“He must become greater, I must become less”
John 3:30
Sioux Falls Christian Schools
Newsletter
April 5, 2017
Principally Speaking . . . . . Mr. Woudstra
Easter Hope
This past year, our home has been filled with many emotions
ranging from fear, anger, frustration, happiness, and hope. We
received a diagnosis a little over a year ago that my wife, Dawn,
had breast cancer. This news led us down a long journey of
surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and now, another surgery in a
month. When your loved ones receive news like cancer, your
world changes in an instant. You start to see every day a little
differently. The patient and family sometimes even experience
doubt. In the midst of this journey, God has put great people
(family, school family, church family) around us to support us,
but the greatest gift he has given us is HOPE!
Jesus walked on this earth for 33 years, and during that time, he chose his disciples to walk closely by his side.
These men left everything they had to become followers of Christ; they left jobs, homes, and families to answer the
call of God. On “Good Friday” these men watched as Jesus was beaten, butchered and murdered before their very
eyes. Remember, they gave up everything they had for him, and now he was dead! They didn’t know what to do,
they were hopeless! Is there a worse word in our vocabulary than hopeless? Many of us reading this article have
experienced it. The news from a doctor that says, “I’m sorry, there is nothing more we can do.”; the marriage that is
falling apart and years go by with no improvement; the finances that just get worse instead of better. And then we
stand at the casket of a friend or loved one and that sense of hopelessness really begins to creep in. Wait, not for
those in Christ!
We are given a lesson in hope from Mary Magdalene. Before she met Jesus, her life was in shambles. She was
demon possessed, her family had given up on her, and she was a mess! Then one day she met a man who spoke
her name. She felt something she had not felt in a long time. HOPE! Jesus came into her life and freed her from the
evil that bound her, and from that day forward she lived for him. She was by his side until the very end of his earthly
life. On Sunday morning she went to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body. This process had to wait until the third day
because of Jewish Sabbath law. She was most likely struggling with doubt and hopelessness, and when she arrived
at the tomb and found the stone had been rolled away, she assumed the worst, that Jesus’ body had been stolen.
Mary began to weep and reported it to the disciples who went to check it out for themselves. Mary probably asked
the question many of us have, “God, why did you let this happen?” Jesus then appears and asks Mary, “Woman, why
are you crying?” After answering “because they have taken my Lord and I don’t know what they have done with him”
Jesus asks, “Who are you looking for?” He then reaches out his hand to Mary, she recognizes it is Jesus and
responds, “Teacher, Teacher!” Everything changed for Mary - she recognized Jesus and was filled with HOPE!
This is the hope that we have also! Because of the resurrection, our death is not final. When he came back to life he
brought hope to the hopeless. He brought hope to Peter who had denied him, the disciples who abandoned him, to
Mary his mother who grieved for him, to the soldiers who beat him, to the thief who denied him, and he brought hope
to you and me. Because of the resurrection our hope is never lost! You may feel hopeless at times, and without
Jesus at the center of our lives, our condition is hopeless – BUT, all who call on his name will be saved!
May the lyrics of this old gospel song “Because He Lives”, refresh and renew your hope like Mary on Easter morning!
God sent His son, they called Him Jesus, He came to love, heal and forgive. He lived and died, To buy my
pardon, An empty grave Is there to prove My Savior Lives
(Chorus) Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, Because He lives, All fear is gone, Because I know He
holds the future, And life is worth the living Just because he lives
Pre-K through Grade 12 Calendar
April 6 – HS Track & Field at Tri-Valley Invite – 3:30 pm
April 7 – Boys Tennis at Aberdeen
April 7 – MS Track at Dakota Valley – 4:00 pm
April 8 – HS Track & Field at Jesse James Invite – 9:00 am
April 9-13 – HS Choir Trip
April 10-14 – No School – Easter Break – classes resume April 17
April 11 – HS Track & Field at Canton Invite – 4:00 pm
April 15 – 2017-18 Tuition Assistance application deadline
April 17 – Girls Golf at Beresford Quad – 3:30 pm
April 17 – Boys Tennis at Madison – 4:00 pm
Apr 18 – HS Track & Field at Tea Area Invite – 4:00 pm
April 20 – Girls Golf at EPJ Invite
April 20 – Boys Tennis at Vermillion – 4:00 pm
April 20, 21, 22 – HS Drama Production – MS Gym – 7:00 pm
April 21 – MS Track at Parker – 3:00 pm
April 21 – HS Band at Dordt Band Festival – all day event, concert at 7 pm
April 22 – Boys Tennis at Harrisburg Triangular – 10 am
April 24 – Band Extravaganza Concert – grades 5-12 – HS gym – 7 pm
April 25 – Girls Golf at Dakota Valley Invite
April 25 – Boys Tennis at Watertown Triangular
April 25 – MS Track at Beresford – 4:00 pm
April 27 – Elementary Chapel – MS Gym - 8:45 am
April 27 – HS Track & Field at Canton for Terry Bong Invite – 4:00 pm
April 28 – Junior-Senior Prom
April 28 – MS/HS Yearbook order deadline – no late orders accepted
Looking ahead:
May 1 – SFC All-School Art Show – Ransom Church South Campus – 5:30 – 9:00 pm
May 5 – HS Football Cheer tryouts – 4:30 – 6:30 pm
May 16 – 8th grade to Valley Fair
May 19 – Last day of school – Early dismissal; HS Senior Graduation – HS Gym – 7:00 pm
June 3 – SFC annual Golf Tournament
Monthly menus for Elementary and MS/HS are on the website – use this link:
http://www.siouxfallschristian.org/current-families.cfm
Parents, grandparents, & special friends are always welcome - PLEASE CALL THE OFFICE BEFORE 9:00 A.M. IF
YOU WILL BE JOINING US. Adult meal = $2.75, Child Meal - $2.35
Volunteer sign-up to serve lunch - use this link: https://goo.gl/YCVHjt
RESILIENT
Parents are invited to join us for a special MS/HS chapel on Monday, May 1 at 9:50 am, featuring Judy
Bode from the award winning documentary Resilient. Judy was diagnosed with a thought-to-be
incurable cancer at the age of 10 - that was 46 years ago! Her story includes coming to understand just
how sick she was as a child, and learning how that miraculous cure impacted her life, her education, and
her faith. There are many reasons that Judy should not have survived these multiple life threatening
diagnoses. Yet, by God's seemingly endless grace, He has chosen to sustain her life. You will learn and
grow from her experiences as a cancer survivor, a heart transplant recipient, and as a child of God.
You Made a Difference
A huge thank you to all who donated and attended the Pizza Ranch fundraiser last Wednesday to benefit
Gary Van Voorst. The silent auction brought in a little over $10,000! What a blessing to belong to a
school and church family who step forward with their support. God does more than we can ask or
imagine! We still need $20,000 to reach our goal; you may still participate by sending a gift to Gary Van
Voorst, 325 So. Nelson Ln. Brandon, SD 57005, or use his Go Fund Me page:
https://www.gofundme.com/garys-wheelchair-van-fund. Trusting God to supply all our needs,
Gary and Claire Van Voorst
Art Show Refreshment Donations
The SFC Art Department will host its first ever All-School Art Show on Monday, May 1, from 5:30-9 pm at
the Ransom South Campus. If you are willing to donate a pan of bars, cookies or cupcakes to be used as
refreshments, please use this link to sign up: https://goo.gl/Z3JpnN. Donations need to be dropped off
in the Elementary office by noon on May 1. Contact Sarah Lieuwen, 605-261-8742, with questions.
Remit Re-Enrollment Reminder
Annual paperwork for the 2017-18 school year was due March 23.
The three-page packet was mailed to parents on March 1, and
needs to be returned to either office along with the $90 per student
fee. Secure your spot and help us plan for a successful 2017/2018
school year by returning your packet today!
April 15 Deadline for Tuition Assistance Apps
To access the TADS online application, visit www.mytads.com and
click on ‘Financial Aid Assessment’ to begin. The deadline for all
applications is APRIL 15 - award notices will be sent out early in
June.
Summer Art Camp Registration
Art Camp registration for students entering 2nd - 8th grades will
utilize an on-line format due to the need to limit class sizes. The link,
http://www.siouxfallschristian.org/activities/summercampinfo.cfm, is on our website and went live
yesterday. Registration for each section is limited to 20 students; the form will prompt you to sign up for
a waiting list if the class is full.
SFC Summer Camp Dates –
Registrations are now posted on the website!
(Football registration will be available soon)
MS Art Camp
3 v 3 Basketball League
Girls Basketball
Boys Basketball
Elem Art Camp (gr 2-5)
Football
Volleyball
Girls Soccer
May 22 - 25
May 24 & 31; June 7, 14, 21, 28
May 30 – June 2
June 5 – 8
June 12 - 15
June 15 – 17 (1st - 8th)
June 26 – 29
July 17 – 21 (2nd - 7th)
July 24 – 28 (8th -12th)
Community
Camp Love’s Embrace is a weekend camp for children ages 7-14 experiencing grief related to the
death of a loved one. The camp is completely FREE to any child wishing to attend, but spots are limited
and accepted on a first-come, first-served basis so early registration is encouraged. Visit
www.camplovesembrace.com or email [email protected]
Gaming Bootcamps
Four Gaming Bootcamps will be held this summer in Sioux Falls: http://events.sdgamingbootcamp.com
NO TRIP Next Week
There will be NO TRIP orders processed and NO Cash & Carry next week (Easter break).
Elementary News
KID’S CORNER ADVANCED DATES
Apr 14 - Closed (Good Friday)
APRIL CHAPEL is April 27 at 8:45 am in the MS Gym;
Kindergarten will lead.
WORDS & WIGGLES - this summer, Mrs. VanNieuwenhuyzen, one of
our early childhood teachers, will be leading a fun class called “Words and Wiggles” for early
childhood students (those starting Kindergarten in the fall are also eligible). The class will be
offered on Monday and Tuesday mornings for 1 ½ hours in Room 619 during the months of
June, July, and the beginning of August (no classes June 26 - July 14). Each class will include
story time, rhyme and/or music time, craft time, and snack time all centered around a specific
theme. The session cost is $120 per student and is open to the first 20 students who sign up.
Please note there needs to be a minimum of 10 students enrolled for the class to be offered. To
register, please sign up by May 5 at https://goo.gl/forms/XZqiyqlEsYYMGzkk2
SUMMER TUTORING in math and reading, K-5th grade for 8 weeks, is offered by Claire Van
Voorst, Elementary Learning Center Teacher. Reserve your spot soon as slots fill quickly!
CAMP INVENTION June 19-23 for elementary students entering grades 1-6. Registration
information and a camp flyer explaining the 2017 “Launch” theme will go home with students
soon. We can’t wait to see all the BIG IDEAS students will LAUNCH this summer at camp!
K-5 KID’S CORNER INFORMATION
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If you are needing childcare for K-5 students on school vacation days, please sign up
ahead of time - https://www.siouxfallschristian.org/about-sfc/kidscorner.cfm. Sign up will
close one week in advance of the scheduled vacation date.
Kid’s Corner is always collecting craft items:
craft paints, pipe cleaners, fabric scraps, yarn, shoeboxes w/ lids, toilet paper tubes,
glass baby food jars
Kid’s Corner is collecting small toys, books, and candy (laffy taffy, smarties, suckers, etc)
for our annual Kid’s Corner Sale. If you are willing to donate any of these items, please
leave them with a Kid’s Corner Staff member. The annual fundraiser sale will be held
tomorrow, April 6. Students will have the opportunity to go to the sale with their class.
All items will be sold for $.50 each.
EARLY CHILDHOOD KID’S CORNER
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If your child would like a snack during Kids Corner please send one in your child’s backpack each day
and label it "Kids Corner"
The easiest way to get reminders/notifications - text @4bagk8 to 81010.
Early Childhood Advance dates:
Apr 14 - Closed (Good Friday)
May 16- Closed (Early Childhood ONLY)
STAFF TREATS:
Please bring 3 dozen treats each to the Elementary Office by 9:00 am. Thank you!
Wednesday, April 19: Dawn Dittman and Tosha VanZee
Wednesday, April 26: Kim Adams and Teri VanderStouwe
Middle/High News
Order 2016-17 Yearbooks Now!
The order form for middle and high school
yearbooks was emailed to parents on March 27.
Orders will not be accepted after April 28.
Missing Senior Smiles
Seniors have not turned in their senior photos
for the yearbook:
Logan Aukes, Mason Buwalda, Kelci Kooistra, Molly Tinklenberg, & Iaroslav Zhulin
Email a high-quality digital photo (vertical pose) to Ms. Klarenbeek
Seniors who have not turned in a wallet-size hard copy for the class composite:
Isaac B, Kaylee K, Kelci K, Olivia L, Zharayya, Chase P, Molly T, Andrew U, Lee VK, Sierra VZ, DeLynne &
Derek Z, Slava Z
A wallet-size hard copy (vertical pose) should be turned in to the office for the Class Composite.
Results Junkies Road Tour
Paul Singh is one of three partners of 500 start-up companies. In the last five years, he's
flown over 500,000 miles circling the globe, raising tens of millions of dollars in venture funds,
and investing in hundreds of companies (http://www.siouxfallstour.com/). Paul will be at The
Bakery in Sioux Falls on Wed, April 26 at 3 pm to visit with high school and college students
who may have entrepreneurial interest. He will also be at SFC to take a look at our elementary
Coding Club at 4 pm on April 24th. Any middle or high school students who have an interest in
meeting him are welcome to join the group.
Middle School Memos
SD Geography Bee
Last Friday in Aberdeen, 7th grader Matthew Bird made it to the
final round at the South Dakota State Geography Bee! We
congratulate Matt for his 8th place finish, and commend him for
using his gifts to represent SFC – Matt’s classmates are very
excited and proud of him!
Celebration Reading
Mr. Fopma
A number of our 8 graders have been invited to read their prose and poetry selections at a Celebration
Reading in the SDSU Student Union this Sunday, April 9. From over 1200 submissions, Katelyn Bierma
won second place in prose; Paige Hoffman, Rachel Johnson, Addie Pritchett, and Olivia Olson earned
honorable mention. Each of their submissions will be published in a chapbook. We praise God for the
gifts of written expression demonstrated daily by our students.
th
A Poem In Honor of Grandparent’s Day
My Grandfather’s Hands
by Chris Oostra
My grandfather’s hands
Have planted gardens of incredible beauty
They have pulled thousands of weeds,
But planted twice as many flowers.
My grandfather’s hands
Have held tight
Held tight to a fishing rod with Canadian
walleye
Fighting ferociously on the other end.
My grandfather’s hands
Have gently lifted two generations
Of family.
Family brought together through him and Grandma
My grandfather’s hands
Have brought down many pheasants and geese
With the pull of a trigger, and the fire of a gun.
My grandfather’s hands
Have built a village from the ground up
A village of heritage.
A village of memories.
My grandfather’s hands
Have held song books and Bibles
His eyes,
Following the words
And his mouth
Flowing with song.
My grandfather’s hands
Have built snow forts and packed snowballs
They have searched for a nose for our snowman
And succeeded in finding
(Although it may not have been a carrot)
My grandfather’s hands
Have husked corn for countless hours
Have dug up potatoes for many more
And have picked tomatoes that are more red
Than the sun that beats down on them.
My grandfather’s hands
Have raised a beautiful family
And we will forever love him.
Not for the words he spoke
But the lives that his hands guided us through.
8th grade trip to Valley Fair is May 16 – more details will follow soon
MS/HS Staff Treats . . . . . please bring 3 dozen (each) to the office or staff lounge
Apr 19
Apr 26
Jodie McSherry, Caryn Claassen
Michelle Boer
College & Career Considerations
Mrs. Tiefenthaler
Find Scholarship/Awards & Opportunities as well as College/Career Info posted weekly
http://www.siouxfallschristian.org/academics/scholarshipsandgrants.cfm
SD School of Mines is holding a variety of HS camps during June and July. Check out their
website for more information and deadlines to apply http://www.sdsmt.edu/SummerCamps/.
The Game Experience is a video game development camp for high school students held at the
University of Washington-Seattle, July 1-19. More info and an application at
https://game.experienceamerica.com/. Scholarships are also available to help with the cost.
Code Bootcamp of South Dakota is hosting a “Girls Breaker Day” for girls in 5th-10th grade
and their parents on May 13 at The Bakery in Sioux Falls. Find out more information about this
free event at https://girlsbreakerday.splashthat.com/. RSVP today!
Code Bootcamp of South Dakota is hosting a 5-day camp for students ages 10-16. Build four
video games using the Construct 2 gaming engine. Cost is $259 if registered before May 1.
There are three different weeks in June and July to choose from. These classes fill up fast!
https://gamingbootcamp-2017.splashthat.com/
Dakota Golf Management is now hiring for the summer season: info at www.dakotagolf.com.
AT & T is now hiring satellite technicians in the Sioux Falls Area. Seniors interested in starting
their career while earning benefits and tuition reimbursement should go to
http://work.att.jobs/sdtechnicians2017.
Athletic News
Mr. Groen
Schedule Updates
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Please check the school website on a regular basis for schedule updates and changes.
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Team calendars (practices and game schedules) for each sport at www.siouxfallschristian.org –
activities – HS or MS athletics – and the specific sport
FCA Middle School Night Out
This FRIDAY from 7:30 – 10 pm at Augustana’s Elmen Center, middle schoolers are invited to enjoy
games, snacks, and a great message – FREE admission!
FCA Honor Athlete Banquet
Congratulations to Sawyer Prins and Cameron Belden for being selected as our FCA Honor Athletes. They
will be honored at the FCA banquet on Mon., Apr. 24 at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church – appetizers and
fellowship starts at 6:00, the banquet begins at 7:00 pm. All HS athletes, coaches and parents are
invited to attend - there is no admission charge.