MISSION ADVANCEMENT

I Am Watching You

Our Pastor recently had a sermon with this title. He proceeded to share the history of a country

song with the title, “I Am Watching You,” by Rodney Atkins. Simply, when Rodney and his 4-year old son were in a near car accident, his son’s response was a four letter word. Rodney asked his son where he had learned that word. His son replied, “I’ve been watching you; ain’t that cool.” Yes, we can grin, but…………As parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles, we need at all times to be cognizant of who is “learning” from us. This holiday season as family gathers, it just might be a great time to have your children/grandchildren share what each as learned by “watching you.” Mostly, I would believe they have gleaned great manners, respect, ethics, fun, love, etc., from your words and actions. And, should they share a “negative” learning, it is a great time to correct that wrong.

Without sitting at your family gatherings, I can confidently say you are presenting a character and spiritual building venue for your family as you entrust your students to Yorkville Christian School to be educated, energized, and empowered to impact God’s world. Priorities are seen that education and spiritual growth are important. We certainly can attest to that given our current world’s “standards.”

As the yearend approaches, you have an additional time for your family to say, “I’ve been watching you” as you support the school with not only your time and talents, but also with your treasures. Our annual fund has a goal of $250,000; any dollar amount donation is appreciated.

However, if every family, grandparent, and friend gave $100, our goal would be easily reached.

Annual fund is used to help provide tuition assistance as well as provide ongoing building updates.

Yorkville Christian School Board, Administration, and staff are energized each day as they have the opportunity to “light the fire” in your students’ lives. So, thank you for sharing your students with us…we are family.

Thank you for your gifts; thank you for your prayers.

Blessed Holiday Season.

Connie Brott

Director of Mission Advancement

FFA News

The 96th National FFA Convention & Expo located in Indianapolis, Indiana was a convention to remember. Yorkville Christian FFA Chapter brought a total of 30 excited FFA members and six wonderful adult advisors and chaperones. The group consisted of Laura Brancati, Caleb Bols, Kelsey Breen, Valerie Brown, Victoria Brown, Halana Cejka, Brody Davis, Eli Foster, Henry Fox, Kenny Fox, Allie Fredrickson, Ali Gajewski, Andrew Henschen, Evelyn Kuehn, Peyton Loomis, Abigail MacDonald, Ruby Moe, Kyla Motley, Eli Painter, Trinity Parr, Jovi Phillips, Kloe Pottinger, Emma Reinke, Emma Schleining, Ellie Stewart, Riley Stuck, Garrett Tunnel, Grace Voitik, Payton Wallin, and Hayden Wheeler. The advisors and chaperones consisted of Blair Weisbrook, Michelle Stewart, Tammi Schleining, Fabio Brancati, Rebecca Macdonald, and Kelly Reinke . 

On the first day the group had farm tours at  Hunters Honey Farm, Ozark Fishery, and Beasley’s Apple Orchard. The second day the group went to the FFA Convention and Expo. At the opening ceremony the members heard an inspirational story by Juan Bendaña. Later that night, they were able to attend the World’s Toughest Rodeo and hear a musical performance by Ty Bodenhamer from Washinghton. On the third day the members went to the National FFA convention and expo. There they heard from a variety of colleges and different companies. The students were also able to enjoy student  workshops and see the FFA National Convention Talent Show. On the last day the group was able to head to the convention once more and go last minute shopping at the shopping mall. On their way home the group stopped for some delicious ice cream at Fair Oaks. 

Quotes 

“This convection was definitely one to remember” Kloe Pottinger, Senior and  Chapter 7 President.

“Can’t wait to go again next year” Kelsey Breen, Freshmen 

“I’m so excited I can’t wait to help out next year too!”- Fabio Brancati, Parent and Chaperone 

“I learn so many new things and made so many new friends “- Payton Wallin, Sophomore and Chapter 7 Secretary

YORKVILLE CHRISTIAN HOSTS OPEN HOUSE

On Sunday, October 29, Yorkville Christian School hosted an Open House for families interested in the school.  The event was well attended, as 88 families registered for the event and 76 families ended up visiting the school.  The day consisted of a short welcome from Yorkville Christian principal, Mr. Fred Versluys, and Yorkville Christian Director of Outreach and Enrollment, Mr. Tim Schnyders.  After the opening prayers and remarks, the families attended a wide variety of sectionals covering topics such as spiritual growth, chapel, academics, technology, curriculum, athletics, elective classes, sports performance, tuition assistance, special services, and much more.  Families were also able to learn more about Yorkville Christian’s new middle school.  The afternoon concluded with a large Athletics and Activities Fair in The Canyon.  Families had an opportunity to meet teachers, coaches, and club sponsors, and learn about the extra curricular opportunities that are available for students.  There was also a time of refreshments, and an opportunity to register for Shadow Days.  Every student in attendance received a “goodie bag” with some Mustang Merch!  It was a great day, and another sign of God’s continued faithfulness to Yorkville Christian.  Thank you to all the families who attended the open house, as well as the Mustang staff and coaches who attended and shared their knowledge and mission.

YORKVILLE CHRISTIAN HOSTS MATH AND SCIENCE SHADOW DAY

On Wednesday, November 1, Yorkville Christian hosted a Math and Science Shadow Day for students in grades 5-11.  The shadow day guests had the opportunity to attend a few classes with their hosts in the morning, and then all the guests attended an Algebra class.  Students were treated to a Culver’s lunch and were able to attend a question and answer with all the math and science teachers.  After lunch, the students attended a biology class, and a Health class.  The day concluded with a visit to a Phyics class, and the shadow guests participating in a special lab.  Each student received a “goodie bag” and completed a survey about their experience.  It was a privilege to host the students for this special day.

YORKVILLE CHRISTIAN HOSTS MUSTANG SHADOW DAY

On Thursday, November 9, Yorkville Christian hosted a Mustang Shadow Day.  Shadow guests were able to participate in a wide variety of activities including attending classes; participating in a Sports Performance session; attending chapel; enjoying a catered lunch; meeting with teachers and coaches; hearing more about the sports and clubs offered at Yorkville Christian; and the day concluded with a Powder Puff football game, as part of the homecoming week activities.  It was a great experience for the shadow guests, as well as the shadow hosts who helped with the day.

YORKVILLE CHRISTIAN CELEBRATES HOMECOMING WEEK

Yorkville Christian High School and Middle School celebrated Homecoming Week the week of November 6-11.  The week consisted of several different exciting activities for students and staff.  Here is a breakdown of each of the days and the events during the week.

Monday, November 6

Monday was “Class Colors Day.” Each class was assigned a class color, and prizes were awarded for the class who participated by wearing the most class colors.  The colors for each class were as follows:

7^th Grade – Orange

8^th Grade – Black

9^th Grade – White

10^th Grade – Green

11^th Grade – Pink

12^th Grade — Blue

There was excellent participation from all classes.

Monday also consisted of hallway decorations.  Each class was assigned a section of the school hallways to decorate with the Homecoming theme “Enchanted.”  Each class used their own supplies to decorate the hallways.  The students did a great job!

The highlight of the week was all the students participating in a special ministry called Operation Christmas Child.  Throughout the Homecoming Week, students were asked to bring shoeboxes filled with various toys and gifts for underprivileged youth around the world.  It was so great to be able to tie a special cause like this into Homecoming Week!

Tuesday, November 7

Tuesday was “Bring Anything But A Backpack Day!”  Students showed some incredible creativity with this day!

Tuesday’s afternoon competition was “Hungry Hippo.”  The students really enjoyed this challenge!

Wednesday, November 8

Wednesday was “Decades Day”, as students dressed in outfits representing a particular decade.  Here were the assignments:

7^th graders – 70’s

8^th graders – 80’s

9^th graders – 50’s

10^th graders – 60’s

11^th graders – 70’s

12^th graders – 80’s

Once again, the participation was excellent, and the outfits were sensational!

The afternoon competition for Wednesday was Tug-of-War!

Thursday, November 9

Thursday’s theme was “Pajama Day”

The Thursday afternoon challenge was a Powder Puff football game.   The freshmen and Juniors played against the sophomores and seniors.  It was an exciting game that went right down to the wire, but the freshmen and junior team pulled it out 7-0!

Friday, November 10

Friday was School Colors Day and the last day of competitions between the classes.  The participation for School Colors was amazing, and the competition for the day was a Faculty/Student volleyball game.  It was a hard-fought contest with the faculty winning game one, and the students winning the second game.

After a week of competition, the senior class was the inaugural winner of the “Spirit Cup!”  Congratulations seniors!

The Homecoming Week concluded with a Homecoming Dance on Saturday, November 11.  Over 100 students attended the dance, and the night was a huge success.  Thank you to all the staff members and volunteers who made the Homecoming Week such a memorable experience.

MUSTANGS IN THE COMMUNITY

VOLLEYBALL HOSTS SENIOR NIGHT

On Friday, October 20, the Yorkville Christian volleyball program honored the seniors for their many contributions to the volleyball program during their time at Yorkville Christian.  The seniors included Maya Hornik, Makenna Creek, Ella Creek, Mikayla Highland, and Sofia Loffredi.  The team lost a hard-fought battle, but it was great to celebrate the accomplishments of each girl.  We pray that God continues to bless them in their future paths.

YORKVILLE CHRISTIAN CROSS COUNTRY RUNNER ADVANCES TO SECTIONALS

On Saturday, October 21, freshman cross country runner, Graham Razum, represented Yorkville Christian at the Regional meet in Marseilles, IL.  Graham finished in fifth place overall out of 62 runners.  Graham finished the 3-mile course with a time of 18:15.50, and advanced to the Sectional Meet.  Congratulations Graham!

YORKVILLE CHRISTIAN HOSTS 2^ND ANNUAL TRUNK-OR-TREAT EVENT

On Saturday, October 21, Yorkville Christian hosted the 2^nd Annual Trunk-or-Treat event at the school.  The weather was just beautiful, and the people came out in masses to enjoy the festivities.  Somewhere between 2,500-3,000 people attended the event, which featured a large petting zoo; a pumpkin patch; a touch-a-truck area; food trucks, great giveaways including free custard from Culvers of Yorkville, and so much more.  It was so great to see such a great crowd attend this wonderful community event.  Thank you to all those who supported the event by hosting a trunk.  We had just under 130 trunks attend the event.  Thank you to all the volunteers who helped make the day possible, and special thanks to Mrs. Michelle Stewart and Mrs. Blair Wiesbrook and the Yorkville Christian FFA for all of their efforts with the petting zoo and pumpkin patch.

YORKVILLE CHRISTIAN MIDDLE SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL TEAM COMPLETES SEASON

On Thursday, October 27, the Yorkville Christian middle school volleyball team completed its season with a home match against Bethany Lutheran School.  The season ended with a victory in the final set for the Mustangs.  The season was a great experience for the girls, as many of them never played organized volleyball before, so there was a great deal of growth and improvement.  Thank you so Mrs. Jenni Creek for coaching the girls throughout the season.  We look forward to seeing these girls continue to compete for Yorkville Christian in the years to come.  Great job, ladies!

MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS SERVE AT FEED MY STARVING CHILDREN

On Tuesday, October 31, the Yorkville Christian middle school students served at Feed My Starving Children in Aurora.  Students spend the day working in teams to pack food items in boxes for hungry children around the world.  Our middle school students spent the morning at Feed My Starving Children and during that time, they packed 83 boxes and 17, 928 meals.  In order to thank the students for their hard work, the group stopped at Portillo’s for lunch on the way back to school.  Great job, Mustangs!

YORKVILLE CHRISTIAN WRESTLER SIGNS LETTER OF INTENT

Congratulations to Yorkville Christian senior wrestler, Ty Edwards, for signing his letter of intent on Wednesday, November 8, to continue his academic and athletic career at Gardner-Webb University next year. Ty marks the ninth Yorkville Christian wrestler under Coach Mike Vester to wrestle at the college level. Congratulations Ty! May God continue to bless Ty’s path!

CLASSROOM CORNER

Geometry – Geometry students recently used their knowledge of transversals, angle relationships, and parallel lines to create their own GEOTOWN.  This project was completed in Mrs. Tickel’s Geometry class.  Great job everyone!

Health – To complete their study of the circulatory system, Health students dissect pig hearts to improve their understanding of blood flow into and out of the heart.  Students identified the four chambers, valves, arteries, veins, and other structures necessary for heart function.

Biology – Biology students collaborate to come up with solutions to real-life dilemmas in maintaining biodiversity in Yellowstone National Park.  Students have learned how important biodiversity is to the health of our ecosystems and are also aware of the constant struggle between preserving and using our resources.  The pros and cons to possible solutions concerning wildland fires, lake trout, and wolf recovery were analyzed and shared.

Here is an update from some of the exciting things taking place in Mr. Vester’s classes.

LIFE SKILLS

We recently did a hands-on unit in Auto Maintenance and Emergency Planning…how to change a tire, detect worn tire tread, bad brakes or steering, how and when to check fluids, etc… We worked through a unit on meal planning and shopping for the best prices on a budget in order to “Feed Yourself for a Week.” Students were blown away how much things cost and quickly grew a newfound appreciation for always being able to go to the cupboard or refrigerator at home to find food there for them. We are now embarking on another area of personal finance…specifically investment planning. Here they will learn about stocks, mutual funds, Roth IRA, 401K, tax-favored programs, and much more while doing a hands-on practicum in Investopedia.com investments where they have to research, purchase, and track stocks they find to be “sound investments.”

INTRO TO BUSINESS

This dual credit college course has really tested the students and they have answered back with creativity and clear thinking. Students have worked to create their own business concepts, wrote a lengthy business plan, created organizational structure addendums, quality and satisfaction surveys for internal and external customers, and are about to embark on the elements of human resource and personnel management that will include all elements of staffing, employee development, communication, conflict resolution, and navigating virtual employment and cultural differences across the globe.

MEDIA WRITING and PRODUCTION

Having spent a majority of the first quarter of the semester learning the art of writing for news, writing copy for commercials, and researching and writing short scripts for podcasts or news programs, students have now started recording and editing the audio for their programs. They are now working on an 8–10-minute length podcast script where they will serve as host and will moderate the discussion of an issue they were assigned. Their classmates will become studio guests and will give their opinions throughout the show. The host will ensure they stay on task, ask questions, and will guide listeners to commercial breaks and program IDs. Each student will serve as writer and host of their podcast in this same format.

Government – Students in Mr. Bieterman’s Government class recently wrote letters to veterans to thank them for their service.  The students had a choice to write to a relative or family friend who was a veteran, or they could write to a local veteran, as Mr. Bieterman visited the local American Legion Post and shared the thank you notes with veterans at that location.  It was great to see our student thank the veterans for the freedoms they have fought and continue to defend on their behalf.

YORKVILLE CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL IS NOT ACCEPTING ENROLLMENT APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR!

**DON’T MISS THE EARLY ENROLLMENT DISCOUNT!  ENROLL BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2024 AND SAVE $250!! ** CURRENT FAMILIES – REFER A FAMILY TO YCHS AND RECEIVE A $250 TUITION DISCOUNT! **

How Do You Enroll?

I wanted to share with you a few pieces of information regarding enrolling at Yorkville Christian High School and Yorkville Christian Middle School.  We are already accepting enrollment applications for the 2024-2025 school year, and we are offering an EARLY ENROLLMENT DISCOUNT of $250 for any family who enrolls before January 1, 2024.

There are two steps to the enrollment process:  The first is our enrollment application, which can be completed using this link:

https://yorkvillechristian.com/enrollment/

The second part of the enrollment process is the tuition down payment.  Once the tuition down payment is made, your student is officially enrolled for the 2024-2025 school year.  Tuition at Yorkville Christian High School is $9785, which includes ALL costs.  The tuition for the middle school is $8500, which includes ALL costs.  The tuition down payment is $600, which is deducted from your total tuition amount.  The tuition down payment can be made using this secure link:

https://yorkvillechristian.com/product/enrollment-fees/

Once you complete the enrollment application, you are welcome to apply for tuition assistance.  All you have to do to apply for tuition assistance is email your last two tax returns to the following email address accounting@yorkvillechristian.com.  Your records will be reviewed by a small, confidential committee, and you should receive an answer on whether or not you qualify for assistance and how much you qualify for within 48 hours.

Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns regarding the Yorkville Christian High School enrollment process!  WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOUR FAMILY JOIN THE MUSTANG FAMILY!

Serving Him,

Tim Schnyders

Yorkville Christian High School

Director of Outreach and Enrollment

Proverbs 21:31 — The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory belongs to the Lord!

YORKVILLE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL UPCOMING EVENTS

• DECEMBER 7 – FINE ARTS SHADOW DAY
• DECEMBER 14 – AGRICULTURE SHADOW DAY
• DECEMBER 23-JANUARY 7 – NO SCHOOL – CHRISTMAS VACATION
•   JANUARY 8 – SCHOOL RESUMES
• JANUARY 15 – NO SCHOOL – MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. BIRTHDAY
• JANUARY 12-18 – SEMESTER 1 FINAL EXAMS
• JANUARY 19 – NO SCHOOL – TEACHER WORK DAY
• JANUARY 22 – PREACT ASSESSMENT – EARLY DISMISSAL
• JANUARY 22 – SENIOR’S DAY OUT – MAIN EVENT