This weekend we will be celebrating springtime and music. Sabbath our choral program will provide music for the Sabbath worship service and a Camerata concert at 4:00 pm. Saturday evening at 8:00 pm will be our spring concert by our instrumental music groups. The evening program will begin with Sabbath evening worship prior to the evening concert. This will be a weekend full of beautiful music. I hope you can attend or listen on-line.
Finish Strong - Spring is in full force, and part of the impact of spring is a desire to enjoy the beautiful weather, and perhaps be tempted to set aside school and work responsibilities before the school year has ended. Though these days are very busy, I want to encourage everyone to stay focused on the important tasks at hand. It is important to finish the year in a strong manner by continuing to attend to work and school responsibilities.
About this time of year, I sometimes get a message or call from a parent asking that their son or daughter be excused from work responsibilities for the rest of the year, "so they can focus on their studies." Before I get that call, allow me to share a couple observations and one request.
I have almost never seen a student suddenly do better in their school work because they quit their job. In addition, our school is only able to operate with students providing important work. The lesson we don't want students to learn is - if life gets hard, just quit something, regardless of how it impacts other people. So, let's all agree to finish strong, and be responsible. Finishing in a responsible manner will make the beginning of summer all the more rewarding!
New England Study Tour - The members of our US History classes (who also happen to be juniors) will be departing GCA very early Monday morning for their annual study tour to the Northeast. By the middle of the day on Monday they will be touring Thomas Jefferson's home at Monticello. From there they will travel to Pennsylvania, Washington DC, New York City, Boston, and other points in New England. The whirlwind trip concludes on May 6. When students who are nearing the end of their time at GCA look back over the years, very often the New England Study Tour is one of their favorite experiences. We will be praying for our students as they travel.
Changes on Campus - Just a reminder, the new gate on Campus Lane near the rear corner of the boys' dorm is in place and functioning. All parking on campus is in the front parking lot. If you need to drive around to the girls' dorm, you can use the keypad at the gate to request entrance. There is no parking beyond the front lot. At certain times the gate will need to stay closed and everyone will need to use the front parking lot and walk to dormitories or the Wally Fox Wellness Center. All of this is part of our efforts to keep students safe.
As mentioned last week, entrance to the administrative offices is now through the student center. The sidewalk and the retaining wall have been removed as we work to provide new landscaping. Everyone will need to use the sidewalk at center campus that leads to the fountain courtyard, when accessing the administrative building, the student center or the girls' dorm.
Thanks for your understanding as we make improvements on campus. We are looking forward to everything being finished by sometime this summer.