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Westminster Publications Receive Top Ratings

parkerbriden — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:32:07 +0000

The National Scholastic Press Association has rated Westminster’s newspaper and yearbook “First Class with One Mark of Distinction.”

“We are typically at the top of schools locally. For the last two years we have been consistently getting first class, which is close to All-American (first class with four marks of distinction),” said Scott Vonder Bruegge, newspaper and yearbook advisor.

The National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) is a nonprofit membership organization that offers a publication critique service to high school publications such as newspapers and yearbooks.

“I’m impressed with both staffs. They see the value in not wasting their time, and they want to do something worthwhile,” said Vonder Bruegge.

In addition to participating in NPSA, the yearbook is part of the Southern Illinios Scholastic Press Association competition each winter and has placed in the Golden Dozen, an award for the top 12 yearbooks in this region of the country. The newspaper participates in Sponsors of School Publications in the spring.

“A lot of schools never send anything to be critiqued, it’s purely voluntary,” said Vonder Bruegge.

Vonder Bruegge attributes the success to students’ motivation to excel and to have a good program. Last year’s newspaper editor-in-chief, Danielle Cicka, was pleased with the award the Wildcat Roar recieved.

“I was ecstatic about the award the newspaper staff received, especially considering it was the highest distinction the staff had ever received. I knew the staff really stepped up their game, and it was wonderful to have that solidified and recognized with the distinction,” said Cicka.

Vonder Bruegge has always encouraged students to “Find your voice and say something significant.”

He would love to see both the paper and the yearbook become consistently rated All-American publications in the future. As for improvements, Vonder Bruegge believes that both the yearbook and the newspaper must work to develop the multimedia part of their programs.

“If everything happens right, we’ll have a broadcast journalism class next year,” said Vonder Bruegge.

Wee Wildcats

parkerbriden — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 14:21:36 +0000

On Saturday morning, December 3rd, Kim Doyle, Director of Community Relations, and student volunteers led the fourth annual Wee Wildcats event. This event gives Westminster faculty with children under the age of 10 the opportunity to drop their kids off for free childcare and spend the morning doing whatever they please. It was held at Covenant Christian School.
There were around 40 Wee Wildcats that attended the event. The older kids capable of walking played four square, pulled each other on rolley seats, played tag on the playground and tossed footballs with volunteers while the littler ones mostly stayed in the nursery downstairs. The gym was open for free play where most of the kids played the whole time, but some also made crafts and went outside on the playground.
One of the reasons why many students signed up for Wee Wildcats was to get service hours for National Honors Society. Members of NHS are required to spend 15 hours per semester participating in service work, and this proved to be a great opportunity to take advantage of.
“I wanted to do Wee Wildcats because I love kids and it seemed like a fun and easy four hours of service hours. I loved getting to know the kids and I’m practically a kid at heart so I fit right in. We used our imaginations and talked in different accents,” said Emma Bailey, sophomore.
According to Valerie Chavez, junior, the event was also a fun experience for student volunteers because getting to know the teachers’ kids can be funny.
“The main reason I wanted to go is because I thought Mr. Burke’s son was going to be there and I love him! But he wasn’t and it was still fun. I played with Señor Legters’s kids and we played football and soccer mostly. They were really good. All the kids were so cute and I love running around, and since kids love to do that too, it worked out pretty well,” said Chavez.

New Graduation Rate Calculation Implemented

parkerbriden — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 14:00:24 +0000

The Missouri Department if Elementary and Secondary Education created a new way to calculate the senior graduation rates and causes them to go down.
The new calculation method excludes students that graduate in more than a 4-year period. “The U.S. Department of Education is requiring (states) to report the new four-year rate so we can compare how Missouri is doing to our neighbors in Kansas and Illinois. It’s another way to help us look at students and see if there’s anything we need to do to provide them and help them graduate in four years.” said Leigh Ann Grant-Engle, assistant commissioner for the Office of Data System Management.
States are required to report only the rate of those students that have or will graduate in 4 years. Districts do not get credit for those that work to get GED’s and do not graduate in four years or more.
Under the new calculation method, the four-year graduation rate for Missouri was 79.8 percent in the 2010-11 school year.
“I believe they are just two different rates. There are many students that it’s appropriate for them to take longer than four years to graduate. I do think (the new rate) is an important rate because it allows us to compare to other states accurately,” said Grant-Engle The new calculation may help state and district leaders understand characteristics of students who may take longer than four years to graduate.
This caused turbulence in the Parkway School district. Parents were worried that more of the students were dripping out because of the lowered graduating rate.
“I’m not sure if the new method will cause a renewed focus on getting kids to graduate in four years. The state’s increased graduation requirements in recent years may also play a role in making it more difficult to graduate in that time frame and only a small percentage of Parkway students are actually dropping out,” said Paul Tandy district spokesman.
Tandy prefers the old rate which he said provided consistency and a sole formula.
This new state calculation rate allows for schools nationwide to compare rates and allow them to be closer and more accurate.

From Shakespeare to Commedia Dell’ Arte

parkerbriden — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 13:59:04 +0000

Sword fighting, cool costumes, love, tragedy, Shakespearean dialect – how much more exciting can a play get? In short, this year’s fall play, Romeo and Juliet, was a success. The actors nailed the Shakespearean dialect, the acting was believable, and the sword fighting captured the audience’s attention.

Austen Crim, senior, who played the part of Mercutio in the play said that he was “very pleased” with final product. “Everyone knew their lines very well because of the way Mr. Butz had drilled them into us, and the audience seemed pretty pleased,” said Crim.

Romeo and Juliet was Drama Teacher Jim Butz’s, debut as a play director at Westminster, and many people agree that he did an excellent job.

According to Crim, working with Butz “was really cool” because “he has very effecitve techniques for learning lines and getting into character.”

Butz’ play practices were more intense than many of Westminster’s actors were used to, but his directing philosophy was obviously effective, as seen by the final product.

The excitement about Romeo and Juliet has finally died down, however, as the last performance ended a couple of weeks ago. Currently, anyone who enters the theater will encounter a naked, boring stage, devoid of all traces of the play.

Westminster’s theater department now prepares for the upcoming winter play, a comedy called A Company of Wayward Saints. The performances are scheduled for Friday and Saturday, January 20 and 21. The cast has already been selected, and practices are in full swing.

WCA Dress Code Updated

parkerbriden — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 14:39:08 +0000

Westminster’s standardized dress program has recently been updated with the addition of long-sleeved polo shirts. Keeping in mind the recent sentiment of both students and parents, this addition does not come as a surprise.

“This decision was made as a result of the recent parent survey we conducted regarding Westminster’s standardized dress program. Many parents commented that their students need more warm clothing choices now that winter is here. We hope this addition will give students more options for layering in the colder weather,” said Becky VanValkenburg, Executive Assistant to the Head of School.

This decision is clearly a positive one for students.

“I would definitely wear a long-sleeved polo since the other shirts are a little thin for winter weather,” said Violet Kouzes, junior.

As well as taking requests for additions to the standardized dress program, the recent parent survey also assessed families’ overall satisfaction with the dress code. Results show that, overall, about sixty-three percent of the Westminster community is very satisfied with the Lands End standardized dress.

“The results from the recent survey are very encouraging and even surprising. After just a few months with the standardized dress program in effect, I’m grateful to hear that such a majority of our families are satisfied with the changes,” said Jim Marsh, Head of School.

In addition to the positive response that was communicated through the survey, there were also a few issues raised, which are currently being considered.

“Affordability seems to be an issue, and we are aware of this. We are hoping to provide the opportunity for families to sell or trade in used uniform items at the end of the year after they’ve been outgrown or are no longer needed,” said Marsh.

Though this involves the dress code items themselves, there are also concerns regarding the dress code policy and enforcement.

“The length of girls’ skirts was the most mentioned critique throughout the survey. Though the issue hasn’t been resolved, we are aware of the concerns and are currently working on a resolution to this problem,” said Marsh.

Overall, the Westminster Administration’s main goal is to accommodate the needs of the school community through providing a practical and affordable dress program.

Recently, there has been one more thing on students’ minds in regard to the dress code: spirit week.

“From my discussion, students will have the opportunity to dress creatively during spirit week,” said Sara Keeton, upper school English teacher and spirit week coordinator.

As long as students continue to be modest and appropriate with their clothing choices, dress-up days will continue to be a part of spirit week.

In the end, the new standardized dress program has been a success thus far, and any further concerns will not go unaddressed.

Ladies Advent Evening

parkerbriden — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 14:37:24 +0000

On the evening of Thursday, December 1, over three hundred and twenty ladies, including current student and alumni mothers, gathered in the Arena for an evening of fellowship called “Ladies Advent Evening”.

The ladies who hosted a table spent the entire day decorating it for the event.

“Ladies arrive and ‘view’ the thirty-four exquisitely personally designed and decorated tables followed by a Welcome, Greeting and Mixer. Lots of decadent desserts, conversations, and a heart felt message of preparation for the greatest gift of all, Jesus our Savior,” says Kim Doyle, Director of Community Relations.

Sherry Blankenship, alumni mom, Chaplain at Missouri Baptist Hospital and author of Draw Near was the speaker for the night.

“Sherry shared the inspirational message with humor and tears,” says Doyle about Blankenship’s story and biblical teaching.

Ladies Advent Evening is an annual gathering that began over twenty years ago. It is always held the week after Thanksgiving.

“This is a favored tradition within PAW (Parents Advancing Westminster). The motive is to allow women to go deeper in relationships through an evening of fellowship and connecting between old and new,” says Doyle about the motive behind hosting the event.

NHS Induction Ceremony

parkerbriden — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:24:57 +0000

Utilizing Westminster’s new theater, the Induction Ceremony was held on October 17, 2011. The National Honor Society welcomed many more members to its organization that evening.

NHS, known as the National Honor Society, is a nationally known, prestigious organization of high school students who exhibit excellence in character, leadership, and academics. In order to be a member at Westminster, one must maintain a 3.5 un-weighted GPA, partake in thirty hours of community service, and have admirable character qualities

Jacob Mohler, upper school math teacher and NHS overseer, separates the goals of NHS into two categories.

“For students, it is viewed as a transcript builder, but for me, personally, I think that NHS is a way of helping people become more service-minded,” said Mohler.

NHS members will serve at Room at the Inn for this year’s initiation project.

“This [Room at the Inn] was what got me started in NHS. It is what I am most excited about,” said Mohler.

During Room at the Inn project, members will be serving the homeless of the community by cooking them dinner and breakfast, participating in fellowship, and providing a warm place for them to stay at a church.

“I am excited for helping students feel comfortable with people they don’t normally interact with,” said Mohler.

While becoming a member of NHS is quite an achievement, some people have found it difficult to maintain that membership.

“For some kids, one of the most difficult things would be to maintain a 3.5 GPA. We have had to dismiss people in the past,” said Mohler.

NHS hopes to encourage its new members to become more service-minded, step outside of their comfort zone, and continue to develop their character.

GOP Race for the Presidency is Underway

parkerbriden — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:22:36 +0000

Republican candidates who have officially declared that they are running for president in the 2012 election are Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman, Gary E. Johnson, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, Buddy Roemer, Mitt Romney, and Rick Santorum.

The race is getting serious as the Florida primary approaches.

A recent article published by the Associated Press has declared Florida’s GOP presidential primary to be a “winner-take-all contest,” because the Republican National Committee has agreed to a plan to award 50 delegates to the Republican presidential candidate that comes in first during the primary on January 31.

The latest national poll from the New York Times and CBS shows that Herman Cain leads the Republicans with support from 25 percent of GOP voters with Mitt Romney close behind at 21 percent. No other candidate, however, has half the support of Cain or Romney with Newt Gingrich polling at 10 percent and Ron Paul receiving support from 8 percent of those surveyed.

Surprisingly, Rick Perry only has 6 percent of support from the Republicans surveyed, a huge decline from the 23 percent he had in the Times/CBS September poll. Another surprise is that Bachmann drew support from only 2 percent of those surveyed.

As Cain and Romney work to pull ahead, and other candidates struggle to regain a grip in the race, Republicans are anxious to see what will happen in January at the Florida primary.

“Clearly we are going to be an important contest, even more important than we initially thought,” said Brian Hughes, a spokesman for the Republican Party of Florida.

New WCA Website Launched

parkerbriden — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:18:41 +0000

On November 7th, Westminster launched a new website called thewestminstervision.com. This site will contain constant updates on students, graduates, and alumni.

“TheWesminsterVision.com is designed to be a platform to explore and share the impact of investments made in Westminster through the generous giving of many people through many years,” said Zach Clark, Director of Advancement.

The website is constantly being updated with news of what is happening inside and outside of school.

It is a vision for Westminster’s graduates “to see more young men and women prepared to engage the world and change it for Jesus Christ,” said Clark.

This site is intended to reach the whole Westminster community in order to advance the community and the world.

“We hope the site will provide people with an up close look at some of the things we are working on as a school through authentic dialogue via video or writing,” said Clark.

There are currently video updates from Mr. Marsh and Zach Clark on making a difference and the launch of this site.

“We want to provide a place where people can really hear the heart of a teacher as they describe what they are working on or a special experience they shared with students,” said Clark.

However, TheWestminsterVision.com is not solely focused on students and the school, it is intended to also provide focus on alumni.

“We want to put a spotlight on alumni, not just those who have achieved some sort of extraordinary success but those alumni who you’ve never heard of that are living an ‘ordinary’ life in an extraordinary way as they live out their faith,” said Clark.

TheWestminsterVision.com is still making advancements, but there will be a broad range of content.

“We encourage people to share this site. We’ve made it easy to share the content via Facebook, Twitter, email, and other great social tools so we are hoping that people will share the content they are most interested in with others,” said Clark.

Visit www.thewestminstervision.com to learn more.

South Korea Trip Not Available for Rising Juniors

parkerbriden — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 14:43:47 +0000

Students of WCA are fortunate to be given the opportunity to attend many different summer seminars during the summer leading to their senior year. However, it has been confirmed that there will be no summer trip to Korea available this coming summer. Though it may be upsetting to the rising senior class, this change is for the best, and is only temporary.

“Our partner school in Korea, the Samuel School, is adding a high school program. They’ve got to be careful with their money right now, because the school is expanding,” said Warren Smith, teacher and attendee of the seminar.

The annual Korea trip has been very successful in the past.
“Korea was amazing. It wasn’t just about getting to go overseas, it was about building a community. I was really blessed to be apart of that. My host family was amazing… the students were phenominal! It was just really awesome to spend two weeks in the Korean culture,” said Laura Hammann, senior.
“The camp is always a complete success. The parents, kids, and teachers involved, they all loved it! It just takes a lot of money to put on, and our sister school has to watch its budget right now,” said Smith

It is unfortunate that this option will not be available for the class of 2013, however the seminar will hopefully be reinstated for the class of 2014.