1. Art and Diseño

B.C. NEWS
February 2015
2
15
Why Charlie Brown Needed Heaven (And We Need It Too)
The cartoon character Charlie Brown once said, “I’ve developed a new philosophy of
life. I only dread one day at a time.” Archibald Hart explains how many of us adopt this
stance: “All of life is loss. . . . Life is all about loss. Necessary loss.” In point of fact, in
this life we experience three kinds of losses. First, we often suffer the natural
consequences of our own bad choices. We lose a job, a marriage, friends, health,
and much more. And these losses stay with us. They are hard to shake.
Second, we suffer losses due to the fact that we live in a fallen, imperfect world. We grow
old, lose our eyesight, our physical attractiveness (such as it may be!), athletic ability, loved
ones due to death, our children to marriage, our sexual potency, and so forth. We discover
that our marriage, career, and overall life satisfaction isn’t what we hoped it would be. And
as we age, we realize that many of our dreams will never come to pass.
Finally, there are several forms of injustice we all suffer that are never made right.
From friends who gossip about us to bosses who bully us, to more severe crimes
committed against us, the injustices of this life are not balanced and the harm done to us not
completely healed.
This is where heaven becomes so very important. As Hart points out, a major problem with losses of various kinds is
that we are over-attached—please note, I say over-attached—to this life and the things it offers: reputation, safety,
our possessions, people who meet our deepest needs. Psychologists tell us that we need to have daily hope and
optimism in life, and that such optimism must be rationally based so it isn’t just a form of denial or a fantasy world
out of touch with reality. In my view, to do this, we need to be able to place our losses—indeed, our entire, brief
lives with all their attendant ups and downs—into the context of a broader, true, objectively meaningful picture. If
we can do this, we can break our over-attachment to this life. The rational hope of heaven as the Bible presents it is
just the sort of background belief one needs to navigate day-to-day life appropriately and with a proper perspective
in assessing what it brings our way. And heaven gives us the rational hope that the injustices and other losses will, in
fact, be made right.
This is no small deal. It’s actually an essential perspective for living life well each day in God’s kingdom. It’s kind of
ironic, really. People claim that the belief in heaven robs people of the value of life on this earth. But it’s really just
the opposite.
HONOR ROLL
Congratulations go out to the following Lower School students who achieved all E's or
all A's and A/B Honor Roll for Kindergarten- 5th grade (excluding penmanship):
1st Grade Seth Benefiel
Noelle Cornett
Elsa McGarvey
2nd Grade Landon Moore
J J Motes
•K5
Ethan Murrell
Courtney Adams
Heaven Pryor
Jocelyn Marais
Robert Taylor
Logan Wilson
Cole Benefiel
Brian Archer
Daphne Bobb
Olivia Armas
Clint Ellison
Micah Burtner
Chloe Gonzalez
Caleb Lander
Gretchen Pollock
5th grade Jordan Taylor
Rachel Amos
4th Grade Audrey Bobb
Thomas McGarvey
Savannah Hohnson
David Yang
3rd Grade
Amy Massey
Joseph Njugi
Tayler Hamlett
Jack Pollock
Junie Florida
3rd Grade Brian Archer
Olivia Armas
Micah Burtner
Caleb Lander
Betty Desta
5th grade Bree Lander
Julius Bradley
Carmen Regan
Kim Chamberlain
Zoe Gonzalez
4th grade
Tremaine Granville
Emily Archer
Jacob Louden
Gabe Irwin
Gabriel Bryan
Caleb Burtner
Tali Hayes
Brandon McClung
Emanuel Mireles
Abigayle Morgan
Thomas Prompts
Elisabeth Wenger
Adrian Wiersma
All E's
All A's
All A/B's
We are all very proud of how hard you have worked to
accomplish this goal!!
Mrs. K. Ivill
Banner Christian School
Lower School Assistant Principal
HONOR ROLL
Congratulations go out to the following Middle/Upper School students who achieved all
A's or all A/B’s to make the Honor Roll.
7th grade 8th grade Emma Culver
Sidney Carroll
Michaela Ellison
Scott de Haas
Evan Wiersma
6th grade Natalie Wiiki
Tess Petersen
10th grade Abby Baucom
•
9th grade Lucy Tignor
11th grade Scott Hayes
James Dodd
Taylor Pacelli
Noah Petersen
Will Wolf
Molly Roberson
Emma Wenger
Michael Burkett
Alex de Haas
Kidus Desta
Lexi Hale
Scarle( Blankenship Ka1e Daniel Danny Hall-­‐Bristole Sophia Jennings Shelton La1mer Conner McClung Jayla Rollins
Sarah Camus
Macy Blankenship
7th grade Reigna Forrest
6th grade 12th grade Asia Irons
Jonathan Miller
Sydne Moses
Jacob Pacelli
Nadia Vugteveen
8th grade Nate Adato
Andrew Baucom
Gabe Bowman
Joshua Daniel
Kelly Jarratt
9th grade Nigel Chege
Beth Culver
Meredith Grant
Tanner Hayes
Chris Hopkins
Grace Jennings
Jonathan Wenger
12th grade 10th grade McKinley Burkett
Devin Curran
Abby Eskinder
Eli Jennings
Kristin Liles
Gabe Rivera
Rachel Wiiki
11th grade Taylor Adato
Melvin Bagby
Tayler Bogert
Kelsey Alred
Shawn Shan
All A's
Ryan Spangler
All A/B's
Amanda Brooks
Jacob de Haas
Landon Kemnitz
Anne Peters
Max Petersen
Alana Rivera
Jo Yuan
We are all very proud of how
hard you have worked to
accomplish this goal!!
Contagious Joy
by Barbi de Haas, School Counselor
Our family got a new dog from a rescue organiza1on in June. She had been found wandering the streets of a small town in western Virginia. We don’t know what her story is or how she came to be without family or home, but we can tell that her life hasn’t always been good. She came to us skiKsh and 1mid, grateful to have been rescued from a cage at the shelter. She was glad not to be homeless, lost and alone; but she is s1ll fearful. Before long, “Mia” bonded to me and became a shadow following my every move. Wherever I go, she is there; and if she loses sight of me, she panics and races around the house to reunite with me as quickly as possible. She will find me no ma(er where I have gone, even if I am hiding. When she sees me, she wags her 1ny tail so vigorously that her whole back-­‐end moves. She is oSen called “the wiggle dog.” My husband teases her constantly, especially when he catches her wai1ng on the bath mat for me to get out of the shower. He laughs and tells her to “get a life.” My response is “She has a life. It revolves around worshipping me.” Although we speak in jest, the Spirit whispered to me that perhaps I ought to be more like my sweet li(le Mia. Imagine with me as I draw the parallel. You and I were once lost and alone. We were wandering in a dangerous world without hope. Then someone introduced us to church. Took us in and gave us something to believe in and a place to come in out of the cold, if you will. Perhaps aSer we were there awhile and heard about this “Jesus,” we started to hope and believe that we could be loved. Do you remember when you were adopted by your Savior? Did you run to Him and wag your tail (keep imagining with me)? Did you seek Him out and curl at His feet? Did you despair when you felt He had “stepped away?” Did you chase aSer Him with a dogged (pun intended) enthusiasm that wouldn’t be quenched un1l you found Him?
So oSen we allow our rela1onship with Jesus to get comfortable and familiar-­‐-­‐and not in a good way. My older dog, Dixie, will some1mes just liS her eyebrows in acknowledgement of my entrance, but not muster the energy to actually get up. I know she loves me and there are 1mes of exuberant displays of affec1on, but she’s go(en a bit lazy in her old age. Some1mes I treat Jesus like that, Some1mes I nod to HIm in the morning and murmur a sleepy “goodnight” before I driS off. He knows I love Him, but is that enough? What a blessing it is to my heart when I see Mia’s crate start to shake as she sees me get out of bed in the morning. She whines with an1cipatory delight as I walk over to let her out and leaps into my lap as soon as the door opens. She wiggles and prances with joy. Her enthusiasm is so great that it has become contagious and causes Dixie to join in the morning celebra1on. Every single morning of every single day, she is burs1ng with delight for no reason other than that I exist in her world. Mia’s response to me creates a response from me in return. I can’t wait to see her in the mornings and I rush home to greet her in the evenings. She brings such a warmth to my heart because it is so obvious that she loves me. I want to make Jesus feel like that. I want to be so exuberant in my love for Him that He is leS in no doubt of my u(er adora1on of Him. I want no one to be in doubt of my whole-­‐
hearted love for Him. I want the Dixies around me to be caught up in the passion and moved into worship through my contagious joy.
Let’s not nod and murmur. Let’s leap and dance and laugh with gladness that we have a Savior, who has saved us not only from the wanderings of this world, but from eternal condemna1on in the next. What I did for Mia is nothing compared to what Jesus did for me. Do I not owe Him at least one li(le wiggle?
Spirit Week
February Health Article
Did you know February is Heart Health month? Your
heart is made up of more than just cardiovascular muscle.
It also has its own electrical system. Eating healthfully,
exercising, and de-stressing your life are just a few things
you can do to keep your heart in good working order.
Spirit Week 2015
sent Banner back to
the Dark Ages as monks,
knights, maidens, and
jesters replaced the
usual kilts and khaki.
The Praise Team
provided us with hymns
on Monday and a tribute
to the pomp and pageantry
of the royal court on
Tuesday. Wednesday kept
Is it hard to get your picky eater to try more healthful
food? Try things like cutting up fruit on cereal, stir fried
veggies over rice, or blueberries in you pancakes. Need
to get moving? Pick a time in the evening when the
electronics go off and your family goes for a walk. Can’t
seem to relax? God reminds us in Philippians 4:6: “Do
not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by
prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your
request to God.” Don’t forget . . . “An Apple a day keeps
the doctor away”. This is an old saying that has some
merit. Here is a delicious way to work apples into your
snack routine.
Enjoy!
everyone close to home as
ice covered the kingdom.
APPLE PIE DIP & CHIPS
DIP INGREDIENTS:
CHIP INGREDIENTS:
the land returned to their
1 1/3 cups peeled, cored,
5 (6 inch) flour tortillas
duties two hours late and in
and diced apples
their pajamas or as
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
½ tsp cinnamon
2 tsp brown sugar
1 ½ tbsp sugar
On Thursday, the people of
entertainers of the court. Friday was a flurry of activity as the
subjects prepared for the Medieval Festival and the culminating
events of homecoming court and Banner basketball. Queen of
2014, Cate de Haas, returned to Banner to crown Taylor Pacelli the
2 tsp apricot preserves
1/8 tsp cinnamon
2015 Homecoming Queen. Prince of 2014, Shane Caudill, returned
to crown Scott Hayes the 2015 Homecoming King. Across the land,
the people contributed to the third annual can drive. Thanks to the
generosity of those throughout the kingdom, 856 pounds of food
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Combine all the dip ingredients in a bowl; then
cover and refrigerate the mixture until chilled.
were donated to the Virginia Food Bank! The fifth grade
2. Brush the tortillas with butter, and then cut them
represented Banner by taking a trip to drop off the goods and tour
into wedges. Arrange the wedges on a greased
the facilities. Because lower school brought in the most food, they
baking sheet, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, and
enjoyed a regular dress-down day. First grade, third grade, eighth
bake at 350º F until golden brown, about 10
grade, and eleventh grade won their respective competitions for
minutes. Let them cool before serving.
the regular Spirit Week competitions and were rewarded with a full
Serves 4 to 6.
dress-down day.
Thank you to all those who made Spirit Week 2015 a success! Go
Bearcats!
Spirit Week
Monk Monday
Knight/Maiden Tuesday
More Spirit Week
Pajama Wednesday/Court Jester Thursday
Court Colors Friday
Brunswick Stew
On Monday, February 2, Banner is offering Brunswick
stew made by the Banner Italy Mission Team for lunch. The cost is $3 per bowl, with the proceeds going
towards the cost of the mission trip. If your student would like to have a delicious bowl of
stew for lunch, please log onto Renweb and place your
order by midnight tonight.
INGREDIENTS:
chicken, fatback (6 oz for every 10 quarts), white
potatoes, yellow onion, crushed tomatoes, butter
beans, shoe peg corn, margarine, black pepper, salt,
and sugar.
Chesterfield’s Most Frigid Winter: Cox’s Snow
Mrs. Sis Shackelford, interviewed by Claude W. Anderson in Hamption, no date given
I wan’ to tell you ‘bout dat snow ‘cause I don’t t’ink hit’s written anywhar. Hit come in
1857, yessuh, on de ninth day of February. Mama had a stack o’ pies wrapped up in a
table cloth underneaf de table. She had jus’ made ‘em for de quiltin’ spree which was
to be held Saday night. Din’ get to have nuffin’. Anyway, de snow it started Friday
mornin’. Snowed all day Friday, all night Friday, all day Saday, all night Sunday, all day
Monday, an’ all day long Tuesday. When it stop, you couldn’t git out, an’ couldn’t see
out. Snow was way up lebel wid de do’ top. Twarn’ no blo’ snow an’ it twarn’ no drif’
snow, t’was jes’ plain lebel snow.
My father couldn’t git to his marsa so he put on some ole boots an’ gloves an’ push
de snow from de back do’ an’ start making a path to de animals. Mama, she put on a ole hat an’ pants an’ help him. Yessuh! She was de
chambermaid slave, an’ she knowed she better git to de white folk’s house. After dey git de animals, dey went an’ got hosses an’ steers an’
hitched em up an’ move dat snow offen de roads.
“Twas de coldest night I ‘bout seed. Ole Phillip Cox, he was a great drinkin’ white man. Some said he was drunk dat night. Anyway, he frez
to def. Yessuh! Foun’ him sittin’ up in his buggy, jes’ holdin’ de reins lak he was drivin’. God knows he was so mean. God had to do suppin’ to
him. So He jes’ let him git drunk an’ den frez him to def. “Twas col’ nough to freeze anybody. The news dat ole Cox was daid went ‘roun’ like
a win’. After dat dey call dat snow Cox’s Snow.
*According to accounts, this snow in Chesterfield County in 1857 was approximately 72”.
The Dreaded Writing Supplement: “Why Our School?”
BY NADIRA BERMAN ON NOVEMBER 10, 2014 IN COLLEGE ADMISSIONS, HIGH SCHOOL LIFE
We all have those colleges on our list. You know the ones. They’re the schools your parents made you apply to, the schools you decided to
apply to just because you’ve heard a few good things, or maybe they’re the “safety” schools that you don’t really expect to attend.
Whatever the case, you don’t know much about these institutions. Then you come to the dreaded question in the application: “Why our
school?”
Don’t panic! Here’s what you need to know about how to write a successful response to this prompt for the school that’s not exactly your
top choice.
DON’T go on and on about the city where the college is located.
An ode to your love for Boston doesn’t tell an admissions officer why Boston College is a better fit for you than Boston University.
Research!
Spend a little while browsing the website of the college, especially the pages for any academic programs or community service
opportunities you might be interested in. As you learn more and more about the school, you might be surprised at the number of things
you can bring up in the supplement.
Be specific.
Don’t just write that you would like to attend a college because of their world-renowned biology department. Explain why you like aspects
of the department at this school in particular, such as certain classes and professors.
Talk to an alumni of your high school who now attends the college.
Your college counselor may be able to put you in touch by providing an email or a phone number. This student can help you learn
information you never could have found on a website. You can ask them questions about student life and the general atmosphere on
campus, if you weren’t able to visit.
It’s all about YOU.
Although the prompt “Why our college?” might seem to be heavily focused on the school itself, a main part of the essay
should describe your interests and goals and explain why the school is a good fit for you specifically. Your response should
be very personalized, not just a rephrased version of the college’s brochure.
Be honest.
College admissions officers read hundreds of these essays and they can tell a sincere student from one that just knows what
will sound impressive. Exaggeration can be tempting, but remember that being your unique self is what will make you stand
out from the crowd.
FACTS ACCOUNTS
As you know, we are currently using FACTS to pay for tuition. However, as many of you found out already,
Renweb does not bill you right away when you order lunches (as it did last year). Instead, what happens every
Friday, the charges get posted to your Renweb account for the following week. From here you have three
options: 1) You can pay them through Renweb when they appear. 2) You can wait until the end of the month to
pay for them on Renweb; this way you do not have to make weekly payments 3) After 30 days, if your Renweb
account has any charges on it, they will be moved over to FACTS. You will receive an email informing you that
charges have been added to your FACTS account and they will be withdrawn with your next tuition payment. If
you do not have a tuition payment, the balance will be withdrawn from your bank account on the 1st of the following month.
Originally, we were just going to move over any balance on your account to FACTS each month, but a number of parents wanted
to keep tuition payments separate. However, any balance, whether it be sports fees, lunch, aftercare, or other miscellaneous
charges on your Renweb account that have been there for 30 days, will be added to your FACTS account and be withdrawn from
your bank account.
VISITING?
All visitors need to report to the front office to sign in and receive a
visitor badge. The badge must be returned to the front office to sign
out prior to leaving the premises. In the event of a fire, the "Visitors’
Log" is taken outside, allowing us to account for everyone in the
building. If you have not signed out, we will send a firefighter in to
search for you. Thank you for your assistance.
LOST & FOUND
Lost something? We may have found it! There
are numerous items being found each day.
Remember to LABEL, LABEL, LABEL!!!
BANNER CHRISTIAN SCHOOL • 1501 S. PROVIDENCE ROAD N. CHESTERFIELD, VIRGINIA 23236
P: 804-276-5200 • F:804-276-7620 • WEB:WWW.BANNERCHRISTIAN.ORG