Follow After Peace

Sometimes we forget how competitive our nature is.  We often experience that drive to win, or to be elevated over others, or to be vindicated.  This is a natural tendency of our human nature that causes us to have an attitude of pride.  Too often we see the negative result of these tendencies that create disunity, even among those who are called children of God.  In Romans 14:19 Paul admonishes us through God's Word  to put aside those things that cause contentions so that we can live in peace when he says, "Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another."  

As we proceed through this new school year, there will be occasions for controversy and discord.  It is only natural for there to be disagreements since we all have varying opinions, values, and convictions that are important to us personally.  The problem lies when we are placed in a position of compromise that creates an irritant which in turn produces the negative fruit of contention and disunity. 

There are two important reasons why we need to find ways to cultivate a spirit of peace and unity.  One reason is that discords and contentions will generally delay or even thwart progress in accomplishing our mission.  The second reason, which I believe is the most important, is that our young people will follow the example we set before them.  If we want them to develop the world's way of thinking, then we follow suit with the world and say, "dog eat dog." However, if we want them to endorse a world view that is filtered through the Word of God, then Romans 14:19 is essential.  

So, if you find yourself in a contentious controversy with another believer, remember that the reason we cannot achieve a spirit of peace is because there is a lack of God's holiness reflecting from us.  Peace is one of the fruits of His holiness.  One sure way to reflect God's holiness in our lives is by a continuous and serious time of studying God's Word and getting to know Him; by doing so it will produce peace in times of controversy.  When God's peace reigns in our lives, those controversies lose their perspective and priority.  Galatians 6:10 says, "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers."

I pray that you and your family will have a productive and rewarding school year.  I will rejoice with you as we see your young people become the lifetime followers of Jesus Christ that we hope for.   God bless you all. 

Sincerely,

Mr. Noriega

Welcome to the first issue this school year of our Berean Enewsletter!  Moving the school year up a month has put us behind, but my goal is to email monthly Enewsletters from now until the end of the school year! 

• The "In This Issue" box located in the upper left hand corner of this Enewsletter is your "shortcut" to reading the articles that you really want to read. Simply click on the article link and you will arrive safely at the desired article!
• The "Quick Links" box also located in the upper left hand corner has links to all of the important web sites that this Enewsletter highlights. Click on the "Quick Links" of your choice to directly connect to that web site. Example:  Click on the "Daily Bulletin" quick link for the very latest information and activites happening at Berean.
• Any time you see a person's name or an item within an article underlined, that name or item is linked.  If you click on that person's underlined name, you can email them directly from this Enewsletter.  If you click on an item underlined in the body of an article, you will be linked to their web site for more information.  Example:  If you click on my underlined name below, you can email me directly from this Enewsletter.  I welcome your suggestions and comments!!

I have tried to make this as "user friendly" as possible to help you stay current with everything that is happening at Berean.  I am always amazed when developing the Enewsletters by all of the social activities, sports, music, drama and Christ-focused events that occur each month at Berean.  I feel so blessed to have a student at Berean and praise God for such an amazing school! 

Blessings,  Gloria Shaffer 

FALL TEST DATES

All freshman, sophomore, and junior students will be testing on the morning of October 17, 2007.  Freshmen will be taking the PLAN test which is a preliminary/practice ACT.  In addition to measuring academic achievement, the PLAN test includes a career interest component.  All sophomores and juniors will be taking the PSAT/NMSQT.  Junior year test scores can qualify students for the National Merit Scholarship Program.  By taking this test, students become familiar with the type of questions found on the SAT.  Students will follow a minimum day schedule in the afternoon following the testing.

Because of the PSAT/PLAN testing on

Lunch                 11:45 - 12:13

1^st Period          12:18 - 12:36

2^nd Period         12:41 - 12:59

3^rd Period           1:04 -   1:22

4^th Period           1:27 -   1:45

5^th Period           1:50 -   2:08

6^th Period           2:13 -   2:31

7^th Period           2:36 -   2:54

Seniors need to arrive at school promptly at noon in time for 1st period.

PROGRESS REPORTS

 

We will no longer be mailing out mid-term

progress reports.  RenWeb provides the

most current report available for each student, and we encourage families to track progress on a regular basis-not just at mid-term.  We encourage both parents and students to take full advantage of  RenWeb's wide range of features including teacher lesson plans, homework summaries, and gradebooks.

SCHOOL PORTRAITS

 

Seniors:

Cap and gown orders will be taken during the October 9th class meeting.  Even though BCHS pays for your cap and gowns, you need to place an order to ensure the correct fit.  Cap and gown order cards will be distributed and collected on October 9^th.  Graduation announcement order forms also will be distributed at the October 9th  class meeting.   A Herff Jones rep will be in the CCC at lunch on October 18th  to accept your completed order forms.  You may also mail the graduation announcement order to the address on the order form.  Any order form (for caps and gowns or graduation announcements) received after December 14th will be assessed a $25 late fee. 

Remember that UCs and most CSUs close their application period on November 30th.  CSU applications will be available online at www.csumentor.edu  and the UC applications are at  www.universityofcalifornia.edu/apply.

If you are a senior and did not attend the Senior Night on September 10th, you may pick up your folder in the College and Career Center.

Autumn is the last chance for seniors to take or re-take

the SAT or ACT!

To clarify dates in the student agenda, the correct information follows:

Test                Reg. Deadline       LATE Reg. Deadline       Test Date            

SAT                October 2                October 11                      November 3, 2007

SAT                October 30              November 8                     December 1, 2007

ACT                November 2             November 15                    December 8, 2007

Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors and their parents:

College Night is Monday, October 8th at 7:00 pm in the Student Center.  This informational evening is designed for students and parents to review necessary information regarding the process of college admissions.  The presentation will be similar to last year's with updated information.  Ideally, each family will attend this workshop at least once while their student is an underclassman.

College Information Day for 6th to 12th grade students and parents will be held Saturday, October 20, 2007 in Wheeler Hall at UC Berkeley.  Over 60 public and private college and university representatives will be available from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm; workshops on admission requirements, financial aid, scholarships, and college preparation will be offered.  For more information, call (510) 238-9450.  Pre-register online at www.eastbayconsortium.org - no registration fees required.

All School Retreat

The 2007-2008 school year began with an awesome All School Retreat to Jenness Park.  After arriving and settling in, the trip was kicked off with some exciting class competitions, (pictured above during the ending prayer time), which were won by the seniors. 

On Wednesday night, students and teachers were introduced to Paul Kingsman, the ex-Olympian speaker.  Over the course of three days and four sermons, Paul poured out his heart as he spoke about being the salt and light of the world, and living out our lives to finish the race.  Later that night, there was an outpouring of talent as students performed various skills such as singing, playing the guitar, and some hilarious skits. Our wild and crazy emcees, Mitch Lee and Nick Sandhu (pictured left), kept us rolling in laughter with their amazing dance routines and creative ways of introducing the contestants!

Thursday afternoon, the students had the chance to attend two seminars of their choice.  Some topics included Dating in High School, God's Love and Forgiveness, and Growing Up Christian. After chapel on Thursday night, classes gathered together in "fire circles," and had times of worship, and sharing what God had shown them the past two days at Jenness Park. 

The College Board recognizes several levels of achievement based on students' performance on AP Exams.  At Berean, six students qualified for the AP Scholar Award by completing three or more AP Exams with grades of 3 or higher. 

The 2007 AP Scholars are Kaitlin Failor ('07), Zachary Farrar ('07), Jana Harrison ('08), Kelly Hoy ('08), Lena Miller ('08), and Alyssa Reece ('07).

Most of the nation's colleges and universities award credit, advanced placement, or both based on successful performance on the AP Exams.  More that 1,400 institutions award a full year's credit (sophomore standing) to students presenting a sufficient number of qualifying grades.

 

 

NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

 

Pictured:  Kelly Hoy, Bryan Vale and Bailey West

 

Over 1.4 million students took the 2006 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) last October and entered the National Merit Program, a nationwide competition for recognition and awards conducted by National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC).    In April 2007, the NMSC selected the 50,000 highest scorers.  From that number, 16,000 have recently been designated National Merit Semifinalists.  These Semifinalists have the opportunity to continue in the Merit Scholarship competition and advance to Finalist standing by meeting a number of additional requirements.  Berean Christian High School is excited to announce that Kelly Hoy has been named a 2008 National Merit Semifinalist and is continuing on in the scholarship competition.

 

The remaining 34,000 high performers have been recognized as Commended Students in the National Merit Scholarship Program.  Although they will not continue in the 2008 competition for National Merit Scholarships, Commended Students placed among the top five percent of those students who entered the 2008 competition by taking the 2006 PSAT/NMSQT.  Two Berean students have been named Commended Students for 2008:  Bryan Vale and Bailey West. 

 

 

 

NATIONAL HISPANIC RECOGNITION PROGRAM

 

 

The National Hispanic Recognition Program, established in 1983, is a College Board program that provides national recognition of the exceptional academic achievements of Hispanic high school seniors and identifies them for postsecondary institutions.

 

Students enter the program by taking the PSAT/NMSQT as high school juniors and by identifying themselves as Hispanic.  This year, more than 196,000 PSAT/NMSQT takers nationwide identified themselves as Hispanic, and more than 4,000 of those students have been recognized as National Hispanic Scholars or Honorable Mention Finalists based upon their PSAT/NMSQT scores and their academic achievements.

 

Berean Christian High School is pleased to announce that Jonathan Mitchell, pictured above, has been recognized as a National Hispanic Scholar for 2007-08.

Student Government Retreat, Mount Shasta, June 2007

 

Our beautiful new scoreboard!

On February 4, 2007, the Indianapolis Colts won Super Bowl XLI, an accomplishment they could not have achieved without the commitment and hard work of their players and coaches working together as a team.

On February 3, 2007, just one night earlier, the BCHS Booster Club also saw the fruits of their efforts culminate with a very successful Crab Feed Auction fundraiser. Through God's blessings and the faithful service of many BCHS families during a five month period, over $70,000 was raised for Booster Club projects, activities and our scholarship program.

New bleachers to hold all of our Berean fans!        

The Booster Club is a volunteer organization that is dedicated to providing encouragement for our student athletes and coaching staffs, support for our athletic program, and the opportunity to serve the wonderful sports ministry we have here at BCHS. In the past two years, Booster Club fundraising has provided funding for two sections of bleachers and the score board for our new field, and a new trophy case/multi-media screen and sound system for the gym.

Plans are already underway for our fifth annual Crab Feed Auction (CFA), scheduled for February 2, 2008. We have new challenges this year and the CFA Planning team will need your help to accomplish our goals! We are looking for volunteers that can serve on one of our committees and ask that you prayerfully consider how you can become plugged into this wonderful event. Many hands do make light work and we would appreciate your participation and support.

Our first meeting of the year is scheduled for Monday, October 15th, 6:00 pm, in Room E1. You are welcome and encouraged to attend! If you would like to participate in the Booster Club but cannot attend, please call Brad Morimune, Booster Club President, at 925-674-9126 or email at blmorimune@sbcglobal.net.

Thanks and "Go Eagles!"

There were so many things to do and enjoy that it was impossible not to have fun!  The students enjoyed classic carnival games that rewarded prizes such as delicious candy, a cuddly teddy bear won for that special someone, or even a live goldfish!  A cookie baking contest also took place and the winner Lucy Cole left with two free tickets to our 2007 Homecoming, a $60 value!  Popcorn, snow cones, and cotton candy were the delicious treats for all to devour; and to make things tastier, the students showed their mischievous side during the pie-throwing contest at our own Vice Principal Mr. Johnson!  The merry-go-round rides especially gave the event an authentic feeling of a home-town carnival!  Yes, the 2007 Sadie Hawkins event was indeed a "blast" for all students and chaperones alike and an amazing kick-off for the upcoming social events at Berean.

In a rebuilding season, the team ended with a  19-9 record, which included a BCL League Championship and an NCS Berth.

The cross country season has started out well.  We have four of the five sophomores from last year returning as upper classmen, Tyler Deniston, Christian Saylor, Matthew Day, and Robert Campbell.  They are joined by senior, Richard Greig, junior, Conor Woodlief and sophomore, Jacob Roth, to complete our seven varsity runners.  They finished 9^th in the small schools at the Ed Sias Invitational, which was the first meet of the season.  Then a week later, they finished 24^th with small and large schools combined at the De La Salle Invitational, our highest finish.  They are definitely making an impact.  At our first league meet, they finished a close second to CPS by only 4 points.  They are currently ranked second in the North Coast Section.  The rest of the boys are working hard every day and challenging the top seven.  We have three other returning athletes and five new athletes to the boys cross country team.  I am so proud of all of them.  They are consistently dropping seconds and minutes off of their times from last year and the previous week's practices.  If they keep up their hard work and determination, they will be a force to be reckoned with this season.

We have a good group of six girls out for the cross country season.  Holly McClellan is the girls' team captain and she is one of the three returning girls, Ashley Saylor and Rebecca Halverson are the other two.  The three new girls are Kylie Tussing, Kayla Mashburn, and Faith Noriega.  They are very faithful and encouraging to one another.  Please feel free to come out and support both the boys and girls teams.  Remember to keep us all in your prayers for our witness and for an injury-free season.

Our varsity football team is 2-2 after its first 4 games.  Losses to Justin Siena (27-47) and St. Mary's (7-13) and victories over Burton (35-14) and Cochrane (21-7) were well played games.  Cochrane High School came to Berean with a 3-0 record having out-scored its opponents 148-12 before being shut down by our defense. 

Our team has played some excellent football and our coaches are very pleased with their effort and performance to date.  Football is an incredibly demanding sport both physically and mentally and our players have accepted this challenge and are seeking to improve with each practice. 

Line play has been our strength and has provided opportunities for us to run the ball very effectively over the first 4 games.  With this in place we now need to spend some time on opening up our passing game.  We have always felt that we have a QB in Sam James that would run our veer offense effectively as well as provide an efficient passing game.

As a team, we are averaging almost 7 yards a carry on the ground.  Mitch Lee and Sam James lead us in this area with 10 and 9.1 yards per carry, respectively. Mitch has compiled 551 yards over the first 4 games and 7 touchdowns with Sam adding 1 touchdown to his 9.1 yards per carry.  Luke Heisinger, Charles Russian, and Leo Modeste are each averaging about 4 yards per carry or better with Luke having scored 2 touchdowns and Charles 1.  Sean Shafer has rounded out our ground game with a touchdown on a reverse run versus Cochrane High School.  Mitch, Sam and all our running backs have a strong appreciation for our offensive line.

On defense we have 12 players with 10 or more tackles.  Axel Norwood leads the way with 43 tackles followed by Mitch Lee and Brandon Essy with 28 each, Charles Russian 24, Luke Heisinger 22, Sam James 17, Sean Shafer 14, Zach Hatcher and Chris Barcelon 12 each, and Nick Sandhu and Bruce Whyte with 11 each.  Our defense is a hard hitting crew and is getting stronger each time out. 

Andrew Redlick and Sam James each have 2 interceptions followed by Brandon Essy and Chris Barcelon with 1 each. 

Special teams play has been very solid with Brandon Essy providing some huge hits and Sean Shafer making 10 of 11 extra points and doing an excellent job with kickoffs.  Charles Russian has had solid outings punting and Regis Filbert has been excellent with long snaps.

Brandon Essy continues to knock players off their feet with his tackles, blocks, and special teams play.  Some fun highlight film material here!

Our primary areas to improve are protecting the ball and our passing game.  Protecting the ball is the player's responsibility and emphasizing more practice time for passing is the coach's responsibility.  We are confident in our players and their continued dedication to being successful.  Success has nothing to do with the score and everything to do with our players giving their best effort in practice and games. 

A huge thank you to our families who have given an incredible amount of time and effort to help our team.  Snack shack, game clock, announcing, chain crew, set up, take down, clean up, and team dinners.  The support is wonderful. 

Special thanks to Coach Honey (Sandy Barcelon) and Susan Lee for their endless hours of help, Jeff and Seana Shafer for putting together the media guide and continued help with field set up and take down, John Adams for his help with set up and take down, and Mom's In Touch for their continued prayer for our coaches and players.

Again, we would like to thank the Berean Board of Directors, Mr. Noriega, and Craig Lee for all of the efforts in bringing our field to fruition!

Remaining schedule is as follows:

Friday October 5th vs CSD at Berean at 3:00 pm

Saturday October 13th vs Wilson Prep at Berean at 2:30 pm

Saturday October 20th vs Salesian at Berean at 1:30 pm

Saturday October 27th vs Sacred Heart Prep at Sacred Heart at 2:30 pm

Saturday November 3rd vs King's Academy at King's Academy at 7:00 pm

Saturday November 10th vs St. Elizabeth at Burrell Field at 1:30 pm

JV FOOTBALL OFF AND RUNNING!