Inside the issue
Golf p. 17
Seniors p. 2
May 2013
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Westminster Christian Academy
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A New Job, Not Retirement, Up Next For Jim Marsh When one thinks of Westminster it is hard to help but picture Jim
Marsh, head of school, walking the halls or collecting trinkets from seniors as they walk across the stage at graduation. But next year he will move on from Westminster to become the Director of the Van Lunen Center. The Van Lunen Center teaches and mentors heads of Christian schools in the management aspects of what it takes to lead their schools. “The mission of the Van Lunen Center is to provide world-class executive management education essential to the future of schools based on the historic Christian faith. Our vision includes robust, flourishing networks of Christian schools led by individuals who are dynamic executives and model management from a faith perspective” according to the Van
Lunen Center website. The fact that The Van Lunen Center chose Marsh as the director speaks very highly about his character. He will be the third Director of the center when current interim Director Dr. Bruce Hekman steps down at the end of June. The Van Lunen Center is headquartered at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Marsh will be an adjunct professor at Calvin. However, he will be leading the Center remotely from St. Louis. Marsh will play a pivotal role in many peoples lives as he will be influencing not only the headmasters of Christian schools directly but all of the faculty and students that these headmasters will lead in turn. On top of Marsh’s job at The Van Lunen Center he will be assisting Dr. Tom Stoner in the transition into his position as the head of school here at Westminster. This does in fact mean that Marsh will still spend some time at WCA. Marsh looks forward to his grandchildren starting at Westminster and he hopes to remain an active member of the WCA community
Jim Marsh, head of school, will continue to be involved at WCA as he assists Dr. Tom Stoner to transition into the role he is leaving.
“I do not consider myself to be retiring. I plan to continue working and serving the cause of Christian education in whatever way God leads and guides,” said Marsh. Marsh believes that God is
Lights,Camera, Seminar!
This summer, Westminster is premiering a new seminar for rising freshman through seniors, to Chicago and New York City. On June 17, thirteen eager students will board a bus in the Westminster parking lot with the hopes of reaching their first destination: Chicago, then hopping on a plane to fly off to their second: New York City.
This ten day trip will consist of seeing sights, taking improv classes, sitting in on architecture lectures, and nights on the town
Larry Hughes, head seminar instructor for the Chicago/NYC summer seminar. Photo By: Andrea Reed
JSB Standouts P. 16
to see some of the most famous productions in some of the most historical theatres in the United States. Westminster has substituted this seminar into the slot that was originally occupied by the trip to New England, and decided that a summer trip dedicated to strictly fine arts and theatre would appeal to more different part of the student body. “I am so excited for this seminar! I can’t wait to go back to Chicago and New York City and see all the shows and see the sights!” said Annie Canfield, junior. The students will spend the week
pointing him in a new direction and it is time to give up being the head of school and pass the baton to somebody else who can carry Westminster into the future. “God has provided me with 28
wonderful years as Head of School at WCA. My heart will always be with WCA and I plan to continue to be an active member of the WCA community for many years to come,” said Marsh.
and a half playing tourist; exploring both cities and learning about their backgrounds as well. After being in high school productions, this is a great chance for these high school students interested in pursuing theatre in future years to see how it’s applied in the real world. The main goal is to expose the students to see how professional actors live, performance techniques, and how their lives are affected by living in the “big city”. The directors of Westminster’s drama department, Jim Butz and Helen Scott, as well as bible teacher Larry Hughes and his wife, will serve as the chaperones and directors of this trip. “This is a more education based seminar than we have previously had, and I am looking forward to the different types of artistic expression we will be
experiencing- art, architecture, Broadway and Improv.” said Scott. This seminar is a drastic change compared to trips in the past, and other current seminars. The other seminars offered this summer to students are South Korea, Oregon, Gettysburg, and South Dakota. All of these trips except Korea have a component where students spend time outside in the wilderness hiking, biking, and experiencing nature. They’re all different because they are targeted towards different audiences and hobbies. Given there is a lot of traveling and money involved, this new adventure holds much promise for a new seminar to be inducted into the ones Westminster now has, and open doors to prospective students who are interested in pursuing the fine arts.