What Did You Do In School Today?

How many times has this scenario happened in your home? “So, Boris, what did you do in school today?”  And then there is the response, “Nothing.” This is a ritual that I am sure has gone on for millennia in countries and cultures all over the world.  However, you do not have to be totally in the dark when it comes to your child’s schooling. You can be aware of what is going on in your child’s classes by checking out the lesson plans for each of your child’s subjects as found on RenWeb. I encourage you to check RenWeb every Monday to see what is happening in your child’s classes here at CCS. If you are having problems with your RenWeb, you may always contact our Director of Technology, Ginnie Lodge, at virginia.lodge@conestogachristian.net, and she will gladly assist you.

Remember to turn your clocks back this weekend so your children are not out at the bus stop too early or too early to school on Monday.

Starting November 1, students are no longer to wear shorts to school unless the forecast for Morgantown, PA, is 60 degrees Fahrenheit or above.

This Wednesday, November 5, at 8:25 a.m., we will have an all-school chapel led by our high school worship team and Mr. Parris.  Parents and grandparents are invited to attend. If you can’t make the chapel, we will be streaming this event, and you can watch it live or at a later time by going to http://hscu.be/e/384230 on the Internet.

This Thursday and Friday,  November 6 and 7, middle and high school students will perform And a Child Shall Lead for our fall drama at 7:00 p.m. each night.  Cost is $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for students. Students have been spending long hours rehearsing, and this promises to be an exceptional event. Come on out and enjoy a fine production and support the students. Tickets may be purchased at the door.

Parent/Teacher Conferences will be held this year on the November 24 and 25. Look for an email soon with details about conferencing . Sign-up sheets will be available in the lobby the week of November 10. There will also be an option to sign up by submitting a form.  Keep a look out for information in The Cougar Update as well as your email.

On November 19-21, our eleventh and twelfth grade students will be leaving campus and traveling to Refreshing Mountain Camp in Stevens, PA, for our annual Spiritual Life Retreat. Mr. John Cosgrove, youth leader at Crossway Church, will be sharing with our students from the scriptures. Mr. Greenly is organizing the retreat, and he will be in contact with you shortly about the cost and permission slips for the retreat.

On Friday, November 21, the ninth and tenth grade classes will be traveling to the biblical tabernacle reproduction in Lancaster to take a tour of the tabernacle as described in the Old Testament. Afterwards they will travel to a nearby rink for ice-skating. More information will follow in the future.

Finally, please note that our Thanksgiving break is from Wednesday, November 26, until Monday, December 1. Students return to school on Tuesday, December 2.

Mark Your Calendars

It’s hard to believe that we are almost through the month of October.  Before we blink, Thanksgiving will be upon us. But before the holiday arrives, there is much happening at CCS.

On Wednesday, November 5, at 8:25 a.m., we will have an all-school chapel led by our high school worship team and Mr. Parris.  Parents and grandparents are invited to attend.

On November 6 and 7, middle and high school students will perform And a Child Shall Lead for our fall play at 7:00 p.m. each night.  Cost is $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for students.

The week of November 10, CCS will be contacting parents about scheduling parent/teacher conferences which will be held on November 24 and 25. 

On November 19-21, our eleventh and twelfth grade students will be leaving campus and traveling to Refreshing Mountain Camp in Stevens, PA, for our annual Spiritual Life Retreat. Mr. John Cosgrove, youth leader at Crossway Church, will be sharing with our students from the scriptures. Mr. Greenly is organizing the retreat, and he will be in contact with you shortly about the cost and permission slips for the retreat.

On Friday, November 21, the ninth and tenth grade classes will be traveling to the biblical tabernacle reproduction in Lancaster to take a tour of the tabernacle as described in the Old Testament. Afterwards they will travel to a nearby rink for ice-skating. More information will follow in the future.

Finally, please note that our Thanksgiving break is from Wednesday, November 26, until Monday, December 1. Students return to school on Tuesday, December 2.

Auction Week Has Arrived!

High School

This week is a big week for the CCS community. The week of the chicken barbecue and country auction has finally arrived. Come on out and support the school. These two days are some of the most exciting days of the year, and there are great things to be sold and auctioned this year, not to mention great food. Below is some important information:

SCHEDULE of EVENTS for Friday, October 17

CHICKEN BBQ: 11am-7pm

HANDMADE CRAFTS: 11am-7pm

BUY IT NOW ITEMS: 11am-7pm

AUCTION PREVIEW: 11am-7pm
GIFT CERTIFICATES: noon-7pm

SCHEDULE of EVENTS for Saturday, October 18

AUCTION BEGINS: 9am

CLASS BASKETS: 10:45am

CAR: 12:30pm

QUILTS: 1:30pm

FOOD TENT: 8am-2pm

BREAKFAST: waffles, eggs, hash-browns, coffee, donuts.

LUNCH: pork BBQ, chicken corn soup, hamburgers, hot dogs,

french fries, soft pretzels, apple dumplings and MUCH MORE!

CHILDREN’S AREA: 10am-2pm

HANDMADE CRAFTS: 10am-2pm

Friday, October 17, is a half day for students, with dismissal at 11:30 a.m. Below are some instructions for pick-up:

Bus riders will be dismissed first and parents waiting for car riders are asked to wait in the Conestoga Mennonite Church parking lot.

• You are reminded to stay at Conestoga Mennonite Church until the last bus has left the CCS parking lot. Watch for the attendant to direct you when there is room in the school parking lot.
• Please plan to be patient; it may be 11:40 until cars are released from the church parking lot.
• As always, students with alternative pick up arrangements should bring a note to school. (NOTE:  Students from Pequea Valley and ELANCO districts who usually ride the bus will automatically line up with car riders. No note of explanation is necessary for them unless they will be riding with someone other than their parents.) Coatesville will pick up for half days this year.
• Be sure to share these directions with others who may be picking up your children that day.

As we prepare for the auction, school is still in session. Wednesday, October 15, grades 9-11 will be taking standardized tests in the morning (9th - Stanford Achievement Test, 10th & 11th - PSAT). In the afternoon, if the weather cooperates, students will participate in our annual powderpuff tournament starting at 12:50. Parents are invited to come out and view the competition. The rain date is Wednesday, October 22.

As always, if you have any concerns or questions, please feel free to contact me.

Randy Hepler

The Turbulent Teens

High school is often a turbulent time in a student’s life with the many changes that adolescence brings. Students are changing physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  Often this leads to difficulties or a crisis in their lives, which will manifest itself here at school. The faculty and staff want you to know that we are here for you and your children if difficulties or a crisis arises.  Your child should know that he/she may talk with any teacher.  If boys would rather speak with a man, they can speak with Mr. Greenly. He welcomes being able to come alongside the students here at CCS. If he is not available, Mr. Parris or I are available to assist them.  

If girls have a concern or issue for which they need to talk with an adult, but do not feel comfortable talking to a man, any of our female teachers are more than willing and available to talk with them.

As the school year continues, your child may come home and share with you something that happened in a class or in school that gives you concern. If it has to do with a specific class, please contact the teacher and share with him/her what your child has told you, so that the teacher can verify the information you have received. If it is something that has occurred in school in general, please contact me and I will investigate the concern. One of my former bosses once stated that “one’s perception is one’s reality.”  Often the perception our children have of what is going on in class or school is inaccurate. Scripture indicates that we should have a spirit of discernment, slow to judge and quick to listen, as we approach life’s circumstances.

On October 15, most of the high school students will be testing all morning.  The 9th grade students will be taking the Stanford Achievement Test, and the 10th and 11th grade students will be taking the PSAT. Seniors will not have to arrive at school until 10:30. When they arrive, they will report to the multi-purpose room where a class picture will be taken and they will be measured for graduation caps and gowns.  Students will have 5th period classes and lunch, followed by the high school's annual PowderPuff tournament.

Below are some important dates:

October 15     PSAT/Stanford Achievement Test - Grades 9-11, HS Powderpuff Tournament

October 17      CCS Chicken Barbecue

October 18      CCS Country Auction

Randy Hepler