L to R: Hannah Headlee, Milla Reed, Nicole Cooley, Natalie Headings, Sarah Grissom, Cheyanne Knepp, Eli McKee, Not pictured: Mr. & Mrs. Bettinger, Emily Mayer See story on page 5

Administrator’s Angle

Mr. Brice Kauffman There is a flurry of activity happening

throughout the building in every

direction. This issue gives the details

of activities that have been taking

place here at Shekinah over the past

month. We have also been meeting

with a variety of businesses to plan for

the summer projects funded by the

Traditions Campaign.

As I consider just how busy our

lives can be, I’m reminded again of

our mission: to inspire students through programs and

relationships to become engaged lifelong learners who glorify

Jesus Christ while impacting their community. Our mission is

not accomplished alone. Our growth can be attributed to the

incredible and sacrificial gift of volunteer time that helps us

accomplish our mission.

So, before we reach the end of this school year and focus our

attention on our graduates and the academic achievements of

our students, I want to take a moment to recognize all of you

who have volunteered time to make education at Shekinah

possible. Remember the countless hours you have invested in

the Festival? Or the countless hours you have helped in the

school office? Or served on the PTO? Or assisted with work

projects around the school that no one even knows about?

Words fail to express my gratitude for your efforts. I’ve been at

Shekinah three years now, and I still come across tasks and ask:

“Who built this? Who repaired this? Who used to do this in the

past?” I’m reminded frequently that there are many unsung

heroes at Shekinah.

Whether you are a parent, grandparent, alumnus, or

community member, your efforts are not in vain. I’m thankful

for the board members and parents who show up every time

there is an opportunity to serve. I’m also thankful for those of

you that I don’t even know who have built, repaired,

maintained, and donated so that 40 years later Shekinah is still

providing quality education from a Biblical worldview.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of writing this column is

hearing from those of you who read it. Always feel free to drop

me a line: bkauffman@shekinahchristian.org. I recently made

a quick trip to Illinois to visit with family. My grandparents,

Henry & Martha Plank, both told me they noticed I hadn’t

written in the last two newsletters. It was encouraging to know

they were following along with the happenings here at

Shekinah. They may spend much of their time at an assisted

living facility in Arthur, IL, but they pray for their

grandchildren and the work that God has called them to. I may

never know this side of Heaven how many times God has

provided for Shekinah or provided wisdom in decision-making

as a result of the prayers of grandparents, alumni, and the

Shekinah family.

Your prayers and volunteer time make things possible like

Enrichment Week; athletics; our spring musical, Mary Poppins; and

a Spanish III trip to Argentina . Read on to learn more.

Third Quarter Honor Roll

A Honor Roll Kindergarten —Kate Bontrager, Maddux Coleman, Abby Good, Isaac Kramer, Alaya Pappas 1st—Kaylen Burns, Cecilia Eichorn, Moses Good, Kate Helmuth, Olivia Hudnutt, Stella Kosik, Emma Kramer, Isaiah Miller 2nd—Ashlynn Andrews, Rebecca Eichorn, Chloe Helmuth, Kylie Schlabach, AJ Yoder, Hannah Yutzy 3rd—Eleyna Beachy, Raphael De Telder, Rachel Eichorn, Bristol Kramer, Ben Miller, Camden Miller, Quinten Purdy 4th—Abigail De Telder. Austin Helmuth, Ethan Helmuth, Jayce Yoder 6th—Annie Good, Riley Helmuth, Taylor Helmuth, Alinea Slabaugh, 7th –Wyatt Helmuth, Rachel Jones, Savannah Knepp 8th - Lilly Kilzer, Danae Wilcox 9th – Brooke Cooley, Sierra Knepp, Sydney Lyons, Danielle Wilcox 10th –Graham Coblentz, Kent Gingerich, Tanner Headings, Josh Showalter 11th –Sierra Coblentz, Anthony Conte, Rebecca Grissom, Alissa Miller, Mandi Scheffel, Kloe Yutzy 12th –Stephen Byars, Nicole Cooley, Cole Gingerich, Sarah Grissom, Natalie Headings, Hannah Headlee, John Michael Hershberger, Ian Jones, Cheyanne Knepp, Milla Reed

Merit Honor Roll 1st— Carmen Gallaher 3rd— Evelyn Simmons 4th —Lindsey Cooley, Elaina Kosik, 5th —Alex Bauermeister, Emily Good, Ruby Gossard, Max Kilzer, Peyton Purdy, Cassidy Wise, Elijah Yutzy 6th —Roxie Gossard, Andy Yoder 7th – Maryaisha Albert, Anais Bauerrmeister Rylee Headings, Makenna Wise 8th - Shay Greenwell, Connor Slabaugh, Andrew Yutzy 9th – Danielle Headings 10th –Kelsey Beachy, Makayla Byars, Shelby Dawson, Rachel Hunter, 11th –Ben Hershberger, Savannah Kilzer, Whitney Rivers, Jana Schlabach, Jeanie Schlabach, Malia Schrader, 12th –Eli McKee, Madison Miller

The cast and crew of Mary Poppins Jr. includes 40

students in grades 6 through 12. The students are a

mix of experienced actors and those trying out the

stage for the first time. The rehearsals, which began

mid-January, run three to five days weekly.

Sophomore Joel Headings, playing the role of

Robertson Aye/Bank Chairman said, “I am excited

for the upcoming performance. It will be a great

show. If you want good entertainment for an evening,

come on down to Shekinah!”

“I am very excited for Mary Poppins. It is nice to

have a lot of different people participate, and I think

the shows are going to go really well,” said Whitney

Rivers, a junior playing the role of Miss Andrew.

Sophomore Josh Showalter said confidently, “I

feel like we will pull off a great performance and lots

of people will enjoy it.”

Student director for the show is senior Nicole

Cooley, who participated in Seussical Jr. in 2016.

“Student directing is slightly stressful but very

rewarding. Watching everyone working together to

create something almost unimaginable is a privilege

to witness,” Cooley said.

Funds raised by the musical performances will go

toward supporting future fine arts productions at

Shekinah Christian. ~Micah Zimmerman

RBC BRIDGE Intern

Shekinah Christian School will present Mary

Poppins Jr. on April 19-22 in the Shekinah

gymnasium/auditorium. The opening night

performance will begin with a lasagna dinner at 6:00

p.m. on April 19. On April 20-21, the performances

will be at 7 p.m. and on April 22, there will be a

matinee performance at 3.00 p.m. Ticket prices at the

door are $10 for adults and $7 for seniors and

students. Tickets purchased in advance on

www.shekinahchristian.org are $7 for adults, $5 for

students and $25 for a family of five or more. The

Dinner Theater tickets which are $25 each will not

be sold at the door.

Brice Kauffman, administrator at Shekinah, had

this to say about the upcoming performance: “Since

Julie Pratt has taken over our fine arts program, our

public performances have been top notch. The first

production she produced two years ago surpassed ex-

pectations. The students participating this year seem

to be excited as ever about the upcoming

performance. I think this is a can’t-miss event for

anyone who enjoys fine arts or who enjoys

supporting Shekinah students.”

Mary Poppins Jr. is Mrs. Pratt’s second show at

Shekinah. “The show is shaping up to be a great

production!” Pratt said. In 2016, Pratt directed

Seussical the Musical Jr., and that show was a big hit

in the Shekinah community.

Mixed green salad

with strawberries, feta, slivered

almonds, poppy seed dressing

Entree:

Lasagna with

roasted Italian style asparagus

Bread:

Toasted baguettes

with garlic herb dipping sauce

Dessert:

Lemon bundt cake with fruit

compote

Gluten Free Menu

(by request)

One day in

March, Chris and

Rebecca Kramer

spent chapel time

with the junior high

and high school stu-

dents sharing the

story of their

relationship.

Speaking from

their perspectives

as Shekinah graduates (‘02 & ‘03)who dated each

other while they were in high school, the Kramers

gave some advice and issued some cautions to cur-

rent Shekinah 7th-12th grade students.

Mr. Aaron Miller

opened our chapel on

March 28 with some

timely words to

encourage Shekinah

students to “be positive,

encourage and embrace

being the underdog.”

Mr. Kauffman then

spoke to junior high and

high school students

about treating each other

with respect and

friendliness and to take ownership. He asked the

questions: “Are you a bystander or a supporter?”

“How do you want to be treated?” and “How

should we handle violations?” He wrote students’

responses on poster paper and challenged us to

consider how to change our patterns of relating.

March 7—Chris and Rebecca Kramer

March 28, & April 4—Mr. Brice Kauffman

How’s Your Vertical?

In our chapel

time on April 4,

Mr. Kauffman

continued the

theme from the

previous chapel

by addressing the

entire student

body. His main

emphasis was that

“our horizontal

relationships are directly impacted by our vertical

relationship.”

Using the passage from Psalm 103: 10-13, Mr.

Kauffman gave us a picture of what kind of a father

God is to us. God is a father who does not give us

what we deserve, but rather, He has compassion on

us. If we ask for help He doesn’t say, “Ha, ha, I’m not

going to help you.” Mr. Kauffman asked Jude Reed,

who plays baseball, to come to the front. He showed

that if Jude asked for a baseball to improve his throw,

Mr. Kauffman wouldn’t give him a stress ball instead.

To further illustrate this description of the kind of

father God is to us, Mr. Kauffman told about an

experience he had as a young boy going to the doctor

to get a shot. Because of his extreme fear of needles,

the young Mr. Kauffman had quite an extreme

reaction to getting the necessary shot. When it was all

over, he deserved a spanking or to be kicked out of the

doctor’s office. Instead, the doctor gave him a signed

baseball as he was leaving.

Even though we don’t deserve forgiveness, God

shows His compassion toward us. If our vertical

relationship with Jesus is what it should be we will

treat others in our horizontal relationships with

compassion and forgiveness.

On March 12, this year’s Spanish III class left for an adventure of a lifetime in Argentina. After traveling all night on Tuesday, the first day consisted of exploring the city Buenos Aires, finding places to eat, and lots of walking. Our group stayed at the YWAM base in Ituzaingo, until Saturday morning. We spent our time talking to the youth, playing games, and playing with a few kids. On Thursday we were very busy in the morning preparing a Bible skit and a lesson. These were for kids at an afterschool program affiliated with the base. After the teaching we played games with the kids, chased them, gave piggy back rides and just loved on them. Some exciting things took place on Friday. Milla, Natalie and I had the opportunity to speak in chapel at an English school. What made this day exciting was not all of our group made it to the correct location. Jim Bettinger along with Cheyanne, Hannah and Sarah were taken to the wrong school. After a train ride and some walking, we were reunited. The journey home was not very pleasant. It took train, subway, and bus rides to get us back to the base all totaling around four hours of public transportation. That evening we helped prepare a meal for the base, attended a worship service held there, and hung out with some youth late into the night. That evening was filled with praise, laughter, and maybe some attempts at communication. Saturday at 11:30 we left the base to return to the capital. The first place we visited was an above ground cemetery. It was creepy yet beautiful and amazing. The cemetery was like a maze. Mrs. Bettinger set us loose to explore and take some pretty neat pictures. Later, we walked around and looked at some street vendors. Our final destination (before eating of course) was this beautiful metal flower in the middle of a circle of water. The flower moves and opens and closes with the sun. After traveling and walking all day, we slept well that night.

~Nicole Cooley

Spanish III Trip to Argentina

On Sunday, our last day in Buenos Aires before leaving for Bariloche, we went to La Boca (Mrs. Bettinger’s “enemy” town). Most everyone we encountered on the trip were Boca soccer fans. Mrs. Bettinger, however, is a die hard River Plate fan which is their rival. La Boca is such a vibrant town, full of color and life. Most of the walls on the street are painted either a solid bright color or with beautiful murals. After La Boca we made our way to the Japanese Gardens. We wandered through the gardens looking at the beautiful trees and koi fish until it closed. That night, we stuffed our backpacks as full as humanly possible for the next

few days in Bariloche. Stepping foot in Bariloche was breathtaking for a few reasons. It was a shock to my system to feel the cold wind on my face after being in balmy Buenos Aires. The mountains and lakes I saw in the distance also took my breath away. The hotel we stayed at in Bariloche was my favorite of the trip because I got a view of the lake and mountains as I ate my dulce de leche at breakfast every morning. Our first night there was spent walking through

the quaint streets and walking into every chocolate shop we came across (which was a lot). You couldn’t take 50 steps without walking by a chocolate shop. I wasn’t complaining. The next few days were filled with ski-lifts, mountain climbing (for me, in slippers), and chocolate eating. The view on top of Cerro Catedral, which was 7,890 ft. high, was absolutely the most beautiful thing I have laid eyes on in my life thus far. It was incredibly windy. You could almost lean against the wind and it would keep you standing. We were encouraged not to do this, of course, as we were on the edge of a mountain. I couldn’t help but marvel at God’s artistry as I stood on the top of that mountain. I could barely breathe from how strong the wind was, but it didn’t matter at all. I couldn’t take my eyes off of the scenery. I know that I will never forget the memories, and Argentina will always have a special place in my heart. God used this trip to change my perspective on so many things, and I am so grateful for it.

~Milla Reed

The Adventure Begins in Buenos Aires On to Bariloche

March 18-23 marked Shekinah’s first ever Enrichment Week. It was a great week filled with many unique opportunities for the whole student body.

Elementary students started the week by visiting Yonie’s Greenhaus to learn how plants grow. They then visited Yutzy’s Farm Market to learn how to plant. Tuesday, Dr. Kara Callahan ‘09, a student doctor; Jason Miller, a fireman; Dr. Lynn, a veterinarian; and Phil Shetler, an optometrist; each spoke to the students about their occupations. The kids could

ask questions and even had the chance to observe Dr. Lynn doing a check up on a little Chihuahua. Thursday the K-2nd grades took an etiquette class and a “Money Matters” class, while the 3rd-6th grades put together and painted bird

houses. During the afternoon, the 3rd-6th grade girls took part in REFIT, and the boys took a “mystery class.” On the last day of Enrichment Week the entire elementary took a slime workshop, and split up again in the afternoon for more activities. For the junior high and high school students the

days were split into four one-hour blocks with a fifth

Shekinah Students Experience an Enriching Week

90-minute block and a 45-minute break for lunch. Each block was split into four different tracks that students could choose between to fill up their day. Some tracks that students could choose were home economics. business, life skills, Christian life, creative arts, athletics, and community service. Each track then offered different classes and opportunities for students throughout the week. For example, in home economics, students learned how to make bread, chocolate Easter eggs, and how to sew, as well as taking a class in etiquette and lettering. Life skills classes took a closer look at personal finance and conflict management. The community service

students spent time at various organizations around the Plain City community including Edgewater, D.N.A., the Country Closet, and the Plain City Parks & Rec. One class in creative arts worked on designing

the set for our upcoming musical, Mary Poppins. Many students really enjoyed Enrichment Week and what they learned from it. When asked what she learned from Enrichment Week, Malia Schrader said, “One of the really helpful things I learned throughout the week was about personal finance, how to save money, and all about how banks and credit unions run. That was really help-ful because I'll be going to college soon and will need to know about my finances.” Seventh grader, Rylee Headings answered what her favorite class was by saying, “I enjoyed community service because we could see that the people were so thankful that we were there to help.” Anthony Conte noted, “My favorite class was conflict management because I learned valuable skills regarding how to deal with conflict that will be useful for a lifetime.”

As Lilly Kilzer puts it, “Enrichment Week was a fun week, and I wouldn’t mind if there was another in the future.” ~Alissa Miller (11th)

*Alumni Editor & Layout: Linda Shetler * Student Editor: Alissa Miller *BRIDGE Intern: Micah Zimmerman

Phone 614-873-3130 * Fax 614-873-3699 * E-mail schooloffice@shekinahchristian.org * website: shekinahchristian.org

Shekinah Christian School

10040 Lafayette-P.C. Road

Plain City, OH 43064

The Student Activity Booster Club would like to thank

our GOLD, SILVER & Bronze Level Sponsors

for their generous support!

Country Closet Thrift Shop; Plain City Village Market;

Plain City Animal Hospital; Buckeye State Pipe;

Yutzy’s Farm Market; The Glassman;

R & T Yoder Electric; Cooley Custom Cabinetry;

WOW Painting and Contracting; Rosedale Bible College;

Lyon & Son’s Collision Center;

Jessica Photography

Mark your calendars……

April 10-12—Achievement Testing

April 13—Prof. Dev. Day 12:30 dismissal

April 13—Afternoon Musical Practice

April 19—Mary Poppins/Dinner Theater

6:00 p.m.

April 20-21 - Mary Poppins Musical—

7:00 p.m.

April 22 - Afternoon Matinee –3:00 p.m.

April 24-26– ACT Aspire

May 4—May Bible Memory Due

May 11—Spring Fine Arts Showcase K-12

May 18—Jr/Sr Banquet

May 22—Bible Memory Field Trip

May 24—No School Staff Work Day

May 25—Last Day –Awards Dismissal 12:00

Graduation Class of 2018 7:00 p.m.

Alumni, we love to hear from you!

We want your news. Please email us at

theflame@shekinahchristian.org with your birth

announcements, wedding announcements, or any other

significant news.