IMPORTANT EVENTS & DATES FOR DECEMBER
Parents, please take a moment to mark your calendars. The following are important dates that you do not want to miss:
- December 8: US Chapel – Student Center, 9:33am
- December 9: AP Environmental Science field trip – Animal Kingdom
- December 14: US Dress Up Day: Christmas Socks
- December 14: Dickens by Candlelight Event (12th grade English) – Student Center, 11:00am
- December 15: US Dress Up Day: Christmas Hats
- December 15: House Mentor Group Meetings during chapel time – US building, 9:33am
- December 16: US Dress Up Day: Ugly Christmas Sweaters
- December 16: Report to Mentor Groups at 7:50am
- December 16: All School Christmas Program – Worship Center, 10:00am
- December 16: End of 2nd Quarter – 12:15pm Dismissal
- December 19-January 3: No School – Christmas Break
- January 4: Students return to school; 3rd Quarter Begins
RECOGNITION
Students Share the Christmas Spirit
Several TFA students, including Kameron S. (10th) and Angel C. (10th), visited the Westchester Retirement Home this weekend. Kameron played Christmas Carols on the Steel Drums while the girls used dance to share God’s love and truth, and handed out cards and candy. Residents were able to witness the love of Jesus through the groups’ use of music and dance. One resident said, “It was like a Birthday present, my birthday is next week but no one will come.” Another one was handed a Christmas card by a younger dancer. She said tearfully, “My friend lost her battle with cancer a month ago, and the little girl who gave me this card has the same name!”
After the team shared with Westchester, they spent the afternoon making Christmas cookies. Thank you to Coach Leslie Scott, who shows our students how to use dance to display the good news of the gospel.
In addition, Mrs. Wasylik’s Tozer mentor group girls created holiday penguin decorations that will be used to decorate a local nursing home.
NEW THIS WEEK
US Chapel Recap 12/1
By Melissa C.
Last Thursday at chapel, we had the wonderful honor of hearing from our new principal, Mr. Sullivan, sharing some of his testimony and different ways that God has worked in his life both through his failures and his successes. Mr. Sullivan talked about a number of his accomplishments: making the top ten best tennis players in South Africa, as well as the top twenty finalists to be considered for the South African rugby team. He discussed how his dad was the coach of the team, his mom as a principal at school, and that he had a solid and loving upbringing.
Mr. Sullivan explained a really cool paradox that a lot of us can learn from: success through failure. He listed out what mattered to him: his relationship with God, his family and friends, as well as his community relationships, and explained how often times he felt like he fell short of either standards he set for himself or those that others set for him. During these difficult times, he learned to realize that “failure is only failure if you don’t learn from it.” What a powerful truth! Mr. Sullivan also drew a parallel between his life and failures and struggles along with the story of David and Goliath; in a new perspective, we learned that it is helpful to see our mistakes and have courage despite slim odds. David was a shepherd boy, who though skilled was still going up against a giant. David trusted in God against all odds and so should we.
Mr. Sullivan left us with two main challenges. The first was an encouragement: the more time you with something or someone, the more likely you are to fail them in some way, which adds to the point that in life we’re all going to fail but God so graciously gives us strength to get back up and try again. The second challenge was for us to figure out our metaphorical Goliath and challenge it.
REMINDERS
Upper School Attendance
All emails regarding attendance can be sent to our receptionist, Lyn Maxime, at usattendance@thefirstacademy.org. If your student is arriving late, will be dismissed early or absent from school, please email Lyn at usattendance@thefirstacademy.org.