Weekly Update
Dear ECS Family,
As we noted yesterday, the HOPE Scholarship has been upheld as constitutional by the WV Supreme Court! This is a huge win for which we thank God. We also want to thank the West Virginia Christian Education Association for putting together an amicus brief in defense of the HOPE Scholarship on behalf of Christian schools. We do not currently have many details regarding what getting the program back up and running will look like, but we will try to update you as we learn more.
Monday, October 10th is Columbus Day. We will not have school, and will resume classes on Tuesday, October 11th.
School Spirit week is the week of October 24th-28th. Our themes were chosen by upper school students, and are listed below. Please note we expect modesty to be maintained in all costumes:
- Monday: Adam Sandler Day (which, as I understand it, seems to involve dressing very casually but still modestly).
- Tuesday: Decade Day (dress inspired by your favorite decade from history).
- Wednesday: Twin Day (try to dress identically with another student).
- Thursday: Country Day (bust out those 10 gallon hats and spurs).
- Friday: Sports Day (represent your favorite team from any sport, at any level).
Students who do not participate in the themed days may still wear the regular uniform.
Next Friday, October 14th, at 2:30 PM there will be an informational meeting regarding both a Pep Squad/Cheerleading Team (1st Grade and up) and Boys and Girls Basketball (4th-8th Grade). We are excited to re-launch these programs that are a storied part of our school history.
October 14th is also the end of our first quarter! Please make sure any missing work that may still be turned in is completed and turned in so grades may be entered in a timely manner. Consult with your children's' teachers about this (note, work that has been missing for an extended period may not be able to be made up).
October 28th is Parent Day for K3-K5, this is always an excellent time to see just how much our children are learning, even in the earliest grades.
October 30th is our Trunk-or-Treat in conjunction with Emmanuel Baptist Church. I believe at least two other churches in Northview will also have trunk-or-treats that night, so students who come could hit all three and really clean house. Of course it is up to your discretion if you want your children to collect that much candy.
Finally, at our first Parent-Teacher Fellowship we discussed a change in WV law that allows for microschools. We are currently an Exemption K school. There is not size limit to microschools, they are merely regulated under a different section of WV law then exemption K schools. The motive for even thinking about becoming a microschool is it offers us as a school more freedom. Parents at the PTF were interested, but asked for more information. So you will find some of that in the links below. I want to emphasize we have not made any decision about becoming a microschool, at this point we want to know what our parents think. There is more freedom with it, and we wouldn't change our basic philosophy of Classical Christian Education. But we still want to know what parents think about it.
The text of the law is here [Section (n)]: https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=SB268%20SUB1%20ENR.htm&yr=2022&sesstype=RS&i=268
An article talking about the Bill (including criticisms) is here: https://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/w-va-governor-signs-into-law-microschools-learning-pods-of-unlimited-size/article_8b13514f-4c74-5693-9a65-cdb58116fae6.html
An article that explains how microschools and learning pods exploded in popularity because of the pandemic is here: https://www.heritage.org/education/commentary/west-virginia-businesses-investing-innovative-education-options
Well, that's a lot of info for all of you. Enjoy the long weekend, and God bless!
- Headmaster Batten
