T HE
NOVEMBER 2022
Terra Nova S C HOOL
FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
Dear Terra Nova Family, As we approach the holiday season and the weather is cool, I find it natural and worthwhile to reflect on what I’m deeply thankful for. It is easy to highlight the blessings of dedicated teachers, joyful students and all the willing parents and volunteers who give so selflessly! But even among these treasures, I am just as grateful for the hardships. With the turn in the season, illness has been on the rise. We’ve persevered through missing staff and families and leaned on the help of so many. In times like this, I rejoice that in our limits, we have real-life, tangible reflections of the ways God sustains us. “Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up” (Psalm 68:19). This time of year is also a time where sins of the school begin to bubble more visibly to the surface. People get disappointed. Feelings hurt. Apathy and laziness creep at the door. Discontentment builds. We get annoyed, prideful, bitter and spiral into more selfishness. And I’m thankful that we don’t fight this with our own strength. We fight with God’s truth and the very Word of God. He is enough. He is good. We forgive because He has forgiven us. He is our hope. Our hope is not in man
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or in ourselves or in what we can do or show for ourselves. Our hope is truly in the gospel. And I’m grateful for this reminder. As our Terra Nova students have been memorizing, let us recall this to our hearts daily as well, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8). Because of His costly gift of grace, we can rest in Him doing the sanctifying work in our hearts. We trust Him to mold us into the likeness of His son, to revive our souls and to give us wisdom. This is the foundation of any Christ-centered school and especially a brand-new school like Terra Nova. I’m humbled and deeply thankful that I get to learn in this wonderful learning community. I look forward to this winter ahead and can’t wait to jump into Narnia Month after Thanksgiving Break. I hope you all are enjoying the cooler weather, staying healthy, and encouraged by God’s Word in which we truly feast all year long! Thank you to all you loving parents who serve us so sacrificially. God bless. ALLYSON MERKEY HEAD OF SCHOOL
ACADEMIC UPDATE This quarter, Terra Nova students have studied: Creation and The Fall The Renaissance Period and works of William Shakespeare The Reformation and the life of Martin Luther Exploration of the New World, Christopher Columbus, William Bradford and Squanto In December, students will begin their study of Narnia through The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.
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CLASSROOM SNAPSHOTS
FACULTY HIGHLIGHT
Rebecca Gaspar Rebecca Gaspar is a recent graduate and newly married to her husband, Anthony. She has been serving as the Upper Primary teacher at The Terra Nova School. She first stepped into the classical Christian education field as a student at The Master’s University where she received her degree in Classical Liberal Arts. As a teacher, she strives to educate young minds of today in every subject through studying the world through the lens of Scripture. Being a first year teacher has its many challenges but on Outside of academics, she occasionally picks up a paint
top of that, Rebecca has taken on a tremendous
brush that may or may not lead to an unfinished painting.
challenge of teaching students 2nd-6th grade in one
She likes to spend time exploring new places, trying new
integrated classroom. She has met this with grace, hard
cuisines, coffee shops, and learning how to create the
work and with a humble and willing spirit day in and day
foods and drinks she so enjoys at home, especially coffee
out.
and baked goods with the meaningful conversations and company of family and friends.
We are so blessed and grateful to have her on our team!
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FAMILY HIGHLIGHT
the Worcesters David and Jessica Worcester are church planters in the SDSU area. David pastors
of his soul & character growth than his academic progress, and a place that will
Compass Church where they have a vision for reaching college students and community members. They have three
prepare him to be a strong thinker for the truth in a world that is swallowing kids up with lies & confusion.
enthusiastic boys, and the oldest is attending The Terra Nova School. We chose The Terra Nova School because we wanted to give our son a high quality education that provides: a solid biblical foundation in every category of study, a teaching staff that cares more for the state
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So far, we have enjoyed seeing our son grow in love for Scripture memory, hymn singing and learning at a strong pace with peers. We have greatly appreciated the care of the faculty to help him thrive in academics and grow in godly behaviors with much grace over his process.