Here are details for the upcoming January winter retreat.

Please take time to read through the details including the attachments.
Registration will be due by Tuesday, December 15th.

ANNUAL SECONDARY WINTER RETREAT

Who
All 7th – 12th grade students are invited to come the first and second day. The second overnight is a special time designed for just the 11th and 12th graders.

What
The winter retreat is an overnight retreat where students will enjoy fellowship, games/activities, music, food, and intentional times of learning from God’s word (via speakers and/or student leader led small groups). There will be a special junior-senior session the second night Wednesday, Jan. 6 where seniors will be invited to speak messages of encouragement over the rising senior class (juniors). We will then have the juniors pray over the seniors and express thankfulness to God for His work and the evidences of His grace in their lives. For more basic info on winter retreat, see our “Winter Retreat FAQ” document attached to this email.

When
The retreat will begin Tuesday, Jan. 5th at 11:00 am. 7th – 10th graders will leave Wednesday, Jan. 6th at 4:00 pm. 11th – 12th graders are invited to stay until Thursday, Jan. 7th at 10:00 am (everyone including staff and leaders will leave by this time).

Where
Crowders Ridge Camp (130 Camp Rotary rd. Gastonia, NC).

Dress
LPA NORMAL dress. Shorts to the knees and shirts with sleeves.
It will be cold, bring winter-wear!
Plan on conservative sleep wear.

Covid consideration

We will be submitting ourselves to the regulations laid out by North Carolina and Crowders Ridge. I also, want to stress that the winter retreat is 100% optional and 100% your decision to choose whether or not your student should intend. You need to make the wise decision for your family. For a video from the camp director on Covid see: https://crowderscamps.com/commitment-to-health/. I have also attached a pdf of Crowders Ridge’s specific Covid guidelines that we will be following.

Chaperone? 
As per usual, we will have at minimum, four male staff chaperones and four female staff chaperones for the first overnight components (2 and 2 for the second overnight component). We will have at minimum 8 adult chaperones at the camp at all times (minus the junior-senior component since there will be a lot less students).

Register now? 
For Covid and financial reasons (we pay per head) we need to have students sign-up by no later than Tuesday, December 15th. Please note that students will receive a free LPA winter retreat shirt (crewneck sweat shirt) so please put in your shirt size on the registration as well. Please register at the following link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14flPt82Vwfc7OQpgFmXE6geBEb8i4STwwUGPpzTF5zc/edit?usp=sharing.

Any questions? Contact Chris Miller, Student Life Director

For FAQ and more detail, please continue reading.

LPA Winter Retreat (Frequently Asked Questions)BackgroundLake Pointe has held an overnight retreat every year since 2008. The event has been shaped over time, according to experience and participant What is the purpose?The twin focuses are spiritual encouragement and relationship building (social). Where is the location?Lake Pointe has used Bethwelwoods Christian Camp every year. Since other groups do not usually schedule an event in early January, LPA typically has the entire campus to itself. This year (2021) however, due to Covid, we will be using Crowders Ridge camp (https://crowderscamps.com/). Who is invited?All enrolled LPA students in grades 7-12 are invited to participate. When is it?The retreat begins at 11:00 am on Tuesday, January 5th and ends at 4:00 pm Wednesday, January 6th. The exception is that 11-12th graders will stay over the night of Wednesday, January 6th and leave Thursday, January 7th by 10:00 am. What about friends, elementary students, and others, etc.?No. Since one of the goals is to build relationships within LPA, the event is limited to those in the current student body. Pre-approved alumni may be invited to assist LPA staff and to provide their experience and heart for Jesus with the current students. Do parents attend?Some years, we have events at the beginning or end that included parents. This year we do not have a parent component to the Winter Retreat. Is there a cost?There will be a fee for juniors and seniors ($20.00 per person). Due to the change of location for more space, the price of the venue is more expensive. Otherwise, everything else is taken care of by the student life fees already paid at tuition. What do students do? While planning of the schedule is underway, and although each year can look different from previous ones, the general flow includes something like the following: •Group building activities, including scavenger hunts around the campus

•Three, one hour spiritual development sessions on day 1 and another on day two, followed by break-out sessions formed by the Student Service Council members to discuss and unpack the topics. •Same-gender group social time and games in the lodgings at night•Free time for student choices of board games, outside games, conversation, etc. Is it mandatory to come?Not at all. The past two years, 80-90% of the students came (last year being 90%). Some students are not comfortable with the overnight, and so we can work it where the student can leave at night and return in the morning. Coming and going during the day disrupts the program, and is not allowed. Who are the leaders?Mr. Miller is in charge, and he assembles an oversight group of LPA staff. Mrs. Brewer will be assisting Mr. Miller the entire retreat as well. Some are there all or most of the time, and others come in shifts. Membersof the Student Service Council assist in leadership, playing a great role in planning and execution of the event.What are the sleeping arrangements?•Girls and guys are in separate areas (2-3 dorms for the girls AND 2 bunk houses for the guys). •At least two adult chaperones are in each dorm. •Both dorms and bunk houses have heat and bathroom facilities (though the bunkhouses’ facilities are outside of the bunkhouses). What does a student need to bring? Closer to the actual event, we will publish a list of needed items and of those items to leave at home for those registered.What about electronics?To focus on relationships and spiritual encouragement, students may not use cell phones, video type games, or electronic devices during the retreat. We will take up cell phones at the registration desk when students come. We put the phones in clearly labeled bags and return them at the end of the retreat. In terms of emergency or a need to call home, they can use a chaperone’s phone

Crowders Ridge information

Fall Event Safety Policies - COVID-19Crowders Camps is carefully following CDC guidelines and NC orders to provide the best andsafest camp experience, and so we have created policies to protect from the risks of COVID-19.Please note, however, that even following all policies and safety guidelines issued by the stateand CDC, ​you assume inherent risk of illness in attending or allowing minors to attend anevent outside of your household.Our policies and procedures are as listed below, and will be updated in the case of any newlegislation or guidelines. Policies will be publicly shared and kept up to date athttps://crowdersridge.com/commitment-to-health/​.For the sake of this document, “participant” is defined as any and all guests or leadersassociated with any event.For the safety of all even participants and our staff, we are taking the following measures:●Where not specified in this packet, our policy is to​ follow CDC and North Carolinastate guidelines for COVID-19 safety​, and specifically for safety in camp settings.●We have created special ​staff policies​ to protect event participants. Please see our“Staff Safety Policies - COVID-19” which is also included in this packet.●We have created special ​facilities policies​ to keep our facilities safe. Please see our“Facilities Safety Policies - COVID-19” which is also included in this packet.●We have created special ​group policies​ for participant safety. Please see our “GroupPolicies” below.Group PoliciesGroup Leader ResponsibilitiesThe leader booking an event or retreat at Crowders Camps assumes additional responsibilitiesdue to COVID-19. These responsibilities include:●Performing a health screening at the beginning of your event. This could take place atyour organization’s location, or upon arrival at Crowders Camps. The screening mustinclude but is not limited to:○Taking the temperatures of all participants (campers, leaders, guests, etc.). Noperson with a temperature of 100.4 or higher may attend any event at CrowdersCamps.○Asking the following state recommended questions of every participant in yourevent:Subject to change. Last updated on 9/29/20

■Have you had close contact (within 6 feet for at least 15 minutes) in thelast 14 days with someone diagnosed with COVID-19, or has any healthdepartment or health care provider been in contact with you and advisedyou to quarantine?■Do you have or have you recently had any of these symptoms?●Fever●Chills●Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing●New Cough●New loss of taste or smell■Have you been diagnosed with COVID-19?●For multi-day events, it is highly recommended that your group do a daily healthscreening consisting of the above questions and temperature checks for all participants.●Your organization is responsible and required to read and understand our COVID-19health policies as stated in ​Crowdersridge.com/commitment-to-health/​. As group leader,it is your responsibility to enforce masking, social distancing, hand washing, and anyother relevant policies for the safety of your campers.Safety While at CampThe following are North Carolina requirements and recommendations for the campsetting. It is the responsibility of the event organizer/leader to enforce these policies,except as they pertain to Crowders Camps’ staff.By North Carolina regulations, all workers, all other adults, and children five years or older onsite must wear a face covering when they are or may be within six (6) feet of another person,unless the person (or family member, for a child) states that an exception applies.Small Group Sizes/Limited Interaction1.Campers should stay with their cabin groups at all times and interaction with other cabingroups will be limited.2.Hand washing times should be built into the camp schedule on a frequent basis andcampers will be required to participate.3.During some outdoor activities away from major buildings, appropriate (60% alcohol)hand sanitizer should be used. As soon as campers return to a location with runningwater, the campers should be required to wash their hands.4.Cabin groups should have scheduled times for showering and using restroom facilities toavoid excessive interaction with other groups.5.To prevent other avenues of exposure, outside guests or visitors on the camp propertyshould be limited or prohibited whenever possible.ActivitiesSubject to change. Last updated on 9/29/20

1.Activities should be planned to allow for social distancing.2.Shared equipment should be minimized and sanitized between campers when at allpossible.Sleeping Arrangements for Multi-Day Groups1.Cabins will be arranged to allow for as much physical distancing as possible.2.Signs will be posted reminding campers and leaders to sleep with 6 feet in betweencampers’ heads while in bunks, whenever possible.If a Participant Becomes Symptomatic While at CampIn the event that a participant begins to show signs of illness or COVID-19 while at camp, thefollowing protocol ​must​ be enacted.1.The camper will be separated from all other individuals under the supervision of theevent leadership (NOT Crowders Camps leadership) at a designated isolation location.2.The participant will be requested to wear a mask until they leave the camp.3.If a minor, the participant’s parent/guardian will be contacted and requested to pick upthe participant as soon as possible.4.Any leaders waiting with the sick participant MUST wear masks and remain 6+ feet awayfrom the sick participant as much as possible. Ventilation of the area should be improvedas much as possible by opening windows or doors.5.The symptomatic participant will not be allowed back to camp unless they meet all NorthCarolina guidelines.6.Once the participant leaves the property, the isolation area will be cleaned anddisinfected according to the guidelines in our facilities policy documents.If the symptomatic participant goes on to be diagnosed with COVID-19 or presumed positive bya medical professional, Crowders Camps will work with our local Health Department whennecessitated by North Carolina regulation to properly prevent the spread of illness in the campsetting.Health WarningAbove all else, if you have concerns about a participant attending camp for any reason, pleasecontact your physician for further advice. Please familiarize yourself with the CDC’s informationon persons at high risk for COVID-19(​https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-at-higher-risk.html​).If your participant is at high risk, please consider not attending/sending him or her to camp, andconsult with your physician.Subject to change. Last updated on 9/29/20

Staff Safety Policies - COVID-19To promote the safety and health of our staff and campers, our staff will follow the protocoldetailed below.●All staff will be provided with documented training and instruction on the safe wearingand use of masks as recommended by the CDC.●All staff will be provided with documented training on the symptoms of COVID-19 andcamp policies for camper safety.●All staff will be required to wear a cloth face covering when they may be near (less than6 feet from) other people.●All staff will wash their hands upon arrival to camp each day, as applicable, and willwash their hands frequently throughout the day.●All staff will document their temperature upon arrival/at the start of each day and sign offon new North Carolina state health screening questions.●All staff will maintain social distancing from all other individuals at camp (staff andcampers) at all times if it is feasible (example of an exception: when checking personalsafety gear such as a climbing harness).●If a staff member becomes symptomatic during a camp day, they will be required toleave immediately and not return until cleared in writing from a doctor. In the case ofmultiple staff members from the same household, all household members will be senthome if one becomes symptomatic.Facilities Safety Policies - COVID-19SIGNAGESigns will be posted throughout campus to remind campers to Wait, Wear, and Wash.Signs that will be posted include:●“Know Your W’s”●Stay 6 feet apart●Mask Required Area●“Do not enter the facility if [COVID conditions apply]”IF A PARTICIPANT OR STAFF MEMBER SHOWS SYMPTOMS OR USES THE COVID-19ISOLATION AREAAll affected areas will be cleaned as follows:Subject to change. Last updated on 9/29/20

All areas used by the sick person will be closed and out of use until after cleaning anddisinfecting.●Wait at least 24 hours before cleaning and disinfecting. If 24 hours is not feasible, waitas long as possible.●Open outside doors and windows to increase air circulation in the area.●Campers and staff should not be in rooms that are being cleaned.●NCDHHS Environmental Health Section guidance for cleaning and disinfectionrecommendations.●Use an EPA-registered disinfectant that is active against coronaviruses. Clean all areasused by the sick person, focusing especially on frequently touched surfaces such asdoorknobs, light switches, countertops, chairs, cubbies, and playground structures. Wewill use our standard cleaning chemicals.●Cleaning staff should follow all Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and hand hygieneCDC recommendations for cleaning.INCREASED FREQUENCY OF CLEANINGShared ItemsTo the extent possible, all items that might be shared by campers such as archery equipmentwill be disinfected between each use (see below for disinfectants).Frequently Touched SurfacesFrequently touched surfaces will be cleaned and disinfected multiple times daily (or more) withthe proper disinfectant spray solution (see below).Examples of frequently touched surfaces include tables, drinking fountains, door handles, handrailings, light switches, countertops, cabinet handles, toilets, faucets, and sinks. Any othersurfaces frequently touched by campers or staff will be cleaned and disinfected at least threetimes per day (or more).Toilets, Showers, Restrooms, Changing RoomsHigh touch surfaces including toilets, showers, restrooms are cleaned and disinfected at leastthree times per day (or more) with the following products:Disinfectant Spray SolutionBIOTAB7​: Biotab7 is an EPA registered Germicide that kills 99.9% of germs and isrecommended by the CDC to kill SARS-COV-2. It has a high residency factor and continues tobe effective several hours after application. It kills bacteria and viruses in as fast as 60 seconds.It’s an all-in-one, multi-surface, one-step, bactericidal.Subject to change. Last updated on 9/29/20

HDQC2​: ​HDQC2 is a neutral pH, quaternary disinfectant cleaner formulated to kill a broadspectrum of microorganisms and hard and nonporous surfaces. It has a kill time of 10 minutesand is recommended for use to kill SARS-COV-2.Camper and Staff as Passengers1.Each staff and camper will be asked a series of questions just like they were asked atcheck in to determine if they are experiencing sickness or flu-like symptoms. If they areperceived to have some sort of illness they will not be allowed to get on the bus andquarantine until their ride comes to get them (​SEE the ‘If a Camper BecomesSymptomatic While at Camp’ section​)2.All staff and campers will be required to wash or sanitize hands before boarding the bus.3.A staff member will remind staff and campers to cough or sneeze into their elbow andavoid touching their mouth, nose, and eyes.4.All staff and campers will be required to wear a face mask while riding in the vehicle.5.If for some reason multiple trips have to be taken because there isn’t enough room in thevehicle, the bus will be properly sanitized with the proper disinfectant and usedappropriately.Aquatic FacilitiesThe novel coronavirus SARS-CoV2 is not waterborne. There is no current evidence thatCOVID-19 can be spread to people through the water in a pool, hot tubs, spas, or water playareas. Proper operation and maintenance of pools and related facilities will likely inactivate thevirus in the water. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states “there is noevidence showing anyone has gotten COVID-19 through drinking water, recreational water, orwastewater. The risk of COVID-19 transmission through water is expected to be low.” However,Crowders Camps will follow safe physical distancing and proper hygiene practices at ourwaterfront and pool recreational areas.POOLAs noted by the CDC, proper operation, maintenance, and disinfection of swimming pools willlikely inactivate the virus that causes COVID-19. Our swimming pool will be properly cleanedand disinfected daily.1.Each camper and staff member will be required to shower before entering the pool.2.Each camper will be in a group. Each group will be assigned a time for the pool. Arotation process will be set up for each group to follow between the pool and waterfront.This will allow for social distancing between groups. More than one group will not beallowed at the pool at a time.WaterfrontThere is no current evidence that COVID-19 can be spread to people through the water in apool or waterfront.Subject to change. Last updated on 9/29/20

GUATEMALA CHRISTMAS

Who? 
All elementary students,
All secondary students,
All  parents are invited to participate!

When?      Friday, October 16th, 1:15-3:30 is our pack-the-bag day!! 

What? 

Elementary and Secondary Students will partner together in our annual Guatemala Christmas pack-the bag event.  Students will work together to collect supplies so we can fill up bags (Cheer Packs) full of goodies, salvation inserts, and the gospel of John.  These will be sent to children in Guatemala.  Mike Parker, the director at Clubhouse Guatemala, will speak during Connections and during the afternoon event on Oct 16th.  After sharing about the ministry, Mr. Parker will help us pack the bags and will take our filled Cheer Packs to Tennessee that afternoon.

Secondary students and Elementary students will meet outside to pack and pray over Christmas bags going to Guatemala. We are asking for specific items to be donated in the weeks leading up to our packing day. (Our goal is to fill and ship 130 bags.  However, last year we were able to fill around 180, and with additional bags from a church, we sent out 211!)

Elementary students/families can also participate in 4 ways:

Bring in a 2 gallon ziplock bag (from home or from the front desk) filled with one of each of the items listed below

Send in any supplies from the list below

Send in a check written out to Lake Pointe Academy to be used for purchasing supplies

Send in a check to Clubhouse Ministries that can go towards shipping or shoes

Please help us by bringing in donations: 

-Supplies needed (listed below) to fill the bags AND

-$5 to ship each bag. ( if you would also like a child to receive a new pair of shoes, a $20 donation will cover both shipping and shoes). (130 bags x $5 shipping is $650, so anything over $650 allows us to give these children shoes.) 

Checks can be made out to Clubhouse Ministries. 

-The next 3 Wednesday hot lunches will also be used to help offset the costs of shipping the bags.

October 5th-October 14th: SEND IN DONATIONS! (These will be collected in boxes in Lake Pointe’s main lobby.)

Oct. 14th : We will reassess to see what items we still need

Oct. 16th : All final donations will be turned in to the lobby or at the pack-the-bag event  (including checks written out to Clubhouse Ministries ($5 shipping or $20 shipping and shoes) )

List of items to be donated:

Please bring in enough items for 5 -10 kids.  Specific items are requested from each grade level, but feel free to add items too, especially extra toys (dolls, jacks, dice, deck of cards, harmonica, etch a sketch, flashlight with batteries, necklaces, bracelets, bookmarks, balls -no miniature bouncy balls please- choking hazard)

-K-5th grade – Coloring books, crayons, stuffed animals/dolls and extra toys (items listed above)

-6th grade- Candy (bags of hard candy-no chocolate please), dolls or stuffed animals

-7th grade- Socks, comb or brush, and hair accessories (hair bows, barrettes)

-8th grade- Notebooks, pencils and accessories (erasers, sharpeners)

-9th grade- Coloring books, jump ropes

-10th-11th grade- Toothbrush, toothpaste,

-12th grade- Soap and washcloth, jump ropes 

If you would like to send in monetary donations instead, that would also be a blessing!  We can do the shopping and use your donation for items we need.  

For example, a $10-$20 donation provides 10-20 frisbees, stuffed animals, notebooks, coloring books, balls, or jump ropes!

Or 

If you would like to buy in bulk:

- Amazon.com sells many of these items below in bulk. If you order from Amazon Smile and choose Lake Pointe Academy, then Lake Pointe can get credit from your purchase. (For example: it has 24 packs of Crayola 6 pack crayons for $11.96)

-Dollar Tree sells all of these items for a dollar. It has Bible coloring books , sets of toothpaste and toothbrushes and combs and hairbrushes, hair bows, barrettes, bulk sets of pencils, sharpeners and erasers  and 3 packs of soap and 2 pack washcloth all for a dollar.

-Carnivalsource.com sells a 50-piece car set for $14.80 

-Oriental Trading sells decks of cards for $9.79 per dozen, small notebooks with crosses on them at 24 for $6.69, and cuddly stuffed bears at $19.99 per dozen.

-Christianbooks.com has Spanish coloring books.

-Walmart sells Hanes crew socks at 12 pairs for $9.98 and an 18 pack of washcloths for $3.97.

- Partycity.com sells jump ropes inside or has curb pick up (pack of 18 for $12).

Where? Items can be brought to LPA’s main building and can be placed in the various boxes by item and grade level.  Items will be stored in the boxes until Friday, October 16th.

Dress? Dress code for this event will follow NORMAL LPA DRESS. Shorts must come down to the knees, and shirts must have sleeves covering the shoulder.

COVID CONSIDERATIONS?

This bags will be packed outdoors with plenty of space given to students going through the line. 

The activities will allow for students to maintain an arm lengths distance from others. If they want to wear masks they can but they will only be asked to put a mask on when within an arm length away from other students.

We will have hand sanitizers and wipes available on a table outside.

Bathrooms will can be used as normal (no more than 4 people in them at a time).

Parent/Chaperone roles? Distribute items at the various tables and ensure bags have all the necessary items and are ready for shipping.

A link to a video about the Cheer packs and another link to a video showing children receiving their Cheer packs last year is 

below:

Watch “CHEER Packs Promo 17” on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/232713351?ref=em-share

Watch “CHEER Packs Distribution 2017” on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/251823199?ref=em-share

About Christmas in Guatemala :

Two groups of LPA students from two different organizations went on mission trips to Guatemala several summers ago. When there, our students personally witnessed how great the needs were for the children in Guatemala. As a result, for the last four years the Student Service Council has hosted a service project alongside the Clubhouse Guatemala/Clubhouse Ministries organization called “Christmas in Guatemala.” This project enables families at Lake Pointe to partner with other churches and organizations and provide Christmas to children in need in Guatemala.

According to the ministry's web site, www.clubhouseg.com

Clubhouse Guatemala was founded with the idea that everyone is created equal in the eyes of God. They choose to share the love of Christ through serving others and helping them to grow in their faith to increase the Harvest of God’s Kingdom. Clubhouse Guatemala is currently serving families in 22 different communities of Guatemala. They have:

• Student Development Centers in 8 communities, working with over 1000 kids and their families on a weekly basis

• Child Sponsorship Program which paves the way for hundreds of personal relationships between US families and Guatemalan families

• Church partners from all over the United States who spend time at the Clubhouse Mission House in Guatemala City and Camp Calvary

Today, Clubhouse is making a huge impact in thousands of lives with ministries such as VBS, Block Parties, Medical Clinics, Home Construction, Water Filter Systems, Chicken Coops, and many other ways.

Clubhouse is a registered Non-Profit in Guatemala and in the United States for the purpose of partnering with Christ-centered companies and individuals to help with the ongoing ministry of Guatemala. 

Our goal is to love people into a true relationship with Jesus Christ.

We're not the only ones affected by Covid-19

This summer, help support families in Guatemala

   As Mr. Miller's Student Life e-mail mentioned this week, the needs in Guatemala are considerable. Lake Pointe families can continue to support Clubhouse Guatemala as a way to effectively aid the children and families that ministry serves. 

   Please help by praying for the people of that Central American nation and for the ministry's workers. Clubhouse Guatemala is a ministry that Lake Pointe has supported for years, including:

Annual Christmas Guatemala gift bag packing by elementary and secondary families.

Bi-annual Guatemala missions trip for secondary students (canceled this year by Covid-19)

The ministry has produced some videos to help us to be aware of some of the struggles going on currently with Clubhouse Ministries, for prayer requests and support needs. Please visit the web site here.