eca bulletin
Henry Piñeros
Samuel Yepes
YeNa Kim
Claudia Gamboa
Zarina Valdiri
Issue 36-16 March 31, 2017
Wendy Woehr
Sofía Alvira
Tomás López
Laura Guzmán
Juan S. Bautista
Introducing... Paola Hernández Paola Hernández was born in Bogotá. She is currently a member of the Colombia Para Cristo Church. Due to her work at ECA, she is not currently involved in any ministry at her church. She became a Christian 30 years ago. Mrs. Hernández contributes to ECA’s community by working as a Pre-Kinder teacher aide. She also has two sons who study at the school. Her oldest son is in 4th grade, and her youngest is in 1st grade. She firmly believes that it was God’s will for her to come to ECA. Mrs. Hernandez’s experience working at Pre-Kinder hasn’t been boring at all. She says that every day is a new and interesting challenge with the kids. by José Suárez, 12th
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Tyler Blount Miss Tyler Blount is our new Music teacher for school year 2017-18. Coming from Atlanta, Georgia, she has a BS degree in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from Point University, with a minor in Biblical Studies. She graduated Magna Cum Laude, and received the Hathcock Award for servant leadership, integrity, and academic achievement. She also played volleyball for her college and served as a Campus Life Minister for freshmen girls. Miss Blount has been singing since the fifth grade and has had the opportunity to travel to many places, even to the other side of the world, with her musical talents. In 2006, she was in China for a summer choir festival, singing in Shanghai, Beijing, and Xian. She has also toured Canada and Texas with a choir. But it’s not just music that takes her places, but also her desire to serve and teach. In May 2012, she taught English to elementary children in an Ecuadorean village. It seems teaching is just in her blood. She has taught swimming, guitar, and voice, and has been an assistant coach for swim teams and a little league basketball team. Now she goes places more frequently than most of us, being a flight attendant for ExpressJet Airlines. She came down for a visit in February, and we look forward to having her join our academic team in July!
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PRAISE & PRAYER Praise • We are excited to welcome John Server to our faculty next year as the secondary Social Studies teacher! John will be graduating in May from Georgia State University with an MA in History, majoring in Latin American History. John is currently teaching MS Bible, Spanish and History in Georgia, and has also taught ESL in Chile. Be praying for John as he approaches his graduation and makes the transition to ECA. • We just learned that artist David (DJ) Skipps is excited to join our academic team next year as an ESL teacher. He hails from Memphis, Tennessee, having graduated from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma with a BA in Physiology and Anatomy. He is certified with TEFL, and manages a specialty coffee shop. • For Jonathan Snyder (PE, 2014-16) and María’s wedding in Santa Marta on Thu, April 13. They ask for prayer for all of the details to come together, as well as for their marriage, honeymoon, and possible trip to the States later this year. They are praying for God’s direction and wisdom for their calling as a couple. We hope to celebrate with them when they are in Bogotá in late April.
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Prayer • For John Dougherty’s (MS Bible) mother who is in Intensive Care. Last night she was in surgery for blood clots near her heart, and her lungs stopped functioning. John flew up at 7:00 this morning for an emergency visit. • For the five mission trips to the Amazon, Sierra Nevada, Chocó, Cumaral and Guajira this coming week: for protection, health, safe trips by plane, canoe, and bus, and effective ministry in those places. • For the Lord to bring just the right people to fill our open positions for next year. Interested applicants can contact info@eca.edu.co. We are still looking at/for candidates for the following positions: -
Elementary: Pre-Kinder
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Specials: Art, PE
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Administrative Assistant
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Director of Development
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UPCOMING EVENTS Spring Play
Buy your tickets
This year’s spring play had a very successful opening night! Fri March 31 6:00p Sat April 1 2:00p* / 6:00p * Translation Available! Bring headphones and a cell phone with an FM receiver.
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General Seating: $ 8.0
All ECA families are invited to come watch A overcome the evil Jamal and woo the beautiful Ja in the three remaining performances, Friday at 6 and Saturday at 2:00p and 6:00p. All of the VIP ti have been sold, but there are still general seating ti available at the door. There will be translation Spanish at the Saturday 2:00p showing. Food and s are available for purchase to support the seniors in fundraising efforts.
000
Aladdin asmine 6:00p, tickets tickets n into snacks n their
To more fully enjoy this magical time, buy an Aladdin Combo from the senior class!
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UPCOMING EVENTS Mission Trip to Sierra Nevada Prayer Requests: • For strength and stamina for the 3-hour hike to/from the village, and surefooted mules to carry our packs • For the children we will be teaching, that they will learn, and see the Lord’s love in us.
We have seven HS students and three teachers (see front page) traveling to Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta Wednesday night to minister to the Kogi Community.
• For health, and protection from the recent virus on the other side of the mountain
The community was displaced by other Kogis after they decided to “walk Jesus’ trail,” and they are now located in Trompito Alto, a village of Christian Kogi families. One of the characteristics of the community is lack of schooling, so one of the main purposes of this trip is to provide educational support to the community.
Daily Updates for the Mission Trips If you would like to receive a daily email from one or more of the mission teams while they’re on
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the field April 6-12, click on the link below and fill out the form. Parents of team members
are already automatically on the email list. MISSIONS TRIPS 2017 LINK
prayer requests • For team unity and integrity • For physical and spiritual strength • That we can show the Father’s love to each child • That the Holy Spirit would soften and prepare their hearts
Our team will be traveling to Cumarál, Meta on Friday to work together with Visión Ágape Community, a nonprofit organization founded in 2007 to provide support to victims of war, especially former child soldiers. Our main desire is to share the amazing love of Jesus with the 40 children and teenagers who are seeking refuge in this organization.
• That God’s will would be done in and through us
of ourselves, showing the wonderful Father heart of God and His never-ending love!
• For protection • For donations (money, clothes, etc.)
For more information, visit agapeforcolombia.com
We are extremely excited about being involved in practical service activities such as farm work, as well as English immersion through fun dramas, games, and sharing personal testimonies. We are so thrilled about this opportunity God has given us to give
Donations for the Mission Teams Last Chance! With our teams leaving this Thursday, if you’d like to invest in the students our teams will be ministering to next week, now’s the time to make a donation toward the
school supplies our teams are taking. Donations can be given at the Cashier’s window, and supplies can be turned in at the receptionist’s office
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Notebooks Pencils Crayons Markers Eraser pens Glue Erasers Pencil sharpeners March 31 , 2017
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Online Pre-Registration The Scholarship Committee is almost finished assigning payment categories for 2017-18, and parents can expect an email confirming their categories next week. The next step is online preregistration, which will be open from Tue, April 10 to Tue, April 24. Remember, any returning family who turns in a late scholarship application or incomplete documents, or any
family who finishes online preregistration after the deadline, will need to pay a fine up to $150.000 ($50.000 each step) for extra costs generated by the delay. If you have any questions, write registrar@eca.edu.co.
NHS Induction Breakfast El Camino Academy will recognize its 2017 inductees to the National Honor Society at its annual breakfast on Thu, April 20 - please note this is a date change from what’s published in the student planner. The National Honor Society is an organization based in the United States that honors and offers scholarship opportunities to students
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who excel in each of the following areas: scholarship, leadership, service, and character. Parents of the inductees and select faculty are invited to attend. Last year’s inductees who are currently seniors are: Daniel Sieber, Juan Sebastian Bautista, Yena Kim, José
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Suárez, Laura Guzmán Nikkel, Carolina Silva, Louise (Seo Hyun) Ko and Camila Molina. An announcement of this year’s inductees will be released in the next bulletin.
Next Parent Workshop Having Trouble Talking with Your Kids? - In English with translation into Spanish Plan to be at the April Parent Workshop given by Zach Dalton, ECA Educational Counselor, on Tue or Wed, April 25 or 26 from 7:45a to 9:15. Zach will be talking about the importance of creating open environments for you and your kids to be able to have open and sometimes deep conversations in safe, understanding, respectful, and loving ways. It is often very difficult to find a balance between friend and parent. It can be even more difficult to talk about awkward
Staff Day Every year we celebrate our wonderful non-academic team – office staff and maintenance and cleaning crews – on Staff Day.
topics, such as sex, alcohol, partying, their friendships, etc., in an open and understanding way so your children will not shut down and shut you out. In this workshop, we will examine 1) our own reservations and insecurities in the way we communicate with our kids, 2) the importance of deep and open conversations with our kids (at different ages, mainly focusing on teenagers), and 3) necessary steps to take to move towards healthy communication styles with our children.
Our Board will be inviting all of our office, support, and physical plant staff to a special lunch celebration on Fri, April 28 at El Tambor restaurant inside Parque Bima. If you would like to send a thank you note to any of our staff, the next bulletin (April 21) will include a list of the staff.
Spelling Bee This year our Spelling Bee is on Fri, May 12. Spelling lists will be sent home soon so students can begin studying.
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all-school news Family Points
Flag Raising On March 24 we had our monthly Flag Raising ceremony, during which secondary students who achieved High Honor Roll in quarter 3 (listed in the last bulletin) were honored, along with the following elementary students who made the list for Excellent Academic Achievement. PK
May 20 is the deadline to complete your family points for the year, to avoid paying a portion of the Complementary Parent Activities Fee. There aren’t many events left in the school year to participate in, so if you’re still lacking points, check the list on page 36 of the Handbook for ideas. One enjoyable event to attend tonight and tomorrow is the play The Magical Lamp of Aladdin. You can buy general sitting tickets at the door, and parents get 2 points each for attending!
Isabella Villalba Josué Pava Santiago Romero
K
Sarah Fenelon Gabriela Vargas
We are approaching the end of the month, so it’s soon time to check your point tally as of the end of March (RenWeb ParentsWeb / Family Information / Online Filing Cabinet / Points). Points for the spring play will be entered in RenWeb by Mon, April 3. You have until Fri, April 7 to clear up any discrepancies for March. If you see anything amiss, write points@eca.edu. co.
Isabella Bejarano 1st
Sophia Medina
10 Principles for Appropriate Use of WhatsApp Groups
Julián Vargas 2nd
Jacobo Hurtado Gabriela Beltrán
3rd
(Parents, Staff, Students) Are you in a WhatsApp group? Have you ever wondered about things that are shared there? Here are some principles we are adopting for our ECA WhatsApp groups.
Isabella Gutiérrez Matías Enciso
4th
Sara Juanita López Ana Paula Chaparro
Progress Reports Thu, 4/20 The last progress reports of the year will be sent home on Thu, April 20. Encourage your children to turn in any missing work by Mon, April 17
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and when the progress report arrives, take time to talk with your children about their grades. Be sure to use this input to help your child set goals
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for the last stretch of the academic year. Celebrate together all the positive steps, and work together to create any plans for improvement.
Oops – Perfect Attendance Glitch Our apologies for posting in the last bulletin an incomplete list of those who had Perfect Attendance for quarter 3. It was corrected the following week, but many had already read the bulletin before it was corrected. We really do celebrate excellent attendance, so here is the complete list again! PK
K
1st
2nd
Hope Leonard Micaela Lizarazo Samuel Urrea Mateo Ardila Luciana Cardona Felipe Pabón Simón Escobar Emily Leonard Rafael Tovar Daniela Ardila Sara Buitrago María Emilia Carrillo Juanita Guzmán Simón Hoyos Jacobo Hurtado Juan Marcos Pabón Elise Pardo
2nd 3rd 4th
5th
6th
7th
Isabella Pinto Martin Santiago Sophie Sarmiento Katherine Leonard Sara Espinal Jacob Orduz Aidan Suárez Juanita Cuervo María Paula Gelves Samuel Granados Silvana Cardona Silvia Cuervo Ana María Díaz Stephania Romero Juan David García Juan Pablo Granados José Daniel Ramos
Esteban Roldán 7th Salomé Tovar Martin Vargas Miguel Angel Gelves Sofia Hoyos Paul Ko 8th Susana López Samuel Mantilla Valentina Nova 9th Laura Pinzón Juan David Castro Camilo Lancheros 10th Sarah Suárez Esteban Tovar Zarina Valdiri
NEEDED: Director of Development El Camino Academy has an opening for a Director of Development for the 20172018 school year and beyond. Résumés can be submitted to Human Resources. This position requires a College graduate with 3 to 5 years of experience in an Education-related job, or experience in the fields of Business or Marketing as relating to nonprofit organizations. A master’s degree is preferred, along
with training specifically oriented toward the development of private schools or nonprofit organizations. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, production of an annual, revolving Development Plan and the subsequent development of an action plan providing benchmarks to complete the planned goals. The Development Plan will primarily include
ECA Bulletin
the areas of Fundraising and Public Relations, as well as involvement with the Director and Admin Team to develop goals for the areas of teacher recruitment and physical facility development and support. A more specific, detailed description of duties and responsibilities can be found in the ECA Director of Development job description. This position will require travel as necessary to perform the tasks of the office.
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all-school news Development Corner by Marvin Retzer
BUILDING THE FUTURE – Straight & TRUE GROWING IN WISDOM “…and Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man…” Luke 2:52 (NIV) STATURE To be sturdy and effective, a building needs a strong framework. In the same way, ECA encourages students to develop a healthy body, maintained through sound lifestyle choices and regular physical education experiences. Emphasizing competency and self-challenge over competition, physical education classes foster character building, perseverance, and self-control – as well as teamwork. Intramural, and occasional interscholastic, athletic competitions are also organized for students and usually take place during lunch or elective periods. FAVOR WITH GOD The integrity of every building depends on its foundation. Ability to withstand the adversities of time rests on the crucial building blocks laid at the beginning of a project. Cracks in the walls are usually an indication of problems at the base. Working hand-in-hand with the home and the church, El Camino Academy provides a biblicallycentered educational base for its students. Its goal is to equip young men and women to become Christhonoring members of their families, churches, and communities. Bible classes are relevant and thought-provoking. They teach not only a historical foundation for the faith but also guide students toward making wise, biblically-based life decisions. Weekly chapels and/or small group discussions reinforce classroom lessons, challenging students to live daily for Christ. Chapels also provide 14 ECA Bulletin
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opportunities for stud leading worship, and s participate actively in th
In addition, outside m students practice their Whether singing in a n on a mission trip at an i learn the importance of to share the Good New FAVOR WITH MAN
A building without peo make any structure com for being. Similarly, the value if the recipient c and work with others. B lived, not in isolation, b world, ECA recognizes t and fostering interperso
Students are encourage strengths and work on w loving atmosphere. Clas activities teach leadersh solving. More importan respectful ways amon students and teachers intentional, caring, comp to come.
ECA’s goal is not simpl but to help students b members and friends eventually loving parent
“And Jesus grew in wisd with God and man.” Ou for your children is the be your partner in tra children to stand firm, s world.
dents to develop gifts in students are encouraged to heir own churches.
Family Memory Verses We continue memorizing verses about our theme for the year: Growing in Character. Our next verses to memorize these next 2 weeks are about productivity.
ministry opportunities help r faith in a larger context. nursing home or witnessing indigenous village, students f believers working together ws.
ople is just a shell. People me to life and give it a reason e finest education loses its cannot share his knowledge Believing that faith is to be but in the midst of a needy the importance of nurturing onal skills.
ed to build upon personality weaknesses in a supportive, ssroom and extra-curricular hip, teamwork, and problem ntly, daily interaction in kind, ng students and between s establishes a pattern for passionate behavior in years
ly to educate academically, become more caring family , reliable employees, and ts themselves.
dom and stature and in favor ur goal and our heart’s desire e same. May we continue to aining and building up your straight, and true in today’s
2016-17 Yearbook The 2016-17 yearbook is now on sale for anyone who wants to purchase any extras, in addition to the one yearbook each ECA family receives. Yearbooks will cost at least $52.000. To order yours, pay at the Cashier’s window. The last day to purchase yearbooks is Fri, April 21, and they should be distributed the last week of school.
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Elementary Chapel This week we are learning about God’s greatest commandment: love God. We have been walking with the Israelites for the past few weeks learning about the different rules and commandments that God gave to His people. Now they are about to enter the Promised Land, but before entering they are reminded of God’s
greatness and His love for them. Since none of the people entering the Promised Land, except Joshua and Caleb, actually lived through or saw the miracles God performed in Israel, parents were told to remind their children of God’s greatness, and instruct them to worship Him alone.
University Reps Visited this Week Vancouver Island University representative Aamera Jiwaji visited ECA this last Tuesday during HS lunch. VIU is a small liberal arts university located on a scenic island along the southwestern coast of Canada. It offers many bachelor-level programs like Business & Management, Education, Criminology, Education, and Information Technology at a very reasonable cost.
Tanya Mudde visited on Thursday. She represents Rotterdam Business School in The Netherlands. RBS is part of Rotterdam University, and it offers many English-taught international Bachelor and Master of Business programs. Many of these programs include international internships, so students graduate with real world business experience. Tuition fees are competitive and students can work and travel throughout Europe on their study visa.
University Reps Coming to ECA Four university reps from the U.S. will be here on Thu, April 6. These representatives are traveling with a larger group that will be doing University Fairs at CNG, Buckingham and Nogales (see the following 16 ECA Bulletin
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website page for more details: http://www.cois. org/page.cfm?p=2496). The four representatives coming to ECA will be offering a forum about Financial Aid and Scholarships for U.S. &
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International Institutions. The forum will be held in Bulldog Commons 1 at 8:00a. High school students who are considering studying in the U.S. or abroad are strongly encouraged to attend.
H
W S J b t s
T a j c p
Secondary Secret Church at ECA
HS Virtual Day
On Fri, April 21 ECA is hosting an event called Secret Church from 5:30p12:00 midnight. We will have a time of worship from 3:30-4:45 led by our student worship team, have a short pizza break, then begin right at 5:30. The cost is $40.000 (including pizza) + transportation (if you would like to request transportation at the end of the event). Parents are welcome to join us for this evening! If you would like to know more, go to: www.radical.net/secret-church/simulcast.
Because a majority of high school students will be on mission trips Fri, April 7, this day will be a virtual day for High School. Assignments will be posted on class Google sites by Mon, April 3, and are due Mon, April 17 for all students, whether or not they go on a mission trip. This will only be for the 5 classes normally held on Fridays. High school students NOT going on the mission trip do not need to come to ECA that day. However, they are welcome to come to school and do virtual day activities in the computer annex. Elementary and Middle School students will have a normal school day.
T4:8 Disciple Retreat The T4:8 Disciple Retreat is coming up on Fri/Sat, April 2829. All students in T4:8, plus the students they are mentoring, are going to Tenjo for an intense 2-day
retreat focused on discipleship. Students will be challenged to grow in ways that will enable them to answer the call of Jesus to become fishers of men.
High Schoolers Went to The Jungle
We had a great time this last Saturday helping out at The Jungle! We were a small group, but we were all excited about the opportunity to serve and show love to kids who need it.
The Jungle had already planned a program for the day, so our job was to bring the arts and crafts. We brought coloring pages and materials to make
paper flowers: paper, wire, and buttons. The paper flowers turned out to be a big hit. Even some of the little boys loved making their flowers! One of the sweetest moments was seeing a little boy who just finished his flower. He looked at his finished creation and a big smile lit up his face. It’s such a blessing to be able to put a smile on some of the faces of these children.
While we were working with the kids in arts and crafts, we got to have conversations with them and learn more about them. We also had free time when we got to play games with them, and that was a lot of fun! Afterwards, we prayed and thanked God for the blessing He gave us to be able to serve.
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classified ads Les invito a un campamento misionero de Nuevos Horizontes para esta semana santa en el Guaviare, Colombia. Conoce sobre misiones transculturales desde el mismo campo misionero. Más información. Inscríbete para separar tu cupo. Enviado por Hans Frank (ex-familia ECA)
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