Footsteps
Toward a Better Tomorrow
Volume 17, No. 1
A periodic publication of FJS, designed to keep you aware of FJS facts and faces
FJS Welcomes New Faculty
FJS welcomes Damian Allert
and Linda Herschberger to the upper school.
Mr. Allert teaches New Testament Survey, Computer Programming, and Physical Science to the
high school and math to the middle
school in the morning.
Miss Linda teaches literature
and Bible to the middle school in
the afternoon as well as supervising their individualized studies
(PACEs).
Mr. Allert and his wife Lily
have five children including Joshua
who graduated from high school
last year at FJS. He is also selfemployed as an Information Technology Consultant.
Mr. Allert observes that the
most surprising thing about teaching this year
is "all the
extra work
that goes
into the
process in
addition to
teaching the
lessons each
day!" His
reason for
being at FJS
Damian Allert
is to "reconnect with our youth, helping
them to pursue God’s purpose in
their lives and live it out fully." Mr.
Allert especially enjoys the student
interactions playing basketball at
lunch and opportunities for one-on
-one informal dialogue.
Miss Linda and her husband
Lowell have two boys, Logan and
Liam, both of whom are students at
FJS. Linda especially enjoys the opportunity to
teach the coed physical
education
class in the
upper school
with Lowell
who is volunteering
this year.
Linda’s
heart
is for
Linda Herschberger
students to
discover that learning it fun.
Mr. Allert and Miss Linda replace Erleen Detweiler who left FJS
last year after eleven years teaching
the middle school as well as high
school social studies. Miss Detweiler now lives in northern Lancaster County, PA where she works
in the office at her brother's egg
and pullet farm while considering
her next steps in service.
Ruthi Gochnauer, one of our
regular volunteers, has also assumed responsibility for 5th and
6th grade social studies, teaching
World Geography. Miss Ruthi’s
passion for students knowing
about God’s world, its people, and
its beauty is contagious as she
searches for video clips to introduce her students to areas in the
world which they have never before explored.
Winter 2017
1st Quarter
Honor Roll
Principal’s List (97%-100%)
Vanessa Bedoya (4th)
Liam Herschberger (5th)
A Honor Roll (93%-96%)
Madison Budhraj (3rd)
Kelsey Mast (4th)
Abraham Suarez (5th)
B Honor Roll (85%-92%)
Heidi Bu (6th)
Jaedon Mast (7th)
Keanna Wharwood (7th)
2nd Quarter
Honor Roll
A Honor Roll (93%-96%)
Vanessa Bedoya (4th)
Madison Budhraj (3rd)
Liam Herschberger (5th)
Kelsey Mast (4th)
B Honor Roll (85%-92%)
Heidi Bu (6th)
Jaedon Mast (7th)
Abraham Suarez (5th)
Kaylah Wharwood (6th)
Keanna Wharwood (7th)
School Board
Accepting
Applications
for Principal
FJS is looking for a
principal for the 20172018 school term. If you
love the Lord, love
people, and have
experience and interest in
teaching, please contact
the board chairman,
Kevin Mast, for more
information.
Mast can be reached
at 646-358-5850 (cell) or
[email protected]
(email).
You can also contact
board member, Pastor
Richarcd C. Schwartz, at
[email protected], or
347-413-0330 (cell).
Maybe you know of
someone you would
recommend for the
position? Please pass on
your recommendations!
The Footsteps is a periodic
publication of:
Followers of Jesus School
3065 Atlantic Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11208
TEL: (718) 235-5493
FAX: (718) 484-1477
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.fjschool.org
Mr. Gochnauer – editor
And the things you have heard
me say in the presence of many
witnesses entrust to reliable
men who will also be qualified
to teach others. 2 Tim. 2:2 (NIV)
FJS is a ministry of Followers of
Jesus Mennonite Church, a taxexempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit
corporation.
Seniors Gain Work Experience
with Senior Projects
As part of their senior year, most
FJS students do a senior project
involving some kind of real-world
work experience. This year, for the first
time, a couple of those projects were
completed outside of school.
Dina Bu teaches 3rd grade math
while supervising another student who
is working on his math PACEs. Dina
was a homeroom helper to 1st and 2nd
grade teacher Miss Rodriguez last year
who affirmed Dina's ability to teach.
Robert Sifontes, who was born in El
Salvador and immigrated to the U.S.
when he was in 5th grade, requested
the opportunity to teach Spanish to the
3rd-5th graders. Robert enjoys being
able to have an influence on the
children and preparing them for life by
introducing them to a new language.
For her senior project, Esther
Rodriguez served as office assistant to
Miss Jen. Esther recorded absentees on
the school data program, answered the
phone and the door, maintained the
school store, and learned filing
procedures.
Kencel Andrews used her
leadership talents to co-direct the
Christmas drama. On her own
initiative, Kencel organized small
groups of students to rehearse their
lines, set up practice schedules, and
worked with Mr. Gochnauer in
directing the final performance. Mr.
Gochnauer noted that Kencel was the
key to putting a successful program
together. “Without her enthusiasm and
organization, it would not have been
the event it was.”
Torii Holland was not interested in
any of the opportunities at school and
works as a volunteer nursing assistant
in the geriatric ward at New York
Presbyterian Hospital. Torii says his
responsibilities include pushing
wheelchairs, making beds, bringing
food, and other tasks. Torii says, “I am
learning responsibility and that seniors
are more pleasant than he expected
them to be!”
Tiara Gonzalez was attracted to the
BedStuy Community Partnership
Program in her neighborhood where
she volunteered helping plan
community events. Her supervisor
affirmed Tiara as “an astonishing
volunteer.” Tiara observed, “It was
rewarding to be able to give back to the
community and learn to think about
others rather than yourself.”
"Best Christmas
Pageant Ever"
Delights Audience
FJS students performed the classic
drama "The Best Christmas Pageant
Ever" for the Christmas program this
year.
The play by Barbara Robinson
features a group of church youth
preparing to perform their traditional
Christmas drama when children from
a neighborhood family are invited to
church by one of the youth. In spite of
a chaotic series of events leading up to
the final performance, the drama
turns out to be one of the most
successful the church has had.
The cast included nearly all of the
student body. Some were the "church
kids"; others were the "neighborhood
kids." the theme gave students the
opportunity to explore attitudes about
and between different groups of
people and God's acceptance of all his
children and his desire to have a
relationship with them.
The play was directed by principal
Jim Gochnauer and co-directed by
Kencel Andrews as part of her senior
project.
Bible Quizzers Have Banner Year
Three of four FJS Bible quiz
teams qualified for the very
"Dominion" competed in Senior
Two of the coaches, Josh Allert
High BB.
and Yessenia Oporta, were former
Three students, Joshua
FJS quizzers.
Blank, Joshua Stoltzfus and
Robert remarked, “It was good
Jonathan Stoltzfus, were
to be able to memorize the Word of
recognized with All-Star
God and build friendships across
awards.
cultural boundaries.”
Thirteen home school
Isaiah Vega described his first
students and two FJS
experience in quizzing as a once in
students comprised the
a lifetime experience. “It was a
four teams. The
students
memorized the
FJS "Confident." (from left) Coach Brent
books of
Stoltzfus, Ben Schwartz, Kendall Yoder, Joshua
Ephesians and
Stoltzfus, Arielle Allert
Ruth and
competitive AA division for the
Proverbs 4 for a total of
first time ever.
267 verses.
FJS "Confident" earned 1st place
Several times
and FJS "Unsearchable" earned 2nd
throughout the season,
the two junior
FJS "Unsearchable." (from left) Josiah Stoltzfus,
high teams
Avery Schwartz, Katelyn Blank, Janae Yoder, Coach
quizzed against Joel Yoder
each other,
most notably in the
challenge to memorize 270 verses,
playoffs at the retreat. In
but it was worth it!”
the quarter finals, "UnBrianna Schwartz, a homesearchable" defeated
school senior, agreed. “It has been a
"Confident" to win a buy
rewarding experience in so many
directly to the finals.
ways: meeting new friends,
FJS "Dominion." (from left) Joziah Pollard,
"Confident" then won their memorizing hundreds of verses,
Robert Sifontes, Coach Josh Allert, Jonathan
semi-final quiz to also
and learning life lessons. I am very
Stoltzfus, Isaiah Vega
advance to the finals
thankful for all the staff at FJS and
place at the Junior High AA level.
where, this time, they triumphed
volunteers who worked in order to
FJS "Finally" earned 2nd place in
over their older siblings to take first make quizzing possible.”
the Senior High AA level.
place.
FJS "Finally." (from left) Joshua Blank, Kristen
Yoder, Brianna Schwartz, Coach Yessenia Oporta
Graduating Seniors. (from left) Kristen Yoder, Brianna Schwartz,
Joshua Blank, Joziah Pollard, Robert Sifontes
2016-17 Student Council Elected
Students elected senior Tiara
Gonzalez president of this year's FJS
Student Council. Two additional seniors,
Robert Sifontes and Torii Holland serve
as Vice-president and Secretary/
Treasurer respectively. Members-at-large
are Isaiah Vega, grade 10, and Jaedon
Mast, grade 7.
Student Council plans special events
for the Upper School as well as whole
school events like the Half-year
Celebration and assisting with the
annual Thanksgiving Feast.
Followers of Jesus Mennonite Church
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FJS Winter 2016-17 Newsletter
April 10
10--17
Spring Break!
Page 4
Student Council Elected
April 6
6--7
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Page 3
2017 Bible Quizzing
April 3
3--7
Missions Week
March 31
End of 3rd Quarter
March 29
29--April 1
U. S. Government Trip
Mark Your
Calendar
Page 2
New Principal Search
Senior Projects
Christmas Pageant
Page 1
New Faculty
In This Issue