Greetings, Patriot Families,
Moving through the mid-point of October has brought all sorts of blessings and opportunities to our school, along with some incredible weather this past week. (In fact, even the most warmth-loving Savannahians I’ve spoken with have unanimously agreed that the cool mornings were a welcome change. Indeed.) All of these factors combine to remind me of God’s incredible graciousness, and I am beyond thankful to Him for the unmerited goodness to us.
Among the blessings from the Lord, of course, is the incredible finish to the season for our Patriot volleyball team. Led by coach Susan Barry, those young ladies showed constant progress throughout the year, fighting through adversity, and earning another state championship for our school. I am proud of their effort and they way that they represented our school.
I am also proud of our middle school students, who had an incredibly strong showing at their regional academic competition, with many of those students advancing to the middle school state championship to be held next week. Their coaches, Jay Carpenter and Danielle Wood, have done a superb job preparing those kids, and I am excited to see them finish their season with a flourish.
These examples of excellence both in the classroom and outside of it point to some bigger realities that are worth considering. For instance, winning a competition is worth celebrating as long as the victory came through our best effort and the right spirit. Our goal for our students is that they would “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord” (Col. 1:10), and so long as they do that, winning and even losing will honor God. This is part of what we mean in our mission statement when we say that we are partnering with God to restore His image in our students. They are created to honor God in all that they think, say, and do.
One of the ways we try to impress this fact upon our young people is by reminding them that everything they do is an act of worship. From art projects to geometric proofs to the athletic field to how we interact with classmates, teachers, parents, and even strangers, we are constantly involved in worship. What we want them to evaluate is who they are worshipping in those moments. Are they seeking their own glory, trying to draw attention to themselves, and looking to get their own way? If so, then they are worshipping themselves. Or, are they seeking God’s glory in those moments by directing the attention back to Him and pursuing His way of doing things? If so, they are worshipping God. I am privileged to work with teachers and young people committed to trying to do the latter, and I think a strong case can be made that such an emphasis is unique among schools in our area.
Because I believe so strongly in the mission of our school, I am excited to announce that we are formally inviting our community to make further investment in the education of our students. There are several ways to do this. The most important thing that you can do for our school is to pray for our people. Please pray for our students, teachers, administrators, and our families. Without God’s provision of wisdom, love, compassion, and grace for our people, we cannot succeed; with Him leading the way, we cannot fail. Your prays are truly invaluable.
Another important way that we invite you to invest in our mission is by redirecting part of your state tax liability to The Habersham School. If you’re not familiar with this program, it really is as great as it sounds. Instead of sending the state your tax dollars, you can redirect them to our school and get a tax credit in the process. An exciting change to the program this year is that C-corp businesses can redirect up to 75% of their state tax dollars to our school! These funds can be used to cover the tuition for students entering our school from public school, or students entering a school setting for the first time. Learn more about the program and redirect your tax dollars here.
In addition to your prayers and redirecting some of your state taxes to our school, we also ask that you invest in our school by giving to The Habersham Fund. This fund is vital to the operation and enrichment of our school programs, as it helps bridge the gap between the charged tuition and our actual operating costs. These funds help support academic programs, arts, athletics, professional development for teachers, and much more. Please select this link to give to The Habersham Fund.
One final opportunity to invest in our students by supporting our school is to attend this year’s illumination event. While more details are forthcoming, I am excited to announce that this event will be held at the Forrest City Gun Club on January 20th, 2022. This year’s event promises to be a wonderful evening, and I encourage you to mark your calendars and stay tuned for more details!
I hope that you’ll join me in giving thanks to our great God for His many blessings that he has given to our school community. It is a great honor to invest in the lives of our young people, and we are excited to partner with you in that investment. Until next time, Go Patriots!
Soli Deo Gloria,
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