Latest News

We are excited to announce the GCA Special Needs Program. The K-4 special needs class is designed to support students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This program reflects our commitment to providing Christ-centered, individualized education that meets the diverse needs of all learners. Enrollment for the Special Needs Program is open. Spots are limited!

Please visit this link to learn more. 

https://www.gcarams.org/academics/special-needs-program

A Pampered Chef party led to Nikki Anderson’s journey to Grace Christian Academy.

Coming from a large family with five siblings, Nikki grew up in Michigan, Mississippi and Ohio following her father’s calling as a Baptist preacher. She eventually wound up in Florida, attending Pensacola Christian College where she met the man she has been married to for 30 years, Eric. The two have three children, Ashlee, Weslee and one in heaven.

Difficulty in life has reminded Susan of a favorite Lysa Terkeurst quote: “When I desperately want to know why something hard is happening, I remember, Jesus had all the answers and He still wept.”

How did Grace Christian Academy become an answer to many areas of Nikki’s life? Twenty-three years ago, she attended a neighbor’s Pampered Chef party. When picking up her order, she was handed an application for the new pre-k program at Grace Christian Academy. On the way to the pool, she dropped her application at the school, saying “that piece of paper ended up on the right desk at just the right time because God wanted me here at Grace.”

The school year had already started when Nikki met her class of 10 boys, no girls. With only army men, Lincoln logs and blocks along with two tables, mismatched chairs and one long shelf with hooks, Nikki and her boys were a class. She did have all the necessary curriculum to teach and she calls this career start, “a great first year.” 

Those 4-year-old boys cemented Nikki’s career, now at 23 years. She may have changed classrooms several times but never the age level.

Those first years in Pre-k produced her favorite milestone as well. During their first field day 22 years ago, on the grounds of the current high school building, kids engaged in games like sack race, plastic eggs on a wooden spoon and the 3-legged race. Now Nikki organizes the Pre-k field day on the football field and calls it her “favorite day of the school year.”

Teaching school at any level has its rewards and challenges. Although Nikki believes God gives her students to teach, she says they teach her something new every year. She might be a bit challenged with certain fears though. Nikki recalls when a mouse showed up snacking away at the birdseed art project on the shelving in her classroom. “I was the first one out the door, screaming all the way and my class spent the rest of the day in the church nursery because we were all too rattled to go back into the classroom.”

Grace has impacted their family too. Daughter Ashlee met her husband, Brandon, at Grace.

Son Weslee served in the Air Force and is now back home with the family.

Most teachers struggle with balancing work and personal life. Nikki understands the importance. She used to run for exercise, even running two half marathons but sore knees curtailed that extreme. Now she enjoys playing pickleball but her best days are coming in September when she becomes a “Nana” and knows she will love every minute of the new role.

Published by Knox TN Today.

Our students have competed in three rounds of ACSI's International Math Competition during this Spring semester. Thirty-five students from 3rd - 8th grade competed in two different categories, reasoning and computation. The first round was held on Feb. 5th.  

Congratulations to Nathan Johnson (3rd), Abram Stiltner (3rd) & Baylen Huff (4th)! We are so proud of each of our students who took on this academic competition. GCA was well represented by our students and their math knowledge.

Last week we had the honor and privilege to celebrate four of our student-athletes who will be continuing their academic and athletic careers at the next level.

Belle Jones - Johnson University
Natalie Gilmore - Roane State Community College
Cameron Mercer - Bryan College
Sydney Haun - Maryville College

Please help us congratulate these Rams!

As a former educator for 36 years, I know the passion and dedication it takes to teach for 35 years, which is the legacy of Lea Ann Wright.

Lea Ann has taught for 25 of her 35 years at Grace Christian Academy, their longest-term educator.

Lea Ann’s parents instilled in her repeatedly that everyone needs a purpose in life. Like most young people, Lea Ann set out on multiple paths before finding that purpose in the field of education. Dentistry was her first vocation choice, but she quickly decided to change course. Her next choice was to declare a major in speech and audiology because speech classes had benefitted her brother, but again, this choice was unsettling.

Knowing she was destined to make an impact in others’ lives, Lea Ann changed her major to special education. Her thoughts: “I always loved my elementary teachers and the fun we had in class. I thought that helping students who really had a struggle in learning to read would really be a great way to make a helpful impact in others’ lives.”

Once again not settled on her long-term plan in special education, but finding the love of teaching reading to be her passion, Lea Ann decided teaching first grade was her true purpose. She earned an endorsement in regular education K-8, and became a first-grade teacher, saying, “I feel that the impact a first-grade teacher has on their students can set the tone for the following years and seeing your first graders graduate from high school is a great feeling!”

While Lea Ann was first motivated to start her journey in speech because the teachers in her brother’s speech class helped him, it was her first-grade teacher, Mrs. Trotter, who had a major impact. “I wanted to be just like her!” reflects Lea Ann. She also recalls how her family repeats her belief that she is molding minds. Lea Ann says, “I love teaching in a Christian school because I get to teach Bible each day and help direct them toward life in a biblical way – molding minds of a first grader is a never-ending process.”

As with most dedicated teachers, yet contrary to an unfair belief about the profession’s free time, Lea Ann has experienced the challenge of balancing family life with her ministry/purpose as a teacher. She admits, “I feel my purpose in life was to help students to read and reach their full potential in life as a reader and that can be hard to balance with family life.” She credits her husband’s support and the Lord’s help in finding that balance.

When reflecting on her favorite past time, Lea Ann says it is to do nothing and not follow a schedule. Mainly because teaching has lots of puzzle pieces that make up the educational duties, the teacher never knows what the day will bring – causing teachers to multitask all day.

At 35 years of teaching, Lea Ann is not finished. She envisions her life much as it is now – full of grace, mercy, purpose and family with the added joy of being a grandparent.

 

Published by Knox TN Today.

Summer is a time when children can enjoy the fun of being a kid. GCA'S summer camps offer a safe and structured program in which campers make friends, learn life skills, experience teamwork, and just have some good, old fashioned fun!

We are proud of our large variety of camp offerings and are very excited about our new additions this summer. From Hot Wheels to History, campers will be led by
our enthusiastic leaders ready for summer fun. Many of these programs are led by our very own GCA teachers and coaches. Take a look around and sign up by using this link below! 

https://www.gcarams.org/our-community/summer-camps