Feed the Need report: We reached our goal and then some!
After partnering with Homestead Ministries and the Boise Rescue Mission to help those in need throughout the Treasure Valley, we set a goal to provide 10,000 bags of soup mix to be distributed to the community. So on September 25th, we started at about 8:30 am with our kindergarten students who jumped right into the task at hand. We kept a tally on our gym scoreboard and watched the numbers creep up as Greg Nolan of Homestead Ministries announced totals and updated the board. There were tables of students madly sticking labels onto the bags, and a merry-go-round of workers assembling the spice packets – a different combination for each type of soup. Then there were the tables where workers had an assembly line – drop in the spice packet, scoop the appropriate amount of beans, pour into the bag, then take it to the sealers. The sealers then laid the bags across the machine, pressed it, and handed the bag back to be packed into the boxes. Students in their red Feed the Need t-shirts took shifts throughout the day, and by the time the upper school students took over, boxes full of 3-bean, lentil, and split pea soup packages were stacking up on the side of the gym, ready to be hauled off by the Boise Rescue Mission and other churches and food banks. Homestead Ministries are experts at setting up an efficient production process, providing all the equipment and materials plus the beans, lentils, and peas. The process was simple, and the students thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to serve. By 2:00 pm, we had 8,000 bags packaged and ready! We weren’t the only ones excited about this event – we were honored to have First Lady Lori Otter, state senator Chuck Winder, and Deputy Chief Tracy Basterrechea join students at the workstations to help fill some bags! We also had visits from Eagle mayor Jim Reynolds and Ken Corder from the City of Meridian, along with representatives from the local media. We invited 94.1 KBXL to do a live broadcast from the school, and invited anyone in need of food to come by. In the evening, families came to take a shift at the tables to help us reach our goal of 10,000 bags. Supplies started running low, and we held our breath as the final count neared. But then it was announced – we had packaged 10,500 bags!! WHERE DID IT ALL GO? We celebrated with hot dogs, bounce houses, and fellowship that evening, and then formed a bucket brigade-style line to load the majority of boxes into the Boise Rescue Mission truck. Here’s how the soup mixes were distributed: 300 bags: Hope Lutheran Church Pantry 200 bags: Donnelly Food Pantry 500 bags: McCall Food Pantry 1,000 bags: Meridian Food Bank 3,000 bags: Vineyard – Feeding God’s Children Ministry 5,500 bags: Boise Rescue Mission WAGONLOADS OF HELP Leading up to the event, our students were collecting coins to help cover the costs of the event. They collected over $7,500!! We even had one friend of the school max out three banks’ coin limits and bring us a wagon full of coins! Winning House: Edwards $1,560 Winning Class: Miss Hobbs $556 A special thank you goes out to Jackson’s Food Stores for supplying the t-shirts and the hot dog meal. And thank you to everyone who helped contribute to this day. We pray that this food is a blessing to the recipients, given in the love of Christ. Learn more about Homestead Ministries. News stories: KTVB Channel 7; Idaho Education News
Insights: Cultivating STEM at The Ambrose School
Seventy-five years ago, C.S. Lewis said that “A man who has lived in many places is not likely to be deceived by the local errors of his native village; the scholar has lived in many times and is therefore in some degree immune from the great cataract of nonsense that pours from the press and the microphone of his own age.” Last spring we published the following Insights article by Mr. Hosier, our Science Department Chair, that addresses our school’s stance and goals regarding STEM. We know there is a bewildering array of buzzwords, clichés, acronyms and, yes, “nonsense” in the field of education, so we encourage all parents to read, or re-read, this article. We believe it directly addresses STEM and how it is is integrated at a classical Christian liberal arts school. We hope you will find Ken’s analysis helpful and that it gives you a broader picture of what we believe a science curriculum should really look like. – Kirk Vander Leest, Headmaster Cultivating STEM at The Ambrose School by Kenneth W. Hosier Science Department Chair At the turn of this century, many corporations, educational institutions, and science organizations became increasingly alarmed at what was then perceived as a decline in science educational quality. Some were worried that the U.S. would not be able to produce enough graduates competent in science and technology to remain competitive in the global market. Part of the problem was that many of the science and technology fields were not integrated in the classroom, yet laboratories in the private sector required scientists and engineers to be proficient in several facets of technology and science. For example, when I worked as a chemist I had to calibrate and fix gas chromatographs, use complex mathematical concepts to calibrate instruments and determine concentrations of contaminants, and write macros to transfer and integrate data into a usable interface for the customers. Of course, there was a bit of chemistry to do as well. In our societal pursuit to standardize curriculum, have we left out one of the most critical elements of our science programs—developing young scientists to be able to think logically and critically across the different fields of science and engineering? STEM (an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) was first used during the mid 1990’s by the National Science Foundation.1 STEM can be defined as, “An interdisciplinary approach to learning that removes the traditional barriers separating the four disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and integrates them into real-world, rigorous, and relevant learning experiences.” 2 Cries for a greater emphasis on STEM have grown in intensity as of late. In 2012, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) came out with the global rankings for several subject-matter areas, including science and math. Over 510,000 students 15 years of age took the exams. Many here in the U.S. were startled when they discovered we had slipped to 31st in math and 24th in science globally.3 Educational pundits and leaders in the corporate world demanded more rigorous standards for math and science. Concern for the future of science and technology in the U.S. had suddenly elevated STEM from a potential paradigm adjustment to a pedagogical imperative. Talking with parents and administration recently has made me keenly aware that our community here at Ambrose wants to know how our students will be prepared to take on the STEM disciplines after high school (for graduates who decide to pursue these fields). More specifically, how will students who graduate with a classical Christian education (cCe) fare in comparison to their charter school or public school counterparts? I know there are schools that offer a solid science curriculum and are at the forefront of developing STEM education. What I will be addressing is how cCe prepares students for the STEM fields. The question that generally arises is, “How does a school with a ‘humanities-centered’ curriculum prepare students for the STEM programs at the collegiate level?” Let me assure you what we do here will prepare our students well. As a former scientist, I am passionate about developing a robust curriculum in the science department that will not only prepare students for a post-secondary education, but hopefully instill a life-long interest in science. It’s a lofty goal, to be sure, but one I am dedicated to achieving. Medical professionals, scientists and engineers are required to think, develop, execute, and evaluate daily. cCe strives to develop students that do the same and this is cultivated across the disciplines. Our school values the Great Books and Great Ideas. We also value the importance of using logic and rhetoric to engage in the discourse of specific principles and ideals. To avoid sounding verbose, it might be best to just look at a specific aspect of our curriculum. In 9th grade, the students are required to read Frankenstein by Mary Shelley in their humanities class. Let’s take a closer look at Frankenstein through a different lens, integrating STEM and cCe. In biology we discuss the ethics of gene therapy and cloning. Questions that arise include: Should Dr. Frankenstein have created the monster in the first place? Does Frankenstein’s monster have a soul? Is genetic manipulation and reprogramming ethical and in what context (treating genetic disorders versus genetic enhancement)? How is a virus used to rewrite the genome? These are complex questions that force students to understand cloning in a way that goes beyond rote memorization. As a staff we are constantly challenging our students to think well. This happens when students are translating Virgil from Latin to English. It happens when students have to organize and lead community service projects for House. It happens when they have to develop a thesis (similar to a hypothesis), research it, write about it, and defend it in front of a panel of judges, teachers, and their peers. We want to develop virtuous, logical Christian thinkers, not simple regurgitators of knowledge. The evidence of preparedness for the STEM fields is found in the pursuits and
The Upper School Retreat is underway!
At the beginning of the school year, our 7th – 12th grade students spend three days in the mountains at the Upper School Retreat. The retreat is a function of our House system, which groups upper school students into six “houses.” Upon arrival at the retreat, the incoming 7th grade students are inducted into their new house and welcomed into this “community within a community.” The remainder of the retreat is spend setting goals and expectations for the year, and bonding students together through friendly house competitions and games. Back at school, this classical system of intramural activity that began in boarding schools provides excellent leadership and camaraderie across grades. Juniors and seniors lead and mentor underclassmen in a spirit of kinship. We believe these upper classmen engage in a broader and more realistic form of student government than class-based student government because their responsibility stretches across a broader constituent base– the entire 7-12 population. Our houses are named after great American theologians: George Whitefield, William Bradford, William Tennent, John Winthrop, Jonathan Edwards, and Francis Schaeffer. Students meet at lunch and hold intramural competitions, and after school hours for community service projects. Some of the competitions include: Flag football Soccer Basketball Handball Dodgeball Academic Bowl Service projects Each year, the Headmaster’s Cup is awarded to the house receiving the highest total score from all the house activities.
Back to School Fun at the Back to School Picnic
K – 6 students and parents enjoyed an end of summer picnic together on The Ambrose School field. The Back to School Picnic is a tradition that helps transition students into the new year by meeting their teacher in a casual atmosphere and reconnecting with classmates. This year, we sang a hymn together and Mr. Warmouth, the Dean of the Grammar School, introduced our K – 6 “Teacher Dream Team” while everyone munched on picnic dinners. The “Junior Class Grill” was open and many families took advantage of a fresh hot hamburger or baked potato meals that helped raise funds for the class of 2017 senior trip to Europe. Snowcones and sticky hands were everywhere as the juniors also provided a sweet treat to top off the meal.
Roll up your sleeves! School workday is Saturday, August 15th
It’s time to spiff up the school and get ready for the new year. We would love your help! Come to the school workday Saturday, August 15th, 8:00 am to 12:00 pm WHEN: Saturday, August 15th, from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm. Come when you can; stay as long as you can. WHO: Anyone age 12 and up WHAT: There will be both indoor and outdoor projects BRING (if you have them): Wheelbarrows, shovels, gloves, pressure washer Please let Mark Schiebout know if you can make it. Thank you for helping us be good stewards!
Encore! Students stage our first-ever Musical Theater Under the Stars
Drama teacher Anna Clark had a vision: What if we offered a summer camp for students that focused on musicals? And then, make it casual and fun by putting on the show outside in the school’s pavilion with seating on the grass in the evening under the stars? What we got was great summer fun!
They’re back! Ambrose to Africa Mission Team returns
Our team of Ambrose students, teachers, and parents returned from Rwanda after a busy and successful visit with our sister school there, the Bright Future School. Bright Future School was started by Pastor Patrick Twagirayesu, who saw a great need for the upcoming generations in Rwanda to have hope after surviving the devastating genocide over a decade ago. He knew that a school that could teach the hope of Christ could potentially heal their nation, prevent another genocide, and give the people a “bright future.” (Read this blog post by Jenny Rallens to learn more.) The Ambrose School chose to partner with Pastor Patrick and Africa Bright Future Ministries as a school ministry and have been supporting BFS for several years now. This year’s team visited classrooms, trained teachers, brought books and supplies, and toured the site where Pastor Patrick hopes to build a high school for students who complete Bright Future School. Currently, these students must go to government schools if they want to continue their education. Patrick wants them to be able to continue a Christian education at this critical point in their lives. Following are pictures and commentary from Ambrose teachers, Amanda Patchin and Jenny Rallens:
Ambrose to Africa Mission Team arrives in Rwanda
A mixed group of Ambrose students, teachers, and parents arrived in Rwanda yesterday. The group is spending two weeks visiting the students and teachers at Bright Future School. The team packed school supplies and gifts, updated passports, endured immunizations, and dedicated their first two weeks of summer break to the trip. Please hold this group up in prayer. Here are a few recent pictures from Davies Owens and Amanda Patchin:
