September Newsletter

SEPTEMBER 2012

C O L L E G E

CHCS News H E I G H T S

C H R I S T I A N

S C H O O L

THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL…

REFLECTION

by Allison Strawn

As I stepped through the doors I was caught up in a rush of emotions. I was thrilled for the start of my senior year; I was nervous for the overwhelming amount of homework I will receive within the next couple of weeks. I was anxious hoping I would not forget my schedule and go to the wrong room. Suddenly I heard a familiar voice call my name. It was my best friend Kristen. Then I realized no matter what happens this year, it is my last, and I wouldn’t want to spend it anywhere else other than College Heights.

National Merit Semi-Finalists College Heights Christian School announced that Seniors Josh Brehm and Eric Patterson are being recognized as a semi-finalists in the 2012 National Merit Scholarship Program. They represent the top less than one percent of the U.S. high school seniors, and include the highest scoring entrants in each state. They are the only two semi-finalists named this year in the Four State area.

William Estep, Senior, has also been named as a Commended Scholar and placed among the top five percent of more than 1.5 million students who took the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

These three students represent eight percent of the CHCS Senior class of 37 students.

JOSH BREHM

ERIC PATTERSON

NATIONAL MERIT SEMI-FINALISTS

WILLIAM ESTEP COMMENDED SCHOLAR

Tomorrow’s Leaders Today Tomorrow’s Leaders Today is a youth leadership program sponsored by the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce. The mission of the program is to develop leadership skills in youth who will generate positive action within the community and help resolve future challenges. The participants are high school students with a variety of interests.

Students must demonstrate leadership or leadership potential in family, community, and/or school activities and show a desire to develop additional leadership skills. TLT provides an opportunity to learn more about the area and the importance of community service. Each year the chamber selects 40 students to participate. These students come from Joplin, Carl Junction, Webb City, Carthage, McAuley, Thomas Jefferson and College Heights. CHCS has been blessed to have participants every year and students are currently involved in the application process for the 2012-2013 school year.

During the previous two years CHCS had seven students each year to be selected.

Watch next month’s newsletter for this year’s results.

CHCS News

Page 2

Middle School Officers Elected

7th GRADE OFFICERS

Congratulations to the Middle School Students who were elected by their peers to serve at this year’s class officers.

MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT COUNCIL: President is Hinako Yorozu, Vice-President is Austin Martin, SecretaryTreasury is Caleb Cummins, and the Chaplain is Matthew Roberts.

8th GRADE OFFICERS: President and Vice President: are Mattie Beard and Jonathan Calandro, Secretary/Treasurer is Haven Wicklund, and Chaplain is Jonathan Johnson.

7th GRADE OFFICERS: President and Vice President are Jonathan St. Clair and Kyle Good, Secretary/Treasurer is Taiyo Yorozu, and Chaplain is Adam Russell.

6th GRADE OFFICERS: President and Vice President are Bennett Satterlee and Garret Lewis.

Secretary/Treasurer is Will Secker, and Chaplain is Carrie Wallace.

Washington D.C. Trip This summer a group of Middle School Students and two of their teachers, Mrs. Ohmart and Mrs. Barnett, went on an educational tour of Washington D.C. Along with visiting the Smithsonian, the monuments, Arlington, the Capitol, and National Archives, they also visited George Washington’s home, Mt. Vernon. One of their highlights was a visit to Jamestown and Colonial Williamsburg. The students were wonderful and were able to create lifelong memories.

Another trip next summer is in the works!

Dictionaries for Elementary

by Haley Hembree

The third grade students at CHCS recently received dictionaries from the Rotary Club of Joplin, Missouri. The Rotary Club has generously given the children around the local area dictionaries to help further their learning process.

The Rotary Club is an organization whose goal is to help meet the critical needs that are around the world today including illiteracy. We are grateful for their readiness and willingness to ensure a quality education to help enable our children at CHCS.

Press Club We are always looking for new opportunities for our students and we think we have found one with the newsletter you are reading. CHCS is pleased to announce the formation of the Press Club. Members of the Press Club will be given a new assignment each month. They will be responsible for research, interviews, writing, editing and submission of their article by an established due date. At the current time, membership is limited to High School students, but we hope to include Middle School soon. This is the first edition of the newsletter that includes articles written by some of the members. Anyone interested in participating can contact Anita Zarrabi or their English instructor.

CHCS News

Page 3

A What?

by Danielle Capehart

“This is a play.” “A what?” “A play?” “A what?” “A play.” “Oh a play!”

This is Drama! You may have heard the Drama class chanting something similar to this, a little something that they do as an exercise. They do a lot of fun little exercises, though they may seem just silly they are actually building the actors ability, their ability to wow you on stage.

The first stage production by the College Height’s Drama team is a play, Becoming Juliet, a comedy about high school Drama… not drama let’s say, Theatre, not to get confused. The showing days are November 15 through November 18. Reservations can be made two weeks before the showing.

Becoming Juliet is only the beginning! There will be another production, in the winter that will be open to any high school student to audition, for any details about auditioning speak to Mrs. Davison. A middle school production will also be included this year, for those young stars out there. Throughout the winter they will also be working on a production for contest.

Productions are a huge part of Theatre, but there is a lot going on ‘behind the scenes’. Right now the Drama classes are memorizing a self-chosen, part of scripture that they will then treat as a one minute monologue.

When asked “Why scripture,” Mrs. Davison smiles, “Why not use the best material there is?” She’s absolutely right. She says when she began to have the students use scripture she would have never thought she would have kids asking to do it again, or Alumni come in and tell her they still remember their scripture, but she does.

Mrs. Davison says, “I love all the things in class, the productions, the games, and all, but my favorite part has to be the memorization,” With several students agreeing.

Drama is no ordinary class. It’s a place students can learn to develop their God given talents, outside of ordinary academics, with extra encouragement from other people with the same hopes, dreams, and love of being on stage. Mrs. Davison says that’s what Drama class is about, coming together in a group of people that are all striving for the same goal, and this builds relationships. Walk into the high school drama class sometime. You’ll be amazed by the love in Mrs. Davison’s happy little Drama family.

SPORTS SPOTLIGHT

Volleyball

by Zach Nichols

College Height’s volleyball is very important to both the coaches and the players. This year their goals are to win district and conference, and if that’s accomplished, state.

The head coach is Mary Colin, who coached at Carthage for nine years, and now at College Heights for the past four years. She says, “I love this team; they are a great group of girls. They love to have fun; they love volleyball, and most importantly, they love God. We feel blessed that God would give us the opportunity to grow closer to Him and to learn about life through the sport of volleyball.”

She is assisted by Coach Stephanie Woodmansee who says, “If I had to pick one thing that we need more of…, it’s cowbell!” The coaches are very confident in the team, and say that the girls are fun to coach. The team consists of nineteen girls total, including five seniors. Do a great job girls.

Go Cougars!!!

GOSSETT BREAKS SOCCER RECORD

BRANTLEY GOSSETT broke the school scoring record as CHCS opened the soccer season with their first game in Richland, MO. The previous record was set by Joe Cales during the 2004 season, scoring 81 career goals. By the end of the Richland game, Gossett’s record was at 83. Gossett quickly reached 100 goals during the first game of the Thomas Jefferson Classic and his goal total will continue to grow as the season progresses.

A NOTE FROM SUPERINTENDENT NELSON HORTON… The 2012-2013 school year is off to a great start! There is a warm and healthy spirit of unity evident throughout the school, and enrollment is strong with 589 students currently attending. This number includes two foreign exchange students, both from Germany, and two homeschool students who are also taking classes at CHCS. We have 117 new students at CHCS this year, with each one bringing his or her unique personality and gifts to the school family. It is my belief that each one is here by design, not by chance.

Reflecting on God’s blessing at the start of a new year has led to thanking Him for His faithfulness in the past. Our chapel theme this year is “Identity” and in one of our early chapel services I had the opportunity to talk to the students about how our school’s identity has been shaped by the sacrifice and faith of those servant leaders who had the vision to establish and develop our school through the past 34 years. We are the beneficiaries of their sacrifice and servant leadership. If you have invested time, talent or treasure in this ministry, please know that you have made a difference. If you are currently serving in any capacity, whether large or small, I want to say, “Thank you”. Your service is setting an example of the kind of servant leadership that we all hope to see developed in each CHCS student.

Five Year ACT Averages 30

Renweb

CONGRATULATIONS CHCS for posting excellent ACT scores for the 2012 school year!

25 20 15 10 n CHCS n MO n NAT’L

5 0

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

Our newest addition! We have increased our bus fleet. Thank you PTF for making this possible.

MISSION STATEMENT

Parents, don’t forget to take advantage of Renweb, our online school management system. You can check homework assignments, lunch menus, student grades, school calendar, etc. If you are having problems accessing Renweb or have not set up your account, please contact the school. A Renweb phone application is now available. This is a great tool to use to stay informed about your students progress.

CHCS Annual Fall Blood Drive November 14th will be the CHCS annual fall Blood Drive and is sponsored by the NHS (National Honor Society). Blood donations can be made that day by coming to the CHCS Atrium between the hours of 8:00 am and 2:00 pm.

CHCS glorifies God through excellence as a Christ-centered learning environment that produces servant-leaders with a Biblical worldview.

COLLEGE HEIGHTS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL n 4311 E. NEWMAN ROAD n JOPLIN, MISSOURI 64801 n 471-782-4114 n WWW.COLLEGHEIGHTS.ORG