United Christian Academy

The transition continues… 🔨🪛The UCA office staff has been busy organizing and packing to get ready for the move to Cedar Valley. Two of our favorite people from Hillside Church happened to be around when we were talking about taking down our signage, so they jumped right in and got the job done! Tim and Greg have been a huge blessing to us and, in addition to all of the Hillside staff, they have been a key element of our partnership with the church. They are members of Hillside who volunteer their time and talents to maintain the facility. If we ever needed anything regarding the building or property they were always there to facilitate, or just just get the job done themselves! ❤️🤣We have truly appreciated their servant hearts, as well as their kind smiles and sense of humor. There was never a dull moment when these two were around! Thank you Tim and Greg for everything over all the years of your generous service! You will be missed!

🏌️‍♂️⛳️ As we wrapped up the year, our golfers participated in one last match, competing for the prestigious blue jacket. This special tradition is our way of honoring the "best of the best" on the team. 🏆💙 We are thrilled to announce that Beckett won the blue jacket this year! His dedication, skill, and sportsmanship truly set him apart. Congratulations to all our golfers for their hard work and fantastic performances throughout the season. Here's to a memorable year, and looking forward to more successes in the future. ⛳️ 🏌️‍♂️ #ucathunder #ucaathletics

🎶🎺 Band Camp Week! 🎷🥁 Our talented 6th and 7th graders have been attending band camp all week, where they are putting in hard work and dedication to prepare a performance for friends and family to enjoy. Students are working daily on various instrument playing skills, learning a few pieces of music, as well as a fun non-musical activity. 👏🎶 We can't wait to see (and hear) the incredible progress they've made. #ucathunder #ucafinearts

Our teachers here at UCA pour into their students' lives and build relationships with them through mentorship. But that doesn’t end with the teachers and the students. We encourage all students to mentor each other as well. Through our House System and other avenues, we connect younger and older students as “Buddies,” where the older students grow into the role of a mentor, and the younger students feel connected and have role models to look up to. “I really like my Buddies; they are so kind to me all the time, and they always comfort me if I’m sad.” ~Everleigh, 1st grade “Being a Big Buddy is really fun because you get to build relationships with younger kids and get to know them better.” ~Haven, 8th grade #ucathunder

📣 We are delighted to announce the official appointment of our new Head of School, Chad Peters. Chad embodies the spirit and culture of United Christian Academy. His passion for Christian education and strong leadership skills make him the ideal person to guide our school into a promising future. We are thrilled to have Chad as our Head of School and look forward to the positive impact he will undoubtedly have on our students, faculty, and staff. Under Chad's leadership, we are confident that United Christian Academy will continue to thrive and achieve new milestones. #ucathunder

🏃‍♀️🏆 Congratulations to our Varsity Track & Field athletes! They recently competed in the Section meet and came away with several podium standings! Gracie: 2nd - 4x100 and 4th - 4x200, 5th - 4x400 Lauren: 3rd - 4x800 Brennen: 5th - 4x100, and 8th - 4x200 Braylon: 5th - High Jump Joyce: 5th - 4x400, 6th - Triple Jump, 7th - 100m hurdles Josiah: 8th - 4x200 👟 Best of luck to three of our girls, Taiyah, Gracie, and Joyce, who will be competing in the 4x100m Relay at the State Meet starting on Thursday. #ucathunder #ucaathletics

💻 You may notice that our website is currently down. 🎉That's because today is the day that we are launching our updated and refreshed, brand-new website! Everything should be live and updated later this afternoon. www.ucathunder.org

📦🏫 Getting Ready for Our Big Move! 🏫📦 Our teachers and staff are hard at work packing up the school as we prepare for our exciting big move! This is a huge team effort, and we are incredibly grateful for everyone's dedication and energy during this busy time. We are looking forward to starting a new chapter in a new location, with fresh opportunities and experiences for all our students. Thank you for your support and patience as we make this transition. Stay tuned for more updates and information about our move! #ucathunder

🏆 Congratulations, Christo! 🏆 We are thrilled to announce that Christo has won the House Cup award for the school year! This incredible achievement is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and House Essentials that each student strives to achieve. 💜While one house came out on top according to the points given, each and every student and staff member are part of our “One Family,” who make UCA so special! ❤️💛💚💙 Four houses, one family! #ucathunder #ucahousesystem

🇺🇸 Honoring Our Heroes This Memorial Day 🇺🇸 Today, we pause to remember and honor the brave men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Their courage and dedication ensure the freedoms we cherish every day. "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." ~John 15:13

🎓🎉 A huge congratulations to all our little graduates on their monumental achievement! Your smiles, enthusiasm, and adorable caps and gowns made our hearts swell! 💜 🧠🚀📚Thank you to all the parents, guardians, teachers, and staff for your unwavering support and dedication in nurturing these young minds! The journey of learning and growth never ends. Let's continue to cheer them on, encourage their curiosity, and inspire their dreams! #ucathunder #ucaelementary #ucaclassof2024

🍩☕As our pre-K students and their parents shared memories and laughter over coffee and treats, it became evident just how much our pre-K students have grown, learned, and flourished this year! It was a beautiful opportunity to reflect on the incredible journey our little ones have embarked on throughout the year! Their artwork was displayed as a take-home treasure, and everyone enjoyed the slideshow of photos from throughout the year. 🙏🎉A big thank you to everyone who joined us and contributed to making this school year a delightful success. We truly appreciate your support and commitment to our Pre-K program! #ucathunder #ucaelementary #ucaprek

🏅🎉 Secondary Field Day - House Games Finale! 🏆🌟 Our middle and high school students recently joined together in an unforgettable Field Day, filled with spirited competition! The students represented their Houses proudly, bringing out their best teamwork and sportsmanship. 💜 It was incredible to see students across the grades cheering each other on and creating lasting memories together. Through the friendly rivalry, there was a true sense of unity and school pride. Based on the student's overall attitude, effort, and spirit, these were the results at the end of the day: 1st - 💛Fide, 2nd - ❤️Christo, 3rd - 💚Scriptura, and 4th - 💙Gratia 👏 A special shoutout to our dedicated teachers and staff for organizing such a fantastic afternoon! #ucathunder #ucahousesystem

🏃‍♂️🌦️🏃‍♀️Despite a brief rain shower, our elementary students showed true resilience and spirit at last week’s Track and Field Day! They dashed, jumped, and laughed their way through the challenges. 😊🏅With smiles on their faces, they cheered each other on, celebrated victories big and small, and formed memories that will last a lifetime. Even though not everyone got a ribbon, they won with humility and lost with dignity. 👏We're incredibly proud of our elementary students and staff for making this day a huge success! #ucathunder #ucaelementary

🎉🌟Please join us in celebrating Mr. Gene Poole's incredible career and wishing him all the best in retirement! As he embarks on this new chapter of his life, we extend our heartfelt gratitude and best wishes for a retirement filled with joy, relaxation, and new adventures. May he continue to inspire others as he has inspired our students. “Gene is passionate about his work with students. He encourages them every day not to settle for mediocrity but to do their best work in everything they set their hand to do. His love and care for his students are evident, and he shows interest in who each of his students is in and out of the classroom. Working with Gene has been a privilege (at times an adventure), but for sure, it's never been boring.” ~ Mrs. Hohnstadt “Gene challenges his students, expecting them to give their best and not settle for less. His passion for mathematics has inspired students towards high achievement. We will miss his old-school charm, sense of humor, and reverence for God.” ~ Mr. Peters #ucathunder

🎓As we approach the end of the school year, we would love to feature our Seniors, who make up the graduating class of 2024! 💜 We are so proud of you, Darby, and we pray God’s blessings over you in the next stage of your journey! #ucathunder #ucaclassof2024

💜 We love our teachers and staff, who love what they do, and we are looking for more dedicated members to join our team! 🎭There is currently an opening for a Theatre Director position. This person would be working predominantly with high school students and would be responsible for the One Act Play, Spring Musical/Play, and opportunities for more! 📧Send inquiries to: andi.webster@ucathunder.org #ucathunder #ucafinearts

🎓As we approach the end of the school year, we would love to feature our Seniors, who make up the graduating class of 2024! 📣 Introducing Walter: "After graduation, I plan to attend college and major in finance and hope to become a financial advisor. UCA has had an extremely positive impact on me in many ways. UCA has taught me always to put God first. It has helped me grow in my faith significantly. It has taught me many important life lessons, both academically and spiritually. The teachers are extremely connected and invested in their student's success, both academically and spiritually. Everyone is always friendly and has a positive attitude. What I will miss most about UCA is the connections with my peers and teachers." 💜 We are so proud of you, Walter! #ucathunder #ucaclassof2024

🎨📸We were dazzled by a showcase of talent as our photography and art students unveiled their latest masterpieces at our Spring Art Gallery! 🖼️📷 We celebrated the creativity and dedication of our students, who had poured their hearts into bringing their visions to life. As guests strolled through the gallery, they were transported to worlds of color, texture, and emotion. 🌟🖌️There was something for everyone to remember as the night was filled with wonder and appreciation for our students' imaginations on display. Thank you to everyone who joined us! #ucathunder #ucafinearts

📖✍️UCA provides a strong academic foundation, beginning in early elementary. One highlight is our Groves Method Literacy Curriculum for our K-3rd grade students. Groves is a multi-modal approach to teaching reading, so students learn a systematic way to read, spell, form letters, capitalize, and understand morphology (the forms of words). Groves focuses on the four pillars of reading: phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. 📚All of our Groves instructors do daily small-group instruction to support students who need extra practice or fluency practice. Groves is a three-tiered approach, so we also have amazing intervention teachers who pull students multiple times per week to give them extra support. This greatly impacts our students who have had Groves since Kindergarten and even those coming in new to the program. #ucathunder #ucaelementary