Upper School Newsletter
December 4, 2017
Dates to Remember:
December 14 - Upper School Christmas Concert, Grades 6-12, 6:30PM
December 19 - All School Christmas Chapel, 8:15AM
December 20-22 - Upper School Midterms, Early Dismissal 11:30AM
December 22 - End of 2nd Marking Period
Upcoming Sports:
3:30PM - Girls Varsity Basketball Tournament @Lancaster Country Day School
5PM - Boys Varsity Basketball Tournament @Lancaster Country Day School
Saturday, December 9th
Boys Varsity Basketball Tournament @Lancaster Country Day
Girls Varsity Basketball Tournament @ Lancaster Country Day
From the Principal's Desk:
Why are we here?
The other day my wife brought home from the library Senator Ben Sasse’s The Vanishing American Adult: Our Coming-of-Age Crisis- and How to Rebuild a Culture of Self-Reliance, a book I have been wanting to read ever since I heard of its release. Sasse, a Reformed Presbyterian, Yale PhD., and former university president serving the state of Nebraska in the U.S. Senate, puts his finger on the pulse of American culture the same way Alan Bloom did three decades ago in his classic work Closing of the American Mind. I found Sasse’s telling of the following story especially relevant to our work at WSCA.
“Early in my tenure at Midland University [Sasse was the university’s president], a group of students in the athletic department was tasked with setting up a twenty-foot Christmas tree in the lobby of our basketball arena. These were hearty and healthy kids, 18- and 19-year olds. They got the tree up, took out some decorations, dressed the tree, and began to leave, concluding that the job was done. That was when one of the university’s vice presidents happened by and noticed something odd. The Christmas tree was decorated only on the bottom seven or eight feet, on the branches the kids could easily reach.
Why, she asked, was the work only half done?
The head of a sorority replied, ‘We couldn’t figure out how to get the ornaments on the top.’
"Was there not a ladder in the gym?"’ the vice president queried. ‘Was maintenance unwilling to bring one?’
She was met with shrugs. No one had bothered to look or thought to ask.”
Senator Sasse then adds this commentary to the event: “This day’s failure wasn’t at all about lacking brains; it was about will. It was about ownership. It was about not having much experience or interest in seeing tasks through to completion. This startled me. It worried me for the kids.”
I’m worried for the kids too. I’m worried for our kids. There are many times, if we are honest, that we are only decorating the bottom of the tree. The problem is not “out there in America,” it is inside our homes and our school. We are too apathetic and we give up way too quickly. This is not the time to go off on a “Kids these days...” or “It’s cell phones...” rant. The reasons for why our culture has arrived at this place are complex, but let’s not just shrug our shoulders too. Sasse is right: the main reason is a matter of the will. We have lost our will because we have lost our hearts.
This is not a new problem, though. When reading Sasse’s story, I was reminded of Solomon’s words in Ecclesiastes. “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going (Eccles. 9:10).” Solomon’s warning to us is clear: work, think deeply, gain knowledge, and listen to wise teachers with all your might while God gives you days on earth because once we reach Sheol (the grave), our time is up. There are real problems to be solved, so let’s develop real Christians to solve them. Let’s make sure we at WSCA figure out a way to decorate the whole tree in the midst of a culture that has lost its appetite for excellence!
Winterim Release Times
Registration form for seniors will be released TONIGHT (12/4) at 6:00 p.m.
Registration form for grades 6-11 will be released Tuesday (tomorrow) evening at 6:00 p.m.
MUSIC DEPARTMENT NEWS
On Saturday, December 2nd, approximately 300 students from schools within Dauphin, Cumberland, Lebanon, Franklin, and Perry Counties auditioned for the District 7 Band at Dallastown High School. For the first time in several years, one of our students was accepted into the District 7 Band. Congratulations to 7th grader Kellen Mikesell!
WSCA Jazz Band Performs at Christmas Candylane in Hershey
Drop Off/Pick-up Reminders
As we reach almost the halfway point of the year, we are thanking the Lord for His faithfulness to our school. Whether we have been driving on or off campus, He has kept us in His care, but it is also important to realize that there are specific things we can do to continue to maintain a safe environment for our students.
Over the last few weeks, it has become apparent that we all need to remind ourselves of some basic safety instructions while driving in and out of WSCA's campus.
- Maintain speeds of less than 10 MPH.
- Refrain from using your hands while on your cell phone- no texting or hand held conversations.
- Pay close attention to the instructions of the staff traffic controllers and pick up assistants.
- Keep any music/audio down to a level that allows you to notice and hear instructions should they be given to you.
- If you have to cross the street in between the upper and lower schools, please use the corner crossing only.
It goes without saying that our students' safety should be everyone's utmost priority while driving in and out of our campus. It is vital that we all work to abide by these directives. We would never want to be in the position of looking back on a major (or even minor) accident that could have been prevented by simply heeding these instructions.
Thank you for your attention to this matter!
Senior Picture Packet
Upper School Christmas Concert Guidelines
Please join us Thursday, December 14th, 6:30pm in the church auditorium
- Students performing in the concert should report to the 3rd floor of the LS at 6:00pm
- Concert attire:
- Boys - Black oxford dress top, optional red tie/bowtie, black dress pants, black socks and black shoes
- Girls - Black dress shirt and black dress pants OR long skirt or dress (to the ankles), black dress shoes
- No low cuts or exposed shoulders. Anyone not dressed appropriately will not be permitted to perform and will be given a zero for their concert grade. If you have questions, contact Mrs. Leatherman or Mrs. Cramer.
Midterms/Finals
2nd Marking Period Report Cards
For your planning purposes, 2nd marking period report cards will be released on Friday, January 19th rather than the 17th as the official school calendar states. This two-day extension will allow teachers and administrators a little more time to make sure they thoroughly and accurately close out the 2nd marking period.
The midterm schedule is attached to the newsletter for your convenience.
Large Plastic Bins Needed
The Upper School is in need of 10-12 forty quart clear plastic storage bins. We are continuing to clean up the attic and large bins would helpful. If you are willing to donate a bin, please bring it to the Upper School office. Thank you for your help!
Scholarship Opportunity for Juniors
Volunteer Cashier Needed
CATS Parents Prayer Team Update
As parents, we gather in prayer for our school on Tuesday afternoons from 2:00 to 2:45 in the Lower School Conference Room. We pray for staff members, teachers, and students by name and any special requests for that week. If you aren't available on Tuesday afternoons you can get the prayer requests via email each week to commit to pray at home. For more information contact Gretchen Carvella at CatsPrayerTeam@westshorechristian.org .
Here's a link to a prayer calendar which all of us can use to pray each day for our children, our children's friends, their teachers, and all who are in the WSCA family. Just follow the date, no matter which day of the week it falls on each month -
http://www.motherhoodonadime.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/September-Prayer-Calendar1.pdf (Copyright Bob Hostetler (www.bobhostetler.com). Used with the permission of the author. Also available as an iPhone/iPad app in the iTunes app store.)
Thanks for lifting our WSCA community before the Lord in prayer!
Register Your GIANT BONUSCARD for WSCA
West Shore Christian Academy (ID#: 20565) has the opportunity to participate in Giant food store's A+ School Rewards program. This fundraising program, run through your local Giant, allows WSCA to receive a check from Giant at the end of the rewards period.
Last year WSCA raised over $3000.00 though this program! We would like to increase our potential earnings by registering more Giant bonus cards to WSCA. Anyone can register their card, so feel free to recruit family and friends to participate. There is no cost to you and signing up does not affect your other rewards.
Thank you for supporting our school!
To participate (PLEASE NOTE: You DO NOT need to re-register your card if your school selection(s) remains the same as last year.):
- Visit www.giantfoodstores.com and select Savings & Rewards.
- Follow the prompts to create your online account if you do not already have one. You’ll need your 11-digit BONUSCARD® number and the School ID #
To earn points:
- Use your registered BONUSCARD® each time you shop at Giant, and you will earn CASH for our school. You can track the number of points you are earning for our school by checking your grocery receipt.
- At the end of each month, your points are calculated and converted to CASH rewards. These CASH rewards for our school are updated monthly.
- Our school will receive one CASH awards check at the end of the program.
Save the Date!
Save the date for the Annual CSAGH Association Meeting to be held at 7 PM on January 22 at Harrisburg Christian School’s Fine Arts Center (2000 Blue Mountain Parkway, Harrisburg, PA 17112).
This meeting will provide updates on the CSAGH Strategic Plan, review of CSAGH’s Financial Plan and Tuition Schedules for 2018-2019, and the election of new CSAGH Board Members. For information about CSAGH’s Board of Directors and Board Code of Conduct please go to either of the following links:
WSCA: http://westshorechristian.org/about/csagh-board-constitution-requirement-code-of-conduct
The CSAGH Board of Directors looks forward to seeing you January 22!
SAT/ACT Registration Dates:
West Shore Christian Academy
Email: info@westshorechristian.org
Website: www.westshorechristian.org
Location: 201 West Main Street, Shiremanstown, PA, United States
Phone: 717.737.3550
Facebook: www.facebook.com/westshorechristian
Twitter: @WSCA1