Elementary Newsletter

Finding God in the Beauty of the Season

Heavenly Father,

As we welcome the month of November, we thank You for the beauty of the changing seasons and the many blessings You place in our lives each day. As the colorful leaves fall, the air turns cooler, and the days grow shorter, remind us that every season is a gift from You.

Lord, as our calendars fill with activities, celebrations, and the busyness of everyday life, help us find time to slow down, pause, and simply be present with You. Open our eyes to the beauty of Your creation, our hearts to the needs of others, and our minds to the many reasons we have to be thankful.

As we celebrated All Saints' Day, may we be inspired by the lives of the saints who walked before us. Help us follow their examples of faith, kindness, courage, and love, remembering that we, too, are called to become saints.

On All Souls' Day, we paused to remember and pray for our loved ones who have gone before us. May their memories bring us comfort, and may we find peace in the promise of eternal life with You.

As we prepare for the busy days ahead, help us remember that the most important things in life are not found on our calendars or in our accomplishments, but in the love we share, the kindness we show, and the time we spend with You and one another.

Bless our GACC students, families, teachers, and staff. May this November be a month of gratitude, reflection, and renewed faith. Help us continue to learn and lead through Christ, sharing His love in all that we do.

Amen.

November Is Off to a Busy Start at GACC!

Learning and Leading Through Christ

November is already off to a busy and exciting start at GACC! From special learning opportunities and creative classroom projects to celebrating the accomplishments of our student-athletes, there is so much happening in our school. Here are a few highlights!

Sizemore Sportsmanship Pep Rally

On November 2, our 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students had the wonderful opportunity to attend the Sizemore Sportsmanship Pep Rally. This special program brings together student-athletes and coaches who share inspirational messages about sportsmanship, teamwork, perseverance, and making good choices both on and off the court.

Following the pep rally, students enjoyed watching the Nebraska Huskers Women's Basketball Team in action, along with some delicious pizza! What a great opportunity for our students to learn valuable life lessons while enjoying a fun day together!

Learning with the Cuming County Extension Office

Our fourth-grade students participated in a special lesson about the various types of land in NE and the crops grown here. They also learned that 92% of Nebraska's land is used to grow food. We appreciate Miss Raines from the Cuming County Extension Office sharing its time and expertise to provide engaging, hands-on learning opportunities for our students.

Our kindergarten students will also enjoy some special learning experiences this week! Melissa Hegemeister from the Cuming County Extension Office will be visiting on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday to help our youngest learners explore the Life Cycle of a Pumpkin. What a wonderful way to connect science with the fall season!

Art, Faith, and the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary

Our K–6 students have been combining faith, creativity, and artistic skills in Art class as they prepare entries for the Spirit Catholic Radio Art Contest.

Students have been learning techniques for shading and blending colored pencils while also deepening their understanding of the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary.

Before beginning their artwork, students learned about the Glorious Mysteries and spent time in prayer reflecting on the specific mystery assigned to them. They then studied sacred artwork depicting their mystery, sharing observations about what they noticed and how the artists expressed the meaning of each event.

What a beautiful example of integrating our Catholic faith into the arts!

The winning masterpieces will be transformed into prayer cards that will be distributed at Spirit Catholic Radio events throughout the year. These cards will also be shared with Catholic elementary schools and participating religious education classes throughout the Spirit Catholic Radio listening area.

We are so proud of our young artists and the thoughtful way they are using their God-given talents to share their faith!

STEAM Enrichment: Help Save the Turkey!

Students in grades 1–3 have an exciting opportunity to participate in an after-school enrichment camp sponsored by Mrs. Gentrup in the STEAM Lab.

This month's challenge is a fun one, and it involves saving a turkey!

Our turkey has just discovered that he might be the main course for Thanksgiving dinner! He makes a run for the woods, but there is one big problem—a deep canyon stands in his way. Turkey has feathers, but he cannot fly across the canyon!

That's where our young engineers come to the rescue!

Students will use their creativity, problem-solving skills, and engineering knowledge to design and build a carrier that will safely transport Turkey across the canyon using a zipline.

Their challenge is to create a carrier that hangs from the zipline and successfully travels from start to finish.

What a fun way to encourage critical thinking, teamwork, creativity, and hands-on learning! We can't wait to see the innovative designs our young engineers create. Hopefully, Turkey will make it to safety before Thanksgiving dinner!

What an Exciting Time to Be a Bluejay!

We are incredibly proud of our Lady Bluejay Volleyball Team for advancing to the State Volleyball Tournament and our Bluejay Football Team for their continued success in the playoffs!

Here is our schedule for the remainder of the week:

• Wednesday, November 4: We will hold a Pep Rally at 3:00 p.m. in the gym to celebrate our Lady Bluejay Volleyball Team before they head to State! This event is open to the public, and we invite everyone to join us in cheering on our girls!

• Thursday Evening: Our Lady Bluejays will compete in the State Volleyball Tournament!

• Friday, November 6: NO SCHOOL! Our Football Team will compete in the playoffs, and our Volleyball Team may also be playing at State. School will be canceled so students, families, faculty, and staff have the opportunity to attend these exciting events and support our Bluejays!

We are so proud of our student-athletes, coaches, and the entire GACC community. These accomplishments are a wonderful reflection of hard work, dedication, teamwork, and school spirit.

Let's fill the stands, cheer loudly, and show everyone what Bluejay pride is all about!

GO BLUEJAYS!

Learning and Leading Through Christ

Joyce Stalp
Interim Elementary Head of School