Archer boys bring home first Ambrose basketball state championship
It’s been a long time coming. Head Coach Ken Hosier had decided after 11 years to hang up his coaching hat and move into a more expanded role as the school’s science program director. Bringing home a state title his final season would be icing on the cake to a decade of program building. Coach Hosier has gone from practicing on a carpeted (yes, carpeted!) gym in Garden City and making dozens of calls to other Christian schools to organize games for his players, to a shiny new gym in Meridian and moving up to Idaho’s 1A Division I designation this year. The chances were looking good as the Archers remained undefeated in their conference going into the district tourney. After winning district, all eyes turned to the state tournament, where predictions of an Ambrose/Lapwai matchup for the championship came to fruition. Archer fans turned out in force for the final game, where pre-tournament fears and rumors about Lapwai’s undeniable skill as a team turned to reality. Lapwai dominated the first three quarters of the game, though our boys managed to never let their lead get out of reach. At the start of the fourth quarter, the Archers showed their true character and their ability to come together to get a job done. Coming out with guns blazing and making some crucial shots, the Archers pulled ahead and kept the Wildcats at bay until the buzzer. We are all thankful to Coach Hosier for the years of hard work and sacrifice he and his family have made, not to train good basketball players, but to train good men. The state trophy is just icing. SOLI DEO GLORIA! Here are a few links to photos and stories: Ronn Seidenglanz Facebook Album Steve Roser Flickr Album Steve Connor – IdahoSports.com gallery Jason Duchow – IdahoSports.com gallery Championship game story on KTVB Archers on Sunday Sports Extra Idaho Statesman article You can also watch all the state tournament games on IdahoSports.com.
There’s more than music at the Idaho Music Educator Association Conference
By Lorna Mitson Last week, two Ambrose students took part in the All State honor groups at the Idaho Music Educator Association’s (IMEA) conference. Four students submitted recorded auditions last fall, three were selected, and two were able to go. It was a fun-filled time of music, food, friends, and even some recreation. Brynn Crownover was part of the inaugural Middle School Honor Choir. She was hesitant to audition for something that seemed so serious, but is glad she did. She writes, ”The experience was extraordinary! I was able to spread smiles and giggly laughter with my new-made friends, along with the Word of our Lord. The performance and rehearsals were not nearly as formal as I anticipated. The director was encouraging, not strict like you might think, but fun and loose. The exquisite music we sang aroused a little spark in my heart, and an extensive love for more grand psalms of praise to glorify our Almighty Father.” The choir performance on Friday was incredible! Well, with one small exception . . . the fire alarm went off during the concert and the building was evacuated. Almost an hour later, we were allowed to return to enjoy the concert. It was worth the wait. Channing Mitson was in the High School Honors Symphony Orchestra. She shares, “This year I got to play two amazing musical compositions and work under the conductor of the Chicago Youth Symphony. I made new friends and hung out with some old ones. We shared music and food and a lot of selfies. I even had the opportunity to share my faith. All State is a huge growing experience and I continue to be inspired by how beautiful music can be.” Mr. Bryant commented about the final concert, “As I listened to the honor orchestra’s transcendent final cadences of ‘Capriccio Espagnole,’ I couldn’t help thinking how amazing it is–how jaw-droppingly unfathomable it is–to have been made in the image of God, and to have had that reality demonstrated so profoundly by those brilliant young musicians.” Mr. Bryant and Mrs. Kapsoff were there thanks to the Teacher Benefits Annual Fund. Mr. Bryant shares, “Attending the conference reinvigorated my desire to see our music program take its place in Idaho’s top tier of high school accomplishment.” Mrs. Kapsoff echoes this sentiment, “It was like having a sneak preview of our own potential. It motivated me to expect more from not only myself but from the Ambrose community and administration as well. Now is the time to increase our efforts by purposefully dedicating the resources to reach that level of excellence. I look forward to the future of our music program.” Experiences like these inspire young musicians and some will pursue music full-time. But even for those who aspire to other callings, colleges and universities often offer scholarships to qualified musicians regardless of major. The next All State IMEA conference will be November 17-19, 2016 at NNU in Nampa. Talk to your music director about submitting an audition this Spring.
Thanks, Coach!
After this season, Ken Hosier will be stepping down as Head Coach of our men’s basketball program. Ken has accepted an expanded role as chair of our growing science department. He will continue to work closely with upper school instructor Sarah Westcott to develop and implement a comprehensive K-6 science curriculum for our grammar school. Ken is also in the process of becoming one of our own master teachers, a designation that includes mentoring and advising fellow teachers. In addition, as one of the finest science instructors within the growing classical Christian movement, we plan for him to join the Alcuin Society of Fellows where he can continue to share his expertise nationally. Lastly, we will continue to support him as he pursues an M.S. or a PhD in Chemistry. Ken has taken our athletic program from its very beginnings—the years in our old Garden City carpeted gym—all the way to the heights of the Idaho state tournament these last years. Under his guidance we are blessed to have one of the premier men’s programs in the entire state. We would like to thank Ken for his twelve years of service to our basketball program and congratulate him on his expanded role and duties. __________________________________________________________________________ THE BROTHERHOOD & THE FIVE “The Five” are the basketball team’s corporate priorities. These priorities were instituted by Coach Hosier, and represent our team’s loyalties listed in order of most important to least important. God: We are to glorify God in all that we do (1st Corinthians 10:31) Family: We represent our family above our friends and school School: The need for unity at our school is paramount Brotherhood: We play as a team and sharpen each other as iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17) Self: We are to be humble and have servant hearts in all things FROM A STUDENT: “Mr. Hosier has blessed my high school career throughout my years at Ambrose. Each year he devotes countless hours of his personal time to each of his students. He has been my mentor and teacher for six years now, and has coached me in basketball for four years. Over the years, Mr Hosier has made me a wiser man. He has fed my passion for the sciences as my basketball coach, mentor and teacher. He has cultivated my understanding of hard work and selfless service while exemplifying Christ in all that he does. He is a wholly committed father, husband, mentor, teacher, coach and friend. The positive mark he has left on my life will never fade, and his example will remain in my memory always.” — Reagan Good, Senior
Ambrose senior’s video entered in national competition
Ambrose senior Matt Walsh’s video, “Savings Illustrated,” has been chosen by local sponsor, Zions Bank to compete in the American Bankers Association’s “Lights, Camera, Save!” national contest. The winner of the contest will receive $5,000. Matt used the “whiteboard video” style to illustrate and narrate many of the reasons it’s important to save money and to make wise choices now to have a more secure future. Videos will be judged by a panel of experts and a winner announced the last week of February which is America Saves Week. Way to go, Matt!
Read the latest student stories from The Inkling
Our journalism students have been busy this year reporting on the happenings here at The Ambrose School. Enjoy reading their published stories here: http://inkling.theambroseschool.org/
1,500 attend ‘The Song of Christmas’ at The Morrison Center
The Christmas program at The Ambrose School is always cause for excitement. This year was especially exciting as we were honored to be able to perform at the best musical venue in town – The Morrison Center on the campus of Boise State University. The Morrison Center is consistently rated as one of the top venues in the country and is known for its amazing acoustics and great views of the performance, no matter where you are sitting. The Morrison Center also provides grants to help bring a variety of performances to their stage. So when we became recipients of one of these generous grants, our music teachers and students stepped up their already excellent performances a notch or two. The result was an outstanding performance by 300+ Ambrose students of song, narration, chimes, and orchestra. Our hope is that we were able to help the Treasure Valley remember the true meaning of Christmas and give glory to the ‘Song of Christmas’ – our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Soli Deo Gloria. Facebook photo album by Val MacMahon Photo collection by Paul Cushing Enjoy ‘The Song of Christmas’ by tuning in for one of the five broadcasts coming up Christmas Eve and Christmas Day on Channel 7.1 and 7.2. KTVB/KTFT (Channel 7.1) December 24th 10:35 pm – 11:35 pm December 25th 6:00 am – 7:00 am KTVB 24/7 (Channel 7.2 or cable channel 13) December 25th 5:00 am – 6:00 am December 25th 7:00 am – 8:00 am December 25th 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm You are also invited to watch the program online. It is currently being edited, but will be available to watch soon. Check our Media Library page often as we add videos on a regular basis. DVDs of the Christmas Program will also be available. Stop by the school office to place your order. $5 each.
INSIGHTS: Bold Showmanship and Humble Worship; Two More Distinctives of The Ambrose School
Insights articles, written by Ambrose teachers and administrators, explore the many ways we are purposeful in achieving our goal of “graduating young men and women who possess the qualities of a deep and reasoned faith, a heartfelt moral compass, a strong command of language, are well-read, well-rounded, and appreciate beauty.” Bold Showmanship and Humble Worship; Two More Distinctives of The Ambrose School by Carl Warmouth Dean of the Grammar School On December 11th, students will take to the stage for what will arguably be The Ambrose School’s highest level music and drama production to date: The Song of Christmas at the Morrison Center in Boise. From the venue, to the orchestra and choir performances, to the Greek theatre motif of call and chorus, to the technical aspects of television production, this year’s Christmas concert promises to be an incredible event. Lighting, beautiful clothing, carefully planned movements on and off the stage, video recording, editing and broadcasting – it’s amazing to think that these are our children pulling this off! And we make no apologies for expecting excellence from our students and staff, and for a night to celebrate Truth, Goodness and Beauty in a highly visible and complex way. But, “…as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’” (1 Corinthians 1:31) We know from God’s word that “This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.’” (1 Timothy 1:15) In the same way that each family experiences both “the hustle and bustle” of Christmas (shopping, cooking, parties, and events) and the quiet reflection of the birth of our savior, so we at Ambrose celebrate Christmas with both performance and quiet worship. As Temperance balances Fortitude, so must our hectic lives be tempered with being still before the Lord. This year, right on the heels of the Christmas program, we invite you to join us for a joint Grammar School/Upper School Exordium of Lessons and Carols on December 16th at 8:00 AM. This exordium is adapted from a traditional Christian worship service celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. It is the story of the fall of man, the promise of the Messiah, and the birth of Jesus told through a series of Bible readings and songs. Following in this beautiful tradition, we have adapted this service for use at our school. The tone of this service will be one of quiet and worshipful reverence as we meditate on God’s plan of salvation at this most glorious time of year. Please mark your calendar and plan to join with us at 8:00 am on December 16th. The original service, Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols dates back to 1880 when the Bishop of Truro, Edward Benson, formalized a service of nine readings from Genesis, the books of the Prophets, and the Gospels along with accompanying hymns. Benson would later become the Archbishop of Canterbury. Since that time, the original liturgy has been adapted for use by many churches of various denominations worldwide. The longest running and most popularly known version has been held at King’s College, Cambridge, UK, since Christmas Eve, 1918. The King’s College Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols has been broadcast annually by the BBC since 1928, except for a brief hiatus during the 1930’s.
The 5th grade fleet: shipbuilding at its finest – and most delicious!
Every year, the 5th grade students learn about different styles of ships. The best way to learn the different parts of a ship is to build one yourself . The students are not limited in terms of materials, which is where their creativity shines. We saw many beautiful, creative, and delicious-looking ships sail in and out of our library where each ship was temporarily displayed for all to see. Food was a popular building material, and candy in particular. Each ship had to be labeled correctly with all the main parts. Below are just a few pictures from our hardworking and creative 5th grade shipbuilders.
