Alumni Update October 2020

Alumni Update November 2020

October 26, 2020

Dear Fellow Alumni:

Where has the time gone? It is hard to believe we are approaching the month of November and with it the holiday season! Time is transpiring quickly in Crusader Country. We have completed one quarter of academics and are quickly approaching the midpoint of our second quarter. While it has most certainly been a challenging school year with the changes implemented from our 2020 Reopening Plan, it has also been extremely rewarding. God is good—even in 2020!

As I mentioned in my last update, we purchased approximately 2.5 acres of land about a block from our school. This land includes 15,000 sq. ft. of building that also contains a gymnasium. Due to this purchase, our summer was anything but slow! We had many families donate of their time and money as we renovated the facility. Our varsity basketball team has begun practicing in this new facility, and we anticipate the various functions we will host in this gymnasium, including school-hosted luncheons, kindergarten graduation, awards assemblies, theatrical dramas, senior commencement, and much more! 

Along with the property addition, the Lord also provided for the addition of students in our school. In early July, we heard of a local Christian school that was closing its doors due to the pandemic. As a result of this school closure and parents that were dissatisfied with the public school’s response to the mandatory shutdown during the fourth quarter of the school year, our enrollment increased by almost 40% this school year—growth that is unprecedented in the history of our school. It is remarkable to have the privilege to invest in the next generation of Christian leaders.
 
Our school was able to begin in-person instruction this school year provided under our 2020 Reopening Plan. Our school was healthy and strong for a solid seven weeks before we had several faculty members that tested positive for the virus. Following CDC recommendations, we enrolled all our students for two weeks into our virtual learning program which we call “GCS Mobile.” I am very thankful for the “boot camp” we experienced during the fourth quarter of last year as it greatly trained our faculty and staff for what we anticipated to be an unavoidable decision in the 2020-2021 school year. At this time, all grade levels are back to in-person instruction, and our halls are filled with the delight of chatter and laughter. 

We have had to postpone, cancel, or otherwise be creative with our major events on campus this year. As we look toward our upcoming alumni festivities on Saturday, January 23, 2021, I could not be more thrilled to be the very first administrator in the history of Grace Christian School to invite you back to our very own campus for the 2021 alumni festivities! That’s right—we will be hosting our alumni games on the campus of Grace Christian School this year. We are planning for an extremely exciting Saturday, including basketball, volleyball, inflatables, concessions, and more. You will not want to miss this event! I plan on sending an additional update about this event through e-mail in December, so please make sure to inform Mrs. Keyes if your e-mail address has changed. 

I want you to know that I am so thankful to be part of this group of individuals who has graduated from Grace Christian School. I always enjoy writing these letters to update you on what is happening at GCS. The future is bright, and I thank you for your prayers, financial support, and words of encouragement. God is good—even in 2020! 

Crusader Always,
Bryan McDonald
School Administrator

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