Western Witness - Summer 2019

WESTERN CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL

In this issue:

Principal’s Perspective

Spring Drive Thank You

What is NICSTO?

Memorial Gifts

Netherlands Exchange Program

Job Opportunity

Counselor’s Corner

March Madness in Math

Just My Thoughts

Thanks!

Guys Track

Booster Club Golf Tournament

Girls Track

Boys and Girls Golf

100th Anniverary

Celebration Aug. 9-11

Second Century of Service Campaign Update

Western Science Night

Prayer and Praise

Chamber Singers Tour

Fast Facts from the Pack

Individual Events

Competitive Speech

Ag Department Updates

NCC Engineering Competition

Face to Face International Peer Education with Art

Western JETS Team

NHS Induction Ceremony

Class of 2019 Composite

Graduation 2019

Fifty-six graduates for the 97th Commencement of Western Christian High School

Class Colors: Maroon and White

Class Speaker: Mrs. Karen Christians

Valedictorian: Chandler Schemper

Salutatorian: Jacob Vis

Class Verse: Philippians 1:5-6

“Because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Principal’s Perspective

It was a cold day in January 1958 when I got off the bus for my first day of kindergarten. My dad was the bus driver. I had never been to a nursery or daycare, and I was scared. I walked around the church, which was on the school grounds, and watched tearfully as the taillights of the bus disappeared into the bus garage. I wondered if I would ever get to drive a big yellow school bus like my dad. The principal, who was obviously observing my hesitancy, grasped my little hand in his and escorted me into my classroom.

I was in my early teens when my parents first entrusted me to the duties of watching over (babysitting) my seven younger siblings. I watched anxiously as the taillights of the family car disappeared over the hill in the lane extending from our farm home to the main road. I fought back tears as I pondered the responsibility that had been thrust upon me.

As soon as I turned 18, my dad took me in a school bus to the police station in town for a driving test so that I could get my commercial driver’s license (CDL). I learned at an early age of the importance of doing a thorough pre-trip inspection. As I checked the taillights, my mind flashed back to that first school bus ride. I was reminded of that experience as I renewed my CDL this week after having completed 49 years of driving a school bus.

I recently participated in the 97th graduation ceremony at Western Christian High School. I had the privilege of publicly recognizing Mr. John Bolkema who was present as a representative of the Class of 1949. We had the opportunity to visit a bit as he left the front entrance of the school that evening. Mr. Bolkema was my cooperating teacher in 1974 when I student-taught at Western. I watched as the taillights of his vehicle went down the street, and I remember him telling me that I knew the content of biology very well, but that I should work on enhancing my questioning skills. He seemed to garner such elaborate answers from the students when the only responses I received to my questions were a curt “Yes” or “No”. As I pondered my conversation with Mr. Bolkema, I realized that after spending a total of 61 years in a school setting (45 years as a teacher/principal), I was still learning techniques for proper questioning.

I followed the taillights of the funeral coach that was carrying my father to his final resting place in the country cemetery last week. As I reflected on a lifetime of experiences we had shared, my eyes clouded a bit. There was a tear for the heartfelt loss of the one who taught me how to nurture plants to produce a bountiful harvest, how to care for the various farm animals in order to gain the most profitability, and how to enfold people and walk alongside those individuals and/or families who are experiencing many of the hardships of life.

As I backed my vehicle into a parking space outside my office window so I could load some of contents of my office, I saw the reflection of the taillights in the windows. I was preparing to leave an institution that indelibly imprinted upon me the importance of training young people to take up their life’s calling as they learn to serve the King.

And then I realized that every taillight has a headlight to go with it in every circumstance. If we use the light of God’s Word as our guide, wherever we see taillights we will recognize His loving care for us. His beacon of truth will direct every step of our lives until the day when we will no longer need to look for taillights. Thank you to each of you for intersecting my life. I have been immensely blessed, and my prayer is that I may have been successful in sharing that blessing with you. To God be the Glory!

Serving Him daily, Harlan De Vries, Principal

Spring Drive Thank You

Each year the Board of Directors at Western Christian High School conducts the annual Spring Drive. This drive is very important to the ongoing work of Western Christian and providing a quality Christian education to our students.

This year, Spring Drive gifts were designated for two major needs that the Western Christian Board of Directors deemed necessary. One of those needs was tuition relief of which $30,000 was allocated. The other major item is providing the funds necessary to renovate the restrooms that service the gymnasium.

This year $95,000 has been raised with gifts still coming in. If you haven’t made a gift yet we could use your help in reaching our goal of $105,000. You can send your gift directly to the school or place it in your local Western Christian Board Representative church mailbox.

We want to thank all of those who have contributed to this huge undertaking. The Board of Directors is humbled and grateful for such a supportive community. To God be the Glory!

WHAT IS NICSTO?

Iowa state law allows a group of Christian schools to organize to accept donations from friends of Western Christian to help with tuition assistance for families at Western. This group is called the Northwest Iowa Christian School Tuition Organization (NICSTO). Western and your local Christian elementary schools are part of this group.

Donors receive a 65% tax credit on their Iowa Income tax and a gift deduction if they itemize deductions on their Federal tax. Donors may designate which school they want to help but may not designate particular students.

For those of you who take IRA distributions a gift from your distribution would be a win-win situation for you and Western Christian. For example if you made a gift of $5,000 from your IRA distribution you would not need to claim the $5,000 as income so if you are in a 25% tax bracket that saves you $1,250 in taxes. Plus you receive a tax credit from the state of Iowa of $3,250 that goes right back into your pocket. Thus a gift of $5,000 only costs the donor $500. Be sure to talk with your tax preparer to take advantage of this opportunity.

Western Christian families benefited by approximately $147,000 in 2018-19.

Please consider donating to NICSTO in 2019 to help families in 2020. This coming year we are able to distribute approximately $151,000. You may donate anytime between now and Dec. 31. Fill out the contribution form found under the Financial Aid tab on the school website

https://www.westernchristianhs.com/about/financial-aid-info.cfm and send your donation to Western Christian but make your check out to NICSTO.

Please call Wes Fopma at 712-439-1013 if you have further questions.

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

JoAnne (Vis) Blankespoor-Doon. JoAnne graduated from Western Christian in 1958. JoAnne and her husband John had one daughter and three grandsons that attended Western Christian.

Marley Grotenhuis-Sibley. Marley and his wife Ruth (‘56) had seven children attend Western Christian High School. Their oldest son Marlin was a junior when he died in November of 1975. Other children are Cathy (‘78), Bruce (‘79), Cindy (‘81), Caryn (‘84), Kayleen (‘85), and Marne (‘94).

Joan Buyert-Sioux Center. Joan and her husband Arthur (‘51) had three children that attended Western Christian High School. They are Dan (‘76), Darla (‘80), and Mike (‘82).

Matilda (Donkersloot) Alons-Sanborn. Matilda was one of the oldest remaining alumni at Western Christian having been a part of the class of 1939. Matilda and her husband Dan had five children and eight grandchildren that attended Western Christian. The children that attended Western Christian were Judi (‘65), Ken (‘69), Lois (‘74) Myrna (‘76), and Norma (‘81).

Florence (Wissink) Kroese-Hull. Florence was a member of the class of 1950. Florence and her husband Albert (‘46) had four children and four grandchildren that attended Western Christian. Florence and Albert’s children that attended Western Christian include Carol (‘73), Kevin (‘75), Jay (‘87), and Emily (‘89).

Netherlands Exchange Program Will Continue at Western!

Greijdanus International is planning to send six students to Western in October for another three-week exchange. Please consider being a host family for one of these six students. More information on this will be available at registration on July 11. If anyone has questions, they can contact me through my email at carey.vandonselaar@westernchristianhs.com.

Job Opportunity

Western Christian is looking for a head concession stand coordinator/worker for the 2019-2020 school year. This is for the Volleyball, Wrestling and Basketball seasons. It is an hourly paid position and a great way to earn extra income. For more information or to apply, contact AD Travis Kooima at travis.kooima@westernchristianhs.com or call the school at 712-439-1013. Thank you Julie Kraayenbrink for ten faithful years of service to Western Chrisitan.

Congratulations Class of 2019! You made it. We wish you well as you move into the next chapter of life whether you are going to college, working, running a business, or still deciding. As you look forward to the summer for those heading off to college, here are a few things to do before the fall.

• Notify the college you will be attending about scholarships you received.

• If you took college classes through NCC or Dordt, you will need to request transcripts from them to be sent to the college you will be attending.

• Save money to help with college expenses.

• Prepare a personal budget for college and review it with your parents.

• Attend orientation sessions to meet people, get familiar with the campus, and register for classes.

• Prepare a college packing list. Contact your roommate and decided who’s bringing what so you don’t double up. Visit ICANsucceed.org/materials if you need help putting together your packing list.

Juniors, sophomores, and freshmen you have completed another year. Finals are done, and summer is beginning. Here are some things that you can do over the summer to help you with your career planning and life beyond high school exploration. It isn’t too soon to begin the process.

Juniors

• Schedule campus visits for colleges you would like to see.

• Go on some job shadows of careers that interest you.

• Obtain and review college admission applications.

• Consider which teachers, employers, and other adults you’ll ask to write letters of recommendation.

• Serve your community - grades aren’t the only thing colleges evaluate.

• Save your summer earnings to pay for college.

• Prospective student-athletes: Ask me to send an official transcript to the NCAA Eligibility Center.

Sophomores and Freshmen

• Start a summer reading list.

• Are you attending summer camp on a college campus? If so, take a look around to see if you could imagine attending the school.

• Participate in hobbies and activities that enable you to explore your career interests.

• Talk to others about their college experience.

• Don’t be afraid to alter your career goals as you learn more about yourself and the world of work, but remember to keep your goals attainable.

Class schedules for next year will be available in July at registration. Schedules will also be available on JMC mid-July. I wish you all a safe and enjoyable summer break.

Mrs. deBoom, Career Counselor

March Madness in Math

The Pre-Calculus class worked on creating an algorithm (formula) to predict the top 10 teams in NCAA’s March Madness Tournament. Dr. Zonnefeld from Dordt College instructed students on using past March Madness data to create and test their algorithms. They used factors - such as win percentage, the strength of schedule, etc. - to write their algorithm to rank the basketball teams. Each team they pick earns points for every win (more if ranked higher by students), with “Cinderella” teams (seeds 9-16) earning five extra points. Predicting the Cinderella wins ended up being a deciding factor for top-scoring teams. Western students, in teams of four, submitted three different algorithms to the state-wide competition. Our top-scoring team - the Gorls: Jamie DeKam, Abby Postma, Cassie Van Otterloo, and Allison Van Otterloowere awarded Data Analysis t-shirts from Drake University and water bottles from Dordt University.

Just My Thoughts

Immeasurably More!

One of the beauties of being a teacher is the “seasonal” aspect of the job. There is definitely a beginning, middle, and end to our school year. If you talk to teachers, you will sense it almost immediately; most of us, I believe, have certain “markers” throughout the year to gauge how far along we are in each new yearly season. The end of each season usually brings for me some time of reflection and then genuine thanks to God for another year of His faithfulness to our school.

The beginning of this year brought with it the usual energy and enthusiasm of a brand new year ahead, but August 2018 also included some unknowns. While every new season of teaching includes some unknowns, last August had a few “bonus” ones. An interim principal, as well as a new assistant principal, led many of us to expect a noticeable adjustment period when it came to leadership for our school. The faculty of Western, which usually numbers around 20 teachers, welcomed five new faces, so there were anticipated adjustments among the faculty as well. Certain questions floated in many of our minds on how our students, especially our seniors, would handle this transition year; we wondered if they would recognize this as a year to test the limits with so many new faces leading them. The search for a full-time administrator was just underway, so a curious tension was tangible as we wondered who would eventually be secured as our leader.

So, in all honesty, many of my prayers, especially at the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year were for God to, “see us though, help us get by, let us just stay afloat,” for a year until we could really regain our momentum and once again make great strides forward. I recognize now that those prayers were not the brave, bold, trusting prayers they should have been; rather they were almost timid–asking God to quietly, graciously lead us through this transition season.

As the year progressed, and we moved from one yearly marker to another, God reminded me again and again that His plan is always immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine. God not only graciously led us through this year, he boldly proclaimed that faithful service will be blessed.

He used a teacher/principal with 45 years of service to live as an example that Christian Education doesn’t just “get by,” it moves forward through tireless dedication to excellence. He used a “new” assistant principal to lead with confidence and consistency, demonstrating insight and wisdom far deeper than his age and experience would predict. He used new staff members to breathe new life and ideas into a faculty as well as to remind the experienced teachers to share their wisdom and recognize the value of having experience. He used a group of high school seniors to exhibit respect and maturity that astounded even the veteran teachers among us. He answered our pleas for a Godly, visionary administrator for the future by welcoming back Brian Verwolf–someone who already had a love for Western, a gift for leading, and a passion for serving Him!

God has been so good to Western in this year! My timid prayers now look feeble as I remember them, and I am humbly thankful that God hears our prayers, no matter how imperfect or short-sighted they may be, and He, in His boundless love and wisdom, answers them faithfully, in ways that are immeasurably more than we ask or imagine. I am eagerly anticipating the 20192020 season of Learning to Serve the King at Western because I trust God will continue to bless faithful service in incredibly exciting ways!

Just My Thoughts, KC

Thanks!

The After Banquet Party held at Western was again a great success thanks in large part to the generous support of businesses and parents who donated time, money, and prizes. The goal of the committee is to provide a fun night in a safe environment for our kids and their friends. We believe, because of the ongoing support of parents and businesses from the many towns represented by our students, we were once again able to do that. Thank you!

2019 Guys Track Summary

What a great season of track compared to last season. We had some beautiful nights for track meets, and our athletes took advantage of that all season. This team was one of the hardest working teams I have had since I have been coaching track, and I want to thank all of the track and field athletes for their great attitude and work ethic all season!

The 2019 Western Christian track and field team had 22 members, two more than last season, and we had five great seniors who led the squad all season. We had a very young team this season, but I loved the way our young team got better throughout the season and the track and field program has a very bright future coming.

I want to thank our five seniors for their leadership and hard work this season. Carter Moser, Harry Steele, Jon Veldman, Isaac Visser, and Colin Westra all had great track careers, and I thank you, five guys, for setting a great example to the younger members of the team and leaving a significant mark on Wolfpack Track and Field.

We had a great conference meet, finishing with ten all-conference runners and we also had five events qualify for state! Wyatt Gulker qualified in the high jump, Eli Van Ginkel qualified in the discus, Ethan Spronk qualified in the 400M dash, and Trevin Hulstein, Carson Elbers, Harry Steele, Cole Zevenbergen, and Tage Hulstein qualified in the 4x400 relay and the 4x800 relay. Our 4x400 relay team finished with a 3:26 and placing fifth place in the finals on Saturday afternoon. Another great accomplishment was that our sprint medley team, at the district meet, broke the school record, they ran a 1:37.8. The team consisted of Carson Elbers, Tyson Boer, Harry Steele, and Cole Zevenbergen.

I want to thank our head girls coach Mark Fenchel and our assistant coach, Kyle Fykstra, for all their hard work and dedication to Wolfpack Track and Field. Also, a big thank you to all the seniors and the underclassmen for their work, dedication, and leadership throughout the season. Thank you to all the parents for your support to Western and the Track and Field Team.

The 2019 Track and Field season was a great way to glorify God with our talents and abilities. Thank you for all your support throughout the season!

Coach Kooima

Western Christian Booster Club Golf Tournament Entry Form

The 28th annual Western Christian Booster Club golf tournament will be held on Friday, August 9, at noon at the Ridge Golf Course in Sioux Center. We have lots of room and need your help in filling the golf course so put your foursome together soon. We’ll once again have mulligans for sale and various tee boxes based on your age and gender.

The cost to golf is $100 per person and that includes 18 holes of golf, cart, supper, and the chance to win prizes. Mulligans will also be sold at registration. Please enclose a check with your registration. It would help us greatly if you would return your registration form and entry fee as soon as possible.

Registration is from 11:00-11:45 with a shotgun start at 12:00 sharp. Ribeye steaks will again be grilled at approximately 5:30. If you have any questions feel free to call Mike Broek at (712) 395-0699 or Mike Roetman at (712) 449-5199.

2019 Girls Track

This season we started practices in mid-February getting ready for our two indoor meets which were held in Buena Vista College and Dordt. We had a young lineup for many of our meets this year, and we were anxious to see how we could compete in a strong NW Iowa field. Through hard work and dedication, our athletes competed well and used their God-given talents to the best of their abilities.

We were blessed with good weather to run our outdoor meets this year and progressed well throughout the year. We continued to run, throw and jump well and continued to show improvement at our Lakes Conference meet at the beautiful outdoor track at Buena Vista. After that, we competed at Sioux Center for our district meet and placed fifth out of twelve teams and qualified six individual events and four relays to head down to the State Meet in Des Moines at the end of May. (See details below) Overall we finished 4th place at State by scoring 34 team points, which was the highest place we finished since we won State in 2013. At State, we were crowned class 2A State Champions in the 4 x 800 and broke the 2A state record in the process. As I look back on this team, I will remember the close-knit bond between and the girls and how they strived to do their best. We look forward to next year bringing back numerous runners that have state experience.

We want to recognize and thank our only senior, Bailey Nelson, who competed for all four years and gave valuable leadership this year. I would like to thank our boys head coach Travis Kooima and assistant coach, Kyle Fykstra, for all their work this year.

2019 Girls State Qualifiers

100 M Dash Emma Westphal

400 M Dash Emilee Heynen (7th in State)

800 M Run Bailey Nelson (5th in State)

800 M Run Macay Van’tHul

1500 M Run

3000 M Run

Team Roster:

Seniors

Bailey Nelson

Juniors

Rachel Covey

Olivia Granstra

Whitney Minderhoud

Madison Slaughter

Macay Van’tHul

Jill DenHerder

Sophomores

Emilee Heynen

Breanna TenPas

Braelynn Kamstra

Emily Zuidema

Freshmen

Zoe Gulker

Caelyn Mantel

Lyndsey Moser

Jaylin VanDyken

Olivia Ten Kley

Emma Westphal

Josie Zeutenhorst

Whitney Minderhoud

Whitney Minderhoud

4 x 400 Emilee Heynen, Macay Van’tHul, Bailey Nelson, Olivia Granstra (2nd Place)

4 x 800 Bailey Nelson, Macay Van’tHul, Emilee Heynen, Olivia Granstra (State Champions)

Sprint Medley Josie Zeutenhorst, Emma Westphal, Olivia Granstra, Emilee Heynen (4th Place)

Distance Medley Olivia Granstra, Josie Zeutenhorst, Whitney Minderhoud, Bailey Nelson (4th Place)

Coach Fenchel

2019 Boys Golf

Despite getting a late start to the season, we ended up having a great season for spring golf! The weather didn’t allow much time for practices, but we were able to squeeze a lot of golf meets into a span of five weeks. Carter Broek, Caleb Dokter and Cole Feenstra all took turns medaling in various meets throughout the year. We finished third in our Lakes Conference meet, placing behind 3A state qualifiers Spencer and Spirit Lake. Caleb Dokter finished in the top 8 of the conference as an individual and was named to the all-conference team. That momentum carried us into sectionals which we were able to play at Rolling Hills. We ended up winning sectionals as a team and therefore able to advance to districts at Emerald Hills in Okoboji. Unfortunately, we fell a couple of shots short in districts and ended our season just shy of the state tournament! We would like to thank all the guys for being great representatives of Western Christian and a special thanks to Seniors Carter Broek and Brennan Kooi who played pivotal roles on varsity over the last couple of years.

This year’s golf team consisted of the following boys:

Seniors: Carter Broek and Brennan Kooi

Juniors: Caleb Dokter and Jacob VerBurg

Freshmen: Cole Feenstra, Eli Van Essen, Mason Vande Hoef, and Kyson Van Vugt

Coach Keizer

2019 Girls Golf

By many measures, it was a very successful and fun year for the Western Christian Girls Golf team. The same six players returned from last season, so the girls had a good bond with each other already established and knew what to expect in terms of playing in varsity meets. They were a fun-spirited, light-hearted group that always encouraged each other and never took themselves too seriously. For a group who hadn’t “won” much in the past, they were able to accomplish some really cool things on the golf course this season. Highlights included breaking 200 for the first time, winning the Le Mars Invitational as a team against all of the Sioux City schools, placing third in the Lakes Conference Tournament, tying for first place in the Lakes Conference regular season standings, and having three golfers finish in the top 12 at Regionals. Individually, the team was led by Aubrey Kooima, who had an outstanding season; Aubrey finished in the top 20 in the state in Class 2A for 9 hole scoring average, received medals in several meets, and won the Lakes Conference Tournament by ten strokes, shooting a personal best 82 at Rolling Hills. At Regionals, the top six advanced, and two of our players just missed the cut, with Aubrey finishing 7th and Jaycie Van Zee finishing 8th. This year’s team had four seniors, Anna Back, Elizabeth Carney, Jaycie Van Zee, and Halle Andringa - thank you for all of the fun memories and your commitment to Wolfpack Girls Golf. May God bless you richly as you move on to the next chapter.

Coach Negen

100th Anniversary Celebration

August 9, 10, and 11

This is the second announcement that has gone out in regard to the anniversary celebration. Currently, over 200 people from all over the country have registered for the banquet on Saturday evening. Be sure to register soon to reserve your seat.

On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, August 9, 10, and 11 this coming summer, Western Christian High School will be celebrating its 100th Anniversary of providing secondary Christian education to covenant young people. We invite alumni, parents, and friends of Western Christian High School to celebrate God’s goodness with us. Those opportunities to join others in this celebration include the following:

Friday, August 9 @ 12 PM. The 27th annual Western Christian Booster Club golf tournament will be held at the Ridge Golf Course in Sioux Center. The cost to golf is $100 per person, and that includes 18 holes of golf, cart, a meal, and prizes. Mulligans will also be sold at registration. Please register online or complete the form on the bottom of this letter soon because the golf course may fill up fast. If you have any questions feel free to call Mike Broek @ (712) 395-0699 or Mike Roetman @ (712) 449-5199.

Friday Evening: Class Reunions. The classes of 1969, 1979, and 1989 are planning an extra gathering. If you are a member of one of these classes and have not received information please contact the WC office at 712-439-1013.

Saturday, August 10 @ 8 AM. Fun Run. Join other alumni and friends in running a 5K Race or a one-mile run/walk. Will start and end in front of Western Christian High School. Please register before the event if you want a t-shirt. You are guaranteed a t-shirt if pre-registered by July 31. We will have extra shirts for sale on the day of - sizes and quantity are limited. Online Pre-Registration is open until July 31. Pre-Registration Fees: $20.00. Day of Race Fees: $30.

Saturday, August 10 @ 9 AM. All former choir members are invited to join former Choral Director, Bill Bird, for a rehearsal of the Western Christian Alumni Choir. The Alumni Choir will be participating in the All School Banquet on Saturday evening and the Worship Service on Sunday afternoon. The joining of voices will be fun and uplifting. If you are interested, please sign up online or use the registration materials on the bottom of this letter.

Saturday, August 10 @ 2 PM. Open House and tours of Western Christian High School will be provided. We will have memorabilia and newspaper clippings from the different decades staged in various rooms. Refreshments will also be provided.

Saturday, August 10 @ 6 PM. All School Banquet. An All-School Banquet and Program will be held in the Western Christian Event Center. The meal will be catered by the Cedar Rock Grill with a program to follow. You must sign up for the meal. The cost will be $25 per person. To sign up either go online or complete the registration materials on the bottom of this mailing.

Sunday, August 11 @ 2 PM. Afternoon worship service in the Event Center with Pastor Cliff Hoekstra (’74) providing the message with selections from the Alumni Choir. This will be a wonderful conclusion to the weekend.

Online registration can be accessed at www.westernchristianhs.com. If you prefer regular mail use the form below. A book is being written and memorabilia will be available during the anniversary. Watch for more information in the future about those prices.

Registration Information

Name(s) ________________________________________________________

Address_________________________________________________________

Telephone_______________________________________________________ Email___________________________________________________________

Event:

Please make check payable to Western Christian High School and mail check and registration materials to: Western Christian High School, 100th Anniversary, P.O. Box 658 Hull, Iowa 51239

Second Century of Service Campaign Update

As most of you are aware, Western Christian completed a $7,500,000 building renovation of the school in the 2016-17 school year. This renovation included a complete makeover in the science wing, moving the Family Life (Home Economics) program to the second floor of the school, renovating space to start an Agriculture and FFA curriculum, redoing the gymnasium built in 1957 into a multipurpose Event Center, and adding a new front entrance with offices. This major renovation has allowed Western Christian to provide more opportunities for students in the sciences, agriculture, manufacturing, and Fine Arts.

Western Christian has received just over $5,000,000 in gifts and pledges for the project and currently owes local financial institutions $1,752,000 at 3.5% interest and owes the Western Christian Foundation $900,000 at 3% interest. Western Christian has presently $200,000 in the bank from recent pledge payments, and there is approximately $200,000 in pledges to be paid yet. Most of the businesses, individuals, and families who made a multiyear commitment have completed their original commitment to the project. A lot has been accomplished, but more work needs to be done.

This year is our 100th Anniversary year, and the Finance Committee of the Board of Directors would like to make a push to pay off as much of the debt as we can in this our 100th Anniversary year. It’s interesting to look back at previous major building projects at Western Christian and see how long it took to pay off those projects. It took ten plus years to pay off the debt on the gymnasium built in 1980 and ten plus years to pay off the debt on the major renovation of the school completed in 1995. Past generations have consistently made long term commitments to the school to pay off debt.

To those who have made gifts to the most recent project, Western Christian thanks you for your support of Western Christian High School and our hope is you will consider gifting toward this project in the future. If you haven’t made a gift to this project, we do need your help.

It is an exciting time in the history of Western Christian High School as we welcome a new Administrator, Brian Verwolf, and as we celebrate 100 years of God’s faithfulness. As we look at what is happening in the world around us, Christian education is needed now more than ever. Please keep Western Christian High School and all of our Christian schools in your prayers.

Western Science Night

On Tuesday, March 19th, Western’s Science Department hosted its annual Science Night in the Event Center. Western’s freshmen Physical Science classes made up 31 different teams and competed in a Physics Olympics Triathlon based on three engineering based events.

The three events in the triathlon included the mousetrap car, soda straw strong arm, and Pringle chip mail. The mousetrap car event required students to design and construct a car that could successfully travel a distance of 1000.0 cm while being powered by only the energy in a standard mousetrap. The soda straw strong arm event required students to build an arm out of 20 straws and 20 pins in 20 minutes. After completing the “arm,” students hung a 100.0 g mass and measured the horizontal distance from the edge of the table to the metal weight. For the final event, students were given a Pringle chip and asked to engineer a lightweight package that could successfully be sent through the U.S. Postal Service without allowing damage to the chip.

Event Winners:

Mousetrap Car: Zoe G, Sierra N, and Shayla VB (996.0 cm)

Soda Straw Strong Arm: *Tie* Tage H, Dawson DJ, and Michel C / Levi S and Riely A (44 cm)

Pringle Chip Mail: Levi S and Riely A (19.17 composite score) *New Record*

Overall, I was impressed with the ingenuity and creativity of products and machines displayed during Science Night. I also want to say thanks to the senior Physics students for taking the time to help out and take measurements for this event. In addition, thanks to parents and everyone else who supported the event with their attendance.

Mr. De Stigter

Prayer and Praise

Please lift your praise to God for . . .

• For the completion of course work and the earning of Master’s Degrees. Four faculty members graduated with Master’s Degrees this Spring Semester: Miss Kylie Miller, Iowa State University, Agricultural Education. Mr. Justin Negan, University of South Dakota, Education Administration: PreK - 12 Principal, and Mr. Travis Kooima and Mr. Shawn DeStigter, Dordt College, Education with an Emphasis in Sports Leadership.

• New faculty hired to fill the open teaching positions: Mr. Thomas Soodsma, Math Dept. and Mrs. Wendi Minderhound, Spanish Dept.

• The healthy arrivals of newborns to the Western Faculty: Cora Lyn Wilson on March 15, daughter of Sarah (Science and Resource Depts) and Blair Wilson. Sutton Lee Negan on April 13th, daughter of Justin (Asst Principal and Social Studies Dept) and Heather Negan, and Clye Douglas VerWolf on May 2nd, son of Brian (next year’s Administrator) and Rachel VerWolf. May the Lord Bless these new little ones!

• The completion of another school year.

• Beautiful evening, lovely decorations, and fun times by the students at the Jr. Sr Banquet that was held on May 3rd. Thank you to all the parents who helped put together this evening.

• The excellent results our Western students have achieved on the ACT test over the past five years.

Please lift your prayers to God for . . .

• Those who mourn, particularly Mr. Harlan DeVries and his wife Donna as they lost Harlan’s father Harold DeVries, of Pella, IA.

• The many plans in place for the 100 - Year Celebration scheduled to take place in August.

• The 2019 Graduates as they now find new places and new ways to serve the King!

• Mrs. Ashley Nwokolo and Mrs. Courtney Ryldersma as they leave the Western Christian faculty at the completion of this school year and move on to new endeavors.

• The farming community who have endured an incredibly wet Spring as they patiently wait to get their crops in the field.

Chamber Singers Tour ‘19, Blessed to Be a Blessing

The Chamber Singers theme for our tour this year was “Blessed to be a Blessing.” The goal was to encourage others in their faith and to bring God glory through singing. For the first time in many years, the Chambers toured Kansas City. Tour performances included: Sioux Center Christian, Omaha Christian Academy, Kansas City Christian School, Brighton Gardens of Prairie Village, and Crossroads RCA. Some of the fun activities on tour included eating some delicious BBQ, going to Top Golf, spending a few hours at Worlds of Fun, and watching “The Buddy Holly Show” at the New Theatre Restaurant.

We want to thank everyone for their encouragement and support throughout this year. We appreciate your support of our fundraiser and Chambers’ Night Out, as well as the warm welcome we received in the local churches. Soli Deo Gloria!

Mr. Darren Van’t Hul

Fast Facts from the Pack!

• The Pack Players will be performing Little Women the Musical this fall instead of Annie as was previously advertised.

• Freshman students spent time during their PE classes to help take care of God’s creation (and the Western Campus) by picking up trash.

• Western Christian held Grandparents Day on April 9. On that day the seniors invite their grandparents or special guests to share chapel, a school tour, and lunch together. Emma Gulker’s grandpa, Aryln Gulker shared a message of what Western Christian has meant to his family over the years. We thank God for the many grandparents who support Western and our students in such faithful ways.

• On their last day as students at Western Christian, the Seniors were treated to a breakfast served by the faculty. A time of devotion was held, and each senior received a gift bag with the devotional New Morning Mercies by Paul David Tripp. Thank you to the WCHS supporters who donated funds to cover the cost of this devotional.

• Members of Western Christian’s National Honor Society spent some time at the Hull Food pantry. They packed over 400 lunches to be given to kids at all Boyden and Hull schools who may need easy to fix, nutritious meals over a weekend.

• The Wolfpack Drumline marched in the Tulip Festival parade in Orange City on Thursday, May 16.

• Cantus sang at Pleasant Acres on Friday, May 10th. They sang hymns and songs that they performed at the final concert.

• Aubrey Kooima, junior, organized a backpack and shoe drive for Mission Haiti. After a one month collection, 75 backpacks and 65 pairs of shoes were counted and will be donated to that cause. Thanks!

• Sue Thayer led chapel. Sue worked for Planned Parenthood for 18 years and was then moved in her faith to leave PP and become an outspoken advocate for life, all life! She now works for 40 Day for Life, an organization that believes prayer is our most powerful way of impacting life issues for Christ!

• The juniors in Church History went to Sioux Falls for their field trip. They toured Ransom Community Church, Holy Spirit Catholic Church, Mt. Zion Temple, and Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church; they observed and learned a lot. As a followup to that tour, eight pastors visited the class and answered questions.

• This year for the annual end of the year Senior Farewell Chapel, the teachers offered their advice to the graduates via video that Ms. Laurissa Boman put together.

• Summer Registration for the 2019-2020 school year will take place on Thursday, July 11, from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM in the Western office. Be watching for emails leading up to that day with more information.

Grandparents Day

Freshman PE Class

Senior Breakfast with Faculty

Individual Events Competitive Speech

Western’s Individual Events Competitive Speech students had another great season. Even though we experienced multiple weather-related postponements, the students demonstrated poise and growth in their performances!

Districts were held at Okoboji High School, and Western took 18 performances to that event. If a student receives a “I” rating at Districts, he/she then advances to State. State Speech is held two weeks after Districts, and this year 12 students from Western took their performances to the State event at Woodbury Central High School. At State, three judges evaluate and then rate the performance. Western was very well represented at State; it is such an accomplishment to take a piece and perform it confidently in front of three State judges! The final IE Speech event of the year is the Festival. If at least two State judges nominate a performance as one of the best they critiqued at State, that performer is invited to the All-State Festival. This year two Western students received this prestigious recognition: Brandon Kamstra in Radio News Announcing and Elizabeth Carney in Interpretive Prose. Western congratulates them on this honor!

Competitive Speech at Western would like to recognize and thank the seniors who have been fantastic leaders for our Large Group and Individual Speech programs: Linzie Bosma, Elizabeth Carney, Payton Oostenink, Rebecca DenHartog, Halle Andringa, Kyler Statema, Trayle Kats, Cole Christians.

I would like to recognize the students involved in Individual Events for speech this year. We had a weather delay for Districts, so our contest was held a few days late. We took 18 entries to Okoboji High School. Each performer has one judge who evaluates that performance and earning a “I” qualifies a student for State Speech.

State speech was scheduled to take place at Woodbury Central High School last Saturday, but Western Speech had another weather delay, so we look forward to 12 entries performing this week Saturday in front of three State judges. I am very proud of these students. I have seen them take their selections and do some pretty great stuff with them. Here are our State performers in Individual Speech:

State Qualifiers in Individual Events:

9th graders:

Wyatt VH–Radio News

Kellie Martin–Interp Prose

Kyler H–double qualifier–Interpretive Poetry and Storytelling

10th

Shawna DK–Interp Prose

Braelynn K–Storytelling

Sage H–Storytelling

11th

Brandon K–Radio News

12th

Linzie B–Double qualifier–Interp Poetry, Lit Program

Elizabeth C–Interp Prose–ALL-STATE (Western’s first ever three-time All-State Performer–2 times in LG, once in IE)

Payton O–Storytelling

Hull Food Pantry

Drumline at the Tulip Festival

Juniors in Church History

Cantus at Pleasant Acres

FFA attends 91st FFA State Leadership Conference

Sixteen Western Christian FFA members attended the 91st FFA State Leadership Conference at Iowa State University in April. Each member went to the convention with the intent to compete in a competition that they had been preparing for, receive a degree, or serve as chapter delegates.

Members started off the conference with workshops, the career shop, watched competitions, sessions, keynote speakers, such as US Olympian Archer, Matt Stutzman, and many more. Members toured the Iowa Agricultural and Environmental Services lab at Iowa State University that day as well learned about how Iowa soils and waters are being treated and affected by environmental and human factors. Trey Kelderman and Abby Veldman served as our chapter delegates throughout the convention. They took part in the discussions and voting for the upcoming 2019-2020 State Officer team. In the evening, members enjoyed time together at the famous Hickory Park and ‘Members Night Out’ at the Memorial Union on campus with the other FFA members in attendance.

Bright and early on the second day fourteen of the sixteen members participated in their competitions.

• Poultry Judging: Madison Hofman, Aubrey Kooima, Olivia Granstra, and Abby Schmidt - received a Silver Rating.

• Marketing Team: Titan Hofman, Trenton Hoekstra, and Ty Vande Hoef developed a marketing plan to enhance precision planting at Van’s Implement. Members worked with Van’s to discuss ways to make this resource even more valuable to crop producers. They received a Silver Rating.

• Farm Business Management Team: Kyler Van Voorst, Ethan Van Maanen, Brennan Moss, and Mathew DeVries - received a bronze rating.

• Ag Sales Team: Carter Broek, Mason Stetson, Levi VandenBos, and Colt Hofman. This team developed a plan to sell a product called Peak Aquacide. Their judge acted as a customer to whom they were to sell the product. They received a bronze rating.

• Chapter Display: Abby Veldman, Christia Van’t Hul, and Aubrey Kooima. Their display this year highlighted Farm Safety Day. They received a Gold rating.

• Aubrey Kooima received THIRD IN THE STATE for her hard work on the Secretary’s Book. It was an absolute joy to see her be the first member of the Western Christian FFA chapter to bring home a plaque to put on the wall.

• Also at Convention Madison Hofman received a State FFA Degree. Madison was our second recipient from Western Christian to obtain a State FFA Degree.

Congratulations to all those that participated at State Convention this year!

Farm Safety Day

FFA students from Western hosted a “Farm Safety Day” with FFA students from the Rock Valley chapter. Third graders from the Rock Valley area schools learned the basics about how to be safe on the farm. Various topics were covered, such as PTO safety, car safety, and electrical safety. They also learned how to dial 911 while learning about electrical safety, grain bin safety, ATV, and acid safety. Mike Zommermand and Merrill Nettinga came and talked to the kids about their farm accidents and advised how to be safe on the farm.

Banquet 2019

The speaker for this year’s FFA Banquet was Iowa’s Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Naig. He talked about the importance of agriculture in Iowa, and how we need our young generation to get involved. Other highlights of the evening were the retirement of old officers and the announcement of the new officers for next year.

NCC Engineering Competition

Ten students in Mr. De Stigter’s Physics class built trebuchets for the NCC Engineering Expo. This competition was held on Wednesday, May 1st in Sheldon, IA at NCC’s campus. This event had four sections that could be scored: accuracy, distance, poster presentation, and a hands-on project. Students needed to design and build a working trebuchet that was adjustable, durable, effective, and cost-friendly. Team White consisted of Kayla Zevenbergen, Clay Van Tol, Parker Vis, Chase Alexander, and Jacob Marshall. Members of Team Maroon were Chandler Schemper, Alex Harthoorn, Jonathan Slice, Kyler Statema, and Brendan Tiedeman.

The accuracy section of the competition consisted of setting up the trebuchet at one of three distances, 60, 90, or 120 feet. Teams had to draw a distance multiplier out of a hat to prove that their trebuchet was adjustable. Teams were given three practice shots and five scored launches. Eggs were launched at an 8’ x 8’ target and were scored according to where the egg landed. Team White placed 3rd in this category by scoring 23 points out of 50.

During the distance portion of the competition, teams took turns placing their trebuchets behind the starting line. Each team was given a total of five shots to see how far their trebuchet could throw the egg. The white team’s longest throw was 157 feet, and the maroon team reached 136 feet.

The third activity in the competition was the presentation. Teams had to make a poster board that showed the design process, pictures of their trebuchet, and anything that aided in the design process. Each team presented their trebuchets and the process they went through to design and build them to a panel of four judges. In addition, each team had to answer questions from the judges. Team White placed 2nd, and Team Maroon placed 3rd overall in the presentation.

The final activity was a hands-on engineering project. Students had no knowledge going into this event. The challenge was to use given materials to protect an egg that was dropped from 30 feet from the back of a Maintainer boom. Students were given paper, straws, cups, tape, rubber bands, and various other household products to build a cushioning mechanism that hopefully kept the egg from cracking or breaking. Teams were scored on the accuracy of hitting an ‘X’ and if the egg stayed intact. Team White placed 1st overall in this section while also earning the 1st place overall in the NCC engineering competition.

Face to Face International Peer Education with Art

Karinda de Boom’s Drawing and Painting and 3D Media students connected with students from Dordrecht, Netherlands through the Face to Face Organization to collaborate together on an art piece with a central topic of ‘identity.’ Face to Face connects students from different countries utilizing the technologies and online media as an educational avenue for students to learn about worldview frameworks and how they have shaped the cultures within different countries. The common history of the Synod of Dort, which met 400 years ago, was the framework for their art piece. Students in both the United States and the Netherlands began by learning about the history of the Synod of Dort. Dr. Wayne Kobes spoke with Western Christian students about the history of the Synod, where the Arminians challenged the Reformed theology. The resulting decisions from the Synod were the Canons of Dort, one of the fundamental doctrines taught by Reformed churches today.

Students from both countries were divided into nine groups of two to three students from each country. Peer groups worked together through social media to collaborate on the project. The first meeting was held over Skype in the classroom. Students met in their peer groups to get to know one another and begin the discussion of their knowledge of the Synod and how they would visually represent their identity. During offline class time, students continued to collaborate through other social media platforms to come up with common answers for how they would create their piece of art. They held another online meeting to finalize details for the project before creating an art piece in both countries that were similar.

The completed exhibit consisted of eight 11 x 14-inch matted drawings, one 18 x 34-inch flag, and two 14 x 17 posters explaining the project. The exhibit was displayed at the Spring Music Concert and is available for any church wishing to host the exhibit. Please contact Wes Fopma at wes.fopma@westernchristianhs.com if you would be willing to allow this display in your church.

Western Christian JETS Team

Western Christian JETS Team is again one of the top teams in the state of Iowa.

Western Christian’s JETS (or Junior Engineering and Technical Society) is a program designed to create an interest for students aspiring to become engineers or work in other STEM career-related fields. Teams work collaboratively and creatively with each other to solve engineering-based problems throughout the course of the school year. In addition to working throughout the year, students participate in the regional TEAMS (Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics, and Science) competition where they test in three areas: Essay Writing, a Multiple Choice Test, and a Hands-on project.

Over the past number of years, Western Christian has had very successful JETS teams that have done an outstanding job on the regional TEAMS test. In 2016, Western’s JETS team had the highest scores of any school in the state of Iowa. They followed that in 2017 with the second best scores in the state behind only Iowa City West High School. The 2017 team had the 10th best scores nationally in our classification.

The 2019 Western Christian JETS team once again had the second highest score in the state of Iowa from all size schools behind Iowa City West High School. Their score was the 12th highest nationally in schools of the same size as Western Christian. This team consisted of Rachel Covey, Cassie Van Otterloo, Jonathon Slice, Parker Vis, Jeff DeKam, Dolan Vandersloot, and Cole Christians. Aubrey Kooima was also part of the team, but she is not pictured. Mr. Shawn De Stigter guides the Western JETS program.

Early in the fall, students can sign up to be a part of JETS. On average, Western has 20-25 students participate, but the number has been as high as 35 students. Students are typically given a ‘problem of the month’ to work on. Towards the end of December or beginning of January, students split into teams of seven or eight students based upon their work, as well as other factors such as leadership, ingenuity, commitment, and prior experience and performance at the TEAMS competition.

The time commitment for team members grows from one to three hours a month at the beginning of the school year to one to four hours a week in January and February as the students prepare for the regional TEAMS test.

The Western Christian NHS Induction Ceremony

The National Honor Society Induction was held as part of the Awards Night Program on Wednesday, May 8, in the Western Christian Event Center. The four pillars of the NHS are Scholarship, Service, Character, and Leadership. In order to qualify for the Society, juniors and seniors with a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or above were invited to complete an application which was then reviewed by a 5-member faculty council and NHS adviser. Other membership criteria are listed in the Western Christian Parent-Student handbook.

Western NHS students are expected to offer exemplary, leadership both inside and outside of our school. As part of their service to the school, NHS members manage the recycling/redemption program for cans and bottles. This year the NHS members voted to donate the funds to two worthy causes, 40 Days for Life organization and Hull Sack Pack program. The students felt connected to both of these organizations after a powerful chapel lead by Sue Thayer from 40 Days for Life and spending time at the Hull Food Bank filling backpacks for the Hull Sack Program. This year the NHS students also helped monitor the Inflatables and games during the Annual Fund Night Auction. Congratulation to the new inductees!

Members inducted on May 8, 2019, include the Previously Inducted Members: following students:

Halle Andringa

Morgan Andringa

Elizabeth Carney

Rachel Covey

Jamie De Kam

Rebecca Den Hartog

Jillian Den Herder

Haley Driesen

Gracie Dykstra

Dawson Feenstra

Olivia Granstra

Josie Iedema

Brandon Kamstra

Janessa Klyn

Courtney Kollis

Aubrey Kooima

Makenna Kooima

Whitney Minderhoud

Nakia Nielsen

Abby Postma

Allison Postma

Madison Slaughter

Ross Vander Berg

Dolan Van De Stroet

Zach Van Essen

Cassie Van Otterloo

Matthew Van Otterloo

Abby Veldman

Hannah Ver Burg

Evan Wibben

Tori Wynja

Cole Zevenbergen

Emma Bousema

Cole Christians

Jeff DeKam

Marissa Driesen

Trenton Hoekstra

Trayle Kats

Bailey Nelson

Payton Oostenink

Chandler Schemper

Jonathan Slice

Georgia Van Essen

Clay VanTol

Jacob Vis

Parker Vis

Kayla Zevenbergen