should also be God over all, blessed for ever; and that he who is in the Divine Trinity always called the Son, should nevertheless be correctly called “the everlasting Father.” How forcibly this should remind us of the necessity of carefully studying and rightly understanding the person of our Lord Jesus Christ!” And, while I don’t pretend to grasp how God and Son can be one and separate, understanding the Son as Everlasting Father helps me comprehend why the Creator of all
things would humble Himself to become less than nothing to live with us and die for us. Maybe it’s because some of us had very stern fathers, or maybe because in the depths of the shame of our sin, we think Christ’s heart is something other than it is. We sometimes picture a cold and distant Father, arms crossed, looking down His prodigious nose at us and saying, “why can’t you get this life thing right? Just stop screwing up! When you can get it together, let me know. Then, we’ll start talking about a parent child relationship.” Even if we wouldn’t say we think this, we act as if we do: hiding our unrighteousness from God, trying to cover it up, thinking if I just check all the boxes I’ll earn Dad’s approval.
For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6
This is far from the heart of the Everlasting Father. I remember another day. Emma was five. We were at Disneyworld. A massive crowd, near the entrance to the park and the monorail, thinly controlled pandemonium. One minute she’s standing next to me in her blue dress and red bow. I turn my head, turn back around. She’s gone. It takes approximately .013 milliseconds for it to register what has happened. An icy hand burrows its talons into my chest. My gut a suddenly cavernous pit. My heart rate quadrupling. I am desperate, lost. As I run around, calling her name, my mind races to where and with whom she might be. Lost and scared. Taken by someone else. Calling her daddy’s name, and I’m nowhere near to help her, to save her. What might happen to her? Who’s got her, and what have they done with her? Even as I write this, ten years later, tears come with the memory. No matter how I ultimately die, it will never be worse than that moment. If, in that instant, you said to me, “I know where your daughter is. I can return her to you. But, it will cost your life,” before those words were out of your mouth, I’d have said, “done”. That’s a sucker bet, an easy bargain. Just like another Father,
an Everlasting One, whose children were taken from Him, this time by a serpent and their own disobedience. That Father knew instantly it would cost Him everything. But, in that garden, in that second, He said to the serpent, “you will bruise him on the heel, but he will crush your head.” Done deal. Sucker bet. Easy bargain. By God’s grace, my child was quickly returned to me in the park that day. I held her in my arms, weeping tears of joy, whispering in her little ear, “you are mine: Daddy will NEVER let you go. I will always be with you. I will always protect you. You are mine.” That is a pitiful shadow of the extravagant, overwhelming, nothing-is-too-great-a-priceto-pay love that your Everlasting Father has for you. Love that cost Him everything. And, Christmas was the down payment.
AUCTION ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS IN NUMBERS
YOU DID IT! On November 1, we raised $337,813.37 to provide financial aid for families to attend Grace Community School. We couldn’t have done it without you. 541 of you participated in the auction for GCS students. You bid and inspired your friends to do the same. And you bid 1,521 times. To date, the Grace Fund totals almost $500,000. That means 200 students will receive a Grace education in 2013. Thank you for changing lives.
Scan this QR code with your smartphone to watch our Grace Fund video.
20 IDEAS FOR A GREAT BREAK Compiled by the Elementary Teachers
s (AVE A PJ DAY 0LAN TO GO NOWHERE FOR A DAY *UST hang out in your pjs at home. Maybe watch a movie, play board games, put together a larger size puzzle, etc. s 2EAD TOGETHER s 4AKE TIME TO DRAW AND COLOR WITH YOUR CHILD 4HEY love for you to sit beside them! s 4AKE A NIGHT TIME WALK AROUND YOUR NEIGHBORhood looking at Christmas lights, or even better, marveling at the moon and the stars---“God’s all-the-time lights!� s 6OLUNTEER AT A LOCAL NON PROlT s (AVE A FAMILY 7II CONTESTxBOWLING IS A FUN ONE s ,OOK THROUGH THE PICTURES FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR s (ELP AN ELDERLY NEIGHBOR $O YARD WORK FOR THEM bake cookies for them, read to them, or simply go visit them. s 'O FOR A WALK ON ONE OF THE LOCAL WALKING TRAILS s 'O ON A BIKE RIDE WITH YOUR CHILD s -AKE A BOOKMARK FOR YOUR "IBLE s 7RITE A STORY TOGETHER s (IDE A TREASURE AND MAKE A MAP 'EO CACHING is a high tech way to look for other people’s treasures.) s 7RITE ENCOURAGING NOTES OR THANK YOU NOTES s -AKE A FAMILY COUPON BOOK FOR COMMON HOUSEHOLD CHORESxDOING THE DISHES TAKING OUT THE trash, car washing, etc. s -AKE A GINGERBREAD HOUSE #HRISTMAS COOKIES etc. s 3TRING POPCORN AND WATCH A MOVIE s 4AKE TREATS TO LOCAL lRE STATIONS POLICE STATIONS and the hospitals for those who are working on the holidays. s 'O CAROLING IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD s $ElNITELY ATTEND A #HRISTMAS %VE 3ERVICE
Stay tuned for some exciting K4/K5 news in 2013 - we are making the GCS 4’s & 5’s experience even more accessible!
JUNIOR HIGH REVIEW
“Onward and Upward My Friends!� This catchy little phrase is not only the favorite tagline of our new principal, Joe Dirksen, but also a very accurate description of the ever-growing Junior High. From football and volleyball to choir and orchestra, from Spirit Week (with different costumes on each day, of course) to the first ever Junior High Pep Rally, our intrepid 6th, 7th, and 8th graders are blazing new trails and excelling in the process.
ACADEMIC SUPPORT CENTER IN ACTION This year we embarked into some uncharted territory, as we opened our ASC – Academic Support Center – to assist a wide range of students in grades 6-12. In December, Mary Dirksen, the ASC director, already had approximately 120 regular student visits per week, 13 Algebra I students, and additional students who “popin” for occasional, specific help. One teacher remarked, “I already don’t know how we could do without it.” For several years, Diane Litton has been available at the elementary to do diagnostic testing and remediation for dyslexia. Helping parents to realize the huge benefits of earlier intervention in the early elementary grades will hopefully become a bigger part of the mission of the ASC. What is the face of Academic Support? Among the stream of students who gather in the ASC are those who are in search of short term interventions. They may have missed a few days of school due to injury or illness, or be new students who are less familiar with Latin and prepositional phrases; there are students who may need a boost in solving algebraic equations, or those who are unsure about how to prepare for a history test. In addition to these students, we have individuals who have signed up for more than just occasional support and are interested in developing long term learning strategies. Together we work on organizational, study and writing skills, reading comprehension, and ways to improve cognitive function. Through
connectivity, chunking, contextual change and consolidation, we are busy cementing content. In the past few weeks we have worked through such content areas as mitosis, polar bonding, first person singular Latin pronouns, Spanish verbs with different endings, the Punic Wars, 19th century romanticism, the Exodus and the Monroe Doctrine. We are developing skills in literary analysis, creating Lewis structures, determining GCF, formulating a clear thesis, recognizing adverbs, and simplifying radicals. On a daily basis, Grace students demonstrate intentionality, effort and a desire to excel in every task. Our greatest joy is in building community, encouraging one another and bearing witness to the hand of God throughout each and every subject area. There is no square inch or split second that does not belong to Him.
HIGH SCHOOL FINE ARTS REVIEW
SEPTEMBER: Drumline at Fire Ant Festival OCTOBER: WIZARD OF OZ, Band, Strings, & Jazz Band Concerts NOVEMBER Choir & Orchestra Concerts, Festival of Theatre, One-Act Play Festival DECEMBER: Band, Choir, & Orchestra Christmas Concerts
ATHLETICS REVIEW
VOLLEYBALL: Record (6-5) Rilee Miller: 2nd Team All-State; Setter of the Year (district); 1st Team All District Emma Yeatts: 2nd Team All-District Taylor Kingsley: 2nd Team All-District Abbie Rives: Honorable Mention All-District Bethany Kimmey: Honorable Mention All-District Kristin Braughton: Honorable Mention All-District CROSS COUNTRY: State Meet held in Waco, Texas on Oct 20, 2012 Girls: 10th in the State (out of 155 female runners from across the State of Texas) Monica Lim - Jr. finished 29th Carolyn Rook - Sr. finished 20th Boys: James Burden - Fr. finished 47th Kendrick Wong - Jr. finished 80th (out of 181)
FOOTBALL: Record (5-2) All-District: Kade Clayton (Offensive Backer, Defensive Secondary) Statler Lewis (Offensive Receiver) Lin Gillham (Offensive Receiver) Grant McCarty (Defensive Line) Blake White (Offensive QB) Jacob Spitzer (Defensive Linebacker) Josh Boylan (Offensive Line) All-State: Josh Boylan (1st team, Offensive Line) Kade Clayton (2nd team, Defensive Secondary, Offensive Back) Statler Lewis (2nd team, Offensive Receiver) Grant McCarty (2nd team, Defensive Line) Lin Gillham (Honorable Mention, Offensive Receiver) Jacob Spitzer (Honorable Mention, Defensive Linebacker)
GCS DOES COLLEGE PREP A Biblical Approach to College Planning by Joshua Webb
Have you considered whether there is anything inherently Christian about the college planning process? In other words, should a follower of Jesus approach the college search in a way that’s different from the world? Looking through the lens of Scripture, we can find a few basic principles to guide our thinking: s %VERY STUDENT HAS BEEN CREATED BY 'OD WITH A unique set of gifts, abilities, interests, and passions. (Psalm 139:13-16, 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12:4-8) s 'OD HAS A PLAN AND PURPOSE FOR EACH OF (IS CHILDREN (Jeremiah 29:11, Proverbs 16:3-4, Proverbs 3:5-6, Isaiah 43:7) s 'OD IS HONORED AND GLORIlED WHEN (IS CHILDREN ARE obedient to His plans. (1 John 2:3-6 and 3:21-24, Deuteronomy 5:32-33) In light of these principles, it seems the Christian family has a clear responsibility to help each student identify his or her unique purpose and calling by God, in order that He might be ultimately glorified in their life’s work. That calling and process will likely be different for each student, but certainly the Lord will be honored in each of those outcomes.
National Merit History In 14 years of participation with the National Merit Scholarship Competition, 26 Grace students have been recognized as Commended Scholars and 6 have been named Finalists.
GCS placed fifth in the 2012 TAPPS Overall State Competition, which is determined by performance in athletics, fine arts and academics. GCS has placed in at least the top 5 every year for 17 years, including Overall State Champions twice. This distinction is a fitting illustration of our success and balance in academics and extracurricular programs.
“Just wanted you all to know that I got a call from Colin last night at OU, and he made a 98 on his human geography test at OU! He said it was a six page final, and he made the highest grade in the class. What a blessing it was to our family to hear him so proud to be among the elite of successful students academically. As you know, he was a good ole’ average B student across the board, often feeling a bit overwhelmed, and lacking self confidence in the GCS classroom. However, he tells all of his brothers, friends, and anyone who will listen that it’s all because of his teachers at Grace, that he is academically prepared.” - Ann Fedell
THE GRACE FUND
For Isabella Jones, life is simple. Every school day her clothes are picked out, her lunch is prepared, and she’s driven to Grace. She’s just like every other student. But something is different. Isabella is brought to school by her grandparents, Charlie & Juanita Jones.
school, they knew Grace was the perfect match for their family. On a fixed income, the Joneses needed financial aid. They simply couldn’t do it alone. Isabella’s story is only one of a thousand stories here at Grace.
For them, life is a bit more complicated.
This holiday season, you can help families like the Joneses by providing a gift to the Grace Fund in support of needs-based financial aid.
After years of retirement, they were given the privilege and honor of raising their grandchild. While they should be resting, they’re tending to Isabella’s every need. When it came time to start
By making a simple gift today, you can make someone’s life a little less complicated.
GIVE NOW!
’Tis the season to be generous. As you’re making your list and thinking about your spending and giving decisions for the end of the year, consider this: your tax-deductible gift to Grace will change lives locally and around the world. (Not to mention it’ll never go out of style.)
UPCOMING EVENTS Upper Campus: 3001 University Blvd. Tyler, Texas 75701
“Glimpse of Grace” For students in grades 6-12 and parents with students of any age Friday January 18, 2013 - 10am-12pm s 3TUDENTS SIT IN ON A CLASS s 0ARENTS TOUR FACILITIES s %NJOY LUNCH WITH CURRENT STUDENTS PARENTS s -EET !DMINISTRATORS Reservations Required – 903.566.5678 x129 Martin Luther King Jr. Day Monday January 21, 2013 GCS will celebrate this event - stay tuned to hear how your campus will honor this special day.
Lower Campus: 3215 Old Jacksonville Road Tyler, Texas 75701
ETHOS Meeting Monday January 7, 2013 - 9-10:30am Speaker Marvin Olasky at the East Texas private schools professional development day Parents welcome Open House: Come and Go Saturday January 19, 2013 - 10am-2pm s 6ISIT CLASSROOMS + TH s -EET TEACHERS s 2EVIEW CURRICULUM s 3CHEDULE A PERSONAL TOUR
HONORARIUMS & MEMORIALS In memory of Sarah Motes, mother of Amy McCullough and grandmother of Alexander McCullough (9th) and Hayden McCullough (3rd ) Given by: Gigi and Brent Wadle In honor of Jenny Hamilton, Class of 2008 and Rachel Hamilton (11th) Given by: Lynn and Jim Parnell In memory of Jim Mitchell, grandfather of Kameron Plank (05), Brenden Plank (02) and Jenniva Mitchell (K5) Given by: Jean Mitchell In honor of Alexis Cook (K5) and Caroline Cook Given by: Katharine and Kyle Cook In honor of Emma Jane Babb (5th) Given by: Janet and Tracy Boone In memory of Leona Maddox, mother of Coach Mike Maddox Given by: Wanda and Lanny Shaeffer; Elaine and Scott Florey In honor of Rita and Stanley McCurley, grandparents of Jill Compton (08) and Blake (12) Compton Given by: Ann and Mark Hall In memory of Dr. Sandy Hadden, grandfather of Jonathan Murphy (05), Mary Grace Murphy (02) and Kathleen Murphy (K5) Given by: Diane and David Litton In memory of Nadine and Travis Gilliam, great-grandparents of Matthew Winkler (03) Given by: Novis Winkler In memory of Richard E. Hedges, great-grandfather of Caitlin Hunt (11) and Cameron Hunt (09) Given by: Dorothy Hedges
DATES TO REMEMBER Grace Community School
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RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
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Organization U.S. Postage
Tyler, TX
Permit No. 936
Dec 24-Jan 7 s #HRISTMAS "REAK Jan 7 s # %AST 4EXAS 0ROFESSIONAL $EVELOPMENT $AY school) Jan 12-16 s TH 'RADE 7ASHINGTON $# 4RIP Jan 21 s -ARTIN ,UTHER +ING *R $AY (stay tuned for details on this day) Jan 25 s !#3) 3PELLING "EE NO SCHOOL FOR *UNIOR (IGH Feb 1-3 s 7INTER "REAK Feb 9 s !#4 Mar 1 s !#3) 3PEECH -EET NO SCHOOL FOR %LEMENTARY Mar 4-8 s (IGH 3CHOOL '/ 7%%+ Mar 9 s 3!4 Mar 11-15 s 3PRING "REAK Mar 22 s 'RANDPARENTS $AY Mar 29-April 1 s %ASTER "REAK