Weekly Communicator
Head of School Message
Our school year begins with unique and unprecedented circumstances yet with the same faithful and steadfast anchor that has defined GCA throughout our 40 years of existence. Because of God’s unchanging faithfulness and perfect love, we begin the year in confidence. 

The confidence we cling to is dependent on God’s word and the great cloud of witnesses that have gone before us. The famous hymn penned by Thomas Chisholm in the early 1900s, reflects this confidence.

“Great is Thy faithfulness O God, my Father; There is no shadow of turning with Thee. Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not; As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be.

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest, Sun, moon and stars in their courses above, Join with all nature in manifold witness, To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide; Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, Blessings all mine with ten thousand beside!

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed Thy hand hath provided; Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!"

The hymn's first verse is a simple expression of God's unchanging faithfulness, based on Lamentations 3:22 (KJV): "It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not."

Verse two continues with an expression of God's faithfulness to us in the natural world He created—the changing of the seasons, the movements of the celestial bodies—all joining together in praise to their Creator.

The hymn culminates in the final verse with the testimony of peace that comes through redemption, God's abiding presence in our daily lives, and the blessed hope of heaven.

The refrain echoes the infinite faithfulness of God to extend mercy and compassion: "They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness" (Lamentations 3:23, KJV).

Together as the GCA community we praise God that we proceed into this new school year confidently knowing and depending on the Lord’s perfect faithfulness.  

Soli Deo Gloria
Stanford Hielema
Head of School
Upcoming Dates & Important Info

  • Tues Sept 8: Students in Grades 1-9 with last names "A-Lewis" ONLY (8:30-11:30 am)
  • Wed Sept 9: Students in Grades 1-9 with last names "Li-Z ONLY" (8:30-11:30 am)
  • Thurs Sept 10 will resume as normal (full day, all students). The Jr High doors open at 8:00 am, and Elementary at 8:10 am. School starts at 8:25 am for Elementary and 8:30 am for Jr High.
  • Kindergarten and Junior Kindergarten families will be contacted by their teachers regarding the schedule and protocols for their first days at GCA.

COVID-19 School Reminders
Entrance reminder - Please take a moment again to familiarize yourself with the designated entrances for Elementary and Jr High students.

Traffic Flow - A reminder that we have made changes to our parking lots to reduce congestion and facilitate the PikMyKid process. Thank you for taking the time to familiarize yourself with the traffic flow changes before arriving on the first day.

Masks - A reminder that students in Grades 4 to 9 (and all adults) are required to wear masks in the building. Masks are optional for younger students. Please review the mask protocols we have in place for GCA.

Virtual Q & A Presentation and Follow-Up - If you did not get the chance to join us on Monday, and would like to hear our re-entry presentation and the follow-up questions, please click below:
School Chapel Theme
In the middle of a global pandemic when normal has been redefined. The world is in a time unlike any other in history when political, racial, and economic tensions are heightened and no answers seemingly exist.

We believe in the truth in the words of Jesus from John 15:5: "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." 

In this year of the 40th graduating class of Glenmore Christian Academy. We will continue to hold onto the One in whom we have been, are and will always be ROOTED. We will continue to remain in the One who is before us, with us and ahead of us.

Join us in prayer as we dive into all that God has for us this 2020-2021 school year!
Elementary Updates
Welcome back! We are looking forward to seeing you on Tuesday and Wednesday. Just a reminder to please visit our Elementary page for some important details before we return to school.

Meet the Teacher Dates - Please note the following dates for our virtual "meet the teacher" sessions via Zoom. Please take a moment to view the video above for a special introductory message from Mr. G and Mrs. Fournier.
Tues Sept 8
  • Kindergarten - 6:00 pm
  • Grade 1 - 6:30 pm
  • Grade 2 - 7:00 pm
Wed Sept 9
  • Grade 3 - 6:00 pm
  • Grade 4 - 6:30 pm
  • Grade 5 - 7:00 pm

Gym Strip - In Grades 4 and 5, an official gym strip is required. Costs are shorts - $15, shirts - $20. There is also an optional gym strip for Grades 1 to 3. Order information will be provided during your Meet the Teacher sessions.
Junior High Updates
Welcome back!  Adventure 2020 is going to be the most memorable and significant year in education certainly in our lifetime and our staff are so excited to welcome our students back to our classrooms.

Class lists were emailed to homes on Thurs Sept 3.

It is very important that families review the videos, pictures and details on the Junior High page of our school website.

Junior High Meet the Teacher Night - In light of health measures - we are holding our Meet the Teacher night through Zoom on Thurs Sept 10.  Please plan on joining.  You will receive an invite to the Zoom meeting from your child’s homeroom teacher:
  • Grade 6 - 6:30 pm
  • Grade 7 - 7:00 pm
  • Grade 8 - 7:30 pm
  • Grade 9 - 8:00 pm

New Staff - We have had a few staff additions over the summer:
  • Ms. Janelle Rice will be the fourth homeroom teacher in Grade 8.  She will also be teaching Math, Science and Bible. Interesting note - Janelle is a GCA alumna and comes to us from Rundle Academy.
  • Mrs. Kelly Bakker will be our third Educational Assistant in Junior High.  Kelly comes to us from Trinity Christian School - but is really coming home, as her children attend GCA.
  • Mrs. Tanya Gerber will assist  for several weeks in Mr. Reist's classroom as they are heading to Stanford, California for another surgery for Emmett.  Tanya is a former GCA Jr High teacher and mom of two alumni.
We are very thankful for these gifted women stepping onto our team.
GCA Community News
PowerSchool Unified Classroom
We are excited for the upcoming launch of PowerSchool Unified Classroom on Tues Sept 8. The teachers have been hard at work customizing their virtual classrooms to make it easy for parents and students to navigate.

You will be receiving an email with details on how to sign up for your PowerSchool account, and will receive your access code and password for each of your students.

We have created an FAQ page to answer some of your initial questions. We will continue to add on to this page as we move forward.
Road Construction
Due to the ring road construction, there is currently no access to Somerset/Shawnessy via 6th Street. Construction is said to be completed by Sept 7. As well, currently 162 Ave. is undergoing repaving. We encourage you to seek alternate routes through Evergreen or Bridlewood via James McKevitt Road. 
Top Marks Customer Service Dates
Please add a note about Top Marks that they have suspended all in-school Customer Service Days until further notice. As soon as it is safe, these dates will resume at the school.
Monthly Payments
Reminder to all parents on a monthly payment plan: the COVID-19 10% payment reduction for the months of May-August is coming to an end. Regular payments will resume in September 2020. 
apples_in_boxes.jpg
Apple Fundraiser
Our Davison Apple Orchard Fundraiser is on! Purchase a box of delicious BC apples (Honeycrisp, Royal Gala, Ambrosia or Okanagan blend) and support the Grade 7-9 students as they fundraise for their future Camp Homewood and Mission trips. View here for full details and the order form. Apples arrive on October 2.
We are looking forward to seeing you next week!

Blessings,
The GCA Team