1

®

OPEN ENROLLMENT CONTINUES ON A

FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED

BASIS!

21st Century Skills. 1st Century Faith.™

EagleLink

Friday, March 12, 2021 Not just a school you attend. A family you belong to. Alta Loma Christian School. Welcome home! ™

ONE YEAR LATER On March 13, 2020, ALCS closed its campus and began pivoting to remote learning, as government leaders issued stay-at-home orders. A year later, the global struggle against COVID-19 continues. But with prayer, hard work, and vaccines, there may now be a light at the end of the pandemic tunnel. Friday, March 13, 2020. None of us knew what was about to happen. Not really. Not a clue. Even Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and advisor to seven presidents, said this past week he knew the situation was going to be serious, but even he had no idea how many lives would be lost.

The e-Newsletter for Families and Friends of Alta Loma Christian School

™

Wellness Watch

2

The Calm Before the Storm On March 10-12, I was one of 58 Christian school leaders invited from across the country meeting at The Carmel Administrator’s Gathering, a one-of-a-kind leadership summit, held on the idyllic, rocky shore of Monterey Bay. I had been asked to speak and join a unique discussion on the challenges facing the Christian school movement in America and ways to forge partnerships with other educators and professionals to help overcome 14 years of unprecedented closures of faith-based schools in the U.S. The scenery at that particular spot on the Central Coast was spectacular. And the experience matched the venue: Peaceful and reflective, yet invigorating and exhilarating, and most of all, God-honoring and hopeful. All of us attending had been stretched and grown. Iron had sharpened iron. Important and influential conversations had been had. New friendships had been forged. We learned. We laughed. We cried. We prayed. Together. It was extraordinary. God had done something extraordinary in our midst. We knew it. We felt it. I had much to share with our own leadership team and staff at ALCS when I returned, as well as with key leaders at ACSI, and I was excited at the prospect. But things were about to change. The Tide Turns into a Tsunami Clearly, God knew we would need that time, and that we were all about to go from that matchless calm from heaven into a viral firestorm of hellish, global proportions. And it would happen almost immediately. During the Gathering, we caught snippets of breaking news that a pandemic had been declared, that the NBA and NHL seasons had been suspended, that March Madness was cancelled, that government agencies at all levels were trying to decide what to do and how to do it, and that fear—the enemy of faith and love and a sound mind—was on the rise. I tried to get some news from home and on how the ALCS 8th graders had been doing in Washington D.C. and New York City. In great contrast to the experiences of our time together as heads of school in Carmel, we all began to realize that something foreboding was beginning to happen, and happen quickly. Something unprecedented. Something serious. We just didn’t know how serious. On March 12, phone calls and text messages and emails from our respective schools were starting to come in as we all packed to leave after lunch. I had driven my 4Runner to the Gathering, and as I drove up out of the steep driveway onto the road, I quickly called my wife to say I was heading home, and that I would be going into a series of urgent conference calls with the rest of the ALCS leadership team and would talk to her later.

3

I started the hands-free call and headed out of the Monterey area for the 101 highway. A little over four hours later, while driving southbound toward home, utilizing as much constantly-changing information as we had, and talking with each other and then the school board chair, our leadership team had a preliminary response plan for ALCS. As I rolled into my driveway at home that Thursday night, I wondered what was really about to happen…and kept praying. I mean, it was only supposed to be for two or three weeks, right? Then they said things would be back to normal. Oh, how wrong that was. The Long Road to Now That was 365 days and nights ago, but it feels like more than a year has passed, at least to me. Maybe it’s because many of us have experienced as much unexpected change and emotion and trauma and concern and loss and heartache as we might typically experience in five-year’s-worth of pre-pandemic living. Just from the school’s perspective at ALCS, the following pieces of memories can be recalled (and this is not an exhaustive list by any means):

Our pre-COVID technology and innovation expansion into a faith-based STEM school had prepared and readied us—without knowing it—for the pandemic and the capacity to quickly switch to remote learning

With two days of intensive professional development, materials preparation, and the incredible diligence of our totally-committed teachers and staff to do whatever it took to provide the best remote online learning possible, we pivoted as a school to distance learning on March 18

We reminded each other that faith and love overcome fear, that we needed to keep our wits about us and by the grace of God make the next best decision before us, because there was a lot of anxiety and uncertainty and panic in the world

Teachers and staff members began collecting and responding to the names of families and individuals who needed help or assistance due to COVID-19, to make sure everyone we knew was cared for

We began digitally publishing our Wellness Watch updates weekly, and more often as needed, to keep all of our ALCS Family informed and up-to-speed on the latest developments affecting ALCS and our families

4

We went from thinking we were simply in a short-term sprint against the pandemic to the harsh reality that we were dealing with a marathon that had no clear finish line in sight

Our school leadership team began holding virtual meetings and attending dozens of webinars on a constant basis, as new developments and information demanded an active and ongoing response in order to try to navigate waters that no leader alive had ever faced before

We were inspired by our pioneering preschool staff, led by director Ms. Irene Lopez, who took the pandemic bull by the horns and did what they had to do to heroically and safely and legally stay open, maintaining a physical presence on the ALCS campus while everyone else was ordered home

We searched diligently for a lender and then finally secured a six-figure Payroll Protection Program loan-to-grant made possible by the CARES Act (a loan which was just forgiven in full this week, praise the Lord!), making it possible to keep our staff employed and help ensure the existence of the school as a viable entity

On the last day of school in May, with the stay-at-home order still in effect, we held a drive-through materials return and goodbye parade, as parents and kids decorated their vehicles and thanked teachers and staff for their efforts to go above-and-beyond the call of duty; we laughed and cried and desperately tried not to instinctively hug each other; it was unforgettable, full of love, and excruciating

We began preparing as a leadership team and staff—ahead-of-the-curve—for the worst to continue happening (since everything was taking longer than experts were predicting), as Mrs. Renee’ Winn and Ms. Laura Carey-Jedlick spent weeks earning their national Contact Tracing certification from Johns Hopkins University and national Pandemic Coordinator certification for schools from Joffe’ Emergency Services

In the midst of the pandemic, the evil and injustice of racism exploded above the coverage of COVID-19 to demand focusing on a still-diseased section of our nation’s soul, ignited by the killing of George Floyd and other African Americans; it caused all of us to critically examine ourselves, our families, our ministries, and our organizations, and required us to act (see https://alchristian.com/2020/06/injustice-and-repentance/ and https://alchristian.com/2020/06/juneteenth-a-holiday-every-american-should-celebrate/ and https://alchristian.com/2021/01/carrying-on-the-work-of-martin-luther-king/ for additional perspective)

5

The Stay Smart Summer Program, led by Mrs. Olivia Cleland and her staff, learned from preschool’s trailblazing and began—also heroically—providing daycare for families of essential workers, helping emotionally support kids and their parents and one another in the process

Teachers began to work throughout the summer, often on their own time, to become Google Certified Educators, as the school aimed at becoming one of the few schools in the state and nation to have 100% of its teaching staff Google Certified, with this objective: that every ALCS teacher was best prepared as possible to meet the needs of our students (and praise God, we reached 100% certification!)

In an ambitious educational technology accomplishment led by ALCS Director of Technology and Media, Mr. Justin Royse, webcams were installed in every K-8 classroom, a decision and fete that would allow parents the choice of having their child return to school in person or stay home for live webcam learning, once our school was able to reopen for students on campus

Our leadership team, spearheaded by our Pandemic Coordinators and Preschool Director, and with input from our parent reopening plan task force, painstakingly pored over and developed a 90-Day Reopening Plan for both the preschool and K-8

After postponing ceremonies in the unrealized hope that we could conduct them inside, we held our long-delayed Kindergarten Graduation and Eighth Grade Graduation outside with staggered drive-in commencement exercises; although we had not done anything like this before, we were deeply moved by the students, by the importance and significance of ensuring that this rite of passage took place, and in being able to bring closure to something

As I informed our ALCS school board members—who have worked closely and faithfully with us from an emergency stance throughout the pandemic—in an August 19, 2020 report, taking all of the foregoing into account:

o “I also must commend our remarkable leadership team, teachers, and staff. With few if any breaks this summer, our combined staff—led by the Lord—has seemingly done the impossible, and done what was necessary to find a way to get as many of our kids back on campus as effectively and legally as possible (and none of us will be satisfied until all of our kids are back on campus where they belong). Their hard work, ingenuity, innovative thinking, collaboration, sacrifice, and more hard work have brought us to this point in time. Moreover, in my humble observation, their commitment to our children and to their calling is unsurpassed in my 38 years in education. While public school teacher labor unions in our state are working to find every possible way to keep teachers out of the classroom and out of schools, our teachers are begging and working beyond diligence to do everything to get all of our students back in school and be back in their classrooms teaching them and loving on them. What a contrast! What an inspiration! What a blessing from God!”

We developed a partnership and excellent working relationship with the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health (SBCDPH) and county officials, applying for and

6

being granted a waiver to reopen the school for in-person, on-campus instruction, beginning with the elementary grades

We fully reopened campus beyond daycare learning status for the elementary grades in September, continued our innovative middle school daycare program on campus, and then fully reopened middle school after a U.S. District Court ruling made that possible

We rigidly adhered to our 90-Day Reopening Plan, conducting daily health and wellness checks every morning in carline and maintaining all of the elements of the plan, in order to stay open and keep everyone as safe and healthy and well as possible

We developed an innovative strategy in response to Thanksgiving and Christmas-New Year surges and spikes in the rates of COVID-19 infections and deaths, requiring staff and students to test with a negative result before returning to the classroom, preventing a double-digit number of infected persons from coming onto campus and keeping people as safe as possible from the potential spread of the virus at ALCS

We hosted SBCDPH officials at ALCS twice to tour the campus, observe the implementation and sustainability of our plan, in discuss at length practical solutions to the challenges presented by COVID-19 to all schools

We twice hosted the SBCDPH to provide COVID-19 testing here on campus, the second time opening up testing to the public, as we ministered to our surrounding community

After hosting the SBCDPH on campus multiple times and working in close partnership with officials, ALCS was approved as a COVID Compliant Business by the County of San Bernardino, and received a $5,000 grant to help deal with the ongoing crisis

In the midst of a horrific January surge in COVID-19 deaths and infections in California and across the nation, the U.S. Capitol building in Washington D.C. was stormed by protestors, and people lost their lives; disregarding political persuasions and focusing on the safety of our students, the leadership team quietly finalized an emergency response plan based on our pre-existing lockdown procedures should civil unrest expand (thankfully, for the sake of our children, it didn’t)

As public schools remained closed, new parents began to register and attend ALCS in growing numbers, strengthening our school in many ways; to facilitate this need in our greater community and minister to students’ and parents’ needs, we allowed new students to continue to enroll through most of February, much later than previous school years

As we hit the 90-day mark of our reopening plan, our leadership team shifted our reopening plan to a sustainability blueprint, to consistently deal with the pandemic for as long as it takes

We postponed Returning Family Priority Reenrollment from January to February; during the two-week returning family reenrollment period, we had the highest percentage of

7

current families reenroll for the next school year on record (and numbers in past years were strong)

We postponed our annual Open House from February until March 4 and made it virtual only, and also postponed new family open enrollment until the conclusion of our Virtual Open House at 7:20 p.m.

Within the first 12 minutes of opening new family enrollment at 7:20 p.m., 21 new registrations had been received, with five families enrolling in just the first 60 seconds. As of this morning (Friday, March 12), 250 students have already registered for Fall, and more are calling for tours and registration forms. At the moment, maximum capacity on campus of all programs, preschool through middle school, is 268; and although the school has never had more than 258 students enrolled in any one school year since the school was founded on March 17, 1980, this may be the year God breaks that record.

In the midst of all of these blessings, we still mourn. Much has been lost. Many of us have lost family members or friends, and in some cases, more than one. A recent poll showed that nearly one in four Americans has had a family member or close friend die from COVID-19. Over 529,000 people in America have died from the virus, and that number sadly and tragically continues to rise. That’s more people to pass from COVID-19 than Americans who were killed in World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam War combined. That’s staggering.

Yes, a lot has happened these past 365 days. Now, we start year two. Our Course Ahead With the success of “Operation: Warp Speed,” three FDA-approved vaccines are now being distributed in the U.S. in growing numbers, as the vaccine is being produced around the clock and moving from manufacturing centers and into people’s arms. Authorities are urging adults to get the vaccine, and clinical trials on children have begun to try to gain approval to administer the vaccine to those under the age of 16 by December 2021. In the meantime, as a school, we continue to follow pandemic protocols, follow news and developments from health authorities and government agencies, and most importantly, seek and follow the Lord as He guides us. In the near-term, health officials are urging families not to travel more than 120 miles from home during their respective spring breaks. The advisory comes at a time when local, county, state, and national health agencies fighting the pandemic are predicting an April surge in COVID-19 cases, and trying to convince people not to let their guard down just because the vaccination process has started.

8

In anticipation of a potential spike in infections, we announced two weeks ago that we will extend Easter Break three additional days to help prevent any possible outbreaks of COVID-19 on campus. As a school, our Easter Break is from April 1-14, and just as with Thanksgiving and Christmas vacations, we’re directing all staff and our K-8 students to test immediately after the break, but no sooner than Monday April 12, and bring a negative COVID-19 test result to the school in order to resume classes on campus April 15. We were able to reopen—and have been able to stay open—by working really hard and wisely together as a school community, by remaining vigilant to do all we can from a safety and wellness perspective, by following closely the guidance of health officials at all levels, and by the grace of God. We are committed to maintain that course through the remainder of this school year, while praying for God’s favor and protection and an eventual end to the pandemic. Simultaneously, we are peering over the horizon and into the future as far as we can, to best chart our course ahead for next year and beyond. When it comes to our students—our priceless treasures from God—we want to be best-prepared in every way when our state and nation emerge from this nightmare called COVID-19, and take full advantage of the openness-to-come for the greatest advantage of our kids, as we keep providing real teaching and real learning. God has faithfully brought us thus far, dear ALCS Family, and I am convinced He will continue to meet all of our needs and bless us beyond measure as we follow Him into the future. Thank you for joining us as we continue to take this adventure together! As we all start year two of the pandemic, if you have any questions about COVID-19 and the school’s ongoing response and protocols (or about enrollment for summer or for the 2021-2022 school year), please contact the school office at (909) 989-2804 or the leadership team member that oversees your child’s program, as follows:

Ms. Irene Lopez (preschool director, lopez@alchristian.com );

Mrs. Renee’ Winn (elementary school assistant principal and certified pandemic coordinator, rwinn@alchristian.com );

Ms. Laura Carey-Jedlick (middle school assistant principal and certified pandemic coordinator, ljedlick@alchristian.com ).

Blessings to you, and we’ll see you in carline! For the Glory of Christ and the Good of Our Kids, Dr. Vance Nichols Head of School Alta Loma Christian School

9

MARKING A COVID-19 'TURNING POINT' IN HISTORY

(Editor’s Note: Dr. Jim Denison writes a daily column looking at the news through the filter of a biblical worldview and response. Here is his article from yesterday’s post.1)

You may not remember the name of Sandra Lindsay, but future generations will. The intensive care

nurse received America’s first FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine last December 14 in Queens, New York.

As Smithsonian Magazine reports, this event “marked a turning point in fighting the pandemic that has

killed more than 535,000 Americans. And it made history.”

Now that history will be preserved for generations to come. The first (now empty) tiny Pfizer-BioNTech

vial has been acquired by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. It will be displayed

along with Lindsay’s vaccination card, her scrubs, and her hospital ID.

This announcement comes as we mark the one-year anniversary of the pandemic today.

Nearly a fourth of Americans have lost a friend or family member

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak to be a

“pandemic.” On that day, confirmed worldwide coronavirus cases stood at 125,000, with reported

deaths at fewer than five thousand. A poll conducted at the time found that 44 percent of Americans

considered the threat of the virus to be “exaggerated.” Nearly everyone (88 percent) predicted that

fewer than ten thousand Americans would ultimately die from the disease.

This morning, Johns Hopkins confirms that more than 118 million people have been infected, more than

29 million of them in the US. More than 2.6 million people have died, including more than 529,000

Americans.

10

And nearly a quarter of all Americans (23 percent) say a close friend or family member has died of the

disease.

Of America’s 19,502 towns and cities, only thirty-seven have a population exceeding the number of

Americans who have died of COVID-19. On a tragic anniversary unlike any other in our nation’s history,

where can we turn for hope in heartache and strength in suffering?

Hope for those who have died

God’s word offers hope beyond human comprehension for those who have died in Christ.

At the grave of Lazarus, Jesus assured his dead friend’s grieving sister, “I am the resurrection and the

life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me

shall never die” (John 11:25-26).

When a Christian dies, they don’t. When they take their last breath here, they take their first breath

there. They close their eyes in this fallen world and open them in God’s perfect paradise. They are well

and they are home.

This is because, “If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we

live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s” (Romans 14:8). Now and forever.

Hope for those who are hurting

While millions have died of this horrible disease, many millions more are grieving their deaths. In

addition, a third of COVID-19 survivors have “long-haul” symptoms. Fever, cognitive confusion,

debilitating exhaustion and fatigue, difficulty sleeping, heart rhythm abnormalities, breathing issues, and

other symptoms can arise, sometimes weeks or months after the initial diagnosis. Some “long-haul”

patients are still struggling with such symptoms months later.

In addition, economic trauma persists for millions who have lost their jobs or otherwise experienced

financial setbacks because of the pandemic. The negative effects of school closures are expected to be

“profound and generational.” “Pandemic trauma” is afflicting millions of Americans. Survivor’s guilt is a

growing issue for many. And more than thirty million frontline workers continue to risk their lives to

serve us with sacrificial courage.

11

To all who suffer, God promises his presence and empathy (cf. John 11:35). Jesus feels all we feel and

suffers as we suffer. Theologian Jürgen Moltmann famously described our Savior as the “crucified God.”

In addition, to “those who love God” he promises that “all things work together for good” (Romans

8:28). We can know that “the sufferings of the present time are not worth comparing with the glory that

is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18) and that “this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an

eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:17).

"The Lord delivered me out of deep waters"

Tomorrow we’ll focus on some ways God is redeeming this tragic pandemic. For today, let’s claim the

promise that he is.

If you have suffered loss due to COVID-19, I invite you to claim the promises we’ve discussed. If you

have not, I encourage you to share them with those who have. It may be that claiming these promises

will lead to a different kind of anniversary—one that marks not our crisis but our transforming

encounter with God’s grace.

Yesterday was one such day for the author of “Amazing Grace.”

I will never forget visiting John Newton’s grave in England and reading the epitaph he wrote: “John

Newton, clerk, once an infidel and libertine, a servant of slaves in Africa, was by the rich mercy of our

Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the faith he had

long laboured to destroy.”

Newton was converted to Christianity during a huge storm at sea and later testified: “That 10th of

March is a day much to be remembered by me; and I have never allowed it to pass unnoticed since the

year 1748. For on that day the Lord came from on high and delivered me out of deep waters.”

Are you in “deep waters” today?

If not, how will you help someone who is?

NOTES: 1. Jim Denison. (March 11, 2021). “Marking a COVID-19 ‘Turning Point’ in History.” The Denison Forum. Retrieved from: https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/denison-forum/?utm_source=Denison%20Forum%20Cultural%20Commentary%20&utm_campaign=Denison%20Forum%20on%20Truth%20and%20Culture%20-%20ChristianHeadlines.com&utm_medium=email&utm_content=4475588&recip=538891243 2. For more from the Denison Forum, please visit www.denisonforum.org.

12

Time Change is Sunday as Daylight Savings Begins As hard as it might be to believe, Daylight Savings Time is here already and begins this Sunday, March 14, at 2:00 a.m.! At that time, we all need to move our clocks ahead by one hour (Spring Ahead, Fall Back). This will result in longer days on the clock, with the sun setting an hour later. For the first month or so until the actual hours of sunlight lengthen, it will also mean getting up and commuting in the dark for many ALCS families, as the sun will rise an hour later in the morning. And, of course, it means losing an hour of sleep, at least initially. (Sounds like a great reason to take a nap this Sunday afternoon!) So, ALCS Family: “Spring Ahead,” catch a nap, and stay safe!

Free Dress Day for Everyone on Wednesday, March 17, to Celebrate ALCS’ 41st Birthday!

Hey, everybody! Dr. Nichols and our leadership team have proclaimed this Wednesday, March 17, as a Free Dress Day for everyone, in honor of Alta Loma

Christian School’s 41st birthday! Praise the Lord for all those who had a vision to start the school on March 17,

1980, and for God’s continued provision and vision for the future. Happy birthday, ALCS! (P.S. – Green is okay!)

News You Can Use!

13

One of the wonderful advantages of being on-campus for full-time, in-person instruction five days a week is being with students every day and watching their incredible progress, regardless of the pandemic. God is doing pretty amazing things through our kids and our collective ALCS Family, and here are just a few of them on the pages that follow…!

Soaring Eagles!

14

Kindergarten Celebrates Dr. Seuss! From crazy sock day to green eggs and ham to favorite hat day, Kindergarten celebrated Dr. Seuss’ birthday and writings with a host of wonderful events and activities last week, all tied to reading and fun! Great job, Kindergarten!

15

The fourth graders of Mrs. Jenn Palmer’s and Mr. John Slane’s classes recently completed and displayed their annual California Missions Projects as part of their state history learning. Take a look at a sampling of these truly impressive projects (scale models, quadraramas, and dioramas) researched and constructed by our students. Wow! Great job, Eagles!

Fourth Grade Missions Projects Impress!

16

17

Chapels Engage Students as In-Person Participation Gradually Grows With worship led by Mrs. Kathy Childs (pictured above, at center) and technical direction by Mr. Justin “Coach” Royse and assisted by sixth grade’s Gabby D. (pictured left), chapels have been

continuing all through the pandemic on a virtual basis, and the school has gradually allowed a limited but growing number of students to enjoy chapel in-person each week on a rotating basis by class and grade level.

One additional exciting development has been the recent return to the drums by seventh grade’s Aiden A. (pictured right, drumming in chapel), to the joy of all! Last week, two first graders who want to be police officers were surprised and excited to be sworn-in via Zoom as officers for the day, live during chapel. Speakers like San Bernardino Police officer Ms. Araceli Mata (pictured below left with our first

grade officers for the day), Pastor Ed Carey, Mrs. Tabby Essex, Pastor Mike Collins, Pastor Ryan Showalter, Coach Royse, Miss Jasmine Royse, Dr. Dennis Royse, Dr. Vance Nichols, and others bring the Word each week in new and exciting ways for kids—and grown-ups—of all ages!

18

Students Have Fun with Science! As a faith-based STEM school, ALCS integrates science, technology, engineering, and mathematics as part of the normal teaching of 21st century skills, even during the pandemic. From studying and “constructing” insects; to watching live as NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover successfully landed on the Red Planet; to designing and producing their own creations on the 3D printer; to building alternative forms of energy; to so much more; ALCS students have been engaged in science learning on a constant basis. Here are a few images of some of the ongoing STEM learning at ALCS!

19

Scholastic Book Fair is HUGE Success! Dear Alta Loma Christian School Families, Thank you for making our online Scholastic Book Fair a success! Your support of and response to our Book Fair, Teacher Wish Lists, and library donations was AMAZING! The combination of Book Fair sales, Teacher Wish List purchases, and library donations has resulted in: Almost $1,100 in Scholastic credit to purchase new books for the school library $120 in donations to purchase non-Scholastic books for the school library More than $1,100 in books donated to our classroom libraries from ALCS families Prizes and Free Dress Day passes for participating students AND... Alta Loma Christian School teachers and staff will be wearing pajamas on Friday,

March 19th! Prizes and Free Dress Day passes were sent to all classrooms today. We were able to award all participating students with several small prizes. A few students received larger prizes through our WheelofNames.com drawing, in which all participating student names were included. All prizes had something to do with our Time Machine/time travel theme. Students who purchased books from our Teacher Wish Lists and/or made donations to the school library received their Free Dress Day passes today in the prize bags. Thank you, again, for all of your support! If you have any questions or comments regarding any aspect of this information, please feel free to contact me. Donella Dorn Librarian Alta Loma Christian School

20

Million Word Readers Add Three More!

Three more Eagle readers—Jimmy D. (third grade), Michelle P. (sixth grade), and Xander H.—became the newest members of the Millionaire’s Club of Million Word Readers at ALCS! They join a select group of other Million Word Readers, including five “Multimillionaires!” Congratulations to all of our Million Word Readers!

21

ALCS Family’s Business Featured in Inland Empire Magazine

ALCS parent Heather Perry, CEO of Rancho Cucamonga’s Klatch Coffee and winner of numerous barista competitions, is featured along with her business in this month’s March issue of Inland Empire Magazine, available on newsstands now. In the special focus article, appearing on page 44, Mrs. Perry is interviewed and asked about what’s currently trending in the coffee marketplace, the secret to a great latte, Klatch Coffee’s best sellers, and what her personal favorite coffee drink is (no spoiler alert here; you’ll have to read it for yourself!). Klatch Coffee has several retail locations, including Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario, and Fontana. For more information, click on the logo or go to https://www.klatchroasting.com/ Congratulations to the Perry family and Klatch Coffee for their recognition this month, and blessings to all of our family-owned businesses at ALCS!

22

We’re all in

this together...

until we’re all

back together.

23

urthe midd

Our Calendar of Upcoming Events:

Monday: March 15, 2021 Normal class schedule, Preschool through Gr. 8

Tuesday: March 16, 2021 Normal class schedule, Preschool through Gr. 8

Parent Prayer Group, 9:00am, via Zoom; contact Mrs. Olivia Cleland at cleland@alchristian.com for details

Special Tomb of the Unknowns Wreath-Laying Ceremony, 8th Graders and Guests, Upper Field, 11:00am

Wednesday: March 17, 2021 — Minimum Day Alta Loma Christian School’s 41st Birthday! Free Dress for everybody! All-School Chapel, 8:30am (Virtual)

St. Patrick’s Day!

Minimum Day, K-Gr. 8, Dismissal: K-Gr. 3, 12:15pm; Gr. 4-5, 12:30pm

Thursday: March 18, 2021 Normal class schedule, Preschool through Gr. 8

Friday: March 19, 2021 Normal class schedule, Preschool through Gr. 8

Spirit Shirt and Jeans Day!

Faculty and Staff Pajamas Day!

March Birthdays!

FlightPlan

As always, if you ever have a question about enrollment, the calendar, or any of our procedures and protocols related to the COVID-19 pandemic, please give us a call

at (909) 989-2804!

Find us on our website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter and stay up-to-the-minute on all things ALCS! Don’t miss a moment of the amazing things that

God and our kids are doing!

24

On the Horizon— March “For as the earth brings forth its bud, as the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.” – Isaiah 61:11

16 – Special Tomb of the Unknowns Ceremony, 8th Grade

17 – Free Dress Day in honor of ALCS’ 41st birthday!

17 – Minimum Day, K-Gr. 8

17 – St. Patrick’s Day

19 – Spirit Shirt and Jeans Day!

19 – Faculty and Staff Pajama Day!

19 – March Birthdays!

22 – Spring Pictures (Free Dress for those having their picture taken)

26 – Returning Family Reenrollment Discount Period ends today

31 – All-School Easter Chapel, Virtual, 8:30am

31 – Resurrection/Easter Parties, by Cohort

31 – Minimum Day, Preschool through Gr. 8; No Daycare; School closes at 1:00pm for Easter Break (through April 14; School resumes on Thursday, April 15)

April “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him.” - Mark 16:6

1-14 – Easter Break

2 – Good Friday

4 – Easter Sunday (“He is risen! He is risen indeed!”)

12 – COVID-19 Testing

15 – School Resumes

21 – All-School Virtual Honor Roll Chapel

26-30 – STAR Testing (also May 3-7)

May “Those who honor Me, I will honor.” - 1 Samuel 2:30

3-7 – STAR Testing

4 – Teacher/Staff Appreciation Day

6 – National Day of Prayer

25

ALCS SCHOOL SYSTEM OFFICE & ALCS K-8 SCHOOL OFFICE — (909) 989-2804; alchristian.com Dr. Vance Nichols, Head of School Renee’ Winn, Elementary School Assistant Principal; Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Academic Services; Pandemic Coordinator Laura Carey-Jedlick, Middle School Assistant Principal; Director of Business Operations and Student Services; Pandemic Coordinator Olivia Cleland, Office Manager, Summer Program Director, International Student Program Director, Parent Prayer Team Coordinator Andrea Van Duin, Administrative Assistant, Receptionist Justin Royse, Director of Technology and Media Jasmine Royse, Director of STEM Education Jordan Dedeaux, Athletic Director Donella Dorn, Librarian Aaron Raisbeck, Proctor

ALCS PRESCHOOL OFFICE — (909) 989-2804; Preschool phone or after hours daycare number is (909) 944-5969 Irene Lopez, Preschool Director ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SOLID GROUND CHURCH & MINISTRIES OFFICE — (909) 989-3119; www.sgbic.comMike Collins, Lead Pastor Ryan Showalter, Associate Pastor Marie Collins, Worship Pastor Sheryl Taylor, Executive Administrator

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

HIDDEN OAKS RETREAT CENTER — (909) 484-4379; www.hiddenoaksretreat.com

Roni* Dawson, Hidden Oaks Administrator

EagleLink is copyright © 2015-2021 by Alta Loma Christian School. Individual authors, contributors, and sources retain their own copyrights. All rights reserved. Alta Loma Christian School and Hidden Oaks Retreat Center are ministries of Solid Ground Brethren in Christ Church, Rancho Cucamonga, California. Mike Collins, Lead Pastor.

Serving Our ALCS Family!

In-person services have resumed Sundays at 10:00am!

You can find our simultaneous online service at https://sgbic.online.church

Our SGkids lessons are also online at sgbic.com/sg-kids