Putting skills to the test in the real world! 📸🍁🌎
Our photography students have left the classroom to explore nature and put their newly acquired knowledge into action. Mrs. Taylor and her students recently visited Minnehaha Falls with their cameras in hand. 🌄📷
The Photography 1 students are venturing into shooting in full manual mode, and the Photo Editing students are tapping into their creativity and mastering their photo correction techniques. 🎨💻📷🔧
#ucathunder #ucafinearts
#tuesdaytestimonial - New Family Edition
💜 We love to hear from our families about their experiences at our school. This week, we feature a family that is new to UCA this year. Please help us welcome the Gilchrist family!
"This is our first year attending UCA. We started looking at schools a year ago when one of our kids was having a hard time academically and started asking to go to a smaller school with less distractions. We started our search and we’re drawn to UCA’s Christ centered mission. We knew immediately after touring the school that it was the right fit. During the tour, our daughter, who we weren’t originally intending on enrolling, fell in love with the school as well and we ended up enrolling two of our kids. They are loving the smaller class size, chapel and calmer class environment. They have made great friends already and look forward to school each day, which rarely happened before.
We live in Farmington so the distance was a factor for us when making our decision with schools. However, seeing how happy and settled our kids are makes us happy with our decision and would make UCA our choice again and again."
UCA is so blessed to have the Gilchrist family as part of our community!
#ucathunder #tuesdaytestimonial
🦛 Hungry, Hungry Hippo - Middle School style!
🏆 Last Friday's Middle School house competition was a life-sized version of a childhood favorite. Each house team competed against each other for some coveted house points.
😂The laughter and team spirit were contagious, and the memories will last forever!
💙 Contratulations to Gratia for pulling out a win!
#ucathunder #ucahousesystem
🎃 Pumpkin Prayer 🙏
Mrs. Berry took our youngest students through a pumpkin art project as a Halloween alternative. It focused on different things to think and pray about while you carve a pumpkin this year. 🎨🧡
“Open my eyes so Your love I will see” 👀❤️
“Open my mouth to tell others You are near” 🗣️🙌
“Let Your light shine in me so others can see” 💫🕯️
Once the students finished their pumpkins, they lit a candle behind them to let their light shine! 🕯️🌟
#ucathunder
🤔What is your WHY?
🌱📖 Using our Deep Roots Bible curriculum, Mrs. Nerdahl led her 4th graders in a discussion about universalism and the idea of free will. How free will allows for good and evil in every situation, and how we get to choose how we act. 👍👎
💬 She then challenged them to talk in small groups, to practice sharing their faith with other kids at the neighborhood playground. Being able to explain to others WHY they choose to follow Jesus is so important. The students hear about it at school, and in family conversations, but could they defend their faith to a stranger at the playground? What is their WHY?
The students also had time to use their Chromebooks to do some Bible review time in this curriculum, working on scripture memorization, character traits, and root of knowledge vocabulary.
#ucathunder #ucaelementary #christcenterededucation
🍝🦴 A Pasta-tively Creative Lesson in Anatomy! 🧬📚
🍝Our talented anatomy students have been cooking up something unique in the lab, and it's not your typical pasta dish! They transformed ordinary pasta noodles into an extraordinary model of the human skeletal system.💀
🤔Each type of pasta represented different bones in the human body. Each group had ten minutes to build their skeleton. They had to consider the size, shape, and position of each pasta bone, which encouraged critical thinking and problem-solving skills. At the end, they all voted on which was the most accurate and complete.
🙌 This hands-on project allowed students to explore the intricacies of the human skeleton in a fun and interactive way. It's a tasty twist on traditional anatomical studies!
#ucathunder #ucastem
🌎📚 History Class Showdown 🏆🗺️
Mr. Hendrickson has embarked on a mission to make learning not just educational but incredibly exciting. Using a friendly competition format, his four classes have been transported to a group of fictional countries, where they're vying for supremacy. 🗺️🏰
🏞️He uses content review questions for the 9th and 10th grade students to earn land tiles to place on the map. Beyond knowledge, strategy is key. Students must plan their moves wisely, defend their territories, and use their resources to gain the upper hand.
🌟 We are thrilled to see our students so engaged, competitive, and passionate about history. This unique approach is turning our classroom into an epic battlefield of knowledge, where every victory is a lesson learned.
#ucathunder #ucaupperschool
🏐 🔆 Brighten up the gym at our neon-themed night! 🔆🏐
Our girls are playing in a Section Quarter-Final match this Thursday night, 7pm, at the Bethany Gym.
The Thunder earned the 3rd seed out of the 12 teams in the section. The visiting team will be Liberty Academy, who gave us an exciting run of 5 sets in a recent match!
Tickets for this event are all digital and can be purchased at the gate or prior to the event (https://mshslr4a.hometownticketing.com/embed/event/116) Adult Tickets: $10 All Student Tickets: $5 No cash will be accepted at the door.
Follow along with the playoff bracket here: https://www.mshsl.org/tournaments/2023-section-4a-volleyball-girls-tournament
We still need help with volunteers for this event. If you want a free ticket, please consider signing up to help run the match. https://www.timetosignup.com/ucathunder/sheet/1350917
#ucathunder #ucaathletics
🎃🍂 Preschool Pumpkin Adventures! 🍂🎃
Last week was full of pumpkin fun for our little preschoolers! 🧒👧 They turned our back grassy area into a pumpkin patch and picked their very own pumpkins.
🎃 The kids used their tiny hands and keen eyes to find the most "pumpkiny" pumpkins they could lay their hands on. 🧡
🎨📏 Back in the classroom, the pumpkins became the center of all classroom activities. Art, science, you name it! They were measured, drawn on, checked to see if they sink or float, and more. 🕵️♂️
🌾As we celebrate the magic of the fall season, we're grateful for the opportunity to nurture creativity, curiosity, and friendships. We can't wait to see what our preschoolers come up with next! 🍁🌻
#ucathunder #ucapreschool
Changes to today's Cross Country meet:
JV races have been canceled.
Boys Varsity will start at 4:30 p.m.
Girls Varsity will start at 4:35 p.m.
🍂🍁Celebrating Fall, Celebrating Friendship! 💜
🔎 Ms. Flaga and Mrs. Shogren’s students recently paired up for a fall-themed scavenger hunt. Time together in God’s beautiful creation, working together as a team, and building relationships across the grades. It doesn’t get much better than this!
🍎🍪 Top it all off with some cider and cookies. It warms you to your soul.
#ucathunder #ucaelementary
🏐🌟 Heartfelt Thanks for an Unforgettable Evening 🌟🏐
Friends, family, and alumni rallied around Coach Larson last week at her last home game coaching volleyball for UCA.
Denise, you have been a guiding light for countless players over the years, instilling not only the skills of the game but also the values of teamwork, perseverance, and sportsmanship. Your legacy will forever inspire us! 🙌
To our family members, your unwavering support and encouragement have meant the world to our athletes and to our retiring coach. Your cheers from the stands have been a source of motivation. To our friends and alumni, it was truly special to see familiar faces from different chapters of our volleyball journey.
Thank you for making this event an unforgettable one. 🙏
#ucathunder #ucaathletics
🧠 Learning Beyond the Classroom 📚
⛳Dr. Morrison used disc golf as a fun class activity to teach his students that Kinetic Energy is the energy of motion. It's the force that makes things go and significantly impacts our everyday lives, even when we're having fun! His students discovered the fundamental principles of kinetic energy:
🔵 Speed Matters: The faster the disc flies, the more kinetic energy it possesses. Just like a moving car has more energy than a stationary one!
🔴 Mass Matters: Heavier discs store more kinetic energy than lighter ones. Think of a large truck having more energy than a bicycle.
✨By mastering the principles of kinetic energy while playing disc golf, students gain a deeper understanding of the physics behind sports, transportation, and countless other real-world scenarios.
#ucathunder #ucamiddleschool #ucastem
👏 Congratulations to our very own Mr. Chris Palmer for his induction into the Faribault Sports Hall of Fame!
Chris is a 2009 graduate of Bethlehem Academy and was an outstanding multi-sport athlete in Football, Basketball and Golf.
-Basketball conference champions in 2007, 2008 and 2009 culminating with a State Tournament appearance in 2009.
-3 time all-conference basketball, all state as a senior and team MVP
-All time leading scorer and rebounder in BA history
-Played in the MBCA all-star game
-Played at St. Mary’s University and UW River Falls. Chris was in the top 5 in scoring and rebounding as a freshman, top 2 in both as a sophomore as well as 1st Team all MIAC as a sophomore
-Managed and coached at various camps after college
💜 We are blessed and privileged to have Mr. Palmer on our staff! He pours his passion for learning, sports, and the Lord into each and every athlete and student he works with.
#ucathunder
🖍️✍️Our elementary students recently held a coloring contest for our House System. All of the entries were voted on anonymously by teachers and staff, and a winner was chosen for each grade.
🤔💡Creativity abounded as the students were given free reign to color their House logo however they wanted.
🥪The winners were rewarded with the opportunity to eat their lunch in a classroom with Dr. Morrison. They were also treated with homemade brownies, made by our very own Mrs. Troost!
#ucathunder #ucaelementary #ucahousesystem
♥️ 💛 💚 💙 At the end of each quarter we highlight students that are portraying what we call “House Essentials”. These essentials are behaviors, skills, and gifts that we pray will shine through each and every one of our students.
Teachers take notes and vote on who they see is consistently being a good leader in these areas. One student is chosen for each school level, Elementary (preK - 5th), Middle School (6th-8th), and High School (9th-12th). Each student is awarded house points, and a personalized, special edition sweatshirt! They are recognized during chapel in front of their peers.
The first quarter ended today, and our winning students were:
Julia - High School (12th)
Isaiah- Middle School (6th)
Lagatha - (2nd)
Keep shining the light!
#ucathunder #ucahousesystem
✨This week was the grand finale of Mrs. O’s 2nd grade habitat project! 🌵🌳
The classroom was filled with mini ecosystems, each student proudly presenting their carefully crafted habitats. 🦜🧊 From lush rainforests to icy polar regions, the creativity was truly astounding. Every detail, from the construction paper trees to the fuzzy animals, reflected the hard work and imagination these little scientists poured into their projects.
🧑🏫 💫 Our students confidently presented their projects to their fellow students from other grades, turning the classroom into a hub of curiosity and learning. The enthusiasm was infectious as these young presenters explained the unique features of their habitats and the incredible creatures that call them home.
Great job students! 👍
#ucathunder #ucaelementary
👩🚒👩⚕️Our kindergarteners have wrapped up their unit about community helpers. To celebrate, they got to dress up for a day!
👨🍳Ms. Flaga’s students were all bakers, and Mrs. Troost’s students chose their favorite helper. 🧑🌾👮
The festivities included drawing community helpers, singing songs about them, and even decorating and eating cupcakes!🧁🧁
#ucathunder #ucaelementary
👩🔬🔥 Our amazing chemistry students turned up the heat in the lab with a Flame Test experiment!
💥Armed with safety goggles and excitement, they explored the unique spectrum of colors produced when different metals were introduced to the flames. The heat added energy causing the color of the flame to shift as the electrons emitted varying frequencies of light. From vibrant reds to sizzling blues, the lab became a canvas of chemical art. 🧪🎨
#ucathunder #ucastem #ucaupperschool
#Tuesday Testimonial - New Family edition
💜 We love to hear from our families about their experiences at our school. This week, we feature a family that is new to UCA this year. Please help us welcome the Fegter family!
"Before we even started looking for schools, I thought about how much pressure it was to find a school that would forever be with our daughter. We had to find a school where we didn't have to be afraid for her safety, afraid for her emotional well-being, and afraid of the enemy using the system to influence her mind. This was her future.
After a brief and timid search online, we found UCA and one other private Christian school. We interviewed at both, and we liked both, but UCA provided more. The staff at both made us feel secure and sure, but UCA felt different. There were no loud neon signs from God to go one way or the other, like I had hoped, but what there had always been from the beginning was His quiet and gentle nudge towards UCA.
A few weeks before making our final decision, we still weren’t 100% sure if God was really directing us one way or the other -until UCA had an evening event that featured their new building plans. We attended as guests, just to see what this community was like in action.
To my surprise, I instantly felt a spirit of honor and humility when walking into this event, held at a local church. It was like we had just stepped into a Kingdom. I felt that we were witnessing a community, a family, a team working for the Lord. They opened the event with worship, lead in a sanctuary. A sanctuary! How was I so deserving of a school that follows the Lord for our precious child? I was truly humbled. I felt it was ours to have, without even having applied or been accepted yet. It was like the Lord was opening my eyes and telling my heart, "you're home". It was the divine power of the Spirit, easing my soul, reassuring my fears listed above with peace and security.
Seeing teachers and school leaders lifting their hands and worshiping God was an incredible experience. Never did I think a private Christian school would ever be in my future. What an honor.
When open enrollment for the school year came, we applied for UCA with confidence. My husband said a couple days prior, "maybe we should also enroll at the other school we interviewed at, just in case Avery doesn't get accepted into UCA", he didn't want to risk not having a school for our daughter, but in my heart I KNEW we did not need a backup plan -this was the plan. We did not apply for the other school and after a few months of waiting, we were accepted into UCA.
Now, a couple months into our first year at UCA, I never imagined partnering with a school that would help us build the foundation that our daughter will always stand on. I never imagined going to a school where they open their parent-teacher conferences with prayer, where their leaders are proudly led by His spirit, where HE is the center of it all. With all the crazy evil things going on in the world, we are protected and favored. We stand separate from the others. Knowing we will not have to fight the school system in how we raise our daughter is one of the biggest blessings we, as parents, could EVER ask for. We continue to be honored and humbled to be a part of UCA."
UCA is so blessed to have the Fegter family as part of our community!
#ucathunder #tuesdaytestimonial
