Happy Birthday To
Field Trip Facts
Mrs. Darlene’s Kindergarten class has an upcoming Field Trip in February! Here’s what she tells us about it:
Kindergarten is very excited for our field trip to the Lafayette Children’s Museum! We will be able to explore new things, and learn about how different things work and look.
Wednesday, February 19th, is the day that we will gain new ideas and try new things. Permission slips are on the way and we look forward to hitting the road and learning things as a class.
AARON’S ANNOUNCEMENTS
Written by: Aaron Alexander
This month we have a couple of exciting events. To begin, we have Book Character Day coming up on February 6th. This Thursday, students will be allowed to dress up as a character from their favorite book. Is it possible any classes will choose to do a Class Theme and all dress up from the same book? Maybe. Regardless, we look forward to seeing all the fun and creative costumes our students will come up with. It should go without saying that all costumes should be school appropriate, but it’s now been said.
Next up, three weeks into February, the school will host “Muffins With Mom” which takes place on Thursday, February 27th, starting at 8:00. All moms are invited to join us for this schoolwide breakfast with their children.
Caroline’s Classroom Chronicles
Written by: Caroline Robertson
Christ Church Academy has started the new year off strong, learning many new things after our Christmas break, so let’s recap!
In Mrs. Darlene’s Kindergarten class, the youngest of our students have started spelling and reading. They had also been learning about the solar system during their Science class. And, in Art, they put this newfound knowledge to good use by making the earth and moon out of clay!
Moving onto Mrs. Christi’s First Grade class. They started off the year with a reward from Mrs. Christi for their hard work in reading with Book-Worm Wednesday – where they were allowed to bring their own pillow, blanket, and stuffed animal for a fun filled afternoon of celebrating their reading progress! They spent most of that afternoon reading their favorite books, getting reward with gummy worms for different reading games, and enjoying their success.
Next, in Mrs. Jessica’s Second Grade class, they learned how to count pennies and dimes in Math class, while also learning how to add single digit numbers. In Grammar, they started January off with counting homophones that later lead into learning subject-verb agreement. These second graders have also been practicing to read more fluently.
Mrs. Katie’s Third and Fourth graders finished their first literature book of 2025! Mrs. Katie has also been cultivating in her students a love of learning about plants and fruit. Last month, a few of her students could be found going from class to class displaying the first fruit of their hands in the form of their very first harvest!
The Fifth and Sixth graders, taught by Mrs. Anna, read through Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. They also began Wordly Wise, a vocabulary skills subject, and they are coming along well!
Mr. Jordan’s homeroom class of Seventh and Eighth graders were hard at work last month, reading The Horse and His Boy by C. S. Lewis, as well as the whole book of Isaiah in just two weeks. Also in Humanities, they finished the book Histories by Herodotus. In their Logic class, they started the square of opposition! Ms. Belle had her Grammar students write short stories describing a fellow student in their classroom, and then began her Science students on their fourth module of the year – a chemical bonds.
For our Freshmen and Sophomores, they started their first Impersonation essay, where they were instructed to impersonate a famous journalist named Nellie Bly. Then, in Miss Shirah’s Art class, they were instructed to choose a face and cast a portrait. Check back next month for what Miss Shirah has them working on in February!
And lastly, CCA’s Juniors and Seniors read Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri and began Dante’s inferno in Pastor Scott’s Humanities class. For Pastor Brandon’s Public Speaking, all the students were required to present a sales pitch to their peers. We’ll follow up on this presentation next month!
Sports (& Games)
with Luke & Landon
It is a new year, and to start it off strong, 3rd through 6th grade have been using their Recess time to play football, making interceptions and hail marys. It is very entertaining to watch! All-time Quarterback and Sixth Grader, Oliver Bayliss, and Wide Receivers Isaac West, Sebastian Carriere, and Shepard Cook are among some of the star players. While this thrilling game is being played, some of the younger kids are enjoying a good chat in the dirt, while digging. Fun for all!
During our very unexpected and historical Sneaux Break, fun was in the air! Our wonderful leader gave all of these Cajun Kids the entire week off to enjoy every minute and inch of the once in a lifetime snow fall — and not a moment was wasted! Many of our students built igloos, had snow fights, made Snow Angels, went sledding, built snowmen, and some even enjoyed gocarting in the snow! Please see Ms. Belle’s post in the CCA Parents and Friends Group for Sneaux Pics from our students/faculty – and be sure to add your own!
Teacher Highlight:
Ms. Paula Defley
Written by: Amelia Nealy
This month we are highlighting two of our wonderful teachers here at Christ Church Academy. First up, Mrs. Paula Defley…
Ms. Paula is a teacher who everyone, students and teachers alike, loves. She is extremely helpful, and always there if you need her.
Mrs. Christi says, “Ms. Paula is one of the most valuable people, both on staff and in our church. She is so incredibly humble and caring. No matter the task, you can see that her intent is to honor the Lord. This makes her truly one of the most beautiful women I have ever met. It is an honor to know her, and her hug is a gift straight from God himself.”
Ms. Paula always has a smiling face and an encouraging word. Each morning she greets the students who walk into the parsonage with “Good morning, sweet pea,” that light up everyone’s tired faces.
I met with Ms. Paula to ask her a few questions for this article…
- What are all the things you do?
Ms. Paula is essentially a custodian. She makes sure all the cleaning around campus gets done. Without her, we would have nasty and dirty buildings. She also teaches the business class, and is Jaeda Hasty’s mentor. The list of other things she does around our school would take far more than this article could hold.
2. What is your favorite out of all the things you do?
“Being with the kids – my sweet peas.”
3. When did you start working at Christ Church?
“The Summer of 2023.”
4. Why did you start helping/teaching?
She says that Pastor Scott had asked her to, and she wanted a part time job.
5. What did you do before coming to CCA?
Ms. Paula told me that she had worked in the public school system, but when her mom needed help, she retired and took care of her. This act of kindness is one of the things that truly shows Ms. Paula’s willingness to help, and her love for the people around her.
6. What do you do while you’re off of work?
She loves reading, listening to music, and spending time with her dog, Sweetie.
Her fellow teachers all have wonderful words of praise for her.
Mrs. Jessica says, “Ms. Paula is the sweetest. She has a servant’s heart and is ready to help before you even ask.”
Mr. Jordan tells me, “Without Ms. Paula, the parsonage would be in shambles. She takes care of student and teacher alike. She is a hard working lady.”
Ms. Belle adds, “Her kindness and desire to honor Christ in all that she does is truly an inspiration to all. She’s always desiring different ways to serve others, to show love to all she meets, and to be a friend to any and all! Her stories and love for her community and family, honorary and biological, are all unmatched! She’s a blessing and I don’t want to imagine our lives without her!”
Teacher Highlight:
Mrs. Katie Normand
Next up this month is Mrs. Katie Normand. She is another of the amazing teachers here at CCA. Her love for her students is one of the most notable things about her. She is always there to help and listen to her students. Mrs. Katie is married to Danny Normand, and, together, they have five children – with a new baby on the way! (Congratulations to the Normands!) They also share their home with a German Shepard. Mrs. Katie is always hospitable, sharing her love with her church. Some of Mrs. Katie’s hobbies are playing cards, dancing with her husband, and being outside. She says she loves nature but her allergies are terrible, preventing her from being outside as often as she would like. Aside from Mrs. Katie’s two sisters and brother, she considers her church her family.
I asked Mrs. Katie a few things about teaching and here’s what she said:
- What’s your favorite thing about teaching?
She said she loves listening to the kids’ stories and she finds them very funny.
2. Why did you decide to teach?
Mrs. Katie started teaching here because Pastor Brandon and her husband told her to.
3. How long have you been teaching?
She has been teaching for three years full time, one year at another school and two years here, and she also subbed for a long time before then.
4. What is your favorite subject?
Literature.
5. What is your favorite activity to do with the students?
Classroom competitions are Mrs. Katie’s favorite. She loves how excited they get and seeing how competitive they can be.
“Mrs. Katie is a person you can truly call ‘friend’, and I love her laugh.” – Mrs. Darlene
“Super energetic! Love the energy she brings to the school and the fun projects/memories she helps her students create.” – Mrs. Anna
“Mrs. Katie has brought such a fun and fresh energy to CCA. I love how she thinks outside the box, and the way that she considers more than just academic mastery as the goal when teaming with parents.” – Mrs. Christi
“She’s always up for creative ways to engage the students! She genuinely wants her students to love learning and I love that she’s eager to find new ways to spark their interests!” – Ms. Belle
Student Showcase:
SHEPARD COOK
This month’s showcase features one of Mrs. Katie’s students. The interesting thing about this student is that he is in both Third and Fourth grade – depending on the subject being studied.
Shepard Cook, an eight year old who had already skipped the Second Grade, is a gifted student. Officially in 3rd grade, he’s continued showing great intellect in Math by moving so quickly that he has already completed the 3rd grade workbook and moved onto 4th grade in Math. Mrs. Katie says that his intellect is a gift from God. She also told me that it’s not just Math that he excels in. He’s excellent in reading, comprehension, and grammar, as well. She adds that she is very thankful to get to teach a student who challenges her in the ways Shepard does, and that she enjoys watching his growth.
Shepard Cook is well known around CCA campus for his bold singing, friendly personality, and his love for his favorite foods! He’s the son of Jeff and Rachel Cook, brother to Scarlett and Eloise. He tells me that his favorite class is Bible, his favorite food is Mac & Cheese, and he loves jumping in the pool when it’s below freezing. Shepard also voiced his strong distaste for pizza, stating that it has “too much sauce”. When asked what he liked about Mrs. Katie, in a very Shepard way, he said, “She gives us food.”
Keep up the great work, Shep!
Parsonage Wars:
The Truce Extended
The Christmas truce of December has leaked over into the new year. There have been no further advancements, though it is up to CCA’s 9th and 10th graders (that’d be us, the writers of this newsletter) to plan next month’s contest. So we’ll report back soon with exciting news on the upcoming Parsonage Wars.
Student Editor
Our Student Editor is Kloey Walling. Kloey is the daughter of Steven and Jennifer Walling and a student in Ms. Belle’s 9th Grade class. This is her first year at CCA and she has shown diligence in her work.
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