Upper School Meet-up Snow Cone Lady
June 10th at 6:30 p.m.
All students entering 6th-12th grade are invited to the first Upper School Social of the summer at the Snow Cone Lady in Frisco, 6427 Elm St, Frisco, TX 75034.
Come enjoy a yummy snowcone and some fun summer fellowship!
Upcoming Seniors Summer Fundraisers
Support our Upcoming Seniors on their Senior trip by taking part in some of their fun fundraisers this summer.

Car Wash at Chick Fil A

Arts & Crafts Day/ Moms Day Out
July 10th, 10:00am – 12:00pm
Pittman home, 4604 Corral Dr, Carrollton
Girls, age 5-12 (limit 15)
$25 per person
GCA Seniors Rachel Pittman, Arabella Grassmuck and Genna Lee would love to give you moms a morning out and hang out with your girls while making some fun crafts. We have space for 15 girls so sign up today!

Lego Day/ Mom’s Day Out
Summer is here! Let’s keep learning!
Summer Recommendations
Summer is a great time for student’s to continue learning and pursue things they are interested in! Take trips to the library, read lots of books, help your students pursue their passions and keep up those math facts and basics. See below for some great resources to help you stop the summer slide.
It’s not too late to get a GCA yearbook
Buy one cash/carry or order yours to ship to your house
Did you miss ordering a yearbook? Well you are in luck, we have a couple options for you to still secure a yearbook. Our yearbook team did an amazing job and we want you all to be able to enjoy their hard work.
- We have some extra yearbooks we ordered and are selling for cash or card at the front desk this week and next as supplies last
- You may still order a yearbook at the link below, you will just have it shipped to your house instead of to GCA
Back to School Week Events Fall 2023
August 14th and 15th
We are just wrapping up and entering summer, but looking forward to our next school year. It will be here before you know it! Please see below for details and schedules for these events!
Monday August 14th
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Parent University:
Start your year off right!
Be equipped with essential information you will need to jump into your school year and succeed! This mandatory event you will not want to miss is for elementary parents and school day tutors and will take place at GCA from 8:00 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. on Monday, August 14th.
Please sign up by August 1st to receive a box lunch from Jasons Deli.
Each class will have a 45 minute designated time to hear from your homeroom teacher and specialists as well a couple breakout sessions with practical tips and tricks to help you thrive.
Tuesday August 15th
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Meet the Teacher:
This optional event is for elementary students to come meet their teacher, see their classroom and feel confident about the first day of school! Come and go anytime from 9:00-10:30 a.m. No registration required.
Upper School Mini Day:
This mandatory event for all upper school parents and students will help your 6th-12th grade student feel confident and prepared for a great school year! Starting with some time to fellowship and leading into a “mini” version of a whole school day complete with rotating to all the different classrooms and hearing from all their teachers. This event gives your upper school student a chance to meet their teachers and get excited about the classes they will be taking this school year as well as feel confident to navigate the classroom changes.
Please sign up by August 1st to receive a box lunch from Jasons Deli.
9th Grade Biology Camping Trip
June 2-4th, 2023
Where
Elangeni Ranch, 22527 FM 104, Quanah, TX 79252.
The approximately 1000-acre ranch borders the Pease River and features long draws and beautiful bluffs. The canyons, valleys, and ponds are home to an abundance of wildlife. Drive time from Celina is about 4 hours.
Lodging
Students need to bring small tents and sleeping gear.
- They may sleep in groups of 3, or by themselves.
- Male/ Females in separate tents and tent areas around the main cabin.
The 2-bedroom cabin has 2 bathrooms and a loft.
The girls are encouraged to sleep in tents, but have the option to sleep in the loft area or on the upstairs porch. We have enough beds/sleeping pads to accommodate all the girls.
Food
We will provide all meals, but students will be on kitchen duty for at least one meal. Please let me know about food allergies or other considerations.
Students need to bring their own snacks and a bag with eating utensils.
If possible, please contribute $30/student to help with the cost of meals.
Items to pack
Tent with ground tarp, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, small pillow (Contact me if you need help with any of these items, we have some extras available).
Towel, toiletries (bathrooms are stocked with soap and shampoo).
Old clothes (denim, t-shirts, shorts that are finger length), hiking shoes (or thick soled tennis shoes), sandals/crocks, hat, sunscreen, bug spray.
Eating utensils (plate, bowl, cup, utensils, and refillable water bottle, drying rag), snacks. Optional: Flash light, binoculars, garden gloves, phone (download the SkyView app), hiking poles.
Other Considerations
Camping and general activities at the ranch have inherent dangers.
- The GCA staff and parent assistants will do everything possible to take reasonable care of campers, but it is imperative that campers abide by the camp rules at all times. • Campers will need to be careful around slippery rocks, prickly cacti, thorny bushes, bees, wasps, and spiders.
- Even though we encounter rattlesnakes on occasion, nobody has been bitten in the 10 years we have had the property. However, it is important to stay on pathways and wear denim pants when hiking.
- The Childress hospital is 30 minutes away in case of an emergency.
- Each camper must submit a signed student waiver (provided by GCA).
Phone reception is poor at the ranch. We will provide our phone numbers in case you need to reach your student.
Students have to follow the GCA camping dress code.
Preliminary Program
FRIDAY
2 PM Depart from Celina High School parking area (3455 North Preston Rd) Pitstop at gas station in Electra
6:30 PM Arrive at the ranch, unload, set-up tents.
7 PM DINNER (spaghetti and meatballs), night hike, star gazing if no clouds 10:30 PM Lights out
SATURDAY
7:30 AM ~ 4-hour hike to explore plants and wildlife
BREAKFAST at the bluff (eggs & sausage, fruit, bars)
12 PM LUNCH at cabin (sandwiches, fruit)
1 PM Free time
2 PM Lecture and lab: Emergency medical skills for survival, by Dr. Marius Meintjes (veterinarian and paramedic)
3:30 PM River walk – identify fish species and animal tracts
We’ll be walking barefoot in ankle to knee deep water. Sometimes
water holes form in the river where you can cool off. Wear shorts
/swim trunks/one-piece swimsuits with t-shirt.
6 PM DINNER: Cookout (sausage, hotdogs, veggies, chips, and smores) 8 PM Games/free time/star gazing/shower
11 PM Lights out
SUNDAY
6:30 AM Sunrise canyon hike (optional)
8:30 AM BREAKFAST (yogurt, cereal, oats, fruit)
9:30 AM Bush church and free time
12 PM LUNCH (chicken salad)
1 PM Break down campsite, clean up, and load up
2 PM Depart, one pit stop at a gas station
~6:30 PM Arrive at the Celina High School meeting area
Summer Athletic Camps/Zion Adventure Trip
See below for dates/times and sign-ups

June 11th-18th Zion Summer Adventure Trip
Sign-ups close May 5th.
This summer, any student going into 9th-12th grade next year is invited on our summer adventure trip to Zion National Park, led by the Venture Off company and have a whole week of rappelling and descending into slot canyons and experiencing the beauty of God’s creation in a whole new way!
- Maximum of 12 students on this trip
We will leave GCA altogether in the GCA van and drive up to Utah
The cost for this trip is $525/student
What to expect/what is canyoneering?
Canyoneering is the exploration of a canyon from point A to point B using a range of techniques that include hiking, scrambling, sliding, stemming, chimneying and rappelling. Imagine extreme hiking with a harness, a helmet and appropriate rope systems.
All of the equipment, expertise and insurance is provided by the Venture Off Company.
Click HERE to watch a video from Venture Off that gives a really good picture of what we will be doing this summer.

July 17th-August 10th Summer Run Club
Time: 7 am-8 am
Dates: Mon/Th July 17th-Aug 10th
Place: Warren Sports Complex Gazebo
Price: FREE
Sign-ups close June 15th.

July 26th-28th Middle/High School Strength and Conditioning Camp
Time: 8 am – 9 am
Place: Warren Sports Complex
Price: $30

Middle School and High School Volleyball Camps
Price: $75
Middle School Time: 10 am-12 pm
High School Time: 12:30 pm-2:30 pm
Dates: July 10th-12th
Place: GCA Gym
Sign-ups close June 15th.

Elementary, Middle School and High School Basketball Camps
Price: $75
Elementary (3rd-5th) Time: 9 am – 11 am
Middle School Time: 11:30- 1:30 p.m.
High School Time: 2 pm – 4 pm
Dates: August 2nd-4th
Place: GCA Gym
Sign-ups close June 15th.
Time to choose your co-curriculars!
Deadline to choose: May 13th
Thank you to all the parents who attended the first annual Co-Curricular Showcase! It is that time of year to go into FACTS and choose your co-curriculars for the 2023-2024 school year.
If you missed the showcase or are curious about the different choices your student will have, see below for resources: (flyers, a slideshow from the event, etc.)
Here is how you will choose your co-curricular:
- After logging into FACTS choose “Student” “Course Request”
2. Here you will see a list of all the co-curriculars you can choose for your student. Choose from the drop-down menu.
3. Make sure to select “save” when you are finished. You can go in and edit this up until the deadline of May 13th.
GCA Year at a Glance Calendar 23-24 is HERE
See the year at a glance for the 2023-2024 School Year