December 2014 - Covenant Christian School

December 2014
Holiday
Rest
By: Mrs. Kos, Interim Head Administer
F
or in six days the Lord made the
heavens and the earth, the sea, and
all that is in them, but he rested on the
seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed
the Sabbath day and made it holy” (Exodus 20:11). In scripture we are
told to “Remember the Sabbath day and
keep it holy” (vs 8). We are to rest from
our labor. The Sabbath, our current Sunday, was intended as a day to focus on
God and set time aside for purposeful
worship; it is a time of spiritual and
physical refreshment as well. This special day can also strengthen our family
bond as together we purposefully “rest”
in our Lord.
As I think back to our most recent
holiday, Thanksgiving (and the lingering
memories of that turkey feast), and as I
look ahead to Christmas and a New Year
celebration, I realize just how holiday
activities can consume our time, energy,
and thoughts. Although holidays are
meant to be special days set aside to
celebrate or commemorate events from
the past, they often leave us tired,
stressed, and focused on the insignificant. Even many of the worthy holiday
projects fall under the guise of holiday
expectations; we may need to step back
to determine if the good we are trying to
do is in reality pulling us away from
experiencing the true intent of the holiday.
I believe keeping God’s command to
remember the Sabbath day and keeping
holiday celebrations “appropriate” are
not easy things to accomplish. And I
ask myself, “Why is this so hard?” Unfortunately, I have an answer to the very
question I pose, and the answer is I am
the reason.
We have probably all heard the expression, “You are your own worst enemy,” which basically boils down to the
fact that it is the individual choices we
make that make the difference. I am
the one who gets caught up in the busyness of my work, family, and attempts to
have a little free time at the expense of
keeping the Sabbath holy. I am
the one who creates the list of
things to do and
purchase in preparation of a holiday. I am the one
who takes on yet one more project that
helps the less fortunate. In short, I am
the one who determines both how I approach my Sunday observance and my
holiday celebrations.
Christmas is not just any holiday; it is
a religious holiday. Christmas is that
day set aside to remember the birth of
Jesus, the son of God, given to this
world to serve and to save. And for this
reason, I encourage all of us to make our
Christmas celebration a little more Sabbath-like. I am not suggesting anything
radical, but rather I am suggesting that
each of us set aside time to focus on
God’s gift to us, to worship the Lord of
our salvation, and to “Taste and See that
the Lord is good” (Psalm 34: 8a). I encourage you and your family to simply
set times aside often throughout the holiday season to rest in God’s presence,
glorify Him and be refreshed.
Walkathon
Wrap-up
By: Jean-Mari De Jager, Staff Reporter
T
he 2014 Walkathon and GolfTournament gave Covenant many
reasons to be thankful. Will McKinley,
a 1st grader, was the winner of the
Go+Pro for the ball fall challenge. The
secondary students were offered $250
for whomever walked the most laps
around the Cougar Field. Luke Fox and
John Taylor walked the total of 44 laps
(11 miles) together and split the prize.
Twenty-three teams participated in the
golf tournament at April Sound Country
Club.
The sponsors were Job Shop Connection, LLC, Jorge Cuellar, Kerr Consulting, Kona Ice, Lakeside Bible
Church, Lone Star Cowboy Church,
Lone Star Fabrication, Lowes, Middleton Orthodontics, Montgomery County
District Attorney, Pinnacle Tile &
Flooring, Ranger the DA Dog, Rolling
Video Games, Sams, Spring Party Rentals, Sugar Junkie Bakery, Team Ream Tish Ream, Keller Williams, Realty,
The Grand Theatre, Wash Away Mobile
Showers, United Services Mechanical,
Convergint, Big State Excavation, First
Bank, FTS International Services,
Fullerton Orthodontics, Crossroads
Baptist Church, Champions Machine
Tools, and Wild Ginger Restaurant.
Covenant would like to thank all the
volunteers who helped the event run
smoothly and successfully. The total
amount
grossed
$72,944.41.
Thank
you to all who generously participated in
helping to raise that
money.
The Gift
By: Sara Cummins, Elementary Principal
I
am ashamed to admit the amount of
stress I put upon myself when I select
a gift for someone. Will they like it? Is
this what he or she wants? Am I buying
it from the right store? I really should
not spend this much, but I want them to
know I care. (Wow! Do I get my thinking wrong sometimes!!). I can spend
countless hours stressing over the perfect gift for someone, and I often miss
the opportunity to share the only gift
someone will ever need – The Gift, the
Gift of salvation. It is free. It fits everyone. It can be found anywhere and given or received at any time. You don’t
have to stand in line to buy it, and you
can find it in any language and give it to
anyone God puts in your path.
Just last week this lesson hit home
A Pigment of Your
Imagination
By: Connor Bolleter, December Editor
C
ovenant’s secondary art department has been very busy throughout the beginning months of the school
year. Recently two people associated
with the department were honored.
Eighth grade student Angelie Aggarwal
won the Lions Club International Peace
Poster Contest. This
contest was for the
“Imagine Peace” contest. For this contest
students can only use
pictures, no words, to
illustrate the perfect
peaceful world. The two winner of this
contest go on to District, State, and then
the National competition.
Mrs. Peverill, secondary art teacher,
was also recognized for her work in the
community. Mrs. Peverill worked tirelessly on a beautiful sculpture of Charles
Stewart, an American and Texas hero,
who was responsible for making the first
Texas flag. The beautiful bronze sculpture now stands in Cedar Brake Park to
recognize Charles Stewart. The monument currently stands alone, but will
soon be accompanied by a farmer, pioneer woman, black logger, and cattleman to form a v shaped monument centered on Mr. Stewart. The surrounding
sculptures are being worked on by many
again when I found myself getting agitated in the store. Christmas decorations
were out, and music was playing, and it
was only the middle of October.
I
wanted the stores to slow down and
allow me to get through one season at a
time. I was trying to buy birthday gifts
and plan a birthday party; I was not
ready to start thinking about Christmas.
I had gifts that I needed to get for now,
and yet the stores want me to start thinking about Christmas gifts! I was frustrated. I had lots of reasons to justify
my frustration, but I wasn’t in the right.
I was missing a great opportunity. The
stores are out for sales and want to get
the spending frenzy started, and I was
focused on their mission, not God’s.
As we make our way through the
holiday season, let us remember that it
is not just a holiday. We are celebrating
and honoring our Savior. I encourage
you to embrace the joy from The Gift
God gave to each of you and to share
that joy with others.
Do not get
wrapped up in all the wrapping paper;
instead wrap someone with the love of
Christ. Spread the Good News as you
cross paths with someone. Offer to pray
for your waiter while you are eating in
your favorite restaurant. Share your
faith with the cashier that is checking
you out at the grocery store or department store where you are buying all of
your goodies for your family and loved
ones. Invite a neighbor to your church
or to your house for the special meal
you have prepared. Take this opportunity to give The Gift that will change
someone’s life forever and cherish the
blessing you receive in return. Do not
let this season come and go with your
focus on all the presents under the tree
or on the bustle of the holiday. Join
with your family to focus on and share
The Gift.
other people. Mrs. Peverill encourages
kids and adults of all ages to come put
clay on the sculpture. Aside from her
beautiful sculpture in the Cedar Brake
Park, she also is a member of the
Conroe Art League and organizes the
Chalk Up Conroe event every year. She
also is an expert costume designer, and
many of them were worn in the historic
Creighton Theatre. Mrs. Peverill loves
using art to accomplish many things, as
seen by her ability to capture Charles
Stewart’s essence and historical impact
on Texas and Montgomery County
through her sculpture.
How ‘Bout Them
Cougars
Round Up Auction
By: Garrett Mayes, Staff Reporter
C
ovenant’s 15th annual Round Up
Auction will occur on February 20.
Early bird tickets go on sale for $35, but
the prices rise to $40 after Valentine’s
Day. Childcare services will be available
for $15 including pizza, and $20 at the
door.
If you would like to become a paddle sponsor, you can pay $300 to have
your logo or business branding on every
paddle at the event. If you would like to
become a technology sponsor for attenders using a mobile bidding system, the
price is also $300. Guests using a mobile
bidding system often view the auction
for an average of 30 minutes, which is
more exposure than a television commercial. More information will come as
the auction approaches.
By: Hayden Pratt, Staff Reporter
T
hroughout the whole year, the CCS
football team strived to finish
strong in district and go deep into the
playoffs. In its final district game, the
team played Orange Community Christian School. The Cougars played an excellent first half. Nathan Miller ran the
ball down the opponents’ throats on almost every carry. The receivers ran excellent routes and holes opened up left
and right. On defense, Gentry Smith and
Cole Littlefield led the stand which kept
the game within a close margin of points
in the first half. Unfortunately, the Cougars couldn’t keep up that level of intensity throughout the whole game. They
fought extremely hard, but Orange was
able to come out victorious. “It was a
very intense game to be a part of,” says
sophomore Sam Tyminski. They will
have home field advantage and will be
ready to eliminate any team that has to
face them in the playoffs.
On November 14, the Cougars had a
tragic ending to their season. Despite a
first quarter touchdown by Nathan Miller, the team couldn't build any further
momentum throughout the rest of the
game. The team had an incredible season. Looking forward, every single one
of the underclassmen is ready for the
seasons to come.
Page 2, The CCS Growler………………………………………………………………………………..……………...December 2014
This Is Not a Drill
By: Gentry Smith, Staff Reporter
T
his is not a drill” was the last portion of the announcement the students and faculty heard come over the
intercom regarding a school wide lockdown on October 20. As the teachers
scrambled to lock the doors and block
the windows, confusion crossed many of
the students’ faces as they replayed the
announcement in their heads to make
sure they really heard the intercom correctly. Students inside the school quickly obeyed the teachers as complete silence fell across the campus. At this
point, no one knew what the purpose of
the lockdown was, leaving the imagination of the students to run freely and lead
to several different reactions. Many of
the students quickly joined in silent
prayers for safety and protection, while
several other students reacted by hiding
under desks or behind furniture out of
fear for the unknown. Other students
reacted very differently to the strange
circumstance as several boys from the
senior class armed themselves with scissors and umbrellas. The scariest part
was not knowing the cause the lockdown
in combination with the fear that someone may be inside the school.
Then, approximately 25 minutes later, the second announcement came over
the intercom explaining that the school
was fine, and there was no immediate
threat to the school, but the school
Therefore the Lord
himself will give you a
sign: The virgin will
be with child and will
give birth to a son,
and will call him
Immanuel.
would remain on lockdown for the safety of everyone. The announcement went
on to explain the lockdown was just a
precaution because police officers were
trying to catch a crazy guy in the woods
just a few streets over from the school.
With this announcement, the fears and
anxieties of everyone present completely
disappeared as laughter filled the rooms.
Within the safety of the locked down
classrooms, students began to play
games within the room, work on homework for the next class, or even watch a
few funny shows on Netflix to pass the
time. The students and teachers had
every intention of enjoying the last portion of the lockdown, which everyone
expected to end within an hour.
Much to the surprise of everyone, the
lockdown dragged on for several more
hours as the police could not locate the
suspected drug smuggler. In one room
Scott Buras, a senior, downloaded a police scanner on his phone to listen to the
thrilling chase. Every few minutes he
would report where the suspect was seen
last or the addition of dogs and a helicopter to the search. But the chase
dragged on and with it so did the lockdown. For many, the blessing of not
continuing their classes for the day was
greatly appreciated, but the lockdown
was starting to get old. A large majority
of the student body was safe inside the
building with access to food and bathrooms to use as necessary, but for others,
who were locked down in the portables,
there was no remedy for their hunger
and need for a bathroom break. Thankfully with the help of an armed police
officer and the fearlessness of Mr.
Petruccio, one by one everyone was allowed to go to the bathroom and snacks
were delivered to the classrooms. By
this point, everything was almost back to
normal as the students inside the school
were allowed to switch classes and continue the day, all except for the students
who were not allowed to leave the portables outside of the school.
Finally the lockdown, which started
at 10:25, was over almost three hours
later, but the police still had not caught
the man, but only confirmed he had left
the area. With the lockdown over, the
students who were prevented from doing
so earlier, flocked to the cafeteria to eat
lunch an hour and a half late. After the
whole ordeal was over, stories consumed
the attention of everyone in the rooms as
different variations of what happened in
each class were told and retold.
Through the intensity of the whole
ordeal, the order and calmness of the
teachers and administration in dealing
with this potential crisis was incredible.
With their strong leadership and composed attitude, the faculty of the school
was able to calm and protect the students, simply by executing the lockdown
protocol they rehearsed for such a time
as this. A very special thank you to the
teachers and police officers involved in
keeping the student body completely
safe and for keeping composure throughout the ordeal.
CHOIR CONCERTS 2014
CPG Concert and Junior High Concert
December 15
Bethlehem City Concert:
December 14
Elementary Christmas Concert
December 16
Isaiah 7:14
Page 3, The CCS Growler. …………………..………………………………………………………………..……..…..December 2014
By: Mackenzie Hogan, Staff Reporter
T
he Lady Cougars advanced on into
playoffs! After their defeat against
Brazos Christian the team placed second
in district. The girls had their first
playoff game on October 21 against Pasadena First Baptist. The team triumphed
over the Warriors in a total of three
games. The players then traveled all the
way to San Antonio to play St. Paul
Shiner and beat the team in three games.
The Cougars then advanced to Regionals
and came out on top! The Ladies
knocked out their rivals, Alpha Omega
Academy, in three games. The Cougars
had an amazing weekend and made the
Final Four for State!
The team worked hard all of the next
week and was ready to face its opponents, Brazos Christian School, at Navaro College in Corsicana, Texas. This was
the fourth time the Cougars would face
this team, and they were ready to play.
The Cougars started the game off rough
and lost the first two games. The scores
were 25-18 and 25-15. But it wasn’t
over for the Cougars. They came back
and fought harder than ever and won the
next two games! The scores were 25-23
and 27-25. The two teams went onto the
fifth game both waiting to achieve victory. The next game was to fifteen, and the
Cougars came short by two points. The
final score was 15-13. The Lady Cougars placed third in State. Co-captain
Go the Distance
By: Brenda Hess, Cross Country Coach
T
his year's season had many high
points from individual PRs
(personal records) being set, to having
all the athletes drop significant times all
at the same race. Cross country is truly a
sport like no other. Each course is so
different from the others; each race is a
season of its own. There is no consistency when it comes to what we are going
to be challenged with from week to
week, which makes these athletes so
mentally strong and drives them to work
hard in practice. From August to October, they were up at the school running
four to five days a week at 6:15 am and
completed a race on Saturday mornings
before most of their friends had even
gotten out of bed. These are some of the
most dedicated kids I know.
Makena Belnoski says, “It was really
hard to be that close to victory and to
ultimately lose, but playing in such an
intense game was a good way to end the
season.”
Not only did the Cougars make it to
the Final Four, but they also had an
amazing fan base! Covenant Christian
School had over 150 students and family
come out and support the team! One of
the devout fans in the crowd was Hayden Pratt, “The girls played an incredible game, but it was heartbreaking that
they did not come out on top in the end.
I’m just happy that we got to watch an
incredible season.” The Cougar volleyball team was thrilled to have so many
fans come support their game! Ending
this season was rough for all of the seniors, but they have futures brighter than
ever ahead of them.
Photo: LISA HOLM
The Grand Finale
LADY COUGARS: These ladies
worked extremely hard all season to
make it to Final Four in State! Amazing job, Cougars!
State this year was not what we had
hoped for in a couple of areas. First, we
were set to run at 12:00 and 12:30 pm,
which meant a longer morning of waiting around for our race to begin and hotter temperatures during the race. Second,
our training plan was designed to have
them all running their top times of the
season at State, which for the boys
would have given us an excellent chance
of placing again and bringing home another state ranking plaque to Covenant.
However, the injury that caused Hayden
Pratt to miss the meet made that a bit
more of a challenge. All in all, our boys
each stepped up to the challenge and
gave their all at state. The girls came out
to state and again gave 110% percent in
a race that we had hoped would have
had cooler temperatures and less wind.
They all did a fabulous job, and Covenant should be proud of the way these
Hoopin’ Honeys
By: Danielle Wilds, Staff Reporter
T
he varsity girls’ basketball team
kicked off an exciting season.
Coach Scott Harper will be taking on
both the junior high girls’ team and the
varsity girls’ team this year. The varsity
girls are excited to have him and are
looking forward to a hard, but rewarding
season. This year the team will consist
of seniors: Makena Belnoski, Mackenzie
Hogan, and Danielle Wilds; juniors:
Gabby Banks, Jean-Mari De Jager, and
Petri-Louise De Jager; sophomores: Jenna Arter, Riley Burkhalter, and Natalie
Mayes, and freshman: Lexi Johnson.
Freshman Kaylee Nabors, will support
the team on the sidelines this year as she
continues rehab on her injured knee.
The team looks forward to her recovery,
and having her for next season. Senior
Sydney Bedell will be taking on the role
of team manager and will be a great asset to Coach Harper, and an amazing
encourager to all the girls as the season
progresses.
The girls’ first game was against Baytown Christian on November 11. They
came out with a 48-28 victory and
played very well considering they had
only one practice before the game. They
played again on November 13 against
Legacy Prep and had another successful
night winning 52-11. The Lady Cougars
are looking forward to a fun and fruitful
season! Let’s go, Cougars!
athletes represented the school. It was
an emotional race day as we watched
eight of our seniors run their final race
as Cougars.
Thanks to the parents for their support and to each athlete for the commitment and
determination that
each
of
you gave.
To my
seniors,
you are an
amazing group that has made me laugh
and cry... even laugh until I cried (Tales
of Garrett as told by Kendall and Mackenzie)....I know God has great plans in
store for each of you in this next chapter
of your lives, and I am anxious to hear
how they unfold in the years to come. I
will miss you all greatly.
Page 4, The CCS Growler……………………………………………………………………………..……………..…..December 2014
he junior high boys’ basketball
season is on the way! All twentythree players are ready for a successful
season. The team is led by six 8th graders: Whit Griffith, Trace Hamlin, Logan
Jasso, Josh Martin, CJ Sprayberry, Chandler Stevenson, and Brian Topping. The
7th graders, returning for a second season, are Ryan Burkhalter, Caleb
Dieckhoff, Zach Matthews, and Trey
Morant. Looking to begin their first basketball season are the twelve 6th graders.
Lawson Canter, Ethan Harper, Wade
Harper, Bay Hutchins, Jacob Kutchey,
David Lewis, James Scott, Carder Soderman, Matthew Tucker, Cole Westmoreland, and Lucas Wilkins make up
this group. Every day, the players come
to practice ready to work hard and prepare for the season to come.
On Thursday, November 14, the junior high A-team had its first game. Unfortunately, due to many new additions
to the team, the chemistry of the team
just wasn’t quite there yet. Although a
mark in the loss column was the final
outcome, the team learned a lot in the
process. Whether its offense, defense,
rebounding, passing, or shooting, every
player has something they need to work
on. “Both teams played very hard, but
we just have things that we need to continue to get better at,” stated Trace Hamlin after fighting hard in the game. As
the boy’s assistant coach, I see a ton of
potential. They work hard in practice
every day and strive to get better. The
boys have a strong desire to win and will
look to add win after win to their record
as the weeks of the season go on.
Give Me a “C”
Twice Is Nice
B
A
Whole Nine Yards
Gettin’ Buckets
T
T
By: Jean-Mari De Jager, Staff Reporter
he 2014 junior high football team
ended its season by beating Orange
Community with a 27-26 victory on October 31. Whit Griffith scored on the
first play from scrimmage on a 46 yard
sweep around the right
side and also added to the
score later on in the
game. Covenant and Orange
traded
scores
throughout the entire
game which kept the fans
on the edge of their seats. Bay Hutchins
also helped add points to the board when
he scored a 32 yard touchdown. The
final touchdown was scored on a pass
that was thrown from CJ Sprayberry to
Chandler Stevenson. The Cougars defense held the win by sacking the quarterback on the final play of the game.
The team was excited to end its season
with a victory which encourages them to
work hard in the off season.
Hoop! There It Is!
By: Nick Angelo, Staff Reporter
C
ovenant’s varsity boys basketball
team is back and ready for action.
The roster includes seniors-Luke Fox,
Garrett Mayes, Hayden Pratt, Izack Redmon, Gentry Smith, and Corbin
VanSteenberg; juniors-Connor Bolleter,
Thomas Breedlove,
Nic Hatcher, Cole
Littlefield, Jonathan
Martin, Ross Ohendalski; sophomoresClifton
Billings,
Cameron Carr, and
Sam Tyminski;
Freshmen-Braeden
Dieckhoff, Keller Houston, Austin Manthey, and Will South.
The Cougars first game was against
Baytown Christian. The outcome was a
successful victory! Coach Heldmann
expects great things from the teams and
believes they could win District again.
The future may seem intimidating for the
team, but, all in all, a state championship
is the goal. Coach Heldmann motivates
the players by telling them to “simply be
the best they can be and use the talents
God has given them. They must have
the will to win, and the will to work to
win. Give your best in everything you do
team, and don’t forget to thank God
along the way!”
By: Hayden Pratt, Staff Reporter
By: Ross Ohendalski, Staff Reporter
asketball cheerleading is kicking
off with a bang. The junior high
squad is led by Coach Diane Severson,
who is entering her fourth year of
coaching this team. When asked about
her expectations, she said, “I’m excited
for the new season. I love that I can rely
on the leadership of my captains and
look forward to getting to know the new
girls on the squad.” This year, the team
brings ten girls that are a good mix of
experienced and new cheerleaders eager
to show their support for the basketball
teams and Covenant athletics. Their
theme verse is Psalm 68:3: “The righteous shall be glad, they shall exalt before
God, they shall be jubilant with joy!”
Mrs. Howard is coaching the varsity
squad. They put on a successful pep rally
for the volleyball
team because of
their Final Four
run this
year.
When asked about
the upcoming season, Maddie Ream
said, “The cheerleaders are super
improved and are
extremely pumped for basketball season.” Besides cheering for basketball,
the squad, along with Key Club, will be
creating a float for the Kiwanis Christmas parade. The girls are excited for this
season!
By: Gentry Smith, Staff Reporter
fter a thrilling undefeated season
last year, the junior high girls’ basketball team is looking to follow suit
again this year. With twelve 8th graders,
one 7th grader, and
nine 6th graders, they
have high expectations. The A team
consists of Madison
Adams, Destiny Box,
Kyleigh
Chesshir,
Laine Harper,
Mady Kumpula, KayLee Pratt, Trinity
Simmons, Sheridan Steele, Dani Wilkins,
Georgia Zepeda, Alice Aitken, Emma
Scott, and Becky Van Roekel. Some Ateam players will also float to the B team
to join the 6th graders: Caitlyn Dudley ,Anna Fitzgerald, Ava Herridge,
Hope Littlefield, Delaney Noon, Emma
Scott, and Laura Watson. Coach Harper
and all the girls are looking forward to a
very successful season and hope to have
an outstanding record like last year.
The young girls’ team started off its
season with a big win against Legacy
Prep, beating them 28-4. Laine Harper
led the team with 14 points. Mady Kumpula followed with 6 points and KayLee
Pratt with 4. Dani Wilkins along with
Kyleigh Chesshir each added two. This
win sets a high standard for the season
and brings the team a game closer to
another undefeated season.
Page 5, The CCS Growler ……………………………………………………………………………..……………...December 2014
Junior High
Fall Sports Awards
Volleyball: A Team
MVP:
Peyton Middleton
Most Christ-like:
KayLee Pratt
Most Christ-like:
Emma Scott
Cross Country
Football
MVP:
David Lewis
MVP:
Brian Topping
Most Improved:
Olivia Texidor
Most Improved:
Wade Harper
Most Christ-like:
Madeline Harper
Most Christ-like:
Brian Topping
Photo: SCOTT BURAS
his year’s 11th and 12th grade AP
Language and Composition classes
staged a trial to determine whether Mark
Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry
Finn should be required reading in
American public high schools today.
The junior attorneys for the prosecution, John Taylor and Connor Bolleter,
argued that because of the books racially
discriminatory nature, it should not be
required in public high schools, but judges Mr. Petruccio and Mrs.
Cummins
ruled in favor
of the defense
attorneys
Alex Holsem and Ross Ohendalski. Mr.
Petruccio explained his ruling by saying
the prosecution didn’t “prove historical
inaccuracies” and “never made a legitimate case for why the book should not
be required.”
In the senior class, prosecutors Hayden Pratt and Sierra Dockray argued the
same point, but judges Mrs. Hyden and
Mrs. Tatko again ruled in favor of defense attorneys Garrett Mayes and Scott
Buras. Mrs. Hyden explained the reason
for the ruling she made by saying the
prosecution didn’t fully prove the book’s
racist nature, and that the prosecuting
attorneys did not successfully “poke
holes in the defense’s witnesses.”
ORDER IN THE COURT: Seniors Hayden Pratt and Sierra
Dockray lead the prosecution in
Twain’s trial.
Photo: SCOTT BURAS
T
MVP:
Alice Aitken
Most Improved:
Anna Fitzgerald
By Garrett Mayes, Staff Reporter
By: Connor Bolleter, December Editor
Volleyball: B Team
Most Improved:
Dani Wilkins
Twain on Trial
Reflections
JUDGES ON DUTY: Judges
Mrs. Hyden and Mrs. Tatko
listen to the defenses testimony.
T
he 8th grade students along with
Mrs. Hyden traveled to the Holocaust Museum in downtown Houston on
November
12.
The field trip was
prompted by the
conclusion of the
reading of the
book Boy in the
Striped Pajamas,
and plan to read
The Giver next.
The students were
asked to consider
the questions “What makes us human,”
and “Can we create a perfect society.”
These questions given to the students
were asked as a result of the books they
read. They needed to consider how they
connect with other people and what they
do about our differences, as well as why
the definition of perfect is always
flawed. Mrs. Hyden said that “the Museum was great, and that the students
learned a lot.” The students were surprised by the graphic events that were
presented in the museum, but had a great
time. Coach Heldmann was responsible
for the transportation of the kids, but he
also said, “The museum was very well
done and a good experience.” Many
students say that “getting out of school is
always great,” but Mrs. Hyden was able
to sneak in some valuable lessons to the
8th graders field trip.
Booster Club
By: Gentry Smith, Staff Reporter
B
ooster Club is back at it again and
extremely excited for this Winter
Sports Season. Booster Club is also excited about helping with this year’s
Homecoming celebration on January 9.
Booster club will be responsible for contacting and inviting alumni as well as
coordinating and running the Coronation
Celebration. Booster Club is happy to
report their newest purchases which include a 12ft feather fly banner and statebound gift bags for the varsity cross
country team and the varsity volleyball
team. They would also like to thank
everyone that helped them with the basketball tournament and for the continued
dedication of the volunteers that are always ready to help the school.
Page 6, The CCS Growler…..……………………………………………………………………………..……………...December 2014
Fiesta Navidad
Read All About It!
Christian Heritage
By: Linda Tatko, Librarian
By: Makena Belnoski; Staff Reporter
S
A
T
By: Petri-Louise De Jager, Staff Reporter
panish Club had two outings schedules for this Christmas. On December 2, the Spanish Club members purchased gifts for the elementary class that
they visit throughout the year by buying
gifts at the $.99 cent store. The teacher
at the elementary school informed Mrs.
Miller that some of the kids do not get
Christmas gifts. She has decided that our
Spanish Club could provide the kids
with Christmas presents.
On December 9, Spanish Club will
join the kids and read “From Head to
Toes” by Eric Carle and act out different
kinds of animals. They
will also give the kids
beautiful
booklets
made by the 8th graders with animals, numbers, and colors on
them. The Spanish
Club members and the
elementary kids will
interact by playing games like “Don’t
Break the Ice” and “Candyland.”
Christmas and
Cookies
By: Danielle Wilds, Staff Reporter
N
ational Honor Society hosted a
bake sale on October 24 to raise
money for the National Honor Society
Scholarship Fund. The group raised a
total of $650 selling its homemade goodies. The money will be rewarded to a
senior member of NHS at the end of the
year. To enter in the contest for the
scholarship, seniors must write an essay
which will be read and evaluated by a
group of judges. The winning essay receives the scholarship. Thank you to
everyone who purchased or donated towards the cause!
The Society’s next event was organizing shoe boxes full of gifts for Operation
Christmas Child. Each secondary class
took a trip to the local dollar store to
purchase small gifts and essential items
to put in shoe boxes. These boxes were
sent to children in foreign countries who
otherwise would not receive presents of
any kind. Covenant students put together a total of 167 boxes! What a blessing
to be able to reach out and give love to
those who might not receive any otherwise. Great job, Cougars!
nother successful CCS Book Fair
was held in the library December 2
-5. As soon as the doors were opened
each day, students, parents and teachers
were ready to browse and make their
purchases from the books and trinkets
offered. It was so exciting to see the
enthusiasm that was generated from the
displayed selections.
The library staff would like to thank
all the students and parents who supported the 2014 Book Fair. The library was
able to keep several books from the book
carts, as well as earn more than $1200.
The monies from the Book Fair will be
used to add to the reading options available to our students. Thank you again for
your participation and generosity.
Key Club
By: Ross Ohendalski, Staff Reporter
K
ey Club recently collected peanut
butter for the Montgomery County
Food Bank. The students earned service
hours per jar of peanut butter they
brought in. Last year, the students collected over 150 pounds. Mrs. Clark, the
club’s sponsor, hoped to exceed that
amount this year. The students have also
added flag duty to their daily responsibilities. The students look on this duty
with a great amount of respect and serve
for a nine week period. The Key Club,
as always, is looking to serve its school
in any way possible.
his year’s Christian Heritage Day
was a huge success! On October
24, the elementary students dressed up
as a notable historical figure. They were
required to research their famous person
and represent that individual throughout
the day. The parents were able to come
and watch their children read their reports, after attending the choir performances.
Mrs. Fore had the privilege of directing the lower elementary for this performance. To start off the concert, second
and third grade sang “America, You’re
Beautiful.” Kindergarten and first grade
then joined the choir to sing “I Pledge
Allegiance”, “This Land is Your Land”,
and “What a Fine Country!”
The next choir to take the stage was
the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades which
were directed by Mrs. Smith. The group
sang four songs to honor America,
which were “Fifty Stars”, “Have You
Ever Seen?”, America to Me”, and Mrs.
Smith’s favorite, “Salute to Armed
Forces”. All members of the Armed
Forces were able to join the choir in
singing this last song, which brought
tears to many faces. Mrs. Smith states,
“I love being able to pay tribute to our
military and to be a part of that special
moment”. Christian Heritage Day is a
great way for students to learn more
about the noble characters who fought
for Christianity while showing off their
fabulous costumes.
The Elevator Family
By: Douglas Evans
Tuesday, December 9
6:00 p.m.
CCS gymnasium
$3 admission
Performed by:
Junior High Drama
Page 7, The CCS Growler. ………………………………………………………………………………..…………..…December 2014
By: Ross Ohendalski, Staff Reporter
T
his past November, 3rd grade went
on a field trip to Washington on
the Brazos. This is an annual outing for
the 3rd graders, and they always enjoy
this fun-filled field trip learning about
Texas history. Washington on the
Brazos became known as the
“Birthplace of Texas” on March 16,
1836, when Texas delegates wrote the
constitution for the Republic of Texas.
Less than a month later, Sam Houston
defeated Santa Anna at the Battle of San
Jacinto, and Texas won its independence. In 1845, Texas became a state in
the Union.
The 3rd graders arrived on site eager
to learn and attempt new activities. The
class first took a tour of the museum
which displayed different objects and
settings that the Texans encountered and
used during the 18th century. The students particularly enjoyed learning about
school in the 1800s and seeing the taxidermy, like a real buffalo. The museum
also had an interactive room where the
students got to “build a log cabin” out of
pool noodles and view interactive displays about medicine and making
clothes. They also had the privilege of
viewing the oldest surviving Texas flag.
After they enjoyed a hearty lunch,
they headed to Barrington Farm, which
was the home built by Dr. Anson Jones,
the third president of Texas. At the farm,
the students got to separate the seeds
from
cotton,
feed
pigs,
tour
slave
courters,
and try
their
hands
at
a
plow.
The
students
very much enjoyed this educational field
trip and now have an understanding of
the people who came before us that
made sacrifices so that later generations
could prosper.
Court of Camelot
By: Jean-Mari De Jager, Staff Reporter
T
he fourth grade class embarked on
an adventure to the Renaissance
Festival on the fourth of November. The
students were able to experience the
Birds of Prey show which educates the
public by presenting live animals in an
entertaining format. The students saw
eagles, hawks, owls, and vultures in a
whole new way. They enjoyed a fierce
jousting match where knights strapped
on the heavy suits of armor, settle astride
snorting chargers, took up their lances,
and tilt with each other on a large tournament field. The class cheered England’s warrior on to victory as he faced
his opponent in an epic dual. Cade Houston explained his epic adventure on the
big bungee jump saying, “I have never
tried anything like that before. I even did
a back flip my second time!” “My favorite part of the field trip was that I got to
ride on a camel!” Sam Harrison exclaimed very excitedly. The class also
visited different stores and shops that
were set up at the Renaissance.
By: Margaret Harrison
Washington on the
Brazos
HAZAR: The fanatic crowd cheers on
the warriors in the arena.
Stuffed Turkeys
By: Mackenzie Hogan, Staff Reporter
T
he preschoolers of Covenant Christian stuffed their faces to celebrate
the day of thanks. They had a Thanksgiving feast in their very own class! The
students even played the parts of our
founders. They dressed as turkeys and
ate their favorite Thanksgiving food.
Since they were celebrating Thanksgiving they ate the traditional treats to celebrate this holiday: turkey, ham, corn on
the cob, rolls and of course pumpkin pie!
The little ones also made their very own
place mats! The students love participating in such fun events. By doing this the
students are able to have fun and also
learn to give thanks and enjoy the fellowship of loved ones.
A Slippery
Adventure
By: Petri-Louise De Jager, Staff Reporter
T
he kindergarten class visited the
Oil Ranch in Houston on November 13. With over 50 acres of wide open
space, the Oil Ranch provided multiple
team building activities for the students
to enjoy. Their facilities allowed them to
give hay rides into the pasture to feed the
cattle, bucking barrels, a petting zoo, hay
stack adventure in a big barn, tug-of-war,
and also pony
rides in the pony
corral.
After experiencing a fun day
on a ranch, the
kindergarten
class also had a
pancakes
and
pajama day on November 10th. Through
-out the day, the kindergarten class studied the letter P, and also read the book
Give a Pig a Pancake. The kindergarten
class also enjoyed a thanksgiving feast to
celebrate thanksgiving.
Hershey Kiss
Race
By: Gentry Smith, Staff Reporter
I
n order to help the 5th grade students
grasp the difficulty of doing simple
tasks in blizzard-like conditions, Mrs.
Killian designed an obstacle course to
mimic these conditions. In Chapter 3 of
the book Derwood, Inc. by Jeri Massi,
the protagonists, Jack and Penny, faced
extremely cold weather which partially
blinded them and made using their hands
very difficult. By putting Vaseline on a
pair of glasses and a thick pair of gloves,
she could slightly recreate the weather
conditions. After putting on the glasses,
it was difficult for the students to see,
but they had to race through a maze of
chairs and correctly put on a pair of
gloves. Next the students had to unwrap
and eat a kiss which sounds easy but
with the gloves on was rather challenging. By illustrating the difficulties the
protagonists faced in this fun and creative manner, Mrs. Killian allowed for the
young students to understand the challenges of functioning in the freezing
cold.
Page 8, The CCS Growler…….………………………………………………………………………………..…………December 2014
Under
Construction
By: Petri-Louise De Jager, Staff Reporter
R
obotics is one of the fun activities
at Covenant Christian School. Robotics is building and manipulating a
composite object to complete tasks. The
club is supervised by Louise Zepeda.
The perfect robot that everyone wants to
achieve is the one that copies our human
ability to learn and decide. Most people
try to duplicate what God has already
created. Robotics is a perfect activity
where one can be creative and come up
with new creations. The Robotics Club
has various groups that meet during the
week. The 1st graders meet on Wednesdays from 3:30 to 4:30 and build with
legos and learn to interact with each
other on shared
tasks. The 2nd
graders meet on
Thursdays from
3:30 to 5:30 and
are using the Lego
Power Functions
and Lego Technic
Building
System to create remote controlled
vehicles. The 3rd
graders will begin programming with
Lego Mindstorms to manipulate their
vehicles to perform tasks. The 4th and 5th
graders meet on Fridays from 3:30 to
5:30 to work and program with the Lego
EV3 system. Most classes are held in the
art room.
In order to join the Robotic Club,
one’s parent has to contact Louis
Zepeda. The 1st grade group is asked to
donate $25 for the purchasing of Lego
Kits. The 2nd graders are each asked to
donate $150 toward the purchase of the
Power Functions Elements which they
get to keep. The 3rd graders are allowed
to use the Mindstorm Units that Louise
Zepeda currently owns, The 4th and 5th
graders must supply their own EV3 kits
which about $400. Mr. Zepeda will be
teaching the basics and the strategies in
order to compete. His wish is to eventually help the school in having a robotics
program throughout the school grades.
1st Quarter Honor Roll
Second Grade
Aubrey Westmoreland
Audrey Wind
Chloe Cummins
Cody Rod
Everett Reynolds
Lincoln McCord
Ryker Lynch
Sarah Davidson
Sophia Llanes
Third Grade
Annise Soderman
Bethany Strader
Boston Dockrey
Brooklynn Ayscue
Cayden Lynch
Chance Fowler
Charlie Wade
Chloe' Wright
Chris Bolleter
Drew Littlefield
Ely Matthews
Eve Cantrell
Grace Doan
Hayden Munson
James Bagwell
Joseph Hardy
Juliana Wilkins
Madeline Brinkley
Paul Balis
Rock Carson Sweet
Susanna Patrick
Tate Anders
Teagan Filla
Fourth Grade
Benjamin Chandler
Dylan Harper
Gianna Rowley
Larissa Rodriguez
Michael Llanes
Seth Roetman
Fifth Grade
Averi Spitzer
Beth VanRoekel
Brady Westmoreland
Caleb Martin
Callaghan Mitchell
David Balis
Layne Walters
Sixth Grade
Bay Hutchins
Becky VanRoekel
Collin Bolleter
Emma Scott
Hope Littlefield
James Scott
Kaylee Trotter
Laura Watson
Lawson Canter
Seventh Grade
Alice Aitken
Caleb Dieckhoff
Eighth Grade
Angelie Aggarwal
Brian Topping
Eve Edwards
Georgia Zepeda
Gracie Walters
KayLee Pratt
Laine Harper
Mady Kumpula
Mikayla Canter
Peyton Middleton
Will Collins
Ninth Grade
Bryant Dockray
Cat Tebo
Chase Cunningham
Katie Boudreaux
Kaylee Nabors
Kellen Hogan
Keller Houston
Veronica Holsem
Tenth Grade
Brooke Baldwin
Kelsey Tebo
Natalie Mayes
Rachel Patterson
Sam Tyminski
Vivek Gupta
Eleventh Grade
Abbey Collins
Alex Holsem
Connor Bolleter
Gabby Banks
John Taylor
Jonathan Martin
Nic Hatcher
Taylor Gilleylen
Twelfth Grade
Danielle Wilds
Garrett Mayes
Gentry Smith
Hayden Pratt
Luke Fox
Page 9, The CCS Growler……………………………………………………………………………………..…………December 2014
CovenantChristian
Christian
School
Covenant
School
UpcomingEvents
Events
Upcoming
December
December
9
Junior High Play 6:00 p.m.
914
Junior
HighatPlay
6:00 p.m.
CPG sings
Bethlehem
City
14
CPG
sings
at
Bethlehem
15
CPG Secondary Concert City
6:30 p.m.
15
CPG
Secondary
Concert
16
Elementary Concert 6:30 6:30
p.m.p.m.
16
Elementary
Concert
6:30
p.m.
17
Secondary Finals
17
Secondary
18
Secondary Finals
Finals
18
Secondary
Finals
School Board
Meeting
School
Board
Meeting
19
Secondary Finals
19
Secondary
Finals
Noon Dismissal for Christmas Holiday
Noon Dismissal
20-1/5 Christmas
Break for Christmas Holiday
20-1/5 Christmas Break
January
January
5
Teachers In-service
5
Teachers
6
First
Day In-service
of 3rd
Quarter
rd
6
First
Day
of 3in
Quarter
PTF Meeting
C17 at 2:00 p.m.
PTF
Meeting
in
C17
at 2:00
p.m.
9
Pep Rally in Gym
at 2:00
p.m.
9
Pep
Rally
in
Gym
at
2:00
p.m.
Homecoming Games
Homecoming
22
School Board Games
Meeting
22
School
Board
Meeting
28
PTF Used
Uniform
Sale 8:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.
28
PTF
Used
Uniform
SaleSchool
8:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.
29-30 Teacher In-service/ No
29-30 Teacher In-service/ No School
4503 I-45
North
4503
I-45 North
Conroe, Texas
Texas 77304
Conroe,
77304
Home of
of the
Home
the Championship
ChampionshipCougars!
Cougars!
Change Service Requested
www.covenantonline.com
www.covenantonline.com
Tuesday:
Tuesday:
Hero vs. Villain
Please call
call the
the school
school office
office toto add
add aa friend,
friend,
Please
or
to
remove
yourself
from
this
distribution
or to remove yourself from this distribution
list—thank you.
you. 936.890.8080.
936.890.8080.
list—thank
Wednesday:
Wednesday:
Country vs. Rock vs. Rap
Hero
vs.
Villain
Hero
(Not
limitedvs.
to Villain
superheroes)
(Not limited
limited to
to superheroes)
superheroes)
(Not
Country
vs.
Rock
vs.
Rap
Country
(Which vs.
bandRock
are youvs.
in?)Rap
Thursday:
Thursday:
Nerd Day
Friday:
Friday:
Cougar Spirit
Nerd Day
Day
Nerd
NON-PROFIT
PRSRTSTD
STD
PRSRT
ORG
US POSTAGE
POSTAGE
US
US POSTAGE
PAID
PAID
PAID TX
CONROE
CONROE
TX
CONROE
TX
PERMIT
NO123
123
PERMIT
NO
PERMIT NO 123
(Which band
band are
are you
you in?)
in?)
(Which
Cougar
Spiritfan?)
Spirit
(AreCougar
you the biggest
(Are you
you the
the biggest
biggest fan?)
fan?)
(Are
Page 10, The CCS Growler…………………………………………………………………………………………….December 2014
Page 10, The CCS Growler…………………………………………………………………………………………….December 2014