Warrior News
Archives - September 2024
Parent Letter - 9/27/24
September 27, 2024
Dear Warrior Nation,
“Things just don’t last like they used to!!” You have likely heard this; perhaps you have spoken those words yourself in recent days. In a microwave - throw-away - I want it yesterday society, it seems everything is designed to last for here and now, not to endure. With that said, it is critical to teach our students the value of producing with quality. Whether it is a work of art, an essay, or a project, we instill in them the skills and desire to do everything with excellence. The scripture for this week’s ESO – Quality Producer – is found in Matthew 5:16: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” God created all things in six days and, after each day, remarked that it was good, meaning its creation reflected and displayed His good character, power, and nature. He affirmed its original design as orderly, balanced, and intelligible. This is the model to which we strive to point our students. Through this ESO, students: Carry out tasks productively and efficiently; Work independently without assistance; Accept personal responsibility for their own work; and Recognize and use God-given talents to produce quality work. God’s work as the original Quality Producer created a world that will last until Christ returns. Do you know what else He created? An opportunity for eternal life with him through a personal relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ. Do you know Him? Shine your light before others today so they may see your good works and give glory to God.
Don’t forget Picture Day is this coming Tuesday, 1 October. Your student should bring home a picture order form to be completed and returned on that day.
Thank you to those who could join our students and staff on Wednesday for the annual See You At The Pole student-led prayer gathering. Although the rain moved the event into the Chapel, it did not dampen the spirits of nearly 100 attendees. It was a blessed time of praise and prayer for our school, community, nation, and the world. The Bible speaks of prayer as a weapon: “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world, but rather they have divine power to demolish strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).
Help teachers, just by shopping!! RCS is partnering with Box Tops for Education to help provide extra funds for teachers' classroom needs. To get connected, go to your app store and download the Box Tops for Education app, create your account, and search for Richmond Christian School by zip code (23832). Connect to your Walmart app account and start contributing to Box Tops today! Also, if you shop at Kroger (or know ANYONE ANYWHERE who shops there), you can link your Kroger Shopper’s Card to RCS. Here is a link to do just that - https://www.kroger.com/i/community/community-rewards. This is another super easy way you can help fundraise for RCS by just doing what you normally do.
Thank you all, parents, students, and staff, for standing with us in the fight for our children’s future. Your support and commitment are deeply appreciated. It is an honor to go to battle with each and every one of you!
All 4 Him!
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Bill Sharp, M.Ed.
Head of School
Posted in
Weekly Newsletter
Parent Letter - 9/20/24
September 20, 2024
Dear Warrior Nation,
Communication comes in many forms and from many sources. As I mentioned last week, the digital age provides access to so much, and in so many ways, it is easy to get overwhelmed. For our students, with that unlimited access at their fingertips, it is critical that they understand not just what they view but also what they share and how they can communicate it effectively. Our third ESO, Competent Communicator, is very relevant for that reason. As Colossians 4:6 says, “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” This ESO aims to help develop our students’ competence in both speaking and listening and help them read and write skillfully and purposefully across all platforms. As Followers of Christ (ESO 1), that purposeful communication is especially important in sharing the Gospel with the lost. Competent communication helps students use practical interpersonal skills in a group setting to contribute collaboratively. If we know Jesus as our personal Savior, it means that somewhere in our past, most likely, someone took the time to communicate salvation to us. To have salvation secures my eternity; to communicate salvation secures a legacy.
We are so grateful to the Barrick family for their powerful and heartfelt leading of our secondary Spiritual Emphasis days. Jen’s powerful testimony and the family’s focus on living a victorious life through the power of the Holy Spirit truly spoke to many of our students. A number of them accepted Christ for the first time, and many great conversations took place in the student discipleship groups.
I also request consideration (if it fits your schedule) for a few more parents to delay arrival to the afternoon carline till around 3:10 to help alleviate the traffic backup on Belmont Road. The families that have been able to make this accommodation have been able to roll in, pick up their students, and roll back out with minimal wait time. Thank you in advance to those able to help in this area.
Help teachers just by shopping!! RCS is partnering with Box Tops for Education to provide extra funds for teacher classroom needs. To get connected, go to your app store and download the Box Tops for Education app, create your account, and search for Richmond Christian School by zip code (23832). Connect to your Walmart app account and start contributing today!
With the fall season upon us, please make arrangements to keep your students home if they are sick, especially if they have a fever. Please send an email to attendance@richmondchristian.com or reach out to the clinic if they are staying home so we can communicate with the teacher. Be safe and blessed this weekend!!
All 4 Him!
Bill Sharp, M.Ed.
Head of School
Parent Letter - 9/13/24
September 13, 2024
Dear Warrior Nation,
As card-carrying members of the digital age, we are inundated with information – essentially, all knowledge is available at our fingertips. Unfortunately, not everything you can find online comes from trusted sources. Sometimes, students are baffled to see that the information they read online is misleading or completely false. Some of us “seasoned saints” remember when guys like Walter Cronkite brought the events of the world to our television sets in the evening, sharing the facts and information we needed to stay informed. Today, the world is different, and our students need to know not just WHOM they can trust, but also WHAT.
This brings us to ESO #2: Discerning Thinker. Romans 12:2 says “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” In Acts chapter 17, we read about the Jews in Berea who, after eagerly hearing the Word, would search the scriptures themselves to confirm the word they heard. To be discerning, one must look to the one source of all truth, the Bible. It is the only place we can know to be absolutely true in every aspect, as it is the inspired Word of God. For students at RCS, being a discerning thinker means they find creative solutions to challenges, demonstrate God-honoring and Christ-like behavior and attitude, and evaluate, analyze, and respond from a Biblical perspective. With the Word of God as our guide, may we all be able to discern what is good, acceptable, and perfect.
Please remember to keep our students in prayer next week for the fall Spiritual Emphasis Week. Elementary students will spend extra time in chapel on Monday and Tuesday, and secondary students will be ministered to on Wednesday through Friday. Your prayers are not just a formality, but a powerful tool that can bring about a spiritual transformation in our students. Please pray for hearts to be open and for the Holy Spirit to move in our students during this time.
I just have a couple of requests/reminders related to the afternoon carline. Don’t forget that the lower campus entrance is two-way traffic in the afternoon. Be sure to exit from the right-hand lane only, as there are cars coming on campus in the other lane. Also, we would like to request about 15 or so families to come to campus at 3:10 for back carline pickup instead of being on campus at 3:00. This should help reduce traffic from backing up on Belmont Road and thereby reduce the risk of accidents for our parents or student drivers. Your assistance in this area would be greatly appreciated.
With the fall season upon us, please make arrangements to keep your students home if they are sick, especially if they have a fever. Your child's health is our top priority, and we urge you to take the necessary precautions. Reach out to the clinic if they are staying home so we can get word to the teacher. Be safe and blessed this weekend!!
All 4 Him!
Bill Sharp, M.Ed.
Head of School
Posted in
Weekly Newsletter
Parent Letter - 9/6/24
September 06, 2024
Dear Warrior Nation,
I trust your long weekend was one of rest and memory-making. Although Labor Day is not the most “grilled out” day of the year, it makes the top 5! At least, that is what the internet says. I am excited to begin our next newsletter series, “Why RCS?” with our first installment of Portrait of a Graduate – The Expected Student Outcomes, Part 1. As a Christian school, we primarily focus on being a Christ-centered learning institution where children are safe, loved, and pushed toward excellence in all we do. Two years ago, the teaching staff took on the task of developing a series of traits that every RCS graduate should embody. Each of these Expected Student Outcomes is biblically focused and is woven into academics, athletics, clubs, and all facets of student life.
Today, we focus on ESO #1: Follower of Christ. The key scripture for ESO #1 comes from 1 Peter 2:21: “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.” As believers, the moment we accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior was not the end but the beginning. To accept Christ means to deny self – to crucify our past and all of our mistakes and place our lives in the hands of Jesus. It means meeting him where we are, inviting him into our hearts, and permitting him to transform us completely. As 2 Corinthians 6:14 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old is gone, the new is here!” Since this is our first step in a life of serving God, we place it as our first ESO, in that all that follows will be done from the perspective of Christ-follower. The indicators we seek in developing our students as followers of Christ include making a profession of faith, intentionally pursuing opportunities for spiritual growth, exemplifying a Christ-like character, and sharing the Gospel with the lost. I pray that all Warrior Nation will seek the Lord and develop these traits as we shine a light on a lost and dying world.
We are nearing the completion of the new keyless entry security system for the campus. I deeply appreciate the patience of those involved in the before- and after-care programs. Once the system and training are in place, we will have a finalized location and protocols for drop-off and pick-up, ensuring a more secure environment for our students and staff.
Parents, please remember you are our first defense in upholding dress code expectations. Please take time this weekend to remind your students of dress expectations. If you give them the visual check before they come to school, we can avoid any unnecessary dress code enforcement once they arrive. Thank you in advance for your continued partnership in this area.
Please remember to keep our Spiritual Emphasis Week (16-20 September) in your prayers. This is a significant event in our school calendar, and we are believing God for a mighty move in the hearts of our students during this time. Your prayers and support are invaluable. Blessings to you and your family.
All 4 Him!
Bill Sharp, M.Ed.
Head of School
Posted in
Weekly Newsletter
