The Roar
December 2020
We are so excited about all that God did through the wonderful Connect @ Home Gala this year! We are also so thankful for all of your hard work and your generosity to make our Gala such a success! King's Gate families are the best in the world!
Our current total is around $40,000! We are blown away by these results!
THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
THANK YOU to our Gala Chairperson Julie Boyd for your vision, leadership, and hard work to provide a way for us all to connect during this season where there is physical distance between us!
THANK YOU to the Gala Team: Bethann Antao, Jennifer Fleischer, Jana Holcomb, Jenny Pollard, and Teah Saner for all of your hard work to make our event such a beautiful success!
THANK YOU King’s Gate families for your donations, your sponsorships, your participation, your volunteer hours, and your generous support!
THANK YOU Heavenly Father for blessing all of the efforts, donors, and families throughout the days leading up to the Gala and then Your blessing on the event and the results!
The proceeds from the Gala help fill in the gap between tuition receipts and the total costs associated with providing a King’s Gate experience.
You truly are a school family that is second to none!
The best is yet to come,
Wyndi Bradley, Ed. S.
Head of Schools
Share a Feast!
A letter regarding Santa
Merry Christmas!
It is always fun to learn the special ways that families celebrate the birth of our Savior. We appreciate how families have consistently shared their heartfelt ideas and traditions, including their family traditions about Santa Claus. Please know that this letter is not an attempt to make a statement regarding the appropriateness or inappropriateness of including certain Santa traditions in your Christmas celebrations.
At Christmas time, our students are excited to share their family’s traditions with their friends. We hope that when we tell them the history of Santa Claus and how other countries include Santa in their traditions that it will support you when the day comes for you to answer questions about Santa at your house. We know that families are as different as the children that come from them. We have learned that the traditions that include Santa are deep and meaningful no matter which side of the debate a family operates.
Please keep in mind that children who have doubts about flying reindeer or an elf coming alive at night will ask questions in the safety of warm friendships at school. We gently support children who are trying to answer their friends' questions, who do not want to disappoint their parents because they "know", and those who are confused about who is telling the truth. Children do not yet have your capacity to share their beliefs with clarity and grace, so conversations that include Santa can include confusion and even anger.
Over the years we have witnessed the aftermath of sincere children sharing the secret of Santa with their best buddies. They do this without malice and without understanding the confusion that will follow. They do this because they often see this "reveal" in the same category as revealing who is snack friend. Even the kindest child who has been coached "not to tell" will tell his best friend because that's what best friends do. We know the potential for a reveal that does not include you is more likely as your children get older. We will do what we can to minimize “reveal” conversations so it does not come from the mouths of babes, even well-meaning babes.
We trust that each family knows their child best and will conscientiously build traditions and conversations with their child's heart and needs in mind. If your family is already past or moving towards the “reveal” conversation in your home, I recommend including the book, Santa are you for Real? by Harold Myra. It walks through a little boy’s discovery that there really was a Saint Nicholas. It “reveals” who the real Saint Nick was, when he lived, and why he gave gifts. Most importantly, you'll see how the original Saint Nick set an example for us today by keeping Christ at the heart of Christmas.
We are thankful for each of you and your willingness to have open dialogue within the safety of our partnership as King’s Gate staff and families. You are all important to us. Thank you for the grace that you have shown to one another and to us.
Merry Christmas to you and to your family!
With much love and respect,
Wyndi Bradley
Head of Schools
Prayer Connection - Tuesday December 8th
Preparing for the Holidays During COVID-19 . . . A Word from Jennifer Clark, our CDC Director
For many people, the holiday season will look different this year. Often, the last few months of the year are busy with parties and visiting family and friends. But due to COVID-19, things like traveling and gathering in large groups may not be possible.
Many people have lost loved ones and will be missing someone’s presence during the festivities, and even more have lost their jobs and are dealing with financial stress. Others, like healthcare workers, may be working overtime and unable to take as much time off around the holidays as they usually can. It can be hard to cope with these kinds of changes, especially if certain holidays are the only time you see some of your loved ones.
Change is difficult for most people, especially when you didn’t ask for or even expect these changes. But that doesn’t mean that the holidays are destined to be a disappointment this year. There are plenty of ways to cope with the tough feelings you’re having while still enjoying the holidays:
Identify How You're Feeling
Figuring out your emotions about the upcoming holidays can make things feel less overwhelming. Most people are feeling a lot of different ways at once right now, which is hard for our brains to process and understand. This year has been a difficult year for many reasons. That means that some of your distress is likely related to things other than the holidays. It is completely normal for you to be feeling a bit more emotional than usual right now. Take some time to sort through your emotions in whatever way is most productive for you - you can journal, talk to a friend, or just spend some quiet time alone thinking. Once you have a better idea of the specific feelings you’re experiencing, you can start making plans to cope with them.
Acknowledge What You’ve Lost
While the holidays are mainly about thankfulness and celebration, this can also be a really hard time of year, even during normal circumstances. If you’re missing a loved one, think of ways to honor them during your festivities. If you’ve lost a job or had to drop out of school, take the time to recognize the challenges that came with that. Even if you haven’t lost anything concrete, we’ve all lost our sense of normalcy this year – it’s okay to grieve that during this time.
Make The Most Of It
There’s no denying that things will be different this year, but holidays don’t need to be canceled. There will be some things that you can’t do right now, but there are surely some that you can. You can still send gifts to your friends and family, make your favorite meal, decorate gingerbread houses, read the Christmas story and break out confetti poppers for New Year’s Eve. For the things you can’t do - brainstorm how to adapt them for COVID times. If you’re disappointed about parties being cancelled, plan a small outdoor gathering, or come up with virtual games to play over Zoom instead. Feeling lonely because you won’t get to see your extended family? Round up your cousins to video chat while preparing Christmas dinner.
Don’t Romanticize Your Typical Holiday Plans
Remember that while your holiday season may normally be full of excitement and joy, it can also be a time of high stress. Long days of travel and endless to-do lists are part of the holidays too. Even though you may be giving up some of your favorite things about the holidays this year, you’re probably leaving some stressors behind too. Be careful not to distort the situation and make it seem worse than it really is.
Practice Gratitude
Gratitude is a major focus this time of year, and while it may seem harder to find things to appreciate, there is still plenty to be thankful for. Make a conscious effort to regularly identify some things that you’re grateful for. It can be something as broad as your health, or something as specific as your favorite song playing on the radio the last time you got in the car.
Change is hard, but it isn’t always bad. There are still ways to celebrate the season with your loved ones, even if you must give up some of your favorite traditions. Find creative ways to adapt. Or start new traditions – they may even add more meaning to your holiday season.
Christmas Sing 2020
Staff Highlights - Meet Amy Griggs
Mrs. Griggs teaches 4th grade (Math and reading), middle school social studies, and Spanish . This is in her first year here at KGCS. She has two daughters aged 19 and 21 (no grandkids yet, only those with fur 😊). She just moved here from Virginia and is enjoying living here in Oklahoma.
3 fun facts about Mrs. Griggs are:
- She LOVES coffee
- She served as a principal for three years
- She loves listening to music
Staff Highlights - Meet Paula Gage
Paula Gage is an Administrative Assistant and has been with King’s Gate for 15 years. She has been married for 22 years. She and her husband, Nelson, have two children; Garett who lives in Japan, and Hannah who attends the University of Central Oklahoma. Hannah attended King's Gate.
3 fun facts about Paula are:
- She enjoys getting to travel to any place different, even though she loves living in Oklahoma near family and friends.
- Her favorite color is blue, any shade will do. 😊
- She hasn’t been to an Ikea, but definitely plans to when the timing is right!
Staff Highlights - Meet Amanda Abernathy
3 fun facts:
1. She owns a baking business for ten years (Paisley and Plaid) that she runs with a friend
2. She LOVES math. She loves games with numbers. She always tries to balance the clock in her car using any combination of the four math operations. For instance...if the time is 12:45, she can add the 1+2 on the left side to get 3. Then she can take 5-4 on the right side to get 1 and add the two : so that 1+2=3 on that side too. (the “:” can be used on either side to make it balance) it makes road trips go by faster. Lol
3. Her very favorite shows are medical dramas. She's probably watched every episode of every medical show that’s been on the last 25 years. She's basically a surgeon now. 👩⚕️
King's Gate Strategic Planning Event - January 15, 2021
Please put January 15th on your calendar. We will be working together to complete a strategic planning process. We will have three different sessions that day in hopes that one of the time slots will work for you:
8:30 - 10:00AM
1:30 - 3:00PM
6:00 - 7:30PM
We are excited that we have completed all the key focus goals that were set by our families, staff and board during the 2014-15 strategic planning event. We are even more excited to dream together with you about the future of our school! The sessions will take place in the sanctuary to provide generous space for social distancing. THE BEST IS YET TO COME!
COVID-19 UPDATE December 2020
In November we had one individual who was positive for the virus, and two classrooms and a handful of teachers and other students that were quarantined due to direct exposure to COVID. None of the individuals, who were quarantined due to direct exposure, ever developed symptoms nor tested positive for the virus. All of these teachers and students completed the required period of quarantine and returned to school following the Thanksgiving break.
We currently have five individuals out due to a direct exposure that was not a school related case.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION to remember:
- A “direct exposure” is one in which an individual is directly exposed (has close contact, i.e. are within 6 feet for ≥ 15 minutes) to a COVID-positive individual. An “indirect exposure” is one in which an individual is exposed to someone else who was previously, directly, exposed to a COVID-positive individual.
- Per the Back to School Guidelines, Canadian County Health Department (CCHD) is contacted for notification and recommendation in each situation. For direct exposures, the exposed individuals are required to quarantine for 14 days following their last day of direct exposure, even if they test negative at any point in time during the 14-day quarantine period. For individuals who experience an indirect exposure, quarantine not required, as per CCHD and the CDC, there is “little to no risk” of contracting the virus in this type of exposure.
- Notification and follow-up with affected individuals/families takes place in each situation while also maintaining compliance with HIPAA regulations.
- We are continuing to grow in our knowledge and experience in responding to exposures, and we appreciate the input and information that many of you have shared with us regarding your own experiences and desire for better and ongoing communication and information.
- As always, we pray daily for exceptional health and safety for our students, teachers, and all our King’s Gate families. May God keep you and bless you, each and every one.
Back to School Plan Update
The following changes have been made to our Travel and Quarantine Guidelines in our Back to School Plan. We have removed the term "hot spot" and will use the following guidelines for travel. An updated Back to School plan will be emailed to you.
o International travel and/or Cruise Ship travel:
- It is recommended to continue to follow physical distancing, frequent handwashing/sanitizing, and masking guidelines during travel to help prevent the spread of infection.
- Will require a 14-day quarantine period prior to returning to school.
- Testing is encouraged following travel; however the full 14-day quarantine will be required even with a negative test.
o Travel within the United States:
- It is recommended to continue to follow physical distancing, frequent handwashing/sanitizing, and masking guidelines during travel to help prevent the spread of infection.
- At this time, will not require quarantine upon return unless there was a known exposure during travel.
- Any known exposure during travel will require quarantining for a full 14 days following the last known date of exposure.
Opportunity Scholarship Fund
Important Dates and Events
Tuesday, December 8th
Prayer Connection - in the Sanctuary after morning carpool 8:30am
(Enter through the south fire door facing 122nd)
Monday, December 14thLast day to bring cans/items for the Share a Feast (Can Castle Contest)
Friday, December 18th
Happy Birthday Jesus Class Parties - Student/Teachers Only
December 21st-January 4th
Christmas Break
Monday, January 4th
No School - Teacher Professional Day
Tuesday, January 5th
School Reconvenes
Friday, January 15th
King's Gate Community Strategic Planning Day
Monday, January 18th
No School - Parent/Teacher Conferences for Preschool-Pre-Kindergarten Classes
Teacher Professional Day for Kindergarten-9th grade
Thursday, February 4th
Community Open House/Information Evening for Visitors/New Families 6pm @ Surrey Hills Campus
King's Gate Christian School
Email: kgcs@kingsgateschool.com
Website: www.kingsgateschool.com
Location: 12421 North Mustang Road, Yukon, OK, USA
Phone: 405-283-0144