We started in January by reading Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens and then A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen. During Oliver Twist, discussions focused on the theme that in order to have a successful society, we need to love and care for one another in the way that Christ shows us. Students worked on group projects investigating the Victorian time period to better understand the novel and characters. Students researched and organized mock-newspapers on Victorian England. During A Doll’s House, students focused on the roles of men and women and we discussed God’s standards. Students ended the year with a unit on poetry and a unit on short stories, where we looked at different poetic devices and aspects of short stories.
Jennifer Topale
Good Leaders
After Christmas break, our 9th graders worked on The Pearl by John Steinbeck and Antigone by Sophocles. During The Pearl, class discussion centered on the themes of greed and anti-imperialism found in the story. Students wrote research papers on the colonization of Mexico to better understand the characters in the story and their motives. We started Antigone by first looking at a short excerpt from Plato’s Republic and what makes a good king or ruler. We decided that a good king is one that listens to the advice of others and makes decisions in the best interest of the people. We then investigated what the Bible had to say about leadership. The class also analyzed the decisions of the characters in Antigone and what makes a person heroic, while also discussing the sacrifice of Christ.
Miss Topale
Stereotypes
During 2nd semester, eighth graders read the Newbery winner, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, which takes place in the rural South, pre-Civil Rights. Students learned about stereotypes, prejudice, and racism and discussed how these flawed and often inaccurate attitudes are developed and how we Christians should respond to help bring about change and justice. Additionally, eighth graders prepared mini-speeches (with expert research and Biblical support) to debate with their classmates about whether or not the N-word should still be used today.
Mrs. Foster
Elements of Literature
Students read two true stories, Gladys Aylward: The Adventure of a Lifetime and Thunder Rolling in the Mountains, and wrote a paper analyzing the author’s use of three elements of literature. To further grasp the themes, especially from a Biblical perspective, students also read Ecclesiastes and 1 Peter. Great discussions resulted as students debated the meaning of life and Christian suffering.
Mrs. Foster
Is it OK to Lie
During 2nd semester, one of the novels sixth graders read and enjoyed was the exciting and suspenseful Newbery winner, Number the Stars. Students learned about injustice and prejudice and discussed ways to respond as a Christian. In addition, the main character, Annemarie, is confronted with the issue of lying, (specifically to protect family), so sixth graders competed in a mini-debate based on Biblical research to answer the question, Is it ever okay to lie?
Mrs. Foster
End of Year Fun
We have been busy as bees in Pre K 4, from our graduation trip to Chuck E Cheese to our end of the year Surf is up Luau party. We had so much fun playing musical chairs, hula hooping and most importantly we had a special guest from Hawaii that taught us how to Hula dance and tell a story at the same time. Finally we had our Pre K-4 graduation which was amazing, everyone looked so fancy with their special dress up clothes and did a fantastic job. Congrats to Pre K-4 class of 2013 have a great summer you have earn it!
Serving the Savior,
Mrs. Leticia Emestica
When thinking about athletes the first thing that usually does not come to mind is three piece suits and elegant dress. But, to celebrate their accomplishments and a hard fought season, the athletes of Evangel got together for their annual sports banquet. During the banquet, athletes are recognized for their commitment, dedication, and hard work. They put in countless hours of training and worked tirelessly to not only better themselves, but their teammates as well. What made this Banquet special was the relationship and bonds that these athletes shared with each other. True relationships are not formed over night; they take time to build and time to grow. They are rarely perfect. They have ups and downs and plenty of growing pains, but it is through these experiences that bonds are strengthened and lasting memories are made.
Recipients of awards are:
Girls Varsity Volleyball
Blanca Bayas- All Conference
Lily Morales- All Division
Boys JV Basketball
Michael Tolone- Regular Season MVP
Jesse Gomez- Playoff MVP
Samuel Garcia- All Conference
Wesley Pratt- All Division
Team Award- Regular Season Champions
Playoff Champions
Girls Varsity Basketball
Blanca Bayas- All Conference
Lily Morales- All Division
Boys Varsity Basketball
Jonathan Guzman – All Conference
Josiah Bonifas-All Division
Coach Wong- Coach of the Year
Boys Varsity Baseball
Samuel Garcia- All Conference
Boys Varsity Volleyball
Michael Tolone – All Conference
Elijah Gonzalez – All Conference
Joseph Wong
Athletics Director
Head and Heart
Cathy Ferguson once said, Ninety-eight percent of success is in the head and the heart. This could not be any truer then for track. Your biggest competition is not your opponent standing next to you. Your biggest competition is the voice inside of you. Track tests a person’s will. One can be physically in shape, but if they lack mental conditioning, then their body will give in to the desire to quit. This year’s track team was not only physically in shape, but mentally in shape as well. I remember one of the kids saying, it only hurts to a point, then it doesn’t get any worse. You have to set goals & stand by those goals, striving every day to be better than the last.
Coach Wong
Boys Varsity
What makes a Team successful is not only their ability to wins games, but how they react to adversity. Down by 36 points in the 1st game of the season, what would you do? Quit, give up, allow your opponents to take what little confidence you had left? This was the situation we found ourselves in. This was the hand that we were dealt. How we reacted to this adversity would set the tone for the season. The whistle sounded, signs that the 2nd half had begun. The team that had entered the locker with their heads held low, were now on the court with a fire in their eyes. What happened in the past cannot be changed, but we can determine what happens next. With renewed confidence and determination, the Eagles fought hard to secure rebounds, dove for loose balls, and hustled on defense. With only 5 seconds left in the game we found ourselves down by 3 points. The ball was in-bounded to senior captain Jonathan Guzman who ran it down the court and was able to get off a shot at the buzzer, nothing but net. The Eagles had come back to tie the game. In the end the Eagles won by 2 points. What makes this game special was not that we won, what made it special was how hard we had to fight to accomplish our goal. This one game set the tone for the entire season. Hard work beats talent every time if talent doesn’t work hard.
Coach Wong
Boys Junior Varsity
On Thursday, February 7th the #1 ranked Evangel Christian Eagles took on the number #2 ranked Staten Island Academy Tigers for the PSAA Boys Junior Varsity Championship. Lead by junior captain Michael Tolone and sophomore Samuel Garcia the Eagles jumped to a 14-6 half time lead. Coach Racoma’s words of, Defense wins Championships could be heard resonating throughout the gym. We need to be tougher defensively. Box out, rebound and make the smart pass, were his words during one of the time outs. Center Jesse Gomez and Timothy Bayonne fought to box out and secure rebounds, while forward Wesley Pratt and guard Nigel Giddens hustled to close out the shooters. The defensive intensity from both teams was remarkable. Neither team was willing to give up any points. But in the end, the Eagles came out ahead by a score of 39-29.
Coach Wong