*This month is moving right along. It’s the third Wednesday of January already. I hope much has been going well healthwise for you all, as the fluctuations in temperatures can present issues. My challenge this month has been eye allergies (itchy, red & watery). I’m grateful that things are as well as they are because they could be worse. Right? Take care of yourselves and each other.
Church News:
Wesley Ray UMC:
*The Concerned Citizens Of Angie Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) Program was held at the Wesley Ray United Methodist Church on Saturday, January 17th. The guest speaker was Kewanda August and Mrs. Joanie Jfferson was the 2026 Queen / the late Mr. Thomas Harvey Jefferson, Jr. was honored as the 2026 King. The program featured presentations by the Youth in the Angie, Live Oak and Varnado communities.
Ford Chapel MBC: The church celebrated 13 years of service for Pastor Archie McGowan and family on Sunday, January 18th. Pastor Linza Cotton was the speaker for this honorable occasion.
School News:
Varnado High School (VHS/VJHS):
**Congratulations to the following students on being selected as the “January Wildcats of the Month”: 6th Grade are Derricka Gibson & Jason Noah; 7th Grade are Skylan Springer & Shane Harelson; 8th Grade are Drucilla Lewis & Jaquan Kemp; 9th Grade are Natalie Bonura & Dominic Peters; 10th Grade are Londyn Weary & Rylee Cummins and 11th Grade are Victoria Hogard & Jhyren Pigott. In addition, the December 2025 Senior Spotlight features Khloe Vargas-Mingo. Congratulations again to all and keep striving!
*Teacher of the Month is Ms. Cherylon Lewis and Staff of the Month
Ms. Sandra Lusk. Thank you both for all that you do for our students.
*Spirit Shirts are on sale in the front office. They were designed by VHS student, Kinsley Sims.
Wesley Ray Elem. (WRE):
*The 100th Day of School will be celebrated on Tuesday, January 27th.
Reflections:
*On Reducing Stress: *Some situations in life can be quite stressful. One such experience that I had was with indoor plumbing last week that caused me to feel a great deal of stress, if you know what I mean. The incident started while I was in the kitchen and I heard a “thud” sound. I moved toward the ensuing sound of water “spraying” and saw water all over the bathroom floor. At this point, I went outside to the water cut-off valve to turn the water off to my entire home. Then I assessed the situation to locate the source of the problem and discovered that the cold-water hose had burst under the sink. I called a repairman and he came and fixed it. Needless to say I was greatly relieved. But what reduced my stress even more was recognizing God’s Timing in this issue. You see I could have not been home, I could have been asleep or even just outside which meant that the water would have continued to run, causing more damages to repair. Instead I was close enough to hear, see and take immediate action. Won’t He Do It? #GodIsGood. ***Keep Loving One Another more & more each day, GPigott***
