Principal’s Paragraph:
Our homecoming week was a wonderful experience! Our students and staff showed school spirit with dress-up days and activities that boosted morale and promoted our school culture. Student Council spent their weekend decorating the upstairs hallway and did a wonderful job with our “At Last I See the Light” theme. They also led our morning announcements and generated new excitement with Knight Nation chants we will use at our games. We were also blessed with an amazing chapel experience this week. Former professional baseball player and For the Gospel Ministries Rep, Aaron Shackelford, blessed our students with an uplifting message about navigating the world as a young man or woman that left our students filled with the Word.
Construction will begin on our new addition beginning September 30th. Drop-off location will be the same but we will not allow parking on the east side of the campus. GCHS appreciates your patience and understanding as we Partner with Parents to Prepare the Next Generation to Impact the World for Christ!
September/October Staff Birthdays
Holly Garza – September 28th
Mike Paasch – September 29th
Chris Russell – October 16th
Richelle Shultz – October 18th
James Cass – October 26th
Matthew Littlefield – October 31st
*If you would like to bless our staff, here is the favorites list
Important Dates
9/27: Homecoming Football Game
9/28: Homecoming Dance
10/2: Candy for Comfies (Benefitting Step Up Schools)
10/3-10/4: Freshmen Retreat at UCYC in Prescott
10/5-10/21: Fall Break
10/22: Quarter Two Begins
10/23: Christian College Fair
10/24-10/25: Half Day & Parent Conferences
10/23-10/25: HS Fall Play – Radium Girls (Grace CC)
Candy for Comfies:
Bring in pre-packaged, fun-size candy (no chocolate please) on Wednesday, October 2nd, in exchange for wearing comfy clothes to school. All candy donations will be used by the Senior Lumina Groups to support Step Up Schools in Mesa.
A Note from StuCo
Homecoming “At Last I See The Light” is tomorrow!
Homecoming Football Game: TONIGHT, 7pm GCHS STUCO will be hosting fun pre-game activities. Join us for face painting, snow cones, and cotton candy. We will also be handing out thunder sticks, clappers, etc. to our GCS students. First come, first serve! NOTE: **Due to campus construction, we will not be having bounce houses or food trucks this year. But we encourage everyone to come out early and support our GCHS Knights!
Saturday, 9/28 7:00pm-10:00pm: GCHS Homecoming Dance. Online ticket sales will close Friday, 9/27 at 3:30pm! Guest passes were due by 9/25. Join us for an unforgettable evening of celebration at the High School… you won’t want to miss it!! (Please see the GCHS Student Handbook for Dress Code policies.)
Purchase tickets here.
Volunteer Corner
- Sign up here to bless the staff with snacks during our monthly all-staff meetings
- Sign up here if you (or your high school-age child) would like to watch staff kiddos during weekly Tuesday meetings.
A NOTE FROM OUR ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT
Tonight is HOMECOMING! We cannot wait to celebrate with all of our athletes, students, teachers, fans, parents and alumni at this evening’s football game. Kick-off against Fountain Hills is scheduled for 7:00pm, but we encourage everyone to arrive early and to carpool if possible as the parking lots will likely fill-up fast. Admission for regular season home games is always free!
Our cross country team is also in action tonight at Toka Sticks (Mesa) for the Desert Twilight meet, which is slated to get underway at 5:00pm.
Our swim teams head back on the road for a four-way meet against Phoenix Country Day (host), Arcadia, and Chandler Prep on Tuesday, October 1. Last week, the GCHS swimmers began their invitational season, with the girls placing second out of nine teams at the Northern Arizona Invite, and the boys claiming third. Read more about the meet HERE.
Varsity volleyball is having quite the season! The Knights played last night at Northwest Christian, and will host Scottsdale Christian (6:00pm) at home next Thursday (10/3). If you have a middle school volleyball player, they are invited to attend! There will be a pre-game devotional for the MS athletes in attendance, and several opportunities for the girls to win free GCS gear, and other prizes.
Go Knights!
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 that school is in session at 8AM. 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. Order early and save money! Place your order here, Job #7107. 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
West Point recruits:
Save the Date for our Christian College Fair- scan to register!
The 2025 Christian College Guide contains articles that discuss navigating self-discovery, purpose, and the college application process with a Christian worldview. This is an excellent resource for all HS grades!
The Dorrance Scholarship program includes a $12,000 scholarship per academic year at one of Arizona’s public universities. To learn more about this program, please visit this link.
Counselor Corner
Two weeks ago we had a visit by Ken Sande, who is an expert on Peacemaking and Reconciliation. Ken met with all the teachers of the high school, to emphasize the importance of strengthening relationships.
Some of the high points of his presentation were:
- Life is all about relationships (Ephesians 2:11-21)
- Relationships are fueled and moved by emotions!
- Emotions can overthrow us.
What he called Relational Wisdom is a way to overcome and prevent conflict.
“Relational Wisdom, in essence, is the desire and ability to live out Jesus’ two Great Commandments, namely to love God with all your heart, and to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39).”
Relational wisdom is an awareness of God, self, and others. This awareness leads to engagement.
Relational wisdom is taught throughout Scripture and is really an outworking of the gospel.
Ephesians 4:30-32 And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by him for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice. And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.
He left us with the acrostic to improve our Relational Wisdom: SERVE
Smile – Your approach with a smile to someone you are trying to connect with is very winsome.
Explore and Empathize – Be curious about what he/she has to say. And then try to put yourself in their position.
Reconcile – Whenever you can, as it is in your power, win the relationship, not the argument.
Value the person as an image bearer of God.
Encourage them with your words and actions.
Soft skills, like these, are not only honoring to the Lord Jesus but are more and more rare. If we can exercise our Relational Wisdom and pass it on, we will be a powerful apologetic of love to the community and beyond!
