WOODCREST CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
GENERATIONS
2021
C O NTENTS
YEAR: 2021
A POWERFUL SOUL
TAKEAWAYS
MR. BOB IS ON THE JOB
PASSING THE BATON
With humility and wit, Loretta Hall connects with the heart of students
2020 alumns articulate the blessings of receiving a Christ-centered education
Forty years and still going strong, we celebrate “Mr. Bob” DeGraaf
Coach Ricards’ four decade legacy changes hands but won’t change focus
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REGULARS
BUSINESS IN MIND
MISS HER ALREADY
THE WAR ON TRUTH
Cultivating entrepreneurial spirits with insights from business-minded alumni
Woodcrest Christian will always be home to Mrs. Pounders
Insights about tackling culture’s increasing grip on our youth
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CAMPUS NEWS
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LOOKING BACK
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PARENT PERSPECTIVE
Disclaimer: Photos in this issue that do not meet current COVID-19 guidelines were taken prior to March 2020.
WOODCREST CHRISTIAN SCHOOL SYSTEM
Transitional Kindergarten through 12th Grade 18401 Van Buren Blvd. | Riverside, California | 92508 (951) 780-2010 Middle/High School | (951) 686-1818 Elementary School Glorify God by Pursuing Excellence in Christ-centered Academics
From the Superintendent Stalwarts of the Faith Matthew 7:24-27 tells the parable of the man who built his house upon the rock. That house withstood the whirling waves of the ocean that knocked down the weaker built house of his neighbor. Our ability to withstand the crashing waves and battering winds of the storms of life is only possible because we are grounded on the rock of Jesus Christ; His Truth, His Blessings, and His People. Throughout its 70+ year history, Woodcrest Christian has been blessed with incredible people who are part of the bedrock of our organization and who pour into students as part of their ministry. It doesn’t matter what their specific titles are, they are called by God and serve Him faithfully every day. In this issue, I invite you to meet some of these stalwarts of the faith. We praise God for blessing us with them and for their willingness to go above and beyond in service to our students. I know they will inspire you with their commitment to the Lord and to the school. In His Grip, JIM SULLIVAN Woodcrest Christian School System Superintendent
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Amidst a year full of challenges, the morning light captured in Pentz Park at WCDS is a beautiful reminder of the promises we find in Lamentations—that God’s love and faithfulness never fails.
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“Certainly the faithful love of the Lord hasn’t ended; certainly God’s compassion isn’t through! They are renewed every morning. Great is your faithfulness!” —Lamentations 3:22-23
CAMPUS NEWS
New P.E. Teacher Challenges Students to Stay Fit Mrs. Christine Glaviano, the new WCDS P.E. teacher, may be small, but she is one strong lady. Mrs. Glaviano is a Woodcrest Christian alumna and attended Cal Baptist where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Health Education and her master’s degree in Kinesiology/ Ed. Science. Mrs. Glaviano is a proficient body builder and CrossFit trainer. Through P.E. and our intramural sports program, she is challenging her students to grow in stamina and strength. We are blessed to have Mrs. Glaviano at WCDS!
No Field Trips? No Problem. The pandemic might have prohibited us from taking our favorite field trips, but it can’t stop us from bringing the field trip to campus! Recently, Pentz Park was transformed into our very own pumpkin patch. The students in first grade enjoyed Farmer Day as they studied about pumpkins including how they grow, what they can be used for, how big they get, and the types of pumpkins there are. STEM activities also enhanced their studies. Each student also got to choose a pumpkin from, you guessed it, the WCDS pumpkin patch! SPRING 2021 • 05
CAMPUS NEWS
Campus Musings
Speech and Debate: Talk to the Screen For the last three years, the Woodcrest Christian Speech and Debate team has been growing under the leadership of head coach and English teacher Austin Wright. However, this year poses a new challenge—debating every tournament virtually. “As hard as it has been to lose that faceto-face connection you have with in-person debates,” says Mr. Wright, “there have been some positives to debating online and we’ve been able to take advantage of those.” What has benefitted the team the most has been the flexibility virtual tournaments hold for competition. “We are now able to compete against teams from all over the state of California rather than just locally,” he says. “We’ve been able to have weekday competitions, there’s obviously been less time and money spent traveling to various tournaments, and we’ve been able to compete more often— now every two weeks instead of every six weeks. So far, we’ve placed in the top five at every tournament this year.” High school junior and debate team member, Daniel Jackson says, “The competition has been greater and more challenging which makes it even more fun.” 06 • WCSS.ORG
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WHAT HAS BEING BACK ON CAMPUS MEANT TO YOU?
“Coming back on campus, I realized how much I took for granted. It’s amazing to come and see friends. I love being able to get out of the house and be with others.” Mehak Saini ‘22
“It was hard online to keep close contact with friends and teachers. It’s just not the same to call or text from a distance. Being back means we can actually have real conversations, plus it’s much easier to learn in person.” Zuriah Rust ‘21
“You can feel the difference back on campus—there’s more vigor and enthusiasm in the classroom. I really missed the interaction—the memories that happen in class that you share with other students, and the conversations and time you can spend with others.” Dante Albanese ‘21
Looking ahead, the team of 20+ students is excited as a new assistant coach has joined the team. Mr. Braden Sapp (currently Woodcrest Christian’s middle school band director) has a love for speech and debate and has been brought on to help provide more one-on-one coaching. Both coaches know the value of being a good communicator and are eager to share those skills. Wright says, “I love how what is learned in debate helps prepare our students for life by building their confidence and teaching them that what they say matters and can have an impact.”
UPCOMING EVENTS PROSPECTIVE FAMILY DINNER Friday, February 19, 2021 wcss.org/tour
2021/22 ENROLLMENT BEGINS February 13, 2021 for current families March 1, 2021 for new families wcss.org/admissions
WCDS OPEN HOUSE Friday, May 7, 2021 wcss.org/elementary/openhouse
75th DIAMOND ANNIVERSARY 2022/2023 Journey with us as we prepare for this hallmark event!
Jumpstarting Graphic Design Careers As the digital world becomes more immersive, job opportunities for graphic designers continue to grow, making now a great time for students to learn the tools of the trade. In the new Graphic Arts class, students are getting a hands-on experience in illustration, typography, branding, and more. “Imagine the potential when they graduate and at 18 years old they are well-versed in software that designers use every day, including InDesign, Illustrator,
and Photoshop. Those are skills that will serve them well,” says Mia Chandler, the new Graphic Arts teacher who holds a degree in Graphic Design from Point Loma Nazarene University. The future is interwoven with digital design practices in branding, packaging, web design, and print to name a few. With the world, literally at their fingertips, graphic design students are a step ahead and will soon find themselves at the forefront of designing what comes next.
As part of their study of illustration, students in the new graphic arts course designed a set of themed Christmas cards. The class selected the top three designs which were then printed and sold online through the school website.
2020 Grads: First-ever, Drive-through Celebration Graduates of the Class of 2020 and their families celebrated the end of the school year with a socially distanced drive-through parade on the high school track—a unique experience that had never been done on campus before. Amidst the unpredictability of the pandemic frenzy, this special celebration was a momentous conclusion to a most unusual school year.
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LOOKING BACK
A SPRING TO REMEMBER CHANGES FROM THE PANDEMIC TO LIFE AS WE KNEW IT WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTON, BUT NEITHER WILL THESE EXPERIENCES THAT WOULDN’T HAVE HAPPENED WITHOUT IT
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BY GENERATIONS STAFF
arch of 2020 began like any other school year. The spring musical was underway. The softball team was already winning games. The SATs were just around the corner. Then the pandemic hit and March 13 became a day students at Woodcrest Christian will never forget. Though nothing is a surprise to our Lord who we know is in control, as the campus shut down for the rest of the school year, the realization that many eagerly anticipated school activities and events would not come to fruition was still shocking. While the pandemic brought on changes to the normalcies of life, it also brought memorable, firsttime-ever experiences. Likely, the biggest impact was felt in the seemingly overnight pivot
from the classroom to distance learning. While distance learning held its fair share of challenges, it also brought on increases in both student and teacher creativity, leaps in technological advancement, and an appreciation for school life that many did not realize they took for granted. Though everything at the time seemed uncertain and many events that were impossible to plan in-person turned virtual, it was important to parents, students, and staff that a commencement ceremony be held as similar as possible to tradition. The usual church venue for graduation remained closed so plans changed to accomodate graduates and families for an on-campus ceremony. Twenty-two days after the last day of school on a beautiful July evening, we celebrated the Class of 2020 and a year that will forever be etched deep in our hearts and minds.
The class of 2020 graduates creatively reflected the challenges of the 2019/2020 school year during graduation.
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The Class of 2020 takes its place in school history with the first graduation ceremony on campus since 1997 when graduation took place in the Royals Pavilion.
TEACHER SPOTLIGHT
A POWERFUL SOUL MATH TEACHER AND MENTOR, LORETTA HALL POSSESSES A RARE COMBINATION OF HUMILITY AND WIT THAT CONNECTS WITH THE HEART OF STUDENTS BY GENERATIONS STAFF
Q. Why did you go into teaching as a career? I wanted to be a teacher because I had a great math teacher in high school who poured into my life. I wanted to help others the way she helped me. I love it when a student says: “I never understood this (math) before and now I get it.” I really enjoy teaching the students who think they will never understand. I remember struggling with the concepts until the light went on.
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“Those are the times you get to see where their relationship is with the Lord and pour into their lives.” —Loretta Hall
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f you haven’t heard of Miss Hall, she is well known on the high school campus for her
powerful ability to teach math, her love of sports and coaching and, most importantly, for her passion to see students succeed. She is an amazing woman who loves the Lord, is tremendously humble, and is willing to do whatever it takes to make a difference at Woodcrest Christian. We caught up to Miss Hall recently and asked her to share some of her story.
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Q. Why math of all the subjects? I chose to teach math because I can’t spell. No, I chose geometry especially, because of my geometry teacher in high school. It was the first time I excelled in any subject. She encouraged me and challenged me to work hard. She spent time with her students and got to know us beyond the classroom. She was a big part of my life when I lost my own father in a fire. She checked on me and listened when I needed to talk. I learned years later that she was a Christian. It did not surprise me. Q. You worked at Woodcrest Christian for 13 years then went to public school for six years to work on your master’s degree. What did you find was the biggest difference between public and Christian schools? The biggest difference from public school to private is the opportunities to build relationships outside of the classroom. When I taught in the public school, it was more difficult to build those relationships because the students
seemed more distracted. When they left my classroom, I very seldom saw them again that day. At Woodcrest Christian, I get to see them at lunch, athletic events, clubs, mission trips, and many just drop by my room to hang out. Those are the times you get to see where their relationship is with the Lord and pour into their lives. Q. You have coached students for many years including basketball, volleyball, tennis, softball, and soccer and I know you love it. What drives that passion when you are coaching students? My first coaching job here was middle school boys’ soccer. I really want my players to see how much sports are like real life. I think playing a team sport really prepares you for the real world. There are successes and failures. You have to work with many different personalities. You practice and play even when you do not feel well. There are times you lead and times you follow. Sports reveals your character and God molds it. (Miss Hall is a much beloved coach on campus as her style of coaching is a well-balanced approach between soft-spoken and very loud “encouragement.” And the kids love every minute of it.) Q. One of the biggest and most courageous decisions you’ve ever made was seventeen years ago when you adopted a two-yearold little boy. How did that come about and what were the biggest challenges and victories as you started a family? My decision was really a selfish one. I wanted to be a mom. The Lord has put in me the desire to help others and protect. Even though I adopted Allen as a single mom, I had an amazing network of other adults in my life ready to come alongside of Allen and me to help. My biggest challenge raising Allen as a single mom was time! I always want to do everything and there were times I put work
before spending time with my son. I love teaching and coaching and wanted to do it all. Another challenge was discipline. Not having a father to bring down the hammer so to speak, I was too soft on him from time to time. He would say I wasn’t, but I think so. What makes me the proudest of my son is when I see him care for people. I say to him a lot: “Love God and love others”. I always had a dream my son one day would be a lifer at WCSS. When he graduated from Woodcrest Christian, that dream came true. Q. As a single parent, you have a unique perspective on raising a child. What has God shown you in that journey that you can share with others? I do not really feel I can give advice to any parent, but I will. I focused many times on Allen’s performance in the classroom. I forgot to look for everyday times to encourage and praise him. His love language is words of affirmation and touch. Remember to love your children the way they are created by God not the way you were. Take every opportunity to spend time together. They will be out on their own before you can blink an eye. My son is in college now and I do really enjoy watching him grow into adulthood but I also miss the cute little boy that would wake up and say: “Mama, I think I grew last night!” Miss Hall will be the first to tell you
that everything she has ever done well has come through the power of Christ working in her life. She takes no credit and realizes that she is a sinner saved by grace. That same grace has both allowed her and compelled her to challenge students to see how God has made them and to commit their lives to Him. All of the coaching and all of the teaching are means to that end. Yes, she wants students to succeed in every area of life and, having a not-so-easy childhood, she knows how hard it can be. Those hardships and Christ’s love have molded her into who she is and her desire to help others. Every school has teachers that have a reputation for connecting to students and becoming a significant voice in their lives. At Woodcrest Christian, we are blessed that truly every teacher makes those connections with students. Whether it takes place in the classroom, on an athletic team, participating in a missions trip, or being involved with a club, our teachers are committed to ministering to the whole child and helping them navigate life in the “right now” and in the future. Thirtyfour years ago, one such teacher walked on to the Royals campus and has been impacting student lives ever since. We are blessed beyond measure to have Miss Hall as part of the Woodcrest Christian faculty and praise God for her faithful obedience as she continues to mold young hearts and minds for Christ.
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ATTENDING UCLA
FROM THE HEART OF ROYALS
TAKEAW
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2020 GRADUATES ELLA WHITEHOUSE AND HARVEY WANG ON THE BLESSINGS OF RECEIVING A CHRIST-CENTERED EDUCATION
“If there is one thing the Class of 2020 has learned, it is not to take anything for granted.”
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would unquestioningly be an entirely different person without the mental and spiritual sharpening and training that Woodcrest Christian instilled in me. The single, most valuable skill that Woodcrest Christian has helped me develop is the ability to think critically about life and Christianity. When I first signed up for AP classes, I soon realized that the teachers at Woodcrest Christian had much more in mind than just passing the AP test. AP Language and Literature both taught me that even strong arguments need to be carefully analyzed and debunked. In my freshman and sophomore years, my Bible classes laid the
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—Ella Whitehouse
foundation for the insights I would gain in later years. My junior year, I learned to very closely analyze and interpret the Bible for myself, as I will not always have wonderful Bible teachers to ask! In addition to this broadening and expanding of my perspective and understanding, there was one class in particular, Biblical Faith in the Modern World, I know I will carry with me for the rest of my life. In this class, I learned to critically engage with culture to better shine a light for Christ. With one word, this class revolutionized how I approach all other subjects and areas of life: “Why?” This simple question showed me that it is not enough to know something, you must carefully examine it because ideas have consequences. You must be able to articulate “why” you believe something to be true. Why do Christians speak out against certain issues? Why has society become increasingly hostile to Christianity? Why are some people completely
unwilling to acknowledge the existence of a God? One by one, my Biblical Faith class tackled humanity’s toughest questions head on and emerged victorious. Although the AP tests have come and gone, these classes trained me to view all events— past or present—in perspective, and have enabled me to better analyze current events and the state of our nation and our world today. As I now embark on a new journey at one of the nation’s most secular universities, I know that I will not falter in my faith. Equipped with the fundamentals of Christianity from my Bible IV class, armed with my apologetical skills from Biblical Faith, and well trained in the area of critical thought, I know that not only will I continue to grow in Christ, but that I will be able to lead others to Him as well. Ella Whitehouse was named a 2020 National Merit Scholar.
AWAYS ADAPTED FROM COMMENCEMENT 2020
ATTENDING UCR
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n the date of September 7, 2016, a young fourteen-year-old atheist boy walked through the school gate. He had no friends, he could not speak any English, and he did not know God. But life is full of surprises, and the young boy did not know his life would be changed forever in the next four years. I was that boy and I still remember that first day of my freshman year at Woodcrest Christian. I was so scared and worried. Walking into my first period, Algebra II, I was feeling distant. I didn’t know what was going on, I was confused. As time went on, I started to learn more and more about the English language and this God that everyone was talking about. I remember sitting alone at lunch because I had not yet made any friends, and a teacher approached me. He was trying to chat with me, but I had no idea what he was trying to say. I remember that he said he was a Bible teacher, and his name was Mr. Adler. Over the next few years, Mr. Adler had a lot of influence on me, and he eventually led me to my decision to believe in God.
God also brought me many friends whom I am so thankful for. I did not understand what friendship meant, whether in a sense of hanging out or taking care of each other, but the friends I made showed me who God is, and for the first time in my life, I saw blessings. Junior year was a special year for me. For the first time, I focused on my relationship with God. For the first time I prayed and worshipped with all I had. I also made the basketball team and was motivated by Coach Hall. While she, at times, had to discipline me, I am thankful for her firm and serious approach,
but also her forgiving and gracious spirit. It was she who motivated me to chase God with all I have. March 13, 2020, I walked the hallways not realizing it would be the last time. The year of 2020 ended unexpectedly, but it reveals God’s plan for us. He wants us to be strong, to be using what we learned to change the world around us. Four years later, the young boy walked out of the school gate for the last time. He is a Christian now. He can speak fluent English. He has friends, and he has finally found God.
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MR. BOB IS ON THE JOB EXEMPLIFYING A SERVANT’S HEART, “MR. BOB” DEGRAAF CELEBRATES 40 YEARS AT WCDS AND HE’S STILL GOING STRONG BY MANDY FAULKNER, WCDS TEACHER
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orty years ago leg warmers and crimped hair was in style. Jimmy Carter was the President of the United States, and the US Olympic team won the gold medal in hockey, beating the Soviet Union and Finland. And forty years ago a man was hired that would forever impact Woodcrest Christian Day School: Mr. Bob. If you have seen him around campus you know Mr. Bob rarely sits still—always moving, always helping, always fixing the latest crisis. During his lunch he can rarely sit and finish what is on his plate without a phone call or a page on his walkie talkie. “Mr. Bob, there’s a delivery.” “Mr. Bob, the restrooms are out of paper towels.” “Mr. Bob, there’s a spill in the cafeteria.” “Mr. Bob, the air conditioning isn’t working.” “Mr. Bob, there’s a lizard running loose in room…” He always stops and helps, even if it means giving up his time. Mr. Bob is a tireless worker with a servant’s attitude—a clear example as working unto the Lord. In 1980, after resigning from a job, Mr. Bob relied on the promise of his
ANNIVERSARY favorite verses, Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” The new path that the Lord opened up for him was through Mr. Messenger, a family friend, who was head of maintenance at WCDS and told him of an opening, and that is where Mr. Bob has been rooted these last four decades. Because Mr. Bob spends much of his time behind the scenes, not many people know the many talents he has. Did you know that music is one of Mr. Bob’s talents and hobbies? In high school, he played guitar and saxophone. He also played the part of Freddy Eynsford-Hill in the musical My Fair Lady. He performed in all sorts of singing groups: Chamber Singers and the patriotic Sing Out Redlands, both touring groups. He also played in Christian country rock and blue grass bands that toured Southern California. A former WCDS student, now in her forties, recalls how Mr. Bob visited her class with his guitar and led the students in singing Ga Goo Went the Little Green Frog. “I still remember that song to this day, and what a delight it was and how we all laughed when Mr. Bob bugged out his eyes like a frog at the end of the song,” she says. Today, Mr. Bob still has a song in his heart and a melody on his lips. He participates in the worship team at his church. He also helps out with sound during WCDS’s grade level programs and worship chapels— which is a one of his favorite jobrelated tasks. When asked what other things he likes about his job, Mr. Bob mentioned the lunch perks citing the delicious cafeteria chocolate chip cookies. He likes his cookies
Classroom has a little leak, door knob has too much squeak. Mop it up, sop it up, Someone had to throw it up.
Mr. Bob is on the job. Broken pipe, make it tight, fix it up just right. Have a problem, need a hand?
Mr. Bob is your man. Creepy spider on the floor? Mr. Bob is at the door. Mr. Bob can do it all. Oh no! We’ve lost another basketball! Set up, tear down, for the program run the sound. He’s a tech, he’s a plumber. The day he retires will be a bummer. A servant’s heart going strong, helping others all day long. What an example you have shown, after all these years we hope you know...
Mr. Bob...you’re our hero!
extra crispy, which the cafeteria staff leaves a batch in extra long just for him. Mr. Bob estimates he has eaten over 15,000 of their special treats throughout the years! In the last four decades, Mr. Bob has met and ministered to many students and their families. Styles like leg warmers and crimped hair have fizzled out. In the past forty years, seven U.S. Presidents have taken office, and the United States hasn’t won an Olympic gold medal in hockey since. Many things have changed, but Mr. Bob has not. He remains a steady, reliable, and kind worker. People that know him look up to him as a man with a servant’s heart—always willing to help wherever needed. Years ago, for Super Hero Dress-Up Day, a child dressed up as Mr. Bob with his signature khaki pants, outdoor work hat, and white beard because even a child knows that Mr. Bob helps to keep the school safe, bright, and running smoothly. Our Mr. Bob may be behind the scenes, but the Lord sees and will reward this special man of God. We appreciate you, Mr. Bob. Thanks for all your hard work! Here’s to forty more years! SPRING 2021 • 15
COACH RICARDS RETIREMENT
Passing the Baton FOUR DECADES OF COACHING, TEACHING, AND MENTORING LEAVES A LEGACY OF VICTORIES AND A TOUGH ACT TO FOLLOW BY DAVE BURDETT, WCHS BIBLE TEACHER
As Charlie Ricards retires after 40 years at Woodcrest Christian, his records and achievements are public knowledge, but behind these external details stands a man of amazing character. Despite his success as a coach, his goal was never to amass wins, championships, and records, but to help shape the lives of student athletes. That investment has returned a hundred-fold as dozens of former athletes credit Coach Ricards for shaping them into the men and women they are today, including one alum who will continue the tradition of excellence on the frontier of athletics.
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Charlie Ricards coached a total of 80 athletic teams over his 40-year career at Woodcrest Christian, including the 1984 girls volleyball team, pictured here.
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ne of the strengths of Woodcrest Christian School has been the ability to attract and retain teachers who stay for extended periods. One of the best examples of that sort of teacher is Charlie Ricards, who devoted forty years of faithful service to our campus. But we recognize that all good things must come to an end, and when he announced last January that the 2019-20 academic year would be his last, those who heard it still felt a sense of loss. After all he had contributed to the school over those four decades, we had to realize that would bring a major transition, and that transition has come in the person of Ryan Anderson who was appointed as new Athletic Director during this past summer. Even though Charlie joined the staff here in 1980, he didn’t come as a rookie either in the classroom or the court, for he had taught and coached both in Hood River, Oregon, and locally in Riverside. After a year teaching eighth grade math, he was recruited to take over the Varsity Girls Volleyball program which he led for three seasons. Three years later, he added the Varsity Boys Basketball team to his responsibilities, and stood at the helm there for seventeen seasons, during which he amassed a 278-147 record, won the league title five times, made the playoffs every year, and won through to the quarterfinals three times, and the semis once. Then in 1987, he helped get a Varsity Boys Volleyball program going, and he stayed with it for an amazing twenty-seven years. His accomplishments during those years were almost unbelievable: a record of 41728, twenty-three league titles, and a win streak of 105 straight matches to climax his career as our volleyball coach! But even all this is not the entire picture of Charlie’s coaching career. He coached Varsity Boys Tennis for nine years and Varsity Boys Golf from 1985-90 and then again 2002-2020. In that latter role, his golf teams captured three league titles and eight league sportsmanship awards.
HIGHLIGHTS OF A RECORD TO BE PROUD OF BASKETBALL 17 SEASONS 278-147 RECORD 5 LEAGUE TITLES
VOLLEYBALL 27 YEARS COACHING 23 LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS 105 MATCH WINNING STREAK
MULTIPLE “COACH OF THE YEAR” AWARDS IN BASKETBALL VOLLEYBALL GOLF
13 SPORTSMANSHIP AWARDS OVER AN 18-YEAR PERIOD
But Coach Ricards’ contribution to WCS athletics didn’t end with his coaching because he served as Athletic Director from 1984 until his retirement in 2020. As AD, and later Vice Principal of Athletics, Charlie’s meticulous attention to details made our athletic program run as smooth as a lake at dawn. But it was his devotion to character building that really marked him as special: his focus on integrity and sportsmanship in leading the athletic program brought thirteen League Sportsmanship Awards in the course of an eighteen-year period. In a very real sense, Coach Ricards has been Woodcrest Christian athletics. Even more, he provided athletic leadership not only on our campus, but across the Inland Empire and Southern California sports scene. 18
TAKING OVER THE REINS The fall of 1989 marked the arrival of a new seventh grader at Woodcrest Christian who came from Temple Baptist in Perris. When Ryan Anderson got to WCHS, he participated in sports every season, winning nine varsity letters in the process. Those letters came in tennis, volleyball, basketball, and baseball. Other than playing for Coach Prater in baseball, his coach for all the other sports was Coach Ricards. In Coach Ricards, Ryan found “a spiritual leader and father figure any young man would want.” The genuine care that reached beyond the athlete to the person really stood out to him. He learned that there was more to being an athlete than a win-loss record; the relationships developed in the process and the emphasis on character were lessons he learned well. So, after graduating in 1995, he was soon back on campus as a coach while he completed his college degree. Then shortly after he earned that degree, he joined the staff as a teacher in 2002. His classroom was the athletic court or field, but coaching remained a key focus. Since that time, he has coached Middle School Basketball, JV Boys Basketball and Baseball, JV Girls Volleyball, Varsity Softball, and Flag Football. The lessons about integrity and character that he learned from his mentor have taken root in him. Wanting to prepare himself for greater responsibility, Coach Anderson earned a Master’s in Athletic Administration several years ago, so when Coach Ricards announced his departure, Ryan felt confident in throwing his hat in the ring. That confidence was rewarded when he became only the fourth Athletic Director in the school’s seventy-two year history. But what a time to assume the reins: the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown high school sports into total chaos. Coach Anderson is eager to get the student athletes back on campus and working with their coaches, but the problem of finding coaches has been complicated by the bizarre schedule. He’s not even sure we can field all the sports we have offered in recent years. Undoubtedly, a challenging year faces our new Athletic Director, but he is looking beyond and dreaming big. And although victories have been fewer recently and AD Anderson is seeking to raise the level of success across the board, he made the following commitment: “We will never jeopardize our reputation of having high character and playing with integrity.” CIF’s motto may be “Victory with
honor,” but at Woodcrest Christian we answer to a higher authority, and the building of godly athletes remains “Job One.” So, while new hands guide the helm of our athletic program, it looks like Woodcrest Christian will retain its focus on the character of our athletes. The baton has been passed successfully, and our thanks go to Charlie Ricards and our congratulations to Ryan Anderson!
MEET THE NEW ATHLETIC DIRECTOR:
COACH RYAN ANDERSON Hometown: I was born in Riverside, but grew up on a 10-acre ranch in Menifee.
Pandemic hobby: I converted my daughters’ old playhouse into a chicken coop.
Sport he just can’t live without: Baseball, because it’s one of the most difficult sports to master and challenges the body both physically and most of all mentally.
Advice to aspiring athletes:
God has given you a unique gift, so don’t allow the fear of failure to keep you from competing. Accept the challenge, and give it your all.
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ALUMNI INSIGHTS
Business in Mind ALUMNI LIFE’S WORK AND THE INFLUENCES THAT CULTIVATED THEIR ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRITS BY GENERATIONS STAFF
Katie Kanning ‘15 Superpet Services One of Katie Kanning’s earliest experiences in business came in 6th grade when she began selling chocolate door to door as a fundraiser for the annual Woodcrest Christian Day School 6th grade trip to Sacramento/San Francisco. She raised not only enough money for her own ticket, but also for her mother’s, with $100 left over. After the trip, it was through the encouragement from her mom that Katie made a list of services that she could offer in her neighborhood. She again went door to door offering to recycle, feed pets, or water plants. “It seemed people mostly wanted pet sitting,” Katie recalls, which would soon evolve into more than a neighborhood chore. Throughout high school, she continued to pet sit, often staying overnight in client homes and checking daily on pets. When Katie graduated Woodcrest Christian in 2015 and started CBU later that fall, she started 20 • WCSS.ORG
advertising her services online, and her business started gaining traction. While her undergrad degree was in Criminal Justice, the flourishing of her business and the continued encouragement from her mother led her to immediately pursue an MBA. During this time, the business took off and Katie could no longer enjoy the benefits of doing the business alone. The bookings were starting to overlap which brought Katie into the world of owning a pet sitting business. “I quickly realized I was going to start having to do interviews and hire people,” Katie shares. Through prayer and wise counsel, she took the necessary steps to grow her business. Katie’s passion for her business stems from her love of serving people and offering the assurance of safety for their home and pets. During her time at Woodcrest Christian, she served by participating on multiple mission trips to Belize and Chile. She muses that these
trips gave her tangible examples and experiences of service. She also credits her Spanish and math teachers for teaching her how to work as a Christian in a professional setting while integrating her faith. Keeping the standards high with employees and the services she offers, Katie continues to act on her heart of service taking care of some of the most precious aspects of people’s lives…their pets.
KATIE’S INSIGHTS Find something you love to do which will help you get through the more mundane tasks of the job Ask questions of those older and wiser than you because their insights can be invaluable The more you can learn on your own time, the better you can serve others
Sean Matthews ‘10 Tutor Time What is one principle that math has in common with being an entrepreneur? According to Woodcrest Christian alumnus and Aerospace mathematician Sean Matthews, both demand knowing how to solve problems. In 2008, Sean’s sophomore year, he had a problem. He needed money to attend a New York Leadership Conference. He set off for a solution by selling Yankee candles and tutoring students in the local area. After raising the money for the conference, he found that he could continue tutoring and make a small business out of it. So, while balancing classes and playing both varsity volleyball and baseball, Sean found time to tutor in his after-school hours. After graduating Woodcrest Christian, Sean attended Cal Poly Pomona to pursue a degree in Aerospace Engineering. While taking 20-23 units most semesters, he also managed to grow his tutoring side hustle into a business. He went from helping a few fellow students in high school to having 14 clients. As time began to be more limited partway through college, Sean reached out to trusted colleagues in his Campus Crusade for Christ community and “Tutoring Time” officially hired five tutors. Sean solved not only his clients’ problems (he would search Craigslist for people hiring tutors), but also solved his peers’ problems of needing decent paying jobs. After college, Sean applied his degree and began working full
SEAN’S INSIGHTS You don’t want something you love to not be part of your life; surround yourself with it, and find your niche in that subject Have a good work ethic; you can always sleep after Build relationships and invest in the communities you find yourself in
time with the Department of Defense as a developer for the Navy in San Diego. During this time, his pursuit and management of a tutoring business took a momentary pause, but his entrepreneurial efforts did not. In addition to the full time job with the Department of Defense, Sean found a few special clients through his continued headhunting on Craigslist. He used his engineering and software skills to help a client run statistical analytics for casino gaming machines. He also found himself
with a large piece of equity in a new mobile application which could “redefine the vacation industry,” he says. This vacation app has begun to take much of Sean’s time, and has even garnered buyout conversations with Facebook executives. Amidst this success, Sean married, completed a master’s degree, and has circled back to tutoring. During the pandemic, he began tutoring again to help students prepare for entrance exams and SAT/ACT tests. In everything that Sean has done, he tutors for a few purposeful reasons. First, he loves math. He credits teachers Miss Hall, Mrs. Armstrong, and Mr. Ludwig for making math become fun for him. He says, “When math was fun, math became easy, and when the math was easy, math became something I liked.” Also, Sean has viewed tutoring as more than a way to make money but as community and a way to build relationships. For example, in college he tutored the same students for four years and still occasionally checks in on how SPRING 2021 • 21
life is going for them. He was also able to tutor a variety of students of different faiths, including Muslim and atheist, allowing him to be an example of Christ-centered thinking. Recalling the deep friendships he also formed in high school, many of which remain close to this day, Sean says Woodcrest Christian instilled a foundation in him to know and invest in the communities he finds himself in, wherever that may be.
Matt Irving ‘92 SystemGo IT Matt Irving has known he wanted to run his own business since he was young—from his lawn service at age 14 to running his own pizza place, starting a carpet cleaning company, and then partnering in a roofing company by age 25. Irving also did a stint as a semipro snowboarder before getting his bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems, and then an MBA with a concentration in entrepreneurship from Louisiana State University. In 2013, Matt, and friend Chris Cook, founded SystemGo IT, a technology service provider providing IT support and business solutions for small to mid-size companies. In 2017, his company won Entrepreneur of the Year in Riverside and Small Business of the Year in 2020, and has now reached 30 employees with offices in Riverside and San Diego. Irving describes himself as a notso-great student transferring to 22 • WCSS.ORG
Woodcrest Christian for his junior and senior years. Although he grew up in the church, Irving says it was a slow slide into the pull of the world from junior high on, and it was Woodcrest Christian, with its small community and Christian environment, that helped ground him and transition him back to who God wanted him to be. “I didn’t appreciate it until after I graduated,” he says, “but the older I got the more I realized what a great place it was to be around people who loved the Lord. The teachers showed so much love for students that I had never seen in public school. I really look back and appreciate Mr. Burdett, and was thrilled to have him as Bible teacher for my kids.” Both of Irving’s children currently attend Woodcrest Christian, which he says, “It’s more than just the quality of education for them, it’s about the environment.” Looking back, an important lesson Irving learned and often shares with young people is to keep moving in a direction. “For the longest time I regretted that I didn’t go to college sooner, but everything you do shapes who you are. So do something,” he says. When it comes to entrepreneurship, Irving
encourages business-minded students to get a viable product and “just get it out there,” he says. “If you’ve got an idea, try it. It doesn’t have to be perfect. An entrepreneurial motto is Fail Forward Fast.” As for SystemGo IT, Irving has big plans for continuous growth in key markets and expansion with more satellite offices, including one opening in Northern California next year. All success he attributes to the Lord. “We started out to provide great service at a fair price. And we’ve intentionally built a culture within our business to serve others and serve God. Our faith dictates how we do business, and that’s what really matters.”
MATT’S INSIGHTS Focus on building your skill set early in your career more than just getting a job or seeking the best paying job right away Learn to offload things that aren’t important for you to do, and focus on doing the things only you can do If you’re serving others and serving God, you can’t go wrong
JOIN IN PRAYING FOR ALL OF OUR ALUMNI ESSENTIAL WORKERS INCLUDING THOSE PICTURED HERE: CAMBRIA SHARMAN ‘98, 2. CINNAMON (DE LEON) ORANTES ‘99, 3. MARK EDWARDS ‘81, 4. JAMES HEITING ‘90, 5. LINDSAY TOPP ‘01, 6. BRENT FAST ‘91 7. WES MORRISON ‘98, 8. ASHLEY (TUCKER) BRANSON ‘05, 9. JESSICA MCFERREN ‘04, 10. COURTNEY BELL ‘12, 11. JUSTIN HERNANDEZ ‘06, 12. KAYLEE METSCHKE ‘09, 13. HEIDI DOTY ‘08, 14. CURTIS DOTY ‘08, 15. JORDAN VON RACJS ‘05
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KEEPING OUR ALUMNI ESSENTIAL WORKERS IN PRAYER AS THEY CONTINUOUSLY CARE FOR OUR COMMUNITIES
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PARENT PERSPECTIVE
A WILLING HEART
AN INTERVIEW WITH ALBERT SANDOVAL
CURRENT PARENT OF A WOODCREST CHRISTIAN STUDENT
BY GENERATIONS STAFF
A PRAYER FOR WOODCREST CHRISTIAN >> WRITTEN BY ALBERT SANDOVAL
Heavenly Father, we come before you thanking you for your love and mercy for our school. We pray for your protection over it and our children. Keep them safe and from evil, protecting their hearts and minds. We pray that they will grow in their knowledge of their Savior, Jesus Christ. We ask for your wisdom for the administration, teachers, and staff. Glorify yourself through them. Thank you for the parents and the sacrifices they have made to keep their children in a Christ-centered school. Bless them financially, Lord. In Christ’s name we pray, amen. Albert Sandoval has an eighth grade son who has attended Woodcrest Christian since Kindergarten. Mr. Sandoval has been a devoted prayer warrior actively involved with Parents in Prayer and leading the group this year to pray for our school’s needs and protection.
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lbert Sandoval is an unassuming, humble man—the kind you can’t help but chat with in the grocery store line. In fact, Mr. Sandoval recently retired after 45 years as a cashier and manager at Stater Bros. Markets where he befriended customers, including many parents and teachers at Woodcrest Christian. “In my checkout line, I got to know a lot of the parents that sent their kids here and some of the teachers, so I had my eye on Woodcrest Christian when we were deciding where to send my son, Tyler, to elementary school,” says Sandoval. “I remember, I took a tour of WCDS and walked into a classroom with close to 30 students in it, and it was so very orderly. The students were sitting at their desks so attentive. I was impressed right away. There was also a choral rehearsal going on for the 6th graders, and I remember hearing them worship the Lord, and my heart melted. I thought, ‘This is where I want our son to be’. I could see the love the teachers had, and that’s what I was hearing from parents in my checkstand, is that this school loves the kids.” When asked what he loves most about his son’s experience so far at Woodcrest Christian, Sandoval says first it’s the teachers and then the parents who have the same heart protecting their kids’ spiritual lives. “I see how the school puts Christ first. They instill that love relationship with the Lord which is essential, and they integrate it through academics. They pray for the kids, they want them to succeed. They’re preparing them for college, but I know their heart
and their goal is to make sure that the students’ relationships with the Lord comes first.” Sandoval says that as a Christian parent, the number one thing is his son’s spiritual life. “Life goes by and they grow up fast, so my hope for him is that his walk with the Lord stays strong, he serves at church, and that he would be a good influence with his friends and make long-lasting relationships. I just look at him and think, ‘You’re a great kid. God gave us a great kid.’” During Tyler’s 7th grade year, Sandoval joined the on-campus prayer group, Parents in Prayer. “Last year we were inundated with tragedies,” recalls Sandoval. “We were a team of eight parents who just constantly prayed for the needs presented to us from the school. I felt at that time that God planted us all there. We were all kind of new to it, but we were committed to interceding for this school every day. We really wanted to see God’s spirit move amongst the school and really do a mighty work in the lives of all these families and children. I love praying before the throne and asking God to really know His heart first and pray His will first. Yeah, sometimes we walk out of there weeping. We know God hears us and God honors those who humbly come before the throne and petition because He’s a strong God. He’s a good, good Father. And He does great and mighty things if we ask it.” “So that’s our heart in Parents in Prayer when we come together,” he says. “We go to the Father and we know where our help comes from. We’re not all perfect in praying, but God didn’t ask for perfection. He asked just for willing hearts.”
ABOUT PARENTS IN PRAYER PARENTS IN PRAYER GROUP IS OPEN TO ALL PARENTS AND IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO FELLOWSHIP AND PRAY FOR OUR SCHOOL. EVERY THURSDAY MORNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR AT 8:30 A.M. PLAN TO JOIN US AND REFLECT ON GOD’S WORD, WORSHIP HIM, AND SEEK HIS CONTINUED BLESSING ON OUR SCHOOL. WCSS.ORG/PARENTS-IN-PRAYER
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RETIREMENT
CELEBRATING MRS. BETH POUNDERS
36 YEARS OF FAITHFUL SERVICE AT WOODCREST CHRISTIAN
MISS HER ALREADY FOR MRS. POUNDERS, WOODCREST CHRISTIAN WILL ALWAYS BE HOME AND WILL ALWAYS BE IN HER PRAYERS BY GENERATIONS STAFF
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his June, Mrs. Beth Pounders will retire from Woodcrest Christian after a 36-year career that saw her teach classes in History, Bible, Art, and even “I’ll miss the kids. I’ll Typing and Biology. Graduating from the University of California miss the classroom. I’ll Riverside, Mrs. Pounders immediately joined the Royals faculty and began having a big miss the connection impact on students. She has been a tremendous prayer warrior and with them. I’ll miss strong supporter of every part of the school.
the staff. I’ll miss
During her time at the Woodcrest campus, Mrs. Pounders has been a constant presence to students in many ways. She served as advisor for the Yearbook, Student Council, Key Club, Mock Trial, and several other student clubs. That desire to connect to and support students has always been at the heart of her teaching ministry.
Woodcrest Christian. Thirty-six years is a long time. Woodcrest Christian is part of me.
It’s part of who I am.” “I love my students and want only God’s best for each of them, but —Beth Pounders there are certain ones that you just click with. On a deep level, there is a bond. I’ve had these students curled up in balls behind my desk because things at home were so difficult and they just needed a safe place. I’ve hugged them through tears. I’ve walked with them through struggles. I’ve counseled them and given them Biblical direction. We laughed together, cried together, and did life.”
“WCS has been that big brother or sister who is always there for you,” she says. “My kids grew up here. Staff members are precious parts of my daughters’ lives. I’m going to miss my family here, a lot.” Another thing that stands out to Mrs. Pounders is community. “Woodcrest Christian is a very tight-knit family. I have watched how we’ve come together through some of the most difficult circumstances. How we’ve held each other and prayed together in some pretty awful times. That power of the bond of Christ drawing us together to support each other is phenomenal. We rejoice with each other. I’ve loved how we celebrate with each other,” she says. Thank you, Mrs. Pounders, for an amazing career and ministry teaching our students and pouring into their lives the love of Christ. Your commitment to following hard after Jesus and walking alongside your students has been a blessing for many. We pray that God richly blesses you in this next phase of life.
Through all of her years at Woodcrest Christian, Mrs. Pounders has shared that certain events and times really stand out that will make her time here so memorable. One was when her Mock Trial team made it to the state championships after defeating Riverside Poly High School and becoming the Riverside County champions. Another was the day-to-day interactions with staff and students.
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CULTURAL INSIGHTS
VICE PRINCIPAL BRANDON IMBRIALE OFFERS INSIGHTS FOR PARENTS TO HELP TACKLE CULTURE’S INCREASING GRIP ON OUR YOUTH BY BRANDON IMBRIALE, WOODCREST CHRISTIAN VICE PRINCIPAL
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n 2016, Oxford Dictionaries declared “post-truth” as the word of the year. They defined the word as: “relating to or denoting the circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than emotional appeals.” There was a massive spike in the usage of the term in mid to late 2016 around the Brexit referendum and the 2016 presidential election. Political candidates have effectively used emotional appeal to sway people towards feeling about issues instead of thinking about issues. This is not only happening in the realm of politics but it is also happening in cultural and social issues. There are at least a few different ways these appeals to emotion can work. Information can be manipulated to engender a certain feeling, but information can also be suppressed or overlooked to protect the same feeling. A prime example of this was a peer review study done by assistant professor Lisa Littman from Brown University on rapid-onset gender dysphoria. In the study, she concluded that much of what we are seeing in the high numbers of teens identifying as transgender is a result of peer influence as well as social media immersion. The study was published in the respected science journal PLOS One and was promoted by Brown’s own communications department. The study was taken down five days after publication due to pressure from activists and was only republished after revisions were made to say that rapid-onset gender dysphoria was only the perception of the parents reporting in the study. Activists claimed that the study could invalidate the feelings of other transgender people. You may be tempted to run and throw your teenager’s phone away to keep them off of social media if it can influence them to change something as significant as their gender, but there is something larger at work. Social media is not the great enemy against the biblical worldview. As is evident in our post-truth era, feelings and emotions are more preferred mechanisms for determining truth than reason and critical thinking. Through this process, they can create their own privatized reality that is not bound by any objective standard.
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How Did We Get Here This is all symptomatic of something greater that has been going on in our society for decades. Postmodernism has established itself as the cultural milieu and has been on its course of deconstruction in America since the end of WWII. Postmodernism is the idea that there is no such thing as a metanarrative or objective truth. There are only small individual stories that shape who we are and there is only lower case “t” truth. All of reality is called into question under postmodernism. In regard to what truth is, you can almost think of it like an umpire in baseball calling balls and strikes. In the pre-modern world, the umpire would say, “I call them as they are.” In the modern world, the umpire would say, “I call them as I see them.” In the postmodern world, the umpire would say, “They are what I call them.” Of course, we all know which umpire we would want in charge of our game. However, this shift is understandable considering what modernism promised us after the enlightenment. Science was supposed to cure all our problems and we no longer needed God to tell us what the good life was or how to achieve it. This was the response to the millennia of horrible atrocities that were done in the name of religion. Many would cite the crusades or the dark ages as evidence of a worldview that needed to be rooted out. But what we saw in the first half of the 20th century was anything but what was promised by modernism and science. The response to this was postmodernism which became suspicious of any truth claim even if it could be verified by science. Postmodernism has permeated all aspects of life even beyond science, psychology, social sciences, and art. In postmodernism, these disciplines virtually disappear. This happens because the idea “this is how it ought to be” becomes nonexistent. We see this playing out before our eyes every day, and sometimes in the silliest fashion. Just a few months ago, the fight over the answer to the equation 2+2 was trending on Twitter. Those of us in education could have easily predicted this as we are starting to see the fruit of Common Core math principles.
There are a few things we as educators and parents need to do to prepare our students for the post-truth era: 1.
We must be certain of what we claim to be true and our reasons for knowing it to be so.
2. We need to challenge the line of reasoning in our young people. Ask them often “why?” and “how do you know?” 3. We must tell and show them that contending for the faith is infinitely worth any shame, ridicule, or abuse that could come.
Where We Are Going The reality is that post-truth has not been relegated solely to the realm of politics or social issues. Even as Christians, we have welcomed these concepts into the church. Our services have had liturgy replaced by emotionally charged experiences. We gauge the quality of worship or sermons based on how it makes us feel. And we have taught our youth to look at it the same way. I’ve had many talks with students who “feel” disconnected from God. They use their emotions as a gauge for their spirituality instead of the truth of the Gospel and its effects in their lives. However, this isn’t the only battle they will face as Christians.
Culture’s grip on our youth continues to tighten as emotions trump critical thinking and postmodernism ideas take root.
Our youth will be the most persecuted generation in American history. It will be this way not just because of the offensive nature of the Gospel, but also because of the offense caused by claiming any truth as objective. Their ability to stand firm in what lies ahead is correlated to how well we—as parents and educators—prepare them. Of course, this involves a level of engagement in their lives that could seem more intrusive than our teenagers would prefer. I can promise you that if we are not playing the critical roles in challenging the thinking of our young people then that gap will be filled by other things that feel and sound right, and they will have the reinforcement of social media and the rest of the culture to tell them that they can be and do whatever they want even if it flies in the face of reality. There are great biblical lessons to be learned of what can happen when parents and educators do not do the job of training up the next generation well. The command to teach the Law to the children was given at least three different times in Deuteronomy prior to the Israelites taking the Promised Land. By the book of Judges, we can see the consequences of what happened when that command was not obeyed. It was underscored by the last verse of the book, “In those days, there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” It’s almost as if
postmodernism had been tried before and failed. My challenge to us as educators, and especially parents, is to make sure we are playing the primary role in shaping our young people to critically think more than they critically feel. I can tell you which one they would rather do more as they navigate trying to decide who they are, and all the systems are in place at their fingertips to cater to that method of figuring it out. SPRING 2021 • 31
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WOODCREST CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
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