The Veritas: Volume 4, Issue 1

VERITAS Covenant Christian High School

Together After Covid Celebrating Covenant's resiliency and uniqueness

Holiday Celebrations The gratitude that unifies community

C O V E N A N T C H R I S T I A N . O R G

Volume 4 Issue 1 December 2021

CONTENTS TOGETHER AFTER COVID Photo courtesy of Photography Class

Mr. Hengge speaks at our first "normal" Assembly since 2020.

3 Editor's Note 4 What is Home?

6 Who's that Baby?

7 Holiday Recipes Simple Christmas treats 9 Gratitude A reflection on thankfulness 10

The Traditions of Covenant

10 The Traditions of Covenant Traditional events throughout the year

The halls of Covenant through the years.

PAGE 2

Editor's Note

BY ANNA SKINNER

Reuniting after Covid has been a compelling task, especially given the limitations we overcame as a community.

The post-Covid season can be categorized by the effect it left on traditions, customs, and our outlook on home. In an attempt to bolster feelings of community, this magazine's focus is on home and how we can encounter it in our everyday lives. Join us in taking our gratitude for the blessings presented this year, and celebrating the opportunities we have to embrace our homes."

We’d like to do this by connecting this Christmas and New Year with the reminder that Jesus gave up his home in heaven to come and be the ultimate sacrifice for us.

Join us in taking our gratitude for the blessings presented this year, and celebrating the opportunities we have to embrace our homes.

“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.”

-Romans 12:1-2

Anna Skinner ('23) Editor

PAGE 3

What is Home to You?

Of course, the list of resources, facilities, relationships,

and

blessed

is

with

time

we

astounding.

have And

been

as

the

amount of blessings continually grows, we realize how much of a home Covenant is to

BY ANNA SKINNER

the Warrior community.

Home

has

historically

been

a

disputed

theme during the holidays. An educational

One of the crucial questions of this season

environment

is

is

rarely

considered

a

home,

“what

home”?

cozy

fireplace. For others, it might be wherever

embracing

the

blessings

intentionally we

especially during this holiday season.

have,

tree

the

At

are

Christmas

it's

setup

we

a

Perhaps

but Covenant is a home to many students.

Covenant,

of

is

beside

family is, no matter what country, state, or city.

PAGE 4

Photo: Mrs. Shields

a

Photo courtesy of Photography Class

For members of the Covenant community, many

The amount of comfort and community we find in

aspects of our holiday traditions make up an

our homes is something that should never be

element of home, and we’re curious to know what

taken for granted, whether we find ourselves in

comes to mind when this theme is brought up.

the midst of a pandemic or not. So as we dive

Some of our students have responded with the

into the holidays, Covenant invites you to take on

first words that come to mind when they think of

a mindset of community and gratitude, especially

what homes means to them.

during this time of rebuilding.

Photo courtesy of Photography Class

PAGE 5

1

2

Who's That Baby?

Match the teacher on the left with on the child on the right. Submit your answers to studentpublications@covenantchristian.org.

3

The student with the most correct matches will win.

Something. You'll win something. We will let you know.

4

ADULTS

BABY #

Mrs. Gainey

___________

Mr. Hengge

___________

Coach Flatt

___________

Ms. Loenen

___________

Mr. Fightmaster

___________

Mrs. Roembke

___________

Mrs. Wildman

___________

Mr. Shields

___________

Mrs. Shields

___________

5

6

7

8

9 PAGE 6

So good. The flavor stays in your mouth. It's not a one-and-done bite.

FOOD CRITIC "GLASSES MCSKINNER" SALTINE TOFFEE COOKIES 4 ounces saltine crackers 1 cup butter 1 cup dark brown sugar 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

¾ cup chopped pecans, crushed candy canes, crushed pretzels, or Christmas sprinkles

Step 1 Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).

Step 2 Line cookie sheet with saltine crackers in single layer.

Step 3 In a saucepan combine the sugar and the butter.

Bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. Immediately pour over saltines and spread to cover crackers completely.

Step 4 Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top. Let sit for 5 minutes. Spread melted chocolate and top with chopped nuts.

Cool completely and break into pieces.

PAGE 7

Photo courtesy of Dinner at the Zoo

EASY PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE ½ cup butter 1 (16 ounce) package brown sugar

½ cup milk ¾ cup peanut butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cups confectioners sugar

3

Step 1 Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

Step 2 Stir in brown sugar and milk. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Step 3 Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter and vanilla.

Step 4 Pour over confectioners' sugar in a large mixing bowl.

Step 5 Beat until smooth; pour into an 8x8 inch dish. Chill until firm and cut into squares.

Photo courtesy of Canva

Photo courtesy of Modern Mom Life

ROLO REINDEER Rolos Square pretzels Regular pretzels Red M&Ms Parchment paper Cookie sheet Candy eyeballs

Step 1 Preheat oven to 230 degrees.

Step 2 While the oven is heating, place parchment paper on cookie sheet. Place square pretzels down and put an unwrapped Rolo in each square.

Step 3 Place in oven for 2 minutes to melt the chocolate.

Step 4 While it’s baking, break the regular pretzels in half.

Step 4 Once the two minutes are up, quickly place the antlers into the melted Rolo and the red M&M in the center of the Rolo.

Step 5 If you have edible candy eyeballs, you can also place them accordingly. Once done, place on cookie sheet in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes to harden.

PAGE 8

GRATITUDE MOVING FOWARD

BY ELISHA KAMANDA

Over

these

past

two

'22

years,

we

had

to

deal

with

"I'm grateful for

COVID-19, but we all have reflected during this time.

everything, [but

We complained about different things during school and

came

back

after

a

pandemic

realizing

especially] being

how

able to officially end

special each of these things actually are. Take, for example,

Covenant’s

sophomore

class.

They

BENJI

my senior soccer

never

really had a normal year until now. They didn’t have

career within a

Assemblies together as a community; instead, they

great community

watched it on the classroom screens. They also never

and with a very

got to experience what it is like to have the alumni come

back

to

Covenant

to

visit

the

school

and

school

and

influential coach."

teachers.

But

now

we

don't

have

to

come

to

'23

complain about wearing masks. Our community has

SYDNEY

the chance to be more united, whether it is SRT or being together in the Commons for Assembly, We also

"I'm grateful for

have the opportunity to gather together in person.

great health and

The list goes on with different things of how much we

family."

can be grateful for, but let's not take advantage and complain.

Rather,

let’s

sit

down

and

reflect

how

grateful we can be as a community.

'22

TREY

'22

"I'm grateful for

KAYA

"I'm grateful for

family,

naps and time

education, and

to sleep."

relaxation."

BTS

MR. FIGHTMASTER

"Home... it’s what can fill a house, but it is not the house itself.”

PAGE 9

Holiday Traditions

Christmas and tradition are intertwined, and their meaning songs,

BY YOEZER CASSELL

goes

reading

beyond certain

words

such

chapters

as in

Christmas the

Bible,

celebrating Jesus’s birthday, Christmas decorations, and family time. Holiday traditions can be as simple

We’ve all heard the Christmas classic “Have Yourself

as opening Christmas presents as a family, having

A

an annual trip down to Tennessee, baking Christmas

Merry

Little

Christmas.”

The

famed

words

that

define that song are, “Faithful friends who are dear

cookies

to us gather near to us once more.” These lyrics

certain annual movie. However, the most important

show the tradition during the holidays. Tradition is

part of traditions is that they bring us closer to the

something that happens in honor of a memory.

ones we love.

Photo courtesy of Photography Class

with

your

parents,

or

even

watching

a

PAGE 10

The teachers and staff have made so much of the Covenant culture come alive. School culture

always

changes

as

new

classes

become a part of our Covenant community, but these school traditions remain as they are passed down from class to class. Our faculty

helps

traditions

to

and

preserve

ensure

that

those they

healthy

are

kept

alive and well. Covenant faculty and staff are the foundation of these traditions. They are the ones that keep the school culture

Covenant Christmas 2019 During

the

Holidays,

traditions

are

healthy

and

develop

their

students

into

leaders.

spent

with family and friends. Traditions continue a timeline of memories. The significance lies beyond the action of the tradition itself. At Covenant, both the hallway decorating and Powderpuff classmates

is

a

tradition

together.

It

that

connects

comforts

students

with a sense of belonging. These traditions are

strongly

Traditions

are

connected

to

not

to

meant

Christmas. be

broken;

however, sometimes certain circumstances make the change necessary. Our Covenant community has adapted tradition, while still continuing message

to

foster

throughout

its the

Covenant Christmas 2019

Christ-loving holidays

and

beyond.

Every year my kids get excited because they kinda feel it's the time [of year] to do those little things that give us joy.

Covenant Christmas 2014

-FIGHTMASTER PAGE 11