Remembering…
At ECA, our vision is that school families Love God, Value Learning, and Serve Others.
Getting Ready for Memorial Day in One Week
This year, students in grades 7&8 spent their spring break on a mission trip. Next year, students will be going on an educational tour to Washington D.C. One of the more reverent moments during this trip is when we visit the memorials. Although we did not go this year, we take time every May to reflect on just how much the armed forces means for our country’s freedoms. Each year, Memorial Day reminds me of this famous quote, "All gave some; some gave All." This quote is attributed to the Korean War veteran Mr. Howard William Osterkamp, who served in the Army from 1951 to 1953, during which he experienced heavy combat in Korea with his unit, the C Company, 5th Regimental Combat Team. It is only right that we show our appreciation and thanks to the many soldiers who faithfully defended our many freedoms and allow us to enjoy our freedom and liberty today.
ECA will highlight the importance of Memorial Day this week with students. Because next week will be a three-day holiday, there will be no school on Monday, May 26. There will also be no ECA newsletter sent out next Sunday. For many families, it is a time to gather together and reflect on our many blessings and remember the families who gave all and sacrificed everything. I will also be away for the 3-day weekend.
When we talk about freedoms, I am reminded of one of our country’s most loved illustrators: Norman Rockwell. His covers on the Saturday Evening Post captured important glimpses in our country’s history. Perhaps four of his most famous painting are called the four freedoms.
And when we use the words sacrifice and thanks, it is only right that we remember the sacrifice that Jesus made for all of us.
“So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” - Hebrews 9:28
K-4 Swimming Lessons Continue This Week.
This week of May 19-22 will be our last week of swimming for students in grades K-4. Students will have swim lessons at the Willamalane Swim Center on Mohawk Boulevard in Springfield. The swim times M-Th will be from 10:30-11:30. Parents are welcome to come and watch children. Students should plan on bringing a swim suit and towel for each day in a swim bag.
We will be leaving school at 10:00 and taking the bus each day. There is no extra charge for these lessons. It is included in your child’s tuition.
AG Class This Week
Our Monday AG class will be for students in grades 3&4. Students will be with Mr. Wyatt from 1:15 - 3:15.
Monday, June 2 - Final AG Monday Class for the K-2 Classroom.
Oregon Conference Town Hall Meeting this Wednesday
Emerald Christian Academy is part of a larger organization, the Oregon Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. One way for our conference to stay connected to local communities is to have local town halls throughout the year. The conference leadership team will be coming to ECA this Wednesday, May 21. For many of our churches that support ECA, it is a time to find out news and events that are affecting our greater conference. If you are curious about the greater picture of the Oregon Conference beyond our local school, this is a way to meet our leadership team and learn more about plans for the upcoming year. Here is a description from our conference:
“Oregon Conference annual town hall meetings are just around the corner––we’ll be holding five gatherings across the conference throughout the month of May.
This year's format will be a little different, however. We want to lean into our shared mission and reality of being family, and healthy families eat and tackle challenges together! With that in mind, this year we will start the evening with a light supper, during which, you’ll get the chance to read through written reports from our administration team members. You'll also get to connect with our departmental leaders one on one, who will be available to provide resources and guidance for your local church ministries.
Following supper, we'll have a short worship followed by round-table discussion and visioning for the future. Don’t worry, you’ll still have the opportunity to ask questions directly of our administration team, too.
We look forward to seeing you!”
Kindergarten after-school visitation Day coming this May 22
The kindergarten classroom will be having an afternoon visitation day from 4:00 to 6:00 for families who would like to learn more about ECA’s kindergarten program for next year. It is also a chance to visit the classroom and meet the teacher. Children are encouraged to come along and meet our kindergarten teacher. If you have friends or family in the area who have children who are kindergarten age for next year, we encourage you to share this information.
No School Next Monday, May 26 - Memorial Day
There will be no school next Monday, May 26. ECA will be recognizing Memorial Day and honoring the memory of soldiers across our nation.
ECA Annual Spring Track & Field Day & Expo Open House - Next Week - Wednesday, May 28!
ECA has an annual Track & Field Day every year in the late spring. This year, we will be having this event on Wednesday, May 28. Students will go through different activities at school with their classes in the afternoon from 1:00 - 5:00. Parents are invited to come at any time during this afternoon event to watch their children in the different events: 50 m, 100 m, 400 meter relay, running long jump, discuss throw, obstacle course, softball throw, and mini-javelin throw.
One thing that will be new this year is we will be having a short open house after the track & field events are over from 5:00-6:00. Teachers will open up their classrooms and share student work. In the past, this has been a separate Emerald Expo Day. This year, we will be combining it with our Track & Field Day. It is a great time to see some of your children’s work and a time to connect with teachers as our year winds down.
Classes go through different activities as a group during the track & field portion and it takes most of the afternoon. Plan on arriving a little before pickup or a little after to cheer your child and their classmates on. Events are timed and recorded and ribbons are awarded for the different events.
Tuesday, June 3 - ECA Spring Music Program
ECA will be having their spring music program at the ECA gym on Tuesday evening. Students in grades K-8 should plan on being at school at 6:30 with our program ready to begin at 7:00. Students should plan on wearing clothing they might wear for a special outing or church program. Spring colors are encouraged. We ask that students please refrain from t-shirts and jeans.
ECA Reading Party - Wednesday, June 4
Students in grade k-8 will be participating in a reading party. Students who have reached yearly classroom goals will be invited to be part of the special day. If students have not made the necessary progress to join in the party, there will be modified classes at school for the day. Students will be leaving school in the afternoon for fun, food, and games. This year we have a lunch planned for the park, followed by an outing to Defy. Students will return before 3:30.
There may be some students who have reached classroom reading points in the year, but their accuracy has not reached the necessary level for the party. These students will still be recognized with an AR trophy at our awards assembly on the last day of the month.
NOTE: For students going, parents will need to sign an online waiver at the DEFY facility. Below, you can find more information about the DEFY Extreme Sports Facility. You can also sign the waiver online by following the link below:
Thursday, June 5 - ECA Kindergarten Recognition
ECA will hold their annual Kindergarten recognition program on June 5. This morning program will follow with a short reception for our one kindergarten student and their family in the homeroom classroom. This will be the last day of school for kindergarten students for the 2025 school year. For students in grades 1-8, there will still be one more week of school.
Thursday, June 12 - ECA 8th Grade Class Graduation
ECA holds a graduation ceremony for the 8th grade class every June. All school families are invited to attend. This year’s program will begin at 7:00 pm on Thursday, June 12 at the Pleasant Hill SDA Church across from the school. We are proud of the accomplishments of all of our students; however, it is nice to celebrate the accomplishments of our students as they get ready for high school.
Friday, June 13 - 1/2 Day Friday & Last Day of School
ECA’s last day of school will be on Friday, June 13. The day will begin at 8:00 for students. We will have an all-school awards chapel in the gym at 8:30. This final chapel usually runs a little over one hour. Parents are invited. During this time, school and classrooms awards are handed out. Students are recognized for many different things. Additionally, the school also recognizes student achievement with scholarships for the upcoming year. This year, ECA is giving out over $7,000 in awards and scholarships that can be used to help with next year’s tuition.
The day will end at 12:30. There will be NO after-school program on that last 1/2 Friday. There will also be NO hot lunch on that last day.
Hot lunch happens every Monday and Wednesday. Additionally, whenever we have a “regular” 1/2 Friday, hot lunch will be offered by our Home & School. You can click on the link below to order hot lunch for the week for your child. If you have more than one child, please click the link more than once and turn in one week’s submission for each child. There is a payment option that is included in the form.
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, May 19 - Thursday, May 22 - K-4 Swimming Lessons
Wednesday, May 21 - Oregon Conference Town Hall
Thursday, May 22 - Kindergarten Spring Roundup - Visitation Day
Monday, May 26 - No School - Memorial Day
Wednesday, May 28 - Track & Field Day & Evening Expo
Tuesday, June 3 - ECA Spring Music Program
Wednesday, June 4 - AR Party
Thursday, June 5 - Kindergarten Recognition
Thursday, June 12 - 8th Grade Graduation
Friday, June 13 - Last Day of School