MM2010-08 - Zion Christian School

Mountaineer
Messenger
AUGUST 2010
Preschoolers Visit the Frederik Meijer Gardens
The preschoolers took a trip to Frederik Meijer Gardens
to see the beautiful butterflies. They had so much fun
learning about chrysalises and cocoons, butterflies, and
moths. As they walked, they identified which butterflies
they saw. One butterfly even
landed right on Riley’s finger!
It sat there for a few minutes
while we all took a closer look!
The students enjoyed the opportunity to further explore
God’s colorful creation.
Preschoolers Visit the John Ball Park Zoo
The preschoolers had a wonderful time at John Ball
Park Zoo! This was their last time being together for
the year so we made the most of it! We saw a lot of our
zoo-phonics friends and even got to see the newest zoo
member: Mighty Mike, a 14 foot long alligator! We
finished our time together with a picnic and playing on
the playground at the zoo.
1st Grade Visits Dutch Village
Excitement was running high for the month of May as
the first graders took an imaginary trip to the Netherlands every day! We learned about the queen, windmills,
klompen, tulips, storks, Van Gogh, canals, delft, dikes,
etc. After a month of studying the Netherlands we took
a bus trip to Dutch Village. When we got there the first
graders went on a photo scavenger hunt to take pictures
1
of all the things we had learned about the country of
Holland. Then we put the photos in a booklet and the
first graders were asked to write a sentence about each
of the pictures. We were experiencing so much “jet-lag”
after our month of travels that the first graders didn’t
get their sentences written so they were given homework for the summer...writing sentences in their photo
books!
7th Grade and U.S. History Class Visit
Gerald R. Ford Museum
On May 4, the high school U.S. History class and the
7th grade Social Studies class visited the Gerald R.
Ford Museum specifically to tour the Cold War exhibit.
Both classes had recently studied World War II and
were beginning a study of the Cold War. In the Cold
War exhibit, we saw important artifacts from the end of
WWII and the space race. We also saw other artifacts
of espionage and of Cold War culture. We viewed
pieces of the Berlin Wall, an East German car, the Trabant, and important historical documents on loan from
the National Archives establishing America’s policy of
containment during the Cold War. As well as viewing
the special Cold War exhibit, we also learned about
President Ford, who was in office during the Cold War.
We viewed a movie of his life, toured the Ford exhibit,
became part of Ford’s cabinet giving our input to important Presidential crises, and visited President Ford’s
grave.
Jr/Sr Banquet 2010
At the end of April, the juniors once again prepared a banquet for the seniors. After a delicious meal prepared by
Tammy Van Dyke, the group headed to Hudsonville Lanes for some bowling. A big thank you to the
banquet committee for all the work you did to make this evening enjoyable!
Melissa Postma and her
son, Ben
Luanna Jipping and her
daughters, Addison and
Briquell
Dawn Baker and her son, Titus
Mother’s Day Tea
The Kindergarteners, 1st and 2nd grade girls
donning hats, and boys sporting ties, had an
opportunity to honor their moms at the annual
Mother’s Day Tea held in the commons on
Friday, May 7. The children sang songs, recited
Scripture, and enjoyed some special time with
their mom. The kindergarteners shared some
songs about the human body - fearfully and
wonderfully made - which they had been
learning about in class. After a song and the
first grade recitation of Psalm 24, the first and
second graders took turns declaring their love
for Mom, sharing reasons beginning with the
letters that spell out “Happy Mother’s Day.”
The tea time was filled with happy chatter
and the enjoyment of treats. It was a delightful time to recognize and celebrate God’s gift
of mothers! “Her children rise up and call her
blessed.” Prov. 31:28.
Elementary Field Day
Zion’s annual elementary field day was held on
Friday, May 28. Students in Kindergarten through
6th Grade took the afternoon off for a time of fun
and games. Parents and senior students volunteered to help run the games and keep things
going smoothly. The students split into teams by
color and competed for first place, with the purple
team led by Nick Kuyers winning. Everyone had
a great time, enjoying the sunny weather while
playing games like sack races, long jump, shoe kick,
golf ball in the hay, target toss, sponge relay, and
an obstacle course. At the end of the day, popsicles
and punch were served to help everyone cool down
from their fun day in the sun!
Mrs. Russcher helps Josiah Tuinstra
declare his love for his mother.
5th and 6th Grade Class Trip to
Grace Adventures
During the third week in May, the 5th and 6th grade
classes attended two exciting days of camp at Grace
Adventures. This camping adventure had been an enjoyable experience for several past classes, and with God’s
blessing and care over us, it proved to be the same this
year. The staff at Grace Adventures did an excellent job
organizing team building activities that required the
students to work together to successfully accomplish
various tasks. The students were kept engaged throughout and were challenged in positive ways to honestly
reflect on their social interactions and their responses
to difficult situations. The activities were followed up
by guided discussions that encouraged the students
to reflect on their attitudes and behaviors during the
activities. Hiking to the dunes, boating, fishing, singing
by the campfire, the road trip, the devotional topics, and
so many more things made this trip a memorable and
worthwhile “adventure.”
Zion
Adventures
Charlie Baker,
Micah Berkenpas,
Nathan Vos
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8th Grade Class Trip to Mackinac Island
On May 17, the 8th grade class headed to Mackinac
Island for their class trip. Their first stop was the ferry,
where they crossed to the island to enjoy a bike tour
and Fort Mackinac. They had lots of opportunities to
take pictures, hike, and enjoy the beautiful scenery.
After the island and Fort Mackinac tour, they headed
back to the mainland, where supper, swimming, and
games including football and four-men-on-the-couch
were waiting. In the morning, after breakfast and
devotions, the class drove to the Historic Mill Creek
and Fort Michilimackinac and enjoyed a tour of these
historic places. There was even time for some souvenir
shopping. Wednesday morning they started the drive
back home, ending the trip with a pizza party at the
Bakers. Thank you to everyone who made this trip possible, and a special thank you to our chaperones, Craig
and Carla Baker, Dale and Ginger Pasma, Dean Postma,
Kathy Vander Jagt, and Tom Kwekel.
9th Grade Class Trip to Chicago
In April, the 9th graders spent two days exploring the
Museum of Science and Industry, the Lincoln Park
Zoo, and the history and lifestyle of the Amish people
in Indiana. At the Museum of Science and Industry, the
students spent hours walking through and testing the
dozens of exhibits. They experienced 80-mile-per-hour
winds, electric shocks, and the perfect surfing wave.
The students were awed by one of the museum’s most
famous exhibits - a German submarine captured by
the U.S. Navy during World War II. After a visit to the
Lincoln Park Zoo, where the students were entertained
by the monkeys and large cats, they headed for Shipshewana. Despite the minor mishap of a flat tire, everyone
arrived safely and the students had the opportunity to
walk through the Menno-Hof Museum and building
dedicated to exploring the history of the Mennonite,
Amish, and Hutterite people scattered throughout the
world.
10th Grade Class Trip to Kentucky
In March, the 10th grade Biology class traveled nearly
13 hours to visit the Answers in Genesis Museum in
Kentucky as a capstone to the Creation/Evolution topic
they were covering. Viewing a beautiful garden and
walking the “halls of chaos,” where the effects of sin are
witnessed in every dimension of our lives, were powerful reminders of the destructive forces at work trying to
undermining God’s redemptive plan. The planetarium
took us on a journey through the universe showing our
smallness in contrast to God’s Fatherly care for even
the hairs on our heads. We ended our trip with a tour to
the Air Force Academy in Dayton, Ohio. This museum
gave students a glimpse of aviation history under acres
of roof. We treasure the precious opportunities God has
given us at Zion Christian School to strengthen our
discussions in the classroom with real life experiences,
like our trip to AiG. May God bless these moments of
reflection with true saving faith or renewed strength to
continue the fight against the onslaughts of the devil as
he wars against the church of God.
Senior Class Trip
The senior class enjoyed
their class trip to
Washington DC
and Gettysburg. They
visited many historical
places including the
Washington Monument,
the White House, and the
Lincoln Memorial. With
stops at the International Spy
Museum and the Smithsonian,
the week was once again enjoyable
and educational. Thank you to all
who helped make this trip
possible this year!
Thomas Miller scales
the rock wall.
4
Alliance League
Summit Awards
Recognizes exemplary Christian scholarship and character;
attributes include strong academic performance relative to
aptitude, strong work ethic in all areas, respect for authority, a
spirit of kindness and humility, and a sincere desire to assist in
fostering Christian community at Zion.
9th Grade
Rebekah Dreyer
Austin Kamer
10th Grade
Lynnae Doll
Audra Miedema
11th Grade
Paul Freswick
Sam Ryskamp
Gina Van Laan
12th Grade
Rachel Dreyer
Karley Suwyn
All-Conference
Athletes
The Alliance League
coaches selected these Zion
athletes for special honors.
Boys Baseball
First Team
Paul Freswick
Departmental Awards
Business
Michael Kamps
Art
Keni ten Haaf
Bible
Amy Kwekel
Mathematics
Scott Hoelsema
Choir
Keni ten Haaf
Science
Arielle Baker
English
Amy Kwekel
PE
Matthew Sterk
Sam Ryskamp
Honorable Mention
Michael Diemer
Matt Moorman
Girls Soccer
Second Team
Katie Quador
Foreign Language
Arielle Baker
Jennifer Verduin
Honorable Mention
Olivia Carbone
Special Recognition
Servant-Leadership
Award
Arielle Baker
Valedictorians
Amy Kwekel
Arielle Baker
Principal’s Leadership
Award
Gina Van Laan
Salutatorians
Jong Eun Kim
Rachel Dreyer
Citizenship Awards
Recognizes students that participate in school and/or community
service; show a positive attitude toward classmates, school and
community; display an understanding and appreciation of civic
responsibility; possess strength of character and the courage to
do what is right; and promote citizenship within the school.
7th Grade
Kurt Hoelsema
Samantha Kuiper
10th Grade
Matthew DeJong
Sarah Steenwyk
8th Grade
Katie Suwyn
Jacob Vander Wall
11th Grade
Keith Kloosterman
Anna Veldink
Jae Won Park
9th Grade
Joel Kloosterman
Roy Pettit
5
12th Grade
Tyler Kuyers
Stephanie Terpstra
Lynnae Doll
Sarah Steenwyk
Left: Katie Quador
Baseball - It took nine
years, but it was worth the wait!
Athletics Promotes Academics
Zion’s athletic department is only nine years old. It began
2001 with cross country and volleyball. Throughout the
years, the sports offerings have expanded to include basketball, soccer, and track. It was only in 2006 that baseball
was added, as three students were able to be part of TriUnity Christian’s baseball team. Our students spent four
years playing with Tri-Unity Christian, and were able to
contribute to Tri-Unity winning the district title last year.
With increased enrollment, Zion ventured out on its own,
inviting students from West Michigan Lutheran to play
on our team. This independence provided the opportunity
for more student participation, and allowed Zion a chance
to compete for championships of its own. Thus far the
results have been very promising, with this year’s team
becoming the first boys team to ever win a conference
championship! The boys ended the season with a conference record of 8 - 1.
At Zion, we are thankful for the strong correlation that
exists between athletic participation and academic success.
In many cases, we find that our students maintain higher
GPA’s while participating in sports, as compared to when
they are out of season. Helping to encourage academic
success is our policy that athletes become ineligible to
participate in athletic events if they have one or more missing class assignments. For the past two years, this policy,
coupled with the discipline required to manage their time
well during the season, has resulted in over one half of our
student athletes maintaining a GPA of 3.5 or higher during
their athletic season(s). The athletes that met this requirement last school year are listed below.
After winning the conference, the MHSAA district
tournament loomed on the horizon, set to be played in
Saugatuck. The district draw resulted in Zion slated to
play Freedom Christian. The team wasted no time setting
the tone, with sophomore, Matt Moorman hitting the first
pitch out of the ballpark. The team maintained this focus
throughout the game, resulting in a 5- 0 victory. Moving
on to the district final, Zion saw an early 3-0 lead disappear in a 4-3 loss to the host Indians. Congratulations to
Paul Freswick and Matt Moorman for being selected to
the All District Team, and congratulations to the entire
team for a season that won’t soon be forgotten.
Matt Moorman
Arielle Baker
Pieter Kraayeveld
Caryn Baker
Samantha Kuiper
Cayte Baker
Stephanie Kuiper
Chad Baker
Melanie Lotterman
Jordan Baker
Matt Moorman
Olivia Baker
Dayton Oosterhouse
Serena Baker
Austin Petter
Tessa Baker
Eliza Pettit
Anna Carbone
Olivia Pettit
Olivia Carbone
Roy Pettit
Jon De Jong
Rachel Postma
Michael Diemer
Sam Ryskamp
Lynnae Doll
Scott Steenwyk
Madison Drew
Seth Steenwyk
Paul Freswick
Colleen Steigenga
Kurt Hoelsema
Katie Suwyn
Peter Hoelsema
Gina Van Laan
Scott Hoelsema
Nicole Veldink
Jonathan Klett
Elizabeth Ybema
Anna Kloosterman
Jolene Ybema
Maria Kraayeveld
6
Graduations
Preschool Graduation
Brieanna Alsum, Ty Feenstra,
Tyler Greenland, Kaitlin Groenhof, Ashton Hendges, Graysen
Miedema, Gabriel Overbeek,
Elijah Roelofs, Taylor Spoelma,
Riley Steenbergen, Katie Van
Beek, Oliver Westrate, Darin
Wychers, Ruby Young
Junior High Graduation
Congratulations! Cayte Baker,
Olivia Baker, Enrique Kamer,
Kenneth Klett, Sally Knight,
Yeh-Hee Ko, Colton Kuyers,
Jenny Kwekel, Gina Oosterhouse, Levi Pasma, Rachel
Postma, Katie Suwyn, Jacob
Vander Wall, Jonathan Verduin,
Elizabeth Ybema
High School Graduation
Congratulations Seniors!
Back Row: Karley Suwyn,
Stephanie Terpstra, Michael
Kamps, Dayton Oosterhouse,
Michael Diemer, John Stanley,
Tyler Kuyers, Alexandra ten
Haaf, Sarala Poelman; Middle
Row: Katelyn Quador, Brandi
Leep, Arielle Baker, Amy
Kwekel, Rachel Dreyer, Matthew
Friberg, David De Jong;
Front Row: Jong Eun Kim,
Kendra ten Haaf, Susannah
Klett, Kendra Clark
chel Postma
Katie Suwyn & Ra
Preschool Gra
du
ates
Steenbe
rgen Fam
ily
duates
Senior Gra
amily
ouse F
sterh
nd/Oo
la
Green
7
uates
de Grad
8th Gra
Co-Valedict
orians: Amy
Kwekel
& Arielle Bak
er
Alumni Announcements
Corey Terpstra (2006)
Corey started working for D&D
Building right after graduating from
Zion where he had been working
until 2 months ago. He now works
at Shepers Brothers Co doing construction work. He was married to
Jackie Grooters on August 4, 2007.
Corey also coached Junior Varsity
Boys Basketball at Zion this past
year and while he won’t be coaching
this year, he’s hoping it will work
out again in the future.
Getting
to Know
Mallory Hesselink (2008)
Mallory will be going to Davenport this fall to start the Medical
Assistant program, hoping to finish by next summer while starting
an internship. She plans to use her
schooling to work in a pediatrician’s office. She is engaged to
Chris Richardson, who is planning to enter GRCC’s criminal
justice program this January, and
they are set to be married on
September 3, 2010.
Samantha (Petter) DeMann
(2008)
Samantha graduated from the Excel
Acadamies of Cosmetology in July
of 2009 and now has her cosmetology license. She married Richard
DeMann on October 17, 2009
and they are expecting a baby girl
on September 23. Sam is currently
working at Pharmacy Care in Middleville. She hopes to soon take the
test to become a certified pharmacist
technician.
Favorite
OT Bible
Favorite
Character Dream Job
Restaurant
Language You’d Most
Like to learn
Early Bird
or Night
Owl
Julie Groenhof
Science Teacher
Jonathan
Early Bird
4th Grade Teacher
Crazy Horse
Russia
Rev. Lubbers
Bible Teacher
David
Teaching at Zion or
a deckhand on an
Alaskan crab boat
Logan’s
Dutch or Latin Both
David De Jong
Senior
David
NBA Player
Hockeytown Cafe Swahili
Night Owl
Joab
Author/Editor
Steak’n Shake
Spanish
Night Owl
Madison Drew
Sophmore
Laine Carbone
3rd Grade
David
Teacher/Veterinarian Carrabbas
Spanish
or French
Night Owl
Grahame Veldhof
Kindergarten
Policeman
Spanish
Both
David
McDonald’s
8
2nd Semester
Dean’s List & Honor Roll
Dean’s List
Honor Roll
7
Serena Baker
7
Anna Kloosterman
7
Seth Baker
7
Pieter Kraayeveld
7
Jon De Jong
7
Nicole Veldink
7
Kurt Hoelsema
8
Cayte Baker
7
Samantha Kuiper
8
Enrique Kamer
7
Eliza Pettit
8
Yeh-Hee Ko
7
Tom Ryskamp
8
Gina Oosterhouse
8
Olivia Baker
8
Levi Pasma
8
Rachel Postma
8
Jonathan Verduin
9
Rebekah Dreyer
8
Elizabeth Ybema
We have
9
Joel Kloosterman
9
Austin Kamer
collected
9
Maria Kraayeveld
10 Audra Miedema
9
Stephanie Kuiper
10 Austin Petter
10 Caryn Baker
10 Daniel Stanley
10 Jordan Baker
10 Sarah Steenwyk
10 Olivia Carbone
11 Paul Freswick
10 Lynnae Doll
11 Erik Kraayeveld
10 Madison Drew
11 Olivia Pettit
10 Peter Hoelsema
11 Gina Van Laan
10 Abby Klett
12 Michael Diemer
10 Matt Moorman
12 Matt Friberg
10 Scott Steenwyk
12 Jong Eun Kim
10 Seth Steenwyk
12 John Stanley
10 Jolene Ybema
12 Kendra ten Haaf
11 Jackie Baker
12 Stephanie Terpstra
11 Scott Hoelsema
12 Brooke Van Dyke
Learning & Living for the Glory of God
Mountaineer Fund
Goal & Progress
300,000
$176,025
250,000
200,000
150,000
11 Jae Park
11 Sam Ryskamp
100,000
11 Colleen Steigenga
12 Arielle Baker
12 Rachel Dreyer
12 Amy Kwekel
12 Dayton Oosterhouse
9
We have collected over $10,000
toward the Mountaineer
Fund through this program! Please
consider adding to this total through
your estate gift pledge!
A Legacy for
Tomorrow = A Gift
for Today!
Introduction
Estate giving represents a significant and essential portion of the
financial support received by Zion Christian School annually.
Recognizing the necessity of estate giving to support the Christian
education of tomorrow, a group of Zion supporters has stepped forward
with a way for your pledged estate gift to become a cash gift to support
the needs of today! For every pledged estate gift, a matching cash gift for
10% of your pledge will be gifted to the Mountaineer Fund (the
Mountaineer Fund is the school’s annual fund drive, representing the
shortfall between family tuition revenues and the true cost of education).
Auction 2010 –
We ask that you save the date of Friday,
October 29, 2010. Dinner and silent bidding
begins at 5:30pm. The live bidding begins at
7:00pm. The fundraising efforts of the auc-
Example
1.
2.
3.
4.
Joe Smith has designated Zion Christian School as a beneficiary of
a portion of his estate. By his best estimate, the gift will be worth $50,000 at the time the bequest will be made.
Joe notifies the school of his intentions by completing line three of the enclosed envelope and mailing back to the school.
A group of donors is made aware of the dollar value of the designation.
A $5,000 check is received in support of the Mountaineer Fund
(10% of the $50,000 designation).
tion help the Mountaineer Fund make up the
short fall that is not charged to families for
tuition. The auction is a fun filled event and an
important night for our school. The committee
covets your prayers as they work very hard
through the summer. If you would like to make
a donation to the auction, there are many ways
to do so! Donation options include: Ad Space,
Sponsorship Banner (new this year), Tangible
Specific Conditions
• We ask that you make your best effort to estimate the dollar value
•
•
of your bequest, understanding that this may be a bit challenging,
especially for young families. You will not be held accountable for this “pledged amount” aside from your assurance that you are making your best estimate.
A dollar limit for the match may apply (please contact Jason in the school office if you estimate your bequest to be in excess of $100,000).
This offer will expire on 12/31/2010.
Items, Vacation Get-Away, Monetary
Donation, and Volunteer Time. Donations are
listed in the auction book, and therefore need
to be received by September 30! Please call
Paul or Connie Parks at (616) 531-4794 or the
school office at (616) 878-9472. This is a
community event and we hope that you
will join us!
10
7555 Byron Center Avenue Byron Center, Michigan 49315
(616) 878-9472 www.zionchristian.net
Non-Profit
U.S. Postage Paid
Prststd
Byron Center, MI 49315
Permit No. 16
Address Service Requested
Openings Remain
Preschool and
Developmental
Kindergarten
Call the school office at (616) 878-9472 or
visit our website at www.zionchristian.net
for more information.
Please plan to join us for a fun-filled day of golf
and fellowship, complete with prizes and lunch.
Corporate sponsorships are needed as well, so please
call if you are willing and able to assist in this way.
Location: Diamond Springs Golf Course
Date: September 18
Registration: 7:30 AM
Shot Gun Start: 8:00 AM
Cost: $100 per Person
All proceeds benefit the Mountaineer Fund.
Learning & Living for the Glory of God