Red Lion Christian Academy "Reach Magazine" Fall 2017

MAGAZINE

A student publication of REACH CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS

issue 8 FALL 2017

Reach Church A new name but the same message of Nothing But Jesus pg. 8

also inside

Spirit Week

Red Lion celebrates spirit week with hallway decorating, Color Wars, and homecoming pg. 10

Students Govern

The Tall Oaks student government officers are highlighted pg. 28

and much more...

WWW.REACHSCHOOLS.ONLINE

fall Reach Magazine Fall 2017 Red Lion Campus 1390 Red Lion Rd Bear, DE 19701 www.reachschools.online 302-834-2526

pages

Sixth grade Red Lion cheerleader Anastasia Pargoe lets out a yell during the bonfire following the homecoming football game. photo by Aaron Hamrick

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School Event Page

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Emily Marsh’s Community

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Reach Church

10 -11 Red Lion Spirit Week 12-13 2

Reach Christian Schools

Mr. and Mrs. Rippon

Journey Christian Academy

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Red Lion Mr. Clineff

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GCA Nehemiah Wilson

18-19 Working with her junior classmates, Ana daPonte pulls on the rope to defeat the freshmen in the tug of war contest during Color Wars. photo by Aaron Hamrick

TOCS Natalie Monson

GCA Special

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Reach Magazine Staff Adviser

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Mrs. Pizzulli’s Full House

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Fair Hill Campus

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TOCS Student Government

28-29

Red Lion Fall Sports

30-31

Aaron Hamrick Editor in Chief Bria Dickerson

RED LION

TALL OAKS

GLASGOW

Zach Albano Kirsten Huesser Morgan Kline-Hill Katie Larson Kevin Mills Benjamin Nequist Tony Wright

Lydia Brown Delainey Gray Faith Hollister Naomi Mengal Katie Rippon

Joshua Betters Anthony Feghali Sophia Small Isabella Wicks

www.reachchristianchools.online

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First Day of School

copy and layout by Bria Dickerson

Here’s what’s happening around Reach Christian Schools

It was the first day of school on August 22. Bags were packed, and lessons were planned for the 2017- 2018 school year.

Reach Christian Schools welcomed back Tall Oaks Classical School, Red Lion Christian Academy, and Journey Christian Academy to their campus. Friendships were rekindled at the start of the new year.

Back to School BBQ

As another school year rolls around another burger is flipped at the Back to School BBQ. On August 17, the school opened up their doors to the students and their families to meet their teachers and enjoy some fun and food on campus. The time for school to start was around the corner. The rain could not stop the festivities or the smiles!

Prayer Convocation On August 30, all of the students and faculty from the Red Lion campus from kindergarten to high school gathered together in the Pusey Center gym to pray for the school year. By doing this, the students and faculty from all three schools had a chance to be together and commune together as one student body.

A student and the principles from each school prayed over the school.

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Start of Fall Sports Another school year means another fall sports season. September 8 marked the official start of the fall sports season. Athletes on the soccer, volleyball, and football teams played their first game on Friday, September 8. The sports for the fall season seem promising for a winning seasons.

Roadtrip SPIRIT WEEK 2017

TUESDAY

Hawaii

See You At The Pole The Community of Red Lion gathered together on September 27 at the flag poles on the Red Lion campus to pray.

Volunteers, prayed for our country, community, school life, and families. It was a great way to come together with God’s people and pray together.

WEDNESDAY

Texas

Homecoming Week It was homecoming week starting October 9. Students dressed up in their clothes according to the state they were in. Students decorated their hallway and competed for the spirit stick. The football team won a huge game over Tatnall 23-20 and to celebrate there was a bonfire after the game. To close the weekend students from Reach Christian Schools gathered in the gym to dance the night away in a New York theme dance.

THURSDAY

Delaware

FRIDAY

Florida www.reachchristianchools.online

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C OM M U

Photo by Aaron Hamrick

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UNITY Red Lion student Emily Marsh helps out the community by participating involved in Blue Gold Copy and design by Bria Dickerson

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eing involved in your community is a great way to meet new people and serve others.

Emily Marsh had an opportunity to do that last year during her junior year. She is involved with Blue Gold, a program through Delaware Foundation Reaching Citizens with Intellectual Disabilities (DRFRC). Every year students from all the Delaware schools volunteer to reach out to citizens who have disabilities. The Hand and Hand program puts on different events such as bowling and school clubs, and it leads up to a big football game in the University of Delaware Stadium.

Emily participated in this program last year by being a junior ambassador. Although she did not have a buddy for herself, she helped out Bella Rupert and Daniel McNeil (class of 2017) with their buddy, Luke. They made a banner for the football game to represent their school, and, as an ambassador, she was allowed to help out at other events.

About three years ago, Emily’s father gathered up the family and went to a University of Delaware football game.

It just so happened that the football game was for DRFRC. They realized that her sister, Clara Marsh, could participate, and they signed her up for the next year. Clara participated the next year. “My whole family loved it. We thought it was the best thing ever,” Emily said. “She [Clara] loves it!

She has had the greatest buddies.” Clara has had buddies from both Conrad and DMA. “When I became a junior and was able to be an ambassador, I was quick to jump on the

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opportunity,” Emily said.

There are many different events that DRFC hosts. They had a party with the Hockessin Athletic Club. They have pools and athletic clubs. They also go bowling. There is also a buddy walk with the Down Syndrome Association with volunteers and buddies walking around the football field. There is a media day at the University of Delaware, and there are newscasters interviewing people and getting everyone hyped for the big game. On the day of the football game, there is a family fun zone that people can enjoy. “There are a lot of events, and you just don’t have to do those. You can go to the mall with your buddy and do things they enjoy,” Emily said. “It’s a good opportunity to just show kindness.”

Because of the lack of knowledge people might have, some tend to treat people with disabilities unkindly. Blue Gold gives an opportunity for everyone to be included and feel special. Everyone there wants to be there. Everyone is encouraging because the buddies might not have ever been encouraged before. The smiles on their faces are priceless.”

“Look into it,” Emily explains about joining Blue Gold. “It takes a lot of commitment especially if you have a buddy because you have to make sure you are communicating with them and making sure your guys are going to events. If you are a junior, I say go for it because you get to see how people interact with their buddies, and it is a really good experience.”

When I became a junior and was able to become an ambassador I was so quick to jump on the opportunity.

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photo by Aaron Hamrick

New Name, Same Mission From Glasgow Church to Reach Church, the mission of Nothing But Jesus is always the same.

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all is a time of engagement. As the school year starts, we reengage with the normal life and its schedule of work, school, and sports. At Reach Church, fall is a time to engage with the church, with the community, and, most of all, with Nothing But Jesus.

Every Wednesday night this fall through November 15, we will be having Family Night at our Summit Bridge Road campus. Middle school and high school students will both be going through a book called This Changes Everything: How the Gospel Transforms the Teen Years. This book was written by a teenager and challenges fellow teens that the Gospel of Jesus does indeed change everything, even (and especially) in the teen years. College and young adults will be going through a book called The Imperfect Disciple. This book shows us discipleship is actually for people who are weary and wondering. In this group, it is safe to say what you’re really thinking. For the adults, we have Life on Life Discipleship Groups.

These groups are designed to help individuals develop into mature and equipped followers of Christ who will then be able to disciple others.

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Building on the momentum from last year, we are excited to continue our periodic Saturday night worship services. With cutting-edge music, high energy, and making Nothing But Jesus real through God’s Word, Saturday nights are specifically tailored to reach the next generation,

but all are welcome. Services begin at 6.30 p.m. and will be held on Saturday, October 28, Saturday, November 18, and Saturday, December 2.

“Unshackled: The Grace of God in Romans” is the topic of our Sunday morning worship through the fall. Our services use Scripture, creeds, music, prayer, and singing. We believe that, as we lift our

voices, we are joining our brothers and sisters around the globe, the saints who have gone before us, the heavenly hosts, and creation itself in declaring our God is the one true God, and He alone is worthy of our praise. After praise and singing, we continue in our worship by hearing God’s Word preached, as Jesus called us to worship God in spirit and in truth as we hear the truth of Scripture.

This fall is also an especially engaging time for the schools as we unify under the Reach Christian Schools name.

In a letter he wrote recently, Pastor Chuck Betters said, “In the Scriptures, when God was doing something new among His people, He would give them a new name. Abram became Abraham, Sarai became Sarah, Jacob became Israel, Simon became Peter, and Saul became Paul.

In the same way, we believe that God has given us a new name. He has clarified our mission and given us a new and unifying name that will communicate our identity to the community and our passion to reach them with the message of Nothing But Jesus.”

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In the Scriptures, when God was doing something new among his people, he would give them a new name. Abram became Abraham, Sarai became Sarah, Jacob became Israel, Simon became Peter, and Saul became Paul.

”

photo by Aaron Hamrick

photo courtesy Reach Church

Dr. Chuck L. Betters Reach Church Senior Pastor

“I love this new name for the schools.

The name ‘Reach Christian Schools’ denotes our desire to reach out to parents as we partner with them to provide a Christ-centered education that reaches the students’ hearts and minds and trains them to impact the world for Christ.

I am excited that we are now Reach Christian Schools and for the mission to which God has called.

Please continue to pray for us as we seek to fulfill God’s calling on our ministries.”

Dr. Tim Dernlan Head of Reach Christian Schools

www.reachchristianchools.online

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We Got W

Spirit Copy and design by Katie Larson and Morgan Kline-Hill Photos by Aaron Hamrick

hen Spirit Week came around, Red Lion students went all out to make it one of the most fun weeks of the school year.

The high school class presidents started preparing ideas for hallway themes and fun dress down months in advance. This year the student government planned a road trip theme for a long drive through the week. As students walked through the hallway, they were taken on a trip though America.

The freshman class started off the trip with a journey through the West Coast, focusing on Sequoia National Park. Next, the sophomore class journeyed to the South, bringing in decorations to represent states like Louisiana, Tennessee, and Florida. The junior class traveled to the Midwest, decorating their hallway as a stop-in diner. For the last stop, the senior class focused on Broadway in New York City.

During Spirit Week, students were able to

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dress up for everyday of the week and were relieved to not have to wear uniforms. On Tuesday, October 10, students came to school wearing Hawaiian shirts, leis, and flip flops to represent Hawaii Day. On Wednesday, students represented Texas Day. They dressed up in cowboy attire, with flannels, cowboy hats, and boots. Thursday was the day everyone looked forward to - Color Wars. Every student came to school wearing shirts with their class color.

Like always, the freshmen were green, the sophomores blue, the juniors were red, and the seniors were black. The middle school wore yellow. With colored bandanas and face paint, everyone waited with anticipation for the event to begin.

When the assembly began, the senior class surprised everyone with a choreographed dance with a variety of hit dances. After the dance, the high school students began to show their school

spirit by competing in games like dizzy bat, musical chairs, tug-of-war, and a cheer off. The senior class managed to defeat the lower classes in every single event in Color Wars and won the prize of the spirit stick.

Friday was the last day of Spirit Week. The theme of that day was Florida. Students dressed up as either well-known superheroes or beloved Disney characters.

Toward the end of the day, there was a pep rally in Lion’s Stadium, which was to get everyone excited for the homecoming football game and homecoming itself.

That evening the stadium was packed for the homecoming football game. The Lions defeated Tatnall School with a score of 23-20. After the big win, the evening came to an end with a bonfire. People roasted marshmallows and had a good time talking and celebrating a win for the Lions and the end to a successful Spirit Week.

Photos by Aaron Hamrck

www.reachchristianchools.online

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Photo by Aaron Hamrick

dynamic DUO Mr. and Mrs. Rippon have the opportunity to work together every day at Tall Oaks Classical School.

Copy by Lydia Brown and Delaney Gray Design by Zach Albano

Photo by Naomi Mengel

Mr. Rippon

Mr. Stephen Rippon grew up in Rippon was a graduate leader, and several different places. His father Mrs. Rippon was an international was in the Air Force, so his family student leader. They were married moved around a lot. Mr. Rippon just before they left for Korea, has been to forty-eight of the fifty where Mr. Rippon served until states, not including Alaska and 2003. They are now settled in Nevada. He graduated from the Delaware and have three children: United States Air Katie, Jacob, and Force Academy “She sets a standard that I Ian. Mr. Rippon with a master’s 8th, 9th, strive to match in my own teaches degree in English and 12th grade teaching.” and continued on courses at Tall to teach English in Oaks Classical the Air Force from 1996 to 2003.

School, including Classical Literature, Mr. Rippon loves to run. He has Composition I and II, Old Testament run eight half marathons and just Biblical Theology, Debate, and recently ran his first marathon. He Advanced Literature. He has taught also enjoys playing the piano. Since his daughter, Katie, and so had the he moved around a lot, Mr. Rippon opportunity to “see as a teacher and had six different piano teachers as a parent the pressure students during elementary school, and after face.” He also notes of his wife’s graduating high school, he practiced work as a science teacher, “She sets on his own. a standard that I strive to match Mr. Rippon met Mrs. Jennifer in my own teaching.” Mr. Rippon Rippon at the University of loves his job as a teacher and enjoys Delaware, where they were both watching his students grow in the student leaders at a Bible study. Mr. classroom.

Photo by Naomi Mengel

Mrs. Rippon

Mrs. Jennifer Rippon grew up in When she married Mr. Stephen Lancaster, PA. She did not travel a lot, Rippon, she traveled to Korea with unlike Mr. Rippon. Her vacations were him, where she was able to find a job simply fun trips to the beach. When teaching in the same town where Mr. she married Mr. Rippon, she was able Rippon served. Her time in Korea to share more adventures with him. inspired her love of cooking foods Now, they have a nice combination of from different countries. She also loves the two: they sewing small are settled in “It’s really neat to see the gifts projects, such Newark, DE, but the curtains that God has given each one asin Mr. go camping and Rippon’s take lots of road of us and then how God uses classroom. trips.

After they them.”

Mrs. Rippon came back studied biology at the University to the USA from Korea, they settled of Delaware because she thought down, had children, and got jobs as she wanted to do medical research. teachers at Tall Oaks Classical School.

However, she soon found that Mrs. Rippon teaches 7th grade she loved to talk with people and General Science, 10th grade Biology, volunteered as a language tutor for and 11th grade Chemistry and works people who were learning English. She with international ESL students. She enjoyed being with the international has taught her eldest daughter, Katie, students and learning about their and has “enjoyed getting to see my cultures, so she started thinking of own kids in the classroom.” Mrs. ways she could both talk to people and Rippon notes that while she and her use her degree. Mrs. Rippon decided husband teach in the same school, to stay in graduate school and get a they teach different subjects and “it’s degree in teaching science. She also really neat to see the gifts that God earned a degree in teaching English as has given each one of us and then how a second language.

God uses them.” www.reachchristianchools.online

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Journey Tayla Robeson

Alex Gasorek

Lauren Devard

A New School, A New Approach Copy by Morgan Kline-Hill and Zach Albano

Dory Zinkand

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he vision for Journey Christian Academy is to help special needs children get a better education than what they would get in a regular classroom. Journey gives these students one-on-one attention and hands-on activities. This is the only special needs Christian school we know of in Delaware. Some of the ways that the teaching is specialized for the students is that there are in very small classes. The teachers focus on each student specifically and keep track of their grades and progress more than a typical student. They focus on ensuring that the students have an understanding of the material before moving on. Another thing they do that works well for their students is they have many breaks throughout the day which are ten minutes long. Since some of the students have struggles staying focused for long periods of time, these students may have longer breaks in order to enable them to learn better.

Mrs. Dory Zinkand got involved with special needs students originally from working in the Tall Oaks administration. She then joined Journey to become the principal. Her favorite part about Journey is being able to communicate with the students and have a connection with them. She said that each student has his or her own personality and makes her laugh and makes her happy to see all their different and unique personalities. She has a special connection with each student individually and has a great opportunity to connect with them on a personal level.

Reach Christian Schools

Nina Gioconda

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aving schools like Journey is so important in this world today, and in order to help provide for these kids who are specially gifted, special teachers are needed to give them all the attention, love, and resources they need to succeed in life. When the administration was looking for someone who had these characteristics, they found them all in Mrs. Nina Gioconda. Mrs. Gioconda graduated from college in 1979, earning her B.A. in Education. She later took courses specifically to teach children with special needs. In 1994, Mrs. Gioconda began working at Red Lion Christian Academy as a fourth grade teacher. She taught at RLCA for 14 years before leaving to take care of a family member in 2008. When God led Mrs. Gioconda to help her son with the school musical at Red Lion, she ran into Mrs. Patti Thompson in the front office, who had two children that were taught by Mrs. Gioconda. Mrs. Thompson asked Mrs. Gioconda to be a substitute teacher for Red Lion. After a couple day of substitute teaching, Dr. Dernlan asked her to be a substitute at Journey. Now, Mrs. Gioconda is a fulltime teacher at Journey and loves it.

Noel Gasorek

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ourney Christian Academy was started by Glasgow Christian Academy which is the homeschool branch of Reach Christian Schools. The GCA committee agreed to start with a class that started out twice a week, then went to three days a week. Now it is five days a week. Mrs. Noel Gasorek, a teacher at Journey said, “It has been very cool as some of the kids have been here since the first year. We have seen them grow every single year. That is neat to do. Usually teachers have them one year, pass them on, and don’t get to see the growth, but I have seen three years of growth.” Mrs. Gasorek explained how she became involved with Journey. She said, “I was teaching at GCA, and the GCA committee came to me and asked if I were willing to be on board, and I said yes. We have small class sizes which is key because a lot of the kids need one-on-one attention. In the bigger classes, they tend to get lost in the crowd. The fact that we have small class sizes is huge and very important. Because they are so small, we can differentiate if a child needs one thing and another child needs something else. We are able to give them exactly what they need. The main vision for Journey is to see the school expand and grow all the way up through twelfth grade because right now it only goes to middle school.”

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from

PA DE After pastoring a church in Pennsylvania for nineteen years, Mr. Kevin Clineff came to Delaware to teach at Red Lion.

Copy and layout by Kirsten Heusser

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r. Kevin Clineff is one of the many new teachers at Red Lion Christian Academy this year. He teaches eighth grade Bible, ninth grade civics, and twelfth grade political science and economics. He was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

He always knew that he wanted to teach political science and government.

He received his master’s degree in political science, but his goal was to receive his Ph.D. He was accepted into Miami University in Ohio which is a top teaching school for political science, to earn his Ph.D in political science, but God intervened into his plans. He taught at East Stroudsburg Christian School in 1992. During that year, he encountered a family from that school that had a drug issue with the parents and the students. Mr. Clineff said, “I did the best I could to minister with them and to them. That’s when I realized that God was really calling me to minister to the whole family and not just to students.”

After the year at East Stroudsburg, Mr. Clineff felt the call to be a pastor and graduated from seminary. After teaching Bible in another Christian school for a year, a friend of his said his church was looking for a pastor. Mr. Clineff soon became the pastor of Faith Bible Fellowship Church in Spring City, Pennsylvania. He pastored there for nineteen years.

After pastoring for all those years, Mr. Clineff felt led to go back into the classroom. He completed his student teaching at Spring Ford High School, and

he knew his aspiration was to teach at a public school because that was what he wanted to do. He started applying and sending his resumes to local public schools and also applied to Red Lion Christian Academy.

After sending out his resume to Red Lion Christian Academy, he received a phone call from Mr. Osbourn to schedule an interview. After consulting with his wife, he went for the interview and was eventually hired.

Mr. Clineff has an African-American daughter, Jasmine, who is in third grade.

Mr. Clineff said that she has never really been around other children of her race, and when she shadowed at Red Lion Christian Academy, she fell in love.

After shadowing at three other schools, she said, “I finally found a school where the kids look like me.” Mr. Clineff said, “Coming from a 98% white community with an African-American daughter, it was important that we move and live in both a multicultural and accepting community and school.” Even though Mr. Clineff and his family are new to the school, they already know that they love it here.

Once he was hired and got the job, it was time to move to Delaware. The family moved from Pennsylvania to Delaware during the summer, and they were ready to start a new journey and a new school year.

Now the Clineff family is a Red Lion family and is happy to be a part of the family of schools.

“...it was important that we move and live in both a multicultural and accepting community and school.”

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photo by Aaron Hamrick

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Nehemiah Wilson A GCA Student Council President and a martial arts black belt

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copy by Keri Betters design by Bria Dickerson and Tony Wright photo by Luke Papili

ehemiah Wilson’s favorite quote comes from Gary Vaynerchuk: “It’s simple, not easy. It takes patience and hard work.” This philosophy is evident through Nehemiah’s life since he wears many hats as a senior at Glasgow Christian Academy. He is the President of GCA’s Student Council, a teacher, a musician, and a friend. Sometimes it’s easy to get discouraged when working towards a goal, but for Nehemiah, it takes diligence and time.

Nehemiah considers being both a teacher a student at GCA a “very rewarding experience.” His position is unique because he’s not only able to relate to students in ways teachers usually are unable to do, but he also has the opportunity to take what he enjoys in class and then implement these things in his own classroom. “I have the opportunity to improve what I believe could be changed,” Nehemiah explains. “I’m able to share my love of computer science in a special way with my students.”

Reflecting on his years as a GCA student, Nehemiah says being a guitarist in the GCA Worship Band made an impact in his life. “I have played the guitar for eight years, but my skills began to blossom once I joined the team in eighth grade.” His skills improved, and he began playing on the worship team at Reach Church, even playing with the Reach Band for Saturday night services.

As far as funny moments at GCA go, well… there have been a few. One that stands out is Mr. Hilyard’s history class, which Nehemiah says was “one of the most fun classes I have had.”

He describes that class as “lighthearted and enjoyable, but also very educational.” According to Nehemiah, “anyone who has graduated from [Mr. Hilyard’s] class will walk out with a handful of hilarious memories to look back on.”

Homeschooling helps Nehemiah develop the work-life balance that many strive to find. “Being homeschooled allows so much flexibility that I was able to go to sports games, theme parks, and vacations and take my homework with me,” Nehemiah explains. “Instead of being in a classroom for several hours a day,

I receive the same education that traditionally schooled students receive, but I have the opportunity to enjoy life in a unique way at the same time.”

This unique opportunity allows Nehemiah to balance school with friends, as well. “I hang out with friends outside of school,” says Nehemiah. “Many of my other friends have the same academic flexibility, so we’re able to study together and hang out at times other students are in school. Being in control of my own school schedule allows more freedom in my social life.”

Homeschooling has proved to provide many positives for Nehemiah that he prefers it to other school structures.

“Activities such as going out to eat, hanging out with friends, or sleeping in late on a week day would not be easy if I weren’t homeschooled,” Nehemiah states. “I believe being homeschooled has taught me how to manage my time well, which will be a very valuable skill in college and beyond.”

Nehemiah may have a lot on his plate and many responsibilities to keep track of, but he is also something else: a martial artist. Nehemiah has practiced martial arts for twelve years and has his First Degree Adult Black Belt in Kung Fu. “In my martial arts career, I have performed in countless shows and demonstrations in the community including Red Lion Christian Academy’s talent show. I also have taught at AMAI, the martial arts school I attend.” Nehemiah’s drive paired with the disciplines he has learned through martial arts pair well as he prepares to graduate GCA in the spring.

Nehemiah states that no matter what he does, whether in school, martial arts, as the President of GCA Student Council, or beyond, his life motto comes from his dad: to observe the masses and do the opposite. “If I want to do anything influential in this world, I cannot just be another face in the crowd going through life,” Nehemiah explains. “I must look at what others are doing and walk the other direction…not in a sense of arrogance, but in the sense of desiring to create a new path for others to follow.”

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Natal Monson

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atalie Monson has attended Tall Oaks Classical School since kindergarten. A current senior, she has come to love classical education and the understanding of the world that she has gained through it. She says, “Classical education has helped me to see things with meaning and purpose in light of what is true, good, and beautiful. When I was younger, I would see just blades of grass, but now I see that they give life. The sky being blue represents eternity. Everything is seen in light of Christ.” Her experiences in traveling across Europe have also shaped her perspective on the world in an important way.

“When you travel to different places, you definitely learn more about them by being immersed in them. Your understanding of them is so much greater,” says Natalie, who has had the opportunity to travel to Germany, England, Italy, and Austria, to name a few places.

For Natalie’s family, Germany is particularly significant because her mother grew up in a village outside of Munich.

Natalie stayed in that village on her trip. “[The village] was established around 800 A. D. It’s surrounded by woods, and it’s really pretty,” she remarks. She also toured several castles, including a castle built on an island in the middle of a lake and the famous Neufschwanstein.

Natalie toured Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London during her trip to England. “We also went to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, which was cool,” she says.

“In Austria, we went to Salzburg, and it was really pretty there. It’s a medieval sort of city, so it has a bunch of little alleyways and then a courtyard area that looks up to a mountain. There’s a castle on the mountain,” she recalls. “We also went into an active salt mine and got to taste some of the saltwater there.

We had to take a train deep underground to get to the main part; it was a few thousand meters underground.” Natalie remembers this opportunity as one of her favorite travel experiences.

Natalie traveled to the cities of Florence, Rome, Venice, and Amalfi during her time in Italy. In Florence, she saw the Pont de Vecchio, and in Rome, she saw the Coliseum and toured the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel. She also rode in a gondola around Venice. However, Amalfi is her favorite among all the places to which she has traveled. “We had to take one of the deadliest roads

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Copy and photo by Naomi Mengel Layout by Benny Nequist

[to get there], but it was really cool because the city is built into a mountain and overlooks the Mediterranean Sea, and there are lemon trees growing everywhere. It was surreal, very beautiful. I can’t really describe it. It was something you could only dream of in a fairy tale. It was a hidden gem that I didn’t expect to ever get to see in my life.”

Natalie’s favorite aspect of traveling is “seeing more of God’s creation and being immersed in other cultures. In Germany, for example, they have a lot of traditions that they keep to that have been there for a really long time, like certain holidays and festivals. In Europe, everything’s old, so you get a lot of the classical roots, especially in Italy with all the Latin texts. I like being immersed in other languages as well.”

Classical education has also significantly impacted Natalie’s perspective on traveling and encountering different cultures. “I think classical education really influences the way you think about different cultures when you go traveling. You’ve learned about the cultures in history, and you have a different understanding of how they thought traditionally in terms of different gods or religions. And you can see some of the things that America adapted, the things they kept and kind of changed and altered.

Future Plans “I plan to go to college to become either a doctor or a physician assistant.

That may change, but those are my ambitions as of now. For my bachelor’s degree, I’ll study either pre-med or pre-physician assistant. It’s largely my mom’s influence. She started nursing school when I was in second grade, and I’ve always looked up to her and admired her for that,” says Natalie. She also has a passion for “helping people and restoring the body, just as Christ healed people.”

As she leaves Tall Oaks for the next stage of her education, Natalie will particularly miss the singing in which all the students participate every day. “I really love our singing as a class and as a community. I’ll also miss the debates we had in civics and in Dr. Turley’s classes. Those are always very enjoyable.”

She also loves “the class sizes and the close-knit community the students have with each other and the teachers. I love how the teachers are really invested in the students, and how they’re always willing to help and guide us. Tall Oaks has really trained me to better live out my Christian faith and defend it in spite of all the chaos there is today.”

lie “[Traveling] has showed me that the world is very different. In America, as far as the standard of life, it’s very comfortable here. But when you go to other countries, you can see how people have to work harder because the standards of living or the social classes are different.

For example, in Germany, to own a house is very rare.

Usually you live in a flat or something like that.”

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Photos by Aaron Hamrick

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what is GCA really like?

Copy and photos by GCA media staff Design by Morgan Kline-Hill

Why do you love GCA? It’s a question that was asked amongst students, and the answers speak for themselves.

The focus on Jesus The teachers The classes The atmosphere The variety of programs and events it offers The people I have met The things I have learned Glasgow Christian Academy, also known as GCA, is the homeschool branch of Reach Christian Schools. The school meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays for homeschool students to come take classes, learn, be part of extracurricular activities, and surround themselves with individuals just like themselves. As you walk the halls, you will see that students of all ages attend their favorite classes and fellowship together, making memories that last a lifetime.

GCA has students at all grade levels. Students ages pre-K through middle school have the unique experience of learning what it is like to attend classes with other peers, enjoy hands-on learning, and be recognized for their achievements by caring teachers, many of whom are homeschooling moms themselves. Some of the classes include writing, art, gym, dance, science, Bible, and drama.

GCA creates a balance between “regular school” and homeschooling, giving students a unique experience to taste a bit of both.

For high school students, GCA offers the typical core classes needed to graduate such as English, math, history, science, and ACT Prep. However, GCA also offers extracurricular activities and events like Student Council, Homecoming, Honor Society, Prom, Drama, Yearbook, and Commencement. By combining the extra curriculars, events, and core classes, every GCA student who graduates from the school should feel confident and ready to conquer the next chapter of their lives.

We sat down with Leigh Ann Betters, a homeschooling mom, GCA teacher, and the High School Coordinator of

GCA, to find out what it is like to be all three.

“GCA has made it possible for me to homeschool my kids all the way through high school. We became involved in 2001, and Thursdays quickly became my kids’ favorite day of the week since they got to see their friends and do fun projects that I didn’t always have the time or energy to do with them at home. When they reached high school grades, GCA took over the tougher subjects - like biology and chemistry - that I didn’t feel competent to teach at home.

“The true test came when my older kids entered college: Had homeschooling and GCA really prepared them for the next level? The answer was an emphatic ‘Yes!’ They smoothly transitioned to college and excelled academically and socially. I give GCA much of the credit for their success because it prepared them to learn independently, manage time efficiently, and interact with peers compassionately. My youngest is now an eighth grader and I’m still a firm believer in GCA, because the education and overall experience he receives there will prepare him for whatever path God has in store for him.

“As a parent, teacher, and administrator, I have a unique perspective on GCA’s different aspects. Some of our students who attended traditional schools in the past want to know if there is a principal at GCA. The short answer is ‘no’ because GCA is led by a committee of five women, all of whom have homeschooled our own kids. Although we each have our own unique responsibilities and make most decisions together, we are under the umbrella of Reach Christian Schools and come together with the other schools to make unified decisions that lead to Christ-centered institutes across Delaware. It has been such a blessing to work with the GCA committee, as well as, the rest of the Reach Family.”

Over the years, GCA has transformed from a small homeschool co-op to a private school that creates a special educational experience for hundreds of homeschool students. GCA is a special place for its members and with all the reasons why students and teachers love GCA, one remains constant: GCA is a school that focuses on Nothing but Jesus.

www.reachchristianchools.online

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Full

House!

Copy and design by Morgan Kline-Hill Photo by Aaron Hamrick

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Reach Christian Schools

Dealing with lack of sleep, comforting children that miss their families, and watching the children that you have loved for months go home to their families make fostering a pretty hard job. But to the Pizzulli family, the hard times are worth the reward.

T

aking in children that you have never met and loving them as your own may seem like a hard thing to do for most families, but for the Pizzulli family, it was seemed like the right choice for many reasons. Coming from a large family, Steven Pizzulli, Mrs. Nicki Pizzulli’s husband, had always wanted many kids, but Mrs. Pizzulli had slightly different plans. “I was like, one and done.” said Mrs. Pizzulli, referring to the one daughter they already have, Skylar. “So we kind of kept talking about the idea of adopting. And then when Skylar was about five or six, she was like, ‘I want a brother or sister.’ and I said, ‘Nope.’ So it kind of came up very nonchalantly, and we just said maybe we will look into it.”

About three years ago, their town of Elkton, Maryland held a fall festival, where social services had a table set up to inform people about adoption and fostering. This is when the family really started to get the ball rolling on becoming a foster home.

“So I stopped by [the table] and checked it out, and we talked to Skylar about it and asked her how she would feel about maybe having some kids come and stay for a while, and she was excited about it.” After the family discussed it for a while, they decided to get started and took all the classes that were necessary to become a foster family.

The Pizzullis started out with one child, a baby girl, and now they have four new children who are all related, along with their biological daughter, Skylar. “It is hard because like a lot of times people say, ‘I couldn’t do it. I’d get too attached,’ and you do get attached and that’s the purpose. These kids are not with their families, building those heathy attachments that children are supposed to develop and have. So if you do it right, you are going to get attached.”

Their first placement, a baby girl, along with all the other children that have stayed with them, was very hard to see leave. “We had her as a baby, and we had her for over a year. And even though we developed a relationship with the family, and we were so happy to see a happy ending, we were also, devastated because we loved her that much. But we

have been really fortunate, I think, because we’ve only been doing it for three years, but with the exception of one child, every child who has come into our home, were then returned to their family… they still keep in contact with us for play dates and things like that, so even though it’s hard to see them go, we still get to see them, and I think that makes it easier for Skylar, too, because she does get really upset sometimes when they go home.”

Seeing the kids go home, even though it is a happy thing that the kids are being reunited with their family, can be “emotionally draining,” as Mrs. Pizzulli said. At one point, the family thought that maybe they should take a break after having a few kids go home after they had grown so close to them. But when they told Skylar about taking a break, she had other thoughts. “When we told her that we were thinking of taking a break, she kind of put it back on us and said, ‘So we help people, and if we get a phone call, you’re just going to say no because you need a break?’ We were just like... ok I guess we’re not taking a break.”

To the Pizzullis, there are many wonderful parts about being part of the foster home community, along with some parts that are tough. “We’ve been able to be with families where the kids get to go back home, so when you see parents that have fallen on hard times, and had no support, and when you see them grow, and for lack of better words, win their kids back, or fight for their kids back, so as much as that hurts, that was the goal from day one, and to see the families restored, is amazing.

And we can look back and be like wow, we were a part of helping that. And when we have the kids, we get to see a lot of milestones in their lives. When we had our first placement, she wasn’t even one, so we got to see all the firsts with her. Another placement that we had struggled academically, and with a little bit of extra help and support, they were doing fine. So to see the kids grow and thrive, and be kids that don’t walk around with the weight of the world on their shoulders, makes you feel good.”

Now the family has four children who they plan to adopt and continue to love them as their own.

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Reach Christian Schools

Pulpit

from the classroom to the

A

After finishing his undergraduate studies at UCLA, Peter Lammé got married to his college sweetheart, Kassie, and moved across the country from San Diego, California, to Glenside, Pennsylvania. Once they moved, he and his wife both began attending Westminster Theological Seminary and continued there for four years. In 2015, Peter earned his Master of Divinity and was able to get a counseling internship with Christian Counseling and Education Foundation or CCEF. That’s when Pastor Chuck F. Betters contacted Pastor Lammé and asked him to join the Reach family team.

“I met with someone, and he talked to me about the opportunity as an intern to come down here and kind of be the hands and feet of the Fair Hill campus because Pastor Betters is a busy guy. So I came down here every weekend to do some teaching and preaching and just to get to know the people and hang out with the people. So we would commute from Philadelphia and stay with people in the church. Within a few months, I was offered a full-time position here as the campus pastor.”

When the opportunity to become campus pastor at the Fair Hill campus came only shortly after seminary school, the transition from classroom to pulpit was surprising and very new. “It was kind of a sink or swim experience and learning on the job, because I hadn’t had that much experience. There’s definitely excitement of becoming a pastor so quickly. I think the ideal out of seminary is to get to preach and to get to actually bring the word to people. A lot of people don’t get that chance right out of seminary, so to actually be preaching every week was a huge responsibility. It was a blessing that I could actually use all of the things I was taught in seminary and bring them to people right away.”

As a pastor to a smaller congregation, Pastor Lammé has gotten

Copy by Morgan Kline Hill Design by Bria Dickerson Photo by Aaron Hamrick

to know his members and has been able to connect with them on a personal level. “One of the blessings of a small campus is that I’m able to be really involved with the lives of people. There are amazing people in this church. I think of the McDonald family, who we stayed with for many of the weekends we came down [while I was interning]. They have taken us in as members of their family. We are a long way from our home in California, so they have really become our family, who we have been able to spend holidays with and everyday life.”

Some people may think that being a pastor is a job that only requires work on Sunday morning from 10:30 to noon, but that’s not what Pastor Lammé has learned in the past couple of years. “It almost surprised me that being a pastor is embodied in your whole life and personhood. It isn’t something you just come to work and do. It’s something you live out and get to be 24/7. If you’re hanging out with people, even if you’re not acting as a pastor, you are the pastor and you are taking opportunities to teach, guide, and model humility and repentance in the Gospel and grace. I wasn’t expecting it to be as holistic and consuming, not in a bad way, but in a good way.” Pastor Lammé said that he loves that he is always able to be a pastor, not just on Sunday mornings, because he feels the most influential times are the one-on-ones with people in the community and not necessarily the big sermons.

Eight months ago, God blessed Pastor Lammé and Kassie with a baby boy who they named Remington, also known as Remi. Pastor Lammé feels blessed to be able to grow his family in the wonderful community that is Reach Church. The people he is able to preach and mentor have been so loving, inviting, God-filled people, and he is happy that those are the characteristics that his family will grow around.

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Copy by Faith Hollister and Katie Rippon Layout by Kevin Mills Photos by Aaron Hamrick

“I have always been interested in government.

That’s my passion, so running for student body president was something that seemed like a natural step for me.

Because I want to go into politics and government as a career, running for president was something that I thought I would do a very good job at and that I am passionate about.”

Luke Sherman

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Reach Christian Schools

Tall Oaks Student Government

Serve Lead Inspire

E

lections for the Tall Oaks student body president were held in September. Candidates campaigned for about two weeks, beginning at the end of August. Posters were put up, candy was given out, and speeches were made before the voting took place. The presidential candidates each chose members for their own cabinets.

This year’s cabinet consists of President Luke Sherman, Vice President Josita Marshall, Secretary Joshua Deitrich, and Treasurer Sam McGarvey. These four, along with leaders and representatives from each of the four houses, form the student government and hold regular meetings to discuss upcoming activities and bring up ideas from the other students. Each of the four members of this cabinet has particular goals for the school year, as well as different backgrounds and perspectives.

Luke Sherman, a senior, is very passionate about government, so joining student government seemed like a natural step for him. He has attended Patriot Academy, a camp to train students in political skills, both in Washington, D. C., and Austin, Texas. Luke also plans to go into politics and government as a career. As student body president, he wants to reform the structure of the student government in order to process bills in a more effective manner. He also wants to listen to the students and hear what they

“I thought that it would be a good way to be able to practice leadership, and I think that I work well with other people. I figured that I had a couple ideas, and it would be fun to be able to try and get those ideas into place within the Tall Oaks student body.”

Joshua Deitrtich

want. Luke’s primary job as student body president is to run the meetings and communicate with the principal about topics or ideas that are brought up during the meeting.

When Luke offered Josita Marshall, also a senior, the position of vice president, she decided to accept it because of Luke’s experience in and passion for government. She believes he can make a change for the better. As vice president, her job is mostly to be second-in-command. Josita is focused on catering to individual student passions. For example, last year she met with Dr. Timothy Dernlan about starting a chapter of the National Honor Society for Tall Oaks students.

Joshua Deitrich, a junior, was originally planning to run alone, but after being invited to join Luke’s cabinet, he decided that was the right choice. He wants to improve the house system and bring more transparency to the workings of student government. He said that he has some ideas that he would like to see put into place within the student body, including more varied competitions for House Day. As secretary, his job is to keep formal notes and records, or minutes, of the student government meetings.

Sam McGarvey, a sophomore, has been involved in student government since seventh grade. Sam wanted to be part of student government in order

“Be active. This is our year. We can truly accomplish something, and I feel like the students of Tall Oaks seriously have a better way now to have their voices be heard, so they should take advantage of that and bring that to their house representatives and to us so we can work with them to make a change.”

Josita Marshall

to understand the rationale behind some of the decisions made in the past, as well as to work to alter some of those decisions for the better. He wants to represent the student body and accomplish the things that students want to see done. As treasurer, Sam communicates with the administration about the financial aspects of student government.

All four members agreed that campaigning was fun. They campaigned as “the only cabinet that spans across class lines.” They put a lot of time, effort, and creativity into their campaign. Luke’s overall plan clearly showed how much he cared about the students and how much he could accomplish.

Together, Luke, Josita, Josh, and Sam plan to change how student government is viewed. They all see room for improvement and want to bring the entire upper school into the decision-making process by representing the interests of each grade. Each one of these members will bring unique views to the student government meetings and system. As Luke said in his presidential campaign speech, “I represent the seniors, Josh represents the juniors, Sam represents the sophomores, and Josita represents...the girls.” They plan to take into account different perspectives from each of the students and work hard to improve the overall quality of student government at Tall Oaks Classical School.

“I want to be able to represent the student body and get what they want accomplished accomplished...I feel like we have a real opportunity to make some changes this year.”

Sam McGarvey

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FOOTBALL September 8 September 15 September 22 September 29 October 6 October 13 October 21 October 28 November 3 November 10

fall s

First State Military Academy St. Andrew’s School DE Military Academy Conrad School Tower Hill School Tatnall School Christiana HS Archmere Academy Seaford HS Charter School

Volleyball September 8 September 12 September 14 September 16 September 19 September 21 September 26 September 29 October 2 October 10 October 13 October 17 October 19 October 20 October 26

Tome School (MD) AI duPont HS MOT Charter School Newark Charter School Tatnall School MOT Charter HS Sanford School Archmere Academy Tower Hill School Charter School Caravel Academy St. Mark’s HS Conrad School First State Military Academy DE Military Academy

Cross Country September 11 September 22 September 27 October 2 October 11 October 26 November 4 November 11 30

Reach Christian Schools

Caravel Academy & St Elizabeth HS Middletown Invitational Archmere Academy, Delmarva Christian HS ECHS Conrad School & DE Military Academy DSAC Championship New Castle County Championship DIAA Championship

sports

Design by Benny Nequist Photos by Aaron Hamrick

Field hockey September 12 September 14 September 18 September 20 September 22 September 26 September 28 October 3 October 10 October 12 October 17 October 20 October 23 October 25 October 28

Bohemia Manor HS Newark Charter School Brandywine HS Conrad School Chrsitiana HS Charter School Hodgeson Votech Archmere Academy MOT Charter HS Caravel Academy DE Military Academy Appoquinimink HS Lake Forest HS Middletown HS William Penn HS

Soccer September 8 September 13 September 19 September 22 September 25 September 27 September 29 October 4 October 6 October 11 October 17 October 19 October 24 October 26 October 31

Hodgeson Votech Charter School Archmere Academy Design-Lab DE HS DE Academy of Public Safety and Security MOT Charter HS St. Thomas More Newark Charter School DE Military Academy First State Military Academy Conrad School Wilmington Friends School Ai duPont HS McKean HS DE Academy of Public Safety and Security

www.reachchristianchools.online

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Redcampus Lion 1390 Red Lion Road Bear, DE 19701

Contact Us

info@reachchurch.online (302) 834–4772 Monday–Friday 8:30 am–4:00 pm

Join Us on Sundays!

Sunday Morning Reach Classes 9:00 am Sunday Worship 10:30 am

What to Expect

When you come to Reach Church, you can expect to be welcomed into a friendly, positive environment by people who are genuinely excited to see you! Our gatherings last about an hour and a half, are filled with great music, and include an inspiring Christ-centered message, from the Bible, by our campus pastors. Arrive a few minutes early to grab a hot cup of coffee on us!

What We Believe

Our passion is to spread the message of Nothing But Jesus. We believe that Jesus is the only hope for mankind, both for salvation and sanctification. We believe that those far from God need Jesus, but those who have been Christians for many years also need Jesus.

That is why we live to reach ALL people with Nothing But Jesus.

Our Campuses

Reach Church has two campuses. We realize that some people prefer a smaller church environment, while others prefer something larger. At Reach Church, we have both options.

Our campuses are unique, but we are one church, with one staff, and with one vision: Nothing But Jesus. Our campuses all have live worship and live preaching by their respective Campus Pastors. We preach on the same topics and share many resources.