winter/spring
A
Publication
of
Christian
Unified
2017
Schools
THE PATRIOT - WINTER/SPRING 2017
FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT Welcome to volume two of “The Patriot”. Thank you for offering so many positive messages and words of encouragement after our first Patriot publication last fall. We listened to your feedback and you’ll be excited to know that we now have four additional pages so we can cover even more aspects of the many newsworthy events at Christian Unified Schools.
My personal
The Winter Solstice occurred on Dec 22. This marked the shortest period of sunlight and the longest night of the year in the northern hemisphere. Even though, technically, winter does not end until March, we are reminded that spring is approaching as daylight hours are increasing day by day. At CUSSD we have passed the halfway point of our school year, yet there is still so much to do. It is our fervent desire to finish well...even though as the days grow longer we cannot help but have thoughts of spring break and even graduation!
through 5th grade their own copy of the
Looking back on our first semester, we see that God has continued to bless CUSSD greatly. We celebrated many wonderful events ranging from the successes of many of our fall sports teams, a great 6th grade camp experience, an awesome Homecoming celebration (and, yes, even the lip-sync competition), amazing Christmas programs on all campuses and the achievement of the 50/50 Vision goal several weeks ahead of schedule. Of course, there are too many campus and class events to list here. My personal highlight, however, was being able to hand every student from kindergarten through 5th grade their own copy of the Pastor Jeremiah Kids’ Study Bible. The excitement, appreciation and joy expressed by these precious students is a memory that I will always cherish. The CUSSD Administrative team have been working individually in their respective operational areas and have been working collectively on many strategic initiatives and goals of the school. The faculty have enjoyed opportunities for professional development on top of their classroom responsibilities. They continue to work diligently to provide academic rigor and challenges in the classroom with the appropriate balance of a Biblical worldview that is possible only at a private Christian school.
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highlight, however, was being able to hand every student from kindergarten Pastor Jeremiah Kid’s Study Bible. I am reminded daily that everything we seek to do as a school district must be focused on our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Our passion and enthusiasm for Christian education is grounded in the Truth of Scripture. We seek to adhere to the key Biblical principles that provide the framework that answer the “Why”, “How”, and “What” questions that are foundational to our mission. As I look ahead, my daily focus is on many aspects of our school district - from academic and programmatic improvements, growth of co-curricular opportunities, developing a strategic Missions mindset, strong fiscal management and stewardship, and the professional development of our staff & faculty. My desire is that we will always strive to do God’s work, God’s way, and are committed to execute with both excellence and integrity. May God bless you and your family in 2017!
GO PATRIOTS! Eyes on Christ – Pat (Galatians 2:20)
Cover: Students gather to pray at “See You at the Pole.”
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OUR
50|50 VISION
Our goal was $400,000 by the end of the year and
we achieved that before Christmas. A hearty thank-you to the many friends and families for their generous giving to our 50/50 Vision. Our goal was $400,000 by the end of the year and we achieved that before Christmas. Praise the Lord! I established a Stretch Goal of an additional $100,000 for things that will enhance our student experience in academics, the arts, athletics, and facilities.
Our staff and faculty did some dreaming for ideas on sharing and spending this $100,000. This is what they came up with: 1. West Campus: $10,000 for New Playground Equipment (DONE: FULLY FUNDED) 2. All Campuses: $15,000 for New Scoreboard for Turf Field 3. E/W Campuses: $10,000 for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) related items 4. South Bay Campus: $5,000 for Science Lab Computers 5. South Bay Campus: $5,000 for Shade Cover for lunch area 6. East Campus: $2,000 for Ukuleles 7. CJHS: $5,000 for a Junior High Marquee for the Village 8. CHS: $3,000 for Christian High School Outdoor Posting Space 9. CHS Arts: $5,000 for Art Room Renovations 10. CHS Band: $10,000 for Marching Band Equipment Truck 11. CHS Choir: $10,000 for Choir Room Risers 12. CHS Athletic: $10,000 for completing Training Room Renovation 13. CHS Academic: $10,000 for High School STEM related classroom items
PLEASE CONSIDER CONTRIBUTING TO ONE (OR MORE) OF THESE GREAT PROJECTS FOR OUR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS. SUPERINTENDENT’S OFFICE (619) 201-8802 Kelly.Smith@christianunified.org 2100 Greenfield Dr. El Cajon, CA 92019
• We will purchase or begin the project planning as each individual goal is reached. • You may designate your gift to a specific cause or make an undesignated gift. • We do request that you agree that designated gifts may become undesignated should your selection be fully funded.
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THE PATRIOT - WINTER/SPRING 2017
FINE ARTS
Our Fine Arts Department has been hard at work this year. If you have not already attended a concert, seen a play, or gone to a parade you have missed out. Visit our website at www. christianunified.org to find out when our next performances will be. You will not be disappointed! In our Drama Department, the advanced drama class concluded their Fall production of “Meet Me in St. Louis,” to rave reviews. The 8th grade drama class performed a delightful production of “No Vacancy.” The beginning high school Drama 1 classes presented plays, “The Butler Did it,” and “Cheating Death”. Drama 2 will present “The Ash Girl,” on April 25-27 at 6:30, as well as another 8th grade play TBA. The Vocal Department is preparing for the music festival in Hawaii. Adjudication will be at the University of Hawaii, Honolulu. After that, the students will visit/sing for a public high school choir and outdoor concert at the mall. In addition, there will be a lot of fun sightseeing!
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The art program at Christian Jr/Sr High School consists of JH Art, Art I, Art II, and AP Art. Students in Art I are currently learning and exploring color theory. They will be learning to mix and create colors, values, and intensities, as well as introductory painting techniques. We have seen great success come out of our Art Department. Make sure to see winning pieces each year at the San Diego Fair. Alternatively, stop by the office to see the most recent selected pieces of art! The marching band has had a successful marching season, winning 1st place in the Mira Mesa Band Review and 2nd place in the South Bay & Mira Mesa Field Tournaments. The band performed at all of the home football games, the Mother Goose Parade, and the Blythe Christmas Parade.
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Intro to Photography is a visual art class where the emphasis is on approaching the world of photography as a means of artistic expression. In the first semester, students began learning to see photography as an art form by studying the elements and principles of art and design. They also learned how to use their cameras to create a variety of shots and images. This semester students will explore how photography is used in the modern digital world as they learn various techniques to create photographic digital art, using Photoshop.
Visit our website at christianunified.org to find out when our next performances will be. You will not be disappointed!
DRAMA | VOCAL | ART | BAND | PHOTOGRAPHY 5
Each year our high school students look forward to the exciting, once a year event,
HOMECOMING! For decades, Christian High has presented a competitive football game, a fantastic half-time show and top-notch Lip Sync competition after the game and this year was no different. Our football team defeated Mission Bay with a final score of 51-21. Our half-time show displayed our student selected Homecoming court, and the crowning of Sage Salacup and Isaac Bongiovanni as our Homecoming queen and king. Our art students worked hard on the field display and ASB did a phenomenal job organizing the whole week leading up to this event. After the football game, hundreds headed down to the Ryan Athletic Center to watch the students compete in the Lip Sync competition. Students begin rehearsing for this competition, with professional choreographers, months before the show and it is a sight to see! Enjoy the highlights in pictures, especially the athletic director and superintendent aka “The Beatles�, battling it out on stage!
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OUR FOOTBALL TEAM DEFEATED MISSION BAY WITH A FINAL SCORE OF 51-21.
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THE PATRIOT - WINTER/SPRING 2017
ALL AROUND CAMPUS
Christian High’s very own ASB recently hosted,
“MASQUERADE AT THE MANSION,”
our high school winter banquet, at the Grand Tradition.
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Second semester is in full swing. Our Jr. High students just celebrated their first ‘Zero Detention Party’ with a day of bowling, laser tag, pizza, and games! We held our annual Jr. High Spelling Bee. Andrew Young and Sarah George took first place for their grade levels and will be competing in the ACSI District Spelling Bee. Our eighth graders will soon be jetting off to the east coast for their Historical Studies Tour. Christian High’s very own ASB recently hosted, “Masquerade at the Mansion,” our high school winter banquet, at the Grand Tradition. As we look forward to the spring, we will be preparing for our annual dodge ball tournament, Sadie Hawkins, and our annual Christian High 3D (also known as Spiritual Emphasis Week). For 3 days, our campus turns into summer camp and our students walk away refreshed in their relationship with Christ. Elementary students returned to their campuses in January rested and ready for a new semester and new challenges. We all had a busy Christmas season celebrating the birth of our Savior with special choir and band programs, and festivities in every classroom. Looking ahead, we are preparing for the ACSI District Spelling Bee, the 100th day of school celebration, the biennial talent show and much more. More importantly, we have been challenged in our weekly chapels to start the new year making Jesus a priority in our lives. Our teaching faculty is also working as part of our K-12 team, to update and review our curriculum, always endeavoring to improve our excellent academic program. The elementary school campuses received an incredible gift just before Christmas break when Dr. Jeremiah blessed every student in kindergarten through fifth grade with their own copy of the new David Jeremiah Kids’ Study Bible. The students are thrilled with this generous gift and enjoy reading their Bibles during Bible class, at chapel, and at home. The sixth graders at CESE have written up a proposal to add a Gaga Ball Pit to the playground. The students researched the logistics of constructing the pit, wrote up a proposal, and encouraged all of the students in sixth grade to sign the proposal to convey their enthusiasm for the project. Thanks to the generosity and support of some sixth grade parents, and the support of our athletic department, the pit will be added to our playground very soon.
The elementary school campuses received an incredible gift just before Christmas break when Dr. Jeremiah blessed every student in kindergarten through fifth grade with their own copy of the new DAVID
JEREMIAH
KIDS’ STUDY BIBLE.
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THE PATRIOT - WINTER/SPRING 2017
Phil Johnston (’11)- Graduated from Biola University in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology with an emphasis in criminal justice and a minor in biblical studies. I am newly engaged to my beautiful, bride-to-be Natal, and will be married in August! I am currently pursuing a career in law enforcement. Danielle (Schindler) Rogers (’10)- I attended John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Arkansas and graduated in fall of 2013 with my Bachelor of Science in illustration, and my minor in graphic and web design. My husband Troy and I welcomed our first child, Aiden Paul Rogers, in February of 2016. I am now a freelance graphic designer and a stay at home mom as Troy continues his career as a loan consultant back here in San Diego.
Tannah Miinch (’15)- I am attending Dallas Baptist University and will be graduating in December ’17 with honors. I am currently the cheer captain. I am involved in a charity called “as our own” which raises money for sex trafficking victims. I am also active in the biological honors society “Beta Beta Beta”. I love Dallas and plan to start my life there after school! I will be attending Baylor Nursing School in Dallas to be an oncology nurse or a flight medic! Taylor and Heather (Rangel-Trowbridge) Miinch (’12)- High school sweethearts, we were married in August 2014. Before that, we welcomed our sweet boy Levi into the world and we cannot wait for him to become a big brother! Taylor graduated from SDSU with his accounting degree. Heather is an esthetician and specializes in bridal makeup.
Charles Thompson (’09)- I played college football at Bucknell University. I currently reside in San Diego with my wife Arlene and son Levi. I am currently on staff with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes where I am working in the East County area. Some of the school campuses I work at are Granite Hills and Christian High. Marty Barrick (’10)- I played 3.5 years of college football after high school, and am now living in L.A. attending a music production school called Icon Collective. I started producing EDM/Hip-Hop about a year ago, and recently started rapping and singing as well on my own tracks. I have an album in progress and meeting with different major labels to release them. P.S. Go Patriots!
REUNION NEWS: Classes of ’86, ’87 and ’88…Join the class of ’87 for our 30 year reunion on June 24th at Nicky Rotten’s in El Cajon. Ticket price will include food and live music by Radio Thieves, an alternative 80’s band with members from our classes. Please email Lesa Hamilton Miller at CHS1987@yahoo.com. A brunch is scheduled for Sunday, June 25th for a smaller get together at Deann Ayer Rios parents’ home in La Mesa.
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SEND US YOUR UPDATES! Kimberly.Johnston@CUSSD.org
All pictures must be in jpg format. We will be posting reunion updates as well.
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INTERNATIONAL The International Student Program has been adding to cultural diversity at CUSSD for 26 years. Our strong academic program is enriched with a campus cross culture club, athletics, art, music, and drama. International students interact with domestic students in each area to grow and learn from each other. Our commitment to this unique mission field that God brought right to us is at the heart of each staff member as they train students to think, learn, and live from a Biblical worldview.
Enhancements to the program next year will include a threeday trip to visit colleges and enjoy theme parks. The ESL classrooms will be moved to a central location and will include an International center on campus.
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THE PATRIOT - WINTER/SPRING 2017
CHRISTIAN PATRIOTS
A Tradition of Excellence
For many years, Christian High School has had the reputation of a small school that offers big time athletic opportunities. Providing our students a chance to compete in a distinctly Christian environment against some of the largest schools in the county, with a high level of achievement, has been the Patriots’ trademark for many years.
This year we are excited to announce that, due to the success of our baseball program, Christian will be moving up to Division I in baseball, joining the county’s most elite programs. Our basketball teams are doing well this year; with our boys’ program (12-6) having recent wins against Clairemont, Santana, and San Diego. Our girls’ team, under the leadership of Head Coach and class of 1992 alum Tiffany Giles (Stutz), has posted a 9-4 record.
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Thanks to several generous donations, Christian High wrestling is proud to grapple on their new custom mat.
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Multi-sport athlete senior Zach Downey on the attack for the defending men’s soccer CIF champions.
Head Patriot trap shooting coach, John Yeiser, flanked to the right by senior Sam Ferguson and to the left by senior Jack Yeiser. They participated in a recent tournament in Arizona and Jack hit 144 consecutive clay pigeons.
Our defending CIF Champion boys’ soccer team continues to provide excitement, while the great tradition of girls’ soccer at Christian continues. Several years ago, after many years without a wrestling program, Christian brought back wrestling to the list of opportunities for our students. We were pleased that David Moreno represented the Patriots well, winning a league championship. It was a fantastic season for Christian High School football as they captured the Eastern League Championship with a 12-1 record and advanced all the way to the CIF finals. The amazing run included City Conference victories over Lincoln, Morse, Scripps Ranch, Mission Bay, and Point Loma.
HOMECOMING
Nashom Carter is the junior guard for the varsity basketball team. Nashom currently leads the East County in scoring, averaging over 24 points a game. 13
THE PATRIOT - WINTER/SPRING 2017
MEET OUR BOARD Bill Davies and his wife Maureen have been members of Shadow Mountain for 18 years. Grandson Diego began preschool at age 2, and is now doing well in Mr. V’s 5th grade class, at the East campus. Bill has served as a small group leader and host, as a trustee, and deacon. He is currently the deacon representative to the school board.
Troy Gemmer is serving his fourth year on the board, currently as vicechairman and finance committee member. Troy has a background in both business and education (B.Ed.). He has been married for 25 years and has 3 children, ages 11, 14, and 15, all attending CUSSD.
Jerry
Trev Holman has been a member
Joe Michel has been a member of Shadow Mountain since 2002. He served on the Deacon Board for 1 term and is currently serving on School Board. He and his wife Rebecca have two children, Amber and Joshua. Both children attended Christian Unified from kindergarten through 12th grade. Joe acquired a biology degree at SDSU as well as graduate studies in computer science. He serves within the Biotech community as Associate Director of Informatics.
of Shadow Mountain since 2006, and has been married to his wife Ellen for 45 years. Both of his children graduated from CHS and two of his grandchildren now attend the West Campus. He is a retired traffic engineer for the City of El Cajon and now serves as head usher at Shadow Mountain.
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Donna Huddleston has been on the board for 8 years. She is a wife, a mother, a grandmother, and a servant of our Lord Jesus Christ. She has a master’s degree in education and taught elementary school. Donna is a firm believer in an education from a Biblical worldview and appreciates the success achieved in a Christian environment. She is a retired software knowledge engineer.
Lott is the deaconess representative on the school board. Jerry is married to Andy and together they have raised five children. Jerry accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior at the age of six and was later baptized at the age of twelve. She was an elementary school teacher for twenty-five years, twenty-three of those at Meridian Christian, now referred to as Christian Elementary School East.
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Erik Naugle serves as the treasurer of the CUSSD Board of Directors. He has served on the CUSSD board for many years in several different capacities and says he greatly appreciates the opportunity to witness God’s gracious provision for the school. He has two adult children, both graduates of Christian High. He is an electronics engineer by training; an attorney by education; and currently works as an information security professional.
Dick
Roberts currently works for the state of California as a senior safety engineer. He has served on the CUSSD Board for five years and has been a member of Shadow Mountain Community Church since 1999. His son, Patrick, has been attending CUSSD East Campus since kindergarten and is now a freshman at Christian High School.
Thad Rothrock is a member of Shadow Mountain Community Church. He and his wife Melissa have three children, Christin, Stephen and Alyssa. Stephen graduated from CHS in 2013 and Alyssa is currently a junior at CHS. Thad has a Bachelor of Science in organizational management and a Master of Science in administration. He is the regional director of operations at Covenant Retirement Communities,
Kerry Schimpf currently serves as the chairman of the CUSSD Board of Directors, serving on the CUSSD board since 2008. Kerry “considers it a privilege to help monitor the mission of an academic institution, which for over 50 years has been ‘teaching students to think, live, and learn from a Biblical worldview.’” He has been married to his wife for 36 years, with four children and five grandchildren. His son is a 2008 graduate. Professionally he is a principal in a commercial real estate firm. Tom Scanlan - not pictured
Sophomores had a blast at the Lip Sync contest during Homecoming!
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Non-Profit Org US Postage Paid Permit #2029 San Diego CA
2100 Greenfield Dr. El Cajon, CA 92019 (619) 201-8888 Address Service Requested
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MAILING UPDATES Kelly.Smith@christianunified.org ALUMNI NEWS kjohnston@christianunified.org PARENTS OF ALUMNI call (619) 201-8802 or email Kelly.Smith@christianunified.org for permanent address changes.
DISTRICT
PROSPECTIVE FAMILIES
UPCOMING EVENTS CAMPUS TOURS
ONGOING
SHADOW DAY for your 7th-11th grade student
ONGOING
INFORMATION NIGHT MARCH 6:30pm 23 SNAPSHOT TOURS 12:00pm
APRIL 6
MARCH
MAY 11
JUNE 8
APRIL
MAY
Every 3rd Thursday
STATE OF OUR SCHOOL 6:30pm (District Wide Event)
FEBRUARY 23
HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION
MAY 26
RSVP TO ANY OF OUR EVENTS Please call Kim Johnston, Admissions Director, at (619) 201-8888
International program pg. 11