Warrior News

Dear Parents and Families of RCS,

In Psalm 31:14, David writes “But I trust in you, LORD; I say, “You are my God.” In the verses prior to this bold declaration of faith, he notes a number of ways he has been challenged when his enemies have plotted against him.  Yet, in the midst of difficulties, David keeps “the main thing, the main thing”, and states his reliance on God.  In the times we are in and the challenges we face, we must, more than ever, proclaim this statement of faith.  We may have to speak it a hundred times daily, but we must hold to God's promises in His Word.  As a Christian school community that is already a target of spiritual warfare, we must also lean on God as we love and support each other.  I think of an image of a rookery of emperor penguins in Antarctica from the Planet Earth video series. As the surrounding elements are severe enough to kill them individually, they turn in, press close together, and huddle until the storm passes.  With Christ at the center of that huddle, we are guaranteed to pass through victorious!
With Easter Break upon us, the remainder of the year will likely be a blur as we hurdle towards graduation on 23 May.  The ceremony will be at 5:00 p.m. at Open Door Baptist church, with a reception to follow immediately after.  Other notables in the next few weeks:

• Iowa Assessments – given the week of 28 April
• Elementary Field Day – Friday, 2 May
• MS King’s Dominion Trip – Friday, 9 May
• Sports Banquet – Monday, 12 May, 6:00 – 7:30
• Senior Exams – 13-15 May
• Secondary Exams – 20-22 May

SPANISH and FRENCH STUDENTS NEED HOST FAMILIES for 3-4 weeks this summer!!!  Share your heart and home this summer! Host a student from Spain or France (they speak English) (ages 13-17) in your home for 3-4 weeks. Learn about their culture while he or she learns about living in an American family just being a part of what you regularly do. We have a variety of programs to suit your family’s work or non-working schedule. Families receive stipends to help out with expenses. We can help work out transportation or vacation concerns. This will be a treasured memory for your family! Contact Debbie Hardy 804-909-3190 or debbiehardy2003@yahoo.com. To see the available students, click here: https://secure.smore.com/n/2y7xr.

Thank you so much to those who have expressed many thoughtful and encouraging words in the past few weeks.  Your partnership and support are incredibly precious to us, and it is an honor to serve you and your students!

Blessings,

Bill Sharp, M.Ed.
Head of School
 

Dear Parents and Families of RCS,

And just like that, 25% of 2025 is now behind us.  Spring break is nearly upon us, and then the sprint to the end of the year.  This week, I was drawn to a short but powerful verse in the Old Testament from the book of Micah: “He has showed you, O man, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).  At this time, Israel was in a spot.  Their sins were only overshadowed by their excuses and justifications for their actions.  Prior to this verse, the prophet was asking, “What sacrifices can we offer to make it all better?”  Not because they wanted to be better, but rather to find the most expedient way possible to shortcut the atonement process.  They were desperately in need of a heart change, and God’s response gave them a simple three-step process to follow.  First, to act justly.  Our world would say “follow the law so you don’t get in trouble.”  God’s perspective is “follow the law from your heart, because it is the right thing to do.”  Don’t obey to get something; obey to draw closer to your Heavenly Father.  The second step, which was more outwardly focused, was to love mercy.  Within the phrase “love mercy” is the Hebrew word hesed, which means “loyal love”.  This is that complete, sold-out, heartfelt love for God and others, putting them before ourselves.  Both justice and mercy are foundational parts of God’s character – why wouldn’t He then expect us to live by both?  The ultimate expectation, when we conduct ourselves justly and love loyally, is to walk humbly with our God.  Walking in humility shows a dependence on God rather than ourselves.  This helps us maintain the proper perspective on the world around us.  When the world sees these traits in you, they see into the heart of the Father, and there is no better perspective than that.

Thank you to all who helped make our Spring Book Fair a huge success!  The final tally, including tax, was over $8,000.  From the proceeds, we will be providing Amazon gift cards for teachers to use in their classrooms.  We appreciate all you do in partnering with us to make RCS such an amazing place!

Share your heart and home this summer! Host a student from Spain or France (ages 13-17) in your home for 3-4 weeks. Learn about their culture while they learn about living in an American family, just by being part of what you regularly do. We offer a range of programs to accommodate your family’s work or non-work schedule. Families receive stipends to help out with expenses. We can help work out transportation or vacation concerns. This will be a treasured memory for your family! Contact Debbie Hardy 804 909-3190 or debbiehardy2003@yahoo.com To see the available students-  https://secure.smore.com/n/2y7xr.

In our next installment of “Why RCS?”, here are five more good reasons for your friends and family members to be a part of Warrior Nation:

• Challenging academic curriculum that is Biblically integrated in all courses K-12.
• Academic rigor through Dual Enrollment classes, including a partnership with Liberty University to provide students access to over 180 Dual Enrollment college level courses.
• Community Service graduation requirement for all students allows them to serve their community and represent Christ.
• Partnership with OptimumEd, a college and career planning service for students and parents that provides access to all aspects of the college planning and choice process.
• 33-acre campus in the heart of Chesterfield County with full athletic facilities on campus and sports options (boys and girls) in all three sports seasons.

May the Lord bless you this coming week as we prepare to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior.

Blessings,

Bill Sharp, M.Ed.
Head of School