Heritage Christian School R
THE
E G A T HERI D L A R HE Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord,and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. -Psalm 1:1-3
OCTOBER 2014
Working in tandem
An update from Heritage Principal Mike Annis
In
last year’s fall Herald, I wrote “Growth brings challenge and challenge opportunity.” I was reflecting on the context of that statement and have pondered, of late, how true that remains today. God has brought 209 students to Heritage this year and has called several new faculty and staff to serve Him here. Two new board members have been raised up from within our body to lead the school in the pursuit of Godhonoring excellence. God’s faithfulness is apparent in that, regardless of the tenure in the organization, we are held together and equipped for our mission by the unity we have in Christ. The standard of excellence at Heritage is high-reaching as we seek to imitate Christ. As our organization grows we must be unified in our goals to be most effective in our work. The understanding of why we do what we do at Heritage on a daily basis cannot be left to assumption. To facilitate this coalescence, we penned the Portrait of a Graduate; the attributes we desire to help
cultivate in the lives of our students during the time they are under our instruction. The introduction to this list is important, as it frames our desire in light of what God’s word says. Explicit communication on these topics is imperative to insure that our individual efforts are truly complementary and complemented by those who work alongside us in the pursuit of the school’s mission. I share it with you in this edition of the Herald as I want you to pray with us to this end. We know, in general, the road that lies ahead for our children. We want to fully prepare them for that road. In addition to the Herald, please take the time to visit the school’s new website. We want you to be in tune to what God has in store for us this year!
The standard of excellence at Heritage is high-reaching as we seek to imitate Christ. As our organization grows we must be unified in our goals to be most effective in our work.
EAGLESSPORTSUPDATE
God’s Blessings,
Mike Annis, M.Ed.
Volleyball
Update from varsity coach Amy Tackaberry
We have been blessed with a great group of volunteer coaches and athletes representing Heritage Athletics this fall. It is exciting to see our athletes improve their skills and learn life lessons in the context of Godly coaching. Praise God for His work in the lives of our athletes through the hard work and dedication of our coaches.
Soccer
Update from varsity coach Scott Montgomery
But first...a selfie. #leavenodoubt Coach Montgomery takes a “selfie” with the varsity team before their game at Central Lutheran. We have two coed soccer teams for the first time in school history! The HCS varsity soccer coach is Scott Montgomery and JV soccer coach is Dave Austin. The JV record is 1-1 for the start of the season. Coach Austin’s advice to the players for the rest of the season is to “start strong, play
hard and finish strong - that’s where we need to be.” Coach Austin also encourages his team to “Remember what we are about and Who we are playing for!” The Heritage Christian varsity soccer team started the season 4-0 for the first time in school history winning at Trinity Lutheran, Isaac Newton, Central Lutheran and Lutheran Interparish. This year our team theme is “Leave No Doubt” which we’ve adapted from 1 Kings 18 (the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal) - Elijah “left no doubt” about who he served and how great God was – which is our goal this year in soccer. Win, lose, or draw, it’s our hope that everything we do brings glory to God – on and off the pitch – and others are left with no doubt about who we are and how awesome God is. “I’m so proud of how these kids work at the game and the quality of character that I see in each of them” said Coach Montgomery, “I’m excited for what God has in store for them the rest of the season.”
The JV team makes great strides in their serving and passing game. Our varsity volleyball coaches are Amy and Jeff Tackaberry and our JV volleyball coaches are Jen Traetow and Brenda Wichhart. The JV girls have had a great start to their 2014 season! The team excels at hustle and enthusiasm for the game. Their early season progress is sure to lead them to some match victories during the last half of the season. Go Eagles! The Varsity Volleyball team has had a great start to the year, with a record of 2-1. The girls continue to improve each week and we are excited to see how they finish the season. We invite you to come out and cheer them on!
By the grace of God, Heritage graduates will experience the fullness of these attributes when they accept Christ as their Lord and Savior, actively pursue a relationship with Him through daily study of Scripture and an intentional prayer life, allow the Holy Spirit to direct their path, and seek to be intimately connected in a local church body.
Pursues excellence in all endeavors; strong work ethic
a. Lives with a life purpose to glorify God – Psalms 86:12, 1 Corinthian 6:20, Philippians 1:20-21 b. Seeks growth and pursues being challenged – 1 Timothy 4:6-16, Philippians 3:13-15
Communicates effectively both orally and in writing
a. Articulates the Gospel clearly – 1 Peter 3:14-16 b. Shares their testimony of faith in Jesus Christ with passion and conviction – Acts 4:19-20, Romans 1:16
Seeks opportunity to help others
a. Exhibits a passion to reach the unsaved with the Gospel; seeks to be “salt and light” – I Corinthians 9:16, Matthew 5:14-16 b. Works to enhance the communities in which they live; exhibiting God honoring citizenship – Jeremiah 29:7,Romans 12:17-18, Romans 13:1, 2 Timothy 2:24-25 c. Seeks discipleship – Matthew 28:19-20, 2 Timothy 2:2 d. Lives a generous, sacrificial lifestyle – Matthew 6:2-3, Acts 20:35, Romans 12:13, Titus 3:14, 1 John 3:16-18
Thinks critically and solves problems; reasons effectively and thinks independently
a. Discerns truth from error through comprehensive academic knowledge and a biblically faithful worldview – Matthew 10:16, Romans 12:2, 2 Timothy 4:1-5; Hebrews 13:9 b. Applies Scripture accurately to life circumstances – 2 Timothy 2:14-16 c. Maintains an eternal perspective on life – Proverbs 16:3, Philippians 1:21, Philippians 3:13-14 d. Accepts leadership opportunities in accordance with gifts – 1 Corinthians 12:4-11
Exhibits discipline and self-control
a. Perseveres in hardship – Romans 12:14, James 1:2-4 b. Displays a high level of responsibility/reliability/dependability – Philippians 2:14-16
Portrays confidence and courage in all situations
a. Exhibits sureness in their identity in Christ – John 10:27-30, Hebrews 4:15-16 b. Trusts the authority of Scripture – Matthew 24:35, Hebrews 4:12, 2 Timothy 3:16 c. Seeks justice – Micah 6:8, Matthew 23:23 d. Leads with assurance and humility – Hebrews 10:32-39
Displays respect when relating to others
a. Honors God before men; seeks to obey God in all areas of life – Matthew 21:21, Acts 5:29 b. Seeks reconciliation; is repentant – Job 42:1-6, Psalm 38:18, Matthew 5:23-24,Colossians 3:12-14, James 5:16 c. Works well with others; recognizes others as image bearers of God – Genesis 1:26, Romans 12:4-12, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, Ephesians 4:32 d. Develops healthy, God honoring relationships – Philippians 1:27-28, Philippians 2:3-4 e. Places high value on integrity – Ephesians 4:25, Colossians 3:9-10
Demonstrates resourcefulness in all areas of life
a. Recognizes and acts in the truth that all belongs to God and should be used accordingly – Genesis 1:28, Colossians 1:15-17 b. Lives as though their bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, seeking to live a healthy lifestyle – I Corinthians 6:19-20, 1 Corinthians 9:26-27
Heritage Christian School 255 Hackberry St. North Liberty, IA 52317
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Heritage welcomes new staff to the team
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EMILY JENSEN
Fourth Grade Teacher
Right off the bat, I was impressed by the sincerity of the Heritage school mission. Instead of just being a “nominally” Christian school, they lived it out! They stood out as a school that is not only academically excellent, but also earnestly wants to grow their students to be more like Christ. Emily Jensen is from Brainerd, Minnesota. She attended a Christian school from kindergarten through high school. After high school, Emily attended Faith Baptist Bible College in Ankeny, Iowa and received her Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Elementary Education and Bible with a Middle School Endorsement in Social Studies and Literature. Emily is excited about the tremendous opportunity that Christian education provides. While in college, Emily had the opportunity to student teach in South Africa and thought that God was calling her to go overseas. After she was introduced to Heritage, Emily was drawn to the sincerity of the mission and the opportunity to serve God in the states.
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LAURA BAILEY
First Grade Teacher
How excited I am to get to share Christ freely with my students and pursue Him alongside them. A favorite passage is Psalm 37:5-6 “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this; He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
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Laura Bailey began teaching at Heritage last year in the role of pre-kindergarten teacher’s aide. Prior to that, she had been a stay at home mom for five and a half years. Laura graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in Early Childhood Education. Following graduation, she taught in the West Liberty Community School District. During her 12 years there, she taught second grade, first grade, pre-kindergarten and kindergarten. Laura is bilingual and the highlight of her time in West Liberty was her involvement with the dual language program. Laura’s husband, Kevin, is a civil engineer at McClure Engineering, and they have four children; Jared (13), Micah (13), Ethan (11) and Natalie (4). Grace Community Church is their church home.
MATT BOLGER
Seventh Grade Math and Advanced Pre-Algebra Teacher
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It is truly amazing to think about all the doors God opened in my life that led me to be teaching here right now. This is very different from the master plan I had drawn up for myself, but it’s obvious God had something else in mind for me, and I’m very thankful that He did.
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Matt Bolger was born and raised on a farm outside of Marengo, Iowa. Matt graduated from Drake University with degrees in Elementary Education and Radio/TV Production. He went on to get his Master’s degree in Education and Innovation from Webster University. Over the past 12 years, Matt has taught and coached at a few different schools and he served as a long-term sub at Heritage last year. This winter, Matt looks forward to head coaching the girls’ basketball team at Regina High School. Matt has been married to his wife Holly for nine years, and they have three kids: Averie (6- a first grader at Heritage), Harper (2), and Bennet (6 months). The Bolger family loves Heritage and feels blessed that God has led them here.