February 26, 2010 - The Geneva School

THE COURIER
THE GENEVA
SCHOOL
NEWSLETTER
FEBRUARY 26, 2010
Cultivating a Spirit of Generosity
The God who created a good and perfect
world, but whose world turned from
him, has brought restoration through
gift: The Father loved the world and
gave the Son, and the Father and the
Son pour out the gift of the Spirit into
the hearts of humanity, bringing about
praise, hope, and new creation. Those
who are united to the Son by his Spirit
then find they have received the glorious gift of God’s coming Kingdom.
The quote above is taken from a new
book to be published this fall, God so
Loved, He Gave by Kelly Kapic and
Justin Borger. The authors contend
that the Gospel is shaped by giving: God’s generosity buys us out of
bondage and brings us into all the
blessings of belonging. But the good
news is not only that God has made
us to be recipients of his grace but
also participants in the movement of
his divine justice and generosity.
To this end Geneva celebrates when
students, faculty, parents, and friends
of the school display the character of
God by pouring themselves out in
acts of generosity.
We have been overwhelmed by the
generosity of many who have donated to this year’s auction; some
have given of their wealth and property and others of their very precious
time. We are so thankful that people
deem it a privilege to give, and to
give generously.
Thinking of others and cultivating a generous spirit is also woven
into the Geneva curriculum. In
the spring of each year, the Kindergarten students borrow $200
from Mr. Ingram (the banker) to
purchase merchandise for their
school-supply store.
They sell
their wares at the main campus
during lunch for a couple of days
to students and staff. The young
entrepreneurs then add up all the
money. From this money each student is given a tithe to take to their
own church. After paying back the
loan the “profit” is spent on books
for their classroom.
Each Christmas season first grade
students adopt a family in need
through the Christian Service Center. The students do chores at home
and bring in their hard-earned
money to go shopping for the family’s needs. Many families are also
generous to donate additional money and items for the adopted family.
The classes then take a field trip to
Wal-Mart to shop with the money
raised and the students wrap every
present on their own. The focus at
this busy time of year is doing for
others first.
A wonderful 3 day/2 night adventure in Palm Beach on the Lady DeAnne, a 64’ Hatteras yacht docked at the foot of Worth Avenue at the
Brazilian Docks overlooking the intracoastal waterway: just one of the very generous donations to the Auction, A Knight in Italy.
As they study stewardship in January, first grade also
adopt a manatee from Blue Springs State Park. They
have many discussions about taking care of God’s creation (along with taking care of their souls and bodies).
Again, the students bring in chore money from home to
pay for the manatee’s adoption. The money is used to
rescue injured manatees and take care of their wounds,
usually caused by contact with boat propellers.
For the past several years, the class of 2011 (this year’s
eleventh grade class) has raised money for the Cystic
Fibrosis Foundation through carpool collections, Jeans
for Genes Day, and participating together in the Great
Strides walk. Classmate Alex Boyd is living with this
disease and as an extension of their love for him these
students have worked together to raise close to $10,000
to fund treatment and drug research to improve the lives
of those with Cystic Fibrosis.
In November of last year, Geneva’s National Honor Society held a service day. The students participated in
packing bags for homeless people. Some of the items
were collected by the students and others were donated
by other donors. They packed 150 bags with a meal,
hygiene items, and new socks. The boys went with the
organization God’s Hands and Feet to deliver the bags
to homeless people while the girls remained at school
and baked and delivered cookies to the firemen at the
station adjacent to the ECC campus.
Also in November the NHS sponsored the annual schoolwide Operation Christmas Child shoebox drive. 135 boxes were collected and delivered to the local collection point.
NHS also donated $125 to Samaritian’s Purse to help pay
the shipping costs of the shoe boxes around the world.
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Ninth-grader Edward Chandler, in cooperation with
the Round Table, led a Christmas food drive for the
Christian Sharing Center of Longwood. Through their
efforts over $800 was raised and 191 bags of food were
delivered, sorted, and re-bagged for needy families in
the Orlando area.
In January, the NHS collected blankets and towels for
the Humane Society and the Christian Sharing Center.
After the recent devastating earthquake in Haiti the
NHS and Roundtable (student government) joined
forces to organize a Family Flick Fundraiser to raise
money for Open Door Haiti, a local organization ministering in Haiti. It was a fun family event that raised
$1,156.20 for Haiti relief.
NHS students also offer tutoring and homework help in
English free of charge every Tuesday after school.
God invites us to be His hands and feet in a broken
world. We have been gifted much through the grace of
Christ; we have been saved from bondage and sin and
given eternal life. What a glorious redemption! As we
give ourselves away for His service and work in community with others, we see God at work.
And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and
this life is in his Son. (1 John 5:11)
With Thanks to God for Chrissie Schutz
by Gordon Cloke (Board Member)
lar became an almost ubiquitous presence whenever parental involvement
was sought. As a board member, she
also served on the Governance, Development, and Building committees.
While only a few are in a position to
fully appreciate the sheer scope and
significance of this often unseen work,
be assured that she always served with
unflagging diligence, courage, and
Christian insight.
Recently, we have enjoyed celebrating the addition of new board members and (in last month’s Courier)
we even announced the addition of
whole new boards that we pray will
take the school to a whole new level
of spiritual and social influence. This
month, we would be remiss if we did
not also take time to celebrate the
contribution of someone who has
recently retired from active service
on the Board of Governors: Chrissie
Schutz.
Chrissie joined the Board in 2006
having already demonstrated her
abilities and commitment to the
school through the Geneva Parents Association, Booster Club, and
Auction Committee (to name only
three), and quickly established a
place for herself as someone who, on
the one hand, combined sheer energy and capacity for important work,
and, on the other, a tender heart that
was always ready to listen, encourage, and come alongside.
Chrissie and her husband Alan are
proud parents of two TGS graduates:
Liz (Class of 2006) now a senior at
King’s College, NY, and Zach (Class
of 2009) now a freshman at the University of Florida, both beloved students during their time at Geneva.
During that time, Chrissie in particu-
I know I speak for the Board when
I say that Chrissie will be very sorely
missed—her passion and spirit will
be hard or impossible to replace.
Our only (but very significant) consolation is that she intends to remain an active part of school life,
and along with her track record, that
is definitely a cause to celebrate—
and to thank God for the depth
and riches of His provision through
those like Chrissie who not only see
the great vision before us, but engage
themselves faithfully and persistently in the work to make it a reality.
Chrissie at the Auction last year, doing her bit to drive up the bidding.
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A
Knight in
Italy
awaits you ...
SAturday, March 6
Babysitting at ECC begins at 5:00 pm
Guests may pick up their Auction Envelope and begin bidding at 5:15 pm
Guests in line by 5:30 pm will each receive a free drink
Your Italian adventure awaits you on Saturday, March
6. The Knight will be a delight to your senses as you
are transported to Italy for an evening of shopping
and fine dining. The Marketplace (Silent Auction)
will open at 5:30 pm with fabulous treasures, class
projects, and teacher experiences for your bidding
pleasure. Be transported to Rome, Florence, and
Venice as dinner is served at 7:15 pm. This year’s
Live Auction promises NEW and exciting vacations
and once-in-lifetime experiences and opportunities.
Highlights from the Marketplace
We thank all the folks who have so generously
donated to the auction and we anticipate a
spirit of genorisity to extend into the evening
at A Knight in Italy.
Live Auction Highlights
Gather you friends to plan your strategies
Now is the time to visit the school website and read all
your emails. Gather your family and friends and decide
now which items you do not want to miss out on. There
are many great trips and teacher experiences that several
families could bid on together.
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Electronics
Photography sessions
Gift baskets
Vacation condos
Spa and salon packages
Sky diving
Home decor
Designer jewelry
Class projects
Teacher experiences
• 3 day/2 night adventure in Palm Beach on the Lady
DeAnne, a 64’ Hatteras yacht
• One week at a private Bahamas Island home with
Lear Jet service for six
• One week at a ten bedroom Ormond Beach home
• Chicago weekend getaway for two
• Six night getaway for four at the Omni Mount
Washington Resort
• Quail Hunt for Four
• Authentic Cuban dinner for eight prepared by
Ralph and Becky Matinez.
Class Projects
Pasta serving dishes created by students in Pre-K through 6th grade
Beautiful necklaces made by the 7th grade
(copper), 8th grade (bronze), and Rhetoric
art students (silver).
Teacher Experiences
Your children love their teachers and their school. A great way to forge a memory for your child is to purchase a special
experience for them with their favorite techer ... and maybe a friend or two! This year’s teacher experiences are wonderful!
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Party at the Polk’s home for a whole class
Rock climbing and pizza for six with the Fourth
Grade team
A birthday tea party with Mrs. Wise
Day at Disney with Miss McDougall
Lil’ 500 and Jeremiah’s with Mrs. Stewart and Mrs.
Geer
Car care with Mr. DeGroot and his ‘98 Mustang GT
Can’t Come to the Auction this Year?
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Kayaking for two with Dr. Chandler and Mr. Rowe
Tea for four in Mount Dora with Mrs. Burguet
Face painting for your child’s class by Lisa Hines
Paintballing with Mr. Ingram (Live Auction)
Headmaster for the Day (Live Auction)
A Day at the Beach with Mrs. Andrews and Mrs.
Natale for Four girls.
See more online ...
That doesn’t mean you need to miss out on the chance to “win”
your child’s class project or Teacher Experience. Contact Jennifer Pruitt at [email protected] or 407-740-5563
to find out how to qaulify for proxy bidding on any of these fabulous items.
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“Hopes and Dreams of the Future
Sparkle Within Them”
by Patti Rader (Director of Admission)
Above is a beautiful quote from the article on the next
page by Mrs. Saundra Gray (grandmother to Kristen and
Caroline Gray). I love this thought because I witness it
in so many ways each and every day.
When moms and dads are driving through carpool to
drop off their beloved children for another day of school,
I can almost sense the sparkle of hopes and dreams they
have for their children.
When prospective parents come to visit and tour the
school they have the same hopes and dreams of a future
for their children and, ah yes, the sparkle.
On Grandparents Day I witness it; grandparents have
hopes and dreams of a future for their grandchildren.
The sparkle in a grandparent’s eyes can sometimes
exceed that of a parent!
It is this sparkle in the eyes of everyone at The Geneva
School that makes coming to work every day so much
fun.
In the Admission Office we see many families making
tremendous sacrifices to make a Geneva School
education a priority. For many it is a financial miracle
that they are here; God is providing a way and they are
walking by faith and trusting Him. It is a testimony to
me to witness such sacrifice. Each family that I meet
with has that same sparkle that Mrs. Gray discusses in
her article. The faculty, staff, parents, grandparents, and
the students know that they are here because of faith,
hopes, and dreams.
In his comments below, Mr. Jason Mages (a TGS
dad) reflects on his children’s life-long journey and the
education he and his wife have chosen for them as an
investment. We can each testify to the fact that we are
truly making an investment in our children. I can see
that investment paying off in my own children and in
the students I see at school. The children at TGS are
different. They are all so visibly happy and they love
each other, love learning, and love their teachers.
It is because of all of this that I can report that reenrollment has gone very well and we look forward to
seeing you back next year. I can also report that we are
receiving many new applications. Once again I thank
you for the referrals of your friends and family! We
continue to grow as a community of faith, hope, and
learning!
An Investment with Eternal Rewards
We are very excited about our children’s formal education, especially here
at The Geneva School. “Training our
children” starts with a firm foundation of God’s truth in the home and at
church. Now, as Jonathan and Anna
have begun their lifelong journey of
learning, we are proud to have found
great partners at TGS. Yes, it is a sacrifice, but our family views a TGS education as an investment; an investment
that will yield eternal rewards.
Jason and Meg Mages: parents of Jonathan
and Anna, TGS Kindergarten.
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A Grandparent’s Thoughts about The Geneva School
One of the great rewards and privileges in life is
grandchildren. Hopes and dreams of the future
sparkle within them, and thoughts of raising your
own children are relived, savored, and mulled
over in your mind. Life’s most challenging role is
parenting, and few grandparents, if we are honest,
would not like to have an opportunity to “do over”
some of the decisions we made.
My husband Charles and I have a total love affair with
our four grandkids. Each is special and precious to
us. Their schooling has been of great interest and at
first we questioned the great distances our daughterin-law and son were willing to drive to place the
oldest in Sweetwater Episcopal Academy for early
childhood education. This was many years ago and
as we watched their entire education flower because
of a loving environment, we no longer questioned
our son and daughter-in-laws’ wisdom.
As our two older grandchildren were transferred
out of another very good prep school in the area
to Geneva, I again questioned the wisdom of their
decision. It was not the easiest of transitions at
first, but now I again see the reasons leading to
their decision.
More than rote knowledge being imparted, there is
the intangible fire for learning that I glimpse in the
two older girls, soon to be adults. That fire is what
we all hope education will bestow on a student.
It is evasive; distractions of modern life make it
is difficult for teachers to compete with worldly
temptations. The teachers at Geneva seem to have
found the key to deliver this love of learning. We
commend the focus on learning and even more
important, thinking. This gives each student the
best tools available to navigate the world as it is
today, with all the obstacles, dilemmas, rewards,
and joys.
Next year we look forward to having all four of
our grandchildren in Geneva for the opportunities
available there.
Saundra Gray: grandmother of TGS students Caroline
(10th grade) and Kristen (8th grade) and soon-to-be TGS
students Savannah (5th grade) and John (2nd grade).
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“The World Turned Upside Down?”
Grant R. Brodrecht, Ph.D.
History Instructor, The Geneva School
If buttercups buzz’d after the bee,
If boats were on land, churches on sea,
If ponies rode men and if grass ate the cows,
And cats should be chased into holes by the mouse,
If the mamas sold their babies
To the gypsies for half a crown;
If summer were spring and the other way round,
Then all the world would be upside down.
“The World Turn’d Upside Down”
When Cornwallis surrendered British troops
at Yorktown in 1781,
tradition has it that British military bands played “The
World Turn’d Upside Down.” The world’s most powerful
military had been defeated by a seemingly rag-tag bunch
of amateurs, who years earlier had decided they would
no longer submit to the perceived tyrannical governance
of their mother country. The colonists’ decision to rule
themselves came in the midst of the multifaceted Enlightenment that swept the Western intellectual world
during the eighteenth century. The spirit of that optimistic Enlightenment, expressed so well by Immanuel
Kant in 1784, was one that dared people to free themselves from tutelage to traditional authorities. To the
vanquished, the Americans’ choice to release themselves
from colonial tutelage was an inversion of the natural
order. To the Americans, a Novus Ordo Seclorum, a “New
Order for the Ages,” seemed to be dawning with their
creation of a republic.
While the aristocratic ex-president John Adams remarked
with consternation in 1807 that he never really knew
what a republic was, he and other American revolutionaries – influenced by a mixture of attitudes and ideas
swirling about within the Anglo-American world, such
as Enlightenment (and Protestant) notions of political
covenants and God-given natural rights to life, liberty,
property, and happiness – had indeed created something
radically new when they threw off British rule. Extending well into the nineteenth century and beyond, the
meaning of the American republic for many was found
in the vehement rejection of a traditional European
world of monarchy, aristocracy, and deference to one’s
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social, political, religious, and intellectual betters. In its
place emerged an American culture that championed the
liberty and authority of the people to make their own
way in the world, unencumbered by traditional ways of
knowing and doing. This optimistic new order would
overturn traditional authority in many corners of American life and culture, not the least of which was American
religion.
Building on the contention that the American Revolution is the most important moment in American history,
the historian Nathan O. Hatch wrote The Democratization of American Christianity (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1989), a book that remains one of the most
important interpretations of American religion. Hatch,
who was formerly Provost at the University of Notre
Dame, is currently President of Wake Forest University.
He recently joined The Geneva School’s newly-created
Board of Reference and will also deliver the Commencement Address at Geneva’s Graduation this year. His
award-winning work brought attention to the ways in
which various outsider denominations—Baptists, Methodists, black churches, the Christian movement (later
the Disciples of Christ), and Mormons—challenged a
traditional hierarchical understanding of society. Hatch
writes, “. . . [C]ommon folk in America at the dawn of
the nineteenth century came to scorn tradition, relish
novelty and experimentation, grope for fresh sources of
authority, and champion an array of millennial schemes,
each in its own way dethroning hierarchy and static religious forms” (80). In particular, these groups challenged
the ecclesiastical authority and dominance of established
Episcopalians, Presbyterians, and Congregationalists. By
relentlessly tapping into popular religious zeal and re-
sentment against perceived aristocratic control (in all areas of life), these upstart groups ushered in a democratic
revolution in religion. “They appropriated,” Hatch says,
“the rhetoric of civil and religious liberty that the respectable clergy had made popular during the Revolution and
marshaled it for an entirely new purpose: to topple its
very architects” (76).
Just as the American Revolution found ordinary people
throwing off the traditional rule of aristocrats and kings
and taking the political reins for themselves, so it inspired
many to throw off the traditional rule of a learned and
elite clergy and take the religious reins for themselves. It is
important to realize, as Hatch emphasizes, that this postRevolution democratic religious
fervor relied upon and modified
well-entrenched Protestant themes
already in place in America. As
Hatch puts it, “In a culture that increasingly balked at vested interests,
symbols of hierarchy, and timeless
authorities, a remarkable number
of people awoke one morning to
find it self-evident that the priesthood of all believers meant just
that – religion of, by, and for the
people” (69). Above all, what democratic religion meant for many in
the early republic was the right to
think for oneself, particularly when
it came to the Scriptures. There was
no need for Scripture to be mediated by creeds or learned clergymen
and theologians. And to Hatch the
appeal is unmistakably clear: “. . .
[A]ny Christian using New Testament words could fend off the
most brilliant theological argument
with the simple retort that one was using God’s word
against human opinion” (136). These folks were taking
the long-standing Protestant principle of sola scriptura to
its extreme, pitting it against theology, history, and tradition. Alexander Campbell, the founder of what became
the Disciples of Christ, exclaimed, “I have endeavored
to read the scriptures as though no one had read them
before me” (179). All of these groups, as they read and
appropriated Scripture for themselves, were claiming to
reach back behind nearly two millennia of church history
in order to restore a primitive and unprecedentedly pure
and harmonious form of New Testament Christianity. In
so doing, they were rejecting every authority outside of
the individual conscience and one’s individual reading of
Scripture. In order to preach, it seemed, one only needed
a conversion experience, a Bible, perhaps a horse, and
certainly a willingness to open one’s mouth.
Nathan Hatch’s Democratization of American Christianity
is history of the finest kind, and it remains a must-read for
American Christians who wish to better understand their
twin identities as American and Christian. He does what
the Christian historian must do – he reveals the sorts of
time-bound cultural forces that impinge on the Church
in any age. In our case, American Christianity must be
understood in the wake of the American Revolution.
“American Christianity,” as Hatch
puts it, “has muddled along in a state
of anarchic, free-market pluralism”
ever since, thus leaving Americans
with a welter of competing religious
options from which to choose
(212). For Hatch “the driving force
behind American Christianity”
remains the “democratic or
populist orientation” acquired in
the Revolutionary era: “America has
lived in the shadow of a democratic
revolution and the liberal,
competitive culture that followed
in its wake. Forms of popular
religion characteristic of that
cultural system bound paradoxical
extremes together: a reassertion
of the reality of the supernatural
in everyday life linked to the
quintessentially modern values of
autonomy and popular sovereignty”
(213). Not surprisingly, much of
American Christianity retains an
individualistic, amateurish, and populist disdain for
serious learning and Church tradition, and it remains
characterized in places by the same sort of innovation,
chicanery, and demagoguery that characterized it in the
early republic. Because of or in spite of those features, and
perhaps paradoxically, the supernatural gospel message of
redemption and forgiveness in Christ is almost universally
available in some form or fashion in America. A world
turned upside down, or a Novus Ordo Seclorum? Just as
answering that question in the eighteenth century likely
depended in part on one’s social, political, and theological
predilections, so it likely remains the case today.
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Purity Works
Jennie Bishop, a Geneva parent, is also founder of an
organization called PurityWorks. PurityWorks’ mission
is to educate and encourage parents and individuals by
providing resources to teach, model, and pursue purity of
heart and sexual purity. Bob Ingram recently sat down with
Jennie to find out more about the organization.
Why PurityWorks? Why an organization devoted to this?
It started out with a little story called The Princess and
the Kiss, which I wrote for my kids when Vashti (who is
16 now) was in Kindergarten. She came home one day
from Kindergarten and said, “Mom, all my girlfriends
have boyfriends.” I was being very intentional in the
way I was raising her, but I really didn’t have any idea
I would be dealing with a question like that at such a
young age. After praying for my daughters and asking
the Lord how I could do something for them that was
appropriate for such young children, the idea came for
this story. I was working for a small publisher at the time
and had no idea the book would end up selling a quarter
million copies! During the time the book entered the
market I talked with many parents who shared that they
wanted to teach their children about purity, but they
didn’t know how. They were also full of guilt because
they hadn’t pursued purity themselves. We discussed the
fact that burning toast once did not disqualify a person
from teaching their children to cook! I wanted to find
a way to empower parents and to teach them that there
are many ways to train a young child in purity of heart
as a foundation for sexual purity as they grow older.
As parents, we don’t have to spoil their innocence,
but there is so much ground work we can do as we
prepare them to embrace sexual purity.
So it seems the ministry grew out of the book.
That’s right. I began a not-for-profit organization. We
teach in both Christian and non-religious settings.
We have a method that demonstrates building a
household of purity, showing how purity is on a
continuum—it is not just a dot on the line of our
lives. Anyone who starts with purity of heart is going
to be able to progress and embrace sexual purity if
they are developing the right heart.
What has prepared you specifically with the ability
and authority to speak into other people’s lives?
When I began on this path—writing the book and
speaking to other parents who were desperate for
help—I recognized that I had written something that
was reaching across many boundaries. I also realized
that my husband and I had not pursued purity as we
should have. I questioned why God would choose
us for something like this. I really believe that the
answer has played out over the years through our
willingness to be vulnerable enough to say, “This is
what has happened in our lives,” “These are the ways
that we have fallen down,” and “These are the ways
in which God has used our failures and our successes
to encourage us that we are the right parents for our
children.” My degree is actually in Church Music and
I have always loved to write. The Lord has qualified
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me as He has called me and hopefully continues to
give me a humble enough heart to keep studying and
researching what is going on in our media and our
culture today.
Are there elements of a redemptive story behind this
as well as a good teaching ministry?
Absolutely. The Princess and the Kiss is an ideal—the
princess saves her kiss for the right man, she meets
the man who saved his kiss for her, and that’s how
they come together. That doesn’t happen for all of us,
or even for most of us, and none of us are without sin.
So the whole point is to recognize that in so many of
the stories or ideals that we see—in story or in the
Bible—we are going to fall short. We have to pick
ourselves up, ask forgiveness and begin afresh. We
can start again at any time if our heart is right and we
really want to make that commitment. I constantly
remind hurting people—young girls who think it’s
over for them because they didn’t save their “kiss,”
or young men who have given it away and wonder
what to do now, or parents who didn’t walk a path of
purity—of the great news that grace is available to all
of us. We do some training with volunteers in crisis
pregnancy centers. Of course in that situation you
have a mom with a new baby who has the opportunity
to break that cycle and do something different. That
is a super picture of redemptive grace.
Should parents wait for a child to ask a question or
should they take the initiative?
The parent can recognize the opportunities as they
arise and also plan times appropriate for information to
be given. It is an ebb and flow. There are times when
you simply take advantage of a teachable moment; but
I think it is Dr. Dobson who says that if a child hasn’t
spoken to you by the time they are nine, you should
“make an appointment” and talk to them! Work with
and recognize the personality of your child—some kids
are very shy and some are right up front and open. It
is our privilege as parents to teach our children about
themselves, about respect, honor, a pure heart, a pure
body, and sexual purity. We also must be intentional
about making our children aware of the physical and
emotional implications of actions that are outside God’s
law.
Parenting today has become merely practical. Keeping
kids fed, clothed, insured and educated is not enough.
We are challenged with developing their hearts and their
character. I want to see parents go to that deeper level
with their children. Relying on the school, the youth
group, and a child’s peer group is going to result in gaps
at best, and views totally opposed to a parent’s views at
worst. Outsourcing is not the right approach when it
comes to purity training.
Talking about sexual purity has been so narrowly defined
to mean sexual abstinence. Many parents wait to engage
in conversations about purity until their children reach
the teen years or until something happens that makes it
painfully clear that a talk is necessary. We can be much
more proactive and take the opportunities as a child is
growing, recognizing that all the elements of preparing
the heart are going to bring them to the place where
those talks will happen more naturally, more gradually.
We don’t have to feel that pressure to have THE
TALK and get everything in there at one time. That’s
impossible. Purity training is an ongoing conversation
as our children grow.
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It seems that your use of the word purity implies much
more than abstinence.
Exactly right. We always start training with a definition
of purity. Purity means so much more than sex—it has
to do with the heart. We teach a very simple concept we
call the “Five Doors of the Heart.” Based on Proverbs
4:20-27, we explain about the five senses: how each
sense is a door through which things can penetrate our
hearts or be kept from our hearts. We decide whether
to open or close those doors. Even a really little child
can understand that. Purity is not just about sex and not
just about teenagers—it is a continuum that flows into
marriage and far beyond.
Let’s talk about teenagers in particular. What is the
difference today between teenage curiosity, involvement,
and experience of sexuality as apposed to fifty years
ago?
We can see a marked difference, especially in the
culture and the way our media and entertainment has
developed. Over time the amount of sexual content in
TV sitcoms, music, and movies has grown exponentially.
Not just sexuality, but violence and many aspects of a
dishonorable heart are celebrated. We are like the frog in
the pot—it’s happened little by little. Back in the day of
the Cleavers, a movie like Brokeback Mountain would
never have been thought acceptable. We are expected to
accept the lifestyles portrayed by shows like Desperate
Housewives. We are being slowly brainwashed
by the culture. We must recognize this, speak
to it, and learn to guard our hearts and train our children
in the same way. If our children are exposed to the culture
without any boundaries, without any communication
or conversations about goodness, truth, and beauty, it
is very easy for them to be sucked into cultural norms.
I like what Walt Mueller from CPYU* said when he
was here at Geneva: “They are marinating in this stuff.”
We don’t have the luxury of being unaware of what our
children are watching, reading, and listening to. There
are plenty of resources available to us—we can look up
movie reviews, book reviews, and song lyrics. We can
train our children to want to keep their hearts clean. If
we don’t, they will take on much of what they are seeing,
reading, and listening to in the culture so readily at hand.
What are the rewards and the takeaways for you being
involved in this?
I grow in my own freedom and healing as I share what
Christ has done in my life—and the joy comes as I see
others freed to do the same. The other wonderful thing
is seeing parents say “I’m not alone” and watching them
network together as a community. People on the same
page when it comes to purity can strengthen each other
greatly. This is part of the magnificent redemptive power
of Christ as He heals His growing Family—grace is
available to every single person who asks … even me.
* CPYU: Center for Parent/Youth Understanding;
www.cpyu.org
Planned
Purity Seminar
Saturday, April 24
9:00 am–3:00 pm
At St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church, 4917 Eli Street, Orlando, 32804
Hosted by The Geneva School
Page 12
MathCounts Competition 2010
by Christine Miller (Math Instructor)
MathCounts is a national club and
competition program open to 6th,
7th, and 8th graders. Its mission
is to inspire excellence, confidence,
and curiosity in middle school
students.
For the first time this
year, The Geneva School had a
MathCounts club and was able to
send a team to the MathCounts
Chapter competition. Forty-two
Central Florida schools and 280
students (“mathletes”) participated
in this year’s competition. Our
team included Katherine Taylor (6th
grade), Ben Reynolds (6th grade),
Caleb Cox (6th grade), and Hannah
Shirley (7th grade). These students
have spent the last several months
preparing for the competition.
We had an excellent showing, ranking
26th out of 42 teams, especially
considering they were all sixth graders
except for one. This is a great start for
our program, and we expect bigger
and better things in the future! Please
congratulate our Mathletes.
Here are a few problems similar to
those our Mathletes had to solve
during their competition. Can you
answer them (the answers are at the
bottom of the page)?:
1. When the length of a rectangle is
increased by 20% and the width
is increased by 10%, by what
percent is the area increased?
2. In trapezoid ABCD, the parallel
sides AB and CD have lengths 8
and 20 units, respectively, and
the altitude is 12 units. Points
E and F are the midpoints of
sides AD and BC, respectively.
What is the area of quadrilateral
EFCD in square units?
3. If a drip of water is equivalent to
¼ of a milliliter, how many drips
are in a liter of water?
Answers: 1. 32% 2. 102 square units 3. 4000 drips
Page 13
WINTER SPORTS
Varsity Boys Soccer
The Geneva School boys varsity
soccer team kicked off its first ever
winter season and showed the
“bigger” schools that they were a
force to be reckoned with. The
squad was lead by seniors Chris
Roberts, Justin Hamil, and Evan
Pederson who took full command from
day one and brought the best out of each and
every player. This season’s team had several
players playing
soccer for the
very first time and the effort
that was displayed at training
and during games was second
to none.
The team was led statistically
by Jordan Stewart (5 Goals/5
Assists), Chris Roberts (7
Goals/1 Assist), Alex Boyd (1
Goal/4 Assists) and Thomas
Saunders (1 Goal/1 Assist).
Michael Dumas was stellar in
the goal all year, starting all
15 games and recording an
outstanding 163 total saves. Defenders who
joined Jordan Stewart in the back were Blake
Trent, Luke Brown, Danny Downward, and
Justin Hamil, all of whom worked feverishly to
keep the ball out of the Geneva goal.
Head Coach Mike McAvoy stated, “I was so proud
of this year’s team. The character and class which
all of these young men showed throughout the
entire season was unbelievable. The older players
led the way and the younger players stepped up to
make this one of the most worthwhile coaching
experiences I have ever had!”
Varsity Boys Basketball
The Geneva Knights boys varsity basketball team ended the
year with their best run of the season. The Knights rattled off
4 wins in a row before falling to eventual district champion,
Ormond Calvary. Coached by Mike Fitzgerald, the Knights
finished the season with a 5-15 record, and achieved their goal
of peaking going into the conference tournament, giving the
champs all they could handle. The team graduates 4 seniors:
Michael Reynolds, David Closson, Graham Thompson, and
Trent “All-Tourney” Sconnely. These seniors will be missed for
their contributions and leadership both on and off the court.
Page 14
The Knights were led this year by senior and All-District
performer, Michael Reynolds. Michael developed into an
incredible player and leader averaging 18 points and 11
rebounds per game. Teams were forced to double and triple
team him on a nightly basis and he proved quickly that he was
one of the top performers in the league. Michael’s presence
on and off the court will be missed. 8th grader Kyle Delk
was called upon to handle point guard duties this season and
improved vastly from day one, working himself into a reliable
player to whom we are looking for good things in the future.
Other starters: David Closson, whose hard work and leadership
were infectious; Trent Sconnely, another senior providing the
consistent scoring the Knights relied on in the second half
of the season; sophomore Ian Seddon, who rounded out the
starting five, providing scoring and athleticism that was vital to
their success. Ian will be looked upon next year as the captain
and leader of this team. The bench was rounded out by senior
Graham Thompson, the XFactor, and by AJ Salvaggio, Jared
Rivers, Edward Chandler, and Peter Torres, who all will play
a significant roll in years to come. What they all learned this
year will make them better players. The Knights will soon get
to work preparing for next season and look to improve on
their skills.
MS Boys Basketball
The Knight’s middle school boys basketball
team, coached by Eric Pederson, finished their
season with a 6-7 record, playing a tough
schedule against older, taller foes. Leading
the way in scoring for the Knights were Troy
Jackson at 8 points per game, Luke Pederson
at 7 points per game, and Chase Picerne
and Caleb Bonaventure at 4 points per
game. Troy Jackson and Logan Harvell were
the top rebounders with 6 and 5 per game
respectively. Blaine Miller handled point
guard duties for the Knights, and led the team
in assists, while Luke Pederson
was tops in steals. Chase Picerne
led the Knights on the defensive
end, often tasked with shutting
down the opponents’ best player.
As key reserves, Grant Sandberg
and David Craig provided vital
contributions off the bench:
Grant as a hard-nosed defender
and David as sharp-shooting
scorer. Their success against
older, more experienced teams
bodes well for the future of
Knights basketball!
AT GENEVA
Varsity Girls Basketball
The 2009-2010 season for the Geneva Lady Knights varsity
basketball team was a learning experience. Although the girls
finished with a record of 6-16 and lost in the first round of
districts, they experienced tremendous growth, grew together
as a team, and learned the true meaning of hard work and
dedication. Each girl improved in some aspect of the
game, becoming a better player emotionally, physically, and
spiritually. For many girls on the team their basketball skills
have improved leaps and bounds.
Even though the team did not achieve all of the specific goals
that our first year coaches Sarah Jenkins and Whitney Tossie
set, the team is more motivated than ever to achieve those
goals and beyond. The girls, along with the coaches, have
dedicated themselves to working hard and getting better
preparation for next season. The Lady Knights (Jayme Bryant,
Amanda and Brianna Goble, Janzen Harding, Michaela
O’Driscoll, Shannon Riley, Erin Schaefer, Isabella Seddon,
Lindsay Siegmundt, and Natalie
Wayne) anticipate not only
better basketball seasons in the
future, but also the opportunity
to grow and develop as young
ladies on and off the court!
MS/JV
Girls
Basketball
The middle school/
junior
varsity
girls
basketball team had a
very successful season.
This team played extremely hard throughout the season and
the “young” Lady Knights finished as a top four team making
it to the final-four tournament. Under the leadership of new
coaches Ted Sanford and Jonathan Armstead, the girls showed
a tremendous amount of improvement from the beginning of
the season to the end.
MS Girls Soccer
What a team! Under the leadership of Coach Cece Guillan,
these girls worked hard and played hard all season long
while keeping the integrity of the School in mind. The
most memorable moment followed a game where the referee
commented to the coach, “This has to be the nicest group of
girls I have offiated. I have never heard ‘I’m sorry’ so much.”
What a compliment!! From the beginning the girls listened
well, always coming out to practice ready to work, and ending
the season sad that it was all over. Overall the season was very
positive, making progress and looking more and more like a
team with each game.
The future of girls soccer
at The Geneva School
is exciting as these girls
have great potential.
Varsity Girls Soccer
The Lady Knights varsity
soccer team joined the state
series this year and was placed
in a challenging district with
perennial powerhouses Trinity
Prep and The First Academy.
The team knew it was going to be tough and to their credit
they stuck together when things looked bleak.
The season started dismally with a record of 0-7-1 through
their first 8 games. The team suffered two tough district losses
each to Trinity and Lake Mary Prep. They also dropped a
district match to TFA during the stretch. The lone bright spot
was a draw with Crooms Academy.
The girls never quit and things turned around dramatically.
The team went unbeaten in their next six games. Highlights
of the stretch were a 6-1 dismantling of Windermere Prep
and a furious comeback against Florida Air where the girls
overcame a 3-0 halftime deficit to tie the game 3-3. Their final
record was 4 wins, 9 losses, and 3 ties.
Lily Cloke and Sydney Feliciani led the team in scoring with 5
goals a piece. Cassie Abercromie’s stout defending and Alana
Parish’s tireless work at midfield earned both players AllDistrict Honors. Coached by Rob Coleman, the team was
rounded out by Amanda Boyle, Sarah Brodrecht, Ellie Dreyer,
Maddie Francis, Caroline Gray, Rebekah Harkness, Emily
McPhail, Lydia Meadows, Brandi Parks, Chandler Picerne,
Lida Picerne, Vanessa Rivera, and Sarah Warner.
Page 15
Alumni News
T. Cason (class of 2001) met his fiancee Melissa in a Chaucer class at the
University of Florida, where Melissa majored in English and T. majored
in finance (though he also undertook a fair amount of coursework in the
liberal arts). Five short years later, the couple has set a wedding date for
May 29, 2010.
Between now and then, Melissa will wrap up her law degree at the
University of Florida while T., who graduated from the University of
Texas School of Law last spring, continues to enjoy some time off. After
the wedding, the couple plans to move to Manhattan where T. has
already accepted a position with law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore
and Melissa hopes to start a practice in family law.
Caroline (Candeto) Newkirk (class of 2001) will graduate in May 2010
with an M.A. in Intercultural Studies from Wheaton College Graduate
School. Her husband Matt
continues to work on his Ph.D.
in Old Testament at Wheaton.
They have made their home in the Chicago area and are preparing to be
missionaries in Nagoya, Japan, after Matt finishes his degree.
Matt and Caroline are expecting their first baby (and Robin Candeto’s
first grandbaby) in July. They are very excited and appreciate our prayers
as they make the big transition into parenthood. They expect to find out
soon if it’s a boy or a girl.
Lindsay (Gumport) Osborne
(class of 2002) and her husband
David are very proud parents. Talitha
Kelsi Osborne was born October 23 at 9:05
pm. They never imagined how much they would
love being parents. The baby wakes up happy every
morning, which makes a sleepless night seem worthwhile.
David and Lindsay live in Tallahassee. Lindsay is now a full-time stayat-home mom and wears that shirt proudly. David is a staff attorney at
the Circuit Court.
Page 16
TGS Family News
Joe and Darcee Moon welcome Anastasia
Anastacia Grace Moon was born on Friday,
February 19, at 8:07am, 7 lbs 2.5 oz, 20”. The
family is doing very well and appreciate all your
support and prayers.
We also celebrate with Sarah Rothwell, Jennifer Hansen, and Lisa Degroot who are all expecting babies this
summer.
Adoption Complete!
We are happy to share the news that Joey’s adoption was finalized on Thursday, February 18. His full name is Joseph Robert
Valmik Rowe, reflecting the name of both of his grandfathers
and an Indian poet. Joey wore his traditional Indian clothes
and seemed excited that the judge would put “ink on paper.”
It was a wonderful reminder of every Christian’s adoption into
God’s family as they listened to the lawyer and judge describe
the legal relationship. Many thanks to the Geneva community for their prayers and
encouragement!
Two Geneva Dads Running for Public Office
State Reprentative Dean Cannon, father to Dean Jr. in first grade and Katherine
in Kindergaten, is running for re-election in District 35 (Winter Park) of the
Florida Legislature. Dean will serve as Speaker of the
House beginning in 2010.
For more information on Bruce, go to
www.jointeambruce.com
Bruce O’Donoghue, husband to Kindergarten teacher
Leigh and father to Alison in seventh grade and Grace in
sixth grade, is running for election to the United States Congress.
Please pray for these men—that God would use them to advance His Kingdom.
For more information on Dean, go to www.deancannon.com
City of Casselberry Essay Competition
The City of Casselberry hosted an essay competition based on
the theme for Florida City Government Week (October 18–24, 2009): “My City: I’m
part of it, I’m proud of it.” The City invited students in grades 2–8 to write an essay
that answered the question “What City of Cassleberry service do you use and how does
it benefit you or your family?”
Katherine Taylor (6th grade) won first place in the 6th–8th grade division.
Page 17
In Defense of Classical Education
by Tracy Lee Simmons
Tracy Lee Simmons is the director of the
Dow Journalism program at Hillsdale
College and holds a masters degree in
classics from Oxford University. This
article is an excerpt from his book
Climbing Parnassus, published by ISI
(www.isi.org). The Geneva faculty
read and discussed this book two years
ago.
Readers of English novels or American
biography have often noticed the
peculiar spectacle of young innocents
getting carted off to school only to
be cast into the thorny thicket of two
ancient and difficult tongues: Greek
and Latin. By threat of stinging rod,
they were made to memorize the words
and rules of two languages they would
never speak. It was a curious affair.
What was the point of it all?
Latin and Greek discipline and form the
mind, but they can do far more as well.
Taught with an aim to cultivate and
humanize, they can render something
more and greater to the intelligent,
talented, and patient. While a classical
education (defined by Latin and Greek
language study) is not the only one
worth having, its passing from schools
and colleges has impoverished our
culture and, incidentally, degraded our
politics. The classical languages can
shape and enhance one’s intellectual
and aesthetic nature, shaping both the
mind and heart.
The American soil, however, is not
naturally fertile for classics, whose seed
falls on hard clay. As another man of
letters told us nearly eighty years ago,
we as a nation possess a “weakness for
new gospels,” a vital but hazardous trait,
as we stand in danger of discarding
both the good and useful in a quest
Page 18
for the dubious and untried. We pride
ourselves on our capacity to reach far
and entertain the fantastic idea. And
we think ourselves more as doers than
as thinkers. While others waxed about
going to the moon, we went. We are
forever on the move.
But this restless drive, which
Americans are wont to think unique
to us, also fuels the rest of the frenetic
world, particularly in the West where
– despite some multi-culturist claims
- our civilization supplies the model
most peoples around the globe wish
to emulate. We spell Progress with a
capital. Here the new is always better,
the old worse; the new is always rich
and relevant; the old threadbare and
obsolete. Ours is the “shining city on
a hill,” in John Winthrop’s memorable
coinage, a city that could begin afresh
because it had no past. We could start
from scratch and travel lightly.
Yet, having crossed the millennium, we
feel a few spiritual tremors. Impetuosity
does not reflect. The super-annuated,
ever-changing mind cannot speak
to the whole of life. It cannot
contemplate; it cannot assign value. It
can drive us to build new roads, but it
cannot explain where we want to go. It
can build rockets to Mars and beyond,
but it cannot tell us whether it’s wise to
go there. It cannot answer questions it
long ago lost the wisdom to ask. The
life of the minds and souls it leaves are
bereft of standards, those talking points
of judgment which are acquired only
with time and patient effort.
Intellectuals are not immune. Scratch
a believer in bold new ideas and find a
slave to fashion, proving the adage that
the newest is always the most quickly
dated, whether it comes from Madison
Avenue or the Modern Language
Association. Here is the spirit of El
Dorado, the hope that riches and
salvation wait around the next bend
in the road. Old gospels lack the
beckoning allure of the road not taken.
But like the explorers in the desert, ever
prone to mirage, we have had, along
with remarkable discoveries, a few
false sightings. And we are beginning
to sense a certain lack of permanence
in modern life. The new gospels have
certainly delivered, but they have not
saved.
Education, that vague and official word
for what goes on in our schools, has
also been a trinket on the shelves of
snake-oil salesmen and a plaything for
social planners in America for well over
a century. They, too, have been driven
by the spirit of ceaseless innovation.
And we have paid the high price. The
peddlers have shrouded the higher and
subtler goals of learning which former
generations accepted and promoted.
These bringers of the New have traded
in the ancient ideal of wisdom for a
spurious “adjustment” of mind, settling
for fitting us with the most menial skills
needful for the world of interchangeable
parts. They have decided we are less, not
more, than the wiser people humanity
might become. Instead of seeking to
discern what an education can bring to
us, we now ask what we can get out of
it; there’s a difference. And the benefits
accrued do not exist, apparently, if they
cannot be measured – and measured
by tools calibrated by craftsmen out to
replicate themselves. Standards require
standard makers.
Nonetheless, on the face of it, the
question of use is a fair one. Philosopher
Alfred North Whitehead reminded us
that any education not useful is wasted.
An education, he said, must be “useful,
because understanding is useful.” But
what must we understand? If education
must be useful, what uses are to be
served? And, more importantly, are
there different kinds of use we should
acknowledge?
taught to us, or gentle prods to our
self-esteem have spurred us to consult
only our druthers in deciding what’s
worth knowing. We have adopted the
leveling assumptions we’ve inherited—
whatever works for you—and fed
off the intellectual capital earned by
others who, we presume, have already
done the hard-thinking for us. We
pride ourselves on self-reliance while
following, uncritically, the roadmaps
of others. For independently skeptical
people, we ask few questions.
corollary seems then that a happier
society would feel a debt to the past
and its treasures, and this debt would
be paid gladly by those taught in the
ways of respect and humility. For
those without respect and humility
stand to these riches as those without
knowledge of geometry once stood
before the gates of Plato’s Academy;
they are forever excluded.
The modern mind, schooled to be
practical, stands ill-prepared to wrestle
Such respect (if not always such
with these questions because they
humility) classical education fostered
are at bottom philosophical ones;
for centuries. It lent an anchoring
our practicality has,
to intellectual life and
We do not know, in other words, what more
ironically, rendered us
provided all educated
incapable of answering reflective ages have deemed the important things. people, as we now say,
them. So, while thinking
with a common set of
ourselves a knowing and
references. Or, to switch
What
we
don’t
know
can
hurt
enlightened lot, we stand deaf to our
metaphors, it placed a true north on
own ignorance, which has become a us. Given the world’s fixation on our cultural compass. Rather than
white noise. Gilded degrees hanging technology and all things financially seeking new gospels, we should direct
on our walls bear witness to our gainful, that “grand old fortifying our gaze behind us so that we may
classical curriculum” requires not an more securely find our footing on
certified smarts. But we have stood
uncritical re-adoption (to which there’s the road ahead. If, in fact, “the past is
Socrates on his head: whereas the
only thing that Athenian knew was no chance anyway) but a systematic prologue,” it is only the past that can
that he knew nothing, the only thing repraisal, if for no other reason than that instruct and guide us. The present is
so many men and women of centuries too close. And the future is but a haze
we don’t know—and with far thinner
credentials, it would seem—is that we past, who established and refined the of possibilities and dreams. The future
standards by which we live today, held does not yet belong to us.
know so very little.
that gem in such high esteem. Thus, we
We do not know, in other words, what
can regain some sense of history and This article is printed with permission
more reflective ages have deemed the
our place along its timeline. Gratitude, from Memoria Press and first appeared
important things. And we don’t know according to Chesterton, is the truest
in the Summer 2005 issue of The
them because they have not been
sign of happiness in individuals. A safe Classical Teacher.
Great Conversation Series
Economic Update by Jim Seneff
Wednesday, April 14
Open to all Geneva families and their friends in the community
Venue and time TBD
Mark your Calendars
Page 19
Dates for Your Calendar...
Sunday, Feb 28:
The Rhetoric Choir sings during morning worship at 11:00 at St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church, Orlando
March 1–5:
9th grade trip to the Florida Everglades
Thursday, March 4:
3rd Grade The Lion the Witch, and the Wardrobe rehearsal at Aloma United Methodist Church;
9:00–2:15
Friday, March 5:
4th grade trip to the Canaveral National Seashore; 7:00–5:30
3rd grade The Lion the Witch, and the Wardrobe performance at Aloma United Methodist Church;
9:30 & 12:00 followed by a cast party at the school.
Saturday, March 6:
AUCTION: A Knight in Italy. Begins at 5:30.
Thursday, March 11:
Multi-Faith 7th & 8th grade gathering; 9:30–11:30
Pre-K Seafood Tasting; 12:45–1:15
Kindergarten Birds of Prey event; 1:30–2:30
STUDENT vs. FACULTY BASKETBALL GAME; the fun begins at 5:00
Friday, March 12:
Student Holiday/Faculty Workday
March 15–19:
SPRING BREAK
Wednesday, March 24: 2nd grade trip to Audubon Birds of Prey Center; 10:30–1:30
Thursday, March 25:
Kindergarten trip to Lucas Nursery’s Butterfly Garden; 9:30–1:30
4th grade Printing Press activity; 12:00–2:30
Friday, March 26:
6th grade trip to the Kennedy Space Center; 7:30–5:00
Kindergarten Butterfly Day; 1:45–2:30
Saturday, March 27:
Admission Testing; 9:00–12:00
Monday, March 29:
1st grade Peter Rabbit rehearsal at Aloma Methodist Church; 10:00–2:00
Tuesday, March 30:
1st grade Peter Rabbit performance at Aloma Methodist Church; Lewis at 10:00 & Ralls at 11:00
April 2 & 5:
GOOD FRIDAY AND EASTER MONDAY HOLIDAYS
April 5–10:
5th grade Williamsburg trip
Tuesday, April 6:
6th grade trip to Holocaust Museum; 8:45–1:00
April 7–9:
6th grade Lake Yale Retreat
Thursday, April 8:
2nd grade Exodus rehearsal at Aloma United Methodist Church; 11:30–2:30
Friday, April 9:
2nd grade Exodus performance at Aloma United Methodist Church; 1:00
A Knight of Comedy at Aloma United Methodist Church; 7:30
The Geneva School
2025 State Road 436
Winter Park, FL 32792