Highlights for the Greater Atlanta Christian Community                                                 September 19, 2006

A Typical Day in Chapel                           By: Jill Morris, Community Relations Director

  Transformed…More Than A Haircut (Senior High Chapel)

To illustrate this year's spiritual theme, “Transformed”, Senior High chaplain Jon Owen employed a beautician to give a long overdue haircut. While watching several inches of hair fall from his head during chapel, Mr. Owen presented this challenge to senior high students. “Transformation won’t take place as quickly as a hair cut. We need to give our hearts to God this entire school year and watch His power at work.”

Click here for all school level chapels

Community coaches, school administrators, and former teachers and friends gathered on September 5th to honor the former “Miss Georgia Basketball” and the “Queen of Steals” – Sherill Baker. 

(Sherill Baker speaks to senior high.)

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Magazine Sale - Sales Approach $700,000!   

        By:  Bill Burton, Vice President for Administration

.Greater Atlanta Christian School’s cumulative sales have shattered the QSP national record with a grand total near $700,000.00.  This year’s record also sets a new per person record of $354.80.  GAC also surpassed $10,000,000 in total sales in our 36 years with Reader’s Digest/QSP.

People from all over the country ask us, "How in the world do you do this year after year?  How in the world do you motivate kids to sell that many magazines?"  My answer is:  "We make fundraising fun!!"  That's pretty simplistic, but it is true.  We all know that it takes a whole lot of work, but, bottom line, you, more than any other school in the country, know how to make the magazine sale so much fun with your enthusiasm, your encouragement, and your always positive spirit!  With 1952 students, over 300 faculty and staff, and hundreds of parents working together, amazing things happen each year with this project. 

GAC will donate $10,000 from Magazine proceeds to the Good Samaritan Health Clinic of Gwinnett; a Christian ministry that provides medical care to those in our county who can least afford it.  Targeted school projects this year will be to furnish and equip the new art and dance classrooms in the Fine Arts Building, to furnish the new Aquatic Center and to equip the new Athletic Center.

The Lord has been truly good to us at GAC.  He has blessed us so abundantly.  Remember, only 51 weeks until the next GAC Magazine Sale.

Faculty Members show Magazine Sale Fever.
Top left: JH Asst. Principal Ted Thames leads the students in YMCA.
Right: Coach Brad Kinser and Coach Ivan Iverson
Bottom left: Village Principal Rhonda Hawkins and parent Jo Alice Welton present prizes to the kindergarteners who have met their magazine goal)

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Senior High Students Use Time Wisely     

By:  Donna Holladay, Director of Counseling

Summer is a time for dreaming and choosing how to spend free time.  Did your child intern, get a job, travel or explore a new interest during the school break?  Recently, I heard from some of our high school students who took full advantage of their free time. I want to recognize these students’ achievements, and also encourage others to plan now to take advantage of opportunities like these.

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(Sophomore Ellen Begley with Senator Saxby Chambliss this past summer
at the Congressional Youth Leadership Conference in Washington, DC)

 





















(Above: 2006 eighth grade class picture)    

In just three short years, the Spiritual Retreat has become an annual “tradition” that our 8th grade students anticipate.  On August 14th we began the day with “praise and worship” followed by Spartan games. Terry Davis, the new Junior High chaplain, talked to our students about “Transforming” themselves first, and then Junior High school, second.  The students separated into their home room groups and began discussing their goals.

These students took this responsibility very seriously.  They chose these goals:

If it’s to be, it’s up to me
Be loud!
Prolong the song
Crack the cliques
Yo quiero Jesus
Don’t hate, appreciate
Attitude = Altitude
Soak up the Son

Pray for these 8th grade students to demonstrate these
goals everyday as God uses them to TRANSFORM
the Junior High.

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Elementary Celebrates Hispanic Month

   by: Norma Miller, Elementary Principal

The Elementary School will be celebrating
Hispanic Heritage Month on September 15 through October 15 and we have planned many exciting activities.  As you walk through the buildings, you will see posters of famous Hispanic Americans and authentic Spanish art, listen to a Hispanic speaker during assembly, and hear Spanish praise music as the students move back to their classrooms following chapel.

Rolando Lopez (right) from the Mexican Ballet Folklore Azteca performs for the elementary students.

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Learning is Achieved Through Creative "Play"

                    by: Rhonda Hawkins, Early Childhood Principal

Visitors to the Village are always amazed at how much “learning” is achieved through our teachers’ creative “play”. The K4 classrooms are brimming with “stars” as the students continue to report their reading progress.  K5 Students are anxiously awaiting the return of  FLAT STANLEYs who are adventuring around the world and will cultivate important map/geography skills. 

Mrs.Wishy Washy has entertained the K6 class while also teaching students to develop their comprehension, problem solving, punctuation and character/reader’s voice inflection.  As your children progress through this year, we hope you will always see them growing “in wisdom and stature and favor with God and man”.

German philosopher Goethe said, “No education is complete without the study of music”. While many schools have sacrificed their music curriculum to make room for other programs, GAC has not.  The GAC School of Music has grown its music program during a seven-year period from sixty students to over two hundred students.

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Parents of Athletes:
Dr. Greg Dale will be arriving on our campus on November 7 to speak to the GAC athletic community concerning: “A parent’s role in helping athletes have a successful sport experience.”

Spaghetti dinner provided by the booster club – 6:30-7:15 p.m.
Dr. Dale meets with athletes/parents:  7:15-9:00 p.m.

Senior High Parents:
Mark your calendars!  We are hosting four parent coffees this fall for Senior High Parents.  Please make plans to join senior high principal and  counselors at one the four coffees to be held in the Wista Worthen Room located in the Student Family Center.  Each will start at 8:00 and end by 9:00. 

Freshman Parents - October 11
Sophomore Parents - October 12
Junior Parents -  October 19
Senior Parents  - October 26

Please join us! For more information about programs and upcoming events in the Senior High please visit the senior high office page on the GACS Website.  http://tiger.greateratlantachristian.org/sites/dir/sh/office/default.aspx

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Frog Hollow                               

Saturday, October 7 is the 30th anniversary of Frog Hollow.  LACE is working hard to make this year’s festival the best ever! The Road Race and Country Breakfast begin at 7am.  Games, rides, silent auction, antiques, Book Nook, Christmas Shoppe and more begin at 9am.  

Please join us at “The Swamp”, an eatery and gift shop featuring glow in the dark Swamp Water drinks and gift items.  The Swamp will be located in the Bradford Gym foyer.

If you’d like to volunteer, donate, or advertise, contact Brenda Minno or Judy Bryan at Froghollow@bellsouth.net

“Dancing at Lughnasa"
    GACS's One-Act Play
    Clif Jones Theatre
    Oct. 10, 12 & 14, 7:30pm

• Insights into the Teenage Brain:  Facts and Studies – 9/20/06, 8:00 a.m. in the Wista Worthen Room.
• Play It Safe – 9/26/06, 7:00 p.m. in the Campus Church Auditorium.  Internet Safety Labs following on 9/28 and 10/10.
• Love and Logic® – starts 10/4/06, 8:00 a.m. in the Wista Worthen Room.
• Talent Shows – 10/7/06,  at  3:00 p.m. for elementary, 5:00 for junior high and 7:00 p.m. for senior high in the Campus Church Auditorium

It’s easy to reach us if you have any questions or suggestions for other ways you’d like to see the PTO link the GACS community – contact us at pto@greateratlantachristian.org. 

This is not an exhaustive list of what parents can expect to see in the Elementary School this year.  Some of these may seem obvious, but all of them are necessary in providing a nurturing and challenging educational experience for your child with God at the center.  We are excited about this year of working together!

On Tuesday, October 10, Parents and Teachers Together will proudly present Dr. Christopher Lee, Director of the Alternative Media Access Center with the University System of Georgia, and Dr. Rosemary Jackson, his tutor during his undergraduate college years at the Learning Disabilities Clinic at UGA.  They will tell Christopher’s inspiring story of persistence and creative learning as told in their book Faking It.  Dr. Lee will also discuss “Assistive Technology”.  This program is geared for the whole family, so bring the kids! 

The meeting will be in the H. A. Fincher Lecture Hall in the Liles Media Center.  Doors open for sign-in at 7:00pm.  Informational handouts will be available to pick up.  The speakers will present from 7:20pm until 9:00pm.  Georgia Teachers can receive one PLU credit for attending and summarizing five meetings.

Come early for the Dyslexia Network support group at 6:30.    

Below: Elementary Chess Team Competitor
Thanks to our member families who have joined the Academic Booster Club. Your support will enable us to honor the students who have joined academic teams and their sponsors. Portfolio notebooks for members have been distributed. Let us know if you didn’t receive one.

Teams have begun forming and preparing for competition. If your child has chosen a team, come join the fun as a coach or as an ABC liaison! Your time and enthusiasm will be appreciated by your student (and us!)

To volunteer or to join ABC, please contact Dan or Suzanne Landreth at (770) 410-0379.

The main phone line for Greater Atlanta Christian School is
770-243-2000. Admissions and general application information is
available by calling 770-243-2274. Click here to find all GAC
department and office numbers.

From fall registration to last day of classes in May, GAC's K-12 calendar is bursting with activities. Click here for the 2006-07 calendar.

• Check your email the third Friday of every month for the electronic Parent Connection (ePC) .
• Receive School Level Announcements every day.Click here to add your email address
  

We would like to hear your suggestions for topics to cover in future issues of this publication, or ways we can keep in touch if you do not wish to receive this e-mail publication. Thank you for your continued support of Greater Atlanta Christian Schools' efforts to become a system of world-class schools. Please e-mail jmorris@greateratlantachristian.org with your feedback and suggestions.