EMS ExpressionsD E C E M B E R 2 0 1 7V O L U M E 6 , I S S U E 4

The Christmas program is a highlight in the life of the EMScommunity, drawing all aspects of our school together around a musicalcelebration! This endeavor requires a lot of diligent work by all partiesinvolved. While the goal of the Christmas program is in part to providestudents a way to show their learning and connect with the broader EMScommunity, everything that is done is meant to glorify God and expressthanksgiving for the gift of Jesus.

Certain parts of planning a program are more enjoyable than others.Choosing repertoire (the songs that we sing) can be a tedious process, but it isprobably the most interesting and exciting. One might ask: “What makes youchoose a certain song or theme for a program? This is a great question and oneI’ve thought about a lot. When thinking about music, I ask many differentquestions. How will this fit students’ vocal abilities? Will this be enjoyable tosing? Is there enough variety in the music that I’m choosing? It is veryrewarding when I come across a piece of music that seems to fit the uniqueskills or character of a particular class. Every piece of music provides a uniquechallenge with various rewards for both the singer and the listener. Throughoutthe whole process I try to select pieces with a message worth communicatingand music worth singing.

After the program’s content is somewhat fixed, the real work begins.For one to two months prior (longer for some classes), students are workinghard to learn pitches, rhythms, words, and accompaniment for the music. In2017, students collectively spent roughly between 75 and 100 hours rehearsingmusic in class or chapel. In addition, Mr. Daryl Weaver and his crew of studentaudio/visual technicians poured many hours into the lights, sound, and setup. However, the credit doesn’t just go to those directly involved. All the staffat EMS are gracious and flexible to make sure that students are able to get thepractice time they need as well as the continued learning in other subject areas.Through the extra singing, memorizing, and changing routines, students andteachers alike are stretched. Good things take time and effort, and I feel it’sworth it all around!

When a program is finally put on stage--after all the rehearsal, thelining up, the sound checks--I think everyone experiences a sense of fulfillmentand success. It means a lot to have family and friends come and support thework that was done! Perhaps there is some relief; the stress of being fullyprepared, yet excited, is gone. No more last minute rehearsing or memorizing ofwords. But, it is a sacrifice in a way to move on, having invested so much timeinto the music. Though the program songs are filed away in the cabinet, students come away with an experience in bothlearning and praise that isn’t simply transient.

As a personal reflection, I want to say a thanks to all those involved this year in the Christmas program effort. Despitethe inescapable frantic moments of uncertainty and fear of being unprepared, it has been a joy to be involved in this year’sprogram. Thank you students for putting up with long class periods of rehearsing music. Thank you teachers for giving yourstudents’ grace as they spent the extra time on rehearsal. Thank you, parents, grandparents, and all those who supported ourstudents in various ways by attending the program, giving to the school, or simply listening while your child sang a particularChristmas song over and over again! And thanks to our Savior Jesus who came. We revere Him as our Lord, the One who iscalled Emmanuel, “God with us.”

-Mr. Jesse Weaver (Musical Instructor & Director)

Christmas Program Throughthe Eyes of the Director

E M S E X P R E S S I O N S

Bible Quizzing

P AGE 1

“I have hidden your word in my heart, that Imay not sin against you” Psalm 119:11. Wehere at Ephrata Mennonite truly believe inthis verse and take it to heart through ourBible Memory. But there are around 20students from grades 6-12 who have taken it astep farther. They are involved in MACSABible Quizzing which is a big organizationwhere schools and homeschool groups learnchapters of the Bible and then come togetherto quiz at tournaments and eventually go onto a 2 day retreat at Black Rock. This year thequizzers have memorized all of Acts 1-8word for word. That is a grand total of 293verses! This year EMS has 6 teams, with 3 Jr.High teams and 3 Sr. High teams. The Jr.High team names are Ephrata Stars, EphrataRejoice, and Ephrata Eclipse. The Sr. highteams names are Ephrata Committed, EphrataForetold, and Ephrata Alive. We are veryproud of them for going to such greatmeasures to memorize and live out God’sword! -Ashley Shirk

P A G E 2

E D I T O R I A LE D I T O R I A L Fir-nishing for Christmas

S P O R T S

E M S E X P R E S S I O N S

January SportsCalendar

5th: High School Guys Basketball GamesVS Fairview (Home) at 6:00 pm8th: High School Girls Basketball GamesVS Schaefferstown (Away) at 4:00 pm9th: Middle School Basketball Games VSGehmans (Home) at 10:45 am13th: Freshman Guys Basketball Game VSTerre Hill (Away) at 9:00 am19th-20th: High School Guys BasketballTournament at Faith Mennonite High School29th: High School Basketball Games VSTEACH (Away) at 5:00 pm

To some it’s an important part of Christmas and to others a thing that they never did. But what is the point of aChristmas tree? Christmas trees started out having no correlation with Christmas but instead were a symbol to theRomans of life during winter since the tree, when other trees look dead, still stayed green with life. But today it hasbecome more of a decoration and less of a symbol. Some say it has some meaning towards Jesus's death symbolized bycutting the tree down as if showing His death, and the return of His life is shown by thedecoration of lively lights. Another major difference in how people view trees between thepresent and the past is that historically people used to hang the Christmas trees upsidedown. Although that is widely unknown, I found it to be something that is interesting.

There are some questions people may consider as they decide what they thinkabout Christmas trees. To me the ideas from history are not something that I find true andwould not be a factor toward getting a tree. If I would buy a Christmas tree, though, I wouldcontemplate whether to get a real or fake one. It would also depend if I wanted a cheap andeasy to clean up one or a more beautiful and possibly a more meaningful tree to decoratemy house. Either way, it would probably look best right side up.

I never had a Christmas tree in the home that I live in now, and as it stands I willprobably never get a tree. But that could change if my family would want to make atradition of decorating one so we could sit back and tell stories with friends in front of abright tree. If I ever would get a Christmas tree, I would definitely go for a real tree sincedecorations look best on them. But if I would instead want a small one for a desk or tabledecoration then I would get a fake one since real trees would be too heavy and too big for a desk.

In the end is it actually the tree that is most important? Or is the importance of Christmas a remembrance ofhow Jesus Christ was born, how he will grow up to be the one who is the perfect example, and how he will save us allfrom our sins if we choose to accept it?

-Bradly Zimmerman

Faith V Guys Loss 36-61 11/30

Faith JV Guys Loss 22-23 11/30

Faith V Girls Loss 12-32 11/30

Faith JV Girls Loss 10-35 11/30

Fairview V Guys Loss 62-64 12/1

Fairview JV Guys Loss 26-39 12/1

Fairview MS Guys Loss 42-37 12/1

Damascus V Guys Loss 35-39 12/1

Terre Hill V Guys Win 49-32 12/5

Terre Hill JV Guys Loss 16-34 12/5

Terre Hill V Girls Loss 9-33 12/5

Terre Hill JV Girls Loss 17-19 12/5

TEACH V Guys Win 48-42 12/19

TEACH JV Guys Win 45-42 12/19

TEACH V Girls Loss 24-42 12/19

TEACH JV Girls Win 21-18 12/19

Fairview MS Guys A Loss 25-45 12/21

Fairview MS Guys B Win 28-20 12/21

Fairview MS Girls A Win 21-8 12/21

Fairview MS Girls B Win 24-11 12/21

Leanna Martin

Stamp

Every Class Has One

CONTINUING STORY

P A G E 4 E M S E X P R E S S I O N S

Along with a variety of Christmas traditions during the month of December, it is a time known for carolers togo around and spread Christmas cheer. To each person, Christmas means something a little different. Many may notunderstand the true meaning, so caroling is a great way to celebratethe birth of Jesus and share the hope that He gives us. Christmas canbe a joyful time, but for some it can be hard and lonely so goingcaroling can be a tool used to encourage them. While Christmascaroling may mostly be associated with what church groups go outand do, it is also something that we take time to do here at EMS. Thewonderful thing about Christmas caroling is that it is a blessing toboth the listeners and to those doing the singing. Throughout themonth of December, there were several grades that had theopportunity to go around and be a part of spreading the joy ofChristmas to many people.

On December 11th, the sixth and seventh graders traveled to Reading with Miss Nolt and Mrs. Heisey aschaperones. After talking to seventh graders Camron Hollinger andZachary Nolt, they agreed that they enjoyed singing with friendsand that it is important to go caroling since it serves as anopportunity to share God’s love. During their time on the bus, theyhad opened the windows and yelled, “Jesus loves you!” Two dayslater on December 13th, the first and second graders went toFairmount Nursing Home. For most of these students, this was theirfirst time going caroling. After talking to a few of the first graders, Ifound that they seemed to enjoy singing and would go again. Alongwith singing, the first and second graders had each made two cardsto hand out to the residents. The residents greatly enjoyed receivingthese. Ashley, a first grader, said that her favorite part was making

the people happy. On the last day of school before Christmas break, December 22nd, StuCo split grades 7-12 in threegroups to go caroling. One group went to the Lancaster train station, another to Weis Markets and The Gardens atStevens, and the third group to Ephrata National Bank and Colonial Lodge. Being in the group that went to theLancaster train station, it was not only great to see some of the people’s faces light up at the songs we sang but also

have some join in and sing with us.

Spreading the Christmas CheerFIELD TRIPS

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Focusing on Freshmen

I N S I D E T H E C L A S S R O O M

Mission to the Middle East

P A G E 5

SCORRE-ing Big in Speech

MISSIONS TRIPS

What are the secrets to becoming a dynamic and effective communicator? This is the question that sleazy salesmenand passionate pastors alike seek to answer. In speech class, the senior class is learning exactly how to become greatcommunicators by using the SCORRE process which was created by Ken Davis. Every year, thousands of people are trainedusing this elite process. The speech class is being taught by Daryl Weaver, a two-time veteran of the intense SCORRE processand also a dynamic speaker. SCORRE is an acronym for Subject, Central theme, Objective Sentence, Rationale, Resources,and Evaluation. These are the building blocks upon which a speech, book, or any other platform a communicator uses isconstructed. Using the video conference version of the SCORRE process as well as Ken Davis’s book, Secrets of Dynamic

Communication, the seniors are learning how to effectively and passionatelycommunicate. So far, the seniors have each had the opportunity of performing twospeeches in front of their classmates. On the first round of speeches, the studentswere graded solely on their composition of the SCORRE process within theirspeeches. For an example, an appropriate objective sentence for a speech aboutdogs might look like this: Every family should own a dog for these reasons. Thenthe reasons, or the “rationale,” could be Responsibility and Companionship. Thesesteps are just a small part of the SCORRE process required for a good gradeduring the first round of speeches. After every speech is completed, the classmatesoffer compliments and criticism of the content and the presentation, allowing thestudent to correct and improve problems for the next round of speeches. The

second round of speeches added the requirement of the crucial elements outside of content for successful speaking: good voicecontrol, appearance, expression, eye movement, gestures, and body poise, to name a few. As the senior class is beginning todiscover, if any one or more of these elements is missing, the speech simply becomes a mundane talk, a group of wordslacking any real persuasive or enabling abilities. With practice, the senior class will continue to improve at their speech givingabilities until it gets to the point that they are able to confidently speak at any time, on any subject, and in front of any crowd.

-Dylan Martin

E M S E X P R E S S I O N S

Another one of our student’s missions trips that had taken place this summer was the journey that one of our seniors,Julie Hoover, took. She and a few other people from her church at New CovenantMennonite Fellowship went on a very daring and adventurous trip to Iraq. Here is whatshe has to say about her very thrilling adventure:

“On an early Sunday morning in August of 2017, an excited group of eightpeople, myself included, met in the church’s driveway. The reason we were so excited?We were about to embark on the journey of our lives. We departed from Philadelphiaairport and flew to Iraq to spend a life-changing two weeks helping refugees repair theirhomes. The main mission work that we completed was repairing windows by replacingthe glass in the windows to protect the locals from the damp coldness of the Iraqi winter.We were also able to spend time with the locals for a few evenings while we were overthere. It was very shocking how cheerful and happy the Iraqi people were even thoughthey all lost people to the military terrorist group that the locals call Daesh (ISIS). The

biggest challenge I faced while over there was to not dwell onthe horror and heartbreak of these people’s stories but rejoice inthe fact that they are stronger and willing to get back on theirfeet. The coolest lesson I learned was learned at 3:00 AM on themorning after we arrived in Iraq. We were rushed out of thehouse for a drill and at that point, I realized that wherever I am,and whatever happens, God will be there with me through it all.Iraq was life-changing, and I definitely want to go back. Iencourage you to go too if you feel God calling you.”

-Ashley Shirk

January CalendarStuCo UpdateThe month of December was a busy time for

everyone, including all of StuCo. Outside of our weeklyWednesday lunch meetings, we added a morning meeting atDunkin’ Donuts to be able to cover important details forupcoming events and to brainstorm events for 2018. OnDecember 12, StuCo held its first gym night for the year, anevening filled with lots ofcompetitive volleyball, food,and strengthened friendships.As we got closer to Christmas,we wanted to not lose “thereason for the season,” so weplanned a Christmas chapel/talent show on the 20th andChristmas caroling forsecondary students on the 22nd.The Christmas chapel featured13 different student groups performing Christmas songs andskits; the festivity of the morning was also encouraged with thehanding out of about 450 pieces of candy. On Friday morning,all of the secondary students went Christmas caroling at avariety of places such as ENB, Colonial Lodge, and LancasterAmtrak Station. Hopefully we were able to bless many with oursinging this holiday season!

-Dylan Martin (StuCo President)

Check It Out!

Learning to Serve

598 Stevens Road, Ephrata, PA, 17522Phone: 717-738-4266

E-mail: office@ephratamennonite.org

Ephrata Mennonite School

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Ephrata Mennonite Student Newspaper

P A G E 6 E M S E X P R E S S I O N S

1st: No School - New Year's Day11th: End of 2nd Quar ter15th-19th: Book Week19th-20th: Varsity Guys Basketball Tournament atFaith Mennonite High School22nd-23rd: Half Day - Parent-Teacher Conferences27th: Bible Quiz-A-Thon at Lititz Area Mennonite School29th-Feb. 2nd: High School Spir itual Life Week withJason Reed

For our giving project this year, EMS decided to help a fellowChristian school in a desperate time of need. We raised $2,800to help rebuild Academia Menonite Betania, a Puerto RicanMennonite school which was hit by Hurricane Irma. Therewere many students and staff affected by the school closing,and Ephrata wanted to do more than fix the building. EMSstudents sent 130 cards, made by 2nd-7th graders, to thestudents of the Betania in hopes of making them smile. Welook forward to seeing who we can bless next year!