Winding Through the Year
At ECA, our vision is that school families Love God, Value Learning, and Serve Others.
The Windy Roads and the Awards that Await
If you enjoy road trips like I do, it’s always fun to see and experience something unusual and new. When my family went to Maui for my daughter’s wedding in 2024, I knew I needed to make a road trip along the Haleakala Highway that leads to the summit of the dormant volcano and an elevation of 10,023 feet.
The trip takes almost two hours to go a little over 10 miles. What looks like a short distance on a map is filled with switchbacks after switchbacks, blind corners, drop-offs, driving through clouds, and a final victory for the rental car. The summit is also home to an incredibly rare flower that can live about 90 years, but only blooms ONCE in its lifetime and then dies shortly after - the Haleakalā silversword.
I’m reminded of the journey we are all taking. Elementary school, middle school, high school, college and beyond are filled with windy switchbacks, drop-offs, and periods of uncertainty. But throughout the journey, if we let God lead us, what a celebration when we reach the top! Thank you for teaming with us at ECA as we help your children grow closer to God in their journey.
Front Office - Progress
We are making progress on filling our front-office position. As we continue this process, there will still be hours in the middle of the day when the office is empty. Thank you for your patience and flexibility.
The principal will be in the office during the first 15 minutes of every day, from 12:30-12:50, and during the last hour of the day.
The RING doorbell and office door cam are both tied to the principal’s phone. By ringing the center RING doorbell, you will reach the principal’s phone if you need assistance throughout the day.
ECA Staffing During the Upcoming 7&8 Washington DC Trip
From April 7 - April 16, Mr. Gaylor and Ms. Lidia will be gone with the 7th & 8th grade students to Washington DC. Mr. Wyatt will be covering 5/6 classes and helping with staffing. Teachers from the elementary grades will be checking phones in the office at least once a day, but coverage in the office will be limited. If you need to communicate with the school during these dates, please consider reaching out to your child’s teacher directly through text or email.
4th Quarter Begins
Our 4th quarter begins Monday, March 30. Because our students in grades 7&8 will be gone for two weeks near the beginning of this quarter, our P/T conferences will be held later in April. Thursday, April 23 and Friday, April 24 will have scheduled conference times. A signup sheet link will be added to next week’s ECA newsletter.
AG Program - Monday’s Science Class
On Monday, our AG Class will be for grades 5&6. 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, March 30 - Grades 5&6
Monday, April 6 - Grades 3&4
Monday, April 13 - NO AG - NO School - Teacher Professional Growth Day
Monday, April 20 - Grades K-2
K-2 Field Trip this Wednesday
The students in grades K-2 will be going to the Science Center in Eugene this Wednesday, April 1. Paperwork was sent home with students before Spring break. If you need details or additional paperwork, please reach out to Mrs. Walter or Ms. Ashley Waterson, the K-2 teachers.
No School - Monday, April 13 - Makeup Day on April 17
There will be no school on Monday, April 13. Four times a year, our staff have professional development days. These are days set by our conference. We will have a makeup 1/2 day Friday on April 17. Something special happening on that Friday, April 17 will be the music concert presented by a larger sister school, Upper Columbia Academy. UCA is on their Spring music tour and will be staying at our school the night before. Some of our ECA students have gone to UCA in the past and we are excited to welcome back Brianna Littman with the school tour. You are invited to attend this 8:30 morning program.
Washington DC upcoming trip - Final payments due
Hello 7&8 grade families. Our Washington DC trip is just over one week away. Just a reminder that beyond the initial $1000 deposits, there was an additional $300 deposit needed to cover costs for those going on the trip. With donations from last winter’s Comedy Night, the school contributed an additional $500 per student for a total of $1800 for each person going. There are a few families that still need to make final payments. Please make arrangements with the office for final payments.
Hot Lunch for the Month
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
April 1 - K-2 Field Trip to the Science Center in Eugene
April 7-16 - 7&8 Washington DC Trip
April 10 - 1/2 Friday for students in grades K-6
April 13 - No School - Professional Growth Day for Staff
April 17 - Extra 1/2 Day Friday & UCA Concert
April 23, 24 - P/T Conferences
April 27-30 - MAP Testing
April 29 - Oregon Conference Town Hall @ ECA Gym - 7:00 pm
