Back to the start

Did you miss us?  Time flies when you’re having fun, and it’s hard to believe that February was the last time we sent out a newsletter (the… gulp... quarterly newsletter, don’t tell anyone it’s been so long).  Behind the scenes, Heavenly King Orthodox Academy has been humming away, actively getting ready for this new school year which, for the co-op, starts tomorrow!  That’s right, tomorrow morning we will be opening our doors to our students, welcoming back familiar faces and welcoming in some new ones.  It feels like new beginnings, coming back to the start.  What a joy!

This year we’ve increased our offerings, thanks to the willingness of the community to share their time and talents with us.  While the youngest children will continue to be guided by Ms Clare and their parent(s), and the middle years will be led by myself (Ms Elissa), our oldest students (12yo+) will be taught by Subdeacon Edwin this year.  The students were polled and chose to do a study on Tolkein’s works The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, in light of Orthodox understanding.  I so wish I could be a fly on the wall for those classes!

After the faith lessons, we will have an art station set up for the littlest ones, while Ms Natalia leads the rest of the group in a more structured art lesson.  I’m so excited to see them explore their creativity and grow their artistic skills as they practice different techniques throughout the year.  Perhaps we could have an art show at the end of the year for the students to showcase their hard work.  Let us know if that’s something you would like to see!

Ms Tamara has also graciously agreed to offer some music/singing lessons again for those students and families who want to participate.  The children had so much fun with her last year, and I can’t wait to hear their voices once more!

Ms Stephanie will continue to organize monthly field trips this year, including going bowling and to the zoo, as well as some visits to local businesses/community helpers like Lee Valley and fire halls.  These field trips are open to all families, even if you don’t attend the co-op regularly, so if you are interested, please reach out.

We are also so excited to share Sunday Saunters, a monthly outing for the whole pan-Orthodox community.  The etymology of the word “saunter” is thought to come from the French words “sainte terre” which translates to “holy ground” and was used by people in the Middle Ages who were on a pilgrimage.  Our hope is that Sunday Saunters will be a time to gather and explore God’s wondrous creation together!  I can’t emphasize enough that this is not just for HKOA families, or even young families, but for all of us (young and old, with children in tow or with no children at all) who want to move our bodies joyfully.  Please check out our events page for a list of dates and locations.  Our next Sunday Saunter will be October 20th at La Barriere Park, 1:30pm.

And if that’s not enough (did you think I was done?!), we are thrilled to share the details of our next HKOA Speaker Series that was announced back in February.  Fr Andrew Stephen Damick will be joining us on Saturday, October 26th for a talk entitled “The Lord of Spirits: An Orthodox Christian Framework for the Unseen World and Spiritual Warfare”. 

The modern world doesn’t acknowledge but is nevertheless haunted by spirits – angels, demons, and saints.  In our time, many yearn to break free of this prison of a flat, secular materialism, to see and to know reality as it truly is.  What is this spiritual reality like?  How do we engage with it well?  How do we permeate everyday life with spiritual presence?

Fr Andrew is well known for his popular podcasts (including The Lord of Spirits, Amon Sul, The Areopagus) and his many books (including Arise, O God, Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy, An Introduction to God and Bearing God, all from Ancient Faith Publishing).  Oh, and he does believe in both dragons and giants.

Tickets are now on sale at thelordofspirits.eventbrite.ca!

Thank you for your encouragement, your support and most importantly for your prayers.  May our Heavenly King guide us, today and every day, so that our work may be to His glory.

With love in Christ,

Elissa and the HKOA Team