G C S P R I N C I PA L S G R E E T I N G S - J A C K W I L S O N

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1 Grace Christian Volume 1, Issue2 Decembe r 2016 I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E : Acts of Appreciation 2 Scarlata Cocoa & Cookie Reception Fundraising Goals 4 Athletic & GCS Club News PTF Officers: President: Patty McDorman Vice President: Asabi Banjoko-Knorr Secretary/Treasurer: Ellen Jones Points of Interest: Next PTF Meeting on February 21st Family Fundraiser Bowie Chipotle Restaurant Night on 1/24 Amazon Smile Fundraiser Black Rock Retreat 7 In the Spotlight 8 Alumni & Community News 9-10 Seasons Greetings 11 G C S P R I N C I PA L S G R E E T I N G S - J A C K W I L S O N The six weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year s Day can be some of the busiest days of the year. Travel, house guests, cooking, shopping, and decorating can sometimes feel overwhelming. For the Christian, however, these few days can be some of the most meaningful days of the year. Thanksgiving Day is not merely about food, family, and football. Neither is it only about pausing to consider for what we are thankful. Just like the original Pilgrims, it is a day to consider to whom we are thankful. We reflect upon God s goodness to us and remind ourselves that every good and perfect gift comes down from our Heavenly Father. The New Year typically brings the traditional resolutions. These well-meaning commitments to self-improvement and a fresh start can also remind us of the fresh start God offers each of us by grace though faith in Christ s accomplished work at Calvary. Just like the sinful woman who came to Jesus with the expensive alabaster box of ointment, we too can hear the words, Your faith has saved you, go in peace. The peace that God offers is the only true peace. Christmas morning will soon be here. The gifts we exchange that day should remind us of the day when God the Father gave to us the greatest gift of all: His only begotten son. In that way Christmas is first a looking back to the day when God took on human flesh and lived among us. It should also remind us of why He came: to one day die in our place to pay the sin debt we could never pay ourselves. Yet Christmas is also a day to look ahead to the time the Savior of this world will return to take His rightful place as the ruler of this world. Christ s kingdom is coming, perhaps sooner than we think, and His reign will bring with it a righteousness that eye has not seen, nor ear heard. In that glorious day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. And so Christmas is not merely a time to celebrate a day in history past; it is also a time to celebrate our future hope. It is my prayer for all of you at Grace Christian School that these next few weeks will be filled with all the good things this season can bring. It is also my prayer that you will meditate upon the deeper meaning of this time of the year, and find the time to find the Christ of Christmas. May God bless you in this new year, and give you the peace only He can give, Mr. Wilson Vice President: Asabi Banjoko-Knorr GCS Office Contact: Page 1

2 Dear Grace Family, ACTS OF APPRECIATION Thank you all for making my retirement recognition so special. It is a time which will be ingrained in my memory for years to come. The kind words said by Mr. Wilson were so uplifting to me. The plaque with nice words from all my students is now in my living room as a reminder of all the wonderful children I have been able to teach. The PTF gifts and all of the generous gifts from parents have blessed me in so many ways. It has been a joy to be able to serve at Grace for the past 37 years. Each New year brought more precious children to teach and parents to support me in my efforts. No other school has the wonderful parents we have to make each year a success. With the closeness of our staff, it is like I am leaving my second home. My only regret is that I did not get a chance to work under Mr. Wilson as my administrator. I have heard so many good things about him through staff members this year. May God continue to bless all the efforts of Grace Christian School as Grace has been a wonderful blessing to me and there will always be fond memories of my years at Grace. In Jesus Love, Judy Taylor jtaylor@gcsbowie.org Vice President: Asabi Banjoko-Knorr GCS Office Contact: Page 2

3 SCARLATA COCOA AND COOKIE RECEPTION This event was organized by Ms. Ainisha Persaud, as an opportunity for Middle School families to honor Mr. Scarlata. The event was held at the conclusion of the middle school Christmas concert on Tuesday, December 6th. Mr. Scarlata was an outstanding educator at GCS and an integral part of our children s lives. He recently accepted a new teaching position at the beginning of the school year, therefore as a final sendoff, families gathered to say thank you for his dedicated service and commitment to our school community. Grace PTF supplied the hot chocolate while Middle School families brought Christmas cookies to share and blessed the Scarlata family with gifts. Instead of a card or plaque, Mr. Scarlata was presented with a journaling Bible in which students highlighted their favorite verses and wrote an encouraging word in the margins for Mr. Scarlata. Vice President: Asabi Banjoko-Knorr GCS Office Contact: Page 3

4 SHOP & EAT FUNDRAISERS Invite your family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, etc. to partner with us in supporting GCS. Together we can earn thousands of dollars for the TECHNOLOGY FUND! Giant: (School Code: 00417) Harris Teeter : (School Code: 4110) AmazonSmile: You are now able to go to - Choose a charity, type in Grace Baptist Church of Bowie. All funds earned through there will go directly to the school's account. Questions? For questions and more information, please contact Ellen Jones at ptf@gcsbowie.org. Mark your calendars! 2017 January 24: Chipotle Family Night February 21: PTF UPCOMING January 19: Dress Down Day March : Texas Roadhouse Restaurant Night GCS PTF Website Business/Activity Goal ($) Funds Raised ($) Giant Harris Teeter Box Tops Anthony s CA Tortilla Amazon Smile (new) TOTAL $4100 $ Vice President: Asabi Banjoko-Knorr GCS Office Contact: Page 4

5 ATHLETICS NEWS Our soccer team had a great season and finished the regular season with 6 wins and 2 losses. We placed 2nd in the east division for regular season games, and 2nd in the end of season playoffs for the East MIAC Division. Team members include: Ryan Mungai, Jonah Gibbs, Ryan Wang, Justin Weaver, Kai McCann, Robert Welch, Geriani Jean Baptiste, Ajani Knorr, Tyler Winkelman, Marc Watson II,Nicholas Price, Kyle Titus, Biruk Banko,Erik Neal Jr, Conner Hoffman, Vincent Price, Parker Thomas, Kalen Cobb, Anand Persaud Houston Thomas, and Jayden Plater. Our volleyball team did very well and finished the regular season with 9 wins and 3 losses. We placed 2nd in the east division for regular season games, and 3rd in the end of season playoffs for the East MIAC Division. Team members include: Madison Clarke, Alexis Hunter, Kylie Spath, Kelsey Holmes, Nyla Levy, Charli Temoney, Madison McCaffrey, Precious Onyenwe, Candace Young, Arya Persaud, Savanna Sullivan, Adrianne Fantasia, Brynn Swisher,, Simone Hagans, Paris Winters, Kari Holmes, Noemi Joachim, Camara Kelly, Jaylin Northern, and Madison Skinner. Vice President: Asabi Banjoko-Knorr GCS Office Contact: Page 5

6 CLUB NEWS : ROBOTICS Each year FIRST LEGO League releases a Challenge, which is based on a real-world scientific topic. by the FIRST LEGO League Core Values. Each Challenge has three parts: the Robot Game, the Project, and the Core Values. Teams of up to ten children, with at least one adult coach, participate in the Challenge by programming an autonomous robot to score points on a themed playing field (Robot Game), developing a solution to a problem they have identified (Project), all guided This year's FLL Challenge is called 'Animal Allies' - a research on the beneficial interactions between humans and animals. The Lego Lifesavers, consists of five 8th graders: Adrianne Fantasia, Candace Young, Charli Temoney, Korin Murray, and Madison Skinner. The team will do a project presentation, along with participating in the robot game and Core Values judging, at their FLL Qualifying event on January 14, This is the fifth year that the Lego Lifesavers have participated in Lego Robotics, coached by Steve and Mindy Fantasia. In each of their first four years, the team has performed well enough in their Qualifier to advance to the Maryland State FLL competition at UMBC. They hope to continue that streak this year as well. - Coaches Steve and Mindy Fantasia. Another team name is called Robot Challengers. Members are Vincent and Nicholas Price, Ajani Knorr, Aria Persaud, Anand Persaud, Zachary Glast, Isaiah Fox, Mia Leftwood, and Tyler Modeste. Please come watch this award-winning team at their first competition at Anne Arundel Community College on Saturday, January 28 at noon In each of their first four years, the team has performed well enough in their Qualifier to advance to the Maryland State FLL competition at UMBC. They hope to continue that streak this year as well Coaches Tracy and Vincent Price Vice President: Asabi Banjoko-Knorr GCS Office Contact: Page 6

7 December TH GRADE BLACK ROCK RETREAT CONGRATULATIONS to all 8th Graders who participated in the Black Rock retreat. The students bonded, spent time outdoors appreciating nature and praising God. This is a highlight for the graduating class as it not only encouraged character development but cemented many friendships. A special thanks to Mr. Bowers & Ms. Reynolds for chaperoning!! Vice President: Asabi Banjoko-Knorr GCS Office Contact: Page 7

8 December 2016 IN THE SPOTLIGHT 7th grade History field trip to Philadelphia. They visited the National Constitution Center, Independence Hall, and the Christ Church (where several of the founding fathers worshipped). 1st Grade Pirates too cute!!! 3rd Grade celebrating Ocean Day 7G with the "class pet" they gifted Mrs. Gomez. His name is Grammar Rock because, according to them, grammar rocks! GCS Friends for Ever Noemi Joechim, Simone Hagans, Dianna Koger, and Kari Holmes. A month of "pet sharing" to coincide with our science study of animals Third Grade visit to the MD Science Center Vice President: Asabi Banjoko-Knorr GCS Office Contact: Page 8

9 ALUMNI NEWS December Alumni name & When did they graduate from Grace? Connor Fantasia; Where did they go and/or where are they now? Eleanor Roosevelt HS, Science and Tech Program 3. What lessons learnt from GCS has helped them the most? Do what you know is right. If you're kind to others they'll be more kind to you. Always do your homework. 4. Are there any words of wisdom to share with current GCS students? If you want to be respected, respect others. If there's something you don't understand, ask the teacher, don't just sit quietly. i. Keep procrastination to a minimum. Study for all tests and quizzes because they get much harder after middle school. Don't rely on extra credit because not all teachers give it out. ii. Don't overlook the homework category because even though it makes up a smaller portion of the overall grade, it helps maintain all A's in the harder classes. When given assigned seats, become friends with the people around you because you'll be with them for a while. iii. In the cafeteria, pick a good table on the first day because there is a student limit per table so finding another one may not be easy. Enjoy high school, it's a fun experience. But until then, keep working hard through the remainder of middle school. 5. Best life quote or scripture verse to share? You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. Try new things and step out of your comfort zone because it opens up a whole new world of opportunity. Vice President: Asabi Banjoko-Knorr GCS Office Contact: Page 9

10 ALUMNI NEWS December Alumni name & When did they graduate from Grace? Ademi Knorr; Where did they go and/or where are they now? Gilman, Baltimore MD 3. What lessons learnt from GCS has helped them the most? Be yourself and build your own character; never forget to listen to the wisdom of others 4. Are there any words of wisdom to share with current GCS students? Don t be stressed but set your own goals. You get out of life what you put in and don t let challenges intimidate you break through them and look at them as an opportunity to grow. 5. Best life quote or scripture verse to share? Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct [a] your paths. Proverbs 3: 5 6 COMMUNITY NEWS Special Thanks to all GCS Parents and students who participated, along with several businesses, churches and civic groups, in the Kids Against Hunger - Hurricane Matthew Food Relief packing. The event took place on Saturday November 12 th at the Bowie Community Center City. We had over 250 volunteers as we packed 100,000 meals for needy families and children impacted in Haiti and the Carolinas by the storm.. Sincere appreciation to the Harris Teeter Bowie location for donating 75 pizzas. It was encouraging to see people of all ages, sizes, colors, and faiths - work together for the greater good. It was an honor to not only serve the needs in the city of Bowie but to also recognize the importance of helping those who have experienced such devastation. Vice President: Asabi Banjoko-Knorr GCS Office Contact: Page 10

11 December 2016 MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM OUR GCS FAMILY May you give and receive much love, joy, and peace this season. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!! - GCS Staff and PTF Vice President: Asabi Banjoko-Knorr GCS Office Contact: Page 11