SUMMER 2013

M A R A N AT H A M AT T E R SC e l e b r a t i n g S u c c e s s

2 God woRkinG thRoUGh So Many 4 CElEbRatinG... by dawn wilCox 8 SUCCESS in thE ElEMEntaRy 11 bUSinESSES MakE thE diffEREnCE

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Gratefulness

This edition of the Matters is celebrating God’s goodness to MCA. I say it often that God chooses to work through

people to accomplish His purposes. It is with great confidence I can say that all of our staff and faculty feel blessed by Him and equipped to be able to be used by Him to accomplish His purposes in the lives of the students.

I have been overwhelmed by God’s generosity and wonderful provision for His ministry. He has accomplished this by stirring up hearts around the nation to give. All have given according to their ability, so some gifts were few in dollars and others quite large. But as God reminded us in the lesson of the widow and her mite, it is not the size of the gift, but rather it is the state of the heart. So thank you to all who gave their prayer, time, treasure and talent to be used by God to provide MCA with a blessed year.

School BoardJim CottonJim MarmonDebbie SiemersSean SlatteryBlake Welch

M i s s i o n s t a t e M e n t

The Mission of Maranatha Christian Academy is to t ra in and equ ip students for l i fe and for service to Jesus Christ through a biblical worldview, character development, and academic excellence.

Administration Mark Schultze, SuperintendentBoyd Beck, Secondary PrincipalDavid Keener, Athletic Director; Dean of StudentsLaura Burch, Elementary PrincipalMarilyn Daugherty, Preschool Administrator

Executive Advisory Council John EricksonClarence HarveyBob HodgdonNick Jordan

Maranatha Christian AcademyA Christian college preparatoryschool serving grades pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.

Accreditations:

Accredited PreK-12 by the Association of Christian Schools International.

Accredited K-12 by AdvancEDAccreditation andSchool Improvement.

Maranatha Christian Academy admits students of any race, color, nationality, or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, nationality, or ethnic origin in administration of educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship programs, athletic, or other school-administered programs. To do so would be in violation of Christian principles as set forth in God’s Word, the Holy Bible.

God WorkinG ThrouGh So Many

table of Contents

Leadership View

Celebrating My First Year: Dawn Wilcox

Perspective and Action

Investing in Academics

Preschool: Celebrating Success

Success in the Elementary

Secondary’s Success

God’s Blessings on Our Facilities

Businesses Make the Difference

Key Upcoming Events

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by Mark Schultze

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Does the amount of evil in this world disturb you? From our limited view, we can easily be discouraged by how the sinful way of thinking and

living is so prevalent. God, however, is not moved one iota. He is not quaking in His shoes wondering how this will all turn out. The good news is that He has clearly shown us the path for reclaiming a nation for Him.

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin

and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14.

Notice, God does not ask those who are not His people to follow this path. He calls His people to do these things. How can each of us start following this path? I believe I must begin down this path, and then to encourage other believers to do so as well. Especially as the leader of an organization that seeks to follow our God, I have the mandate to call others to follow this path.

You may ask, “Mark, how does this relate to an attitude of gratitude?” Glad you asked. If Abraham Lincoln was right in saying, “The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next,” then I am so grateful that MCA exists to engage the hearts, minds and souls of young people to follow the path stated in 2 Chronicles.

Just like the nation of Israel, we must follow God’s path to be a great nation. Therefore, we must start with ourselves, and then continue on with our children in entirely devoting ourselves to God.

So, in this edition, I want to celebrate the fact that God has given you the opportunity to have an educational partner who desires to raise up a generation of young people who want to follow the path. In my recent conversations with people who have served in the public schools for years, I have heard over and over that it is almost impossible for a young person to withstand the assault of the devil in that environment. It breaks my heart to think of the lambs who are in harm’s way.

•Let’s rejoice that God has given us a safe haven to impart His wisdom and character to our children.

•Let’s rejoice that we can raise up new Christian teachers to go into those public schools and be salt and light.

•Let’s rejoice that we still can pray openly and that we can teach His Word in our school.

•Let’s rejoice that God gives us the path to saving our nation. Then let us follow that path.

LeaderShip V ieW

Attitude of Gratitude

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CeLebraTinG My FirST year

He’s lost. while following a family friend to a soccer game the other day, i realized my leader did not know where he was headed. we pulled over to make a U-turn, and i swiped my cell phone screen to begin

the process of driving to my destination. after a few simple clicks, i had the address and was on my peaceful and secure way, knowing the exact address and the best way to travel.

after teaching in the public sector fourteen years, i was unsure of my own path until i swiped the screen and listened to the voice of God, our perfect leader, as he called me to teach English at Maranatha this past fall. what a fun and blessed adventure it has been.

• Applying Scripture as a teacher at Maranatha, i enjoy beginning many days with a devotion during homeroom in which we focus on Christian character. Speaking in the real world about loving one another, taking the mandates off the pages of Scripture, and implementing them into everyday life brings a focus to our daily interactions with others. truly, when we love others, we include them, we encourage them, we forgive them. when we, as a school, promote being responsible and loving citizens in our devotions during the year and then take a school day off in the spring to serve the community, we are teaching in a very real manner. when we take the time to talk with each other about honesty and then show examples of what that means when writing research papers and completing homework, we are putting belief into practice.

• Praying with My Students My students and i take our needs before the father in prayer. we pray for help on tests, sick or hurt family members, protection and so many other concerns on their hearts. we pray for what we know is on their schedules on a given day. no matter what tests or projects, track meets or soccer games my students have in their planners, we begin by focusing on what truly matters—bringing glory to the father. Many times i pray, “God, help us put things in perspective.”

• Reading the Word of God when i create assignments to help my students meet curricular goals, God has blessed me to do so with a Christian worldview focus. when we read short stories, not only do we study the plot line, we also look for Scriptures that exemplify the themes. when we write poems about a journey (think, “the Road not taken”), i introduce the lesson with a Christian song and verses from the word to focus our attention on our true purpose here. we are currently studying Romeo and Juliet in English 9, and we will look at this well-known piece of literature through a Christian lens.

• Encouraging the Spiritual Growth of Students when i taught in the public sector, i could encourage my students in their athletic events and academic quests; however, i could not openly encourage them in their Christian faith. i now work under an administration that stresses the importance of encouraging each of our students in his or her spiritual walk. i see many students who are growing in their faith, and i am excited to see how they will continue to bring glory to God in the future.

when i take my students with me on the trail toward English greatness, complete with sight-seeing into the world of grammar, trudging up the Mla research paper mountain, and jogging through a plethora of essays and poems, i know that something else takes precedence over of all of this. on this path, i am commissioned to point to God at every opportunity. i proceed as an imperfect tour guide who will continue to swipe the screen for direction and enjoy the journey.

by Dawn Wilcox

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perSpeCTiVe and aCTion

The Lasting Effects of Christian Schools

in Christianity Today (September 2011), in a special section titled, “the lasting Effects of your School,” insight is provided from the Cardus Study. that study examines graduates of all types of high schools.

a conservative protestant graduate would be “most likely to: want a job that is directly helpful to others and fulfills a religious calling; have a large family; read the bible; be a leader in a congregation; feel prepared for relationships. least likely to: want a job that pays well; like new and exciting experiences; feel helpless in dealing with the problems of life; engage in political boycotts or protests; make political contributions.”

let’s celebrate that we are raising up young people who will follow the good in this description; including being ideal church members and faithful followers of Christ. let’s diligently seek ways to encourage our children to want to impact our culture, live boldly for our lord and excel in their vocation so that God will use them to

Change Our World.

Beyond the Walls: Serving and Growingapril 5th was the culmination of months of praying and preparing. hundreds of people in the MCa

family headed out to bless 13 ministries across the kC metro.

there are so many reasons to give God praise for how he worked in and around MCa during this effort:

•Students came back from the day of service inspired by the opportunity to bless those ministries. Perhaps they will seek opportunities on their own to continue this service.

•directors at the ministries were effusive in their appreciation for the impact of our students, faculty and parents.

•donors from across the nation voiced their enthusiasm in giving to such a wonderful event that developed young people and furthered a God-centered ministry.

•Many prayers were lifted up on behalf of donors, ministries and for the MCa family.

•donors helped MCa exceed the fund-raising goal of $75,000 to reach a total of $93,000 by april 29th. donations continued to come in well past that date.

•almost all the work coordinating this event was done by parent volunteers in an enthusiastic, creative manner. this greatly relieved the burden on the staff.

May the lord multiply our gifts of a few loaves of bread and fishes to impact lives around the city and nation.

Throughout this year, God stirred up hearts to give generously.

Last summer a donor gave a large donation that benefited our science program, business office and marketing efforts. Almost weekly donations come in for the Tuition Assistance Fund. Many people generously gave to the Teacher Appreciation Fund in December. Our Corporate Partners alone gave over $120,000 to the Tuition Assistance Fund. In total, donations exceeded $250,000. Those are many reasons to give God praise!

It keeps getting better! God stirred one of our families to give enough funds to provide our South campus with mobile iPad carts. These carts will hold a total of 30 iPads and charging stations. The iPads will be

in shock absorbing covers and will have insurance to cover breakage. In addition we will be able to update our wireless system and infrastructure to support the extra demand on our system.

The faculty is committed to being trained to fully exploit the capability of these iPads. Technology is now an extension of the brain not just a tool on the side. MCA is so grateful that God has provided these resources to help prepare students for the 21st Century environment that is filled with technology.

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Deterring Harm

iPads are Coming

inVeSTinG in aCadeMiCS

Through the Beyond the Walls Serve-A-Thon, we raised funds to install additional security measures and deterrents in our school. By the end of June, we will install new access

controls at all the key doors in the South campus. Additionally, we will integrate the security systems across both campuses into one system. All access points will be controlled by card readers which will greatly improve the ability to provide the right access to the right people.

In addition, Homeland Security visited MCA and conducted an assessment. The report provided suggestions for policies, hard shell and training that could further deter harm coming to our people and to our facilities. The school has a plan to implement these suggestions as God provides funds and time.

Ultimately, MCA puts its faith in God to protect His people. Just as Nehemiah instructed the people building the wall to carry their swords, so must we be diligent to deter evil. MCA commits to being diligent in this matter.

Thank you!

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Preschool is a place of exploring. Our preschool focuses on exploring a relationship with Jesus

Christ. In addition, the teachers leverage a young child’s natural curiosity to expose each child to healthy relationships, foundations for academics, and excitement for learning. Here are a few stories from our teachers that share the joy of helping these young children grow.

Starr Freeman shares, “Many parents tell me how excited their child is to come to school. Every morning when they wake up they ask if it’s a school day. One little girl tells her mom to take her to school before she stops to buy coffee because she doesn’t want to be late to school. Seeing and hearing that my students have a love for school and learning is what makes me feel like a successful preschool teacher.”

Alahora Belcher notices, “Parents are comfortable when they go to work knowing their children are well cared for. We have a lot of children this year that came from another day care and the parents have said they can really see the difference. The loving environment, discipline, and education they are gaining are well noted by the parents. They are learning phonics and are telling their parents what words begin with each sound. They learn a lot of songs and nursery rhymes which help with the phonics and various sounds. Hugs and love are abundant and the children look forward to coming to school.”

Kathy Sewell observes, “When a child is given a new task, such as tracing a letter, or putting on their own jacket, they usually say, ‘I can’t.’ When that ‘I can’t’ turns into ‘I’ll try’ and then into ‘I did it’ –that is success.Sometimesachildwillcryonhisfirstdayofpreschool, but later in the day when the parent comes to pick him up he will cry because he doesn’t want to leave – that is success!”

Cheri Gardner reminds us, “Our ultimate goal at Maranatha Christian Academy is to teach children to love Jesus. The week before Easter we did the Resurrection Eggs each day at Bible time to help teach the children the Easter story. The children liked it so much that they would ask me to get the eggs down at other times of the day. One morning as I was going through the eggs with a small group of children, we got to the ‘crown of thorns’ egg and a sweet 5-year old said, ‘I don’t like this part because they are being mean to Jesus.’ No wonder the Bible says, ‘Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven’.”

These teachers have touched the lives of almost 100 children this year. All who work in our preschool are committed to loving children and providing a Spirit-filledatmospherewherechildrencanexploretheworldthat God created.

preSChooL: CeLebraTinG SuCCeSS

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Success in God’s eyes requires higher standards. By His standards, I believe we have had a most successful year. What

should rejoice our hearts more than knowing that several students gave their lives to our Lord this year including one of our South Korean students?

We were encouraged this year to receive many comments fromvisitors, hosts offield trips and chapel speakers about ourstudents’ excellent behavior and manners. One visitor said, “I am so impressed with how well-mannered your students are!”

nEw PRoGRaMSThe Science lab – All students in grades K-6 have enjoyed

a hands-on science lab once a month. Mrs. Janet Porter led students to discover science concepts as diverse as “the science ofsnowflakes,”“astronomy,”“theheart,”and“chromatography.”A student commented, “Science Lab is awesome. It’s not just paperwork, we get to do stuff.”

The Learning Center – Over 35 students were served in the Learning Center this year. The Learning Center teacher, Mrs. Kelley Martin, and volunteer, Mr. Phil Redmon, provided individualized assessment and instruction. Mrs. Martin said, “We provide mastery of basic skills and teach new concepts through activities that are fun.” One student commented, “It helps me be moreconfidentinwhatIdo.”Mrs.Martinreplied,“ThatiswhatLearning Center is all about!”

Enrichment Program – Twenty-nine students with Mrs. Porter’s direction have been challenged to research, think creatively and critically and produce products encapsulating their newfound knowledge. A student said,” We get to do projects that cause us to think. We plan and build things. My favorite project was stability of structures.”

aCadEMiC SUCCESS

New Curriculum – Several grades adopted new curriculum this year. The Kindergarten teacher said, “The students were able to read short words early in the year and sentences soon after which generated excitement for students and their parents.” There was enthusiasm for the new English curriculum in the intermediate grades.

Mrs. Redick’s class, with a South Korean student, had their horizons expanded through learning about South Korea’s culture, folktales, geography, and food. Students made post cards with a particular landmark where they virtually visited.

Mrs. Attwood’s days were challenged by “no pencil, no paper days” (N.P.N.P.D’s) where they used a combination of technology and concrete activities in cooperative groups to solve problems. “Never a dull moment,” said Mrs. Attwood about these days.

The 5th graders experienced engineering and technology in aninnovativewaythroughStarbase,afive-weekprogramwithaninteractive approach to science topics.

Third graders presented a Patriotic Play at school and at First Baptist Church where they all gave gifts to honor those in the military. One veteran said, “I am so encouraged that there is a school teaching our children the love for our country and not forgetting the cost of freedom.”

Science projects require thought, hypothesis, research, writing results and presentation of the whole process. Mrs. McFarland said, “Our students learned so much about God’s awesome creation!”

SPiRitUal GRowth

Each week our students worship in chapel. As one parent put it, “The highlight of my week consists of the time that I spend at MCA on Tuesdays. There is no better way to start your day than worshipping with K-3rd graders. I have made it a part of my weekly schedule to attend chapel because it is such an uplifting experience. To watch the kids so passionate and worshipful, it brings me to my knees in humility. When asked if Christian school is worth it, I think immediately of chapel and know without hesitation that it is valuable!”

GeneroSiTy There were many opportunities to be generous this year.

Our student body gave over $4,000 to the Indian orphanage. Various classes raised hundreds of dollars to give to their classroom missionaries. Fourth grade alone raised almost $500 for Compassion International with a money war and $300 for their missionary.

SuCCeSS in The eLeMenTary By Laura Burch

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“i love Maranatha Christian academy because of my friends, my education, the sense of family, and my ability to nurture my relationship with Christ.”

This quote is from a junior high student, and it certainly conceptualizes the important parts of Maranatha Christian Academy. As an educator, I may have put education before friends, but that is not the heart

of the student! The Community of Maranatha is vital to the strong academic and educational environment.

Maranatha is an academic institution here to educate your child in the frame of a Biblical worldview. Let’s look at these academic achievements this year:

- TwostudentsqualifiedtoadvanceintheNationalMeritContest.

- Science Class earned 2nd place in the Balsa Bridge Competition and received the Overall Award for Success.

- Science Class earned 3rd place at the KSU Velocity Competition for rockets.

- Honor Roll status is well above the national average; eighty percent of the senior class earned a GPA of 3.0 or above.

- Maranatha has nine college-level honors classes.

- Nine students received recognition for high scores on the American Math Competition.

- One senior was recognized as a Kansas Governor’s Scholar.

- Three seniors were recognized as Kansas ACT scholars.

- The Kansas Board of Regents recognized seven seniors receiving the Exceptional Academic Performance Awards.

- ACT scores continue to be above the national average.

Academics at Maranatha Christian Academy are strong and will continue to stay strong. Maranatha is committed to “training and equipping students” in this generation to go out into the world and become World Changers.

SeCondary’S SuCCeSS

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improvements in our facilities and grounds are yet another reason to praise our lord for his provisions. our new facility director, kevin bergerhofer, led

and performed a significant list of renovations and improvements. what an encouragement to all when we see these changes and know that they were done in a quality manner with limited funds.

• Gym bathroom remodel – installed commercial quality facilities, flooring and wall covering.

• East gym entrance awning – leveraging the generous giving from the auction, the new awning was installed in March. this provides cover during elementary dismissal.

• Stage curtains – using a class gift and more giving at the auction, commercial grade curtains were installed. Paired with painting and a redesign of the front of the stage, our stage is a quality setting to host plays and other events.

• Gym floor redesign – the floor has a new look in alignment with our refreshed brand. our gym has become a showpiece that speaks of the quality of our school to all visitors.

• Redesigned front entrance to north Campus – an entry way providing a warm welcome to all visitors and the story of Maranatha Christian academy was completed this spring.

• Storage space – space is a premium and with careful plans and execution, all space was evaluated and reorganized providing optimal use and function across our campuses.

• irrigation for athletic field – a creative solution was found to provide a water source for our field. this is exciting in that soccer and football games will return to our campus.

• Contracts – several vendors were evaluated and the subsequent negotiations resulted in thousands of dollars in savings.

Up next:kitchen and cafeteria remodel – work will start right after school lets out and

should be done in July. this will lead to an exciting new addition to the quality of what MCa offers – quality, healthy meals provided each day by MCa-hired personnel.

God’S bLeSSinGS on our FaCiLiTieS

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Corporate Partners EventbuSineSSeS Make a diFFerenCe

a record was set this year based on how many businesses (22) became school partners and their financial commitment

(over $120,000!).

MCa would like to invite all businesses affiliated with the school to our Corporate Sponsor Event. Please consider supporting our school and learn about the Corporate Sponsor program in a relaxed environment while meeting other business owners.

would consider, supporting our school. MCa will again host a dinner event at the wiley’s on august 27th. Mr. Schultze will share plans for the 2013-14 school year and beyond. live entertainment will be provided, and it will be a great time to connect with other business people of like mind, heart and passion.

for more informat ion, contact brandyn west at 913-302-9766.

Timothy R. Brownlee, PCA T T O R N e y A T L A W

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Intro to Warren Hannon Jeweler

It has been my pleasure to be a corporate sponsor at Maranatha for several years. when our oldest child was

approaching school age, we prayed that God would lead us to what his will for her education would be. we enrolled her in Christian school and from that moment on God has truly blessed our family with rich experiences. all four of our children attended Christian school from k-12 and the youngest two are Maranatha graduates. our years at Maranatha allowed our family to come along side Christian educators and Christian parents to provide spiritual, academic and social excellence for our kids. i pray that the monetary contribution that our company provides can in some small way enrich Maranatha so that the school can be a blessing to current and future families. Richard hannon

Impact of Corporate Partners

Maranatha Christian academy families who own businesses made an unprecedented impact on our school this year.

not only did a record number agree to be Corporate Partners and give a record amount to provide over 80 students tuition assistance, but we had businesses step up and sponsor our battle of the bands event and give generously to the beyond the walls Serve-a-thon. it was a Corporate Partner who blessed the school with the funds to provide for the new iPads.

Maranatha Christian academy wants to express its deepest appreciation for all these gifts plus the services that are provided at cost or donated. literally thousands of dollars are saved each year through this kind of generous support.

thank you for being the hands of Jesus in ministering to students, parents, teachers and staff.

M A R A N AT H A M AT T E R SA v i s i o n t h a t P r o d u c e s w o r l d c h a n g i n g o u t c o m e s

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SUMMER 2013

NoN-Profit org.U.S. PoStage

PaidShawNee, kSPermit #1080

May 29th – May 31st

key upCoMinG eVenTS

Democracy Foundation Institute

Summer Enrichment Program in Partnership with the Culture HouseJune 3rd – August 8th

Boys Basketball July 8th-12th, 1st-4th Grades, 8-10 am Boys Basketball July 8th-12th, 5th-8th Grades, 10:30am-12:30 pm Girls Basketball July 15th – 19th, 8:30-11:30 am

Sports’ Camps

reTurn SerViCe requeSTed

eaSTern kanSaS ChriSTian SChooLS, inC.

August 12th

Teachers’ In-Service Begins

August 17thIce Cream Social

August 19thFall Sports’ Practices Begin

August 21stFirst Day of School

August 27th, 6-9 pmCorporate Partner Event

August 6th, 6-7:30 pm

Explore MCA Open House