A Mustang Minute
Our February School Newsletter
CLASSROOM CORNER
Mrs. Sherry Wolfe History Class
Mrs. Wolfe’s Middle School History students, on January 31, were treated to a dramatic monologue by actress Mrs. Gayle Haas, interpreting the life of Corrie Ten Boom. She spoke for about 25 minutes telling the students about key facts and moving stories of Corrie Ten Boom’s experiences during the Holocaust. She truly had the students and adults engaged the entire time, continually focusing on God’s goodness during such terrible times.
Mr. Bieterman’s History Classes
Mr. Bieterman’s 1st period Economics and 2nd period American History classes were blessed with an informative visit from Kendall County Judge Carlo Colosimo on February 12. He spoke about his career path, as well as his daily and weekly routines as a presiding judge. The Judge also engaged in question and answer sessions with the students.
Mr. Sovern’s Coaching Class
Students in Mr. Sovern’s Introduction to Coaching class conducted a coaching lesson with their fellow classmates. Each students selected a sport that they excel in to instruct others in their class, putting into practice the coaching principles they’ve been studying during the year.
YCS Clubs
A few pictures from our 2023-2024 clubs, which meet weekly during lunch.
Art: Mr. McDavitt
Middle School and High School students in this club have been working on a project of their choosing for the year. Some choose sketching/drawing. Some chose to paint a pair of shoes (as pictured below).
Bible Study (Girls): Mrs. Painter
The High School girls break into two groups, with the leaders engaging the groups in discussion about the Bible passages they’ve read and how it applies to their lives. They also work through various reading plans on the Bible app, which have a scripture reading, a devotion and a place to leave comments for the others in their group.
Bible Study (Guys): Mr. Maroney
High School boys meet to read and discuss their study, The Bible Uncomplicated by James Fink.
Chess: Mr. Ashmore
Middle School and High School students meet to compete to challenge themselves and learn new techniques not just from Mr. Ashmore, but from other students as well. A new partner is selected with each new match.
Prayer Team: Mrs. Sovern
The Prayer Team, made up of high school guys and girls, pray not only for the school, community, and local and federal governments, but also for specific needs asked by students and staff. A Prayer box was installed by the offices for individuals to write down their requests. The Prayer Team then prays over those requests. Additionally, once a week, one of the Prayer Team members will pray during the morning announcements. We are blessed to have this team of students this year!
Mustang Athletics
Lady Mustang Basketball
The Yorkville Christian Lady Mustangs finished the season with a record of 11-15. Dr. Jeff Schutt, their coach, stated that the girls, in only their third year of the girls basketball program at YCS, made great strides this year. “Considering that many of the girls had limited basketball knowledge and playing time prior to joining the team, we had a successful season with players improving and becoming better,” said Coach Schutt. Danielle Bulson led the team in scoring and rebounding. Grace Allgood broke a school record by making 9 three-pointers in one game. And with the January addition of new student, Payton Wallin, this brought the team to a whole different level and made the Lady Mustangs a team to contend with. With no seniors on the team and a lot of young players, Dr. Schutt is looking forward to an exciting season next year.
Boys Basketball
Boys Basketball concluded their season after falling in the second round of IHSA Regional play. The team finished with a 14-18 record overall, but had many positives along the way. Coach Sovern said, “We had a young group who gained a ton of experience playing against high level of competition this season. I am excited to see their continued growth in the spring & summer and then we can make a run at next season.” The team was indeed young, with no seniors on the roster. In fact, the team’s main roster was four juniors, two sophomores, and four freshmen.
Team captains were juniors Brady Sovern and Zach Marini. Marini connected on 107 three pointers and averaged 15 points per game. Sovern connected on 78 three pointers and led the team in rebounding and free-throw percentage as well. Sophomore guard Jayden Riley led the team in both scoring and assists with an average of 24 points and nearly 6 assists per game. He was named All-Tournament at both the St. Ignatius and Plano tournaments. Freshmen Jordan Purvis and Tray Alford both played major minutes this year and averaged over 7 points per game. The team finished 9th in IHSA history by connecting on 328 three pointers. There are big things ahead for the young Mustangs!
The Mustang Hoops Squad will be hosting their annual summer camp for boys and girls, 1st through 8th grades, on June 10-13 from 9:00-11:00am. You can register your camper HERE today!
Mustang Wrestling
The 2023-24 YCS Wrestling season was truly a smorgasbord of experiences! Having lost nine seniors from last year’s state runner-up team (most of whom were also instrumental in helping the Mustangs capture the state title in 2021), the coaching staff was focused on getting the youth up to speed while capitalizing on the solid core that still remained intact. Due to their success factor, the Mustangs were moved up to the 2A Division, a move many thought would be too much for the young Mustangs to handle. Fortunately, the Mustangs staff and wrestlers didn’t conform to that.
The season had frustrating moments, but the Mustangs found a way to wrestle their best when it counted. They finished the season winning ten out of their last twelve duals and winning the Class 2A Regional Tournament at Crystal Lake Central. The third straight regional title for the Mustangs!
Individual performances were at a premium as well, as senior captain Ty Edwards and junior captains Aiden Larsen and Robby Nelson each qualified for the IHSA Individual State Championships. Nelson won over forty matches in his junior campaign after being forced by the IHSA to sit out his sophomore year. Junior Aiden Larsen punched his third straight ticket to state, already having medaled twice before, he once again found his way to the podium placing sixth after having to default sue to injury. Ty Edwards made his third trip to State Finals, and captured the 132lb State Championship, by convincingly beating his rival, the defending State Champion, who was undefeated for two seasons.
The past few seasons have been filled with magic moments for the Mustangs, and it looks like the future is bright, and promises many more success stories for the Mustang wrestling program!
MUSTANGS IN THE COMMUNITY
Mustangs in Milwaukee
Coach Sovern set up a great experience not only for our Boys Basketball team, but also for our YCS families to enjoy! On February 8, our Mustang Basketball team headed north for a game against Milwaukee Academy of Science at the Fiserv Forum where the Milwaukee Bucks play. The boys had the opportunity to play on an NBA court, and then the team and YCS families were able to stay to watch the Milwaukee Bucks play the Minnesota Timberwolves in the evening. What an experience for everyone!
Hannah Glotzbach – Summer Mission Trip
Student Missionary and YCS Senior, Hannah Glotzbach, will be traveling to Mongolia this summer! Through Cup of Cold Water Ministries, Hannah will be heading to South Gobi as part of a team who are bringing the love of Jesus to an area that has no church. Their prayer is to partner with young Mongolian believers to help start a thriving church in that village. You can read more about Hannah’s mission here: https://www.ccwm.org/hannah. To help with the financial commitment that’s required of missionaries, Hannah and her supportive friends sold Candy Grams for Valentine’s Day and collected funds raised from Pajama Day, all to be put towards her mission. Please be in prayer for Hannah and the other young missionaries who will be the hands and feet of Jesus this summer.
Alumni Spotlight
Meet Noah Lewis – Class of 2018
Our students recognize Noah Lewis as one of our chapel speakers this year. But some of our long-term staff remember him as part of the first class attending all four years of Yorkville Christian High School. Noah played basketball for Coach Sovern and currently ranks third on our Yorkville Christian Boys Basketball Varsity All-Time Scoring list. After graduation, Noah attended Trinity International University in Deerfield. Unfortunately, during that year, Noah tore his ACL. Recovery was tough and long, and this dead-stop event during his basketball career led him to a major life change. Over the last 5 years, Noah has become successful in sales of education technology and more importantly, is building a deep, ever-growing relationship with Jesus. He plugged in to Resurrection Church in Aurora and is currently serving as their Youth Minister, preaching and teaching the Bible. Noah also married in 2022, and he and his wife, Taylor, welcomed a new addition to their family in 2023, Sienna. Noah couldn’t be any happier with the beautiful ladies in his life, and his future in ministry, as he plans to get his masters in Divinity. His words of wisdom to our current YCS students includes the adage that high school is what you make of it. He said that as most typical teenagers feel, he, too, had a narrow and selfish perspective of life during his high school career. His advice to students is, “to surround yourself with people who can make you better than who you are now, who will challenge you to be the best version of you. Don’t dismiss your teachers guidance, and don’t worry about what your peers think of you.” Lastly, he says, “Jesus is better than you think, and lean into finding out more about Him.”
Best wishes to you and your family, Noah. We look forward to the next time you speak in chapel on Thursdays!
Tours and Shadow Days for Prospective Students and Parents
Prospective parents and students can call for a tour of Yorkville Christian School. You’ll see the facility: the classrooms, chapel and our gymnasium – The Canyon, and more. You can ask questions of your tour guide, our Director of Enrollment, Tim Schnyders.
But for a more in-depth look at Yorkville Christian School, prospective families, with students in 5th through 11th grades, are invited to register for a Shadow Day. Parents may sign up their student for a Shadow Day where prospective students are given a shadow host who will take them to classes, meet teachers, hear about clubs and teams, attend chapel (if it’s a Thursday), enjoy a catered lunch with staff, and receive a gift bag! This is a great way for a student to see what it’s like to be a Mustang for the day. Click on the link below and complete the online registration form.
https://yorkvillechristian.com/shadow-day/
To set up a tour or for questions, please email Tim Schnyders, Director of Enrollment.
Upcoming Spring Open House
SPRING OPEN HOUSE at YORKVILLE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
SUNDAY, MARCH 17, 2024: 1pm-4pm
This event is for prospective families with students currently in 4th grade through 11th grade!
Come see our Middle School AND High School!
We begin at 1pm to hear from our principal about the agenda for the afternoon.
Then sectional presentations start shortly after, covering spiritual growth, academics, technology, athletics, curriculum, financial assistance, college credit, IVCC partnership, transportation, and much more! You’ll hear from our dedicated faculty, tour classrooms, our gym, “The Canyon”, etc.
Then after the sectionals, you’ll head over to our Athletics and Clubs Fair, where you can meet our coaches and club sponsors, and students too!
Gift bags for all students who attend!
And we will have some refreshments to re-energize you!
Please register here: https://yorkvillechristian.com/home/open-house-registration/
Contact Tim Schnyders, our Director of Enrollment at tschnyders@yorkvillechristian.com
Returning High School Families RE-Enrollment Night
**Tuesday, March 12 is re-enrollment night for all CURRENT HIGH SCHOOL FAMILIES
We will re-enroll ALL current high school families (except for graduating seniors) for the 2024-2025 school year. This meeting will take place at 7pm in the school chapel.
We will have all the necessary paperwork ready for families to complete, and families will be asked to make their tuition down payment ($600 per student) for the 2024-2025 school year on Tuesday, March 12.
BONUS! We will be offering a $250 early enrollment discount for any family who re-enrolls their students on this night ONLY.
All current families must re-enroll their student(s) by April 1, 2024 for the 2024-2025 school year or there will be an additional $100 late fee assessed.
The re-enrollment night helps us gather the information/enrollment numbers we need to continue to plan for the quality, Christ-centered learning experience for our students at Yorkville Christian.
*Please note that the online enrollment application and link for the tuition down payment on our website is for NEW families ONLY.
YCS ONLINE – FB, Instagram & our website
Be sure to stay connected with up-to-date news about the school, athletics, school closings, clubs, and so much more on our social media pages!
“Like” us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YorkvilleChristianSchool/
Follow us on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/yorkvillechristianschool2001/
And check out our updated website for some new features and links:
https://www.yorkvillechristian.com
Legacy Bricks
Are you looking to give a memorable and unique gift to someone? Maybe for an upcoming birthday or anniversary?
**GIVE A LEGACY BRICK**
This is perfect for your graduating senior, your star athlete, a tribute to a loved one…
Celebrate your connection to Yorkville Christian School…your legacy!
Choose from 4″ x 8″ or 8″ x 8″ bricks, add text, add logos —–> your choice
Also great gifts for alumni, family or friends that support YCS, businesses and organizations that share the vision of YCS!
BONUS! You can even order a replica brick: one is made for the school and one is made for you to display at your home!
Click here for more information: https://yorkvillechristian.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Legacy-Brick.pdf
Print out the form, fill it out and send it and your payment to: Yorkville Christian School, 2001 Whitekirk Lane, Yorkville, IL 60560
Questions? Email Mrs. Janine McDavitt (janinemcdavitt@yorkvillechristian.com)
YORKVILLE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL UPCOMING EVENTS
March 4 – Mustang Shadow Day
March 12 – Re-Enrollment Night for High School
March 17 – Spring Open House
March 25 through April 1 – No School (Spring Vacation & Easter holiday)
April 16 – FFA Banquet
May 3 – Prom
May 15-17 – Senior Final Exams
May 17 – Class of 2024 Graduation Ceremony/Last Day for Seniors
May 21-24 – Semester 2 Final Exams
May 23 – 8th Grade Recognition/Last Day for 8th Grade
May 24 – Last Day of School for Grades 7, 9, 10 & 11
