United Christian Academy

📚 5th Grade Book Tasting! 🍽️ Mrs. Shogren’s 5th graders had a blast yesterday with a special "Book Tasting" activity! They sampled different literature genres, explored various books, and discovered new favorites. From mystery to books in a series, biographies to graphic novels, each student had the chance to "taste" different stories and expand their reading horizons. It was a fun and engaging way to spark a love for reading and introduce them to new literary worlds. We can't wait to see which books they choose to dive into next! 📖✨ #ucathunder #ucaelementary

Part of the first week of school at UCA is our exciting House assignments! Each new student gets to randomly draw a colored gem from a jar to discover which House they’ll belong to for their entire time here. 💙💚💛❤️ From the smallest to the tallest, every student and staff member is a proud member of one of our four Houses. This system fosters a positive and engaging school culture while promoting a sense of camaraderie. There may be four houses, but we are ONE FAMILY! 💜 #ucathunder #ucahousesystem

🏡 House Leaders Unite! 🌟 Our student-elected Senior house leaders met for the first time this school year. These student leaders are already hard at work, planning exciting events and activities to unite our school community. We’re thrilled to see their enthusiasm and dedication as they brainstorm ideas, collaborate, and set the tone for an amazing year ahead. With such passionate leaders at the helm, we know this year is going to be one for the books! #ucathunder #ucahousesystem

🧠Growth Mindset Challenge! 🚢 Mrs. Ray’s 3rd grade students took on an exciting challenge to kick off our focus on having a growth mindset. They worked together to help Fred the gummy worm in a tricky rescue mission! The task? Rescue Fred from his capsized boat (a plastic cup), put him into his life preserver (a Lifesaver Gummy), and get him safely back into the boat. The twist? They could only use paper clips to move Fred and the other items—no poking allowed! Through this fun and engaging activity, our students practiced problem-solving, teamwork, and perseverance. It was a great way to start thinking about how a growth mindset can help us tackle challenges, both big and small. #ucathunder

🎒 ✏️Our students have made it to the classrooms for the first day of school. We couldn't be more grateful to be here, both physically in our new building and on the first day of school with all of our students back together again! 🏫 Last week, we held an event that was a true testament to our strong school community. Our families came together to kick off the school year, and we are grateful for their active participation. Students met their teachers, found their lockers, picked up their Chromebooks, and so much more. The evening was so special and highly anticipated, and it did not disappoint! We love our community! 💜 #ucathunder

The big day is here!! 🎉 📸 We know most of you will be taking pictures today, and we'd love for you to share them with us and our community. If you post them on social media, please tag ucathunder. If you want to send them to us to post, email us at socialmedia@ucathunder.org. We can't wait to welcome you to school this morning! #ucathunder

What a fun, full, and blessed day it was! Our school year started with a day filled with reunions, new introductions, lots of learning, and of course, popsicles! It is so good to have everyone back. Let's see how God will move at UCA this year! #ucathunder

📝Lifelong Learning! 📚 Our incredible teachers took part in a continuing education workshop yesterday, furthering their knowledge and skills to bring the best possible education to our students. Through engaging sessions and collaborative discussions, our educators are committed to staying at the forefront of teaching practices and innovation. We are so proud of their dedication and are grateful for their passion for making a difference in the classroom. 🍎✨ Thank you to Incubate to Innovate for leading this workshop! #ucathunder

God is moving through this beautiful partnership! The staff at Cedar Valley Church graciously hosted a lunch with the UCA staff today, and it was lovely! Great food, conversations, and fellowship. Thank you to all the CVC staff for welcoming us with open arms 💜 #ucathunder

It’s Pre-season, and the teachers and staff are all back together again! This week is full of team-building, sharing stories and information, learning new policies and procedures, and more. New staff members were also selected into their houses. We are energized and excited to see how God will move this year! Our pre-season leads up to Kick-off Night on Friday, we’ll see you there!! #ucathunder

🙌 UCA is blessed to welcome new staff members to our team for this coming school year! We would like to introduce you to Mrs. Prip, Secondary Choir and Worship Arts Teacher. “My name is Marissa Prip and I am coming from Lakeville area schools where I have worked as an elementary music teacher, but I am super excited to transition to the UCA upper school choir teacher this next school year! I am most excited to teach at UCA because I love Jesus and can't wait to teach at a Christ centered school and create community with all of the different families. I also work at ZOE Church in Burnsville as the Kids and Youth Worship Director and love spending my time with students and worshiping Jesus. My husband, Jordan, and I love hanging out with friends and family and some of my favorite hobbies are exploring vintage stores in Minneapolis, going on walks, crafting with my friends, and reading good books. I love singing so much and look forward to creating beautiful music with the students at UCA! Welcome to the community, Mrs. Prip! #ucathunder #ucastaff

🙌 UCA is blessed to welcome new staff members to our team for this coming school year! We would like to introduce you to Mrs. Lynette Tillman, Secondary Science Teacher. “I am coming from another christian school in the twin cities. Before that I taught for over 10 years in the Southern Philippines where I was a missionary for many years. I am excited to join a loving, christian community and to teach with a Godly worldview. I am a widow with three married children. I grew up in the Twin Cities, but was then in the Philippines for 30 years. I am passionate about reaching the unreached for Jesus.” Welcome to the community, Mrs. Tillman! #ucathunder #ucastaff

New Family Friday! ⚡Please help us warmly welcome the Peterson, Newman, and Kauffmann families who will join the Thunder community for the 2024-2025 school year! #ucathunder #newfamilyfriday

🙌 UCA is blessed to welcome new staff members to our team for this coming school year! We would like to introduce you to Mrs. Morgan Palazzo, a Secondary Photography Teacher. Morgan technically joined our team in mid-last year to help with Marketing, but this year, she will also be stepping into teaching. "I'm thrilled to be stepping into this new role at UCA, teaching and sharing my passion for photography with students. Connecting with them on a more personal level and equipping them with skills to capture the beauty of the Lord's creations. Outside of work, my husband and I spend most of our spare time renovating our home, honing new handyman skills along the way, and enjoying adventures with our two dogs, Franklin and Oscar." Welcome to the community Mrs. Palazzo! #ucathunder #ucastaff

🎶 A Week of Irish Melodies! 🇮🇪 Our talented 8th-12th grade band students came together this past week to showcase their musical abilities. They worked hard to practice and perform a variety of pieces, all with an Irish theme, including a special composition by our own band director, Mr. Curtis. Their days were filled with full ensemble rehearsals, focused sectional time, and even some fun non-musical activities to keep the energy high. The week will culminate in a performance for friends and family, where they will share the fruits of their labor. 🎵 #ucathunder #ucasummercamp

KICK-OFF NIGHT 🗓️ FRIDAY, AUGUST 16 🗓️ 4:00 - 8:00 pm This is the night to KICK OFF the new school year together in our new building! There will be lots to learn, so please make every effort to come! ⏰ 4:00-5:30 School pictures, find your classrooms, meet your teachers, pick up Chromebooks and schedules, drop off school supplies, find your locker, and more! ⏰ 5:45-6:15 Everyone together in the sanctuary for a time of worship, prayer, and announcements ⏰ 6:30-8:00 School pictures, find your classrooms, meet your teachers, pick up Chromebooks and schedules, drop off school supplies, find your locker, and more! You only need to attend the middle session, when everyone is together, and then spend the time either before or after that taking care of the different business items. More details will be emailed soon!

🙌 UCA is blessed to welcome new staff members to our team for this coming school year! We would like to introduce you to Mr. Mark Andrews, Secondary History & Geography Teacher. I am super excited to join the UCA family. I thoroughly enjoyed being a guest teacher last year and am looking forward to my first year of teaching. Most of my professional life has been as a Pastor in the Evangelical Covenant Church. I served small and large churches and even planted a new church in Florida. After the pandemic, I knew God was opening up something new for my ministry, and I found it at UCA. It’s tough to pick the thing I love most about our community, but I would have to say it’s the authentic care for each other. From the youngest kids to each staff member, people live out the Gospel in real ways. My wife Karla (pictured) and I love college hockey. (We are watching the St Cloud Huskies, but I am a U of M grad and bleed Maroon & Gold). In the other picture, you can see me mugging it up with our sons, Fernando (25) and Carlos (24), on Christmas. I have an almost limitless list of things I love to do, but if it’s fast or in/under water, it’s probably at the top of my list. Skiing & snowboarding, riding motorcycles, SCUBA diving, surfing, or playing with our dogs. Thank you for the privilege of working with your kids! Welcome to the community Mr. Andrews! #ucathunder #ucastaff

🙌 UCA is blessed to welcome new staff members to our team for this coming school year! We would like to introduce you to Miss Courtney Meyen, Elementary Resource Teacher. “Hello! I am very excited to be joining the UCA team. I have worked with children for the past eight years, the last 4 of which were at a charter school in the Special Education program. I look forward to working with a team that encourages our personal walk with God and places Him at the center. I am also looking forward to working with our students and helping them grow! I love spending time with my family outside of work. I am one of five girls and have been blessed with two nieces and two nephews who bring so much joy to my life. When I’m not with one of my sisters, I am usually working on a cross-stitch project, reading, or putting a puzzle together. I can’t wait for the school year to start, and I look forward to meeting and working with everyone!” Welcome to the community Miss Meyen! #ucathunder #ucastaff

🏐 Our Girls Volleyball program represented UCA while running skills stations at one night of the Mega Sports Camp held at Zoe Church in Burnsville. They did an awesome job of leading and encouraging the campers, and sharing their love for the sport and for God! We’re excited about all that God is doing in our volleyball program! #ucathunder #ucaathletics

We are so blessed to have received a generous donation of classroom furniture from North Central University! We had a great group of helpers accomplish moving it all from North Central to our new home in Cedar Valley Church, all in one day! Things are coming together, and we can't wait for our students to come back!