Friday Update, January 10th
"It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; it is the honor of kings to search a matter out." - Proverbs 25:2
When I began teaching at VCA six years ago, the one thing I was most intimidated by was the idea of praying in front of the class. I had been trained to guide young minds academically, but that training had not prepared me for the gravity of leading those minds before the throne of grace. Then again, I knew I could not allow fear to control my own understanding of prayer.
But would it be absurd to pray to learn how to pray? On the one hand, I was in the company of the disciples as they made that request of Christ. On the other hand, I felt immediate conviction: hadn't the Holy Spirit worked through generations of believers before me? What had I done to learn from their examples?
The Valley of Vision, the ESV Prayer Bible, and other prayer books are my good friends now. I have learned from those who have preceded us in the faith how to pray through Scripture and, to my great delight, how to do so in front of the students. However, there was another sticking point. Was I only praying in front of the students, as a matter of form, or was I praying for them and with them? With many more lessons to come, I slowly brought my tools out into the open and invited the students to use them as well. What greater gift could I give them than what God had done for me in drawing me closer to Himself?
I have been so encouraged to see that our students are often braver than me, and certainly braver than I was at their age. At the beginning of my time here, I did not ask them to add their prayers. I saw it as my responsibility, but they were eager. The prayers of Augustine, John Calvin, Martin Luther, Christina Rosetti, Jane Austen, and William Tyndale are old. The prayers of The Valley of Vision are long and have hard words (in every sense). Still, praying for the class is something the students want to do.
I hope it is an encouragement to know this, and I will leave you with part of a prayer from The Valley of Vision called The Prayer of Love: "Unsought, thou hast given me the greatest gift, the person of thy Son, and in him thou wilt give me all I need."
Holly Savage
Middle School English Teacher
REMINDER:
Since we are half-way through the school year we thought we would revisit some important points of the VCA attendance policy (please refer to the 2024-2025 Parent/Student Handbook for more information):
Absences must be reported to the school office by 10:00 am on the day of the absence AND must meet the Excused Absence criteria per the handbook for the absence to be excused.
Four or more consecutive days of absences will require a doctor’s note in order to be considered excused.
Appointments during school hours will be considered excused when a doctor’s/dentist note is provided.
Family related events must be pre-approved by the administration and require two-week notice. Pre-planned absence forms are available under the Resource Hub of the school website at 24-25 PrePlanned Absence Form or in the school offices.
When a student has accumulated 10 excused absences, a doctor's note will be required for the remainder of the school year in order for further absences to be excused.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
2023-2024 Yearbooks have arrived. Books are on sale now in the school office for $45 each. If you pre-ordered last Spring, your book will be sent home with your child.
No School, January 20, in observance of Martin Luther King Day
Father/Daughter Dance - Friday, January 24, see attached flyer
Mother/Son Night - Thursday, February 13, more details to come
No School, February 17, in observance of President’s Day
Winter Spirit Week & First Fruit Gives Mission Project - February 22-28
