Summer 2015 - Fox Valley Lutheran High School
Transcription
Summer 2015 - Fox Valley Lutheran High School
Table of Contents legacy fox valley lutheran high school summer 2015 magazine Preparing students for lives of service and for eternity Class of 2015 Table of Contents Table of Contents The Sounds of Silence Then the glorious day of Pentecost burst forth. The disciples saw tongues of fire and heard a mighty, rushing wind. They were able to tell the Good News of Jesus Christ to the multitudes who had come to Jerusalem! Over 3,000 were brought to faith that great day—one we still celebrate today! Wouldn’t it be great if we could hear that same great rushing wind? In our churches, we still do. Each time our pastors dip water from the baptismal font and pour it on the head of an individual in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—we hear it. Each time Jesus’ body and blood is shared in the Lord’s Supper—we hear it. We hear it every time we listen to His Word at church or study His Word. LEGACY SUMMER 2015 WWW.FVLHS.ORG That same sound is heard here at FVL. Some might just hear all the giggling and hooting. But, we hear that same mighty rushing wind at FVL in our chapel devotions and Bible readings, and in our religion classes. We hear it when friends counsel friends with the love and forgiveness found in God’s Word. The mighty rushing wind of Pentecost can be heard in FVL’s halls and classrooms . . . along with all the other sounds heard in a building full of teens. God’s Word changes our lives each day and gives us hope and purpose. Thank you for supporting the FVL teen ministry for the 62nd year! To God be the glory! Director of Mission Advancement Legacy is published three times annually. Our goal is to inform and inspire FVL graduates and supporters with news about our teen ministry and the FVL family at large. Legacy is an official publication of . . . Fox Valley Lutheran H.S. 5300 N. Meade Street Appleton, WI 54913-8383. magazine summer 2015 4 For further information, contact the FVL Communications Office at (920) 739-4441. Editor-in-Chief Robert Fischer 10 Content Editor Dave Payne Layout & Design Editor Sharon Ragner A Tradition of Forensics 4 Blessed to Serve 6 Keeping Focused 8 Helping in Ethiopia Grade school students have been coming to FVL for the annual forensics festival for almost forty years. Rev. Ron Gorske reflects on the privilege of serving his Savior at FVL. Crosses throughout the building serve as a constant reminder of FVL’s focus. David Sehloff (‘12) travels to Africa where he puts his engineering talents to use! 10 Hello, NEC! On the web at www.fvlhs.org Submit story ideas or comments to: sgranberg@fvlhs.org rfischer@fvlhs.org 2 Goodbye to the EVC and welcome to the North Eastern Conference. 12 12 Class of 2015 Graduates share their post-high school plans. 15 We’ve Come a Long Way! The building debt has been funded without increasing tuition costs—we’re down to the last five years! 16 FVL News 1 WWW.FVLHS.ORG The disciples shared a similar experience after Jesus’ ascension. The wonderful sound of Jesus voice was gone. Their constant companion was no longer with them in person. It must have been scary. What an empty silence! legacy LEGACY SUMMER 2015 What a difference a month makes. Last month lockers were banging, girls giggling and boys hooting! You almost couldn’t think with all the noise. Today it’s complete quiet. It seems as if I’m the only one here. Students are off to the next steps in their lives. Teachers are working to get their classes ready for next year and enjoying vacations. In the FVL classrooms, it’s the sounds of silence! fox valley lutheran high school ool 4N6 FUN! {Forensics} The year was 1981. A young business teacher and business manager at FVL had started a high school forensics program about five years before. He was desperate to promote stronger interest in this valuable high school activity. He was also hoping to find a way to encourage more people to visit Fox Valley Lutheran High School’s recently expanded campus on North Oneida Street. New classrooms, media center, gymnasium/field house were all part of this 1976 building project. LEGACY SUMMER 2015 WWW.FVLHS.ORG These were the seeds for FVL sponsoring its annual Forensics Festival for upper grade students for the area Lutheran elementary schools. Those early festivals were held on Saturday afternoons in March or April, and FVL faculty did the judging. In the first years, only a few schools participated. However, the festival gradually grew, attracting schools from as far away as Waupaca and Marinette. 2 Original categories included prose reading, poetry reading, four-minute speech, and play acting. Early festivals offered only a single round and no ribbons or prizes—just a participation certificate. All scoring was done by hand. Tallying scores and getting ballots back to the participants seemed to take forever. As the festival grew, new categories were added, including demonstration speaking, moments in history, and solo acting. The event was expanded to two rounds, and participation increased to include students from grades 5 and up. As numbers grew from 100-plus students to over 200, more judges were needed. FVL decided to call on participating schools to help by providing more judges. Thanks to the dedication of the Kuehn family—Cheryl and Gary—the recording of student and team scores became computerized. For the Kuehns, the annual FVL Forensics Festival ultimately became a family affair as their children first participated and then came back to assist with running the event. Over the years the elementary school coaches adjusted to the more rigorous requirements of the high school rules, and the quality of the student performances increased dramatically. In the words of current English Department Chairman Dave Payne, “I can remember judging these events for over 20 years. The skills the gradeschoolers bring now is amazing. The solo actors I saw this year could easily compete on the high school level.” What hasn’t changed? Students are still nervous about speaking in front of a group of people. Thankfully, the forensics experience provides students with an opportunity to practice skills for use in the world after graduation. The elementary school festivals have increased interest in FVL’s forensics team and helped FVL to field full competitive teams. Looking ahead, the new leadership of the forensics program will no doubt make changes to the number of events and continue to improve the scoring system. As our schools continue to teach and practice public speaking skills, the future for this event and for the continuous improvement of public speaking in our school system is bright. WWW.FVLHS.ORG FOmX VALL iddl E e sc h HOOL H SC R E A H N T H U L IG Y Table of Contents — Robert Becker Retired FVL Business Manager LEGACY SUMMER 2015 Table of Contents Cheryl Kuehn and her helpers, ready to distribute award ribbons to winning team members. 3 Table of Contents What an Opportu nity! WWW.FVLHS.ORG “It’s really hard to believe, isn’t it?” “How time flies!” “It seems like only yesterday!” I wonder how many retirees are saying or thinking these or similar thoughts as their careers draw to a close. LEGACY SUMMER 2015 UPPER PHOTO: Pastor Gorske prepping in his office in 1974. LOWER PHOTO: Pastor Gorske and his wife Judy. 4 It’s natural for retirees to look back and ask what was or wasn’t accomplished. Success for some is determined by the number of wins or championships, how many companies are owned, or how much money is in the savings account. In other occupations, success is not as easy to determine. How many extra miles did my mechanic give my car? How many But when it comes to work in God’s church, it’s very different. All the credit for every success must go to our Lord. He gives us the privilege of sharing His Word and the Holy Spirit does the rest. Life becomes a privilege and an opportunity—an opportunity first to prepare and then to share God’s message of forgiveness and eternal life. I didn’t grow up in a perfect family, but it was a family where God’s Word was taken seriously every day of the week, not just on Sunday. My pastors were not perfect, but they did their best to help me recognize not only the disguises Satan places on sin, but also how Jesus won forgiveness for all sins of all people of all time. That includes us! There is no greater love! My Christian teachers from high school through Seminary reinforced those Biblical truths. They also reminded me that all of our life is an opportuni- ty—not to attempt to “buy off” God, but to thank Him for what He has already given us—his grace, mercy, forgiveness, and eternal life. Eventually, God gave me the opportunity to do for others what my pastors and teachers had done for me. Like them, I was far from perfect, but I was entrusted with the perfect message for his people. Looking back, I treasure the opportunities given by my Lord to share that message with everyone in chapel and with individual students; to encourage others to consider the public ministry; to watch my own children grow in their faith; to see how our FVL Federation shows its loving concern for its workers, in sickness and in health. What blessings the Lord has given! What an opportunity the ministry provides! For that opportunity, I thank our Savior and his people! — Rev. Ron Gorske Retired FVL Teacher 5 WWW.FVLHS.ORG extra days did the doctor or pharmacist really give an ailing loved one? LEGACY SUMMER 2015 Table of Contents As an FVL graduate, memories flood back of my days as a student here in the 1970’s. There was Mr. Kaniess and his Democratic Problems class or “DP” as we called it. Not to mention Honors English with Mrs. Sackenheim, Homecoming floats, and homemade pizza for lunch. One of my memories may seem insignificant, but—to me—it is rather telling. Do you remember the classroom doors at the old school? At the Oneida Street campus, each classroom door had a narrow frosted window pane. Frosted, that is, except for the clear glass in the shape of a cross. Those crosses would be no surprise to those who could remember back to 1946 and the original meetings that led to the founding of our Lutheran high school. LEGACY SUMMER 2015 WWW.FVLHS.ORG What drove those who spearheaded the planning for FVL was not a desire for a higher quality education or outstanding music or athletic programs. And, it wasn’t a desire to achieve high ACT scores. Those men and women were motivated by their love for God’s Word—especially their love for the gospel—and it was their determination to hold that cross in front of generations of teenagers. That sincere dedication led to the opening of Fox Valley Lutheran High School in 1953. Is it really any surprise that those classroom door windows at the old FVL campus were decorated with crosses? No, it wasn’t because of some special sale on frosted windows. They were there because leaders at FVL have always understood that “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Cor 1:18) 6 When FVL opened its new campus in 2000, those windows didn’t make the trip north to Meade Street. But the cross of Christ did. The cross tops the bell tower for all to see. Another large cross hangs in the gym. We have it centered on the altar at chapel. At graduation each May, a cross leads the procession of seniors. In fact, one thing our new campus has that the Oneida Street campus didn’t have is a cross in each classroom and hallway. The reason is that when FVL celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2003, Federation members were asked to donate handmade crosses to mark this special occasion. The school received over 150! Some were wood; others were metal or other unique materials. Some were very simple—like one cross made from a 100-year-old barn ladder. Ornate laser-cut crosses are on the other end of the spectrum. Yet the purpose of each cross is the same: to focus students, faculty, and staff on the message of Christ crucified. The most important message of all time. That doesn’t mean everyone likes seeing those crosses; FVL’s crosses are not without controversy. One time after a basketball game here, Principal Paul Hartwig received an angry letter from a fan of the opposing team. It was a copy of a letter that this man said he would send to the WIAA asking that never again would he have to sit in a gym and be subjected to looking at that “monstrosity of a cross.” That cross still hangs in FVL’s gym today. It is the focal point at every graduation. And, thanks to the generosity and expertise of a faithful donor, a similar cross was hung in the small gym this past fall. FVL proudly displays these crosses. More importantly, we are strengthened and comforted by the message of the cross: the reassurance that we have a Savior who lived the life that we could not live and died the death we deserved so that we are guaranteed a home in heaven. Most of the original founders of FVL are now in heaven, along with a numerous former students and teachers. But what continues to unite all of the FVL family—no matter what the campus, no matter what the dress code, no matter what the technology—will always be the message of the cross. WWW.FVLHS.ORG Symbol of Salvation Table of Contents LEGACY SUMMER 2015 Table of Contents May God continue to hold his cross before the eyes of our students, faculty, and Federation. — Rev. David Wenzel Class of 1978 7 Table of Contents Learning Table of Contents “Australopithecus afarensis” “Austra…” “Australopithecus afarensis,” he repeated patiently. “Austral…o?” I tried again. “Uhhhh… she’ll always be Lucy to me” I thought. His school—the Mekelle School for the Blind—is working hard to help students like him. It is a home for about 80 blind students from all over northern Ethiopia. The For my last four years at Washington University of St. Louis, our chapter of Engineers Without Borders has partnered with Mekelle School for the Blind to facilitate the construction of a new water tower, plumbing and electrical systems. In America, this might not seem like anything too life-changing, but imagine for the first time having access to clean water. Or imagine replacing a wood stove with a new electric range. This winter I was in Ethiopia with five classmates and two mentors to monitor these projects. We also needed to design a solution for the flash flooding that plagues the Mekelle School for the Blind during their summer rainy season. Our plan is to implement that design next winter. Ethiopia is an amazing place. Its spectacular mountainous landscape and beautiful plants are dazzling. We watched as goats and cows walked along the cobblestone streets—awaiting their fate as Christmas dinner. The friendly children wave and call respectfully to foreigners like us. But Ethiopia calls to me with something more profound. On certain days—just before the sun rose—prayers and songs were broadcast from loudspeakers. They echo across the awakening city. The morning streets were filled with people dressed in white, returning from their churches. They wear crosses sold by merchants on the side of the road. Taxis had Bible passages posted inside. This land is a very publicly Christian place. Does this date back to 4th century Christian missionaries? Or even earlier . . . to Philip’s conversation with an Ethiopian man? Or to the Queen of Sheba’s visit to wise King Solomon? My little Ethiopian friend Gebre-Egziabher introduced himself to me by telling me his name means: “Slave of God.” It reminds me of Romans 6, “You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness…slaves of God.” Could that be the source of his name? I don’t know. What I do know is that this trip to Ethiopia opened my eyes to see God’s powerful work, the same work I saw every day for four years at FVL. So, it wasn’t really so important about that fossil nicknamed Lucy that would forever be Austra…Austra……something to me. WWW.FVLHS.ORG This young boy would have made an impression even if I were not aware of his disability: he is blind. Blindness is much more common in Ethiopia than the U.S. Lack of medical resources and malnutrition are key causes. school provides dorms, meals, and schooling for these students. Rather, during those long hours flying home over the Atlantic, what sunk in for me was the beautiful reality that our loving Lord rescues sinners from captivity and transforms our lives to ones of loving service. — David Sehloff Class of 2012 LEGACY SUMMER 2015 LEGACY SUMMER 2015 WWW.FVLHS.ORG My new friend Gebre-Egziabher was telling me about an ancient skeleton that was found in northern Ethiopia. It was clear that he had an eagerness for learning and a special gift for language. Here I was at his school in Ethiopia, getting quite a science lesson from a fifth grader. 9 Over the years, FVL has been been a part of many different conferences and affiliations. Originally part of the WISAA, or Wisconsin Independent Scholastic Athletic Association, we have been a member of the WIAA (Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association) now for as long as we have been on our new campus. LEGACY SUMMER 2015 WWW.FVLHS.ORG Midwest Prep, FVCC (Fox Valley Christian Conference), Valley 8, Eastern Valley Conference—all those affiliations might sound familiar to past Foxes’ athletes and coaches. This coming school year, FVL will be making another conference change as we become one of the charter members of our new athletic conference called the North Eastern Conference. 10 Familiar rivals from the former Eastern Valley Conference—Waupaca, Clintonville, Freedom and Little Chute—will join FVL in the NE Conference. New opponents will include Marinette, Oconto Falls, Luxembourg-Casco, Denmark and Wrightstown who come from the Bay Conference and the Olympian Conference. Foxes fans will notice a number of changes. First, FVL will be doing more travel due to the longer distances to some of our new conference schools. Secondly, longtime conference and local rival Xavier High School is no longer in the same conference. Some quick calculating with Google Maps reveals that the average mileage from FVL to our conference schools is now 37.47 miles. That compares to our EVC average distance of about 29. That means the average travel time increases from about a half hour to 40 minutes. That may not seem significant to some, but for FVL fans and athletes from the Neenah/Menasha/Oshkosh area or west in the Fremont/Weyauwega/ Waupaca area, that adds many more miles and minutes on the road. Of course, for FVL families in the Green Bay area, this change will likely mean shorter distances. As a school, we are saddened by the fact that Xavier is no longer one of our conference rivals. FVL and Xavier leaders worked hard behind the scenes with the WIAA to avoid this change. In the end, though, the WIAA chose to realign Xavier into the Bay Conference. The good news is that neither FVL or Xavier wants to see these rivalry games go away. FVL is scheduled to play Xavier for the next two years in football, and both a boys’ and girls’ basketball game has been scheduled right before Christmas next year on the same night. This will allow many alumni to attend. The goal is to schedule Xavier as a non-conference opponent in every sport possible. The goal is that the rivalry will live on. FVL will miss the Eastern Valley Conference. Great partnerships have developed over our nine years in the EVC. The Foxes have won 19 conference championships and have competed for many more. It has been a highly competitive conference with many teams equally matched in sports across the board. Looking ahead to the North Eastern Conference and the five new schools, this is an excellent opportunity for FVL’s athletes, coaches, and fans to witness our Christian faith in new settings. Most of these new schools have had little contact with FVL in the past. Through our behavior at games, through our competitive spirit on the court and through our commitment to sportsmanship and fair play, FVL will have the opportunity to draw others closer to Jesus Christ, the Savior of all. Typically, change is hard. FVL and its supporters need to remember that the Lord has blessed our many changes in the past and will continue his blessings in the future. — Shawn Hill FVL Activities Director 11 WWW.FVLHS.ORG TO CHANGE Table of Contents LEGACY SUMMER 2015 Table of Contents Table of Contents Table of Contents Aalpoel, Alison Cardinal Stritch Nursing Arps, Seth Julius, Anna Lee, Yeosun Giesbers, John Kaminske, Nathan Lienhard, Thor UW Green Bay Psychology Asendorf, Abbie De Bruijn, Tijl Aubry, Alec Diersen, Bailey UW Stout Applied Sciences University of Minnesota Twin Cities Architecture Baehman, Matthew Earll, Mitchell Gubaydullina, Nailya Marian University Undecided Barkholtz, Anna Employment Construction School in Netherlands Medicine UW River Falls Applied Physics & Engineering Martin Luther College Secondary Ed. English & Communicative Arts Eichhorst, Olivia Bayer, Lara Eichsteadt, Whitney Fox Valley Technical College Nutrition and Fitness Study Berg, Jack Martin Luther College Elementary Education Birling, Darsity UW Green Bay Psychology Blair, Nicholas Fox Valley Technical College Software Development Bohnert, Olivia UW Stevens Point Undecided Bougie, Constance WWW.FVLHS.ORG Galeazzi, Taylor Coulthurst, Benjamin UW Oshkosh Psychology LEGACY SUMMER 2015 University of Michigan of Ann Arbor Math Martin Luther College Elementary/ History Education Marian University Nursing 12 Chen, Guyi (Michelle) UW Oshkosh English Buchholz, Connor UW Madison Engineering/Business Bucholtz, Andrew UW Oshkosh Undecided Buckarma, Kaitlyn US Army Reserves Buman, Vanessa UW Green Bay Business Butkovich, Aaron Martin Luther College Literature & Communication UW Stout Early Childhood Education UW Milwaukee Nutritional Sciences Engel, Jerad Fox Valley Technical College Automotive Technician Greunke, Kyra Marian University Nursing Fleming, Grant Wisconsin Lutheran College Biology Frahm, Jamie Concordia University Nursing Frailing, Joshua Martin Luther College Pastoral Studies Frank, Ryan UW Eau Claire Mathematics/Actuarial Science Fuhrmann, Haley University of St. Thomas International Business Luedke, Caroleann Marian University Radiologic Technology & Sonography O’Kane, Jacob UW Stevens Point Secondary Education Fox Valley Technical College CNA/Nursing Oster, Caroline Grundmeier, Jack Kemps, Michael Ma, Yule (Daniel) Otto, Abbigail Kilsdonk, Alyssa Manteufel, Emily Page, Michael Knutzen, Davis Martin, Matthew UW Fox Valley Biology Hablewitz, Grace St. Norbert College Biology Hammer, Taylor Wisconsin Lutheran College Secondary Education Heyer, Hannah Hintz, Alexander Fischer, Adrienne UW La Crosse Economics Nommensen, Abigail US Navy Falk, Samantha Wisconsin Lutheran College Chemistry Fox Valley Tech College/ WI National Guard Criminal Justice School in S. Korea Undecided Kamin, Ryan Employment Herbalife International Fenske, Andrew Fox Valley Technical College Business Management Fox Valley Technical College Interior Design Martin Luther College Secondary Ed Life Science and Music Fox Valley Technical College Undecided Fox Valley Lutheran Class of 2015 UW Superior Transportation and Logistics Jensen, Jacob Utah Valley University Aviation Administration Wisconsin Lutheran College Undecided Undecided Knutzen, Kayla UW Fox Valley Undecided Koepp, Noelle Cardinal Stritch Elementary/Special Education Kolell, Mary Wisconsin Lutheran College Biology Kramer, Tyler UW Oshkosh Undecided UW Fox Valley Criminal Justice Kresa, Alex Jeon, Jiyeon Kressin, Jonathan University of Cincinnati Pre-Pharmacy Joyce, Helen Wisconsin Lutheran College Psychology Fox Valley Technical College Undecided Fox Valley Technical College Electrician Kriplean, Nicholas UW Oshkosh Computer Science Kruepke, Tyler UW Platteville Civil Engineering Concordia University Occupational Therapy Fox Valley Technical College Undecided Martin, Megan UW Stout Undecided McKenzie, Justus Coe College English UW Oshkosh Undecided Plach, Brianne Martin Luther College Elementary Education Portmann, Garett Fox Valley Technical College Electrical Engineering Meyer, Morgan Wisconsin Lutheran College Special Education Mi, Zihan (Viki) Indiana University Undecided Mielke, Leah Wisconsin Lutheran College Theatre Murphy, Mason UW Whitewater Business Neuberger, Emma Leary, Mercedes Paulos, Brandon Melso, Ryan Kubek, Benjamin UW Madison Statistics Marian University Business/Information Technology Plamann, Erik Nasgovitz, Brianna Kunde, Benjamin UW Milwaukee Occupational Therapy Martin Luther College Pastoral Studies Fox Valley Tech College IT/Network Systems Administrator Northern Michigan University Undecided School in Sweden Concordia University Occupational Therapy UW La Crosse Biology Neumann, Latasha UW Fox Valley Nursing and Spanish Nie, Ruoyi (Zoe) University of California Irvine Computer Science & Engineering Employment Undecided Postl, Jacob Wisconsin Lutheran College Secondary Education Priebe, Kayla UW Oshkosh Accounting Radke, Nathaniel UW Oshkosh Business Raffel, Noah US Army Ragner, Connor LEGACY SUMMER 2015 WWW.FVLHS.ORG Fox Valley Lutheran Class of 2015 Martin Luther College Education/History Rhoden, Brooke Martin Luther College K-12 Ed/Social Studies Roblee, Anne Fox Valley Technical College Nursing Roethlisberger, Phillip UW Green Bay/ US Navy Reserves Environmental Science 13 Table of Contents Table of Contents Fox Valley Lutheran Class of 2015 Voss, Danielle Sawyer, Stephanie Spiegelberg, Colton Vucinic, Katarina Fox Valley Technical College Forensic Science Schaser, Zachary San Diego State University Film Schlafer, Abigail Coe College Special Education Schmidt, Justin Martin Luther College Education/Physics Schneider, Ethan Edgewood College Psychology Schroeder, Christian UW Fox Valley Environmental Management & Studies Schulz, Tristan University of Minnesota Twin Cities Business Schutt, Caitlin Calvin College Engineering Schutt, Elizabeth Calvin College Kinesiology/Physical Therapy Servadio, Riccardo LEGACY SUMMER 2015 WWW.FVLHS.ORG School in Italy Economy 14 Shaw, Michael Marquette University History Shimura, Tadao UW Madison Biomedical Engineering Sickinger, Nathan UW Platteville/ WI National Guard Engineering Skarban, Miranda UW Eau Claire Elementary and Special Education Smith, Noah US Navy UW Fox Valley Computer Science Employment UA 400 Steam Fitting Talo, Alec Michigan Technological University Computer Network and System Administration Tasch, Olivia UW La Crosse Biology Tellock, Tiffany Martin Luther College Elementary Education Thern, Olivia UW Stout Human Development & Family Studies Thern, Sydney Edgewood College or UW Madison Biology Uhlenbrauck, Mishayna Wisconsin Lutheran College Undecided Van Calster, Jordan Michigan Technological University Mechanical Engineering Van Rossum, Emily UW Green Bay Criminal Psychology Verbeke, Emma Concordia University Physical Therapy/ Rehabilitative Science Vils, Brittany UW La Crosse Marine Biology UW Madison Food Science University of Houston Bio Medical Engineering Vyalykh, Mariya School in Home Country Wallander, Jeremiah 19.6M 19M 18M 17M Martin Luther College Pastoral Studies 16M Warnke, Adam 15M Martin Luther College Pastoral Studies Wendt, Jordan 14M Marian University Business Management 13M Wichman, Lindsey 12M Williams, Anastasia 11M UW River Falls Pre-Veterinarian Medicine Coe College Creative Writing & History Witt, Luke 10M Marian University Criminal Justice 9M Yokote, Taichi 8M South Dakota State University Animal Science 7M Yoo, Ji Sang (Andrew) 6M Zibble, Ryan 5M Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Martin Luther College Elementary Education Ziegler, Samuel Marian University Information Technology 4M 3M 2M 1M Back in 1998, planning was underway to relocate FVL to a new campus by the year 2020. Those twenty-two years (from 1998 to 2020) were to be used to plan, educate, and develop consensus in the FVL Federation for this change. The Lord put that time schedule on the fast track. Donors came forward with large initial gifts. The Appleton Catholic Education System (ACES) was looking to upgrade its middle school. An offer was made for FVL’s Oneida Street campus. The Rahmlow family farm on the corner of Meade and JJ afforded the acreage that could accommodate both a new building and needed athletic fields. The next two years saw school leaders spend countless hours working to create a state-of the-art educational facility that would serve our families well into the future. Thousands of questions had to be answered. Many raised the question: how will we pay for this $19.6 M project! That is when the Growing in Grace effort was launched. That effort is now in its 17th year. Generous gifts have lowered the mortgage to only $2.15M. The plan is to have the whole debt retired by 2020. The good news? We’re nearing the finish line. It’s only five years until we can celebrate by the burning the mortgage! Thank you, Heavenly Father, for your goodness and mercy! Thank you, donors, for helping FVL reduce this building debt through sharing your time, talent, and treasure. To fulfill the plan, gifts of $300,000 are needed annually. Please help us reach that goal on time. Gifts of any size bring us closer and allow us to keep this seventeen-year-old promise that the mortgage cost would never be added to tuition charges. We can do together what we would never be able to do separately. To God be the glory! — Robert Fischer Director of Mission Advancement 15 WWW.FVLHS.ORG Soderlund, Lucas UW Oshkosh Electrical Engineering LEGACY SUMMER 2015 Sargent, Joshua Table of Contents STUDENT HIGHLIGHTS LEGACY SUMMER 2015 WWW.FVLHS.ORG Valedictorian for the class of 2015 was Michelle Chen (St. Matthew-Appleton); salutatorian was Kayla Priebe (Mount OliveAppleton). Priebe, along with Ryan Frank (St. Paul-Green Bay), were chosen as graduation speakers (pictured). FACULTY & STAFFF UPDATES Miss Amy Dirksen has accepted the Call to serve in Guidance replacing the retiring Miss Pat Schabo. Mr. Mark Krause has accepted a one-year, full-time Call to serve as instructor of Woods, CAD, and Graphic Arts. Oneyear Calls have also been extended to Rev. Brad Ragner, Mrs. Brenda Mears, Mrs. Karie Mindock, Mrs. Donna King, Mrs. Kris Keller, and Mrs. Sarah Ferge to continue in their teaching roles for next year. Rev. Ron Gorske retired at the end of the school year. Marking special anniversaries this year are Mrs. Brenda Mears–10 years; Mr. Matt Koepsell and Mr. Joel Kramer –20 years; and Miss Jane Polley–35 years. FVL thanks Media Center staff Mrs. Cheryl Kuehn and Mrs. Marlis Kremer as they completed John and Sandy Wiley were presented with the 2015 Heart of a Servant Award at the FVL Friends Banquet in April. This award recognizes those who display a servant-like attitude through their service and support of FVL. Both John and Sandy have played important leadership roles at FVL over the years and have supported the school generously with their time and talent. Sandy is a 1961 alumna. Graduates ... 16 Be sure to keep us up-to-date on your current address and e-mail address! rfischer@fvlhs.org Check out the FVL website for updates! fvlhs.org Joshua Frailing was chosen FVL’s 2015 Prom King. His escort was Anne Roblee. Rounding out the Prom Court were Justus McKenzie escorted by Adrienne Fischer, Tristan Schulz escorted by Caroline Oster, Adam Warnke escorted by Hannah Heyer, and Ryan Zibble escorted by Mishayna Uhlenbrauck. their service in June. Mrs. Kathy Kolell and Mrs. Lonette Gregersen have been hired as study hall supervisors along with Mrs. Amanda DeCoster who will become our Academic Resource Center Coordinator as of July 1. FVL is excited about the teaching experience that all three will bring to our students as we offer our students stronger academic support. Custodian Don Pelkey retired in June. His replacement is current staff member Nathan Miller. Mr. Aaron Holdt joined the maintenance staff in June. TEAM HIGHLIGHTS At the State Forensics Festival, Kaelyn and Cassie Holdcroft, Megan Getlinger, Mercedes Leary, and Kyle Favorite all won gold medals. Jack Grundmeier, Mary Kolell, and Sara Laabs earned silver. Winning bronze was Ana Williams. FVL’s Math Club finished in first place in the Fox Valley Math League. They have been champs five years in a row and nine out of the last ten years. For the second consecutive year, FVL’s VEX Robotics team earned a trip to the World Championship competition in Louisville, KY. They finished 21st out of 90 teams and received the award for most innovative. At the Wisconsin State Music Association State Solo & Ensemble Festival, student musicians who received top ratings included Harrison Krause, Emily Warnke, Michaela Brass, Madalyn Walters, Emalie Hartley, Sura-Attha Umasangtongkul and Jenna Keller. Groups receiving highest honors were the Clarinet Trio, the Brass Ensemble, the Trumpet Duo and the Choraliers. In keeping with tradition, members of the FVL Marching Band performed in the Appleton Memorial Day Parade. They joined the community in honoring the men and women who have served our country. 17 WWW.FVLHS.ORG On June 8, the faculties of our FVL Schools system convened at FVL to learn about our exciting joint mission project with our sister synod in Zambia. Pastor Kangonga will be presenting to all schools on October 27 to kick off this project which will culminate with Zambia-Fest next April. Faculties were also introduced to the new FVL Schools K-12 Math Curriculum. Work on the English/Language Arts curriculum is slated to begin next year. LEGACY SUMMER 2015 FVL SCHOOLS JOINT IN-SERVICE Table of Contents legacy ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Fox Valley Lutheran H. S. 5300 North Meade Street Appleton, WI 54913-8383 magazine fox valley lutheran high school Table of Contents