Extracurricular Activities

Chess Club

To sign up for Chess Club, please click this link:

The chess club at Zion Classical Academy begins on February 6th. Play times are from 3:15 to 4:15 p.m. We will continue to play every Thursday until our last day on April 24th.

All students who wish to participate must sign up using the link above. New players and veterans are welcome to join and play. Coaching and teaching will occur together throughout the weeks.

We will be participating in the ESU9 chess tournament on April 1st.

Chess Club Rules and Expectations:

Rules:

1. This club will be rather informal. Talking during games is allowed and learning from other players is encouraged. Respecting others during matches is expected.

2. Touch. Typically, if you touch a piece you must move it. Exceptions are made in friendly matches, but permission will need to be requested (for new players only).

3. Games will not be rated through ELO.

4. Matches are not timed in this club. Play may end in a draw if end game pieces are minimal and matches become uncomfortably long.

5. Three fold repetition, moving he same piece back and forth, is discouraged.

6. Outside boards may be brought in for fun, but ZCA will not be held responsible to boards or pieces that break. Three and Four person chess boards can be an interesting change!

7. Members must be respectful of equipment and others. If a member breaks guidelines, they will be asked to step away from our chess club.

8. There is no cost to join the chess club.

Astronomy Club

Third through sixth-grade students could join the Astronomy club in the fall of 2024. Students learned about plants, stars, solar systems, satellites, the electromagnetic spectrum, black holes, the big bang, and how God's amazing creation has become known.

Students can visit the Hastings Museum for a planetarium show, observe the night sky using technology, and look through powerful telescopes at the Sachtleben Observatory.

Through this unique after-school club, students can help balance the quadrivium by deepening their understanding of astronomy in space and time.

Sports

In conjunction with providing our students with a fine Christian and academic education, we also grant the opportunity for our students to participate in sports. Our desire is that students who engage in these activities will further develop spiritually, mentally, emotionally, physically, and socially with love for other human beings and a deeper faith in Jesus Christ. Students are encouraged to be the best that they can be to the glory of God. The Athletic Director, coaches, and parents are positive role models facilitating each student’s growth and development.

Zion looks to rebuild its athletic programs by providing the opportunity for students to initiate meaningful, Christ-centered relationships through sport. Students will learn how cooperation produces friendships as well as the satisfaction that comes from being part of a group with a common interest. Basic skills will be introduced, then students learn how to hone those skills through various sports.

We are beginning to work in conjunction with the local YMCA. Our organizations believe that a proper Christian environment is beneficial for both. This is the first step as Zion pursues its ultimate goal to once again compete in the Missouri Synod League.

Field Day

Track and Field skills are developed from an early age at Zion. Every spring, all of the Lutheran schools in our area are invited to bring their Kindergarten – 6th grade students to compete in our annual Field Day, hosted by Heartland Lutheran High School in Grand Island. Age-appropriate track & field events (both individual and group) are available to all students. The day begins with prayer, which sets the tone of Christian fellowship as schools engage in this annual competition.