THE WARRIoR - Eden Christian Academy

The
Warrior
An Official Publication of Eden Christian Academy
Summer 2014
The
Warrior
An Official Publication of Eden Christian Academy
IN THIS ISSUE...
3
3 Eden Christian Academy
Graduates: Class of 2014
4-5 Finishing the Race
The Warrior is published three times
annually by Eden Christian Academy.
Eden Christian Academy is committed
to providing an exceptional experience
by engaging the mind and heart of each
student to think and act with Christ-like
character.
For the latest news, updates, and photos,
log onto www.edenchristianacedemy.org.
ECA Alumni: Exciting news to
share? Graduations, jobs, internships,
and personal accomplishments or
milestones are something that the
Eden community would like to
celebrate with you. Send your news
and updates to Mrs. Allyson Potter,
apotter@edenca.org.
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10
8
6 Never Say Goodbye
IN EVERY ISSUE...
8 Behind the Scenes:
The Music Man
7 Creative Corner
9 Academic Achievement:
How Does Eden Stack Up?
Administration
Tom Hughes, Head of School
Todd Aiken, Principal/Academic Officer
Maureen Maier, Elementary Principal,
Berkeley Hills Campus
Carrie Powers, Elementary Principal,
Wexford Campus
Charles Smullin, Chief Operations
Officer
Board of Directors
Phil Bishop, Chairman
Theresa Smith,Vice Chair
Jeff Gronbeck, Secretary
Don Balla, Richard Curtis,
Scott Mizerak, Jeff Queen,
Karen Schogel, Eric Tissue,
Greg Wilson
7 Way to Go, Warriors!
10-11 Warrior Athletics
Editors
Allyson Potter
Rebecca Funyak
Contributing Writers
Warrior Staff
Gary Laird
Photography
Warrior Staff
Jim DiSpirito
On the Cover: ECA Class of 2014
Eden Christian Academy Graduates: Class of 2014
Oladunni Ajayi
Ohio University
Major: Chemistry
Drew Helon
Bucknell University
Major: Undecided
Nicholas Alexander
Gannon University
Major: Physician Assistant
Paul Hidinger
Robert Morris University
Major: Nursing
Elias Berdes
Plans to attend
Community College
of Allegheny County
Major: Undecided
Timothy Kirsch
Colorado State University
Natural Resource
Major: Recreation and Marketing
Natalie Bishop
Wheaton College
Major: Communications
and Business
Jiaheng Chen
Illinois Wesleyan University
Major: Economics
Paige Clary
Malone University
Major: Exercise Science
Kevin Compliment
College of Wooster
Major: Undecided
Leah Curtis
Washington & Jefferson
or Duquesne University
Major: Elementary Education
Molly Koegler
Grove City College
Major: Exercise Science
Jungjoon Lee
Boston University
Major: Economics
Wei-Chieh Lee
Swiss College of
Hospitality Management
Major: International
Hotel Management
Lydia Manges
Community College
of Allegheny County
Major: Nursing
Jason Martin
Geneva College
Major: Communications
Laura McKenna
Community College
of Allegheny County
Major: Nursing
Andrew Paul
John Carroll University
Major: Undecided
Zacharias Ricci
Penn State University University Park
Major: Statistics in Computing
Jeffrey Schmidt
Grove City College
Major: Finance
Carter Smith
Allegheny College
Major: Biochemistry
Shea Smith
Malone University
Major: International Cultures
Jaron Snavely
Northeast Ministry School
Major: Ministry
Bethany Wilson
Grove City College
Major: English with a Music Minor
Nathanael Hammerle
Geneva College
Major: Biology (Pre-Med)
3
Finishing the Race
By Leah Curtis (‘14) & Shea Smith (‘14)
START
Sports Teams
Many changes happened in Eden sports this year, including the addition of a
Varsity girl’s soccer team and a Varsity golf team. As Eden continues to grow,
there are even more opportunities to get involved!
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Spiritual Enrichment Week
This past February, students across all three campuses participated in
Spiritual Enrichment Week. Each day, students were engaged in worship,
service, and learning. From special performances like J. Jackson of
ApologetiX to guest speakers, such as Seth Reichart from Urban Impact,
students were challenged to live out their faith in bold new ways.
Athletic Additions
This year marked the official opening of the new addition to the MN field
house. Construction on the project began last year, adding two locker
rooms, offices, a classroom, and a weight room to the field house.
Additionally, this year the soccer field was redesigned to also function as a
baseball field. ECA fans can now “root for the home team” right on campus!
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8
Mock Trial
Way to go ECA’s Mock Trial Team for a successful 2014 season! The team
placed 2nd in the 2014 Allegheny County-Region 1 Pennsylvania Bar
Association Statewide Mock Trial Competition.
Basketball Playoffs
This was a significant year in Eden basketball as both girls’ and boys’ Varsity
basketball teams made it to the first round of playoffs. This marks the first
time both teams qualified for playoffs since Eden joined WPIAL in 2011, and
the second year in a row the Varsity girls qualified.
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10
6
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race,
I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7
Musicals
What would an Eden year be without a musical? This year, the Wexford
and Berkeley Hills campuses put on Malace in the Palace. At the Mt. Nebo
campus, students performed The Music Man from April 30th to May 3rd.
Together, these shows demonstrated the many talents of the students!
4
2014 Jump Rope for the Heart
The Berkley Hills campus participated in the “2014 Jump Rope for the
Heart,” an event that utilizes students jumping rope in order to learn about
heart health and raise money for the American Heart Association. Together
the campus raised over $2,000 and had 60 families participate. As a reward,
each participant got to tape principal Mrs. Maureen Maier to the wall and
have a water balloon battle! Congratulations, BH, on your fantastic work!
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5
Community Service
Wexford students learned to serve others in the community. The Art
Department made 25 blankets for Project Linus, a program that gives
colorful fleece blankets to premature babies and terminally ill children. In
addition, each classroom served in some capacity, ranging from writing
letters to soldiers, to creating encouraging cards and letters for the elderly
and others struggling in the various areas of the community.
3
Warrior 5K and 1K Run/Walk
Way to go Carter Smith on winning the first Warrior 5K! The 5K Run and
1K Run/Walk was held on April 26th and was one of Eden’s largest
fundraisers of the year with a portion of the proceeds going to the Sarcoma
Foundation. A special thanks to the 450 participants and the generous
sponsors who supported the event!
Class of 2014
The Class of 2014 marks the eighth graduating class to come out of Eden
since the opening of the upper school campus. Collectively, these twenty
five students accomplished many outstanding feats in the arts, athletics, and
academics. We will miss you, Grads!
FINISH
1
5
Never Say Goodbye
Taylor Hauskins (‘15)
time Mrs. Maier has been with us at Eden and she will
be truly missed” (Shea Smith ‘14).
As principal for the past 8 years, Ephesians
3:20-21 has greatly impacted Mrs. Maier’s life. “Now to
him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we
ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work
within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ
Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!”
She has witnessed the Lord move in all areas of Eden
Christian Academy - more than she could ever ask for
or imagine.
One of the most influential, faithful, and devoted Mrs. Maier’s departure is certainly met with
women to step foot on the Berkeley Hills Campus - a
sadness from the entire community, including
woman who will be greatly missed - is Mrs. Maureen
Mrs. Maier herself. “I will miss the precious hugs from
Maier. She has devoted herself to Eden Christian
the students, the sound of laughter in the classrooms
Academy for 27 years, 8 years of which she has spent as and in the hallways, and the enrichment of being an
the beloved principal. Mrs. Maier has touched the lives of active part of lives of the students, parents, and staff,”
hundreds of elementary students throughout her time, she explains. Although Mrs. Maier is retiring from her
even seeing some of the 2014 graduates from the
role as principal, her passion to teach is still alive. She
moment they entered Eden as preschool students. Lydia will continue teaching preschool at the Berkeley Hills
Manges (‘14) reflects, “Mrs. Maier was always smiling
campus starting the next school year.
and cheerful around the school, and she would always
Thank you, Mrs. Maier, for being a tremendous
take the time to stop and ask how your day was going.” educator and woman of faith who has served the Eden
“Not only did Mrs. Maier teach me 13 years ago, but she community wholeheartedly for 27 years.
also taught my sister who is 23 and my brother who is
26, and we all LOVED her. We really feel blessed for the
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Way to Go, Warriors!
ENVIRONTHON
Way to go to Mrs. Madelyn Berkley’s
Environthon team that competed in the
25th Allegheny County Environthon held
at the North Park Lodge. The team placed
9th out of 15, competing in five categories
of aquatics, wildlife, forestry, soils, and a
local resource.
SCIENCE
Congratulations to Mason Zadan (‘16)
who won first place at the Pittsburgh
Regional Science and Engineering Fair in
the senior division of Earth/Space/
Environment. Mason also received an
award from the American
Meteorological Society. An additional
congratulations to Tara Steinheiser (‘15)
and Mackenzie King (‘17) for their
participation in the fair. Mackenzie
received two certificates of merit: for
excellence in presentation and for
excellence in creative thought. The fair is
the 3rd oldest in the country and
celebrated its 75th anniversary this year.
GRADUATION
Eden Christian Academy is proud to
announce the valedictorian and
salutatorian for the Class of 2014. With
the highest grade point average in the
senior class, Zach Ricci served as
valedictorian. With the second highest
GPA, Natalie Bishop was named
salutatorian. The graduation procession
was led by the Junior Class Marshalls, who
are chosen by the faculty and staff as the
two members of the junior class who
embody the mission and core values of
Eden. Congratulations to juniors Ben
Koster and Maddie Tissue for receiving
this honor.
TRACK AND FIELD
This spring at the state Track and Field
Championships held at Shippensburg
University, Carter Smith (‘14) finished
with two medals! He placed seventh in
the Class AA Boys 1,600 and eighth in the
3,200 Run. Lauren Gronbeck (‘16) just
missed bringing home a medal, finishing
ninth in the 3,200 run. This was a personal
best for Lauren, who improved her record
from the WPIAL championship by seven
seconds! Way to go, Warriors!
NATIONAL MERIT
Congratulations to Bethany Wilson (‘14)
on receiving the honor as a National
Merit Commended Student. This
recognition is given to students who
demonstrate outstanding academic
promise by the National Merit Scholarship
Program.
MATH
Congratulations to the following
students on their success at the ACSI
Math Olympics, held on April 4th at the
Mt. Nebo Campus.
3rd Grade Computation: Sarah Hudock
(5th); Sierra Gibson (3rd); Jonathan
Varghese (1st) 3rd Grade Reasoning:
Victoria Chen (3rd); Ryan Merrick (2nd)
4th Grade Computation: Zachary
Queen (1st) 4th Grade Reasoning: Evan
Kurtzhal (5th); Eli Szenyeri (3rd)
5th Grade Computation: Kyalie Mizerack
(5); Natalie Merrick (4th); Forest Price
(2nd) 5th Grade Reasoning: Luke Vittone
(3rd); Josiah Hudock (2nd); Alex
Diaz (1st)
6th Grade Computation: Eric Gronbeck
(3rd) 6th Grade Reasoning: Thomas
Medure (4th); Lochlan Munro (3rd)
7th Grade Computation: Garrett Martin
(4th); Andrew Lukitsch (2nd) 7th Grade
Reasoning: Daniel Griffith (5th); Molly
Thomas (4th); Michael Merrick (1st)
8th Grade Computation: Margaret
Bovard (4th); Tanner Gross (1st) 8th
Grade Reasoning: Ben Hudock (3rd);
Jenny Martin (1st)
Creative Corner!
Showcase your creative talents
in The Warrior!
Any student in kindergarten-12th grade may submit an
electronic copy of a poem, short story, or a picture of
your artwork. All work must be submitted to
Mrs. Potter at apotter@edenca.org; please include
your name, grade, and title of work. A 300 word
maximum applies to all written work.
Picasso Portrait in oil pastel painted by Chloe Chiang (‘24).
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Behind the Scenes: The Music Man
By Claire Wiest (‘17)
On April 30th - May 3rd, Harold Hill and his band
of children, townspeople, and other assorted characters
took the stage by storm in Eden Christian Academy’s
production of The Music Man. However, many do not
know the real magic going on behind the musical.
Directors, choreographers, builders, and a myriad of
others contributed to the musical. While their
contributions are innumerable, these are a few people
who deserve to be acknowledged for their diligent work
behind the scenes.
The first of the workers would be Eden’s very
own director, Mrs. Tina Marcacci. She put her heart and
soul into the production, spending countless hours on
putting everything in its place prior to play season even
beginning. Costumes, props, set pieces, and blocking
scenes are all among the daily tasks Mrs. Marcacci had to
conquer. From casting, to costumes, to clean up, she was
behind almost every detail in the play.
Other important workers include Mrs. Jana
Snavely, Mr. Mark Snavely, and Mrs. Barbara Fair, the
driving force behind the singers and musicians. Without
them, the musical wouldn’t have any vocal parts or
music to back it up. They dedicate an immense amount
of time concerning rehearsals, and nobody wants to
spend that much time with a rowdy bunch of teenagers.
Eden thanks them for that infinitely!
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Mrs. Rebecca Funyak is an assistant who
commits herself to making the program, ordering the
t-shirts, and undergoing RTC (Raucous Teenager Control)
during rehearsal. It is a good thing the cast has her to help
with daily tasks!
While Mrs. Funyak is to thank for the technical
stuff, there also is a creative team of ladies, which includes
Mrs. Kristin Bovard, Mrs. Lori Collela, Mrs. Paula Miles,
Mrs. Christine Compliment, Mrs. Christine Close, and
Mrs. Letha Chasey. All of these wonderful women helped
with painting, costumes, props, set design and providing
ideas for clueless set-painters.
But, the play would be a loss if it weren’t for
Mr. Ron Trout and all of the men who helped to build the
breath-taking set. Who knows where the cast would be
performing if they hadn’t helped!
Eden also has to thank the tech guys, Mr. David
Martin and Angelo Cosentino (‘18), who so graciously
assisted with the mics.
Once more, Eden thanks everyone who helped
with the musical, whether it was in the darkest hour or
the easiest of rehearsals. This does not even come close
to mentioning all those who contributed to make Eden’s
musical possible. This musical would not have been a
success without each and every volunteer -- and that is
what counts!
Academic Achievement: How Does Eden Stack Up?
Lauren Colella (‘15)
Each school year juniors and seniors around
the nation prepare to take their SAT exams, studying
review books, practicing exam questions and even
attending specialized courses on SAT material. This
highly anticipated (and sometimes feared) standardized
test allows colleges to determine how prepared a
student is for higher education. The SAT consists of
both a math section, for which students must answer
algebra and geometry questions, and a critical reading
section, for which students must analyze passages and
answer comprehension questions.
The test is graded on a scale of 200-800. To
showcase the great accomplishments of Eden’s juniors
and seniors who took the test this year, a comparison
of average scores has been compiled into a bar graph
shown in the graph to the right
As seen from the data, Eden students surpassed
both state and national averages in the past year.
According to the College Board’s National Percentile
Ranks, the scores of 576 and 577 show that the average
Eden student was approximately in the 73rd percentile
for Critical Reading and the 67th percentile for math.*
While these scores cannot predict how well a
student will perform in college, a positive correlation
exists between SAT scores and college exam scores.
Says alumnus Tim Jesteadt (‘13),
“I find myself consistently
scoring better on exams
than my peers.”
Tim took Eden’s SAT prep course and found that it
helped him strategize and find shortcuts to solving the
math problems. As an engineering major at the
University of Pittsburgh, Tim is excited to continue in
his academic career.
The classes of 2014 and 2015 have much to
look forward to as they move on to higher education.
The aptitude testing scores show that Eden Christian
Academy’s students are beyond prepared for their
college endeavors and will no doubt find success in
pursuing their goals during the next four years.
Eden
Average
State
Average
National
Average
Average SAT Scores
Critical Reading
Math
576
577
494
504
496
514
http://www.commonwealthfoundation.org/policyblog/detail/sat-scores-by-state-2013
*statistics according to commonwealthfoundation.org
9
Warrior Athletics
Varsity Boys Baseball
By Jake Haser (‘15)
This year has been a building
season for the ECA Warriors baseball
team. Lead by Coaches Ben Potter
and Dave Kirilloff, it has been a year
of firsts: the team was very excited
to have a home field for the first time
this year.
Additionally, this was the first
WPIAL season for the team. Andreas
Bailey (‘16) led the pitching staff
in strikeouts, with a personal best
eleven strikeouts in one game. Will
Schmotzer (‘15) was the most
consistent hitter with one of the
highest batting averages on the team.
Andrew Hachmeister (‘17) led the
infield and excelled at his position for
the majority of the season. This is a
very young team that looks
forward to developing more leaders
and improving in the coming years. The team would like to thank
Mr. Steve Good for always working to
have the field in excellent condition on
game days. In addition, the team thanks
Coach Dave Kirilloff for taking time
to coach the team. The Warriors look
forward to a great season next year!
Varsity Track
By Jake Haser (‘15)
The ECA Warriors had a very
successful track season. Due to
having few members, there was no
team record. However, Coach Tommy
Bresson says, ”The thing that is most
encouraging to me as a coach is that
with every single meet we went to, we
had at least one runner post a
personal record.
Pictured above:Varsity Baseball Team; Track Team; Lauren Gronbeck (‘16 and Carter Smith (‘14)
10
same could be said of our
Intermediate Soccer team this
season. The team was comprised of
both new faces and veterans for a
total of 19 players. Over the course
of the season,
the Warriors worked
hard and grew in their
abilities, both
individually and as a team.
Pictured abobe: Intermediate Soccer.
Throughout the season
the team continually got
stronger and ran faster.”
Lauren Gronbeck (‘16) and
Carter Smith (‘14) have had
tremendous years. They both
qualified for the state tournament-Carter in two events, the 1600, and
3200 while Lauren qualified in the
3200. They competed at
Shippensburg for states on May 23rd
and 24th. Carter received 7th place
in the 1600 meter with a time of 4:25
The season began with 3 games
against skilled and
experienced teams - the players
learned a lot from those contests. The
season concluded with a complete
effort (and win) against St. James and
a very competitive game against St.
Alphonsus. It was great to see the
team grow!
Jathan Snavely (‘20) led the
defense with his outstanding play in
goal. Belle Cranston (‘20), Haylee
Fleishman (‘21), Caleb Berdes (‘20), Eli
Gross (‘20), Lindsay Hall (‘22), Elijah
and 8th place in the 3200 meter with Smith (‘22), Josh Barnhart, (‘20) James
Berdes (‘21), and Rebecca Grosselin
a time of 9:40. Lauren received 9th
place in the 3200 meter with a time of (‘21) all provided strong contributions
on defense.
11:18. Coach Bresson reflects on the
Meanwhile, the offense was
season, “Overall it was a very good
energized by the play of Malaika
season for the team, the only thing I
Wankiiri-Hale (22), Josh Laird (‘21),
would have liked to have seen
Kyle King (‘21), Natalie Merrick (‘22),
happen...better weather for the
Thomas Medure (‘20), Russell
meets!”
Prevost (‘22), Renee Martin (‘20), Eric
Gronbeck (‘20), and Tyler Gormley
Intermediate Soccer
(‘22).
By Coach Gary Laird
When we think of spring, we
often think of renewal and growth; the
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Administrative Offices
206 Siebert Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15237
Upcoming Events at Eden Christian Academy
Warrior Golf Outing
First Day of School
Labor Day - No School
All School Chapel
All School Picnic
ACSI Conference - No School
Berkeley Hills Campus
3-4 year olds
PreS-6th Grade
206 Siebert Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15237
Phone: 412.364.8055
Fax: 412.364.8330
August 18
August 25
August 29 - September 1
September 16
September 27
October 16 -17
Wexford Campus
3-4 year olds
PreS-6th Grade
12121 Perry Highway
Wexford, PA 15090
Phone: 724.935.9301
Fax: 724.935.9354
Mount Nebo Campus
7th-12th Grades
318 Nicholson Road
Sewickley, PA 15142
Phone: 412.741.2825
Fax: 412.741.1101