Friday, January 31, 2014

Spirit Week 2014


The week that Calvary students look forwards to is finally here! Not only does it signal the end of exams, but it is an awesome week of poster painting, lip-syncing, and spending fun times with your class.

This year, the overall theme is The World of Animation. The lip-syncs and posters all follow that theme. The dress up days, however, do not necessarily have to follow The World of Animation theme. This year Tuesday will be Disney Day, where students dress up as a Disney character, Wednesday is Color Wars, when each class is assigned a different color to wear, Thursday is Duck Dynasty Day, where you can dress up as a member of the Duck Dynasty crew, and Friday is blue and gold day, where you dress up in as much blue and gold as you can to show your school spirit all day long.

The lunchroom games are always a fun activity to watch, but this year I will actually be competing in them! The lunchroom games for this year are: donut on a string, shake your bells, the marshmallow toss, and duct taping a class member to the wall. I am very excited to see how these all turn out.

The poster and lip-syncs competitions, that are judged at Thursday night’s Pep Rally, are my favorite events that happen during Spirit Week. I like seeing how every class has worked the theme of Spirit week into their creation. This year’s theme of The World of Animation is very broad and I think the classes will have some very cool and original posters to look at and some creative lip-syncs to watch.

Overall, Spirit Week is one of my favorite weeks of the school year. The lip-syncs and posters, lunchroom games, and dress up days all help make it so much fun.

Rachel Postiff, Freshman

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Spirit Week!

The week that Calvary students look forwards to is finally here! Not only does it signal the end of exams, but it is an awesome week of poster painting, lip-syncing, and spending fun times with your class.

This year, the overall theme is The World of Animation. The lip-syncs and posters all follow that theme. The dress up days, howe
ver, do not necessarily have to follow The World of Animation theme. This year Tuesday will be Disney Day, where students dress up as a Disney character, Wednesday is Color Wars, when each class is assigned a different color to wear, Thursday is Duck Dynasty Day, where you can dress up as a member of the Duck Dynasty crew, and Friday is blue and gold day, where you dress up in as much blue and gold as you can to show your school spirit all day long.

The lunchroom games are always a fun activity to watch, but this year I will actually be competing in them! The lunchroom games for this year are: donut on a string, the marshmallow toss, and duct taping a class member to the wall. I am very excited to see how these all turn out.

The poster and lip-syncs competitions, that are judged at Thursday night’s Pep Rally, are my favorite events that happen during Spirit Week. I like seeing how every class has worked the theme of Spirit week into their creation. This year’s theme of The World of Animation is very broad and I think the classes will have some very cool and original posters to look at and some creative lip-syncs to watch.

Overall, Spirit Week is one of my favorite weeks of the school year. The lip-syncs and posters, lunchroom games, and dress up days all help make it so much fun.

Rachel Postiff, Freshman

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Band Class 2013-2014

Mrs. Dickson's high school band is a wonderful class. I'm Lexi Chartrand I'm in Mrs. Dickson's band class. She is a great teacher and she helps us when we need it and she pushes us to do our best. We put a lot of work in our songs (Well actually in band it's just a "piece." In order to be a "song" there has to be words). So I guess we put a lot of work into our pieces.

Mrs. Dickson makes band class fun she when lets us laugh, joke around, and talk when appropriate. Although in order to have fun we have to work hard on our pieces.

The woodwinds in our band are two flutes: Elise Maine and Samantha Nesbit; an oboe: Ally Richards; a bass clarinet: Rachel Postiff; four clarinets: Lexi Chartrand, Lyssa Chartrand, Gabrielle Kuszewski and Megan Mitchell; and two alto saxophones: Taylor Richards and Jeff Britton.

Our brass consists of three trumpets: Alex Anhalt, Matthew Bliss, and Michael Warren; a French horn: Chris Byers; three trombones: William Dukes, Alex Frye, and Cory Greeno; a baritone: Ryan Cashler; and a tuba: Dalton Hatfield.

We also have some percussion: Cameron Bricker, Christiana Evans, Joel Fullmer, Harry Gruen, Erica Mitchell, Madison Price, and Arisa Sugawara.

Thank you so much Mrs. Dickson for making band class so fun.


Lexi Chartrand, Freshman

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

G2G Club

The G2G club, which stands for Good to Go, is off to a great start. The members of the club are partnering with a school in Guatemala City, Guatemala, called Comunidad de Fe, which translates to community of faith. Comunidad de Fe is a small Christian school with grades kindergarten through 6.

The G2G members have gone into every elementary class room and done a presentation about the club. Elementary students filled out information about themselves, that the G2G members will translate into Spanish and then send down to Comunidad de Fe. Hopefully the club will be able to set up a pen pal program between our elementary students and theirs.

G2G is doing fundraisers to help Comunidad de Fe. For example, it is doing a change drive. Club members made small change piggy banks out of bottles and sent them home with every elementary, middle school and high school student. Two weeks ago, the club held a very successful bake sale. The members helped by making some delicious brownies, muffins, cookies, and pies and then selling them in the hallway across from the cafeteria.

The Club is also starting up Taco Mondays, or Loco Lunes, where students can buy tacos in the lunchroom to support the cause. Taco Mondays will begin in January.

Comunidad de Fe has sent us some prayer requests and we have sent them ours. Here are some of theirs:

-That the Lord will continue to provide the teachers needed for the school and give them a heart of ministry.


-That their financial need of the school would be met.

-For the families of the children that they would understand the importance of putting their child in a Christian atmosphere.

-That God would open a door for them to have their own property someday.

Hopefully, G2G will continue to build a good relationship with Comunidad de Fe. If all goes well, the club is planning to visit Guatemala in 2 years.

- Rachel Postiff, Freshman

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

December 5 Chapel


Thursday we had a great chapel! The worship team did great! We had a speaker named Ryan Gables come in from Freewater Experience. Freewater experience is a place where nonbelievers go and enjoy hunting,fishing, and many other things. He has been to Calvary before.

He had a great message that every single one of us needed to hear. He talked about how we need to turn our backs to drama! He was saying he would go into these lunchrooms and see people talking about other people at lunch tables. He said he came into our school and saw such a difference, but even at Calvary there is still drama. He talks to us about ways to stop it. He told us to just turn our backs and ignore it. He also said that if it's not our personal life stay out of it! If it isn't anything involving us than we should just leave it alone, sometimes even if it does involve you just leave it. No one likes drama! We all wish we just lived in a world without drama.


We also need to keep control of our emotions. We need to be careful not to have a breakdown in the middle of the hallway. Keeping control of your emotions is a good way to keep drama to a minimum level. God does not want a lot of drama in the world. Drama can also be a way to draw attention to yourself. We need to make sure not to hurt other people with drama and gossiping. Gossiping can spread rumors and hurt people. No one likes to hear someone saying stuff about them and making things up. No one wants to be hurt in the way of lying. Ryan had a great message for all of us to hear. I'm thankful to be able to go to Calvary. I'm glad we can worship God without getting in trouble. Ryan was a great speaker and I can't wait to have him speak again.

Emily Turbett, Freshman

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Boys Varsity Basketball Team 2013-14

This past week Boys Varsity basketball finally started. This year there will be no boys JV basketball team due to lack of people playing. Since basketball at the varsity level isn't for everyone and their skill set, Coach Warren decided to have tryouts for a week where he watched your playing ability, your coach-ability, your attitude, and your dedication. After tryouts the current Boys Varsity basketball team roster is: Mike Warren, Gage Berg, Brendan Hamilton, Isaac Burns, Michael Shyne, Chris Byers, Zeri Zelenka, Will Dukes, and Alec Cammenga.

This year, depending on how hard the boys work will determine how many wins and losses they have. They have great capabilities and lots of talent. They will have to work extra hard to make up for the seniors that graduated (Drew Maine, Mark Carlson, and Josh Hatfield). Boys Varsity Basketball is all about your dedication, once you start basketball season you have to give all you got towards basketball, and every time you step onto the court for practice you have to give it all your focus. Aside from all the hard work the boys do, they are also planning fun group activities and get-togethers in helping to unite the team.

When in basketball season, not only do you have to worry about basketball itself, but there are lots of things that come along with it. Such as academics, the boys have to always work hard at their grades to make sure they are eligible for upcoming games. All in all the Boys Varsity Basketball Program is lots of fun and those who aren't playing should give it a try. It is a lot of hard work but it pays off and is well worth it. I want to thank coach Warren for all the dedication and time he puts in to coach all the guys, and work to get them to be the best possible players they can be.

- Chris Byers, Freshman


Thursday, November 21, 2013

Chances 4 Children


Next week is Thanksgiving and while we look forward to turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie, there are over 400,000 children in Haiti without parents. These orphans face a bleak future. One out of five Ha
itian children will die before the age of five. More than eighty percent do not have access to clean drinking water and almost half of the children under five years old have stunted growth due to hunger.

That is why the National Honors Society is staging a food and diaper drive and partnering with Chances 4 Children. Chances 4 Children’s mission is to help combat the severe poverty and orphan epidemic in Haiti one child at a time. This organization focuses on not only adoptions, but also education, family, and community development.

Chances 4 Children partners with local non-profit groups to support four orphanages in Haiti. They give monthly donations of food, clothing, and medicine. They have also helped with the development of local clinics and projects to create fresh water supplies. They also have helped construct local schools and provide funding for these kids to get a chance to go to school.

There are over 500 orphanages in Haiti. Most of these children will live their entire lives in those places. But these are the lucky ones; most kids end up living out on the streets.

This is our chance to help. Please join the National Honors Society and bring in your donation by November 26th. You have probably noticed the cart in the middle of the rotunda. This is where you can place your donation.

The most needed items are:

Chicken and tuna-12.5 oz. cans or larger; white rice- 5 lb bags- not instant; dry kidney and pinto beans; peanut butter-64 oz jars or larger; spaghetti noodles- dry; tomato paste-not sauce- large cans; powdered milk- large boxes; Infant and toddler formula; diapers- size 3,4, and 5.

All items need to be returned to the cart by November 26th.

Please help make this Thanksgiving extra special by showing how grateful we are for all we have by helping those who have nothing. Make a difference in an orphan child’s life. Thanks for supporting this wonderful cause!

Cory Greeno, Junior

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Casting Technologies


Thursday last week, Jeff Cook from Eagle Alloy visited the 9th grade Physical Science and 10th grade Chemistry classes for a "Foundry in a Box" demonstration.
























































Today Andy Sherf gave the 9th and 10th grade a tour of Casting Technologies in Fruitport - showing us all the auto parts that they make and how it is done.


 







 





 







Second Girls Breakaway Chapel

On October 31, we had our second breakaway chapel. Mrs. Suam talked to the girls about the 5 core qualities God has given us as women and the Core qualities He has given to men. Starting with the 5 core qualities of men, we ran out of time and didn’t quite get to the core qualities of women.

God gave men 5 specific qualities which fit perfectly with those that he gave to women. The first is Taking Initiative. This means that He gave men a desire to grow up, leave their parents, and start a family of his own. The second is a desire to work to provide for his family, this means getting a job and working hard for a solid income. The third core quality is to protect his wife and family from harm and to provide a solid Christian foundation in his home. The next quality is to exercise spiritual oversight. This means seeing the bigger picture and doing his best to do the right thing in God’s eyes. The last core quality of a man is to exercise Godly leadership. God intended men to lead his wife spiritually, to instruct her and to help her grow closer to God.

In the Bible, God makes it very clear to us that he intended for men to be in positions of authority and to lead women. Even from how woman was created, she was created from the man’s rib. After God had created Adam and Eve, he placed them in the garden and made told man to name all the animals. He was putting Adam in charge of the animals and in authority over everything living that was on the earth. Today, we often desire to be in leadership positions. This is because of sin and our want to be above or better than others. We often forget that leadership positions in fact do not make you better than anyone else.

- Katie Boeve, Freshman



Friday, November 15, 2013

Dual Enrollment Class

The second quarter has begun and the Cornerstone Dual Enrollment Class is still going on. The class is called Prepared to Launch. The class is about preparing the students for college and teaching the essential skills needed to excel in college. There’s a lot to learn from the class. It’s very helpful and the students feel like they are learning a lot. The information is useful for when they go to college. The students also get college credit hours for taking the class which they can then take to Cornerstone or another college and not have to take a class or be closer to the number of credits they need to graduate.

Shannon Pothoven is the professor of the class. All the students like her. She’s very nice and makes the class enjoyable even though it’s a longer class than usual. The class is once a week on Wednesday for 2 hours. The class is learning about time management and goal setting right now. The class is also reading the book, Power of Habit. The book is about how we do what we do and why.

The class also learned about their strengths by taking the strengths test. The class then learned how to use and understand their strengths. The students really enjoy the class and the professor. The Cornerstone Dual Enrollment Class is a great opportunity for the student and will help them prepare for college.

- Jefferson Britton, Senior

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Second Quarter Electives

Thanks to Grand Velas Riviera Maya for picture

Electives are a special activity for eighth hour every Wednesday. Some of the options are Scuba Diving, Debate and Intro to Computer Programming.

In Scuba Diving you can learn tactics about scuba diving, what it’s about and facts about it. Another option for electives is Debate. It’s a class you can take with Mrs. Cashler. You have the opportunity to learn how to argue - with a purpose. What is happening right now is you need to pick a topic to debate about with either a partner or a group of four. You can choose what to debate on, then one or two people must choose which side to be on - for it or against it. On Wednesday, we will have the chance to perform it in class. We are able to pick our own topics. Some of the ideas are Gatorade or Water for games, Cell phone use in school, and dress code options.

The last option for electives is computer programming. Mr. Langdon teaches this class, and you can learn about how to program computers, create apps and more. So far, everyone has learned so far how to start apps, and they need to watch some videos to get an idea of what they have to do. Electives will be done at the end of the next quarter, and there will be new ones available to choose from at the beginning of the next quarter.

Laurie Schreur, Freshman

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

5th/6th Basketball Fun

Today was the 5th and 6th grade basketball game! We played Muskegon Christian at the Muskegon Catholic gym. Our team has 8 girls on it and their team had 7 girls. The game started at 2:00.

Our starting 5 included Kelsey Richards, Alex Assad, Kyra Hamilton, Marcy Shrewr, Emily Beals. Kelsey started us off with a nice left hand layup and followed by that was a basket from the other team. It was 2 to2. Kelsey then got fouled and shot free throws and missed them both. We then subbed in Alison Beals, Logan Burgess and Ryan Wilzack. They subbed in for Kyra Hamilton, Emily Beals, and Marcy Shrewr. They all played great.

By the end of the first quarter we were up 12-2! All the girls had at least one steal. Alex had a lot of steals and some nice assists to Kelsey and some of the other girls. By the end of the 1st half we were up 22-6. Coach Brad Richards and assistant Coach Dan Hamilton had a lot to say to the girls but the girls took it all in and the next half they brought their game! We boxed out better and some girls got rebound and even some shots up! By the end of the 2nd half we won the game 34-13. The girls were excited about the win!

Jordyn Hamilton, Freshman

Monday, November 11, 2013

Calligraphy Class

Every Wednesday I was in calligraphy class. Calligraphy class was fun. I enjoyed having Mrs. Saum as a teacher. We learned many different styles of calligraphy. She taught us Roman,Italic, Uncial and many more. Calligraphy is used in making Christmas cards, wedding invitations and many other things. Mrs. Saum showed us how to do each of these different styles of writing. She helped with the positioning of the letters.

Calligraphy is difficult to learn. Many of the students in the class were very good. Some people may just be naturals at this style of writing. The different hands make the card or invite look different. Some of the hands were easier to learn then others. Roman was one of the easier hands because it almost looked like basic printing but on the other hand uncial was one of the harder ones. Uncial is also known as the holy hand. Uncial was difficult because of certain letters can make the whole hand tricky.

Calligraphy is a great style of writing for some people but for others it may be difficult. Calligraphy is a beautiful way to write. Some books may even use calligraphy in the first letter of the chapter. These are called versals. These letters are hard to write. The versals make the book look great. The Roman hand is pretty simple but it can also look very pretty. I liked doing Roman only because it was simple but looked great! I hope to use calligraphy again sometime but I don't know when I would use it. I'm glad I got put in calligraphy and got to learn this style writing. Thank you Mrs. Saum for teaching! Calligraphy was a great class and I will miss it.

Emily Turbett, Freshman

Monday, November 4, 2013

CCS Volleyball Senior Night




On Friday, November 1, the Varsity Volleyball team played a game against Calvary Holland at the CCS gym. This match was very special and important because it was the senior player's last home game of their career. The three seniors were Brianna Zehr, Becca Wolffis, and Sophia Zelenka. Sophia and Becca both had a large number of kills, and Brianna aced a lot of her killer serves! The game was pretty close, and it ended up going all the way to the fifth game. Fruitport Calvary pulled out another win against Calvary Holland, and it was very close. At the end of the night, all three of the seniors were presented with some flowers by their parents and recognition from Coach Heather Denger. “I can’t believe it was my last home game”, says Brianna Zehr. “It has been a great season, and it all went by so fast.” As you can see, it was a very emotional night.
This week on November 5th, Fruitport Calvary Christian’s varsity volleyball team will be playing in the first round of districts at the Muskegon Catholic gymnasium. They will be playing Algoma Christian in the first round of districts, and if they win that game they will be playing the winner of Muskegon Catholic and West Michigan Environmental Science. “It should be a good win for us” says Taylor Richards. “If we play to our potential we will do well.”

The team also had some All- Conference awards this season. Sophia Zelenka and Brianna Zehr got First Team All Conference honor and Taylor Richards got Second Team All Conference. These awards are well-deserved as the team is second in the Conference behind Zion Christian.

Make sure you don’t miss the District games on November 5th and November 8th! We need lots of fans to help cheer on our team!

Ally Richards, Freshman

Thursday, October 24, 2013

National Honors Society


Calvary Christian School is well on its way into the school year. School has been going for over a month. All the students are very busy with soccer, volleyball, student counsel, being in the Good to Go club, and National Honors Society.

National Honors Society is a very special group. This group is overseen by a director and run by the students. Only people with a grade point average of three point five or higher can join. There are about twenty people in NHS this year. The people who are also in NHS have been extra busy. The students in NHS must have thirty community service hours. Twenty hours are required for school and a extra ten hours are required for the NHS students. The students participating in NHS must also have tutoring hours. The students need a total of thirty tutoring hours by the end of the year.

For one of our community service projects NHS is hosting a blood drive. The blood drive will take place on November fifth at Calvary Christian School The blood drive will be open from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. To give blood you must be at least sixteen years old. If you are sixteen you must have your parent’s permission and their signature. For everyone who wants to donate blood you must bring a picture of identification. If the NHS students receive enough people to give blood or who attempt to give blood the NHS organization will give money toward the NHS students' scholarships at Calvary Christian School.

The National Honors Society program was started at Calvary three years ago by Kim Borgeson. Now the director is Deb Stenberg. There are also three other advisors to help oversee National Honors Society at Calvary Christian School. The three advisors are Jonathan Langdon, Becky Mann, and Sandy Anderson. They are in these positions to help oversee the club and make sure we are making the right decisions. Although it may be difficult sometimes, we are very thankful to have National Honors Society as a program at Calvary Christian School.

- Elise Maine, Junior

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

2013 Fall NHS Blood Drive


Calvary Christian Schools will hold its fall blood drive on November fifth, from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The blood drives are sponsored by the National Honors Society and are staffed by the NHS volunteers.

The CCS blood drives are an easy way to help our community and to make a difference in someone’s life. Did you know that one pint of blood can save up to three lives? With all of the recent national disasters, like floods and tornadoes, this is a way for all of us to help not only our local community, but our state and nation, all without leaving our own school.

The CCS National Honors Society, along with Mrs. Deb Stenberg, their advisor, put in many hours planning and staffing the blood drives. Along with gaining community service volunteer hours, the NHS senior members can earn scholarship funds. Our goal is to get twenty-five good donors for each blood drive, fall and spring. During our last drive, we actua

lly had fifty-six donors show up. We had more donors than the Red Cross could handle!

Help us surpass our goal again. Students sixteen years old can donate with parental permission, people seventeen and older can donate on their own. So please, ask your friends and family to help save lives by donating to the CCS National Honors Society blood drive!

You can sign up and get the donation time you want by contacting an NHS member, the CCS office or by registering online at http://www.redcrossblood.org/make-donation. By donating blood, you not only get the satisfaction of knowing you helped save lives and served your community, but also you get cookies! That’s right - Keebler helps sponsor the Red Cross and provides free cookies and juice to all who give blood.

Don’t forget, save the afternoon of November fifth to donate blood and save a life!

Cory Greeno, Junior

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Oct 17 Volleyball Tri-Match

Thursday, October 17 was a fun day for the Calvary Christian gir
ls Varsity volleyball team. The Eagles played both Muskegon Heights Lady Tigers and Rivertown Patriots in a tri-match taking place in our own home gym. Even after Tuesday’s painful loss to WMC in boys Varsity soccer, the volleyball team played hard and pulled out a double win Thursday.

First, Calvary played Muskegon Heights. The Eagles easily beat them 25-5, and then 25-8. Both teams played hard and did their best but Calvary proved to be the winner of that match. Calvary has also previously played Muskegon Heights earlier in the season and won then as well.

In between Calvary’s game against Muskegon Heights and their next game, the Lady Tigers played the Rivertown Patriots. After some time, the Patriots pulled ahead and won.

While Muskegon Heights and Rivertown were playing, the Eagles enjoyed their own little “Harvest party,” complete with caramel apples, doughnuts, cider, and Coach Denger’s famous protein balls.

After that, Calvary played the Patriots. This game proved to be a bit more difficult. However, Calvary pulled out and won the first half 25-19, and beat them again in the second half, 25-21. Calvary had never played this particular team before, but nevertheless managed yet another victory.

At the end of the day, Calvary Christian School emerged victorious after the tri-match. All the teams played their hardest and did the best they could, but the Eagles worked hard and pulled out a win against the Muskegon Heights Lady Tigers and the Rivertown Patriots. No matter what happens, it is not the winner of the game that matters, but who played with their heart.

- Gabrielle Kuszewski, Junior

Boys Varsity District Game 2013

This past Tuesday, October 15, the Varsity Guys Soccer Team played their first district game. It was a gloomy afternoon anticipating the big game. The guys had a dress up day to remind students of the game as well as to look like a team. Stories were going around the school that the West Michigan Christian soccer team had shaved their heads for the big game. Everyone was getting ready.

After school got out, it began to rain. It went from blowing light rain to a downpour and blowing again. It wasn’t looking like there would be nice weather for the game. But the players were excited to have the game in the rain. It does always add another dynamic to the game.

As the 6:45 game time came closer, Mr. Maine drove the bus to Muskegon Christian’s soccer field with the team and a few fans riding. They all stayed in the bus because of the cold and rain outside. Mr. Maine then gave the team a talk, going over strategy and game plans. He told them to play smart not just skillfully. After hearing all he had to say, the team filed out of the bus to the soccer field. They began to warm up on the field. The field was soaked, and the corners were especially flooded.

Once the game began, WMC scored 4 goals pretty quickly. It was a discouraging blow but the guys kept working hard. They played to the best of their ability. The conditions were pretty bad - the fans were cheering in their raincoats and umbrellas. Some even made a sign for the team. Some players slipped on the wet grass and others squinted from the blowing rain. WMC scored 2 more goals in the first half. During the second half, each team scored a goal. Ililo Bisee scored the goal for the Eagles. The game ended with a score of 7 to 1. The guys played a great game. It was the last game of a good season.

- Michelle Postiff, Junior





Monday, October 21, 2013

What a Difference a Year Makes


What a difference a year makes.

A year ago, my son, Matthew Bliss, told me how much he’d like to go to Calvary Christian Schools. At the time, there were a lot of hurdles in the way for that to ever happen, and so we put it in the ‘nearly disregarded’ dream pile.


I thought that as he got involved at his public school, made friends and fell into a routine that the idea would fade. Keep in mind, I was completely open to it, but there were some major things that had to fall into line for it to become a reality. These were things I prayed about, but never really expected God to change…because my imagination isn’t that big.


Obviously, God was working on the back end and moving everything around without us realizing it. He was answering prayer even though I had begun to accept the inevitability of the ‘reality’ that was last year.


Then things got hard. Really hard. There is nothing as frustrating as being aware of potential harm, trying to move to protect your child and being blocked at every turn. There is nothing as sad as a parent who is forced to return a child to a dangerous situation day in, day out, and all you can do is pray a hedge of protection and ask God to shield innocence.


Suddenly, events reached a critical mass last spring. Suffice it to say, panic, concern, rage and conviction all played a role as I responded to the scenario and prayed for wisdom. I asked God to make the impossible happen and allow me to protect my son and keep pointing him to Christ. I reminded God that Matthew (whose name means ‘gift of God’) was my Samuel, and that I was committing him, but that God needed to intervene and move mountains.


So He did. We sat as a family, my husband Warren, myself and Matthew, and asked God for delivery, for protection, for favor and for wisdom. He granted all that and opened new doors besides.


In late July, Matthew asked me once more if we could consider a transfer to Calvary Christian Schools. He outlined his reasons why he wanted to be part of the CCS family, and why he believed it would be beneficial for his spiritual walk as well as for the academics.


I think safety is a big part of what has allowed him to blossom this fall. Prayer warriors held up our arms as God made a way, when there seemed to be no way. He changed hard hearts, provided the favor needed to overturn legal decisions, granted us the ability to protect an innocent through full custody, and allowed us to begin a new chapter in our lives.


My imagination was not that big, but, in the innocence of a child, and in trusting his dearest hope to God, Matthew’s was.


What a difference…this year has made.


- Ruth Kramer, parent

Monday, October 14, 2013

Pink Out 2013



Tuesday, October 9, 2013 was a special day at Calvary Christian Schools. That day was a pink out for the whole school. Pink shirts, pants, socks, ribbons, and face paint could be found all over the school. This was because of the games that night against Freedom Christian Schools.

These weren’t just any games though. Last year our beloved teacher and friend Mrs. Meyer passed away right before school started. Everyone who had known her was heartbroken. During the 2012 volleyball season, we decided to have a pink out night in honor of her. Last year the JV and varsity teams got special jerseys. They also gave out pink bracelets that said, “Mrs. Meyer” and “Sweetie Poo Pie,” a name she called everyone. This year the tradition was continued. The JV and varsity teams got pink jerseys, and everyone remembered our friend who was no longer with us.

At 5:30 the JV game began. When it first started, it looked like Freedom would win the first game. They pulled ahead, and we couldn’t stop them. Point after point they got ahead. And then the momentum switched sides. We started working together better and slowly gained back those lost points. Eventually we brought it back for a win. Then there was the second game. The momentum was still with us and we got a quick win. That was the end of an exciting match for JV. Varsity played a great game as well. Freedom was no match for them. Our Eagles finished the match fast with only three games.

Their last game ended our day of remembrance at CCS that Tuesday. I really hope next year the tradition will be continued. It is definitely something that you do not want to miss. Between the pink out honoring our friend Mrs. Meyer, the great games, and Calvary’s family atmosphere, it was an awesome night to be a part of.

- Megan Mitchell, Sophomore

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Algoma Games - October 4th

Then Junior Varsity played at 5:30. We ended up winning the match but it was a very long match. We lost the first game by quite a bit then went on to a second game and won it and we finished off the  ame with an awesome third game and won the whole match. We played good as a team the second and third game. Montana finished off the third game with some nice serves. Kyleah had her first back row hit which is exciting and Emily had some nice digs. It was also our first time on the new rotation so that was a challenge but we pulled it together.

For my blog I am going to write about the recent Algoma soccer game and volleyball matches. The middle school volleyball team started us off with a loss but that’s ok because they played well as a team and ended up getting into a 3rdgame and lost the last game. They played fantastic and they will get them next time.

Next the Varsity guys soccer played. They played amazing and didn’t end with a loss or a win but a tie. Brendan had some nice saves. He played very well and is a good goalie. The defense played outstanding and did a good job defending the goal. Carson and Joel each had a goal. Jeff Britton played very well and took a lot of hits from the Algoma team. The game got intense and went into double overtime. The second overtime got cut short because it was getting too dark to play so they called the game and we ended up with a tie which is good because last time they played Algoma they lost so it’s nice that they pulled it together and played hard and didn’t give up. 

Next the Varsity girls played their volleyball match and won all three games. Sophia Zelenka played a good game even though she was injured. Brianna of course played amazing. Ally played well as a 9th grader I’m proud of her for doing so good.

After all the games the bus went to Mcdonald’s. We had a great time. Ally, Sam Nesbitt, Katie, Emily, Kyleah and I all bought a bunch of French fries and succeeded at eating the whole pile of fries. It was a lot of fun and makes me love my school that much more and makes me grateful for my Calvary family. I don’t know where I would be without my friends. I am so proud of everyone last night for having good sports about the games. So overall yesterday at the games we all played to the best of our abilities and for the Glory of God. We are all thankful for our coaches who put in the time teach us. I hope next time we play Algoma we all come out with a win.

- Jordyn Hamilton, Freshman



Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Choir helps with the CCS Gala 2013

There was a good turnout for the CCS Gala 2013. Towards the beginning, the choir came out and sang Wade in the Water by Rhoda Scott. Mr. Kapanka interjected with some words, then the choir sang Revelation 19 by Steven Hurd. Taylor Richards one of the students at Calvary Christian Schools played the piano for Revelation 19.

Then the choir went to help with the banquet. Some of the choir would take care of dishes while the rest of the choir passed out the food. For dinner the guest enjoyed salads, pork tenderloin with apples on it, mashed potatoes, and green beans. For dessert the guests had chocolate brownies with cream filling and chocolate mint sauce. The food was catered by Above and Beyond and it all looked and smelled wonderful.

After dinner Joseph Stole, the President of Cornerstone University, spoke about the values of Christian education. Mrs. Byers played the piano for short period of time, then Mrs. Dickson, the choir teacher, joined her to sang In Christ Alone. I think the guests enjoyed the banquet. I know I sure did. I think it was good for the choir to help with the banquet, also for them to sing at the banquet.

- Lexi Chartrand, Freshman