A Mustang Minute
Our September School Newsletter
SUMMER HAPPENINGS AT YORKVILLE CHRISTIAN
It was a busy summer at Yorkville Christian School. It seemed like every day some activity was taking place. Here is a recap of all the great things God did at our school this summer!
COACH ROC AND MICAH FUNDAMENTALS BASKETBALL CAMP
During the month of June, Yorkville Christian hosted the “Coach Roc and Micah Fundamentals Basketball Camp.” 35 players attended the camp, which was led by former Yorkville Christian All-State guard, Micah Schnyders, and Coach Roc, who has spent many years training top college and professional players. The camp was a great opportunity for young players to improve their basketball game in the summer, but also a great way for many families to visit Yorkville Christian and see the school for the first time in many instances.
YORKVILLE CHRISTIAN TEACHER WINS AWARD
On Tuesday, June 6, Yorkville Christian teacher, Mrs. Blair Wiesbrook, was honored at the Kendall County “Tribute to Heroes” dinner. The event honors Kendall County individuals who give selflessly to their community. Mrs. Wiesbrook oversees the FFA program at Yorkville Christian and does a tremendous job teaching the agriculture classes at Yorkville Christian. She also helps lead the Student Leadership program, as well as many other activities including Vacation Bible School. Congratulations Mrs. Wiesbrook, and thank you for all your contributions to Yorkville Christian!
MUSTANG BASKETBALL CAMP
The Mustang Basketball Camp ran the week of June 12-15 for boys and girls in grades K-9. There was a great turnout this year for Mustang Camp with over 70 in attendance. The camp stressed the fundamentals of the game, and gave the players an opportunity to participate in some live games as well. It was also an excellent opportunity to show some families Yorkville Christian for the first time. The camp was run by our head basketball coach, Coach Sovern, along with his current basketball players. Thank you to the many families who registered their children for the camp, and to the campers who participated. It was a great week!
YORKVILLE CHRISTIAN STUDENT WINS PRESTIGIOUS AWARD
Congratulations to Yorkville Christian High School junior, Ellie Stewart, who was named Illinois High School Rodeo Association “All Around Cowgirl” in June. Ellie competed in six events at the state finals: breakaway, goats, pole bending, barrels, team roping, and Queen contest. Ellie was top four in multiple performances and multiple events, allowing her to win the award. Congratulations Ellie!
YORKVILLE CHRISTIAN HOSTS VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
Yorkville Christian hosted Vacation Bible School during the week of June 19-23. The theme for the week was “Babylon Daniel’s Courage in Captivity.” A little over 40 boys and girls participated in the week-long adventure. The boys and girls enjoyed daily singing, Bible lessons, crafts, snacks, and other very exciting activities. The guests also had the opportunity to hear from Daniel himself (thank you to Mr. McDavitt for playing the role of David). Thank you to the volunteers who helped run the VBS from parents to current students and Yorkville Christian staff. A special thanks to Mrs. Blair Wiesbrook and Mrs. Stewart for coordinating and planning the Vacation Bible School. It was a great week of fun and learning more about the Bible.
YORKVILLE CHRISTIAN PARTICIPATES IN FOURTH OF JULY PARADE
Yorkville Christian School participated in the Yorkville Fourth of July Parade on Tuesday, July 4. It was a beautiful weather day, and a large contingent of current families and students, alumni, staff, and friends marched in the parade to represent Yorkville Christian. Once again, Yorkville Christian decorated a float for the parade, and distributed several informational flyers about the school, t-shirts, mini balls, and candy to those in attendance. It was a great event, and an excellent opportunity for Yorkville Christian to further connect with the community.
YORKVILLE CHRISTIAN HOSTS MUSTANG VOLLEYBALL CAMP
Yorkville Christian volleyball coach, Alyssa Ferchen, held a Mustang volleyball camp from July 5-7. The camp focused on teaching the fundamentals of the game to girls entering grades K-8. Current Mustang volleyball players helped run the camp and provided instruction to the younger players. The camp was a great success, and Coach Ferchen looks forward to running more camps in the future.
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL PROGRAM HOSTS TEAM BOWLING PARTY
On Wednesday, July 12, the girls’ basketball program hosted a bowling party at Pinz in Yorkville for all the girls’ basketball players and their families. 35 people attended the event, which included two games of bowling and pizza and pop. It was a great way for all the basketball families to get to know each other, and an opportunity for the girls’ team to bond together.
HUSTLE CAMP IS A HUGE SUCCESS!
Yorkville Christian hosted its annual Hustle Camp the week of July 17-21. Coach Sovern welcomed nearly 150 boys and girls to The Canyon for this exciting camp. Each day stressed the fundamentals of the game; a daily contest; and competitive games. It was great to have such a great turnout, and the campers worked really hard all week. A great deal of improvement was seen throughout the week. Special thanks to Coach Sovern and Coach Brian Johnson for organizing the camp, and to the many current and former Mustangs who helped with the camp. We look forward to seeing everyone again next year.
YORKVILLE CHRISTIAN HOSTS “CREATIVE BY NATURE ART CAMP”
Yorkville Christian hosted an art camp this summer for students in grades K-12. The “Creative by Nature” camp was designed and taught by Mrs. Amy Mattes. This was the first time Yorkville Christian hosted an art camp, and it was a big success. The students who attended the camp had a great time and completed some wonderful projects. The camp concluded with an Art Show that 15 people attended. Special thanks to Mrs. Mattes for running the camp, and we are very excited to host the camp in the years to come.
JASON OTTER BASKETBALL CAMP INVADES THE CANYON
During the week of July 24-28, the Jason Otter Basketball Camp took place in The Canyon at Yorkville Christian. Jason Otter Basketball Camp is a national camp that travels throughout the country all summer hosting basketball camps at various locations. The camp is a very intense camp with the average camp day going from 8 am until 5 pm. This is the third year Yorkville Christian has hosted the Otter Camp, and we are very honored to hold it on our campus.
MUSTANG WRESTLING CAMP HAS ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL SUMMER CAMP
Coach Mike Vester and the Yorkville Christian wrestling program hosted a wrestling camp from July 27-29. The camp was well attended as 30 wrestlers participated. The Mustang wrestling staff, alums, current members of the Yorkville Christian team, and two University of Illinois starters, Lucas Byrd and Joe Roberts, served as clinicians. It was a great three days of growth for the campers in attendance, with a great deal of mat time and one on one instruction.
YORKVILLE CHRISTIAN HOSTS SOFTBALL CAMP
The Yorkville Christian High School softball team hosted a softball camp the week of July 31-August 3 at Bridge Field in Yorkville. This was the first time Yorkville Christian ever hosted a softball camp, and the event was a huge success. 30 girls ranging in ages from grades 1-8 participated in the camp. Coach Stoneberg and her staff taught the fundamentals of the game to the campers including hitting, fielding, baserunning, and sliding. The weather was perfect all week, and the campers learned a great deal and had a great time.
HOOPS 4 HUNGER BASKETBALL CAMP DRAWS HUNDREDS FOR A GREAT CAUSE
On Saturday, August 5, Yorkville Christian alum, Micah Schnyders, ran his 3rd Annual Hoops 4 Hunger Basketball Camp at Yorkville Christian. The camp is designed to collect food items for local food pantries. This year the camp supported an organization called “All God’s People.” This organization is led by Mrs. Doreen DeBoer, and it serves the homeless in Chicago and other neighboring areas. The camp was a huge success, as over 200 campers attended, and the campers were able to completely fill the All God’s People box truck with food and clothing items. Mrs. DeBoer commented that they have brought their truck to hundreds of events, but never before has a group filled it in one day, so it was so great to see God at work through this camp! The camp also featured former UCLA legend, Coach Larry Farmer, who spoke to the campers about always believing in their dreams and following the old church hymn – Anything is Possible with God! A special thanks to Coach Farmer for his great speech, as well as to all the coaches and volunteers, who helped make the camp such a great success! Thank you to Micah Schnyders for giving back to the Yorkville Christian community.
YORKVILLE CHRISTIAN ART TEACHER HOSTS AIRBRUSH CAMP
Yorkville Christian School Art Teacher, Mr. John McDavitt, hosted an “Airbrush Camp” at Yorkville Christian School the week of August 8-10. This was the first time a camp like this was hosted at Yorkville Christian, and the camp was a huge success. The campers spent Day 1 of camp learning many of the airbrush basics and creating some temporary tattoos. The second day was spent covering more of the basics and also lettering ball caps. The final day of the camp focused on classic airbrush t-shirts, where each camper had the opportunity to airbrush their own t-shirt design. The campers loved the camp, and we thank Mr. McDavitt for hosting the camp. There will definitely be more camps like this in the future, so keep an eye out at our Events tab on our website.
MEET OUR NEW MUSTANG STAFF MEMBERS!
Meet Mrs. Beth Omar
English Teacher
Hello, my name is Beth Omar, and I am thrilled to be joining the staff at Yorkville Christian as an English teacher this year. This is my first year as a Mustang but I’ve been teaching for a long time. I started in 2004 in St. Charles and taught most recently in Oswego. My husband, sons and I enjoy finding adventure and traveling, especially to Disney Parks. I am a musician, like my teens. Our house is always loud with at least one instrument of some kind!
I am a graduate of Oswego High School and North Central College in Naperville. I am a church organist at Cross Lutheran in Yorkville. I started playing services when I was 13 but I still pray for Him to be in my hands before every single service! I enjoy volunteering with my son’s high school band program where I serve on the Booster Board as a VP of Operations and a junior high program liaison. In my spare time (ha!) I enjoy scrapbooking and crafting.
I have spent my entire teaching career in elementary schools. I never planned to teach high school English. Of course, we know that our plans are dwarfed by those of God. While I don’t yet understand why God brought me here, I’m so excited to do good work to honor Him here. How awesome that He trusts me in this way to step outside of my elementary comfort zone with His almighty help!
Meet Mrs. Sarah Painter
Science Teacher
Hello Mustang Families! My name is Sarah Painter and I am so excited to have joined the Mustang teaching team. I graduated from Moody Bible Institute and have taught middle school science for eleven years. I love making science more understandable to students and helping them see the incredible world God designed for them to enjoy. Teaching in a Christian setting is an incredible privilege and I look forward to what God is going to be doing in the student’s lives this year.
My husband Dan and I have been married for 22 years and enjoy ministering together at our church, Grace Pointe. Together we enjoy spending time with our 4 sons and going to all of their different events. Will is a freshman at Aurora University, Sam and Eli both attend YCS, and our youngest, Titus, is a 6th grader at Calvary Christian School.
In my spare time I enjoy walking, reading, crocheting, and hanging out with my family and friends. I also love volunteering at our church’s youth group where I help to lead the high school girls group. Seeing these girls get passionate about their walk with the Lord and applying it to their lives brings me so much joy and my prayer as I facilitate the new girls’ bible study at YCS that the same thing will happen.
T.R.I.P. – Tuition Reduction Incentive Program
Use RaiseRight.com to buy gift cards, in which a percentage of your purchase gets applied to your tuition account!
It costs nothing to join!
How It Works
Participating retailers sell gift cards (physical or digital) to RaiseRight.com, offering a percentage back to our non-profit which gets passed on to you!
You pay face value for the gift card. The hundreds of retailers decide on the percentage they give back, and MANY of them offer bonuses throughout the year.
You can buy physical gift cards, mailed right to your home, OR e-gift cards (digital) that you can use right from the app! Many retailers offer a reloading option on their physical gift cards.
The amount you earn from using RaiseRight is applied to your tuition account every two months. Even if you have a zero balance in your tuition account, you can keep earning for the following year, even through the summer months!
How Do I Get Started
On your computer, go to RaiseRight.com to get started, and click on the blue “Sign Up” button. Enter our enrollment code LAFE762772884, then click on “Join a Program”. Follow the prompts to create your account.
**Be sure to type in your child’s first AND last name in the “Who are you earning for?” section. Once your account is created, start exploring and make purchases!
To make your life easier, RaiseRight offers an app, found in both iOS and Android platforms. (Look for RaiseRight Fundraising app with a blue/red heart logo.) Once downloaded, log in to your account that you’ve already created and start shopping!
Both the app on your smartphone and your account on your computer offer a wallet option. Once your purchases are made, they’ll be placed in your wallet waiting to be used.
Review each retailer’s offerings carefully, as all options and offerings are not the same.
In the payment section during your first purchase, select from paying with a debit card, for a nominal fee, or with a credit card, for a bit larger fee. You’ll be asked if you want your payment form saved.
(Paying YCS directly and having it delivered to the school is not an option at this time.)
With a little bit of planning ahead, you can use this program for almost everything you buy from fuel to clothing to groceries to travel to entertainment to your morning coffee drink, and much more! By taking a little bit of time to organize, you can earn A LOT of money towards your family’s tuition.
How Can I Learn More
Go to RaiseRight.com to learn more
Click on these helpful links:
How To Participate
10 Ways To Earn With Gift Cards
How To Send An eGift Card As A Gift
How Does Earn Add Up?
Shopping & Earning Options
Questions? Email Mrs. Janine McDavitt (janinemcdavitt@yorkvillechristian.com)
Be sure to watch your email for bonus days and holiday specials from RaiseRight!
MISSION ADVANCEMENT
Greetings Mustang families,
We are underway in our 10th year of operation at Yorkville Christian School. We are celebrating a significant milestone! We’ve grown so much since 2014. As leaders in our community, John and Michelle Stewart, our founders, have always had a heart to help develop youth to become strong leaders for future generations. In 2014, Yorkville Christian School opened its doors in a temporary facility. Four years later in 2018, through God’s guidance and blessings, a new school facility was built ready to energize, educate, and impact students to carry out God’s plan for their lives in His Kingdom. And now, 10 years later in 2024, we have added 7th/8th grades, a computer lab, more classes in each department, more clubs and expanded our athletic programming too! And more is planned…
Yorkville Christian School doesn’t exist just to give families an option to public school or offer a partnership with homeschooling families, though many parents have told us how appreciative they are to have an alternative education option. YCS is about equipping our students with a biblical worldview prepared to enter the world as adults to be productive and caring individuals. Our mission is to energize, educate and impact the world.
ENERGIZE – We have been growing in more ways than just enrollment. By adding amazing, supportive staff, along with additional sports, clubs and more resources, our students will get energized to meet the world after graduation ready to make a difference.
EDUCATE – We have been continually moving forward in advancing our curriculum to competitive levels with the addition of honors, AP, and dual credit courses. All subjects are taught with a biblical worldview so students are equipped to defend their faith in a growing world in which faith plays no part.
IMPACT THE WORLD – Young people always have a way of impacting the world. Through their time here at YCS, our students are ready to implement what they’ve learned and will be well-prepared to live their lives for Christ, spreading His light wherever they go.
Through support from our founders, parents, grandparents, alumni, and friends like you, Yorkville Christian School can continue its mission of providing Christ-centered learning to future leaders. Support is essential to keep us growing and thriving! We keep our tuition modest in order to allow for more students to be able to experience growth in their education and their faith at YCS. But the actual costs are higher, as we provide tuition assistance to help families ensure that their students can attend, and we must account for the yearly increases for basic functioning of the building and technology. And this is where our Annual Fund plays a role.
Soon we will begin rolling out our 4th Annual Fund with a target amount of $250,000. Please watch your mail for materials from YCS with information on how you can play a role in
continued growth of the school not just for your children, but for those who will come after.
Your participation is vital to the school, no matter the amount you are able to contribute. Imagine what could happen if every family participated. Our school’s enrollment could grow exponentially!
We also have opportunities for those wishing to go ABOVE AND BEYOND our Annual Fund. New this year are Legacy Bricks (find more information under our “Donate” tab), as well as our Sponsor Banner program for those of you with businesses or friends with businesses (contact Mrs. McDavitt for more information). We also welcome information about employers with a matching gift program, or even those of you with businesses or business connections who would like to discuss major giving opportunities.
Please continue to keep YCS in prayer this year; that God will bless us in ways that we can’t even imagine, all the while, holding true to His Truth and His Light.
“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7
Janine McDavitt
Director of Mission Advancement
Parent Ambassador Program
Serving and Promoting Yorkville Christian School
Yorkville Christian School has a Parent Ambassador group which serves the school through various avenues of time, talents and resources.
What are Parent Ambassadors?
- parents that help promote the school to prospective YCS families
- parents that promote various YCS events throughout the year in their hometowns by word of mouth, through email, through flyers and/or by reposting events to personal social media pages
- parents that volunteer their time or resources at YCS events
- parents that canvass their local businesses requesting and collecting gift cards, merchandise, etc. for prizes to hand out during our popular Trivia Night and other events throughout the year
- parents that attend a few Parent Ambassador meetings per year
To be a Parent Ambassador, you don’t have to do everything on the list above! If you are able to help with some things, that’s great. If you are able to help with many things, that’s awesome. If you can help with all of them, terrific! Just please consider how you can help.
Some examples of serving as a Parent Ambassador include, but are not limited to:
- handing out flyers to your neighbors or church friends for Open House
- collecting prizes for our upcoming events like Trivia Night
- volunteering on Grandparent’s Day or the Trunk or Treat event
- you, your family or a friend own a business and might be willing to donate or lend talents/trades to help with a project
Please simply consider what tools you have in your toolbox.
Parent involvement is a MUST at any school and this group is a vital part of YCS! There are many moving parts in making a successful school year, and Parents, you are one of those moving parts whether you donate items, talents or your time.
What a blessing it is that we can assist Mrs. Stewart, Mr. Sovern, Mr. Versluys, Mr. Schnyders and the rest of the YCS staff by helping to create an impactful and enjoyable school year, not just for the students but for the entire YCS family!
The Parent Ambassador group is led by Mrs. Janine McDavitt, a fellow parent since 2020, and can be reached at janinemcdavitt@yorkvillechristian.com.
To be added the Parent Ambassador group or if you have questions, please contact Mrs. Janine McDavitt.
Mustangs in the Community
YORKVILLE CHRISTIAN FOOTBALL COOP PLAYS A GAME IN AN NFL STADIUM!
Did you know that Yorkville Christian is part of a coop football program called the Illinois Crusaders? It is a 11-man tackle football program that plays a full slate of games. Several Yorkville Christian students have participated over the past few years. Yorkville Christian alum, Chase Davis, is continuing his football career at Concordia in Wisconsin after playing for the Crusaders, and now his younger brother and current Yorkville Christian student, Brody Davis, is the team’s quarterback. You don’t think this is an excellent football option for a small private school? Well, on Saturday, August 26, the team played a game against the Cincinnati Landmarks at Lucas Oil Stadium, the home of the NFL Indianapolis Colts! The game was a tremendous experience for our students, and showed again, the great football experience that is available to Yorkville Christian students who are interested in playing football.
YORKVILLE CHRISTIAN HOSTS BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT
On Thursday, August 31, Yorkville Christian hosted a Back to School Night for all Yorkville Christian families. Nearly 190 students were represented at the event. Families had an opportunity to pick up student schedules, locker assignments, Chromebook, purchase spirit wear, and meet the teachers and staff. It was a great night to help kick off the start of the school year on September 5. We are so thankful to God for the families He has led to Yorkville Christian, and we are so excited to see how God directs us throughout the school year.
YORKVILLE CHRISTIAN STARTS NEW SCHOOL YEAR WITH CONVOCATION SERVICE
On Tuesday, September 5, Yorkville Christian welcomed back students to the start of the 2023-2024 school year. It was so great to not only welcome back returning students, but also so many new faces to Yorkville Christian. We started the school year with a Convocation Service in the chapel. Yorkville Christian principal, Mr. Fred Versluys, welcomed the students and shared how excited the faculty and staff was to have them all as members of the Mustang family. Yorkville Christian alum, Mr. Noah Lewis, gave a brief message to the students emphasizing that they were not at Yorkville Christian by accident, but God had a specific plan to lead their families to Yorkville Christian. The service ended with a time of praise and worship. It was so great to start our school year by giving praise to God for his continued faithfulness to Yorkville Christian. This year, Yorkville Christian celebrates its 10th year of existence, and we want to focus all year on God’s faithfulness to our mission.
SOCCER PICKS UP ANOTHER WIN!
On Tuesday, September 5, the Yorkville Christian soccer team played Parkview Academy. The Mustangs came out aggressively right from the start and quickly gained a lead on Parkview in route to a 8-1 victory! The Mustangs were led by Dakota Bulson, who recorded the hat trick with three goals; Danielle Bulson, who scored two goals; and Austin Vugteveen, Angelo Colosimo, and Dillon Bulson each tallied a goal as well. The eight goals scored was a school record for the Mustangs. It was a total team effort in the win. Great job Mustangs!
YORKVILLE CHRISTIAN HOSTS “SENIOR SUNRISE BREAKFAST”
Yorkville Christian started the new school year by celebrating our seniors with a “Senior Sunrise Breakfast” on Thursday, September 7. The event was for all Yorkville Christian seniors and their parents, and the morning consisted of a delicious buffet style breakfast; a motivational guest speaker; some mixer activities; a prayer and dedication time for the seniors and families; and a viewing of the sunrise along with some photos. It was a great way to start the new year and honor our seniors, as they begin their final year at Yorkville Christian.
SOCCER TEAM KEEPS ROLLING!
The Yorkville Christian High School soccer team recorded another win on Friday, September 8, with a 3-1 win over IFS. The Mustangs were paced by Dakota Bulson with two goals and a goal from Henry Fox! The Mustangs also received an excellent effort from Jess Seaton in goal. It was another great team win! The team moved to 3-3 on the season with the win. Great job Mustangs and Coach Garcia!
VOLLEYBALL TEAM PLACES 5TH AT SANDWICH INVITE
On Saturday, September 9, the Yorkville Christian volleyball team participated in the Sandwich Invite at Sandwich High School. The team played very well throughout the day, and finished the tourney with a 3-2 record and a fifth-place finish. The Mustangs defeated Flanagan High School, Elgin Academy, and Sandwich High School along the way. Great job girls!
YORKVILLE CHRISTIAN SENIOR NAMED TO ALL-TOURNEY TEAM
Yorkville Christian senior volleyball player, Sofia Loffredi, was named to the Sandwich Invitational All-Tournament Team on Saturday, September 9. Sofia helped lead the team to a 5th place finish at the Invite. Congratulations Sofia!
YORKVILLE CHRISTIAN SENIORS ENJOY FALL RETREAT
On Tuesday, September 12, the Yorkville Christian senior class departed Yorkville Christian for a Fall Retreat at Expeditions Unlimited in Baraboo, Wisconsin. We thank the Lord for safe travels, as the group arrived around 2 pm, and did not waste any time getting started with fun activities. The first day consisted of games with the camp counselors; a group session on Biblical servant leadership; a Ninja Warriors obstacle course; and a campfire with delicious smores!
Most of day two was spent with the seniors navigating the “high ropes course.” It was a great deal of fun for the students, and was an excellent team building activity.
During the afternoon and evening, the seniors enjoyed some canoeing and paddle boarding on the lake, as well as a time of ax throwing and archery. The seniors had a great time with all of these activities! There was also another time of worship in the evening.
YORKVILLE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL UPCOMING EVENTS
- OCTOBER 9 – NO SCHOOL – COLUMBUS DAY
- OCTOBER 12 – GRANDPARENTS DAY – 7:00 AM UNTIL 12:30 PM
- OCTOBER 21 – TRUNK OR TREAT EVENT – 2:00-5:30 PM
- OCTOBER 29 – FALL OPEN HOUSE FOR PROSPECTIVE FAMILIES -1-4 PM
- NOVEMBER 1 – MATH AND SCIENCE SHADOW DAY
- NOVEMBER 1-3 – FFA NATIONAL CONVENTION
- NOVEMBER 2 – NO SCHOOL – P/T CONFERENCES 3:30-7:30 PM
- NOVEMBER 3 – NO SCHOOL – P/T CONFERENCES 8:00 AM-3:00 PM
- NOVEMBER 6-10 – SNOWCOMING SPIRIT WEEK
- NOVEMBER 9 – MUSTANG SHADOW DAY
- NOVEMBER 11 – SNOWCOMING
- NOVEMBER 22-24 – NO SCHOOL – THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY