View Pastor Tim Dowdy's Vision 2017 message

The Fine Arts Department along with the Fine Arts Patrons 

is proud to announce the opening of the

ELCA VISUAL ARTS GALLERY

Tuesday, March 21

Drop In 6:00PM - 8:00PM

APRIL 3 - 7

Have a fun and safe 

spring break!

There will be no ELCA day camps during this break.

What is Spring Fling? 

Only the most FUNderful afternoon 

of the spring at ELCA!

On Thursday, April 13, school will dismiss at noon for all students and the fun will begin! There will be Bungee Swings, Zip Line, Rock Wall, Wipe Out and MORE! 

Get prepared to have a great day by ordering, in advance, your...

SPRING FLING

Thursday, April 13 - Noon 'til 3:00PM

( There is no after-school care on this day - 

School dismisses at Noon)

Summer opportunities abound at ELCA! 

Check out some of the camps that are being planned!

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ELCA Recreational Day Camps

May 30 - July 21

Mini Chargers Enrichment Program

(K3-K5 ELCA Students Only)

  Young Chargers Enrichment Program

Rising 1st thru 6th Grades

7:00AM - 6:30PM

http://www.elcaonline.org/MiniChargers

http://www.elcaonline.org/ycep

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CAMP 323 

A joint venture of ELCA and ELFBC

June 12-16

Over the course of five days, your child will participate in  twenty-five  (five more than last year!) different activities. They will Play It, Create It, Perform It, Learn It, and Rec It as they carry out the theme of our camp...

• June 19 - 22  Math Boot Camp (Rising 3rd - 5th Grades)
• June 19 - 22  Art Camp (Rising 1st - 5th Grades) 
• June 19 - 22  Summer Basketball Camp
• June 26 - 29  Math Boot Camp (Rising 1st and 2nd Grades)
• June 26-29 LEGO Camp (Rising 3rd - 5th Grades)
• June 26 - 29 Code 2 Life (5th-10th Grades) TENTATIVE
• July 10 - 13 Super Science Camp (Upper elementary grades)
• July 10-13  Art Camp (Rising 1st - 5th Grades) 
• July 17-20 LEGO Camp (Rising 1st - 2nd Grades) 

2017 STAR STUDENT 

and STAR TEACHER

It is a pleasure to announce that Alexandria Austin has been named the 2017 STAR Student for ELCA.  Ali selected Mrs. Shelley McNeight, her junior AP English teacher, as ELCA's STAR Teacher...the teacher who has had the most influence on her education.  Ali received this recognition on the basis of her SAT scores and scholastic average.

Ali and Mrs. McNeight were honored by the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE) Foundation, the Henry County Chamber of Commerce and the Georgia Department of Education at a breakfast on February 16t at Eagle's Landing Country Club. 

We are honored to have Ali and Mrs. McNeight represent ELCA as the STAR student and STAR teacher for 2017.

Congratulations to the following students who participated in the recent ACSI Creative Writing Festival. Their entries included poems, essays and short stories. All 18 entries received recognition. Their ratings are as follows:   Good (5) Excellent (11) Superior (2) Monica Coutin-Baxter- 4th Lizzie Sekar- 4th Kara Anthony-5th Kristen Capp- 5th Cameron Ingram-5th     Tamia Goff-4th Skyler Lindstrom-4th Leia McCrary-4th London Aguillard- 5th Lillie Cozart- 5th Bryson Fields- 5th Lucas Roby- 5th Hannah Stone- 5th Belle Divine - 6th Miller Doerr - 6th  McKenzie Langston- 6th A ralyn Clements-King -5th Scarlett Biggers- 7th   Aralyn and Scarlett's entries will move on to the next regional event.  Congratulations to all of these students and thank you for representing ELCA in this event.

Mock Job Interview Fair

ELCA  hosted the 3rd annual Mock Job Interview Fair for juniors and seniors on March 6-7. Our students had the opportunity to practice employment readiness skills, dressing for success, and interviewing techniques.

Thank you to all of our interviewers from the ELCA community! 

BAND BRIEFING

The ELCA Concert Band has been invited to participate in the Southern Star Music Festival this coming May, and will be competing with other high schools from around the state for top honors.

The  band banquet  was held last week with marvelous food and the  celebration of our students and accomplishments for this year. There was an awards ceremony acknowledging the hard work of the students, a showcase of the new marching band uniforms, and a big reveal of the  show for next year as well as the new Fine Arts logo! 

The Mighty Charger Marching Band is only open to grades 7-12, meaning that anyone from 6-11th grade can apply for membership to next year's group. 

The show for 2017-18 is tentatively titled "The Least of These," and is going to follow the story of a girl who is uprooted from her life and falls into brokenness. She is then saved by a redeeming character that restores her to fullness. We close the show with "Jesus Paid It All" to draw a parallel between her redemption from her physical circumstances and the redemption freely offered to us through Jesus. 

Contact Mr. Sosebee for more information! 

National Art Honor Society Induction

Our National Art Honor Society Induction Ceremony was held on Thursday, March 9 at 5:30 in the choral suite. All NAHS members and their families were invited to attend the ceremony with a small reception and were treated to a "sneak peek" of the new ELCA art gallery.

The following students were inducted into the 16-17 chapter, the list includes renewing members as well:

 

Eriana Ansley

Ali Austin

Molly Boivin

Heather Boozer

Kylah Brabson

Kaylah Bruno

Olivia Duffy

Katie Earl

Bryson Echols

Bryanna Evans

Alyssa Gjertsen

Reagan Johnson

Elizabeth Lazo

Anna Martin

Samantha Mitchell

Jordyn Street

Emily Stuber

Madison Shelnutt

Kennedy Thomas

Olivia Tinsley

Jordan Tucker

Katie Wallace

ACSI PIANO FESTIVAL 

Twenty-four of Mrs. Janie Dunn's piano students attended the ACSI piano festival on Friday, March 3rd in Lilburn, GA.  All received a superior rating with three receiving a superior plus rating!!  

Jodi Carrigan, mom of Alex (K4) and Cason (2nd grade) works with the primates at Zoo Atlanta. She visited Mrs. Cannon's classroom on Monday, February 13, to give a presentation for all of kindergarten on Ivan, the silverback gorilla. 

Ivan's story has been told in a book written by Katherine Applegate and illustrated by Patricia Castelao. It is in the development stages of becoming a movie and Mrs. Carrigan is a consultant on the project. 

The One and Only Ivan is a winner of the prestigious Newbery Medal. The Newbery is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution of that year to American literature for children. The book is a work of fiction, but the inspiration for this imagined tale lies with a true story.

REPURPOSED READING BUDDIES

Mrs. Pollock's 5th grade students spent some time helping their kindergarten buddies sort the various types of marshmallows, then they are used graph paper to make a pictograph. After they finished the graph, the 5th graders helped the kindergarten students explain which column of marshmallow had the most, least, and if there were any that were equal. We usually read with our buddies, but we decided to try a math activity this time. After they finished, they received a bonus bag of cereal and enjoyed a snack, too.

OUT AND ABOUT

Third Grade took a field trip to Cochran Mill Nature Center on Monday, March 13. Students learned about reptiles and got to pet a snake, baby alligator and turtle. They also learned about backyard habitats and made a pinecone birdfeeder. Finally, they learned about rocks and minerals and got to observe and hold different types of rocks. We finished with a trip to a park for very chilly lunch!

Feedback gathered from the 2017 State of School survey indicated that our parents overwhelmingly enjoyed viewing the 2017 State of School from home. 

Parents were encouraged to view the presentation on January 30, but before February 10, to count towards incentives for their students. Middle and high school students received a homework pass. Students in elementary and preschool classrooms with the highest percentage of parent viewership will receive an ice cream party. 

Mrs. Cannon's kindergarten class was the winner for grades PK3-1 

and Mrs. Duren's 2nd grade class was the winner for grades 2-5.

Congratulations!

PI DAY AT ELCA

Did you catch this photo on Twitter? If not, you're missing a lot! Check out all the ways to stay connected to ELCA on social media on our home page at 

www.elcaonline.org!

 

SAGE Chef Robert Batello gives students a bread baking demonstration.

Spot the Dots!

 

In celebration of National Nutrition Month, SAGE is hosting Spotlight Day in the Eagle Cafe!

 

The SAGE Spotlight Program® helps guide students' food choices. It encourages a healthy relationship with food that is both fun and nutritious. There are no "bad" foods with the Spotlight Program. Instead, all foods fit when you practice variety, balance, and moderation.

 

Spotlight uses a color-coded system to show each food item's nutritional value. Green, yellow, and red dots are used to indicate how often foods should appear on a student's plate.

 

● Green-dot foods are the foundation of your plate. Every day, add a variety of green-dot foods to at least half of your plate for added color and nutrients.

 

● Yellow-dot foods add a mix of nutrients and flavors to your plate. Balance your plate by filling one-quarter to one-half of it with yellow-dot foods.

 

● Red-dot foods provide valuable nutrients, but also contain some you want to moderate. Focusing on portion or frequency is a great way to enjoy red-dot foods. Reserve one-quarter of your plate for red-dot foods, or add them to your plate only a couple times a week.

 

Look for the dots on the menu to help guide your choices! 

Recipe of the Month:  a light, easy Red Quinoa Tabbouleh! Try it as a fresh, healthy side dish!

Our SAGE team is a great resource for you and they are eager to help you in any way.

P.E. Stands for Pretty Exciting!

More PE "You Did What?!?!"

It happened again.....

and 4 days later it happened AGAIN!  

Yes sports fans, we had 2 students win the "You Did What?!?! Amazing Shot Award" in February.  Congratulations to 7 th grader Conner Woods and 4th grader Kennedy Lockwood!  Conner was in the middle of a highly competitive game of kickball when he kicked the ball into the basketball hoop, nothing but net.  Kennedy was also playing kickball when she kicked a perfect bank shot.  The PE Department is proud to say this brings our total awards to 3 this year.  During the first week, of school Isaiah Haralson won our first ever "You Did What?!?! Amazing Shot Award".  Who will be next?

The ELCA Touchdown Club invites you to join the 2 nd Annual Tournament of Champions at Eagle's Landing Country Club Monday, April 17 th .  You can register at http://birdeasepro.com/ELCATDClub. 

**If you own a company we would love for you to help sponsor our tournament or sponsor a team at our tournament.  We only have spots for 27 teams.  Please spread the word and the link! 

IMPACTING THE WORLD, ONE LIFE AT A TIME

NICARAGUA: ELCA has been visiting the village of Padre Ramos, Nicaragua for many years, where they minister to the people of that region while based at the Padre Ramos Youth Ranch. The missionaries who run the Youth Ranch, Toney and Debbie Jones, are from McDonough and are committed to providing for the basic needs of the people including food and water, medical clinics, community centers, vocational training, church services and other sustainable efforts. Our group joined in these efforts while there and also had the opportunity to visit Cerro Negro, which is located just outside of Leon, Nicaragua. This active volcano is the only one in the world where you can "surf" down on a board.  The hour-long climb up is certainly worth the thrill of descending...with speeds up to 60mph!

 

 

"Yadira has been going to the ranch since she was a baby and has been loved by many of the students who have gone on the ELCA Nicaragua trips. She was recently diagnosed with a tumor between her kidneys and liver and her body wasn't able to survive the surgery that took place during the time of our trip. The ELCA team took up a love offering to help with her burial expenses and still continue to minister to her mother, Carmen, through messages and prayer." ~Teresa McKay

 

NEW ORLEANS: " This is year's mission trip to NOLA was a great trip in many ways. One of those ways was that we were able to hang insulation and sheetrock in a home that was flooded back in August in Denham Springs, La. There are still thousands of homes still gutted that need to be rebuilt 6 months later. It was a blessing to see our teens take on the challenge to learn in a short period how to hang sheetrock and then accomplish such a huge task in a short period of time. One of the many blessings for me this trip was, never did I hear one student complain when we were working or when we had to make changes in the schedule due to unforeseen challenges. The parents of these teens can be very proud of their students for their hard work and dedication to missions." ~Mike Haralson

UPCOMING TRIPS

Please continue to join us in praying for the trips that will be departing in the coming weeks...for the safety of our groups and that lives will be changed and people will come to know Christ.

 

Middle school trips leaving soon are Washington, DC and The Creation Museum in Petersburg, KY.

Groups from high school will head to Alaska, Honduras, Jamaica, Great Britain and Uganda.

IMPACTING THE WORLD, RIGHT HERE AT HOME

What did you do on MLK, Jr Day? 

Some of our ELCA students and teachers volunteered with 

Habitat for Humanity. 

 

Early Learning Academy K3 teachers, Angie Yancey and Grace Lee, along with ELCA students  Kaitlyn Yancey (Senior), Taylor Martin (Junior) and Kelli Crews (Sophomore) volunteered with Habitat for Humanity in Hampton on January 16. Taylor's mom is an employee at Georgia Power and she recruited the ELCA troop to join in.

 

Kaitlyn was interviewed by TV crew and asked about Volunteering with Habitat and what working with her family on MLK Day meant to her. She said, "I have always wanted to work with Habitat for Humanities. It's is such a great organization that helps others, especially today being able to come together as a community on MLK Day."

Mrs. Harrell (8th Grade Math Teacher) is the latest 

Gold Bolt Employee of the Month!

Thank you, Mrs. Harrell, for all you do to make ELCA great!

Join Coach Gess for

The Crucible: Dad Prayer Time

Join me every Wednesday for a prayer time for dads at 5:58 AM in the weight room. 

All dads are invited and you may bring your son if you wish. 

The most powerful weapon we have for our sons is prayer.  The very thing we neglect is prayer.  I am convinced there is spiritual warfare that is being fought to prevent dads and moms from praying for and with their children.  

This is an opportunity to gather as a group, hold each other accountable and fight the fight together.  Alumni dads are invited as well dads of younger groups. 

"Men are looking for better methods.  God is looking for better Men.  Men are God's methods."  E.M. Bounds

Coach Gess

Head Football Coach

Praying Parents

Thursdays at 8:00 AM

Music Suite - Room 233

FRIDAY, MARCH 31

Are you looking for a  Carpool Partner?

Carpool Partners can be a big help 

and lots of fun!

Visit elcaonline.org/carpoolpartners 

if you are interested in being connected with an ELCA family near you.