Principal’s Paragraph
Dear High School Parents,
As I transition into this new role, I have found that in order to fulfill my calling as a disciple of Christ, a wife, a daughter, a sister, a friend, and the Principal of Gilbert Christian High School, I need to be very intentional about how I spend my time and the personal and professional boundaries I set regarding that time. I have always leaned more toward the “Type A” side, so calendars and spreadsheets are essentially a love language for me. However, even with this personality trait, I still need to be strategic.
Our friends over at For the Gospel have a podcast that many of us at Gilbert Christian School listen to regularly. This past week, they released an episode on how to best strategize your time through nine rapid-fire steps (listed below). I highly encourage you to listen to the episode here. It is packed with tips and tricks to help you take control of your schedule while prioritizing time with God and your family. I would also encourage you to walk through these steps with your teenager. As you know, high school students are trying to navigate time with God, church responsibilities, homework, athletics, family time, and maintaining a social life. The steps in this episode are a great way to coach and teach your teenager to manage their time wisely and for the glory of God.
I had two major takeaways from the podcast: the first being “Don’t just do things right, do the right things,” and the second being “Don’t get in the habit of cheating your family.” These are two little mantras I’m being strategic about as we move through this year. It is my prayer that this short podcast will bless you in the same way it blessed me. If you give it a listen and see me on campus, feel free to stop me! I’d love to hear what stood out to you.
9 Rapid-Fire Steps:
- Don’t just do things right, do the right things
- Calendar everything
- Protect your spiritual priorities
- Invest in family time
- Invest in rest
- Review daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annually
- Learn from your mistakes
- Purge time thieves
- Learn to consolidate
For such a time as this,
Upcoming Staff Birthdays
Mark Duitsman – January 19th
Kenny Sitton – January 21st
Joel Holsinger – January 28th
Rafael Santiago – January 29th
*If you would like to bless our staff, here is the favorites list
CHAPEL
During Chapel this week, we heard testimonies from ASL teacher Marc Jette and Senior Rydan Barth. Both have wonderful stories of how God brought them to saving faith. I encourage you to listen to them here.
SAFETY
Please be careful when driving onto campus, especially in regard to speed. Because of construction, there are lots of blind spots, heavy machinery, and workers on site. Reducing speed when driving through will help us to prevent any unnecessary accidents or issues.
Congratulations!
Principal’s & Dean’s Honor Roll
A NOTE FROM OUR ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT
Happy Friday, Knights fans! If you haven’t made time to see our basketball teams compete this season, today is your chance! All five of our squads are home against Scottsdale Christian.
The freshman/sophomore boys are up first, beginning at 1:00pm, followed by the JV girls at 2:30pm. JV boys are scheduled to tip-off at 4:00pm, right before the girls varsity team takes the court at 5:30pm. The boys varsity game will serve as the finale, and is slated for 7:00pm.
If you have other plans tonight, never fear! We have the exact same home schedule running on Saturday against regional opponent Payson. We would love to see you there!
Next Tuesday (1/21) should be competitive for our soccer teams as we face Northwest Christian in regional play. Our girls are home against the Crusaders. JV will begin the day with a 4:00pm contest, which will be followed by a 6:00pm varsity showdown. The boys, who are on the road at NWC, are also playing at 4:00pm and 6:00pm.
For more information, including schedules and recaps, please visit our athletics website, gcsknights.com.
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
Seniors: Your Childhood & Senior Photos are due by 1/19/25. Please use this link to upload 3 childhood photos and 2 senior photos.
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.
Unison Bank is once again accepting applications for the $1,000 scholarship. Please use this link to apply.
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.
Spring College Fair coming March 2nd at Highland High School. This fair is free and open to the public. To register in advance and see attending colleges please use this link.
Winter Formal
Just a reminder that ticket prices go up and shirt sales end on Wednesday, January 22nd! Get your shirts and tickets today!
STUCO
POWDER PUFF FOOTBALL
GCS Families,
On January 24th, STUCO is hosting Powderpuff. It is a fun night where girls play flag football, and the boys are the cheerleaders. Sign-ups to participate in this event are now closed, but we encourage everyone to come out and watch the game! It will be a great night and we hope to see you all there!