This is a letter from one of our fabulous seniors, Jocelyn Quirple, on why she loves Grace. Jocelyn Quirple November 2014 My Favorite Thing about Grace Today there are many things that I enjoy about being a student at Grace Academy, but I haven’t always loved the same things about Grace… In Kindergarten my favorite thing about Grace was my teacher, Mrs. Leasure. She made me feel welcome and made learning fun. In elementary I loved the “specials” that gave me an opportunity to play the colorful hand bells in music class, make chalk outlines of my friends in art class, and take home a new book every week from our Grace Academy library. In upper elementary, I would look up to the high school students who were involved in our daily activities. I always enjoyed getting to know the teenaged teachers aids, having them come to recess with us, and even getting hugs from them in the hallways. I’ll never forget when several of the seniors came to our class to pass out candy canes and Christmas carol dressed in Christmas sweaters and hats. In middle school, I loved the opportunity to interact and mentor younger elementary students through the blessing buddy program. Also when I was in middle school, Grace started the exchange student program. I made friends with new students from Korea, China, Taiwan, and Spain. I’ve learned so much about different cultures and how to make connections in spite of a language barrier. I started playing sports in seventh grade and have continued to play through my senior year in high school. The athletics program at Grace has been a perfect fit for developing my skills and competitiveness. Today, I love that I can refer to my school as “Grace Academy family.” The class sizes are perfect for unity but still contain immense diversity. I have friends all over the globe that have impacted my life as I know Grace Academy has impacted theirs. I count all the elementary students as my “blessing buddies” and think back to when I was their age whenever I get hugs from them in the hallway. I don’t get to play the hand bells in “specials” anymore, but I enjoy participating in our performing arts department that has developed greatly over the past few years. I still get to see well educated teachers that make learning fun every class period. From experience, I’ve found that Grace Academy is dedicated to providing challenging courses that will prepare me for my future. The small class size allows learning to be more individualized and focused. I’ve also found that the staff, teachers, and coaches at Grace care about not only my education but my social and spiritual life. I always know I will find a listening ear, a helpful hand, and someone ready to pray from the staff at Grace. The Christian integration in and out of the classroom is the most distinguishing factor at Grace Academy. I’ve come to realize that there is a purpose to all my years of learning, playing sports, and participating in extracurricular: that I am preparing for a higher call, and when I step out of Grace Academy this May, I can stand out for God in our world today. I’ve learned that this is the most important task in life, and my favorite thing about my Grace Academy family is that I believe it has prepared me for this task.
Posted on: Fri, 12 Dec 2014 15:47:56 +0000
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