IMPORTANT EVENTS & DATES FOR DECEMBER & JANUARY
Parents, please take a moment to mark your calendars. The following are important dates that you do not want to miss.
- December 21: 12:15pm Dismissal
- December 22-January 8: No School – Christmas Break
- January 9: Students return to school
- January 11: MS/US Chapel – Worship Center, 9:25am
- January 15: No School – Student/Teacher Holiday
- January 18: Poetry Out Loud – Student Center, 9:25am
- January 22: Senior Lunch – Student Center, 1:05pm
- January 25: MS/US Chapel – Worship Center, 9:25am
- January 25-27: US Play, The Importance of Being Earnest – Black Box Theatre, 7:00pm
RECOGNITION
Florida State Fair Art Finalist
Congrats to Jiuwell S. (Class of 2018) for being chosen as a finalist in the FLORIDA STATE FAIR – Art Portfolio Contest for High School Seniors! Out of 408 students from 90 schools in 24 counties, only 32 were chosen by a panel of jurors to exhibit their work at the 2018 Florida State Fair in the Spring. Six of these students will be awarded scholarship prizes at the final competition. Come out in to the Florida State Fair in February to support Jiuwell and TFA!
NEW THIS WEEK
MS/US Chapel Recap 12/14
By Abby B. – Class of 2018
December has become notorious for being chaotic and stressful. During the Christmas season, we are often so caught up in the festivities that we forget about the good news of the Christmas story. In Luke chapter 2 verses 8 through 12, we are reminded of the weight of the announcement of Jesus’ birth. The Angels’ message to the shepherds reminds us of a few truths about what the Christmas season really means. First, that the blessing of salvation is meant for everyone, not just the socially elite or the most religious. The shepherds were dirty workers tending to sheep, a job that no one else wanted, and yet they were the first to hear about the birth of the King. Second, the gift of salvation is something only God could give us, not because of anything we have done, but because of his love for us. In the same way a parent gives a child a present on Christmas to see them experience joy, our Father gave us the greatest gift of all.
In Ephesians 2, it is clearly explained that we have received salvation purely through grace. Our sins have completely separated us from God, but he has brought us back into his love through Jesus’ death. His life, crucifixion, and resurrection was the final, perfect sacrifice for our transgressions. This Christmas season, challenge yourself to reflect the incredible love that God has shown us. As our speaker at this past chapel, Brian Richards, told us “the story of salvation flows through the testimonies of those who have received it.” Think about those special people in your life who don’t know the truth of the gospel, and show them enough love to tell them about the hope that you have. Their salvation is a better gift than anything they have on their Christmas list
Raw Footage
Check out this week’s edition of Raw Footage.
REMINDERS
Attendance
All attendance notifications and questions should be communicated directly to Ms. Lyn Maxime, Upper School Receptionist. All Upper School students who are tardy to campus must check in with Ms. Maxime in the Upper School office when they arrive at school. You may contact Ms. Maxime concerning your student being tardy or absent at 407-206-8630 or email her at usattendance@thefirstacademy.org.
Parent Volunteer Background Check
If you are a new parent and would like to volunteer in your child(ren)’s classroom(s) or chaperone on field trips please complete our free background check. Please note that the background check site only works on Internet Explorer or Firefox on a desktop computer. Safari and Chrome are not supported by the site. Approvals take a few weeks so plan ahead! All parents must have a completed background check before volunteering in the classroom or chaperoning on a field trip.