1. education
2. school

S aring
A newsletter for friends, staff, and parents of Summit Christian Academy
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February 2015
The mission of Summit Christian Academy is to inspire students to achieve their God-given potential
through excellent academics and Christian training in a compassionate environment.
Contact Us:
Summit Christian
Academy
Administration,
Early Education, Secondary
1500 SW Jefferson
Lee’s Summit MO 64081
816.525.1480
Elementary
1450 SW Jefferson
Lee’s Summit MO 64081
816.524.0185
Linda Harrelson, Head of School
Emir Esparza, Secondary Principal
& Director of Operations
Kimberlee Gill, Elementary
Principal & K-12 Academic Dean
Charissa Sanders, Elementary
Vice Principal
Julie Madsen, Early Ed. Director
Jake Kates, Sec. Athletic Director
Kathy Tharp, International
Program Director
Sarah Coats, Dir. of Development
Like us on
summit-christian-academy.org
Inside Soaring:
Spiritual
2-3
A Note From Your
Head of School
3
Academics
4-9
Athletics
10
Fine Arts
11
Board Candidate Info
12
This & That
12-13
Upcoming Events
14
SCA Commemorates 25th Anniversary
with SCA: The Musical
T
he 2014-15 school year has been
an exciting one! As you have read
the history of SCA in SOARING
each month, you have read about God’s
amazing work at SCA through the growth
of enrollment, expansion of campus and
facilities, increase in course offerings and
programs, and the positive impact we have
had for Christ!
The 25th anniversary year will culminate
on March 6 with a school and communitywide presentation of an original musical
written by SCA faculty members Mrs.
Emily Stam and Mr. Greg Finch entitled,
SCA: The Musical. This fun, upbeat
production will take you through the
history of SCA’s first 25 years in a most
entertaining way. You will laugh, you may
even cry, but you will most certainly be
amazed at all the ways the Lord has blessed
our school.
Be sure to mark your calendars for 7
p.m., Friday, March 6, at First Baptist
Raytown for this fun, school-wide event
that you will not want to miss. Doors open
at 6 p.m. with general admission seating (no
tickets required).
“I cannot thank Mr. Finch and Mrs.
Stam enough for the many hours they spent
researching, writing, collaborating, and
editing the script for the school musical,”
shared Head of School Linda Harrelson.
“They are both incredibly talented and
greatly appreciated!”
The cast of SCA: The Musical is made
up of SCA’s talented 5th grade students
in collaboration with preschool through
6th graders, All-Star and secondary
cheerleaders, and the secondary choirs,
band, and dance teams. SCA: The Musical
will be directed by Mrs. Angy Bounds and
Mrs. Trissa Lucht.
“For several years, we were blessed to
have our all-school Christmas program at
First Baptist Raytown’s beautiful facility,”
shared Mrs. Harrelson. “As we grew and
First Baptists’ Christmas Pageant grew,
it became very hard to coordinate both
events. We are so thankful to First Baptist
Raytown for agreeing to host SCA: The
Musical so our entire student body can once
again come together on stage.”
Summit
Christian Academy
ent
s
e
r
P
s...
A fun, upbeat musical production that takes you through the
history of SCA’s first 25 years in a most entertaining way!
You will laugh...you may even cry...but you will most certainly
be amazed at how God has blessed our school.
Written by SCA faculty members Emily Stam and Greg Finch. Directed
by SCA faculty members Angy Bounds and Trissa Lucht. Performed by
preschool-6th grade students in collaboration with secondary choir,
band, cheer and dance teams, and the All-Star Cheerleaders.
7 p.m., Friday, March 6
First Baptist Church
10500 E. 350 Highway, Raytown
Doors open at 6 p.m.
General Admission Seating (no tickets required)
Questions? Call 816.525.1480
Page 2 The SCA Spiritual Walk
February Elementary Chapel
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send in my
name, he will teach you all things and
bring to your remembrance all that I
have said to you.” John 14:26
During February, elementary
chapels will focus on the Holy
Spirit as our helper. God does
some great things for His children
through the work of the Holy
Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not just
some mystical force or impersonal
power. The Bible declares that
the Holy Spirit is God. The Bible
also tells us that the Holy Spirit
is a divine person, a being with a
mind, emotions, and a will. The
Holy Spirit thinks and knows
(I Corinthians 2:10). The Holy
Spirit can be grieved (Ephesians
4:30). The Spirit intercedes for
us (Romans 8:26-27). He makes
decisions according to His will (I
Corinthians 12:7-11). The Holy
Spirit is God, the third Person of
the Trinity.
John 14:6 will be our key verse
this month. From this verse,
believers are encouraged by the
roles the Holy Spirit plays in our
lives. 1) He is our helper; 2) He
teaches us ALL things; and 3) He
brings to our remembrance all that
He has said.
To partner with us this month,
you may want to read and discuss
the following verses and you
may want to use the visual object
lessons to illustrate the Holy Spirit
and His work.
1. Revelation 21:3 - “God’s
dwelling is with humanity, and He will
live with them.”
2. I Corinthians 6:19-20 - “Your
body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit.”
Define sanctuary and help your
child understand that when we give
God control of our lives, He makes
Soaring
SCA Core Value:
Christ-Centered
Our belief in God and His
Word is central to SCA. Through a
faculty who practice a personal and
active faith, we foster a thoroughly
Christian environment where God’s
Word is the standard for decision
making. Placing Christ at the center
of all enables us to educate the whole
student, spiritually, emotionally,
mentally, socially, and physically.
our body a holy or sacred place.
3. Acts 2:1-3 - “Appearance as
flaming tongues of fire.”
4. John 3:8 - “The wind that blows
where it pleases.” Illustration: Box
fan. Turn it on and have a child
with long hair stand in front of it.
You’ll be able to quickly illustrate
seeing the effects of the wind, but
not seeing the wind itself.
5. I Kings 19:11-12 - “Soft
whisper.” Illustration: Use a piece
of rope to illustrate a gentle tug...
like the Holy Spirit gently tugging
at your heart.
Elementary Christian Character Award Winners
SCA is pleased to recognize students who consistently
exhibit exceptional Christian character. The purpose
of this award is to encourage students to pursue their
potential toward attaining the highest level of personal
and academic development.
The elementary Christian Character Award recipients
for second quarter are third grade student Caleb Dawson,
son of Drs. Brett and Christa Dawson, and sixth grade
student Addison Everson, daughter of Mike and Tiffany
Everson.
L to R: SCA 3rd grade student Caleb Dawson and 6th
grade student Addison Everson with Elementary Vice
Principal Mrs. Charissa Sanders.
Summit Christian Academy
Core Values
Christ-Centered • Pursuing Grace & Truth • Inspiring Excellence in Learning
Encouraging Spiritual Growth • Cultivating Community • Igniting Leadership
Soaring
Page 3
The SCA Spiritual Walk
Students Send Books to Chinese Schools
SCA secondary
students and teens4good,
Inc. recently organized
a school-wide book
drive benefiting WLPP
(Western Literature
Promotion Program).
The aim of WLPP is
to enhance education
in China by providing
instructional materials to
underprivileged schools,
enabling them to teach
English.
“The mission of WLPP
is to enhance the cultural
communication between
West and East and
promote peace around
the world,” said senior
and Chinese international
student Zewen Zheng.
Zheng is SCA’s WLPP
high school ambassador.
“Suitable English reading
material is in short supply
for students in China,”
Zheng added.
SCA believes that their
students are tomorrow’s
global leaders and equips
their students to be
global citizens. When
senior Aaron Banks and
sophomore Corbin Healy
heard of WLPP’s need
for donated
English
literature, they
helped organize
a school-wide
book drive.
From October
through
L to R: Senior Aaron Banks, Secondary
December,
teacher Michael Scott, senior Won
students of all Jun “Austin” Kim, and sophomore
Corbin Healy display a sampling of the
ages came to
hundreds of books donated.
school with
book donations.
“Our goal was to have books, largely due to the
500 books, but God blew support of elementary
that out of the water,”
students and their
said Banks. “We were so parents.”
excited to collect 900
Message From Your Head of School
I was invited last week to
speak at the Lee’s Summit
Chamber of Commerce annual
Sunny Side Up breakfast. In
two minutes or less, I was to
share as much good news as
possible about SCA. In true
Letterman fashion, I gave a top
ten countdown.
# 10 Academics are strong as evidenced by
having a national merit semifinalist again this year.
Congratulations Aaron Banks!
# 9 Enrollment this year is 732, up 700 since we
started in 1989.
# 8 Last year’s seniors earned close to $1 million
in college scholarships.
# 7 The Kansas City Business Journal ranked
SCA #5 on their Kansas City Metro “Top Private
Schools” list.
# 6 SCA welcomed over 600 grandparents to
our campus on Grandparents’ Day and simulcast
the program to many others in places as far away as
China and Africa.
#5 An SCA athlete soared to the number one
ranking in Missouri’s indoor track high jump and
is ranked #13 in the nation for the second year in a
row. Congratulations sophomore Carlie Queen!
# 4 Great schools attract great families to the
area. This year alone, families from Oklahoma,
Texas, New York, New Mexico, and Nebraska have
moved to Lee’s Summit to attend SCA.
# 3 SCA’s high school choir performed at
Carnegie Hall this past summer.
# 2 Something very important to me because it
speaks to training our students spiritually as well
as academically, is the fact that our elementary
students have memorized a total of 182 Bible verses
so far this year and will end the school year with an
impressive 364 total verses.
And the #1 piece of good news…We are blessed
to celebrate 25 years of God’s hand on this school.
He has provided His guidance, His wisdom,
His resources, and so much more in order for us
to effectively minister to His children – YOUR
children!
As always, when I see a list of God’s blessings
on SCA, Psalm 126:3 comes to mind, “The Lord has
done great things for us and we are filled with joy!”
Thank you for sharing your children with us and for
being part of our amazing journey. I cannot wait to
see what the Lord has in store for the next 25 years.
Linda Harrelson
Page 4 Soaring
Academics
Faculty Spotlight
Meet Miss Julie Ray, First Grade Teacher
The Scripture that First
Grade Teacher Julie Ray lives
and teaches by can be found in
Jeremiah chapter 29, verse 11,
“For I know the plans I have for you,
to give you hope and a future.”
“This is one of my favorite
Scriptures,” shared Miss Ray. “I
try to teach the kids to live by
this verse. I want them to know
that the Lord has amazing plans
for their lives and to know that
they are never too young to start
a relationship with Him. And
not just to know it now, but to
continue walking in His way as
they get older and not turn from
these truths.”
Since 2004, Miss Ray has been
speaking life and love into the
first graders at Summit Christian
Academy. Originally from Kansas
City, Miss Ray graduated from
Raytown High School and went
on to obtain her elementary
teaching degree from Baylor
University (GO BEARS)! As one
of the first grade teachers, Miss
Ray has also become somewhat
of a tooth queen at the elementary
school.
“I am the local tooth puller,”
shared Miss Ray. “It just
happened by accident probably
eight or nine years ago that I
pulled a student’s tooth and then
the next year I pulled a few more.
The first year I started keeping
count, I pulled 81 teeth in one
year. By now, I’m sure I have
pulled over 250 teeth!”
Outside of serving as a first
grade teacher at SCA and cheer
coordinator for the Senior High
and All-Star Cheer teams, Miss
Ray is active in her church
and travels to Guatemala
to serve as a missionary
each year at Casa Bernabé
orphanage.
Miss Ray says she loves
teaching at SCA because it is
like a family to her.
“My favorite thing about
SCA would definitely be
the relationships I have
Miss Ray with one of the sweet little girls
made with so many fellow
from Casa Bernabé in Guatemala.
Christians,”
shared Ray. “It
is always a true
blessing to know
we can talk about
the Lord and
share our needs
with each other.
To know that
a whole school
The elementary student council presented school supplies
could be praying they collected for Miss Ray’s mission trip to Casa Bernabé
orphanage in Guatemala. Many elementary classes helped
for something
with the collection of school supplies.
going on in our
lives, is truly a
Shelves
blessing.”
stocked
with some
If there is one thing that she
of the
would like the six- and sevensupplies
year-olds in her class to remember
donated
forever from their time at SCA,
by SCA
students!
it would be the verses they
memorize each week.
“I would love it if my students
as they grow older would
remember the first grade Bible
verses and keep them in their
hearts and minds forever! These
Scriptures are the foundation that
stick with them for a lifetime,”
shared Ray. “It would be so
cool for them to look back and
remember they had learned these
verses in first grade!”
Soaring
Page 5
Academics
SCA Students Excel at Spelling Bee
SCA had 16 students participate
in the ACSI District Spelling Bee at
Heartland Christian School in Belton.
The following students placed in their
grade level competitions and advanced
to the finals round:
•8th grade - Evan Harris, 1st place
•6th grade - Ryan Wagy, 3rd place
•5th grade - Zach Chinnery, 1st place;
Nate Bartlett, 2nd place; & Jacob
Martinez, 3rd place
•4th grade - Jeff Renetzky, 1st place
•3rd grade - Abby Cook, 3rd place
The last round was the final spell
down, in which the top four in each
5th-8th grade level participated. In this
final spell down, 8th grader Evan Harris
finished 1st and 5th grader Nate Bartlett
finished 2nd. Both have advanced to the
ACSI Regional Spelling Bee in Texas in
March.
“We are so proud of all of our
participants. They represented SCA
and our Lord Jesus so well!” said
Elementary Vice Principal Charissa
Sanders.
L to R: 8th grader Evan Harris and 5th grader
Nate Bartlett advance to ACSI Regional
competition in March.
Elementary Principal’s Honor Roll Announced
Students who achieve all A’s in core subjects are placed on the Principal’s Honor Roll each quarter.
Listed are elementary students who were on the Principal’s Honor Roll first and/or second quarter (asterisk
indicates students who accomplished this both first and second quarter).
Nathan Bartlett*
Zach Beasley*
Avery Beitzinger*
Mark Beumer*
Hannah Brown
Faith Cardinale
Briana Chapman*
Zachary Chinnery*
Isabelle Cipolla*
Addi Collins *
Abigail Crooks*
Cole Cumberland*
Jake Cumberland*
Jake Dean*
Jordan Drum*
Addison Everson*
Brennan Ferguson
Aliya Finch*
Lydia Francis
Grant Fristo
Jared Gerdes*
Kandace Gill
Kaitlyn Gregg*
Sarah Hall
Madeline Hammett*
Annie Harsch
Devyn Holt*
Elijah Huckabee
Trey Kates*
Griffin Kliewer*
Kathryn Kudrin
Delaney Lake
Joshua Madsen
Mackenzie Madsen*
Jacob Martinez*
William McConaughey
Anaviah McFarland *
Hannah McGraw*
Adriana McGregor*
Rachel Mendenhall
Elizabeth Miller
Kaitlyn Miller
Max Niedermeyer*
Sophie Nielsen
Zack Oppriecht
Gunner Pace*
Collin Pemberton
Christian Phillips
Eden Prather*
Jeffrey Renetzky*
Sayge Romines*
Ashlyn Steller*
Jillian Steller*
Maggie Stratton
Jake Sutton
Ryan Wagy*
Alysa Ward
Patrick Yokley
Makenzie Zimmerman*
Page 6
Soaring
Academics
Teacher Shares About Martin Luther King Jr.
In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Second
Grade Teacher Melanie Casey shared her personal
connection to Martin Luther King, Jr.
Mrs. Casey’s father, Dr. Perry Little, Sr., attended
Morehouse College with Martin Luther King, Jr.
Casey’s father was also a civil rights leader in their
hometown of High Point, North Carolina.
“I talked to the students about Martin Luther
King, Jr., and how he was a man of peace, a man of
God, and a family man,” shared Mrs. Casey.
Mrs. Casey shares her connection to King at the school’s
elementary chapel services.
New DVD Library
Available to
Parents
We are excited to offer another
service to elementary parents—
access to the elementary DVD
library. We have a wide range
of DVDs to peruse, check out,
and enjoy. We are also accepting
donations of new or gently
used DVDs to continue
building our library.
Kindergarten Class Book Selected As National Finalist
Mrs. Wilfong’s
kindergarten class
illustrated and wrote a
book that was selected
from thousands of
applicants as a finalist in
the nationwide National
Book Challenge put
on by Studentreasures
Publishing.
Mrs. Katelyn Wilfong
led her class in creating
their book, We Love Fall,
which exemplifies the
judge’s criteria for topic,
noteworthy storyline,
front cover appeal,
interesting illustrations,
and following correct
publishing guidelines.
Studentreasures’ product and as a sample to
“My class creates a
catalogs, on the website, promote this program.
book together at the
beginning of each school
year, but this is the first
time our book has been
selected,” said Wilfong.
If the book We Love
Fall is pronounced the
winner, Studentreasures
Publishing will provide
a free copy of the book
to SCA’s principal,
Mrs. Wilfong, and each
student in the class. The
classroom will receive a
$100 higher education
Mrs. Wilfong with her young authors and their book,
cash scholarship, and their
We Love Fall.
book may be featured in
Elementary Mystery Reader
During the 25th anniversary year, kindergarten and
first grade classes are having special guest Mystery
Readers during library time.
The most recent mystery reader was Bill Lewis! Mr.
Lewis and his wife Carol have been a part of the SCA
family since 1998. He is an attorney in Lee’s Summit
and served 34 years as Lee’s Summit Municipal Judge.
Mr. Lewis read the book, Why Mosquitoes Buzz in
People’s Ears. The students listened intently and enjoyed
asking Mr. Lewis questions about his profession
afterward. Miss Ray’s class even asked if they could
give him a group hug!
Soaring
Page 7
Academics
GEMS: Inspiring a Passion for Reading
S
tarting in March, there
will be a new kind of dog
walking the halls of SCA!
We are excited to announce
GEMS, a new reading activity for
reluctant readers. SCA’s mission
with the GEMS program is to
inspire students to have a passion
for reading. For some, achieving
fluency in this critical skill is a
complex and arduous process;
for others, they just have negative
thoughts toward reading. Our
hope is that while enjoying a
sweet pet friend, students will
truly treasure their reading time
rather than dread it.
GEMS will use reading
education assistance dogs (and
other pets!) that have been
specially trained. These pets are
registered therapy animals who
volunteer with their owner/
handlers as a team, going to
schools as reading companions
for children who are struggling
and need a way to de-stress as
they work through the process of
learning to read.
Why Pets?
As we know, learning to read
is often about overcoming fears
of failure. According to SCA’s
research, we agree with the
therapy animals website (http://
www.therapyanimals.org/) that
states, “animals are ideal reading
companions because they:
• help increase relaxation and
lower blood pressure
• listen attentively
• do not judge, laugh or criticize
• allow children to proceed at
their own pace
• are less intimidating than peers”
Why Call the Program
GEMS?
Matthew 6:21 tells us that
where our treasure is our heart is.
Ultimately, we want our students
to treasure their ability to read
as it enables them to read God’s
Word.
Additionally, we are naming the
program to honor the memory of
Jim Anderson, a reading therapy
volunteer and his dog Emma.
By combining their names, we
came up with GEMS! Mrs. Gill
learned of reading therapy dogs
several years ago and had been
waiting for the Lord to open a
venue to bring it to SCA. She saw
Mr. Anderson’s picture on the
social media page of SCA parent
Susan Ruiz, and this picture along
with his legacy watered the seed
planted long ago.
What Will Students Do?
Participating students will be
chosen by their teachers. They
will come to the elementary
library on Fridays and meet their
pet friend. After reading with
the animal for twenty minutes,
they will be allowed to provide
the animal with a treat and play
for five minutes. Students will be
escorted to and from the library
by GEM program manager
Charissa Sanders.
Want to Volunteer With
Your Pet?
Parents interested in
volunteering for the GEMS
program should contact SCA
parent Susan Ruiz at susanruiz@
kc.rr.com. You can also check
out the above website and click
on “How to Volunteer.” All
volunteers will fill out an SCA
volunteer application and go
through a thorough background
check.
Page 8
Soaring
Academics
Class Registration Begins for Jr/Sr High
You may remember last year we piloted online
class registration. Ultimately, we felt the process was
not meeting the individual needs of our students.
Now, your student's advisor will be handling the
course registration for your child. Our goal is to have
the 2015-16 course schedule in the hands of each
student by the end of April. We are very excited
about that capability.
Here is what you need to know:
1. Students must meet with their advisor before
courses may be selected. As an educational partner,
we strongly encourage you to be a part of this
meeting as well. Please follow these links to sign up
(if you haven't already).
Mrs. Schmidt (entering grades 7-9):
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0a4fa9ac2da64-junior
Mrs. Eames (entering grades 10-12):
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a094da8aa2baa8-high
2. Your child must be reenrolled. Students will not
be given schedules in April if they are not officially
reenrolled at SCA.
3. The week of February 9-13, advisors will be
collecting registration forms (from those who have
not already turned them in) during PE and Bible
class. Forms will be attached to email communication
and advisors will have hard copies available when
they meet with students. Please discuss course
selection with your child as well.
4. SCA will build the 2015-16 schedule in March
based on student registration forms received. We
enter the course information from the registration
forms, and Sycamore will create the schedule to
minimize conflicts (two desired courses being at the
same time). Students who are not reenrolled at the
time the schedule is being built will be registered in
courses upon their reenrollment with the existing
schedule.
Bottom Line
• Meet with Advisor
• Reenroll at SCA
• Decide on course selection between February
9-13. The Course Description Guide will be on
the SCA Today App, Sycamore, and summitchristian-academy.org.
• Receive your 2015-16 schedule in April!
If you have questions, feel free to contact Mrs. Gill,
Mrs. Eames, or Mrs. Schmidt.
French I & Orchestra Added for Secondary Students
We are pleased to announce the
addition of two new courses at
the secondary level for the 20152016 school year: French I and
orchestra.
French I will be taught by
Mrs. Cheryl Patneau who has
her master's degree in romance
languages. Mrs. Patneau is
currently teaching multiple levels
of Spanish at SCA and readily
admits that the French language
is her passion. Her previous
school experience included all
levels of French including dual
credit classes. This course expands
our language offerings to three:
Spanish, Chinese, and French.
Mrs. Nagy is expanding the
high school band program to
include stringed instruments. The
high school band class will now
be called Symphonic Orchestra.
Mrs. Nagy brings an expertise in
violin and is excited to provide
a place to belong for all SCA
students who want to be part of
an orchestral experience. This
expansion of the high school band
with strings will allow for greater
student participation and bring an
even fuller sound to performances.
Junior High Band will remain the
same.
Should orchestra or French I
interest you, please talk with your
advisor. We recommend making
your advising appointment as soon
as possible, since open enrollment
begins soon. Email judyschmidt@
sca-kc.org (entering grades 7-9)
or deames@sca-kc.org (entering
grades 10-12) for an appointment
time.
Soaring
Page 9
Academics
Secondary Principal’s Honor Roll Announced
Jr. High
Torrance Bagunu
Ethan Beitzinger
Rachel Beumer
Gage Brown
Kennedy Brown
Courtney Culbertson
Kyle Cumberland
Faith Dickey
Samuel Espey
Evan Fristo
Jaci Gage
Evan Harris
Luke Kim
Lucy Knapp
Avery Lake
Kate Lyle
Matthew Mitchell
Riley Painter
Preston Parks
Alyssa Pemberton
Jessica Perue
Jake Roudebush
Makayla Rudisel
Sophie Schooley
Jo Marie Scire
Ashley Suhr
Jay Teilborg
Isabella Totero
Emely Trimmer
Jacob Walden
Glynn Wolf
High School
Jade Armstrong
Abram Bagunu
Gabrielle Bagunu
Lindsey Berry
Alley Brown
Kyla Brown
Tanner Butler
Brett Campbell
Madison Chandler
Samuel Chinnery
Maya Cofield
Mary Colaric
Russell Cook
Norah Coram
Rayna Cross
Andrew DeShon
Jacob Dixson
Lakota Duncan
Sabrina Ethridge
Carmen Fanning
Madelynn Fristo
Joely Gage
Brady Garmon
Hannah Glidewell
Heather Gordon
Glori Gronberg
Grace Gronberg
Connor Healy
Esther Her
Carolyn Herrera
Luke Hoffman
Taylor Hurst
Brock Johnson
Mykyla Jones
Kayla Kernsvaal
Alyssa Kim
Melody Kim
Jessa Kliewer
Hunter Koch
Alynn Li
Michael Lint
Adam Lucht
Reagan Lyle
Anabelle McConaughey
Zach McConnell
Zachary McEwen
Rachel Moore
Zoe Oppriecht
Sean Park
Annelise Parke
Ross Parke
Anna Pickert
Carlie Queen
Rebecca Rivas-D’Amico
Marresa Ross
Micah Ruiz Esparza
Madison Sallas
Sydney Schmoeger
Keeli Shearer
Payton Shippy
Ben Smith
Elizabeth Stratton
Robbie Suhr
Ben Teig
Hailey Trimmer
Jordan Uselton
Karen Weber
Molly Williams
Zach Wu
Ziwei Xiang
Laura Xu
Summit Christian Academy Participates in
Lee’s Summit Education Summit
SCA recently had the opportunity to
participate in the 5th Annual Lee’s Summit
Education Summit hosted by Metropolitan
Community College – Longview Education
Center.
Academic Dean and Elementary Principal
Kimberlee Gill participated in the panel made
up of educational and economic community
leaders ranging from Dr. Chuck Ambrose from
the University of Central Missouri to Nancy
Academic Dean Kimberlee Gill with other area educators as a Bruns from the Lee’s Summit Chamber of
member of the panel at the Lee’ Summit Education Summit. Commerce.
Page 10
Soaring
Athletics
Soccer Player Receives Post-Season Honor
Sophomore varsity soccer standout Josiah Vigliano was named
to All-State second team.
“Josiah had a tremendous year playing defense for us. His work
ethic and attitude are tremendous and I believe he can be one of
the best players in the city in the next couple of seasons,” said
Varsity Soccer Coach Dane Cockrell.
Sophomore Josiah Vigliano with Coach Dane Cockrell
Sophomore Named First in State
Sophomore Carlie Queen has soared into the number one ranking for indoor
track high jump in the state of Missouri. Carlie performed at the Arkansas
High School Invitational in Fayetteville recently, where she defended her state
title in the high jump event with a leap of 5’6”. Carlie was also named 13th in
the nation for the second year in a row. She was the youngest female athlete to
claim the top medal in the meet’s field events.
The major invitational hosted 2,500 competitors from across the nation,
with 550 national elite performances posting from the event. Queen will
compete again on the national stage at the Simplot Games to be held at Idaho
State University in February.
Queen ranked number one in Missouri for indoor track high jump.
Varsity Basketball Players Named
to All-Tournament Team
J
unior Brock
Johnson and
sophomore
Sam Huckabee were
named to the boys’
All-Tournament Team
for their play in the
Pleasant Hill Basketball
Tournament. The
Samuel Huckabee and Brock Johnson
Eagles placed second in
the tournament after losing to Smithville in the championship
game.
“Our entire team played very well at the Pleasant Hill
tournament,” shared Varsity Basketball Coach Jake Kates.
“The style we play lends itself to a different guy having big
games every night. Both Sam and Brock delivered when the
team set them up. It always means a lot to have young men
recognized, but with all that Brock has been through, this one
was extremely special.”
Soaring
Page 11
Fine Arts
Fifth Graders Learn Hands-on at Nelson-Atkins
Students in 5th grade recently took an educational
field trip to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, where
they enjoyed a day of hands-on learning. They found
inspiration through the discovery of rich collections that
comprise the world-class art museum. They explored select
works ranging from ancient times to modern day.
“The morning was spent on the Tomb Treasures tour.
They learned about ancient Egypt and China through the
amazing artifacts the museum offers. The afternoon was
devoted to a Landscape Scroll Workshop,” shared 5th
Grade Teacher Michelle Bacon.
At the Landscape Scroll Workshop, students learned
Chinese brushstrokes and created a landscape scroll project
of their own.
Fifth grader Alivia Stanley takes time to smile
after creating her own masterpiece at the NelsonAtkins Museum of Art.
Faculty Member
Publishes Second Book
College and Senior English and
Bible teacher, Dr. Thomas Reedy,
is publishing his second book,
Wrestling with God: Evangelicals and
the Holy Spirit.
The book in hard copy and a
Kindle version will be available for
purchase the first week of February
and will be distributed by Amazon
and its subsidiaries.
Dr. Reedy’s first book, The Hand
of Zerrubabel, is available through
roarpublications.com.
Page 12
Soaring
This & That
Board of Education Openings
Could God be calling you to serve on the SCA
School Board? If you are committed to seeing your
children grow academically and spiritually; if you are
grace oriented with high personal standards; if you are
impressed with God’s plan unfolding at SCA; and if
you have a desire to serve the Lord with your gifts and
talents, then perhaps the answer is YES!
SCA was founded 25 years ago by people with a
clear vision for a solidly academic school combined
with a firm Christian foundation. Since then, 52 board
members have sought the Lord’s guidance and direction
through years of unprecedented growth, challenging
times, capital campaigns, the acquisition of 36 acres of
land, and the construction of two beautiful buildings. A
brief glimpse at our history clearly demonstrates God’s
hand upon us.
Serving on a Christian school board is not a light
responsibility. It is an honor to serve the Lord and
this school in this unique, humbling, and challenging
way. Like myself, you may feel you don’t have the
time to devote to serving on the board, but I believe
God honors our commitments to this school and
multiplies our time in other areas of our lives. There
are approximately 5-7 hours of meetings each month
but the benefits far outweigh the sacrifice. You will be
stretched out of your comfort zone and you will grow
as a leader in your business and in your home. You
will be part of a hard-working team of board members,
highly qualified administrators, and remarkable
teachers. You will wrestle with interesting and
challenging ideas and issues, but through it all, you will
see your faith strengthened as you see God working out
the details, both large and small.
There will be one open board position this spring.
To adequately prepare potential candidates, we will be
hosting board candidate training events on Monday,
March 23, and Tuesday, March 31. Both training events
will be held at 4:30 p.m. in the secondary conference
room. We also recommend that potential candidates
attend as many board meetings as possible this spring.
The next few board meetings are scheduled for 3:30
p.m. on Thursdays, February 26, March 26, and April
23 in the secondary conference room. A Board Member
application can be found in the documents section on
Sycamore Education and should be completed and
returned to Carol Lewis by Thursday, April 16. http://
www.sycamoreeducation.com/public_documents.
php?id=1121&docid=533184
Please prayerfully consider if you or someone you
know should run for the SCA School Board. And
please pray for us as we navigate the exciting future
God has in store for Summit Christian Academy.
IMPORTANT DATES
Board Candidate Training
Monday, March 23, and Tuesday, March 31
Both at 4:30 p.m. in secondary conference room
Board Meetings Thursdays, February 26, March 26, April 23
Board applications due
Ballots Counted
New Board Member Seated Thursday, April 16
Monday, May 18
Thursday, May 21
January Board Report
The Board of
Education met on
Thursday, January 15.
The Board received
reports from the
development office and
the finance office.
Mrs. Harrelson
reviewed her report and
invited board members to
attend any of the chapel
services that will be held
on Solemn Assembly day,
which is January 30.
Mrs. Harrelson
reported that Lee’s
Summit is hosting an
education conference on
January 29. Mrs. Gill
will attend and serve
on a panel with others
to discuss economic
development in the Lee’s
Summit area in light
of a good educational
framework. She reported
that the date of next
year’s Grandparents’
Day has been changed
from what was on the
calendar the board
approved last month.
Because of homecoming,
Grandparents’ Day was
moved to October 16.
The date of the June
board meeting will be the
regularly scheduled date
of Thursday, June 25.
The Board
approved applying for
reaccreditation through
ACSI and AdvancEd.
The Board did a first
reading of a number of
policies in the Board
section of the policy
manual. Two new policies
in the student section
were also addressed
having to do with bullying
and hazing and sports
participation. All of these
policies will be brought
to the board for a second
reading in February.
Soaring
Page 13
This & That
SCA Hosts 3rd Annual International Festival
Join us from 5-8:30
p.m. on Tuesday,
February 17, in the
elementary gym
for the third annual
International Festival.
Doors open at 4:30.
Last year, more than
500 attendees enjoyed the
community-wide event.
Those attending had the
opportunity to travel
through the continents
and experience music,
art, mission projects,
games, and sample food
from around the world.
Attendees witnessed
the parade of flags,
were part of a Chinese
tea ceremony, and saw
From
the
Health
Office
Illness
We have had
numerous cases of
influenza, strep and
gastroenteritis here at
SCA at all grade levels.
Please help us to prevent
the spread of illness by
keeping your children
home if they are ill
with fever, vomiting,
diarrhea, etc. Remember
our policy of fever and
vomiting free for 24
hours without fever
reducing medication
prior to returning to
school! If your child
wakes up and appears to
costumes from countries
around the world!
“We live in a world
where we are globally
connected,” said
International Program
Director Kathy Tharp.
“It is with much
intention that we create
opportunities to become
more globally aware.
This event will give
students, families, and
the community the
chance to have a glimpse
and taste of other
countries without leaving
Lee’s Summit! It is a
wonderful and fun event
for families.”
Tickets purchased
in advance are $10 for
adults, $5 for students, or
$30 for families of 4 or
more. At the door, tickets
are $12, $6, $36,
respectively. Tickets are
available at the secondary
reception desk.
For information on
how you can be a vendor,
sponsor, or country
presenter, please contact
Kathy Tharp at 816-5251480 or ktharp@sca-kc.
org.
be ill, please keep them
home at least for the
morning and see how
they are feeling.
Attention
Elementary
Students!!
Handwashing
Please help encourage
your child to have
healthy hand washing
habits! They need to
use soap and water
and scrub for at least
15 seconds! This is the
best way to prevent the
spread of germs!
Thank you for helping us
maintain a healthy and
safe school environment!
SCA Health Clerks
Amy Berry, RN
Sheri Dean, RN
Wear Your Red,
White, or Pink !!
Be sure to wear your Valentine party
dresses...red, white, or pink shirts,
pants and/or jeans for Valentine’s Day
activities on Friday, February 13.
Students are permitted to wear any
pink, white, or red shirt (dress code
shirts not necessary). Students who
wear pink, red, or white shirts may
also wear jeans on this fun day as we
celebrate God’s great LOVE!
1500 SW Jefferson
Lee’s Summit MO 64081
Upcoming Events
Feb 2
Feb 5-6
Feb 9-13
Feb 13
Feb 16
Covenant Church Enrollment Begins
Early Education Parent-Teacher
Conferences (No School for Early Ed)
Secondary Spirit Week
JH/HS Pep Rally
Elementary Valentine’s Day Parties
EARLY RELEASE DAY
NO SCHOOL (Presidents’ Day) (This day
is set aside to make up a snow day if necessary)
Feb 17
Feb 17
Feb 18
Feb 19
Feb 20
Feb 26
Feb 27
Open Enrollment Begins
International Festival 5 p.m.
Spirit Event at Freddy’s
Secondary Blue Crew Day
Kindergarten Preview 8:30-10 a.m.
HS Choir Dinner/Concert
Kindergarten Preview 8:30-10 a.m.
Early Education Preview 8:30-10 a.m.
Board of Education Meeting 3:30 p.m.
Campus Visit Day 1:30-3 p.m.
Dates to remember
Feb. 2, Enrollment opens for new families
from covenant churches
Feb. 17, Open enrollment
Campus Visit Opportunities
Kindergarten Preview
8:30-10 a.m., Feb. 19
8:30-10 a.m., Feb. 20
Early Education Preview
8:30-10 a.m., Feb. 26
8:30-10 a.m., Mar. 4
Campus Visit Day (all grade levels)
1:30-3 p.m., Feb. 27
1:30-3 p.m., Apr. 24
Campus Visit Day (grades 7-12)
1:30-3 p.m., Mar. 27