Developmental Camps

Middle School (sideline and competitive) parent meeting will be held on March 12th in the Fine Arts theatre at 6:00pm. If you have any questions, please reach out to Coach Campbell at rcampbell1424@gmail.com

Elementary competitive parent meeting will be held March 14th in the Fine Arts theatre at 6:00pm. If you have any questions, please reach out to Coach Campbell at rcampbell1424@gmail.com

Lower School is in need substitute teachers, teacher aide, and an in-house substitute teacher. Please complete our online non-academic application if interested.

https://goecs.org/about-ecs/employment/non-academic-application/

We are accepting teacher applications for the new school year!  Pease complete our online teacher application or share with a friend who may be interested. 

https://goecs.org/about-ecs/employment/teacher-application/

Playground

The playground is designed for K-5th grade only. Parents must be on the playground with their children when using the playground before and after school hours. Parents and other children may not use the playground during school day hours. No animals are permitted on the playground. Please make sure you are cleaning up after yourselves as there has been a lot of trash left on the ground. Thank you for helping us to be good stewards of our facilities. 

Book Fair Week

March 11th-15th is Book Fair Week. We need lots of parents helpers. Please click the link to sign up to help. 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4EADAC2BA4FEC34-ecsbook#/

Parent-Teacher Social 

Wednesday, March 13th is our Parent-Teacher Social. Please join us for food trucks, classroom visit, and book fair fun! We look forward to seeing everyone 3:30-4:00 for classroom visits and 4:00-5:00 for book fair and food trucks. Please click the link to sign up to help. 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094BACAD28A1F4C16-47924495-parentteacher

Spring Break 

March 18th-22nd is Spring Break! It’s the end of 3rd quarter and report cards will be emailed home on Monday, March 25th. 

3rd Quarter Celebration 

Wednesday, March 27th is our quarterly celebration. Students will enjoy inflatable relay races, slides, and bounce houses in the gym! 

Easter Holiday

No School Friday, March 29th – Monday, April 1st 

Upcoming After School Clubs

Please see the attached flyers for after school club opportunities. 

Parent Service Hours Sign Up Genius Links

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094BACAD28A1F4C16-47335054-wednesday

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094BACAD28A1F4C16-47338267-thursday

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4EADAC2BA4FEC34-ecsbook#/

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094BACAD28A1F4C16-47924495-parentteacher

Lower School is in need of substitute teachers, teacher aide, and an in-house substitute teacher. Please complete our online non-academic application if interested.

https://goecs.org/about-ecs/employment/non-academic-application/

We are accepting teacher applications for the new school year! Please complete our online teacher application or share with a friend who may be interested.

https://goecs.org/about-ecs/employment/teacher-application/

Read Across America Week

March 4th-8th we will be celebrating our love of Reading!

Monday students may wear crazy socks with school uniform.

Tuesday students may wear their favorite hat with school uniform.

Wednesday students may dress as their favorite storybook character. Make sure to bring the storybook to school with you. Costumes must be modest and school appropriate. No weapons, no witches, no sorcery, no magic, or scary costumes permitted.

Thursday K5, 1st, and 5th Grade Grandparent’s Day

Grandparents will enter through the main gym lobby doors. Grandparents may park in the front or 3rd street parking lots. Students are permitted to leave with grandparents after the program.

5th grade 9:30, 1st Grade 11:30, and K5 1:30.

Friday K4, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Grade Grandparent’s Day

Grandparents will enter through the main gym lobby doors. Grandparents may park in the front or 3rd street parking lots. Students are permitted to leave with grandparents after the program.

3rd grade 8:45, K4 10:45, 2nd grade 12:00, and 4th grade 1:30.

Please click the link to sign up to help with Grandparent’s Day.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094BACAD28A1F4C16-48219237-grandparents

K5, 1st, and 3rd Grade Yearly Health Screenings are happening the week of March 11th. Please complete the attached opt out form if you do not want the screening. We will complete the screening if we do not receive an opt out form.

Book Fair Week

March 11th-15th is Book Fair Week. We need lots of parent helpers.

Please click the link to sign up to help.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4EADAC2BA4FEC34-ecsbook#/

Parent-Teacher Social

Wednesday, March 13th is our Parent-Teacher Social. Please join us for food trucks, classroom visit, and book fair fun! We look forward to seeing everyone 3:30-4:00 for classroom visits and 4:00-5:00 for book fair and food trucks. Please click the link to sign up to help.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094BACAD28A1F4C16-47924495-parentteacher

Spring Break

March 18th-22nd is Spring Break! It’s the end of 3rd quarter and report cards will be emailed home on Monday, March 25th.

3rd Quarter Celebration

Wednesday, March 27th is our quarterly celebration. Students will enjoy inflatable relay races, slides, and bounce houses in the gym!

Easter Holiday

No School Friday, March 29th – Monday, April 1st

Parent Service Hours Sign Up Genius Links

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094BACAD28A1F4C16-47335054-wednesday

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094BACAD28A1F4C16-47338267-thursday

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4EADAC2BA4FEC34-ecsbook#/

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094BACAD28A1F4C16-48219237-grandparents

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094BACAD28A1F4C16-47924495-parentteacher

Course selection sheets will be handed out in Bible class tomorrow, March 4th. All forms must be returned to the middle school office by Wednesday, March 13th.

National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) Inductions are Monday, March 4th at 10:45am. If your 8th grade student is getting inducted, then Ms. Collum has contacted you via email.

3rd quarter ends on Friday, March 15th. Report cards will be emailed home on March 25th.

Lower School is in need of substitute teachers, teacher aide, and an in-house substitute teacher. Please complete our online non-academic application if interested.
https://goecs.org/about-ecs/employment/non-academic-application/

We are accepting teacher applications for the new school year! Please complete our online teacher application or share with a friend who may be interested.
https://goecs.org/about-ecs/employment/teacher-application/

Read Across America Week
March 4th-8th we will be celebrating our love of Reading! On Wednesday, March 6th, students may dress as their favorite storybook character. Make sure to bring the book to school with you. Costumes must be modest and school appropriate. No weapons, no witches, no sorcery, no magic, or scary costumes permitted. We will also have a classroom door decorating competition. Please reach out to your child’s teacher if you would like to help them with their door decorating.

K5, 1st, and 5th Grade Grandparent’s Day
Thursday, March 7th is Grandparent’s Day for K5, 1st, and 5th grade. Grandparents will enter through the main gym lobby doors. Grandparents may park in the front or 3rd street parking lots. Students are permitted to leave with grandparents after the program. 5th grade 9:30, 1st Grade 11:30, and K5 1:30.

K4, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Grade Grandparent’s Day
Friday, March 8th is Grandparent’s Day for K4, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade. Grandparents will enter through the main gym lobby doors. Grandparents may park in the front or 3rd street parking lots. Students are permitted to leave with grandparents after the program. 3rd grade 8:45, K4 10:45, 2nd grade 12:00, and 4th grade 1:30.

Book Fair Week
March 11th-15th is Book Fair Week. We need lots of parent helpers. Please click the link to sign up.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4EADAC2BA4FEC34-ecsbook#/

Parent-Teacher Social
Wednesday, March 13th is our Parent-Teacher Social. Please join us for food trucks, classroom visits, and book fair fun! We look forward to seeing everyone 3:30-4:00 for classroom visits and 4:00-5:00 for book fair and food trucks.

Spring Break
March 18th-22nd is Spring Break! It’s the end of 3rd quarter and report cards will be emailed home on Monday, March 25th.

3rd Quarter Celebration
Wednesday, March 27th is our quarterly celebration. Students will enjoy inflatable relay races, slides, and bounce houses in the gym!

Easter Holiday
No School Friday, March 29th – Monday, April 1st

Parent Service Hours Sign Up Genius Links
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094BACAD28A1F4C16-47335054-wednesday
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094BACAD28A1F4C16-47338267-thursday
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4EADAC2BA4FEC34-47317865-ecsfirst#/
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4EADAC2BA4FEC34-ecsbook#/

Upcoming After School Clubs
Please see the attached flyers for after school club opportunities.

Course Selection Sheets for the 2024 – 2025 school year will go home on Monday, March 4th. Students should fill out the form completely and return it to the middle school office by Friday, March 15th. All forms must have a parent signature on the bottom.

NJHS inductions are Monday, March 4th at 10:45 am in the gym.

Reminder about Planned Absences that are excused. It is the student’s responsibility to see the teacher about all make up work. All make up work is due on the day the student returns to class. Tests missed will be made up on the first day back to school or at the teacher’s discretion. All other tests will be given on schedule. Students should make sure to check Canvas to keep up with all assignments while gone.

Congratulations to the following 8th graders who competed in the Thomas Alva Edison Kiwanis Regional Science and Engineering Fair this past weekend at FGCU: Sonali A., Mia C., Adam C., and Emma K. We are proud of their hard work.

NJHS Inductions will be March 4th at 10:45 am in the gym. Parents will be notified if their 8th grader met the requirements for induction.

Mark your calendars for middle school standardized testing April 8th – 10th.

We are hiring!
Lower School is in need of substitute teachers, teacher aide, and an in-house substitute teacher. Please complete the non-academic application if interested. We look forward to hearing from you!

https://goecs.org/about-ecs/employment/non-academic-application/

President’s Day
Monday, February 19th, school is closed.

Tuesday, February 20th. Students who bring $5.00 may dress down on Tuesday. Students may wear any ECS shirt with jeans and choice of sneakers. All funds collected will go directly to help the Villas Wesleyan Church located on Beacon Blvd. You can read about the details here. It would be a great opportunity for us as a school to show the love of Christ to our local community by helping this local church. I’d like to lovingly ask each student, teacher, or family to consider giving a $5.00 gift. Every dollar that comes in will go directly to this church’s recovery efforts.

Read Across America Week
March 4th-8th we will be celebrating our love of Reading! On Wednesday, March 6th, students may dress as their favorite storybook character. Make sure to bring the book to school with you. Costumes must be modest and school appropriate. No weapons, no witches, no sorcery, no magic, or scary costumes permitted. We will also have a classroom door decorating competition. Please reach out to your child’s teacher if you would like to help them with their door decorating.

K5, 1st, and 5th Grade Grandparent’s Day
Thursday, March 7th is Grandparent’s Day for K5, 1st, and 5th grade. Grandparents will enter through the main gym lobby doors. Grandparents may park in the front or 3rd street parking lots. Students are permitted to leave with grandparents after the program. 5th grade 9:30, 1st Grade 11:30, and K5 1:30.

K4, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Grade Grandparent’s Day
Friday, March 8th is Grandparent’s Day for K4, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade. Grandparents will enter through the main gym lobby doors. Grandparents may park in the front or 3rd street parking lots. Students are permitted to leave with grandparents after the program. 3rd grade 8:45, K4 10:45, 2nd grade 12:00, and 4th grade 1:30.

Book Fair Week
March 11th-15th is Book Fair Week. We needs lots of parents helpers. Please click the link to sign up.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4EADAC2BA4FEC34-ecsbook#/

Parent-Teacher Social
Wednesday, March 13th is our Parent-Teacher Social. Please join us for food trucks, classroom visit, and book fair fun! We look forward to seeing everyone 3:30-4:00 for classroom visits and 4:00-5:00 for book fair and food trucks.

Parent Service Hours Sign Up Genius Links

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094BACAD28A1F4C16-47335054-wednesday

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094BACAD28A1F4C16-47338267-thursday

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4EADAC2BA4FEC34-47317865-ecsfirst#/

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4EADAC2BA4FEC34-ecsbook#/

After School Clubs

TESTING, TESTING…1, 2, 3
On March 5th, we will be holding the SAT on a school day for juniors who registered for the exam. ALL other juniors are expected to be in regular school attendance this day.

March 12th is our ACT on a school day for juniors and seniors who registered. ALL juniors and seniors who are not testing are expected to be in regular school attendance.

Neither of these testing days are school sanctioned College Visit Days or early dismissal days.

THE COUNSELOR’S CORNER
March 4th is our annual National Honor Society induction ceremony, beginning at 11:30 a.m. Our ceremony will be held in the gym. Families are invited to attend. Please be sure to check in at the school’s main office.

Parent Service Hours
ECS Athletics is in need of parents to help with the gate entry tables for both baseball and softball home games this year. Please see the links below to sign up.

This opportunity is for parent service hours – we ask that students do not sign up. Thank you!

Baseball: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084EAAAB29A1FBCE9-47948861-baseball

Softball: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084EAAAB29A1FBCE9-47949459-softball

QUESTIONS? Contact Mrs. Everhart at JEverhart@goecs.org

A BIG THANK YOU!
The Junior Class would like to thank everyone who supported the candy gram fundraiser this past week! Juniors are now hard at work preparing the candy grams for delivery on Valentine’s Day. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

COURSE SELECTIONS FOR 2024-2025
It is hard to believe, but planning for the 2024-2025 school year is already underway. Course selection sheets will be coming out in the very near future for all rising freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors. An email will be sent out to all students and families when course selection sheets are distributed. Please be on the lookout for this important notification.

FROM OUR FABULOUS FINE ARTS FOLKS….
We are honored to present the Spring Musical, ANASTASIA, to our school and local community, April 25th-27th, 2024! Historically, we have gained a tremendous amount of support from our parents and donors to make this special event happen. We are offering you a unique opportunity to partner with us to either recognize a student through an Accolade Ad (shout out to your student) and/or gain exposure for your business by advertising in our beautiful Playbill. Last year, we had over 1,000 people attend our show! This is a great opportunity to get your business “out there” while supporting the ECS Fine Arts Department.

We thank you for your continued support for our Fine Arts Department. If you have any questions, please email Mrs.Villalobos at nvillalobos@goecs.org.

All middle school students must be picked up by 3:40 pm each day or should be in our aftercare study hall program.

All middle school students have access to the ECS app on their iPad. This is a great tool for students and parents to use to keep track of all assignments as well as grades. As a reminder, homework is part of a student’s grade. Please encourage your child to check the app daily in order to track grades and missing work.

Students may wear a red or pink shirt with jeans or uniform bottoms for Valentine’s Day on Wednesday, 2/14.

NJHS Inductions will be on Monday, March 4th. You will be notified by Ms. Collum or Mrs. Heredia if your 8th grader will be inducted.

Stanford Testing for all middle school students will be April 8th – 10th.

We are hiring!
Lower School is in need of substitute teachers, teacher aide, and an in-house substitute teacher. Please complete the non-academic application if interested. We look forward to hearing from you!
https://goecs.org/about-ecs/employment/non-academic-application/

Spiritual Emphasis Week
Spiritual Emphasis was so much fun! We learned about the importance of looking to God in moments of fear and staying joyful through adversity.

Valentine’s Day
Wednesday, February 14th, students may wear red and pink with jeans and choice of sneakers on Valentine’s Day. Don’t forget to bring Valentine’s for your classmates.

President’s Day
Monday, February 19th, school is closed.

Read Across America Week
March 4th-8th we will be celebrating our love of Reading! On Wednesday, March 6th, students may dress as their favorite storybook character. Make sure to bring your book to school with you. Costumes must be modest and school appropriate. No weapons, no witches, no sorcery, no magic, or scary costumes permitted.

K5, 1st, and 5th Grade Grandparent’s Day
Thursday, March 7th is Grandparent’s Day for K5, 1st, and 5th grade. Grandparents will enter through the main gym lobby doors. Grandparents may park in the front or 3rd street parking lots. Students are permitted to leave with grandparents after the program. 5th grade 9:30, 1st Grade 11:30, and K5 1:30.

K4, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Grade Grandparent’s Day
Friday, March 8th is Grandparent’s Day for K4, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade. Grandparents will enter through the main gym lobby doors. Grandparents may park in the front or 3rd street parking lots. Students are permitted to leave with grandparents after the program. 3rd grade 8:45, K4 10:45, 2nd grade 12:00, and 4th grade 1:30.

Book Fair Week
March 11th-15th is Book Fair Week. We need lots of parent helpers. Please click the link to sign up.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4EADAC2BA4FEC34-ecsbook#/

Parent-Teacher Social
Wednesday, March 13th is our Parent-Teacher Social. Please join us for food trucks, a classroom visit, and book fair fun! We look forward to seeing everyone 3:30-4:00 for classroom visits and 4:00-5:00 for book fair and food trucks.

Upcoming After School Clubs
Please see the below flyers for after school club opportunities.

Parent Service Hours Sign Up Genius Links

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094BACAD28A1F4C16-47335054-wednesday

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094BACAD28A1F4C16-47338267-thursday

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4EADAC2BA4FEC34-47317865-ecsfirst#/

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4EADAC2BA4FEC34-ecsbook#/

Lower School Fun Run
K4-5th grade Fun Run is on Tuesday! Parents are welcome to attend. Students may leave with their parents after the event. Each Fun Run will last about 30 minutes. Students need to wear their Fun Run Shirt with modest shorts and choice of sneakers.

9:45 3rd-4th

11:00 K4-K5

12:15 5th

1:15 1st-2nd

Lockdown Drill
We are having a lockdown drill on Wednesday. Teachers are informing students that it is only a practice. The lockdown drill will last approximately five minutes and we will then resume our regular schedule.

Spiritual Emphasis Week 
Lower School will have Spiritual Emphasis Week February 5th-9th. Parents are welcome to attend. 2nd-5th Grade meets February 5th & 9th at 8:15 a.m. and K4-1st Grade meets February 6th & 8th at 8:15 a.m. Parents are welcome to attend.

Super Bowl Dress Down 
Super Bowl Dress Down is on Friday, February 9th. Students may wear their favorite jersey or favorite team colors with jeans and choice of sneakers.

Valentine’s Day
Wednesday, February 14th, students may wear red and pink with jeans and choice of sneakers on Valentine’s Day.

President’s Day 
Monday, February 19th, school is closed.

Upcoming After School Clubs
Please see the attached flyers for after school club opportunities.

Parent Service Hours Sign Up Genius Links
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094BACAD28A1F4C16-47335054-wednesday
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094BACAD28A1F4C16-47338267-thursday
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4EADAC2BA4FEC34-47317865-ecsfirst#/

FROM THE COUNSELOR’S CORNER
There will be a National Honors Society Meeting Monday during HS lunch in the Sentinel Cafe for current NHS members. Please bring your lunch and Semester 2 service project ideas! Attendance is mandatory if present at school.

Applications for NHS are due on February 9th for 10th, 11th and 12th grade students. Hard copies of the application are available at the High School desk. Current NHS members need not apply. Please see Mrs. Heredia or Ms. Collum with any questions.

Once the NHS committee meets and eligibility is determined, parents of high school students who qualify will be contacted about the NHS Induction Ceremony on March 4th. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Heredia (College Counselor – sheredia@goecs.org) or Ms. Collum (School Counselor – scollum@goecs.org).

CANDY GRAMS ARE ALMOST HERE!
Our annual CANDY GRAM sales will begin February 5th and will run through February 9th. Deliveries will be made on February 14th. This is a Junior class fundraiser with all proceeds going toward their Senior Trip. If you have any questions, please reach out to Mrs. Castilla (jcastilla@goecs.org) in the High School Office.

The National Honor Society application for 10th, 11th and 12th grade is now open! Here are some things you should know if you are interested in applying:

Applicants will need to have a weighted GPA of 3.5 or higher, be in good behavioral standing and demonstrate qualities of positive Character and Service. An essay is required with your application. If you have questions about your GPA, please contact either myself or Ms. Collum.

I have attached the NHS application below. All applications are due on Feb. 9th. Please turn in your completed NHS application to the High School Front Desk. Current NHS members DO NOT need to re-apply!

• January 31st – Class shirt day 
• February 8th & 9th – Fine Arts trip to Universal Studios
• March 4th – National Junior Honor Society inductions (8th grade parents will be notified beforehand if your child will be inducted)
• March 11th – 15th – Recharge Week
• May 16th – Middle School Awards
• May 29th – PBS Busch Gardens trip

Track Meet Awards will be given out on Friday, January 26th. 2nd-3rd will receive awards at 8:30 and 4th-5th will receive awards at 9:30. Parents are welcome to attend. Award Ceremony will be in the gym. Please enter through the gym lobby doors. 

Lower School Fun Run

K4-5th grade will be participating in our Lower School Fun Run. The Fun Run is on Tuesday, January 30th and parents are welcome to attend. Please see the attached flyers for more information. 

Chapel 

We have seating available for parent visitors. We encourage students to stay seated with their class for Chapel as visitor seating is limited. Families may also view Chapel by watching our live stream each week: https://www.youtube.com/@ecsfilms/streams

Upcoming After School Clubs

Please see the attached flyers for after school club opportunities. 

We realize how busy everyone is, so we really appreciate the responses we received from our first semester survey. The feedback we received was extremely helpful and informative. I want to share some of the highlights with you:

A few challenges that were shared with us that we will concentrate on were:

* Awareness of the amount of homework that students receive regularly especially students with multiple teachers
* Doing a better job enforcing our rules and making sure our handbooks are current
* Providing competitive salaries to retain and recruit quality teachers
* Consider including some of the extra fees into the tuition (ex. Safety fees)
* Addressing traffic congestion and parking especially with school events
Also, thank you for taking the time to share shoutouts. We have passed these on to our teachers and it has been a major encouragement to them.
During second semester, we will send another brief survey focusing on another specific topic along with a few repeat questions. Thank you again for your participation and helping to make ECS a better place!
Have a wonderful second semester!
John Hunte

Track Meet Awards will be given out on Friday, January 26th. 2nd-3rd will receive awards at 8:30 and 4th-5th will receive awards at 9:30. Parents are welcome to attend. Award Ceremony will be in the gym. Please enter through the gym lobby doors. 

Lower School Fun Run

K4-5th grade will be participating in our Lower School Fun Run. The Fun Run is on Tuesday, January 30th and parents are welcome to attend. Please see the attached flyers for more information. 

Chapel 

We have seating available for parent visitors. We encourage students to stay seated with their class for Chapel as visitor seating is limited. Families may also view Chapel by watching our live stream each week: https://www.youtube.com/@ecsfilms/streams

Upcoming After School Clubs

Please see the attached flyers for after school club opportunities. 

Starting Fresh

Second semester is off to a great start. During third quarter, we are deep into content. If a student needs some extra assistance in one of his/her classes, it’s wise to take advantage of our Help Classes. As a reminder, each teacher offers a free Help Class once a week. A Help Class Schedule was sent to all students/families at the beginning of the school year. If you need a copy of this schedule to be re-sent, please reach out to the High School Desk. Teachers also post the day and time for when their Help Class is held in their classrooms. Help Classes are great for students who may continually need extra help as they work through a course or just on an as-needed basis.

Staying Informed

Progress reports are emailed out each Sunday morning. Additionally, student progress can be checked at any time using FACTs. Parents are encouraged to review their student’s progress each week. This is one of the best ways to stay informed and up-to-date with student academics, attendance and behavior records.

Junior News

On January 23rd, we will be administering the ASVAB to all of our Juniors. Stay tuned for more information from our College Counselor, Mrs. Heredia.

Senior News

Seniors and their parents should monitor their emails as important information is continually being shared regarding senior trip, senior spreads (yearbook), and graduation, etc.

Dear Parents,

Can you believe we are at Christmas already?  We hope that you and your family will be able to enjoy this season with the peace of Christ in your hearts.  

We want to kindly ask that you take a few moments to discuss an important matter with your child over Christmas break.  In the past years we have all heard and seen how students have faced serious consequences for making threats (both fake and real).  We take student safety very seriously and have taken steps to ensure a safe learning environment for all students.  Students, staff, and parents all have an important role in promoting student safety.  

We wanted to send home a letter on the importance of speaking to your child about the impact of their words and actions.  Young people struggle with impulsivity, which means they may not always think before they do things.  Please prioritize having age-appropriate conversations with your child to make sure they understand the long-term consequences of making threats.  We don’t ever want a child to be in a situation where they’re having very serious consequences because of something they said that maybe they didn’t even mean.  Even if it was meant to be a joke, a fake threat of violence is taken very seriously by law enforcement.

Here are a few examples of threats:

• talking about committing an act of violence against a person, adult, or school (i.e. “I’m going to kill you”, “You should die”)
• texting or posting about committing a violent act on social media

Please understand, because of the culture we live in, all verbal or written threats are subject to a threat assessment by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. 

But more importantly, please consider sharing with your child what God’s expectations are for their speech. ECS is a Christian institution which means it is our desire to honor Christ and to encourage our students to become more like Christ. This includes using words that build up (Ephesians 4:29). Speaking words that give grace (Colossians 4:6). We also want to help young students understand the wisdom of being careful and wise with their words (Proverbs 10:19). A big part of both knowing Christ and becoming like Christ is having the mind of Christ which considers others more important than ourselves (Philippians 2:3-4). Making threats and using foul language fails to live up to God’s expectations for our speech (Ephesians 5:4).

It is our desire that through the power of the gospel each child’s heart would be transformed in such a way that they would sincerely desire to honor and glorify God from their hearts with the words that they say (Psalm 19:14). That is what we pray and aim when teaching students about God’s expectations for their words. 

Here are a few things you can speak to your child about:

• Reiterate the school rules and expectations and request that students report potential problems to school officials (teachers, principal, dean, and school counselor).
• Remind students of the importance of resisting peer pressure to act irresponsibly. 
• If we are upset and/or angry, we must seek an adult for help instead of using harmful words or actions.  
• Verbal, written (text or posted on social media), can lead to suspension, expulsion and can even be punishable by law.
• Finally, encourage your child to be a helpful bystander.  If someone is being threatened or intimidated, they should find an adult and report it. 

We hope this is a help to all of our families. Have a blessed Christmas season!

Grandparent’s Day Update Please Mark Your Calendar!

Grandparent’s Day has always been a special day for us here at ECS. We love our families so much and want to continue to make fun memories with them. With all of our growth it has become difficult to fit all of our special guests inside the classroom. It has also been difficult to find parking which can make this event a bit stressful or difficult for our visitors. We have been discussing ways to make this event a better experience for our families. We have also taken into consideration the feedback we have received over the years.

In order to make these changes we needed to push the date back a bit. Because we share our school space with many different departments there is much to consider and organize when planning events of this size.

This year we will have Grandparent’s Day in the gym and each grade level will have their own assigned day and time. Grandparents will all enter the gym through the main gym lobby doors, which means there is no need to stand in a long line waiting for a badge to enter the school. By having this special event spread out over two days it will help to make it easier to find parking. Having the event in the gym will give us more space where we will be able to have a chair for each of our visitors which will help them to be more comfortable.

It is our hope that making these changes will provide more parking, better seating, less waiting in line trying to check in, and an overall much more enjoyable event!

These changes should help to make the event more enjoyable for our honored guests. As a bonus treat, students are permitted to leave after the program with their grandparents so they may continue to enjoy their special day together.

Please mark your calendars:

Thursday, March 7th
5th 9:30
1st 11:00
K5 12:30

Friday, March 8th
3rd 9:00
K4 10:30
2nd 12:00
4th 1:15