Grandville Calvin Christian - Calvin Christian High School

Grandville Calvin Christian
FALL 2014
The Lord is God,
and he has
made his light
shine on us.
– Psalm 118:27
T
here are few joys that compare to watching a child
grow and begin to see themselves as Jesus sees them,
to discover their God-given gifts, and to use those gifts in
service of Him. To Shine!
older, aren’t we a bet more self-conscious about putting
ourselves out there to be a light and to share the light? We
want to wrestle with how we can let that light shine through
us in bold but also very small ways.
This year at Grandville Calvin Christian Schools, we
want to challenge our students, from Preschool to Grade 12,
to “Shine” as described in our theme verses: Psalm 118:27
and Matthew 5:16. We all know the song, “This Little Light
of Mine.” It’s easy to say, “Don’t let Satan (phfffft) it out,”
or “Hide it under a bushel? No!” Some days this challenge
to shine is easy; some days it’s hard to shine. The questions
we have asked our students is: How do we shine, especially
as we grow from preschoolers to high school seniors?
Are we also too busy to take the time to recognize the
light of Christ in everything and everyone around us? It is
important to find ways, amidst illness and suffering, to keep
focused on the light, to not miss the light in the beauty
of creation, to see the light in those closest to us. We will
challenge students to pay better attention to the light of
Christ everywhere, including in the most unexpected places.
Did you ever notice it was easier to shine when you were
young? A first grader never seems to be shy about letting
their light shine. They are happy to sing you their favorite
Bible song. They love to retell their favorite Bible story.
They are more than willing to invite everyone they know
to attend their Christmas program or VBS. But as we get
God’s light is shining at Grandville Calvin Christian
Schools. It’s shining brightly. It is a joy to watch a child
grow in the knowledge and understanding of their Savior.
Our hope is that all of our students, as well as staff &
families, will find a better appreciation for the light that
shines around them and to truly let their light shine. May
God shine on us, and may we all surrender and let his light
shine through us. Let it Shine! Let it Shine! Let it Shine!
In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see
your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. – Matthew 5:16
School Board Update
It’s been a busy summer for your new school board and the GCCS administration as together they’ve
been working hard to make sure our new, combined entity is up and running. Over the past few
months, the board’s accomplishments have included:
• Formulating new bylaws. GCSS is now operating
under new bylaws, which were approved at the last
society meeting.
• Consolidating the budgets. GCS and CCS are now
operating under one combined budget.
• Developing a capital plan. In order to prioritize
capital needs and fundraising requirements, a
new capital plan has been developed for the new,
combined organization.
• Establishing new task forces. As we seek to avoid
redundancy and optimize our structure, committees
and task forces have been revamped. This process
continues.
• Hiring Glen Walstra, our new director of operations.
Glen comes with a host of school administrative
experience, and his expertise has been invaluable as
we identify and work through merger-related issues
and establish a strong footing for the future.
• Working with the administration to develop
transition plans, new school initiatives and strategies.
• Working with both Foundations. We’ve been
working to determine how best to organize our
Foundations and optimize our fundraising ability.
• Working on a communications and marketing
plan. Look for new communication methods and
elements to emerge in the months to come.
• Developing an IT initiative. Over the next year
or two we plan to begin phasing in Google
Chromebooks to staff, middle and high school
students.
• Overseeing the construction of a new GCS entrance.
See related article.
• The election of new officers. Troy Austin, president;
Tim Buursma, vice president; Rob Arnoys, treasurer;
Becki Bykerk, vice treasurer; Curt Van Heuvelen,
secretary.
On behalf of your GCCS Board, thanks for your continued support. So far, the merger seems to be
going smoothly, and that’s due in great part to our awesome parents and extended school community.
May God continue to bless Grandville Calvin Christian Schools!
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Leading into the 21st Century:
MEET YOUR GRANDVILLE CALVIN CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS (GCCS)
LEADERSHIP TEAM
JARED BENTHEM
THELMA ENSINK
A
s the merger unveils, so too does the foundation
that supports and guides the coming together
of two school systems. Key to this process is the
Administrative Leadership Team. The Administrative
Leadership Team includes, Jared Benthem, Thelma
Ensink, Tim Steenstra and Glen Walstra.
Leading at the elementary level as Principal is
JARED BENTHEM. Jared is no stranger to the
school, having served as the Assistant Principal over
the past seven years. Jared brings with him gifts of
curriculum development, technology expertise, and
strong instructional understanding. His quick sense
of humor coupled with a heart that cares for each
individual makes students, teachers and parents feel
valued and included in the learning process. All
can be certain that Jared will continue to develop
new and innovative programs and initiatives for the
elementary environment.
THELMA ENSINK has taken on the leadership
responsibilities at both the middle and high school
levels as the Principal. Thelma comes to us from the
Holland Christian School system where she ably
served as both Teacher and Administrator. She brings
with her gifts to develop and implement cutting
edge curriculum and best instructional practice.
Thelma has a strong focus on spiritual growth
and the expertise to coordinate and integrate faith
based differentiated instruction into the learning
process. Families can be confident that Thelma
believes the success of the individual student lies in
a firm foundation of love, acceptance, responsibility,
creativity and relevant teaching and learning.
TIM STEENSTRA
GLEN WALSTRA
Serving as Head of Schools is TIM STEENSTRA.
Tim has spent his educational career in the
Grandville community at the Christian elementary
school in the roles of Teacher and Principal. In this
new role, Tim is committed to nurture relationships
that affirm decisions to enroll in the GCC schools
and builds partnerships to support the schools now
and in the future. His heart for inclusion and love
of Christian education for all will remain firm in his
new role. Tim’s knowledge and years of experience
in the community and Christian education will help
build a unified culture based on the strengths of each
school system.
GLEN WALSTRA, a seasoned and dedicated
educator, is leading the team as the interim Director
of Operations. He has worked in leadership
positions for over 40 years in faith-based schools
and organizations. In his role with GCCS this year,
Glen is leading the effort to merge finances, policies
and operations. A man of deep faith and a true
love for Christian education, Glen’s experience and
knowledge of non-profit entities will be instrumental
in taking two school systems and bringing them
together as one.
The GCCS Administrative Leadership Team is
comprised of individuals who love God, children,
and education. Dependent on God for wisdom and
guidance, they are committed to serve others with
truth and grace. Please pray that their efforts will
bring about blessings on the students, staff, families
and supporters of GCCS.
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Welcome New Staff!
Brielle Jager joins the high
school staff as the Director of
Educational Support Services. She
is a graduate of South Christian and
Hope College where she majored in
Special Education with an emphasis in
Learning Disabilities.
Brielle enjoys traveling, playing
sports, hiking, and trying new things.
She and her husband, Brett, are excited
to move back to the Grand Rapids
area after spending the last two years
in Los Angeles, California. While she
was there, she taught at Aviva High
School, working with students that had
academic and behavioral issues. She is
eager to get back in a Christian school
environment and is looking forward to
a great year at CCHS.
Kristi Sherrington is joining
Calvin Christian’s Counseling
Department. Kristi is a graduate of
Calvin College where she majored
in English & Secondary Education
with a minor in Psychology. She then
continued on to Western Michigan
University to get her Master’s Degree
in School Counseling. She has
worked for Byron Center High School
and Hudsonville High School before
joining the staff at CCHS/CCMS this
year.
Kristi, her husband Andrew, and
their three children (Renee 7, Rachael
6, and Luke 1) are active outdoor
people. She loves running and hiking
and when she slows down, enjoys
reading and writing. She is honored,
excited, and humbled to be joining
the Calvin Christian community.
Welcome Kristi.
Sarah Fennema
FIRST GRADE SPANISH IMMERSION
Sara Fennema grew up in Hudsonville, MI and
is a 2012 graduate of Calvin College. She previously
taught a 3/4 split class and Spanish specials at Faith
Christian School in Belding. Sarah has also worked as
an ELL Interventionist and taught in summer school
programs. In her free time, Sarah enjoys playing
piano, reading and spending time with family and friends. She is excited to
join the GCCS instructional team and play a part in helping every child to
succeed. She says, “I want to guide my students to discover the beauty and
awesomeness of God and his world.” Welcome to GCCS, Sarah.
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Fall 2014 l www.calvinchr.org
Lauren Boersma is ready to
take on her first full-time teaching
position and we are glad it is at Calvin
Christian. Lauren grew up in Orange
City, Iowa, but made her way to
Michigan to attend Calvin College.
She graduated in December 2013 with
a degree in English and is certified as
an ESL (English as a Second Language)
instructor. Since graduating, she has
taught a Winterim course at GRCHS
and was a substitute teacher. Now she
is ready to tackle a full-time position in
the CCHS English Department.
Lauren loves to teach English and
indicated she was especially fond
of Shakespeare and 20th century
modernist poetry. But her other
love is improvisational comedy. She
started performing in high school,
joined Calvin College’s improv team
as a freshman, and still performs with
Grand Rapids’ River City Improv.
She worked for four summers at
Camp Roger and really enjoyed the
opportunity to work with students in
an outdoor setting.
Welcome Lauren. We hope your
teaching ability will continue to grow
at CCHS and your students will grow
as they see your passion for teaching
English.
Tom Hochhalter is another new
member of the CCHS staff whose face
might seem familiar. Tom is currently
in his third season as head coach of
the varsity football team. But starting
this school year, he will replace Marcia
VanPopering as the Director of Student
Life and will also serve as Transportation
Coordinator replacing Claudene Kooistra.
Tom was born and raised in Worthington, MN. He attended
Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa where he met his wife,
Carol, and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Religion & Christian
Education. He has worked as a youth pastor in Pella and Sioux
Center, Iowa and even spent two years in Papua, New Guinea.
Besides his love for football, Tom also enjoys rebuilding pianos.
So if your piano is a little out of tune, Tom’s your man. We will be
looking forward to seeing you not only on the sidelines this fall, but
also in the school hallways this year. Welcome to the GCCS staff.
Jenna Martinez
FIFTH GRADE SPANISH IMMERSION
Jenna Martinez hails from West
Michigan, but has spent much of her adult
life in Spain. She holds undergraduate
degrees in Spanish and education from
Grand Valley State University and the
University of Valencia, and a Masters in
Education from Universidad Internacional
De La Rioja. Jenna has numerous experiences in teaching
preschool through college in Spanish and English Immersion.
In her free time, Jenna enjoys hiking, gardening, drawing, and
swimming. Jenna and her husband have four children, three of
whom attend Grandville Christian Elementary School. One of
Jenna’s goals for this year is acclimating to US education. She
says, “The staff and families of GCCS are wonderful, and I want
the best for my students … helping them grow and shine in
Christ.” Welcome Jenna!
Sarah Koster is a new (yet old)
member of the middle school staff. Sarah,
then Miss. Hooker, started teaching at
CCMS in 2009. During her first two year
stint at Calvin, she was married to Kris
Koster at a ceremony attended by a number
of CCMS students. Due to staff changes at
the middle school, Sarah has spent the last
three years teaching at Holland Christian.
With Donna Miller’s retirement, we are
excited to welcome Sarah back. She says, “It feels like home!”
Sarah teaches English. She enjoys reading, music, gardening, the
outdoors, and especially her dog, Ellis. Welcome back Sarah.
FIRST
ANNUAL
CLAY SHOOT
O
n September 27th, 62 eager participants
gathered at the Blendon Pines Gun Club
for Grandville Calvin Christian’s first ever clay
shooting contest. Each participant took 4-5
shots at 12 different stations which fired clay
targets in varying directions. Tim Karel took
the Open Division by hitting 45 of 50 clays.
(He said it should’ve been 46. Ask him about
it.) Congratulations also to Sandy Kooistra for
winning the Womens’ Division and Zac Dykema
for winning the Youth Division.
It was a beautiful day, filled with fun and
fellowship. Around $5,000 was raised to support
the school. Thanks to all the participants,
sponsors, and organizers of this wonderful event.
See you next year.
Celebration Dinner
years
Did you know that Calvin Christian High
School opened its doors to students in 1964, 50
years ago? God has blessed CCHS with a faithful,
dedicated staff who have prepared over 6,500
alumni for lives of service in His kingdom.
We are planning to host a dinner to celebrate
the past 50 years and are forming a committee
to organize the event. If you are interested in
assisting us with this event, contact Joan Staal at
(616) 257-4215 or [email protected].
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Welcome
Preschool Families!
Your GCCS Board and Administration is
thankful for all the families that make up our school
community. We’d especially like to extend a special
welcome and thank you to the parents of our new
Polka Dot Garden preschoolers. For many of you,
you’re sending your child off to school for the first
time, and we trust you’ll experience the benefits of
GCS’s strong academic standards coupled with our
Christ-centered learning environment.
We at GCS obviously would love to support your
child’s continued growth through kindergarten and
beyond. We take our commitment to your child’s
spiritual and educational development seriously and
value the parent-school educational partnership we’ve
started. Toward that end, if there is anything we can
do – any question we can
answer – do not hesitate
to contact any member
of the staff or board.
We want to make your
experience here the best
it can be.
New
Entrance Provides
a More Secure
Elementary School
The entrance to Grandville Christian has been redesigned
in order to enhance school security and improve the building’s
overall appearance. The project was paid for by designated
grants and donations, and the first phase of the project is now
complete.
A new security vestibule constructed at the main entrance
now holds visitors until they are “buzzed in” to the redesigned
office. There they will need to register and obtain a visitor
badge before gaining access to the building. Staff will be able
to enter the school directly from the security vestibule using a
key-card access system.
In addition, nine exterior security cameras have been
installed in strategic locations around the school that allow the
office staff to monitor the building, including the cabins and
rear kitchen entrance. The cameras record to a DVR that stores
the footage for a set period of time.
Phase two of the project will see new tempered glass doors
installed on the gymnasium, additional upgrades to the office
entrance, and a new main entrance canopy.
Many thanks to our facilities staff and committee members
for their hard work coordinating the project. It should also be
noted that the board and administration is examining the safety
of all our facilities, and you can anticipate additional security
upgrades in the future.
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Grandparents’/
Special Friends’ Day
Polka Dot Garden Preschool
Off to a Great Start
GCCS is always thrilled to welcome new families to Polka Dot Garden
Preschool, whether it’s in our English or Spanish Immersion classes. This
year we welcomed 145 children into our early childhood programs!
We have 10 preschool classes that run each week – five English
programs and five Spanish Immersion programs. Parents appreciate the
many different early childhood options offered at Grandville Christian
School, and in turn, many new families have joined us and blessed our
school. Preschool, then, becomes the primary entry point for new families
into the GCCS school system.
Grandparents and friends of the
Grandville Christian, Calvin Christian
Middle, and Calvin Christian High School
students were welcomed to campus on
September 26th. The day started with chapel
at the elementary school, continued at the
HS/MS at 11 a.m., and concluded with
lunch for over 400 in the middle school
gym. We loved seeing you on campus.
The students and our schools thank you for
your prayers and support.
We are excited to be utilizing the nationally acclaimed GOLD
Assessment tool for building a portfolio of each child's growth. It helps our
teachers give parents a more accurate picture of their child during family
conference time.
Research shows the importance of early childhood education. It has
been proven to enhance a child's success in every area as they embark on
their school journey. This early education not only encourages and guides
them socially, emotionally, academically, and physically, but also spiritually.
What a privilege and joy it is to watch and nurture young children in their
faith!
It’s our goal to provide an experience for each child and family in our
program with the feeling that they are part of a broader community – the
Grandville Calvin Christian School community. We’d like our parents to
know that we’re here to partner with them as they raise their child. Often,
this means sharing in each family's joys as well as walking along side them
during times of difficulty. We are always there to listen to and encourage
parents as they send their kids off to school for the first time.
If you’ve had a good experience at Polka Dot Gardens, please share it
with your friends and neighbors. Our programs continue to grow each
year and draw children not only from Grandville, but also the surrounding
communities! It’s the success of our early childhood programs that build
the foundation of a strong GCCS education system.
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Fall 2014 l
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Middle School Middle School
Listening to Another Generation
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his fall, the eighth graders at CCMS completed a
project called “Listening to Another Generation.”
In conjunction with a unit on biographies and memoirs,
this project encouraged students to take the time to listen
to other peoples’ stories and to engage with and learn
from them. Students interviewed someone from an older
generation about their life, learning, and faith, and created
projects reflecting on that person’s life experiences. Many
students interviewed their own grandparents or other older
friends in their community.
“My grandpa inspires me to reach for the stars and never
give up on what I do. He taught me that God will never
leave your side and that you can always depend on God to
catch you when you fall.”
This project caused students to reflect on the blessing
and importance of inter-generational connections in
their lives, and many learned new things about their
grandparents. The following are excerpts from student
reflections on the project:
“I can learn a lot from my grandma’s life. I know that it
is all right to be a little unique and different from everyone
else. It’s good to talk out squabbles and disagreements
between your siblings. She inspires me to go as many
places as I can, because life is short and should be lived
to the fullest. My grandma inspires me to be outgoing in
everything I do, and I am really happy she is like that!”
“I can learn from my grandpa by being a go-getter and
facing my fears and not being afraid of them. He inspires
me to take more chances in what I do (but to still be safe
and wise in what I do)”.
Are You
Ready
for some
Football?
Y
ou played football in Middle School math class...
right? No? Me either. But that’s what our Middle
School students are doing at Calvin Christian! Not just
playing football, mind you, but doing “football math”.
Students in the 7th and 8th math classes were given a
budget to put together a team of NFL players to form their
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“My grandma inspires me to be a good friend to others. I
want to be nice and caring to my friends. Some people take
friendship for granted and I don’t want to do that; I want
to be the best friend I can be. I also learned that friends
like that do exist and I’m kind of jealous of my grandma’s
relationship with her best friend!”
team. One 8th grade class even conducted a draft and
had to watch their budget at the same time. While it may
sound like your office fantasy football league, each week
students calculate, by hand, the score for their team and
see how they fair vs. other teams. They are actually using
challenging algebraic equations, but man do they have fun.
They are using formulas like…
(.05 x P) + (.1 x Ru) + (.1 x Re) + (6 x T) +
(-3 x Fb) + (-2 x I)
or
(1/10 x P) + (1/5 x Ru) + (1/5 x Re) + (10/2 x T) +
(-5/2 x Fb) + (-5/2 x I)
Did I mention students do the calculations by hand. Later
in the year students even learn how to create spreadsheets
that can help them to calculate their teams scores. So the
next time you watch that Monday Night NFL football
game, the math students at Calvin Christian Middle
School will be analyzing the same game with algebraic
formulas...and having a blast doing it!
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ast spring, Calvin Christian High School began its “Heat
It Up” campaign to raise money to replace the school’s
original boiler. The school had a lofty goal of raising over
$250,000 to complete this project. We set out with a realistic
goal of raising enough to purchase the equipment and would
worry about raising the money for the installation in the next
phase of the campaign.
Thanks to some generous donors, the campaign got off to
a “hot” start with $100,000 of matching gifts. More than 60
high school students helped us with the phone-a-thon portion
of the campaign and they helped raise an additional $75,000.
Thanks to the efforts of our Development staff and the
students, we were able to raise just over $270,000, enough to
purchase and install the new boiler!
The installation of two new high-efficiency boilers was
done over the summer. The total cost of the project came in at
$285,000 including some additional energy efficiency controls
which were added to the system. DTE Energy and Consumers
Energy will rebate the school over $20,000 for adding these
energy saving systems. This brings the total cost of the project
to $265,000, under the $270,000 raised.
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Tennis
The Lady Squires' Tennis team finished the season
with a second place finish in conference last spring.
Elizabeth Scholten recorded the best overall season
record at 15-4. Taylor Keppel and Taylor Applehof both
received All-Conference honors. The season concluded
with a trip to the State Tournament where the Lady
Squires finished 11th (out of 84 teams).
Coach Klein was impressed by the dedication the
ladies displayed as well as the Christian character that
was evident throughout the season.
The boilers are in and passing final inspections. The
campus will now be supplied with a dependable heating system
for years to come and the school should realize over $12,000
per year in energy savings. We are amazed and humbled by the
many generous donors who responded to this campaign.
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Thank You!
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Golf
The boys golf team competed against many tough
conference opponents in 2014. The team ended up
with a great year, finishing second in conference behind
NorthPointe Christian. Tyler VanElst, Jared Karel
and Adam Fish were all named to the All-Conference
Team. Tyler and Jared even advance to Regional play.
The program is grateful to Spencer VanderHeide who
joined the team this year as a varsity assistant and hopes
to continue in this role next season.
more! Sports News...
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continued....
Girls Softball
Girls Soccer
The 2014 soccer team won their 7th consecutive OK Silver title
(13th in the past 14 years) and captured their third consecutive
Division 4 State Championship. The girls completed their
outstanding season with a program-best record of 24-1, their lone
loss was to the Division 3 State Champion, Unity Christian. During
this championship season, the team scored 137 goals, while giving
up only 7 and 20 of the team’s wins were shutouts.
The post-season run included victories over 8th ranked Holland
Black River, 4th ranked Kalamazoo Christian, and 3rd ranked West
Michigan Christian. For the second year in a row, the girls defeated
the top ranked team in the state, Clarkston Everest Collegiate, in
the State Final by a score of 2-1. This year’s title match was eerily
reminiscent of 2013 victory, with Calvin coming from behind to
claim victory with a 2nd half goal by Emily VanVliet.
We say goodbye to seniors Sarah Klunder, Laura Ramaker, Camie
Rietberg, and Stephanie Thomasma. During their four years in the
program, the varsity team had a program-best win total of 83 games.
Allison Keizer, Stephanie Thomasma, Sarah Klunder, Camie
Rietberg, Morgan Buursma, Emily VanVliet, Hilary Curry,
Kaleigh VanElst, Madeline Curry, and Whitney Koets all received
recognition from the OK Silver Conference for their play during
the 2014 season. Hilary Curry was named Third Team All-State and
Emily VanVliet received All-State Honorable Mention.
Soccer all State
Four Lady Squires Awarded First Team All-State Honors
Morgan Buursma received the award for the second consecutive
season. As center back, Morgan was the anchor of a defensive unit
that gave up only 7 goals on the season and recorded 20 shutouts.
Morgan also scored 8 goals and assisted on 5 others.
Allison Keizer, goalkeeper, finished the season with 17 shutouts
and had a save percentage of 92%. She finished the season with an
exceptionally low goals against average of 0.3 goals a game.
Sarah Klunder scored 20 goals and recorded 23 assists from her
defensive midfield position. In addition to her ability to score goals,
Sarah’s ball-winning and distribution skills in midfield were second
to none.
Camie Rietberg capped off her senior season with 13 goals and 8
assists. Camie dominated midfield with her ball-winning ability and
proved to be a dangerous target on set pieces, scoring multiple times
off headers from corner kicks.
The 2014 season got off to a cold, snowy, and
rainy start; and the early season schedule was tough
as well. The team needed to replace some key starters
went through some early season growing pains.
But the team practiced and played hard and in the
tradition of Calvin Christian teams of the past, they
were playing their best softball by the end of the
season. The team finished with a 17-12 record, but
had an outstanding OK Silver record of 7-1.
The Squires strong play at the end of the season
continued into the playoffs. The team was District
Champions for the 4th straight year, defeating
Fennville 5-0. The season came to an end with a hardfought 8-7 loss to Springport in the Regional Finals.
The team finished the year with many post-season
awards for their outstanding play. All-Conference:
Kelsey Kooistra, Sarah VanHouten, Marissa
VanDenBerg, Laurel VanNoord, Ashley Greenfield,
Amanda Penninga, and Heidi Boeve. All-District:
Kooistra, VanDenBerg, VanHouten, Audrey
Kaptien, and Audrey Gruppen. All-Region: Kooistra,
VanDenBerg, and VanHouten. Marissa VanDenBerg
also received an honorable mention to this year’s
All-State team.
All-State Softball
Senior, KELSEY KOOISTRA, was once again
awarded First Team All-State honors. She
had a .537 batting average, scored 45 runs,
and stole 42 bases. Kelsey also showed her
versatility in the field this year by playing
shortstop, catcher, and could even pitch if
called upon. She will be attending Indiana
Wesleyan this fall where she will continue her
softball career.
Soccer Golf Tennis BaseballTrack
Calvin Christian Sends Eleven to State Track & Field Finals
The Squires had another
great year on the track in
2014. The girls finished 2nd
in the OK Silver and the
boys tied for 3rd. The season
ended on a high note for 11
athletes who qualified for
the MHSAA Division 3 State
Finals at Comstock Park
High School.
Six Track Athletes
Receive All-State Honors
Congratulations to senior Emma Augustyn;
juniors Logan Jurgans, Jennifer Bos, Keerstyn
Bonner, and Emma Doorn; and sophomore Abe
Visser for achieving All-State Honors in track &
field. Athletes that finish in the top 8 at the State
Finals are awarded All-State honors.
The boys’ team sent two
runners to the State Finals,
junior Logan Jurgens and
sophomore Abe Visser. They both competed in the 3200 meters and finished
7th and 8th respectively. The boys’ team finished 52nd in the state.
The girls qualified nine individuals for the State Finals. Seniors Jacquelyn
Kunst, Rachel Schelhaas, Jessica Wiersma, and junior Jessica VanHeuvelen
finished 11th in the 4x100 meter relay. Seniors Emma Augustyn, Kunst,
Wiersma, and sophomore Kaitlyn Arens finished 13th in the 4x200 meter relay.
Kaitlyn Arens also qualified in the 100 meter hurdles, finishing 18th.
The top events for the girls were the 3200 meter relay and the 800 meter
run. Senior Emma Augustyn along with juniors Jennifer Bos, Keerstyn Bonner,
and Emma Doorn finished 4thin the state. Emma Doorn also finished 2nd
(State Runner-Up) in the 800 meters. The girls’ team finished 13th in the state.
Outstanding Season
for Emma Doorn
2014 was
another
outstanding
season for Emma
Doorn. Emma
finished in 1st
place overall in
the 800 meters
while competing
at the Hillsdale
College Gina
Relays against
a field of college runners from around the
Midwest. She also set a new CCHS and OK
Silver record in the 800 meters with a time of
2:13.40 as well as a new CCHS and Christian
School Invitational record in the 1600 meters
with a time of 5:08.09. Her remarkable season
began by competing in March at the New
Balance Indoor Nationals held at The Armory
in New York City. Despite falling during the
first lap, Emma still finished in 20th place and
handled it with her typical class.
Baseball
The 2014 marked another successful season for the Calvin Christian's
Baseball Program. The team, which featured 7 seniors, won another District
Championship before ending the season with a tough loss at Regionals. The
senior class improved their overall record to 41 - 14 in their two year span
with 2 district titles, a regional title, and trip to the state finals in 2013.
All-Conference: Drew Besselsen, Seth Ritsema, Jamie Bristol, Nate
VanRyn, Danny Carrasco, Blake Vannoord, Ross VanSolkema All-District:
Carrasco, VanRyn, Ritsema, Austin Heeres, VanSolkema, Bristol AllRegion: VanRyn, Ritsema, VanSolkema
Two Seniors Earn All-State Honors
Congratulations to ROSS VANSOLKEMA and SETH RITSEMA for fine
seasons that earned them All-State honors.
www.grandvillechristian.org l
Fall 2014 l
11
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Grandville Calvin Christian Schools
3750 Ivanrest Ave. SW
Grandville, Michigan 49418
Phone: 616.532.2373
Fax: 616.532.4008
www.calvinchr.org
www.grandvillechristian.org
Alumni Night
Look us up on Facebook and “like” us.
Stay updated on the latest happenings at
Calvin Christian and Grandville Christian Schools
September 26 was a night for football, food and
returning alumni. We fed over 350 at the tailgater
and treated them to a Squire victory, 28-27 over
Godwin Heights. Be on the lookout for information
about the Alumni Night Basketball Game.
MARRIAGES
ENGAGEMENTS
FROM MR. WILLIAM ROZEMA, (’07):
Kelsey Mouw (’10) to Michael Feddema
April 26, 2014
Michael Kuiper (’11) to Angelyn Groenboom (’11)
Wedding date set for December 20, 2014
Abby Brower (’09) to Luke Sturrus (’09)
May 10, 2014
Geoffrey Staal (’03) to Jillian Rink
Wedding date set for January 2, 2015
Andrew Bredeweg (’08) to Katie Bajema
June 6, 2014
Becca Reed (’10) to Kyle Koning
Wedding date set for January 2, 2015
Katie Kortman (’10) to Lee Veldkamp,
June 7, 2014
Joel Boender (’10) to Kelli Kortman (’10)
Wedding date set for March 28, 2015
Jessie Heberly (’07) to Scott VandenBosch (’09)
June 20, 2014
IT’S A GIRL!
I am currently serving at Yakota Air
Force Base in Japan. I am a Staff
Sergeant and even have my name
on my plane. I have been all over the
world. I did 2 tours of service in Iraq
and 1 in Afghanistan. I did relief work
in the Philippines this past November
after the typhoon and have made
several more trips there since. I also
play on the baseball team. We play in
several tournaments all over. We just
finished a tournament in Korea. God
has blessed me with safety so far. At
this time I plan to stay in the Air Force.
After 20 years I can retire with full
benefits. God Bless America.
Abby Streelman (’10) to Brett Armstrong
June 28, 2014
Karla Rozema (’10) to Jordan Vander Kodde
July 18, 2014
Joshua Knott (’05) to Jodie Aukeman
September 12, 2014
Alumni Count
Maddie (Walthorn ’05) & Matthew Dehn
Hayley Nicole • November 1, 2013
Jaki (deWit ’96) & Casey Kazemier,
Emilia Margaretha Jane • December 18, 2013
Tim (’93) & Amber Leugs
Beatrix Mae, • April 17, 2014
Ross (’99) & Megan (Huizinga ’02) Mulder
Faye Elizabeth • June 2, 2014
IT’S A BOY!
Michael (’97) & Jacquie (Hollebeek ’00) Knott,
Maverick Donald • May 30, 2014
Allie (Steenstra ’05) & Chaz Amidon,
Cooper Timothy • 9/10/2014
FROM MS. JODI OPPENHUIZEN (’94):
Serving as a missionary in the Czech
Republic www.wordtoall.org 2013
M.A. Clinical Counseling Psychology,
La Salle University. 2013 began
serving as an associate counselor at
the Christian International School of
Prague, www.cisprague.org.
Non-Discriminatory Policy: The Grandville Calvin Christian Schools admit students of any race, color, gender, and national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities
generally accorded or made available to students in its schools. GCCS does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, and national or ethnic origin in administration of educational
policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic, and other school-administered programs.