CHCA Eagles Eye - Summer 2012 by Debbie Shear

EAGLE’SEYE summer

THE CINCINNATI HILLS CHRISTIAN ACADEMY MAGAZINE

2012

from the HEAD OF SCHOOL What a fabulous year at CHCA.

We started with record enrollment and soaring interest, and the months that followed brought a slew of new experiences to our campuses. As you’ll read in this issue of Eagle’s Eye, our brand new robotics team sparked the interests of a surprising number of students resulting in a win at the Purdue regional competition and an automatic invite to the national competition; our newly formed dance team went on to a national competition; individual students excelled at the national level; and locally, our sports teams once again sent many to state competitions and our stage production of Godspell received a CHCA record 19 Cappie nominations. I was also inspired by the way students took on “Hunger Week,” studying world hunger, engaging in the issues and participating in a day of limited access to food and conveniences in order to influence understanding of this global reality. A new timeframe presented fresh intersession experiences for our first-ever May Term, with students, teachers and parents expanding their worldview in Cincinnati, South Carolina, Mexico, Ireland and a myriad of other locales. As the world becomes smaller to our students, we want them to be acutely aware of the potential they have to become actively involved in addressing the world’s concerns through their personal and professional choices. We hope these experiences that make CHCA a unique place also ignite a passion in our students to learn, lead and serve. What you will also find in these pages are the individual and institutional successes experienced this year at CHCA. We are so thankful for the platform CHCA provides for students to find a heart for God, an understanding of their gifts and a mind well developed for success in the intellectual rigors of college and life. But we are not satisfied with where we are currently…we can do more. In that regard, the Board of Trustees and administration launched a two-year strategic study of our opportunities to advance the mission of CHCA. Six teams are launched and fully operational, studying topics such as Strategic Compensation to retain and recruit the best faculty; supporting a sustainable cohort of highly academic students; fostering leadership among students; enriching our international student programs; supporting our growing programs with generous facilities and resources; marketing and branding the excellence in CHCA programming to an ever widening audience; describing and enhancing our Christ-centered institutional focus and nature; and promoting excellence in our student’s athletic experience and growth. Their work is already underway with plans to conclude in spring of 2013. As you can see, our short 23 year history has wrought a great deal of momentum for our students, families and staff, and the best is yet to come. Thank you so much for various ways you each give of your talents, time and treasures in making this such a wonderful school. God bless,

Randy Brunk CHCA Head of School

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2012

CAMPUS HIGHLIGHTS

FEATURES

Jackie Tso ’14 travels to China

COPYEDITOR Molly Packer ’10

CHCA’s staying power by Casey Sutherly ’00

CONTRIBUTORS Dawn Marosi Mallory Massa ’12 Casey Sutherly Purnhagen ’00 Angela Stutz Brittany Wesson ’06 Tracy Wolcott

Claim your seat by Angela Stutz

New scholarship brings Hope to families

Flipping CHCA classrooms into the 21st century

Celebration 2012

A world of opportunities for mission-minded students

LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER Judi Alvarado

ALUMNI NEWS

Eagle’s Eye is published semi-annually by Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy

From your Alumni Relations Office

Leave the map behind: Amber Edwards ’07

Please send address changes to rebecca.sequeira@chca-oh.org or call (513) 247-0900

Class notes

EAGLE’SEYE Volume 15 EDITOR Liz Bronson Rosenau ’00

LAYOUT & DESIGN Corrie Church

Visit us on the web at www.chca-oh.org Follow CHCA on Facebook

facebook.com/cincinnatihillschristianacademy ON THE COVERS: (Front) The cast of Godspell brings the Broadway hit to the CHCA stage; (Back) Nevaeh Barnes, Emma Staub and Joel McSwain enjoy the wonders of the solar system during COSI on Wheels' visit to EBL Elementary.

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Ee CAMPUS HIGHL Vocation and

Leadership Day takes students down the career path less traveled

Cincinnati State President O'dell Owens addresses students

Gabe Pegis (CHCA Dad and Principal Second Violinist for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra) speaks as musician/producer Ric Hordinski looks on

Cincinnati Enquirer columnist Krista Ramsey discusses her career path

CHCA alumni mom and Restavek Freedom Foundation Executive Director Joan Conn talks about nonprofit management 2

EAGLE’SEYE

by Brittany Wesson ’06

Is it possible to see the pursuit of a career as divinely inspired? Can an accountant or a journalist say they’re responding to God’s calling by crunching numbers and writing about local politics? On February 22, high school students spent the day learning from professionals about how a career can take an unexpected path and be shaped by the Lord’s promptings. The MSL HS Guidance Office organized CHCA’s first Vocation and Leadership Day in response to “the need for a stronger career component to help students focus on their purpose and their calling,” says Director of Guidance Marianne Borgmann. Guidance counselors already use personality and career tests to help students identify strengths, interests and potential vocations. Vocation and Leadership Day was a way to take those ideas – which can seem abstract or distant to a teenager – and put them in real-world context. “We wanted them to think outside of the box,” Borgmann says. “Most students seem to have an idea as to what they want to pursue, so this event gave them the opportunity to hear from a variety of professionals.” The day began with an address from MSL HS Principal Dean Nicholas, after which students attended three different fortyminute sessions led by 27 professionals from fields including ministry, law, media, the arts, engineering and medical. Students were encouraged to ask questions and further their understanding of the variety of directions a vocation can take. In choosing speakers for the day, Borgmann explained they wanted to provide a “look at folks who took a path that they didn’t even know they were going to take.” O’dell Owens, former Hamilton County Coroner and current president of Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, delivered the closing address. Borgmann says Vocation and Leadership Day was a success, and that it will likely be a biennial event to give students a chance to investigate how a career can be more than just a job, it can be a calling.

LIGHTS

CAMPUS HIGHLIGHTS

“Carl” takes his perch at Armleder

Four years ago, a beautiful papier-mâché giraffe began calling the Armleder lobby home. Wildlife sculptor Bonnie Meyer Day worked with students to build the eight-foot-tall animal, named “Edyth” to honor the significant contributions Mrs. Edyth Lindner’s family has made to the school. The sculpture still stands proudly next to the front doors, greeting students and teachers as they come to school each morning. Thanks to support from CHCA’s Friends of Fine Arts, Day was asked back to Armleder this winter to serve as artist-inresidence for another project: an eagle. “It’s the CHCA mascot, but eagles are also a symbol of long life, great strength and wisdom,” Varner says of the bird, dubbed “Carl” in memory of Edyth’s late husband, Mr. Carl Lindner, Jr. “We wanted to dedicate it to Mr. Lindner because of the commitment he showed to our school and because he was a person of great strength and wisdom, too.” Work began on Carl the eagle and his habitat in January. Every student had a part in the process: while Day and Varner worked to make the eagle out of plaster, cardboard, wood and fabric, kids got to work painting the walls with blue skies, white clouds, a pine tree forest and purple mountains in a corner of the lobby. Up in the art room, two mosaic trees were made from clay and installed on the walls in the habitat. A nest of twigs (collected from the homes of students) was constructed – complete with three fleece eaglets – to sit atop an artificial branch. Carl’s feathers were made from pieces of fabric cut in the shape of hands, each one the hand of an Armleder student. “It’s very exciting to think that every student in the school actually touched this piece and left their mark on it,” Varner says. “Kids learn that much can be accomplished when they come together and work as a group to make something larger than life and permanent.” Mrs. Lindner came to Armleder on April 26 to see the eagle and visit with students. Armleder Principal Cammie Montgomery was there. “It was such a privilege to be able to honor his memory in this special way,” Montgomery says. “Mr. Lindner’s light shines in so many ways throughout Cincinnati and most especially here at Armleder. Mrs. Lindner said she told her husband about our plans to create the eagle before he went home to be with the Lord. She also told me he would be proud.” Carl now perches across the lobby from Edyth the giraffe. Varner thinks it will serve as an inspiration to every student who walks through the doors. “Having this eagle watch over our students, faculty, and staff each day will be a constant reminder of the wisdom and strength that we draw from God and of Mr. Lindner, who used his gifts to better our city and touch the lives our students.”

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Annual FINE ARTS FESTIVAL ArtBeat puts CHCA’s best on display by Brittany Wesson ’06

Celebrating its fourteenth year, CHCA’s ArtBeat Fine Arts Festival brought together more than 700 CHCA students to celebrate the visual and performing arts on Saturday, April 14. Hundreds of attendees gathered at MSL High School to watch performances, participate in hands-on art, and view pieces in a juried art competition. Thanks to the contributions of nearly 30 community sponsors and countless volunteers, ArtBeat (featuring this year’s theme “Art of Worship”) once again drew the CHCA community together. Multiple performing venues allowed CHCA students to showcase their talents, while the high school gymnasium’s Hang Your Art Out exhibit displayed student works from all four buildings. Professional artists including Mary Hoft and Laine Discepoli joined student artists in doing demonstrations for the crowd while kids of all ages made their own art at nearby booths. ArtBeat 2012 Chair Jackie Horning says that while the inspiration remains the same, every year brings something new. “The mission is to give praise and honor to God by showcasing the creative expressions of our students,” she explains. “Every ArtBeat is unique because our students evolve, emerge and graduate from year to year.” Once again, ArtBeat served as the perfect venue for CHCA students to reflect God’s glory through their talent. 4

EAGLE’SEYE

CHCA Athletes Who Went to State 2011-12

CAMPUS HIGHLIGHTS

GIRLS' TENNIS

Dominique Baxter & Holly Dahmus (seniors) Division II State Doubles Champs

Aliza Williams (sophomore)

2011 Girls Tennis Team: State Runner-Up

SWIMMING

Kendall Hart (sophomore)

Relay Team: Stephanie Schlosser (senior), Michelle Feeney (senior), Kendall Hart (sophomore), and Caroline Hughes (freshman)

WRESTLING

BOYS' TENNIS

Tyler Kirbabas (senior)

Colin Kenney (junior)

Roger Phelps (senior)

Logan Henize (senior)

College-bound CHCA athletes Matt Blankenship, a left-handed pitcher, will play baseball for Indiana Wesleyan University.

Football players taking the field for their colleges and universities include offensive lineman Josh Thiel (Robert Morris University), wide receiver Austin Jones (Virginia Tech), linebacker Nick Taylor (Hillsdale College), linebacker Zach James (Carthage College), and defensive lineman Brandon Moore (University of Alabama).

Right-handed pitcher Ted Andrews will play baseball for Furman University.

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New dance team takes national stage by Brittany Wesson ’06

CHCA’s fine arts offerings blossomed this year with the addition of a varsity dance team. Director of Fine Arts Mona Summers invited former Mount Notre Dame dance coach Melissa Kidd to build the CHCA dance program from the ground up. The team, comprised of eleven girls, featured dancers from both MSL High School and CHCA Middle School and combined the discipline of athleticism with the creativity of performance. “It usually takes a few years to get a team going and get it built up,” Kidd remarks. “But right out of the gate they were just really amazing.” Training focused on two types of routines (pom and jazz) which the team performed at regional competitions and MSL HS basketball games.

Dance team members included (back row, l-r) Lacey Hardwick, Allie O'Neill, Hannah Chait, Chelsea Feeney, Stephanie Taylor, (front row, l-r) Ally Wallace, Alli Horning, Caroline Kuremsky, Baylee Jackson, Morganne Venters, and Allison Jenkins.

Despite being a rookie squad, the team qualified to compete against hundreds of others at the National Dance Team Competition in February. “They were totally up for the challenge. They wowed everybody,” Kidd says. Hosted by the Universal Dance Association, the two-day competition was held at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando. The event was broadcast on ESPN and judged by professional dancers and choreographers who rated the routines based on choreography, technique, group execution, and overall effect. After a year of hard work, CHCA’s team finished their run in the semifinals, a great feat for a young team in what can be described as one of the nation’s top dance team competitions. Coach Kidd remains focused not only on the future of the team, but the future of the CHCA dance program overall. Now that a varsity team has been established she hopes to expand the program to include both middle and elementary school students. “My goal is for students to have a well-rounded dance education,” Kidd underlines. “Not just be a dance team.”

DANIEL KYALO gets his diploma

All graduations are something to be celebrated, but this one might be extra special: Daniel Kyalo has officially received his undergraduate degree and is moving on to law school. CHCA Outreach Coordinator Karen Hordinski received word this November that Daniel got his diploma from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa in Nairobi after four years of hard work and support from CHCA students. In January of 2007, Hordinski and students on the Winter Term trip to Kenya met Kyalo and learned that he had aspirations to attend college, become a lawyer and return to his village to fight injustice and help lift others out of poverty. But with a village average income of a dollar a day, it seemed unlikely. That fall, a group of high school students (Class of 2009 students Lindsey Evans, Porsha Frazier, Katie Castellano and Chris Powers) committed to fund four years of Kyalo’s tuition and began holding Parents’ Night Out babysitting events to raise the money. Other students like Meredith Stutz, Amanda Pritchard, Michelle Feeney and Caroline Schulte picked up where they left off. The final Parents’ Night Out event raised $700, which Hordinski wired to Kyalo to use for his family, a new laptop, books or expenses as he takes on law school. “This concludes our financial support for Daniel, but he will always be in our prayers and thoughts,” she says. In an e-mail to Hordinski, Kyalo was grateful. “I sincerely have no words to appreciate you, the parents and students of Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy for the spiritual and financial support towards my schooling!” he wrote. “I plan to do a lot in God's Kingdom in return for this! May God bless you abundantly. Thank you.”

EAGLE’SEYE

Facebook.com/cincinnatihillschristianacademy

CAMPUS HIGHLIGHTS National Merit Recognition National Merit Finalists 2011-12: Jon Price and Amanda Pritchard

CHCA seniors Jonathan Price and Amanda Pritchard were named 2012 National Merit Finalists in February. To become a Finalist, a National Merit Semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by the high school principal, and earn SAT scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test. Just 2,500 scholarship winners are selected from the nationwide Finalist pool of 15,000 students. In May, Price found out he will receive a $2,500 scholarship sponsored by Auburn University, where he plans to study engineering. Michelle Feeney, Grace Paschall, Austin Skoglund and Brian Taylor were recognized as Commended Students in the 2012 National Merit Scholarship Program. Although they do not continue in the competition for scholarships, Commended Students place among the top five percent of more than 1.5 million students who took the 2010 PSAT (the test that determines program entrants).

Commended students 2011-12:

(L-R) Michelle Feeney, Grace Paschall,

Brian Taylor and Austin Skoglund

FIRST-EVER

Cum Laude Scholarships AWARDED

Students currently in grades 8 and 9 stand to earn up to 90% of CHCA’s high school tuition, renewable annually throughout their high school enrollment thanks to new Cum Laude Scholarships. To be eligible for scholarships, students must first be currently in grades 8 or 9 and have been accepted for admission to CHCA (or already be enrolled). Students then qualify by taking the Independent School Entrance Examination (ISEE) in November, December, February, March or May and having their scores sent to CHCA. (Beginning fall of 2012, students in grade 10 can qualify for a Cum Laude award based on their PSAT score.) Students must also demonstrate strong academic performance in the classroom.

“CHCA has established a superb reputation for academic excellence, and the Cum Laude Scholarships are a way for us to highlight the achievements of our outstanding scholars,” says Head of School Randy Brunk. “These scholarships will also enable some of the Cincinnati area’s most talented students to take advantage of our high quality programming, arts, athletics, Christian studies, service learning, intersession experiences, integrated technology and leadership training.” The first Cum Laude Scholarship winners were announced in January; a complete list of recipients will be announced this fall. More information is available at www.chca-oh.org/cumlaude.

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Godspell honored with 19 Cappie nominations

Each year, the local chapter of the Cappies (an organization that recognizes the best in high school theater) honors top performances in musicals and plays. CHCA’s March production of Godspell brought in 19 nominations, the most ever for CHCA. The show’s director, Susan Jung, says it was one of the most creatively fulfilling productions she’s ever done. “Godspell was one of those shows where everyone was on board and willing to do whatever it took to make the show the best it possibly could be,” she explains. “We accomplished exactly what I set out to do and couldn’t have done it without everyone’s efforts.” Cappies nominees included:

Musical - Godspell Song - We Beseech Thee Choreography - Bridget Simpson Orchestra - The CHCA Combo (John Handelsman, Ben Lapps, Andrew Minnich and Ben Tedrick) Lead Actor in a Musical - Ben Scott Supporting Actor in a Musical - Ben Stevens Supporting Actress in a Musical - Meredith Stutz Comic Actor in a Musical - Josh Thiel Comic Actress in a Musical - Cyle Cucinotta Female Vocalist - Megan Terlau

Female Dancer - Emma Vincent Featured Actor in a Musical - Timothy Carpenter Featured Actress in a Musical - Hannah Grubb Ensemble in a Musical - The Followers (Ryan Black, Kate Bohanan, Matthew Carroll, Cyle Cucinotta, Logan Lally, Elizabeth Ottenjohn, Ellen Packer, Ben Stevens, Meredith Stutz, Megan Terlau and Josh Thiel) Creativity (musicianship) - John Handelsman and Andrew Minnich Stage Crew - Kelsey Foreman and Sarah Morgason Special Effects and or Technology (video) - Logan Lally and Ben Stevens Lighting - Brian Mashny Marketing and Publicity - Morgan Shiveley

Winners were announced at a gala on May 26 and included Hannah Grubb (Featured Actress in a Musical), Cyle Cucinotta (Comic Actress in a Musical), Josh Thiel (Comic Actor in a Musical) and the CHCA Combo (John Handelsman, Ben Lapps, Andrew Minnich and Ben Tedrick). Also honored were Cappies Commendees Abby Bowman, Ge’Ana Ellis and Kellie Hesse, seniors selected by Jung for outstanding achievement in high school theater and overall contribution to the CHCA Theater Program. CHCA competed against 22 other area high school productions for the nominations. Top: Cappies nominees (first row, L-R) Ellen Packer, Kelsey Foreman, Morgan Shiveley and Andrew Minnich; (second row) Elizabeth Ottenjohn, Meredith Stutz, Ben Scott, Logan Lally, Megan Terlau, Josh Thiel, Hannah Grubb and Emma Vincent; (third row) Ben Stevens, Bridget Simpson, Ryan Black, John Handelsman, Ben Tedrick, Tim Carpenter and Ben Lapps. Not pictured: Kate Bohanan, Matthew Carroll, Cyle Cucinotta, Brian Mashny and Sarah Morgason. Bottom: Cappies Commendees (L-R) Kellie Hesse, Ge’Ana Ellis and Abby Bowman.

Sophomore wins gold in National Scholastic Art Competition

CHCA sophomore Sarah Cunningham has earned one of the most prestigious awards a high school artist can win: a gold medal in the National Scholastic Art Competition for her piece “Self Portrait.” Using a technique called stippling, Sarah spent more than 50 hours in Tim Hilderbrand’s MSL HS art class creating the portrait out of thousands of tiny dots. Sarah, who also won two Gold Keys and a Silver Key at the regional level of the National Scholastic competition, traveled to New York City with her parents at the end of May for the award ceremony on June 1 at Carnegie Hall. “I am truly honored,” she says. “Mr. Hilderbrand has encouraged me and shown me how artists can display their faith through their life and artwork.”

EAGLE’SEYE

CAMPUS HIGHLIGHTS

Lindner Scholars head to MSL HS

Clockwise from front: Robert Floyd, Keziah Barker, Hope Hansee, Aislinn Wilson, Kes Kindle, Kennedi Toney, Makayla Jones, and Alicyn Senior.

Congratulations to Lindner Scholars Keziah Barker, Robert Floyd, Hope Hansee, Makayla Jones, Kes Kindle, Alicyn Senior, Kennedi Toney, and Aislinn Wilson, who will be heading to Martha S. Lindner High School as freshmen next fall. These Armleder 8th graders earned the opportunity to continue their CHCA educational experience through graduation thanks to the Lindner Scholars Program, a $28 million scholarship fund created to support students at the Armleder campus and provide similar financial need scholarships each year for up to eight current and qualified 8th grade students who wish to attend CHCAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s high school.

Learn, Lead and Serve Scholarship recipients named CHCA congratulates the winners of the fifth annual Learn, Lead and Serve Scholarship Competition. The recipients of these scholarships took the Independent School Entrance Examination in November or December; submitted resumes detailing achievements and service; and/or completed essays for scholarship consideration. All will be incoming freshmen for the 2012-13 school year.

Lead & Serve Scholarship winners:

Learn Scholarship winners:

Olivia Fette ($6,000)

Jeremy Devin ($6,000)

Phil Ochs ($10,000)

Zachary Stiles ($10,000)

Chelsea Feeney ($6,000)

Christian Duborg ($6,000)

Alison Southerland ($4,000)

Joshua Debo ($4,000)

Jack Reifenberg ($4,000)

Shannon Murray ($4,000)

Pictured with MSL HS Principal Dean Nicholas are (back row, L-R) Phil Ochs, Chelsea Feeney, (front row, L-R) Jack Reifenberg, Alison Southerland, Olivia Fette and Shannon Murray.

Kirk Easterday ($4,000)

Dominic Rottman ($4,000)

Pictured with MSL HS Principal Dean Nicholas are (L-R) Kirk Easterday, Dominic Rottman, Jeremy Devin, Zachary Stiles, Christian Duborg and Joshua Debo.

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CHCA Armleder catches Reds fever

Armleder students, faculty and staff caught a case of Reds fever this spring. The school had a float in the 93rd annual Opening Day Parade on April 5, and all 5th-8th graders marched and showed their Reds spirit. Meanwhile, the rest of Armleder’s students, teachers and parents gathered on the parade route to watch. Their cheers later propelled the Reds to a 4-0 victory over the Marlins.

Rookie robotics team

national competition TAKES ON

Eagle Robotics, CHCA’s first-ever high school robotics team, dazzled competitors at the annual FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Boilermaker Regional Robotics Competition March 1517 by winning a spot at nationals. The team (comprised of Edie Alexander, Molly Burdsall, Kevin DeGroft, Hope Dehner, Brad Feldman, John Gear, Mark Hodge, Joe Kabalin, Jonathan Kenney, Tanner Kuremsky, Lauren Lawley, Che Li, Tyler Li, Jim Mao, Spencer Meador, Michael Nelson, Haley Palmore, Gabe Sequeira, Austin Skoglund, Jessica Tandoc, Tyler Vonderhaar and AJ Walden; MSL HS physics instructor Andy Ciarnello and MSL HS math instructor Adam Cool ‘01 were the team’s faculty advisors) faced off against 40 high schools from Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin, and ended up part of a three-team alliance that advanced to the national competition in St. Louis on April 25. “Teams were required to have their robot perform 15 seconds of fully automated movement, followed by two minutes of shooting baskets, then an attempt to balance their robot on a bridge in the middle of the court,” Cool explains. “What we discovered as the competition developed was that our design was particularly well-balanced and stable which made us a great candidate for a strategy that focused on balancing on the bridges.”

EAGLE’SEYE

They fell short of the top prize in St. Louis, but the experience sparked imaginations and inspired CHCA’s middle school to start their own team for 2012-13. “Our goal has always been, and will continue to be, to promote awareness of careers in science, technology, engineering and math,” Cool says. “They definitely got the message: this stuff is cool!” Ciarnello echoes his enthusiasm. “We can’t wait for next season to show how much we learned this go-round,” Ciarnello adds. “Keep an eye on this team – big things are ahead!” Read more about the Eagle Robotics team’s robot, plus view video of local news coverage and a YouTube explanation of competition format at chca-oh.org (search “Eagle Robotics”).

CAMPUS HIGHLIGHTS

Are we still HUNGRY? by Mallory Massa ’12

Maybe it was the trip I took to Africa in 2011. Maybe it was because we hadn’t organized any big Student Organized Service (SOS) events yet in the school year. It could have been the challenge in front of us, or maybe it was realizing that it was time to think outside our own lives. Whatever the motivating factors were, a desire arose to spread awareness of the famine in the Horn of Africa. So a group of high school students from different grades went to the drawing board and planned a week of demonstrations to surprise, inform and draw the attention of the entire high school. After a quick month of organizing and a few late nights, Hunger Week kicked off on Monday, October 17 with a few posters hung throughout the school displaying major stats about the famine (for example, in just three months, 30,000 people died of hunger in Somalia alone). During class on Tuesday, we read facts about the famine to our classmates and told them about the government’s global hunger initiative, Feed the Future. We then gave students the option to write a letter to Congress advocating the full federal funding of Feed the Future, which strives to end food insecurity by increasing agricultural production and improving nutrition in countries like Ethiopia and Uganda. On Wednesday morning, to the students’ surprise they entered the building and saw the entire Miracle Commons plastered with faces of children. Each piece of paper represented a child who would die from famine while we sat in class for eight hours. Later that day, we attended a chapel dedicated to hunger, featuring a speaker from Bread

for the World. During the hour-long chapel, candles were blown out every twelve seconds; each candle represented two of the 630 children who would die of hunger-related causes over the course of that hour. On Thursday, some took Hunger Week to the next level: a large group of students were inspired to fast for thirty hours. Friday evening, we sold 80 ceramic bowls handmade by our students and art teachers at the football game to raise funds for two organizations who fight hunger in our world. This annual tradition, called Empty Bowls, raised nearly $1,300 for Bread for the World and UNICEF. We closed the week with a Shantytown, which challenged high school students and faculty to experience homelessness by spending Sunday night and Monday morning sleeping outside in cardboard boxes. The figures speak for themselves: 313 letters written to Congress; 2,508 pictures of hungry children posted; 300 candles blown out; 64 students who fasted; 40 students sleeping outside. All told, $1,395.68 was raised by CHCA students, families and teachers. After thoroughly researching several organizations, the Hunger Week planning committee decided to donate most of the money to UNICEF. UNICEF devotes the majority of their funds to the famine in the Horn of Africa and doesn’t just use the money for immediate needs but also establishes long-term solutions. Someone asked me, do we think Hunger Week was a success? Not only are these numbers huge for SOS, but I guarantee that every last student was affected by the facts, faces and stories they encountered. Everyone had something to say about this issue and many were prompted to do something about it. Now the question several months later is, are we still hungry?

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Swallen retires after 20 years of inspiring young artists

Vicki Swallen (right) at her retirement party

(L-R) Dawn Marosi, Vicki Swallen and preschool art teacher Amy Lautner

This June, Vicki Swallen retired after two decades of teaching art at EBL Elementary School. Her colleague and fellow EBL ES art educator Dawn Marosi reflects on the legacy Mrs. Swallen leaves behind. When I was blessed to partner with Vicki ten years ago, I learned immediately what a wonderful mentor she is, both professionally and spiritually. She’s a good communicator, listens well and has a beautiful spirit of encouragement that she shares with her students and staff. Her sense of humor always makes working with her entertaining. Most importantly, Vicki has worked hard to make the art program Christ-centered. Our projects and lessons often center on God’s word and how visual art can be used as an expression of worship. Vicki told me her favorite part of teaching is seeing students bring a freshness and eagerness to a project. They have helped her to become a better artist personally since they haven’t yet learned the “normal” ways of doing things, like putting color combinations together that you wouldn’t normally see or drawing figures and designs that don’t look like anyone else’s. I know Vicki is looking forward to spending more time with her grandchildren as well as working on her own art in her studio at home. Thank you, Mrs. Swallen, for 20 years of opening young eyes to the beauty and wonder of art. You have touched many lives and inspired numerous artists during your time here, and you will be missed by everyone – especially me.

Latin room brings

POMPEII to

Cincinnati

For the past year, room 230 at MSL High School has been undergoing a transformation. It’s the place where Dr. Jim Lipovsky teaches his Latin I, II, III, IV, and AP Latin plus Greek classes, and it used to look like a pretty standard classroom. But after a recent trip to Italy, Dr. Lipovsky was inspired to take his learning environment back to Roman times. “I decided to model it after an actual room in the House of the Vettii (pictured above) in ancient Pompeii,” Lipovsky says. “It’s true to the color and design of that room, though our murals will have different topics appropriate to CHCA and to the room’s use as a Latin classroom.” So last spring, the white walls were painted yellow with red borders and large rectangles of plaster were carefully brushed throughout the room. The plaster became the canvases Julia Lipovsky ’11, Natalie LeCompte ’13, Da Sol Kim ’13 and Sarah Cunningham ’14 would cover with frescoes of famous works found in the Louvre and Metropolitan Museum of Art.

EAGLE’SEYE

CAMPUS HIGHLIGHTS

Natalie LeCompte '13 working on one of her three murals

Alexander the Great as painted by Da Sol Kim '13

Dr. Lipovsky selected each painting intentionally to inspire thought or represent an important historical figure. “The largest wall deliberately depicts the death of Socrates (representing Greek philosophy), an equestrian statue of the emperor Marcus Aurelius (representing Roman philosophy) and the Sermon on the Mount (showing Jesus as the center of our moral and intellectual life, uniting all that is best in both civilizations),” Lipovsky explains. “I often see students stand in front of one or another of the murals; each gives them something to think about. So it is a ‘thinking person’s’ room as well as an ‘ambience’ room.” Many of the walls are complete though more works are planned, including the one MSL HS art teacher Tim Hilderbrand will paint of Augustus Prima Porta. “The room has character and flavor now, and the murals frequently offer a chance to illustrate a point that comes up in class,” Lipovsky says. “For example, one of the murals depicts a female student holding a stylus and a ‘copy book’ - wooden frames holding wax pages - on which she would write with the stylus. And the mural of Dido and Aeneas depicts a famous scene from the Aeneid, which we read in AP Latin. I hope students feel the ambience of a Roman house and see the richness of these ancient civilizations.”

Carl Heinrich Bloch's "The Sermon on the Mount" as painted by Natalie LeCompte

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Ee FEATURES STUDENT TRAVELS TO CHINA,

violin

(and talent)

in hand

Jackie Tso is a high school sophomore but has a résumé most adults would envy: performances with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra; an appearance on the National Public Radio program From the Top; study with professors at Northwestern University; summers spent in upstate New York learning technique with fellow string enthusiasts; and the icing on the cake, playing in Beijing at the selective Menuhin Competition this April. “Playing in Beijing was such a good experience,” Tso recalls. “It was my first international competition, and everyone was amazing. I learned a lot by listening to the other performers.” Getting into the competition to play against violinists from Australia, Korea, Japan, Canada, Singapore and China was no easy feat: like the Olympics, Menuhin is hosted in a different country each year and accepts only 42 of the 230 who apply by sending in a DVD of a prescribed repertoire. Jackie was one of the lucky few selected to take part in the competition in the Junior (under 16) section. Getting to this level requires skill, commitment and focus, all three of which Jackie possesses in spades. For most of the school year, she has been traveling to Chicago each weekend to study with Almita and Roland Vamos, music professors at Northwestern University in Chicago. “It definitely cuts into my social life, but I’m learning a lot from them,” she says. With a mother who teaches violin out of their home, it was natural for Jackie to begin learning the instrument at age four. She practices four to five hours a day and points to the instructor down the hall as one of her biggest influences. “My mom taught me so much,” she says. “My dad isn’t a musician – he’s a scientist – but his dedication to his work really impresses me. Yo-Yo Ma is another person I really admire. He makes a point of doing outreach with music. He’s a good person first and a good cellist second.” When asked what she wants to do with music as colleges, conservatories and collectives start knocking on her door, it’s clear the world is full of possibilities for this 15-year-old. “I’d like to major in music, maybe double major with another focus,” she says. “I definitely want to teach and play in an orchestra. A solo career can be kind of lonely – I’d definitely want to be part of a group.” Above all, Tso is aware of the gift she has been given and takes every opportunity to share it with others.

“Music touches me and I want to use it to touch others,” she explains. “It’s something I really enjoy. I want to help everyone else to enjoy it too.” Watch a video of Jackie performing at Menuhin by visiting www.menuhincompetition.org/competitors-2012.html and click “Webstream & video on demand” next to her profile.

EAGLE’SEYE

CHCA’S staying power:

FEATURES

shaping lives years after graduation by Casey (Sutherly) Purnhagen ’00 When I was asked to reflect on what my CHCA experience has meant to me, dozens of memories, faces and moments flooded my brain. My four years at CHCA’s high school were formative for me not just educationally, but spiritually and emotionally as well. I came from a large school where I had been one of way too many trying out for things. Time and again, I didn’t make the team, and eventually I stopped trying. CHCA was like a fresh start. Even though I wasn’t the best, I was able to try. And that’s the point, because as I was granted the opportunity to try different things I found the clubs, sports and activities I enjoyed most and was able to become great at those things. I left CHCA a confident student. My years at Miami University were no cakewalk, but I remember multiple occasions when papers or projects would be assigned and classmates would be so overwhelmed, and I would laugh to myself, “A 3-5 page paper in a week?! That’s nothing – they should meet Jody Petersen!”

reflections

After graduating from Miami, I put my organizational leadership and development degree to work as a Store Manager at LensCrafters and eventually a Professional Development Specialist with Luxottica. I reconnected with a college friend’s younger brother, Brad Purnhagen, who turned out to be just the guy God had me waiting for. We married in September of 2007 and last August, our son Tommy was born. I am blessed to be at home with him during this exciting time. It turns out that God has way more plans for me than I ever made for myself. I can look back on my time at CHCA especially and see that God was guiding me, teaching me and loving me through the people and events at this school. So what impact can four years have on a person? Pull up a chair – I’ll tell you. How I think. CHCA was a safe place that taught me the value of the pause. It’s that moment that you choose to compare what you’ve just heard or experienced with the truth of God’s word rather than blindly agreeing or following. The world will challenge your beliefs and assumptions in ways you could never anticipate, but CHCA teaches you how to wrestle with God, which I did a lot. I can’t say I always made the right decision, but I can say that I always thought about it. How I serve. It could have been when I was up to my elbows in paint at an orphanage in Tennessee, or scrubbing toilets at a mission in New York City, or when I was

hammering together the walls of a Habitat for Humanity house, but somewhere along the way I learned the gift of hard work. You see, every time I went to do something for someone else, God used it to do something for me. While I was probably grumbling on the inside (ok, on the outside too – hey, I was a teenager!), there were important life lessons learned through that service: humility, leadership, compassion, grace. Our responsibility as Christians is to help God reconcile the hurting world to Him, and there is no better way to do that than through service. How I pray. At CHCA I learned that He is the God of the little things and cares deeply for His children, but He is also a great, capable, powerful God that begs to be invited to do miracles. I’m not sure if this lesson came in study of the Bible or actual practice, but the lesson sure sunk in that God is big, that He wants to be in a close personal relationship with me, and that He does amazing things. How I love. There has been no greater impact on my life than God’s love for me. There will be no greater impact I can have on the world than my feeble attempts to share His love exemplified in my life. God has used countless people and circumstances to draw me in, but CHCA was certainly the start of that journey. I was raised in church by parents who are faithful believers, but at some point the journey has to be your own. I have a vivid memory of when that happened for me: I was in Dean Nicholas’ sophomore Christian Studies class and had boldly stated a belief about some hot button issue, and Dr. Nick asked, “Why?” In that moment I realized that He was my parents’ God and not mine. So there and then I acknowledged my need to dig in, know Him more, understand Him more and be sure I really knew why I believed what I believed. And the crazy thing is, God led me to question Him, be confused, wonder and get frustrated. But in every instance of confusion and wonderment He was teaching me more about Himself. He was showing me His character. His complex simplicity, His zealous patience, His crazy love. CHCA means a lot to me, but there are plenty of other stories like mine. I’ve come to appreciate its role in shaping who I am – the lifelong friendships I made, the tough lessons learned, the worldview gained, the teachers and coaches who gave so much time to helping me discover God’s purpose for my life. It is my fervent prayer that Tommy will be blessed to have the same opportunity to come to understand the great big world through the eyes of our great big God.

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CLAIM YOUR SEAT: 25 years of learning, leading and

“Kristen Stutz, claim your seat for the Lord… Darah Stutz, claim your seat for the Lord.” And so it went on that early September morning in 1989 until every student’s name was called and the charge was set forth by then Head of School Richard Johnson. Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy was officially open for business—Kingdom business.

reflections

But CHCA’s story did not begin that morning on the lawn of what is now our middle school, it began in the very heart of God. I absolutely believe CHCA was one of God’s very best ideas, ordaining this place of learning that would honor Him and reflect His character. We haven’t always gotten it right, but so long as serving God is our passionate mission, His favor will rest on us as an institution. Learning to honor God, leading to honor God and serving to honor God always pleases Him. Our family’s great adventure with Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy began in the fall of 1987. My thenpreschooler Darah (Class of 2002) learned to use a computer in the school’s start-up facility in Blue Ash. She (and her bag of toys) accompanied me to the office most days as we joined with other families to work and pray on behalf of our young school. Today, having earned her master’s degree, Darah has most recently claimed her seat for the Lord teaching at-risk children in downtown Nashville, TN. Kristen (Class of 1999), who was a third grader on CHCA’s opening day, has also completed graduate school and claimed her seat for the Lord in the marketplace. She is intentional and purposeful about honoring God while fully engaging in the strategic choices and vision of a major corporation. My youngest daughter, Meredith, just donned cap and gown to graduate with the Class of 2012. She entered kindergarten at CHCA the same year Kristen matriculated to Wake Forest University. But long before she was

EAGLE’SEYE

serving with CHCA

by Angela Stutz

officially enrolled she was strutting in CHCA purple and green. And on the last day of her senior year, she wore a purple shirt and green shorts. Whether seated among the leadership team of Youth In City Government or sitting with a family on the floor of a makeshift dwelling in the slums outside Nairobi, Kenya; whether sitting backstage waiting to fly as Peter Pan in the middle school musical or sitting next to a mom in New Orleans whose home was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina; whether sitting in the front row of AP Latin class or in a grief support circle encouraging fellow students who, like she, had lost a parent, Meredith has been at once honored and humbled to claim a seat for the Lord at CHCA these past 13 years. We do really good work here. At this moment, CHCA alumni can be found across the globe learning in fine universities, sitting in boardrooms, arguing cases in courtrooms, working skillfully in operating rooms, teaching in classrooms and coaching in locker rooms. Or perhaps they occupy the most important seat of all, that of sitting in front of a highchair feeding and nurturing a future CHCA Eagle! Over my 25-year relationship with this school, I have seen amazing things happen in the lives of so many. To ensure another 25 wonderful years, future generations of families must continue to fervently, prayerfully seek to fulfill God’s vision for CHCA. Without that, the excellent academics, award-winning fine arts, accomplished athletics and state-of-the-art facilities will lose the eternally-focused impact and effectiveness that make this school special. When school resumes this August, it will be the first fall since 1989 that I will not have a child enrolled at CHCA. I am officially passing the baton. But I will most certainly be thinking about CHCA and praying for you as I take Meredith to Elon University where she will once again receive the charge to go claim her seat for the Lord.

Facebook.com/cincinnatihillschristianacademy

FEATURES

Scholarship brings

to families

You can tell that the verse in the book of Matthew where Jesus says, “Where your money is, there your heart will be also” influences much of what John Topits and his family do. “My wife and I both grew up in economically challenged families and we feel blessed to have been fortunate enough to break that cycle,” he says. “We believe that if you help people help themselves and remove the normal obstacles of poverty, those families can achieve great things.” So John and his wife, Sue, (parents of Amanda Topits ’05 and grandparents of Kayla ’09, Brandon ’14, Hunter ’18 and Riley Nobbs ’19) got involved with the Cornerstone Community Loan Fund, an organization that helps people in disadvantaged communities afford housing. In September of 2010, John and Sue decided to go a step further and establish the Hope Scholarship to allow children of Cornerstone loan recipients to get a CHCA education. “We believe that educating the children of these families helps break the long-term cycle of poverty,” John explains. “Having firsthand experience with CHCA through our youngest daughter and grandchildren, we know this school not only provides a great education but also helps provide a great moral compass for one’s future.” The scholarship is open to children in preschool through grade 12 whose families are in the Cornerstone Renter Equity Program or demonstrate significant need, and funds awarded cover tuition for their entire CHCA career – all the way through graduation. A diverse student body was another reason the Topits family made such a significant investment. “We also felt that having students from different economic and cultural backgrounds at CHCA was important,” John says. “Not only do the students on scholarship benefit, the entire school benefits from being exposed to those who may not have had the same advantages that many students at CHCA have been blessed with.” The first Hope Scholarship recipient will graduate with the Class of 2014. “We hope that the students we have helped may someday pay it forward themselves,” he says. “They will inspire others to break the cycle of generational poverty that they grew up in.” Interested in investing in the future with a named scholarship? Contact CHCA’s Advancement Office at (513) 247-9944 ext. 211 or visit the Support section at chca-oh.org.

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‘‘

gnippilFFlipping CHCA classrooms into the 21st century

It’s not about the lecture, It’s about making space in class so they can go farther with the material. Or, if they didn’t get it, we now have more time to talk about it. Discussion is now given priority.”

Mr. Porter’s 8th grade math class conducts a carnival featuring games that incorporate probability into their design. Challenged to design a game that seemed fair to the player but was actually unfair according to the math behind it, students demonstrated knowledge of math concepts through the project.

EAGLE’SEYE

By Liz Bronson Rosenau ’00

FEATURES

Step back into time with me: it’s 2007, and the typical classroom has changed little in the past hundred years. Sure,

we’ve added computers (remember the first Apple Macintosh? Floppy disks the size of your head?), and the textbooks have nicer illustrations, but the lecture-centric mode of teaching is still the most popular form of instruction at most schools and universities. A teacher talks, students listen, homework gets assigned and turned in. Test Tuesday, don’t forget your #2 pencils. That same year, CHCA Middle School social studies teacher Kris Gilbert hears about college professors recording their lectures as podcasts and posting them online for students to listen to later. “If anything, I thought that was more of an incentive to sleep in,” he remembers. But the idea of delivering information in a new way intrigued him. “The point of technology is to invert the instructional approach, and no one was doing that. I wanted to find a way to use class time for more meaningful engagement with students.” So in spring of 2008, he started having students watch narrated PowerPoint presentations, or screencasts, at home. Students took notes and came to class the next day to discuss what they learned. That summer, Gilbert kicked things up a notch: along with his wife and two young daughters, he traveled to historical sites from Georgia to Pennsylvania in the family minivan, recording video lectures at each stop along the way. Gilbert tried the new, inverted way of teaching (lately dubbed the “flipped classroom”) that fall. “Students took home DVDs of a lecture—say, on the Northwest Ordinance—to watch at home,” he says. “The next day, they brought in their notes and we talked about the video or played a game that required them to use the material.” Students were suddenly able to pause, rewind and watch instruction at their own pace, allowing them to grasp basic concepts on their own and use class time to think critically about the new information. “It’s not about the lecture,” Gilbert adds. “It’s about making space in class so they can go farther with the material. Or, if they didn’t get it, we now have more time to talk about it. Discussion is now given priority.” In 2010, Gilbert traded DVDs for downloads: students could get content at home for his class via Moodle, a web-based educational software platform (moodle.chca-oh.org). Plenty of other teachers have joined him, too, employing the flipped approach for math, science, language arts and more. “Instruction in my classroom has changed completely,” says 8th grade math teacher Brandon Porter. “The flipped classroom model allows me to teach students individually, all at once. The videos are available anytime, anywhere, so when a student misses class, he or she can still keep up with instruction. Parents know what their child is learning, and can even watch and help at home if necessary. I now have more time in class for things like project-based learning, mathematical investigations where students discover the why behind what they’re learning, more opportunities for me to spend time one-on-one with students, and seminar discussions.” Porter adds that student understanding of the material has reached a completely different level. “They are able to go beyond just recalling facts, and have become better at critical thinking, applying, and asking questions—the best way to learn,” he says. Tiffany Stofel, who teaches 8th grade science at the middle school, agrees. “A flipped classroom eliminates the traditional ‘one size fits all’ view of teaching and learning,” she explains. “Students are retaining information more readily because they have accountability in obtaining knowledge and are more invested in their learning. When students have more investment in understanding concepts, they hold on to that information for a longer period of time rather than memorizing information for the next test and dumping it soon after.” Stofel says that interactions with parents have shifted, too. “It changes the conference discussion between teachers and parents,” she says. “Instead of the traditional approach—discussing behavior and whether or not students are sitting quietly, listening intently and taking down their notes—we can now discuss the growth and development of problem solving and critical thinking.” Gilbert, who steps away from the classroom to take the reins as CHCA Middle School Principal this fall, says the inverted learning approach will continue to become more robust thanks to new web-based platforms like VoiceThread that enable classrooms all over the world to learn together. He cautions that teachers should make sure a tool is relevant before adopting new applications. “How you use it has to be driven by the content. VoiceThread might make sense for learning verb conjugations in Spanish, but not necessarily for discussions on the catalysts of the Civil War.” Porter says that as his classroom has been transformed, so has his role in it. “As my classroom has changed from being teacher-centered to more student-centered, it has allowed me to become more of a ‘guide on the side’ rather than the ‘sage on the stage.’ My classroom has become more of a laboratory than a lecture hall, and this has created an atmosphere conducive to learning, exploring and really understanding ideas.”

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TION A R B E L E C al! u n n a g n i is go SAVE THE DATE

February 9, 2013 Watch chca-oh.org/celebration this fall for details

CELEBRATION 2012 Big changes for CHCA’s auction yield record crowd

Be there!

Celebration, CHCA’s dinner and auction, did more than raise $261,000 for the school’s teacher salaries, tuition assistance and curriculum needs. On February 11, the event brought a record crowd of 570 together to celebrate Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, join in fellowship, experience the talents of our alumni (Collin Richardson ’02, Brittany Wesson ’06 and Robbie Wilson ’04 provided the evening’s entertainment) and bid on 550 exciting items both big and small. So much excitement and positive feedback was received, the event will now be held on an annual basis. This year’s Celebration featured some significant changes over past auctions: electronic handheld bidding devices made the silent auction more competitive (and a little less silent); CHCA welcomed professional auctioneer Doug Sorrell to the front of the room to emcee and conduct the live auction; and new raffles like the “Chocolate Chance” and “Key to her Heart” gave attendees a shot at winning an iPad and a Tacori jewelry set. Many thanks to our Celebration sponsors (Johnson Investment Counsel, Fifth Third Bank, the Coggins Group at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, Yelton Fine Jewelers, McSwain Carpets and Floors, Neal’s Design Remodel, and Edward Jones Investments), our 80 auction volunteers, and our dedicated group of Celebration committee members (led by co-chairs Julie Carnes and Penny Osborne) who put in many hours of preparation to create a great and memorable event. Mark your calendar for Celebration 2013 on February 9. Planning starts soon – contact Julie (Julie.carnes@chca-oh.org or 247-9944 ext. 215) if you’re interested. All kinds of roles are available for volunteers to take on, whether your passion is acquiring donations from local businesses, publicizing the event or entering data. Join us as we plan another exciting evening to celebrate CHCA!

Many thanks to our Celebration 2012 sponsors for their support

EAGLE’SEYE

FEATURES

The Celebration planning team included volunteers Penny Osborne, Joan Debo, Brenda Durham, Carol Hughes, Sue Humphrey, Jennifer Kitchens, Lisa Massa, Kim Meador, Mary Mikolanis, Jennifer Niemeyer, Brittany Wesson '06, Anne Westbrook and CHCA staff members Alex Brown '07, Julie Carnes, Jane Haslem, Liz Rosenau '00, Rebecca Sequeira and Tracy Wolcott. Pictured below

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Cincinnati One-Day Service Projects

A WORLD OF OPPORTUNITIES for mission-minded students At CHCA, mission work isn’t just something good to do, it’s written into our DNA. Karen Hordinski, Outreach Coordinator at MSL High School, helped make mission trips part of graduation requirements in 1999. “Research shows that the most effective means of learning is through direct personal experiences that provide opportunities for discovery and reflection,” she says. “We do mission work to transform our own lives as well as to be the hands and feet of Christ in the world.” There are mission opportunities for students in high school (each student must complete 120 service hours and two mission projects to graduate) as well as middle school (7th and 8th graders get a chance to go to Monterrey, Mexico to serve in orphanages). Students can choose far-flung locales or serve in their own city, and many save up their babysitting money and allowance to fund trips that end up being the experience of a lifetime. “I think that people fall in love with missions,” says Anna Love ’13. “You become focused on ways you can be thinking and caring about others all the time, even people in Cincinnati.” Hordinski agrees. “What students realize is how the things in life that are unseen – like relationships – are the things that really matter the most. Mission projects yield all kinds of side benefits: knowledge, selflessness, cultural understanding, selfreflection which causes personal growth, and of course new skills – listening, painting, organizing, building and teamwork.”

Dominican Republic 22

EAGLE’SEYE

Mexico

‘‘ ‘‘ ‘‘ ‘‘ ‘‘ ‘‘

No matter if we were working hard on projects or playing with kids, we were always trying to make their lives better.

FEATURES

- Hayden Horter ’17, Mexico

The trip really changed my life. While I was there God helped me realize that no matter what happens in life, stay positive. - Sarah Sotropa ’17, Mexico

Thinking back to before I went to Mexico, I have realized a bunch of changes have occurred in me. I understand more how I need to help build others up, and act like Christ no matter what other people are choosing to act like…. If you act like Christ to people, God’s light will shine through you. Actions are what define who a person really is; they have the power to impact a life.

Mexico Cincinnati

- Lauren Jankowski ’17, Mexico

A big misconception that many people have is that in order to get a true missions experience you have to travel abroad or be a “missionary.” My experience has led me to believe that these experiences are actually right around the corner. It may involve helping your less fortunate neighbor clean their yard or helping kids at an inner-city elementary school learn math. Mission work does not require a passport, it only requires showing people that you care about them. God calls us to missions wherever we are, and I have learned that wherever we go there is always an opportunity to share God’s saving love with someone.

- Sam Becker ’12, Cincinnati One-Day Service Projects

We didn’t have to be pushy in any way with the Gospel; we simply shared our love of baseball by competing against each other’s teams, then afterwards were able to share with them our motivation and inspiration for living each day in the way we do. The most memorable part of the trip was being able to work with 17- and 18-year-old Dominican kids who were just like me. In the midst of shack-filled villages and the poorest of places, God never ceased to amaze us with the wonderful climate, beautiful nature and the happy people who filled each home.

Dominican Republic

- Ted Andrews ’12, Dominican Republic

One memory will stand out from the rest: we were in the middle of a baseball clinic, and I realized a couple of the kids were sharing the same glove. One of the kids even gave his right-handed glove to another kid to use and started using a left-handed glove because it was not being used. It was amazing! Most of us would get really upset if we saw someone using our glove, but these kids shared with a full heart. It really put all that we have in perspective for me and from then on I have tried to be more sharing with the gifts that God has given me.

- Nick Taylor ’12, Dominican Republic

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Ee ALUMNI NEWS DO YOU KNOW

class agents are

who your

Class agents not only plan reunions and inspire their classmates to come back to campus for events, they help keep a line of communication open between their class and the CHCA Alumni Relations Office. This year, the Class of 2012 agents also challenged their classmates to support CHCAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gift of Giving annual campaign. Do you know who your class agents are? Visit chca-oh.org/eaglealumnisociety to find a complete list of agents and their e-mail addresses.

Class of 2012 agents include (back row, L-R) Ben Stevens, Logan Lally, Ted Andrews, Ben Tedrick, Ben Lapps, Stephanie Grevey, (front row, L-R) Meredith Stutz, Brian Taylor, Cyle Cucinotta, Ellen Packer, Alexis Caruso and Laura Atkins.

EAGLEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;SEYE

ALUMNI NEWS

3 1

1 Clinton Johnson ’02 with his new baby at the 2011 Homecoming picnic. 2 College 101 panelists (clockwise from left): John Lloyd ’10, Adam Clark ’08, Matt Chacksfield ’05, Blake Avery ’11, Zach Harvey ’10, Molly Packer ’10, Alex Brown ’07, Lauren Haslem ’11, and Molly Sweeney ’07. Not pictured: Sam Schottenstein ’99. 3 Darris Sneed ’09 sings with the Electric Jazz Orchestra at the 2011 Homecoming picnic. 4 Alumni panelists at the inaugural College 101 program in March.

From your Alumni Relations Office

Brown ’07, Victor Byrum ’07, Katy Perkins ’07, Kristen Stutz ’99, Lena Tome ’09, Jennie Dorl Vose ’03, and Austin Wilson ’08. They have been a tremendous support and I want to encourage others to join our team so we can expand our efforts. The more alumni involvement we have, the greater the opportunities you will have to impact the CHCA community with the gifts and talents that God has given you.

Three years ago, I formed the Alumni Advisory Committee with a few graduates who had a passion to collaborate with our office and school. As our alumni community continues to grow, it’s clear that joining forces has helped to strengthen our focus on the goals that we hope to achieve, like encouraging alumni support of CHCA and providing opportunities for service, fellowship and networking. Our alumni have a voice. The ideas shared and time invested do make a difference!

Wondering how you can get involved here on campus? Whether it’s singing at alumni chapel, attending Homecoming, speaking in a classroom, volunteering for After Prom, assisting with an SOS project, chaperoning an Intersession trip, helping plan a reunion, organizing an alumni athletic event or giving back financially, there’s something for everyone. And don’t forget to keep us updated on where you are and what you’re up to - we want to hear about your achievements or pray for you if you have a concern. Visit chca-oh.org regularly and “like” our Facebook page (facebook.com/ cincinnatihillschristianacademy) for upcoming events and news.

You teach, you coach, you visit and you volunteer on campus. Some of you have even enrolled your kids at CHCA. Above all, you are glowing examples of what a CHCA education can do as you attend college or advance in your careers. No matter how you slice it, our alumni are an important part of our CHCA community.

One of the highlights this year was our College 101 program in March. Alumni Relations partnered with the Guidance Office to host a panel of alumni who are either currently in college or had recently graduated. They spoke to the Class of 2012 seniors, sharing their experiences and answering questions. This will definitely be an annual event - if you’re interested in participating in next year’s panel, please contact me. As we continue to work on new ideas to get you reconnected, I would like to thank our current Alumni Advisory Committee members: Ryan Betscher ’00, Alex

Alumni Relations is here to serve you - stop by and see us soon! Serving Him, Tracy Wolcott Alumni Relations Coordinator Tracy.wolcott@chca-oh.org

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Leave the map behind:

enjoy the journey, one unexpected side road at a time By Liz Bronson Rosenau ’00

The future that Amber Edwards ’07 pictured for herself back in high school was pretty straightforward. “I always thought I would go to college, then go to medical school and then work,” she says. After CHCA, Amber went to Washington University in St. Louis where she majored in biology focused in biochemistry and minored in public health. Then something happened that changed her future forever: she joined a service organization called Campus Y, a branch of St. Louis’s YMCA. Eventually she became a leader of an after-school science program called Catalyst, and it was while volunteering with Catalyst that she heard about City Year. “I had been thinking about taking time after I graduated from college to do service when a City Year representative came and spoke at one of our Catalyst meetings,” Amber remembers. She learned about the nonprofit organization whose goal is to help at-risk kids do better in school and stay on track to graduate from high school. After graduating from Washington University in May of 2011, she joined City Year and was sent to San Jose, California to work with junior high students. “On a typical day, I spend the school hours tutoring nine seventh grade students in math,” she says. “With their teachers, I come up with short tutoring lessons and partner with students, their parents and teachers to try and improve attendance and behavior. At the end of the school day, the other members of my City Year team and I run an after-school program to help with homework, literacy and enrichment until 6:00 p.m.” Amber and her teammates teach and try to inspire too, exposing their students to experiences they otherwise wouldn’t encounter – creating indoor gardens, playing the stock market game, doing science experiments, participating in book clubs and trying their hand at drama. “We also organize and chaperone school dances, watch the kids during lunch, and help around the school when needed,” she adds. “Occasionally all of the City Year members in San Jose work together on a big 26

EAGLE’SEYE

service project – we revamped a community garden and beautified a local middle school by painting murals and building new benches. I’ve really enjoyed getting to meet and work with an inspiring group of young adults from all over the country and from all walks of life, but the best part of my job is getting to know the kids by hanging out with them before school or during lunch.” Amber admits that working for City Year has changed her. “It has inspired me to continue working in education. There are so many intelligent and creative students that underperform and fall behind because they don't get the support they need at school and have difficult home lives,” she explains. Near the end of her time with City Year, Amber got another opportunity that would change her trajectory once again: a Fulbright Scholarship. She heads to South Korea this summer, where she’ll spend the next year teaching English. “I’m really excited to go,” she says. “I studied Korean my last year of college so I can't wait to put what I learned to use. I’m a little nervous, since the culture of South Korea is very different from America and as an African-American female, I will be a new sight for many of the people I meet. But I still can't wait to go.” Amber’s life may not look anything like what she pictured it would back when she was a CHCA student, but the education she received here prepared her for college, drove her to take on new challenges, developed a heart for service and planted a desire to continually expand her worldview. “In high school I never imagined that I would spend a year working for a nonprofit or go to Korea to teach,” she says. “I guess it just goes to show how you never know where you'll end up, but if you keep your options open you can go to some amazing places and see some amazing things.”

2012 Alumni Class Notes 1996

Karly (Kolb) Adams is the Special Education Teacher in a K-3 classroom of 12 students with autism. “My support staff is made up of five wonderful classroom aides. We are all trained under the University of Rochester frameworks a very structured, highly predictable classroom model to help our students succeed! My class has taught me so much more than I could ever teach them! I am so grateful for this opportunity and experience. My husband just returned from JRTC, an Army training rotation, to prepare his unit for an upcoming deployment to Afghanistan. Our son, Wylie (pictured with Karly), will be 4 in May. Our most exciting news is that we are planning on moving back to the Cincinnati area very soon!”

1997

Grey Hall is Brand Manager for the Kroger Company’s corporate brands, health and beauty care, and baby care categories. On the side, she enjoys creating “Life Maps,” watercolor or pen and ink commissioned paintings featuring milestones, accomplishments and personal passions to celebrate a person or couple. She also designs custom silk scarves and ties for global and national corporate events.

1998 Matt Toy and his wife Melissa had a baby, James, last August. The couple also has a 2 ½ year old named Annie

ALUMNI NEWS

and live in Nashville, TN. Pictured, Matt and Melissa Toy with Michelle (Toy) Warner ’98 and her husband, Jared.

Jeff St. John “The past 14 years have been an exciting time for me, my wife, Natasha, and my family. In 2004 my wife and I moved back to Cincinnati from Texas where I was running manufacturing facilities for the Boppy Company in both Texas and Juarez, Mexico. After a short stint as the IT Director for an international third-party logistics firm, I took a position with Deloitte and Touche doing Governance, Risk and Compliance; Data Privacy and Security; Finance Transformation and other process and IT consulting work. Deloitte was a great firm, and I was blessed enough to work with senior leadership to create multiple new client service offerings, but with the birth of our twin boys (Samuel and Lucius) in 2008, and having been on the road over 90% of the time while at Deloitte, we decided it was time for a change. “In 2009, I left Deloitte and bought into the equity of my father’s firm, EMG Consulting. After two successful years, we decided to merge with two other firms and rebranded as a new firm, StoneCross Group LLC (stonecrossgroup. com). The firm was founded by four principals based on our similar Christian faith and principles of integrity and hard work. We’re a full service Management Consulting firm that employs only former senior level executives or subject matter experts to give our clients immediate return on their investments. The Lord has been blessing us with this new venture in many ways and with many clients, including Fortune 100 companies and the United Nations. We are excited to see where He will take us in the future and hopefully He will continue to bless StoneCross. “At home, our twins are now 3 ½ and into everything. They love church, playing outside, reading books and doing typical boy things. They take gymnastics, soccer and cooking classes and are looking forward to starting their martial arts classes soon. Possibly most of all, they love going to ‘MiMi and Pop-Pop’s’ house. We feel very blessed to have both sets of parents close by. Natasha, while primarily being a stay-at-home mother, has also started her own promotional products company, Funkey Designs. She and her cousin, Alisha Deyo Huner, run the company and provide schools, businesses and musicians with products and graphic design services. The Lord has been good to them and hopefully will continue to bless Funkey Designs with opportunities. I do keep up with a number of old CHCA friends and although the Lord has sent us all on our separate paths, we will always have the wonderful education, good times, great teachers and Dr. Miracle in common to reminisce on. I have watched CHCA’s growth and continued success over the years with ever growing pride, as the name continues to resonate more and more with people around the Tri-state area. Hopefully CHCA will continue to be blessed with wonderful administration, teachers and students, as they have been in the past.”

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1999

Kristina (Gray) Binder and her husband, Mike, are expecting their first girl on July 6. She will join big brothers Johnathan (10), Kyle (6 ½), Sean (5 ½) and Caleb (3 ½).

and selflessness it takes to be a mom, and while those lessons are difficult to learn, the rewards are well worth it.” Pictured, Tommy Dean Purnhagen. Jason Wilson started a job at Duke Energy as a software engineer four years ago. “We had a baby boy (Solon) three years ago. I just got into riding Harleys last year and have been loving it.”

2000

2001

Amanda Cook moved to Phoenix last summer. “I'm loving life here with my dog Roxy. It really is a dry heat! After helping my Dad retire from the insurance business in Ohio, I became a Realtor in Arizona and am loving my new career and the freedom it provides.” Krystal (Klendworth) Kleine and her husband moved into a new house in January and are expecting their first child this September. Chad Leland is the head coach of the CHCA Jr. High football program. Chad also works in advertising sales for 4Virtu, a small company that provides free software to churches and non-profit groups to help them communicate and organize. He is married to the love of his life, Allison, and they reside in Mason.

Kara Buczek made the decision to relocate to Seattle, WA this spring after a successful winter show season in Ocala, FL. “I bred my show jumping mare to a top performance sporthorse stallion this season, so while I work on my career on the west coast, I will be eagerly anticipating the arrival of a new sporthorse prospect next year!” Jackie (Dobbins) Mason lives with husband Chris and their three daughters in Morrow, OH and says she is blessed to work from home for AuPairCare, an au pair program designated by the US Department of State. Jackie helps to place families in Cincinnati and Dayton with live-in childcare givers from all over the world. Jackie is also a consultant for Thirty-One Gifts. Pictured, Jackie with local au pairs.

Casey (Sutherly) Purnhagen and husband Brad welcomed their new son Thomas Dean to the world last August. “We call him Tommy. He is a sweet and wonderful boy. We are very blessed that I am able to stay at home with him during this new season of life. God is teaching me the humility

Sarah (Price) Stokes '01

28 20

EAGLE’SEYE

Jason Bittner '04

Sarah (Price) Stokes “This year has been challenging yet very exciting for us. I've been home with our wonderful and exhausting (!) two baby boys - Beckett, turning 3 this summer; and Brody, turning 1 in May. And as it turns out, my time at home has ended up affording me increasing opportunities to pursue my art career, beyond anything I have done to date. My paintings are now showing in Charlotte, and are permanently displayed at Proverbs 31 Ministries’ new offices, also in Charlotte. I was also recently featured in SouthPark Magazine (a publication out of a Charlotte suburb) as well as the Charlotte Observer, in relation to my painting being a finalist in the “Art with Heart” Emerging Artist Juried Competition. This annual art event benefits United Family Services of Charlotte and their shelter for battered

women and children. My passion is to combine my art with giving back, so this was an incredible experience. I also launched Pink Art this year, which will have its inaugural event in Cincinnati this October benefiting breast cancer awareness and research. I am gathering some great artists and supporters for this cause, and I am so excited to try and help end a disease which has affected so much of my family and those around me.” Jodie (Henn) Van Dyke is a stay-at-home mom to Owen (5) and Kayla (3). “This fall Owen will be starting kindergarten in a local all-day Spanish immersion program that goes up to 6th grade. Kayla will be following in his footsteps in the fall of 2013. My husband’s business has been blessed with a few new builders for whom he is doing tile in million dollar homes along the Lake Michigan shore. God has truly blessed us with consistent work and the ability to hire more guys to work for him. Although my family has not grown with another child, we did add a little terrier puppy last October and she is a great addition to our family.”

2002

Patrick Rogers is currently a doctoral candidate in organic chemistry at the University of California-Davis.

2003

ALUMNI NEWS Anna (Myers) Brown had her first daughter. Audrey Elizabeth Brown was born February 18, clocking in at 6lbs 14 oz and 21 inches long. Rachel Eresman will be moving to Winston-Salem area of North Carolina this August with her boyfriend, who secured a position with Duke Energy at the state's largest coal-fired plant. Katey (Dowd) Gonzalez and her husband, René, moved to Cincinnati from Monterrey, Mexico in December 2011. “We arrived with a new addition to our family! Santiago Gonzalez was born in Mexico on August 10, 2011.” Pictured, Santiago Gonzalez. Jennie (Dorl) Vose graduated with her master of arts in Communication from Northern Kentucky University this May.

2004

Jason Bittner graduated with a bachelor’s degree in exercise physiology from Miami University (OH) in 2008 and earned his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Palmer College of Chiropractic (Florida campus) in 2011. Eight years after graduating from CHCA, Dr. Jason Bittner is now a chiropractic physician and clinic director of Chiropractic Associates, Inc. University Pointe, located in West Chester, OH. While attending Palmer College, Jason met his fiancée, Casey Scharnagl of Miami, FL. Casey, who graduated from Palmer earlier this year, will be joining the staff at Chiropractic Associates this summer. Jason and Casey currently reside in Mason.

2005

Crista (Rogers) Bowman is celebrating her husband's graduation from University of Cincinnati Medical School this year and is looking forward to some big changes in the coming months. “Eric will begin a five-year orthopedic surgery residency with the University of Tennessee in Memphis this June. We also just returned from a 10-day trip to Italy and Switzerland in April, traveling with my younger sister Andrea ’05 and her husband Joe Randolph. We are looking forward to the adventure of a new city.”

Matt Chacksfield is working in Cincinnati at a company called ProCamps. Griffin Kelp “I’m engaged to Chicago native Lauren Holdsworth, the most wonderful woman in the world!”

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Karah Rudolph '08

Alex Jeffers '11

Emily Roy is now the Office Manager for the Government Relations and Advocacy office of Habitat for Humanity International in Washington, D.C. From lobby events to working on build sites, Emily is continually learning more about the international nonprofit sector. She is also an active member of the Junior League of Washington and spends her time exploring and enjoying the nation’s capital. Courtney Shelton graduated JD with honors from DePaul Law School in Chicago, IL on May 20, 2012. Courtney was a recipient of the Benjamin Hooks Distinguished Public Service Award, given to graduating third and fourth year students who have completed 200 or more hours of legal or non-legal volunteer service during their time at DePaul Law School and who best exemplify the Vincentian commitment to service and social justice. She spent the year traveling to Paris and Spain and studying in Argentina. Courtney will be moving to Atlanta, GA this summer.

2006

Daniel Jepson married “the beautiful Lisa Wiley on May 6. I am completing my master’s degree in electrical engineering at Baylor University this spring. In January we will move to Austin, TX and I will start work at National Instruments as a Digital/High Frequency R&D Engineer. What an exciting time of life!” Brian Painter and Christina Karam ’07 were married on March 3, 2011 in Cincinnati. Members of the wedding party included CHCA alumni Jessica Karam ’05, Katie Kessler ’07, Chris McGuire ’06, Matthew Painter ’14, Renee Painter ’10, Matt Reed ’06, Kristi (Kontras) Rudie ’07, and 30

EAGLE’SEYE

Genevieve Schuler ’07. Brian is a marketing analyst at the Nielsen Company; Christina is a sales representative for Big Chief, a manufacturer and supplier of industrial heaters. The happy couple resides in Loveland.

2007

Bryn Clark graduated from Wheaton College last May with a degree in English writing. Following graduation, he moved to the small town of Southwest Harbor, ME, where he worked as a kayak guide for six months before getting a job at a social services agency and serving at a local church as an intern. Bryn was also commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army Reserves and serves as a Company XO for a Medical Detachment in western Massachusetts. This past March he moved to San Antonio, TX to complete training at the Army Medical Department Center. This fall, he will begin seminary at GordonConwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, MA. Check out Bryn's blog (allmyroads.com) for updates/ news and to see what ex-English majors do with their spare time. James Havey will be heading to Phnom Penh, Cambodia to serve as a lay missionary with the Maryknoll Catholic Mission. After three months of training in New York City later this year, he will head to Cambodia in 2013 to serve and educate. Heidi Monroe married Phil Lofton on May 12, 2012 in Cincinnati. The two are now living, working and continuing their education in Indianapolis.

2008

Kristin Philip graduated magna cum laude in June from The Ohio State University, having earned a bachelor’s degree in biology with minors in English and neuroscience. “It seems like only yesterday that I was graduating from high school! I know it's cliché, but where did the time go? I will be entering medical school at Ohio State this fall and am very excited about it. This year, I had the opportunity to present two years' worth of research in Deep Brain Stimulation at the Denman, one of the largest undergraduate research forums in the nation. I was heavily involved in several organizations, including Orthodox Christian Fellowship and Tri Beta, and also tutored student athletes. The highlight of my year was my conversion to the Eastern Orthodox Church on April 14, the day before Orthodox Easter. I will remain forever grateful to CHCA for giving me a Christ-centered foundation to build the rest of my life upon.” Karah Rudolph has continued to rodeo, but recently cut back on the bull riding due to her future plans. “I am currently pursuing a career in fire investigation. I graduate June 16 with my fire science technology degree. I graduated from the Fire Academy two years ago as a level 2 firefighter and EMT-Basic but have plans to continue my education. I will begin my EMT-Paramedic course in the fall to finish my requirements for full-time firefighting. When I complete my paramedics training I will go back to finish my bachelor degree in fire science. “I recently had major reconstructive surgery on my wrist, but am doing better. Turned out that my wrist had been broken completely in half for three years and I did not know it. I started a great new job working for Craynon Fire Protection and love it! I will be installing, repairing, testing, and maintaining sprinkler systems. I live in Centerville, OH and work on the northern side of Dayton. I want to say congrats to my baby sister Haley Rudolph, who graduated from CHCA with the Class of 2012. Love you!”

2010

David Hughes is a sophomore at Penn State pursuing chemical engineering. From January to June of this year he studied in Granada, Spain and will internship for a

Procter & Gamble paper plant in Mahoopaney, PA this summer.

ALUMNI NEWS

2011

Sarah Atallah signed with RED NYC Model Management and will be moving to New York in May. Sarah recently completed her freshman year at Miami University and plans to take web/hybrid classes to continue her degree in kinesiology. Mariel Beausejour will be spending three months in Pemba, Mozambique this summer at the Iris Harvest School of Missions. There, Mariel will receive missionary training, participate in evangelistic outreach, be equipped for the physical challenges of third-world nations, gain understanding of how to minister cross-culturally and learn from the poor. Maddie Drees was cast in Kent State University's production of Ragtime and will be working at the Huron Playhouse in Huron, OH this summer.

Alex Jeffers, a freshman at the Savannah College of Art and Design, competed against 2,000 artists and won Best of Show in the 31st annual Savannah Sidewalk Festival. She and two friends won $1,000 and the prestigious honor of being the first freshmen ever to win this award. Daniel Wright is doing a summer finance internship in Shanghai, China.

Facebook.com/cincinnatihillschristianacademy

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Alumni events

2012-13 August 2012 Alumni Soccer Game August 18, 2012 Class of 2002 Ten Year Reunion

September 21, 2012 Fall Festival* October 26, 2012 Homecoming Picnic* (5:00 p.m.) & football game (7:00 p.m.) Alumni Chapel 2012

Join us on campus or at a reunion this year – rediscover your alma mater and find out how you can learn, lead and serve with the next generation of CHCA students. Have questions about an event? Want to help out? E-mail Tracy.Wolcott@chca-oh.org or call (513) 247-9944 ext. 210. *Starred events will feature special alumni-only discounts or freebies. Contact Tracy to find out more and be sure your contact info is up to date with us so we can let you know about these special opportunities!

February 9, 2013 Celebration Dinner & Auction

March 2013 College 101 panel discussion with Class of 2013 arch 15 & 16, 2013 MSL HS musical Alumni M Reception*

April 13, 2013 ArtBeat Fine Arts Festival* May 8, 2013 Alumni Chapel

PAX events

PAX Alumni Moms Christmas Brunch 2011

2012-13

CHCA’s Parent Alumni eXchange (PAX) held a number of events this year, including a luncheon, care package assembly, the annual Alumni Moms Christmas Brunch, and a guided tour of the Monet exhibit at the Cincinnati Art Museum. Join PAX this fall as we begin another year of fun and fellowship. A calendar of upcoming events can be found in the next column – please be sure to send your most upto-date contact information to Julie.Carnes@chca-oh.org so we can notify you regarding specific dates, times and locations.

EAGLE’SEYE

September 25, 2012 Kick-off luncheon October 2012 Assembly of care packages for Class of 2012 college freshmen November 2012 Gallery showing of CHCA AP Art student work (Gallery Veronique) December 7, 2012 Alumni Moms Christmas Brunch

December 2012 Sacred Music Concert February 9, 2013 Celebration Dinner & Auction April 2013 Art or cooking class event

Students give

new life to old tires

EBL Elementary teachers Dawn Marosi (art) and Mindy Myers-Shiveley (science) put their heads together this year and came up with a project that would allow students to integrate the two subjects, beautify the campus, and learn a lesson in recycling. “Dawn and I have both had a vision of an EBL community garden for the last couple of years,” MyersShiveley says. “After bringing art and science together last year with our butterfly study, we saw the excitement of the students and how naturally this integration takes place.” Second graders started by painting truck tires donated by Bob Sumerel Tire. “We learned about making art from recycled products that were not only beautiful but useful,” Marosi says. “Their designs incorporated shapes and lines, and everyone worked together to make the finished product.” Once the tires were ready, they were turned into containers and prepped for planting. “We decided to start small and grow things that pertained directly to the science curriculum: pumpkins and corn for the preschoolers; sunflowers for our kindergarteners; plants that attract butterflies for our first graders,” Myers-Shiveley explains. “Our second, third and fourth graders study things like soil, plant part functionality, life cycles and survival of plants in ecosystems so this will be a natural part of their curriculum too.” Find the containers on the back side of EBL ES, behind the art and science rooms.

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CINCINNATI HILLS CHRISTIAN ACADEMY

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Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy will unleash each studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s God-given gifts through Christ-centered academic excellence. We are devoted to developing the whole person, and instilling a lifelong passion for learning, leading and serving.