Harford Christian News

Harford County Envirothon Champs!

The HCS Environmental Science Team competed in the Harford County Envirothon on May 1, 2013, at the Anita C. Leight Estuary Center in Edgewood.  As the “6-years in a row” reigning champion, the HCS team was wearing the bulls-eye in this year’s competition.  At the end of the day, The Harford Christian team extended their Harford County Champion win-streak to now seven consecutive years.  On June 18, 2013, the Harford County champs will travel to Garrett County, MD, in hopes to repeat their state championship and to earn an all-expenses-paid trip to Montana for the North American competition in July. Click here for 2012/2013 album.

MACSAC Girls’ Junior High Soccer Champs!

On Saturday, May 11, 2013, the undefeated Eagles jr. high girls’ soccer team travelled to Westminster, MD to take on 2^nd seed Grace of Bowie in the championship.  An HCS dominating performance ended in an 8-1 victory.  Congratulations Coach Lauren Wilson and undefeated Eagle girls!

 

MACSAC Boys’ Varsity Baseball Champs!

A 2:30 PM sunshiny start to the Saturday championship vs. Granite Baptist was soon interrupted by thunder, lightning , and rain.  With two outs in the bottom of the 2^nd inning, the game was suspended until Monday afternoon at high seed Granite Baptist in Glen Burnie.  The Eagles put up ten runs in the early innings and then played solid defense and allowed only five runs from the Granite batters.  The varsity boys complete a MACSAC sweep of boys’ varsity sports including soccer, basketball, and now baseball.  Way to go Coach Lefever and guys!

 

MACSAC Girls’ Varsity Soccer Champs!

The HCS girls’ varsity soccer team finished the first half of their championship game and only a few minutes into the second half, the thunderstorms rolled in and the game was postponed.   As the high seed, the Eagle girls hosted Arlington Baptist on Monday, May 13, 2013, for the remaining 33 minutes of 2^nd half play.  At the end of regulation, the girls racked up yet another MACSAC championship for girls soccer with a 3-0 shut-out.  Amidst the team’s celebration, Leah Edwards received special honors for having crossed the “100 goals scored” threshold.  The Eagles complete their season with only one loss.

 

Spring Play “Meet Me in St. Louis

A new production of the celebrated turn of the century play, “Meet Me in St. Louis” is scheduled for two performances at Harford Christian School, May 17 and 18.

Not to be confused with the 1944 movie by the same name, “Meet Me in St. Louis” was adapted from a series of short stories in the New Yorker magazine. The stories were later published as a book titled, “5135 Kensington,” the address of the St. Louis Victorian home where the fictitious middle-class Smith family (complete with five children and a grandfather) lived. The setting is the turn of the century, when the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair was right around the corner.

Friday, May 17 is the premiere of the Meet Me in St. Louis production, scheduled for 7:30 PM in Ziegler Auditorium, with tickets available at the door. Cost is $5.

The second performance will be presented as Dessert Theatre, beginning at  6 PM on Saturday, May 18. By reservation only and featuring a long intermission of delectable upscale desserts ranging from New York cheesecake to chocolate parfaits. Cost for Dessert Theater is $18 per person.

Call (410) 457-5103 for information.

Alumni News – Zach Cantales

Zach Cantales, class of 2012, has successfully completed Marine Bootcamp, May 3, 2013.  Later this month Zach will complete another 9 weeks of training and then be assigned a permanent duty station.  Zach express a desire for military service in his junior year of high school.  The Lord has blessed Zach with an accomplishment that few attain.  His parents have seen him mature in spiritually, physically, and mentally during this time.  Congratulations Zach.

Commendation from Johns Hopkins University for Peggy Nickson

April 28, 2013, the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG) Chapter Testing Chair wrote a letter to highlight the wonderful accomplishments of the German Program under the direction of Mrs. Peggy Nickson at Harford Christian. Mrs. Nickson and her students that have taken part in the National German Language Exam for many years.  Each year there have been award winners acknowledged by the German Society of Maryland and the German Embassy at the AATG High School Awards Program held in Baltimore, Maryland. This year’s awards ceremony took place May 5th at Zion Lutheran Church in Baltimore City.  Read the commendation.

MACS Elementary Fine Arts Competition

HCS Intermediate Band (plus other ensembles and soloists) took part in the MACS Elementary Fine Arts Competition held at Calvary Baptist School in Bowie Friday, April 19.  Click here to view the results (also posted on our Fine Arts Honors page)

Fine Arts Honors

The annual MACS (Maryland Association of Christian Schools) fine arts festivals have once again given Harford Christian School a reason to announce excellence among our students.  Congratulations to these students, their instructors, and their parents!  Visit these results on http://www.harfordchristian.org/fine-arts-honors/ , under the Fine Arts section.

Harford Christian Honor Society

On Thursday morning, March 21, 2013, two juniors and ten sophomores joined the Harford Christian Honor Society.    Current Honor Society officers Hunter Howell, Nathan Pittack, and John Wilson formally welcomed new members Sarah Wilson, Jenny Bullis, Morgan Burke, Sue Edwards, Erika Cullum, Gregory Garner, Annie Henderson, Austin Kelley, Natalie Meise, Natalie Purdy, Danielle Reifer  and Justin Yang. These exemplary students must maintain a 3.3 GPA, a clean demerit record, and a good Christian testimony.  Mr. Adam Eshleman brought a thought-provoking message on I Corinthians 13, after which honor society members and the families of the new inductees were treated to a delicious brunch in the church fellowship hall.  Congratulations!

National German Exam Achievement

The National German Exam is given each January to more than 25,000 high school students across the nation. Harford Christian School students regularly score in the higher percentiles, and this year was no exception.

Ten of the twenty HCS students taking the national exam scored in the top twenty per cent. Five finished in the top ten per cent.

High scorers were Ann Cornwell, Lysette Druyor, John Wilson, Leah Edwards, Caroline Harris, Shaune Young, Patti Lynn Good, Sue Edwards, and Nicole Neidhardt. (Conner Smith not pictured)

Lysette Druyor won honors with a perfect score in Comprehension, and Susannah Edwards was one of the three top scorers in Maryland (Caroline Harris was in the top five per cent). HCS seniors Ann Cornwell, John Wilson and Shaune Young placed in top rank for the third consecutive year. The students are enrolled in 2nd, 3rd and 4th year German classes at Harford Christian.

The national exam is sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of German, the professional foreign language organization. For the last eleven years, Harford Christian has led all schools in Harford County in the number of students above the 90^th percentile.

An awards ceremony recognizing the top achievers in Maryland and Washington D.C.is scheduled for May in Baltimore’s Zion Church. The event is sponsored by the German Society of Maryland and the American Association of Teachers of German.

State Championship

The Eagles boys’ varsity basketball team finished their season with 24 wins and 6 losses.  After advancing through the first two rounds of the Maryland Christian School Tournament with wins over the Frederick Force and Calvary Christian of Cresaptown, the Eagles matched up against a tough Salisbury Christian School team.  After 32 minutes of intense defense from both team, the boys of Harford Christian prevailed with a 44-41 victory -  A storybook ending to a great season!

 

MACSAC Basketball Champions

The Harford Christian boys’ varsity basketball team captured the MACSAC basketball championship this past Saturday, February 23, 2013, with a thrilling win over Granite Baptist.  The 2nd seed in this year’s tournament, the Eagles shot 42% from the floor and forced 25 Granite turnovers on the way to a 59-58 championship win.  Congratulations to Coach Richard Westerlund and the boys for bringing home another MACSAC trophy.

 

Middle School Girls Championship

Harford Christian’s middle school girls’ basketball team was comprised of a large group of 8^th graders and a few 7^th graders who are hard-working and eager to learn.  They went undefeated in the MACSAC conference this season to earn a #1 seed for the playoffs. Having earned a bye for the first round, they hosted Grace Christian School from Bowie in the semi-final and decidedly won that game to go on to meet Arlington Baptist in the championship game. The girls got off to a slow start which resulted in a very low halftime score of 9-5.  After the half, the scoring picked up when HCS began to score points off of forcing turnovers off of defense and good ball movement. The final score was 35 – 24.

 

MACSAC JV Championship

The Harford Christian boys’ junior varsity team went into the MACSAC playoffs as the number 1 seed with a 5-1 record, with their lone conference loss on a last second shot on the road at Fredrick Christian. HCS earned a championship birth with a 65-25 win over the 4 seed, Rosedale Baptist. Frederick Christian defeated Mount Airy Christian Academy in the semi-final round to clinch a berth in the championship game. HCS and FCA squared off at Fredrick Christian Academy at 3 p.m. From the tip-off to the final buzzer, the game was a battle. This was evident by the defensive battle both teams were in at halftime by the score of 9-4 in the Harford Christian Eagles favor. The offense did pick up in the second half. Both teams battled back and forth, but Harford’s defense prevailed and made enough offensive plays to become championships of the MACSAC JV League by the score of 33-23. Coach Sean Westerlund said, “Today was just a microcosm of the season for us. It was a total team effort with each guy stepping up and fulfilling their role. I told the guys that it would be the defensive end that wins us the championship. I am extremely proud of my guys for accomplishing the goal we set for ourselves back in October when we first came together as a team.” Harford Christian finished with an 11-3 record and including playoffs a 7-1 record in the MACSAC. This is the first JV Championship in Harford Christian boys’ program history.

Excellence Fair

Parents, students and teachers alike look forward to the HCS Excellence Fair all year long. The science projects on display in the high school deal with lofty topics like weightlessness and with down to earth concerns like how much fat content is there in a potato chip. (Don’t ask.)

The RBC Fellowship Hall was the site of an international tour of nations, with students dressed for the part and relating interesting facts about their choice of country – along with samples of its food. This year’s culinary delights ranged from Scottish lemon cake to Tortilla Soup (Puerto Rico).

For more photos of our Excellence Fair displays and activities visit the January/February photo album on our Facebook Page.

Alumnus Considered for Professional Soccer Team

Anyone associated with HCS sports in the last decade will recognize the name Jon Grant, especially when it comes to soccer. Jon is earning a Master’s degree on a soccer scholarship and is the assistant head coach for a collegiate level men’s soccer team. Recently, Jon was hand-picked to try out for the Charolotte Eagles, a professional soccer team. Jon was an Eagle early on in his soccer career as a Harford Christian Eagle. Perhaps he will be an Eagle once again.  Read more . . .

 

Maryland Association of Christian Schools Legislative Luncheon

The Maryland Association of Christian Schools hosted a Legislative Luncheon in Annapolis on Tuesday, February 12, in the Senate Office Building.

Representatives from MACS met with Delegates and Senators to show appreciation for the work legislators do in protecting the rights of Christian educators. When asked the obvious question, “What can we do for you?”, MACS administrators uniformly answered, “Please; just leave us alone.”

In addition to administrators, Harford Christian was represented by three students: senior John Wilson, and juniors Jordan Crank and Paige Englehart.

 

HCS Alumnus Receives Golden Apple Award 

Harford Christian Alumnus, Kim Grant, has won an award for her excellence in education. She teaches third grade at Paris Elementary School in South Carolina, and successfully uses a significant amount of sign language in her regular education classroom.  It is easy to see why she was recognized.  Click here to view the story on her home-town news station.

German Choir Performs

Under the leadership of Peggy Nickson, the German Choir made two appearances ministering the good news of Jesus Christ at Christmas time.  On Saturday, December 8, 2012, spent the day in Philadelphia and performed at the Christmas Village at 1:00 PM in center-city.  Most recently, Mrs. Nickson had an early morning rendezvous with her German students in order to perform with her students live on WBAL AM1090 at 7:00 AM.  The live remote was broadcast from Valley View Farm in Towson and the students sounded terrific.  We appreciate the commitment of the German department on getting the good news of Christ and HCS out to the region.

VFW Winners

The Veterans of Foreign Wars sponsor an annual senior high student contest involving writing and speaking.  This year’s topic was “Is the US Constitution Still Relevant?”  We congratulate two seniors who took first and second place honors in District 5.  Nathan Pittack and Leah Edwards received recognition for 1st and 2nd place respectively.  They enjoy the honor and a cash award for their efforts.

 

Holiday Tip Off Tournament

Coming off the heels of winning the HCS Holiday Tip-off Basketball Tournament on Saturday, December 1, 2012, the boys’ and girls’ varsity basketball teams made two trips to Towson to participate in the Baltimore Lutheran Christmas Classic.  The girls’ team came up just short of winning the tournament with a tough loss to Baltimore Lutheran.  The boys’ team shot out to an early lead over Redeemer Classical Academy and “never looked back” on their way to another tournament championship.  Congrats to Coach Westerlund and the guys!

 

2012 High Point Retreat

On Wednesday, October 24, 2012, HCS 10th, 11th, and 12th graders boarded three buses and headed for Camp High Point (Reading, PA).  After their 1:30 PM arrival and a little time to settle into the cabins, the fun and excitement began.  A digital scavenger hunt, paintball, flag football, ping pong, volleyball, indoor soccer, ropes course, and zip-line were among just some of the dynamic activities of the retreat.  At designated times, the students gathered for special times around God’s Word, as HCS staff members shared what God had placed on their hearts for the students.  Everyone returned just in time for bus dismissal on Friday the 26th.  Another Camp High Point in the history books and a “ton” of great memories.

John Wilson Awarded Charlie Riley Scholarship Foundation Scholarship

On Wednesday evening, November 14, 2012, The Charlie Riley Scholarship Foundation hosted their seventh annual scholarship banquet honoring exceptional students and emergency volunteers from Harford County.  Student honorees received scholarship based upon extracurricular school participation, community service, and essay responses.  Harford Christian’s John Wilson was among twelve student recipients from the schools in Harford County.  Congratulation John on being HCS’s scholarship winner.

 MACSAC  BoysVarsity Soccer Champs!

The week of October 15-20, 2012, saw the unfolding of the Maryland Association of Christian Schools Athletics Conference (MACSAC) post-season soccer tournament.  The Harford Christian boys’ varsity team earned the #1 seed by playing through their entire regular season MACSAC schedule without allowing one goal in their net while pouring 46 goals into the back of their opponents’ net.  HCS matched up against 4th  seed Carroll Christian on Thursday, October 18, 2012.  A 6-0 win for the Eagles (another shut-out) secured their place in the Saturday championship.   Mt. Airy Christian Academy (the #2 seed) advanced through two games on Tuesday and Thursday to earn a spot in the Saturday showdown against HCS.  On a beautiful and sunny Saturday afternoon at 2:00 PM the Harford Christian Eagles and Mt. Airy Christian Lions kicked off in what would prove to be a “dogfight” that would be decided in the 1st ten-minute sudden-death overtime period.  MACA struck first with a goal-line frenzy that resulted in a MACA header to the back of the HCS goal.  While outshooting the Lions 21-11, the HCS attackers could not find the back of the net.  Finally, in the 2nd half, HCS was awarded a penalty kick after a HCS attacker Ryan Redmond was taken down in the penalty area.  Senior, John Wilson buried the kick in the upper right corner to tie the match at 1-1.  It would be another penalty kick in the 1st overtime period that would be the deciding moment of this championship.  After junior, Seth McCarty was taken down by a MACA player during a penetrating dribbling run, the team looked to senior John Wilson to deliver the game-winner.  This time Wilson went low and left with his kick and when the ball hit the back of the net, the HCS team “piled  on” in celebration as they repeated as (2011 and 2012) MACSAC soccer champions.  All- tournament team members included Tim Guertler (sweeper), Paul Franco (midfielder), and Seth McCarty (striker).  John Wilson was named the MACSAC tournament MVP with five goals and an assist in the 2012 tournament.  Congratulations to the 2012 MACSAC champs and 14-2 boys’ varsity soccer team of Harford Christian School.

MACSAC JR High Soccer Champs!

Saturday, October 20, 2012, marked a special day of action at Harford Christian School.  HCS hosted the Maryland Association of Christian School Athletic Conference (MACSAC) soccer championships.  The #1 seed HCS junior high boys team matched up against a touch Mt. Airy Christian Academy.   The HCS Eagles and MACA Lions battled to a 1-1 tie at the end of regulation.  They then played two sudden death ten minute overtimes, but remained locked up at 1-1.  On this day, a penalty kick shoot-out would determine the MACSAC junior high boys champion.  By the fourth round of kicks our HCS boys secured yet another soccer championship.  We congratulate Coach Peters and his hard-working roster of boys.

Cross Country Results

Cross Country coach Dave Cornwell reports that HCS did well in the October 13 three-school meet held at the Dublin athletic fields. More than 30 runners participated in both girls and boys events, representing John Carroll and Redeemer high schools, along with HCS. The three top finishing HCS girls all posted personal best times, crossing the line within 17 seconds of one another.  Paige Englehart  at 21:49, Christina Condict at 21:52 and Stephanie Tittle at 22:06.  Top finishers for HCS boys were Austin Kelley at 21:00 and Marcus Tittle at 20:00, both personal best times.

 Fire Prevention Day at Harford Christian

Wednesday, October 10,  marked a very special annual event at Harford Christian School.   At 9:30 AM the Dublin/Darlington fire company personnel arrived to observe our building evacuation drills and to deliver important fire prevention and safety instruction to our students in the kindergarten through 3rd grades.  Each of the students donned an official fire safety helmet as “Fireman Dave” shared important concept.  The fire crew left HCS with over $100.00 of cash donations from the kindergarten parents and an enormous haul of baked goodies for the volunteers at the firehouse.  Just in!  We learned today that our student entries in the fire prevention poster contest took 1st place in each grade level from kindergarten through 5th grade.  Sixteen of the eighteen regional trophies awarded this year will go to HCS students.  Outstanding, guys!

Golf Tournament Raises Funds for HCS Athletics

HCS Golf Classic VIII was held at Tanglewood Manor Golf Club in Quarryville PA on October 4, with more than 80 golfers vying for top prize. The winning group was Dr. Ron Cooke and his two sons, Cregan and Kelvin. More than $28,000 was raised for HCS Athletics by the event.

HCS German Students March in 55th German-American Steuben Parade of New York

Harford Christian German students marched up 5th Avenue in New York City in the annual von Steuben parade. The German/American celebration took place on Saturday, September 15, with thousands of people looking on. This is the second time HCS has been invited to participate in the festival parade.

 

HCS students pose with a member of the Philadelphia Mummers prior to the start of the von Steuben parade. Baron von Steuben was George Washington’s right hand man in organizing American troops during the Revolutionary War.

 

HCS Honors Irene Reding

An engraved stone in a lighting pier is an appropriate honor for Mrs. Irene Reding.  For more than 37 years Irene has been a lighting pier to hundreds of students, as she has, and continues to minister in the high school.  The lighting pier was constructed purposely close to the high school library, a place of significant passion and years of service for Irene.  Devoted HCS staff and EMC friends funded the construction of the pier that will ever be a reminder of our faithful Irene Reding, still serving all of us.

 

Welcome New Teachers!

Lauren Wilson, Jr High English

Jill Peregino, Chemistry, Physics, Statistics

Andrew Hilton, Health, Physical Education, Asst. AD

Read more . . .

German and Austria Study Tour

Every two years the HCS foreign language department sponsors a study tour of Germany and Austria. This year a group of nineteen students and parents spent two weeks testing their language skills in museums, restaurants, castles and more under the leadership of  HCS German instructor Peggy Nickson. The group visited Munich, Prien and Rothenburg in Germany, also spending time in Salzburg and Hallstatt, Austria. Mrs. Nickson urges foreign travel for all her German students, pointing out that by total immersion in a culture, one is forced to draw on those language skills learned in class. Her students agree!

Harford Christian Places 7th in the Nationals!

The HCS environmental team, fresh from its seventh consecutive Harford county win, and its second Maryland state win, has nailed down seventh place nationally in the Canon Envirothon. The international competition was held in Selingrove PA and hosted fifty high school teams from the USA and Canada.

In announcing the top ten winners Thursday evening, Envirothon officials awarded each of the five Harford Christian team members a cash prize of $1,300.

Congratulations to team members Josh Mohr, Brianna Coleman, Emily Stricklin, Luke Tittel,and Hunter Howell.

Maryland State Champs!

On May 3, 2012, Harford Christian School students competed in Harford County’s Annual Envirothon.  Harford County school teams competed in the categories of soils, forestry, wildlife, aquatics, and 5th topic (a relevant environmental issue).  By the end of the day, Harford Christian School secured its 6th consecutive Harford County Envirothon Championship and earned the right to represent Harford County in the Maryland State Envirothon Competition at St. James Academy in Hagerstown, MD on June 20-21, 2012.

In 2008, an HCS Envirothon team (representing Harford County) captured the Maryland state title and went on compete in Flagstaff, Arizona, at the national competition.  In the three successive years, HCS has represented Harford County in the state competition with 2nd and 3rd place finishes each of those years.

Tension was building on the afternoon of June 21st when, in the State Envirothon awards presentation, 3rd place was awarded to St. Mary’s County (who were 2011 state champions).  When it was time to announce 2nd place the presenter stated that there was a tie between two counties for 1st place, something that had never happened in state competition history (beginning in 1990).  Consulting the written rules, the judges awarded 1st place to the team who scored higher in the 5th topic (relevant environmental issue) testing.  The speaker then awarded 2nd place to . . . Montgomery County.  With no indication of who the 1st place team would be, the presenter then announced that “this year’s 2012 Envirothon Maryland State Champion is . . . Harford County!”  An ecstatic Harford Christian School team jumped to their feet and enthusiastically accepted their trophy and $500.00 cash award for each team member.  Brianna Coleman, Hunter Howell, Joshua Mohr, Emily Stricklin, and Luke Tittel took center stage for the next several minutes as cameras flashed and honors were extended.  Mrs. Ada Stambaugh, the pioneer and coach of Harford Christian School Envirothon program, was overcome with joy for her team members.  No rest for the weary!  The newly-crowned state champs have four weeks to extend their knowledge base before representing the state of Maryland at the Canon National Envirothon Competition on July 22-27, 2012.  The group has earned an “all expenses paid” trip to Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, the hosts of the 2012 National Envirothon competition.  Go get’em champs!

Click on image below for photo album.

Class of 2024!

Some members of the class of 2024 celebrate after their Kindergarten Commencement on Monday evening, June 4, 2012.  Pre-school students and graduating kindergarten students performed for a full sanctuary of family and friends.  After sharing Scripture in word and song, the students performed some of their favorite poems and fun songs for an appreciative crowd.

 

Alan Stambaugh

(born February 26, 1950, passed May 26, 2012)

Mr. Alan Stambaugh will be remembered for his significant contributions to instructional technology at Harford Christian School.  Shortly after coming onto the HCS staff in November 2008, Alan was diagnosed with cancer.  For 3 ½ years Alan fought valiantly while moving HCS into a fresh and updated technological context.  While laboring with us, Alan oversaw the installation of three SmartBoards (interactive whiteboards), brought our network environment into Windows 7 and Office 2010, supervised InfoDirect (parent/student on-line services for grades and homework), and initiated SchoolCast, the school mass communication system for emergencies and general information.  Alan loved his Savior and loved people.  He was a genuine “people person” and will be genuinely missed.  Alan has passed into the presence of his Lord and we are reminded that “precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.”

 

Class of 2012

On June 1, 2012, Harford Christian School will graduate the largest senior class in the school’s history.  This evening’s commencement included an address by Maryland State Senator, Bryan Simonaire. Congratulations Class of 2012!

Spring Play David Copperfield

In January, a large cast under the leadership of Mr. Brad Fleming and Mrs. Chris Pittack became acquainted with the storyline of David Copperfield.  Since then, they have logged countless hours in preparation for the big shows.  Those showings were on Friday, May 18, 2012, and Saturday, May 19, 2012.  The Saturday event also doubled as a dessert theater to benefit the German department summer study tour to Germany and Austria.  Congratulations to everyone involved in this year’s David Copperfield.  Click the image below to view photo album.

 

Al Cesky Scholarship Foundation Awards

On the evening of May 16, 2012, hundreds of friends and family members assembled at the Richlin Ballroom in Edgewood for the purpose of honoring this year’s elite scholar athletes in Harford County.  The annual Al Cesky Foundation Scholar/Athlete Banquet is one of the most highly anticipated events of the spring season.  Since its formulation in 1986, the Al Cesky Foundation has awarded more than $750,000.00 in scholarships to Harford County stand-outs in the classroom and on the ball courts and fields.  The two recipients representing Harford Christian School for this year are Brianna Coleman and Vincent Wilson.  Congrats to their teachers, coaches, and the both of them.

Harford County Envirothon 2012

On May 3, 2012, Harford Christian School entered into the final leg of the 2012 Harford County Envirothon competition against the County public schools.  After having won the County competition for five years in a row, other schools were purposed to crown a new Envirothon champion.  After a grueling day of testing in soils, wildlife, forestry, aquatics, and a 5^th selected topic, the Harford Christian team secured a 28 point margin of victory over the other schools by “owning” the soils, wildlife, and aquatics categories.  Both A and B teams secured County Envirothon championships, along with the Spirit Award.  The HCS Envirothon A Team will be heading west on June 20^th and 21^st to St. James Maryland where they will represent Harford County at the state level of competition.  Congratulations Ada Stambaugh and students for continuing an amazing win streak.

Click on the image below to view the photo album.

Spring MACSAC Championship

Saturday, May 12, 2012 was a busy day on the campus of Harford Christian School.  HCS was the site of the 2012 Spring MACSAC (Md. Assoc. of Christian School Athletic Conference) championships.  We hosted three baseball and three soccer matches beginning at 10:00 AM.  Congratulations to the HCS girls’ junior high and varsity soccer teams who both were crowned conference champions.  The junior high girls won an exciting 1-0 game while the varsity girls match saw eleven balls find the nets in a 7-4 victory against undefeated Mt. Airy Christian Academy.

Harford County Outstanding Scholars

On Wednesday evening, May 9, 2012, five Harford Christian School students were honored by the Harford County Delegates and Senators to Annapolis.  We congratulate Lydia Moore, Sarah Miller, Vince Wilson, Brianna Coleman, and Brad Testerman for their scholarship and diligence.

The event was hosted by the Ladies Auxiliary of the Level Fire Company in Havre de Grace.

Alumni News – Natalie Myers Class of 2010

On May 17, 2012, Natalie Myers will be the Student Speaker at the 2012 Commencement for Harford Community College.  Natalie was nominated by one of her professors, making her eligible for the audition process. After submitting a speech about the joys and challenges of college, a panel of judges, including Dean Hathaway, would decide which student should speak for his/her graduating class.  They agreed that Natalie was the best candidate for Student Speaker.  Congratulations Natalie!

MACS Elementary Fine Arts Results 2012

On Thursday, April 20,  2012,  HCS students in the elementary grades attended the annual Maryland Association of Christian School’s Music Festival.  We are delighted to share the festival results by student name and category.  Great job HCS students!

To view individual accomplishments: MACS 2012 Fine Arts Results

Senior Class Trip to The Wilds

At 12:15 AM on Monday, April 16, 2012, members of the senior class of 2012 departed by charter bus to Brevard, North Carolina.  At about 2:30 PM they arrived at The Wilds, a Christian camp where they were joined by seniors from Christian schools from as far away as Puerto Rico and New York.  The week was filled with exciting activities that included white water rafting, a challenging hike and climb, and other high energy events.

Each day, the students were privileged to hear the Word of God preached by very able ministers.   The energy-draining week ended on Friday night when the bus pulled into HCS around 10:30 PM.  Along with their “smelly” laundry the seniors carried home lots of great memories.  Click on the image below to view photo album.  Enjoy!

MACS Elementary Fine Arts Results 2012

On Friday, March 23, 2012, a handful of HCS students in the elementary grades attended the annual Maryland Association of Christian School’s Speech and Academic Festival.  We are delighted to share the festival results by student name and category.  Great job HCS students!

To view individual accomplishments: MACS 2012 Fine Arts Results

 

New Members Harford Christian Honor Society

On Thursday, March 29, 2012, nineteen new members were inducted into the Harford Christian School Honor Society.  With the new induction group, HCS Honor Society is now 43 members strong.  For a student to apply for HCS Honor Society membership, he/she must be in 10^th through 12^th grade, have a cumulative (from 9^th grade) grade point average of 3.3 or higher, and possess a conduct/citizenship record that is above reproach.  The many family members and friends present for the induction service congregated in the kindergarten basement for a tasty brunch after the service.  We congratulate these students and commend Mrs. Penny McKnight and Mr. Adam Eshleman for a delightful event.

Pennies for Patients

Students raised  $3748.88 for the Pennies for Patients fundraiser to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  This is three times the state-wide per-school average according to MD director.

Total coins: 86,987 - Pennies: 68,533 (that’s 364.5 pounds!),Nickels: 5250,Dimes: 7763, and Quarters: 5441!  Congratulations to all who participated in raising funds for this worthy cause.

 

German Department Receives More National Recognition

Harford Christian School’s German department continues to gain national and international exposure following the first-place finish in the Grimm Brothers Fairy Tale video competition. The HCS production was pitted against much larger schools (high schools and universities) in the contest sponsored by the Goethe Institut of Chicago.

The latest media attention came through the Newsletter of the American Association of Teachers of German, an extensive and thorough journal that reports on all aspects of the German language educational efforts, both here and abroad. One day after its publication, the newsletter had already had more than 1,000 hits.  Check it out at the url below:

http://www.aatg.org/files/NL-March-2012.pdf

MACS Fine Arts Results 2012

On March 9, 2012, HCS students traveled to Westminster, MD to participate in the annual Maryland Association of Christian School Fine Arts Festival.  We are delighted to share the festival results by student name and category.  Congratulations HCS students!  Click here for results.  Click Here for results.

Excellence Fair 2012

“On Friday, March 2, 2012, the campus of Harford Christian School swung its doors open to family members and friends to visit the annual Excellence Fair.  The kindergarten students and guests were visited by Black Rock Reptiles.  Mr. Nick thrilled the audience with lizards and snakes of all types.  Brave four and five-year-olds felt the texture of the cold-blooded creatures.  Below “reptile world” in the basement, 5^th graders proudly displayed their country projects.  Visitors may have arrived with empty stomachs, but they left filled with cuisine from around the world.  The students were eager to share their wealth of knowledge regarding their individual countries.  In the high school lobby, 6^th graders displayed their science projects.  Tables were filled with interesting experiments and results.  Also in the high school, grades 7-12 projects for art, English, and science were displayed.  The Excellence Fair tour would not have been complete without a stroll through the elementary, where 1^st graders showed off their Bible projects, 2^nd graders their science projects, 3^rd graders their history projects, and 4^th graders their Maryland projects.   It was a wonderful day to celebrate the excellence that is Harford Christian School.”

Science Projects (click image below for album)

Jr. Hi Girls’ Basketballl – All My Might!

Coaches Mark Humes and Jenny Koppenhaver did not need to dream up great motivational speeches to ignite the jr. high girls who wore the Eagles basketball uniforms this season.  Only a brief glance at this team on the court confirmed that they were an energetic, skilled, and hard-working group.  Some foul trouble in their last game led to a disappointing loss in the MACSAC championship (to a team they had beaten during the regular season).  The last game was their only loss of the season.  We congratulate the girls along with coaches Humes and Koppenhaver on an amazing season and look forward to the years ahead!

Maryland All State Concerts

On February 25-26, 2012, three Harford Christian students represented our school and Harford County by playing in the 2012 All State Band Concerts, hosted by Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland.  With clarinet in hand, Nich Giro (8^th grade) was only one of two Harford County students to make the elite cut for the 2012 All State Junior Band.  Senior Brad Testerman (saxophone) and sophomore Patricia Good (flute) were two of only five students from Harford County to earn a chair in the 2012 All State Senior Band.  These three students are commended for their music development and performance level, which has placed them among the most elite high school musicians in the state of Maryland. 

Piano Recital

Students of Miss East and Mrs. Peters were featured in a piano recital in the sanctuary of the Evangelical Methodist Church on Monday evening, February 27. With pieces ranging from “Chopsticks” to a Chopin “Waltz,” the young performers were rewarded with generous applause by an appreciative audience.  Click to enlarge photo.

Maryland Legislative Luncheon

On Thursday, February 2, 2012, the leadership team of Harford Christian School travelled to Annapolis to join other pastors and administrators from the Maryland Association of Christian School (MACS) to host a luncheon for Md. senators and delegates.  While many private school organizations lobby Annapolis with their hands out for money, textbooks, or other benefits, MACS leaders remind senators and delegates that Maryland Christian schools are not looking for state monies, but rather a continued protection of liberty to educate children in the truth of God’s Word.

Harford Christian German Video Takes First Place

The Harford Christian School German Department is in the news again.  After securing one of only twenty awarded grants nationwide, Peggy Nickson and her German students produced a German video, Der Rattenfänger von Hameln, that would be judged against schools from around the nation.  When the judging was complete, the German stage production brought home first place, edging out high schools from Colorado and Texas who finished 2^nd and 3^rd.  For their efforts, a $500.00 cash award comes to the German department at Harford Christian.  Congratulations Mrs. Nickson and students!

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Students Qualify for All-State Band

Three HCS students recently received great news regarding their MD All-State instrumental try-out.  Brad Testerman (senior) has secured a seat in the senior high band for the second year running.  Brad will serve as the “first chair” saxophonist in this year’s MD All-State Band.  Patti Lynn Good (sophomore), while securing a junior high MD All-State Band position last year, will be holding down the senior high “third chair” flute this year.  Finally, we congratulate Nich Giro (8th grade), for securing a clarinet chair in this year’s junior high MD All-State band.  How blessed we are to have some of the finest student musicians in the state of Maryland right here at HCS!

Field Day at HCS

On Wednesday, November 2, 2011, Mrs. Lefever and Mr. Olinger hosted kindergarten and elementary students for their annual field day.  A beautiful 60 degree and sunny day was the backdrop for an exciting day of activities.  Thanks, as well, are extended to a host of volunteer parents who assisted in running the field day stations.

Charles Riley Community Service Scholarship

On Wednesday, November 9, 2011, HCS senior Brianna Coleman was honored at the Charlie Riley Community Service Scholarship Banquet at Level Fire Company.  Bri, along with eleven other seniors from Harford County Schools, received a $1,000.00 scholarship for her outstanding record of service, scholastic achievement, and involvement in school life.  Congratulations Bri!

HCS Government Students Visit the Supreme Court

Thirty-eight government students from Harford Christian School attended an oral argument at the U.S. Supreme Court last week.  The case involved a passport/visa dispute between a Jewish family and the State Department.  The students were able to hear several of the justices question the opposing attorneys in the case and have the rare opportunity to see the nation’s highest court in action.  Following this they toured the U.S. Capitol and sat in on a session of the Senate.  Mr. Fleming, HCS government teacher, said he believed it was an excellent field trip for observing two of the three branches of our constitutional government carrying on their work on a typical day.

Harford Christian Eagles MACSAC Soccer Campions

The Harford Christian School boys’ varsity soccer team completed an undefeated season on Saturday, October 22, 2011 by defeating Mt. Airy Christian Academy in the MACSAC (Md. Assoc. of Christian Schools) championship.  At the end of regulation HCS and MACA were deadlocked in a 2-2 tie.  After playing through two ten-minute overtimes, the match went to a penalty kick shoot-out.  The HCS penalty kick takers did not miss and by the fourth kicker of five, HCS secured the overtime win and a perfect season.  Goalkeeper Zachary Gischel was named MACSAC tournament most valuable player for his solid play through the tournament.  The Eagles finish with 15 wins and 0 losses, allowing less than .5 goals per game and scoring 5.8 goals per game throughout the season.

HCS enjoyed two MACSAC championships in Saturday’s tournament. Our junior high boy’s soccer team also won over Grace of Bowie. Congratulations to the coaches and players.

Harford Center Fine Arts Competition Winner

Brad Testerman entered his “Red Flower” oil painting in the Harford Center’s Fine Arts Competition, held in Havre de Grace.  Brad placed second in the “Oil on Canvas” category. God has blessed Brad with many gifts in the arts and we congratulate him for his accomplishments.

Seventh Annual HCS Benefit Golf Tournament

On October 6, 2011, more than eighty golfers rolled out in 20+ golf carts to their respective starting places on Geneva Farm Golf Course.  The 7^th Annual HCS Golf Benefit was a “grand” day.  Our Lord provided a sunny seventy degree day after a soaking month of September.  Kudos to Travis Henderson, Troy Henderson, Justin Cross, and David Cross on the low round of the day.  These two father/son duos posted a 56 for the round of 18 holes.  Their names will be engraved on the trophy as the 2011 winners.  Over thirty thousand dollars were raised for the HCS athletic department.  Thank you golfers and sponsors for making the 7^th Annual HCS Golf Benefit event another great success!  We look forward to the facility and equipment enhancements to HCS athletics!

International Student Dormitory Dedication and Open House

On the evening of August 21, 2011, a newly renovated dormitory for Harford Christian School international students was officially dedicated to the cause of Christian education and the good news of Jesus Christ.  After the evening service, more than one hundred members of the congregation joined neighbors from the community for a special time of dedication and open house.  Dr. John McKnight, pastor of the Evangelical Methodist Church, led the dedication with a reading from God’s Word and a special time of prayer.  The doors then opened for everyone to view the dormitory facility and enjoy a time of fellowship and refreshment.  Mr. Nathan and Mrs. Erin McKnight will serve as the dormitory host parents who will soon greet students from South Korea into the facility.

Kindergarten Graduation, 2011

On Monday, June 13, 2011, the “cutest” program of the year happened on the campus of Harford Christian School.  On this night, the K-4 and K-5 students graduated in grand style sporting their caps and gowns.  Congratulations classes of 2023 and 2024!

Jr/Sr Banquet at Le Banquet

Talk about a good looking group of students!  Over seventy HCS students made their way to historic Havre de Grace for the annual Jr/Sr Banquet.  The event, sponsored by the junior class, was hosted at Le Banque.  Le Banque was constructed in the early 1900′s and served as a bank for many decades.  It is now a beautifully renovated facility with the ambiance especially suited for formal events.  After a delicious meal and lots of photo “ops” the students were treated to a hilarious PowerPoint presentation of funny photos and even funnier captions.  After lots of laughter, the evening came to a close and the students departed with a new set of great HCS memories.

HCS Seniors Hannah Schreiber and Connor Hartsock – Children’s Authors

Over the summer of 2010, seniors Hannah Schreiber and Connor Hartsock received great news. A picture book they worked on with yearbook adviser and children’s author Jennifer Reed, was accepted for publication. Guardian Angel Publishing out of St. Louis, MO has published, One in a Buzzillion. Jack Foster (http://jacktoon.blogspot.com/), from Lisle, Illinois is the illustrator. The story for 3-8 year olds is about a little bee named Buzzy. She has a hard time fitting in because she’s so small, but to her mother, she is one in a buzzillion! Buzzy soon learns that she’s important not just to her mother, but to the hive and realizes what unconditional love is all about. Congratulations Hannah and Connor!

      

HCS Girls’ Varsity Soccer Team – MACSAC Champions

On May 13^th 2011, the Harford Christian girls’ varsity soccer team reeled in its 13^th MACSAC (Maryland Association of Christian Schools Athletics Conference) championship.  The girls decisively defeated Mount Airy Christian Academy by a score of 5-1.  Congratulations are extended to Coach Harley Parkes and Sharon Grant on yet another dominating season.

“Emma” On Stage

The HCS dramatic production department performed “Emma” on the stage of Harford Christian School on the Friday evening of April 29, 2011, and then provided an “encore” performance dessert theater on Saturday, April 30, 2011.  The many audience members in both performances enjoyed entertainment of the highest order, compliments of some terrific student actors, directors, and tech crew.

Al Cesky Scholarship Foundation Awards

On Wednesday, May 18, 2011, Ally Heatwole and Josh Petty were honored at the Richlin Ballroom for their accomplishments in the classroom, athletic arena, and service to the community.  Ally and Josh each received $2,000.00 scholarships from the Al Cesky Scholarship Foundation for their outstanding high school records.

Outstanding Scholars

The Maryland House of Delegates sponsors a lovely banquet each year for the outstanding student scholars of Harford County.  On Wednesday, May 4, 2011, HCS will send five representatives to the Outstanding Scholars Banquet in Level, MD.  We are pleased to announce Josh Cornwell, Abby Edwards, Ally Heatwole, Taylor Nold, and Meghan Ptaszynski as this year’s representatives of Harford Christian School among the top students in Harford County.

Environmental Science Team Wins Envirothon Competition

On Thursday, April 28, 2011, the HCS Environmental Science Team entered Harford County competition, seeking its 5^th straight County title.  After a grueling day of testing competition in the midst of unstable weather, both the A-team and the B-team came home with 1^st place finishes.  Once again, Ada Stambaugh and her dedicated students finished “on top.”

Students Selected for All-State Band

Elite company!  Freshman Patti Lynn Good and junior Brad Testerman have been selected to the Maryland All-State Band.  Only one other time in HCS history has a student been selected for All-State Band.  This year, Brad’s saxophone expertise and Patti Lynn’s flute proficiency add yet another page in the HCS history book.  Congratulations Patti Lynn and Brad on this significant achievement!