September - December 2013 - American Heritage School

Transcription

September - December 2013 - American Heritage School
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
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In June of 1962, the Supreme Court of the United
States decided that New York public school officials
could not prescribe a prayer to be offered at the
beginning of public school classes.1 This decision
came as a shock to religiously oriented people
nationwide.
Public reactions to the Supreme Court’s decision were
divided, ranging from quiet elation by supporters to
civil disobedience by many school administrators and
teachers.2 Six months later, a concerned LDS Church
President David O. McKay said: “By making that
[New York Regent’s prayer] unconstitutional, the
Supreme Court of the United States severs the
connecting cord between the public schools of the
United States and the source of divine intelligence,
the Creator himself…. Now let us remember and
emphasize—that restriction applies to the atheist as
well as to the believer in God.”3
In the early 1960’s, LDS Church President David O.
McKay (left), and University of Chicago Law School
Professor Dallin H. Oaks (right), held different
perspectives about the Supreme Court’s controversial
ruling that banned state sponsored prayer in public
schools. Years later, Elder Oaks wrote in his personal
memoirs that his limited perspective at the time was “just
a small footnote to history compared with the vision of a
prophet who saw and described the pernicious effects of
that decision in the years to come.”
At the same time, a bright young lawyer named Dallin
Oaks—a devout Mormon and former law clerk for
Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren—had just
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Message from the Head of School ........................... 1
Student, Parent, and Teacher Submissions .............. 7
“No Missing Pieces” Benefits AHS ....................... 10
Board Level Committees Expand .......................... 10
Faculty Leadership Positions Implemented ........... 11
New Computers Provided for Teachers ................. 12
BYU Science Partnership In Place......................... 12
HDE Curriculum Made Available to Teachers ..... 12
Latter-day Learning Surpasses 2,000 Members ..... 13
Directed Readings Seminars Share Stories ............ 13
Constitution Day Inspires Patriotism ..................... 13
Spirit Week Filled with K–12 Service ................... 14
International Student Spotlight .............................. 15
Spelling Bee Winners ............................................ 15
National Geographic Bee Finalists ........................ 15
Academic Report—Excellent PSAT Scores .......... 16
Trail of Dreams Wins Hearts ................................. 16
Fall Festival Fun .................................................... 17
Benefit Auction Fundraising Report ...................... 17
AHS Celebrates Gettysburg Address ..................... 18
Memorization Treasure Trove! .............................. 18
Faculty News and Notes ........................................ 19
Positions Available ................................................ 20
Honor Roll—1st Term ............................................ 21
been appointed professor of law at the University of
Chicago Law School, one of the nation’s most
prestigious law schools. In his personal memoirs,
Life’s Lessons Learned, Elder Oaks reflected openly
and candidly about his feelings at the time: “I
reasoned that the [school prayer] case was correctly
decided,” because “I interpreted the school prayer
decision to forbid only state-authored and staterequired prayers, rather than forbidding school
prayers altogether.”4 Indeed, what could be the harm?
After all, there was no prohibition of private studentled prayer at school.
A few months later, in the next domino to fall in what
would be a series of so-called “separation of church
and state”5 rulings, the Supreme Court prohibited
school-sponsored bible reading.6 President McKay’s
response this time was even more emphatic: “Recent
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AMERICAN HERITAGE SCHOOL NEWS
rulings of the Supreme Court would have all reference
to a Creator eliminated from our public schools and
public offices…. Evidently the Supreme Court
misinterprets the true meaning of the First
Amendment, and are now leading a Christian nation
down the road to atheism.”7
Professor Oaks, now also concerned about how the
prayer-case precedent was being used to prohibit
Bible reading in schools, began to catch a glimpse of
the prophetic vision previously articulated by
President McKay. Still not ready to abandon his
reasoning entirely, Professor Oaks prepared a
thoughtful article restating his initial opinion that the
prayer case was correctly decided on its facts, but that
its precedent must be applied more carefully to avoid
“establishing” atheism in public schools (from a First
Amendment perspective, this would be as
impermissible as the state-sponsored prayers or Bible
reading that the Supreme Court was trying so hard not
to “establish”).8
Student Government Association President Andrew Sessions
takes the podium at the opening assembly this Fall. President
Sessions led an inclusive effort to amend the Student
Constitution to provide for significantly more involvement by
students at all levels, including a new cabinet structure and a
“lower and upper house” so that 7th and 8th students could
have more direct say in matters pertaining to middle school.
Soon came the Supreme Court cases prohibiting state
funding to religiously oriented schools and requiring a
secular purpose for all activities conducted by public
schools,9 prohibiting state-sponsored moments of
silence in any case that might be viewed as
“devotional,”10 prohibiting school sponsored prayer at
graduation ceremonies,11 and prohibiting use of public
school PA systems for prayer prior to athletic
contests.12 At last, after five decades of reflection,
including a period during which he served as a state
Supreme Court justice himself, Elder Oaks wrote the
following in his memoirs:
Finally, what I learned from this experience
was that my worldly wisdom in writing
approvingly of the school prayer case on the
“facts” of the decision was just a small
footnote to history compared with the vision
of a prophet who saw and described the
pernicious effects of that decision in the
years to come. Exercising prophetic vision,
President McKay saw that the school prayer
case—which I reasoned to be defensible and
probably even essential as a ruling on the
facts before the Court—would set in motion
a chain of legal and public and educational
actions that would cause religion to be
separated from education and lead to the
current hostility toward religion that
threatens religious liberty in our society.
For me that was a powerful learning
experience on the folly of trying to
understand prophetic vision in terms of
worldly wisdom.13
An image from the AHS north field of the temple spire rising
above the school. The temple serves as a constant reminder to the
school community that education and government are incomplete
without a proper understanding of religious principles.
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AMERICAN HERITAGE SCHOOL NEWS
forces. They’re seen as anti-science, antigay, and anti-women—which is to say antiprogress as the Left defines progress. Not
surprisingly, then, the Left believes society
will be best served if Christians are limited
in their influence on public life. And in the
short run this view is likely to succeed.
There will be many arguments urging
Christians to keep their religion strictly
religious rather than “political.” And there
won’t just be arguments; there will be laws
as well. We’re in the midst of climate
change—one that’s getting colder and
colder toward religion.15
Why share this reflection from Elder Oaks’s personal
history with the American Heritage School
community? The point is not that secularism in
education somehow spontaneously combusted in 1962
with a single Supreme Court decision. It didn’t.
Secularism versus religion in the public square is a
narrative as old as the Garden of Eden. As with other
branches of government, the judiciary often reflects
the shifting winds of public opinion.14 Nor is the
point that we ought to shelve our God-given faculties
of reason in trying to harmonize prophetic and
scriptural guidance with unfolding societal trends.
Just read the monumental collection of essays
Educating Zion on the power and necessity to “seek
learning, even by study and also by faith” (D&C
88:118).
Though I am not comfortable with the labels “Left,
Right, Liberal, and Conservative,”—the point for us is
that the “Rise of the Nones” (the dramatically
increasing number of Americans who profess “no
religion”)16 should give rise to neither fury nor fear on
the part of the faithful. Urgency, yes. But we must
not be shrill, reactive, or combative. Ours is a task of
“carrying on” and standing firm “on the rock our
fathers planted.”17
We are not a community that points the finger of
blame at judges or politicians—as if we had nothing
to do with their decisions, appointment, or election.
When we understand the principle of representative
self-government, we understand that our Republic is a
reflection of our collective personal choices and
behaviors, not just at the ballot box, but at home, in
private, in the way that we consume media, and the
way that we voice our opinion (or not)—particularly
in the most powerful public square of all called
cyberspace.
We are charged with the urgency to learn the
language of faith alongside the language of
academics.
But simply learning these two
languages—faith and reason—is not sufficient.
At the risk of putting too fine a point on the state of
religious liberty in America, listen to the way one
prominent scholar on religion in public life describes
the current environment:
As an AHS graduate so
eloquently summarized
at our October benefit
gala: “One of the most
powerful aspects about
an American Heritage
education is that the
education we receive
here requires us to act. It
is not enough for us to
know the principles. To
be meaningful to us at
all, they must work in us, change us, and from there
Religious liberty is being redefined in
America, or at least many would like it to
be. Our secular establishment wants to
reduce the autonomy of religious institutions
and limit the influence of faith in the public
square. The reason is not hard to grasp. In
America,
“religion”
largely
means
Christianity, and today our secular culture
views orthodox Christian churches as
troublesome, retrograde, and reactionary
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AMERICAN HERITAGE SCHOOL NEWS
they will change our families, our society, our
communities, and even our nation.” (Karina Hansen,
Class of 2012).
Self-government, upon which our republic still
operates, lays responsibility at our own doorstep. The
power and influence of a single, principle-centered
life is incomprehensible. One man, woman, or child
who aligns their life with correct principles can turn
the course of history, and turn it relatively quickly.
Christ is the superlative example of this, but look at
men in recent history like Tyndale, Luther,
Washington, Wilberforce, Lincoln, Ghandi, Reagan,
and women like Joan of Arc, Beecher Stowe,
Nightingale, Mother Teresa, and Thatcher. History is
filled with stories like theirs—each a courageous kind
of “Christ in miniature,” as Tolstoy once described
Lincoln.
agnostically or even atheistically entrenched—then
what is left for those who have a traditional view of
family, law, and government?
America’s founders, most of them Christian, took the
Bible as their political textbook18 and agreed that
inalienable rights endowed by a Creator God cannot
be overridden or taken away by the laws of men.19
Communities of faith have shown tremendous
resiliency in the history of mankind. Babylon could
not destroy Israel. The Third Reich could not destroy
Judaism. Soviet Communism could not destroy
Russian Orthodoxy. The secularization of western
civilization can marginalize faith for a season, but it
cannot root it out of the hearts of children who are
born each day with a predisposition to believe. Where
did that instinct come from? History has shown, time
and again, that religious faith is the most powerful and
enduring force in human history.20
Here are three things we can do.
First and most important: Cleanse the inner vessel for
the hard work that lies ahead. Unimpeachable
integrity is like the armor that protects the soul in
times of danger. No personal commitment (and
especially no commandment) is too small that it can
be skirted, ignored, or broken. No matter how
seemingly justifiable at first, the small indiscretion
will inevitably become the strategic opening for the
“fiery darts of the adversary.” Fix it. Heal it.
Strengthen against it. This hard work of cleansing
ourselves unleashes the enabling power of the
Atonement of Jesus Christ that fortifies our hearts and
minds to accomplish His work.
Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, had
arguably one of the most profound impacts upon the
course of American history as any man or woman ever
did. It is reported that upon being introduced to Harriet
Beecher Stowe in 1862, Abraham Lincoln fondly
commented she was "the little woman who wrote the book
that started this great war."
What then do we do? If the broad secularization of
America is so well established, and its government
and intellectual power circles so
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AMERICAN HERITAGE SCHOOL NEWS
permitted to think our conscience—so long as we do
not practice it.
A story is only as good as its ending. The good news
about the human story is that for all its painful and
devastating clamor, it is a happy story, because it has
a happy ending, including lots of happy chapters
throughout. Thanks to Him whose birth we celebrate
with the turn of another year, we know the end of this
story from the beginning: “In the world ye shall have
tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the
world.”23
Sincerely,
Secondly: Get educated. Know the story. Know
your religion.
Know your neighbor’s religion.
Understand the battle lines and the friction points.
Understand the other perspectives and contours of the
conflict. This is not easy work, and it takes real,
devoted, study. Education is not just an academic
exercise that we finished when we received a high
school diploma. Nor is it something we do only when
we have a little spare time. Education could mean the
difference between keeping our families and losing
them, quite literally, in a battle for mindspace that is
already taking one in three American young adults
from organized religion (including Mormonism) each
year.21
Grant Beckwith
Head of School
Finally: Speak up. “All that is required for evil to
succeed is for good men to do nothing” (Edmund
Burke). At some unknown point in the not-too-distant
past, the moral majority of previous decades became a
silent majority, content to focus on the peaceful life of
scripture and local congregations. More and more
Christians opted out of public life. As one Christian
lawyer and author put it: “They were disgusted with
the raucousness, crudity, and often emotionally and
spiritually upsetting struggles for worldly influence.
In truth, they feared the combat and the casualties.
And many of them feared falling in love with the
glories and triumphs of the world, and losing touch
with Christ as a result.”22 Understandably, it is easier
to choose the quiet and peaceful life of keeping our
religious convictions private, but it is not necessarily
better. If we do not speak up for our convictions in
public, others will undoubtedly do it for us, and they
will often characterize our convictions as
unenlightened and not worthy of voicing. Ultimately,
we may find ourselves in a world we have only read
about in history books or seen on TV—where we are
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1
Engel v. Vitale, 370 U.S. 421 (1962). The prayer in question
was led at the beginning of each school day, and read, “Almighty
God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg
Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers and our country.
Amen.”
2
See Wallace v. Jaffrey, Great American Court Cases. Ed. Mark
Mikula and L. Mpho Mabunda. Vol. 1: Individual Liberties.
Detroit: Gale, 1999. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web.
7 Sep. 2011.
3
“Parental Responsibility,” Relief Society Magazine, December
1962, 878.
4
Oaks, Dallin H. Life’s Lessons Learned, 2011, Chapter 16
“Assigning Reasons to Revelation.”
5
Dreisbach, Daniel L., “The Mythical ‘Wall of Separation’: How
a Misused Metaphor Changed Church-State Law, Policy, and
Discourse http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2006/06/themythical-wall-of-separation-how-a-misused-metaphor-changedchurch-state-law-policy-and-discourse
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AMERICAN HERITAGE SCHOOL NEWS
6
Abington School District v. Schempp, 374 U.S. 203 (1963)
prohibited school sponsored Bible reading. Next came Lemon v.
Kurtzman (1971), in which the Supreme Court prohibited states
from reimbursing teachers at religious schools for teaching secular
subjects, and in which the Court devised the three-part “Lemon
test” for ensuring that all practices in public schools (1) have a
secular purpose, (2) that neither advance nor inhibit religion, and
(3) that must not result in excessive entanglement between
government and religion. Next, in Wallace v. Jaffrey (1984), the
Court prohibited a moment of silence for the intended purpose of
a state-sponsored devotional activity. More recently, in Lee v.
Weisman (1992) and Santa Fe Independent School Dist. v. Doe
(2000), the Court prohibited public prayers at graduation
ceremonies and those conducted via public address system prior to
high school games.
7
“President McKay Comments on Ruling,” Church News, June
22, 1963, 2.
8
Oaks, Dallin H. Life’s Lesson Learned, Id. at Chapter 16.
Professor Oaks writes in his memoirs that he even submitted his
article to the Improvement Era, where it appeared in December
1963, approved for publication by President McKay himself.
9
Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971)
10
Wallace v. Jaffrey (1984)
11
Lee v. Weisman (1992)
12
Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe (2000)
13
Oaks, Dallin H. Life’s Lesson Learned, Id. at Chapter 16
14
Consider how differently courts began ruling on personal
privacy cases in supporting the federal government’s national
security initiatives in the wake of attacks by terrorists on
September 11, 2001.
15
R. R. Reno, Religion and Public Life in America, reprinted in
Imprimis, April 2013, p. 1
16
See the Pew Research Religion & Public Life Project “Nones
on the Rise” (October 2012) stating that “The number of
Americans who do not identify with any religion continues to
grow at a rapid pace. One-fifth of the U.S. public – and a third of
adults under 30 – are religiously unaffiliated today, the highest
percentages ever in Pew Research Center polling. In the last five
years alone, the unaffiliated have increased from just over 15% to
just under 20% of all U.S. adults. Their ranks now include more
than 13 million self-described atheists and agnostics (nearly 6% of
the U.S. public), as well as nearly 33 million people who say they
have no particular religious affiliation (14%).
http://www.pewforum.org/2012/10/09/nones-on-the-rise/
17
“Carry On” LDS Hymn #255
18
Hall, Mark D. PhD, Did America Have a Christian Founding?
Heritage Foundation, Lecture #1186 on Political Thought, June 7,
2011 http://www.heritage.org/research/lecture/2011/06/didamerica-have-a-christian-founding
19
Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776.
20
See id. Reno, Imprimis, April 2013 at p. 8
21
See Pew Research, supra note 16.
22
Hewitt, Hugh In But Not Of: A Guide to Christian Ambition and
the Desire to Influence the World, 2012, p. 27
23
John 16:33
Ryan Arneson (L) was elected mascot, “Pete the Patriot,” and
stands with Mr. Dye (R)who is a well loved high school teacher
and also the Student Government Association Faculty Mentor.
Flag-raising assembly on the first day of school.
Christian examines mineral veins in rocks with a light-sensor
magnifying glass during a field learning event earlier this year.
Most common answer to “What’s your favorite class?” Recess!
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AMERICAN HERITAGE SCHOOL NEWS
Student, Parent & Teacher Submissions
The following students were honored and awarded
cash prizes for their original Christmas Lamb
paintings as part of the 28th Annual Christmas Lamb
Exhibit, sponsored by the Springville Art Museum:
Linda Anderson (Grade 5)
Hailey Bay (Grade 3)
Kenya Clark (Grade 3)
Abigail Davis (Grade 5)
Aeyan Gomm (Grade 3)
Liza Jorgensen (Grade 1)
Vivian Stone (Grade 1)
Madilyn Swallow (Grade 1)
Have you ever taken a stroll down the hallways and gazed at the
student work on display? It is truly remarkable. The picture above
depicts some of the sea creatures depicted and highlighted with
summary facts by 4thgrade students.
Great work, Scholars!
These students’ paintings (shown below) will be
displayed until early January in the Ingrid F. Nemelka
Christmas Lamb Gallery of the Springville Art
Museum. American Heritage School was very well
represented in the exhibit this year. Congratulations,
students!
A tearful moment in this year’s school musical, The Trail of
Dreams, Caroline Grant (Megan Holmes) slips away in the tender
arms of her husband, Jedediah Grant (Kaleb Hansen) as their
daughter, Caddie Grant (Aeyan Gomm) looks on.
Returning alumna,
Mariane Sorensen
(class of 2013),
stands with
Hannah Swim
(left) and Aeyan
Gomm (center).
Miss Sorensen was
an assistant
director for this
year’s Musical,
The Trail of
Dreams.
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AMERICAN HERITAGE SCHOOL NEWS
We will diligently seek to receive personal revelation.
We will strive to do this by employing the 4R
Method, Governmental Thinking, Word Studies,
Notebooks, memorization, and T-charts.
As scholars at American Heritage School, we are
convicted that studying language, literature, and
history is an essential tool in our academic
experience. As we endeavor to learn language, we
will be more capable of comprehending the best
literature which will lead us to understand history.
The above Constitution will assist us in our efforts to
learn more, to reason thoroughly, and to become more
like Christ.
“Responses to the Faithfulness of the Vaudois”
By: Mrs. Updike’s Seventh Grade Scholars
Rachel Anderson: The Vaudois
were faithful and true to their God
and their religion even though it
meant a harder lifestyle. I have
great respect for these wonderful
people. I do not know if I would be
strong enough to leave my home,
go into the mountains and be in
danger of torture or death. They sought the truth and
stuck to it. I want to be like them and although I will
not be in danger for following truth, I will do what is
right.
The “Classroom Constitution” shown above was composed and
signed by Mrs. Updike’s Seventh Grade Scholars. The full text is
shown below.
“Seventh Grade Core Classroom Constitution”
By: Mrs. Updike’s Seventh Grade Scholars
As scholars of the Abrahamic Covenant, our
philosophy is that Christ is our First Cause. We love
wisdom and truth. Our learning will help us
throughout our lives.
Alex Bigelow: The Vaudois were
spectacular people! They knew
what they wanted and not even the
Roman soldiers could stop them. I
have learned that if we want
something good and we set our
minds to it, nothing can stop us. If
I keep Christ in my heart and my
eye on this goal, I will be able to do much good. I
hope that I will be more like the Vaudois.
As a class we choose to be governed by correct
principle. Even though each individual is unique, all
can be self-governed. We will work together as a team
to show respect for our teachers and peers. Using our
Christian character, we will maintain order in our
classroom. We will use conscience to choose the
Lord’s way and increase in stature. Using the four
distinctives of a Christian form of government will
create organization in our classroom. We will use the
examples of heroes and scholars from the past to
improve our class local self-government. Using the
Seven Principles as our guide, we will be united in
our cause to become irrefragable followers of Christ.
Joshua van der Beek: The
Vaudois were wonderful examples
of “Conscience is the most sacred
of all property.” They did what
they believed and could not deny
what they knew to be true. No
matter what happened to them,
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AMERICAN HERITAGE SCHOOL NEWS
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they stood from and steadfast. I can be more like these
peculiar people by withstanding persecution in my
day and age. I hope to someday be as worthy and
peculiar as the Vaudois.
January
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9
10
16
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20
21–24
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Isabel Jensen: I enjoyed learning
about the Vaudois people. The
Vaudois people were very
courageous and had much faith.
Learning about them has helped
me to strive to build a stronger
testimony of my Savior, Jesus
Christ and the gospel. Even when
the Roman soldiers wanted to force them to leave
their homes and join the Roman church, they refused.
The Vaudois have helped me see what the world is
like and I look forward to learning more about them
outside of class.
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School Resumes
Geography Bee (4–8) 8:40 a.m.
ACT Registration due for February 8 test
Good Samaritan Lunch Day
Teacher In-Service, No School (K–12)
Martin Luther King Jr. Day–No School
Media Fast, K–12
Required Parent Meeting 7:00–8:00 p.m.
Principal’s Assembly
1–3, 8:40 a.m. | 4–5, 9:10 a.m.
Principal’s Assembly (6–12), 8:10 a.m.
All Kinder attend PM 12:00–3:00 p.m.
Dance Festival (K–8), 2:00–3:00 p.m.
Homecoming Dance 8–11p.m. (14 and up)
First Grade Devotional, 8:40 a.m. McNamara
First Grade Devotional, 8:40 a.m. Soderstrom
First Grade Devotional, 2:00 p.m. Sivert
Teacher In-Service, No School (K–6)
February
5
6
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From the Parent Organization
The Parent Organization is constantly serving. Many
hands joined together to make light work at the annual
Parent Organization Service Project on October 30.
Catching the wave of Spirit Week, parents joined
together to help teachers prepare for upcoming
projects. Parents gathered in the lunchroom to work
on the following:
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8
11–13
12–13
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Kits were cut and assembled with bandages
for the sixth grade Egyptian masks. The
parents looked like full body mummies by the
end, all coated in white.
Root word cards were cut and organized for
the second grade teachers.
Christmas chains were cut and assembled for
the Kindergarten teachers.
Five Senses Books were assembled for the
Kindergarten science project.
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This service project caught the spirit of AHS—
Always Honor and Serve. Not a day goes by where
we are not all serving each other; parents serving
teachers, teachers serving students, students serving
each other, administration serving all. We truly are
His hands when we are in the service of one another.
Patriotic Program Technical Rehearsal 8:40 a.m.
Patriotic Program Dress Rehearsal 8:40 a.m.
Patriotic Program Matinee 10:00 a.m. (2–6 and 7–
12 choir)
Grandparents Day K–6
School Ends 12:05 p.m. (K–12)
Patriotic Program 7:00 p.m.
ACT administered at AHS 8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Book Fair Tu. 12–3 p.m. W & Th. 8 a.m.–8 p.m.
AHS Science Fair (Required 4, 6, 8, 9–12)
Parent Teacher Conferences 4:00–8:00 p.m.
Parent Teacher Conferences 4:00–8:00 p.m.
Valentine’s Day Celebrations 2:00–3:00 p.m. (K–
6)
Eleventh Grade Devotional 8:20 a.m.
Midterm
Teacher In-Service, No School (K–12)
Presidents Day, No School (K–12)
2014–2015 Priority Registration Due for Current
Patrons
2014–2015 Open Registration Begins
Girls Choice Dance 8:00–11:00 p.m. (14 and up)
Fourth Grade Devotional 2:00 p.m.
Fourth Grade Devotional 8:40 a.m.
Teacher In-Service, No School (K–6)
Because
calendar
information
is
occasionally updated,
the most up-to-date
calendar information,
including
athletic
schedules, is available
at www.american-heritage.org.
For a list of Parent Organization service opportunities,
log into Edline and click the Parent Organization link.
Don’t forget to record your service hours online.
-9-
SEPTEMBER–DECEMBER 2013
AMERICAN HERITAGE SCHOOL NEWS
“No Missing Pieces” Christmas Event
Benefits AHS Art Program
organizing the event, which was attended by hundreds
of AHS community members.
“Artist Eric Dowdle visited with hundreds of friends at the No
Missing Pieces” Christmas event, which raised approximately
$4,000 in one night for
AHS art classrooms.
Many thanks to Chris Culver (Upper Grades Art Teacher), Deb
Dowdle, and Jan Parker (Elementary Art Teacher) for organizing
a delightful art show and AHS Art Program fundraiser.
Board Level Committees Expand
The “No Missing Pieces” benefit Christmas event was
held Friday, December 6, from 5–8 p.m. at The
Dowdle Folk Art Warehouse/Studio, 1280 W. 200 S.
in Lindon. Hundreds of AHS community members
attended. Attendance was free and open to the public,
and included free food, games, give-away puzzles,
contests, a “No Missing Pieces” art show of AHS
student talent, and just lots of “art fun” for the whole
family. The proceeds came from puzzles, artwork, and
books for sale, an original artwork auction, books, and
more. Some of the artwork was worth thousands of
dollars.
AHS Board-level committees recently expanded in
response to administrator requests, board member
recommendations, industry best practices, and
recommendations from independent school peer
institutions. Two primary purposes of expanding the
committees included: (1) to facilitate increased parent
and community involvement, and (2) to increase the
talent- and knowledgebase available to the School (we
simply aren’t smart enough to do this without you
parents!).
Committees currently include:
- Audit Committee
- Design & Facilities Committee
- Development Committee
- Family Education Center Committee
- Finance Committee
- Legal Committee
- Safety Committee
- Scholarship Committee
- Teacher
Development
&
Curriculum
Committee
Members of each committee are listed in the AHS
Parent Handbook (Appendix C), which each family
receives in connection with the annual August
required Parent Meeting. The Parent Handbook is also
available online at www.american-heritage.org.
The Development Committee has undergone the most
noticeable expansion, including the formation of
several subcommittees, as follows:
Anna Yoon enjoys creating original art.
Thanks to a generous pledge by the Dowdle family,
100% of the proceeds from the evening are benefitting
American Heritage School’s art programs—over
$4,000 in a single night. Also, many thanks to Chris
Culver, Jan Parker, and Eric and Deb Dowdle for
- 10 -
SEPTEMBER–DECEMBER 2013
AMERICAN HERITAGE SCHOOL NEWS
-
-
-
-
-
Distance Education Business Development
Subcommittee:
Derek Maxfield (chair), Leland Anderson,
Andy Goddard, Dan Hollister, Peter Knecht,
Derek Maxfield, Don Powell, Richard
Robbins, Scott Wilson
Alumni Relations Subcommittee:
Cynthia Gambill (chair), Leland Anderson,
Grant Beckwith, Blaine Hunsaker, Liz Jacob,
Peter Knecht, Curtis Philipp
Marketing
&
Community
Relations
Subcommittee:
Mikel Chertudi (chair), Jacques Bazinet,
Grant Beckwith, Marc Chenn, Morgan
Philpot, Jeff Sheets, David Stirling, Jenny
Swim, Lyall Swim
Music & Fine Arts Subcommittee:
Brett Gerlach (chair), Jill Bigelow, Kayson
Brown, Vicki Gerlach, Blaine Hunsaker, Rob
Swenson, Ralph van der Beek, Rebecca van
der Beek,
Athletics Subcommittee:
Dan Burton (chair), Stephanie Bigelow,
Samantha Burton, Jake Carter, Jared
Chappell, Amy Chappell, Ryan Denney,
Laura Denney, Rebecca Higgins, Blaine
Hunsaker, Derek Maxfield, Jody Nielson,
Heidi Pierce, Shayne Pierce
Faculty Leadership Positions Implemented
Department chairs were implemented in the following
academic areas for the first time beginning in August
2013:
-
Angie McIntyre—Core (K–3)
Julie Arnold—Core (4–6)
Lilly Taylor—Reading and Math Programs
Lauri Updike—Core (7–12) & Foreign
Language
Nicole Griffith—Math
Jolyn Newman—Science
Rob Swenson—Music
Chris Culver—Art and Drama
Stephanie Bigelow—Athletics, Dance, &
Physical Education
These faculty leadership positions are resulting in
improved coordination and are in keeping with wellestablished principles of distributed leadership. These
experienced and committed teachers add tremendous
strength to our leadership teams at the school.
Without these wonderful committees, we would not
be able to accomplish all that we hope to accomplish.
Welcome and thank you to the members of these
committees who so willingly share their expertise and
time with American Heritage School.
Additionally,
special
assignment
faculty
administrators were installed August 2013, including:
-
Rob Swenson—After-School Music
Programs Manager
Nancy Morrill—Special Events Coordinator
Stephanie Bigelow—Asst. Athletic Director
David Hancock—Video Production and
Editing Manager
These special assignment faculty administrators have
also added depth of leadership and improved
coordination, scheduling, and production of numerous
special curricular events and extracurricular programs.
Thank you, special assignment faculty administrators!
David Cowley, Jens Jorgensen, and Josh Jorgensen run and finish
a good race on a cool October day. Thanks to coaches for helping
our youth “run …the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1).
- 11 -
SEPTEMBER–DECEMBER 2013
AMERICAN HERITAGE SCHOOL NEWS
On October 31, 2013, Dr.
Lamb presented to students
on the topic of crown
ethers
and
how
chromatography
helps
scientists distinguish and
isolate chemical materials.
As part of his presentation
he produced “guncotton”
(cotton or other cellulose
based fibers dipped in
nitric acid), placed the cotton on a ceramic tile, and lit
it for a sudden, smokeless explosion!
AHS Teachers Grateful for New Computers
Andrew Sessions said, “Dr. Lamb
showed us that students are actually
involved in some pretty incredible
research on a global scale, and he
provided some great fireworks,
turning cotton into gunpowder!”
Rick Knupfer, AHS’s new Technology Director, oversees the
installation, maintenance, and periodic upgrade of AHS
computers and networks. He appears here in the school’s
computer network “brain room.”
During Thanksgiving Break 2013, new computers
were installed for 33 teachers in many grades, with 19
additional teachers receiving computer upgrades
throughout January 2014. A total of 70 new
computers were acquired, and many classroom
computers for student use are also being upgraded.
The new computers replaced units that were slower
and older.
Dr. Lamb has also consulted with
various AHS science teachers and
provided access to several research
and teaching resources.
Right: AP Biology students constructed
complex DNA models and displayed them
the Biology and Chemistry Room.
Mrs. Amanda Pew commented, “These computers
help me do my work more efficiently. They are so
much faster than the older computers! Thank you!”
HDE Curriculum Made
Freely Available to AHS Teachers
The new installations occurred as part of a carefully
planned and well-executed upgrade. Many thanks to
AHS donors, Network Providers Inc., Mr. Rick
Knupfer, and AHS technology support staff who
made this upgrade possible.
American Heritage School teachers now have free
access to Family School curriculum as a supplemental
teaching resource for classroom use.
BYU Science Partnership in Place
Faculty mentors from Brigham Young University’s
Chemistry, Physics, and Astronomy departments Dr.
John Lamb (Chemistry) and Dr. Michael Ware
(Physics and Astronomy) joined our faculty as
“visiting fellows” to consult with our science
department faculty in an effort to further improve our
science teaching and learning.
- 12 -
SEPTEMBER–DECEMBER 2013
AMERICAN HERITAGE SCHOOL NEWS
The Family School is reminiscent of a one-room
school house. It facilitates children of various ages
learning together. It includes 180 days’ worth of 4R
teaching lessons plans, academic concepts and gospel
principles in each lesson, and easy-to-use and
adaptable 4R activities for children of various ages.
Typically, Family School curriculum is parent-guided.
However, it is also useful educators in institutions
now in many locations.
-
“Our Christian Forebears: Principles of
Seventeenth-century Puritan Discipleship”
“Studies in the American Covenant—Part 1”
Registration is open for second semester after-school
courses (January–May 2014). Interested students (all
ages) may enroll here:
“Defending Religious
Freedom Today” (Mr.
Nicholas Gentile, left)
HDE Latter-day Learning Network
Surpasses 2,000 Members
“The American
Covenant—Part
2”
(Mr. Tim Ballard,
right)
The Latter-day Learning Network—a social website
sponsored by AHS that facilitates sharing among LDS
homeschoolers worldwide—passed the 2,000 member
mark in November 2013.
Constitution Day Inspires
Patriotism in AHS Students
We invite you to visit latterdaylearning.org, where
network members gain access to lesson plans and a
robust library of online resources that are organized
by topic in support of The Family School curriculum.
Mr. Beckwith discusses Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation
Proclamation with AHS first graders.
Eight faculty and community volunteers staffed
“Freedom Stations” as a focal point of Constitution
Day celebrations on September 17, 2013. Station
topics and staff-volunteers included:
Families worldwide in at least 25 countries and 48 states are now
using American Heritage School’s
“Family School” curriculum and participating in the Latter-day
Learning Network.
-
Directed Readings Seminars Share Stories
and Insights about Puritans and
The American Covenant
Twenty-six students enrolled in two afterschool
classes that were broadcasted by American Heritage
School’s Distance Education Program.
We are pleased to announce that MP3 recordings are
now freely available for AHS families and friends.
You may access the recordings at the following links:
Magna Carta (Leland Anderson)
Mayflower Compact (LaDawn Jacob)
Declaration of Independence (Stan Swim)
Constitution (Diann Jeppson)
Bill of Rights (Vona Hunsaker)
Emancipation Proclamation (Grant Beckwith)
Eliza R. Snow and Women’s Suffrage (Robbi
Ann Sorensen)
Ronald Reagan: “Tear Down This Wall” (Pat
Reed)
Students visited each station to learn about the
- 13 -
SEPTEMBER–DECEMBER 2013
AMERICAN HERITAGE SCHOOL NEWS
landmark documents and events in “His-Story” of
liberty.
Fifth grade student Alison Miner commented, “I
really loved seeing the faculty and administrators
dress up as people, even though they were pretending
to be people who are long gone!”
AHS Spirit Week filled with
K–12 Student Service
AHS Spirit Week (October 28–November 1) focused
the entire school community on service benefitting the
school, local communities, and international
humanitarian projects. Embracing the spirit of
“Always Honor and Serve,” students, teachers, and
parents served with cheerful hearts and gave
approximately 2,000 thousand hours of service-work.
Landy Maxfield and Julie Hendricks display dolls they prepared
as part of their class’s humanitarian aid service project during
AHS Spirit Week.
Cierra Stice and Mercedes Ng
enjoy working alongside classmates as they prepare
humanitarian aid kits to be sent to needy families around the
world.
The ninth grade pauses in the park for a group photo after a
sweat-breaking service activity to beautify a city park in American
Fork.
Service projects completed on Wednesday, October
30 included preparing care packages at a local
humanitarian center, writing letters to service men and
women, landscaping and grounds maintenance at a
local park, binding and cataloging books in the
school’s library, delivering care packages to the
school’s neighbors, and visiting residents in a local
senior citizen care center.
Twelfth-grade student Andrew Sessions said, “I loved
that we got to go off campus and help in the
community on several different projects.” He added,
“Christ’s example to us [of service] is what he would
have us do to prepare for his Second Coming.”
Dozens of ninth students worked diligently and effectively to
maintain and beautify an American Fork City park on October 30,
2013.
- 14 -
SEPTEMBER–DECEMBER 2013
AMERICAN HERITAGE SCHOOL NEWS
Congratulations to the winners of the AHS Senior Bee
for grades 4–8 (The Scripps National Spelling Bee):
1st Place, Sadie Veach, 8th Grade (spelling
“portraiture”); 2nd Place, Daniel Hobson, 8th Grade
(spelling “postponable”); and 3rd Place, Emily
Anderson, 6th Grade (spelling “accusatory”). Best
wishes to Sadie in the Regional Bee, and many thanks
to Mrs. Morrill and Mrs. Hobbs for their work
organizing the Bee this year, and to Bob Sorensen,
our Board Chairman, for serving as our Pronouncer.
International Student Spotlight
Hyeweon Kang has attended
American Heritage School
since January 2012. She is
from Jeju Island, Korea,
studies in the eleventh grade
and is 18 years old.
Hyeweon’s family continues
to live in Jeju Island. Her
father and mother are network
marketers and distributors for Nu Skin International.
Hyeweon has one younger brother, age 16, who likes
to play basketball, and one younger sister, age 11,
who loves to read.
National Geographic Bee Finalists
Congratulations to the following finalists who will
participate in the all-school Geography Bee on
January 9 at 8:40 a.m.: Kristyn Handy, Cara Uhl,
Ethan Morrill, Emily Anderson, Aaron Boden, Sam
Beckwith, Sophie Johnson, Caleb Uhl, Drew Jensen
(not pictured), and Ethan Cromar. The winner will
then have an opportunity to participate in the statewide National Geographic Bee. Good luck, students!
Hyeweon enjoys reading, playing the piano, and
watching movies. One of her favorite books, which
Hyeweon recently began reading, is Plato’s Republic.
One of her favorite piano numbers to play is Chopin’s
“Nocturne.”
After graduating from AHS, Hyeweon hopes to attend
NYU, UC Berkley, or UCLA. She plans to major in
psychology, Spanish (her third language!), or
international business.
Her advice to students seeking academic success is to
read more classic books. “Most people don’t read
them anymore, and it’s kind of sad,” she observes.
Spelling Bee Winners
From
Left to Right, Top to Bottom: Kristyn
Handy, Cara Uhl, Ethan Morrill, Emily
Anderson, Aaron Boden, Sam Beckwith,
Sophie Johnson, Caleb Uhl, Drew
Jensen, and Ethan Cromar.
Congratulations, Scholars!
Spelling Bee Winners (left to right): Mr. Hunsaker, Emily
Anderson (3rd place), Sadie Veach (1st place), Daniel Hobson (2nd
place), and Mrs. Debbie Hobbs
- 15 -
SEPTEMBER–DECEMBER 2013
AMERICAN HERITAGE SCHOOL NEWS
myself and my personal relationship with John Brown
and acting in general. He was a man whom I had not
known before, and I learned much about him and the
courage he had to do what he did.”
AHS Academic Performance—
Excellent PSAT Scores in Fall 2013
Forty-nine AHS sophomores and juniors took the
PSAT/NMSQT on October 16, 2013. The median
percentile rank of AHS scores is shown below
compared with the median national score. These are
excellent scores. Congratulations, scholars!
Zach also readily stated, “Mrs. Perry has been one of
the teachers who have influenced me the most!” AHS
students are grateful for a wonderful drama program!
Linnea Miner said, “I think Trail of
Dreams was more meaningful to me
because I had just attended trek this last
summer, and so to play the part of Elsie
and to pull the handcart, it was easy for
me to understand how hard that really was.”
Median Percentile Rank of AHS
Sophomores and Juniors verus
Median of National Peers on
PSAT/NMSQT,
October 16, 2013 (AHS n=49)
China Harbaugh played Mary Bathgate
and remarked, “I think this is the most
powerful of the musicals we have
performed because the spirit and the
stories are true.”
100
90
80
76
73.5
70
70
Eliana Coy commented that the preshow meetings were my favorite part.
“We shared spiritual experiences or
stories, sang a hymn, and had a prayer,
and would often go onto stage with
tears in our eyes.”
60
50
50
50
50
40
30
Some cast members said their involvement in this
play was one of the most spiritual experiences of their
lives because they felt the Spirit frequently and
powerfully as they learned of and portrayed the
sacrifices made by their faithful pioneer forebears.
20
10
0
Critical Reading Mathematics
AHS
Writing Skills
National
Trail of Dreams Wins Hearts as a
Favorite Musical at AHS
A 50-member AHS cast and technical crew composed
of students and faculty produced The Trail of Dreams,
a powerful story of love and overcoming trial on the
Mormon Pioneer trail. They presented four showings
for hundreds of parents and community members
during October 24–26.
Caroline Grant (Megan Holmes) is comforted by Elsie Nielsen
(Linnea Miner) as they consider the long handcart journey to the
Salt Lake Valley.
Zach Veach, who played the lead John Brown, said, “I
loved it! Trail of Dreams helped me learn more about
- 16 -
SEPTEMBER–DECEMBER 2013
AMERICAN HERITAGE SCHOOL NEWS
Fall Festival Fun
Benefit Auction and Fundraising Report—
“Stepping Stones for Generations” Benefit
Dinner and Auction a Success
The annual Fall Festival was held Friday, September
13, at 6:00 p.m. on the east field of AHS, complete
with games and family fun to ring in the new school
year together. The weather, which was threatening
rain, broke and let the sunshine through for a
wonderful gathering of friends, food, and fun!
Fundraising results were impressive at American
Heritage School’s second annual “Stepping Stones for
Generations” Benefit Dinner and Fundraising
Auction, held at the school on Friday, October 18,
2013.
Activities included a pulled pork meal, dunking
booth, bake sale, donuts on strings, a plethora of relay
races and lawn games, swings and playground
activities, and plenty of opportunities for time for
socializing and visiting with friends!
The school raised approximately $300,000 thanks to
the generosity of attendees, sponsors, donors, and
matching donors.
Our goal in this year’s Annual Fund campaign is to
raise $600,000, which is comprised of three critical
priorities: (1) $200,000 to improve our employee
retirement benefits; (2) $200,000 to further develop
our Distance Education Program; and (3) $200,000 to
replenish cash reserves that have been carefully used
over previous years to increase capacity and improve
programs. Every dollar donated to the school this year
will be divided evenly among these three priorities,
and each priority is very important. Donations are
encouraged and welcomed.
Thank you, Parent Organization and Fall Festival
Committee!
We are so very grateful for YOU! Your contribution
to the success of our school community has already
been invaluable. Every act of volunteerism, every
offering of talent, and every grateful word and note
makes a tremendous difference.
Mr. Anderson waits for an “incredible” dunking at the Fall
Festival! American Heritage School families love to serve, study,
and PLAY together!
Mrs. Sivert’s First Grade Class surprised the administrators
during their meeting on Spirit Day by singing “I Sing the Mighty
the Power of God.”
- 17 -
SEPTEMBER–DECEMBER 2013
AMERICAN HERITAGE SCHOOL NEWS
American Heritage School Celebrates
150th Anniversary of Gettysburg Address
A Word Study on Memorization
In his 1828 American Dictionary
of the English Language, Noah
Webster defined memorization as
In celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the
Gettysburg Address, originally delivered by President
Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War, on
the afternoon of Thursday, November 19, 1863, the
following classes memorized the entire Gettysburg
Address and recited it together as part of a special
assembly:
-
1. to record, to commit to
memory…
2. to cause to be remembered…
Susan Tanner, former president
of the General Young Women’s organization taught:
Mrs. Coy’s 5 grade class
Mrs. Cory’s 5th grade class
Mr. Cornell’s 5th grade class
Mrs. Andersen’s 6th grade class
Mr. Crossley’s 7th grade class
Mrs. Updike’s 7th grade class
Mr. Griffith’s 8th grade class
Mrs. Yamada’s 8th grade class
Mr. Hancock’s 9th grade classes
Mr. Haymond’s and Mr. Dye’s 11th grade
classes.
Mrs. Jeppson’s debate classes.
th
Learning by heart…means to learn something
so deeply that it becomes part of our core: it
fills us; it changes us…. Learning by heart in
its richest sense is a gospel duty. It is a twin
commandment to remembering. We are to
learn spiritual truth by heart and then retain
in remembrance what we have placed deep in
our hearts.
The process of memorizing, of placing truths upon
“the fleshy tables of our hearts” (2 Corinthians 3:3)
changes us just as consuming a nutritious meal
changes us. We become different people because of
what has nourished our minds and hearts. We are
better prepared to serve in the Lord’s kingdom, we are
more secure in mortality because of that which fills
us, we are better able to discern between right and
wrong because of the “internal property” which
becomes the foundation of our thinking, and we have
the “internal equipment” to sustain us in serving
mankind. Memorization is a cherished part of our
curriculum and our activities; it is our privilege and
duty.
The special assembly included a flag ceremony,
pledge of allegiance, singing of “The Star-Spangled
Banner,” a short video clip about Gettysburg, and
group recitation of the Gettysburg address.
Tips & Tools for Parents:
Memorization Treasure Trove
Families often remark to Mr. Beckwith what an
impact is made in their home through recitation of
memorizations done at school. As a result, one of our
school wide goals during 2013–2014 is to celebrate
more
the
beautiful
and
mission-centered
memorizations and stories that are taught and learned
in AHS classrooms, especially memorizations and
stories that are part of “His Story.”
While memorizations assigned in class can change
from year to year—as teachers, students, and families
share favorite passages—AHS is excited to celebrate
an impressive collection of memorizations from AHS
core classrooms. These passages (411 pages—
typically one passage per page) are available on our
website:
https://www.americanheritage.org/Content/ManagedDocs/AHS%20K12%20MEMORIZATIONS,%202013-2014.pdf
The first day of school flag raising ceremony
- 18 -
SEPTEMBER–DECEMBER 2013
AMERICAN HERITAGE SCHOOL NEWS
(Crescendo Orchestra), Jeff Hall (Physics), Dr.
Michael Ware (Faculty Mentor), Dr. John Lamb
(Faculty Mentor), Mrs. Rosemary Pollock (DE
History), Mrs. Belinda Ballantyne (Family School
Author Team—Art), and Mr. Earl Harding
(Custodial).
Faculty News & Notes
Trudy (Camp) Neddo, our beloved
K–6 assistant principal and 24-year
veteran at the school, married Guy
Neddo and relocated to Colorado.
Mrs. Neddo was full of excitement
for this new chapter in her life, and
we are all very excited for her. We
are also grateful that Mrs. Neddo
continues to provide part-time support to American
Heritage Distance Education!
Detailed bios of new employees are posted on our
website staff directory:
http://www.americanheritage.org/Instructor/Directory
Congratulations!
Greg & Elizabeth Marsh (distance
education instructor and Chamber
Ensemble conductor) welcomed their
first child, Angela, on October 2, 2013.
Congratulations, Marshes!
Welcome to Debbie Hobbs as the
new K–6 assistant principal. She
brings a wealth of experience,
including several years teaching
Kindergarten and serving as a
reading specialist at AHS. Like
her predecessor, Mrs. Neddo,
Mrs. Hobbs is also from Idaho
and bring a wealth of experience from the Ranch!
Jared Waugh, conductor of the AHS
Crescendo Strings, married Sarah
Stewart
on
October
24!
Congratulations, Jared and Sarah!
Farewell
Farewell to the following employees who, during
summer or fall 2013, moved on to other wonderful
pursuits: Elaine Andelin, Charmaine Anderson, Jeff
Arnson, Rhodes Baker, Julieanna Blake, Leann
Brinton, Denise Gorrell, Spencer Greenhalgh, Shanae
Johnson, Charlene Knight, Sarah McCormick, Wendy
Meade, Ann Meeks, Karen Richardson, Sharon
Scanland, Jake Sivert, Katelyn Smith, Monica Orcutt,
Cindy Tolman, Claira Wilson, and Patrick Wright.
Bob (Shari) Wheeler’s daughter
Shannon Wheeler (a former, part-time
AHS employee) married Adam Kilgore
of Huntsville, Utah in the Mount
Timpanogos Temple on November 28,
2013. Congratulations, Wheelers!
Ed (Gwen) Duquette’s daughter Jessi
married Jarom Loveridge on October 3,
2013, in the Mount Timpanogos Temple
and enjoyed a reception in Eagle
Mountain. Congratulations, Duquettes!
Welcome!
Welcome to the following new or returning staff: Mrs.
Nancy Morrill (Kindergarten), Mrs. Kerri Nielsen
(Grade 2), Ms. Lindy Heaton (Grade 3), Mrs. Kerynne
Vance (Grade 4), Mrs. Amanda Pew (Grade 4), Mrs.
Bethany Cory (Grade 5), Mrs. Decia Andersen (Grade
6), Mr. Casey Wilson (Grade 6), Mr. Ty Crossley
(Grade 7), Mrs. Sarah Udall (Cross Country), Mr.
Danny Mason (Co-ed Soccer), Mr. Steve Jorgensen
(JV Boys Basketball), Mrs. Michelle Jorgensen (Choir
Accompanist), Mrs. Tia Quinn (K–3 Music Assistant
and Accompanist), Mrs. Heidi Rodeback (7–12 Choir
Accompanist), Mrs. Ashlee Jessen (Spanish), Mrs.
Corrine Griffiths (French), Mrs. Diann Jeppson
(Debate & Constitutional Studies), Miss Lacey
Monson (JV Girl Basketball), Mr. Jared Waugh
Brigham (Kadee) Dye welcomed a new
baby girl, Rebecca, on December 21,
2013. Congratulations, Dyes!
Condolences
Keaton Howard, son of Scott and
Kimberly Howard, died in a boating
accident on June 28, 2013. Keaton
was in Mrs. Hobbs PM Kindergarten
class last school year. We are grateful
Keaton shared his wonderful life and light with the
AHS community.
- 19 -
SEPTEMBER–DECEMBER 2013
AMERICAN HERITAGE SCHOOL NEWS
Nancy Willis’s father-in-law, Thomas
Willis, passed away on Tuesday,
November 19. Thomas had been living
with and receiving care from Nancy and
Larry for 10 months. We extend our
condolences and prayers for the Willis family.
Kristi Wulfenstein’s father-in-law, Alma
Jay Young, passed away on Thursday,
November 21. Our thoughts and prayers
are with Kristi and her family at this
very sensitive time.
Spencer Bushman controls the ball as he races down court!
Over 700 students and employees are depicted as part of our
American Heritage.
Parker Reyes (Grade 9) finishes with strong determination at the
Nov. 30 cross-country meet.
Positions Available
Please see the “Employment Opportunities” page of
our website for employment opening details. We
appreciate your references and recommendations!
www.american-heritage.org/Opportunities.htm
Natalie Miner and James van der Beek (both in the 8th Grade)
prepare for the Ballroom Dance Showcase, January 24, 2014.
- 20 -
AHS Honor Roll – First Term
American Heritage School posts the Honor Roll each term for grades 4 and higher. Students qualify for the Honor Roll through
exemplary performance in either academics (minimum 3.70 grade point average) or self-government (highest self-government
grade of “Outstanding” in all classes). A student receives an “Outstanding” self-government grade who demonstrates
exceptional respect, effort, and work ethic; makes significant or frequent contributions to the class; and completes and submits all
in-class and homework assignments on time during the term (unless otherwise excused by the instructor) .
Hyrum Allen
Kate Allen
Jennis Andelin
Amelia Andersen
Gordon Andersen
Rachel Andersen
Samuel Andersen
Chris Anderson
Emily Anderson
Linda Anderson
Samuel Anguiano
Valerie Arguello
Mikaela Arnson
Ryan Arnson
Megan Banks
Luke Banner
Nathan Bartholomew
Elizabeth Beckwith
Samuel Beckwith
Eli Beeson
Oakley Beeson
Erin Bevard
Alexandria Bigelow
Catherine Bigelow
Mark Bigelow
Hannah Bingham
Roman Bingham
Jerusha Bitter
Jessica Blair
Joshua Blair
Carter Bleyl
Aaron Boden
Daphne Boggess
Ian Boggess
Jesse Boggess
Levi Boggess
Jared Bowen
Emma Brady
Kenzie Brandon
Hadley Brimhall
Caleb Brown
Spencer Brown
Kristelle Bruno
Jenny Bryner
Anna Burton
James Burton
John Burton
Samantha Burton
Bethany Bushman
Olivia Bushman
Spencer Bushman
Draeton Bybee
Klaesara Bybee
Taeven Bybee
Chelsey Carlson
Emilynne Carr
Natalie Carter
Samuel Carter
Jason Chang
Eva Chenn
Madeline Chenn
Amanda Chipman
Jenny Cho
Hunter Christiansen
Trustine Chun
Clara Cook
Emma Cook
Carsyn Cosgrave
Cate Cosgrave
Hans Cosgrave
David Cowley
Sarah Cowley
Eliana Coy
Jacob Crawford
Magdalene Crawford
Rebekah Crawford
Joshua Crockett
Samuel Crockett
Liberty Cromar
Emma Crosby
Aaron Crowder
Jared Crowder
Nicole Curzon
Sarah Curzon
Abigail Davis
Kyle Denney
Dorie DeSpain
Joshua Dewey
Marinn Duncan
Misha Duncan
Joseph Dunn
Isabelle Fee
Isabelle Fisher-Sidwell
Grant Frazier
Tatum Frazier
Andrew Furner
Addison Gardner
Jacob Gardner
Angie Gerlach
Mary Gerlach
Sabrina Glathar
Jackson Graham
Kenya Green
Tahlia Green
Anna Griffith
Truman Gunther
Clarissa Hales
Porter Hales
Taylor Hall
Esther Handy
Katelyn Handy
Kaylee Handy
Kristyn Handy
Kaleb Hansen
Azure Harbaugh
China Harbaugh
Paisley Harbaugh
Daniel Haymond
Hannah Hayward
Chandler Helvey
Halle Henderson
Julie Hendricks
Logan Hendrickson
Josh Higgins
Max Higgins
Alex Hill
McKenzie Hill
Claire Hilmo
Eli Hilmo
Ivonne Hilton
Joseph Hilton
Natalie Hilton
Sarah Hilton
Scott Hilton
Megan Holmes
Thomas Holmes
Joseph Holmstead
Nathan Holmstead
Ryan Holmstead
Alliscen Horelica
Camilla Huhem
Elisa Huhem
Natasha Huhem
Kaden Hunsaker
Parker Hunsaker
Yoojin Hwang
Andrea Jensen
Drew Jensen
Eloise Jensen
Emma Jensen
Isabel Jensen
Sarah Jensen
William Jensen
Macey Jeppson
Ashleigh Johnson
BJ Johnson
Brenna Johnson
Lauren Johnson
Sophie Johnson
Adam Jones
Alyza Jones
Aryn Jones
Ella Jones
Jens Jorgensen
Josh Jorgensen
Hyeweon Kang
Dan Kim
Sierra Klingler
Andrew Knecht
Owen Knecht
Reed Knecht
Andrew Knudsen
James Knudsen
Evelyn Krallis
Cayla Larson
Colton Larson
Kymberly Larson
Matthew Law
Beihe (Sunny) Le
Daniel Lee
Jiho Lee
John Lee
Carsyn Lofgreen
Malissa Lytle
Haozhen (David) Ma
Sumner MacArthur
Mackenzie Macey
Larissa Maldonado
Brenley Mason
Kenna Mason
Aleah Maxfield
Landy Maxfield
Allison McMurry
Paige McNamara
Cayden Meeker
Jacob Meeks
Andrew Meyer
Halle Miller
Clark Miner
Karina Miner
Linnea Miner
Natalie Miner
Jayden Monson
Chloe Morrill
Ethan Morrill
Rachel Morris
Samuel Morris
Thomas Morris
Laurie Mortensen
Megan Mortensen
Alessa Mousques
Lauren Mulvey
Hannah Murdock
Matthew Ng
Mercedes (Nok Yi) Ng
Davin Nielson
Gracie Nielson
Tori Nielson
Liana Nunes
Brennah Oaks
Ammon Olayan
Liahona Olayan
Elijah Orr
Hope Orr
Garrett Ostler
Laelle Pack
Marinn Patch
Alyssa Patten
Stuart Patterson
Kennedy Peck
Lexie Peck
Luke Penrod
Avalon Peterson
Connor Peterson
Ethan Peterson
Kimball Pew
Josh Philpot
Elsa Pierce
Leah Pierce
McKay Pierce
Trevor Pierce
Elizabeth Pletsch
Nathan Poulsen
Hannah Price
Christian Rather
Casey Raubenheimer
Tanlen Raubenheimer
Isaac Reid
Maya Reyes
Parker Reyes
Katrina Riboldi
Isaac Rickenbach
Leah Rickenbach
Logan Rickenbach
Ryker Roskelley
Derek Rowen
Evan Rutherford
Baylor Sandberg
Madeline Sanders
Thomas Sanders
Emma Schmidt
Jane Selander
Amber Sessions
Andrew Sessions
Noelle Sessions
Stephen Sessions
Jenasie Shawcroft
Lillie Shawcroft
Adam Sheets
Emmie Sheets
Sophie Sheets
Olivia Shelton
Taggart Smith
Michael Sorensen
Sarah Sorensen
Joshua Sperry
Summer Squires
Cierra Stice
Brianna Stirling
Holly Stirling
Savannah Stirling
Bailey Stone
Allison Story
Isabel Stratton
Rachel Stratton
Rebecca Stratton
John (Rui Tao) Su
Rudy Sullivan
Katelyn Swallow
Hannah Swim
Samuel Swim
Addison Symonds
Connor Symonds
Emma Todd
Parker Todd
Caleb Uhl
Cara Uhl
Connor Uhl
Charles Valverde
Dylana Valverde
James van der Beek
Joshua van der Beek
Ariane Van der Watt
Daimen Van der Watt
Daisha Van der Watt
Alexia Vargas
Sadie Veach
Zachary Veach
Hayden Wade
Adelaide Walker
Catherine Wall
Crystal Wang
Sarah Ware
Olivia Washburn
Ashley Welch
Thomas Welcker
Benjamin Weyland
Samuel Weyland
Mia Wilkins
Alexander Willardson
Ashley Willardson
Lauren Willardson
Bailey Willes
Carly Willes
Ellie Williams
Ellie (Sangmin) Woo
Timothy Woozley
Jakob Wulfenstein
Sarah Yoon
Alan Zhang
Gabriel Zhao
Bobby Zhou
MISSION STATEMENT
OF
AMERICAN HERITAGE SCHOOL
American Heritage School exists for the purpose of serving parents in assisting in developing the
minds, the hearts, and the bodies of students in order that they may:
1.
Be useful in the hands of the Lord in building the kingdom of God on earth;
2.
Increase faith in and knowledge of the Plan of Salvation;
3.
Develop a love, understanding and appreciation for America and the Founding Fathers;
4.
Develop the basic academic knowledge and skills necessary to be able to make self-education
a life-long pursuit;
5.
Learn to reason and discern between right and wrong, truth and error;
6.
Develop character and self-discipline of mind and body; and
7.
Conduct themselves in all aspects of life as Christians.
All activities, teaching, governance, and administration are to be accomplished in light of the above
objectives and insofar as possible in harmony with revealed principles of the restored gospel of Jesus
Christ and laws of the land. All teachers, staff, administrators, and Trustees shall strive to be living
examples of the values, principles, and skills taught at the school.
VISION STATEMENT
American Heritage School will be an effective educational resource
for parents worldwide in assisting children and families to
maximize their divine potential.