tthe courierhe courier - the geneva school · as local businesses, who submit donations, buy...

JANUARY 2017

THE COURIERTHE COURIER

Photograph on front cover from the fi rst grade trip to Blue Spring State Park by Margo Kragh. Photographs in the rest of this issue taken by: Jacques Blais, Anna Classe, Cheree Foreman, Debbie Halloran, Janzen Harding, Kellie Harding, AnnMarie Hoyt, Chris ne Johnson, Erin Petrak, Chrissy Mar n, and Luke Tevebaugh.

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CONTENTS3

FROM THE HEADMASTER

42017 ANNUAL

AUCTION GALA

8INTERVIEW OF TWO

CLEMSON TIGERS

10INSPIRING STUDENTS

... IN EARLY CHILDHOOD

18SENIORS AT

THE GENEVA SCHOOL

20LIBERAL ARTS

TRADITION IN MATH CURRICULUM

14TIES THAT BIND

16ALUMNI vs. VARSITY

SOCCER GAME

21SAY HELLO TO CARRIE

PANZELLA

22A SUSTAINABLE LIFE

24THE GIFT OF BEING LOVED BY CHOICE

26COLLEGE

COUNSELING CORNER

ADVANCEMENT OFFICEKa e Deatherage (Director)Ka e BrubakerSarah ClokeAnnMarie HoytKelly Mathias

MISSIONThe Geneva School seeks to provide students in grades K4–12 an extraordinary educa on, by means of an integrated curriculum, pedagogy, and culture, both dis nctly classical and dis nc vely Chris an, that pursues goodness, truth, and beauty in all spheres of life, while viewing these spheres as elements of a divinely ordered whole. Further, Geneva seeks to ins ll in students a desire to love beauty, think deeply, and pursue Christ's calling.

CONTACT2025 SR 436Winter Park, FL 32792407-332-6363genevaschool.org

I like long-term commitments.

Today, as I write this (January 10), is Marjean's and my forty-second wedding anniversary. Rather than commenting on how "long" that is, allow me to say how "good" that is!

Several years ago I began tracking my "measured miles" in walking, both on a treadmill and outdoors. Overlaying my progress on Google maps and following the interstate highway system, I have now walked the equivalent of Orlando to Boston, and from Boston I have now walked to Minneapolis! Next stop--Seattle! Critics of golf chide that golf is simply a "good walk, spoiled." I beg to disagree, maintaining that all walking is a delightful endeavor.

In 1995 I started reading, and over the next several years completed, all twenty-one volumes of the Patrick O'Brian sea-faring novels featuring Jack Aubry and Stephen Maturin. Th is iconic series (known to some from the movie Master and Commander starring Russell Crowe) has been termed "Jane Austen" for guys. My exuberance over the literary and historical power of this series knows no bounds. So, last year I listened to all twenty-one volumes on Audible, and just for good measure I began listening to them all over again last week. When the object of one's commitment is good, length of time becomes somewhat irrelevant.

But length of time is only "somewhat" irrelevant. It is actually very consequential that the next academic year, 2017–18, is the twenty-fi fth anniversary of Th e Geneva School. At some point the length of years creates the history of the school, which in turn is celebrated on "historic" occasions.

Celebrate we will! Th e specifi c plans for how we will acknowledge the kindness of God's good providence to us have not yet been fi nalized. Th roughout next year I can envision some feasts and communal celebrations on the new property; perhaps there could be music and drama and art produced in commemoration; I could envision us hosting special guests who would encourage us for the next twenty-fi ve years; maybe there would be announcements regarding new facilities and future developments. Graduation will be even more grand than usual. In these ways and many more, it will literally be a banner year.

Now is the opportunity for each of us to make our commitments to next year. Th is will be my twenty-fi fth year with Geneva, and it would bring me great joy to celebrate the school's anniversary with you. As already stated, it is not how long, but how good the object of the commitment is. In the economy of God I am persuaded that Geneva has been very good for his people and the church in the Orlando area. Let's celebrate this together throughout the course of next year.

From the Headmaster

When the object of one's commitment

is good, length of time becomes

somewhat irrelevant.

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PLEASE JOIN US AS WE TRAVEL

around the

in ei ghty daysSATURDAY, MARCH 4, 2017

COUNTRY CLUB OF ORLANDO

Th e annual auction gala is Geneva's largest fund-raising event of the year. Th e dollars raised at the annual auction help fund the school's tuition assistance program. It also fuels technology improvements and enhancements to academic, arts, and athletic programming.

Our goal of $200,000 is only attainable with the help of the Geneva community as well as local businesses, who submit donations, buy tickets, purchase sponsorships, and place

advertisements in the event program. Planning for a trip around the world requires a long packing list and time spent purchasing,

gathering, and collecting items to fi ll a steamer trunk, suitcases, and other luggage. Please help us gather those items that you would want to purchase—gifts for others, gifts for family,

and even gifts for yourself!

Thank you, in advance, for your help in making Geneva's trip "Around the World" a great success.

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ITEMS• Gift cards, gift cards, gift cards• Wine for the wine wall • Tickets to sporting events, concerts, or theme parks

• Beach or ski condo for a week/weekend

• High-end jewelry• Spa/beauty products • Antiques • Home decorating goods• Sports equipment• Memorabilia• Classic children's books• Framed artwork• Re-giftings of new items• Unused/new toys• Kitchen appliances (in box) and other unused cooking supplies

• Vera Bradley and other high-end merchandise

• Gardening supplies• Grill supplies

SERVICES• Music, art, dance lessons• Sports coaching• Kid's birthday parties • Dentist and orthodontist• Nail and beauty salon• Facials, spa treatments • Room make-overs, home organizing services

• Home improvement services• Personal training• Portrait sitting fee• Girls Night Outing: Painting, cooking classes, chocolate party

• Golf lessons• Rainy day babysitting• Pet sitting

We request that donations are new or have never been used. A good rule of thumb ... bring in what you would want to bid on.

Each year, we rely on the Geneva community to make the auction a success. Below is a list of donations that have brought in top dollar at previous Geneva auctions. All donations are gratefully accepted and counted in the weekly class and house totals!

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There are many other ways you can help make a huge impact on the auction's success this year.

Here's How:

PRAY LEND A HAND

BUY TICKETS

BE A SPONSOR

Before anything, pray for God's provision and direction so that we are able to honor him in all

we endeavor to do.

Do you have a creative streak and love to

decorate and make a theme come to life?

Or maybe you prefer working behind the scenes completing

tasks like organizing, assembling, or setting

things up. We are happy to work with your talents, your schedule, and your availability to make

your time volunteering a productive and

rewarding experience.Questions? Contact

Kelly Mathias

Showcase your business with style. Select

from our fabulous list of sponsorship and

advertising opportunities. In addition to benefi ting the school, advertising

in the program or becoming an event sponsor allows your

business to gain exposure. Auction attendees

are philanthropically-minded consumers with

discretionary buying power.

Questions? Contact Katie Deatherage

All Geneva families are invited to attend this special event. An

important way you can increase the auction's

success is to invite non-Geneva friends and/or family. Over a third of

our nearly 350 guests are members of the Orlando

community and not affi liated with the school.Purchase tickets online at genevaschool.org/

auction2017Questions? Contact

Sarah Cloke

Sarah: [email protected] / Kelly: [email protected]: [email protected]

ADVERTISE IN THE AUCTION PROGRAM

FULL PAGE7.5" x 10"

$300

HALF PAGE7.5" x 4.75"

$200

QUARTER PAGE3.5" x 4.75"

$100

BUSINESS CARD3.5" x 2.25"

$50

Download an ad form from the website

genevaschool.org/auction

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BE AN AUCTION SPONSORTABLE SPONSORSHIPS QE II Luxury Liner—$10,000

Table for 10Premier table placement

Full-page advertisement in the evening programFour bottles of fi ne wine for your table

Recognition on the Geneva websitePersonal runner for priority checkout

Scrolling logo on the BidPal bidding appLogo displayed during slideshow in the ballroom

Orient Express—$5,000


Half-page advertisement in the evening programFour bottles of fi ne wine for your table

Recognition on the Geneva websitePersonal runner for priority checkout


Concorde—$2,500


Half-page advertisement in the evening programRecognition on the Geneva website


Rolls Royce—$1,000

Table for 10Quarter-page advertisement in the evening program

Recognition on the Geneva website

OTHER SPONSORSHIPS "Concierge" Volunteer T-Shirt Sponsor—$2,500

2 tickets to the auctionLogo on the volunteer t-shirts

Full-page advertisement in the evening programRecognition on the Geneva website


"Toast the Trip" Beverage Sponsor—$3,000 2 tickets to the auction

Logo tag on wine bottles placed on all tables Full-page advertisement in the evening program

Recognition on the Geneva websiteScrolling logo on the BidPal bidding app

Logo displayed during slideshow in the ballroom

"And We're Off " Corking Fee Sponsor—$2,5002 tickets to the auction

Logo tag on wine bottles placed on all tables Full-page advertisement in the evening program



"Bon Voyage!" Appetizer Sponsor—$1,5002 tickets to the auction

Logo and business name on cocktail napkinsHalf-page advertisement in the evening program



"Petit Fours" Dessert Sponsor—$1,5002 tickets to the auction

Logo and business name on dessert napkins Half-page advertisement in the evening program



if you or your business is interested in sponsoring this year's auction gala, please contact Katie Deatherage at 321-422-0220 or email at [email protected].

pppp

s Roycyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy e $1

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Geneva's class of 2015, one of our largest ever, was diverse in both gifts and future interests. Two of these grads, Ashton Roberts and Katie Tressler, ended up together at Clemson University in the Piedmont of South Carolina. Now in their second year, nearly halfway through their tenure on the former Calhoun plantation estate, they recently shared some thoughts over lunch, refl ecting back about their time at Geneva in light of their three semesters at a major American university.

Both young ladies continue to have a heart for serving others that was nurtured and encouraged at Geneva. Both spent last summer serving at Christian camps. Katie served as a counselor at Doe River Gorge (with numerous current Geneva students in her cohort of campers!); and Ashton worked at Crestridge, along with '15 classmates Emily Gunter and Jacqueline Sheehan. Like Katie, Ashton also was happy to have some Geneva students among her campers.

Th ough both attend Clemson, their experiences are quite diff erent, but their refl ections back on Geneva show they agree on the way Geneva prepared them for college. Here are some highlights from our conversation together:

DO YOU FEEL LIKE GENEVA WAS A BUBBLE?Ashton: I don't think Geneva was a bubble. Yes, it protected us, but we still were aware of what was going on around us in the culture. So I was not shocked or overwhelmed when I saw things at Clemson.

Katie: Geneva was more like a protection zone, a safe place to grow in my own identity and faith. Once the temptations were there—and they are there at a big university—you see these things, but you are also prepared for them.

INVOLVEMENT AT CLEMSONKatie: I went to a welcome session for freshmen. Before I knew it, I was on staff with Th e Tiger, the college newspaper, and had a fi eld pass to shoot photos at football games. It required talking, connecting, and being available to serve.

Ashton: Clemson is full of genuine, kind people. When you want to serve, you get the chance. I had an immediate connection through my being a member of the cheerleading squad.

Editor's note: So these two young ladies have been on the fi eld regularly up close and involved with the number one rated college football experience in America! Not to mention enjoying a national championship this year! Go Tigers!

SPIRITUAL LIFE AT CLEMSONKatie: With respect to faith, I was solid in who I was by growing up in the Geneva community. When I got to school and did not have that community, it was hard. So I appreciated even more what we had at Geneva.

Ashton: We didn't realize how much we needed community until we didn't have it.

Katie: I got plugged into a church later and I now understand the importance of a church community.

Ashton: You don't realize how much you need to be plugged into a church until after a semester. But then once I got involved in one, I began to realize how much I needed church.

Dr. Beates Interviews Two Clemson Tigers

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Katie: FCA gave a talk once reminding us that FCA is not a church, that we need to be associated with a local church because the whole world is not college kids. Th e church keeps you anchored to real life. I saw little kids and families and realized, "Oh yeah, life is more than classrooms and professors!"

Th at fi rst semester I had friends, but not Christian friends and found it was draining me more than I thought. After Christmas, I got plugged in too. It was important to be with people who share my values. Th e college setting can be artifi cial so you need to be connected to the "family" of a church. I didn't have to explain why I follow Jesus to my small group. You need that. We are created for worship.

Ashton: Waking early on Sunday after game days is hard, but I feel less tired after worship on Sunday than when I sleep in. I am able to be more focused after worship.

Katie: I found that reading my Bible and spending time with God makes me more at peace and able to manage the stress.

ACADEMIC LIFEAshton: College has been harder than Geneva, not because the material is more diffi cult, but because you have to study in a diff erent way.

Katie: Geneva gave me a great academic preparation. I had to learn how to manage many other things along with school. Th at has been important at college. I feel more well-rounded than many of my friends.

Katie: Th e work is not necessarily harder, but there is much more of it. Time management is crucial!

Ashton: I think I had the time management thing down pretty well. Th e work load at Geneva helped prepare me for that: it gave the balance, knowing when and how much to do.

Katie: Many of my friends at Clemson from public schools were way under-prepared. I was swimming while they were drowning. I never felt I could not handle things.

Ashton: I did not know how well-prepared I was until I saw so many friends drowning and becoming overwhelmed. I never felt I could not handle things.

Katie: Geneva taught me the importance of naps.

Ashton: Well, I didn't learn that part until college!

Katie: At Geneva I remember saying, "I'm not in college yet, I don't need to do this yet" with respect to some demanding aspects of senior classes … but I'm so glad we did the hard work, because in college I have been able to say, "I'm ready for this, this is so much easier now." I learned to love learning at Geneva.

RELATIONSHIPS WITH TEACHERSKatie: Geneva teachers "knew" us. Many of my friends did not experience that in high school. At Clemson, my biggest class has been about fi fty people. Teachers take time at Clemson to know

us and for some kids that is weird. But I am not afraid of that since I knew my teachers well at Geneva. Others are too scared to ask for help when they need it, but I am not afraid to ask for help because of my time at Geneva where teachers genuinely care.

TECHNOLOGY: WERE YOU PREPARED? Katie: We live in the twenty-fi rst century; it was an easy transition: just follow the instructions.

Ashton: I was really glad for exposure to "google docs" at Geneva for group work in many classes. A lot of group projects require working together with multiple participants in multiple places. I was glad we were exposed to that at Geneva.

Katie: I took an online hybrid class with a lot of web assignments. Following instructions was all it took. My Geneva thesis was on technology in elementary education, so that helped me too. More and more schools have tech books, even in third grade classes. It was not hard to get used to at all. But you do need a good laptop!

CONNECTIONS TO GENEVAAshton: Hearing from Geneva, getting a little Starbucks gift card was great. Knowing that my people at Geneva were thinking about me was so good.

Katie: I knew who I was in Christ, I wanted to be a light; another school would not have prepared me for that. I know Christians at Clemson who don't know the Bible, but feel like I know the Bible. [smiling] Th at's the Geneva foundation.

Ashton: At college I had to make my faith my own, and that was a good thing. I had the tool box from Geneva, but now I get to use it all.

Katie: I'm so thankful I had Geneva, and a Geneva friend at college. We hang out and talk about faith. At Geneva we didn't have to talk about it, but in a college setting, you have to talk about it. You need to be secure in your faith.

Hardest THINGS, BIGGEST CHALLENGES SO FARAshton: Injuries (related to cheering and a car accident) made for a rough fall this year. Also roommate challenges (going in diff erent directions spiritually) and being exhausted from a summer at camp with eight- and nine-year-olds.

Katie: Missing home was harder this year since I was gone for a full six-month stretch.

BEST THINGS SO FARAshton: Th e Notre Dame football game in Hurricane Joachim.

Katie: Being "on" the fi eld for several memorable games has been quite an experience.

Editor's note: My clear impression was that these two grads not only appreciate their time at Geneva with how it prepared them for life at college, but they are also having quite an impact on their respective communities up there in Clemson, SC. "Go Tigers!"

How do we inspire children as young as four years of age to love beauty, think deeply, and grasp the reality of Christ? In a word, wonder. God, in his limitless wisdom and creativity, has endowed children with a capacity for wonder. Th e early years of life can be a magical journey of exploration and discovery. Wonder, fueled by the natural inquisitiveness of childhood, turns the experiences of living into a personalized curriculum of learning.

As an awareness of beauty is nurtured in the child, questions begin to be asked, refl ection happens, and the thoughts lead to Christ through whom and for whom all this beauty was created (Col. 1:16). Like the Apostle Paul before him, G.K. Chesterton reasoned, "Th e beautifi cation of the world is not a work of nature,

but a work of art." His conclusion becomes clear even to a child, "then it involves an artist." Learning to love beauty and think deeply opens the mind and heart to contemplate Christ, the artist behind it all. But, perhaps surprisingly, wonder is a somewhat fragile gift. Without an environment of trust and love in which to fl ourish, it can turn timid or even disappear. Wonder, love of beauty, and thinking beyond surface appearances require time and space to develop.

In Th e Hurried Child: Growing Up Too Fast Too Soon, David Elkins alerts us to the potential dangers of "hurrying children," exposing them early-on to overwhelming pressures and expectations that can lead to a wide range of lifelong crises. He is passionate about

INSPIRING STUDENTSTO LOVE BEAUTY, THINK DEEPLY, AND PURSUE CHRIST'S CALLING

...… IN EARLY CHILDHOODHeidi Heinsch, Director of Early Childhood

K4 Under the Sea Unit

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"Childhood is that time when wonder is king." Ravi Zacharias

allowing children time to learn, grow, and develop at their own pace. Ravi Zacharias would agree, "Crowding little lives does not build options but, in eff ect, kills the wonder in all the options …. Th e fragile capacity to dream and think is shattered by an array of 'toys' so early that boredom is guaranteed."

Psalm 24:1 says "Th e earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof ..." We want our students' sense of wonder to be guided by the truths of Scripture in order that they might fl ourish. At Th e Geneva School early childhood campus we capitalize on all that is best about childhood, nurturing the wonder, and encouraging children to be children—exploring, running, touching, playing, feeling, thinking, questioning, discovering, soaking in all the beauty of God's creation.

Our approach focuses on distinct aspects of children's learning styles. We are multi-sensory in the world of discovery. As one parent put it, "I wanted a place where my child was moving, touching, and feeling the world…." Walk into any of our kindergarten classrooms and observe beaming faces of eager students watching a balloon zoom across the room in a jet propulsion experiment or contemplating the diff erence between translucent and transparent, hypothesizing the circumference of a pumpkin, or completing their very own published author story. Children are equipped with a complete set of learning tools: observation, memory, decoding, reading, critical thinking, analysis, synthesis, and comparing/contrasting.

Th e teachers invite and encourage their young students to discover their world, behold its beauty, and expand their remarkable minds by using higher-level thinking with hands-on learning. Th ey explore history, science and nature, literature, art, music, godly character, and so much more in a loving, safe, peaceful environment designed for the fl ourishing of children. Th ey grasp the importance of exercise and good nutrition from our physical education coach as their gross motor skills develop. Th e sound of music rings through the halls as our music instructor teaches rhythm and movement at the beginning of the school year and transitions them into musicians in their own

right. Creativity is unleashed as our aspiring artists use all types of expressive mediums in their painting, sculpting, and designing. Van Gogh's artwork and Grant Wood's American Gothic are imitated through beautiful portraits. Our parents share in the wonder. "I was surprised when my daughter brought home her own painting of the American Gothic in kindergarten! I could tell what it was right away! Th e line, detail, and colors were simply amazing."

Th us, the experience of wonder becomes a gateway through which children walk to begin preferring

the beautiful and learning to think. Yet, it is learning that is not limited

to knowledge. At Th e Geneva School, we believe that proper education also involves values,

culture, and virtue (what Augustine called ordo amoris—ordering our

aff ections according to what is most important). All of life is involved in

this process of learning.

Come with me on a walk through the learning environments of our classrooms. Each one is designed to stimulate the senses, challenge the mind, and draw children into

encountering the wonders of God's world.

We begin with K4. Entering, we notice a delightfully decorated classroom. Th e children are

gathered in chairs in forum with the teacher holding a beautifully decorated box. She tells the students that the things inside the box have something in common. She wonders aloud if they can fi gure out what that is and tells them it will help them discover their next unit of study. She pulls out the fi rst item—an octopus! "What do you know about an octopus?" Next, a whale, then a fi sh, coral, seaweed, a crab, a sea turtle. She gives the students the gift of time to contemplate the question until someone answers, "Th ey all live in the ocean!" Th roughout their ocean unit, the children will be given opportunity to

discuss all the unique ways in which God has created each one of these amazing creatures and how they all live together in the vast ocean. Facts will be shared. Th ere will be songs sung, directed drawing of the animals, fi nger plays, journal writing, experiments, and math glyphs. While the teacher intentionally allows for time to sit at a table with a few students helping with letter formation in a pan of salt or sand, other students are engaged in make-believe in the classroom submarine, dress-up, block-building, and drawing. Th e unit culminates with the Coral Reef Café where the students dine in an elegant restaurant within the school and taste the delicacies of various seafood.

We move on to Kinder Corners, where this special kindergarten room has been transformed into

a real-life Plymouth Colony complete with a quilt shop, blacksmith shop, church, pilgrim house, garden, and the spearing of fi sh. Th e young students are learning about the Pilgrims—their voyage, their faith, their plight in the new world, the diffi culties and decisions they faced. Th ey not only learn about the village, freedom of religion, trusting God in times of hardship, and what it means to live out one's faith, but all the students are given an opportunity to germinate corn, construct a thatched roof, make translucent windows, build a log cabin, and perform in a play recalling all the facts they have learned about the pilgrims.

After each of these experiences, the student records his or her refl ections in the pages of their personal journal. Each learning module in the curriculum is theme-based and enhanced with readings from classical literature. Th e subject areas, as you can see, are integrated within the themed units. One mom remarked about the Th anksgiving unit: "My daughter learned so much more than the story of the fi rst Th anksgiving dinner. Her class went out to the grass and measured the actual size of the Mayfl ower. Th ey saw and felt how crowded it was when they all boarded the chalk-drawing-sized ship and they tried to imagine two long months crossing the stormy ocean. Th ey memorized psalms and hymns just as the Pilgrims did and learned the history behind King James, Holland, the Speedwell's leak,

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and the Mayfl ower Compact. My daughter didn't know it, but during the Th anksgiving play as she recited all that she'd learned, she was also practicing public speaking. Finally, I love that the 'take-away' of the play was that God provides. No matter how stormy or wide the ocean is, God will always provide. Now, that is something to be thankful for!"

At last, we visit fi rst grade. First graders have a large capacity for memorization. Leveraging this ability, students memorize long portions of Scripture aided by hand motions and songs.

Concepts raised in the text of Scripture open the way to integrated learning. For example:

Now out of the ground the LORD God had formed every beast of the fi eld and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature that was its name" (Genesis 2:19).

Th e students study the classifi cation of animals, birds, mammals, reptiles, insects, and fi sh within their Florida history study. Here, too, they learn songs that remind them of the distinct attributes of each classifi cation. In addition, they read related fi ction and nonfi ction literature daily. Th ey have guided drawing of an example animal in each classifi cation. It is exciting to see that the more the children learn about the animals the more they are eager to learn. Th ey often come into class with facts that they've learned at home because of their endless curiosity. Th ey learn that God gave each creature exactly what it needs to survive and thrive, just as he gives each of us exactly what we need to thrive and live out his purpose in our lives. To think

deeply, the attributes of each animal are reviewed and through class discussion the children come up with ideas on how each of those attributes can be used. Why is the Florida panther the golden color and why are their babies speckled? Why is a mother bird often a duller brown while the male is bright and colorful?

Because of the integrated curriculum, our science teacher introduces her amazing animal unit and intrigues them with information and facts. Th ey watch a video about the battle strategies of even the simplest ant. Th e culmination and rhetoric portion of this study is the Animal Monologues presentations. Students are able to choose one Florida animal, research it with their parents, and write a song or poem regarding facts of their animal. Th is is presented in splendid costume to a charmed audience of fi rst-grade families. A moment that moved me happened during the Animal Monologue presentations to parents. One little girl in particular was a bit more apprehensive than others in giving her monologue. Because the students had practiced often together, when the young girl stopped and didn't think she could continue on, without missing a beat, the rest of the class started reciting her part right along with her, giving her the encouragement she needed at just the right moment. Th e smile on her face said it all when she was fi nished! What an example of love and compassion and encouragement not only for the child, but for all who witnessed this event.

At Th e Geneva School early childhood campus, the learning never ends. Loving beauty, thinking deeply, and pursuing Christ's calling are infused in every aspect of learning every day. Come, join us!

Kindergarten Thanksgiving Play

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First Grade Animal Monologues

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"Children are not a distraction from more important work; they are the

most important work."C.S. Lewis

Ties that Bind helps facilitate a one-day retreat for the seventh and eighth grade students that focuses on building communication skills and small group problem solving. Th e dialectic years are fi lled with many physical and social challenges, so it is helpful to take a day that focuses on the importance of their faith, who they are in Christ, and who they are in community. Th ey started the day focusing on their relationship with Jesus by hearing from Peter O'Driscoll, the founder of Orlando Children's Church. Th en they loaded the bus and headed to the Canterbury Retreat Center in Oviedo.

Th e activities are on a two-year rotation, so the challenges are new for everyone. Th is year they undertook the more intimidating high ropes course. One of the challenges involved climbing a forty-foot pole and then walking across a beam, and the other involved climbing the same height and then walking across on a wire rope! Th ese activities focused on the students' emotional and physical insecurities and encouraged them to set and complete personal goals. Some of the students pushed themselves to just climb to the top of the ladder. It was encouraging to see their peers supporting them and cheering them on!

Th e low rope challenges involved a lot of problem solving. All of these activities involved getting their whole group (ten to fourteen students) to the "other side." Th is defi nitely caused some frustration as they tried to work together to complete the challenge. Th e students who emerged as the group leaders had to learn to listen, as well as give direction.

Our hope is that these kinds of retreats will help foster a healthier community among the students and that they will continue to discover their gifts and strengths, as well as learn how to better support and encourage one another. 14

TIES THAT BIND

January 13, 2017

Isabel O'DriscollDirector of Students Services

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COMING HOMETGS ANNUAL

ALUMNI VS VARSITY

SOCCER GAME

In any language, the word "home" is one of the most pleasant. As we move through the seasons of our lives, our relationship with home changes. As children we grow up in a home. In our adventure-seeking years, we go back to one. When it's time to put down roots, we make one. Many a child-turned-adventure-seeker came home on New Year's Eve to Geneva to, quite literally, the roots put down in our new sports complex.

Th e third annual, and very tightly contested, alumni game between boys/girls varsity soccer and their alumni counterparts left the alumni ahead 2–1 on both the scoreboard and running game record. Beyond the wholesome rivalry, this alumni event reminds us that names like Bradon, Frame, Farley, West, Cox, Cloke, Sconnely, Selvaggio, Flitter, Katynski, Stevens, Trent, Kester, Brodrecht, Gordon, Rader, Miller, Pederson, Downward, Stewart and others have all contributed to what exists today. Our adventure-seekers returning in such abundance brings more than the long-overdue embrace. It shows us that Geneva has also built a home in our hearts; and that home is with you everywhere.

Phil Medina, TGS Boys Varsity Soccer Coach

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Andrew Smith, Director of the Upper School

In the last edition of Th e Courier, I introduced our readers to two of our current twelfth graders at Geneva. Our senior class is fi lled with various students with diff erent personalities and talents. Th ey are certainly not one-dimensional, nor are they primarily motivated by academic success for its own sake but desire something greater. One of the hallmarks of the Christian classical model of education is the integration of learning, which means that all subjects are connected to one another and should be taught accordingly. Our seniors understand this truth to the point that they also fi nd integration between their learning and their relationships with one another. Th ey truly embody a community of faith and learning. Two such twelfth grade students are Corinne Smith and Corbin Martin.

Corinne Smith began attending Geneva in the fourth grade. Due to the friendships she made with classmates, she quickly became involved with two activities—horseback riding and playing the viola—that she

still participates in now as a senior. Riding horses is something that Corinne does every week, including working through hunter/jumper exercises and riding show horses. Not long after beginning to ride horses, Corinne also began learning how to play the viola. She joined the school orchestra and has been part of it ever since. Corinne plans to continue to practice and hone both of these activities as she moves from high school to college, because she loves them and fi nds them rewarding. What has become a major part of her daily life for so many years now began through friendships at Th e Geneva School.

Another favorite activity for Corinne has been soccer. She began playing before coming to Geneva and continued through seventh grade. She decided to return to the sport in her fi nal year at Geneva and absolutely loves it. Th e aspect of being on the team that she fi nds most enjoyable is befriending the younger players. For Corinne, then, her time at Geneva has the bookends of friendship around it. Th rough her new friends in fourth grade she started these extracurricular activities and now she can use these activities for befriending others.

Th rough her relationships at Geneva, Corinne has also become involved with Orlando Children's Church. She was in the eighth grade when she began volunteering with the ministry, and on her fi rst day, she immediately connected with one little girl in particular. Realizing that she was able to build relationships with children who are in desperate need of love and hope is what compelled her to continue volunteering with OCC, which she still does.

Given Corinne's deep and engrained practice of integrating relationships with learning and serving, it is not surprising that she has chosen a topic for her senior thesis that engages with this very theme. One of the culminating projects in our entire curriculum is the Senior Th esis and Oration, in which the students write a well-argued academic paper, then deliver a twenty-minute original oration based on the same arguments, followed by a time of Q&A from the audience. Corinne has chosen to write and speak about the problem of depression in modern society being linked to the emphasis on individual autonomy. Her solution to this problem is one that she has had much experience with here at Geneva—community.

seniors at

The Geneva School

19

Corbin Martin has been a student at Geneva since the fi rst grade. He is probably best known to the student body for his work in school theater performances. Corbin

began acting in school plays in the seventh grade and, due to the friendships he was able to make quickly, he was hooked. He has been in at least one performance each year since then, many times playing a lead role, with his favorite performance being A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Corbin is also an avid guitar player, and it is not uncommon to see him practicing in the hallways after school, leading students in songs during assemblies, or performing at events like our annual Fall Festival. At the beginning of this school year, Corbin started practicing with the worship team at Action Church, which has renewed his passion for playing and has focused his attention on assisting in leading congregational worship at his church.

Along with his interest and skill in theater and guitar, Corbin is also a surfi ng enthusiast. Over the past few summers, he has used his time and talent with the surfboard working with organizations that teach others how to surf. Get a Board works with underprivileged kids, teaching them how to surf and skate,

and Surf n Soul works with middle school students, using surfi ng to teach life skills. Corbin is fi nding that he enjoys teaching as much as he enjoys surfi ng.

When Corbin was fourteen his godfather gave him two rusty old trucks. With his dad's help, over the course of three years he used the parts from both trucks to rebuild the 1969 Chevrolet C10. Because they mostly worked together on Sundays and because the truck was literally raised from the dead, they named her Sunday.

It might seem that a high school senior who spends time on theater, guitar, surfi ng, and resurrecting antique cars would not care that much about academics. Indeed, many schools are set up to ensure that students with the kind of talent and passion that Corbin has do not even have the opportunity to experience deep learning. However, Corbin has resonated so well with the model of education and the community of teachers and students here at Geneva that he has chosen a college that is similar in its approach. Corbin will be attending Palm Beach Atlantic University, and due to his demonstrated academic capability and interest, he has been accepted in the Honors College there and can continue being part of a community of faith and learning.

20

Several years ago, our mathematics faculty proposed a signifi cant change to the sequence of the mathematics curriculum in the upper school. Th ey recommended

that we move away from the conventional American high school mathematics sequence of Algebra I–Geometry–Algebra II in order for students to study geometry before studying algebra. Th e administration found their reasoning compelling and approved the change. Since this discussion took place a number of years ago, and since our upper school mathematics curriculum still diff ers from many other schools, it is important to discuss the process that went into the curricular decisions we have made.

Th e strands of reasoning that guided our decision range from the philosophical to the pedagogical, though surprisingly it is a practical consideration that initiated the discussion.

As mentioned, in the conventional American curriculum students take a year off between the study of Algebra I and Algebra II in order to study geometry. Our teachers were not the fi rst to recognize that students fi nd this sequence inconvenient and awkward. Algebra II teachers simply take for granted that much of their fi rst quarter will be spent reviewing the Algebra I concepts students have forgotten during the intervening year of geometry. Such review is inconvenient, of course, but the awkwardness produced by the conventional sequence is perhaps more poignant. Students often fi nd it diffi cult to transition between the kind of process-

oriented thinking modern algebra instruction requires and the deductive-analytical thinking that is the hallmark of geometry. To avoid these problems a growing number of schools have moved geometry later in the curriculum, after the Algebra I–Algebra II sequence and before more advanced mathematics like trigonometry and calculus.

At fi rst glance this appears to be not only a good solution but perhaps the only possible solution; geometry, it seems, everywhere presupposes and makes use of algebra. Without algebra, for example how could one determine the area of a triangle or the length of the hypotenuse of a right triangle? Yet, this has not

always been the case. Geometry has been around since 300 BC in its current form; algebra grew out of it around 1500 AD. In fact, as a more abstract art, algebra always assumed a foundation in the more concrete art of geometry. Th is means that not only Pythagoras and Euclid, but the greatest mathematicians in Western history, such as Isaac Newton and Carl Friedrich Gauss, studied geometry without algebra.

With this realization, the practical considerations began to open upon the pedagogical and philosophical. By making the opposite move from many innovative modern educators—that is, by placing a largely non-algebraic geometry before a two-year Algebra I–II sequence—we had the exciting opportunity of bringing our curriculum more in line with the classical liberal arts model of education.

Recovering the Liberal Arts Tradition in Our Mathematics Curriculum

CLASSES TAKEN, 7th & 8th GRADE

7th Grade 8th GradeEnglish 7 English 8Logic I Logic II

Old Testament Survey New Testament SurveyAncient and Near Eastern History Greco-Roman History

Pre-Algebra GeometryCentral Florida Natural History Physical Science

Latin I Latin IIPE PE

Kevin Clark, Academic Dean

MATH SEQUENCE, 7th–12th GRADE

7th Grade Pre-Algebra

8th Grade Geometry

9th Grade Algebra I

10th Grade Algebra II

11th Grade Pre-Calculus

12th Grade AP Calculus

The strands of reasoning that guided our decision

range from the philosophical to the pedagogical, though

surprisingly it is a practical consideration that initiated

the discussion.

21

Say Hello to Carrie Panz ellaAs we say a fond farewell to Katie Dunn after almost fi fteen years at Geneva, we welcome Carrie Panzella to the second grade teaching team. Katie is expecting a baby girl in late February and we wish her and her husband Jason many blessings as they begin this next chapter in their lives.

Carrie is a Florida native. She grew up in Apopka, near her grandfather's orange grove, where she spent many hours exploring and playing with her brother, two sisters, and cousins. When she wasn't doing school work or playing, she was in ballet classes dreaming of becoming a ballerina! After graduating high school, she married her husband, John, and they began their life together in Lake Mary while she pursued a college degree. During this time she worked as a piano teacher and danced with a local ballet company. She has performed in several professional productions including Th e Nutcracker and Giselle. Th ese experiences led her to take a brief sabbatical from her academic studies to pursue a teaching position at the ballet school, and eventually she accepted a job as school director. While working in this position, Carrie realized her passion for education and calling as a teacher. She returned to school to study education and graduated summa cum laude from the University of Central Florida having received a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with ESOL and Reading Endorsements, as well as experience in fi rst, second, third, and fourth grade.

After the birth of their daughter Margaret, Mrs. Panzella stayed home to care for her sweet baby girl and treasured every moment of her new role as mommy! When her daughter was school age, she began a new adventure as a home educator and continued for two years. While researching curriculum for their home education program, she felt drawn to the classical model of education. Th is eventually led Carrie and her husband to enroll their daughter at Th e Geneva School where they have been incredibly blessed by the love and support they've experienced within the Geneva community.

Carrie is honored to join this outstanding group of educators as she steps back into the classroom as a second grade teacher! One of the things she most looks forward to is the joy of spending every day with her students learning about God and the world he created. Her hope is to delight and engage each child in learning that will inspire them to "think deeply, love beauty, and pursue Christ's calling." Her heart is full, and she echoes the Psalmist's words, "Th e Lord has done great things for us and we are fi lled with joy" (Psalm 126:3).

For more information about the dialectic and rhetoric curriculum, visit the school website at genevaschool/academics

Perhaps it is surprising to hear geometry described as being more concrete than the more abstract algebra—the memory of fi lling columns with proofs comes readily to mind! Yet, in the tradition of liberal arts education, the impressive proofs of geometry were built upon a broad and solid foundation of tactile and visual experience. Students of geometry were busy constructing plane fi gures with straight edges and compasses and fi lling solids with sand or water—not just to make learning interesting or fun, but to make real learning possible in the fi rst place. When taught in this way, geometry is a more concrete subject than algebra. It deals with visual representations and constructions which are hands-on and easy to observe. Algebra on the other hand is abstract, using a symbolic shorthand to express what students have already encountered more concretely. Th is is not to detract

from algebra in any way—it is gloriously and elegantly abstract; ask one of our algebra teachers.

Beyond the practical, philosophical, and pedagogical considerations, our faculty was also moved by the ideal of curricular integration across disciplines. Studying geometry at eighth grade matches the historical sequencing of our history, Bible, and literature classes, and fi ts well with the dialectical reasoning we are seeking to teach in our logic courses. Th e hope is that studying the quintessentially Greek art of geometry while studying the New Testament and encountering Greek history and literature will awaken our students' imaginations, giving them a taste of what the famous classicist Edith Hamilton termed "the Greek way," while the formal study of logic will both support and be supported by the deductive reasoning geometry employs.

22

"I am certain you are all familiar with the stigmas attached to being 'the oldest girl in the club,' are you not?" Although my students are not old enough to go to clubs,

by their junior year, they have all heard of 'the oldest girl in the club,' and know her worthy of a grin. "How did the oldest girl in the club become the oldest girl in the club?" I ask. "She did not grow up," comes the reply. "And why did she not grow up?" Th is is a slightly more diffi cult question to answer. If you would become a free woman (or a free man), you must solve the riddle of why the oldest girl in the club never grew up.

Th ere was a time when the oldest girl in the club was not the oldest girl in the club, but the youngest. When I write of "the club," I mean exactly what comes fi rst to mind: loud music, cocktails, short skirts and dancing and unblinking lotharios on the prowl. In brief, I refer to the sins of youth. However, I also mean "the club" to stand for the milder and dopier faults of the young, like a lack of familiarity with ironing boards, a tendency to shout punchlines, and a belief that video games are even somewhat important. Th e youngest girl in the club ought to be quickly forgiven for having arrived at the club in the fi rst place, as curiosity is an inevitability of the human experience which dates back to Pandora. If all goes well, though, the lesser and greater things of life will separate for her as naturally as cream from milk, and after just a few late and deafening Saturday nights, the youngest girl in the club will move off for the fairer climes of the library, the nave, the quiet dinner party in the home of a friend.

Perhaps it will take more than just a few Saturdays, but a certain material concern typically overtakes the human heart after just a little speculation on the future. "Can I continue to live like this?" is the question which, sooner or later, prompts most of us to slough off the more slavish habits of youth and reach for the regal freedom of old age.

In the opening book of Plato's Republic, the aged Cephalus discusses the benefi ts of maturity with a coterie of young interlocutors. Cephalus recalls a time

long ago when he spoke with Socrates, and asked the elderly philosopher how old age suited the pursuit of love. "I feel as if I had escaped from a mad and furious master," replied Socrates. Cephalus agrees with this assessment.

For certainly old age has a great sense of calm and freedom; when the passions relax their hold, then, as Sophocles says, we are freed from the grasp not of one mad master only, but of many. Th e truth is, Socrates, that these regrets, and also the complaints about relations, are to be attributed to the same cause, which is not old age, but men's characters and tempers; for he who is of a calm and happy nature will hardly feel the pressure of age, but to him who is of an opposite disposition youth and age are equally a burden.

Why is it that old men who are not "calm" fi nd aging a burden, but those who are "calm" fi nd it a relief? A man of twenty-one might stay up all night drinking,

but later in life he falls asleep before midnight. Th e old man cannot eat the rich foods which a young man eats. In his poem about the decrepitude of the old body, Solomon wistfully comments, "Desire fails." Th e man who deepens a need for sexual pleasure in his middle years will fi nd, in old age, he no longer has a body able to deliver him from his wants. Before a man gets old, he must then liberate himself from the desires which an old body cannot sustain. A young woman must escape the club with the dignity of her youth intact.

Th e "mad master" of youth is not served unwillingly, though, but emerges when we realize our bodies can sustain pleasure beyond reasonable use and want. Food eaten after we are satisfi ed still tastes good. Wine consumed after we have properly celebrated continues to heighten the euphoria, as do pills ingested after the pain has

gone. We live in an age wherein erotic stimuli have achieved such omnipresence that the concept of sexual satiety is practically archaic. Th e mad master of youth is that sinister voice which calls us to fi nd the penetrable bottom of our will and puncture it with holes so we more quickly recover from the horror which comes from being satisfi ed. Ours is a culture so consumed by consumption, contentment is confusing.

Th e idea that more is necessarily better cannot be consigned to the realm of sex and food, though. I often fi nd myself a glutton of hours and minutes, staying up well into the night in hope of fi nding something (an argument, a television show) which can satisfy. I cannot put the day down just as a glutton cannot put down a bag of chips. Th e truth is, if a man is not satisfi ed with the day's accomplishments by ten in the evening, little hope remains he

Joshua Gibbs, Veritas School, Virginia

A Sustainable Life

A desire for food can be satisfi ed, but a desire for more is

endless.

23

will fi nd anything satisfying in the darkness. Likewise, if a man is not satisfi ed by four trips through the buff et line, chances are good a dozen more won't do the trick either. What such a man wants is not food, but more. A desire for food can be satisfi ed, but a desire for more is endless. Th e child who eats a modest plate of food and a small dish of ice cream has obtained a genuine joy which is forever elusive to the gorger who returns again and again to fi ll his plate, no matter how delicious the food is. No sane man wants to want. Every want necessarily seeks its own terminus, not its own perpetuation. Th e glutton who is never contented by food does not enjoy food, though, but is enslaved by food and vexed by food.

At the moment a man gives in to sin, his soul turns away from God and he rejects the purpose of the soul, which is the enjoyment of God. When a man

commits sin, his body experiences physical pleasure, but the pleasure never arrives within the soul, because the soul is shut down and turned off by sin. In the same way that a man who is paralyzed from the waist down cannot feel the pleasure of a warm footbath, so the soul of a man committing sin cannot enjoy the pleasure the sin off ers. In sin, a man may throw darts of pleasure at his soul, but those darts bounce off his nullifi ed soul. Consequently, men who are tempted believe that sin will off er them some satisfaction and enjoyment, but they fi nd in the moment of sin that no appetite has truly been satiated.

In the moments after a man gives in to temptation, he suddenly comes to realize that all the promises of enjoyment he has made to himself in the temptation process have not been realized. He feels guilt, but he also feels dazed, baffl ed. "Th ere was no real enjoyment," he tells himself, as the impulses of God begin to take over again. A man says to himself, "What I have done is very foolish. I will never do that again. I must remember this moment! Th is feeling of dissatisfaction and shame! When I am tempted, I must call this moment of shame to mind!"

Th e feeling of enlightenment which often comes in the wake of sin is the relighting of a guttering soul. Still, when a man refl ects on his sin, a certain confusion often sets in. How could the pleasure he had looked forward to for hours, perhaps even days, have provided him with nothing? A man is tempted to believe his sin did not give him any real satisfaction because he did not perform the sin properly (his commitment to the sin was too mild, or else too excessive), but that proper execution of the sin unto genuine enjoyment is possible. A man says, "I went too far, and so I felt guilt," or he says, "I did not go far enough and so the sin did not seem worth it," and he becomes enslaved to a cycle of trying to perfect his sin such that he can obtain real enjoyment and satisfaction from it. He refi nes his plans, tempers or exaggerates his renunciation of good, fi nagles new reasons for committing sin such that guilt and remorse will not plague him later. However, each time, enjoyment eludes him and he is left to his remorse, kicking himself and promising himself, "Never again." As death is the fruit of sin, there is some sense in which we say, "Th is is the last time," every time we sin.

However, a free life is a life which does not anticipate or depend on great change in the future. A free life involves habits and manners of life which can be sustained indefi nitely. Th e man who promises himself he will not drink so much in the future creates shackles of want which will only become heavier as he gets older. I have often asked my students, "How many of you have promised yourselves that, when you get older and move away from home, you will read your Bible and pray more than you do now?" I have never asked this question of a class which did not suddenly break out in embarrassed grins. "You will not read your Bible more when you move out," I tell them. "You will simply become good at not reading your Bible. If you practice not reading your Bible for the fi rst two decades of your life, you'll be a pro by the time you move out on your own. How hard is it to give up something you do

well? If you want to read your Bible in the future, begin today." Th e boasts of a young woman heading off to the club at the age of twenty-fi ve ("I don't have anyone to tie me down!") become embarrassments to the same woman if she is still repeating them ten years later. Similarly, I ask sophomore fellows, "Ten years from now, if you still like all the same things you like today, do you imagine any woman would be willing to marry you?" I don't exactly ask the question accusingly, but most simply respond by heartily laughing. Th ey juxtapose their own tastes and their own neuroses on their fathers, then shudder.

The regal freedom of old age requires us to willingly lay down our want for sensual indulgence before nature and good taste wrenches it from our fi ngers. Th e young man who

spends his time like a bachelor, spends his money like a bachelor, stays up late like a bachelor, eats like a bachelor, and drinks like a bachelor all the way up to the moment he says, "I do," will likely fi nd marriage shocking, restrictive, and slavish. A more peaceful maturation would involve the same young man behaving better than a bachelor while he still had every right to behave like a bachelor. Th ere is almost always something performative and feigned about reaching out for maturity—and you should expect all your old friends in crewneck t-shirts to accuse you of putting on airs with that ironed Oxford. If a man does not want maturity to be painfully thrust upon him all of a sudden, he must begin living himself into the future. Th is means the sophomore goes to the junior and says, "What does the devil try next?" It means the single man goes to the engaged man and says, "What does the devil try next?" It means the engaged man goes to the married man and says, "What does the devil try next?" And the married man goes to the man with children and asks, "And then what stunt does the devil pull?" And so on and so forth, all the way up to the retired man attending to the dying man and asking, "What does the devil try last?"

Joshua teaches great books to high school students at Veritas School in Richmond, Virginia. He is the editor of FilmFisher, a sought-after conference speaker, and a frequent contributor at the Circe Institute.

Th is article was fi rst published in the Society for Classical Learning's Journal and is reprinted by permission.

If a man does not want maturity to

be painfully thrust upon him all of a sudden, he must

begin living himself into the future.

I often tell students that parents should not have favorites when it comes to their children. We look at Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachel to see how favoritism works out! However, parents should defi nitely love their children

diff erently. At that point, seventh and eighth grade students' heads tilt—"What?"

Stating the obvious, our children are unique and we all know there is no "cookie-cutter" method for raising them. One child requires merely a glance of disapproval before a melt-down of repentance and remorse sets in. Another hardly fl inches under harsh corporal punishment. One child thrives on words of encouragement, while another only wants (and needs) to be held and hugged. Th ey are each unique, so the parental trick is how we love them each according to their needs.

Again like the biblical narratives, things get complicated with foster-, step-, and adopted children. Mary and I say, "We have eight children: some home-grown, some hand-picked." Such life-situations remind us, like almost nothing else, that love—in every relationship—is a choice more than an emotion. Our modern world has lost the plot, often portraying love as merely a feeling that comes and goes. Th e biblical picture of love begins with an intentional choice to love followed by a covenantal commitment to continue that love … regardless of circumstances and feelings. Paul says, "In love he [God] predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will" (Eph. 1:5).

But seriously, this is an incredibly important topic and applies to stepchildren, children from a second marriage, adopted children, foster children, and the list goes on. And I love that in our Geneva community, we share life together with families who live out all these kinds of parent-child relationships.

I am confi dent you agree with me that adoption is a precious theological concept because we, followers of Christ, are all adopted children. All of us, in our lost estate, sought desperately to be good enough to be saved, loved, and accepted into a spiritual family (whether we realized it or not at the time). And God, in

24

Dr. Michael Beates, Dean of Students

The Gift of Being Loved

by Choice

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before

the foundation of the world, that we should be

holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself

as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the

purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved

(Eph 1:2–6).

25

his infi nite mercy, lifted us out of our misery and slavery to sin (our orphanhood), and gave us his name and brought us into his family. So earthly adoption (as imperfect as it is) points toward and reminds us of this profound truth. And earthly adoption is far from perfect, beginning with the unsettling truth that each of us as parents—saved and connected to Christ though we may be–remain needy sinners ourselves.

God's love for those who are not naturally his children can also be seen in our (admittedly imperfect) ability to love children not naturally our own—we become

living and breathing day-by-day illustrations for our perfect heavenly Father. As a father to naturally born, adopted, and foster children, my parental imperfections poignantly remind me of just how loving, gracious, and patient my heavenly Father is with me, a stumbling and too-often rebellious adopted child.

I am also reminded that when we adopt children, over time they begin to "adopt" our ways which initially are foreign to them. Over time they recognize our voice and even to mimic our words, our slang, our mannerisms. So also, the longer we live and walk with our heavenly Father (hopefully), we learn to hear his voice and we increasingly mimic his ways and adopt his manner.

To love an adopted child is a risk. When we think about it, loving anyone is always a risk. Russell Moore, in a blog-post entitled "Don't Protect Yourself from Adoption," recently wrote, "If you wish to avoid the risk or possibility of being hurt, do not adopt a child. Do not foster a child. Do not engage in ministry with orphans or with widows or with the sojourners or with the poor. Do not have children, in any way. Do not get married. Do not

have any friendships. Hide under the bed, and hope for the best. Any human relationship brings with it the possibility of deep hurt. You can protect yourself from that possibility, but only by walling yourself off from love" (see the whole piece here: http://www.russellmoore.com/2016/11/18/dont-protect-adoption-2/). Paul Simon sang it diff erently in the 60s: "I am a rock, I am an island. And a rock feels no pain; and an island never cries." To love is to invite pain into your heart.

Again, think about our heavenly Father and what his adopting us cost him—the humbling limitation of taking on fl esh, the insult of rejection, the weight of sin, the pain of torture and death on the cross—all so that he could bring us into his family. And I know that even after many years in his family, I continue—

regularly—to disappoint him when I rebel or misrepresent him through the decisions I make in my life. Yet his love for me remains constant, unchanged, fi rm. It's the way he is … and it's the way I should be as well.

I love seeing Geneva families love their children well, through whatever diffi culties our children create. Parenting

is a risky calling and I deeply admire all who enter it. I love that so many of our families have adopted children in some sense or another. Th at is indeed a special calling. May

we all love our children for the beautiful creations they are. May we think deeply about how our Father has given us the model of love that we might imitate. And may we continue to pursue Christ's calling as parents as we love our children—whether they are naturally born to us, adopted by us, step-children brought to us, or foster children with us for whatever time God allows. May God give us much grace as we aspire to imitate him.

TGS Board of Governors Welcomes Dale BurketDale Burket joined Th e Geneva School board of governors in 2017. He is a lawyer and partner at Lowndes, Drosdick, Doster, Kantor & Reed, PA in Orlando and currently serves as a governing elder of Northland, A Church Distributed. He has also served as a guitarist on Northland's worship team for more than fi fteen years.

Dale graduated from Florida State University with degrees in music education and law, and is board certifi ed in real estate by Th e Florida Bar. He has more than thirty years of experience in real estate and corporate matters. Dale is married to his wife Pat who has an undergraduate degree in music education and is a substitute teacher at Park Maitland School. Dale is also a conductor of the Maitland Symphony Orchestra, a local community orchestra, and serves on the boards of the Performing Arts of Maitland and the Winter Park Chamber Music Academy. Dale and Pat have been married for forty years and have three grown sons.

Think about our heavenly Father and what his

adopting us cost him ... all so that he could bring us into his family.... His love for me remains constant, unchanged, fi rm. It's the

way he is … and it's the way I should be as well.

26

COLLEGE COUNSELING

Corner

Scott Thigpen

[email protected]

321-422-0213

Happy New Year! I trust that everyone had a restful and relaxing break over the holidays as we look with anticipation to what the new year will bring. It is hard to believe the TGS Class of 2017 is less than fi ve months away from graduation. To date, this class of 38

seniors has garnered 87 acceptance letters to 33 diff erent colleges and universities across the nation. We are presently batting a perfect 1000 in acceptance letters for each of our students who applied early action. Th ese schools include Wheaton College, Florida State University, Samford University, and Baylor University. And congratulations to Kai-Wen "Kevin" Chiang and Andrew Mathias on their acceptance to Vanderbilt University! I am super excited for these outstanding young men who will be studying at one of the more prestigious institutions in the nation.

What is most important for each of our students is that they fi nd the school that is best suited for them. Th ere are a myriad of factors that go into a student choosing where they desire to attend post-secondary school. In fact, the college search and selection process can be quite personal. My desire for all of our students is to not get wrapped up in comparing themselves to others, rather to rest in the peace of God that as they go through the process they will each end up right where they are supposed to be! I am equally excited for our school and community. Many have worked hard throughout our twenty-four year history to allow Geneva to live up to our mission of being an educational institution of scholastic and cultural gravitas. It is exciting for our school and students to be recognized on this level. As our graduates continue to excel in college it is a wonderful refl ection of the strength and value of our school and community.

As I begin to turn more attention to the junior class, I have recently learned of a new college entrance exam that is beginning to gain traction and it appears to be right up our alley. It is called the Classic Learning Test (CLT) and is being dubbed as more rigorous than the SAT and the ACT. Th e fi rst exam was administered on June 11, 2016, and has slowly gained traction since. Presently it is recognized by thirty colleges and universities who use it for admission and scholarship consideration, including a few schools our students have either graduated from or are currently attending: Grove City College, Bryan College, and Liberty University. Test takers have two hours to complete 120 questions worth one point each and will be tested in the areas of verbal reasoning, grammar/writing, and quantitative reasoning. Here is a bit more information about the exam taken directly from their website, www.cltexam.com:

"Th e CLT invites students to wrestle with works of the greatest minds in the history of Western thought across literary and mathematical content. Rich material refl ecting both theistic and secular perspectives benefi ts and enriches the student in the test-taking process. Among standardized college entrance exams, the CLT provides the most accurate and rigorous measure of academic formation, accomplishment, and potential."

"Existing standardized tests focus too narrowly on sterilized texts without allowing students to consider broader implications of decisions, ideas, and discoveries found in the rich and abundant variety of sources ranging from St. Augustine to Kant. Th e CLT reintroduces this variety by focusing on sources and materials that draw upon a strong tradition and challenge students to analyze and comprehend texts that are not just concerned with one small, narrow topic but rather represent the scope and complexity of Western tradition."

Th e CLT is still looking for its fi rst perfect score recipient with the current highest score being 116. Th e fi rst student who scores a perfect 120 will be awarded a full tuition (room and board) scholarship to any college or university in America for four years. Any takers?

Wish me safe travels as I head to the University of Alabama to serve on their counselor advisory board. Th is makes the trifecta for the state of Alabama as I have also served on Auburn University's and Samford University's advisory boards.

Th anks for hanging out on the college corner! Do not hesitate to reach out or drop by my offi ce if you ever wish to talk higher education.

Sincerely,

Th e Geneva School2025 State Road 436

Winter Park, FL 32792

Th e Geneva School • 2025 SR 436 • Winter Park, FL 32792407-332-6363 • www.genevaschool.org

tthe courierhe courier - the geneva school · as local businesses, who submit donations, buy...

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