Spirit Week

After a busy week of exams, the students at Calvary Christian Schools look forward to the following week which many consider the best week of the entire year.  It is Spirit Week.

During this week, there are many activities that the students participate in. There is a theme for the entire week.  Each high school class will participate in lunch room competitions, poster competitions and lip sync competitions.  Another fun competition is dressing up each day for class points, in which each class competes against each other to win the most points.  Normally you dress up each day according to the theme, but this year every day is different.  This year's theme is Broadway Musicals. 

All the students have a lot of fun with the lunch room competitions.  During lunch every day each high school class chooses 2 representatives to participate.  The game is different each day.  Normally, the lunch room games will include eating baby food, playing balloon stomp, eating a doughnut tied on a string and many other crazy fun games where all the students stand around and cheer on their classmates. 

At the end of the week on Thursday, each class will perform their lip sync and reveal their posters to be judged. On Friday, all the basketball teams will play against Heritage, Kalamazoo for the big homecoming game.  We will have the homecoming court and the winners for each of the week's competitions will be revealed during the night.

   - Elise Maine, Sophomore

Eagle Basketball Update - January 2013

Calvary Christian Schools has been making a lot of new improvements and moving things around to make them work.   Not only are we making new improvements to the school, our basketball teams have been making a lot of progress and doing very well.

ALGOMA - SATURDAY, JANUARY 5

            The JV and Varsity teams loaded up the bus on Saturday the 5th to face the knights of Algoma Christian School. We knew we had to come out and play our game if we wanted to pull out a win.

Taylor Richards won the tip and got the ball to Hayley Mohr to start off the game. We played phenomenally! Before we knew it, it was half time and your lady eagles were ahead 70-6.  Every single player for the CCS girls basketball team got in the game to get their fair share at defeating the Lady Knights. At the end of the game, CCS varsity ladies had another win under their belt. 83-8 was the final score of the evening.

The Calvary Eagle girls’ varsity basketball team has had a great start to their season.  They are fighting hard and playing tough not rough.  The girls team has a series of good coaches to guide them into victory.  Not only do the girls have good coaches, they also have some natural talent to show. 

In regards to the Varsity Girls Basketball team, senior Lauren Wilcox states, "Practice is intense and we have been told many times that this is the hardest year so far. Brad is a tough but awesome coach! He pushes us to do our best and it's paying off. Having a whole group of exceptional basketball players to learn from has been a tremendous help. Everyone puts all they've got into practice and that's the start to a successful team. Not only are the girls working hard but so are many other people who volunteer their time to help us out. At this point in the season we are undefeated with eight wins under out belts. I only hope that we can continue to work hard and go all the way! I am so blessed to be part of such a special team!"

BLACK RIVER - TUESDAY, JANUARY 8

This past Tuesday the JV girls, JV boys, Varsity girls, and Varsity boys played Black River. The JV girls started out well with not having their point guard, Jordyn Hamilton. They were close to Black River and even had them tied for a while. In the end, they lost by three points.

The JV boys worked hard but couldn’t catch up to Black River and lost. The Varsity girls lifted up the crowd’s spirit when they won against the Black River Rats. They won by over twenty points. Then the Varsity boys came out and played. They had some great plays and shots, but the River Rats had them. The boys lost, but they played hard during the game.

WELLSPRING ACADEMY - THURSDAY, JANUARY 10

This past Thursday the JV girls played Wellspring Academy. With their point guard back, the girls set out to win. Even with the competition being a varsity team, the JV team quickly started to gain points. The team ended up winning by at least ten points. This win was very exciting for them since it was their second win of the season.

ALGOMA - FRIDAY, JANUARY 11

January 11, 2013, was a fun and exciting night for all eagle fans at Calvary Christian Schools. The JV boys, varsity girls, and varsity guys were going to play the Knights from Algoma Christian Schools. The JV girls’ team had played the night before and won. Now it was time for the other teams to play.

The JV boys started their game with a lay-up made by Zeri Zelenka. They had a close game and even had to go into overtime. They beat Algoma easily in overtime scoring at least two more baskets to keep their lead. Coach Marshall had almost no voice left from yelling and was still happy with them, because all of their hard work had paid off.

Yes - it's Coach Marshall now.  A couple weeks ago coach Carlson stepped down from head coach position as JV head coach and passed his position on to the new JV head coach, Coach Marshal - also known as Mr. Marshall in History, Government, and art class.

 

After the JV boys, the Varsity girls took the floor.  Our undefeated Varsity girls team first celebrated with Taylor Richards as she received a ball signed by her team celebrating 1,000 points. Hayley Mohr also got an award for breaking the all-time scoring record at CCS with over 1,000 points earlier that week.

Taylor started off the game by winning the jump ball and the Eagles scored the first points of the game. After layups, free-throws, and many baskets later, the lady Eagles took a significant lead against Algoma and kept that lead through the rest of the game.  Elise Maine hit an exciting three point shot too.  Their final score was 68-15.

 

The last game of the night was approaching and everyone was ready for it. The stands were packed, the student section was on their feet, and we got a little surprise. Our mascot came out to pump up all the fans, parents, and even alumni for the varsity boys!   The eagle played a game between quarters where when it raised its arms the crowd had to shout, and when it lowered its arms the crown had to be quiet. The eagle kind of played around with this and started doing only one half of the stands or just one third. Everyone was having fun, and we would enjoy having the same eagle in the future. He or she has definitely set a high standard for any eagles soon to come.

 

Enough of fun - it was then time for some serious game play. The cheerleaders were cheering, and Joel and Cameron had their yellow and blue spandex body suits on to support the varsity guys. The game started, and the Eagles took the lead with the Knights holding their ground making our team work hard.

The Varsity Boys Eagles pulled ahead and kept their lead for the most part. The energy from the crowd was intense, and there was hardly a spot left to sit or stand. Mike Warren even had two dunks by the end of the game. The game ended with the score 56-35. Once the game was over, much of the crowd congregated on the court to congratulate the team and all the coaches.

 

It was a longer night for many families with younger kids, but definitely worth it. Many people stayed even longer to talk and socialize with others. One mom had work that she had to do for the homecoming banquet, so she brought it in a basket and got help from other moms so she could watch the games. That’s the kind of community that makes CCS different from most other schools. It was a great time for all who went, and it showed what CCS is all about…training kids to serve God through everything we do.

FINAL THOUGHTS

 

We may be competitive at times but we still keep the best attitude. We work hard on our attitude - trying not to be cocky when we’re ahead and not getting mean and angry when we are behind on the score board.  That is very hard to find these days and our coaches try to build that attitude into each of our teams.

It all starts with meeting in the locker room, lacing up our shoes, praying and saying Lords Prayer together before every game. We do everything for Gods glory, and hope to share that with the fans as we play. For I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

Still not convinced?  Well how about you come out and see for yourself.  The games are always loaded with fans loudly cheering.  Calvary cheerleaders also do a great job at leading the fans with their catchy cheers and team spirit.

 

And while you’re watching our Eagles soar to the top, check out our new and improved concessions stand.  Not only do we have the best players, we have some pretty tasty treats and meals available in our new concessions. 

Contributing writers:  David Everett  Britney Zehr, Erica Mitchell, Cristi Evans, Will Lipscombe, Megan Mitchell, and Brianna Zehr

Operation Under One Roof

Calvary Log; star-date January seven, two thousand thirteen.

Christmas break was an exiting time for the students of Calvary Christian Schools. Two weeks of holiday travel, friends and family, celebration and no school would be wonderful news to any student in any country. However, on the morning of January 2nd, while many students were still sleeping or enjoying the last few days of vacation, a few dedicated parents, staff and students helped transform our school as we know it.

Since becoming independent, the school now encounters new possibilities, opportunities and challenges. There is now new freedom to use the building in exciting new ways. One of the exciting changes is the moving of middle school classrooms from the modulars outside into the building under the code name of “Operation: Under One Roof”. This involved moving of complete classrooms including desks, tables, chairs, and anything the teachers needed for their classrooms. White boards had to be taken down as well as bulletin boards. Computers had to be disconnected, moved, and hooked up in their new homes.

Operation: Under One Roof also had an impact on more than just middle school teachers. Mr. Finn and Mr. Marshall moved UPSTAIRS by the gym using space in building that otherwise was not possible before independence. Other teachers did not have so drastic of moves, such as Ms Watkins who just moved down the hall from where she used to teach, as well as Mrs. Rodenburg now teaches closer to the cafeteria. The doors at the end of the C hall were locked for security against intruders and for any student who might forget that their classroom was moved to an inside location. The students really like the new changes and it is nice to have more room. Some cubicles were placed in the lobby outside the gym which may be used for offices or places for tutoring.

Operation:Under One Roof is in its final stages now – completing what has been in the works for a long time.  The operation has had many benefits – allowing money to be saved from heating the modulars, keeping student and teachers from needing to go outside in inclement weather, and allowing the school to be under tighter security. Changes are still in progress but the staff and students of Calvary school expect an exiting rest of the year.

- Josh Hatfield, Jeff Britton, Aaron Ebeling, and Cory Greeno

One to One

Walking through the halls at CCS is like walking in a Christmas wonderland. All the classrooms are decorated with handmade decorations from students. The rotunda has a beautiful display trees and decorations thanks to Kristin Price and others. With the constant reminder that it is Christmastime, the students are counting down the days until Christmas break. With all the bustle of the holidays, it's easy to forget about people who are in need. One way that the students at CCS look outside themselves is participating with the student council in partnering with the Muskegon Rescue Mission in a program called “One to One”.

“One to One” is a great opportunity for students from our school to show God's love in our own community. The leadership team at the Muskegon Rescue Mission has been praying specifically for a group who would help them provide gifts for children who have been living at the mission this past year. This year, the mission will be providing gifts for about 100 children that is why it is so important that we all participate in this. For some kids, this will be the only Christmas presents they receive. Each student, K-12, is asked to bring in a present for someone who is their age and gender. I saw many different kinds of presents around the trees this year like basketballs, clothes, toy cars, and blankets.

It was really neat to see the elementary kids walking around and placing their presents under the tree. It's important to expose them to thinking outside themselves, even at a young age. I think that “One to One” is a great way for the students to see that people are hurting even in our own community and how there are many ways we can show them God’s love, even if it’s just as simple as getting a present for a child.

- Natalie Kapanka, Senior

Christmas in Spanish class

Christmas time is coming! You know what that means! Eating cookies, decorating everything, and Christmas cards! Several of our teachers get us involved with the Christmas spirit!

Mrs. Saum had the sophomores do a project on a Spanish country and how they celebrate Christmas. We each had to draw a slip of paper from a sombrero. The pieces of paper had a country name on it. We had to do some research on the countries traditions for Christmas. We made a poster in Spanish about their Christmas. It helped us learn about other countries instead of just our own.

Mrs. Saum also had us write a letter to somebody is Nicaragua. Mrs. Smiths daughter, Shona, is in Nicaragua. She sent us names of people to write to. We wrote at least one page to the person we were assigned. We made cards for them out of colored paper and different little things. I think that was a really cool thing.

Christmas is a great time of year. It's cheerful and the best thing ever happened several years before during this time. The one who created this world, who created me and you, was born.

Merry Christmas!

- Brittany Chartrand, sophomore

Service With a Smile

As anyone who attends a Calvary Christian Schools basketball game knows, the only thing more important than one of our teams winning is the availability of snacks for us to munch on during the game! We’ve all really enjoyed the candy, chips, popcorn, and pizza that have been a game day staple for us. But things are about to change.

Starting within the next two weeks, the concession tables located by the girl’s locker room will be a thing of the past. According to details worked out by a new parent committee, the plans call for the new concession area to be located in the mezzanine area above the bleachers.

The new location will not only enable the seniors to serve more students and parents in an orderly way, but it will also make it easier to serve different kinds of foods.  Also new to the area will be tables that the fans can sit at to eat and watch the games at the same time! This should help make clean-up of the bleacher area a lot easier.

Some of the new food that will eventually be available to the fans will include all of your current favorites as well as things like chili, hot dogs, chili dogs, and macaroni and cheese. Other things like weekly specials are also being planned as well as theme nights! It really sounds like it might be a great addition to an already fun night of family basketball.

Hopefully the fun and food will not stop there. Warm chocolate chip cookies and ice cream Sundaes would be the perfect way to top off a winning evening! The new plans should help the senior trip as well as giving a few parents a new way to get some task hours.

All in all the new concession area sounds like a winning way to serve all the fans of our winning teams!

- Cory Greeno, Sophomore

Monday Night Basketball

    This past Monday on December 10, 2012, the JV Girls Basketball team and JV Boys Basketball team, and the Varsity Boys Basketball team played extremely well. Thank you to all the fans who came to watch these exciting games!

            The JV Girls Basketball team won their very first game against the Pumas. They were the only team to play Potter’s House that night, and all their preparing for the team was well rewarded! The team is made up of mainly eighth and ninth graders. Our girls play against almost all tenth graders which is quite impressive. Everyone is looking forward to seeing this JV team play more as they continue to improve!

            The JV Boys Basketball team has done great so far this year as well. Although they have yet to win a game, this team shows signs of a great team in the making. Scoring more than thirty points in their very first game of the season, I think we will see signs of improvement quickly throughout the season. Your Calvary Eagles JV Boys team pulled up a few eighth graders which is a huge benefit for them. Playing against bigger, faster, and stronger opponents will benefit the team greatly.

            The Varsity Boys Basketball team had a smashing third game on Monday. They beat Providence by a comfortable amount of points, allowing Coach Warren to have everyone play good minutes in the game. Mike Warren always spices things up by getting a dunk or two, and Mark Carlson loves to hit that far-out three pointer to get the crowd cheering. Everyone on the team contributes in a valuable way. Each player also gets their share of good instruction and discipline from a great coach. Everyone is excited about this team and the things they will accomplish this season!

            Last but not least, I would like to put a word in for our fun CCS cheerleaders. I personally love the candy that they throw to the crowd, and I know the kids on the stands do too! Keep it up Varsity Cheerleaders! 

            Keep supporting your Calvary Christian Basketball teams! As a player, I will say the cheers and encouraging fans in the stands are a HUGE plus to playing the game of basketball at CCS! Thanks again! 

            - Taylor Richards, Sophomore

The Tale of Three Trees

Friday, December seventh, the rotunda was decorated for Christmas by Mrs. Price. The decorations were themed after the book, The Three Trees. Mrs. Price also came in for chapel and read to the book to the kids and explained the significance of the three trees’ purposes.

The first tree wanted to become a treasure chest, and ended up being the manger that held baby Jesus, the greatest treasure it could ever hold.

The second tree wanted to be a great ship that traveled far and carried mighty kings, that tree was the boat that Jesus crossed the see Galilee in. The second tree carried the mightiest king and made the most important voyage it would ever take.

The third and final tree wanted to stay on the mountain top and stand proud and tall pointing the way to heaven for all of its life. The third tree was made into the cross that Jesus was crucified on, and did end up standing proud and tall pointing the way to heaven.

The story of The Three Trees can help remind us of the real meaning of Christmas; Jesus was a gift to us. We should celebrate the birth of Jesus and not focus on the gifts we are going to receive, which is what Christmas has become all about.

This Christmas we should all take time to get away from all the gifts and the big dinner to thank god for giving us His Son. Every time we walk through the rotunda and see the three trees and manger it will remind us of the true purpose of Christmas. We should all thank Mrs. Price for taking the time to come and decorate the rotunda, and for helping us remember the heart of Christmas.

Annie VanTine, Sophomore

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

 It has been a great year of school so far at Calvary Christian School. It's hard to believe that it's already getting to be winter. Once volleyball season ended we went full speed into our winter sport, basketball, and now we are already getting ready for the Christmas season.

A great part about winter at Calvary is getting to decorate the classrooms and make them festive for Christmas. These decorations are not ordinary decorations, they are very special. Many of the classrooms have red and green chains hung from the ceiling, snowflakes covering the walls and windows, and  in Mrs. Saum's room we even have a mistletoe (only for hugging). Each classroom was decorated by the students.

Decorating helps us to have a new excitement going into the classroom. It changes the scenery of an ordinary, boring classroom, into an exciting holiday environment. It gets us all into the Christmas mood. Not only are the classrooms decorated, but the rotunda is decorated beautifully by Kristin Price. She went out and cut down three trees which represent the Christmas story about “The Carol of the Three Trees.”  It's a beautiful reminder of the Meaning of Christmas. With the snow falling outside and the beauty inside, it's hard not to be in the Christmas spirit.

Winter is a very busy time of the year at school. We are getting ready to have our Christmas concert. At the Christmas concert, the sixth grade band, middle school band, and high school band will all be performing. Also, the elementary, middle school, and high school choirs will be singing and performing.

After Christmas, later on in the winter season, we will be getting ready for spirit week. The most fun week of the entire school year.

We are so blessed to have a beautiful school building that we can decorate and enjoy all the wonderful things and events that make the Christmas season at CCS so special.

            Elise Maine, Sophomore

Heritage Kalamazoo Games

On Friday December, 7th the Varsity girls, JV, and Varsity guys all played at Heritage Christian. The JV lost their game, but the Varsity girls and Varsity guys won their games. The JV played a pretty close game but in the end couldn’t recover from their bad start and lost by ten. The Varsity girls won by a lot and had a running clock in the fourth quarter. The Varsity guys won their game by a score of 70-54.

The Varsity guy’s game was a lot closer than it seemed by looking at the score. Both teams had great hustle but in the end Calvary out hustled them from the beginning. Calvary jumped out to a big lead in the first quarter. With junior center Mike Warren having 16 points. The Eagles were relentless and would not stop scoring and they had control of the rebounding aspect of the game, by heavily out rebounding them.

Coach Warren was very pleased with his team’s three block-out fouls, two of which were by sophomore center Isaac Burns. Heritage would go on a scoring run, but every time they would Mike Warren would shut it down with one of his three dunks. Heritage played very hard, but Calvary had an answer for everything that they did and that is why they won the game.       

Isaac Burns, Sophomore

Geography of Jerusalem

The second quarter is the time for the new freshman to pick their own Bible classes. There are three different classes to choose from: World Religions taught by Pastor Eric Strattan of Bridge Bible Church, Geography of Jerusalem taught by Mr. Chandler Collins and The Book of Ephesians taught by Pastor Nate York of Evanston Avenue Baptist Church.

I chose the Geography of Jerusalem class; so far I have enjoyed the class, from learning about the everyday lives of the people of Jerusalem to the topography and layout of Jerusalem.

Chandler really gives the entire class a real-life effect by showing pictures and videos of all of the land, people, and his many adventures in Jerusalem. Learning about the very land which Jesus walked and lived upon for his entire life is amazing to me. I’m sure it is amazing to all of the other students that participate in this class as well.

As a class we have learned about the four major zones of Israel and how they tie in with the different seasons and the needs of the people. The first zone of Israel is called the Coastal Plain which covers the western part of Israel. The second and third zones are called the Central Mountain Spine and the Jordan Rift Valley; both of these zones cover the central part of Israel. The last zone is called the Trans-Jordan Plateau which covers the far eastern part of Israel.

Israel has two seasons which include a wet season and a dry season. The wet season runs from November to April. The dry season runs from May to October. Many of the people store water in wells to survive during the dry season. The people mainly live off of olives, cattle, pomegranate and grains. The Israeli people use their resources that they are given very well

We have also learned many facts about the Bible times and Israel and also some words in Arabic. For example, Dagan is the god of wheat. Acacia is the wood that Noah used to build the Arc. The Dead Sea is the lowest point on Earth. Wadi in Arabic means mountain. Habibi is the male version which means my beloved, the female version is Habibti.

The Muslim people believe in the god known as “Allah”. Every day, five times a day, all of the people stop everything they are doing to go and pray. The signal to go and pray is also known as the ‘Call to Prayer’ which is blasted out into the towns by speakers on towers. These towers particularly light up in the color green because the people believe that was Allah’s favorite color.

I look forward to learning more about the land that Jesus walked and lived upon while on Earth!

Lauren Hutchison, Freshman

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas

The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is always a very festive and exciting couple weeks of school. Once November is here, the students start to anticipate Thanksgiving Break. That is the first long break since school had started. So as you can imagine, it couldn’t get here soon enough. There were also some other days off of school, because of the end of the first quarter and parent/ teacher conferences. This time away gave the students and staff a good amount of time to rest and take it easy after a few months of school.

After Thanksgiving Break and the other days off, it is hard to get back into the school routine. After sleeping in and just hanging out all day, it usually takes a while to get used to the absence of those luxuries. Once breaks are over, the next awaited break is Christmas Break. Besides Spring Break and Mid-Winter Break, that is one of the longest breaks of the entire school year. These pauses during school are only four weeks apart too! As Christmas draws nearer, everyone starts anticipating its coming more and more. Lots of teachers decorate their rooms for the holiday. Mrs. Stenberg, Mrs. Mann, Mrs. Saum, Mrs. Plumhoff, Mr. Marshall, and Mr. Langdon are some of the teachers who have the Christmas spirit and rooms to match. When a person walks in their room, they are met with holly, ivy, flashing bells, colorful ornaments, paper garlands, “hugging-only” mistletoe, Charlie Brown decorations, and other cool accessories. Even some of the elementary teachers get in on it too. In addition to all of this, Christmas music will be playing in the hallways. So as the whole school is getting ready to celebrate Jesus’s birth and the upcoming concerts, it is kind of hard to stay focused on work. However hard it may seem, we all have to hang in there until Christmas.

Thanksgiving and Christmas are fun times to be at CCS, and I wouldn’t ever want to miss it. Between the Christmas concerts and parties, it’s hard to have a “Scrooge” attitude. This time between the holidays is exciting and fun, especially as we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Savior.

Megan Mitchell, Freshman

The Beginning of Cheer

One of the things that excites me the most as we move into winter is the start of the cheerleading season. I love cheering with my friends and helping to keep up school spirit and pride.

This year we have five cheerleaders, three of which cheered last year, and two of which are new. Sophomores Michelle Postiff and Brook Sigler, as well as Junior Anna Swanson, have one year of experience under their belt, and are very excited to have freshmen Christiana Evans and Sarah Carlson joining them. And as always, we have Mrs. Judy Henry coaching.

It’s been a learning experience for all of us. For Sarah and Christi, learning the words and motions to many different cheers at once has been challenging, and the rest of us are relearning the cheers, as well as being in a teaching position for the first time. Things are coming along very well, though, and we are getting ready for our first game, which is December third at 7:30 P.M.

We are also beginning to plan our fundraisers. Just like in the past, we are going to have a crazy hat and slipper day, and possibly a sweatpants/pajama pants day.

Also, we are going to have a cheer clinic for elementary aged girls. During the clinic, girls stay after school and learn cheers from the cheerleaders. They get special shirts made just for the clinic, and wear those shirts to cheer during the half time of a boy’s varsity game. It is always a very special experience to work with the girls.

The clinics, and the role model position, are a big reason I decided to become a cheerleader. Not too many years ago, I was one of the little girls at the clinics, looking up to the cheerleaders, and freaking out when they said “Hi” to me because they were just that cool. About a year ago I decided I wanted to be that for another little girl, and I have not for one minute regretted that decision.

- Anna Swanson, Junior

Christmas in November

Students are yawning, teachers are tired, and all around the school almost everyone is relieved when the bells ring at the end of the day. Why this exhausted attitude? School just restarted at the conclusion of Thanksgiving break. People have returned from their family celebrations and relaxing homes to school. Still, everyone does their best work throughout the day, including the teachers. One more thing has happened over the break. Everyone is now anticipating Christmas.

In the last week of November, many become excited about the upcoming holiday season, including the teachers. One of the most famous Christmas decorations is the Christmas tree. Many students know that a gigantic tree will go up in the center of the rotunda, but until then, some teachers are putting up there own classroom decoration. Everyone knows that one of the best parts of a tree is decorating it. Some, like the third graders, are creating their own ornaments. Other elementary classrooms are bringing in treasures to hang on their trees. Even the town Fruitport has caught the Christmas fever and put up the neon holiday decor on the poles, including trees.

Christmas is also the season for paper snowflakes. Madison Price and Lauren Hutchinson have decorated Mr. Langdon’s room with artificial precipitation, and the rest of the ninth grade has caught the “paper-scraps-all-over-the-floor-oh-look-I-made-a-snowflake” fever. Scissors, paper, and mistaken attempts will be flying all over the school soon as students try their hands at snowflakes and teachers plug in their vacuums. Christmas crafts are already starting.

Christmas is in quite a while, but the countdowns are starting, including Mrs. Mann’s Peanuts calendar. As Christmas trees go up, Christmas crafts start, and countdowns begin, we need to remember why Christmas is so important. Everyone says it’s because God sent His Son, but it’s really because God sent His willing Son to die for us. That gets lost among the fun, but if we start holding on to that concept now, it should be easier to keep it when the holiday season actually starts.

- Alex Anhalt, Freshman

Calvary Basketball Opener

Senior Shymari Harris with Coach Richards
after winning districts last season

The Lady Eagles took on the Pentwater Falcons tonight in a basketball showdown. The basketball season opener outcome was a mystery. The Eagles went in blind about the abilities of Pentwater because; there was no real scouting report about them. Calvary started the game out strong with a 22-0 run.  It was obvious that the game would result in a win for the Eagles, so now the main focus was to be clean and precise with the ball and not get injured.

Everybody made great plays and communicated well with each other. From the bench to the court you heard encouraging words and help from the coaches and fellow teammates. It was a good start to the season but, we have a bigger fish to fry on Friday, November 30. The blue and gold will be facing the North Muskegon Norsemen that they previously lost to last year by 2 pts.

Today’s game was a good practice tool to get back into the swing of things. We know that Friday’s game will be tougher, but there’s nothing as a team we can’t overcome.  Philippians 3:14, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” is a verse often used in our team discussion. “To be the best we must first beat the best.” said Coach Brad Richards. We have to focus on the bigger things at hand after tonight.

We can only take this season practice by practice, then game by game. I believe we are capable of doing some great things. We as team have good chemistry with each other, so only time will tell what the outcome is. We first have to worry about these upcoming non-conference games then winning the conference championship before anything. The Alliance League Conference has been won by West Michigan Lutheran every year since they joined our conference, so this is a primary focus of ours.

The next home showdown will be held on November 30, 2012 at 7 p.m.

- Shymari Harris, Senior

Basketball Season on its Way

Its that time of year. Basketball season! The guys and girls basketball teams have been working hard in practice for a couple weeks now.

Both teams had outstanding seasons last year. The boys team broke the school record with a 18-4 season. They did lose to Muskegon Catholic Central in the district finals but they ended up going to the semifinals. So they lost to a very good team.

The girls broke a school record with a 20-4 record. They beat Muskegon Catholic Central in the district finals. That’s the first district win in school history. They won a regional game as well winning in a nail biter. They ended up losing in the regional finals.

Both teams had great season last year. The guys lost four seniors and will be younger this year. They will run more and press more than last year using our quick players to wear down the other teams. The girls only lost one senior. So they are returning almost everyone and adding some other players as well. They are going to work hard for another successful season.

Come support both teams this year. They are both very fun to watch. All the players and coaches love the crowd cheering and supporting them every game. Hope to see you all at many games!

- Mike Warren, Junior

Scrimmage against Big Reds

As usual, the school year rushes by in a whirlwind. As volleyball and soccer comes to an end, the gym transforms into a basketball arena.  The girls have yet to have an official home game this season but have had a couple scrimmages against some pretty big schools.

This past Tuesday, the girls JV and Varsity played at Muskegon High School. The JV and Varsity alternated in 20 minute intervals. The Varsity started out against the Big Reds a little unconfident in their defense. As the game progressed, the girls started to get the hang of it, but ended the first 20 minutes behind Muskegon.

Next, the JV took the floor. The girls played their best against the Big Reds, but ended behind Muskegon as well. Coming into a scrimmage like this the girls knew it would be tough. Playing teams that are good competition prepare us for harder games later in the season.

As the Varsity took the floor for the next 20 minutes, the girls were ready to get down to business. They were determined to take pride in their defense and not let Muskegon push them around. The girls took an early lead and as the clock dwindled away, they ended in victory with a score of 20-14. With Muskegon being a class A school, this was a pretty big accomplishment. This gives the team a good look as to their level of play. No matter how big the school is, if they work together and play together they could be unstoppable.

With a tough schedule ahead for both teams, the girls look forward to an exciting and competitive season with hopes of exceeding last year’s achievements.

The girls varsity have their first home game this Tuesday against Pentwater. Come out and support your Lady Eagles!

            - Natalie Kapanka, Senior

Thanksgiving Thoughts

As we approach the 2012 Thanksgiving holiday we are compelled to look back at the numerous ways we have been blessed as a school. This year, perhaps even more than any in the past, we have a multitude of reasons to be grateful. Here are just a few…

               

 For starters, the fact that we had a school to return to in the fall is in itself an amazing fact. At the end of the 2012 school year there were many uncertainties about the 2013 school year that caused many students, parents, and staff to worry. This apprehension only grew as the uncertainties extended into the summer months. Throughout that time, however, we were able to rest on the assurance that “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28 NASB) It was a great relief to all to find out shortly before the school year that Calvary Christian Schools would be opening as normal in September. As a bonus, God even worked in unfathomable ways to allow us to continue at the Kendra Road address. We are very blessed to be in such a wonderful building.

               

A functional school this year wouldn’t have been possible without the unbelievably hard work and extreme dedication of the Calvary school board and staff… and this is an understatement. Every single one of them worked countless hours all throughout the school year and summer to preserve the awesome ministry that is Calvary Christian Schools. Doing all they did for the students is probably one of the most selfless acts that most of us will experience in our lifetime. I know that I speak for all of the students when I say that we will be forever grateful for the privilege of learning at Calvary which was made possible only through many late night calls and hundreds of meetings attended by the school board.

               

 In addition to all this, there are many other reasons for us to be thankful this year. We are thankful for all the teachers and staff who have stuck with us through everything, our families, our friends, our faith, and even our basic necessities like food and clothes. God has certainly been a faithful provider for his undeserving children this year.

            - Hayley Mohr, Senior

Sadie Hawkins 2012

It is that time of year at Calvary Christian School for Sadie Hawkins. Sadie Hawkins is a banquet at Calvary that the Seniors put together and choose a theme. But this is no ordinary banquet, there is a little twist. Instead of the guys asking the girls to the dinner, the girls ask the guys. I always find it interesting to see the different responses.

Mr. and Mrs. Evans graciously opened up their home and barn to have CCS's Hillbilly Hoedown Sadie Hawkins. All the students arrived to CCS all dressed up in their country style. Some looking super cute, some looking like a typical hillbilly and even some in pig costumes.

With all the students and the CCS teachers and staff, I knew from the second I walked in to the barn it was going to be a party. The seniors had some of the cutest photo booths ever.  Mr. Zelenka made probably the best pig I have ever had! With the giant full size pig on the table, we also had a full plate of corn bread, beans, corn, mashed potatoes and to top it off a slice of apple pie and caramel corn.

After stuffing ourselves to the fullest we gathered around to learn how to square dance. Now it does not matter one bit if you can dance or not, and you can not use the excuse that you don't like country music. The instructor taught us very well and we danced the night away. Well the next two hours at least.




 

Friendships were made and many were grown stronger! Everyone had a blast, and I mean everyone – especially with amazing food and fellowship. That is what is so great about Calvary. Does not matter if you are a freshman, a senior or even one of the parents, everyone is best friends and we all can gather together in a Christ centered setting and still have a Hillbilly Hoedown great time!

            -Brianna Zehr

Sadie Hawkins 2012 Preparation

Friday, November 16, 2012 is one of the most exciting times of the school year, it is Sadie Hawkins! Where girls ask guys. The Senior class gets to come up with a theme and put it all together! They try to keep is a secret until a couple weeks before and then they put signs up around the school.

This years theme is a hoedown! It will be at a big barn and it is going to be a pig roast! There is a guy that is going to come and teach all of us how to do some hoedown dancing and we will be doing some other fun activities! It is just a fun filled night with our close friends! I am extremely excited for Sadie Hawkins, it will be a blast!

There have been some pretty creative and awesome Sadie Hawkins themes in the past years like back to the 50's, night at the museum, 20's, a Mexican theme and many more! It is getting harder to think of themes that would be fun enough to beat the previous years! There have been some repeats of Sadie Hawkins themes because it is tough to think of new ones!

I think this year is going to be so much fun! My favorite Sadie Hawkins that I have been to was the back to the 50's one, which was last years theme! We went ice skating and to Dogs n' Suds. There was delicious food and ice skating was great! That senior class did excellent at planning that one. That one will be tough to beat! I guess we will see if this year’s theme is as fun as last years! The students at Calvary always look forward to Sadie Hawkins. It is a great time filled with amazing memories!

Morgan Rude, Junior

5th Grade Basketball

When people think about Calvary’s Basketball team they think of the varsity basketball that wins and loses games. Nobody ever thinks about the smaller kids and how they’re doing in the season. Well I’m writing this blog to tell you everything that has happened with the 5^th grade basketball team. Although I cannot tell you the exact scores of each game I can update you with as much as I know.

            Calvary’s 5^th grade girl’s basketball team has played 3 games so far and has won all of them. Although not as intense as the varsity games, I assure you that these games can be quite tense at times. During each game I went to the girls kept me on my edge of my seat as they played their hearts out.

            The 5^th grade team has played 3 games, Muskegon Catholic Central, Grand Haven Christian and St. Mary’s each game getting more difficult for the team as they play teams twice their size. Their first game was St. Mary’s which they had no trouble winning, the second game was a little more difficult against MCC which was twice their size, they still pulled off a victory however. The third and most challenging so far was GHC where during the game they were either down by one or up by one.

            So now you see that the fifth grade team is a little more exciting then one would think so next game you can come and cheer on the 5^th grade eagle’s girl’s basketball team.

            - Ryan Cashler, Sophomore

2nd Quarter Bible Classes

As a new quarter rolled in, fresh Bible classes were offered to the students. Second quarter’s choices for Bible classes included “Contemporary Philosophies and Religions” with Mr. Eric Strattan, “Biblical Geography” with Mr. Chandler Collins and “Ephesians” with Mr. Nate York. It was a hard choice for many of the students. The students went to their new classes on Monday, November 5^th. In most classes, the teacher went over a syllabus and explained the goals for the class.

Mr. Eric Strattan, the pastor of Bridge Bible Church has a class called “Contemporary Philosophies and Religions.” The class’s goal is that the students will be able to define and explain various religious groups’ distinct teachings and practices, and contrast them with a biblical worldview. The students received a text book called “So, What’s the Difference?” which they are going to read during the period of time that they are taking the class.

Mr. Chandler Collins is teaching a Biblical Geography class. He is the son of Mrs. Ruth Collins. The goal of the class is to create a desire in the students to go to Israel and to teach them about the importance of having knowledge of biblical geography. Mr. Collins went to Israel in the past year, so he is able to bring in items from the Holy Land, such as rocks, and show many pictures. This class is making the scripture come alive.

Mr. Nate York is teaching a class on the book of Ephesians. He is a youth pastor at a church in the area. During the class, the students read passages and then take notes. Mr. York, then, explains the passage. The students get candy if they can fill in the notes before he gives them the answers.

These new HS Bible classes are teaching Calvary students many things.  From the specifics of various religions, to the physical and geographic landscape of the Holy Land, and the truths of Ephesians, students are able to get a well-rounded knowledge of the Bible. These classes are a great part of the Christian based learning at Calvary Christian Schools.

- Michelle Postiff, Sophomore