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First Day Monday, August 15th

Shen-Val-Lore The Student Voice of Shenandoah Valley Academy

Shenandoah Valley Academy

September 11, 2015

Volume 85, Edition 1 September 12

DC Homeless Trip

ACT

Sunday School

Underclassmen & Junior Yearbook Portraits

Senior Portraits

16-20

Homeleave

17-20

SALT

Senior WAU Lunch

Flu Clinic

25 Faculty Family Agape Feast 21-25

SA Retreat

21 Red Cross Blood Drive

Christian Sanchez

Before the first week of school, the SA Officers (along with sponsors Ms. Wiedemann, Dean Azariah Anderson, and Principal-inTransition Donald Short) met at Camp Blue Ridge to bond and discuss the upcoming events that will be happening later in the year. We left Tuesday afternoon to go out to eat and to stock up on food for our retreat. We stopped by Chipotle and Panera and discussed who would be in charge of what meal. After we dished out the responsibilities, we ventured out on our way to Camp Blue Ridge. Once there, we quickly settled down into the cabin that we were given. The youth then ventured down out to the camp to explore. We found the lake with an outhouse that contained life vests and paddles, and after tugging down our canoe and paddleboats we strode into the lake,

where we had fun racing and ramming into each other. Luckily, none of our boats were overturned! Soon after, we put away our apparatus and decided to play one big, friendly game of volleyball, sponsors included. The game was fun, but it definitely was not considered professional by anyone’s standards. Then it was getting late, so we decided it was time to go back inside, and get dinner started. I started cooking pesto (pasta) as dinner for the group, and chocolate and marshmallow was baked in a pan to be served with graham crackers as makeshift s’mores. During the cooking, all the members were sitting around the lounge area chatting, while Dean Azariah treated us to music from his guitar. We were having fun when I finally finished cooking the pasta. As I served it, I could hear the sighs of relief, for my

cooking took a little longer than expected, though in the end, the food was well appreciated. As we filled our stomachs, I gave a short devotional to start the planning for the evening. The devotional was about how God puts us into uncomfortable circumstances for certain reasons, and those reasons are very important. We need to be uncomfortable for Christ, for we owe Him our lives. The rest of that night we planned for the following day, and were also able to relax and unwind to music. Then a few of us went to go look at the stars, and we actually were able to see some shooting stars, which was a special occasion for me, because that was my first time. Then it was time for bed. We all fell like logs into our beds. The next morning everyone took a quick shower and ate a small bowl of cereal. After

we finally came to our senses, we decided to have worship outside with the beautiful scenery. Worship was a mix of traditional worship and what each of our goals were for the upcoming school year. One thing that we found in common among the ideas was that we all wanted to feel more open to talk about Christ. We wanted to make Christ the number-one goal for everyone. We continued with this worship thought for about 45 minutes, at which point we went on a hike. And the term hike is an understatement. It was a 1-2 mile journey uphill a rocky mountain which had many crevices that were determined to sprain an ankle. (P.S. When the packing list says bring hiking boots… bring hiking boots!) We trudged onward up that forsaken mountain to the top: Spy Rock. Spy Rock was said to have been a van-

tage point in the Civil War, where one army could see the opposing army’s position. It so happened to be a beautiful sight, too. As we recovered up there with our sustenance (graham crackers), we enjoyed the lush scene of the clouds sweeping over the valley that was shrouded with trees of deep green. The view was truly breath-taking. Eventually we had to come back down, and believe me when I say, the trip downward was not much easier than the way upwards. Now the goal was to not tumble down the whole slope of the mountain. We all made down safely and finished up on our planning, then packed up and left for Wood Grill Buffet. As we all enjoyed our buffet, we pledged that the upcoming school year may not be perfect, nor amazing, but we were definitely going to make it something different.

“My Brother’s Keeper” This month’s character goal is “My Brother’s Keeper.” Students should aim to treat their classmates with understanding and demonstrate a sincere caring attitude. By “keeping” each other, a sense of family will result, creating a more nurturing atmosphere on campus. We should see one another as equals, and look out for those who need a brother (or sister.)

SA President’s Welcome Ellerab Dorval

Table of Contents

1 SA Retreat 1 SA President Welcome 1 Brother’s Keeper 2 Feeding the Rats 3 SVA’s Newest Members 4-5 Senior Survival 6 Cross Country 6 Volleyball & Soccer

7 Class Officers & Parties 8 Welcome from Pastor Shane 8 Principal’s Welcome

Welcome to all of you. I have a feeling that this year is going to be a fun filled year. I can’t guarantee everything, but I what I can guarantee is that this year is going to be an awesome year, not just for me but for all of us. This year I plan to have a lot of events, events other than the normal ones we have during the year. I want to have events that include everyone and I want everyone to be involved. First, let me tell you what Student Association is. It is a group of student leaders who are the voice of the students. We as an association want you to be heard. We also plan different events throughout the year. Just this past week we had picnic and Almost Anything

Week of Prayer

Goes. Some other events we plan are Banquet, SA Talent Show, and Barn Party. Banquet is an event where everyone gets to dress up and attend a nice sit down dinner. Sometimes we show and movie or we even have a live act. SA Talent Show is a time when different students can show off their skills and talents in order to win a special prize. And Barn Party is our way of welcoming the Autumn season. At Barn party, we have hay rides, we serve a lot of food, and there are a lot of different fun activities like the bouncy slide, donut eating, and whackamole. We also plan monthly movie nights. We pick either one or two movies and show them

27-28

27 New Market Run-for-Rescue 27-28 Biology Field Work

October 1

Lions’ Club Sight & Sound Test (Sophomores)

SA Spirit Day

2-4 Parent’s Weekend 3

Music Outreach

4 Parent Teacher Conference 11

SAT

12 Potomac Conference Teacher Meetings 14 PSAT for All Juniors 15

Community Service Day

17 DC Homeless Trip/Nursing Home Visit 17

in the Auditorium. There is also food sold like pizza and various beverages. And let’s not forget about the SA store. This is where students can buy a variety of snacks like mozzarella sticks, French fries, and, in the winter, hot chocolate. The store will be located in the student center, usually during rec. Some other events that I plan to add this year are glowin-the-dark capture the flag, an orchestrated water balloon fight between the girls and guys, a dodgeball tournament, and a color run. Personally, I want to facilitate a stronger relationship between students, and I believe that, in doing this, we can have a stronger bond between each other here on campus.

WAU Preview Days

Music Outreach

18 Barn Party 18 Sunday School/Career Day 21-25 27

Homeleave Yearbook Retakes

28-Nov. 1 Ringfest

November 4

College Fair

SA Spirit Day