Fall 2014

ShenandoahTimes

Shenandoah Valley Academy’s Quarterly Newsletter Volume I

Issue I

Inside this issue:

From the Principal’s Desk

Riding the Tech Wave .........2

Did You Know? ......................3

Faculty Focus:

Tom McNeilus ..................4

Gabrielle Griffin ..............5

SVA’s Hidden Treasures ....6

SVA - PROUD! ..........................6

Alumni Spotlight:

Emely Umana ...................7

Why I chose SVA ...................7

Academy Day .....Back Cover

From the Principal’s Desk...............pg. 2

Fall 2014

The excitement on Shenandoah Valley Academy’s campus is contagious. Students’ smiles can be

seen campus wide. Why? Because the academy is riding the wave of technology – and the students are loving every bit of it (pun intended)!

This wave, more than 18 months’ worth of careful researching and budgeting in the making, includes the purchase of 180 Google Chromebooks® (one for each student at the academy). A presentation by an alumnus showed these were the best answer to filling the school’s tech gap; they were useful to students while avoiding personal content issues, and provided the level of control we needed. Stu-dents quickly put their new technology to good use, proving it to be a worthwhile venture.

Teachers like Bob VanOrnam (Religion I & III) are also finding them to be a welcome addition. “Stu-dents are able to quickly search for information and return with questions regarding the information they found,” said VanOrnam. “This improves dialog, helps the students to under-stand good Bible study, and, with some good mind-map-ping applications, helps stu-dents work through critical thinking skills to understand what the text is, and is not, talking about.”

Deborah White (English I, III & IV) also appreciates the added tech. “(Students) are able to draft composi-tions and papers in class using Chromebooks and Google documents rather than handwritten papers, then add to and polish their articles through several drafts. While the students are going through the same steps, I am able to read the initial drafts’ type more easily than handwriting, and students aren’t losing their documents.”

Gabrielle Griffin (World History/US History/American Government) and Mitzi Bame (Biology/Chemistry/Anatomy & Physiology) will have students begin their research for upcoming projects in class. This gives Griffin and Bame the much-needed ability to provide guidance and feedback on the students’ research in real time, helping students stay on topic

and keep from wasting time by going down rabbits’ holes.

Ron White (IT), fundamentally believes that an in-tegral part in bringing updated technology to SVA is the expec-tation of very spe-cific bene-fits to the students.

“Chromebooks expand the ability of the students to find answers to their questions from anywhere. In my classes, and especially the CompTIA A+ Certifica-tion prep class, I expect the students to be able to use the Internet to find how-to and technical infor-mation in their classes both now and throughout

their careers.”

Ron White (IT) was ap-proached by a parent with information that the Vet-erans Affairs (VA) hospital where he works was replac-ing a number of good com-puters. Were we interested? Yes! Of course!

The computers would need to be applied for at www.ComputersForLearning.gov,

a site run by the General Services Administration (GSA) to assist schools, libraries, and other specific types of non-profits.

Several months passed when Ron received a call one Friday morning from a representative at the VA hospital saying that the computers were being listed that afternoon. He anxiously checked the website throughout the day.

“Sabbath came and there was no sign of the com-puters being listed,” Ron said. “I awoke Sabbath morning pondering whether to check or not; not checking meant potentially missing them. I decided

Seniors Annabelle Suleiman (Md.) and Ryan Ramirez (Va.) using their Chromebooks

during a free period in the library.

These students were more than happy to show off their new Google Chromebooks!

Fall 2014

God was in charge and to wait patiently. I couldn’t, so I waited impatiently for Sab-bath to be over. God laughed at me and there was nothing listed when I checked after sundown.”

Sunday came – still nothing. In fact, the computers were not listed until a week later on the following Monday. “I checked the next Monday just before leaving for work; there they were! So I quickly requested them all.”

But Ron’s anxiety would continue. “I noticed before I exited the website that someone else had re-quested them as well. Before me? After me? I didn’t know. By lunchtime, five others had requested part or all of the distribution of computers and laptops.” Ron decided to again trust that it was in God’s capable hands.

The VA hospital contacted Ron several days later. Ron was told to bring a big truck – four pallets of desktops and laptops awaited him! Ron made the one-hour trip full of excitement. And as the workers loaded the pallets

onto the truck, he thanked them for their help with the computers, and the work they do at the VA hos-pital for those who serve(d) to defend this country.

Hard drives were needed for the 240 desktop and 60 laptop computers, and many didn’t have RAM. Hardware was ordered, as well as a subscription to Windows 7 and Microsoft (MS), upgrading from MS Office 2003 to 2013, which will save about $75,000 over the next decade from a Windows 7 Pro purchase and MS Office upgrade.

The donated desktop and lap-top computers are an estimated $150,000 value. But the blessing doesn’t stop with SVA. Enough ma-chines were donated

that some were shared with Shenandoah Valley Adventist Elementary, making marked improvements in their technol-ogy program as well.

VA hospital workers loaded four pallets of computers onto the truck. They were happy to help the school and the students.

These donated desktop computers with newly purchased hard drives

helped fill the gap in SVA’s technology.

Student workers happily unloaded the 300 computers donated by the VA hospital.

• SVA owns more than 230 acres of land, including 200 acres of cultivated farm land.

• Our beloved Shenandoah River, according to worldatlas.com, is one of only 21 rivers in the US that flows south to north.

• More than 80% of SVA full-time faculty hold a master’s degree.

DID YOU KNOW?

Fall 2014

I have been working at Shenandoah Valley Academy for going on 18 years now. Through the years, I

have taught several maths and sciences, including: geometry, Algebra II, PreCalculus, physics, Conceptual Physics, Algebra Functions and Data Analysis, Calculus AB, and Calculus BC.

After teaching so many classes, it’s difficult to pick a favorite. I would honestly have to say that I love them all.

I was blessed to graduate from SVA in one of the greatest graduating classes of this school’s illustrious history — class of 1972 (just a few short years ago ). After finishing college, I was contacted by Ms. Sarah Jane Liers who asked me to come back and teach with her for one year before she retired.

I chose to leave my in-laws, my home, and my family so that my children might attend Shenandoah Valley Adventist Elementary and then SVA. It was important to me that they enjoy the benefits that Christian education affords.

I believe in the importance of Adventist boarding schools, particularly here at SVA. We have incredibly special students who come from a number of diverse backgrounds. As staff, we watch our students grow spiritually, academically, socially, and physically.

I smile as I watch students form friendships on the campus, reminding me of the bonds I formed with

friends as a student here. These friendships formed while studying at the Academy will be some of the closest friends that they will ever have.

And in a day in age when there is so much violence in the world, SVA is a safe haven for students yearning for a quality Adventist education — an

education that does not cost, it PAYS. It is indeed rewarding here on earth, but moreover, the real reward is a heavenly reward.

“...a quality Adventist

education...”

FACULTY FOCUS ‑ Shenandoah Valley Academy has long been blessed with incredible faculty who are spiritual and intellectual leaders on the campus. The Faculty Focus highlights some of those leaders in each issue. This Faculty Focus features Tom McNeilus and Gabrielle Griffin.

Tom McNielusa2 + b2 = c2

I am celebrating my 15th year as a teacher here at Shenandoah Valley Academy this year. It’s hard

for me to believe that sometimes as I often lose track of how long I have actually been here. I have definitely been blessed - that is for certain!

I have the awesome responsibility of teaching World History, U.S. History and American Government. I have also taught Religion III in the past.

Of the courses I have taught through the years, World History and Government are my favorites. It is important for our youth to be well versed in the stories of cultures around the world and how our government was established and the way it runs currently. It can sometimes be challenging for teens to show much interest. However, I find that engaging them interactively really peaks their interest; it is incredible how much information they soak up once they get involved!

Like many of my colleagues, the chance to meaningfully shape lives during one of the most crucial times in their development brought me here. The decision has proven to be one of the most important and rewarding I have ever made.

I have been asked why I decide to stay here on more than one occasion – 15 years in one organization is might be unbelievable by some. The answer is actually quite simple. The opportunity to serve an

incredible God and my terrific students keeps me coming back each year. Anything good in me comes from Jesus.

I also stay because I am part of a rich tradition – I graduated from SVA as part of the illustrious class of 1986! I have had 16 family members graduate from here. In my immediate family alone, my husband (‘84), myself and my oldest child of three (2013) are all alumni. My second child is currently a student (2017) and my seventh grader is already happily readying herself to be a leader in the class of 2020. As an alumnus and faculty member, I have had a very special opportunity to see SVA in a unique but very true light. And I have come to see that SVA has

a bit of a magic to it. Its magic is in its tradition; in the proud alumni who cherish the memories of walking this campus; in the bonds made here that will literally last lifetimes; and in its very existence, the existence to form college-ready disciples of Christ. There is no other

school like it when you talk about the loyalty and passion people have for it.

We really do our best to communicate this to our potential students and their families. We invite them to appreciate this magic firsthand. We ask parents to test us; ask parents of alumni or current students about the physical, emotional, and spiritual safety we are dedicated to provide our youth. Test us to know that our primary objective is to develop a saving relationship with Jesus.

When all of this is infused with every bit of our programing here – in the academics, the outreach, the music and the athletics – the question is why wouldn’t you give your student the opportunity to attend.

“...the chance to meanignfully

shape lives...”

Gabrielle GriffinThe War of 18??

Fall 2014

First-year senior Kyle Shelton has used his love of metal detecting to discover several hidden treasures on and around Shenandoah Valley Academy’s beautiful campus.

“Because of Virginia’s rich history, I couldn’t wait to use my metal detector,” said Shelton. It didn’t take long to find several pieces previously lost. One, however, stands out.

“I couldn’t believe it. I had just unearthed a 200-year-old coin on front campus,” Shelton grinned. “I yelled out ‘Woohoo!’ which got the students in the nearby gazebo cheering.

He knew, almost as soon as he pulled it out of the ground, that it was a United States large cent from the 1800s. After referencing his coin book, he

discovered that it was a Draped Bust large cent but he couldn’t make out the last number.

In addition to this coin, Kyle has found: about eighty-four total silver coins this year, two Confederate Virginia state seal buttons, a 1781 Spanish silver 2 Reale coin, an 1891 Seated Liberty dime, an 1859 silver half-dime, and numerous Civil War bullets.

UNEARTHING THE VALLEY’S HIDDEN HISTORICAL TREASURES

SVA – PROUD! SVA – PROUD!

You can hear it at the basketball games. You can hear it as Friday afternoon assemblies are called to order. You can hear it across the campus. It’s a chant. A movement. A vocalized synergy bonding everyone in earshot tightly together.

Students have taken to this new buzz quickly. And why not? It’s exciting and cool. But it goes a bit deeper than just the next fleeting fad to hit a high school campus.

Staff are seeing a change in the pride students have for SVA. Joshua Goines, SVA’s choir director, is one such staff member.

“I recently took a young man to get his haircut at a local barber,” Goines wrote in an email to fellow staff. “Three young ladies came along to watch (and apparently tell him what look worked the best).

“The barber began talking with the girls because he heard one of their accents and he, like her, is Dominican. After spending quite some time talking

about the Dominican Republic, the conversation shifted to how they all knew each other. They were not shy at all about talking about their school. The barber had a genuine interest in many aspects of the school, particularly the spirituality and its purpose. He said it wasn’t too early for him to start thinking about options for his 3-year-old daughter.

“We all know students grumble and are sometimes overly vocal about things they don’t particularly care for, but I do believe they really get the purpose of why they’re here. When talking with the barber, they answered all of his questions in a way that represented SVA well (and there were some tricky ones in there). It was very refreshing to see their witnessing in a situation that I would not have imagined.”

These are the stories that make staff, alumni, and all

PROUDSVA

First-year senior Kyle Shelton displays several of his rare finds.

Kyle has also discovered 11 silver coins, ranging in date from 1942 to 1964, when the U.S. stopped minting coins in silver.

To say that I have been blessed by SVA is anunderstatement. I learned invaluable lessons

about responsibility through various leadership positions, participating in music, sports, etc. By the time I graduated, I had more than 23 credits of undergraduate work done through AP and dual enrollment classes. This allowed me to return to SVA last school year as a task force teacher without being set back academically. I had the opportunity to teach, tutor, coach, chaperone, and serve in any way possible.

Ultimately, however, it is not so much the things that I’ve been able to accomplish because of SVA that are important, but rather who I have become. Through personal discipleship of a particular teacher, I had become a more fervent follower of Christ. It was at SVA that I first gave Bible studies and had various opportunities to preach. The summer after I graduated, I did literature evangelism with a group of college students, which led me to become the Programming and Logistics Coordinator for ANEW—an Adventist public campus ministries network. In addition, I served as the Program Director at Camp Blue Ridge the following summer. God used my leadership experience at SVA to continue to serve even after I left. Truly, I received an education for life.

Since SVA, I have been pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics while working towards teacher licensure. When people ask me what led me to become a teacher, three things come to mind:

Tutoring

As a student, my job was to tutor, and I soon realized that I enjoyed tutoring Algebra the most. Thus, my loves for math and helping people grew.

El Salvador

My senior year I went on the mission trip to El Salvador. Since the local Adventist school did not have enough teachers, I had the opportunity to teach at the primary and secondary schools, thereby giving me a glimpse at both age groups. This experience helped me decide what grade level I

wanted to teach.

My Teachers

Whenever I return to SVA, I can honestly say it feels like I’m coming home to family; I still have relationships with SVA teachers and staff. I remember many things during my tenure at SVA, but most of all I will always remember the love that I received during those four years—and even still to this day. I was so deeply impressed by my teachers that I wanted to touch someone’s life in the same way.

Truly, I received an education for life. Thus, I want current students to have the same opportunities I had, so that they will ultimately know Christ and serve others. Emely Umana is a senior at Geoge

Mason University finishing a BA in Mathematics.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: EMELY UMANA—AN SVA EDUCATION SHAPED MY FUTURE

I CHOSE SVA BECAUSE...

WHY DID YOU?

• I wanted an academic experience that wouldprepare me for the real world.

• I wanted to continue in my family’stradition.

• I knew I needed to strengthen myrelationship with Christ.

• I was impressed with SVA alumni.• SVA has an incredible music program.• Feeling like I belong to something bigger

is important to me. I am proud to say that Ibelong to SVA.

• My friends came a year before I did. Theykept telling me great things about SVA whenthey came home. I wanted to see for myself.They were right.

• I am a Christian athlete. It just made sense.

We know you have BIG plansafter 8th grade. Let Shenandoah Valley Academy help get you there. Come see how!

Academy Day April 12 & 13, 2015For more information, call Dan Jensen at(540) 740-2210.