January 2020
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to Your name give glory. Psalm 115:1
June 2018
What is it like inside the walls of GCA? What happens here day to day? Celebrating Grace gives you a glimpse of the amazing ways the Lord has blessed our school.
If Walls Could Talk
Love God. Love Others. by Robbie Mason, Head of School Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say, rejoice. Philippians 4:4 The Lord has greatly blessed Grace Christian Academy over the last 11 years. During Christmas break, I thought about what an amazing place this is and how we need to declare the Lord’s goodness and thank Him for His favor and blessings on our school ministry. I am thankful for our relationship with Grace Chapel. Without the Lord opening the doors for us to begin the school in Grace Chapel’s facilities in 2009, this all wouldn’t have been possible. I am thankful for the church leadership (Steve Berger and Mark Bright) for partnering with us as we both equip students and families to impact the world for Christ. Thank you to our families and the investment they have made in the school over the years. Thank you for entrusting your children to us, both their hearts and minds, as well as their education. Your trust and partnership are what makes Grace such a great place. I am thankful for our students and the testimony that they have here locally and around the world. Our students are phenomenal, and are striving to love others well. I am thankful that I get to see that in them. I am thankful that God has uniquely woven together a faculty and staff that are not only professional and qualified, but most importantly, they love the Lord Jesus Christ and they have a desire to love and disciple GCA students. The Lord has blessed us with an incredible team! Our vision of equipping students to impact the world for Jesus Christ is being fulfilled because of the generosity of Grace Chapel and their space, our families intentionally supporting and investing in the school and our faculty and staff who believe in equipping and empowering the next generation to make a difference for Him. I am filled with gratitude for all the Lord has done and I believe that He will continue to work in the lives of our students, families and staff.
Academically Excellent and Distinctly Christian
CONTENTS
June 2018
Head of School News
3
Elementary News
6-8
Intermediate/Middle School News
12-13
Academic Achievements
14-17
High School News & Athletics
19-33
Fine Arts
34-35
Development & Fundraising
36
Page 6
Pre-K & Elementary News By Rona Branson
Learning Services at GCA: Here to support and empower your student(s) Many are aware that we have a Learning Services program at GCA, but I don’t know if everyone realizes the importance of what they do and what a blessing it is to have this team of people. “Special Education,” “IEP,” “Accommodations,” “Modifications,” “Speech Therapy,” “Occupational Therapy.” These can be scary words for parents who have never walked down this road before, or for parents who have walked down the road in a painful way. Unfortunately, fear of labels or stigma prevents some parents from getting help that might benefit their child. I want everyone to know that Learning Services at GCA is different. Our goal is always to help a child go from where they are to the next level. Every student is different. Some students have a natural strength to learn letters and remember them. Some do not. Some are ready to learn to read before they turn five years old, some not until they are approaching six. Some have a high aptitude for math or science or literature. For others, these things are a struggle. However, every student has talents and gifts – some are just more helpful in a school setting than others. This is not a judgment of their intelligence or future ability to succeed. In fact, the earlier we can identify both strengths and growth areas for students, the better we can work together to give our students their highest chance for future success. We work very hard to ensure that no labels are put on students. Many of our students receive extra services at school daily and it is not viewed in a negative light. Because we don’t have the pressures and constraints that state run schools do, we are able to keep our focus on what is best for each child. We are able to have meaningful and productive conversations with our parents that give us insight into what each child really needs and what motivates them. I wish each GCA parent could know our team. God has blessed us with incredible people who are passionate about and feel called to help students grow, develop, and improve. Michelle Umerlik, director of the program, is a wealth of knowledge and cares deeply about all students. She is patient, kind, and supportive. Her encouragement and leadership empowers our specialists to give their best to our students every day. In addition, she supports and encourages multiple Middle School students with test taking, organization, planning and more.
Katie McCauley serves as our Occupational Therapist. It is an amazing blessing that God sent us someone with her heart, abilities, and skills. What an Occupational Therapist can bring to a school setting is invaluable. They address “the physical, cognitive, psychosocial and sensory components of performance.� In other words, she helps students with fine and gross motor development, self-control, and ensures that important brain–body connection is working properly. She is invaluable in assisting teachers with how to address the needs of particular students. The love and commitment she shows to our students blesses me every week. Katie Higby is our Reading Specialist and she has been serving our GCA students for seven years. Katie takes students in small groups or one on one and helps them push through struggles as they are learning to read. She may be helping one student remember vowel sounds, another work on fluency as they read, another building comprehension skills or taking a student diagnosed with dyslexia through a specialized program that teaches them to read in a different way than our curriculum. No one could be more encouraging than Katie. I hear her every week cheering, clapping, or celebrating a win with her students. She helps them know that they CAN do it when they feel discouraged. Anne Patterson is our Speech/Language Therapist. Anne provides therapy for students who have any kind of speech or language delay or impairment. It may be an oral, auditory or written concern that shows up. This is a common concern that comes up in early childhood. Having Anne here helps us to identify students that may need extra support as early as possible, starting in our Pre-k program. Anne is passionate and highly committed to her students. She brings a strong heart of compassion for each learner and fights for the best for every child.
Hillary White works at the High School helping to manage many students who need an extra level of support, accountability and encouragement. She tutors, mediates, and advocates to ensures that her students are getting everything they need to be successful. Her presence, love and commitment to her students is invaluable. Again, Learning Services is here to help families get the best for their students and to meet the various needs of all our learners. If every student was wired the same and learned at the same rate, teaching would be a lot easier. Learning, growth and development will be different for every child. This does not affect their value in any way; each one is made uniquely in the image of God. We would be remiss to not do all that we can to make sure their educational and emotional needs are met in a way that they can reach their highest potential.
Pag
The 4th Graders in Amy Baker’s and Ashley Jones’s classes learned a lesson in economics during their annual Market Day. The students are asked to come up with goods to market and sell. They are tasked with producing a product that will be in demand by their consumers (the GCA Lower Campus). After a successful and fun day of sales, the students took 10% of their earnings (their tithe) to put toward a service project. This year, the 4th Grade decided to join up with the school and purchase toys to contribute to Toys for Tots.
CLICK HERE to enter a team!
Loving God and loving others became tangible the week before Christmas as Grace Christian Academy partnered with the Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots drive. During the month of December, the Elementary, Intermediate, and Middle School classes were challenged to donate toys to love others instead of participating in intra-class gift exchanges. All of the 2nd and 3rd Grade classes went on a shopping “field trip” to pick out Toys for Tots that they could donate. Then, the morning of December 18, students turned in their gifts during morning carpool. On that chilly morning, a number of our staff and “Judah the Lion” were present to help collect the toys. Large and small, the toys filled two pickup trucks and were delivered to a local ministry working with Toys for Tots. Our impressive 400+ toy count was added to 12,000 other toys for distribution locally to families in need during the Christmas season. One young girl was so moved by the thousands of toys and gifts at the distribution site, that she decided to share her allocation of three toys by picking one for herself, one for her sister, and one for her mother. This was our first year working with the Marines on their toy drive, and we are excited about working with them again in the future.
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For two months during first semester, Middle School students had the unique opportunity to get to know an exchange student from Guatemala: Anai Recinos Lizama, age 13. Anai, participated with the exchange program Faces & Our Cultures. This program is specifically geared for Guatemalan students between the ages of 10 to 17, who are selected based on rigorous academic and leadership criteria. Faces was founded in 2006 by Sandy Cardona when it began partnering with CPA, and today includes more than 90 private schools across 16 different states. Guatemalan students are paired with American students of similar age and interests. Anai resided with the Higby Family and attended classes in 7th Grade. She loved the opportunity to get to know her peers and to experience all that GCA and American culture had to offer. When asked about any differences she noticed between her school and GCA, she replied the teachers all genuinely seem to care about each of their students here. For any families who think they might be interested in learning more about hosting a student next year for approximately two months, the founder, Sandy Cardona will be at GCA on Wednesday, February 19th at 2:30 PM. She will be available to answer questions and talk with families who would like to know more. Mrs. Higby will be there as well if you would like to know more. What a fantastic opportunity to have the mission field brought to you!
Intermediate/Middle School News By Suzanne Bechman Every year our Intermediate and Middle School students have the wonderful opportunity to travel on class trips. We want to be intentional about helping our students deepen relationships. Participating in these trips allows time to create memories, and bond with classmates and teachers alike. Wonderful memories are created each year and this time truly becomes one of the highlights of our Intermediate and Middle School experience. This was GCA’s 4th year to take our 8th Grade students to Washington D.C. Students tour with ACTS Christian touring company. This partnership has been so beneficial to our students because they are able to convey the deep faith and belief that our country was founded on. Seeing our monuments and history through a Christian worldview changes the way they see our nation. Students visit places like Museum of the Bible, the World War II Memorial, Holocaust Museum, the National Cathedral, and so much more. The highlight every year is visiting Arlington National Cemetery where four students have the honor of laying a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This memory is one that students and teachers never forget, and forges a deep gratitude for our veterans and our great nation.
Our 7th Grade students travel to the Cincinnati area to visit the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum. This trip fits perfectly into our Science and Biblical teaching and opens our student’s eyes to the truth of God’s Word. This is our first overnight trip at GCA, and it is so exciting!
Our 6th Grade students travel on a day trip to Huntsville, AL. There, they visit the Space and Rocket Center to explore God’s infinite creation and awe at His majestic heavens. They are able to ride the zero gravity simulator (a roller coaster with purpose) and learn about space missions of the past.
Our 5th Graders embark on field trips to historic downtown Franklin. There they visit Carnton Plantation and the Carter House. In 5th Grade we study Tennessee history and these trips coordinate so well and bring our curriculum to life!
5th Grade All A Honor Roll Elena Abart Sam Andrews Amanda Barnes Maddie Barnett Maclayne Barton Hutch Blank Sam Brewer Caroline Cochran Josh Dunn Ava Elrod Nadia Erwin David Hauk Jackson Holwerda Brooklyn Hutcheson Zoe Jones Noah Maxson Jude Mayfield Greyson McKown Pierce Miller Ethan Musser Eva Belle Patterson Olivia Pitts Toby Sarnacke Grace Caroline Steih Luke Skelton Ava Stamper Jade Thrasher John Tillman Audrey Volbeda Leighton Weiland Scarlett Whitehead
6th Grade All A Honor Roll Bella Abbate Rowan Baum Chase Coleman Jackson Dishon Chloe’ DuBois Fin Elder David Frias Hudson Gregg Wyatt Hall Caroline Hampton Ellie Harris Shane Howard Griffey Jakes Knox Lambert Isabella LaRocca Tristan Main McKenna Grace McConnell Tori Mullaney Brooke Myers London Norris Halli Olivo Luke Pedicini Ty Peterson Colton Reed Heidi Ring Parker Sloas Cutler Stephens Madi Tolliver Logan Williamson
7th Grade All A Honor Roll Gavin Centers Ty Gibbs JulieAnne Hart Jenna Huxford Nolan Maloney Ellis Mason Nathan Maxson Madelyn Miller Jonathan Mize Ava Pate Hannah Patrick Lilly Patrick Olivia Pierce Cailean Shiffert Slade Spencer Wesley Stewart Jacob Thompson Sidney Whitehead 8th Grade All A Honor Roll Hudson Barton Jake Breland William Brown Thomas Camacho Sophia Clarke Mackenzie Curle Jacob Dunn Ella Kate Gill Madelyn Gregg Savannah Griswold Ansley Harris Stellie Higby Judah Jones Ellie Karner Evan Nelson Anilee Schweiterman Georgie Tillman Parker Vanden Oever Luke Williamson Rebekah Windland Brock Woodard
9th Grade Honor Roll (4.0-4.249 on a weighted scale) Charlie Black Anna Claire Boster Ben Caldwell Jonathan Hammett Brendan Koreiba Aubrey Lane Marxie Myers Mae Pirtle Eden Sanders Brooke Stephens Aimee Vogt Bryce Woodard Parker Wright 9th Grade Principal’s List (4.25+ on a weighted scale) Emma Abart Zaine Hutchison Libby Spradlin Jeremy Walling Jonathan Walling 10th Grade Honor Roll (4.0-4.249 on a weighted scale) Levi Allen Connor Armstrong Dean Bechman Caroline Briley Raybecca Calvert Sammy Camacho Elizabeth Clements Christian Collins Jude Cox Miyah Konyn Gracyn LaRocca Paige Lewis Carter Murphy Mary Bradley Myers Tanner Nelson Silas Pankratz Mark Parker Ruthie Pirtle Alena Pitts Jake Prince Bella Scott Madison Smith Elizabeth Vogt Sean Walker Nate Westmoreland Erin Wojcik
10th Grade Principal’s List (4.25+ on a weighted scale) Dawson Bechman Katie Dial Malachi Jones Anna Claire Riggs Caleb Varner
11th Grade Honor Roll (4.0-4.249 on a weighted scale) Sam Barrionuevo Nicholas Dial Aimee Frias Alex Johnson Callan Jones Michael Koellein Elizabeth Kready Ashley Moore Jenna Pedicini Julia Rayburn Haley Ring Mitch Smith Ryan Spychalski Jack Steih Ashley Woodrick 11th Grade Principal’s List (4.25+ on a weighted scale) Blake Barton Davis Beasley Sydney Blankenship Josh Breland Victoria Buzek Anna Cella Luke Gill Joe Hauk Anna Kate Hiett Josh Hilner Meg Karner Ashton Kelley Anna Smith Grant Solomon Averi Thorn
12th Grade Honor Roll (4.0-4.249 on a weighted scale) Alex Beachum Emma Boster Nathan Burbank Bethany Carroll Daniel Coley Lance Dial Ian Farrar Carson Maloney Logan Oaks Savannah Phillips Faith Poenitske Audrey Sanders Emerson Smith Taylor Williams Rachel Windland Rebecca Wright
12th Grade Principal’s List (4.25+ on a weighted scale) Alex Armstrong Caeli Finch Charlie Koellein Braden Sipkovsky Bradey Yarbrough
PTF News By Haley Riggs
Parent Teacher Fellowship has had a busy fall and is gearing up for a great spring! We have had parents help with decorating classroom doors for Homecoming week, cooking pancakes for our High School students, hosting a Thanksgiving luncheon for our teachers, planning classroom parties for Christmas, and volunteering throughout both buildings. Our Scholastic Christmas Book Fair was also held in December and earned our school money to spend on books for classrooms and the library. On the first Friday of every month, we use parent volunteers to help quiz our students for the Elementary Passport Program. Passport is a curriculum that teaches geography to our students in grades 1st – 4th. Students are tested once a month to be able to move on to the next level, and are treated to a party in May for successful completion of Passport for the year. We also integrate special Passport chapels throughout the year where guest speakers visit and speak about a country that students have studied. If you’d like to volunteer for Passport, please email Brooke Elrod at belrod@gcalions.com. This spring, we will have Donuts with Dads, a spring Book Fair, Teacher Appreciation Week, a spring Teacher Luncheon, and will begin moving towards the 2020 – 2021 school year with the annual consignment sale and Welcome Committee. There are always opportunities to join in and volunteer. Serving with our Parent Teacher Fellowship is a great way to meet new people and be an active part of our school. If you’d like more information on ways to plug in, please email Haley Riggs at hriggs@gcalions.com. We want you to be a part of our community of parents!
High School WinterX
Page 17
By Richard Anderson
One of the most unique, beneficial endeavors GCA undertakes is known as “WinterX.” WinterX falls immediately on the heels of the Christmas holidays. . . and kicks off the New Year in the first week of January. High School faculty members submit ideas for WinterX trips in late spring. The trips must meet four criteria in order to be approved: 1. There must be an educational component; 2. There must be a spiritual/worship component; 3. There must be a service/outreach component; 4. There must be a “fun” component (It’s not “all work and no play!”). In the fall, the WinterX trips/activities are announced and students rank them as to their first, second, and third choices. Every GCA High School student participates in a WinterX activity of some type. . .attendance is mandatory. In 2020, these activities included: “Best of Nashville”—being a tourist in our town as well as some service projects. Driver’s Education—30 hours of classroom instruction + four hours behindthe wheel. Fun, Food, and Friends in Nashvegas—sharpening one’s culinary skills. Appalachia Service Project (Jonesville, VA) Disaster Relief with Samaritan’s Purse (Pearland, TX) International Mission Trips included ministry in: Belize, Jamaica, Mexico, and the Bahamas. New friendships are forged during WinterX. . .both faculty and students get to see a different side of one another away from campus. WinterX is truly a “classroom without walls!” Soli Deo Gloria. To God Alone be the Glory.
Our first full day in the Bahamas started with Sunday morning service at a Haitian church where the majority of the service was in Creole. It was a unique opportunity for our students to experience Christian faith in a different culture, and to see how joy in Jesus can be understood by everyone. Several students tried to sing in Creole during worship, but when we recognized the melody of "Nothing but the Blood", we lifted our voices in English as the rest of the congregation sang in Creole. After church, we spent the afternoon sightseeing. It was a day filled with nature, sunshine, and new experiences! Throughout the week, we had the opportunity to serve at Camp Bahamas, a Christian youth ministry, as they continue to expand and maintain their property in order to offer weeklong discipleship camps to Bahamian children during the summer. We had groups of students pouring concrete, doing laundry, cleaning cabins, organizing storage cabinets, taking down Christmas decorations, building a laundry shed, and clearing brush. In the afternoons, the Seniors ran a short VBS program at an elementary school and had fun singing songs, sharing (and acting out!) Bible stories, and making crafts with the kids. We also had downtime at the camp to play volleyball and basketball in the gym, relax in the hammocks on the beach, kayak, and play beach volleyball. We took a break in the middle of the week to relax and experience a different side of the Bahamas: the beautiful ocean! In order to break up the long drive to the northern part of the island, we stopped to explore two beautiful natural landmarks. When we arrived in North Eleuthera, we boarded a ferry to take us to Harbour Island where we ate lunch at a local Bahamian restaurant, rented golf carts to drive around the small island, and ended the day at a pink sand beach to swim, hunt for seashells, and play spikeball for a few hours. Our trip ended with a day at the Atlantis waterpark where we rode waterslides, relaxed on the lazy river, got Starbucks, and soaked in the sunshine one last time. We walked across the Paradise Island bridge for our last group dinner in Nassau before heading home. We had a wonderful time at Camp Bahamas, and we enjoyed watching the Seniors as they served, played, and prayed together. They worked hard, had positive attitudes, and showed the love of Jesus to the kids at VBS. We ate many traditional Bahamian foods and explored about two-thirds of the island of Eleuthera. It was an incredible week of learning, fellowship, and fun!
Twenty-two GCA students loaded up over 1400 lbs. of donated items and traveled to the mountain town of Chapelton, Jamaica over the High School WinterX period to practice “Love God, Love Others.” We had the opportunity to lead worship and Sunday School, serve at four local schools, and visit three different children’s homes. While visiting the schools, our group constructed shelters to help with protection from the sun, cleaned a playground and stabilized playground equipment by reinforcing it with concrete, and hosted a community event where we fed over 100 people. We also had several girls who had it on their hearts to love on babies, so they initiated, planned, and blessed young moms with a two-day Mother’s Day Out at a local church. Our trip was an amazing time for students from all areas of GCA to connect and build relationships outside of the classroom.
The Appalachian Service Project (ASP) was a fabulous opportunity to enrich the lives of our students through the repairs of family homes in need within the Appalachian Mountains. The families in this area have very low financial options, and the ASP project we worked on involved putting up siding on one house, and putting a subfloor, painting, and laying flooring in another house. Our students were highly motivated and connected with the families we had the opportunity to serve. This project was a sweet reminder of all that God has blessed each one of us with, and we should bless others out of the blessings God has given us.
The Best of Nashville (BON) WinterX had several activities planned for each day. One of the highlights of the week was watching our students serve at Inner City Ministries. Students and staff painted and did landscaping. They all learned about the Ministries and what they do for families in the surrounding area. They also toured and learned about Ronald McDonald House in Nashville. The students were able to bless families who reside there by making sack lunches and cards for them. On the agenda for BON were activities such as go-karting, Top Golf, and an escape room. They went to Hatch Show Print and learned how show posters are made and got to make their own template designs. The group went to Studio B recording studio and learned about the history of recording and were even able to make a recording of their own. They visited the Nashville Farmer’s Market and learned how food is grown in winter using hydroponics. After a tour of the market, there was a big decision about what to choose for lunch at the market. The rest of the week, make your own pancakes, juicy burgers, bbq brisket and oversized milkshakes were on the menu.
An UnBelizeable Week! Ten students accompanied by Mrs. Barnette, her husband and Mrs. Ghossein spent an unforgettable week in Belize! For four days the team visited in San Felipe village where their mornings were spent going door to door praying with the people and sharing the gospel. All the students were nervous at first, but by the end of the week were very comfortable sharing. The afternoons included leading a VBS at the school where their favorite part was always playing with the kids. After VBS, the team had free time which included going to a waterfall, touring a chocolate factory and getting ice cream (of course!). On Wednesday night the team worshipped at the House of Prayer, a local church in San Felipe. The students shared their favorite Bible verse, acted out a Bible story, sang songs, and two students shared their testimony. On Thursday night, the students had the privilege of spending more time playing with the children while Mr. and Mrs. Barnette led a session on how to share the gospel with the local church. Friday was spent ziplining and visiting Xunantunich, a Mayan ruin. All the students did a great job and are excited to share about the trip in Elementary chapel on January 28 and in High School chapel. The trip is evangelical, mission and service oriented, but also really lets the students understand a different culture as they walk through the village and meet the people. But, they also have an unBELIZEable amount of fun!
What will most GCA students, regardless of their future career, do after they graduate? ...That’s right, drive! And what could have more of a positive impact on their lives--and the lives of others around them--than learning how to drive safely? This year, WinterX offered GCA students the opportunity, through Driver’s Education, to learn the rules of the road in a fast-paced, four-day course that included two hours of exciting, behind-the-wheel, computer driving simulation. In addition to practical instruction, our students benefited from interactive games and videos that furthered their knowledge of the rules of the road while they gained valuable wisdom of the dangerous pitfalls of mixing drugs and alcohol with driving. Lastly, on Friday, students volunteered at GraceWorks in Franklin and learned that people, right in our own hometown, can use our help.
The Nashvegas WinterX began with a cooking class at Sur La Table in Brentwood. Monday through Wednesday, the students learned cooking techniques and cooked foods ranging from homemade mac and cheese, shrimp tacos, guacamole, and Italian sausage. Each day after lunch at Sur La Table, students then went to some fun places for dessert. Gracies Milkshake Bar, and Shake Shack were favorites. On Thursday, students had breakfast in Franklin and then headed to The Escape Game in Berry Hill. Each group escaped and learned how to function as a team to help accomplish a goal! After the escape game, students had a late lunch at the Pfunky Griddle where they made their own pancakes, eggs, sausage, bacon, and hash browns! On the final day, the Nashvegas group served at GraceWorks in Franklin. At GraceWorks, the students were given a tour and information about all of the ways GraceWorks serves our local community. They were then split into different groups to serve at the main facility. Some students were in the furniture area helping sort and organize donations, some students were in the food warehouse sorting donated food for distribution, and others were helping with a construction project. It was amazing to see the variety of ways GraceWorks helps provide needed resources for people in our community! After serving at GraceWorks, the students went out to lunch. All in all, this was a fun week of learning about new foods and how to prepare them, sampling new culinary treats and serving others in our community!
A team of 34 GCA students and adults traveled to Mexico eager to make a difference. Leading a team of 30 students seemed a daunting task, but each and every student was needed on this trip. We assisted Brian and Rochelle Ray (missionaries in Mexico) for the week and we worked on their church for several days. We worshipped with Grace Church Navojoa, Mexico on Sunday. Several of our young men served the church family the Lord’s supper, and several team members also helped with the children’s church. On Monday, there were 45 children who visited the ranch where we were staying. We did crafts, face paint, soccer, volleyball, cornhole, horseback rides, and also gifted each of these students with a shoebox full of school supplies and other fun items. For several days, we worked on the church property. All the interior walls of the church property received a fresh coat of paint, as well as some footers being dug and poured for a future Christian bookstore. We also visited two schools during the week, one private school and one public school of 500 elementary age students. We grew closer as a team both in friendships and spiritually. One of the highlights of our trip was when five of our team members decided to be baptized at a lake in Mexico. We traveled to Mexico hoping to make an impact in Mexico, but the Lord moved in our hearts and we came back forever changed and impacted because of this amazing opportunity. As we loved others in Mexico, God taught us more about His deep love for us. Please take a few minutes to read one student’s perspective.
By student Cody Galyon I think that most of us would say we went to Mexico expecting to spend some time with kids and spread the gospel through the way that we acted towards others, but I never expected to have my life saved. When we first arrived, we were all immediately introduced to different groups of kids who we were told would be spending the days with us. We knew that some of these kids came from less fortunate backgrounds and that gave us all the more reason to love them. I believe that we demonstrated Christ in the way that we treated the kids. As the week went on, we continued to meet new kids and other adults and I personally began to see a change in my life. I think that a majority would say that they experienced the same feelings. Near the end of the week, there were a few of us who got baptized. I believe we will never forget the relationships that we built in Mexico and the people’s lives we changed. We didn’t go to Mexico expecting to have our lives changed, but that is exactly what happened.
by student Raybecca Calvert
A WinterX group of 17 High School students and 6 chaperones served with Samaritan's Purse to help rebuild homes from the 2017 Hurricane Harvey destruction in Pearland, Texas. The Harvey rebuild has been in process for a little over two years now, and the crew has already completed roughly around 1,500 homes with the help of many volunteers from across the United States. While we were there, we split up into groups to rebuild four different houses. We accomplished many new challenging tasks that we had never tried before such as installing floors, windows, and doors, painting lots of walls, clearing out bricks and debris, and demolition. We discovered what it truly means to be the hands and feet of Jesus, and how to serve with no excuses. Many of us were challenged in our faith as well, and were given the opportunity to share a morning devotion with the whole group of volunteers and staff. Samaritan’s Purse is a very well organized operation that revolves around serving people in Jesus’ name, and they taught us how to be a living example on a daily basis. “Go and do likewise.” Luke 10:37
Basketball WinterX brushed up on their game and shot a lot of hoops during the week. The boys and girls both had two district basketball games over the WinterX week. But that is not all they did. They served at the Second Harvest food bank. The teams packed over 60,000 pounds of food, which the food bank said would provide over 5,200 meals for families in need. In addition to serving, the teams also bonded with a fun time at Top Golf.
sidewalks, shops, and restaurants of Snowshoe village, setting a beautiful scene and creating almost perfect conditions for skiing. Over the course of the next few days, our group had the opportunity to visit and learn about the Adaptive Sports Center which provides opportunities for individuals with disabilities to ski on the slopes at Silver Creek resort. We enjoyed dinners together in the village and travelled one night to a nearby restaurant where we competed in
Embracing a last-minute change of plans, early in the morning on Monday, January 6, 29 students and 4 chaperones boarded a charter bus for a WinterX ski adventure in Snowshoe, West Virginia. We arrived at the top of the mountain at Snowshoe resort in cold and snowy conditions. Several inches of fresh powder covered the
trivia night with the locals. Three days of great skiing balanced with times of fun and fellowship together— truly an adventure to remember!
GCA Physics/Engineering Students to Oak Ridge National Laboratories On November 14 and 15, 2019, GCA Physics/ Engineering students and the science team traveled to Oak Ridge National Laboratories, ORNL, as lab guests. They saw cutting edge science, and learned of ORNL’s history. The trip was an inspiration. The High Flux Isotope Reactor, Super Computing, Spallation Neutron Source, Advanced Materials Manufacturing Lab using high tech robotics, and creating the ‘3D printed Shelby Cobra electric sports car,’ featured at Talladaga are just a few of the highlights students saw. Coupled with the American Museum of Science and Energy, the students’ trip was rewarding. An ORNL Summer Internship orientation was presented to GCA students. The Junior is two weeks, and includes airfare, room, and board to work with national lab scientists this summer at Aberdeen, Maryland, a satellite lab of Oak Ridge Institute of Science Education, ORISE. The Internship Program has sparked the interest of two Freshmen and one Junior excited about the program opportunity.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare[a] and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11
2nd Place Best Candid Picture—Raychel Calvert
1st Place Best Group Picture—Avery Williams
Best Overall Photo—Anna Claire Riggs
1st Place Best Portrait—Bryce Woodard
2nd Place Most Creative—Raybecca Calvert
2nd Place Best Group Picture—Gabby Jones
1st Place Most Creative—Blythe Hutchison
1st Place Best Candid Picture—Presley Burk
WinterX has been a great success, but at GCA we are always looking for ways to improve our programs based on parent, student, and teacher feedback. As we begin planning for the fifth year of this program, we are pleased to announce that WinterX will have a new name moving forward: Mission X Our vision at GCA is to equip students and families to impact the world for Jesus Christ, and Mission X truly fulfills this goal. Beginning with Mission X 2021, every experience will have missions and service at its core. We will partner with organizations to provide meaningful, missions-focused opportunities for High School students to serve God by serving others. We are making every effort to provide a wide range of activities within various price ranges that allow our students to use their God-given gifts or to explore new abilities and talents. In addition, we will continue to offer four well-established international mission trips to Belize, Jamaica, Mexico and The Bahamas. As we plan for Mission X 2021, we welcome any suggestions for possible partner organizations. Please feel free to contact Erin Knowles at erinknowles@gcalions.com.
January 4-8, 2021
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Celebrating Grace in Athletics By Len McKnatt, Tony McLeod, Aaron Morrison & Tricia Summers
Grace Christian Academy has much to be proud of as we look back over our High School fall sports season. We want to take this opportunity to highlight our teams and student athletes who represented our school so well this past fall. Our girl’s soccer team finished second in a very tough district. The Lady Lions finished fourth in the region tournament and traveled to USJ in a first round state matchup. GCA was unable to come home with the victory, but the girls enjoyed an outstanding first season in Division II. During the course of the season, the Lady Lions competed in a very competitive tournament in Gatlinburg and our team came away with a second place finish in their division. Gabby Jones, Carlie Mason, and Brooke Stephens were named All-District players. Jones was also named to the All-Region team, along with taking home Player of the Week Honors. Congratulations to these young ladies for their outstanding season.
Our boys golf team completed a successful season on the links. The Lions broke a team record this season by shooting a one under par round in a competitive match. Jack Steih was the District Champion and GCA’s Player of the Year. Josh Breland broke a school record with three under par rounds over the course of the season. Pierce Lyons came away with the team’s Barnabas Award for most encouraging. Averi Thorne represented GCA well on the girl’s side of the district. Congrats to our golf teams and these individuals for their accomplishments. Our boys cross-country team completed another successful season earlier this fall. GCA placed 5th at the regional meet and just missed out on a state meet berth. Will Beasley ran strong for the Lions and was awarded a spot on the All Mid-state Gold team. Congratulations to all of our male and female cross-country runners. Our football team completed their first season in Division II-A. The Lions had a young roster, but competed hard. Two of our underclassmen came away with Region honors. Kytn Wolf was named all-Region as a Linebacker and Maddux Lambert was named all-Region at Wide Receiver. We look forward to seeing these young men and the team back on the gridiron next Fall. Our girls volleyball team finished 4th in a 9 team district in Division II. The Lady Lions advanced out of the district tournament and into the regional tournament. Sydney Blankenship and Davis Beasley earned all-district honors. Beasley was also named to the district all-tournament team. Bella Scott and Ashley Woodrick received the Varsity Coaches Award. Blankenship was named the Most Valuable Player on the Varsity team. Ellie Gibbs and Ruthie Pirtle earned the JV Coaches Award. Congratulations to all of these young ladies on an outstanding season.
College and Careers By Laura Camacho
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College & Careers By Laura Camacho Seniors are beginning to receive admission letters and scholarship offers. Now, decisions will have to be made over the next couple of months as to where they will study next year! Seniors are also busy with their Senior Capstone project. This semester-long project involves choosing a career they are interested in and researching it thoroughly. Students must job shadow with three different professionals in their chosen field. They are conducting these in late January. They are also identifying a problem or issue in their chosen field and researching it. They will then write a research paper and propose a solution based upon their research. Finally, they present their project at the end of the semester to a panel of evaluators. This project helps seniors better understand the career field they have chosen, provides them with experience in a workplace they might not have otherwise had, and helps them develop their communication and presentation skills. This spring we will offer a series of Career Info Lunch Sessions to interested students. The first of these will be on Health Care careers. Several healthcare professionals will speak to the students about their careers and answer questions from the students. We also hope to offer Info Sessions for careers in Business, Social Services and Sports/Athletics this semester.
Several colleges have already committed to visiting GCA this spring including UTK and Pensacola Christian College. Juniors are especially encouraged to visit with colleges this spring in to be prepared for the application cycle which begins next fall for them.
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High School Spiritual Life By Andi Hauk Love God. Love others. The first semester, we spent focused on the part one of this year’s schoolwide theme. Now we move to loving others, which can often be the hardest part! We were honored to have Pastor Jonathan Allen and Pastor Rob Rogers, both of Grace Chapel, lead us in our first chapel in January as we shift our focus. Pastor Jonathan is a true gift to our school when it comes to leading worship, and Pastor Rob brought an incredible word on what it really means to be a disciple of Jesus and how that is lived out as we show the love of God to others. Using John 13, he explained how being a disciple means following Jesus so closely that we get the opportunity to show Him to the world by the way we love. He challenged us to ask God everyday, “God, how do you want me to love today?”. So, where do we go from here? We will spend the rest of the semester getting more specific in who we love and how we love. We’ll talk about loving our friends, loving those who are different than us, loving our families, and then the whole month of February will be devoted to “Love God. Love others. Change the world.” as we celebrate World Impact and opportunities to go all over our own area and the world showing the loving of Jesus and sharing the Gospel with a lost and hurting world. We really do hope that each week you have an opportunity to dig a little deeper into your student’s morning at chapel. What a gift it is to start each Tuesday worshiping and learning together! And please don’t miss out on ordering your World Impact t-shirt or signing up for the Third Annual GCA Dodgeball Tournament, both of which are fun ways that we can benefit and show love to others. Thank you for partnering with us each and every day as we challenge your students to dive into God’s Word and to truly be a disciple of Jesus.
Congratulations to Daniel Coley, National Merit Commended Scholar! Of the 1.6 million high school Juniors who take the PSAT, Daniel is in the top 3%. This award recognizes Daniel's diligence in the classroom and his intellectual curiosity. Way to go, Daniel! Your GCA family celebrates with you!
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The Fine Arts Department has tons to be thankful for as we wrapped up last semester and have already started the second semester off strong. One of our main focuses for the rest of this semester is to share more JOY in all the different areas of art offered here at GCA. To go along side with our school theme to “Love God” and “Love Others” we believe as a fine arts team a huge way we can do that is by bringing more joy into our everyday lives through the arts. “Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!” Psalm 95:1–2 The Fine Arts team was so proud of the students who transformed into the wonderful world of Dr. Seuss in our Middle School musical Seussical Jr. It gives us no greater joy as teachers than to see our students shine on and off stage while sharing their God given talents with the world. People are still talking about how much talent was involved and couldn’t believe they were in Middle School. After the musical, the cast went and shared their talents at Morning Pointe. It was a blessing to us to be there and will be a tradition we will continue to do after all GCA productions. This year, we also added a third performance with a 5:00 PM showtime on opening night which allowed Arts and Athletics to team up for a fun school wide event. We had members of our cast sing the national anthem and our dance team performed at halftime. We hope to continue to do more joint GCA family nights. In High School, we had an end of the semester showcase which featured our senior dance team and our new musical theatre class which did a variety show including duets, trios, dance routines and small ensemble vocal numbers. In our Visual Arts world, the High School classes are maxing out and we are having to add more Visual Art classes. That is a true testimony to our wonderful High School teacher Mrs. Farrar. In Elementary, we are starting a new Art Club for Grades 2nd-4th, and again this April we will be having our school wide Art Festival Competition. Stay tuned for more information. We are excited to finish the rest of this school year off strong, while sharing our God given gifts and spreading joy and light into this world! Don’t forget to mark your calendars for our High School musical The Music Man on March 6 and 7. Thanks for supporting and loving the Arts here at GCA. We truly have a ton to be celebrating!
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By Carrie Estes
We ushered in the Christmas Season with our Elementary Christmas Program “Christmastime.� It featured our Kindergarten through 4th Grade students and showcased several solos, ensembles and narrators. It also featured our lower school dance team and a few instrumentalists as well! It was a beautiful night and such a sweet time seeing all our GCA families celebrating the true meaning of Christmas.
This semester we had our Elementary Talent Show and it featured 12 different acts from singing to dancing and playing instruments! Students from Kindergarten through 4th Grade were encouraged to participate. This year, we held it during the school day which was nice for their peers and teachers to get to see them using their talents to glorify the Lord. It was a true time of worship and a beautiful way for the students to glorify God!
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Dear GCA Families, WOW! We are overwhelmed with humility and gratitude as we tallied our 2019 gifts made to GCA. We had a record year in giving to our school for the 2019 calendar year. We also received our largest single gift in our school’s 10 year history. That is an affirming testimony to God’s goodness, the partnership we have with you as a family, your students, and the blessing of our gifted teachers and staff. We want to sincerely thank you for your generous giving to support the mission at GCA. The mission of Grace Christian Academy is to assist Christian families in the teaching of their children by providing them an experiential education that is distinctly Christian, biblically saturated, Christ glorifying, academically excellent, and service and mission oriented. We exist to help parents cultivate the legacy of Christ's hope in each student and to prepare them to spread that hope along every avenue God provides. It is through your generosity that we are able to continue to fulfill our mission and remain the most affordable accredited K-12 Christian school in Middle Tennessee. In striving to build upon the distinguished achievements and rich experiences of our student body, progress continues to be made with our Grace Family Legacy campaign to build more High School classroom space, a gymnasium, and facilities for fine arts and athletics. While we plan for the next phase of buildings on our campus, we ask that you pray for the mission of GCA and wisdom and discernment as we continue to make progress toward breaking ground on our new High School. Again, we want to thank you for your overwhelming generosity. As GCA begins our 11th year, we celebrate all that God has done and are thankful for each of the families He has brought to us. We look ahead to the future with great anticipation of all He will do! Sincerely,
Brad Myers Director of Development 615-578-3021
Mission Statement
3279 Southall Road Franklin, TN 37064 615-591-3017 www.gcalions.com
The mission of Grace Christian Academy is to assist Christian families in the teaching of their children by providing them an experiential education that is distinctly Christian, biblically saturated, Christ glorifying, academically excellent, and service and mission oriented. We exist to help parents cultivate the legacy of Christ's hope in each student and to prepare them to spread that hope along every avenue God provides.