THE GENEVA SCHOOL NEWSLETTER MAY 21 2013 THE COURIER THE COURIER Student Edition The Geneva School Class of 2013 By Anthony Hooks, 10th Grade In just a few short days, e Geneva School Class of 2013 will walk across the stage at Willow Creek Church to receive their diplomas. is moment will mark for all of our seniors the beginning of an exciting new chapter in their lives. ree of our seniors have been at Geneva since kindergarten (Jordan Stewart, Lily Cloke, and Shannon Riley) and, for the most part, the class has spent the bulk of the last four years together. ey went through the fantastic freshmen year, the shape- shifting sophomore year, the jarring junior year, and the super senior year. ey made it and are now about to graduate. e class has faced many struggles in their journey and worked incredibly hard to achieve their goals. We will miss our seniors dearly, so before they go on to college, turn the page to read some of their reflections on their lives together at Geneva. Commencement Exercises • May 24, 2013 • 2 pm • Willow Creek Church, Winter Springs e entire Geneva community is invited to attend. Dr. Phillip Donnelly will give the commencement address: Dr Donnelly joined the TGS Advisory Board in 2013. He is director of the Great Texts Program in the Honors College at Baylor University. Before Baylor, he taught at the University of Ottawa and at Texas Tech University.
Transcript
THE GENEVA SCHOOL
NEWSLETTERMAY 21 2013
THE COURIERTHE COURIERStudent Edition
The Geneva School Class of 2013By Anthony Hooks, 10th Grade
In just a few short days, Th e Geneva School Class of 2013 will walk across the stage at Willow Creek Church to receive their diplomas. Th is moment will mark for all of our seniors the beginning of an exciting new chapter in their lives. Th ree of our seniors have been at Geneva since kindergarten (Jordan Stewart, Lily Cloke, and Shannon Riley) and, for the most part, the class has spent the bulk of the last four years together.
Th ey went through the fantastic freshmen year, the shape-shifting sophomore year, the jarring junior year, and the super senior year. Th ey made it and are now about to graduate. Th e class has faced many struggles in their journey and worked incredibly hard to achieve their goals. We will miss our seniors dearly, so before they go on to college, turn the page to read some of their refl ections on their lives together at Geneva.
Commencement Exercises • May 24, 2013 • 2 pm • Willow Creek Church, Winter SpringsTh e entire Geneva community is invited to attend.
Dr. Phillip Donnelly will give the commencement address: Dr Donnelly joined the TGS Advisory Board in 2013. He is director of the Great Texts Program in the Honors College at Baylor University. Before Baylor, he taught at the University of Ottawa and at Texas Tech University.
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TGS Class of 2013Rachel Barker ~ Daytona State College ~ Nursing
Keller Bright ~ Baylor University Honors College (TX) ~ EnglishSarah Brodrecht ~ University of Central Florida Th e Burnett Honors College ~ Undecided
Edward Chandler, Jr. ~ University of Richmond (VA) ~ Chemistry and PhysicsLillian Cloke ~ Grove City College (PA) ~ Biochemistry
Ellie Dreyer ~ College of Charleston (SC) ~ CommunicationsMichael Kester ~ University of Central Florida ~ Nursing
Megan Miller ~ Florida Southern College ~ NursingAnna Meyer ~ Flagler College ~ Deaf Education
Timothy Michaud ~ University of South Florida Honors College ~ MathematicsGabriel Pederson ~ Baylor University Honors College (TX) ~ Classics and Chemistry
Wesley Reynolds ~ University of Oklahoma Honors College ~ EngineeringShannon Riley ~ Furman University (SC) ~ Health Science and Poverty Studies
Jared Rivers ~ Samford University (AL) ~ Business ManagementIsabella Seddon ~ Rollins College ~ Marine Biology and Music
Kaila Stairs ~ Pensacola Christian College ~ IllustrationJordan Stewart ~ University of Alabama Honors College ~ Undecided
Blake Trent ~ University of Central Florida ~ Aeronautical EngineeringTrip Tressler ~ University of North Florida Honors College ~ Undecided
If you could sum up your Geneva experience in one sen-tence what would it be?
• Geneva has been a wonderful, enriching, fantastic, blessed experience! ~ Ellie
• A roller coaster with lots of ups and downs, but in the end one that I wish I could do again. ~ Kaila
• God will provide! ~ Blake• Geneva is a strong, loving family that soars in faith. ~ Megan• Geneva has not always been easy, but it has been one of
the best things that has happened to me. ~ Anna• Geneva has been the rock upon which I’ve begun to
build my house. ~ Shannon• I took the road less traveled and it was completely worth
it. ~ Trip • Geneva has truly been an infl uence on my mind, heart, and
soul; it has taught me how to be a whole person. ~ Wesley• “He’s not our hero. He’s a silent guardian, a watchful
protector. A dark knight.” ~ Jared• Better than I could ever have imagined. ~ Isabella• Since I have been here for thirteen years, there is no way
to say it other than that Geneva has been my entire life. ~ Jordan
• God works in mysterious ways. ~ Tim • Fun times, sound learning, friendships, and godly
conversations are just a few of the great things that have infl uenced my time at Geneva. ~ Sarah
• It was thought-provoking and challenging. ~ Edward• My experience at Geneva has been fi lled with laughs
(mostly by me) and it has formed me into the person I am today. ~ Keller
• No matter who I talk to at this school, I always feel loved and accepted for who I really am—and I know I will miss that. ~ Rachel
• It has given me a strong foundation in both academics and my Christian faith. ~ Michael
• Geneva = academics + sports + friends + God = a great thirteen years of my life! ~ Lily
• I have loved going to school here and I will miss all of the students, faculty, staff , and even the building next year. I will also miss the family feeling that comes with Geneva’s smallness. ~ Gabe
What advice do you want to give to the rising seniors?• Don’t procrastinate. ~ Ellie • Don’t take your time here for granted, the time goes
faster than you’d think. ~ Kaila • Stay focused on what matters, and not on passing fancy.
~ Blake• Seniors, senioritis is REAL! Do not let it get to you. Ignore
it and strive to the end, fi ght to the fi nish line. ~ Megan• Complete all available parts of college applications dur-
ing the summer. ~ Shannon• Work hard, play hard, and really work at being humble
servant leaders to those in the grades below you. ~Trip• Appreciate who and what you have in your life. ~ Isabella• Enjoy every single minute of your senior year; it really is
the best. Also, RELAX! ~ Sarah
What is your favorite Geneva memory?• Strolling the streets of Boston with Mr. Clark and Dr.
Chandler. ~ Jared• Singing in choir, making music for our Lord. Oh, and
Boston. ~ Megan• Coming back to Geneva. ~ Rachel • Soccer—the games, the practices, and all the fun we had
as a team together. ~ Michael
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• Senior Skip Day; our whole class did a scavenger hunt on Park Avenue and hung out together—it was awesome. ~ Anna
• Standing in the back of Mrs. Wise’s 7th grade English class, holding her hand, and trying to hold back the tears while giving my Tarzan presentation. It reminds me of how far I’ve come since then. ~ Shannon
• Going to the Keys with my class and Miss Alexander. ~ Lily
• Driving back after singing at the Festival of Trees in my freshman year. Th e actual event was so much fun and then on the drive back we picked up a cardboard McCafe that said “Take me to McDonalds.” So we did—all dressed in out tuxes. We earned free McCafe’s for a year! ~ Jordan
• Beating Th e First Academy in the district soccer semifi -nal game this year. ~ Tim
How has God used Th e Geneva School to shape you as a person?
• Geneva has taught me how to live out my faith and how to form good relationships with my peers. ~ Kaila
• He has provided me people and encounters that have strengthened my faith, he has given me the ability to appre-ciate hard work, and let me experience leadership. ~ Blake
• Th e school has taught me how to work hard and even though the reward is not immediate or even in the fore-seeable future, not to give up. ~ Jared
• God has done so much through Geneva. I’ve learned good study habits, the importance of time management, and the value of good friendships. I’ve learned how to be a good friend and what to look for in a friend. My faith is much stronger now and my pool of knowledge is mas-sively expanded. ~ Anna
• He has used Th e Geneva School to help me attain a fi rm foundation in his Word, and I know that this will help in everything I do in life. ~ Trip
• God has used Geneva to help me become a more thoughtful and intentional Christian and student ~ Gabe
• Geneva has helped me reconcile my faith and my learn-ing as I was given the opportunity to be in community with other intelligent and genuine Christians. ~ Wesley
• God has used Th e Geneva School to make me a thought-ful person who can on the one hand sympathize with diff erent opinions and on the other hand humbly put forth answers to controversial issues. ~ Lily
• Geneva is largely responsible for every aspect of my life and has given me the best gifts possible: a fi rm Christian foundation and a passion to be a life-long learner. ~ Jordan
• He used Geneva as a means to convert me to Christiani-ty and has continually helped to confi rm my faith. ~ Tim
• Geneva has given me the tools to reason through and articu-late a position and to better know and love God. ~ Edward
• Th anks to Geneva I have a good work ethic, and a good sense of humor. ~ Keller
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Ad FontesTh is Latin phrase meaning “to the sources” has been used throughout history to encour-age scholarship that continues to return to source documents in their original languages. It is one of the reasons why at Geneva such a strong academic emphasis is placed upon learning Latin (and, for some, Greek) so as to read ancient documents in their original form. Even when it is not possible to attain reading knowledge of texts in their original language, it is still valuable to encounter them as translated into English. Far too frequent-ly students are never given the opportunity to read and study foundational authors like Homer, Virgil, Augustine, Aquinas, or docu-ments like the Constitution, Th e Federalist Papers, or historic creeds and confessions. A curricular goal at Geneva is to have students read, interpret, and understand “the sources” of the ideas, hopes, dreams, and literature of our intellectual and faith tradition.
Orthodox ChristianityHistoric orthodox Christianity is the spiritu-al basis of the Geneva community. Spanning many denominational traditions, orthodox Christianity has held to biblical and apostolic values and beliefs since the New Testament era. Geneva’s teachers look to nurture and cultivate a deep personal acceptance of these scriptural truths in their students in and through their curriculum. We strive after re-ligious truth and the love of learning. As a practical reminder of our unity with believers through the ages we recite the Nicene Creed every Wednesday during our chapel services. Students also take classes such as philosophy, theology, and logic to help them understand the school’s orthodox beliefs. Personal faith and a maturing understanding of our beliefs are key to a successful, personal relationship with God, thus they are emphasized at Th e Geneva School.
The Geneva School Story BoardsBy Robert Ingram, Headmaster
Here are fi ve of the twenty-two Story Boards that now adorn the walls at the main campus. Th ey are graphi-cally designed to highlight aspects of Geneva’s mission, vision, values, and distinctives. Th ey capture the es-sence of Geneva in pictures and words that inspire us to tell the Geneva story to family and friends. If you haven’t yet seen them, the next time you are at the main campus, walk slowly through the halls and take them all in.
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Great ConversationsAntiquity has yielded many big ideas and questions that are still asked in the present day. Philosophers, historians, and theologians have mused about such ideas as war and peace, love, justice, God, truth, and happiness. Th ese are substantial ideas that well-educated people should continue to discuss. Th ese cultured concepts have intrigued people in all times and in all cultures. Th e goal of Geneva’s clas-sical education is to help our students join in these great conversations. In order to join these conversations, we must be familiar with them, and that is what Geneva seeks to do for all our students. With this unique opportunity of reading and discussing topics such as these, students will be capable of becoming a voice in the great conversations.
Th e TriviumOxford University in England, together with other great universities in Europe, has under-stood that Christian classical education can be understood in part through the Trivium. Th e Trivium, a three-fold path or way, is composed of the grammar, dialectic, and rhetoric stages. Th e grammar stage empha-sizes the basic facts, data and understanding of each discipline; the dialectic emphasizes logic and notions of truth; while the rhetoric adds the dimension of winsome and per-suasive communication of the truth. Th e Trivium is an essential part of a liberal arts education, and one that has stood the test of time with proven results.
Pursuing Goodness, Truth & BeautySince antiquity, these three virtues have been associated together as classical ideals. Th e poets and philosophers of classical Greece and Rome established these as goals or attributes to which people ought to aspire. Goodness had an ethi-cal and moral connotation; truth had reference to philosophical and theological understanding; beauty was understood as an aesthetical quality that expressed all things lovely. As Christians we know that these triadic virtues also speak of God’s attributes. God is certainly good; Jesus claimed to be the Truth; and the Scriptures de-scribe Jesus as a beautiful savior. It is the hope of Th e Geneva School that each student and mem-ber of this community will personally embrace and live out these virtues.
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At the recent Honor Society Induction Ceremony on April 19, honoring members and inductees to the National Honor Society (NHS) as well as Mu Alpha Th eta, the National Art Honor Society, and the International Th espian Society, Mr. Kevin Clark addressed the entire upper school and the parents of the inductees, speaking about the importance of these soci-eties and the honor that goes along with being inducted.
In his address, Mr. Clark referenced how the phrase Fide et literis (by faith and by learning), fi rst coined by John Colet, the fi rst dean of St. Paul’s School, London, has become something of an unoffi cial motto at Th e Geneva School. He went on to say, “We are here today because the work we are called to as a school will only come by faith and by learning. To become the vir-tuous scholars we desire for you to become is only possible by faith and by learning; your success as Christian students will only come by faith and by learning; our success as a school will only come by faith and by learning; and whatever contribution an institution likes ours will make, however humble, will only come by faith and by learning.”
New members of Mu Alpha Th eta, the National Art Honor Society, and the International Th espian Society were inducted fi rst. Mrs. Hines, the head of the drama department, congrat-ulated the thespians for their achievement in earning a mini-
mum GPA of 3.0 and a minimum of sixty points through their excellent work in the fi eld of theatre arts and therefore achieving the rank of Honor Th espian Scholar. “Th rough your diligent studies and your dedication to the performing arts, you have embodied the Th espian Motto: ‘Act well your part; there all the honor lies.’”
To be inducted into NHS, one of the na-tion’s premier organizations established to recognize outstanding high school stu-dents, in addition to a 3.5 GPA, students must have demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, leadership, service, and character. Prior to the induction of new members, NHS leaders Wesley Reyn-olds, Sarah Brodrecht, Shannon Riley, and Tim Michaud spoke about the importance of these four areas of demonstrated excel-lence.
During the past few weeks, the new mem-bers have jumped right in—attending NHS meetings and getting involved in
the spring service project collecting much-needed food for Seminole county families. Mr. Jeremiah Forshey, the faculty sponsor for Geneva’s NHS chapter, shared, “With so many students inducted this year, I am excited about the possibilities for service and leadership open to NHS. I’m very proud of the work that NHS has done this year, and I’m looking forward to seeing how next year’s group builds on their successes.
Honor Society InductionsBy Jade Kong, 11th Grade
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“As the king governs by his executive, so reason in man must rule the mere appetites by means of the ‘spirited ele-ment.’ Th e head rules the belly through the chest—the seat of magnanimity, of emotions organized by trained habit into stable sentiments.” C. S. Lewis, Th e Abolition of Man
At the Dialectic and Rhetoric Awards Ceremony on Fri-day, May 17, the faculty and administration sought to recognize students who have not only shown the grit, determination, stick-to-it-iveness, and perseverance nec-essary to achieve academically, but who also have shown
magnanimity. Th is is a wonderfully rich word which comes from the root of two Latin words: magnus which means large or great and animus which means spirit.
Perhaps the best way to translate this word is “great-hearted.” It carries the idea of a noble generosity and kindness, especially with one’s time and one’s opinions, and this is not a one-time act of generosity, but a pattern, a lifestyle of giving. Certainly our goal was to recognize students for academic achievement and hard work, but always with an eye towards magnanimity. And in fact we reserve our highest awards for just that.
Rhetoric (Girl): Anna MeyerRhetoric (Boy): Tim Michaud
NATIONAL MERITCORPORATION SCHOLARSHIP
RECOGNITIONGabe Pederson
JUNIOR MARSHALSEmily Bell
Lydia FrancisCreed Miller
CHARGE TO THEJUNIOR CLASS(as Regent of the
Rhetoric Round Table 2012-2013)Edward Chandler
SALUTATORIANSKeller Bright and Jordan Stewart
VALEDICTORIANLily Cloke
Dialectic and Rhetoric AwardsBy Jim Reynolds, Dean of Faculty
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On Monday morning, April 22, at 6:30 am the wheels on the bus went round and round, beginning the fi fth grade week-long journey back in time to colonial America. Th eir destination, the Historic Triangle, is where our country established its roots. After traveling sixteen hours, through fi ve states, they arrived in Wil-liamsburg, VA, overfl owing with excitement and anticipation.
Th ey began their explorations the next morning with a tour of the historic site of Jamestown where they walked in the footsteps of John Smith, Pocahontas, and many of the individuals that made great sacrifi ces without the slightest idea that they were planting a settlement that would grow into a nation. Next, they visited the Jamestown Glassblowers before spending the remainder of the day at the Jamestown settlement, experiencing a Powhatan village, climbing the gangway and walking the decks of the Susan Constant, the Discovery, and the Godspeed. Muskets were fi red, armor was tried on, students participated in hands-on activities reconstructing the daily life of colonists in the 17th century and reliving the events of the early colonial period by visiting the Jamestown museum.
After a good night’s sleep, they dressed up in their colonial attire and spent the day in Colonial Williamsburg, fully immersed in late 18th century life in colonial America. Th e students experi-enced daily life by visiting the homes of our Virginian founding fathers, attending the noon-day prayer service at Bruton Parish Church, and reenacting activities in the Capitol building. Th ey visited trade shops, merchants, dined in a local tavern, and end-ed the day dancing in the Governor’s Palace. Mrs. Shriner com-mented, “Th e students got a good sense for the tensions that were mounting between the colonies and England which led to the Revolutionary War.”
Williamsburgby L.J. Noel
11th Grade
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After a trip on Th ursday to Shirley Plantation and then to Monticello, the home of our third President where they enjoyed a beautiful Virginia landscape, their week culmi-nated with a visit to the Yorktown Historic Battlefi elds and Yorktown Victory Center. Here the students walked the grounds where actual steps were taken to further our quest for independence. Men like George Washington and La-fayette stood in victory over the British commander Corn-wallis on that very soil. At the Victory Center, students experienced life in rural Virginia in the late 18th century, reenacted life as a soldier in the Continental Army Encamp-ment, and revisited the events leading up to the founding of our country in the extensive museum. Still bursting with energy, they headed back to colonial Williamsburg to do some souvenir shopping and enjoy a celebratory dinner before heading back to the hotel to pack and ready them-selves for the sixteen-hour bus journey home the next day.
History had come to life! Th e fi fth graders realized more deeply the sacrifi ces that were made, the hardships that were endured, and the passion and commitment that were needed in the settling and founding of this great country. Mrs. Burrows remarked, “We experienced history with all of our senses and gained a great appreciation for our hum-ble beginnings. We came to realize that we too are creating history, and that brings a strong sense of responsibility. We walked away with a better understanding of the impor-tance of our education and the realization that our choices can carry far reaching consequences. We also grew in our relationships with each other and our resolve to make the most of the opportunities we have been aff orded so that we can grow in the knowledge and wisdom necessary to become the future leaders of our country.”
Bringing Historyto Life
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Th e eighth grade Boston trip has been an exciting tradition at Th e Geneva School for many years, and one that students eagerly anticipate. Even though tragedy had struck Boston in early April, this year was no exception—the eighth grade went ahead with the trip, trusting that God would protect them. Th ey had a wonderful time, creating many memories and learning much.
Th e four-day trip was packed with visiting new places and bonding with old friends. On Tuesday, April 30, after rendezvousing at Orlando International Airport at 5:30 am, the students arrived in Boston, checked in at their ho-tel, and later walked the Freedom Trail and took the Skywalk tour. Jeanine Buxton commented, “Th e Freedom Trail gave me insight into Boston, and it reminded me of all the history I’d learned.” After a very full day, the exhausted students got a good night’s sleep, and anticipated the days to come. On Wednesday, they took a tour at the Museum of Fine Arts, exploring the Egypt exhibits, and also went to Trinity Church.
Th ursday was full of adventure as the students visited the USS Constitution, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and attended a concert at Boston Con-servatory. Before returning home on a late fl ight Friday, they visited Mas-sachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University. Th roughout the week, the students walked an average of ten miles a day, so sitting on the plane on the way home was a welcome rest.
BOSTONMay, 2013
by Efi Nelson, 11th Grade
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Th e trip was a success on many levels—students were able to experience city-life and transportation for a few days; they had the opportunity to immerse themselves in both the history and the culture that Boston has to off er; they were able to connect the history they had learned in the classroom with what they were experiencing, sometimes seeing things in per-son that they had previously only seen in textbooks; and they got to spend many hours with their friends. Grant Dunnavan refl ected, “I really enjoyed getting to know my friends better and learning to appreciate more what old America was really like. I really got a sense of history. Everything was so much slower.”
Upon refl ection Mr. Clark said, “I had a student remark to me that she had never thought of going to a big city and doing anything other than going to a ball game or shopping; now things like art museums, looking at architecture, attending churches, going to local restaurants, seeking out local music venues, etc. are completely on her map. As she told me this I said, ‘Mission accomplished.’ I see my job as a teacher as opening possibilities like this.”
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A fi ve-person team of Geneva stu-dents, calling themseves the Aquatic Knights, participated in the Florida regional MATE-ROV competition on Saturday, April 27, in Miami. Th is was one of twenty-two regional com-petitions that took place in the USA, Canada, Hong Kong, Scotland, and Japan. Last year two Geneva se-niors participated on a team with two students from another school and took third place at the MATE-ROV international competition. Th is year, the team consisted of all Geneva students: Danny Downward (11th grade; Captain and Treasurer), Heather Miller (8th grade; web de-signer and secretary), Andrew Math-ias (8th grade; manipulator design-er), Ben Reynolds (9th grade; control board creator and pit crew), and Luke Pol-lack (9th grade; frame and motor mounts builder).
Th e Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Center is a national partnership of organizations work-ing to improve marine technical education and helping to pre-pare America’s future workforce for ocean related occupa-tions. Th e MATE competition chal-lenges K-12, community college, and university students from all over the world to design and build remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to tackle missions modeled after scenarios from the ocean workplace.
Geneva’s young team bonded to-gether to create an underwater robot, working on the project nearly every Saturday since August 2012. With a budget of only $1,000 that was ob-
tained through the team’s fundraising eff orts and earning power, this was a monumental mission. Th eir robot performed tasks such as: grab, move, and lift objects; open doors; unlock a hatch; and it even incorporated an electromagnet to retrieve metal ob-jects.
After eight months of preparation, the team’s confi dence was tested during the two runs their robot had in the pool during the competition. Th ings did not go well during the fi rst run. Th eir robot, attached to a neutrally-buoyant, multiple-strand, fi fty-foot wire connected to their control board, did not adapt well to the higher water pressure. Th ey only scored 90 out of a possible 300 points. Pulling them-
selves together under the leadership of Danny Downward, the team assembled and fi xed the problem in time for the second run to score 210 out of 300. Th e team fi nished in second place by only 20 points. Th is was a great accomplish-ment—the winning team had spent $4,500 building their robot and also had additional parts donated.
Next year, the team plans on building another more advanced robot with a more powerful motor and a digital sys-tem. Th is will require better funding and thus more fundraising. However, they are very motivated to accomplish their dream of going to the national competition in Seattle, Washington.
If you are interested in helping to fund next year’s team, please contact Katie Deatherage, Geneva’s director of development.
Underwater Robots? At Geneva?By Harry Santamaria, 10th grade
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A Knightby Peter Schaefer, 10th Grade
What is the role of a knight? A knight is both a trainer and a mentor. He gives his squire tasks to do for him, and he teaches him how to be chivalrous and honorable in all that he does. In order that the “Geneva Knights” could bond with their squires, they had a massive kickball game during lunch on April 19. It was highly competitive and loads of fun.
What is the role of a squire? A squire is an assistant to a knight. He carries objects for his knight, opens doors, and assists others in need.
What did you have your squire do?My squire carried binders, books, and occasionally my lunch box. He held doors for people and he picked up trash.
How long was the process for a squire to work his way up to knighthood? Th e process began in January as the boys started their journey as pages. During this period, they had to perform household chores for two months. After being a page for two months, they advanced to the level of serving a knight as a squire.
What was the knighting ceremony like?Th e knighting ceremony was a lot of fun. It started with the squires (not yet knights) asking their ladies if they could fi ght in the tournament in their honor. Th e lady in turn pinned her ribbon to her squire soon-to-be knight’s armor. Th e tournament then began with the squires testing their skill at archery. Next was the quintain where the squires ran with a lance and struck a shield which had a sandbag on the other side so that when it was struck, it spun. Squires needed to be quick and accurate in order not to get hit by the sandbag. After the quintain, the squires dueled one another in a fi erce sword fi ght. Th e fi ghting did not cease until one of the squires was “killed.” Th e fi nal event of the tournament was the horse race where the squires with their noble steeds raced around the perimeter of the tournament grounds. While the tournament was taking place, the veteran knights, armed with a rolls of duct tape, tried their hardest to keep their squires’ armor intact and on their bodies. After the games of the tourna-ment were complete, the ladies did the Maypole dance which involved them walking around a pole with colorful ribbons weaving in and out to the sound of medieval music. After the tournament, the squires and ladies went into the sanctuary where they recited their codes of honor and were in turn knighted or dubbed Mistresses of the Robe, respectively. Once the ceremony came to an end, the veteran knights had the diffi cult task of re-moving the young knights’ armor and helping them put on their surcoats. Armed with a pair of scissors and brute determination, the young knights were cut out of their armor. Once this tedious process was over, the knights and Mistresses of the Robe went to the feast where there was a smorgas-bord of food and outstanding entertainment. What an amazing day!
Fourth Grade KnightingCeremony
Th e Knighting Ceremony is the crowning glo-ry of the fourth grade curriculum. It is an event that is the culmination of everything studied in the medieval time line. Students begin the sec-ond semester by serving at home as a page or maid of honor. Next, at school, they are part-nered with an upper school student as a squire or lady-in-waiting. After completing the bench marks, students come together for a day-long event that includes a squire’s tournament com-plete with archery, sword fi ghting, a quintain, horse race, and Maypole dance. Following the tournament, the students are honored at the Knighting Ceremony where they are dubbed knights or Mistresses of the Robe. Th e memo-rable day is celebrated with a grand feast in true medieval fashion.
Tournament winner Jay Alilin with hisTournament winner Jay Alilin with hislady-in-waiting Clara Vargas lady-in-waiting Clara Vargas
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A Mistress of the Robe
by Jocelyn Baker, 11th GradeTh e past two months with the fourth grade have been really great. When I found out that I had been chosen to be a Mistress of the Robe, I was both excited and honored. On March 1, we were introduced to our fourth grade girls during a spe-cial lunch on the fi eld. After we ate and talked, the girls got us all to play scatter ball with them. Th en the junior and senior girls began visiting their ladies-in-waiting and leaving them notes and gifts. Our job as Mistresses of the Robe was to encourage the girls to be ladylike and show Christ’s love. We did this by encouraging them from the Scriptures in our notes to them and by setting a good example. Jade Kong’s lady, Sarah Katherine Bass, said that her favorite part about having a lady was, “Seeing her everyday and getting treats from her.” I’m glad to see that we made an impact on the girls’ lives just by leaving them notes and visiting them.
On Friday, April 19, all the upper school mis-tresses were invited to a luncheon provided by the fourth grade girls. Th ey had each worked on cook-ing diff erent dishes. We had time to talk to the girls while we ate and they also recited their Pledge of Purity to us. We spoke to our girls about what the pledge meant to them and what they struggled with. It was a really fun time with our girls and I was encouraged by the conversations we were able to have about what they were learning.
Th e following week we attended the Knighting Ceremony along with our ladies. Our job during the tournament games was to encourage them to cheer on their knight as he went through each game. After the games, we watched our ladies do the Maypole dance and then we watched the ceremony with them. When it was their time to be knighted we waited for them to come off the stage and gave them a gift and their engraved sword. Emily Bell’s lady-in-waiting, Brianna Vogt, said that her favorite part of the ceremony was, “when we became Mistresses of the Robe, because it was such a joy to go through.” It was sweet to see how much the girls and their men-tors both enjoyed not just the day of the Knight-ing Ceremony but the whole knighting process.
Peter Schaefer and Grayson PeckPeter Schaefer and Grayson Peck Jocelyn Baker and Brooke GodwinJocelyn Baker and Brooke Godwin
Th e sixth grade students recently had the joy of going to Southwind Younglife camp located in Ocklawaha, FL for their spring retreat. Th e camp has lots of fun outdoor activities, such as kick ball, whiffl e ball, swim-ming, disc golf, Home Run Derby, opposite foot kick-ball, volleyball, basketball, and octaball. To go along with these activities, group worship and messages were planned for the students to help them grow closer to each other and to their Lord.
On Monday, April 22, the students, teachers, chaper-ones, and work crew arrived at Southwind with enough time to unpack before lunch was served. Th e group message each day was led by Davidson Jean-Rejouis, husband to former faculty member Katie Jean-Rejouis and worship director at Aloma Methodist Church. He also led the worship during the retreat. Using 1 Peter 3:15–16, Mr. Jean-Rejouis spoke to the students about making their faith in Jesus Christ personal and chal-lenged them to own it as they fi nish their time in the grammar school and move up to dialectic. Mr. Jean-Rejouis’ messages helped the students see their need of growing closer to God.
Some of the parents went on the trip as part of the work crew, which meant they were there to make and serve the food and clean up after each meal. Th is is what Ms. Hatcher said about being on work crew, “I signed up for this wonderful opportunity to show my child (Madison Bullock) what true servanthood was about—doing for others with nothing expected in return. I had a mindset that I would be working most of the time, getting meals and snacks ready for the kids throughout the day.” Th e parents seemed to enjoy the Southwind retreat as much as the students. Mr. Hering had this to say about be-
ing a part of the retreat, “It was a real treat to be able to help out. It confi rmed three things for me: the importance of taking time away from a busy work schedule to support my daugh-ter Christina and her classmates; how wonderful Th e Geneva School has been and continues to be in helping guide our sons’ and daughters’ spiritual, moral, and intellectual growth; and, in order to ease the fear when you ride the Screamer, the popular three-person, 30-foot-high swing at Southwind, it is essential to scream at the top of your lungs!”
On Th ursday, April 25, the students, teachers, and chaperones prepared to leave Southwind and return back to Geneva. Be-fore they left, everyone came together to share refl ections and testimonials about the retreat. When asked about her favorite activities, Maggie Segarra responded, “Free time and devotional groups. I also enjoyed the Screamer with Mrs. Brodrecht and Marie.” Marcus Miceli “enjoyed soccer, kayaking, and the re-lay race with kayaks and paddleboards.” Th e sixth grade stu-dents, teachers, and chaperones all had a really enjoyable time at Southwind while growing closer to each other and growing in their faith.
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In the same way, let your light shine be-fore others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16
Geneva students know how to shine! What an amazing year for students par-ticipating in the Multifaith Education Project (MEP). Founded in 2003, MEP is a nonpolitical, nonprofi t program for middle school students of the three Abrahamic faiths. Each year since 2009, participating dialectic students have met with students from the Jewish Academy of Orlando (JAO) and the Leaders Pre-paratory School (LPS) to learn about one another and to build bridges of un-derstanding and peace among the faiths.
Th is year was an exceptionally exciting and eventful year for MEP as it cel-ebrated its tenth year. In December, the students met at JAO, toured their cha-pel, and learned more about the Jewish faith. In February, the students, hosted by LPS, met in a mosque and learned about the fi ve tenets of Islam. Th e last gathering was hosted by TGS in April at
Winter Park Presbyterian Church. Dr. Beates and Rev. Ingram used the sym-bols present in the church sanctuary to describe the main tenets of the Christian faith, answered the students’ questions about Christianity, and our rhetoric choir demonstrated the love, light, and beauty of Christ through song.
Additionally, at the meeting in April, the City of Winter Park partnered with MEP for the Tenth Annual Trees for Peace In-terfaith Tree Planting at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park. Mayor Kenneth Bradley began the ceremony, and the program was led by Louise Franklin Sheehy, founder and director of MEP. Th e stu-dents planted ten trees which added to the more than 200 trees planted by MEP students over the past decade.
More light shone on April 20 during Winter Park’s second annual Earth Day in the Park celebration. Th ere, MEP and rhetoric MEP “graduates” joined Dale Wayne, retired TGS art teacher, to create Peace Trees, an enchanted, upcycle forest made from recycled plastic bottles, many
of which were generously re-cycled by Geneva families. Students and Geneva parents along with staff from Art-Reach Orlando worked with Earth Day attendees to create
over 1,000 colorful, spring blossoms, many carrying messages of peace. Th ese trees are currently on display at the Win-ter Park Chamber of Commerce. An ad-ditional tree created solely by the MEP students recently graced the foyer of Winter Park’s City Hall where it brought much joy to city employees and visitors.
But there is more! During the year, some dialectic students connected with Jewish and Muslim students online on the Multifaith Minecraft server, created by rhetoric student Jason Houk. Th ey learned to problem solve and create a community together. Students active on the game attended a fi eld trip to UCF’s Florida Interactive Entertainment Acad-emy (FIEA). Th is online experiment demonstrated that there are many ways to let one’s light shine.
Th is summer, MEP along with Valencia College’s Peace and Justice Initiative and UCF’s FIEA are planning an informal yet informative program. Please con-tact Lucy Roberts at [email protected] if your student is interest-ed. For dialectic students interested in participating in MEP next school year, please look for Dr. Beates’ email in the fall.
Peace. Salaam. Shalom.
Multifaith Education Project Shines!By Debbie Medina, Lucy Roberts, and Anne Vercheski
On April 11, thirteen 7th–10th grade Geneva students went to the 64th annual Florida Ju-nior Classical League (FJCL) State Forum at the Wyndham Hotel, Orlando. 2013 marks the second year that Geneva has had a JCL chapter and competed in the regional and state competitions. Our students were up to the task and competed with over 1,000 of Florida’s best Greek and Latin students. In fact, all thirteen of our students came away with at least one top-ten fi nish in their respec-tive contest(s). In addition to their individual eff orts, the junior division placed fourth in the sweepstake—a combination of the points earned from both the ludi (games) and tests.
Th e three-day event consisted of many ludi, tests, and certamen (jeopardy-style team games). Activities such as four-square and the marathon, which was actually a one-mile run, were highly contested, and our students com-peted well. Although Geneva has not formed a competitive certamen team yet, many of our students were able to participate in the open certamen, which was more of a pick-up-style game. Th e teams in the open certamen were made based on ranking tests that the students took prior to the opening ceremony. Th is ex-perience helped our students gain practice for the competitive certamen in years to come.
Th ere were also two types of academic tests: written and creative. All written tests were multiple-choice with fi fty questions each. Creative tests ranged from oral presentations to creating posters to represent diff erent items from ancient Greece and Rome. Geneva ex-celled in both the written and creative tests with each of our students being awarded a rib-bon or trophy.
Th e FJCL is a student-run organization dedi-cated to the preservation and promotion of the study of Latin, Greek, and classical civili-zation. Th e National Junior Classical League, the parent organization of the FJCL, is the largest academic organization in America for the middle and high school students, and Florida is the third largest NJCL chapter in the world.
RESULTSJunior Division
Nick Gilmet: 7th place Audio/Visual; 10th place History of the Repub-lic (level II)Ariel Hines: 4th place Latin Vocabulary (level I); 9th place Mythology (level I)Victoria Knight: 4th place Modern Myth; 6th place Latin Grammar (level I) Andrew Mathias: 2nd place Hellenic History (level II); 2nd place Dra-matic Interpretation (5–9)Heather Miller: 5th place Maps (5–9); 7th place Latin Vocabulary (level II)Ben Rader: 1st place Marathon (5–9); 6th place Maps (5–9); 10th place Mythology (level II)Sweepstakes: 4th Ludi (Games); 4th Overall
Senior DivisionNoel Bright: 4th place Classical Art (Adv); 8th place Classical Greek Language (tied with Georgia); 7th place Drawings (10–12)Patrick Chandler: 3rd place Greek Derivatives (Adv); 4th place Decath-lon; 4th place Classical Greek Language; 6th place Geography (Adv)Joshua Meyer: 8th place Greek Derivatives (Adv);Georgia Miller: 1st place Charts & Posters (10–12); 2nd place Greek Literature (level II); 8th place Classical Greek Language (tied with Noel)Grace Park: 6th place Charts & Posters (10–12)Elliott Saunders: 7th place Classical Greek LanguageMax Selvaggio: 1st place 4-Square; 9th place History of the Empire (Adv)
Florida Junior Classical Leagueby Max Selvaggio, 9th Grade
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Page 22
Nicholas Gonzalez Sarah Brodrecht
Luke Pederson, Jordan Prince, Isak Davis, Kola Katynski, and Nicholas GonzalezLuke Pederson, Jordan Prince, Isak Davis, Kola Katynski, and Nicholas Gonzalez
Spring Sports Round Up
Track & FieldGrowth and development were two of the themes that could summarize Geneva’s track and fi eld team for the
2013 season. In the team’s six year his-tory, the number of athletes competing on the middle school and varsity teams has grown from six to sixty-two. Th is has bought an in-
crease in talent and depth to the team.
Middle School Track & Field: Th e middle school team showed great progress through the season. Participating in the Central Florida Metro League, the girl’s team won one meet and fi nished as runners-up at the championship meet. Th e boy’s team, with only six athletes, fi nished an impres-sive third overall at the championship meet, while winning a number of individual events. At the Metro League Champion-ships, Hannah Guzman, Jordan Stiger, Taylor Hunter, Sophie Vargas, Hunter Miller, Isaac Murray, and Cole Th omas were the team’s biggest scorers, medaling in a number of events.
Varsity Track & Field: Th e varsity team has continued to de-velop and had an impressive season, establishing sixteen new school records and advancing more athletes through the state series than ever before.
At the district meet at Trinity Prep four relay teams and a re-cord twenty-one athletes advanced to the regional meet. A record four individual athletes and one relay team brought home district championships: freshman Shelley Downward in the 3200 meters, sophomore Anthony Hooks defending his title in the long jump; sophomore Nicholas Gonzalez in the
1600 meters, senior Sarah Brodrecht in the 800 meters, and the girls 4 x 800 meter relay team of Isabella Seddon, Laura Shriner, Shelley Downward, and Sarah Brodrecht.
At the Region 2 Meet the top four individuals and relay teams in each event advanced to the state championship. Th e boys 4 x 800 meter relay team of Jordan Prince, Kola Katynski, Isak Davis, and Nicholas Gonzalez quickly rewrote the record book with a runners-up fi nish and school record to advance. Gonzalez then came back to fi nish 2nd in the 1600 meters in a school record time of 4:28.05 to advance for a second time. Th e meet was fi lled with exciting moments and great eff orts highlighted by the girls 4 x 800 meter relay team who narrow-ly missed qualifying with a 5th place fi nish. Sarah Brodrecht also placed 5th with a school record time of 2:23.60 in the 800 meters. Troy Jackson, in his fi rst year competing in the high jump, fi nished in 5th place with a school record leap of 5’10”.
One of the biggest highlights of the season and school track & fi eld history came at the state championship at the Univer-sity of North Florida in Jacksonville when the 4 x 800 meter relay team of Prince, Katynski, Davis, and Gonzalez blazed to a bronze medal 3rd place fi nish in a school record time of 8:16.03. Gonzalez would also come back later in the evening to fi nish 7th in the 1600 meters to culminate a great season for the talented sophomore.
Overall, it was a season fi lled with great highlights and a solid foundation to build upon for years ahead.
Boys TennisTh e 2013 Geneva boys tennis team enjoyed a successful sea-son with a 9–5 record. Highlights included a win over Bishop
Page 23
Moore in the regular season, an overall 3rd place fi nish in the district tournament, and Blaine Miller (line 1 singles) winning the singles district championship and fi nishing as a semifi nal-ist in the state tournament. Chris Cox and Blaine Miller also won the district doubles championship and placed 2nd over-all in the state tournament for doubles. Th e boy’s team was captained by senior Nick Gordon who exhibited outstanding sportsmanship and commitment to improvement all season long. Additional team members were Caleb Cox, Ben Reyn-olds, Danny Downward, Keller Bright, and Paul Paccione. Th e team is losing just one starting player next year and with more players ready to step in, next season looks to be the best yet for TGS boys tennis.
Girls TennisTh e Geneva girls varsity tennis team had another successful season. Th e team, 7–2 in district play and 9–5 overall, had impressive wins over Oak Hall (Gainesville), Bishop Moore, and Circle Christian, as well as their fi nal season win over dis-trict rival Trinity Prep. All fi ve Geneva line singles and both doubles made it through the fi rst round of the district tourna-ment and two made it through the second round to the fi nals. Th e team placed third in the district tournament and missed advancing to regionals by only two points for the second straight year. Meredith Robinson and Megan Miller, line 1 and 3 singles respectively and 1st team doubles, were good role models for the younger girls, demonstrating good practice discipline as well as leading warm-ups. Although Meredith started the season with a foot injury she fi n-ished the season strong. Riley Greenwood and Brooke Riley were line 2 and 4 singles re-spectively and made it to the district fi nals as the 2nd team doubles duo. Riley also made
it to the district fi nals in singles for the second year in a row. Both improved their net play this year in singles and in dou-bles. Rounding out the team were Clara Miller, Lydia Miller, Kathryn Abely, Noel Bright, and sixth grader Lauren Chan-dler. All played starting roles in a few matches and in many friendly games. Th e team represented Th e Geneva School with excellence in skill, attitude, and sportsmanship which didn’t go unnoticed by the opposing coaches and parents. Th e team members really enjoy each other’s company—both on and off the court. Th e overnight trip to Gainesville, where the girls beat 1A district 4 runners-up Oak Hall and played a friendly game with state contender PK Yonge, was once again a high-light of the season.
Girls SoftballFor the 2013 Lady Knights softball team, black and blue were more than team colors. “Black and blue” served as an accurate characterization of the injuries and accidents the team experi-enced under second year coach Mike Eastman. “In almost two decades of coaching fastpitch softball, I don’t recall any team that was as banged up as much as this one,” said Eastman. Even before the team started its game schedule, they had already lost centerfi elder Adri Hooks to a serious knee injury incurred during the basketball season. Th en, during a mid-season dis-trict contest at OCP, Hannah Medina suff ered a fractured
vertebrae and concussion. In another of the more notable “black and blue” incidents, Stacy Helman caught an out-fi eld fl y with her forehead and had to sit out for a few games. Not to be outdone, catcher Lily Cloke, who took a warm-up toss from a team-mate on the eyebrow during a pre-game warm up, had to sit out the contest with a nice cut and a soon-to-be best-of-the-season black eye. Th e team
Lily Cloke
Megan MillerMegan Miller Meredith Robinson
Chris Cox and Blaine Miller
FUN RUN WINNERS
Page 24
did its best to play through these injuries, fi nishing with a 6–12 record. Th e squad was led on off ense by both Lily Cloke and shortstop Bonnie Kime, who lead the team in hitting and extra base hits. Savannah Harding, Grace O’Donoghue, and Kara Hellweg pitched in on off ense with timely hitting. On defense, O’Donoghue and Hellweg handled the pitching chores. In their fi rst full year in the circle, they pitched well enough to keep the team close in most of its games. Behind the dish, Cloke managed the rookie pitchers well, while most players settled into regular defensive positions. Harding played every infi eld position except catcher and Helman found her-self in both infi eld and outfi eld positions over the course of the season. Several players showed solid improvement from prior years, including Alison O’Donoghue who anchored the out-fi eld in left and batted second. Aspen Herzog also improved her game, and Olivia Chalfi n mastered the techniques of the game well in her fi rst year. Along with her play on the fi eld, Chalfi n also sang the national anthem at two games, wowing the crowd with her rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. To-ward the end of the playing season, the team called on soccer player Anna Kester to fi ll out its roster. With little practice and no playing experience under her belt, Anna Kester fearlessly fi lled in for the team and played well for the Lady Knights. Seniors Cloke and Kime, the heart and soul of the 2013 team, are graduating and moving on. To progress to the next level of play, next year’s 2014 team will need new players and the re-turning players will need to step up and take on the leadership roles of this young team.
Youth Spring SportsTh e TGS youth sports program has had an exciting and busy spring! Youth volleyball and youth track dominated the spring sports with over seventy participants.
Track Club: Leading over fi fty participants in 1st–5th grade in track club every Wednesdays and Fridays this spring were Brooke Holt, Allison Hendrix, and Cheree Foreman. Th ese Geneva moms have a great deal of knowledge and experience
in this area and were an absolute blessing to our program. Participants were challenged with creative obstacle courses, fun games, and exciting races at each practice. More impor-tantly, the coaches were able to help the children develop core strength, agility, and speed through dynamic and innovative workouts. Several upper school students assisted the coaches and were also able to mentor the young athletes over the six-week program. Th ese upper school assistants included Moira Cloke, Anna Classe, and Drew Foreman. Th e season wrapped up with a fun day on the fi eld. Rising 1st–4th grade students are encouraged to participate again next spring. Rising 5th graders will be eligible to participate with our middle school track program.
Volleyball: Youth volleyball met in the gym on Mondays and Tuesdays and had over twenty participants. Th is was the fi rst year boys as well as girls were encouraged to participate in youth volleyball and the seven young men who came to play were a great addition to our program. Th e goal of this program is to teach young players the fundamentals of passing and serving, the general rules of the game, and instill a passion to keep playing. Jackson and Hollie Benjumea led the group of 3rd–5th grade students with the assistance of varsity volleyball team members. Emily Gunter, Brooke Riley, Jessica McKee, and Grace Andrews volunteered their time to help mentor the young athletes and teach them skills through drills and games. Th e season ended with several matches between TGS and Th e Master’s Academy. While the matches were modifi ed, it was exciting to see the improvement of the players. Some of the players who could not even serve at the beginning of the short season were able to serve aces and sustain rallies with the opposing team by the end. Th e 5th grade girls dominated their match the last day of the season. Players were encour-aged weekly with the “Most Improved Player of the Week” and the “Sportsmanship Award.” We hope that all of our rising 4th and 5th graders will be back next year, and we encourage next year’s 5th and 6th graders to play on our Central Florida Metro League 5th/6th grade team in the fall.
K4–3rd Grade: DivisionGold Medal - Grey Gibson (3rd Grade)
Silver Medal - Campbell Hendrix (1st Grade)Bronze Medal - Saxon Holt (2nd Grade)
4th place - Grace Watson5th place - Bode Riddle6th place - Joey Rowe
7th place - Ezra Guzman8th place - Landon Agurto
9th place - James Bass10th place - Zachary Vargas
4th–6th Grade DivisionGold Medal - John Gray (5th Grade)
Silver Medal - Joe Paccione (4th Grade)Bronze Medal - Madelyn Guzman (5th Grade)
4th place - Zachary Andreasen 5th place - Chase Holt
6th place - Martin White7th place - Ashton Holt8th place - Lily Hendrix
9th place - Grace Paccione10th place - Grayson Peck & Tabitha Petrak
Page 25
Saturday, May 11, marked the fi rst TGS Youth Sports Fun Run. Th e Fun Run was designed to get families excited about the success of youth sports at Geneva and to generate new funds for the 2013–2014 school year. Th e profi ts that were made from the Fun Run will go directly towards a scholarship fund and equipment for next school year.
Volunteers arrived early and put the fi nal touches on the course. At 9:00 am, after welcoming participants and a prayer by Mr. Robbie Andreasen, runners were divided into two di-visions. Th e 4th grade and up division was led by track state medalists Isak Davis and Nick Gonzalez. Th e boys ran out in front of the group to lead the runners around the 1 mile course. About six minutes later the runners were coming into the fi nish area. First to cross the fi nish line for this division was 5th grader John Gray. Close behind him was 4th grader Joe Paccione to claim the silver and 5th grader Madelyn Guzman to take the bronze.
Next the second division headed toward the starting line. K4-3rd grade runners and their parents were led by track stars Hannah Rader and Kristen Gray. Soon cheers could be heard for 3rd grader Grey Gibson as he was leading the pack toward the fi nish line. Shortly thereafter, 1st grader Campbell Hen-drix and 2nd grader Saxon Holt followed, taking the silver and the bronze.
Runners were greeted with cheers and souvenier water bottles to take home for fi nishing the race. Everyone enjoyed fresh bananas and orange slices as they waited for the much antici-pated awards ceremony.
One hundred eight students and parents participated in the Fun Run, and multiple donations helped bring in $1150. Th e volunteers who made this run possible included Dan Harger, Lou Jones, Jackson Benjumea, Cindy Farley, Brooke Holt, Al-lison Hendrix, Jenna Bagnoli, Ellen Geer, Katie Deatherage, Michelle Silvia, and Paisley Guzman. Several of the parents also stepped up to help with directions in key locations includ-ing Paul Roldan, Erin Petrak, and Clay Deatherage.
One of the best parts of this Fun Run was the interaction be-tween TGS upper and lower school athletes. Not only did our track stars lead the divisions in the race, but many upper school athletes volunteered to help with directions, run a water sta-tion, take pictures, and hand out awards at the end. Th ese upper school athletes who volunteered their Saturday morning to help promote youth sports included Lily Cloke, Laura Shriner, Sarah Brodrecht, Isabella Seddon, Cassidy Goble, Savannah Gray, Jes-sica McKee, Jayme Bryant, Asher Davis, and Moira Cloke.
We are very excited about making this an annual fundraiser for youth sports at TGS. Congratulations to all our runners for fi n-ishing the race and especially to our top ten in each division.
Youth Sports Fun RunBy Hollie Benjumea, Grammar School Sports Coordinator
Each year the faculty, staff , and members of Th e Geneva School Board of Governors gather together for an appreciation dinner and end-of-year celebration. On Tuesday, May 7, at the Winter Park Racquet Club, Mr. Ingram opened with the welcome and Dr. Beates led in prayer. Miss Laura Grace Alexander, one of the original TGS board members, shared words of appreciation and some memories from the past twenty years.
Seven employees were recognized for having reached their ten-year mile-stone this year: Mrs. Cloke, Mr. Jain, Mrs. Harding, Mr. Ingram, Mrs. Leigh, Miss Ralls, and Mrs. Welday. Additionally, eleven employees were honored for completing fi ve years at Geneva: Mrs. Andrews, Dr. Beates, Mrs. Burrows, Mr. DeGroot, Mrs. Guzman, Mrs. Hering, Mrs. Herzog, Mrs. Meyer, Mr. Moon, Mrs. Randall, and Mrs. Sutton.
Members of Th e Geneva School Board of Governors were honored for their years of service to TGS: Ms. Stuart (seventeen years); Mr. Maynard and Mrs. Seneff (fi fteen years); Mr. Pugh (twelve years); Mr. Riley, Mr. Seneff , and Mr. Tressler (ten years); Mr. Cloke (seven years), Mr. Manor, Mrs. Martinez, and Mr. Whitlock (fi ve years); Mr. Rivers (four years); and Mr. Santamaria (three years).
Four major awards were given at the ceremony: Bravo Award: Given to the staff member who has made a defi nitive contribution to the life of the school, in a manner that has forwarded Geneva’s mission, vision, and values to a new threshold. It is given in the spirit of the acclaim, “Bravo, bravo!” Th e award is a red brick (symbolic of the act of “building” some aspect of Geneva’s life, program, and out-reach) with an engraved plaque that reads, “‘Let us rise up and build.’ So they strengthened their hands for the good work (Nehemiah 2:18).” Geneva’s director of admission, Patti Rader, was given this award for her exceptional work in retention, recruiting, and admissions.
Paideia Awards: Th ese awards are given to one member of the low-er school faculty and one member of the upper school faculty for their commitment to growth and for their achievement in the art of teaching. Th e commitment to professional growth is both per-sonal (a commitment to improve one’s own art) and communal (a desire to see others inside and outside Th e Geneva School commu-nity improve and to aid in their improvement). Th is award is also about achievement—about students learning more deeply through the teacher’s commitment to understand (1) their fi eld of learning, (2) the educational practices that best fi t with their fi eld of learning, and (3) the practices that fi t with the ages and abilities of the stu-dent with whom they successfully engage every day. Th e awards were presented to Mrs. Hollie Benjumea, the grammar school sports coordinator and P.E. coach and Mr. Robbie Andreasen, dialectic and rhetoric science teacher.
Headmaster Award: An award given at the discretion of the headmaster for exemplary service either in the teaching faculty or the administration and support staff . Th is year it was given to Nick DeGroot, due to both his enthusiastic teaching of classi-cal languages, Greek and Latin, and the praise his fellow faculty members gave him when nominating him for the Paideia Award.
Tychicus Award: In the New Testament Tychicus is mentioned numerous times for the servant leadership he demonstrated while working with the apostles, and particularly for the Apostle Paul. Th e award is given to that member of the staff whose willing spirit and great work ethic has made a signifi cant impact upon a broad segment of the entire Geneva staff and community. Mr. Ingram awarded this to Mrs. Christy Herzog.
Th e ceremony was a wonderful evening recognizing the faculty and staff for their hard work and commitment to our school, as well as celebrating twenty years of Christian classical education in Central Florida.
Patti Rader and Bob Ingram
Christy Herzog and Bob Ingram
Ten Year Tenure Award Winners
Th e Geneva School2025 State Road 436
Winter Park, FL 32792
Partnering with Casselberry Community Task Force, Geneva’s National Honor Society collected 118 bags of non-perishable food
and personal hygiene items from the TGS community.
Thank you so much for being the hands and feet of Jesus!
