Inside this issue:

Crusader Cash

Music Recital

Winter Open House

2

Christmas Chapel

BBC Cantata

3

Pumpkin Week

Elementary Musical

5th grade Parent Break-

fast

4

All State Band

Spirit Week

5

Blessings

Welcome Ms. Lech

Thanksgiving Feast

6

Meet our Board 7-8

Free Tuition

Baby Colton

9

December Calendar

Christmas Holidays

10

January Calendar

Honor Roll Chapel

Night of Worship

11

Crusader Chronicle

December/January 2019-2020

Be Amazing and Register Early

Current Bethesda Christian Academy students will be receiving RE-REGISTRATION PACKETS for the 2020-2021 school year during the first week of January. As a current Crusader, you may begin to reserve your seat for the next school year on January 13th. Registration will be open to the general public on January 27th. We had several classrooms filled to capacity this school year, therefore we are encouraging all current families to RE-REGISTER EARLY. We hope you love your school and we hope you know how much we enjoy serving your family. As we strive to grow our school, we ask that you remind neighbors, family and church friends about the quality, faith-based education students receive at BCA. If you recommend our school to a prospective student, and that student becomes a Crusader, BCA will thank you for the referral by giving you a credit for your early re-registration fee. That is FREE MONEY! That is better than a Black Friday sale! We hope you will encourage people to attend our Open House on Dec. 9th at 8:30 am or attend our Open House Dinner at 6:00 pm on January 14th. Spread the word on Facebook or pass our postcards out at your church. BCA is an awesome school and we hope you will share that story with many.

Crusader Cash Piano Recital

Winter Open House

Page 2

BCA middle school students have been working very hard to earn “ Crusader Cash” this semester. Crusader cash is awarded to students who are work-ing hard on their schoolwork and showing good behavior throughout their day in class and around campus. Students will have the opportunity to bid on various prizes during their Christmas parties on December 19th.

Piano Recital

Monday, December 16th

6;30 PM

Fellowship Baptist Church

515 Southerland St.

Durham, NC

Everyone is invited to attend the Christmas

concert featuring Mrs. Bryant’s music

students.

All School Christmas Chapel

December 19th, 8:10 am

Please join us on this special day as our

school comes together to celebrate the

true meaning of Christmas.

Christmas Chapel/ MLK Day

Bethesda Baptist Church Cantata

Page 3

BCA Closed

January 20

BCA will be closed in

honor of Dr. Martin Lu-

ther King Jr.

Bethesda Baptist Church invites everyone to their

“At Last Noel” cantata.

Page 4

Mr. Manning would like to invite all 5th grade parents and students to a breakfast

meeting on January 10th at 7:30 am (in the library). This meeting will be a fun morn-

ing to learn more about becoming a Crusader middle school student. Middle school is

such an incredible journey and we are looking forward to sharing with you just what

makes BCA middle school so unique. Make an informed decision about middle school

by getting all the facts. Come to our breakfast and we will provide the food and the

facts! We hope you will mark this date on your calendar. SAVE THE DATE: JANU-

ARY 10th FROM 7:30 AM—8:00 AM.

5th Grade Parent Breakfast

Elementary Christmas Musical

ALL ABOARD! Every Christmas Eve the

passengers on The Christmas Express make

the journey to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to

celebrate the birth of Christ. The question is

who will God choose to ride the train on this

special night and what kind of adventure

will unfold? Come and celebrate the

Christmas season with BCA as grades 1-

4 present The Christmas Express on

Thursday, December 12th at 2:00 and

6:30. There will be a “special” appearance

from our kindergarteners, as well.

First grade enjoyed a week of fun filled educational pumpkin activities. The students

played pumpkin tic tac toe, had a special pumpkin themed snack and decorated their

own pumpkin to take home. The pumpkin theme was incorporated into multiple math

and stem activities with an exploding pumpkin as the grand finale. Thank you to Mrs.

Whitt and Mrs. Williams for making learning so much fun in first grade!

Pumpkin Week

Page 5

ACSI Band

Spirit Week

Spirit Week

Jan 27-31

Spirit Week will be here before you know it. Listed below

are the days your student will want to be dressed to join in

the fun. Look for more details to come in January.

Monday-Character Day

Tuesday-Decade Day

Wednesday-Wacky Tacky

Thursday-PJ Day

Friday-BCA Spirit

Our BCA band students participated

in a state-wide, Christian School All-

state Band Festival on November 14-

16, presenting a wonderful concert on

Saturday afternoon! They are to be

commended on their hard work (all of

the rehearsals add up to about 15

hours of practice time, within 3

days). They also enjoyed playing with

a band numbering around 100! Stu-

dents who participated were: Jordyn

Pace, Genevieve Reed, Gabby Phifer,

Madison Leary, Caroline Barbee, Syd-

ney Sawaya, Xander Bonkowski, Soleil

Whiteside, Mark Harris, JoJo

Cochrane, Zoe Richardson, David

McNeil, Thato Chaiken, and Tyler

Overton.

Page 6

BCA is thrilled to welcome a new third

grade teacher to our teaching facul-

ty. Ms. Sarah Lech will be joining our

team on Dec. 18. Ms. Lech is excited to

partner with our BCA families as we

seek to provide every student with a

quality education where students learn

to become independent thinkers. Ms.

Lech holds a Bachelor of Science in Ele-

mentary Education from Liberty Uni-

versity. She grew up right here in

North Carolina and graduated from

North Raleigh Christian Academy. She

currently lives in Wake Forest. Ms.

Lech is an active member of Bay Life

Baptist Church where she serves in the

children’s ministry.

Please join me in giving Ms. Sarah

Lech a warm Crusader Welcome!

BCA students enjoyed a delicious Thanksgiving meal prepared by our fabulous cafeteria

staff. The students enjoyed their choice of chicken or steak cooked on an open grill. Lots

of delicious sides were on the menu and lots of delicious desserts. The mood was festive

and fun and we are so grateful to Mrs. Downey and Mrs. Smythers for their hard work

and dedication to provide such a special meal for our school.

Thanksgiving Feast

This year, BCA’s National

Junior Honor Society teamed

with BCA’s Student Council to

create Baskets of Blessings.

Multiple families were blessed

due to your generous dona-

tions. Thank you to all who

contributed and showed God’s

love in action.

BCA Gives Back Welcome Miss Lech

Page 7

Mrs. Leanne Brennaman: My name is Leann Brennaman and I am serving my sec-

ond year as a member of the BCA School Board. My family has been a part of BCA since

my son, Joshua, started kindergarten in the 2016-2017 school year. We are members of

Bethesda Baptist Church. I serve in the children’s ministry and on the Constitution

Team at church. I have a doctorate in biochemistry from the University of North Caroli-

na at Chapel Hill. I am self employed as a Senior Editor (contractor) with American

Journal Experts, where I edit scientific manuscripts for non-native English speakers. I

also work as a grant writer for different organizations on a contract basis. I have donat-

ed my grant writing services to BCA to help find funding for specific projects. My prayer

for BCA is that attendance will increase so that we can serve more families and reach

more students with the gospel. I would like to see BCA expand to a high school. The

staff at BCA have been a blessing to my family and I look forward to serving on the

school board to help BCA continue to shine as a light for Jesus in Durham.

Pastor Dale Brooks: My name is Dale Brooks. I was saved at 8 years old and have

been a pastor for more than 40 years. I have served as the Pastor of Grove Park Chapel

in Durham since 1990. This is my fourth year as a board member of Bethesda Christian

Academy. My wife Karen was the first kindergarten teacher at BCA several years ago

and then started our Grove Park Chapel Preschool, which has had a close relationship

with BCA over the years. We have three grown children and one granddaughter. I ap-

preciate BCA's commitment to Scripture and pray for increased enrollment and the door

to open in the near future for a high school.

Mrs. Stephanie Holt: My name is Stephanie Holt, and I have served on the Bethesda

Christian Academy School Board since 2016. My son, Ethan, has attended BCA since

kindergarten. I am a member of Keystone Baptist Church in Durham. I am a CPA and

have worked at Steward Ingram & Cooper PLLC since 2003. I work with a variety of

clients including non-profits, medical practices, private schools, and closely held busi-

nesses. I provide audit and accounting services, as well as tax planning and prepara-

tion. I am honored to have the opportunity to serve as the Chairman of the BCA school

board. I pray that the school will continue to grow and reach more families for Christ.

BCA has been a blessing to our family as well as many others, and I am thankful for the

excellent education provided in a Christian environment.

Pastor Dan Johnson: My name is Dan Johnson and I am a local pastor in Durham

and a North Carolina licensed real estate agent. I have a strong connection to and genu-

inely care about the entire Triangle area. My passion is helping others live their best

lives according to God’s desire. I enjoy teaching others and helping them develop into

more mature followers of Christ. When I am not showing houses or preaching, I

love traveling and seeing God's creation with my wife, Kelly, and our two daughters. I

am a huge fan of all sports and have a special affinity for the Oregon Ducks!

Meet our Board

Mr. Talmage Layton: My name is Talmage Layton and I have been a member of Bethesda Bap-

tist Church since 1957. Currently I am serving on the Deacon Board, Finance Committee, and

Transportation Committee in addition to the BCA School Board for the past three years. I live in

the Redwood community where I farm and am active in the community. I am a member of the

Redwood Ruritan Club and serve as mayor and Program Committee Chairman. For many years I

have been a charter member of the Redwood Volunteer Fire Department, where I have served as a

firefighter and Board of Director. Much of my time is spent working in the agriculture communi-

ty. I am President of the Durham County Farm Bureau and serve on the State Board of Directors

for North Carolina. I am also the chairman of the Durham County Soil and Water Board of Su-

pervisors and also on the Durham County Farmland Preservation Board. I also serve on the exec-

utive board of the Piedmont Rural Community Development Council. I am chairman of the Area

Four Agricultural Cost Share Committee and serve on the Strategic Planning Committee for the

State Association of Soil and Water Districts. I graduated from NC State University, and have

been married to Sandra Layton for 44 years.

Mr. Anthony C. Nelson: My name is Anthony Nelson and I am the adoring father of Amber,

who is a third-grader at BCA, and the loving husband of Michelle. I received Christ as my Lord

and Savior when I was 25 years old. Since that time, I have enjoyed working with troubled youth

to help them make better decisions. I authored a book, entitled Repentfully Yours, which is target-

ed towards helping young men make moral decisions. Currently, I serve as dean of the School of

Business at North Carolina Central University. I received a bachelor’s degree in business manage-

ment from North Carolina A&T State University, a master’s and doctorate in business admin-

istration from the University of Pittsburgh, and a master’s in biblical studies from Dallas Theolog-

ical Seminary.

Mrs. Toyosi Oneuemene: My name is Toyosi Onwuemene and am first and foremost a daugh-

ter of God Most High, serving Him in various ministries. My first ministry is to my husband,

Chiedu, and children, Jonathan and Joelle. I serve at Jubilee Christian Church International as a

Bible Study and Sunday School Teacher and as Head of the Jubilee Friendship Network, a wel-

coming ministry for newcomers. I also serve as an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Duke Uni-

versity, where I care for patients, educate students and trainees, and perform research. I am a

published author and speaker and am always on the lookout for new ways to serve. I have been a

member of the BCA family since 2017.

Mr. Nathan Pennell: My name is Nathan Pennell and I am serving my second year on the BCA

board. I am currently a member of Bethesda Baptist Church and have been a member for 6 years.

I grew up in Durham where I attended Plainview Baptist Church from birth until I married Whit-

ney Black in 2013. We have two children, both boys, Easton and Cameron. I am a graphic design-

er/vinyl graphics manager at Dreamworks Motorsports in Roxboro, NC. I enjoy going on trips

with my family, all sports, and playing golf and disc golf. I serve at Bethesda by running the

soundboard for Sunday morning services and helping with facilities. My hope is that we can all

make BCA the best school it can be and bring young people to know and love Christ. I believe the

school, preschool and church can all work as one to make an extraordinary impact on individual

lives and the community.

Meet our Board

Page 9

Baby Colton

Mrs. Bunch has a new

grandson!!!

Colton Lee Oakley was born October 28 to parents Lee and Anna Oakley.

Please join us in welcoming our newest baby Crusader to the

BCA family.

Free Tuition

How does a chance at a month’s free tuition sound?

Even though it seems like we just started school, the time for re-registration is quickly ap-

proaching. It’s also the time that parents will begin to search for schools for their children to

attend in the 2020-2021 school year. Whether it’s a new kindergartner or a parent looking for a

different option for their older child, parents are looking for the best for their kids. If you be-

lieve BCA offers the best Christian education around, please help us share that news!!

As we all know, the internet is one of the first places we go to research something and see what

other people think about it. Our school currently only has 11 Google reviews and 65 Facebook

votes!! We think we can do better than that. During the months of December and January we

want to increase those Google reviews and Facebook votes. We need your help and we are offer-

ing an incentive. For every Facebook vote/review and/or Google review you submit we will give

you one entry into a drawing for $500 towards a month’s tuition payment. But we aren’t stop-

ping there. We want your friends, your family, and your long, lost Aunt Myrtle to join the fun

too. For every review you secure we will give you another entry towards that $500 drawing.

How it works – Anytime a review is submitted by you or by someone on your behalf, please e-

mail brenda.brown@bcacrusaders.org with that information. We will need your name, your

child’s name, the reviewer’s name and whether it was posted on Google or Facebook. For each

qualifying post, your name will be entered into the drawing.

The Winner will be announced on February 10th.

Merry Christmas from our BCA

family to your family!

School Closed

Dec. 19 @ 11:30 – Jan. 2

Page 10

December 2019

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4

Band/Sports Pic-

tures

Christmas Experi-

5 6 7

8

9

Open House

8:30 am

10 11

No Elementary

Chapel

12

Elementary Play

2:00 pm

&

6:30 pm

13 14

15 16

Ms. Bryant's music

recital

Fellowship Baptist

Church

6:30

17 18 19

Christmas Chapel

8:10 pm

School Dismissed

11:30

20

School Closed

21

22 23

School Closed

24

School Closed

25

School Closed

26

School Closed

27

School Closed

28

29 30

School Closed

31

School Closed

Honor Roll Chapel

January 8th, 8:10 am & 2:10 pm

Join us as we honor

A and A/B Honor Roll

students.

NOW

January 24th 7:00 pm

Mark your calendars for a special night

of worship at BCA. Our staff, school

and church families gather to sing

praises to our Lord and Savior. You will

not want to miss what is truly is one of

the best nights of the year at BCA.

There will be a time of fellowship after-

wards with light refreshments.

Page 11

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

School

Closed

2

School

Closed

3 4

5 6 7 8

Honor Roll

Chapel

8:10 & 2:10

9 10

Fifth Grade

Breakfast

7:30 am

11

12 13

Re-Registration

Begins

14

Open House

Dinner

6:00 pm

15

Mrs. McDonald

presents chapel

Mrs. Whiteside

presents chapel

16 17

Day in

Kindergarten

18

19 20

School Closed

in honor of

Dr. Martin

Luther King Jr.

21 22

Mrs. Williams

presents chapel

Mrs. Warfield

presents chapel

23 24

Night of

Worship

7:00 pm

25

26 27

Registration

Open to Public

Spirit Night at

Texas Road-

house

28 29

Fourth Grade

Presents Chapel

Sixth Grade

Presents Chapel

30 31

January 2020