L E T T E R F R O M T H E H E A D O F S C H O O L

This quote by Oswald Chambers, found in his classic devotional, “My Utmost for His Highest”, may well be theheart and soul of Christian education. It’s about connections, and chief above all others is one’s connection with the

Almighty. Rachael Kessler, writing about this in her book,“The Soul of Education”, describes the yearning for (deep)connections as a chief “gateway” to the soul developmentof young people. She states that, “Spiritual life is nour-ished, not through formal rituals that students practice inschool, but by the quality of relationship that is devel-

oped between person and world”. Her point about the quality of relationships speaks volumes to where young peopleare today, the questions they are asking (or not asking!), and our listening and responding to them.

There is just no getting around it . . . kids are looking for deep relationships and deep connections. While they maynot use the word, it seems to me that their lives are focused on finding significance. This search for significance, is notlimited to just relationships with their peers or the “opposite sex”. It is significance in life across the board . . . withself, with others, with community, with their lineage, with the natural world, and (ultimately) with God.

A truly Christian education will seek to nourish in students a Biblical perspective that allows them to “plow throughthis adolescent mess” so that they can “effectively integrate Biblical truth into their daily lives and impact the culturefor Christ”. A truly Christian education will strive to develop an outlook on life that will stress these various relation-ships and help young people find their significance as a created individual with “Godly connections.” The ApostlePaul, addressing the intellectually elite in Athens, stated that, “In Him (Christ) we live and move and have our being”(Acts 17:28).

We have recently graduated our 30th graduating class (Praise God!). Their photos adorn the following pages so youcan be “up close and personal”. While each class is special, with a uniqueness all their own, they all possess somethingin common ~ they leave this unique place with the foundation and process to make and keep those Godly connec-tions.

It’s interesting that Oswald Chambers would use Luke 2:52 as a reference point for this particular devotional . . .“and Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man”. Even the Son of God, in taking on ourhumanity, developed those deep connections and relationships as the basis for his own faith and learning process as achild. That is significant.

Mr. Stevens

For once it didn’train on us, it was, how-ever, quite cold and extremelywindy. Seventy-nine faithful runnersand walkers withstood the high winds and45 degree weather on Saturday, April 4.

Our very own Mrs. Cook(middle school historyteacher), both ran her veryfirst 5K and placed 1st in herage category! Thanks to allwho joined us and all of ourvolunteers who helped out –we could never have done itwithout you!

Thank you to our Donors!Appleby’s RestaurantsWomens' Sports SpecialtiesWoodside Farm CreameryWilmington Blue RocksDick's Sporting GoodsChristiana Skating CenterTown & Country Hair SalonHockessin Athletic ClubMcGlynn's Pub and RestaurantMichael's RestaurantBody/Mind & Spirit Massage TherapyThe Back BurnerCore FitnessTimothy's Restaurant

Trilogy Salon & Day SpaForever Fit Foundation Pilates &Gyrotonic StudioNewark Natural FoodsHarry's Savoy Grill

Thank you to our Sponsors!Dennis WhiteselPike Creek Physical Therapy Dr. James BrayGunnip & CompanyDr. Douglas PalmaRegional Orthopaedic Associates, P.A.Women’s Sports SpecialtiesThe Yzaguirre Family

Pictured are Connie’s daughter, Ginny (Dietrich) Standford, and two granddaughters, Sabrina Standford (left) and Madeline Bassoff (daughter of Debbie DietrichBassoff, right). Inset Mrs. Cook

First of all, I’d like to start off by saying thank youto everyone at WCS who has gotten me this far. The people I have met here have truly been blessings and the friendships I have made will hopefully last a lifetime. The past thirteen years hasbeen an incredible journey. As I leave WCS, I am notjust saying goodbye to my elementary, middle andhigh school, I am saying goodbye to my secondhome.

My teachers have taught me countless lessons, butone lesson that I have always struggled with is how todeal with change. Ironically, I was voted “mostchanged” by my class for senior superlatives, when inreality, I do whatever it takes to avoid change. One ofthe biggest challenges in my life was moving for thefirst time. When my parents hit me with the shockingnews that we were moving, I was hysterical. I lovedour little house in Bear, Delaware. I couldn’t imagineanything good coming out of our move to NorthWilmington. My attitude was horrible, but Godshowed me that everything happens for a reason. Iabsolutely love where I live now and to make it evenbetter, some of my best friends live within ten min-utes of me. All the crying and worrying was pointlessbecause it was all part of God’s plan.

Through this, I learned that it is very important totrust God in every situation, no matter how hard thechange might be. God tells us not to worry, becauseHe will always take care of us. In Matthew, Jesus says,“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,what you will eat, and drink, or about your body,what you will wear. Is not life more important thanfood, and the body more important than clothes?Look at the birds of the air, they do not sow or reap,or stow away in barns, and yet your heavenly fatherfeeds them. Are you not much more valuable thanthey? Who of you by worrying can add a single hourto his life?” God doesn’t want us to spend our timeworrying about the future because He is in controland will take care of us.

Needless to say, I have done a very good job avoid-ing change. I have been attending the same school forthirteen years and have had many of the same friends through the majority of those years. Leaving WCS is going to be a huge change, but Iknow God is in control. To make the transitionfrom high school to college even easier, He is sending me off with one of my best friends. I guessGod really does know what He is doing.

As much as I don’t want to admit it, this may bethe last time that all 35 of us are in the same roomtogether. Yes, there will be reunions and get-togethers,

C L A S S O F 2 0 0 9

As I considered how to challenge my class withinsightful topics and profound words of wisdom, I feltoverwhelmingly compelled to apologize and thank ourfaculty and our parents for surviving the last four yearswith us. To those parents who have heard, “Mom andDad . . . you have to help me . . . we have a groupvideo project due and we really need help getting start-ed. By the way, can you buy a video camera? Nobodyelse has one.” You ask when the project is due and yourealize that your child is not making eye contact as sheanswers “tomorrow”. It is now 7:00 pm on a Sundayevening, we are eternally grateful. Perhaps you havereceived that panicked call at work stating “I forgot myterm paper. It’s at home on the computer and it is duesecond period today. Can you go home and e-mail it tome, or better yet, can you print it and get it over hereby second period?” You promise to leave work and dothe best you can, wondering why on earth you aredoing this mission of mercy for your “irresponsiblechild”.

You have survived state reports, history days andmore term papers and projects than you can remember.Without you, our parents, we truly could have nevermade it. To the faculty and staff who have allowed usto make those many panicked calls home. We thankyou. For tolerating the excuses even when you knewthat was what they were . . . we thank you. For spend-ing every day with us and still loving us . . . we trulythank you.

Each new beginning starts at another beginning’send. We are looking forward to new and exciting expe-riences, but still we look back on our years here atWilmington Christian both with sadness at their end-ing and happiness because of the place they have inour hearts. The path to this point has been difficult,but rewarding. We have all accomplished tasks that wenever thought possible. We have made friendships thatwill last a lifetime. We have all had classes that weloved; classes that we’ve . . . well . . . not liked all thatmuch. We have experienced days that we hoped wouldnever end, and days that we wished had never started.We have traveled to foreign countries together, sur-vived Chemistry and Calculus together. We havelaughed together and cried together. Every day that weshared has shaped us into the men and women we aretoday.

My parents have often told me that it is not “whatyou become” but rather, “who you become” in life thatreally matters. I don’t know that I really understoodwhat that saying meant until recently. I have learnedthat life isn’t about the grades you get, the job statusthat you achieve or the amount of money you make. It

Leaving

WCS is going

to be a huge

change, but I

know God is

in control.

continued on back cover continued on back cover

Saturday, June 6, 2009, started out like every other graduation day . . . until Principal, Doug Haas, and Headmaster, Bill Stevens

arrived at the school to find that there was nopower. It seems that the night before brought abrief, but powerful storm which knocked down ahefty tree and took out a power line on OldWilmington Road that supplies the school’s electrici-ty. They and others that had arrived, quickly re-grouped and decided graduation would have to takeplace the following day. As they began to contact

graduates, parents, and others, they quickly realized this plan wasn’tgoing to work. It seemed that many folks had big plans for Sundaywhich would preclude them from taking part in their own graduationceremony. There were also two seniors who would not be able to par-ticipate had it been on Sunday. Mr. Stevens and Mr. Haas decided thatflexibility would be the order of the day and decided to try for anevening ceremony, provided the electricity could be restored by 5 pm.With the diligent efforts of the Delmarva Power crew, all was in work-ing order by 2 pm and commencement took place at 7 that evening.The Lord was honored, the seniors were celebrated, and the entirecommencement was a testimony to what makes WCS such a specialplace. As a special, albeit humorous, part of the ceremony, Mr. Stevenspresented a gift back to the class of ’09 . . . a piece ofthe tree that he will have mounted as a reminder of“The tree that tried to prevent graduation . . . butcouldn’t!”

The senior verse, taken from Ephesians 1 states,“that you may know His incomparable great power forus who believe”. That was certainly made vividlyknown to us all on June 6, 2009.

Class of 2009

W. Alex BerryhillDelaware Technical &Community College

Danielle Christine ClarkWashington College

Lauren CulbertsonUniversity of Delaware

E. Luke AlthouseThe College of New Jersey

Kyle BowersDelaware Technical &Community College

Ian T. ConstableUniversity of Delaware

Hannah Rae BollingerGettysburg College

Jonathan CohenUniversity of Delaware

Jennifer R. ClarkShippensburg University

THEGRADUATION

THAT ALMOSTWASN’T

2 0 0 9 G R A D U A T E S

Matthew P. GreerMilitary Services

Justin M. KellerUniversity of Delaware

Grace Marie PlumleyMessiah College

Allison L. TakatsUniversity of Delaware

Maricruz DominguezUniversity of Delaware

Ryan B. JonesUniversity of Delaware

Abigail L. McNielLiberty University

Matthew J. SwensonPurdue University

Stephanie L. ZerbeUniversity of Delaware

Mary-Payne Dixon

Ellyn K. JonesNeumann College

Sean W. McAnallyWest Chester University

Kyle T. SmithUniversity of Delaware

Kristi A. ZerbePennsylvania College of Art

& Design

Andrew R JockCecil College

Molly MacGrayElizabethtown College

Erin Kimberly ReedUniversity of Delaware

Samantha WolffElizabethtown College

Scott M. JacobsonUniversity of Delaware

Madeline LeyWheaton Conservatory

Carlton D. ReeceOklahoma Christian University

Hilary P. WhitingVirginia Tech

Alexander M. HallCecil College

Samuel J. LamplCecil College

Julianne N. PowersGoldey-Beacom College

Noelle J. TuttleUniversity of Delaware

“I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in orderthat you may know the hope to which he has called you, the richesof his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great

power for us who believe.”Ephesians 1: 18, 19a

On Friday, April 3rd, when the bandand chorus were on their trip to Virginia

Beach, the rest of the high school students tookpart in high school service day. After chapel and AP classes,our students and teachers broke up into about eight groups.Some served the community by raking leaves and gardeningin the neighborhoods around the school or going to theSunday Breakfast Mission and packing bags to give to thosein need. Some served the school by painting the warrior logoand sports symbols on the gym and athletic hallway, cleaneddesks, decorated bulletin boards, and painted the teachers’lounge in the elementary school. The gym looks great andhas added to the school spirit and student “ownership” ofour school. We have received thank you notes from theSunday Breakfast Mission complimenting the hard work ofour students as well as thank you notes from neighbors whocouldn’t believe the students would do the work without get-ting paid! Doug Haas, High School Principal

High School ACSIFine Arts FestivalArt Competition

2009

TROPHYBest in the Show 3-D Matt Swenson MetalsmithingBest in the Show Fibers Hilary Whiting Fashion Design

METALFirst Place Sculpture Steff Zerbe plaster, wire, glassFirst Place Photo-Montage Karlyn Shultz computer graphicsFirst Place Printmaking Lizzy Simmons block printFirst Place Pastels-Chalk Tori Norris value figure drawing

BLUE RIBBONSuperior Matt Swenson MetalsmithingSuperior Stephanie Zerbe SculptureSuperior Hilary Whiting Fashion DesignSuperior Julia Martin CeramicsSuperior Karlyn Shultz Photo-MontageSuperior Lizzy Simmons PrintmakingSuperior Alyessa Wainwright Drawing-Charcoal

RED RIBBONExcellent Natalie Stella Photography-DigitalExcellent Emily Dorsey CeramicsExcellent Tori Norris Pastels-ChalkExcellent Kristi Zerbe Painting-AcrylicExcellent Angel Dominguez Drawing-PencilExcellent Julia Simpson Pastels-Chalk

WHITE RIBBONGood Jessica Davey Photography-DigitalGood Caity Queppet Sculpture

Congratulations to several Spanish stu-dents who attained national recognitionfor an excellent performance on the 2009National Spanish Exams. These exams arethe largest of their kind in the US withwell over 115,000 students participating.

The top ten winners in each categoryreceive national recognition and a mone-tary prize. Senior Maricruz Dominguezplaced eighth in the Level 4 bilingual cate-gory and earned a bronze medal. JuniorDan Reich placed eighth in the Level 3category and earned a silver medal.Sophomore Melody Nashed placed eighthin the Level 2 category and earned a silvermedal. Lauren Tideman (Level 3); AndrewSmith, Claire Webster, and MadelineBrooks (Level 2); and Natalie Stella (Level1) also earned bronze medals.

Honorable mention winners in Level 3include juniors: Yanni Kaliakin, KellyKauker, Karlyn Shultz, Thomas Sullivan,Kristen Tideman, and Timothy Webster.Honorable mentions winners in Level 2include: Jessica Davey, Brooks Whiting,Rebecca Ronan, Tara Stark, Rachel Carver,Luke Althouse, Tayler Johnston, SarahBarton, and Alyssa Stonkus.

Students from WCS have a long historyof high achievement on these exams andwere taught by Spanish teachers DeborahCoen and Celinda Conteh.

CONGRATULATIONS ART WARRIORS!15 pieces submitted7 Superior ratings6 Excellent ratings

2 Good ratings4 first place, by category

2 Best in the Show (3-D and Fibers)

“During the last six months, WCSfreshman, Matthew Frigm, has filled,packaged and shipped 15 care pack-ages to soldiers overseas.

Using his summer earnings fromselling bait in FenwickIsland and mowinghis grandparents’lawns, the 15-year-old

began the self-funded process ofshopping for food, buying materialsand setting up shop in his bedroom,which was quickly overrun with

boxes and packing material.

‘I did it because it shows our sol-diers what they do for us and howwe can give a little back to them,’said Frigm, a two-year volunteer withthe USO.

Frigm, who said his inspira-tion came from the personal

relationships he built withsoldiers arriving at Dover

Airforce Base, wherehe volunteers, has

found a way to helpmore soldiers and get

classmates at hisHockessin school

involved.

Frigm organized a schoolwide dress-down day as a fundraiserto support the USO and individualsoldiers. Taking a break from theiruniforms, students donned red,white and blue.

Containing home-baked treats,blankets, canned food, a Bible and adevotional book, the care packagesare a way for Frigm to give troops asense of home and comfort in hostileterritory. It’s a labor of love, but atabout $25 per package and $10.25for shipping, it’s an expensiveendeavor.

‘It ended up costing a lot ofmoney, and I was praying for awhileabout a way to get money for this,’he said. ‘Then the idea just came tome. God showed me that there was agood way to raise money and geteveryone involved as a whole.’

Frigm approached principal,Doug Haas, with a proposal for a

dress-down day to raise money forhis project. ‘I asked him to write hisidea down, and it showed me exactlywhat he was doing and how he hadgotten involved,’ Haas said. ‘He thenmade a DVD and took the first fiveminutes during an assembly to showstudents what the soldiers face daily.’

‘The challege of culture today isthinking about others,’ Frigm said.‘This really shows kids what soldiersare going through and how they canhelp. I hope that everyone realizeseverything that the troops are doingfor us and that they are thankful fortheir service.’

On Thursday, March 12, 2009,students, faculty and staff, paid $2 towear jeans and a red, white or blue T-shirt. Frigm also sold wristbands thatwere donated by the USO for $3each.” – by Emily Riley, The NewsJournal, March 15, 2009

In response to the event,Matthew writes, “Thank you all foryour participation in the Support ourTroops Day on March 12th. Becauseof your support, we raised $1,793.From this money $824 (from thesales of wrist bands) went directly tothe USO and $969 will be used tosend approximately 30 care packagesto our deployed troops. I was over-whelmed by the response to ourSupport our Troops Day and thankGod for this answer to prayer!

On a side note, Robin Foster hasnominated Matthew for the Kohl’sKids Who Care Scholarship for hisacts of kindness.

WCS STUDENT MAKES SUPPORTING TROOPS HIS MISSION

7th Grade Renaissance Faire

SponsorsGold Sponsor-Williamson Hospitality

Silver Sponsor - Unique Image

Silver Sponsor- The DePhillips Family

Cart Sponsor-Dr. Daniels/Blue DiamondDental, P.A.

Program Sponsor- Sandy Cove Ministries

Foursome Picture Sponsor-Service Unlimited, Inc.

Team Sponsor- Anonymous

Hole in One Sponsor –Kia West Chester/Coatsville

Snack Sponsor – Herr’s Food,Inc.

DonationsSandy Cove MinistriesBuild-a-Bear WorkshopThe Parker FamilyDelaware Museum of Natural HistoryThe New Candlelight TheatreWilmington & Western RailroadThe Back BurnerCakes By KimDelaware Safety CouncilHerr’s Food, Inc.Jungle Jim’s Water ParkCannon’s Custom Cakes & BakerySavio InstituteDeerfield Golf & Tennis ClubDelaware Symphony OrchestraDelaware Art MuseumDelaware Safety Council, Inc.YMCA of DelawareDelaware National CountryClubBest Western Brandywine Valley InnLongwood GardensHeritage Shores ClubDelaware Zoological SocietyEmbroidMe Unique ImageUnique ImpressionsBlue Hen Promotions, Inc.Tevebaugh AssociatesPike Creek Coffee RoasterieMary Kay (Sandy Kroeber)Tastefully Simple (Robin Kelley)

Several students representing WilmingtonChristian School recently won honors in thisyear’s WordMasters Challenge, a national compe-tition for high school students requiring closereading and analysis of many different kinds ofprose and poetry. The premise behind theWordMasters Challenge is that attentive readingand sensitivity to language are among the mostimportant skills students acquire in school. Thetext students must analyze for the Challenge canrange from short fiction to poetry, and classic tocurrent essays. Though the texts vary widely invoice, subject, tone, and length, they have onething in common: style. All use language skillful-ly to convey layers and shades of meaning notalways apparent to students on a first or casualreading. Like the questions on the verbal SAT I,the SAT II in English Literature, and theAdvanced Placement exams in both EnglishLanguage and English Literature, the questionsposed by the WordMasters Challenge ask studentsboth to recognize the emotional and/or rationallogic of a piece of writing and to notice the waysin which a writer’s style shapes and shades hismeaning.

In this year’s third meet, held in February, jun-ior Kristen Tideman was one of only 10 eleventhgraders in the entire country to earn a perfectscore, while her classmates, Dan Reich andLauren Tideman, both placed among the 176highest scorers at this grade level. At the sametime, freshman Caitlin Harkey was one of the 32highest-scoring ninth graders nationally in themeet for her grade level. Haley Cairo and EmilyRitter placed among the top 162 highest scoring9th graders in the entire country in meet # 2.Luke Althouse placed among the top 249 highestscoring 12th graders in the entire country in meet# 2 (Luke has been consistently ranked since 10thgrade when WCS first entered the National com-petition).

More than 54,000 students from 47 statesentered the meet. The school’s participation wasoverseen by Elle Straley, David Bird, CelindaConteh, and Sherrie Gumienny.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OURWORDMASTERS CHALLENGEPARTICIPANTS!

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The Middle School students nearly swept the State History Day com-petition! Many went on to the national competition on June 14-18,2009, at the University of Maryland, College Park, MD.

Historical Paper First Place:

Nathan Hansell

“Winston Churchill: War Leader, Ambassador, Politician”

Individual Documentary Second Place:

Elizabeth Landon

“Benny Goodman, King of Swing”

Group Documentary Second Place:

Zach Hayes, Nathan Hickman, and Max Sanders

“Steve Jobs and His Legacy in Computers”

Group Exhibit First Place:

Kitsa Eleutheriou and Megan McGrail

“Brooklyn Dodgers: Jackie Robinson”

Group Exhibit Second Place:

Shannon Murphy and Julie Robinson

“Shirley Temple Black: American Princess”

Group Exhibit Third Place:

Jonathon Montini and Matthew Piscitelli

“Neil Armstrong”

Donata Kazachkina won the Founder's Award for her individual exhibit“Mother Teresa”

David Cremi won the University of Delaware Award for Best US Historyfor his individual exhibit “President Jimmy Carter”

“Poetry comes to life at statewidecompetition; competitors includedWilmington Christian School andCab Calloway students from PikeCreek and Hockessin.

The silence of the darkened audi-torium was broken by a carryingvoice, rising in pitch, soaring inintensity and quaking with emotionas it pleaded with the audiencemembers to never give up.

That voice belonged to AmySchultz, a junior at WilmingtonChristian School, and she was usingit to recite a 99-year-old poem byRudyard Kipling during the statefinals of the fourth annual PoetryOut Loud Competition.

‘I love how poetry can have suchincredible messages and expressthem in such unique ways,’ saidSchultz.

She and 11 other students fromhigh schools across Delaware puttheir memorization and recitationskills to the test during competition,held at the Smyrna Opera House onMarch 5th. The event was sponsoredby the Delaware Division of theArts” – Hockessin Community News

Congratulations Amy and thanksfor such a great representation ofWCS!!!

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JUNIOR DIVISION HISTORY DAY 2009 WINNERS

Valedictorian cont’d

WCS Mission Statement

Wilmington Christian School provides a Christ-centered, challeng-ing academic program with instruction based on the Biblical viewof God and the world. WCS teaches, influences, and encourageseach student to effectively integrate Biblical truth into his/her dailylife and to impact the culture for Christ.

PATHFINDER is published tri-annually byWilmington Christian School

A special thanks to everyone who contributed articles, photographs, and information!

www.wilmingtonchristian.org

Wilmington Christian School825 Loveville Road

Hockessin, DE 19707

is about the kind of person that you become while pursuingthese goals.

During our time at WCS, I can certainly attest to the fact thatour teachers have challenged us academically to be the best . . .but they have done so much more. They have shown us that themost important assets in our lives are our character and ourhearts. It is whether we love the Lord our God with all our heart,all our soul and all our minds. It is whether we treat others withdignity and respect and whether we show God’s love to all thosearound us. Psalm 111:10 says that the fear of the Lord is thebeginning of wisdom. Only when we have become the kind ofpeople that God desires us to be, can He accomplish great worksthrough us. In Psalm 119:66, David clearly understood this prin-ciple when he asked God “Teach me knowledge and good judg-ment, for I believe in your commands.”

That is not to say that I have become all that God wants meto be. Every day is a learning process. Some days I do much bet-ter than others. There are bound to be failures in our lives, butthat is when we seem to learn the most. Once, while ThomasEdison was working to develop a better battery, a discouragedassistant came up to him and suggested that Edison must beready to quit after having performed some 50,000 tests withoutsuccess. “You must be pretty downhearted with the lack ofprogress,” the assistant said. Edison replied, “Downhearted?We’ve made a lot of progress. At least we know 50,000 thingsthat won’t work!” Al Gore failed at his run for presidency. He

turned to making documentaries and became a Nobel Prize win-ner. Marie Curie died of radiation poisoning, but in the processdiscovered a treatment for cancer. How much more is God ableto take our failures and turn them into successes when our heartis truly seeking Him.

We, in the class of 2009, have become a class of individualswho are bright, passionate, and driven. I challenge my fellowclassmates and myself to become individuals who are striving tobe “who” God wants us to be as we pursue “what” our futureholds. We are the class of 2009. Congratulations everyone andGod bless you all. – Noelle Tuttle, Valedictorian

Salutatorian cont’d

but the chances that all of us will be there together is slim.However, I expect to see all of you at the best reunion of all,and that is the reunion in heaven. I pray that all of you will bethere with me one day. I love each and every one of you andconsider you all family. Thank you for making these thirteenyears unforgettable. – Molly MacGray, Salutatorian