Heights
Heights Christian
Christian Schools
Schools
Affiliates of family resource ministries
HCS – Brea Friends Elementary & PS
200 S. Associated Rd. Brea, CA 92821 – (714) 990-8780
HCS - Chino Hills Campus
2549 Madrugada Dr. Chino Hills, CA 91709 – (909) 465-9905
HCS– Chino Hills Preschool Campus
2092 Chino Hills Parkway, Chino Hills, CA 91709 – (909) 627-6678
Heights Christian Preschool & Infant Center
1225 N. Hacienda Rd. La Habra Heights, CA 90631 –
(562) 694-6733
Did You Know?
Each Monday on our Facebook
page we post a “Teacher Close-Up
Feature”. It’s a great way to get to
know our teachers at our various
campuses. And we love reading
the wonderful comments left on
each post!
Heights Christian Junior High School
12900 Bluefield Ave. La Mirada, CA 90638 – (562) 947-3309
HCS – La Mirada Elementary & PS
12200 Oxford Dr. La Mirada, CA 90638 – (562) 902-1779
HCS -La Mirada Friends Preschool Campus
12000 La Mirada Blvd. La Mirada, CA 90638 — (562) 947-2123
www.HeightsChristianSchools.org
While our K-7th grade has a Summer Fun
Program, our preschoolers also get to have a fun
filled summer with weekly themes of games, crafts
and water play! Even a special guest came with
some special creatures!
Summer at Heights is fun for all ages!
What's Inside...
A Word From Andrea
Taylor
School Year Themes
Summer Fun Program
T-Shirt Photo Contest
Winners
Smart Fundraiser
You’re A Good Man,
Charlie Brown
October 2013
“My name is Mrs. Andrea
Taylor and I am so proud to be
serving here at Heights Christian
Schools, La Mirada. The Heights
family has become my family as
I have served alongside them
Andrea Taylor,
since July of 1995. I’ve been on
HCS– LM Principal campus at HCS-LM for 9 years
serving as a third grade
teacher. Before that time I was on other Heights
campuses teaching in grade levels preschool-fifth
grade. As I’ve mentioned, I’ve been teaching for
eighteen years. I have my BS in Human
Development from Hope International University and
obtained my Multiple Subject Teaching Credential
through Cal State Fullerton.
I am loving my new position as principal because it
allows me to interact with even more students and
their families. I appreciate the emotion I see as I walk
around campus. It might be determination as a
student works to complete a challenging math
concept or joy as they share the memory verse
they’ve worked hard at learning. Watching a great
football game and seeing a fun dance class are a
few more wonderful moments I have had the
privilege of seeing in these first few weeks of school.
and raised. We attend The Cause Community
Church in Brea and enjoyed serving this summer at
the new Saturday night services they implemented.
My husband, Sean and I have raised our two
daughters within our system of schools. Madison is
nineteen. She is beginning her second year of
college at Westmont College in Santa Barbara,
majoring in Communications. Grace is fourteen and
beginning her freshman year of high school where
she plays on the tennis team, sings in the choir and
was recently cast in the fall play. Our girls are what
we consider our hobbies. We stay very busy keeping
up with them. We know that many of their successes
in school and life can be traced back to their time at
Heights. I’m very grateful to wonderful teachers that
have impacted their lives and loved them as Jesus
does.
My new position has already been such a blessing to
me. This year I look forward to working closely with
administrative teammates, staff and families to
ensure the very best for each of our students. A
verse I’ve prayed over my girls and students over the
years is Luke 2:52. My desire is that they would
follow the example of their Savior growing in ‘wisdom
and stature, and in favor with God and men.’ This is
the ultimate goal for our year and our lives.”
My family and I live in Whittier, where I was also born
“YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN”
A musical comedy based on the
Peanuts characters. Charlie Brown is told by his
friends that he’s a good man. He starts to
wonder if that’s true, and sets out to find out.
Tickets go on sale October 23rd
at HeightsChristianSchools.org
YOU’RE A GOOD MAN,
CHARLIE BROWN
SHOW TIMES:
Dec 5 @ 7pm
Dec 6 @ 7pm
Dec 7 @ 2pm
Dec 7 @ 7pm
At the Hawk Theater
Black Box Theater
As we are continuing to build the performing arts program at the Heights Christian Jr. High School,
we are very excited to introduce the concept of Black Box Theater to the junior high students!
“The Time is Now”
At Heights Christian Jr. High our theme for this school year is, The Time is Now, taken from
Esther 4:14b,“Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” As a
school we are seeking to invite God into every part of our lives and to get on board with what He is doing.
During the month of September, HCJH students cleaned out their
closets and gathered as many used, wearable shoes as possible to
donate to our shoe drive. Miss Rich’s homeroom began this adventure
as a way to help a local family fundraise for an international adoption
of a special needs child from the Ukraine as well as to give the shoes
to Angel Bins, a non-profit organization which sends used shoes to
Africa. Our goal was to collect 1,000 pairs, and we are thrilled with the
results of 957 pairs of shoes! Way to go Hawks!
Our production of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” will be performed on the junior high
campus, in our own black box, affectionately named, the Hawk Theater! In this theater
configuration, there will be limited seating (99 seats, to be exact) to ensure a more intimate
interaction between performers and the audience. Actors perform with audience members seated
on three sides of the stage. There are very few sets and no microphones. Students learn many
new skills and acting techniques that are specific to this performance setting, and audience
members enjoy a unique theater experience. “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” features a cast
of 16 and is perfect for the black box theater environment.
We are excited that we can give our student actors this valuable experience, and hope you will
mark your calendars now, and plan to attend one of the performances in early December.
There's No Place
like Home!
This year at HCS – Chino Hills campus we
decided to do something completely different for
our fundraiser. Instead of selling Innisbrook,
cookie dough or anything else to help us raise
money, we decided to just tell our parents what
we wanted to raise money for and ask them
directly for their help.
The project this year was to put Smart Boards
into each of the classrooms. Smart Boards
would add a new technological component to the
classrooms and would help the students engage
in learning in a more interactive way. Our faculty
was excited about this possibility but the goal
was high. The target goal to get a Smart Board
into each classroom was a total of $16,000. In
previous years, through fundraisers such as
Innisbrook, we usually cleared about $6,500.
However, we felt that parents would be glad they
did not have to sell items to friends and relatives,
distribute the items when they came in, or deal
with back ordered items later on. We thought
they would be excited about acquiring this
technology for their children’s classrooms (and
wouldn’t mind a tax deduction for their donation).
When the fundraiser began, the money came in
slowly. Each day the total raised would creep up
a few hundred dollars. The day before the event
was officially scheduled to end we had collected
a little over $6,200. That was pretty much
equivalent to previous fundraisers so we were
doing okay. However, when the publicized last
day of the fundraiser arrived, Friday, Sept. 20,
donations started coming in and they just kept
coming. Mrs. Paige told me it looked like it was
going to be a big day. It took her most of the
day to calculate what came
in but at the end of the day,
when I went home, she
informed me that we had
collected a total of almost
$14,300.
However, she
also said several people
told her they were still
going to donate.
On Monday, I was out of
the office at a seminar but
when I returned on
Tuesday, I was told that we
had exceeded our goal of
$16,000. In fact, when all
was counted, we raised
more then $17,100. This
was the most successful fundraiser in our
school’s history! The parents were so generous
in giving that we were able to set everything in
motion for our Smart Boards.
Besides reaching our goal, we also had some
fun! The student who brought in the most
donations, Emma Liu, a student in Mrs. Ishii’s
first grade class, was named principal for the
day. The class with the highest average of
donations per student, Mrs. Ishii’s class, earned
a pizza party. The class with the second highest
average of donations per student, Mrs. Robles’s
class, earned an ice cream party. Every student
who brought in $100 or more in donations
earned four special coupons they could redeem
in their class. Finally, all the students and staff
were privy to the spectacle of Mr. Long getting a
whipped cream pie in the face at the hand of a
randomly drawn student. It was worth it!
I would like to thank all the families of
Heights Christian Schools-Chino Hills who
donated to this cause. Thanks to them, the
excellent education their children get at our
school will just get even better!
-Randy Long, Principal
HCS– Chino Hills Campus
Mr. Long getting pied in the face!
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of
what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1
This year the HCS – Brea Friends and HCS – La Mirada
campuses are learning to live “By Faith” as they focus on the
eleventh chapter of Hebrews as their theme passage. It’s so
easy to believe in the things we see. We can get stuck there
at times, fearful to go where we cannot see. However,
throughout the Bible we see great examples of faithful men
and women stepping out, trusting God and being blessed for
that faithfulness. Whether it be Noah building the ark or Moses
stepping into the sea, God was there ahead of them ready to
deliver and provide for them! Every day He is ahead of us as
well, faithfully providing for us and answering our prayers. We
are so excited to see our kids grow in that realization this year!
“As a child, my faith was based on the adults in my life and
what they believed. I believed
in Jesus because my mom and
dad believed in Jesus; my
teachers believed in Jesus; my
neighbors believed in Jesus;
even my mailman believed in
Jesus. It was just what we did.
I accepted Jesus at the age of
6 because I wanted to go to
Heaven and that was my ticket
inside. Obviously as I have
grown in life and in my faith,
my belief in God, His presence
and His promises, has greatly
expanded. It is not just about a
ticket in, but a life that brings
honor to Him as well.”
-Jodie Whittemore, Principal
HCS– Brea Campus
Share Your Praise!
Do you love our schools? If so, would you be
willing to share your praise on
PrivateSchoolReview.com?
Many prospective parents use this site to
find a good school and we would
appreciate your review!
In the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy says,
“There’s no place like home!”
When you think of “home” what
comes to mind? For many, when
we think of home, either the one we
have or the one we long for, we
think of a place that is pleasant,
safe, familiar, and comfortable; a
place to rest.
It is an amazing realization that
Jesus extends a specific invitation
to us; “Abide in Me” (John 15:4).
Jesus says, dwell in Me and I will
dwell in you. Remain in Me, and I
will remain in you. He invites us to
find pleasure in Him, be safe in
Him, be comfortable in Him, be
familiar with Him; rest with Him.
Interestingly enough, rather than
home being a place that we go to
OR return to, Jesus talks about our
home in Him as being a place that
we carry with us. “Make your home
in Me, as I make mine in you.” John
15:4.
Each year at the preschools, we
adopt a theme that can be
interwoven
throughout
the
classroom, the Bible stories, art
projects and more. This year, our
theme is: JESUS is Our Shelter!
The scripture verse that goes with it
is, “Jesus is our shelter and
strength, always ready to help in
times of trouble” Psalm 46:1. The
artwork that we have chosen
features a turtle. One is never too
young to learn about God’s
unfailing love for each of us, and
the perfect provision and protection
that He extends to us in every
circumstance. Just as the turtle’s
home is always with him,
Jesus, who invites us to
make our heart’s home
in Him, is always
with us! He is our
shelter and our
strength; and in
Him we find true
pleasure and rest.
Celebrating Service: June, July, Aug.
Heights Christian Schools provided a summer of memories through a
wide range of experiences!
HCS- Brea
HCS- La Mirada
Heights Preschool
Nicole Nicodemus– 18 years
Andrea Taylor– 18 years
Elizabeth Novoa– 5 years
Elijah Nevarez– 2 years
Elaine Garcia– 12 years
Catherine Barnes– 1 year
Laura Jones– 16 years
Melody Hicks– 2 years
HCS- Chino Hills
Claire Rogers- 1 year
Sheila Tilton– 5 years
Randy Long– 16 years
William Carcamo– 1 year
Teresa Fry– 10 years
Vanessa Martinez– 1 year
Heather Himes– 7 years
Caitlin Cadman– 1 year
Nicole Knick– 6 years
Lisa Carlos– 1 year
Ron Beckert– 11 years
Jerica Banares– 2 years
Jennifer Chong– 2 years
Stephanie Calabrese– 1 year
Gina Alvarado– 7 years
Jo Pruitt– 3 years
Amy Tiffin– 1 year
Carly Silva– 7 years
David Gonzalez– 2 years
Linda Campbell– 7 years
Katie Mason– 6 years
Susie Terrill– 19 years
Beth Stephens– 5 years
Vivian Ishii– 1 year
Brea Preschool
Quincy Claes– 2 years
Natalie Rozzi– 8 years
Sarah Davis– 5 years
Megan Guy– 6 years
Nancy Shin– 2 years
Sharon Thomas– 31 years
Kyle Hotz– 2 years
Chino Hills Preschool
Elda Mariscal– 5 years
Matthew Ordaz– 2 years
Geri Anderson– 12 years
Nancy Rivera– 1 year
La Mirada Preschool
Stella Ehinlaiye– 5 years
Kandi Book– 16 years
Terri Quaranta– 17 years
Melody Booth– 27 years
Alyce Maldonado– 1 year
Deanna Pilcher- 9 years
Alex Uribe– 20 years
Lucy Pecoraro– 10 years
Sylvia Cervantes– 14 years
Sandra Hinojosa– 7 years
Kirsten Nelson– 1 year
Nicole Hughen– 5 years
Cynthia Bishop– 17 years
Michele Weber– 20 years
Stephanie Moreno– 5 years
Karen Lawson– 2 years
Celina Moreno– 6 years
Danielle Wonders– 5 years
Gabriela Sanchez– 5 years
Judy Twist– 2 years
Jr. High
Resource Center
La Mirada Friends
Rebecca Neal– 13 years
Claud Lamar– 14 years
Yvonne Fry– 9 years
Patty Probst– 14 years
Alina Sellen– 5 years
Priscilla Brokaw– 10 years
Taffi Graham– 3 years
Kathy Sorenson– 10 years
Shelley Stowell– 14 years
A perfect balance: Enthusiastic counselors guided the students through the week
of field trip adventures, energized activities, praise and worship, etc.!
Heights Christian Schools teachers taught math, science, language arts and Bible
in a fun and interactive style. The goal was to facilitate children to maintain and
grow in their basic educational skills during the entire summer!
Students enjoyed the full spectrum of SFP: When asked in a parent survey,
“What did your upper grader like most about SFP?”, these were a few answers: Angels baseball game, all
the water field trips, being with friends, making new friends, science experiments, Castle Park, Science
Center, the Space Shuttle, math games, friendly staff and praying!
When asked “What did your lower grader like most about SFP?”, these were a few answers: Playing with
friends and going on the bus, the Aquarium, Adventure City, Thrill It Fun Center, Irvine Park, Friday Freeze,
the teachers, books, swimming, my counselor, and the talent show on the last day.
No doubt, this was a great summer of adventure and growth!
All the staff sincerely THANKS the families who joined in!
Picture Taken Farthest Away From School- Matthew Mejia from HCS- Chino Hills
Campus traveled over 6,841 miles to Turkey!
Most Creative Photo- Detroit, Woof! Sent in by
Denise Goss from HCS, La Mirada Campus.
Funniest Photo- Kai Fujimoto from our HCS- Brea Campus.
Susan Pfursich– 1 year
Lisa Haugen– 7 years
Sean Jaramillo– 7 years
Most HCS Kids in One Photo- soccer bunch, Samantha Arrua, Isaiah
Posada, Alexa Padilla, Alyssa Arrua, Isabelle Posada, and Alexis Russo.
Kristin Rich– 2 years
Melissa Beckert– 3 years
Josh Teran– 8 years
Linda Nix– 4 years
Thank you for all the wonderful pictures. We have enjoyed your summer memories! You can see all
the entries on our Facebook page under the photo album named “HCS T-Shirt Photo Contest Entries”