I get stuck on a few Christmas songs that I play over and over throughout December. My family doesn't necessarily appreciate hearing the same few songs 50 times in a month, but it's what I do. Here are a few of the songs I've been singing along with this year:

Christmas Everyday by Unspoken

Joy to the World by Jason Gray

Jolly Old St. Nicholas by Chicago

Born in Bethlehem by Third Day

Little Drummer Boy by Denver and the Mile High Orchestra

Jesus, Savior by Chris August

If you've got a great Christmas song that I really need to listen to, let me know and I'll give it a shot.

There's a line in that last song, Jesus, Savior, that really gets to me every time I hear it: "Our salvation has a name."

That's the point of Christmas. God made humans in His image and created a perfect place for us to thrive, but we messed it up through sin. All of the heartache, pain, and struggle was caused by our sin, but God determined to restore us and His creation. He made the promise of a savior to Eve and humanity waited for the moment God would offer eternal redemption.

That salvation is God's Son who came in the form of a human baby, lived a perfect life, died in payment for our sins, then conquered death forever. Our salvation is not merely an idea or a hope. It is flesh. Our salvation is named Jesus.

"She shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins." -Matthew 1:21

S. Jeff Postlewaite

On Monday morning a new Executive Order for the state of Virginia will go into effect that has some minor implications for GCA. Throughout the year we have been abiding by CDC guidelines and allowing our students and teachers to remove their face coverings when appropriately spaced in their private classrooms. The latest orders now require face coverings in all indoor shared spaces for people five years old and up.

Simply put, on Monday, GCA's kindergarten-12th grade students and teachers will keep their masks over their mouths and noses throughout the entire day, even when spaced in their classrooms. There are a few exceptions that are listed including eating and drinking and communicating in situations where visible lips is necessary for clarity. I appreciate your continued support in helping us to abide by the guidelines so that we can remain safe and have the ability to continue teaching and training in person.

Be on the lookout for information from your students' teachers about how they will celebrate on the final day before Christmas break.

Christmas Break | December 21-January 1

GCA will be closed in observance on Christmas and the New Year holidays. Classes will resume on Monday, January 4.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Monday, January 18

GCA will be closed in observance of the holiday.

Semester Exams | January 20-22

6th-12th grade students will take their semester exams on the final three days of the semester. Their class schedules will be altered to give them more time to review and work on these tests. These schedules will be release before the Christmas break.