COMING UP


SEPTEMBER

Monday, September 19
CCMS Parent Only Night
6:00-8:00 pm

Tuesday, September 20
Parent Only Night- GCES
6:30 pm

Friday, September 23
NO SCHOOL
Teacher Inservice Day

Monday, September 26
Parent Only Night- CCHS
6:00-7:45 pm

OCTOBER

October 7
CCHS Homecoming

Founders Quote
“There never has been a period of history, in which the Common Law did not recognize Christianity as lying at its foundation."

Joseph Story- US Supreme Court Justice
DISTRICT NEWS
Calling all Challenger Alumni....Join us for the 2022 Homecoming Game. Don't forget to stop by the Metal Masters Alumni tent to grab your giveaways, raffle tickets and dinner vouchers. Spread the word! Go Challengers!
Be sure to download our school app! Its full of helpful tools right at your fingertips. As with all technology... sometimes there are hiccups. If you are having trouble with your app, try these simple trouble shooting tips.

  1. Do a hard close of the app
  2. Check to see if the app needs to be updated (in your phone settings menu)
  3. Make sure your login information is correct - the School Code is GCS-OR
  4. Still having issues - please screen shot the error message and send to Becky Griffin and she will contact their helpdesk.
a HUGE thank you to this year's school app sponsor...
Thank you West Orthodontics for your continued support of our schools! Be sure to tap on their icon while using our app for more information on how Dr. West and team can create the perfect smiles for everyone in your family!

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEWS
Friday Chapel
One of the great distinctions of the educational experience at Grace Christian is our Friday chapel services. It is a time focused on the care and nurturing of a young person's spirit and the development of the whole person.

This week marked the first chapel service of the new school year. Here are some scenes from chapel this week. Mr. Teterud presented this year's school theme "Fully Alive," and shared a testimony of how God helped him and the GCES staff through a potential crisis situation. He also introduced some of the new teachers and staff.

Mrs. Fretz led us in a time of worship in song. It was neat to see students who already understand giving praise and thanksgiving to God.

Finally, we had Mrs. "V," Mrs. Brougher, and Mrs. Fretz sharing their experiences serving the Lord in Central America, including our sister school, El Padul, in Managua, Nicaragua.
Third Graders Meet K-9 Officers
Grace Christian third graders had the wonderful opportunity to get to meet some of the most dedicated and valuable officers in law enforcement. Friday, our students met Remco and Coppo- two representatives of the Jackon County Sheriff's Canine Unit, along with Corporal Hohl and Deputy Hegdahl.

Hohl talked about the kinds of dogs they select, how the animals are trained, and what kind of work they do. Remco and Coppo are both Belgian Malinois- dogs noted for their agility and intelligence. Remco is nine years old, and Coppo is three-and-a-half.

Equipped with training pads and sleeves, Corp. Hohl even let Coppo demonstrate a bite. Fascinated, students saw how strong and disciplined the dogs are. Of course, animals are always a winner with kids, and it also provided a chance to meet our local law enforcement dedicated to protecting and serving our community.
Grace & Cascade Connect During Service Day
Our high school counterparts capped off their week with a day of service Friday. A couple of groups came over and served at our elementary campus.

Here you can see Mrs. Todd meeting with a group of young ladies and Mrs. Merritt to get lined out on their tasks. In the gym, Mr. Teterud and a group of young men moved a basketball hoop. We also discovered Colsen Brown and Mr. Wood wheeling a trash cart down the hall, gleefully at work.
Did you miss our last online store opportunity? The online store is open again until October 10th. Grab some fun Challenger swag and show off your school spirit. Items can be shipped to your home or you can pick them up from Forte Clothing when your shipment arrives.
Order online HERE
MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS
Spiritual Foundation Week
During our second week of school, time was set aside to nurture our students spiritually and academically. It was Spiritual Emphasis Week, complete with special chapel services and time for our middle school and high school students to gather together to kick off the week.

GCCS Head of Schools Erik Ritschard spoke to the combined group of secondary students. Tuesday and Wednesday, Nathan Moir, a Cascade graduate who is the youth pastor at Jacksonville Presbyterian spoke to students, while Mrs. Eaton and Ms. Brown led worship. Moir's messages include a visit to John 4, where Jesus met the woman at the well. It dove-tailed nicely off of Ritschard's message talking about the great treasures God has given us in spite of what little we can give him.
Meet Social Studies Teacher Amy Mooi
It's only fitting that a social studies teacher would have seen a good bit of the world. Amy Mooi- who is new to CCMS this year- checks off that box in a major way.

Before coming to Cascade, Mooi and her family lived in Canada, where her husband is originally from. The couple met while teaching and coaching in Korea. In the 2012 Olympics, she represented Guam in the 800 meters. That's right, Mrs. Mooi is quite athletic having also competed in soccer, playing for the Guam National Football Association from 2004 to 2008.

She also played collegiately at Biola, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies, with an emphasis in Elementary Education with a concentration in English. In 2017, Mooi earned her MA in Teaching.

Amy and her family- which includes two young sons- love to travel. Fittingly, she has been to 28 countries and counting. Concerning her experience at Cascade thus far, she says, "We are thankful for how God opened the doors for our family to be in the Grace Cascade community this year. I’m enjoying getting to know my students and look forward to what God will do this year! Though we have traveled and lived all over the world, this is our first time living in Medford and we are thankful for how people have welcomed us here. It’s also a privilege to work with my amazing sister-in-law, Mrs. Atkinson.” Oh, by the way, our new sixth-grade teacher, Mrs. Atkinson is married to Amy's brother (we look forward to having you meet her soon).

It's a small world.
"Brains In Black"
Flex your gray matter by joining the "Brains In Black." Cascade Christian Middle School is assembling its brain bowl team for the 2022-23 school, and all interested students are invited.

Families- we're letting you know in case your student needs a little encouragement. Our past teams have had a ton of fun, and it's always exciting to put their knowledge to the test. If nothing else, get some free pizza and learn all about it!
HIGH SCHOOL NEWS
Spiritual Foundation Week
This week we had a tremendous opportunity to set the tone for the upcoming year with Spiritual Foundation Week. Time was set aside to focus on our relationship with God and growth there, as well as academically.

As mentioned earlier, our entire secondary campus gathered Monday to kick off the week as Ryan Sample and a worship team from Mountain Church joined us. Erik Ritschard taught us about our value in the eyes of God. However, what He offers is far more than we can offer Him. Nathan Moir from Jacksonville Presbyterian spoke during the week, while a worship team combo featuring teachers and staff from Cascade led us out in song.

On Thursday, Scott Davis and Billy Lord from One Real Day ministries conducted a one-day conference full of fun, comedy, and music combined with messages of the power of love, the purpose of love, and the people to love. A contingent of students from New Hope Christian School in Grants Pass, and New Life Christian School in Fortuna, California also participated.

At the end of the day, a group of students came forward who either wanted to more deeply dedicate their lives to the Lord or enter into a walk with Christ.

Finally, Friday offered a day to serve our school and our community, plus wrap it all up with a time of food, fellowship, and fun. It was a week for setting the tone for this year. With a theme of "Fully Alive," it is our prayer that Cascade Christian students fully come to understand and embrace the abundant life God has to offer them.
Service With A Smile
A popular song by DC Talk back in the 90s declared "Love Is A Verb." To cap off our Spiritual Foundation Week, CCHS students spent time serving.

In addition to groups of students performing organization and clean up at our elementary campus, we had other groups help out here at Cascade. While Mr. Bennett and a group were cleaning up overgrowth and trash down by the creek, Mr. Wine had a group that would go from room to room offering to do some light cleaning like wiping down desks.

Off campus, a group went over to Hearts With A Mission to serve in whatever way needed. The teen ministry that serves homeless youths was grateful for our assistance.
International Students Come To Cascade
What do Ping Ping, Hugo, Ply, Anna, Sukrat, Natalia, Plai, Tee, Pablo and Thaen all have in common? They are all international students enrolled at Cascade Christian High School. For over three years, Mandy Lindsey has been hard at work cultivating an international students program, and now we are seeing the fruit of that work.

What a rich experience it will be all the way around. Not only will these students have an opportunity to further their education within America, our local students will have a chance to learn from these young men and women from Thailand and Spain.

We're excited to have them here. Prior to the pandemic, we had a smattering of students over the years, but never in the volume we have this year.

If you get a chance to make acquaintance with these students, by all means do. You will find them to be friendly, eager, and impressively able to communicate in their second language.

What a tremendous new chapter in the life of Grace Cascade!
You Science Brain Games
Your child has talent

YouScience Discovery uncovers it and connects it to in-demand careers 
and the education needed to get there.
 

We invite Juniors and Seniors to join us for YouScience Brain Games, an awesome tool to help students identify their strengths and connect to in-demand careers.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
8:30 am-1:00 pm 
LUNCH PROVIDED
High School Commons

What to Bring: Chromebook, Charger
 
A review of the results will be offered to students and parents when they are available.
 
Questions? Contact Mrs. Schaffner at jschaffner@gracechristian.org
SPORTS UPDATE
UPCOMING GAMES, MEETS & MATCHES

GIRL'S SOCCER

Thursday, September 22
St. Mary's
Lithia-Driveway Field #13
4:00 pm

Monday, September 26
at Lakeview/Paisley
4:30 pm

CROSS COUNTRY

Saturday, September 24
Nike PDX
Blue Lake Park
1:00 pm

VOLLEYBALL

Tuesday, September 20
at Coquille
6:00 pm

Thursday, September 22
Sutherlin
6:00 pm

FOOTBALL

Friday, September 23
Coquille
Lithia/Driveway Field #10
7:00 pm
GIRLS SOCCER

It was one up and one down for the Challenger girls. Mighty Sutherlin was a 7ctor over Cascade on Monday, but CCHS rebounded with a 5-2 victory over Coquille/Myrtle Point. Emma Coats scored three goals on the day, with Autumn Murray supplying two more.


VOLLEYBALL

Cascade Christian earned a pair of straight-set victories over Brookings-Harbor and North Valley. The Challengers have won three in a row as Poppy Freeman, Maddie Todd, Molly Griffin, and Ellie Harrington form the nucleus of an ascending squad.

FOOTBALL

Seven Challengers scored in Cascade Christian's 56-0 victory over Brookings-Harbor. Ashton Moody- who was named Washington Federal Bank Oregon High School Boys Athlete of the Week, ran for two touchdowns and threw a TD pass to Peyton Maurer. Kameron Rague, Liam Benade, and Brody Sample also scored on TD runs. In the fourth quarter, Caleb Scaglione threw a TD pass to Dylan Westlake.
Here is a Sneak Peek into Next Week!
This will be a busy week of catching up with parents for Parent Only nights, plus we'll get to better know our new international students, and we'll have the latest from the world of sports.

You'll notice that we are switching our "drop days" for eTouch to Monday evenings. This will allow us to more fully re-cap the week before- including events that take place on Friday evenings and weekends.