WINTER 2024
N I T G A G R R B A E CE L E C
~ OUR NEW SCHOOL ~ In this issue of Celebrating Grace, we have so much to celebrate! A new school, a fabulous first semester, and everything in between. The following pages are highlights of the first four months of school, staff accolades, and keeping tabs on a few of our GCA Alumni who have been traveling the world.
Front Front
Back Baseball Field (First home game is March 4!)
Student Center
Gym
Cafeteria Spirit Store
Weight Room Front Office
If you haven’t seen it, we’d love to show you around. Contact Brad Myers via email at bmyers@gcalions.com or give him a call at 615-578-3021 to schedule.
HIGHLIGHTS BY MONTH:
First Day of School
These five seniors are members of the 13 year club as they’ve attended GCA since Pre-K.
HS retreat at Camp Widjiwagan
Moms at the Senior/Kindergarten First Day of School Coffee
Senior Moms
Kindergarten Moms
Homecoming Week September 25th-29th
High School Production
October 27th-28th
Middle School Serve Day
Operation Christmas Child Coin Drop: GCA HS students raised $8,600!
Seniors shop to fill and pack 250+ shoeboxes.
Jason and Jennifer Barton
Dodgeball - Our GCA family raised $13,000 for the Barton Family.
Veteran’s Day Speaker Dr. Andy Sloas, Lieutenant Commander, US Navy, Believer, Husband, Father of 3, ER Physician, GCA Board Member & GCA Volleyball Coach
Fourth Grade
Kindergarten
Veteran Crockett Rains with grandson Luke Rains and friends
High School students and staff went to the Operation Christmas Child Processing Center in Atlanta and helped process more than 43,000 boxes in 4 hours.
Congratulations to senior Hudson Barton on his athletic signing to play baseball at Vanderbilt University after graduation.
IS/MS production:
All-School Christmas Chapel
Fourth Grade Market Day
Third graders shop and donate to Toys for Tots.
High School Fine Arts Concert Elementary Christmas Program Miss Blauw’s class
Mrs. Pirtle’s class
5th Grade Ginny Grace Bechman Emma Brown Eli Butcher Luke Butler Fifi Cottingham Carter Ann Couey Deacon Crosby Grey Crowell Hiatt Davidson Oliver Eke Cal Elder Kaylee Ferreira Cassie Flagg Drake Gilvin Sam Glasser Weston Gray Claire Green Gracie Harmon Landon Harrington Colson Harris
Gresham Hayes April Hodgson Luke Holwerda Lilliana Jackson Emmett Jordan Jacob McCauley Crew McKown Brody Mullaney Simms Overton Owen Pardue Sarah Patrick Micah Potter JoJo Rohling Annistyn Sprague Solomon Standifer Rowan Stevens William Terry Elle Verner Luke Wierschke Hayes Wilson
H O N O R
HONOR ROLL
7th Grade
Christian Camiolo Victoria Danylov Kipton DeGraff Owen Dodd Kennedy Elam Luke Elrod Jeshua Fish Hudson George Ethan Glover Leighton Gray Tess Hall Caroline Hardwick Adelaide Harrington Maddie Havens Jill Hilner Brady Hron
Luke Johnson Selah McKown Greyson McQueen Vayda Miller Addie Nance J.D. Pirtle Anna-Marie Porter Madison Powell Grace Prather Hope Pruitt Elliott Sarnacke Kellen Sloas Lila Spencer Holland Stephens Mia Tanley Hudson Tenney Violet Ward
6th Grade Sophia Auer Nealan Maxson Beckett Brown Charlie McConnell Ailee Carver Nola Kate Miller Joey Castrorao Harper Moseley Noel Clark Jack Nickell Haven Collins Reese Payne Judah Coppenger Charlie Qualls Joselyn DeLeon Arrington Reed Nolan DeShazo Savannah Regenold Luke Downen Caleb Shipman Stella Goddard Luke Shurden Rhodes Hampton Barrett Sloas Colt Headley Amelia Spann Ella Hopwood Alia Sprague Kirby Hurst Austin Stamper Lilly May Jakes Rawley Stephens Amelia Jones Jacqueline Stevens Tilly Kassinger Fennley Veach Hadley Kirk Annie Wooten Ella Knight Hadley Young
8th Grade
R O L L
Haven Lindman Mila Baatenburg Ashlynn Millar Lillian Brooks Elijah Mize Jason Capicik Macie Murton Joseph Capicik Brown Nielsen Ella-Rose Castrorao Joy Patrick Chloe Cavanaugh James Payne Benjamin Collins Graydon Reed Peyton Collins Addie Sears Summer Foster Bennett Stevens Hayden Goodman Emma Umerlik Isaac Hurst Sara Logan Verner Hannah Jackson Gabbie Whitaker Piper Jones
9th Grade Principal’s List: GPA 4.25+ Sam Brewer Francey Clements Josh Dunn David Hauk Toby Sarnacke John Tillman
All-A List: GPA 4.0-4.24 Maclayne Barton Hutch Blank Brooklyn Hutcheson Zoe Jones Camryn Pitts Olivia Pitts Virginia Prather Sophia Rakhuba Elizabeth Shipman Grace Caroline Steih Jade Thrasher
10th Grade
H O N O R
HONOR ROLL
Principal’s List: GPA 4.25+ Hope Brooks Ford DeShazo Hudson Gregg London Norris Parker Sloas Madi Tolliver
All-A List: GPA 4.0-4.24 Josiah Coppenger Kensley Elam Ella Grace Fua Wyatt Hall Addison Holt Griffey Jakes Knox Lambert Maggie Landers Izzy LaRocca McKenna Grace McConnell Tori Mullaney Shea Phillips Heidi Ring Cohen Stammen Cutler Stephens Audrey Underwood Kade Ziemendorf
11th Grade
12th Grade
Principal’s List: GPA 4.25+
Principal’s List: GPA 4.25+
Eva Brooks Sofia Carman Addy Castrorao Annabelle Hinson Hans Jimenez Madelyn Miller Lilly Patrick Mike Smith Hunter Wyatt
All-A List: GPA 4.0-4.24 Ella Grace Brown Audrey George Lani Grasmanis Jenna Huxford Nolan Maloney Jonathan Mize Isaiah Myers Eisley Pankratz Ava Pate Hannah Patrick Nick Pellegrino Nate Purino Slade Spencer
R O L L
Claire Barnett Jake Breland Thomas Camacho Addison Church Sophie Clarke Gigi Clements Addy Cook Brynn DeGraff Jacob Dunn
Natalia Fierz Madelyn Gregg Ella Holt McKenzie Kaye Manna Lindman Ashton Mize Evan Nelson Anilee Schwieterman Georgie Tillman Rebekah Windland
All-A List: GPA 4.0-4.24 Stellie Higby William Brown Jayse Huxford Mackenzie Curle Ellie Karner Kyle Davidson Natalie Kaye Isabelle DeShong Ayla Kratzig Ella Kate Gill Savannah Griswold Emma Grace Underwood Parker Vanden Oever Ellie Hardwick
Staff Highlights:
Congratulations!
Vivian Benzon, General Music and Choir Teacher
While Mrs. Benzon currently holds a degree in K-12 Music Education, she adds a new accolade to her resume. She recently graduated from Grand Canyon University with a Master’s in Education in Educational Administration. Congrats, Vivian!
Dr. Becky Clark, Director of Student Support and Instructional Coach
Dr. Clark was nominated and received an award at the Literacy Association of TN Annual Conference in December. “I am humbled and honored to have been awarded the Literacy Association of Tennessee’s Walter H. Helms Literacy Leadership Award for exemplifying literacy leadership in unique and influential ways and for service and dedication to LAT,” said Dr. Clark. We are very proud of you, Becky!
Alison Hurst, First Grade Teacher & Assistant Elementary Principal
A Warm Welcome!
Scott Hauss, CFO/ Head of Finance
Mrs. Hurst has been promoted to Assistant Elementary Principal. She will assist Mrs. Branson in the success of all students' academic excellence and spiritual growth.
Mr. Hauss serves as our new CFO/Head of Finance. He has previously served as President and CEO of Bank3, headquartered in Memphis, TN. Mr. Hauss has been in the banking/finance industry for his entire career. Mr. Hauss serves on the GCA board and served on the board of Evangelical Christian School, holding positions as Finance Committee Chairman and Chairman of the Board. He is very passionate about Christian Education. Scott and his wife Kathy have two married daughters and three granddaughters.
GCA Alumni Alley: Some of our Alumni are traveling the world and we want to update you.
Fall 2023: Anna Claire Riggs, ‘22, is attending Samford University. She studied in London, England. Mary Bradley Myers, ‘22, is attending Lipscomb University. She studied in Vienna, Austria. Joe Hauk, ‘21, is attending Baylor University. He studied in London, England. Campbell Lemon, ‘21, is attending Western Kentucky University. She studied in Florence, Italy. Bella Sanicola Smith, ‘19, and Mitchell Smith, ‘21, now married, are studying in Florence, Italy. (Pictured with Campbell Lemon and Bryant Eubank as they met for dinner in Italy.) Taylor Williams, ‘19, has been studying costume design in London, England. (Pictured with Anna Claire Riggs as they met for coffee in London.) Spring 2024: Mary Chandler Hicks, ‘21, also attending Lipscomb University will be in Vienna, Austria.
Bike 4 ALZ Last summer, Class of 2021 grads Callan Jones and Ryan Spychalski participated in a coast-to-coast bike ride to raise money for Alzheimer’s disease with their fraternity at Western Kentucky University. They started in San Francisco, CA and ended in Virginia Beach, VA. This summer, Class of 2022 Alum, Dawson Bechman and Connor Armstrong will do the same 75 day trek across the country as part of Team 12 this coming summer. This is the 13th year for the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity group to take this trip with fundraising stops along the way. The group of 12 riders will leave on May 21st from San Francisco, with stops in Colorado Springs, Kansas City, and even Nashville. They will end their excursion in Virginia Beach on July 28th. Connor and Dawson are currently training and say they are passionate about helping raise money to find a cure for ALZ.
Ryan Spychalski and Callan Jones
If you’d like to donate to Dawson and Connor’s worthwhile fund, visit Bike4ALZ.org. We are so excited to follow them on this adventure! You can follow them here as well; Instagram: @bike4alz
Dawson Bechman
Connor Armstrong
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23