Shen-Val-Lore
First Day Monday, August 15th
The Student Voice of Shenandoah Valley Academy
February 5, 2016
Shenandoah Valley Academy
Volume 85, Edition 4
Upcoming Events February 2
AMC Math Test
3-7 Cardinal Classic Basketball Tournament 3-7 Andrews University Senior Visit 5
SA Spirit Day
7
ACT Test
8
Asking Day, Girls Ask Guys
9 Boys Basketball Game, Home
Student-led Week of Prayer for the year 2016 was held from Monday, January 18, to Sabbath, January 23. The theme for the week was Cornered, But Hopeful. During the week, a different student spoke each day on the different “corners” we can get backed into and how God can help get us out. Over the course of the week, more than sixty students led out in music, drama, speaking, backstage set-up, and audio-visual sound board; all of them contributed greatly to the efficiency of the programs. Week of Prayer began with the student body meeting for morning chapel on Monday. Matthew Reinhoel was the first official speaker; his topic was how we can lose our focus on God. Entitled “Distractions from God,” his message focused on the earthly things that draw our attention away from God causing our lives to decay without Him. The vespers program that evening, with speaker Heidi Davis, emphasized being a Friend of God, doubling as the title of her sermon. As a response to the morning talk, this message was to give us hope in the midst of the distractions that we face in today’s day and age. Heidi wanted to show us that God will always be by our side, as our best friend, no matter what mistakes we might make in our daily lives. On Tuesday, Coby Odate spoke on the topic entitled
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Self-Control for both morning chapel and evening vespers. Before anyone walked into the chapel, candy was put underneath each seat in the room. Coby did not tell anybody that this was a lesson on self-control, and anyone who did not eat the candy ended up getting a second piece at the end. Then Coby began another activity which involved only the Senior class. All the Seniors had to close their eyes and work as a team to try and count to the number ten without anyone saying the same number at the same time, and lacking any finite pattern. The Senior class did not successfully complete this task, but it taught that self-control was very important when working as a team. Coby ended her morning talk with a short video depicting kids having to use self-control to sit in a chair and not eat a marshmallow that was in front of them in order to receive a second one. For the vespers program that evening, Coby spoke even deeper on the topic of self-control. She strongly encouraged us to have self-control in our everyday lives rather than indulging ourselves in sinful behavior. She greatly stressed the fact that through God, anything is possible; He can help us overcome any temptations. The following day, Wednesday, CJ Sanchez spoke for the morning chapel. His topic was on Anxiety and Worry, and
Table of Contents
Week of Prayer: Student Led Ringfest 2015 A Musical Experience in Winchester, Virginia Class Parties Blackfriars Field Trip Faculty Family Vespers Spiritual Retreat
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Candlelight Concerts Journey to Bethlehem Freshmen Incentive New Members of the SVA Family
started the morning with an activity to show what anxiety and worry feel like. CJ had each audience member write down on a piece of paper his or her name and deepest secret. Asking for the papers to be passed up to the front, he announced that he was going to read each paper out loud, with the person’s name and their secret. The room erupted in gasps and groans. After waiting a minute, he assured everyone that he was not going to read them. With his point being made on what anxiety and stress feel like, he focused his topic on Isaiah 40:31: “God has wings like an eagle, supporting us always through troubled times, never losing His focus on us.” That evening for vespers, Theodore Thomas spoke on Depression. Using his personal experiences as examples, he told of how God can help people with this great struggle filling their minds with peace and tranquility. On Thursday, Carla Navarro spoke for the morning chapel on the topic of Guilt. Focusing on guilt with God, she began by telling us that our sins, no matter how big or small they might be, result in guilt from our conscience. The great promise that she stated was that God sees your heart, who you truly are. Carla finished her message by saying that we must be responsible with our guilt, admitting it to Christ. Afterwards, she showed a Skit Guys video called The Verdict. For vespers that evening, we watched a movie called The Sin Eaters.
Based on the book by Francine Rivers, the movie was released in 2007. The story is about a mid-1850s Celtic community that believes in a sin eater, a person who takes the sins off of the dead onto himself so they can truly rest in peace. For morning chapel on Friday, Justin Lee spoke on Self-Esteem. Gathering for the last chapel of the studentled Week of Prayer, he started everyone off with a very inspirational activity. Before being seated, all the students were given two pieces of paper and Justin instructed us to write down our personal sources of self-esteem. He later collected this paper at the end of the program. For the second part of the activity, pieces of paper were taped to everyone’s back and we milled about the room writing positive things about that person on his or her paper. After the activity, he asked people how they felt about the things that were written about them and the students responded with positive feedback. At the last vespers program, Justin read aloud some of his favorites from the papers he collected at chapel that morning on the sources of self-esteem. Afterwards, he and CJ Sanchez led out in a skit that showed where self-esteem should be invested and where it should not be. Once the skit was done, Justin gave a short talk. He pointed out that Satan wants us to have our self-esteem come from our accomplishments instead of from God. He ended his discussion by
Homeleave
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Washington Adventist University Band Festival
15 Red Cross Blood Drive
Week of Prayer: Student-Led Kellie Shelton
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telling everyone that our accomplishments will not last forever, but God’s will. Afterwards, everyone who stayed behind participated in a special afterglow involving communion, testimonies, and music. Due to inclement weather the next day, Sabbath school was cancelled. Instead, the students were allowed to sleep in until it was time for breakfast, where Mr. Ockenga and his staff had prepared a pleasant meal for us. Following breakfast, the students attended church, which was also student led. Sadly, because of the weather, not many church members were able to attend. During the service, many students led out in music, scripture reading, offertory, and prayer. The speakers that morning were Kellie Shelton and Cameron Sahly. Dividing the sermon in half, they talked about the week, basing it on Psalm 23. Kellie spoke about how we can trust in God even when backed into corners, and Cameron then took that and showed everyone that God truly is in control of our every need, looking at Psalm 23 in a physical sense. Overall, the student-led Week of Prayer was captivating, inspiring, cultivating, and motivational. The sixty students that helped lead out worked as a team to create a week of prayer with a message never to be forgotten. Thanks to them, we can always remember that even when we are cornered, we can be hopeful with God. Amen!
18 Boys Basketball and Girls Basketball Games, Away 21
Girls’ Club and Boys’ Club Sponsored Roller Skating
27
SA Talent Show
28
National Honor Society Induction
28
Principal
29
Government Field Trip
March 2-6 Andrews University Choral Festival 4 End of 3rd 4
SA Spirit Day
5-6 Elementary Basketball Tournament 6
SAT Test
12
SA Event
13
Daylight Savings Time Begins
19
Nursing Home Visitation
23-April 3
Mission Trip
23-April 3
Spring Break
April 7-9
Potomac Conference Elementary Music Festival
8
SA Spirit Day
9
DC Homeless Ministry
10
ACT Test