Congratulations Class of 2014! - Kalamazoo Christian School

a publication of the Kalamazoo Christian Schools
Spring 2014
Congratulations
Class of 2014!
Prepared to Serve and Advance Christ's Kingdom
2121 Stadium Drive, Kalamazoo, MI 49008 • (269)381-2044 • www.kcsa.org
Your
word is a
lamp to my feet
and a light
for my path.
Psalm 119:105
Dr. Benjamin
Carson
by Jeff Lectka
"Kalamazoo Christian Presents...”
T
his fall, on November 13, 2014, the
Kalamazoo Christian School Association is
hosting nationally renowned neurosurgeon
and author Dr. Benjamin Carson for an inspirational
presentation at Valley Family Church. We are excited
to hear Dr. Carson’s message of the importance of
education, leadership, family, and faith.
In 1987, Dr. Carson was the lead surgeon on the
team that performed the first and only successful
separation of Siamese twins joined at the back of
the head. His story was told in the 2009 film “Gifted
Hands”. He currently serves as an emeritus professor
of neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
and directed pediatric neurosurgery at the Johns
Hopkins Children’s Center for 39 years. He is the
recipient of more than 60 honorary degrees and is a
New York Times best-selling author.
BJ Huizenga, Lead Administrator at KCSA, said that
hosting Dr. Carson for the first in this speaker series
is very exciting. “We have been working on this series
with the hope that it will bring our schools and our
community closer together. Our schools have much
to offer Kalamazoo, Portage, and West Michigan. This
is our attempt to bring even greater value to that
community,” he said.
Dr. Carson’s inspiring story is of a young man growing
up in a single-parent home in Detroit’s inner city who
overcame discrimination, economic hardship, and
poor grades to become one of our country’s most
respected and accomplished surgeons.
Tickets are limited and can be purchased securely
online at www.kcsa.org/events. We hope you can
join us for this inspirational event!
E
Each One
Reach One
by Jeff Lectka
ducation is more than lessons and grades.
For more than 135 years our schools
have been offering a nurturing and safe
environment where children can get an outstanding
Christian education.
If you are a parent, alumnus, grandparent, or staff
member, you know firsthand the value of Christian
education in our students' lives. There is a lot
happening at K-Christian these days, and chances
are you know families or students who will thrive
here.
Whether it’s our Spanish Immersion program,
new facilities, music and art programs, MHSAA
2
sports teams, amazing staff, or our Christ-centered
environment, you will have a lot to talk about to
prospective families.
For this reason, we are challenging you, as those
who know our schools best, to help us reach new
families and increase our enrollment for the coming
years. Our goal for next year is 800 students, and
with your help we will reach that goal.
Just open the door and God will do the rest.
School information cards are at the school offices.
Staff is available for tours or enrollment information,
so please visit www.kcsa.org or contact the office
at 269-381-2044.
www.kcsa.org
Retirement Tributes
The Kalamazoo Christian Schools
would like to take this opportunity
to show our appreciation for
the many years of service and
dedication to Christian Education
by two outstanding educators,
Dick VanDonselaar and William
(Bill) Hoffman.
Dick VanDonselaar retires with
38-1/2 years at the Kalamazoo
Christian Schools, those years
spent both in the classroom as
an elementary teacher, and as a
principal and an administrator.
Bill Hoffman has spent 421/2 years teaching in Christian
Schools, the last 20 being spent
at Kalamazoo Christian as a high
school math teacher, coach and
principal.
On May 19, a tribute celebration
was held to honor these gentlemen
Dick VanDonselaar
B
and others celebrating years of
service to the Kalamazoo Christian
Schools. Thank you!
Panamanian
Pen Pals
by Margaret VanderPlas
en VanderPlas, youngest son
of elementary art teacher
Margaret
VanderPlas,
joined
the Peace Corps two years ago
and was placed in the country
of Panama. He was assigned to
a remote village in the Darién
Province and lived with an
indigenous Embara tribe for two
years. Besides working as a civil
engineer in Environmental Health,
he also helped by teaching at the
local school, coached a frisbee
team, and basically made friends
with all the kids in the community.
3
William Hoffman
To encourage the kids in their
school work, Ben chose 14 kids to
become pen pals with each of the
14 kids in our 2nd grade Spanish
Immersion class. He helped them
to write letters (in Spanish) and
draw pictures for their new friends
in America. Margaret had the kids
draw pictures of themselves and
Maestra Sussmann helped the
students write letters in Spanish.
The kids have been exchanging
letters and pictures throughout the
year and they all have a picture
of their pen pal. It has
been a challenge since
the kids in the village live
without running water
and many are without
electricity. There are no
roads and you have to
travel by dugout canoe
up a shallow river to get
there. Needless to say,
the nearest post office
is about an hour’s travel
away.
The 2nd graders have been
praying for their pen pals and
many of them keep their pictures
taped to their desks. We are all
hoping this connection to Panama
will broaden their understanding
of God’s love for kids around the
world and the need to pray for
those who don’t have the spiritual
heritage that we are so blessed to
have.
www.kcsa.org
Dominican Adventures
Spanish Immersion Student Stories
T
by Christy Lowe
his past spring break, our family had the
opportunity to vacation in Punta Cana, Dominican
Republic, where the native language is Spanish.
From the very first day we arrived, it was amazing
and inspiring to see both of our daughters Lahana
and Lily, interact with the employees of our resort.
They were able to hold conversations in Spanish
and it showed my husband and I first hand what
an amazing program Spanish Immersion really is.
As just a preschooler and first grader, they could
understand basic conversations and answer in perfect
conversational Spanish. There was such a sense
of pride and understanding for them to see why
they are learning Spanish. Multiple employees were
beyond impressed with our school and how they
are teaching the Spanish language. They could not
believe there was a school in the United States that
was teaching Spanish solely in the classroom! They
complimented us over and over on how well the girls
were speaking Spanish and would grab their friends
and have them come over to ask the girls questions
because they were so amazed. God is truly working
T
by Janelle Randall
Elementary Missionaries
his February Talia Weststrate
(1st
Grade
Spanish
Immersion), Addison Randall
(3rd Grade Spanish Immersion)
and Teagan Randall (1st Grade
Spanish Immersion) all went on
a mission trip to an orphanage
in the Dominican Republic along
with their families and a group of
50 sponsored by their church, the
Paw Paw Seventh-day Adventist
Church.
Many projects were completed
by the adults on the trip, but the
17 kids on the trip had a different
primary
mission,
to
make
friends. Each day the kids went
4
with the Spanish Immersion program and it gave us
an opportunity we would not otherwise have to touch
people in the Dominican Republic. We were able to
not only speak with the people there, but also share
our amazing school and it’s life-changing programs.
We cannot thank Kalamazoo Christian enough for
teaching our girls to speak a second language fluently.
It will forever impact their lives.
areas around the school. In
the evenings they were the
puppeteers in a bilingual puppet
show for the joint worship.
to school together, in a complete
immersion setting. This was
easy for the three students from
KCES. But it was the playground
where Talia, Teagan and Addison
made friends quickly. “Talia and
I were able to make more friends
than the other American kids,”
Teagan recalled. The orphans
and the other missionaries
quickly learned that the KCES
kids were very helpful to have
around. “By the end of the week
I was tired of translating for
everyone," Addison said. "They
all kept coming to us for help
understanding each other.”
“We are so proud of Talia and
how confident and willing she
was using her Spanish,” Tim
Weststrate said. “She was even
helpful to many of the adults who
didn’t know Spanish.”
Friendships are continuing via
email and our kids are looking
forward to returning to the
orphanage. “I felt good that I
knew Spanish because the kids
were depending on me,” Addison
said proudly. And her parents are
proud too.
After school the missionary
kids worked on improving
the playground and painting
www.kcsa.org
Hablamos Español
Spanish Immersion Student Stories
F
by Lara Jacobs
our years ago, it was time for
our first born son, Keaton, to
begin his educational experience
as a big kindergartener! We
attended
the
kindergarten
information meeting and were so
impressed with the warm, loving
atmosphere that Kalamazoo
Christian had to offer our
son and family. I remember
literally getting the chills and
feeling like God was telling
me this was the place where
we were supposed to be.
students are completely fluent in
Spanish and are so comfortable
speaking and learning in their
secondary language. It is truly
music to my ears (although, I
cannot understand a word that
they are saying).
My husband and I are so proud
A short time later, I heard that
a Spanish immersion program
was going to be implemented
for the first time that coming
fall. I was intrigued, but not at
all convinced it would be the
best path for our son. I was
having mixed emotions about
the decision as my husband
and I began to educate
ourselves, think, and pray
about our decision. Family
members were wondering,
“Won’t that confuse him?”,
and on the other side of the
spectrum, I was told I should
not pass up this amazing
opportunity!
5
As we researched the benefits of
a secondary language, we were
blown away by the outstanding
information that soon convinced us
that Keaton would be so blessed
to attend this unique program. We
met Keaton’s kindergarten teacher,
who was raised in Mexico, and
Keaton instantly fell in love and so
did we as parents. She was soft
spoken, had a heart of gold, and
truly loved the students as her
own. I was amazed when Keaton
began reading in kindergarten in
both Spanish and English!
that every one of the 22 students
in Keaton’s class has met or
surpassed the benchmark in
reading in English according to
recent evaluation. This is amazing
to me that they are such good
readers in both languages,
although they have not had any
English instruction, with the
exception of one hour, three days
per week in third grade social
studies. It has truly been a unique
experience for Keaton in the
aspect that he has been blessed
with a school family.
Since then, the students have
excelled and I walk into Keaton’s
third grade class now with Maestra
Sebastiani and I am in awe! The
His class has remained together
each year since kindergarten, so
they are like brothers and sisters.
They pray for each other every
day and it is a pleasure to watch
them grow up together.
Currently, we have two students
in
the
Spanish
immersion
program. Kennan, our second
son is in Maestra Mayra Neville’s
kindergarten class and is having
the time of his life. He
attends school three days
per week but would rather
be going five. Maestra Neville
has a true gift with children
of this age group as I often
see them dancing around to
Spanish music, and piñatas
have become a highlight
of the class parties! It’s so
neat to see the children
learning about a different
culture and feeling more and
more at ease speaking their
secondary language. Our
daughter, Evie, will be three
years old this fall and I have
been asked if we will put her
in Spanish Immersion. My
answer is absolutely!!! I am
so excited for her to have the
same amazing Christian and
academic experiences that
her brothers are currently
enjoying
at
Kalamazoo
Christian. Each day, I feel so
blessed knowing that my children
are part of an environment where
they learn about God, are loved
beyond words by their teachers,
and are growing to be outstanding
citizens. For us, the Spanish
Immersion program and the fact
that our children are bilingual is
truly a remarkable blessing!
www.kcsa.org
Grandparents
Day
by Krista Voetberg
Kalamazoo Christian Schools
celebrated Grandparents Day
on May 2, 2014, beginning
with the middle schoolers
in the morning, followed
by the elementary students
in the afternoon. When
grandparents arrived they
were greeted and given
refreshments, had the
opportunity to socialize
with one another, browse
the Art Show, and enjoy the
musical program. After the
program, grandparents were
shown around the school
by their grandchildren
and had the opportunity
to meet the teachers and
look at all the work
their grandchildren
have been learning in
school.
6
www.kcsa.org
Elementary
Art Show
by Margaret VanderPlas
In conjunction with
Grandparents Day, the K-4
students participated in
an art show. Most of the
students had 3-dimensional
works on display, and every
student had a piece of art
work framed and put on
exhibit. The framed art
could be purchased for
$30. This gave the parents
and grandparents the
opportunity to purchase
a framed piece of the
child’s art work ready to
hang. The show sold 285
framed pieces of art and
brought in over $1,000 for
the school. The parents
and grandparents in our
school community are very
supportive of the visual arts
and we are so grateful!
All-School Chapel
On January 31, 2014 the Kalamazoo Christian
Schools held their first annual all-school chapel
in the KCES gym. Worship leaders from the
high school joined with their middle school
and elementary counterparts to lead praise
and worship. It was a joyous celebration and
concluded with a time of snacks and fellowship
in the classrooms.
7
www.kcsa.org
What's Happeningbyat
Second Impressions?
Patty Gruizinga
H
ave you ever been to Second
Impressions and seen your
teacher working there? That’s
right, besides working full-time and
serving on a variety of committees,
many of our faculty and staff donate
their time to help you earn your
tuition money! Last year Second
Impressions paid 8% of each
family’s tuition bill. There are so
many people working hard to help
every family in their quest to give
their kids a Christian education.
Typically, grandparents and retirees
are the backbone of the store.
Faculty and staff pitch in too and we
currently have 14 parents with kids
in our school system helping at the
store.
VOLUNTEER HIGHLIGHT
Jim Bosch has been working one
Saturday afternoon a month for
more than five years. Jim and
Lisa have 2 daughters who have
graduated from KCSA and have one
daughter still in the system. Jim is
a very busy parent who works at
Mall City Container and has served
on the school-board and as a night
custodian at East Christian. Lisa is
one of our fabulous bus drivers. Jim
says, “I am so thankful for Second
Impressions and I feel a sense of
responsibility to give back to the
store. I want to help make the store
successful to support other parents
but I also have found that it’s an
enjoyable way to interact with the
community on our school’s behalf.
I’d like to challenge each parent to
come and spend a few hours here,
and once you’re in the door I think
you will be hooked!”
We need you! We are hoping that
more parents can find time to come
and help make our store successful
to ensure that tuition assistance is
available in the future. Please call
Patty at 269-345-7757.
MJune
ark Kistler Art Camp
16 – 20 at the Teacher’s Center in Portage
On April 17, the K-4 classes were treated to a special assembly with
renowned illustrator and art educator, Mark Kistler. He met with the
students and guided them through age-appropriate drawing lessons
with a fun and zany flair. On the back page of the artwork that your
child should have brought home was the flyer with the details about the
camp. Kids age 5-7 meet from 9-10 AM and must be accompanied by a
parent, guardian or older
sibling (they attend for
free). Kids 8-14+ can
take hour long sessions
from 10:30–2:30. To
see the full schedule
go to the website at
www.markkistler.com/
summer-art-camps/
portage-michigan/ for
more information. Cost is
$99 for the first student
for the week with
discounts for multiple
students. Scholarships
are available. Additional
flyers are available in the
office.
8
www.kcsa.org
News Around The Schools
Congratulations 2014 KCHS Graduates!
Daniel Peter Baljeu
Madison Nicole Beebe
Erica Lyn Block
Savannah Lin Block
Jessica Rosanne Bouma
Zachary Walter Cramer
Natalie Ann Deering
Shawna Sue DeHaan
Tess Rianne DeJong
Cordell William Engbers
Abigail Kristine French
Kolyn Shane Giebel
Ryan William Gove
Brennan Reid Heidema
Mollie Faith Hettinger
Cara May Knasel
Tyler Gregory Langeland
Kyle James Lemmer
Madison Elaine Locker
Morgan Elizabeth Locker
Andrew David Long
Maya Lynn Lucero-Eaton
Jonathan Eric Luthy
Geoffrey Earl Mallett
Katherine Lucille McLain
Clayton James Meldrum
David Joseph Moussalli
Josie Lynn Nieboer
Justin Neils Palthe
Adam Jeffrey Philipp
Chance Kyler Pratt
Jess Elizabeth Pugsley
Justin Thomas Richardson
Tori Lynn Sides
Joshua Paul Slager
Carson Mitchell Straube
Edwin Scott Strawhun
Nathan William Stripp
Ashley Sussmann
Tyler Zachary Triemstra
Ethan David VanOosten
Abby Elizabeth Visser
Liyu Wang
YWCA
Women of
Achievement
The YWCA Women
of Achievement
Award winner for
the Class of 2014 is
Abby Visser. Abby
was chosen by
the faculty for her
achievements in the
following areas:
• Academic
studies
• Extra-curricular
activities
• Significant contributions to school and
community
• Demonstrated qualities of character and
thought.
Post-Graduation Plans for
the Class of 2014
Calvin College - 6
Davenport College - 1
Grand Valley State University - 3
Hope College - 7
Kalamazoo College - 1
KVCC - 14
Kellogg Community College - 2
Michigan State University - 1
School of Worship, California - 1
Spring Arbor University - 1
University of Michigan - 1
University of Northwestern Ohio - 1
Western Michigan University - 8
Students Going to Work or Military - 3
Congratulations, graduates! We are
proud of you and look forward to seeing
how God uses you as you begin the next
stage of your lives!
Loaves and Fishes
by Nathan Stripp
When Andrew Long and I were getting ready for
our basketball student section over the summer we
knew we wanted our final impact to be something
that extended beyond mere cheering for a basketball
team. We have this mass group of students united
under a singular goal and we wanted to use that force
to make a lasting difference. With this in mind we
came up with the idea to sell student section t-shirts
and use the profits as a donation to Kalamazoo
Loaves and Fishes. Through this, many other small
fundraisers, and the generous support of the student
body, at the end of the season we were able to donate
2,733 pounds of food to Loaves and Fishes. Andrew
and I would like to thank all the parents and students
who participated in this project and we could not be
more proud of the work this student body can do!
Abby is the daughter of Dave and Kristy
Visser. Congratulations!
9
www.kcsa.org
News Around The Schools
KCHS Achieves High Rankings in National TEAMS Competition
by Al Nieboer
Two teams of Kalamazoo Christian
High School students recently
participated in the national TEAMS
(Tests of Engineering Aptitude,
Mathematics
and
Science)
competition which this year
had as its theme, “Engineering
Tomorrow’s Cities”. Over one
thousand teams, from middle
school through high school,
participate in this problem-solving
event each year at various sites
across the country, competing
by division based on school size.
On February 18, sixteen students
traveled to Trine University in
Angola, Indiana to represent
Kalamazoo Christian at this event.
and skill from the areas of
science, technology, engineering
and math (STEM). Each test
problem
consisted
of a multiple-choice
section, which is
graded at the test
site, and an essay
section which, based
on qualification, is
sent to the Virginiabased
organization
for evaluation.
teams who qualified to have Part
II graded, KCHS again finished in
first place.
Based on the
results of the initial
part of the tests
only, our freshman/
Kalamazoo Christian 11th-12th TEAMS team
sophomore
team
The goal of the TEAMS
took first place in the JV division at
The KCHS 11th/12th grade team
competition is to have students
Trine University. In April, national
finished eleventh out of seventyrankings
were
eight Division 1 teams. In the
published for Part I
11th/12th
national
rankings
of the competition,
regardless of division, this team
and they showed
accomplished an excellent thirtyKCHS
as
the
fourth spot in a much larger field
9th/10th national
of seven-hundred and ten teams.
first place finisher
Congratulations to both teams
in
Division
1
for these excellent results and for
consisting of thirtygiving Kalamazoo Christian such
nine teams. In the
good recognition at the local,
rankings for all
state, and national levels. The
9th/10th national
9th/10th grade team consisted of
teams regardless
Tyler Boes, Ridge DeJong, Travis
of division, this
Hoogenboom, Alex Pease, Josh
team
placed
Wenke, Mitch Westendorp, Kevin
eighteenth out of
Wunderly, and Ryan Wunderly. The
290 teams. Part II
11th/12th grade team consisted
Kalamazoo Christian 9th-10th TEAMS Winners
test results allowed
of Jessica Bouma, Joe Brouwer,
work collaboratively to solve real
the freshman/sophomore team to
Sam Brouwer, Natalie Deering,
world
engineering
problems,
attain yet another distinction. Of
Tess DeJong, Morgan French, Kate
using their collective knowledge
the three Michigan 9th/10th grade
McLain, and Justin Richardson.
Read With Me
by Jennifer Greenman
“Read with Me” is a program that took place this spring with
students from the first and third grade Spanish Immersion classes.
Third-graders practiced their Spanish reading skills by reading to
first graders in the Immersion class. Here third-grader Ethan Verkaik
reads to first-grader Gabby Runcie.
10
www.kcsa.org
News Around The Schools
Quiz Bowl Team Finishes 4th
at State Tournament
by Al Nieboer
The KCHS Quiz Bowl team was very active again this
past school year with twice-a-week practices, meets, and
tournaments from September through April. KVA play
during the first several months consisted of meets and
a final championship tournament hosted and won by
Kalamazoo Christian. Due to the success in the KVA, the
Comet Quiz Bowl team earned a double qualification for
the spring State Tournament. Prior to that final event, our
team performed well at several regional tournaments.
In the double elimination State Championship
Tournament held at MSU on April 11 and 12, the KCHS
Quiz Bowl team played its best, defeating several statewide Class C/D schools, until finally succumbing to the
eventual first and second place champions.
Seventeen students were involved in Quiz Bowl this
year. In all the matches, meets, and tournaments, these
students represented Kalamazoo Christian honorably.
They played with focus and fun, and displayed a depth
of knowledge which is truly impressive. Kalamazoo
Christian’s legacy of success with Quiz Bowl continued
again this past season.
The students involved in Quiz Bowl this year were:
Seniors – Tyler Triemstra (captain), Daniel Baljeu, Kirsten
Welborn; Juniors – Alan Hettinger, Jakob Sell, Jason
Moote; Sophomores – Tyler Boes, Erin
Meinema, Alex Pease, Sean Mallett, Kaitlyn
Baljeu, Jasmine Czajka, Evan Deering;
Freshmen – Emma Hettinger, Tony Smith,
Dena Baker, Chad Blackwell. The team is
coached by teachers Al Nieboer, Jim Potter,
and Scott VanDyke.
11
Chemistry Students Recognized
by the American
Chemical Society
by Al Nieboer
Each year the Kalamazoo Section of the
American Chemical Society sponsors a
chemistry competition for all high school
students in Allegan, Kalamazoo, and Van
Buren counties. All KCHS chemistry students
participated in this competition this past March
by completing a forty question, multiple choice
examination.
Four of our students were
selected as finalists because of their high scores
and were invited to attempt a second exam
at WMU in late April. Congratulations to Joe
Brouwer, Sam Brouwer, Alison Dunlap, and Alex
Pease for their accomplishments and to the rest
of the chemistry students for their fine effort
in this competition. Special recognition goes to
Alex Pease for achieving Kalamazoo Christian’s
highest score on the second exam.
Also each year, this same organization invites
each high school in the area to nominate a
senior for the ACS Outstanding Chemistry
Student Award.
The Kalamazoo Christian
recipient of this award for 2014 is Justin
Richardson. The awards ceremony, at which
Justin was recognized for his accomplishment,
was held at WMU on May 12.
Elementary Math Club
by Kim VanLoo
4th and 5th grade Math Club meets once per
week from November to March. We use a
program called Math Pentathalon which is a
series of math games which help students learn
problem-solving through strategy, computation,
fractions, and spacial skills. We had 16 students
every week, with Kim Van Loo leading and
Tammy Eaton and Kelly Seelbinder helping the
teams.
www.kcsa.org
News Around The Schools
From March 24-28, 2014, the Middle School students
participated in a fun week of Exploratory classes.
Some of the classes offered included Rollerskating
with Mr. Dennis Burchett at Rollerworld, A Foods
class with Mr. Matt Eling, and two Art classes with
Mrs. Anne Brouwer, "Candy and Canvas" and "iPad
Photography on Location” at Milham Park.
Middle School Exploratories
Middle School
Musical
by Dennis Burchett
The 8th grade musical,
Godspell, was presented at Lighthouse
Community Church (behind the MS
and elementary on 11th Street) on
Wednesday, May 21 and Thursday, May
22 This was a fun musical that brought
to life several of the parables from the
Bible. We had an outstanding cast with
several exceptional soloists.
12
www.kcsa.org
Kenya S
ervice Trip
by Steve Dyk
This coming summer, from
July 11-25, 2014, a group of 17
high school students and three
chaperones will be traveling to
Kenya, Africa. We will be focusing
on
cheetah
conservation,
partnering with a local high
school, giving medical and
dental care at an orphanage, and
experiencing an African safari.
We will be tenting outdoors
with Mary Wykstra, an alumnus
of Kalamazoo Christian, and
her crew for a week. We will be
helping her organization, Action
for Cheetahs in Kenya, with
animal tracking, game counts,
and other studies.
for our students at Kalamazoo
Christian.
Tori Veldkamp selling baked goods
So far this year the group
has been involved in many
fundraisers including helping
with the middle school open
house dinner, hosting a dance,
and running a child-sitting
night at the high school. Some
of the students have also been
fundraising
individually
by
selling candy, cinnamon rolls,
baked goods, reusable grocery
bags, and handmade goods.
We have also been amazed at
the support of area churches,
families, and businesses. The
group will be meeting later
this month to discuss trip
details, information about the
culture, and to get necessary
immunizations. If you have any
interest in more information
about the trip or would like to
donate or pray for the group in
a specific way please email Steve
Dyk at [email protected].
We are excited to be able
to partner with Kiima Kiu
Secondary School to be able to
teach and learn from other high
school students of a different
culture. This year we will be
focusing on agriculture. We
have plans to expand this into
the saving and selling of seeds,
growing
community/family
Members of the trip include:
gardens, and maybe starting a
Madison and Samantha Beebe,
produce stand to earn money
Brennan Heidema selling handmade goods
Jessica Bouma, Natalie Deering,
for the school. We will also be
Lindsey DeHaan, Tess DeJong,
dove-tailing what our group did two summers ago
Brennan Heidema, Christie Koster, Andrew Long,
with water quality and we will be building a water
Jonathan Luthy, Ashley Miller, Hailey Mulder, Rose
filtration system at the school itself. All in all, this is
VanElderen, Cole VanOosten, Tori Veldkamp, Abby
a chance to experience a different culture, so unique
Visser, Carter Wenke, and three chaperones, Kaitlin
from our own, and is a once-in-a-lifetime chance
Lubben, Randy Dyk, and Steve Dyk.
B'nai B'rith Recipients
by Jerry Weesies
On May 13, Clayton Meldrum and Kate McLain
were recognized as part of the B’nai B’rith Scholar
Athlete class of 2014. Scholar athletes from around
Kalamazoo were honored at a reception program at
the Congregation of Moses. Kate is a 4 year track and
cross country runner, earning all regional and all-state
honors during her high school career. She also ranks
#1 in her class in GPA. She is headed to Calvin College
in the fall. Clayton earned varsity letters in football,
basketball, and track. He also was state champion
in the 300m hurdles in 2013. Clayton is also in the
top 10% of his class. He will be attending Kalamazoo
College this fall. Congratulations to both of these
outstanding Kalamazoo Christian scholar-athletes.
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News Around The Schools
On May 13, Congressman
Fred Upton visited Kalamazoo
Christian High School
and spoke with students
in
Mr. Jim Potter's
Government class.
Congressman Fred
Upton Visits KCHS
Kalamazoo Christian School Foundation
T
he Kalamazoo Christian
School Foundation, working
with the Kalamazoo Christian
Schools, is the body that is
responsible for our endowment
and scholarship funds. In addition
to managing the investment
of these funds, the Foundation
encourages stewardship and
planning for the advancement of
our schools and God’s kingdom.
Each year, the Foundation makes
significant gifts to our school for
tuition assistance and budget
by Jeff Lectka
support. This past year, their
expertise helped us consolidate
debt and form a strategy for its
elimination. In addition, they
make disbursements for specific
family or academic scholarships.
By partnering with the Barnabas
Foundation, we are able to offer
gift-planning
strategies
that
you may not be aware of, free
of charge. Many families and
individuals have blessed our
schools with planned gifts that
benefit
Christian
education
The Spanish Club will be traveling to Guatemala
and Belize from June 11-19, 2014. While there, we
will be visiting with the children at the
after-school daycare "Semillero Mi Ángel
Guardián" as well as interacting and
playing soccer with other students at a
Belizean high school. The students are
looking forward to these interactions as
well as the many adventure activities we
have planned. Tune-in next edition for a
recap of the trip!
beyond their earthly lifetimes.
By using trusts, bequests, or
charitable annuities, you can make
a difference in our schools for
years to come.
Please contact us if you would
like to know about the many ways
that charitable gifts can be used
to help our schools educate future
generations of Christian students.
The Kalamazoo Christian School
Foundation can be reached
through Larry Stehouwer or Jeff
Lectka at 269-381-2044.
Spanish Club Guatemala Trip
by Julie Boender
The students attending are Megan Nowak,
Sarah Fase, Haile Long, Hannah Koopsen,
Jasmine Czajka, Emily Brown, Jodi Stoffer,
Kirsten Welborn, Brooke Leep, Dean
VanElderen, Justin Richardson, Lane
Mejeur, Jacob DeDoes, and Carlos Wenke,
with chaperones Dawn Brown, Julie
Boender, and Erik Jacobson.
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News Around The Schools
Girls on the Run
by Linda Maring
I
f you stopped by
the
elementary
school any Monday
through Thursday
afternoon in the
past 10 weeks, you
might have seen
a group of girls laughing, twirling, cartwheeling, and
running around and through the school. There are the
37 participants in the 2014 Girls on the Run Program.
Each team was led by two coaches and several
parent assistant coaches. For the past ten weeks they
have been learning life skills and practicing for a 5K
run. There are three teams of girls who meet twice
a week. They have dealt with issues like gossiping,
healthy eating, self-esteem, and teamwork. The girls
have also learned about the gifts and abilities that
God has given each of them. Each team also did a
community service project. Two of the teams packed
the bags for the Howard Hill Hustle. The third team
decorated cupcakes and donated party supplies for
birthday parties for children at the Gospel Mission.
Successful Metal Recycle Drive
by Larry Stehouwer
Thanks to the metals and e-waste contributors
and to many volunteers for their part in the
recycle metal drive. We raised $3,848 dollars for
the annual fund and had a great time doing it. We
appreciate the partnership with Schupan & Sons
making this a success.
15
Along with the lessons are training for the run. On
May 22, they joined over 2000 girls in the greater
Kalamazoo area for a Celebration Run. They ran a 5K
course through the streets of downtown Kalamazoo.
A special thanks to our fabulous coaches: Krissy
Cook, Sally VanderBent, Kim Dunlap, Corrina Willis,
Irma Klooster, and Steve Aiello. Way to go coaches
and girls!
Detroit Tiger Game
June 18, 2014
The KCHS Alumni Association will
be sponsoring their 13th annual
trip to Comerica Park to see the
Detroit Tigers in action against the Kansas City
Royals on June 18, 2014. The game will take
place in the afternoon at 1:00 p.m. Charter buses
will leave Kalamazoo Christian High School
parking lot at 8:30 a.m. Tickets are $65. Please
call Connie VanDerSlik at 269-381-2044 or email
at [email protected] to reserve your ticket.
Don’t delay! Put your reservations in today!
www.kcsa.org
Spring Sports Clips
Girls Track & Field
by Joey DeKoekkoek
This year’s girls track and field team had a fantastic
season. We have 28 girls on the team roster and
have a 3-1 record in conference dual meets with
strong finishes at our Friday night invitationals. Our
team captains are seniors Tess DeJong (spinter, high
and long jumper), Kate McLain and Kirsten Welborn
(both distance runners).
Nowak; sophomores, mid-distance/sprinters Angel
Augustus, Kaitlyn Baljeu, Emily Brown and Brooke
Leep, sprinters Erin Meinema and Drea Youngblood,
distance Alison Dunlap, hurdler Gabby Brandt, and
throwers Gillian Heidema and Chloe Maxwell; and our
freshmen, sprinters Sara DeGroot and Emily denOtter,
sprinter/hurdler Jaxsen Meldrum, throwers Kaylee
Nagel and Rachel Penning and field event specialist
Brenna Lubbers.
We are also, with the blessing and cooperation of
our soccer coaches, happy to have four girls join us
from the soccer teams when they are not playing in
a game. They are sprinters Josie Nieboer and Sam
Beebe, mid-distance Katie Patterson and high- and
long jumper Abigail Dykema.
The rest of the team is made up of juniors, sprinter/
long jumper Tori Veldkamp, hurdlers Jodi Stoffer and
Sarah Fase, and throwers Micaela Ziegler and Megan
With the guidance of coaches Joey DeKoekkoek and
Mike Lubbers, we are having an exciting and strong
season. In our two invitationals we have already
received 28 team and individual medals. We look
forward to adding to that in the weeks to come and
hope to have strong showings at our regional and
conference championship meets. We also hope
to have some individuals represent us at the state
finals meet. For the past three years Kate McLain has
participated at that meet and this year we hope she
can do that again and take a few more girls along
with her to join in the excitement.
Varsity Golf
byJohn Brussee
We have currently played in our 10th event for the
year finishing 10th out of 14 teams in the Hackett
Invitational. Ryan Gove was recently named the
number one golfer in the individual standings in the
KVA! As a team we are in the middle of the pack in
the KVA. Highlights include a 2nd place finish in the
Delton Invitational. The team is much improved this
year and we are looking towards a bright future. The
team members are: seniors Ryan Gove and Cordell
Engbers; junior Andrew Klassen; and sophomores
Jared Wenke, Taylor Resh, and Nick Taylor.
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Spring Sports Clips
Tennis Court Transformation
by Jerry Weesies
The tennis courts have been undergoing a
transformation this spring. Existing cracks expanded
over the winter and made the courts unplayable. The
PMV Company has been busy filling the cracks and
repainting the lines as needed. A complete resurface
will hopefully follow this summer. A fund raiser for
this project is currently taking place, and if you
would like to donate, please send your donation to
Jeff Lectka at the Association Office, noting that your
gift is for the tennis court resurfacing.
Tennis courts before restoration
Girls Soccer
by Heather VanDyke
Girls soccer got off
to a great start this
spring! We began
the season with
welcoming a familiar
face to a new
position. Jay Allen is
our new head coach
for
girls
Varsity
Soccer. Despite the
bitter cold start to
the season, we were
able to get in all but
one of our games before spring break. The week of May
5 brought the end of the regular season with our girls in
first place in the KVA.
The KCHS Girls Soccer team for this spring has 24
members. The team consists of seniors Josie Nieboer,
Natalie Deering, Ashley Miller, and Abby Visser; juniors
Christie Koster, Samantha Beebe, Briana Plaisier, Renee
Maring, Britney Laaksonen, Hailey Mulder, and Morgan
French; sophomores Alyson Katje, Desi VandenHeuvel,
and Taylor Slager; and freshmen Allyson Kranstz, Anna
VanDeGriend, Abbey VanDongen, Gabby Woznicki, Haley
Balkema, Katie Patterson, Meagan Laaksonen, Annika
VanZytveld, Hanna Ryan, and Abigail Dykema.
Varsity Softball
by Terry Reynolds
Like most of the other spring sports this year
at Kalamazoo Christian, the weather dealt us a
long, frustrating transition into indoors practices
instead of playing games. One benefit to the girls
is that this allowed the team to bond together and
become closer as friends as well as teammates.
This has proven invaluable as we have learned
to stand and compete together through a very
difficult schedule. As a coach, I believe that the
Varsity and JV Softball teams play the toughest
non-league schedule in the state. Currently, we
are 17-12, with a 14-2 KVA record. The end of
the season nears, and we are in contention for
the league championship. The State Tournament
begins at the end of May, and the softball team
is looking forward to defending its 2013 State
Championship.
With 24 players, we were able to get more playing time
for everyone by picking up some JV games. Special
thanks to Joey DeKoekkoek for allowing us to borrow
a few of his track girls to make a full roster for the JV
games, and big thanks to our extra players Brooke Leep,
Tess deJong, Gillian Heidema, Lindsey DeHaan, Tori
Veldkamp, Anna VandenHeuvel, and Bree Wiersma. All
of them gained valuable playing experience. Now it is on
to the KVA tournament and post-season tournaments.
Come cheer us on!
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Spring Sports Clips
JV Softball
by Melissa Gould
If there were a few words to
sum up this season for the JV
softball team they would be
“surpassing expectations” and
“improvement”. The weather
this spring proved to be a
challenge as we were not able
to practice outside until our first
game. We started off the season
playing teams like Portage
Central and Rockford, which
was rough. The girls took the
losses in stride and figured the
only place we could go was up!
Once we were able to start
practicing
outside,
the
girls improved their skills
tremendously, with solid pitching from Haley
Sikkenga, catching from Brooklyn Block, and bats
coming alive for Chelsea Veldkamp, Haile Long, and
Monica Locker. Our outfield was shagging flies like
pros and our infield was turning double plays. Maggie
Niewoonder, in her rookie season playing softball,
embraced the challenge of playing shortstop, while
experienced Jenna Gillespie ran the show at second.
Schoolcraft; Haley Langeland showing her quick glove
at third and personality that kept us all laughing;
Maggie making her pitching debut and striking out the
first batter she saw; Jaxsen Meldrum using her speed
to steal bases and run down fly balls in the outfield;
Angie Folkersma and Kaylee Cramer representing
with some impressive catches in the outfield and
infield respectively; and Haley Sikkenga taking charge
on the mound and throwing her first no hitter.
Some highlights for us were Brooklyn staring down
base runners as they threatened with a generous
lead; Lauren Luthy hitting a go ahead double against
Overall it has been a great season. We finished with
10 wins and had a lot of fun together along the way!
Go Comets!
Boys Track & Field
The boys track and field team
celebrated their first ever in
Comet history Regional victory on
Friday, May 16. Congratulations
team! Members of the team will
compete in the state finals meet
on May 31.
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Spring Sports Clips
Girls Tennis
The girls tennis team emerged victorious
as the winners of the KVA Tournament and
the Regional Championship. The team is
preparing for state finals to be held May
30 and 31 in Grand Blanc. A full recap
will appear in the next issue of the Torch.
Congratulations team!
Howard Hill Hustle
On a chilly Saturday, May 17, the
5th annual Howard Hill Hustle 5K
Run/Walk was held. Race results
may be found online at www.
howardhillhustle.com. Also on the
website is a link to the Facebook
page where photos have been
posted. Thank you to our
tremendous volunteers as well as
support from businesses, patrons,
parents and KCSA supporters!
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www.kcsa.org
Notes from
Development
by Jeff Lectka
Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. –Proverbs 16:3
In my time as Development Director
at KCSA, I have not seen as much
focused collaboration as I have
seen in the last several months. The
Association staff and volunteers
have been working diligently with
our Foundation Board and Finance
Committee to plan the elimination
of our debt and form a strategy to
establish our financial health.
As we look to the future of our
schools, we see how important
it is to become debt-free as soon
as possible. Although this goal is
straightforward, the plan requires
the coordination of several ideas.
First, our organization’s finances
are
drastically
affected
by
enrollment. Our students are
our reason for being here, and a
healthy enrollment shows that
we are fulfilling our obligation to
our community as well as keeping
our finances healthy. Each One
Reach One is a program that was
recently introduced to challenge
those who are already advocates
of our schools to speak effectively
about K-Christian among their
peers. We know that if new families
have the opportunity to see how
special a place this is, we will gain
students. You are our voice in the
community, so please tell others
your “K-Christian Story”.
Our fundraising is also a crucial
part of our financial picture and is
our second largest source of income
after tuition. We are amazingly
blessed by a generous school family
but each year we are challenged
with a $500,000 Annual Fund
need that our budget depends on.
To date, we need to raise about
$200,000 before the end of August.
Please continue to be generous.
Each dollar you give is important.
Lastly, all of our efforts depend on
our ability to be efficient stewards
of our resources. We are working
hard to consolidate and restructure
our debt and obligations so that we
can continue our mission in future
years. Now is an important time for
our schools, and our diligence for
these next few years will ensure our
prosperity for future generations of
Christian students.
Please continue to pray for our
students, families, and staff.
Your financial gifts are also very
important to us, and you can donate
securely online at www.kcsa.org or
call 269-381-2044.. Thank you so
much for your continued support.
Contributing Photographers:
Dennis Burchett, Daniel Cooke, Sarah Dirksen, Linda Maring,
Cheryl TenBrink, Margaret VanderPlas, Jerry Weesies
Submit articles for publication to [email protected] • (269)381-2044 • www.kcsa.org