cademyA aneL VOL. 5, NO. 2 WINTER 2007

Beth Sondgeroth, Academic Dean at Cornerstone Christian Academy, is the winner of the $25,000 Hillsdale College Salvatori Prize for Excellence in Teaching for 2006.

Cornerstone Christian Academy, located just outside of Bloomington, Illinois, is in its ninth academic year with an enrollment of more than 475 students in Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12. By honoring classroom teachers who draw upon the Hillsdale Academy Reference Guide, the Salvatori Prize encourages teachers nationwide to benefi t from Hillsdale Academy’s proven and successful instructional methods and curricula.Following is an edited version of Beth Sondgeroth’s Salvatori Prize acceptance speech in Chicago at the Hillsdale College National Leadership Seminar.I am very pleased to accept this honor on behalf of the entire Cornerstone community. When we consider the amazing things that have taken place over the course of Cornerstone’s fi rst ten years, we echo the Psalmist’s praise, “Th e Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes!” From the very beginning, Cornerstone’s association with Hillsdale has been both a privilege and an answer to prayer. As I have pondered what it means to be recognized for “excellence in teaching,” the thought that keeps coming back to me is that there is really only One whose teaching is truly excellent. His teaching has the power to redeem the lost and transform lives. His work is creative, His intellect supreme. His knowledge is vast. His words always true. His name itself is Excellent and Exalted One. Because He is excellent, He has called us to be excellent. I have come to the conclusion that excellence is more than just a standard to be achieved; it is God’s calling to be fulfi lled. Regardless of your spheres of infl uence or the circumstances of your lives, I doubt that any of you awoke this morning, squared your shoulders, looked in the mirror and said to yourself, “Today

I will strive for mediocrity.” No. On the contrary, as God’s image bearers, each of us has the innate desire to do something of signifi cance, to aff ect positive change, to impact and infl uence those who come behind us. We were created for the purpose of doing excellent things to advance God’s great name. And because we are designed for this purpose, it is impossible to do anything of true greatness and excellence unless God Himself wills it and His power is at work in and through us to accomplish it. In Psalm 127:1, King Solomon wrote, “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.” Despite hard work and a great desire to impact the next generation, if the Lord is not the reason for and the central focus of our educational eff orts, we labor in vain. Oh, that this would not be said of us! It has been observed that “America is great because America is good.” Much eff ort has been expended in the quest to determine the true origin of this declaration. Regardless of who penned these words, their sentiment rings true today. Greatness can only be achieved when goodness is the primary focus. And since there is only one who is truly good–the Lord Himself–it stands to reason that anything we do to restore goodness to America through educat ional re form must be the result of God working in and through us. In the early 1990’s, a group of concerned citizens continued on page 2

“Greatness, Goodness, and Excellence in Teaching”

GUEST COLUMN

by Beth SondgerothCornerstone Christian Academy

F eatures

Faculty Highlights

Study Trip Planned

Philosophy of Education

Quiz Bowl Whizzes

Trips and Activities

Student Accolades

Colts Update

Budding Scientists

Hillsdale College President Dr. Larry Arnn, Beth Sondgeroth and Academy Headmaster Ken Calvert

Faculty Highlights

Dr. Helen Lasseter

Dr. Helen Lasseter, Upper School English teacher and Latin I instructor, joined the Academy faculty in the fall of 2006, coming from Texas, where she lived for 15 years. Born in Raleigh, North Carolina, and the youngest of six children, Dr. Lasseter was raised in the South Bend, Indiana/Th ree

Rivers, Michigan, area. Her father is an English professor.

Academy Lane: Tell us about your educational background.

Helen Lasseter: I went to high school at Trinity School in South Bend, a school with a curriculum similar to the Academy’s. I earned my bachelor’s degree in political philosophy and my master’s degree in American studies from the University of Dallas (1996, 1998). I earned my doctorate in English literature from Baylor University (2007).

Academy Lane: What do you see as your strengths as a teacher?

Helen Lasseter: I have a strong interdisciplinary approach to literature.

Academy Lane: How did you learn about Hillsdale Academy?

Helen Lasseter: I’ve known about the Academy for some time. However, I heard of the job opening from (former part-time Academy teacher) Melissa Holm, with whom I went to graduate school at Baylor.

Academy Lane: How does the Hillsdale Academy curriculum compare to other schools?

Helen Lasseter: Some private academies have a tougher curriculum, but one of the Academy’s strengths is that it off ers a great education to a wide range of people.

Academy Lane: What do you like most about teaching at Hillsdale Academy?

Helen Lasseter: I like the students and the faculty immensely. People are very welcoming and the environment at the Academy is a deeply nurturing one.

Guest Column continued from page 1

recognized this and began praying for an independent Christian high school to be established in the Bloomington/Normal community. Although I was not a part of that group, I have often wondered if they could have dreamed what God would do in answer to their prayers. I imagine God’s response to that group must have been something similar to the message He gave Habakkuk: Look . . . and watch–and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.In 1997, Cornerstone Christian Academy was founded and took over the management of a local church preschool. Th at group of preschoolers would become the founding students of Cornerstone Christian Academy. 1998 brought the opening of grades K-4, with the goal of adding a grade each year through the 12th grade. In those early years, we had no money and a very limited perspective regarding educational resources. We knew our mission (to provide students an exemplary Christ-centered education, preparing them for higher education, and promoting service to others in the name of Christ), and we trusted God to put us in the path of the right people and resources at just the right times to help us meet those objectives. In just ten short years, God has grown CCA from 45 to over 450 students. Our fi rst group of seniors will graduate in June 2007. Th e Lord has helped us to develop a rigorous curriculum that stretches and sharpens our students intellectually and spiritually, challenging them to integrate faith and learning. As we celebrate Cornerstone’s journey, we thank the Lord for the many times that He has led us back to Hillsdale. We have often referred to the Hillsdale Academy Reference Guidewhen making textbook selections, establishing policies and procedures, and determining curricular scope and sequence. We have visited the Academy and College campuses to get the true Hillsdale experience, each time coming away with a sense of great encouragement that what we dream for Cornerstone can be achieved. I wish to extend heartfelt gratitude to all who have made this milestone moment in Cornerstone’s history a possibility. Excellence is achieved by maximizing God’s endowment in you. It is clear that you—the Hillsdale community—recognize that the knowledge and resources God has entrusted to you are meant to be shared. Your gift today of $25,000 will go toward the over $200,000 we have granted in tuition assistance this year, and will enable several young people who could not otherwise call themselves Cornerstone students to receive a challenging, Christ-centered, life-transforming education this year. Please allow me to be their voice of thanks to you today.

Philosophy of Education

Susan Barkey

Lower School Teacher

Editor’s Note: Academy Lane will periodically feature articles presenting the teaching philosophies of its faculty members.

Susan Barkey graduated in 1998 from Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, which has since been renamed Texas State University. Th e following spring, she was accepted into the University’s Teacher Fellows program and earned her master’s degree in education during her fi rst year as a fourth-grade teacher in a public school district near Austin, Texas. Upon completing her master’s degree, she taught third grade at a new school in the same district for three years. After marrying Ken Barkey, a Michigan native, Mrs. Barkey moved to Hillsdale in July of 2003, and was hired by the Academy on a part-time basis in the Lower School. Her responsibilities currently include teaching fi rst through fi fth grades in writing, grammar, reading, mathematics and science.

In Proverbs 22:6, Solomon admonishes, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Children with a fi rm foundation will be better citizens. Th ey will contribute to society and have a positive infl uence on the world around them. I realize that this Bible verse was directed toward parents, but it is a fact that during the school year, I am continually entrusted with these young, impressionable minds, and I must heed Solomon’s advice.

Children need to be equipped for life, and as a teacher, I feel responsible for that as well. Education is not only just reading, writing and arithmetic; it is also teaching children to care about their education. My ultimate goal is to set them on the path to be independent and productive members in a global society. Children are our future, and as an educator, I need to be a child advocate and a resource for parents. I also know that I need to be a disciplinarian, to keep students on task and teach them to follow rules and be respectful. I desire to instill in them pride for the work that they complete and in themselves as young people.

Teaching is something I have always felt called to do. It is hard to explain this to people who do not understand this calling. From a very young age when I was “playing school” with my sisters in the family room at home, to trying to continued on page 5

Academy juniors and seniors are raising funds for their biennial study trip to Europe over spring break. Th e group will leave on Saturday, March 17, and return

Wednesday, March 28. Th e itinerary in Greece includes visits to Athens, Corinth, Mycenae and Delphi. Th e group will then fl y to Italy and spend three days in Florence visiting the Uffizi Museum, The Academia (where Michelangelo’s David is located) and the Duomo (cathedral) of Florence. The final leg of the trip will be to Rome for stops at the Forum, the Coliseum, the Capitoline Museums, the Vatican Museum and St. Peter’s Basilica. A side trip from Rome to Pompeii is also planned.During the trip, Dr. Ken Calvert will provide lectures on various sites/events. Also accompanying the 31 students and 16 parents will be Upper School teachers Deanna Ducher and Andrew

Holm. In addition, Dr. Joseph Garnjobst of the Hillsdale College Classics Depa r tment wi l l go along as a guest lecturer. Travel agency owner and Academy parent Al Philipp will serve as the tour guide.

Th e students raised funds for the trip with a raffl e and spaghetti dinner on March 8. Mr. Philipp is heading up fundraising eff orts.Th is year’s trip is the third since 2003, when Academy juniors and seniors went to Oxford and London. In 2005, the trip went to Rome, Pompeii, Pisa, Florence, Verona, Venice and Milan. Each tour is planned as a capstone for the study of Western civilization that lies at the heart of the Academy curriculum.

Juniors and Seniors Plan Study Trip to Greece and Italy

Parthenon, Athens, Greece

Duomo, Florence, Italy

Coliseum, Rome, Italy

Academy Teams Are Quiz Bowl Whizzes

Hillsdale Academy teams recently competed in area quiz bowl events, with fi ne results.

Upper School Quiz Bowl

On January 20, the Academy’s Upper School q u i z b o w l tea ms swept the top three places in arena competition at the Hillsdale County High School Quiz Bowl tournament. Th e team of Alice Arnn, Sarah Blackstock, Kristen Foust and Lisa York fi nished fi rst; Maura Altham, Joe Craig, James Jordan, Brian Th omas and Tera Woods fi nished second; and Elliott Braman, Tony Monroy, Rich Péwé, Charlie Ross and Ethan Smith fi nished third.

In the buzzer competition, the Academy team of Anthony Alvarez, James Gensterblum, Thomas Harner, Gaby Ruchames and Patrick Sullivan fi nished fi rst and qualifi ed for the class C/D state tournament, which will be held in April.

Coach Andrew Holm was pleased with the results. “Th e students worked hard to prepare for this year’s quiz bowl, and their eff orts were rewarded,” he said.

Seventh and Eighth Grade

At the seventh- and eighth-grade quiz bowl, held on February 3, Academy students competed against seven other area schools. Seventh-grade students competed in arena events and eighth-grade students participated in buzzer competition.

At the seventh-grade level, 14 students competed in three teams. Th e seventh-grade Academy A team won fi rst place overall, beating

H i l l s d a l e ’ s Davis Middle School team in a fi ve–question t i e – b r e a k e r. The first place team included Sabeek Pradhan, Michael Healy, Vidur Solanki

and Anders Kiledal. Th e other seventh graders who competed were Antonia Busch, Joel Calvert, Aaron Detmers, Melinda Lee, Mary Ogilvie, Emily Péwé, Chris Potts, Andrea Rodriguez-Lugo, George Smith and Katherine Vaillancourt.

In the buzzer competition, the three Academy eighth-grade teams placed fi rst, second and fourth overall. Th e fi rst-place team members were Eric Lisznyai, Andrew Alvarez, Grae Barber, Katie Rose and Michelle McAvoy. Th e team of Paul Burns, Alex Payne, McKenzie Schissler, Chase Vear and Daniel Karlovich earned second place and the fourth-place team members were Peter Sullivan, Sawyer Moss, Kayla Berro, Heather Lantis and Katelyn Wollet.

Fifth and Sixth Grade Results

On March 3, Academy fi fth- a n d s i x t h -grade teams c o m p e t e d against seven other schools and took home f i r s t p l a c e t roph i e s i n the arena and buzzer events. The fifth-grade Academy A team of Klaus Payne, Max Lee, Courtney Wollet and Allexys Oakley won the arena competition. Th e Academy B team, consisting of Hannah Stechschulte, Victoria Heckenlively, Holly Garnett and Laura Steckbeck tied for third place overall.

Th e sixth-grade Academy B team of Dillon and Hunter Murray, Chrissy Craig, Sigrid Kiledal and Elyse Lisznyai took the trophy in the buzzer competition. Th e Academy A team of Taylor Th ayer, Andrew Ruchames, Chip Blood, Alex Vann and Hannah Smith garnered fourth place.

“I am, as always, very pleased, impressed, and proud of our students in their good accomplishments,” said Academy Headmaster Dr. Ken Calvert.

Alice Arnn, Sarah Blackstock, Kristen Foust, Lisa YorkPhoto: Hillsdale Daily News

Max Lee, Allexys Oakley, Courtney Wollet, Klaus Payne

Dillon Murray, Sigrid Kiledal, Elyse Lisznyai, Hunter Murray, Chrissy Craig

Student Accolades

Senior Earns DAR Good Citizen Award

Senior Alice Arnn was recently awarded the Good Citizen Award by the Coldwater

chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).Alice earned this distinction by writing the winning essay among area schools in the DAR chapter’s annual high school essay contest. According to the DAR Web site,

the essays are judged for historical accuracy, adherence to topic, organization of materials, interest, originality, spelling, grammar, punctuation and neatness. Alice will now move on to the state competition.

Academy students have submitted winning essays for the past six years, according to 12th-grade advisor Deanna Ducher. Th e winning students are listed below.

2002 - Erin Somerville 2003 - Andrea Shepherd 2004 - Naomi Woods 2005 - Lindsay Horton2006 - Maria Blood

Eighth grader Elizabeth Th omas was awarded second place for her harp performance in the inaugural ArtWorks Music Scholarship Competition held at

Hillsdale College in January. Twenty-eight students competed in the event, which off ered top performers a cash award, payable as reimbursement for music purchases such as lessons or instruction materials. ArtWorks of Hillsdale, the county’s arts council, organized the Music Scholarship Competition to off er performance opportunities for the county’s young musicians.

Seventh grader Sabeek Pradhan was the winner of the Academy’s annual Geography Bee. He has qualified for National Geographic’s state Geography

Bee to be held at Central Michigan University on March 30.

Mallory Erwin, fifth grade, finished sixth in the Knights of Columbus Statewide Spelling Bee, held in Standish, Michigan. Eighth grader Alex Payne

also competed in the state Bee, fi nishing among the top students in the competition’s upper division. Th e students advanced through local and regional rounds to reach the state fi nals.

Philosophy of Education continued from page 3

convince my father that being a teacher, despite the lack of fi nancial gain, was what I wanted to do with my life, teaching has been my career of choice.

Teaching is extremely rewarding, especially when you get letters from current and former students thanking you for what you taught them and letting you know how much you are appreciated.

Education is the key to success. It is an age-old adage that knowledge is power, but it holds true. Education aff ects who someone is and what they become. It is something so precious—an eternal gift that cannot be taken away. I know what education has meant and will continue to mean in my life. I love to discover new things, and I want to encourage children to never stop learning. As an educator, I make it my personal goal to continue my education, to be the best teacher that I can be for my students. Education truly is a life-long process, and it should never end in our lifetime.

I believe true learning occurs when children are interested and are actively involved in the process. My hope is that students see this desire in me and appreciate my passion for knowledge.

I thoroughly enjoy being able to teach a wide age range of students and subjects at Hillsdale Academy. I appreciate the fact that Hillsdale Academy maintains the high standards that are set for its students. I feel that the Academy expects excellence from every student, and that we truthfully hold to the mission statement: to “nurture the child’s humanity—spirit, mind and body—with a constant view to the potential adult.”

✦ Th e annual Academy ski trip to Bittersweet Ski Resort was a success. More than 50 students and their families enjoyed skiing and snowboarding for the day on January 25.

✦ Mrs. Karen Somerville’s fifth- and sixth-grade classes attended a February 1 performance of the play No Nonsense, Please at Siena Heights University in Adrian.

✦ Th e Lower School’s annual roller skating party at Stadium Roller Rink was well-attended, with both students and parents taking to the fl oor to skate.

Winter Field Trips and Activities

Colts Charging To Victories

Seventh grader Chris Potts

Varsity Basketball Team Reaches Milestones

The Hillsdale Academy boys varsity basketball team, led by senior captain Thomas Harner and a talented group of sophomores, including Ethan Smith and Patrick Sullivan, achieved several milestones this year. Th ey fi nished the season 13-7, their fourth straight winning record, and second place in the Mid-South Conference at 8-2, making it four straight years of second or better fi nishes in the conference. The team also won the Colt Classic Tournament.

SeniorTh omas Harner

Coach Miller Honored for 400th Win

Head coach Max Miller reached an impressive feat, earning his 400th boys varsity basketball career win with a Colts Homecoming weekend victory over New Covenant Christian. Coach Miller will return in the 2007-2008 school year for his 50th season of coaching and will be joined by four returning starters as the Colts shoot for even bigger things next season. Athletic Director Mike Roberts

and Coach Max MillerColt Fans

Varsity Volleyball Team Excited for a Match

Volleyball Team Breaks RecordsNot to be outdone, the Hillsdale Academy girls volleyball team set several new marks as well, including a new team record for regular season wins at 36, and broke the old mark for tournaments won in a season by winning the Breckenridge and Leslie Invitationals. Th e Colts also set a new standard for excellence in the Mid-South Conference, repeating as champions for the fourth straight year with an 8-0 record. Led by junior middle hitter Clara Leutheuser, senior setter Katie Cervini and a deep and talented supporting cast, the Colts also won their second straight district title, sweeping rival Camden-Frontier in the fi nal match.The Colts then made history by winning the program’s fi rst regional match and title. Th e season came to an end in the state quarterfi nals against top-ranked Battle Creek St. Philip.With several members returning, head coach Matt Miller and his team will look toward even bigger goals in 2008.

Lady Colts District Champs

Homecoming FestivitiesAcademy students and faculty celebrated Spirit Week from February 19-23, culminating in Homecoming weekend festivities that included a varsity basketball game against New Covenant Christian and the Homecoming dance. During halftime at the game, the Lower School spirit stick was awarded to Mrs. Charyl Sanford’s third and fourth graders, and the Upper School spirit stick went to the senior class. Also during halftime, the 12 members of the senior class were announced and escorted onto the court by their parents or guardians. Seniors Th omas Harner and Josephine Boakye were crowned Homecoming king and queen. Homecoming King Th omas Harner

and Homecoming Queen Josephine Boakye

VOL. 5, NO. 2 WINTER 2007

A cademy L ane

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Hillsdale AcademyOne Academy Lane ♦ Hillsdale, MI 49242

Phone: 517-439-8644 ♦ Fax: 517-607-2794 www.hillsdale.edu/academy

Mrs. Karen Somerville’s fifth- and sixth-grade class competed in the annual Academy science fair in February, with creative results. Students had to come

up with a topic for their projects, apply the scientifi c method to design their experiments and test their hypotheses, and explain their results.

Klaus Payne won the grand prize for fi fth grade with his project, “Do Bigger Bucks Buy Bigger Bouncing Balls?” and Dillon Murray was awarded the grand prize for sixth grade with “Can a Christmas Tree Stay Fresh Longer by Using a Preservative Formula?” Joan

Lagassee, librarian/special events, again coordinated this year’s science fair.

Blue ribbons were awarded to the projects of three other fi fth graders: Hannah Stechschulte, “How Does Temperature Aff ect the Rate of Crystal Growth?”; Liam Wolfram, “Which Drink Has the Most Vitamin C?” and Courtney Wollet, “Th e Burning Question: What Antacid Works Best?” Th e six other sixth graders winning a blue ribbon for

their projects were: Sigrid Kiledal, “How Does Salinity Aff ect Algae Growth?”; Chip Blood, “How Does Running Distances at the Same Speed Affect Your Heart Rate?”; Hunter Murray, “Which Commercial Ant Trap Attracts the Most Ants?”; Chrissy Craig, “Which Solution Cleans Pennies Best?”; Andrew Ruchames, “Which Brand of Battery Lasts the Longest?”; and Elyse Lisznyai, “What is the Probability of Rolling Snake Eyes with 2 Die?”

Judging this year’s competition were Dr. Paul Lucas, retired Hillsdale College physics professor, Mrs. Katy Caspar, former Academy Upper School science teacher, and Mr. Chris Heckle, Academy Upper School science teacher.

“Th e students put a lot of thought and creativity into deciding on their topics and conducting the experiments,” Mrs. Lagassee said. “Th e science fair is a great way to get kids excited about science and encourages them to explore their own abilities.”

Budding Scientists Showcase Skills at Science Fair

Klaus Payne

Dillon Murray

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