May 2020
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to Your name give glory. Psalm 115:1
Love God. Love Others. by Robbie Mason, Head of School Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say, rejoice. Philippians 4:4
As we wrap up the 2019-2020 school year, I’m proud of our students and teachers for completing the academic year with excellence. I’ll be honest and say that I wish we could have finished the semester with students on our beautiful campus. Having our students and families here brings energy and excitement to both campuses. I do want to thank all students, parents, and staff for finishing the school year strong. Our teachers and administration rose to the challenge and quickly transitioned to distance learning. Our parents have been patient and gracious as we made this transition, which wasn't even a thought in our minds prior to March 2020. Through their diligence and discipline, our students have completed their studies and gained essential life skills.
The last weeks of school have been a true picture of the heart of GCA as our community offered an outpouring of love to our seniors through social media congratulations, showing up at our first ever drive by senior parade, and our first, and hopefully last, drive-in graduation. Our seniors and their families felt incredibly loved during these unusual times when so much disappointment exists in the lives of our seniors. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the love, kindness, and support that you have extended to not just our seniors, but to all in the GCA community. I am thankful to be a GCA Lion when I see our students, families and staff fulfilling this year's theme of Loving God and Loving Others. The 2019-2020 school year will be one that we will never forget. We are believing that GCA will be better and stronger due to the recent challenges, and these times have definitely made me realize what incredible staff and amazing families are part of the GCA family. Serving Christ, Robbie
Academically Excellent and Distinctly Christian
CONTENTS
June 2018
Head of School News
2
Elementary News
5-11
Intermediate/Middle School News
17
Academic Achievements
18-19
High School News
21-25
Athletics
28-29
Fine Arts
30-33
Development & Fundraising
34
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Pre-K & Elementary News By Rona Branson
Yes We Can! Can we even do elementary school during a pandemic quarantine?!! Yes we can! Not just do it, but do it well. GCA elementary teachers stepped up and worked double time for their students and God was honored in the process! As one teacher put it, “I think the culture of GCA shone brighter than ever during these past couple months. In a time where there could have been complaining or negativity, the leadership, staff, and families were SO positive, supportive, and encouraging.“ Lindsey McKown, 3rd Grade Teacher
We are so grateful to all of our parents for their partnership, participation and hard work to make all of our plans work for you at home. During a difficult time, God still gave us many wonderful gifts and our students were able to truly complete the year. Here are some of our highlights…. Meetings and Devotions over Zoom “It was wonderful to be able to carry on my weekly devotions with the girls and boys through Zoom. We'd start our meeting with a game, like a scavenger hunt, and then have a time of devotions and prayer.” Amy Baker, 4th Grade Teacher
Kindergarten did their traditional Days of the Alphabet for the last days of school. Here is B for bubbles day.
3rd grade incorporated Boredom Busters each week to keep kids learning, occupied, and happy.
Spanish
Pepper and Holton Hawkins practiced Spanish at home by labeling items in their home in Spanish.
Music Class
Other at home music challenges included chalk drawing, a musical experiment using water and glasses to create different sounds, a musical scavenger hunt and even creating various rhythms with kitchen utensils! We made the most of the situation and had fun in the process!
Even though we weren’t together in the classroom for the last two months of school, students were still eager to learn at home! Congratulations to Jason and Joseph Capicik for being the first two 4th graders to successfully achieve their black belts in our Recorder Karate program in Elementary Music!
Kindergarten Graduation
We were so grateful to continue our tradition of celebrating our Kindergarteners’ accomplishments by walking over the Kindergarten bridge signifying their readiness for 1st grade. We met outside and had a wonderful celebration of these precious children.
Most importantly, we have had many students accept Christ as their personal Savior and grow significantly in their faith and pursuit of God. Many teachers shared how their Bible classes were somehow MORE intimate during this time as students were seeking after God so diligently. In 1st grade, Mrs. Kirby’s class alone had seven students give their lives to Christ this year!
PRE-K Floss Day
Right before Spring Break, Pre-Kers had the opportunity to learn about dental health. Each classroom had their own "Pre-K Dentist Office” so the students could dress up like a dentist and clean their stuffed animals' teeth. We also learned how to floss with playdoh and blocks. One of our Pre-K moms, Cassara Regenold from Smiles on Main, came to teach us about what happens when you visit the dentist (and brought new toothbrushes for everyone!) We also enjoyed a visit from Chomp from Snodgrass & King who taught us how to brush our teeth. We ended our visit with Chomp teaching the Pre-Kers how to "floss", but this time it was dancing the floss!
Sheryl Kirby
We want to honor founding teacher, Sheryl Kirby, for her 11 years of faithful and excellent service teaching 1st grade. She helped lay the foundation of our school and has helped many students learn to read and write cursive. Her heart for God is always evident as she carefully disciples and gives loving care to every student in her class. She is stepping down from full time teaching, but will still be around GCA. We love you, Mrs. Kirby!
Mrs. Jones' 4th grade class decided to focus their World Impact Week on Nicaragua and join with the Genesis Project with Chosen Children Ministries. The students raised enough money to provide a yellow bag for 15 children in Nicaragua. The yellow bag provides the necessary uniform, shoes, books, and supplies for the children to be able to attend school. The program is also connected to the local church and community. The students were given a gospel tract and the local church will be able to check in on the families and give them future encouragement. The bags also provide income to the community as local craftsmen are employed to make the shoes and uniforms. In Nicaragua, school is a luxury most cannot afford. The opportunity it provides can change the future for those families. We were honored to play a small part and see the fruit of God's work in Nicaragua through Chosen Children Ministries.
GCA hosted the 2nd Annual Family Math Night on Monday, March 9th. Students in grades K-5th participated in fun games that were hosted by high school and middle school students (and some teachers). Dinner was available for families to purchase ahead of time to make the night go smoother. Since the event was new last year, GCA had borrowed all the games from Winstead Elementary. This year, GCA decided to make all of our games and the Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society students got busy! The photo you see show the students busy at work. We want to say “thank you� to the 60 plus students who volunteered either to make a game or to work that night. However, not all students were members of MAO. Some students just volunteered to help...thank you!! Thank you to all the parents who brought their students out to enjoy the night. It is rumored to be true that some parents also had some fun! One comment that we have received each year is how much the parents appreciate the way the older students encourage the younger students and are so patient with them. Make sure to get this event on your calendar next year. The students look forward to it all year long!
Pray for Our Leaders Mrs. Baker’s 4th grade class has been studying presidents of the United States in history, letter writing in English, and our role as Christians to pray for our leaders in Bible. To integrate all of these studies together, Mrs. Baker’s students wrote letters to thank President Trump and Vice President Pence for their hard work during the pandemic. On the front of the letter, they practiced using symmetry to draw a picture of the White House. It was a great culminating activity and one they will always remember!
Vice President Pence signed Summer Foster’s letter and returned it to her.
Dear President Trump, My name is Carson, and I am ten years old. I am a student at Grace Christian Academy in Franklin, Tennessee. I am the oldest of three kids. I have a six year old sister and a four year old brother. I love to sing and do
competitive dance. During online learning, we have been studying the presidents of the United States. Thank you so much for everything that you do for our country. I am praying for you, Vice President Pence, and your families. Philippians 4:6 says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." I pray that this verse will give you comfort and
wisdom. Sincerely,
Carson Green
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During the quarantine, not only did the students miss their teachers, but the teachers missed their students too. Several teachers were blessed to have their students drive by their house in parade form to say “hi”, “we miss you”, and “we love you.”
In morning car rider drop off, Judah the Lion passed out Love God, Love Others decals to get everyone excited for The Grace Gala!
June 2018
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The Grace Gala looked very different for us this past spring. The Grace Gala team had been meeting and planning for months in preparation for our event on March 31st. As things in our state and world began to change, we knew that, unfortunately, we would need to cancel the event.
The high school teacher workroom was filled with silent auction items and packages. It truly was a beautiful sight leading up to the event. However, once we postponed, we knew that we needed to honor the businesses that donated such amazing items, but also organize and clean the teacher workroom space. We decided to move forward with an online silent auction. We are thrilled to announce that we raised just over $45,000 with the online silent auction. There are so many people and businesses that made this possible. Thank you to the businesses that donated items, to the team that assembled the packages, and to the Grace Gala Team that made all of this possible. Thank you to our GCA families and friends who participated in the silent auction and bid on items. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.
We will now begin planning again for our live event in the fall, which will be on Monday, November 2nd. We hope you’ll be able to join us at this event as we celebrate Grace Christian Academy and the impact it is making in the lives of our students. We just celebrated our 5th graduating class and it’s exciting to see these students step into their next season of life equipped and prepared to make an impact for Jesus Christ on college campuses and in the workplace. Your generous support to GCA makes this possible. Thank you for partnering with us. We appreciate you.
If you registered for a JUNE camp - These camps have been postponed. If we are able to host camps in July, June camps will be rescheduled for July dates. Families who have registered for June camps will automatically be registered for the same camp in July. Once the new schedule is released, if you have a conflict and cannot attend, please contact Tricia Summers tsummers@gcalions.com for a full refund. If you registered for a JULY camp - As of right now, previously scheduled July camps will remain on the dates originally planned. As a courtesy to all of our families, early-bird pricing will remain in effect for the remainder of the summer.
Please contact Tricia Summers at tsummers@gcalions.com with any questions you may have.
Lower Campus Weekly Challenges Each week of virtual learning, the lower campus students were given a weekly photo challenge such as build something with legos, show us your pet, do an outside activity, etc. Many students were very creative!
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WHY NOT DO BOTH AT THE SAME TIME?
CHOOSE GCA AS YOUR SUPPORTING CHARITY ON AMAZONSMILE.COM AND GIVE BACK!
Amy Curle Director of Guidance
School Counseling has many facets that help students manage emotions, interpersonal skills, and learn conflict resolution. As the counselor, I collaborate with teachers, parents, and administration to help each student be successful both in and out of the classroom. Social-emotional lessons in the classroom, small group sessions, and individual meetings are all ways to reach students and help them learn tools to grow and develop emotionally and spiritually. It is my deep desire to help students know who they are in Christ, who He created them to be, how He is moving in their lives, and how they can seek Him in all things. Lending a listening ear, guiding goal setting, and equipping them with tools to manage challenges can help students weather storms that arise and give them success for the future.
Intermediate/Middle School News By Suzanne Bechman
How do you put into words all that has transpired this last quarter? It has been a wild ride for us all, hasn’t it? Events that we never dreamed would happen in our country and world have played out in front of us. Lots of uncertainty and difficulty on one hand, while simultaneously joy, peace, and rest on the other. I’m not sure any of us have experienced the contradicting emotions like this before while balancing schooling, work, and family life. It has been difficult and wonderful at the same exact time. Intermediate and Middle School students are social creatures by nature. Whether it is with their peers or teachers, this age group wants to talk and interact. This made the distance learning platform especially challenging for them...they simply missed their people. Yet despite the hardship, they rose to the occasion and did their best. Our teachers rose to the occasion as well. Many of them had never posted anything to Google Classroom before March 18th. After many hours of learning and uploading, they did it and it was excellent! Again and again, I saw them extend grace and go above and beyond to help. I told them on a Zoom faculty meeting that this verse came to mind when thinking about them, “We remember before our God and Father your work produced by
faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” I Thessalonians 1:3
I think the lessons we have learned from this season will last a lifetime for us all. The old saying, “Be careful what you wish for” has never been more realized. We all miss our community at GCA and look forward to the day we can return! Maybe, just maybe, when that alarm goes off early in August, we will all have thankful hearts to the Lord for the wonderful place we get to spend our days! Have a blessed and healthy summer!
5th Grade All A Honor Roll Sam Andrews Noah Anliker Amanda Barnes Maclayne Barton Hutch Blank Sam Brewer Caroline Cochran Josh Dunn Ava Elrod Nadia Erwin David Hauk Jackson Holwerda Brooklyn Hutcheson Zoe Jones Greg Kazmierski Andrew Langelier Noah Maxson Micah Murton Ethan Musser Eva Patterson Isaac Putlock Abigail Radar Toby Sarnacke Luke Skelton Ava Stamper Grace Caroline Steih Jayde Thrasher John Tillman Audrey Volbeda Leighton Weiland
6th Grade All A Honor Roll Rowan Baum Jackson Dishon Chloe’ DuBois Fin Elder David Frias Hudson Gregg Wyatt Hall Ruby Harty Shane Howard Griffey Jakes Carson Koreiba Knox Lambert Isabella LaRocca Tristan Main McKenna Grace McConnell Tori Mullaney Brooke Myers London Norris Halli Olivo Luke Pedicini Ty Peterson Colton Reed Heidi Ring Parker Sloas Cutler Stephens Madi Tolliver Logan Williamson
7th Grade All A Honor Roll Catherine Blankenship Ryan Breland Sophia Carman Ty Gibbs Samuel Glassel Lani Grasmanis JulieAnne Hart Jenna Huxford Ellis Mason Nathan Maxson Madelyn Miller Jonathan Mize Jackson Monkley Staton Murphy Kade Nord Eisley Pankratz
7th Grade All A Honor Roll-Con’ Hannah Patrick Lilly Patrick Olivia Pierce Nate Purino Sophia Rhodes Cailean Shiffert Gracie Solomon Slade Spencer Wesley Stewart Jacob Thompson Tucker Wolf Nicole Wright 8th Grade All A Honor Roll Claire Barnett Hudson Barton Jake Breland William Brown Thomas Camacho Addison Church Sophia Clark Addie Cook Mackenzie Curle Kyle Davidson Jacob Dunn Abby George Ella Kate Gill Madelyn Gregg Savannah Griswold Stellie Higby Jayse Huxford Ellie Karner Mei Lin Konyn Logan Lenthall Maggie Leigh McConnell Eli Miller Evan Nelson Joshua Poenitske Chelsea Roberts Anilee Schweiterman Georgie Tillman Parker Vanden Oever Luke Williamson Rebekah Windland Brock Woodard
’t 9th Grade Honor Roll (4.0-4.249 on a weighted scale) Charlie Black Rylan Blank Anna Claire Boster Ben Caldwell Aidan DuBois Nathan Greene Cole Hyland Jesse Koellein Brendan Koreiba Aubrey Lane Mae Pirtle Eden Sanders Brooke Stephens Aimee Vogt Bryce Woodard 9th Grade Principal’s List (4.25+ on a weighted scale) Emma Abart Jonathan Hammett Zaine Hutchison Marxie Myers Libby Spradlin Jeremy Walling Jonathan Walling Parker Wright
10th Grade Honor Roll (4.0-4.249 on a weighted scale) Levi Allen Dawson Bechman Dean Bechman Caroline Briley Raybecca Calvert Elizabeth Clements Christian Collins Maddie Cowan Jude Cox Hubbard Galloway Blythe Hutchison Miyah Konyn Paige Lewis Carter Murphy Mary Bradley Myers Tanner Nelson Mark Parker Ruthie Pirtle Alena Pitts Jake Prince
10th Grade Honor Roll-Con’t (4.0-4.249 on a weighted scale) Bella Scott Bryce Sipkovsky Madison Smith Elizabeth Vogt Sean Walker Nate Westmoreland Erin Wojcik 10th Grade Principal’s List (4.25+ on a weighted scale) Sammy Camacho Katie Dial Malachi Jones Gracyn LaRocca Anna Claire Riggs Caleb Varner 11th Grade Honor Roll (4.0-4.249 on a weighted scale) Katelin Alonzo Sam Barrionuevo Anna Kate Hiett Alex Johnson Callan Jones Ashton Kelley Jenna Pedicini Mason Potter Julia Rayburn Haley Ring Mitch Smith Grant Solomon Ryan Spychalski Jack Steih Kaylee Wyse
11th Grade Principal’s List (4.25+ on a weighted scale) Blake Barton Davis Beasley Sydney Blankenship Josh Breland Victoria Buzek Anna Cella Nicholas Dial Luke Gill Joe Hauk Josh Hilner Meg Karner Michael Koellein
11th Grade Principal’s List-Con’t (4.25+ on a weighted scale) Ashley Moore Anna Smith Averi Thorne Ashley Woodrick 12th Grade Honor Roll (4.0-4.249 on a weighted scale) Alex Beachum Emma Boster Nathan Burbank Presley Burk Raychel Calvert Anna Coley Daniel Coley Ian Farrar Cody Galyon Christina Hale Hannah Johnson Gabrielle Jones Charlie Koellein Maclaine McKnatt Kaden Nordhoff Logan Oaks Hana Pedicini Savannah Phillips Faith Poenitske Audrey Sanders Emerson Smith Taylor Williams 12th Grade Principal’s List (4.25+ on a weighted scale) Alex Armstrong Lance Dial Caeli Finch Carson Maloney Braden Sipkovsky Rachel Windland Rebecca Wright Bradey Yarbrough
PTF News By Haley Riggs The spring semester at GCA was busy from the moment we returned from Christmas break. Before moving to distance learning, we had the opportunity to honor our school dads at our annual Donuts with Dads, host a special teacher luncheon, and hold our Scholastic Book Fair. All of these events are special, but our Scholastic Book Fair allowed us a very unique opportunity to serve many communities. With the money that was raised at our Scholastic Book Fair this year, we were able to purchase books for schools in our area that were recently devastated by the Nashville tornadoes. Books were also purchased to send to Chapelton, Jamaica through the Fergus Simpson Foundation for a school library and to provide new teachers with classroom books through Cassidy Cares. Your generosity allowed GCA Parent Teacher Fellowship to impact students at our school and in our community, as well as areas far outside of middle Tennessee. With distance learning and quarantine came the unique opportunity to show our sincere gratitude and thankfulness for the amazing teachers at GCA. We had to find special ways to honor our teachers and Teacher Appreciation Week turned into Teacher Appreciation Quarter. You stepped up in great ways to show our teachers love – from parades to Zoom calls, we had it all! As a school, we placed Teacher Appreciation signs in all classroom teacher yards, sent gift cards in the mail and delivered special treats to everyone’s doors. Our faculty and staff worked tirelessly to make sure that your child continued to learn despite difficult circumstances and our Parent Teacher Fellowship worked hard to make sure the faculty and staff felt your appreciation.
As the summer months come, we look ahead to preparations for next school year and how exciting it will be to be together again! On June 4th – 6th, PTF will hold the annual uniform and spirit wear consignment sale. For more information, please reach out to Haley Riggs at hriggs@gcalions.com or Nicole Smith at nsmith@gcalions.com. We will also be putting together our Welcome Committee to help us welcome new families next school year and plan back to school events. There are always opportunities to join in and volunteer. Serving with our Parent Teacher Fellowship is a great way to meet new people and be an active part of our school. If you’d like more information on ways to plug in, please email Haley Riggs at hriggs@gcalions.com. We want you to be a part of our community of parents!
High School News
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By Richard Anderson “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemies before you, saying, ‘Destroy them!’” (Deuteronomy 33:27)
“My mother and my aunt had a saying: ‘This (thing) had a beginning. . .it has a middle. . .it will have an end.’” (Julie Andrews on living through the London bombings as a child) “When you get it all said, He loves us. Bet your life on it. Stake your future on it. Put everything you hold dear in His hands, and relax and know that He means you good.” (My mentor, John Acuff. . .circa 1978) I have never been prouder of a group of people than I am of the GCA students, parents, faculty and staff. . Every generation has its defining moments. . . For my grandparents, it was World War I. For my parents, it was the Great Depression and World War II (in which my Dad and three of his brothers fought). For my generation (the “Baby Boomers”), there have been several: the Vietnam War and the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., and Senator Robert F. Kennedy. For my own children, it was September 11, 2001 (a.k.a. “9/11”). And, now, for my grandchildren it is COVID19. . .the Pandemic. . .the “Great Pause.” On Thursday, March 12 GCA dismissed (a day early) for Spring Break. . .we never went back to campus. The day early was in order to get a start on the “deep cleaning” necessary to disinfect the High School building (and the rest of the GCA campus). A new and deadly virus—the Novel Coronavirus (COVID 19)—had originated in parts of Asia and Europe in late December, 2019/early January, 2020. . .and by March had made its way to North America, the United States, the State of Tennessee, and the “little slice of Heaven” known as Leiper’s Fork. Coronavirus decided to come and stay for a while. . . As never before (in our lifetime), local, State, and Federal governments had to look at current practices in every conceivable aspect of life. . .and the health and safety measures which accompany them. For those of us in Education, the question was: “How shall we now ‘do’ school?” GCA joined schools and educators nationwide in undertaking a new endeavor: Distance (or Remote) Learning. Just as it sounds, the instruction takes place “at a distance” with both the teacher and the student separated from one another. While it had its challenges, it was “doable”. . .and everyone at GCA rose to the occasion! My “hat is off” to you, Lion Nation! The pandemic indeed has a beginning, a middle, and it will have an END. We will get through this! After all: “underneath are the Everlasting Arms”. . .He will continue to carry us! Thanks for partnering with GCA in the 2019-2020 school year. Have a blessed Summer! Richard B. Anderson High School Principal
What a semester! Although the Class of 2020 did not have a “normal” last semester of high school, GCA still provided them with a wonderful weekend of celebration at the end. The 50 students in the Class of 2020 were feted with a Senior Parade on Friday, May 15th. Over 200 decorated vehicles drove through the parade route at the high school, offering treats and encouragement to the seniors. Sunday, May 17th was GCA’s original graduation date, and due to the generosity of Grace Chapel we were still able to hold graduation on that date. The ceremony looked a little different, it was drive -in style! Graduates were seated in socially distanced chairs in front of the outdoor stage and were still able to process across the stage, receiving their diplomas and Bibles as usual. Family and friends watched the ceremony from their cars and were able to listen live and on a local radio channel. The ceremony was also live-streamed on GCA’s Facebook page.
The Class of 2020 has been offered more than $5,000,000 in scholarship awards and 98% of the class plans to matriculate in a post-secondary program in the fall. Eight student athletes will go on to play their sport at the collegiate level. The Class of 2020 is the largest class to graduate from GCA to date. We wish the Class of 2020 all the best and pray that they will go out into their chosen colleges and careers as ambassadors of Christ.
Congratulations to the Cla
Alex Armstrong
Kassidy Clarke
Christina Hale
Alex Beachum
Anna Coley
Harris Hicks
Emma Boster
Daniel Coley
Hannah Johnson
Nathan Burbank
Ty Davidson
Gabrielle Jones
Presley Burk
Lance Dial
Matthew Jordan
Raychel Calvert
Jacob Driskill
Brennan Keeter
Bethany Carroll
Ian Farrar
Charlie Koellein
Kitch Cash
Caeli Finch
Ben Lukasiak
Jagger Chapman
Jack Boone Galloway
Carson Maloney
Sully Christian
Cody Galyon
Mason McKnatt
ass of 2020!
n
n
y
Maclaine McKnatt
Braden Sipkovsky
Jace Moore
Emerson Smith
Hunter Neilson
Bailey Swords
Kaden Nordhoff
Rhet Tidwell
Logan Oaks
Daniel Walker
Carson Pearce
Abby White
Hana Pedicini
Taylor Williams
Savannah Phillips
Rachel Windland
Hannah Poenitske
Rebecca Wright
Audrey Sanders
Bradey Yarbrough
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Spiritual Life By Andi Hauk & Dan Spencer Well, the Coronavirus did not stop our chapel train one bit. Returning to school from Spring Break and entering virtual learning, our chapel was filled with HS led worship and an interview with 11th grader, Blake Barton. This virtual chapel and others that followed could not have been possible without the help of Bill Hardwick, Justin Payne, and Brad Herrera. These gentlemen were working behind the scenes to provide our school with an online platform that was solid and consistent - THANK YOU! We are so thankful to the Johnsons and the Allens who led worship for us from their living rooms, and this shows the huge heart of our GCA family. We have been so thankful to our pastors from all of the different churches that represent our school family. It has been amazing to watch your leadership stay so focused and positive. We thank all of our amazing teachers who continued to move forward into unchartered territory to continue to teach our students. Thank you to our Middle School and Intermediate Teachers who hosted our Virtual Stations of the Cross during Holy Week. Click here to view the video. To our GCA families, thank you for tuning in and participating in our online chapels. We love our family and we have been so encouraged by your sweet feedback. We are all in this together in our mission to Love God and Love Others. Jesus is so sweet to our school, and we look forward to the day when we can see each other face to face. Until then, may the peace of Christ cover you and your families, and may we continue to seek His Truth and His Wisdom in all things.
During World Impact Week, Kyle Frohock and Thomas Rose from Barefoot Republic Camp and Retreat Center shared a message and led worship for our students at chapel. Barefoot’s Mission is to facilitate Christ-centered relationships between individuals from diverse racial, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds....and equip students with tools for exploring and discovering God’s presence in their lives. Kyle shared on our need to be vulnerable, to be barefoot and to come to the Father knowing that He will embrace you and run to you in your time of need and will place sandals on your feet as a welcoming sign of God’s acceptance and love. Please check out Barefoot on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter or online at www.barefootrepublic.org to find out more info about programs they host like Overnight Camp in KY, Barefoot at the Farm with Amy Grant, Barefoot On Location Day Camps, and Big Foot Little Foot Family Camps!
Thank you to everyone who came out to support Matt and Lindsay Warren at the dodgeball tournament that wrapped up World Impact Week. We raised over $5,800 toward their adoption!
Congratulations to the Stress Ballers, The Beach Boys, and Team DeFatta Custom Homes for taking 1st place in their bracket!!
Celebrating Grace in Athletics By Len McKnatt
We want to take this opportunity to thank our 35 senior student athletes for all they have done for GCA and especially our athletic programs. We look forward to seeing the impact they make for Jesus Christ in this community and around the world. Thanks for representing GCA, your family, and God with humility, passion, unity, servanthood, and gratitude. We would like to give a special recognition to eight senior student athletes who will be continuing their athletic careers in college:
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I would like to end this article by recognizing a few people that work tirelessly to help our athletic program at GCA run as smoothly as possible:
Jessica Hester—for all of the hours she spends at GCA as our Certified Athletic Trainer
Lisa Hill—for the wonderful job she does organizing and running our concession stands
Tony McLeod—for all the work he does behind the scenes for all of our athletic programs
Aaron Morrison—for all the work he does behind the scenes and with our social media and website
Tricia Summers—for all of her work with Final Forms, Summer Camps, reserving facilities, and the many other things she does
Thanks to all of you that have been wonderful supporters of GCA Athletics and our student athletes. Have a great summer.
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By Carrie Estes
Early in March, we had a big celebration for the Arts with the wonderful production of The Music Man. The weekend of the production was right after the Nashville tornadoes and the first case of Covid-19 was confirmed in Williamson County. What a praise that we were able to share The Music Man with the community when the next weekend things started to shut down. As a cast and crew we were able to see firsthand how the Arts can help us through challenging times. The Arts can bring life, beauty, light and hope when the world can sometimes feel so dark. Even through our own production trials we were able to preserve and connect deeper as a cast and crew. We placed our trust in God, the Ultimate
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Director, who provided us with the strength and comfort we so desperately needed. God’s hand of protection and strength was so evident over this production! As teachers and mentors it gives us no greater joy than for our students to see God at work and how He gets us through anything! He didn’t just “get us through”, He blessed us and the audience tremendously with memories and moments we will never forget. The Production Team has never been so proud of a cast and crew. This show was harder than most shows and they pulled it off flawlessly! We are still in awe of all their talents and hard work and we miss it dearly! Our show verse was “God’s Perfect Love Cast Out Fear” 1 John 4:18 and how fitting that is during this time too. We would always say before we went on stage,
“GOD’S BIGGER. GOD’S GOT US.” and the same is true today and always!
Being away from school, we were still able to have an online Art and Talent Show. We had over 50 art pieces in the Art Show and we were thrilled to still connect with the GCA communities through the Arts. Please click GCA Virtual Art Competition 2020 & Talent Show to see both shows. During this slower pace in life, the Arts really can help remind us to celebrate God's beauty which is all around us. He gave us all the ability to be creative and we encourage you to continue to hone into it. During these past nine weeks, we wanted to share as many possibilities as we could to enrich students and families with the Arts! Now that distance learning is over, we encourage you to go back and try some of the creative outlets. When you’re down or discouraged, go take part in some type of creative outlet, we promise that it really will bring you hope and joy. “Slow down and enjoy life. It’s not only the scenery you miss by going too fast - you also miss the sense of where you are going and the WHY.” Eddie Cantor "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms." 1 Peter 4:10
Much Love & Blessings, Mrs. Estes and The Fine Arts Team
Award Winners Best in Show Awards: Elementary School Wyatt Thompson, 4th grade, It’s Music to My Ears Intermediate/Middle School Gavin Centers, 7th grade, What’s Out There High School Bethany Carroll, 12th grade, Just Me Awards: ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Kindergarten First Place: Brooks Veach, Scar of the Dragon Second Place: Evelyn Abart, The Bunny Express
MIDDLE SCHOOL 7th Grade First Place: Gavin Centers, What’s Out There Second Place: Gavin Centers, Tennessee Turtle Third Place: Brenna Randall, My Sky
8th Grade First Place: Thomas Camacho, Peaches Second Place: Dean Gray, Dogs in Space Third Place: Anilee Schwieterman, Shae HIGH SCHOOL 9th Grade First Place: Braden Walters, Solitary Swim Second Place: Brendan Koreiba, Voyage into the Night Sky Third Place: Braden Walters, Scavenger
1st Grade First Place: Crew McKown, Moon Strike Second Place: Claire Green, The Cross Third Place: Crew McKown, Party of Shapes
10th Grade Tie for First Place First Place: Blythe Hutchison, Corona Flamingo First Place: Sean Farrar, The Flying Flo Second Place: Christian Collins, Beach Sensei
2nd Grade First Place: Fennley Veach, Paradise Princess Castle Second Place: Amelia Spann, GCA - Red Oak Wood
11th Grade First Place: Aaron Ballew, Puckett’s Second Place: Aaron Ballew, Starbucks
3rd Grade First Place: Ellie Salmon, Solar System Second Place: Selah McKown, Dream Big Third Place: Selah McKown, You are Beautiful 4th Grade First Place: Wyatt Thompson, It’s Music to My Ears Second Place: Sara Logan Verner, Easter Transformation Third Place: Jason and Joseph Capicik, Coronaville INTERMEDIATE 5th Grade First Place: Tessa Pate, Desert Path Second Place: Elena Abart, Night of the White Wolf Tie for Third Place Third Place: Amanda Barnes, Noodle Third Place: Emmie Salmon, Sunset Beach
12th Grade First Place: Bethany Carroll, Just Me, Gouache paint, Copic markers Second Place: Ian Farrar, Self Portrait Third Place: Christina Hale, Nightly Fishing
The Development Office
Daniel graduated early from MTSU with a degree in Accounting, and he is currently getting his MBA at MTSU with a focus in finance. He plans to obtain his CPA license and can see himself using those skills in the areas of corporate finance or investment analysis. However, at his core, he is an entrepreneur. Daniel started a business, Beckett Leather Goods, making high-end watch straps for avid watch collectors. He has found a niche market where he is using his talents as a craftsman and his business-focused mind to create a company that marries those strengths and interests. Daniel is excited to have former GCA classmate and fellow Class of 2016 GCA Alumni, Jon Schwieterman working with him at Beckett Leather Goods and partnering with him in a new venture that will expand their market presence to include a broader consumer base in the watch collector market space. Daniel attributed this relationship with Jon to their friendship they developed at GCA and while attending MTSU together.
would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all of our graduates from the Class of 2020, and officially welcome you as GCA Alumni! We would also like to congratulate those GCA Alumni from GCA’s first graduating class, the Class of 2016! Many of you are graduating from college and experiencing a similar end to your 4-year endeavor as our current Class of 2020 GCA graduates. All of you ended a milestone in your education in the most unexpected landscape anyone could have ever imagined. You went from enjoying your school, maybe even complaining about it from time to time, to wishing for nothing more than being in class with your friends and classmates. You went from focusing on your extracurricular passions and, for many, their last seasons of sports and arts performances, to figuring out ways to stay in shape alone, and online art contests, praying things will resume before the opportunity is lost, along with so many more changes to what we thought was “normal”. We hope one thing all of us have learned is The significance of Daniel’s GCA relationships goes that people and relationships are what matter the deep, and is also evident in his engagement to fellow most! Class of 2016 Alumna, Brianna Spencer. They In the spirit of alumni, we wanted to take this time to planned to be married the first part of May, but due to the Coronavirus, they have postponed their wedding focus on one of our GCA alums who recently to June 27 . We wish them the best and are excited graduated MTSU, Daniel Cheek. When we asked Daniel how GCA impacted his life the most up to this for them as they enter a new season as a married couple. point, his response was this, “I built strong relationships with the guys I played basketball with Turning back to our Class of 2020 GCA graduates, I during high school.” He went on to say that those relationships that he built at GCA are the ones that he asked Daniel what he would tell you as you enter this new season. This is what he said for those attending continues to remain closely connected with, beyond college in the fall, “If you’re going to pay for college, the friendships he made as an undergraduate at MTSU. When I asked some more probing questions, get a degree in something marketable that employers it turns out that one of those relationships has forged will be attracted to. Don’t use it as a chance to chase a pipe dream. Go get a skill that takes real hard work into a working relationship. to acquire that not everyone can Google how to do''. Daniel thought this might sound a bit negative. We think it is honest and wise. Obviously, as an entrepreneur, it seems safe to say that Daniel is following his dreams, and he is also taking calculated risks to reach his highest potential. We are excited to see where it takes him. th
We pray that each one of you follow your passions and pursuits, continuing to strive for excellence and continuing to be a passionate follower of Jesus Christ and sharing His truth in all you do. We would love to keep up with all of our GCA Alums! Please reach out to us and let us know what you are up to and how we can be of help to you. If you are interested in learning more about Daniel’s company, you can visit his website here.
Mission Statement
3279 Southall Road Franklin, TN 37064 615-591-3017 www.gcalions.com
The mission of Grace Christian Academy is to assist Christian families in the teaching of their children by providing them an experiential education that is distinctly Christian, biblically saturated, Christ glorifying, academically excellent, and service and mission oriented. We exist to help parents cultivate the legacy of Christ's hope in each student and to prepare them to spread that hope along every avenue God provides.