This Week:
Tuesday, October 18 - Wednesday, October 19 | Student Learning Conferences
All appointments for Student Learning Conferences have been filled. Teachers will be ready to meet with you and your student according to your scheduled appointment times. To maintain order and ensure each meeting receives its appropriate attention, walk in appointments will not be accepted.
All students must leave the building by 12:50 P.M. (after lunch) on Tuesday and Wednesday. All teachers will be off duty following dismissal in order to prepare for the start of conferences, so please arrange transportation, or communicate with your student regarding their liberties to walk somewhere from campus, or ride with someone else, ahead of time, if your scheduled conferences are not until later in the evening.
Students may leave as early as 12:10 P.M. after their last class of the day. It is not required that students remain on campus to eat their lunch.
Thursday, October 20 - Friday, October 21 | Fall Break - No School
Next Week:
Tuesday, October 25, 8:35 A.M. | Coffee & Chat
“Bring coffee, tea, or a beverage of choice! There will be K-cups available in the front office. We will take some time to catch up and reflect on our activities so far at UCA this year! I look forward to seeing you!” - Mrs. Veldboom
Wednesday, October 26, 6:00 P.M. | October Open House
Recruitment for the Class of 2027 is officially underway! In UCA’s history, it has been proven that the most effective form of marketing is word-of-mouth. If you know a family with an 8th grader who is considering their options for high school next year, please refer them to register for our October Open House. We are also happy to meet current high school students interested in transferring. The link to register is weareuca.org/openhouse. For any questions regarding admissions & recruitment, please contact Mr. Harrison.
Thursday, October 27, 6:00 P.M. | Dine & Dive
“Dine and Dive will be happening next week Thursday, October 27th at 6:00 P.M. here at UCA! Plan to meet in Senora Veldboom's room, 208, with your meal. Traditionally, on the evenings of Dine and Dive, families pick up their own food and then meet us to eat and fellowship together. After our meal time, we will have short presentations on a variety of topics. This first Dine and Dive will be Mrs. Bootsma teaching us all about Schoology-our school learning management system. If you have any questions in regards to understanding how to find your student's assignments, grades, announcements, etc...then this will be the perfect evening for you! Hope to see you there!” - Mrs. Veldboom
Looking Further Ahead:
Monday, October 31 | November Lunch Order Forms Due
Your student was given a physical lunch order form for November last week. We are following the same process as last month.
Your student came home with two identical menus. One menu is to be returned to the main office with selections (circle choice) and payment. The other menu is for you to keep at home so that you know what you ordered.
The deadline to return menus & payment is Monday, October 31 (though we certainly appreciate earlier returns as it gives us more time to process orders and communicate with Chef Debra).
If you pay with cash or check, please attach it to the returned menu. You can pay with a card in the office upon return (5% service charge). You can also pay via Cash App ($WeAreUCA) or Venmo (@WeAreUCA). If you pay via Cash App or Venmo, please include "November 2022 Lunch" in the memo line.
If your student did not come home with a menu, there are extras in the main office.
Tuesday, November 1 | Deposit for Winter Jam Due
Broomball, Cross Country Skiing, Horseback Riding, Ice Skating, Indoor Gymnasium, Powertubing, Tube Hill, Tube Terrain Park, Zip Line, Snack Lodge, Preaching, Live Musical Worship — these activities and more are all a part of Winter Jam at Silver Birch Ranch!
UCA’s first-ever overnight Faith Formation retreat will be in White Lake, WI on February 3-5, 2023. The max number of UCA students we can take is 60. Sign up is first come, first served. The total cost is $200/student. Spots can be reserved by making a $50/deposit (toward the $200 cost) in the main office via cash, check, or card. We will also accept deposits & final payments via CashApp ($WeAreUCA) or Venmo (@WeAreUCA). Be sure to specify “Winter Jam” in the memo. Final payment is due January 9, 2023.
The confirmed chaperones for the trip are as follows: Mr. Harrison, Mr. Sons, Mrs. Bootsma, Ms. Mikitka, and Mr. Howell.
Special Announcement:
The Senior Leadership Team is pleased to announce that Mrs. Kelli Mackey has accepted the position of Office Manager. Mrs. Mackey comes to UCA with a Bachelor of Science in Business Marketing from Southern Illinois University and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, OK. She and her husband are members of Living Word Christian Center in Forest Park, IL. Her first day on the job is today, Monday, October 17. Please welcome her when you see her in the main office!
For the next 30 days, Mrs. Mackey will be in onboarding and training with Mr. Harrison. During this time, please be patient with her as she transitions into this role in the middle of the school year. Until she is fully onboarded and trained, you can continue to direct office-related questions to Mr. Harrison (i.e., lunch, attendance, bus services, Picture Day, etc.)
Picture Day Retake Photos Available:
If your student took a picture last week on retake day, please see the message below from Jostens:
“YOUR PHOTOS ARE READY! Good news! JostensPIX was recently at your school to photograph picture day, and your student's photos are now available for viewing and ordering! Click this link to get started: https://shop.jostenspix.com. Photos not appearing in your gallery? Find your student using event code: FE275422”
Brain Gains:
Click here to see this week’s Brain Gains.