The first day of school!
This edition of Lion Tales celebrates the start of school… If you have any questions or need to contact someone at the school, please try any of the following:
Office - Mrs. Westley - [email protected] or [email protected] or call 309-449-3346
Principal - Mr. Horning - [email protected], 309-267-8781
You are also welcome to talk directly with teachers… let’s communicate well this year!
Upcoming Dates
Thursday, August 20 Baseball practice 3:30-5:15
Saturday, August 22 Middle School Baseball games at 10 am (ball field #3 behind school)
Baseball players, please arrive for warmups at 9:00
Monday, August 24 First Day for PreK (8:45-11:15 am)
Baseball AWAY game at Morton - depart CLA 3:00
Tuesday, August 25 Baseball practice
Thursday, August 27 Baseball HOME game
A reminder about “after school” student presence at school
There are some changes that we have to make as a requirement for health and safety. In the past, we had some options for “older students” grades 6-HS to have some flexibility in the time after school is released. This is no longer available. Students who are not picked up at regular dismissal time will have the following options:
K-6 students must be signed in (with a reserved spot ahead of time) to AFTER SCHOOL CARE if they remain at school. If you have not already done so, please sign up (sheet in lobby/email Mrs. Westley) if this is something your family needs.
5-HS who are on a SPORTS TEAM - fall sports at this time include 5th-8th boys baseball, and a 5th-HS running club may take shape. Participants should change and report directly to the ball field/running area.
any additional MS and HS students, if not picked up immediately after school, must be signed in at one of the following placesA) in a MS classroom - this must always be pre-arranged with a teacher, not a drop-inB) at daycare - students remain in the hallway area at a desk if daycare is inside, and must remain under supervision of the daycare teacher at ALL TIMES. Students may not be anywhere else in the building, and may not be on the playground or anywhere on school grounds unsupervised.
PLEASE NOTE…it is important that students are picked up in a timely manner. If we begin to see too many students in our daycare program (exceeding 20 total students daily overall, including our regular Olympia daycare) we will have to add paid staff, and thus begin to charge daycare fees for all students not picked up at the end of the school day. Please respect the families who NEED this after school program and the benefits to their family.
We are encouraging ALL families to be prompt and courteous of our staff when it comes to picking up children. We need to keep a “tighter ship” here at campus, and have responsibility for the health/safety of all the students, so any “loose reins” on student movement are difficult! Thank you for your partnership.
Reflections and reminders after one day….
There are many more, but here are some highlights:
It was DIFFERENT… but in many ways THE SAME reflecting on the first day, it was surely different, but yet there were many “the sames” as first days in the past. Students still had pictures taken - even Mr. Horning got involved with some of them! We checked temperatures and used hand sanitizer as a different routine, but the smiles and excitement, the nervous energy, the “newness” was still the same. We are so excited to have our students here!
NEW RHYTHMS yes, there are many new things to get used to, but it’s exciting to see our community becoming familiar so quickly with drop off procedures, pickup, lunchtime, how the office works differently, and so much more. It will take time, but we will find our rhythms as a school community!
OUTSIDE CLASSROOMS a few of the supplies for additional outdoor spaces are arriving today or tomorrow. We will have four structures in place by the beginning of next week, hopefully. Today, we already had a good amount of outdoor “fresh air” time! Of course, weather will become an issue some days, but God blessed us today with a beautiful first day.
MASKS We are so pleased with the way students are handling this new and different situation! Just a reminder that different classrooms will have different ways of working with students and situations where they have a mask break. Our goal is to keep everyone safe. Thank you for your partnership with our staff!
CLEANING/DISINFECTING We are still REQUESTING more VOLUNTEERS!
We will need several volunteers on Monday/Wednesday in the time period after school - likely an hour or so (2:45-3:45, or a team could choose later in the evening) each of those days. Our regular cleaning staff is scheduled Tues/Thur/weekends.
We always welcome help in many areas, but cleaning/disinfection is a key area this year.
If you would be willing and available to be a part of a regular cleaning/disinfection team, please contact Mrs. Westley at [email protected] or Mr. Horning at [email protected].
From the Principal's Desk
The first day of school happened today! That’s thirteen “first days” for Christian Life Academy. Praise the Lord for HIS provision. And thank you, families, for partnering with us in this new year. The theme to start off our year comes from Joshua 1:9... “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” The opportunities to be fearful, to lack courage and strength, and to be discouraged were ever-present as we got ready for this year. And the opportunity to fall into those fears and feelings will keep coming, we know. BUT GOD IS WITH US. We have the great opportunity to TRUST HIM. Let’s together rest in HIS PROMISE to be with us as we embark on this school year together.
Blessings,
Mr. Horning