Faith Life Academy Guardian News - November 2024

We have much to be thankful for this year as we transition to the cooler months and upcoming holidays—family time, pumpkin pie, and favorite holiday traditions. We also praise God for a peaceful election time and anticipate great upcoming changes in the economy and government.

November is also a time to reflect on our accomplishments and look forward to the exciting activities in the coming weeks. Make sure to check the holiday schedule below to see when we will be on break. Stay tuned for upcoming holiday activities. 

Here are a few things we are thankful for at FLA: 

• My friends and the people around me - High school student
• To be able to share this place with so many families, including my own - Mr. Walden
• Working in a godly environment with great people - High school teacher
• My family and God - Elementary student
• The upcoming holidays because it’s a great time to slow down and connect with family and friends - Pastor Sarah
• Food - Middle school student
• Friends and family who always care for me, especially my co-workers who have become some of my closest friends - Elementary school teacher
• We are thankful for you, our amazing FLA families. 

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

—Psalm 100:4 (NIV)

Hello, FLA Families,

I cannot believe we are 14 weeks into school already! The summer has turned into fall, and we have already reached the calendar turning to November. October brought some amazing happenings here at FLA.

Last month, our theme for chapel centered around joy, one of the fruits of the Spirit. Ms. Churchia and her creative kindergartners brought an awesome message on joy, and Ms. Churchia reminded us that joy is a choice. It’s so important to remember this. We get the opportunity to choose joy all throughout our day each and every day. 

Some of our middle school students brought an amazing message about what joy is to them. I sat listening and was proud of their wisdom and maturity in sharing what God put on their hearts. 

Our fabulous fourth graders also led chapel, and they brought joy with them in their message. They shared a quote that stuck me with, and I wanted to share it. The quote is from Kay Warren, “Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be all right, and the determined choice to praise God in all things.” No matter our circumstances or what is going on around us, we can rest in the facts that God is in control and He has great plans for us. 

We also had three high schoolers share about joy and how important of a choice it is in our daily lives.

This month, we will dive into another fruit of the Spirit—peace.

We had our first round of parent/teacher conferences on the 21st, and it was great to greet so many different families, sit in on some conferences, and hear the great conversations happening in the classrooms about student progress and how we can partner together to keep moving forward and growing here at FLA. Thank you to those parents who came in.

As always, I am so grateful and appreciative for the partnership with our families here at FLA and with FLHE. They make this an amazing place to work each and every day.

WE ARE… GUARDIANS!

For His Glory,
Principal Brock Walden

On October 23, we had our fall harvest party, and what a night it was! We had more than 300 in attendance! The outdoor space between the buildings was full of so much fun and activity, including hayrides, s’more making, hot cider and donuts, and the always busy bounce houses. It was an amazing night to come together and fellowship with our FLA and FLHE families. We want to give a special thank you to Ashley Myers and the Parent Partner Group, along with Miss Stephanie and Lindsay Walden. They worked hard to coordinate and plan an amazing event that everyone enjoyed. Also, a big thank you to Mrs. D. and her crew for running the face painting and to our facilities staff, who ensured everything was in place for the event AND drove the tractor for us all night! Thank you to everyone for coming out and making the event such a special night!

Last month, we were thrilled to welcome Dean to our school. Dean Sikes is the founder of You Matter with one mission in mind—eradicating hopelessness and ending teenage suicide. This was an exciting opportunity for students, staff, and parents to engage with Mr. Sikes. 

He ministered to the sixth through twelfth graders and listened to the Holy Spirit as he shared and called out their worth, reminding them that each of their lives matter. 

Dean’s ministry is to help youth identify where the enemy of their souls is trying to lie to them and cut short their lives. He shared their full potential that God has in mind for them and deposited unique dreams that He longs for them to fulfill into each of them. 

He gave his new book, Everything’s Fine: Finding Hope When Life Really Hurts, to the students and parents for free. You can get his new book here: https://www.youmatter.us/everythingsfine.

After he spoke, Dean spent time ministering to students one-on-one and encouraging them on their journey toward hope.

Meet Mrs. Barr, our dedicated fifth grade teacher at Faith Life Academy! This is her twelfth year of teaching, and she is in her third year with us. 

She has been happily married to her husband for six wonderful years, and they are blessed with two beautiful daughters and a baby boy on the way! In her free time, Mrs. Barr enjoys a variety of activities, including spending quality time with her family, baking delicious treats, and enjoying the great outdoors. She finds joy in exercising and cherishes peaceful mornings sipping coffee while reading the Bible. She says, 

“I am so grateful for all that the Lord has done in my life and am excited to continue helping others find freedom in Jesus.” 

We are so fortunate to have Mrs. Barr as part of our school community!

Fun Facts about Mrs. Barr

• Her favorite color is mustard yellow.
• Her favorite things to eat are pizza and chocolate chip cookie dough Larabars.
• She did the Church Clap with the Enrichment Day kids at 38 weeks pregnant. 
  

• Friday, November 22: End of Enrichment Classes
• Wednesday – Friday, November 27–29: No School, Thanksgiving Break
• Thursday, December 12: No School, Staff Christmas Party
• Friday, December 20 – Friday, January 3: No School, Christmas Break
• Friday, January 17: First Day of Enrichment Classes
• Monday, January 20: No School, Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Each November, Faith Life Church partners with the Dream Center in Columbus to provide Thanksgiving baskets and hot catered meals to families in central Ohio. Opportunities include donating items, serving meals, and giving financially. This is a wonderful service opportunity for families of all ages. Get all the details on how you can participate here.

If your student is between the ages of 11 and 18, we would love to have them join us at Young Society on Tuesdays from 6:00–9:00 p.m. at the Faith Life Church New Albany campus or Sundays from 5:00–7:00 p.m. at the Powell campus. 

Each week, we have incredible worship, an impactful message, and plenty of food, fun, and games!

Encourage your student to bring a friend!

Please note that there will be no Young Society on Tuesday, November 26 or Sunday, December 1 due to Thanksgiving break.

Stay up-to-date on the events happening at Faith Life Academy here, and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more information and updates!

Know someone who is looking for a God-honoring, family-centered, safe, creative learning environment for their child? Share your experiences, and invite them to learn more about Faith Life Academy here.

If you have any questions about Faith Life Academy, contact Stephanie, Admissions Coordinator, by email at stephaniecatani@faithlifeacademy.org or via phone at (740) 964-7405.

Faith Life Academy’s mission is to nurture our students’ love for God, love for others, and love of learning while preparing them academically, spiritually, emotionally, and physically to become confident and compassionate leaders in the world.