A Reason for Awareness
At ECA, our vision is that school families Love God, Value Learning, and Serve Others.
A Question to Ponder…
For many of us, growing up and going to school was filled with great memories and good friends. We had monthly fire drills and were reminded about being safe at school and on the playground. I remember learning about bicycle safety at our school. As I reflect on the tragedy at the Bend Elementary School this past week, it makes me pause for a moment. I reflect on my time as a child riding my bike to school, or waiting at a bus stop without any parents or guardians nearby, or even going home midday for lunch sometimes. Has something changed since those bygone days?
I think that answer depends on who you ask. The hopes and dreams of children growing up certainly have stayed the same. The trust that parents place in school staff has stayed the same. The professional learning atmosphere teachers work to provide has stayed the same. Our desire to share Jesus’ love has stayed the same. Is there something different about the 21st century?
I think the answer lies in the word “awareness.” Parents, teachers, and students are all aware of many things that we often overlooked in the days of chalkboards and erasers. As a staff, the training and situational awareness that we bring to school every day gives us a solid foundation that we are putting best practices that ensures your children’s safety is a priority. Morning staff worships, locked exterior doors, campus safety drills, routines for checking in and out of school, designated pickups, computer and online policies, background checks for volunteers, good communication, and present supervision are tools in the toolbox. As a school family, it is our responsibility to stay mindful and aware of these tools. As a staff, our morning worships always lift students and families. We invite God’s protection over our school families and school campus. Thank you for partnering with us as we work to communicate the message of “awareness” with our students and families.
"Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us." - Psalm 62:8
Field Trip for Grades 1-4 Tomorrow, Monday, Oct. 19
Students in grades 1-4 will be going to Northern Lights Pumpkin Patch tomorrow, Monday, October 19. We will be visiting this Pleasant Hill farm from 10-12. Note: There is a fee for this field trip. The cost is $10 per child (adults are free). The school will pay one payment for all students. Parents, even if you are going, please plan on paying the school for this trip and not at the farm. Please click on the box below to let the school know your preference for payment: paytrace, cash, or check.
Ag for Grades 7&8 Tomorrow, Monday, Oct. 19
The 7th & 8th grade class has been working this first quarter of school to harvest the ginger from our summer crop. Tomorrow morning, students in grades 7&8 will be working in the hoophouse. Please plan accordingly with clothing. The harvested ginger is will be sold to the community in various forms and the money raised will go the help their classroom funds. Students in grades 1-6, don’t fret! We are making plans to getting you involved the 2nd-4th quarters!
The Great Shakeout of 2026
The Great Shakeout 2026 was last week, on Thursday, October 15, 2026. Students at ECA practiced what to do in the event of an earthquake. Our school joined thousands of schools across our country at 10:15 a.m. local time, encouraging our students to practice "Drop, Cover, and Hold On" wherever they were. Students also have monthly fire drills and secure campus drills throughout the year.
Picture Day - Monday, October 26
Two weeks ago, your child brought home a packet for ordering pictures. We will be having a studio come and visit our school on Monday, October 26. If you would like to order pictures, that can be done online by following the information in the picture packet. Even if you do not order pictures, we will still be taking pictures of all students for our yearbook. If you did not receive a packet or if it was lost, you can stop by the office for a replacement, or call the office and we will send another packet home with your child.
Hot Lunch Menu
Here is the menu for this month’s hot lunch. Meals for students in grades 1-2 are $5. For students in grades 3-8, meals are $6. Meals can be ordered and charged to your credit card that is on file. You can click on the hot lunch order link in the weekly newsletter, or can be ordered through the website in the student life tab.
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
Monday, October 19 - Grades 1-4 Field Trip to Northern Lights Farm
Thursday, October 23 - Final day of the first quarter
Monday, October 26 - Picture Day
Monday, October 26-November 1 - Eating the Rainbow AG Challenge
