Week of January 5th, 2025

Dear Parents and Families,

As we approach the beginning of 2025, we want to take a moment to reflect on the incredible resilience and strength our school community has shown this year. In the wake of Hurricane Helene. We witnessed families, students, and staff come together to support one another in truly inspiring ways. Whether through volunteering, offering words of encouragement, or helping rebuild, your efforts have made a lasting impact on the lives of many people in our surrounding communities.

As the holiday season is behind us, we hope that you were able to take time during the break to rest, recharge, and spend quality time with loved ones. We hope that the new year will bring you joy, peace, good health, and the chance to create lasting memories with your family.

Our Open Enrollment period began this past Thursday on January 2nd. Please spread the word about LLCA and encourage your neighbors to consider the Lake Lure School of Choice.

We look forward to welcoming everyone back on Monday, January 6th, ready to start strong and continue the journey of growth and learning together. Thank you for being such an integral part of our school community.

LLCA Staff & Admin

Calendar Items To Note:

Thursday, January 2nd - Friday, March 14th - Open Enrollment

Monday, January 6th - Return to School

Tuesday, January 7th - Make up Picture Day

Monday, January 13th - Thursday, January 16th - High School Exam Week

Monday, January 20th - No School - MLK Day

Update on Middle School ELA/Social Studies Position

Welcome, Mrs. Steffel!

Mrs. Steffel is our new ELA (6th)/Social Studies (8th) Middle School Teacher who is replacing Ms. Healy.

A Note from Mrs. Steffel to the LLCA Families:

Hi! I'm Mrs. Steffel!

I am very excited to teach at Lake Lure Classical Academy. I am a graduate of Ohio Northern University and have 7 years teaching experience in Ohio. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my family hiking and boating. I look forward to taking students outdoors to explore and learn on campus. 

Update on Open HS Math Position

We are still working to fill the vacancy in the high school Math Department created by Mr. Maxeiner's departure. Fortunately, Mr. Gillespie, one of our math interventionists and former math teacher, has agreed to fill in through the end of this semester that ends on January 17th.

Inclement Weather Plan

The winter months are here, and it is that time of the year to review our inclement weather plan. During Inclement weather, information regarding school openings, closing, or delays will be sent via emails, text messages, phone calls, Facebook, and local news stations. The following television stations are notified: 

• WLOS Channel 13 Asheville www.wlos.com  
• WYFF Channel 4 Greenville www.wyff.com  
• WSPA Channel 7 Spartanburg www.wspa.com  
• WHNS (Fox) Channel 21 Asheville www.foxcarolina.com  

Please listen and/or look for an announcement from Lake Lure Classical Academy stating one of the following announcements:

“School Closure”

When school is closed due to inclement weather, that day will be made-up according to LLCA policy and will be posted on the school website.

“Schools are on a two-hour delay.”

The school building will open at 9:30 AM and School will begin at 10:00 AM. Buses will pick up two hours later than normal pickup time.

“Schools are on a three-hour delay.”

The school building will open at 10:30 AM and School will begin at 11:00 AM. Buses will pick up three hours later than normal pickup time.

“Lake Lure Classical Academy is releasing early.”

Parents will be notified using the Bright Arrow School Messenger phone system. Notifications will also be posted on the school’s Facebook page and the school website. 

Students and parents must have a plan in place and on record so that parents, students, and the school know what is expected.

We ask that all parents check that the school has your current emergency contact information on file, so that all Bright Arrow messages are received. Contact the front office staff if needed.

In December students in high school traveled to Charlotte, NC to attend Space Explorers: The Infinite sponsored by Blumenthal Arts. Using a state of the art Virtual Reality (VR) system, students got the chance to see what it was like to walk in space. The response from the organizers of this event complemented our Raptor students on their excellent behavior and manners! We are proud

Joy Around Our World

Our elementary students did an amazing job and many thanks to Ms. Boyd and Mrs. Searcy for all of their hard work.

Stronger Than the Storm

Help us reach our goal of raising $5,000 to help with the relief efforts in Lake Lure and Chimney Rock by ordering one of our “Stronger Than the Storm” shirts. We are halfway there!! We now have Grey AND Pink available! We have youth-adult sizes available. The price is $25 each and the quality is wonderful. 

Please email myself ewarner@llcharter.org, or the brainchild of this operation, Coach Parke at eparke@llcharter.org to place your order for yourself, friends and/or family. To pay, please send cash to the office, to myself, or Coach Parke. Shirts can then be sent home with students or left in the office for pickup. Thank you for your support!

It’s time to order yearbooks! Jostens offers an interest-free payment option. Order online today at https://www.jostens.com/yearbooks/students-and-parents/about-yearbooks

To sign up for an elementary school club, please complete the form linked below, or contact Ms. Bradley, Club Organizer, at jbradley@llcharter.org.

https://forms.gle/UZgeFmGUPkxkbnJp7

Counseling Corner

Building confidence in the next generation to lead values-driven communities! The Shelton Challenge is a six-day, residential program built on the Shelton Leadership Center’s core values, and is designed to help high school students enhance their capacities to become values-based leaders. This immersive program is designed to transform potential into real-world skills through mentorship, self-reflection, and shared discovery. This program is hosted by NC State University. Current 9th-11th grade students are encouraged to apply.

https://sheltonleadership.ncsu.edu/pre-college/shelton-challenge/

Other Shelton Challenge Sites

The Shelton Leadership Center partners with communities across North Carolina and beyond to provide this leadership experience to pre-college students. Students who participate at one of these sites receive the same opportunities and experiences they would at the Red Hat Shelton Challenge, though customized for their particular needs and spaces. Partners are trained by Shelton Leadership Center and provided with all the resources to deliver the program at their site. If you are interested in attending a Shelton Challenge at one of our other sites, please visit their websites below:

FREE Summer Enrichment Program Opportunities for Middle and High School Students! Application deadlines are quickly approaching! 

Appalachian STEM Academy at Oak Ridge - https://www.arc.gov/academies-and-institutes/stem/

Appalachian Entrepreneurship Academy at ASU - https://www.arc.gov/academies-and-institutes/aea/

MAHEC Health Careers Academy - https://mahec.net/residents-and-students/health-careers-academy

Summer Ventures in Science & Mathematics

https://www.ncssm.edu/summer/summer-ventures

Lake Lure Classical Academy’s

mission is to offer 

a classical, knowledge-based education 

that fosters critical thinking, civic responsibilities, and virtue for all.