What’s Next?

SCRIPTURE NEVER PROMISES AN ABSENCE OF TRIALS:

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” I Cor. 1:2-4 

THANK YOU TO THE ECA FAMILY FOR A GREAT 4^TH QUARTER:

If COVID-19 has been anything, it has been a trial. Allow me to state how encouraged I have been with the way in which teachers, parents, and students have responded to this worldwide trial. When unexpectedly faced with the challenge of closing the doors to our school and adopting a completely different way of facilitating learning, the “ECA family” responded in an amazing way. Leveraging the strengths and gifting of everyone involved, all eyes were on the successful completion of the fourth quarter of education in a way consistent with our mission statement. It really took a complete team effort to “educate, equip, and empower students to pursue their purpose in Christ” during unprecedented times. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of you who played an important part in finishing the school year well.

I would love to recount the many stories of self-sacrifice made for the continued education of our children, even when many around us were giving up. At times, I am tempted to brag on our ECA family for their endurance during testing, but I dare not. While I am thankful, I am not necessarily surprised at the mettle exercised by everyone who stayed the course. So, again, thank you for “sticking with it” during this great challenge!

FUTURE OF CLASSES AT ECA:

Tough as it is to begin thinking about the future, our conscience demands it. Most have at least thought about what’s next, even if we have not verbalized it. Many wonder what the future will bring. I am pleased to tell you that your ECA board and administrators have already begun addressing this question. Here are some points I am willing to make at this time:

1.  An ECA education is better when delivered “in-person.” While it is clear that a great job of Christian education was done under difficult circumstances, ECA does its best educational work when teachers are eyeball-to-eyeball with students. We yearn for the days we can be back on campus, in the classroom, doing our best work.

2.  If we could resume now, the laws would permit for us to hold school on campus. Some of our classes were able to meet during the last couple of weeks of school. The current guidelines would permit us to meet in “cohorts” or “pods” of 10 people today. Our administration projects that we could find suitable meeting spaces within our existing facilities to gather in these small groups for core instruction, ancillary courses, or other activities like lunch and recess.

3.  Can we guarantee that we will always meet at school? We have never been able to guarantee the ability to meet. Off-campus instruction days have been needed and used for a number of years in lieu of the unpredictable occurrences of snow days. However, let’s be candid. The laws relative to COVID-19 have been fluid from the beginning of the pandemic. But as we become intimately acquainted with these new laws, I am optimistic that we can reduce the probability of the spread of this disease. And in working closely with the El Paso County Health Department through “rapid response” to any potential outbreak, we can reduce time spent away from the classroom.

4.  We welcome your family and your children back to ECA! I am confident that the culture at ECA is one that faces the challenges of life head on, even if they can weigh us down from time to time. I know our teachers want to have each child succeed to the glory of God. I am sure we are all willing to strive together for a safe and normal school environment next year.  

I pray you and your family have a restful and blessed summer together. And after we all take a little down time, we can begin to prepare to “ring the school bells” and once again open the school doors for next year. We are blessed with an amazing partnership and we miss you already!