Principal’s Paragraph
One of our wonderful English teachers shared a devotional with me a few days ago. As I read the inspiring words surrounding our faith and path as Christians, it reminded me of this first semester of our school year, as well as the Christmas season! “The ZigZag Progress of the Gospel” by Chip Ingram explains how God’s infinite wisdom takes time to reveal itself! Moses and his people crossed the desert for 40 years, while Paul wrote many New Testament books while in prison! As we partner together to prepare the next generation to impact the world for Christ, we can also apply these biblical lessons to the students we serve. Tests, quizzes, games may not always go as planned. Not every report card may be a 4.0. Not every free-throw may swoosh through the net. Not every teacher delivers their lesson in the same manner. But the one common thing we all can agree on at GCS, is that we are believers who know the truth. When we focus on the truth and remember Christ paid the price for his followers, the zigzags of our busy lives do not feel as obstacles, but as learning opportunities!
Merry Christmas,
PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES
Parents: Please review the available conference times below, and sign up under your student’s teacher. You will have until 3:00 pm on Wednesday, January 8th to schedule your conference. After that, the sign up will be locked and you will need to email the teacher directly to schedule a conference (as their schedule allows).
Official semester grades will be emailed to you on Wednesday, January 9th. You can view your child’s current grades any time in your Family Portal under Student > Grades.
Note: Although not required, all parents are welcome to meet with teachers, however, we HIGHLY ENCOURAGE parents of students with a C or below to attend in order to discuss student progress with their teacher.
Please include the student name in the comment section when you sign up.
IMPORTANT REMINDER: Be sure your account is set to Time Zone “Mountain” and Region “America/Phoenix” so that you will have the correct time slot!
SIGN UPS
Upcoming Staff Birthdays
Julie Griffin – January 4th
Pete Heintz – January 16th
Mark Duitsman – January 19th
Joel Holsinger – January 28th
Rafael Santiago – January 29th
*If you would like to bless our staff, here is the favorites list
A NOTE FROM OUR ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT
Merry Christmas Knights’ fans, and happiest birthday to our wonderful Savior!
Most of our winter teams will spend the break training, resting, and hanging out with friends and family, but if you are in the mood for some basketball after Christmas you can catch the boys’ team in action December 27th-30th at the Visit Mesa Basketball Challenge. The squad’s first game is an 8:30pm match-up against Glacier Peak (Snohomish, WA) on Friday. The Knights will also play Verrado on Saturday at 4:00pm, and Atascocita (Humble, TX) on Monday at 1:00pm. All games will be played at Westwood High School in Mesa. Go Knights!
The 2024 Sports360AZ All-Academic Fall Teams were announced earlier this week, and many of our students were recognized. Check out the honorees HERE! Congratulations to the athletes who earned these awards, we are so proud of you for working hard in school and in your sport.
Check out gcsknights.com for all things athletics! May God bless you all abundantly this Christmas.
ROOTED IN PRAYER
Parents, Grandparents, and all friends of GCHS are invited to join the team of volunteers that make up Rooted in Prayer every Wednesday morning when school is in session, starting at 8 AM. Praying aloud is not required and babies through preschool-aged children are welcome. Contact Mary for more information: [email protected]
Yearbooks
On sale now! Prices are based on a sliding scale, so order early and save money! Place your order by clicking here, use Job #7107 when purchasing. Note: This link works best in the Chrome browser.
Questions? Email the yearbook adviser at [email protected].
Seniors automatically receive a yearbook – no need to place an order.
College & Career
Colorado Christian University’s annual World Changers Full Tuition Scholarship competition is coming. If you are a high school senior who excels academically and feels called to impact the world for Christ, you can compete to win on January 16 & 17th at CCU. Visit this link for more information.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is now available for students attending college Fall 2025. To expedite your application, please create your FSA ID now. Completing the FAFSA helps determine your eligibility for grants, work study, scholarships, and loans.
BIOLA Bound is an amazing opportunity for Juniors and Seniors to see BIOLA, stay with current students, earn scholarships, and visit Disneyland on January 25-28, 2025 and it is nearing capacity. There is a small fee, please visit this link for more information today!
Calling adventurous thinkers for the Wheaton College Summer Institute. Explore Wheaton, earn college credit, and deepen your relationship with Christ. Summer programs at many colleges are an excellent way to explore a college of interest, and also a great opportunity to add to a college resume.
STUCO
POWDER PUFF FOOTBALL
GCS Families,
On January 24th, STUCO is hosting Powderpuff. Powderpuff is simply where girls play flag football, while boys are the cheerleaders. It’s a super fun event and we encourage everyone to join us. Here’s the link to sign up!
There will be shirts and dinner provided for the players. Participation fee is $20 (includes a shirt and dinner) and if you aren’t participating, feel free to come and watch, no fee required.
