Western Witness - Spring 2018

WESTERN CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL

In this issue:

Principal’s Perspective

Grandparents Day

Save the Date and Join Us!

Safeschools at Western

Memorial Gifts

Counselor’s Corner

Order Your Yearbook!

Consider a Graduation Gift for our Seniors

Thrift Store Update

Just My Thoughts

Prayer and Praise

Fast Facts from the Pack

Ag Department Updates

After Banquet Party

NW Iowa Honor Choir

Freshmen Physical Science Sleuths!

Boys Basketball Girls Basketball

Western Speech Program Shines! Wrestling

J.E.T.S. 2018 “Engineering a Greener World”

Principal’s Perspective

There are so many good nuggets in Romans 12. I’m not a preacher of the Word, but I must believe that there is a year’s worth of sermons in this chapter alone. So perhaps it’s fitting, then, that I flipped (digitally) to Romans 12 for this month’s Principal’s Perspective, as I find my own inspiration for this article a bit dry this morning. Perhaps the verse that jumps out most to me this morning as I write is Romans 12:16, which states: “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.”

One of the challenges of operating a private Christian school is funding. The lack of tax-supported funding makes it necessary for us to operate our school largely on tuition and church support. Western Christian has taken, and continues to take many steps to lessen our dependence on tuition income for operating our school. The Western Christian Foundation, NICSTO, Fun’d Night and the Spring Drive are examples of how Western attempts to raise other sources of income in order to make attending Western Christian affordable. The soon-to-be operational thrift store is another example of our attempt to create a new funding stream for Western. Nevertheless, tuition and church support continue to be the largest sources of income for our school.

All private schools, PreK-12 and colleges alike, face the temptation of what I call the “Harvard Syndrome.” By that, I mean the temptation to become the very best, most prestigious and most successful in the world’s eyes. There are many reasons for this temptation. First is the necessity to keep our classrooms full of students. School leaders feel pressure to improve programs and provide more reasons why parents should send their children to our school. In order to improve and expand programs, outlays of cash are necessary to initiate and maintain these programs. In my tenure at Western, since 1991, I have given to three building projects in an effort to improve facilities. I have also observed several new programs that have been initiated. All of these programs and projects have improved our school, but they have all cost money to initiate and maintain at a high level. Parents want the best programs for their children. We also want the best programs. But what does this force our school to become in this process?

For 100 years Western Christian has been a school that has served children at the high school level who were sons and daughters of Dutch immigrants, and, as time has marched on, their children and their children.These people were hardworking and committed. Many of them were farmers and persons who supported farming in our highly agricultural area. And I’d say, for the most part, we continue to be hard-working and committed to Christian education. We’re a bit more diverse, but still mostly the same people, albeit, less of us now than in the 1960s through the early 2000s.

By now you’re probably saying, “Ok Barkel, where are you going with this?” Here’s where I’m going: In order to continue to attract students, we continually feel pressure to offer more and better programs. In order to do this, it costs more and more money. Since it costs more money to do this, we need to increase tuition to afford these programs and we need to find more outside sources of funding to be able to offer these programs. Here’s my concern: In order to keep going down this road, are we driving away families of moderate income, who, even with NICSTO and other types of financial aid support, cannot afford Christian education? With our continuing pressure to improve our programs, are we continually driving the demographic of Western upscale? Is there a tendency to treat people of means differently because they are more of a “target customer” who can either afford Western more easily, or have means to give to our school? And finally, are parents willing to accept programs that are less prestigious, perhaps even less “excellent,” but more affordable, simply because they are taught or coached from a Christian perspective at our school?

Don’t get me wrong, Western has done a pretty good job of keeping tuition affordable, and our generous donors have helped many families make it work for many years. Christian education always has, and always will be a sacrifice for families. There’s no way around that. But, can we do a better job of keeping it affordable, so we can continue to serve all students, and not merely those of means? If we are living true to Romans 12:16, I believe we must find ways to fund our school that will keep a Western Christian education affordable for all. We may even need to consider changing our tuition structure. Otherwise, we may become an elite school where only the wealthy can attend. And that, I believe, could be contrary to our mission, and certainly contrary to Romans 12:16. There is a constant temptation to be chasing the “almighty dollar” when operating a private Christian school that we must overcome.

I pray that God will help us find a way to achieve this. I ask, in all humility, that you continue to pray for our board, staff, students and families and financially support Western Christian, as we seek to be the kind of school that God wants us to be.

In His Service, Dan Barkel Principal, Western Christian High School

Grandparents Day

Senior students at Western Christian High School will be hosting their grandparents on Tuesday, April 10, at 9AM. Grandparents of the seniors of Western Christian will attend chapel, take tours and have a noon meal with their grandchildren.

Grandparents Day is intended to focus attention and recognition to not only our senior class but also their grandparents. The grandparents are such an important part of our past, present, and future. We hope the grandparents will enjoy having their grandson/granddaughter show them around Western Christian High School and helping them understand a little bit better the daily life of their grandchildren.

Senior class members have been asked to invite their grandparents to Grandparents Day here at Western Christian. If you are the grandparent of a senior at Western and you have not yet been asked, please contact your grandchildren or the office at Western Christian. It’s a fun day and we love having the seniors with their grandparents. We look forward to having you at Western Christian on that day.

Save the Date and Join Us!

Western Christian High School’s Eighth Grade Day will be held on Thursday, April 5, at 3 PM. Activities that the eighth graders will be involved in include a Praise and Worship service with our student body, tours of Western, a scavenger hunt, and plenty of food. We invite all eighth graders, regardless of their high school plans, to visit Western on that day. Western will provide transportation for all the students to attend, and the parents are requested to pick them up at Western that evening. If parents are not able to attend, we would be glad to arrange transportation home for any student. All parents are invited to come to Western at 5:30 p.m. for a free meal, displays, and tours. If you have any questions please contact the office at Western Christian at 712-439-1013.

SafeSchools at Western

Harassment and bullying is a problem that can be very subtle and hard to identify for school staff members, particularly if done electronically. For that reason, Western Christian has created a portal on the very bottom of our homepage entitled “SafeSchools” where persons can make a confidential report on harassment or bullying issues going on in our school. The confidential report can be made to Western via text, e-mail, the web or by phone. We invite you to look at the bottom of our webpage where you will see the word “SafeSchools.” This service is provided to us through our insurance carrier, EMC.

We are Most Grateful for Memorial Gifts Received in Honor and Memory of:

John Grevengoed of Hull, Iowa. John and his wife Wilma (‘52) have had six children and several grandchildren attend Western. Their children are Dione (‘72), Galen (‘73), Randy (‘74), Cheri (‘77), Mike (‘83), and Kristi (‘90).

William Groeneweg of Orange City, Iowa. Bill (‘57) and his wife Lorraine (‘57) have three children that attended Western. Their children are Cynthia (‘78), Adrie (‘80), and Scott (‘90). Bill served on the Western Christian Board of Directors.

Elaine (De Stigter) Meyer from Pittsburgh, PA. Elaine was a member of the class of 1968.

Counselor’s Corner

Scholarships, Credits, Courses

March and April are filled with scholarship deadlines. Many local and area organizations offer scholarships to graduating students planning to attend college in the fall. Some scholarships are specific to an activity or area of study, while others are more general. Applications vary from a simple form with a reference sheet to be filled out by the school counselor or a teacher, while others ask students answer a series of questions or write an essay on a particular topic. As the scholarship information comes across my desk, I add it to a shared document that I created to keep our seniors up-to-date on what is available.

Credits earned and needed to meet graduation requirements are what the juniors are concerned about following registration for 2018-19 classes. Students must earn at least 48 credits to qualify for graduation. However, students are encouraged to earn more than 48 credits. Each credit is equal to one semester, so one semester classes are one credit and year-long or two-semester classes are two credits.

In addition to credits, juniors as well as sophomores are thinking about whether or not they want to pick up some college courses. With dual enrollment and PSEO options, students have the opportunity to take college courses while still in high school. Students receive credit for the courses both for high school and college. Things to consider when deciding whether or not to take college courses during high school include the level of commitment needed, these courses become a part of their permanent academic record, and how will they transfer to another post secondary institution. Our students are able to take online courses through NCC and they also have the opportunity to attend classes at NCC or Dordt if it fits into their schedule of required coursework at Western. We also offer Human Biology and College Writing taught by a couple of our faculty that can earn students college credit through Dordt.

Karinda de Boom Career Counselor

Order Your Yearbook!

2017-18 Strums are now on sale! Save $5 with the Early Bird $50 special by placing your order by Wednesday, March 28. After March 28 the price will be $55. All orders are due Friday, April 13. Order forms are available in the office. Down payment options are available, but the complete balance is due by the end of the school year.

Additional options are available:

• Purchase the Signature Package (Early Bird $64, Regular $69) Includes Yearbook, 1 Line of Personalization, Color Autograph Section and 8 Multicolor Signing Marker.

• Personalization $6

Put Your Name on the Cover

• Add Icons to Your Cover $3 each (Must purchase personalization to add icons. Up to 4 Icons can be placed on the cover.

Highlight the activities you participated in.

View icon options at www.jostens.com/ybicons

For those of you wondering about the 2016-17 Strums, we have had some setbacks and hope to have them by the end of April.

Consider a Graduation Gift for our Seniors

Western’s Faithpacks meet each month, and these groups are comprised of students from 9-12 grade. During our final May meeting, we would like to present each senior with a small, hardcover devotional book to take with them as they move on from Western. Each Faithpack member will be encouraged to write a prayer, a blessing, or a personal note somewhere in the book before it is given to the graduate. The cost of the books will be approximately $750 for the entire senior class. Some donations have already come in, so any amount will be utilized and appreciated. The books will be ordered by midApril, so donations should arrive at Western before then. They can be sent to Western’s office, with Senior Devotional on the memo line. Thanks for considering this contribution to our Faithpack seniors!

As many of you know, on January 1, Western Christian High School acquired the old bowling alley in Hull with the intent of converting it into a Thrift Store. Demolition of the interior of the building with the help of several volunteers began January 18. Over 500 volunteer hours were used in removing the lanes, the pinsetters, the ceiling and insulation, the restaurant, and the kitchen. Many hands make light work.

The demolition has been completed, and now putting the building back together and hiring staff remains. New insulation has to be sprayed, a garage door on the north side must be installed, windows will be installed on the south side of the building, an office and dressing rooms need to be built, store fixtures need to be acquired, and slatwall needs to be installed.

We’d like to thank the following people: Frank Vogel, Leroy Van Kekerix, and Mike Broek from Iowa State Bank for making possible the generous donation of the building; Kyle Van Holland and his crew from Van Holland Lawn Care for volunteering two full days to disassemble the pinsetters. It was a dirty job. (see photo); the city of Hull, especially Lonnie Westphal for fixing water leaks and Rod Te Krony for removing trash at a moment’s notice; Dean and Matt Oostra for fixing some broken water lines and turning off the gas to the kitchen; Dan Walstra for his work on the furnaces; Dave and Scott Kroese for their help in starting the rebuild and advice along the way of the demolition; Dolan Van De Stroet for his building design sketches; and finally all those who have volunteered their time in the demolition and brought treats for coffee time.

The name of the new enterprise will be the Bargain Alley Thrift Store. Our hope is that we will be open this summer some time. Items for sale will include clothing, home decor, furniture, sporting goods, lawn and garden, hardware, toys, books, appliances, jewelry, and much more. As you do your spring cleaning please keep the Bargain Alley in mind. We also hope to use many volunteers in the operation of the thrift store. Most thrift stores use volunteers prominently in their operation. More information will be coming in the future about volunteer opportunities.

Just My Thoughts

God’s Providential Peace

As many of you know, in mid-February I had the blessing of being able to travel to Washington DC for a two-day Bible instructor’s symposium at the new Museum of the Bible sponsored by Christian Schools International. The entire experience was inspirational and educational. The Museum of the Bible is a beautiful museum that offers a wonderful combination of old artifacts and the newest technology. In addition to that, the staff of the museum was not only knowledgeable but also warm and friendly. If vacation time in your future includes Washington DC, I would recommend reserving 4-5 hours (or more) for that museum. I loved it.

But highlights and details from the museum are not my focus today. Rather, I would like to share an even bigger part of the trip for me and for my faith. In the weeks leading up to the trip, my mind often became focused (maybe even fixated) on having everything at home and school firmly in place before I left. Lesson plans and details for my sub occupied my thoughts. Speech season was in full swing at Western, so arranging practices and contest registrations topped my list. Western’s radio broadcast group was invited to the Large Group All State Festival, so the day after my return from DC was going to include a van ride to the campus of ISU with the other speech coach and our four performers to showcase our first-ever large group All State appearance, and plans needed to be set up for that day trip. The normal routines of my family and homelife were also on my mind, as well as traveling to DC alone–including catching my connecting flight in Chicago and using Washington DC’s Metro to get to my hotel. With excitement for the trip, I also felt overwhelmed by it all.

At the same time as those details weighed on my mind, my daily devotions urged me repeatedly to release my firm grip on my “agenda” and to embrace God’s good plan for every day. Phrases such as, “don’t try to race ahead of God,” and “when you release your grip on your plans, only then can you truly see His plans,” were set in front of me frequently. So, my prayers took on a similar theme each day. I prayed that God would allow me to enjoy the moments–not rushing ahead or hyper-planning for it all. I prayed that God would allow me to somehow relax and simply enjoy this trip. I prayed often that my racing thoughts and hurried pace would be calmed and slowed so that I could soak in all the wonderful parts of this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

By the time I left for the trip, I was feeling calm and at peace about the plans left in place during my absence. The travel to and from DC still weighed on my mind, but I was determined to give myself over to trust rather than to worry. My trip to DC was seamless. My flights were smooth, my connection in Chicago even allowed me enough time to catch my breath, and when I was met by a CSI representative at my gate at Reagan International Airport who guided me through the details of public transportation in DC, I honestly felt God’s hands on my shoulders. It was not only going to be OK, it was going to be great! My days at the symposium, as stated earlier, were a wonderful mixture of education and inspiration that still offer me much to think about.

And then Friday happened–my day to fly home, sleep in my own bed for one rather short night, and then hustle over to Hull to make it to Saturday’s All State Festival on time with my speech students. My smooth travel experiences hit a brick wall that afternoon. My flight from DC to Chicago posted a short delay right after I seated myself at the correct gate. That “short delay” soon turned into a substantial delay which meant I would quite likely miss my connection from Chicago to Sioux City–which was the last connection to Sioux City for the night. The American Airlines rep, in an effort to get me to Chicago to catch that flight to Sioux City, advised me to take a taxi to Baltimore, board a plane from there to Chicago and hope to catch my flight in time. So I did. My 50-minute cab ride turned into a 90-minute cab ride because of Friday afternoon traffic leaving the city. As minutes passed and my hopes of catching that flight in Baltimore faded, I received an update on my phone that the flight out of Baltimore had been delayed, possibly enough that I could still catch it. My cab driver did the best he could to get me there, and I literally ran from the curbside dropoff to the TSA check-in. When I finally got to the front of that line, I was sent to another line because my newly printed boarding pass looked “unusual.” So I wheeled my bag to the next line, waited my turn, while trying to see far enough into the terminal area to find my gate for boarding. I finally got through TSA and ran to the right gate. I could see my airplane! Hallelujah, it was still there at the gate! But I was told by two smiling American Airline representatives that boarding for that flight had closed three minutes earlier. Three minutes. I was then invited to be a guest of American Airlines at a nearby hotel and they would book the earliest flight out the next day which would get me to Chicago and then from Chicago back home. So that’s exactly what I did–because I had no other choice.

Prayer and Praise

Please lift your praise to God for . . .

• Jolene DeHeer’s message and presence for our Spiritual Emphasis Chapels in February. May we all move from Fear to Faith in our walk with Christ!

• some extra fun and festivity during the sometimes dull days of winter thanks to our FFA members and student council’s Fun Fridays in February!

• the arrival and continued growth and development of Baby Jemma De Jong, granddaughter to Mrs. Diana Kooima, niece to Coach K, and sister to Korey Sandbulte DeJong.

Please lift your prayers to God for . . .

• those who mourn. We especially uphold the family of John Grevengoed, father-in-law to Connie Grevengoed; we also uphold the family of John Mouw, brother-in-law to Kathy Mouw. May God continue to comfort those who mourn.

• ongoing plans for the 2018-2019 school year. We pray God’s wisdom on the faculty, staff, and board as contracts are finalized and details are determined.

• those who struggle with ongoing health issues. For some students (and some of their family members) it’s been a long, difficult winter. We pray for healing.

• three freshman students who joined Western this semester: Chantelle VandeKamp, Esther Pan, Allison Vermeer. May they adjust quickly and feel welcomed and at home at Western.

Just My Thoughts continued

To some of you that may sound like a comedy adventure, but for those of you who know me, you know that by that time I would be several layers into my all-too-typical anxiety, worry, frustration, and hyper-damage control for all these changing plans. But amazingly, that was not the case at all during that entire time. During that entire time, I had a sense of calm that I have never before had in a situation when so many things were seemingly working to my disadvantage. Every time I called or texted home or school to keep things updated, I was assured that everything back in Iowa was under control and being handled. Early on in my delays, I had called on my prayer posse, and they responded. I received multiple texts and messages that my situation was going before the throne of heaven. Delay after delay after delay, I kept hoping for the best but I never once felt really anxious or worried. When I released my grip on my plan, because I had to, I experienced God’s sweetest presence and comfort in a more tangible way than ever before. I was OK. My family was OK. My speech kids were OK. God was in perfect control; I was not.

I spent that night in a rather beautiful hotel not far from the Baltimore airport. I treated myself to some delicious pasta in their restaurant and turned in early after reading a book I had hoped to read on the trip but hadn’t had time to dig into yet. Amazingly, I got a decent night of sleep, and by the next day at noon, I was climbing into my family’s pickup, welcomed home by my family. And it was all good, for real.

So when people ask me about my trip to DC, I know that they most likely want to hear about the museum and the conferences, and the people I met and the things that I learned. Those details make a great story. But the story I really love to tell is the one of how God prepared me in the weeks leading up to my big trip with every single devotion I read and every prayer lifted on my behalf. He led me and He protected, and He taught me that His plan is a very good one. When I surrender it all to Him, it is in that moment when I see him most clearly and sense him most closely. His providential peace is perfect, and I have a crazy, complicated but calm trip home from Washington DC to prove it.

Just My Thoughts, KC

Fast Facts from the Pack!

• The Concert Band performed an “Introduction-to-band-for-4th-graders” concert on March 8. Students attended from Sanborn, Sheldon, Hull, Doon, and Rock Valley Christian schools.

• The Western Christian Spanish classes are participating in a “Mania de Música de Marzo” or a March Music Madness this month. Students heard clips from 16 Spanish songs and created a bracket predicting the winners. Each day, students are voting for the “best” of the pairing of songs. This trend started several years ago in a classroom elsewhere in the US and has been a growing trend with Spanish classrooms. This is the first year that we are participating. We are using a list that another teacher in Iowa developed. You can follow our winners on Twitter - @ProfesoraWCHS

• Western Christian recently improved our “Facebook Live” video feed for our chapels as well as some other events. Two students, Jon Veldman and Dolan Van De Stroet, have been instrumental with the implementation of the audio and video setup. The new feed can produce multiple images when streaming and has improved sound run through our sound system. Both students are members of the Western”s IT team. (pictures below)

• Mrs. Wilson’s Biology classes have been studying the inheritance of genetic traits by crossing different types of fruit flies in our lab the last few weeks. I have pictures if you’d like them!

• The Student Council of WC organized a fundraiser for the American Heart Association. Shirts were sold and a tailgate supper was served for a total donation of $2100! Thanks to Sioux Center Health for providing the tailgate supper. Thanks to the Athletic Booster Club for creating and selling shirts. Thanks to the Hull EMTs for a half-time demonstration of “Hands Only CPR”, and to Sandi Wynja for providing free blood pressure checks. (pictures below)

• Seniors in speech class took their storytelling skills to Hull Christian recently. Each senior prepared a 5 minute storytelling program to Hull Christian’s preschoolers and first graders. Lots of great storytelling skills were practiced and utilized. The high school and grade school students enjoyed some great stories together! Special thanks to Hull Christian for welcoming our students. (pictures below)

Jon Veldman & Dolan VanDeStroet

Student Council Fundraiser & Hull EMT CPR Demonstration

Senior Speech Class at Hull Christian

Ag Department Updates

Legislative Symposium:

On Tuesday, January 30, Trevor Kollis, Titan Hofman, Abby Veldman, Larissa De Kam, and Miss Miller went to the Legislative Symposium in Des Moines, Iowa. When we arrived at the World Food Prize Center, we listened to three people speak: Libby Krimmings from the World Food Prize, Bill Northey the Past Secretary of Agriculture, and Craig Hill, president of the Iowa Farm Bureau. They spoke about the importance of agriculture, and how we need to inform our legislators about our ag programs. When the speakers were finished, we got the opportunity to tour the World Food Prize center.

After this, members met with Senator Randy Feenstra at the Capitol building. He gave us a tour all around the Capitol Building. We got to go into the Senate Chamber, Governor Terry Branstad’s office, Lieutenant Kim Reynold’s office. We also got the opportunity to go over to the House of Representative and speak with Skylar Wheeler.

FFA Week:

In celebration of National FFA Week, the Western Christian officer team put together events and activities during the last week of February that embraced the importance and thankfulness we share for agriculture. Each day, members and the student body were encouraged to participate in daily dress up days, ag trivia questions, and the bake sale held each day. (pictures at bottom of previous page) Some other activities that were held at the local level throughout the week included the Staff, Teacher, and local farmers appreciation breakfast, ag olympics, and still-to-come the Drive Your Tractor to School Day with Toy Tractor Races to be held in addition to the event.

Competition at Sub-districts:

Western Christian FFA chapter had 19 members participate at the Sub-District FFA competition on Tuesday, February 20 at Sibley-Ocheyedan High School. Competing against schools in the Northwest sub-district, members competed in career and leadership development events in five different areas.

The Ag Mechanics team consisted of Ty VandeHoef, Levi VandenBos, Trey Kelderman, Shawn DeWit, Titan Hofman, and Matthew DeVries. Members were tested over the areas of tractors, MIG welding, electricity, land measurements, and carpentry. DeVries received a bronze rating. Kelderman, DeWit, VandenBos, and VandeHoef each received a silver rating, while Hofman received a gold rating! Overall, the team received a silver.

The Conduct of Meetings team received a bronze rating. The team consisted of Abby Schmidt, Dolan VanDeStroet, Olivia Granstra, Shawna DeKam, Aubrey Kooima, Colt Hofman, Dylan VanBeek, Sawyer Pollema, and Abby Veldman.

Aysha De Groot competed in the Public Speaking competition with a speech entitled, “Borders without Limits.” De Groot received a silver rating.

Conner Sybesma presented the FFA Creed which is a memorized piece written by E.M. Tiffany. Sybesma received a bronze rating.

The Chapter Program team consisted of Rj Jacobsma, Nick Kooima and Cassidy Van’t Hul where they made a presentation about our chapter through a practiced presentation. They received a silver rating.

Competition at Districts:

Ten days later, 5 members traveled to East Sac High School in Lake View to participate in the NW District FFA Convention.

Chapter officers, Trevor Kollis, Larissa DeKam and Hayley VanGrootheest all submitted their respective officer books for the competition. Kollis received a bronze for the Treasurer’s book, and DeKam also received a bronze for the Reporter’s scrapbook. VanGrootheest received a silver rating with the Secretary’s book and was selected to go to the state FFA Convention in April!

Treyton Sandebulte and Ethan VanMaanen participated in the Greenhand Quiz in which they were quizzed over their current knowledge as a first year member of the chapter. Both received a bronze rating in this category. Sandebulte and Van Maanen also participated in the Meats judging competition and also received a bronze.

Maggie Kats and Madison Hofman submitted our Chapter Website in the chapter website competition. Both members received a bronze rating.

Lastly, Hayley VanGrootheest is to receive her State FFA Degree at the State Leadership Conference in April! To receive this degree, VanGrootheest had to compile records and materials related to her involvement in our FFA chapter, in the classroom, and in her work with her Supervised Agricultural Experience project. VanGrootheest is the very first member from the Western Christian FFA chapter to receive this honor. Congratulations, Hayley!! We are so excited for you in laying the foundation for future FFA members.

Overall, District FFA Convention was a great experience for Western Christian FFA members and we look forward to state convention in April!

After Banquet Party

May 4, 2018 is the date for the annual Junior Senior Banquet. Plans are being made for the After Banquet Party, which will be held at the Western Gymnasium. The After Banquet Party is alcohol-free for our young people and their dates.

The Senior parents on the committee continuing from last year are:

Entertainment: Tom & Marla Wibben

Prizes: Anthony & Wendi Minderhound

Finance: Waylon & Melissa Pollema

Decorating: Jeff & Kacie Van Bemmel

Assisting this year as Junior parents are:

Entertainment: Shawn & Stacy Andringa

Prizes: Mark & Sheila Uittenbogaard

Finances: Jeff & Jill Schemper

Decorating: Mike & Niki Pollema

Other junior parents have been or will be asked to help out in one way or another under one of these committees.

All junior & senior parents will be contacted by way of letter requesting their financial support. A $35.00 or more contribution per child is requested. Circles, organizations, & businesses from the area towns are being contacted to donate to this project. The support of everyone is greatly appreciated.

Contributions are needed by March 28. Any individual, business, or organization wishing to donate to the After Banquet Party may do so by sending their contributions to Western. Please make checks payable to “Western Christian After Banquet Fund.” We hope that our effort and your cooperation will make the After Banquet Party a great success!

NW Iowa Honor Choir

The 58th Annual Northwest Iowa Choral Directors Association Honor Choir was held on Monday, January 15, at the BJ Haan Auditorium, Dordt College. Approximately 200 students attended the event. The Honor Choir was directed by Dr. John Flannery director at Bishop Heelan in Sioux City.

Honor Choir Students from Western: Karissa Walhof, Halle Andringa, Rachel Heynen, Lindsey Zuidema, Jonathan Slice, DJ Nibbelink

The students really enjoyed the variety of music and the energy and passion of the director. Lindsey Zuidema was honored to be chosen that day to sing the soprano solo in Kyrie from the Mass in G by Schubert.

Western’s Concert Choir was honored to be asked to sing at the Honor Choir Concert as well. Pictured is the Concert Choir accompanied by Western’s Orchestra and our accompanist Laurel Evertse.

Western’s Chamber Singers performed “O Love” by Elaine Hagenberg at the concert accompanied by Halle Andringa.

Freshmen Physical Science Sleuths!

To begin the second semester, freshmen physical science students spent two weeks participating in a mock crime scene investigation at Western. For this simulation, a crime scene was set up on the stage of the Event Center and a number of teachers from Western played a variety of different characters. This experience was highlighted by a number of activities which included a simulated 911 phone call, a search warrant application with the Sioux County Assistant Attorney, proper evidence collection and documentation, fingerprint analysis, suspect questioning and interviews, an arrest after probable cause had been determined, and a field trip to the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office and the Sioux County Courthouse.

A special thanks to Iowa’s 3rd Judicial District Chief Judge, Duane Hoffmeyer; Sioux County Assistant Attorney, Tyler Grevengoed; SRO Deputy Waylon Pollema; the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office and the Sioux County Courthouse for playing a pivotal role in this experience for our students. In addition, I would like to thank all of the teachers who took time out of their schedules to play a role in this investigation as well.

2017-2018 Boys Basketball

Our boys had another successful season this year. We finished the year with a 21–3 record.

This team was fun to work with daily in practice. The guys worked hard during the season on their fundamentals and developing team chemistry. We saw this team grow every day in practice which, as a coach, was very rewarding!

We played a difficult schedule this season which included ranked teams in 11 of our 21 regular season games. We had a tough tournament stretch against good West Lyon and Rock Valley teams, then came up short against a hot-shooting Carroll Kuemper team at substate, 59-47.

I would like to thank the guys for all the hard work they put in this season. We are saying goodbye to 3 senior guys who showed up every day to compete and lead our team; thanks to Ben Granstra, Austin Haak and Caleb Harmsen for awesome basketball careers at Western!

Thanks also to our coaches, Jerry Boer, Shawn DeStigter and Shawn Keizer for all their selfless hard work and dedication to our players and basketball program.

Our theme verse this year was taken from Ecclesiastes 4. “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.” This team was one of the more selfless teams I have been around. No one cared who got the credit or led us in scoring, they all wanted what was best for the team. I am very proud of our guys how they represented our God, Western Christian, their families and teammates this basketball season.

Lakes Conference 1st Team

Caleb Harmsen

Jacob Vis

Academic Lakes Conference

Caleb Harmsen

Lakes Conference 2nd Team

Carter Broek

Ben Granstra

Honorable Mention Academic Lakes Conference

Ben Granstra

Iowa Basketball Coaches Association All Star Game Defender Gold All Star Game

Caleb Harmsen

Ben Granstra

Caleb Harmsen

Iowa Print Sports Writers Association (IPSWA) Class 2A 1st Team All State

Jacob Vis

Iowa Basketball Coaches Association Team First Award

Austin Haak

3 Pointers Made - Career

#7 Caleb Harmsen - 118

Iowa Basketball Coaches Association All Substate Team

Jacob Vis

Caleb Harmsen

Field Goal Percentage

#1 Jacob Vis - 71.3%

Western Christian Girls Basketball

This season, the seniors chose our theme verse from Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” What a great verse for a basketball season and for everyday life as well. The seniors also set several team goals at the beginning of the year; my personal favorites were “Work to better ourselves and our teammates every day,” and “Give all the glory to God” - every member giving her best for the team, using our God-given gifts and talents for his honor.

After graduating a terrific senior group last year and only having five upperclassmen, we needed some younger players to fill key roles on the court and needed upperclassmen to step into new leadership positions. While it took some time for everyone to grow into these spots, we had a very successful season on the court. The team tied for the third best regular season record in school history at 18-3 and won 20 basketball games for the 7th straight season.

Individual Honors and Achievements:

Academic All-Conference - Kailey Heemskerk and Ashtyn Veerbeek

1st Team All-Conference - Olivia Granstra and Ashtyn Veerbeek

2nd Team All-Conference - Jessi De Jager

Ashtyn Veerbeek - Career scoring leader - 1871 points; Career rebounding leader - 1041 rebounds; All-District, All-Region, IGCA 1st Team All-State, IPSWA 1st Team All-State, IBCA 2A Player of the Year

This year we had 3 seniors - Jessi De Jager, Kailey Heemskerk, and Ashtyn Veerbeek - who provided excellent leadership for our team; they were tremendously successful on the basketball court with a career varsity record of 91-13, but they are even better young ladies of integrity, commitment, and faith. Thank you for your dedication to Wolfpack basketball over the past four years and serving as great representatives for Western Christian, your families, and your Savior. A special thanks to Rachel Heynen and Sydney Stiemsma for their great work as team managers, to Coach Kooima and Coach Bell for their work with the Freshmen and JV teams and as assistant coaches, and to all the parents for the support, meals, encouragement, prayers, and many miles traveled to cheer us on.

Above all, we thank God for the talents and abilities that he has blessed us with and the opportunity to use them to glorify his name on and off the court. “Give all the Glory to God!”

Coach Negen

Western Speech Program Shines!

Thirty-three Western students participated in competitive speech this year. Western’s participation in Individual speech has a rich history, but Large Group speech is relatively new our school, but it’s growing fast. Both Individual and Large Group continue to be activities where Western students excel!

Our Large Group season included district and state contests, as well as the Large Group All State Festival. We more than doubled last year’s number of performers in Large Group by registering 27 performers. Seven different groups represented our school superbly at the district contest at Sheldon High School. Earning a I at Districts qualified a group for the State contest, which was held in LeMars this year.

Western sent four groups to Large Group State:

Team Wynja consisting of three freshmen–Kendra Wyjna, Korey Sandbulte De Jong, Braelynn Kamstra (improv)--overall II rating

Team Andringa consisting of five juniors–Halle Andringa, Payton Oostenink, Trayle Kats, Kyler Statema, Cole Christians (improv)–overall I rating

Team De Groot consisting of five seniors–Aysha De Groot, Jasmine Van Donselaar, Rachel Heynen, Nick Kooima, Michael Van Den Top (improv)–overall I rating

Team KBOR consisting of one junior, Elizabeth Carney, and three seniors–Sydney Stiemsma, Nick Kooima, Michael Van Den Top (radio broadcast)–overall I rating.

Two days after State, Western was informed that KBOR radio had been nominated for the Large Group All State Festival at ISU. All State is a festival showcase of the “best of the best” in Iowa’s Large Group Speech, and this group made Western history by earning our first-ever large group nomination! Miss Mastbergen, the assistant speech coach, the four performers and their family and friends travelled to Ames on Saturday, February 17, for the group to perform and receive their All State medals. Large Group speech at Western definitely has an exciting future!

The Individual Event season for speech followed that, and Western sent 18 individual performers to the district contest in Cherokee. All 18 students delivered solid performances, and 12 students advanced to State by earning a I rating from a district judge that night. Kuemper High School in Carroll hosted the State contest this year. State performers are evaluated and critiqued by three state judges, and all Western students represented our school well and delivered polished performances.

Here are our State performers by grade and category: Seniors: Sydney Stiemsma (after dinner), Larissa DeKam (prose), Karissa Walhof (original oratory), Nick Kooima (story-telling), Ben Geels (radio news); Juniors: Payton Oostenink (prose), Kyler Statema (prose); Freshmen: Angelique Kiyombo (prose), Maggie Kats (prose), Sylvia Koelewyn (after dinner), Sage Hoekstra (acting), Breanna TenPas (acting).

Five of our performers earned a I rating from all three state judges, which is a commendable accomplishment: Sydney, Larissa, Karissa, Nick, and Payton.

On Monday, March 12, Western was notified that senior Karissa Walhof was nominated to the Individual All State Speech Festival on March 26 at UNI for her original oratory entitled “Journey,” about the assurance and joy on life’s journey as Karissa strives to serve God as her #1 goal–what a blessing for her to be invited to share that message of HOPE to an All State audience!

It’s been a busy speech season, and so much growth has happened right in front of our eyes! When students walk into a performance room with confidence and poise in front of a their own coach, then a judge or three state judges, or even an All State audience, that is worth celebrating! Competitive Speech is a great place for Western students to learn and SHINE!

Coaches, Karen Christians, Ashley Mastbergen

Western Christian Wrestling

The Western Christian wrestling program had another successful year. We were again blessed to be able to show our talents at the state tournament when Senior Spencer Cox qualified for State. Although it didn’t end the way he or his coaches maybe wanted, it was a huge accomplishment to make it there. Spencer finished his high school career with 106 wins. This too was a great accomplishment. The 100-Win-Club is something a lot of wrestlers don’t get into. All in all it was a great career for Spencer and he will be greatly missed.

There are two other seniors who will also be greatly missed: Daniel Donovan and Lincoln Oostenink. These two seniors grew tremendously over the past couple of years, not only in their wrestling abilities but also in their leadership. While both missed the goal of qualifying for the state tournament, both young men had very successful senior years. Daniel’s and Lincoln’s comedy and spunk will also be missed greatly!

The rest of the team included Andrew Cox, Eli Van Ginkel, Matthew Van Otterloo, Bryce Van Dyken, Tristan Mulder and Karter Van Meeteren. As a coach, I had a lot of fun coaching this group because each and every day these kids came to practice and worked like crazy to get better. Their hard work showed during the season, as all Western’s wrestlers had their own big accomplishments throughout the year. It was very rewarding to see this group of kids improved from last year and continue to improve as the year went on.

One new thing to the wrestling program this year was the middle school wrestling program; we thought that by giving kids an opportunity to wrestle before high school, we might have more kids come out. Ross Hoksbergen was the main coach along with the help of many of the high school wrestlers, as well as Coach Kyle Westra and Coach Zach De Jager. We are very excited to see both the high school and middle school program grow in the next few years.

Coach Westra

Speech Program Participants

Front row–L-R: Coach Mastbergen, Angelique Kiyombo, Sylvia Koelewyn, Breanna TenPas, Sage Hoekstra, Emily Zuidema, Marlena Haak, Maggie Kats, Rachel Heynen, and Coach Christians; Middle row-–L-R: DJ Nibbelink, Matthew Van Middendorp, Michael VanDenTop, Halle Andringa, Larissa DeKam, Elizabeth Carney, Sydney Stiemsma, Karissa Walhof, Linzie Bosma, Nick Kooima, Aysha DeGroot, Jasmine VanDonselaar; Back row–L-R: Seth Hoekstra, Trayle Kats, Kyler Statema, Cole Christians, Cassidy Van’t Hul, Rebecca DenHartog, Payton Oostenink, Kendra Wynja, Braelynn Kamstra, Korey Sandbulte DeJong, Amber Vis, Nestor DeLachica. (Not pictured–Ben Geels)

J.E.T.S. – 2018 “Engineering a Greener World”

In early October, 32 Western students signed up to be a part of the 2018 JETS team. This year’s theme focused on “Engineering a Greener World.” This theme was broken down into a multitude of possible scenarios which included material durability, global health, energy basics, solar light pollution, solar energy and climate change.

After meeting as a large group in October, members were divided into four teams. Each team was given engineering scenarios and teams began preparing for the competition day by writing an essay and researching a variety of websites online. On Wednesday, February 21, Western’s four JETS teams headed to Dordt College in Sioux Center to compete against over 140 students on 15 teams from Northwest Iowa including Unity Christian, Cherokee, Sioux City West and Sioux Center.

This year we had three varsity teams and one JV team take the three-part test. Prior to the test, each team had to write an essay which focused on engineering a pre-existing building in their community and make it more efficient and environmentally friendly. In addition, each team was asked to focus on and reflect about the current environmental impact of the building, propose modifications to reduce energy use for the building and improve energy efficiency or reduce any negative environmental impact of the building. The second part of the test was an 80 multiple choice question test based upon the scenarios listed above. Finally, the third “hands on” component required teams to engineer a free standing tower made of straws and pipe cleaners that could successfully hold a tennis ball at the highest possible point.

Overall, our teams competed very well, and it was fun to see students working together within their groups to accomplish many different and difficult tasks together. The essays and tennis ball tower data will be sent into a panel of judges to be graded. We will find out how we performed both at the state and national levels later on this spring.

Thanks to all students involved and a job well done!

Mr. De Stigter

Varsity – Maroon (A): Alex H, Marcus T, Dolan VS, Ross VB, Michael VP, Cassie VO, Aubrey K, Jill DH

Varsity – White (B): Parker V, Clay VT, Kyler S, Trayle K, Jonathan S, Trenton H, Jeffrey DK, Cole C

Varsity – Black (C): Kailey H, Rachel H, Trent VM, Michael VDT, Alyssa B, Zach E, Mitchell M, Chandler S

J.V. – Maroon (A): Cory N, Ethan VM, Janessa K, Josie I, Allison C, Brandon K, Cole Z, Rachel C