Reflector- Spring 2008 - Timothy Christian Schools

INSIDE: 2007 - 2008 ANNuAl REpoRt
a publication of timothy christian schools
Building a Foundation
A Story of Blessing and Blessings
sprinG 2008
Beyond Belief

table of Contents
Features
5
Building a Foundation: A Story of Blessing
and Blessings
Christian education, while rooted in the past, has always
been about the future. Today the questions about the future
are clear. Will our children have faith? And, on the minds of
many, will Christian education remain affordable? Read how
the Legacy Fund of the Timothy Foundation provides the
resources to answer both questions.
Special Feature Insert
18
A Glimpse of Things to Come
Mock Trial Continues a Strong Tradition
Special Feature Insert
Almost two years ago we shared with you the first glimpse of a Campus Master
Plan. Check out the center insert to see how far we’ve come, and learn about the
upcoming presentation at this year’s Annual Society meeting.
Timothy’s Mock Trial tradition is strong, its legacy impressive. This year’s experience was
no exception. Read about the year that taught some very valuable lessons along the way.
Departments
2
3
4
8
11
16
22
22
23
25
25
Reflection
Tips, Trends, and Finds for
Open Minds
Letters to the Editor
Campus News
Elementary and Middle
School News
High School News
Board of Directors’ News
Foundation News
Alumni News
From the Archives
Who Was That Person?
SPRING 2008 a PublIcatIoN of tImothy chRIStIaN SchoolS
Editor
Dave Larsen
Photography
Rudi Gesch
Jim Hartgerink
Cindy Van Kampen
Melissa Groot
Design and Layout
CHANGEffect
Printing
Darwill Press
Board of Directors
President
Mark Dykema
Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church
Engineering Consultant
Vice President
Tracey Jarzombek ’88
Lombard Christian Reformed Church
Homemaker and Volunteer
Secretary
Bob Van Staalduinen
Lombard Christian Reformed Church
Director
Knollcrest Funeral Home
Financial Secretary
Peter Hegel
Christ Church of Oak Brook
Managing Director and Vice President
Mesirow Financial Services
Treasurer
Kyle Vander Brug
Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church
Insurance Agent
Allstate Insurance Company
the Reflector is published three times a year and is a publication of the timothy christian
Schools board of Directors. timothy is a member of christian Schools International and
is accredited by the commission on Schools of the North central association of colleges
and Schools.
the Reflector is mailed free of charge to timothy alumni, members of the timothy
christian School Society, and supportive friends.
the purpose of this publication is to foster strong ties between timothy christian Schools
and its alumni/society members, to nurture christian education in the school and in the
family, and to better inform its readers of the activities of timothy christian Schools.
We welcome letters and comments to the editor, addressed to the school or by e-mail:
larsen@timothychristian.com.
Alumni are especially encouraged to submit news and photos.
We reserve the right to edit.
Please inform the school of any change of address by providing both the old and
new addresses.
Jim Allen ’86
Faith Christian Reformed Church, Elmhurst
Major Account Executive
Allied Waste Chicago
Kyle Buikema
Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church
President
Buikema Ace Hardware Stores
Russ Clousing
Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church
Financial Representative
New England Financial Services
Rachel De Young ’71
Western Springs Christian Reformed Church
Homemaker and Volunteer
Steven Denny
Christ Church of Oak Brook
Attorney
Mark Dodgson
Calvary Memorial Church, Oak Park
Fire Inspector/Investigator
Leslie Fazio
Lombard Christian Reformed Church
Dental Office Insurance Coordinator
Jake Groenewold ’75
Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church
Vice President-Member Services
Consortia, Inc.
Luis Hernandez
Willow Creek Community Church,
South Barrington
Home Mortgage Consultant
Wells Fargo Home Mortgage
Julie Huisman ’90
Faith Christian Reformed Church, Elmhurst
Homemaker and Not-for-Profit Volunteer
Ellen Penczak ‘72
Faith Christian Reformed Church, Elmhurst
Marketing/Sales Manager
Advanced Diagnostics
Cathy Mc Neil Stein
Rock of Ages Baptist Church, Maywood
Attorney
188 W. butterfield Road
Elmhurst, Il 60126
Phone: (630) 833-4616
fax: (630) 833-9238
www.timothychristian.com
Superintendent
Dan Van Prooyen
Director of Advancement
and Community Relations
Dave Larsen
High School Principal
Clyde Rinsema
P-8 Principal
Dr. Tim Hoeksema
P-8 Assistant Principal
Susan Schemper
Advertising rates:
full page: $400
1/2 page: $225
1/4 page: $150
1/8 page: $75
Deb Torringa ‘75
Fountain of Life Church, Lombard
Orthodontics Treatment Coordinator
Dan Westra
Western Springs Christian Reformed Church
General Manager
Resource Management Companies
Doug Wielard
Wheaton Christian Reformed Church
De La Rue Cash Systems
Director, Software
Deanna Wondergem ’85
Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church
Certified Professional Trainer
Beyond Belief

Reflection Article
Stewardship
The story is told about the old oak beams at one of
the colleges at Oxford University near London. The
massive, centuries old beams in a majestic, towering
dining hall were infested with bugs. The beams would have
to be replaced. If they weren’t, the whole building would
come crashing down. It was feared that beams like this
would be incredibly expensive, and many doubted that they
could be found at any price. Finally someone recalled that
upon the establishment of this particular college within the
university, the founders in 1379 had planted a grove of oak
trees on university land so that, hundreds of years later,
when the beams became infested, as the founders knew they
would, the college would have the resources it required.
Stewardship is an ancient sounding word that has
everything to do with the present and future. The founders
of the college at Oxford University understood this. Those
who founded the Timothy Foundation and those who
manage its resources today understand it as well.
We give because of God’s grace. We give because we are
stewards of God’s world, trustees of all that rightfully
belongs to him. And we give because we are also stewards
of the future. In this sense, stewardship is also a way to love
our neighbor, even those yet unborn.
Now this may not be part of our normal way of thinking,
that somehow we can not only bless the present but also
touch the future.
When giving is an afterthought, or thoughtless, it not only
means little for the present, it robs stewardship of any
future benefit. We give because of grace and as stewards
of grace. That means we are stewards of the kind of future
God desires for his people and his world.
Stewardship, ultimately, is a statement of belonging—a
confession of faith that our possessions don’t possess us, that
someone else does. A reminder that we are not our own.
Stewardship also looks to the future as God leads us into it.
It’s part of a kingdom vision for being salt and light in and
for the world. This kind of stewardship requires men and
women of vision.
Timothy is the beneficiary of visionary supporters who
recognized years ago that steps could and should be taken
to provide resources for immediate tuition assistance,
funding for creative summer curriculum research projects,
and seed money to establish program and staffing
initiatives. In all of these dreams they envisioned a strong
school made even stronger.
Two questions have always been part of the Christian
education landscape:
1. Will our children have faith?
2. Will Christian education remain affordable?
The Timothy Foundation and its Legacy Fund enable
affirmative answers to both questions. You are encouraged
to read the articles in this issue, which detail just how this
works itself out. And you are also encouraged to discover
how you may contribute to this Legacy Fund through
planned giving options so that we may continue to answer
these questions in the affirmative.
Most parents and grandparents have prayed to God about
the kind of world their children and grandchildren will
inherit. Maybe they’ve even wrestled with him, argued with
him, because they wished it looked different or better, or
wished there were something you could do about the future.
Like the oaks in the story, we have the
opportunity to be a part of God’s
creative provisions for the future
of Christian education, at
Timothy Christian Schools
and throughout the world.
— Dave Larsen,
Director of
Advancement
Tips, Trends,
Finds for Open Minds
Give This Report Card an “F”
Writing in the editorial section of the New York Times in
February, 2008, parent Maura J. Casey pondered the new
report card system of the Hartford Connecticut elementary
schools. She is concerned, very concerned.
She finds the new cards loaded with educational jargon,
conceived by a committee, and designed to measure 58
social and behavioral skills. With other information, the
report cards have been known to run seven pages. While
most parents seem pleased with the detail, teachers are
overburdened with record keeping and reporting.
“... loaded with educational
jargon, conceived by a
committee, and designed
to measure 58 social and
behavioral skills.”
Here’s how Casey expressed her concerns:
“I confess that as a parent, I’ve always focused on the basics.
I want my children to be curious, enjoy learning, to read for
pleasure, to be polite, to do their homework, and to try not
to hate school. If my kids got A’s or B’s, I got a pretty good
sense that they were mastering the necessary skills. If they
did much worse, I knew that it was time to call their teachers.
If I got a report card that told me my 10-year-old ‘uses
numeracy and literacy skills to describe, analyze and
present scientific content, data and ideas,’ I would have
reached for a dictionary and an aspirin. It is enough to
make me think longingly of the days of happy-face stickers
and gold stars.”
Her hunch is that the report cards were designed to please
an educational bureaucracy that thrives on jargon and
technical terms. Is it possible to grade report cards?
Spirituality and Children’s Happiness
The March 26, 2008 USA Today noted a study by the
University of British Columbia which found that “6.5%
to 16.5% of children’s happiness can be accounted for by
spirituality.” The study of 315 students ages nine through
12 found the link between spirituality and happiness to be
even stronger for this age group than adults.
Of course, the real interesting piece of the study was how
they determine “spirituality” and “happiness.” Unfortunately,
the definitions and details were not to be found.
“6.5% to 16.5% of children’s
happiness can be accounted for
by spirituality.”
–University of British Columbia, quoted in USA Today
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tips, trends and Finds
Eating at Home: Don’t Pass the Drugs
Writing in USA Today, Brittany Levine described a report
by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse
at Columbia University that showed “that teenagers who
average fewer than two family dinners a week are more
likely to do drugs, smoke and drink compared with teens
who have family dinners five or more times a week.” The
study, funded by the Safeway Foundation—a charitable
arm of the supermarket chain—conducted phone interviews
with over a 1,000 randomly sampled 12 to 17 year olds and
more than 500 parents.
“Conversations around the
dinner table are the most
comfortable settings for
discussing heavier topics,
students report.”
Why should dinners at home matter so much? Most helpful
drug prevention models begin at home with parents not
being afraid to speak with their children about important
matters. Conversations around the dinner table are the most
comfortable settings for discussing heavier topics, students
report. And kids would rather eat at home than alone.
letters to the Editor
Dear Dave,
So the question is not only “What’s for dinner?” The
corollary is “Where are we eating dinner?”
Seeing Double at Times?
Writing in a September 2007 edition of the New York
Times, author Laura Novak described an interesting
diagnosis that is said to apply to five percent of schoolage
children: convergence insufficiency, where children
see double because the eyes can’t work together at close
range. Why does this matter? Children with convergence
insufficiency may suffer headaches, dizziness, and nausea,
all of which may lead to “irritability, low self-esteem, and
inability to concentrate.”
In many cases students with convergence insufficiency are
diagnosed with ADHD or anxiety disorder. What’s a
parent to do? Novak quoted the opinion of Dr. Stuart
Dankner, a pediatric ophthalmologist in Baltimore and an
assistant clinical professor at Johns Hopkins, who said that
children should be tested for convergence difficulty, but
cautioned that it was not the cause of most attention and
reading problems.
According to Novak, Dr. Dankner recommends an overall
assessment by a psychologist or education specialist. “An
eye exam should be done as an adjunct,” he said, “because
even if the child has convergence difficulty, they will usually
also have other problems that need to be addressed.”
Just wanted to tell you how pleased I was with your opening op-ed piece in the Winter 2008 Reflector
as well as the content of the entire issue. I am so excited that Timothy is going global with its vision.
Congratulations on a job well done. Keep up the good work, Timothy!
Warmly, and in His service,
Dr. Henry Tazelaar ‘74
Feature Article
Building a Foundation
A Story of Blessing and Blessings
What if Timothy Christian Schools had a friend who
could help it through difficult economic times,
provide tuition assistance for families, supply
funding to support faculty research, and develop new
programs with seed money support?
The good news is that Timothy has such a friend. It is
called the Timothy Foundation, and its Legacy Fund blesses
Timothy in many ways. The workings of the Foundation
and its continuing influence are quite a story in itself, woven
through with the threads of Christian education and the
covenant family of faith.
The Timothy Foundation was formed in 1978 with an
initial sum of $28,800 which was a bequest to Timothy
provided in the Estate of Tena Huizenga following her
death on January 28, 1978. Tena’s legacy serves as a great
example of the power and reach of Christian education,
which the Timothy Foundation is intended to strengthen.
Tena Huizenga was born and
raised on the old west side of
Chicago and was educated
at Ebenezer Christian School.
Ebenezer later merged with
Timothy. She moved with
her parents to Cicero in the
early 1930’s and lived within
walking distance of Timothy
Christian School, which was
only an elementary school at
Tena Huizenga
that time. While still living in
Chicago she was persuaded
by Jennie Stielstra to join her as a missionary in Nigeria
under the authority of the Sudan United Mission. Her sense
of God’s call led her to become a nurse, and she graduated
from the nursing school at Garfield Community Hospital.
Tena also attended Berea College in Kentucky where she
learned the practice of midwifery.
To prepare for her responsibilities as a missionary of the
gospel, she attended and graduated from Moody Bible
Institute. Tena’s brother, Tom, paid for her expenses during
this period. Her missionary career in Africa began in early
1937 and ended in 1954 due to medical reasons. After a
year of medical treatment and healing, her career as a nurse
continued in Allegan, Michigan and in the Chicago area.
She loved her Christian Reformed Church denomination,
her friends, her family of relatives and devoted her spare
time to them during her nursing career and after retirement.
When Tena’s father, Harm Huizenga, died in 1936, his
business interests were bequeathed to his four sons and
excluded his daughter, Tena, as was the “old world” custom.
Tena had made a commitment to the mission field by that
time. While her mission support was secure she had no
financial independence or any financial security for the
future. Tena lived all her life as a single woman, and had no
husband on which to depend.
The largest portion of Harms estate was a partnership
interest in C & S Disposal Co. Tena’s brother, Pete, who
was one of Harm’s heirs, determined to give his interest
in C & S Disposal Co. to Tena as an endowment for her
life commitment to the mission field and to be able to
support herself throughout her life. C & S Disposal Co. was
subsequently acquired by Waste Management in the 1970’s
in exchange for its stock which grew in value. Tena lived
frugally and retained most of her endowed assets. Upon her
death, it was Tena’s desire that all of her estate (except for
personal items) be distributed
to organizations of the
Christian Reformed Church
and its supporting community.
She designated that Timothy
Christian Schools receive 10%
of these assets.
The nephew of Tena, Peter
Huizenga, was the Executor
of her estate and was serving
as President of the Timothy
School Board at the time of
Peter Huizenga
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Feature Article
Tena’s death. Knowing that the bequest of Tena created an
opportunity to begin a fund for the future needs of Timothy,
rather than being spent on current operating expenses, the
Timothy Board of Directors approved the creation of the
Timothy Foundation and the gift from Tena became its first
asset. In the almost 40 years since the Timothy Foundation
was created it has grown in size to approximately $5 million
through subsequent gifts and gains within its portfolio.
Over $200,000 a year is currently provided to Timothy for
tuition assistance, faculty enhancement and special projects.
From this humble beginning the Timothy Foundation has
grown under the steady direction of the Timothy Board of
Directors and the Foundation Trustees, chaired from its
beginning by Peter Huizenga. The Timothy Foundation
is not a separate legal entity but is part of the School
Corporation. The Foundation is governed by a Board which
oversees its investments, determines its spending policies
and approves the uses for which its distributions are made.
All distributions from the Foundation are made directly
to the Schools which administers all assistance payments.
The School Board appoints the members of the Foundation
Board and has ultimate authority over every aspect of the
Foundation.
During its 40 year history, the Foundation and the Schools
have worked in total harmony. The original by-laws of the
Foundation, with few changes, are still its organizational
framework. The Foundation Board consists of 19 members
and meets twice a year, usually in April and October.
The Investment Committee of the Foundation meets as
required on a more frequent basis. The Treasurer and
Financial Secretary of the School Board are permanent
positions on the Foundation Board, which is also assisted
by the Superintendant, Dan Van Prooyen and Dave Larsen,
Director of Advancement and Community Relations.
The Foundation is not a fund raising body. Contributions
have been selectively requested on occasion by the
Chairman with the assistance of the School’s staff in an
effort to grow the resources. Undesignated large gifts
to the Schools are generally allocated to the Foundation
by the School Board. Donations are also received by the
Foundation for unrestricted use or for designated purposes
such as scholarships or specific projects.
So from humble beginnings, a heartfelt gift from a woman of
God, the initiative of family and a nephew with a vision for
the future, Timothy Christian Schools is blessed today and
for the future with resources that strengthen the school in
many ways and support families in need of tuition assistance.
As former Superintendent Arnie Hoving sees it, “The
Timothy Foundation works because of donor contributions
and the investment policies of the Foundation Board of
Trustees as wise and careful stewards of God’s resources.”
Arnie should know, since he was involved with its formation,
saw years of blessings on the Timothy family, and continues
to serve as a Foundation Trustee and member of its
Investment Committee.
Current Superintendent Dan Van Prooyen agrees. “The
Foundation is really a story of God’s providential care of
his people from its beginnings through today, with great
promise for the future. I hope the Timothy constituency
understands how it works not only, but also how they can
participate in its future through careful estate planning.”
Frequently asked questions:
How do gifts come to the Foundation?
Typically, all gifts to Timothy in the form of estate gifts,
wills and bequests are by Board policy directed to the
Foundation, unless restricted for some other purpose. The
same holds true for all memorial gifts and gifts given in
honor or celebration of anniversaries or birthdays.
What’s the difference between the Foundation and the
Legacy Fund?
The Timothy Foundation is the formal, legal entity which
is approved to receive and distribute funds on behalf of
the Timothy Board of Directors. The Legacy Fund is the
amount which the Foundation distributes each year to the
Timothy Board of Directors based on the earnings of its
investments. If the Foundation is the greenhouse which
continues to grow through gifts, the Fund is the distribution
center which can do more as the greenhouse grows.
Can you give me an example of how the Legacy Fund
benefits Timothy families?
Last year 66 families from supporting and affiliated
churches received tuition assistance ranging from
$500--$8,000. The total amount distributed by the Legacy
Fund was $138,605. This year $147,000 was distributed to
61 families, with the range of assistance from $500-$8,000.
In addition, tuition assistance is given to Timothy faculty
members whose children are enrolled at Timothy.
Does the Legacy Fund do anything in addition to
Tuition Assistance?
Two initiatives stand out.
The first is summer curriculum and faculty development
projects. Timothy expects that all teachers spend some time
on their curriculum development each summer. Summer
curriculum pay is really designed to promote work that is
above and beyond what is considered “normal”. It is also
meant to promote the goals adopted by the school so that
progress can be made in a thoughtful way in the summer
when there is time for this kind of work, often with a group
of teachers. We have also used summer curriculum support
as a stipend for summer training projects.
Typically, the Foundation gives $ 20,000-23,000 per summer
for curriculum work. Recent summer curriculum projects:
• Development of a “Safe-School” anti-bullying
curriculum for elementary and middle schools
• Development of a Media and Culture Perspective course
in the High School
• Development of Enrichment units for grade 4 and 5
• High school World Cultures Class
• Smart Board Training
The second is the provision of “seed money” to initiate new
programs or positions. Within the past fifteen years the
Foundation has “seeded” the programs and positions in
Enrichment Services in the elementary and middle schools
and the position of Director of Advancement for
the system. In addition, the position of Director of
Marketing and Recruitment is the most recently funded
Legacy Fund initiative.
How can I help grow the Legacy Fund?
It may surprise you to know that almost any asset may
potentially become a charitable gift for the Legacy Fund of
the Timothy Foundation. You may contribute:
6 Reflector sprinG 2008 sprinG 2008 Reflector 7
• Cash
• Stocks and other securities
• Real estate
(continued)
• Business interests
• Life insurance
• Tangible personal property
• Commodities
• IRA or other retirement assets
• Bequest from a Will or Trust
Who can give me sound advice on estate planning matters?
Timothy Christian Schools is a member of and partner with
the Barnabas Foundation. Dave Larsen, Timothy’s Director
of Advancement, will gladly make the introductions with a
professional estate planner from Barnabas who will, at no
cost to you, be pleased to answer questions like these from
an estate planning checklist:
• Does it reflect what’s important to you and your family?
• Is it up-to-date with current tax laws?
• Does it appropriately provide for your children if that is
your desire?
• Are Executor/Trustees named still valid?
• Does it include your favorite charities?
• Are unnecessary taxes eliminated?
Who serves on the Timothy Foundation Board of Trustees?
Timothy is blessed with gifted and experienced business
leaders and finance professionals who develop investment
policies for Board approval and carefully monitor
investments. All have also served on the Board of Directors
for at least one term, and are parents of former or current
Timothy students.
Serving this year are:
Peter Huizenga, President
David Bere’
Lee Brandsma
Richard K. De Boer
Peter Hegel
Case Hoogendoorn
Arnold Hoving
Ken Hoving
Tom Huiner
Bastian Knoppers
Rob Petroelje
Lawrence Poltrock
Terry Van Der Aa
Kyle Vander Brug
Ken Vander Wal
Donald Vos
Wayne Vriesman
John Zeilstra

Campus News
Marketing Matters
This recurring column is
written to keep the greater
Timothy community informed
of our progress in the fields of
marketing and recruitment.
The Amazing Timothy
Community I am
continually impressed
with the blessings the Lord
has lavished upon the Timothy
Rudi Gesch
community. One blessing that I
think we often take for granted
is the fact that Timothy is a
P-12 school system all on one campus. As a Timothy fifth
grade teacher in 2005-2006, I got to see the amazing things
that God is doing in the day-to-day life of our students. As
Marketing Director, I get to regularly tour our campus
during a school day. It is really amazing what God does at
Timothy through the number of people and gifts that he has
brought together to make Timothy such an amazing place.
God has assembled a Timothy community that gathers
from 55 different towns and cities, 213 different churches,
has a growing racially diverse family population, and
students from age 3 to 18. This is yet another example of
how Timothy is really Beyond Belief—the Lord is working
everyday on our campus. If that doesn’t motivate you to
spread the good news of what’s happening at Timothy, I
suggest you check your pulse!
Timothy After School Program Update In the last Reflector,
I announced that we were in the beginning stages of putting
together an after-school program for Timothy families. I’m
happy to report that we are still on track—by the time this
edition of the Reflector is published we will have interviewed
potential directors who will shape this program. We are
committed to offering this service by August of this year.
New Family Referral Card Reminder Last school year, we
had 17 new families enroll at Timothy as a result of the new
family referral program. The program encourages current
Timothy families to spread the good news of Timothy to
friends, family, and neighbors, by giving them a New Family
Referral Card. This card is turned in with the new family’s
application, and the referring family is given a $500 tuition
credit. All parties involved benefit from this program—the
new family gets their application fee waived and becomes
part of the Timothy community, the current family gets the
referral credit, and Timothy enjoys the presence of another
new family.
Thank you for your interest in the marketing and recruitment efforts of
Timothy. If you know of any prospective families who would like to be
contacted regarding a change of schools, or if you have any ideas to
advance our marketing efforts, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Rudi Gesch
Director of Marketing and Recruitment
630.833.4616 ext. 108
gesch@timothychristian.com
The Campaign Against Human Trafficking:
John Sianghio and International Justice Mission
The last Reflector included an
article about the “Not For Sale
Campaign” event sponsored by
several Timothy constituents and
businesses to call our attention
Not For Sale Campaign to
to the international problem of
end human trafficking
human trafficking. In attendance
that Sunday afternoon was a
Timothy graduate who is directly involved in work to
combat human trafficking.
John Sianghio ’04 graduated with distinction from the
University of Illinois Urbana Champaign in December
2007 with degrees in English and Political Science. While
an undergraduate he served as President of Illinois’ 1200
member Evangelical Christian Union and as the Director of
Philanthropy of Koinonia Christian Brotherhood, Illinois’
interdenominational Christian fraternity.
John has been a conference lecturer and course instructor
on the issue of human trafficking. His first encounter
with the biblical call to justice came as he attended the
2006 InterVarsity Christian Fellowship Urbana Missions
Conference in St. Louis Missouri. He attended a workshop
session conducted by the International Justice Mission
(IJM), a Washington D.C.-based, Christian, non-profit
human rights organization.
He is currently a Civic Leadership Fellow at the Cline
Center for Democracy and a McCormick Foundation
Fellow. Under the auspices of his fellowships he is serving
a Masters Residency with IJM at their Field Office in
Manila, Philippines.
In the next issue of the Reflector you will read John’s
account of his pilgrimage toward greater awareness and
involvement and his encouragement to us to become
engaged in addressing the problem of human trafficking.
Report from the Ugandan Orphanage Relief Fund
Rick Persenaire, Director of the Ugandan Orphanage
Relief Fund (www.UROF.org) reports on the journey of
sports items donated by Timothy students, and other
pieces of equipment:
Just wanted to drop you a note about the sports items
donated by Timothy.
They were loaded on a shipping container in October
along with tons (literally) of clothes, shoes, school supplies,
tools, equipment for the new reformed seminary, and
farming equipment. The container arrived in Kenya just
after Christmas. If you have been following the news about
Kenya, this was just about the time the elections were
held and all the violence began. Wisely, the forwarding
company held the container suspecting the elections would
result in turmoil. The container was safe but stuck in the
port’s holding area for weeks. Finally, during a break in the
rioting, a convoy left the port with our container tagging
along. Our truck made it through the town of Elderot,
avoiding pirates and the burnings of vehicles at some of
the roughest places. We cleared the border customs in a
day only to be held up at the clearing house in Kampala.
The only blessing of waiting for customs in Kampala was
our registration in Uganda as a tax exempt NGO finally
arrived and we did not have to pay taxes on the items in the
container. Eventually in mid-February the container cleared
and was delivered to our children’s home in Nkumba.
The sporting goods donated by Timothy were distributed
to several of the seven homes we support in Uganda and
are already in use by the children. We travel to Uganda
in March and I am looking forward to teaching the
children how to play baseball. It will be a completely new
experience for them.
The container had hundreds of thousands of dollars worth
of supplies all provided by generous organizations like
Ugandan Orphanage Relief Fund
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Campus News
Timothy. We could not care for the hundreds of children
that we do in Uganda without great partners like Timothy.
Thanks for your support. I hope we can continue to work
together for the orphans in Uganda. The children’s Village
plans are coming together very quickly and we are going to
need a school soon!”
Living for Jesus,
Rick Persenaire
Ugandan Orphanage Relief Fund
Black History Month Program “Imagine Me”
The Timothy Christian Black History Committee blessed
the entire Timothy Christian community in February with a
celebration of the accomplishments of African Americans of
the past and present and the coming together of Timothy’s
diverse population. This year the production was in the
form of a drama that highlighted various periods in African
American history. The production included performances by
elementary, middle, and high school students and was both
entertaining and enlightening.
A very full house in the Huizenga Auditorium witnessed
another wonderful performance by Timothy students.
Through song, dance, drama and music students helped the
Student John Randle thanks the audience who came to “Imagine Me”
audience to see how, with God’s help, the cause of justice
was reflected in the rich history of the struggle for racial
equality in America. The night was a true communitybuilding
celebration. Many thanks to the students and
parent advisors for another sign of the Kingdom of God.
The storytelling grandparents at Black History program
Christian Youth Theater Performance
The Christian Youth Theater of Chicago performed
“Godspell” this fall in the Huizenga Auditorium. The
play featured three of Timothy’s very own: Abby Newell,
Marissa Allen, and Laura Thoresen. “Godspell” is the
musical adaptation of the greatest story ever told, taken
from the book of Matthew. Incorporating street rhythms,
modern dance,and powerful music, the message of the
Gospel came alive in a fresh, innovative way.
SmartBoard Movement Gains Momentum
Recently, Chicago Parent Magazine did a feature on
Timothy and several other leading Chicago area schools on
the cutting edge of this movement. See the “Smartboard”
link on our website (www.timothychristian.com) to access
the information from Chicago Parent Magazine.
As of this writing we have raised nearly $75,000 to pay for
the second round of SmartBoard installations throughout
the school system. We plan to raise the remaining $25,000
before the end of the school year. Inclined to help? Contact
Dave Larsen for the details.
Elementary and Middle School News
Pennies for Penicillin
In keeping with this year’s theme, “This is My Father’s
World,” one way to “reclaim” God’s world for His good is
to provide for the needs of others around the world.
On Monday, March 3, the second graders welcomed Ena
Vandermolen to their classroom to do just that. Ena is a
Wycliffe Bible translator in the Philippines among the Obo
Manaoba people who has returned to the area for a furlough.
Ms. Vandermolen spoke to the students about her work
by showing photos, talking about the culture, and sharing
some of her favorite native fruits. She brought along some
traditional clothes and some students had the chance to
model fashion from the Philippines. The students also
enjoyed seeing some of the large insects she brought along.
Online Donations Now Possible
We want to remind you that it is now possible to make a
donation on our website. All donations are safe and secure
and very easy to do. Be the first on your block to do it!
Check it out on “Donations” on the website homepage.
Stay Informed: Read the TCSNews Email Newsletter
If you’d like to keep in touch with news from Timothy and
you live at some distance, one way that over 1,000 people
choose to do so is by subscribing to the TCSNews, an email
newsletter that comes to your inbox each Monday. Filled
with updated news, a thought for the week, prayer requests,
and a mildly amusing joke or story, the TCSNews is a quick
read that keeps you informed, inspired, and invited.
Sign up by visiting our website: www.timothychristian.com.
Click on TCSNews and follow the directions!
Because she talked about what kind of medical care is
available for the Obo Manobo people, the second grade
classes are collecting pennies (and coins) to be used for
buying penicillin or any over-the-counter medicines that are
helpful to the Obo Manobo people. Their goal is to raise
$400. The students are encouraged to be involving in raising
the money by doing chores around the house and earning
the money themselves.
Third Grade Chain Fundraiser
Timothy’s third grade movement to support a Honduran
orphanage has been noticed by the local press. The
Elmhurst Doings ran an article about the “Linking Hearts
to Honduras” paper chain fundraiser and the cookie sale
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Elementary and Middle School News
3rd grade chain fundraiser
fundraiser that this grade recently completed in order to
achieve their year-long goal of $3,000. The article, by
reporter Jim Jaworski, appeared in the March 13 edition
and is reprinted with permission.
Kids’ hearts ‘linked’ from Elmhurst to Honduras
Cookie sales in Elmhurst are helping kids in Central
America.
Timothy Christian Elementary School in Elmhurst is
nearing the conclusion of “Linking Hearts to Honduras.”
The students are taking part in fundraising events to
send money to Hogar de Ninos Nazareth, an orphanage
in Honduras that houses 200 kids and raises them from
infancy to college age.
Third-grade teachers Jane Duiven, Barb Hartgerink and
Nancy Wieringa set out with the intention of raising $3,000
by the end of the school year. With two months left, they
have $2,600 and are looking to far surpass their goal.
“The enthusiasm from the kids has been just fantastic,”
Duiven said.
Teachers and students were looking for ideas for the
annual service project. Third-grader Trevor Hoogendoorn’s
grandfather, Al Heerema, has been working for years with
Mama Carmen, who runs Hogar.
“In 1990, I took some students from Timothy Christian
down to Honduras to help a 19-year-old girl build a home
for the orphans,” Heerema said. “I just fell in love with the
joint.”
The project was a perfect fit for both sides. Heerema, who
visits Hogar many times a year, even brought some of the
orphans to Timothy Christian.
“It really helped put us over the top because they had a face
to put with the project,” Duiven said.
The kids met each other and Heerema and the teachers tried
to put things in perspective.
“We have some videos from down there as well,” Wieringa
said. “So they have a visual too.”
A student noticed one of the orphans in a video wasn’t
wearing any shoes, Hartgerink added.
“They notice little things like that,” she said.
While Timothy students began selling homemade cookies
to classmates to raise money for the orphanage, everybody
took it a step further and gave the orphans some hands-on
support as well.
“One of the bus drivers (Val Smits) -- she’s pretty crafty
-- and she got supplies and made a communication belt for
one of the orphans who is blind, deaf and mute,” Duiven
said, referring to a tool used to help disabled children
communicate.
The kids mostly raised money through bake sales, but
another idea has turned out to be a big success. In the
school hallways, teachers set up drawings of Elmhurst and
Honduras. The kids purchase links made from construction
paper for 10 cents each so they can “link” the two together.
“We started out looking to make $100 and we ended up
making $1,000,” Duiven said.
“We just sent some sheets home and the kids sold them to
their grandmas and grandpas,” Wieringa said. “Everybody
wrote their initials on them.”
The students’ cookie sale Wednesday was expected to more
than exceed their goal.
“I think they have overblown their wildest expectations,”
Heerema said. “They have already sent me $1,800 so far,
and that has been from cookie sales.”
Not only does the money help Hondurans, but Timothy
students are helping more people in the community get
involved, Heerema said.
“There is an extraordinary amount of enthusiasm,”
Heerema said. “They take it home and now their parents
want to sponsor a kid.”
Speed Skater Among Us
Congratulations to fourth grader Hannah Bosman who tied
for second place in the long-track speed skating national
competition held at Lake Placid, New York. She is now in
preparation for short-track competition.
Parent Education Night
The Early Childhood Education Committee at Timothy
Christian Schools hosted a Parent-Education Night on
the topic of Sensory Integration Disorder. The ability
to process information taken in by our senses is a key
factor in children’s development. Speaker Kathy Hirtzer,
an occupational therapist from Elim Christian School,
presented more information on how to become better
observers of children’s senses and how to best help
them process information to succeed at home and in
the classroom.
“Everybody Counts” Week
“Everybody Counts” is a parent-led curriculum for students
in grades K-6. This innovative program is designed to help
our elementary school students gain a better understanding
of disabling conditions and create a climate in which we all
feel at-ease with one another’s differences. The week, held in
early March, was a wonderful success again this year.
Middle School Drama
Middle School Drama presented “It was a Dark and Stormy
Night,” a shameless spoof on those stage and screen classics
of the 20’s and 30’s. Congratulations to the cast, crew, and
director team of Judd Rinsema, Shawna Mudde, and Judy
Sytsma for a thoroughly entertaining performance.
A scary scene from “It Was a Dark and Stormy Night”
Eighth Grade Visitation Day
Timothy’s second annual eighth grade visitation day was an
exciting event. 120 students (81 Timothy eighth graders and
39 eighth graders from other schools) visited the high school
during the course of a school day. But for these eighth
graders, the day was anything but normal.
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Elementary and Middle School News
Rudi Gesch coaches his high school guides
for 8th grade visit day
High school student volunteers lead the 14
groups in a video scavenger hunt, a tour
of the high school (including opportunities
to sit in on high school classes), and the
high school extra curricular fair. This
fair, a student favorite, included over
50 additional Timothy high school volunteers running
fun, interactive display tables that represented the many
academic, athletic and co-curricular opportunities offered
to high school students at Timothy. The Visitation Day
ended with a pizza lunch and the gift of the coveted “I
(heart) TC” T-shirts.
Care Convention 2008
Thursday, March 13th was not your typical day for
Timothy Christian middle schoolers. One student scrambled
across the pavement doing his best crabwalk, while another
sang loudly an off key version of “I’m a Little Teapot.”
There were no math facts being taught on this day, but
bigger life lessons were being learned.
The seventh grade students gathered at Faith Christian
Reformed Church to experience what it means to care for
ourselves and each other. Students spent the entire day in
a group with seven other classmates and two leaders—a
high school student and a parent. They heard speakers,
8th grade visitors model their new Timothy T’s
participated in team building activities, and had small group
time to process what they were experiencing.
We kicked off the day with a picture of what it means to
be a child of God, presented by Pastor Jeff Klein. Students
were encouraged to reflect on the contrast between who
God created us to be and what the world and media tells us
Counselor Andra Hersey gives instructions
about who we are. Dan Kuiper from New Leaf
Resources educated us about family dynamics
and substance abuse. Finally, the day concluded
with a message from Mark Morris on making
personal choices about who you want to be.
The Care Convention T-shirt says it all
Care Conventioners gather at Faith CRC
High school students serve as Care Convention guides
The seventh graders had a blast, and the parent and high
school volunteers said it was a blessing to be used by God
to invest in our middle schoolers. It was clear that God
was present and working in the hearts of everyone who
participated in Care Convention 2008.
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High School News
The Christian, Popular Culture
and the Media*
Clyde Rinsema
by Clyde Rinsema
High School Principal
How Christians respond to
popular culture and the media
has always been challenging
and fascinating. The scripture
theme about being “in the
world but not of the world”
has promoted a healthy
tension as we engage with the
media which transmits
popular culture.
My wife’s family took an ultra conservative approach to
the media and particularly television in its early years. She
remembers how exciting it was every four years when her
dad would bring home a rented TV in order to watch the
presidential election returns. It was rented because they felt
uncomfortable with having television shape their family
values on an ongoing basis. They finally relented when the
rental brought in for the Kennedy assassination in 1963 was
purchased. But even then time spent in front of the tube was
limited to the nightly news, the Cubs and shows like “Leave
it to Beaver” and “Andy Griffith.”
This was an extreme and narrow approach. We did not raise
our children this way, although we still were quite cautious
in our viewing habits as a family. Many Christian families
were far less restrictive than our family.
As a community working out of a reformed perspective
we have always prided ourselves in engaging the culture
rather than withdrawing from it. Our watchwords have
been “reform the culture” or “engage the media.” Some
Christians have done so admirably. Films and other media
forms often deal with the basic religious questions of life:
Who is God? Who are humans? Where did we come? What
is our biggest problem? How do we resolve it? Where are
we going? Andrew Greeley wrote, “my thesis is simple
enough: popular culture is a theological place—the locale
in which one may encounter God. Popular culture provides
an opportunity to experience God and to tell stories of God,
to put the matter more abstractly, to learn about God and
to teach about God.” Much can be learned from analyzing
cultural trends and even religious concepts as they are
articulated through the media.
For the most part however, I sense that we have often been
entertained but not discriminating in our engagement
with popular culture conveyed to us through the media.
I fear our discernment “tools” are often too blunt when
responding to media which emerges from a culture which
has loosed itself from biblical moorings.
The importance of teaching media discernment was
brought home to me again last summer when I attended the
Christian Schools International convention.
One of the keynote speakers was Walt Mueller, founder and
President of the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding.
He is an internationally recognized speaker and author
on youth culture. I highly recommend his book, Engaging
the Soul of Youth Culture: Bridging Teen Worldviews and
Christian Truth.
My notes from his lectures include the following bullet points:
• We must be cross-cultural missionaries to youth. They
live in a different cultural setting then we live in and
when we grew up.
• The youth of today face more pain and brokenness in
society today than ever before.
• Problems emerging from the culture impact students at
a younger and younger age
• The culture is the soup they swim in: it is powerful.
Kids marinate 24/7 in popular culture and absorb it
like sponges.
• Culture is always directive and provides a map for life.
*by media I really refer to television, radio, movies, newspapers, magazines,
books, advertising in all forms, the internet and all 21st century digital
means of conveying words, ideas and pictures.
It is always reflective and expresses the values of the
dominant worldview.
• We must minister to youth with “the Bible in one hand
and the newspaper in the other.” This means we must
be knowledgeable about our culture and media which
transmits cultural values.
• Media such as television, movies, radio, and the
Internet, as well as the newer technologies which
transmit media like iPods, cell phones, iTunes,
Facebook, MySpace and a host of other digital means of
networking have a profound impact on young people.
Many adults are oblivious to some of these forms of
communication and networking.
The key role the media plays in transmitting cultural values
and how its influence has increased is evident in the chart
below from Walt Meuller’s book.
Hierarchy of influence in shaping the views of youth:
RANK 1960 1980 2000
1 Family Friends/Peers Media
2 School Family Friends/Peers
3 Friends/Peers Media Family
4 Church School School
In our 21st century culture, the media has become a
dominant influence on youth.
Mueller advised us to listen to culture, read the culture, and
watch the culture. His website (www.cpyu.org) is helpful to
parents and those who work with youth. It is updated daily
and is designed to serve as a clearinghouse for up-to-date
information and analysis on contemporary youth culture
from a distinctively Christian perspective.
He also encouraged educators to challenge young people
to think Christianly about the media. To this end the
Education Committee of the school board has spent
time this year evaluating how we can promote Christian
discernment in our students as they marinate in a mediadrenched
cultural stew.
A survey was circulated among the high school teachers,
which gathered information about how the various media
are incorporated into the curriculum and if discernment is
included in the instruction. We were pleased to see the way
our teachers naturally infuse media instruction throughout
the curriculum.
Our Bible teachers were encouraged to find more ways to
promote media discernment in their courses. A course entitled
“The Christian and Media” will be taught next school year
by Mr. Oliver Hersey who has a passion for helping young
people relate faith to cultural and media decisions.
The critical ingredient for dealing with the popular culture
as we guide our youth is to equip them with a value system
through which they can be discerning. These values
emerge out of nurturing in the home, church, and school.
The development of such a value system at times is very
deliberate and formal but more often is transferred through
daily informal “teachable moments.”
The job of instructing the next generation to appropriately
respond to popular culture expressed through the media
falls on parents, Christian school teachers, youth pastors,
pastors, and every adult who has meaningful contact with
our youth. The task is challenging. But bringing our faith
and values to bear in our cultural setting is energizing. Our
faith is invigorated when tested by the spirits of the age. May
God grant us all the wisdom and courage to accomplish
this important task in a way that encourages a healthy,
discriminating engagement with our culture while not
abandoning the challenge of appropriate Christian witness.
Recommended Readings:
• The Culturally Savvy Christian: A Manifesto for
Deepening Faith and Enriching Popular Culture in
an Age of Christianity-lite, by Dick Staub
• Engaging the Soul of Youth Culture: Bridging Teen
Worldviews and Christian Truth, by Walt Mueller
• Pop Goes Religion: Faith in Popular Culture,
by Terry Mattingly
Website recommendations to help in understanding media
and youth culture from a Christian perspective:
• Web site of Christian author and speaker Dick Staub:
http://www.dickstaub.com/
• Web site of author and speaker Walt Mueller:
http://www.cpyu.org
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Reflector 17

High School News
Mock Trial Coverage
Mock Trial Team Takes County Competition
Timothy’s Mock Trial team takes part in the Du Page
County Mock Trial competition each year. This year there
were 28 teams involved, including many of the best teams
in the state . Timothy’s A team played Hinsdale South and
St. Charles East. In the St. Charles trial, Timothy received
a perfect score from one of the judges, a feat that had never
been achieved in County Mock Trial history. Timothy scored
high enough in their trials to compete in the championship
round against Glenbard East, last year’s state champ. In a
tense, hard fought trial, Timothy was declared champion.
Timothy’s team was comprised of Seniors Heather Hooker,
Leanna Johnson, and James VanDenBerg; Juniors Caroline
Hays, Dan Denby, Ibie Hart, Amanda Rychtanek, and
Corey VanDyk; Sophomore Olivia Doig, Freshman Taylor
Hoogendoorn, teacher Scott Roelofs, and attorneys Cathy
McNeil Stein and Kirsten Hauser. Timothy’s B team, made
up of all freshmen and one sophomore, also performed very
well, finishing in the middle of the pack.
Following county competition, the Timothy Mock Trial
team continued their dynasty with another top-three finish
at the state championship tournament. The team traveled
to the University of Illinois at Springfield for the Mock Trial
Mock Trial team
State Championship, ultimately claiming 3rd place. The
2007-2008 season marks the eleventh time in the last
twelve years that Timothy has finished in the top three at
the state competition.
This year’s case involved a high school bully charged with
aggravated battery for breaking a fellow student’s arm.
Timothy competed against St. Charles North and Hubbard
in the first two rounds.
Timothy advanced to the final round of eight, in which each
team has one more trial. Timothy played Boylan Catholic
from Rockford in an amazing final trial.
Coach Scott Roelofs said, “It was one of the best trials
I have ever seen. Boylan had a tremendous team and we
gave one of the best performances of the year against
the toughest team we faced all year.” At the close of the
competition, Timothy was awarded 3rd place, Boylan
was awarded 2nd place, and Highland Park (a team that
Timothy had previously beaten) was awarded first.
This year’s achievement was especially satisfying because
none of the Timothy students had ever been a starter until
this year.
Congratulations to all team members and coaches!
Mock Trial State Competition
The following article capturing the State
competition is reprinted with permission
from Law Bulletin Publishing Company.
Chicago Daily Law Bulletin
March 03, 2008 Volume: 154 Issue: 043
High school students square off in mock trial competition
By Brian Mackey Law Bulletin staff writer
SPRINGFIELD — Dozens of friends and family gathered
before a judge and jury Saturday to see whether Criss
Lyman could put an end to years of bullying at the hands
of Kim Dixon.
Dixon was on trial for aggravated battery after she allegedly
broke Lyman’s arm at school last year. A hush fell over the
room as the prosecution and defense teams — four members
each, all looking nervous — took their seats.
‘’I sense that you’re ready,’’ Christian County Circuit Judge
John P. Coady said. ‘’Are you ready?’’
‘’Yes, your honor,’’ said prosecutor Leanna Johnson, 17.
‘’Yes, your honor,’’ said defense counsel Melissa Cheng, 18.
The final round of the Illinois State Bar Association’s 2008
High School Mock Trial Invitational was beginning,
after a field of 48 teams had minutes earlier been narrowed
to eight.
After a day and a half of preliminary competition at
the University of Illinois at Springfield, the teams were
competing for one slot at the National High School Mock
Trial Championship in Wilmington, Del., in May.
In room H of the Public Affairs Center — ‘’Courtroom
H’’ — Rockford’s Boylan Catholic High School and
Elmhurst’s Timothy Christian High School were about
to make their case.
On the docket was People v. Dixon, a high school bullying
case carefully crafted by members of the ISBA’s Committee
on Law-Related Education for the Public.
The teams prepare both a prosecution on behalf of Criss
Lyman and a defense of Kim Dixon. They conduct opposite
sides of two trials in the preliminary round, and had their
role in the finals determined by lot.
Last minute Mock Trial strategy conference at County trial
Students portray not only the attorneys, but also the
witnesses. Coady presided and, along with a jury of
volunteer attorneys, evaluated the teams. The scores in
those evaluations determined which of the eight finalists
would advance to the national competition.
Johnson opened for Timothy Christian, telling the jurors that
Lyman had been ‘’held in a constant grip of fear’’ by Dixon.
‘’We the people bear the burden of proof and we gladly
accept that burden,’’ Johnson said.
But Boylan Catholic defense counsel Ben Logli, 16, told
jurors that it was ‘’fear, not force’’ that broke Lyman’s arm.
He wanted to show that while Dixon did grab Lyman’s arm,
it was to get her attention, not to hurt her. It was Lyman’s
fearful view of the world that made her jerk away and break
her arm, Logli said.
Each side presented two witnesses, each of whom was
subject to direct and cross-examination. A different student
questioned each witness or delivered the opening statement
or closing argument.
Parties could object, and had their own legal authority to
rely on, as when prosecutor Ibienebo Hart, 17, succeeded in
admitting hearsay testimony under ISBA High School Mock
Trial Simplified Rules of Evidence section (B)(1)(g).
Coady ran the trial in much the same way he said he
runs his real courtroom in Taylorville, thinking through
decisions out loud.
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High School News
Boylan Catholic fought hard to keep the word ‘’bullying’’
from the trial — ‘’any issues dealing with bullying, alleged
bullying, are unduly prejudicial and outstrip the probative
value,’’ Cheng told Coady.
The judge acknowledged that he was tempting the Appellate
Court, but allowed testimony on bullying for the limited
purpose of showing how it affected Lyman’s state of mind.
After the closing arguments, Coady asked the teams’
coaches to stand: teacher Scott Roelofs and attorney
Cathy McNeil Stein for Timothy Christian; teacher Carole
Birchfield, attorney James T. Zuba and Circuit Judge Paul
A. Logli for Boylan Catholic.
Attorney advisers Cathy Stein (l.) and Kirsten Hauser confer with
faculty adviser Scott Roelofs at Mock Trial practice
‘’You have just got to be so proud of what just happened
here,’’ Coady said, prompting a round of applause from
the audience.
‘’As I told you earlier, I was at the national trials and you’re
in with the best of them. We have some of the best [teams]
in the country, and you’re among them,’’ Coady said.
‘’I thought that this went like a real trial and let me tell
you why: I sensed that at different points during the trial,
the defense was mad at me. And then I sensed that the
prosecution was mad at me,’’ Coady said, drawing laughter
from the crowd. ‘’Hey, that’s a real trial.’’
Thomas J. Carlisle, chairman of the ISBA’s Committee
on Law-Related Education for the Public, was one of the
jurors. He said the competition was unique in the way it
encouraged students to see a problem from both sides.
‘’You’re teaching students that in life, like everything else,
there are two sides to a story,’’ Carlisle said. ‘’Sometimes
there’s not a right answer.’’
He said the case was written with no clear winner in mind.
Moments after the Timothy vs. Boylan trial concluded, it
was announced that Highland Park High School won the
day, securing a place in the national competition.
The students of Boylan Catholic and Timothy
Christian appeared pleased to come in second and
third places respectively.
For Criss Lyman and Kim Dixon, however, justice was in
short supply. The jury never returned a verdict.
Student Receives Golden Apple Scholar’s Award
Congratulations to senior Ebony Wrenn who has been
selected to be among the 100 members of the Golden
Apple Scholars of Illinois Class of 2008. This is a highly
competitive program that seeks the best and brightest of
Illinois youth interested in a teaching career. Over 1,400
nominations were received. Those selected receive advanced
teacher preparation through Summer Institutes that give
them early practice and exposure to the art of teaching and
financial assistance for college.
VFW Essay Winners
In the last issue of the Reflector we noted that eighth grade
essayists Jasmine Stein and Colleen Murphy were honored
by the local VFW post for their winning essays on the topic
of patriotism. Early in March, several of Timothy’s High
School students were also recognized for their essays in the
VFW contest, on a different topic. Timothy finished in first,
second and third place! Congratulations to students Rachel
Groters, Sabrina Lee and Dan Denby!
WYSE Guys and Girls
Congratulations to the WYSE (Worldwide Youth in Science
and Engineering) team for their second place finish in
sectional competition. Individual winners included:
Katie McKay, second place in English and a second place tie
in Physics; Corey VanDyk, second place in Drafting; Tim
Veldman, third place in Physics; and Simon Wang, third
place tie in Physics.
Boys Varsity Basketball with coaches Jeff Powers (l) and assistant Jack Le Grand
Coach Powers Wins 200th Game in Private School
League Conference Tournament Championship
Congratulations to Varsity Basketball Coach Jeff Powers,
who earned his 200th coaching victory, which came with
the Private School League Tournament Championship. Way
to go Coach, and thanks for your faithful leadership.
Varsity Boys’ Basketball Season Ends
The Trojans came up short in the Regional Championship
game against the Broncos from Walther Lutheran, losing
66-55. Andrew Temple turned in his best performance of
the year scoring 15 with seven rebounds and five assists.
Peter Tameling notched a double double scoring 10 with 11
rebounds. The Trojans finished the season 17-13 overall,
second in the Private School Leage regular season with a 6-2
record and first in the PSL Tournament. Since Christmas the
Trojans finished strong winning 10 out of 13 games.
The Trojan basketball program would like to thank their
fans for the tremendous support throughout the year.
Team honors included Vince Williams and Peter Tameling,
honored by Walter Payton’s Round House as Prep Athletes
of the Week; Andrew Logan was honored as a member of the
PSL’s All-Conference Team; and Jaaron Holmes and Peter
Tameling were given Special Mention Honors in the PSL.
Girls’ Basketball Honor
Received
Junior Shannon McNeil
received an honorable
mention for the DuPage
County All-Star team. This
is a great recognition, since
the DuPage County is widely
considered the toughest
county for girls’ basketball.
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Shannon McNeil

Board of Director’s News
The Board of Directors has been extraordinarily busy
this year with planning for campus program and facility
expansion and improvement. You will see the updated
Campus Master Plan rendering in the center spread of this
edition of the Reflector.
The Plan will be described in more detail at the Annual
Society Meeting.
From One Board Member to You
Recently several members of the Board of Directors spent
a morning on campus distributing contracts for teachers
and administrators and gave staff the opportunity to share
thoughts and concerns. Here’s one summary offered by a
Board member at the end of the morning:
“What a blessing this morning was to me.
I came away even more grounded in the
fact that we are part of an incredibly God-
glorifying institution. Integrity, genuine
love for the students, desire to enhance
each child’s walk with Jesus, and passion
to teach at Timothy radiated from each
teacher. I left the campus being thankful
that my kids are surrounded in this
environment and also with an increased
respect for our faculty.”
the legacy Fund: timothy Foundation News
Scholarships Enrich Students’ Lives
One of the ways in which the Legacy Fund of the Timothy
Foundation benefits students is by growing the investment
that is contributed by family members in establishing
scholarships.
An example of this is the Barney and Grace Hoeks Family
Award, given annually in the spring to a Timothy student
who consistently achieves excellence in Biblical and religion
studies. It was established by the Hoeks family in honor of
their parents, and since its beginning, three students have
been blessed not only monetarily but also affirmed by faculty
in their particular gifts by being chosen among their peers.
In the case of this particular scholarship, the family was
looking for a student who displays a consistent Christian
witness that demonstrates diligent study and perceptive
understanding of the Bible and related subjects. A minimum
grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is expected, as is a
recommendation from at least two teachers.
Timothy awards over two dozen such scholarships in honor
and memory of many Timothy supporters.
Barney and Grace Hoeks
timothy Alumni News
Director of Alumni Relations Appointed
Timothy is pleased to
announce the appointment
of Jay Evenhouse ’84 to the
position of Director of Alumni
Relations. This part-time,
donor-funded position will
assist alumni in planning
class reunions, strengthen
relationships between
alumni and Timothy, and
communicate the good news
Jay Evenhouse
about Timothy alumni to a
broader audience. Look for
Jay to come up with creative ideas and events with and
for alumni.
Class of ’57 at their banquet
Jay is also a real-estate broker, husband of Sharon, father of
three Timothy students, and a member of Faith Christian
Reformed Church in Elmhurst.
You’ll be hearing more from Jay in the days ahead. Look
for his regular feature in future Reflectors, in the TCSNews
email newsletter, and on the Timothy Alumni Facebook
page. If you’re a Facebook member, send him a message!
What follows are Jay’s words of greeting:
“I am very excited to have the opportunity to work with
Timothy Christian Schools and the family of alumni
that has passed through its halls. This family, some
having similar backgrounds and some very different, has
subscribed to and continues to mold Timothy’s core values.
I consider myself very fortunate to have been, and continue
to be, a part of the Timothy community. My three children
attend Timothy and it has become increasingly apparent to
my wife and me what an impact Christian education and
educators have had on their development.
As Director of Alumni Relations, my goals are to create
opportunities for the Timothy community to continue to
build relationships by making use of alumni talents and
implementing programs that cater to alumni interests. Class
reunions, service projects, and creating a forum to share
personal and professional achievements are all areas that I
plan on making more accessible to interested alumni.
The Timothy Alumni Board has discussed many different
ideas for events that would interest supporters of Timothy
Christian School, but we would like to hear any thoughts
you might have. Please contact me with your ideas or any
changes in family or professional status that we could
share with others in the Reflector, on our website, or in the
TCSNews email newsletter.”
Jay Evenhouse
Director of Alumni Relations
Alumni Invited to Join the Facebook Movement
Timothy Christian High School Alumni are encouraged
to visit www.facebook.com, open an account, and join
“Timothy Christian High School Alumni.” If you’re already
a Facebook member, visit this group and join the crowd.
The Alumni Board thinks that this will be an effective way
to reunite with classmates and keep
in touch. Check it out!
From the ’60s
William S. Stob ’63 recently had a book published by
Ambassador International (www.emeraldhouse.com)
entitled The Four Gospels: A Guide to Their Historical
Background, Characteristic Differences, and Timeless
Significance. The work took 20 years of research and 10
years to write. Bill’s email: billstob@afo.net.
From the ‘80s
On November 24,2007, the high school class of 1982
celebrated their 25 year reunion. The celebration was held
at the Willowbrook Holiday Inn. Rick Bulthuis was the
Master of Ceremonies and did a great job talking about old
times and some favorite memories. His sense of humor and
wit provided for an evening of much laughter and fun.
A poem was read to start of the evening. It captured many
woes about growing up (not old!) and included a special
thanks to three teachers and their wives who were able to
join us (Scott and Sandy Roeloffs, Jim and Pat Snoeyink and
Jim and Joanne Boven)
A special tribute was given to Heidi Stavenger for the long,
hard journey she has been through since her car accident
in 1984. We were so happy she was able to be there and
22 Reflector sprinG 2008 Reflector 22
sprinG 2008 Reflector 23

timothy Alumni News
celebrate the evening with us.
The evening concluded with a video presentation set to the
music of R.E.O. Speedwagon and Journey, and included
recent family pictures of classmates, as well as old photos
from 25 years ago.
Overall, it was a wonderful evening of fellowship and fun.
The one thing that many people had to say when it was over
was that it went by way too fast. –Cindy Blauw Vos
From the ’00s
The Northwestern University team is doing well with
the assistance of two recent Timothy graduates. Aaron
Michnowski ’07 is on the Silver Nationals team and peter
Hegel ’07 is on the Gold Nationals team. From Peter:
“Looking back, it’s been really great to have Mr. Roelofs
as coach because his leadership gave us a solid mock trial
background which enabled us to hit the ground running
when we reached NU. Both
of us would like to say
congratulations to the Timothy
mock trial team for getting
third at state!”
Congratulations to Ryan
Klein ’04 and Hope College on
finishing third in the NCAA
division III Men’s Basketball
Tournament held in Salem
Virginia this past March.
Ryan Klein and several
Ryan was named Co-Captain
Timothy fans
of the team and led them with
76 offensive rebounds this
season while averaging 9.6 points per game. The Flying
Dutchmen tied a school record
for victories in a season ending
up with a record of 28-4.
Ryan will graduate from Hope
College this spring.
Wheaton College Junior All-
American Brandi McNeil ’05
won the women’s javelin throw,
her signature event, with
a toss of 153’ 5” and she was
the champ in the hammer
Brandi McNeil
Classmates listen at the reunion for 1982
throw with a heave of 134’ 10”. She qualified again to go
to Nationals at the first outdoor meet of the season.
Hope College Junior Amy Speelman ’05 received a
prestigious a Goldwater Scholarships for the 2008-09
academic year out of only 321 awarded nationwide. The
scholarships were awarded by the Board of Trustees of
the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in
Education Foundation to undergraduate sophomores and
juniors. The Goldwater Scholars were selected on the
basis of academic merit from a field of 1,035 mathematics,
science and engineering students who were nominated by
the faculties of colleges and universities nationwide. The
scholarships are for one or two years, depending on the
recipient’s year in school, and cover the cost of tuition, fees,
books, and room and board up to a maximum of $7,500
per year.
Amy plans to attend graduate school in physical chemistry
with a focus on computational modeling and to pursue a
career in the pharmaceutical industry using computational
modeling to design synthetic targets and understand
molecular behavior. She is majoring in French in addition
to chemistry, and plans to spend the fall 2008 semester in
Nantes, France.
Amy had this to say: “I’d just like to add that I’m very
grateful for all of the math and science teachers at Timothy
(particularly Mr. Adamski) who first sparked my interest
in science.”
In honor and memory of…
Timothy Christian Schools gratefully acknowledges gifts given in memory or honor of an individual.
These gifts assist us in supplying tuition assistance to families in need.
From the Archives
Here’s another exercise in investigative
reporting and collective memory. Can
any Reflector readers help us and Arlene
Wezeman identify this photo and those in it?
“We believe this photo is dated 1924 or 1928.
Can you shed any light on who is in this
picture? We believe Harry Euwema should
be in this photo but I am not sure. My aunt
found this photo and believes it is either
eighth grade or high school graduation.”
Thanks,
Arlene J. Wezeman
Who Was that person?
We had two responses to the last “From the Archives”
picture of the Class of May 1946, offering to identify the
final member class member. Hope College historian Bob
Memorials: February 1, 2008 – March 26, 2008
Gifts in memory of . . .
Jean Bolt
Jacob Den Boer
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Luchtenburg
Mary Vermeulen
A trip down memory lane
Swierenga identified her as Hermina Lanenga. Mary (Pope)
Bolt called to say that this photo is of Florence Moliter. Hey,
this is getting interesting.
24 Reflector sprinG 2008 sprinG 2008 Reflector 25

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Beyond Belief
30 Reflector sprinG 2008 sprinG 2008 Reflector 31

Timothy’s
Mission:
Serving God and His people,
Timothy Christian Schools
develops academically
prepared Christian disciples
who embrace Christ’s call to
transform the world.
32 Reflector sprinG 2008 sprinG 2008 Reflector 33
Beyond Belief
Timothy’s
Vision:
Timothy Christian Schools will be distinctly Christian in
its community, curriculum, character, and convictions.
one
We reflect God’s kingdom by serving Christian families from diverse economic and
cultural backgrounds and students who possess a wide range of abilities.
TWo
We cooperate with Christian homes and churches in the education and faith
development of our students.
Three
We demonstrate love for one another in our work and play.
four
We challenge students to serve in a global community.
fiVe
We teach and study in the Reformed Christian tradition which drives us to be
Biblically based, culturally engaged, and always reforming.
six
We nurture creativity and curiosity through meaningful curriculum and effective
instruction.
seVen
We develop and encourage the gifts and talents of one another to serve Christ and
renew His creation.
eighT
We seek wisdom that applies knowledge to gain understanding and spiritual
discernment.
nine
We prepare students to be articulate defenders and models of the Christian faith in
thought, word, and deed.
Ten
We inspire all students to be counter-cultural disciples who are beacons of light in
the world.

188 W. Butterfield Rd.
Elmhurst, IL 60126
Beyond Belief
Address serViCe requesTed
“It’s hard to remember that Jesus did not
come to make us safe, but rather to make
us disciples, citizens of God’s new age, a
kingdom of surprise.”
STANLEY HAUERWAS
Non-Profit Org.
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Elmhurst
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