A Journey - Westminster Christian Academy

A
WCA
Journey
CONTENT
SUMMER 2016 | WINDOWS
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Mr. Klein’s WCA Journey
5 Things: John Knight
5 Things: Destination Imagination
Graduation 2016
Kavi Nallamala Chosen As National Merit Scholar
2016 Valedictorian David Furtwengler
Fine Arts
Basketball Team Wins State 4A Championship
Athletics
Lower School Highlights
Upper School Highlights
Alumni Feature - Taking Athletic Success into Real Life
Alumni Updates
Summer & Fall 2016 Important Dates
End of Year Bash
Recognized for Service: Faculty & Staff
Simple Suppot
Keep in mind, there are several extremely simple
ways you can support Westminster all year long:
1. Publix Partners Cards. If you shop at Publix, please stop by either school
campus’ main office and pick up a Westminster Publix Partner Card. Next
time you shop, have the sales associate swipe the card before you check out,
and Publix will donate a portion of the sale directly to Westminster.
2. Kroger Community Rewards. If you shop at Kroger, you probably already
have a Kroger Plus card, which saves you money on groceries. Use your card
to log onto https://www.kroger.com/community rewards and select Westminster Christian Academy as your beneficiary. When you shop, Westminster
gets a percentage back!
3. Smile.Amazon.com. When you make purchases at Amazon.com log onto
www.smile.amazon.com instead, and select Westminster as your beneficiary.
Don’t worry! All the benefits from your already established Amazon account
will transfer over. When you make a purchase through smile.amazon.com,
Westminster receives a percentage of the sale.
Westminster Christian Academy was ranked THIRD out of the TWENTY “Best Christian
high schools” in Alabama by the website Niche. These rankings were determined by
SAT/ACT scores, the quality of colleges that students consider, student-teacher ratio,
and parent reviews.
Notice of Nondiscriminatory Policy As To Students: Westminster Christian Academy admits
students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and
activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. We do not discriminate
on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of our educational policies,
admission policies, scholarship programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.
WINDOWS | SUMMER 2016
SUMMER EDITION 2016
Editor: Laura Richeson
Publication Specialist: Cheri Maddox
Alumni Relations: Beth Sullivan
Designer: Dee Dee Johnston
UPPER SCHOOL
6th - 12th Grades
237 Johns Road
Huntsville, Alabama 35806
256-705-8000
LOWER SCHOOL
K4 - 5th grades
375 Mount Zion Road
Madison, Alabama 35757
256-705-8300
www.wca-hsv.org
Accredited by AdvancED
Member of Christian School Alliance Huntsville (CSA)
Member of Huntsville Madison County
Private School Association (HMPSA)
Member of Alabama High School
Athletic Association
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
Ron Klein
HEAD OF SCHOOL
Emily Donaldson
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Dick Spybey
DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS
Leslie Parker
DIRECTOR OF ADMISSIONS
Diane Blocker
DIRECTOR OF CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION
Kathy Hightower
UPPER SCHOOL ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
Dear
Westminster
Family,
A
s I write my last Head of School letter
for this publication, I am decidedly
encouraged.
Four years ago I questioned God’s calling me to
this position. Today I leave with much gratitude
for the opportunity to serve.
In education, there is often a multiple-year lag
between when a change is implemented and
higher student achievement. We are beginning
to see higher student scores on national
standardized tests. Based on our students’ SAT
and ACT scores, the independent organization
Niche ranks WCA as the third Best Christian
High School in the state. Correspondingly, new
enrollment applications are at twice the level of
previous years. It appears we will have record
enrollment (97% of overall capacity) for the
2016-2017 school year.
At the Lower School, we have a new modular
building to house music and art classes. At the
Upper School, the new cascading schedule is
expected to aid student learning and provide
time for teachers to meet together and better
align instruction between subjects. This Fall
begins a formal student advisory program at the
Upper School. During the next few years, WCA
will be more intentional with respect to Biblical
integration. The next school year will also
include a new Academic Support Coordinator.
We are thankful for your support through tuition, gifts
and the Annual Fund, which make these possible.
I’m especially pleased with the leadership transition to
Stephen Hooks. We will continue to routinely confer. Mr.
Hooks has consistently asked for counsel on his skills
as well as school-related matters (Proverbs 15:22). In
late June, along with other senior staff, we attended
the Christian Schools Best Practices conference in
West Chicago. On July 1, I became the School Board
President. I will maintain a campus office and during the
spring semester, I’ll be on campus each day teaching a
geopolitics class.
Maria Lyman
Westminster Christian Academy has been blessed by
the Lord for 50+ years and we are becoming even better
than we were. Our students are exceptional and they
have touched my heart.
LOWER SCHOOL PRINCIPAL
In His service,
Kerry St. John
UPPER SCHOOL PRINCIPAL
Alma Huston
DIRECTOR OF COUNSELING AND STUDENT SERVICES
WCA BOARD
Stacy Murphree, President
John Hamilton, Vice President
John Jeffery, Treasurer
Rhega Gordon, Secretary
Nathan Cox
Nathan Eldridge
Todd Hayes
WCA is a covenantal school that
provides quality education from a
Biblical perspective.
WINDOWS | SUMMER 2016
1
Mr. Klein’s
WCA JOURNEY
When Ron Klein talks about his life,
he always says his first career was a
soldier. He won’t tell you that he was
awarded the Combat Infantryman’s
Badge as a 19-year-old private in Viet
Nam or that he was a distinguished
graduate of his 1979 flight school
class. He actually holds an FAA commercial pilot’s license with ratings in
helicopters, multi-engine airplanes,
and seaplanes. He flew helicopters
for 14 years and subsequently served
as an aviation acquisition officer until
he retired from the military in 1993.
His second career was an entrepreneur. In 1997, he founded Belzon, an
aerospace and defense consulting
company that specialized in aviation
logistics and process improvements.
As the company grew, he became
more active in community affairs and
in 2009 was asked to join the WCA
School Board by a fellow member of
Westminster Presbyterian Church.
He served a two-year term until June
2011. If he could have foreseen the
future, he might have quoted General McArthur’s statement, “I’ll be
back.”
The next year, 2012, brought his
third career…just when he planned
to retire. He sold his company in
February…just when WCA needed an
Interim Head of School. He became
our Interim Head of School on April
17, 2012. “It is gratifying to look back
and see the hand of God. The sale
of my company occurring the same
week that this position became open
is certainly notable,” observed Klein.
“I was intimidated by the prospect of
becoming responsible for the school
when I knew so little of K-12 education. But God knew that the skills I
had were the ones WCA needed at
that time. Later, when I attempted to
move on from this job, God intervened and said, “On My time, not
yours.” He served for fifteen months,
then when a newly-hired replacement had health problems, Klein
accepted the school board’s invitation to become the long-term Head
of School.
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WINDOWS | SUMMER 2016
The school was struggling with
the large debt of the new Brockway campus and consistency in
academics and procedures. Klein
spearheaded a debt-reduction
strategy, long-term internal policies and a continuous improvement
plan…encouraging faculty, staff and
students to “become better than we
were.” The school now gives itself a
Semi-Annual Report Card, evaluating 54 items including academics,
spiritual aspects, finances, athletics
and facilities. This helps the staff and
the school board to measure and
understand the overall well-being of
the school.
“Building on our strong track record
of Christian education, we are now
an institution which other Christian
schools use to benchmark excellence…inside and outside the classroom. We are blessed with extraordinary Christians and great leaders in
important positions. God has accomplished this, and I am immensely
grateful for the opportunity to have
been His servant during this period.”
Klein received his M.S. degree in
economics from the University of
Utah, and has been an adjunct economics professor at five universities.
At WCA, he has been a speech and
debate teacher, and he has taught
three economics classes. “While I
spent only 10% of my time with students, these interactions have been
surprisingly rewarding. Then in 2015,
I dutifully agreed to be one of the
chaperones taking nine students to
Viet Nam and Cambodia because of
my knowledge and relationships with
those countries. I connected with
those nine young people in a way I
didn’t think was possible for a crusty
old, fact-oriented guy. This truly
touched my heart and was additional
insight into why teachers choose this
profession.”
For someone with a plaque on their
wall naming him “Chief Curmudgeon,” Klein has certainly made an
impact on our students. At the
Lower School, students greet him
with huge smiles and hugs, while
at the Upper School, young people
ask his advice and bring gifts of
Diet Coke (his favorite). Needless to
say, he has ruined his reputation as
a curmudgeon. Instead, he will be
long remembered as someone who
sincerely cares about our students,
our faculty and staff, our school and
the kingdom of God.
In May, the Upper School honored
Mr. and Mrs. Klein for their service.
They were presented with a “Klein
#1” WCA Athletics jersey, a bright
yellow “Smiley” T-shirt signed by
the 2016 seniors, life-time passes to
WCA athletic events, and a framed
“W” art piece signed by students,
faculty and staff. Also, our own Multimedia Production class compiled a
very touching “Thank you Mr. Klein”
video tribute.
The Lower School also held a special
program. Each elementary student
had written a personal thank-you
note and placed it in a treasure box
for him to keep. A student from each
grade read their letter, the entire
school sang and a young student
prayed over Mr. Klein. “When the
Lower School students sang to me,
it brought me to tears – the first
time in decades. This was the most
thoughtful, sincere ‘thank you’ that I
had ever received,” Klein said. “Thank
you for making me feel so special. I’ll
still be around – as the School Board
President and, in the spring, I will be
on campus daily teaching a Geopolitics class.”
We offer our sincere thanks to Mr.
Ron Klein for stepping up and being
a remarkable leader when our school
needed him. We also thank Mrs. Sandra Klein for her gracious support…
we realize it was a sacrifice for both
of you. In so many ways, “Thank you,
for giving to the Lord.”
While Mr. Klein has made a positive
impact on our school, the WCA family has also bestowed some special
memories to him. Perhaps through
his WCA journey, we have ended his
curmudgeon reputation.
WINDOWS | SUMMER 2016
3
5
THINGS
to
Know
About
JOHN KNIGHT
PHYSICAL EDUCATION COACH & WILDCAT ALLIANCE FOR YOUTH SPORTS (WAYS) COORDINATOR
1. How did you become involved in Christian education?
I grew up in Detroit, Michigan, where I attended Temple
Christian School which was very similar to WCA - so I
have been exposed to Christian education since I was
young. This built an important foundation and helped me
grow in my relationship with the Lord. I wanted to give
back and teach others, just as I was taught and encouraged along the way.
2. From Michigan to Athens, AL. How did that happen?
My parents were originally from Franklin County (near
Red Bay and Russellville) and we moved back to Alabama after I graduated from high school. I had played
basketball in high school, so I ended up playing through
college at Northwest Community College and at Athens
State University.
I started my career in Athens and met my wife when I
worked with her brother-in-law. Kristy and I have been
married for 22 years now. We attend church in Lawrence
County at Family Baptist in Trinity where Kristy is the
Children’s Minister. She has served for 17 years in this
ministry at several churches.
We love God and we love people, so we want to continue to
help others as much as we can.
3. What led you to WCA?
I was coaching at Decatur Heritage when I met Coach Spybey.
We were working on scheduling
basketball games between the
two schools, and he mentioned
there was a coaching position
available. I threw my name in
the hat, interviewed, and was
hired. I’ve been on staff for six
years, and God’s hand led me
to teaching Lower School PE.
I always knew the direction I
wanted to pursue was to work
with younger age kids. There
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was a need for a male teacher
at Lower School, and I knew
this was the path I wanted to
follow. I feel very blessed to
teach here and I enjoy working
with all the students, faculty
and staff.
4. Tell me about your role at
WCA as WAYS Coordinator.
Westminster Alliance for Youth Sports (WAYS) grew out
of our Upper School athletics program. We want to lay the
foundation for our Lower School students, to engage their
interest and become familiar with our sports program.
The goal is to provide an age-appropriate team experience in a Christian environment for kindergarten through
sixth grade. WAYS will help young students gain athletic
skills, build character, understand sportsmanship, display
teamwork, and accomplish goals.
I will be organizing teams and looking for Christian
coaches to work with them. Teams will be organized
according to the interest level. So far, interest has been
expressed in football, baseball, basketball, volleyball, soccer, pep squad and baton.
We will also assist young athletes as they build a solid
foundation and transition them into our Upper School
athletic program. Contact me at john.knight@wca-hsv.org
if you have any questions about WAYS or if you are interested in registering your child to participate on a team.
5. What would you say is the key to success in today’s
world?
I would first want students to understand the true meaning of success as God intended. It is important to have
the right relationship with God, and through their walk
with Him, they will realize that God has a specific plan
for them. If they follow that plan, they will experience
real success. The Biblical view of success is very different from the world’s view. It is one thing to hear this, but
another to listen and apply it to your life.
Creativity,
quick thinking,
long-range planning,
science, performance,
research and storytelling
come together in Destination
Imagination. Westminster DI teams
often advance from regional to state
competition. Almost every year at least
one team advances to a global event where
they compete against teams from around the world.
DESTINATION IMAGINATION
1. DI was started at WCA by Karen Boyd 20 years ago.
When Karen Boyd arrived at WCA in 1997, she introduced
Westminster to “creative problem solving competitions”
by forming an “Odyssey of the Mind” team. She brought 11
years of experience from Arkansas, where she had gotten
involved with her daughter, Rebecca. “In 1999, we had our
first Destination Imagination team because most schools
in Alabama participate in DI, not Odyssey of the Mind.”
That first elementary team included current teacher/coach
Ben Cooper, who said, “DI was a way to express all kinds
of creativity and think outside the box. And like any sports
team or organization, it’s fun to work towards a common
goal. It’s a great thing for students to participate in!”
Many teachers had their children “do DI” because they
saw the value of the research, teamwork and on-your-feet
thinking that students learned. Some teachers also became Team Managers, such as Cynthia Newman, who has
worked with 10+ teams and now serves as Upper School
DI Coordinator. “Students’ hidden talents emerge as they
acquire new strengths and learn things about themselves
they might not otherwise. My daughters participated from
fourth grade through high school…gaining skills, friends
and memories along the way. ”
Teams form in the fall and practice during winter. March
is Regional competition and top teams advance to State.
Winners at this event proceed to Globals…a massive
celebration and competition held every May at the
University of Tennessee in Knoxville. In 2002, when a WCA
team advanced to Globals for the first time, the team
managers were Mrs. Boyd and her daughter Rebecca Boyd
Emmons...the daughter who first got their family involved in
all the fun. “Then, in 2011, I was triply blessed when Rebecca
and I were Team Managers for my granddaughter, Madison!
We went to Global Finals together and shared a bond from
the successes and triumphs when all went well…and the
disappointments when it didn’t.”
2. Students learn to think creatively…and quickly!
At competitions, each team tackles an “Instant Challenge”
which presents them with a surprise problem to solve…
and mere minutes to do it! It might be building a tower of
marshmallows and plastic spoons or writing and performing a skit about intergalactic travel. They are “judged” not
only on how high the tower reaches or if the skit stayed
on topic…but on time management, ingenuity and teamwork. One DI-er came home from church youth group and
told her parents how the group had struggled to make a
simple decision. “Those people need DI!” she stated.
3. DI is fun for the students…and the adults.
If it’s a Saturday and you’re laughing and eating pizza
while building a 10-foot-tall structure to launch a tennis
ball 20 feet in the air and no one over the age of 12 can
help you…you’re probably on a DI middle school team. If
you find yourself with new and old friends…watching seven fourth-graders create a hilarious skit using two pizza
boxes which have never had pizza in them, 16 straws and
four bike helmets…you might be a DI evaluator. A DI grad
now working in scientific research said, “It was fun and I
realized my parents weren’t the only weird ones.”
4. Unlike a classroom…students talk while adults stay quiet!
Leading up to competitions, students research fun and
interesting topics…then use that knowledge to write skits,
build various contraptions and create costumes and props.
While adults are available to answer questions, they do not
offer suggestions or tell the students what to do. Karen
Boyd observed, “DI incorporated STEM activities with other
skills long before that acronym appeared. It allows students
of all ages to use creative skills in a technical configuration…
and technical skills in creative ways!”
continued on page 23
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5
Graduation
WESTMINSTER CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
2016
•
•
•
•
•
Seventy Percent of the class received a scholarship
$4,552, 007 in scholarships offered
$1,760,977 in scholarships accepted
Attending schools in eight different states
Thirty-Three Honor Graduates
• Kavi Nallamala – National Merit Scholarship Winner,
1 of 33 in Alabama. (See article on page 10)
• Emily Deng – Early Acceptance into UAB
Optometry School
• Ten Athletic Scholarships
2016 Senior Class Verse – 1 Peter 3:8-9
Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and
humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with
blessing because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
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7
KAVI NALLAMALA CHOSEN AS
National Merit Scholar
Kavi Nallamala has been chosen as a
National Merit Scholar, one of only 33 in
Alabama this year. Kavi will pursue her
education at Texas Christian University
(TCU) in Fort Worth, Texas. “I am looking forward to my future, and I am so
grateful my perseverance paid off,” said
Kavi. “Being a Merit Scholar opened
many doors for me. TCU was not on
my radar. I had applied to fifteen other
schools when TCU called and wanted
me to interview with them. It was such a
prestigious program that I flew to Texas
to interview and give a presentation
about myself.”
“I was praying hard and leaving it up
to God,” said Kavi. Her interview was a
success. Kavi was accepted and received a TCU Trustee Full Scholarship.
TCU’s mission is to create individuals
to think and act as ethical leaders and
responsible citizens in the global community and their vision is to be a worldclass, values-centered university.
One of only 33 Merit Scholar
Winners in Alabama in 2016
“Kavi believes in challenging herself
and moves from academics to athletics to service with ease and without the
stress or chaos that are usually a part
of the picture. She is always willing and
ready to do any task assigned. She is
a unique young lady,” said Mrs. Alma
Huston, WCA Director of Counseling
and Student Services. “Her whole being
wants to learn and she stays the course
even if it is difficult. This is her approach
to everything; do the best you possibly
can and try to dedicate yourself to the
task at hand. She has done this with her
advanced and rigorous course load and
with her service to others.”
Becoming a Merit Scholar does not happen overnight. To qualify as a National
Merit Semifinalist, one must score above
your individual state’s cutoff score on
the PSAT in your junior year of high
school. The Semifinalist then writes an
essay as well as provides a recommendation from their High School Counselor. An intense essay is required that
must evoke emotions while providing
data to support your argument. The
student must also submit an SAT score
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WINDOWS | SUMMER 2016
that validates their PSAT score, as well
as continue to demonstrate strong academic performance in high school.
“Thank you for the investment in my
life – the knowledge, advice, guidance,
prayers,” Kavi said to Mrs. Huston and
to all her WCA instructors. “I also want
to thank my parents who helped me
get here. I can’t express enough gratitude for all that they have done for me,”
declared Kavi.
Kavi has earned other awards as well:
• Army Scholar Athlete
• Comcast Leaders and Achievers
Scholarship
• Full Scholarship offers from 13 of the
15 colleges where she applied.
In addition to being Student Council
President, Kavi was on the WCA Swim
Team for three years, played WCA volleyball for two years and was captain
of her Lacrosse team. Congratulations
to Kavi Nallamala, 2016 WCA National
Merit Scholar!
Valedictoian
2016
DAVID FURTWENGLER
David Furtwengler’s parents told him to “work hard and
do your best…no matter what grade you earn.” They
knew this would help him succeed academically and
also keep his life in balance. That approach obviously
worked: David graduated as 2016 valedictorian, a varsity
athlete, band section leader, a member of WCA’s Cyber
Patriot team and active in his church.
“Many teachers challenged and inspired me during
my 13 years at Westminster. In elementary school, I
especially liked 4th grade with Mrs. Bolger and band
with Mr. Kooi. Then in high school, my writing abilities
expanded when Mrs. Cypher drilled in us structure and
basic skills. With that foundation, later classes with
Mrs. Sutton allowed the freedom to be more stylistic.
The amount of books we read made it interesting and
gave us a lot of background knowledge about history
and humanity.” Outside the classroom, David enjoyed
reading Catch 22 because “It was intriguing, messed
with my head and made me think” and Unbroken
because “Louis Zamperini’s inspiring endurance is
something that I strive for.”
His math and science skills grew as part of the WCA
Math Team and the Cyber Patriot team. “Cyber Patriot
demonstrated how math could be used in a practical,
important way.” The team did very well, placing in the
top 30% in a nationwide competition against 3,000
other teams. “My understanding of math had expanded
under Mrs. Kromann – she helped me understand how
it all made sense and all worked together.” David now
plans to study computer engineering. “I want to work
towards a profession that I will enjoy…perhaps being an
‘ethical hacker’ for the U.S. government or a company.”
A trumpet player and section leader in the WCA Band,
David has had many music mentors. “Mrs. Ashcom, Mr.
King and Mr. Price all taught us different aspects of music
and performance. Having different band directors actually
made me a better player and leader, as a new teacher
would need older students to step up. I had good role
models in trumpet players Andrew Murphy (2011) and
Andrew Dunn (2013), and then it was my turn.”
trip to Nassau. “We helped at a juvenile detention
center…ministering to the kids, playing basketball with
them and painting the lunchroom. I was glad to serve
and to help.”
For this year’s Senior Bible Class, Stephen Hooks invited
various community leaders and business people to talk
to the class and share about their profession, education
and life after high school. “I was really challenged
listening to Reid Jones, the RUF (Reformed University
Fellowship) campus minister for UAH. He spoke about
organizing your life based on Luke 10:27, which says
‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul,
mind and strength.’ Loving God with your mind means
learning and studying; and loving God with your soul
is knowing the Bible, spending time with others and
serving others, etc. That made me especially thankful
for Mr. Hammond, who made Bible class so interesting.
He helped us understand that each part of Scripture
makes sense with the rest of the Bible.”
Congratulations to David Furtwengler, Valedictorian for
the Class of 2016!
When he lands at Auburn University this fall, he plans
to stay involved with music and also running. He joined
Cross Country in 2013 and was part of Westminster’s
first-ever State Champion team in any sport. (Coached
by Marty Clarke and 1999 WCA Grad Justin Huston) “I
liked CC for the team atmosphere and companionship…
and the fact that running is something that anyone can
work at and improve. It was a great experience. The
only thing I didn’t like was getting up early to run…”
In addition to school activities, he is involved with his
family at Madison Bible Church and went on a mission
WINDOWS | SUMMER 2016
9
Fine Arts
Nick Brazelton has
been named WCA
Drum Major for
2016-2017. Color
guard captain is
Katie Duke. Cocaptains are Anna
Cummings and
Jessa Wylie.
The Creative Writing Club is a student-led group that meets weekly during high school lunch to write and share ideas in a casual,
friendly atmosphere. They prepare for contests, critique each other’s pieces, are given a writing prompt and time to work on current
projects…from a novel to a college essay to fanfiction to…anything! Senior Sarah Manders recently composed a poem, which begins:
I sat on the beach and I wrote in the sand
And I think I wrote in not my own hand
Whose hand it was, I believe I know
He has guided my life soft and slow…
Senior Abi Jernigan
won $50 by placing
3rd place in the
Huntsville Literary
Association Art
Competition.
Abi also painted
the 2015-2016
yearbook cover.
Michaela Bolyard, a sophomore, received
“Honorable Mention” in the Huntsville
Literary Association Art Competition.
Several Middle School Band students participated in the UNA Honor Band. Connor
Rigby and Matthew Thompson both
placed first chair on their instruments in
the 2nd band. Amanda Miskovish, Noah
Keeter, and Justice Bright all placed in
the top band, with Justice placing first.
March was Youth Art Month at the
Huntsville Museum of Art. Two of our
students’ works were selected to be
displayed. Senior Elizabeth LaPaugh
submitted a picture of a flying owl in
colored pencil and Emma Hammond, a
7th grader, submitted a colored pencil
picture of a blue bird about to land.
Congratulations to all the WCA band
students who competed at Solo &
Ensemble. These students received
an unprecedented 100% Superior
ratings from 32 events! Fifth graders
participating were Emily Acosta, Sarah
Kim, Samuel Scruggs, Jasmine Shimer,
Hannah Benton, Jennifer Hamilton, and
Gabriela Shipma. Representing the 6th
grade were Josh Bluman, Justice Bright,
David Byrd, Charles Glasgow, David
Lee, Amanda Miskovish, Emma Norris,
and Nick Rawlings. Matthew Graham,
Lauren Harris, Connor Rigby, Christina
Scruggs, Matthew Thompson, and Emma
Wingfield represented the 7th and
8th grades. High School students who
participated were Emily Deng, Megan
Harris, Lauren Rigby, Taylor Thompson,
Lily Manders, and Gracie Martin.
Several art students created whimsical
decorations for the flower beds at the
Upper Campus.
Students of all writing abilities are invited to explore their talents and enjoy fellowship and encouragement with others who share a
love of words.
The Fine Arts Department
held their Annual Fine
Arts Chapel. This was
an awesome time when
Westminster’s musicians
and artists were able to
share about the talents
God has given each of
them. The Band played
Fanfare Prelude on
“Lobe Den Herren” and
“Bugler’s Holiday”, which
was conducted by Senior
DeLee Benton.
“Bugler’s Holiday” also
featured a trumpet trio
of Brett Clark, David
Furtwengler, and Mr.
Price. The Band and
Choir also performed
“Amazing Grace” together
with Senior Emily Deng
conducting. The Band
finished with “Deerpath
Dances”. The Choir sang
“Joyful, Joyful”, “I Will Lift
My Eyes”, and “Manifesto”.
WCA’s Wind Ensemble competed in the Music in the Parks Festival and rated Superior and placed first in their class.
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Four artists shared their
work with the audience.
Abi Jernigan, Brooke
Clarke, Elizabeth LaPaugh,
and Bre Richeson each
shared about their love of
art and shared a specific
painting that they had
worked on throughout the
course of the school year.
WINDOWS | SUMMER 2016
11
WCA BASKETBALL TEAM
WINS STATE 4A
Championship!
Under Coach Ronnie Stapler, the 2015-2016 Boys Varsity Basketball Team claimed the school’s firstever Basketball Championship, beating Cordova 53-32. Through the years, WCA has advanced from
1A to 2A to 3A and, in 2014, to 4A competition. While both the boys and girls basketball teams have
played in the Finals before, this is Westminster’s first state title. Trey Petty was 4A Tournament MVP;
also named to the 4A Tournament Team were John Kendall and Tysean Whitehead.
Kneeling: Westin Ford, Brandon Norman, Ehson Brown, Larkin Ison, Jackson Kendall, M.J. Gurley, Grant Mullins. Standing: Coach Kendrick
Epps, Josh Childers, Austin Leslie, Coach Pat Lewallen, Jarrett Murphy, Trainer David Sellers, John Kendall, Tysean Whitehead, Jared Smith,
John Parker, Trey Petty, Scorekeeper Wayne Parker, Head Coach Ronnie Stapler, Coach Ben Cooper, Coach Jeff Overstreet.
WCA Dads Harold Smith and Curtis Murphy
were pretty excited when their sons won a state
championship. Their older sons, Harold (‘11) and CJ
(‘11) also played WCA basketball. So did John Parker’s
brother, Jacob (‘14), Jackson and John Kendall’s sister,
Julianna (‘15), and Larkin Ison’s two sisters, Kyla Powell
(‘13) and Sidney Ison (‘16).
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13
Athletics
Natalie Fogle
was named to the
Alabama North Team
for Women’s soccer.
She will compete
against the South
team in Montgomery
in July. The teams are
composed of the top
11th grade players in
the state.
Both the Girls and
Boys Varsity Soccer
Teams advanced to
the playoffs. The Girls
are coached by Eric
Batt, Jeff Skinner and
Courtney Batt; the
Boys are coached by
Andrew Ingram and
Andrew Nichols (‘14).
The following members of the WCA Girls Soccer Team received
AHSAA “ALL-STATE” recognition (Class 4A-5A): Natalie Fogle, 1st
Team; McKenzie Nowin, 2nd Team; Lizzie Hightower, Honorable
Mention; Lilly Stevens, Honorable Mention.
8th Grader Noah Griswell, captain of the
Middle School Boys’ Soccer team, was
selected to the 2016 Middle School All
County Soccer Team. Noah led the WCA
team with most goals scored, most assists,
and most minutes played.
Ian McCoy not only pitched (9-1 with 3
saves), he was the 2016 Alabama Sports
Writers Association First Team 4A AllState second baseman of the year.
For the first time in school history, both our Varsity Boys and
Varsity Girls Basketball Teams won the Area Championship in the
same year!
These seniors signed with colleges to play
sports. Lizzy Hightower has signed to play
soccer at Covenant College; Sidney Ison
will join the basketball team at Huntington
College; Jackson Kendall has signed to
play basketball for the Scots at Covenant
College; John Kendall will play basketball
for Birmingham-Southern; UAH gained a
baseball player in Ian McCoy, Trey Petty
will continue his basketball career at West
Alabama and Jarrett Murphy (not pictured)
will play basketball for Iowa Central.
Trey Petty had an amazing Senior
Basketball Season. Not only was he a
member of the team that brought home
the 4A State Basketball Championship,
but he also was named AHSAA 4A Player
of the Year. Trey was named the MVP
of the State Finals Tournament and was
awarded MVP of the Alabama/Mississippi
All-Star Game.
Jake Lackey, an
11th grader, had an
individual 5th place
finish at the State
Golf Finals.
The track team was just reinstated last year under the leadership of Corderyl Sunday,
and they have sent participants to the state finals for both years.
Annie Willis struck
out 583 batters this
season, and was
named to both the
the al.com Super AllState Softball Team
and the Alabama
Sports Writers
Association 4A AllState First Team.
The Varsity Girls Basketball Team won the Class 4A, Area 15 Championship with a thrilling 52-48 victory over Priceville. The girls then
beat Good Hope in sub-region before losing in overtime to Saks in the Northeast Regional semi-finals. Sidney Ison, Kate Porter, and
Marisa Snodgrass were named to the All-Area and the Area All-Tournament Team. Annie Willis was named to the Northeast Regional
All-Tournament Team and Marisa Snodgrass was given honorable mention on the All-Huntsville Area Team. The girls finished the
season with a record of 15-8 and were coached by Doug Madison and WCA graduate, Kyla Powell (‘13).
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WINDOWS | SUMMER 2016
Ryan Ford, Senior,
finished his high
school running
career with a state
championship in the
3200m. He had a
time of 9:25 and set a
new 4A state record.
This year he set 4A
records in cross
country, the 1600m,
and the 3200m.
Westminster’s Softball team was Area Champions and advanced to the Regional Finals.
Softball Coach Mandy Lowman (‘08) celebrated her 100th coaching victory in
April.
WINDOWS | SUMMER 2016
15
Lower School
HIGHLIGHTS
Second graders observed their own
caterpillars as they changed into the
chrysalis and then into the adult butterfly.
They released their butterflies at the end
of the study, then they visited the butterfly
house at the Huntsville Botanical Gardens.
The 4th and 5th grades participated in the
Math Contest through The Math League.
Our students did a great job and should be
commended. Our top scores in 4th Grade
go to Jadyn Lindberg and Josh Goode.
Our top scores in 5th Grade go to Aiden
Zecher and Jackson Hammond.
Grandparent’s Day was held in February.
Lower School students invited their
grandparents and grand friends to come
and visit their classrooms and meet their
teachers. The students also performed
musical selections, and art work was
on display all through the halls for the
grandparents and grand friends to enjoy.
The 5th Graders attended
Space Camp in May.
They had a fun week!
The highlight was the
mission that each team
was assigned. All three
of the teams successfully
completed their mission
and Space Bowl! The week
ended with graduation.
Samuel Scruggs won “The
Right Stuff” award for
camper of the week.
The High School Environmental Science Class and the Kindergartners participated in
a joint project this spring. The Upper School students planted flowers from seeds and
made small composters in class. Then the students took the flowers and helped the
Kindergartners plant the flowers in the Anna Lee Dunn Garden. The older students also
showed the younger students the composters they had made and put the compost in the
garden soil. They helped each kindergartner make their own composter.
As part of an economics unit and as a service project, the fourth grade classes sell
handcrafted tissue paper flowers for Mother’s Day. Students fill out job applications, have a
job interview, are hired for two shifts, set up an assembly line, and learn economics concepts.
Students do production in Mrs. Boyd’s (CEO of Flower Power, Inc.) room and have training in
economic terms and concepts in Mrs. Wilson’s (Human Resources Specialist) room through
a series of short videos and games. They also research a charity and write persuasive essays,
then all students vote for their favorite charity. Bankers and managers sell during the week
of Mother’s Day. They sort and count money and let the class help add the day’s money.
At the end of the unit, they pay their debts and receive their checks from the Bank of Mrs.
Boyd. They endorse their checks and are paid their wages, ten cents a day for assembly line
workers and twenty cents a day for managers and bankers. Proceeds were used to support
BUDS and Compassion International. This year’s profit was $804!
The Kindergarten Classes took their
moms to Emma’s Tea Room to celebrate
Mother’s Day.
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WINDOWS | SUMMER 2016
The 5th Graders competed
in a Shark Tank Entrepreneur
Competition for a project they
worked on in computer class.
The projects were judged
by Ron Klein, Debra Killen,
and Kristi Kelly. The winning
team, which consisted of Ava
Richeson, Leela Hudnall,
Jennifer Hamilton, and Damien
Valdarez, was able to tour three
companies and learn how they
use technology. They toured
PRM Structural Engineers and
learned how they use computers
to simulate wind and seismic
loading on structures; they toured Baron Services where they learned about radar and saw
the Cray supercomputers used to run Doppler systems; and they learned how Chick-fil-A
uses computers and social media to connect with customers.
The first grade classes
hatched chickens this spring.
Coach Knight held Lower School’s Annual Field Day in May. It was a beautiful day for fun
and games. The students had a great time “competing” against each other in a series of
fun relay races, including hurdles, the “angel” race, and bursting a water balloon by sitting
on it. The afternoon was filled with inflatables and team games.
All of the Lower School Students celebrated “I Love to Read” Week with guest readers, guest authors, and different emphasis on each
day, including sock day, hat day, and character day.
WINDOWS | SUMMER 2016
17
Upper School
Seniors Brooke Clarke and Emily Deng
each received a $1,000 Metro Kiwanis Club
Scholarship.
HIGHLIGHTS
Middle School Awards Day was held the week before school
dismissed for the summer. The Discipleship Award is an award
unique to WCA and is voted on by the students, rather than
faculty. The Discipleship Award is given to the students who are
trying to live a Christ-like life in the everyday things of life. This
year’s Discipleship winners for the 6th grade were Emma Norris
and Dalton Fancher; for 7th grade, Emiko Benton and David
Johnson; and for 8th grade, Cade Rawlings and Lauren McAdams.
The Discipleship Award Winners for the 9th grade were Jansyn
Gordon and Matthew Dull. Madilyn Locke and Jackson Keel
were chosen by their peers in the 10th grade. Emma Lynn and
Christopher Johnson were the Junior winners, while Katie Hayes
and Conner Poslajko were the senior recipients.
At the State Spanish Club Competition, Westminster students
competed with 819 students and won big! Sarah Madison
placed first in Sight Reading Level 1; Lilly Stevens received 1st
place Poster and 2nd place Sight Reading Level 2; Zoe Lakin
placed 2nd in Painting; Audra Gaj received 3rd place in Sight
Reading Level 3; Emily Sellers placed 4th in Vocabulary; Jansyn
Gordon won 4th place Poster; Jewel Krings received 6th place
Vocabulary; and the Club T-shirt 2nd place was presented and
modeled by Erykah Jenkins and Samantha Thorne.
The ladies of
the Senior Class
recently had
an opportunity
to learn selfdefense. The
special session,
which was free,
was taught
by a detective
from the
Madison Police
Department.
Matthew Johnson
received Grand
Recognition for Duke
TIP by scoring better
than 90% of recent
high school graduates
across the country on
at least one part of the
ACT or the SAT. Seven
students received
State Recognition for Duke TIP by scoring
approximately at or above the national
average of recent high school graduates
on at least one part of the ACT or SAT.
These students are Holly Hiller, Mackenzie
Hendrix, Ellie Hundley, Matthew Johnson,
Emiko Benton, Noah Murphree, Isabel
Zecher and MaiLin Weekley.
WCA’s Math Team
competed at the UAH
Math Tournament
recently. The
Geometry Team
won our district.
The Comprehensive
team was also asked
to come back for
the second round
of ciphering, which was held in April.
Senior Sarah Williams placed in the top
25% across the state in Comprehensive,
which is all high school math combined –
Geometry to Calculus.
Daniel Killen was
named the Craig
Aiken Award Winner
this year. The Craig
Aiken Award is
given in recognition
of a student with a
servant’s heart who is
dedicated to placing
others ahead of self.
Conner Poslajko,
Senior, has
received the
Daughters Of
The American
Revolution Good
Citizen Award.
Thirty-one upper school students were inducted into the John Knox Chapter of the National Honor Society in March. Students
must have the appropriate GPA in order to submit an application to join NHS. Students who are invited to join have met a series of
teacher recommendations and their qualifications, which are based on leadership, character, service, and grades.
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WINDOWS | SUMMER 2016
Trey Petty received
the Scott Lawrence
Award. This Award
is given in memory
of Scott Alan
Lawrence and the
recipient is chosen
based on qualities
that best exemplify
the Christian spirit.
WCA had four Destination Imagination Teams representing Alabama and the
USA at the DI Globals Tournament held in May in Knoxville, TN. Our “Marshmallow
Maniacs” buddied up with a team from China. Emiko Benton, Eleanor Lynn, Anabelle
Lowrance, and Emma Wingfield make up the Marshmallow Maniacs. Our other middle
school team, the “Patriotic Nuclear Gummy Dolphins” hosted a team from Turkey.
This team is comprised of Justice Bright, Zach Rawlings, Lincoln Szenasi, David Lee,
Finn Smith, and David Byrd. The job of the host team was to make the international
teams feel welcome. We also had an elementary team, the “Scientific Girl Squirrels”,
that advanced. Jasmine Feld, Hannah Benton, Jasmine Shimer, Ivy Feld, Ella
Willhaucks, Sydney Hayes, and Edee Hiller are the Scientific Girl Squirrels. The high
school team, the “Slithering Cats”, made up of Rachel Pearsall, Lily Manders, Isabelle
Towry, Brooke Holloway, Gracie Martin, Leah Hunt, and Katie Dillard, rounded out
our teams at Globals. All four of the WCA DI teams did a fantastic job at Globals
representing our school and state. The overall results were a combination of their total
long term challenge and instant challenge scores. The “Patriotic Nuclear Polar Gummy
Dolphins” ranked 35th out of 58 teams. This was a great first time showing at a world
competition. The “Slithering Cats” tied for 33rd with a team from China out of 47
teams. Our elementary team of the “Super Scientific Girl Squirrels” scored a 35 tie out
of 57 teams. The middle school girls, “Marshmallow Maniacs” made a remarkable 15th
place finish out of 44 teams – an excellent showing on a world stage.
In April Mr. Sherwin
Callander came to speak to
the 6th, 8th and 9th grade
history classes. He is a 95
year old WWII veteran. Mr
Callander lives in Madison,
and he survived Pearl
Harbor and the invasions
of North Africa, Italy and
Normandy. He was in
the Navy from 1939 until 1945. He was on a ship on its way back to Pearl Harbor from
Midway Island during the Pearl Harbor attack and arrived 20 hours after it was over. He
was a part of the recovery of bodies from the harbor. He was then an engineer on the
troop transfer boats that took the soldiers ashore during the invasions. He was present
for all waves of all three invasions. His story is fascinating and he credits “The good Lord
for bringing him through without a scratch.” Mr. Callander returned to Normandy in 2014
for the 70 year commemoration of D-Day.
Eighth Graders traveled
to Coosa River in May for
their Outdoor Education
Field Trip. They were
able to experience a
wide variety of activities
including canoeing, archery,
wilderness survival skills,
raptor studies, snakes
and reptile studies, and a
campfire and s’mores.
WINDOWS | SUMMER 2016
19
ALUMNI FEATURE
Taking Athletic Success into Real Life
Daniel Kaufmann graduated in 1993
and was the 1A Alabama Basketball
Player of the Year. In the 23 years since
then, he graduated from UAH and the
University of Alabama School of Law
– eventually becoming a partner at the
law firm of Bradley, Arant, Boult and
Cummings LLP in Huntsville. Now married to his wife, Tatum, for 19 years and
the parents of 3 Westminster students,
he looks back on how his athletic career shaped his life today.
Daniel started Kindergarten at Westminster in 1980…and as the school
grew, so did the opportunities for
students. “The highlight of my WCA
basketball career was my senior year
(1992-1993). Our team made it to the
semifinals of the AHSAA 1A tournament in the first year the school was
accredited for state competition.” This
was a ground-breaking year for Wildcat basketball. The basketball team
played in a brand-new gym, won the
Area Championship and Daniel was
named the 1A Player of the Year.
Before his senior year, however, were
a lot of baskets, a lot of practice and a
lot of sweat. “There is no substitute for
hard work. I always trained hard with
the mental approach that another
player was training to be better than
me if I took a day off.
“Two of my coaches, Phil Bennett
and Doug Madison, really helped my
development as a player. They were always accessible and generously gave
of their time to open the gym. While
they certainly encouraged my athletic
achievement, they really focused on
my development as a young man.”
Many Westminster teachers also encouraged Daniel throughout his school
years. “There are too many to name…
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WINDOWS | SUMMER 2016
but I especially remember Jim Cox.
He was a selfless, humble worker…and
we enjoyed many late night games of
HORSE in the gym.”
Hard work on the court and in the
classroom opened doors for the
future. “It was always my goal to
earn a basketball scholarship and I
was honored to receive an offer from
UAH. Those opportunities ultimately
opened the door for admission to the
University of Alabama School of Law.”
“Sports also taught me the value of
teamwork. You can only truly be successful as a team if you maximize the
strengths of each individual. I apply
this life lesson in my legal practice. For
example, it is important to staff each
matter with people who have the right
skill sets.
“To current students – whether an
athlete or not – I would say, ‘Never
quit. Never give up. You don’t know
what might be ahead for you.’ I never
thought that I would be recognized as
the Class 1A Player of the Year.
“I encourage graduating studentathletes to take their work ethic with
them. Mine served me well in college
and law school, and now as an attorney and a father. Pursue your future
vocation with the same passion as
your athletic endeavors.”
Josi (left) and Dina Saunders (’12)
finished their UAH basketball careers…
together. Growing up in a “very competitive family” helped both girls set
their sights on college athletics. Having played all 4 years of their eligibility,
they will soon finish their degrees. Josi
will graduate with a degree in foreign
language and international trade. Dina
plans a career in nursing or health…
perhaps inspired by their dad, WCA
Trainer David Sellers.
“Dad is the one who pushes us to our
limits,” said Josi, “and tells us when
we can do better.” “Our mom was our
main coach growing up and during 3
years of high school. She taught us to
work hard and push through adversity,” said Dina. They also credit Coach
Kerry St. John as a mentor in life and
basketball. “He taught me how to be a
leader and a stronger Christian,” Dina
acknowledged. “My favorite WCA
basketball memory is that we both
reached 1,000 points during our senior year. I got there first - even though
I am the youngest!”
“Being a multi-sport athlete in high
school helped me be a college athlete;
I learned to balance all the things
you have to do. I didn’t realize how
different and demanding college
sports can be…on your body, your
mind…everything.”
One of the girls’ favorite quotes is:
“Hard work beats talent when talent
doesn’t work hard.” Their advice to
younger student-athletes is, “If you’re
not getting the playing time or results
or grades you want, keep working!”
Austin Kaigler
(’11) graduated
from Liberty University with a degree in Exercise
Science and after
four years on the
Liberty Flames
football team. He
joined the team
as a preferred walk on in Fall 2012 and
played in 25 games, had 34 carries for
216 yards, 3 TDs and his team won 3
conference championships.
Austin isn’t the only one in his family
to play college football… his brother,
Ryan Kaigler (’14) is a wide receiver at
the Univerisity of North Alabama.
While at Liberty, Austin served as a
spiritual leader to his team, and his
advice to younger students-athletes
is “Do everything with purpose, and
live your life intentionally.” He plans
to become a college strength and
conditioning coach.
Michael McFadden
(’12) recently
graduated from
the United States
Military Academy.
He is pursuing a
career in Army
aviation and wants
to fly Apache helicopters like his father, a 1986 Academy Graduate who
led a battalion in
Afghanistan in
2007. Following Michael is his younger
brother, Daniel McFadden (’14) who
is not only a West Point Cadet, but a
new member of the football team.
A four-year member of the football
team, Michael was recognized at this
year’s football awards banquet with
the Chase Prasnicki Award, given for
“loyalty, selfless service and teamwork.”
What advice would he give to high
school Christian student-athletes?
“Christian student-athletes should
view their sport as an opportunity to
witness to others through words and
actions. Athletes have the privilege of
being in a position of prominence in
their school and community. Use that
position to glorify God through the
way you play and how you give Him
the credit and the glory whether you
experience success or failure. Both can
witness to those around you. Play with
passion and intensity while abiding
by the rules. Praise God in victory or
defeat. Use your talents to give all the
glory back to the One who blessed
you with the ability to be an athlete.”
He joined both teams in 7th grade…
although Cross Country Coach
Marty Clarke liked to tell him, “Cross
Country is your sport; you just don’t
know it yet.” Coach Clarke, a highlyrespected runner, started coaching
at WCA in Fall 2007. Justin Huston,
(WCA ’99) who was teaching high
school history, literature and Bible,
joined him in Fall 2008.
By Fall 2012, Ryan was a freshman
and focused only on long-distance
running. “My dad was a big support,
running with me and compiling stat
sheets about opponents.”
The Fall 2013 season was an exciting
time for Cross Country, highlighted
by WCA’s first-ever team championship in any sport….at the same time
the school was celebrating its 50th
anniversary. It was especially meaningful for Justin Huston, who would
soon leave to serve in missions work
in South Sudan. “Coach Huston
taught me a lot of life lessons,” Ryan
remembers, “and kept me focused
on my goals.”
“When we won the team championship, I surprised myself and got runner up at the state meet. 2014 Senior
Cam Sullivan really motivated me
and I finished only 5 seconds behind
him. When he got college offers,
I realized I could too. After that, I
started putting in more miles outside of training. I ran 3 miles before
school and lots more in the summer.
I went to Nike running camp in Asheville where some of the best runners
in Southeast get coached. I met
runners from Grissom, Columbia and
other area schools; we still talk and
still compete against each other.”
About this time, Ryan was also hearing from colleges. “One of the first
schools to actively recruit me was
UTMartin (the University of Tennes-
During the 2013 – 2014 school year,
Ryan Ford was part of WCA’s 3A
State Championship Cross Country
team. Two years later, he would be
the individual 4A State Cross
Country Champion and also win
Ryan Ford and Trey Petty
the 1,600m and 3,200m events
at the 4A Track Championship…
setting a 4A state record in
each event.
Ryan started playing soccer
when he was four, and later
started running with his dad,
who had played soccer in college. In 6th grade, Ryan began
training with the Cross Country
team – a year before he was old
enough to compete. “My parents encouraged me and helped
me since I was little. They got
me into running and suggested I
do Cross Country in the fall and
Soccer and in the spring.”
see at Martin, located in NW Tennessee). I could tell that the coach was
really interested. On a visit there, my
parents and I could tell it was a really
good fit for me.”
In Spring 2015, WCA reinstated its
Track Team and Ryan ran in the longdistance races. He would see, again,
that he had a chance to be a State
Champion.
Ryan’s senior year brought the
rewards of discipline and hard work
and was exciting for his whole family.
At the Cross Country State Meet - a
mammoth event with 1,200+ runners - Ryan set a 4A state record, the
boys team was 4th and the girls team
placed 7th. His dad and mom, WCA
Kindergarten teacher Ashley Ford,
cheered him on. During track season,
his sister Anna competed at the same
meets, doing long jump. Ryan signed
to run with UTMartin and will study
mechanical engineering.
What encouragement would Ryan
give younger athletes? “Stay humble.
It is God that gave me the gifts to
run. Without Him, none of it would
be possible.”
Ryan also mentioned how grateful
he was for his coaches, “You get to
talk a lot when running, and I learned
a lot of life lessons, especially from
Marty Clarke.”
Trey Petty graduated in 2016 and was
the 4A Alabama Basketball Player
of the Year. He will soon play college
basketball for the University of West
Alabama. Trey only played at WCA for
two years…and when he was younger,
he was too shy to try out for a youth
football team. How did he become
an in-your-face defender and leading
scorer on a state championship team?
Trey transferred to WCA in 2013, and
according to AHSAA rules, had
to sit out one year of athletics.
“I was not eligible to play until
the next year, but I practiced
with the basketball team,” Trey
said. “It was Coach Stapler’s
first year and he had us working
very hard, especially on defense.
That’s when we first realized we
had a chance at a State Title.”
The next year, WCA moved up
from AHSAA 3A to 4A, which
meant playing larger schools.
“In Fall 2014, I was a Defensive
End on the football team. I had
played football when I was
younger, although at one point
I was too shy to try out for
the teams. Football made me
continued on page 22
WINDOWS | SUMMER 2016
21
Alumni
UPDATES
Brianna “Bree”
Boozer (‘09)
married Corey
Fannin on July
11, 2015. Bree
earned a BA in
Accounting at
Eastern Kentucky
University in
2013, works
for the Kentucky Valley Educational
Cooperative and is pursuing a
Master’s Degree in Health Information
Management. Corey is a medical student
at the Kentucky College of Osteopathic
Medicine.
Tyler Fikes (‘12)
married Kristine
Kirkland on
October 24, 2015.
Best Man was
Jordan Lake (‘13)
and Groomsmen
included David
Knight (‘12),
Tywan Cawthen
(‘12), Lawson Beasley (‘12), and William
Fikes (‘15). Kristine is a nursing student at
UAH and will graduate in December and
hopes to work as a neonatal nurse. Tyler
is an EMT and ambulance driver working
towards being a Paramedic.
Will Keene (‘13), a
junior at Samford
majoring in
Entrepreneurship,
received the
Brookwood Baptist/
Rivers Family
Scholarship in
recognition of
academic excellence and leadership
potential. Will has started two businesses
with Brock School of Business colleagues,
one of which, freewardboardco on
Instagram, makes 100% handcrafted
cruiser (skate) boards.
Mikaela Gold
(‘12) was one of
19 Mississippi
State students to
receive the “Spirit
of State” award.
Nominated by faculty, staff or students, the award
recognizes those
who “have made
a positive impact
on peers and the broader campus community through involvement, service and
promoting school spirit and tradition.”
Impotant Dates
SUMMER & FALL 2016
Graham Conner (’13) coached the 2016
WCA junior high baseball team while also
serving as a Youth Minister at Huntsville’s
First United Methodist Church. After two
years playing baseball at Martin Methodist
College, Graham transferred to UAH where
he will complete his business degree.
Carmen (Vaughn)
Bragg (‘05) and
husband, Sean, are
the happy parents
of little Gray
Michael Bragg, born
on March 20, 2016.
Calling all 2015-2016 graduates!
Congratulations to WCA Alums who
have finished college, trade school,
grad school, seminary, medical school,
etc.! Now that you’ve gotten your new
degree, share your story with us. Let
your Westminster family know what
remarkable things you’ve accomplished,
and what is next. Email beth.sullivan@
wca-hsv.org
To update your contact information, email
michelle.benton@wca-hsv.org.
If you have an alumni update for us, email
beth.sullivan@wca-hsv.org.
Alumni Feature continued from page 21
tougher; taking all those hits got me
ready for a higher level of basketball.
“During my junior year of basketball,
we were ‘all in’ and we improved after
the first few games. It was exciting to
keep playing in the postseason and
get to the championship game.” That
2014-2015 team made it to the State
Finals…and lost a heartbreaker.
“All during this year, my senior year, we
had only one thing on our minds. Our
attitude was different. Jarrett Murphy,
another senior, really challenged us…
his defense and toughness made us all
want to play stronger defense.”
Those defensive skills paid off, with
the Wildcats losing only 3 games all
season and winning their semifinal
game 49-29. Excitement and tension
were high at Legacy Arena on Friday,
March 4th, when the 2016 4A State
Championship game began. The two
teams stayed close during the first
quarter, then WCA started to pull
away. As the gap got wider, so did
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the smiles - until the buzzer sounded
and, 23 years after joining the AHSAA,
WCA won its first basketball championship. The score was 53-34, and Trey
led the team with 15 points and was
named 4A Tournament MVP.
“Our team came a long way. We’re
just so thankful to have this coach.
We worked hard every day, even the
practices we didn’t want to come
to, and just tried to get better each
and every day,” Trey said after the
championship game.
Trey credits Coach Stapler with
teaching him the fundamentals of
basketball, how to be a man, how to
keep God first and to be successful.
“Coach Stapler was like a father to
me,” Trey stated. “Coach Kendrick
Epps and Coach Ben Cooper helped
me play better and get better as a
person.”
“At school, Mrs. Emily Donaldson and
Mrs. Erica Hammond and their families
helped and encouraged me, with my
sports and my schoolwork. Mrs. Debra
Killen looked out for me on snacks
and cheered for me at the games,
and her son, Daniel, gave me a ride to
school. Mr. St. John talked with me after games, and if I was down or upset
about something, he would say, ‘God’s
got you, Trey.’ Mr. St. John never really
gave up on me. He has a good heart.”
“My family supported me, kept me
focused and made me stay on track.
My mom would tell me to ‘give
my all’ and give me motivational
speeches. My goal after basketball is
to go into Education. I want to teach
and to coach.”
What advice does Trey have for
younger students? “Pray every night.
Always remember to keep God first.
No matter how much you do wrong,
He will always be by your side when
no one else is there.”
July 4–8
School Offices Closed
Tues, July 26
6th Grade Open House & Ice Cream
Social (Hosted by NHS)
July 20-Aug 1
Class Socials for Lower School
Watch your email for Date & Time
Mon, Aug 1
Upper School Open House
Tues, Aug 2
Lower School Open House
9:00-10:00 a.m. New Student Walk Through
6:00 p.m. K4 - 3rd start their Open House
6:30 p.m. 4th - 5th start their Open House
Wed, Aug 3
First Day for Students – ½ day
Fri, Aug 5
Back to School Bash 5-7:30 p.m.
Aug 12–13
Senior Retreat
Fri, Aug 19
First Football Game @ New Hope
Fri, Aug 26
First HOME Football Game
Fri, Sept 23
Homecoming
Oct 3–7
Fall Break
Destination Imagination continued from page 5
5. Teammates acquire cooperation, discipline and
sportsmanship
A current DI parent observed, “My children built friendships and learned teamwork, long-range planning, and
how to win and lose graciously. If their team advanced
to the next Tournament, the higher level of competition
challenged them to improve.” These skills – just like those
learned in a classroom or on an athletic field – stay with
students. A DI-er now on staff at a large church said, “DI
helped me make friends and taught us how to work together as a group to solve a problem.”
Former WCA DI-ers are pursuing a variety of degrees or
working as fire fighters, teachers, in full-time ministry, medical careers, law school…with great memories and the knowledge that research, confidence, teamwork and creativity
make life easier and a LOT more fun!
The Rachel Shankle Memoial Award
Each year, at the North Alabama Regional Competition, a
special award is given to honor a WCA mom and DI supporter. Rachel Shankle, who worked as a Reading Specialist at Westminster, died in October 2005. Her special
passion had been helping students overcome reading
disabilities. To honor her “can-do” attitude, one person is
recognized who has “overcome extraordinary challenges”
to participate in DI that year. It may be student facing a
serious illness or a teacher recovering from surgery who is
acknowledged with the “Rachel Shankle Memorial Award.”
WINDOWS | SUMMER 2016
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End of Year Bash
Westminster Presbyterian Church
Our annual End of Year Bash
sponsored by PAW was held on
Friday, May 6th. Food trucks included
Badd Newz Barbeque, Stufft, The
Big Easy, Feed the Frenzy, Iceworks
Shaved Ice, Angel Island Coffee, and
Delightful Desserts.
Offering the life and
light of Jesus Christ
to Huntsville, Madison
County and the world
Our Corn Hole Tournament winners
were Grant Mullins and Chris
Johnson. This year’s movie was
Disney’s Finding Nemo.
A great night of food, fun, and fellowship was enjoyed by our WCA family.
“In Him was life, and the life was the light
of men.”
For over 50 years, Westminster Presbyterian
Church has ministered to Huntsville and
Madison County, and our single greatest
ministry continues to be Westminster Christian
Academy. WCA was founded on the conviction
that providing the children of believers the
opportunity to learn in an environment that
integrates the study of the creation with the
knowledge of the Creator in His Son, Jesus
Christ, is a vitally important mission of the
church. We remain as committed to this mission
today as ever and thank you for granting us
the privilege of assisting you in nurturing your
children in the faith.
FACULTY AND STAFF
Recognized fo Service
Sunday Morning Worship, 9:30 am
Sunday School, 11:00 am
Sunday Evening Worship, 6:00 pm
Wednesday Night Children’s
and Youth Ministry, 6:15 pm
5744 Oakwood Road
Huntsville, AL 35806
256-830-5754
www.wpc-hsv.org
A Recognition and Celebration Breakfast was held on Friday, May 26th to
honor all of our Faculty and Staff. A delicious breakfast was prepared by Becky
Hartley and the wonderful ladies in the Upper Campus cafeteria. More than 100
faculty and staff members enjoyed great food and fellowship together.
Ron Klein recognized the following staff for their service years at WCA:
• 5 Years of Service: Amy Collier, Melissa Harris, Kathy Hightower, Della
Thomas, Heather Webber, Ann Wilson, Jackie Martin
• 10 Years of Service: Susan McCoy
• 15 Years of Service: Kelly Crowell, Angie Johnson, Leslie Parker
• 20 Years of Service: Margie Cook
• 25 Years of Service: Alma Huston
• 30 Years of Service: Lori Cypher
• 35 Years of Service: Bertha Dykstra
PAW honored our faculty and staff on May
4th with a wonderful Teacher Appreciation
Luncheon. Thank you PAW for all you do
for WCA!
We are grateful for our dedicated faculty and staff who
contribute so much to the mission of WCA. We thank you
for all that you do for Westminster and our students. You
are making a difference! We look forward to another great
year in 2017.
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Westminster Christian Academy
237 Johns Road
Huntsville, Alabama 35806
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Organization
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Huntsville, AL
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WCA is a covenantal school that provides quality education from a Biblical perspective.
Westminster Christian Academy is a ministry of Westminster Presbyterian Church.