From Summer To School

By August, we are well into the so-called “dog days” of summer. The hot, sultry weather has been around for a while, and our minds start to turn toward fall and the “back to school” season. Here at Ephrata Mennonite School, anticipation builds as we look forward to the quiet hallways becoming filled with the noise and life of students. Laughter and talking fill the air, creating the hum of school life. For those of us who have always loved school, we feel our excitement build with the coming of lesson plans, student chapels, recess, hot lunches, athletic events, quizzing practice, and much more. Being part of a Christian school is a privilege. The work of discipleship and teaching the next generation is holy, sacred work that is rewarding, yet not always easy. It is an honor to partner with you, our parents, who entrust us with your most valuable possessions—your children.

This year, we look forward to our “7-year visit” from our accrediting agency, the Middle States Association, widely regarded as the gold standard of accreditation for all public and religious schools (grade schools, high schools, and colleges). Our vision for accreditation is to hold ourselves accountable, promote a culture of learning and continual improvement across our school, and model what we desire to see from our students. We believe excellence in all things, including academics, brings God glory. Our 4-day accreditation visit is scheduled for the last week of February 2025.

Our focus this year is our slogan, “Learning to Serve.” As our school prayer posted on the front pillar notes, we desire to be a community that is, like Jesus, dedicated not to being served but to serving. We aim to disciple and teach our students to serve their classmates, teachers, and parents in both small and large ways. As school staff, we will strive to model this culture of service well, serving as an inspiration to live like Jesus. Join us in discussing this focus with your children and how this can be incorporated into your family life.

Pray for us this year. We know that invariably there are times and spaces in a school year that are difficult and challenging. Pray that we would be guided with wisdom and love from God as we face these challenges. We are ever aware of our personal insufficiency and inadequacy. We desire to lean not on our own understanding but to be led by our forerunner, Jesus Christ. This summer has felt more relaxing, and for that, we are grateful. With the building completed, most of our new processes created, and no “special events” (ribbon cuttings, etc.) to facilitate, it is hard to imagine how we managed last summer. But God was faithful, and here we are. Looking forward to seeing students on Tuesday, August 20th!

Mr. Joshua Good

Administrator

Learning To Serve

July 1 marks the official financial beginning of our new school year and we “close the books” on last school year. Even in the midst of summer, this newsletter introduces the upcoming school year. We are pleased to be where we are this year, with a completed building, a successful move, and a first year filled with many new developments behind us. Last year at this time, our gym floor wasn’t finished, the bleachers weren’t installed, and our move was incomplete. We had a "blank slate" regarding the creation of new systems. However, through it all, God provided us with the energy, wisdom, and tenacity to forge a path forward. We are grateful for a more relaxed summer this year.

We feel blessed to have once again been fully staffed for the coming year before the previous year ended. High-quality, professional teachers are the backbone of Ephrata Mennonite School, and we trust in God to provide them. Seeing this trust fulfilled each year strengthens our faith. Additionally, we are thankful for another "full rack" of students, having been completely filled and overflowing months ago. A school isn’t a school without children, and our community’s trust in us to partner with them in discipling their children is both humbling and inspiring. We are anticipating about 385 students this year!

Each year, we highlight one of our five core values, and every sixth year, we focus on our “hashtag.” This year is the sixth year, and as a community, we will be exploring what it means to “Learn to Serve.” This expression is a noble and aspirational tagline that embodies the essence of being a follower of Jesus. As our school dedicatory prayer, posted on the column out front, states, may we faithfully learn to serve, following in the footsteps of Jesus, who came to serve. How can we epitomize service? How can we take joy in learning to serve others? How can we foster a worldview that aspires to using our gifts to serve our communities and churches?

As we finalize our planning and programming for next year, please pray for us. Let’s cover the upcoming year in prayer: that God would move among us, that we would be inspired to learn to serve, that His wisdom would guide our every thought, word, and deed, and that the Kingdom of God would come more fully on earth, as it is in heaven, at Ephrata Mennonite School this year.

Have a great summer!

Mr. Joshua Good

Administrator