| 40th Annual School Auction |
SCHOOL AUCTION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 Food Available - 4:00PM Auction Begins - 5:00PM
FALL FESTIVAL SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 4:00PM - 8:00PM
Proceeds benefit Ephrata Mennonite School
Find more info at ephratamennonite.org/news/fall-auction-festival |
| September 2026 - Update from Mr. Good |
School Begins
After months of preparation, the hallways are once again filled with students. This year, we have the privilege of welcoming 368 students back to Ephrata Mennonite School. We are grateful for each one of them, and grateful as well for the parents who have entrusted their children to us. Our mission calls us to partner with parents in the education and discipleship of their children. This is holy and sacred work. Every math lesson, every conversation in the hallway, every chapel, every athletic practice, every act of discipleship and encouragement is an opportunity to shape young people into faithful followers of Jesus Christ. We do not take that responsibility lightly, and we are honored to walk alongside you in it.
September brings with it all the excitement of new beginnings—new classes, new teachers, new books, new friendships, and new things to learn. Our athletic fields and gym are busy as well, as our Lady Legends volleyball teams and Legends boys soccer teams begin another season of competition. We look forward to cheering them on, but even more, to watching our student-athletes learn to compete with excellence, humility, and Christlike character.
Our schoolwide core value emphasis this year is Diligent Work, and we have identified three dispositions that help us understand what diligent work looks like: focus, effort, and resilience. Diligent learners learn to focus their attention on the task before them. They give genuine effort, even when the work is difficult. And they develop the resilience to struggle, fail, learn, adjust, and try again. In other words, we want to help our students learn, as Cal Newport writes, to do deep work.
One practical step we are taking this year to support these dispositions is our new policy making EMS a completely electronic/smartphone-free environment throughout the entirety of the school day. We recognize that technology has many wonderful uses. At the same time, we increasingly understand the cost of constant distraction in an “attention economy.” Deep learning requires sustained attention. It requires the ability to sit with a difficult problem, read a challenging text, listen carefully to another person, think deeply, and work - without continually anticipating another electronic distraction at the “end of class.”
That ability is becoming increasingly rare in our distracted world—and increasingly valuable. We want EMS to be a place where students have space to think, wonder, wrestle, create, converse, and learn. Our smartphone-free school day is not simply about removing something; it is about creating something: an environment more conducive to focus, effort, resilience, relationships, and genuine learning.
As we begin another year together, I invite you to pray with us. Pray for our teachers—that God would grant them wisdom, patience, energy, and joy. Pray for our students—that they would grow not only in knowledge, but in wisdom and in their love for Jesus and others. Pray for our parents as we partner together in this sacred calling. And pray that Ephrata Mennonite School would remain faithful to the work God has given us to do.
May God bless our students, our families, our faculty and staff, and this new school year. May He give us focused minds, willing hands, resilient spirits, and hearts fully devoted to Jesus Christ. And may everything we do together ultimately prepare our students for lives of faithful service in His Kingdom.
Mr. Joshua Good Head of School |
| July/August 2026 - Update from Mr. Good |
A New School Year
As another school year begins, there is always a unique sense of anticipation that fills our campus. Hallways that are quiet throughout the summer will once again be alive with laughter, conversations, and the joyful energy of students eager to reconnect with friends, meet new teachers, and discover what God has in store for them in the months ahead. There is something special about a fresh beginning, and we are grateful for the opportunity to begin another year together as a school community.
Throughout Scripture we are reminded that God is faithful in every season. As Jeremiah writes, "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23). A new school year is one of those reminders. Each August God graciously gives us another opportunity to learn, to grow, to serve, and to become more like Christ.
Each year at EMS we select a school-wide core value that helps shape our classrooms, chapel messages, and community life. This year's emphasis is Diligent Work. While our culture often celebrates quick results and instant success, Scripture consistently points us toward faithfulness, perseverance, and wholehearted effort. Colossians 3:23 reminds us, "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men."
Diligent work is about much more than earning good grades or winning games. It means approaching every responsibility with excellence because our work is ultimately an act of worship. Whether studying for a test, preparing a lesson, practicing an instrument, competing on the athletic field, cleaning a classroom, or serving a friend, we want our students to develop (and we want to model) the lifelong habit of giving God their very best. Our prayer is that this year's emphasis will shape hearts and habits that remain with our students long after they leave EMS.
We also have much to celebrate as we begin this school year. We are excited to welcome an outstanding Kindergarten class of twenty-eight students. It is encouraging to see so many families entrusting their children to the ministry of EMS, and we look forward to partnering with them as these young learners begin their educational journey. We are equally thankful to begin the year fully staffed. In a time when many schools continue to face staffing challenges, we recognize God's gracious provision in bringing together a gifted team of teachers and staff who are deeply committed to both academic excellence and Christian discipleship.
As the school year gets underway, we also invite you to mark your calendars for one of our favorite community traditions, our fall fundraiser. Our annual EMS Auction will be held on the evening of Friday, September 11, followed by our Fall Festival on the evening of Saturday, September 12. These events have become wonderful opportunities for our school family, alumni, and friends to gather for fellowship while supporting the ministry of EMS. We are especially excited that this year's Fall Festival will once again feature live outdoor music by the EMS Alumni Band. We hope you will plan to join us for both evenings as we celebrate God's faithfulness together.
Thank you for the many ways you continue to support EMS through your prayers, encouragement, volunteer service, and financial generosity. Christian education is a partnership between the school, the home, and the church, and we are grateful to share in that partnership with each of you. Please join us in praying for a safe, joyful, and Christ-centered school year. Pray that our students would grow not only in knowledge but also in wisdom, faith, and love for others. Pray that our teachers would have strength, discernment, and joy as they faithfully invest in the lives of our students. May God richly bless the year that lies ahead.
Mr. Joshua Good Head of School |