Acta Equitum – December 2021

Acta Equitum

December 2021

The Newsletter of Franklin Classical School

IN THIS NEWSLETTER From

Mr.

Hatcher’s

Desk

Excerpt

from

Dr.

Grant

Upcoming

Events

Reenrollment

Announcements

Father/Daughter

Dance

Athletics

December

Birthdays

from Mr. Hatcher's Desk Chances are you have special Christmas traditions or memories that you hold to every year. Some of my most joyous remembrances are from the Christmas season as a child. Whether it was the hope of a certain present under the tree as a young boy, or the reading of the Christmas story with our own kids before opening gifts, there are so many great memories during this upcoming time.

Perhaps most poignant in my memory is the simple lit candle during the singing of "Silent Night" during a Christmas Eve service. This image has, over the years, both comforted and reminded me of the most powerful force in our world: hope. The hope of Christmas wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. The hope of God's promises born amongst the animals in the hay. The hope of all our lives bursting forth in the starry night.

The single candle lit in the darkness of the room bursting forth its illumination reminds me of the great hope we all have in Jesus. And that candlelight challenges me afresh each year to be that same light in the world, which so desperately needs it. As we celebrate Christmas this year, may we think of the hope we have in Christ and the light we have to share in our community.

May we each be the light!

Brian Hatcher

The Adventures of Marco Polo Dr. George Grant, November 2021 Marco Polo iwas born in Venice at a time when Venice had conquered Constantinople. His father Niccolo and uncle Mafffeo left from his birth until he was 14. They explored the Spice Road, Crimea, all the way to the heart of the Mongol Empire, and even met Kublai Khan.

In 1268, they returned to Venice, taking Marco with them. They started in Venince and went nearly to the ports of the Black Sea. They went south to Bagdad and then north to Urbil, then to the Persian Gulf. Following the Great Spice World, they went to the heart of the Mongol Empire’s capital Beijing. The Spice Trail they travelled on followed much of the ancient Spice Road. They traveled more than 5000 miles to the wondrous land of Kubla Khan.

He got home just in time for the war between Venice and Genoa. Marco Polo was asked to captain a ship, where he was captured and thrown into prison. For almost 3 years, he was in a Genoese prison where he had the opportunity to tell his story. That story was eventually published as a book in French titled A Book of the Marvels of the World. He had dictated the book to Rustichello da Pisa, and the story became legendary.

Marco eventually went home with great wealth and set up a trading company. He never again ventured far, but he established a banking firm and became a member of the merchant class. When the book was published in Latin, it was called Marco Polo’s Description of the World. His descriptions were used by people such as Christopher Columbus. Polo told about the Hindus and their temples, Jewish synagogues, and the Sunnis. One of the largest Jewish communities in the world at that time was in the Arabian Peninsula.

When Marco Polo first went to the Khan, he earned his trust and traveled throughout the realm. The emperor asked Polo to explain the Christian faith to him. Then he sent Polo back west, requesting 100 of the wisest men in the church to come teach the gospel to his court. Polo took the request home and gained an audience in the papal court. He believed this was the greatest open door for evangelism since the day of Pentecost. But the Vatican was skeptical. Polo’s story sounded fanciful at best, and the request was denied.

Twenty-eight years later a papal legate was dispatched to the Mongol emperor. Polo’s stories were famous by then. By that time, word of the vast Golden Hoard’s advance to the west had been reported to travelers and merchants. The emperor said, “It is too late. I’ve grown too old in my idolatry.” Can you imagine what it might have been like if in that moment Polo had an open door, the church had seized that opportunity to proclaim the gospel from the South China Sea to Final in the West, from Poland to China, from India to Siberia, and then Ukraine? And we hesitated and waited and did nothing.

Indecision, lack of courage, lack of decisiveness, not seizing opportunities…that’s what sinks great ships. That’s what sinks great opportunities. At this moment, God is opening another door. How amazing would it be if we had the courage to pour the kind of resources needed into opening that door? The third fastest growing church in the world until this summer was in Afghanistan. How many of us knew that? How many mobilized to support that? The story of Marco Polo is a reminder that even when the story seems to have a sad ending, the whole story is not over until it’s all over. And right now, it’s not all over. We have an incredible promise:

"Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

I will make a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert."

Isaiah 43:19

Upcoming Events December 7 – 9 6th – 8th Grade Second Quarter Project Presentations Presentation Attire Required

December 10 K – 5th Grade Second Quarter Project Presentations and Christmas Program

December 10 Last day of K – 5 Classes K – 5 Early Dismissal

December 13 7th – 12th Grade Study Day Classes Dismissed

December 14 – 17 7th – 12th Grade Midterm Exams

December 17 End of Second Quarter

December 17 Father/Daughter Dance 5:00 – 7:30 pm Third Floor Lecture Hall

December 20 – January 3 Christmas Break Offices Closed

January 2 Financial Aid Applications open

January 4 All Classes Resume Presentation Attire Required

January 17 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Observed Classes Dismissed Offices Closed

January 18 7th – 12th Grade 2022 – 2023 Advising Appointments open

Live 2021 – 2022 Calendar is available in RenWeb/FACTS - Resource Documents

ReEnrollment is open!

Reenrollment now their

open.

and

To

spots

new student applications

reenroll for

your

students

2022–2023,

and

follow

are

secure these

instructions: Log in to your RenWeb/FACTS Parent Portal.

Select “Apply/Enroll" from the green menu on the left.

Choose “Enroll/Reenroll” from the dropdown.

Select “Click here to open Enrollment.” Complete the reenrollment packet and submit it along with you $185 reenrollment fee.

Please update any information that has changed in the past year, including t-shirt sizes!

Please note: Siblings of current students must submit applications and go through the application process.

Please let Anna know if you plan to apply for another child.

Reenrollment must be completed by January 31, 2022.

Announcements ACT Registration ACT registration for 10th – 12th

Due

grades is open until December

nuggets,

17th.

sandwiches

More

information

forthcoming

in

an

will

email

be

from

Mrs. Evangelista.

Congratulations

to

seniors are

to

Will Miles,

a

rise

in

costs,

grilled

Chick-fil-A

nuggets,

purchased

and

from

our

on Tuesdays and Thursdays

now

$6.00

per

order.

Lunch

cards are available from seniors for $30/card.

who won the Silver Medal at the BGA

Fall

Linguistics

Olympiad!

Will was 1 point shy of the Gold Medal

in

the

individual

High

School competition (and a full 8 points

ahead

of

bronze).

This

year saw the largest number of

All

FCS

medal

significant

was

truly

accomplishment.

a An

FCS student has medaled every year

BFLO

has

been

held

in

meetings

are

invited

These

hosted

to

prayer

by

Dana

Duggan and Raquel Warren and take place at the Warren home: 1103 Holly Hill Drive Franklin 37064 Meetings are every other Friday from 11:30am

–

12:30pm.

December's

meeting dates are 12/3 and 12/17.

person. Our thanks to Will who continues the tradition!

are

Parents in Prayer.

competitors in BFLO history, so any

parents

The

Parent Vision Night

scheduled

for the evening of Friday, December 10

has

been

postponed.

We

will

announce the new day and time in early

2022

Tickets

purchased will be refunded.

already

All-School

Father - Daughter Dance Friday December 17, 2021 5:00 – 7:30 pm Third Floor Lecture Hall

Cost:

Dance Raffle:

$25.00 per

Daughters – flower bouquet

father/daughter pair

$3.00 per ticket

$5.00 per

Fathers – gift card

additional daughter

$5.00 per ticket

orr tto c c s,, u k ks ttrru c c s s a n iin na s sn y y h h y n y n c c a a orr e,, p pa ea v vo tte tte a a m m a a l l l s s o iill o ol d d C w d C w c d.. co n n e r e o r o e e a v a v h o c c no ch n e nc err e ett e g en s t g.. s t a a e h n e h n o D D e c c h ho w cii be T S Tii S n S nc Sw rr,, ll b l l a i a C i C e e e e d F d F d ttii d w w g c g cii a att e n err n i i t t M M a a w s sw w w d d n a an

All fathers and daughters K – 12 welcome!

Please put payment in a labeled envelope and turn in to front desk or a senior class officer.

Proceeds will benefit the Senior Class.

Congratulations to the

middle school boys’ basketball team,

S

AT

IC

ET L H

who were the

CHAMPIONS of the Lancaster Christian Academ Turkey Jam tournament!

Congratulations to the

middle school girls' basketball team, who earned

Second Place at the Lancaster Christian Academy Turkey Jam Tournament!

Spring Sports Registration opens December 1st!

Ha

ppy

Bir

thda

December 2

December 16

Michael Bender

Mary Lee Coghlan

Derek Schafer

December 17 December 6

Sadie Herms

Jackson Lopez

December 18 December 8

Mr. Geoff Smith

Will Brittain

December 19 December 11

Benjamin Fisher

Coach Traci Harlow Sydney Strayer

December 20 Davey Rhea

December 13 Brady Eberhard

December 21 Olivia Kendrick

December 15 Mr. Michael Griffin

December 23 Luca Reategui

December 27 Mr. Sam Nienow

December 30 Donivan Hotchkiss

y!

We wish all our FCS families

a very Merry Christmas!