Thanksgiving Chapel!

1st and 2nd graders share things for which they are thankful.

Parents, Grandparents, and friends joined DPCA students and staff earlier today for a fun Thanksgiving chapel followed by the traditional Thanksgiving luncheon meal. 

Chapel opened with our usual pledges to the flags and the Bible, then continued with our weekly offering for World Vision projects.  Following the opening, each elementary class gave brief presentations: things for which the students are thankful, Bible verses, and from 5th and 6th graders, the American's Creed.

5th and 6th grades give the American's Creed

Junior High continued with samples of poetry, Latin work, and a Thanksgiving skit.  Ninth and tenth grade students gave a short presentation about what they are learning in Apologetics class, and then the junior and senior English students did a short scene from Shakespeare's Macbeth.  High school foreign language classes were next: Spanish 1 and 2 recited the Our Father in Spanish; German students presented brief reports on Germany and The Diary of Anne Frank, and did a skit (all in German); and our French students recited several Bible verses in French, including a recitation brought via video from French student Katie Busch, who was unable to be at chapel in person.

Junior high demonstrates Latin skills

Chapel wrapped up with video "trailers" of the two Ekklesia Mountain High courses that our students have completed so far this year, with testimonies about the powerful nature of those courses from Hawk White and Joel Parker. Both Hawk and Joel commented that in addition to being hugely fun, the courses have been instrumental in their personal growth as young men.  (You can read more of Hawk's testimony by clicking here.)

9th and 10th grade Apologetics class

Following chapel the annual Thanksgiving luncheon began. Thanks to Mrs. Tritz, Coach Navarette, the team of junior high students, and a number of other parent volunteers, the whole school and guests enjoyed roast turkey with all the trimmings, and more pie than we could possibly eat!  Special thanks also to Bernadette Navarrette for coordinating turkey roasting, and to Beth Mason, Erik and Venus Phillips, Kandace Alkyre, Milly Austin, and Steve and Cindy Lewis for helping to set up and serve.  Thanks also to all our parents and our friends at St. Rose of Lima and in the community who donated turkeys and so much more. 

Shakespeare can get dramatic!

In the skit, two German foreign-exchange students come to DPCA

Now that we've finished our French Bible verses, what do we do with the mic?

We are deeply grateful to our Lord for our school family and Buena Vista community, for all the blessings we enjoy as Americans, for the joy of learning and growing together at DPCA, for our families and our children.  We wish all our readers a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

Give thanks to the Lord, call on His Name; make known among the nations what He has done. Sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell of His wonderful acts.  Glory in His holy Name, let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.  Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.  Remember the wonders He has done...  1 Chronicles 16: 8-12

Food Wars Supply Mission

Food Fight!  Well, no - not exactly THAT kind of food fight....  The Food Wars at DPCA each year are part of our ongoing desire as a school to help the Arkansas Valley Christian Mission with food supplies  - and especially at Thanksgiving time. 

Kindergarten took third place this year, with 358 points, 3rd and 4th grade placed 2nd, with 650 points, and first place honors went to Mr Hoppen's 5th and 6th grade class, with 952 points. 

Some Beta Club members ready boxes of food

Food Wars is an all-school event sponsored by the DPCA Beta Club, our local student chapter of the National Beta Club, a nationwide honor society.  Students participate by classes, with a friendly "war" based on point values for various food items that the Mission has requested.  Students earn positive points for their class by bringing in foods that Beta Club has designated as having positive point value, and can "bomb" other classes with food that has been given a negative point rating.  In the end, the class with the most total points wins, and then all the items are boxed up and delivered to the Mission.

Jessee, a sixth grader in Mr. Hoppen's winning class, enjoyed the Food Wars and noted, "It was fun to watch the other classes try to bomb us.  A whole bunch of the teenagers came to bomb us, but we still won." Congratulations to Jessee and all the students in the 5th and 6th grade - enjoy your pizza party!

How EMH Changed My Life

by EMH Senior Becca Wade

Nothing teaches bravery like hanging alone, 200 feet above the ground, by a thin yellow and green rope. No challenge teaches patience more quickly than when a sixty-five pound pack is weighing on your back, the sun is burning  your scalp, and you must hike slowly up a mountain to stay with your friends. No experience grows unconditional love like sharing a little tent with three other girls for ten days through sweaty smells, irritation, and rocky beds. And no reward compares to soaking your sore feet in a creek or spotting a shooting star as you share your dreams with a close group of classmates. During the ten-day backpacking trips with Ekklesia Mountain High, I have been challenged to leap out of my comfort zone. EMH is hugely important to my life because it has grown my character and maturity so much more than any high school experience ever could have...

Read the rest of Becca's article at ekklesiamountainhigh.blogspot.com!

Ekklesia Mountain High is a boarding and day-student program for high school juniors and seniors at Darren Patterson Christian Academy, in which approximately forty days of wilderness experience and leadership training is integrated with rigorous academics in DPCA's Biblically-centered environment.  To learn more, please visit the school's website at www.dpcaweb.org, and the EMH program's website at www.emhweb.org. 

 

 

DPCA Hosts Annual Volleyball Awards Night

by Marla Pranger

On Wednesday, November 6, Darren Patterson Christian Academy hosted a dinner and an awards ceremony to honor the 12 girls that made up their Varsity and Junior Varsity Volleyball Teams.   Athletic Director Tom Navarrette welcomed families, guests, and players, and thanked parents for their support throughout the season.  "We couldn't run our sports' programs without you, our parent volunteers," said Navarrette, "we appreciate you more than you know."

   

Following dinner, Head Coach Ben Little took the stage.  “We had a good season,” he stated, “we didn’t have a winning season, but it was a good season because I saw improvement in each player and a desire from the team to get better.”   He went on to say how this season was ‘different’ because of cancellations and scheduling changes due to the flooding that had impacted some schools in the league.  “We didn’t have our first game until the end of September, and then had to play double headers just to fit everything in before the end of the season.  This made things a little more difficult for everyone, but I think we managed well.”  Coach Little then thanked the team and the parents for “the opportunity to coach” and he especially thanked Mr. Derek Bos, who filled in for him as Head Coach during his absences when leading the EMH (Ekklesia Mountain High) outdoor education courses.  “Not only was I gone for the EMH trips," he noted, "but so were three of our players.  Mr. Bos did a great job stepping in during these times and we all appreciated that.” 

  

Coach Little concluded the evening by recognizing each player’s contribution to the team and then awarded certificates, letters, and medals.

Receiving Most Improved Player honors for the JV Team was eighth grader Alli Dages.  Varsity Awards went to freshman Heather Burdges (Most Improved), junior Becca Pranger (Most Valuable Player; All-Conference) and senior Becca Wade (Most Valuable Player). 

   

JV Team:  Sarah Dages, Katelyn Davis, Alli Dages, Coach Little, Maddie Montera, Shelby Phillips, Emily Lague, Katie Busch.

Varsity:  Syndey McManamay, Becca Pranger, Kate Lundy, Maddie Montera, Becca Wade, Emily LaGue, Alli Dages, Heather Burdges, Shelby Phillips, Coach Little.

Awards Photo:  Alli Dages, Becca Pranger, Heather Burdges, Becca