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Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) Update

This is where you will find information about the coronavirus as it relates to both South Charlotte Baptist Academy and South Charlotte Baptist Church.

Update: Saturday, April 4, 6:00 AM

Academy families, Please check your email for an update that was recently sent out. Packet exchange will take place today, Saturday, April 4, from 9 AM until 2 PM. 

Update: Sunday, March 29, 9:30 PM

Academy families, Please check your email for an update that was just sent out.

Update: Thursday, March 26, 5:30 PM

"This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

You will notice that David writes, "...we WILL rejoice..." In spite of all that we have experienced and are experiencing right now, we must make a conscious decision that we WILL rejoice!

Character is important!

I believe that everyone of our families understands that character development is a key component at South Charlotte Baptist Academy. Now, many of you are first hand lesson in why character is so important in the training of a child!

Character training is one of the supreme goals of Christian education.  God says, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).  Children must be faithfully trained, line upon line, precept upon precept, day after day after day.  It is not enough to merely present a list of character traits and definitions for students to memorize and then suppose that the job of character training has been accomplished. - Dr. Laurel Hicks, Abeka Books

(Click here to read more about the importance of Character development.)

I wish that there was an easier way to instill character into the lives of our children. Unfortunately, there is not. I want to encourage each of our parents who are discouraged or just down right frustrated with their children right now. Don't give up! Stick with it! Your children are much too valuable and character is much too important for you to give up!

 

Packet Switch

Don't forget! Please be prepared to switch your student's packet this coming Saturday, March 28, between the hours of 9 AM and 2 PM. Pull into the parking lot as you normally would for car line with your number displayed in your window. A staff member will come to your vehicle to exchange your child's packet.

 

Join Us!

If you are not able to join your church family (or if you do not have a church family) we would like to invite you to join us for our livestream service this coming Sunday morning beginning at 11 AM. You can join us at www.southcharlottebaptist.org/live or at www.Facebook.com/SCBCPineville.

Beginning Sunday night, March 29, at 6 PM, we will begin a new online Bible study entitled, "Making a Difference." We will offer this Bible study in several formats. You can learn more at www.southcharlottebaptist.org/difference.

 

Check out our Facebook page!

Update: Wednesday, March 25, 9:00 AM

As many of you have probably already heard, Mecklenburg County is instituting a "Stay At Home" order beginning on Thursday, March 26, at 8:00 AM. (You can read that order here.)

 

What does that mean for South Charlotte Baptist Academy?

  1. We will be able to continue our virtual classes. Parents will still be able to come to the Academy to pick up the weekly packets for their children's education.

  2. Our preschool will continue to operate to support those individuals who work for/in an "Essential Business." (Please consult the order to determine whether your place of employment would be considered an "Essential Business.") If you are currently in our 

 

Saturday, March 28, from 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM will be your opportunity to drop off your child's completed work from week one and pick up their work for week two.

 

Allow me to leave you with the following encouragement from God's Word:

 

“What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” Psalm 56:3

Update: Tuesday, March 24, 9:45 AM

Yesterday, North Carolina Governor Cooper issued an order closing all public schools (K-12) until May 15. We (South Charlotte Baptist Academy) are not ready to make such a long-term decision. We will continue to evaluate the situation day by day and week by week. Currently, we will continue with our virtual classes for K-8 grades. (K4 students may contact the Academy office at 704-544-7323 if they would like to have a virtual classroom set up for their child.)

We would encourage our families to stay at home and only venture out if it is absolutely necessary. If you are in need of groceries, or other essential supplies, but you are not able to go out and have no other options, please let us know. We will attempt to serve in any way that we can.

K3-K4 Students - As we had already announced, if you would like to receive your child's school work, please contact your child's teacher. They can put together packets of work for your child that you can pick up from the Academy office.

Keep your children on a schedule! I have an 8th grade student at home (Silas). I wake him up at 7:30 so that he can get ready which consists of making his bed, having breakfast, and getting ready for school. (Don't allow your students to do their classes in their PJ's!) He then begins his classes at 8:30.

To All - Some have expressed concern about actually coming in to the Academy office to pick up their children's work. We understand your concern. Therefore, if you have that concern, simply pull into the car line (as you normally would to drop off/pick up your child) making sure that your car line number is prominently displayed. We will bring your child's work to your vehicle (much in the same way that some restaurants are doing). If you do not have your car line number or, if the office staff does not see that you are there, you may call the Academy office at 704-544-7323 and politely ask that your child's work be brought out to you.

I would like to challenge/encourage you with Galatians 5:22-23:

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23

The word longsuffering means patience. At this time, we all need to exercise patience. Patience with our spouse; patience with our children (especially as we continue these virtual classes!); patience at the store; patience everywhere! While we can manufacture patience for a short time - it will only be for a short time. Long-lasting patience is a result of the Holy Spirit's work in a Christian's life. Mom and Dad, if you do not know what it is to be a Christian, I would encourage you to go to www.salvationfocus.com and listen as a good friend of mine, evangelist John Van Gelderen explains the best news of all - the Gospel!

Update: Monday, March 23, 11:00 AM

It is so hard to believe that it has "only" been a week! If you're anything like me, it certainly "feels" as though we have lived an entire lifetime in these past several days! But, my God is good! There is nothing that can ever undue that truth!

"O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him." Psalm 34:8

 

(As I put this update together, I am observing my 8th grade son complete a review quiz for English! I am going to appreciate his teachers more than ever after this is all done!)

 

As we begin this second week, I want to remind you of several things:

  1. Our preschool (K3 and K4) remains open for now. Our staff is practicing good hygiene and health practices.

  2. For our K3 and K4 students who have chosen to stay home, our staff can put together packets containing your child's work that you can pick up at the Academy office. Please communicate with your child's teacher if you would like to do that.

  3. For our K4 students - We have been able to offer a "virtual" classroom for our K-8th grade students. We should be able to make a "virtual" classroom available for our K4 students as well. If this is something that you be interested in, please contact the Academy office. They can get you set up to be able to do that.

  4. For our K5-8 - Today was the day to begin your "virtual" classes. If you did not pick up your student's books and work, please contact the Academy office as soon as possible to make arrangements to pick that work up. We want to make sure that your students are staying on top of their classes and work! We will make an announcement later in the week regarding bringing in your child's work for this week and picking up their work for next week.

  5. For our K5-8 - Parents, we understand that "virtual" classrooms, for most, are not the ideal solution but it is also something that we should be thankful for. It allows us to stay current. Our teachers stand ready to assist in any way that they can. I know that most of the teachers have been in contact with you already. Please reach out to them if you have questions.

  6. Band Students - Mr. Brian Weer has continued to send out email updates for the band students.

  7. If you do not have a church home, we would love to encourage you to "join" South Charlotte Baptist Church for our live stream services. You can view those services at www.southcharlottebaptist.org/live.

 

Some in our church have volunteered to help deliver meals to some of the students from Pineville Elementary. Let me encourage you to continue looking for ways to serve others and to look for opportunities to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ! If you do know what it means to "be saved" or don't clearly understand what the "Gospel," I would encourage you to visit https://www.salvationfocus.com/. A good friend of ours, Evangelist John Van Gelderen, does a wonderful job of explaining the Gospel.

 

If you have a physical need such as needing someone to pick up some groceries for you, etc. please let us know. We will assist to the best of our ability!

Update: Thursday, March 19, 5:30 PM

Center for Disease Control and Prevention: How to Protect Yourself

SCBC - Church leadership met this afternoon to discuss our upcoming services for this coming Sunday, March 22. We will have only two live streaming services. One at 11 AM and another at 6 PM. You will be able to view those streams at www.southcharlottebaptist.org/live. Decisions regarding future services will be made on a "service by service" basis. All other scheduled activities will be cancelled for right now. (There will not a Master Club Pine Car workshop this coming Saturday, March 21.)

SCBA - Tomorrow, Friday, March 20, parents of our K-8 grade students may pick up the first week's school packet for their children. These packets, along with your student's books may be picked up between the hours of 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM. Please come to the main Academy entrance. You will be greeted by a staff member who will assist you in getting the necessary material for your children.

  • Your child's packet of work should contain your child's username and password for accessing their lessons at Abeka.com. Click here to watch a brief video explaining how to log on to the site to watch the classes.

  • Most parents have already been contacted by their child's teacher. Please communicate directly with your child's teacher regarding the work that they will need to do. We are exploring other avenues to help make this interaction "easier." We will inform families when and if we adopt other forms of classroom communication and instruction.

  • Parents will be responsible to make sure that their children watch the necessary lessons and that they complete, in an appropriate manner, the work assigned.

  • We will announce when the first week's worth of work can be returned and the second week's worth of work can be picked up. (This will be the basic pattern that we will use as long as it is deemed necessary.)

Additional Thoughts:

Update: Wednesday, March 18, 2:30 PM

SCBC - There will be no mid-week services at SCBC tonight, Wednesday, March 18. Decisions regarding future services will be made on a "service by service" basis.

SCBAYesterday, you were informed of our decision to begin holding our preschool classes tomorrow morning (Thursday) at 8:30. You were also given a brief summary of our plans for beginning "virtual" classes for K-8 on Monday, March 23. You were also told that you would be given additional details regarding those virtual classes today, Wednesday, March 18. I (Pastor Campbell) must apologize. Those "further details" will be delayed until either late tonight or early Thursday morning. I (Pastor Campbell) had to make an emergency trip to Chicago. Allow me to explain.

Our daughter, Mollie, was to fly home from California yesterday (Tuesday). To make a really long story as short as possible, Mollie "got stuck" in Chicago at the Midway Airport. To avoid the uncertainties of when/how she would be able to get out of Chicago, I (Pastor Campbell) made the decision to drive to Chicago and pick Mollie up and bring her home. Mollie was able to spend the night with my brother and his family (who live in the Chicago area). I left Charlotte at 9:30 on Tuesday night (with Silas by my side) and drove through the night. We arrived in Chicago around noon today (Wednesday), picked Mollie up, and we all are currently driving down Interstate 65 in Indiana headed back to Charlotte. We should arrive early on Thursday morning. We would definitely appreciate your prayers for our safety. It looks like we will be driving through a storm front the entire way back! (This is one of the main difficulties that most are facing right now; balancing our work responsibilities with our responsibility to care for our families. It's not easy for anyone.)

I do know that many of our K-8 teachers have already begun reaching out to their students and families. I again want to commend our staff. They have responded to this situation in a true Christ-like manner which has made my position as senior pastor/headmaster much easier.  For that, I want to thank them!

I also know that the decisions that have been made have not been "ideal" for any of us. As I told our staff yesterday, these decisions will require more work of them and will require more work of you, the parents. We will continue to discuss, as a faculty and staff, ways in which we can make these changes as "easy" as possible while also keeping in mind the guidelines that have been given by our local, state, and federal governments.

As I was composing this update, I was reminded of the chorus to an old Gospel hymn:

Moment by moment I’m kept in His love,
Moment by moment I’ve life from above;
Looking to Jesus till glory doth shine;
Moment by moment, O Lord, I am Thine.

 

We are living at a time when truly, we must live "moment by moment." (Click here to read the full lyrics of that hymn.) As never before, we must trust in the Lord "moment by moment." We are trusting the Lord that we will be able to "get back to normal" very soon. Please continue to keep one another in prayer. Look for opportunities to serve others. Look for opportunities to share the Gospel with others. Use this time as an opportunity to strengthen your walk with the Lord!

Please continue to check www.scbacademy.org/alerts for additional updates as we make them available.

Striving Together for the Faith of the Gospel,

Update: Tuesday, March 17, 2:40 PM

"This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." Lamentation 3:21-23

Good Afternoon! Thank you for your patience! I also want to thank our faculty and staff! They are committed to doing whatever is needed to continuing serving your families during this difficult time.

This update will be divided into 2 parts. The first update relates to our preschool classes (3-4 year-olds). The second update will relate to our K-8 grade students.

South Charlotte Baptist Preschool (This affects Mrs. Bruste, Mrs. Millwood, and Mrs. Campbell's classes)

  • Preschool will resume operation on Thursday, March 19, at 8:30 AM. This is giving us time to make sure that we have everything in order to serve you and your children in a safe manner. The health and safety of our staff and your children is of utmost importance. Please note the following:

  • Hours for preschool will be 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM.

  • Parents will be greeted by a staff member at the SCBA main entrance. This staff member will escort your child to their classroom. Parents will not be allowed entrance to the facilities.

  • Children will have their temperature taken as a precaution. As is our usual policy, children with a fever will not be allowed to stay.

  • Each class of students will stay in their own classroom in order to minimize contact with the other classes. This will include eating their lunches in their classrooms instead of the Great Room, using only their classroom bathroom, and each class having their own playtime on the playground apart from the other classes.

  • Staff will limit physical contact with the students and will encourage the students to limit contact with other students in the class. (It is already our usual policy to limit student to student contact. Throughout the course of a normal day, you will hear the teachers say, "Keep your hands to yourself." This practice will continue.)

  • Staff will follow safe health and hygiene practices with the children and will teach the children (as is their usual practice) to do the same. This will include frequent hand-washing, wiping down of tables, not drinking out of the water fountains, etc.

  • These classes will follow their usual class schedules. In these days of uncertainty, children (as with all of us) need the security of a schedule and the peace that a daily routine brings.

  • We will continue to emphasize the daily cleaning and sanitizing of our facilities.

We want to encourage you, as families, to also continue observing good health and hygiene practices in your homes and daily lives. You can do a lot to stop the spread of germs.

We know that these past couple of days have been difficult for those families who rely upon the preschool so that they can continue to work and maintain their own daily routines. We again thank you for your patience.

South Charlotte Baptist Academy (K-8 grades)

While our preschool is going to resume operation on Thursday, March 19, it is going to take us a few more days to get everything ready to begin "virtual" classes for our Kindergarten through 8th grades.

We will distribute more specific information within the next day but some basic information, that we will share at this time, is as follows:

  • On Friday, March 21, parents of our K-8 grade students will be able to come to SCBA to collect their students books.

  • Teachers will have prepared packets that will contain all their work and instructions that students will need for the week of Monday, March 23, through Friday, March 27.

  • Families will also receive the necessary information to be able to log on to www.abeka.com to be able to watch their lessons via the internet. (Should you be a family that does not currently have internet access, click here to read an article entitled, "Where to Find Free Wifi in Any Neighborhood."

  • Teachers will be communicating with families on a daily basis and have been instructed to make themselves available to their families to be a help with these "virtual" classes.

 

The current situation that we all find ourselves in is definitely inconvenient and will require a little extra work from each of us. We trust that these inconveniences will only be for a short time. We will be making decisions and re-evaluating our own situation on a daily basis.

If there is any other way in which we can serve your family, please do not hesitate to contact us!

Update: Monday, March 16, 1:00 PM

The following is the text of an email that was just sent out to our South Charlotte Baptist Academy families:

Good afternoon! I'd like to begin this update with a word of encouragement and challenge:

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:" Isaiah 26:3-4

Our staff met this morning and I wanted to share with you some of what was discussed:

 

Don't Panic. That is one reason that I shared with you Isaiah 26:3-4 to begin with. While there are legitimate concerns that need to be addressed, and will be addressed at the appropriate times, our trust must be firmly rooted in the Lord.

Perception. We have been contacted by parents on both sides of the spectrum. Some have encouraged us to have school; others have encouraged us not to have school. Each decision that we have made (and will make) has been difficult. We appreciate all of the parents who have voiced their support, have shared their concerns, and have let us know that they are praying for us. Today (Monday) has given us (the staff & leadership of SCBA) the opportunity to take a collective "breath" and evaluate the situation that we are faced with. We appreciate the patience that each of you have shown.

Communication. We apologize that our text messages, that were sent out Sunday afternoon, were "empty." We have found the culprit! The "&" character is not "allowed" in text messages. Those types of special characters cannot be used in our text messaging system. Again, we apologize for that.

Health & Safety. The health and safety of our faculty, staff, and students is of utmost importance. We want to keep that health and safety in mind with the decisions that we make.

Cleanliness. Today (Monday) our staff, immediately following our meeting, busied themselves cleaning and disinfecting our entire facility.

Unknown. There are many unknown factors and variables. And, the situation has changed so quickly and frequently that it almost makes a person dizzy. We are staying informed via the websites for the Center for Disease Control and PreventionThe North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, and the Mecklenburg County Health Department. There are a number of other questions that we believe it's just too early to give an answer to. But, we will address those "unknowns" as they arise.

Continued Education. Abeka Books, the curriculum which we use throughout South Charlotte Baptist Academy, is providing online resources for us to continue your child's education in a "virtual" setting. Tomorrow (Tuesday) our staff will once again be sitting down to discuss how to implement these "virtual" classrooms. One possibility that we have considered is re-opening the school and giving parents the option to bring their children to our campus or working with SCBA via a "virtual" classroom. This will be one possibility that we will be considering with our staff.

Serving our Community. Please remember that South Charlotte Baptist Academy is a ministry of South Charlotte Baptist Church. As such, we view the ministry of SCBA in greater terms than simply teaching children their "A,B,C's and 1, 2, 3's." It is our desire to serve. We understand that, with our preschool closed, parents and families have been severely affected. We have been in contact with other Christian preschools and will be discussing, with our staff, the necessary steps that we will need to take to re-open our preschool in the very near furture.

Again, thank you for your patience. Please continue to keep one another in prayer. Look for opportunities to serve others. Continue to look for further details as we make them available. And remember...

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

Striving Together for the Faith of the Gospel - Pastor Campbell

Update: Sunday, March 15, 3:00 PM

This update relates specifically to South Charlotte Baptist Academy.

Yesterday, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, issued an executive directive directing the statewide closure of K-12 public schools. We have been in contact with other Christian school leaders in the state as well as with the North Carolina Christian School Association to determine the best course of action for South Charlotte Baptist Academy.

Per the recommendation of the North Carolina Christian Association, South Charlotte Baptist Academy will be closed beginning Monday, March 16 through Friday, March 20. After that time we will re-evaluate on a day to day basis.​ This will give us the time, as staff and leadership, to evaluate and formulate a long term plan to continue your child's education with the least amount of disruption even in the event of a long-term closure. (Yes, we will be evaluating options for virtual classes should the need arise.)

Our spring break is currently scheduled for the week of April 12. No plans regarding spring break have been made at this time.

Continue to come back to this website for further updates. Thank you for your patience. If we can do anything for you or your family, please contact us at info@scbacademy.org or info@southcharlottebaptist.org.

Update: Saturday, March 14, 8:37 PM

We will be having our usual services tomorrow (Sunday, March 15). In response to Governor Cooper's directive prohibiting "mass gatherings," We have consulted with other pastors as well as with local law enforcement and we believe that we (SCBC) would not be in violation of this directive by having church services tomorrow.

We would encourage those who are considered "high risk" to stay at home. As in any situation, each individual and family must determine the best course of action for themselves and their families. For that reason, if you plan to stay home, we would encourage you to participate in the service via our live stream which can be seen at www.southcharlottebaptist.org/live.

The health and safety of our church family is of utmost importance. This evening, we sanitized the hard surfaces in the church buildings and will continue to take necessary precautions. Everyone should observe common sense practices regarding their health and the health of others. (Read these common sense measures that everyone can take to help prevent the continued spread of COVID-19.)

If any church member needs assistance, please call the church at (704) 542-5536.

Regarding South Charlotte Baptist Academy: Please check this site frequently to stay informed of announcements and further updates.

Update: Saturday, March 14, 9:21 AM

South Charlotte Baptist Church will have its usual services on Sunday, March 15. For those who are unable to attend, we will be live streaming our service at 11 AM and 6 PM. We are seeking to have a livestream available via our website at southcharlottebaptist.org/live that will enable many more to participate in the services. Those who are considered "at risk" (older adults and those who have a serious chronic medical condition) are encouraged to stay at home and watch the services via live stream. If that stream is unavailable, you will be able to view our usual live stream via Facebook. You may continue to support the ministries of South Charlotte Baptist Church by giving online or via text.

Update: Friday, March 13, 12:53 PM

Please read the update from early this morning. We will continue to monitor the situation and make changes as necessary. The following is a list of those resources that we are gathering information from in order to make appropriate decisions at it relates to South Charlotte Baptist Church & Academy.

According to current information that is available from the above sources, there is only one "presumptive positive" case of COVID-19 in Mecklenburg County.

Update: Friday, March 13, 1:51 AM

The one thing that seems to be on everyone's minds right now is the coronavirus. It is also on our minds. For that reason, we wanted to share information with you as it relates to South Charlotte Baptist Academy.

As of right now, we have no plans to cancel/postpone classes. Considering how quickly circumstances are changing, we will keep you informed if there are any changes to this.

The health of our staff and students is of utmost importance. Right now, the best precautions that we can take (and which you can implement at home) are simple "common sense" precautions/strategies. The following are activities that we already incorporate in our daily routines at SCBA (and which we would encourage you to put in place in your own home):

  • Wash hands frequently for 20 seconds with soapy water

  • Use alcohol-based sanitizer (ideally 60% alcohol) if soap and water are not available, but wash your hands with soap and water as often as possible

  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue directly into the trash

  • Clean and disinfect frequently-touched objects and surfaces such as phones, door handles, banisters, railings, etc.

  • Get adequate rest

  • Avoid contact with those who are infected or are known to have been in recent contact with someone who is infected

  • Stay home if you are ill (coughing, runny nose, fever, etc.) regardless of whether or not the underlying cause is believed to be coronavirus

 

(Read, "What every American and community can do now to decrease the spread of the coronavirus," from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.)

Stay calm! During this tumultuous time, we would encourage you to limit your exposure to the news and the media. (For up to date information, please check the CDC's website.) While it is important to stay informed, if we are not careful, we can allow our minds to meditate upon nothing else than the coronavirus. Isaiah 26:3-4 tell us, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:" We would also like to remind you of the following Biblical truth: "The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD." (Proverbs 21:31) While we should do everything that we can to protect ourselves and our loved ones, we must ultimate realize that our safety, in any situation, is from God and therefore, our trust should be in the Lord. And, that is exactly what we should tell our children as well. One of the building blocks of South Charlotte Baptist Academy is Faith. We desire that our students develop a firm foundation of faith in God and in God's Word. Parents, we would encourage you to set that example before your children and trust the Lord!

As always, it is a privilege to serve each of you and your families. If there is any way in which we can be a help to you, please do not hesitate to contact us!

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