SVA NEWS: It's All About Relationships

Partnering For Eternity (PFE) With Katie

When Katie Pacylowski ’24 arrived at my home for her first weekly PFE visit, it felt so right. We talked about our interests and talents, her classes, family and dreams. She loves art and wants to be a graphic designer.

My dream is to put the book of Revelation into a format young and old can understand. Could a board game be a learning tool to understand Revelation? If so, Katie’s computer and design skills could be a real asset.

Each week we played games to harvest ideas. Developing a game would take time, so we made a Phase I: cards to outline the seven churches, seals and trumpets. I collected texts that Katie interpreted through her designs.

A favorite moment was creating the card of “Jesus’ Presence” in the church of Thyatira. The text says, “These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass” (Rev. 2:18, NKJV). Katie’s response was, “Oh, that’s up close and personal!”

Once Phase I was complete, we played with friends and family. The cards are only the beginning. There is much work ahead to complete the game!

Katie’s creativity and energy astounds me. She is a gift God brought to me in the right time and way. Thank you SVA, PFE Foundation, and donors who make this wonderful work program to connect students and senior citizens possible.

—Renee Ford ’74, SVA Alumna

Student-Led Mental Wellness Program Launch

As 28 students filed into the classroom, “We saw expressions of curiosity and expectation, but we could also see a protectiveness—and lots of skepticism,” observed music director Daniel Biaggi, an adult advisor for the Sources of Strength (SOS) program.

Students representatives from each class and a variety of friend groups were carefully chosen to train as peer leaders for SOS, a strength-based wellness program that focuses on suicide prevention and also impacts issues such as substance abuse and violence.

Girls’ dean Stephanie Powell, campus nurse Darlene Anderson, and program founder Mark LoMurray led students in games, activities, and times of sharing and learning. SOS trained faculty, staff, and SVA volunteers participated as adult advisors.

“Students began to participate, to become open and vulnerable,” observed Biaggi.

Everyone laughed as they mimicked the mountains, chicken farms, and rivers of the Shenandoah Valley. Then the room filled with the sound of students sharing in small groups. Games, activities and sharing times help students have fun

while learning messages of hope, help and strength. Research shows these messages are protective factors against the many risks students face.

Students and adults quickly observed the same messages in the Bible, Ellen White’s writings, and in themes already emphasized at SVA. “It isn’t about learning something new; it’s about discovering strengths we already have,” says Olivia Patrick ‘23, peer leader.

Developing and using strengths such as spirituality, physical health, generosity, gratitude, and adult mentors as tools to navigate difficult times is what the program is all about. Students share these tools with peers to create a strength-focused school culture where health-seeking behavior is the norm.

As the day drew to a close, we saw expressions of hope on the students’ faces like, ‘We are willing to help. This could really make a change on our campus!’

--Darlene Anderson, School Nurse

Self-Discipline: A Freshman Life Skill

Teacher Mrs. Short invited me to meet with the young men’s Freshman Life Skills class. The semester theme is “Do Hard Things” and includes discussion of challenging subjects and practical handyman skills. We drifted from the suggested topic as I shared my personal rehabilitation journey from COVID pneumonia. I told the young men that to gain strength, every day I must decide to workout even if I don’t feel like it. I choose to do what’s best for my recovery.

Which led the discussion to the importance of self-discipline. That’s when Emmanuel raised his hand and wanted to know how he could learn selfdiscipline. I affirmed him for asking such a mature question. Often we best learn self-discipline when others hold us accountable and keep us focused on our personal, spiritual, and academic goals. As class ended, I asked Emmanuel if I could email his mother and share the class conversation with her. He agreed, so here’s the email exchange with Lillian, Emmanuel’s mother:

Hello Lillian, I must tell you when I visited Emmanuel’s Life Skills Class on Tuesday, he asked a very mature question. We were discussing self-discipline, and he wanted to know how he could best learn self discipline when he would be out on his own. His own house, etc. I told the young men that coming to boarding school was the beginning of learning how to be disciplined, how to follow a routine of success. I’m sure if you ask him about the discussion he will tell. He seems to be doing very well.

Blessings to my friend, Lillian’s reply:

It is true as soon as he came home [for homeleave], after dinner he washed the dishes. I was pleasantly surprised. Then he sat down and wrote his to do list for tomorrow. He even went to bed without a fight. Oh he is a changed young man. I like the new him. I cannot thank every member of SVA enough.

God bless you all and give you strength to encourage and mold the youth in their life journey.

Sincerely, Emanuel’s mom

I am thankful Shenandoah Valley Academy is a place where young people learn about God in such practical ways.

– Pastor Buz Menhardt