Geneva School News
Volume 1, Issue 1
From the Desk of Dr. Dietrich:
It is with great excitement that we present to you the
first ever, electronic, all-school Geneva newspaper. The
school is bursting with activity, and we are excited to
share the wonderful accomplishments of our students. It
is our hope that this medium of communication will allow
you to more fully experience Geneva School by remotely
sitting in a Kindergarten classroom, enjoying a Friday
Chapel, or observing an after-school chess match. We
encourage your participation, too, and welcome your
feedback.
Speaking of your contributions, we need a name for this
monthly newsletter. Do you or your child have a creative
idea for the Geneva School e-newspaper? Please send
your suggestions to Jane Anderson by February 25, 2010.
The suggestions will then be voted upon by the Student
Council and will be announced in the next issue of the
paper.
Education Committee Formed
The Education Committee met for the
first time on February 3, discussing two
main topics affecting the Geneva School
community at large: parent time
commitment and School-wide communication, including RenWeb.
Regarding parent time commitment, the current need for
parent help includes the following: event logistics, graphic
design talents, gym-walkers, chaperones, a field trip coordinator, and a Pre school parent coordinator. Parents can
also serve the community through sitting on a committee,
such as the development, marketing, education, and
auction committees.
In addition, the members of the Education Committee
acknowledged the need for better communication within
the school community, especially as it pertains to
announcements, council and committee information, and
student recognition. A sub-committee was formed to
strategize most effective options for interaction among
the members of the community. The Education Committee plans to meet every two weeks for 90 minutes.
JANUARY
FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
Love
Mrs. Rudzitis Caleb Black
Helen Wilkey Anabel Witzke
Mr. Davis Mr. Ennis
Margaret Rudzitis
Joy
Sophie Kim Inigo Rivera
Amelie Sauriat Jack Reynolds
Hugo Sauriat
Peace
Kara Lu
Patience
Mrs. Chen
Kindness
Dr. Dietrich Daniel Han
Connor Gerspacher Joshua Ye
Noah Lindsell Landon Sibley
Goodness
The First Grade Class
Anna Lee Johannes Ong
Jacob Black Camryn Gregory
Ellen Swartz Chloe Wolma
Sam Wilkerson
Faithfulness
Chris Rudzitis Anne Gregory
David Lee Owen Gallagher
Jeff Kallen Mrs. DeVore
James Arcieri Caleb Chang
The Fourth Grade Class
Michael Nordby Ben Boyd
David Han Mrs. Chen
Mr. Chen Madame Popa
Alexa Tavoularis
Self-Control
Ethan Morgan John Fleming
“But the Fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and
self-control. Against such
things there is no law”
-Galatians 5:22-23
Geneva School News
Volume 1, Issue 1
Parent Council Announces Library Opening, Prayer Meetings
The second trimester is in full swing, and so are the activities of the Parent Council. From designing the
School library and planning corporate prayer events to meeting weekly for Friday prayer and organizing
upcoming spring events, the Parent Council is dedicated to helping Geneva School thrive.
As many of you know, the School has been blessed with space on the fourth floor next to the School office
to house a library. The Parent Council and many other dedicated parents have worked very hard to prepare it for its official student opening on February 17. The library is an exciting new addition that we
hope will be a great benefit for all of our students.
We have also been working diligently on the Annual Auction. By now you have no doubt received your
auction invitation, as well as communications about early bidding opportunities. We are excited about
the upcoming auction and look forward to seeing you all there. The auction is always a fun night of
friendly bidding wars on “Teacher Time” offerings, quality entertainment that features our Conservatory
students, and an opportunity to mingle with other parents and teachers outside of our usual School
routines.
The second corporate prayer evening was held on Thursday, February 11, in conjunction with a schoolwide update. The evening was attended by many and gave us an opportunity to thank God for what he
has already done and what he is going to do. Our ongoing commitment to praying for our community,
teachers, staff, and children is evident every Friday morning following chapel. Each week we host a
prayer meeting in the Sunroom from 9:00 to 9:45 a.m., in which we focus on the needs of the School and
the community. Throughout the year we cover all grades, every child, every teacher, and each staff member by name. We also invite prayer requests from our families and have seen God heal sick parents, provide jobs and finances, and reconcile relationships. This is an exciting time, and we invite you to attend
any or all Friday mornings.
Finally, we look forward to the arrival of spring and eagerly anticipate warmer weather and exciting annual events, including the Talent Show, Grandparents Day, and a book fair.
Development Committee Seeks More Members
After an incredibly generous response to our Giving Tree initiative, the Development Committee is focused on two major upcoming events: the Geneva School Annual Auction and the Lecture Series. The
Development Committee is committed to finding a speaker for the Lecture Series who will expand our
donor base beyond our community and raise awareness of the Geneva School name. Lastly, we are working on expanding our committee’s membership to increase our ability to produce successful new projects,
like the Giving Tree. If you are interested in joining the Development Committee, please contact Jane
Anderson at [email protected].
Annual Fund Participation by Grade
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Begi nner s
Pr e-K
K
Fi r st
Second
Thi r d
Four th
Fi f th
Si xth
Seventh
Ei ghth
Boar d
Staf f
Fami l i es
Geneva School News
Volume 1, Issue 1
Geneva School Chess Team Wins Third Place
The Geneva School chess team finished in third
place last month at the Greater New York
Scholastic Chess Championship. The team had the
largest turnout in its three-year history, with
participation from ten players: Daniel Han, Curtis
Chung, C.J. Hinckley, Thomas Benson, Noah
Lindsell, Evan Kauffmann, Ben Witzke, Dylan
Mak, Christian Chandy, and Inigo Rivera.
After a grueling day with five matches, each of
which could last for up to one hour of play, the Geneva School team finished in third place in the Elementary Division, ahead of some strong chess
schools like Dalton, Columbia, and Browning. C.J.
Hinckley brought home an individual trophy for
fifth place, with an amazing score of 4.5 out of 5.
We had a great team-building time in our team room, where coach Nelson Dunn was on hand much
of the day to assist the players with the analysis of each match, using each player's notation. This
was a day requiring amazing endurance and perseverance. Several kids endured very long matches
that ended in failure, followed by only the shortest of breaks before the beginning of the next
match. Congratulations to the Geneva School players, who exhibited a terrific spirit of teamwork
and encouragement, along with outstanding performances!
Our next big event will be the state championship in Saratoga Springs at the end of February. This
will be the first time that the Geneva School chess team will compete at the all-state level.
Pre-Kindergarten Makes Valentine for God
By Mrs. Emily Musgrove, Pre-Kindergarten
This year the Pre-Kindergarten class has
focused on loving God and loving each other,
and our monthly Bible verses have served as
daily reminders of the love we should display
to those around us. Now that it is February,
the month when love is celebrated largely on
a commercial scale, we decided to focus our
celebrations on
loving the Lord our God
with our hearts, souls, and minds, as Jesus
commanded in Matthew 22:37-39. The PreKindergarten class created a large
valentine to God, and in our valentine we wrote
the reasons we love him. When asked why
they love God, here are what a few of our
young ones said:
"Because when we make mistakes, He forgives us." - Henry Sheldon
"Because He has a lot of power and He gives me a lot of power." - Gabe Witzke
"Because He is the largest person in the world." - Spencer Trooien
"Because He loves me." - Vesa Pema
"Because He protects me and loves me." - Noah Soh
"Because he heals my boo-boos." - Georgia Keith
Within the hearts of children are found the treasures of innocent and pure love. Let us all remember the simple reasons why we should love God and others during this Valentine's Day.
Geneva School News
Volume 1, Issue 1
STUDENT CORNER
February Birthdays
February 2
Anabel Witzke
February 6
Kara Lu
February 8
Caleb Black
February 16
James Arcieri
Camryn Gregory
February 19
Jane Morgan
February 20
Thomas Benson
Miss Webb
By Maria Long, First Grade
Zach
Duthie
Qualifies
for
February 21
Owen Gallagher
Junior
Olympics
Over the Martin Luther King weekend Zach Duthie qualified
for the Junior Olympics (JO's) in the 100 yard butterfly for the
ten and under age group. His time was 1:27.63, just under the
JO qualifying time of 1:27.99. It was an exciting race, leaving
spectators breathless.
At the same meet Zach swam the butterfly leg on the 200 yard
medley relay team that set an AGUA (Asphalt Green Unified
Aquatics) team record. His split in the 50 yard butterfly leg of
the relay was an impressive 0:36.6.
Zach has always loved the water, even as an infant. He started
formal swim lessons at the YMCA when he was four years
old and started swimming competitively on the AGUA swim
team at age seven.
This year the Junior Olympics will be held on March 20-21 at
Nassau County Aquatic Center in Long Island. Great job, Zach.
We’re sure you’ll make a splash!
THE ODYSSEY
Premieres Friday, February 19
Fellowship Hall
February 23
Maria Long
February 25
Chukwuma Orji
February 27
Isatou Magrin
We welcome
Noah John Kim
Born February 13
at 12:46 p.m.
7.1 pounds
Congratulations
Mrs. Jane Kim!
Geneva School News
Volume 1, Issue 1
If You’re Not From New York
By Adam Reynolds, Fifth Grade
If you’re not from New York, then you don’t
know noise. Hundreds of cars honking and
heavy metal rods clanking. A lot of construction
making big and loud noises. Jackhammers are
like machine guns firing at the enemy. If you’re
not from New York, then you don’t know noise.
If you’re not from New York, then you haven’t
seen skyscrapers. The skyscrapers are giants.
Huge buildings towering above reaching toward
the big, azure sky. Gleaming windows reflecting the sun’s precious light. Tremendous buildings
standing upright making people stare and gaze. It would just make me say “I love New York because of it’s skyscrapers.” If you’re not from New York, you haven’t seen skyscrapers.
If you’re not from then New York, then you haven’t been to museums. Incredible artifacts stored in
gigantic 3-D glass boxes sparkling from the windows outside. Awesome arches and beautiful, golden
statues standing up, looking at you with pride. If you’re not from New York, then you haven’t been
to museums.
If you’re not from New York, then you haven’t seen parks. Not that kind of “park.” Big, beautiful
trees with healthy roots stand tall. Lovely green grass blowing in the chilly, gusty wind. Leaves are
like flapping wings fluttering up and down. Thousands of people are loving the sun, grass, and trees
of Central Park. If you’re not from New York, then you haven’t seen parks.
If you’re not from New York, then you haven’t had tourists. Cameras are flashing all over the city.
People’s amazed shouts and yells are echoing up and down. Tourists at restaurants enjoying their
time wearing “I ¤ New York” t-shirts and laughing all the time. If you’re not from New York, then
you haven’t had tourists.
If you’re not from New York, then you don’t know me. The huge city reaching toward the cloudy
sky. We love the museums and beautiful parks full of grass and trees. All the tourists exploring the
heart of my city seeing the wonderful museums and the beautiful Central Park, seeing all these
cool things and amazed at all the other things there is to see in the huge, crowded city of New York.
If you’re not from New York, then you don’t know me. You can’t know me.
Getting to Know Mrs. DeVore
By Chukwuma Orji, Second Grade
My teacher’s full name is Amy Buckmaster DeVore. She teaches
because it is a Christian school and because she loves Inigo
Rivera. Her favorite food is Southern food, and I also think she
likes fried chicken.
My teacher knows how to play the tuba. She drinks coffee because small children make her tired.
If she ever had a baby boy she would name it Chuckwuma or
Freddie. She shops at Baby Gap for her gloves because her hands are so small.
She became a teacher because it is what God told her to do. She likes to make us
laugh.