Volleyball Districts 2012



Celebrating after an ACE



On Wednesday, October 31, our varsity volleyball team would take on the Muskegon Catholic Central Crusaders.  If our girls won this game, they would move on to the district championship game.  They would either play Zion or Providence, two teams we could easily beat.  In a way, this would be the championship game. 

The game started shortly after seven o’clock, and began a very long and intense night.  The first game was seven to six, with the Eagles ahead, within the first few minutes.   The points went back and forth, but the Crusaders won the first game by seven points. 

The next game, the Eagles brought it together and after seven points of continuous serving from Brianna, the other team called a time out.  The Crusaders didn’t catch up until later, when it was tied at sixteen.  Our girls pulled ahead and won this game twenty- five to twenty- two.  After these two games, a pattern was established. 

The third game was claimed by the Crusaders and was a tough loss.  The score was twenty-five to eleven.  If the Crusaders won the fourth game, the season would be over.  Thankfully, that wasn’t the case.  Although I don’t know the exact score, the Eagles won. 

Every game was a hard-fought one, but it all came down to the final game.  This game would only go to fifteen, so every single point would count. The Eagles fought hard, and tied it at ten to ten.  As hard as we were trying, the final score turned out to be fifteen to twelve, Crusaders. 

As hard as it was for our girls, especially the three seniors, this team had a great season.  They learned how to play together as a team and had a blast together.  Next year, Shymari, Natalie, and Hayley will be greatly missed with their volleyball experience and fun personalities.  These girls have had a great effect on our school and the team.  It will be different without them, but I know that the memories they left will stay.

- Megan Mitchell, Freshman

Yearbook Signing 2012

Every year in the beginning of the school year we have a yearbook signing party. This party is exactly what it sounds like. You go, purchase your yearbook and hang out with your friends while signing each others books. The snacks are always a plus too! 

The party was on Tuesday, October 23. Like always, it was put on by the yearbook staff. They start off with setting up the snacks. This year we had some delicious, gooey, frosted brownies, chips, and some nice cold lemonade! Then they get a list of all the people in the school, the boxes of yearbooks, and writing utensils to sign with!

When you get there the first thing you want to do is get your yearbook! Your family gets their first one for $10 dollars which is a great deal. If you’re one of the few people who think it is too much money just for a book, you have to think about the benefits of purchasing it. First, it’s a book that only our school has, and it’s fun to be able to look back at that year for year on end. Secondly, each year there is a whole new theme to the book, so that means that there will never be a Calvary Christian School yearbook like that again. 

Another reason why it’s fun to go to this party is because it’s just fun hanging out! You get to sit down while writing passed memories that you've had with that person. You get to reminisce on the events that happened in your elementary, middle school, and high school classes! You get to see the people that have graduated again, for when they come and pick there yearbooks up. It’s always fun to catch up with people who have graduated and see where they are at with their lives. Plus, it’s always nice writing notes in other people’s yearbooks about how they make you laugh, how they’re sweet and son on. 

I think it’s a wonderful idea to have, and even attend these parties. Not to mention I would consider buying a yearbook a great idea too! 

            - Megan Beals, Senior

5th Grade Trip to Country Dairy

On November 1st the fifth graders went to Country Dairy. For the past couple of weeks before they went, they were learning about cud chewers. They decided to go to Country Dairy to get the real life experience. One of the things they did see is the baby cows. According to my sister if you stuck your finger in the baby cows mouth it would sit there and suck on it until you took it out. Then your finger would be covered in slime!!!

After they saw the baby cows they got to go and see the big pregnant mother cows. My sister said that the pregnant mom cows were enormous. No one would want to get stepped on by one of those cows. After that they got to go and see how the cows got cleaned and milked. Then after they saw all of that, they finally got to go see the cud chewers. In my personal opinion I think it would be fun to see them. After that they got to eat their lunch. When they were eating their lunch they got some of Country Dairy's chocolate milk. My sister said it tasted like you were drinking malt, it was that good.

After that, for a little while, they got to play on the playground. Then they got to into the cheese freezer. My sister said that there was blue cheese in there that was five years old. In my personal opinion blue cheese is disgusting. After that they got to go into the bottle producing area. They got to watch the milk get put in the bottles. In my opinion I think that the fifth graders had a great time at Country Dairy.

- Samantha Nesbitt

Boys Soccer Districts 2012

High school soccer districts started last week in Michigan. Calvary got a good draw for it. We got a bye and would play the winner of North Muskegon vs. Ravenna. North Muskegon won 8 to 0 so the matchup was set for Thursday, October 18. Our team knew they would be a tough team to beat but also knew we could beat them. We had respect for their talent but also had the right confidence that we could play with these guys.

The weather started off not bad. We came out playing hard. I don’t think North Muskegon expected us to start off so good. We were working harder. We were winning balls in the air. We were talking. They didn’t even get many shots of in the first half. Even with the lack of calls on them we played solid.

Towards the end of the first half Drew Maine scored. A nice high shot that the goalie couldn’t get to. That got us even more excited. So going into half time we had the one goal advantage. But it was a tale of two halves.

They came out of the half desperate and wanting to tie the game. And then the weather changed. It started raining and the wind kicked in. so we had the disadvantage of the 30 mph wind going against us. That makes it harder to clear the ball out of our zone and its easier for them to possess the ball.

They scored a goal that we just couldn’t clear in time. Our defense was trying hard but all the momentum was on their side. They got another similar goal in a little bit later. The offense gave a last ditch effort to score a goal to put it into overtime but could not quite put one in.



Dedicated Fans.



So the Norse ended up winning 2 to 1 in a close tough game. Our team was disappointed that we didn’t win but we knew that we played hard and gave North Muskegon a good run.

The Calvary soccer team came a long way this year. We started 1 and 7 and ended up 8 and 10. That shows how much we improved this year. Thank you to all the soccer players who worked hard and made the soccer season

- Michael Warren, Junior

End of the 1st Quarter

The end of the first quarter has almost come to an end.  This year is going by very quickly for all of the students at Calvary Christian Schools.  Being the last year for me and my classmates is very bitter sweet.  It’s really cool to experience the thought that we are almost adults and almost done with high school.  It’s also scary to think that we are almost adults with more responsibility and we will be moving on to college.  Life will definitely be a little different for us seniors and I think that each one of us will experience different emotions on graduation day.

Graduation day is still a long ways away for us seniors.  This quarter has been somewhat easy for all of us due to the fact that of the blessing of new staff and teachers.  We have lost a couple teachers last year but gain new teachers as fast as we could.  The new teachers and staff have warmed up to the CCS student body and now are way more comfortable with us as teachers and friends.  The CCS students have always grown more comfortable with the new teachers. 

We seniors are getting ahead of ourselves and are already talking about senior trip which is all the way in May.  We need to stay geared in to the rest of the school year and finish up the last three quarters strong and be prepared for what’s in store for us in the near future as adults.  I’m sure the CCS student body will make this an eventful and enjoyable year like all the rest were.  Feels different being the top of the food change and being the role models but as a senior I plan on making this year enjoyable and exciting not just for me but for all the others as well.  I’m planning on making it one of the best school years.    

            - David Everett, Senior

Sophomore Class Chapel 2012

This Thursday we had our first class chapel of the 2012-2013 school year! Every year, each high school class organizes at least one chapel for the Middle and High School. The Seniors also do an extra one at the end of the year to pass along their “wisdom” and say goodbye to their fellow schoolmates. These class chapels are a very good way to get all the students completely involved in the chapel curriculum, while teaching everyone to take leadership in their faith. Once we graduate and move on in our walks with Christ, it is good to have practice explaining what we believe and why we believe it. Preparing chapels is a perfect example of this. It is just one of the many useful tools Calvary gives us that extends beyond the bounds of academics into areas that are of even more importance in our lives on earth through eternity.

This year the Sophomore class had the privilege of being the first class to lead the student body in chapel. They chose a theme of Evangelism, which goes along with our main theme this year of “All Things New.” The chapel started with many of the Sophomores leading the student body in worship. After this, the students were privileged to enjoy a well put together video that portrayed evangelism in real-life situations. There were scenes ranging from battlefields, to car factories, to more unexpected ones like the bathroom. The 10^th grade boys did a great job of making tangible applications for evangelism while providing a humorous twist. Ryan Cashler then extended the message of the video by giving a short challenge to the students.

Next, Taylor Richards, Elise Maine, Lyssa Byers, and Brittany Chartrand led everyone in a sword drill. Everyone raced to find the four winning passages that each had to do with the spreading of the gospel. Unfortunately, there could only be four winners. But those lucky four were happy because they each got a piece of chocolate for reading their passages! This game was instrumental in getting a competitive jibe flowing in the chapel while engaging every single student in the message. After this, the chapel ended with everyone joining in to the singing of “Grace Like Rain.” Overall, the Sophomores did an excellent job of portraying an important message that was both applicable and entertaining.

            - Hayley Mohr, Senior

A Special Tuesday Night At CCS

Have you been keeping up with the girls’ varsity volleyball team this season? If not, you’re missing out on another great year. The girls finished their season with only one loss. They played at their conference tournament last Saturday and after a long battle with Zion, they took first place. Something really great about this team is that they work so well together. When they’re connected, it seems that nothing can stop them.

 

Last Tuesday was a unique night for the Eagles. First, it was a tri-match here at Calvary. The eagles played the Black River Rats and Providence Storm. Both the JV and Varsity finished the night with two wins.

Another reason Tuesday was a memorable night was because it was the last home game of the season. As the fans gathered along the sidelines, we all soaked in the last moments of the volleyball season together. 

For some girls, this was just the last home game of the season. But that night, three Eagles approached the volleyball court at Calvary for the very last time. As they prepared to take the court, the girls reminisced about the first time they played volleyball together in that very same gym in 5^th grade. As the game began, they knew this the last time they would line up and wear that royal blue jersey. Finishing with two wins was a great way to end their regular season careers. After the game, Mr. Maine reminded us again why this was a special night at Calvary. As the senior parents lined up with flowers and chocolates for the girls, three seniors exchanged anxious and tearful glances. Hayley Mohr, Natalie Kapanka, and Shymari Harris walked to center court to meet their parents and say thank you to Coach Heather Denger for coaching them all these years.  

 

If you weren’t able to make it to the game, don’t worry! The girls play in their first game of districts Wednesday, October 31, against Muskegon Catholic Central at 7pm at Muskegon Catholic. Come out and support your Lady Eagles! 

-Natalie Kapanka, Senior

How Kindergartens Learn to Read

A lot of people don’t really know how Kindergarteners learn to read. Years ago people learned to read by sight. They read books that had the same words over and over again until you memorized each word. They used to call these Dick and Jane books. Now, the way children learn is very different. The Kindergarteners at Calvary Christian Schools learn to read by phonics. The dictionary says that Phonics is “the method of teaching reading in which people learn to associate letters with the sounds they represent, instead of learning the whole word as a unit.”

           

 At Calvary Christian Schools, the Kindergarteners first learn all the short vowel sounds. Then they begin learning the consonants. As soon as they learn the first consonant, they begin to learn to put them together as blends. They practice the blends, until then they can add an ending sound and make a short vowel word. When asked how she teaches each letter, Mrs. Van Tine said, “I want the Kindergarteners to use every sense and learning style when they get introduced to a new letter. We write the letters trace the letters under a screen so they can feel the letters, we do crafts that help the children recognize each letter, and sometimes we even cook something that begins with our new letter!” By the time the children are done learning a new letter, it is something they can recognize and they can come up with the sound the letter says. It’s exciting when the Kindergarteners begin to put all the sounds together and start reading words. At Calvary Christian Schools, most of the students are able to do this by Christmas says Mrs. Van Tine.

           

After they get the hang of reading short vowel words, called CVC words, they learn the two vowel rule. “When there are two vowels in a word the first vowel says its long sound, and the second vowel is silent.” When you think of how many phonics blends there are and how many words don’t always follow the phonics rules, it’s amazing to think a young child can ever learn to read!

- Annie VanTine, Sophomore

November Blood Drive

National Honor Society Blood Drive

The theme for this year’s first blood drive is “Carve out a New Halloween Tradition.” The National Honor Society is hoping you will all do just that!

On November 1st, from 12:00 noon until 5:45 p.m., the local Red Cross and CCS’s chapter of the National Honor Society will be hosting the first of two blood drives this year.

The NHS is already busy planning for the big event. There is much to do in preparation for the blood drive to be successful. Teams have already signed up to man the many different stations. There is set-up and tear-down, greeting, registration, and the all important refreshment table.

Students need to be available to help the donors as well as the staff from the Red Cross whenever they need it.

Last year’s November drive had forty-four people give blood and the March blood drive had forty people attend. This year our goal is to beat that amount.

In addition to the satisfaction the students get from helping with this life saving event, if the turnout is large enough, the Senior NHS students are eligible to receive scholarship funds. The blood drive hours are also used to fulfill the extra community services hours that the NHS students must serve.

So let’s help make this first blood drive of the new school year a big success by asking our parents, relatives and friends seventeen and older to give blood and help save lives.

So please remember, save November 1st from 12:00 noon to 5:45 p.m. to help Mrs. Stenberg and the CCS National Honor Society set a record in attendance. Contact a NHS member to sign up.

So, after you finish with all the candy and carving out of real pumpkins, “Carve out a New Halloween Tradition” with the Red Cross and Calvary Christian Schools National Honor Society!

- Cory Greeno, Sophomore

October 13 Tournaments

            Saturday, October 13, was a big day for our middle school teams. Two tournaments were held at Calvary. Both the Middle School Boys Soccer Tournament and the Middle School Girls Volleyball Tournament took place. It was a fun day of good competition.

            The five visiting teams arrived at Calvary around 8:30 in the morning. They came on buses from Kalamazoo, Holland and Grand Rapids. It was pouring rain.

            The soccer teams wore rain jackets while they prepared to play. The volleyball teams warmed up in Calvary’s dry gym. The games began with pool play and bracket play. Volleyball pools were set up. Short soccer games made up a bracket.

            In soccer, the young Calvary team competed against larger, more experienced teams.   And with no subs, the team struggled to keep up with the opponents. Many soccer players retreated into the school for some warmth and dryness while they were waiting to play their next game. Even though Calvary lost their games, they kept their heads held high.

            In volleyball, Calvary’s girls were first in their pool, beating Calvary of Holland and tying Algoma. This gave them a bye in the bracket play. After pool play, the volleyball teams went up into the mezzanine to have lunch. Bracket play began in the afternoon. The bracket narrowed down to a championship game with the Algoma Knights and the Calvary Eagles. It was close, but Algoma pulled ahead and won. Calvary played hard and took 2^nd place. After the game, the teams were awarded trophies by Mr. Maine. A chocolate cake from Ryke’s bakery made it even more special for the CCS girls.

            It was a competitive and exciting day. In most of the games, the teams were well matched.  Both our soccer and volleyball teams showed great improvement from the beginning of the season. They played hard, even when they were in the pouring rain. Saturday certainly displayed Calvary’s middle school teams and their spirit.

Michelle Postiff, Sophomore

Fall Sports Are Awesome

This week, October 7 to October 13, was busy for the Calvary Christian sports teams. The Varsity boys soccer team, Middle School boys soccer team, JV girls volleyball team, Varsity girls volleyball team, and Middle School girls volleyball team all participated in events this past week. Thanks to all the fans that supported the athletes!

After practicing all week, preparing for the upcoming Friday game, the Varsity girls volleyball team was ready. They were excited to travel all the way to Heritage Christian in Kalamazoo and play their hardest. With coaches Heather and Joy giving tips and encouraging comments during warm- ups, the tension between the two teams escalated. Game one started and ended with the Calvary Eagles on top! Coach Heather had nothing but praise for the Varsity Girls. Game two began. After a rough start, your Calvary Eagles finished the games with ease, now winning 2-0. The last game was definitely the most fun as the Varsity boys soccer came in to cheer the girls on. Varsity girls volleyball won in 3 games!!

The JV girls volleyball also played well on Friday. Practicing with the Varsity benefits them immensely. Although the girls did not win their game against Heritage Christian's JV, they have improved so much since the start of the season. Coach Heather and Coach Joy both are proud of the JV girls and excited of the teams future.

At the middle school volleyball tournament today, the Calvary Eagles played exceptionally well. Playing against the other schools in the Alliance League can be difficult and mentally challenging but the girls were able to focus and bring home a second place trophy! Thanks to Hayley and Taylor for working the concession stand and all the others who helped out running the clocks and line judging! Special thanks to Mr. Maine as well!

The Varsity boys had an exciting afternoon as well. Heritage Christian is first place in the conference and a very talented team. Our boys played hard and tough. The score ended up 1-2 and Heritage won. We are proud of our Varsity boys who finished third in the conference!

And last but not least, great job Middle School boys soccer! You represented Calvary well by playing hard and physical the entire season. If you had a chance to watch these kids you would agree that they always tried their best and gave all they had. We are excited to see these boys in future years as they have all improved this season! 

Great job sports teams!!!!!!!

Taylor Richards, Sophomore

The First Grade at CCS

As the older students struggle through a particularly hard question on a science test, or strain to stay awake through a long lecture, we tend to forget the students that are just beginning their walk through school, like the Preschoolers, Kindergarteners, and first graders. What is it like in those small classrooms, sitting in a short desk, or at a little table, learning how to read, write, add, subtract, discern colors, numbers, or the alphabet? Are we the only ones who work hard?

    Let’s start with the morning. As we come in loaded with homework, instruments, and sports equipment, what are they doing down in Mrs. Smith’s classroom? The first graders start their day just outside the gym, all in one big line. Once they are moved to their lockers, they get their reading books and pencils and head inside. They say pledges to the Christian and American flags, as well as the Bible, and sing, “My Country ‘Tis of Thee.” Mrs. Smith prays, and they begin a day of learning.

    One of the exciting things about the first grade is learning to read. In class, they split into groups; the Cardinals, Bluejays, and Ravens. The groups read the assigned pages from their Fun with Pets books together, then go back to their seats. They always have a few pages for homework that they need to read with a parent or an older sibling, who signs it so their children can get a star sticker from Mrs. Smith.

    A big part of the first grade day is seatwork. Mrs. Smith gives them instructions and their papers, which include math, spelling, letters, and writing. Then, they all quietly get to work. All of them want to get done as soon as possible, so they don’t have to do it at rest time.   

    Show-and-Tell is always fun! There are assigned people for each day to bring in something fun and special. One day, Grason brought in a toy pink piano! Will once brought a 2006 World Series baseball. Every ten days, someone brings in a round treat for the class, such as one glazed doughnut each for the end of ten days, two marshmallows each for the twentieth day, and so on the fun will go!

    Some of the fun things they do with Mrs. Smith include reading the Little House on the Prairie series and listening to Patch the Pirate CDs. They are on the second Laura Ingalls Wilder book, Little House on the Prairie. Every day they also have a special class. These include music, P.E., art, and library. In music class, Mrs. Dickson helps them sings songs like “Angels We Have Heard On High.” In P.E., they play games like soccer, freeze tag, “What Time is it Mr. Fox?” and Octopus Tag with Mrs. Cashler, but only after they run five laps. Octopus Tag is just like tag but if you are tagged, you have to get on the ground and wiggle around until someone tags you. Art class is always fun! Right now, the first graders are making white paper birch trees with Mrs. Baker. In library, they get to experience the joy of reading for the first time with Mrs. Collins, who gets them acquainted with their new best friend, a good book.

    At the end of the day, as first graders run back to the classroom to get their lunchboxes, and then back in again for their reading books, and back in again for absolutely no reason, Mrs. Smith watches and smiles. She knows that although she can not guide them through all of life, she can at least help them survive first grade. She can not stop them from making wrong decisions in their futures, but she can help them to recognize these decisions as wrong. The first grade is a time of beginning, a time when everything starts. She knows that at the end of the year, she will have to say goodbye to  this class. Yet there will always be another class, just as eager to begin, to read, and to learn. And so the first graders, their parents, and anyone who has ever had Mrs. Smith say...

Thank You

Mrs. Smith!

- Alex Anhalt, Freshman

Being a New Student

This year I’m a new student at Calvary Christian Schools. Before this I was homeschooled except for kindergarten. This past year I was very excited to go to Calvary, and had taken every opportunity to go to Calvary events so I could talk to my friends. The first few days it was pretty weird to have a locker to put my stuff in instead of a drawer. I even left my locker door open a couple times before I got used to it. When I was homeschooled I went to bed late and slept in late, so it’s been kind of hard getting used to waking up at 6:30.

Packing lunches has been challenging as well, but thankfully I’ve only forgotten my lunch once. Just generally having set times for classes was very different too. Before I could always do whichever subject I wanted first and there was no such thing as “homework.” Tests and quizzes are harder and the teachers are way stricter than my mom. However, you cover more material in homeschooling in a shorter amount of time.

            Getting to know and reconnect with the people in my class has been fun. I already knew some of them from kindergarten, and the ones I didn’t know weren’t hard to make friends with. The people in my class and the people at Calvary are really nice and easy to talk to. Going on retreat helped a lot with giving time to just chill and get to know everyone better. They’ve made me feel at home and it’s only the fourth week of school.

Something I was really looking forward to was being able to see my friends every day. Doing school by myself got lonely and boring and it was easy to get distracted. For a lot of people certain classes can be boring, but since I’ve never experienced regular classes before I think they’re all interesting.  Also at Calvary I now take band, choir, P.E. and a Bible/Focus class where at home I only did the usual history, science and so on.  In my opinion school is fun. I enjoy seeing friends every day and going to all the different classes. It just feels like I’m going to a big social event every day and I love it. Calvary is a great school with great people and I am very thankful to God for allowing me to go there.   

- Christi Evans, Freshman

Mr. Payton

This year at Calvary we got a few new teachers. One of the new teachers here is Mr. Payton. He is the 6th-10th grade math teacher, 8th grade Bible and 3rd-5th grade PE teacher.

He was born December 31,1974 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Then he moved to New Jersey then to Wisconsin and then he ended up in Michigan. He has a dog named Barkley and a cat named Smokey.

Before he came to teach here he taught at Freedom Christian in Hudsonville, Michigan. He always wanted to be a teacher. He likes math because you can either be right or wrong and there is no gray area.

His favorite food is donuts and he also likes to golf and play basketball. The craziest thing that Mr. Payton has ever done was going cliff jumping. The funny thing is that he is scared of heights. Last year we had Mrs. B (aka Mrs. Borgeson) and now we have Mr.Payton. She was a good teacher and it was hard to see her go, but we got to believe God is leading her in the right direction. Mr. Payton is a calm and collected teacher, which I like. I think after awhile it is good to have a change of teacher.

In my opinion Mr. Payton is a really cool teacher. He doesn't mind taking time out of his day to help you with your math homework. I think Mr. Payton will be a really good teacher. He definitely can be a serious teacher when he needs to be and funny teacher when the time is right. Overall I think that Mr. Payton will be a great contribution to our school and to the students. He is also known as Mr. P.

- Samantha Nesbitt, Freshman

White Pine Village Fieldtrip

For this particular blog I have decided to write about an elementary fieldtrip to White Pine Village.  Mrs. Nousain’s fifth grade class went to this recreated Historic Village on Thursday, October fourth.  Located in Ludington, this recreated town of Michigan tells the story of Mason County’s past. 

There are over thirty different buildings, many of which were actually built in the late 1800s and early 1900s and were transported to White Pine Village.  Tours and field trips are available for people to come and see what it was like to live during this time period. 

This is a great history lesson and a great way to remember Michigan’s past.  Activities here include watching a sorghum press work, visiting a sawmill, experiencing a one-room schoolhouse lesson, cooking on a farm, and much more.  You can even get ice cream that is locally made or buy old-fashioned wooden toys.  Of course the fifth graders wouldn’t pass up a chance for ice cream!  White Pine Village opened in 1976, and has received multiple visitors, including Calvary Christian Schools!

One of the original buildings that was transported was the old courthouse.  It didn’t start as a courthouse though.  It was originally built by Mr. Caswell as a house for his family.  It was the nicest house in the entire town, and it was the first to be built of lumber.  All the rest were log cabin structures.  Out of the Caswell’s generosity, the downstairs of their house was donated to the town to be used as a court house where the jury would meet.  The family then lived in the upstairs.  Their root cellar became a jail that would hold the person that would be on trial until that day.  The Caswell house also served as a trading post for the town.

This fieldtrip was quite a success.  The students had fun learning hands-on, enjoyed eating their ice cream; all while enjoying a beautiful and sunny fall day.

- Megan Mitchell, Freshman

Interview with Mr. Langdon

Questions and answers about some things you may not know about Mr. Langdon.

Today I decided to interview Mr. Langdon in hopes of getting to know him better! I asked him 20 questions, some hard and some easy. Here is what Mr. Langdon shared.

Q: "Where were you born?"

A: "I was born in New Kensington, Pennsylvania.

Q: "When did you move to Michigan?"

A: "Well, I went to college at Calvin in 2003 for five years and visited my home in the summer every year. I officially moved and changed my residence in 2008."

Q:"What led you to teach at Calvary?"

A: "I heard about the job from my pastor at Calvary Grand Rapids. It was really God’s providence – I was only in Michigan for one weekend and I found out about the position at that time and got an interview that weekend. I had to borrow someone’s shirt and tie – it was that sudden."

Q: "How long have you been teaching at Calvary?"

A: "I have been teaching here for five years." 

Q:"What is your favorite science subject to teach?"

A: "Chemistry, it is what I majored in."

Q:"What is your favorite thing about Calvary?"

A: "The family atmosphere. I couldn’t teach a more ideal environment"

Q:"If you were to write a book on the last few years of your life what would be the highlight?"

A: "The current time at which I’m living. Everything in my past God has used to shape me into an instrument to be used for his purpose."

Q:"What class do you assign the most homework in?"

A: "Physics and Chemistry 2.  They’re optional science classes that require a little more work than the other science classes I teach."

Q:"How long have you been married?"

A: "One month as of August 25."

Q:"What is your favorite food?

A: Bread, but it has to be multi-grain and straight out of a bakery."

Q:"What is your favorite movie and book Genre?"

A: Movie: Action/Adventure

     Book: Fiction

Q:"What is your favorite color?"
A: "Green"

Q:"What would be your ideal car you’d want to own?"

A: "Ford F-150"

Q:"What subject was hard for you in high school?"

A: "AP European history."

Q:"How organized do you like to be?"

A: "Very organized. I feel stressed when things are messy."

Q:"What is your favorite law of science?"

A: "Newtons 1st Law. If a student and I collide, I win. J"

Q:"What made you want to buy a snake?"

A: "It is easy to take care of."

Q:"If you could go anywhere in the world at any period of time where would you go?"

A: "I would go back to when the United States won its independence, so I could witness it as it really happened."

Q:"What is your favorite element on the periodic table?"

A: "Hydrogen. It is in a lot of cool compounds and pure hydrogen is a flammable gas."

Q:"What is your favorite animal?"
A: "Well… the easiest pet to care for would be a corn snake. But I like dogs a lot because you can play with them.  Perhaps someday"

What a cool interview of a great teacher. We are lucky to have teachers that love Calvary like we do. Thanks, Mr. Langdon!

- Will Lipscombe, freshman

View Of A Kindergartener

My five year old brother Dawson's view on Kindergarten at Calvary Christian Schools:

What have you learned in Kindergarten so far?

"I have learned all my vowels and some consonants. The letters I have learned are A for Apple, B for Buttons, E for Elephant, I for Indians, L for Leaves, M for Money, O for Octopus, T for Toothpick and U for Umbrella.

I have also learned about Noah's Ark and how he was brave and obeyed God when he was told to build an Ark and bring in two of each animal.

Bible class is one of my favorites!"

What do you like about Calvary?

"I love the teachers Mrs. VanTine, Mrs. Zehr and our Wednesday helper, Mrs. Evans. They are very fun to be around and are very nice! I also love Miss Natalie, our High School classroom helper. She took lots of pictures at our Teddy Bear Party and put some on Facebook. She helps us with centers a lot too."

"I also love being with my best friend Bradley Richards all day. We sit together at lunch time. At recess we play on the monkey bars together and pretend to be different Mario characters.

My favorite subjects of the day are Music and Library class. My favorite part about Library class is being able to choose an awesome book and reading it with my Mom or my Dad and my little sister before bed time.

The best part of Music class is singing songs and coloring pictures with Mrs. Dykstra. One of my favorite songs is called "Ten Little Fingers" and it goes like this, "One little, two little, three little fingers, four little, five little, six little fingers, seven little, eight little, nine little fingers, ten little fingers in all!"

"I am looking forward to our field trip to the Country Dairy and Lewis' Farm to get ice cream and to pet the animals.”

- Lauren Hutchison, freshman

Games on Saturday

On Saturday the girls’ varsity volleyball team played in a tournament. Also the guys’ varsity soccer team played a game.

At eleven o’clock, the varsity boys’ soccer team played Walkerville at our field. It was very cold and raining but the guys kept on going. Drew Maine had an amazing goal from half field. Ililo, Joel, and Cory had got a goal. Also Zeri got two goals. Cory was happy to get his first career goal on a funny accident. Joel had actually shot the ball and it hit Cory’s foot and went in. One surprising thing that Coach Maine did was he put Mike as striker and Carson as goalie. I don’t believe Carson ever played goalie at an actual soccer game this season. Mike and Carson both did very well though in their different positions. The team worked very hard that day and it paid off because they won six to two. It was nice that they beat them since we were on our field.

           

While the guys were playing soccer, the girls’ varsity volleyball team played in a tournament at Freedom around nine o’clock. They had won their first game which put them off to a nice start. Then the girls lost one game to Heritage but that fired them up and they won the second.  They had also played other schools but Zion was very close they lost the first game but came back with a win in the second game. The team was very happy because Zion was their hardest competition, especially with Natalie Kapanka still gone. The girls had tough competition but at the end of the day they had got fourth place in their tournament at Freedom. 

Come out to see the guys’ soccer and girls’ volleyball teams play at Heritage this Friday.

- Erica Mitchell, Freshman

CCS Volleyball Remains Undefeated

4-4-4-4; four minutes on the court, four minutes off, then another four minutes on to get warmed up. This is the usual set-up before every volleyball game. Hitting lines, serves, and last but not least butterfly drill. “On your toes, be ready, lets go!” the team says to each other repeatedly.

Friday, September 28 the CCS girls’ varsity volleyball team entered yet another conference game undefeated. Their opponents were to Algoma Knights. The Eagles knew they were capable of winning but, they would need to play a clean game of volleyball.

The first set the Eagles blew the Knights away with a score of 25-13. The girls hit well, anticipated hits from tips, and communicated as a team. This trend also carried on to the second set ending it with a score of 25-14. Although the Eagles had more talent it didn’t quit show in the third match.

"A lot of our success came from our serving," Calvary Christian coach Heather Denger said. "The third set was close because we started playing sloppy." In the end the game resulted in another win for the blue ending with a final score of 25-23, which was way too close for comfort. Lethargy may have gotten the best of us in the third game but, we always mange to pull though.

Taylor Richards led the Eagles with six blocks, Natalie Kapanka aka “Tom” finished with 13 digs, and Brianna Zehr with 17 assist.  9-0 the Lady Eagles hope to continue the season with an undefeated record. This week the girls will be gearing up for a big tournament with some tough competition at Freedom Baptist High school on October 6. 

            - Shymari Harris, Senior