2015 Graduation - Illiana Christian High School

PUB L I SHE D P ER I O D I C A L LY BY THE S C H O O L B O A RD S UMM ER 1 5
2015 Graduation
On Friday, June 5, 2015,
one hundred and forty-two
emerald robes arrived at
the Family Christian Center
hours before the graduation
ceremony. EXCITED CHATTER
FILLED THE AUDITORIUM as
Principal Peter Boonstra instructed
the soon-to-be graduates on ceremony
procedures. Following a quick run-through
of the ceremony, the Class of 2015 lined
up on the upper balcony in alphabetical
order, eagerly waiting for their graduation
ceremony to begin. words which are especially appropriate for
one hundred and forty-two graduates as they
step out into the world into a new chapter in
their lives. Following the choral selections, Mrs. Drost
gave the Charge to the graduates. She
recalled meeting all of the graduates as
freshmen, watching all of them grow in
Christ and seeing how God used them
at Illiana. She charged them to embrace
Christ's undying love for them as they left
Illiana. After the auditorium filled with family and
friends, Mrs. Menninga directed the band in
"Pomp and Circumstance." Beautiful tones
of this classic piece filled the air as emerald
robes glided down the stairs to their seats. Finally, as each Senior walked across the
stage to receive his or her diploma, Senior
class sponsors read a few remarks about
the gifts and talents of each student. After
the last Senior crossed the stage, the Illiana
Christian High School Class of 2015 moved
their tassels from the right to the left,
signifying their accomplishment. Hats flews
and voices cheered.
Mr. Boonstra greeted everyone present
and began the ceremony with prayer. Then
Lito Wagenveld delivered the Welcome,
naming his speech "Lito's Lengthy Lectures
and Lessons on Life," a parody of "Turk's
Topics." He described the graduation
ceremony not only as a celebration of the
graduates, but also of all the people who
touched the graduates’ lives and encouraged
them throughout high school. Joel Kostelyk gave the Farewell. He spoke
about how Illiana is a stepping stone, one
of the phases of life we go through that
prepares us for the next. He encouraged the
graduates to be excited to move on to the
next stage in life. Then, Mr. Kelvin Easter,
Pastor at Destined to Win Christian Center,
closed the ceremony with prayer. The
Faculty sang a final song for the graduates,
"The Lord Bless You and Keep You." Chapel Committee then led everyone in
the Litany, focusing on the theme verse
of this year’s Chapel, 1 Samuel 16:7b. The
committee touched on all of the subthemes as well, accompanied by other Bible
verses. The Chambers Singers sang "This is
My Word" and "In Christ Alone”; everyone
joined them on verses 2-4 of "In Christ
Alone." Harmonious voices sang in unison
about the hope and trust found in Christ,
Shouts and cheers escaped from the
mouths of excited graduates as they
filed out of the auditorium. Family and
friends met them outside with embraces,
some with tears. Even though class
members will go their separate ways, they
will always be united as the graduating
class of Illiana Christian High School of
2015. Congratulations, Class of 2015!
-Miranda Bouwer
2015 AWARDS
RICHARD VANDEN BERG
MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Miranda Bouwer
Alejandra Crevier
JIM HUIZENGA
MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Logan Bultema
LUKE WITVLIET
MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Matthew Schaaf
Kalie Johnson
CATHY BEEZHOLD-PEERBOLTE
MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Alexandra Vroom
JOSHUA DANIEL DE BOER
MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Azariah Smith
CALVIN SCHOLARSHIP
Jacklyn Vander Zee
VERNON J. BOERMEN
MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Lorna De Windt
PRINCIPAL’S LEADERSHIP AWARD
Chad Vander Zee
ILLIANA CITIZENSHIP SCHOLARSHIP
Azariah Smith
ROTARY CITENSHIP AWARD
Olamide Oyeyemi
VALEDICTORIAN
Stephanie Rietveld
SALUTATORIAN
Miranda Bouwer
PA G E 2
SUMM ER 15
Dear Illiana Families and Alumni,
I am happy to be writing this from my office as the new
Admissions Counselor at Illiana Christian High School!
Andrew Knot recently accepted a job working in Germany,
but before he left, we spent the better part of June and July
working together.
After graduating from Hope College and marrying my
husband, Justin Makowski, I relocated to Hammond, Indiana.
I studied communication and Spanish while at Hope and
worked part time in the Admissions Office. Justin graduated
from Hope in 2013 and now works at Munster Christian
Reformed Church as the Worship Director. We are both
relatively new to the area and the Illiana Community. Thank
you for welcoming us!
Over the past few weeks, it has been made clear to me that
the Illiana community is devoted to spiritual development,
academics, athletics, drama and so much more. I am excited
to be advocating for Illiana and the opportunities here.
A large part of my job includes student recruitment and
walking families through the application and enrollment
process. As many of you know, we switched over to an
online process this past year. For some of you, this was a
relatively painless transition, but for others it was not so
painless.
As we look ahead to the coming year, please know that we
are evaluating the process to see how we can provide more
help and make it more user-friendly. Keep an eye out for an
opportunity in early 2016 for parents to come to Illiana and
complete the enrollment packet, pay the enrollment fee,
and make course requests—all at one time in one place. As
we look forward to the 2015-2016 school year, I am eager
to partner with you. I need your connections and voices
in the community to advocate for our school. The most
effective advertisement is through word of mouth. We
have something special at Illiana, but there are many who
have not yet heard about us. Speak to your friends, schools
and churches about the opportunities at Illiana and share
information on your social media sites.
SUMM ER 15
DEPARTMENT
AWARDS
ANNOUNCING
THE ILLIANA
CHRISTIAN
AUCTION
On Saturday, November 21, Illiana Christian will
hold its first silent and live auctions. The silent
auction will begin at 4:30 p.m and take place
in the hallways of the gyms and the industrial
arts wing. The live auction will begin at 5:30
p.m. in the lower gym. We will have great food,
great fellowship and lots of great items to bid
on. The proceeds of the auction will support
both the Athletic Department and the Illiana
Christian Aid Fund, a fund which helps families
in need in our community. Please save the date
and look for more details as we get closer to the
event. If you have any questions or would like
to donate to the auction, please contact Lance
Davids at 708-474-0515 ext. 18 or lance.davids@
illianachristian.org.
ART: Leah Smit
BIBLE: Frank Russell
BUSINESS: Daniel Herman
Thank You
Thank you to each of you for the support you have shown to
Illiana through the years. Over the last couple of years, we have seen some
changes at Illiana, and some significant decisions have been made about the future of
our school. However, one of the things that has not changed is the Illiana community’s
passion for Christian education. This passion has shown itself in many ways.
Sometimes, it has been evident in disagreements, but even when these differences of
opinion are expressed, it is clear that what we all want is a strong Christian school for
our children.
In my position as Director of Development, I have had the privilege of meeting many
of you face to face, hearing in person what it is about Illiana Christian High School you
love and why you support our school. Because of these experiences, I know that we all
adhere to and reinforce the same theme: we believe in our community, we believe in
our students, and we believe that through a proper Christian education and faith in
God, our students will be equipped to take on whatever challenges are ahead of them.
I want to thank you for your prayer support, your emotional support and your financial
support. Although it can be difficult to quantify emotional and prayer support, I can
feel your prayers every day at Illiana Christian. It is easier, however, to quantify your
financial support. Over the past two years, because of your generous gifts, we have
received $393,977 for the Illiana Fund, and we have seen a total of $1,583,268 given to
all Illiana accounts combined. Furthermore, since its approval, we have received over
$10 million in cash and pledges to the This I Believe capital campaign. God has truly
blessed us all in more ways than we can count.
Again, thank you for who you are and for your daily support of Illiana Christian High
School. Together we can make Illiana thrive for the coming generations, so that they,
too, will have a school and the cause of Christian education to rally around.
This I Believe!
-Steve Holwerda,
Director of Development
If you know of a family that would be a great addition to our
school community or who would benefit greatly from Illiana,
please put me in touch with them. Along the same lines, if
you know of anyone who should receive an Illiana packet of
information or one of my business cards in the mail, please
let me know and I will connect with them.
PA G E 3
BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY:
Abigail Buiter
DRAMA (CREW): Holly Schoon
DRAMA (STAGE): Frank Russell
ENGLISH: Alexandra Vroom
FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCE:
Leah VanderWall
GERMAN: Jamie Petrarca
INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY:
Nathan De Jong
JOURNALISM:
Miranda Bouwer
Marissa Pratcher
MATH: Joel Kostelyk
PHYSICAL EDUCATION:
Steven Massey
SCIENCE: Jacklyn Vander Zee
SOCIAL STUDIES: Daniel Van Drunen
SPANISH: Lito Wagenveld
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC AWARD:
Megan Woodson
SOUSA AWARD: Jacklyn Vander Zee
VOCAL MUSIC AWARD:
Gregory Strange
NATIONAL CHORAL AWARD:
Jonathan Boer
CAMPAIGN UPDATE
We hope you have seen the images of the new campus as it is currently being
conceived--with a 700-seat auditorium, well-appointed athletic spaces, and a more
robust academic wing, all wrapped around a large, open commons area. This design
is now becoming increasingly detailed as we complete the schematic design phase of
the project.
Over the past two months I have learned much about Illiana,
and I look forward to serving the school and this community
in the months to come. Please feel free to stop by my office
and introduce yourself at any time!
Elly Makowski
Admissions Counselor
elly.makowski@illianachristian.org
708.474.0515 Ext. 49
New Admissions Counselor Elly Makowski with Husband Justin.
As the design progresses, so does the This I Believe Campaign. We have created a
website for the campaign where you can find updates, campaign information and a
wonderful video focused on the next generation of Illiana students. Please visit
www.buildingilliana.com to stay up to date on the campaign and/or to sign up for
email updates. If you would like to receive paper mailings related to the campaign,
please call the school office at (708) 474-0515. Also, please continue to pray for
Illiana, our leadership, and our community during this time of transition.
PA G E 4
SUMM ER 15
SUMM ER 15
SPRING SPORTS
Autumn
INNOVATIONS
Wrap Up
Illiana athletes had another great spring season. Even though it was
a difficult season with all of its challenging weather, the parents,
coaches, and athletes adjusted, resulting in a record-breaking spring.
GIRLS’ SOCCER
Both levels had wonderful seasons with the Varsity girls finishing
in 2nd place in the Metro Suburban Conference.
GIRLS’ SOFTBALL
SPORTS
AWARDS
ATHLETE OF THE YEAR:
Male: Nick Fiene
Female: Madison Prince
SCHOLAR ATHLETE
OF THE YEAR:
Male: Chad Vander Zee
Female: Holly Schoon
SPORTSMANSHIP
AWARD:
Male: Chad Ketelaar
Female: Rachel Smits
The Varsity finished 2nd in their conference. With new coach
Nicole Wondaal at the reins, the program will continue to grow
and build.
BOYS’ BASEBALL
The Varsity boys also finished 2nd in conference play. Then they
had a great postseason run, winning Regionals and Sectionals before
finally losing in Super Sectionals to Morgan Park. Congratulations
to Coach Dan Gibson on another great year.
GIRLS’ TRACK
The Girls’ track team finished toward the top at most of their
invitational meets. They also had a strong season in conference
play and look forward to building on their successes next year. BOYS’ TRACK
The Boys’ track team continued to build on their program of
excellence. As usual, they sent a number of athletes down state.
Colin DeYoung took first place as the State Champion in the 3200
meter run. Nick Wondaal was named All-State for his 2nd place
finish in the 800 meter run. Nick Fiene was named All-State for his
7th place finish in the 1600 meter run. Congratulations to all three
boys for their hard work and accomplishments this season!
BOYS’ TENNIS
Both levels of boys’ tennis had good seasons as they avoided rain
drops. The Varsity finished 2nd in its conference. Congratulations
to James Zandstra, Jason Eberly and Garret Lytle, all of whom
qualified for the boys’ tennis state tournament! At the Homewood
sectionals, James took 3rd place in singles and Jason and Garret
took 2nd in doubles. This is the first time since 1999-2000 that
Illiana has had a singles player and a doubles team qualify for state.
¡A ESPAÑA!
On June 15, I (Tom Knapper), my wife Rachelle and 10 Illiana
students boarded a plane bound for Spain. We flew into Madrid, and
after spending 3 nights there, we traveled to Burgos with a stop in Segovia along the
way. From there, it was on to Bilbao for 2 nights, with a day trip to San Sebastian. Finally,
our bus took us to Barcelona with a stop in Pamplona.
When anyone asks me about this trip, I tell them that it was nearly perfect. The students,
Jannae Allen, Zion Baker, Claire Beezhold, Josh Boender, Carly DeVries, Alexis Genous,
Abby Lagestee, Karlen Mulder, Hilary VanDrunen and Robby Zandstra, were extremely
well behaved and took advantage of all that Spain had to offer in terms of sights, sounds,
tastes and experiences. It was a pleasure traveling with them. If you happen to see any
one of them, I encourage you to ask them about our trip. I’m sure they’d be happy to give
you more details about what a wonderful time they had.
The weather was nearly perfect as well. It can be quite hot in Spain, and very rainy at
times, but we experienced neither while we were there. It was absolutely beautiful! And
we were so thankful for that. Just a few days after we left Madrid, the temperatures
soared to 100 degrees, so indeed we were blessed with great weather.
The Boys’ volleyball team continues to enjoy a successful program.
They played well and finished strong in most of their tournaments.
Since boys’ volleyball is not a conference sport, the team doesn’t
play a conference schedule or have all conference athletes.
Finally, the trip was nearly perfect simply because of what Spain has to offer. The long,
interesting history of the country, the rich variety of food and drink, the beautiful and
ornate architecture of cathedrals, statues, palaces, bridges, castles and other buildings,
as well as the warmth and friendliness of the people all made for a wonderful experience.
Some highlights of the trip included a visit to the Royal Palace in Madrid; seeing a 2,000
year old aqueduct in Segovia built by the Romans; experiencing the enthusiasm of a
local tour guide as he showed us around Burgos; sampling “pinchos” in Bilbao; climbing
to a scenic overlook in San Sebastian where we took in breath taking views of the city,
its beautiful beaches and a spectacular view of the Atlantic Ocean; walking through
the streets where the running of the bulls takes place in Pamplona; strolling down Las
Ramblas in Barcelona, one of Spain’s most popular pedestrian streets.
Thanks to all athletes, parents, coaches, fans, and businesses who
support Illiana Athletics. We appreciate all you do as we help to
train our young men and women to be servants of Christ.
This trip was a fantastic experience for these students, one that they will likely never
forget. We are currently making plans for our next trip, which will take place during the
summer of 2017. Information will be available in Spanish classes this fall.
BOYS’ VOLLEYBALL
PA G E 5
While we continue the larger work of
developing a new campus and building
a campaign to finance that ambitious
plan, we are also making improvements
in Illiana’s current operations. We are
very excited about the introduction of
a one-to-one laptop program which will
begin with this year’s freshmen class.
Each of our incoming freshmen will
receive a Chromebook, an internet-only
laptop computer, for their personal use
throughout the school year. Students
will learn how to use these devices
and store all their data in the “Cloud.”
That means there will be no content on
each laptop to save or any hard-drives
that might crash. Although using
Chromebooks will take some getting
used to, their use will be a significant
step forward as we prepare today’s
students for tomorrow’s technological
reality. Freshmen will receive their
Chromebooks for the year in the same
way that we issue textbooks. Parents
will be assessed a $50 technology fee
to cover some costs of the program.
The first two years of the program are
being funded by a generous estate gift.
We are also excited about offering
Statistics as a new course in the Math
department. Statistics will have a
strong appeal to students seeking
math applications and to those
pursuing careers in various sciences.
Offered as a third-year math class, for
some students it will be an alternative
to Pre-Calculus. Mr. Dave Bosman will
be instructing the year-long course.
PA G E 6
PA G ESUMM
4 SUMM
15G E 7
ER 15ER PA
SUMM ER 15
GERMAN TRIP
Before I went with Herr
Fennema and fourteen Illiana
students to Germany this
summer, I didn’t know how to
say the word providence auf
Deutsch. But what we experienced
together for eleven days showed all of
us more of what that word means: all
our luggage arriving on time, no major
health problems, safety while traveling on
many different modes of transportation
(planes, trains, and gondolas!), a terrific
tour director who told amazing stories
and performed logistical calisthenics that
made it possible for us to make the most
of our time.
The geographic facts don’t tell the whole
story, but they do express how all of us
had the opportunity to move from photos
in books and historical facts on a page
to experiencing and learning with our
eyes, hands, and feet: Berlin, Dresden,
Heidelberg, Dachau, Munich, Rothenburg,
Nuremberg. We saw the castle that
inspired Disney’s design, and we stood
by the Brandenburg gate that silently
witnessed historical speeches.
It was my privilege to see how Illiana
students came to a new country well
prepared. They used their German—
at whatever level—to order food in
restaurants and to buy fresh strawberries
and cherries at a farmers market. They
tried new foods and didn’t complain about
cultural differences that included open
windows instead of air conditioning on
some very warm days. They ended each
day with shared awareness of God’s hand
in the events of that day.
about the experience, instead I will let two
students add their perspectives.
The German trip was an eye opening
experience for me. Looking back
on the journals that I wrote and
the pictures that I took, I still can’t
believe how much I saw and did in
ten days. What really struck me was
just being immersed in a whole new
culture. Different experiences such as
adjusting to the S-bahn and U-bahn
train system in Berlin, learning not to
jaywalk, and staying off the bike paths
while running with Mr. Fennema in
various cities were nearly as jolting as
being surrounded by a new language.
Despite all these differences, Megan
Woodson and I spoke to a Lutheran
minister in Dresden whose English was
only slightly better than our German. The bond of worshiping the same
God connected us so much more than
any cultural differences separated us.
Germany was a beautiful place, and I
hope to return there in the near future.
–Julianna Knot
Getting to see famous cities with
the Illiana German trip group was
amazing. Our group was great, and
everyone got along. I got to know
people in our group that I had never
really talked to outside of German
class, and we had a lot of fun. The
thing about the trip that surprised me
the most was the effect that World
War II and the Cold War still have on
German citizens. In every place we
went to, our guides talked about the
effects that these events had on their
cities, whether that was being split
in half by a wall or being completely
destroyed. Getting a new perspective
on the world was very eye opening.
–James Zandstra
Thanks be to God for His providential
care in this experience.
- Mary Lagerwey
FAITHFUL
Service
For 25 years, Cheryl Schaap handled all the Student
Activities that make Illiana hum. She tracked attendance
to determine exam voucher eligibility. She rode the trail
from pre-Internet paper consumption to online report cards
and digital grading. She accounted for T-shirt money and
monitored tardies. She was the go-to person for parents,
students, and teachers. But last month, Cheryl Schaap
slipped quietly from her office chair to become a full-time
grandmother in Michigan. Despite her many years of service
to Illiana, she insisted that we not make a fuss over her
departure. We had a nice luncheon and gave her some gifts
of thanks. Since we anticipated some decline in enrollment,
Cheryl’s departure has been addressed by re-organizing office
staff and re-assigning her duties.
At that same luncheon, we also thanked Kristin Bolkema for
her ten years of teaching at Illiana. She came to us straight
from Calvin College and began teaching English as Miss Bush.
Mrs. Bolkema also taught Physics for us in the last few years
while continuing to teach English. The Lord blessed her with
a husband and, this spring, a baby. Now she will be devoting
more time to her role as a mother and possibly will continue to
teach elsewhere. Like so many other teachers at Illiana, Kristin
was very involved in a variety of other programs—wherever she
was needed--from banquet planning to coaching to directing
drama productions. Thank you, Mrs. Bolkema!
After we said goodbye to these two who served for many
years, we also said goodbye to Andrew Knot, who has been
with us for just this year. Liz Metcalfe filled a new role here as
Admission Counselor a year ago, but then began a struggle
with cancer. Andrew was able to take her place and served
well for almost a year. Liz continues her cancer battle. Andrew
is heading off to Germany to work for Bayer Corporation. Elly
Makowski is now Illiana’s Admissions Counselor.
LEGACY OF A
STRANGER
M
ore than two years ago, we received a call out of
the blue, informing us that Illiana would be the
recipient of an estate gift from Helen Seaman.
This was great news, but after searching our database,
we found no record of a Helen Seaman. We wondered
if perhaps her name had changed before she passed away.
But as it turned out, Helen Seaman was actually a complete
stranger to Illiana. We had never received a donation from
her, and she had never been on any Illiana mailing list.
From some conversations with her estate executor, we
learned that Helen had once intended to become a nun,
but instead became a music teacher. She taught at Wolcott
Elementary School in Thornton, remained single and
lived modestly. We found out that she would probably not
disagree with being described as a bit cantankerous. She
also taught music outside of school and over the years, she
had some students from Illiana under her tutelage. She was
impressed with their diligence and deportment. She left
instructions to divide her estate among three schools, and
Illiana was one of those schools.
We received about $90,000 from Helen’s estate, and this
August her frugality in life and generosity in death will
enable all of Illiana’s freshmen to receive a laptop for their
use throughout the year. We plan to use Helen’s gift to
provide more than 200 laptops to our students over the next
couple of years.
I was proud and honored to be a part of
this summer’s Illiana German trip, and
even though I could say much more
Cheryl Schaap
Kristin Bolkema
This little story could be seen as a gentle reminder that
we should all remember Illiana in our wills, but it is really
a lesson about how we never know how much our conduct
can be a testimony to others. In other words, be nice to
your teachers!
PA G E 8
SUMM ER 15
Illiana Christian High School
NON-PROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE
2261 Indiana Avenue, Lansing, Illinois 60438
PAID
Illiana Christian
High School
SUMMER 15
Q u i c k LOOK
Graduation......................................................... 1
2015 Awards........................................................... 1
Illiana Auction Announcement..................... 1
Development- Thank You .............................. 3
Department Awards..........................................3
Campaign Updates .........................................3
Spring Sports Updates ......................................4
Sports Awards.................................................. 4
¡ A Espana !..............................................................5
Autumn Innovations........................................5
German Trip........................................................ 6
Faithful Service................................................ 7
Legacy of a Stranger...................................... 7
This Newsletter is published throughout
the year for families, alumni, and friends
of Illiana Christian High School.
Please contact us with change of address
information so that you don’t miss an issue.
OUR MISSION:
Illiana Christian High School is founded on the Bible as interpreted in the Reformed
creeds. We graduate academically capable young people with a comprehensive Christian
view of life committed to the challenge of serving God and others.
CONTACT ILLIANA:
Address: 2261 Indiana Avenue, Lansing, IL 60438
Phone: 708-474-0515
FIND US ON:
Fax: 708-474-0581
E-mail: info@illianachristian.org
Web Site: www.illianachristian.org
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